Forgotten Sons: A Gatebreakers Thread

[Vazzy]

+Forgotten Sons+

 

 

“A forgotten blade retains its edge…”

 

'How insular is Chapter 333? Well it depends entirely on their mood; with some being quite open, while others often as not sulk or ignore you. In the time I dealt with them, I could never truly say I knew their true character.'

-Lord Astor Glaber, "Beyond the Light of the Emperor: A Privateers Tale"

 

     Astor Glaber grunted as he ripped the rapier from the guts of the spindly A’ltuu scout, the alien’s cerulean blood spattering across the privateer’s face. Behind him, he heard a wet crunch and snap fired his arklock, the lightning gun obliterating the insectoid that had it’s mandibles deep in the chest plate of one of his scions.

 

 

      Glaber, the youngest son of the formidable Rogue Trader family, had found himself in the employ of one the fleets escorting the Lord Regent’s primaris marines to a forgotten region of space, though the fact that a chapter could have survived this long, so far from the galactic core, had seemed impossible. However, the young Glaber, at the time, a tender twenty-two and in command of his first vessel, had leapt at the opportunity to make something of himself in the years following the schism of the galaxy.

 

 

    That, of course, had been ten years prior, and while Astor had seen his share of wonders on the edge of Mankind’s great empire, he more often found himself in situation like today: balls deep in unknown xenos forms, hoping desperately that Chapter 333 would arrive as promised. As more of the yellow and black insectoids began to push into the atrium, Glaber cursed, the guttural slurs black enough that even a Necromundan ganger would have taken pause at some of his word choice.

 

     “Where in the three hells is Sjakpaba?” He roared into his vox, not really expecting a response, though hoping that the smooth tone of the Gatebreaker Gnostic would respond. His vessel, the light cruiser Solinus had been carrying fresh supplies for the long out of contact 5^th strike force, and had been caught in low orbit as they had begun to ferry the supplies to the designated dropzone. Alien raiders had broken out of the black of the void, laser weaponry burning two of his escorts before they could even raise shields, with boarding pods already streaking towards his anchored fleet. Within an hour of engagement, the sons and daughters of the Imperium were fighting and dying to hold on to their vessels, Astor Glaber included.

 

 

    Astor shoved one of his bodyguards into the path of a marauding Mandarinia elite, whose hooked stinger glistened with the potent neurotoxin that had tested even the resiliency of the Adeptus Astartes. The yellow and black striations on its carapace were dappled with the red of the rest of his retinue, and while Glaber was no slouch with a rapier, he did not like his odds against the chittering warrior. Uttering a quick prayer to the Emperor, Astor braced himself to die, wishing desperately that he had smoked the Macraggian Cigarillo this morning instead of maintaining his diet.

 

 

     “Fething Astartes, useless fething arseholes.” He growled, not bothered that his vox was open, nor for the arguable blasphemy of his words. His rapier snapped, embedded in the carapace of his opponent and Glaber grimaced, looking up at the clacking mandibles of the 7 foot insect. The beast lunged forward, and the void prince heard a boom and felt warmth spreading across his face as he fell to his knees. He smiled, eyes closed, surprised at how little pain there was. The heat, he assumed, was the beneficence of the Emperor, carrying him to his side.

 

 

He however, was wrong, as he was roughly dragged to his feet, the booms now echoing rhythmically around him. Opening one eye, he was greeted by the image of a giant in green and yellow, who’s pale face was broken with a rather large grin. Gnostic Sjakpaba, alongside his rift team, had arrived. As the Astartes veterans quickly began to drive back the xenos, Astor’s vox bead crackled and he heard the bemused response of the Gatebreaker lord: “Useless. That is a grave insult little prince. Maybe next time I am not so quick in arriving. Let bug implant you with eggs. Then we see who is useless.”

