"My sons, the galaxy is burning. We all bear witness to a final truth -- our way is not the way of the Imperium. You have never stood in the Emperor’s light. Never worn the Imperial eagle. And you never will. You shall stand in midnight clad, your claws forever red with the lifeblood of my father’s failed empire, warring through the centuries as the talons of a murdered god. Rise, my sons, and take your wrath across the stars, in my name. In my memory. Rise, my Night Lords."
— The Primarch Konrad Curze, at the final gathering of the VIII Legion
( five weeks after the surgery)
Spike walked in the darken halls of the ancient space hawk.Still getting use to his new body along the new-found respect, the Night lords gave him. He was not quit use to being called brother, by his former torturer who use to abuse, the young drake when ever they got a chance.
Not only that,but when he walked though the market place that was located in the lower quarters near the engine room. He was a little confuse to why the people he once knew bowed to him and called him lord when ever he past them.
Remembering that all the humans or mortals that some of the Night lords called them showed respect to there masters by bowing and calling them by their honorary title as lord.He was not used to being called this he was more use to saying it to the Night lords themselves from all the years he spent on this ship.
Spike did not really enjoy being called lord.He did not see him self better then the people he has been with seance he arrived on the space hulk with Sven.
Spike stop in the dark hallway of the space hulk as the memory of him and Sven fighting each other for Lord Gharls amusement came flooding back into his head.
"Gharl!"Spike said the name with hateful venom in his voice.
If there was one being in this universe Spike hated more than any thing else it was Lord Gharl.
Spike clench a fist as the that damn smile Gharl had on him when he made Sven and him fight.How he wanted to rip the very flesh from that mans face off,and have it mounted on a wall somewhere on this ship.How he wanted nothing more than to hear Gharl scream in agony as he would tare out Gharls eye's with the same smile he had on that horrible day.
"Soon!with this new body, along with training i have received from the quartermaster,I will have my revenge!"Spike thought to him self.
Anger to the Night lord leader was growing day by day.Spike did not know if he would be able to control his hatred towards Gharl any more. As of even hearing the name made Spikes want to kill something.
Oh,and Spike has killed.Not even having his power armor yet he all ready taken the life's of seven mortals who praise Gharl like a god in the lower quarters of the ship within just a few days after the operation.
No one knew it was him who killed those mortals sence it is not uncommon that a Night lord would randomly kill a mortal. Every one on bored saw it more as a sport to the Night lords who would just prow the market or any of the lower quarter area's looking for something to kill for just for the sake of killing.
Spike came back to reality as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Turning around Spike looked into the black soulless eye's of a Night lord.
"Is every thing all right brother?" The Night lord asked with a grin.
The Night lord skin was pale like most of them from lack of sun light.He had a shaved head,two metal pieces where sticking from the right side of his head just above the eyebrow. There was a long deep scar that went from the top of his head to the lower part of his lips.
Spike looked at the Night lord for a few seconds before replying."Yes every thing is all right."Spike anwserd.
"Good!I was just checking you been standing in this spot for twenty minutes now." The Night lord stated.
Spike was a little taken back by the information.
"Twenty minutes you said?" Spiked asked the Night lord.
The night lord nod his head. "You seem to be in a deep thought about something? are you still getting use to being a Night lord brother?" The Night lord asked still with a grin on his pale face.
"Yes i'm still getting use to this new-found body of mine."Spiked lied to the Night lord.
"You will get use to it."The Night lord said.
Spike watch the Night lord turn away from him.The night lord seem to be swallowed by the darkness of the ancient space hulk as he walk away from the young dragon.
"That was odd?" Spike thought.
Spike turned to the distraction he was normally heading in, when he looked behind him for one last glace to see if he can find the Night lord in the shadows watching him. Not seeing any thing Spike stared walking into the darken halls of the ancient space hulk.
_________________________
After what seem like ages of walking the darken halls of the of the ship,Spike Finally arrived to where he was heading.
"The armory."He whispered to him self.
Opening the armory door Spike was met by the strong smell of oil,welded metal and gunpowder.Getting over the strong smell Spike walked though the well lighten armory.
He could see servitors along with a few human's working on a Night lords power armor as he entered the armory.The humans stop working for a few seconds to see who entered,they gave Spike a few look over before returning back to work.
Spike watch as the humans polish the armor for a short time before continuing to walk though the armory.Sounds of machines working where defying as he walk further into the what was a well lighted room now was replaced with flickering lights and darkness.
"So you finally arrived brother!" A deep voice from the shadows spoke.
"Who's there?"Spiked asked.Looking around but finding no one.
The voice laugh "Still not use to the dark are you?" A Night lord step out from the shadow's.
"Who are you?"Spiked asked.The rather large Night lord
"I am Aulus.The Techmarine that run's this armory."The Night lord said with a miscellaneous smile.
"Now who are you"The Aulus asked.
