I claim no ownership of any Games-workshop stuff mentioned here. I'll try to make this one all little longer for y'all. Enjoy. N. Kage
Kylan stood in the shadows, watching the former Space Marine struggle futilely against the chains binding him to the huge, black slab of granite. Surrounding the prisoner were dozens of statues. They were former Chaplains of the Warhawks, and had been built in such a way that they were looking down upon the prisoners, as if the dead were judge, jury, and executioner.
"Who is your Lord?" Kylan asked of the prisoner, his deep voice echoing off the walls of the tiny chamber.
"I have no lord, except the Chaos powers." Responded the prisoner derisively.
"The Emperor is your Lord!" screamed Kylan, striding up to the prisoner and back-handing him across his face. Walking in circles around the prisoner, Kylan thought about the fortuitous events that brought the prisoner into his custody.
FLASHBACK
Korkan Subsector
Hags World
Mepesto kicked another traitor in the face and pumped a dozen rounds from his storm-bolter into the traitors' torso, blowing him apart. He had reports that Bjorn Death-Hand and the other traitors of the Fifth and Sixth companies were in the sector and had lead his company to investigate. After landing on the planet, they were immediately ambushed by the traitors. Now, the outnumbered 1st Company was falling back, trying to whittle down the traitors numbers until they could be extracted. Looking closer at the dead traitor, he remembered the Marines name. Koran Lopet, he was a sergeant in the sixth company. Now he was nothing, receiving the Emperors Vengeance in the after-life.
"Fall back to sector Delta-4!" yelled Mepesto into the vox-link. Delta-4 was the pre-planned extraction point. A dozen acknowledgement runes flashed in his vision. To his left, a Dreadnought bearing the name Ideaus strode through a mob of traitors, the twin-linked las-cannons punching fist sized holes in two of them. The rest fell back in disarray as the Dreadnought's flamer opened up, immolated another two.
Seeing another group of traitors emerge from the tree line, Mepesto turned and emptied the rest of his clip at them, dropping three and sending the rest diving for cover. With that, he hurried to rejoin his men, falling back several klicks to Delta-4. It was grueling slog, every few hundred meters; they were forced to fight as the traitors closed with them.
The first fight was against a mob of Raptors that destroyed Brother Ideaus with melta-bombs. Two dozen marines, several with flamers and plasma-guns turned and poured merciless amounts of fire into the Raptors, killing them with righteous fire. Mepesto stopped and took on of the purity seals of his armor and placed it on Brother Ideaus burnt out shell. His wisdom had taught generations of Marines. Now he was gone, killed by his own brothers. Seething with hatred, Mepesto turned and jogged to catch up with his Marines.
At Extraction Point Delta-4
"Pour it on, brothers!" shouted Mepesto as the traitors attacked the encircled First Company again. The Chaos Marines had stopped their attack, and had instead sent hundreds of screaming cultists to their deaths against the Warhawks green and red line. To Mepesto's right, a Veteran Sergeant with a power fist and bionic eye, Olav was his name, killed four cultists with one mighty swing, the blood forming a fine mist. Then, as abruptly as it started, the cultist attack ended. Looking over the hastily built barricade, Mepesto saw the traitor marines forming up, their hideous banners swaying with unnatural wind. The winged blood-drop symbol of the Warhawks was obscured with crudely painted eight pointed stars. With the cry, "Death to the False Emperor!" the Chaos Marines charged. A heavy weapons squad had set up and was sending chains of heavy bolter fire screaming at the Warhawk line.
The last two Predators that they had brought with them opened fire, their las-cannons sending bright blue streaks of death into the heavy weapons squad, punching four off their feet. As the lines of Traitors reached the kill-zone, every Warhawk opened fire, sending disciplined bolter volleys in the traitors. As the traitors neared, the Warhawks close-ranged weapons opened fire, the flamers, melta-guns and plasma-guns purifying the traitors. One particular traitor caught Mepesto's attention. Standing up, he called out, "Janis Dead-Eye! Come face me, you traitorous bastard!" The large Marine turned, blood dribbling down his mouth, a severed head grasped in his hand. Janis was the Captain of the fifth company, and his cruelty was fast becoming the stuff of legends. Grinning, Janis saw Mepesto and strode forward, backhanding Marines from both sides out his way. Yelling "Death Comes For You," Mepesto jumped into the fight, his lighting claw slashing left and right, while his storm-bolter cut down those who unfortunate enough to be in his way. In the center of the fight, the combatants forming a circle around them in which no one dared tread, they clashed.
