Around 500 years before the end of the 40th Millennium the Salamanders created several successor chapters. Not many are known because many of these chapters do not speak of their origins. But a few do make themselves known as Salamander successors. One of these Chapters are the Dragonhide Chapter who's armor is colored similar to Salamanders but are much brighter green and different color configurations and prefer tanks and excessive Melta and Lascannon weaponry. Another Chapter is the Swamp Breakers, they are a Chapter who has had a dark past filled with war and suspected heresy. Their Armor is colored a dark Purple with Green detailing on their helmets, shoulder pads and knee pads. Many Swamp Breakers have excessive cybernetic replacement due to gruesome battles.
The Swamp Breakers were given a planet in a system called Androm on a Planet called Zeta which already had small colonies and needed protection from Dark Eldar raid parties. The Swamp Breakers got their name because the planet Zeta was covered by about 65% Swamps but in the grassy regions it was like an Oasis and that is where many of the colonies resided. The Swamp Breakers lived with the natives during short peacetime and created Family like bonds with them. The Imperium disliked the bonds with the natives and ordered one of the Salamander Captains to investigate this. The Captain discovered that the Swamp Breakers were much stronger willed then any he has ever seen and they would protect them even until death. The Captain reported back and said just that and the Swamp Breakers let them be but occasionally Techpriests from Mars would go to Zeta every 100 to 200 years to perform purity tests in case they are under the influence of Chaos. In about 300 years they had nieghbors, a newly formed successor Chapter called the Silent Knights who were created from the White Scars gene seed. They were given a planet in the same system in agreeing with the current Swamp Breaker Chapter Master at the time, his name was Chapter Master Zak. Zak was a powerful Marine who was the second Chapter Master in the Chapter, the First being killed in a Dark Eldar raid protecting a village. Zak wore Standard issue Terminator Armor with a tanned leather robe with the Chapter insignia and wielded two large Lightning Claw. He was always the first to strike and never let an enemy lay a blade on him or a shot hit him.
One day his First Company Captain noticed Zak in his quarters crying. The First Company leader was Captain Kyle, a strong willed Marine who was the most loyal and respected man by the entire Chapter. Kyle was not as tall as the other Captains, he was around 6 feet tall while the rest were 7 to 8 feet tall. His armor was reinforced with additional ceramite plating and three solid plates hung down over his legs, two at each side and one in the back similar to that of a Samurai or Shogun. Kyle usually had a Jump Pack but when he is off duty or indoors while not in combat he has it off and does not have a standard issue backpack. Kyle asked Zak, 'Whats wrong sir?". Zak did not respond and they both went to the war room in the Headquarters that was inside the civilisation that has been growing since the Chapter came to Zeta. The Techmarines received a signal from the Silent Knight Battle Barge and Chapter Master Zar claimed that we declared war against them and that they will be the first to strike. Kyle was shocked and said "Thats impossible! No signal was sent out!". Zar played the recording of Zak saying that he had declared war by Nurgle's wish. The transmission was cut off and every marine looked at Zak in total shock. Chapter Master Zak said nothing. Every marine in the room drew thier weapons and aimed them at Zak. Kyle pulled out his Storm Bolter and aimed it at Zak's head. He spoke softly to Zak. "Why would you do this?" Zak then replied as he pulled his tabard to the side showing what looked like rotting flesh. "I belong to Grandfather Nurgle now...." The 5th Company Captain snuck up behind Zak and drew his power sword and readied to attempt to slash Zak for his betrayal. Kyle yelled to the Captain. "No dont!" Zak extends his lightning claws spinning around and litally cuts the Captain clean in half several disks of his waist hitting the wall as his lifeless body falls to the floor. Every marine open fires as Zak rips the door open and vanishes.