"I am Spike the dragon."Spike said,puff out his chest in pride.
"Ah you're the new recruit. It is strange that Lord Gharl would make a Xeno a Night lord."The Aulus spoke in a mellow tone of voice.
Spike could not tell if the Night lord was displeased with the idea or he was glad about it by the way the Night lord spoke.The night lord continue to smile at the young dragon.
It was strange seeing a night lord smile. It made Spike a nervous.
"Relax new blood,I don't bite much."Aulus chuckle.
Spike said nothing.
"I know what your here for new blood.You came for your armor and weapons set, for your first deployment!" The Night lord snap his fingers.
The two humans, who were polishing the armor when Spike walked in, came running up to the Night lord.
"You two fetch the new blood his armor."The Night lord commanded.
With a bow both humans quickly dash away,giving them self's orders in their native tongue.
"Go stand on that platform over there." Aulus said.Pointing to a grey metal platform.
Spike made his way to the platform with each step he took,he got closer till he was standing right in the middle of the platform.
Suddenly, the platform took life.Two clamps lock onto Spikes arms raising them up till both arms where pointing straight out at an even level.
"You will be wearing a custom-built armor pieces of a mark VII Aquila Power Armour. I put a lot of work into making this so don't ruin it."Aulus said in a serous tone of voice.
Spike looked at the armor pieces that where neatly laid on a nearby table. He was amazed by the armor it was way more different than any of the regular models that the Night lords whore.
His armor was a bit more larger than most Night lord armor.It was midnight blue with a gold trim on each part of the armor like all the other Night lords.The chest piece had a skull with bat wings in the middle of its chest.From what Spike could tell there was a symbol under the bat skull. It was a diamond with one small line pointing up from the top of the diamond while another one pointing down,with what looked like two Vfacing vertical to one another each point of the Vtouching the diamond.
The shoulder pads where the same color with the same skull bat symbol on the right shoulder plate. The left shoulder plate how ever had a rather large tusk like spike sticking out of it.
"A rather strange thing to have on a piece of armor."Spike thought to him self.
The gauntlets along with the leg pieces looked about the same as the rest of the armor.Midnight blue with a gold trim.
The boots where very different from the rest of the armor.The boot pieces were made to look like a dragon's foot. It was accurate to Spike very own feet.
"Now new blood.you are ready to where the honor of Midnight clad."Aulus said in what could possibly a tone of pride.
A servitor grabbed a piece of armor from the table.
"This is the first piece we will add." Aulus stated.
"What piece is it?"Spiked asked with curiosity.
"It is the waste guard. It will be the first piece for your legs,knees and feet armor piece's."Aulus anwserd.
The servitor placed the armor piece to Spikes waste. It felt strange on him. Being use to walking around with little clothing on sence he was a hatchling he was not used to the feeling.
Next came the Cuisses this protected the top part of the leg. It is connected to wast guard and is the final piece that is added before the Poleyn piece that protects the knee from any harm. After the Poleyn was added came the Greaves this was the last part for the leg guard.It protected the lower part of the leg just above the knee cap. The final set piece to the armor where the boots or in this case the Morphic tread sabatone.
"These boots feel like they weigh a ton!"Spike complained.
"That's because they do."the Night lord answerd. "These boots have small retractile spikes at the bottom for griping onto surfaces of planets that don't have gravity. Also the Morphic tread is magnetic.Along with that like the rest of the armor is made of composed shaped Adamantium and Plasteel plates, encased in a Ceramite ablative layer." Aulus explained.As he was typing into a command console over by the table with the remaining armor on it.
"Lord Aulus?"one of the human spoke.
"Yes? mortal what is it?"Aulus asked in a rather annoyed tone of voice.
"We are ready to add the Plastron,and the Umbilcals along with the power feeds lord!"The human answered quickly.
"Good. Go get to it them!"Aulus spoke in a threatening tone.
"Yes lord!"the human dash off like his life depended on it. A servitor followed behind at a lowered speed then the human.
"What is a Plastron?"Spiked asked.
"It is the chest piece of the armor."Aulus told the young dragon.
"I see!"
the sound of foot steps could be heard on the harden steel floor. One of the humans was carrying the front piece of the Plastron while the other was following right behind with the back piece.
Aulus grabbed the front chest piece,holding it up while the human with the back piece went behind Spike.
Aulus and the human press both chest pieces together on the back and the front of Spikes chest.Spike could feel the could steel of the armor touching his scales.A sharp pain shot through his back,Spike grunted from the pain in his back as he felt something sharp stick into his spine.
"The nerve electrode is in place lord."The human behind Spike said.
"Good! keep holding up that piece while i weld the sides shut."Aulus ordered.
From Aulus free hand a small flame burst out just above his wrist.Sparks went flying as the flame welded the right part of the Plastron together.When he was finish with the right side he went to the other to finish his work.
"Go to the command console,and unlock the clamps on the new bloods wrists!"Aulus told the human.
