Imperial Orphan. The Franklin Sevenson Chronicles.
Chapter one. Beginnings.
Inquisitor Horatio Hoffman looked down the sights of his bolt pistol as he aimed it at the face of a six month old alpha plus hunter he was hunting. His hand trembled and shook.
He tried to pull the trigger but found he couldn't do it and let the weapon fall from his grip. He felt tears fall down his face as he remembered his happy times with Egg. He embraced the baby psyker as he cried.
He then looked at the bolt pistol lying on the floor. He couldn't take it the loneliness, the sorrow, the guilt he placed the baby psyker on the ground gently and went to pick up the bolt pistol.
But instead of having it aimed at the baby he turned it on himself. Just as he put the gun to his temple and began squeezing down on the trigger he found himself unable to move completely paralysed.
Horatio opened his eyes and there stood a figure with it's arm stretched outward psychically preventing Horatio from killing himself.
"I'm sorry father but I can't let you do that". Said a gurgling diseased voice.
The figure stepped out from the shadows to reveal itself to be his adopted daughter Egg Sevenson.
"Egg is that really you". Horatio asked using every ounce of will power to keep himself from crying.
His daughter his beloved daughter was here. Now he wished he had killed himself sooner. He was just about to prove he was a monster no better then Egg's biological father. The shame and sorrow Horatio felt.
"Yes father its me". Said Egg gently as she walked up to Horatio and took the gun from him.
"Why father why would you do this". She asked sadly.
"I can't take the shame and guilt anymore Egg. The horrors the nightmares never leave me alone and when I remember the times we shared, those beautiful wonderful times the pain fades for a moment then I return to reality and all the pain and sorrow come flooding back I can't take it anymore!". Horatio cried as he fell on his hands and knees.
"I can't even do my job as an inquisitor anymore. I'm just a broken old man worthless and powerless who doesn't even have a purpose anymore what's the point of living if all one does is suffer". Said Horatio now openly crying.
Egg embraced her father, Horatio went stiff and silent at his daughter's actions but slowly worked up the nerve to hug her right back crying into her shoulder.
"Please stay". Horatio begged quietly.
"You know I can't do that father not right now at least". Said Egg.
Horatio looked to the baby then back at Egg.
"Please take her away far away from here somewhere where nobody will find her where nobody can use her as a weapon". Begged Horatio
It hurt Egg so much so see her father beg like that. But she could understand why he did it.
"I intend to Father. I intend to protect them all from you all the alpha plus psykers will have a place where they will safe from both the imperium and the forces of chaos. No longer will you kill anymore children for the emperor". Egg told him.
Horatio nodded grimly.
"Please Don't leave me alone Egg I miss you so much I can't live without you in my life anymore please take me... take me with you!". Horatio begged.
Egg embraced her father lovingly whispering gently into his ear.
"I watch you always father and from time to time I will come to visit you. Fear not I am your daughter after all and I will never EVER abandon you. You will be seeing a lot of me from now on this is only the new beginning of our father/daughter relationship". Said Egg kindly and affectionately.
Egg gently picked up the infant psyker and smiled at her.
"You are safe now little one. Us Alpha pluses have got to look out for each other". Egg happily said to the baby.
She then turned to her father.
"Please Egg don't go". He cried softly.
"I have to father. Also you are not allowed to die my brother will need your guidance and kind heart. So please take care of Franklin for me and keep him safe". Said Egg before she and the baby alpha disappeared now permanently gone and beyond his reach.
"Never totally beyond your reach Father". Came Egg's psychic voice into Horatio's mind.
"You are welcome to visit me anytime. Just say the word and I will open a warp gate for you to come over and visit". Egg's psychic message ended.
Despite himself, the ancient inquisitor smiled.
He picked up his bolt pistol placed it in his holster and left to return to his ship.
(On board the inquisition's cruiser the burning justice)
Horatio Hoffman stood before Lord inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn.
"I say we just kill all the children their all the spawn of Heretics and why are we even having this inquiry we all know he's guilty of treason and heresy". Inquisitor Eduardo Garcia bellowed.
"Your are one to talk about treason and heresy inquisitor Garcia. Considering your a heretic yourself you are in no position to judge anyone". Said the lord inquisitor sharply.
"though I hate to admit it Inquisitor Hoffman he does make a point". Said The lord Inquisitor.
"Lord Eisenhorn if I may. I believe these children can be different they are just babies and they haven't been tainted by the evils of chaos. They could be raised in normal homes with normal families in the imperium and not turn to chaos. I say we give them a chance they are innocent and do not deserve to be punished". Horatio argued stubbornly.
