INWIT
Despite being the world in which Rogal Dorn was raised upon in his youth the planet known as Inwit had lost much of its status and importance upon Dorn's discovery by the Emperor of Mankind, with Dorn taking up the role of Praetorian of Terra and thus adopting it as a second home. This however did not mean that Inwit had been entirely abandoned, for it still possessed a population to recruit Astartes from even if the Imperial Fists began to draw their initiates from Terra itself. Dorn had improved Inwit's infrastructure such that it could support the lives of the Human tribes which lived upon it, and so despite the ice world's natural danger its population continued to flourish even if compared to Ultramar or Caliban their Astartes Legion did not particularly venerate it.
This seeming lack of importance did not mean that Dorn would leave his former home defenseless however, and so Inwit possessed many fortifications to protect it from the massive invading forces one would expect at the time of the Horus Heresy. While on the surface it would seem just to be a means of protecting the world and its populace, beneath the planet's thick ice lay another reason for these defense systems: a hidden fortress containing secrets known only to Rogal Dorn himself.
The craftsmen of Inwit were masters at what they did at the time of the Great Crusade, even fashioning the mighty chainsword Storm's Teeth which the world's Primarch would use until the defeat of Horus. According to one Imperial historian this chainsword was powerful enough to carve through even the finest of armor and could tear through even a Primarch's physiology when even advanced and otherworldly weapons could not, making this feat an unbelievable accomplishment for mundane Human mortals to accomplish. With such skilled men at his disposal Rogal Dorn had been able to create a fortress no typical siege could hope to overcome even if the enemies of the Imperium were to somehow locate it.
Embedded deep inside of Inwit with its many glaciers and constant snow, the base was subterranean and supported by the rigid ice which surrounded it. Surface strikes would be ineffective given its depth and by the time any could scratch its reinforced plating they would find themselves under fire from Inwit's other defensive structures and forces. The only entrance leading to the surface was protected by redundant adamantine gates that in turn were hidden beneath a façade of snow and ice to further mask the base's presence. Entirely self-sustaining, the fortress required nothing from outside to function which was important to its status as a secret base. Hidden beneath thousands of feet of ice, and possessing shielding to mask any external signs of its existence it had remained undetected since its creation.
It was this very base that Inwit native Torian of the Imperial Fists 5th Company found himself in command, safeguarding the secrets of his Primarch that were unsafe even for the Phalanx restored by Dorn above this very world to possess within its depths. Once on his way to becoming a Captain, it was through his accomplished service for the Imperial Fists and the greater Imperium that Torian had instead managed to rise to his current station. Vain or glory-seeking Astartes might see such an assignment as wasting their talents and an end to their advancement within the ranks, but to Torian it was the greatest honor that could be asked of him as someone whose specialty lay in security. A grizzled veteran with a thousand war stories, Torian was determined to be the most suitable candidate to take over security when the time came that new personnel were required. Even if he would rather be fighting Heretics and busting them to pieces he was perfectly content depriving the Imperium's foes of whatever it was he now was tasked with protecting.
Lieutenant was a rank largely discarded among the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes after the Primarch Guilliman crafted his codex to direct their operations and organization, though for the Imperial Fists within Inwit's hidden base who carried traditions and ceremony from the Great Crusade it was still a position to be awarded to those within. Records would show that Torian was only an "honorary" Lieutenant, officially being equivalent to a Sergeant, but in practice he had command just below that of a Captain. In those same records he had many Sergeants under his command who in turn held roles more akin to that of a typical Lieutenant just as his own duties exceeded what one might expect, but that was all irrelevant within the fortress itself and simply was a way to obfuscate their true purpose.
Those very records also no longer held the Astartes garrisoning the base as being on active duty, listed instead as Missing in Action so that they may return to the greater chapter if dire circumstances arose requiring them to do so. The only instance of such an occurrence was when the Last Wall protocol, formed by Rogal Dorn to protect Terra in times of dire need, was called to action and united all Imperial Fist successors together to form a Legion in direct violation of the Codex Astartes. The rules imposed had sought to limit the power of any individual group of Astartes to lessen the damage should they fall to Chaos or otherwise act against the Imperium. Rogal Dorn's opposition to the Codex was well known and it was not until after the Iron Cage conflict that he and his sons begrudgingly accepted it, with the Last Wall protocol stemming from this dislike of the doctrines proposed by Guilliman.
