# The Shadows



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

*The Shadows*

_“Almost every species in the universe is afraid of the dark.”_​~Inquisitor Theodore Hakeon, After the Gian Prime Expedition​
*~ Chapter One ~​*
Thoron looked up from his desk, after hearing something move outside the door. It was late at night in his office, and he was still shovelling through papers by the dozen – with more to get through. He was the Imperial Governor of Gian Prime, and thought that this work was above him.

But, everybody else was busy. He hadn’t left the office in three days, and doubted he would leave his workplace tonight. That would make it four. Sure, his wife Alesia would bring up his two little boys when she could, but they were often busy at school, being indoctrinated in the ways of the Imperium.

Even Imperial Governor’s sons were not separated from the lessons taught. Thoron had, when he was a child, been lectured at the same school that his children were attending now. So had his father, and his father before that.

“Hello?” Thoron asked, curiously, as the shuffle was heard again. “Is anybody there?”

There was no response, so Thoron ignored it. Maybe, in his old age, he was getting too paranoid. It must have been the ventilation shaft above his head, or he might have accidentally kicked his desk without him noticing. Ignoring it, Thoron continued his work.

It was only when he heard the shuffling a fourth time, that the Imperial Governor looked up. Something was wrong, very wrong. He knew that nobody worked this late aside from a few servitors, and Thoron always knew when they were coming, he could tell by the noise. Only, this shuffling wasn’t the noise that the servitors made.

“Hello?” Thoron called again. “Is anybody there?”

He didn’t expect a response after he hadn’t received one the first time. “I warn you,” Thoron suddenly felt brave. He clutched his lasgun, which he carried in his office to remind him of his days in the Imperial Guard, the proud soldiers of Gian Prime, who, he had been informed, were currently fighting a tendril of the Great Devourer alongside the Emperor’s Finest, the Ultramarines. “I’m armed, so don’t try anything stupid. Oh, and I know how to use it,” he added with a smile. 

Suddenly, the light above Thoron’s head flickered once. He looked up on the second, and loaded his lasgun. ‘_I’m jumping at shadows,’_ Thoron thought with a frown. _‘Nobody would dare to try and infiltrate my palace – it’s too well defended. Get back to work.’_

He remembered the stern eyes of the Commissar, Vicas Hurt, who had served with the Gian 122nd, the regiment that Thoron had joined. He was from Cadia, and every day he longed to return to his Homeworld. He would often shout the Cadian warcry, rather than the one that the Gian soldiers knew and loved. Perhaps, it was because he thought he’d never see his homeworld again. No, every man knew that they might not see their homeworld again – such was life in the Imperial Guard. You lived fighting, and shortly afterwards you would die fighting. Normally, sooner rather than later.

And, the horrible truth was, that it was more likely to be under the fire of your own guns than the fire of the enemy, be him xenos or worse.

The light flickered again, and then once more. Then, it died completely. 

A few seconds later, the dying scream of Imperial Governor Lias Thoron lit up the air, along with the death screams of an entire planet, crying out in unison.


----------



## Shogun_Nate (Aug 2, 2008)

Good opener bud! Hope to see more soon!

Good luck and good gaming,

Nate


----------



## Boc (Mar 19, 2010)

My only thought as Thoron went-a-flyin' was 'Haaa haaa sucker bitch.' A good opener, looking forward to seeing more.


----------



## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for the reviews, and the Rep, Nate. Here's Chapter Two, hope you like it.
Also, sorry about the short length, I can't write long chapters for some reason :victory:. But then again, some of James Patterson's books have chapters about a quater of a page long, so I guess I'm cool.

Also, just out of curiosity, how does one earn the member awards like _Seal of the Librarian_? 

*~Chapter Two~*​
_100 Years Later_

Inquisitor Theodore Hakeon smiled as he unleashed a shot from his Plasma Pistol, ripping through the heart of the greenskin that was almost on top of him, causing the black Inquisitor to be covered in blood. 

Watching as more xenos poured over the hill and towards their bunker, Hakeon turned to the Guardsman stationed next to him, in immediate safety behind the concrete walls. With a smile on his face, the Inquisitor stated, “Well then, this is going to be harder than expected.”

