Molech - Part 1

Each of the Emperor’s legions had a plan revolving around them as the years of the early 31st Millenium slipped past, Almire Leoric spending years devising each and every one in fine detail, separating his brothers and cousins into three simple groups, those who would stand with him, those who would not, and those who might if given the proper incentive. Those who stood with him were a simple matter, the likes of the Consuls Exemplar, Blight Wardens or Hounds of Surmah pledging to his cause. Likewise, those who would stand against him were a simple factor, the Palatine Wings manipulated and mustering above the distant world of Istvaan V, the Watchers of Akhet unaware of their own approaching doom at Lu Yeah’s hands, even the Star Guardians, Praetorians of Terra and Almire’s greatest threat, were isolated and alone at the throne world.

For all of the ease of these two groups however, the final group proved to be the most complex for Almire, the Warmaster unwilling to order their wholesale destruction, but nor could he leave them close enough to the unfolding events to intervene against him should they choose to stand alongside the Emperor. Of these legions, it was the Seekers of Unity and the Wisps of Archeron that Almire placed the greatest risk upon, and yet also represented one of the greatest potential boons to his cause, even if their destruction was called for. With a heavy heart yet no hesitation, Almire put these final plans into motion, signing the death warrant of countless trillions as the galaxy was plunged into war.

On distant Istvaan, the Palatine Wings perished in the hundreds of thousands. On Prodite XVI, the loyal elements of four legions were wiped away. Upon the surface of Xipac, the IIIrd underwent a terrible transformation, elevating into something far more than mere Astartes and yet far less than human in one fell swoop. The galaxy was aflame, and yet for many, these fires went unnoticed, allowed to build into a roaring inferno out of sight of those who many affect the direction of the fires. The Wisps of Archeron were one such legion, a staunch ally of the Warmaster and his legion, acting as his enforcers and sullying their own name and reputation to allow the Warmaster to stand above such acts of terror in the self same way they had served the Emperor before him.

Returning to their homeworld of Archeron for the first time in many years, the legion began a lengthy rearmament process, their fleet suckling at the planets forges and great silos of material like newborn children as billions of rounds of ammunition, thousands of tons of uniforms, dried foods, fuel, water, armoured vehicles, power cells and a thousand other items required by a legion at war were ferried ever upwards via cavernous Mechanicum bulk lifters or else shot skywards by the few Tsiolkovsky towers the world possessed. It was a great undertaking, one that should not be interrupted, and yet before the first month of the projected six month cycle had elapsed, Almire had given the legion new orders, unable to be countermanded or ignored.

The world of Tyrkanol was in open rebellion, the vast armoury world renouncing its ties to the Imperium, turning its millions of soldiers and untold arsenals to the task of securing their own borders. Such a threat was grave indeed, and required a swift threat, the Wisps required in their entierty to successfully combat this new foe. Without question or reason for doubt, Charon and the XVIIIth broke anchor above their world and flew towards Tyrkanol, utterly unaware of the lie they acted upon.

While true that the world was in open rebellion, the whole truth was far more insidious. Decades earlier, the Warmasters Justicars themselves had taken the world of Tyrkanol, installing their own Black Sceptre’s upon the planet as law enforcement in the interim before a true Arbite force could be established, even now still holding primacy under the edicts of the Warmaster. With aid from the Consuls Exemplar, master infiltrators and manipulators that they were, the rebellion had festered in the underbelly of the world for years, finally rising up and claiming the planet, though not for themselves as Almire had allegedly believed, but for the Emperor himself, the Black Sceptre’s and forces loyal to the Warmaster attacked and slaughtered, supposedly on the Emperor’s own command. To Charon, it would look like it had been the Emperor who had launched the first blow, exactly as Almire wished it to be.

Even as Charon shot towards the world, struggling to come to terms with what was surely happening before his eyes, the next phase of Almire’s plan was put into action. Upon the surface of Istvaan V, the Palatine Wings died, all but wiped out, Bartosz himself struck down by the Twins of the XIIth. Few survived the fires that consumed the legion, many who did finding themselves in chains before the victorious traitors, Mariusz of the 23rd Battalion one such warrior. If his survival had brought any joy, this was soon dashed, his mind hollowed out by sorcerous means, filled with lies and half-veiled deceptions, before being released on a derelict ship, set to drift into the path of Almire’s next and most vital of targets; Veratal Dharma of the Seekers of Unity.

