Hello readers this story is not writen by me but by a friend, with this being his first story.

Constructive criticism is what we hope for so please dont hold back.

The World of Caradus

Date: Unknown

Time: 0800 Hours

Battle began for Raphael the same way it did every time, ensuring the perfection of his wargear.

Raphael drew his breath in slowly, recalling his drills of preparing his bolter. He adjusted the sights and checked the

grenades at his side praying to the Emperor for protection and to the machine spirits of his weapon and blackened

power armour respectively as he did so.

He was eager for battle but he knew in his heart he was not invulnerable. He knew he had to be careful and that Orks were

not a foe to underestimate. Doing so would mean death not only for himself but the brothers around him.

Raphael looked around, his battle-brothers all preparing themselves for the battle to come, the white emblems on their

shoulders displayed proudly. Brother Marius had unsheathed his blades to sharpen them, the adamantium covered blades

grated against each other. He then sheathed them and nodded at Raphael who nodded back, the two had served in a Dragon Claw

assault squad together for years and both knew the kind of damage their mutations could inflict on the enemy.

The Rhino hit a bump and Raphael and his squad rattled around in their seats, small arms fire bounced off the hull like

rain on a roof but it didnt cause any damage. Raphael looked up as the Sergeant of the squad, Uriel stood up.

"Alright Gamma Squad we have our orders, to hold the secondary defensive outpost to the south until the Orks retreat! We

will hold the foul Xenos back and they shall die trying to pass us! Fire and Bone!" Uriel shouted.

"Fire and Bone!" the squad shouted back as they stood up and prepared to disembark. "You know your role, be ready"

bellowed Uriel.

Raphael braced himself, suddenly the Rhino drew to a halt and the access door opened, Raphael and the rest of his squad

leapt out of their transport and bolted for cover, Raphael had little time to observe the battlefield and did so as

quickly as he could as he ran.

Ahead of him a large hill loomed, swarming with greenskins. He could hear them howling for blood and scowled with disgust.

He recognised the distinctive guns of the Orks Lootas firing into his brothers as they disembarked firing their own weaponry.

A distinctive howl of engines sounded as a formation of Stormtalon gunships flew above them. A second passed then explosions

and armour piercing rounds shredded the Orks below them then flying out of range as the Orks began to fire back.

To his left more Orks were running towards him. His right was well covered by his brothers, bolters and a flamer

making short work of the Ork Boyz running towards them howling with bloodlust.

Raphael ran left, keeping the ridge to his right to stop the Lootas from spotting him. Raphael raised his bolter to his

shoulder and fired two bursts of two shots each, catching two Orks in the chest and head causing their bodies to rupture.

He dropped to a knee, unpinned a frag grenade and threw it up the hill to keep the Lootas heads down. Raphael then vaulted

the ridge and ran at full tilt at his enemy.

Greenskins filled his vision but to his sides the squad emerged at his sides as they charged into their foe. A bullet hit

him in the chest but it deflected off his armour so it didn't matter. He took a shot of his own, emptying the skull of a

snarling Ork. Raphael then struck at another attacker with his fist, it landed as he intended striking it in the throat.

He heard a snap of bone and flashed a quick smile beneath his helmet. Another Ork swung his deffgun at him but was stabbed from behind

in the neck by another squad-brother, he didn't register who it was but shouted thanks either way.

Raphael then looked around, the hilltop was theirs. No losses, not yet. He dropped the magazine from his boltgun and

slammed a new one in its place. He then looked up and noticed more Orks heading their way in crude transports, "Sergeant,

we have incoming hostiles!" he shouted.

"Brother Malacal, bring them down" Uriel shouted, Malacal jogged up wielding his lascannon and took up position by a natural wall of

rock. "Brothers Raphael and Crastus, cover him!". Raphael raised his bolter, scanning the area for more foes as Crastus

did the same on their left.

