Born from the dark: A Dark Angels tale

[Teetengee]

Good luck.

[Jaminos]

There was no special fanfare for his survival of his trial. No "Well done said from his comrades. He was simply done. Nobody questioned him of what happened. Nobody acknowledged his punishment. The was the Dark Angel way. Pay for you sins in blood. Once that payment was made, the matter was over with. It was said that the chapter had more important issues to deal with than a young Space Marine who was careless.

 

Talentos was the only person who seemed to remember. It was the one person Sevros did not want to draw the ire of. He watched Sevros closely until the day of their ascension to the rank of a full Space Marine. Shedding the final lair of their transformation to being Adeptus Astartes. The Emperors Angels of Death.

 

His squad stood before a dias where Azrael stood alone. Even the Inner Circle was spread among the gathered Space Marines. Every Astartes in the chapter who was not performing essential duties was gathered. Even the representatives from the successor chapters that were present at his trial were there. 

 

To his surprise, he could see at least three dreadnoughts active among the gathered. One painted in the black of the Ravenwing, crouched down in a mostly unpowered state. The skulls of Necron lords had been used as grim trophies of this Dreadnought's successes. He had read about the dreadnought from a book during his youth. A single Watcher in the Dark stood on top of the sarcophagus of the dreadnought, watching only him.

 

Nearly half the Ravenwing was not present at the ceremony. Most had been sent to Sierra IV as a vanguard force. Only fifty remained of their number. A token force. Half of the third company was also with the Ravenwing, holding any territory gained.

 

Azrael stood in his armor, his robe unmarred from battle. He did not look at the neophytes about to ascend to the rank of Space Marine. When he spoke, everyone in the great hall of the Fortress Monastery could hear him clearly. 

 

"Few Astartes make it as a scout. Even fewer still have done so in only a decade. Since the second founding of the chapter, our Librarians have only found two instances where an entire squad had survived from start to finish as Neophytes."

 

Not a sound could be heard. Just short of a thousand men stood in Power Armor, side by side. In a sea of green. The white armored Terminators were the only stark contrast. The black of the Ravenwing had been swapped by the Dark Green of the Dark Angels chapter.

 

"Now my brothers, the time for ascension is at hand for these Neophytes. We shall honor them, as we have since the founding."

 

A single stomp of every Space Marine's left foot in the room , followed by "Glory to the Lion!, Glory to those whom have fallen before us! Glory to those who stand to ready to take their place!"

 

The walls of great hall almost seemed to sing with them. It made a hauntingly beautiful sound. The room went silent again as Azrael spoke once more.

 

"Now I shall have each of you come join me and recite the final oaths of fealty to the chapter."

 

One by one, every member of his squad was called to the dias where he had them recite strange oaths and then poured a sacred oil over their heads. Ordering them to wait by his side. Sevros was not surprised to be the last called.

 

The steps of to the dias were large, even for a Space Marine. Azrael watched every step he took with a careful reserved demeanor. Once Sevros was level with him, he spoke.

 

"Sevros, son of the Darkness, born from the very depths of the rock and raised by an Astartes until of the age to join a recruitment tournament. Knowing no life outside the chapter."

 

Every eye was on him. His secret exposed to the entire chapter. He knew it was only a matter of time. In fact, he was relived. No one would not challenge his word about it. But he certainly just made enemies who thought he received special treatment. 

 

"...and now are you ready to take your final oaths, Neophyte?"

 

Sevros nodded once and spoke clearly. "I do

 

"Do you swear to hold the chapter's secrets above your own life?" 

 

A strange question to him, but he spoke again, "I do

 

"Will you serve the chapter for the rest of your existence in both life and death?"

 

"I will

 

"Will you always upholds all of our honors and traditions above your own life?"

 

"I will" He said again, with conviction, each time.

 

He spoke progressively more complex oaths until at last Azrael spoke one final time.

 

"Then I declare this in front of those here today, Sevros, Child of the Dark, is both a full Adeptus Astartes and brother of the Dark Angels chapter. Brothers, welcome him." Oil was poured over his head and another stomp of every Space Mariner's left foot. "Glory Brother! Head the call of the Lion!"

 

He joined his brotgers to his left. Sad that Damius was still with the Librarians. But proud to be next to the men who had been at his side since his first day as a scout.

 

"You are now to be assigned to the 9th Company of which, you will be given your new orders. Be prepared brothers, for we go to war."

 

With that, the ceremony was over. The squad was the first allowed to leave. Then by company, the rest of the chapter filed out.

 

Sevros tried to focus on all the details of what he had sworn but his head swam. Between the odd aroma of the sacred oils that had be. Spilled over his head and the lack of sleep, he was only able to put one foot in front of the other. 

 

His squad entered the wing of the none start where the 9th company resided. His squad formed a line and waited for the 9th company to arrive so they could be given orders for what they were to do next.

 

Sevros gazed ahead, War was not far. He only hoped he would be ready...

 

 

To be continued...

 

 

 

 

[Teetengee]

I think I like this second edition better in truth. I'm glad you are still up for doing this Jaminos.

[Jaminos]

His brothers chatted excitedly about their new rank as full Space Marines. Though mostly it only came from Team One. Octavus had joined in on the conversation, laughing and joking. Normally it was Tornus who enjoyed the attention. With his light personality, light as a Space Marine got, that is. He was the one who kept morale high. However he had resigned to brooding, a trait all Dark Angels were masters of.