"I agree with the inquisitor Lord Eisenhorn. These children are pure it would be a sin to kill them unjustly". Came the words of Mother superior Theresa of the adeptus Sororitas of the order of our martyred lady.
"While you make a compelling counter argument inquisitor Hoffman and the words of Mother superior Theresa cannot be ignored either but how can I be sure your not letting your personal feelings get in the way of your judgement". Said The lord inquisitor.
'Damn you Garcia so you told them about egg. If so much as a hair on those children's heads is so much as brushed the wrong way I'll kill you myself!'. Horatio thought.
"No your lordship it isn't. My judgement is clearer than ever these children are just that children and they are innocent they were not tainted. They were not contaminated. They did not worship the powers of chaos and they don't deserve to be on trial for crimes they didn't commit. They don't deserve to die they deserve to live a quiet life praising the emperor for all they have. I will not stand by as innocent lives are lost!". Shouted Horatio righteous thundering fury powering his words.
"Calm yourself Inquisitor Hoffman. I have heard both arguments and have come to a decision. The children will not be killed but they must give something back in return for the Emperor's love and mercy. You will take them to Pandora with you and integrate them into the imperium and a convent from the order of our martyred lady to keep an eye on them. They will live their lives in service of the emperor it is only fair. Now what is this about one Franklin Sevenson". Asked the lord inquisitor.
"My lord young Franklin is a psyker. A powerful one between the levels of delta and gamma. If he is to be of any aid to the imperium I wish to nurture this power as it manifests in ways I have never seen before". Said Horatio.
"Please explain Inquisitor Hoffman". Asked the lord inquisitor.
"I had hurt my hand before going to check on young franklin. I had picked him up when he was crying in the nursery and then he touched my hand the wound on my hand completely healed the wound closed up and the pain vanished I believe Franklin can use his innate psychic talent to heal others and if that's the case who knows what else he could do. Think of it having a medic that could heal wounded on the battlefield at a high speed. The loss of guardsmen would be reduced by the many thousands. I believe young franklin is the next step in the human evolutionary ladder. I believe the god emperor planned this he wants humanity to evolve and I believe it is the emperor's will to have Franklin's ability nurtured and studied. For all the good it could bring to the imperium". Said Horatio.
"As you wish inquisitor. I lord inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn hereby leave the child Franklin sevenson in your custody as your charge. You are to depart for the colony on pandora immediately with young franklin and the other children who were rescued along side with him. I pray to the emperor for your Success Horatio your going to need all the luck you can get. Also I am dismissing you from your duty as an inquisitor you are now the new lord commisar in charge of pandora you are now dismissed sir". Said The lord inquisitor giving the old man a small and barely noticeable smile.
'May god-emperor be with you Horatio you are going to need all the help you can get and I wish for your happiness go with god-emperor old friend'. Thought the lord inquisitor as he watched Horatio leave to return to his own ship.
"Now as for you Inquisitor Garcia". Said the lord Inquisitor looking over the evidence against Garcia. "From what I see here things do not look good for you". Said The lord inquisitor with a intimidating scowl on his face.
Eduardo Garcia hadn't known such fear in his life as he felt the impending doom coming down on him.
(Back on Hoffman's ship)
"Navigator chart a course to Pandora I wish to leave as soon as possible". Said Horatio.
"Yes my lord at once". Said the navigator as he charted the course and accessing the astronomicon.
The Dictator of Righteousness set course for the far reaches of the Calixas sector on the periphery before going to warp.
The Dictator of Righteousness dropped out of warp around orbit of Pandora. Horatio looked down at the planet from his observation deck on the Righteousness with baby Franklin in his arms
"Look there my son our new home is down there". Horatio whispered to baby Franklin who just cooed and giggled in Horatio's arms.
As the righteousness landed Horatio and his retinue began the preparations for Franklin's brand new life.
(eight years later)
the fort city of Sanctuary was in a massive state of emergency. A Massive horde of chaos cult bandits were getting shot to pieces by the local civilians while they were waiting for the pandoran defence forces to arrive in force.
The bandits breached the defensive walls of the fort city and killing everyone in site. They broke into the school and began gunning down teachers and children. The nuns that ran school began evacuating the school rushing all the kids to the evac shelter.
Sister Mary a kind and gentle nun had seen Franklin fall over and went to help him up and out of the situation as quickly as possible. Only to have a rather big bandit run up to her screaming bloody chaos in an attempt to murder them brutally.
