[Fanfiction] Faith

[Kalenath]

Okay. I am about to MAKE some people's day and HORRIFY others.

 

Frankly, this has been a long time coming. It MAY be harder for me to write so I may not be able to post every day. Enjoy.

 

 

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Aberrant

 

He had no name. He had a designation. His designation was 54-YT-87654378-AB. That last little bit was what mattered. He wasn't sure why. But all of the others he could see were treating him as if he had some kind of disease. Did he?

 

He hadn't seen anything wrong with himself in the few -very few- mirrored surfaces between where his tank had been decanted and the small compartment where his armor had been fitted to him. It...wasn't normal heavy ferrite armor like his kindred. He didn't feel anything wrong. He knew what he was of course. Between the flash learning and the genetic memory, he knew what he was. He was Grineer.

 

But... something was wrong.

 

Where the others would butt heads, get into fights and basically try to prove who was the strongest... He was left alone. He had no idea why. He also did not know why they handed him an odd weapon when he stepped forward for weapon's issue. It...wasn't a Grakata, a Karak or anything he knew from his flash training. It looked kind of like an Ogris launcher, but that couldn't be. His flash learning said those were for higher ranks than he had. This looked cheap. Shoddy even. So...

 

"54-YT-87654378-AB." The voice was the designated commander of the unit he had been decanted into and 54-YT-87654378-AB stepped forward, an arm automatically saluting. The other...did not return it. "Report to Bay Thirty Seven."

 

"Yes sir." He was Grineer. He obeyed orders. He started off, but his head was whirling as he stepped through the base.

 

What was going on? Why were they treating him like this? What had he done wrong? Had he done anything wrong. He didn't think so. He moved to an elevator and paused as he saw a terminal nearby. He keyed it live and keyed a quick search. He froze as he saw what his data search came up with.

 

'Designation 'AB' is for clones whose genes have been deemed 'Aberrant'. They will not be trusted with any sensitive duties. They will not be used for any special services. They will be examined and if possible, used as disposable scouts. If not, their biomatter will be reclaimed to further the cause. Glory to the Queens.'

 

He jerked and quickly shut down the terminal. He hurried his steps to the elevator and waited as it emptied. None of the other Grineer who had been waiting moved to join him on the elevator and he understood. He was...different. Unclean. He didn't feel any different, but he was. If there was one thing a Grineer did, it was obey orders. Suicidal orders were still orders.

 

54-YT-87654378-AB's carriage was erect as he marched into the room that had he had been ordered into. But then a blow from the side sent him sprawling. The hum of an Atterax sounded and he bit back a cry of pain as the whip sliced through his shoddy armor and into his arm. His weapon... did not fall from his hand. He did not aim it, but he would not relinquish his weapon. He had been ordered to report, but he was Grineer. He would die before he dropped his weapon.

 

"Hmmm..." A harsh female voice sounded curious. "Not the usual aberrancy, this one." The whip came in again and sliced clean through his armor again, but his grip tightened on the weapon. "Usually they are begging for mercy by now."

 

"Get it on the table." A bored female voice said with a sigh. "Now."

 

The clone looked up to see four female Grineer. Three in armor. A Ballista and two Scorpions. The other...was not in armor. She was fiddling with a bank of machinery. A table with menacing looking devices was nearby. Nothing else in the room.

 

"I am Grineer." The male clone said savagely. "You will not make me beg."

 

"Wanna bet?" The unarmored female asked with a smile that was just...wrong. "Get it on the-..." She gave a strangled gasp as the male clone rose and stepped to the table, still with his weapon in hand. Everything stopped as he laid down on it. "Surrender your weapon." She commanded.

 

"No." The male clone said firmly. Grineer did not surrender. The unarmored female stiffened and her face contorted with rage, but the Ballista spoke first.

 

"By order of the Queens, you are required to relinquish your weapon for scans." She held out her hands and the male clone handed it to her. The unarmored Grineer stared and then snorted in derision.

 

"I look forward to hearing you scream." The unarmored female said with glee as the Balista stepped back.

 

"You will not." The male said as he lay back and restraints clamped around him. All three armored females exchanged glances that the unarmored one missed.

 

"I will make you scream." The Reclaimer said with a smirk.

 

"You will try."

 

***

 

The Reclaimer was...&!$$ed. She had done all kinds of things. All kinds of scans. All painful. But despite her best efforts, not a single sound above a grunt had come out of the male clone's mouth.

 

"I will not be denied by an aberrant male!" The Reclaimer snapped, her hands flying over her controls. Energy flailed the supine clone, but he made no sound. "Scream already!"

