# Fist of Iron



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

For the prologue, see Cell 42A.


*CHAPTER ONE*
*Part I*

_HOME_. CAPTAIN OBADIAN Kai, the Master of the Marches and Commander of the Fifth Company of the Iron Fists, looked out of the bridge of the Battle Barge, “_The Interceptor_”, and took in all the details of the world that stood before him. Hyacinth, the shining star in the Hyacinth system, was one of the thousands of planets that adeptus astartes could call home. A population of fourteen hundred thousand, the ocean world was where Kai hailed from, and it was also where most of his company had hailed from too. Although the Iron Fists used Hyacinth as their homeworld, it was governed over by the human populace, who remained ever loyal and ever faithful to their superhuman protectors.

It had forever been this way, ever since the Dark Eldar raiders were cleansed from the world at the dawn of M37 by the Iron Hands, the sons of Ferrus Manus. In a way, every Iron Fist was a son of Ferrus Manus, and they abhorred the flesh as much as their Progenitor had done in the age when he sailed the sea of stars.

It had been seven years, seven gruelling long years since Kai had last set foot on Hyacinth – and he longed to walk amongst the planets three continents once more, see the insides of the beloved fortress monastery again – and pay his respects to the fallen. His twin hearts ached to see the planet again, and remembered with joy the day that the Chapter Master had asked him and his company, to return home, from the everlasting war on Armageddon, against the greenskins that ever plagued the world. They still did, and it was only the efforts of the Imperial Guard and his brothers in other chapters that kept the world free from greenskin hands. Removing his battle-damaged, silver helmet – the Captain held it firmly in his right hand, looking out across at the world that stood before him.

The silent moment that Kai was having to himself was interrupted moments later when Battle-Brother Vorn, Sergeant of his command squad and eventually his successor, entered the Bridge. “Brother-Captain,” he said, with his voice hoarse. Like all of them, Vorn had suffered wounds during Armageddon, his right eye being the victim of shrapnel from a surprisingly accurate greenskin shot. “Do you know why the Acting-Chapter Master has called us home? I mean, it’s great to see our homeworld again but shouldn’t we be facing the greenskins still – back on Armageddon?”

Kai sighed. He had been expected this sort of question, and was indeed surprised that he had only now been confronted about it, just as “The Interceptor” had left the empyrean, arriving in real-space for the first time since her departure from Armageddon, the world named after the end of days. “That I do not, Brother-Sergeant,” he responded truthfully. Indeed, it wasn’t like Acting-Chapter-Master Calius to keep the fifth company in the dark, especially when there were rumours that he had not only called back Kai’s company, but also the Third, under command of his close friend Lexandro Vidius, the Master of the Watch, and the second as well – the legendary assault company that had been fighting a war against the Dark Eldar on Tyrus Secondus for far longer than Kai had been on Armageddon. “But if the rumours are true, it is something serious.”

“Aye. Especially when the second have been called back as well, Brother,” mused Vorn. “Have you heard any word from Exodus’ company? The fourth? According to the astropathic communications – they were due back from Calexious IV yesterday. They haven’t arrived, judging by the rumour mill.”

“Why would the Acting-Chapter Master have called back three companies just to investigate the loss of one?” responded Kai, still not taking his eyes off the planet which they continued to approach. “Something tells me there is more to it than that.”

“Aye, I agree. I’ve fought greenskins for too long,” Vorn remarked. “I could do well with a change of foe.”

“Be careful what you wish for, Brother,” Kai responded, when suddenly – a loud voice boomed through the intercoms, catching everybody by surprise.

“*Welcome Home, Interceptor,*” the loud, ancient and wise voice of the real chapter master, who had been entombed in Dreadnought armour after the Battle of Opal’s Fall, affirming Kai’s suspicions. He was right. In order for Chapter Master Abraham Verchen to be awakened, this was something serious. “*Captain Kai. It has been too long. I want your company at the main auditorium as soon as you leave your ship. We have important matters to discuss.*”

“Yes, Chapter Master,” Kai responded through the vox-link embedded in his throat, on an open channel – so all of his fellow brothers could hear his voice. “Faith and Fury.”