 

A Librarian of ninth company had spoke briefly with the newly promoted Space Marines, congratulating them. Tornus struck at the opportunity to ask on the status of his brother.

 

"He just finished his testing not long ago. Be proud, should he survive the training, your brother will be a Librarian. He shows much promise." Was all he said before he left them to continue his duties.

 

They waited in their barracks in the wing dedicated to the Ninth Company, in the fortress monastery. It was a major improvement from the scout barracks. The beds were large enough to fit their super human bodies. Chapter Serfs came in on a regular basis to attend any needs they needed. It was large enough to house fifty men or five ten man squads. However the Ninth company had taken heavy losses in the past three battles. The latest, Sevros was directly responsible for.

 

They only shared their barracks with squad's five and six. Both were with the vanguard forces sent to Sierra IV. As the newly formed squad four, they were assigned to the front of the barracks where usually the most senior squad stayed. However a war was on the horizon. Time for such minor details could be dealt with later.

 

Sevros leaned against his bunk, Valentar leaning on against his bunk directly across from him. Neither said a word. That was all he wanted. The peaceful company of his best friend. While Space Marines were always considered brothers. Few could he call a true friend.

 

He was the first to admit that Valentar was smarter than him by far. He was a man who thought a hundred steps ahead when Sevros only thought ten. He was tied with Sevros for top marksman in the squad back when they were Scouts. He was a natural leader when the need was there. What separated him from Sevros was the decision to act. While Sevros would examine the situation once and then acted on it. Valentar would spend time examining it from every possible angle and then reexamine it three more times before acting.

 

In sparring, Sevros had a sixty percent victory margin because he would attack hard and fast. But Valentar never lost to the same trick twice. Before long, they would be engaged in sparring that would last for long periods of time, usually the Sergeant overseeing the training would call the fight before a clear victor was made because they did not have all day for the two to fight.

 

The door to the barracks opened quietly. But everyone was waiting for it to happen and were lined up and at attention. Everyone still wearing their ceremonial robes. The smell of the sacred oils still pungent in the air. It was considered a major slight against the chapter to wash it off.

 

A Space Marine clad in power armor with the colors of the chapter, as well as the Crux Terminus on one knee pad and the vertical red stripe of the Ninth Company on the other knee pad. He carried a helmet under his left arm, it was was in gold trim with two golden Laurels on either side of the helmet, denoting him a Veteran Sergeant.

 

Everyone had heard of this particular Veteran Sergeant. Sergeant Majorus Sectus was everything a Space Marine could ever hope to achieve. He had fought in hundreds if not thousands of battles, Served half a century in the Deathwing, holds many records in the Third Company for successful missions, kills and was personally responsible for beating back a Chaos strike to secure a powerful relic the chapter had just recently discovered, with only two combat squads and a Predator tank.

 

He appeared much younger than he was. At first glance, he looked not much older than Sevros. Only beginning to gray at the temples of his closely cropped hair. He sis not wear any studs of service or have any visible scars. He looked at the entire squad, pausing to stare at each of the members. When his oddly purple eyes settled on Sevros, he felt as if a titan towered over him. When he spoke, his was quiet, yet carried throughout the entire barracks.

 

"I am Sergeant Veteran Majorus Sectus. I am the new Sergeant of your squad. I have no special requirements of you. I simply expect you to do what you were trained to do. If you fail, you are dead. There is nothing more to say than that."

 

Everyone listened to his every word. Every detail he gave, they memorized. He told them.what they were expected to do while a member of the Ninth company. Finally he said,

 

"Now that you know your duties, you are to go to the chapter armory and be fitted for your power armor. Once that is finished, you will be issued your weapons for the upcoming mission. Lastly, since your squad is down one member, I have transferred over the only member remaining of squad seven. He will introduce himself after I am finished. Understood? Good, dismissed"

 

He left the room as quietly as he had entered. Sevros glanced to Valentar who seemed to be deep in thought. His own mind occupied with everything they had been told, he hardly noticed the new person standing in the room. When he did, a lump formed in his throat.

 

Herinn Darkarrow stood in the doorway. The last time Sevros had seen him was as boy, during the tournament. When he killed his brother...

 

To be continued..

[Teetengee]

Herinn Darkarrow stood in the doorway. The same boy from ten years ago who he had killed his brother.

 

I would rephrase this last sentence to make it more clear. (who, he, and/or his could be replaced with names).

Glad to see the update!

[Jaminos]

(I was not happy with the phrasing either, I just ran out of time and had to post it there and then before I could fix some things I was not happy about.)

[Jaminos]

The squad saluted as one entity, their right arms going to their hearts. The formal way of welcoming a new member to a squad. The function was automatic for Sevros. While panic did not strike him. The fight or flight instinct immediately kicked in. Only his training kept him from doing so.

 

"Welcome brother. Welcome to our number." They all said at once.

 

Herinn gave the same salute with the traditional answer. "Thank you brothers. Honor and glory to the chapter."

 

He spent a moment examining the squad. His eyes passing Sevros without a second glance. He was dressed in the standard power armor of the chapter. He already wore a mark of courage on his armor. Sevros remembered hearing about a young Space Marine who had quickly made a name for himself with his ruthless tactics.

