Loyalty is its own Reward (A Traitor Legion Chapter Master Quest)

The Bloody Nutskull Pt. 2

The day had grown quieter after the Seibourc officer marched off with his questionable bandolier of grenades. Vovan, still basking in his personal victory, was busy cataloging crates of laspacks when a deep chuckle interrupted his thoughts.

"Vovan," a voice called out. He turned to see Lexus approaching, his brother's grin as wide as ever. "Word's spread. Seems your pink 'surprise' made quite the impression on the nobles."

"Already?" Vovan smirked, barely containing his laughter. "I figured it'd take at least an hour."

Lexus leaned against the crate, shaking his head. "Nope. The lieutenant deployed the grenades in a demonstration drill for the other officers. Word is, the entire range is now 'decorated.' Pink everywhere—ammo crates, uniforms, even the regimental banners. They're calling it the Glittering Scourge of Smearensburgg."

Vovan howled with laughter, doubling over at the mental image. "Oh, that's... that's beautiful!"

But the moment of joy was short-lived. Lexus' grin faltered. "Commissar Yurivich heard about it."

Vovan's face froze mid-laugh. "You're joking."

"Nope. He's on his way." Lexus shrugged, clearly torn between concern and amusement. "He's been muttering about 'discipline' and 'upholding the Emperor's dignity.'"

Vovan groaned, rubbing his temple. "Alright. Time for Plan B."

"Plan B?" Lexus raised an eyebrow. "You mean running?"

"No, not running." Vovan looked around conspiratorially, pulling Lexus closer. "Diversion."

Minutes later, Commissar Yurivich stormed into the supply depot, his storm coat billowing and his face locked in a permanent scowl. He scanned the room until his eyes landed on Vovan, who stood at perfect attention, lasgun slung over his shoulder.

"Vovan!" Yurivich barked. "Did you—"

Before the commissar could finish, a deafening clatter came from the back of the depot. The sound of crashing crates and metallic clangs reverberated through the space.

"What in the name of the Emperor—" Yurivich spun on his heel toward the commotion.

Lexus, covered in spilled ration tins and faux-innocence, poked his head out from behind a toppled crate. "Sorry, sir! Just… uh… reorganizing supplies! Heavy crate. Very heavy."

Yurivich narrowed his eyes, clearly torn between berating Lexus and interrogating Vovan further. Deciding the mess was more urgent, he strode toward the chaos, barking orders to other guardsmen to assist.

As the commissar disappeared into the commotion, Vovan clapped Lexus on the shoulder. "You're the best brother a guardsman could ask for."

"I know," Lexus replied, brushing ration crumbs off his uniform. "But you owe me."

Vovan grinned. "Deal. Now, let's disappear before Yurivich comes back."

The two brothers slipped out of the depot, laughter bubbling under their breath. Somewhere in the distance, an unlucky Seibourc officer was probably scrubbing pink paint off his boots, and for Vovan, the day couldn't get any better.



Authors Note: Thought i would come back to Guardsmen Vovan and do a continuation of "The Bloody Nutskull". Let me know what you all think .

Yerma System, Ditú Subsector, Aetelian Sector 797 M41

Guiyang







Gnaeus couldn't stop thinking about it. The mural at the temple. He had only seen it for half a second before one of his brothers blew a hole through it, but that is no obstacle for the eidetic memory of an Astartes. At first appearance it had looked just like a background scene, a painting of the wilderness of what he supposed was Gashuudal, the Eyes of the Mutator's own homeworld. But hidden in it we're patterns, carefully integrated into the scene. And those patterns spoke of so many things. They revealed so many truths, held so many secrets;

And revealed one inescapable truth.

The Imperium was dying, a mighty beast gnawed on by both carrion feeders and by a myriad of diseases, hanging on with the panicked desperation of those who couldn't accept that change must happen, that nothing lasts forever. It needed to die, so that something better, something stronger could take its place. And yet, none of his brothers can see it, can admit it. Who is the cause of that is evident. While Gnaeus still respects the Chapter Master, he is the best example of the blindful refusal of the truth. He had seen the Imperium in its heyday, seen how much it had fallen from grace and yet he still chose to fight to defend it, to cling to the mockery of what he had once fought for instead of breaking away from it.

He couldn't do that, not anymore. And while he doesn't wish to fight his brothers, he knows that they won't accept the truth. But now as they creep closer to one of the anti-air batteries, he thinks deeply about his next move. He has managed to avoid giving away to Osinki his change of perspective, but he knows that it cannot last. Fighting the Captain Secutor and the rest of his command squad would be suicide, for he is neither skilled enough to overcome his companions all at once, and the master of the 10th is barely less skilled with a sword than he is with his chainglaive. Assassinating him after the fighting is an option, but his chances of fleeing successfully after committing the deed are null, and going after the Chapter Master would be an even more foolhardy proposition. As he and the rest of the command squad of the 10th sabotage the battery and move on to the next, a solution appears in Gnaeus' thoughts.

He can desert, find a vehicle and march on to the Shifting Fortress to pledge his services to the Eyes of the Mutator, with the amount of intel he knows he has no doubts that they'll accept him. He's not delusional, his contribution won't change the fact that the Warband is doomed, but it is the principle of the matter. He can't continue defending an Imperium fated to die, and so he won't. And if his betrayal can inspire even just one of his brothers to do as he does, he will be satisfied.

He starts to fall behind from his brothers, slowly so as to remain unnoticed, and as soons as they fade from sight, he removes his helmet and throws it away, so as to not be tracked. He starts moving through the streets, avoiding the Tzeentchian forces that rush towards the crashing Valkyries of the Imperial Guard. Fate seems to favour him, for he soon finds an abandoned Chimera. He approaches it at speed, only for the corpses of its crew to reveal how it came to be abandoned.

