《Deathwatch Team Fluff: A Warhammer 40k Story》
Chapter 00: Prologue
Hello readers this story is not writen by me but by a friend, with this being his first story.
Constructive criticism is what we hope for so please dont hold back.
The World of Caradus
Date: Unknown
Time: 0800 Hours
Battle began for Raphael the same way it did every time, ensuring the perfection of his wargear.
Raphael drew his breath in slowly, recalling his drills of preparing his bolter. He adjusted the sights and checked the
grenades at his side praying to the Emperor for protection and to the machine spirits of his weapon and blackened
power armour respectively as he did so.
He was eager for battle but he knew in his heart he was not invulnerable. He knew he had to be careful and that Orks were
not a foe to underestimate. Doing so would mean death not only for himself but the brothers around him.
Raphael looked around, his battle-brothers all preparing themselves for the battle to come, the white emblems on their
shoulders displayed proudly. Brother Marius had unsheathed his blades to sharpen them, the adamantium covered blades
grated against each other. He then sheathed them and nodded at Raphael who nodded back, the two had served in a Dragon Claw
assault squad together for years and both knew the kind of damage their mutations could inflict on the enemy.
The Rhino hit a bump and Raphael and his squad rattled around in their seats, small arms fire bounced off the hull like
rain on a roof but it didnt cause any damage. Raphael looked up as the Sergeant of the squad, Uriel stood up.
"Alright Gamma Squad we have our orders, to hold the secondary defensive outpost to the south until the Orks retreat! We
will hold the foul Xenos back and they shall die trying to pass us! Fire and Bone!" Uriel shouted.
"Fire and Bone!" the squad shouted back as they stood up and prepared to disembark. "You know your role, be ready"
bellowed Uriel.
Raphael braced himself, suddenly the Rhino drew to a halt and the access door opened, Raphael and the rest of his squad
leapt out of their transport and bolted for cover, Raphael had little time to observe the battlefield and did so as
quickly as he could as he ran.
Ahead of him a large hill loomed, swarming with greenskins. He could hear them howling for blood and scowled with disgust.
He recognised the distinctive guns of the Orks Lootas firing into his brothers as they disembarked firing their own weaponry.
A distinctive howl of engines sounded as a formation of Stormtalon gunships flew above them. A second passed then explosions
and armour piercing rounds shredded the Orks below them then flying out of range as the Orks began to fire back.
To his left more Orks were running towards him. His right was well covered by his brothers, bolters and a flamer
making short work of the Ork Boyz running towards them howling with bloodlust.
Raphael ran left, keeping the ridge to his right to stop the Lootas from spotting him. Raphael raised his bolter to his
shoulder and fired two bursts of two shots each, catching two Orks in the chest and head causing their bodies to rupture.
He dropped to a knee, unpinned a frag grenade and threw it up the hill to keep the Lootas heads down. Raphael then vaulted
the ridge and ran at full tilt at his enemy.
Greenskins filled his vision but to his sides the squad emerged at his sides as they charged into their foe. A bullet hit
him in the chest but it deflected off his armour so it didn''t matter. He took a shot of his own, emptying the skull of a
snarling Ork. Raphael then struck at another attacker with his fist, it landed as he intended striking it in the throat.
He heard a snap of bone and flashed a quick smile beneath his helmet. Another Ork swung his deffgun at him but was stabbed from behind
in the neck by another squad-brother, he didn''t register who it was but shouted thanks either way.
Raphael then looked around, the hilltop was theirs. No losses, not yet. He dropped the magazine from his boltgun and
slammed a new one in its place. He then looked up and noticed more Orks heading their way in crude transports, "Sergeant,
we have incoming hostiles!" he shouted.
"Brother Malacal, bring them down" Uriel shouted, Malacal jogged up wielding his lascannon and took up position by a natural wall of
rock. "Brothers Raphael and Crastus, cover him!". Raphael raised his bolter, scanning the area for more foes as Crastus
did the same on their left.
Malacal fired once, the lance of energy hitting the trukk dead on. The Ork transport exploded, burning greekskins pouring
from the wreakage only to be shot apart by the rest of the squad. Raphael chuckled to himself, each Ork dead was a battle-
brother saved in his eyes.
However before Malacal could fine again the other trukk was upon them, Ork Boyz jumping into the fray. However Brother Dario
stepped forward, his flamer burst into life burning the Orks alive where they stood. The ones that still lived threw
themselves at the Space Marines, two of Raphaels squad-brothers falling to axes hitting weak points in their armour.
Raphael himself held his bolter in his left hand and stood side-on, one of the Orks that killed his brothers ran at him.
Raphael nimbly avoided the blow then unsheathed the bone-blade in his right arm and lunged forward, running the Ork
through. Raphael carried with the momentum and forced the Ork into the ground.
He pulled the blade from his foes chest then strode forward, now it was his turn to take the offensive, three Orks swung
their axes at him, Raphael let one blow bounce of his power armour then pivited unsheathing his left arms blade, burying
it into his foes neck. One down.
The second tried to tackle him but Raphael planted his feet firmly and swung the butt of his bolter into the Orks back,
snapping its spine. He then finished the Ork off by stabbing it in the eye with his right bone-blade. Two down.
The final Ork swung at him while he was distracted but was intercepted by Sargeant Uriel who blocked the blow with his
chainsword and fought the foul xeno back. Uriel kicked it in the chest and swung the chainsword into its neck followed by
a spray of gore.
Raphael straightened himself and sheathed his blades back into his arms, taking up his bolter up to his shoulder again.
He gazed around the battlefield, no more Orks entered his view. He turned around and saw why, the majority of Orks were
heading towards the main body of the Space Marine force, where the main battle was. Raphael hoped his brothers could
hold out.
"Raphael, follow on" a voice said behind him, Raphael turned and saw Uriel pacing towards him, the reminants of the squad behind
him. Raphael fell in along with the rest of his Battle Brothers, spreading out to hold the position as ordered.
"Sergeant, why are we away from the main force exactly?" asked Malacal lifting his lascannon to his shoulder as he did so.
"I don''t know Brother, and frankly it doesnt concern me. I serve as I am ordered" replied Uriel "keep watch Brothers I
believe we are not out of danger here". The rest of the squad, Raphael included nodded their heads. They knew he was right.
For an hour the squad held the position, three times the Orks tried to assail them twice with Orks in ramshackle trucks
and once with Ork Bikers and each time they were repelled. However the skirmishes took their toll, one brother falling after another.
Soon enough only Raphael remained, bloodied but unbowed.
Sergeant Uriel was the last to die, Raphael watching helplessly as he detonated a huge Ork walker with melta bombs but
being caught in the blast as well. He died as Raphael tried hopelessly to hold his wounds closed.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
The Black Dragons were winning the day but the Orks were not beaten yet, he still had to be alert.
It was well Raphael had taken that thought because it was at that moment Raphael''s life would change.
Below their position Raphael saw a figure clad in black armour much like his own but with many differences. As he watched
Raphael saw what the unknown Space Marine was fighting, a large Ork, much larger than the others and clad in a great deal
of armour and weaponry. The Warboss had shown himself.
Raphael took a second to think, he knew he couldnt abandon his position but he also couldnt abandon another Battle Brother to die.
He quickly peered around, the Orks were falling back under his Chapters onslaught.
There was little strategic value to the position with the Orks on the back footnow and if his intervention aided in the
death of the Orks leader their destruction was all the more certain.
He judged the risk to be worth the payoff and lept from his vantage point, sprinting down the hill until he saw the two,
fighting tooth and nail to gain the upper hand. The Space Marine was fighting with a large spear, with a boltgun built in.
Raphael had never seen such a weapon before but judged it irrelevant until it cleaved through the Warbosses think armour,
and the Warbosses side with ease.
Raphael reached the pair and unsheathed his boneblades, dropping his bolter as he did and leaping into the fray.
He stabbed at the Warboss while the Xenos was distracted, the right blade didnt penetrate the armour but Raphael
was already swinging his other arm around to stab at the shoulder. This time the blade did find a gap, blood spraying
from the Orks shoulder wound. The unknown Space Marine tried to take advantage of the unusual distraction but was caught
by a backhanded blow from the Warbosses Power Klaw, it didn''t penetrate the Iron Halo''s shielding but the force did knock
the Marine down a cliff.
The Warboss bellowed and flailed throwing him off but the bone-blade was still stuck in the Orks flesh, Raphael swung
about madly before he withdrew his blade, skittering across the ground as he landed, rolling back into his stance with
his right blade extended. The Warboss bellowed at him "You''re all gunna die here, Space Marinez!" and charged, a mountain
of flesh and metal.
Raphael ran at the Warboss as well with both bone-blades extended, "I dont have a chance against an Ork like this" he
thought "but if I can keep him occupied, the stranger can finish him off." He slid across the ground,
slicing at the Warbosses exposed leg, it didnt penetrate the armour but it did dent the metal. The Warboss howled and
swung at him but Raphael rolled to the right, the Power Klaw burying itself into the ground in the place he was.
Finally the Warboss had made a mistake, Raphael sheathed his right arms blade and pinned the Orks Power Klaw in place.
His left arms bone blade glinted as it found Raphaels target, the Ork spasmed as the blade entered its brain
through its biotic eye. Even then the foul xeno wasn''t dead and tried to seize him by the throat.
Raphael yelled and forced the Warboss''s bulk into the ground, twisting his blade in the Orks face for good measure. The
Warboss finally died then and laid still.
Panting, Raphael stood up and pulled his blade from his enemies head. The stranger had reemerged, covered in dirt from his
fall. So much for my plan thought Raphael. But this time he noticed something different, a yellow pauldron with a black
fist emblazed on it.
It was then that Raphael realised exactly who this Space Marine was. An Officer of the Deathwatch. The stranger pulled off
his helmet as he walked. The strangers skin was pale, blue eyes shining out of his face. A thick beard covered the lower
half of his face but his head was completely bald. The stranger then spoke in a deep, gravelly voice.
"I thank you for your assistance Brother, I am Watch Master Lexus, exactly who are you?". Raphael took a second to
regain his composure and stood to attention "Tactical Marine Raphael my lord". The two stood in the dust, the Warbosses
corpse still twitching on the ground.
"You fight well Brother Raphael, where is the rest of your squad?" asked the Watch Master. Raphael answered, his tone
grim. "Dead, Sir".
Watch Master Lexus breathed out then spoke "I''m sorry Brother, truly I am" "Let us go, my evac has been destroyed I need to
requisition transport from your chapter or at least send a signal back to my Watch Station."
The Watch Master then strode off in the direction of the Black Dragon lines, not waiting for a reply.
