# Renegades 11: The fall of a legion



## gothik

*RENEGADES 11.

THE FALL OF A LEGION.


WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE.*


*The Night Lords were sent to retrieve the gene seed of the fallen legions, Corax discovered the last resting place of Charion, Primarch of the Sons of Hades which led him to the world of Sturmgarten, the planet of storms, home of the Primarch Adonnas and the Storm Riders. Coming into conflict with the Night Lords and the Primarch Night Haunter. 

After a fight between them Corax was speared by the Night Haunters talons Mercy and Forgiveness, whilst Night Haunter lost his arm to the Ravens Claw. Meanwhile the Night Lords and Raven Guard encounter the spirits of the Storm Riders who kill the human record keeper and discover that they have been set up.

Upon return to Nostramo the Primarch Lorgar is waiting for them and to punish the Night Lords for their failure to do as the Emperor ordered, Nostramo is destroyed. 

Meanwhile the Ultramarines try to hold onto Ultramar as the Emperors Children degrade more into the worship of Slaanesh and away from the Emperors perfection. With the defectors from the Emperors Children forming their own Legion The Celestial Lions, they swear to aid the Ultramarines against their former brothers...but at what cost when an unlikely alliance is formed, but is is out of revenge or another plan?

Perfections cry was written by VulkansNodasaurus.​*


Prologue​
The Nightfall was silent, around the remains of the planet Nostramo all the Night Lord vessels had gathered and every single Night Lord had assembled in their ships great halls to hear the words of their father. It had been six weeks since the Word Bearers had destroyed their home world and their betrayal at the hands of the Emperor complete. 

Not one warrior spoke, many of them had their thoughts with their dead worlds. Some still had family alive down there, ancestors who they had kept an eye on, possible future lines in their ranks to carry on their legacy. The deaths of the recruits and novitiates who would have made their mark with the Night Lords given time. 

The Arbites who had been training on the violent streets of Nostramo Qunitus which would have made them the greatest law keepers of the galaxy, had the accursed daemon lovers not destroyed their world. 

It was like a simmering rage that refused to die, no matter how long they lived the Night lords would remember what had been done to them. Under ordinary circumstances their ire would have been reserved for the Raven Guard, but not now, not any more, now it was reserved for the Emperor and the Word Bearers. They were a Legion alone and they alone would bring their wrath to anything the Emperor touched. 

The screens that had been dark now lit up around the fleet as the pale and cold visage of the Dark King appeared on the screen.

“My sons, daughters listen to me and listen to me well. We have been betrayed, not only by the accursed weak willed Word Bearers and their coward of a father but, by the Emperor himself.”

The Primarch stood before a lectern, his silver arm, a gift from Ferrus glinted in the few lights that shone on the Primarch. His face however was shadowed, bowed as if struggling to contain his fury at what had happened. His mind stinging from the cries he had felt reach out to him as death rained upon his world, his perfect ordered world. 

The betrayal he had expected, he had always expected that, but this...this was unforgivable in his eyes. 

When he raised his head all that had been Konrad Curze was gone, whatever was left of him had shattered into a thousand pieces and scattered on the winds of his worlds destruction. Now and forever more he would be the Night Haunter and he would bring his vengeance to the Emperors alliance in all the full meaning of Fear. 

“They have not yet seen the full wrath of the Night Lords, but they will, oh they will my beloved sons and daughters. We are all that is left of the Nostraman people and we will be their vengeance from beyond the grave. A million million souls cry out from the dust of our world and what king would I be if I did not heed their cry?”

His pale face raised so that his sons could see the full fury of his emotions. Fear radiated out from him in a giant wave. When he had woken from his medically induced coma, he had been told by Sevatarion what had happened. He had held himself in seclusion for a week or two, fighting with himself, his own inner demons finally taking control of his fractured mind, The Night Haunter had finally taken control of him. Konrad Curze truly was dead. 

“Sahaal under my orders you and second company are to find a world suitable for our needs, one that, like Nostramo is night dominated and where we can rebuild. Ave Dominous Nox”

The Second Captain saluted his father and bowed his head. Swearing to find a world that would be suitable for them to colonise and control. 

“First Company shall come with me, I have..plans afoot, the rest of you, start reaping the revenge due, and bring fear to the galaxy, fear and order. No longer my sons are we the extension of the Emperors Justice, he has failed us, he could not control us, so he took away that which made us, but he will learn, oh yes he will learn that what makes a Night Lord is not the aimless following of the Imperial Eagle, that which we have never worn; nor have we deigned to wear like those imbeciles of Fulgrims. 

He stood straighter and folded his arms across his chest. Every man, woman and Astarte under his command, across his entire fleet moved to one knee, the humans keeping their gaze lowered less they loose their minds in the presence of a Primarch. 

“Our talons shall forever be bloodied and it will drown our enemies. We have come for them”

The noise from the Night Lords seemed to echo out to the grave of their world. Those bastards would know what it meant to bring fear incarnate into their little power plays. 

Sevatarion waited for his master to step down and bowed his head “I am sorry father, I should have tried to stop Lorgar”

“Yes, well that was not your fault my son, Lorgar is a Primarch, I should have not been so weak as to allow the Raven to incapacitate me. Lorgar will get his due, I promise you that, for now, have the Master take the Night Fall to Ultramar”

Sevatar arched an eyebrow “Forgive me Lord, are we throwing our lot in with the Ultramarines?”

“No, I am going to teach Fulgrim a lesson, one I should have taught him years ago, he betrayed me to the others when I thought he was my truest confidant. However, if in the course of that revenge I work with the Ultramarines, then...” Night Haunter shrugged “so be it”

“It shall be done”

The Primarch returned to his chambers, the sound of thousands of adoring voices, human and Astartes ringing in his ear.


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## gothik

i know i said November but the Prologue came to me last night. This is a sequel to Perfections Cry written by VulkansNodosaurs and my own Long Forgotten Son.....amaziing what coffee, sandwich and brain on hyperdrive will do......


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## gothik

1.​
Julius Kaesoron was a Captain without a Legion, an exiled Chemosian, and being away from his fathers side was like an addict without his fix. His soul, like that of his brothers rebelled at first, they needed to be with their father, but, after several weeks away from the madness that the Legion had become, if it was even a Legion any more, after what he had seen weeks ago he was not even sure if that is what they were; Even Fulgrim appeared to be loosing interest in Legion business, his own needs and desires were becoming more paramount in his eyes than his fathers wishes. 

He sat watching the Ultramarines finally bring back the last of their dead, those that had been found. None of the 21st Company had survived, and whilst it might have been a drop in the ocean to a Legion as vast as the Ultramarines, here and now, on this battlefield, in this part of the Imperium Secondus, it was a blow. The Gene seed had been recovered, but would have to go into storage, until they made it back to MaCragge, if they made it back. 

For some reason the Emperors Children had withdrawn from the field of battle, but the Lion of Chemos knew they would be back. They were playing with their sport. He began to wonder where it all went wrong? When did all that he had been fighting for suddenly turn on its head, brother against brother, cousin against cousin. Father against son? 

The Great Crusade had taken on a new meaning, where once it sought to illuminate mankind and her scattered dominion that there was no god or gods, that man stood above such petty beliefs, now it was akin to some old Terran Jihad, a religious war of such great proportion that eventually the Emperor was going to loose his sons to the very beings he once said did not exist. 

Laern, that had been the turning point for his brothers and father. Although deep down he suspected that his fathers corruption had begun before the Laern war. He rubbed his brow, that blasted music and that sword, had he known then what he knew now he would have broken the damn thing in half, but Fulgrim liked it, and the more he wore it the more he became attached to it, even more than the sword given to him by Ferrus Mannus to seal their pact of brotherhood. 

He went over everything in his mind, his memory recalling everything with clarity, at first he had wanted to embrace the new path, this was what the Emperor had wanted after all, but then, with the experiments that Bile was conducting on his brothers, under Fulgrims orders, he started to have his doubts. Once he had seen what was becoming of his brothers, how their baser instincts were becoming more prevalent, it had not taken long to convince some of his other brothers to join him in an escape.

He had wanted to get Demeter and Vairosean on board, but...well his fight with the 2nd Captain had proved that he had finally embraced his fathers vision. He had not seen Vairosean but he had no doubt that with Fulgrim ordering him to take the “gifts” that Bile offered, then he too was lost. 

He had decisions to make, there had to be a hierarchy to the Celestial Lions and he would address them later today. For now he expunged the bond to his father and his brothers, he could not allow this to go on, so with a heavy heart he sent his message to the Warmaster, informing him that The Celestial Lions stood ready to join him and his campaign. With that message sent his defection and betrayal was complete.

Julius Kaesoron was a First Captain with a new purpose...no not a First Captain, a Chapter Master.


*****​


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## gothik

Fulgrim sat in his sanctum, now so much different to what it had been and all but a shrine to the excesses that he was beginning to enjoy. Yet now he was angry, he let the anger flow through him, he knew there were weaker elements within his sons that needed purging but the Lion of Chemos? That had been a kick in the teeth to be certain, his favoured son had left his side. Where he did not know, all he knew was that Kaesoron and four companies had left his majestic self.

How dare they do such a thing? How dare they betray the one who had given them life, how dare they take the gifts his own genes had afforded them and use it against him! 

*THIS WAS NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.*

He calmed himself and poured some wine. Rising from his seat he stood before the window that afforded him a view of the planet below him. Drastic measures he suspected would have to be taken. There was an element of rot within the Emperors Children, one that he would have to clean out. He picked up his data padd and read it. Top of the list was Lucius, the newly restored 13th Captain had not been content with his punishment, and instead sought to undermine his superiors and Fulgrim himself. His time would come, and Eodolin, oh he had his eye on that one, he had got cocky, above his station and thought that he alone spoke with the authority of the Primarch in his absence. 

No one spoke with Fulgrims authority unless he said they could. That had only been the former First Captain, his favoured and most beloved son. Now it fell onto Vespasians hands. Of course if he did what they had spoken about then he would soon know which of his sons favoured this god more than him. In order for the Emperors Children to reach perfection, there had to be no doubt that they saw him as Perfection, that the would do as he told them and not some warp being that had promised them everything but would deliever them nothing, not like he could. 

Fulgrim had felt it for the last few weeks, a calling that spoke of godhood to him, a place among the pantheon that would rival even the god of pleasure and pain themselves. He deserved to be alongside his father in godhood, he was the perfection of his fathers gene science. He would take the Empire of the Ultramarines, he was certain of that, but in doing so he would root out the sons that would rather debase themselves than fight the perfect battles that he wanted them too. 

Lorgar had warned him that he would need to do this at some point, that he would have to weed out the weak from the strong. But with all that had befallen them in the beginning he had not been prepared to take such a drastic action. An accident with his own gene seed had meant that the Emperors Children had not the greatest start life , they had to fight alongside Horus until they were up to strength, whilst that was a possibility of happening again, this time he was doing it for reasons of loyalty. 

He wanted to know who he could trust and who he couldn't trust. Fulgrim wanted perfection, but he wanted it his way and no body else’s. His Legion and his Legion alone bore the Imperial Eagle, he was proud to bear it, and he had decided that not all of the Legion were worthy. He had watched what remained of the Ultramarines fleet leave the now ruined world of Carenn, and retreat back. He knew where they were heading, there was only one place they would be heading, for if he were Marius Gage it was where he would go to and indeed, it was his next course of action, once he had appointed new First. 

“Calth” He rumbled “I will destroy them on Calth”

Fulgrim was still a son of the Emperor, Calth was one of the jewels in the crown of the Ultramar Empire. He knew it was where they did most of their recruiting and training for future sons of Gulliman, and he knew that if he struck a blow at Calth, one they would not recover from, then his pathway to MaCragge itself was clear. 

He turned as Solomon Demeter walked in and moved to one knee. Fulgrim watched his former Second Captain, he had been told of what had happened to the vaunted Captain, he had been blessed and he had killed those in his company that had denied the path of the Legion, including his favoured Sergeant Caphen. 

“You wanted to see me My Lord?” 

There was something different about his voice, it seemed to be in two realms at once. Fulgrim was silent for a moment, recalling the moment he had stood side by side with Solomon looking into the Warp. Now he understood, he rested a huge gauntlet on his sons shoulder.

“Whom are you loyal too Solomon?” The Primarch quietly asked. His voice like honey over silk and he saw the intake of breath his son made with the contact and the sound of his fathers voice. 

“The Phoenician above all things” Demeter replied, his head still bowed.

“Where is Vairosean? Has he truly left?”

“I do not know father, those of his company that followed him have gone too.”

“To Julius?” 

“I do not know”

Fulgrim nodded and bid his son to rise “It is time Solomon, you will be my new First Captain, a position you have earnt my son, forget not what I have given you and place me above all others, together we will build a new Legion, even if it means destroying the old and like the mythical Phoenix, we will rise from the flames of destruction a new, powerful force.”

Solomon Demeter bowed his head, his hearts singing with the joy that his father had given him, he would not betray Fulgrim, Fulgrim was in his heart and his soul. Fulgrim had shown him the way to release his potential and he would never forget that. 

“Good, take yourself to your Company and inform them they are now First Company and let us prepare”

“Your orders father?”

“Calth my son, we go to Calth and when you have taken the news of ascension to the Second, return to me, there are other things that we must discuss with Lord Commander Vespasian as well. I have given him the worlds we will take here so that he can build his own Empire in my name.” 

Fulgrim clasped his hands behind his back. There was silence for a long while as he let the words sink into his new first.

“And when I find Julius, you my beloved Solomon will have the honour of killing him”

Solomon Demeter smiled evilly and walked out of the Phoenicians chambers.


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## gothik

2.​
In one of the sparring chambers aboard the _MaCragges Honour_, Julius Kaesoron waited for the remnants of his trusted brothers to come in. With their own internal fighting and company genocide, he had in effect about six thousand men. Not nearly enough, but it was a start. Beside him the Regent of Ultramar stood, more as a witness and advisor, if he needed it. 

Both men had been awake most the night going over who was best for what position, and despite their differences in doctrine, it had felt good that the Lion of Chemos knew that he could trust the words of the mighty Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. Mistress Tanya of the Astropathic Choir stood ready to take the name and ranks of the Celestial Lions to the Choir, which would then be sent to every member of the Renegades hierarchy. Thus it would be that they would be entered as a Chapter, loyal to the Warmaster and his forces. 

Last night they had learnt the fate of Nostramo, when Mistress Tanya explained why some of the Choir had suddenly convulsed and fitted then died,or had to be euthanasised Millions of minds reaching into the Warp then snuffed out in a violent deadly blow had caused warp storms that had cut off communications for a few days. 

Both Astartes wondered if Curze had finally gone mad and destroyed his own world, after debating it, both had come to the conclusion that they doubted he would have, in his warped mind it was the world of Perfect Order, he was not about to destroy what he saw as a beacon to other worlds and a benchmark to how all Imperial worlds should be run. 

Marius had explained that, in the absence of his father, or any other Primarch he would oversee the founding of the Celestial Lions into the official records. He also explained that, due to the losses he had suffered, including the entire 21st Company. He had sent a request for aid to the forces of the Warmaster and asked them to rendezvous at Calth.

At first Marius had scoffed at the idea that one of the most important worlds of the Ultramarines Empire being a target, but, when Julius had said that he would have attacked it, making sure that the Ultramarines were left in a position where they were unable to rebuild for a long time, in other words he would have rendered Calth a dead world, no matter how ferocious the Army stationed there was. 

Now they stood looking over the ranks of the newely painted armour of celestial blue, with the Lion of Chemos rampant on their pauldrons, the Imperial Eagle no longer on their armour. They had already sworn their oaths to protect the Imperium from any and all enemies, within and without, and to follow the tenement of the Imperial Truth. 

Now all that was left to do was choose a hierarchy. Julius Kaesoron was to be the Chapter Master all the authority of a Primarch to his chapter without the royal blood in his veins. First Captain was named as Krysander, his battle experience and honours made him more than eligible to be the First, but in recognition of his actions alongside his Captain over the centuries, Davars was named as Second Company Captain. Korander became the Third Company Captain, Astarune the Fourth Company Captain, Onurry was named as the Fifth Company Captain and Sergeant Wasnus was promoted as Sixth Company Captain, the company that, when there was time, would train the future of the fledgling Chapter. 

There were no cheers, or gauntlet slapping, not like there would have been in the Heliopolis at such promotions. Gage noticed the melancholy that sat over the warriors of the newely inducted Celestial Lions. They were grieving, grieving that all they had known, all they had fought for as sons of the Emperor, as Fulgrims chosen from a world full of budding chosen, was gone. 

Their old brothers had gone quite insane, quite mad and perverted. Ancient Rylanor was given guardianship over the Chapter, he would be called in times of great need, and he was to be the Chaplain, the one who would hear the confessions and watch to ensure the Chapter did not fall to the decadence of their former brothers. 

“Captains, appoint your sergeants and their squads, let me know by days end who is who and prepare for battle on Calth. Marius...” Julius turned to the Regent of Ultramar, “Fulgrim plans to capture the young of his conquered enemies and train them to become his future generation. Whatever happens, the young on Calth must be protected.”

“That will go without saying” Marius mused “But why not Chemos?”

“He wants to ensure they are loyal to him and him alone” Julius turned his back for a moment and lowered his voice “He is going to purge the Legion and to rebuild it, he is going to want the equivalent of your Legion or even the Warmasters. Warriors who will do what he says and what he says alone.”

“That would make sense, but why not just purge them how the others have?”

“He wants it to be in the face of war, that way he will not be seen as the one who orchastrated it.”

Gage nodded a little and made a mental note to ensure the barracks of Calth were protected, no matter the cost. He looked back out at the Celestial Lions “Well the young that we rescued from Carenn belong to you. What will you do?” 

“Place them in the care of Ancient Rylanor for now. Until we find a home-world and a place to keep them safe.” Julius remarked.

“We can help with that”

“I thankyou Marius, but it is our duty to find one. Until such a time though, we stand together to face our former brothers alongside our cousins.”

Marius Gage shook the outstretched hand and lowered his own voice “and let us hope that we get aid, or this new page will be over before it has begun.”


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## gothik

*****​

The Space Wolves howled in victory as the Orks lay dead around their feet. This was a battle that the Skalds would sing off for years to come, and at the head of their forces, with his two great Fenrisian Wolves by his side stood the mighty figure of their father, Leman Russ, the Wolf King, Prince of Fenris. 

The Orcs had been plaguing the Eshara System for months, they had almost over run it, until the Space Wolves arrived. Suddenly this was not a case of an easy victory for the orcs, but a bloody battle, the Wolves that had died were already being taken back to their ships, their gene seed harvested, their bodies to be given back to Mother Fenris. The blood of Astarte and Orc littered the ground making it a swamp of red and green blood, that had merged into a sticky slick full of brains, intestines and other body parts. 

The Wolves howled louder as their beloved father held high the Warrrrgh boss's head, looked at it for a moment then tossed it aside. The Liberation of Kasan XXI was complete. He left the Imperial Army’s command to deal with the populace, to assure them that all was now well and he ordered that 9th and 15th Companies remain to ensure that the Orks did not return, 

When he returned to the_ Hrafnkel_ he was met by the master of Astopaths Tobias Echela who bowed low and had to almost quicken his steps just to keep up with the giant Primarch. “My lord, we have picked up … excuse me...a request from Chapter Master Marius Gage of the Ultramarines”

Russ stopped walking and looked down at the human. He was tall for a human but still only came upto his thigh. He was the master of the Astropathic choir and deserved the Primarchs attention. Russ waited for him to catch his breath, his two wolves straining to move where they could rest. He handed them to Bjorn the Fell-handed and stood waiting, his eyebrow arched.

“The Emperors Children have attacked the outer sphere of Ultramar. Chapter Master Gage along with defectors from the Emperors Children calling themselves the Celestial Lions, are falling back to Calth to defend their barracks and the gateway to MaCragge. The Chapter Master is calling for aid”

Russ nodded once and headed for the bridge “I will not ignore a call from my brothers noble legion, send a message back to the Chapter Master with my respects. Tell him that the Rout is on the way.”

“Yes My Lord”

“Brann” The Captain of the 7th Company turned and bowed his head “Head to the bridge, tell the Master to make speed to Calth, and have the others follow us, we are going to hunt Fulgrim” The Primarch added a growl to his voice and his teeth showed. 

“By your command father”

Russ clenched his fists as he made his way to his sanctum. He had scores to settle with Angron but now, now he was going to deal with Fulgrim and for the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines to ask for aid, then things were dire indeed.

“Calth father?” Bjorn fell into step next to him, the two wolves walking ahead.

“You heard that then?” Bjorn nodded “It would seem that the Emperors Children are after Ultramar, and they need the Wolves to save them from big bad monsters”


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## gothik

*****​
He sat quietly watching the warp travel by. Every now and then he would feel something bump against the hull, but he had every confidence that whatever was trying to get in at the humans who aided in the running of his ship, wouldn't. 

He was not sure if he would even be heard, or granted an audience, but something like this could not be given to another. He had to take the news to his grandfather himself. Of course there was no guarantee that he would be listened too. Somehow he did not believe that the Emperor would ever see Fulgrim as betraying him. 

Once upon a time that would have been true. Fulgrim lived for his father, he desperately wanted to emulate his father in all things, that strive for perfection that always seemed out of reach. As perfect as Fulgrim was, he would never reach his fathers state of perfection. 

No one ever could.

No one ever should.

Marius Vairosean was lost. He had seen the slow corruption that had taken hold of his best friend and he could only now imagine what tortures Solomon was going through, if any. One moment he was unsure and hating the changes in the Legion, the next, after spending time with their father he said he was at peace with it. 

And Julius, his other friend, what would drive Julius and five companies to betray the Primarch? But not just the Primarch, the Emperor too. Kaesoron was betraying the Emperor. Vairosean had seen where the shuttle that took the former First Captain to the surface was heading, he had landed in the Ultramarines battle lines. 

He moved his gaze from the warp and her shimmering colours to the crew listing that was on his desk. Three quarters of Third Company had come with him, the others had stayed with the Primarch. He hoped that he would be allowed to continue to serve his grandfather, He got up and looked at his armour.

He was not sure he could wear these colours any more, they would serve as a reminder to how far from the righteous path his brothers had fallen. Once he had seen the Emperor there would be no going back. He turned as Sergeant Terogil cleared his throat, he wore his robes, as all of the remaining members of the third had done, awaiting their Commanders order. 

“Your orders Captain?”

Vairosean picked up his armour pain and began to change the colours of his armour “We are no longer Emperors Children” His voice cracked a little, he recovered quickly “We are the Emperors vengeance, we shall be known as the Emperors Blades”

“As you command Lord” 

The former Third Captain of the Emperors Children said no more.


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## Over Two Meters Tall!

Excellent start and I'm really looking forward to the SWs and ECs going toe to toe... although concerned about which 'unlikely ally' will spell doom for which 'legion'. Although killing a well developed character, be it an individual, group, or even legion is a good way to keep the thrill of the plot going.


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## gothik

i had thought about this one then Vulkans asked if someone wouldn't mind writing a sequesl to Perfections Cry so i offered and this is the sequel to Perfections Cry and Forgotten Sons...yeah i already know who it is which is unusual for me cause i never really know until i am at least halfway through


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## gothik

3.​
The _Nightfall_ translated into the Ultramar system but stayed out of the reach of sensors. In his stratagem, alongside his beloved First Captain and other members of his inner circle, his favoured Sergeant Mikhail Trueze with them as tactical advisor, he looked at the destruction that had been wrought across the cluster of worlds known as the outer sphere. 

“Reports we have intercepted have marked a change in the Emperors Children” Sheng cleared his throat “They are also calling for the head of the First Captain himself”

Sevatar glanced up “You think the Lion has defected?” 

“From what we intercepted, he has done that with five other companies, although I doubt they are full companies” Sheng replied.

“Mikhail” Curze turned to his Sargent, a man he had almost raised as his son when he was still hunting the crime lords and politicians back on Nostramo “Take your squad down to Carenn and investigate for me, if there are any survivors ask for details. If there are any Emperors Children, bring them here for.....questioning.” 

“By your command father” Trueze bowed his head. 

“Permission to accompany Squad Trueze” Captain Uvensa, newly promoted to 3rd Company's Captaincy at the recommendation of the Prince of Crows himself. 

“Reason?”

“I worked with the Emperors Children several decades ago My Liege, I know how they work and I might be of some aid to the Veteran Sergeant.”

Curze thought for a moment, Uvensa was a Nostraman, pale skinned, dark haired and albino eyed. He had a good battle record, but he was also a thinker, and Sevatarion liked the way the Captain thought things through, almost as if he could envision what was happening and work it out like he was a Nostraman Justicar working a crime scene. He looked for the evidence to coincide with his conclusions and he never stopped until he found what he was looking for, then and only then did he act. 

So when Jago had come to him with his recommendation to replace Acerbus, Curze had agreed completely. For what he had planned, he needed those of his sons who could think like warriors as well as act like warriors and not just random violence. The Night Lords were all about fear but sometimes, one needed to use fear only in emergencies, sometimes they had to survey their hunting ground before they brought the justice of the Night Haunter to worlds that had none. 

The Primarch dismissed the Kryoptera and the First Captain trotted up to where Mikhail was about to head to his squad. 

“Mikhail, a moment” 

“My Lord?” The Veteran Sergeant turned and bowed his head at the First Captains approach. 

“Mikhail, you and I both hold an intimate knowledge of the Primarch.” Sevatar moved Mikhail into another room and shut the door “Speak plain my friend, how do you see him?”

Mikhail was silent for what seemed like ages, gathering his thoughts. His Squad had been part of 5th Company, but some time ago Curze had ordered that Squad Trueze be his and Sevatars own squad, command changed and Squad Trueze answered only to the Prince of Crows and the Dark King. In effect making them the most powerful six man squad in the Legion. 

Over time a deep friendship had developed between the First Captain and the sombre dark haired Sergeant. So when Trueze spoke, Jago listened as he knew it was truth and not just what he wanted to hear.

“He is angry, more angry than I remember ever seeing him. He thought the Emperor curse his name had finally accepted him for what he was. Giving him position of authority as creator of the Arbites. But now...now he wants more than revenge; my fear Jago, is that the Night Haunter is the one in command now.”

Sevatar nodded and rubbed his jaw “I was thinking the same.” he rested a hand on the Sergeants shoulder “Look after the 3rd Captain and take care of yourselves down there, we have suffered enough grief the last few weeks, if the Primarch was to loose one he sees as his own son, then I dare not want to think what madness would be unleashed.”

“Same goes to you Jago, we are both close to the Primarch, for he knows we will never lead him false, but there are those, like Sahaal, who covert the First Captaincy.”

Sevatar let a dry smile cross his face “I know, as does the Primarch. Ave Dominous Nox”

“The Emperors Children will know, that we have come for them” Trueze bowed his head and left the First Captain to his thoughts. 


Carenn was no longer the beautiful world it had been. As the Night Lords made their way through the war damaged streets, they saw bodies left in the streets where they fell, Ultramarine dead lay with Emperors Children dead as well as civilians. Battle Brother Senyena knelt beside a dead Emperors Child, his helm told him that this was Battle Brother Escanas, 19th Company. 

It didn't bother him that the Astartes was dead, what bothered him was what had been done to him. Calling over the Squads Apothecary Resik he waited until the Astarte had finished analysing the body, then called the Captain and Sergeant over. He pointed at the bodies, drawing attention to the Emperors Child. 

“What in the name of night happened to him?” Uvensa wondered, his voice sounding harsher than it was through his helm grill.

“I would have to conduct a full autopsy Brother Captain” Resik got to his feet “But from what I have seen, he has had alterations done to his gene seed that have resulted in the spinal growths from his mouth and the lizard like neck sheath.”

“Who would do such a thing?” Uvensa scowled, sickened by the abomination before him. 

Of course he had heard rumours that some of the other Emperors Legions had gravitated towards various aspects of the warp beings. But this....this was something else entirely, this was breaking even the betrayer Emperors laws. 

“I had heard that Fabius Bile was trying to unlock the secrets to the gene coding of the Primarch” Resik shook his head and stepped away from the body “I met him a few times, he was obsessed with unlocking the Emperors secrets and the secrets of a Primarchs creation”

“Do you think he has found it?” Trueze asked staring in disgust at the dead Escanas. 

He did have spines coming from his mouth, and his neck was indeed like a lizards sheath, there were scales alongside his neck and throat. As the Sergeants gaze moved over the dead, stinking corpse, he saw that the hands were changing too, or had been changing into lizard hands. It looked like he had ripped out the throat of the Ultramarine who was identified as Battle Brother Instansius of the 21st Company. That might not have killed him but the tearing at the chest and what remained of his hearts certainly did. 

“I will not know unless I have your permission to take the body back to the Nightfall and run tests.” 

Uvensa glanced at the Sergeant, “I think that would be a good idea Trueze, the Primarch will want to know what has been going on.”

“Yes Captain, he will. Very well Jastan, arrange for the body to be taken back to the Nightfall, but give us your opinion, even if it is a guess.”

“Then yes, I think Bile has found a way to subvert the Astarte gene-seed.”

“Are you sure that it was him? Could it not have been meddling with the creatures of the warp?” The Captain asked. 

“I am certain Brother Captain, every Apothecary in the Legions Astartes all know what drives Fabius Bile and how he subverts medical science to get what he want. Yes we are warriors and fight alongside our brothers on the field, but we are also medics and such things as trying to unlock the gene-coded secrets of the Primarchs, or changing how the Astartes gene-seed works is against all we have avowed.”

Uvensa nodded and motioned with his head “Move on”

The Squad moved past the bodies, Resik arranging a pick up of the Emperors Childs body. He ignored the dead Ultramarine, let the sons of Gulliman collect their own dead. They headed towards the main centre of the city and it was here that the destruction was truly noticeable. A dog barked in the distance, followed by a whining bark, looking for a master or mistress that would never answer, it would either starve or go feral. 

It surprised Trueze, Gulliman never liked hive worlds. They were ugly he had said, a breeding centre for all manners of criminals and under-hive vermin, like he would know, he should have spent his childhood on Nostramo, he would have known then what under-hive vermin and criminals were like. 

Thinking of his dead home world made his heart ache, like all his brothers, the death of Nostramo had cut a piece away from themselves. Something that could never be retrieved. He, like his father and his brothers no longer cared what the Emperor wanted, this was revenge and it would be done the way that the Night Lords always did. With great pain and trauma to those concerned. 

He cared little for the dead Ultramarines, they had always been held up as a Legion to be lauded, so perfect in their construction and doctrine. Everything was strict on how they did things and they had been one of the Emperors favourite Legions. As much as he disliked the sons of Gulliman, he detested the Emperors Children more. 

More so when Fulgrim tricked their father into revealing his then secret, about his debilitating precognition, Curze had trusted Fulgrim at that point, but when the Phoenician then went and told the other Primarchs it all changed. Trueze had seen the hurt his father felt, even if he did not show it. Those belladonnas thought they were something special as they and they were alone were allowed to bear the Imperial Eagle on their chests.

Trueze stopped as something dropped onto his boots. Then again, looking closer he realised it was blood and looking up even he stepped back. Hanging above him, three spikes of a ruined buildings flooring erupting through his chest, neck and groin was the dead body of Erikon Gaius 21st Company Captain of the Second Chapter of the XIII Legion Astartes. 

For the moment words failed him, the expression on the dead Captains face would remain with him for the rest of his life. 

*++Take him down++* He ordered and for the first time, he began to wonder just what the Emperors Children were becoming


----------



## gothik

*****​

_The Pride Of The Empero_r had changed more than when he had last noticed, not that Lucius took much notice of what went on around him nowadays. He heard the screams of the Rememberancers, some of them had embraced the new patron of Fulgrims sons and were fulfilling their every desire and perversion, other screams were not so pleasure filled. As he passed the sparring chambers of the 21st he saw Ruen with one of the young boys they had taken from Carenn. Judging by the dead bodies that littered the floor Ruen had got fed up with torturing Rememberancers and was now staring on children.

It gave Lucius a thrill, the innocence of youth, untainted, untouched, but then quick as a flash he recalled the Phoenicians orders, the young were not to be harmed, they were the future of the Legion.

*“RUEN!”* He barked.

The Captain on the 21st either didn't hear him above the wailing or ignored him, Lucius thought it was more the latter, and whilst he did not want to interrupt Ruens game, he had just got his Captains laurels back, he had no intentions of being cast into such lowly ranks again. Marching the distance between the door and the other Captain in the time it took a human to unzip their fly and go to the bathroom, Lucius grabbed the terrified child, calling for his own Sergeant Enchaseon, he told him to take all the boys back to their quarters and post a guard so that they remained unharmed. 

“You dare!” Ruen got up, his half naked body glistening with sweat and the heady smell of intoxication by killing surrounded him like an aura. 

Lucius took a long look at his fellow Captain. He hadn't just killed the Rememberancers, he had skinned them, beside his feet were the skins of the half a dozen Rememberancers he had butchered.

*“YOU DARE COME INTO MY CHAMBERS AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE!”* Ruen leant into Lucius face.

Lucius let the leer of contempt cross his face, he tired of killing humans, it was no real sport, but to kill another Astartes, well that had given him a jolt that no drug would ever compare to. It didn't matter to Lucius if it was one of Horus's dogs or his own brothers. 

“I dare Ruen” Lucius calmly said “The Primarch said all children to be left alone. He wants the boys to be the future and the girls are to become some sort of sisterhood warrior caste, like the Word Bearers have” Lucius arched an eyebrow “Stop or not it is your choice...but it will be more fun if you say not”

Ruen ran his cold hard gaze over Lucius. He had been handsome once, now deep cuts criss crossed his face and body, not to mention the broken nose that Garvial Loken had given him once. Lucius had been so vain, now though his vanity had shown in his swordplay. Second only to the Primarch he had no equal amongst the battle captains and brothers. Even Eodolin had sparred with Lucius and lost. 

“Tell me Lucius, do you agree with the Primarchs new direction? Or do you believe our way forward is the path of pleasure and pain?” Ruen stepped back and sat down, picking up a blood soaked piece of back skin he studied it. Closing his eyes as the stench of death revitalised the death scenes that had played around him that afternoon. 

Lucius didn't answer, seeing how some more, ambitious brothers would do anything to advance themselves. Indeed being Captain of the 21st was an honour, being Captain of the 13th was a step closer to the higher ranks. 

Saul Tarvitz was dead, it meant nothing to Lucius, it meant nothing to him that he had killed his only close friend, and he was not stupid enough to trust Ruen with anything. Ruen was ambitious, there was no secret about that, but if he was after Lucius position then he had made a mistake. 

“What are you getting at?”

“You know he has named Solomon Demeter as the new First Captain don't you?”

“So? It is his right and Demeter was next in line” Lucius answered guardedly.

It was true, Lucius had sneered at the news that the “Up the Centre” Idiot was now the First Captain. But a change had come over Demeter, he was different and power radiated off him like a moth to a flame. The gods of war had a new champion and suddenly Lucius was not so certain that Demeter was the idiot he had taken him for.