"Care to explain why you left without warning, Gnaeus?" Asks a voice behind him. The champion of the 10th lets out a deep breath and turns around, shifting the grip on his Chainglaive. Captain Secutor and the rest of the command squad surround him, weapons at the ready. The only ones missing are Soran and Ostia, and a brief glance reveals that they are taking overwatch to spot any approaching foe.

He cracks his neck. "Would you believe me if I told you I was merely scouting ahead?" He asks lightly. Secutor doesn't react, but he can see Sejanus and Seleuco's gauntlets creak as they grip their weapons tighter.

"Do not make light of this Gnaeus!" Spats Osinki harshly. "You're a traitor."

If it didn't take both his hands off his weapon, Gnaeus would have clapped mockingly, so he makes sure to compensate with his words and a smirk. "So you have noticed, I was starting to ponder how you entered the Chaplaincy." The shift in the Chaplain's posture tells him he's successful, but before he can speak further Secutor speaks again.

"It's not like you to be in such a good mood." His Captain's voice is cold, and Gnaeus knows him well enough that he can imagine the sharp, assessing gaze that is present behind his faceplate, dispassionate and ruthless. The smirk in his face fades and he moves a hand behind his head to unbind his hair from the tail he usually keeps it in.

"I've had a change of perspective." He replies as the others close in slowly. "Besides, I still might manage to get away."

"You won't." States Secutor matter-of-factly.

Gnaeus shrugs. "Hope is the last thing one loses." He hasn't even finished saying those words before he launches himself at Caligae, knowing that his brothers won't risk opening fire if he's locked in combat with him. The Standard Bearer has always been the worst fighter among the command squad, and so Gnaeus easily manages to avoid the swing of his Power Fist. He tries to capitalize on it with a quick beheading, but Seleuco intercepts it with his combat shield. He then follows with a retaliatory sweep to his leg with his Power Axe at the same time that Macrinus thrusts his Power Sword into his chest. He steps away from the first and parries the second, riposting with a slash across its chest that digs through his armor shallowly, unable to fully commit to it as Sejanus attempts to smash his Power Maul against his pauldron. He tries to sidestep the blow, but only manages to turn a direct hit into a glancing blow. He lets out a strangled hiss as his pauldron crumbles and his shoulder breaks, but he retains hold of his Chainglaive with his uninjured arm as he smashes the haft into Sejanus head, giving him space. Lucan tries to hack at his wounded side with his Power Axe, but Gnaeus shifts the haft of the chainglaive to bind the axe's own and pulls, tearing it away from his brother's grasp before kicking him in the chest, knocking backwards and giving himself space to dodge Osinki's swipe at his back with his Crozius. He stabbed sideways, hoping to take down the Chaplain, only for Osinki to block it. And in the seconds in which that action took place, Secutor thrusts his blade in his side, angled in a way that cuts through his three lungs. The chainglaive falls from his fingers as blood gurgles out of his mouth. Secutor kicks his blade free, and Gnaeus falls onto his back, drowning in his own blood. He tries to grab his pistol, but his weakened hand refuses to obey him as his old Captain stands above him.

"The only reason I'm putting you down out of your misery instead of watching you die is because we are pressed for time." He says with words that compensate for the lack of volume in which they are uttered with the sheer hate they are filled with, maneuvering the tip of his blade until it rests over Gnaeus' hearts. "After I kill you, know that I will tear out your progenoids and crush them underfoot."

Then Secutor thrusts downwards, and everything goes black.

—--

"DEUS IMPERATOR VULT!"

The fifteen Terminators of the Angels Crusader roar their battlecry at the top of their transhuman lungs as they advance towards the enemy, and Irrin Defer could see how the sheer volume dazed the opposing cultists before a hailstorm of bolter shells and plasma cut them down. At the tip of the spear was their Master De Lusignan, his Relic Storm Shield easily weathering the enemy retaliatory fire before he makes contact with them, the blunt ends of his flail whirling until they crash on the chestplate of Chaos Space Marine, the traitor's torso crumpling like a tin can. With the sons of the Lion leading the advance, he and his brothers follow close behind, the Tactical Marines providing additional firepower and fanning out into the sidestreets of the avenue they are currently in and eliminating the foes there so that the Guard can then come inside and clear out the manofacturiums and hab-blocks.

The son of Guilliman fires his plasma gun into an enemy Chimera, the blue energy ball melting through the armor plating, killing half of its crew before a nearby Angel Crusader aims his storm bolter at the hole and guns down the other half. He waits for a second and then fires again, this time taking down an Eye of the Mutator Havoc that was aiming a missile launcher at the Dreadnought of the Angel Crusader who had been pummeling a Chaos spawn into paste. Another second of wait, and this time it is a Leman Russ who receives the impact of the miniature sun, stopping in its tracks as both its gunner, loader and driver are vaporized by it. He searches for another target, but the number of servants of Chaos is thinning rapidly. It takes but a moment for the last of them to fall, leaving only the loyal servants of the Emperor alive there.

"What now Captain?" Asks Arthas as he slams the end of his Stom shield onto a crawling heretic's back.

"I will check on the vox to learn about the current state of the other positions and then I will speak to Master de Lusignan about it." Answers Irrin before opening vox communications with the scattered squads of his company. "This is Captain Defer speaking, our advance in the northern quadrant is progressing on schedule. Status report." His words are then followed by a stream of replies from his company's sergeants.

"Sergeant Poreo from the south-eastern quadrant, we are finishing mopping up resistance here. Inquisitor Clerici has been wounded and his retinue is dead, but we've already removed him from the area of engagement"

"Sergeant Mersin reporting, there's a great number of enemy armor in the eastern quadrant, but our own armor and the Land Raider of the Angels Crusader is fighting them off."

"Sergeant Wasven here. Situation had stalled on the southern quadrant, but now we are pushing through after a flanking maneuver from the Mist Shrikes."

