Hey everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with your family and friends. I finally got back from a fishing trip over that same of period of time which served to confirm that I absolutely suck at it. =(
As always, I hope you enjoy the story.
The Angel and the Storm Lord
The Valahar system consisted of four worlds orbiting a single star. Two of them were too far to support life, but bore signs of artificial settlements that had likely been used to exploit their resources. One of the planets was close enough to the star to be inhabitable, and indeed, there were city ruins throughout the planet that were clearly of human origin.
But the scouts of Ninth Legion could find no signs of life on the planet, human or otherwise. Further scans from orbit confirmed that the entire planet was devoid of life. Theories were formulated as to what had happened. The ruins on the planet were not those left behind by war, but rather a combination of neglect and decay that came with the passage of time. Mass exodus seemed likely, but there was no solid reason to support the theory; the planet was in fine condition, there was no reason to leave. Perhaps something had threatened them?
The answer was revealed as the Blood Angels made their way to the fourth world. If the first two had been too far from the system's star to support life, then the fourth was too near. The Imperial fleet approached expecting to find nothing save perhaps remnants of an artificial settlement like the ones found on the first two worlds.
Instead, they had been attacked.
Strange xenos that looked as if they were made from green droplets of liquid the size of a man emerged from the dark side of the planet and quickly converged upon one the scout vessels ahead of the Imperial fleet. Despite their quickness and liquid-like body, many were quickly burned away by the vessel's plasma cannons, but many more got through, and somehow managed to get into the ship because of their body's lack of definite shape.
Within moments, reports came flooding that the crew of the ship were under attack; the Astartes aboard led the defence, but it was clear that even they were being overwhelmed. Knowing that they were doomed, they used what precious time they had to relay information on the strange enemy. Bolters and standard-issue weapons were useless against them, only power weapons, meltas and plasma guns worked against them, along with the weaker Imperial Army lasguns. The xenos attacked by enveloping their victims into their liquid bodies and dissolving them slowly. In a desperate and heroic attempt to prevent the xenos from attacking the rest of the fleet, the doomed vessel's captain had the ship's core overloaded, detonating it and burning away the aliens.
A total of two hundred lives, including Astartes had been lost.
After spending time to gather more information on the new enemy, it became clear that the xenos were responsible for the extinction of the human civilisation that once lived in the system. Furthermore, it became known that the liquid-like xenos was actually a form of bioweapon created by another race of aliens that lived beneath the surface of the planet closest to the star.
The closest approximation to the xenos name for their bioweapons that the Imperial officers could come up with was Vermikanid, and their creators were designated as 'sloths' due to their appearance being similar to the ancient mammals that once existed on Terra.
Primarch Sanguinius stated that it didn't matter what the xenos were called or what they looked like. They had destroyed an entire human civilisation and had taken Imperial lives. As such, there was only one fate that awaited the aliens.
Extinction.
II II II
Astartes in crimson power armour marched through the subterranean tunnels that ran in a large networks throughout the planet. The heat would have been lethal to most humans, but the combination of the temperature-regulating systems built within the Space Marine armour and the gene-hanced endurance of the Astartes made it merely uncomfortable at best.
The Blood Angels fleet had bombarded the surface of the planet to destroy the planetary defences of the xenos. The aliens had responded by sending their Vermikanid pets at the Imperial fleet. Prepared for them this time, the liquid-like xenos were beaten back, but not after managing to inflict some damage of their own.
The next few months had seen fierce fighting between the aliens and Astartes forces. Though the xenos looked like sloths, there was nothing slothful in their fighting capabilities. Their deadly claws were capable of tearing through the ceramite of Astartes armour, and they moved with incredible speed. In addition to that, they possessed some sort of energy weapon that was connected to their arms and in their mouths. Their living-liquid bioweapons also proved to be an infuriatingly effective and resilient foes.
Despite the formidable strength of the aliens, the Blood Angels still drove the xenos back to their subterranean homes, which they thoroughly combed and purged as they went.
Amidst the blood-red colours of the Ninth Legion was also the dark ocean-blue of the Second. Storm Riders, the elite warriors of the Storm Eagles marched alongside their brothers, forced to leave their honoured mounts behind on the Iron Roost due to the thin atmosphere of the planet which made natural flying impossible for beasts as big as the Tempestan Eagles. Despite that, the elite of the Second Legion were no less deadly on foot as they were in the air, fighting with glaives and storm-bolters.