“But Demeter? Vairosean would have made a better First Captain,” Ruen sat forward “The Primarch is misguided and he needs to be shown the error of his judgement”

“Shut you mouth fool” Lucius hissed 

“No one can hear me Lucius, we are alone”

“You are never alone on this ship, not any more and I will not be associated with your schemes”

Ruen laughed, it was a long ugly sound “Lucius you are the biggest schemer of us all, you know I am right, you know that Fulgrim will not fully embrace She who must be obeyed”

Lucius raised his hands and walked out the room “talk yourself into censure if you want, I am not listening to this. If you want to end up like Verona then carry on” 

Lucius left the chambers and continued with his walk, unaware that the entire conversation had been heard, Sergeant Harx, one of the lower Sergeants of Ruens ranks, but this...this would put him up where he belonged. With a stone face he made his way towards the Phoenicians chambers.

Fulgrim listened as Harx told him what he had overheard. Although his outward look was benevolent, a father patiently listening to a loyal son, inside he was seething. 

So Ruen wants to move against me does he? Well lets see how deep this goes. He thought to himself. He dismissed the Sergeant and told him to let him know if his Captain had other ideas along this line he was talking. 

He glanced over his shoulder once the Sergeant had left to see Demeter and Vespasian step from the shadows. They had heard everything. He pored some wine and handed them both one. Lately Eodolin had been left out of these private meetings. Fulgrim did not trust his former friend, not like he trusted these two.

Proud, strong Solomon Demeter whom he had shown the wonders of what lay beyond and had unleashed a skill that had long since been dormant within him, who had a piece of his heart in Slannesh's hands but not enough to overcome his love for his father. 

Wise loyal and trustworthy utterly perfect in the way that he prosecuted a theatre of war Vespasian had become a close confidant of the Primarch. Privy to his inner most thoughts and emotions. He had stood beside his father and agreed that in order to build anew, they must first destroy. Like his father, he keenly felt the betrayal of both Kaesoron and Vairosean, not as deeply as his father maybe but he still felt it. 

“So Ruen is making a play for power” Solomon allowed himself a sly smile “He always was ambitious My Liege”

“Oh I applaud ambition as you well know” Fulgrim stood before one of Serena D'Angelus's last paintings, before she went insane. He looked it for a moment, then moved onto the one Picture he had kept of his brother Horus. A wonderfully taken pic of the Lunar Wolves taking their Oath of Moment from their father. The Mournival. He had thought about putting it away, but such was the calibre of skill and art this Keeler woman had shown, well pics like that did not come along very often and Euphrati Keeler was indeed an artist. 

“This is how I want things to be” He motioned to the pic with his goblet “My sons kneeling before me, utterly convinced in their love for me and no other. Horus's sons have a depth of loyalty to him that shames other legions and, at the moment shames me, for my legion is one of snakes and daggers.”

Demeter sipped his wine and looked into the red liquid “What is your will father?”

“You know that Ruen is planning something and, with what I have told Harx, then we are one step ahead of him I am wary of Lucius, he has begun to the favour of the Dark Prince and that is disturbing to say the least.”

“There are those who will follow Lucius” Vespasian warned”With his ritual scarring and his charisma he will be a strong leader.”

“Yes, and if he was not so damn arrogant than.....” Fulgrim shook his head his temper was already frayed, as the depth of some of his companies ambitions only now came to light in his mind. “Do we know which Companies are totally loyal to me and pay Slaanesh lip service?”

“The majority of the Emperors Children are loyal to you father. However the exceptions are the 21st, the 13th, the 43rd and the 57th Companies” Vespasian set his goblet down “They have been observed to be more likely to either listen to their captains or kill them and advance themselves, but the way things stand, the totals may rise.”
*
“I will not have a Legion of power seekers!”* Fulgrim roared “This is MY​ legion, *MY* Genes flow through each and every one of their veins and this is how those dogs repay me? By placing this god or goddess above me.” He paced his chambers like a caged tiger, “I will see it purged to bring about its perfection.” he stopped pacing and calmed himself “Have Ruen....no second thoughts call a meeting of the brotherhood” Fulgrim allowed a grim smile to cross his lips “I will humiliate Ruen for what he tried to do”

“And Eidolin?” Vespasian asked “He is becoming a little put out that he does not attend you”

“Leave that to me” 

Fulgrim turned with a flourish, his magnificent cape swirling around him, he picked up the sword that had been crafted for him by his brother Ferrus. It had been too long since he last wielded this magnificent weapon. Fireblade had been gifted to him by his closest brother, one whom he was proud to call such. 

Ferrus had given him Fireblade in honour of a duel that neither Primarch won, such was the skill of the weapons they had crafted, in return Fulgrim had given Ferrus Forgebreaker, a great hammer that Ferrus still carried with him. Fulgrim dismissed Demeter and Vespasian and once more returned to looking at the stars outside his window. 

He missed Ferrus, deeply, perhaps when he had finished what he had to do here, he would go to Mars and see how his brother was doing, the Lord of Mars himself, Ferrus had done well as had his Iron Hands, although if some of the rumours were true, than Ferrus had changed, having to cull a third of his Legion not to mention his beloved son Gabriel Santor had, taken its toll on the Primarch. It mattered not, Fulgrim would be there to listen and offer advice if needed. Ferrus was not as handsome as Fulgrim, not by any stretch of the imagination, but his skill and his personality is what made Fulgrim love him more. Yes when he had dealt with this blasted so called perfect empire and the elements in his Legion that needed to be dealt with, he would go to Mars and see his brother. 

Perhaps in the company of a brutal honest Primarch, Fulgrim would find what it was he felt he was loosing. 


****​
Squad Trueze made their way through the ruins of the City, Uvensa was surveying the scene with a practised eye. There was no perfect war here, this had been a brawl. The Ultramarines had tried to persecute the battle as they knew how but, judging by the bodies laying around, they had not been able to. It had turned into a brawl.

He looked around him as Battle Brother Perod joined his side “Captain something bothering you?”

“Hmm, The Emperors Children, almost like the Ultramarines in how they persecute a battle, perfection through battle is one of the goals they want to attain, damn Fulgrim is known for meticulous planning, enough to rival the Ultimate Warrior and the Lion themselves.”

“Well looking at this carnage sir, I wouldn't believe it”

“That’s just it Enor this is not how the battle should have been. This, this looks like the aftermath of one of Angrons rampages” Uvensa shook his head “its almost as if the Ultramarines were unable to cope with what was coming at them, it defied all they knew about warfare.”

“With all due respect Sir, I for one am glad to see the mighty Ultramarine brought so low, still” Perod looked around him “This is overkill by even the Phoenicians standards”

The Captain said nothing, as a Night Lord he did not care much for the other legions, however as a warrior, he respected the Ultramarines and the Emperors Children. They carried on and found the bodies of the populace and those of the government that had not escaped the carnage. 

Trueze hissed in disgust at the positions some of the bodies were arranged, almost like some offering to a god and all in a perversion of art. He was no artist and he had no love for the finer things in life, but he was not ignorant, whomever had done this, had arranged the bodies in all manners of positions from the sexual to the debauched. 

There were corpses with limbs shoved inside another, there was a woman who was arranged to look like a prostitute, he had seen his fair share of them on Nostramo, even the coming of the Night Haunter had not stopped their trade, they had just taken it underground. It was the oldest profession in the universe and as a young teenager he had spent time in their company, some of them had been riddled with diseases, others had been hyped up on drugs. He was no virgin, he had experience women before he became a fully grown man and then before he became an Astartes, but even this was way over the top for what he had done and been part off. 

*++Reminds me of Madam Genars place++ *Brother Ausun joined his Sergeants side “*++She fed us, gave us a bed for the night, and for running errands we got a girl, remember Mikhail?++*

He nodded. Most of the Legion were aware that as a boy he would aid the Night Haunter, the man that had saved him from an abusive mother and father and had taken him to a place of safety and shelter. When the Night Haunter had retreated to his lair for rest and planning, Mikhail would be his eyes and his ears and, when he was ready, his right arm. 

There were times that he could not accompany the Night Haunter, and these days he spent with his friends so yes, he recalled the kindly madam of the known whore house. But it had been nothing like this, the women were inventive but this...nothing like this. 

*++This was nothing like her house, she kept a clean establishment++* Trueze rumbled * ++No human can possibly do these things, no matter how...flexible they might be. This is a warning, we are not alone here Taros, have everyone be on alert, watch for anything or anyone. I doubt there are many humans here++*

*++As you order Brother++*

*++Brother Captain, a moment my lord, you may wish to see this++* Trueze voxed the Captain and waited. 

When Uvensa came over he didn't bother to hide his disgust. He too was no stranger to women, most Night Lords were not before they became Astartes and above such emotions and failings. He walked around the scene, this was like some sick art that had been lost to time. Blood and Shit caked in equal measure, 

Suddenly out of nowhere a squad of Emperors Children identified as Squad Tarson 37th Company appeared out of the shadows. But they weren't any Emperors Children the Night Lords had seen before. 

Their mouths were distorted to the point of anything remotely human, a couple of them had shaved their heads and had intricate tattoos that hurt even Trueze's eyes to look at. Two other had developed a feminine body on one half of their own. One, identified as Battle Brother Ingas had an elongated neck and nails and walked with a famine gait.

“Cousins of the noble Night Lords” Tarson sounded bored and was smoking something particularly pungent “have you come to join us in our hunt.”

“Abominations” Brother Garak hissed and readied his bolter. The Captain raised his hands, wanting to keep tempers in check and remembering that their father wanted one alive. It didn't matter who but one of them had to be kept alive. 

“Are you Emperors Children so fallen from grace that you cast aside all that you are including humanity and respect for a Captain” Uvensa snarled.

“Not my Captain” Tarsons voice was as distorted as his appearance. 

Trueze stepped forward and reversing the grip of his chainsword he brought it down on the back of the fellow Sergeants back forcing him to his knees. The other members of the Squad began to laugh, they were not bothered by their Sergeants humiliation they found it hilarious. 

“You will show my Brother Captain Respect Dog” He snarled, his brothers eyeing their Cousins with disgust and contempt.

Tarson raised his head and looked at Trueze..”Ah the one they call the Justicar, The Night Haunters personal whipping boy...tell me cousin, do you service your father in other ways”

Trueze raised his fist and was about to pummel his opposite number into next week when his captain stepped between them and shook his head. “This will be dealt with later Mikhail. What happened here?”

“We trod on the Ultramarines toes is what happened” Brother or maybe sister would have been a better word. Ignaria cooed “We taught them that their way is flawed, as is yours”

“Oh yes” His twin brother Lamar agreed “Midnight Clad and all that, what’s that supposed to mean anyway? But then what would one expect from the savages of Nostramo”

Garak, incensed at the insult to his Sergeant, annoyed at the Captains interference and unable to suffer any more of these twisted perversions, fired his bolter, hitting Lamar in the cheat. The Night Lord could only stare as Lamar let out a sigh that sounded more like pleasure than pain. He stared at the hole where the shell had pierced him and cocked his head.

“That was mildly exciting, my turn,” He opened his vocal chords and all the Night Lords backed away as their audio senses were disrupted by a scream that threatened to blow their eardrums apart. Garak sank to his knees and let a roar of pain go, Astartes felt no fear, they felt little pain, their bodies would compensate instantly, but Garaks body did not have the chance, 

Lamar focused his sonic scream on the brother, before the other Night Lords horrified eyes, Garaks body shuddered, then his head exploded in a welter of brain and bone. Lamar took a deep intake of breath as the Night Lord died “Exquisite” he sighed. 

With a roar the remaining Night Lords opened fire. Trueze moved his chainblades around as if they were an extension of himself. He decapitated Lamar on the back stroke and Ignaria lost his arm on the return stroke. 

The Night Lords were not about to loose another brother to this madness but, before they could reload Tarson rammed his lightning sword through Asuns stomach and ripped up cutting the Night Lord in half. 

Uvensa grabbed the laughing sergeant and slammed him into the far wall, he kept banging Tarsons head incensed by the pleads of more please more from the degenerates mouth and was grateful when he finally shut up and faded into oblivion. 

By the time the fire fight was over three Emperors Children were dead, three were wounded. Two Night Lords were dead and two were injured. But it was obvious that the Emperors Children had taken the same road as the Word Bearers, they made plots with Daemons and they would die.


----------



## gothik

4.​

*Calth​*
Not only was she a verdant agri-world, feeding the Astartes of the Ultramarines, but neighbouring planets too. A jewel in the crown of Gullimans empire, many recruits came from Calth and there was also the Imperial Army regiments that Calth raised to fight alongside their brothers in the Astartes. It had been hoped that by the the end of the Crusade a great space port would be constructed as well as an sub-orbital ring, putting Calth on a par with Konnor, Iax Occuldo, Saramanth and MaCragge itself. 

Now however it was the planet that would hold against the approaching Emperors Children, Gage was adamant that not one Emperors Child would proceed onto the world of MaCragge. He turned to The Celestial Lions Chapter Master and brought a holomap up. They both studied it and Kaesoron opted for guarding the space port. 

He knew that some of his brothers would make for the port, destabilise it and take it for themselves. Gage nodded, it made sense. They had a few days yet. Five maybe but no more than that. For the moment he thanks Fulgrims vanity. 

He had called his senior captains, all still mourning the loss of the entire 21st and Erikon Gaius. The Chapter Master had vowed that once Fulgrims perverted sons had been kicked back into the warp. He would recover every Ultramarine that had fallen in the failed defence of the Outer Sphere.

Gage had no doubt that the Vespid would make a claim on the planets of the Outer Sphere once more, and when this was over he would have to see about preventing that, right now, Calth was important. 

With the Companies he had at his disposal and the Imperial Army units, a couple of Titans and the entire Calth PDF he would have to run theatricals, spend his time ensuring that he had every area and possible scenario worked out in his head, he had played this strategy game with the Primarch, they would stand around his holoboard and run simulated scenarios, there had been something like this done before, Roboute however, had been certain it would have been his brothers Lorgar or Horus that had turned traitor. Not his own father.

The simulations had been run with the Word Bearers, Sons of Horus and a few others. But this was slightly different. He could recall with perfect clarity the tactics used but, as was proved on Carenn, tactics were no good when facing against a Legion that had thrown all sensibilities out the window. Even now he heard that some of the Imperial Army that had been rescued from Carenn were so traumatised by what they had seen, it was doubtful they would ever recover. 

He wasn't sure if what he had seen was correct or just some mass hallucination brought on by hysteria. He shook his head, no Astartes did not get mass hysteria, and his eyes had seen true. He ran a gauntlet hand down his face, he had not shaved since leaving Carenn and the stubble had now formed a rough unkempt beard. 

Since Nikea had gone out of the window and those brothers with psychic powers were allowed to serve as they should do, he had that back in his ball court. The Ultimate Warrior had agreed with Horus and the others on that. When Angron had broken Magnus's back, and Lorgar had started using his Librarians then they too should allow their sons to use what had been given them. It was to still be moderated and they were watched by the Chaplains of the Legions, but, after what he had seen what had become of the Emperors Children, then he would need the Ultramarine Psykers. 

He was waiting for them now, on the journey from Carenn to Calth he had ordered that all Librarians had to undergo strict testing and training once more. They had served for decades as battle brothers and now...now they had to reopen that which they had closed off. The Chaplains had been present and ensured that any problems were dealt with accordingly. 

He had been relieved to discover that apart from serious migraines there had been no sign of taint. Their souls were hardened and guarded against the depravity of the Emperors Children, but even Marius knew that sometimes that was not enough and he hoped that whatever chants or protections they used would keep them from the temptations of whatever lived in the warp. 

He walked outside to see the Celestial Lions going over their war gear. He felt sorrow for them, but pride, pride that the famous Lion of Chemos himself had seen the error of his fathers ways, that he had accepted, no matter how hard it had been to reconcile the truth with what his heart was telling him, that this was the way to do things. 

They had managed to retrieve some of the gene seed from their fallen brothers, and for now it was being held in storage aboard the _MaCragges Honour _ He felt humbled as he saw Ancient Rylanor towering over his brothers. He had read about Rylanor, even Gulliman had held him as an example of a mighty warrior and true to his path. It was said that you could not lie to the ancient, for he would sense a lie or a deception as soon as it was spoken. Whatever the mystic surrounding him, he was an honoured brother and venerated by the Celestial Lions as an example of what their Legion had been once. 

He looked to the heavens then stopped, every Astarte in the Forward Operations stopped, without rhyme or reason they all moved to one knee. Some of the humans that were attending their Astarte masters began to weep, silence at first, then over the rise came the sound of howls and singing in the harsh tongue of Fenris. 

But that wasn't what had made them fall to one knee or weep, The giant that stood at the head of his army looked down upon the gathered defenders and then made his way forwards until he was standing before the kneeling Chapter Master.

“Rise Chapter Master, all of you, honour has been received and respect given. We have come to aid you”

Marius Gage looked up into the strong wolf like features of the Wolf King and almost wept for joy. His hails had been answered and what an answer.

“Welcome to Calth, my Lord” He bowed his head. “I am honoured you answered my call for aid”

“How could I not Marius. Now I want to know all that has happened and where is the Lion of Chemos? I should hear it from his lips”

“I am here My Lord” Kaesoron joined the Chapter Masters side and bowed low. 

With a nod the Primarch ordered Bjorn and Freya to accompany him and they followed the other two Astartes. Russ paused and took a look around him, as if sensing something that no one else could, he frowned a little then moved into the Command room. 

****​


----------



## gothik

_The Eidolon_ translated into the Sol System and made its final approach to Terra, it was still not smooth sailing, every part of Terra's home system had defences that, should the wrong codes be sent, would blow you out of the airspace before you had a moment to breathe. 

Vairosean watched the approach carefully. They had passed the Black Templars patrolling the outer reaches of the system, and after a few hours they had began to approach Mars. How much the red planet had changed, its dockyards were nothing different, but the vessels that surrounded it caught his attention. Every single Mechanicum vessel now not only bore the Skull encased in a cog motif, but the Iron Hand motif was placed almost as if it had merged into the skull, the Mechanicum, now in effect belonged to Ferrus Mannus. 

In attendance and dwarfing every vessel that buzzed around the red planet was the mighty flagship the _Fist of Iron_ standing stalwart and reminding every vessel that came close the mother of all forge worlds that, should they refuse to adhere to the rules of The Gorgon and his sons, then they would never approach Mars, nor would they approach any other planet ever again. The Iron Hands reminded Marius of the Iron Warriors, both had more of an affinity to the Mechanicum then any other of the Legions. The difference being, that whereas the Sons of Perturabo did not feel revulsion at their human flesh and considered a merging between flesh and cybernetics a harmonious bonding, the Iron Hands felt their flesh made them weak. Indeed from what little he knew about their rituals and traditions, their Neophytes had their left hands removed and replaced with a cybernetic.

None understood the Iron Hands or their Primarch better than his own father, and for a moment he thought about diverting to Mars to speak with the mighty father of the Iron Hands, but dismissed it quickly. To do so would have put him in danger, The Gorgon allowed none to speak ill of his favoured brother and he certainly would not allow a Captain, even one as vaunted as the 3rd Captain blaspheme against his brother. 

He rubbed his brow as the approach to Terra began and caught site of his reflection in the mirrored panelling of his frigate. It had taken him days to finish his armour but when he did he was proud of the work he had done, as had all his brothers. The armour was silver. A perfect silver that was lined with a deep red. The Heraldry was his own personal heraldry, a sword grasped in the claws of the Imperial Eagle. 

He was not ashamed to admit that as he demolished the Emperors Children colours and heraldry he had wept. This was the way of things now, and like the former First Captain, he would not be able to return to the fold. Not with his brothers turning their back on the Emperor for a deity that demanded they give in to the excesses best left for the Humans. 

“Approaching Frigate, state your name, rank and Legion”

The sound of another voice almost made Vairosean jump out of his seat, things had been so quite. Clearing his throat he kept his voice steady and level.

“This is Captain Marius Vairosean, formally the 3rd Captain of the Emperors Children Commander of _The Eidolon_, now Chapter Master of the Emperors Blades”

There was a long silence as the voice on flight control digested this information. No one on the Frigate said a word but the mood changed as the _Phalanx_ came into view blocking their path. It was bigger than even they believed 

“Marius?” The scene changed and the visage of Captain Halbrecht replaced the _Phalanx_ “What by the name of Terra is going on?”

“Not here Halbrecht, I need to speak to the Emperor”

“No one sees the Emperor without his express summoning” The Imperial Fist, one of Dorns Inner Circle arched an eyebrow. “You know this Marius”

“Come aboard my friend, there is something I need to tell you that may alter that.”

Halbrecht was silent for some time then eventually he nodded. In the absence of his father he did the checks. He was more curious about the change in armour and heraldry that his friend wore. “I shall be aboard eminently, and this had better be good my friend, or the only person you and your crew will be seeing, will be Lord Dorn when he conducts your court martial.”

Marius inclined his head and rose from his seat “I assure you Halbrecht, I am not one for flights of fancy as you know, and if I did not believe this was serious I would not be wearing different colours, sporting my own heraldry and demanding to see the Emperor.”

Halbrecht did not look convinced but for the sake of their friendship, he was prepared to hear Vairosean out. Had it been Sigismund than there would have been no offer of parley and for that Marius would be eternally grateful.


----------



## gothik

*****​
The Wolf King listened as Kareosian once again went over what had become of the Emperors Children. On some parts he interrupted and asked Julius to go over a point again, then would listen as he continued. When the tale was over the Wolf King did not know whether to laugh or rage at such a story. 

But then the ghosts of Adonnas and Charion still on occasions kept him awake at night. He still had trouble digesting everything that had happened, everything that was still happening and he wondered if this was some bizarre upside down world, whether they were all suffering some mad illusion. Russ still had trouble getting his head round his father, worshipped by all his sons with one or two exceptions, could allow such a thing. Maybe his father was suffering from a malady that had driven him to flip the Great Crusade on its head and declare that gods existed. 

He shook his head clear of those thoughts, he was still haunted by the image of Angron breaking Magnus's back and destroying Prospero, he had an eerie feeling that, had things not changed so drastically that he would be the one in Angrons place. He was still uneasy around Psykers but, he had grown a bond with Magnus, and when he was able, he had taken some Thousand Sons within his vessels so that they could recruit some new blood. It would be a long while before they could rejoin the fight against the Imperial forces, in effect for the foreseeable future, the Thousand Sons were out of the fight, but not out of the war. 

“So, Fulgrim is planning to attack the realm of Ultramar?” Bjorn asked “Why? If anyone was going to do that, I would have thought it would have been Lorgar, especially after what happened on Monacharia”

“My Father, sees Ultramar as an example of a perfect Empire, all its inhabitants having a role to play in the greater turning wheel of the Imperium. He wants Chemos to be like it, every person having a place of value creating things of beauty as well as working towards the perfect Imperium” Julius explained “I do not know if Lorgar had a hand in this, but since Laern he has changed, more so since that damned sword came into his possession” 

“What sword?” Marius asked. 

“There was magnificent sword in the temple we fought to. Father gave it to the Emperor curse his name, as a gift. Some time later he gave it back to Fulgrim and the changes began. He ordered that Bile continue his work on unlocking the creation theory behind the Primarchs and ordered him to start altering his legion to reach perfection quicker than we should have” Julius thought of Demeter and shook his head “With the exceptions of those who came with me, every Company took the enhancements and it changed them to what you saw on Carenn”

“So the sword is what? Bewitched?” Bjorn asked.

“There is something in it that’s for certain cousin” Julius agreed “It never dulls, its blade is flawless in design and its edge keener than any blade I have ever known, even keener than Firebrand, and Ferrus Mannus does not create mediocre weapons”

“We could break the blade, break the enchantment and bring Fulgrim to his senses” Gage mused. 

Julius shook his head “Its too late for that and whatever lives in that sword could be more dangerous. We had a Remembrancer who committed murder and was executed by Lucius, when she died all manners of creatures were released onto the Pride of the Emperor.” Julius shuddered at the memory “My father is lost, but he wants perfection in his sons, not ugliness, so I suspect that he is lost to the Emperor at the moment, until he rebuilds what he has lost, and until he ensures that their loyalty is to him first”

Russ rubbed his jaw and was silent for a long time, when he spoke he looked at the Ultramarines Chapter Master “With Julius here, at least we have an advantage over predicting how they will land and make battle”

“With due respect Uncle” Julius carefully spoke “That has all changed”

“Yes but you yourself said they warred as Emperors Sons until they got....crazed with whatever they have become” Julius nodded “That gives us the advantage. I will deploy my sons........here, here and here” He tapped the holomap “They are the most densely populated areas and Bjorn you will cover the farmlands with your company. I will accompany the Celestial Lions with the Wolf Guard”

“Why?” Bjorn asked hurt that his father did not want him by his side as he always was.

“Because Fulgrim will opt for destroying the farms, cut off the food supply, I would if I were him as would Horus and anyone else.” Russ told him and chuckled a little, it was not a pleasant sound “Don't worry my old friend, you'll see your share of fighting. I suspect that Fulgrim himself will come for Julius and I should be the one to meet the Phoenician.”

“We will cover the barracks and the roads leading to the government plaza” Gage said “We have already advised the Governor to evacuate but, they are not willing to leave” He added with no small amount of pride. 

Like the citizens of Fenris, when war came, the populace, civilian or military would not lie in their beds waiting to die. They would fight to the death to save their home. They were after all citizens of Ultramar, something they would not discard so easily, especially when they knew that should Calth fall, then MaCragge could be next.

“We are however ensuring that children and babies are taken to the old underground caverns with their mothers and a detachment of the Calth Defence force and Squad Andeaus and Squad Personas.; if what Julius says comes to pass our children are not safe”

“Did I miss something?” Bjorn asked.

“Fulgrim no longer wants to just recruit from Chemos, if he is ever going to do so again, he is going to take the young from each world he conquers and turn them into Emperors Children”

“In that case, better have a squad of Celestial Lions and two of our squads join them” Russ muttered “Bjorn have Squad Fenyr and Squad Khejir join them...Julius?”

“I will have Squad Femara, our best Devastators join them.” Julius affirmed “As you say Marius, the Children must be protected at all costs”

“Has Your Lord been informed?” Russ asked Gage.

“I have sent word to him but, I do not know if he will get back in time as I do not actually know where he is.”

“What is he doing?”

“Trying to save the Imperium” Marius almost whispered. 

Russ nodded. He had this conversation with Gulliman several weeks ago, there was no love lost between Russ and Horus, never had been, Leman respected Horus as a warrior, he hadn't been thrilled at the ascension of Horus to Warmaster but, at the time it had been the wisest choice. However he had promised Gulliman that if he was needed he would back him in the building of the Imperium Secondus. But this had to be dealt with first and as he had told Roboute, he would not rebel against Horus, he was at this moment in time the right choice to lead the renegade forces against the Emperor and their murderous brothers. As barbaric as he was seen to be, even he knew that to go against Horus and his allies now, would cause a schism that would play into the hands of the Emperor. 

And none of them, no matter what their differences, wanted that.

*****​
Halbrecht met Marius in his own stratagem. The Imperial Fist waited until his escort had left, the two battle brothers with him remained close by their commander. The two Captains clasped wrists then stepped back. 

“Well?” The Imperial Fist asked in a no nonsense tone of voice. 

Vairosean could understand that, with what he had said and what the Imperial Fist could see, by all accounts this was treason. It was unheard of a Captain going his own way and defying his Primarch but this was serious and he hoped that Halbrecht would agree and get him an audience with their grandfather. 

So patiently the former 3rd Captain of the Emperors Children recalled all that had happened to his legion and his father. By the time he had finished some two hours later the Imperial Fist was staring at him like he was mad.

“You want to tell the Emperor that one of his closest Sons, the only son he allows to wear his own personal heraldry across his chest has betrayed him. Vairosean are you insane? He would never believe such a thing!” 

“I do not lie cousin, I speak only the truth. Kaesoron has already betrayed the Emperor and the Phoenician and thrown his lot in with Horus, I will not betray the Emperor. It does not make me feel any better that I had to fight through my own company with only a few of my men left loyal to the Emperor just to get here and warn him. 

My father has embraced the tenants of Slaanesh and is going against the Imperial Creed. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“He will kill you for this if he does not believe you” Halbrecht ran a hand over his stubbled head. 

“I would rather face the Emperors justice than live a lie Hal”

Halbrecht shook his head “You always were a humourless sonofabitch. I doubt that has changed. He will want proof you know this”

“He will have it, all he has to do is look at me and my brothers.”

Halbrecht nodded a little, he had seen what had been done to his friend himself but the Emperor might take a little more convincing. Finally he made up his mind and picked his helmet up “Bring_ The Eidolonin_ to dock in one of the_ Phalanx's_ hangers. Remain on board until I send someone for you and I will assign you and your.....Company some quarters. I will request the Emperors presence, how long he takes is up to him.”

“This is urgent Hal” Marius stressed.

“I can see that, but what the Master of Mankind deems urgent might be entirely different. I have given my orders. I will also inform my father of what has been said here. He will want to hear it for himself so he may accompany the Emperor or come to listen to you before the Emperor gets here.”

Marius bit back the retort and bowed his head in acquiescence, yet inside he was frustrated, this could be a matter of hours or a matter of days and every day wasted meant that it was another day his father could consolidate his own plans. 

Halbrecht motioned at the new colour scheme “Not sure what they are going to think of this though” and with that, he walked out the room and returned to the _Phalanx._


----------



## gothik

5​
_ALPHA_

The sister ship of the _Beta,_ and Omeagons flagship. Right now he did not feel like a Primarch, nor did he feel like a son of the Emperor. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, heavy brow, coppery tinge to his skin and a scar that would forever remain that almost cut his left eye in two and ran from his temple to his nose.

A gift from Alpharius when he left with half the Legion to join the Emperors forces. He was not even sure what had brought it all about. His brother had been withdrawn, refusing to allow him in on any discussions he had with other members of the Legion. It was as if there was something different in his own place. 

Omeagon had argued with Alpharius for days, telling him that his plan had not been perfect, nor was it flawless, it went against everything they were created for, they were the equivalent of an old Terra military unit of specialised black operations squad, that is what their goal was, but Alpharius would not allow any deviation from his ideals. They were created by the Emperor and therefore they should remain with the Emperor.

For weeks they fought until the schism split the Legion in two. Now all that was left were those who believed what Horus was doing and those that, like Alpharius believed that their place was with the Emperor. Omeagon clenched his fist and turned as Jasna Maros, the master of the Alpha came in and stood before him. 

“You wanted to see me My Lord?”

He was tall for a human, about sixty years of age with white hair receeding at the temples. He stood at a smart attention, the jacks that connected him to the spirit of the Alpha discreetly covered by his uniform jacket. 

“Set a course to intervene with the _Iron Blood_, I would speak with the master of the Iron Warriors.”

“So, you are set on this course my lord? Revealing that you are a brother Primarch”

Omeagon would have ordinarily censured the officer for questioning his orders but he had a lot of respect for the Alphas Commanding Officer, and it was not easy to win Omeagons respect.

“I have no choice my friend,. At least I still have the Geno and half the Legion, it is time the other Primarchs realised that they have another brother. One that has had to stay in the shadows and play mind games with them.”

“Perturabo and Alpharius were not exactly......friendly, he may not believe you”

“He'll believe me. A Primarch knows another Primarch, I am just surprised that Horus never worked it out, please set an intercept course with the _Iron Blood_”

Maros bowed low and left his master to his thoughts. Omeagon touched the scar on his face and continued watching the great empty void as his vessel moved through it. He had much to think about and much to do, if they were going to be able to defeat the Emperor.


----------



## gothik

****​
Tarsons came too in a dank, dark cell, he found himself chained to a stone slab. He had no idea where he was and he had no idea where his brothers were, the last thing he remembered fighting against a squad of Night Lords. He felt cold, raising his arms as far as the chains would allow he saw his own naked flesh. The door swung open and two midnight clad Astartes walked in and smoothly stepped to one either side of the door. The light that flooded in hurt his eyes for a brief moment, causing them to sting. He snorted disdainfully at the shadowed figures, the disdain fell from his face as he saw who turned the corner and came into the doorway next. His massive frame 
dwarfing the two Night Lords with him. 

The Night Haunter stood at the end of the slab and regarded the creature upon it. When he had been informed of what had happened on Carenn he had the other two flayed alive, but instead of begging for a quick death, they had pleaded for more. It had merely confirmed to him how far his once close brothers sons had fallen and how his flawed brother had allowed them to fall. The disgust he had felt at such pacts only strengthened within him and his resolve to keep his sons free of such bargains. It was known within the Night Lords that if any of them made pacts with demons then they would be expunged from their brothers and their gene seed destroyed. The Night Haunter would rather destroy the legacy then have daemons and their ilk have one foothold on his legion. 

“You are going to tell me why my brother has deemed it necessary to allow such....filth to change his sons” He spoke. 

Tarsons laughed “You already know the answer to that one Uncle” he sneered, his disdain returning “My father is the perfect shining example of a how a Primarch should be, more perfect than Sanguineous or Horus, he is the exemplar of perfection”

Night Haunter rolled his eyes, he was not going to boost this creatures ego by arguing with him. He shook his head and stood by the door to the cell “Jago, Mikhail, take this filth to the lower reaches of the Nightfall. Where we send those who have betrayed the Legion. He is to be left there forgotten. Let us see if his thirst for sensation and pleasure sustain him when there is none to be had”

“By your command Lord” Sevatar was glad for that, the sooner they got this abomination away from the rest of the crew the better. 

Trueze wanted to kill the beast, but his father had already gone over this, by granting Tarsons a slow painful death, it was giving him what he wanted, and Curze was not going to give him what he wanted. He was not going to allow any gateway for that chaos god to enter his ship or contaminate his crew, Astartes and human. 

“No harm comes to him Mikhail, that would be detrimental to what he wants. When he is placed into his quarters return to me and we shall head for Calth” 

“Calth?” Jago asked.

“That is where Fulgrim is headed and its where I am headed. I will deal with my errant brothers sons and I will leave Fulgrim to his destiny”

“Which is?” Trueze asked.

The Primarch shook his head “Later my sons...get this trash out of the way of my sons and daughters so that it cannot contaminate them with its vile presence.” he strode out of the room and both the Astartes did as their father ordered. 

The Night Haunter had found something to vent his anger on, something to start the path to avenging the deaths of his people, if destroying his brothers plans made even a dent in that destiny of the Emperor, then he was going to be the one to put it there. 


****​


----------



## gothik

****​
Fulgrim stood before the assembled brotherhood, his face unreadable, that concerned the Captains and Eidolon, once again the Lord Commander was left out of the loop, something was going on and he had no idea what, once upon a time he had been part of whatever the Primarch was feeling, they had been close friends since Chemos. 

Now, now he was just as in the dark as anyone else, with the exception of Demeter and Vespasian and that annoyed him. Vespasian was a great warrior but more and more the Primarch had his ear, as did that blasted Demeter. He had never cared much for the former Second captain. In fact if he had his way, then he would have him busted back down the ranks when Demeter had attacked him, there was a time the Primarch would have done that, but now...now the bastard was First Captain and also had the Primarchs ear. 

Once the cheering and adoration for the Primarch had stopped Fulgrim clasped his hands behind his back. His face set in stone, and as this giant of perfection descended the stairs from his throne his mood encompassed the entire room.

