Warhammer [482-483] (Patreon)

Chapter 482: The Prelude to the Plague War, Betrayal and Corruption

Leandros had fallen into utter despair and sadness. He couldn't understand what he had done wrong!

Since childhood, he had yearned to be an Ultramarine, to follow the great Lord of Ultramar, to serve the primarch Roboute Guilliman.

In his youth, after enduring countless hardships, he finally became a Space Marine recruit. He passed through layer after layer of harsh selection, eventually joining the second company of the Space Marines, becoming a proud neophyte under Captain Titus.

He had believed that he could devote his life to the Emperor and the Imperium of Man, serve faithfully, and die with no regrets.

Every night, he would study the Codex Astartes written by Roboute Guilliman, listening to the teachings of the great gene-father.

Looking at that sacred tome, his mind seemed to connect with his gene-father ten thousand years ago.

That was the happiest time of his life—how sacred it was!

But one day, everything changed. On the planet Graia, he witnessed his own captain being corrupted by the powers of Chaos—but emerging completely unscathed.

Although his captain was brave and almost the perfect commander, the threat of Chaos was not to be underestimated. Leandros bypassed all his superiors and reported the matter directly to the Inquisition.

In the end, his company captain was taken away. Leandros himself was not punished; he was even recognized for his actions. All the other Marines agreed he had done the right thing—Chaos was a danger not to be ignored.

This made Leandros trust the Codex Astartes even more, making it his life's purpose.

Through his study of the Codex, in less than a hundred years, he rose from neophyte to Chapter Chaplain.

It was a glorious title. At every moment, he would indoctrinate recruits and battle-brothers with the Imperial Creed and the teachings of their gene-father.

He would prevent them from being corrupted by Chaos, guard against the forces of Chaos taking advantage. He did everything a Space Marine should do, fulfilled all the duties of an Angel of Death, and was the perfect Space Marine.

Worthy of the name of Ultramar, worthy of the gene-primarch!

But all of this was shattered within just a few years!

That traitor returned, and was even favored by another primarch, becoming that primarch's company captain, rising all the way to Chapter Master.

He even gained the ability to grow to the size of a primarch, commanding Space Marines and earning great glory for the Imperium. Now his name echoed throughout the Empire.

How glorious! But what about Leandros?

Leandros, the ever-loyal warrior, suffered cold indifference, even ostracism from his comrades for no reason. Everyone spat on him and looked down on him.

In Ultramar, he was even treated as a traitor, stripped of his sacred title of Chaplain, demoted to a regular battle-brother.

In everyone's eyes, he was a betrayer, who had framed his captain. But really, who in his place would have done differently?

He had personally witnessed his captain exposed to enough warp energy to corrupt hundreds of Space Marines, but he was unharmed! How could that be normal? This was absolutely not normal!

Normally, he could have endured all this. Yes, he was wrong, he would repent, he would accept his punishment. Leandros had nothing to say.

But the Codex Astartes, which he had guarded as his faith, the teachings from his gene-father—were dismissed by the gene-father himself as nothing but toilet paper.

That was the last straw. After that day, his faith and values completely collapsed. He had no belief left, not even loyalty to the Emperor.

Now he wanted only one thing: to destroy Roboute Guilliman, Rhodes, and everything they had, including their chapters and their families.

Now, a chance for revenge had finally appeared.

"Leandros, your gene-primarch betrayed you, your former Chapter Master betrayed you. With your merit and loyalty, after the reorganization of the chapter, you should have become a brigade-level or even deputy-chapter-level Chaplain. But they treat you the same as a recruit and even made your mistakes public. The new recruits all look at you differently," said the mysterious shadowy figure.

"You're right, those new recruits all mock me. The brothers I once disciplined now say my words are a joke." replied Leandros.

"Very good. Now I give you an opportunity, a chance to join in truth. That false Emperor is nothing but a hypocritical liar, who deceived all humanity. He is the real traitor, the true enemy of mankind.