"Sergeant Pazor here. We are gaining steady ground alongside the Sisters in the south western Sector, We're moving towards the next strongpoint now."

Irrin nodded briefly as the reports came in. Good progress on all fronts meant that the seizure of the city would be a short affair, and relatively light in casualties, which is necessary with how many soldiers of the Imperial Guard had been blown apart during the landing by the Eyes of the Mutator's guns. He guessed that was proof enough that the Mist Shrikes deviation of the Codex Astartes is pure foolishness. He can acknowledge that this isn't a truly objective conclusion, after all they had not been the only ones assigned to sabotage the anti-air defenses and by all accounts it had been the Guard how had failed catastrophically in their task, but he still thinks that a traditional Scout Company could have obtained similar results without disobeying the wisdom of the Primarch. Recclusiarch Romoren had said after his visit to their Fortress-Monastery that the deviations were merely in tactical doctrine and identification alongside a minor divergence in company organization, not the flagrant disregard of chapters such as the Space Wolves or the Black Templars, but it still struck the young Captain as arrogant. How could they, a newly founded Chapter, think they knew better than Roboute Guilliman when even their own progenitors in the Raven Guard bowed to its wisdom? Still, despite his misgivings, they have proven themselves to be both skilled and honourable, so he hopes that they will in time recant from these errors and embrace a proper following of the Codex teachings.

His musings about the sons of Corax are interrupted by a report from another of his Sergeants. "Lisber reporting, we have spotted the Chaos Marine leader alongside a great force in the north-eastern sector! They are carving their way through the Guard, we require reinforcements!"

"Hold steady sergeant, we are moving your way." Irrin cuts off the connection and moves towards the Master of the Deathwing. "Master De Lusignan, we are moving towards the north-eastern sector, the leader of the foul traitors has been found there."

"Me and my Knights will accompany you then." He declares, before turning towards the Dreadnought, whose towering frame is splattered with blood and ash. "Venerable Brother, I will leave you here with the rest of our brothers here. Keep advancing towards the city center."

The Dreadnought banged his claw against his front with a loud clang. "It shall be done kinsman. The heretical traitorous wretches shall rue the day they first drew breath upon the God-Emperor's Realm! Forward my brethren, to victory" With those words the Dreadnought and most of the Terminators move forward, leaving Irrin and his brothers to move east with De Lusignan and his retinue. They have sporadic encounters with groups of heretics on the way, but they are easily dispatched either by them or by accurate sniper fire from the Mist Shrikes Sharpshooter Scouts, who start shadowing them when they are halfway through his sergeant's last location.

When they do reach it is made clear that the Imperial forces are being hard-pressed by the enemy counter-advance. The destroyed wrecks of tanks and armored transports dot the streets, acting as both obstacle and cover to the ones that exchanged fire with exploding shells and the rumble of promethium engines. Inside the buildings the flashing of las bolts and the bark of bolters could be seen through shattered windows and broken walls, with an occasional defenestration of both brave Guardsmen and vile cultists, their bodies adding more blood and offal to a ground already soaked by them. Irrin sees his brothers in the distance, the squad he had attached to this area of the advance struggling to fight off a bunch of Warp Talons, their bolters and knives a disadvantage against their tainted Lightning Claws and Warp-based teleportations. One of them comes out of a portal above them, shrieking like a wild animal until a Mist Shrike scout shoots him out of the air, the mutated Astartes corpse crashing onto the ground in an undignified tangle of broken limbs.

De Lusignan doesn't even react, for his attention is focused on the leader of the Eyes of the Mutator, who has impaled a Seibourcian Lieutenant on his Power Spear after butchering his platoon. The traitor also notices them, and with a short jump from his jump pack closes the distance against them, moving past the projectile fire against him. At the time he does so, the rest of the Warp Talons appear, striking from unexpected angles and forcing both Irrin, his brothers and De Lusignan escort to engage them, while the traitor calmly walks towards the First Captain of the Angels Crusader, stopping only when they are a scant three meters apart.

They are a contrasting sight, notices Irrin in a split second before he is forced to duck under a sweep against his head before drawing his sword and lopping off the arm wielding it. De Lusignan white and bronze armor is dented and scratched by all the damage he endured during the taking of the Temple, and yet there is beauty in it, from the verses of the Lectitio Divinitatus engraved in beautiful bronze script on vambraces and greaves to the carefully waxed purity seals that hang from his pauldrons. The armor of the Eyes of the Mutator is intact, but that only shows the sickening mutations upon it, how uneven crystals of dizzying colours grow uncontrollably from the surface, with a blinking yellowing eye in the center of the breastplate. The traitor's voice is growly when he speaks, accompanied by a strange sound as if he was breaking glass between his teeth with each word. "Dog from the Angels Crusader!" He shouts as he points his spear at him. "I am Zhu Guyang! Know the name of your slayer, before I send your soul screaming into the Warp!"

De Lusignan's retort comes in the shape of two quick steps and three flail heads careening towards the traitor's head, which the traitor intercepts with the haft of his Power Spear. The chains wrap themselves around the weapon, and so De Lusignan pull takes it away from his hands, before he bashes his Storm Shield at the disarmed traitor. In an begrudgingly impressive feat of reflexes and agility, Guyang triggers his Jump pack and vaults over the Master of the Deathwing, drawing his Plasma Pistol mid-air, before landing, retrieving his Spear from where it had fallen and firing at the Lusignan. The Iron Halo of the Master of the Deathwing dissipates the energy, allowing its owner to turn around and smash the hand wielding the pistol. Now it is the traitor's Iron Halo which prevents his hand from being reduced to pulped meat and ceramite shards, but the force of the blow still forces him to drop it. The traitor takes a few step backs, puts both hands on his Spear and stabs sideways, piercing a Deathwing knight that had been about to interfere through a recently repaired rend in his plate, the weakened material unable to hold against the tip of the Master-Crafted weapon. The duel continues with a display of skill on both sides that Irrin has scarcely seen in his century and a half of life. Still, having dispatched his opponent, the Captain of the 7th aims his gun at the duelling pair, evaluating how to fire without hitting his ally.

