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Upon a request from Jacobite, (which I'll take as a compliment 
) I have started this thread here so I say hello to all the Heresy Online veterans (please be nice).
Be warned, this thread will start with a wall of text, but there are pictures at the bottom!! This will be a fluff-oriented army, so reading it is worth it (in my opinion anyway, but I suppose I would say that as I wrote it...)
Here exists the last surviving transcript of the interrogation of Captain Cato, of the 14th Company, the 'Exiles' of the Luna Wolves, later Sons of Horus.
“Start interview”, a vox-horn in the corner of the room rasped as a shadowy figure entered the interrogation room, his bulk obvious being covered by a dark set of robes.
“What is your name?” he questioned his charge, an even bigger man, stripped down to a loin cloth, hands chained to the table, legs chained to the chair.
As this man looked up for the first time the interrogator got a feeling of how mortal men felt in the wake of an astartes war. Stripped of his armour, starved with hunger, wounded, he was still defiant, still unbroken, and still one of the most terrifying beings that he had seen in the flesh.
Oh, everyone had heard the legends: they could take bullets without flinching, rip apart man and machine alike; but to see one in the flesh, it was all brought home at once. The only reason that this interrogator, this Inquisitor was still alive, was because the astartes had not deigned to kill him.
In a voice, surprisingly soft, yet laden with authority and menace the astartes replied.
“I am Captain Lucius Aelius Cato of the 16th, who are you?” He asked curiously.
The interrogator leaned forward, a crest upon his chest becoming visible in the light, displaying a stylised ‘I’, the symbol of his order. “I am a servant of the Emperor and the Sigillite, I am Inquisitor Luis de Aliaga, and you are not Captain anymore, Cato, you are traitor.”
Cato snorted shaking his head.
Ignoring this interruption, Aliaga pressed on, “what I am here to establish, is how you fell from the light of the Emperor, how did over one million astartes forget their oaths to mankind and fall in with the madman that Horus has become?”
“We betrayed nothing. There was nothing to betray, we had already been betrayed.” Cato said bitterly.
Shocked, Aliaga asked, “how can you even say that?”
Bitterness was once more strong in his voice, “I wasn’t at Isstvan, Three or Five, none of us were. We were long ago cast from the light of Horus, before he even became Warmaster. I have not seen my father in over ninety years, you think that I would break my oath to the Emperor, because of a father who cast me out?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Let me speak to the Lord Dorn, he knows I am true. I fought for the Warmaster and the Emperor for over two centuries, they have taken my blood, my youth, and the lives of my men. The Emperor showed me gratitude, respect, so to did Dorn. What has Horus shown me in return? Only the next world to bring to compliance, I owe the Warmaster nothing. Dorn is more my father than Horus.”
“The Lord Dorn is busy, I will suffice, he will hear the recording before judgement is reached. Start from the beginning.”
“I have been there since the beginning, from Terra,” the captain said, his face suffused with pride. ‘I was there at the rebirth of the company, and I was there when the 14th was restored to the honour rolls in the Imperial Palace. I am Lucius Aelius Cato, former champion of the Second, captain of the 14th, the exiled Sons of Horus.
The inquisitor paused, wondering how best to frame his next question without causing offence. Despite the fact that Astartes were born mortal their training, their longevity and survivability had dramatically distanced them from the human genome: they were a race apart now, whether they wished it or not. This, combined with the tight bonds of brotherhood that formed within the Legions made sensitive topics potentially dangerous, even to an armed Inquisitor facing a bound captive.
“Why were the Fourteenth known as the ‘Exiles’?” The Inquisitor tentatively asked.
“Why are the Fourteenth know as the Exiles you mean. We still survive, no matter how few of us remain.” Cato said, leaning forward into the light, revealing his aquiline face, displaying a nobility that was lacking in many of the legions. “The Fourteenth are known as the Exiles because they turned.”
“Turned? What do you mean?”
“World 07.06, about a year after Horus took command, back when I was still in the second. Ridge Alpha 24,6 was the lynchpin in the line. If it was broken the greenskins would have cut the spearhead in half. The 14th were strong in defence, that was why Horus gave it to them.” Cato shook his head, “but they ran, we never found out why.”
“Me and a few squads of the Second closed the gap, just. Out of the full 14th, eight stood their ground, the rest ran, and most died in the rout. I took one hundred brothers into the gap with me.”