Eventually, the climax of the campaign came when the forces of the Blood Angels, along with the Storm Riders reached the central cavern that served as the heart of the xenos colony. It was huge, easily able to fit the Red Tear, the flagship of Sanguinius. There was interconnecting bridges stretching though the cavern, leading to and from various other openings from which the xenos would usually come. On that day however, it was not the sloth-like aliens and their killer liquid pets that entered the cavern, but Blood Angels, flooding the cavern the way blood fills a heart. Inside, the battle was already raging as the xenos made their final stand.
Tactical squads took cover behind strange megastructures that were reminiscent of giant ant colonies as they worked to force the xenos to clump together so that they were more easily picked off. Devastators rained death from the bridges above, while more tactical squads armed with plasma guns and energy weapons covered them from the Vermikanid. Assault Marines descended upon the xenos with wings of fire, each and every one of them armed with power weapons that were usually reserved for higher ranking officers.
Right at the centre of the battle was Chapter Master Raldoron, leading his men from the front as they unleashed death upon the aliens, his grim expression never wavering, never faltering. Azkaellon and the Sanguinary Guard fought zealously; knowing that every xenos they cut down was one less that would threaten their master. Fighting alongside them was Gwaine the Lightning Rider of the Second Legion. He led the most senior and accomplished squads from the ranks of the Storm Riders, their power glaives tearing through sloth flesh and burning away the Vermikanid's liquid body.
And leading them all, their combined presence so breathtaking, so awe-inspiring even in the midst of battle, shining so brightly that to look upon them filled the Astartes with a sense of invincibility, was the Angel and the Storm Lord.
The two Primarchs fought back to back, golden power armour against deep ocean-blue. The crimson sword of the Angel rose and fell, each strike felling xenos left and right. The glaive of the Storm Lord whirled around, the grey steel flashing like silver in the light of the cave as it ended alien life. The similarly ebony hair of both warriors flew wildly about their faces as they waded through the battle. A great, menacing smile adorned the Second Primarch's face and his grey eyes were dark like an oncoming storm. The Ninth Primarch's angelic face was a mask of pure fury as he avenged the humans that had once called the Valahar system home.
Led by two of the Emperor's sons, the wrath and fury of Mankind utterly annihilated the xenos and their foul pets.
II II II
With the xenos destroyed, work began to purge all signs of their existence. The catacombs of the planet that was once their home was combed thoroughly to make sure that none survived, and anything that provided valuable information on the aliens or humans that had once lived in the system was stored away. Once that was done, an orbital bombardment was launched just to be thorough.
Just as the ancient Romanii once sowed salt over the ruined remains of Carthage.
II II II
Sanguinius watched from the viewport as the lances of energy struck the planet, setting it ablaze. The crimson light of it created a dark cast across his fair face. He heard footsteps approaching him and smiled when he sensed his brother behind him.
"You impressed me, Sanguinius," spoke the now-familiar voice of Thorondor. "When I first saw you, I doubted that you were truly from a Feral World."
"And why's that?" asked Sanguinius, turning to look at his brother.
"Because you're too pretty," answered Thorondor, smiling with amusement. "You look as though you'd belong on the well-organised streets of Magna Macragge Civitas or Tizca rather than the harsh irradiated deserts of Baal Secundus."
Thorondor moved to stand beside his brother, looking down at the ravaged planet. "But seeing you in battle these past few months...you might look like an angel, but you fight like a daemon, brother. There's no doubt you're from a Feral World."
Sanguinius laughed. "You doubted my origins and my fighting abilities just because I'm better-looking than you? I think you're just jealous, Thor."
The Storm Lord laughed along with his brother. "This was a good campaign, Sanguinius," said Thorondor, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "I've enjoyed fighting alongside you."
Sanguinius smiled at Thorondor, but there was a hint of sadness in it. "Will you be leaving soon?"
Thorondor nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Asghar will be expecting me back soon...and it would be irresponsible of me to stay away any longer."
Ever since his rediscovery by the Emperor, Thorondor had made it a point to serve alongside a campaign with his brothers at least once so that he could get to know them better. He had fought alongside Leman Russ most often, followed by Horus, Vulkan, Fulgrim and Guilliman. Thorondor had also campaigned alongside Ferrus Manus, but given the Tenth Legion's somewhat insular and taciturn nature, the Second Legion had only fought alongside the Iron Hands a handful of times. Thorondor had also fought alongside Magnus twice before and though they had formed a cordial, if cool relationship, the Storm Lord was not entirely comfortable with the use of psychic sorceries that the Fifteenth Legion employed, and Magnus knew it. Thorndor had campaigned only once with Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists, but that was it. The Storm Lord did his best to bond with all his brothers, but Dorn seemed to work as hard to build up personal walls as he did fortresses. In addition to that, Dorn was so stiff, so rigid and unyielding that Thorondor at times felt suffocated just being in his presence.