“*Faith and Fury indeed,*” boomed Verchen, before finishing with a quieter, “*The Emperor Protects.*”


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*Part II *

BY THE TIME the fifth company arrived in the auditorium, the mood was sombre, a funeral quiet sweeping across the hundred-odd warriors that were assembled in rank order. Many had been longing for the thought of their homeworld – but now, with the Chapter Master aroused from his eternal rest, things were indeed serious. Captain Kai recognised the shoulder pads of other companies, the third and the second among them, including the fabled Abadiah Draco, the legend in his own lifetime – and the master of the assault, standing, fully armoured on the podium, his ancient gaze watching the gathered astartes below. 

But there was still no sign of the fourth company, no sign of Exodus’ Own. Markus Thorn himself, the Lord of Iron and the first Captain, stood on the right flank of Draco, likewise clad entirely in armour, only this time – the Terminator protective covering ensured that he was a lot more imposing than Draco, something which didn’t sit well with the Master of the Assault.

Both wore helmets, and were flanked by the upper core of the chapter’s ranks. The Chief Librarian Amael Castus, his right arm a mechanical instrument of death obtained in the same battle that the Chapter Master had been claimed by the Dreadnought armour, stood fully armoured like everybody else in the auditorium. 

This was a meeting of momentous proportions. Various figures caught Kai’s eye and nodded in respect as the Captains made their way to the front of the endless sea of adeptus astartes. Chief Apothecary Gavinus, and even the Acting-Chapter Master himself were present, alongside the unnatural Glavius Kranz, the Master of the Forge – who was flanked by his Techmarine brothers, and stood apart from the rest of the Iron Fists, shrouded with an aura of suspicion and mistrust, even in a Chapter where the machine was held above all else.

There was a loud booming sound, one which Kai recognised as Dreadnought footsteps. He should know, after all – Kai had fought with various ancient ones on Armageddon, including one from the Blood Angels Chapter – a Dreadnought named Sanguos, who had proven himself time and time again. One by one, the descendants of Ferrus Manus, the Iron Fists – Dropped to the floor, their knees bent in respect as one of the Chapter’s finest heroes stepped out onto the dais, and spoke. “*Brothers. You are perhaps wondering why I have recalled you all from your respective campaigns. As much as I do not wish to keep you from distributing the Emperor’s wrath, there are far graver matters at risk, matters which concern the very life of the Iron Fists, and of Hyacinth herself*.”

Silence, apart from Verchen’s words, echoed throughout the auditorium. To hear the Dreadnought speak was to hear history come to life, and every adeptus astartes present in the room, even the Acting-Chapter Master – was hooked on Verchen’s every word. This was a momentous occasion. A time of tragedy and war would no doubt follow.


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*Yes!!!*

I am glad you decided to add to the story, cell 42A. Good writing and I don't want to have to wait for more. But alas, I guess I have no choice, so hurry it up! :so_happy:


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

bane i am really enoying this glad you continued it and look foward to more, don't see any Iron Hands stories on the fan fic sites much so looking foward to more


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for the responses, second chapter coming tommorow. Gothik, these are the Iron Fists, by the way - not the Iron Hands, although they do descend from them.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

aw i stand corrected sorry bane still god read though


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*CHAPTER TWO*

*Part I *

The Noise of battle rang through Exodus’ ears. The Fourth Captain heard bolter-fire, the holy wrath of the Iron Fists pour down upon the boarding Orks with unrelenting fury. Dead xeno corpses soon lined the corridors of ‘_Winter’s End_,’ the Battle Barge that had replaced ‘_The Annihilator_’, following the war against the a tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan on Camesos Reach fifteen years ago, where they had fought alongside the enigmatic Raven Guard and their Deathwatch allies in a quest to deny the biomass that the Hive Mind needed to grow. Camesos Reach had been a forge world, so indeed – if that particular biomass had been harvested, the threat would have been made all the greater.

“Brother Captain, Space Hulk in sight,” a Sergeant, of the third Tactical Squad, Leyor, who boasted two mechanical arms, voxed on the Chapter’s private channel to Exodus himself. “Cannons targeting the engines. We should cripple this thing before it reaches its intended target.”

