# Talons of Vengance



## Pickle (Jan 20, 2008)

Nearly wiped out by an attack by a force of Grey Knights for succumbing to a trait called the Shriek of the Raven as chapter members put it. It is called such as when you fall to it, you hear a slow piercing shriek in the back of your mind, gradually growing louder and driving the victim, to vicious acts to try and rid itself of the Shriek.

Only the 6th and 7th companies of the Chapter managed to survive the attack of the Inquisition as they were travelling to nearby Sholokov, to help a regiment of Guard on the planet prevent a civil war. They were notified of the attack as soon as the Grey Knights landed and told to escape to a nearby planet. This planet, the machine spirit of the battle barge told them was Perditia and they were not cleared to land upon its surface. Commander Morden told the Battle barge’s servitors to prepare for crash landing anyway.

As the ship plummeted to the surface, Morden ordered for several Thunderhawks to map out the planet’s surface. The battle barge smashed into the murky white surface of the planet causing the whole ship to vibrate suddenly and the planet’s surface to crack. The battle barge’s safety mechanisms kicked in as the ship ground to a halt upon the smoking dirt and steam left in its destructive trail. Morden ordered a servitor system to check the barge’s structural integrity and weapon systems. The gritty voice of Raken, the commanding Chaplain, echoed over the ships system’s reporting that most of the marines were alive and well. Morden was just about to ask for a report from the Thunderhawks, when one came in with a pict-capture of a mysterious structure to the east of the battle barge.

Morden immediately ordered a Thunderhawk to investigate and wait for Cassus and himself to join them along with as many veterans as possible. The Thunderhawk flew out of the smoking rubble of the devastation left behind by the landing towards the red structure. As the Thunderhawk landed beside what Morden thought was the entrance to the building, he spotted the symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus upon the doors surface. As Morden and Cassus walked towards the great symbol to examine its age, the symbol split in two in a gush of steam as it seemed to melt the ice instantly to open into a gaping maw as if to invite the Marines inside. Morden and Cassus cautiously walked through the doorway with ten other Terminator veterans in close pursuit.

As Cassus pulled out his force spear, as he normally would if he had sensed something, he whispered over the vox system, be cautious, we’re going left, there’s someone that way. As the marines turned the corner, a servitor appeared so fast from behind the Marines, Cassus whipped and around and flung his spear at it. The circuitry of the servitor instantly overloaded, as Morden went up to pull the spear out for Cassus, he noticed its serial code, 53RK3R, he muttered to himself, what a weird code. Morden lead the Marines into a large open area, filled with what looked like Stasis Tubes but unlike any he had seen before. Cassus walked slowly towards one of the tubes that were filled with a murky green liquid. As he did he saw that it contained an Eldar.

Morden walked up beside Cassus and said that they had a visitor. Cassus turned around and saw an Arch Magos standing behind him. He introduced himself as Arch Magos Occultus, and that this was a secret facility operating in the investigation of newly found STCs and Xeno’s. Occultus showed Morden and Cassus, a monitor behind him, showing exactly where they had crash-landed the battle barge and where all the Thunderhawks were on the planet. He said that the Adeptus had been monitoring the Chapter and knew about the attack upon their homeworld by the Inquisition and wished to help the Chapter to revive its numbers and build the new STC pattern vehicles, the Adeptus had just located and begun test production of, for them.
Occultus lead Morden and Cassus to a second smaller room, which contained what looked like a dirt buggy of some kind. Occultus called it the MK1 Bulldog, and said that two more where being made as we speak. Morden looked up and saw that it was armed with a Multi-Melta. Morden asked Occultus how they were going to hide the fallen Battlebarge; Occultus replied calmly that the Adeptus was applying a cloaking shield, right now to prevent the Inquisition form spotting it.

Occultus then walked to another room to show Morden one more item of lost technology, Occultus explained it as an advanced jump pack, based upon the same technology that Eldar Warp Spiders use. These will be useful on this planet as normal jump packs get clogged with dust and snow easily. Finally he handed Morden, a hammer, Occultus said that this was his greatest achievement yet. It’s called a shock hammer it repels gravity causing your opponent to be flung across the room and rupturing vital bodily organs. Morden thanked the red robed Magos once again and left the room. Morden and his accompanying veterans returned the silent confines of the Thunderhawk. The Thunderhawk landed inside the Battlebarge and Morden disembarked onto the now homely grating of the ship’s floor. He walked slowly towards the ship’s armoury to take off his heavy armour and relieve him self of his worries for the chapter’s fate, now they had the Adeptus Mechanicus on their side.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Not bad, Pickle. Sounds like it would make good chapter fluff, which is always good to see.


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