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| [//matt_t/@spacedhulk+] |
'Minas, Fourth-and-Furthest', planet of the Calydon system
Old bones crumbled to dust beneath his tread, the weight of his crimson power armour and augmetically enhanced body easily pulverising the fragile human remains. Lowering his bolter, Valek Gar, of the Red Talons, scanned the horizon for signs of his prey. Even to his eyes, born and raised on harsh Raikan, this was a barren, unforgiving place.
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| [//ident{VAL=TRUE} Valek Gar+] |
Minas. The surface of the Shrine World was an ash-waste littered with countless open graves and bone heaps. It was the resting place of millions upon millions of Imperial pilgrims, whose desiccated corpses lay untended where they had fallen. Above this desolate grey graveyard, the spires and minarets of the Ecclesiarchy loomed like immense watchtowers, casting their oppressive shadows over the bodies of the faithful. The obscene wealth of this world had been built upon a living tide of pilgrims travelling from across the entire Segmentum.
Each and every one had donated all their worldly possessions to the Ministorum, simply for the opportunity to walk these supposedly hallowed plains. It was said the Emperor himself had made planetfall here during the height of the Great Crusade, and now the devoted followed in his footsteps. Searching for enlightenment amongst the Fields of the Dead, they walked and wandered until thirst, hunger or exhaustion claimed them, each one joining their predecessors in this great desert of bones.
Had any of them had found that which they sought? wondered Gar, for a moment. Without breaking stride, he shrugged. Unknown. Irrelevant. he decided. Unknowable, for none had ever left this place.
A new breed of traveller now roamed these vast plains. The Silver Stars were here. Searching. Always searching. Looking for who knows what amongst the ash and dust and dead men. And so the Pentarchy had followed, deploying kill teams and Vigilants in yet another deadly hunt for their elusive foe.
On the western horizon, the weak sun reflected briefly from something armoured. Something silver. Valek grinned and began walking westwards, crushing even more bones beneath his feet.
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| [//ALL RECORDS REDACTED+] [//edward_r/@death_of_a_rubricist+] |