The Lawman: Chapter 4

From Swords to Plowshares

They were being pulled away from the front, every last one of them were. There was no fanfare nor insults hurled by the lackey sent by the Imperial Administration, just an order from the very top itself; All Head Hunters were to report to the nearest transport hub so they could be processed and shipped off to their new destination.

It was an entirely unprecedented call, one which sent rumors flying as an air of unease settled amongst the ranks. This was the first time they had been mustered in such numbers ever since the start of the crusade. Something big was happening, but most of the rank and file were still in the dark.

Had a front collapsed and they were in need of bodies to plug it up? Perhaps they had stumbled upon another stubborn stellar empire which needed to be softened for the other Legions? Such rumors weren't unfounded either. It wasn't the first time they were called in to help.

Their legion had always been called upon. After all, they had no true campaign or theater to call their own, nor a Primarch to lead them so that had become their role, as mere reinforcement, bodies to help turn the tide of the campaign. They were left behind as other Legions flourished.

The other legions couldn't even be faulted for asking for their help. They had their numbers and a stable gene seed to boot. They could take the most grievous of losses and bounce back, ready to fight on another front. Their role, however, meant that they were often relegated to the sidelines, forgotten as others got their glory.

It was a thankless job, one that had most in the legion growing bitter. Which legion was it going to be this time? A question which had grown all too common. Mutt, however, knew otherwise. He, along with the rest of the senior cadre of the legion, knew why they were being called and never had he felt this nervous, not even when he was first recruited from the slums of Terra.

With his hands clenched tightly, he sat in the seat of the packed transport, unable to tear his eyes away from the door of the windowless transport. This wasn't the first time he had been deployed elsewhere, something which his skulls could attest too, but this was the first time he had been inside a train.

It was a smooth ride at the very least, albeit rather cramped given the modified carriage they were in is used to transport the native livestock of this planet. It was also smelly, but nothing he wasn't familiar with. It almost felt like home even.

"You ok there, Mutt?" the grating voice of one of his men, Joker, asked as felt the loud whistle of the train echoed out from up ahead, drowning out his thoughts for a moment before the ground lurched beneath them, "Looking a little pale there." They were here.

Letting out a shuddering sigh, he gritted out, warning him as he rested his hands on his bolter, "That's Captain to you, Joker and If you want to keep all your teeth, I suggest you keep your mouth shut." There was no room for insubordination, especially amongst the hardened veterans of countless battles.

Despite his warnings, however, the man remained unrepentant, chuckling as he toyed with the many skulls adorning his belt, "Just a little concerned, is all Cap'n!" His men were getting far too comfortable, something which he needed to correct.

BLAM!

Holstering his smoking pistol, he rose from his seat and glared back silently at his men as they nursed their aching ears. His fellow officer says that blanks were useless, but they were plenty useful for him. Not only was Joker clutching his ears, he also got his men's attention.

Clearing his throat, he called out, "Now listen up you lousy lot, you're probably wondering why they pulled all of us from the front." That had been in the question of everyone in the legion, something which they had been kept in the dark about.

"Cause them Imperial Pain in the Ass and Ultra Asswipes afraid we'd get all the glory?" Joker jested, earning another long suffering from the Captain.

"Trenchfoot, if you will," He nodded at the gigantic astartes before they gave a swift cuff to the back of Joker's head, causing the man to stagger and the rest of the men to jeer and laugh at the seasoned scout.

"As I was saying," He continued as he raised two fingers, "They've pulled us all out from the front because of two things!"

"One is that they're afraid that we'd steal all their glory!" He grinned, making his men cheer and Joker to cry out in outrage, "And two, we're finally rewarded for our unwavering service to the Empire!" This time, all of them cheered.

Rewards were hard to come by, something the legion had to earn by cutting off the heads of those they've slain as proof, so one that was given without prompting? That got everyone's attention and now they listened with bathed breath.

"No more scraps from tables for our equipment," He shouted "And no more dredge from the gutters for recruits." No longer will they suffer the insult of being given the leftovers and unwanted. "Because today, we meet our progenitor!"