“When we last spoke my sons, I outlined my plans for our future. I said that whatever world we brought to the Emperors vision, we would take the young. Whatever world of our enemies we conquered we would take their young, to build our own brotherhood and sisterhood of loyal, fervently religious warriors. That they were not to be exposed to the path of the Dark Prince until I was ready for them to be, do you remember Lucius?”

He stopped before Lucius and ran a fatherly hand down his cheek. Lucius almost fell over in adoration for his father, his hearts hammered against his chest and he almost wept at the glory of the Primarch noticing him. 

“I remember father” he whispered.

Fulgrim smiled but it didn't touch his eyes, in fact the glint that entered them made Lucius realise what was about to happen. He had no idea who had told the Primarch about his and Ruens conversation but someone had. Thankfully for Lucius though, this time the Primarch patted his shoulder and moved on.

“It would seem that there is one of you who believes that he is above such orders.” The Primarch continued, resuming his slow walk amongst the assembled brotherhood.

There were murmurs amongst the Captains about who would dare go against a direct order from the Primarch. 

“You see my sons I do not issue those orders lightly. I know that whilst we will continue to take from our glorious world of Chemos, we do not get back there often enough to recruit as we should. And we all know that the pinnacle of our enemies defeat is turning their young against them, that is why I have given them a part of the ship under the protection of my Phoenix guard. But one of you saw fit to disregard that order. Ruen of the 21st step forward”

Ruen looked around him and moved forward bowing his head as he did. He shot a glare at Lucius, threatening retribution for whatever befell him. Lucius shook his head silently to signify that he had said nothing, but his eyes told Ruen that he had been warned. 

“Why Ruen? I trusted you my son, why would you go against my orders?” Fulgrim stood behind him and placed a paternal hand on his shoulder “tell me what drove you to kill those Rememberancers and almost kill the children under my express protection?”

Ruen kept his head front and centre and narrowed his eyes “You cannot deny me my sensation father, I wanted to know what it was like to have teach a child how best to follow Slaanesh”

Fulgrim patted his shoulder and in one swift movement, moved his other hand round and snapped Ruens neck clean around so that his head faced back to front. The snap was loud enough to hang in the stunned silent air. He wasn't finished yet, with barely a grunt he ripped the head of Ruen from his body and threw it until it was dead centre of the room. 

“When I give an order I expect it to be carried out. When I set a precedent it will be followed and when I say on pain of death are none of my Legions future to be harmed,* I MEAN IT*” His voice rose, his face became a mask of fury and each and every son in the room moved to one knee, their fathers anger palatable. “*THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE WHO DEFIES MY ORDERS! EIDOLON*!”

“My lord?” Eidolon rose to his feet 

Fulgrim glared at him for a moment, then as swiftly as it had surfaced his face regained its beatific composure. 

“I have chosen who will make the first landfall on Calth. The 13th, 21st, companies shall make the initial planet fall at Numinous City. The 43rd and 57th shall attack the Calth Veridian Anchor and they shall be under your command Eidolon, do me proud my son”

“If I may ask father, where will you be? Such a battle must have you at the front of it”

“Oh I will be there my son, I will be with the First, Second and Third Companies alongside Lord Commander Vespasian as we take the fight to the Chapter Master himself” Fulgrim wagged his index finger “We shall destroy Calth and render it in hospitable, once that is done it will be onto the heart of this traitors nest, we shall bring Calth to its knees” His voice rose in grandeur “we shall deal Gulliman a blow he will never recover from. The rest of you shall have your orders given to you by Lord Commander Vespasian, make sure that the battle plans you are given are followed to perfection. We shall come out of this winners my sons, this I promise you.” He picked up his wine goblet and sat back on his throne “Now eat, drink and let us celebrate the fortune to befall us”

As he sat back he looked at the dead eyes of Ruen staring at him and rubbed his lower jaw. Lost in thoughts known only to himself he moved his gaze away and listened to the old songs of Chemos as they sang round the hall.

****​


----------



## gothik

The Primarchs stratagem looked more like the inside of a cathedral, symbols of the new gods of the Imperium were given pride of place in various parts of the Stratagem surrounded by candles and other offerings, some of which the waiting visitor dare not even think about where they might have come from. Despite following what his heart had told him, he was decidedly uncomfortable around such blatant ideology. 

His gaze swept round and fell upon the area reserved for the Emperor, bigger than the other icons it was obvious where his brothers faith lay. He clasped his hands behind his back and waited. He had been a guest aboard the _Fidelitas Lex_ since he had walked in on Lorgars conference with the others of the Emperors chosen. He had seen the destruction of Nostramo and had suddenly felt very relieved that he had never spoken of his home world, and he never would, he rarely went back there and he recruited from worlds that he had conquered. 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting brother” He turned as Lorgar strode into his stratagem flanked by Argel Tal of the Gal Vorbrek, 

He had heard of the vaunted Word Bearer warrior whose duties had also encompassed being Lorgars personal bodyguard. The Gal Vorbrek were the Legions most respected warriors and held in awe by other Word Bearers, Lorgars favoured he had heard. 

“You had other things to attend to brother” 

Lorgar came towards him and embraced him like a long lost brother, then stepped back, his hands on his brothers pauldrons. It always struck Lorgar how much like Horus his brother looked, and whilst he had had very little to do with his brothers more secretive Legion in the past, that was about to change. 

“Did your sons agree to finally coming to the side of the Emperor my brother?” Lorgar asked.

Alpharius shook his head “My Legion is split in half, one half with me, the other half with Omeagon.”

“Your friend? You will have to deal with him and the others at some point Alpharius”

“Not my friend Lorgar” Alpharius took a deep breath for a moment “My twin brother”

Lorgar stared at him for a long time and then began to laugh. He brought his hands together in delight, something he had suspected for a long time, and it answered a lot of questions in his mind. 

“So we had two brothers that none of us knew about until recently” Lorgar smiled, lighting up his golden features “Does father know?”

Alpharius nodded “He knows, he knows more about us then he would have anyone believe, such is his way”

Lorgar nodded “Then let us keep your secret brother, between you and I and when we see the Emperor and he welcomes you to the elite cadre you belong, I shall be able to put your skills to good use”

“We live to serve the Emperor” Alpharius bowed his head.

Lorgar nodded “We do indeed brother, we do indeed. Come Argel Tal will show you to your quarters, we have much to talk about, I will join you momentarily and thank you brother, the last few days have been – soul draining to say the least”

“I expect they have” Alpharius agreed archly “You realise don't you Lorgar, that Curze will be out for revenge”

“Oh I am counting on it brother” Lorgars mouth curled in a secretive smile. 

Alpharius inclined his head and walked out with Argel Tal. Lorgar watched them go and sat back in his throne. There had been rumours about the Alpha Legion since they first came to the attention of the other Primarchs. It had been Horus who had discovered them. It made sense for Alpharius to join Horus, but, something must have happened to change Alpharius's allegiance. 

Something had happened between him and his twin brother to split the Alpha Legion in two. The Emperor would sense any falsehood that was certain but Lorgar was curious and he wanted to know more, before they returned to Holy Terra he would have his answers.


----------



## gothik

6,​
The Calth Veridian Anchor was preparing for shift change. The senior watch officer, Marsha Trevelas read the previous watch report and had been shocked upon her arrival to see not just the_ MaCragges Honour_ in high orbit but several ships of the Space Wolves, including the _Hrafnkel_, the Primarch of the Space Wolves himself was somewhere on Calth. 

She was told to be watchful for any unusual activities, although there was no further description of what unusual activities. There were several Ultramarine Vessels in orbit around Calth, including _The Blade of Konnor_, under the command of Captain Fecevius of the 293rd Company. They acted as boarding parties to vessels that were considered suspect. As he was the ranking officer in the area she contacted him...or she tried to contact him.

*++This is Watch officer Trevelas to The Blade of Konnor, my respects My Lord just notifying you of watch change at midnight MaCragge Time,++*

She frowned as she got no answer. This was not right, even if the Captain had retired for the night than either the Blades vox officer or one of the Captains Sergeants would have answered. She tried again, then again and several more times. 

All she got was static. She had been informed that the Chapter Master himself was on Calth and by rights and procedure she would have to notify him. Had it been a human trading vessel she would have put it down to laziness on the human crews part, but not an Astartes battle barge, especially not an Ultramarines vessel. 

She tried to contact the _Iax Praetorian_, the _Calth Lion_ and the J_uno Tribune_, all without luck, none of the guardian fleet were answering, but according to the logs they had checked in at 05:00 the previous morning. She decided that this was too worrying to be left unchecked and changing her frequencies she attempted to contact the _MaCragges Honour,_ but a shout from crewman Kenton made her turn and watch in horror as _The Blade of Konnor_ suddenly split apart as a large Space Marines vessel ploughed through it like it was butter. 

She looked down at her auspice, as she ordered the alarms to be activated, the sound of which would send the security force of the CAV into action. The other vessel was not just any ship, with its swept back golden wings at the front she realised she was looking at The _Pride of The Emperor_, the flagship of the Emperors Children. She got an SOS to the _MaCragges Honour_ but not before the _Calth Lion_ suddenly turned, with its other sister ships they began to fire on the Watch tower. Her last thoughts as the screams of the dying around her and glass cut into her body like ballistic missiles was that she had not told her husband how much she loved him, then it all went red as her blood covered the panels around her and her head exploded.

The Battle for Calth and by extension Ultramar had begun.

****​
The Master of _MaCragges Honour_ roared at his bridge crew to turn about, having seen the destruction that was being wrought at the CAV he wanted them there and there fast. Captain Fiberik, the designated Second in Command when the Chapter Master was not aboard ordered all Astartes to prepare for battle. The Imperial Army of the Calth 103rd Division that were aboard the _MaCragges Honour_ began mobilising for possible boarding actions. 

The _Pride of the Emperor_ ignored anything else around it and carried on towards its goal, the flagship of the Ultramarines. Lord Commander Desenius realised that the _Hrafnkel_ was there too and a viscous smile split his face, take out two flagships and leave the Wolves and the Ultramarines below stranded. 

“Inform the Primarch that there are Space Wolves on Calth, Inform him that the Hrafnkel is in high orbit and that means that the Wolf Lord is on the surface”

The Vox Officer, a human by the name of Gavar bowed his head and immediately relayed the Lord Commanders orders. Once he had done that, he touched his ear and turned to the Lord Commander once more.

“My lord. Captain Lucius is requesting a pick up from the Calth Lion”

The Lord Commander shook his head “Concentrate on the MaCragges Honour, Lucius can make his own way to the space port.”

“Do you wish me to relay that to him Lord?”

“No,” 

The Vox officer did as he was told. The Lord Commander watched his holomap and focused on the ships before him, he had his orders, he was to ignore any and all calls from Lucius and his Company. He had seen the Primarch execute Verona and he had seen the Primarch deal with Ruen, he happened to like his head where it was. 

The _Pride of The Emperor_ had greater glories to achieve and he was going to ensure they did exactly as his father expected. He looked down at his holomap, he smiled as he saw the _Erewhon, Andronius. Fulgrims Virtue_ and _Longinus_ moved into the formations they had been assigned. For the briefest of moments he thought he saw a flicked on his screen, like an opening in space, but ignored it. More likely it was the death explosions of the ships near the ruined Calth Veridian Anchor. 

He couldn't have been more wrong. 

Lucius coughed angrily as he pulled himself from the wreckage of the _Calth Lion_, after firing upon the CVA he had rammed it, so that the 13th could have better access, unfortunately although it was a good plan, the _Pride of the Emperor_ played her hand too soon. As soon as Fulgrim had left in _Firebrand_, she was to wait for the all clear than head towards the _MaCragges Honour_. 

He had seen the Space Wolves vessels in high anchor and tried to warn the _Pride of the Emperor_ but they were not listening. He had left a thousand men on _The Blade of Konnor_, Sergeant Acusa had taken it in text book Emperors Children regulations, they were to use The Blade of Konnor as a back up vessel when it came to taking out the rest of Calths protective ring of vessels. Now...now he had seen the flagship plough through the smaller vessel like it was nothing. 

He had seen the bodies float out and then smashed to pieces by the flotsam and jetsam. The Lord Commander had murdered a thousand of his men, for no good reason...Lucius had a nasty suspicion forming in the back of his mind. He kept it there and filed it away.

He would need more proof, and he had a job to do. Gathering his wits about him and his company who had managed to make it to the CAV they began to tear their way through the burning structure. At some point it was going to give way, and when it did, well Lucius was not certain he would survive such an explosion or a fall that would lead all the way to the surface; they had destroyed the watch tower, there was still plenty of death to deal out.


----------



## VulkansNodosaurus

Well, this is escalating quickly - really quickly! I'm quite impressed by your speed, especially since it's a while since I've written much myself. (The conclusion to Foundations in Scarlet has been lounging in my computer, waiting to be edited, for some time.)

And, of course, interesting as well. Somehow I doubt the Ultramarines and Space Wolves will be too happy about the Night Lords showing up....


----------



## gothik

long way to go yet lol but yeah still have other threads to put in as a glimmer to furture tales. Still have to deal with Julius and although i know how its going to turn out have to get there in a way that is believable


----------



## gothik

****​
The _Phalanx_, a legend in its own right, and it had every right to be a legend. Even before the universe turned on its head it heralded the arrival of none other than the Praetorian himself. There was a time when, the arrival of Dorns mighty fortress vessel gave great joy to worlds that had been brought to illumination by them, the sight of Rogal Dorn, warrior and politician rolled into one, war maker and peacekeeper was enough to have feast days and carnivals long after he had left. 

Now, now the sight of it was enough to strike fear into the Imperial worlds hearts. Marius Vairosean could well believe it. No matter how many times he had been on the Phalanx, about half a dozen times in his lifetimes, it never ceased to amaze him how the Imperial Fists managed to run their day to day business, recruit and train Novitiates and run their conquered worlds with the efficiency of a well oiled machine. 

This was their home as well as their Fortress, as well as an Astartes flagship. The Imperial Fists had no home world to speak off, although some of their recruiting was done on Inuit and some on Terra, although many Astartes believed that Terra had, by dint of their constant presence on Terra that it had become their home world. 

Marius paced the chambers he and the remainder of 3rd Company had been given over. It had been a day or two since he had been ordered to dock with the Phalanx and await the Emperors pleasure or Rogal Dorns. He glanced up as he heard the approach of two of his Sergeants, Ferso and Terogil. They bowed their heads and waited for him to acknowledge them, which he did.

“My Lord, how much longer must we wait here?” Terogil respectfully said “The men are getting restless and feel like we are being imprisoned.”

Marius rubbed his brow, he was tired and drained, the last few months had taken a toll on him, both emotionally and spiritually and as he swept his gaze over his battle brothers, he could see the same emotions run across their faces. 

“In a sense, until I have spoken to the Emperor, then I suppose we are prisoners without chains.”

Ferso, a brute of a marine even by their standards shook his head “My Lord, we will follow you wherever you lead us, and if you want us to submit to the Emperors justice we will, but we are itching to get back to the Crusade, to deliever the worlds of the Imperium into the new dawn.”

Marius swallowed and rested his hands on both of his Sergeants shoulders “Gather the men and we shall join in prayer to the Emperor, hopefully he will hear us and answer us.”

But before the two veterans could move they were suddenly compelled to their knees by an aura so powerful there was nothing they could do but kneel. Marius turned and fell to one knee, tears streaming down his face, as all his brothers wept to be in the presence of one as magnificent as he was. 

The quarters they were in was bathed in a golden light that eventually cascaded and a hand reached out and rested on Marius's shoulder “Marius Vairosean” The voice was that of a high born Chemosian noble. The accent flawless and Marius wept more, this being of great power and immortality knew his name. 

“My Liege” Marius raised his head to look into the eyes of a Chemosian noble, but that is how the Emperor appeared to him, a perfectly born Noble with power and wealth from the resurgent Chemos. To his brothers he would have appeared as something different, it was a coping mechanism, even the Primarchs never saw their fathers true face, it was said that to see the Emperors true face would lead to madness or death, as the mind would not be able to cope with the wreath of power that surrounded him. 

So to stop that from happening, the Emperors physiology allowed him to alter his appearance to one acceptable to the mind of whomever was talking with him, but it did not stop the sheer magnetism and personality of the Emperor encompassing a room. You knew when you were in his presence, you didn't have to be a Psyker to know, you just knew.

“I never forget any of my grandsons, no matter what side of the lines they sit” The Emperor looked around at the rest of the Astartes kneeling in his presence, feeling humble and unworthy to be even within touching distance of their mighty grandfather. “What is this? One of Fulgrims favoured Captains wearing different colours? Has something happened that I am unaware of?”

Slowly and carefully Marius told his grandfather everything, from the temple of Laern to the beginning of the corruption of the Legion and its descent into madness following Slannesh's will, to the experiments that Bile was conducting on Emperors Children Legionnaires.

At first the Emperor would hear none of it. Fulgrim was his son, one of his favoured sons, he could not and would not believe that he would be so foolish to cast aside all that he had taught him and the bond they had for that disgusting creature that the foul Eldar created in their hedonistic pleasure seeking past. 

“I am sorry Marius, I cannot believe this, Fulgrim would never betray me ever. He seeks to emulate my perfection and all he does is in my name”

“My Liege, Master of Mankind, look into our hearts and our minds” Marius swallowed. “See the truth as it really is, none can lie to you grandfather, no matter what words are spoken the memories speak truer than words ever could.”

The Emperor rose to his feet and walked among every member of the remaining 3rd Company. He was silent for an awful long time then said “Which of you is a former Librarian?” 

Brother Gareas rose to his feet, his head still bowed “I am My Liege”

“Do you willingly open your mind to me my grandson, knowing that it will mean your death?” 

“I give my life willingly to you My Liege, if it clears my Captains name and sets you on the path of the truth of the matter, then I have ridden my destiny”

The Emperor stood before him and leant forward, whispered in his ear so that only he heard “I commend your soul to rest Demcas Gareas, I will personally seek out any of your family line and bring them into service to carry on your duty as my Custodes. You will live on in honour. I cannot make this gentle grandson, but know that through your mind I will see all and I love you, compose yourself and prepare to open all you know to me”

Gareas took several deep breaths and allowed the Emperor to rest his hands either side of his head.

“Goodbye my brave grandson, now open your mind to me”

The Emperor had been correct in that it was not a gentle act, however, even though his mighty psychic power reached into the Librarians mind and broke his defences down without a thought, he drew him against him and held him as his body struggled to live despite the power that was starting to fry his mind and his body. 

The Emperor skimmed his personal memories, what were left of his time as a human, committing the faces of the family to his memory, so that when the time came he would know who to carry on the name of this brave warrior. He saw Gareas's passing of the trials that would allow him to become a Novitiate, passing the tests and training that got him into the Emperors Children scouts and finally forty years after that, finally becoming a full Astartes, his position as Librarian suspect but his service both as a Psyker and a battle brother after the edict of Nikea.

The Emperor did not let go, easing his dying son into his embrace so that he did not die alone, blood streamed from the Astartes eyes and ears, his nose shattered, blood errupted from his mouth as the Emperor watched the unfolding of events that brought the debauchery of his sons Legion to the forefront. He saw Biles expeiments and what he had done to the Astartes under his medical care. 

The skin began to burn and Gareas began to roar in pain, it was too much for him and as his brain boiled, the Emperor saw what finally became of the 3rd Legion. The First Captain declairing his suuport for Horus, the corruption of the 2nd Captain and the fall of the Emperors Children from his light. 

He stepped back and brought the burning body down and held Gareas as he died. His body a charred mess of meat and bone. Reaching inside he removed the Geneseed and gave it to a nearby Apothecary. Removing his cloak he lay it over the dead Astartes and got to his feet. 

“You have called yourself the Emperors Blades?”

“We wish to serve you Majesty” Marius quietly spoke, awed and horrified in equal measure at what happened to his battle brother, but, honoured that Gareas had given his life to clear Marius's name. For had the Emperor not believed him then he would surely have died in disgrace. 

The Emperor looked at his burnt hands, that slowley began to heal. He nodded a couple of times, but the anger radiated off him, causing all the Astartes to feel nauseas and dizzy. Aware that he might cause more death, the Emperor reigned his anger in. 

“Then that is what you shall be known as. I have seen the truth of the matter and I shall deal with this. Remember his sacrifice Marius , for had he not opened his mind to me all of you would be dead now. I shall have Halbrecht take you to Terra where you will be under the jurisdiction of Sigismund for the time being. Your duties will be to keep the Emperors Law on Terra and in the Sol System and you will also accompany the Imperial Fists when they require it so that, you may earn the honour you feel you need to regain”

The Emperor nodded his head once and turning on his heel walked out leaving the Emperors Blades to their destinies. He clenched his fist and upon his return to Terra he headed straight for the Golden Throne and sat on it. 

He would have answers and he would have them now.


----------



## gothik

*****​
Lucius was not a happy Astartes, he had been prepared for a landing on the outskirts of the City, but at the last minute plans were changed, it was deemed more appropriate for him and the 13th to take on the CAV, the Primarch had ordered it so it was done. He took his frustration out on the soldiers of the CAV Security detail, but killing humans had become a chore to him, not even the sounds of their pleas turned his senses on, it was dull noise and although the 13th were winning, the sounds of the creaking structure meant, that unless they got to the shuttles, then they were going to go down in flames and Lucius was not ready to die yet. 

He stopped as a squad of Skittarii came towards them led by a Magos whose upper body was rammed into a small tank that served as his legs. He didn't think there were any members of the Mechanicum left that were not loyal to the Emperor, but this disproved his beliefs. He watched fascinated as four of his company charged at the traitor Magos but were cut down by the Skittarii around their master. 

Now these would be interesting foes, they had a reputation these creatures. Once that Lucius intended to put to the test. From what little he knew about them, he knew that they were either natural born humans, born into the service of the Mechanicum and Cybernetically enhanced once they were old enough or; vat grown humans unnaturally grown to adulthood or they were genetically engineered clones. It didn't matter to the Captain how they had started life, all he saw before him was less human and more cyborg. 

Lucius thought of the Servitors that served not just at Mechanicum run worlds, but on the mighty Astarte vessels and trading ships, not to mention in Imperial Government jobs, but these were far from the lobotomised creatures he had come to know. Some of the Skittarii had a little personalty, some did not, some had small amounts of emotions, others did not. But, what they all had in common was their aggressive nature. Psycho-surgery had ensured that they were brutal enemies to face on the battleground, and he welcomed the challenge. Cybernetically and physically strengthen to reflect the battle prowess needed they were more than capable of holding their own whenever their master, whom they were loyal to until death, commanded it.

He ignored anyone else around him, all he could see was his prey, he wanted the Magos, he wanted to slice that inhuman creature into little pieces until what passed for blood in such creatures was running slick across the floor. Lucius dodged out of the way as Brother Osarra went flying in different directions, his torso landing one place, his legs the other, his hands still twitching even in death. Lucius laughed, at last a foe he could sink his teeth into. He ducked under a sweep of a halberd and rammed his sword into the softest part of the Skittarii's body grabbed the halberd and with a swing took the creatures head off. 

Keeping the weapon and instantly getting used to its wieght he carried on. His brothers following his example some dying, some wounded but as many as cut down by the Mechanicums elite troops. They too suffered casualties With the blood and fluids merging it was becoming increasingly harder to keep balance. Lucius steadied himself and ducked as a chain-axe nearly took his head clean from his neck, he had to duck again as it came back, then move back as the Skittarii facing him closed the gap, keeping him on guard and with each swing reversed its grip so that the backswing would ensure he did not have time to recover.

Brother Wedna, seeing his beloved Captains predicament jumped on the back of the Skittarii and grabbed the augmented arm so that his Captain could press his own attack. The Skittarii issued what sounded like a stream of nonsense but might have been an annoyed and irritated growl and with his free hand reached behind him, grabbing the Emperors Child by his arm pulled with little more effort than he would have used if he was lifting a human, the arm came out of Wedna's shoulder socket and sprayed blood over the Mechanicum super warrior. Instead of crying in pain, letting his body adjust the to loss, and feeling the sensations granted to him by following the Dark Prince Wedna laughed. Even as his arm was dropped to the ground, he laughed and he pulled with his free arm until the Skittarii began to rock backwards. 

Lucius took his chance and with the Halberd he had taken from his first kill rammed it through the chest of the Skittarii and by extension Wedna too. The Skittarii tried to rise but with a follow up stroke of his sword, Lucius cut the head from the creatures neck. Fluids that were white, black and maybe red flowed in a spray covering the Captain. He removed the Halberd and kicked the body off his brother, Wednas eyes grew glassy. But the smile that was on his face remained there as he died. Lucius heard the tread of the Magos as he began to retreat, his force whittled down.

“Oh no you don't” Lucius muttered and with a leap that would be more akin to a lithe panther or tiger, he landed on the front of the tracked vehicle and began to take the Magos apart bit by bit. It did not matter to him that he was being cut and wounded, it would merely add to his collection of honour, the Magos was terrified, there was still enough humanity left in him to register that he was going to die.

He did not want to die, he had been part of the Ultramarines since the days of the Omnissiahs coming. He had spent centuries getting this far and this, this foul perversion would destroy it. Had it been one of the other Astartes, he might have had a chance, but this was Lucius and there was something different about him. As the Captain began to rip him apart he realised that maybe this Astarte was different to those around him, like someone or something else was guiding his destiny. 

In a last ditch effort to survive, The Magos fired his incinerator, engulfing his attacker and several others behind him. He moved backwards certain that the creature was dead, but Lucius, fire licking over his armour and his horrifically ritually scarred face came out of the flames like a howling banshee and drove his blade down into the top of the Magos skull, severing all and any functions, the Magos let a squark that might have been its death cry, go and finally flopped still. 

Lucius breathed deeply pleased by the scene of Carnage around him. His brothers got to his feet and he waited until the Apothecaries had done their gory duty then, with his company at his back made his way towards the Shuttles that would take him down to the planet. Luck however was not on his side, as they made their way down the next flight a great explosion ripped through the entire structure and Lucius saw the void open up before him. 

That was not an internal explosion, something outside had exploded, as he looked out he saw several small craft buzzing around the _Perfection of Chemos_, His vessel, it had come to get him, but before it could collect its Captain, it had been blown apart not just by the attacks from the strike craft but a bigger vessel, and he saw the winged skull motif along the side.

Before he could register any more, the last dying explosion of his vessel sent the Calth Veridian Anchor crashing down and in on itself, fires sparking all around them and all Lucius could do was yell at his men to hold on. It was going to be a bumpy ride and a long ride down. Some did as they were ordered, others were not so lucky, Emperors Children went somersaulting out into the void with pieces of metal protruding from their chests or heads, others were shot down by the Strike Craft as they flew by. Lucius couldn't understand it, the Night Lords were their allies, what had changed? Surely they must know that they were firing upon their loyal cousins. 

He hung on as his ride began and the last thing he saw before he passed out from the acceleration was the name of the Night Lords Vessel as it moved past heading towards the Calth Moon. 

_*Nightfall.*_


----------



## gothik

*****​

Captain Junar Kevates of the 105th Ultramarines company watched as the drop pods fell from the sky above Calth, he could see the sparks of light that marked out the destruction of the CAV and now he waited. Alongside him was Captain Juffar of the Space Wolves 67th. When the CAV had been destroyed the Chapter Master had sent the signal to all the Ultramarines that had come with him and were already here. 

It was time. 

The City of Numinous had spent the last week preparing its defences, under the direction of Veteran Sergeant Uriel Casererinus, the Calth 23rd Numerion Infantry followed the Ultramarines orders to the letter. All the mothers and children had been evacuated long before the _MaCragges Honour_ had entered high anchor as per the orders sent ahead. The civilians had undergone long tiring practise and training sessions under the watchful eye of Chaplain Ugusta and even though they would never be ready to face Astartes, no human ever could be, they were ready to defend their city in the best way they knew how. With courage and honour, that was all the Primarch asked, and it was all the Ultramarines asked.

What the human defenders lacked in strength and stamina, they more than made up with in spirit and heart, and that, to Kevates was as good a battle armour as his power armour. The Fenrisian 93rd Commandos were also present and at this moment in time, were running scouting missions. Sending reports back to Juffar who, in turn shared it with Kevates. 

“Latest reports have the Chemosian 6th Infantry setting up camp here, here and here” Juffar drew a rough map in the dirt “Looks like they are attempting to cut off any chance of retreat for the city”

“They don't know the people of Calth very well” Kevates mumbled “They will fight for their homes and their pride, I have seen them do that on the fields of battle and they will do it here.”

“No one can doubt the heart of your people Junar, but remember, many of them will die it is inevitable as it is unfortunate”

“Are the sons of Fenris always so pessimistic?” Kevates asked.

“Pragmatic” Juffar corrected “With all these drop pods coming in you can expect a company maybe two. I have read the reports of the battle on Carenn, your fancy tactics won't work here. So you have to adjust, overcome and adapt to the situation. All the theoretical and tactics won't work against them, believe me cousin, I saw it on Prospero with Angron's butchers” and he raised his cybernetic arm as proof of his wounds.

Kevates knew that the Space Wolf was right, as much as it galled him to go against the express techniques laid down by his father generations ago, they weren't fighting a conventional enemy. Damn it all they were fighting Astartes, Astartes just did not fight each other, it went against all bonds of brotherhood.

“Juffar, tell me, did you think about joining the Emperors side?”

Juffar fell silent for a moment, his eyes still on the plateau before him but he was considering his answer. 

“Russ thought long and hard before throwing his lot in with Horus, at first he thought Magnus was exaggerating, a sense of shame at how Nikea turned out for them. It was the last battle he fought alongside the Khan, rest his warrior spirit that started changing his mind. Then the actions of the Dark Angels at one of Perturabos fortresses and finally Prospero. It took seeing what Angron had done and the fact that when it comes down to it...in a final battle against the Emperor, it might just be the Cyclops who can end it all. As much as others profess to have great abilities, there is no one even close to the skill of the Crimson King.” Juffar returned to reading his data-slate “I was not born on Fenris, but I was born on the Nordfric Peninsula, my loyalty is to Russ, so no, I did not think about joining the Emperor, not after Prospero. The gods of my ancient people are long gone, but we still name our children after them to remember what they were to us and how they shaped our lands and our hearts millennia upon millennia ago. I cannot and will not return to a galaxy that feels the need to worship gods. Especially those that revel in things like...well like Kaesoron spoke off”

Kevates raised his hand for a moment and listened to something coming over his private vox feed, standing to his full height he looked around and then focused his vision on the plateau to see the Astartes beginning to arrive. 

Juffar rose with him and began issuing orders to the Commandos, to plant their explosives and get the hell away so that they could be used later. Kevates sent the signal to his company and they fell into pre-ordained formations around them. 

They could hear the singing of the Emperors Children rising on the winds, it was a chilling sound for those voices should not be issued from any normal throat let alone an Astartes vocal chords. Juffar shook his head, as like his cousin, his enhanced vision picked out the altered, deformed bodies of his former prideful cousins. 

“Eidolons with them” He remarked and pointed in the direction he was looking. 

Kevates switched his gaze and took in what he saw, the Lord Commander was certainly there, ordering his troops into position, but there was something off about his body language. Almost as if he did not want to be with the rabble, then again his reputation alone stated that he proffered to fight alongside the hierarchy, this was something new and ...unexpected

Within an hour the drop pods had landed and within half an hour they were heading towards the City and the waiting Ultramarines and Space Wolves. Kevates drew his bolter and his chainsword.

“Courage and Honour cousin”

“For Russ, Gulliman, Fenris and Ultramar” Juffar replied “Kick them back into whatever hell they emerged from Cousin and we shall sing of this for decades to come.”

Kevates inclined his head and as the explosions set by the Fenrisian Commandos exploded sending shards of rock and mud into the quickly erected fortifications of the Chemos Imperial Army, the Emperors Children began their attack.


Eidolon let loose a devastating sonic scream that reduced three Space Wolves and two Ultramarines to quivering gore streaked messes. His anger was high now, he should be fighting alongside the Primarch, not leading this rabble, he missed seeing his father in action, to watch the Phoenician dance the battlefield was watching poetry in motion. 

He grabbed a Space Wolf by his waist and threw him to the ground, his boot crashed down on the helmet splitting it, his bolter, a shot to the head at point blank range, ended the traitors life. There were none like his beloved father when it came to the field of war. So why, when his loyalty had always been to the Primarch and the Primarch alone, ever since they were younger men, had he left him out of the top echelon briefings, preferring the company of one such as Solomon Demeter above all others and Vespasian. 

There were other Lord Commanders, but none had held the esteem that Eidolon had, now he felt like he was being exiled, and resolved to take everyone in that blasted city and kill them, hand the harvest of young to his father and take the most trophies he could. He had ordered that the gene seed of the Wolves and Ultramarines be taken and given to Bile to work his strange experiments on. 

He turned and moved as staffing fire from the cities walled defences kicked up the dirt around him, missing him but cutting down ten Astartes of the 57th Company, their bodies torn apart from the powerful shells that hit them and exploded within their bodies. The 57th had originally been slated for the Calth Veridian Anchor, but at the last moment, the Primarch had swapped places with them and the 13th Company. 
_*
But why should you fight for a father that has dishonoured you my love, come, embrace me fully and I shall give you all that you desire and more, so much more*_

The voice came from deep inside him and Eidolon thought he was going insane, it had the scent of honey and its words dripped like the finest spice, finding its way into his tortured soul and holding it. He would never abandon the first created Lord Commander, she would always love him, would never leave him, he would comfort him and show him all that he deserved, she was beautiful.

Eidolon fought through and watched as his beloved Captain Odvocar, hacked at the body of a dead Space Wolf and removed the fangs, putting them on his armour, than proceeded to rip the armour off, wanting his skin as a trophy. Eidolon pulled him back and glared at him *++Not now!++* he voxed his anger rising *++Do all that after the battle is won brother++*

Odvocar wanted to wear that skin as a reminder that the Emperors Children were far more perfect than the barbarians of Russ ever would be. However, his Commander won the battle of wills and letting his blooded knife lower he continued onwards, following the first created and in his mind, the most honoured Lord Commander in the fleet. 

Odvocar had felt the insult of his Commanders heart keenly, Eidolon had been the first to be raised as Lord Commander, he had been held up as an example to all how a perfect warrior should be, he had looked to Fulgrim as a natural born son would to their beloved parent. Now, all that had been taken away from him, well not any more, this would be the perfect battle and all that these barbarians of Fenris and tinpot soldiers of Gulliman stood for would come crashing down,. However the cry that came from Eidolons lips was not what he expected, but he revelled in the sensations it caused him within.
*
“FOR THE GODDESS, DEATH TO HER FOES”* Eidolon shouted and it was echoed across the battlefield. 

Odvocar realised that now his thoughts had settled, Eidolon had embraced the Dark Queen, his feelings of isolation over whelming him and causing him to follow a being that he knew would not desert him. Odvocar would follow Eidolon wherever it led and if that meant turning his back on a Primarch that was ignoring his Commander, than so be it. Eidolon was the true face of perfection and Eidolon would reward those who showed such perfection in battle and in conquest. 

That was how it should be and that was how it would be.