 

"Do we have time for this, Reclaimer?" One of the Scorpions asked quietly. The unarmored female Grineer snarled at the armored one and the Scorpion shrugged. "We were detailed to assist you. But this is an inefficient use of time. We have four more aberrant scheduled for scans."

 

"Fine!" The Reclaimer snapped. "Get it out of here!"

 

The Scorpion stepped to the table as the restraints unlocked, but paused as the male clone rose and stood on his own. He wobbled a bit but stood straight. He looked at the Ballista who nodded and handed him his weapon. The Scorpion jerked her head and the male followed, ignoring the not so quiet cursing that followed him out. They were walking along a corridor when the Scorpion spoke.

 

"You may be aberrant." The Scorpion said quietly. "But I admit it. You are not weak."

 

"I serve the Queens." The male said just as quietly. He was Grineer. "Orders?"

 

"High Command has found a pocket of the Void that can be accessed. Preliminary scans show no life and no movement." The Scorpion sounded distant for a moment. "Did your flash learning cover the Void?"

 

"Extra-dimensional space." The male clone said quickly. "Remnants of an ancient failed empire still exist in such. Technology to be recovered." He nodded. "I am to scout." It was not a question.

 

"You are to scout and return." The Scorpion said firmly. "If it is empty, then it will hold treasures for the queens. If it is not, you will not return."

 

"I serve the queens." The male said, clasping a hand to his chest. His armor had healed most of the damage he had taken. Pain was of no consequence. He would serve.

 

"Yes." The other said softly. "Yes, you do."

 

They mismatched pair entered another room and walked towards where a golden device was set. Two female Grineer stood by the device. One held a Vulkar and the other a Manticore axe.

 

"This one is to scout anomaly 784-B." The Scorpion said calmly.

 

"Waste time." The female Grineer with the axe said savagely. "No kill there."

 

"Orders from the Queens, Sprag." The other said with a shrug as she started touching controls. "If they want us to waste our time, we will."

 

"Grineer obey." The male said calmly. The female Grineer all looked at him. "We are Grineer." He said a bit more firmly. "We obey."

 

"Good Grineer!" The female with the axe slapped his shoulder with her free hand with enough force to propel him a step before he caught himself. "Strong."

 

"Bad Grineer." The male said quietly. "But I obey." The two large females looked at the Scorpion who shrugged.

 

"Scans say he is aberrant." The Scorpion said with a sigh. "He doesn't act it."

 

"No, he doesn't." The sniper said with a frown. "Ah well."

 

"Time?" The male asked as he gripped his weapon.

 

"You have twenty four hours." The Scorpion said firmly as the machine lit up and a huge glowing golden...thing appeared in front of them. "The portal will seal behind you. Scout the area, find out anything you can. Then return to where you entered. The portal will open, but only for a short period. If you are not there..." She shrugged.

 

"Understood." The male replied. "If the area is a trove, will there be more expeditions?"

 

"Possibly." The Scorpions said with a frown.

 

"Blasted stupid thieving Tenno..." The sniper muttered not quite under her breath. "Stealing the queen's keys."

 

"Shiny bugs." Sprag said with a scowl of her own. "Want to squash more shiny bugs."

 

The male looked at the Scorpion and she shook her head minutely. He grimaced but did not speak as she led him towards the portal. She stopped a ways from it, but 54-YT-87654378-AB continued.

 

"For the queens!" The Grineer declared as he stepped into nothingness.

 

***

 

It was... he had no words. Everything was crazy. Everything was upside down, inside out. Then... it was odd. There was a light.  A golden light. A figure. Beckoning to him. He stepped forward and the light vanished.

 

But he was...elsewhere. He had no idea where he was. This...was not what he had expected. The room was... large. Massive even. But... He stared around, weapon ready. The room was empty.

 

Or was it?

 

He saw shadows all around, but they were far too large to be humans or humanoid forms. None were moving and as he spun in place, his weapon light coming on, he saw why. They were statues. But...they were odd. Armored forms. But no armor he had seen in any of his flash learning memories. Their weapons as well were odd. Large... outsized. Too big for human hands, even Grineer. So... What?

 

He scrutinized the weapon. They were... off. But not...wrong. The sword that one of the statues held was huge. It had a grip that wrapped around the hand of the statue holding it. The blade was serrated but too looked...wrong. The pistol in the statue's other hand was huge as well. The bore was as large as an Ogris' and the barrel had a hole drilled in either side. Another statue held a huge sword that was obviously meant for two handed use. It's cross guard looked like wings and the point of the blade was a diamond. Another held a blocky rifle with the same kind of barrel as the pistol, holes in either side. A tubular device of some kind was mounted on top of the rifle. A scope? Maybe. Another had long claws on each armored gauntlet. And on every weapon...

