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+++ALLCON+++
+++Subject Status: Urgent
+++Sender: EmperorsChampion
+++Telepathic duct: A5031
+++Segmentum: Ultima Segmentum
+++Secure Channel: Orion Alpha
+++Opening Attachment+++
+++++++++++++++++++++
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+++
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+++Load Complete+++
++Preparing Data++
++Data Prepared++
++Authenticating Access++
++Checking…
++Checking…
++Checking…
++Access Granted++
++Message:

Hello fellow followers of dakkadakka, I hope I have got your attention so far and please hear me out. I am in the need of writing. But I figured dating back to the days of the BL forums we had a good thing going called a group story, and they were very good, amazing writers and some of them still friends to this day. I am going to bring this idea up again, because not only does it get our minds going on fluff, and writing but also brings people togeather. Now im looking for anywhere between 4-5 writers to help start this, if you are interested please PM me or post below in a creative manor.





Telepathic Duct: +++++++Data Unsecure++++++
Ref: ADmech/Xen856
Author: Lord Militant Pios Cornelio
Report: Urgent Assistance!!!
Destination: Ultima Segmentum sub sector Cirillo Prime
Year: 001.M42
Message:

This is Lord Militant Pios Cornelio; I am the planetary governor of Virotutis IV. Our capital city Shahabi has been besieged from within and without; such heresy lingers inside our walls for some time. Action has been taken but not without toll, our PDF regiments are nearly under half strength and we know of two companies had already turned against the god emperor. We also have reports of following off planet traitor forces making their way planet side just outside the walls of grand city. Much of the outer sectors and hab units have either been destroyed or over run, civilian casualties are high.

Traitor forces number in thousands, but they are mostly heretical citizens who have fallen to the dark gods and even our PDF guardsmen. I do not for see their forces being a problem I just pray what might be lingering outside our walls.

My scouts have reported they have made planet fall just a few kilometers to our south gates that have been overrun by cultist troops. It is unknown to me at this time which war machines they bring to bear against us here.

The last known reports of loyal Imperial forces exist in our inner city, where the first and third regimental PDF forces are dug in as well as adeptus arbite company. I must stress the recapture of this city as well as keeping it in tact. I assume if naval support arrives they will be bombarding the city prior to an attack, I only pray their holy weapons do not disturb them. Such great care will be needed, I will report later once help has made it within our sector. I cannot speak of such weapons; I mean you shall know further once proper procedures have been made.


++++End of Report++++

Telepathic Duct: Closed
End of Connection: +++++++

Ah yes, I have fond memories of the old Incoming Transmission type multi-writer stories.

Well Shasolenzabi, if you are willing im all in for it.

+++Astral duct via Librarius Epostolary+++
Subject: Message plea received
From: Epistolary Lachos
and Captain Hephaestus
Dragons Errant Battle Wing Terminius


Body: Good Lord Militant Cornelio, the Dragons Errant have received your pleas and even now my command ship, the Fang of Vengeance is on it's way to honor our duty as a loyal servant of the Emperor Enthroned on Terra that we make way with our escorts and will be arriving in multi-company strength.

Fear not for we have fought many enemies of the Emperor out on our vigil against Xenos threats on the outer fringes and the nearby Damocles stars and the Perdus rift.

I have taken the liberty to send word forwards to the main command and our lord and master of the Dragons Errant. We should be there in but a few days. Our machines and hearts thirst to take the fight to this foul enemy that would threaten a world of the Emperor!

Until then, know that you do not stand alone!

Thought for the day: Heresy begets retribution!

+++Transmission ends+++

Telepathic Duct: +++++++Telepath Saris++++++
Ref: SEtal: 532
Author: Marshal Viktor Gorgon
Location: Battle Barge Sword of Retribution
Report: RE: Urgent Assistance!!!
Destination: Ultima Segmentum sub sector Cirillo Prime
Year: 001.M42
Message:

Lord Cornelio your message has been received and is been taken into consideration. Crusade fleet Gorgon is in route to your system, three days travel and the Emperor’s light shall shine upon Virotutis IV once again. Tell your men to hold their ground, fight to the last, do not falter. The Emperor protects, the Emperor is watching.

Once my fleet enters planetary orbit, I will need ground surveillance and reports. Keep these transmissions on secure channels, if the great enemy were to intercept our heeds to you, the out come will not be satisfying. Hold your stay Lord Cornelio, for the knights of the Black Templar shall cleanse the unclean.

Thought of the Day: The enemy within is our greatest threat…

++++End of Transmission++++

+++++Astropathic relay+++++
+++++Duct secure+++++
Relay from: Station Primaris//Aludivan Sector
Message origin: General Mact//11th Jopal Indentured Squadron
Subject: Assistance.
Lord Governor Cornelio,
We have been tasked with reclaiming your planet. I have under my command 3 regiments of Jopal Indentured, a regiment of Narmenian armour a company of stormtroopers and a several batteries of Praetorian artillery.
We are due to arrive in 5 days and will begin to engage the enemy as soon as we deploy.
Hold the line until we arrive.
General Mact//11th Jopal Indentured Squadron
+++++Message Ends+++++

Just outside the system, beyond the enemy augur range the warp spat out several vessels of ancient and no longer known design. Small sleek escorts armed with Lances and torpedoes, and the larger cruiser sized vessels, these all took up formation for the massive vessel that cam after them, it was an interesting design, as if two massive battleships had grown more decks and superstructure between them.

The Fang of Vengeance had arrived but a day after it's announcement due to the fact that they had already been in space and well under way for seeking out xenos for destruction. The massive warforge/command ship harked back to other days, but had shown itself as a human design. It and other vessels had been found years ago by the Battlebarge fleet of the Dragons Errant and their tech marines had tasked to refurbish them to full working order as best they could. Once the power was restored, the ship set about sending out it's own repair systems to assist them in making ready for plying space again.

