The Liber Cluster

[Ace Debonair]

Well darn, I'd already written a Clusterwatch story with Penumbra in.

 

Now that's a fine display of forgetfulness on my part, huh?

[Conn Eremon]

Since the Black Falcons were the original ones that were supposed to handle Thravis Prime, and since modern Thraviscians honor them as their saviors, felt like I should work them in as well.

 

 

The Second Battle for Thravis Prime

The starfort had not been planned for, in the strategic meetings that determined the progress of the Eighteen Worlds Crusade. That the previously deployed Black Falcons had failed to eradicate the Sereiki Lions presence there was no doubt, but the starfort was not expected. Evidence suggested the renegades were in possession of up to three such vessels, but current intelligence had assumed they would be placed in more strategically viable warzones than the Thraviscian System. IFF beacons declared it the Theotopia, which ancient records placed near Sereiki territory, in a sector not yet visited by the Emperor's Reclamation forces.. The renegade ships, by common tactical sense, crowded the starfort. The incoming Imperial fleet, by necessity, would need to deal with the threat before continuing further in-system to the target world. They could not allow the Lions to pin them against an inner world, where the slow moving Theotopia could cut off retreat and annihilate the Emperor's forces. They would have to immediately test strength against strength, and weather the storm. The Scarlet Sentinels had provided a large detachment from their Chapter fleet, the original intent to unleash a full-scale planetary drop against a series of key targets. Instead, the Sentinels chanted in ritual unison as they re-equipped themselves in favor of a boarding action.

 

The opening action was one of calculated cruelty on the part of the Imperials, their faster moving ships darting forward to intersect a train of scrambling civilian craft and supply ships outside the range of the starfort's considerable firepower. The Sereiki Lions pushed forward a detachment of their fleet to provide the ships cover in a fighting retreat back to the Theotopia. The ploy worked, as the bulk of the Imperial fleet was then able to approach assault range with the starfort under the partial cover of the extended Lions' fleet. Even still, the full spread of the Theotopia's fury overwhelmed many Imperial vessels, including three escort ships of the Scarlet Sentinels, before the second ploy paid off. A pair of civilian craft, ships that had announced to their brethren that they had successfully fought off guardsmen intruders, detonated with sudden ferocity as they slid into the oversized hangars of the starfort, when well-placed explosives were triggered by sacrificial men and women who had hidden themselves away in the darker reaches of the small ships. With their holds filled to bursting with ordnance supplies to rearm the Theotopia, the explosions rippled down one of its arms, warped and shearing metal and rock silencing the weapons along a third of its length. The Imperial fleet clustered close, using the heavy, localized damage to provide them some reprieve, a small area where the worst of the enemy's guns could not easily target. On cue, the Strike Cruisers and Battle-Barge of the Scarlet Sentinels unleashed a torrent of boarding torpedoes that slammed home along the innermost edges of the damage dealt to the Theotopia, nearly four hundred Space Marines sent in to permanently silence the great warship.

 

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As the space around Thravis Septimus lit up from the clash of the Imperial fleet and the Sereiki forces, a lightly escorted Strike Cruiser sped past. The Jagged Edge, flagship of Ganerdene, the Bogatyr of the 2nd Brotherhood of the Heralds of Letum, lanced directly towards Thravis Prime. Chapter bondsmen frantically extrapolated planetary data that would be of use to their masters, narrowing potential targets for the Heralds from a handful down to merely two. Hastily reviewed footage gleaned from poorly detailed deep-scans revealed a likely nexus for ground-based Sereiki forces, a potential command node in need of a rapid decapitation strike. The scans also revealed an ongoing struggle still occurring on the surface, focused around Thravis Prime's largest native population center. What little orbital defenses were in place were manually operated, and the shots fired wide of the Jagged Edge proved the inadequacy of the mortal crew to accurately gauge the Herald ship's momentum. The Sereiki Lions on the ground aimed their guns high, expecting the Heralds to launch drop pods as soon as they reach basic orbit. Instead, the Jagged Edge pushed further down, the bottom of its keel flaring slightly as it brushed the soft, upper edge of atmosphere, to better release its arsenal of aircraft.