The opportunity comes when De Lusignan mistimes a block, allowing the tip of the Power Spear to move past his guard and fly towards its head. It narrowly misses him, the energy field skipping through the side of his helmet instead of his face. De Lusignan moves backward to prevent a follow up thrust, and before Guyang can capitalize on it, Irrin fires. The plasma hits Guyang on the side and while the Iron Halo protects him from the impact, the distraction gives Lusignan an opening. The flail heads hit the Traitor Champion on the opposite side, the combined impacts outright pulverizing his arm and side on a burst of gore and ceramite shards. The traitor falls to the ground, mortally wounded, and barely has time to process the pain before the flail heads fall upon his wounded side once more, destroying his torso and killing him.

"Are you hale, Master de Lusignan?" Asks Irrin, the rest of their escorts finishing off the last remaining Warp Talons. De Lusignan removes his damaged helmet and looks at him, a complicated expression on his visage. Several emotions flash across his face before he schools his features into neutrality and answers.

"I… am fine. Thank you for your interference." There is something hesitant in his response, but Irrin pays no mind to it as he focuses on the wider battle. With the dead of their leader and elites, the Eyes of the Mutator are being pushed backwards, but they are still resisting fiercely.

"Let us go! We must keep the momentum!" He shouts to the gathered Astartes as he moves back into the fray, his own brothers following immediately. There is a brief pause, and then the Terminators follow.



There is no proper place to worship the God-Emperor in the ruins of a city built by disgusting heretics, so in an appropriate assertion of the Master of Mankind endless superiority to the false deity the Traitor Astartes and the heretics worship, the Sisters of the Order of the Thorned Spear are praying on its burnt out husk. All the members of the Sisterhood that are not suffering from grievous injury are gathered in the same plaza, kneeling on the ground with hands clasped in front of them as Palatine Ciara Lynch leads the sermon.

"....and as the last temple in the planet of Hieria burned with its priests inside, the God-Emperor spoke to its people; Place not your trust on false idols, for they are lies that snare Mankind and prevent them from attaining their blessed dominion that I will guide them to. Only I speak the truth, only My words and teachings can grant salvation, for Mankind is under My rule and Mine alone. Those souls who will not pay heed to My teachings will wander through the hells beyond the veil, for no succor exists for the non-believer and they will suffer the torments of the Daemons they trusted for their safety. But those who accept My words shall rest under My everlasting protection, for I am Revelation. His words are proven once more by your actions my sisters! The heretics that rejected His rule are ash in the wind, while we the faithful are triumphant! Soon, we will muster our strength and strike at the heart of the blasphemous heretics, and their stain upon our Sector will be cleansed once and for all!! Our victory is assured, for the God-Emperor is with us!!"

"THE GOD-EMPEROR IS WITH US!!" The rest of her sisters repeat those words with rapturous fervor. Ciara opens her mouth to carry on with the sermon, but then she sees the figure of one of the Astartes entering the plaza, his retinue surrounding him. She makes a quick gesture to Lisa, one of the Dogmatas, who without missing a bear continues in her stead as she moves to meet with the Space Marine. She scowls when she notices the crest of hair placed over the beaked helmet, which identifies the Marine in question as Captain Gallienus of the Mist Shrikes 3rd Company. She has not spoken with him before, but she knows enough by reputation to despise him, as he is almost a personification of everything she thinks is wrong with the Adeptus Astartes.

Space Marines are abhumans. Designed by the God-Emperor Himself true, but still abhumans. They are a tool, made solely for the purpose of carrying the Master of Mankind's will, and a fallible one, for half of them had rebelled against the God-Emperor and His sons. And yet, despite that failure, they still strutted around as if they weren't mutants in dire need of repentance, proud beyond reason and thinking himself above the humanity they are bound to serve. They even refuse to recognize His divinity, despite only existing thanks to His design. To add to that, some of her sisters had told her that the Captain she is going to speak to is an ill-mannered wretch, his tongue constantly demeaning and disrespectful towards the faithful.

"What do you want?" She snaps without further greeting once she reaches him, her disdain from his presence heightened by both his identity and the interruption of her preaching.

His command squad tense at the words, but the Captain chuckles in amusement. "Why yes, I am fine thank you so much both for inquiring. It is good to be received so warmly."

The veteran Sister of Battle bristles at the tone. "I have no time to trade words with you Space Marine. Say what you're here to say and leave."

"If you insist." The Astartes runs a finger through his faceplate, idly removing a bit of gore that had clung to it by flicking it off with to the side. "The city has been fully pacified and we have received reports that the forces of the Dark Mechanicum inside the Ninefold Forge has been destroyed. With the area secured, Chapter Master Severus has decided to celebrate the next war-council here. Also, Acting-Canoness Ríona has contacted us to inquire about the state of your forces, seeing as you aren't answering her vox-hails. I don't know the state of your vox-network, but if you need to use ours to report to our superior, you just need to ask politely." There is a teasing tilt in his last works, which prompts Ciara to grit her teeth, wishing that she could strangle the mutant mongrel before her.

"Our vox works fine. I was just occupied with spiritual concerns." She answers, despite needing not to justify herself to him.

The Captain looks at her for a moment, after which he replies with a patronizing chuckle. "But of course Palatine. Prayer is not the manner in which I would sulk after being passed over for a promotion, but we all cope with disappointment in different ways. Do take care not to miss the council because you are in your tent."

