Shadows of The Eastern Empire

[Brandonmon47]

Hi guys, this is my W.I.P for my Ultramarine trilogy. It's still very rough but let me know what you think please! Worth continuing? Anything that you want to know more about etc etc..  

 

Shadows Of The Eastern Empire

A fan made story based on the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Flash Forward-Prolouge

 

"The entirety of this damned species never ceases to amaze me.." screamed the victims tormentor.The prisoner felt his persecutors boot kick him and he could hear adamantium ribs break and splinter. "We are one in the same." the words spilling from the crawling mans mouth were guttural. Mixed with the taste of blood and dirt, he felt something move in the background, even through the ringing in his ears, the fires and screaming in the background he could feel something coming towards them. 

"No, you are no kindred of mine." the victim felt this dark force wrap one of his hands around his

throat and lift him off the ground.

"You are a taint amongst the pure that must be cleansed!" cried the attacker before he threw the helpless victim to the ground.

His head swirling in circles, the sufferers instincts told him to move. He stood to one knee, blood flowing from his near severed shoulder and one of his eyes burnt shut.

"Even now, amidst your defeat you try my patience with your life. Yes, you are warrior born aren't you?" preached his tormentors dual voice.

Feeling every muscle in his body giving in his mind forced him to keep moving. Around him lay the dead and broken, the smell of ash filling his bloodied nostrils.

He had failed his objective, was it too much of them to ask of him, was he incompetent?

As he tried to move a little more that sound he felt before moved faster.

He felt it leap towards them.

"Your fight is with me now!" the voice bellowed with ferocity.

He tried to look but between his one good eye and the smoke filling the air too heavy he could not but he heard the swishing air of a knife swinging being followed by the chugging roar of a

chainsword in unison. The tormentor laughed as he parried the attempted blows. The clang of steel hammering against each other.

"You will never win against the imperium!" cried this new soldier...

 

Chapter 1

 

72 hours earlier.

He thought.

He thought deeply, as he put his pen to paper, writing down the words that came to him. He wrote

before his new life. Back when he was mortal or more mortal then he was now.

His name was Theon, he was a scout of the Ultramarines 10th Scout Company.

He had served his last 23 years loyally and rigorously.

He is apart of Scout Squad Septam. They were, seven members. He felt the others around him

with out even looking. He could sense Animeus and Darius playing with cards, practicing a game called consec. Terakoles was fiddling with some sort of machine, he was always fiddling with circuits, learning the way of the machine spirit. Brathos was just laying on his bunk, staring at the ceiling listening to the small radio near the

window.

Thunk* Another knife hitting a target.

Crylar.

Theon started to drifted off into deeper thoughts.

"You waste your time with that pen and paper. Your time would be better spent honing your throw." said Crylar in his husky, condescending tone as he walked over to a large granite bench and picked up his servo tag. Crylar was a short man, matching his temper, which had always been his way which was no surprise at the way he favoured a more aggressive way of life.

He clipped the servo tag to his belt, placed his hands on the bench and leaned towards the

window.

"Let him write in peace brother, he is not disturbing anyone." Brathos sat up on his bed looking at Terakoles play with his machines before noticing Theon had closed his book and was holding it tightly between his genhanced hands.

"With all due respect lieutenant it disturbs me, that whilst I prepare myself for missions. He sits

there and writes, which leads me to question who really pulls their weight in this squad."

They all looked up at Crylar and then to each other.

Theon put the book down on the centre table and made to retort but Lieutenant Brathos stood up and waved him down. He walked over to Crylar and placed a hand upon his shoulder.

The door opened in quick hiss of air. "Up all of you." the voice was aged and gruff. You could hear the tired wisdom in it. The man that walked through was much older then the other in the room. He had taught countless recruits before them, watching them grow, learn and rise up through the ranks. However just as many who rose up, he had also watched many of them die. His bionic eye scanned through the room, the never resting lens looking in different directions that his organic one was. Theon and the other three stood up stoutly and made the sign of the aquilla then Crylar and Brathos turned and followed the others in tradition.

