The Imperiac HeresyRough_TimeST0RIES
Chapter 2: The Badab Rebellion
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
In the later era of the 31st Milennium, a surprisingly large amount of forces would enter the warp, begging the Chaos Gods to save their leader, Lugft Huron, the Rebel of Badab to the Rebels, the Tyrant of Badab to the Throne Loyalists. As Huron was saved by the work of the Iron Warriors and Emperor's Children, the Astral Claws and their allies, the Lamenters, Mantis Warriors, Carcharodons, a small crusade force of Black Templar, and the Tyrant's Legion explained the story of their rebellion…
The Astral Claws were successors of the Ultramarines, and had gained many honors in the name of the Imperium, even gaining audience with Rogal Dorn, the Voice of the Emperor. They had slaughtered thousands of the Emperor's enemies that they had been given an entire sector to call their own, the Badab Sector. There they were given their next assignment. They would lead the newly instated Maelstrom Wardens against any that tried to exit the storm. The Astral Claws took this honor with great compassion, selecting their allies with forces they had allied with in the far past to assist them. These were the forces that left with them into the Maelstorm.
Slowly securing the area, the Astral Claws and their allies would defend the area from any threat, even stopping a Rebellion Crusade. But it would be this very event that would forever change the Astral Claws, with the death of their previous Chapter Master, Lugft Huron was elected to succeed him. And Lugft Huron had seen something no other Throne Loyalist had ever seen since the Horus Rebellion, and even the Great Crusade.
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Huron tore through the traitor ranks, laughing the entire time. It was beautiful, the carnage, in a way. But he didn't pause to reflect. A Chaos Terminator rushed him, two powerclaws screaming to life, the glowing lines of energy shining even brighter. The two clashed, with the traitor giving it his all. But Lugft Huron was stronger, and slew him, the powerclaws deactivating.
Huron paused then to catch his breath, as there were no traitors in the area as of that moment. As he did however, something caught his eye. Turning to see one of his own being pushed to the ground, unconcious with a powerblade in his side. There standing over him stood the Traitor Champion, Lucius the Eternal. Huron ran, trying to stop the traitor from killing his fellow brother. But then something happened that shook Huron to the core, causing him to stop in place.
Lucius removed his helm, revealing not a scared beastly face, but one still as perfect as any other astartes when they became a full fledge battle brother. And the look on his face wasn't that of victory, but of sorrow. Pulling the blade from the Astral Claw's side, Lucius closed his eyes and brought his blade to his face, whispering something only an astartes could hear.
"Let this warrior rest, knowing he fought well, and that he shall be spared from any foul future the corruption of the Emperor may throw at him." Lowering the blade, Lucius turned, walking away. Huron just stood there, shocked and unmoving.
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Lugft Huron was changed that day. The Laughing Butcher became the Somber Whisper. Leading the chapter and the rest of the Maelstrom Wardens, Huron would be known to never speak to Inquistors or even Primarchs when they visited. The only time a Primarch spoke with Huron was when Guilliman came to make sure the Wardens were keeping up to code, stepping out of his information-iducing stasis pod. It was said Guilliman left with a disturbed look.
Regardless, nothing much would change until all of the sudden, silence was heard back from the Badab sector. Each attempt to contact the Wardens was made over a three cycle period, lasting for over three months. Concerned over the idea of Rebel Victory, the Imperium sent an Expedition Fleet maned by the Iron Hands and Imperial Fists to see what was going on. What they found was a large battalion of battleports, each manned by a collection of the Maelstrom Wardens. Lead by Tyberos, chapter master of the Carcharodons, the forces politely but sternly asked the fleet to turn back, as Huron had been expecting a large Chaos Fleet to be arriving and the silence was so Huron could focus completly on securing the sector. The fleet didn't buy it and tried to enter the sector when Tyberos' ordered a warning shot.
The fleet fired back, requesting reinforcements immediately.
Huron had expected this though. The real reason for the silence was that Huron had decided to make contact with a group of Rebels, the brief sighting of Lucius still haunting him. Assisting him were Tyberos, a squad of Mantis Warriors and Lamenters, and the Black Templar in charge of the crusading force stationed there, Marshal Avadeer. Making contact, the Wardens would be surprised by the civil manner the Rebels interacted with, even gifting Huron a non-Rebel blade made before the Rebellion. Huron and the forces there would learn the truth of the Horus Rebellion straight from the source.
Deciding to try and open a staging ground for the next Rebellion Crusade, Huron ordered the sector silent, revealing the truth to everyone in the sector. Shocked at the truth, the sector backed up the Wardens, going silent and ramping up productions for weapons, armor, and vehicles, even building massive battleplatforms all over the sector boundaries. More space marines were inducted to the chapters, far more than a chapter would be allowed.
When the Imperium Fleet arrived, the forces had just finished up their defenses. But when the fleet fired back, the Badab Rebels realized they may have already picked a fight too soon, as almost immediately, the Imperium sent in the Star Phantoms, Marauders, Flesh Tearers, Flesh Eaters, and Death Eagle chapters, alongside forces from the Imperial Fists and Iron Hands already present.
Tyberos quickly escaped back to Badab Primaris, where he informed the Badab Rebel leaders what just happened. Huron, seeing that the staging ground idea he had been going for was not going to work, decided to make the Imperium hurt. He ordered a massive offensive against the Imperium, and the two forces began to clash. Planets were burned to the very core as the Badab Rebels fought to keep the sector out of Imperium hands, while the Imperium sought to make the sector a burning example of what happened to "heretics."