On board the command bridge and war room of the Fang of Vengeance, Captain Hephaestus and the other captains assembled. 'As you can see, the blessing of our long range auguries show enemy vessels attempting to block the access of the planet we are to assist in the liberation of against the hated enemy." he saw they all agreed and understood.

"We will all activate the obscurra devices and slip in undetected until it is too late for them to react, then we can land on the planet our tanks and troops, and assault the enemy vessels with the right boarding parties set to fight."He said, the lighting from the floor display underlit the captains in an unnatural looking light, the ones who had suffered the bone alterations looking brutish and almost alien in the lighting.

Captain Nimus spoke, "As usual, when working alongside our brothers, helms on so as to not show our shame to them lest they be angered." he said.

Hephaestus spoke, "One day, we will have a cure for this malady the Inquisition has visited upon we loyal warriors and exact a reckoning, but that day is not yet, we must first purge the galaxy of the likes of those that embraced mutation and their dark masters first. Our affliction is mere gene tampering that the Apothocary discovered as it has no warp taint found by the Librarians."

He paused.

"And yet, is it not a burden for us when it happens? yes. But we bear it as a test from the Emperor Himself! Now we make ready for war against the unclean enemy and the freeing of that planet. Those of us not afflicted shall make face to face contact with the others of the loyalist factions coming to purge these base villains."

As one they all shouted "We strike from the shadows for the Emperor!"

The fleet of about a dozen Dragon Errant ships slipped into the system as their stealth systems were on, and the slow burn of their engines was shielded as well by the devices.

The liberation of Virotutis IV was starting.

Mact ran his fingers through his hair as he read through the latest reports from their rapidly approaching destination, they were still 3 days out but he was using every minute to prepare for this campaign.
It was grim, the traitorous forces had made best use of the element of surprise and used it to capture many PDF armouries, as a result the PDF was under equipped and under supplied whilst the rebels could fire at will confident of their ability to resupply.
Other reports were far more sketchy, they had no information on the enemy armour strength and the Narmenian Colonel, Colonel Jarisk, was pressing him for anything he could get.
Fortunately he had Tactician Harris, seconded to him from the Tacticus department several years ago and more or less forgotten since. Harris had looked at all the received unit kill reports and sightings and had suggested an enemy force of up to 1 million with over 200 armour pieces. The Narmenians could handle the armour easily but the Jopallian infantry would have a hard time holding the line, even with the Praetorian artillery support and assistance from the PDF. There was something else Mact couldn't quite put his finger on, the rebels were, by and large, merely civilians and yet they had overpowered the PDF and pushed them back with relative ease, although the PDF isn't known for its fighting strength they should have been able to hold most of the hives.
Mact gathered his notes and scrawlings and began his walk to the war room, it was time to brief his senior officers, this wasn't the most impossible task he had ever given them but it would be difficult none the less.

Viktor Gorgon, Black Templar Marshal of Crusade Fleet Gorgon stood at the array of computing screens and data slates of his command pulpit aboard the battle barge Sword of Retribution. A vast and mighty warship bristling with lance batteries and that had seen countless years in service of the Emperor among the stars, and Gorgon was that the helm of it.

Standing well over eight feet tall, clad in midnight black adeptus astartes battle plate. Crafted by the hands of great artificers and passed down from generations of battle brothers, it had become in its own right, a piece of history within the chapter. Elegantly crafted for maximum protection and adorned with gold trim while prayers and vows etched into its surface creating a tale of more than one life time of service. Gorgon himself stood apart from those mustering on the bridge. His face was that of a statue, lean and serious, yet human. His dark blue eyes traced the data being sent out through the computing machines, leaning forward on the crescent pulpit that stretched around his command throne he ran his armored hand through his short black hair as he read the data.

“Marshal, your message has been sent.” A voice of a crewman broke Gorgon’s thought.

“Very well then, tell Navigator Alana to prepare for the warp jump.” Gorgon said to the crewman, a young chapter serf having failed the initiation process to become a space marine, yet he was still able to perform duties aboard the fleet. Most of the fleet was manned with chapter serfs and inducted humans to work and live among their lieges.

“Aye Marshal, Alana is ready.”

“Engage for warp jump on my mark.” Gorgon said calmly as he looked up across the bridge and out of the view port into space, seeing nothing but blackness dotted with white stars and nebula formations streaking their way across the void. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, the warp was nothing normal. For as many warp jumps he had taken, there had always been a sense of unease while traveling.

Opening his eyes he looked down at the data screens, all systems were green and ready. Nodding to himself he silently said a prayer to the emperor under his breath. Steel blue eyes glanced back up across to his crew again. “Mark.”

The Black Templar fleet, consisting of the Sword of Retribution and two strike cruisers Flame of Purity and Dorn’s Light flanked each side of the mighty battle barge while a squadron of frigates held a tight formation in the rear of the fleet. Within the depths of space, the fleet was a deadly vanguard, able to act as a spear tip in massive naval battles or simply out gun and out maneuver smaller fleets. Most space marine chapters held only a hand full of ships, but for the Black Templars, mustering fleets among a crusade rivaled many lesser chapters full fleet arsenal.

A rift between real space and the warp was torn open and in a blink of an eye, the fleet was sucked into a twisting nether. Their geller fields holding true, keeping back the fiends and demons from the warp, the only true protection from the warp, without the geller fields, naval ships could easily fall victim to the warp.

Crusade Fleet Gorgon had begun its journey toward Virotutis IV, three long days it would take before the fleet had exited the warp, seemingly appearing from the warp in a split second, still holding their wedge formation from three days prior. Laying in front of the fleet was the besieged planet, the light of the Emperor has arrived to destroy the darkness.

