Chapter 4
Contact: Xenos Unknown
Battle Barge, Fury of the Lion. Valorous Prime, Valorous System. Year 999. M41
Chapter Master Nathaniel was on the bridge, looking outwards towards the planet, view the advancing line green mass heading towards the PDF lines as well as the chapter keep and Adapt Sorortias convent.
"Have the Techmarines get the Thunderhawks on the ground as soon as possible and inform Chaplain Solomon to go with down to the planet, I would like to have him getting use to his new role as Chaplain." Nathaniel told the serf; the robed human nodded her head.
"As you wish, my lord." The human moved out and went about her task. Nathaniel went back to looking at the planet. Was he making the right call here, going towards Cadia while troops here fought and died against a Greenskin tide? Was he going to have make the same call his Primarch did during the Horus Heresy? During the Horus Heresy, The Lion and the Dark Angels fought a long war against Konrad Curze and his Night Lords, during which he was recorded as saying that loyalty was its own reward. He and his legion stayed behind with the Ultramarines and their Primarch, Roboute Guilliman in order for Sanguinus and the Blood Angels to make it to Terra for the Siege of Terra, and yet still there are the whispers of rumors that the Lion didn't stay back to let the Angel through but to see who would win and side with the wining side whatever the outcome. Would history say the same thing about him here and now, such were the thoughts that dwelled upon the chapter master's mind.
Out of the corner of his eye he could see a bridge officer approach. He moved with some concern to him.
"What is it, Brother?" Nathaniel asked of him.
"My lord Chapter Master! A fleet of Ork vessels have just jumped out of the warp, 30 in total!" the battle brother told to his venerable brother. Even more problems to look about, the situation was growing worse by the moment. Looking again he could see that the battle brother wasn't done delivering bad news.
"There is more isn't there, brother." Nathaniel asked of the deck officer.
"There is, my lord. A warp storm has appeared on the edge of the sector, if we try and make a warp jump with it, we may very well get caught up in its energy and become lost in the warp, possibly forever."
Now the situation was truly awful now he had no choice. Nathaniel had to look towards his brothers as well as the Imperium as a whole, which included the Valorous system. He was not going to risk the lives of him and his battle brothers over a risk such as this, to potentially become chaos traitor marines or even become lost in The Warp.
"Brother, we have a change of plans, we stay and fight this Ork fleet, have the Thunderhawks become loaded with tactical squads. I want every man willing to make ready for landfall, and have High Master Malthiel come to the bridge." Nathaniel then went off towards his weapons resting place to don his wargear.
"At once my lord chapter master but if I might ask, why ask for High Master Malthiel?"
"Because he's always been a better void combat expert than I and I intend to welcome the orks personally." Nathaniel left the bridge, grabbing his wargear in the process.
XXX
Angel's Tears, 8th planet of the Valorous System, outside the rim of Hive Virgo.
Thel was uneasy about the world, how could he not the beings they had just fought looked like humans but only vagally. Most were covered in markings that gave off a baleful presents, they went into battle bearing only ragged clothing, and used weapons of such crude design that it would make the Jiralhanae armaments look like works of the finest art in comparison and that were just the normal sized ones. The leaders, as they could only be so given their size much akin to how the Sangheili and Jiralhanae were to the Unggoy and Kig-Yar, were worse off: mouths growing upon their hands, eyes on their shoulders, tentacles all over. The green ones he had slain had been looked over by the Huragok, after touching it, it died from plagues that had originated from the being, after that they would only study the crimson coloured ones as to not suffer any more needless losses.
"Arbiter, we had discovered something, I think you should see it." The young major from earlier called to him via the battle-net. Jiazah 'Thogamee, he had a good head on his shoulders, a good mind for warfare and a well honed instinct for telling if something was wrong. With his own military career now confined to be the Arbiter he at least hoped to guide this young one's mind to become even greater than what he was, perhaps even supreme commander of the whole of the covenant military now that would be something.
"Yes Major, what was that about something you found?"
"Yes Arbiter, my team and I have discovered something grim, a horror that I could not describe even if I had the rest of time to do so, I believe you should see for yourself."
Thel could tell the fear in his voice when he said that, he had only ever heard fear like that twice and against the same thing.