Raphael sheathed his bone-blade and followed, his mind bubbling with questions unanswered.
Two Hours Later
Raphael stood before Captian Minos and the 3rd Company, the Captain placing a purity seal upon his armour standing back and
saluting as Raphael saluted back, he knew he was being honoured for his brothers deaths. It weighed heavily on him but
even so he accepted it. Watch Master Lexus observed the procedings, his arms folded over his chest.
Raphael turned and fell in with the rest of his company while other soldiers recieved commendments of bravery in battle.
Once the ceremony was done the Company was dismissed by Captain Minos.
Raphael strode off to return his equipment to the armoury. He then stopped to look out the window, the rest of the fleet
was deploying itself around the planet in anticipation of another attack. Occasionally a flash of a macro-cannon would
slice through the gloom, the impact on the planet making its mark a few seconds later.
He sighed, then pulled off his helmet. His reflection stared back at him, the two ridges of bone just poking from his skin.
Compared to many in his chapter he looked almost normal except for the bone-blades hidden in his arms and his enlarged canines.
Many had called his chapter cursed or mutants even as they protected them from the horrors of an uncaring galaxy and
Raphael was furious his brothers were dead and only his chapter would remember them, their sacrifice deserved rememberance.
"Why is it a curse?" he muttered, "if it allows us to kill what would destroy us all then why would it be a curse?". He
bared the blade in his right arm and looked at the glint of the light. He remembered the process of covering the blades with
metal, it was painful but when all else failed his blades could always be relied on.
"Many fear what they do not understand, it has always been that way truthfully" a familar voice stated. Watch Master Lexus
was standing beside him a grim look on his face. Raphael sheathed his blade, stood to attention and saluted.
"At ease brother". Raphael relaxed at his words then turned back to face the planet he had shed blood on. Lexus then
continued talking. "Raphael isnt it?" he asked.
"Yes sir" said Raphael, Lexus looked at him "So this is what you look like under the helmet, honestly I expected horns".
Raphael smiled "No sir, nothing of the sort" Lexus raised an eyebrow at him but continued onward.
"I''m actually glad I found you. I have business to discuss with your Chapter Master, can you lead me to the war-room?"
Raphael was confused, who was the Deathwatch here for? He reminded himself he needed transport, but where to exactly?
Regardless of his curiousity Raphael turned and led Watch Master Lexus onwards, however another question had also troubling him.
"Sir?", "Yes Brother Raphael?" "I saw no other Deathwatch Marines, just you. If I may ask, why were you on Caradus alone?"
Lexus smiled broadly "You noticed that did you? I''ll tell you when the time is right Brother, until then we have
other concerns".
Raphael hesitated then swallowed his curiousity. "Yes my lord".
They reached the war-room and Raphael knocked. A Chapter Serf answered the door, looked at the two quickly then opened
the door and stood aside bowing as he did so. Raphael saw Lexus leave his spear at the door and thought to himself
"where in the name of the emperor did he get that weapon?"
Chapter Master Keris stood at his holographic display with his fellow commanders. Raphael spotted Captain Minos amongst
them. Keris looked up and dismissed his officers with a curt "we will discuss our position later". He then strode towards
the pair.
Raphael knelt before his commander as he walked. "Rise Brother Raphael" said Keris. As Raphael stood Keris spoke again.
"I see you bring a visitor with you. Watch Master Lexus I trust you fare well?". Lexus nodded but didnt speak. Keris
looked back at Raphael. "Thank you Raphael, you may go" Raphael nodded and turned to leave but Lexus laid his hand on his
shoulder stopping him.
"Actually Keris, there is another matter I would discuss with you and our brother here." Raphael looked at the Watch Master
in surprise. Keris frowned then motioned towards his desk. "Sit, please".
They all sat down then Lexus spoke again "I think its best to just be blunt, I wish to formally requisition Brother Raphael
for service in the Deathwatch. I have seen personally what he can do and I believe he would fare well".
Raphael was thunderstruck, why him? Keris seemed much less surprised however, in fact he was smiling. "I see, Raphael what
say you?". Raphael said nothing but instead thought carefully. Deathwatch service was dangerous even for soldiers like
themselves, like all Space Marines he knew no fear but he wasnt a fool either.
In addition glory didnt mean much to him, not compared to saving innocent lives which the chapter had been doing
since Keris took command.
On the other hand Raphael had little reason to stay with his chapter aside from loyalty. After all his squad, the
brothers he had fought alongside since they joined the chapter as neophytes were dead. But he was alive and there must be a
reason for that.
But there was one thing that tilted Raphaels decition. Lexus could have left the fleet but instead he asked for him,
specifically and he wouldn''t have made an idle request. He turned his head to look at Lexus who was watching him intently.
There was more that could be done, or rather more he could do. And he would be happy to oblige.
"I agree" said Raphael.
Lexus smiled "Excellent".
End Chapter.
will post next chapter later
If you want more explanations just PM me I should get back to you in about a week at most as I personaly dont know anything about this stuff
Chapter 01
Chapter One
The months that went by were far from easy, however Raphael was far from unhappy. The Deathwatch Watch Fortress was as
heavily defended as he suspected but most impressive was the gigantic ring he stood upon. It was clearly not made by man,
nor any alien he knew of.
The ring was divided into many different sections, each with personal rooms and customisable training areas. Raphael was
stationed in Section 16 along with many other potential Deathwatch operatives. But there was one part of the training
that Raphael despised above all.
The hypno-indoctination was understandable, in fact he had gone through similar procedures as a neophyte. There was a room
in each section with a chair and vid-gear, and every day he would be strapped into it and would watch endless videos of
fellow Space Marines being killed. He could feel their pain, their injuries and their deaths. He watched as Tyranids, Orks
, Eldar, Necrons and hundreds of other Xenos species murdered his brothers, over and over again.
The training was intense, each simulation a learning curve in combat. His melee combat skills in particular had been
proven many times against other Space Marine initiates, even equaling his instructors to everyones surprise including his
own.
Ranged combat was a similar story, in particular flame based weapons as well as bolters. After initial combat testing he
was assigned a personal weapon, a combi-flamer which Raphael had looked over and familarised himself with the day he
recieved the weapon. His armour had also been modified, sensors added and the left arm had been painted silver.
Other initiates for the Deathwatch had caught Raphael''s eye as well due to their own great skill but he decided to focus
on the training and not on personal relations. "There would be plenty of time for that should they survive" Raphael thought
to himself grimly.
The final day of training had finally arrived, the day where the Kill Teams would be assigned.
Each Space Marine stood in Section 16''s hall. Watch Commander Michael was giving a speech to the recruits, but above a
different situation was occuring.
Watch Master Lexus was observing the induction ceremony from his personal quarters overlooking the hall. He heard the door
open and shut, a man strode in and not a man he wished to see. Inquisitor Thorn strode into the room, his coat flapping
around him and the servo skull of his predecessor hovering around him.
Lexus sighed, "Inquisitor Thorn, can I help you?" He was deeply ingrossed in reports from the Ghoul Stars
Thorn frowned "Really Lexus? After all this time we can''t be civil?" Lexus breathed in and simply said "When you come to
to me, you always want something that I can either give or can provide for you. So what is it, my lord?" he asked with a
great deal of contempt.
Thorn smiled but his eyes blazed with anger. "Fine, I need a Kill-Team." Lexus was confused "Why can''t you requisition
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.one yourself? And on that note what happened to Kill-Team Scythe?".
"They died" Thorn replied in a flat voice. Lexus fumed, and turned away. "The teams are being put together now, you can
pick out one that suits your needs afterwards" Lexus said after a long pause. Thorn didnt bother to reply and the door
shut itself as he left, leaving Lexus to curse to himself.
Raphael listened intently as the names of the teams were announced and the composition of those teams based on the members
abilities, talents and levels of experience.
Finally the Watch Commander said the words he was waiting for. "Kill Team Striker: Damascus of the Iron Hands, Re-Shan of
the Salamanders, Cyiren of the Marines Malevolent, Varkas of the Destroyers and Raphael of the Black Dragons. Meet in
briefing room seven."
Raphael took the news easily. He knew that as long as he and his team survived the first few encounters his experience
would suppliment his training. He breathed in slowly.
Finally the words "All dismissed" were heard and Raphael took off repeating the names of his new team-mates to himself as
he made his way to briefing room seven. "What in the name of Holy Terra I say to these people?" Raphael muttered to
himself. He had reached the room sooner than he had wanted and sighed. He opened the door and strode in.
Four Space Marines were waiting for him, thanks to their insignias on their shoulders he knew exactly who each of them was.
Raphael sat down and then spoke "Well, I don''t exactly have a speech planned so you''ll have to be patient with
me". Three of the Marines laughed at this, as for the one that didnt it was clear as to why.
"Before we get started there is one thing I would have you know, if at anytime you have an idea in combat or in training I
want you to say so no matter who commands us. I actually want to live out my Vigil and there will doubtlessly be areas of
expertise I or others will lack. All in favour?" Raphael asked.
"Agreed" all four replied. Raphael breathed out in relief, he knew for a fact that as Space Marines went he lacked the
sheer experience that others did but it wouldn''t stop him. Experience could be obtained but only through time.
The Marine Malevolent who Raphael remembered was named Cyiren then spoke "Exactly why are you here Black Dragon?".
Raphael had noticed his barbed tone, a bad sign. "Good point Brother, in truth I do not know what to tell you.
Regardless I plan to do the best as I can and should I die I plan to take as many foes to my grave as possible".
Cyiren folded his arms, his expression blank but his eyes blazed with repressed anger. "Damn, I thought I handled that well"
Raphael thought to himself.
"Good answer Raphael" said the Battle-Brother sitting opposite from him. Re-Shan was smiling broadly at Cyiren''s
irritation. His green emblem indicated his chapter very clearly, Raphael knew there would be a problem there eventually.
Black Dragons and Salamanders did not get along well, and especially hated the Marines Malevolent. However Re-Shan seemed
friendly enough and Raphael hoped he wouldn''t be too much of an issue.
"If I may interject Brothers we have a simulation in five minutes" stated Damascus as he stood. Raphael noticed his legs
and left arm had been bionically replaced, it wouldnt have surprised him that the bionics were voluntary rather than
nessisary. He seemed efficent however which Raphael appreciated.
But as they left Raphael noticed one team member hadn''t spoken, Varkas of the Destroyers Chapter. He frowned and as the
team made their way to the section simulation chamber he fell in step with Varkas.
"Brother, I notice you didn''t get a chance to speak. Do you have any objections?" asked Raphael. Varkas smiled at him "No
Brother, no objections". A man of few words it seemed.