The nun pulled Franklin into a tight hug shielding him with her body praying to the emperor for their deaths to be swift and painless only to look up after a few moments in confusion as the death blow never came.
The bandit in question was being held back in mid air and Franklin's eyes and hands were glowing.
"LEAVE US ALONE!". Franklin roared as the bandit was horrifically vibrated into paste by the psychic energy emanating from Franklin's voice.
The moment Franklin's power died down the pandoran defence forces back up showed up and began firing chewing the bandits up in a blizzard of shot and bullets.
With none other then Horatio Hoffman leading the charge.
"Get to the shelter!". Horatio ordered and Sister Mary picked up Franklin and did just that.
The battle was long and hard and costly. For every dead bandit there were at least three dead guardsmen. This battle had been vicious they may have beaten the attackers but there was no victory.
Horatio sat in his office listening to Sister Mary telling the tale of how Franklin saved her life.
"And his eyes just lit up my lord then he bellowed at the bandit with all his might and the bandit just fell apart". Said Sister Mary.
"I knew something like this might happen. Franklin is a very special boy Sister Mary he was born with very special gifts, gifts that make him a high value target for very bad people who would want to use him as a weapon". Said Horatio.
"How so my lord". She asked.
"I would love to tell you Sister Mary but it would be safer if you didn't know if you care for my son you won't ask me to tell you he has enemies everywhere so I beg you for your silence". Said Horatio quietly.
"Of course my lord anything to protect him and the other children to ensure their safety". Said Sister mary.
"Thank you sister you honour yourself with your devotion you may return to your duties". Said Horatio.
The nun bowed and left and as soon as she was gone. A gurgling diseased voice was heard.
"So I was right about him". Said the voice in Horatio's head.
"Egg my daughter it's been far too long". Said Horatio smiling happy to see his daughter.
"Yes papa it has". Said Egg.
"you were right his powers recently activated it happened during an attack by the Bloodshots a few hours ago". Said Horatio.
"Bloodshots?". Asked Egg.
"A particularly nasty bandit clan long story don't ask. But I need a psyker to help in his training to master these new powers. But I am no longer an inquisitor officially and do not have the resources at hand to help with his training". Said Horatio
"I will help my little brother and as for helping I come baring a gift". Said Egg holding out her hand.
Floating above it was an STC fragment. Full to the brim with knowledge and information on many different forms of weapons technology and other things.
"I was able to snag this before my family was able to I know the level of technology isn't the best on your new world but with the information on this you can learn to protect and defend yourselves". Said Egg.
"Thank you Egg. This will come in handy both for us and the imperium especially now that we learned of the natural resources on pandora. I will have my tech priests examine this right away". Said Horatio taking the STC fragment.
"But before you start teaching your brother Egg you might want to don a disguise you look... uh... different I don't want a misunderstanding to occur". Said Horatio.
Egg looked at herself and sadly understood what he meant.
"But on the bright side he's really wanting to meet you Egg". Said Horatio.
This made Egg smile.
"And I have been looking forward to meeting him as well papa". Said Egg.
Horatio nodded.
"He has had a most harrowing experience today Egg once he has calmed down I will call you and organise a meeting between you two". Said Horatio.
Egg nodded and then disappeared again back to the warp returning to her alpha paradise.
Three days past after the first Bandit attack and Horatio's tech priests had finished decoding the STC Fragment and the information that was on it.
"So is there anything on it we can use. Considering our lack of access to certain technologies". Asked Horatio.
"Yes lord Hoffman. There ancient schematics for vehicle, and surprisingly ballistic weaponry and specialised ammunition designs and schematics for a new type of plasma energy weapon called blasters". Said Tech preistess Helena Pierce.
"That sounds interesting and useful can we make blasters with the level of technology at our disposal". Asked Horatio.
"Yes we can and with the manufacturing equipment we were given we can begin immediate production". Said Tech priestess Helena Pierce.
"Good very good...". Horatio lulled to himself.
"Thank you Priestess Helena please keep me informed with your progress". Said Horatio.
Tech priestess Helena bowed as Horatio left.
School continued as usual after the attack and Franklin went to visit his father at his office when the school day ended. And when he arrived he was showed into his father's office. There sitting at his desk was a young woman about five foot three with chestnut brown hair and fair completion.
She turned to look at Franklin as he walked in and stood up with a smile.
"Father I didn't know you had company I'll come back later". Said Franklin turning to leave.
"Oh no no Franklin stay please I think introductions are in order". Said Horatio getting up and standing beside the woman.
"Franklin I would like you to meet your big sister Egg she saved you from her family before coming to live with me as my daughter". Said Horatio.
