Chapter 1: The Pure Onesby (c) Kaare Rud FlarupThe Patriarch sat contented on his throne, his beloved
children all around him. Oh yes, he had been lucky to land on this planet. The government
was just about non-existent, and soon Karmilian would be taken in as a scribe for Governor
Richten, yes soon Richten would be nothing but a pawn for the Patriarch. And soon would
the first Purestrains be born - yes, life was good!. Plink, plink. Now I am cleaned from the fluid, my children want to clean
the room for the liquid, but I have stopped them. I feel a strange, strange feeling inside
me, yes "interest" it is. I have never been interested in anything else but
spreading the Cult, and caring for my children. I wonder what the purpose is, and where do
I come from? My Magus Hamilrimon must investigate it. He should soon be back, he is home
checking is mate, she is coming down with a Purestrain soon - my first REAL child. I am shocked! Magus Hamilrimon has had Karmilian search the
Governors files, as soon he was inside. In the Top Secret files lay a horrifying document.
The HIVE MIND wants to use ME, I am but a pawn to it. But I feel free, completely free. I
am terrified, though, that I might still be sending out a beacon to the Hive Mind, for it
to come and absorb me and my beloved children. JOY! My first pure child is born, I had it happen right
here in the throne room. Unfortunately the child lay upside down, and had to tear its way
out through the stomach and chest of Julia, my Magus Hamilrimon's mate. We were sad a
moment, but a new Kilr'merhn'rhien among us soon made us forget.
Mirh'jern'gchoon'cheechum, First Son of G'choon'cheechum, I have never been so proud. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My father is sending me on my first mission! I am to include Governor Richten in our glorious Cult. I think it is far too good for him, but Karmilian has recently discovered that the Governor must have a suspicion that we are here. We need him to be on our side if the cursed Imperium sends investigators. I am creeping through a ventilation shaft, so tight you
wouldn’t believe I could fit - even a normal human would have problems - but I am of
a greater race! There he comes . . . Just shut the door, turning around - I strike! The Governor hears the grating sound as I tear the grating apart as it was made of Helo swamps. He has barely had time to turn his head to look up when I drop down right beside him. His pupils widen in fear, and I see a muscle twist in his left arm - he will start reaching for the alarm button in a split second. He never has a chance, he must have known deep within, and he must know what I am - because he gives up just before I put my arms around him. Maybe he deep inside wants to join the family . . . It is a moment of joy when I for the first time use my gift to help a weak one. The Hive Mind DID create it for a perverted purpose - but by a gift from the gods, we can use it for much greater glory! Alarm! Someone has entered the Governor’s office while I was implanting the Governor himself. The human has dropped a cup and some papers - still falling to the floor - and is running screaming down the entry hall. Karmilian stands stunned, humans implanted never gets much better than normal humans. I pursue. The running man never gets more than 5 meters back before I get him. I wonder briefly if I should help him into the family, but seeing the Governors secretary getting ready to lift a Comm-tube, I tear the man apart in a burst of blood and organs. The secretary I snatch from her seat, and hold a clawed hand to her mouth - I need to think about this. Karmilian comes running out, forgetting himself and begin complaining about the bloody mess. He catches himself in time, and excuse and bows his way to the cleaning cabinet. It is hard to believe he has been liberated for nearly six months, he must have spent too long time away from my father. I look at the secretary, a frail little thing not made for giving birth so I rip her heart out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My name is Kretin Helmenov, Imperial Judge. I have been
called to the system of Caaldreran, fourth planet called Starium. Governor Richten made
the Adeptus Arbites Bastion call for me as the Most Honored First Judge Patrick Moroe
Salmon is sick, and has been so for two years. Luckily Judge Juliet Karsparkov has been
able to take care of things, waiting her chance to rise as the highest leader of the
planetary Bastion. Salmon isn’t dead yet though, and the Governor most specific
requested a Most Honored First Judge. Richten was reluctant to speak of the nature of the threat,
so I suspect his palace has been infiltrated. I arrive at the front gate with the eight
Arbitrator squads I have as my permanent company, they are all - without exceptions -
people I would trust my life to. Squad Leader Jh´ronson uses the entry-comm, soon
afterwards I am walking toward Richten’s office in the southern end of the palace. The Governor explains that a gift for him from a local
businessman turned out to be an assassination attempt - luckily only killing his poor,
poor former secretary. He explains that this businessman is the same reason he called me,
he is lying, and that the man has been collecting his own army, the man doesn’t
exist, and is getting ready to strike. Leaving the palace Squad Leader Graham tells me there were