Kyle cries out in disbelief. "Why Zak!? Why betray us!? Damnit!" Every Marine in the war room looks at Kyle as if asking what to do next. Kyle looks around at every marine and sighs. "What do I do now?" A transmission comes through unannounced. The face of Chapter Master Jeremy of the Dragonhide Chapter appears on screen. " What was that I saw? Zak is a traitor?" Kyle looked at the screen. "How do you know?" The Master of the Forge who was at the transmission console raises his cybernetic hand and speaks in a mechanical voice. "Sorry bro...thought we could use some help..." Jeremy looked at Kyle through the transmission. "Looks like the Swamp Breakers need a new leader." Kyle blinks and looks around the room and then points to himself and speaks a bit confused. "Who?...Me?" Jeremy smiles and nods. Every Marine in the war room raises their fist in the Swamp Breaker salute agreeing to this and they all yell out the Swamp Breaker battle cry. "All who oppose us shall die by our great machines!" Kyle nods and raises his fist in the air and speaks proudly. "As the First Company Captain and in agreeing with all the Swamp Breakers and Dragonhides, I appoint myself Chapter Master Kyle of the Swamp Breakers and oppose the traitorous Zak!" Kyle's birth brother James who is the Master of the Forge at the transmission console decides to broadcast Kyle's speech around the planet. Kyle then yells out after his speech. "For the Emperor and the Omnissiah!"
The Dragonhide Battle Barge arrives at the Zeta capitol, Chapter Master Jeremy of the Dragonhides is greeted by Chapter Master Kyle and they both quickly act and set up defences both on the ground as well as in orbit. The Silent Knight Battle Barge comes within range and begins firing onto the orbital defences of Zeta. The defences fire back but are soon overwhelmed. Surviving Marines use drop pods to escape the orbital barge and land on the planet. The Orbital barge is completely destroyed and explodes. The Silent Knight Battle Barge enters orbit but in minutes a Dragonhide Battle Barge comes into view from behind one of the 3 moons and begins open firing. Meanwhile down on the planet Silent Knight Drop pods land on the surface outside the Zeta Capitol and fully armed squads spill out and begin open firing on the gates with Melta Guns and Lascannons. Defensive turrets begin open firing on the Knights killing them off one by one as more pods drop outside the city's walls. Inside Zak sneaks around the shield generator facility and reaches the core. Zak's body is rotting and slowly dieing as if being preserved by the diseases that ravage his body. He puts on his helmet to protect him from the plasma core. He walks right up to the core his armor heating up as he extends his claws and begins slashing the core until it eventually explodes in an instant causing the facility to rip apart and the explosion takes out a 200 yard radius. Zak is shot back outside of the explosion radius and lands in a city street, armor smoking as it cools down. Several Swamp Breaker and Dragonhide Marines surround Zak and aim their Boltguns at him firing at the first sign of movement. Land Speeders hovering over the wreckage from the explosion as the shield goes down and Silent Knight Drop pods start falling into the city.
Zak slowly stands up as every marine around open fire on him...some rounds bouncing off some piercing. But Zak is seemingly unaffected by every shot as he goes berserk and begins slashing every marine killing them all. Meanwhile all throughout the city civilians are being evacuated using Thunder Hawks as bloodshed consumed the city as Space Marine fights Space Marine. Chapter Master Zar of the Silent Knights drops into the city inside a drop pod and bursts with his Honor Guard with him. All of them walk down the city streets shooting any marine that is in their way and heads towards the Command Center where Kyle and Jeremy are guiding all of the Thunder Hawks to a moon on the other side of the planet. Kyle sees Zar on one of the security cameras. " He is here... Jeremy, you keep guiding the Hawks out of here..Ill deal with Zar." Kyle walks to the armory and gets his personal Jump Pack. He notices a Pickaxe used in mining crystals to the north to fuel plasma cores, the Pickaxe uses the same technology as a Power Weapon and is often used as a weapon by civilians who worked in the crystal mines. He grabs the pickaxe and turns it on, a light glow covering the blade as small arcs of electricity jolt around the blade. He puts on his Helmet and grabs a compact Stormshield and heads out to confront Zar.