Coming around one of the planetary satellites, the fleet of the Dragons Errant was pointed straight at the motley assortment of Chaos ships from actual warships to press-ganged merchant vessels. Capt. Hephaestus gazed upon the heretic fleet and gave a look of disgust at them, "Launch torpedoes, lock lance batteries on targets, and fire the multi-nova cannon." the serfs and crew enacted the orders., the ancient weapons blossomed amongst the enemy. The weaker enemy vessels ripping apart like overripe fruit when touched by the lance batteries, internal damage taken and gutting them, the massive explosion of the multi-barreled spinal mount weapon from Fang of Vengeance catching a Grand cruiser in it's blast.

The cruisers and escorts also lit into the enemy fleet, torpedoes finding weak merchant vessels to plunder, and the lances and battery weapons contacting the shields and then the hulls of enemy escorts. It was a most colorful and destructive display of archaeotech, one that could be seen from a distance on auspex.

Their obscurra systems had gotten them this close, and threw off the enemy augur arrays making the enemy miss a few shots, but the enemy did score some hits on one of the escort squadrons, a dark blue vessel became a fiery orange explosion as the first loss of the engagement for the loyalist attack.

"M' lord, we have detected a translation of vessels in system off our port after sections several Void Units away, livery energy output indicates a Battle barge and escort fleet." said one of the bridge crew, the one manning the main augurs.

"Open a hail" Capt. Hephaestus commanded. "Open channel M' lord."

"This is Captain Zephram Hephaestus of the Dragons Errant chapter to the Marine fleet on our augurs, if you are loyal to Him enthroned on Earth, we bid thee welcome brothers! We have just started warming things up in His name."

Mact entered the war room. The room was circular with a domed ceiling painted with images of the great crusade. In the middle stood a squat and functional holo-unit with just over a dozen floating transparent heads, the commanders of each unit under his commander, their second in command and finally Commodore Tythis who was in command of the convoy of troops ships and their escorts.

Stood at the table was Tactician Harris in his dark blue uniform of the Tacticus department and next to him Commissar Janus in his coat and cap standing perfectly to attention and his eyes casting disapproving glares at the heads.

"Gentlemen" Mact said as he walked into their view. Acknowledgements chorused from the assembled officers
Mact handed his files to Harris and began the briefing
"We have been tasked with suppressing the uprising on Virotutis IV, a hive world of little strategic importance" he paused for a second waiting for any questions but none came

"The planet has recently has a massive rebellion resulting in the PDf being pushed back to the capital hive and being forced to hold out from within"

One of the heads flashed red, a question, the officer was Captain Frant of the Storm trooper company

"How many PDF units have rebelled?" He asked, his voice was raspy from a bullet wound inflicted years ago though the scar was still livid

"From the reports we have, none"

There was a brief muttering among the heads before commissar Janus cleared his throat and the muttering stopped. Another head flashed red, this time it was the Praetorian Colonel Dervish who spoke from under the weight of a huge moustache

"How then, has the planetary defence forces, been pushed back? It seems absurd that a rabble of ill-trained and under-equipped civilians should be able to take most of a planet even with surprise factored in"

"I had noticed that, thank you for raising the issue" Mact said with a nod "I suspect that this may be the initial steps to some kind of invasion but for what reason i have no idea"

A third head flashed red, Major Gerys of Mact's own Jopal Indentured Squadron

"Yes Gerys?"

"Do you suspect that, that may be the reason we have been sent in such a large force?"

Mact had considered this. To suppress and uprising there were a lot more than what was normally considered needed but then again the task force had just returned from defending the Derides cluster and they had yet to be reassigned. Knowing the mechanics of the Imperium's bureaucracy they might have all been sent to ease the paperwork, or even by accident.

"No" he said at last though he disagreed with that internally
"We were together anyway, we were probably sent to ease some poor sods paperwork pile"

That got a laugh from the officers, even Janus gave a small humourless chuckle.

"We shall examine the situation once we get closer and begin receiving more accurate reports, until then begin preparing your men for some heavy work, we may be down there for a while, any more questions?"

There were none. The heads faded and disappeared but just before Mact turned and left the holo-display reactivated. Frowning in confusion Harris checked the display and tried to turn it off again.

Suddenly the holo-display lit up and showed the stylised I of the Inquisition before flickering and changing to a rosette bearing the authentication codes of an Inquisitor.

"Both of you, out now." Mact aid before either Janus or Harris could say a word "Tell no one what you saw" they nodded mutely and left.

Mact had worked with the Inquisition only once before and it had turned out to be a bloodbath, over hald the men in the battle group had died and of the survivors very few were still alive. Mact hoped the the god Emperor this time would be different.

The holo display changed to a full body image of a young man around his late 20's though, with the juvenat treatments available to Inquisitors he could easily be over 100. He wore a long black coat which, Mact reasoned, probably concealed held a dozen potent weapons. His left arm was gone, replaced with an gametic one of intricate beauty.

"General Saul Mact of the 11th Jopal Indentured Squadron. 15 years ago you paid off your debt to your home government and were given the right to settle a world" He paused and Mact simply nodded "Why did you refuse?"

"What?" Mact was confused

"Why did you refuse the offer to leave his majesties Imperial Guard?" he repeated

"I wanted to keep my men alive, not many commanders try too hard" Mact explained half-truthfully

"Are you willing to sacrifice your men for the Imperium?"

"Each man under my command would die a hundred deaths before they let the line break" Mact claimed

The figure lent his head sideways, his ethereal eyes shimmering.

"You'll do" he said "I am Inquisitor Hentag of his holy majesties Inquisition and i am the reason you are heading to Virotutis IV"

"I knew it" Mact whispered

The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"

"Merely a hunch"

"Indeed"

"Why are we going then?"

"The Alpha Legion" Mact shivered at the mention of the traitorous legions name "They have been detected by a fellow Inquisitor working on Virotutis IV, we lost contact with her a month ago and then this rebellion occurred"

"You believe they are connected?"

"Of course"

"How can we help?"

"You will put this rebellion down, the Alpha Legion are looking for something, whatever it is, you will stop them"

"Are we the only forces you have... requisitioned?"