Campaigning with Sanguinius though, had been a joy, one comparable to when Thorondor would fight alongside Leman Russ. He was truly sorry to leave, but he could not let Asghar carry out his duties on his behalf any longer.
Sanguinius nodded. "I understand. Besides, this is hardly the end. There will be other campaigns, Thor."
"Of course," answered Thorondor. "But first, we should share a few cups, no?"
Sanguinius smiled. "I'd like that, brother."
II II II
Gwaine was making to the docking bay to wait for the scheduled departure back to the Firiel, a smaller warship that had been named after the Storm Lord's mother so that he could send his report of the battle to Asghar who was with the main Storm Eagle fleet. Gwaine smiled a little, remembering the formidable woman and her quick fists and fierce voice that he and Thorondor had feared even more than the Eternal Storm itself when they were children. But there were also the warm meals in cramped caves they once called home, and the gruff but attentive fussing whenever they heard themselves as well as the rough but warm hands that would ruffle their heads affectionately. Though Imperial doctrine dismissed and frowned upon such practices, Gwaine knew that Thorondor had named the warship after Firiel so that she would be with them in spirit.
On his way though, Gwaine had ran into Raldoron. Astartes and half-Astartes stopped and stared at each other for a moment before respectfully inclining their heads towards each other.
"Chapter Master," greeted Gwaine.
"Lightning Rider," returned Raldoron. "Are you on your way to the docking bay now? I thought your departure was not scheduled until much later?"
"I'm headed back to the Firiel to send a report to Asghar," answered Gwaine.
"Why don't you simply use our Astropaths?" inquired Raldoron. "It would save you the trouble of shuttling between ships."
Gwaine smiled gratefully but shook his head. "I wouldn't want to impose…"
"I insist," repeated Raldoron. "I'll take you there myself."
"I'm sure you have duties to attend to, Chapter Master –"
"I insist," repeated Raldoron and he turned, waiting for Gwaine to follow him. After a moment, Gwaine did, falling into step with the Blood Angel. The two walked on in silence, but it was not awkward, only thoughtful. During the campaign against the sloth and the Vermikanid, Gwaine had found himself fighting alongside the First Captain of the Blood Angels many times. He had been impressed by Raldoron's abilities as a warrior, leader and tactician. Furthermore, the Blood Angel had displayed an uncanny instinct on the battlefield as well as a gift for reading the flow of battle through which he would adapt his plans to in a manner that was very similar to the Storm Eagles' way of battle. While he was hardly an outgoing spirit, Gwaine found himself warming up to Raldoron.
Another point that Gwaine liked about the Chapter Master was how he was with the mortal crew. During his long service on the Crusade, Gwaine had come to dislike the tendency of many Astartes to look down upon the non-Astartes. Condescension, disdain, arrogance and outright scorn; this was how many of the post-human warriors of the Imperium usually behaved towards their more human counterparts. It was a behaviour that was prevalent throughout all the Legions, in particular the Iron Hands, who abhorred anything they considered to be a weakness. Being caught halfway between human and Astartes, Gwaine had often admonished and even punished such behaviour among his men.
Raldoron, while aloof, did treat his mortal counterparts with considerately and to those who have earned it, respectfully. While he struggled to empathise with them, like so many other Astartes, Raldoron did not believe them to be inferior to him or any other Astartes. He believed that everyone within the Legion served to the best of their capability to further the Emperor's cause.
Gwaine suspected it was Lord Sanguinius's influence.
Being the right-hand man of the Storm Lord had allowed Gwaine the opportunity to see how the other Primarchs interacted with mortals. Fulgrim practically had everyone swooning whenever he was in the room, his charisma, coupled with his perfect grace and beauty too much for any mere mortal to bear. Rogal Dorn treated all equally; efficiently and bluntly with all the warmth of a frozen winter. Guilliman too treated both Astartes and non-Astates equally, and was more cordial about it. While outwardly polite and charming, there was always a hint of condescension whenever Magnus interacted with the mortals; though to be fair, he treated almost everyone the same way. Ferrus Manus tended to be impatient with the frailties of mortals; Gwaine had heard of the countless times the Lord of the Iron Hands would either leave the Imperial Army detachments behind or push them beyond their point of endurance. Horus tended to overwhelm anyone just by standing in their presence while most found Vulkan intimidating.
Perhaps out of all the Primarchs, Thorondor treated the mortals best. There was no condescension, no arrogance, and no pity; no treating them like helpless infants; Thorondor did his best to treat all of them as equals though they were still overwhelmed by his presence and charisma and the mere fact of him being one of the Emperor's sons.
