'eadrippas revenge

Sammael strained in the seat of Sableclaw, the battle was going poorly. His high vantage point let him see the swirling mass down below. His army had been investigating reports of rogue mechanicum actions in the sector when without warning an ork Rok had crashed through the heavens. They were immediately beset upon and the ravenwing had been on the back foot since the start. Even the arrival of the local forces trio of knights hadn't proven to be such a boone as he had hoped. They proved effective at first, the two paladins cutting a vast swathe through the orks at least allowing the ravenwing some time to recuperate, but it was a temporary respite as the orks unleashed a fully fledged battle titan of there own and in a short space of time destroyed one of the paladins and left the other and the errant damaged, there shielding barely holding. Sammael had ordered a retreat to a waiting recovery zone where their orbiting cruiser had dropped a rapid ascent space ladder to assist in recovering the troops. They knew it was not a fight they could win, just a retreat they would force the enemy to take great cost in every step they took. Sammael had witnessed the ork leader, one who had aptly named himself 'eadrippa. A brute of an ork that took delight in his namesake, charging any and all signs of leadership within the Dark Angels ranks. But more scary was that this ork was cunning, not a mere violant barbarian.

A flashbang as sableclaws night halo deflected an incoming rocket forced sammael back to the action. The small craft nimbly avoiding enemy fire and flying too low for flakk guns to bring to bear. Bursts of heavy bolter and assault canon fire ripped through the orks like invisible talons, but it was like dropping bolter casings into a canyon. He searched for any sign of 'eadrippa, but of him there was no sign. Far to his flank, the pair of knights were also fighting a fiery retreat. Great blasts of heat turned enemy walkers to molten slag, whilst crater sized explosions tore apart orks by the dozen as the paladin fired. The orks were massing in there general direction, unable to keep up with the rapid retreat of the ravenwing. Only groups of bikers were capable of harassing the ravenwings retreat. The knights however were on unsure footing, and fighting and retreating was a much slower process. It was during this massing that 'eadrippa made himself known. He charged at the paladin, headlong and bellowing a challenge to its princeps. In response, the paladin activated its giant chainblade and struck out at the ork warboss. In an act of what could only be viewed as incredible, even by astartes standards, the warboss dodged the whirling blade of death and ran between its legs. With a mighty cry, the warboss reached up with its massive claw and crushed the giant walkers ankle-hydraulics with ease. The knight lurched and fell to its knee, crippled by the blow. Its battle cannon now wedged in the dirt in a struggle to keep it upright, its chainblade still desperately swiping away at the orks, shredding them in swathes. 'Eadrippa emerged from the titan to stand before it, roaring with laughter as it was too close to swipe at.
"Look boyz! It kneels before me hahaha! Is this not proof that I am the greatest?!"
He then walked casually forwards towards the titans cockpit as it frantically tried to stand up. The nearby errant desperately trying to help his comrade but the arrival of the stompa that had already claimed one of his kin sent him running to the space anchor, shields at maximum to his rear as he fled what would be a pointless sacrifice. 'Eadrippa grapped the crew compartment and tore it off, exposing the princeps inside. He enjoyed the sheer look of terror on the mans face, savored it just long enough and then slowly reached inside. He placed the half-blunt buzz saw seated at the base of his claw against the mans head, watching the princeps look of sheer horror as he realized what was about to happen. With a laugh, 'eadrippa activated the saw and the mans head became mulch in seconds.
"Scrap the remains boyz! Turn it into a Gorkanaught and please da godz!"

Sammael could do nothing but wince, such ruthlessness made him swallow down bile. But nothing could be done here, the orks had won but the ravenwing had retreated with minimal losses. They would not forget what had happened here today, and nor would the last remaining knight.