The disguised Egg stepped forward towards Franklin.
Franklin walked up to Egg and slowly embraced her. And then she felt it she felt Franklin's psychic ability and him doing his very hardest to suppress it knowing it was rude to read other people's minds without permission.
'It's okay little brother I am here to help you master your powers it will take time but I will be with you every step of the way'. Egg said Telepathically.
'you can speak like this too?' Asked Franklin.
'Yes brother I suffered an injury during my time before our father saved me from my abductors. And am unable to talk physically so I rely on my telepathy to speak to others now come Franklin it's time for your lessons to begin'. Said Egg.
Franklin took to his lessons with Egg like a fish took to water and to getting to know his big sister. His control over his powers grew and grew. Sadly Franklin didn't get to enjoy those times with his loving sister for long.
For it was then the enemies came and they came in great numbers.
First it was the Bloodshots, then it was the ripper clan and after that it was the brotherhood of gore. War after war forced Franklin to grow up quickly he didn't get to enjoy his childhood for long. The horrors Franklin saw the death, the carnage and the great acts of violence had changed him.
Franklin at the age of ten picked up a gun during the bandit raid on his tenth birthday and just began shooting bandits left and right. The bandits died quickly as Franklin vented all his rage, anger and pain on the bandits using his guns, his psychic powers and his fists to kill every bandit that crossed his path. After the battle his father's personal guard found Franklin in a severe state shock on his knees covered in blood that wasn't his own and was later diagnosed with severe PTSD.
Franklin was forever changed on that day the only things that kept Franklin from going insane was his father and sister. And they helped him every step of the way. Sadly the bandit clans were something that never went away as soon as one was exterminated another rose to prominent power out in the wastelands and would just start trouble all over again it was a never ending cycle.
(Current day Franklin Age: thirteen. Height: Six feet 5 inches. Rank: Sargent in the sanctuary local militia)
it had been a rough week a bandit clan known only as Krom's army was laying siege to Sanctuary. Franklin was on front lines laying fire on the bandits that were attacking sanctuary.
"Squad three lay some heat on these wankas!". Ordered Franklin as he popped a fresh magazine into his weapon and began blasting away at the bandits.
The battle went late into the evening and franklin sighed.
"Why don't they just quit". Asked Franklin.
"Tell me Sarge would you if you were in their shoes". Said Dildi Franklin's demolitions expert.
"No but then again I'm not stupid enough to try to and take on a heavily armed and equipped settlement known for it's reputation for manufacturing exceptional quality firearms and skilled marksmen that could shoot the fleas off a Skag's back from three miles away at a moment's notice". Said Franklin going over his rifle keeping it clean and well oiled.
"These are bandits Dildi known for their love of destruction, death, stupidity and the spreading of insanity and violence not their intelligence. It's almost like their waiting for our ammo and supplies to run out there's strategy behind it that's why Krom got the lesser bandit clans to join him he's using them as disposable bullet sponges. Krom may be smarter then that brute sledge the bandit king we killed over a year ago but then again a stactus plant is smarter then Sledge and Krom is no better then Sledge and yet there is strategy behind Krom's attacks I feel something else is at work here sir". Said Franklin somewhat worried.
"I dunno Sarge maybe Krom was hiding his brains you know being sneaky like that you know how like you do it to out smart our enemies". Said Dildi.
They both then heard a whistling sound go off.
"Oh good the billy's boiling Hey Frank you want a cuppa". Asked Dildi.
"Yeah mate milk and two sugars please". Said Franklin as he sat down.
"Hey sarge the corporal's gone and thrown some snags on the barbie you want some". Came another member of Franklin's squad.
"Bloody oath I do". Said Franklin smiling walking off to grab his evening rations.
The next day came bright and early. With the bandits blasting away with their shoddy and loud guns.
Franklin was now rather upset being woken up to the sounds of bandit blunderbuss blasts permeating the air along with enormous amounts of shot.
"RACK OFF YA DRONGOS IT'S THREE IN THE MORNING!". Shouted Franklin as he fired an RPG at the bandits killing a large group of them. The rest of his squad woke up and were feeling the same as their commanding officer.
And treated the asshole bandits to a pandoran orchestra and many of them were literally chewed up by shot and blaster bolts.
"All hands fire incendiary rounds!". Ordered Franklin.
Franklin and his men fired the specialised ammunition and then stopped firing when they all heard the bandits screaming while they were on fire.
"Well we're all up might as well get some brekky lads we're in for a long hard day". Franklin growled.
