Imperium Caeli (FT Faction Intro, Semi-Closed)

[Palmerozi]

The pain was unbearable. Something had broken on impact. A rib, maybe two. He felt something coming up his throat, it was blood. He began to cough it up but was blocked by a gag. He began to choke on it. A swift kick to his chest silenced him. The man opened his blackened eyes. A figure to his left lay still, bound as he was. Clay. To that figure's left, two more silhouettes whispered between themselves. He began to squirm, trying to loosen the ties around his wrists. His fighter was only twenty yards away, he could make it if he ran. One of the dark shadows saw his struggle and ended it with another swift kick to the torso.

"What should we with to them?"

"Eat them?"

"And have Chief use their bones to pick our flesh from his teeth?"

"Then what do we do?"

"Take them to the Castle, Chief will know."

The last transmission ever received by the 3rd Fleet. That was twenty five long years ago. Twenty five years ago the 3rd Exploration Fleet had vanished. Systems Alliance had sent them to investigate an anamolly deep in space, past the outer rim. For some unknown reason, every trace of the fleet had disappeared. No attempt were made to find them, as Palmerozian Deep Space Command deemed the area a no fly zone. They were abandoned. The Systems Alliance had grown into a different entity, no place for the survivors of the 3rd Fleet Incident. And the survivors of 3rd fleet had constructed a society in which the SAoP had no identity.

Twenty five years ago, that young man had been dragged to the Castle, the rest is shrouded in myth. From the Castle, he drew strength. From that Castle, 3rd Fleet had evolved. Morphed, empowered into a new being. The Imperium Caeli had been born from the Castle Palatine, the seat of the Imperator Malleus Marzes. The Castle gave his people strength. The Castle gave his people life. The Castle gave his people hope. Hope for a return to home.

The Caesar rose from his seat aboard the Victorium. His voice would echo throughout the reaches of his Imperium. The tribes he had assimilated under his rule were now his loyal subjects. The Caesar raised his hand. Cheers an fervor exploded at his action. He soaked in the glory of his power. He lowered his arm and his Imperium silenced. "My Brothers and Sisters, twenty five long years ago we were abandoned. Forced to fend for ourselves. We survived. We thrived. Our way of life is now owed to the Castle. We have taken a blood oath. An oath of supreme loyalty in our pristine and darkest hours. I now ask you to take that oath with you as we travel past the veil in which we were for so long trapped. I shall bring my people home!"

The crowds roared. Caesar Malleus Marzes, the Hammer and Son of Mars, had his Imperium Caeli, his Empire of the Stars. As he spoke, the Fleet of Virtue left the Castle Palatine. Its flagships, Aequitas, Veritas, and Victorium spearheading the wormhole. His castle would remain behind, for now. His wisdom and strength would bring the Pax Divinicum. The Imperator called his people past the void, and they followed.

The Fleet arrived, past the wormhole. Construction had begun. A monument to the Caesar's travels was erected. Arch of Titus Station was born.

[Palmerozi]

The Arch of Titus. The station had been built as a tribute to the legendary emperor of old who had crushed his enemies and used the wealth to celebrate his victory. Malleus sought to create a clear connection between himself and this power. Propaganda was his greatest weapon.

The station was enormous. A testament to the ingenuity of the hard-working Populus Caeli, the Star People, as the citizens of the Imperium were referred to. The station had mostly been assembled on the other side of the wormhole before being transported piece by piece to this side. With most of the construction and engineering already finished. The assembly was all that was left. The core of the station was complete, the CIC, living space, and docks were the only things needing assembly. Such things were not imperative however due to the sheer size of the Fleet of Virtue and its ability to support the life aboard for years.

Malleus sat at his throne aboard the Victorium, watching over the construction. His next step would be a more sinister one. Most of the Imperium's technology was based around the original Palmerozian 3rd Exploration Fleet, with major advancements possible through harnessing the power and secrets of the Castle Palatine. Once the Titus was complete and functional, as well as a few more steps, Palatine would emerge through the void. And then, the Imperator would take his throne undisputed and undaunted.