 

Herinn continued. "I am Herinn Actarum. I have fought in six battles so far, I received the mark of courage my fourth battle and lost my squad during the sixth, a Tau devilfish opened up on us before we had completely disembarked our drop pod. If you follow my lead, I promise that you will live longer."

 

Herinn had changed his last name for a more common name used in the chapter. It translated roughly to "Mournful one" He kept his eyes down, trying not to show his irritation with Herinns speech. Acting as if he were already a Sergeant. He continued on for several minutes longer before he was satisfied he had inflated his deeds among the company.

 

Sevros and Valentar we the first ones to leave the barracks to head to the armory to get outfitted for their new power armor. Octavus and Tornus caught up with them shortly after. The rest of the squad was still conversing with Herinn.

 

"Four battles and he already earned a mark of courage!" Octavus exclaimed.

 

"Few in the chapter can claim such a feat. Those few are mostly part of the inner circle." He continued.

 

"Yes it seems he has came a long ways since the tournament." Valentar added.

 

"Well he is a little to smug for a Dark Angel. He bolsters like a Space Wolf and polishes his armor like an Ultramarine." Tornus muttered. His first words in hours. Part of the old Tornus showed through as his jealousy that someone had taken his spotlight. 

 

Sevros held his tongue until they arrived at the armory. A Techmarine in dark red armor of Adeptus Mechanicus was waiting for them as well as an apothecary. 

 

"we are squad Four of the Ninth Company. We were ordered here by Sergeant Sectus to be fitted for our power armor." Sevros said, addressing the Techmarine.

 

The Techmarine checked a strange device attached to his wrist gauntlet. He entered a few commands into it before it beeped back a response. 

 

"Very well. Once the rest of your squad arrives, I will see to it. Until then, check in with the Apothecary to make sure you are ready for the process."

 

Bowing his head respectfully, the four of them went to the Apothecary and were examined one person at a time. He gave each of them a shot in the arm that he said "Will begin the process with interfacing with the power armor" 

 

Once it was his turn, Sevros started to feel an odd sensation. His skin started to secrete and oily substance that grew darker and darker. After several minutes, from his neckline to his ankles, a black film had covered his skin. Everyone in the squad was told to disrobe while the Apothecary closely watched the progress of the final Gene-seed activate on his squad. 

 

The sensation only continued to feel more and more strange. As the substance grew to nearly half an inch thick on his skin, he started feeling it attach to his body. He could mentally start and shut off the connection. As if he turned off the feeling of his own skin.

 

After an hour, the substance had hardened and appeared like a black suit of armor that moved fluidly with his body, not hindering it in the slightest. In fact, he felt more aware of his surroundings.

 

The apothecary examined him again for the hundredth time. While he wore his helmet, his body language showed that he was troubled.

 

"Is something wrong, Sir?" Sevros asked.

 

The apothecary used one of the many tools on his person and poked at the Black Carapace. 

 

"This must be some mutation. But I have never seen one so...deliberate..."

 

"I am not sure what you are talking about, sir." He said slowly.

 

"The Black Carapace is you second suit of armor. It let's you interface with your power armor as well as seal any breaches. For example, if you were shot in the abdomen, normally you would bleed out and die as a normal human would. But the Black Carapace will seal up the wound to keep the bleeding down long enough for an Apothecary to treat the wound."

 

Sevros nodded, he had heard this many times over his training. Learning how to properly use each Gene-Seed to its maximum.

 

"What is strange about yours is that it is precisely one hundred percent stronger than a normal Black Carapace and it regenerates any damaged tissue at a staggering rate. I have never seen anything like it. It is as if it were engineered that way. As my two centuries as an Apothecary I can tell you that it is not possible to improve on the Emperors original design."

 

Concern furrowed Sevros's brow. "Sir, am I cleared to continue on to receive my power , or am I to be examined until after the coming battle?"

 

The apothecary was silent for a moment before answering. "I will be examining this more closely later as well as bring it to the inner circle's attention. But you are cleared for now."

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, he thanked the Apothecary and joined his squad waiting to be fitted to their armor.

 

Slowly, every member of his squad was taken into the armory by a Techmarine. Sevros was one of the last to be requested to enter.

 

He entered a room where a mechanical apparatus was the only thing in it. Two slots for where a Space Marine was suppose to stand, waited for him. 

 

The Techmarine in the room addressed him. "Put both feet in the slots. Good, now don't move."

 

The Techmarine peered at a panel that listed the information about what exact pieces he was getting. It was not uncommon for a Space Marine to have different marks of armor. One Marine might have a Mark VII torso and leggings with Mark VI shoulders and helmet. The Techmarine made a surprised grunt and kept checking the same line of code for several minutes before he shrugged and entered a command on the console.

 

Servo arms extended around him and started one by one, encasing him in his new power armor. The Techmarine adjusted various pieces when he saw fit, singing a strange song to the Machine God, chanting rituals. Remaining perfectly still, he resisted the urge to see what the Techmarine was doing.

 

A immediate sensation of the power armor finished being fitted onto him snapped into his senses. Instinctively he knew the functions of the armor. The Black Carapace had successfully interfaced with his power armor. He knew exactly how much effort of movement was needed to accomplish what he desired as well as his newly enhanced strength with the assistance of the armor. 