 

What was that emblem? He stepped forward and scrutinized the weapons. The rifle and pistol, sword and claws all had a an odd insignia. A skull with a wing behind it. This made no sense at all. No weapon he had ever heard of had such insignia.

 

This was... odd. Very odd. He examined each statue. Some had different armor. One had some kind of cylindrical things attached to each side of its backpack. All of the backpacks had odd sphere like things attached to the tops on either side and what were obviously cooling vents of some kind all over. Power supplies? Maybe. He touched one and it was stone. Statues.

 

He was so engrossed in examining the statues, since nothing at all was moving in the area, that he nearly missed the glow at first. A golden light grew and he spun, weapon in hand. But... nothing.  A door was opening but nothing moved. The glow from the door was golden.

 

The clone checked his armor chronometer. He had been examining the statues for an hour. An hour! He shook his head. Twenty three more before his extraction. And if he went back? Another scouting mission, probably to a worse place. But he followed orders. He started for the door and paused. One of the statues had writing on it. It wasn't a language he knew. He took a holo of it and his onboard systems did a quick check. It came back as an archaic language called English? What? But the translation...

 

'Only in death does duty end.'

 

The clone stood there, staring at the inscription for a long moment. Then he slowly bent down to touch the stone over the inscription.

 

"Only in death does duty end." The Grineer agreed quietly. Was it his imagination that the statue was glowing faintly? Had to be. He turned to the open door and strode for it, weapon ready. He did nto see a screen on the wall, firmly lit behind the statue he had touched. If he had, he would have reacted. On it, writing in the same language scrolled.

 

'Data corrupted. Language alterations detected. Altering database. Systems online. Machine spirit ready. For the Emperor and Imperium.'

 

All of the statues were glowing dimly now.

 

The clone moved into the short hallway and went still as the door behind him closed! He spun, but it was sealed tight. He stepped back and raised his weapon, but the door looked solid. He was pretty sure the weapon he held was an incendiary launcher of some kind, if very inferior to the ones used by Napalms. It wouldn't even scratch the door. He had to-

 

Wait a moment! Why was he on his knees? Where was his weapon? What was... he tried to rise and couldn't. A voice sounded, the words were alien to his ears.

 

"&*()!)(!*(@*()(**&$(*$ ?"

 

"Let! Me! Go!" The clone snapped, rising halfway to his feet before an overwhelming force threw him back to his knees. A beam of energy played over him. He tensed but it did not hurt.

 

"Who enters this sacred place?" The voice was powerful, male but it held command. The phrasing sounded...archaic? "Speak!"

 

"You do not command me!" The Grineer snapped. "I am Grineer! I serve..."A  bolt of energy slammed into him and he fought as he had fought the Reclaimer. "I will not submit!" Pain speared through his mind and he fell, but he did not cry out.

 

"You speak as a warrior, but you are weak of body. But not of mind." The male voice said sternly. "You serve... a queen? No? Two? What heresy is this?" The other demanded.

 

"I am Grineer!" The clone screamed as he managed to rise despite the power surging through him now. "You will not control me!" The power... cut off.

 

"No." The male voice mused. It was no less powerful, but not angry. "No, I will not." The clone felt scrutiny now, but.. not any he had ever encountered. Not hostile. Indeed... measuring. "They threw you away."

 

"I am Grineer!" The clone snapped. "I serve! I obey!"

 

"And are the ones who threw you away worthy of your service?" Was the voice... kind now?

 

He was moving. Or the corridor was. It was hard to tell. He was... it was...

 

***

 

He jerked awake. He was lying on something as machinery worked around him. The machines looked... sort of human. But not. Not Grineer tech. But... similar?

 

"Let me go!" 54-YT-87654378-AB snapped, fighting the bonds that held him down. Nothing happened and he saw machinery approaching, ominous blades and saws glistening. "I serve the queens!"

 

"But do you want to?" The male voice came from everywhere now. "Really? They threw you away for nothing more than the fact that you were different. Are they worth your loyalty?"

 

"I am Grineer!" The clone declared as machinery closed in. "I...Serve..." A beam of energy was playing across his face now and he sagged in his bonds. "I..."

 

"You are brave, strong and loyal." The other voice gentled even more. "You will serve. Me."

 

The Grineer was trying to fight as pressure mounted on his skull, as energy played over his extremities. But then... it all went away. He was standing... He stared up and up and up at the figure seated on the huge pyramidal throne. The huge pyramidal golden throne.

 

"I..." The Grineer swallowed hard.

