Exodus (Rising Sons)

This story is part of the community effort on the Rising Sons chapter. It features the aftermath of Toshiro's Speech and The Fate of Katsuo Squadron, resulting in much tragedy for the chapter.

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Chapter 1

The chamber could only be described as towering; a vast room capable of fitting several thousand Imperial citizens within. Of course, such riff-raff were never allowed within such hallowed walls; the space was there to give the overweight buffoons that served as the senators of the Yamato sub-sector some leg room.

It was almost amusing how hypocritical the senators were; how they spoke of honour and generosity, while they filled their pockets with Imperial Thrones and had affairs with each others wives. Much to the same they would speak of how they can improve conditions for the peasantry, only so they can work harder and provide them with more profit.

The grandeur of the legislative hall was a testament to the once powerful glory of the Yamato sector, but its paints had faded, its gilding was stripped away, the lacquers and varnishing, on the fine woods, began to turn as well as the wood itself. The glory of the old administrations now hidden under the lack of care and decadence of the current one.

There were an amassing number of men gathered around in a circular chamber capable of fitting thousands. All of them were important statesmen, each with an interest and a place of power fiddled right into the heart of the empire. Amidst them, one stood in front and as he walked towards the centre of the room, his hands shaking, even though he had spoken to the council thousands of times. He knew that his speech would be weighed and that his influence hanged in the balance of just a few words. If his words were found to be ill spoken, he would soon lose his fortune and his beautiful, young wife would quickly find her way into the bed of another; this was the world of senators, power pushed towards decadence and greed stained eyes.

The speaker, Nasu, was a perfect example of this decadence. A bloated ham of man, his piggish face was complimented by scattered freckles. His robes, an expensive set made from finest Allsomenian silk, an extremely rare and expensive material in the Yamato sub-sector, were covered in stains from where he had rubbed his hands on his clothes; it mattered not to him as he could always purchase another. He stepped up to the podium in a slow and pompous manner as if his self importance warranted such a lengthy entrance. He slowly raised his head in a pathetic attempt to draw out the suspense of his speech. With his arms outstretched his head lifted letting them know he was ready to speak.

Nasu, knew very well his place in this twisted game. He had made a name for himself and he knew how to speak beautifully about long lost concepts of honour and justice, while spending his fortune on extra extra "favours". He was an old, corrupt senator with a belching stomach, his small beady eyes hid behind his fat cheeks as he stepped in a rush in the middle of the chambers. His voice though, was soothing and held a power that seemed unfitting to his stature:

“My fellow senators, I am pleased to announce that Kyotoro is at full-production capabilities again and has already began production of the farming tools needed for nearby Agri-worlds...”

He stopped for a few moments, gazing at the satisfied faces of each and every senator. With an increased confidence he spoke again:

“I am also pleased to say that production of munitions is also well under way...”

In the distant halls, heavy footsteps could be faintly heard as the speech went on.

“My friends, we must continue at a steady pacing and take things step-by-step. In both finance and military we continue to do well, although due to the recent warp storms affecting neighbouring systems we have lost contact with some of our planets including Otera, Tojo and Tengu...

Nasu stopped talking as the noise grew louder, turning around to stare at the door into the chamber. The audience of senators also began to stare towards the door, a noise loud enough to drown out even the loudest of snoring senators. The unnerving sound of metal clashing on the hardened floor. The cacophony of heavy footsteps drowning out the senator as he spoke.

The heavy crashing of footsteps became louder and louder. The Senators slowly started poking their heads up like a pack of small mammals who were coming to the realisation that a predator was approaching. It grew louder and louder, the metal crashing and crushing the floor abruptly stopped right in front of the heavy jade doors, protecting the scared miscreants inside.

Suddenly, the door to the chamber burst open as two giants in shining silver armour marched into the room,force halberds at their ready ,accompanied by wrist mounted stormbolters. Following them came a man, almost as tall as the two Grey Knights who had entered before him.

