The Emperors Judgement - A Predators story

[Kelborn]

Hey there,

this will be my first attempt to write a complete story and not just a couple of scenes. So what is it about?

Some of you might have noticed the alternate Heresy project known as the Brotherhood of the Lost / The Icarion Insurrection and its 18 completely different Legions, etc. Don't worry, I'll try to write it in a neutral way so that this story might fit into the canon universe as well.

I for one participate in this project as well with my XXth Legiones Astartes, the Predators.

A short summary for you to get a feeling of them:

Take the White Scars and the Night Lords, mix them up, put some Vlka Fenryka bits as some extra juice on top and voila: the Predators, a Legion known for their rapid assaults via bikes, vicious infiltrators and African, tribal culture. And yes, they do have some classic voodoo vibe as well.

The Legion itself is lead by none other than Baron Andezo Sambedi, the death beyond sight, the last son, the blind one.

If you want to know more about them, just check out my thread. You'll find a link in my signature.

Now back to this story. It features one of the Predators tribes: the Black Conda

Long speech short, I hope you'll enjoy it. If you got questions, don't hesitate to ask them. Critics and comments are welcome.

Kelborn

[TheBlindPrimarch]

Look forward to reading it!

[Kelborn]

THE EMPERORS JUDGEMENT

 

"I am the Hunter,

I am the Spear in his Hand,

I am the Stalker in the night,

I am His Will incarnate,

I am the enforcer of my Emperor,

I am the instrument of His will,

He condemns and I execute,

They are proved to be guilty,

I have come for them,

I am death"

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Litany of the Hunt, XX Legiones Astartes

 

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~Dramatis Personae~

 

The XX Legion 'Predators'

 

Andezo Sambedi, the Shadow Hunter, the Baron of Mardum, primarch of the XX

Durot Greyscale, Izinduna of the Black Conda tribe, lord of swith death

Borokk, Champion of the Black Conda tribe, the Black Hunter, the final Strike

 

Dakhara, Elder Spiritwalkerthe, the White Seer

Ragar, Spiritwalker

 

Odu, Induna of the Silent Claws

Kasha

Ga'ran

Membu

 

Giskar, Induna of the Headhunters

Raza'kul, Induna of the Lightning Blades

 

Jarek Drayson, Lord Admiral, Lurker

Envis, Sensorium Master, Lurker

 

Cabal of the bloodied sun

 

Kaelas'rath, lord of the bloodied sun

Valyria, the dancing death

Rom'Kalath, the life shaper

 

Sotoriak

 

The kingdom of Eternia

 

King Ropertus Corrin, House Corrin

Prince Andion Corrin, House Corrin

Sanael Konteris, lord commander of the Kingsguard

 

Maradin Dorak, lord of House Dorak

 

Gozlan, Hightrader of the Guild

 

Dhorel Atris, lord of House Atris

 

Azheria Tlelax, lady of House Tlelax

 

Imperial personae

 

Aliden Peren, ambassador of Terra

 

Non-Imperial personae

 

Varim'ethrasz, the endless thirst

 

 

 

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PART I

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

The galaxy is a place of billions of worlds and their miracles. These miracles could either be of beauty and fascination like the birth of a new star or nebulas colored in countless shades. Though devastating, a supernova bares beauty in itself. No one can deny the impact of the untamable might and power when atoms and molecules merge and result in an explosion of cosmic magnitude. Regardless of all the seemingly good amidst the start, there are as well those things which are the source of horrendous nightmares and acts of unthinkable cruelty. Many civilizations tried to name them. Names like Wraiths, Kul'zhegar, Arragax or Neverborn are used to describe those happenings, which are anathema to science and logic. Though bearing different names, they all have the same source of origin: spirituality, superstition and drastic emotions. Some tried to get rid of these dark entities. Species of long forgotten eras rose and fought against the darkness beyond. None was successful. Highly developed races like the Eldar or the Necrontyr fought for centuries against each other instead of unifying their forces to defeat the enemies of all life, the so-called dark gods. Manifestations of the most abhorrent feelings a sentient being can think of, these self-proclaimed gods worked tirelessly on their goal to bend everything to their will. Ages of war and death swept from one end of galaxy to another. It all seemed to end eventually.

 

All changed when the being only known as the Emperor rose on Terra, to unify the young race of mankind again. He established an Imperium, which shall endure for all eternity and against all threats. He created twenty Legions of gene-enhanced soldiers to carry on his ideals of the Imperial Truth. These Legions were lead by the Primarchs, ultimate soldiers and the pinnacle of the Emperor's experiments. Each of them a perfect soldier and more than capable leader of their specific Legion, these sons of the Emperor advanced to enact their father's will. Countless worlds and enclaves of humanity were rediscovered and integrated into the expanding Imperium. Those who joined voluntarily did so in peace. However, others denied the offers of the Imperium. These ignorant and egoists had to be brought to compliance by force. Some Legions had soon gained such a reputation that their name alone was enough to bring entire worlds to their knees.

