《Deathwatch Team Fluff: A Warhammer 40k Story》Book 2: Chapter 2
Advertisement
Chapter 2
Raphael was moving quickly, after the team had been debriefed on the simulation he had slipped away to calm himself down
before he did something he would regret. His extensive psycho-programming and his own personality rarely let him get this
angry but he certainly was now.
Raphael wait for us!" shouted Varkas from a fair distance behind him, apparently they had followed him. Raphael cursed and
turned into an empty training room then turned and waited. His team was quick, he didn't have to wait long. They filed in
one after another, Raphael looked up and pulled off his helmet "Close the door if you please". His voice was a near whisper
and all of the team picked up on it, they had never seen him like this before.
Raphael breathed in and pointed to a purity seal on his right shoulder, the only difference in colour on the otherwise
silver metal of his arm "Do you know what I recieved this for?" he asked, the team looked at it but didn't have any idea,
nor did they speak.
Raphael's eyes narrowed "I recieved this honour for fighting the greenskins on Caldaris, it was the battle that Watch
Master Lexus encountered me and I was recruited into the Deathwatch". Raphael raised his voice before anyone could answer
"It was the battle where all of my battle-brothers died in front of me!".
All of their eyes widened, each time they had told the story of their induction to the Deathwatch Raphael had always been
silent on the matter. He had a good reason to be, whenever he thought of his fallen battle-brothers it tended to make him
dangerously aggressive.
But he had been pushed and he was far from done "I was honoured for living when the brothers I entered my chapter with fell.
Advertisement
Do you think I wanted honour? I wanted to serve but not for honour or glory because there is none to be found! I will not
have my motives questioned by those I consider to be my family!".
Cyiren's nostrils flared while Re-Shan was looking at the ground ashamed. Varkas and Damascus looked at him evenly. He had
no idea what any of them were thinking but he could see it in their faces they were humbled, he suddenly felt ashamed for
complaining like a child.
Raphael breathed out "I lost everyone I truly cared about that day but I still continue. I do not fight for myself I fight
to celebrate their memories, as well of everyone else who fell protecting the Imperium." His eyes hardened and in a voice
as cold and hard as steel simply said "Do not mistake my intent again".
The whole team nodded but before they could speak the same simulated voice spoke again "Kill Team Striker to the control
room, Kill Team Striker to the control room". Everyone looked between the door and at Raphael repeatedly until he nodded
in dismissal, there was always another battle to be had.
Each of them was moving quickly as they could to the control room, the fact they were being called to the control room
was a bad sign by itself as everytime a Kill Team was called there it meant there was an important task at hand. It was
barely two minutes before the team reached the door which slide open automatically.
Inside were a great many holographic displays, tactical maps and some of the most experienced Space Marines he had ever
met. In truth it was rather daunting until he spotted Watch Master Lexus staring intently at another display depicting a
heavily forested world, as Striker approached he looked up and smiled "You took longer than expected, something I should
Advertisement
know about?". The team looked around at each other but each one simply said "No sir" and fell silent.
Lexus guessed correctly that something was wrong but said nothing more on the subject. He pointed at the hologram and
continued "This is Valarim 6 marines, get aqquainted as it is the location of your next mission". Varkas looked back at
him "What do we face sir?". Lexus was blunt as always "Orks Varkas".
Raphael and Cyiren exchanged a look, both had extensive experience against the greenskins and in their experience they
were not to be underestimated. Damascus was looking at the hologram intensely "The greatest concentrations of Orks are
focused on this plain here", he extended his cybernetic arm and pointed to the centre of the largest continent. He then
looked towards Lexus "I take this world is not undergoing exterminatus or we would not be here". Lexus shook his head "No
this world is high in mineral deposits and other such materials, a world we could use well".
Cyiren folded his arms "So thats why they are there" and Lexus looked at him "Not so simple Cyiren. A fairly large battle
group of Imperial Guard were stationed there to claim the planet and subsequently slaughtered there. The remains of it are
now being salvaged by the greenskins". Cyiren grimaced "Not a good sign, such large amounts of raw material will only
make these scum more powerful, not to mention all of the scrap they would be left with". Lexus then continued "The good
news however is the entire Ork fleet was destroyed in orbit after the initial Ork landing".