 

A Helmet lowered on his head as the final piece to the suit. Instantly a HUD blinked to life. It read current power levels of the suit, the amount of heat it was putting out and controls for heat dispersal. A small display on his lower left showed ammunition count, which was at Zero. A host of other displays were available at his command. The Techmarine had him go through them all as well as walk around the room.

 

The final piece to the puzzle of his existence was now here. With his power armor he felt complete. 

 

With one final check, the Techmarine sent him on his way to the weapons sections of the armory. To his displeasure he was issued a Plasma rifle, hope to get a Laz Cannon instead. 

 

The entire time, everyone gave him strange looks. When he rejoined his squad, everyone stared at him.

 

One of his members of his squad asked "Which Lord of Terra do you know to get that?"

 

"I have never seen a full set in person before. I thought they are so rare, usually only Sergeants and above get single pieces of them." Another said.

 

Valentar answered by saying "They do. It's difficult to produce and very few factories are even capable of making them."

 

Sevros grew irritated before he demanded "What is everyone on about?"

 

Octavus walked up to him, wearing an old Mark VI set. "I will patch you to my armor combat recorder." 

 

A flash on his screen showed a feed from Octavus's Combat recording device. Recording all vocal and visual data. Sevros resisted the urge to curse Azrael.

 

He saw himself standing in Mark VIII "Errant" class armor. The latest and rarest version of power armor in the imperium.

 

To Sevros, it looked like just a big target on his back.

 

To be continued.

[Jaminos]

"I thought I was done with his manipulations" Sevros spat, as his squad returned to their barracks.

 

"Careful of what you say, brother. You are walking a fine line as it is. Speaking heresy about the Supreme Grand Master is not going to help you win them over with your actions." Octavus said over their closed Vox link."

 

Sevros took a deep breath and exhaled. "You are right. I just grow tires of everyone being reminded that I am different. We are brothers. I wish to keep it that way."

 

"I would not complain to loudly anyways. Have you seen all of the specs on the Mark VIII? They fixed that problem where enemy rounds deflecting off of your power armor had a chance of ricocheting into your neck, killing you by chance. You get Armor over your abdomen cables which I never understood why they were exposed in the first place." Tornus added eagerly.

 

"Because the technology of the time prevented them from being protected. The first designs had a chance of electrocuting you inside your own armor if a round hit you in the right spot." Valentar said from behind, only commenting when he felt it was needed.

 

"Right, you also have a five X zoom function on your HUD. Only better zoom you can get than that is a Devastator optical lens. While I know we all should probably get them, I have always found them unsightly" Tornus continued.

 

"Unsightly?" Valentar said incredulously. "It gives an enhanced targeting array as well as a better tactical readout than any congenital HUD. Perhaps you would be better off as a Guardsman if you are worried about things like aesthetic." While Valentar was serious, everyone in the squad started laugh, Tornus included.

 

"The way he acts? I almost have to agree with you. He hardly acts like a Space Marine, Let alone a Dark Angel" Octavus said between his booming laughs.

 

"Forgive me for not buying into the grim attitude of the chapter. I follow or codes and most of our conducts. They have no reason to kick me out for finding humor in life." Tornus defended proudly.

 

Their banter stopped when they entered the barracks to find Sergeant Sectus waiting for them. Herinn was standing at his side. His eyes forward, at attention. Sevros and his squad immediately snapped to attention, saluting with their right fist to their heart, a single stomp with their left legs.

 

Sectus rubbed tiredly at his eyes and mumbled something about "Fresh paint" before he addressed the squad.

 

"Stop saluting me every time I see you. I am your sergeant, not your Company Grand Master. Understood?" Everyone said a uniform "Yes sir!" Before they took an at ease stance. Tornus the only one who visibly slouched. Taking the permission as free reign to be himself.

 

"Good. Now that is out the way, We received our orders half an hour ago. We will be boarding the "Final Justice" with the rest of the Ninth company, as well as the Fifth. We will be providing support for the Fifth company in the coming battle. We will be part of the second wave to be landing. The First, Second and Third companies are dropping by either drop pod or teleport."

 

He paused a moment to press a button on a device attached to his left gauntlet. Not dissimilar from the one the Techmarine all had. A rendering of a map appeared on everyone's HUDs. The area looked like a Guardsman outpost at the edge of a small city. The population could be no more than ten thousand. The terrain was mainly brush with large hills and a river that stretched past the area of the map.

 

"This is the city of Gray Ridge. It has no tactical value save for several farms two kliks from the city. The farms have been untouched for the most part. However, the city itself has been under siege nearly two weeks. The Guardsmen did their service proud, they held off much longer than was expected. The Sisters of Battle, Order Of The Valorous Heart, were sent to stem the tide and give the Guardsmen a chance to receive reinforcements of their own."

 

The display changed again to show a vid of a group of Orks attacking the outpost. The numbers swelled in the thousands the defenders barely over a hundred with the combined forces. The Orks falling in scores to the besieged defenders. Just as the numbers appeared to be to great, Three full squads of Ravenwing scout bikes and Land Speeders tore into the enemy flank and quickly dispatched a Ork Nob leading the large warband, effectively causing nearly an immediate route. The Ravenwing vanguard gone as quickly as they arrived.