large traces of blood in the secretary room, but there had surely been no explosion. -- -- -- Oh, if only I had been liberated before I had thought to call that blasted Judge! Why hasn’t the Arbites allowed me a larger army? Well, because I would be using it on them right now! No, they properly wouldn’t attack the Arbites - they would fear a planetary scale revenge from the Judges. If they only knew the power of the Pure Ones! I hope Grandfather soon will move into the palace, it isn’t fitting he is sitting in that disgusting hole. I remember the glorious day, only two days ago - but seems an eternity - when I was brought to visit Him. My human ancestors, despite their feats, are nothing compared to my new family. They are - well it can’t quite be expressed with human words - but perfect, glorious beings - yes gods - come close. When Grandfather lay his hand upon my head I thought I might die - and knew I would do just that for him! I yearn to have Him here, to shave my head bald to show my respect - these unnecessary growths we puny humans have - and to sit with him and my new family. But now I have other things to attend . . . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Judge suspect something might be wrong, but maybe he isn’t any more suspicious than his kinds always are. He is only bringing four squads with him, it will be a poor fight. I convinced Father I could handle it. The Judge’s two small attack crafts are landing, soon they will have searched the upper levels, and find the “hidden” secret entrance. My smaller brothers move around setting up the two heavy bolters we took from the Palace Guards, indeed even some of the brothers ARE Palace Guards. Before the liberation they thought it wrong and dangerous to attack the Arbites, but now they know to follow orders - for the good of the Cult. They have found the entrance to the level above up. The magnetic liquid I had poured out should disable their motion scanners, otherwise Chelaine will have to be punished - not killed - she has yet to give birth to my first equal brother! Why aren’t they coming down? I sneer at Chelaine, but she shakes her head looking calm, she knows I would never hurt anyone from the Cult. This Helmenov thinks he is so smart, but no puny unliberated human is more intelligent than one of the Kilr'merhn'rhien! Ah, Magus Jehinih whispers to me that they have started entering. Ha ha ha, Jehinih can feel their minds, but they can’t see us. He tells me that they are the most strong-willed humans he has ever mind-searched, I know that already from the palace, and I need a worthy opponent. I fear though, that Helmenov and his troops will be too easy. Maybe I should have told them to take only one heavy bolter. They are coming down the ramp, looking very calm, but I know about half aren’t quite as good as Helmenov thinks them. If I show myself now, one of them might even faint! Oh, it is almost to easy growing up in a secure star cluster - there have been no aliens here for six generations - we’re not even in the legends. They have all come down, 21 Arbites, the foolish Judge among the very first. I snap my claws, and a split second later two heavy bolters spit bullets at them. Three go down almost immediately, but surprisingly all but two are already in cover. Those two are torn apart by a grenade one second later, maybe wounding others. 16 Arbites to go. -- -- -- Blast! Jonas, Mike and the 3 newest are all but bleeding heaps of flesh. I must remember to bring a spare scanner next time, so I can know if it’s really the scanner that’s broken. Well we are not beaten yet, and I am sure the attackers haven’t tracked squad 3, 5, 6 and 8, tunneling their way below us. That Imperial Guard MTAV has saved my mission several times now, and who expect a Judge to have such a thing. What that with Edison? He is grapping his head, trashing wildly into every thing - damn he exposed himself, hit in the shoulder by a lasgun. My APPHG, Anti-Psychic Protective Head Gear, blinks its warning light. I scream “ATTACK” into my comm, we can’t stay here if the enemy got a psycker! -- -- -- They are - not surprisingly - charging us. Little do they know about the trip mines four feets from where they covered. There goes the first one, taking two Arbites down - no wait, one survived - those Squad Leaders must have fields. Magus Jehinih commands the brothers to stop him, whatever the cost, so three of them plunge into close combat. The man thinks himself far superior, and has properly often taken 4-5 normal street punks down himself. But he fails to notice the claw coming out of dear Michael’s big coat, and goes right through the Squad Leader’s stomach. Two more bombs go off stopping several more Arbites, but about 10 reaches into close combat - too bad for them! I lunge from my hiding place and rip three of them apart in less than two seconds. The others fall back instantly, several not even able to shoot at me with their bolt pistols, and those that do only hit the roof or my brothers, throwing themselves in the bullets way. What is that humming sound behind us? Could this Judge has something up his sleeve, which hasn’t been noticed by the twenty-four brothers and sisters watching? Might be! I can feel my instincts fighting it, but I command the brothers to get into the planned defensive positions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is something wrong, the Genestealer Cult is pulling back! Yes I know of them, as maybe no others within 18 inhabited planets do - and Genestealers NEVER pull back. Maybe they often wait until they are sure of their victory, but if things turn against them they keep on fighting like mindless robots. This one is different, and