Warmaster Horus saw through his schemes ten thousand years ago and saw the real future. Even if the Great Crusade succeeded, the false Emperor would have ruthlessly purged all the Astartes, all the primarchs. He had done so before—when unifying Holy Terra, he cleansed the Thunder Warriors, those once utterly loyal to him.

The clearest example: he founded the High Lords of Terra, and not a single primarch was included. Does that mean primarchs are unworthy? All the primarchs saw the truth; some heroes stood up against this devil, while others became his lapdogs," said the shadow man passionately.

"...," Leandros replied.

According to rumors he'd heard, Warmaster Horus seemed to be leading an army in the Imperium's dark side to fight Chaos.

It was even said that the righteous Horus was killed by the Chaos Gods, and the one who started the rebellion was only a shell, possessed by the four Chaos Gods. The real Warmaster never betrayed the Emperor.

And Magnus was said to be a double agent, even keeping a secret Grey Knights legion.

But never mind. He only wanted revenge on Roboute Guilliman, Rhodes, and Titus!

Nothing else mattered. What mattered was making these people who had humiliated him, who had shamed his life, die.

"This just war was ultimately thwarted by that evil false Emperor, but where there is oppression, there is resistance. Our war will continue forever," the shadowy figure continued his impassioned speech.

But kneeling to the side, Leandros could hardly listen anymore. As a former Chapter Chaplain, these tricks could not shake him.

But he would still betray the Imperium—nothing more.

"Cut to the chase, great being. What do you want me to do? And who are you?" Leandros snorted coldly.

"I like dealing with smart people, and you are one. Want to become a Daemon Prince?" The mysterious shadow revealed his true form.

He was an abominable monster, completely inhuman, with a single large eye on his face, a staff in his hand, and a pair of bony wings on his back.

This was a Tzeentchian sorcerer, a psyker, corrupted after worshipping Chaos.

Just now, he had been hiding within the energies of Chaos, making Leandros think he was at least a Chaos Champion or Chosen. But to his surprise, it was a Tzeentchian Sorcerer.

To ordinary Space Marines, this guy was unbeatable—a single touch would kill them if they felt even a hint of fear, and these sorcerers could control time itself.

If it was in the past, facing such a Chaos Sorcerer, Leandros would have brandished his Chaplain's weapon and fought him.

Truthfully, this envoy made Leandros feel a little insulted! His goal was to topple primarchs, yet they sent a nobody to recruit him!

"I came by order of the great Changer of Ways. Higher-level daemons, Chosen, or Champions cannot enter Macragge; you know the security here. It is already difficult enough for me to sneak in and meet you," said the Tzeentchian Sorcerer.

This bastard actually thought he was out of his league! What a joke! Someone like you, he could kill with a wave of his hand.

But as long as you had even a sliver of fear in your heart, the sorcerer could use it and kill you instantly. 

"You said you wanted to make me a Daemon Prince? I can tell you, Daemon Princes nowadays can't even take on our veterans. The new generation, the Primaris Space Marines, can kill you instantly. Your evil sorcery won't work," said Leandros.

As a former Chaplain, though demoted to battle-brother, he still had good relations with the Ultramarines and Rhodes's chapter.

He had accepted the new Astartes surgeries, becoming over three meters tall and as strong as the Custodes, though he lacked some of the latest organs, like the new muscle coil. These new Primaris surgeries vary in quality; the main character's legion has the best, others less so, some only add new organs, making them just a bit stronger than the old Primaris, not even as strong as the old Custodes.

Daemon Princes used to be strong, only captains and chapter masters could challenge them, and even then, with high risk.

But becoming a Daemon Prince required giving up your flesh and ascending to a pure warp being.

Yet now, his body and those of all the new Astartes were not inferior to Daemon Princes, maybe stronger.

Of course, this only applied to regular Daemon Princes; if a primarch fell and became a Daemon Prince, that was another matter.

"My master has a mission for you. Complete it and you can become a Chosen, a Champion, a Daemon Prince. We already have new upgrade technology—don't think only humanity advances," said the Tzeentchian sorcerer.