Malleus contacted his lieutenants. The next step was to come. A suitable host would be needed first. A few systems close by looked suitable, however the Fleet was superb at improvising if occasion presented itself as a more suitable target. Victorium, Aequitas and Veritas awaited the Caesar's orders.

In the mean time, a bit of an exercise was in order for the troops. In the next system, a primitive civilization was being observed. They had been conquering much of the small planet they inhabited. A firm yet futile resistance would be held against the Legions sent. The Caesar sent his orders. A good exercise for his men, and powerful warrior under his command once conquered. A win-win for the Imperium. The Veritas began to mobilize, Legate Cornicus would lead the Enlightening of the savages.

[Alversia]

The Alversian Cruiser dropped out of transwarp just short of Titus itself, the one kilometre long warship dwarfed in size by the sheer scale of thing before them and yet it was clear that it was still unfinished. The Alversians on the bridge looked on in awe before the Captain, a large bearded, barrel-chested man, snapped them awake with a series of orders that had the crew scrambling over their consoles as they tried to get their heads back in the game. They were here for a simple reason and that was to drop off an Alversian ambassador to the Arch who would then meet with the leader of this civilisation, the self-labelled ‘Star People’. With any luck a mutually beneficial relationship could be struck up where both species would be able to grow closer in the bonds of fellowship that long term interaction would surely bring. All of this depended on the one man they were here to drop off.

Ambassador Alexander Alenko was staring out the window just like the rest of the crew who weren’t focused on their duties. Of course, he was not literally staring out of a window, rather a holographic projection of one, fed by sensors which give the illusion of a window, and the aesthetic pleasures that it brought, but none of the structural weaknesses. He was trying to quell the nerves in his stomach as he waited for the shuttle he had boarded to depart the ship and head towards the massive station he saw before him. Sure it was not finished but it looked grand even in it’s current state so who knew what it would look like when it was finally, ultimately finished.

At the time that Alenko was thinking this, a message was sent from his vessel to the Station.

To: Populus Caeli Station

This is the Alversian People’s Starship Auburn, requesting a docking bay for a shuttle carrying the Alversian Ambassador to meet with the leader of your people.

[Palmerozi]

The Titus was beaming with activity. No one had detected the kilometer long ship until it was on the doorstep. The first non-Imperium ship seen in twenty five years. It was a stark contrast to any ship that the Castle ever churned out. Many were in awe as the cruiser continued to approach the station, and some of the original members of the 3rd Fleet immediately scanned for any Systems Alliance markings that mightv'e been familiar. Strict practice soon kicked in and all ships in the immediate vecinity were updated of the ships stats and location.

A struck of luck in the Caesar's mind. The single ship was indeed large, but outnumbered and outgunned tremendously. This cruiser obviously meant no harm towards the Imperium. Malleus had recently taken his spot atop the Titus. It would serve as the meeting ground once communication was established. A young aide waltzed into the Caesar's suite and bowed deeply, it was the first time his eyes had ever met with the glory that was his Divine Imperator.

"Ave. Rise young warrior," said Malleus as put his large, calloused hand on the boys head.

"Holy Caesar. A ship has requested permission to dock onto your holy shrine. They wish to meet with an ambassador to discuss the will of the People."

"Do they? Well, see to it that they recieve a proper Caeli welcome." By this, the Caesar meant that the guests would be wreathed, the most holy of symbols, dignifying an honorable citizen. Wine would flow, and oil would clean the feat of the Alversians as they called themselves.

[Alversia]

The cruiser Auburn was as different to the to the station as it was possible to be. While the motionless station was grand and ornate, a tribute to the power and wealth of those who had built it, the Alversian warship was functional and clean in design. It resembled a sleek, silvery arrow-head, with a single blood-red line drawn the full way along her hull, the design was augmented with turrets poking out from the surface, quiet and inactive for now but certainly prepared to come to life at the single tap of a button from the bridge. The Alversian warship was certainly outgunned by the station and her protecting fleet but there was no doubt she would give a hell of a lot of punishment before she went down.