 

The Heralds of Letum were masters at claiming air superiority in virtually any battlefield, but Thravis Prime was hard fought nonetheless. Scattered across the mobilized Ash Wolf regiments were heavily modified stalk-tanks that Imperial forces had codenamed the Dervishes. These light-armored, highly mobile and single-manned tanks had capable anti-aircraft capabilities and were being fielded in large numbers. The initial aerial assault on the proposed command nexus, codenamed Volkhab, saw no less than two Thunderhawks grounded under the concentrated fire of the Dervishes, three squads' worth of Heralds forced to use the wreckage as cover against surrounding mortal forces. The more nimble Stormravens weaved about the streams of fire, unleashing deadly torrents of their own that shredded the thin armor of the Dervishes and those unfortunate enough to be near them. This tactic opened a narrow path for the remainder of the Brotherhood's aircraft to arrow in on the central buildings of Volkhab. With landings cleared, the Chapter craft settled into the dusty, hard-packed dirt. Four squads were relegated to guarding the aircraft from the riled Ash Wolves. Ganerdene led the remaining sixty Marines into clearing the Volkhab buildings in search of the Lion commanders. Those buildings that had become makeshift field hospitals, filled with the renegade wounded, were marked and bypassed, the Heralds concentrating on those buildings that sat upon entrances to an underground network.

 

Beneath Volkhab was a whirlwind of bloodshed as the racing Space Marines slammed into the mortal defenders, more utilizing their sheer mass and momentum than their bladework or bolter fire. Not entirely unlike their forefathers, deep, low laughter could be barely heard emanating from the helms of the Heralds. Not even the elite among the Ash Wolves could slow the grim advance, and soon the underground complex was filled only with choking, ash-covered men trapped behind rubble the Heralds left behind. With the serpent's head surely cut, the squads under Ganerdene's command returned to the surface to relieve their beleaguered brothers. Incendiary devices were thrown into field hospitals, the screams of the burning wounded demoralizing the enemy and weakening further their chain of command. Those Heralds that had crashed among the trenches just outside Volkhab had surrounded themselves with the dead, the Ash Wolves failing to find purchase even with the unfavorable position of the Heralds. Their ongoing struggle gave enough room for the remainder of the Brotherhood to move in. Those downed aircraft still functional were made ready to be airborne again thanks to the dedicated work of the Techmarines, while one too badly damaged was hitched between a pair of Thunderhawks to be towed free from battle and returned to the Jagged Edge. The Heralds left the Ash Wolf regiments in disarray and chaos, the aircraft still combat-worthy racing toward whatever battle the Lions had been fighting on the Heralds' arrival.

 

Upon arrival, the Heralds found a landscape covered in hills, upon which the Sereiki Lions were encircling the inner city of Thravipolis, the planetary capital reduced almost entirely into rubble. Consistent forays and raids beyond defended walls prevented it from becoming a full-scale siege effort. Rather than striking immediately for the center as they had done at Volkhab, the Heralds disembarked outside the thickest part of the Lion forces. The Heralds opened an additional front against the Sereiki Lions, utilizing strafing runs and rapid embarking and re-insertions to keep the enemy from maneuvering around the smaller force. The defenders within redoubled their efforts in response, forcing the bulk of the Ash Wolf regiments to fight a two-front battle. After nearly a day and a half of constant fighting, the enemy's back was finally broken within the shattered shell of Thravipolis' outer hab-districts and the Lions forced into a full retreat. Those who had resisted the Lions revealed themselves to be native Thraviscians, a population that had readily accepted a return to the Imperial fold and willingly assisted the Black Falcons with fighting the occupational forces of the Sereiki Lions. Of those Black Falcons originally sent to reclaim Thravis Prime in the name of the Emperor, only a handful remained. In spite of the efforts of the Heralds, the local Thraviscians beheld only the Falcons as the heroes and saviors of the day, having fought and died beside them for the better part of a year. If this bothered the Heralds, they gave no overt sign. They were content enough with spreading themselves across the globe as divided, mobile units against the remainder of the Sereiki Lions, who at this point had re-established a chain of command.

