The Empty Crusade (Horus Heresy)

The Legionary stood before their Chaplain, the Master of the Reliquary, and the Ancient of his Chapter. His eyes are burning with pride and determination the chants of his brothers long dead fill the air as the Tech Marine awakens each spirit of the Chapter's relics as they are placed upon him. He was the Champion of the first company, of the first chapter. He was the one who wore the weight of the world who carried all the histories of now lost but never forgotten brothers. The rituals of his deployment draws to an end and the time of his joining in the war below is near.

The Legionary was to reinforce and raise the moral of his brothers and the moral of the defense force for this world. A world that had not yet joined the Imperium was being ravaged by the edges of the Wheel of Fire. A people, the XVIIIth legion would protect and show the glory and strength of the Imperium. He was their champion, to his brothers, the huddled masses, and the mortal warriors he was the core of bulwark against all foes this galaxy breeds, the Legion Astarte.

With relics in hand the champion took to the field, beyond a Primarch or a singularly powerful Marine of unique prowess he was one of the greatest of the Legions and as he moved the flow of the battle changed. Losses of ground undone, slipping defenses bolstered, and flagging moral reborn in fire like a Phoenix as the XVIIIth brought their best to the battle and the battle was won.

---

Knight 005 stood in the Thunderbird, the lander smooth despite the war outside. Knight 005 polished his null blade ensuring the arcane weapon was in pristine condition. Knight 005 looked to Knight 001 Captain Sargent of the squad the first Knight formation on their trial run. His eyes watched through power armor and auspex readouts.

"A force of witches, non-hostile to the Imperium but with connection to Green. The mission is the extermination of the group and all witnesses. We can't let the Imperium know anyone was here." The other night Knights including 005 gave an affirmation of their understanding.

The disruption rounds were loaded into his bolter, and the null blade at his side was calm. They were the Witch Bane, the blades unseen, the Knights of the Empire. This mission would be simple, it would prove their effect.

---

"The test was a success, Sir." The scribe spoke to the robed man, whose unseeing eyes staring at a thousand possibilities. It took the man a moment to return his mind to the current situation and he turned to the speaking scribe.

"The knights, how did they do?" The scribe was hesitant, not a good sign either for the results of the test or the quality of the man, weakness could not be allowed this close to the heart of his operations.

"The knights took no casualties; their alterations did not seem to affect their combat capability negatively. They are not as proficient as the sisters, but they were able to clear out the site of all hostiles and unaligned forces." This was all good news the scribe's emotions were confusing given what sounds like a resounding success for the experiment. For a moment he considered pulling apart the man's mind to discover what the issue was but he held himself back. It would not do for him to be quick to act; he had too few reliable people as it was.

"What else?" The scribe knew that he knew there was something left unsaid even before the words were spoken, Malcador had a reputation one he leaned on in times like this. Though reading emotions was simple when one's eyes saw into the souls of those around him.

"After their return the Apothecary said that the Knights all shifted. Of the team only one stayed in the same range of power but six of the ten fell in power to a weaker state of Nulls and four rose in power. The Apothecary said that they are just prototypes and the anti-souls are fluctuating as the Knights move and engage with the world." Malcador nodded it was reasonable early experiments would not be completely stable. Still he would have to remind Fabius that he had little patience for mistakes and failures in case the man considered this acceptable.

Kamus stood at the dias holding his throne his lineage was a long one that went back to when the world was freed by the storms that cut off the oppressive federation. His family his ancestors built up a world one untouched by the horrors of the galaxy not by luck but through strength. He was Lord of six planets across two systems and the Wild Moon he had no desire to claim. The invasion of the second system by a new force was unexpected but not a cause for alarm; they would defeat it like they had all Orks or Corsairs before this Empire. A man enters one of the couriers and Kamus spares him a glance noticing his son had joined Court the young man had not the strength yet to rule but one day he will mold the child to a leader like himself.

"Sir the Imperium has sent demands of surrender!" Kamus laughed, this little empire would be like those many stellar nations before it they would flash up and burn out soon forgotten by history. This world, his planet would remain. He smiled at the man who brought him the news. The courier was a brave man to come in with requests and tell him that some foreign Lord wished him, master of six worlds, to surrender.

"We again will deny them, the Star Lance is ready to strike should they enter the system and once they give up we can reclaim Secunda." The man nodded.