"A crusade of Black Templars have been... diverted after we re-routed the distress signal to them and we believe our attempts to attract the Dragons Errant has been successful however one of my spies has reported that a large armada of Chaos vessels will arrive under 2 weeks after we do"

Mact nodded "We can do it"

"I sincerly hope so general" Hentag said grimly

With that the holo-display deactivated leaving Mact in darkness and with only his thoughts.

“Marshal, we have exited warp, and it appears another astartes fleet is engaged at this time.” A naval serf approached Gorgon with a data slate. “They also wish to speak with you, com net four.”
Nodding Gorgon picked up the green data slate and quickly glanced over it, the planet was being held under blockade of a sizable fleet of traitors vessels, they were holding in a tight group, many of them large cruisers while others were simply light frigates and escort raiders. Placing the data slate aside he walked over to his small com station and thumbed through the channels, with a crackle of static a voice could be heard, metallic and augmented from the range they were receiving it.

"This is Captain Zephram Hephaestus of the Dragons Errant chapter to the Marine fleet on our augurs, if you are loyal to Him enthroned on Earth, we bid thee welcome brothers! We have just started warming things up in His name."

“Captain, I am Marshal Gorgon of the Black Templars. I must say I am disappointed you have beat here. My fleet will engage shortly, we are rounding the flank of the enemy fleet as we speak, the Emperor protects brother.” Gorgon spoke into the vox bead and then stood up, speaking to one of his aides. “Have brother Lanius report, he shall take command. I am going to lead the first assault.”

The aide nodded and rushed to retrieve Lanius, and with that Gorgon stepped down from the helm of the battle barge and preceded to the launch bays.

The sound of a wavering claxon alerted the bridge of the Sword of Retribution as it closed in on the traitor fleet along with the other astartes fleet close by. The space marine ships powered ahead of the main fleet, generating a spear head formation that would drive themselves deep into the enemy fleet that held the planet into a blockade.

“Prepare for firing solution!” The ordnance officer yelled out, standing in a smaller pulpit off set to Marshal Gorgon’s that remained empty.

“Preparing, aye Sir!” One of the ordnance operators replied back loudly over the commotion of the bridge as many other stations prepared for battle readiness.

“Portside battery prepare for solution.”

“Ready Sir!”

“Target at two o’clock level, fifty seven clicks out, heading is three…seven…six.” The ordnance officer yelled back, his eyes watching the data screens in front of him, his hands gripping the edge of his pulpit, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, he thought to himself if it was just him or was the bridge getting hotter, but he could see the others seemed to be sweating as well.
Thumbing through the data that he watching the ordnance station relaying the data back to the ordnance positions throughout the ship chimes of warnings was sounding out as they closed in on the traitor fleet.

“Ordnance station! Report!” He bellowed out, what the hell was taking so long he thought to himself, he had been doing this for years under the conscript of the Black Templars, yet a mere human among the angels of death, only the finest and most loyal naval men were accepted to serve within the fleet of the space marines.

“Aye sir! Relaying to ordnance bay!”

“Helmsmen take us to a new heading of two, six, dot three.” Castellan Lanius said aloud as he took the command pulpit of Marshal Gorgon, which often times took over the fleet while Gorgon was leading his brethren on the ground.

Lanius was one that was bound to the fleet, mainly by choice. He had been schooled in the art of naval battles and tactics, to the point where Gorgon felt confident that even in long absents Lanius would be able to lead the fleet through hell and back. His skin was pale and his head bald, dark globes of brown eyes watched over the bridge carefully.

“Changing heading now Sir!” The helmsmen replied back, the ship began the churn with its mighty engines roaring to life, there were en route to flank along side of the lower portion of the blockade to force themselves inside of it.

Another klaxon blared, warning of an immediate impact from enemy fire. Though there was no sound, the bridge crew could see their shields absorbing the impacts of the energy rounds that were fired at them, along with that those that had missed flew wide of their vessel with streaks of bright beams of light.

“Portside bow shields at maximum divert aft and starboard shields to seventy five percent.” Lanius called out, he knew that it would nearly be impossible for the enemy to fire on their non exposed sides of the ship; they were now running along the blockade fleet to their portside.

Lanius watching out the portside viewing window as flashes of light erupted from their weapon batteries, tearing through space at the enemy fleet, but yet they fell short or were absorbed by the shields of the traitor ships. Cursing under his breath he glanced over at the data screens relaying information, their launch bays were preparing for something, grinning Lanius knew what was going on even if Gorgon informed him little of his mission.

“Portside ordnance prepare for second salvo, bearing target solution at sector three, five, and seven. Area of effect, three small frigates.” The ordnance officer called out, he spotted his targets, and figured at least they could disable multiple ship shields in one salvo.
“Aye sir, firing solution gathered, firing in…three…two…one” With that a second eruption of heavy ordnance weapons long the portside of the ship came to life, the massive firepower of the broadside weapon batteries tore through shields of one traitor frigate and impacted against its hull, tearing open a wound that soon could be considered fatal. The other rounds impacted against a traitor cruiser that was using the smaller frigates as a mere shield, but the ship’s shields held true.

Marshal Gorgon felt the masive vibrations from the weapon batteries through the thick floors of the launch bay which brought a slight grin in his expression as he was standing before a gathering of his space
marines, those that would be joining him in a boarding action.

The launch bay was a dark and ancient place and nearly a rite of passage for most neophytes of the crusade. The great floor of the launch bay was inscribed with a massive emblem of the black templars, resting in rows sat their mighty thunder hawk strike craft awaiting the boarding teams.
A figure clad in a dark red suit of power armor walked along the row of thunder hawks, chanting prayers of the machine god. He stands to be the chief Tech marine inside Gorgon’s crusade. Having nearly half of his body replaced by bionic implants due to grievous wounds sustained in battle, but yet cheated death. A group of servitors treaded behind him, burning incants that gave the air a rich smell.