Sanguinius though…
In the time that Gwaine had spent with the Ninth Legion, he had had the privilege to observe the Angel not just in battle, but outside it. In war, Sanguinius was an embodiment of wrath, an angel of death descending upon his enemies. In peace, he could be considered aloof, but not in a way that drove others away. Instead, it was because he was a being so far apart from others. But rather than be intimidated or fearful of the angelic Primarch, Gwaine saw how his Legion, how everyone around the Angel loved him.
Gwaine also saw how Thorondor loved Sanguinius.
The Lightning Rider had never seen Thorondor warm up to anyone as quickly as he did to Sanguinius. At first, Gwaine had thought that it was fascination with Sanguinius's wings, a fascination that Gwaine, including many other Tempestan-born Astartes shared. But in the short time that had passed since the two Primarchs first met, Gwaine saw the bond between the Angel and the Storm Lord grew to the point that it rivalled Thorondor's bond with Leman Russ. It was as though the two Primarchs had known each other all their lives.
Unlike the bond between Thorondor and Russ though, Gwaine felt no jealousy at Sanguinius's bond with his Primarch. All of the Emperor's sons were beings apart, but it was even more acute with Sanguinius. The Angel seemed almost lonely. The close bond that had grown between Thorondor and his new brother warmed the hearts of everyone who saw it.
Gwaine could see how people from more primitive cultures would mistake him as an angel from the ancient religions of Terra. He was majestic, awe-inspiring, firm but gentle in his dealings with them, knowing when to encourage and when to deter.
Sanguinius brought out the best in those around him, both Astartes and mortal.
As Gwaine walked with Raldoron, he could see how the Primarch's influence had rubbed off the Chapter Master. That was why in the brief time that Gwaine had known Raldoron, he had come to respect and like him very much.
"It's been a privilege fighting alongside you, Captain Raldoron," said Gwaine at last.
Raldoron turned to face him as they walked. "And it's been an honour fighting alongside you, Commander Gwaine. Respectfully though, I was surprised to see how well you Storm Riders fought even without your mounts."
"The Storm Riders are just a small facet of the Storm Eagles, Captain," answered Gwaine. "The Eagles are our closest companions, but they are just one of the many ways we make war."
"Of course," said Raldoron, inclining his head. "I meant no disrespect."
"None taken," answered Gwaine.
The two warriors continued their journey towards the bridge in silence. In his mind, Gwaine was already going over the details of the report he would send to Asghar, pondering how much information would the First Captain considered to be necessary. While Asghar was relatively relaxed for his lofty position, he was surprisingly fussy when it came to battle reports and intelligences; willing to spend long periods of time to going over data and taking part in interrogations and interviews to dig for information. Gwaine had once complained to Thorondor about Asghar's aggressive pursuit for information and had even described the former Legion Master as 'nosy', which had made the Storm Lord laugh so hard that tears had come to his eyes.
Gwaine sighed, it didn't matter how much information he put into his report: Asghar was still going to grill him for every bit of detail for hours when he got back.
Before they got to the bridge however, an officer reached them, carrying a data-slate.
"Captain Raldoron, the Astropaths have received a message," said the officer, saluting and handing over the data-slate.
Raldoron nodded his thanks and dismissed the man and perused the data-slate as he and Gwaine continued their journey. Abruptly, Raldoron came to a stop, pulling Gwaine up short.
"Is something wrong, Captain?" asked Gwaine.
Raldoron turned around so swiftly that Gwaine was startled. "Come with me, Commander."
"What? What's going on?" asked Gwaine, following the Blood Angel. "What about my report?"
"That will have to wait," answered Raldoron. "We just received a message for both our Primarchs. It came from the Imperator Somnium."
II II II
The two Primarchs were in Sanguinius's private quarters, drinking from finely-crafted jewelled goblets. Azkaellon along with several other Sanguinary Guards stood guard at various points in the room; close enough to respond to anything but far enough to give the two Primarchs privacy. Every Legion was protective of their Primarch, but the Sanguinary Guard took it to such extremes that Thorondor wasn't sure if he should be amused or irritated.
He had to admit though, drinking with Sanguinius was a less livelier affair than drinking with Leman Russ. The Wolf-King was boisterous; prone to booming laughter, reciting tales loudly for all to hear, animated with his body language and reciting a Fenrisian ballad (or whatever else they called it) in the most horrible singing voice that Thorondor had ever heard.
