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This article, Deaths of Worlds, was written by MaliusV. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
The Death of Worlds is one of the first recorded campaigns conducted by the then newly incepted Destroyers of Worlds Space Marine Chapter against an Imperial world that made the fatal mistake of attempting to secede from the rightful rule of the Imperium. Though the Death of Worlds is not the official name of this event; it's the one most used as it aptly describes the Chapter who decimated the planet.
Background[]
The Destroyers of Worlds quickly cemented their reputation as savage killers when their first action was the crushing of a system wide rebellion when a governor allowed power to rush to his head. Within a day and a night his personal army overwhelmed all Imperial institutions on the world and declared himself ruler. Unfortunately for him, the Imperial forces managed to send one last transmission before they were slain. Even worse, was that it was received.
A standard month later, a small group of Astartes ships entered the system. Identifying themselves as the Destroyers of Worlds or "Kshatriya", they demanded the governor's total surrender or face "consequences that will be felt for 1,000 years". The foolish governor simply laughed and mockingly invited the Space Marines to come face him.
The Kshatriya accepted.
Slaughter[]
The Destroyers of Worlds, or the Kshatriya as they began to call themselves, descended upon the system immediately and without any further warnings. Not only did their mobility and rapid speed outmaneuver the rebels but the destruction they inflicted broke the spirits of all before them. On the first planet, a frontier world with a population of a few thousand, they killed all before them and beheaded those who surrendered before planting the heads on spikes. Then they razed the verdant paradise world to the ground; forcing the defenders and civilians alike into the raging forest fires so that they could add more fuel to the inferno.
With their sheer brutality the Kshatriya had easily cleared a path to the capital world of the system and closed in like hungry predators to the scent of blood. By now realizing his mistake, the governor pleaded for mercy. Surprisingly, this message was not ignored and instead accepted by the Destroyers of Worlds. However, there was still need for a lesson to be learned. The governor, his entire family, every commander in his army and every important official loyal to him were beheaded and hung from his palace for all to see. Furthermore, every single man or woman who raised an arm in the governor's name lost said limb and branded with a mark that permanently identified them as rebels. Only then did the Master of the Chapter declare the lesson learned.
Aftermath[]
When an Imperial fleet arrived to reestablish law and order, they found horrific sights of the Kshatriya's actions and a fearful populace. When called out for their brutality, the Kshatriya merely justified their actions by pointing to how swiftly they had recaptured the system and how effectively they had restored order. In their eyes, the results justified their slaughter of a few million
Since then, the Kshatriya has laid waste to any world they fought on regardless of it being a rebel or xenos held planet. They would slaughter all in their path, burn the cities to the ground and salt the earth so that crops may never be farmed again. The heads of champions and leaders were taken as trophies or offered as sacrifices to the Emperor in return for His sanction on the duty they had to do. What shocked those who knew of the Chapter's extreme violence was that the Kshatriya took no joy in the wanton slaughter they engaged in and merely saw it as their duty. Of course there was always personal glory and honour to be gained but only in the deaths of worthy combatants or through noble actions, not through killing civilians. To the Kshatriya, the destruction of worlds was seen as a necessity; rebel worlds must be taught never to rebel again, xenos and heretic worlds needed to be completely purged their filth might never spread. If the Kshatriya needed to be seen as bloodthirsty savages then so be it, nothing must get in their way of doing their duty, or Dharma.