 

"This was taken earlier today. We were able to provide light support because one of our vanguard forces was in the area, scouting. This is nothing compared to what has happened across the planet. The major cities are seeing upwards of tens of thousands to hundreds of  thousands of Orks and Tyranid. Squad four is tasked with defending this outpost with squad two of the Fifth company. This is all we can spare at this time. Most of the Ninth and Fifth are defending a largwr city Twenty klicks to the west. We will have limited air support from the Twenty Fifth Valkyrie Division as well as what the Ravenwing might have in the area."

 

One of the members of his squad spoke up. "All we are doing is defending. Why aren't we attacking?"

 

Sectus shook his head. "We don't know where they are coming from precisely. They have several underground tunnels that stretch all over the planet. They are so intertwined and confusing, that pursuit is nearly impossible. We have lost nearly a hundred Guardsmen who were sent to explore the tunnels. We don't have the numbers like they do to explore as well. We will have to hope the Warlord appears in one of the fights, so far he has at least two Warbosses under his command, that we know of. We came close to taking one out but it was able to escape before we could finish it."

 

Turning off the display, Sevros's HUD snapped back to normal as Sectus answered questions from the squad.

 

"When do we begin?" Sevros asked.

twenty eight hours. I suggest getting some rest before we arrive. I will be addressing the squad command structure when we arrive. We will be transferring to the "Black Justice in two hours. Then we stay there until we are called to board our Thunderhawk. That's all for now. Be waiting at the hangar no less than ten minutes before its time to go. If I catch any of you dragging your feet, I hope you enjoyed your short career as a Space Marine."

 

Leaving that to hang in the air, he left them alone in their barracks. Tornus said something that caused a few laughs but for the most part, everyone had their mind on the mission.

 

It was real war this time. Not a recounting from a book or a tale of Marines past. This was open war where they would either make their mark for the next Neophytes to hear about, or they would die.

 

Sevros was not going to give them a chance.

 

To be continued... 

[Jaminos]

The engines on the Thunderhawk started whine as the pilot went through the start-up procedure. They had ten minutes until it was time to take off. Everyone was sitting with their restraints on. Large steel restraints had descended from the wall, fitting just slightly above their large shoulder pads. All Sevros could move was his head. In the event of an emergency, their was a emergency release lever under his hand that would blow the restraints off.

 

Thirty Marines lined up the transport on either side. Sevros and his squad were furthest from the ramp. Being the last ones to be deliveries to their position. Across from Squad Four was Squad Two of Fifth Company. Every member of Squad Two had at least fifty years of combat experience, some with nearly a century. A Chaplain in the traditional black armor of office sat with them.

 

"Squad, we have been honored to have the last minute addition of Father Bragora. Follow his command without question as you have been trained and you will do fine." Sectus had told the squad as they were getting ready to embark the Thunderhawk for their mission.

 

Sevros was glad to have his helmet on so no one could see his eyes. His eyes had not left the Chaplain since they were introduced. Having his fill of their eyes on him. Bragora was reading from a time he kept on his hip. Much like a Librarian. He tried to read what the title of the tome was, but the tome was as black as the Chaplains armor, pages yellowed with time. His skull helmet was sitting at his side. His shoulder length hair white with age.

 

"You know, he looks not to dissimilar from you. Only add three or four centuries." Tornus said over the closed Vox channel for just his team.

 

"I have to agree with Tornus. He does have a striking resemblance. Perhaps a little more well fed than you look. His eyes are also almost black because of how dark of brown they are." Stump added cheerfully.

 

When the squad had transferred over to the Final Justice, Sectus had made changes to the squad layout. Sectus and Herinn filled Team One, moving Stump over to Team two. As far as his team was concerned, he was a welcomed addition. Additionally, Valentar had been made leader of Team Two.

 

"Sir, Sevros has always been leader of Team Two when we broke off into combat squads." Valentar said, after the announcement was made.

 

"Do you think I don't know every detail of your squad, Space Marine?" Sectus said in a challenging tone.

 

"No sir, I did not mean to challenge your orders." Valentar was unfazed by Sectus's challenge. Few things did faze him for that matter. Logic dictated his world. Emotion was something he only shared among his fellow members of Team Two.

 

"Good. I am aware how your team performs as both a squad and as individuals. I need a strategist for this mission. Cold logic will win this war. Not someone taking risks that endanger the squad as a whole. There is a time and a place for both of you to lead. This is your time, Brother."

 

Valentar did not press the issue. Sevros was not offended that he was just a normal Space Marine in this mission. He was not eager to gain the attention of the Inner Circle, again.

 

 

Herinn had spent most of his time with Sectus. Harshly leaving his side since joining the squad. It was obvious he wanted second command of the entire squad. Sectus only gave him second command of Team One, saying "I don't intend on dying anytime soon. If something does happen to me, you will break into combat squads."

 

Sevros was relieved that both squads could direct themselves independently. He still did not trust Herinn. Perhaps he trusted him even less now.

 

The main firing sequence began on the engines on the Thunderhawk. A dull rumble could be felt through the entire room. The Vox speaker in the room sounded as the pilot started talking.

 

"We are about to take off. ETA to first drop off will be in seven minutes. If you haven't checked your equipment, I suggest doing it now."

