[IC] Bloodshed and Betrayal, 40k

[Lotta Pumpkins]

Faust stood in the docking bay of the Resolute Faith. He was taking on a new squad of Deathwatch today, and they were inbound over several hours, being shuttled in with the supplies he needed. The squad was inbound to some Jungle shithole called Cul, and he didn't feel any regret for it. He got paid a lot of money for this glorified space taxi business. He signed off on another load of supplies, and looked to the next shuttle, that had the Inquisitorial Rosette on the side, showing that the first of the Squad was here.

Arkhas rode in the cramped shuttle, wearing all his armor. He was sitting down, doing mental exercises, feeling calm. He was the calm before the storm. He was an ocean of rage with a calm top. He took a deep breath as the ship touched down in the docking bay. When the ship was down and the small door open, he forced his way out, scraping the paint off on the door edges as he pushed his way out. He looked at the captain, through the red lens of his helmet. He could end him without any effort. The small man stepped forward to him, and placed his hand over his heart. He spoke. "My lord, welcome aboard the Resolute Faith"

Arkhas stared at him, feeling nothing in his cold, evaluation of the man. "Show me where I sleep." Was all he said. The small man pointed, and Arkhas stepped off, taking the first bunk room, placing his weapons in the room, along with his helmet, before walking to the library, and finding some random book to read, as he waited for the Journey to begin in earnest, once everyone else was aboard.

[0Zeroes]

Another shuttle came with in with a load of supplies and a Space Marine in black armor. The shining crest of the Ultramarines and Deathwatch gleamed as a techmarine walked out of the shuttle in full armor. He was calm, almost happy, William quickly surveyed the Resolute Faith, it was a decent sized ship that would probably accommodate a squad of Deathwatch. Carrying was seems to be a container filled with his equipment, he walked out moving the container and silently greeted Faust. "Welcome to the Resolute Faith follower of the Mechanicus." Faust said with careful disdain. "My room?" he blatantly asked, after being given the location, he walked over to his room and put his things down. He proceeded to explore the ship and eventually stopped at the armory. He began taking inventory and observing the equipment on board, waiting for the rest of his squad.

[Grothnor]

The next shuttle came not from the planet's surface, but from another ship docked in the system. Rayvius had booked passage onboard the rogue trader ship Joygirl's Lover, an unusual method of travel for most space marines, even Deathwatch, but not for Kill-Marines. Rayvius had been apart from is fellow Astartes for the past 26 years, and hadn't even seen another Space Marine in the past 14. He was anxious to be in the presence of Battle Brothers again; it was something he was not totally accustomed to. However, what concerned him more was the kind of situation that would call him out of isolation. He had been tracking down a group of Eldar pirates in the system, hoping they would make the mistake of boarding his ship, but luck was not on his side and orders called him here, to the Resolute Faith.

His shuttle docked and he strode onboard the cutter, wearing a dark green bodyglove and a black tabard bearing the Insignia of the Deathwatch, and was greeted by the Captain of the ship. He nodded his head in polite salutation, "Greetings, Captain Faust. I trust I am on schedule?" Captain Faust nodded, a little taken aback by this killing-machine's manners. "I only have a single cargo module containing my personal effects. Could you please sign for it?" Captain Faust was fully flabbergasted: a Space Marine said please. He signed and Rayvius thanked him and proceeded into the ship. Rayvius smiled. He had learned early that being polite could made things very easy, and put others off guard when it was an Astartes it was coming from.

[Nobodyman123]

Olaf sat in the only chair on the shuttle that would he would fit in. He had been silent for most of the trip, as the terms of his leaving Fenris still left him sore. Rawl, his comrade for many years, has accused him of cowardice. This was not true, obviously, but Olaf never expected this. His Wolf Lord, or a Company Commander as other Space Marine chapters call them, gave him a choice: stand trial or serve in the Deathwatch. Olaf chose the latter. Though supposedly impartial, his lord knew of Olaf's innocence, and gave him a Frost Blade from his own personal armory, and orders to return to Fenris alive, along with this blade.

