The Imperiac HeresyRough_TimeST0RIES
Chapter 3: The Fall of Cadia
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
In the early days of the 41st Millenium, the Rebels would launch a deadly and terrifying 12th Rebellion Crusade. But in charge of the massive fleet was not Abbadon, but instead a primarch. Mortarian had been declared the leader of the 12th crusade, as he had been inactive for far too long and wanted to reveal himself once again. A Grey Knight Grandmaster by the name of Kaldor Draigo had tried to slay him, but instead was captured and contained deep within Nurgle's Garden, his power and hypno-indoctrination too great to simply reveal to the truth of the Horus Rebellion. And thus, Mortarian was a bit grumpy compared to some of his other brothers within the warp.
The target of this crusade was Cadia, the world where both Lorgar and the late Horus had stood and been shown the truth of the Emperor's Corruption. The Emperor knew this planet held importance and through Rogal Dorn ordered Cadia secured and fortified beyond belief. On the planet millions of guardsmen and thousands of Astartes stood ready for a battle that some thought would never come. Including the mass amount of Throne Loyalist forces on the planet, the planet held the Cadian Pylons, xeno technology that could hold back the power of the warp from overtaking Cadia completely.
It was for all these reasons that to the Rebel, Cadia had to go. And thus they mustered the 12th Rebellion Crusade fleet and set off.
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Mortarian stood in the bridge of his flagship, the Nurgle's Devotion , his armored body and great moth wings shivering slightly to the cold. A slight drawback to Nurgle's gifts was the cold. Despite so many feelings going numb or just nonexistent, the cold still prospered. Sighing, Mortarian looked to his navigation crew, each dedicated to their task.
So many had been saved from the clutches of certain death by one of Mortarian's warbands, the Lords of Silence. Each navigator here had been an Imperial Navigator until a badly timed meeting with a Rebel force, where the Inquisition would declare them compromised and ordered executed. The Lords of Silence would be dispatched to gather as many poor souls as they could, bringing them back to Rebel worlds within the warp. Overall it was successful, but Mortarian dreamed of the day these people could go back to their homes and families… if they still existed.
Shuddering the thought away, Mortarin looked out to the warp itself. He could see so many ships in front of his own, each showing a mark of the Rebels or their group. Rebel Mechanicum, Rebel Regiments, Rebel Warbands, and so many more. As he stood, he couldn't help but now smile.
This crusade was not going to be the last. Each crusade had a purpose, to lead up to the final crusade. This one was to bring down the fortress world of Cadia. He had a plan to bring the fortresses located on the planet down to ruin.
Suddenly a navigator spoke up, turning to Mortarian.
"Lord Mortarian! We are reaching the exit gate." Mortarian nodded, walking to his command throne and sitting down upon it.
"Take us through."
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The 12th Rebellion Crusade would kick off with a massive void battle, with Rebel ships breaching Imperial ones, with both sides taking heavy losses. But the Rebels would be able to launch their landing craft and droppods onto the surface of the planet.
In the meantime, Mortarian would order smaller fleets to diverge off and go to do other tasks. For example, a warband known as the Sons of Malice would be sent off to gather as many titans and knights from undefended worlds as possible, as well as a force of Rebel Mechanicum sent to infiltrate and gather as many STCs and unique devices to bring back to the Rebels.
The battles on the surface of Cadia were savage, as the Rebels unleashed new weapons and forces, each made to combat certain figures. One such instance were the new Sobek Dreadnought frames, made specifically with the World Eaters in mind and to fight off enemy dreadnoughts. But the Imperium fought back with their own, unleashing the first batch of Guilliman-Class tanks onto the field.
Regardless of their successes and failures, Mortarian knew that whatever it took, Cadia must break. And thus Mortarian would take to the field, fighting off waves of Throne Loyalist astartes. One such astartes would be the Chapter Master of the Space Wolves, Logan Grimnar and his pack of hungry Wulfen Warriors.