“Praise these chariots of hardened steel and spirited by the machine god to carry the angels of death unto their traitorous enemies of chaos. Guide them true and fly strong you shall, as the light of the
Emperor and the grace of Omission is upon you.”

“Marshal, squad zealous is prepared along with squad redemption; they are standing by for your orders.” A fellow marine approached Gorgon, one of his most trusted battle brothers and closest friend, Sword Brother Santos, who had served with Gorgon for many years from the founding of his crusade till now.

“That is good Santos, are the Sword Brethren ready?” Gorgon asked as he looked over as one of his finest assembled group of warriors, each one clad in thick terminator armor and wielding weapons that could easily break through the toughened hide of a carnifex ranging from thunder hammers to powerful lighting claws, though only ten of them, there was enough for the job at hand.

“Appears that way doesn’t it Gorgon.” Santos said smartly with a grin, he was the only one in all of Gorgon’s life that had enough guts to say such things to him, and Gorgon admired him for that and nodded with an equal grin across his face. Santos was not clad in the terminator armor, yet his armor was a mixture of older variants, a studded left pauldron and thick plate steel and ceramite layered greaves and a high collared chest plate.

“Very well then, you know which ship we are to be boarding correct? And where to place the teleport homers?” Gorgon asked him, he knew that he would know, but it was more of a double check if anything.

“Appears to be the blockade flagship by the data here.” Santos said as he took out the data slate of the boarding mission, their scouts relayed that the ship that appeared to be the one commanding the blockade forces was a heavy cruiser of the word bearer’s traitor legion.

“We shall destroy their heresy filled souls and purge their ship of the unclean.” Gorgon said with an angered tone in his voice, he gripped the hilt of his power sword, and so much anger was building inside of him. Many others noted from outside the chapter, that the gene seed carried from the Imperial Fists, fueled the rage of the space marines in their second founding’s, making them stern and unforgiving warriors by trait.

Chaplain Theolous presented himself before the boarding force, preaching words of the holy emperor and litanies of hate. “Sons of Dorn! Warriors of the Emperor! You shall go forth unto the flames of the enemy and purge their unclean souls, destroy them with no pity! Eviscerate them with no remorse! And you are fear incarnate! You know no fear!” The revered Chaplain inspired the brethren of the black templar; each of the warriors raised their fists with a feeling of zealous and pious rage.
Their plan was rather simple in mind. An attack on the enemy flag ship, by destroying their leadership, the rest of the fleet can be broken apart and splintered away to make way for recapture of the air space over the planet. Marshal Gorgon and his sword brethren command would be flown in using thunder hawks, other assault boats would be sent out ahead to act as decoys, though unmanned, they proved perfect disguise for a lone thunder hawk. One aboard their true plan of action would take place.

Lanius stood at the command pulpit, his eyes watching the data being printed out of the many machines that was fed information, a servitor with multiple bionic limbs printed, nearly just a torso attached to the outer rigging of the pulpit Lanius gathered the readings, information he would not need, he placed it to the side and moved to the data monitors, the ship vibrated again with a salvo of weapon fire. The raging naval battle was in conflict, the imperial navy had already started their attack, with the black templar fleet flanking their weak side, the blockade would soon be broken.

“Castellan Lanius, take us onto phase two of operation!” Gorgon’s voice sounded out over the internal vox network.
Lanius turned to the vox panel and pressed down a ‘push to talk’ rune. “At your command Marshal.” He said into the micro bead, and then looked up to his bridge. “Helmsmen, take us to a new heading, divert to portside, aft and starboard shields back at maximum!”

“Aye my lord, new heading implemented.” The helmsmen replied back.

“Aft and starboard shields at maximum!” The shield operator station yelled back, their tone was that of a servitor, its voice was bleak and absent of anything that resembled a human’s voice.
Lanius watched the control stations of the command bridge; he whispered a silent prayer to himself and prayed that the emperor watch over his ship and Gorgon’s boarding team. He had faith in his marshal, reckless he thought? No, the Marshal had precise tactics that were fluid and swift, this would be the dagger in the heart, though dangerous, often times such risky missions led to victory, due to the enemy not being able to see it coming, but he admired his aspiration and pride of his chapter to fight among his brothers, to lead them unto the flames of battle, and if fate be told, to die with his brethren.
The Sword of Retribution sped forward, along side of it the rest of the black templar fleet that made a wedge formation, their weapon batteries firing away at a plethora of traitorous vessels. The nearby space marine fleet diverted most of their attention.

The traitor fleet that made up the blockade force was a mustering of rogue ships and converted imperial navy ships that had been either taken by force or fell into the hands of the chaos gods. Their hulls a dark red hue, runes of chaos adorned across their corrupted hulls, most of the ships here were of those that the main fleet could spare, frigates and cruisers held their orbit above the planet near the major drop zones that the imperial fleet would be using for an entry point onto the planet’s surface.

“Captain, I am Marshal Gorgon of the Black Templars. I must say I am disappointed you have beat here. My fleet will engage shortly, we are rounding the flank of the enemy fleet as we speak, the Emperor protects brother.” came as the response, he had the serfs send an acknowledgement.

Black Templars, Capt. Hephaestus understood. "We will fight with Librarians in areas that they are not fighting once we land." He ordered to the others. "Also, we must keep our affliction secret as they may be the least understanding of our brothers, if they see us across the field, make sure that you have the men helmeted, and you too if you show the signs of our affliction. We must show by our deeds and hearts that we are true sons of the Emperor, and that this stable, yet disturbing problem is not thrust in their faces to anger them!"

The other captains agreed.

"Weapons!" he then barked at the bridge crew. "The Black Templars will seek the command ship, we shall fire on that other cluster several degrees behind it with the Main cannon, closer vessels get the lance batteries and plasma batteries, fire boarding torpedoes with Thunderhawk escorts!" he commanded.

The prayers had been said, the Chaplains would escort the boarding teams as they could get the most out of the troops. Once on board the enemy cruisers, they would summon the Terminator teams to finish cleansing their targets.

