[b]Event:[/b] Decimation on Eden Secundus

[b]Location:[/b] Eden Secundus, Karrack System

[b]Date:[/b] 831 M.30

[b]Parties involved:[/b]Blazing Sister 4th Company, Bloody Host 4th, 6th, and 2nd Grand Companies



Battle raged on Eden Secundus, the Bloody Host was in what seemed to be a rage as they destroyed those that had survived the initial battle. This was something that the Emperor could not stand by, and when he had learned it was taking place he ordered his daughter Farah to put an end to the situation. She had thus dispatched the fourth company lead by Captain Penthesilla to take care of the problem. Captain Antimache had also volunteered leading Farah's personal Honor Guard to represent the Primarch during the altercation. Captain Penthesilla stared at the drop pod she was about to enter, and then down the ranger of the hanger as the rest of her sisters loaded aboard their ships, and other drop pods. She took a deep breath and stepped inside followed by five of her sisters all of them dressed in terminator armor, prepared to do the work that their Mother Primarch had sent them to do.

The drop planet side was normal, she was used to them, Captain Penthesilla had done it before a hundred times. What was to come once she got there would be completely different, as she had never found herself facing down another Astartes before. The sky filled with streaks of flame as hundreds of drop pods fell towards the capital of the world, Penthesilla's own drop pod aiming to land right in front of the Capital building itself as that was where the Grand Captain had supposedly been. Coming in rather quickly behind the drop pods were Stormbirds one of them housing Captain Antimache, the rest of the honor guard with her. They filled the sky making it dark. Giving a show of force that would hopefully put an end to the Bloody host's actions on Eden Secundus.  

Captain Illius stood within the Capital building, the Laberynthine structure was riddled with bullet holes and bodies. Before him on their knees were the pitiful leaders of this planet, most of them were sobbing uncontrollably as Exquesor General Marcus Larenthes lectured them, "You have betrayed the Emperor and your own race! Your filthy and pitiful hides will receive the Emperors judgement! You deserve the ultimate punishment for your resistance to your one and only Emperor!", the weak spined Governor chose to spoke up, fear dripping from his words, "B-b-b-bbb-bb-but please! We surrendered! you  have  already killed so many! Why must yo-", a Space marine brought his armored knee into the  Governors chest, causing him to spit up blood and curl up into a fetal position as the Exquesor General continued his rant, "We must Purify this world! None shall go unpunished, examples will be made and when we leave the mere thought of rebellion will cause a man to take his own life! We wi-", he was cut off as Veteran Sergeant Palcius burst into the room, his armor covered in gore, "Captain, Exquesor General! The Blazing Sisters have arrived unbidden in orbit! They are making planetfall!"

Captain Illius growled and turned to Marcus, "Bring the captives. We must meet with our sisters.", Marcus was clearly perturbed that his speech was interrupted, and ordered the captives to stand. They had been beaten severely, but most managed to stand, even the Governor. Those that could not were quickly executed as the retinue made its way out of the Cappital building to meet with the coming Astartes.

The drop pod crashed into the ground with, followed by others in the immediate area sending bits of asphalt flying into the air as the ground cracked wherever they struck. Captain Penthesilla stepped out of her pod followed by her terminators, they were fully armed, helmets on, ready for battle. Penthesilla headed straight for the main door of the Capital building her heavy terminator boots leaving behind fractures in the ground beneath her. "Captains of the bloody host! Come stand before me! I deliver a message on behalf of my Mother Primarch, and through her the Emperor himself! You will put down your weapons, and come to heel! No more civillians will be killed on Eden Secundus!" She turned to look at her other terminators who had their weapons aimed all over the courtyard of the capital building. All across the rest of the surface Stormbirds were landing releasing payloads of astartes who were standing with their weapons aimed at bloody host marines, in a standoff that waited to be broken. A single stormbird headed to the capital building courtyard, and slowly opened to release the Honor Guard of the Primarch with Captain Antimache at the head. 