The team had reached the simulation chamber. "Time to see how the squad fights together" thought Raphael, he then started
praying to the emperor at the idea of Re-Shan and Cyiren trying to fight alongside each other.
Chapter 02
Chapter Two
The next few months Kill Team Striker trained and fought alongside one another, as Raphael predicted it was far from an easy
adjustment particularly amongst Re-Shan and Cyiren. In fact at times the team got so disfunctional Raphael was tempted to
bash his head into a wall. However Raphael admired their skills in combat and he trusted them all. More importantly the
seemed to respect him in turn.
Re-Shan was an expert in melee combat, managing to equal Marines far more experienced than himself. As a Salamander he also had a
firm understanding of flame based weaponry. The resulting combat style was invaluable in urban combat simulations. Raphael
noticed that Re-Shan tended to be the teams moral compass of sorts but had a tendancy to be offended easily.
Cyiren was difficult to deal with but Raphael had never seen a Marine operate heavy weapons with the skill Cyiren did,
he often second guessed Raphael''s judgement freqently which while irritating also reminded him that he did ask for
opinions when needed. Strangely the Marine he worked alongside best turned out to be Re-Shan as the pairs skill set
overlapped perfectly.
Damascus proved reliable however, so much so that Raphael believed he would make an excellent leader for Striker. An
expert sabotour and warrior if there was one but Raphael saw great rage in him which concerned him greatly. He knew he
would have to deal with it one day but he hoped not for a while.
Varkas was the reconnisance expert of the team and possibly one of the greatest shots with a Stalker pattern bolter he
had seen in his life, every shot landing precisely where he wanted it too even while running and being shot at. He did however
have a reckless streak and as a result tactical missteps were not unheard of. Raphael knew they would have to turn this to
the teams advantage somehow but was unsure how.
His team had its flaws but Raphael was proud of them none the less. All of them.
Mess Hall
"What do you mean your Chapter didn''t have the time to save those people?" asked Re-Shan angrily. His red eyes were
ablaze with fury while Cyiren sat back smirking.
"It means what it means, we were surrounded by Orks at the time in case you forgotten. If those soldiers of Armageddon
were as potent of warriors as they claimed maybe they wouldnt need saving" retorted Cyiren.
Re-Shan grinded his teeth "That still doesnt excuse it". Raphael then spoke "If I remember correctly brothers Armageddon
was saved at great cost to all of us, my own chapter included. We should not fight over their graves the Orks put them in".
The pair took the hint and fell silent. Raphael simmered with irritation "What next?" he thought.
"On the note of Orks I heard you killed a Warboss by yourself Raphael, is that true?" asked Damascus before resuming his
meal. Raphael sighed "Yes it is" the group nodded and grinned in approval at this "But" Raphael continued "the Warboss was
already wounded by Watch Master Lexus, I make no boasts on my victories brothers and neither should any of you".
Varkas looked confused but said nothing, "Quiet one that man" thought Raphael. "Well I dont know about you but I think
we know why you are even here in that case" said Cyiren. Raphael looked at him "and what do you think it is brother?"
Cyiren ignored the honourific and continued "Apparently Lexus is playing favourites because Raphael saved his life
and he is obviously..."
Raphael interrupted him "First off it is Watch Master Lexus because as far as I know he hasnt been demoted in the last ten
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.minutes and secondly I highly doubt he plays favourites Cyiren, not in an organisation like the Deathwatch".
Re-Shan grinned "Maybe you would have been given command if your callousness wasn''t the size of a battleship Cyiren"
Cyiren tried to strike him from across the table but was forced down by Damascus''s hand on his shoulder.
"I can speak for myself Re-Shan" said Raphael "Nice catch Damascus" nodding at him as he said so and standing even as
Damascus nodded back. He then heard Damascus start to berate the pair for being foolish. He smiled to himself as he walked,
never a dull moment when Marines from different chapters came together.
Raphael strode off, his mind filled with potential strategies for the next bout of training when he was interrupted by
a chapter serf calling his name. The serf bowed and then spoke in a raspy voice "Your presence has been requested by
Watch Master Lexus my lord" before bowing again and rushing away before Raphael could thank him. He then set off at full
pace not wanting to keep Lexus waiting.
Watch Master Lexus''s Office
Raphael knocked on the door and Lexus answered. Raphael saluted but Lexus simply responded with "Inside" and sitting down.
A strange man was with him, his robe, equipment and insignia marked him as a member of the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisiton.
He was very thin and had a large scar on his neck made by some kind of blade. His face was similarly maimed but his eyes
were filled with cruel intelligence.
The man spoke "This is the team leader of Striker then?" Raphael bowed "Yes Lord Inquisitor" The man smiled "Respect, good".
but immediately frowned when he saw the chapter symbol on Raphaels right shoulder. He turned to Lexus "You would have a
Space Marine of a cursed foundation in lead of a Kill Team!?" he shouted. "Have you forgotten Talons insubordination
due to similar circumstances!?"
"So much for a good introduction" thought Raphael to himself. Yet another man who simply saw the white dragon on his
shoulder and instantly jumped to conclusions. "But Team Leader? What did he mean by that" he wondered.
"Inquisitor Thorn please calm yourself, he is one of our best recruits. Those who do serve better than him have at
least fifty years more than Brother Raphael here". Raphael smiled at the compliment but said nothing.
Inquisitor Thorn then rounded on him, his anger very obvious. "Remove your helmet, now!". Raphael did as he was bid, the
Occuobe implants in his eyes made the glare of the window behind him irritating.
Thorn pointed to the slight bone outgrowths on his head "You see? Tainted!" He then pointed to his arms "These blades of his
and everything about him is an abomination and you expect me, an Inquisitor to rely on such a... thing!?"
Raphael managed to mask his anger at these insults but only barely, luckily Lexus stepped in. "Thorn, would I give this
Marine a place in the Deathwatch, in command of a squad no less if I didnt have a good reason?" He turned to the window
and pointed skywards, "The enemies at our doorstep are out there, not in this room".
Thorn frowned "Very well, but if this goes wrong it will be on your head". He then walked to the door, his coat flapping
in his wake. He then turned to Raphael "Be on my ship in an hour, bring your team with you".
Lexus rolled his eyes but a smile was on his face "Sorry about that brother, and again for placing you in his command". He
then motioned to the opposite seat.
Raphael wasnt impressed but sat down anyway. "Sir, why in the entirety of the Ordo Xenos am I assigned to a man like that?"
Lexus frowned "I didn''t take you for one who who would complain". Raphael answered before he could stop himself "Begging
your parden sir but I serve loyally and you would see me assist an Inquisitor who would see my chapter burn for such!"
Lexus''s eyes were drilling into Raphael''s head at this but his voice remained steady. "Do not forget Marine you are here
because I asked for you. Do not mistake my intent as your assignment as well as that of your team was out of my hands".
Raphael breathed out "I know Watch Master, I am sorry for my loss of composure". He meant it, Lexus was not to blame for
the situation.
Lexus nodded "I know you are". He then stood up and looked out his window, he then looked over his shoulder and continued
"I have appointed you Acting Sargeant, should you do well consider the rank yours in full". Raphael was surprised at that
"Thank you sir" he said bowing his head as he did so. The Watch Master narrowed his eyes "Do you disapprove of my choice?"
Raphael took a moment to answer "Sir, is Cyiren right? Am I here because of my actions on Caradus?"
Lexus smiled "Yes and no Brother. I choose you for the Deathwatch because you made a choice that led to a Warbosses death
at your hands". Raphael breathed out, he hated that his fellows seemed so obsessed with that action "And the rank Sir?"
Lexus leaned back in his chair "Because I know you won''t let us down, dismissed Sargeant Raphael".
Chapter 03
Chapter Three
Raphael and the squad stood on board Thorn''s personal ship The Storm of Resolution, an ugly but well armed hulk of a vessel
which Thorn boasted about being custom built. Raphael saw Varkas trying not to scoff at Thorns obvious vanity. The rest of
the team knew there was much more than simple granduer at play.
"Well, Striker" said Thorn with a hint of contempt in his voice "There is much in the works for the five of you, not all of
it will be simple extermination much to my disappointment of course".
"What missions did you have in mind my lord?" asked Re-Shan. Thorn looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed "Whatever I tell
you to do Salamander" he said.
Re-Shan showed no emotion at this but Raphael knew from harsh experience that Re-Shan had taken that in no other way than
personally. "Ah well" Raphael thought "he''ll just get into an argument with Cyiren and then he''ll be fine".
"In any case I have an assignment for you all as off now, follow me". Thorn strode off with the team behind him, he
activated a holo-projector in the next room. Raphael flashed back to the Black Dragons briefing rooms but snapped himself
back to focus as Thorn started to talk again.
"This is XC-0092, otherwise known as Planet Calderis. Currently there is a great deal of upheaval but no war has broken
out, not yet in any case."
"Is there evidence of Chaos corruption sir?" asked Damascus, Raphael that noticed everyone had gripped their weapons
tighter at the mention of the possibility.
"No, nor any trace of Xenos taint. Merely an incompetant governor mixed with a lack of food" said Thorn simply. Re-Shan''s
eyes narrowed at the casual tone Thorn took at the situation and was about to speak but Cyiren punched him in the arm
to stop him.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Thorn continued speaking "However the Alpha Space Station has fallen silent, all attempts to reclaim it have been met
with failure." He brought up a projection of the station, it resembled a fortress more than anything else with enough
macro-cannons and other weapons to level the planet below with ease.
"And you believe Xenos are involved, why else would we be here?" said Raphael. Thorn frowned at him "Indeed, now then
your objective is to find out what is going on in there and exterminate everything on the station".
"And if we find survivors sir?" asked Varkas. Thorn looked at him with narrowed eyes "I miss the days when I was as naive
as you Marine, trust me there will not be anything alive. Especially once you are finished here".
Varkas bowed his head "Yes sir". The team knew each others histories well, Cyiren and Re-Shan''s actions during the Third
War of Armageddon, Damascus''s extensive experience against the T''au and Varkas operations against the Eldar of many
different Craftworlds. Varkas was far from naive and the team knew it but said nothing.
Thorn turned to Raphael again "You have your mission, now go". Raphael and the rest of the team saluted then they all
turned to leave. Raphael patted Varkas''s shoulder to reassure him and fell in step with Cyiren "You were oddly quiet
brother" said Raphael as they made their way to the airlock and armed themselves.
"So what?" asked Cyiren. "You speak your mind brother, no matter the circumstance" replied Raphael.
"He''s right you know" said Re-Shan with a grin. Cyiren glared at him "this doesn''t concern you Salamander, be silent".