Torpedoes and Thunderhawk escorts hurtled forth from the vessels of the Dragons Errant, all embossed with the image of a dragons head that had a unfurled wing attached to the back. each Thunderhawk as much a piece of artisan ship as the archaeotech mother ship, glittering gold works over the Regal Blue and shadow gray of the hulls, smaller reflections of that on the power armor of the Marines inside the boarding torpedoes.

Lance and plasma batteries were laying waste to the enemy foolish enough to stay close to the Dragons Errant fleet. The cluster of vessel selected by Capt. Hephaestus was itself engulfed as the ancient mega weapon on the Fang of Vengeance fired and scored a direct hit on the main ship, and thusly, it's escorts close by. The escorts were overwhelmed by the ravening energy of the massive cannon, and the battle cruiser that appeared to be the protector of the enemy command vessel was itself burning after that shot.

Enemy fire in return forced another frigate to pull back and effect repairs.

"I will be at the teleportarium, once the boarding squads have set up the homing beacons, I shall lead the Forge Hammers of Sgt. Klytus in battle! That enemy carrier shall be undone!" he said as he left the bridge and the ship commander resumed his station as the battle would rage.

The enemy carrier had sent out fighters to stop the boarding torpedoes headed it's way and the Thunderhawks engaged them instead, allowing the torpedoes to be getting to the carrier. The boarding torpedoes slammed into the hull of the enemy vessel, the Librarians and chaplains readied the men to deal with whatever awaited them. Once the doors opened, they fanned out if unopposed, and set up fire zones and perimeters if they were, the enemy resistance was quite erratic, but the minions of the Great Enemy were noted the galaxy over for their insanity and their mercurial behavior.

One in place and powered up, the teleporters hummed and the Terminator teams glowed and were sent through the warp to the enemy ships. Once on board, Capt. Hephaestus directed the boarding actions via the comm-net of the Dragons Errant. His gleaming Dragon head hammer crackling with energy as he prodded the activation rune. Storm shields sparked as enemy fire bounced off the wall of shields, the other Dragons Errant following them as per drills by the captain himself. the Tactical Terminators fired back either over, or between the shields, peppering the enemy with Assault Cannon or Storm-bolter fire. The ship of the enemy was infected on many decks this way, Storm shield and Thunder Hammer wielding Terminators provided shields for the bulk of the boarding forces, and the others walking behind them to minimize weakening the Dragons Errant through unnecessary losses. Once the enemy were weakened themselves, or they closed in, the Dragons Errant would assault en masse, all able to come to grips with the enemy marines or ship crew of this defiled vessel.

The enemy Battle-cruiser eventually broke apart, the sections falling into the atmosphere of the planet below, to their fellow traitors on the plains, or into the oceans to be terrain.
The main cannon fired again, and a flotilla of enemy escorts evaporated in the energy burst that resembled a sun going off in that space.
The enemy merchant vessels opened like ripe melons from lances and torpedoes hitting them.

With the bombardment the Black Templars were now bring to bear, the enemy could either stand and die, or cut and run. enemy torpedoes were rare, but they were being intercepted by the squadrons of Thunderhawks and the turrets of the loyalist vessels.
their firepower being diminished as there were two Astartes battle squadrons facing the rabble.

Sergeant Daniels was watching his squad strip and clean their weapons. Of the 10 strong squad. They wore the fatigues of the Jopal 11th Indentured Squadron, a light green offset by black boots and dark hair. Comprising of both men and women, seven of the squad used the primary weapon of the Imperial Guard, the lasgun.

These lasguns in particular were not the squads weapons but the ships spares, they weren't allowed their own guns until they were about to be deployed or the ship was attacked. The squads own guns were modified over their years of use making them more accurate or changing their sights until their users were happy. Of the other three there were only two weapons but they were far more devastating.

The squad sniper, a young women named Freya and nicknamed Longshot for various reasons, used a long-las specialist variant of the lasgun, it was about half a meter longer and used hot shot packs capable of punching through any armour up to the ceramite plate worn by the astartes. The ship had no spares for this specialist gun so she was stripping her own gun. The barel and body of the gun were covered in kill tallies and skulls. The kill tallies indicated any dead enemy, the skulls indicated a dead officer, there were a lot of skulls.

The last two were the squad heavy weapon team, Mikal and Katas, responsible for, but not with, a rocket launcher. The common place launcher was capable of firing frag or krak rockets and had saved the squad on numerous occasions from various enemies, the launcher had a long series of tally marks indicating an armour kill or in one case a building kill after the duo had destroyed the foundations of a large tower collapsing it onto and enemy tank.

As the troopers finished cleaning their weapons they began reassembling them as fast as possible. Corporal Honassi finished first followed by troopers Franz, Jerik, Langaman, Quibet and finally Lywes.

"Corporal Honassi are you cheating again?" Daniels asked as he clicked the timer on Lywes' completion

"Me sir? No sir, of course not sir" Honassi' face showed nothing, her augmetic eyes were dead and cold

"Do it again Honassi it'll be good practice"

Honassi set about striping her lasgun again cursing her luck for finishing first. The other troopers grinned, Daniels noticed this.

"I don't see what you're all smiling about, if she beats her previous time you're all gonna be doing this until you beat hers"

Honassi redoubled her efforts to finish, Much to the squads dismay.

Daniels looked across the armoury bay at the other squads in their platoon. 5th platoon had been given the bay for practice that day and he spotted the other squads stripping their borrowed weapons and reassembling them.
He noticed the bay doors open and Captain Grant, the man in charge of their platoon and Major Gerys walk in. They were talking about something, the regiments deployment Daniels guessed but as a mere sergeant he would be able learn that until just before the troopers did well officially anyway, Grant often told his command squad their deployment orders and the news filtered down relatively quickly.

"Done!" The corporal shouted and Daniels pressed the button on the timer on reflex.