"Sergeant, I hear we are to move out towards to Preyspire to assist in battle assessments?" said Brathos giving a slight bow of his head.

"You had heard right Lieutenant but something else requiring your skills has taken priority." the oldman returned the nod.

"It's good to know there are more important matters then having to teach our skills to inadequate soldiers, their rich and pompous civilians and their spoilt children." sneered Crylar but the old man shot him a serious stare. Any normal human would've been petrified by the stare but it was enough for Crylar to know when he had spoken out of turn in front of the old man.

"Those inadequate soldiers are masters at low orbit tactical insertion and their civilians pay high tithes for the armour you wear, the food you eat and not to mention their children are our investment into the continuation of our species. Our future. Think about that first the next time you decide to downgrade our duty of what and whom we safe guard." The old man walked forward to the centre table where Theon and the others had been sitting.

"Understood Sergeant Telion.." murmured Crylar as he looked up he noticed Theon, watching him. The two stared at each other for a moment. The steel hard eyes of Crylar meeting the soft sky blue of Theons before they looked away.

"Good, all of you be ready to assemble at the North Wing War Chamber in 90 minutes and clean yourselves up. There will be some important people today." Telion's bionic eye glanced over to a book sitting on the table with a pen next to it. The nano servos inside it tweeting when it began scanning the cover, recognising the finger print impressions left on it. He reached into a compartment on his belt and pulled out a small package. He placed the small leather package on the table and turned around towards the door.

"Terokales, mount those tag chips to your squads vambraces." Telion commanded.Terokales, taller then the others but leaner quickly moved to the table and opened the package and pulled out the chips. "Sergeant, there are seven here?" Everyone except Crylar looked at him who's eyes flashed towards Telion again.

"Yes recruit, see Attanatus in the western armoury. My armour is there." he said as he walked back out the door.

Everyone came to the same conclusion, Telion would be leading this mission.

As soon as Telion had left Septams quarters they all flew into action. Picking up there things and putting them away. Crylar walked towards his targets and pulled the knives out with ease. Placing them back into the mahogany case where he left them when he was on mission time. He picked the case up under one arm and walked it over to his dresser. Opening it's cold steel doors he slipped it into the bottom and placed a large cloth over the top of it before pulling out his formal attire.

"So when are we gonna have that throw challenge Cry? That's if you think you can beat me?"

Crylar didn't even look at his squad mate when he replied "A guardsmen could throw a knife better than you."

Darius smiled showing his pearl white teeth "See and those Guardsmen say you have no

personality, you're practically brimming with such humour."

He made a quick turn and made for his dresser collecting out his formal wear too before following Theon and Brathos into the dress room of the quarters.

"Don't listen to him brother, we all have our parts to play, he only stirs, to make sure you're okay." Animeus walked over with his gear flung over his shoulder and placed a hand on the back of his tempered brothers head.

"How does stirring assure my condition?" snapped Crylar.

"If you're temper shows, everything is how it always is. If it didn't then we might be more concerned of what is going on in that hot head of yours. Come, do not dwell. After all we have an "important" mission briefing to attend too and I am eager to see who exactly is briefing us."

Animeus looked over at Terakoles who was making the necessary additions to the squads

vambraces. The Telions gifts would give them all access codes and authority to enter North Wing Tower of the Fortress where the high briefing chamber was held.

"Be swift young blood, we do not wish to be late." said Animeus.

"Yes brother, simple remove and enter process." Terakoles didn't even look up, too absorbed by the work he was doing to do so. The other too walked towards the dress room to prepare for

briefing.

They walked through a large corridor where, left and right, the company tapestries hung. Telling the great triumphs of The Tenth. Words and pictures emblazoned together creating vast master pieces, each one hand stitched by mortals but then again Ultramar was not filled with mere mortals. Everyworld in the Eastern Empire was filled with extraordinary citizens.

