M1.673 Holy Terra Secundus

Grand Master Belial had been the master of the First Company, The Deathwing, for nearly eight centuries. When he first served in the chapter he fought for the honor of the Chapter and his duty to the Primarch and the Emperor. Although so much had changed since his time in the Scout Company; not merely his station and prestige in the chapter. His Primarch had returned them, and after, the Dark Angel's and the Successors reformed the 1st Legion and established the Nova Imperium.

While the occasional revolt happened nothing shared the same implications that the news he was to bring his Primarch. He approached the Throne Room seeing two Astartes of the Lion's Guard. Once he approached close enough they nodded to him showing their respect of his station and deeds, whilst they opened the great doors to the Primarch's Throne.

Once opened he continued into the Great Hall of the Lion. At the far end he saw his Gene-father sitting upon his Throne. Surrounding him were two of his brothers; the Supreme-Grandmaster Azrael, and the Interrogator-Chaplain Asmodai. Although their were others there as well. That Ultramarine for one, but there were several others whose names he never learned. An old and grizzled man in a general's uniform and to his right the counterpart of the Imperial Navy. Standing uncomfortably close to Jonson was the Ecclesiarch. Besides those were several other members of whom didn't have much authority or power for Belial to care.

Standing further away was the Fabricator General. Whilst he had been on Jonson's council since his arrival to this galaxy the Primarch never trusted the Cogman. Belial once mustered the courage to ask his gene-father as to why that was. He still shuddered at the memory. The anger that was splattered across the Primarch's face terrified him, and his words. "I have never trusted the Martians. Diamat only helped prove that to me."

Once he was within twenty paces of the Primarch and his Council he kneeled. Whatever business was in action was halted as the Primarch's attention turned to him. "Master Belial." Azrael said. "We missed your counsel when we initiated our meeting." The Supreme-Grand Master said in an annoyed tone.

"Forgive me my lord. I come with a message from the Astropaths." He looked up waiting for the Primarch's approval. The approving nod from the sturn man sitting upon the throne signalled him to continue. "A Light Cruiser in the Shanxi Sub-sector has reported that it sustained heavy damage...from a Xenos ambush." The Humans of the council appeared shocked, however whilst he usually never would have claimed so, he thought he saw a smirk on his Primarch's face.

M1.673 Shanxi Subsector

The Judgement was spat out of the warp. Thankfully the The Judgement arrived at the Shanxi System in no worse condition than when it had made the jump. Captain Hackett raised the vox caster. "Shanxi Command. This is The Judgement. Permission to dock at your facilities."

There was a short silence, "Judgement, you've received docking permission." Came a voice over the vox.

After the ship had docked at the small orbital station. Hackett and Williams rushed to a meeting with the station's commander. He was an older man. Clearly a former naval officer telling from how he kept his uniform. "Come sit." They heard him call." They sat at the chairs that lied before the desk in the dark room. "So what did you guys run into? Asteroids?" He said as soon as they sat down.

"Xenos." Williams responded.

The Sations commander froze in whatever he was doing. Suddenly he got up and stared out his window. "It has been six hundred years since the founding the Empire. While the Ecclesarry have always warned us I never…" He paused on the words. "What do you need from me."

The Station Commander and Commissar Williams focused their attention on Hackett. "Well...I…" Hackett thought over it for a moment. "There were eight xenos ships. We caused severe damage to one of the larger ships, so we can expect a minimum of seven combat effective ships. I believe that we could hold them off if The Judgement is repaired and ready to fight, and that combined with the Station's defences. However…"

"If the xenos have reinforcements?" The Station Commander interrupted.

"I don't know. In that case I will use the Judgement in a Hit-and Run role and abandon the Shanxi station." Hackett responded.

"Is abandoning the station necessary? It is only constructed within the decade." The commander asked.

"Unfortunately it might come to that." Williams stated. "If I understand it properly that is standard doctrine in the case of xenos invasion that can not be defeated in pitched battle."

The station commander sighed. "I will set all effort into repairing The Judgement. After that I will send all non-necessary personal to the planet."

"Speaking of which." Williams started in again. "I will need a shuttle to the planet."

"What for?" The station's commander asked.

"I am a Commissar. I wish to inspect the ground troops as soon as possible in the case of planetary invasion."

Attican Traverse 2167

"Excellent job Commander." The Primarch of the Turian Hierarchy said.

"Thank you for your praise, sir. But I assure you that it was done out of duty." The Turian Commander said.

"No matter commander. Have you yet had a fix on where the pirates fled?" The Primarch asked.

"Yes sir. It took longer than expected however after one of our Biotics suggested that we tune the sensors we were able to detect their FTL route." The Commander said. "However sir. I must state again that I do not believe that these were meer Pirates. The ship did not act like a pirate vessel, and…"

"Commander." The Turian Primarch shut something off on his end of the communication. "What I am about to tell you says strictly off the record. We need room to expand, the council's policy has been restricting our growth. The Attican Traverse may be the only hope for the future of the Hierarchy. I can not tolerate a comparator in this region, the Batarians are a bad enough, these newcomers…" He turned on whatever he turned off again. "Which is why I am sending you the First and Third Fleets to reinforce you on this campaign. Once he arrives General Adrien Victus will take command."