chapter fall

Jacen stood there, reeling from the blast. His ships warning sensors were on full alert. The screen showed multiple breaches along the hull, and many signals showing the intruders were inside. It had taken them completely unawares. The moment they had cleared the hungry planets atmosphere, a ship shrouded in some unknown technology appeared beside them and opened fire. Kreig had immediately run off to the nearest breach with his squad of terminators in a desperate hope to protect the ship, the two chapters odds a pushed aside for now, united against a common foe. The ship rocked again against the onslaught.
"Librarian, the ships shields are being completely bypassed, and our astopaths and navigators can't signal anything, and our guns have been silent the moment the ship appeared, we have been rendered useless sir"
Jacens face wrinkled, what on earth could do such a thing. Before he could ponder that thought, his vox exploded with a hiss of static before he heard the unmistakable shouting of Kreig.
"Brother, we can't hold much longer down here, I have not seen our opponents once through the battle haze and our visors refuse to work, we are fighting helmet-less and can't see further than our hands, its like the machine spirits are rebelling against us. We are heading to the hanger bay, tell the rest of the ship to regroup there"
With that the static went. Jacen was glad that at the very least the vox was still working. He went over to the ship vox panel and after a burst of static it died down and let him speak.
"All warriors, this is Librarian Jacen, fall back to the hanger bay, I repeat fall back to the hanger bay and regroup there"
Jacen turned to the ships captain.
"Ma'am, I will head down to aide them in any way I can, close the blast shields behind you. If you need me contact me via astropath"
She nodded and he stormed out of the bridge, his elite bodyguard close in tow. As the great blast doors slid closed, he was surrounded by near silence, only broken by the occasional spats of gunfire from distant parts of the ship and the occasional boom when the enemy ship opened fire. He paused for a moment before hurrying down a nearby corridor to the maintenance ladders. The time for safety was not now, and so without a second thought they simply jumped down the great shaft, hurtling to the next level in the blink of an eye. This way they rapidly arrived at the hanger level, only to find the door sealed shut. His bodyguard braced themselves against it and tried to force it open but to no avail. Seeing no other option, Jacen reached into the warp, his eyes glowed red and his veins shone like lava before he unleashed a torrent of heat, reducing the door to molten slag in seconds. What lay before them was a nightmare. The surviving astartes, barely two hundred combined from both chapters now, were holed up in a corner of the hanger with a makeshift barricade. Surrounding them were hundreds of what at first appeared to be humans, but twisted, augmented and utterly relentless. Bolter shells tore great chunks out of them, but they ignored it completely. Only the total dismemberment would stop them. There guns, whilst not as rapid firing as the astartes bolter shared the stopping power, and every few shots a precious astartes would fall wounded, or worse.
Howling in frustration, Jacen hurled himself at the nearest bunch, his bodyguard joining in and reveling in unleashing their battle rage, great bone protrusions extending from there arms as they impaled and decapitated the augmented men. Jacens sword rose and fell, eldritch lightning leapt from his fingers and rolling fires erupted from his mouth, he was an avatar of death. But no matter what he did, a few continued to get back up. The augmented men were beginning to realize the new threat, but they were already among them, and were too slow to react. But soon Jacen realized they were not only impervious to pain, but also there human bodies belayed there superhuman strength. A trio of them grabbed one of his bodyguard and lifted him into the air, whilst a third smashed each of the astartes limbs to pulp before the four of them tore his torso in half as the brother screamed in agony and helplessness. The sight enraged Jacen but it also distracted him long enough for another augmented man to sneak behind him and with all its strength it lashed out. The strike hit Jacen in the ribs, his armour split and his ribs cracked and he was left struggling for breath at the floor, an baroque weapon aimed at his head, before he could cry out the augmented man disappeared in a storm of gore. Where it had been now stood Kreig, thunder hammer and storm shield in hand.
"Thought you would need a hand brother" Kreig smirked whilst helping him up.
"Oh I never thought I would want to hear that from you captain" he laughed.
Between them they set about the continual destruction of the augmented men, bolter fire licking from the makeshift defense post and the now two remaining bodyguard ripping a fell toll among them. Soon there were only a few left. Jacen raised his hand to turn a trio into a smouldering husk, and then watched as the now only remaining bodyguard tore another to pieces, roaring in victory. Before he could celebrate more he disappeared in a cloud of green smoke. Stunned, Jacen turned to meet the new threat, blindly launching a grief and anger filled ball of fire towards his target. There was a great explosion and the room fell silent. When the smoke began to clear, he finally saw what he was facing. Standing at the other end of the vast hanger, was the unmistakable shape of a Magos. A lord of the mechanicum. A hulking scarab like machine grafted to his  back made him tower over his subordinates, who in turn towered over an astartes. Quickly Jacen turned to Krieg.