With his fist raised, he proclaimed, "Today, we meet our Primarch!"

The secret was out, and not even the thick walls of their transport could hide the cheers of the other companies nor could it hide theirs as his brothers in arms cheered in each other's arms. Everyone now knew and they celebrated in earnest.

After so long, and after so many battles, they were going to meet their Primarch, but their trial wasn't over yet. Clenching his fist to silence them, he waited for them to settle down before he continued, "Now, while I tolerate your bastards, I can't say for our Primarch."

Silenced, his company gazed up at him with a grim expression. "He could either be the second coming of Lord Sanguinius or he could be a mean bastard like Lord Perturabo and the Emperor knows I wouldn't want to be the poor bastard who finds out," He grimaced.

Tales of the decimation of the Lord of Iron's Legion still echo amongst the various legions. Their celebration could easily become one in the morning so they can't celebrate fully, at least not yet. They still needed to meet their Primarch and for that, he gave one more command.

"Once you're out there, I want you all to be in your best behavior." They can't mess this up, they can't afford to, not when this was their only chance to impress their Primarch. "That means no shoving, hollering and no shooting!"

"That goes double for you, Joker!" He shouted, making the man grin as he slipped on his battle scarred and battered helm.

"If you just wanted to say that you love us, you could have just said so!" Joker shouted back as the rest of the company laughed. Truly, there was no rowdier company than his, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Now put on those helmets, get your back straight and let's show our Primarch a sight that he'd be proud of!" He shouted as the doors of the train carriage opened and the light of day flooded inside. "Move move move!"

With practice borne from countless deployments, he and his men the thousands of Astartes disembarking from the train, kicking up dust every which way. Not every Marine got to join this momentous occasion, with most still waiting in the planet's capital, but more than enough of them to overwhelm the station receiving them.

Such was their number that for a moment that the sun was blotted out and darkness descended upon the station. That, however, wouldn't slow them down. Every last one of them knew where to go. "Come on people, double time!" His voice along with all the other captains echoed above the din of a thousand thundering boots moving in unison.

One by one, they fell into place until finally, they stood in perfect formation; all ten thousand of them. They who stood above the rest now stood waiting to greet their primarch. The silence that followed as they waited for the dust to settle was deafening.

None dared move or even speak. All Mutt could hear at that very moment was his twin hearts thundering inside his chest and the blood rushing in his ears. It was really happening, and for the first time in a while, he was unsure of what to feel.

For all the changes and training, nothing could prepare him for this moment and the dust in the didn't help one bit. He couldn't remember the last time it smelt so pure, or if he smelt such air before. Not even the filtered air of their barge smelt this way.

The air tasted like dirt. It neither had the coppery taste of stale blood drying in the crater filled bogs he had grown familiar with, nor could his tongue feel the burn of foul acrid smoke coming from a cook off of fyceline and promethium. All he smelt and tasted at that moment as he stood there was dust and dirt and it unnerved him.

He didn't have time to dwell on such matters, however, as the wind picked up, blowing the dust clouds away and revealing a sight which made his stomach drop. "This can't be right," he frowned as he stared at the strange sight before him, "... Why are we on a farm?"

There before them was a humble farm, a sight which was all too common in the many feral and civilized worlds he had visited. It was big, he'd give it that, with a lovely house, and vast fields filled with the local livestock the size of which made him feel normal as they gazed up from their paddocks, but it wasn't special.

Even the station that had received them looked rudimentary at best, being nothing more than a roof to which shade them, not that it mattered with the sheer number of them there. There was no fan fare, nor any crowd to greet them other than the overwhelmed serfs and clerks handling their off loading. Was this some kind of sick joke?

With murmurs of confusion and anger buzzing amongst the rank, he turned to an equally confused Imperial. "You! The one in the black robes!," He shouted, scowling as the man came over to grovel before him; Pathetic. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Y-yes my lord!" the man assured him before he pulled out a data slate, "The data log says we were supposed to off load you all in this exact position!"