The battle was an ongoing stalemate until the Imperial Fists sent in two chapters of their own to turn the tide. The Minotaurs and Crimson Fists. Both chapters carried a bloody history with them and began to turn the war in favor of the Imperium. Huron knew this and began to make efforts to push back, but it was too late. The Imperium had breached the inner defenses and were making their way to Badab Primaris. Huron ordered the many forces to hold nearby, until the battle was either won or lost. Huron then gathered every Astral Claws remaining and had them position themselves among the defenses on Badab Primaris. When the Imperium arrived, all hell broke loose.
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Sergant Kylum ran and ducked from enemy fire, clashing with a Minotaur astarte before slashing him down with his powerclaws. All around him Rebels and Imperials died in droves, as the Astral Claws were pushed more and more back towards the Palace of Thorns. Kylum had no clue what Lugft Huron's plan was here, but he knew better than to question the Rebel of Badab. He had stopped countless deaths by evacuating worlds being fought over, and done so very effectively.
Kylum clashed with a Crimson Fist terminator, killing him as well and taking some trinkets from the armor. He did this with every opponent he faced. As Kylum stood up, he saw a horrible sight.
Huron stood over the body of a fallen Star Phantom, but half of his body was sheared off, the result of an overcharged plasma shot. He was barely even breathing, but he stood. Kylum rushed over, and just as he did, Huron began to fall over. Kylum caught him. All around, Astral Claws fought back the Imperial forces, now intent on making sure Huron's body wasn't desecrated. Kylum began to pull Huron away, knowing he still lived, if just barely. As he did though, another pair of hands would begin pulling Huron with Kylum. Looking over, he saw the aqua green armor of an astartes, a sniper rifle strapped to his back and the symbol of a multi-headed hydra on their pauldron. The Alpha Legionnaire looked back to Kylum, giving him a nod.
Together the two pulled Huron back to a transport, while the rest of the Astral Claws retreated, calling to their allies in space to pull back to the Maelstorm.
The Badab Rebellion was lost.
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The new Rebel fleet left the Badab sector, bringing with them countless innocents that would have been burned along the way, but millions of others perished. The Rebels left into the Maelstorm, and all the while, apothecaries tended to the nearly dead Lugft Huron. His body was so badly damaged that if they couldn't get help or a Dreadnaught frame, Huron would die, and the Astral Claws would not have that happen.
The Rebel fleet would be guided to a sector in the Warp known as Rebel Prime, where the Sons of Horus, Word Bearers, and Alpha Legion primarily stayed. Arriving with flags of peace, the Astral Claws begged for help, which the Rebels would gladly give. Calling forth the Apothecaries of the Emperor's Children and the Techmarines of the Iron Warriors, the Rebels began to repair the broken Huron as the Astral Claws explained their story. Alongside that, the Lamenters, Carcharodons, Mantis Warriors, and soldiers of the Tyrant's Legion were given places to stay and call their own.
All would pray to their new gods that Huron would survive, to eventually help lead the Rebel forces back to Terra to dethrone the Golden Murderer, a title given to the Emperor by the Astral Claws themselves.
And Huron would indeed live. His body repaired by both genetics and engineering, Lugft Huron would exit the apothecium newly rebuilt. While he would never be the Lugft Huron that once led the Astral Claws, that didn't matter. Huron would swear service to the Rebel cause, and rename his chapter, his new warband, the Red Corsairs. The Red Corsairs would go on to cause mass chaos amongst the Throne Loyalists ranks, raiding forge worlds for supplies and even stealing titans, taking over entire spacehulks for plunder, and even return to the scorched earth of Badab Primaris to bring into the Warp as their new homeworld, defeating the Star Phantoms and Minotaurs present there in a very one-sided fight.
And during it all, the greatest change would be Lugft Huron himself. He would go from the Laughing Butcher, to the Somber Whisper, to now the Vengeful Roar. And the Imperium would gain a new name to fear, as Lugft Huron changed his name…
To Huron Blackheart.
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Huron Blackheart stood at the helm of his command bridge upon his flagship. Behind him stood the leaders of the Maelstorm Wardens he once led. Tyberos of the Carcharodons, Venus Oldorm of the Mantis Warriors, and Veiogo of the Lamenters. Each drastically different to who they once were, but better because of it.
In front of them stood a small fleet comprised of Minotaurs, Crimson Fists, and Star Phantoms. Huron grinned. For once, cruelty was allowed. The Chaos Gods, while benevolent, still had their bad sides, as with everyone. And revenge is something they don't say no to.
"So it begins… the second Badab Rebellion…" Huron whispered. Behind him Tyberos grunted, stepping up to be at the side of Huron.
"This time, Huron… don't try to get burned." Tyberos joked softly as he always did, getting a laugh from everyone including Huron. He didn't intend to lose this time. While they couldn't secure the Badab sector, they could take a lot of the resources back to the main Rebel fleets. Huron pointed his massive power talon at the enemy fleet and grinned.
"Engage the enemy." And once more, all hell broke loose.
Notes:
Did I think I was going to continue this AU? No I did not. Did I continue it? Yes I did. It's more fun than some other aus lol.