Suffer Not The Radiant

Chapter 1: Initium Novum Per Mortem

It is the 41st Millennium. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. The Emperor of Mankind wages a constant battle to protect humanity from the horrors of space. On the fringes of the Imperium, alien races lurk and plot, and chaos demons leak into our reality from the torment of the warp. All that stands in their way are the mighty Space Marines. They are more than mortal. They are steel, and they are doom.

—-----------------------

Veksan

.

The battlefield was awash with the sound of gunfire and the roar of the Greenskins. The Astartes had fought valiantly, but the massive WAAAAGH of the Orks was too much to handle. Billions of lives had been lost in the grueling battle that had been raging for three cycles around the star.

It seemed as though the forces of the Imperium were losing the fight. "I fear this is a hopeless endeavor, brothers," murmured an Ultramarine, despair ringing in his voice. "All we can do now is try to save as many of the civilians as possible."

The remaining Retributors said nothing, while the Ultramarines formed a perimeter a few kilometers from the city, ready to evacuate any remaining civilians. The guardsmen, however, were filled with fear. They knew that they were battered and fatigued beyond their limits, and the thought of mounting an assault deep into Orc territory to save civilians filled them with dread.

"We must keep bombarding them, weaken them enough," said one guardsman, but he was cut off by the booming voice of an Astartes. "Who said anything about an assault, guardsman?" the Astartes said, his voice ringing across the battlefield. "Look around you. Do you truly think there is still hope for this world? Our forces do not even reach a million men, and we, the Astartes, have lost significant numbers. There are times when we must sacrifice a lot to save a few, guardsman. You will understand."

The guardsman was terrified by what the Astartes considered "sacrifice," but he held his lasgun tightly to his side, standing his ground. "Are we supposed to let them die?" he asked.

"We will request an Exterminatus from the Inquisition," the Astartes replied. "Consider that mercy for the unfortunate citizens of this world." The guardsman understood the decision, coldly saying, "I understand, my lord," before walking away.

The Astartes turned to one of his battle brothers. "Tell the others we are moving. Enough civilians have boarded the transports. We are getting out of this planet. Exterminatus is its only salvation. We are better needed elsewhere."

The Imperials knew that they had failed. Leaving behind a broken world and a billion souls to die for the sake of the Imperium was a hard pill to swallow. But they also knew that staying meant certain death.

So, they left the world behind, their broken spirits ready to fight another day.

And an Astartes.

—----------------------

Left behind during the final retreats, he lay in a pool of his own blood, barely clinging to life. His comms had been rendered useless, his helmet smashed in by an Ork's brutal blow. His brothers had thought him dead, but he was still alive, questioning why he remained there amidst the filthy corpses of greenskins.

As transport ships and thunderhawks ascended into the sky, he wondered if they had left him to die. But he knew that they had no other choice, as his body was too deep in the Ork lines. He heard the screams of civilians miles away, knowing that they couldn't save everyone from the disgusting Orks. Unfortunate, but a fact of the brutal reality they lived in.

He was a Retributor, unconcerned with the opinions of other chapters. To him, glory did not win battles. In his dying state, he saw a black smudge in the skies. As it drew closer, he realized it was dozens of Imperial cruisers in orbit, darkening a part of the sky. He had seen this sight before, but never up close. He smiled as he reflected on his centuries of service, soon to bask in the Emperor's peace.

He would witness an Exterminatus in all its monstrous glory, a spectacle he had only heard of, never seen, since each world they descended upon was usually retaken. As he watched for a few more moments, a blinding light erupted, followed by the shaking of the earth. Here he would die, not as a coward or a meaningless corpse, but as an Astartes, the Emperor's finest. "I would have liked to see Terra myself,"

"It would seem that is impossible." He chuckled in his dying breath. "Duty..." Suddenly, the imperial cruisers in orbit shined, as they fired. "Ends in death..."

The shockwave reached him, tearing him to shreds in an instant. His armor and flesh were ripped from his soul, leaving only ashes of what was once a great Astartes who had fought for centuries.

–

He lost consciousness immediately, sinking into a sea of inky blackness. He felt nothing and saw nothing, no awareness of his own being or state of consciousness. It was unlike anything he had experienced before, even in the tumultuous warp.

"Where...am I?" he mentally questioned, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Suddenly, a blinding light exploded in front of him, illuminating everything in its path with a brilliance that was nearly blinding. Reality contorted and twisted, warping in ways that would shatter the mind of any mortal being. But he remained stoic, convinced that he was dead and beyond all of it.

Then, with a deafening thump, he felt his armor once more, and his eyes opened slowly to find himself sitting in a lush forest. It was a lot like the forest worlds he had visited before, but there was something different about it. The skies were a clear blue, the animals around him chirped peacefully, and there was no sign of conflict or bloodshed. This was a world that knew nothing but peace.

"What is this?" he wondered, surprised to find himself in such a tranquil setting. He checked his armor and equipment, which was all fixed and unharmed, and picked up his bolter and chainsword from the grass. Was this the Emperor's peace? He decided to explore, walking along a path and taking in the sights and sounds of this idyllic world.

The grass was a vibrant green, the sky was an endless blue, and the animals around him made him feel at ease. It was surreal to him, so different from every other world he had ever known. As he walked, he came across an opening in the forest and heard the sounds of vehicles.

He crouched behind a bush, using his Astartes training to remain hidden despite his towering size. Peeking through the foliage, he saw children and their parents playing in a park. The buildings around them were tall and impressive, reminding him of a hive city, but they were clean and well-maintained. The sky overhead was an unblemished blue, with no sign of pollution or poverty. It was peaceful and beautiful, a moment of calm amidst the chaos of the galaxy.

"Someday, in the far future perhaps," he thought to himself, "the entire Imperium of Man could achieve total victory and live like this. Without fear of the Eldar, Necrons, or Tyranids. It would be heavenly."

But his musings were interrupted by a high-pitched scream. He spun around, ready to defend himself from whatever threat had appeared. But it was only a little girl, clearly frightened by his imposing presence.

"Fear not," he said in his deep amplified voice, trying to calm her down. But she only screamed louder, alerting the people in the park to his presence.

"Emperor guide me,"  he sighed to himself, knowing that this was going to be a long and challenging day.