Captain Illius strode out of the capital building, helmet off displaying his heavily scarred head, his lightning claws still crackling and vaporising the blood on them into steam as he spoke, "What is the meaning of this?! We are here upon the orders of our father, what order has the Emperor given?", the Exquesor general exited behind the Captain, his massive terminator bulk then followed by the leadership captives in chains. He spoke in fury, "Civilians?! These are traitors who shall receive their just punishment as we are honor bound to mete out! You would dare interrupt their purification on the orders of your primarch, and believe we will simply place down our arms? How are we to know you truly speak with the voice of the Emperor?", the Bloody Host marines within the courtyard had their weapons similarly aimed at the sisters, the tension could be cut with a knife. A squad of Ten Exquesor Terminators stood at the bottom of the capitals steps, their combi-bolters leveled at the Blazing Sisters as their General joined them.

Captain Illius nodded to the captain of the Blazing Sisters as he walked down the steps past he Exquesors. "What is your name and company? I wish to know who of the Blazing Sisters I address!", as he spoke one of the captives attempted to run, breaking for the Blazing Sister. As he passed the Exquesors he shouted, "Help please! We have surrend-", he was torn apart as one of the Exquesor opened fire with his combi-bolter, the outpouring of bolter shells ripped him in half as he smashed against the ground, a massive pool of blood around his coughing and writhing form as his organs spilled out, ripped apart and ruined, his eyes begging for mercy as he died. The Bloody Host marines did not look, and did not even flinch.

The Blazing Sisters moved, but stopped as Captain Penthesilla brought up a hand. "HALT! I will not let civil war breaking out over a single man being gunned down by a fool." She stepped towards Captain Illius and spoke loudly through her helmet. "I am Captain Penthesilla of the Fourth Company, and that is Captain Antimache, the Leader of our Mother Primarch's Honor Guard." Captain Antimache only nodded in reply, her bald head showing as she wasn't wearing her helmet, her face heavily scarred from years of combat. The terminators she lead all carried enormous halberds some of them Power weapons, some of them force weapons, as they were made up fifty-fifty of Librarians and regular Astartes. 

Penthesilla took a deep breath. "Release these civilians to me. Release all the civilians across the planet. Your slaughter is done. You are to leave the planet immediately. You have brought it to heel, and then some. We are to protect, create, and preserve the Imperium. Not slaughter civilians like cattle." Penthesilla reached back taking a data slate from Captain Antimache, it was a message directly from Primarch Farah herself.

[i]'Astartes of the Bloody Host, the atrocities you are committing on Eden Secundus have been noticed, and will cease immediately. You are to return to your ships and thus your legion. Complying with these commands will ensure that you are not punished for your Zealotry in the name of the Imperium. To not follow the commands will result in the decimation of your company. Heed these words or face the Wrath of the Blazing Sisters as we carry out orders from the Emperor himself.'[/i]

Captain Illius read the dataslate carefully, scowling the entire time. He growled, and tossed the slate to the General Exquesor. The terminator held it in his hands, his helm obscuring his expression, before he  crushed the slate in his hand and looked up, "We are the Exquesor, we are the Bloody Host! Farah has no authority over us! We will continue  in our ways, such soft Astartes as you will not stop our mission.", Captain Illius faced the Blazing Sisters captain, "Your mother Primarch has no authority over me or my men. Unless the order is from the Emperor, our father, or the 1st Grand Captain I will not follow it. General Exquesor, carry out Judgement on the guilty.", he never broke eye contact with Captain Penthesilla as the Exquesor turned to the assembled world Leaders, and opened fire.

Penthesilla held back her anger at the sheer audacity of the Bloody Host marines before her. At the arrogance of Captain Illius. "Then you leave me no choice, but to follow my orders! Sisters! Ever forward! Never back!" Fire opened immediately from the female Astartes, rounds tearing across the courtyard, and all across the surface now as the command was heard over the vox. They would take the upper hand by starting the combat with the Bloody Host, as to not be taken unaware. Captain Penthesilla herself clashed with Captain Illius her chain fist coming around to roar to life, aimed to smash into the Bloody Host Captain's side. Meanwhile Captain Antimache charged forwards with her Honorguard towards the Exquesor, their halberds being brought to bear against the opposing warriors. The rest of Penthesilla's terminators going after whoever was closest to them. They were planning to make this as short as possible by hitting the Bloody Host Astartes with overwhelming force. "You bring this upon yourself for your treachery Captain Illius!" Penthesilla yelled out over the roar of combat.