Snatching it out of the man's hands, he stared at it long and hard, reading it several times over before passing it over to his brothers, dismayed at what he had just read. This worm was right. They were in the right spot, a farm in the place called Nowhere. If he hadn't read it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.

"You think the Emperor finally got tired of all the looting and he's putting us all down?" Joker jested, earning himself scoffs from the squad.

"It's probably just the Administratum messing up," Trenchfoot shrugged, "Again."

Nodding grimly, Mutt considered it. With the lack of recognition they had from their various campaigns, most of his brothers had taken to trophy collecting, something which the imperial administration frowned upon, citing non standard modification to their equipment.

Mutt, and his brothers, of course were quick to point out the hypocrisy when the other legions could decorate their armor. So what if they collected a few souvenirs from their enemies? They wouldn't be collecting proof of their accomplishments if they were being properly compensated in the first place.

Still, for as loud the Imperial Administration were in their complaints for their Head Hunting, they weren't so petty as to outright make a mockery of something so important to them. This was their primarch they were talking about here!

Frowning, he glanced back to the farm and the nearby village off in the distance. While his mind whispers in suspicion his gut tells him that this was the right planet, but this can't be the right place. He just couldn't accept it.

Where were the proud halls the likes of which the Vlka Fenryka sang about in their tale or the castles which the Dark Angels called their own? From the tales he heard from the other legions, was it wrong for him to expect something more than what he saw?

A farm was no place for his primarch and yet his gut told him he was here. Breathing in deeply, he let out a shuddering sigh as shouts of dismay echoed amongst the ranks; probably from reading the data slate.

"Whatever's the case, It's best we stay here-!," He replied, only to pause as a flash of light caught everyone's attention, "What in the world…?"

Turning, he found himself staring in confusion as a young blonde girl stood just a few feet away from them. "A young girl?" He whispered, wondering where she came from. He could have sworn that no child her age was anywhere near the station.

As their eyes met, he found himself breaking into cold sweat. "So blue…" He whispered as he suddenly felt so very small and vulnerable. It was like he was staring into the sun itself, with the hair at the back of his neck standing at the feeling of the very air around her crackling with untold power.

Just as soon as that feeling came, so would it pass as the girl's face lit up with a thousand watt smile..Pa! Ma! Our little brothers are here!" She hollered as she bolted away, running straight towards the farm house, "They're here! They're finally here!"

Letting go of the breath he didn't know he was holding, he turned to his brothers, finding them equally bewildered as he was. "Little Brother?" Just who was that mysterious girl and why does she feel so… familiar.

He wouldn't have to wait too long for his answers as he felt it, that tingle in the air as everyone froze in their spot. "My apologies for the hold up," A firm yet jovial voice called out, "Was in the middle of the call from Sanguinius and thought it was just the cattle having a fit."

Slowly, he turned his head and there he saw him in all his glory, smiling radiantly as he chuckled, "Turns out it was my legion!" Tilting his hat forward, he apologized, "Hope y'all weren't waiting for too long."

It wasn't like how he imagined it would be. With his tough denim and cotton shirt, and two young girls upon his shoulder, he looked every bit a humble farmer, yet he still fell to his knees all the same. Their primarch didn't greeted as an exalted king to his subject or a proud conqueror to this arm, but as a father welcoming them back from war.

"Lord Primarch!" He greeted in unison with the rest of the legion, struggling to keep his emotions in check as the very presence of his primarch overwhelmed his senses.

"Now now, enough with the formalities," the man scolded lightly as he approached them, "Just because I'm your Primarch doesn't mean you should be groveling. In fact, I should be the one kneeling for the service you gave to the Empire."

"You flatter us, Lord Primarch," Mutt replied, daring not to look up, "We only live to serve." They were only doing their duty. They did not deserve their praise, not when they haven't earned it, yet the hand offered to him said otherwise.

"Lord Primach sounds tacky," The man replied as Mutt finally looked up, seeing his Primarch clearly for the very first time, "Call me Morrison."