He held nothing in his hands, instead keeping them hidden behind his cloak-covered back as he marched into the room. His body was covered in a suit of blinding gold power armour, engraved to have the appearance of a naked chest. His cloak was noble purple, made from the furs of Cthellean Cudbears. Behind him followed two small, lithe figures in black robes, acting almost like shadows in the presence of this giant.

Their backs seemed almost deformed, giving them a hunchbacked appearance as they shambled after their master. One carried with him a war hammer, the other a helmet to match the giant's armour.

The giant looked at the terrified crowd, noting the horrified faces of this corrupt congregation of senators. Finally, he began to speak “I am Inquisitor Octavianus of the Ordos Malleus. I have come, to bring judgement to those who have defied our God-Emperor's will.”

Chapter 2

Two more Grey Knights entered the room, flanking the first pair of space marines. The Inquisitor marched towards Nasu, pushing the senator aside as he took the podium, the four majestic Grey Knights at his side. The crowd was in turmoil, but was quickly reduced to whispers by the Grey Knights thumping their halberds in unison to silence the crowd.

Then, the inquisitor began to speak once once more:

“Brothers and sisters, I stand before you today a humble servant of the God Emperor and I carry with me a heavy burden. My heart weeps to tell you ,the whispers that echo throughout these walls unto the ears of honourable men carry with them some truth.

“The Rising Sons, with their idiosyncratic form of honour, acted pre-emptively to recent developments. Completely ignoring the council and everything it stands for. Without even a mention to the Inquisition. The Rising Sons acted. And in their ignorance they have endangered the stability and safety of the entire sub-sector.”

There was nothing but silence as Inquisitor Octavianus paused for a few seconds. Then the silence was broken by a dozen more Grey Knights entering the room, taking position by the exits.

Octavianus continued his speech:

“As you are aware brothers and sisters of the Imperium, sub sector Yamato is surrounded by enemies. Rest assured my brothers and sisters, Yamato is under the rule of the Imperium and protected by the God Emperor of Mankind and his most devout servants."

“But my brothers and sisters, the debauchery and chaos we had to endure will now come to an end. As men full of honour and loyalty as yourselves, I would ask you to look past the Rising Sons past deeds and heroic acts, and take note of their transgressions.

“There is a reason why the Space Marine chapters are called the Emperor’s sword and the Imperial Guard is called the Emperor’s Hammer. While one relies on decisive, surgical strikes to neutralize the enemies of the Imperium, the other relies of sustained battering and systematic elimination.

“For this reason, the “Rising Sons” chapter has disappointed the Imperium as well as their founding chapter due to their methodology as well as cultural identity. While the White Scars chapter clearly favor dealing crippling blows in fast strikes, most often in the rear and flanks of the enemy, the Rising Sons chapter seemed to have found a liking to a pre-Imperial sense of honor and they will soon find out why such honor was destroyed as well as the culture it was tied to.

“The recently awoken Necron legions clashed with the Rising Sons forces and as any other Necron army, they were unimpressed by their strident war cry or their overly-vocal version of the official Imperial Language.

"It is somewhat reasonable to consider that casualties are heavy in any sizable confrontation with the Necron, however for the Rising Sons Space Marines, they were in vain. Their absurd perception of life and warfare caused many to die needlessly, when their deaths might have been prevented and for nothing, when their deaths might have meant something.

"Due to seeing tactics such as sabotage and flanking as dishonorable, key strategies for defeating the Necrons were not even discussed. Due to fervently charging only forward, Necron gauss weaponry cut down both those that sought melee combat and those that attacked from range.

“Also, due to the belief that one should always seek new opponents, the red-and-white-flag-bearing space marines found that the Necron tide was endless while their numbers and endurance was not. Such flawed tactics and debased code of honor, distant from the codex and even basic reasoning, caused the Rising Sons chapter to lose more than just a considerable fighting force.