Malacal fired once, the lance of energy hitting the trukk dead on. The Ork transport exploded, burning greekskins pouring

from the wreakage only to be shot apart by the rest of the squad. Raphael chuckled to himself, each Ork dead was a battle-

brother saved in his eyes.

However before Malacal could fine again the other trukk was upon them, Ork Boyz jumping into the fray. However Brother Dario

stepped forward, his flamer burst into life burning the Orks alive where they stood. The ones that still lived threw

themselves at the Space Marines, two of Raphaels squad-brothers falling to axes hitting weak points in their armour.

Raphael himself held his bolter in his left hand and stood side-on, one of the Orks that killed his brothers ran at him.

Raphael nimbly avoided the blow then unsheathed the bone-blade in his right arm and lunged forward, running the Ork

through. Raphael carried with the momentum and forced the Ork into the ground.

He pulled the blade from his foes chest then strode forward, now it was his turn to take the offensive, three Orks swung

their axes at him, Raphael let one blow bounce of his power armour then pivited unsheathing his left arms blade, burying

it into his foes neck. One down.

The second tried to tackle him but Raphael planted his feet firmly and swung the butt of his bolter into the Orks back,

snapping its spine. He then finished the Ork off by stabbing it in the eye with his right bone-blade. Two down.

The final Ork swung at him while he was distracted but was intercepted by Sargeant Uriel who blocked the blow with his

chainsword and fought the foul xeno back. Uriel kicked it in the chest and swung the chainsword into its neck followed by

a spray of gore.

Raphael straightened himself and sheathed his blades back into his arms, taking up his bolter up to his shoulder again.

He gazed around the battlefield, no more Orks entered his view. He turned around and saw why, the majority of Orks were

heading towards the main body of the Space Marine force, where the main battle was. Raphael hoped his brothers could

hold out.

"Raphael, follow on" a voice said behind him, Raphael turned and saw Uriel pacing towards him, the reminants of the squad behind

him. Raphael fell in along with the rest of his Battle Brothers, spreading out to hold the position as ordered.

"Sergeant, why are we away from the main force exactly?" asked Malacal lifting his lascannon to his shoulder as he did so.

"I don't know Brother, and frankly it doesnt concern me. I serve as I am ordered" replied Uriel "keep watch Brothers I

believe we are not out of danger here". The rest of the squad, Raphael included nodded their heads. They knew he was right.

For an hour the squad held the position, three times the Orks tried to assail them twice with Orks in ramshackle trucks

and once with Ork Bikers and each time they were repelled. However the skirmishes took their toll, one brother falling after another.

Soon enough only Raphael remained, bloodied but unbowed.

Sergeant Uriel was the last to die, Raphael watching helplessly as he detonated a huge Ork walker with melta bombs but

being caught in the blast as well. He died as Raphael tried hopelessly to hold his wounds closed.

The Black Dragons were winning the day but the Orks were not beaten yet, he still had to be alert.

It was well Raphael had taken that thought because it was at that moment Raphael's life would change.

Below their position Raphael saw a figure clad in black armour much like his own but with many differences. As he watched

Raphael saw what the unknown Space Marine was fighting, a large Ork, much larger than the others and clad in a great deal

of armour and weaponry. The Warboss had shown himself.

Raphael took a second to think, he knew he couldnt abandon his position but he also couldnt abandon another Battle Brother to die.

He quickly peered around, the Orks were falling back under his Chapters onslaught.

There was little strategic value to the position with the Orks on the back footnow and if his intervention aided in the

death of the Orks leader their destruction was all the more certain.

He judged the risk to be worth the payoff and lept from his vantage point, sprinting down the hill until he saw the two,

fighting tooth and nail to gain the upper hand. The Space Marine was fighting with a large spear, with a boltgun built in.

Raphael had never seen such a weapon before but judged it irrelevant until it cleaved through the Warbosses think armour,

and the Warbosses side with ease.

Raphael reached the pair and unsheathed his boneblades, dropping his bolter as he did and leaping into the fray.

