The Hunt

    Takarada sheltered behind a boulder as the cool evening breese rustled the leaves in the trees. The moonlight was flickering on the ground creating an almost hypnotic pattern. "Tak", as the rest of the unit called him, was different from the rest of his unit on a number of counts. While Tak was an Astartes (genetically modified human warriors, also know as Space Marines) like the rest of the unit, the rest of Coln's Stalkers bore the geneseed of Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves.  Tak's geenseed was a deep secret held by the Adeptus Mechanicus Biologicius. Tak heard a sound, like that of a leaf falling to the forest floor, behind him. Tak slowly raised his arms in surrender. Coln stood behind him with a bolt pistol pointed at his head.

    "Third time this week, I have claimed you in the hunt." said Coln.

    "Aye. But, I have made dozen claims on the Stalkers as well." stated Takarada.

    "True, but you have never claimed me in a hunt." said Coln gravely.

    "I would hope not, at least not yet. You are the pack leader. You are supposed to be better than those you train or lead." laughed Tak. "How many times have you been claimed by a Stalker in the first month?"

    "None. I admit, I may present a challenge. But every other Stakler has claimed me at least once. While this is training for you, it is a deadly serious game. Your squad must be able to rely on you." said Coln. He reached in his belt, and drew out a flair gun. Raising it, he fired. The flair rose into the night sky, a brilliant green star. "Now we hunt the rest of the Stalkers. Don't let me down." Tak nodded and the two of them slipped silently away into the shadows.
---
    Two days later Takarada came across a disturbance in the snow. It could have been made by the wind, or snow falling from a branch, but he did not think so. Looking around he saw a row of evergreen trees, some scrub bushes, a large boulder, and snow covered hills. He checked the wind and found himself upwind of of the most likely hiding spots. He again looked at the snow. He was even more convinced that it had been smoothed over to hide a passage. Looking up, he shook his head and continued on as if he had tricked himself into believing it nothing.
    Ten minutes later, he had circled around and was now down-wind of the disturbed snow. He sniffed the cold air. While his nose was not that of a Space Wolf, there was only one scent in the cold, dry air. He could not identify it, but was certain of what it was, a Space Wolf.
    Tak crouched and waited, surveying the terrain. He checked behind him, just  in case, but there was no one to be seen. He took a moment to enter a trance that he was taught earlier. The trance allowed him to compare, in minute detail, the terrain from both the current and earlier viewpoints. There was a path of changed snow leading to and from a tree. Takarada was instantly, fully aware. He charged off following the trail from the tree. No time for subtlety now!
    He ran, seemingly not aware of his surroundings. But in truth, following the trail closely. As he ran, he removed his pack, and was dropping items to lighten his load. The items were carefully picked, leaving only what Coln had taught him was absolutely necessary. Suddenly, he tripped and fell, flipping around, on his back facing Coln.
    Coln smirked, sighting down the boltgun's sights, across the gap, down Tak's gunsight, and into Tak's eye. "Dead again, I'm afraid." said Coln.
    "That makes two of us, then" replied Takarada.
    "I disagree." chuckled Coln. Just then the ground at his feet exploded with a blinding flash and a concussion that threw Coln off his feet.
    "I apologize. You are correct, only one dead." said Takarada with a smirk identical to the one that Coln had worn only a second ago. "A wise man once told me that the second most dangerous part of the hunt is the capture. I believe he also told me to always be aware of my surroundings. I would assume that included a concussion grenade."
    Coln's face was furious. "Don't think to try to instruct me!" he yelled. His eyes borred into Tak until Tak thought that he would just about burst into flame from the heat of it. But then Coln exploded into laughter. "Well done, though" laughed Coln.
    Tak raised the pistol and fired a flare into the air. "Now we hunt the rest of the Stalkers." he said in his best imitation of Coln.
    "I won't let you down." Coln replied, laughing again.