With these parting words he turns away, leaving her scathing retort unsaid. In truth, she did had to attend to the sermon, but she can't deny that she has been postponing getting into contact with Ríona, if only due to how utterly frustrating and enraging she finds it. Ciara is the most veteran of the Palatines, and as such it should have been her nominated to the position of Canoness. If it had been passed over for O'Sheridan, or O'Sullivan it would have been acceptable, for they were both competent, experienced and had the demeanor and beliefs suited for such a command. Instead, for some reason that only the God-Emperor knows, Canoness Siobhan had decided to nominate Ríona.

She hadn't begrudge the clear favoritism that the previous Canoness showed to the younger sister initially, for she could readily admit that the youngest Palatine in the order's history had shown great potential for the role, both in her skills in battle and in her zeal outside of it, but that it had continued after she had returned from Yangu.

It isn't unheard of for Sisters whose faith is lacking to break mentally when exposed to the horrors that the God-Emperor test their faithful with. It is unusual, but most of those broken Sisters who failed in such manner are quietly shuffled into the Repentias, so that they can atone for their lapse in purity or die in the attempt. And yet, despite the clear signs of Ríona having broken down, Siobhan maintained her in her previous rank after proving that she was still uncorrupted. Ciara had protested intensively, but she had been over-rule. And while she could endure her unacceptable softness, her delusional views on the Master of Mankind and her repugnant pity towards the xeno and heretical filth while they were equals, it would be a travesty to have someone such as her be in command of their order.

Lynch takes a deep breath to calm herself, and starts walking to where they have stored their vox equipment in order to give her report to Ríona. The God-Emperor won't permit one such as her to remain in her rank, so Ciara must trust that she will either join His side in what remains of the campaign or fail the trials she must undertake in the Uaigh a'mhartai to truly assume the position.


-City of Guiyang secured.
-3 Marines Slain, Company Champion Gnaeus Purged, 6 Progenoids recovered.
-1 Suit of Prototype MK.VI "Corvus" Power Armor Damaged.

Zenwhei





Bertrand knows that the various traitors and heretics that fight against the Imperium are always fond of mocking it. The last deployment in Guiyang had been revealing in that regard as all from the lowest mutant to the mightiest Chaos Marine shouted for all to hear how the Imperium of Man was doomed to fall under the might of Chaos, how their precious god victory is inevitable and all but certain. That drivel was easily proven false when his sword scythed through their necks, but if he still held any lingering doubts they would have been easily dispelled by what he is witnessing now.

Each of the Imperium's military branches are a mighty foe by themselves, but it is when they work in concert that their true power is shown. Zhenwei, even if it had been the weakest Traitor stronghold, is still a position fiercely defended by the Eyes of the Mutator, with support of both their armed thralls and a small detachment of Dark Mechanicum. And yet, against the forces that the loyal servants of Terra had mustered they shatter like glass. Assaults spearheaded by Angels Crusader breach through strongpoints that are latter purged by the Boshinese Rikoguns. Heretic columns are caught in crossfires erected by the Angels Revenant and the Durrutians. Concentrations of heretic armor are shattered by the Yamunan Graveekeepers, who act as spotters for the Spartos artillery. Caroleans keep enemy formations pinned in place, preventing them for reinforcing one and acting as the anvil for the Mist Shrikes 2nd Company's hammer.

Bertrand and his fellows in the Honor Guard are currently by the Chapter Master side as their position demands, alongside Squads 2-7, 2-9 and 10-6, Tomb-Champion Spatha, a Squad of Angel Crusader Deathwing, the forces of the Blazing Wardens, and half of the Caroleans forces. They move away from the city proper and into it's outskirts, dilapidated buildings giving way to ramshackle hovels and empty fields of reddish-brown rock. Whatever the Eyes of the Mutator had found is there, nearby, and it is up to them to prevent them for utilizing it.

That whatever is revealed to be an ancient bunker, the shaken off dust in the wide gates indicating that the traitors had already pried it open and closed again to stall the Loyalists. Upon seeing the bunker something Severus stance turns more cautious, something that most people wouldn't recognize but that Bertrand did thanks to his years as his bodyguard.

"Something wrong Chapter Master?" Asks the Braicamian. The veteran of the Unification Wars takes a moment to answer, and when he does is through the Honor Guard vox channel, to prevent the nearby Blazing Wardens for hearing him.

"I recognize the template; this is a weapons and armor cache from the Great Crusade." He states grimly. Bertrand and the other Honour Guard do their utmost to not visibly react, but the Chapter Champion hand instantly drifts to the handle of his sword. "With that size, it is very plausible that there are vehicles too."

"Well, the Master of the Forge is going to faint when we tell him." Quips Martellus as he shifts the Chapter Banner to one shoulder. "This is going to be a hard fight, isn't it?

"Depends on both the initial contents of the vault and which of them have they managed to return to functionality." He replies, before cutting of comms and shifting to address their nearby allies in the Blazing Wardens. "The bunker doesn't seem to have more than one entry. Would you prefer to storm the area or flush them out?"

Captain Danai studies the door, red eyes narrowed in concentration. "Storming the bunker would be too risky, especially if they have laid the same manner of bobby-trapped witchcraft that they have used in other locations. What are your suggestions for flushing them out? Most of the bunker is underground."

Bertrand's superior points at the top of the bunker gate. "We can block the air vents. Force them to either come out or be asphyxiated."

"An excellent idea." Compliments the son of Vulkan. "Your marines should be the ones to do so, the rest of our forces must take position so that we can transform this gate into a kill zone."

Severus orders the squad of 10-6 Veterans to blow those air vents, the rest of the gathered forces taking cover as best as they can in the arid badlands, with most of the Caroleans pulling shovels from their kits and digging foxholes. Bertrand and half of the Honor Guard lay prone on a rocky formation near the entry, while Severus and the other half position themselves on a similar one, close by and Thrax due to his size is forced to stand behind Spatha's frame. To the latter amusement.

