Dabbling in Fiction

Back in 2011 I took part in a Battlefleet Gothic campaign. I can't remember all of the details but it was a narrative campaign, and I was a little late to the campaign joining near the tail end. I think I only played about 3 games at the time and only two of those were strictly part of the campaign.

As it was a narrative campaign many players wrote short narratives either in the lead up to a game or post game from their admirals perspective. So I followed suit by creating a short introduction to my fleet and I thought I would share it with you today.

I've never written any sort of fiction but I'm quite proud of what I came up with. I think I had recently read First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and I think some ideas were heavily borrowed from there and other Black Library books.

I did intend to follow it up with a post game story and I'm kinda sad that I never did. But my fleet is still technically the same fleet. I maintain the same 1500pt roster, all my ships are named as well as my fleet commanders so you never know I may pick the  story up again one day. I even have a ton of 40k Chaos Marines which I intended to paint up as Word Bearers and still might at some point.

To give a bit of context the battle was an escalating engagement against the Dark Eldar near the planet Tanais, which I believe the Dark Eldar had just taken control of in their previous game against the Imperium.

The Holy Torment and Glory of Chaos win a crushing victory against Dave's Imperial Fleet a few weeks ago.

The Bringer of Truth translated into real space approximately 37.4 standard minutes behind the bulk of the fleet.

'Report!'

'The rest of the fleet has assumed standard search parameters, Admiral Torvus reports no sign of the Imperial fleet'

'How can that be?' The Crimson Lord growled 'Our scouts reported heavy concentrations of enemy ships not three days ago'

'er I...I'm not sure my Lord' Stuttered the startled Comms officer. The men and women occupying the bridge of The Bringer of Truth were all members of the Kor Tal and could be considered the elite of the elite by any human standards. But even they could be cowed by the presence of the Chaos Marines they served alongside, not to mention the Crimson Lord whose visage pained the eyes and whose mere proximity could force the weak to vomit despite themselves. The Bridge officers of the Kor Tal were selected for that role largely based on their strength of will that allowed them to function for such extended periods within the presence of the Crimson Lord.

'Get that fool Torvus to transmit the fleets sensory data to us immediately'

'Yes my Lord'

Admiral Torvus, an accomplished man and True believer of the Word. He had his uses. But he's only Mortal. Yes, not even a Space Marine, his incompetence is to be expected.

Not quite immortal himself, yet he could hardly be described as mortal either, the separation between Daemon and Marine had been a line impossible to distinguish within the Crimson Lord for millennia.

'Data coming now sire, Litany of Hate is detecting a number of burning hulks, several escort sized vessels and at least one cruiser sized, in close proximity to the planet Tanais'

Someone has beaten us to it

'Glory of Chaos is picking up what looks to be several civilian vessels in the outer reaches, and we're attaining several anomalous readings across the fleet'

The Crimson Lord surveyed the data for himself, someone had indeed been here and driven the Imperial fleet away. No doubt troops were fighting for control of the planet at this very moment. This planet is destined for the Word. Thousands of years worth of experience told the Crimson Lord that this engagement had not happened long ago. The enemy is still here. But what was this enemy. Lets see

To an outsider the Crimson Lord appeared to enter a trance, closing his eyes he allowed the power of Chaos to flow through him, the Daemon within him feeding on the emotions around him. He could sense the discipline of his bridge officers, yet the fear they felt for him, reaching out he sensed the thousands of other souls toiling within the Battle Barge, he could feel his Acolytes and Word Bearers, their eagerness to bring the Word to yet another deluded planet of the Imperium pleasing to him. The Daemon pushed out beyond the confines of the ship, travelling the waves of the Immaterium he could feel the emotions emanating from the other vessels in his fleet, their positions impossible to locate in this manner, yet the Crimson Lord recognised them clear enough. Now the petty human emotions, no doubt coming from the ignorant he had come to educate and unite with Chaos, and then...Yes something else entirely, sadism, disgusting pleasure, far beyond that which a human or even the more depraved members of Chaos could produce. Lofty, immeasurable arrogance, yes this was what he sought.

His Eyes opened

'Druchii' the Lord Spat

The officers on the bridge exchanged worried glances, they had been expecting battle sure, but against the Imperial Navy. The Eldar was a whole different style of warfare, their technology would have them chasing ghosts while their own ships would slip past undetected to attack their stern.

'No, this is a blessing' said the Crimson Lord sensing the change in mood of his crew 'The population of Tanais has been abandoned by their Imperial overseers, thousands of their members butchered by this foul xenos, they will be far more open to the teachings of Lorgar, their binding to Chaos will be even more expedient. This truly is a gift from the Gods. We must repay them.

The Crimson Lord stared out into the void, invigorated by this renewed sense of purpose

'These, Druchii, have run and they have hidden from our masters for over ten millenia. Slaanesh wishes to feed upon their souls and we shall hand them to him'

'My Lord, the fleet are detecting vessels'

'Excellent, order all ships to converge on their position. Our enemies will fight, and they will lose, and destruction will be visited upon them, for it is written.'