"Understood Major, you and your team stay where you are and do not for any circumstance disturb this 'horror' until I arrive and give judgment to this dilemma."
"Understood, Arbiter."
XXX
What Thel 'Vadam, former Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice and current Arbiter of the Covenant had seen in his life had prepared him for much but what was now before him was something new all together: It looked as though flesh and metal had been merged together to create something that was neither alive nor dead. The body looked crustacean in design but with cannons on one side of it and a rather large cannon in the center of its chest but by far the worst part was its face, of it indeed have one, was warped in its visage, as though it were in pain for some reason perhaps it was it was in the midst of it death cries.
"I see why you called, disturbing as it is, it shall make for good research for the Huragok to go over." The Arbiter told Jiazah and his team.
"We have tried to Arbiter but with little success." One of the Sangheili pointed towards two bodies of what were at one point, fellow Sangheili. Their forms writhed with blemishes and taints of what looked to have inflicted the humans and their leaders but to a lesser scale but more damaging at the same time. It seemed that whomever they were facing out here seemed to be as dangerous and contagious as the Flood but with out most of the signs or even unique read-out on their life scans which made it even more dangerous to be around.
"These foes, whatever and whomever they may be, have proven their danger, but we must recover this abomination in order to glean as many truths out of it as possible so as to find a defence against their tainted ways." Just then, Thel felt as though someone was watching them seeing them react to this and observing how they would deal with this.
"Arbiter, is something the matter?" Jiazah asked looking outwards trying to see what the Arbiter was looking at but to no avail.
"No, Major nothing at all. Come, I have sent for a containment unit to be sent here have a man of your choosing stay here until it arrives."
"Yes, Arbiter it will be done." The major gave a bow to the Arbiter and went about his work. Unknown to them both, a being lurking within psychic shadows gave a small smile beneath his helm.
"Soon, my friend, soon you will not need fear what you have found. Soon you will embrace it just as we have."
XXX
5 Miles from Deacon Zaurti's Cathedral, Valorous Prime, Valorous System, 999. M41
Sister Superior Sabrina was not one to be prattled on by those of lesser convictions than her own, especially someone like Major Kuiler. Upon first glancing at the man one would think that he was nothing short of what a commander of one of The Emperor's infantry companies should be but not too long after the cracks in that judgement began to show: smoking while on the job, chatting with the men like equals, and gazing a little too long at the chest of her and her sisters, if it were not for the commissars words to her and the fact that they were about to possibly be entrenched in heavy fighting soon, she would have shot the mans head off herself.
"Sister, a moment if you would we need to start discussing plans of defense here." The major pointed her to get over the war-table, which was just a table in the centre of his tent, were he, his fellow company commanders, what was left of his platoon commanders, the various company's commissars as well as captain commissars due to a lack to officers and, to her surprise, Tempestor Primes, leaders of Tempestus Scion groups. To think that the greatest soldiers in the Astra Milltarum could be here and still be beaten back so badly that the deacon's cathedral was under threat of assault the Greenskins must really be putting up a fight.
"Forgive my bluntness earlier, Sister I have not yet proper introduced my self nor the fine men and women under my command." The major told Sabrina as he rose from a seat fashioned from a log.
"I am Major Yester Kuiler, the man to my right is my adjutant, Captain Winston Morgrave. To my left, following down the line from the top is my fellow company commander, Captain Carin Eguls, our remaining platoon commanders, Lieutenants Maxwell Praks, Victor Prayton, and Noa Macnessa. Those commissars that have been promoted to officers, Commissar-Major Enrich Von Harrianburg and Captains-Commissar Jericho Kell, and Alexandros Apollon and lastly our new friends from the Tempestus Scions, Tempestor Primes Nesher O'Nier, Victoria Von Carrionburg, and Sebastian Anoraion. Our tank commanders, Tank Captains Quentin Vein and Kanak Dumont are out in the field, acquiring some 'special equipment' "
Sabrina became annoyed by this, for what point was it to show off the officers to her, it wasn't a parade here, it was war and they needed to plan the defense of the cathedral. Captain Eguls was a thin man, less muscular than the others around him. Of the Lieutenants, Praks was thick with muscle but he seemed a bit off in the head, Prayton almost looked like a scribe if not for the scars he bore around his knuckles and Macnessa was a boy, a child really fresh from the officers academy and sent to the front lines in a warzone, lucky him. The commissars were another story altogether, each one not only a political officer, but a battle line one as well; yes these were the type of people that got work done, as for the scions they seemed almost bored being here
"Major, with all due respect to what end does this introduction serve?" The question was a valid one but one that Kuiler did not seem to dwell on for long.
