# Iron Bends, but Steal Breaks



## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

An Armageddon story right after the 3rd War. Enjoy


Year 40,032

It was on the plains of Armageddon where perhaps the second fang finally sank. The true potential of the Chaos Legions has finally come with full throttle. May the emperor have mercy on those souls who have not yet fallen...

Part One (Forgotten and Found)

Year 40,000

Marshal Falcos of the Black Templar had been waiting for any sign of Ghazghkull. The main forces of the Black Templar in search for Ghazghkull along with the forces of Commisiar Yarrick's Steel Legion had given up persuit on Ghazghkull horde of orks. They must have been all but destroyed. Marshal Falcos was well suited for this tedious task, most other captains were tired of this chase. Alas a great Ork Warlord like Ghazghkull had been made into a running coward by the Imperium. Marshal Falcos confessed that any great leader like Ghazghkull pushed and forced to submit and retreat the way he was could change the outlook of such a great warlord. This is what had become of the warlord. A coward hiding and retreating ever deeper into an asteroid field that wrapped very much like the rings around Saturn. But this was no planet. This was the lost moon of Orealion. Once a beautiful moon inhabited by much life, until the Tyranid Fleet of Kraken had swept over it like the hand of death itself. Since then, this moon had lost its ability to hold much of its asteroid belt intact. As result it had made a huge section of space covered with asteroids. This effect covered and affected much the space around it. A group of relatively small planets had been covered by these asteroids. As such, this effected the effectiveness of any inhabitants living in these planets that had hard times with all the incomming rocks crashing into the planets. This section of space also had little sun. It was the perfect place for pirates and renegades to go hide. Though... anyone willing to pay the consequences for living in this region of space... oftenly did.
Marshal Falco had made his fleet with about 1000 of his black crusaders head towards Orealion directly. This would probably be the place Ghazghkull would be. This moon had much of the supplies that Ghazghkull would be required to take before he could go anywhere. He had no choice. However, Marshal Falcos had waited with such patience to blow Ghazghkull from space. But something was not right. Even if Ghazghkull was playing it smart he would be freezing in the cold, and starving. It had been long enough, Marshal Falcos would cut Ghazghkull into pieces and bring his head back in his spear. He would be legend with the chapters, but above all his legion.




Marshal Falcos had indeed brought a great sizable force to destroy the remnants of Ghazghkull's horde. But this was the Black Templar. They had thousands of crusades going on that they often had several hundred to even a couple thousand persueing their own crusades. Marshal Falcos' force had numbered a thousand astartes, five hundred initiates. Ghazghkull would be destroyed finally. Upon crusading upon the terrain of the moon there was very little that would prove how beautiful this planet once was. There was absolutely no signs of life. But that bothered Marshal Falcos even more. Nothing. No sign of the orks whatsoever. This... was bullshit. Orks could never do a even merely good job of hiding where they had been. Always leaving messes and corpses around... and teeth. Ork teeth would be found like shells. But so far... nothing. It was beginning to snow now. Any remnants that could help the Black Templar force would soon be none, if there was 
any.




"Marshal. We are enclosing on what appears to be an abandoned foritfication. No signs of life sir, but there is plenty of bodies." Falcos stunned by what had been voxed in his helmet took his ancient helmet off. He turned on the screen to a zoomed view on the stone fortification. It had been made of stone. There were ork bodies had been impaled on the stone walls, all over as though they were sprinkled on. As they approached the stone castle Falcos could make out a crucifix above the gates. Falcos could not see from a distance as the body was covered in blood which blended in well with the dark stone walls. Though it was more than just blood... the large body had been cut open, and its organs had been dangling down... and their was no head. "Gazghkull!!!" 