 

"What do you wish?" The voice was commanding again. It was coming from the form on the throne!

 

"To do the right thing." The Grineer said slowly. "To... be a warrior... for good."

 

"Kneel." The voice commanded and the Grineer found himself on one knee. "You will serve."

 

"I... will serve." The Grineer bowed his head. "My Emperor."

 

"You must be trained." The voice said sharply. "You will learn all we can teach you. Then you will go forth and fell the enemies of the Imperium. Beware the traitor, the mutant, the heretic. All of these and more will test you. All of these will assail you. But you will stand firm."

 

Suddenly the voice was everywhere. Half a dozen huge forms stepped forward. Larger than even the largest Grineer. All male, all with eyes of fire, weapons in hand. As one, they nodded.

 

'They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines such that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.'

 

***

 

The portal activated and none went through it. The waiting Grineer on the other side wrote the scout off. In retrospect, not a wise move, but very Grineer.

 

The former Grineer twitched as he lay on the Apothacarium slab, energy playing into his mind as his body was...refurbished.

 

I shall know no fear...

 

 

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Quote from Codex Space Marines:5th Edition Games Workshop

 

Warhammer 40000 and all associated works are property of Games Workshop. NOT my own work. Used with permission for non-commercial use only. So DO NOT sell this!

 

Edited October 20, 2014 by Kalenath

[WarOverlord]

Sweet!

[Vahlak]

<3 you Kale.

[Spikey844]

Oh man this is going to be awesome!!!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Also which chapter of Space Maines was the emblem of?

Edited October 20, 2014 by Spikey844

[Kalenath]

Oh man this is going to be awesome!!!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Also which chapter of Space Maines was the emblem of?

 

The insignia is the mark on a Godwyn pattern boltgun.

 

It is an image that repeated on all Imperium equipment. One wing on either side of the boltgun's housing. The double eagle.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Kalenath

[KBTKaiser]

I'm guessing this is your answer to the Steel Meridian, Kal?

[Kalenath]

I'm guessing this is your answer to the Steel Meridian, Kal?

 

No comment.

[evafan002]

what the.... oookkk then this is gonna be messy as hell.... i think i will go throw myself into the sun.... most likely less painful that what is about to occur.... still orokin marines and tenno vs space marines? this oughta be.. interesting to say the least

[Temperance000]

As soon as you started describing the backpacks, it clicked.  Damn you to eternity, Kal.  I'm not sure I can handle this...

 

Still bloody awesome though.  With extra emphasis on "bloody."

[renleech]

Looks like the job of this special grineer will be to prevent the invasion of the Tenno timeline by things worse than anything in Warframe universe...

 Do you think we Tenno have a chance against the traitor legions? Or necrons?

 

( )

I recently watched a video of "The tiranny of king Washington" and i wonder some things about the end of that video. But i will not spoil a possible similarity.

Edited October 21, 2014 by renleech

[Shadow977]

I don't know anything about Warhammer so i'm not really excited.

[Temperance000]

I don't know anything about Warhammer so i'm not really excited.

 

Pity.  I would laugh my arse off watching the Grineer being steam-rolled by the Necrons.

[Vahlak]

I don't know anything about Warhammer so i'm not really excited.

I'm in this boat too..

 

To me they just seem like larger, clumsier Tenno without warframe abilities.  Or Serene.  Or a guy who can literally explode the entire universe even though he wont cause he is almost sane now.

[hellsing320]

I'm in this boat too..

 

To me they just seem like larger, clumsier Tenno without warframe abilities.  Or Serene.  Or a guy who can literally explode the entire universe even though he wont cause he is almost sane now.

Well unfortunately they have actually in some cases are actually a lot more mobile and then you also have the thought of they don't need cover due to their armour and shields and depending on the space marine different levels of firepower abd close quarter combat prowess including the accounts of cheap they give they are basically gods

[Vahlak]

Well unfortunately they have actually in some cases are actually a lot more mobile and then you also have the thought of they don't need cover due to their armour and shields and depending on the space marine different levels of firepower abd close quarter combat prowess including the accounts of cheap they give they are basically gods

All suits of armor have weak points, namely the joint areas.  Or the tubes connecting their backpacks to whatever theyre connected to.

 

Meanwhile, we have Tenno.  Who can mess with your mind, create violent jolts of electricity, produce sound powerful enough to shake space ships, literally MELT the space ship, and so on.  The only warframe that probably couldn't do much to a walking tank is Nekros, and our Nekros can explode the entire universe.  I guess an excalibur could have a hard time...  

 

And no matter how powerful their weapons are, you have to hit something for it to hurt.