At the moment its intentions were purely peaceful and the worry of having to engage every ship in this system did not enter the minds of anyone other than the Captain and the Tactical Officer, both of whom were expected to expect the worst in any given situation. Once the approval for the landing had been given, the shuttle swiftly departed from the hanger bay of the warship, escorted by two fighters as it made it’s way towards the designated landing zone. Onboard were the Ambassador due to meet with the Caesar of this people, Alenko and his assistant, the much younger and much less experienced but infinitely more confident Silarian Ani Mara – Ascos. She sat in the shuttle, gazing out the fake window at the massive station she was due to dock on, wondering just what they would be confronted with when they finally settled down on solid ground.

Alenko took a breath to steady his nerves as he stepped out onto the station, wondering what he was about to see and what kind of reaction he would be given. Mara - Ascos was not far behind. They were accompanied by two Alversian Marines, standing on their flanks, sensors scanning the area automatically for any visible threats. When there were one, they relaxed marginally.

[Palmerozi]

The station erupted into music and fanfare as the Alverisans accompanied by another odd-looking alien. The two diplomats and there guards were presented with golden wreaths and necklaces of sweet smelling flowers. Beautiful young women and men danced around them playfully until two escorts arrived.

These two men were dressed in ornate curaisses that depicted triumphs of the Imperium. Atop their heads were helmets with long feathers coming from the top and resting onto the men's shoulders. These men were no ordinary soldiers. The one of the left spoke first after removing his helmet.

"Ave, Ambassador. I am Marcus, and this is Levernius. We are here to escort you to meet with the Caesar himself. A great honor indeed." His grey eyes shifted behind the ambassador, toward the marines. "We were not aware that you would be accompanied by warriors, they will have to remain behind, either onboard your shuttle or with an escort". Marcus motioned to Levernius who had already fixed his icy gaze upon the foreign soldiers.

[Alversia]

Alenko and Mara – Ascos took something of a step back in surprise, not expecting such a loud and enthusiastic welcome. If anything, it temporarily stunned the Diplomats, so much so that they accepted the laurels and wreaths with only a politely muttered thank you a piece.

Alenko looked down at the dancers in, blinking once in confusion, wondering if he had done something remarkably special on his way here that he didn’t know or if they treated all newly arrived diplomats like this. He did spot the ornate guards approaching and offered a nod of his head, noticing just how much work had gone into their armour. The Marines behind him would not approve of the overly gaudy pieces but then they were from a culture where a clean rifle and a long history of warfare were all one needed. They would never voice their opinions of course, preferring to stand in the background and protect their charges.

“I am Ambassador Alenko of the Alversian People’s Republic,” he indicated behind him, “my colleague is Ambassadress Mara – Ascos.” He offered a grim, apologetic smile, “You must forgive my Marine escort but it is standard diplomatic policy to have them accompany us at all times. There have been too many…losses…through a lack of an escort.” He grimaced as he remembered the tale of the Xiscapian Ambassador Atox, captured and killed by the people he was supposed to be meeting with.
“Please do not take offense but they must remain with me. I can assure you they will not interfere unless they feel I am threatened. I am sure they will not be needed but I cannot circumnavigate regulation.” Another sorry smile.

For her part, Mara-Ascos turned around to look at the two Marines and noted with amusement how they stood ramrod still even with the dancers skipping merrily around them and the laurels around their shoulders. They kept the same steady grip on their rifles and watched their surroundings, emotions hidden behind their black visors. She was amused by the whole welcoming ceremony and not a little humbled. It felt nice to be the centre of attention and she, like Alenko, wondered if they extended this welcome to all visitors or just the ones who turned up in warships.