Falcos fell on his seat. His Land Raider Crusader now going through bumpy ride as his force was going through the fields of frozen ork filth along with broken wagons and bikes, old dreagnought looking things along with vehichals of all shapes and sizes. This truly looked like a junk yard. "Captain Millstamp! Take the first company into the center keep! Destroy anything in your path!" It took moments for the keep to fall to the Black Templar. There was nothing left alive, except for corpses of the orks of Gazghkull's horde. The center keep was a cleared building with a few stone chairs and tables. Marshal Falcos needed a moment to assess the situation. He brought in the captains of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th companies along with their Champion... Angres. "I don't understand what is going on. Even if this work was done by pirates, It would have to be quite a sizable force. Therefore I have sent Captain Millstamp and his company of Sword Bretheren along with all the initiates to investigate the hills behind the fortress. Get your companies ready, for tomorrow we will fall out and cleanse whatever filth stole the head of Ghazaghkull. I want his head! We will not rest till we find it! What news do we have from the fleet?" Captain Krukson of the fourth company stood up from his chair at parade rest. "Nothing sir! Nothing within the last 12 hours. Last transmission was..." Marshal Falcos leaning over the maps laid on the table turned his head over his white blanket that fell across his back. "Last Transmission was what? Captain?" Captain Kurkson looked at the Marshal with unease. "Sir, if I may, I don't know how to explain it. We have a last recording but it makes no sense, and though our equipment shows that our ships are still up and about, communication has been virtually impossible." Captain Kurkson took out the vex and turned it on. As it was being played, each of the Captain's pupil's widened as they could not believe what was being heard. "Requesting reinforcements......... reinforc...... the shhhhh......... breached......has been breached........" Marshal Falcos looked upon Champion Angres. "Leave us gentlemen!" As they all walked out and Captain Kurkson closed the door, Marshal switched his stare from the door to Champion Angres. 




"Tell me Angres. What vision did you see of this! What is going on?" Champion Angres took his helmet off and put it on the table as he sat down in confusion. "I don't understand either High Marshal. Something has been lurking in the warp. I can't understand this blashphemy. I believe there are external forces tampering with your future." Suddenly, pounds impacted on the hills behind the fortress. "Captain Kurkson! What the hell is going on!" As with many of the Black Templar force, he had dropped to the floors of the fortress in confusion of what was going on. "Sir, I believe our ships our firing at the 1st Company and Initiate task force on the hills. "The High Marshal looked out trying to see anything over the hills. His look of disbelief followed as a flood of ice froze inside him. "Thats not artillary... thats our own drop pods. Get me communications on our ships imidiately captain! Champion Angres!" Angres came out of the keep and put his helmet on. "Yes Marshal." Marshal Falcos screamed. "Lead and reinforce the task force in the hills with the 7th-10th companies! You are to destroy all and everything that has dropped on our first company. Champion Angres bowed. "As you wish sir." Marshal Falcos turned over back to the captain. "Captain Kurkson! What news from our ships?" Captain Kurkson still trying to get vox. "Nothing sir. Communication is working but I am not recieveing any response." Marshal Falcos paused and then looked back at the captain. "Very well Captain. You are tasked in leading the 4th, 5th, and 6th companies to go around the hills and flank whatever the fuck it is that has just landed on our task force. May the emperor have mercy on them! All Land Raiders are at your disposal." Captain Kurkson bowed. "As you wish my lord." It didn't matter whether it had been a mistake or not, whatever had landed would be given such a repayment at what they had just done. The Marshal would see to that. He just hoped that the damage done to the task force had been minimal.




Champion Angres had arrived on the scene. It would be a few hours before Captain Kurkson would be able to go around the impassible terrain and flank whatever had landed. The survivors of the task force had fallen back behind the champion's force which were in good cover fire with the 2nd and 3rd companies covering them at the rear of the fortress. Marshal Falcos was uneasy at how events had unfolded. He had lost contact with his fleet. His ships captain's had lost their minds. And all events had pulled the majority of his forces into unknown terrain behind the fortress. The Drop Pods had not opened up for some reason. Perhaps a jamming. This would create a moment where the flanking moments could arrive behind the drop pods and obliterate the drop pod force. Champion Angres and the survivors of the Task Force along with the 2nd and 3rd companies on the walls would eliminate any survivors from retreating. Whatever did this would pay the price. The task force had suffered heavy losses. About 25 sword bretheren lay scattered along the fields of drop pods, and about 100 lay aside with them. About 20 Land Raiders could be seen a distance by Marshal Falcos who was standing next to his standard bearer along with the 2nd and 3rd companies. The land raiders were aproaching with their horde of hurricane bolters, they would make little of the force within the drop pods. The Land Raiders came in and unloaded upon the drop pods. And yet, still none of them opened. Some of the drop pods had been torn apart and yet they could see nothing in them. "Seize fire!" Shouted Marshal Falcos over the vox. "My Lord?" Asked Captain Kurkson, eager to destroy the force within the drop pods. But as he looked within the distance at drop pods that were blown apart, he could see nothing, but as he looked closer... he saw that something had borrowed straight underneath every single drop pod. Suddenly and without warning, the ground beneath the land raiders fell and the land raiders fell so many feet with all its crew hitting ground underneath. The Land Raiders had been put out of survice and would need repairs. Some of the crew needed some injuries to be taken care of. Two of the Land Raiders had fallen atop of another and their was nothing left alive of their crew. "Captain Krukson report! What the hell happened." 




