My Life as A Death Guard

In the vast emptiness of space, the resilient ship Endurance floated smoothly among the stars.

Like a dagger in the hand of death, it waited silently for the next inevitable demise.

People streamed across its hull, busy as ants.

And in a hidden, inconspicuous corner of this vessel, a conversation was taking place that would determine the fate of the entire Legion.

Facing the assembled captains, Hades let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll speak with Mortarion.”

“I’ll do my best, I swear.”

Barasine met Hades’ gaze, a look of gratitude in his eyes.

“We thank you for that.”

It seemed that the conversation would end there.

But Barasine continued,

“Hades, what plans do you have for the future?”

“I heard you have quite an interest in the Armoury.”

If Hades were to join the Armoury, his career path as an Astartes would take a drastic turn, altering his position within the Legion.

Unlike the Iron Hands or Iron Warriors, where Techmarines and Master of the Forge gained high esteem and a route to senior leadership, the Death Guard’s Techmarines had always been sidelined.

But in his observations, Barasine had noted Hades’ distinct enthusiasm for the Armoury.

Originally, Barasine had wanted Hades to join the command ranks, which would mean forgoing the path of a Techmarine.

But now…

If Hades wasn’t interested in command, then aiding him in joining the Armoury would be a way of doing him a favor.

More importantly, as a Techmarine, even if Hades gained a strong reputation among the Terran soldiers, he would still be primarily supporting the Legion rather than directly involved in its command.

This was another form of restraint—or perhaps, insurance.

And sitting across from him, Hades, upon hearing his words, appeared thoughtful.

For Hades, he had always leaned toward the path of a solitary technician, solving problems by hand-crafting weapons of mass destruction.

His experience on Barbarus had also taught him that, without the right equipment, they would never have been able to slay the Xenos Overlord Necare.

Even in a universe where psychic powers and the Warp were real, Hades wanted to harness the power of technology!

Although here, the widespread use of advanced equipment was not merely a matter of research; it also required resources, forging, distribution, and bureaucratic approval.

Still, Hades felt that if he could develop new technologies, it would be an exciting endeavor.

As an Astartes, his peak would be to serve as a second-in-command under a Primarch, guiding the Legion’s military future.

But, as a Techmarine, a sort of “gearhead,” his potential could be even higher—like that of…

Belisarius Cawl!

In Warhammer terms: “Why not simply create more Primaris Astartes to solve every problem?”

Cough — Not that, but as a Techmarine, if Hades developed new technology and chose to share it, the wars he “participated in” would extend far beyond his own Legion.

Every round fired from a weapon of his design would bear the weight of his efforts.

One could fight all day and night, swinging a blade to fell only a handful.

But if that blade were a las-lance…

Hades knew that as a Techmarine, he could wield his abilities in a way that elevated his impact on an entirely new level.

It was no longer about realistic goals; it was about fulfilling his personal aspirations.

So—

“Yes, given my capabilities and inclinations, I am very much interested in becoming a Techmarine.”

Barasine smiled.

“Alright, I’ll inform the Armoury of your intentions.”

“But”

Barasine’s tone shifted.

“If you truly wish to become a Techmarine, it would require at least thirty years of study on Mars.”

“As it happens, a convoy from Mars is arriving soon. You could leave with them in two months.”

“This would mean missing part of the Death Guard’s integration phase.”

“If you’d rather stay, you could wait for the next Martian envoy.”

But Hades’ mind was already racing beyond Barasine’s words—

Mars.

In other words, he could catch a glimpse of Terra?

No, it would be Earth…

Hades felt a faint ache in his heart.

As someone who had been inexplicably tossed into this alien and brutal place, the image of that blue planet, his homeland from his dreams, always echoed within him whenever he felt like he couldn’t hold on any longer.

Of course, he had to go.

He had to see Earth.

To be honest, Hades still hadn’t fully figured out if he had crossed worlds—or time itself.

But maybe if he took a look at Terra, he’d understand?

This was one of the few personal motives he had left.

However, Hades suddenly realized another issue.

“It’ll take at least thirty standard Terran years to study on Mars?”

“Yes.”

Barasine looked at Hades in confusion.

Wait—would Mortarion even allow him to go?

It seemed he’d have to negotiate with Mortarion after all…

As for whether to go to Mars now, Hades leaned toward leaving as soon as possible.

Missing the training period didn’t matter too much to him, but he didn’t want to miss the Death Guard’s first battle—

Galaspar.

This battle would be a turning point, both for the Death Guard and for Mortarion.

Hades didn’t want to miss it.

“I hope to leave soon, without delay.”

“Very well.”

Barasine nodded.

“Also…”

Barasine’s expression turned serious again.

“Between Calas and Vorx, who do you recommend?”

—!

He was consulting him on this?

Hades was surprised, but responded without hesitation—any delay on his part would be a failure of his duty.

“Vorx.”

Even if Calas Typhon hadn’t yet betrayed anyone and was still loyal, with his own unique views and personality, he was like a ticking time bomb, liable to explode at any moment.

Hades had to set up safeguards in advance, to minimize potential damage.

Barasine watched Hades—Vorx, then.

It looked like the position of First Company Captain’s deputy had been decided.

Initially, Barasine had leaned toward Calas, but the incident in the psyker duel cage had made him rethink his choice.

Though Calas was close to the Primarch, his personality and actions made Barasine wary of placing him in such a high position.

Vorx, meanwhile, though less acquainted with the Primarch, seemed more suited to Barasine’s idea of strategy, control, and capability.

But inwardly, Barasine let out a quiet sigh—the position had really been meant for Hades.

But with the agreements they’d come to, there was no need to discuss it further.

At the close of the meeting, Barasine spoke to Hades:

“Chief Librarian Fernando has been requesting a meeting with you lately; it would be best to pay him a visit.”

“Perhaps he intends to apologize.”

Ah, is that so?

<+>

AN:

A note from the author:

Lately, a reader’s comment sent me back to re-read some of the original Death Guard novels, and I realized I’ve taken a few character portrayals in a different direction.

Even though different books sometimes present inconsistent portrayals of characters, I did base my writing on two main novels (and various analyses).

Still, I noticed I’ve been a bit led astray by secondary interpretations (I focused too much on fan theories and not enough on the originals), so my depiction of the 14th Legion lost some of its authentic tone.

Ultimately, it’s my writing ability that’s lacking…but the story’s already set in motion, so I’ll have to continue along with my version…

There’ll probably be more of this in the future… I’m very sorry.