 

Everyone had checked their equipment several times. Sevros knew how many bolt pistol magazines he had on his person. He carried enough fuel for his plama gun to go through several engagements, with two members of his squad carrying extra fuel for his weapon, and other Special weapons of the Devastated squad. They were usually in the back of the squad when the fighting started. A stray shot could cause them to explode, possibly killing everyone around them.

 

"Third Company, Squad One, Ninth Company, Squad One. You will be dropped off first as you should well know by now. Current conditions are not very good. Be prepared for a quick deployment. We will have an escort, but when we land there is only so much they can do for us. Don't take your time." The pilot continued.

 

The Thunderhawk gave a rough jolt as it started taking off. The light in the cabin went dark for a moment. Then a red light started glowing by the hatch. When Sevros looked over, he saw Father Bragora had his skull helmet on. The red light giving it a bloody appearance.

 

The sense of gravity went away for a moment before it was restored as the artificial gravity kicked in. Sectus appeared uninterested as he examined his chainsword closely. Even his chainsword had became a legend of its own. Rumors had claimed it hungered for the flesh of traitors.

 

A vid feed came over his HUD of over a dozen Thunderhawks flying in formation toward a planet. The Rock was far off in the distance, a grim fortress, waiting for the return of it's Angels of Darkness. Two more ships of the Dark Angels fleet orbited the planet, red streaks entering the atmosphere. The drop pods announcing the first wave of reinforcements.

 

"Space Wolves are late as always." Father Bragora said to Sectus.

 

"They encountered a Warp Storm. They had to wait for it to pass. Apparently it was so large that going around was to dangerous." Sectus said indifferently.

 

The chaplain only grunted as the Thunderhawk flew towards Sierra IV.

 

It was obvious they had hit the atmosphere when the transport lurched for a moment. The pilot came over the Vox speaker again. "ETA to first drop off is sixty seconds. Prepare to receive incoming fire."

 

There was little his squad could so for avoiding any incoming fire that might make it into the cabin. He had to hope that the Pilot was able to position the transport so it would not get all of the weapon fire in the confined space.

 

The Thunderhawk gave one final heavy lurch as it broke the atmosphere and Astartes flying under its own power. The pilot Astartes counting down after the thirty second mark. Both squads started arming their weapons. The sounds of clicks and power cells activating filling the room.

 

The ramp lowered, light flooding into the cabin. The sound of dings hitting the side of the transport like rain on roof. Sevros closed his eyes and mentally willed the extra armor to hold. To his relief, the first drop off was complete. Everyone exited without any issues.

 

"The rest of you still on board, your ETA is five-" the Thunderhawk made a hard jink to the left. Sevros could still see the outside of the transport as the ramp was not finished raising.

 

The pilot's voice came over the Vox speaker again, his voice rough as he audibly grunted while he operated the controls of the transport. Dodging enemy fire.

 

"Ork fliers are on our tail! Hold on while we try to shake them. Air support is trying to get them off!"

 

An explosion from where the ramp used to be, drowned out anything else the pilot way saying. In the distance a hulk of a flying contraption of Ork design leveled on the Thunderhawk and started to open fire.

 

"Damn Orks" the Chaplain murdered under his breath, as the Thunderhawk began to spin.

 

To be continued...

[Jaminos]

Sevros had decided he did not enjoy being upside down. Seeing the sky below him and the ground beneath him was...annoying. The primal instinct of fear buzzed in the back of his skull. Every Space Marine was trained from the beginning to conquer their fear.Never submitting to it no matter the situation, but using it's benefits to fight harder. The adrenaline was what they used to fight harder. But now, unable to move, unable to fight. He was as helpless as a newly recruited Guardsmen.

 

A missile exploded just short of the hatch, fire entering the cabin. It harmlessly passed over his armor. Not even charring the Ceramite Power Armor. The Thunderhawk started to climb higher And higher until the Ork flying contraption was unable to pursue it any higher, it leveled off.

 

The Vox speaker sounded once more. "We have taken some serious damage. We are running on reserves after they hit us the first time. Our tank emptied halfway through our climb. We have just enough to get to the last drop off point. We will have to settle down there and make repairs. ETA, fifteen minutes, we had to slow down to conserve fuel."

 

"I have not seen an infestation of greenskins this bad in a long time." The old Chaplain said to no one in particular."Its just another enemy to purge Father. Nothing has changed in our duties." Sectus replied in his quiet voice.

 

"Aye. That is true. I will gladly burn this green tide down to ash." Bragora said, as if he was eager to see it happenRed streaks were coming towards the Thunderhawk. The crew, oblivious to them.

 

"More missiles?" Stump said with surprise in his voice, as the red streaks swirled in their general direction. Father Bragora pull his emergency release for his restraints, sending it up with a hiss of air. Pulling his plasma pistol from his hip.

 

"No. Those are Ork Stormboyz. Clever bastards. They knew the could not reach our altitude, so they jumped from the deck as high as they could go and were able to send them after us." He said as he aimed his weapon at the red streaks.The leading red streak became a green skinned Ork with a rocket strapped to it's back.

 

Sevros could almost make out it's battle cry of "Waaaaagh!" Before the Chaplain took it out with a single shot of his plasma pistol. The Ork exploded in mid air, forcing three more Orks to fly around it. They fired in the general direction of the transport, not hitting a single thing. Bragora replied by taking out two more. The final Ork managed to make it to the blown hatch of the Thunderhawk. How, Sevros was baffled, considering its erratic flight pattern was anything but on course. The Stormboy swung its weapon at the Chaplain, activating what appeared to be a miniature chainsword built on the bottom of the weapon. The chaplain easily dodged it and every subsequent swing.

