@ThunderOwl have something I threw together over lunch.
Death of Captain Severus of the Night Lords(Unselected Severus AU.)
"This is wrong." Thought Severus as he observed the scene of the best of humanity killing each other on the field of battle. Iron hands, lead in a desperate charge by their Primarch find themselves cut down by the swords of Emperor's Children, the Raven Guard who had taken to the sky's are shot down by massed bolter and rocket fire from the Alpha legion and Night Lords, and even the Salamander's vaunted flame resistance is shown to be wanting in the face of weaponized promethium artillery shells of the Iron Warriors.
"This is wrong!" Severus thought as he felt bile beginning to grow in the back of his mouth as he halfheartedly blocked a desperate lunge from a Raven Guard with his Chainglaive, only to have his opponent cut down by a nearby Alpha Legionary.
He moves on through the battle like this, though he moves slow enough that most of the others begin to overtake him, pressing the loyalists back. The screams and battle cries of Astartes, Astra Militarum, and Mechanicus, Loyalist and Rebel alike intermix into a cacophony of noise.
Until coming across an isolated ravine. Spotting a flicker of movement, he approaches it, finding a well camouflaged cave isolated and hidden from plain view from above. He enters it, only to find the barrels and blades of bolters and tactical knives pointed at him. Scattered around the small cave a squad of green clad salamanders held court, but as Severus observed them, all of them looked worse for wear.
One was wheezing, and coughing blood even as he aimed his weapon, likely because the large crozius shaped dent in his breastplate had collapsed two of his three lungs, another only wielded a bolter pistol, for they only had their right arm, a third had his teeth clenched in pain, the shattered form of his helmet next to him, exposing one half of his face near torn to strips of meat by shrapnel. It repeated, one and all, the entire squad of Salamanders bore wounds of battle.
It was the Sergeant of the squad, the one who seemed the least wounded who stepped forward, when neither side fired the first shot. "For the glory of Terra…" the Sergeant started, and paused as if waiting for Severus to say something back.
Severus was puzzled for a few moments, until he took in the Sergeant's full form and spotted the badge of unification on his pauldron. 'This is Wrong' Severus thought as he said. "…And the Unification of Mankind's wills."
This seemed to be enough for the Sergeant who signaled to his men to place their weapons down. "This ravine travels all the way back to the rear lines. I helped in the maintenance of several thunderhawks, and I know the activation chants. I would be honored if you were to help escort us captain." The Sergeant looked tiredly at Severus.
Severus chuckled darkly, though there was little humor in his voice. "There is no honor to be found on this field today Sergeant. We move in ten."
———-—————————
The group moved through the ravine as fast as stealth and their wounds would allow them. Several times, Severus stopped the group and allowed the Rebel forces to pass them by above, using all of his knowledge and training to ensure that the group remained undetected.
But the problem was, he was not the only one on Istavann V who had been trained in the arts of his legion.
He saw them before he heard them, a glint of bat wings on a helmet, looking at the last member of the squad of Salamanders. They were keeping their distance, stalking their group as if they were prey.
Severus took a hidden position on the side of the column of walking wounded, with only a questioning look shot his way by the Salamander's sergeant. He signaled the group to keep moving, and as they moved he waited. After a few minutes of utter stillness he dropped, from the ravine wall, driving his chainglaive into the back of the Night Lords Astartes who had been following them.
Spotting the mark of a Sergeant on his pauldron, Severus shouted "Run! I shall be right behind you!" As he pressed himself to the opposite wall of the Ravine, as bolter shells impacted and exploded into the wall he previously occupied. The Salamanders are quick to pick up the pace of their movement, all thoughts of stealth discarded for the effort to escape from their pursuers. Only the Sergent casts a glance back at the captain's back.
More Night Lords quickly reveal themselves, though they are limited by the narrow confines of the ravine. They shout threats and battle cries at the Salamanders and Severus both. 'Your screams shall play as we invade Nocturne!' 'Traitor of the legion!' 'For the Warmaster!' Echo off the walls of the ravine.
Severus stands in their way. Sending a brief salute in the direction of the Salamander's Sergeant, he roars a battle cry as he charges forward with his chainglaive driving it into the body of another Night Lord Marine. Dropping the glaive as it would not serve him well in the confines of the ravine, Severus draws his Volkite and his knife firing at the approaching marines, as they returned fire with their bolters.
Two more of the Night Lords fall to the Volkite fire, before another charges him trying to knock the pistol from his hand, the rebel only receives a knife through his eye lens, before Severus quickly withdraws it. And continues firing at the line of night lords, dropping another of the bolter wielding marines. Another charges him, his own knife drawn and flashing, scoring a hit into Severus's flank, but receiving a stab through his helmet in return. Severus tries to extract his knife only to find it has become stuck on something within the marines skull or helm.
Severus is forced to abandon the knife as the final three night lords charge and overtake him. Kicking the Volkite away, they begin to pummel him in turns, one assaulting him while the other 2 holds his arms, and they quickly make short work of him, one drawing a knife to finish him, only for Severus to laugh, his laughter choked with his own blood.
"Is that your final action traitor? To deny your own fear? Has your imminent death driven you to hysterics?" As he speaks, red lights begin flashing on Severus's belt as well as the other Night Lords. Severus's hand rises up, on each finger a small ring of metal, the pins from krak grenades.
As the Night Lords attempt to pull away to seek cover, Severus, using the last of his strength, grabs them into choke holds and leg locks. "You may be as cruel as our gene father Nostromians, but you are not as fast as him, or as fast as me!" With that final shout the Krak's explode, taking Severus and the other Night Lords along with him.
Thus Died Severus, Captain of the Night Lords. His final thought. 'This is Right'