Such an action could have earned the Imperial Fists and their ilk condemnation and even damnation from the Greater Imperium by opposing the will of the High Lords of Terra and the Codex Astartes, but to their fortune no such action would come to pass. The near extinction of the Imperial Fist chapter in that conflict may have had something to do with their lack of retribution from the heavy-handed Imperium, along with their sacrifice in saving Terra from Humanity's foes at such great cost to themselves, though the truths and falsehoods of that era lay thousands of years in the past. Despite its origin being their Primarch there existed many among the successor chapters of the Imperial Fists who disagreed with the protocol, the already choleric Black Templar among them, breeding doubt about its future efficacy.
The very fortress that Torian now found himself commanding was just another of the secrets kept by the Primarch, one kept from all but a chosen few unlike the Last Wall which even their successors knew of. What Rogal Dorn saw fit to lock away in seeming perpetuity was unknown even to those in defense of the facility, but if it required such obfuscation and concealment it had to be important to the Imperium as a whole. Those who resided within the base had hypothesized for millennia about what it truly was they were guarding, but the unspoken truth they had come to was something they had reasoned out: the facility had been crafted in the time after the Horus Heresy at around the time of the Iron Cage, meaning that whatever lay within may belong to the Iron Warriors their kin had fought.
Their Chaplains over the years had sensed no taint of the Warp from the vault which meant it likely was not some artifact of the Ruinous Powers but rather Gene Seed from fallen Iron Warriors, leaving them to question as to why it would be brought here under orders of Rogal Dorn and why it was not just destroyed. Would the forces of Perturabo not have been corrupted by Chaos and thus their Gene-Seed as well? The Iron Warriors and other Traitor forces were known for launching raids to collect Loyalist Gene-Seed to swell their ranks given how Chaos damaged their own Gene-Seed, so how was this supply different?
Pondering such things only came natural to those within the fortress, for while they were unquestioning in their servitude to their Chapter and Primarch that did not prevent them from wondering under what circumstances they may find themselves under attack. Depending on the contents of the vault it would change who would come looking for its contents, who Dorn was trying to keep it from, and also how the base's defenders would have to go about protecting it. Thus it was not out of a selfish desire for knowledge itself, such as one may have found within the ranks of the Thousand Sons, that these Imperial Fists found themselves contemplating the subject of their protection but rather out of a desire to better facilitate that very protection while not possessing permission to actually peer beyond the veil.
With each generation of new Astartes brought to defend the fortress and its vault came more and more knowledge gathered and collected in their exploits beyond, a natural secondary purpose of the facility arising thusly as a collection of Imperial Fist records and knowledge dating back to the Great Crusade itself. Their Chapter had their own archives, but here such information was similarly gathered and used by the Imperial Fists to reflect upon their history and the service of those before them. This would include battlefield records, ancient data, recorded firsthand accounts from Fists throughout the ages, and of course written material.
Popular among the myriad of archives for the Fists were the texts of Hannes Frantsesa, an Imperial historian who had published historical novelizations of important conflicts pertaining to various Legions during the Horus Heresy. Written in the direct aftermath of the conflict, the novels were popular among Imperial citizens who had little understanding of the greater universe beyond their own worlds, though as information would become clamped down upon and word of the Heresy purged by the Imperium such books were burned or otherwise destroyed. If not for the seclusion of the Imperial Fists themselves they would never had copies of such rarity, or so the story went, but they were a coveted good for those Imperial Fists present who sought a greater connection to their lost Primarch and the men who fought beside him at historic battles such as Phall, Pluto, or the Siege of Terra.
Despite the lack of external threats the garrison did not remain idle while on their vigil, instead engaging in regular combat drills and exercises that kept them ready for whatever threat may one day loom over them. These exercises were taken with the utmost discipline and the many veteran Astartes present were allowed to hone their skills beyond those of many of their kin to be found elsewhere, for not only were they able to continuously prepare themselves for the day they might be needed they also had ready access to innumerable military treatises to study and further their understanding of combat from every level.