"I feel that it is a sad thing that some people learn faster when they make a mistake, only when evidence is presented brutally and with no opportunity for debate. It is even sadder that some persist in their flawed way of life if such evidence does not arrive, regardless for the fact that there are better ways.

"In the meetings with the High Lords of Terra, these reasons were proof enough that the Chapter could not exist in their current form. This was due to their continuous use of a flawed set of rules just for the sake of keeping them."

The Inquisitor paused to gather his breath.

“There remains no other choice. For acts that endangered the safety of the Imperium, as of this day, the Ordo Malleus, Ordo Hereticus and all its subsidiaries declares that Chapter Master Mifune Toshiro of the Rising Sons and his remaining companies acted against the interests of our God-Emperor's Imperium, thus earning them the mark of the Renegade."

“The punishment for such acts is none other than “Excommunicate Traitoris.”

“However” he muttered with obvious hatred and disgust at the following.

“Instead of branding them enemies of the Imperium, I hereby sentence the chapter to exile. They shall undergo a century-long penitent crusade in Sector 23-X, commonly referred to as the Tiji Sector. Should they survive this endeavour their honor shall be regained. Until then, they are hereby stripped of their current role within the Yamato sector, and of all the benefits given towards the chapter.”

The crowd’s confusion and rage was quickly calmed by the sounds of bolters loading in unison.

“Who will speak against the motion?” He stated, as the Senators, Shoguns and Khans sat down in complete awe and disarray at the current situation. Satisfied that no-one would interrupt, Octavianus continued:

“Brothers and sisters, we have yet another matter to attend...”

The crowd seem to be still recovering from the shock of knowing that the Rising Sons, the chapter which had live among them for numerous millennia, the chapter who they had given their beloved children, would soon be gone. The council were horrified, and rightfully so. Octavianus observed the crowd with a poorly hidden look of disgust. He saw grown men and women crying, others simply starring into space in horror. One man had to be forcefully removed from the chamber, kicking and screaming about how the Necron would return to consume them all.

After five minutes of nothing but noise, Octavianus sighed and clicked his fingers. Almost immediately, the Grey Knight to his left slammed his gauntleted fist against the wall, leaving a deep crater upon its surface. Almost immediately the crowd fell silent, and with a nod the space marine returned to his position as the Inquisitor's flank.

“Thank you” the Inquisitor called out, waiting to see if any of the reactions from the council displease him. Thankfully for them, none did.

The Inquisitor took a moment to gather composure, his arms unfurled from under his cape, grabbing the edges of the podium.

“The other matter concerns the planet of Tojo. Formerly populated by fifteen billion Imperial citizens, formerly home to the Ashigaru Imperial Guardsmen and once a proud, loyal world of the Imperium. "

"This concerns the matter of the complete destruction of the planet's surface by the Necron. To better protect the greater Yamato sub-sector, as well as to prevent a possible foothold into Imperial space in the possible case of Necron expansionism, I hereby declare that by the powers invested in me by our most sacred God-Emperor and our precious golden throne, that the planet of Tojo is to suffer the most grievous sentence possible for an Imperial planet; exterminatus.”

Seeing the horrified faces of the senator members, Octavianus couldn't help but finishing his speech with a one-liner:

“May the Emperor forgive them for what they have done, for I shall not.”

The chamber erupted into noise.

Chapter 3

Inquisitor Octavianus stood as the bow of the Imperial ship His Just Punishment, a colossal ship that dwarfed the two escort vessels at its side. Of all the testaments to the Forge Worlds of the Imperium, His Just Punishment is one of the finest. Nothing embodies the power of the Golden Throne quite like a retribution class battleship. Whilst she was somewhat lacking a little in elegance and craftsmanship her purpose remained frighteningly transparent for all. Divine retribution.

The fleet had previously visited the planetary system of Sekai, the capital of Sub-Sector Yamato, part of the greater Segmentum Ultima. On that world, in front of a court of Khans, Shoguns, Senators and Priests he had declared the end of the Rising Son's rule of the sub-sector. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought of how the surviving Rising Sons had practically fled their home-world, rushing away from the Yamato sub-sector as quickly as they could; less Octavianus change his mind.