"Sister, the reason for this is because the men and women you see before you are going to have to rely on you and you the same during the days, weeks, months perhaps even years ahead, you must know them until the enemy is defeated, we abandon the world to its fate or your death. I have known less then half of these officers and yet I would gladly risk my life for each and every one of them as if they were The Emperor himself." The last part of his little speech was borderline heresy: to compare regular guardsmen to the most holy God-Emperor of Mankind was downright traitorous. She pulled her bolt pistol right up his face right there and then, only to be answered with a boltgun from Captain Morgrave pointed at her face.
"Explain yourself, Major or by the Throne of Terra, I'll take your head off right here and now even if it means my own death as a result." The major raised his hand to indicate to Morgrave to lower his weapon, to which he did but still kept a watchful eye on the sister.
"I meant no disrespect, especially not to the Emperor himself, I was merely stating that I was ready to lay down my life for those around me as I knew that they would do the same for me, and we all would do for The Emperor." Sabrina holstered her pistol and moved away from the major.
"Right then, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let us begin." The major moved back over to the table were a holo-map was displaying the local area.
" Captain Commissar Kell, you're our man with the 445th Armoured Regiment, have either Tank Captains Vell or Dumont reported with any news on the acquisition of the 'special equipment' yet?"
"Still looking sir, but then again it was a rather large gambit to do so."
"Yes but one we needed to perform if we're to have any chance of seeing this conflict to the end, Captain Commissar. The reports are confirming what we believed to be happening all along: the Greenskins are building up war-temples to their gods and are ready to unleash them on the troops, and when they do, our guns will, not just might but will, be ineffective against them." The major looked to the tempestor primes as if he already had a plan in motion.
"Tempestor Prime O'Nier, I want you and your scions to make a scouting mission over to the gargant factory and see how far along they are. From there we will be able to plan accordingly as for the rest of us, we shall set up gun emplacements all along the perimeter and make this area a fortress." The major had turned into a an almost different person; an officer of the Imperial Guard, planning his defence and ordering his officers to work.
Sabrina, her mind so focused on the major's actions, failed to hear the major's orders to her. "Sister Superior, are you there? I require you and your sisters to secure the Deacon's person."
Sabrina looked back towards the major, now hearing his orders and not liking them at all. "Major, I have done nothing but protect the deacon's person for a very long time now, my power sword grows ever duller as time passes it by with a lacking combat. The deacon is staying within his bunker, far below the surface of the cathedral. My place is here, Major not down in the ground."
She stood her ground on the principal alone. While the major had no actual authority over her and her sisters, he was the man with the bigger guns then she had which could end badly if she pressed her luck any further than she already had. The major let loose a small smile on his face. "I understand, Sister so that is why I have decided to have you and your sisters with take up positions on the south western face, towards the Siun Plains and keep an eye out for any ork commandos that might try and take a swing at our lines."
"Understood Major, I'll have my Sisters and I there within the half hour." With that small politicking over with, the rest of the base could get back to making things as defendable as possible as to not die in an ork charge.
XXX
Angel's Tears, 8th planet of the Valorous System, inside Hive Virgo, Year 999. M41.
Sevax knew the power of the Warp and it was unquestionable that the xenos had to potential to create psykers among them if not be able to already but he could not see them in the warp, they were not there as though blanks but the powers of chaos affected them like any others so they weren't blanks still this don't bod well it was bad that they were here to begin with but the thought of not just a single race but multiple ones, the Tau were bad enough as it is but these beings screaming about their gods like they had any idea of what true gods really were. Still they had potential as even if it was for nothing more than as sacrifices for the true gods.
"Sevax, I require you to grace my sanctum with your orating." Atrino called to him with his psychic powers. it was odd, long had Atrino bore a rivalry with him as both had routes to power, but only he had taken the one that held the most sway in the legion and this brotherhood in particular.