The Wolves had dug in deep, and despite their losses were proving harder to kill than was believed by the arrogance of Eidolon and his brothers. Juffar, blooded, scarred and minus his flesh hand ordered Squad Hendrak and Squad Nefkrne back to the city. Their assault packs would allow them to aid in the defending of the walls which, judging by the speed of which the Emperors Children own Assault squads were approaching, would need all the help they could get. 

He set his sights on the lead Dreadnought, his visor giving him the details, Brother Odetta. Whatever this Astartes had been before was long gone, it wasn't even a dreadnought that he recognised any more. It had mutated. The right arm ended in claws and three whips extended from casings above the hand. The left arm had a multi barrelled bolter in its place, the front canopy was gone, horns and teeth surrounded a whole in the front where all Astartes who lived on as Dreadnoughts sat, the face though, that was the worst, no hair and a mouth continually screaming in fury. Spikes rose up on its shoulders and along its legs and front, the sigils hurt the wolves eyes to look upon them. 

His Sergeant, Grafnikir held the banner of the 67th high, putting life into the 67th, making them rally to their banner, Grafnikir stood alongside his captain and his brothers fighting against the abomination that strode towards them, its scream reaching deep into the hearts and minds of the Rout. They did not falter, they stayed their ground. 

Two rockets flew over their heads and hit the brute on both sides of its arms, causing the behemoth to stagger a little but it kept its balance. It rose its hand and its whips shot out wrapping themselves around three Wolves, ripping into their armour and under the skin, it withdrew drawing chunks of armour and meat with it, only to lash out again around their necks, with a yank and what sounded like a great hiss of excitement, it tore their necks from their bodies. The multi Barrelled bolter fired hitting the Sergeant below the legs and in his arm holding the banner. He died without a sound. 

Battle Brother Nordicas grabbed the Banner before it fell, holding it high, it could be burnt, it could be torn, but to let it fall was the greatest sin of all. With a roar to his father, echoed by his brothers, followed up with a roar to the spirit of their home world; he ran towards the abomination, leapt into the air and brought his chainsword down, into the only opening he could find, the face. Odetta span round, its arms lashing out at anything nearby, eviscerating Astartes and humans alike, Ultramarine, Space Wolf and even Emperors Children dying under its death throws. With a final effort it turned the Bolter on itself and Juffar, its multi barrels dealing red hot death to the Space Wolf and itself. 

The Dreadnought crashed to the ground, the chain axe still whirring into what was left of its face, ambiotic fluid mixing with the blood of the Captain of the 67th. The squad that had fought with their captain lay dead or dying, their bodies shredded from the beasts final movements.

But their banner held. 

*****​


----------



## gothik

7.​
He flew within the warp, free and unchained, his spirit heading where only he knew. The words of his grandson had disturbed him greatly, had it not been for the sacrifice of another, than he would have executed them all for daring to spread lies and misdemeanour’s about his son. 

He stopped before a swirl of warp that was different coloured than the rest. Hues of pinks, purples, scarlet’s, reds and black, merged with gold and silver. Beguiling to behold. He had swatted the other creatures aside with but a thought. So powerful his aura that those who thought he might make a tasty unfettered morsel soon changed their minds.

He was power incarnate and he had come for a showdown. 

Sending his thoughts directly into the Warp he had enough power in those few words to send any and all demons scurrying. 

*Slaanesh I will speak with you NOW*

At first there was nothing, and then he found himself on a world that did not look too different to Terra, until he realised that it was Terra, a Terra that had long since vanished, the world of his own fractured and bloodied childhood. He knew where he was, although he had never set foot in the place. 

He had heard enough about it. He heard the sound of music and singing, a woman’s voice, no not any woman’s voice, her voice. He made his way towards the angelic sound, passing a crystal clean lake and paused to look in the waters. Seeing a face that he had not seen...well forever it would appear. 

As he entered the clearing he saw her, singing to him, his father and mother in happier times, before his birth and …. he cleared his mind.

*Do not play me Eldar scum, I will talk with you and I will talk with you now*

*Now now Khain'Serash, do you not find this pleasing? I thought I would allow us to talk where you would be most comfortable*

For the first time he realised that the serpent coiling itself around his mother most seductively was looking at him and talking to him. Picking up a rock he threw it, hitting the serpent on the head and making it slip to the floor. 

*Next time I will hit with more than a rock, what are you doing to my son and grandsons?*

The serpent moved towards the Emperor and as it did so entered its true form, a half man half woman, the culmination of millions of years of an ancient races hedonistic pleasures coming together in one terrifying explosion that birthed the god/goddess who would hunt them for all eternity. 

Slaanesh appeared Eldar, lithe limbs, slender in body but so attractive that no matter what face he/she wore, all those that fell under his/her spell remained as such. The humans that discovered her fell in love with him and would do whatever they could to please this most dark prince. The Eldar that gave birth to the creature they called She-who-thirsts, or She-who-will-not-be-named, feared him for to hunt the Eldar and take their souls, making them extinct was her goal. 

Slaanesh moved behind the Emperor, touching his shoulders and smoothly whispered in his ear *You allowed Fulgrim to follow me, of course he must place his father first, but he follows me in his desire to emulate his father *The Emperor turned to find her mouth inches from his _*I see potential in Fulgrim*_

*I see a creature that cannot determine whether it is male or female, stealing my son and turning him into a monster...that was not our arrangement*

_*I am not turning him into anything, I am merely showing him the path to perfection and enlightenment, to let go of that staunch front and give into the desires that drive him so that his perfection is attained.*_

The Emperor grabbed her throat and cocked his head to one side* Do not seek to beguile me with your witchery Slaanesh, I have seen what you have reduced My grandsons too, I have seen the horrors that they are becoming, This will end now!* He threw her to the ground. 

Slaanesh swallowed and got to his feet _*Do not seek to intimidate me Khain'Serash, I do not fear you*_

*No? Who was it that came to me? I did not come to any of you.* The Emperor Sneered *I will stop your power ploy, I will not let you take my son!*

*You are a hypocrite, you will kill your sons for not following your orders, you will have them fight amongst each other and exterminate each other to keep your darkest motives and secrets and you will kill your own kin to keep it so, but when it comes to any of us having our own followers amongst the soldiers of your Imperium we are not allowed. You have no choice, leave my realm and do not return until I invite you*

The Emperor was flung out of the warp and back into his own body with such force that it almost threw him from the Golden Throne, his nose bled profusely. He clenched his fists anger coursed through him, that creature would destroy his plans for the adulation of a Legion. 

He could not allow that.

****​

They moved silently, midnight clad, unseen by Squad Hementus of the 57th. No one had seen their landing, the destruction of the Anchor having hidden their approach. Squad Trueze moved as one. Two new members to replace the dead brothers whose names were entered on the wall of Night, Brother Indra and Brother Palaras, brought up from the 3rd Company with the blessing of their Captain Uvensa. 

They had spent the journey from Carenn to Calth training with their new brothers, honoured to be in such a respected and esteemed squad, but Trueze was as strict as his father, they had an impressive battle record, whether they would work well within his squad was a different matter. This would be their proving ground. 

Squad Hementus had found and killed the Commando unit that had set the explosives off at the start of the battle. Mikhail pulled a face as he saw his opposite number Sergeant Hementus fornicate with the dead body of a woman. This was how far they had fallen now? Then they deserved everything they got. 

He spoke in Nostraman to his squad, ordering them to circle round. When he was certain they were in place he gave the order, the six Night Lords stepped from the shadows and began to fire, they showed no mercy and none was asked for, they just fired until the Emperors Children were dead. Mikhail took in what he saw, the dead and skinned bodies, their musculature exposed to the elements. Nodding at Brother Indra, the newest member of the squad put his flamer onto the bodies of the dead Fenrisian Commandos. The Emperors Children were left to whatever carrion feeders Calth had. 

*++Squad Trueze to Prince of Crows, sector 72 cleared, moving onto the next area++

++Affirmative Justicar, good hunting, remember do not be seen, we are not to be seen until the Dark King is ready to be seen++

++Acknowledged, Justicar out++*

Trueze looked around him and moved onwards, his squad with him seemingly melding into the shadows of the setting sun. 


****​


----------



## gothik

****​


The _MaCragges Honour_ was wounded, explosions erupted through the lower decks as salvo after salvo from the_ Pride of the Emperor_ struck her broadside weapons. Ultramarines ran through the decks as bodies went flying, Sergeant Osiria caught one woman as a fire took out her companions. Her body was covered in burns and she screamed in pain. She was going to die that was all there was to it. 

He looked at her name Hendric, he broke her neck and lay her down gently. Committing her name to memory, it was just another reason to kill those bastards. The call came across the Vox that boarding tubes had started their journey to the Ultramarine flagship. He heard his squad fall in behind him and met up with Squads Feriju and Apollos, two tactical and one devastator.

“Lieutenant, hold the deck entrance” Osiria ordered “Stop anyone else from coming down here”

“By your command Lord” The Human soldier turned to his men and women and stationed them at various entry points to the deck, the Ultramarines needed room and space too manoeuvre, if there were panicked lower decks crew running from exploding weapons and fire then their jobs would be harder. 

Apollos listened as the countdown began, he looked at one of the gunnery crews as they began to back away.

“Courage and honour!” he growled. 

He understood their fear, they were human and he was as far above them in terms of emotions as they were a dog or a cat, but they were from the realms of Ultramar, the citizens of Ultramar did not run, and even if they had been press-ganged from other planets outside the Ultramar realms they served on an Ultramarine vessel, there would be no cowardice on his watch. 

The sweat slicked black faced men swallowed and nodded, his words, whilst harshly spoke reached into their last reserves. Another explosion rocked the ship, and another and another. Finally two boarding tubes blasted through the lower gunnery deck. The crew he had just spoken too, torn to pieces by the flying metal from the ruptured hull. 

The door on the tube burst open and the Emperors Children were aboard the most sacred vessel in the Ultramarines armada. The three Squads opened fire, killing two of the traitors as they emerged, but brother Coyre emerged, opened his vocal chords and let his sonic cry rattle off the walls. 

The warriors of the human regiments firing down the corridor were killed instantly, their eardrums exploding first than their heads. The Ultramarines moved back their audio senses overwhelmed for a few moments, but it was all the Emperors Children needed, the rest of Squad Fergietis emerged from the boarding tube and began carving their way through the three squads, the floor slick with the blood of dead mortals was added to by the flow of Astartes blood. 

Osiria was the last to die of the Ultramarines, after he had taken Coyre down he was run through with a chainsword, the blades whirring through his armour and into his torso, cutting through the carapace and finally erupting through his back. His head was taken and mounted on the spikes that adorned Fergieties's armour. 

He met up with some of his other brothers and who had entered at various points around the gunnery deck and began slaughtering the human crews, and the Mechanicum priests. Eventually the entire deck was awash with brains and body parts and the main guns fell silent.


****​
The _Hrafnkel_ had destroyed _Fulgrims Virtue_, its body listing as fuel leaked from her like a dying beast. With a few more carefully aimed shots it imploded, sending shock-waves out from its dead hulk and striking the Raptores of the _Pride of the Emperor_, unlucky enough to be caught in the wave. 

Captain Jorvik, left in command by the Primarch smiled in satisfaction, despite her wounds the _Hrafnkel _still showed her teeth. Reports came in from across the vessel, many of the causalities were the human crews, it would not matter, when this was over, their names would be entered into the annals of the brave and the fallen. The human equivalent of the Fangs wall of remembrance. 

He could see how badly damaged the _MaCragges Honour_ was, her guns had fallen silent, he ordered the Space Wolves fleet, _The Ice Wolf, The Fenrir, The Haggai_ and _The Freya_ to aid the stricken flagship of the Ultramarines, give them enough cover to get their power back so they could withdraw to a safe distance. 

He looked down at his map as the _Fenrir_ was struck broadside by the _Andronius_ straight through to the engines, He snarled as the smaller strike cruiser was destroyed almost instantly. Bodies spewing out and cast into the void. It was becoming harder and harder to navigate through the sea of wreckage, organic and ship. 

Ultramarine dead merged with the dead of the Rout and bits of humans alongside the dead of the Emperors Children. The entire flagship rocked as the _Longinus _hit home, warning runes flashed up on his console, the fire crews were already responding to the fires breaking out in Engineering. The _Hrafnkel_ responded by firing at the _Longinus_, but her shots veered wide of their mark. 

The wolves flagship was struck again and the Master of the Ship as well as the vox officer were thrown from their seats, their necks broken. Jorvik snarled in fury and took over the firing solutions as the Servitors on the weapons stations jerked about then died where they sat. 

Sergeant Okana moved one head, looked at it and let it fall. The Bridge crew with the exception of the Astartes were all dead. 

“Check the Navigators chamber” Jorvik ordered as he programmed a firing solution and then let loose upon the Emperors Children’s vessel. They would not take his Lords vessel, reports came in across the entire flagship as huge rents in the hull had caused substantial damage to the vessel. He looked up to see his solutions hit the target she listed past him, firing off boarding tubes. 

Jorvik ordered that all Astartes to be prepared for boarding parties, Okana returned from the Navigators sanctum and shook his head.

“She’s dead Lord” He bluntly said. 

Although Jorvik did not voice his thoughts, silently he commended his soul to Mother Fenris and gripping his bolter and axe he ordered his company elite to the bridge. They were not giving up the _Hrafnkel _without a fight and if he had to destroy her himself to stop her from falling into those sick twisted whoresons hands, then that is what he would do.


----------



## gothik

The Emperors Children lost all sensibilities, the stink of death their debauched behaviour wreaking havoc amongst the civilian crew of the _MaCragges Honour._ They lost their discipline, their Commanders soon gave into the urgings and leanings their bodies craved, now it was far from the ordered Phoenicians way of taking a vessel, now it was just a free for all of lust, carnage and torture. 

Several Emperors Children had de armoured, skinned and defiled the bodies of the Ultramarine dead, rubbing themselves against those who had not yet died in a twisted form of ecstasy that should not, by all the laws of being an Astartes, exist any longer within them. 

Whilst the Emperors Children defiled everything that was the _MaCragges Honours_ spirit the fight for the bridge was in earnest. Having heard and seen what was happening to the crew and the warriors. The Bridge crew were dead, their bodies flung out into the vacuum beyond when the bridge had been hit. The Master sat in his command throne, his head sliced from his body by the lethal shards from the ruptured windows. 

Fiberik, stood with his squad weapons drawn. The few stragglers had made it to the Bridge to defend it, but it was a shattered bridge, no longer glorious in its endeavours, all that she had, all her history was dying but they would be damned if they were going to let these traitorous bastards take the dying queen as some sort of debauched trophy. 

He glanced at his men, thirty of them left, he did not know how many Emperors Children were left, but they had fought well, with all he had seen and heard, he was lucky to have that many brothers left. 

“And we shall know no fear” Sergeant Underese whispered. 

Fiberik glanced at him and said “Say that again, louder Jace” 

The Sergeant looked at his Captain “And we shall know no fear”

“Again...keep saying it all of you...show these bastard sons of a bastard Primarch that we are Courage and we are Honour, we are sons of MaCragge and we are the Sons of Gulliman, and we shall know no fear!”

As the Emperors children burst through the doors to the bridge they were met with the full force and anger of the Ultramarines. Their shout echoing around the now ruined vessel steeling their courage, making the blood of their father sing in their veins. For every Emperors child they killed, they enforced their shout, making sure their enemies knew what they were facing and who they were facing. 

They fought for what seemed like hours but in reality was only a few minutes, Fiberik had already sent a message to the Chapter Master, he had not waited for a reply for there was none to be had. But he took pride in the fact that for every one of his brothers that fell they took three with them.
When his Sergeant died, he knew that this was the end, with a heavy heart he began the destruct sequence. 

She would die in glory, not as the trophy of a fallen legion. 

The Commander of these bastards stepped forward ready for the killing blow, his face split into a serpentine grin. 

“This ship is ourssssss” He hissed. 

Fiberik started to laugh “Think again bastard whoreson” 

The Emperors Child fired his plasma pistol at point blank incinerating the Captain from the waist down. He turned in celebration, they had the flagship of the Ultramarines, they would take her in triumph back to the Primarch and they would make her one of theirs.......

The _MaCragges Honour _exploded killing everyone left alive, Ultramarine, civilian and enemy. She would not be in the hands of the traitors as some trophy to be defiled, she had died a vessel of the Ultramarines.

Courage and honour......


----------



## gothik

Jorvik held onto the console as the shock wave from the destruction of the _MaCragges Honour_filtered out, buffering the remaining vessels as if they were in a storm of the worst magnitude on Fenris's unpredictable and dangerous seas. 

“She's coming around for another broadside sir, and we have enemy boarding parties in the crew decks and the Primarchs chambers.” Brother Uvec shouted above the din. 

“Get those bastards out of our lords chambers, nothing, repeat nothing must be taken by those demon loving motherfuckers”

Uvec relayed his lords orders and almost immediately the sounds of battle joined had reached the Captains ears. He cursed long and loud as another strike hit his vessel and roared an affirmation to his brothers on the _Freya_ as she struck the _Longinus_ from behind, but she was not quick enough to move from another attack from the _Andronius. _

Jorvik could only watch as the _Freya_ was rammed directly into the path of the _Hrafnkel_, with his engines unable to respond quick enough he snarled, happy that in death he had done his duty to the Warmaster, to the Wolf King and to mother Fenris, and that they would be taking those bastards with them.

The _Freya_ Struck the _Hrafnkel _head on and, like the _MaCragges Honour _before her, she too died a fiery death, taking the _Freya_ and the _Longinus_ with her. 

The _Pride of the Emperor _moved on. Ready to strike out at the remaining Space Wolf vessels, they didn't realise that now they were the prey and they were being hunted.


----------



## gothik

****​

Kevates was being forced back towards the city and eventually ordered his squad to get back behind the walls when the skies lit up with the deaths of the MaCragges Honour and Hrafnkel. For a moment every warrior, defender or attackers eyes were blinded. Fortunately for the warring Astartes their enhanced visions compensated for the blinding flashes, unfortunate for the humans they were not so lucky, and many fell from the redacts to their deaths, or to the floor eternally blinded as their retinas burnt away.

Eidolon and his companies headed for the gate, at his order, his devastator squad began to attack the gates and the ramparts. killing the soldiers that had taken their dead comrades places. This was turning into a rout, Kevates roared for order, and, despite the cacophony from the beyound the walls and the panicked sounds of the Imperial Army silence. 

*“YOU ARE PEOPLE OF ULTRAMAR! FIND THE STEEL WITHIN YOURSELF TO GO TO THE ENEMY AND FACE THEM WITH HONOUR AND COURAGE! YES MANY OF US WILL LOOSE OUR LIVES, BUT SO LONG AS ONE IMPERIAL ARMY OFFICER AND ONE ASTARTE STANDS IT WILL BE A VICTORY.”* He pointed to the gates *“TAKE HEART, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, SPACE WOLVES AND ULTRAMARINES STAND WITH YOU!!!! MAKE ME PROUD, MAKE YOURSELVES PROUD AND SHOW THOSE HELLDAMNED FALLEN ABOMINATIONS THAT WE WILL NOT BE SCARED OR RUN LIKE FRIGHTENED CHILDREN!!!! WE ARE CHILDREN OF GULLIMAN, ULTRAMARINE AND CIVILLIAN ALIKE AND WE SHALL SHOW NO FEAR!”*

Sergeant Olaf nodded and inclined his head as the Imperial Army and civilians did as they were ordered, many eager to be away from the Captains wrath. 

“Nicely put Captain. We will hold the gates,”

“Your captain cousin..”

“Died with the honour of the Wolves and...” He pointed as the last Space wolf setting up by the gate held the tattered banner of Wolves Company “our honour and history still fly.”

Kevates gripped Olafs wrist gauntlet to gauntlet and remained that way for a moment or two then let him go to his men. He began to order his company into positions along the central roadway that would lead to the government building. 

The gate would fall, there was no question about it, but if they had a few moments to gather themselves then it would give the tired and exhausted humans a moments respite. He passed the makeshift Medicare centre , he paused to see the medics working on the wounded noticed that perhaps a quarter of them might survive, the rest, well he doubted they would see another sunrise. 

“Captain...my Lord” A nurse looked up at the giant in blue power armour “We need to move the wounded to the Government building. As soon as the Emperors Children get in here....” her voice trailed as if to emphasis the point. 

Kevates nodded in agreement, having seen the atrocities the sons of Fulgrim were committing upon the dead he could understand her trepidation.

*++Sergeant Parase, bring your squad to the Medicare tent and begin aiding the doctors with taking the wounded from here to the government buildings and for those who will not make it...give them peace++

++Understood Brother Captain++*

He told the Nurse what he had done, although she wanted to rebel at the idea even she saw the reasoning behind it. She thanked him and started organising her staff and the patients. Kevates had read her expression perfectly. She wanted to save who she could, everyone, but not everyone could be saved. Still he sympathised with her, but better they know eternal peace now, than die at the hands of those debased bastards. 

He walked on then stopped as a great shadow fell over the land. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and could only watch as the shape came closer to earth. At first there was no sound, even the noise beyond the walls had stopped, then, as if pulled by something greater than gravity the sound of the falling bow of the MaCragges Honour began to plummet faster. 

Kevates began to run, warning everyone to find shelter away from the gates. The noise that was had started as a faint rumble got louder and louder until it was almost deafening. Sergeant Parase held a nurse in his giant arms and handed her to one of his battle brothers, fatigue having taken its toll. He looked up and knew that they would not escape this. He told his men to take whomever they could and told the other medics to run. 

Going back into the tent he saw the Nurse that Kevates had spoken too with those that were unable to be moved. He removed his helm and set it on his belt.

“Ma'am, it is time to leave. The debris will be upon us shortly”

“I am not leaving Sergeant.” She walked up to him “I have been a nurse for all my life, I have served the Ultramarines faithfully and I have served the Primarch with my duties here, but I am an old woman and my time has come. I will not leave these poor souls to die alone, I owe them that much”

Parase heard the rumbling get to thunder pitch and felt her hand in his, although his hand dwarfed hers. 

“Go to you men Sergeant. The Primarch keep you safe”

“I fear Mistress...I don't even know you name”

“Jekena” 

“Mistress Jekena, I fear that I will not make the rendezvous no matter how fast I run” he looked around him coming to peace with his two centuries of service to the Primarch “Tell me what I can do.”

She nodded and walked with him to the rest of the patients a few moments later the bow of the _MaCragges Honour _crashed into the courtyard, it remained upright for a few moments, then with a noise like the drums of a thousand thousand bands, it swayed and finally crashed to the ground. 

The men and women on the walls died instantly, cut to pieces by the flying shards of armour that had come loose. Others were crushed as she fell to the ground crushing walls and buildings alike. Setting fires, ruptured fuel lines exploded burning people in their homes. The Medicare Centre was at ground zero and Jekena died with a Space Marines arms wrapped around her to try and protect her as futile as it was. 

However as much damage was done to the city the attackers fared no better. The Emperors Children at the gates died as their armour incinerated and cooked them alive. Dreadnoughts were crushed as the mighty bow fell to the ground leaving a crater that would forever stain the surface of Calth and as if by some benediction from the gods of war themselves, a justification for the Renegade forces to continue the fight against the mad Emperor and his Loyalists. 

Lord Commander Eidolon was crucified upon the great Eagle that still adorned her broken bow. The beak erupting through his chest and his arms pinned by the wings. Seeing their Lord Commander lifeless and dead the Emperors Children had no one left to keep them in check, clambering over the thousands of bodies that littered the crash site they began to stream into the city, to be met by the force of Space Wolves and Ultramarines that still stood as well as the humans. 

*“AND THEY SHALL KNOW NO FEAR!”

“COURAGE AND HONOUR!”

“FOR RUSS AND FENRIS!”*

Seeing their mighty ship dead before them, but seeing how she had done her duty in her final hours bolstered the stunned forces and the Emperors Children never stood a chance.

It was midnight by the time the fighting stopped. Olaf knelt down beside Kevates and finally sat, both Astartes exhausted, they had lost many of their companies but of the Emperors Children there were none left. Their bodies littered the battlefield and the city streets, they had taken huge swathes of numbers, some had gone into peoples homes and slaughtered entire families before dying themselves.

Kevates, minus his left arm and right leg looked to the heavens and breathed deeply as an Apothecary rushed over and started tending to his Captain. 

“I think I will sleep for a week my friend” Olaf chuckled “but I will be needed elsewhere. How many I wonder have we lost this day?”

“Too many” Kevates breathed “But, as the Sons of Horus say to bring them some charm in their battles...the enemy felt the hand of the ship and what a hand it was”

Olaf laughed and got to his feet “Good luck son of Gulliman, may we meet again one day”

“You too son of Russ.”


----------



## gothik

8.​
Marius Gage, and his assembled Ultramarines could only watch in horror as not one flagship was destroyed by another but two. He cast a glance in The Wolf Kings directions, his face was a simmering fury bordering on Volcanic. 

Gage wanted to mourn his brothers, honour his cousins but time would not allow them to do as such. The Celestial Lions were heading towards what was left of the Calth Anchor Veridian, Russ stared into the heavens for an indeterminable amount of time, there was nothing that could be said to soothe his choler and, like his sons around him, the atmosphere just grew murderous. 

The Hrafnkel had not just been any flagship, she had been to the Wolves as the MaCragges Honour was to the Ultramarines, she was to the Rout what the Vengeful Spirit was to the Sons of Horus, a symbol, a symbol of their Legions prowess. As the Wolf King turned to join the Celestial Lions, Gage really did not want to be any of his uncles traitorous nephews right now. 


Fulgrim stood overlooking the city. Beside him Demeter and Vespasian. He had watched as his sons degenerated into a shameful rabble. When the bow of the _MaCragges Honour_ had plummeted to earth he had not done anything. He had not even announced his presence, he soon would, lead the rebels into a false sense of security. He had already planned this out. Even now the Sons he trusted were waiting his orders. Yet still it was not enough, not really, his spies had found the underground caverns which Calth was partly famous for, it was no good taking the children yet. He wanted Calth to suffer. 

Something, he did not know what. But something made him look skywards, there was another presence, not just the Wolf, Gulliman? No not Gulliman, it was another Primarch but whether it was friend or foe he could not tell, 

He touched his vox and spoke some orders into it. Then returned to watching the scene below him, His eyes focused on the crucified form of his former favoured son, 

“Fitting, don't you think?” he said to no one in particular.

“Father?” Solomon Demeter turned his head to face his father.

“I was just thinking Solomon, it is fitting that Eidolon face such a fate, an inspiration to the rabble that would never fall in line.” He shook his head to clear the paranoia that threatened to overwhelm him. “So, the plans?”

“Third Company have circled around the city, they will cut off the Space Wolves. 29th Company are in position at the township of Nicodem, a supply line for the Ultramarines and will cut destroy any and all reinforcements.” Vespasian told him. Knowing full well that the Primarch already knew the plans, for he had set them out, but wanted to see how much his commanders had listened to his lengthy briefing before they departed.

Fulgrim listened as the Lord Commander informed him of the other Companies and where they were, he cautiously told the Primarch that reports indicated Russ was somewhere with the Ultramarines and his sons.

“Ah Leman, he should have joined fathers crusade. That man has ice in his veins” Fulgrim smiled a little “If Fenris has a temper, than it is embodied mildly in the sons of Fenris, and their human armies but manifests fully in my brother. He is everything about Fenris, violent, feral and totally unpredictable. It will be my pleasure to face him on the field of battle. No one can tame Leman Russ, he is the great wolf, a loner and a Fenris walking”

Vespasian cocked his head as a communications came through, frowning a little he turned to his father, a quizzical expression on his face “My Lord, the _Perfection of the Phoenician _has arrived and says all the children and their appointed guardians are aboard and awaiting your orders.”

“Good, tell them to leave the system and Ultramar to the designated rendezvous point. At no point are they to enter any battle.” Fulgrim pulled his cloak around him with a flourish,

Fulgrim chuckled a little and leaned down towards Demeter “Do you know Solomon, I do believe that Eidolon is still alive, oh that must be painful, of which I have no doubt that he is enjoying every blood aching part of it”

Demeter had no doubt that Eidolon would be, but the question remained would they let him live or, would they grant him a measure of mercy, due to his former status within the Legion. Demeter opted for the former, he had no wish to see Eidolon granted any kind of mercy. 

As if reading his thoughts, Fulgrim patted his shoulder pauldron “Worry not Solomon, worry not. Well, let us begin, I want those misguided fools to never see another sunrise and that city is to die by sunrise”

*“FOR FULGRIM!!*” Demeter roared “*FOR THE EMPEROR*”

*“DEATH TO THIER ENEMIES*” the shout came back and The Emperors Children swarmed, but this time they were a force to be reckoned with. Unlike their drug addled brothers, they were the Emperors Children to be feared, and it pleased Fulgrim that his sons were now putting his name first above the Emperors. 

As it should be.


Kevates heard the shout from his medical bed, he cursed, how could they have been so complacent? He should have known there would be a back up force, damn it it was one of the first lessons he had learnt at the barracks on MaCragge. His old master would be scalding him until his gene seed turned red from the ear bashing. This was an unforgivable over sight on his part and, assuming he survived this, he would assign himself a punishment, unless they reached the Chapter Master, then it would be his orders. 

There was something....all around him he began to hear the weeping of humans, had they fallen into that melancholy that had attacked them before? No, no this was different. Then he heard it. That voice, so authoritative, so calm and like a sweet sauce over a much adored sweet. 

He had to fight the compulsion to kneel, every Astarte that was around fought the compulsion to kneel, their minds at war with their souls. When one came into the company of a Primarch, no matter who it was, then you honoured them for they were the spirit of the Emperor, they were the Emperors genetic magnificence incarnate. But Fulgrim no longer deserved their honour or their respect.

He felt impotent, he could not move, he could do nothing, until he felt a strong arm around his waist and was lifted. Sergeant Oren. “The Emperors Children are here Lord, as is their Primarch, he is calling for surrender as they kill the civilians”

“Get me out there Oren, we will fight to the last, he does not deserve our honour or our respect!” 

“He is a Primarch Lord,” Oren stated the obvious but Kevates would hear none of it.

“And as has been proven, Primarchs can fall” He thought of Jugathi and Magnus “They can fall”


The First Company swept through the half fallen city like a plague of locusts, they were not the debauched altered brothers that had attacked before, this battle was fought with perfection. Fulgrim led them and he stirred them onto far greater perfection than any god could do.

Several Ultramarines launched an attack on the Primarch but, had they been toe to toe with their cousins then the outcome would have been different. Going head on with an uncle was something that bordered on reckless. Fulgrim however did not treat them as such, he wept as he slaughtered them, some of them even got a lucky strike at him, but it did them no good. 

Fulgrim wept because in a previous life he had fought against his brave nephews, now they had turned against all that was right with the Imperium, they would not turn from their course of action and he admired that, even as he took their heads or decapitated them, he had to admire their stoic defence of what they believed in. 

He even admired the civilian fighters although they really stood no chance against the transhuman warriors that crushed their skulls, opened their insides to the flies that would later feast on their rotting dead corpses. His presence had given his sons the fire they needed and in a way had given them an advantage, humans could not be in the presence of a Primarch for too long, they lost all will of their own as it was when confronted with such perfection. 

Kevates, his Sergeant helping him, fired his bolter cleanly and precisely, each shot a kill shot, three mags down he had four left, Oran reloaded for him then continued his own precise firing, by now his squad had come to their Captains aid, The Captain was resting back against a shattered burnt out Rhino, the dust wrenched up from the crashing wreckage earlier had coated everything, even the pristine blue of the Ultramarines shining armour was now something that would be better suited to the Death Guard or Iron Warriors. 

They killed and were killed, but Kevates and his Sergeant with three of the remaining Squad Oran continued fighting, and when their weapons ran dry they used the weapons of the dead. Slowly the remaining Ultramarines gathered where their Sergeant and their beloved Captain were making their last stand. Vespasian tore them aside revelling in the clean brutal battle, this was perfection, an enemy that made it an honour to battle, but the Primarchs will would win the day. 

He sank to one knee as an Assault Marine fired at him from above shattering his left knee. Vespasian muttered something in Chemosian and aimed his bolter than fired, hitting the jump pack at its most vulnerable sending the assault marine spiralling out of control into the wall of the Calth Arbites building and exploding. Incinerating not only the Assault Marine but the Arbites that were underneath attempting to defend their barracks 

The smell of burnt flesh and armour was overpowering for those lesser mortals and it hung in the air reminding the Lord Commander of the aftermath of a World Eaters battle. Although he would never compare his fathers battles to a dog like Angron, the carnage was the same. His Laramen cells had done their job and he was on his feet once more, along with Demeter and the Primarch, leading by example. He and Demeter fell into place besides their father as he cut and thrust bodies like they were prime meat joints in a butchers shop and eventually they got to the remaining Ultramarines, gathered around their Captain and the body of their dead Sergeant. 

Demeter used everything in his arsenal including his newely awakened Psyker powers, Kevates was on his last shell and he had to make this count. Aiming at the First Captain he fired, at the last moment Demeter swerved but it still hit his eye, taking it out. It didn't matter he had another one, drawing his sword, the one that Fulgrim had in his possession for so long and now belonged to him he plunged it through the Captains chest whilst around him his men and the Primarch killed the rest .

“Bravely fought Cousin” he remarked “I needed this Battle, but whilst I will go on, you have failed, your Primarchs teachings were not enough I am afraid, this is perfection”

“Go to hell Demeter” Kevates winced and drove his own sword into the thigh of the First Captain, “Julius was right all along”

With a snarl at the mention of the traitors name, Demeter pulled the corrupted sword and cut Kevates head off. He closed his eyes as arterial blood sprayed his face and heaved a sigh, the bastard brother was here, somewhere on this blighted world.


----------



## neferhet

Well, i can't say i've read it all, but what i read seems to be high level. k:
You should consider presenting some of this stuff to GW!
+rep for the incredible amount of well written stuff!


----------



## gothik

thankyou maybe, tried before been rejected more times than i can count but if people on here like then thats worth it


----------



## neferhet

Aw, thats bad 
I mean they let matt ward write...wait, you are not matt ward, right???


----------



## gothik

neferhet said:


> Aw, thats bad
> I mean they let matt ward write...wait, you are not matt ward, right???


unless someone played a real cruel joke on me last night and gave me something i don't have downstairs then..no definatly not :shok::grin:


----------



## neferhet

You never know. That ward is a sneaky bastard. Check twice tommorrow morning! :biggrin:


----------



## gothik

neferhet said:


> You never know. That ward is a sneaky bastard. Check twice tommorrow morning! :biggrin:


ok my coffe just went all over the cat lol love it if i hadn't already repped you i would have done just for that k::good:


----------



## gothik

****​

The Celestial Lions stared a the remnants of the Calth Veridian Tower came cascading down like a huge domino rack. Emperors Children bodies and Ultramarine bodies were thrown onto the ground turning the dirt a dark and murky red. Shattered armour lay scattered about, near to the broken bodies. 

Kaesoron identified each and every one of them, brothers of the 13th Company Emperors Children. Davars stood beside him and shook his head 

“Thats an awful lot of brothers for one assault” He muttered.

Kaesoron said nothing, his thoughts pretty much along the lines of the new 2nd Captain. They bowed their heads as Russ and his retinue joined them. Russ looked around at the dead and took in what his eyes were seeing. 