"Stand behind me little one." His vox-casters have a constant static noise that Bertrand thinks is his predecessor resisting the urge to laugh. "I will make sure none can hurt you, my precious little brother." Thrax grumbling is accompanied by the thunderous laughter of Lepidus and Martellus. And yet, Bertrand feels that the Dreadnought ribbing is half-hearted, recalling as he does how melancholic he had been a few hours before, when they had made ready to deploy him in Zenwhei.

Bertrand himself waits for the enemy to come with a calm that he hasn't felt ever since he engaged the Khornate demons aboard the Chapter's Flagship. The heightened annoyance, the constant flaring of his temper, the violent urges, all gone after the fighting in Guiyang took place. He had spilt blood there, of both Astartes and mortals alike, and when the edges of his vision had begun to turn red and the intrusive thought of turning his blade against his fellows had bloomed in his mind, he had realized that something was wrong with it. He had fought those urges, both during the fight and in all the time after, when he had sought the council of the Master of Sanctity. Falce had tested his purity and will, pushing to its limits both his body and soul, but in the end, he had endured.

His thoughts are interrupted by the sudden opening of the bunker's gate, a deafening whine of rusting hinges telling of the lack of maintenance the structure had endured in the last millennia. Bertrand mouth sets into a thin line, for the Vanguard Squad had not reported the conclusion of their task. A brief look around him relays how everyone prepares themselves for the coming of the Traitors, although their preparations fall short of what comes out of those gates.

The biggest tank in the Mist Shrike's armory is the Dark Horizon, at a sizable ten meters of length and four meters of height. The vehicle that comes out of the gates first dwarfs it, a behemoth of blocky angles carried on caterpillar threads and firing Lascannons and Heavy Flamers at the Imperial Forces. Imperial guard heavy weapons teams, Devastator Squads, Leman Russes Vanquishers, and Predator tanks retaliate with missiles, lascannon blasts and tank shells, all of which are stopped by the void shields that surround its frame. Behind it comes smaller nimbler tanks, similar to Rhinos but with forward-fixed guns, including some manner of volkite judging by the heat beam that has melted through a nearby tank. Making use of the disruption caused by their restored tanks, the Eyes of the Mutator follow alongside some of the Skitarii from the Dark Mechanicum and their servitors.

"That's a Mastodon Super-Heavy Tank, we will require more firepower to crack it open!" Shouts Severus on an open channel. "We need to make a fighting retreat towards the city, where it will have less space to maneuver! Captain Kraiputra, call in your air support, we are going to need all the firepower we can! In the meantime, focus fire on the Sable Strike tanks!"

Bertrand and the rest of the Honor Guard quickly do as ordered, the enemy focus on other targets allowing them to fall back relatively undisturbed. Others lack such fortune. The Caroleans transports are swiftly targeted, and plenty of them are blown apart by the enemy, the protection their riders were counting on turned into their funeral pyres. The squad of Terminators, caught out of position and without suitable transport, are unable to outrun the Mastodon, which instead of merely running them over blasts them with its frontal Siege Melta Array, the concentrated actinic blasts outright vaporizing the five sons of the Lion.

Still, despite the Mastodon's ability to shrug off all ordnance, it can only in one place at the same time, so even if the Super Heavy tank smashes anyone who stands in its vicinity the other forces of the Traitor Marines aren't so fortunate. The painstakingly restored Sable Strike tanks fall, some blasted to shreds by other Imperial Armor, and others blown apart by missile launchers. A particularly unfortunate tank had its treads disabled by a sustained beam of Spatha's grav-cannon long enough for the Dreadnought of the Blazing Wardens to stroll towards it, pry the hatch open with it's claws and let out a burst of promethium from it's Heavy Flamer inside.

Their infantry does not fare any better. Despite all their boldness and zealousness they are outnumbered and outgunned and so their initial advance starts pettering out once their flanks are overwhelmed. The Assault Marines of 3-7 engage the Skitarii Pteraxii, plucking them out of the air with roaring chainswords and blunt force, and without them providing overwatch for the land-bound traitors, Severus, Bertrand and the Honor Guard close the distance and engage in melee. Bertrand cleaves through nine cultists in three swings, a feat that his brothers easily replicate. The Mist Shrikes crush, stab and cut through the mass of men and women, with such murderous proficiency that a Carolean nearby equated the resulting carnage in his mind to someone throwing meat at a woodchipper. Eventually, seeing that their cannon fodder is being spent, the Eyes of the Mutator veterans attempt to claim their lives, both to keep them from butchering their servants and to claim their share of the glory for slaying them.

They fail. One of them goes towards Bertrand, chainsword descending towards him in a diagonal cut from the right. The Braicamese catches the blow with contemptuous ease in the crossguard of his sword, before turning it aside with a flick of his wrists and sever his throat in a follow up cut. A Chaos veteran fire his plasma cannon at the Chapter Master, who jumps out of the way. The Eye of the Mutator doesn't have time to do anything else before Thrax uses his chainglaive as a javelin and throws it at him. Such maneuver wouldn't normally work with a chainweapon, but with the Honour Guard unmatched strength behind it the improvised projectile pierces through the Chaos Marine hearts and throws him of his feet. Martellus grapples with another one, keeping him still long enough for Alesios to jam his combat knife in his eye lens. Two foes that had kept their distance are immediately snipped by Lepidus. Another two attempt to take down Pugio, but a quick dodge put one of them in clear sight of Balint, who outright tackles him before banging his head repeatedly against the ground, allowing the Terran to dispatch the other traitor with ease. The last two struggle to fend off the Chapter Master assault, his master-crafted chainglaive a whirlwind of whirring teeth, until Lubomir unceremoniously slits the throat of one of them for behind. His death rattles distract the other one for one fatal second, in which Severus gets past his guard and splits him from head to groin. With the last of them falling to the ground with two wet flops, nothing keeps them anymore for carrying on slaughtering the mortal chaff.