"Well well well it seems all that practice has given Honassi an edge" Daniels grinned "Honassi" he said passing her the timer "Lets see if you can convince them to beat that"

The squad groaned as Honassi showed them the timer and grinned.

Daniels glanced at the Major again as he was leaving the bay, his face was unusually grim. That meant bad news and bad news for the major was usually bad news for everyone else in the regiment. Daniels suddenly decided more drilling might be in order.

Captain Hephaestus was busy with his units on board the enemy carrier vessel as the fleet from the Dragons Errant fought on against the Chaos fleet. He finally took time to make a link to the flagship, Fang of Vengeance, "Have the Black Templars begun their attacks yet?" he yelled over the din of Bolter fire. "Yes sir, they have engaged the enemy flank and appear to be closing on the enemy command vessel as it is the one sending signals to all of the other heretic craft." Hephaestus smiled, "Very good! he will cut of the head as we take out the punching power of their carrier." and with that he cut the transmission, for the enemy troops were rallied, a squad of enemy marines having joined the fray. Hephaestus snarled as he lead the attack into the midst of the enemy marines, de-based bolter shells ricocheting ineffectually against the terminator armor and storm shields. The attack lasted mere moments as these enemy were tactical marines of the ruinous powers, their leader the only one with a power weapon, all of them had been beaten flat by thunder hammer strikes. "Brother Lachos, lead the attack on the bridge, I will take the engine rooms. We shall end this miserable ships' fouled career today!" Capt. Hephaestus said as he lead the detachment of Marines towards the engine bays.

Lachos fought the entire way to the bridge, enemy ship crew armed attempting to feebly halt their advance. At one point, the leader of the enemy resistance erupted in a spray of gore and offal as he was taken over by a daemon of some stature, Lachos summoned the "Might of the Ancients" as he waded into battle with the fiend. As his axe bit deep of the monster's flank, he used his will to activate the blades' eldritch power and used it to banish the daemon back to the warp as the force weapon absorbed the remaining life force of the beast to prevent it from staying in the material world. The sight of so mighty a warp entity fighting for them being defeated caused the enemy to run away. Brother Lachos lead the force under his command to the enemy bridge, where the commander there was his equal, a sorcerer! a Marine Librarian that had taken to studying dark arts.

Meanwhile, the way to the engines was less problematic, at least until the force with the Brother Captain got there, then they could see the enemy fire nests to defend the engineering with overlapping lanes of fire and cross support of several nests for each other. "Brother Sgt. care to hurl in the smoke and blind grenades?" And the reply was a hearty "For the Emperor!" as the assault marines behind the terminators hurled grenades over their heads into the engine room where the enemy was now firing at the smoke and darkness. This allowed the Dragons Errant to slip around the walls to the enemy positions near them and take them down., this now meant that they were flanking the fixed positions as they were still shooting at the artificial clouds. Only too late did they realize they had fallen for a ruse, they had expected the type of charge the Black Templars or the Ultramarines were more famous for, a direct frontal assault, but the Dragons Errant were neither of these, the last things they heard at the stations was "WE strike from the shadows! for the The Emperor!" or as the last of the defense bulwarks was to hear a bestial roaring as if a host of dragons were upon them "RRAAAAARRRRR!" and with that they entire defense of the engine room was awash in close combat as chain blades, power weapons and thunder hammers clashed.

The Dragons Errant were having fun taking down the heretic carrier.

The Justicia Vigilo shuddered as its Navigator guided the cruiser through its warp translation. The cruiser was of unique design. It was built as a light cruiser, but was armed and armoured more than most heavy cruisers. The Jusicia Vigilo was in the service of a very special individual, Inquisitor Hentag and his retinue.

Hentag had been an Inquisitor for almost 100 years, he guessed of course, with Warp travel dilation there was no way to be sure how long he had actually spent as an Inquisitor. Hentag was standing on the bridge of the Inquisitorial Cruiser, it had been built for him as a favour after he had hunted down and wiped out a Dark Machanicus cult from a Machnicus Explorator fleet. They didn't have to ask for his help of course, the cogboys hadn't thought he would achieve anything where they had failed but after a month of searching and investigating he finally found the rot within and the Mechanicus had cut out the cancer with fire and iron.

The Warp translation finished and the ship settled. Hentag watched the bridge crew start scans of the system.

"Sir" Hentag turned to face Commander Danick the Captain of the ship whilst he was ashore "We have begun manoeuvres to approach the capital planet, do you wish us to enter orbit?"

"No" He replied "Keep us on the edges of the system and away from any translation points, keep us hidden from any forces"

"Aye sir" Danick gave out the orders just as the scans came back "Sir, we have a Crusade fleet of Black Templars and about a dozen ships of the Dragons Errant2

"What is their status?" Hentag asked, his efforts to divert Astartes force to the world had succeeded, maybe he had jumped the gun by revealing his presence to the General. No, he thought, this world holds a secret to important to let anything be uncertain.

"They are currently engaged in a battle with a blockading fleet, boarding actions are currently underway on what seems to be the command ship" Danick stared at the screen for a few ore seconds making sense from a jumble of disorganised information "They appear to have destroyed several vessels already"

"Excellent, carry on Commander." Hentag turned to leave for the private quarters.

The private quarters were his and his retinue's personal quarters. They were luxurious and fitted with everything they needed, there was a training hall an armoury and even a small library filled with rare and exotic tomes. It was also where he would find and brief his retinue.
Most Inquistors kept a retinue of some kind, even if it was just a small fleet of sevo skulls. Hentag's retinue consisted of mostly of veteran guardsmen with a few other individuals he had picked up over his years. He entered the lift and the doors shut with a quiet whoosh. He keyed the private quarters and the lift started moving. The quarters ran along the spine of the cruiser replacing the dorsal guns that would be present on a standard cruiser.

The lift halted and the doors opened revealing just over a dozen individuals standing, waiting for his arrival.