 

Now if for some reason the newcomers cooperate with the Lotus / Eliza then i just feel bad for the grineer.

[hellsing320]

True enough I was kind of staying just the simple things I'm not including psykers just look up the wiki abd you'll be amazed I believe honestly that they are Noe powerful than anything in Warframe but that's just my thought

[hellsing320]

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Space_Marines

[KBTKaiser]

The problem with 40k's Imperium mindset though?

Grineer = Heretics

Tenno/Infested = Mutants

Corpus = Traitors(?)

 

Then again, given our grineer friend's disposition...is he a blank?

[Kalenath]

Well unfortunately they have actually in some cases are actually a lot more mobile and then you also have the thought of they don't need cover due to their armour and shields and depending on the space marine different levels of firepower abd close quarter combat prowess including the accounts of cheap they give they are basically gods

 

Yep. Gods of war. Adeptus Asartes move and I quote 'as if their heavy power armor was no more encumbering that a set of clothes'.

 

Hurting them will be... problematic. Shooting at them tends to &!$$ them off.

 

Or my absolute favorite quote about them-

 

Lord Solar Macharius-

 

'Give me 100 Space Marines. Failing that give me 10000 mortal men.' Warhammer 40K Codex Space Marines 3rd edition.

 

 

The problem with 40k's Imperium mindset though?

Grineer = Heretics

Tenno/Infested = Mutants

Corpus = Traitors(?)

 

Then again, given our grineer friend's disposition...is he a blank?

 

Grineer would be all three and SERIOUSLY need some righteous kicking/shearing/shooting.

Corpus would be a tech cult. Heretics.

Infested? Some kind of beasts/deamons. Kill it with promethium fire!

 

New post tomorrow morning.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Kalenath

[KBTKaiser]

well, Corpus are also traitors for putting Profit above Humanity's Survival.

[hellsing320]

It highly depends on which faction of the corpus we are taking about the clergy probably for perfectly with the imperium of man and a tenno actually fit quite closely to the thought of the imperium of man although they would be considered near close to space marines in training and maybe martial prowess depending on which chapter so we will have to see

[Kalenath]

 

Becoming

 

The scout held his breath, willed his heart to slow and slowly, so slowly, squeezed the trigger. The long, heavy weapon in his hands functioned as it had been built and a thousand meters away, an enemy Commander fell, his chest in pieces. The scout, his mission accomplished, slunk back into the pipe from which he had accessed the area. He paused as the holographic training area around him -complete down to the smell from the sewer pipe he traversed- faded and he stood up in the holo training room.

 

"The mission was not done." The scout said quietly. "The test was not complete."

 

"You hit the target and they never saw you. There were no enemies in position to detect your exfiltration." The voice of one of his trainers spoke from nowhere. He wasn't sure if the speaker was AI or corporeal. It didn't really matter. "One careful shot can do the work of thousands. Continue."

 

The scout did not bother to reply. He strode to a rack and laid the sniper rifle in it. A servitor approached, another weapon in its mechanical hands. The scout took the Godwyn pattern boltgun and examined it quickly. Fully loaded. The servitor held out a pack of ammunition and the scout slung it without a word. A pouch of grenades was also slung from it. The servitor withdrew and the scout waited.

 

The room vanished and he stood in the midst of a war torn city. He crouched beside a ruined wall and scanned the area with passive sensors and eyes both.

 

"Orders?" He asked over the vox channel.

 

"Enemy forces ahead." The reply was immediate. "They are attempting to access a cogitator that holds classified technology." The scout nodded. That would not stand. "Destroy them."

 

"Enemy numbers?" That was for planning purposes. Numbers meant little more than that. "And is machine required to be functional?"

 

"Twenty and yes." The reply was immediate again. The scout nodded. The hard way it was. He couldn't just lob grenades from cover or it would damage or destroy the critical machinery. He had to pull the bulk of them away.

 

"Moving." The scout said as he slid away from his cover. An icon appeared in his vision and the scout froze, trusting his holographic camouflage to hide him from the enemy's sight. It worked. No fire sought him. He slid into cover a bit closer to the enemy force and his weapon was tracking as a small group of enemies appeared. Five of them. They were...familiar.

 

Grineer... The thought did not bother the scout. They were enemies of Man. They would be ended. Mankind would be protected. He felt no emotion at all as he took his weapon off 'safe' and took up slack on the trigger.