“Get all the guns that you can spare to make sure that the deed is done, Sergeant,” Captain Exodus responded, his energy-crackling weapon, otherwise known as a Power Sword, cleaved one greenskin in half, and decapitated another’s head in quick succession. Two short bursts from his Storm Bolter brought another alien down, as he advanced through the dark, dimly lit corridors with his men – that of Command, Justice Squad, supported by the heavy laid firepower of Squad Retribution’s four Heavy Bolters. “I want that Hulk out of action before it can cripple any more of our worlds. Exodus Out.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, cutting the link, a quick glance at his visor – the runes showing him that Brother Epathus of Skyborn Assault Squad had fallen, and the Apothecary speaking in a moment later to inform him that his geneseed was too heavily damaged to recover.

‘Bastard xenos,’ Exodus thought, his Power-Sword meeting Ork flesh for what seemed like the thousandth time since they had first boarded, and his Storm Bolter unleashing hell on an unsuspecting xenos, too caught up in the heat of battle to notice the shots coming his way.

“Strike From the sky, brothers!” A loud shot could be heard from the corridor, and five, jump-pack boasting astartes that formed a Combat Squad leapt into action, spiralling down on top of the greenskins in front of the Captain. Moments later, the guns of the support squads fell silent so as not to hit any of their brothers with friendly fire. 

“Brother-Librarian,” Exodus hailed Obaion on the vox link. “Is the prisoner still secure?”

“Yes, Brother-Captain,” responded Obaion, his voice haunted and enigmatic. It unnerved Exodus, the warrior having never been too fond of the warp himself. Indeed, he was born on Teoris Secondus, one of the worlds in the Hyacinth System where the Iron Fists drew their recruits from, and the population there had been indoctrinated with a hatred of pskyers and their ilk, mainly after the first Imperial Governor had been assassinated by an heretical sorcerer. “He remains behind closed doors. The Chaplain and I stand ever watchful. Nothing will get in or out.”

“Good,” responded Exodus. “I’m dispatching squad Gamma to your location for some extra firepower.”

The Iron Fists were one of the few Chapters that used names like “Alpha, Justice and Skyborn” to name their squads, rather than the Squad “Exodus”, or Squad “Epathus”, for example. It had been a preferred choice of their founder, the legendary Captain Noras of the Iron Hands, and the first of the three commanders that the Iron Fists would have throughout the four millennia in service to the Emperor and the Golden Throne.

And their Primarch, their Progenitor. And the machine. The Orks were nearly routed now, Exodus could tell this by the thinning of their numbers as he continued to assault and the easier it was to overturn their ranks. He counted two more brothers lost, Urei and Lorn in the ensuing firefight. 

But, in the Emperor’s name, this ship would be the Iron Fists once more. Exodus would not lose another Battle-Barge under his watch.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*A/N*: _Sorry for the shortness of this, but Part II is here._

*Part II*

*“...Recently, our astropathic communications have received an urgent warning from the Battle Barge, Winter’s End,” *continued the Dreadnought, his voice echoing into the ears of every adeptus astartes in the hall. The majority of the chapter was present, expect for the fourth company of course – who had not been heard of for... a long time outside of the message that the Dreadnought was about to play them. A few seconds later, the Pict crackled into life, displaying the veteran, skull-faced figure of the Fourth Company’s chaplain.

_“My Lords,”_ Reyes spoke, hastily and quickly, as though he was addressing just the higher members of the Chapter, _“We have received an urgent message of utmost importance from our Librarian. He is currently... wounded at the moment so he has requested me to relay this message for him. We have received intelligence that the renegade warband known as Hakanor’s Reavers are en route to Hyacinth, with an aim to wipe us from the pages of history. We don’t know much else... but...XENOS! Foul abomination! Death to the-”_

The message flipped into static, but just before it vanished, the entire Chapter could see Reyes bringing up his Crozius to deal with the incoming greenskin, which was much larger and, much uglier – than the Chaplain himself. Several whispers ran through the astartes at this, some talking about Hakanor’s Reavers – the Chaos Space Marines lead by the infamous Daemon Prince Hakanor himself, but others were wondering how the greenskins had managed to board the Winter’s End. However, Verchen silenced all of these with a grunt from his speakers. Once more, the Dreadnought held the attention of all the astartes in the room, something that was no doubt annoying the Acting-Chapter Master. *“There you have it Brothers. Now you know why we called you back. We must prepare a Scouting fleet to investigate the rumours caused by Chaplain Reyes' message, and this puts us in a grave situation indeed.”* 

The Old one paused, before continuing. *“Although we do not know the true extent of the forces headed towards the Hyacinth system we can guess that it is of quite a large amount – if they intend to target the Chapter’s geneseed – which I presume they will, as Obadian informed us that they plan to wipe our chapter from the pages of history.”
*
Several gasps echoed throughout the auditorium. Wipe a Chapter as noble as the Iron Fists from the pages of history? How dare they? These Hakanor’s Reavers, chaos warband – mutants – scum, think that they can take on the might of one of the Emperor’s sons? 

