Warhammer: Dark Knights

999.M35

Unyielding Shield

Restus System - Segmentum Pacificus

The room hummed softly with all the machine that being operate and faint whirring of the servo-skulls as they moved around. Shelves lined up the wall and with each other, packed with dataslates. The servo-skulls move with mechanical precision, retrieving or delivering dataslates to the shelves or directly to the waiting hands of tech priest.

At the end of the room, there is an ornate desk, full of dataslates, their screens displaying with stream of data. A holo-display on the desk showing a sector map, each system in the sector are marked with their information, showing their status and importance for the Imperium. The faint green light from the holo-display illuminated the person sitting behind the desk.

"My lord, report from the 2nd company." A tech priest said, with his mechanical voice while handing a dataslate to you. It's screen already activated, lines of text scrolling across the screen.

When you read the text display on the screen, it's show that the 2nd company already completed their subjugation of the Restus system from the rebels that plunge the system into chaos. 2nd company, lead by Gideon is the elite company of the chapter, marines that have the highest points in their training and test are assigned here.

The report show the details of their campaign. Using the strike cruiser, Resolute Blade that have been assigned to them, 2nd company launch surgical strike using Thunderhawk, and mainly drop pod to destroy rebels strategic location, making them vulnerable for the all-out attack, and eliminating the rebels upper echelon to throw the rebel into chaos and disorder. After that, 2nd company will launch ground attack using Predator and Rhino with the Loyalist that still alive on the planet. If the planet have fallen into the rebel hand, 2nd company will be focusing on using surgical strike to eliminate the rebels upper echelon before beginning the grim task of planetary purge.

As the main reason you lead the 2nd company to this system personally is because of the information you receive from Nine 2 months ago. The information is originally send out by a inquisitor that operating in Segmentum Pacificus. The information show that because of the chaos from the Nova Terra Interregnum, small rebellion have been happening around the segmentum. While it is a normal situation, but the inquisitor acolytes investigation show that the rebellion happen in Restus system are because of influence of Chaos. Thus, other than the planets that still have loyalist, which will be dealt by the inquisitor after, all planets that have been overwhelmed by the rebels will be fully purge of all life form to erase all the Chaos taints on the planets.

"Is there any report from 3rd company?" You ask, setting the dataslate down on the desk as the screen continues to flicker with information on the last planet, Restus XI that got purge by 2nd company.

The tech priest beside you pause, you heard soft clicking from his mechanical limbs as he retrieve a new dataslate from a servo skulls. "Indeed, my lord." He reply with his mechanical voice, while extending the dataslate to you. "This is the report from the 3rd company that just arrived."

Taking the dataslate, you activate the screen and detailed report begins to display on the screen. The text show the successful campaign at Luxor system, attached on it are the pictures of the severed head of the Warboss, ugly even when he's dead, and the dead bodies of the Ork horde across battlefields on different planets.

In the report also said that the 7th company have fight valiantly on the campaign. Specific mention is made of Voss and his sergeants, with remarks on their leadership and battlefield tactics. To support this remarks, the detailed report of 7th company battles on Luxor V also been included, with key moments of their campaign.

The report provides a thorough account of Master Voss's leadership during the Luxor V campaign, emphasizing his effectiveness in reinforcing the two guardsmen regiments stationed there. It describes how Voss utilized Thunderhawk strikes and coordinated ground assaults to devastating effect, adapting to battlefield conditions with precision and foresight.

Particularly noted is Voss's ability to collaborate seamlessly with the regimental colonels, planning joint operations with the guardsmen to ensure cohesive and effective campaigns. This aspect of the report highlights his capability to work alongside mortal forces without issue, a trait that is pretty rare in Astarte forces.

The sergeants also credited with exception coordination, effectively leading their squads in the campaign. Attached to the report are battle recordings captured by company's servo skulls and helmet-mounted auspex devices. Further proving the 7th company ability and showing their ability in operated independently.

As you finish the report, you turned your head towards the tech priest beside you. "Send commendation to 3rd and 7th companies for their efforts, and ensure their deeds are share to the others in the chapter, especially the aspirants and neophytes to inspire them."

"By your command." Tech priest reply with his mechanical voice, bowing slightly before turning to his station to execute your order.

You watch him for a moment, after confirming that he are executing your orders, you turn to your left side. A servitor, with the sole duty to serve as your personal vox caster, standing there.

"Vox, inform Resolute Blade to regroup with the battlegroup." You order. "And tell the shipmaster to bring us back to next system. The battlegroup will move out the moment Resolute Blade rejoin us."

