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Since their founding in the 31st millennium, The Black Templars have waged an endless crusade upon the enemies of man. And in their 10,000 years of battle, not a single Templar has turned his back to the Imperium, and bent the knee to the ruinous powers.

... or so The Chapter would have their own brothers and the wider Imperium believe.

Yet, within a secluded chamber, within a remote Chapter keep on the icy world of Atreios, Initiate Leven, and his hastily cobbled together kill team learnt of a truth terrible enough to be kept even from the High Marshals.

In twelve separate instances, The Black Templars had been betrayed by their own. Sometimes, by a single battle brother, but never more than ten in each transgression. Each time, a kill team was assembled consisting of astartes who demonstrated exceptional skill and zeal when delivering the Emperor's Justice to the traitor. Once their former brethren were dealt with, they would return to Atreios, and receive eternal rest, so as to ensure the burden of their work would never leave the Unnamed Sanctum.

Pulled away from their crusades, Leven and his brothers would meet on Atreios to receive an audience with none other than High Chaplain Merek Grimaldus, the Hero of Helsreach, and the only one trusted to bear the burden of their traitors. Within the Unnamed Sanctum, they would learn of a thirteenth transgression. This one more egregious than the previous twelve.

This time, it was an Emperor's Champion who turned his back on The Imperium.

Leven and his brothers silently left the Unnamed Sanctum. They dared not speak of what they had just learnt. For his experience in fighting against his cousins from all 9 traitor legions, Leven was given leadership of the kill team, and the sword: 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘯'𝘴 𝘞𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩. A weapon that officially doesn't exist, to be used against his brothers who would have never officially betrayed them. Resting his head against the blade's face, he offered it silent vows of vengeance as he and his brothers marched down the dimly lit hallway. He contemplated what could possibly cause one chosen by The God Emperor himself to give himself to treachery. Had the Chaplains of his crusade interpreted the visions wrong? Had his pride somehow come before his duty? Had he come up against a truly unassailable foe, and made a bargain with a ruinous deity to be spared death?

𝘖𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴....

Leven snuffed the thought out before it could fester. The Imperium had found itself in more peril than ever before. And Roboute Guilliman had brought the Black Templars the means to resist and fight back against the tides of darkness, as he had done for all the Astartes chapters he had visited. There were of course, hushed whispers in dissent against the Avenging Son's gift. They were fools. If the Imperium was to withstand the darkness, and win back its dominion, it had to change fundamentally. That included The Black Templars. The reality, was that no one had the right to even speak against the Primaris Initiative, much less commit open treason over it, no matter what title or position they held.

Leven quietly reminded himself of this as he lead his brothers through the hallway......

Description
Since their founding in the 31st millennium, The Black Templars have waged an endless crusade upon the enemies of man. And in their 10,000 years of battle, not a single Templar has turned his back to the Imperium, and bent the knee to the ruinous powers.

... or so The Chapter would have their own brothers and the wider Imperium believe.

Yet, within a secluded chamber, within a remote Chapter keep on the icy world of Atreios, Initiate Leven, and his hastily cobbled together kill team learnt of a truth terrible enough to be kept even from the High Marshals.

In twelve separate instances, The Black Templars had been betrayed by their own. Sometimes, by a single battle brother, but never more than ten in each transgression. Each time, a kill team was assembled consisting of astartes who demonstrated exceptional skill and zeal when delivering the Emperor's Justice to the traitor. Once their former brethren were dealt with, they would return to Atreios, and receive eternal rest, so as to ensure the burden of their work would never leave the Unnamed Sanctum.

Pulled away from their crusades, Leven and his brothers would meet on Atreios to receive an audience with none other than High Chaplain Merek Grimaldus, the Hero of Helsreach, and the only one trusted to bear the burden of their traitors. Within the Unnamed Sanctum, they would learn of a thirteenth transgression. This one more egregious than the previous twelve.

This time, it was an Emperor's Champion who turned his back on The Imperium.

Leven and his brothers silently left the Unnamed Sanctum. They dared not speak of what they had just learnt. For his experience in fighting against his cousins from all 9 traitor legions, Leven was given leadership of the kill team, and the sword: 𝘋𝘰𝘳𝘯'𝘴 𝘞𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩. A weapon that officially doesn't exist, to be used against his brothers who would have never officially betrayed them. Resting his head against the blade's face, he offered it silent vows of vengeance as he and his brothers marched down the dimly lit hallway. He contemplated what could possibly cause one chosen by The God Emperor himself to give himself to treachery. Had the Chaplains of his crusade interpreted the visions wrong? Had his pride somehow come before his duty? Had he come up against a truly unassailable foe, and made a bargain with a ruinous deity to be spared death?

𝘖𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴....

Leven snuffed the thought out before it could fester. The Imperium had found itself in more peril than ever before. And Roboute Guilliman had brought the Black Templars the means to resist and fight back against the tides of darkness, as he had done for all the Astartes chapters he had visited. There were of course, hushed whispers in dissent against the Avenging Son's gift. They were fools. If the Imperium was to withstand the darkness, and win back its dominion, it had to change fundamentally. That included The Black Templars. The reality, was that no one had the right to even speak against the Primaris Initiative, much less commit open treason over it, no matter what title or position they held.

Leven quietly reminded himself of this as he lead his brothers through the hallway......