"This is not a battle we can win, right now the very ground we stand on is now against us, get to the thunderhawks, and travel to the nearest water rich planet you can find, they rely on technology for there power and will find little there. I will delay them as much as possible, but if it seems like I am lost, leave me and save yourselves. Understand?"
Kreig nodded, though Jacen could see his reluctance and being able to face this foe directly. He ran off in the direction of the surviving astartes, and Jacen began his slow walk to the Magos. The fact they weren't opening fire on him both concerned him, and comforted him. If they had no reason to talk he would be dead by now, he could see the great weaponry held by the hulking myrmidons. At least now he knew the nature of the augmented men, they were tech thralls, and the magos was clearly leader of the hungry world. It sent a shiver down Jacens spine to realize the power this man could wield. By the time he had crossed the hanger to confront the Magos, he could hear the powering up of thunderhawks. He looked at the magos, the twisted combination of man and machine.
"I am Librarian Jacen, of the astartes dragon kin. Why have you deemed fit to attack us magos?"
The lord stared at him for a moment, before a sudden burst of static erupted from its vocal ports. It was laughing, and that was even more unnerving.
"Tell me.... what is it like for an astartes to feel hopelessness?"
Jacen was taken aback by the question.
"What do you mean?"
As if by some unspoken command, a myrmidon raised his archaic weapon and fired at the furthest thunderhawk, the weapons beam getting stronger and stronger, producing a loud keening wail that only rose in volume and pitch the further it went until it struck the flyer. In an instant the ship, already fully laden, exploded. In quick succession the other myrmidon fired its own gun, what appeared to be a heavily modified plasma cannon, into the remnants of the ship. A flash of green told Jacen this was the gun that atomized his last bodyguard. These were weapons of a bygone era of unlimited power.
"By which I mean, how does it feel to know you are all about to die... for nothing, and with no hope?" The magos quipped. Another burst of static, which this time was interrupted. It looked shocked, and turned to look at Jacen.
"What are you doing?"
Before Jacen could respond that he was not doing anything, a great flash lit up the hanger. Standing between Jacen and the Magos, stood the mighty form of Bjorn. With a mighty roar and single sweep the myrmidons were no more, and he turned on the thallax bodyguard of the magos, who now was sprouting panicked binary to his troops. Gates opened and more thallax, myrmidons and thralls poured out, but more flashes announced the arrival of more space wolves, at its head was a group of terminator armored wolf guard, who set to work attacking the nearest foes with cries of glee and laughter. The remaining dragon kin and terra templars exited the thunderhawks and joined in, not ones to relinquish a good fight. Krieg smiled as he crashed into the nearest thallax.
Jacen realized this was now Bjorns fight witht he Magos and headed off in the direction of Kreig, sending spouts of lightning into the thralls and thallax, short circuiting their delicate cybernetic brains. As he reached Kreig he watched as he wrestled one down to the ground before stamping on its cybernetic core and destroying it.
"You seem to be enjoying this Kreig" Jacen shouted as he fried a group of thralls.
"How can i not, their heads are so high, a single swing makes them go so far!" Kreig bellowed as he made good on his quote and sent a thallax head clattering off into the distance.
Meanwhile, bjorn had gotten to his prey, but the Magos had no fear. He raised his hands and strange devises unleashed searing beams of utmost darkness into Bjorn, sending him crashing to a knee.
"You may be a hero of the Imperium Bjorn, but you are still a machine, and I am the lord of all machines!" the Magos babbled, raising his hands for another strike, but before he could Bjorn send out a burst of broiling flame, taking the Magos by surprise. Before he could compose himself, Bjorn had him in his claw.
"You are not my lord, Magos" Bjorn growled, so deep his external vox clipped the words.
"Not yet" the Magos replied, and with a smile an integral teleported vanished him out of Bjorns grip.
Bjorn roared in frustration, and turned the nearby bodies into naught but dust. As he turned around he saw battle was done. But he had arrived too late from the distress call, the dragon kin chapter was so low in strength they would never be a chapter again, only to be absorbed into others or to fight on as a crusade until they died.
Jacen looked out at scene whilst Kreig came up to him.
"My chapter took heavy loss here. My planet will not gain sufficient recruits for a long time. I can only dread to think what crosses your mind now" Kreig said, his voice laden with grief.
"I do not have a chapter anymore. I have not even got a company. I have but sixty-three men left, and a pair of dreadnought chassis with nobody to inter. I already know what my chapter want, we spoke of this day happening, but not so soon. We will crusade until life leaves us"