 

The five strong patrol of Grineer reacted instantly to the four shot burst as one of their number went down. All sought cover and the shooter. Only one could see where the shots had come from and that one was drawing a bead as a small object fell at his feet. His scream and the explosion of the grenade drew the enemy's attention, but it was too late. Precise four shot bursts tore each and every Grineer apart. Then the scout turned to where... He went still as ten Grineer boiled up and out of the building in question. He slid back into the ruin he was covering in and let them pass. As the last who passed his position at a run, he slid up behind and a razor sharp combat knife slid through even a Heavy Gunners massive plate like it was made of tin foil. The female Grineer fell without  a sound, dead before she hit the ground. He could kill these. He reloaded automatically even though he had ammunition left in his magazine. These were not his mission yet.

 

The scout slid forward at a crouch. He had moments before the enemy realized that their compatriot was not following them, but neutralizing an enemy heavy weapon was rarely a bad thing. He paused in cover at the wall and peered in. Two of the enemy were working on a cogitator system. The others were on guard, but none were looking his way. Made sense. The whole force of Grineer had just run out where he was about to slide in. They had no idea what they were facing. At their base, Grineer were clones of humans. Not quite human, but at the basic level? Still human. Prosthesis and weapons they might have, but they were human. The scout was not.

 

None of the guards heard anything as the scout slid forward, his knife ready. But then a shout came from outside. The lost patrol member had been found. All eyes turned... to him. They froze. He did not. The combat knife flew, taking one of the stunned Grineer in the eyehole of his helmet. He fell without a sound and the boltgun roared. One, two, three enemies fell before the other could even raise his weapon. The scout dove to the side as flame scorched through where he had been, but his aim was true and the last Grineer fell, a smoking hole where his chest had been. Then the scout spun, hands going to the grenade pouch. He could see movement and fired without aiming cleanly. A high pitched scream sounded and he pulled a grenade from his pouch, arming and throwing it in a single sinuous movement. Several voices gave a cry that was suddenly stilled with the small explosion.

 

Then it was all fire and fury. The scout took hits to his armor, but none debilitating. Most of the fire missed. His own fire, by contrast, rarely missed and each hit killed. The boltgun was the Space Marine's weapon of choice, firing a .75 caliber round that was a self propelled armor piercing rocket with a charge of high explosive that detonated inside an enemy. Few foes could withstand such firepower. He reloaded once, emptied the magazine, then reloaded again.

 

Then... it was over. No more fire was coming in. Only a few groans of pain sounded. Nothing more. The scout poked his head up, but no one shot at him. One of the Grineer was pulling herself away, her arm hanging loose from where a bolter round had clipped it and exploded outside. She was crippled, but not dead. The scout reclaimed his knife and rose, boltgun ready.  The Grineer stared up at him, fear plain on her face through the faceplate shattered by the bolt's explosion.

 

"The enemies of Man will fall before us." The scout said firmly as he set his boltgun to 'single shot' and fired a careful round. He did not watch as she fell still, her head a shattered mess. He turned and stalked back to the computer building, shooting two more Grineer as he passed them. "Mission accomplished."

 

The holographic terrain vanished and he moved to unload his boltgun and rack it as he had been trained. He waited for a servitor to bring him a new weapon, but none came.

 

"Next scenario?" He asked. But instead of the training systems...

 

"Training is finished." The voice of one of the training masters came and the scout knelt. "Rise, brother." The scout met the eyes of the huge human form who stood by one wall, eyeing him. But this being was not human. Not in the slightest. Size was the least of his advantages over regular humans. "Have you chosen?"

 

"I have, Primarch." The scout said quietly as he rose to his feet. "I will destroy the enemies of Man. I will defend Man from all foes."

 

"This universe's Terra has fallen." The Primarch said quietly. "This world... is not ours. But one truth remains. The Emperor protects."

 

"The Emperor protects." The scout repeated, bowing his head. "I am honored to have trained under you, Roboute Guilliman. Orders?"

 

"Our father wishes you in the main chamber." The Primarch of the Ultramarines said with a nod. The scout nodded and started off as the holo of the Primarch faded.

 

Twenty Primarchs had been created from the Emperor of Mankind's genetic material. Many had been lost mysteriously. Some suspected the Ruinous Powers' work, others the Emperor himself. No one truly knew what had happened. They had been found during a Great Crusade to reunite Mankind under the Emperor's banner. But then disaster had struck. Fully half of the Legions that had comprised the Great Crusade had been swayed by evil and turned against the Emperor, led by Horus, the Emperor's own warmaster. The Horus Heresy had spilt the galaxy, leaving many worlds burnt in its wake. Many evils had risen in the time since the Emperor fell defeating Horus. It was a time of great grim darkness. A time of heroes among vast multitudes. A time of villainy and heroism.  It was a time where the only truth was war.

 

There was only war.