 

[Gnostic Kixang Sjakpaba, Lord of the 5th Strikeforce]

 

[Member-Cardinal Janus Tor, Firstborn]

 

This is my take on Apologist's lovely Gatebreakers, which I am sure many members of this forum are familiar with. All credit for lore and color schemes goes to him, and you should absolutely visit his thread Here

Edited September 24, 2020 by Vazzy

[Pearson73]

Nice start, I really like Sjakpaba, the furs and stance are most characterful. I'm also enjoying the background and interplay between the Astartes and humans around them, it's always an interesting relationship to analyse.

[Dosjetka]

Glad to see you back among us, Vazzy! Great work so far. :tu:

[BadgersinHills]

Great miniature, and lovely paintwork. :) :)

[Noctus Cornix]

Why haven't we seen more yet? ;)

[apologist]

Gorgeous work. From modelling to painting to writing, this is fantastic. The choice of parts for Sjakpaba really captures the grimy brutalist, Eastern-tinged spirit of the Gatebreakers; and the story really gives him character – I think you capture the tone of the Chapter perfectly. Looking forward to seeing what the 5th get up to next. 

 

The A'ltuu sound awesome as well – I love a minor xeno species! :)

[Vazzy]

Nice start, I really like Sjakpaba, the furs and stance are most characterful. I'm also enjoying the background and interplay between the Astartes and humans around them, it's always an interesting relationship to analyse.

 

Thanks! Ironically, Sjakpaba was orignally going to be an Emperor's Spear! But yes, I always enjoy human-astartes interaction, especially with more lax members of the latter. 

 

Glad to see you back among us, Vazzy! Great work so far.

 

Glad to be back! hopefully I can be a more consistent in my posting! Finally graduated from Grad School and start work on Monday so I'm looking forward to the new Codex and toys.

 

Why haven't we seen more yet?

 

Watch this space lol, I need my sounding board to help me with some stuff 

 

Gorgeous work. From modelling to painting to writing, this is fantastic. The choice of parts for Sjakpaba really captures the grimy brutalist, Eastern-tinged spirit of the Gatebreakers; and the story really gives him character – I think you capture the tone of the Chapter perfectly. Looking forward to seeing what the 5th get up to next. 

 

The A'ltuu sound awesome as well – I love a minor xeno species!

 

Thanks Apologist! I can safely say your work has been influencing me since I did my own Ultramarines way back in 2013! I'm glad you like Sjakpaba, it was fun making some modifications to him to sell the feel of the chapter. Recently had some BFG stuff get in so that'll be fun to work with as well!

 

Yes! I figured the Endworlds probably deal with a bunch of crappy minor species that are threatening but not a galactic threat, their models will make an appearance at some point!

[Master Umbra]

Damn, is it required to paint masterfully to start a Gatebreakers project ^^? Came here from Apologist's thread. Awesome paintjob for a very characterful mini. Can't wait to see Gnostic Kixang Sjakpaba in all his glory. Plus +1 for using The Only Thing They Fear Is You as an introduction track.

[Vazzy]

+++Ash and Dust+++

 

 

Pulvis Et Umbra Sumus, Urdum Redierat

-High gothic message intercepted by Gatebreaker frigate from Kastus IV (Sepulchuris)

 

 

‘I pushed Sjakpaba too hard for answers, and I began to worry that he would abandon us. My fears were mis founded, but as we ventured deeper into the void, I found the answer I was looking for was much more dire than I had realized.’

-Lord Astor Glaber, "Beyond the Light of the Emperor: A Privateers Tale"

 

 

            There is nothing in the galaxy that can compare to the concentrated firepower of an Astartes strike cruiser, and Quietus was no different. Two and a half miles of adamantium and steel, bristling with ship killing weapons, the saffron and jade warship cut through the ragtag xenos fleet like scythe.