 

It did not take long before the remainder of the Imperial fleet appeared the Thraviscian sky, the Lions fleet in disarray or outright flight, and the devastated Theotopia broadcasting a new allegiance. The Imperial Guard made planetfall to execute a full defeat of the ground forces of the Sereiki Lions, while the Scarlet Sentinels offered to assist the surviving Black Falcons to return to their Chapter. The Heralds of Letum remained on the battlefield long enough for the Guardsmen to achieve theater control before returning to the Jagged Edge and exiting the Thraviscian System. Though both Space Marine forces would depart the system, the Imperial Guard successfully claims Thravis Prime to be fully within the hands of the Emperor in fourteen months' time.

 

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With the click-hiss of pressurization, Bogatyr Ganerdene removed his skull-faced helm to face the Black Falcon before him directly. His eyes, deep-set upon his ritually scarred face, scanned the warrior before him, as if probing for a weakness. The Falcon before him was not the Captain he had been briefed about, but had the markings of sergeant. Outside the room, distant cheers could still be heard as the locals celebrated their victory.

 

"Your men, how many remain?" When he spoke, his words were thick and his vowels stressed, the heavily accented Gothic of a native Libitumite.

 

The Falcon's helm hid his reaction to the Captain's words, though there was a slight delay in his response. "Fourteen of my brothers remain standing, able to fight. Nine more have entered the Rest for recovery."

 

Ganerdene's eyes unfocused, staring past the Black Falcon as if lost in thought, or suddenly disinterested, though he gave a slight nod in response. "Fourteen, left of whole company. Hm. Sentinels have spare craft to return Falcons home."

 

With that, the Herald commander turned and replaced his helm, walking away before the Falcon could respond.

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/HW90ew1.png

[Ace Debonair]

 

shredded the thin armor of the Dervishes and those unfortunate to be near them

I think you're missing an 'enough' after the 'unfortunate', otherwise that was a fine read.

 

Also;

 

[Conn Eremon]

Previous post updated, couple minor tweaks but more importantly a revised coloring on the image to bring it more in line with the original Painter image.

[Olis]

As I am aiming to get my last contribution done by Sunday, I figured I'd do a final status update before then. For now I'll leave you all with a teaser; the planet's name.

 

Helfen -  Aetheric Swords + All Seers   Olis (DONE... mostly)
Caecus - Blackjaw Kindred + Doomsayers   Teetengee (DONE)
Naxa Secundus + Ogris - Black Judges + Conflagrators   Ace Debonair (DONE)
Unnamed planet Korvalian - Eagles of Glory + Lords Inviolate   Olis (UNFINISHED)
Unnamed planet Glavor - Iron Ravagers + Angels Exultant   Ace Debonair (DONE)
Thravis Prime Round 2 - Scarlet Sentinels + Heralds of Letum   Conn Eremon (DONE)
Zavatista Round 2 (Optional) - Blades of the Lion + Black Falcons   SanguiniusReborn  (DONE)

 

 

 

Also, while I'm here, is anyone else interested in getting representations done for their own Chapters from the same guy (Blazbaros)? If you have reservations, I could be a middleman for you. You'd have to have Paypal, though, to fund the artist (well that's by proxy, it'd be to me, I suppose, after it's done)... 

[Reyner]

I'd be interested in getting a Blade done by Blazbaros - after next week though since I GET MARRIED ON SATURDAY ARGH! :D 

[Conn Eremon]

That's awesome, Reyner! Congratulations. :)

[Nomus Sardauk]

Congratulations brother, that's fantastic news! May the Emperor and the Lion bless thy union and grant thee great happiness together!

[Olis]

I'd be interested in getting a Blade done by Blazbaros - after next week though since I GET MARRIED ON SATURDAY ARGH!

 

Congratulations, brother! Whenever you're ready, PM me if you want to use me as the middleman. I'll give you the relevant details at the time.

[Captain Nameless]

Congratulations Reyner! Hoping it goes well for the two of you.

[Reyner]

Thank you guys :)

[Nomus Sardauk]

BTW, does anyone wanna put forward identities for the as-yet unnamed Killteam Members on this list for my story, maybe wargear for everyone too if you like?
 