All of them worked hard and thrived in life. Every day in the life of a citizen of Ultramar was

perfection. Knowing that their protectors guided them to succession and unity. As so was the way the Ultramarines had always governed, every Chapter Master after another. The Tenth was the recruit company, where all Astartes of the ultramarines started their great journey to honour. 

They honed their craft in the shadows of the the rest of the chapter. Brathos led them up towards a large ornamented dual door. There was a servo skull atop it with

twin linked auto cannons either side, ammunition belts feeding into an area unseen in the ceiling.The servo skull activated into life and a wide red sensory light arced over the squad. Their vambraces tweeting in recognition of being scanned and the servo skull chimed as it read their the new tag chip authority to pass through the doors. The hydraulics in the door hissed as it released the internal latches and opened.

"Do you think that servo ever fires those guns?" asked Darius in a sly remark

"Give me your vambrace and stay here. I'm sure you'll find out." answered the lieutenant as he

walked through the arch way the door had revealed.

"No, they've never fired, this wing is authorised personnel only not to mention the fortress has not been assaulted since before the siege of terra." replied Terakoles, 

"You should've read that in your pre assessment tomes?"

"I guess I must've just glanced that chapter brother." chuckled Darius quietly.

Animeus interrupted "How you passed your exams, none of us will ever know. Now quiet the both of you."

"Yes, hush like good children and let the real warriors through." Crylar huffed as he pushed pass them, his shoulder however glanced Theons before walking beside the Lieutenant.

Theon sighed quietly and Animeus saw the troubled thoughts running through his mind.

"Give it time, even as genhanced as we are still susceptible to greiving." Animeius gave him a

sympathetic look.

"I do but I can not help but feel his anger." as Theon spoke he took a glance at a tapestry that told of a Librarian creating a wall of balefire from his Force Staff to cleanse seven sorcerers.

"It does not take a future codicier to feel the anger, he will calm in time. Do not let it trouble you."

Animeus tried to reassured him.

Squad Septam headed in through the archway after their lieutenant. 

When they entered the High Briefing Chamber they saw saw Sergeant Telion standing at the centre hololith projector, Theon tried to get a closer look at the faint images of trees and city scapes just as Telion dimmed the machine. Darius and Terakoles were staring at the tall ceiling being held above them by great golden pillars, decorated with carvings of vast beauty. The women on the carvings looked like the angels of some old religion that was millennia older then even when the Emperor had conquered old Terra's warlords under his banner and united mankind to his cause.

Brathos walked to the right hand side of the door and stood, the others soon falling in line beside him as Telion turned to them.

"You're early scouts." he said as he walked over to them.

"I would rather be early then late, sir." stated Brathos as he straightened himself up. The others

followed his example and Terakoles made a glancing look at Telion's vambrace. How had he gotten from the armoury to the North Wing so quickly he wondered.

"Being early on the battlefield can result in giving your enemies a peculiar opportunity." said Telion.

"Yes sir but this is a briefing, forgive me for not seeing how this applies." replied Brathos.

"Briefings and politics can be the hardest battles you'll ever face." said the old sergeant.

Everyone looked around the room, taking in it's awes when a low hum began to rumble on the

other side of the chamber. Darius scanned the room looking for the source. The hum grew louder behind the great ceramite doors on the opposite side of the chamber. The rising sound stopped and the ceramite ripped open with a cracking thud.

"So these are the faces of your most promising old friend?" said the powerful voice, it was almost like a lion trying to whisper, as the giant figure walked into the light of the chamber, his noble edged features showed the face of a true leader. He is a saviour of mankind who leads the entire chapter of the Ultramarines. All one thousand of them. He governs the realm that is Ultramar, master of combat and tactical prowess. His name is Marneus Augustus Calgar, Chapter Master of The Ultramarines.