With Sanguinius, it was quieter. Quiet conversations, witty jibes along with the occasional heart-felt laughter were the main characteristic of drinking sessions with the Primarch of the Blood Angels. It was tidier too.
But compared to the blood-racing high of the Wolf-King's celebrations, drinking with Sanguinius was more relaxing; just brothers and fellow warriors winding down after a long hard campaign. Thorondor found that he liked it just as much as Russ's more energetic approach. The two Primarchs had talked about various things: the Crusade, the campaigns they've fought before meeting each other, what they thought of some of their brothers and eventually, the conversation came around to Horus's mentorship of Sanguinius.
"What was it like, being mentored by Horus?" asked Thorondor curiously.
Sanguinius took a sip of wine. "Horus is a good teacher. He helped me get used to –" He gestured vaguely around the room. "– all this."
Sanguinius paused for a moment before continuing. "I was taken aback a little; the things that would be considered luxuries on Baal were common in the Imperium. The advanced technology, medicine, and wealth of knowledge…it was overwhelming at first."
"Horus helped you get used to it all?"
"He did," answered Sanguinius, nodding. "He was patient and understanding. He explained everything to me in great detail and made sure I fully understood how everything worked before helping me settle into my role."
Thorondor nodded. "Yes, Horus did the same for Fulgrim too. Tell me though Sanguinius, what caught you off guard the most when you re-joined us?"
"The abundance of water," replied Sanguinius. "Growing up in a desert…water was scarce and precious. I was shocked by how much of it there was in the Imperium. Enough so that no one would go thirsty, to bathe…when I first saw rain on Terra, I was stunned."
Thorondor chuckled a little. "It always rained on Tempestas; I was surprised that it didn't on other worlds."
"What about you, Thor?" asked Sanguinius, tilting his head slightly as he studied his brother. "What did you find most surprising?"
Thorondor's smile widened. "Sunlight. With the Eternal Storm, very little light ever got through to Tempestas's surface. When I arrived on Terra, I thought the Sun would have blinded me, it was so bright. It was warm too…it took me awhile, but I grew used to it and eventually liked it."
"Did Horus mentor you?" asked Sanguinius.
Thorondor shook his head. "Father was the one who taught me. There were only three of us at the time; Russ, Horus and I. Father had Horus lead the Crusade for a while so that he could spend some time with me."
"You were mentored by father?" repeated Sanguinius, looking impressed. "What was that like?"
Thorondor's smile softened. "It was...incredible, to say the least. Father taught me much about the early history of Mankind, how he unified Terra, the purpose of the Imperium and the purpose of my...our creation."
"You mean the Primarchs?"
Thorondor nodded. "Father spoke of our purpose...about why he created us: to be the ultimate warriors and generals to enact his will across the galaxy; his instruments of war and enlightenment."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "Learning from father himself was an honour; but I would have loved to learn more about him."
"What do you mean?" asked Sanguinius.
"Can any of us, even Horus, claim to truly know father?" replied Thorondor. "He is a being beyond anything that even we, his sons, could ever hope to truly understand. Who knows how deeply his mind works? Who knows the true depths of knowledge and experiences that reside within him? Could any of us imagine the things he must have seen in his long, long life? The Emperor keeps many secrets close to his heart; but the man himself is a secret."
Thorondor leaned back, his brow furrowing thoughtfully. "Who knows what drove him to pursue such an aggressive way to unify Mankind? I do not doubt his path; I have taken many lives to unify my homeworld alone; but those deaths all dwell heavily in my heart, Sanguinius. But I cannot imagine how heavy the burden must be on our father; to shoulder the entire fate of humanity."
"Father is an incredible man," said Sanguinius softly.
"It must be lonely too," added Thorondor quietly. "For all his talk of our purpose as his generals...I wonder at times, if he did not create us simply because..."
Thorondor trailed off, leaving the thought unsaid. After a moment, he chuckled. "Listen to me; speaking nonsense. The Emperor does nothing out of personal sentiment alone. He has served Mankind for far longer than any of us…we were all created to serve Mankind as well."
Sanguinius smiled and raised his glass. "To our father and to Mankind."
Thorondor returned the gesture and downed his drink. He allowed Sanguinius to pour him another drink and was about to steer the conversation elsewhere when the doors slid open, revealing Raldoron and Gwaine.
The two Astartes strode up to their Primarchs and saluted.
"My apologies for this intrusion, my lords," said Raldoron briskly. "But the Astropaths had received a message...a summons actually."
Even before the Chapter Master spoke out the next words, Thorondor and Sanguinius both knew who had sent the message. Only one being had the authority to summon the Primarchs.
The Emperor.