So for current members I have:
Codicier Adar-Malik of the All-Seers
Veteran-Brother Domr of the Doomsayers
Brother-Devotee Clasticus of the Conflagrators
Brother-Captain Dorian Pentecost of the Scarlet Sentinels
and Siege-Brother Eisenhower of the Eagles.

For my planned kill team I still need marines from:

Iron Ravager
Aetheric Sword
Black Falcons
Blackjaw Kindred
Angels Exultant (Black Shield)
Sons of Calderon (Black Shield Dreadnought)

It will be quite the dynamic between all the members. I think the Aetheric Sword will quickly realise the true origin of the Black Shield, the songs of his chapter soothing the battle rage of the Black Shield. The Eagle will probably get on the nerves of the Scarlet Sentinel captain frequently with his tendency to use less subtle means in all circumstances. Tensions between the Doomsayers and the Kindred have come to light recently, so there may be a conflict between the Kindred brother and the Doomsayer with his Conflagrator ally. The possibilites are simply exciting!

 

[Olis]

Seeing as the Black Falcons probably won't be revisited by our brother Sanguine_Knight (he's been absent for over a year), I'd like to propose a name: Brother Kreimeia. 

[Nomus Sardauk]

Seeing as the Black Falcons probably won't be revisited by our brother Sanguine_Knight (he's been absent for over a year), I'd like to propose a name: Brother Kreimeia. 

 

Brother Kreimeia, cheers Olis, anything for his wargear? 

[Olis]

Just a bolter and a chainsword, I suppose. Not everyone gets super-awesome wargear all of the time (and bolters are supposed to be the bread and butter weapon for astartes after all). ^_^

[helterskelter]

Maul and a stormshield for Domr, oo and obligatory teleport homer and Auspex.

If that's alright?

[Nomus Sardauk]

Just a bolter and a chainsword, I suppose. Not everyone gets super-awesome wargear all of the time (and bolters are supposed to be the bread and butter weapon for astartes after all).

 

True true, bolter and chainsword it is. 

 

Maul and a stormshield for Domr, oo and obligatory teleport homer and Auspex.

If that's alright?

 

Right-o, though is it alright if I downgrade his shield to a Combat Shield and add a Bolter to his loadout? 

[helterskelter]

I was thinking more of their ship boarding inclinations but yeah that's cool

[Nomus Sardauk]

I was thinking more of their ship boarding inclinations but yeah that's cool

 

Cool, thanks very much. :)

[Captain Nameless]

With a designation like "siege-brother", Eisenhower needs something highly explosive with a large blast radius, like a grenade launcher or maybe just go all out with a plasma cannon.

[helterskelter]

 

 

I was thinking more of their ship boarding inclinations but yeah that's cool

Cool, thanks very much. :)

Ooo I'm a dumdum! How about a boarding shield, a nice one with a little slot for the bolter?

[Nomus Sardauk]

With a designation like "siege-brother", Eisenhower needs something highly explosive with a large blast radius, like a grenade launcher or maybe just go all out with a plasma cannon.

 

I was thinking he'd be packing a Rocket Launcher for flexibility, the Eagles are already noted to have a great fondness for EXPLOSIONS, of course that depends on whether Tiberius agrees or not, assuming he's available.

 

EDIT:

 

 

 

I was thinking more of their ship boarding inclinations but yeah that's cool

Cool, thanks very much. 

Ooo I'm a dumdum! How about a boarding shield, a nice one with a little slot for the bolter?

 

 

Ha, guess that makes two of us then, a Boarding Shield it is. 

[Ace Debonair]

OK, how about...

 

Aetheric Swords: Brother Jaran Stormhound

Wargear: Bolter, Combat Knives (maybe a Bolt Pistol to go with the knives)

 

I'm seeing him as a tracker - an expert in reading tracks, moving (comparatively) quietly and picking out hidden details.

The knives are mostly used for tasks that require minimal noise, such as ambushes or sneak attacks, but the Bolter is for when noise level isn't an issue. 

[Teetengee]

I like the idea of an eviscerator and perhaps a jump pack for the Angel Exultant. Barin for a name, perhaps.

[Olis]

Did we decide on wargear for Brother-Devotee Clasticus? A combi-flamer and a power maul spring to mind... :D