"I that is what you wish my lord." The courier nodded and turned. Kamus smiled his world was secure and he…

Kamus the Second bit down on his lip as the courier finished his rotation the gun that had appeared in the man's hand had ended the life of his father. Two of the four royal guards shouted power weapons igniting but the other two turned on them blades slaying the men before they could realize the betrayal. Kamus the Second nodded as the man shimmered his human guise fading away as a monster in the shape of a man took the place, massive and in hulking armor shimmering from whatever sorcery allowed the deception. "The deal will hold, the worlds of my Father and ancestors will remain mine to govern? Now just in the name of your empire?"

The Archeotech weapon that surrounded the Home Star had given Kamus the Elder too much of an illusion of security. When the child has seen the man monster before him he had known this empire would win, no weapon could save them if the enemy could appear in the castle. Kamus the younger had approached the assassin about giving his father one more put, and a promise to lead these worlds of his father did not take it. He believed the sight he had of the assassin was a ploy for how could a man monster pass a hundred thousand eyes only for the eyes of a boy only beginning to be a man spot him. He didn't draw out the question, he was alive and hopefully his ancestors' legacy would remain.

The XXth is rarely seen but many worlds where there would be fighting those with aces, and tricks that could ward off the Empire find themselves undergoing revolutions, sudden changes in leadership, and other such upsets that have them coming into the fold. They are the unseen hands.

Yet even the XXth has ways to improve.
[][Omega] Sorcery
It takes a great many tricks, talents and skills for an agent of the Legion to overwhelm an entire planet by themselves but perhaps a dedicated sorcery group could be deployed that would allow them even more tools in their arsenal.
[][Omega] Misdirection
While the legion itself is hidden those who know what to look for can easily see the traces of its movements, sudden changes in fortune for those that stand against the empire. Perhaps they should distance themselves further from their own actions, impossible enemies will find foes that they were not prepared for direct towards them by subtle action, they focus more on coming unseen in their duty.
[][Omega] Agents
The nature of their missions means that they have to generate most of their agents in the field at the location. It becomes clearer and clearer that they need to become more skilled at this. To learn to use their words to twist the minds of any who hear them to convince the most fervent that working for the legion will serve their own goals and destroying their nation will help it.
[][Omega] Knife
It is easy for one to get caught up in overly complicated plans, in overthinking every possible response. Legion is skilled at its own task, and does not need to deviate so what if a skilled observer can know where they are by the time they will act the legion is gone. Their field agents are temporary and why waste training on increasing the utilities of a disposable asset. Why spend time training psykers when they can simply prepare for any situation such would aid in.
[][Omega] Wave
The greatest waves can start with a small ripple, the XXth turn their focus on being that ripple, on creating the greatest changes with the tallest actions. They are the butterflies of change.

---

Arkhas Fal moved in the shadows his armor dark gray blending in with the long shadows of the burning hive. The rebellion here was in full swing, it was an imperial world only recently claimed through diplomacy. In technicality he should not be out with his Marines hunting the civilians that rebelled and started the civil war on this world; it was a task beneath him and his station as the Shade Lord of the Legion. He revealed in the thrill of the hunt of striking foes unseen his blade and his bolter coming from nothing and leaving nothing alive. Suppression of civil unrest, when it reached this level, had to be done without mercy, and it was the XIXth Legion's task to perform.

By the time they Shade Legion had crushed this uprising three more were having requests for the aid of the XIXth. "Bah, we should have crushed those forces already, a serf revolt, a political rebellion, and a civil war over the succession of a planetary governor? Why do such fools bother the Empire when we have greater challenges before us." He brooded as the legion diverted its forces to the new tasks. It seems that for every rebellion, civil war, uprising, or other petty spat that they crush two more would appear to herry the empire and the appearance of such would only grow as the empire's borders consumed more worlds. It was the duty of his Legion cleanse such fools from the Imperium, but he found himself questioning the best path to that duty.

[][Shades] Be Everywhere
The Shades could be more. Focus on a reduction of casualty during missions, increase recruitment and push for a larger size. It would reduce the effectiveness of their individuals but anytime there was a rebellion there would be a unit of the Shades ready to fight.
[][Shades] Shadow of Fear
If the Shades wished to reduce the chance of rebellion and keep the empire together it was simple. Make it so that people knew the price of treachery, those that fought against the empire after a green to join it would not be given simple deaths. Let those know what the price of betrayal is.
[][Shades] Eyes Beyond Sight
The Shades had a small number of those in its number who had the ability to use the warp. But they could reach out to those with more talents and get training, foresight the ability to know where they will be needed where an uprising will occur so that before the first traitor can raise their hand their head would be missing.
[][Shades] Blades in the Dark
They did their duty as was told, they did not need to chase perfection. They were tools the scalpels to clean away the unclean parts of the Imperium.