"Yea lord."The human dash to the command console,typing as fast as his fingers could go.
Spike heard a sudden hiss from both the clamps on his wrists,then a relief in his arms as they fell to his sides.
Spike let out a sigh of relief. Having his arms suspended like that for an hour does not feel right.
Soon the servitors came with the armor the was requested. Spike lifted his arms back up as the servitors put the shoulder guard along with the Vambrace on the purple dragon. Last that was added to was the gauntlets with weapon sight auto sense mechanism.
The gauntlets looked like regular pair of gauntlets but the fingers parts, looked like claws.
"Now the back pack."Aulus spoke.
Spike felt a large amount of weight was added to his back.
"The back pack feel like it weighs a ton,more than the boots did!"Spike said to no in particular.
Aulus said nothing back to the purple dragon.
"There all done!"Aulus said to him self.
"Where done? that was fast!"Spike said. A bit surprise that it was over.
"Not yet,you still need your helmet."Aulus said to the purple dragon.
Aulus walked away from the Spike,leaving the young dragon watching as Aulus vanish into the darkness. Sounds of clanking and things falling where heard soon Aulus came back holding something in his hands.
"I spent days trying to find this model piece! it's the only helmet that could fit you sence your head wont fit in a regular mark VII helmet so don't lose it! you wont get another one."Aulus handed Spike his helm. To say Spike was amazed by the helmet would have been an understatement.
Spike looked at the custom-made craftsman ship of a Mark VI Corvus helm. The helmet was a perfect designed of a dragon's head that looked like him.Only more vicious looking. The face of the dragon was grinning with a winked smile,both front fangs showed as it piercing red eyes looked back at Spike. There where a row of spikes going from the top of the head of the helmet. There where two foot long horns stick out of each side of the helm pointing upwards into the sky.
"This helmet is amazing!"Spike said with awe.
"I know it is I'm the one who made it." Aulus said to the purple dragon.
Spike wasted no time putting on his helmet.It was dark in the helmet for a short time but then every thing came to life inside. Green runes displayed inside the helm. Spike was lost of words he did not know what to say he felt like a hatchling again who just got a new toy from hearts warming eve.
A rune flash on the right side of his mask.
"How do I make that stop flashing! it's not like i can click it or any thing?" Something happen as soon as Spike said "click" the rune stop flashing a voice came through his ear pieces inside.
"It's about time you learn how to accept a privet link new blood."came the voice of Aulus.
"How did I do that? all I said was click and the rune stop flashing?" Spike asked Aulus hoping he would answer him.
"You don't have to say click new blood.You and your armor are link together. All you have to do is think of accepting that rune. also if your wondering what your objective is you can view it by thinking or just asking a squad mate. Speaking of which,You can also link to your squads commes so only you and your team can hear one another."Aulus explained.
Spike was amazed by this new technology. He always wounded what it was like to be in power armor now he knows.
"So I can send any one a privet link at any time?"Spiked asked quit curious.
"Yes you can.But also remind you if you are in a privet chat you wont hear your team talking only you and the one you wanted to talk too."
"I see." Spike said.
A red light in the armory flash on along with a loud sound of an alarm going off. A voice came on in Spikes helm and the loud speaker in the room.
"3rd,4th and 5th claws report to your squad leaders. All other claws wait for further orders."a click was heard a click came over the comme set singling who ever was talking ended the chat.
"What does that mean?" Spike asked Aulus.
"It means you better get to your team new blood they will be waiting for you!" A grin spread on Aulus face.
Spike nodded he turn to leave when Aulus stop him his tracks.
"Before you go you will need a weapon." Aulus turn to a lock cabnit just to the right of him. He punch in a few codes a green light shoes on the lock. Aulus open the cabnit grabbing a Bolter rifle and 4 extra magazines.
"Take this you will need it."Aulus handed Spike the weapon along the spare mags.
Spike took the weapon and the extra mags. He place a fresh magazine into the Bolter. Then he place the spare mags to his side.He watch many of the Night lords do this down in the firing range where the quartermaster master took him to show him how to use the weapon effectively. And where to place your spare mags on the armor.
"You dawn midnight clad. You where the colors of our father legion you dawn crest of our legion proudly on your chest you are no longer Spike the dragon. You are one of us, a night Lord!" Aulus said the purple dragon.
A small shiver ran down Spikes spine when Aulus gave him that small speech.
"Thanks Aulus."Spike thanked the night lord.
"You better get to your squad there waiting for you"
Spike nodded. He made his way out of the armory and into the dark hall ways of the ship. Alarms screamed and red lights flash.
"Good luck on your first hunt dragon" Aulus spoke to him self.
"You better come back alive that armor was a bitch to find and make." Aulus chuckled. " he's coming back Lord Gharl will make sure of that." Another small chuckle escape as he went on to working what he was doing before Spike entered the armory.