Captain Kurkson crawled out of his wreck caughing blood and trying to get his breath. "Marshal, we have been taken a bit from the surface. It looks like this was a trap. We must keep our eyes open." As the Captain looked around he saw a bunch of wholes all around the crater pit that was made to clash down. All of a sudden Marshal Falcos heard screams from the pit as bolters and screaming came out of it like a big burst through the silence. "Captain Kurkson report!" 
Captain Kurkson and his force had become under attack by insect type creatures. Very similar to ravenor's of the tyranids in almost every single way. Except for one thing... they gleamed of metal and their claw like arms continously changed shapes. They were hard to kill as it took several bolter rounds to finally make them explode. The few marines armed with meltas or flamers had an easier time keeping these creatures at bay. He yelled over the vox. "Marshal, we are taking enemy contact down here, and are getting attack from a 360 degree perimeter by unknown metallic creatures, request imidiate support." Marshal Falcos punched the walls. "Damn! Request is on its way, hold tight Captain." Marshal Falcos switched channels, "Champion Angres, lead your men along with the first company and initiates over to the pit and support Captain Kurkson. It seems like whatever was in the pods has made its way underground and has attacked Captain Kurkson's forces so you should not be bothered by anything from the pods. But be weary Angres. We are facing a devious enemy make sure there is nothing left in those pods, but do it quick." Angres opened vox, "As you wish my lord." As such Champion Angres and his forces swept across the pod field making sure that every pod was empty. And making their way to the pit with haste. Noises suddenly sounded all over the fortress. "What the hell is going on!? Where is this noise coming from? Its comming from all over the place. Get the techmarines to tell me what the hell is going on!?" 




"For the Emperor's sake! I need a relief force to come down here, these creatures are swarming us, hundreds more by the minute! We will not hold long!" Captain Kurkson had been battered by the creatures but still able to hold his ground with his power sword and his bolter. His force had been losing ground and men by the minute and the swarm of whatever these creatures where, where growing by the minute. 
As Champion Angres Forces were about to make their way across the field the same sound made in the fortress was also sounding inside the drop pods. Angres' force suddenly stopped and aimed their bolters at the drop pods ready to confront whatever it was that was making the noise. And suddenly... the noise stopped and the reason for the noise... finally answered with a big explosion. Angres forces blew up in the pod field as they realized what the true containment of the pods was revealed. All fitted with detonated explosive devices they could not tell what it was until it was too late. Marines were blown apart or thrown into different parts of the pod field like rag dolls. 
As Marshal Falcos realized what was happening... it was too late. And like the fields of fire before his eyes, the fortress he and the companies of the 2nd and 3rd company were on blew apart in the air. Marshal Falcos and his Standard Bearer on one piece of the fortress exploding in the air. The sides of the fortress caved in as the center fell with the rest. Falcos looked upon the fields and at the few marines of the 2nd and 3rd companies still up in the air. His glory, his honor, his pride, and his crusade were destroyed as he could feel in his heart of some terrible force laughing at him. He could feel the ruinous powers laugh at his soul as he was about to die. As he felt a tear roll down his eye. With that within moments, the dark grey stoned castle was nothing more than a mountain of rubble. 
Champion Angres got up as his men were still getting out of the shell shock the pod trap had given them. All the initiates, as they could not survive such explosion with what armor they had. The rest of his force suffered around fifty percent casualties. He had around 250 astartes but his force lay in confusion. Attacked from the front and the back. There was probably no hope for the forces in the fortress. If any had survived, they were in no dire threat. Captain Kurkson needed his help. And with that he once again led his forces to the pit. Without warning, metal claws came out of the ground and pulled astartes down. As he looked around to meet the new threat he saw nothing but the left over body parts of his men being thrown in the air. "Black Templars! 360 degree perimeter!" And with that the metal ravenor creatures clashed into the Black Templar. 