Captain Illius barely parried Penthesilla's chainfist with his lightning claws, growling as the courtyard exploded in Astarte on Astarte violence, and Captain Illius exclaimed, "You are the traitors here! You kill your brothers for a mere few of the guilty! Prepare to be judged!", with that he took to the air above her with his jump-pack, before plummeting down at her, his claws moving to thrash her. 

The Exquesor charged the honour guard, Marcus shouting, "We are Death! The Destroyer of Worlds!", his power axe raised to cut one of the terminators in half, his combi-bolter spitting death, the Exquesor joining in his warcry. The other Astartes clashed in the courtyard, Veteran Sergeant Palcius melted a hole through one of Penthesillas Terminators with his melta gun, the massive armored woman crashing to the grownd as he took cover behind her bulk. 

A devastator squad attempted to pull back to bring their weapons to bear, before three terminators riddled them with bolts, their power armor exploding with blood and gore as their sisters murdered them. Veteran brother Carraix attempted to kill the Terminators sergeant with his plasma gun, only to be bisected by her, his organs vaporised to bloody mist by her power sword. Brother fought sister as Astartes spilled Astartes blood. A Bloody Host tactical marine with no legs grabbed hold of a terminators leg, pulling the pin on his krak grenade, killing them both. The brutality spread like a disease... and carnage again covered the world, though this time through a lens of fratricide.

The battle had definitely started in the Blazing Sister's favor, as they had gotten the drop on the Bloody Host Astartes. Putting on the defense purely by the fact that they gave a overwhelming amount of firepower to bear on them before they could react. Penthesilla on the other hand was fighting rigorously with Captain Illius, one of his lightning claws even left a gouge on her helmet causing her to stumble back. "I do not need to be judged. I know I am worthy, you are wanting" She let loose a barrage from her combi-bolter as it the powerful rounds tore apart the air as they sped towards Captain Illius.

Captain Antimache roared as she saw Marcus prepared to cut one of her honorguard in twain, but her Power Halberd moved in a blur stopping the axe in its tracks, while her sister moved out of the way. Antimache found herself dueling with Marcus while everyone around them fought in the courtyard. A sister fell here, or a Host fell there. Astartes were dying by the handfuls. The Blazing Sisters though were slowly overcoming the Bloody Host, as their numbers dwindled in the slow grind between Astartes, the Bloody Host having had around three thousand now only number just around twenty two hundred, and the Blazing Sisters having been above nine thousand had fallen to around eighty eight hundred. 

Penthesilla after having fired off her combi-bolter charged forwards bringing her chain fist up in the air and down to try and slam into Captain Illius' head. "Traitorous fool! This is your judgement!" The fury that was on her face could only be partially seen by the gash that had been rent in her helmet. 

Captain Illius stared into his sisters eyes as her chainfist connected with his head, he had been stumbled by the detination of his jump-pack by her combi-bolter and had no chance, his eyes seemed to accuse her even as his head was changed to mist. Veteran Sergeant Palcius shouted, "Captain Illius!", and vaulted over the dead Terminators armor, running to his downed captain. As one of Farah's honour guard carved an Exquesor in half, she turned and attempted to bisect the sergeant. He threw himself over her blade, his body twisting to face her as his melta discharged into her helm, vaporizing it, her head, and a large upper part of her armor. He crashed to the ground rolling to stand, before sliding to reach his downed captain, dropping his melta and letting it hang by its strap. He knelt before his captain's ruined corpse, before looking up at his killer, Captain Penthesilla. He shouted into his  vox, making sure she heard it, "Bloody Host! Captain Illius is dead! Lay down your arms! Enough blood has been spiled this day.", his helm obscured his expression as he looked into Penthesilla's eyes.