Re-Shan laughed as he holstered his Infernus pistol "As you wish". Raphael shook his head but continued to talk
"Cyiren you know fully well you can speak your mind, I won''t bite your head off about it".
"Very well, I have an objection to this mission" stated Cyiren. Raphael was confused "What is the issue?" he asked.
Cyiren breathed out "Raphael the planet is on the verge of tearing each other apart and we would hand a space station like
this one to a governor who would use it to enforce order rather than actually resolve the planets issues".
The entire team including Raphael were stunned. Re-Shan took the opportunity as he always did "Why brother, you do care"
Cyiren pulled his middle finger at him to much sniggering then continued "I don''t wish to return to this backwater system,
Sargeant". Varkas snorted in contempt "That sounds mre like you" to which Cyiren stonily ignored.
Raphael cocked his combi-flamer then replied "Brother, I don''t give the orders" Cyiren nodded "Yes I know".
A metalic clicking sound was heard. The ship had docked with the station.
Chapter 04
Chapter Four
"Suffer not the alien to live" said Raphael.
"Suffer not the alien to live" chanted the team.
The door slid open and the team sprang to action, they all advanced quickly and in relative silence. The room was clear of
foes and the team moved into the next room. "Raphael, look" said Damascus pointing at the ground, the floor was covered in
blood.
"Damn it, not good" thought Raphael. But there was something else unusual "where are the bodies?" asked Re-Shan. He was
right, there were no bodies in the room at all.
"Cyiren, Re-Shan cover the entrance. Varkas do what you do best, Damascus with me" said Raphael.
Varkas set off with Raphael and Damascus taking the opposite direction. The lights were flickering, clearly sabotage had
been committed. Damascus then spoke over his vox "Brother I hate to admit but Cyiren has a point, I do not doubt that once
this station is cleared its very likely to be used against the people it is supposed to be defending".
"I wish it wasn''t so Brother" replied Raphael "Truly I do, but the fact of the matter that men in power do not typically
care for those beneath them". Raphael felt grim at saying that but knew from harsh experience it wasn''t exactly untrue.
"Do you truly think that Brother?" asked Damascus. Raphael breathed out slowly and then answered "Unfortuantly Damascus".
If there was a trace of a foe here Varkas could find it. Raphael turned a corner with Damascus close behind, a long
corridor stretched out in front of them. More blood on the floor he noticed and this time a body, splayed out against the
wall. Raphael paced slowly and carefully, his combi-flamer at the ready.
"Damascus cover me" Raphael said then knelt to examine the body. Male, around thirty six years old and heavily built. His
clothing indicated an administrator but it was the injuries that concerned Raphael the most, the man''s skeleton had
grown out of his body. The bone had speared outside of the corpse, "Where have I seen injuries like this" thought Raphael.
Suddenly the vox in his helmet crackled to life "Varkas to Raphael, come in". "What have you found Varkas?" asked Raphael.
"I found the foe Brother, Dark Eldar presence confirmed down the left corridor from the entrance way".
Chapter 5
"Varkas do not engage" said Raphael "Striker converge on Varkas". Raphael and Damascus moved back, "Varkas what do you see?"The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Around ten Wracks and three Grotesques, I see a Wrack giving orders armed with a Hexrifle probably an Acothyst".
"Any other kinds of units?" asked Raphael.
"None so far".
"Good work Varkas, stay in position for now but stay out of sight."
"Affirmative Raphael" said Varkas who then fell silent.
The squad had collected together, the corridor Varkas disappeared down streached out in front of them. Raphael motioned
to each member with Cyiren taking the center with his frag cannon, Damascus with his combi-grav and Re-Shan with his
chainsword and inferno pistol. Raphael raised his own combi-flamer "Equip Hellfire rounds, Cyiren keep your rounds solid
until Varkas is clear of our fire" said Raphael. Cyiren nodded as Raphael and Damascus snapped different magazines into
their boltguns.
He then continued "Varkas do you see any Wracks with an Ossifactor near the Acothyst?" "Yes, about a metre away. How did
you know?". "Lucky guess" said Raphael with a smile on his face, "take out the Acothyst and the Wrack with the Ossifactor
then run back to the entry point".
"Give me a second" said Varkas, a second passed then two quick shots rang out. The next thing Raphael saw was Varkas
sprinting full tilt towards them. Harsh screams followed close behind and the twisted creatures ran behind him, the
monsterous appearance of the Dark Eldar may have caused panic amongst mortal men. But the Space Marines were not mortal.
"Fire at will" shouted Raphael and every gun in the line blasted away. The first few Wracks came apart in a hail of fire
but the rest came on still. More concerning were the roaring Grotesques pushing their way to the fore before Cyiren''s shots
ploughed into them cratering their flesh. Even so they didn''t go down until Damascus aimed a shot at them. Varkas stopped
himself then turned firing, both of his shots exploding a head apiece.
A returning shot of an Ossifactor sounded but hit the cover Damascus was standing behind. Raphael shouted "I thought you
killed the Wrack with the Ossifactor Varkas!" as he fired his bolter into the second Grotesque. Varkas fired his shot into
the head of another Wrack as it lept towards them before shouting back "There were two of them, give me a break!". The
second Grotesque took a shot from Cyirens frag cannon and fell flailing to the ground.
"And you accuse us of arguing all the time!" laughed Re-Shan as he threw a Wrack into a wall and stabbed it with his
chainsword. "For once I agree with you Salamander!" shouted Cyiren as he switched his firing mode then unleashed a storm
of shrapnel into the Dark Eldars ranks. The last few Wracks were killed in the slaughter but the third Grotesque was still
alive and swung at Raphael with a gigantic metal arm.
He ducked under the blow which slammed into the wall. Raphael pivoted his combi-flamer up and triggered the flamer, searing
the metal mask that was the Grotesque''s head as well as firing into its head with hellfire rounds. The beast screamed and
fell, almost crushing Raphael under its bulk as he rolled out of the way.
Breathing heavily Raphael stood up as the rest of the squad consolidated themselves around him. "Well they know we''re here
now, let us go" said Raphael unsheathing his left blade and stabbing a twitching Wrack in the chest, just to be sure.
The team fell back in reloading their weapons as they did so, Raphael looked around at them smiling under his helmet as he
did so. "A good start Striker" he said.
Chapter 05
Chapter 5
"Varkas do not engage" said Raphael "Striker converge on Varkas". Raphael and Damascus moved back, "Varkas what do you see?"
"Around ten Wracks and three Grotesques, I see a Wrack giving orders armed with a Hexrifle probably an Acothyst".
"Any other kinds of units?" asked Raphael.
"None so far".
"Good work Varkas, stay in position for now but stay out of sight."
"Affirmative Raphael" said Varkas who then fell silent.
The squad had collected together, the corridor Varkas disappeared down streached out in front of them. Raphael motioned
to each member with Cyiren taking the center with his frag cannon, Damascus with his combi-grav and Re-Shan with his
chainsword and inferno pistol. Raphael raised his own combi-flamer "Equip Hellfire rounds, Cyiren keep your rounds solid
until Varkas is clear of our fire" said Raphael. Cyiren nodded as Raphael and Damascus snapped different magazines into
their boltguns.
He then continued "Varkas do you see any Wracks with an Ossifactor near the Acothyst?" "Yes, about a metre away. How did
you know?". "Lucky guess" said Raphael with a smile on his face, "take out the Acothyst and the Wrack with the Ossifactor
then run back to the entry point".
"Give me a second" said Varkas, a second passed then two quick shots rang out. The next thing Raphael saw was Varkas
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.sprinting full tilt towards them. Harsh screams followed close behind and the twisted creatures ran behind him, the
monsterous appearance of the Dark Eldar may have caused panic amongst mortal men. But the Space Marines were not mortal.
"Fire at will" shouted Raphael and every gun in the line blasted away. The first few Wracks came apart in a hail of fire
but the rest came on still. More concerning were the roaring Grotesques pushing their way to the fore before Cyiren''s shots
ploughed into them cratering their flesh. Even so they didn''t go down until Damascus aimed a shot at them. Varkas stopped
himself then turned firing, both of his shots exploding a head apiece.
A returning shot of an Ossifactor sounded but hit the cover Damascus was standing behind. Raphael shouted "I thought you
killed the Wrack with the Ossifactor Varkas!" as he fired his bolter into the second Grotesque. Varkas fired his shot into
the head of another Wrack as it lept towards them before shouting back "There were two of them, give me a break!". The
second Grotesque took a shot from Cyirens frag cannon and fell flailing to the ground.
"And you accuse us of arguing all the time!" laughed Re-Shan as he threw a Wrack into a wall and stabbed it with his
chainsword. "For once I agree with you Salamander!" shouted Cyiren as he switched his firing mode then unleashed a storm
of shrapnel into the Dark Eldars ranks. The last few Wracks were killed in the slaughter but the third Grotesque was still
alive and swung at Raphael with a gigantic metal arm.
He ducked under the blow which slammed into the wall. Raphael pivoted his combi-flamer up and triggered the flamer, searing
the metal mask that was the Grotesque''s head as well as firing into its head with hellfire rounds. The beast screamed and
fell, almost crushing Raphael under its bulk as he rolled out of the way.
Breathing heavily Raphael stood up as the rest of the squad consolidated themselves around him. "Well they know we''re here
now, let us go" said Raphael unsheathing his left blade and stabbing a twitching Wrack in the chest, just to be sure.
The team fell back in reloading their weapons as they did so, Raphael looked around at them smiling under his helmet as he
did so. "A good start Striker" he said.
Chapter 06
Chapter 6
"Striker Alpha to Inquisitor Thorn" said Raphael into his vox.
"What is it Raphael?" asked Thorn in a bored voice, apparently he had been disturbed.
Raphael simply rolled his eyes and continued "Xenos presence confirmed sir, Dark Eldar, probably a Haemonculus Coven based
on the composition of the units". Thorn breathed out heavily before speaking "Well that doesnt bode well for the crew of
the station, Striker team find the leader of the incursion and kill it. Slay anything else in the way while you are at it".
"Yes sir" said Raphael then turned to the team.
"We have our orders, purge the station". "Any place we should start?" asked Cyiren.
"The control room would be a good place" said Damascus "If I wanted to bring down the station its where I would go".
"Very well" said Raphael "Objections?"
He looked around but there was no dissention. Good.
Striker made their way up the long corridors of the station, the majority of the station was clear except for a few rooms
which were infested with more Wracks. They were tougher than most Dark Eldar the team had fought alongside their own
chapters but were little match against them. After the third such skirmish Striker were covered in blood but it was not
their own. They only encountered Grotesques once more
Raphael kept his head on a swivil, the Dark Eldar were wily beasts and would not be denied their prize. More than once a
beast of the Coven lept at him only to be shot apart by either himself or another member of the team and more than one
Wrack was cut down by his bone-blades in a desperate close combat struggle.
