Post by Ares on Nov 26, 2013 21:04:02 GMT 10
So yeah, I have wrote before, blundered about a little, maybe improved.
This here is a few "fanfictions" I wrote a long while ago. Feedback and comments are welcome!
It is the 41st Millennium. It has been 10 years since the battle on Aurelia against Ulkair. He was defeated, and it was thought that due to it, the war in the sector would eventually end.
...They were wrong. New daemonic incursions plague Sub-sector Aurelia’s worlds, and acts of heresy became more and more rampant amongst the population. The Imperial Guard - The Emperor’s Hammer, was deployed en-masse to the Sub-sector, to secure and to defend. It was not enough, for the guard themselves became corrupted by the same cults they were sent out to defeat. Insurrection became a common thing. Worse still, Xenos forces are still strong in the sector, perhaps even growing in strength.
The Blood Ravens would act, yet they too are locked in warfare. Azeriah Kyras, Chapter Master and Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens, has been corrupted by the foul powers of Chaos, and serve its bidding. Not all Blood Ravens follow him, and his heresies however: Gabriel Angelos, Captain of the Blood Raven’s 3rd Company, leads the loyal and faithful, who knew the truth of Kyras. They work to stop him, and to illuminate more of their unwitting brethren of the truth.
Yet it is not enough. The Imperium has had enough. Only solution remains: Exterminatus upon all worlds of Sub-sector Aurelia. Xenos, heretics, loyalists, traitors and renegades, all will die under the holy fire of the Ordo Malleus.
Hope still remains for the sector however: If evidence of Kyras’s heresy can be presented to the Inquisition, then the Exterminatus can be called off. The task of searching for the evidence was self-assigned to Inquisitor Adrastia, of the Ordo Hereticus, and she knows where to look for aid...
On Typhon, there is an old jungle outpost that was long since abandoned, due to the Tyranid infestation. Within the facility, it is a sight of abandonment, nature has more or less taken over. Bushes, grass, even exotic flowers can be seen among the old stone and corroded steel ruins.
Now, it is occupied. A small force, from the Blood Ravens Chapter, specifically the 4th company, is occupying the place. Lead by Davian Thule, they are defending themselves against a Chaos Warband, of the Black Legion.
It was a personal mission for Davian Thule. He is to go, and find Eliphas, rumored to be hiding on Typhon, and end him. The Space Marines with him are volunteers. He has no doubt that reinforcements would arrive, to come and extract them. But at least the hunt for Eliphas will end this day..
Davian Thule sets his targeting sensors on a group of Traitors in hulking Terminator Armour charging towards him and his fellow brothers, and fired with the Assault Cannon set on his right arm, knocking one backward onto the ground and, killing him with a hit to the helmet. The rest of the Terminators managed to get to Thule, some of them howling like daemonic beasts hungry for blood. “Barbaric scum” Thule thought. Still, they are formidable opponents, he can give them that.
Thule spun his torso around while simultaneously taking a few steps forward, bashing all of them off the ground and away, their armoured forms landing a few meters away on their backs. Walking to the nearest one, Davian Thule grabbed him by the foot, turned him upside down, and violently slammed him against the ground three times, before throwing him away from the battlefield, over the stone wall. He turned around to see the last three get up and charge at him, thundering slowly yet surely towards him in their corrupt Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Thule charged likewise, raising his almighty fist, and slammed it down into the Chaos Space Marine, the ground shook from the blow, some cracks appearing in the concrete.
The Chaos Space Marine stood there, but Thule ignored him. He is essentially dead already, if the blow did not kill him, then his brothers will do so. He turned around, and took a blow to his sarcophagus by a Daemon Maul, the champion of the Terminators seeking to break it open. The blow shook the entire dreadnought, and Thule was temporarily stunned. The sarcophagus took a heavy dent, there is a bulge in it that pushed inwards... but it is not yet broken. Thule recovered and managed to block the second blow with his arm, before knocking him back into the ground. He introduced the Champion to his Assault Cannon before he got up, tearing his armour apart in the barrage of fire at close range. He won't be walking away alive from it.
Thule, on instinct, spun his torso around again, catching the last Terminator unaware and knocking him back too. Thule walked to him, and punched him as hard as he could breaking the concrete ground around the area of the punch. He retracted his fist, the pitter-patter of Bolter fire bouncing off his armour reminding him that it is not over yet. He aimed the Assault cannon at the Chaos Space Marines, firing as he returned to cover along with his brothers.
He stopped midway however, as he hears a familiar laughter. He heard it on Kronos, during one of his many battle. He heard it during the conflict with the Black Legion at this very Subsector. The source of the laughter, Eliphas the Inheritor walked into the facility through its gates alone, donned in ornate Terminator Armour, carrying with him a Daemon Maul, wreathed in warp flames.
Eliphas grinned at Thule, as he gripped his Maul. “Davian Thule... it is good to see you, brother.”