 

The scout knew this. He had been educated. Listening to Leman Russ, the Primarch of the Space Wolves, tell tales of battle and glory. Training at a forge with Vulkan, the Primarch of the Salamanders. Riding across a dozen world with Jaghatai Khan, the Primarch of the White Scars. Building fortifications with Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists. Tearing fortifications down with Ferrus Manus, Primarch of the Iron Hands. Debating law with Lion El'Jonson, Primarch of the Dark Angels. Discussing faith with Sanguinius, Primarch of the Blood Angels. Studying science with Corvus Corax, Primarch of the Raven Guard. He had learned... so much. But he was still young.

 

He stood tall and strong as he entered the main chamber and the Emperor looked down on him from his golden thrown. The scout knelt as was proper. The Custodes, the Emperor's guards, stood at the base of the pyramid, as always. Solemn, silent and lethal beyond belief.

 

"You command, I obey, My Emperor." The scout said calmly.

 

"Rise, my son." The Emperor's voice was not...quite right. Then again, the only thing keeping him alive at all was the golden throne on which he sat. The scout did as ordered. "You have chosen?"

 

"I have, my Emperor." The scout said with a nod.

 

"There are allies to be found in this fallen universe." The Emperor said heavily. "Other defenders of Man."

 

"Orders?" The scout asked quietly.

 

"Take up your mantle, my son." The Emperor replied. "Defend humanity. You will find allies and enemies. You will serve as the Adeptus Asartes always have. My Angels of Death. What Chapter banner will you fight under?"

 

"I will be as the Primarch Sanguinius commanded." The scout said as servitors appeared. He did not move as his light Scout armor was removed, leaving him to stand clad only in the Black Carapace that would provide his nervous system with access to his power armor.  Other servitors approached, each bearing blood red colored pieces of what would be his new home. "I serve the Sons of Baal. I will rend the enemies of Man, tear them limb from limb. My rage demands surcease. The betrayals we have all suffered demand satisfaction."

 

"Be wary, my son." The Emperor said heavily. "For your rage and hate will destroy you if you let it. Be true to yourself."

 

"Be true to the Codex." The voice of Roboute Guilliman spoke from the side, but the scout did not turn as his chest armor was applied and sealed against his flesh. The high collar of the Mark VIII armor hindered him a little, but not much and would provide great protection against enemy fire. The Black Carapace burned. It hurt, but it was needed. He did not cry out. He would not. He was Adeptus Asartes. "For honor and Emperor."

 

"I will be true." The newly promoted Space Marine said with a tiny nod.

 

"Be swift. Be strong. Be as the wind." Jaghatai Khan said as the Marine's arm armor was sealed.

 

"Indeed. Be as the North Wind." Leman Russ, for once solemn, spoke quietly. "Hard and cruel. Blow your enemies from your path." He said as the gauntlets were sealed.

 

"Be as a rock for your enemies to break upon." Rogal Dorn said in his gravelly voice. "Use what you have learned to be a defender of Mankind." He stated as the pauldrons were attached and sealed in place with their heraldry of a drop of blood and white wings.

 

"Learn what you can." Corvus Corax spoke quietly as the upper leg armor was applied. "But know your place."

 

"I am a Space Marine of the Adeptus Asartes." The Marine said calmly. "No more, no less."

 

"Beware pride." Lion El'Jonson said firmly as the lower leg and boot armor was applied. "It goeth before a fall. Any can fall prey to hubris. Even Primarchs."

 

"Even an Emperor." Came the voice from the throne.

 

"Trust your wargear." Ferrus Magnus said with a firmness that might have bent ceramite as the knee protectors were sealed in place. "Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Flesh is weak."

 

"Iron is strong." The Marine said with resolve. "I will be as iron."

 

"Indeed." Vulkar's voice held grim pride as the massive backpack was fitted to the back of the armor. "You will do honor to the Emperor."

 

"I will do what must be done." The Marine replied as a servitor extended a boltgun to him. Not a standard model. This was larger and had a box magazine, but it was still a boltgun. Symbol of the Imperium and signature weapon of the Imperial Space Marines. Umbra Ferrox pattern, his teaching called it. A rare and precious relic. He would care for it as his life, for it was. Without his bolter, he was nothing.

 

"You will have no support. Limited tech base and even more limited resources." The Emperor said quietly. "But you will prevail. Sangiunius?"

 

"Indeed, my father." The Primarch of the Blood Angels stepped forward. "brother, you have chosen to follow my path. It is... a difficult one. The Black Rage can take any of mine. Beware, bother. A powerful weapon, but a deadly danger as well." He held out a blood red helmet as the Marine slung his boltgun. The Marine bowed his head as he took the helmet. "Only one thing remains. "What must we call you, brother?"