 

 

            From her belly, twinkles of light glittered in the upper atmosphere, each one a drop pod bearing the Angels of Death. From his burning bridge, Astor Glaber surveyed the rapidly changing battle sphere, the moans of his crew the background noise of the hellscape around him. With the timely arrival of the Gatebreakers fifth strike force, the Astartes had boarded his vessels and driven off the alien pirates. Small fireteams of the transhuman warriors had fought their way throughout the bowels of the relief fleet, retaking the vessels they could, scuttling the ones they could not.

 

            As a result, four vessels now burned in the void, including the Majesty of Lapis, the flagship of the 67^th Hastur Drop Legion. Glaber was irate as he heard the rhythmic tread of Master Sjakpaba and his Rift team approaching, the hum of their powered armor causing his teeth to itch. The Gatebreaker leader smiled at him, his bronzed skin dappled with the purple and teal vitae of the enemy, a sharp contrast to his white teeth. His normally polished quartered armor bore signs of a previous battle, one pauldron looking like almost as if layers had been peeled away by an energy blast.

 

 

 

            The Rogue Trader scion scowled at his mercurial allies, fury plain upon his features. “Where. Were. You. My. Lord?” He growled through clenched teeth, struggling to not insult the Emperor’s Angel. The Gatebreaker, sensing the anger, nodded his head in respect, though his eyes were cold, the mirth that normally danced within gone. “My apology little prince. We encounter-,” The Astartes warriors brow furrowed, and he seemed to pick his next words with an atypical care, “…emissary. Was surprise. Did not go well. Delayed us. Am here now.”

 

 

             Glaber deflated in the face of the Space Marine, his anger still bubbling below the surface, but he also knew that the pride of the average Adeptus Astartes warrior would not countenance a more elaborate apology to a mere mortal. Still, he was concerned. An emissary? From whom? As far as he knew, there were no other parties in the region that would send an emissary and survive a company of Space Marines in the End Worlds. “I understand. Would be that you had called for aid. I have mediated with my own fair share of Xenos and have a knack for it.”

 

 

 

              Sjakpaba smiled, looking down at the defiant man, and leaned on his blade. “I know this little prince. But was not necessary for aid. Message sent and message received. Will not be problem. Come, must finish supply transfer, and make way to Paradise Fall. Aid beacon bright to MᶉtaVḁktu, says bad omens in dream.” The tone of the warleader made it clear that this was not a request, and Glaber nodded, though he was left with more questions than answers.

 

 

              As the battle group made way to the Mandeville Point, Glaber kept finding his thoughts drawn back to the damage to Sjakpaba’s armor. None of the xenos they had faced had that kind of technology, and it did not look like damage due to bolter fire or plasma. There was something suspicious about the delay, and the rogue trade heir had begun to wonder what else he was being screened from.

 

[Member-Ordinary Akih]

 

[Member-Ordinary Bolu'watif]

 

[Member-Ordinary Akande]

 

[Member-Ordinary Au Rath- Note the 'Chained Gate' motif worn in place of the Chapter Symbol. This demonstrates that Squad Tor are members of the Fifth Strikeforce' siege cadre. These warriors are experts at taking and holding fortifications and such honors are rarely awarded within the chapter, but are meant to honor Pertdormanus, one of the Sacred Princes.]

 

 

Some work in progress! These will be my first models I use oils on and I'm a bit nervous!

[Xin Ceithan]

Very nice! You pull off that split colour scheme quite well and the fluff is a joy to read!

[malika666]

Keep up the good work!

[BadgersinHills]

Lovely stuff! 

[Master Umbra]

They look amazing! Colors are crisp as usual, and the helmets provide a very cool oldschool vibe. BTW, thanks for reminding me Lorn, I had totally forgotten them!

[Lexington]

Oh, this is very nice. I've also become an unrepentant Apologist/Gatebreakers fanboy recently, and love seeing these expanded takes on the concept. :)

[Noctus Cornix]

Gorgorous job on the split colors and you really did an ace job on the chapter symbol. Freehanding is honestly something I try to avoid as much as possible, so I always have a deep respect for people who do it often and do it well.

 

Can't wait to see the assault intercessors!