His master, the Changer of Ways, was recently working closely with the new Chaos God Vashtorr, and they were secretly researching upgrades for Chaos Champions, Lords, Greater Daemons, and Daemon Princes.

It was said the materials came from Abaddon, using power from Slaanesh's Chosen.

The current leader of Slaanesh's daemons had been named the Chosen of Slaanesh, not a true child of the god.

"What kind of advancements? Can you tell me?" asked Leandros.

Professional curiosity compelled him to ask about everything.

"Do you need to know? Or are you just pretending to defect?" said the Tzeentchian.

"Understood. So what's the mission? What do I need to do?" Leandros asked.

"That's right. Your mission is simple. Soon, Nurgle will launch a plague war against the Imperium. As an Ultramarine, though not high-ranking, you were once a Chaplain.

We want you to help infect other Ultramarines, and later spread a new plague to the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar," said the Tzeentchian.

To prepare for the plague war, Nurgle had made thorough preparations, developing a new virus targeting superhuman warriors, determined to have his revenge.

Of course, the Changer of Ways was willing to help.

"So am I working for Tzeentch or for Nurgle?" Leandros snorted.

"Afterwards, whichever god you choose to join, they'll bless you. Here, use this to corrupt the Ultramarines of Macragge." The Tzeentchian handed Leandros a circular badge.

"What about the plague virus?"

"Not yet. My master has another mission for you: steal the Primaris surgery techniques of the new Astartes," the sorcerer said.

Now, Chaos Marines were just cannon fodder compared to the new Imperial Astartes.

So far, not a single new Astartes had defected! Their upgrade tech was also a target.

"That won't be easy," said Leandros.

Chapter 483: The First Corrupted Primaris Space Marine

Learning the new Astartes surgery wasn't difficult; it was just a matter of implanting superhuman organs.

But there were five or six grades of new Astartes. The most basic upgrade added a few new organs to the classic set of 19, and replaced the old black carapace with new skin.

Above that was the full enhancement of all 19 organs—a much more complex process, basically tearing a Space Marine apart and rebuilding him. This enhancement was so intricate, only its inventors on Holy Terra could perform it.

Because it was so complicated, when passed to other chapters, most of the process was omitted. Only deputy chapter masters, brigade commanders, and chapter masters underwent the full surgery, gaining strength beyond the Custodes.

The Blood Angels and Rhodes's gene-sons had special brain boxes to control psychic power and transform in special ways. Recently, a new muscle coil had been developed to greatly increase Space Marine strength.

"This is a huge upgrade, vital to the war. So we must get it," said the Tzeentchian sorcerer.

It was his special mission. Now, Chaos Marines were thoroughly outmatched by Imperial Marines.

Even regular soldiers on combat drugs could fight Chaos Marines. A few together could even take one down.

This had dragged Chaos Marines down from elite warriors to mere cannon fodder.

And the new Astartes seemed to have special organs to resist the warp, so none had ever defected.

This infuriated the forces of Chaos, who only had the old 19-step surgery or mutant Chaos Marines—nearly useless now.

"It's not about whether I want to help. The new Astartes have extra organs, but those organs come from Rhodes, the new gene-primarch. All chapters, including us Ultramarines, import them from him—especially the biomuscle, bone-enhancing fluid, Belisarius furnace, holy pituitary, and black carapace!

Even if you get the tech, without the materials, Chaos Marines can't transform. And for the original Marines to upgrade, without the special med-chambers, the operation is almost 100% fatal," said Leandros.

He had once been a Chaplain, with ways to get the procedure from the Apothecaries.

But the special organs and materials for the upgrades were impossible to obtain.

"We just need samples of those materials. The Ultramarines are expanding, right? There should be shipments for upgrades. How about we grab a batch?" said the Tzeentchian.

Material production wasn't his concern. He just had to bring them back for his master and Vashtorr to deal with.

"Every six months, a batch of organs comes from Terra, delivered to the chapters. We Ultramarines get some too. I can tell you the exact arrival time so you can ambush them," said Leandros.

"Excellent. When's the next shipment?" the sorcerer asked.

