Mortaria's wrath comes down on the insectoid Xenos, her scythe sheering straight through its armoured carapace, bright blue blood spraying out and the blade is cutting into the next one before the 1st one registers it's even been cut in half.
Her HUD display fills her vision, her armour condition displayed on the right-hand side of the bright green HUD and below it is the life signs and vox signatures of each of her legion command staff and to the left is the power levels at her deposal, shielding condition and the signatures of her two children.
As the Primarch and her children and the astartes strike elements of the 1st company rampage through the insectoids that came to greet them, elsewhere, tactical squad Beta of the legions Adepta forces of the second company makes landfall outside a village occupied by the insectoid Xenos.
Unlike the housecarl warriors of the 1st company Adepta, tactical squad Beta are equipped as a standard legionary tactical squad but due to armour supply issues, they were all wearing Adepta pattern MK2 crusade armour with one exception, a red bronze coloured bronze emblazoned over the right-hand side of the breast plate.
The Seargent, battle sister Kellariana Nikos is 1st out of the Thunderhawk, bolter held firmly held in her armoured grip as she levels it and opens fire, two bolter shell bursts in an arc in front of her, aiming for the centre of mass of the insectoids.
Loud cracks ring out as she does so and as her fellow squad mates join her as they start a slow advance, taking after some of the very fresh-faced Barbarous recruits and their inexorable advance.
As the bolter shells shatter and utterly ruin the insectoids, battle sister Merrin of Albia, a Terran born sisters face lights up on the vox network of the squad "for a 1st action under our lady, this is barely a fight Seargent, better to get stuck in with combat blades!"
A Barbarousi member of the squad, only recently given her power armour pipes up "you're a fool, we possess bolters for a reason, what are we? The maidens of the twelfth legion? Have discipline sister."
The Terran born who spoke 1st responds "dislodge that rod from your arse Hellani! The Principia Bellacossa isn't the be all and end all of warfare." Seargent Kellariana snaps at them both "silence you pair of idiots!" the squad fans out in a semi-circle as the warrior insectoids start a maddened charge towards them, the humans running indoors in the vain hope that they won't get blasted appear by stray bolter shells.
"Fix bayonets! Fix bayonets!" orders the Seargeant as it seems that swarm tactics are the preferred modus operandi of this Xenos species. In seconds the blades are fixed to their photos pattern bolters and meet the charge in scything arcs, two bolt shells a piece...
Mortaria's drop group has butchered their way through all who have come against them, Mortaria herself utterly drenched in carapace chunks and blood and her children are much the same with Albedo being the cleanest, using her speed to make blindingly fast strikes.
The veterans of the 1st company have quite the time of it themselves, the warriors of the housecarls butcher their way through the insectoids as their advance cannot be stopped, their wrist mounted bolters shredding and liquidating the insectoids before smashing into the shield wall and hacked apart by power weapons.
The Death Shroud terminator elites and the other male astartes forces are performing just as well with the terminator formation in question using the full extent of their armours mobility to keep their gene sire safe.
And up in orbit? The emperor stands beside Malcador as they watch a holo display of the 1st combat action of the female Primarch with Malcador, the one who suggested there be a female Primarch who comments, his voice but a dry whisper with extreme age.
"She displays all of the tact that most Primarchs display on their 1st combat actions with their legion... the Adepta legionaries seem to perform at an extreme efficiency when in her presence... I do wonder if the other legions Adepta forces will act the same way in her presence."
The emperor glance's down at his oldest and most loyal of friends and responds "yes, I foresee some combat effectiveness increase if in her presence, this is highly experimental Malcador, any flaws in the Adepta have yet to make themselves known beyond the flaws of the legions gene seed, she possesses power, much like Corax or Magnus or my own, yet she refuses to so much as touch or tap into her own potential, it vexes me as to why."
When in utter privacy the emperor freely admits to a flaw within himself and Malcador responds "it is due to her upbringing my lord, psychic power to her, is the tool of tyrant and necromancers and not to be trusted, given time she will come around to sense once the grief has left her, perhaps having her spend some time with her brothers of psychic power might shift her mind."
The emperor looks back to the holo display "we need to find the remaining Primarchs and bring them ALL to Terra, have the 11th legion redeploy to search for the remaining lost sons, have the 1st and 2nd redeploy to the far reaches in the north, rumour has it a Xenos empire musters its strength to declare war."
Within two-hole hours, a majority of the major populations on the continent Mortaria and the legion had landed upon is under control and liberated and Mortaria and her children and her 1st company elites stand in the square of the liberated town she landed there.
The terrified humans of an extremely pale complexion watch as they see the 11-foot-tall power armoured woman pull her hood down and remove her helmet and lock eyes onto what she assumes is the de facto leader of this town and so do her children.
Her brilliant platinum blonde hair spills out of her helmet and over her shoulder, a stark contrast to Albedo's pitch-black hair and Mortarion's decayed and matted hair and she addresses them in galactic common "we, the 14th legion, the Death Guard, and we have come to your world to liberate you from your oppressors, my name is Mortaria." her voice is that of a soft and sultry mother, betraying her corpse like appearance with how pale she is.
The people started cheering the name Mortaria as they surged forwards as it appears the people's language is only partly galactic common and that word seems to be the only one, they grasp on the face of it, however her astartes, both male and female form a shield wall and body wall in a ring around their Primarch and demi Primarchs.
And with that, the liberation had begun and ended before the 2nd week had even come to pass and Mortaria's career as Primarch of the 14th had well and truly begun and soon? She would come face to face with her brothers...
The reunion of the house of Terra...