“We will scour around the ruins to the north” He told them “I will leave you to deal with this area. Good hunting nephew”

“You too Uncle” Julius bowed his head once more and watched the Primarch stride away to the far ruins. He ordered his Captains to other areas of the shattered remains, the orders were clear and simple, kill any and all of their traitorous brothers, there was to be no hesitation in this, and if any felt that they could not complete their own personal road to redemption then they were to return to the Primarch without recourse. 

No one moved. 

Taking First Company with him, the Lion of Chemos made his way into the main structure and readied his bolter. Astartes were tough to kill, and not all of them would be dead. Plus he hadn't seen the 13th scarred Captain, he had hoped the bastard had been blown into space or something, but even that wouldn't have necessarily killed him. 

He waited for the brothers with him to fan out. The central column had made the place a jigsaw of metal pylons, it was hard to believe that this was just one of many structures that oversaw the comings and goings into Calth space. As they made their way through the wreckage scanning for anything that would give them an early warning of attack and stepping over shattered and broken bodies, the Lion of Chemos wondered how many more of the growing sub orbital ring would be destroyed. 

He didn't want to think about it. When it happened, and he was certain that it would, then they could worry about that later, right now he wanted to make sure that there were no more of his wayward brothers around, and some part of him hoped that he would find Lucius, he owed him one for what he had done to Tarvitz. 


The darkness was broken by the blinding light of the rising sun. “Brother Captain, Brother Captain, can you hear me?”

Lucius groaned, he pulled a large piece of metal from his shoulder and threw it down. Every part of him ached but, he was alive, something or someone had kept him alive. He let his vision adjust to see Sergeant Isole hold his hand out. He took it and was pulled to his feet. 

“Can you walk Captain?”

Aside from the feeling of pins and needles in his feet, a quick check of his systems assured him that any broken bones had healed. He nodded and stepped out from under his prison. 

“How many are left?” he asked brushing his armour down. 

“I do not know Captain, I asked for a full head count, so far four hundred brothers have answered. Many of us died in space. Lord I saw another vessel firing at our wounded...”

so it hadn't been a dream, it hadn't been a hallucination. He didn't answer at first, but, as his memory replayed the events leading to the destruction around him one thing was certain, they had been left to die.

Lucius wanted out of this now but first he had to gather whomever he could. Four Hundred of them, enough to take out a human community, not enough to go against their cousins. He ordered the men to make their way towards his location and sat on bit of wreckage. 

He wanted to make sure that his thoughts were clear before he said what he had thought. There was a voice at the back of his mind, urging him to usurp the authority he had been under for nearly two centuries. Right now it was getting louder and louder and more difficult to ignore. 

He waited as the remnants of his company joined him, some being aided by their brothers others with a look of sheer despondency on their faces. All with dented and broken bits of ceramite off their armour. 

“Brothers, it pains me to tell you this but we have been betrayed. Not by our enemies but by our own father” He got to his feet “Orders were to kill the watch tower then return to the _Pride of The Emperor_. We were left to die, the _Pride of the Emperor_ refused to pick us up, they had bigger fish to fry.”

“Brother Captain perhaps you read it wrong, our father would never leave us....” 

“Veroc, I got the message myself. The Primarch is clearing house, and we, as followers of the Dark Prince, have no place in his new ordered vision. So we will head for the nearest intact space port and get a vessel and get the hell out of here. We shall recuperate and then when we return we shall wreck a revenge on those that betrayed us”

The warriors gathered closed their eyes. Once they had been proud warriors, proud to call themselves the Sons of Fulgrim, but now, now they were pawns in a bigger game. Their fathers drive for perfection had never been lost on them, it was one of the most important tenants in their history, once he would have avenged any son of his who died, now he was culling them, as Lorgar had done with his Legion, as Vulkan had done with his, and so on and so forth, now Fulgrim sought to sacrifice them. This was not right, they had not defected to the war master, they had killed their own brothers in the beginning for daring to voice that the Emperor had gone mad. 

They had gone to see the Apothecary and been altered to fit in with the new direction of the Legion and now, now they were being used as scape goats and cannon fodder for the Primarchs drive for absolute power. Lucius read their thoughts as echoes of his own thoughts. He had killed his best friend to keep the Primarchs dream alive, he hadn't cared when he pulled the trigger on Saul, but now, now he keenly missed his advice, as regimented as he was, Saul spoke sense when he felt the need to listen. 

They formed a line as Lucius got down from his perch. He drew his sword and gripped it. “Let us leave, and anyone who gets in our way, Emperors Children who are anything other than any of our beloved company die as well as the enemy”


----------



## gothik

****​
The Celestial Lions first company moved silently through what had been the entrance hall, the sheer size and scale of the building now shattered and scattered memories. They walked over the bodies that had been crushed or eviscerated by falling debris. The Lion of Chemos could see the shattered and ruined vehicles on the concourse. Judging by the corpses that were piled around, some of them never made it to their vehicles. 

He stopped as the creaking of the metal gave him pause. It was a wounded beast struggling against the inevitable. At some point it was going to give up the struggle. 

*++My Lord++ *Krysanders voice came across his private vox.

*++Petor?++ *
*
++We are not alone here, movement tracked on the ruined third level++*

*++Surviving humans? Ultramarines?++ *He hoped so, after seeing their glorious flagship destroyed the sons of Gulliman needed a shot in the arm of hope.

*++No Lord,++* Krysanders voice lowered *++I believe not++*
*
++Have everyone move back into cover, lets see who it is++*

Although judging by the caution in Krysanders voice, he really did not need to guess. Every Celestial Lion moved into the shadows and waited. Eventually. Dented and battered power armoured bodies jumped down from the second and third level. Kaesorons eyes narrowed as his armours network told him who he was looking at. 

The image of Saul Tarvitz saving his life flashed through his memory and with a roar like a lion, he moved out from his cover and shoulder barged an already wounded Lucius in the back. If it had been ordinary power armour, Lucius might have been OK, but full plate terminator armour. What Kaesoron lacked in speed it more than made up for in power. 

At the sign from their Chapter Master, the 1st Company opened fire, cutting down their former brothers with no hesitation. Flamers on full, Bolter fire and the sounds of chain swords rising and falling cutting through meat, bone sinew and power armour. 

The Chapter master held Lucius by his neck and made him watch as every one of his brothers died.

“This!” Julius snarled “This is for what your Company did to those poor bastards who worked here, and this is for what you did to Saul” 

“Saul was one of Fulgrims favoured!” Lucius growled, his indifference to the fate of his men not lost on the Chapter Master “He was going to betray Fulgrim, just as Fulgrim betrayed us. You were right Julius” Lucius looked up at him, his face a mass of criss crossed scars, and blood, his nose broken once more. “But they are looking for you, they want your head”

“I shall gladly let them try” Julius snarled and picking Lucius up threw him across the debris splattered hall. 

“Fulgrim is here”

“I don't care!” Julius roared and moved towards the wounded 13th Captain. 

Lucius had never seen such fury on the former First Captains face, it was quite....exhilarating, but he did not revel in the emotion, he was going to be killed if he did not get away. Suddenly he was lifted in the air and pulled aboard a shuttle, a battered and bruised warrior of the 13th looked down at him.

Lucius could have kissed him there and then, a hundred men, they must have come too further away from the ruined main entrance. Their bolter fire sprayed around the Chapter Master, kicking up dirt and pinging off his massive Terminator Armour. 

*++I WILL HAVE YOU LUCIUS, ONE DAY I WILL HAVE YOU++

++BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME JULIUS DEAR++*

Julius cursed a thousand curses in all languages he knew. He removed his helm and threw it to the ground in frustration. Breathing through his clenched teeth he watched the shuttle until it was out of sight. 

Lucius lay back on the floor and let the Apothecary tend to him. He looked around at his company. A hundred men, that was all he had left. Damn the Emperor, Damn Saul Tarvitz and most of all Damn Fulgrim. 

_*Do you accept me now Lucius? Do you accept all I have to offer you and the gifts, should you prove worthy that will come to be yours?*_

Lucius nodded to himself and a yes growled deep in his throat, “Yes I do!”

In his mind the Laughter of a thirsting god drowned out his own thoughts and feelings.


----------



## gothik

****​


The Space Wolves led by their father scoured the ruins to the north. The damage here was just as visual as the one at the entranceway to the Veridian Anchor, except it was spread over a wider area. There was nothing for them to achieve here. The crackling came over his vox as static at first then once it cleared he heard it. Olafs' voice, he was calling for reinforcements at the township of Nicodem.

*++How many?++* Russ demanded *++Olaf can you hear me how many?++*

*++My Lord?++* the relief in the Space Wolfs voice was evident, he recovered himself quickly* ++I am down to 2000 men, the Emperors Children have taken the city of Numinous and...and there are no survivors. They have the entire first company with them as well as Titans and father...Fulgrim is with them++
*
Russ's eyes lit up and a feral snarl erupted from his throat. Fulgrim, that ponsy posing art loving fanatic. All the times he remembered how Fulgrim lorded it over his sons, his people and himself at how barbaric the children of Fenris were, how their mindset was so completely focused on violence that he was surprised any of them had crawled out of the primordial soup in the first place. 

In Fulgrims eyes Russ was nothing more than the Emperors attack dog, he was uncouth, had no education or love for the finer things in life. Well Russ was going to pay him back for those insults. If Chemos had been the harsh death world that Fenris was, where life was a constant struggle against the elements and the creatures and plants that called it their home, then he might not be so up his own arse about things. 

He turend as the Celestial Lions made their way towards him. Good Julius would come with him, Russ knew Fulgrim as a brother would, Julius knew his sons as a brother would. 

*++I am on my way Olaf, hold the township,++

++By your command Father++
*
Russ listened as Julius told him about the events at the entranceway and what Lucius had told him. 

“Do you believe him?” 

“Lucius will say and do anything to further his aims and his goals.” Julius replied with spite “Once upon a time he was a brother you could trust, too cock sure of himself, he even insulted the Mournival once and had his nose broken by Loken. His vanity collapsed on him and he became more self centred than he was. 

He is the best swordsman in the Emperors Children, after Fulgrim that is. But as much as I detest the idiot, on this I believe him. Fulgrim is clearing house, he wants those only loyal to him to survive this arena, and if he manages to inflict great damage on the Ultramarines and the Rout then so be it, another feather in his cap”

The Primarch let his wolves off their leash and began to stride towards his next goal and his appointed battle, one way or another Fulgrim was going to regret what he had started here. 


****​
The Primarch watched as the _Beta _came into view. His command throne raised above the masters seat, normally he wouldn't dream of usurping the Masters authority, but on this occasion, well it seemed fitting enough considering the message he had received on a Primarchs only channel. 

He watched as a Thunderhawk made its way across and rising from his seat motioned to Forrix to follow him. They entered the hanger bay just as the Thunderhawk was settling down. The Comrade didn't like the things, they were too bulky, not as streamlined as the Stormbird, still with Mannus taking over Mars there was not a lot he could do about it. He had to accept them for his own Legion so he could imagine how the others felt. 

The ramp lowered and he watched as Forrix and the rest of the Trident, and those in the hanger bay suddenly went down on one knee. As the figure emerged, taller than the rest of his legion a Primarch. 

“Alpharius...wait...” Perturabo frowned a little there was something....”Omeagon?”

“Yes Brother” Omeagon wearing the Primarchs armour, one that he had rarely worn, one that had remained hidden as part of the Emperors great design. “I am Omeagon, Primarch of the Alpha Legion and twin brother to Alpharius.”

Perturabos eyes widened a little, suddenly his mind put all the pieces together, all the mystery that had surrounded the Last Legion. When he thought about it, it made sense. 

“Where is Alpharius?” 

“Gone to serve the Emperor” Omeagon looked around him “Honour is received, thankyou” 

Perturabo stepped towards Omeagon and held out his hand, to which the younger twin Primarch took and was pulled into a welcome hug. 

“We have much to discuss” Perturabo stepped back, his hands on his lost brothers shoulders “Namely why let Alpharius rule when in truth it should have been both of you”

“In a sense it was, but Alpharius is the eldest and therefore seen as the master of the Legion.”

Perturabo dismissed his Triach and told Forrix to make the honour guard of the Alpha Legion comfortable, then led Omeagon away. Forrix walked over to a warrior dressed in the armour of the Effrit Squad.

“Twins?” he asked “The Alpha Legion was led by twins?”

“Not any more” Captain Ungaro Secht rumbled and removed his helm.

“So your Captain, was in fact a Primarch, did you all know about this?” 

“Of course we did, it was what made us how we are but now Cousin the rules have gone out the window. Alpharius has taken half the Legion and fought his own twin to rejoin the Emperors side. Omeagon sides with the Warmaster.”

Forrix walked with the Captain “Come Cousin, we have much to talk about ourselves and I would share an Olympian wine with you.”

Secht smirked a little. He, like all the Alpha Legion took after their Primarchs, the same facial structure, the only difference, was that whilst the Primarchs had a coppery tinge to their skin, the Legionnaires did not. Forrix immediately liked the Captain and the two walked ahead of the others engaged in their own conversation.


Perturabo listened in sheer disbelief as the Primarch told him what had happened aboard the Alpha. Alpharius, unable to reconcile his loyalty to the Emperor, with his loyalty to the Warmaster, if thre was ever such a thing ordered that the Alpha Legion join Lorgar and eventually the Emperor. Omeagon, still haunted by the battle on Racas and what had been lurking there disagreed, and not for the first time, the brothers came to blows, but this time, as the scar on his face showed, it was a sibling argument that did not end well. If it were not for the Effrit squad who took their beloved commander back to the Beta then Omeagon would be dead and Alpharius would have returned to the Emperor a Legion stronger. 

Perturabo rubbed his jaw a little, subterfuge and guile was the strong point of the Alpha Legion, more so than the Raven Guard but he sensed no lie, no deception, just a brother wanting to reconcile with his brothers and keep the Imperium as it had been, not as it would become. He told the Master to head for the location of the Vengeful Spirit, 

“Will you still call yourselves the Alpha Legion?” Perturabo asked. 

“I do not know yet, we were created to be the best at what we do but like everything else, nothing is certain any more.”

Perturabo remained silent, there was still so much to learnt about the Alpha Legion, no one knew from where they hailed, if they even had a home world or, if there was a more darker side to their creation. With one mystery solved it seemed there was more mysteries to solve. But for now, now he had to gain his brothers trust and he felt honoured that Omeagon had sought him out first. 

And that was the first step. 

****​


----------



## gothik

The _Pride of the Emperor_ sat amongst the other Emperors Children vessels that had appeared around Calth in the last two hours. She almost glowed with pride at her destruction of the Ultramarines flagship and the Space Wolves Flagship, what victory laurels would hang in the Heliopolis after this battle. She remained the protector as the Emperors Children fleet decimated the other defences, silenced the mighty guns with some losses but none that would alter the fact that the Emperors Children had Calth cut off from any other Ultramar world. The deaths of thousands of workers, Astartes and Mechanicum ensured that the Warp was bulging in the name of the Dark Prince. 

Fulgrim would be pleased with all that his mighty vessel had wrought. She was the pride of the Emperors vast arsenal and after this war was won, then she would rival the _Phalanx _in superiority within the Emperors fleet. As the last defence fell, he ordered that his ship be moved over the city of Gulliman This was where the majority of the Ultramarines were stationed, ready to do battle, ready to die.

He would give them that wish. He ordered that once they were in position a targeting solution be found to find the weak spots in the crust of the planet, just enough to destroy the capital. 

“My Lord”

He turned his head lazily towards the helms-woman “What?”

“My lord, the_ Andronius_ has gone”

“She is attaining her position”

“No my lord....she is nowhere in sight, she is gone”

Desenius rose from his command throne and moved to the holo-map, he looked at the runes that indicated the rest of the Emperors Children fleet, but the helms-woman was correct, of the _Andronius_ there was no sign, her rune had just vanished. 

Then another, the _Chemos_, and another the _Yvona,_ the name of Fulgrims adoptive mother gone. Something out there was hunting them, there were no alarms, no call for aid, whomever was hunting them, hunted like the perfect predator. Unseen, unhindered and struck quickly. 

The Vox officer informed him that there was a message for him, he nodded, wondering if it was the captains of the missing vessels. It wasn't, but the voice that came across the Vox sent ice born chills down the spine of every mortal on board, fear was not a word used for Astartes but even this voice gave them pause.

“Lord Commander Desenius” The deep grave like tone calmly spoke, “We have come for you”

Before the Lord Commander could react, stunned by the words of a Legion that was one of their own the _Nightfall_ came into view. 

*“READY ALL WEAPONS, RAISE VOID SHIELDS TAKE THAT CADAVEROUS BASTARD OUT!”*

As the crew rushed to respond to their Lord Commander Desenius began to wonder if the Night Lords had finally gone mad, overstepped their already blood soaked path, or if the Emperor had sent them to punish the Primarch and his sons, as he had done so, so many times before. 

“Get a message to the Primarch, tell him that the Night Haunter is here and he is attacking us!”

“I am trying Lord” The Vox Officer panicked a little “But our communications are blocked.”

Desenius swore and retook his command throne his gauntleted hands gripped the arm rests, he told the Apothecaries to be ready for casualties, no answer. 

“Bile!” 

Still no answer when an answer did come it was his senior Captain Kelson. 

“The Apothecaries left on the_ Perfection of the Phoenician_ My Lord Commander”

“What? Who ordered that? I was told to ensure the children and their Guardians left the vessel no one else!”

Kelson had no answer but Desenius knew, he didn't want to admit it to anyone, but he knew. That slithering worm Bile had taken the opportunity to go with the children. Unless...the more he thought about it the more it seemed to fit. 

The _Pride of the Emperor_ was Fulgrims ship, his pride and joy. It had not seemed important at the time, in a space battle it was only natural that the Primarch would want to protect his Legions future but had the Primarch known? They say that the sons of the Emperor could sense when one of their brothers was around, did the Primarch know that the Night Lords father was here? 

A horrible feeling sat in the pit of his stomach, the last tine he had felt like this was as a boy, when his sister had been killed alongside his parents, when he had been found he was over the dead body of the murderer that had taken their lives. That day his mortal life ended and his new life began as a son of Fulgrim. 

It was the same feeling over again, a man betraying his childhood, a Primarch betraying his sons. Was the Primarch so paranoid that he saw treason where none was. It was a question that he would later ask, even if, like Verona, it cost him his head. Right now he had another flagship to contend with and not just any flagship. 

The Night Lords were not alone and as he readied himself for battle his screen lit up with several more vessels coming into formation around their fathers vessel. 

“Oh shit”


----------



## gothik

*****​

The city of Gulliman had already finished its preparations for defence. Marius Gage inspected the defences personally, here and there he altered a few positions but all in all, everything seemed perfect. He knew that fighting a war against a Legion that no long held the rules of engagement to their hearts was going to descend into their favour, but, not if he allowed it too. They had already lost too much these last couple of weeks. 

He was joined by Princeps Tyros and his brothers. Briefly but fully the Princeps outlined his plans for battle. Gage stopped him in mid flow. “You will be needed for defence Tyros until I say otherwise”

“With all due respect Chapter Master, my Warhounds are ready to take the fight to them”

“With all due respect Princeps, I want the Warhounds in defence, I do not know if they have titans with them or Warhounds or anything else, until I say otherwise you will cover the Ultramarines in defence of the city”

The Princeps swallowed his retort and bowed his head stiffly then walked away with his brothers muttering under his breath. Gage respected the Princeps brotherhood and sisterhood, but sometimes their aloofness made him want to curse. They always thought they were better than the common soldier, sometimes they thought they were better than the Astartes and above their orders. 

He supposed that being in command of a mighty machine like a Titan or a Warhound made them think like that, but he had seen too many fall to pride, and the Emperors Children were guilty of that more so than others, he would not have anyone under his command be too prideful to take on menial tasks as they saw it. 

Every task had its import, and the sooner Princeps Tyros and his people knew that, the better. He continued with his inspection. The Space Wolf Bjorn was looking over the rise. Gage joined his side and clasped his hands behind his back.

“Something caught your attention Bjorn?” 

Bjorn nodded but still remained silent, every so often he sniffed the air as if processing something that was beyond even Marius's enhanced senses. Then again the Space Wolves had senses that even defied those outside the Wolves. Like the wolves they took their name from, they operated both in a pack and alone. 

Barbarians they may be to some, but sometimes their violence was needed in battles like this. For this would be no battle fought by Ultramarine standards that much was certain, especially if the battle of Carenn was anything to go by and the subsequent skirmishes. 

Gage was fuming on the inside but he was not sure who he was more angry at. The Emperors Children for all the destruction they wrought, reports had come in informing him that the Orbital Ring was in ruins and if they survived this, it would take years to repair. The Emperor for turning the tenements of the Crusade upside down or the Primarch for deciding to argue with the Warmaster over a second Imperium when they hadn't finished saving the first one. 

There was no one more loyal to the Ultimate Warrior than Marius Gage, but even he had seen sense in the Warmasters argument, they couldn't afford to be divided, not now. Still he had seen the sense in his Primarchs words and was grateful for fortune giving him the Celestial Lions, no matter how much they must be torn inside, and the sons of Fenris with their father, the mighty Wolf King himself. 

He was about to ask Bjorn again when the Space Wolf stood straighter and a snarl emitted from his throat. Following the direction the Wolf was looking Gage saw them. An entire Company of Night Lords. The Chapter Master and the Space Wolf exchanged glances wondering if the Night Lords were in league with the Emperors Children or if they had their own agenda. Whatever it was, the expression on the Chapter Masters face was thunderous. He barely had the men and women to fight the Emperors Children, he had no wish to engage the Night Lords either.

“I knew they were bastards” Bjorn snarled “but I didn't think they were carrion”

Gage understood the Wolf Guards annoyance, he had not forgotten the insult that Curze had dealt to his Primarch and how his words had haunted Gulliman ever since. He saw some of his men and Bjorns men ready to intercept. Surprisingly though the Night Lords stopped and did nothing. The Astartes at the head of the company removed his helm to reveal a pale faced Astarte with piercing blue eyes and a shock of black hair done into a tight top knot 

*“I am Captain Ferok Taron, Captain of the Night Lords 23rd Company”* What he said next was not what the Chapter Master or member of the Wolf Guard was expecting *“We offer our assistance in this battle and this battle alone.”
*
His voice whilst deep was not shouted but could be heard across the distance between them. Gage could hardly believe what he had just heard. 

“Let him and two others pass, I want to hear what he has to say” Gage ordered.

“This should be interesting” Bjorn muttered. 

Gage nodded in agreement, this would be very interesting indeed.


Taron ignored the glares he got from the other assembled Astartes, he cared little about what they thought of him or his Legion, he was here under orders from his father, and, as much as it galled him to do this, he knew there was a bigger picture at hand and the vengeance of the Night Lords and the Night Haunter was and would be paramount. 

Gage stood with a cold expression across his face, Bjorn by his side, both interested in what had to be said, but neither willing to take anything at face value. 

“So Captain Taron, you know Captain Bjorn the Fell-handed?” 

“I know him” Taron replied and set his helm on his belt. His two Sergeants stood behind him but away from him, their presence alone a warning, not that it had gone unnoticed by the Chapter Master or Wolf Guard. “I have been ordered by my Lord Curze to assist you in this battle only, after it is fought we will go our separate ways.”

“What I want to know is what are the Night Lords doing on Calth! We are not anything to do with your Lord! This is a world of Roboute Gulliman!” Gage demanded. 

“We followed the Emperors Children here,”

“Why are the Night Lords helping us?” Bjorn wanted to know “You are part of the Emperors forces!”

Ferok met the Wolf Guards gaze and held it “Not any more”

“You expect us to believe that?” Bjorn jeered “My father would never believe that!”

“We lost our home world to the World Bearers under the order of the Emperor” Taron snapped his voice quivering a little, he brought it under control.

“Nostramo is gone?” Gage asked in disbelief, another world, destroyed, this was madness. “Why?”

“That is none of your concern Chapter Master” Taron closed his eyes for a moment “Know this, we do not fight for the Emperor but neither do we fight for the Warmaster, our path is ordained differently. The Night Lords are here to aid you, take it or leave it, judging by the losses the Ultramarines have sustained so far, I would have thought you would have accepted all the help you can get”

As much as Gage disliked the idea, the Night Lord was correct and what made it more irritating he knew he was correct. That still didn't answer the question he had originally asked. “What makes you Night Lords think you can just come to a world of Ultramar like its your own hunting ground?”

Taron turned his back and put his helm on “We shall remain separate from your forces Chapter Master, we shall respect your battle doctrine as long as you respect our privacy. The moment one of your forces fires on us the truce is off. Be thankful that the Night Lords have no quarrel with either of you today.”

“Is that supposed to scare me?” Bjorn stepped forward.

“I don't care if it does or doesn't. We have not come for you therefore you are not our target” and with that he walked away back towards his company. 

“Nostraman wanker” Bjorn growled incredulously “How dare they...”

“We will need them, anything else, well that can wait, sometimes Bjorn you have to dance with the devil to stay in the game.”

“Interesting analogy”

“In this case true”

“I will be watching them”

“As will I” Bjorn assured and went outside to join his men.


----------



## gothik

9.​

Squad Trueze watched the Emperors Children as they roamed the wreckage of Numerion City, taking prisoners to work on their vessels or whatever else they might use them for. Along the city walls the dead Ultramarines were splayed for the carrion to take, their gene seed taken by the sons of Fulgrim, for what reason the silent Sergeant didn't really understand, Resik did. He joined his Sergeants side and watched the grisly work before them. 

“They want the Ultramarine gene seed for themselves Mikhail.”

“I can see that Tor but for what end?”

“How better to demoralise your enemy then have that which houses their honour, their pride, their strength work for you and against all they are. He wants to rebuild his Legion but will use whatever means necessary to do it.”

“But won't they be half breeds? Ostracised?” Neros Larion joined them both “Despised by their brothers?”

“Maybe, maybe not, they will have the tactical acumen of Gulliman imbued with their drive for perfection of Fulgrim. A pretty good mix when you think about it, if it works” Mikhail muttered.

“And he has Bile, if any tosser can make it work then he can” Resik shook his head a little. 

“This disturbs you Tor?” Larion asked. 

“Only to the point that no warrior should have a fate like that which they have lined up. The Emperor has lost control of Fulgrim, he thought he could control us and that backfired on him when he sent Lorgar to destroy all that we held close. Fulgrim? I bet he didn't see that one coming”

Trueze cocked his head a little, listening to what only he could hear. He acknowledged the call and continued observing the fires and the scene below. 

“Captain Ferok has joined the rebels at Gulliman, they were not welcomed with open arms”

“Did he expect them to be?” Larion arched an eyebrow “If he did then he is a fool”

“He held his own, he always does”

“How much longer are we to sit here and do nothing Mikhail?” 

“We wait for First Company those are our orders. In the meantime we observe, and plan, Indra, Palaras I want you both to scout around the north side, stay out sight and send me detailed reports of what is going on in there”

“Ave Dominous Nox” They saluted and moved off. 

“You think our new brothers will measure up?” Brother Osten joined his Sergeant and his other two brothers. 

“If not, then they will die. Lets just make sure they don't get any Night Lord Gene seed”

“Fulgrim will think we have come to aid him” Larion sounded certain.

“I am not so sure” Trueze remarked “He does not forget how he treated our father when our father confided in him,. Fulgrim was Curze's mentor, something like that our Liege is not going to forget.”

“What did Fulgrim do?” Larion asked a little puzzled. 

“He betrayed our father when our father had entrusted him with his own secrets.” Trueze narrowed his eyes “For these field of battle only we aid the forces of the Warmaster” The Sergeants enhanced vision focused on the wall ramparts and saw the head of the dead Ultramarines Captain “And watch demi-gods war”

The Night Lord squad melded back into the shortening shadows of their cover and waited. When the Night Lords had finished their business in the heavens then they would finish their business here. He hoped it would not be too long because the real enemy was a god that thought he was the true right hand of a traitor Emperor, and there were over a billion reasons for him to be proved wrong. He hadn't expected the Ultramarines and Rout to be happy about the Night Lords being on Calth, but then again with the losses they had taken the old Terran adage, beggars couldn't be choosers seemed to fit perfectly. He supposed by now that the Wolf King would know of their presence, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it. 

He had seen the changes that had overcome some of the Word Bearers, they were the Gal Vorbrek, Lorgars favoured as he and his brothers were the Night Haunters favoured, it had disgusted him but at the same time fascinated him, so much power in one body, thankfully his love for his father outweighed any bargain a daemon might sway him and seeing what had become of the once proud Emperors Children had made him see he had made the right choice. 

The Night Haunter did not want any of his sons to make deals with daemons, if they did then – well they knew the consequences. Daemons were not to be trusted, no matter what they promised, some Legions knew this better than others and Lorgar, curse that monks name, believed he could control them, but he had sent his sons into the warp and they lost their essence, died and came back as something more, elevating them to a position higher then any 1st Captain or Chaplain, but no longer wholly human. 

He had shared a theoretical conversation with Argel Tal once or twice, the man was intelligent and charismatic, but by allowing these creatures into his body, he had lost the spark and the essence that made him more than these creatures. Trueze did not want that, if he was to die in this civil war, then he would do so as a complete son of Curze, not as a undead demons plaything. 

Seeing the Emperors Children enforced that. Whatever unethical experimentations that Bile was doing in his Primarchs name had ensured his prominence in the Legions hierarchy, but their insistence on having that Dark Prince or Queen or whatever the hell that god was as their patron, well that proved to be a mistake. Some of the sons of Fulgrim were rebelling, rebelling against the Emperor and their Primarch. 

He allowed a smile to cross his face, a rare one which prompted Resik to ask him what was humorous.

“If there is a god or goddess called Karma brother,” Trueze turned to look at his Apothecary “then Fulgrim is going to have her visit several fold.”

*****​


----------



## gothik

*****​
The _Pride of the Emperor _was holding her own to start with, despite several hits from the Night Lords she still managed to leave three of them crippled, but the_ Nightfall_ had yet to make its move, when she did it was one that no one would ever forget. As the Nightfall began to move she targeted the engines of the_ Pride of the Emperor_. Followed by a strike to the main batteries. 

Sevatarion watched as the Master of the _Nightfall_, Derian Neso, a newly promoted woman from the ranks expertly targeted all the firing solutions to go off at certain intervals. The Navigator finally had someone in the Command Throne, whom, aside from the Primarch, understood how this mighty vessel worked. 

She was an attractive woman, pale skinned like all native Nostramans but her hair was a dark red, her eyes a piercing green that looked more like cats eyes the way they seemed to light up in the limited lighting of the _Nightfall._

The _Nightfall_ let off another salvo missing a return from the _Pride of The Emperor_. However a second return hit against the void shields. She cursed and shook her head. Sevatar stood beside her and rested a hand on the back of the throne. 

“Don't worry Mistress, they had to get one in sooner or later.” 

He liked this woman, she was not afraid of any Astartes and it had turned out that her great-great-great Uncle was one of the Night Lords Dreadnoughts, Ancient Heronados. She was not afraid to tell the Primarch if he was wrong although she did it in a respectful manner, and she brokered no distension on the bridge. 

When the Primarch or First Captain were not in attendance her word was law, more often than not Sevatar deferred to her. The previous master had died after the affair with the Ravens, he had attacked the Fourth Captain in a fit of madness, although what had brought that on was anyone’s guess. The Dark King had chosen this lady himself.

He wanted someone who would not be afraid to tell him if he was wrong, it showed him they had guts and big steel ones...or in her case imaginary ones, that their concern was for the safety of his vessel and she had ticked all the boxes, of course it helped that she had an ancestor who had been a Night Lord and still was. 

Sevatar had offered to take her to see her vaunted ancestor, as of yet she had refused and he respected her decision. Sometimes it was better not to see. 

“The Primarch wishes you to meet him when you are ready Lord. First Company are already ground side waiting.”

“I do not think the sons of Russ or Gage are going to be happy to see us Mistress.”

“They should be grateful for the help Jago” 

“Are our squads aboard?” 

“All Squads minus one, Squad Gasterious have not made it, and we believe they may have been shot down in the initial salvo.”

“OK. Cease fire for the moment, let our squads do their job , our father may yet take the ship for one of his own, obviously after a makeover.”

“That would incense Fulgrim” She replied with a smile creasing the corner of her mouth.

“Exactly. Sometimes destroying them isn't the way to demoralise them, take the vessel as a prize of war...well it'll piss them off.”

“And Konrad does like to piss people off” She quietly said. 

Sevatar smirked a little, she was the only one, aside from the Remembrancer Justin who could refer to the Primarch by his name, not that they spoke it in public, that would just be disrespectful. But she had earnt the respect and unless she did something silly that would irk the Primarch then she would always have it. 


The crew on the_ Pride of the Emperor_ were the strangest configuration of people that the invading Night Lords had ever seen. They were used to people running from them, begging for mercy or shooting at them. But these were standing waiting to be killed, a look of pure ecstasy written across their faces. When Limbs were cut from their bodies they didn't cry in pain, more like begged for more, not wanting the sensations to end. Now full of revulsion, the Night Lords made their way towards the bridge, cutting down anything in their path, going midnight clad to avoid ambushes and teach their cousins the meaning of loyalty.

Every area they passed has some strange symbol daubed on the walls and it hurt their eyes to look at them, so concentrated on killing human and Astartes alike. Every squad sergeant ordered that they not look at the flags, if they did and started exhibiting strange behaviour their eyes would be ripped out so that they didn't have to look upon them any more. 

Several Night Lords fell victim to the Emperors Children, but they died as warriors. The Night Lords battled on, eventually coming to the bridge. They were met with a barrage of bolter fire, but still they came, partly wanting to secure the bridge and partly to allow their dead to be transported back to the _Nightfall_. They were not about to leave them on this corrupted vessel. 

And corrupted she was. 

As Sergeant Harwell cut his enemies down, he could taste the foul tang of corruption, not the Emperors corruption, but something altogether more sinister and alien. Something that opened up even an Astartes bassist desires, desires long since expunged with the need for battle. The Lord Commander Desenius judging by his rune had already killed two squads but even he was getting tired.

Harwell ducked under a clumsy swing and brought his elbow up under the Lord Commanders jaw, he threw him over his shoulders and onto the navigation console. Desenius got to his feet and wiped his mouth, his helm long since gone. 

“Nostraman thug, we are supposed to be on the same side! Fulgrim will have your fathers hide for this and take it to the Emperor himself!” He snarled spitting a broken tooth out. 

Harwell ducked again and rising up head butted the Lord Commander “We do not care Chemos dandy. We are no longer your allies, nor are we the Emperors lackeys, We have come for you!” he pronounced every word as he pummelled the Lord Commanders perfect face. “We have come for you and your sick twisted brothers and your father!” 

*++Harwell++
*
He heard the voice in his earpiece, the voice of death itself, and one that made his twin heats beat faster.

*++Father?++

++How corrupted is this vessel?++

++Beyond redemption Liege++

++Return to the Nightfall with our honoured dead, the Nightfall will take care of this++*

Harwell relayed his fathers direct order and stepped back. “The last thing you will see cousin is the death of your legions pride”

Within ten minutes the Night Lords had left the_ Pride of the Emperor_, they watched in the stolen Stormbirds as the _Nightfall_ made a majestic sweep round. Desenius roared his anger as she bore down on his fathers ship and blew her into oblivion. 