Suddenly the station lurched into movement and started to shift itself. "What the hell?" asked Raphael before looking out
a window. The stabilising engines of the station had been activated.
"Striker Alpha there has been a large power spike, report" shouted a voice. Thorn again.
"The stabilising engines have been activated sir, but not by us." said Raphael, his weapon still raised in case of ambush.
"Damn I was afraid you''d say that. The station''s macro cannons are turning towards the planet below." Raphael was confused
"Why would the Dark Eldar use our weaponry? Their own weapons are much more... Oh shit". Raphael knew why they were
doing this, why they were even here. "Damascus, where is the stations power source from here?" he asked urgently.
"Two stories below us" he replied. The stairs were around twenty metres ahead of them. "Get down there, double
time!" Raphael shouted as he broke into a run with the team behind him, Cyiren struggling with his frag-cannon.
"Raphael what is going on?!" shouted Thorn in his ear. Raphael spoke to them all as they bounded down the stairs.
"They want to make it look like we are starting a civil war. If they attacked the people would unite in the planets
defence but this way there is only carnage, plus they wipe out the planets defences in one stroke.
Then they can harvest every bit of misery a conflict like that would cause with ease."
Thorn was silent for a moment then spoke "Shut down the whole station if you have to."
The team was making all haste down the stairs as quickly as they possibly could. Luckily there were no Dark Eldar on the
stairs to delay them but the bulk of their power armour slowed them down slightly. Finally they made it to the floor of
the stations generators but this time there were Dark Eldar guards and stealth was not an option.
"Damascus take down the generators, Striker slay these beasts where they stand!" shouted Raphael before taking a shot at
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.the nearest Wrack, its head exploding from the rounds detonation. The rest of Striker took postion and fired at will, the
majority of shots making their mark. Cyiren laid down suppressive fire with his frag cannon keeping the Dark Eldar down
while Varkas made the precise shots he was known for. Re-Shan was close behind Damascus as he worked at a panel in the wall.
Raphael however had a different approach as he made his way to the left flank, keeping low as he did. As the first Wracks
made its way to attack the team Raphael made his move. He shot the leading Wrack in the chest then raised himself and shot
another in the arm before he could swing its foul weapon at him. Grabbing the Wrack by the head he threw it over the railing
to its death below.
More Wracks were running towards him, Raphael slid a new magazine into his bolter and breathed out slowly. The familar
recoil of the weapon impacted his shoulder as he fired into his enemy as each Dark Eldar did its best to reach him only to
be cut down. Dark Eldar reenforcements attempted to stop his advance but were halted in turn by overlapping fire from
Cyiren and Varkas.
"Damascus how much longer?!" shouted Cyiren as he reloaded his frag cannon. Damascus was muffled by the panel he was
headfirst in but was still heard over the gunfire "Almost done, just hold out a bit longer". Re-Shan was holding his own
as it was difficult for the Wracks to get to him alive, his chainsword slick with blood.
Suddenly the lights went out and the machinery around them powered down. The emergency lights lit the room with a soft green
light but it was much less bright than before, an advantage the Dark Eldar exploited to the fullest. More were arriving
from the corridors above them, a bad sign.
One Wrack took its opportunity to ambush Raphael from behind as he fired into the reenforcements above. The sickle made
its way past his armour but got stuck. The Wrack tried to swing the other sickle it held into his head but Raphael ducked
under the blow then drove his elbow into the beasts face driving it back. He then struck back by piercing the Wracks chest
with his right arms blade but it didnt appear to feel it, what it did feel however was Raphael slamming it into the floor
and punching it in the throat. A snap of bone emmited making Raphael smile but his delay gave more Wracks to get to him.
Raphael pulled his blade out of the Dark Eldars chest and dived for his combi-flamer. He scooped the weapon of the ground
and kicked the nearest Wrack in the chest driving it back as it struggled to breathe. It was then that Raphael activated
his flamer, their flesh sizzled and blackened as Raphael advanced to incinerate his foe ignoring the pain he felt in
his side.
As the last Dark Eldar flailing pointlessly to extinguish the fire Raphael turned and looked over the side. The Dark Eldar
were retreating but they would be back. Damascus had rejoined the squad having completed his task as they consolidated on
Raphael''s position.
The team was more or less fine, Re-Shan had suffered a cut to the left leg but nothing too major. Raphael looked down at
his own wound berating himself for being careless, he grasped the sickles handle and carefully pulled it from his flesh
clenching his teeth as he did so. The poison on the blade hadn''t affected him and upon closer inspection before the wound
had closed up the blade had hit a rib preventing further damage.
Raphael gave a silent prayer of thanks to the Emperor dropping the sickle as he did. He then looked around looking for the
route to the control room. Suddenly a voice crackled in his ear and the owner seemed unhappy as always "Striker Alpha
report, now". Raphael took a breath before answering "Station power is down sir, have the stations engines stopped?"
"They have but the rotation speed is still the same you fools!" shouted Thorn in Raphael''s ear. Raphael smiled "That wasn''t
why I made this decition sir, Damascus shut down the entire power system. Since the Macro-Cannons autoloaders operate
on electricity and they don''t have any rounds in the chamber the Dark Eldar can''t fire the stations weapons". He nodded
at Damascus in approval who shrugged in reply. The fact the engines were down proved the stations power was off without a
doubt.
There was silence on the other end of the vox for around thirty seconds before Thorn finally said "Continue as ordered"
then shut the vox channel down. Raphael laughed then winced at the wound at his side. His blood was still dripping on the
floor but the wound was starting to seal itself.
Raphael looked up at the team "Onwards to the control room then". Re-Shan looked at him with concern "Brother are you
alright?".
"I am alive Re-Shan that is what matters" said Raphael then led the way to the corridor. "Keep alert brothers, in
exchange for more time we have given our foe an advantage. An ambush is extremely likely".
"Roger that" said Cyiren. The team formed up with Raphael taking the lead, the torches attached to their weapons lighting
the way ahead of them. Raphael looked down at the floor, more blood but this time it was a mix of human and Dark Eldar.
"Apparently one had been wounded and was headed the way of the control room, they must be gathering there" Raphael thought.
He pointed to the corridor that streached in front of them "Re-Shan take point".
Chapter 07
Chapter 7
Raphaels assumption would however be proven correct, the station was deathly silent except for the flicker of the emergency
lights and Strikers footsteps. What there were however were more corpses and this time the Coven had taken their time,
blood covered the floor and limbs dangled from the wall and even the ceiling. Their owners were in an even worse state but
to Raphaels relief they were already dead. No Wracks anywhere, not even footprints in the blood.
Re-Shan was breathing heavily to prevent himself from losing his composure with fury but was still alert which Raphael
was grateful for. On their left and right respectively Varkas and Damascus covered the flanks while Cyiren covered the
rear. Each member was listening for the telltale patter of feet that would give away their foes, Dark Eldar could see through
this gloom with ease and even Space Marines had their limits. Even if they refused to believe it.
Raphael knew this was wrong, in his gut he knew it. He then realised where they would be. He subtled motioned upwards to
Damascus and Varkas who nodded and kept walking. Raphael breathed out for a second and then pivoted upwards and opened fire
with both his bolter and flamer at once. At the same time Varkas and Damascus fired upwards as well while Cyiren and Re-Shan
covered the corridors.
Raphaels instinct was proven right by the howl of the Wracks that had hidden themselves in the various hiding places amongst
the machinery in the ceiling and were about to leap upon their prey. Some were cut apart while still pulling themselves from
their hiding places and more were shot in the air. The team spread out, allowing the bodies to fall amongst them trusting
in their work that the Wracks on the ground were in fact dead.
More howls sounded from both ends of the corridor and Cyirens frag cannon added to the din as well as more Dark Eldar screams
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.of pain. Re-Shan''s chainsword burst into life as he held his ground and fired his inferno pistol to thin his opponents
ranks. The team was trapped from both sides and below.
Raphael was thinking hard as to how to get out of the situation they were in amongst the howl of gunfire. The Wracks
in the ceiling were dead but more were approaching even as their fellows fell. Varkas and Damascus swiviled to support
Re-Shan and Cyiren as they prevented the rest of the team being buried in a throng of bodies. The Dark Eldar were persistant
Raphael admitted that much and it was then he realised their foe had inadvertally given them a way to survive.
"Damascus fire your gravity weapon into the machinery in the ceiling on Cyiren''s side" he shouted. Cyiren pumped the charging
handle on his weapon and fired back into the Dark Eldar ranks shouting "Do you plan to bring down the whole station down on
us Raphael!?". Re-Shan for once didn''t argue his point but then he was cutting apart a Wrack''s chest in a fury.
"Just enough of the machinery to block of this passageway without killing us, think you can handle it Damascus?" shouted
Raphael whilest firing a hellfire round into a Wrack trying to bring a liquifier gun into the fray. Damascus scanned the
ceiling above them and nodded shouting "Everyone move up the corridor then fired into the biggest hunk of metal he could
find. It took a second but it wrenched free and wedged itself into the floor.
Varkas was laughing as he fired "And you all call me reckless, fire again brother!" Damascus complied using his skills as
a master sabotour to pinpoint the weak points in the ceiling and after a few seconds of firing the roof lurched and the
corridor above them fell, blocking off the Dark Eldars attackon that side completely. As more guns turned to the other
side of the corridor the attackers fell back.
Re-Shan fell to a knee covered in blood. Varkas rushed to aid him but Re-Shan pushed him aside as he stood back up
muttering "I''m fine, the blood isnt my own. I just got carried away". Cyiren snorted in amusement but cuffed Re-Shans arm
"Don''t take those kinds of risks, I don''t have the time to carry you out of here before taking his postion as pointman.
Re-Shan shook his head in annoyance but when Raphael nodded at him he stood down.
The control room was less than ten minutes ahead and doubtlessly there would be something much worse than a Wrack hiding
there. Raphael could only hope they could kill it.
Chapter 08
Chapter 8
Striker was moving more quickly now, the Wrack ambush proved their suspitions that there was something important to this
Coven that they were willing to sacrifice so many foot soldiers to furfill their plans. But then it was hardly a surprise
either.
Striker was moving quickly, they all knew that the leader of this Coven would be in the control room and well guarded. If
they cut the head of the head of this incursion then it would greatly lessen the effect they had on this system.