All that might occasionally interrupt this regimented service was the occasional tremor of the 'ground' beneath them as tectonic forces brought noticeable but typically negligible earthquakes. The ice their fortress was sealed deep beneath insulated them from some of the force, but the first tremor to be encountered during Torian's command of the facility was still powerful enough to cause their serfs fall and Astartes on the base to stumble.
On Inwit when warriors came together they stood, and that philosophy had continued even after all this time thanks to the facility's ranks all having been drawn from Inwit itself. There was not a single seat to be found outside of personal quarters, and it was for this reason that so many were standing at the time of the seismic disturbance.
"Seismic activity is within calculated projections," Trius spoke from within the command center, his cold disposition leaving him unperturbed by the phenomena he was relaying the data for from a computer terminal. Possessing an uncanny intellect and mind for tactics that meshed well with the logical and regimented doctrines of the Imperial Fists made him an effective officer even if his complete absence of charisma meant few looked to him for leadership.
While he had experienced Inwit's natural phenomena since he was a child Torian still worried that this particularly notable instance might be a sign of something more to be concerned about.
"I will inspect the facility manually. Gather what data you can in the meantime," Torian ordered Trius while helping others back to their feet, Torian's Terminator armor barely inhibiting him in doing so given how it was like a second skin to him.
Emperor let me be wrong.
After checking the perimeter to ensure that no breach to the facility had occurred Torian moved on to the more specialized sections to the base to obtain reports from his officers. Given the danger sudden seismic activity could pose during live fire exercises he went to see those in training first, finding to his relief that no injuries had occurred thanks to the caution and discipline of his Astartes present there. Leading the exercises were Wanzar and Sevald, two of the base's most veteran Fists that he had fought alongside in past conflicts beyond Inwit.
Wanzar was short for an Astartes, but his sturdy and stout nature had seen him survive artillery fire and brutal combat with Iron Warrior warbands they had come into conflict with. Those encounters had cost Wanzar greatly, each of his limbs having been long since replaced by mechanical counterparts after sustaining irreparable damage. His natural strength had been a source of great pride to the Astarte who favored brawn over brain, but these losses had not deterred him as he quickly came to appreciate the machine limbs granted to him by Adon. Integrated into his Terminator armor directly, Wanzar's hands now possessed raw might exceeding that of Power Fists and with a single mighty blow could break through whatever armor or structure he came into contact with.
Sevald was the opposite of Wanzar in terms of battlefield prowess, instead being highly skilled with the blade and wielding his personal chainsword with a finesse that made his movements appear as if a dance to those around him. Built upon Inwit and fashioned after the chainsword of Rogal Dorn himself Storm's Teeth this facsimile blade was similarly named Tempest's Claw, smaller in size given that the original was so heavy only the likes of a Primarch could properly wield it, but using later technological improvements to maintain as much of the original's raw power as possible. Still large and cumbersome in the hands of most Astartes, it was only Sevald's immense skill that saw it able to be used properly while in the hands of a typical Astarte it would prove ineffective.
If Trius were present he and Sevald would no doubt argue over how to best prepare to face the enemy and thus train with Trius' preference for ranged conflict, but the vain swordsman got along far better with the similarly melee-focused Wanzar. Centuries of service had disciplined Sevald to suppress his natural urge to seek conflict and wet his blade with the blood of Heretics, though it was still obvious that he held such desires deep within. His pride in his talent bordered on hubris given the countless Heretics he had cut down, but Sevald's training as an Imperial Fist kept him grounded all the same.
This did not stop Trius from likening the man to those arrogant Kimarans defeated by the Imperial Fists in ages past, for stories had been passed down throughout the years on Inwit of their triumph over the similar icy world. Veterans of that conflict had been among the first guards of this hidden base, and some of the only records of the battle upon Kimara were to be found here based on the accounts of those very Astartes. In comparison to the humble nature of those on Inwit it was said that Kimarans were callous in their beliefs concerning their superiority over others, and so the term Kimaran had become synonymous with arrogance that could lead to one's ruination if left unchecked.