Captain Kurkson had been fighting for many hours. But the few holes in the pit became many as he could no longer concentrate fire power. With that, the whole pit was a whirlwind of metal teeth as it clawed against the Black Templar piece by piece. Pockets of marines tried to burrow themselves in the Land Raider wrecks but soon those wrecks became slaughter houses as the ravenors dug themselves inside the land raiders and chopped up any Templars trying to fortify themselves. "HOLD THEM! HOLD THEM!!! HOLD...." Captain Kurkson fell as two claws pierced through the back of his armor, five seconds later 4 claws punched through him, as he tried to whisper something to his death. The ravenor threw the body unto the whirlwind of metal teeth as it got disembowed. And with that, the pit went from being a defensive perimeter to a kitchen disposal. 




Soon the pit flooded like an ocean of metal and washed against Angres' lines like a tidawave. It smashed and utterly destroyed any organization left within Angres' force. Angres smashed threw everything with his sword eager to gain control of his forces once again. But everything! Everything was chaos. None of the surviving Black Templar in Angres' force could see one another. They were all fighting desperately for their lives. Then all of a sudden bolter rounds found their way from the east. Was it Captain Kurkson? Had he been able to fight himself from the pit? Or was it the Marshal, had he been able to rescue a part of the force defending the fortress? But the bolter rounds had found their way in an each found a Black Templar. They had been poorly shot as they may have grazed some of the Ravenor's but not very well. "Stop firing! Your hitting your own men!" All of a sudden the swarm stopped. Slowly backing up. With that, Angres was on his kness, he searched the fields as the swarm continued to back away from him, he could see his forces all scattered dead around him. Angres could no longer fight. He had lost much blood, and he could not heal fast enough to find the strength and pull the sword from a Ravenor body. Suddenly something giant with big foot steps walked his way from beyond the metal Ravenors. Angres could he an ork head on top of a spear hovered like a banner on top his armor like a trophy. Finally... the head of Ghazghkull had been found. And with it... its new owner... claded in Iron and Gold trim. Yellow and Black trim on his powerfist. And the emblem of an Iron Skull on his shoulder. He was claded in terminator armor. The man in terminator armor took his helmet off and spoke in a heretical tone. "Welcome my young son of Dorn. You should be honored to have seen yet another of your father's failings. Afterall, it is your father's legacy. And done such by the hands of a legion truly greater than yours ever was. Let me introduce myself. I am Warsmith Kolvax, survivor of my failing on my beautiful creation of Forgefane." A retinue of Terminators went around Angres. "My downfall... also my revelation! Unlike my warsmith brothers, the chaos gods gave me a second chance at redemption. You see. My brothers have failed to live up to our legions greatest trait. Destruction of cities and worlds. We are the siege engines of the chaos gods, and we have been left to sleep dormant building castles and fortifications. I have come back to bring the Imperium to hell." Kolvax petted one of the ravenor's while it put its teeth out and handed him a metal sword. "Spending years going undigested in a trygon can make you quite an unhappy man. Would make you lose your concentration on things... you could too." And with that Kolvax slashed Angres' head from his body. "Make haste Iron Warriors, we make for Armageddon. We have the universe's most fierce creatures under my will. HAHHAHAHA. Death to the False Emperor! Iron Within! Iron Without!

To be continued...


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

The Massacre of Orealion Battle Report. hhaha, I drew out the battle, hope it makes sense.

Retreat of first company and initiates which regroup with Champion Angres and his companies.

*May have to click on the pictures to get a better zoom in.*


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Captain Kurkson and his companies round the mountain side in hope to catch the Drop Pod intruders... only to fall into a trap pit.


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Marshal Falcos orders his forces to man the walls of the fortress while Champion Angres and the left over forces of Captain Millstamps veteran forces charge the drop pods fields to help out Captain Kurkson...


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Champion Angres' forces are met with an unwelcoming from the empty drop pods, as they realize to late that the pods are not as empty as they appear. Champion Angres' forces are blown into mere pockets of fragments from its original strength as they fight desperately against the horde.

The stone fortress has fallen along with the reserve forces of Marshal Falcos. All hope is lost, and Captain Kurkson's forces are anhilated in the pit.

The anhilation of the Marshal Falcos forces is all but complete, and yet the enemy is still unclear.


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Angres tries to rally the left overs from his forces but with ill results as they are washed away from the tyranid infected horde.

The destroyer of the Marshal Falcos crusade shows himself... a lost enemy of his their chapter's father Dorn. It is not long before Angres is beheaded and let to join the rest of his crusaders.

A long lost enemy has returned... twice as strong and with a purpose.


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## ThatOtherGuy (Apr 13, 2010)

I suggest that you space out your story a bit more... because my eyes were about to explode from the massive wall of text :biggrin:


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Gottyah! Hope this helps.


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