Recovered and stabilised for the time being, Mariusz told of all he had witnessed upon the surface of Istvaan V, the sorcerous control exerted over him meaning his worlds were little more than the ravings of a traitor, though left bereft of psykers as they were in the wake of the Edict of Nikaea, the Seekers had no way of seeing the viper in their midst. As he spoke, Veratal’s face grew darker with sorrow and barely suppressed fury, that one of his brother legions would be so ruined was almost beyond belief, that it came at the hands of other legions was equally as galling, but worst of all was word that Charon himself had been instrumental in the orchestrating of the plot, pulling strings from his close vantage point to the Warmaster to engineer the destruction of the XIVth.

Sensing no reason to distrust the legionaries' dying words, Veratal set his legion into a war footing, attempting to reach out and contact other Imperial forces, and yet finding themselves cut off from communications, the fleets Astropaths all but blind as they sung into the warp. Only one message reached them, giving tale of the Wisps of Acheron en-route to a once loyal world, now gripped by a rebellion, the messages another deception of the Warmasters, changing who they fought for from the Emperor to Charon himself. With two corroborating pieces of information, Veratal knew he must act, setting sail for Tyrkanol, his fleet far closer to the rebellious world.

Arriving in advance of the XVIIIth, the Seekers began to strengthen the planets defences, allying with the beleaguered forces loyal to the Warmaster, preparing to confront the rebellious Wisps as they approached the world. Like water, those rebellious forces under the secretive command of the Consuls Exemplar withdrew from the fighting, scattering into the worlds underbelly to await the next phase of the plan. They did not have long to wait, Charon and the XVIIIth fleet appearing at the systems edge, hails immediately shooting between the two legion fleets, demanding answers to questions whispered to them by traitorous voices.

Were it any other legion facing the Wisps, bloodshed would likely have been unavoidable, both forces destroying each other, firmly believing the other to be the traitor. Veratal however had ever been amongst the most willing to seek peace amongst his kin, only Bartosz his equal in such. With a ceasefire agreed, Veratal and Charon moved in between their two fleets, small escort vessels carrying them to neutral ground where they could meet and discuss the others' treachery.

Minimal warriors were permitted at this meeting, the recordings of Mariusz brought to bear before Charon, the Wright Lord’s face darkening at the accusations of his own treachery, railing against such slander, giving voice to his own reason to being here, showing Veratal his orders directly from the Warmaster himself. All was thrown into stark relief by the conflicting orders and stories the legions had been told, both Primarch’s at a loss of what the truth was. It was here, Almire played out the final part of his plan, a message reaching both of the Primarch’s, the astropaths on the small ships hearing the message clearly even through the silence of the warp. Initially, he had planned for the message to only reach one of his kin, the victor of the brutal conflict that was planned above the skies of Tyrkanol, now such had not happened, plans were amended, both receiving the message directly.

The galaxy was aflame, Almire needing both by his side as their loyalty was yet known to him. The Blight Wardens and the Brothers Encarmine, so Almire had said, were waging their own war upon the Imperium, a plan needed to face this unprecedented threat. Bidden to travel to his side immediately to discuss their actions, the message ended, neither Charon nor Veratal fully sure of the Warmasters words, sensing that far more was happening beneath the surface. Even so, suspicious as they were, the thought of the Warmaster, closest of the Emperor’s sons, as being anything other than truthful was abhorrent to the pair, Almire priding himself on his truthful words, claiming to have never spoken a lie or falsehood, all believing the bold claim.

Leaving the bulk of their forces behind, Veratal and Charon slipped from the system, their legions left bereft of a full explanation as their Primarch’s reacted with the speed and urgency demanded by the unfolding situation, seven vessels of the XVIIIth slipping into the warp alongside six vessels of the VIth, bearing the Primarch’s of both legions to meet the warmaster above a world neither had ever heard of, and yet both had known their genesis upon in ages past, its name bringing back no memories, and yet each feeling within their soul as if they sailed towards their own doom.

Towards the world of Molech.