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Conflicting Loyalties


UltimateJake

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Second Horus Heresy story I've written. This one takes place before the Istvaan V Drop Site Massacre while Horus is purging those loyal to the Emperor still. The Death Guard are the main focus.

 

REVENGE

 

"Show them no mercy!" Khazar cried.

 

His Battle-Brothers followed in behind them. There chainswords were slick with blood and there shining white armor turned crimson. They smashed into the loyal marines again and again, uncaring for safety. They were reapers of man, killers, murderers. They were Death Guard.

 

"For the Emperor!" There opponents screamed weaker and weaker as more and more loyalists fell.

 

The Death Guard closed in cutting down any who stood before them. They were opposed by a band of rebels and traitors to Mortarion. Swine who would gladly lick the Emperor's boots if he asked. Weak, spineless, brainwashed men that had no place in the Death Guard. Traitors to the revered Warmaster and the New Order itself. Traitors that needed to die...

It was a hack and slash melee with bolters fired at point blank range. It was a mad scramble of only partially armored marines smashing against the tide of there power-armoured ambushers. Some of the loyalists were only wielding combat knives and some fought with just fists and faith.

They truly were devoted men. The Death Guard wouldn't miss them however. They were weaklings and nothing more.

 

"FOOLS! THE WARMASTER IS THE TRUE SAVIOR!" Khazar screamed beheading an unlucky loyalist with a swipe of his power-sword.

 

Khazar advanced at the front cutting down any who dared oppose him. He emptied the clip of his bolt-pistol into the power-armoured chest of one of the few loyalists who had armour. The loyalists had to have known they were dead from the start. What chance had they on a Battle-Barge full of Mortarion's greatest men? What chance had only forty marines armed with knives and little more have against the power armoured killers of the true Death Guard?

Being in there presence angered him. How could they not see? How could they follow the Emperor? They were betraying everything Mortarion and Horus stood for. The Warmaster himself was with them! The Warmaster! They were traitors unfit to even bare the name Battle-Brother. They were not brothers. They were traitors and backstabbers, nothing more.

 

"We will not falter in the face of such traitors!" One of the loyalists cried out.

 

The few left screamed similar battle-cries before throwing themselves into the literal wall of power armor before them. Valiantly they tore at the foe with knife and chainsword. Valiantly they fell only dying when they were raked with bolt fire.

Disciplined bolt-gun fire tore through the ranks of loyalists. The Death Guard surrounded there once brethren. The interior of the Battle-Barge itself was ravaged by the small skirmish. Scorch marks and dents were on the walls only recently made by the tainted guns of the traitors.

Piles of corpses where everywhere. It had been a bloody skirmish, one that was unexpected. None were even expected to die. Brothers had killed each other brutally. Each corpse was viciously cut to bits and stabbed multiple times. They were mauled, being covered in wounds that would've killed regular men outright.

 

Khazar finished off three bloodied loyalists with a single swipe of his sword. There heads fell to the floor along with the combat blades they wielded. Blood splattered his power armor and the Imperial Eagle Emblem that he had yet to scratch off. The fighting itself had ceased for the moment none daring challenge him.

The few loyalists remaining fell back into a small knot. They were wearing little more then rags, once proud uniforms tattered from shrapnel or the vicious close combat. They were covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises. Still they stood with defiance in there hearts and valor in there eyes. They would not yield.

The Death Guard encircled there loyalist brethren priming there bolters for one final barrage. A barrage that would be a quick and swift kill to the few loyalists left. Deaths fit only for traitors.

 

"In the name of Mortarion I pronounce you all as traitors to the Warmaster and the Grand Legion of the Death Guard," Khazar snarled sliding a fresh clip into his bolt pistol.

 

The loyalist still stood there ground. They were in the belly of the beast, there would be no turning back. With blades held high they stared death in the face. The Death Guard began to close in shouting litanies of hate and death to there foes. They chanted over and over.

 

"For Mortarion! For Mortarion!"

 

Khazar brandished his sword menacingly smiling of the bloodshed that would come. Bayonets gleamed in the flickering lights of the Battle-Barge, damaged in the vicious fire-fights. The loyalists scrambled on the floor for ammo to fuel the few bolters they could get on such short notice. They were literally assaulted without warning, seeing the treachery itself revealed. None would live...

 

"FOR THE EMPEROR!" The loyalist screamed charging headlong into the wall of bayonets that awaited them.

 

Without remorse or hesitation the Death Guard opened fire. In a wave of shrapnel the loyalists were cut down to a man. Bones were pulverize and limbs cut off. Deaths fit only for traitors and followers of the false Emperor.

 

"Contact Mortarion and tell him that we have dealt with the few loyal to the Emperor," Khazar ordered taking his helmet off to reveal the face of a bald, but grizzled warrior.

 

"Yes, Commander. I will have word sent to his flagship at once," one of his Battle-Brothers replied.

 

"Clean this mess up as well. I want every single loyalist bastard incinerated," Khazar ordered.