They had reached the door to the control room but it had been sealed shut. Raphael looked at the panel in the left wall
and looked to Damascus "Brother, you are needed again" then stood aside. Damascus snorted "On it Sargeant" then knelt
and began to pull on wires. The rest of the team took positions to cover him, Varkas tilted his head "Brothers are there
any other ways into the control room?" The team took a moment to think before a resounding "No" was spoken by all.
Raphael saw Varka''s point, it was a prime place for another ambush. "Any other ideas Brothers?" he asked while checking
his magazine, full to the brim with Hellfire rounds. He smiled to himself, against flesh there was little better.
Cyiren then spoke "I should go first and lay down fire". The rest of the team nodded in agreement, Raphael turned his
head "Take the nearest cover Cyiren I will follow, Damascus and Re-Shan take the left. Varkas adapt as you wish but stay
distant". Re-Shan looked at him "Why is he doing as he wishes but not us?" Raphael rolled his eyes "Because you need to
cover Damascus, Damascus will create a cross-fire with Cyiren while I cover him. Varkas will target any special weapons.
Are my choices clear?"
Re-Shan seemed taken aback "Yes Sargeant" while Cyiren was trying hard not to laugh.
"Get ready to breach" said Damascus standing back up. Raphael nodded then took his position as did the rest of the team,
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work."Three, two, one". The door slide smoothly open and for Raphael at least time seemed to slow.
The Wracks and Grosteques in the room had been waiting for them but the quick movement of the Space Marines and the lack
of ranged weapons used by the Wracks and Grotesques gave them a distinct edge. Gunfire sounded and bolt rounds hit home
but Raphael paid it no attention, four Wracks had entered his field of view as Raphael took a slow breath and fired twice.
The closest two Wracks hit the ground in mid stride with large holes bored into their chests. The remaining two leaped over
their dead brethern and swung at him, Raphael sidestepped the first blow and ducked under the second. Using the momentum
of the dodge he drove his fist into a Wracks chest and grinned as bones snapped, the Wrack falling with a crash. The
second swung at him again but Raphael caught its wrist and threw it into the wall while simutaniously unleashing his left
arms bone-blade and drove it up into the Wracks chest then tore it free.
Around him Cyiren was firing quick bursts into the Grotesques as they tried to get into range in order to cut them to
pieces, Raphael took a knee as more Wracks tried to flank them but bolts flew from the left tearing into their heads with
Raphael shooting into the rest. Varkas''s work clearly, all of a sudden the firing stopped. "Clear" shouted Re-Shan
wiping blood from his chestplate, the rest of the team checked their zones before shouting the same.
Raphael looked around for the Haemonculus''s corpse but couldnt see it. "Did anyone see a Haemonculus?" shouted Raphael
but a resounding "No Sargeant" was heard, not good at all. It wouldn''t be this easy. Raphael looked outside the window
and realised where their prey had gone, it had left through the airlock. Varkas looked incredulously out the window "How
the hell can they breathe in the void?" "The Dark Eldar have excellent technology Varkas, this doesnt exceed their limits".
"Sargaent more bad news, the airlock has been welded shut!" shouted Cyiren. "Damn" thought Raphael then looked at the
window and then at Damascus''s melta bombs. "Damascus, hand me a melta grenade. Everyone else get ready" holding out a hand
as Damascus placed it into his hand.
The team guessed his intentions and then held onto anything nailed down. Raphael primed the grenade and threw it into the
window. The grenade exploded with a piece of shrapnel bouncing off Raphael''s armour, the soft hiss of the stations
atomosphere escaping into the vacuum was the only sound they could hear. The rest of the window lurched then tore free
and as one Striker angled themselves and lept towards their foe.
Chapter 09
Chapter 9
The Haemonculus was moving quickly across the stations service, its strange limbs propelling it like a demented spider.
Striker was hot on its heels, propelling themselves using any protruding objects to propel themselves with. Damascus and
Varkas tried their best to at least slow the foul creature down but their rounds bounced off a field of dark energy as
it pulled itself from surface to surface, it swiveled and fired the Hexrifle it held as it moved.
It became a test of durability, the power armour of the team members and the shadow field of the Dark Eldar. Slowly but
surely the team started to gain on the foul creature until Raphael finally had a shot and with a strong lurch threw
himself at the Haemonculus as it turned.
It tried to fire at him but Raphael backhanded the rifles barrel aside and swung the bolter at the Haemonculi''s face
only for the blow to be intercepted in turn. The Haemonculus grinned with barely contained bloodlust and then spoke
in perfect English.
"You''ll have to try much harder than that human" it screeched at him as they grappled in space, bladed arms attempting
to cut into Raphaels flesh as he in turn attempted to pummel his foe. Each blow was met by either armour or shadow
field in the struggle to win. Abandoning his bolter as he did once before Raphael unsheathed his bone-blades and slashed
at the deformed hump on its back where he knew its vital organs would be. Again the shadow field blocked his efforts as
Raphael struggled to remember the details of his enemy and the wargear it used while simutaniously fighting off the Dark
Eldar.
The creature''s blows came faster than his but Raphael was physically stronger thanks to his enhancements. The Haemonculi
had a harder time of actually wounding Raphael but the foul creature seemed to be enjoying itself immensely. Raphael
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.knocked its front arms away then pulled out his bolt pistol and emptied the clip into his foes face, or rather he tried to
with each round reflecting off the shadow field. Cursing Raphael reflecting the Haemonculus''s blows as best he could.
"Sargeant we have company down here!" shouted Cyiren. It was then Raphael realised what the sharp cracking sounds he
noticed earlier had been his teams gunfire. "Take care of it! I have a bit of a situation up here myself!" Raphael shouted
back and swung his blade in a counter-blow that finally landed in a long, narrow cut on its chest.
The shadowfield had shorted out at last and Raphael redoubled his efforts to kill it. The spacial battle continued, blow
after blow, metal grating against metal. Raphael swung overhead but the Haemonculus stopped it with the flat of his own
blade and swung its other blade into Raphaels side. The power armour held but not all of the impact was stopped, Raphael
tasted blood in his mouth and snarled in fury. In response he swung his arm severing the limbs holding the hexrifle clean
off and then thrust his arm to stab it in the chest, the Haemonculus dropping its blade in the process.
Raphael struggled to push the blade forward, the Haemonculus manically grinning as he did. The blade inched closer and
closer until it finally it pierced the skin to which the Haemonculus''s strength gave out and Raphael plunged the blade
through its body in a spray of blood.
Raphael smiled feeling blood drip from his mouth but the Haemonculus wasn''t dead yet, it stared at him and started to
laugh again "You think this is the end, you pus-filled ape? You will be hunted down like a beast and I will be there to
do so. The Masked Sorrow will bring you to me and I will...."
Raphael took that moment to prod its chin with his newly reloaded bolt-pistol and mockingly said "Hold that thought" then
pulled the trigger. The bolt tore through its head and Raphael breathed out in satisfaction. He pulled out the blade he
stuck in his victims chest, placed his foot in its midsection and pushed off so he wouldnt drift away into the coldness of
space.
The team below was surrounded by floating bodies and blood. Each one was breathing heavily as Raphael landed among them.
Each one was covered in blood, the smoke from their gun barrels still slinking away. He looked around at his team and
nodded in approval "Excellent work Striker".
Chapter 10: Book 1 End
Chapter 10
The clean-up took little time as the remaining Wracks on the station had escaped using webway portals, probably the same
ones they used to get on the station in the first place. The damage to the station was relatively minor, once Damascus
had returned the circuit he pulled from the generator that is. Each member had taken at least one injury but there were
no fatalities which Raphael was grateful for.
Medical Bay, Storm of Resolution
"How many alien leaders to plan to kill exactly Raphael?" asked Cyiren mockingly as an Apothecary put stitches through
his arm where a Wrack blade had hit a joint. Varkas rolled his eyes and then shook his head but Damascus spoke before he
did "Its Sargeant Raphael, I think he earned that title" smiling at him and nodding.
Raphael nodded back but he didn''t feel the smile he put on his face. He looked at Cyiren and said simply "As many as are
needed brother". His answer seemed to placate him for the moment, thank the Emperor. Re-Shan was putting weight on his
leg keenly watched by Varkas who was waiting to intercept him from falling on the ground.
Damascus flexed his metalic fingers and nodded in approval, he then stood to attention as Thorn came through the door
while the rest of the Marines did their best to do the same. He looked annoyed but then he always did. Raphael''s internal
bleeding had been stopped but the wound in his side made him wince. He stood up trying desperately to not let it show.
Thorns eyes softened if only a bit "Sit the hell down Raphael, I don''t need you dying due to your stupidity". Raphael
couldn''t help but laugh "Good to hear you care Inquisitor". Thorns eyes hardened again then he continued to talk "Overall
Kill Team not too bad, as there is nothing that needs your particular talents as of now so we are be heading back to the
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.Watch Station as of now". He looked around at them and then at the Apothecary who nodded back, he then looked back at
them "Dismissed".
"Wait a minute sir" said Raphael, he then looked around the team "Can you give us a moment?" The teams members faces were
emotionless but he knew they would be full of questions by the time he got back to their quarters on the ship. Thorn
sighed "Fine, get out you lot" as he pointed to the door. The team filed out until only Thorn and Raphael remained in the
room.
"Whats the problem?" asked Thorn with his arms folded. Raphael took a second to figure out how he was going to say this
"Sir, the Haemonculus I killed spoke to me".
Thorns face remained like stone "Spoke to you? What did that foul thing say?" Raphael continued "It mentioned something
called the Masked Sorrow, how this whole incident isn''t the end. Does that name mean anything to you?"
Thorn remained impassive but his eyes told a different story, he had heard that name before and from the look it was not
a name he had hoped to hear. Thorn pointed at him "You are certain? Did it say that name?"
Raphael nodded "Yes sir, specifically". Thorn swore and looked back at him "Tell no-one and I mean no-one else about this
or you and I will have a big problem. Do you understand?" Raphael suppressed the urge to grin, this was interesting but he
didn''t have a death wish.
"Yes sir, I understand" said Raphael to which Thorn breathed out slowly, his nostrils flaring. "Good, dismissed" Raphael
bowed his head and left the room. He had to think of a story to tell his brothers before he got there. He hated having to
lie to them but he knew why it was needed.
Watch Station
The training simulations continued relentlessly as each team members wounds healed over the journey back. The drills, the
close combat training, the team exercises. It reminded Raphael of his chapter, except with much less friction between
brothers.
He smiled openly, the simulated forest streaching out around them. He could already hear the slight rustling of dead
branches about 20 meters ahead as Striker laid in wait for Kill Team Retribution, which meant the real threat was on the
flanks. He motioned to the left and right respectively and watched his firing zone as they angled their weapons.