*“Silence,”* The Dreadnought droned, and continued. *“But – sadly, we cannot act on this until we know how large the forces are that are headed in our direction. That is why, in absence of the Fourth Company, I am dispatching the Third to investigate, as they currently hold The Interceptor.”*


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

This is looking good. :so_happy:


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

I aim to please . Also, I plan on doing a lot of scene-jumping throughout this piece. 

*CHAPTER THREE*

*Part I*

The small fortress-moon named ‘_Guardian_´ was home to the majority of the population of Casturn Reach, mainly because the planet’s volcanic surface was too hostile to inhabit. Almost every day, at any given time around the planet, there was five different volcanic eruptions taking place. The Imperium listed Casturn Reach as a Death World, and there was no better place for the recruits to the Iron Fists to be trained in.

‘_Guardian_’ itself was relatively small, but it was heavily guarded. The 9th Company of Iron Fists, lead by Captain Vladimir Aurio, the Master of the Siege took up permanent vigil over the moon and its inhabitants below, the Ten Devastator Squads supported by the currently sleeping Dreadnoughts, four ancient veterans of the Iron Fists.

Today was like every other day, Aurio thought, as he brought his favoured Multi-Meta up, in the simulation – to destroy another enemy of chaos, pulverising a hole in the renegade Predator, rendering it unable to move. Glancing back at his men, the Devastator Captain noticed that they were performing above standards, laying down heavy fire on the oncoming traitor hordes, ensuing that they never once made it to the power-armoured lines of the Emperor’s Finest.

They had been training against the chaos forces ever since last week, when Aurio, like the rest of his company and indeed a large portion of the Chapter, had been called to their homeworld of Hyacinth, to hear the ancient Chapter-Master Abraham Verchen speak for all to hear. 

Hakanor’s Reavers. According to the data-slate that each Captain had received after the briefing, they were once adeptus astartes, and – although it was hard to believe, they had once fought under the same banner. The Chapter, before turning renegade – had been called the Sons of the Storm, and it was they who had been exiled from their homeworld by the wrath of the combined forces of the Ultramarines and the Iron Fists themselves. Sadly, Aurio didn’t have the honour of fighting in that battle, which was afterwards recorded as the purge of Skythax Prime. That honour belonged to the combined forces of the Masters of the skies, the Second Company, and the fourth company – who were still missing in action.

Nothing had been heard of them since the message, and it suggested that they may have been overwhelmed by the greenskin boarders and fell to the xenos. Aurio hoped that this wasn’t the case. He knew many of the warriors in the fourth company, including Captain Exodus himself. The Devastator Captain thought back to the old days, where he and Exodus were merely scouts, fighting for their lives on the very planet below in the same squad. The same squad that had been taught by the veteran Captain Peor, who had been Isaiah Lazerian’s predecessor. 

Everybody knew that Peor had been a better scout captain than Lazerian, even Lazerian himself. That was why he strived to make up for his inexperience and youth as often as he could, taking on several tasks. Maybe, once he had tempered himself in the fires of battle for as long as Peor had, they would at last respect him.

Aurio was already holding a respect for Lazerian, after the 10th Captain had saved his life on Skyfall, where they had fought against Tyranid invaders on a neighbouring planet to where the Fourth Company lost their first Battle-Barge, ‘_The Annihilator_’. It was lucky that Winter’s End had been in production at the time, because after all – who was a Master of the Fleet without his Battle Barge?

“Captain,” an astartes, a young marine by the name of Tarvan, barked into the vox-link. 

“Yes, Brother?” 

“We have a problem.”


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*Part II*


“In the Emperor’s name,” exclaimed the Master of the Siege, as he watched from the viewpoint at the sea of ships that began materialising from the warp. One after the other, the smaller ones protecting the motherships as they advanced towards the first world. “Who are they? Do they have any identification? And what of their allegiances?”