*****​


----------



## gothik

*****​

The explosion in the heavens lit up the evening sky. Every Emperors Child across the planet suffered a loss of connection to the flagship instantaneously. Demeter, watching the fires burn around him, found his gaze drawn to the bright glow in the sky and heaved a sigh. She was gone now, he didn't feel anything about it. Just that it was the right thing to do. His men were scouring the now ruined city, already they had brought out numerous civilians, wealthy and otherwise. Their defiance soon broke down when the saw how the Emperors Children had destroyed their defenders. Some were set aside for slave labour, others were not so lucky or maybe they were lucky, depended on their point of view really. 

It was enough for them to see the purple and gold Astartes in their midst, but to see the towering figure of a Primarch standing in judgement over them, well those that were too old to be of any use keeled over, their hearts giving out. They had died in the sight of perfection, that should have been an honour to them. Others were taken away into the only building standing, the Central Government building, to be taken to the Primarchs new vessel when he deemed it necessary. Those that stood defiant, well he had to admire their funny human eccentricities, they were killed and tossed on the already burning pyres.

The stench of burnt flesh, human and Astartes mingled to hang heavily in the air, buildings cascaded in on themselves as their foundations eventually gave up the battle. As the new First Captain watched the city die his thoughts were elsewhere, Julius was here, they didn't have a chance to finish their battle before, Solomon was not what he was now. The screams of the dying or of terror, oh what sweet music it was to his raging heart, and he would add Kaesoron to that choir. He could picture every moment of their previous fight, now he would complete what had been started, then and only then maybe his soul would rest. 

Fulgrim stood guardian over the dying city but he was no longer watching the prisoners fates he was looking to the horizon, his fists clenching and unclenching. The last time Demeter had seen him act like that, was when he had heard of Vairosean and Kaesorons betrayal of him. A scan of the system before arrival had shown no sign of the Eidolon, Vairoseans cutter was long gone, but to where was anyone’s guess. Even so, he wanted to draw his closest brother in, show him that there was a way back to Primarch, all he had to do was acknowledge the Primarch before any other, and that included the Emperor, for they were sons of Fulgrim, not sons of the Emperor, he was their grandfather, but a distant one, one that no longer strode the stars, one that preferred to stay on Terra. Fulgrim, their father, he strode amongst them, he fought with them, and the companies that did not fight with the Primarch physically, fought with him in their hearts. 

They were perfection perfected and if he could have made Marius see that then maybe he would not have betrayed the Primarch in such a way. Demeter continued watching the horizon waiting his fathers orders. That annoying voice gone now, and had been for several hours, he didn't miss it and could barely remember what it was. 

The sound of the mewling humans was suddenly drowned out by another sound, distant but getting closer with every heartbeat. Every Astarte knew that sound and Fulgrims eyes remained fixed on the north. A sardonic smile creased his lips as the sound steadily grew louder. The wolves were coming and the biggest howl told him what he had been hoping to hear...The Wolf King was here.

****​


----------



## neferhet

damn, you write a lot!  
silly question: do you know where this is going or you follow the path chapter after chapter? (just curious)


----------



## gothik

****​

Russ entered the Town of Nicodem to see Emperors Children bodies scattered around some dead, some still living. He saw maybe a dozen dead Wolves but he also saw someone else waiting for him. A growl emitted from deep in his throat and he gripped mighty Mjalnar, a blade forged from the teeth of the great Kraken Gormenjarl, a mighty frost blade that all Primarchs knew belonged to Leman Russ, for only he could wield such a blade. 

He moved towards his brother death intent in his steps, Curze folded his arms across his chest. Not as powerfully built as the Wolf King, but the Dark King was still intimidating. He stepped to one side to allow Russ to see that the Night Lord Apothecaries were tending to the wounded Space Wolves, those that were dead had their gene seed collected and given to Curze, who in turn returned them to the lord of all Fenris. 

Sevatar moved to one knee as Russ's presence encompassed all. The Wolf King gave a barely perceptible nod of acknowledgement and they rose. The First Captain walked to the back and returned, a steadying arm around the one armed Sergeant Olaf. 

“Olaf” Russ moved to his son and sheathed Mjalnar he crouched down. Seeing the look in the Sergeants eyes he saw what had befallen the company. “Did they die well?”

“They died with honour and they died as sons of Fenris” Olaf pointed to the banner that now sat with the remaining warriors of the 67th. Russ listened as his sergeant recounted the tale of Juffars last battle. A Space Wolf from the Thunderfist clan, one of the first inducted into the star warriors after Russ had returned to them when his time with his true father had finished. 

He had been a ferocious son of a bitch then, as all peoples of Fenris whether male or female were, for Fenris was a harsh mistress and a distant mother. The strong survived, the weak did not, it was the rules of the world they called home, and would look too for guidance on planets whose stars shone brilliantly in the night sky. 

The Primarch rested a giant hand on his sons shoulder “I will leave you in the care of the Wolf Priests, they will tend to you and your brothers so that you will fight again. I will also name you Ruffars replacement.”

Olaf cocked his head a little “The gods saw fit to give me two arms my liege, I can still fight”

Russ laughed, a great booming laugh “That you can Olaf of the Beras but not this time, this time the wolves need all their brothers fit.”

“Then listen my Lord, the Night Lords saved us,” The last word stuck in the Sergeants throat “They took the slack when my brothers fell. The foul sons of Chemos are more powerful than we gave them credit, even we could not defeat all of them.”

Russ nodded and motioned for Wolf Priest Surgjarl to come forward and aid Olaf. He stood to his full height and face his brother. The mistrust between them brewing like a Fenrisian storm. Still he had stopped his sons from being slaughtered. He had lost enough already.

“What are you doing on Gullimans lands” Russ demanded. 

“I have not come for you Leman” Curze quietly spoke “I have come for Fulgrim”

Russ arched an eyebrow “You expect me to believe that? You are the Emperors chosen why would I believe that you have come for Fulgrim?”

“How safe is Fenris Russ?” Curze asked. 

It was then that Leman noticed the silver arm from the elbow down. He met his brothers dark eyes and curled his top lip “Are threatening me Curze?”

“How safe is Fenris?” Curze asked again and began to pace “If a fleet of the Emperors fleet appeared in orbit around her would she survive?” he didn't give his brother a chance to answer “I thought Nostramo was safe, her defences enough to keep her from harms way, I was wrong. I failed our god ascending father. When Angron broke the back of the one eyed king, father punished him in ways that I cannot even begin to describe. When the Lion failed him by alerting Perturabo too soon to the Emperors wishes for him, he punished him by sending him away from the Palace to seek atonement, I failed him by leaving the dead to stay dead.”

“What are you rambling about” Russ snarled, his two wolves sensing their brothers mood began to growl, he shushed them.

“He sent Lorgar to destroy my world. A whole fleet of Word Bearers destroyed Nostramo and there was nothing I could do for I was in a deep sleep.” Curze looked at his silver arm for a moment

“Nostramo is gone?” Russ could not believe it, he was not sure he wanted to believe it. He had no love for the Night Lords and even less for his brother, but, well every Primarchs Home word was a source of their power, where their Legions would continue to thrive as long as their Home worlds stood. 

If what Curze told him was true, then unless the Night Lords found another world suited to their physiology, they would die out once the newest Aspirants were trained. It might not be a bad thing, all things considered but even so, even Russ felt his brothers anger. 

“He sent it as a warning to all of us, those that are in his inner circle and those that defy him, look at what I can do, it says and we do as he says for fear of loosing our worlds, our little empires forged in days before he came to reunite with us” Curze spat the last words out in disgust “I come for Fulgrim for he betrayed my trust.”

Lemans brow creased a little, making him appear more wolfish then human, wondering what his mad brother was ranting about, then slowly he remembered. When Curze had struck Dorn, before all this madness began; Fulgrim had gone to offer council, to understand why Curze would break one of fathers rules. Curze had told him about his waking nightmares, his visions of what was to come and what might come to pass. Crippling visions that left him weakened for hours, sometimes days. 

Fulgrim told all of the others that their pale skinned brother was a Psyker, a witch and with the exception of Mortarion and Horus, none of them looked at Curze in the same way. Whilst Russ distrusted and hated Curze, he understood that, like Angron, his brothers psyche had been fractured beyond repair. Angron was just a violent psychopath, Curze was a sociopath, one who had never felt any affection from or for his father, until his father seemingly recognised the Night Lords talents. More so in the new fucked up universe. 

Now it seemed that the Emperor had turned his back on his ordered son and destroyed his home world, much as he turned his back on Adonis and Charion...he pushed the names from his mind, but Curze had read his brothers expression perfectly.

“He sent you and Angron to reign them in but even you felt uneasy at such an act. I saw what happened with Adonis as Corax saw that happened with Charion.” Curze stopped pacing and stood before his brother “I am not one of the Emperors slaves any longer, I am a Primarch without a home, but the mistake he made was leaving me alive. I will not fight his battles, I fight my own. My path is paved with vengeance and blood. But I will also not fight for the Warmaster and his allies. For that is not what I am wrought to be. No Leman I will fight alongside you because vengeance demands it. 

You answered the call for aid as honour dictates that you rally to your brother Roboute, I do it because I have the anger of 37 million people screaming in my head. I will put aside my animosity towards you and Gulliman for this battle alone, will you do the same?”

Russ walked away and stood at the entrance to the ruined township. He surveyed the plateau before him and rubbed his jaw “What do you have in mind?”

Curze nodded to himself. It was the closest he was going to get to a truce from the Wolf King. It would do.


----------



## gothik

neferhet said:


> damn, you write a lot!
> silly question: do you know where this is going or you follow the path chapter after chapter? (just curious)


i know where this is going, sometimes i have walked away for a few hours thought about it and followed the last chapter, but this one i know where it is going. doesn;t always work that way i am strange like that.:grin:


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## Over Two Meters Tall!

Wow. For reading's sake, would you mind putting in an additional carriage return or a line of hash-marks when you're switching from one perspective to another. The storytelling is excellent, but sometimes it takes a few lines to catch on that the character perspective has changed.

I'd also like to thank you for not waiting until November :good:


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## gothik

Over Two Meters Tall! said:


> Wow. For reading's sake, would you mind putting in an additional carriage return or a line of hash-marks when you're switching from one perspective to another. The storytelling is excellent, but sometimes it takes a few lines to catch on that the character perspective has changed.
> 
> I'd also like to thank you for not waiting until November :good:


hmm may have to go back and check it all, usually do leave it a carriage return extra, maybe it doesn't translate well on here.....hmmm. Yes i am glad too, once Vulkan told me where he wanted the general direction to be, and i thought of the ramifications from Renegades 10 then it just flowed.

Glad you enjoying it.


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## Ecumene

This is beautiful, Gothik. Really beautiful. Gorgeous. Magnificent. Splendor. Your writing skills are always great, but in this novel you reached the pinnacle, closed the perfection. Keep going, I am greatly looking forward next chapters.:so_happy:


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## gothik

Ecumene said:


> This is beautiful, Gothik. Really beautiful. Gorgeous. Magnificent. Splendor. Your writing skills are always great, but in this novel you reached the pinnacle, closed the perfection. Keep going, I am greatly looking forward next chapters.:so_happy:


thanks much appreciated glad you like it.


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## gothik

will be taking a week or so hiatus from this, mainly because i started a new Job today and wiil be working twilights as ASDAS call it, so will work on it again when i have settled into my new job and my body clock has adjusted.


----------



## gothik

10​
Julius made his way to the side of the great Wolf King and cleared his throat a little. The Primarch glanced down and arched an eyebrow, the only sign he wanted to know what the former 1st Captain of the Emperors Children wanted with him.

“My lord, I ask one boon from you”

“Oh?” Russ was intrigued. 

Julius was glad at the moment that he was not as tall as a Primarch, he might have lost the will to ask what he had wanted to ask since they started out on this walk. 

“I would ask that we, the Celestial Lions deal with the new first company” 

Russ stopped walking, his attention fully grabbed now. Julius had arrived just as Russ and Curze had finished speaking. Haffrenger, one of the Routs Veteran Sergeants had told the new Chapter Master that the Night Lords, for the moment were their allies. It would appear that Nostramo was gone, at the orders of the Emperor. 

Julius had been intrigued, the Wolf King was not known for his ability to play well with others, he was the walking embodiment of the lone wolf moniker. Something must have allowed him to agree to this, it would have had to have been a persuasive argument. The same sort of persuasiveness that he hoped would work now. He had worked with the Rout before, he had got to know their mindsets, and they may not have worked well with others, but they appreciated when a wrong needed to be righted. 

“Well?” Russ asked, his voice a deep well of rage and violence, kept in check by a tightly forged pack mentality. 

“The Emperors Children's new first captain, Solomon Demeter, I owe him for the lives he has taken, and if my lord uncle wills it, I want to send him to hell, lord.”

“So, a personal vendetta?” Russ chuckled and clapped his huge paw against the Chapter Masters pauldron, almost knocking him off his feet “I think some of our ways are rubbing off on you Julius Kaesoron”

“I have always admired the sons of Fenris my lord.” Kaesoron admitted “and I have been wrong about them, what I saw as many of my brothers in my former legion, was a legion of barbaric bastards who would eat and drink themselves into a stupor and only ever did the work of the Emperor when he need attack dogs.” Julius raised his gaze a little “I was wrong my lord, and I apologise. I now see that whilst the Rout is not as civilised as the sons of Chemos or the sons of Dorn, they have a skill that few of us have. Aside from the Lunar Wolves, I have not seen such a pack mentality, and that Lord is what binds you. That’s more than some Legions can say.”

“You are aware of a wolf packs hierarchy?” Russ asked.

“Yes lord. A female wolf is usually the alpha. They are a matriarchal society run by an alpha female and one alpha male, both of whom have exclusive mating rights.”

“As there are no women in the Legions, that goes to the wayside, but I assure you Julius, in the tribes of Fenris, amongst the humans, it is the women that rule the roost. I have seen many a man rather face the wrath of the Kraken, then go home and tell his wife there is no food for the table. A Fenrisian woman’s wrath is enough to stoke the fires of vengeance in the mate who disappointed her and lead him to do more to please her. I am the alpha and I respect your need for vengeance. So be it, Fulgrim is mine, his first company is yours and yours alone.”

“My thanks, my lord.”

“I will send Garvok with you, to help make the numbers up, however he will follow your orders, you call yourselves Lions now Kaesoron, Lions did not give up their pride so easily, nor did they give up their territory. You will have to adapt and forget some of the things you knew as a son of Fulgrim. 

Your former friend is gone, whatever he is now, is not the man you remember, he is not the man you called brother and he is not the man you would stand side by side with. He must be stopped and culled, as any Lion would an interloper or challenger. He is going to want your head to present to his bastard father. You are going to have to want the same, but take heed from my sons. There can be no pity, no remorse.”

Julius nodded and stood a little taller “There will be none my lord, you have my word on that”

“It is not me you have to impress Chapter Master, it is the men that still follow you and the man who looks back at you in the mirror every morning. Now as Chapter Master, you are also privy to other plans. By now you are aware that the Night Lords are amongst us?” Julius nodded once.

He had seen the Night Lord first company as he had rejoined the Rout and their King. He had also seen The Night Haunter in hushed toned conversations with the lord of Fenris. As soon as the father of the Nostraman Sons caught the former Emperors Children’s first captains gaze, a slight sneer crossed his face. Julius had no idea what it was all about, or what it was for, all he did know was that in recent decades. The Night Lords relationship with the Emperors Children, that had been as close as any they could cultivate, had soured. Julius did not know why, all he did know was that there had been an altercation between his father and his uncle, other than that, he had nothing more to go on. 

“We are to attack as the sun sets, I will be sending in some skirmishers, gives Curze a chance to position his men. The Night Lords fight better in the low light of night anyway, and we “wolves” can see as well in any light, day or night.”

“That will not please Fulgrim, he likes to show off to his enemy, belittle them with his splendour and his glory, it is his way.” Julius mused. 

“I do not intend to give him the chance. His Legion has become a gaggle of deranged killers and hedonists. Their depravities rank amongst things that I, and my brothers, thought long gone from the sons we changed.” Russ shook his head in disgust. He had heard about the more extreme elements of the Legion and what they were now, engaged in to feed their habits. “Whilst Curze and I take the fight to Fulgrim, what do you suppose he will be doing to make sure we are kept occupied?”

Julius scowled for a moment, thinking, and pondering, then he realised, his fathers words had been to take the young of his conquered enemies. Julius glanced up at the Wolf King, his stone wolfen features broke into a sly smile and he nodded, as he realised that Julius had come to the same conclusion. 

“The children....”

“One report Curze received from his most trusted sergeant, was that the new First Company were heading towards the caverns of Calth. That is where you will be going, I want you to leave now, and make sure those mangy mutts do not get one child of Ultramar. Not one, even if it brings destruction to this new chapter. Understand? This is your own personal battle Lion of Chemos, end if and the future will be clear for you, no more ghosts to sit on your shoulders.”

Julius nodded and with his Chapter, veered off from their previous course and double timed it towards the caverns, Demeter had a head start, but Julius had a trick or two up his own sleeves. 

It was only as he left the Rout, the Night Lords and their own impending battle behind, that Julius realised, he had not called Fulgrim father.


----------



## gothik

****​

Gage watched the Night Lords, they kept their distance, only joining their cousins whenever meetings of import were called, they kept to the shadows, uncomfortable in the harsh sunlight of Calth. He had often wondered how they dealt with the worlds they had conquered in broad daylight, but thinking back, he had only ever known the Astartes of Nostramo take a world in darkness.

He hated to admit it, even now when the last meeting between his father and the Dark King had left that taste of foulness in the heart of ever Ultramarine, tensions between the two Legions were high and not about to change anytime soon, but he had to admit that the Night Lords had skills that no other Legion had. 

He almost gave into the curiosity about why they were here to aid them, when he stopped himself, better he did not know, he might not like it. Bjorn had left a few hours ago, his company heading towards the eastern caverns and the farmlands that surrounded them, although it had vexed the Space Wolf to have been left from his fathers side, he did as he was asked. Not for the first time since this madness started, the Ultramarines Chapter Master and Regent of Calth, wondered if they should have done as the Warmaster asked of them. Gage was not in the habit of questioning his fathers actions, but, he was also very keenly aware that the 500 worlds were at risk, as were the thousands of worlds within the Imperium, battle lines were being drawn and this was not the time for Empire building. Fortunately his relationship with the lord of the 500 worlds was such, that he could voice these fears and not be reprimanded for what some other Primarch would see as dissent against their orders.

Other Primarchs like Fulgrim whose vain glorious battles and put Ultramar in real danger this time and had been a wake up call to the Ultramarines, their empire was not as untouchable as they had believed. 

Not a great realisation to contemplate, and not an easy thing to admit to a Legion that was by far the biggest of all the Legions and who followed their fathers orders to the letter, his words in the way of war were the only ones that mattered.

The other one that bothered Gage was the Lion and his Dark Angels. Over the last several months the Chapter Master had heard many tales and rumours that the Lion had sent several companies back to Caliban, he said it was to ensure the future of the Dark Angels was secured, but it sounded more and more like he was punishing them, he had also heard that it was only the Legionnaires that had displeased the Lion or those that were Terran born that were being sent back.

Gage was aware that the Lion expected his words to be followed to the letter, but secrecy shrouded the First Legion, and the Chapter Master began to wonder if Lion El Johnson's rumoured paranoia was more then just rumour. 

Was he expanding the Dark Angels own mini-empire?

Were other Imperial Legions doing the same?

He shook his head free of the questions that began worming their way into his mind like some irritating bugs. They were questions for another time. He had to concentrate on the here and now, and now was defending Gulliman City from the approaching Emperors children force. 

His scouts had sighted a large force heading towards them, led by Lord Commander Vespasian, it was obvious that they wanted to take the city and he suspected that they wanted to take his head. He could understand that, if they managed to take his head, then that was the end of the war here. For the foreseeable future, Marius Gage was the Primarch in all but body. He was Gullimans word and law, what he said was acted upon as if the Primarch himself had spoken.

It was humbling to have been chosen to be such an advocate, and every Ultramarine loved and respected the Chapter Master in equal measure, even if he had not been designated the Regent of Calth, they would have followed him anyway. 

He turned as he heard the power armour behind him, to see the helmeted form of Captain Ferok of the Night Lords. The Night Lord inclined his head, although Gage was not sure if it was out of genuine respect for his position, or habit. 

“What can I do for you cousin?” He asked, curiosity becoming a strong urge. 

Ferok looked around himself for a moment “You will forgive me if I keep my helm on” He began, “The light is a little too bright for me” Gage nodded “I came to inform you that my Lord Curze had joined forces with Lord Russ and his Rout.”

“If it were not for the bastards that are coming here then I would have liked to have joined them.” There was a slight restlessness in the Chapter Masters voice that Ferok did not miss. 

“You do not want to be here, but, as Gullimans heir and appointed successor you are to be protected by those around you. The Wolf King knows that too.” 

Gage was stunned by the Nostramans insight. He had kept those thoughts to himself lest it caused unrest amongst his brothers. Ferok waved his hand a little, almost as if he had read the Chapter Masters mind. 

“I am good at reading peoples emotions, human and Astartes and in truth you remind me of the Sargent we call Justicar”

“Oh?” 

Ferok nodded looking at the maps laid across the table and studying them, committing each area to memory “He was raised by the Primarch, almost from a child, there is none closer to the Primarch save the Prince of Crows. Trueze is one of the few amongst us who truly understands the Primarch and he does not like being away from the battle, as it is he is running scouting missions, clearing out the Emperors Children’s watch guards. 

Making sure their network is silenced. Although he could have been a Captain by now, he refused, preferring to remain as the voice between the men and the Primarch. So yes, your need to see the battle and your adherence to your fathers orders reminds me of him in some ways.”

Gage joined his side and looked at the maps “Suggestions? On our current situation?”

Ferok nodded “They will arrive here by twilight, the pace they are marching is strangely ordered for them in their current state of affairs. We will take the high ground here,” He motioned to Haspas Tower. “We have a good view and the darkness that is offered there will hide us, more so when we go midnight clad. The Talons can launch harrying raids on the back elements of his company. Thin them out, before they even know what is happening.”

That was no idle boast, Gage was well aware how efficient the Night Lords were when it came to night attacks, in fact only the Raven Guard were on a par with the Night Lords when it came to that sort of tactic. Ferok paused for a moment then continued when the Chapter Master nodded his ascent. 

In truth, the Night Lord Captain did not expect his words to be heeded, if anything he expected them to be shot down with a sneer or condescending word or two. So when Gage motioned for him to continue, he was more then a little surprised.

“If you would allow me to take two of your assault squads they can work in conjunction with us and thin out the side ranks, they will need to follow my orders to the letter as timing it perfect and we will lend them some assault packs that make no sound.”

Gage was impressed, he had underestimated the Night Lord and crossing to his table poured two tankards of Nostraman Ale.

“I took a liking to this when Captain Antolas and I fought side by side, before the madness” He handed Ferok a tankard “Now cousin, tell me what else you have planned, and lets make sure those dandy bastards go to hell in a hand basket. As you and Bjorn have told me, our conventional methods are useless here. We need to adapt to new strategies and I want to hear more of yours.”


----------



## gothik

****​

He could sense it, he was able to do the one thing no other Primarch had ever been able to do and, he took a moment to savour it. He was going to destroy the 500 worlds, he was going to destroy the so called second Imperium and turn it into something infinite more interesting and to his tastes.

Oh there was no denying that his brother did design the most beautiful worlds, and the 500 worlds were the most envied across the Imperium, they always had been, and for that reason and that reason alone he envied the Empire Builder. So it felt good knowing that soon, he would have done seemingly the impossible, and such dreams, such ideas for this Empire, and he would start by teaching the citizens of Ultramar what happened to those who would defy the orders of the one true master of perfection. 

Fulgrim wrapped his arms around himself. He had sent Vespasian onto Gulliman City, to do one thing, defeat Gage and bring his flayed skin to the Primarch, defeat Gage and Calth was as good as theirs, he had sent Demeter to the Caverns, to kill any Astarte there, kill the adults and take the children. How delicious it would be, to have former children of Ultramar fighting in his name across the stars instead of his brother. 

Once he was finished he would reduce Calth to a radioactive wasteland, where nothing could live above the ground. It was ruined already he would be doing it a kindness. His musings passed and he focused his attention on the town below. His sons had reigned themselves in, this was good, this was how they were supposed to be, not some drug addled rabble, pleasure had its place, as did pain, worship of Slaanesh had its place, but above all, it was their father they should honour more. 

When he presented the 500 to his father, he would be the favoured one, not his brother Lorgar, or any of the others, just Fulgrim of Chemos, the Phoenician, the one true avatar of perfection. He cocked his head a little, sensing that same feeling he had earlier, he knew Russ was here, that barbarian never could remain quiet, he always had to announce himself but there was something else. 

Something that should not be here, something that should no longer exist. Lorgar had let him live...Fulgrim narrowed his eyes, things got a lot more complicated.


----------



## gothik

11.​
Major Tyrina Ferrena, Commanding Officer of the Calth Rangers, rubbed her eyes and drank some more coffee. It was her fifth mug, but she needed to be awake. News had reached her that enemy Astartes had been sighted near the Caverns. A group of Astartes calling themselves The Celestial Lions, had arrived. One of them, the one they called the Lion of Chemos had looked straight at her and she almost shrivelled under that gaze. He had inclined his snow topped head in her direction but it was his eyes. They carried a haunting look, almost as if some great burden had been placed on his shoulders, and he had been lost underneath it. 

The day before a contingent of Space Wolves had arrived and even now were socialising with her Rangers. Sergeant Foran, the Ultramarine she answered too directly now made his way across and stood beside her as she watched the entrance. 

“We will be expecting visitors soon” he informed her “and not allies”

“We will be ready my lord” She told him. And reached for another flask. Foran watched her for a moment, his helms biometrics display told him that this woman needed some sleep. 

She was a formidable woman, her dark brown hair was shorn close to her head. Ice blue eyes that missed nothing, her people adored her, for she led from the front not the back. He respected her and for the first time, noticed the tattoo that ran along her neck. He might have seen it before but this was the first time he had paid it any heed.

“What is that? Looks like a tribal marking” He enquired.

“No my lord, well yes I suppose in a way it might well be that. My great-great-great grandmother started the Rangers, chosen by the Primarch himself to form a special forces mortal army, capable of going into any theatre and fight as well as the last.” She had pride in her voice “None of my family have inherited the position, we have all had to work for it”

“It shows, the men and women under your command respect you” He smiled a little “had women been allowed into the Legions, then I suspect your great-great-great grandmother would have been one, if the legends of Orsiria Heranes are anything to go by”

Tyrina inclined her head, proud that the Sergeant knew of her much lauded ancestor. “I think she would have made the Drill Sergeants at Calth Barracks take pause with her colourful metaphors” 

Feron laughed a little “I do not doubt that, she always did use colourful metaphors, no one could accuse her of being a lady. She would be proud of you remember that”

Tyrina nodded and then paused and looked at him strangely “Forgive me Lord, did you know my grandmother?”

He looked at her for a long moment and then focused his gaze to the gateway that separated the caverns from the outside world. 

“I fought alongside her once, just after I became a full Astartes, she was nearing the end of her life then,” He told her. “So I speak with pride that had she been alive today, she would be proud of all you have achieved and she would be right beside you, maybe she is, for the next few hours, maybe days will be the hardest that even the Vaunted Rangers had fought. For soon you will fight Astartes, there is a trick to remember if I may part some advice to you?” Tyrina nodded, pride and awe in mixed quantities with a little dose of shock added in at his revelation “The creatures we face are banking on the all too known human fear, but you and your rangers were raised in Ultramar, you shall know no fear, you have fought Orks, you have faced tainted humans, this will be no different to that. The Rangers were picked to fight alongside my Captain and us all because you have Courage, Honour and any fear you have felt, has only been channelled into a indomitable will for victory, at any cost.”

“Courage and honour my lord”

“Courage and honour Major, now I am ordering you to get some rest, you will be no good to me without some rest. It is my turn for the watch.”

“Yes my lord.” Tyrina went to head to her bunk then she stopped and said “Thank you my lord, for your kind words. Perhaps when this is over, you will share a story with me of my ancestor. That is not shrouded in legends.”

Feron nodded and watched her leave. He reached into his pouch and took a letter from within, one that he had kept since he was an Initiate. It was a simple letter, written by a proud mother. Many of his brothers had dedicated their lives to their father and their duty. Feron was no different, but he never forgot the woman who had birthed him. He had never wanted to, and despite his lessons and indoctrinations into the ways of the Ultramarines, he had never forgotten her. 

He read the words, she was proud that he had been elevated into the elite warrior cadre of Ultramar and proud that he would call the King of Ultramar father, but sad that given time his memories of her and his father would fade. 

That in part was true, he barely remembered his father, but his mother, he remembered her with a fierce intensity. He recalled with perfect clarity when he had fought alongside her at the battle of Syren XXI now known as Rangers Hope. She had recognised him, despite his features becoming more and more like that of his Lord, as such changes the gene-seed wrought over time, yet she knew him and fought alongside him. 

_She had rested her hand on his arm at the end before she was carried away by her jubilant men and women of a victory hard fought, costly to them yet so well deserved that the Primarch himself renamed the world in their honour. She had beckoned him down and whispered “You have done me proud, of all my five sons and three daughters, you Antos Feron have made me proud..” _

_“My honour to fight alongside my most lauded mother”_ he had said and kissed the back of her hand, an action that had other eyes. 

When she was carried away he had been joined by the Primarch who had observed the altercation._ “Had we sisters in the Legions she would have been one of the inner circle by now Antos, never forget her, for it is her fire that helped you pass the trials to become a son of MaCragge, and her strength, that, like so many mothers of MaCragge, enabled me to gain a fine son.”

“She would be honoured to hear that Lord. For I am the only one of her sons to have become an Ultramarine.”_

Feron put the letter back in his pouch and turned his gaze to the retreating back of the Major. “She would be so proud of you niece.” then he closed it from his mind, was joined by his brothers and assumed watch duties. 

For soon something dark would be here, and if what he had learnt from his Captain and others over the last few months, it would be a battle that he would never have thought possible. The Emperors Children were coming, and they were coming to kill.

****​

Sergeants Resna and Baris of the Ultramarine Assault Squads that bore their names stood alongside Sergeants Bythe, Kanar and Osoro of the Night Lords, watching as their Captain surveyed the lands around him. 

For the last several hours the two Ultramarines and their squads had been schooled in the use of these silent jump packs. They were lighter then their own pack but with no less the power, apparently a gift from Ferrus Mannus to his brothers Legion. Although Ferok could not explain it, the packs were silent, no noise came from their flames making them utterly deadly. 

Now the two sons of Gulliman understood why it was, that in recent months, the Night Lords had given rise to the legends and myths of the silent Raptors that came from the skies and carried their prey off into the night, to feast on their souls. Embellished obviously but, there was a grain of truth to it. Certainly the talons on the gauntlets and the ferocity of their helms designs did nothing to allay these fears.

Ferok called the two Ultramarines over and pointed to a outcrop of rocks. “Where does that end?”

Resna was silent for a moment, calling up the layout from his memory. He had been born on Calth and those rocks were part of his training regime when he entered the barracks as an initiate. “They rise up to meet the Hera mountains but,”He crouched down with his brother and the Night Lords crouching with him. “This part here at the north, Throat of Hades we call it, is a narrow passage that acts as a bottleneck. When we reached scout status we would run simulations through here but always, always those that took the high ground had the victory and the advantage.”He drew the mountains and passage into the sand “This is the only entrance towards the north caverns and Gullimans Gate they could use if they want to surprise us all.”

“So they could not see us? What about the auspice’s?” Osoro, a brutish looking Night Lord with gang tattoos across his face asked. 

Resna glanced at his cousin to see a nose broken so many times, it was permanently flattened and twisted to one side. “There is some ore within the rocks that interferers with the auspice readings. That also works for those on top, but the view afforded ensures you can overcome that.”

“I am sure Demeter would know that” Kanar rumbled “What is that area there?” he pointed to rock that had been carved with the visage of Konnor, Gullimans adoptive father and the famous Warrior King of Ultramar.

“The visage of Konnor that guards the valley below. It as sacred as any place can be on Calth.” Resna quietly spoke. 

“It looks across the entire bottleneck. We could launch from there and be back up before those sick fucks know what is happening.”

“We won't stop them all” Ferok stood up “I have orders from the Dark King that Demeter is for Kareosian only” He looked back at the dirt map then at the actual valley. “This is what we will do and we will attack once the sun has set. Darkness is on our side here not theirs. The Emperors Children prefer their battles to be where all can witness their...._perfection_” he spat the last words with more sarcasm then had ever been heard from him “when it comes to the darkness there is none better then us. To which...” He looked at the Ultramarines “it will be five hours before they are here. I am afraid cousin you will all need to go midnight clad” he pointed to the one crate of supplies he had brought with him “Cover the cobalt of the sons of MaCragge to make them as black as night. I do not want them getting any advantage and your colours will give them that advantage.”

“As you wish Cousin” Resna silenced any protests “My lord Chapter Master told us to follow yours instructions.”

“Good” Ferok nodded and went back to studying the land around him.


----------



## gothik

****​


The Silence was as deafening as a battle field itself, nothing moved, no birds sang and no animals left their lair. It was as if some great god had snuffed out sound itself, which was not too far from the truth. Great plumes of smoke still rose high into the air, funeral pyres for the dead Astartes, sons of Gulliman who had given their lives in defence of Numinous. The stench of charred flesh and burning body fats carried on the Calth winds, every Astartes within a twelve kilometre radius could smell the stench, the Rout snarled as the odour reached their nostrils. 

Leman Russ stood surveying the ruins alongside his brother Konrad Curze. There was silence amongst the Astartes, there were brothers of the Rout amongst the honoured dead but the majority of the dead were Ultramarines, something that was not lost on both Primarchs. Of all the Legions, the Ultramarines were by far the biggest, with the loss of so many across this battlefield and the last, well it didn't take an educated man to work out that this was going to be hard to come back from.

The Thousand Sons were nowhere near ready to take on the might of the Emperor, even thought they were recovering their numbers gradually but the Ultramarines, it would take them years to recover, if at all. 

“Well, maybe it will bring Gulliman down to size” Curze rumbled, ignoring the snarl from his brother at his dispassionate words “For decades he has had the honour of having the biggest Legion...now, well now he will be on a par with us all.”

“I lost some good sons to this as well Curze” Russ warned.

“Not as many as Gulliman” Curze replied and met his feral brothers gaze without flinching. “We will come in from the west.” he cocked his head a moment, listening to something over his vox “acknowledged Justicar,” he looked at Russ “No watch teams are left, now as I was saying we will come in from the west and take their flanking positions. At night it will be easier for us to operate and I suspect it would aid your sons. The wind is changing direction, the scent of the dead will cover your approach.”

“As long as you understand something, Fulgrim is mine” Russ reminded him. 

“Depends which of us get there first brother” Curze responded and without waiting for an answer moved off with his sons towards the west of the city. 