Marneus Calgar walked forward to the hololith and as he moved further into the light the recruits

could see the full magnitude of his size, although his entire body was covered shoulder to toe in a bright blue robe, marked with white laurels and scripture from countless deeds he had commited. From behind him two of The Chapters Honour Guard walked out and took post to either side of the door they entered from. Standing clad in more embellished gold then any captain, they were the chosen warriors whose duties are protecting everything the Ultramarines cherish and personal bodyguard of the Chapter Master. One of them was scanning the scouts, the other eyeing off the esteemed sergeant.

"These scouts are early, which makes you late young Calgar." chuffed Telion.

"Forever my teacher Sergeant?" sighed Marneus Calgar.

"Between you and our Master of Sanctity I fear I will never be full known as a the master of this Chapter with the name, Young Calgar." claimed the Chapter Master.

"Well, there is always a lesson to be taught, after all knowledge is power and Cassius and I have plenty of it." said Telion.

"Indeed but I hear these young ones are susceptible to learn from what the see. An old terran term, monkey see, monkey do." The scouts saw Calgar give a wry smile at Telion before finishing his sentence. "So maybe  formalities should be kept in play old friend." announced Calgar.

"You should not divert the blame to them because of Redlas standing behind you." Telion smirked a little to the honour guard.

"Would you care for a rematch Sergeant?" Redlas said. The Honour Guard's helmet stared straight ahead blankly, however Telions superior bionic eye could see the his eyes staring at him through the helmets lenses.

Marneus laughed "Don't be so dramatic Redlas, you cannot win every battle in the sparring cages."

"Yes sir." the guard said. Redlas' body shifted just slightly in acknowledgement that he should

not interrupt any further.

"Well now that the pleasantries are out of the way, we have some important matters to talk about." said Marneus with a stern look on his face.

Theon was in disbelief at the lack of asperity that he had just witnessed but then again Animeus was right in saying that as super human as they all were, friendship, companionship, jealousy and even rivalry would always be apart of what they are because at their core they are still, human. "So why are we here sergeant?" said Marneus nodding to the hololith.

"We have received a distress call 14 hours prior to this meeting from our Primus Medicae, Kynta Laofeng at New Hal'vesa City, the capital city of Pavonis, requesting assistance from us, claiming an experiment gone wrong, severe casualties and that they are unable to contain their experiemnt." Telion spoke as he entered codes into the hololith machine and then the light bloomed into life. The recruits could see the planet Pavonis, slowly circling around it was a small moon and two relay stations of sorts on opposite sides.

"What are our official reports saying Sergeant?" said Calgar with his voice rumbling as his eyes opened wider.

"It could be anything but there are large warp signatures fluctuating in that district but I shall take a small team to recon New Hal'vesa's outer reaches and work our way in using full stealth

operations. We will find any threats and report the findings back to the Winter Angel which will be hosting a contingency of Captain Ventris' 4th Company." reported Telion.

"Has the Captain Antilochus been made aware of your Recon teams deployment alongside the 4th?" asked Marneus Calgar, taking a look at the recruits.

"Captain Antilochus has not responded our hails as of yet but he leaves me in charge of the 10th while he aids the Novamarines at Honourum with their recruitment process." as he spoke, the sergeant started to comb his fingers through his ash grey beard.

"New Hel'Vasa City, is the key investment to our undertaking. We will need to establish immediately if their is any concern for their, guest population." his voice growing sterner and his eyes narrowed.

"I concur." agreed Telion.

"Very well, how many do you need for your recon?" asked Calgar, his robed mass began to walk around the hololith, almost stomping around the chamber towards the recruits.

"Just Squad Septam." Telion as he nodded towards the recruits Brathos quickly glanced over it his squad.

"I have read all their reports, they come very highly recommended." The enormous saviour of mankind now stood right in front of Brathos and he wondered how even an Astartes

could radiate so much raw power.

"Septam is a squad that operates with seven members though, there are six here." Calgar scanned the scouts carefully measuring their valour and honour by the determination in their eyes.