 

"Stand Still Space Marine! Yuz not play'n fair!" The Ork shouted.The Chaplain actually stood still, setting the Ork off balance that he listened to him. What was a bigger surprise was when the chaplain roared at him, sending the Ork over the edge of the transport. It screamed in terror as it plummeted to it's death. A fiery explosion could be seen even from their height as the Ork hit the ground.

 

"Damned thing forgot it had a means to save its own miserable life." Bargora said as he sat down in his seat.

 

 

 The rest of the flight was uneventful. The escort fighters were able to shoot down the Ork flying contraption. The greatest annoyance for the rest of the flight was the sound of the air rushing into the cabin. Sevros shut off his audio receptors, communicating with his team over the private Vox channel.

 

 

When they arrived, a squad of Commando's flanking an officer of some sort, were waiting at the landing pad. The officer had a noble appearance and looked as if he should be wearing the uniform of someone in high command, not the flack Jacket of a Guardsman.

 

His eyes were dark from lack of sleep and his face had a shadow of a beard growing. But Sevros could see the nobility in his blood.As the Space Marines exited the transport, every eye was upon them. The entire base had stopped moving for a moment.

 

Few guardsmen could claim to see an Adeptus Astartes. Let alone twenty one of them. The Sergeant of the Fifth Company squad and Sergeant Sectus joined Father Bragora. The chaplain apparently did not take notice of the stares. His pace brisk, the importance of the mission his only concern.

 

The officer quickly went to a knee, his escort doing the same. Bragora motioned for him to rise. When the officer raised his head, his face went pale. Gazing into the black depths of the Chaplain skull helmet. To the officer's credit, he did not cower as some guardsmen had been rumored to do.

 

Slowly rising, the officer finally remember to start speaking. 

 

"I am Captain Darrek Verrel, commander of this outpost. My men await your command, sir."

 

Bragora drummed his fingers on the time at his side before he spoke. 

 

"I am Father Bragora, Chaplain of the Ninth company of the Dark Angels chapter. I was informed a Major Cadevar would be here to greet me?"

 

Verrel nodded and handed the chaplain papers he produced from a satchel on his side.

 

"The major was recalled this morning father, after the last Ork raid he was ordered to the front. Command stated his experience in fight Ork was needed."

 

The Chaplain read quickly through the pages before he handed them back. Barrel putting them back in his satchel. 

 

"According to what I have read, you have a fair amount of experience fighting the Greenskins as well, Captain."

 

The Captain resisted the urge to bow and instead stood at attention.

 

"I have faced them in two campaigns sir. Its how I was transferred here. It was meant to be...a safe place to keep me out of the fight

 

The chaplain showed no change in his impassible facade. 

 

"And who ordered this?" The chaplain said slowly. Danger crawling into his voice.

 

"My Mother sir, she..has some pull with the power that be. Little good it did."

 

The Chaplain shook his head slightly. Pitying the Guardsmen.

 

"Very well. I will have your men get my Sergeants up to speed. Then I will want to meet with whoever is in charge of the Sisters of Battle. Understood?"

 

"You stand before her, Space Marine." A feminine voice came from across the landing pad.

 

A woman dressed in a strange variant of power armor started walking towards the Chaplain. Her hair white, her face showing age but not enough to stop her from fighting in the front.

 

A Superior Advance of the Order of the Valorous Heart.

 

To be continued...

 

 

[Jaminos]

(Been taking a break from the story. I was hitting my writers block so I focused on other projects. But I am pleased to announce I will start posting new pages here shortly. I added a cover to the story on the first page. I hope you enjoy it. A friend made it for me. Until then. Sit tight, new stories are on the way.)

[Wulfkry]

awesome...

[DA player]

cant wait for the next page/chapter.

 

and why does the text not have the same size it changes regularly from big to small to normal?

[Jaminos]

(I type these on my cell phone. Sometimes it does strange things to the text, on top of failed auto corrects)

[Jaminos]

Bragora failed to move, however Sevros could tell he was preparing for some sort of fight whether it was verbal or physical, he was unsure. The Superior Advance continued to advance, like a cat on the prowl. 

 

"Chaplain, I expect a full report of the battle readiness of your squad as well as the exact amount of forces I shall be expecting as reinforcements." Her voice brokered no nonsense. Sevros was amazed she expected Bragora to divulge any information. Let alone demanding it from a Space Marine Chaplain of the first Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.

 

To his even greater surprise. He gave it. Answering mostly with yes and no. The Superior Advance nearly exploded when he said they were the only reinforcements for now. 

 

Her name was Mother Maria Van Brona.  Apparently she had won many famous battles in her service. And according to the Sergeant, she had known Bragora for many years. Though she showed hardly any acknowledgement of it.

 

They took their conversation into the command center. Sergeant Sectus joining the group. Albeit somewhat reluctantly. Sevros and his team were ordered to watch the eastern wall while the command meeting was being held.