Russ watched him go and shook his head, all manners of curses going through his mind. Leman Russ prided himself on being able to read his brothers intentions, not just their body language but their faces too. He could read their motives and glean all he needed to from the first contact but, Curze, Curze was an enigma and one that Russ couldn't read. 

The Wolf King had no idea why his cadaverous looking brother would offer his aid, there was no doubt that the more, nocturnal aspects of his brothers skill set would come in use, but why would he want to aid a renegade Primarch against a loyalist one? All he knew was that Nostramo was gone, destroyed? But this was more then a simple act of revenge, if that were the case then he would have gone for Colchis. No this was something else, personal, deeper. The Wolf King heaved a heavy sigh and after a moment or two rejoined his sons and waited. There was a contingent of Ultramarines coming to meet up with them, they would be here at dusk. He did not want to begrudge his nephews this fight, this was after all one of their worlds and that outstripped any argument his brother might have made. 


The Night Haunter waited, alone watching the city below him. Fulgrim would know that he was going to face the Routs barbarian father, but he wondered if his brother knew that he was there too. As he watched the sons of Chemos move around the ruins of the city, slightly more coherent then the rest of their depraved brothers he read the moves. 

He could see the still crucified form of Eidolon, it had not been removed and he had had to give his brother kudos for that. Leave the body there as a reminder to all who was really in charge. Then it hit him. That was what he was doing, he was having a cull, he was getting rid of those who were too far gone in the worship of that depraved god/goddess to acknowledge his orders any more. 

He looked to the plains around the walled city. The gods of death and destruction were gathering, and they were going to have a feast. He had read up on ancient cultures belief on pre war customs and such like. Those that the Rout seemed to descend from, or model themselves after believed that warrior women stalked the battlefields during and after the battle, taking the souls of the honoured dead to Valhalla where they would wait until called again at Ragnoks coming. That one interested him the most. He could picture them waiting at the edge of the battlefield and what a battlefield it would be. 

There were similar stories on Nostramo, but not quite as glorified. Before he came stories dated back to the old gangland wars. A figure wreathed in black taking the souls of the dead to hell itself. No wonder when he came to the lawless world, his work sparked fear, fear incarnate. He was that ancient image of death, the embodiment of fear and darkness, Fulgrim with all his high and mighty words would soon learn that. He would learn that all the tales of the battlefield were nothing compared to the lord of fear and master of the darkness, he remembered Fulgrims overtures of friendship, he remembered thinking that his mentor was a brother he could trust, when in reality he was a brother that, like so many others, betrayed him. 

His snake like ways had the desired effect, ostracised more from his siblings after learning of his inner madness, Curze fell more into the role that had been designed for him. But even after such a betrayal, nothing compared to his fathers orders, his fathers condemnation of his world and his fathers will enacted with the mad prophets destroying his home. His masterpiece, a shining example of justice and order. He didn't really care if the Ultramarines went extinct or existed on the verge of extinction, as he had said to Russ it would bring his empire building brother down a peg or too. To know that the perfect harmony of the Ultramarines was going to diminish, that, like their cousins, would be constrained within numbers more alignment to the other Legions. 

Frankly that would please him no end, there was no love lost between Curze and Gulliman, and had Lorgar not destroyed his world then he would be fighting alongside Fulgrim now. This was not the Night Lords coming to the aid of a beleaguered brother legion, this was the Night Lords doing what they were wrought to do, there was no such thing as honour any more, if his brothers thought that they could work their way through the eternal darkness that had now descended upon the Imperium they were wrong. He knew that, he had stood amongst the ashes of tens of billions of lives and asked them if honour mattered. 

No all that mattered was revenge, justice and order in that order too. His sons had a new path, a new crusade, that of vengeance, ten billion or more voices cried at them, his waking moments were consumed by the death of his world, his sleeping moments were consumed by the death cries of the populace. 

So no, he really didn't care about the fate of Calth, this was for his people and his people alone. Finally he was joined by his two most favoured sons, Sevatarion on one side, Trueze on the other. 

“Your orders Lord?” The Prince of Crows asked. 

“I want Fulgrim for myself, we are to aid the Rout, but only if it gets me to my goal.”

“Are we to ensure he dies?”

“Dies? No Mikhail, I am going to let him live, but he will live with the marks I give him, one that even his gene-coded healing won't fix” The Night Haunter raised his lightning claws, he had received them from Ferrus, the day after he was named the supreme officer of Justice by his father, infused with dark energies, whatever mark they left stayed. “One that will remind him of his betrayal of one that had trusted him.”


----------



## gothik

****​
Horus watched as the_ Iron Blood_ and _Beta_ came into view. Beside him Sanguineous stood, having arrived a few hours ago for his all too frequent meetings with the Warmaster. Not that Sanguineous minded, he was all too happy to see his brother, just gone were the days of playful banter between them, now it was dealing with the never ending list of a father gone insanes actions.

Sanguineous had broached Horus about his, debate for want of a better word with Roboute, Horus had been silent for some time, then with a heavy heart he told his most trusted brother, the one he adored above all others, what exactly had come to pass between the Warmaster and Empire Builder. Sanguineous listened, as he always did and for once, could see no other recourse for Horus to have taken. He too could not understand why Roboute was looking to make an Imperium Secondus, when his own Empire of the 500 worlds was suffering at the hands of the Emperors Children.

It beggared belief really that the Ultimate Warrior would leave his worlds when they needed him the most. 

“If it was Cthonia under attack, you can bet I would be there, no other would defend my world but me.” Horus had said quite emphatically. 

Sanguineous opted not to point out that Horus had only spent a small amount of his time on Cthonia, that the majority of his life had been on Terra, alongside the Emperor. He loved the people of that world and Sanguineous would not take that away from him, 

Now, after a surprise communications from Perturabo they both watched as both ships made anchor. Horus turned his attention once more to the Angel. “That was a bolt out of the blue if there ever was one. I always suspected there was something different about the Alpha Legion, I always thought Alpharius had a personality complex or something. Sometimes he was harsh other times he could be quite thoughtful, now I know why. Twins.”

“Have to feel for Omeagon” Sanguineous quietly spoke. “Alpharius was obviously the – no pun intended- alpha of the two and therefore a lot of Omeagons own personality was buried under being his brother. I can only imagine what had come to pass between them to cause this”

“It matters not” Horus set his handsome featured into a grim mask of determination “Perturabo says that he is who he says he is, that’s good enough for me, since six-thirteen I have never been able to reconcile the strange behaviour of the Alpha Legion, now I know why and maybe I can build bridges with Omeagon.”

“Maybe he can answer the questions I would like to know about the Alpha Legion, do they even have a home world, and did the Emperor know about them both”

“I suspect my brother that our father created Alpharius and Omeagon for a purpose known only to himself. One that I am really not sure if I want to know.”

Horus glanced at the Vox Officer who informed him that both Lord Perturabo and Lord Omeagon were requesting permission to come aboard. He told the woman to send his regards to both Primarchs and that they could come aboard when they deemed necessary.

A few moments later, two Stormbirds made their way across the velvet black skies. Horus took his Mournival, Sanguineous had Raldoron, Ahzkaellon and Berrus with him. The chosen sons walked behind their Primarchs, completely at ease in each others company, for no two legions were closer then the Sons of Horus and Blood Angels. The love between the Primarchs reached into their own sons and there was never a bad word between the sons of Cthonia and sons of Baal. 

“What do you make of all this Ral?” Abaddon asked his Blood Angel opposite.

Raldoron shook his head a little, he was not only his Primarchs first but his Equerry too and there was none that could read hearts and minds like Raldoron could. He was also known for his fluidity in battle, he could change to suit the situation and that was what Sanguineous loved about his favoured son, but even the level headed first captain was at a loss to answer Abandons inquiry. 

“I am not sure Ezekiel all I know is what you know. That there has been a schism in the Alpha Legion and that it was run by twin brothers all along.”

“See that’s what I always thought” Tarik spoke up “I always found it a little odd, one moment he was tearing Horus a new one and the next apologising and being more level headed then before. I always said to myself either there are two of them, or Alpharius has deep issues.”

“Yet you said nothing?” Little Horus arched an eyebrow.

“Who would have believed me?” Tarik shrugged “No one but the Emperor would have known”

“You think the Emperor knew all along?” Loken asked.

“Course he knew Garvi, he created them, he created the Primarchs so he had to have known. I suppose he wasn't sure if he would ever find them again that’s why nothing was ever said.”

Berrus rested a hand on Tariks shoulder “I hate to dim your observation cousin, but the Emperor knew exactly where they were, what they were doing and when they would come to the Great Crusade.” 

Tarik ruefully agreed “So what's your take on it Ber?”

The High Warden of the Blood Angels watched his father and uncles retreating backs “I think the Alpha Legion were formed to be the Astartes that police the Astartes. They are the best infiltration experts in the Astartes, their father is called the Specialist, and I think they were created for just something like this, only Omeagon has discovered his own voice, and won't be dictated by his fathers screwing with the order of things.”

“Well” Ahzkaellon spoke “We will soon know what is going on”


****​

Demeter stared as another rune on his visor went out. Something was going on and it wasn't a malfunction with his power armours circuits. He checked it all himself before landing on this world, and again before the Primarch sent him on this detail. His war-gears armour was looking forward to the coming battle, in the name of Fulgrim and _she-who-thirsts._ 

A few moments later another rune blinked out, that made five so far. Brothers Casterium, Iveco, Hyana, Solax and now Tyro were gone, no sound nothing. He stopped damn this night cover, he could barely see despite his own enhancements, a fog had descended making it difficult even for gene enhanced eyesight to penetrate. The gods of war were making this difficult that was for certain. It was not how it was supposed to be, now his plans had gone south. He was relieved that Fulgrim was not here, or else he might face the same fate as Eidolon. 

That voice, that inner voice that had been with him since he fought his former favoured Sergeant spoke to him now, her voice like silk caressed his nerves like a lover, something he had never thought possible again. 

Look up Solomon

He had learnt not to disregard that voice, although he wanted to hear it more, brining himself under control he did as it told him, and looked up. 

Brother Seracon was being lifted into the air, his head neatly cut from the neck and returning to land at Diameter’s feet. There were no predators that hunted like this on Calth, they were being hunted but not by animals, waited then raising his bolter he fired. He knew he had hit his target, even in this damned fog, he knew he had hit the bastard. 

He waited and then walked over to where the midnight clad warrior lay, a bolter having gone through his helm and out the back of his head. 

“Fuck” he whispered to himself and opened up his vox channel *++We have Night Lord Raptors, repeat Night Lord Raptors...set your vision to night and blow those barbarians away, For Fulgrim and the Emperor!!++

++Death to their enemies++*

The element of surprise was gone and Ferok cursed his bad luck, he had underestimated Demeter, he looked to the left as Brother Kevarala clutched his head, blood poured from his eyes and ears. Looking down he saw Demeter looking up. He raised his bolter as Kevarala's flesh sloughed from his face and shot him. 

“Dominous Nox brother” he whispered.

The Emperors Children should not have been able to see them, the fog had been a blessing as well as a hindrance, but that bastard had seen them, he did not know how and he certainly was not aware that Solomon Demeter was a witch. 

He looked to his brothers and cousins* “No more hiding, time to take the fight to them. For the Night Haunter and Nostramo.”*

*“For Calth and Gulliman”* the Ultramarines shouted back after the Night Lords repeated their beloved Captains words. *“Courage and honour”*

And they fell into the fires of hell like death from above.


----------



## VulkansNodosaurus

You know, that's a good point. Given the way the Imperium Secundus arc has been going, why _hasn't_ Guilliman hurried back? Considering Perfection's Cry, he - oh.

Oh!

PM sent. I have an idea for Renegades 12 or 13.


----------



## gothik

read it and reply sent.

well if it were baal or cthonia then yeah those two would have gone back so why hasn't gulliman...id say R12 gonna do a dark angels one for 13...thier turn


----------



## gothik

****​


Horus sat across from Omeagon and listened as his brother explained what had happened to the Alpha Legion. Ever since Racas, Omeagon had been disquieted about the direction the Emperor was going, and the beating of three of his top agents and Alpharius's indifference about it was what had tipped the balance. 

“You still have the Geno my Lord?” Abaddon asked, with no attempt at hiding his awe. Even the great Ezekiel Abaddon knew of the rich history of the _Geno Two-Five Chiliad_. 

“Yes, they remained with me on the Beta, I had them transferred across to my vessel when I got back after Racas. Alpharius has a contingent of Lucifer Blacks though, they are utterly loyal to him and him alone.”

“So who did I deal alongside with on Racas?” Sanguineous asked. 

“Both of us Brother” Omeagon told him “I was with you when my agents were beaten, Alpharius at the start and end.”

“How are we going to tell the difference?” Horus asked.

“I still have my hair” Omeagon smirked a little “I grew it on route to the Iron Blood and put it in a top knot. My skin is darker than Alpharius and we are now calling ourselves Sons of the Hydra”

“I like it” Sanguineous grinned a little “So brother, what did the Emperor want you to be?”

Omeagon was silent for a long time and Sanguineous did not think he would answer, but in reality he was weighing up the pros and the cons, to divulge the Alpha Legions greatest secret, but then again, in these times, it was going to be hardly a secret any more, especially with his brother siding with that damned self styled favoured son of Chaos. 

“A bit of everything, we were to be told when the time required, but all in all, we were the Astartes that not only policed the Imperium and the ruling Governors, but the Astartes too” Omeagon took the tankard offered him by Horus “We were designed to gather intelligence in clandestine ways, ways that ensured we were never caught, the Emperor curse his name, wanted us to be able to infiltrate all manners of planetary structures, from civilian to politicians. He also wanted us to infiltrate the Legions, should they start becoming a problem.”

“Was he becoming paranoid?” Horus asked, unsure whether he was hearing right. 

His father, the man he had looked up to and been closest too since he was a boy, was in reality more of an enigma then even the first above all Primarchs could fathom. Only now the Warmaster was starting to think that he never knew the Emperor at all. That the man he had shared everything with, was in reality, a complete stranger. 

“He told us it was to ensure that the security of the Imperium was paramount to everything else, that he needed a legion that could operate undetected and unsuspended in places where mortals would screw up. “

“An Astartes intelligence service” Sanguineous sat back and rubbed his jaw, an idea started to form in his mind. He looked at his brother and rested a giant hand on the pauldron “Omeagon, then you will continue your original creation plans. For now we will talk about where best to insert your sons and daughters. When we are all certain that it is going to work then Horus and I have something for your sons to get their teeth into.”

“Oh?” Omeagon looked at both his brothers, an eyebrow raised.

Horus read Sanguineous's mind perfectly and smiled a little “The Dark Angels” He said “No one knows what the Dark Angels are doing or what they are up to, and we want you to do some recon missions into Calibans home system then, when we are certain that it is advisable, we want you and your sons to find out what El'Jonson is doing”

“A bold plan,” Omeagon was already making plans in his head for just such a mission “but you do realise that Alpharius will have been given the same objective. He will infiltrate the renegade legions as they call us”

“Counting on it” Horus smiled “Perturabo and I have already planned for such an occasion, have we not brother?”

Perturabo inclined his head “Already we are planning the disinformation to be sent to those we know have...issues of security. We already suspect that Alpha Legionnaires are insinuated into our forces. We have a list of names of suspects, perhaps brother you would be kind enough to go over them and see if we are right or wrong”

Omeagon took the data slate and looked at the list. “This will take me a day to work it out.”

“Then I will see to it that you are given guest quarters aboard the Vengeful Spirit” Horus held his hand out “Welcome home brother”

Omeagon gripped Horus's arm, had to forearm “It is good to be home brother.”

Perturabo cleared his throat “Would you like me to go aid the Ultramarines?” 

Horus rose from his seat and shook his head “The Wolf King is there, he would not appreciate the interference. No I have something else in mind for the Iron Warriors and it is along the same lines as the ….Sons of the Hydra” He smiled a little liking the feel of that name already “ I want you to go to see Magnus, he might have got the information that Amon had buried in his head by now.”

“Has he still not got that yet?” Perturabo asked “That was months ago”

“Apparently its a delicate process and Amons conditioning is such that Magnus does not wish to do more than is necessary to unlock the ciphers Malcador put in place and render Amon mindless” Horus explained “Whatever he put in there, is buried deep and well and to that end, I would like Omeagon to go with you. Should you need to go deep into Imperial Space I want him to train some of your sons in the art that the former Alpha Legion was so damn good at.”

Omeagon nodded “Do you have mortal crew that work alongside your sons brother?”

Perturabo shook his head “Not in the way that the Geno do with you”

“Then when we have finished here, I request that you allow me to board the Iron Blood with some of the Geno and three of my sons, we will train some mortals and Astartes in the use of infiltration. You will need three Librarians to be with them, it is due to them that we can operate as we do so effectively.”

“Deal” Perturabo nodded and looked at his older brothers “Now has the galley cooked up something special I am hungry”

Horus and Sanguineous laughed. Perturabo was so much more relaxed around them then he had been. He was still the same person but, in the company of Horus and Sanguineous and now Omeagon he relaxed a little more. Sanguineous believed that a friendship as strong as the one that he had with Horus would develop between those two, and he was glad to see it. Perturabo had often been compared to Dorn by less enlightened of their brothers, but even so he could sense that the Comrade would soon have a brother he could rely on. 

Seems some good things come out of this after all. 


****​


----------



## gothik

****​
Demeter didn't bat an eyelid as his armour was dented by the talons of Captain Ferok, all he cared about was stopping this hindrance. He had already lost a dozen men to the high style grab and fly tactics of the Night Lords. 

He didn't care that the Ultramarine units with them were dying, he was concerned as to why the Night Lords had sided with the Renegades. They were answers for another time, and he would have them, all he had to do was keep the Captain alive long enough to get those answers. 

He ducked as Ferok flew over head and the idea came to him, amidst the roars of anger of the Night Lords and Ultramarines and the roars of affirmation of the Emperors Children, he grabbed the jump pack and found himself taken high into the air. 

Ferok was getting angrier by the moment, his plan was falling apart, and where was that bloody Resna, he had started to respect the Ultramarines, now he was doubting the validity of that trust. Gage had been so intent on listening to him that...suddenly the weight was removed from his back and Demeter was falling. Spinning around he saw Sergeant Resna with his squad high above him with Sniper Rifles. 

He calmed his choler, reminding himself to assign himself some alone time to learn not to be so judgemental of his allies. He hovered above Resna then came to land next to him.

“My apologies Cousin” Resna bowed his head “We had some Emperors Children to plough through”

“Then they knew about this?” Ferok shook his head.

“It seems that Captain Demeter sussed it all out once he realised what was going on” 

Ferok watched as runes on his HUD started blinking out. The Emperors Children were recovering and killing his brothers in good order. He looked at Resna, both of them knew that they would not live this day, something needed to be done to ensure their deaths would be worth it.

“I need three Ultramarines to go to the Caverns, we will not be able to hold them for long, but long enough for three to get the message to the Caverns.” 

“Renda, Uselius and Inshana you three go....now”

“Yes Sergeant” The three battle brothers took off away from the main field of battle, to do as their Sergeant ordered. 

Resna shoulder slung his snipers rifle and drew his gladius “They shall have no fear” He muttered and stood beside his cousin “Courage and Honour Cousin?”

Ferok nodded and altered his Vox grill. *“SONS OF THE TRAITOR FULGRIM....WE HAVE COME FOR YOU”* His voice sounded like it came from the pits of Nostramo's deepest mines.

With the Ultramarines behind him, he met up with the remnants of his brothers and the other Ultramarine Squad and all of them came down as one. 



The battle was not as one sided as Demeter would have liked. The Night Lords and Ultramarines were tenacious, and he had to admire them for that. It seemed that the Ultramarines were not working to their usual doctrine of battle that they had become known for. For once the sons of Gulliman were adapting to their allies battle style. 

He allowed himself a small smile of admiration for that. With their uptight father away they were thinking on their own, good that would make this fight more memorable. He grabbed Resna and went to plunge his sword into him but at the last moment, the Ultramarine Sergeant moved aside, he ducked under the lunge and moved his gladius across the already battered breast plate, hearing the sound of metal on metal as he scored the Aquilla on the chest. 

Demeter snarled with anger at the defamation of his armour and the sigil of the beloved Emperor. He grabbed Resna's arm and with a strength that defied even an Astartes he ripped it from the socket. Resna's HUD went haywire as his body sought to compensate for the trauma, his suit was screaming as battle systems started powering down. The Ultramarine experienced the moment of shock trauma before his body could adjust but he continued fighting, he had another arm but Demeter was already attacking and before the Sergeant could recover fully, the sword came through his back and erupted out the front. 

“You fought well cousin” Demeter hissed “but I am the better warrior.”

Resna moved forward bringing the Emperors Children over his head, reaching round with his remaining arm he pulled his bolter out and fired. Demeter rolled but not before the bolter took off his left pauldron. 

Resna's body was failing him. The sword was preventing his healing, there was something in the blade that was stopping his healing. He staggered and fell to his knees. Ferok could only watch in horror from his own fight at the Sergeant fell. Demeter got to his feet and pulled the sword from the ailing son of Gulliman. 

“Courage and Honour, isn't that your catchphrase cousin?” He sneered “Well you certainly did that but it failed you in the end.”

He wrenched the helmet off and cupped Resna's face in his hands. He read the death rite perfectly and it sent shudders of extreme pleasure through him. He stepped back, gripped his sword and with a swipe severed the head from the shoulders. Demeter wiped the blood on his gauntlet and then tasted it, the rich encoded blood of an Asartes sent his mind and senses haywire, in seconds one and a half centuries of memories whipped into his mind. 

_A boy doing the Angelus Barracks tests, a scout with an aptitude for sniping, a battle brother serving beside his father and the Chapter Master and now leading his own assault squad. _

“Exquisite” Demeter muttered and turned as he heard the foot falls of the Night Lord Captain, the severed heads of his kills impaled on spikes that rose from his pauldrons and his backpack. If it was meant to scare the First Captain, he was wrong. “Dramatic” he muttered.

“You would know more about that then me Cousin” Ferok snarled.

“So why would the Night Lords betray the Emperor?” 

“You'll figure that out eventually” Ferok refused to be drawn. Instead he lowered his weapons. Demeter read it perfectly. Even as the dead from all sides fell and the wounded were being attended to by the apothecaries, who not only extracted from their own brothers, but the fallen Night Lords and Ultramarines as well as per the Primarchs new instructions. This was going to be settled in the old fashioned way, gangland style. 

He was more than happy to oblige, open to new experiences this was going to be fun. 

Ferok was not as easy prey as Demeter assumed, and he was far removed from the myths that surrounded his creed. Despite being a ganger turned transhuman, he was a very good fighter. Demeter found a little respect creeping into his psyche for his opponent. Every blow he traded was countered or dodged and the ones that landed, whilst taking heads of humans barely phased the Nostraman giant. 

Ferok landed blows that would disfigure his cousin, breaking his nose, puncturing an eye, but unlike Lucius, Demeter was not bothered, he was enjoying the old fashioned brutality, his body screamed for more, but he needed to finish this, there was a cavern to attack and with any luck if the gods of war were with him this day, then he would find the traitor Lion of Chemos and take his head back to his father. 

He dug deep within his memory, a fight in the barracks on Chemos when he was training, and brought them to the fore. Grabbing Feroks head he brought his knee up and smashed into his face, shattering the jaw and nose, blood spraying in an arc. He brought his knee up again, and again and once more, battering the armour of the Night Lord and breaking ribs.

Ferok moved his head up and the back connected with the Emperors Children captain, sending his head snapping back. Ferok managed to recoup his strength, the bloody smile across his face. His squad were dead, his allies were dead, it was just him and the strange First Captain now. Strange because he had heard Demeter was a level headed warrior, not one driven to such extremes as he was now. He dodged the blade that came at him and scowled. With a shoulder jab he caved in the skull of the Astartes that had come at him. 

Now the rules changed. The veteran squad of the First Captain had circled the lone Night Lord. 

“Clever Demeter” he said through broken teeth “Now I know that you are a dog without honour” 

He was hit in the back by a maul, and sank to his knees, the electricity shirt circuiting a lot of his suits own power conduits. The Sergeant, hit him again and again. Demeter roared as the Night Lord was lain prone, the Sergeant raised his foot.

“Night Lord dog” he snarled and brought his boot down snapping the neck of the Night Lord Captain and shattering the spine column. He laughed “She-who-thirsts has her sacrifice”, he drove his maul into the remnants of the Night Lords head and raised his arms, only to have a eldrictch wreathed fist erupt through his chest “Captain I....”

“Disgraced me” Demeter snarled “This was an honour fight, I did not need your help nor your aid” 

He withdrew his fist holding two beating hearts in the giant fists. He dropped them as the Sergeant fell dead to the floor. He knelt down by the dead Captain and heaved a sigh “You fought well Cousin, as a Night Lord should, but I need to know why you have all turned your back on our most beloved grandfather” He took his dagger and cut the cranium, digging in he took the still warm brain and took a chunk from it. 

He saw the approach to Nostramo, the fleet of Word Bearer vessels in orbit around the world of the Night Haunter. As he took another bite he saw Lorgar order the destruction of Nostramo. Setting the remnants of the brain down he wiped his mouth. Other memories settled in his mind, he filed them away, he would access them later. Now at least he knew why the Night Lords were rogue. 

Putting on his helm he made a priority call to his father. He would need to hear this, and he would need to know that the Night Lords were here, and if there were here, then so was the Dark King. 

“Clean up, take the gene-seed of the dead and get ready, we are moving to the caverns I want to be there in three hours not a minute more.” he looked down at the dead Sergeant “and leave this dog for the carrion, his gene-seed can stay here. I don't want it, anyone else interfering in my battles will suffer the same fate.” and with that he walked away.


----------



## gothik

12.​

Gulliman City waited, like the warriors from myth, awaiting their fate, each and every Astarte, Imperial Army regiment, Civilian Defence force, Planetary Defence force, Titans and even civilians armed with whatever came to hand waited. 

Standing over the _Gate of Konnor_ Marius Gage, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, Regent of Ultramar awaited his fate. Either side of him two Captains, Longenius of the 32nd company and Leosanus of the 15th Company. The Chapter Master had listened into Feroks vox right up until he died. 

He commended the Night Lord and his squad for their bravery, it was all he could do. He turned his gaze back to where the cities defenders waited. Like himself, aware that the angels of death were waiting to feast on the souls of the so called Imperials and the so called Renegades. 

He watched as Captain Sven Jorgenson joined him, his face as stoic as the Chapter Master, neither man was afraid of death, it was the only thing that would end their long lives and both men had lived long and glorious lives. What scared Gage, was loosing Ultramar to the Foul things that the Emperors Children had become, and Vespasian was not going to settle for anything less. 

Gage had told all of his Astartes to fight according to the situation, that their fathers Codex had no place here, it did not work, it would not work not against foes such as this. Gage looked to the heavens, where was his father? The Ultimate Warrior? The Empire Builder, his worlds were wreathed in flames of madness and he was nowhere to be seen. 

For the first time in his two centuries of life. Marius Gage despised his father more then anything else. It would pass but for now he was angry, angry that his fathers stubborn pride had not heard Horus out and listened as the Warmaster had told him that the building of a second Imperium could wait until this one was dealt with. 

Already so many had died, no one believed that Fulgrim would continue the battle, they thought that he would just go look for something else but they were wrong. So very wrong, now they had defenders of perhaps twenty thousand, against an entire Lord Commanders retinue. If it ware not for the arrival of Lord Russ and his sons, and the addition of the Celestial Lions, then Calth would have been lost weeks ago. 

Gage had all the tactical acumen one of his station was expected to have, but as the Night Lord had explained, against the Emperors Children prior to this madness that might have worked, now, now he had to resort to a wing and a prayer. Something he was not used to doing and something he would never want to do again, assuming he survived this. 

He had been told as Regent of MaCragge and ultimately Ultramar, his place was on the home world. He had soon told that politician where to go. Marius Gage was not about to let his brothers and sisters die whilst he sat snug and safe on the home world. Was not going to happen. 

Jorgenson watched as the Emperors Children appeared on the horizon. Already the outlying farms burnt, with a heavy heart Gage had ordered the gates closed, he had no idea what had happened to Captain Kelesian and his company, who had gone to usher the civilians towards the city. Jorgenson pointed and needing no binoculars or any other spy glass, the four Astartes saw full well what had happened to the 19th Company, their bodies were splayed across the tanks of the Emperors Children, their chests ripped open and by all the fates they were still alive. Gage set his jaw straight, his anger hidden behind his eyes, the scene burrowed deep into his soul. He spoke into his vox. 

“Put our defiled dead out of their misery” he quietly ordered. 

Shots fired from the massive cannons on the city ramparts, they struck true and the five tanks carrying the defiled bodies of the 19th Company Captain and his command staff were blown into the next week. 
*
++Tyros, begin targeting solutions and fire at will++* Gage ordered 

*++Courage and honour My Lord++*

*++Indeed++ *Gage looked to his Captains and the Space Wolf. “They will breach the walls eventually, Vespasian is an expert on such matters, we need to take as many as we can before that happens. Jorgenson I want you and your Rout brothers alongside my company and me, we will face these bastards in front of the city walls.”

“My lord” Longenius protested, Marius cut him off before he could finish.

“If I hear one more statement about how important I am to the 500 worlds I will send you back to the ranks.” His blue eyes stern and unyielding, “The Primarch may have abandoned us to this fate, I will not sit on a throne whilst good men and women die in my name” 

“You, you really believe that my lord?” Longenius was shocked to hear such heretic words coming from the Regents throat. 

“I have no other option but to believe it” Marius replied and took a deep breath “Courage and Honour brothers, that will win the day, that and the determination of Astartes and humans, Titans and Warhounds all. Nothing else.”

The two Captains bowed their heads and went to their positions. Jorgenson arched a thick set black eyebrow “Bold words Regent”

“Aye cousin, but words alone are not going to win this day, Shall we go?”

Jorgenson held his hand out “For the mother Fenris, Russ and the Warmaster”

“And we shall show no fear” Gage held the Fenris warriors arm for a moment or two longer then necessary, “and prayer to the fates that Bjorn does as he promised”

“He will not let us down Regent, I sent the Vox this morning, he will be here”

The Regent of Ultramar took a deep breath and with the massive Titan _Prince of Morsari_ an Emperor Class Titan shielding their march both 1st Company and 30th Company Rout took their place before the gates of the city. Their company banners held high. 

Gage raised his sword, the mighty Sword of MaCragge, and raising his vox level so it could be heard behind him as well as in front of him roared* “FOR CALTH, ULTRAMAR AND THE 500 WORLDS, COURAGE AND HONOUR, WE SHALL KNOW NO FEAR”*

The shout was echoed by the defenders. Vespasian arched an eyebrow as he took in the scene before him.

“Fools” he muttered under his breath “those brave, but misguided fools,”


*****​
Lord Commander Vespasian, the senior Lord Commander of Fulgrims Legion waited for a moment, prayers had been made to the Goddess, the sacrifices required for her patronage and blessing this day. He ordered the sonic weaponry to the front as the Tanks of Gulliman City, Astarte and Imperial Army both rolled out to a protective flank around their Chapter Master and his force. 

*++Captain Horonsa, if you please take that Titan down++

++Yes my Lord++*

The two ranks of Emperors Children Noise Marines readied themselves, then at the word from their Captain, they let loose such a cacophony of noise it disrupted not only the tanks on board systems but the Titans too. 

Princeps Tyros slapped his hands over his ears as the unholy noise rushing in his direction caused his beloved Titan to rock on her giant legs. Her pain as much part of him as it was her. Blood began to fall from his ruptured ear drums, the Titans cry as loud as the attack itself. 

“Eragan fire, bloody fire” he swore, trying to gather his wits whilst attempting to prevent a neural feed back. 

The guns and rockets attached to the mighty war machine boomed out towards the enemy line, silencing the noise but the damage had been done, the Titan was injured, she was badly injured, Tyros himself was dying from the neural feedback he had received moments before her systems finally shut down. 

Moderati Velena moved from her seat, ordering her second into her place, she unplugged the Princeps from his throne and lay his body on the deck, the blood from his ears, eyes and nose told her that he was dying, she shook her head and muttered a prayer to the Omnissiah. 

Eragan clutched his head and groaned in pain, Velena grabbed his shoulder “Oskar, Oskar come on you’re the second...get in that throne, we need to get the old girl started again”

“I I can't, her systems are shot to hell, whatever that was, it broke through the shields and all her defences,”

“Never say never” Velena saw that he was not going to move, she ordered a medical team to take him away and put his second in the chair. Then taking a deep breath climbed into the throne, allowed the tech priests to plug her in and waited.

Her body became one with the Titan, she could sense her pain, she was like a small child, curled in a ball as if she had seen some monster under the bed. Velena had trained for this, never getting the chance as Tyros was a chauvinist of the highest order. 

_Come on girl_ she thought _fight it, we need you, the Ultramarines need you._

_Pain_ it screamed back at her _too much pain_. 

_You've had worse, come on baby girl, I have tended you before, I will tend you again, but I need you to be operational._ 

The Titans soul soothed a little and calmed, enough for Velena to get a repair crew into the heart of the Titan and start repairs, it might take a little while but she was going to be ready. 

“Systems status” She ordered.

“Firing solutions off line,” Megava called up 

“Sensors and motive cognitors scrambled I can get them up and running but it will take me time” Negara told her. 

“Time we do not have, do the best you can gentlemen, the Regent needs us to be ready” Velena told them both. “Someone tell the Regent that we are working on getting systems back on line,” 

She listened as she was told that both Tyros and Eragan had succumbed to their injuries, in effect she was now the Princeps. She read the casualty list, two hundred wounded or dead. Whatever that was it had done its job. 

She had to turn it around and turn it around fast. For all their sakes. *++Princeps Holton and Useva, my compliments lady and gentleman, we are wounded, we need you both up here with your Titans and get the Warhounds out here, give those soldiers covered.++*

*++Where is Princeps Tyros Olivia?++* Holton called back.
*
++Dead, as is Eragan, I am now the Princeps.++*

The silence was short *++Understood Princeps, on our way++* that was Useva, a woman as stern as a Martian Magos instructor, but one who got the job done. 

Velena sat back in her throne, she would get the old girl up and running, if it was the last thing she did. 


****​


----------



## gothik

****​
There was no structure, no order to the battle for Gullimans City. It was a war at its basest most bloodiest. The Ultramarines spilled from the city, protecting their Chapter Master was paramount in their minds. Behind them the Human defenders fired their weapons, targeting the all too humans army that accompanied the Lord Commanders forces. 

Against the behemoths in purple and gold their weapons would be like gnat stings, Gage was pleased to see them firing at the other humans, it made his job easier. Wading in, his sword held high in one hand, his bolter in the other he took his shots, disciplined, timed and deadly. He wanted Vespasian, he wanted to rip the bastard apart for daring to set his traitorous feet on such hallowed ground as Calth, revenge for the 500 worlds that now awaited the outcome of this battle with collective baited breaths, 

Too loose Calth would be to loose MaCragge. 