"Aye the are, so I shall be the seventh." said Telion and Calgar looked over his shoulder at him.

"I see Sergeant." he murmured in response before addressing the recruits.

"I have studied all of your individual profiles as is my duty to know the faces of my space marines. You have all excelled superbly in your own areas and I am aware the appropriate masters within our Chapter have already begun processing to take the each of you under their own wings soon enough but for now your mission is New Hal'vesa City. Torias Tellion will be your new Sergeant." Marneus walked a line in front of the scouts, till he stood in front of Theon.

"These are your brothers, protect them as the emperor protects. You are dismissed Septam,

await in your quarters for the Sergeants orders." He said as he looked from Theon to Crylar.

The scout made the sign of the aquilla and walked in twos back out of the briefing chamber.

The Chapter Master turned to Telion and held out two over sized bionic hands. He embraced the old sergeants hand as he shook it as he whispered something to him. 

Terakoles eyes widened at a chance to glimpse such fine artistry in machines, Calgars bionic gauntlets were beautiful artefacts of war. 

Theon turned and watched Calgar whisper the words. He read them, heard them even with his extra talents

"The inquisition must no-" the words were cut short as he was distracted by a flash. It had come

from Telions bionic eye, he wondered if it just took a pict but it was watching him watch them. He walked out of the chamber following the others but it started to eat at him instantly.

What could the inquisition not know?

 

Chapter 2

 

Jacob Morley could smell the fresh wheat bread scent drifting through his bathroom window from the kitchen below him. The scent mixed with the steam from the shower that intensified the smell. His mother, Sara was a baker by trade for many years but now she was retired and a widow. Jacob turned the iron handles on the shower to stop the water.He took a large breath of air and stepped out. Grabbing his cream coloured cotton towel he began to dry himself. He wiped away the steam from the mirror and looked at his reflection. Jacob swept his wet wiry hair to the one side. He often stared in the mirror and asked him self, "Would dad be proud of what we're doing here?"

Jacob was a leading scientist, who many people believed was a biological genius, Jacob's father though was a doctor in the New Hel'vasa City hospital before he was drafted into the planets imperial guard line. He was loved amongst the guards and the local population. Jacob's father was eventually drafted into the imperial regiments to be taken to (planet) that was being assaulted by the green skins, and Ork force that called them selves (clan here)

The (clan here) had used a mix of potencies to make a liquid cancer type poison that coagulated the victims blood to prevent blood circulation. Other then some minor human originated ingredients, the had not yet figured out what the poison was exactly.

His father had died there but plenty more were held in stasis, forever screaming in a cold cryotube waiting for their saviour. Jacob put his uniform on always leaving his tie in his pocket until he got to the research labs, he walked down the stairs to the kitchen and got his lunch.

"Mum? Are you there?" exclaimed Jacob.

She must have already left to the markets for the trade sales Jacob thought to himself.

Eight months he had been on this project. Hand picked by the leading biologist, he was apart of a very special team. He worked for PIRC, Pavonis Investigative Research Corporation. They were a very elite team of scientists and biologists. What they were doing here, in New Hal'vesa City was going to be the a major mark in the history of mankind.

 

For centuries have the Astartes have had superior healing capabilities over man but the team

Jacob has been working for are trying to the healing one step further. To be able to give the

ordinary man the ability to heal and in the Astartes, the healing process would be almost

instantaneous from any wound, poison or amputation. Almost as close to immortality.

He arrived at the front door to the laboratory, he took a key card from his pocket and placed it into the ID reader. He watched the green light blip over the card inside the reader before the buildings sleek silver doors opened. He walked through them everyday, and everyday he found the same empty corridors. The project they were working on was developed by a very tight knit group. The whole program was lead by a Primus Medicae of the Ultramarines. It wasn't just the Corporation that was tightly knit though, the whole planet was under strict security measures and watched closely by The Ultramarines but Jacob could understand why.