He stabbed at the Warboss while the Xenos was distracted, the right blade didnt penetrate the armour but Raphael

was already swinging his other arm around to stab at the shoulder. This time the blade did find a gap, blood spraying

from the Orks shoulder wound. The unknown Space Marine tried to take advantage of the unusual distraction but was caught

by a backhanded blow from the Warbosses Power Klaw, it didn't penetrate the Iron Halo's shielding but the force did knock

the Marine down a cliff.

The Warboss bellowed and flailed throwing him off but the bone-blade was still stuck in the Orks flesh, Raphael swung

about madly before he withdrew his blade, skittering across the ground as he landed, rolling back into his stance with

his right blade extended. The Warboss bellowed at him "You're all gunna die here, Space Marinez!" and charged, a mountain

of flesh and metal.

Raphael ran at the Warboss as well with both bone-blades extended, "I dont have a chance against an Ork like this" he

thought "but if I can keep him occupied, the stranger can finish him off." He slid across the ground,

slicing at the Warbosses exposed leg, it didnt penetrate the armour but it did dent the metal. The Warboss howled and

swung at him but Raphael rolled to the right, the Power Klaw burying itself into the ground in the place he was.

Finally the Warboss had made a mistake, Raphael sheathed his right arms blade and pinned the Orks Power Klaw in place.

His left arms bone blade glinted as it found Raphaels target, the Ork spasmed as the blade entered its brain

through its biotic eye. Even then the foul xeno wasn't dead and tried to seize him by the throat.

Raphael yelled and forced the Warboss's bulk into the ground, twisting his blade in the Orks face for good measure. The

Warboss finally died then and laid still.

Panting, Raphael stood up and pulled his blade from his enemies head. The stranger had reemerged, covered in dirt from his

fall. So much for my plan thought Raphael. But this time he noticed something different, a yellow pauldron with a black

fist emblazed on it.

It was then that Raphael realised exactly who this Space Marine was. An Officer of the Deathwatch. The stranger pulled off

his helmet as he walked. The strangers skin was pale, blue eyes shining out of his face. A thick beard covered the lower

half of his face but his head was completely bald. The stranger then spoke in a deep, gravelly voice.

"I thank you for your assistance Brother, I am Watch Master Lexus, exactly who are you?". Raphael took a second to

regain his composure and stood to attention "Tactical Marine Raphael my lord". The two stood in the dust, the Warbosses

corpse still twitching on the ground.

"You fight well Brother Raphael, where is the rest of your squad?" asked the Watch Master. Raphael answered, his tone

grim. "Dead, Sir".

Watch Master Lexus breathed out then spoke "I'm sorry Brother, truly I am" "Let us go, my evac has been destroyed I need to

requisition transport from your chapter or at least send a signal back to my Watch Station."

The Watch Master then strode off in the direction of the Black Dragon lines, not waiting for a reply.

Raphael sheathed his bone-blade and followed, his mind bubbling with questions unanswered.

Two Hours Later

Raphael stood before Captian Minos and the 3rd Company, the Captain placing a purity seal upon his armour standing back and

saluting as Raphael saluted back, he knew he was being honoured for his brothers deaths. It weighed heavily on him but

even so he accepted it. Watch Master Lexus observed the procedings, his arms folded over his chest.

Raphael turned and fell in with the rest of his company while other soldiers recieved commendments of bravery in battle.

Once the ceremony was done the Company was dismissed by Captain Minos.

Raphael strode off to return his equipment to the armoury. He then stopped to look out the window, the rest of the fleet

was deploying itself around the planet in anticipation of another attack. Occasionally a flash of a macro-cannon would

slice through the gloom, the impact on the planet making its mark a few seconds later.

He sighed, then pulled off his helmet. His reflection stared back at him, the two ridges of bone just poking from his skin.

Compared to many in his chapter he looked almost normal except for the bone-blades hidden in his arms and his enlarged canines.