He breathed out and loosed a shot. The shout of pain as the practice round hit home told him he didn''t miss.
It is his duty, his fate and his purpose.
"I am a brother of the Deathwatch and I shall know no fear" said Raphael.
Book 2: Prologue
Devastation
The 41st Millennium, a time of darkness and war.
The Imperium of Man stands alone against no less than an apocalypse, both of its own making and of external threats too
numerous to imagine. One of the greatest and skilled pillars of this floundering bastion of mankind is the Deathwatch, an
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.organisation made up of the best alien killers known to the Space Marines, the Angels of Death.
One such Space Marine, Raphael of the Black Dragons has entered the Deathwatch and has made an excellent first impression
by breaking the grip of a Haemonculus Coven on a vital space station and killing the foul creature that was responsible
personally.
But a new day always dawns and more threats to mankind emerge every day. The work of the Deathwatch is never done.
Book 2: Chapter 1
Chapter 1
"Varkas what do you see?" asked Raphael. He had been moving very slowly to mask his movements and the camo cloak he was
wearing was doing the rest of the work for him. Why do other chapters not use these more often? he thought.
"Another group of ten targets Sargeant, about one click northeast. Heavy bolters for all of them." said Varka''s voice in
his ear. He looked to his left to where Varkas was, he had hidden himself perfectly and even the sniper rifle had blended
in among the sand. "Anything else Varkas?" he asked and the answer was a resounding "No". Excellent.
Around him the rest of Striker was similarly cloaked but Raphael could see their movements and where they had moved, they
had heard their conversation and were moving to the targets location slowly but surely. This had been the third group so
far and still no luck. Perhaps three times the charm.
"Sargeant Re-Shan here" said a voice in his ear. "Go ahead brother" he replied wondering what was going on. He kept
trudging up the sand dune to keep his brothers and his prey in his sightlines. "Targets sighted Sargeant, Varkas recon
was good". Raphael nodded in approval "Confirmed Re-Shan".
Varkas snorted over the vox "You doubt me brother?". Damascus interupted before Re-Shan could answer "Its always best
to confirm information, let it go Varkas" and then closed his vox channel. Well that was all but one member in the loop
thought Raphael but where had the fifth gone?
"Cyiren come in" said Raphael. He could see their targets now, Servitors blanklessly scanning the horizon for enemies.
He looked around for his team and slowly found each one, they had set themselves up and were preparing for combat.
"Cyiren here, is there a problem Sargeant?". His voice was suspitious and sullen sounding as always, Raphael rolled
his eyes and then spoke "Are you in position brother?". Cyiren ignored the honourific as always "I am setting up, one
more minute then we can begin".
Cyiren had to set up his missile launcher in a way that would prevent the backblast from hurting him, that would take
a minute as Cyiren said but as always his tone was cause for concern. It seemed like an age before he heard the words
he was waiting for "Ready, Sargeant". Raphael breathed out "Brothers engage as we have done before, Varkas take the
first shot on the one in the middle". He raised his bolter and waited.
A very faint sound emerged from Varka''s position and a second later the Servitor''s head exploded and the corpse fell in
a heap then the rest of the squad started firing. The only thing Raphael felt was the recoil as he aimed down his
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.sights to eliminate his targets, suddenly a missile streaked across the sky towards the Servitors who were all firing
their heavy weapons wildly but hitting only sand. The Striker team had hidden themselves too well.
The missile hit the ground in the middle of the group, the explosions impact throwing the Servitors into the air like toys.
Three more got back up again and went looking for where the missile came from and fired but Cyiren was already rolling
down the hill like he had done twice before.
Raphael leveled his bolter and fired again, the Kraken bolt hit his mark dead in the chest and the Servitor fell, the
second was hit in the back by a plasma shot fired by Damascus and the final one was hit by a sniper round and Re-Shan''s
bolter fire.
Raphael breathed out again, the adrenaline starting to subside. The whole team waited and watched for any one of their
targets to move or for reenforcements to arrive. When neither happened for five minutes the team emerged from the sand
like four restless spirits and began to converge. Varkas stayed where he was, looking for any more Servitors.
When they reached the mangled bodies of the disturbing cyborgs all but Raphael set to work ensuring they were dead.
Raphael however was looking for something else and on the fifth body he found it, a blastproof container with a locator
beacon inside. He frowned, it was too easy.
"Damascus take a look" he said as he tossed the device towards Damascus and switching positions with him as he did.
When it came to technology he trusted Damascus above all, each member had their specialty and this was his. Damascus
muttered prayers to himself as he tinkered with the circuitry until finally he smiled, pulled a wire and then spoke "Looks
like the Sargeant was right to be suspitious, there is a transmitter in here as well as a locator".
Raphael smiled to himself, if they had used it now every Servitor would be on them before they could even realise what
happened "Good work brother, is it safe to use now?". Damascus nodded and held out the beacon "Perfectly, do you want the
honours?" Raphael shook his head "Go ahead". By now the team had arrayed around him in full, Varkas was jogging in their
direction with his rifle slung over his back. For an expert in sharpshooting Varkas moved extremely quickly, even by Space
Marine standards.
Re-Shan and Cyiren looked at each other and started to laugh despite the incedulous looks of Raphael, Varkas and Damascus
directed at them, it was a very rare day when the two agreed on something let alone laughed at. Re-Shan breathed in heavily
and saw the pair staring at them and shrugged "Sorry Sargeant".
Raphael frowned "Is there something I would know Re-Shan?". Re-Shan grinned and shook his head but apparently Cyiren was
less willing to be polite "Its funny because Sargeant Raphael here only accepts the honour of killing alien leaders, at
least that is what he has displayed". He smiled broadly and hefted his missile launcher to his shoulder, arrogant as per
usual in the face of Raphael''s feeble attempts to contain his displeasure.
"Do you truly think so little of me Brothers?" Raphael asked quietly, he turned to Damascus "Activate the damn thing" he
ordered.
Damascus obeyed and pushed a few buttons, all at once the sand, the sky and practically everything else vanished all at
once and was replaced with cold metal walls.
A loud simulated voice then sounded "Simulation terminated".
Book 2: Chapter 2
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.
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
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.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
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.
Book 2: Chapter 3
Chapter 3
As they made their way to the armoury the other team members were at a loss on how to delay an Ork force of that size by
themselves and were beginning to question Lexus''s sanity for giving them such a task. Raphael however was dead silent in
thought.
"How in the name of Holy Terra are we going to pull this off? I mean each of us has done their duty and done it well but
we don''t need a strike team here we need a damn army!" said Cyiren in obvious frustration but then he always talked that
way so no one was exactly shocked.
"Frontal assault is suicide obviously, hit and run and sabotage would be the best option" said Damascus. He was right but
that did not mean it would be easy, thousands of eyes looking for something would find trace eventually. Orks weren''t
the most intelligent beings but they were persistant Raphael gave them that much credit.
"Guerilla warfare is my specialty, combined with the forest terrian we could do this" said Varkas proudly, he then looked
around "Come Brothers, dispair is the enemy we face here". He smiled around at the team until they all smiled in return,
all but Raphael. He had finally devised a plan.
They had reached the armoury at last, a bustling hive of metalic sparks, heavy machinery and tech adepts focusing on
their duties or bustling about. Their cybernetics were filling the room with sharp metalic sounds which the rest of the
team was used to thanks to Damascus but it did make it hard to concentrate.
After ten long minutes of tracking down a tech-priest who knew where Invictis was they finally found where he was, loading
bay 17 as two more tech priests left chatting away in binary but there was no-one else there. As they were starting to
look around in confusion a whir of machinery coming to life sounded behind them, in his haste Raphael thought it was a
wall but as it strode towards them it became clear who Invictis was.
Clenching his powerfist, recalibrating autocannons and moving with a heavy gait Invictis walked to them as each member
knelt in reverance. Through a vox grill he spoke "Greetings Brothers I am Venerable Dreadnought Invictis". Raphael smiled
to himself, his plan just got less risky.
Each member of Striker rose in one movement and faced the dreadnought, the heraldry of his body indicated he was once a
Stolen story; please report.brother of the Angels of Absolution but the fact he was here told them all he had decided to stay with the Deathwatch and
had become a hero as a result. But apparently he didn''t seem to share that opinion.
"What are you all gaping at? Come, there is work to be done. Watch Master Lexus has briefed me on all the details and all
of you need to prepare for the mission ahead". He then strode off, his immense body clearing a wide berth as he continued
talking enthusiastically as the Striker team hastened to keep up.
"You know it has been nearly a year since I have seen any real battles, only a skirmish here and there and while the
priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus take good care of me they tend to worship me a bit too much for my taste. Just like the
Space Marines Ha ha ha! He continued laughing at his own joke for a good minute until they reached the tall shelves of
weapons they were looking for.
"Cyiren take a lascannon, everyone else take suppressed long ranged and area of effect options and that includes you
Re-Shan" Raphael said with a hard tone while cocking a Deathwatch Sniper rifle. Much different from the rifles used by
Scouts in usual chapters this kind of rifle was rarer and much more powerful. He turned and tossed it at Varkas with a
smile and a simple statement "Don''t miss". He then located his favoured weapon, his combi-flamer and checked the
calibrations. They were perfect as always but he always made sure anyway.
He then looked at a servo skull carrying a different piece of wargear entirely and had a thought. He turned "Everyone grab
a camo cloak and as many remote explosives you can carry as well, I get the feeling they will come in useful here too".
He whistled at the servo skull to gain its attention and like a grim specter it glided to him and deposited the cloak in
his hand, he donned it muttering to himself "Why the hell would Dark Angels wear robes all the time, why not use these?".
He would have to remember that when he returned to his chapter.
Raphael breathed out and shook his head, thoughts of home would have to wait for another day perhaps when his Vigil was
nearly completed he would consider his options. The rest of the team was armed and ready, Raphael clicked a grenade into
place on his belt and then walked to the hanger bay right next to the armoury. Their transport awaited, the ship named
"Soul of War" had been docked for the last hour waiting for them. As he found out the ship would stay in orbit around
the planets second moon and out of sight, this was so Invictis could be deployed via drop-pod if he was needed. He would
not like that but he would have to understand.
As they traversed the halls of the ship and found their quarters beside the main vehicle hanger of the ship. Soul of War
had undocked and was moving slowly away from the Watch Station. A shudder was felt by all as the vessel entered the Warp,
a dangerous journey to be sure but one that was required.
Book 2: Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The two days spent in the Warp were far from wasted as the Soul of War was a Deathwatch vessel above all and held many
different training rooms, a far cry from the advanced simulation chambers of the Watch Stations but they sufficed. Space
Marines trained extensively when they were not in combat and Striker was no different.
