Hector Ajastus
Warsmith of the 27th Grand Company
Betrayal, betrayal everywhere…
Hector Ajastus, Warsmith of the 27th Grand Company of the IVth legion pondered his recent actions, his next move, the fate of the galaxy and the war to come. It had been a lifetime since he had left Terra, ascended to the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes, inducted into the brotherhood of Iron, servants to humanity, their Primarch and the God Emperor of Mankind.[Compliance iterators to be dispatched to this warband with all haste pending end of hostilities]
Ajastus awas a Terran, outnumbered by his Olympian brothers within the Legion. Ajastus was pragmatic, he had never believed in the divides that some within the Legion held. His way was the way of war, the art of the slaughter and the sheer drive to victory. That was his way until he came unto the world of Semitan IV. His world had changed forever from the moment he breathed the atmosphere of this new world.
Ajastus had been the diligent servant to his Primarch. Garrisoning world after world. His combat record was unblemished, but his Terran birthright had seen him eclipsed and outranked by those of Olympian genes. He had relished the recall of his legion to active combat, he had trained his company in all efficiencies of war and was ready to meet any tasks laid ahead.
He had been informed that Semita IV had failed to maintain Imperial Compliance. It was an important world to the Imperium. His Grand Company was to make planetfall alongside myriad brother Legions and bring a swift end to the treachery of the native populace; Or so he had thought. The moment the assault ramp of his transport opened on Semitan soil he had came under disciplined fire, disciplined bolter fire and flame, his brothers had been cut down by figures in green ceramite. He was shocked, shocked to his core, but his Astartes training had kicked in and he had pursued his attackers with the dour efficiency in war that only an Iron Warrior could excel in…
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Sergeant Narloc spat blood, he ached, his wounds were struggling to heal. He rested his armoured form on the dozer blade of a waiting Rhino transport. ‘Warsmith Ajastus’, he called through gritted teeth. ‘We are ready to parley with the Sons of Nocturne’. Narloc was a fellow Terran who had followed his commander into the debacle and treachery of Semita. He had slain his fellow brother Astartes of the Salamanders Legion. For what? - He could not say. Narloc had found himself in combat with a Commander of the XVIII and had dealt him a near-fatal blow. Rhy’Kar was chiselled into his armour vambrace. Narloc had connected in his midriff with his powerfist at the same time that Rhy’Kar had struck him with a mighty hammer.
Despite the agony of his wounds, Narloc felt it was his duty to return Rhy’Kar to the Salamanders as part of the warrior delegation that was to meet to parley with the sons of Nocturne. Rhy’Kar still lived, just, thanks to the efforts of the Apothecaries of the IV Legion.
They had started the day as apparent sworn enemies, but now knew that this was a lie. The Warmaster Horus Lupercal and their own Primarch Perturabo had turned on the God Emperor of Mankind, The enormity of this situation had almost overcome Narloc and it was only through his dour will that he had not allowed himself to succumb to his own wounds.
Ajastus had the good fortune to have a great deal of Terran warriors still within his forces. Their blood had been spilt this day by the enemy and by their own hands. Decimation, Ajastus had given the order that any Olympians who remained within the Grand Company were to be slaughtered if their loyalty was not to the Emperor. Ajastus was a loyal warrior and was loyal to his Primarch, however, his 127 years of constant warfare in the Emperor’s name was enough surety for him to act.
He had encountered Decimation before. When Perturabo had reunited with the Legion he had found the actions of his sons wanting, many a loyal warrior had been unceremoniously killed in the name of failure. This action had forever changed the candour, mindset and aura of the Iron Warriors. Ajastus himself had felt broken and bitter about the edict. It was not the way of the Emperor to turn on his sons. Ajastus however was a loyal warrior and he had acted on his Lord’s command despite the sickening doubt and anger he felt within his stomach.
Ajastus had come to Semita IV and felt doubt for the first time since Decimation. Not only that, he had felt what he believed to be fear. He could vaguely recall this emotion from his youth prior to induction into the ranks of the Legion. He could not understand this fear, it was anathema to him. He was an Astartes, conditioned to charge into the hellfires of war no matter what.
He had known something was wrong prior to the landing. There had been almost a complete radio silence from the forces orbiting Semita IV. He had been given his orders by a fellow commander within the Emperor’s Children by the name of Ambros. He did not like the peacocks of the Emperor’s Children but saw no reason why he would not follow the order of a senior commander. Ajastus was a loyal soldier, his was not the way of questioning his orders or the will of his Primarch.
And so Ajastus and his Grand Company had landed on Semita IV to receive instant fire from Adeptus Astartes of the Salamanders and Ultramarines Legions. His shock and despair had been overridden by his warrior training and code. He had pursued combat with the ruthless efficiency of an Iron Warrior and he had decimated many of those who had turned their guns on his forces.