[Palmerozi]

Marcus hesitated. He understood such caution. He wouldn't want to be as outnumbered as these diplomants, with no protection, however he had to be firm. "You're warriors may accompany you, however they cannot be with you in presence of Caesar Malleus. That is strictly against our highest laws, we have a duty to protect the Son of Mars you see. You will not be in danger, only the Caesar will be with you."

This was true. The Caesar had placed these foreigners under his personal blessing. They were not even to be touched. No danger or harm would fall upon them. Yet, that is to not say the Caesar would be in any danger. He was indeed the original warrior of the Imperium. Without the power of his fiery steel, the Imperium would be nothing more than squabbling tribes wondering forever lost. It was his holy rule that had united them.

Marcus them turned to Levernius, who was obviously annoyed with the ignorance of the newcomers. With the festival continuing around them, nothing had to be done hastily. This was a time of great joy. Diplomacy was needed, not violence. For now at least.

Marcus continued: "So if you please, and follow me. The Caesar is anxious to make your acquaintance. Much is to be discussed."

[Dbrought]

tag. i'll be dropping in soon

[Abruzi]

OOC:Shit post but w/e, arrival posts always blow

The goings on in Caeli had been watched by silent eyes. Eyes that did not rely on machines to see far into the void, eyes that did not bend to the laws of reality, eyes that belonged to an evil far more ancient then any other in the galaxy. The forces of Chaos loomed like a vulture above the galaxy, a hideous force of raw elemental power and cunning that preyed upon the weak and the just with relish. The Chaotic Roman Imperium eagerly reached out to this civilization the Changer of Ways whispered of, a Dauntless Light Cruiser Diplomatic Craft, dark crimson with unknown thousands of gallons of dried blood appeared on the edge of the system, long range vox wailing diplomatic codes.

The CRI was not a race of ignorant Khornate worshiping marines however, their blood stained ship was not the trend that the Chaotic Roman Imperium wished to convey. Aboard the ship ten diplomats, warriors who were as ancient as the Tears of Darkness Space Marine Chapter the forerunners to the Chaotic Roman Imperium. So ancient that they fought alongside Rogal Dorn in the Great Crusade before succumbing to the twisted whispers of their Imperator and the Chaos Gods. These twisted warriors represented the Four Gods, Chaos Undivided and several more Roman retainers who would be offering this small Imperium what they hoped would be enough to plant the seeds of the taint.

[Palmerozi]

The Veritas's mission,as part of the Fleet of Virtue, was the spread the Imperium's Truth to the barbarous tribes of the universe. This particular tribe had decided to learn Truth the hard way. After crippling the diesel fueled planet's infrastructure, the barbarians had put forth a bitter resistance. However, signs of weakness had begun to be shown.

The enemy had begun to surrender in droves in order to protect their families. Mercy would be shown. Once assimilated, the trials would be given. First, the "aptitude" test. Those who survived were given the test of strength. From there, the strongest and smartest who survived were indoctrinated into full service of the Imperium. These tests were brutal, letting only the best survive.

The warriors who did not surrender were given a different treatment. These men who had the guile and will to oppose the Imperium were surely strong minded and strong armed, however still dedicated to a false sense of defiance. These warriors were given a choice, kill their brothers, or kill themselves. Those who chose against their brothers were slaughtered instantly. A man who would choose his own life against that of his brothers was no man. They could not be enlightened.

The other men, referred to as the "Martyrs", were spared without question, as their families. They were to be enlightened by the Caesar himself once the time came. Sparing a life had shown to have so much more power than taking one.

Yet the Legate still had the task of finding these Martyrs from the rest of the barbarians. And before that, the final assault had to be commenced. An informant had recently given the location of the resistance's headquarters under the planets surface and the Legate's forces were preparing. It seemed a new player had entered the game, and with them a sense of creeping fear and chaos would have beheld weaker minds. Contact with the CRI ship was made.