The continue for a few minutes, until there are no more heretics in their vicinity. Looking himself over he sees that the blue paint in its armor is completely covered by the blood splattered from it, and the same applies for his companions. The sounds of battle are far away, in the direction of the city, and over the skyline Bertrand can see Thunderhawks and Storm Ravens making bombing runs over an specific area, until two of the buildings there fall into the ground.

"What are your orders, Chapter Master?" Asks for instructions Lubomir, checking who many magazines he has left.

The Chapter Master surveys the battlefield calmly. "We are moving towards the fallen buildings. The Mastodon is there and there are sure to be stragglers between here and there."

He starts running and they follow. As he moves Bertrand smiles, eager to claim more glory.



Danai Kraiputra, Captain of the 4th​ Company and two-century long veteran, watches with interest the exterior of the armory from where the Eyes of the Mutator had pulled the Mastodon Tank. They are fortunate that the Tzeentchian traitors only managed to salvage one of them, for it had already been a challenge taking that one down. They had needed to lure it into the city, demolish two buildings with strafing runs to block the way and immovilize it in a street (Danai frowns as he recalls the screams of the poor guardsmen who couldn't flee on time), burn a hole at the top of it with Epistolary Ekraluk pyrokinesis and then throw grenades at the hole until it stopped and they coulnd't hear anyone else inside. All of this after its void shields had took head on the firepower of most of the aircraft and armor a regiment of the Imperial guard and two Space Marine Chapters.

They weren't able to salvage the Heavy Tank, but some of the Rhino variants aren't so damaged as to be unrecoverable, and right know he can see nearby the techmarines of the Mist Shrikes and Angels Revenant Second Companies enacting field repairs to keep it functional. Other marines, this time with some of his brothers amidst their numbers, busy themselves with retrieving some of the good that had been stashed inside the bunker, the skeleton crew that garrisoned slain by the Mist Shrikes "Vanguard Scouts". Even with a complete lack of knowledge about the Machine God mysteries he is able to see that most of that equipment is beyond repair, age and a lack of maintenance destroying it beyond functionality. Still some pieces do look fit for use, like a suit of Cataphractii Terminator armor carried by one of his brothers and a member of the Angels Revenant. Taking a closer look to the suit as they gently place it on the ground, he sees that the heraldry has faded into the lifeless grey of barren ceramite, but there are a still a few rust colored flecks scattered amidst its surface. Moving past them, he marches towards Revenant Rajanon, the Ancient overlooking the war-torn landscape as he opens and closes his claw.

"What wisdom are you pondering, Honored Ancient?" He asks as he bows towards him. Dreadnoughts are honored beyond measure in the Blazing Warden, their fiery dedication towards the protection of Humanity so intense that they can persevere through certain death, their meagre existence inside their war-coffin and the implacable passage of time.

The Dreadnought doesn't turn to look at him as he answers. "That we are twice-favored by fortune on this day, both for retrieving such ancient technology and for denying it to those accursed traitors. I long for reducing more of their bodies to cinders and hearing their unheard pleas to their bastard divinity." Kraiputra is unsuprised by the vitriol with which the Dreadnought refers to the Eyes of the Mutator. Rajanon had been the Captain of the 5th​ Company when the Wind Watchers fell, and two millennia after the hatred in his hearts burned as deep as it did all those years passed. So much so, that he had waken up for his slumber unprompted when one of the Techmarines near him had brought up this campaign to a nearby peer and outright demanded from Chapter Master Saetang the honor to come. What does surprise him is how Rajanon changes topic. "What do you think about our new cousins, young captain?" He asks as he points his claws to his peer in the Mist Shrikes, who stands in the distance arguing with the biggest marine Danai has ever seen.

Danai thinks the question through for a second. "I think they are both cooperative and skilled, but there is something about them that's…off." The Chapter Master had not only identified the Mastodon, but also given clear instruction on how to limit his effectiveness despite it being an ancient vehicle of the Great Crusade. As he looks back at the occupied techmarines, he can see that despite the difference in experience, it is the son of Corax who seems to be giving instructions to the much older scion of Guilliman. Even before today, he had seen the slain Captain of their 2nd ​Company use a Volkite weapon, a model that was scarcely seen even in the reliquaries of First Founding Chapters, and their battle-barge was the same model as that of the Word Bearers. Those things were suspicious, and prevented him from trusting their youngest cousins in the same unreserved way that his Chapter Master did.

"I see what you mean." Agreed Rajanon with a deep rumble. "That Spatha is a disrespectful brat. He has killed plenty of heretics before I could do it."

Despite everything, Danai lets out a laugh before profusely apologizing to the grumbling dreadnought.

-The city of Zhenwei has been secured.
-Cache of Great-Crusade Era Weaponry discovered. 4 Sable Strike Tanks, 3 Stormbirds, 6 Volkite Calivers, 8 Grav Guns, 40 Suits of Mark III "Iron" Power Armor and 4 Suits of Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator Armor Recovered.
-1 Marines slain. 2 Progenoids recovered.
-1 Razorback Damaged

Other Assaults:

The Assault in the Ninefold Forge has resulted in an horrendous cost for the forces of Smilnay thanks to the techno-daemonic horrors of the Dark Mechanicus. While they eventually succeeded in destroying their dark peers and seizing everything that could be salvaged, which wasn't much due to the extensive corruption of the facility, it can only be classified as a Pyrrhic Victory, as the Skitarri are spent as a fighting force.