For as simple as the man's appearance was, his gentle voice reminded him of the emperor himself. He truly was there Primarch, and even if he wasn't like he expected, he was still happy. He could finally fulfill his purpose and he reached up to reach up to grab his hands, he promised that he would follow him till the end of the galaxy. "Yes Lord Morrison,"

"Yup, definitely going to fix that real soon, but for now, why don't y'all come in?" The man laughed as he hauled him up with casual ease despite the armor he wore. Patting the dust from his shoulders, he gestured toward the large barn, "I bet you're all hungry from the trip!"

-x-x-x-

The days after their initial meeting with their primarch almost felt like a dream. From the celebration that followed, to herculean effort to expand the lodging as the rest of the legion slowly trickled in, every day seemed to bring in new surprises.

They even got to learn about their Primarch's wives and daughters, a surprise for many given how becoming one of the Emperor's Angels removed much of their desire, but it was a welcome one. Hikaru was a ball of sunshine, and Thalia was the anchor that kept said sunshine from everything down.

Taking a sip of the bitter concoction that Trenchfoot brewed, he gazed up from his journal and out the window. Even now, construction is ongoing, with serfs, villagers and astartes alike all working together to expand the settlement. Together with the influx of material and more of his brothers from the trainyard, the Town of Nowhere was slowly becoming a city.

Of course, there were some rough patches. For one, their primarchs disapproved of their trophy collection. What was once proof of their deeds had now become a point of contention. In their primarchs words, it was distasteful and the results of their deeds were plenty proof of their valor.

Mutt disagreed, and so too would most of the legion. How else were people going to know that they had slain a powerful warboss or a champion of their enemy if not for their heads? The head they collected was their pride, but their Primarch adamant.

There was no getting around this issue. One side had to give, if it were not for a third side coming into the frey. Smiling, he glanced at the large pink skull of a Warboss over the fireplace mantle. "They look boring. Let's paint them!" were the wise words of Hikura, words he now immortalized as he wrote them down on vellum.

The two sisters had offered to personalize them and who were they to turn down such a generous offer? With the blessing of their father, after he had recovered from his fit of laughter, requests soon flooded in and the two got to work.

Not every trophy was kept and decorated. By his reckoning, they had enough skull to make a sizable pile, one that's visible across the plains of Carcan. They had to choose and for his personal pieces, he choice his favorite, the skull of a hundred eyed xenos

That piece now sat in his desk, serving as his pen holder. It was also very shiny and sparkly, a personal touch courtesy of the two sisters, not that he complained. It was charming in its own way, one which never failed to warm his heart. Not only does the skull of his enemy become something useful, but it also brightens up the room.

Shaking his head, he leaned back, before taking another sip from his drink. Such child-like wonder, one untainted by war and conflict. Was this the future which the emperor wished for them to achieve? That every child would be born free of suffering and allowed to be themselves, rather than to live cruel lives?

If this was that future, then he and his brothers, along with those that take up arms in the name of the emperor shall make it happen. He swore it. Speaking of the children, He frowned as he was reminded of their parentage, the other point of contention for the legion.

He could accept that his Primarch had multiple wives, but a Dark Eldar? Pausing briefly, he turned away from his journal lest his emotions color his recollection. He did not like that woman, not one bit.

His primarch might be enamored with her, but she was still a Xenos and from such a vile and violent race. Her sweet songs and pleasant nature was only skin deep for underneath all that glamour was the predator that lurked in the shadows, one that regarded him and his men as nothing more than pests to be tolerated.

As much as he hated her, he… respected her and kept his distance. He knew well enough when he was out matched and that woman was not to be trifled with, especially with affectionate she is to their primarch and both children. Perhaps that was why his primarch adored her? Was she a lioness he tamed? That was thought for another time.

WIth his head now clear, he continued his journal, eager to see it through. There was much to write of yesterday, and many more in the coming days. What wonder would he find and what plans did their primarch had of them now that the entire legion was on the planet side?