“We are not brothers.. Eliphas! This day, is the day you will die, for the final time!” Thule retorted, opening and closing his fist. He noticed that all the other Black Legionnaires are no longer focusing on him. Sensing what is about to happen, the Blood Ravens in cover are refraining from shooting at Eliphas to allow Davian Thule to get to grips with him honourably.
Eliphas chuckled. “Observe brothers... observe how Space Marines choose to die and how little choice they have on the matter! Come Davian! We have unfinished business!” “Yes.” Thule replied. With all his righteous anger and hatred, Davian Thule charged at Eliphas, to deal the final crippling death to him if possible...
Eliphas laughed inwardly as Davian Thule thundered towards him. It has been way too long since Kronus, and now, he can finish what he has started with him. Eliphas charged as well, ignoring the revving of the Assault Cannon as Thule prepares to fire a barrage for a moment. Thule fired, only for the shots to be rendered harmless by the Warp flames surrounding himself which intensified for the moment. Predictably, Thule began spinning his Torso, to smash Eliphas about. “How predictable, and foolish. This is a different battleground now Thule, and I have become so much more powerful”.
He swung his Daemon Maul, colliding it with Thule’s fist, and tearing it right off the arm itself. Thule continued spinning, his Assault Cannon smashing Eliphas into the ground. Thule stopped spinning, and proceeded to unload his Assault Cannon into Eliphas as he got back up.
Eliphas’s armour started to wear down, barely protecting Eliphas from the weathering barrage that is barely made less deadly by the Warp flames surrounding himself. Eliphas swung the Daemon Maul upward, knocking the Assault Cannon into pointing upward, then in the same moment, adjusted his grip on his Daemon Maul, and smashed it against Thule’s Sarcophagus, making him lose balance and fall backwards. With confident strides, Eliphas walked onto Davian Thule’s dreadnought body, one step at a time, until he is next to the Sarcophagus. All the while, everyone stopped fighting to watch.
The Sarcophagus itself is heavily damaged. Eliphas chuckled. The chuckle became laughter, and the laughter became a roaring one as Eliphas rejoiced in the defeat of his rival. Finishing, Eliphas spoke; “If you can hear me Thule, understand that I will not stop here. I will take the Blood Ravens, and they shall belong to Chaos. Then, after that, I will go to wreak havoc at one of your precious allies... and they too, will become ours. Die, with the knowledge that you will never be able to stop this.”
With that, Eliphas lifted his Daemon Maul before him, turned it upside-down, and thrusted it into the Sarcophagus with great effort, embedding it into the biological body of Davian Thule, killing him. He tore out the bloody Daemon Maul from the Sarcophagus, chuckling, before laughing again. Suddenly he was rocked by a blast of Plasma, nearly making him fall off the Dreadnought. Eliphas turned and saw a single Space Marine, with a white helmet with red laurels, sporting a Plasma Gun. Eliphas quickly made a sign to not interfere, intrigued by the single Space Marine.
Without uttering a word, the Space Marine continued, firing shot after shot of Super-hot Plasma, all of which was negated or repelled by Eliphas’s Warp flames. “..In the name of Lorgar, do they not learn?” he thought. The Space Marine stopped after half a minute, his Plasma Gun clearly starting to overheat.
“So who are you, Space Marine?” Eliphas asked. The Space Marine did not reply. “..Ah, you cannot Speak? Or do you just stay silent for other reasons? Well no matter.” Eliphas raises his Daemon Maul. “I will crush you all the same!”
The battle resumed, the Chaos Space Marines pouring fire into the Blood Ravens, who took cover to keep themselves from getting shot to death. Eliphas stepped down from Davian Thule’s “corpse” and strode forward to get to grips with the Blood Ravens. Suddenly, loud and clear Jump Pack Engines can be heard, as two Assault Squads engage the Chaos Space Marines, jumping over the walls to slam down in midst of the enemy. Eliphas looked to his forces, another whine of a Jump Pack making him look up, to see one more Space Marine flying high in the sky momentarily.
The Space Marine landed down on the ground hard - the Concrete cracking from the force of the landing, and kicking up some dust. Eliphas chuckled, as the dust cleared for Eliphas to see his opponent. Clad in Artificer Armour, with Bolt Pistol and Lightning Claw in hand, Captain Diomedes stands up to face Eliphas the Inheritor...
Diomedes looked at Eliphas, seemingly relaxed. He can see Davian Thule’s ruined chassis out of the corner of his helmet lenses, but now is not the time to mourn a hero’s passing. Thule died to draw Eliphas out, and now is the time to finish him. Davian Thule will not die in vain.
“Ah, the puppet captain joins us brothers, see how merrily he dances, blind to the dark gods who pull at his strings? Welcome brother, know that your decade-long hunt is all for nought. I will slay you here, and your souls...” Eliphas takes his Daemon Maul in a two-handed grip as he spoke, the Warp flames surrounding him flaring in it’s full brilliance for a moment as he finished his sentence; “...shall be devoured!”