“Aye sir,” nodded Cornaz, the Steel Legion Guardsman unleashing a burst of shots from his lasgun, each of them accurate. “We’re the last two left, sir.”

Looking at the fallen guardsmen of the Steel Legion surrounding him in the small bunker, Hakeon knew this to be the truth. He couldn’t see any other Steel Legionnaires fighting elsewhere, and judging by the static on the vox, everybody else was dead.... Commissar Thengel, Colonel Huos, the arrogant commander of a Leman Russ, known only as Raven, and thousands more besides.

‘All dead,’ cursed Hakeon silently, ‘Damn them.’

“Where are our reinforcements?” shouted Cornaz angrily, the loss of his entire regiment being too much to bear. “These astartes are sure taking their fekking time!”

“They’ll get here,” promised Hakeon. “They’ve got to.”

“What Chapter are they, Inquisitor?” Cornaz questioned, with a frown. “You never said, sir.”

“Colonel Huos didn’t tell you?” asked Hakeon with a frown, looking across what had once been a wonderful agri-world.

“He didn’t tell anybody sir,” informed Cornaz, ducking to avoid a surprisingly accurate spray of Ork fire which flew harmlessly off the protected bunker. “Wouldn’t answer any questions, sir.”

“Well, Cornaz, in these circumstances, I think I should probably tell you,” smiled Hakeon. “It’s the Blood Angels, the scions of Sanguinius.”

“Forgive me sir, but aren’t they a cursed chapter?” asked Cornaz curiously. “I’ve heard talk amongst the men who served with them on Armageddon that they have this sort of group... this group of dammed men, sir. Actually sir, Comment withdrawn, sir.”

Seeing the frightened look on Cornaz’s face, Hakeon responded, after he had brought down two greenskins with his Plasma Pistol. “Good thinking, I won’t execute you for withdrawing your comment, Cornaz, I’m not a Commissar, you know. Also, Cornaz?”

“Yes, sir?” Cornaz asked, bringing down another Ork with his lasgun, and wiped sweat from his face.

“Don’t call me sir anymore. I’m promoting you to part of my routine, because of your exceptional services in the field, and your regiment has been crushed.” Hakeon explained with a smile. “If we survive this, you’re no longer a Guardsman – remember that. Another reason why I’m not asking you to call me sir is because it gets annoying.”

“Yes sir,” nodded Cornaz with a smile, and realised his mistake. “Sorry, I meant, Yes Hakeon.” Then, Cornaz yelled, “For the Emperor!” and unleashed a torrent of fire, most shots accurate, some not.

But they kept coming, and nothing would be enough to stop them. Hakeon was surprised that they hadn’t called upon their crude tanks, which he knew that the xenos had. Maybe, they were holding them back – or maybe, they had been destroyed.

Hopefully, it was the latter. Hakeon didn’t want a surprise today. Well, of course, that depended on the surprise. 

“What’s that, s- Hakeon?" questioned Cornaz, hearing something soaring through the skies.

“Salvation,” smiled Hakeon with a grin. “Even though they may be a cursed Chapter, the Blood Angels are one of the Emperor’s Finest, Cornaz. And there’s only one thing we can do now.”

“What’s that, Hakeon?” asked Cornaz, curiously, although, thanks to the wide smile on his face, the Inquisitor could tell Cornaz knew what was coming next.

“By the Emperor, we take the fight to them,” Hakeon snarled. “We will avenge the 166th.”

“Aye,” Cornaz remarked, and hurled himself out of the bunker to meet the greenskins along with Hakeon as the first Drop Pods hit the planet of Callern, unleashing their deadly cargo of adeptus astartes. 

TO. BE. CONTINUED.


----------



## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*cool.*

the story is keeping my attention, witch is hard to do at the greatest of times. I look forward to reading more. I like the conversational structure between the surviving parties. What happens in the darkness... I do look forward to finding out. Adrian[


----------



## Shogun_Nate (Aug 2, 2008)

More good stuff bud! Keep up the good work!

Good luck and good gaming,

Nate


----------

