The Fanaris Signal

[ElectricPaladin]

Episode One:

My FLGS is running a Cities of Death themed campaign. One of the things they sometimes do is offer little bennies - rerolls and the like - for those of us who write little ficlets about our characters. This is the first of mine. It introduces my Warlord: Reclusiarch Erich Alastor of the Knights of Blood. Also, my captain, Calin Vassago, who will probably not ever be on the tabletop (though I do have a model for him...). And, for that matter, the ship's master... though she will nwver be on the table, sadly, because she's not a space marine.

I genuinely want feedback, so feel free to respond with both positive and negative notes!

And, of course, enjoy!

The air was filled with reeking mist. The crack of boltgun rounds mingled with the thrum of distant support weapons and the moans of the dying. Somewhere, someone screamed defiantly:

"Come for me! Come for me, you spineless lapdogs. Come and face fire!"

And then there was a sound like thunder…

The sound of the alert shook Erich Alastor back to the present. The chaplain realized that he had been standing stock still for some time, staring thoughtfully at his power armor where it hung in an honored position in private chamber aboard the Hunter. By a tradition more ancient than the Heresy itself, the power armor was painted black, except for the left arm and pauldron, which were painted in the silver and crimson of the Knights of Blood. Erich himself was clad in grey and crimson carapace armor. Unlike the rest of his battle brothers, his honored position - and the self-control it implied - allowed him to carry weapons aboard the strike cruiser. Even Erich did not trust himself enough to carry his crozius arcanum outside the field of battle, so the winged mace rested in its own glass case nearby. A simple combat blade hung at the belt was enough to establish Erich’s station.

Erich spoke the incantation that communicated to the machine spirit that he acknowledged the alert and turned his bulk towards the vox unit set into the wall as it crackled to life, revealing the weathered face of Captain Calin Vassago, the master of the 5th Company. Unlike the chaplain, Captain Vassago was in full battle dress. The left flank and shoulder of his power armor was partially dismantled, however, and a group of serfs and techpriests worked furiously at the exposed flesh. The captain had been grievously wounded, but his expression belied no more than slight discomfort as the medicae treated his burned and mangled flesh.

Erich inclined his head. No more honorifics were necessary between the two, despite their difference in station. “How goes the campaign?”

Calin’s laugh was wild and cruel. “As you can see, I am out of the fighting for a while. These ******* xenos may be frail when you come to grips with them, but their guns have a punch to them! Nevertheless, we will best them. I have no doubt. The Sanguinor has been seen among our lines.”

"The Primarch’s blessing us upon you," Erich intoned.

"May it be upon us all," Calin replied, but his voice was impatient as he recited the rote response. He was eager to return to the matter at hand. "I have a mission for you. This comes directly from the Lord of War himself."

"You have been in contact with Master Baalbelith?"

Calin waved his free hand dismissively. “From time to time.” He grunted as one of the techpriest withdrew something from his side. It was dark and metallic, but Erich could not tell if it was one of Calin’s many implants, ruined by xenos fire, or some kind of alien shrapnel. “In any case, what do you know about the world Fanaris?”

Erich laughed. What did anyone know of any of the Imperium’s myriad worlds? There were more than a hundred inhabited worlds for every single Astartes.

Calin smiled, then continued. “It’s an old story: once a rich hive world, now a blasted wasteland. Tyranids. Exterminatus.” The medicae were no longer directly working on Calin’s body and were standing a few feet off, muttering to each other. One of them gestured wildly with bloodstained hands.

"In any case," the captain continued, "we have begun to receive transmissions."

"From the dead world?"

"Yes. They are ancient Mechanicum codes. None of our techmarines can make any sense of them, and they assure us that neither will anyone else’s. We need to find the source and investigate the matter in person."

"Other Imperial forces will be there…" Erich said dubiously.

"Oh, yes. A number of Astartes cruisers have been spotted in the area: Space Wolves, Raptors, Salamanders, some obscure chapter called the ‘Pious Templars.’ Soul Drinkers, even." Erich frowned at that. The Knights of Blood had been looking for the opportunity to reach out to their fellows - other chapters declared renegade, but still loyal to the Imperium - to test both their mettle and their purity and perhaps, strike a bargain. "Even a navy ship carrying some mortal soldiers, the Cadian 8th, I believe."

Calin was not finished, however. His last two words muddied the waters infinitely. “A Grey Knights cruiser as well.”

Erich remembered. Smoke and death, boltguns and thunder. Grey-clad Astartes striding the halls of their venerable fortress-monastery.

"The Inquisition’s lapdogs," Erich snarled.

Calin laughed again. “Be at peace, brother. It has been a hundred standard years. Perhaps they have forgotten us?”