“Save your words cur.” Diomedes has no intention on giving Eliphas any courtesy, especially since he is responsible for the death of his former brother-captain. “Our Emperor will see us victorious this day.” With that, he jumped forward in a leap, the Jump Pack giving him a boost. Eliphas barely got out of the way of the leap, forcing Diomedes to land on his right knee and left foot. He swung with the Daemon Maul, knocking him to the side. Diomedes was rattled by the impact, and his Jump Pack was ruined, but otherwise he is unharmed. As he got back up, Diomedes pressed the belt stud on his chest, detaching the Jump pack from his armour without ceremony, and awaited for Eliphas to come to him.
Eliphas laughed, and charged with all his thunderous might at Diomedes, swinging the Daemon Maul as he did. Diomedes crouched at the right moment, and ran past Eliphas by his right, the Lightning Claw’s energies fighting against Eliphas’s Warp flames. Diomedes rolled over, and quickly attacked Eliphas from behind, trying to get a blow in. He struck three times before Eliphas swung the Daemon maul again, making him jump pack to avoid the deadly weapon. Diomedes aimed with the Bolt Pistol, and fired a few shots. All but one was negated by the warp flames, the last one bounced off Eliphas’s terminator Armour. “You weakness shows!” Diomedes thought. Whether it was due to the Dreadnought having made Eliphas spent much of his effort into killing him or something else, the sorcerous shield seemed to be weakened.
Scowling, Eliphas swung the Daemon Maul at Diomedes, who dodged it barely. “You are slowing Inheritor, gone was the cunning that troubled the Blood Ravens” Eliphas roared, and swung the Daemon Maul again, Diomedes crouched to dodge it before delivering an uppercut with the Lightning Claw. It struck the Terminator Armour, carving deep scars into it. “THIS BATTLE WILL BE YOUR LAST!” Diomedes shouted. “I SHALL NOT BE STOPPED!” Eliphas roared, swinging the Daemon Maul into Diomedes, sending him flying a few meters to the side. Eliphas walked towards him, his expression full of rage. “Again, and again I shall rise, as I always have!” Diomedes slowly got, taking off his helmet as he did. Blood is running down from his bald head, around where the Daemon Maul hit. The Helmet protected him from much of the damage. His eyes full of hatred and anger, Diomedes aimed the Bolt Pistol low, and fired at the Armour damage repeatingly. Eliphas saw what his opponent is doing, and rushed forward, many of the Bolt rounds bouncing off the Terminator Armour.
Smiling, Diomedes rushed forward. Eliphas swung the Daemon mace at Diomedes, thinking that he got him where he wanted him. Diomedes rolled underneath the blow, and delivered a powerful stab into Eliphas, right at the chest. The ground trembled slightly from the blow, and the two combatants stayed where they are for a moment. Eliphas coughed up blood, and fell down, close to death. Diomedes stood upright, and looked around.
Battle was everywhere. Chaos Space Marine, and Space Marine fought each other. Then Diomedes noticed Imperial Guardsmen. They are fighting the Cultists, with Lasgun and Bayonet, taking the fight to them, leaving the Chaos Space Marines for the Blood Ravens. “What are they doing here? They do not look like Typhon Planetary Defense Forces or any Guardsmen from this Sub-sector.” Diomedes thought. The chuckling brought his attention back to Eliphas. He can barely hear a voice shouting, “THE INHERITOR HAS FALLEN, FALL BACK BROTHERS, FALL BACK!”
Eliphas looked up at his killer, grinning madly. “Know this... puppet... even with... my death here... the Dark Gods... still hold you... Blood Ravens in their grip...” Diomedes listened. His Lightning Claws dripping blood, some of which sparked with electricity. dropping onto the ground to form a miniscule red pool. “Soon, the gods shall have your chapter’s loyalty... and you are still... too blind to see this...” Eliphas coughed blood again, before starting to chuckle. As the chuckle turned into laughter, Diomede’s anger rose to the fore. Something in Eliphas’s last words shook him. The Lightning Claw trembled ever so slightly, and Diomede’s expression turned to that of pure, barely-controlled anger.
“...lies...”
Eliphas continued to laugh ever harder, coughing blood a few more times in between.
“...ALL LIES!!!”
In one swift motion, Diomedes stabbed Eliphas in the face with the Lightning Claw, and twisted it, spraying blood and brain matter all over the gauntlet, and a little on the ornate chestplate.
The anger drained away from Diomedes, as he pulled the Lightning claw out from Eliphas’s ruined mess of a head. “...all lies...” he quietly spoke to himself. “well done, well done! It was wise, to send forth our chapter’s greatest champion, to scour the legion from the subsector. You, Diomedes.” Diomedes was shocked from the voice in his head, recognising it as the voice of Chapter Master Kyras. “..My lord! Chapter Master Kyras! I was not expecting communication from you so swiftly!”
“As both Chapter Master and Chief Librarian, my reach is long Brother-Captain. I watched your victory unfold, See to it, that Typhon is secured, while you await further orders... and again Apollo, congratulations...”