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Mortarian looked down at the Great Wolf with disgust. Behind Logan were five Wulfen, each more twisted and broken than the last. One even was more wolf than man now, but the Death Lord could see the lack of humanity in its eyes. Logan snarled.
"Why do you look down at us, Death Lord?! You are a vile creature, filled with rot and corruption! You are more corrupted than any foul traitor or xeno! It is you who should be disgusted with what YOU have become!" Throwing his rune axe at Mortarian, Logan whistled for the Wulfen to charge, which they did. But Mortarian was simply through with Logan Grimnar's tricks. Grabbing the axe from the air, Mortarian flew down, his moth wings fluttering with intense speed. Logan could do little as Mortarian crashed to the ground, causing the Great Wolf to be launched back as his Wulfen still charged forward, howls and snarls echoing out. Mortarian lashed out, killing three and knocking the other two out, all falling to the ground. Logan snarled and rushed forward himself, raising his frostblade. Suddenly another figure entered the fray, clashing blades with Logan. Mortarian recognized a new member of his Death Guard, Kylic Overon. Wielding a power scythe, Kylic clashed with the Great Wolf.
"No you don't, you savage!" Kylic cried out, kicking Logan in the gut. Mortarian chuckled when he heard a howl behind him. Barely catching the figure behind him, Mortarian glared at the Wulfen. He should kill the poor thing, free it from Leman's curse. But no… he had a better idea.
Mortarian raised the Wulfen high in his arms, causing fear to enter its eyes. Closing his eyes, Mortarian began to incite a ritual. Logan saw what he deemed was cursing his fallen brother even further and bellowed out in rage, punching Kylic down and rushing towards Mortarian. But the Death Lord simply rose high into the sky, away from Logan. The Wulfen snarled and wriggled, trying to get free. But Mortarian simply held on. Ancient tongue escaped his mouth as he spoke, as words of ancient power, once thought lost, now were given new life.
A bright light began to grow, blinding anyone around him. As Mortarian landed, he saw that Kylic had knocked out the Great Wolf. Kylic just kicked the warrior in the side before stepping up to his primarch, raising an eyebrow.
"What did you do?" Kylic asked. Mortarain dropped the Wulfen to the ground. But it was no longer a Wulfen. In fact, it had become a normal astartes, the ginger hair and gray armor fully clean and repaired. Kylic just chuckled.
"So the Cures of Isha are finally up for use, eh?" He asked, to which Mortarian nodded. Isha had spoken to the minds of the greatest warriors of Nurgle, gifting them a variety of blessings. She wasn't as asleep as many thought. And Mortarian had just used one such blessing to cure the Wulfen.
"He will not know what happened. It is rare for Wulfen to revert back, but it has happened. But this one… he will be seeing visions. Soon… the Space Wolves will enact a great battle that will help our final Rebellion Crusade. For those who stay loyal, this time will forever be known as the Months of Shame."
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Mortarian would easily dispatch the Great Wolf, though not kill him. He had other matters to attend to. Reports of a massive fleet carrying the motifs of ravens had arrived. And at the head of them was a massive Gloriana-Class vessel.
Corvus Corax and the Raven Guard had arrived.
Mortarian led the Rebels in an offensive against the Raven Lord and his forces. Corvus unleashed his Raptors, units unique only to his legion, and were genetic masterpieces. But Mortarian knew what twisted things had to be done in order to create such monsters. They were no better than the curse of the Wulfen.
The Rebels, primarily made up of Death Guard, clashed with the Raven Guard inside a massive hive city, devoid of life until they arrived. While the Rebels were skilled in such situations, the Raven Guard were as well, and thus shoot outs and arial fights rocketed across the entire battlefield. Mortarian himself clashed with Corvus Corax, both silent as a crypt. Mortarian's scythe and Corvus's lightning claws caused massive shockwaves that shattered the tops of buildings, the two flying over the entire battlefield.