"Then we will remind them!" Erich felt the Thirst rise in him. His teeth itched to sink into soft flesh. He had not been consciously aware of reaching for his knife, but now the hilt was in his hand. It felt good to hold the weapon, but his rage wanted more. He wanted the humming heft of his crozius arcanum. He wanted to grasp a limb and feel it spasm as he pulled it from its socket.

"Peace, brother!" Calin snapped. Erich’s better nature warred with the rage and won. His anger subsided, and slowly, he regained his control. Erich pulled his fingers painfully from the hilt of his combat knife and let it slide the rest of the way back into it’s sheath.

"You will avoid the Grey Knights. You will not engage them unless they engage you first. If they approach you peacefully, you will work with them to achieve our mutual goals. Master Baalbelith has made this abundantly clear to me, and I will make it clear to you. Your priority is the completion of this mission. It is our lot to defend and destroy; only rarely are we given the opportunity to discover or recreate. You will not endanger this opportunity, brother."

Erich bowed his head. “No, captain. I will not.”

"Good." Calin cocked his head, then laughed again. "The medicae tell me that I must grant them my full attention. I trust that I have communicated this mission to you?"

"You have. The Hunter will make for the Fanaris system with all speed.”

"Good." The captain’s image faded. "May the Primarch’s shadow be upon you."

"And you as well, my friend."

Erich gave himself a handful of heartbeats to gather himself before he turned on his heel and strode from the room, directly onto the Hunter's bridge. He greeted the serfs politely, acknowledging them with slight inclinations of his head; they made practiced obeisance, then continued about their tasks. They were mortals - the bravest mortals Erich had ever met - who dared to work and fight among the Emperor's most brutal berserkers, so vicious that even the Imperium had turned them out into the cold. And yet, still, they served, despite the inhuman enemies before them and the crazed Astartes behind them.

"Lord Alastor," said a slightly built woman, red haired and wiry.

"Sir," Erich acknowledged. He gestured towards the enormous viewscreen that showed, before them, the endless spinning starfields of space. "Are we ready to begin?"

"We are, Lord Alastor."

"Then chart a course of the Fanaris System. We must fly, if we are to reach it before our rivals."

The ship’s master smiled. The scars around her augmetic eye twisted the experssion into something like a grimace, but Erich was too accustomed to her scars to find them grotesque. “I will have you there in time, Lord Alastor.”

"You always do," Erich replied. He turned to face the screen. Moments later, space began to twist as the warp opened before them. There was motion-without-motion as the Hunter slid into the Warp, closing inevitably in on her prey.

[Just_Me]

I liked it a lot. Very effective characterization of the Astartes which is difficult. I also appreciated some of your little touches, like a chapter of Sanguinious's line not trusting themselves armed outside the battlefield or drill cage. One note however; I understand that in your background this chapter has a prior history with the Grey Knights which explains their knowledge and attitude about them but I think it is worth acknowledgeing in some way that it is EXTREMELY rare for even Astartes to be aware of the existence of the Grey Knights, let alone their precise deployment in a given theater. The other units deployed in the theater might conceivably have identified themselves relatively openly to local Imperial forces in order to create a theater wide Order of Battle, but the Grey Knights would not have done so. The only way I can see that you chapter would be aware of their presence is if another chapter with ties to the Kinghts of Blood witnessed their arrival and conveyed that information to them directly.

[ElectricPaladin]

I liked it a lot. Very effective characterization of the Astartes which is difficult. I also appreciated some of your little touches, like a chapter of Sanguinious's line not trusting themselves armed outside the battlefield or drill cage. One note however; I understand that in your background this chapter has a prior history with the Grey Knights which explains their knowledge and attitude about them but I think it is worth acknowledgeing in some way that it is EXTREMELY rare for even Astartes to be aware of the existence of the Grey Knights, let alone their precise deployment in a given theater. The other units deployed in the theater might conceivably have identified themselves relatively openly to local Imperial forces in order to create a theater wide Order of Battle, but the Grey Knights would not have done so. The only way I can see that you chapter would be aware of their presence is if another chapter with ties to the Kinghts of Blood witnessed their arrival and conveyed that information to them directly.

That's a good point, actually. Thanks for reminding me of it.

I think what I'll do is, in a later installment, imply that Master Baalbelith - the Knights of Blood chapter master - has some mysterious sources of information. Nobody knows how he knows some of the things he knows... and then I'll go ahead and imply some of the ways he might know. Once I think of them .

[Just_Me]

I think what I'll do is, in a later installment, imply that Master Baalbelith - the Knights of Blood chapter master - has some mysterious sources of information. Nobody knows how he knows some of the things he knows... and then I'll go ahead and imply some of the ways he might know. Once I think of them .

I like it! A little mystery always adds flavor. Plus it gets at the fact that Chapter Masters have a lot of skills and responsibilities beyond the battlefield. They are not just warriors, they are essentially the rulers of small military nation states.