Imperial Reckoning: Humanity Return

Chapter 41: Nocturne

The planet of Nocturne was a world bathed in constant fire and brimstone, a land of molten rock, volcanic plains, and skies choked with ash. The atmosphere of the planet was suffocating, its air thick with the scent of sulfur and molten slag. The very ground glowed with the heat of its core, turning everything it touched into shades of ashen gray. The relentless heat of Nocturne left its mark on all who lived there, burning their skin until it became as dark as the scorched earth itself.

Yet, despite the unforgiving environment, humans had made this planet their home. Long ago, a group of settlers had fled the Imperium, seeking freedom from its rigid doctrines and oppressive rule. They ventured deep into the Terminus Systems, hoping to find a place where they could live according to their own beliefs. They found Nocturne—a place that would challenge them in ways no other world could, but a place where they could carve out their existence away from the Emperor’s watchful eye.

The people of Nocturne were forged by their harsh environment. Their skin, once pale, now matched the charred black of the planet’s surface, and their bones had grown dense, resistant to the intense gravity. Their eyes, once bright, had turned to darker hues, able to see through the smoke and ash that constantly swirled around them. They became a people of fire and endurance, adapting to their world with an unyielding will.

Among these hardy settlers, a mysterious event occurred one day, changing the course of Nocturne’s history. It began when a group of workers in the outer volcanic plains discovered a pod, half-buried in cooling lava, the metal hull still steaming from its descent through the planet’s atmosphere. Inside the pod, they found a child—an infant with blackened skin that seemed to shimmer faintly in the glow of the molten landscape. Her eyes, a striking contrast to her dark skin, blazed with an unnatural intensity, as if the very flames of Nocturne had been reflected within her soul.

The people named her Valkyra, and she was unlike any other child they had ever seen. As she grew, it became clear that Nocturne had transformed her, altering not only her skin but her very nature. She was strong, unnaturally so, even as a child. The heat that would scorch others barely seemed to bother her, and she moved through the fiery wastelands with an ease that astounded her adoptive family.

Valkyra's rise to power was swift and inevitable. By the time she reached adulthood, she had become a legend among her people. Her mastery of the planet's volcanic landscape was unparalleled—she could withstand the heat of Nocturne's molten rivers, walk across magma, and breathe its toxic air with impunity. More than that, she was a natural leader, her strength and kindness earning her the loyalty of all who knew her. The people of Nocturne looked to Valkyra for guidance, and when their enemies—raiders and slavers who had come to exploit the planet—attacked, it was Valkyra who led the defense, driving them back with a fury that mirrored the planet itself.

Over time, Valkyra became the ruler of Nocturne, a symbol of its unyielding spirit. She was a protector of her people, a beacon of hope in a land of constant fire. Under her rule, Nocturne thrived, despite the many challenges it faced. Yet, even as she led her people, Valkyra could not escape the feeling that she was meant for something more. There was a deep, unspoken connection between her and the fires of Nocturne, a sense that her origins were tied to forces far greater than the settlers who had raised her.

That feeling would soon be realized when the Imperium arrived.

The day the Imperium’s fleet appeared in Nocturne’s skies, the ground trembled—not from volcanic activity, but from the presence of massive ships descending from the heavens. They were colossal vessels, adorned with the insignia of the Dark Angels, led by the War Master of the Great Crusade herself, Jane El’Jonson, Primarch of the Dark Angels. Alongside her was Konira Curze, the brooding and foresighted Primarch of the Night Lords, and Magna the Red, the newly recovered Primarch of the Thousand Sons, whose presence on the planet radiated with the same ethereal energy as Nocturne’s fiery core.

Valkyra stood at the base of the largest volcano, watching as the ships landed, their massive forms casting long shadows over the burning plains. When the Primarchs emerged, they were a sight to behold—Jane, clad in her black and green armor, radiating authority and power; Konira, her dark eyes flashing with visions of the future; and Magna, her crimson skin glowing like a living flame in the heat of Nocturne.

Jane approached Valkyra with a calm, deliberate stride. She had come to speak not just to the ruler of Nocturne, but to a lost sister, one of the Emperor's daughters, and the final piece of a grand design.

"Valkyra," Jane began, her voice carrying the weight of millennia of conquest and knowledge. "You are not merely the leader of this planet. You are one of us—a Primarch, born of the Emperor’s blood, sent across the galaxy by forces that sought to disrupt our father’s plan. Chaos intervened in your journey, and you were cast here, far from where you were meant to be."

Valkyra listened, her expression calm but curious. The truth in Jane’s words resonated within her. She had always known she was different, but the idea that she was a Primarch, one of the Emperor's chosen, was both shocking and exhilarating.

Jane continued, her voice softening. "You are destined for more than Nocturne. You were meant to lead, to protect not just this world, but all of humanity. The Emperor sent us to find you and to bring you back into the fold. The Great Crusade calls for you, Valkyra. Humanity needs your strength, your wisdom, your kindness."

Beside Jane, Konira Curze remained silent, her pale skin and dark eyes betraying little emotion, though Valkyra could feel the shadows of the future swirling around her. Magna stood with a gentle smile, her presence calming, yet powerful, as if the planet itself acknowledged her.

Valkyra met Jane’s gaze, the weight of the moment heavy in the molten air. She had spent her entire life protecting the people of Nocturne, leading them through fire and hardship, but she knew Jane was right. Her destiny lay beyond the volcanic plains of her homeworld. She had the power to protect not only her people but all of humanity, to stand beside her newly discovered sisters and safeguard the galaxy from the myriad threats that loomed in the dark.

After a long silence, Valkyra spoke. “I will join you. If my place is with the Emperor, then I will fight for him and for all of humanity. But know this—I will never abandon Nocturne or its people. They are as much a part of me as the fires that burn in my blood.”

Jane smiled, satisfied with Valkyra’s answer. “Then Nocturne shall stand as part of the Imperium. Together, we will protect not just your world, but all worlds that need us.”

And so, Valkyra, the Primarch of the New Salamanders Legion, joined her sisters in the Great Crusade, her heart filled with the fires of her home, ready to bring light to the darkest corners of the galaxy. She would fight not just for the Emperor, but for all those who needed protection from the chaos and cruelty of the universe.