“I.. thank you my lord. You honour me.”
Diomedes noted the appearance of Sergeant Cyrus, and a full squad of Scouts approaching from the facility entrance. Cyrus glared at Diomedes. He must have at least seen Diomedes lips move to tell what was spoken of. “Are you satisfied?” Diomedes surly asked Cyrus. “I am not. I am however, dissapointed. With a few honeyed words of favour, you discard EVERYTHING we revealed to you of Aurelia in an INSTANT!”
“ENOUGH! The Black Legion is routed! as for you, I will decide your fate shortly. First, we have something to attend to...” Diomedes looked, to see the leader.. or rather, leaders of the Imperial Guard force walk to him. A Lord General, with a long coat, ornate carapace armour, a left Bionic prosthetic arm carrying a Sniper Rifle, with a power sword in a scabbard. Walking alongside him is a Lord Commissar, and a female, in Black Armour with a strange hat, the seal of the Inquisition embedded in silver on it.
“This went as expected, considering the presence of the Adeptus Astartes.” The Lord General spoke. “And you are?” Diomedes questioned. “I am Lord General Castor, Commander of the 410th Cadian Regiment.” Diomedes quickly compared notes mentally in a split-second. Lord General Castor is the commander of the Imperial Guard Forces sent to the Subsector to help with combating the taint of Chaos. So far, the effort is backfired by insurrection and madness amongst the guard’s ranks. “You did not do well with securing the sector, if I may say so myself, Lord General.” Castor looked at Diomedes right in the eye - a bold thing to do, considering - and replied “It was due to the quality of the Guardsmen. I got nothing else to blame, they are weak. So therefore, they fall.”
“This is not why we are here Castor.” The Inquisitor Spoke. Diomedes looked to her. She bears no scars, at least none that he can see. She does not seem to be a fighter to him, but looks can be decieving. “May I know your name.. madam?” The Inquisitor looked at Diomedes. “I am Inquisitor Adrastia of the Ordo Hereticus. The Inquisition is no stranger to this subsector, having dealt with Cyrene in the approved manner some time ago, Captain Diomedes.”
Diomedes gestured to the corpse of Eliphas with his Bolt Pistol. “As you no doubt can see, Eliphas died by my hand, and the Black Legion has been routed. I trust this puts the question of the Blood Raven’s loyalty to rest, Inquisitor Adrastia” Adrastia kept her gaze firmly fixed on Diomedes. “That changes nothing. In fact, the situation has escelated Captain. One of your own Brother-Captains has made a disturing accusation against your Chapter Master, Azariah Kyras himself.”
“Angelos!” Diomedes expression turned to that of anger again. “It is he and his followers who are traitor and renegade! By all rights I should turn Gabriel’s men over to Kyras!” over the mentioning of turning over, he glanced slightly at Cyrus for a split-second. If Cyrus has a reaction to that, he kept it to himself. “So you have often said. Fortunately he did not mirror this sentiment when he sent his men over to you, to command.” Diomedes was surprised, but he quickly kept his expression from betraying his feelings. “It is by Captain Angelos’s reccomendation that you will be given the chance to clear the Blood Ravens of guilt. The Ordo Malleus will soon deal with these problems in their way... in a quite permanent fashion. Exterminatus.”
“Exterminatus... but-”
“Captain, IF Kyras is the source of the subsector’s troubles you must help me expose it and stop him. If you can, then perhaps I can be able to call off the Exterminatus, and if you cannot... your chapter will be declared heretics, and you will be burned with the rest of the subsector.”
“Such an investigation should be performed without chapter command’s notice. We will need to move quickly, and subtly” Cyrus spoke. Diomedes became aware of the approach of a brother, and looked to see Martellus, a Brother Tech Marine. He has been inspecting Thule’s Body. Martellus shook his head slightly. There is not a shred of a doubt. Thule has passed. There was a moment of silence, before Diomedes allowed Martellus to speak. “There was an ancient network in this subsector, known as the Teleportariums. We can use them to go from world to world without notice. There is one on Typhon, we can go to it, activate it and make use of it.”
Diomedes sighed. There is no other option for him now. “Very well, I shall do it. I will find evidence that will damn Kyras, or perhaps... redeem him.” Cyrus frowned, but did nothing more. The sounds of a Valkyrie flying and landing close by can be heard. “Very well. Assemble your forces, Lord General and Captain, I have one more business to take care of before heading out on this endeavour. I bid you farewell until then... gentlemen.” With that, Adrastia turned, and walked to the facility entrance, a squad of Stormtroopers appearing there to meet her and escort her to the Valkyrie. Diomedes sighed inwardly, and starts ordering an Extraction. He will assemble his forces to go on this... foolish endeavor there, and meet up with the Inquisitor and the Guard on the ground. Castor seems to be having the same idea, as he orders his own troops onto more Valkyries that are landing nearby.
Diomedes, deep down, dreads of the coming days, and what could come of them... and of what will happen to the chapter he is bounded to serve.