But there was yet judgement to carry out.

As the fleet left the warp, the Inquisitor finally gazed upon the barren ruins of Tojo for the first time with his own eyes. If he felt pity or remorse for the people of that dead world, the cold glare of his blue eyes gave nothing away. His Just Punishment drew closer to Tojo itself, positioning itself above the planet. He turned his gaze away from the doomed planet, removing the Inquisitorial Insignia from around his neck. Reciting some obscure prayer, he placed the Insignia into the console beside him and turned. “By his will.” He whispered.

The planet of Tojo has been part of the Imperium of Man since a time long since lost to the Imperial archives. A beautiful world, terran world filled with lush forests of every possible shade of green, while wild rivers flowed freely from the feet of colossal mountains that disappeared into the very clouds. It was also a densely populated world, the last survey done found a population of almost fifteen billion people. The majority of the planet's population were born and raised to die as part of the fanatical Imperial Ashigaru Regiment.

It was not always like this though. Long ago, the Guardsmen of Tojo were founded to fight and die fighting against an unknown foe in a war which ended before the troops could ever be shipped out. Having been trained to act as little more then meat shields for Space Marine chapters such as the Raptors and Ultramarines, the men and women of the Ashigaru, indoctrinated to be fanatical in their lust for self-sacrifice, overthrew the planetary governor and proclaimed a military dictatorship.

After thorough checks by the Inquisition of the Ordo Hereticus, the regime was found to be free of guilt and thus allowed to remain in power. What followed was the widespread conscription of the planetary population. Wives and husbands, parents and sons, brothers and sisters; all were torn apart as part of the conscription polices of this new, fanatical regime, doomed to never see each other again.

But all that was gone now, the Necron assault that had struck Tojo had ripped the flesh and soul from the planet, leaving only a barren, airless rock in its wake.

The population had been utterly destroyed, the fortunate only having to suffer a quick death from Necron weaponry that stripped flesh from bone, molecule from molecule, in an instant. The less fortunate were kept alive for purposes known only to the Necron and perhaps few members of the Inquisition. Another proud planet of the Imperium had fallen.

Even from the deck of His Just Punishment, Inquisitor Octavianus could see the magma bleeding from the planet like blood from an open wound. Orange and yellow lines covered the surface like the maniacal scribbles of a child. Tojo began to burn brightly, as if placed upon its very own funeral pyre.

The sound of footsteps behind Octavianus made him turn his head, only to see Brother-Captain Basillius of the Grey Knights approaching. The pair nodded their heads in acknowledgement at each other's presence, before turning to watch the destruction of a world.

Octavianus began to speak: “I have served our god the Emperor for longer then I can remember. I've seen the most horrific monstrosities and have fought daemons so vile in appearance that mortal men would be driven insane at a glance. Orks, Tyranids, heretics and daemons have all been felled by my blade, or have met death at my bolt pistol. Yet, if there is but one thing that truly terrifies me, it it seeing a planet being destroyed. This is the third time I have witnessed such an event... I doubt I will ever get used to it.”

Basillius said nothing as he watched the two-stage cyclonic torpedo begin to penetrate Tojo, tearing through the crust of the planet like a power sword through flesh. The surface erupted into a blazing furnace of inconceivable heat. Although he knew it impossible, Octavianus could swear he felt warmth against his pale, gaunt face. Then the furnace subdued and for a moment Tojo looked like most planets did; peaceful.

It was the turbulence Octavianus felt first, almost causing him to loose balance. The entire ship began to shake. Octavianus quickly grasping for a rail lest he fall. The explosion itself soon followed;Tojo was gone.

“The Emperor protects” Basillius coldly stated, before turning around and leaving the Inquisitor.

“The Emperor protects...” Octavianus whispered to himself, simply starring out into the darkness of space.