Toshiro's Speech (Rising Sons)
This story is part of the community effort on the Rising Sons chapter. Fearing the Necron raiders and their drive towards the Yamoto Subsector, Chapter Master Mifune Toshiro begins a speech.
Mifune Toshiro walked slowly towards the podium, luminous lights beaming down upon him from above. As he approached the stand, he turned his eyes towards the assembled mass of space marines before him. They wore armour of finest Prussian blue and Payne's grey, with brilliant golden highlights. Upon their pauldrons they wore the emblem of their noble brotherhood, a rising sun of crimson red, a skull upon its face. Toshiro knew that, including himself, there stood a thousand battle-brothers in the vast auditorium; a thousand angels of death and destruction. Finally, he reached the podium. Slowly, he rubbed his gauntlet-covered hands upon its surface and, for just a few seconds, he thought of his predecessors,; his fellow chapter masters from millennia long past. He began:
“Brothers... Sons of the Great Khan, proud harbingers of the Emperor's wrath and dear brothers in arms; soon we face perhaps the greatest thread our prestigious chapter has faced since its founding eight millennia ago.
“On that distant day eight millennia ago, our illustrious parent-chapter, the White Scars, gave birth to our chapter. While our brother-chapter from that same founding was lead astray by the heretical whims of the Tyrant, we proudly fought and died following the ways of our Great Khan.
“A billion xenos have fallen to our blades, bolters and bikes; a billion more shall soon follow!”
Toshiro wiped the spit from his mouth, pausing for a few seconds to catch his breath. There had been no contact from Brother-Captain Katsuo's squadron since they went to investigate the disappearance of Baron Paral Von Hoskarl II, a Rogue Trader who had apparently discovered treasures on some Throne-forsaken rock. Brother-Captain Katsuo's last message was from just before he and his men entered the tomb. Soon after, reports of Necron activity began to pour in, as more and more planets were raided by the ancient malevolence, seemingly heading closer towards the Yamato subsector. It didn't take long for Toshiro to realise that the Necron were coming for them. Why? He could not say; perhaps they blamed Katsuo and his men for waking them from their ancient slumber. However, it mattered not; Toshiro would avenge the loss of his brothers.
“As I am sure you are all aware, the vile filth known as the “Necron” have began raiding planets in the nearby Shang subsector. These attacks were without provocation, as expected from xeno dirt, and left few survivors.
“We have studied the plantery systems which were raided and discovered that they form a path... A path heading straight for our home sector. We cannot allow this filth to pollute our beloved Imperium; WE MUST DESTROY THE NECRONS!”
Toshiro raised his fist as he yelled out, watching as the marines before them raised their own fists in defiance; the Necrons would curse the day they awakened from their disgusting pit.
“Tomorrow, Tokugawa, Date, Chosokabe, Shimazu, Uesugi and Takeda companies shall set off for their world and BURN IT TO THE GROUND!” Once more, Toshiro wiped the saliva from his mouth.
“Meanwhile, Oda, Hojo, Tachibana and Mori shall divide themselves among the planets of the Yamato subsector in the unlikely case that five companies cannot break the Necron.
“My Brothers, soon we shall avenge the deaths of those Imperial citizens who were consumed by the unholy blight and, more importantly, avenge the deaths of our brothers who have already fallen to the Scourge! FOR YAMATO! FOR THE GREAT KHAN! FOR THE EMPEROR!”
As Toshiro turned his back from the podium, leaving his brothers crying out for the destruction of the Necron, he couldn't help but feel that something would go wrong on that distant Tomb World; that he had invited doom upon both him and his chapter. He only hoped that he and his brother marines would wipe out the ancient evil once and for all. “For the Emperor...”