The Hound and the Sagittarius - Part 1

## The Hound and the Sagittarius

Primarch Bartosz

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ACCESSING SECURE ARCHIVES. CLASSIFIED REFERENCE 949-1.

AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY.

RECORD ONE OF TWO.

RECORD TWO TIMEGATED FOR RELEASE IN T-MINUS TWELVE HOURS

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In M30.954, mere months after the Bartosz and his warband had split from their time alongside Khnum and the Watchers of Akhet, the newly formed 949th Expeditionary Fleet set out with Bartosz at its head. The Imperial Sagittar was renewed and filled with purpose once more, but the purge of his home still weighed heavily on him. Bartosz desired, needed, to conduct a bloodless compliance, but fate would have a different path for him as the 949th headed for the world designated as 949-1.

A human world lost to time, the people of the planet were stubborn, but they were willing to negotiate with the Imperium, diplomatic talks opening as Bartosz, a hand picked cadre of Iterators, and a single squad of his Hussar’s descending to guard the contingent.

For months on end the talks continued, despite the fact that the warband Bartosz had at his command could have routed the world’s defenders within hours if they had been so inclined. However, Bartosz would not give the order, no matter how much his council tried to impress upon him that the diplomacy was a farce. Bartosz would not wipe out another planetary population as he had been forced to in the past; if there was even a chance of a peaceful resolution, and yet every time they neared the finish, the people of Ranox, the local name for the world, moved their goalpost, requiring more and more from the Imperium, despite having very little to offer in return. Most other Primarch’s would have abandoned diplomacy at that point, but Bartosz, his entire being needing a bloodless compliance, would not relent, going past the point of sense.

Then, when the diplomatic proceedings reached their fourth month, the warp opened, and spat forth the Hounds of the Imperium, Surmah opening a channel to Bartosz and 949-1. Surmah had long watched the Palatine Lord, during his time with the Watchers and his time on 949-1, and was disgusted by what he had seen, weakness unbecoming of one of his genetic brothers. Soon, Surmah landed on the world with his own guard in tow, not asking or demanding entrance into the ongoing diplomatic talks, merely walking in unbidden, despite the demands he halt by the palace guards. They would have been within their rights to shoot him, but terror rolled off Surmah in a way only one other of the pantheon could eclipse, staying the mortals’ hands.

Upon entry, Surmah remained silent, refusing to answer questions put to him, waiting for the talks to continue. When they finally did, though wary of the new entry in their midst, it became clear to the Hound of the Moors what was happening on the world, and what the leadership was doing.

With a calm, almost detached slowness, Surmah walked forward, grasping the leader of Ranox with a single clawed hand, lifting him off the floor with no effort at all. His sons moved forward with a lightning gait that caught Bartosz and his sons off guard, many of whom had their weapons sheathed, not expecting violence. As Bartosz and his sons surged forward, Bartosz demanding his brother release the humans, Surmah merely smiled, showing far too many teeth to be comforting, before uttering a single word.

“Begin.”

With a blinding flash of light, Surmah and his sons disappeared from the room, teleporting away with their captives in tow, and the rest of the XXth descending to enact their lord’s will. They were not here to peacefully occupy the world, the Hounds unleashing their fury across the planet, sadistically cutting down all who stood before them, soldier and civilian alike. The leadership had believed themselves above the Imperium, the Hounds would show them the folly of their actions in the blood of those who looked to them for guidance.

Bartosz was not known for rage, but as the massacre began to unfold, his vision ran red, images of the Interex filling his mind, more failures adding to his guilt with the sound of every bolt shell discharging or chain weapon revving. Barking orders into his vox, Bartosz broke into a gallop, his guard unable to match the speed of his cen’arus on foot and soon losing sight of the Imperial Sagittar. The 949th quickly reacted, dispatching their own warriors to the surface, Palatine Wings and human auxilia forces rushing into the city, creating safe zones from the wrathful Hounds, ships flying to evacuate those within as quickly as they were able, none trusting the Hounds to not press against these barricades despite being held by Imperial forces. Tensions ran high, but mercifully, nothing worse erupted in the city.

Hours passed as the planet began to resemble a charnel house, but for every civilian slaughtered by Surmah’s Hounds, the Palatine Wings rescued one themselves to the safety of the 949th Expeditionary Fleet, or what remained of the planetary defence fleet, now encircled by Bartosz’s ships, kept safe from the guns of the XXth. Soon, the purge was over, the planet scoured clean of all life, bodies piled in the streets and left to rot while streets ran red with blood. Bartosz could scarcely believe his eyes at the senseless slaughter, but the day was not over yet. Unbidden, Surmah and his personal guard landed in the hangar bays of the 949th flagship, brazenly walking aboard, as if daring the XIVth to try and stop them. Other Legions likely would have barred their path, but the Palatine Wings allowed Surmah passage, even as they fought to contain their own rage at those the Hound of the Moors brought with him.

The leaders of the world followed the Primarch of the XXth, shackled and beaten, their bodies already looking as though they had been tortured for weeks, not mere hours. Their eyes were hollow from being forced to watch the death of their homeworld, already cowed and shuffling behind Surmah like defeated men.

Though none openly speak of what transpired upon the bridge, rumors persist that the stench of blood never quite left the chamber and that Surmah departed shortly there after, no longer followed by the shackled mob of planetary leaders. Bartosz left the vessel soon after, moving his flag that day, never to set foot upon its decks from that day, until the vessel finally burnt in the fires of Apostasy.