983M34 Conclave on Phobos

983M34.
The room was cold and dark. A table had been setup in the center of the largest room on the station. Even so, it was only about ten paces from one end to the other. Four chairs were placed around the small, round table. Biologious Majoris Supremea Darwinius pulled out a chair and sat down. He adjusted his blue robes, smoothing out the wrinkles. He was no stranger to waiting, and was well practiced.
Next to arrive was High Techpriest Autorus, third only to the Fabricator General of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Darwinius nodded to Autorus. Autorus nodded back, sharing a common bond of the brotherhood of Mars. The techpriest's spider-like appendages quietly clicking as he scuttled across the deck to sit across from the Majoris.
The smell of incense arrived a full minute before Cardnial Shadom Thor Petoia. The Cardinal was preceded by two cyber-cherubs carrying the censors. After circling the room once the cherubs retreated to the Cardinals shuttle. The two scions of Mars made the sign of the Aquila and bowed slightly to the Cardinal, as was to be expected as a representative of the Ecclesiarchy. The Cardinal sat in the chair closest to the entrance he arrived through.
No sooner had the High Cardinal sat than four armed guards entered the chamber. they quickly took up positions in each of the four corners. A moment later in strode High Lord Marlethep, Master of the Administratum. One of the guards nodded and all four guards marched out past the High Lord of Terra. Marlethep sat in the final chair.
"I thought we agreed to no weapons." said Cardinal Pretoria.
"We had agreed to only us four, no subordinates, servitors, weapons, or recording devices." intoned the speaker grill of the Techpriest, turning to look at the Cardinal who had broken the agreement first by bringing in the cherub-servitors.
"None the less, we are all here." said the Biologious, "Shall we begin?" All heads nodded in approval.
"The Imperium is at a unique point in history. The past millinium has, Emperor be praised, been free of a Black Crusade. Yes, there has been constant raids and uprisings from the traitors, as well as Xenos attacks. But, the Mechanicum's valt of Adptus Astartes' geneseed tithes is at the highest level it has been since the days of the Great Crusade. The Emperor's Tarot fortells that the 36th millinium will be a time of great conflict. The Imperium will need all of its strength. It is our proposal that we embark on a crusade of our own. A preemptive crusade! A crusade of creation. We suggest no less than nine foundings of space marines, encompassing one hundred new chapters."
"A hundred chapters! That's equivilent to a whole space marine legion! It can't be done!" scoffed Cardinal Pretoira.
"I believe that it can be done." said Darwinius. "The Adeptus Biologious is confident that we could accomplish this."
"The Lords, Mechanicus," buzzed out of Techpriest Autorus' vox grill, "are prepared to turn the forges of Mars to equiping this endevor."
"What of the Imperial Guard and Navy's needs?" asked Marlethep.
The room was silent for about a minute. "Tithes would need to be raised on other forgewolds to compensate." stated Cardinal Pretoria matter of factly. Then hesitently suggested, "The Ecclesiarchy could be a great help in propligating the, correct, view that it is an honor to provide this sacrifice."
"I see," said High Lord Marlethep, "and what would be desired of the Administratum?"
"Initially, to approve this project." said Darwinius with false humility. "The administration would need to commission the Naval yards to produce space marine cruisers and battle barges for the new chapters. The administratum would also need to contact the High Command of the Imperial Navy and Imperial Guard to smooth over any ruffled feathers."
"The four of us would also need to find volunteers for the culturing of the geneseed."
"I believe the Church of Terra could be most helpful in this." Pretoria said with a smile creeping across his face.
"We would need to approach space marine chapters, that would be sympathetic to our cause. These chapters would need to be tapped for training the canidates. I believe that, each of us should approach the chapters we feel will be most helpful." Darwinius said.

Introduction

Greetings. This blog was created to help me stop procrastinating and motivate me to put some of this story down.

This story is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It concerns the creation of and stories of the Knights of Gryphonne, a Space Marine chapter.

 Please note that this blog may not be in order, so you will want to note the in-universe date. The date format is: cccyyyMmm. That is c=100th of a year, y=year, m=millennium.