This here is a few "fanfictions" I wrote a long while ago. Feedback and comments are welcome!
The Legacy of the Aurelia Crusade: Prologue
It is the 41st Millennium. It has been 10 years since the battle on Aurelia against Ulkair. He was defeated, and it was thought that due to it, the war in the sector would eventually end.
...They were wrong. New daemonic incursions plague Sub-sector Aurelia’s worlds, and acts of heresy became more and more rampant amongst the population. The Imperial Guard - The Emperor’s Hammer, was deployed en-masse to the Sub-sector, to secure and to defend. It was not enough, for the guard themselves became corrupted by the same cults they were sent out to defeat. Insurrection became a common thing. Worse still, Xenos forces are still strong in the sector, perhaps even growing in strength.
The Blood Ravens would act, yet they too are locked in warfare. Azeriah Kyras, Chapter Master and Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens, has been corrupted by the foul powers of Chaos, and serve its bidding. Not all Blood Ravens follow him, and his heresies however: Gabriel Angelos, Captain of the Blood Raven’s 3rd Company, leads the loyal and faithful, who knew the truth of Kyras. They work to stop him, and to illuminate more of their unwitting brethren of the truth.
Yet it is not enough. The Imperium has had enough. Only solution remains: Exterminatus upon all worlds of Sub-sector Aurelia. Xenos, heretics, loyalists, traitors and renegades, all will die under the holy fire of the Ordo Malleus.
Hope still remains for the sector however: If evidence of Kyras’s heresy can be presented to the Inquisition, then the Exterminatus can be called off. The task of searching for the evidence was self-assigned to Inquisitor Adrastia, of the Ordo Hereticus, and she knows where to look for aid...
On Typhon, there is an old jungle outpost that was long since abandoned, due to the Tyranid infestation. Within the facility, it is a sight of abandonment, nature has more or less taken over. Bushes, grass, even exotic flowers can be seen among the old stone and corroded steel ruins.
Now, it is occupied. A small force, from the Blood Ravens Chapter, specifically the 4th company, is occupying the place. Lead by Davian Thule, they are defending themselves against a Chaos Warband, of the Black Legion.
It was a personal mission for Davian Thule. He is to go, and find Eliphas, rumored to be hiding on Typhon, and end him. The Space Marines with him are volunteers. He has no doubt that reinforcements would arrive, to come and extract them. But at least the hunt for Eliphas will end this day..
Davian Thule sets his targeting sensors on a group of Traitors in hulking Terminator Armour charging towards him and his fellow brothers, and fired with the Assault Cannon set on his right arm, knocking one backward onto the ground and, killing him with a hit to the helmet. The rest of the Terminators managed to get to Thule, some of them howling like daemonic beasts hungry for blood. “Barbaric scum” Thule thought. Still, they are formidable opponents, he can give them that.
Thule spun his torso around while simultaneously taking a few steps forward, bashing all of them off the ground and away, their armoured forms landing a few meters away on their backs. Walking to the nearest one, Davian Thule grabbed him by the foot, turned him upside down, and violently slammed him against the ground three times, before throwing him away from the battlefield, over the stone wall. He turned around to see the last three get up and charge at him, thundering slowly yet surely towards him in their corrupt Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Thule charged likewise, raising his almighty fist, and slammed it down into the Chaos Space Marine, the ground shook from the blow, some cracks appearing in the concrete.
The Chaos Space Marine stood there, but Thule ignored him. He is essentially dead already, if the blow did not kill him, then his brothers will do so. He turned around, and took a blow to his sarcophagus by a Daemon Maul, the champion of the Terminators seeking to break it open. The blow shook the entire dreadnought, and Thule was temporarily stunned. The sarcophagus took a heavy dent, there is a bulge in it that pushed inwards... but it is not yet broken. Thule recovered and managed to block the second blow with his arm, before knocking him back into the ground. He introduced the Champion to his Assault Cannon before he got up, tearing his armour apart in the barrage of fire at close range. He won't be walking away alive from it.
Thule, on instinct, spun his torso around again, catching the last Terminator unaware and knocking him back too. Thule walked to him, and punched him as hard as he could breaking the concrete ground around the area of the punch. He retracted his fist, the pitter-patter of Bolter fire bouncing off his armour reminding him that it is not over yet. He aimed the Assault cannon at the Chaos Space Marines, firing as he returned to cover along with his brothers.
He stopped midway however, as he hears a familiar laughter. He heard it on Kronos, during one of his many battle. He heard it during the conflict with the Black Legion at this very Subsector. The source of the laughter, Eliphas the Inheritor walked into the facility through its gates alone, donned in ornate Terminator Armour, carrying with him a Daemon Maul, wreathed in warp flames.
Eliphas grinned at Thule, as he gripped his Maul. “Davian Thule... it is good to see you, brother.”