Ajastus was a ruthless warrior but an honourable warrior. Following a din in the fight and a consolidation, Ajastus had found the time to question what had happened. He had questioned some of the near-dead of the enemy and a common, horrifying message had been imparted to him… ;TRAITOR!’, he had been called it from all sides of the opposition combatants. He could not understand what it meant nor comprehend why his fellow Legions had attacked his forces…
An almost-silence had overcome the battlefield. Only the murmurs and screams of the dying had broken the silence, that and the sound of distant gunfire. An envoy had approached the lines of the Iron Warriors to broker a warrior’s pact. To attend to the dead and the dying before combat was to resume. AJastus was broken, he was angry and felt the want to decapitate the envoy with his servo arm. Ajastus respected the rules of war and quelled the idea, he would allow the peace and take the opportunity to recover his dead and dying.
Sergeant Narloc had been found next to the ceramite armoured form of Rhy’Kar. Ajastus had assumed he was dead until the brief peace had allowed the apothecaries of his forces to attend to him. Narloc had requested for Rhy’Kar to be granted the Emperor’s Peace but the Salamander had spat curses and demanded to live. Narloc was as honourable as his Commander and chuckled at the temerity of the Salamander, a rare chuckle for any Iron Warrior. Narloc and Rhy’Kar had fought to a standstill, Narloc held respect for any warrior who could draw level with his martial skill.
And so it was, parley. Ajastus and his fellow Iron Warriors met with their once honoured brothers of the Salamanders and Ultramarines. The dead and dying had been recovered and the tense silence was only broken by the winds of the world whispering through the wreckage of the battlefield. The clink of movement, of guns trained on both sides also added to the terse atmosphere.
Ajastus was greeted with that word again, ‘Traitor’, snarled from the lips of those weary faces, weary with the weight of war. He demanded to know why this internecine conflict had occurred. He attempted to explain the garrison duties and the journey of his Grand Company to the Sons of Gulliman and Vulkan but was silenced by a Librarian of the Ultramarines.
Ajastus was familiar with the Edicts of Nikea and spat, feeling uneasy in the presence of the warrior-witch. Ajastus' unease turned to downright horror and a sickening feeling coursed through his body as the events of the heresy were unfolded to him. He could not believe it, he could not comprehend the events that had left the Imperium split in two. He assumed it to be trickery, mind-trickery. Sergeant Narloc flicked the safety off of his bolt pistol and aimed it at the Librarian, he too unable to believe what had transpired. The guard of the Librarian responded with their guns and blades drawn, yet the Librarian quelled them and they lowered their guard. Ajastus and his men were shown further pictorial evidence, casualty lists, indisputable proof of the actions of what were now known as the Traitor Legions…
His Primarch was now against the Emperor. Along with Horus, Fulgrim, Mortarion et al… He was deemed Traitor, his actions had resulted in the slaughter of loyalist forces. How could he turn back from this? Was his loyalty to his Primarch or to his Emperor?
Ajastus was a Terran, he had joined the Legion before the name of Perturabo was known. He knew in his mind and his body what the correct course of action was. But how to turn back from the point of internecine genocide? Him and his men were damned and anathema to those forces loyal to the Saviour of Mankind…
For the first time since taking his oaths of service, for the first time since leaving Terror, Ajastus wept. He knelt and ordered the honour guard of his men to do the same. Ajastus was as stubborn as any Child of Iron and his way was to never submit. He knew, however, that a complete display of fealty, of regret and sorrow was the only way right now. For the first time in over 127 years the toil of emotion overcame him. He stared into the eyes of the unnamed Librarian and swore that his loyalty was to only the Emperor. The Librarian stared back, measuring his gaze, with no sign of emotion shown.
‘You must surrender your forces and be ready for judgement’, a Captain of the Salamanders intoned to him. Ajastus agreed. He would order the surrender of his forces and take the judgement of his men.
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Ajastus and his Grand Company had been illuminated by brothers of the Salamanders and Ultramarines of the wider, galaxy-spanning treachery that was working it’s way towards Holy Terra. They had started the day as traitors to the Imperium, now they were renegades to their own Legion. Ajastus had taken an Oath of Moment within the presence of the assembled Loyalist Captains, an Oath of Repentance and to right the wrongs of his actions.
His loyalty had always been to his Emperor. In his two beating hearts he knew this had always been the way, even over his Primarch. Ajastus has started the day feeling doubt and fear. He swore that he would never feel this emotions ever again; His only desire now was for vengeance and to repent in the name of the Emperor. He came to Semita IV to bring the world back into Imperial Compliance. The world had never left the fold of the Emperor. He was now determined to do all he could to see it would not fall to the real traitors of the Imperium…
Notable Legionaries of the 27th Grand Company
Sergeant Narloc
Creditted with capturing a field commander of the 18th legion in the opening stages of the siege of Hephestus, despite being greviously wounded in the process. Returned to service after gross-scale augmentation and rapid rehabilitation by legion apothecary elements. Terran Born.
Children
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