Code: Select all

CRI ship, this is Imperium Caeli Ship Veritas, you have entered Imperium militarized space. Alter course to second planet in star system and land at location X113RT, 700.913CP.  The Legate will meet with you.

[Terra Reborn]

H.M.S Intrepid
Typhoon Class Cruiser

The storm-like blue-white interior of the jump corridor was almost hypnotic if one looked at it for too long. Captain Nathan Cook was doing just that as he looked out the view port of his Stateroom, positioned in the port left hand aft section of the bridge deck, a place for Intrepid's Captain to relax and work, whilst being close enough to the bridge if something went wrong. Eventually tearing his eyes away from the corridor he returned to the work on his desk. It had only been two weeks since the Intrepid had been formally re-commissioned in the Imperial Navy, and already he had more paperwork than he could shake a stick at.

Intrepid was the second Imperial Vessel to be re-activated from Admiral Typhon's fleet, and placed back into active service. For the first time in a year, the HMS Excalibur was no longer alone in the darkness. A Typhoon class cruiser, it had been the natural choice of ship to reactivate. Cook knew that he was extremly lucky to have been given command of the Intrepid.

"Intrepid?" Cook spoke out loud.

"Yes Captain?" The Holographic Avatar of the Intrepid asked.

"How long until we have to let our engines re-charge?" Cook asked.

"Five minutes" Intrepid replied.

Cook nodded and waved his hand, dismissing the Avatar, before standing up and walking the relatively short distance out of his Stateroom's door and across the bridge to the lone command chair, set in the centre of the bridge, the other bridge stations set around it. Settling into his seat he looked up, out the viewport.

"Ok, throttle back the Jump Drives" Cook ordered.

Senior Lieutenant Cacy O'Brian nodded and entered commands into her console, out of the viewport the Jump Corridor flashed and disappeared as the Intrepid cruised forward at sub-light speeds.

"Will you look at that" O'Brian commented as the bridge crew glanced out of the viewport at the station they were approaching "What are the odds?"

"There is also an Alversian Warship in the area" Senior Lieutenant Tako Fukishimu reported from the Tactical station.

"Interesting" Cook commented "Open a channel to the station"

TO: Unknown Station

Unidentified Station, this is the Imperial Warship HMS Intrepid. We mean no harm and are merely allowing our Jump Drive to re-charge. I would request that you identify yourself and who you represent.
Captain Nathan Cook

[Alversia]

It was now Alenko’s turn to hesitate as he glanced around at his now gaudily decorated escort. Alversian Diplomatic rules were very precise on this matter, that any Ambassador who engaged with an unknown civilisation had to have a protective force of at least two marines to watch his person. They left no room for leeway, no room for negotiation but then he supposed he had no choice. These men were the guards of the Caesar and, in the same way that his marines would not abandon their charge, so they would not allow their emperor to come to any harm. He respected it. He also knew that the diplomatic talks would proceed no further unless one of the two parties was willing to compromise.

Alenko nodded to show that the terms proposed would be acceptable. The Marines could do their job, escort him as far as the Imperial leader himself but from there, the two Diplomats would be on their own for meeting the Caesar himself. It was not such a bad compromise although he suspected the ADC would heartily disagree.

“That is acceptable. Shall we go and meet the Caesar immediately? I look forward to speaking with him.” Alenko said in his most diplomatic voice while Mara – Ascos remained silent. She would follow, she would observe and she would give her opinion when she was asked for it. She felt no need to get involved in the conversation unduly and that attempting to do otherwise could be considered the height of rudeness. Alenko was the Ambassador, he could do the talking.

[Abruzi]

The Chaotic Roman ship headed the domestic hails and re-routed to the coordinates provided. Upon closer scan via Auspex and Pskyer it was deduced that the locals were at war with a lesser civilization on the planet below. Trajectories were calculated and it was determined that while the Light Cruiser would be able to unleash hell upon the savages it would be much safer due to proximity of advance friendly units to land a century in the center of a savage encampment. Luckily the Light Cruiser did contain one Century of Triarii devoted to Khorne and as such could muster a most fearsome close quarters combat unit.