“We are not brothers.. Eliphas! This day, is the day you will die, for the final time!” Thule retorted, opening and closing his fist. He noticed that all the other Black Legionnaires are no longer focusing on him. Sensing what is about to happen, the Blood Ravens in cover are refraining from shooting at Eliphas to allow Davian Thule to get to grips with him honourably.
Eliphas chuckled. “Observe brothers... observe how Space Marines choose to die and how little choice they have on the matter! Come Davian! We have unfinished business!” “Yes.” Thule replied. With all his righteous anger and hatred, Davian Thule charged at Eliphas, to deal the final crippling death to him if possible...
Eliphas laughed inwardly as Davian Thule thundered towards him. It has been way too long since Kronus, and now, he can finish what he has started with him. Eliphas charged as well, ignoring the revving of the Assault Cannon as Thule prepares to fire a barrage for a moment. Thule fired, only for the shots to be rendered harmless by the Warp flames surrounding himself which intensified for the moment. Predictably, Thule began spinning his Torso, to smash Eliphas about. “How predictable, and foolish. This is a different battleground now Thule, and I have become so much more powerful”.
He swung his Daemon Maul, colliding it with Thule’s fist, and tearing it right off the arm itself. Thule continued spinning, his Assault Cannon smashing Eliphas into the ground. Thule stopped spinning, and proceeded to unload his Assault Cannon into Eliphas as he got back up.
Eliphas’s armour started to wear down, barely protecting Eliphas from the weathering barrage that is barely made less deadly by the Warp flames surrounding himself. Eliphas swung the Daemon Maul upward, knocking the Assault Cannon into pointing upward, then in the same moment, adjusted his grip on his Daemon Maul, and smashed it against Thule’s Sarcophagus, making him lose balance and fall backwards. With confident strides, Eliphas walked onto Davian Thule’s dreadnought body, one step at a time, until he is next to the Sarcophagus. All the while, everyone stopped fighting to watch.
The Sarcophagus itself is heavily damaged. Eliphas chuckled. The chuckle became laughter, and the laughter became a roaring one as Eliphas rejoiced in the defeat of his rival. Finishing, Eliphas spoke; “If you can hear me Thule, understand that I will not stop here. I will take the Blood Ravens, and they shall belong to Chaos. Then, after that, I will go to wreak havoc at one of your precious allies... and they too, will become ours. Die, with the knowledge that you will never be able to stop this.”
With that, Eliphas lifted his Daemon Maul before him, turned it upside-down, and thrusted it into the Sarcophagus with great effort, embedding it into the biological body of Davian Thule, killing him. He tore out the bloody Daemon Maul from the Sarcophagus, chuckling, before laughing again. Suddenly he was rocked by a blast of Plasma, nearly making him fall off the Dreadnought. Eliphas turned and saw a single Space Marine, with a white helmet with red laurels, sporting a Plasma Gun. Eliphas quickly made a sign to not interfere, intrigued by the single Space Marine.
Without uttering a word, the Space Marine continued, firing shot after shot of Super-hot Plasma, all of which was negated or repelled by Eliphas’s Warp flames. “..In the name of Lorgar, do they not learn?” he thought. The Space Marine stopped after half a minute, his Plasma Gun clearly starting to overheat.
“So who are you, Space Marine?” Eliphas asked. The Space Marine did not reply. “..Ah, you cannot Speak? Or do you just stay silent for other reasons? Well no matter.” Eliphas raises his Daemon Maul. “I will crush you all the same!”
The battle resumed, the Chaos Space Marines pouring fire into the Blood Ravens, who took cover to keep themselves from getting shot to death. Eliphas stepped down from Davian Thule’s “corpse” and strode forward to get to grips with the Blood Ravens. Suddenly, loud and clear Jump Pack Engines can be heard, as two Assault Squads engage the Chaos Space Marines, jumping over the walls to slam down in midst of the enemy. Eliphas looked to his forces, another whine of a Jump Pack making him look up, to see one more Space Marine flying high in the sky momentarily.
The Space Marine landed down on the ground hard - the Concrete cracking from the force of the landing, and kicking up some dust. Eliphas chuckled, as the dust cleared for Eliphas to see his opponent. Clad in Artificer Armour, with Bolt Pistol and Lightning Claw in hand, Captain Diomedes stands up to face Eliphas the Inheritor...
The Legacy of the Aurelia Crusade: Deadly Pride
Diomedes looked at Eliphas, seemingly relaxed. He can see Davian Thule’s ruined chassis out of the corner of his helmet lenses, but now is not the time to mourn a hero’s passing. Thule died to draw Eliphas out, and now is the time to finish him. Davian Thule will not die in vain.
“Ah, the puppet captain joins us brothers, see how merrily he dances, blind to the dark gods who pull at his strings? Welcome brother, know that your decade-long hunt is all for nought. I will slay you here, and your souls...” Eliphas takes his Daemon Maul in a two-handed grip as he spoke, the Warp flames surrounding him flaring in it’s full brilliance for a moment as he finished his sentence; “...shall be devoured!”