The others groaned as they prepared for oncoming combat. Only to hear the sound of charging hissing Slaanesh daemonettes charging towards their trenches.
"THE ENEMY HAS SUMMONED DAEMONS OPEN FIRE KILL EVERYTHING RUNNING AT US!". Franklin roared.
"For the prince!". Roared one of the Daemonettes only to have it's declaration drowned out by heavy stubber, autogun and blaster fire.
(On the slaanesh planet Dark tropic)
Rack Sevenson came running to the family board room where the head family members were having a meeting when she busted in.
"Forgive the interruption matriarch but I have urgent information for Wendy and Luke!". Said Rack completely out of breath as she ran the entire way here.
"Well speak up Rack what is it". Asked MA7.
"Luke, Wendy we found him! Franklin we've found him!". She panted trying to catch her breath.
"PREPARE THE ASYLUM!". Luke ordered.
"My baby! My baby boy has been found!". Wendy cried in joy as everyone prepared for departure.
(Back on pandora five months later.)
The war was going poorly. The bandits had summoned an alarming number of Daemonettes to do their fighting for them against Sanctuary's local militia who was running low on supplies. It was then the militia soldiers learned that this was a war of attrition and it was all the militia forces could do to keep the bandits at bay as they waited for the mobile armour squads took to the field. Sadly they would be delayed for several days.
(Back on the Asylum)
"So what do we know". Asked Luke.
"We found Franklin after a Daemonette died on pandora as franklin killed it from what we know a chaos cult or bandit clan as their called on pandora is locked in battle with Sanctuary the Fort city settlement that 'little' Franklin calls home". Said Rack with quotation gestures around the word little as she began her slide show.
"Franklin Hoffman. Age thirteen. Size six foot five inches and two hundred kilograms with a powerful physique wrought for combat. He is skilled in hand to hand unarmed and melee weapon combat and is both a highly skilled marksman and talented gunsmith. He is trained as a scout recon, heavy and specialised weapons expert and is trained in environmental combat tactics and is the commander of the tank crew call sign Fury.
And he is highly aggressive in combat but after reviewing the information on franklin he has the tell tale signs of severe PTSD and uses warfare as an outlet for his rage and frustration and has a shoot first questions never attitude especially with outsiders both foreign and domestic and attained the rank of Sergeant at the age of twelve". Said Rack.
"What do we know about their defensive capabilities". Asked Sherman.
"Sanctuary is a production fort city. They supply a quarter of all arms on pandora and half of all the ammunition on the planet as well so they have a lot of gear a lot of weapons and a lot of allies from other Fort settlements on the planet at their disposal. And they have a convent of adeptus sororitas of the painful path. And the local militia of Fort settlement Sanctuary numbers in thousands and they also have tanks and aircraft at their disposal as well". Said Rack.
"And how would we go about recovering Franklin". Asked Augusta.
"It's not that easy. You see Franklin is a natural born fighter you try and take him he is going to fight and people are going to get hurt. It also mentions in his files that he doesn't know who we are. And that Horatio Hoffman the man who took Franklin after Egg's betrayal adopted Franklin as his own son and made sure he never knew anything about us so just going down there and taking him will cause problems. We need to be very careful when we do this because if we use force Franklin is going to fight like hell to defeat us". Said Rack.
"Couldn't we just drug him I mean I can come up with a sedative to use on the boy". Came Lilling Sevenson.
"Franklin lives on a death world similar to catachan. He may be just a boy but he is nearly as strong and resilient as a night lord neophyte and has high immunity to various toxins and venoms of both the plant and wild life of pandora like everyone else on that planet so making a sedative that would work will be difficult". Said Rack.
"Our best bet is to out soldier him. And force him into a position where he will have to surrender to us. We could take everyone in his settlement hostage". Said Luke.
"Yes I agree but then we would have the bolter bitches from the painful path to deal with and they are a whole other story of psycho killy bitch they're gonna be a problem. I say we slaughter them first then retrieve our kin". Argued Sherman.
The night lords continued debating on how to recover Franklin. When Augusta stood up and addressed them.
"What if we allow them to capture one of us. They will take the one they captured in for interrogation and torture we will be able to communicate through psychic link thanks to the girls and we can offer a trade. While one of us gets taken hostage we take one of them hostage and use the exchange to lure Franklin out for us to make an easy snatch and grab". Said Augusta.
"I like it but who will be the volunteer". Asked Luke.
"I will father I will go and get my brother back". Said Augusta.
"That's my boy we launch the operation in three days as soon as we drop out of warp.