When Olaf's shuttle touched down, he disembarked and strode to Resolute Faith and saw another Astartes climb aboard after talking with an officer. Olaf gave a slight bow and spoke to the captain in Gothic, though it still sounded strange with Olaf's accent. "Greetings, Captain. Is this the Resolute Faith?" asked Olaf. The captain nodded and Olaf entered the ship. He placed his equipment module in the small armory, but he kept his Frost Blade sheathed on his back. To him, it was far too important to leave out of sight.

[Psyker Landshark]

Lantus stepped off of the shuttle, his power armor newly painted in Deathwatch black, with the exception of his right pauldron, which still bore the colors of the Blood Ravens. As servitors began carrying supplies onto the ship, Lantus clutched his own equipment module and approached the captain of the ship, nodding at the man.

"Brother Lantus of the Blood Ravens, reporting in. Where am I to be quartered, Captain?"

The captain pointed him towards a free room, and Lantus proceeded to set his equipment module inside, leaving only a bolt pistol and chainsword equipped on his person. With that out of the way, he entered the armory, intent on inspecting what equipment was available to him. Knowledge was power, and he would start in the armory. Once he had free time later, the library was his next target. With any luck, he could glean whatever scraps of knowledge he could to bring back to the Blood Ravens.

While he was inside the armory, Lantus noticed a fellow Astartes also inside, his armor painted in black and bearing the livery of the Ultramarines. And judging by the red helmet, he was a Techmarine. As he passed by, Lantus gave the Ultramarine a respectful nod.

"Greetings." He stated while eyeing a particularly shiny piece of wargear out of the corner of his eye. "I am Brother Lantus of the Blood Ravens."

[Lotta Pumpkins]

Captain Faust finished his final preparations, and watched the final shuttle depart the small bay. The door slowly churned shut, with a loud metal groan. Faust looked at the servitor closest to him, and thought of the new eccentric passengers he had taken on. "They don't pay me enough for this." he said, shaking his head. He turned and went to the head of the ship. "Make final preparations. I'll brief the new arrivals." He said, as the piloted nodded. Faust grabbed a small microphone attached to a console. "All Astartes, please join me in the dining hall for initial briefing." When he finished, he strode smartly down the hall. He was first into the room, and once all the Marines aboard were assembled, he began.

The room itself was the largest single room aside from the Engine vault. It had delicate ceilings, of high gothic origin. The walls were draped with banners, scrolls detailing sagas of heroism and adventure. In the middle of the room was a large table, built to the sturdy requirements and proportions of the angels of death. It was cold stone, without decoration, with benches on either side of the long table.

"My name is Faust, you may address me as such, or Captain. Either is fine. But I do not take kindly to disrespect." He paused for a moment for effect. "And yes, I know who in this room is wearing power armor, and who is not. But this is my ship, and I am in the service of Lord Gaius, and am due all the respect he is." Faust clapped his hands together, and then gestured to Syrus. "This fellow is Syrus. You may have noticed he is a black shield, from the lack of markings on his shoulders. He is the master of forge aboard the ship, and has taken a vow of silence. Do not attempt to converse with him, as you'll produce more fruit talking to a wall." To this, Syrus nodded. The entire time however, he was staring at the Blood Raven, as if daring him to live up to his chapter's reputation.

Faust continued. "As for your mission, there is a small planet that we are being sent to handle. I'll brief you more as we approach and up to date intel becomes available. Brother Arkhas will be the leader of this mission, as he has the most experience. I do not think I need to remind you all that Lord Gaius has hand selected you all for this mission, and although some of you have little experience in the deathwatch proper, he knows you all to be fully capable of his demands." Faust paused again for effect. "And now, I pass the floor to Brother Carus."

At this, Carus stood up. "Yes, hello. My name is Brother Carus. I am from the Hawk Lords. I shall not be joining you on the ground, as I fly the ship's thunderhawk." Carus smiled, a large toothy grin, and licked his teeth, as if he had more to say. After a few seconds he waved his hand to Arkhas, and sat down.