He turned as the Librarians, free from the edict of Nikea, once more in their blue and gold hoods let loose their own powers, their own birthrights and Gage was proud to see it. He was pleased that the Warmaster had rescinded the orders of Nikea, battles like this needed the Librarians, and when this was over he would ensure that the proper procedures as laid down by the Warmaster and Angel were taken, to protect not only the brothers but the Psykers within their ranks as well. 

Stormseers, joined their cousins, picking off the flanking enemy and killing them in good order. Gage found new admiration for the Librarians of Fenris...not Librarians, Stormseers. He ducked under a bolter that had come up in front of him and, without pause or recourse shot the Emperors Child in the face. 

He had long since given up his kill count, it had already rose into the hundreds. He also gave up on naming his prey, one name merged into the other and he, like his brothers and cousins outside the city and like his brothers and sisters inside the city could only see the advancing hoard and the death that was being wrought. 

Over his vox he heard a human whoop “Wahoooo, like fish in a barrel”

“Like what?” He heard Sergeant Omisian ask, Omisian was one of the brothers on the towers, guarding the cannons and directing them too. 

“Old Terran saying My Lord, like fish in a barrel, all cramped and easy targets at the moment”

“Aye lad at the moment, now save your euphoria and keep going”

Gage allowed himself a small smile even as he killed, there were bonds being forged this day between the mortals and immortals, already some of the Calth defence force had melded with the Rout and the Ultramarines, determined to drive these invaders away from their home. 

He could have ordered them back to their positions, he didn't, this was what the Emperors Children seemed to forget. The civilians of Calth did not need to wear the cobalt blue, they were all warriors, it mattered not whether they were Astartes or soldier, farmer or mother, daughter or son, they all fought with equal determination and that, that was what made the Empire work. 


The Ultramarines and Space Wolves did not have it all their way, not that they expected to. The Emperors Children were carving their way through the bloody mess that lay around their feet with equal ferocity and determination. Their Lord Commander leading from the front as he always did.

Vespasian moved as a strike from the Titan _Uktena_ hit to his left, wiping out a couple of tanks and a unit of Chemos third Infantry with it. Another shot, this time to his right from a Warhound that had found it way through. _Hades Child_ was proving difficult to kill as it did what Warhounds were made to do. Harry the enemy, strike move back, strike move back, they were delaying the advance, he knew that, but for what?

He got his answer, suddenly after maybe half a day the boom from the Emperor Class Titan sounded across the battlefield. She had awakened and she was out for vengeance. He went to order the Noise Marines to attack one more, but realised what the Warhound had done, it had taken down the remaining Noise Marines, he cursed but also admired their tenacity. 

Running towards the Warhound he leapt and jumped onto its back, just as a volley from the newely awakened Titan crushed what was left of the infantry with its weaponry made from hell itself it would appear. He climbed the back of the Warhound, hand over hand, the beast bucked under him, determined to get this annoyance off him, but he refused to budge, eventually he made it to the canopy, and stood, looking at the Princeps within, rather young looking for a Princeps, maybe the vain bastard had juvenat surgery, who knew, who cared, he didn't.

He readied his maul and smashed it through the canopy window, then chucked a few inferno grenades in and dived from the top, as the Warhound died in a wreath of flame he stood and smiled to himself. 

“Perfect” he muttered and rejoined his men. “Call up the _Valencia_” he ordered “and tell Princeps Ardois he is to target that Titan”

Shortly after giving the order the sound of another Titan could be heard, as the _Prince of Morsari_ took her first strides across the battlefield, she saw the _Valencia_, an Imperator Titan, at first her Moderati's baulked, but her new Princeps was determined, she brought them under her control and turned to meet the enemy, this would be a battle to outclass any battle, she would do what she had to do and bring that monster down. 


The battle wore on and into the nights first embrace, the defenders along the walls, changed shifts, snatching an hour where they sat, unlike their Astarte Lords they were unable to go without a rest period. Captain Ensarianus knew this. He ordered that the army take shifts, that the soldiers along the wall were to be given something to refresh themselves with and rest, whilst they rested, the second line came up and took over. 

He caught a young woman as the blast from one of the flak guns disintegrated the wall before her, killed two of her brethren and blew her leg off. There was nothing he could do for her, the human medics were all over the place and even an apothecary would not get here in time, she tried to fumble for her pocket.

Laying her down he undid her jacket pocket and took a photo out. A battered photo of a man and woman with three children, her parents he suspected. He handed it to her and she clutched it to her chest. 

“Rest well sister, your sleep awaits you” he whispered. She made no sound and her eyes stared ahead. He closed them and got to his feet. He saw the faces of those around him, admiration, love and respect. 

That simple act had endeared him to the troops around him and without a word being said, or an order being issued, they carried on as he had instructed hours before. Ensarianus had installed in them that yes, Astartes were the gods of battle that none could take the punishment they could, but he had also showed them that he respected them, he would stand by them and that was all their tired flagging bodies needed. 

But they needed a little more, something to give them more heart then they already had, to quash any doubts that the Astartes did not care for the humans that followed. He recalled the tale of a human woman that had been adopted by a squad of Iron Warriors, attacking a Dark Angel position some months ago. 

How she had become their sister and their good luck charm, how her name was etched alongside those of the great Astarte warriors of the Iron Lords legion. He told this tale so that every man and woman could hear. It gave them that something special, it gave them that hope and although many would not live to see the dawn, it did not matter, they were part of this, as much as the Space Marines were so were they. 

When an Emperors Child sniper took his left eye he took the bastards life with an accurate shot that almost defied logic, he still stood tall and proud, he had been born on Calth and he would die on Calth if that was what was required. 

But he would take some of them bastards with him.


----------



## gothik

The two Titans strode across the battlefield, their battle horns blaring, if anything was underfoot it got squashed into the blood soaked mud and gore. Tanks, ruined by the cannons and giant guns from either side, were nothing more then pebbles to the warring Titans, metal crushed underfoot and finally they met. 

Like a pair of gods of old Terra, fighting for the right to rule mankind. The _Valencia_ drove its humongous chain blade towards the centre of the_ Prince Morsari_, a disembowelling stroke, but the other Titan moved to one side resulting in merely a scratch. Raising its chain gun the Prince Morsari fired into the centre of the _Valencia_, aiming for its plasma heart. The _Valencia_ moved but the onslaught took off one of the arms of the giant god machine. The crew in the bridge of the_ Prince Morsari _cheered and pressed their advantage, but with one arm or two, a giant god machine was still a formidable foe. 

Raising its foot it struck at the knee joint. The _Prince Morsari_ buckled under the high powered kick and moved to one knee as its left leg shattered under the impact. The _Valencia_ brought its massive arm up and aimed a strike at the face of the Titan itself, but the crippled _Prince Morsari_ raised both its arms and deflected the blow. 

Velena wanted an opening, another blow like that and she was not sure if the old girl would manage to fend them off. The Knee joint was shattered and she wouldn't be standing any time soon. She saw the opening she wanted, but it would not end well for them either, a glance at her two Moderati's knew that they had seen the same. An unspoken word passed between them all.

_Farewell my friend, you have served well _she thought to the heart of the machine. 

The_ Prince Morsari_ rose its massive chain-gun and at the moment that the _Valencia_ moved in for another blow, pressed it against the chest and fired at point blank range. The gigantic shells passed through the protective armour and as it fired again, the plasma core became exposed, there was no hesitation, no second thoughts, this other Titan could not be allowed to live, the _Prince Morsari_ fired destroying not only the_ Valencia_ but destroying the_ Prince Morsari_ too, an explosion that blinded many human warriors engulfed the area and even the Astartes suffered a moments blindness. Any that were near the dying Titans immolated instantly, there was no discrimination, Ultramarine, Emperors Child or Human, the ashes left the mark of their bodies where they stood. 

Gage whispered a benediction to the crew of the Prince Morsari and disembowelling a Emperors Child he moved on. Blood covered so much of his armour that it was now a dark red, gore and brain matter dripped from much of his armours decorations and his face was so matted with blood that he looked like some red skinned daemon from the old stories of hell itself. 

At this moment in time he might well have felt that was what he was, but when his sergeant fell and Sven Jorgenson died at the hands of the warrior before him, he knew the end of the battle was drawing near. For before him stood Lord Commander Vespasian, and as dawns early light began to creep into the Calth Sky, Gage drew on whatever reserves he had left. 

He was going to need it.


----------



## gothik

****​

Vespasian said nothing, no battle taunts needed to be said between two such as they. Even with an overwhelming force against them, the Ultramarines and Space Wolves had fought well, in his mind not enough to delay the inevitable but, well enough to make this a perfect battle. Battle as it should be. 

He read Marius Gage perfectly. Despite his appearance as the cool, calm collective Chapter Master of the largest...correction, what had been the largest...legion, his eyes were haunted. Vespasian could see it lingering behind the veneer of the warrior king. He was angry, not just as all that was going on around him, but angry at something else. Something that he was struggling to hold in. 

Vespasian shrugged it off, it mattered not, maybe later they would discern what disturbed the Regent of Ultramar, but now he wanted the perfect end, for surely with the fall of the mighty Marius Gage then this city would fall too. 

The two warriors circled each other, waiting, watching, looking for an opening or a counter move. Vespasian moved first, but Gage side stepped, using his sword to counter Vespasians move and slammed his fist into the Lord Commanders face, shattering his nose. Vespasian moved back putting his finger tips to his ruined nose.

“Ah” he said more to himself “So that’s what Lucius felt like when Loken broke his nose” 

If Gage wanted to see him wince in pain then he was very much mistaken, a sordid smile creased the Lord Commanders thin lips and he bowed in mockery, then readied himself. This time he countered Gages thrust and drove his elbow into the side of the Chapter Master, knocking the wind from Gage for a few seconds. 

It was a few seconds that Vespasian wanted, raising his knee he sent Gage's head moving back as his jaw snapped and onto his back, Gage realised that Vespasian was toying with him, draining his energy like a leech does blood. 

Vespasian raised his foot, but Gage recovered and grabbing the raised foot twisted it savagely, the snap audible and the ankle bone protruding outwards. For the briefest of moments Vespasian felt the giddy feeling of a broken bone trauma, then his body got to work, flooding antibiotics to the affected area and numbing the pain. 

As Gage came at him he drove the hilt of his sword into the chest of the Chapter Master and the side of the blade up under the already broken jaw, causing it to splinter more. So it continued, for every blow a parry, for every counter a counter strike, blood came from numerous cuts and bruises formed where they had both taken a battering, their power armours marking the list of damages done to the suit and the body. 

A broken ankle, broken jaw, fractured ribs, broken ribs, broken arm, dislocated shoulder. It went on and eventually even the mighty Regent of Ultramar reached his finishing point. It came when Vespasian moved inside his guard and rammed his sword clean through the broken armour of the Ultramarine power armour, and straight into the twin hearts of the Chapter Master. 

Gage sank to his knees, his body screaming at him to rest, to let an Apothecary attend him, but he had a fight to win, even if it meant his life, he had people who were not warriors, showing some of the more seasoned Generals how to fight, these people deserved a future, he wasn't sure what it would be, but he was damned sure it would not be under the yoke of the Prince of sleeze and his minions, or an Emperor that no longer believed in what he had been preaching for however long he had been alive. 

His helm had long since shattered but he didn't need a diagnostics screen to tell him what he knew, he was dying. Vespasian now gloated. He whispered that for all their Courage and Honour battle cry and knowing no fear, there was fear here, plenty off it, enough to feed his warriors on the tantalising experience for weeks. 

Gage looked into the face of the gloating Lord Commander and rammed his fist up between the legs of the astonished Lord Commander. As he toppled forward, Gage grabbed his sword, and let the body fall onto it, activating the rune stud that sent a pulse through Vespasians body, exploding it from within. 

Gage met the dead Lord Commanders eyes and the last thing he heard before he past from this life, was the sound of Bjorn the Fell-handed and his men, Gulliman City was saved. 

The warriors left standing, human and Astarte all fell to one knee as the body of Marius Gage was born upon four openly weeping Ultramarines and four grim faced Space Wolves, at their head the slow walking bare headed Bjorn the Fell-handed. His warriors had come in and taken the back ranks, within three hours the battle was over, as the Rout of Bjorns company decimated the remaining Emperors Children. 

Behind them came the same number of Ultramarines and Space Wolves carrying Sven Jorgensons' body. The weeping from the Human warriors was silent at first, but as word spread that their beloved Regent was dead, it grew like a wave. Ultramarines that had served their father with no question now began to question where he was and why he had not been here, why it was that so many of them had to die, whilst he was doing something that was completely unnecessary in their eyes. 

Gulliman City was saved, but in time it would become known as the city of unity, where so many Ultramarine, Space Wolf and human fell in its defence, Years later it would be name Gage City, but for now the populace said goodbye to their Regent the way they knew how and the Ultramarines that lived swore that his work would not be undone. A new Regent would have to be found, but right now, none wanted the job, it had been Marius's job and not one warrior in battered cobalt blue armour wanted it.


----------



## VulkansNodosaurus

Everyone's being harsh on Guilliman, it seems. One can hardly blame the people fighting on Calth, though - they're fighting for their lives without the bulk of the biggest Legion, which should've been there. (Though most of the Legion is still with Guilliman - they should stay the biggest Legion even if every single Marine under Gage's command dies, because they started off with so many. Depending, of course, on what happens with Guilliman's own forces.)

And Alpharius outright against Omegon. Though, knowing these two, one can't ever be too sure of their true loyalties.


----------



## gothik

yeah i think its more....why has he not returned rather than outright hostility, they will be angry at him, but they won't desert him, he is thier father, but they may see him in a different light should he return......

This is true but is Omeagon working to make a name for himself amongst his brothers, truely against the new Imperium...or something else entirely....time will tell for now it is as it seems....or is it?


----------



## gothik

13.​

The bodies lay around the entrance gate to the caverns, Demeter spat on the ground a goblet of spittal, these humans were no match for him, twenty seconds and their lives were over. Whilst the battle raged for Gulliman City, he and his company had made it to the Caverns entrance, no Astartes, but human army personnel, he had laughed as the smell of voided bowels and erupting bladders reached his nostrils, such was the effect of an Astartes on a human. 

He stepped over a torso, its intestines sprawled around it, and moved further into the cavern. It would take a little while, these damn caverns were like underground cities and damnably dark, he ordered his brothers to switch to night vision, their eye lenses glowing an eerie green in the Stygian blackness. 

They walked for over an hour, so far they had encountered minimal resistance, and what resistance they had encountered died in seconds at the transformed Solomon Demeters hand. So far they had not encountered any Astartes, perhaps the Ultramarines all bugged out, left to defend the second biggest city on Calth, heed the call of their Regent and leave the young unguarded, it didn't matter, the children would be theirs. 

They moved forward then stopped as giants in blue armour appeared before them. Demeter ran his helm over their forms and a smile twisted his features. 

“Well well well” he drawled “Hello Julius, defected to the poster boys have we?”

Julius Kaesoron stepped forward the light from the single glow lamp above his head shining his armour. Celestial blue with a rampant Lion on the pauldron. 

“You've had a wasted journey Demeter” Julius told him “The Children are no longer here”

“Rubbish” Sergeant Ingellis scoffed “There were human guards in number here and there, they are here.”

“Brave souls that opted to remain to maintain the illusion” Julius calmly replied “I did not want any more to fall here, I think this is our battle, don't you Demeter?”

Solomon nodded “And when I have taken your traitorous head back to our father, I will find them children”

“You won't be going anywhere Solomon, except to whatever fate awaits you in the warp.” Julius promised and drew his sword and his bolter “Lets do this”

Julius had sent back three companies to aid the Wolf King, another two remained within the caverns, should his battle fail. At the moment he stood with first company and thanks to the schematics he had read he had got to know the caverns he was in. 

There were no children here, he never lied, the children had been taken by the Ultramarines to the _Heroes Redemption_ and translated out of the system some hours ago. It had galled the sons of Gulliman and Russ to leave such a fledgling chapter but in the end, he had convinced them that he and he alone could defeat Demeter, if not kill him, enough to send him back to his master with his tail between his legs.

Julius felt almost sorry for him, almost but not fully.

So the remainder had gone out one of the other Cavens and gone to aid the Regent or the Wolf King.

“So no Night Lords to aid you?” Demeter cocked his head “I know they are here, I had a run in with some on the way here. Didn't end well for them”

Julius said nothing, he didn't need too, he knew what Demeter was up to, Krysander was already moving and after a few seconds the sounds of blades and bolter rang out around them. 

“Very good traitor” Demeter nodded his approval, “Then it is just us, as it should be old friend”

Julius raised his bolter and fired, Demeter brought a shield up and around himself with but a thought. Kaesoron rolled his eyes. He had expected something like that, and opening his mouth, using a power he had never really wanted in the first place, let loose a sonic noise that broke Demeters shield and sent him staggering back.

Fury enveloped the new First Captain and with a roar, shook his head clear and ran up the centre to meet his old friend, brother and former commander head on. 

The battle between them was brutal. Every so often, The Lions of Chemos HUD would register a death or a wounded brother, but, much to his surprise and enduring gratitude the Night Lords had thinned out the ranks making it slightly more even.

For every opening that Demeter got, eldrictch fire struck the Chapter Master, but it didn't stop him, it wouldn't. Solomon had betrayed him, betrayed his friendship and his trust. He yelled once more splitting the helm causing Demeter to throw it to the ground, his eyes swimming in pleasure as the sonic barrier washed over him. 

It took a lot for Julius to control himself and Demeter saw it “Come home brother,” he cooed “The Primarch will welcome you back with open arms, you know that”

“Never!” Julius snarled, bringing his emotions under control. He would have to learn to live with whatever resided in his soul, but it would be at his command, not some phantom from the warp. 

He swung his blade cutting across Demeters exposed throat. Causing the Captain to move back, clutching the wound, his blood flowing from it, seconds later the Laramen cells did their job and the wound closed as the blood clotted. 

Demeter threw his knife striking his former friend through the left eye lens blinding him. Julius snarled pulling the blade free, his eye coming with it, he threw it onto the ground, he had another eye. He fired with his bolter smashing Demeters jaw and cheek, a second bolter took half his face with it. 

Demeter reeled, his body was under so much abuse, he was still battle weary from the fight with the Night Lords, suddenly he was lifted up by two of his Seargeants. 

“We must leave Captain, the Father has recalled us all, we cannot loose you my lord” Ingelis said.

“No!” Demeter Shouted “he is mine...”

“It will come another day lord...Vespasian is dead, his force all dead.” Ingelis used all his body strength, he might pay for it later but he did not want to see his Captain dead. Demeter was the soul of the Legion now. 

Julius fired again, ignoring the two Sergeants and took Demeters left leg with an explosive bolt. The next shot missed, by that point though the Emperors Children had retreated. Julius slumped to the floor, vaguely aware of a voice calling his name, and the white helm of the Apothecary that tended him.

“How many did we loose?” he asked wearily.

“Fifteen brothers dead, twenty wounded” Krysander crouched down “Gage is dead my Lord, he killed Vespasian though.” Krysander looked at the gates that were now devoid of Emperors Children “We will meet them one day Lord, for now, we must get you and our wounded to safety.”

“All that is left is the Wolf Kings battle” Julius went to get up “I want us to be there for this”

“We can't lord, we have wounded to tend to and you need to rest...that is an order from the saw bones here.”

Julius could have over ruled his first Captain, but he liked Krysander for this very reason, he was not afraid of disagreeing with any order if he found it flawed. The Lion of Chemos felt his eye grown heavy “Solomon is going to be a powerful Psyker when he learns to use that properly”

“You think he will live?”

“He will live” Julius sighed wearily “He will want to kill me, that alone will make him live and that alone will mean my death will come at his hands sometime. As his will mine.”


----------



## gothik

*****


INTERLUDE​


He sat, waiting, as he had done since he had left Terra. 

Seething.

Humiliated. 

Embarrassed.

He had waited, for the moment to prove he was the best of the best, that he should be the leader of the forces about to fight for the rights of the Emperor. He would weed out those elements who were not loyal to him, without them knowing of course, he would still have a use for them, all of them, somewhere along the line they would all come to honour him.

Revere him.

Place him as the true Warmaster of the Imperium, not that upstart brother of his. 

He watched the world below spin on its axis, slowly, unaware of what was going to fall to its surface. No one humiliated the Father of the first, no one threw him from a theatre of war as if he was common garden trash. 

The world of Hera enjoyed another beautiful day, he watched the sun rise over the north polar region. He still had to plan and he still had to strategise, but soon the populace there would wake up to a sunrise that would be full of death and destruction, and if they rejected their current lord and accepted him as their master, then they would live. If they didn't...well Prospero and Nostramo were gone, who was going to miss a world of the Iron Warriors. 

Not him that was for certain. 

Lion El'Jonson bided his time. Let them have their day, he would give them a week. A week to go about their seemingly unimportant lives. To the father of the first Legion, it would be the start of his own expansion plans, and his own revenge.


*****​


----------



## gothik

*****​

Fulgrim waited, he was patient, his erstwhile brother was not, and on cue the howls echoed around the hills that surrounded the city itself. The sound might have unnerved lesser beings, but not him, he had looked forward to this day since the inception of his Legion over two hundred years ago.

A chance to battle the savage king of Fenris.

A chance to see if all that was said about him was truth or just overstated myth.

And a chance to rub it in Angrons face, that he beat the Wolf King, something the Red Angel had never done. 

As if on cue the Rout came over the rise marching to war, led by the god like figure that was their father, his two vile looking pets straining at the leashes, looking to be set free to destroy the enemies of their brother. 

Fulgrim rolled his eyes. “Now that is a little bizarre if you ask me,” he said to himself “A Primarch calling two feral beasts brother”

He cocked his head as a garbled message came through, one of his sons informing him that they were coming back with a severely wounded First Captain and Lord Commander Vespasian was dead. 
Fulgrim closed his eyes.

“This victory will be for you my sons” he whispered and and raised his voice, no vox needed, just the power of his voice enough to carry across the ruined city “FOR FULGRIM AND THE EMPEROR” he roared.

“DEATH TO HIS ENEMIES”


Russ heard the shout and a snarl emitted from his throat, it was time, time to put that dandy in his place. He was not sure if he would kill him, maybe he would take him back to Horus or Gulliman as a trophy. 

“This is for the fallen” he calmly spoke, yet like his brother his voice carried “Bring them peace” he pointed and his sons, his all too human sons and daughters did as he commanded. The Emperors Children had picked the wrong Legion to do battle with this day. 

The two forces clashed. It was not an unusual setting for them to be in, many of their battles were fought in and around the ruins of cities. It showed as Space Wolves fell upon Emperors Children, the only difference was, there was no holds barred. Russ had been waiting for a chance to avenge the fallen. 

Not just the death of the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, but for his beloved brother Jugathi and his crippled brother Magnus. A few scant years ago not many would have bet on Russ caring about what happened to Magnus, all that changed after Prospero. He let his wolves off their leash, knowing they would do what was expected of them, cover the human army regiment, be his arm aiding the Fenrisian Army. He didn't call them Imperial Army, not any more, since his fathers descent into whatever madness he occupied. They were the honest, strong and loyal forces that lived and called Fenris their home. As hardy as their Astarte masters being human did not make them any less in his eyes. 

He watched as four Dreadnoughts began to make their way into the fray. He was honoured to have the ancients walking amongst them. As Bjorn had said, it would be inevitable that their minds would descend into decay, living battles long gone, but here and now they were still the Rout. 

He picked two Emperors Children up and broke them apart as if they were no more than twigs. He was aware that Primarchs were not invulnerable, they were immortal, but not invincible. It had been proved with both Magnus and Jugathi, but they were still a lot harder to kill then a normal Astartes. Overwhelming force seemed to be the order of the day for these traitors. 

Or was he the traitor? He wasn't sure any more, with all he had seen over the last few months, he thought he had descended into hell and was living a bad dream. He drew his mighty Frostblade Mjalnar and plunged into the thick of the battle. He strode under the arm of one of the dreadnoughts of the Emperors Children, the Kraken teeth of his blade plunging into the sarcophagus and tearing it open. The being inside, not really resembling an Astartes any more spilling out, ambiotic fluid splashed over his boots and his wrists. 

Then he saw his goal, felling his sons with his Ferrus forged blade, Fulgrim also made his way towards the Great Wolf. The intent unspoken, they would do battle and they would not leave till one of them was broken.

It was said that when gods fought, the ground shook beneath them, that nothing man made stood in their way, or could halt them, and this was certainly true to some degree. Russ despite his bigger stature then Fulgrim, easily parried and countered his brothers blows, Fulgrim was also not about to give Russ an opening. 

Still that didn't stop the Great Wolf from landing some well placed blows on his brothers face and chest, at one point he hit him so hard, the Phoenician staggered under the impact. Instead of surrendering, he smiled a little and straightened up, wiping his face and looking at the blood on his fingertips. 

“Oh do that again brother” he cooed, “It felt so damn good”

Russ snarled, incensed at his brothers words fell into the trap that Fulgrim laid. As the Wolf King charged, the Phoenician side stepped, brought his sword low and swept Russ off his feet. Fulgrim stepped back wagging his finger and tsking. 

Russ was being toyed with and he knew it. He was letting his temper getting the better off him and that would not do against one such as his dandy boy brother. As slender as he was, he was still a Primarch, his body sinewy and taut was overshadowed by Russ's more muscular bulk, but he was still a gene wrought son of the Emperor and Russ was letting that get clouded in his rage. 

The Wolf King needed an opening, Fulgrim was dancing rings around him and it didn't matter what he hit him with, it just seemed to make the freak laugh and coo more. He was taunting the Lord of Fenris, and one as intelligent as him should have learnt, never corner a wild beast. 

He found his moment, and running, grabbed Fulgrim round the waist bringing him down with such force the buildings around them crumbled, unable to stand on their already shattered foundations they fell, surrounding the two battling Primarchs with a great plume of dust and rubble, No Astartes dared move, wondering if their respective fathers were injured, the Rout ready to avenge their father, the Emperors Children doubling their efforts to bypass the savage wolves and get to their father. 

They need not have worried, Fulgrim came out of the rubble, kicked up by an irate Leman Russ, too consumed by the battle rage that surged through his body. Fulgrim heard his ribs crack and when he landed, he coughed up some blood. Now he was getting to the point of his own rage, in that he was no different to his brothers. When it consumed him, it totally consumed him. 

Ignoring the pain in his chest, the unique healing factor within his own system getting to work he raised his ornate pistol and fired, hitting Russ in the chest plate of his archaic power armour. Staggering him a little. Closing he landed a punch to the jaw but instead of toppling the giant, now it was Russ who gloated.

Not for long though, at that moment, two massive talons erupted through Fulgrims shoulders and lifted him off the ground. Fulgrim roared as he was truly hurt for the first time in over an hour and looking down he recognised the lightning claws of his brother the Night Haunter. 

Ignoring Russ, Curze threw Fulgrim to the ground and rained blow after blow on him, smashing his face, neck and chest. Stopping short of causing a mortal blow. All around him his Night Lords despatched the Emperors Children in suitably gory fashion, heads rolled, limbs became detached from bodies.

Curze grabbed Fulgrims by his gourget and leant into his face, his filed teeth covered in spittle, his eyes reflecting only madness.

“Remember this pain Phoenician” he hissed “For this is what you caused me when you betrayed my trust.” he let Fulgrim go “Every time you look in the mirror I will be looking back at you. Not Russ, me and there will come a day when I will come for your head, but not now, and not today.” He spoke into his vox and then turned to look at Russ “Time for us to leave my sons, collect our dead, this battle is no longer ours” 

without a word he stalked away. Some of the Emperors Children, taking advantage of the confusion picked their wounded Primarch up and spirited him away from the field of battle before the Wolf King could recover. 

Some of the Rout gave chase but Russ stood there, watching as they left not only Calth, but reports came in that they had gone from the system. Russ snarled deep within his throat. Curze had taken his prey. Truth be told in a moment of clarity he might have thought it was a blessing in disguise, his body was exhausted, they had been fighting all night but still, the Night Haunter had taken his battle away from him, and Russ would not forgive him that. 


EPILOGUE​

The Phoenician had recovered, his pride however had not. Now he sat in the Apothecarian, since they had brought Demeter on board his new flagship, The Phoenicians Pride, his First Captain had not awoken. Now he decided it was time for Demeter to wake. Half of his face had been cybernetically rebuilt, and a bionic leg had replaced his stump. 

Julius had done a good job, the Phoenician had grudgingly admitted that one. Time would come for that traitorous son of his to pay. The death of Vespasian had been mourned, he had done what he had set out to do, he had taken the right hand of his brother Roboute. When he eventually returned to Ultramar he would have to deal with that and a whole lot more. 

Getting up he glanced at his reflection, bare cheated he saw the marks left by Curze's craven attack. Every aspect of his battle had healed, except those marks, those marks would haunt him for as long as he existed. He moved back beside the bed and bending down whispered into Demeters ear. 

The eyes flickered and opened up. Fulgrim smiled a genuine paternal smile and rested his hand on his sons shoulder. 

“Welcome home Solomon” He whispered. 


Julius stood before the shrouded figure of the Chapter Master. His body had the gene-seed removed and was being prepared for its final journey to MaCragge. 

“Curze was wrong about something” The deep cavernous voice of Leman Russ spoke beside him. 
Julius went to move to one knee but the Primarch stopped him “You need not bow to me in this place Julius.”

“Yes My Lord, what do you mean Curze was wrong?”

“The Ultramarines have suffered substantial losses but they are still the largest Legion by far.” He lowered his gaze “He said this would be a fall of a legion, but Julius, the fall of a legion is the Night Lords”

“The Night Lords?” Julius was not sure he understood “They came to our aid Uncle...”

“No, they came to avenge themselves. The Night Lords have fallen into a madness and a darkness that I am not sure even they can come back from.” He stood silent for a moment then said “Curze and his sons have fallen further than any Legion, and they are a Legion with no allegiances, except to themselves. They are the ones that will be dangerous, as for your former Legion brothers, they will need to recoup, rebuild, they failed here, they will not make the same mistake. To that end I am extending an invitation for you and your brothers, to come to Fenris, there you can train and I have a world you might be interested in, one thats away from the eye of the Imperium”

“Oh?” Julius asked.

“Yes, it is listed as Gamma 4-3 but we call it Terra Prime. Not exactly like Terra, but the atmosphere is the same. Would you accept it as a gift from me for your aid in this battle and your courage for seeing the truth of the matter”

Julius bowed his head “It would be my honour lord”

“Come with me” 

Puzzled the Lion of Chemos followed his uncle who led him to a Stormbird then out to the ruined orbital dock to see a battle-barge sitting there. “There is a contingent of Techpriests ready to do as you bid, this vessel has been christened the _Heart Of The Hunter_. It is yours, now take your sons, and take time to build and establish what you have created. Your time against your father will come again.”

Julius bowed his head once more. He sensed Marius's hand in this and looked to the heavens, thanking his friend silently. 




To be continued in Renegades 12 .​


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## VulkansNodosaurus

Well, that's a nice juncture. All three Primarchs will now have to decide - where do they go from here?

Russ faces the devastation of Ultramar, and the fact that he, not Guilliman, is the Primarch in the area. For all of the 'empire builder' insults, Guilliman has a large and fairly stable area of Renegade control. And, of course, Russ has just personally experienced the true madness of Chaos in a fashion I don't think he has before. How will he respond to the enemy reaching this sort of inhumanity?

Curze's choices are more stark. He is dealing with the fact that he hates both sides in this war, but especially the Imperials. At the same time he has no more loyalty, no more attachments outside his Legion... the Night Lords have been unleashed. They went for vengeance on the Third first. Curze can do all sorts of things next; all that is certain is that he will make the galaxy burn.

And Fulgrim. His Legion is battered, having gone up against a force twice its size and lost. He is wounded only in pride, but thus wounded forever. Few of his command structure remain alive. The Emperor's Children must rebuild. But he is keeping up a balancing act between the Emperor and Slaanesh, both of whom are becoming aware of his disloyalty. He will have to choose, and soon. His father, or his god. Or neither. For he still feels a song that he believes offers a third path - though he does not want to surrender either of the first two. Not in the least.

An excellent ending-beginning. Courage and Honor!


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## gothik

and they shall know no fear.


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## Over Two Meters Tall!

Hmmmmmm... so Juilius has the powers of a Noise Marine and exercises them in battle. This sounds like a cancer that I assume will grow and eventually consume him. For a few minutes there, Gage also sounded like he was on the tipping point of being consumed by Khorne with his inner blasphemy again Gulliman.

Oh, and incredible story, I've been relishing the updates!


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## VulkansNodosaurus

Over Two Meters Tall! said:


> Hmmmmmm... so Juilius has the powers of a Noise Marine and exercises them in battle. This sounds like a cancer that I assume will grow and eventually consume him.


As I see it, it's not that simple.

We saw back in Perfection's Cry that Fabius's implants were not the same as their canon selves. He is intentionally trying to preserve the Emperor's Children, because unlike canon, he's truly loyal to Fulgrim. So his implants are actually what he says they are: blasphemous against the perfection of the Emperor's Astartes, in many cases (especially on lower-ranked Marines) potentially doing more long-term harm than good, and paid for in Astarte blood, but not something that directly turns their recipients towards Slaanesh, or truly affects their mind all that strongly in any way - except one.

You see, no one trusts Fabius. It is popularly believed that the implants do have a mental effect, one that loosens inhibitions and pushes Marines towards Slaanesh. And, of course, that belief - shared, most notably, by the unimplanted Vairosean - does loosen the inhibitions of the implanted Marines and pushes them towards Slaanesh. (Placebo effects....)

So, perhaps Fabius messed up on Kaesoron's implant, but in my opinion, if Kaesoron in particular falls, it won't be because of that. After all, Kaesoron never really believed the rumors about Fabius, if I remember correctly. He received the implants that he did to protect himself from Slaanesh. Maybe Fabius went too far, as he tends to, and ultimately pushed the Lion of Chemos towards Khorne. Maybe his new position will play on his ambition and eventually send him to Tzeentch. Maybe he will go over to Nurgle when faced with an overpowered Solomon Demeter, simply to survive. Maybe Kaesoron will grow obsessed with his sonic powers for a reason other than that biology forces him to, and thus stand alongside Slaanesh in the end. Maybe he will keep fighting for the Imperial Truth until that final confrontation with Demeter, when they kill each other under the titanic statue of Fulgrim on Terra. Or maybe one of the myriad other possible fates will take place.

Long story short: your assumption is not illogical, but the Renegades Saga has a tendency to shatter assumptions.


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## Over Two Meters Tall!

Thanks for the response Vulcan. Looking at the modifications that Fabius made to the ECs as more specifically biologically driven without the inherint corruption is something of a leap, but one that makes the choices made by those Astartes even more powerful... they grow corrupted by personal choice and not artifice. And I've been loving this whole series that you gents have been working on, so please continue :so_happy:


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## gothik

thought Vulkan would be able to answer it better then me and he has. There is no end in sight and i have a feeling it will go on for a fair while yet so i am glad that you are enjoying it. 

Once i have done heresy and lies, i will probably concentrate on one of the Imperial Army regiments. Haven't really gone into what the general grunt soldier thinks about this madness yet and i am wanting to get my teeth into a renegade vs loyalist Imperial Army tale just haven't got an idea yet......


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