 

With his mission fulfilled Khazar turned away to proceed to the command bridge. The Death Guard themselves were already dispersing leaving behind only the flamers and Apothecaries to tend to the dead. The cries they uttered as they burned away the loyalists brought a smile to his lips. The Warmaster's dream was already starting to come true.

 

"Commander," a cold, deep voice uttered from the shadows.

 

Khazar turned around. The massive bulk of a terminator was clear, easily outlined in the shadows. Something so massive could not be hidden. The terminator had marks that ranked him as a Sergeant, one of Mortarion's trusted servants most likely.

 

"I am afraid the loyalists have been dealt with. Your terminator support is not needed my Brother," Khazar replied.

 

"It is not about that," the terminator snarled stepping out of the shadows.

 

Khazar stopped cold in his tracks noting how the storm-shield slung across his arm still had the Imperial Eagle upon it. Khazar's and nearly every other marines eagle had been scratched out since Horus's plan had been in its infant stages. His hand quickly went to his power-sword just in case.

 

"Horus has turned our legion into bloodthirsty dogs," the terminator said.

 

"It is the work of Mortarion. It is the work of the Warmaster. It is the work of the gods!" Khazar snarled unsheathing his sword.

 

"You have betrayed the Emperor. Our father, our creator, and our leader." The terminator replied taking the thunder-hammer off his belt.

 

"You are just another weak dog unfit to bare the title of a Battle-Brother of the Death Guard," Khazar replied.

 

"I love Mortarion and I love my brothers. But, never will you see me kneeling at the feet of chaos!" The terminator snarled.

 

"This is not for chaos! This is for FREEDOM!" Khazar screamed charging forward.

 

The terminator charged forward smashing Khazar away with all his strength. The thunder-hammer smashed through the power-armor and sent him into the wall with bone-crushing impact. Khazar fell to the floor his sword falling out of his smashed grip. He struggled to stand, bits of shrapnel falling from his splintering power-armor. It was no use the terminator already stood atop him gripping the thunder-hammer menacingly.

 

"FOR THE EMPEROR!" The terminator cried out bringing his thunder-hammer down in a wide arc upon the skull of his first victim.

 

Skull and brain splattered the wall. A dozen Death Guard charged down the hall-way hearing the final cry of there fallen commander. The terminator turned quick enough to block off a barrage of bolter fire from the advancing traitors. But, he would not last forever. They gathered around him with melta-bombs crying out the name of Horus and Mortarion, the traitors to the Imperium. The traitors to the Emperor. The terminator met them head on swinging his thunder-hammer around in wide arcs.

 

"FOR THE EMPEROR! FOR THE EMPEROR!" He screamed over and over as they closed in.

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Yes I have considered that maybe a suitable line would be Madness.

 

 

IE "I love Mortarion and I love my brothers. But, never will you see me kneeling at the feet of madness!" The terminator snarled.

 

"This is not madness! This is FREEDOM!" Khazar screamed charging forward.

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Yes I have considered that maybe a suitable line would be Madness.

 

 

IE "I love Mortarion and I love my brothers. But, never will you see me kneeling at the feet of madness!" The terminator snarled.

 

"This is not madness! This is FREEDOM!" Khazar screamed charging forward.

 

Or better yet

 

"I love Mortarion and I love my brother, but never will you see me kneeling at the feet of madness!" The terminator snarled.

 

"Madness? THIS! IS! CHAOS!" Khazar screamed as he kicked the Terminator into the bottomless pit. :D

 

In all seriousness though it was a good read. Great job and I hope you do more!

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Good so far, just one little bit of criticism, you mention them scrating off the eagle? If this is the Aquila, then only the Emperor's children at this time at the Imperial Aquila as this was the heraldry of the Emperor himself and after Fulgrims speech only his legion were given permission to have the Aquila as heraldry, other than that i really liked it.
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Excellent job! Feth, that was twice as good as your Raven Guard story! Are you going to do one about each of the legions? If so, do World Eaters next!

 

I don't know if I'll try to do each legion. I was thinking of Word Bearers next. The theme of each story is regardlessly going to be how the Horus Heresy strained relationships with there marines and how it affected there brotherhood and such.

 

And for the aquila I had know idea. May need to change that a little later.

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Yeah , I really liked the story. Would like to see your take on word bearers.

 

"I love Mortarion and I love my brother, but never will you see me kneeling at the feet of madness!" The terminator snarled.

 

"Madness? THIS! IS! CHAOS!" Khazar screamed as he kicked the Terminator into the bottomless pit.

 

 

Sigged.

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Yeah , I really liked the story. Would like to see your take on word bearers.

 

"I love Mortarion and I love my brother, but never will you see me kneeling at the feet of madness!" The terminator snarled.

 

"Madness? THIS! IS! CHAOS!" Khazar screamed as he kicked the Terminator into the bottomless pit.

 

 

Sigged.

 

Well that just made me feel awesome ^_^ :D

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Hey I told you your story was great! I'll make sure to keep an eye out for your future work. Can't wait to see how you'll do the Word Bearers!

 

As a self-made offical on Word Bearers fluff I'll make sure to correct any errors (though i doubt there will be any :P )

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