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Part I: In which the Word Bearers of the 84th Host put a world to the torch.

Hive World Kaedus VI had been a thriving population centre in Segmentum Tempestus for millennia. It had seen its share of wars, revolts, and uprisings, and dutifully contributed millions of soldiers to the Kaedus Regiments of the Imperial Guard. Kaedean Guardsmen were well-trained, well-equipped soldiers specialising in cityfights and known for their bayonet drill and marksmanship. The world itself was covered by 12 massive Hive Cities, clinging to the drab orb of Kaedus VI like tumours, with each holding billions upon billions of Imperial civilians.

When the first ships had been sighted, the local fleet rushed to confirm their identity. The scout ships found that they loosely matched their picts of Space Marine battle-barges, for the most part. The planet below held a celebration, to show their gratitude for the Emperor's praetorians coming to their home planet. When the scouts went missing, the government of Kaedus began to suspect that there was something wrong with the Space Marines. Their hails went ignored until the ships were almost within bombardment range of the world.

Only then did the ship's heraldry become truly visible. The titanic capital ship's crimson prow was adorned with a sculpture of a burning book from which a monster was tearing itself free, and every gun on the ship's broadsides was circled with an eight-pointed star. Massive lances were engraved with eldritch script which hurt the eyes to look at, even filtered through the distortion of the pict-imagers. Below the book was the ship's name- Aminarum Violatus. Behind it were more ships, most in the crimson livery of the capital ship, but others in different colours. In total, 9 vessels were poised in orbit above the Imperial World. For an entire day, they hung there, motionless. Their presence was enough to disrupt the world's tides and day/night cycle, and their massive hulls blocked out the light from Sol Kaedus, resulting in a loathsome night. Despite the orders of the planetary governors, the defense lasers did not fire.

On the dawn of the next day, every vox-set on the planet lit up and a crackling voice sawed across the airwaves. Behind it, in the background, maniacal laughter could be heard, for those who dared to listen.

Serve us, and we spare you. Oppose us, and die. These are the terms of the Dark Apostle. We are the Bearers Of The Word and this world belongs to the True Gods.

With a monstrous bang of displaced air which tore down the ruins of abandoned buildings, the first army appeared in the wastelands at the planet's north pole. Thousands of Space Marines in the crimson armour of the Word Bearers, and their tanks and daemon engines with them. The entire army knelt as if in prayer, as a second force of crimson warriors took form in the wastes. They were followed by the shrieking contrails of what at first appeared to be missiles. When they landed in the northernmost hive-city, the local militia cautiously went to investigate. The missiles split open, disgorging skin-cloaked warriors in neon power armour. The Crimson warriors began to march southwards, as dropships followed down from orbit. Long-obsolete flyers followed them, shooting down Kaedus' pitiful air defences.

All resistance on Kaedus VI was extinguished within one week. Those who opposed them were killed, true to the Word Bearers' initial message, but those who surrendered were not slain. They were chained by the human forces trailing in their wake, and all taken to the ruins of the primaris hive. Many died on the long walk, in which only minimal effort was made by their captors in keeping them alive.

The millions of captives were halted within sight of the hive, and separated into eight groups. The Word Bearers and their allies, warriors in armour of neon, iron, and many other hues stood sentinel around the edge of the crowd. One of the ships on orbit, the massive Aminarum Violatus, broke high anchor and aimed it's lances at the world below. In a stab of blinding light, it seared the world down to it's core, right on the site of the primaris hive. All of the present humans were blinded by the searing light.

All of the human survivors felt a tug on their chains. Blinded, they were helpless to stop the weight of their iron chains from pulling them into the heart of the world. Those who resisted were maimed by the warriors at the edge of the group, the tendons in their arms or legs cut, and then they were thrown to their death. The chains carved eight lines into the surface of the world, leaving it truly marked by Chaos.

An entire world had been destroyed. The Space Marines returned to their ships, some via teleport, some via drop ships, and the fleet in orbit moved away from the broken shell of the world. No warriors had been lost, but the Dark Apostle was gifted with a sublime mutation, a third eye, as a sign of the Dark God's favour in him.


Whew. Hadn't meant for that to be so long! In the original idea for the tale, the civilians all had their throats cut individually by the Space Marines, and the blood ran in channels to the core of the world.I prefer the newer version, though, I hope it's actually a decent story, and I hope you enjoyed it.

I did indeed, but TBH it could have been longer. There are plenty of places you can expand this. The gathering of the host, the first assault on a hive and the week long resistance to name a few.

No build up? No description of the desperate figthing and so on? And needs to be much longer than this, way to short

I was debating it. I guess I wanted a proof of concept. Something to prove I could write something decent. I might do some more on a word doc and just paste it in later. Thanks for reading it gents!

Np.

Always nice to help a fellow author