The servitor whirs to life, processing the command you just gave. After a moment, the voice of the shipmaster, captain of the Unyielding Shield come from the servitor speaker.

"As your command, my lord." The shipmaster reply.

After this, you turn back to the dataslate that you originally going to read. Dataslate that contain report from the Librarium, Armory, Reclusiam and Apothecary.

Firstly, Grand Master Thothrax of Librarium reported that the 10 lexicanums currently undergoing training to stabilize their abilities have show positive improvement. While they gain their psychic power due to mutation causes by mutation, and all of them experience minor lost of control initially. Fortunately, the incidents didn't causes any damages or casualties. As they gain formal training from the Librarium, they become more stable than before and they now even can be deployed to battle, but still need to under supervision from the members of Librarium.

Secondly, Grand Master Hestian of Forge reported that all the existing equipments and vehicles are well maintained, and they have repair the Thunderhawk that suffer damage from previous deployment. Hestian also included that the 5 techmarine aspirants training on Anvilus-Nine are going greatly as well.

Thirdly, Grand Master Hecatrion of Reclusiam reported on the spiritual condition of the chapter. He stated that the morale and faith of the brethren remain strong. Hecatrion emphasize that he and the 2 other chaplains have work tirelessly on ensuring the morale and faith remain strong on each company after they return from their missions. The 5 chaplain aspirants have also show great results and he reported that they all can be promote to official chaplain after you permitted their promotion.

Finally, Grand Master Vitaris of Apothecarion reported that all the gene-seed, other than the gene-seed derived from you, have show further mutations. While the exact nature and potential severity of these mutations are unknown, Vitaris emphasize that a throughout examination of the gene-seed at Anvilus-Nine to determine their impact as the forge world have more advance testing equipment. The 7 apothecary aspirants, just like all the others aspirants show great improvement and can be promoted to official apothecary anytime.

As you set down the dataslate, you felt relieved as all the Librarium, Armory, Reclusiam and Apothecary are functioning well with them having aspirants to further enlarged their number.

While this is not the normal way of recruiting them into the 4 branch, as the one recruit into the branch need to be under years of surveillance and testing, you have chosen a direct approach. As your chapter need more specialized member quickly to bolster the ranks, you decided in meeting with the neophytes upon their induction into 10th company. Using your psychic ability to glimpses fragments of future, you assess their potential and suitability for the branches.

While you cannot control the exact time period of vision you can see, luck is on your side. As all the glimpses you gain give you enough insight to assigned them into branches that they will eventually join in the future. While this is unconventional, you only dictate it as a final protocol and only enact when the chapter lost 85% or above of the specialist, and will change back to the normal way of recruiting, once the number of specialist have recover to 65%.

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You and your chapter have been on relentless campaigns for 13 years. In this years, all the companies have suffer casualties. Even the most powerful 2rd company also suffer casualties from constant battles, but luckily, the constant new aspirants and neophytes flooding into the chapter from newly secure recruiting world, making sure the numbers can always be recovered.

By this time, Dark Knights have grown to 725 men, not counting the 257 neophytes in the 10th company. 4th company have been assigned full 100 men, with the same 7th company, which still commanded by the now, experience Voss. 6th company also have been form, with Valeix who have been reassigned from 2nd company to serve as the Master of the company.

The chapter specialist ranks also been expanded. The Librarium have recruited new 5 lexicanum, bringing their total to 25 psykers. The Apothecarion also have recruited another 7 apothecaries, increasing the their numbers to 17. The Armory also have another 4 techmarine added into their rank, raising their total to 12. The Reclusiam also have 5 chaplains, now totalling 13.

But, they are bad news, worse than expected. The 5th company, lead by Grand Master Caden have suffered a heavy losses when fighting an Ork warband in Segmentum Ultima. While the number can be replenish, a new mutation have emerged from the gene-seed.

2 years ago, while still conducting a mission in protecting a world from Ork raid. You receive a top priority message from Nine, calling you to return back to Anvilus-Nine as soon as possible. Knowing Nine, you quickly return back to the forge world with a strike cruiser, while 2nd company and the rest of the battlegroup continue the mission.

As the strike cruiser approaching the forge world, you actually can see the 5th company strike cruiser, Starfire Reaver docked at the starport. When you set foot on the starport, you immediately brought to Nine chamber.

When the door of Nine chamber slice open, you not only see Nine standing inside, you also see that Caden and couple other marines from 5th company in there.

