Apocalypse Then

The Inquisitor tapped out a beat with his finger tips. A steady rythm that set his guest on edge. His voice cold as  knife cut the air between the two men. "Let us start from the beginning trooper, Tell me about Rourkses Prime." The trooper sat unflinching his uniform pressed and his beard well trimmed. "My lord, it all began the night Col. Soulban came back from the temple we found in the jungle."

The troopers eyes dropped. "the Colonel started by force marching the regiment halfway across the bloody planet, or so it seemed. We lost a lot of good men to the jungle in between. He had us dig in around an old statue. Nine days later the Astartes arrived."  The Inquisitor lifted his dataslate to read the file. "Your report states that these marines did not make contact with your platoon." "No Sir." The trooper intoned. "The Company Commissars would not let us anywhere near their camp."  The Inquisitor eyed the trooper, scrutinizing his every breath. "You state also in your report that you position came under assault by astartes of the Ultramarines and Salamanders chapter?"

The trooper paused for a moment "My lord, had we but known the Colonel had fallen to chaos we would have relieved him and..." the Inquisitor's voice cut sharply into the troopers words. "irrellevant, what actions you might have take do not alleviate you or your regiment from the damage you have caused." The trooper bowed his head. "we accept that shame. but let it be on us and not the regiment, the Imperium doesn't need to know our shame." the Inquisitor eyed the trooper. "your colors have already been returned to your world. the taint lies with the flesh not the flags." The troopers eyes misted at the thought of the 23rd being restored to honour but his expression soon changed as the Inquisitor spoke again. "As for you trooper, you will accompany me to the Gothic sector. I have use of you there."

 The Praetorian position. before the battle

The final shot of the Game. The objective had been for the marines to secure their statue. Unfortunately for them my titan held them off where lesser warriors fell.