The bitterness in his voice at this point was clear, even to a mortal. “I took thirteen away, eighty seven sons of Terra dead for a coward. We held until the second wave arrived, but the campaign was over for us, most of us couldn’t stand, let alone fight.”
“And then? Astartes aren’t known for running, or mercy for that matter.” The inquisitor asked, his tablet forgotten on the table as he listened to Cato’s reminiscence.
Cato laughed, a deep bass rumble, “Tarik had to be pulled off the captain, Kreedan, once the rest got back to the ship. Horus summoned us; the survivors and the cowards of the fourteenth...
+++
Record ends.
+++
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My current proxy Praetor - an experiment in wet-blending I did a while ago, not sure what general opinions of it are, I'm reasonably happy for a first try, but I think it could be a lot better.
![]()
The army as it stands, a lot of work with regards to painting, and another 40+ models left to build.
![]()
![]()
These are the WIPs of the sergeant, pretty chuffed with it, needs a bit of tidying up though.
Below are some WIP's to prove I'm still working on things! This is one of Cato's Centurions, commanding the third century. The body is from a Sang. Guard as is probably obvious, but has been de-bloodified (if that's a word). Then there's a Nuncio-Vox helm with a GS plume - that was a very painful process I have to add..Sword is a Grey Knight one, and the pistol is from the CSM box. I'll be adding various other bits and bobs to him to represent his time spent away from the legion.
That was also the first ever (successful-ish) airbrushed sword I've done so it's a tad shaky, but it's a hell of a lot better than my first attempt. Advice would be appreciated should there be any airbrush ninjas among the forum.
I've also been working on my Golden Demon entry, I decided that as I'm going to Games Day this year (assuming I can get off an exercise a day early) I may as well enter! First Cut is the target: I know full well that I'm not good enough for any silverware. I may put up some images in a couple of days once the legs set.
![]()
![]()
![]()
C&C is always welcome! I like to know where to improve, what's good and what's not etc.
) I have started this thread here so I say hello to all the Heresy Online veterans (please be nice). Be warned, this thread will start with a wall of text, but there are pictures at the bottom!! This will be a fluff-oriented army, so reading it is worth it (in my opinion anyway, but I suppose I would say that as I wrote it...)
Here exists the last surviving transcript of the interrogation of Captain Cato, of the 14th Company, the 'Exiles' of the Luna Wolves, later Sons of Horus.
0.144.007M31
Terra, The Imperial Palace, Khangba Marwu
Interrogation Room Alpha
Subject: Captain Lucius Aelius Cato,
Legio XVI,
OC 14th Company.
+++
Record begins.
+++
Terra, The Imperial Palace, Khangba Marwu
Interrogation Room Alpha
Subject: Captain Lucius Aelius Cato,
Legio XVI,
OC 14th Company.
+++
Record begins.
+++
“Start interview”, a vox-horn in the corner of the room rasped as a shadowy figure entered the interrogation room, his bulk obvious being covered by a dark set of robes.
“What is your name?” he questioned his charge, an even bigger man, stripped down to a loin cloth, hands chained to the table, legs chained to the chair.
As this man looked up for the first time the interrogator got a feeling of how mortal men felt in the wake of an astartes war. Stripped of his armour, starved with hunger, wounded, he was still defiant, still unbroken, and still one of the most terrifying beings that he had seen in the flesh.
Oh, everyone had heard the legends: they could take bullets without flinching, rip apart man and machine alike; but to see one in the flesh, it was all brought home at once. The only reason that this interrogator, this Inquisitor was still alive, was because the astartes had not deigned to kill him.
In a voice, surprisingly soft, yet laden with authority and menace the astartes replied.
“I am Captain Lucius Aelius Cato of the 16th, who are you?” He asked curiously.
The interrogator leaned forward, a crest upon his chest becoming visible in the light, displaying a stylised ‘I’, the symbol of his order. “I am a servant of the Emperor and the Sigillite, I am Inquisitor Luis de Aliaga, and you are not Captain anymore, Cato, you are traitor.”
Cato snorted shaking his head.
Ignoring this interruption, Aliaga pressed on, “what I am here to establish, is how you fell from the light of the Emperor, how did over one million astartes forget their oaths to mankind and fall in with the madman that Horus has become?”
“We betrayed nothing. There was nothing to betray, we had already been betrayed.” Cato said bitterly.