 

"The Enemy called me 'AB', a title meant to denigrate. To show their power over me." The Marine said as he turned the helmet over in his hands. "Now they have none. I am Abrahaim, a battle brother of the Blood Angels Chapter of the Adeptus Asartes." He placed the helmet on his head and it was dark, but only for a moment as the systems came online.

 

Readouts flashed before his eyes, all in the green. Weapons status changed as other weapons were added to his personal arsenal. Pistol, sword, grenades. Tools. These were mere tools. The true weapon was what resided inside the armor.

 

"Your mission, battle brother Abrahaim, is to find and protect the remnants of humanity in this fallen universe. Some will fear you. Some will revere you. Do not falter. Do not look aside." The Emperor commanded and Abrahaim knelt again, his armor whining as servo motors took the strain. It felt as if he were kneeling in cloth instead of heavy power armor. "You will find allies and enemies aplenty. What little we can do has been done. Whatever comes, you are my son. My Angel of Death. And I know you will do me and the Imperium proud."

 

When the Marine looked up, the room was silent. The throne and the Primarchs were gone. He nodded and rose. He had a duty. To formulate any strategy, he would need information.

 

"Information request." The Marine said as he strode from the room into another. A tiny armory, but sufficient for his needs. "Status of systems?" He asked as he walked to a terminal.

 

-Armory schematics database at capacity. Further resources needed to build specialized equipment. Ammunition stocks full.- The machine spirit replied calmly.

 

"Good." The Marine said as he worked the controls, seeking, perusing, discarding plans and strategies. "System has been...changed. Access to transportation?"

 

-Limited-  The machine spirit replied.

 

"Demographics?" The Marine asked. "What opposition am I facing?"

 

-The Primary enemy are Grineer. Degenerate clones.- The Marine made a digusted noise and the machine spirit showed an image. It... was familiar. -Traitors, mutants and heretics all.-

 

"I was one of these before the Emperor found me." The Marine mused. "A traitor... I will redeem my honor. Next?"

 

-A machine cult.- An image of a boxy headed Corpus crewman appeared. -Weak in body, but strong in technology.-

 

"Tell me they don't pray to the Ommnissiah..." The Marine groaned. "The Techmarines are bad enough."

 

-They seek profit and technology equally.- The machine replied. -The last group are...- The Marine reached for his weapons as he saw the image.

 

"Daemons!" The Marine said flatly, staring at images of Infested. "Foul minions of the Warp. This system needs help indeed." The Ruinous Powers of Chaos and their warpspawn had wrought untold havoc on the Imperium over the millenia. But... "No..." He relaxed. "Not deamons, but close. Beasts of flesh and sinew. Flesh can be torn. Sinew cut. Do they hunger as Tyranids?"

 

Another deadly threat in the 41st millennia of the Emperor and his Space Marines. Alien monsters that consumed all life they encountered.

 

-Unknown.- The machine spirit replied.

 

"Well then, my orders are to help save this system." The Marine said with a shrug. "Time to get to work. Are there any defenders of Man fighting to preserve humanity?"

 

-Yes. A powerful psyker is among them, the Emperor sensed her.-

 

"Put me in contact with this psyker. And what are these defenders called?" The Marine asked as he scanned through filed, seeking searching, planning at light speed.

 

"They are called Tenno."

 

***

 

What did you say? The Lotus was not normally one to be blindsided. She saw a lot, knew a lot. But this...

 

We have a problem... Janet also wasn't one to freak, but... He said he is going to attack the Grineer. Asked our assistance. But...I  got the feeling he will do it either way.

 

And why did he contact you? The Lotus wasn't sure of this at all. And what did he say he was?

 

He said he had been given my contact information by another psyker, whatever that is. He said his name was Brother Abrahaim of the Blood Angels Chapter of the Adeptus Asartes. Janet sounded as dumbfounded as the Lotus felt. Whatever the hell that means. I... was kind of hoping you knew. The Oracle said with a verbal wince. You don't.

 

No.

 

Oh... dear...

 

Edited October 30, 2014 by Kalenath

[Spikey844]

Grinner dying by the hundred in 3,2,1....

Edited October 22, 2014 by Spikey844

[evafan002]

Janet oh dear does not even BEGIN to cover the size of the coming S@#tstorm not by a long shot.

still this should be enlightening to say the least

[undernown]

It seems like its just another tower gone mad. In the first chapter it gave an error on the language and attempted something to resolve it. Did it simply find stuff on warhammer cos some orokin grunt used it in his spare time? Also a (former) grineer badass siding with Tenno, do i sense a Clem reference?

And as always great writing Kal.