“Save your words cur.” Diomedes has no intention on giving Eliphas any courtesy, especially since he is responsible for the death of his former brother-captain. “Our Emperor will see us victorious this day.” With that, he jumped forward in a leap, the Jump Pack giving him a boost. Eliphas barely got out of the way of the leap, forcing Diomedes to land on his right knee and left foot. He swung with the Daemon Maul, knocking him to the side. Diomedes was rattled by the impact, and his Jump Pack was ruined, but otherwise he is unharmed. As he got back up, Diomedes pressed the belt stud on his chest, detaching the Jump pack from his armour without ceremony, and awaited for Eliphas to come to him.
Eliphas laughed, and charged with all his thunderous might at Diomedes, swinging the Daemon Maul as he did. Diomedes crouched at the right moment, and ran past Eliphas by his right, the Lightning Claw’s energies fighting against Eliphas’s Warp flames. Diomedes rolled over, and quickly attacked Eliphas from behind, trying to get a blow in. He struck three times before Eliphas swung the Daemon maul again, making him jump pack to avoid the deadly weapon. Diomedes aimed with the Bolt Pistol, and fired a few shots. All but one was negated by the warp flames, the last one bounced off Eliphas’s terminator Armour. “You weakness shows!” Diomedes thought. Whether it was due to the Dreadnought having made Eliphas spent much of his effort into killing him or something else, the sorcerous shield seemed to be weakened.
Scowling, Eliphas swung the Daemon Maul at Diomedes, who dodged it barely. “You are slowing Inheritor, gone was the cunning that troubled the Blood Ravens” Eliphas roared, and swung the Daemon Maul again, Diomedes crouched to dodge it before delivering an uppercut with the Lightning Claw. It struck the Terminator Armour, carving deep scars into it. “THIS BATTLE WILL BE YOUR LAST!” Diomedes shouted. “I SHALL NOT BE STOPPED!” Eliphas roared, swinging the Daemon Maul into Diomedes, sending him flying a few meters to the side. Eliphas walked towards him, his expression full of rage. “Again, and again I shall rise, as I always have!” Diomedes slowly got, taking off his helmet as he did. Blood is running down from his bald head, around where the Daemon Maul hit. The Helmet protected him from much of the damage. His eyes full of hatred and anger, Diomedes aimed the Bolt Pistol low, and fired at the Armour damage repeatingly. Eliphas saw what his opponent is doing, and rushed forward, many of the Bolt rounds bouncing off the Terminator Armour.
Smiling, Diomedes rushed forward. Eliphas swung the Daemon mace at Diomedes, thinking that he got him where he wanted him. Diomedes rolled underneath the blow, and delivered a powerful stab into Eliphas, right at the chest. The ground trembled slightly from the blow, and the two combatants stayed where they are for a moment. Eliphas coughed up blood, and fell down, close to death. Diomedes stood upright, and looked around.
Battle was everywhere. Chaos Space Marine, and Space Marine fought each other. Then Diomedes noticed Imperial Guardsmen. They are fighting the Cultists, with Lasgun and Bayonet, taking the fight to them, leaving the Chaos Space Marines for the Blood Ravens. “What are they doing here? They do not look like Typhon Planetary Defense Forces or any Guardsmen from this Sub-sector.” Diomedes thought. The chuckling brought his attention back to Eliphas. He can barely hear a voice shouting, “THE INHERITOR HAS FALLEN, FALL BACK BROTHERS, FALL BACK!”
Eliphas looked up at his killer, grinning madly. “Know this... puppet... even with... my death here... the Dark Gods... still hold you... Blood Ravens in their grip...” Diomedes listened. His Lightning Claws dripping blood, some of which sparked with electricity. dropping onto the ground to form a miniscule red pool. “Soon, the gods shall have your chapter’s loyalty... and you are still... too blind to see this...” Eliphas coughed blood again, before starting to chuckle. As the chuckle turned into laughter, Diomede’s anger rose to the fore. Something in Eliphas’s last words shook him. The Lightning Claw trembled ever so slightly, and Diomede’s expression turned to that of pure, barely-controlled anger.
“...lies...”
Eliphas continued to laugh ever harder, coughing blood a few more times in between.
“...ALL LIES!!!”
In one swift motion, Diomedes stabbed Eliphas in the face with the Lightning Claw, and twisted it, spraying blood and brain matter all over the gauntlet, and a little on the ornate chestplate.
The anger drained away from Diomedes, as he pulled the Lightning claw out from Eliphas’s ruined mess of a head. “...all lies...” he quietly spoke to himself. “well done, well done! It was wise, to send forth our chapter’s greatest champion, to scour the legion from the subsector. You, Diomedes.” Diomedes was shocked from the voice in his head, recognising it as the voice of Chapter Master Kyras. “..My lord! Chapter Master Kyras! I was not expecting communication from you so swiftly!”
“As both Chapter Master and Chief Librarian, my reach is long Brother-Captain. I watched your victory unfold, See to it, that Typhon is secured, while you await further orders... and again Apollo, congratulations...”