 

Among the countless worlds and battlefields the so-called Great Crusade had reached, one of them was renowned as an ideal society. This world was known as Eternia. Located deep within the region of the Segmentum Ultima, Eternia had faced several threats in its history. The great plague of Em'shar nearly eradicated their natural resources and food reserves, leading to famine, revolts and civil war. The blueskinned xenos of the nomadic Quaria race tried to exploit Eternias people but were fended off by the unified Houses. Led by the royal House of Corrin, the armies of Houses Atris, Dokar and Tlelax joined forces to free their people of the oppressors. After annihilating the xenos' camps and ships, the merchants of Eternia founded the Guild in order to establish a global trade to please all of the House's needs. Right after the victory over the Quarian raiders, the Houses of Eternia originated a High Council consisting of all four Houses and the Guild with House Corrin having the right to bear the crown of Eternia. In time, every House returned to their specific deeds. House Dorak rebuilt its forges and factories. House Atris became the first and last line of Eternia's defense while House Tlelax began their scientific work anew as it consisted of the educated beings of Eternia's society. Protected by the royal Kingsguard, the Lords of House Corrin held up the fragile peace on Eternia and led their people into a time of prosperity and wealth. That all changed when the sensor arrays of the planetary defense forces of House Atris detected multiple approaching signals of unknown origin. While the message headed to the High Council in Meris Tirath, Eternia's main city, the unknown fleet slowly advanced.

 

Unknown to them, the Great Crusade had reached Eternia and it was clad for war.

[simison]

"...well those things, which are the..." The comma is a little awkward here, consider removal. 

 

Am I the only one who uses the Oxford Comma?

 

"...against all [threats]."

 

"...pinnacle of the Emperor[']s experiments."

 

"...advanced to enact their father[']s will."

 

"...had faced several [threats] in its history."

 

"...tried to exploit Eternia[']s people..."

 

"House Dorak [rebuilt] its forges..."

 

"...and last line of Eternia[']s defense..."

 

"...beings of Eternia[']s society."

 

"...[L]ords of House Corrin..."

 

"...time of [prosperity] and wealth."

 

"...Eternia[']s main city..."

 

Other than that, a fair start.

[MikhalLeNoir]

It could be that it is not very easy for a non-native speaker to use the oxford commas^^.

 

Uhm. I like the start, but Eternia? Will we see Skeletor and He-Man, the guy who one day drew.his sword.and muttered some random words to transform.into the strongest man in the universe? ( I always thought how long he tried other words to transform himself^^)

 

Maybe change Eternia cuz that will might lead to a lot of joking comments^^ like elfen ears *giggle*

[Kelborn]

Thanks, Simison. ☺

 

Really? I never watched He-Man. Didn't knew that. To avoid complications, I'll have a look for another name. ☺

[bluntblade]

I don't think He-Man ever muttered anything :P Looking forward to it, Kel

[Kelborn]

Life on Klamias was as simple as it was harmonic. Its native flora and fauna was simply stricken as it consisted of nothing more than a handful of lower animals and a small variety of grasses and flowers. Therefore, Klamias was ideal for agri culture. It was recently colonized when the Quarian raiders were defeated. Many people desired an easy and peaceful life after they had witnessed the atrocities and horrors of the alien oppressors. Since then, Klamias was dotted with giant farms and pastureland for domestic cattle like the Hungamas or the Fravian bull. The small starport and its surrounding warehouses acted as both trade center and administrative center of Klamias. One might say that life on Klamias was something adorable, a welcome diversion from the sometimes-hectic life on Eternia great cities. Protected by a small star fortress, which orbited this green paradise and guarded by a regiment of House Atris' Starstriker regiments, the people of Klamias had nothing to fear until a phenomenon appeared in the night sky above them.

 

It looked like a god of ancient legends tearing up the sky. A giant rift appeared out of nowhere. Those aboard the star fortress, who witnessed this anomaly, described their observations as if another dimension wanted to burst into Klamias' orbit. A shroud of unimaginable colors gave birth to expanding tendrils of colors, trying to anchor themselves in the void above Klamias. Some soldiers, which would be later suffering abnormal psychic diseases, spoke of faces and monsters within the colors, screaming their names. All of the sudden, the strange rift started to fade away as soon as it had appeared out of nowhere. Just mere moments after its appearance did the rift close itself again until there was nothing left of it. Uneasy with the recent activities did the commander of the 36th Atrisian Starstriker regiment tried to contact the headquarter on Eternia, just to realize that the communications were disturbed by an unknown source.