 

Darrek assigned a honor guard to each team, which Sectus tried to argue but Bragora told him to let it be. Sevros always felt an rich on the back of his neck, the feeling of the guardsmen always behind them. They spoke very little and when they did it was often with honorific titles that annoy Sevros. Even as a fully trained Space Marine, he was still untested compared to his fell Dark Angels. Some boasting centuries of service, bordering on nearly a millennia.

 

"What did you think of the Sister?" Stump said over the private Vox channel. 

 

"Anyone who can cow a Chaplain with little effort is someone I do not wish to cross" Tornus replied.

 

"She hardly cowed him. They know each other. That was the only reason why Bragora did not put her in her place right then and there." Sevros replied absently. Tracking the empty land over the eastern wall. His Plasma rifle pointed downward, his finger resting on the trigger guard. 

 

The sun was beginning to set as Sevros gazed over the horizon. A raptor native to the area flew down and picked up something Sevros could not quite make out. Whatever it was, it was round and squealing.

 

"Pay up Josslee!" Guardsman said to his comrade. His hand held out, palm up.

 

"That makes two this week!" His interest piqued, Sevros listened in.

 

"Now how are you sure that it's another one? Far to large I say." The Guardsman who had apparently lost the bet, said.

 

"It's the squeal. Dead giveaway." Sevros could no longer resist.

 

"What are you referring to?" He said, switching to his external Vox channel.

 

Apparently his voice came off intimidating with the voice modulation of the Vox speaker. For both the guardsmen went very pale white.

 

"Squigg's sir. The Orks let them out to hunt during the evening. That bird you saw there was a Tempest hawk. They are a lot bigger in person. Nearly as big as a Valkyrie. They can grab a man if he is alone. Though they prefer different prey."

 

Sevros stood silently for a long moment before saying "Damn" and running to the command center.

 

To be continued.

[DA player]

when does the next when come out?

[Jaminos]

(I want to apologize for taking such a long time to post anything new to this. Went through some trials of my own life and had to put my writing to a halt. I am happy to announce I will be starting this story again. While I do not exactly remember everything I had planned originally, I have came up with some new material as well some some new changes based off of the new canon material that has came out since I started this storyline.

 

I will no longer be trying to write this on my phone and then copy it and paste it. It will be all done on computer to prevent the errors I got as well as just look neater. I hope some of you will be looking forward to me starting this back up. As always I like to know if people enjoy my stories as it is the soul reason why I do this.)

 

Thanks,

Jaminos

[DA player]

Finally, i've been waiting so long for this.

 

Thank you, for finally returning after such a long time, i never thought this would continue after a year of wait. so i thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

-DA Player

[Teetengee]

I also thought it dead. Welcome back.

[Jaminos]

Sevros's giant strides quickly brought him to the command center. The Imperial Guardsmen giving him ample room. His Vox channel was inundated by his fellow squad mates trying to find out what was going on.

 

Two sisters were standing outside the entrance to the command center. Both wore intricate masks that covered the top half of their faces. Their expressions stony.

 

“I request an immediate audience with Father Bragora. It is a priority one alert!” he said calmly but with as much authority as he could muster.”

 

Neither Sister moved but a moment later Father Bragora emerged from the entrance like the an alpha predator emerging from it's cave. No matter how good a Dark Angel Sevors thought himself, the aura of dread the Chaplain gave still made him want to be anywhere other than the gaze of death itself.

 

“Speak” Was all he said and it was already enough to jolt Sevros into motion.

 

“Father, the Orks have been releasing squiggs out every night for the past two weeks to hunt. That in itself is not uncommon. But the local wildlife has an apex predator known as a Tempest Hawk..”

 

Before Sevros was even finished the Chaplain was in motion. He began cycling through various vox channels and ordering the different forces of the base.

 

“You heard me! I want all your men outfitted with anti aircraft weapons! Ask me who is this one more time guardsman and I will feed to the Ork's beasts myself!” Though Sevros could not hear the unfortunate guardsman on the other end, he did know that the ire of a chaplain was less preferable to death itself.

 

“Father Bragora I thought I made myself very clear that this base is under the The Order's jurisdiction. I hardly need you to interfere any further with the command of this base.” Mother Brona proclaimed, emerging from the entrance. The guards at the door gave a crisp salute in a perfectly timed maneuver and then taking either side of her.

 

Bragora did not so much as move as stiffen. His anger was beginning to break the fragile facade that Sevros knew every chaplain had.

 

“Unless I see an official message from the Ordo Xenos, Mother, I will take what precautions I must to ensure the continual survival of this base. I have fought the Greenskin tide for centuries. I am second to only Lord Blial himself in knowledge of the tactics of the Greenskins. If you no longer wish for the aid of the Dark Angels, we can leave immediately.”

 

Mother Brona's face grew a dark shade of red as her anger began to boil over. “If this is how you wish to handle this situation, fine. But know that you will have your message within the hour. Any further conflict and I will be forced to take the appropriate measures.” Sevros was diciplined to not show his battle readiness in front of allies. But he was ready to fire on the Mother Superior before she would finish her next word, should Father Bragora command it.

 

Captain Derek hesitantly exited the command center and cleared his voice before speaking. “Father, Mother, I appreciate your concern for our well being but what is exactly going on?”

 

The Chaplain turned to the captain and Sevros could almost imagine him giving a grim smile as he said. “The Orks just recruited some bombers.”

[Jaminos]

More coming tomorrow!