The whole station was by now on red alert. Even though it was unclear who these ships belonged to, renegades or Imperium, Alien or worse, Aurio had to question them. It was his duty, and – due to the nature of their approach, he feared that they were on attack course for _Guardian_, and possibly even Hyacinth itself. Red, warning lights rang throughout the station, Battle-Brothers leaping from their respective duties to assemble their armour and report to the designated areas in times like these. They had been trained, a hundred times – and the fact that they all knew that this wasn’t a drill only spurred them into action all the quicker.

“These are obviously ships of Imperial design Captain,” said Tarvan, approaching Aurio from behind, gazing out into the sea of stars. “And, I don’t need to be an expert to say that they’re not friendly.”

“Which leaves us with only one option,” Aurio mused, sadly. “It seems that Hakanor’s Reavers have arrived at last. Send a warning to the Chapter-Master, immediately! Get every Astropath you can spare.”

“But my lord – are you abandoning Guardian without a fight?” asked Tarvan, with a frown. 

“No. But, even you know that whatever forces that are coming in this direction is too big for a mere company to defeat, even with the orbital batteries,” Aurio responded. “Trust me, Brother. I know what I am doing.”

Tarvan paused, before nodding. “Yes, Captain. I understand. I will see that your will is done.”

He bowed respectfully, and then departed, heading to find as many Astropaths as he could. A message which would concern the survival of the Iron Fists Chapter, was about to be relayed. If the Chapter-Master was unprepared to meet the threat of Hakanor’s Reavers, for that was what they must be – then, it would signal the end of their chapter, and the Hyacinth system would fall under Chaos control.

The Master of the Siege turned to another Space Marine, standing next to him. This one was Urion, one of the few Iron Fists who had actually hailed from the planet of Casturn Reach below. He was a rare breed, and constantly looked down with scorn from the rest of the company, and indeed – the rest of the chapter.

But not from Captain Aurio. Urion had saved his life more times than he could count and now – Urion would be the key to the survival of the Ninth Company. “Brother Urion.”

“Yes, Brother-Captain?” 

“Tell the rest of the Ninth. Get to all mobile craft. Thunderhawks, Strike Cruisers, you name it. Get everyone, including the civilians,” explained Aurio – ignoring Urion’s confused look. 

“But, Captain – surely you can’t intend to take them on in a space battle? Their ships are larger and much more powerful than our own, it would be a massacre,” Urion interrupted. 

“I know. That’s why I’m not ordering them to their deaths,” Captain Aurio, the Master of the Siege, said with a weary smile, knowing that this would be the day that _Guardian_ finally fell.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*Part III*

The Chaos Flagship was alive with activity, as slaves to the Dark Gods bustled around, preparing the frigate for launch, watched by all – the Daemon Prince Hakanor observing his minions from his Iron Throne. The beast that had taken Chapter Master Prometian from the thrall of the Imperium was not beholden to one god, nay – but to all four of the almighty pantheon. Hakanor gained strength, sorcery – toughness and agility from the Gods, and the Daemon Prince was determined to prove that he was worthy of their attentions.

“My lord,” a warrior spoke, one of the nameless thousands who served in Hakanor’s Reavers, be he one of the original Sons of the Storm, or a recruit gifted to his warband by the Dark Gods as they plotted to sow the seeds of the fall of the Iron Fists Chapter. “The fortress-station is in sight at last. We are at your command.” 

“Well,” Hakanor boomed, his voice echoing throughout the command ship, his long tongue licking his daemonic lips in anticipation. “Let us do what we were made to do. Signal the launchers. Today – we let the Imperial Scum know what it is like to be cast aside from their homeworld!”

“Yes, my lord.”

The warrior spoke into the vox-link, presumably contacting all other aspiring champions that lead their squads, be they warriors favoured by Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, or Slaneesh. Hakanor had made sure to keep those hated enemies apart from each other, so that infighting would not engulf his warband on the eve of victory.

“Start the bombardment,” he lifted up his inhuman arm, which still bore protection of the ancient Sons of the Storm armour plating, and pressed several buttons on the console that had appeared down in front of him.

And as he did so, hell came to _Guardian_. But, despite what was just about to happen – Hakanor knew it was only the beginning.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*CHAPTER FOUR*
*Part I*

Almost five minutes later, hell came to the Fortress-Moon, as had been predicted by the Daemon Prince Hakanor. The Orbital Bombardment greatly damaged the structure of the station, and gave the renegades the momentum that they needed to start the assault. Drop Pods slammed down bearing the colours of various warbands that had flocked to Hakanor’s cause, and several astartes piled out of them, ready to kill and slaughter in the name of their unholy pantheon.