"What's going on?" You ask Nine, you gaze towards Caden and the others. "Also, why does you and your company here?"

"Now, now." Nine said, trying to calm you down. "The reasons that I call you back is to inform you that the 5th company have suffer heavy losses. They only have 48 marines in the company now."

You felt a heavy weight settled in your chest, the moment you processed the information. The 5th company, form by the first batch is the most powerful company, other than 2nd company. Each marines come from the hive cities, having fight for their survival since a child, giving them more edge from the second batch.

Before you can said anything, Nine continue. "But there is another problem arise from this, a major one that is." Nine's voice full of concerned. Hearing this, you become more worried as what could be worse with an almost destroy company.

"Another problem?" You ask, your voice laced with tension as you turn to Nine. "What could be worse than this?"

Nine's half bionic face actually turn darker, a rare sight in itself. Nine motions towards Caden and the others. While you don't understand what is going on at first, but the moment Caden and the others take off their helmets, your shock is immediate and overwhelming.

Their faces have changed from flesh into cold, unfeeling. Just then, you realize what the problem is, the flaw from the Iron Hands gene-seed have finally showed itself, Steel over Flesh. One of the mutation or curse, which you like to call the flaws of all the gene-seed, that you feared the most. While the other mutation can be hide or explain away, this is one of them that have no way to hide it. As it is very obvious, and the flaw only appear for Iron Hands and their successor.

While this could serve as proof of your chapter's Iron Hands heritage, you had already made the decision to present the Dark Knights as descendants of the Ultramarines. You had choosen that path to secure the support from the Ultramarine and their successors, as they are the largest and probably, the wealthiest.

Thus, to hide this fact from the chapter secret and public image, you decided to promoted them all into the 1st company, serving as your elite force and honor guard that will only show themselves in the public while wearing the terminator armor. At the same time, all marines that also suffer from this will also be automatically be assigned into the 1st company.

"What causes this?" You ask, your voice full of frustration, as you watching Caden and his men leave the chamber. "While the risk is there, but I want to know what triggered it."

Nine looked at you, his eyes flicker before answering. "As you said, the flaw is always there, waiting to happen." A holo display show a report, report that Caden sudmmited. "According to the report, I can only concluded it happen because of Caden and the rest of 5th company are exposed to a significant trauma from their last engagement with the Ork warband. The strain on physical and psychological have accelerated the flaw. Particularly with the casualties the company suffer, it's provided the final blow that triggered it."

With this information at hand, you realize there's little you can do to prevent it happening. So, you decided to let the companies have rest time after their multiple missions. Hoping that this can lower the chances of the curse happening to the others people.

"Also, while you already here. There's another matter that I need to inform you." Nine suddenly said. "The examination result for the gene-seed that request me to do have come out."

The holo display changed to the gene-seed report. "Unfortunately, the mutations happening in the gene-seed is harmful and dangerous. Meaning these gene-seed are all can't be implanted into the neophytes."

"But, my research show that the gene-seed harvested from a person that have daily consume your blood or things that have your genetic material in it, can preventing the mutations to happen." Nine continue quickly, while showing another report. "Even if it can't be prevented, the gene-seed that I created using your template can be used to create the marines."

"The only thing you need to make sure," Nine emphasize. "is to collect all the gene-seed from the marines fall on battlefield and put them into a secure place or just destroy it. If any of them got in the hands of other people, the future of the chapter is in jeopardize."

After confirming all the details and the newly form 1st company have finished their preparation, you departed from the forge world for your battlegroup with 1st company. While also informing the 10th company to choose neophytes that have earn their right to be promote so that the 5th company can be rebuilt.

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015.M36

Unyielding Shield

Anvilus-Nine - Segmentum Tempestus

A year have passed, 1st company have successfully in showing their ability to act as the chapter elite elements and your honor guard. Especially when you lead the 1st company yourself on U-09-3, a mining world that conquered by an ork warband.

Utilizing the terminator armor with greater efficiency than normal operators, as the results of their bionic augmentation, they have faster response time, improved targeting accuracy, and more precise control over the armor.

Their superior performance allow them to outmaneuvered or outright punch through the Ork force. Turning a supposed prolonged battle in the mines into a swif and decisive victory.

Now, you have returned to the forge world after receiving a message from Nine three weeks ago. Saying that the repairs and construction of the fortress-monastery have completed and ready to be operational.

So, you have returned to the forge world to use the fortress-monastery as your flagship and your chapter's stronghold.