Trius was perhaps not wrong concerning Sevald's inner nature, but it was Torian's perspective that the cold logic of Trius was actually closer to those they had conquered following the Horus Heresy. Despite their differences the dislike between the two Astartes had no real risk of escalating given their reserved natures, so Torian left Trius and Sevald be. In truth their arguments brought some life to the otherwise taciturn and stoic base.
Wanzar greeted Torian warmly even as the other Astartes present snapped to attention to greet their commanding officer, each of them paying Torian the proper respect expected of his post. Torian gave them leave to continue their exercises and training, wanting them to be as ready for an actual invasion as possible even if that day may never come. While Sevald continued instructing the others Wanzar took to watching them alongside Torian, seeming almost disappointed to hear that the base had not been attacked.
"Sometimes I wish the heretics would try to breach our defenses here, if only so we could turn them away just as our forbearers did on Terra," Wanzar opined as he clenched his metal fists, his face uniquely expressive for an Imperial Fist and lacking the stoicism many of his kin possessed. His grin was near infectious and Torian restrained himself from mirroring it, knowing that the reason Wanzar got along so well with Sevald was their shared pride in both themselves and their chapter. He was a capable warrior and affable which made him popular among their ranks, but it was his nature to act and speak without thinking.
Torian suppressed his own smile at the idea of once again testing himself against the Imperium's foes, instead bringing up the implications of such a security breach and what it would mean for them all, "For them to even reach this facility would mean that Inwit has fallen to the enemy, something our kin will never allow. Even so we must stay vigilant lest we fall prey to the trickery of Chaos. Their methods and actions are beyond mortal means."
Wanzar nodded, pounding one mechanical fist into the open palm of the other, "Should that day come my fists will be ready to put their traitorous hides down once and for all! Those who turn their backs on the Emperor deserve no mercy and ought perish for their deeds."
After making certain that everything was as it should be in the training room Torian took to depart and check-in with their Apothecary next, though before he could actually depart Sevald spoke to him with his blade's hilt held out to the Lieutenant.
"Care to try it, Lieutenant? It is our shared birthright as Fists of Inwit, after all."
Torian had a fondness for weapons, one which saw him tempted to take his comrade up on his offer, as it would be like wielding the weapon of their Primarch and that alone would be an honor. Despite his personal desires though Torian declined the opportunity, seeking to continue his security sweep as he wanted to run the base as close to a well-oiled machine as he could. His personal desire could be sated at a more opportune time, as there would be plenty moving forward he was certain.
"I thank you for the honor, but I will have to accept another time."
Sevald nodded in understanding before returning to his training alongside Wanzar and the others present, each of the seventy Astartes within the base desiring nothing more than to be ready for the day that they were called on to act.
"Adon, status report."
Torian found his old friend carefully tending to some of the mortal members of the facility's garrison, aiding them with their injuries with a warm face and humanity that gave the impression of a grandfather tending to his kin. If not for the bushy set of eyebrows atop his face he would be near identical in general appearance to Torian himself, the two Astartes having both been brought closer together by gene-seed in facial structure with each of them particularly possessing faces like that of their Primarch. If not for Torian's height and Adon's distinctive brow they would truly appear to be twins, something they had bonded over in their many years serving together.
The Apothecary finished aiding the last of his patients before turning to face Torian with the same warmth and beaming smile he had offered them, now seeking to salve his commander's woes just as he had done so for their servants.
"You need not worry about the occasional tremor, Torian. This facility was built to withstand immense force based on calculations from prior conflicts with the finest of Perturabo's Warsmiths," Adon noted some trivia he had learned from Wanzar, who despite being intellectually dull possessed a fondness for history. Adon's own sociable nature allowed him to fulfill a fatherly role to all of the Fists by telling stories of his own as well as listening to each of their own, helping reaffirm their sense of duty through tales of their Primarch and Emperor to demonstrate the importance of their service. It was Adon's fine skills that saw Wanzar capable of possessing such capable mechanical limbs, and so the two had shared a particularly close friendship in the many years since second only to that of Torian and Adon.