 

When the 47th Starstriker regiment arrived to have a look after the overdue report from the 36th, they found the guard stations were abandoned. It took the 47th nearly an hour until they found the first traces of the fortress' former crew. Traces of blood and shreds of human flesh led them to the machine hall of the fortress. There, they at last found the former members of the 36th. Skinned and impaled on the engines, cogitators and generators were the remnants of the proud 36th left in a bloodbath, their blood still dripping from their tortured bodies. Their commander was crucified on the huge power engine, which dominated the hall. His torso was torn open, his costal arch being so deformed that it looked like spreading wings. His innards were laying right beneath him while his forehead was scarred with a symbol. It showed an avian predator, its wings spread wide. The same symbol was found on every forehead of the slaughtered crewmembers.

 

Despite all odds did the 47th found survivors, chained in the corners of the great hall, babbling about black, skinny shades with pale faces which had come for them. As they were lacking an appropriate clarification for this mess, the 47th took the few survivors they had found and secretly brought them to Eternia. The starfortress was cleaned and the 55th took over.

 

Everything seemed to be normal again. That changed when people started to disappear on Klamias. Some were lost forever. Some were to be found again, their bodies battered like those of the 36th. Rumors arose, speaking of a hideous cult of murderers and butcherers. The situation intensified when the so-called cult of the Raven began to strike on Eternia as well. The High Council did their best to keep this inexplicable series of murder a secret. Nonetheless, fear and terror spread amidst the lowest ranks of Eternian society. 

 

That was the time when the people of Klamias witnessed a second anomaly above them. However, this time, something came forth.

[Kelborn]

They had entered the space above Klamias through the second anomaly. Tendrils of abnormal colors tried to get a grip on them before fading into nothingness again. Dozens of ships had crossed the borders of the rift before it had collapsed. Some had the size of Eternias cruisers or frigates, while others were several kilometers long, indicating their status as battleships. Every inch of every ship was clad in meter thick armor plates and gigantic canons, which were ready to spit out their deadly load. Colored in a shade as black as the void itself, the ships were barely recognizable from the distance. The closer one got, the more details were discovered. Golden, giant, double-headed eagle were placed as figureheads at the bows of every ship. Bronze and brown towers, studded with all kind of weapons, hangars or sensor, framed the hull like fins, leading to great superstructures, which bore the command centers. The fleet's flagship formed the center of the strange fleet. It had the size of a giant asteroid, about 15 kilometers in length. While the rest of the fleet was spreading out, the flagship slowly gathered pace and was slowly heading to the starfortress above Klamias. Sensorscans done by the 55th Starstriker regiment revealed the potency of this ship. It alone was able to annihilate the fortress within mere seconds. Its massive Lance and laser batteries were far superior to anything the 55th had ever witnessed, let alone the incredible size of the canon on the bottom of the strange ship. The maw of this masterpiece seemed to be capable of shooting massive projectiles. Besides its seemingly never-ending array of weapons, the ships surface was dotted with hangar bays, indicating either Starfighters or transports for an invasion. The commander of the 55th regiment immediately warned Eternia. While he was facing a threat of his worst nightmares, he hoped that Eternia would prevail against this might.

 

Instead of attacking the fortress, the unknown fleet just passed it. The fleet did not consider the fortress to be a danger. That left the 55th a chance to get some further information about the approaching fleet. The flagships flanks bore the seemingly symbol of its masters, a giant skull shaped like an ancient shield with two spears crossed behind it. However, it was another symbol, which attracted their attention. Besides the iconography of eagles and the strange skullshield, the ships bore a depiction of an alien skull on its hull. It looked like the skull of an unknown carnivore. This symbol alone made the soldiers of the 55th feel more uncomfortable than the entire fleet. Was it a skull of the fleets master or something they had slain in their past? Did it resemble a victory against someone or something? Whatever the case, the carnivores' skull left its mark on the 55th. The impression was even bolstered when the fortress' communication system flickered and came to life all of the sudden.

 

"PEOPLE OF R7-E352. DO NOT DESPAIR AT OUR ARRIVAL. WE HAVE COME TO BRING YOU INTO THE BOSOM OF TERRA AGAIN. WE ARE THE ANGELS OF DEATH, THE SONS OF THE EMPEROR. HE ALONE WILL LEAD MANKIND INTO A GOLDEN AGE OF PROSPERITY. WE ARE THE BLACK CONDAS OF THE PREDATORS LEGION AND WE ARE HERE TO MAKE YOU AN OFFER."

[Kelborn]

Jeez, it's already been two months since I posted something, apologies for that.

 

After finishing the current Iron Gauntlet challenge, I'll return to this little story.

 

I'm considering to shift the entire story into canon 'verse.

Instead of the BotL XXth Predators, it could feature a shattered Legions force consisting of Raven Guard, Iron Hand, but mostly of Salamanders, leading to the founding of the Warbeasts blackshields / chapter.

 

Until now, it would be easy to adapt this thread. Therefore, I wanted to ask you (the audience): What would you like to read?

 

Either Brotherhood of the Lost story or a canon Shattered Legion / blackshield story?

 

Kelborn

[deathspectersgt7]

Either or.

[Kelborn]

Fixed that. ;)

Anyone else? ^^

[deathspectersgt7]

Bring it my coffee is getting COLD !!! .