A large portion of the first wave of the attack was made up of Khorne Bezerkers. Some, the more experienced and battle-tempered, had come from Angron’s Legion the World Eaters, leading the charge that would only cause destruction for the Devastator Company that stood vigilant over Guardian. If there were any loyalists left alive after the initial first wave, Hakanor would call in the heavy support. Terminators, Obliterators, Predators – an army of heavy infantry and armoured units that would grind the already broken Tenth Company into dust.

Hakanor didn’t think that there would be any left after that. But just in case, he had ordered a large cohort of those traitor marines that had been blessed by Nurgle – to be on standby.

There was only a hundred Space Marines present on Guardian; Hakanor knew that for a fact. The rest was largely made up of civilians and young scout marines, still fresh from the training that they had undergone to be astartes in the first place. 

Hakanor commanded, and his army obeyed. It was simple as that. 

They showed loyalty that bordered on the fanatical to the Daemon Prince, one that Hakanor was all too happy to exploit. He had already heard that reinforcements were on their way from Abaddon himself, the Black Legion backing up the campaign launched by Hakanor’s Reavers. They would provide an unnecessary boost to Hakanor’s forces, one that he didn’t need – but now, Hakanor smiled – he had an army of disposable troops at his command.

All the better to kill loyalist dogs with, he thought – with a cruel, twisted smile. Vengeance would be extracted for the time that Hakanor had watched his own planet bun, and the Iron Fists would pay the price for it.

He spoke into the vox-link, addressing all of his forces once the bombardment had finally died out. “Launch the first wave.”

He commanded, and an army obeyed.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Looking good Bane. :good:


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Sorry about the long wait and the shortness of the chapter, I've been busy with reading and the first week of college, so yeah.... 


*Part II*

THE DROP PODS plunged into the surface, disengaging several battle-ready Khorne Bezerkers, their armour plates displaying their loyalty to Hakanor, draped in the volcanic colours that were what their legion was known for. One by one, squads of eight Bezerkers were deployed onto Guardian, determined to bring death, slaughter and skulls in the name of the blood god.

“Blood for the blood god!” the warcry of Khorne’s servants rang down the corridor. Commander Skhal, the World Eaters Champion, lead the assault, his Pre-Heresy chain axe and plasma pistol ready to kill. 

Only, once they were inside the Fortress – it was clear that something had gone wrong, when instead of the Space Marines that Hakanor had promised them were in their path... it appeared that they were confronted by dank, dark and empty spaces.

There was no Iron Fists in sight, and not even any humans, let alone the Servitors, or a Servo-Skull visible. Worse than that though, no life signs read over the whole fortress. It seemed that the Tenth Company of the Iron Fists had... _gone_.

But where?

Skhal advanced, expanding the life sign reading to include the other side of the moon, and cursed. They had been so wound up in their battle-lust that they had failed to observe the far side of _Guardian_. 

Several thousand ships were descending from the fortress moon to the volcanic planet below. The Adeptus Astartes were hiding, hiding from Hakanor’s Reavers. 

Cursing to himself once more, Skhal raised the Chaos flagship on the vox-link, and began to speak.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Getting interesting now.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*Part III*

The Tenth Company, under command of Captain Aurio, had abandoned Guardian without a fight. Well, Aurio still had one trick up his sleeve for the incoming invaders, and he didn’t plan on giving them all the remaining resources that Guardian had to offer. 

“Explosives ready to detonate, Captain,” a Scout-Sergeant, Rarion, informed him. “Everyone’s clear. Permission to give the traitors hell?”

Aurio paused before he said his next words, watching the fortress moon shrink further and further away. Something was about to happen to Guardian, and the moon would not survive. Explosives had been placed at strategic points around the moon, so that when a sizable chunk of Hakanor’s Reavers had landed on the surface, The Devastator Company would be able to detonate them from the ships, and thus deny the Great Enemy of some of his attack forces, for as far as Aurio was concerned, he had fought Chaos before – and if he was correct, Hakanor would not be able to keep certain members of his warband from letting loose their anger at the enemy.