Before the command the General Exquesor dueled with Captain Antimache, shouting hate and venom at her. As the command came through, he paused, and looked at the Veteran sergeant. He growled... but an order was an order, "Exquesor! Drop back!", the remaining few Terminators disegaged from the honour guard, but kept their weapons raised.

Across the planet Bloody Host dropped their arms, and had to hope the Blazing Sisters would cease firing. Veteran Sergeant Palcius continued to stare at Captain Penthesilla, "We submit..."

Penthesilla stared back at Palcius, and took in a deep breath tilting her head back and taking off her helmet holding it on her hip. "I do believe this is a practice your own Primarch uses is it not? One of every ten Bloody Host Astartes will stay here. The rest will return to their ships, and their legion. Those that stay will be stripped of their armor, and weapons. They will be put forth to the population of Eden Secundus for judgement, and sentencing.  I will stand as judge over this. Your Grand Company will remember this for all time, as the Decimation at Eden Secundus, by Fourth Company of the Blazing Sisters" She clicked her mouth shut, staring at him and waiting. 

For a moment Palcius stared at the Terminator armored Captain. He slowly stood, and placed his hands on his own helmet, the sound of seals being broken as he removed it. The marine beneath was aged in the extreme, his left eye replaced with a red bionic, his hair grey and receded. His face was sallow and wrinkled for a marine, and he may very well have been in the first generation of the Bloody Host. "Captain Penthesilla I-... how... how will these one in ten marines be selected? And there are three Grand Companies on world Captain... we are simply the ones here... and may I ask that our Apothecaries be allowed to retrieve these... chosen marines Gene seed? They simply followed their orders my Lady.", the aged Marine seemed tired and worn, despite his killing of two terminators mere moments ago.

With a deep exhale Penthesilla spoke. "With the drawing of Straws. Simple and effective. I will allow two squads of Marines lead by you to stay behind along with the apothecaries, to retrieve the geneseed. Then you will be escorted offworld. You will not return to this planet. It is under Blazing Sister protection now." 

The Veteran Sergeant nodded and replaced his helmet to relay the orders to the other Captains. Before regrouping with his men, he kneeled to the Captains body and placed a hand on his pauldron, something gripped in his other hand, as he muttered something quietly over his Captain's corpse.

With brows furrowed Captain Penthesilla narrowed her eyesight to see what he was holding, she saw the prayer beads in his hand, and angrily she grabbed him up by the back of his armor and tossed him bodily across the courtyard. "You dare defy the Imperial truth! Who do you pray to Cretin!? Do all of you follow this line of thought, and worship fairytales! Draw your straws, and take all your men to your ships. Leave the bodies of your dead behind! Your geneseed is forfeit!" 

Palcius slowly stood to his feet, and then dropped to his knees, "I pray to no Gods, for they exist not. I simply provided an ancient rite of death from Seraphim Captain. I am... an old Marine you see. It is a rite I cannot abandon. I am the only one to carry such tradition Captain Penthesilla, but he had a warriors death... if... if you must dole out punishment for my faults do so to me... not my company...", he looked to her pleadingly, "They do not deserve to be left here... not after...", he said nothing more.

The silence in the Courtyard was palpable, everyone seemed to be hinging on what Farah would say. Finally she spoke though in soft tones, while she began to walk towards the large doors of the capital building. "Take your men, draw your straws... Gather your geneseed, the go back to your ships. I expect to see around two hundred astartes standing in this courtyard by night fall." 

Palcius stood slowly, "... Thank you my Lady... it will be done.", he sent the confirmation to the other two captains, grouped together his own company, and selected the marines. By the time nightfall came the Marines were assembled, their armor and Gene seed with their brothers on the ships above the atmosphere. Palcius sighed as he watched the planet shrink in the distance.

That night found those Astartes of the Bloody Host standing before the citizens of Eden Secundus, to be judged, and judge they did finding them all guilty of murder for what they had done on the planet. Each of the Bloody Host Astartes was restrained, and forced to kneel. Each citizen was given a blade. Penthesilla would not carry out the executions nor would Astartes. They stood in lines, stabbing the Marines in the bare torsos till they were all dead. This night would be forever remembered as. 'The Decimation At Eden Secundus.'