Many had called his chapter cursed or mutants even as they protected them from the horrors of an uncaring galaxy and

Raphael was furious his brothers were dead and only his chapter would remember them, their sacrifice deserved rememberance.

"Why is it a curse?" he muttered, "if it allows us to kill what would destroy us all then why would it be a curse?". He

bared the blade in his right arm and looked at the glint of the light. He remembered the process of covering the blades with

metal, it was painful but when all else failed his blades could always be relied on.

"Many fear what they do not understand, it has always been that way truthfully" a familar voice stated. Watch Master Lexus

was standing beside him a grim look on his face. Raphael sheathed his blade, stood to attention and saluted.

"At ease brother". Raphael relaxed at his words then turned back to face the planet he had shed blood on. Lexus then

continued talking. "Raphael isnt it?" he asked.

"Yes sir" said Raphael, Lexus looked at him "So this is what you look like under the helmet, honestly I expected horns".

Raphael smiled "No sir, nothing of the sort" Lexus raised an eyebrow at him but continued onward.

"I'm actually glad I found you. I have business to discuss with your Chapter Master, can you lead me to the war-room?"

Raphael was confused, who was the Deathwatch here for? He reminded himself he needed transport, but where to exactly?

Regardless of his curiousity Raphael turned and led Watch Master Lexus onwards, however another question had also troubling him.

"Sir?", "Yes Brother Raphael?" "I saw no other Deathwatch Marines, just you. If I may ask, why were you on Caradus alone?"

Lexus smiled broadly "You noticed that did you? I'll tell you when the time is right Brother, until then we have

other concerns".

Raphael hesitated then swallowed his curiousity. "Yes my lord".

They reached the war-room and Raphael knocked. A Chapter Serf answered the door, looked at the two quickly then opened

the door and stood aside bowing as he did so. Raphael saw Lexus leave his spear at the door and thought to himself

"where in the name of the emperor did he get that weapon?"

Chapter Master Keris stood at his holographic display with his fellow commanders. Raphael spotted Captain Minos amongst

them. Keris looked up and dismissed his officers with a curt "we will discuss our position later". He then strode towards

the pair.

Raphael knelt before his commander as he walked. "Rise Brother Raphael" said Keris. As Raphael stood Keris spoke again.

"I see you bring a visitor with you. Watch Master Lexus I trust you fare well?". Lexus nodded but didnt speak. Keris

looked back at Raphael. "Thank you Raphael, you may go" Raphael nodded and turned to leave but Lexus laid his hand on his

shoulder stopping him.

"Actually Keris, there is another matter I would discuss with you and our brother here." Raphael looked at the Watch Master

in surprise. Keris frowned then motioned towards his desk. "Sit, please".

They all sat down then Lexus spoke again "I think its best to just be blunt, I wish to formally requisition Brother Raphael

for service in the Deathwatch. I have seen personally what he can do and I believe he would fare well".

Raphael was thunderstruck, why him? Keris seemed much less surprised however, in fact he was smiling. "I see, Raphael what

say you?". Raphael said nothing but instead thought carefully. Deathwatch service was dangerous even for soldiers like

themselves, like all Space Marines he knew no fear but he wasnt a fool either.

In addition glory didnt mean much to him, not compared to saving innocent lives which the chapter had been doing

since Keris took command.

On the other hand Raphael had little reason to stay with his chapter aside from loyalty. After all his squad, the

brothers he had fought alongside since they joined the chapter as neophytes were dead. But he was alive and there must be a

reason for that.

But there was one thing that tilted Raphaels decition. Lexus could have left the fleet but instead he asked for him,

specifically and he wouldn't have made an idle request. He turned his head to look at Lexus who was watching him intently.

There was more that could be done, or rather more he could do. And he would be happy to oblige.

"I agree" said Raphael.

Lexus smiled "Excellent".

End Chapter.

If you want more explanations just PM me I should get back to you in about a week at most as I personaly dont know anything about this stuff