Capitan Saulot Gideon - Dark Angels
"Withdraw from the fire support position Nestor, I want your devastators back at base to be re-outfitted with the new shipment of graviton weaponry and re-deployed against the heavy armoured targets in the city centre. The advantage that the manouverability of the xeno artillery platforms provide will be nullified in those narrow corridors, and they will not expect our forces to be there given the ground we have lost in the lowlands over the past few days. It's the swiftest route for them to secure the foothold they have. It is of to much significance to ignore, the Sons of Medussa will be exposed if we leave the flank open overlong. Sergeant Xaviel will assume your responsibilities in the sector, have him briefed and report to me upon arrival at base before moving out . We have much to discuss." Barked Gideon down the vox to sergeant Nestor of two heads talking squad. The efforts against the Tau incursion into the Metalixus system, a long established place of interest for the Iron Hands and a strong recruitment site for their successor chapter, the Sons of Medusa. The conflict had been slowing of late. A war of attrition finally broken, when the majority of the blue skinned foe had been routed upon a 3 month long campaign to slay the ethereal after Inquisitor Torqmeda Coteaz called in additional support from nearby Imperial forces. Both Gideon's 8th company and the fearsome might of the free blade Pride of Casterly had answered the call. The fabled inquisitor broke the back of the invasion himself, slaying the Xenos commander in single combat with a mighty blow from his daemon hammer, before departing to rendezvous with captain Epathus and his Ultramarines. Master Gideon and his counterpart within the Sons of Medusa, had worked together to sweep the planet of the remaining Tau forces, down to the last stronghold, the city of Pelathor and its surrounding plains. Turning from the console, and making way over to a monitor with geographical survey data, Saulot Gideon began to plan the siege of the Tau stronghold.
As he skimmed through the data readouts, a slight glitch in his mechanical eye gave momentary pause. Sensing he was not alone, he turned slowly to see nought but the empty deck of his command centre. With a murmured sigh, he returned to perusing the readouts. Moments later, his eye focus shifted once again. Slamming the data slate to the console, he wheeled, irritated to see yet again nothing behind him. A sudden draft give birth to chittering barely audible despite his augmented astartes sensory enhancements. He listened closer... What was that? A whisper? Advancing to the door of the command centre, Gideon's bio-metric data field automatically leading the door to l slink open. The corridor ahead was long and gloomy, with small globes of luminescence puncturing the Inky blackness where light had leeked through the ventilation system. Another brief squall brushed past him as he peered into the gloom of the corridor. Weighing up the likelyhood of there actually being anything in the hallway against the importance of the task at hand, Gideon turned to retrace his steps back to the console, where his gaze met a short hooded figure, no taller than an toddler. A moment of silence passed between the two, "you are certain of this?" Gideon probed as the watcher returned his gaze with deafening silence. Gideon nodded, punching encryption signatures into the console as he prepared his box broadcast. "All Elements of the 8th company will withdraw with immediate effect. Priority re-deployment order Foxtrot-Alpha-Lima. Prepare for departure vector 9073787. Target system Lastrati."
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Angeli Tenebris Lastrati: part 2
A thick atmosphere of incense lay heavy in the air of the sanctum. New candles had been established and Baphomet busied himself with preparing the chamber for the conclave to arrive. The gathering would begin soon and the brothers would be arriving shortly, there wasn't enough time to prepare the full ceremony, a fact which irked Baphomet, making him marginally more irritable than usual. With unnerving punctuality, brother Enoch entered the chamber, nodding curtly to Baphomet, before switching his regulars for the robes of ceremony. Baphomet noted that Enoch's eyes looked heavy, and a weight seemed to be heavy on his shoulders, but did not dwell on the matter lest the psyker detect his probing thoughts. "Too late brother chaplain, I sensed your displeasure moments before my arrival and in that moment or minds shared a common concern." Enoch murmured quietly, as if trying to prevent his words from being consumed by the vast audio void that surrounded them in the hall of the black lion, as Baphomet's ceremonial sanctum had come to be known. It was a nickname that suited his nature and he had come to appreciate it during his interrogation work, finding that external infamy aided the process of extracting key information from the foes of the 1st. "Such a burden your gifts must be at times brother, to know every whim and fancy of each of your brothers" Baphomet quipped in retort making no such pretence at conserving the peace of the hall. "However, you are correct, Master Gideons orders carry with them a weight which we must all be ready to face, the ruinous powers walk again in the imperium." He beckoned Enoch over to a large round table set with goblets and candles with ornate candlabra's in the fashion of the great beasts of old Caliban. Before long the pair were joined by a handful of hooded astartes, each in identical robes, all solemn and silent. It wasn't until the company master himself entered the room until each voiced their greetings and assumed their seat at the table. One seat remained empty, a fact which Gideon addresses immediately proceeding the initial acts of the ceremony. Each of the present Part drank deep from the goblet, lit the candle in front of them and spake their name and the oath of the inner circle. The oath that only the most experienced and trusted members of the unforgiven were privy too. "Apologies on behalf of brother Dariel, who was lost to the chapter two days past in the field serving the emperor. May he return to him now and his gene seed serve the chapter again, courage and loyalty. For the lion and the emperor." Each of the assembled repeated the sentiment before resuming the silence to allow Gideon to continue. "Dariel's seat will remain vacant until a suitable candidate is presented and approved, given the nature of our mission, that time may come sooner than we would have liked. I have called the conclave to convey that traitors and agents of chaos have been found wrecking havoc within imperial space. This is an insult that cannot go unanswered. Initial reports suggest elements of Death Guard have been sighted, though by no means should we rule out additional elements of the black legion" Gideon let the final words of his sentence hang in the air so that each of the assembled would digest the subtext before continuing. "Long range Scanning detects imperial presence in the system, including the spear of Calth..." Gideon grimaced and continued. "Captain Epathus and his Ultramarine entourage are greatest in number, though a company of as yet unidentified Space Wolves are also present. We may yet see more arrive owing to the severity of the incursion.
Given our hasty departure, It is possible that Tau forces may follow us to this location. If that transpires, we will show them the error of their ways. Do you all understand what is required?" He met each of their eyes and found complete unity of purpose in each gaze. Gideon drew himself up to full height and gave a salute. "The Lion's Ark is scheduled to arrive in the Lastrati system in 12 standard hours, ensure that the squads are ready for deployment as per your mission briefs. I have prepared the schedules for planetfall personally. There can be no error. For the Lion. For the emperor!" Gideon turned from the table and made for the exit stopping only to kneel before the great monument to the Primarch, a life size statue of Johnson himself. The remaining members of the assembly picked up their data slates and then immediately looked at one another, understanding what needed to be done...
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