"In three days. If you miss it, you'll wait six months. After unloading, the organs are stored in the Fortress of Hera on Macragge, guarded personally by Deputy Chapter Master Calgar. There's no chance to steal them," said Leandros.

"How are they escorted? By Rhodes's gene-sons themselves?" asked the sorcerer.

"No! They're escorted by the Custodes, with some Space Marines too, but the personnel vary. Sometimes Rhodes's gene-sons, sometimes the Adeptus Custodes, sometimes Imperial Fists, sometimes us Ultramarines," said Leandros.

There was even a Custodian who could grow giant, stronger than a primarch. To rob these organs, the attackers would have to be ready to take on a primarch-level foe, maybe worse.

"Can you help us?" asked the sorcerer.

It was a tough escort. If it were just Space Marines, he might try. But with Custodes and a giant among them, it was out of the question.

"Are you kidding? That's suicide. I won't get involved. I still have to take my revenge on Guilliman!" said Leandros.

Unless they sent a Chaos Chosen, a Champion, a Daemon Prince, and at least a thousand Chaos Marines, there'd be no chance. Even with that, success wasn't guaranteed. Apothecaries had analyzed the muscle—it came from a powerful bio-beast. Just getting some meat chunks wasn't enough to clone it, and the process was tightly guarded.

"You should pledge your loyalty to the Chaos Gods! You must help me; this is vital for the war," said the sorcerer.

"I've already helped you, but don't expect me to join this war. Forget it!" Leandros refused bluntly.

What a joke! That was suicide. Besides, he had said it was just a side mission. His main task was to corrupt Ultramarines and spread the plague to the Five Hundred Worlds.

"I'll tell my master. We must get those organs," the Tzeentchian said, then turned into a black mist and disappeared.

"Stay quiet on Macragge. Don't wander. Its defenses are beyond your imagination," Leandros warned.

Don't get yourself killed too early.

"Thanks for the warning!" the sorcerer's voice echoed in the room.

After confirming his departure, Leandros sighed in relief and sat down in his chair.

Now there was no turning back!

Let him become the first corrupted Primaris Space Marine!

…

A few days later, the Tzeentchian sorcerer coordinated with his master, the Changer of Ways, and secured over a thousand Chaos Space Marines.

He also got a warp artifact, help from several Chaos Champions, Lords, and a Chaos Chosen Marine.

The artifact could temporarily seal all of Ultramar, create a warp rift, and allow many Chaos Sorcerers to tear open more rifts.

At that time, countless Chaos Daemons would invade the Imperial world, and they would strike the escort team and seize the organs.

Three days later, the Imperial shipment docked at Macragge. Warriors in golden and red-silver armor emerged from the ship, unloading massive containers onto the surface.

About a thousand Ultramarines, led by a Chapter Master, came to receive the cargo, standing in ranks.

The newly appointed Ultramarines Chapter Master saluted the Custodes. He had previously been a company master, but after the chapter's restoration, he now held a full Chapter Master role—one of dozens in the Ultramarines.

"Salutations, Custodians of the Emperor."

"Greetings, Ultramarine. By the Emperor's order, I bring you the organs. Here is the transfer document. Please verify your identity," said the Custodian.

"Very well, I will verify it. I am Chapter Master of the 27th Company," the Marine replied, and the transfer began.

Just as the handover was about to finish, a strange spatial fluctuation appeared.

Macragge's sky was stained deep purple by warp energies; the air filled with sulfur and rot.

Warp rifts tore open across Ultramar, and hordes of Chaos Daemons poured out, roaring toward the Ultramarine defenses.

Meanwhile, the Tzeentchian sorcerer led the Chaos Marines in a stealthy approach to the Fortress of Hera, targeting the soon-to-arrive organs.

Sensing danger, the Custodian immediately drew his power halberd.

"Be alert! There's powerful warp energy—Chaos dogs are here!" he declared.

He could clearly sense the terrifying warp disturbance.

The 27th Company Chapter Master and surrounding Marines quickly readied their weapons.