The trade agreements that were made through Pavonis these days were very unusual. Especially in New Hal'vasa City, since it had been rebuilt with assistance the city didn't look like the usual straight forward new gothic cities of most imperial worlds. It was not dull and dark, it had a soul this city, a lot of heart went into building it. The Ultramarines did not need validation of their good deeds but this would set the benchmark since Roboute Guilliman reformed the Imperium and wrote the codex. New Hal'vasa City was going to be unveiled to the rest

of the Imperium one day but until then The Ultramarines took to every measure of necessity

themselves to keep it hidden.

He walked in to the lab chamber, a vast white area with large cylinder tubes rising from the floor to the ceiling. Each one containing amnio fluid and swimming in that amnio fluid where soldiers. Most of them alive and well. They were testers to find the correct adjustments needed for successful healing environments. He walked forward towards a sterile room, the auto door opening with a hiss and closing behind him. He put on his one piece hazmat protection suit and slipped on his black boots and gloves before adjusting the helmet on securely. He walked up to the next door and entered his access code - two, seven, five, five. The door zipped open with another hiss of air and he entered the decontamination room where the door shut behind him and started to blast him down with anti sceptic steam. He wondered to himself if New Hal'vasa City would succeed. Not just this medical project but the alliance that it created in the process of it's rebuilding. After the decontamination room finished sterilising Jacob he walked into the clean room and noticed the towering figure that was the Primus Medicae, he wore a blue hazmat suit but still adorned his Nacarthium vambrace but removed the gene removing equipment and assembled it with sample and DNA analystic readers, auto remote controllers enabling him to control the fine surgical machinery around him with voice command. Even without his Astartes battle plate, Primus Kynta Laofeng was a monstrous figure but he was one of the most intelligent people that Jacob had ever met. Primus Laofeng was an Ultramarine, he was old and experienced in battle fares but had a flair for the laboratories, he was a friend of The Chapter Master who was his sergeant during his time in

the 9th reserve company before being taken into the Apothecarium program.

"Good morning Doctor Morley, how nice of you to join us again." said the old voice, he turned

around and held out a hand to shake during his greeting.

"Ah yes, good morning Primus Laofeng. Forgive me, I do not think I will ever grow accustom to

being so casual as to shake the hand of an Astartes." Jacob said as quickly threw his hand out to shake the Primus' to not show rudeness.

"Please doctor, you may call me Kyn." chuckled Kynta Laofeng turning around to regard one of the other figures standing in a light grey hazmat.

"If I can do it, so can you my young Gue'vesa friend." said the confident voice of the figure in the

light grey hazmat, who had turned around and started walking towards Jacob smiling, his blue-grey facial features and the golden coloured eyes the only part of the body beneath the hazmat visible.

"We are all children of science after all there is not much of a standard chain of command among us lot is there?" Said figure in the light grey hazmat who began to laugh as he pat Jacob on the shoulder.

"I suppose not Raun." Said Jacob returning the smile.

Jacob was a leading scientist but he never dreamed he would be leading a team alongside an

Astartes let alone a Tau Earth Caste Scientist. Pavonis was secretly a shared world, a trial of compatibility between man and Tau. New Hel'vasa City was renovated to suit both species. This was a pact made between The Ultramarines Chapter Master, Marneus Calgar and The Ethereal Caste. For the last three years members of the Earth

Caste have slowly migrated to Pavonis to help build this new world order. Finding middle ground for everything from farming organisation to building structures. This would be Marneus Calgars greatest moment or his greatest failure but he knew he could not just suggest the idea to the other forces of the Imperium, he would have to show that man and tau can co-exist and re build a new and stronger Imperium. One that the emperor himself could be proud of. If all on Pavonis continued to be successful then one day the galaxy would be ruled by man and tau alike and maybe there was a chance for peace and a chance to rid the galaxy of all infestation across it.

[Brandonmon47]

If it is too hard to read you could check it out here instead

 

http://moderndreamchaser.blogspot.com.au/p/my-first-written-novel-wip.html