Imperium Ascendant

Chapter 17: Opening Gambits

Location: Vaults of the Sigillite

Date: 812.M30

The Day had arrived. Thirty years to the day since the lighting of the Astronomicon and the birth of the Primarchs. After decades of preparation, unification, and planning the Great Crusade to unify the human species was ready to start. Entire fleets orbited Mars, hundreds of thousands of Astartes along with millions of Imperial Army troops were gathering and preparing to start the Crusades first Campaign.

The Solar System was humanities cradle and needed to be cleansed. As the ashes of the Iron War cooled and the Age of Strife truly began slavers, raiders and worse descended upon the Sol System. Entire orbital habitats were stripped clean, the last surviving bits of ancient terraforming projects were destroyed as colonies suffered under the Alien and the Mutants cruelties.

Only Mars and Terra had been safe from these cruel predations. Protected by technological wonders and the Emperors respectively. The Emperor had sensed the suffering and misery of billions and had been unable to prevent it. Thousands of years ago while peering up into the Terran sky atop what had once been known as the Everest Mount he had sworn a bloody oath to avenge each and every life lost to the treacherous and the insane. Now the time to fulfill that oath had come.

Over the next few days the twenty Legions would launch and reclaim the Solar System, then the Twenty Crusader Fleets of the Imperium would leave Mother Sol and strike as mankind's wrath incarnate against the nightmares that dared taint humanities galaxy. Behind them would be hundreds of Expedition fleets sent to explore and unify the species.

The honor of first launch and strike belonged to the First Legion. The great fleet of Crusader Fleet One was preparing to leave Terran Orbit. Nearly Three hundred thousand Genesons of the First Primarch were being ferried aboard the Fleet by flocks of Stormbirds and last minute checks were starting.

A massive psychic-perception filter generated by the Emperor and projected by the Astronomicon hid the massive force from the galaxy. The Master of Mankind had once explained it to his sons as the Psychic equivalent of shining a light in someone's eyes to force them to look away. In fact, the Astronomicon had a similar effect on most Psychically active species in the galaxy that tried to view its source.

This was why none of the numerous powerful psychic species that would seek to destroy the infant Imperium had never journeyed to Sol. To them, it appeared humanity had destroyed itself in a great psychic inferno similar to the Eldar. Only the mad, the psychically blind and humans dared enter the inferno. This suited the Imperiums needs perfectly.

On the morning of the Launch, the First Primarch was called away from his duties by a strange message. Malcador the Sigillite required his presence within his sanctum. Eddard Fendragoon had never been particularly close to his Father's advisor and friend unlike some of his brothers. They had maintained mutual respect and Malcador had helped Eddard refine his Force-weapon skills. So the request, especially at such a critical juncture, seemed odd. Even so, Malcador was not one to waste time or be kept waiting so Eddard and his honor guard ventured into the Wing of the Palace Malcador called his.

They struck a magnificent sight, a fully grown Primarch and his trusted elite. Eddard strode through the vaulted granite halls of the Imperial Palace with his Sons forming a square around him. Standing over three meters the 1st Primarch was a heroic myth given flesh. Long golden hair was swept back from his forehead giving the impression of a lions mane framing his aristocratic features. His Eyes were forest green with golden flecks, they seemed more appropriate within a great Felines skull than a human, no matter how evolved.

While his honor guard wore enhanced Mk II Legio Armor Eddard's wargear was a Primarchs and a master crafted unique wonder. Eddard had personally created the basic design, and his more technically inclined siblings had improved it as a gift like they had all of their brothers. What unified the Primarch and Astartes armor was its color and heraldry. Obsidian black with Gold trim the 1st Legions armor struck an intimidating and awe-inspiring sight. Like all of its sibling Legions, it had not earned a name and sigil. The shoulder pad held a simple Gothic numeral One.