Preparations were short and it was determined that the Century would be led by the Khornate Ambassador,Dante Santos. The Century was quickly loaded and the drop pods fired. Dante Santos softly muttered the litany of hate against the Heathens as his adamantine shielded pod hurtled down toward the planet. About halfway toward the target the blood rage began to boil and soon his softly muttered prayers to his deity turned into the common enraged howls and screams that many a Khorne worshipper uttered daily.

With a loud thud the pod landed, the explosive bolts flying outward as the doors flung off their hinges. Dante and his four chosen Terminator Clad Centurions emerged from their Pod to see their Century already engaged. The Khorneate Legions were not known for their organization and discipline like the Legions of Tzeentch or Nurgle and blood coated maniacs hacked and slashed everywhere. The Chosen Centurions lumbered off to align those Triarii Legionnaires not too far gone into some semblance of lines but even the sanest of them were already frothing at the mouth as they claimed skulls for Khorne.

Dante himself was completely in the throes of blood madness and was hacking and slashing apart the weakling Savages with as much abandon as his most insane warrior. Many heads were taken in those first few crimson clad minutes, more still were taken as the savages realigned and tried desperately to overwhelm the Triarii who had emerged in their midst.Dante however was not a completely insane warrior and did use the power of his position as ambassador and thus Dux of this expedition to reign in his brothers with calls to align.

The newly reorganized Khorneate host descended upon the savages with renewed fury and while several brothers were dragged down by weight of numbers the rest fought on harder than any other force could know. All the while friendly forces had been advancing and just before the Century came to notice their allies who had emerged behind them and descend upon them with a madness and fury known only to those bent to the Blood God, Dux Dante Santos called them in once more. There was a reason he was the Dux, as he was the only Khorneate Triarii who had managed to pass a basic tactical and sanity test making him the only Khorneate worshipping ambassador as well. The Caelian Troops would never know how lucky or close to death they were though as the massacre slowed and then finally ended the Dux called forth his Century which quickly departed, leaving only a Contubernium of simple Princeps to represent the CRI.

As the Triarii re-boarded the Cruiser with their bloodlust satiated for now the ship slowly came about and began to head toward the most populated world. The Vox caster screamed forth diplomatic hails and it was hoped that this time an audience would be given. After making the impression they hoped to make upon the locals there was (in the Ambassadors minds) no way they could refuse.

[Palmerozi]

Marcus was glad there was no more trouble with the ambassador. He had enough to worry about with being head of security for Titus. More had to be prepared with news of more visitors and demonic warriors intervining in the Veratis's assault. A little compromise had the power to make things move just smoother, and that benefited everybody. "Yes, he has been looking forward to this meeting since we picked up your ship. His chambers are at the top of the station. So, if you please follow me."

With that, Marcus turned away and adorned his head with his ornate helmet. The group continued towards the elevator. It went straight to the Caesar's den. There he awaited his first visit.

The story with the Veratis was a bit less civil. Blood and ash were strewn all over the planet. The Chaos Marines had displayed themselves as ferocious in battle as well as merciless in victory, true warriors. The Legate was impressed with their prowess, however he sensed something off. As if these men were no longer men, just killing machines with flesh and bone. They fought out of bloodthirst, not honor. He would include that in his report to the Caesar.

Code: Select all

Message to CRI cruiser: This is the Legate of the Flagship Veratis. You have permission to dock a shuttle aboard the Arch of Titus. Await further instructions from the CIC Station Admin for instructions regarding your visit. The Caesar will be pleased to meet such fearless warriors.

Code: Select all

(SIC) Message to the Glorious Caesar: My Master, The warriors of the CRI wish to be received by your presence. They have demonstrated amazing prowess in battle. However savage, they can be great allies in the future. Be warry of them though, trickery seems to be there strong suit.