A Betrayal Long Remembered, A Vengeance Long Sought.

[Oriken Silverheart]

A little something i've been itching to put into writing for a while now. Hope its not too terrible. Part one:

 

    Marius stood upon the balcony, staring out at the myriad towers and spires of Hive Haelmar. He thought back on the sacrifices he and his brothers had made for these people so long ago and was filled with melancholy and disgust in equal measure. Humanity had squandered their birthright. Instead of an Empire of shining beacons of hope and progress it had become this; A swirling cacaphony of human detritus repeated on a million worlds. The truth was he despised them all, indeed he would put this world to the torch himself if it did not have its part to play in events to come.

    The door leading to the balcony hissed open on well-oiled mechanisms. A man strode confidently out onto the terrace, his crisp motions betraying his military background. Marius did not even need to see the newcomer to know who it was. The cadence of his step, the klinking of medals, the smell of firearm lubricant and the whirl of his bionic eye.

 

'Governor-General Konrad.' Marius said without looking around. 'How goes the marshalling of the defenses?"

'Everything is being done according to your direction, my lord. I must again ask that you allow for more troops to man the southern redoubts. If the rumors of enemy armor approaching from the south prove true we shall need more bodies to man those positions.'

 

    Marius turned to regard the mortal, barely holding back the urge to backhand the man across the face.

 

'Calm yourself, General. I promised you that your city would hold and it shall. There are contigencies in place should the foe break through the redoubts.

    Governor-General Howester Konrad felt his own anger rise at the space marine's patronizing tone. How dare this outsider, this mercenary speak down to him! Konrad glared at the Astartes, taking in every detail of the super-human weapon now gazing down at the city. Konrad was forced to admit, the space marine cut an imposing figure. His mkII Crusade-pattern power armor was the slate-grey of unpainted ceramite, the only point of color marking its surface was a small, black rune painted above the left optic of the helm, which had been forged into the snarling visage of some primeval monstrosity. Konrad had onced asked Marius about both the rune and the monstrous snarl. Marius had become quiet for several moments as if remembering things best forgotten. Finally he broke from his melancholy and said simply: 'Both are remnants of a homeworld long destroyed. I wear them to remember a betrayal . . . . and to spur me on to vengeance.'

Sirens began to blair across the city.

 

'The time has come, Konrad.' Marius mused as the Governor began yelling into the voxnet. 'The enemy is at the gates.'

 

[NathanielGarro]

Wow! You're good^^ Your descriptions are excellent - looking forward to the next instalment.