Eventually the two reached a climax when Corvus captured Calas Typhon, stabbing a lightning claw into his stomach. If it hadn't been for the gifts of Nurgle, Typhon would have been dead. Mortarian was furious at this, rushing forward and ripping his clawed gauntlets across Corvus's face, blinding him. Corvus would send every Raptor around him via mental commands to distract Mortarian as he fled. Despite this small victory, the Raven Guard were winning. Mortarian knew that if they couldn't hold out here, the entire Crusade would be lost, so he called back his forces and told them to retreat to their ships in orbit. Abaddon and the other Rebel Primarchs had devised a backup plan if the invasion failed.
Upon reaching his flagship, Mortarian called upon the backup plan. Out of the warp rift came a massive but damaged fortress. Once a Blackstone Fortress used by the Imperium, the Rebels had stolen in during their ninth Rebellion Crusade. While damaged, it still held properties to truly damage the Imperium. And soon the very words would be said that would change the course of the galaxy forever.
"Drop the Fortress."
-Mortarian
The Fortress would be driven fast into the planet, killing everyone on it, all of which were Throne Loyalist warriors. While it pained the rebels to do so, it had to be done. Cadia fell apart and the Eye of Terror began to tear across the galaxy, splitting the Imperium in two.
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Imperial Nihilus
The side of the galaxy separated from the Corrupting Light of Terra, Nihilus is a Rebel paradise, as many planets are now being abused by Imperial Governors. Chapters of good faith try to keep them from going insane, but can do little. But with the Rebels, now this side of the Galaxy has no need to worry. Planets are being reinforced to defeat Ork, Tyranid, Drukahri, and Necron attacks, and people are beginning to see the truth of the Horus Rebellion, with even entire chapters turning Rebel.
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With Cadia destroyed, the Rebels pushed forward, seeking out as many goals as possible before returning to the Great Rift. All the while the Imperium tried to do damage control, with every Throne Loyalist Primarch called out of stasis to help clean up the problem.
All the while Mortarian now stands guard of the Great Rift, preventing any form of counter attack, fortifying the Devastation Belt, the remains of Cadia. Little can be done, and still the Imperium forces its way forward. For only so long can the Rebels hold them back.
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Asgurd walked through the halls of Howling Rock, the howls of wolves and Wulfen filling the halls whenever they were quiet. The feasts were all but gone, and now only cold frostblades and rune axes filled the halls. Asgurd gritted his sharp teeth.
Ever since the Fall of Cadia, everyone had been suspicious of him. Once a Wulfen, always a Wulfen, they always said. And yet there was proof that those who turned could return, albeit rare. But he was the only one who had returned to Fenris afterwards. Why was his loyalty still questioned? Why why why!?
With a sudden burst of rage, Asgurd swiped his claws, the one thing that remained from his time as a Wulfen, across the walls, through bricks aside. Growling, he was about to simply walk away when he noticed something. The wall… it was covering up a hole. Looking around, Asgurd clawed the rest away, enough for him to slip past, taking time to cover up his actions.
He walked down the ancient tunnel he found himself in. It was covered in ancient runes and depictions of the Space Wolves. He knew not what many of them meant, but he could see tales of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy written down. As he walked, more and more stories were revealed. But each became more and more dark, with stories of senseless murder and destruction. Asgurd couldn't see why these were here, but eventually he made his way into a cavern, and he couldn't help but gasp. In the center of the cavern stood an ancient Leviathan Siege Dreadnought, covered in runes and symbols. As he walked up to it, he could hear its systems activate. When he was right at its feet, it awoke. Large red eyes glowed with intensity as it looked down as Asgurd.
" THE PROPHECY… I SENSE IT HAS COME TO PAST. " It spoke. Asgurd stepped back, the nightmares he had had since Cadia now suddenly coming back. Nightmares he couldn't escape.
"What do you mean, Ancient One? What Prophecy?!" Asgurd asked in fear. The Dreadnought stayed silent before speaking.
" THE TRUE WOLFTIMES HAVE COME. "
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Notes:
gosh dang it. this au is becoming a bit more than i expected. but eh here we are lol