Arkhas, had proceeded directly from the Library to the hall, and still had not removed his helmet, or weapons on his hips. His massive two handed chainsword was in his room currently, though. When he stood up, his bone necklace clinked loudly. Arkhas stood a head taller than the other marines in the room. "My name, is Arkhas." He spoke in delicate high gothic. "My title, is the slaughter." he continued. "I believe in two things, and two things just. My arm, and my weapons. I have taken the heads of gods and burned the wretched from their hovels. I suffer not the weak to live, and shatter the xenos upon their own bulwarks. I come from the Carcharadons Astra. My position is champion, and in this, I am Master." He stood for a moment after finishing, before waiving his hand to whomever was next to him, and sitting back down.

[Grothnor]

Rayvius joined his fellow Astartes in the dining room. He found the decorations somewhat off-putting. Celebrating tales of heroics were all well and good, but reeked of traditionalism; Rayvius preferred practicality over aesthetics and dogmatism. The stone table was a refreshing breath of simplicity. Brother Carus introduced himself rather briefly, followed by Brother-Sergeant Arkhas. He was clearly a brute, even amongst astartes, but Ray had learned that underestimating even the most brutish of space marines is often a fatal mistake. They tended to be more determined than other astartes, and could be counted on not to doubt themselves or their abilities. Case and point: this one was speaking in High Gothic.

Rayvius stood to introduce himself after Arkhas finished. "I am Rayvius 'Moyses' Skalterion of the Dark Angels. I have spent ninety years with the Deathwatch, mostly as a kill-marine. I am prepared to serve as a scout or a tactical marine, as our commander wishes." He inclined is head slightly in Arkhas' direction. He folded his hands into an Aquila and ended with a simple, "The Emperor Protects," before sitting, and mulling over what services he required of Syrus.

[0Zeroes]

Before William could reply, they were told to go to the dining hall. "Looks like we must meet in the dining hall" and he walked out of the armory. William walked into the room still fully in his armor, although he had taken his helmet off, and made his way to one of the seats. He looked around and noticed the large amount of space put into this dining room, this was easily one of the largest rooms on the ship. Another observation he made was of the decorations surrounding the large dining room. These decorations depicted the heroes of the Imperium and should be honored accordingly, William was happy to know that these men of honor were not simply dismissed. When the captain started talking he shifted his body position and paid attention to what he had to say. After him, Brother Carus introduced himself, along with Moyses.

William stood up to introduce himself next, "Greetings, my name is William Selark of the Ultramarines. I have spent little time in the Deathwatch but I can no doubt be useful to the team. You may have noticed that I am a techmarine, and I will fulfill such duties. Long Live the Imperium." He bowed slightly and sat down, he wondered who would introduce themselves next.

[Psyker Landshark]

After his fellow Astartes introduced themselves, Lantus took a moment to evaluate each as they spoke in turn. He wouldn't learn much from a few sentences alone, but any knowledge about his Battle Brothers would be useful. When it came to his turn to introduce himself, he stood up, removing his helmet as he did so.

"I am Lantus, Battle Brother of the Blood Ravens." He said, clutching his helmet in one hand. "I am designated as a tactical marine, and am newly assigned to the Deathwatch. However, I will perform my duty for the Emperor and the Imperium. Emperor guide us, brothers." Lantus finished, putting his helmet back on as he sat down.

As he waited for the next Astartes to speak, Lantus looked up, meeting the gaze of the Master of the Forge. The Blackshield hadn't stopped staring at him, or at least in his direction, even as the other Space Marines were introducing themselves. Lantus narrowed his eyes underneath his helmet and held his gaze with the Master of the Forge, annoyed that he was receiving suspicion already, most likely due to his Chapter. It seemed that the Blood Ravens' undeserved reputation had spread even out in this far corner of the Imperium.

[Nobodyman123]

When Olaf entered the room, he saw the other members of his Deathwatch squad were already introducing themselves. He took up the last remaining seat and waited for the Blood Raven, Lantus, to finish. "Forgive my tardiness, I had some gear to square away. Olaf, son of Kjartan, called the Shieldbreaker. I am a son of Russ, and a warrior of the Vylka Fenryka." He caught himself speaking in his native tongue and returned to Gothic. "Sorry, you would say Space Wolves." He bowed and took a look around the room at his new squad mates.