Shocked, Aliaga asked, “how can you even say that?”
Bitterness was once more strong in his voice, “I wasn’t at Isstvan, Three or Five, none of us were. We were long ago cast from the light of Horus, before he even became Warmaster. I have not seen my father in over ninety years, you think that I would break my oath to the Emperor, because of a father who cast me out?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Let me speak to the Lord Dorn, he knows I am true. I fought for the Warmaster and the Emperor for over two centuries, they have taken my blood, my youth, and the lives of my men. The Emperor showed me gratitude, respect, so to did Dorn. What has Horus shown me in return? Only the next world to bring to compliance, I owe the Warmaster nothing. Dorn is more my father than Horus.”
“The Lord Dorn is busy, I will suffice, he will hear the recording before judgement is reached. Start from the beginning.”
+++
Record ends.
+++
+++
Record begins.
+++
Record ends.
+++
+++
Record begins.
+++
“I have been there since the beginning, from Terra,” the captain said, his face suffused with pride. ‘I was there at the rebirth of the company, and I was there when the 14th was restored to the honour rolls in the Imperial Palace. I am Lucius Aelius Cato, former champion of the Second, captain of the 14th, the exiled Sons of Horus.
The inquisitor paused, wondering how best to frame his next question without causing offence. Despite the fact that Astartes were born mortal their training, their longevity and survivability had dramatically distanced them from the human genome: they were a race apart now, whether they wished it or not. This, combined with the tight bonds of brotherhood that formed within the Legions made sensitive topics potentially dangerous, even to an armed Inquisitor facing a bound captive.
“Why were the Fourteenth known as the ‘Exiles’?” The Inquisitor tentatively asked.
“Why are the Fourteenth know as the Exiles you mean. We still survive, no matter how few of us remain.” Cato said, leaning forward into the light, revealing his aquiline face, displaying a nobility that was lacking in many of the legions. “The Fourteenth are known as the Exiles because they turned.”
“Turned? What do you mean?”
“World 07.06, about a year after Horus took command, back when I was still in the second. Ridge Alpha 24,6 was the lynchpin in the line. If it was broken the greenskins would have cut the spearhead in half. The 14th were strong in defence, that was why Horus gave it to them.” Cato shook his head, “but they ran, we never found out why.”
“Me and a few squads of the Second closed the gap, just. Out of the full 14th, eight stood their ground, the rest ran, and most died in the rout. I took one hundred brothers into the gap with me.”
The bitterness in his voice at this point was clear, even to a mortal. “I took thirteen away, eighty seven sons of Terra dead for a coward. We held until the second wave arrived, but the campaign was over for us, most of us couldn’t stand, let alone fight.”
“And then? Astartes aren’t known for running, or mercy for that matter.” The inquisitor asked, his tablet forgotten on the table as he listened to Cato’s reminiscence.
Cato laughed, a deep bass rumble, “Tarik had to be pulled off the captain, Kreedan, once the rest got back to the ship. Horus summoned us; the survivors and the cowards of the fourteenth...
+++
Record ends.
+++
My current proxy Praetor - an experiment in wet-blending I did a while ago, not sure what general opinions of it are, I'm reasonably happy for a first try, but I think it could be a lot better.
The army as it stands, a lot of work with regards to painting, and another 40+ models left to build.
These are the WIPs of the sergeant, pretty chuffed with it, needs a bit of tidying up though.
------
Below are some WIP's to prove I'm still working on things! This is one of Cato's Centurions, commanding the third century. The body is from a Sang. Guard as is probably obvious, but has been de-bloodified (if that's a word). Then there's a Nuncio-Vox helm with a GS plume - that was a very painful process I have to add..Sword is a Grey Knight one, and the pistol is from the CSM box. I'll be adding various other bits and bobs to him to represent his time spent away from the legion.
That was also the first ever (successful-ish) airbrushed sword I've done so it's a tad shaky, but it's a hell of a lot better than my first attempt. Advice would be appreciated should there be any airbrush ninjas among the forum.
I've also been working on my Golden Demon entry, I decided that as I'm going to Games Day this year (assuming I can get off an exercise a day early) I may as well enter! First Cut is the target: I know full well that I'm not good enough for any silverware. I may put up some images in a couple of days once the legs set.
C&C is always welcome! I like to know where to improve, what's good and what's not etc.