so it is many times more dangerous! I find that our comm still works, and tell the squads in the Mole to come up right in front of us, but only to send three squads out - with most of the ammo. The last must get back and get on the extra-planetary comm, and inform my battleship about this. My men get out and rank up. I inform them in short and precise words what we are fighting against. They of course refuse to believe that these “things” rip Terminator armor open like butter, and that such a big monster can squeeze into a pipe where even small Laretta, without armor, can’t get in. It doesn’t matter as long we can stay out of close encounters, the last one cost us five good men and women. We are 21 left including the new squads, three wounded, and the new 15 haven’t seen the aliens we are fighting - it is bad odds! I decide to use a simple but often efficient strategy, simply to blast everything away. -- -- -- That explosion was to close! Three sisters blow to pieces, and one of them had a baby - it was Chelaine! My first real brother has been blown up! I feel a comforting thought from Father, he must have picked up my pain. Now he knows how badly I have performed, I am so ashamed. I can’t think about this now, I will mourn later - now it is revenge I want - the Judge will die a slow death. We have retreated into safe positions, but the floor of the level above might fall down any moment. They are properly setting up big charges right now, to blow the whole building up. I could see from the Judge’s eyes that he knows of us, but he was very surprised to see us retreat. If I wasn’t a Pure One, I fear I would have been dead now. I send Greccehac Ne’rhem out after a little while, he is to see if they are leaving - the Magus is unconscious. They are, but have plastered the walls with explosives, and have set up some sort of motion tracker in the room - we can’t get out without it all exploding. I make a quick decision. I crouch together in a corner with the Magus below me, ordering the others to lie down upon me in order of importance to the Cult. While they are doing this, Greccehac Ne’rhem is running forward on my command. The last just manages to throw their bodies out to shield the important from the worst of the explosion. Then everything goes black. -- -- -- They were too quick, we haven’t even gotten to the
next level before they rushed forward. Seven of my Arbites are swallowed up behind us,
dust rises everywhere - we can’t see anything! I put my magnet holder on Squad Leader
Hoo, he promptly understands and I hear the clicks as the rest of us are locked together.
Now we will fly or fall. Emperor! Save us in our hour of need! . I rush forward, taking each step on memory alone . . . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I can’t remember much from our ascent, only falling debris, dust and fire. I lie alone on the fourth floor in an old warehouse with a view of the destroyed storehouse. Somewhere on the route a huge pillar fell just behind me, and after I recovered from being thrown several yards forward, there was no trace of the remainder of my battle squads. Right now I am looking at the sad view of my battleship burning in high atmosphere. The two squads I sent to inform Honored Judge Haarkon Nielsonson about the Genestealer infection must have failed, otherwise he wouldn’t have attacked the planetary defense. He must have communicated to the High Fortress of Justice on Heelliiheen that he thought my life in danger and where about to start the attack. No use thinking about that help MIGHT come - basic survival is highest priority right now. That, and maybe finding an Astropath or escape ship. Wait, did I just notice movement in the ruins? Can’t be, nothing can have survived that! I take out my field glasses, and . . . DAMN a huge Genestealer is leading three, no four, of those strange hybrids out. The monster is carrying a tall bald man over its shoulder that is properly the psycker - a good thing he is unconscious. I decide to follow them, not much else to do. -- -- -- My child is back! I have been so worried, so afraid of his well-being. He tells me the Arbites are dead, taken be surprise that he commanded one to make the bombs explode. I am proud that my Son thought about the Cult before himself. I tell him about the bore-thing with the Arbites, two squads, coming back to get the extra-planetary comm. First he feels very afraid, but then relief fills him as he is told of their deaths. All it took it was a volunteer with 27 pounds of Xpron on a bike, they didn’t even have time to fire any shots before he was in the middle of them, and at that moment I pressed the button. I also tell him that I have infiltrated the Arbites bastion by liberating a caught servant. This servant is ready to open the doors for the Cult. The foul Emperor’s last servants on this planet will soon be liberated - or be dead. -- -- -- Luckily they were sure we’re all dead, so they don’t look behind, and I follow them easily to a huge cellar beneath an old chemical junkyard. There’re no guards, I can sneak all the way in. I suppose they don’t think anyone stupid enough to do it - but never underestimate the strength of your enemy! Around a corner I can see a big and a smaller Genestealer standing in a deadly embrace, claws around each other. This is not a fight though, they are staring into each other eyes, and must be communicating. I will never be able to kill both before I die - or worse, are infected - and the hybrids might be able to infect too. Instead I plant a bug