Olaf knew little of the Blood Ravens or the Space Sharks, but his company once fought along side the Blood Angels, and Olaf appreciated their ferocity and stout hearts. The Ultramarines he knew of by reputation as flawless strategists, and he was also glad to have one of their number here. But when Olaf's eyes glanced over the marine wearing the livery of the Dark Angels, Olaf nearly bore his teeth. The Dark Angels and Space Wolves have been rivals since the Allfather day's, and whenever the two chapters found themselves working together, the distrust was generally mutual. Still, Olaf was willing to work with a son of the Lion, if it was required of him.

[Lotta Pumpkins]

Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, Faust stood back up and clapped his hands. "Thank you all, for the introductions. Momentarily you will feel us departing. The journey will take a few days, but I believe you all will find an adequate chapel, library, and training rooms to suit your needs. In a few minutes dinner shall be served." With that, Faust leaned forward into a small, polite bow, and departed the room. The Marine Syrus stood up, and departed after him, not waiting on the food, and returning to the forge.

After a few minutes, a physical shift in the ship's gravity could be felt momentarily as it started it's journey. A short while after, a loud pop could be heard be all aboard, as the geller fields activated, and with one last gut wrenching lurch, the ship was jumping through warp space. Roughly fifteen minutes afterwards, several servitors shuffled in, with hands full of platters of food. It was a feast for a normal man, and a meal for the astartes. Various greens and vegetables on platters, grox. Pitchers of water and wine, although the astartes augmentations made getting drunk fairly difficult. When the plates were all placed, the servitors would shuffle away.

During the meeting, Arkhas would give each marine their due respect. He said nothing to them all. Founding chapters for the most part, but the Blood Ravens were new to him. The Space Sharks themselves were an ancient chapter, second founding, but they had been on a crusade their entire existence. Arkhas has fought a great many an enemy who had not even heard of the Emperor yet, nor did the Imperium know of them. Civilizations trying to reach the stars meeting giants clad in armor smiting them before their prime. As such, his chapter was not known to many.

When the captain had left, the ship had departed, and the food was brought in, Arkhas would finally remove his helmet. His skin was white, his eyes deep, and black. No iris or whites, only pupils. The skin on his face was drawn tight against his cheek bones, and his jet black hair was short and cropped. With his pursed lips, he looked like the avatar of death, a literal skull for a head. He knew that the other marines may be shocked by how inhuman he looked, by they would get over it, or they wouldn't, and it did not matter to him. Arkhas simply reached forward, and grabbed a plate. He took several slices of Grox, rare, and placed them on his plate. He took some of the vegetables as well, and started to eat. He figured he should try to bond with the marines in some way, although in truth he did not desire their companionship. Only their loyalty, and compliance.

Between bites of the animal, with blood running down his chin from the rare meat, he asked the only question he could think of to bond with. "What is the largest thing you've killed? Myself? A Tyranid. One of those hive mind ones, that lead the hordes. Giant monster, standing maybe 18 feet tall." Arkhas drank down a glass of wine, before continuing. "Took my arm, when I thought I had finally bested it. I had done everything right. Parried and dodged. Opened up it's stomach with my sword, and it lunged, and took my arm. I remember it hit me in the shoulder, pinned me down. Leaned down, screaming in my face. I stabbed it in the head." Arkhas looked around at them all. "Closest I've come to death."

[Grothnor]

Rayvius swallowed his mouthful of Grox before speaking. “A Hive Tyrant, or an equivalent synapse beast. Impressive. The largest tyranid I've bagged was a Broodlord, though I've taken out several of them. I fight genestealer cults more often than I fight the swarm. Personally, I'd take a fight with a Tyrant any day. It's straightforward and uncomplicated. Genestealers are cunning and subtle, yet fierce and deadly. Their claws are able to tear through ceramite, and they can wait for days without betraying their position. I've heard tales of our first company, Deathwing, boarding a space hulk infested with the things. The corridors were so narrow that no one could see or shoot past each other, and the genestealers could just tear through their tactical dreadnought armor. Not a situation I would have wanted to be in. Either way, the largest thing I've killed would probably be a broodlord, maybe at three point two meters, but the largest thing I have destroyed was a Manta Missile Destroyer. I was trying to assassinate a Tau Ethereal at his summer palace. I managed to force him to flee to his Manta where I boarded it, destroyed the engine mid-flight and avoided the crash with a grav-chute.