Mortaria, Angron, the Khan, Sanguinius, Rogal Dorn, Perturabo, Ferrus Mannus, and many other Primarchs, bar the Primarch of the Heralds and Alpha legion, Raven Guard and the 11th legion, the Xenophon's warp hunters were present om the birth place of humanity to meet one another whilst the chance presented itself during a moment of stagnation.
Mortaria was the seventh to arrive on Terra, with only her children, the 1st captains of both the Adepta and Adeptus astartes forces of her legion as company, her Death Shroud being ordered to stand down.
When her Storm Bird settles down and the ramp opens, she is greeted by the immense and gilded bulk of Rogal Dorn and his two 1st captains walking towards her and Albedo seemingly can't hide her excitement.
Mortaria notes just how tall her brothers seem to be by comparison to her by two feet at the tallest as in the distance she can make out the form of Magnus the red in the far distance but does not know his name.
Dorn has no children it would seem at a glance, Mortaria notes before coming to a stop and introducing himself to his siter, having only heard of the mistress of the Adepta.
"I am Rogal Dorn, Praetorian of Terra and Primarch of the 7th legion, the Imperial fists, here is Sigismund, 1st captain of the legion and Reale of the legions Adepta forces" he says in a mono tone manner and gestures to himself and then his two officers respectively.
Mortaria curtsies to her brother before speaking after removing her helmet and hood as do her companions and kids. "Well met brother, I am Mortaria, Primarch of the 14th legion Death Guard and mistress of the legiones Adepta astartes, here is my daughter and son Albedo and Mortarion and my 1st captains, Callus Typhon and Talian of Albia"
The group exchange pleasantries to one another with Mortarion barely making a sound beyond a acknowledging grunt or two.
Then the group enters the meeting place of the palace and Mortaria is greeted by each and every one of her present brothers and they all turn to see their sister, returned to them at long last and Mortaria notices just how short she is by comparison to everyone else.
She takes stock of what she sees, dozens of 1st captains, the demi Primarchs and the spouses that are present before taking stock of her brothers and she feels slightly overwhelmed by the sheer bulk and mass of most of them, but also feels no small amount of rage that she can make out who possesses psychic power, in particular the mountain of a man with red skin.
The one with wings and dressed in bright golden armour, followed by a platinum blonde dressed in a similar manner but with pitch black eyes, hair and wings, a stark contrast to her father.
"Welcome home sister Mortaria, I am Sanguinius, Primarch of the 9th legion Blood Angels and this is my daughter, Lesibala" he extends a hand to his sister and Mortaria accepts the handshake of her brother Sanguinius and smiles warmly despite her Grimm and beautiful appearance "come brothers, I would know your names and that of your children"
As the reunion progresses and the introductions are made, one brother in particular catches her attention above the others, Angron of the 12th legion who stands with his captain, Lotara Sarrin and his Adepta and Adeptus captains, Kharn the bloody and Navia the clean respectively, with his daughter having departed his side to speak with her cousins.
"Greetings brother..." she stops once she notices his butcher's nails having heard only rumours about Angron and his legion, having very seldom even seen astartes of the World Eaters and never Angron himself.
She can see everything he does is agonising, his breathing is rough and coarse and even wheezing, seeing how he has to physically restrain himself she keeps a safe Ish distance from him as he responds "sister... so, you are the lost sister... you look like you had a harsh upbringing judging by your appearance... so... how did you come to be in this 'family'?" he turns his head ever so slightly to look at her.
Mortaria can see the anguish in his eyes and offers "perhaps we should speak in a more private area, I can see you're pained and do not mistake this as malice, I genuinely offer you this as a kindness brother." she leaves the implication of at least knowing some part of her brother's pain as she can recognise the look of grief just about anywhere.
Lotara is about to speak but Angron raises his left fist ever so slightly and says "come, show me you are not like the others before you." he says in a rare moment of clarity, even for Lotara, who looks a bit taken aback by Angron's response.
The two of them find a secluded balcony that overlooks one of the courtyards of the immense palace and the only two feet smaller than her mass of Angron turns to face Mortaria "what is your tale of recovery? How our 'glorious' father dragged you from your home" his tone is pained once more and his hands tense on the marble railing.
Leaningover that balcony as well Mortaria glances at her brother and answers his question with a solemn tone.
"The Necromancer who called himself father had cursed my husband to feed his soul to my own... father was disguised as a stranger... tried to convince me to not go at all to have his head, the last hurdle before my victory, one last battle and to finally enjoy the peace that would follow with a loving family..." she pauses to bite a sob and surprisingly Angron respectfully holds his tongue.
"I climbed that mountain... alone, every step was agony for me, my armour, my gas mask melted and corroded from beneath me... I was on deaths door when I arrived in his courtyard... I fought him, I did not turn back, I couldn't, I swore to my people I'd see them free of the tyrants... but that's when I learned of my curse and... ended up killing my husband to give myself one last chance... only to be bested and my victory and oath stolen from me... I was made an oath breaker..."
A tear rolls down her cheek and Angron has a rare moment of utter clarity as he reaches to rest a hand on her shoulder but stops as the nails bite into his head and is forced to grip one of his chain axes as he responds.
"I had not... anticipated such a tale... and it only worsens my thoughts towards our 'father' making his only daughter an oath breaker... my blood boils... an injustice that needs to be avenged... honour demands it so... The memory of my fellow warriors..." he says through deep breathes and a worsening rage when Mortaria lays a hand on his shoulder.
"You heard my tale, I would hear yours on your own accord brother, sometimes, all we require is a willing set of ears and a warm friend, my husband taught me that, for a human, he was more of father figure to me than any of mine so far..."
To be continued...