"I understand sir. Although I have one more question. When will the fleets arrive?"

"If there are no issues, it should take the fleets in their entirety a week or so." The Primarch said. "After that perhaps a few hours for the FTL jump."

M1.673 Shanxi

"Is this it?" Williams asked the young colonel.

"Yes sir." The young officer said, "The Shanxi PDF."

Williams looked over an accumulation of perhaps a thousand men and women. They were lined up like soldiers, but they weren't proper soldiers. Some soldiers weren't standing at attention, or talking to each other. A few of the men allowed themselves to be unshaven. While some regiments differed from the standard, Shanxi has not had the proper time. However this was a vast display of indiscipline, a scorn to both the Primarch, and the God-Emperor.

Commissar Williams understood what had to be done. The xenos were coming. "Colonel, I am assuming command of the Planetary Defense Force effective immediately."

The colonel looked confused. "What do you mean?"

The colonel's response was a lasbolt to the face. He turned to the men and women preset addressed them. "I am Commissar Williams. From here on out I will be the commanding officer of this regiment. I will restore the discipline of this force. We must be ready when a unknown xeno force will probably arrive to this world. Is that understood?!"

There were a handful shouts of, "Yes sir!" However the vast majority of the force assembled stayed silent. "My first order is the punishment of Decimation!" The entire force looked to each other oddly. "Form lines of ten!" With this order none of the soldiers present obeyed, simple stood their confused.

With no one following his order he withdrew his pistol and executed the closest ten men. "I ordered you to form up in lines of ten! If this order is not obeyed I will personally execute each and everyone of you. Am I understood."

Within seconds the entire group assembled had formed multiple lines of ten. "Now I want you to beat the man on the right end of line." Everyone was quite hesitant. However when the Commissar once again raised his pistol at one of the lines. Immediately one of the men took his Lasrifle and bashed the butt off his gun into his face. After several more beatings the tenth man of the line had his head splattered across the ground of the drilling yard. After seconds knives, guns being used as makeshift clubs were flying through the air. Within a few minutes there were about a hundred bodies laid across the ground and beaten to death.

After the massacre the lines reformed, shaken and short one member. "Good." Williams announced. "Now that you can follow orders we will begin training."

M1.673 Holy Terra Secundus

"We sent the order. Every ship in this new Imperium are mobilizing." Azrael said to Belial.

Belial looked to his old friend. "What of the Legion's fleet?"

"I've sent an order to assemble the fleet and all of the Astartes. I've also alerted the Deathwatch and Grey Knights of the Xenos." Azrael paused for a moment and looked over the walls of the Primarch's Great Palace. "I estimate about in roughly a day or two the entire fleet shall arrive, and then from there we'll send out an entire fleet of roughly a hundred ships and twelve thousand of our brothers. From there we will strike for Shanxi itself."

"Good." The two friends stood there for a long while taking in the scene. The Scared Sun of the Solar system had begun to set on the landscape of the land. This land of Old Albion was where the Lion built his palace. When the Dark Angels arrived they found a people in a Feudalistic state. Much like the stories of Caliban. Now Albion was covered by the Palace and two massive Hive Cities. Even though this was the case, Belial still found it beautiful. "Is the news it true? About Asmodai?" Belial asked with a mounful tone.

Azrael continued to stare. "Yes. Today was Asmodai's last council. He will take up the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought tomorrow."

Belial continued to look onto the land outside the place upon the sunset scape. "So it is true."

"Yes." Azrael turned his focus to Belial. "I must be honest with you Belial. My reflexes have begun to slow as well. Asmodai is four hundred years older than us, even if we continue using stasis we'll get to the point that we slow down and die."

"So that is the case than." Belial said mournfully. "What must we do? We can not leave our father without those who can take his counsel, and you and I both know that we cannot leave him with those weak bureaucrats."

Azrael nodded his head. "I agree." He handed him a data slate. "I have compiled a list of those brothers who have shone brighter than their brethren."

Belial looked at this list. "What do you wish me to do with this information?"

Azrael looked back to the landscape. The sun had set over the course of their conversation, however the lights from the palace and the distant hives still shone as great as the sun. "I feel that we are descending into another time of great and unending war. We will need heroes for a time like that. I want to hand pick our successors and we will find the most worthy amongst them."

Belial opened up the data slate's list. "Well than…" He read the first profile that he saw and was frankly impressed. "What about Shepard?"

Author's notes

So I actually have a bit more of this wrote, but I decided to end this chapter here so it builds up to the upcoming battle. Otherwise tell me what you think. I need to bring Cato Scarius into this somehow, Guilliman sent him out with the Lion. Just for reference I am basing Scarius off of Cato Scarius in If the Emperor had a Text to Speach Device by Brava Alfabusa. So he is essentially here for the comedic effect.