It would also give the Iron Fists a boost of morale in the battle to come. Sure, Guardian may be down and out. But not without a fight.

“Permission granted, Sergeant,” Aurio nodded, and heard Rarion speaking into the vox.

A lever was pulled on one of the armada of retreating ships, and simultaneously, several, very powerful explosives, enough to rip apart an artificial moon were detonated. 

And Guardian burned. It was destroyed, and if anyone had thought that this planet would last until the end times, then they had been wrong. Guardian was being blown into pieces before the 10th Company’s very eyes, along with no doubt, scores of Hakanor’s Reavers. 

“Inform home,” Aurio said, with a grim smile of satisfaction. “Guardian has fallen. A large portion of enemy forces have been destroyed in the destruction of the fortress-moon, and now we are taking the fight to the enemy on Casturn Reach, although we expect not to survive without aid. We plan to delay the enemy and hassle him as much as we can, but we can’t hold out forever.”

Rarion nodded in Aurio’s direction again. “Yes my lord.”

And that was the last message that Captain Aurio of the Ninth Company, the Master of the Siege, ever sent.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*Author's Note:* Hey all, sorry for the long wait without a chapter, and I have a reason for that. I was deleting all my unneeded word documents to give my computer more space, and I accidental wiped a large portion of Iron Fists releated stuff from my computer. 

My notes for where I planned to go with this series, gone, potential plot lines, gone. So yeah, I'm a bit annoyed at the moment. I'll try and have the start of Chapter Five uploaded for you by the end of the week. Following chapters will be in this font now, by the way. I'll be editing the earlier chapters to change them.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

That`s a bummer dude.  

Still, keep at it. :good:


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

Bumped, as current Featured Fiction.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Another short part, I wasn't really happy with this one, so I'll probably end up redoing it. Just to let you know, I'm still working on this one.

*CHAPTER FIVE*

*Part I*​
_Three Days Later..._ 

Bursts of plasma, fired from the many Devastator squads that the Ninth boasted, incinerated the enemy that were getting ever closer. Backed up with Thunderhawk Gunships to provide support, Aurio’s Devastators were providing weaponfire as the enemy streamed towards the outnumbered Space Marines in their hundreds.

The Khorne Bezerkers lead the assault, as would be expected, but were depleted by well-aimed sniper shots from the few scouts that were attached to the Ninth, aiming for the standard bearers that displayed the heraldry of the Blood God, and their leaders in an attempt to break their morale. Or at least, that was what the scouts had been doing, before missiles hurtled in their direction from nowhere, obliterating several of the recruits as they struck home.

Not for the first time this day, Captain Aurio cursed the followers of the Ruinous Powers, but was at the same time thankful for the fact that the forces had to navigate through narrow walkways, stretching above boiling lava, in order to get close to the Iron Fists. They were still holding, and nobody had thought that they would ever make it as long as this. On a more open battlefield, perhaps they would have been crushed easily, but the massed bolt rounds from the Devastators that were unleashed onto the traitors seemed to help, as they made their way forward through the narrow walkways. Aurio mused that the defenders were glad that the renegades hadn’t deployed any air support yet; otherwise the Devastators would falter and be eventually destroyed.

++Captain...Aurio++

“Yes, Brother-Sergeant Torion?” 

++We...Lost...Ancient...Cardion++

The words were jumbled, but the message was clear. The Devastators had lost one of their four Dreadnoughts. Cardion wasn’t just any Dreadnought, for he had served as a Sergeant in the Scout Company before his fall at Neostarlin Reach. Aurio grimaced, throwing a grenade into the oncoming traitors. Cardion had taught most of the Ninth Company on the field of battle, including Aurio himself. If it weren’t for those damn traitors, he would still have his mentor....

++... Emperor... Protects! ++

The link spluttered, giving out slightly for a bit. Then, it roared back into life, just as Aurio heard a loud howl from an unholy voice that was apparently, directing it into Torion’s vox-link on purpose. But... but how? Surely, that meant... Torion had fallen.

“Bridge 28B breached!” Aurio immediately switched vox channels, addressing the company directly. “I repeat, Bridge 28B breached! Expect attacks from the front and the rear!”

There were various muffled responses from the nine remaining sergeants, and the Company’s Champion, fighting somewhere above Aurio. This was shaping up to be a very tough battle indeed, and they would need all the luck in the universe to survive.


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