“I.. thank you my lord. You honour me.”
Diomedes noted the appearance of Sergeant Cyrus, and a full squad of Scouts approaching from the facility entrance. Cyrus glared at Diomedes. He must have at least seen Diomedes lips move to tell what was spoken of. “Are you satisfied?” Diomedes surly asked Cyrus. “I am not. I am however, dissapointed. With a few honeyed words of favour, you discard EVERYTHING we revealed to you of Aurelia in an INSTANT!”
“ENOUGH! The Black Legion is routed! as for you, I will decide your fate shortly. First, we have something to attend to...” Diomedes looked, to see the leader.. or rather, leaders of the Imperial Guard force walk to him. A Lord General, with a long coat, ornate carapace armour, a left Bionic prosthetic arm carrying a Sniper Rifle, with a power sword in a scabbard. Walking alongside him is a Lord Commissar, and a female, in Black Armour with a strange hat, the seal of the Inquisition embedded in silver on it.
“This went as expected, considering the presence of the Adeptus Astartes.” The Lord General spoke. “And you are?” Diomedes questioned. “I am Lord General Castor, Commander of the 410th Cadian Regiment.” Diomedes quickly compared notes mentally in a split-second. Lord General Castor is the commander of the Imperial Guard Forces sent to the Subsector to help with combating the taint of Chaos. So far, the effort is backfired by insurrection and madness amongst the guard’s ranks. “You did not do well with securing the sector, if I may say so myself, Lord General.” Castor looked at Diomedes right in the eye - a bold thing to do, considering - and replied “It was due to the quality of the Guardsmen. I got nothing else to blame, they are weak. So therefore, they fall.”
“This is not why we are here Castor.” The Inquisitor Spoke. Diomedes looked to her. She bears no scars, at least none that he can see. She does not seem to be a fighter to him, but looks can be decieving. “May I know your name.. madam?” The Inquisitor looked at Diomedes. “I am Inquisitor Adrastia of the Ordo Hereticus. The Inquisition is no stranger to this subsector, having dealt with Cyrene in the approved manner some time ago, Captain Diomedes.”
Diomedes gestured to the corpse of Eliphas with his Bolt Pistol. “As you no doubt can see, Eliphas died by my hand, and the Black Legion has been routed. I trust this puts the question of the Blood Raven’s loyalty to rest, Inquisitor Adrastia” Adrastia kept her gaze firmly fixed on Diomedes. “That changes nothing. In fact, the situation has escelated Captain. One of your own Brother-Captains has made a disturing accusation against your Chapter Master, Azariah Kyras himself.”
“Angelos!” Diomedes expression turned to that of anger again. “It is he and his followers who are traitor and renegade! By all rights I should turn Gabriel’s men over to Kyras!” over the mentioning of turning over, he glanced slightly at Cyrus for a split-second. If Cyrus has a reaction to that, he kept it to himself. “So you have often said. Fortunately he did not mirror this sentiment when he sent his men over to you, to command.” Diomedes was surprised, but he quickly kept his expression from betraying his feelings. “It is by Captain Angelos’s reccomendation that you will be given the chance to clear the Blood Ravens of guilt. The Ordo Malleus will soon deal with these problems in their way... in a quite permanent fashion. Exterminatus.”
“Exterminatus... but-”
“Captain, IF Kyras is the source of the subsector’s troubles you must help me expose it and stop him. If you can, then perhaps I can be able to call off the Exterminatus, and if you cannot... your chapter will be declared heretics, and you will be burned with the rest of the subsector.”
“Such an investigation should be performed without chapter command’s notice. We will need to move quickly, and subtly” Cyrus spoke. Diomedes became aware of the approach of a brother, and looked to see Martellus, a Brother Tech Marine. He has been inspecting Thule’s Body. Martellus shook his head slightly. There is not a shred of a doubt. Thule has passed. There was a moment of silence, before Diomedes allowed Martellus to speak. “There was an ancient network in this subsector, known as the Teleportariums. We can use them to go from world to world without notice. There is one on Typhon, we can go to it, activate it and make use of it.”
Diomedes sighed. There is no other option for him now. “Very well, I shall do it. I will find evidence that will damn Kyras, or perhaps... redeem him.” Cyrus frowned, but did nothing more. The sounds of a Valkyrie flying and landing close by can be heard. “Very well. Assemble your forces, Lord General and Captain, I have one more business to take care of before heading out on this endeavour. I bid you farewell until then... gentlemen.” With that, Adrastia turned, and walked to the facility entrance, a squad of Stormtroopers appearing there to meet her and escort her to the Valkyrie. Diomedes sighed inwardly, and starts ordering an Extraction. He will assemble his forces to go on this... foolish endeavor there, and meet up with the Inquisitor and the Guard on the ground. Castor seems to be having the same idea, as he orders his own troops onto more Valkyries that are landing nearby.
Diomedes, deep down, dreads of the coming days, and what could come of them... and of what will happen to the chapter he is bounded to serve.