Kyle appears at the top of the stairs leading to the command center as Zar stops at the base of the stairs. "What the hell are you doing Zar? Zak betrayed us and sent a false declaration of war to you! We should not be fighting!" Zar grinned under his helmet. "Who ever said it was false?" Kyle yelled out. "All of you are traitors!?" Zar nodded as he raised his Powerfist as if directing his 5 honor guard to attack. Kyle quickly reacted as he jets right down the stairs and slices a honor guard in the chest with the pickaxe and smashes his shield into anther..killing both of them instantly. The other three charges forward as Kyle waits until they are feet away and jumps up into the air.....leaving a frag grenade at their feet. The grenade detonates killing them. Kyle land on the stairs. "Look Zar...I don't want to fight you..." Zar laughed and charged forward and swings to punch Kyle with his Powerfist. Kyle steps to the side with ease and smashes the Sstorm
Shield into Zar's side wounding him by crushing his power armor and smashing his ribs. Zar cried out in pain. As he tried to smash Kyle with his Powerfist but Kyle swiftly moves out of the way before Zar could hit him. Zar yelled out. "Stop moving!" Kyle laughed. "Catch me if you can!" Kyle fired his jump pack and shot straight up into the air and then back down head first and Storm Shield in front of him. Kyle smashes into Zar at full force knocking him to the ground. Kyle raises the pickaxe above his head and brings it down and lets it dig into his chest through his power armor. Zar cried out in pain as Kyle pulled it out and brings it down again into Zar's shoulder. Kyle pulls the power pickaxe back out and suddenly gets blown back by an unknown force. Suddenly a mist begins to gather and form into a humanoid shape. The figure speaks coldly. "Don't kill my servants....this one called Zar is quite useful to me...." Kyle growls as Swamp Breakers and Dragonhide Marines gather around Boltguns aimed at both Zar and the figure. Zar raises his hand at the misty figure and cries out. "Tzeentch! You saved me?" The figure who was called Tzeentch turns around and nods a visable smile appearing. "Yes I did...now come my pawn..." A portal to the Eye of Terror opening and swallowing Zar into it. Every Marine open fires into the portal until it closes. Kyle feels a sudden calm come over the war torn city. Bodies strung everywhere you look. Portals opening and sucking up all of the remaining Silent Knight Marines as well as Zak who slaughtered hundreds of loyalist marines. In orbit the Silent Knight Battle Barge gets sucked into a large portal before the Dragonhides could destroy it.
For several minutes there is nothing but silence. Kyle walks through the streets of the city seeing his battle brothers slain, maimed and ripped apart...He then sees the bodies of 6 Swamp Breaker Captains and countless bodies everywhere in the rubble of the plasma reactor detonation radius. He immediately sends out a role call. "All Captains, Chaplains, Techmarines and Librarians report in!" Seconds later voices are heard. "Second Company Captain present 80% casualties." Then a Second voice. "Fourth Company Captain present 95% casualties." Then a mechanical voice. "I am here little brother." Then another. "Techmarine Tzel present." Kyle sighs seeing that almost the entire Swamp Breaker Chapter was slain. "Alright...salvage what we can...I need to contact Terra...."
Kyle sent in his report on what happened and they sent the Gray Knights to investigate and they confirmed on what happened. The Silent Knights and former Chapter Master Zak are traitors and attacked the Swamp Breakers to please their new Gods. Chapter Master Jeremy of the Dragonhides made sure every civilian survived the attack. Although under the circumstances every surviving Swamp Breaker was put through rigorous purity tests and all of them passed. The Gray Knights burned all of the Silent Knight corpses on their home planet and orders were issued that only Swamp Breakers may set foot on the planet. All of the fallen loyal were laid to rest in formal burials and the fallen Captains were sealed in tombs inside the Chapter Chapel. Fortunately one Captain survived and was plugged into a Dreadnought to fight on. But in the end only two Companies survived and later on a third was founded as a Swift Strike Company called the "White Knuckles". The new Chapter Master of the Swamp Breakers have forged an Alliance with the Dragonhides and a forward base was founded on one of Zeta's small moons that was named "Vili" meaning Willpower. Eventually the Swamp Breakers rebuilt the cities. Every marine assisted in the rebuild and in the process the number of Techmarines grew and the First Company was refounded as a Tech Company lead by the Master of the Forge that is often called James. The Chapter remains small even to this day. The events that happened are then on called....
The Androm Heretic War
*Written by Kyle Bailey based on Games Workshop's Warhammer 40k Universe*
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