—-

The anticipation is palpable inside the command room in Zhenwei. All the men and women inside now that this is the flashpoint of the campaign. Yerma Secundus remains intact, but the sorcery of Yerma Tertius and the industrial and military might of Primus made them far more dangerous targets, even with Secundus higher population. Now those two threats are all but neutered, but you and everyone else know that the last two targets will be the hardest to crack.

And so, you and the others study the 3D blueprints of the Shifting Fortress and Dongying with unerring focus. The first is a complex with the same type of construction as the Temple of the Ninety-nine altars, a series of relatively low buildings connected with one another through various courtyards, but the temple was first and foremost a religious building and this is a fortress, and the difference is clear. Multiple ramparts and kill zones had been erected, with the interior design of those courtyards erected in a way that provides cover for the defenders while taking it from any attackers. Dongying, unlike the other cities of the traitor sons of the Khan, seems to actually have been planned, even if it is in the shape of narrow, twisting, serpentine streets that make advancing, especially with vehicles, difficult at the best of time. At the center of the city stands the headquarters of the Watchers of Yerma, positioned as a key stronghold to defend the city.

The first one to speak is Gallienus, who flickers a finger through the holographic projection of the Shifting Fortress. "Actually, do we know why its called the Shifting Fortress?" The name is uttered with amused contempt. "Well, apart for their need to give ominous names to everything to please their ego."

You look at him out of the corner of your eye, only deigning to answer him once you discern that he is taking this with the seriousness it deserves, despite his words. "Apparently, it is due to the internal layout of the Fortress, which is apparently on a state of constant change." Your words increase the wariness of everyone present, although you catch a muttered "So inefficient." from Captain Irrin Defer.

"Is that something within the capabilities of the traitors?" Asks Riona with a light and curious voice, Palatine Ciara behind her briefly ceasing in her glaring to quickly make the sign of the Aquila.

"I would normally say it isn't, but if this is the first location they ever built on the planet, it becomes a startling possibility." Cautions Captain Olin Defer, the older marine speaking at the prompt of one of his Espistolaries.

Inquisitor Bereket takes over, newly augmentic hands clasped behind her back. "It could be possible, if they possess specific artifacts or rituals for that purpose."

"It could also be powered by an imprisoned Greater Daemon." Adds Clerici, the skin in what remains of his face raw from a recent grafting. "Or by the same array by which they have powered their protective spells over their planet."

"In any case, an assault is necessary." The Master of Sanctity of the Blazing Wardens speaks now, sweeping a hand towards the map of Dongying. "And we should make sure their forces in the street won't intervene to relieve the fortress."

"I agree." Concurs De Lusignan, which nobody present, including you, expected. "Still, my company can contribute to the seizing of both targets." He looks you in the eye, his regular arrogance replaced by the slightest tinge of hesitance, one which seems foreign in his face. "My brothers and I will defer to your judgement Chapter Master."

You react readily, even if you don't fully know the reasons for his sudden reversal in disposition. "You have my thanks Master De Lusignan." You look at the maps back again, taking in the layout until an idea blooms in your mind, one that could bring you victory without incurring in so many casualties that it hampers the battles in Secundus. Then again, as Juvenal used to say, "History is filled with perfect failures and imperfect successes, but rare are the opposite."

And so, you propose your plan.



Only the Shifting Fortress and the city of Dongying remain in the hands of the Eyes of the Mutator. Vote how you want to proceed:
-[] Simultaneous attacks.
–[] Write-in which forces would attack the Shifting Fortress
–[] Write-in which forces would attack Dongying
-[] Assault the Fortress.
-[] Invade the City.

How do you proceed with the assault on the Fortress (Vote only if you're assaulting the Fortress):
-[] Airborne assault:
–[] Simultaneous: Land all forces available in the first wave
–[] Heavy Assests First: Assets such as Terminator Armor, Heavy Armor and Mechanized Infantry land first, followed by the rest of forces
–[] Scouting Elements and Sabouteurs First: Assets such as Veteran Scouts and Light Infantry land first, followed by the rest of your forces.
–[] Equal Waves: Waves upon landing follow a well-balanced composition
-[] Continued bombardment: Use artillery and aircraft to bomb the fortress until its defenses are depleted and damaged, then send in the rest of the forces.
-[] Infiltration: Infiltrate scouts and light infantry past their positions to assassinate officers and sabotage defenses, then send in the rest of the forces once sufficient havoc has been wrecked.
-[] Human wave tactics: Send in the Imperial Guard first to soften up resistance, then strike with heavier forces once sufficient damage has been made.
-[] Astartes Breachers: Strike first with Space Marine forces to soften up resistance, then reinforce with the mortal forces.
-[] Staged Assaults: Send in forces in waves, until the defenders cave in.
-[] Write in:

How do you proceed with the invasion of the city (Vote only if you are attacking the city):
-[] Airborne Assault:
–[] Simultaneous: Land all forces available in the first wave
–[] Heavy Assests First: Assets such as Terminator Armor, Heavy Armor and Mechanized Infantry land first, followed by the rest of forces
–[] Scouting Elements and Sabouteurs First: Assets such as Veteran Scouts and Light Infantry land first, followed by the rest of your forces.
–[] Equal Waves: Waves upon landing follow a well-balanced composition
-[] Armored Spearhead: Breach enemy defenses using armor and heavy infantry, with the other forces following close behind. Aircraft assigned to this action will be used as air support.
-[] Sabotage and Recon: Infiltrate using scouts and light infantry to sabotage defenses and allow the rest of the forces an easier time in. Aircraft assigned to this action will be used as air support.
-[] Sweeping Advance: Move all your forces simultaneously. Aircraft assigned to this action will be used as air support.
-[] Write-in:

Q.M Notes: So, I got hired for a new job for the next 2-3 months, so I forewarn that the frequency of updates might be more irregular from now on.

Apart for that, as always moratorium of eight hours to make plans while I sleep and I appreciate any correction or feed back you might have.

Have a nice night