While perhaps too lax and prone to overindulging in celebration like a member of the Vlka Fenryka as compared to his more disciplined brethren in the Imperial Fists it was Adon's indisputable skill in both combat and as an Apothecary that saw him able to get away with it all. Only those Imperial Fists trusted with the utmost discretion were brought to serve in this location, and Adon was no exception. He earned his trust on the battlefield for centuries, even going so far as single handedly defeating a Warsmith of the Iron Warriors when a warband of them came into conflict with Adon's forces. The Warsmith and Adon had clashed many times and formed a rivalry that eventually saw the Apothecary defeat the servant of Chaos as Torian fought off the villain's kin.
Always one to double-check, Torian continued his line of questioning just to be certain, "And the vault? It matters not if our walls hold if what they were built to contain is destroyed."
It was one of the duties of the Apothecary of the fortress to check on the vault they all protected now and again, for reasons unknown to all but the Apothecaries which passed down their duties from one generation to the next. Not even Torian was allowed to open the vault except under the most dire of circumstances, something they fortunately have never had to experience in its thousands of years of existence. The role of the Apothecary helped spur the theories about the contents within the vault, but even the talkative Adon spoke nothing of what lay within.
Adon placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, seeking to calm his fears that were no doubt acting up given that the fortress now fell to Torian to lead, "Like I said, nothing for you to worry over. Our Primarch ensured that the vault could survive any concussive damage inflicted on the facility by utilizing stasis fields. Even if this entire facility were to be destroyed, as unlikely as that course of events may be, the contents of the vault would remain intact so long as the stasis fields have not been nullified."
Torian was not an expert in technological matters and was far from being a scion of Mars, so it was reassuring to him to hear it explained like that now that he had his nerves wracked by his new position of authority.
"There is still much for me to learn. Your patience is most magnanimous, as well as duly appreciated."
Placing a hand of his own over Adon's, Torian was reminded as to why the Apothecary was so capable in close-combat: drills, scalpels, welders, sensors, and a myriad of other tools lined his arm thanks to Adon possessing a personally upgraded and expanded Apothecary toolkit. While meant to carry out necessary medical operations on the battlefield it doubled as a deadly weapon. Less deadly were the pair of pistols Adon kept at his side for the instances he had to engage in longer range combat, for some sacrifices had to be made with the Apothecary's many medical tools taking up the space an Astarte might otherwise utilize to hold a heavier weapon.
Torian himself possessed a custom weapon of his own, that being a combi-weapon fashioned by a now deceased Imperial Fist Techmarine. Capable of firing not only boltgun rounds but serve as a Flamer, Meltagun, and Grav-gun it was a useful tool for many scenarios even if it carried limited ammunition for any particular one of them. Torian was skilled in all methods of combat as befitting his experience and rank, but his true passion was security even if he did enjoy other endeavors as well. Firepower was more of a delightful hobby, as was his swordsmanship even if it was said to be as fine as a Company Champion's own.
Everything was fine, and the sense of worry Torian had about the sizeable earthquake posing a threat had since dissipated. He was far from an anxious person, but his nerves had tightened by his promotion and he wanted to prove himself to be every bit as concerned with the security of the facility and safety of its inhabitants as he ought to be. So long as he breathed he would protect the secrets of Dorn, the Imperial Fists, and the Imperium itself, for that was the role he had been tasked with and it was his duty to fulfill it.
Sensing perhaps his superior officer's stress fading away Adon quickly offered Torian a drink, only to be rebuffed for daring suggest such a thing while they were on duty. Adon laughed it off, ever the lackadaisical one, while Torian shook his head with some exasperation at his friend's nature that was so atypical for their kind.
It was time to do another security sweep and to check in with Trius, for everything was fine but that did not mean they could afford to be negligent in their obligations. There was a schedule Torian had to keep, and so he departed to continue yet another day's agenda deep within the frozen lands of Inwit.
A/N: Okay, back to more normal sized updates so I can keep things going week to week. Just had a few really large sections to write this past summer that required far more time to properly put together, but I will be doing what I can to post weekly now! Your support helps make that possible, so know that I appreciate whatever discussion and support you bring to the thread!
Hope you all enjoyed, and that you will let me know what you think in the reviews below!