Raphael and Re-Shan were facing each other with looks of great concentration and practice swords, pacing slowly in a
circle and each was waiting for the other to make the first move. Raphael took a step forward and Re-Shan slashed at his
head to throw him off. Raphael blocked the strike with the flat of his blade and swiped in return but Re-Shan was already
stepping out of range pulling his blade back for his next attack.
The duel continued for several more minutes before Re-Shan made a mistake by over-extending his arm with a vicious stab
which Raphael deflected off his bracer, spinning as he did so and tapped the pommel of his blade against the back of
Re-Shan''s head. They continued onwards regardless, strike and counter strike raining upon one another endlessly.
Just when Raphael thought he would lose Re-Shan slipped in his techinque in a moment of frustration, he latched onto
Re-Shan''s sword arm by his wrist. Re-Shan tried to punch him with his other hand but Raphael ducked under the blow and
forced Re-Shan to drop his blade with a flick of his wrist. Then he stunned him with a well aimed to the side of his head
and angled his leg then pulled Re-Shan over it forcing him to the ground, Raphael raised his arm extending his bone-blade
and forced it into the ground by the left side of Re-Shan''s head.
The pair of them were breathing heavily but Raphael had won the duel ten marks to eight, Re-Shan looked up at him from the
ground and grinned at him as Raphael did the same, pulling the blade from the floor and grabbing Re-Shan''s outstreached
arm pulled him to his feet. The other members of Striker as well as Invictis were watching from the sidelines with nods
of approval.
"Not too bad Re-Shan, next time it will not be so easy" said Raphael as he strode to the sidelines to allow Cyiren and
Varkas to take their place as well as their blades. They had continued these drills and a pattern was emerging,
while his team was skilled they tended to be very focused. Varkas for example was an excellent marksman but his close
combat skills were getting rusty. Raphael knew from harsh experience that no skill could be neglected.
Re-Shan was staring at his forearms, when Raphael raised an eyebrow at him Re-Shan tilted his head "Why do you have those
blades anyway? Are they an implant?" he asked. Raphael was used to answering questions of this nature by now, many Space
Marines did. "It is a trait Re-Shan passed to a few of my chapter". The pair sat down on the floor before Raphael
continued "Some possess them call it a curse but others call it a blessing. In my case I only gained the blades and these"
he pointed to the small nubs of bone on his head and the enlongated incisors in his mouth.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Re-Shan looked concerned "Are you not worried about the Inquisition or other such puritans?". Raphael''s face was grim
"Always Brother, and we always will be. But we still remain loyal and I hope that never changes". Re-Shan seemed satified
with his answer and turned his head to watch the match between Cyiren and Varkas, making a note of their mistakes.
Invictis stomped towards him and his voice boomed at him "Raphael may I have a word?". He nodded at the ancient warrior
then stood and the pair walked to the far side of the loading bay where even Invictis would not be heard from that
distance, a viewing panel showed the hellscape of the Warp around them. When they reached it Invictis was not his normal
cheerful self and it showed in the tone of his synthetic voice.
"How do you plan to do this Raphael?" asked Invitis, he towered above Raphael and as a result he had to raise his head
to talk to him properly. "I plan to first execute the leading Warboss or whatever is in command of the Orks on Valarim,
when this is done there will be a power struggle and we can exploit the chaos such a feud would create and cause as much
damage to the advantages the Orks have, numbers and firepower".
Invictis wasn''t impressed "There is a lot that can go wrong with this plan, do not risk your brothers lives to show how
clever you are" he said angrily. Raphael was taken aback, Invictis wasn''t entirely wrong. But he would not sacrifice his
team to show off anything.
Raphael took a second to regain his composure and then spoke "Begging your parden ancient one but I do not seek to prove
anything. The plan is risky I admit that much but there is also much room to adapt as the situation does and in truth any
other approach I can think of would lead to the mission failing, the deaths of the whole team or both. I accept none of
it". He meant it and he could tell Invictis could too, good.
Invictis chuckled "Well then. Since I can think of no better alternatives I shall be at your disposal". Raphael thought
he had gone mad "I''m sorry?" he asked. Invictis'' mirth grew only greater "I will follow your command for now Raphael, you
seem to know what you are doing. If you need my help do not feel ashamed to ask". He then did his best to nod, it seemed
even after decades of being in this large metal body some habits did not change.
Raphael bowed, humbled "Thank you ancient one". Invictis'' tone grew harsh again at that "Call me by my name will you? That
title is starting to annoy me to no end. I am a soldier, not a damn shrine to be prayed to". He pointed his arm at the
rest of Striker, apparently the battle was not over yet "Inform them of this as well" Invictis demanded.
Raphael smiled "Of course Invictis, is there anything else?". Invictis shook his head, his biological one in any case
before he realised his mistake and simply said "No Raphael, go on". He then turned away hearing Raphael''s footsteps
trailing away, he was alone with his thoughts.
"You certainly know how to pick them Watch Master, we shall see if this new batch of proteges fares. Let us hope Inquistor
Thorn doesn''t ensure their death like last time. He felt a familar grip of sorrow as he remembered fighting alongside
Kill Team Scythe, his pride as they were removed from his company and his grief at their loss. Floating in the tank that
contained his true, mutilated body Invictis closed his eyes for a few seconds in remembrance then turned and walked to
his new band of skilled misfits.
As he did however an alarm sounded, they had reached the Valarim system and final preparations were being made.
The operation would soon begin.
Book 2: Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The team would be deploying via a modified Corvus Blackstar they decided as a drop-pod would leave too much trace of their
position. As predicted Invictis was unhappy he was not deploying with them but insisted a special visor be attached to
Raphael''s helmet so he could give aid when it was needed. Everyone looked at him expectantly until he finally complied
and a tech priest attached the visor on his helmet. In truth it looked more like a pair of stubby binoculars than anything
else, the rest of the team sniggered a bit until Raphael revealed with a wide grin they all had to wear similar equipment
to record their findings and send them to the Imperial Guard.
The Blackstar itself was a sleek, well armed machine which impressed even Damascus. It was an aircraft available only
to the Deathwatch which was a great source of irritation to everyone in the team, another example of Inquistion or
Mechanicus corruption. They prepared themselves for a deployment from orbit, strapping themselves to their seats and
ensuring every weapon had their safety settings primed especially Cyiren with his lascannon.
The Blackstar''s engines roared into life and the craft lifted from the dense metal floor then shot at a high velocity
from the Soul of War, the pilot giving them half an hour before landing. The team took the opportunity to pray, their
weapons and armour had already been extensively checked and they were ready.
A cone of heat was forming around the hull as it entered the planets orbit, to avoid creating a sonic boom that would
alert the Orks to their presence the pilot only flew at subsonic speeds. There was still a great deal of wreakage floating
in the planets orbit but the Blackstar banked and weaved around them with relative ease, a drop zone had been detected by
the Blackstars keen scanners as well as the main body of the Ork encampment even in the darkness of night. When they
reached the rocky outcrop the side doors opened and high strength cables dropped to the ground. They didn''t have the time
to land so they lept onto the cables and fast-roped to the ground instead.
Within five seconds Raphaels boots hit the ground and the team spread out, their helmets visors adjusting for the darkness
and were moving quickly. Once they had reached cover Raphael voxed their pilot "Good drop, confirm?". The pilots voice
sounded in his ear "Confirmed, good luck Sargeant".
He terminated the contact, they were on their own. Raphael looked up at the outcrop and saw a great deal of cover as well
as a dominating view of the Ork camp, he motioned upwards and indicated to begin their climb. The rest of Striker began
their climb, silent as shadows. Despite the power armour and camo cloaks they were wearing the ascent was fairly easy as
the rock was cracked in many places, not to mention the climbing spikes Varkas was easing into the rock as they went along.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
After ten minutes every member was exactly where he wanted them, not at the very top but secreted amongst the rocks. The
observation of the Ork encampment began but the foe they faced was much stronger than they had ever imagined. The Ork army
seemed endless and ramshackle vehicles were being steadily assembled, the centrepiece of that army was a titanic war
machine filled with as many weapons the Orks could fasten to it. A Stomper had been created here and from the looks of it
more were starting to be built.
Damascus'' voice sounded in his ear "Apparently these Orks are further along in their development than we first thought".
Varkas and Re-Shan had similar opinions but Cyiren and Invictis were silent which worried him even more. Well it could
always be worse he thought. Suddenly Varka''s voice sounded in his ear.
"Sargeant Warboss spotted, three meters from the left of the Stomper do you see it?". Raphael looked through his scope and
saw who he had looked for, the biggest and meanest Ork of the lot. He had a brief flashback to the first warboss he had
encountered then shook his head to rid himself of the memory, he then activated the vox to all Striker members "What
details do we have on this brute?" he asked.
What they told him was not encouraging, apparently Headsplitta as he was called was a particularly ambitious Ork under the
employ of The Beast of Armageddon, Gharzghkull Thraka himself and was one of his most brutal underlings. His presence here
was not a good sign, if a full scale invasion started here it would prove very difficult to stop. The creature himself
was immense, coated in thick mega-armour and carrying one of the biggest axes Raphael had ever seen, even if they landed
a good shot on it he doubted it would die easily.
"Any specific competition you can see?" he asked, minutes passed before he got an answer, from Cyiren this time "Theres a
ton of competition but my quess is his inner circle of Mega Nobs or the Ork mechanic up on top of the Stomper".
He looked up and saw what he meant, a seemingly deranged Ork was standing on the Stompers head shouting orders to his Mek
underlings. "Varkas and Damascus find heavy weapons, defensive structures and everything else of importance to the Orks.
Cyiren and Re-Shan find a good landing zone for the Imperial Guard force and any good firing points. I want to know
this battlefield like the back of my hand, confirmed?". They all confirmed then switched their vox channels off.
He then decided to consult his ace in the hole "Invictis anything I miss?". Invictis laughed in his ear "We always miss
something Raphael but do not take that personally. In any case I have no complaints, simply advice". Raphael shook his
head in exasperation "What did you have in mind?".
Invictis snorted in amusement "Well for one what do you plan to do once the warboss is dead?". Raphael frowned at that and
looked around the encampment for answers, Invictis waited patiently until he found what he was looking for. He angled the
visor so Invictis could see "There, if I am not mistaken that looks like an arena of some kind. If Headsplitta is killed
without revealing our presence then any Ork that wanted to take control of this horde would do so there".
The Dreadnought was silent for a further five minutes until he finally spoke "You''ve left a lot of room for improvisation,
a bit too much for my taste but the result is the same. Not too bad Raphael". He then abruptly shut off the vox connection
leaving Raphael alone with his thoughts once more.