"I'll shale do so only if you disclose as to why you want my presence in that maze you call a sanctum." Sevax could feel the frustration in Atrino's mind at the question. It was a long pause before Atrino gave his answer.
"Very well, I shall soon be making contact with some let's call them 'allies' that I have made over the centuries and your skills at warp contact are unrivaled by anyone else here… well except for me of course."
"Of course, and just who are these allies of yours Atrino? The Red Corsairs? Some minor warband of those who saw the truth of things merely centuries ago?" Sevax was not one to work well with those not of the Word Bearers. They were the truest followers of the Ruinous Powers, the others merely glimpsed at their power.
"That is for me to know and for you to discover when you arrive here. Hurry on now I can feel your anticipation from here." Atrino ceased his chattering.
"I might as well see just whom that power grubbing fool has for us to work with."
The inside of Atrino's sanctum was a just what Sevax had called it: a maze. It was full of backward turns, full circle pathways and dead ends, the only way one found anything or anyone in this place is if either they were a powerful psyker and forced their will on it or if the lord of this domain willed it to happen. It was the latter for Sevax, much to his favour.
"Ah, their you are now we can begin." Atrino was without his helm for once, his face was a warped mess, he had five eyes, two on each side with the fifth in the center of his forehead the fifth eye also seemed to be burning with fire he was truly blessed by the Changer of Ways.
"Yes let us." In the center of the room, were glyphs of chaos, they were to be used in the summoning of portals to whomever they were to contact.
"You said you'd tell just whom we're to make contact with." Sevax said beginning to prepare for the ritual.
"I did, well its several groups actual, First we have the Sons of Nightmares warband, they are a Night Lords warband, although one could probably tell from the name, they are led by Aganax the Inflictor, a truer son of the Night Haunter you could never find."
"Is it wise to put stock into brothers of that gene line, it was unstable long before we chose the true path, and they pay nothing towards the gods only the delight they receive from maiming body after body in Slaaneshi torture."
"And that is way we'll want them; they will sow terror and breed pain wherever we set them loose upon. Plus the ships they will bring will allow us to burn a path across the stars." Sevax saw the wisdom in this, while they did have their own fleet, it was hardly what one could call a crusade, the Night Lords were expert pirates and could bring much to this cause of chaos should they join with them.
"Whom else is there?"
"The Scourge Smiths, a warband of Iron Warriors that are particularly good at creating daemon engines. Their leader, Anjax Scourge Smith, was responsible for the mass daemon engine assault on Tuno some time back."
"I recall that, the whole of the world was for the taking and soon became a bastion for the Chaos Gods. If they are Iron Warriors, then we can use their skills in siege warfare to good use against these new Xenos."
"Yes, yes we can." The ritual was all in place and Atrino began to work.
"Next we have the Poison Dragons, an Alpha Legion warband. Much like most of the lot they are experts at subversion, deception and disruption of their foes power base at its source. They also have the reputation for being expert front line fighters, odd yes but it work to their favour as the reputation of the Alpha Legion for being covert operatives means that the foe never expect them to attack head on."
"Their talents, both for being seen and not seen will add up in destroying the xenos, or at the very least, crippling them.
"Then we have the Forsaken Beasts. A renegade group dedicated to the plague lord. They have amassed quite the sum of cultists by acting as a death cult, preaching that only by facing the enviable can you be free and know true joy, for even once in their miserable lives. Their leader is a dark apostle, Audrax the Malignant.
"If they serve Grandfather Nurgle, then so be it if nothing else, we can put their large number of cultists to use as slaves and cannon fodder for our goals. Is that all the allies you've gathered, Atrino. If so, may we begin now.
"Yes, we may." Soon the room turn from a maze of chaos to a storm of madness as the two traitor marines called upon the powers of the warp to make contact with those group to secure a base for their own Black Crusade.
And so the crusade begins in earnest. Sorry this took so long things came up like the date stick I used for this story getting broken or me trying to find a job. In any case I'm not giving up on this story and I will try to get more chapters out at a better rate
Also my space marine chapter, The Storm Lions/ Angels of Aggression has had a video made on it on 40k Theories channel on Youtube. Go check it out if you want the history of this chapter.