Surely there was a reason why he had recalled such vast numbers of them to a distant corner of the galaxy, one that was far more peaceful than the rest. He and his company, along with many of the other decorated veterans were invited by their primarch to train in the new exercise he had devised for their recruit, so it might have something to do with that.

It was certainly curious, but he did not see any fault with such a request. Perhaps he only wished to spread the experience of the company to fresh blood? Whatever those plans might be, it was surely going to be something glorious!

-x-x-x-

Perhaps he had spoken too early as he stared at the blank eyes of the massive Carcan cattle before him. "Oh you got to be kidding me," he whispered, eyes twitching as he along with a hundred other of his brothers stood in attention, out of their armor and in fresh boots and rough overalls fit to an Astartes size.

He expected some harsh exercise, perhaps a brutal regimen to break his body. Hell, even getting hunted down by knife-eared xenos that linger around the wife of the primarch and hunting them in turn wouldn't be half bad, but this? This was not what he expected when he came out here in the crack of dawn.

"This right here's a Carcan Cattle!" His primarch said as he slapped the flank of the massive beast. Up close, he found them even larger, towering even his Primarc; perhaps they would even tower over the great Vulkan."It's big, it's mean and boy is it ugly, but there's no other animal I'd rather raise and herd than these big fellas."

"They provide everything a Carcan could ever want," His primarch explained as the large bull knelt down and affectionately rubbed up against the man's hand, in sharp contrast to his earlier claims of their temperament. "

They provide food with their milk and meat, shelter from their bones, horn and hide, and most importantly, muscle to till the land as well as cross the vast plains of Carcan," The man added, something which everyone in the crowd nodded.

They were useful, extremely so and their lonesome alone could feed a family, something he was familiar with with the cheese that filled his belly and milk he added to his nutrient past. "They are everything to our people."

"They're our way of life and now, as father to son, I'll pass on the knowledge which had kept our people alive," He nodded as he and his brothers stared at him in silence. "I'll teach you how to milk them, raise them and if you're lucky, even butcher them for this year's end of season feast!"

While the serfs struggled to bring in more cattle, something which the native ranchers had to help with, his primarch clapped his hand and called to their attention. "Now any question?"

Slowly, he raised his hand, waiting for the man's nod before he asked, "Lord Primarch, is this necessary?" He understood his primarch's explanation well enough on the sheer economic value that each of these cattle brought, but they were Space Marines, not farmers. "Surely there are serfs for this."

This earned him a glare from the man"Are you questioning my authority?" He asked and Mutt withered, wondering if he had offended the man greatly. Just as he was about to explain, the man laughed, breaking the tension that had settled in the paddock.

"Nah, I'm just messin with you," The man replied, letting Mutt breathe out a sigh in relief, "But I ain't messin with you with the cows."

As he and the rest of those present stared at him in question, with no daring to ask, the man replied, "I know you boys are itchin' for a war, and I get that. You are Space Marines after all and the Emperor has plans, but so do I."

With his hands resting on the proud brow on the bull, he continued, "There's a whole galaxy out there waiting to be saved, but you gotta start small and that means you gotta learn how to care for the cattle."

Risking it, he asked once more, "But why?" He simply could not understand. What did cattle have to do with the Crusade or anything? They were not human, nor menial servants. They were more than that, so why must their primarch insist on something so… beneath them?

"Because son," His Primarch replied, staring right into his very soul, "If you can't even appreciate the value of this here cow, why should I trust you with the lives of people you are meant to save and protect?"

Shame filled his heart as he lowered his head, unable to meet his primarchs gaze at his harsh rebuke. Was it wrong for him to consider the life of one cow to be that beneath him? That question would haunt him that day as his primarch continued his lesson. "Now if there's no more question, I want you to pick up those ropes so I can teach you all how to tie a knot!"

A/N:

Picking up this fic after a long hiatus was a bit of a pain, but I'm happy with how this turn out. Would you believe that I have to cut this thing in half? The other half of this chapter (or at least the dialogue) is already complete. I just need to fill it out tommorow so I can squeeze out another chapter in 2-3 days time!