Lighting claw met daemon sword in a shower of sparks. Spinning and dropping to a crouch, Mepesto fired a shower of bolts at Janis. The bolts exploded in the traitor's torso, blowing holes large enough that daylight could be seen through them, but Janis stayed on his feet, kicked Mepesto hard in the chest, cracking the armor and sending steam wheezing out of a broken fluid line. Flipping on to his feet, Mepesto sliced downward, vaporizing Janis's head. The traitors' body swayed unsteadily for a moment, before dissolving into a pool of black goo.
Seeing their leader dead, the traitors fell back, leaving dozens dead on both sides. Hurriedly, Apothecaries ran forward and began extracting the precious gene-seed from the dead, while the squad Sergeants checked each of the traitors to make sure they were dead.
"Captain!" yelled one of the Sergeants, Olav.
"Yes, Brother-Sergeant?" responded Mepesto as he hurried over.
"We have a live one here." Mepesto checked the traitor and found him to be alive, but unconscious. A bolt had struck his head, but failed to detonate.
"Tie him up. He will know things," was Mepesto curt reply.
"Captain Mepesto, this is Serf-Pilot Gregor, five Thunderhawks are en-route." came a garbled voice in his ear.
"Be advised, pilot, you may be coming in hot. The traitors have been attacking fiercely. "
"Acknowledged, Captain. We are twenty seconds from your location."
Turning to the rest of the 1st Company, Mepesto stated, "When the 'hawks arrive, fall back by squads. Bring the dead."
END FLASHBACK
The prisoners name Tylan Juinas, a former Veteran Squad member. It was rumored that he was now a member of Bjorn Death-Hands personal retinue and this would know Bjorn's whereabouts.
"Where is Bjorn Death-Hand!" Kylan yelled again. For three straight days, Kylan had relentlessly interviewed Tylan, stopping when he had lost his patience to torture the traitor.
Tylan had remained silent. He was doing that more frequently now, when he did speak, his voice was strained and cracking. He was close to breaking now.
"If you tell me where Bjorn is, I will make sure your death is quick, this I promise you." Spoke Kylan softly now.
His voice a whisper, Tylan spoke, "He is at Sicarus, but you can not kill him. He had been amassing troops and making pacts with daemons! He will rend your flesh and devour your soul! He will cast the Emperor from his black throne and drink from his skull!"
Kylan strode to the prisoner and fired a single shot into the traitors head. "May the Emperor judge you harshly." He spat.
Opening the door to the chamber, Kylan spoke to the two guards outside, "Notify Captain Mepesto we know where Bjorn is."
At the Company Battle Barge, Purifying Flame
"Attention, 1st Company,' began Kylan; Mepesto had thought it was best that he deliver the news and the battle sermon, 'we have found the location of Bjorn Death-Hand and his traitorous followers."
A great cheer erupted, followed by silence. They were disciplined and experienced to know something was to follow.
"Unfortunately, because our Company as taken so many casualties in the past weeks, the Third Company is going to assist us in wiping those traitorous scum from the universe,' continued Kylan, 'now, bow your heads in prayer."
For two minutes, the Company was in personal prayer. Some prayed for strength to fight the coming battle, others prayed for courage to help them face so many of their fallen brothers, others prayed for their very souls; for if some of their number to could be swayed by the Ruinous Powers, it could happen to any of them. Those who had that kind of prayer quickly banished those heretical thoughts from them, praying instead for the kind of strength and courage that Mepesto had at Hell Gate.
"KNEEL!" boomed Kylan, his normally loud voice sounding like a hundred Chaplains in the silence.
"We ask the Emperor for strength." began Kylan
"For we alone cannot stand against the darkness." Came the reply
"We ask the Emperor for courage."
"Because against the terror, we need His courage."
"What does the Emperor ask in return for this?"
"Our unquestioning loyalty and our lives."
"What does the traitor have?"
"Nothing. The traitor is cast out from the Emperors light."
"What does the heretic have?"
"Nothing. There is nothing more hated in all the universe than a heretic."
"Praise the Emperor"
"Praise the Emperor"
"Strength and Honor to you all." Finished Kylan
"Strength and Honor to you, Brother-Chaplain."