and retreat to a more safe hiding place. I don’t have to wait many minutes before a commanding voice tells the pack to get moving to the bastion, and to sneak along the southern end where a door will be opened. There must be an infected inside! I circle the junkyard and run toward the bastion. I am quickly admitted, and am just in time to stop an investigator team to depart. Unable to awaken their sick leader they had no legal leadership until I arrived. Judge Juliet has never heard of Genestealers, but one of the older veterans looks shaken - and he tells that he has been told about them as a boy. I push him and Juliet into a safe chamber and tell them that there must be an infected somewhere, and that we must hurry to make an ambush at the southern exit. While the others quickly put their armor on, I reload my bolter and bolt pistol. One minute later we are on our way. We barely have time to hide before a servant come walking quickly down the corridor. I can hear voices calling from the outside - rough animal noises. I rise from behind the cleaning pod, and tell the man to stay just where he is. The look at me, then at the door, then at me again - and jump toward the door. Half way he is thrown of course by two hits from Juliet’s and Jerris’ shotguns. Juliet is about to finish him off, but I hold her hand and tell her we might be able to use him. Instead I command her to put the bastion on code ZZ, and soon all alarms are blazing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are surrounded by the mob, and it is only a matter of time before we’ll be dead - or worse. I wonder if we already have the whole planet against us, but I have only seen two real Genestealers - so we might still have a chance. I learned that Genestealers spread slowly, and that there were about 20% real Genestealers in such a mob. These must be infecting all they can get to, it is horrible! I confer with Juliet and learn that there is a pretty huge Imperial Guard army camp just below 42 clicks away. The mob has only been using the same two heavy bolters as in the ambush in the cellar, so the army troops must still be human. It only takes ONE soldier on leave to start the infection though. The vehicle hall only contains 43 bikes and five RCVs - Riot Control Vehicles - and none with heavy weaponry. I summon all personal and inform them of my decision. We will take all vehicles, drive out with guns blazing - casualties count as nothing - as long as just one uninfected Arbites gets to the army camp. Everyone if ready - of course - and we prepare to leave within minutes. -- -- -- Maybe I should have followed my instincts and had more real sons before acting so bold. I should have known the Governor would have called for some competent help, and that unliberated aren’t that stupid. Well, with a free mind you are bound to make mistakes, but I am ready to learn. When the Judges are dead, we will kill all in this neighborhood and go into hiding again. Then more Arbites will arrive, but unable to solve this mystery they wont act. Now, how to flush these Arbites out? My mind races as I look at the bastion and soon I notice the bad defense on fourth floor. I quickly begin giving orders, but they are still running to do my bidding as the big door opens, and the Arbites drive out. How unexpected, they must have some cunning plan. It doesn’t seem so though, they are cut and dragged down in great number from their bikes and big wheeled cars. Suddenly explosions go off where the first Arbites were killed, they must have wired their bodies with mines - they’ll rather die than be liberated. Suddenly Magus Hamilrimon points out that all vehicles are screening two Judges on bikes, it must be a suicide mission to get someone out then. I will never understand some human’s lack of self preservation - what greater things are they fighting for? -- -- -- Out suicidal tactics are working better than suspected, the bombs are really distracting them. I can see the big Genestealer on the back of a truck with one of those high bald men - a psycker! When I spot him, he turns and talk to the Genestealer. They then both turn and look at me and Juliet as we race by. A second later I see the light indicate that the anti-psychic helmet saved me again. Sadly Juliet isn’t quite as luckily, wearing no such thing she suddenly jerks back and I see blood splatter across her helm’s visor. I have to turn down a small alley to avoid her bike as she falls from the seat, and it goes out of control. I hear her explode as the armor feelers find her dead, covering my exit. The alley starts curving, and I begin to fear that it might lead back to the bastion. No, The Emperor is with me and I hit the gas and goes out of the area on full speed. Looking back I see no other survivors. I have slowed, after I nearly crashed I realized that this world - and maybe others - might die if I fail my mission. I hear noise behind me, and I am relieved to look back and find another Judge gaining on me. I slow further to let him/her catch up on me. We within 6 yards I notice the Judge holding a severed hand on the gas handle, fooling the bike to believe it is ridden by its rightful owner. I see the tubes that keep blood circulation in the hand - otherwise the bike wouldn’t be fooled - goíng up the riders wrist. I am almost too late as a claw tears its way out the armor from the hybrid’s side, and my left arm is almost ripped off. My custom-built armor safes me, and seals the wound instantly. I wish I were a Space Marine then I wouldn’t have to rely so much on my armor. The pain is still agonizing, and I almost fall from my bike. I realize, though, that my only option is to give full throttle and try to get to the camp with only one arm. I manage to get into view of the base before my right arm gives into cramps. I only managed to get this far having my armor give me all the drugs it contained, but now my body can’t take it anymore. I lean over and fall from the bike, hearing the hybrid brake hard while tumbling down a slope. I can’t move, and the hybrid must be running toward me. I command the suit to blow the charges. It doesn’t respond! Not wanting to be infected, and feeling a rock behind my head, I use the last of my energy raising my head and start smashing it into the rock. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I only manage to get a little dizzy before fire opens up from the thicket just ahead of me. I hear an unhuman wail close by, and a shadow falls over me. Blood splatters my face, and what little I could see before is now reduced to near nothing. I hear command cries and several feets run toward me - it HAS to be army, no gang would dare shoot so close to the camp - I hope. If it IS some gang my life will be short and painful - but properly still better than what I just avoided. I’m lifted up, the pain is agonizing - everything soon goes black. I wake up in a humming machine that hold me like a glove, it must be one of those old regeneration units. The Commander must based on the hybrids corpse has decided that I should be able to talk really soon - and how horrible right he is. He doesn’t like it, but based on the corpse he can’t disbelieve me. While he is thinking strategy and looks at the map, I practice with my new bionic arm. The material for the regenerate unit is too expensive to waste on me - it was expensive enough to get me back in this condition. So the arm had to come off, and this rather crude thing on instead. It doesn’t even have fingers, only a connector for special designed weapons and tools. It will just have to do. -- -- -- Everything is burning, an entire section of the city is gone and another might too - if the firefighters from the southern part don’t get here soon. I have retreated to the Governor’s - now mine - Palace, and I sit here cursing that Judge. Right after the initial battle we found an undamaged bike with the owners torn up corpse nearby. His right hand was undamaged though, and I fitted one of my more competent children with Judge armor found in the bastion. He hasn’t returned, and now it’s been seven hours - the army properly knows it all by now. I decide to leave the planet. -- -- -- We are moving slowly forward toward the city. Here from the east we are approaching with 24 tanks and 750 men. The men still don’t know that I and Commander Planz decided to destroy the whole city and all its inhabitants. One must approve of the wisdom of making some IG regiments on a world consists of men from elsewhere. If these soldier had family in the city we would have had to call on other regiments - or if that couldn’t be done quick enough - kill everyone making objections. Nevertheless I am glad of the Commissars, they will never fail Imperial Justice - hard as it may be. These citizens’ crime is what they might become. -- -- -- I watch unbelievingly from orbit as the army moves in from all sides. They aren’t searching anything - just blowing everything up and killing every living being. I was right not to stay and try to hide. I ask Magus Hamilrimon if any Imperial psyckers below will feel a disturbance if we enter warp space now. He thinks not, but says that Legiones Astartes Librarians might be able to - well I will just have to watch out for those then. We are in warp space transit now. I still wonder if the Navigator could perform his work if we had liberated him. I decided not to take any chances though, and had only the liberated humans show themselves as they took the ship. If the Navigator knew anything unhuman was on board he might break down out here - and that would be most unfortunate. I will liberate him when we catch another, and I so much hope he will still be able to do his job. If so, the Pure Ones wont spread like the unliberated - hiding on ships. We will cure the galaxy methodically, sending a couple of my children down on each planet. Now I have to select a good planet to have these children on. It will take generations, and it will be slow as we can’t risk getting too many like last time. Maybe the wild spread idea isn’t that bad on the right planet. If I can only find some backwater planet I will place my Son upon it and let him liberate everyone on it as fast as possible. Then I must collect hundreds of ships in the time it takes to get to the pure children stadium again. -- -- -- The city is just a smoking ruin now. Corpses send out the smell of burned flesh. The Commander is satisfied, the threat is gone he says. I want to believe that, but can’t. It is possible the whole Cult was hiding in one place when the attack began, and so we destroyed all in an unrecognizable heap. This isn’t likely though, and no one has found just a single Genestealer like claw apart from those one the corpses around the bastion. The Genestealers must have gotten around our patrols, or taken a spaceship! Normal Genestealers would never think about that - stealing a spaceship - but these are different I remember. If this is indeed true it bode badly for humanity - as if it wasn’t bad enough already. THE END of The Pure Ones Continued in Chapter 2: The Liberation
|