Story:The Shape Of The Nightmare To Come 50k section04

Section 04: Angels Unleashed: The Space Marine 'Free Companies'

The Fall of the Imperium, while not instantaneous, was brutal and swift. The astronomicon was hacked into pieces, spluttering and dying. Fleets and worlds all lost contact with one another. This one action may not have caused the collapse of the Imperium, but compounded by the sudden upsurge of warp storms and uprisings, it most certainly did.

Just as the Imperium fragmented, so too did each and every Space marine chapter for the most part. At a stroke, all marines on campaign across the Imperium immediately lost contact with their central command, and also lost their chapter fortresses. Ten thousand years worth of warp charts became obsolete in one second flat.

By the sheer good luck of having all their marines in one place, or the skill of their navigators, some chapters managed to gather together in forces almost comparable to their pre-cataclysm numbers. However, they shall be covered in a later section.

The majority of chapters were shattered completely, such as the White Scars and Doom Eagles for instance. Thus, each fragmented into their constituent parts, be they companies of even merely squads. These companies were initially known as the Orphan companies, desperately trying to search the sky for their lost brothers, as they stumbled through the galaxy near-blindly, their navigators and astropaths all either dead of maimed. Some of the smaller units, such as the squad sized forces, were picked off by opportunistic pirates, or rogue Empires, eager for a quick dose of vengeance against the now-fallen Imperium.

However, the larger ones survived, through grit and fighting prowess. Even with the loss of so much, most of these space marine bands seemed almost un phased by the prospect of a universe without Him. This may seem strange, but a quote from Brother Burber 'the Eagle blade', one of the leaders of one such Space marine force, may go some way to explaining this mindset:

"You ask me what I fight for? Not Him. Not anymore. The great monolith of Imperial authority perchance? Nay, I say again nay! We fight for a question. You may scoff, but our question is one which drives us on, beyond sense, or reason, when hope and fear are dead. The question which drives us is thus: What else do we have? What else?"

We can see that the marines had now truly disassociated themselves from their fragmented parent. They, from then on, fought for the sheer purpose of fighting, perhaps fearing (no, anxious would be more apt a phrase) what they would do without purpose?

Whatever the reasons, these so-called 'Free companies' needed supplies and equipment, if they were to continue on the long fight. The Astartes began to rent themselves out to whomsoever could afford to supply them with bolts, repairs to armour, and vast quantities of food and calories. These 'Astartes for hire' were employed against rival Imperiums, xenos incursions, and perceived demonic-led uprisings. Their only stipulation was that they only fight for true humans. Mutant-led Imperiums for instance, such as the Vile-born Imperium, were repeatedly shunned by all but the most unscrupulous of free companies.

Other, less reputable free companies, merely raided human colonies, taking what they needed, and burning the rest, their reasoning being, who are these mortals to deny their betters supplies? Why should the strong protect those weaklings, who refused to help? Surely punishment was all they deserved? Free companies formed from fragments of the marines malevolent were particularly infamous for this. By M46, many of the Free companies were indistinguishable from the chaotic renegades of legions such as the Night Lords or Dark Tuskers. Only the Raven Guard's fragments, who were always used ot fighting in dispersed disparate groups, maintained their dignity and honour to any permanent level. They were the ones who answered desperate pleas for help, and they stole only from their enemies, refusing to assault fellow post-Imperialists.

Yet, they were only one chapter, amongst many thousands of other free companies, plaguing the divided and panic-stricken galaxy.

The Adeptus Astartes knew no Fear. However, as it would transpire, they knew no mercy either…