Re-Shan cursed and tightened his hand into a fist then looked up at Lexus "Let us destroy the rest of them Watch Master"
to which Lexus only grinned in amusement "Easy Re-Shan, despite their losses there are still many thousands of Orks and
more will be bred from the fungal spores they emit upon death. You will be outnumbered easily". Re-Shan nodded and bowed
his head.
Raphael was deep in thought "What would you have us do Watch Master?" he asked, not letting himself become emotional like
before. Lexus nodded "Simple, it will be three days until reenforcements arrive. They were too late to stop the slaughter
but they will be here soon enough to avenge them and we will assist them in this goal, warp travel will be short at two
days". The Striker team saluted "Yes sir" they said in unison.
Lexus then looked up "Oh yes I almost forgot there is someone who will be joining you on this mission due to its level of
difficulty, it takes a while to gain his respect but he will give nothing but his best. Keep Invictis alive for me will
you?" he then smiled impishly. When Lexus smiled like that it was either not good news or he had a joke in mind.
Raphael hoped for the former.
Advertisement
Mistbound: Eternity
The world is said to be formed out of duality of man. Good and evil, right and wrong, light and dark. And with duality, comes conflict. A meaningless clash of ideals results in pointless wars. Azlan is wanderer who doesn't falls in either category. Tired and done with the redundant world, he lives his secluded life, hunting monstrosites for coin in the crumbling province of Mountaliya, situated in the land of Forsa. The premise follows Azlan as he explores the province, experiencing the culture and its people as they try to stand unshaken amidst a cold and unforgiving world. The story is a dark fantasy that is a balance of action and world building but most importantly, it follows the people going about their daily lives. The world has entered a state of stasis, there are no high stakes, no glory to be had, only a decaying realm of ice remains. Everyone awaits for Heaven's descent, an event prophesied to bring the world out of stasis, by granting the champion of the event a wish. Heaven Shall Descend. I wanted to write a high fantasy story that doesn't focuses too much on Magic and Swordfights, but rather interactions between people, a bit of politics and ideals. This is my first attempt at writing something this huge, please let me know if you see mistakes or any problems in general, so I can learn from them. (The cover picture is from the year 1818, "Wanderer Above the Mist" by Caspar David Friedrich). I also write Short stories set in the same shared universe. You can read them here: Dark Fantasy Short Stories.
8 164Battle for Supremacy: Rise of the Chosen
The world is at war with each species trying to gain absolute power, but to no avail. After fighting for years, peace is finally about to prevail when a secret about a hidden throne unveils itself, one that has the ability to make its occupant the most powerful being in the world. Battles erupt again. Only this time, it is more gruesome and sanguinary. But what no one knows is that the throne is not only capable, it even has a secret, a secret that might bring the rise of the fallen legacy. Now, who will emerge victorious and occupy the throne to become the supreme ruler of the world? And what is the secret that has the power to ruin everyone? Or perhaps, not? Read on to find out more.
8 82A Wheel Inside a Wheel
Two brilliant young me, Reinhard von Musel and Yang Wen-li, are forced to flee the countries of their birth and become refugees on opposite sides of a century long galactic war. While they both struggle to adapt to their new lives, their obvious talent propels them to the forefront of the war. Their choices will shape their adoptive homelands forever, and their clash will decide the future of the galaxy. This story is broken up into volumes, each following one half of the conflict. You can read them in chronological order, or you can follow just Yang or Reinhard. See individual descriptions below. Part One - Speaking in Tongues When Yang Wen-li’s father dies, the only thing that he inherits is a mountain of debt, which can only be paid off with fifteen years of his life. Wanting to escape that indentured servitude, Yang flees his homeland and takes up a false identity in the Galactic Empire, a hyper-stratified society where stepping out of line is punishable with imprisonment or death. Yang enrolls in the Imperial Officers’ Academy to study history, but despite his unusual and unmistakeable talent as both a tactician and a scholar, his classmates resent him for being a visible outsider. When tensions at the school boil over and several of Yang’s classmates attempt to murder him, Yang finds an unlikely ally in the top student in the class: the aloof Oskar von Reuenthal. But Reuenthal and Yang both have secrets, secrets which could destroy both their lives and their newfound friendship. [70k words, complete] Part One (Alternate) - Talking Without