"Ahh good you're all here, saves me having to find you" Hentag smiled

"We felt the translation" A tall veteran by the name of Ghasten said, his augmetic jaw whirring as he spoke in thickly accented gothic "Are we there? Is it here?"

"We have arrived and i am certain it is here but so is the enemy"

The was a groan from the assembled group

"We're not too late however" the group paused mid groan and perked up, there was hope yet. "The rebellion on the planet was organised by the Word Bearer Legion"

"Which is better?" asked a gaunt faced Cadian, Jaben or as everyone called him 'Deadman' he had been sliced with an plague infected knife several years earlier and although they had treated him in time the resulting illness had left him looking like a corpse.

"Of course it is better" Hentag said as if it were obvious

"Sorry sir i fail to see-"

"The Alpha Legion will not brook any one's involvement in their business, especially not in this important stage, they will treat the rebels as enemies just as we will"

"I see, so we can hopefully play them off against each other"

"Unlikely, both the Black Templars and the Dragons Errant have arrived here in multi-company strength and the Black Templars are not ones to pull punches as we know" there was a chuckle, they had worked with the Templars before and the mission had gone dangerously awry

"So what is our plan" asked a fair haired man, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him, he would have blended into any random planet in the Imperium and yet Marx, the name he currently went by, was a blank and would stand out in any crowd despite his unassuming appearance there was just a faint sense of wrongness about him.

"Nothing for now, we wait until the guard arrive and then we move in"

There was a murmur of assent

"Good, it's not like you have a choice anyway, the guard are here in 2 days so everyone make sure you're ready"

The group dispersed to their various favorite places. The game was on Hentag thought, in a few days the guard will be here and they had less than 2 weeks to find what they were looking for and get the hell out.

The deep drumming of bolter fire rang through the cryptic halls of the chaos command cruiser. Lights flickered and steam pipes bursting, billowing a dense fog over the fallen bodies of the traitor space marines and naval personnel that lay slain by their attackers, the Black Templars.

Gorgon’s auto-senses flickered and buzzed as his display screen within his helmet deciphered the scene before him. Stepping out of the shield wall of assault terminators the Marshal walked among the dead, his scarlet cloak shifting with each armored boot fall on the bloodied deck of the ship. Standing before a bolter scarred bulk head door Gorgon looked closely at it, they had made it to the bridge. Cutting off the enemy from their drop bay and closing off the reactors from the rest of the ship, they had claimed every vital inch of the cruiser. Their efforts were violent and precise; in a single moment they had over whelmed the ship and beaten back any hope of causing the Templar’s efforts to fold.

“Kill them all.” Gorgon said over the vox to his retinue of sword brethren. His voice was cold; hatred had served as the righteous flame in his soul to show not remorse in the slaying of the traitors.

Two of the hulking sword brethren terminators stepped forward with their massive thunder hammers and giant storm shields energized with protective fields that could easily deflect the most devastating blow.

Hammering blows began to tear open the bulk head door; each hammer hit smashed it open more and more. The bark of bolter fire could be heard within the bridge, exploding bolts slammed into the other side of the door. Again and again they slammed their massive hammers into the bulk head, eventually their great strength dislodged the thick black proof door and it fell open, without a second of hesitation the wrath of the Black Templars was upon their hated enemy.

The Black Templars charged forward into the large circular command bridge, which had been hastily turned into a defensive fighting position. Using rows of heavy over turned data computing devices and even the twisted malformed banks of bodies that had been fused into the many deck positions within the bridge, grotesque mutants remained at their stations, unable to move out of the way of the wrath of the Templars.

Gorgon and his retinue waded through the first line of defenders, with ease his sword hacked swaths of the enemy away, his crackling energy from his blade made even the armored forms of traitor marines fall just as easily as the traitor naval officers that threw themselves at the Templars to hold them back.

The melee never stopped, chopped limbs and limp bodies littered the bridge as the body guard of ship’s captain threw themselves at the charging Templars. Explosive bolt rounds shattered against the thick shell of Gorgon’s artificer armor. With his sword cleaving wide arcs of blue energy from his blade all before him fell.

One stood against them, merely as a last defiant act. His armor deep crimson and bloodied spikes jetted from his power pack and shoulders, wielding a massive two handed double bladed axe the warrior stepped forward and presented himself toward Gorgon.

Gorgon’s head snapped up to see the word bearer stepping forward, his eyes glanced over the chaotic rune engraved armor the traitor was wearing. The mere symbols burned against Gorgon’s mind, such belief in gods disgusted him. “Traitor, I have no words for you, only my blade aches for your death.” Gorgon simply said as he strode forward leaving the protection of his retinue behind.

“So be it Astarte.” The Word Bearer hissed back as he hefted his axe up with both hands and charged at Gorgon.

Like a knife through the unreality of the warp, the battlegroup headed towards Virotutis IV.

The fleet consisted of a heavy cruiser 'Santhonax' which was currently acting as the flagship. Armed with dozens of devastating weapons and metres fo armour she had fought against many foes and come off victorious, 'Santhonax also had flight decks capable of keeping up to 4 squadrons of fighters in the Void.

2 light cruisers accompanied the heavy, both sister ships of each other, the 'Light of the Divine' and 'Light of the Furious' were new ships as far as the Navy were concerned and were armed with more Lance weaponry than conventional ships were, they also had hangars but only enough for 2 squadrons apiece.

3 squadrons of escort frigates rounded the fleet off with three frigates in each squadron, armed with lighter weaponry and thinner armour they wouldn't stand up to anything at cruiser class but they had numbers and speed in their favour and they used it relentlessly.

The rest of the fleet consisted of 2 massive troop transport. Aboard 1 was the bulk of the guard infantry. Aboard the other was the armour units and the supplies for the entire army group.

The warp rippled around the geller field but it remained strong and nothing entered their bubble of reality, as the fleet sped towards Virotutis IV, only 2 days before they arrived.