Speaking When Oskar von Reuenthal enrolls at the Imperial Officers' Academy, he doesn’t expect to make real friends. The IOA is a competitive place, and Reuenthal has never been well liked. But when a foreign student shows up to challenge him for the top spot in the class, Reuenthal can’t look away. [77k words, complete] Part Two - Life out of Balance When Reinhard von Musel's mother learns that her husband is about to sell her daughter to become the concubine of the Kaiser, she takes her two children, Reinhard and Annerose, and flees to the Free Planets Alliance, where the three of them must start a new life. [129k words, complete] Part Three - Servants of the Pharaoh Now an officer in His Majesty's fleet, Yang Wen-li struggles to maintain his principles in the face of everything that is expected of him. When he's unwillingly drawn into the politics of the court, he has to use all of his talents to keep himself and his new friends out of danger. [173k words, complete] Short - Whatever It Takes to Keep the Body Warm After their falling out, Reuenthal and Mittermeyer are both posted to the brutal wasteland of Capche-Lanka. It's difficult to hold a grudge when you're just trying to survive. [23k words, complete] Short - Keep the Home Fires (Burning) Three soldiers. Two bodies to be buried. One haunted house. [33k words, complete] Part Four - Lighting Out for the Territories While his sister has joined the fierce Rosen Ritter regiment, Reinhard's fame has earned him a post stuck on Phezzan. Instead of getting to fight, he's caught up in a web of secrets, including the shelter and care of a mysterious refugee from the Empire. Separated from everyone he cares about, Reinhard is forced to make some unexpected allies, and make connections with old friends. [147k words, complete] Part Five - Serpent's Mouth, Serpent's Teeth After having sacrificed his freedom to save his best friend's life, Yang must figure out how to win, and not just survive, the largest civil war in human history. [In progress] Part Six - Lightless Labyrinth [forthcoming, TBD] Part Seven - Silent Spiral [forthcoming, TBD] This story is crossposted on ao3 at bit.ly/wheelinsideawheel
8 276Infinity - Aria's Odyssey
Magic, Swords, Adventurers, Friends, Family, Prophecies, and the Meaning of Life. Everything that life holds, is everything that Aria will discover. A child of unique origin, Aria awakens to find herself in a ruined temple within a grove without any recollection. With little to no knowledge or common sense of the world around her, she begins her journey to find her purpose with the voice in her head to aid her in the world of Infinity. Will you come along?
8 83Chasing the Hurricane
There was once an Empire that stood here. The Clawscar Empire. For centuries they were the dominating power of the lands of the west. However, during the reign of Emperor Rahl, the people of the Empire became complacent and lazy, giving themselves to debauchery and degeneracy, ignoring the problems the nation faced. As time passed, the land started to die, relationships with other nations worsened, and Clawscar was slowly becoming a miserable place to live. However, one night, suddenly, the old, rotting order was swept away by a mysterious storm that left as quickly as it came. The people who lived to see it called it the Ghost Hurricane. Years have passed since the hurricane's rampage. Now, a young man prepares to make his trek across the Empire's Corpse, hoping to learn the truth of things... Note: Has nothing to do with the ongoing Magic Knight Saga, also written by me.
8 158A New Beginning
Humans don't understand how someone can be both dead and alive, and that fact scares them, it opens up the possibility of a threat even if there is no evidence of malevolent intent. So, the only solution in the minds of humanity is to dominate and subjugate the unknown variable until it no longer has even the potential to be a threat. They choose to pretend that the unknown variable is lesser, that humanity is superior on no other grounds than that it's humanity. Danny had been stuck with the G.I.W for years when the Young Justice team rescued him. Broken, beaten, and none the wiser of the greater majority of humans, the humans with kindness in their eyes and light in their souls. He's been trapped in the darkness of greed and fear and violence for far too long, and what's left behind is a fractured mind and a trained weapon. Buried underneath that, however, is a young child who is scared and confused, a child that hasn't seen the light of day in years. That child never expected to see the bright side to existence, to see the light shine in the souls of the righteous. That all changed with one group of heroes, and one family of Bats.Cover doesn't belong to me.Cross-published on two other sites*Undergoing heavy editing, nothing plot-wise is changing, I am only editing grammar, mechanics, vocabulary, sentence variation, and formatting and overall I am just making it a more pleasant and refined read :) I am also deleting the A/Ns at the beginning and end of each chapter
8 194