Rift Flames

Chapter History
Since the end of the Horus Heresy the forces of the Space Marines were no longer organised into great legions, but broken up and reformed into smaller chapters. One chapter, the Protectors of the Emperor, were formed of the genestock of the Salamanders Legion, their armour light green and grey. This new chapter flourished and grew in numbers, adopting the planet Gassan Prime as their fortress-monastery. Its vast cities presented ideal recruits for the chapter, and its space docks were ideal for resupply. Their battle barge "The Emperors Shield" policed the Arcadia sector with the rest of their fleet.

The Fall of Gassan Prime
No-one knows what brought the warp storm to Gassan Prime, but when it struck it hit like a hammer blow that nearly cracked Gassan Prime in half. The warp storm erupted and shattered half of the planet's defences and sent most of the guardsmen stationed on the planet mad in one fell swoop, but this was just the tip of the iceberg. Untold legions of Chaos poured out of warp portals, flanked by hulking daemons and indomitable tanks. Hundreds of warbands were united in the assault, though by what or whom nobody knows. The judgement of Gassan had arrived in force. In orbit a chaos fleet engaged The Emperors Shield, and heavy fighting occured with huge losses on both sides.

The hive cities of Gassan fell in mere days, and the Protectors of the Emperor were powerless to stop them. For every servant of the dark gods that fell ten more took his place, and for every servant of the Emperor that fell there were none to replace him. Five days after the warp storm had appeared all Imperial forces either lay dead or turned to Chaos. Only a single structure lay untouched by Chaos, the fortress-monastery of Gassan Prime itself. No matter how hard the warriors of Chaos pushed they could break neither the Space Marines nor their morale. After another day of fighting the Protectors of the Emperor knew that this was to be their final battle, yet in the name of the Emperor they would not sell their lives cheaply. As their number dwindled they held their lines to the last man. In orbit The Emperors Shield was running low on ammo and had resorted to ramming the smaller Chaos ships, using what ammo it had left on the incapacitated ships. Despite titanic casualties and the loss of over half the fleet, in space the Space Marines had clenched victory.

The Battle For Gassans Heart
The Chaos Space Marines marched on the fortress time and again, and four days after the start of the assault the weaponry of two land raiders made a breach in the fortress' walls. Thousands of Bloodletters of Khorne poured into the breach, and the resulting battle pushed the Space Marines back into the fortress heart, selling each meter of ground at a deadly price. After fortifying their final position and arming their last resort they prepared for their final fight. As the Chaos Space Marines pushed into the main palace they were lead by a Greater Daemon of Nurgle, Skabyris the Contagious, and his host of nurglings. As the Great Unclean One strode forward pestilence spread by his very step. Chapter Master Agutha stepped forward and challenged the foul daemon in single combat. Wielding a sacred flaming void sword he engaged Skabyris in one on one combat, but ultimately the daemon struck the final blow. Upon seeing his battle brothers suffering and dying, Agutha spoke into his command node and issued his final orders.

At that instant The Emperor's Shield powered up its teleporters and rescued less than 10% of the chapters members. The Fleet Captain pressed one final button.

Exterminatus Battery
Gassan Prime, already weakened by the warp storm's arrival, was blown into to chunks. Everything on its surface was vapourised into dust by the repeated missile impacts that burned up the planet's atmosphere. Their fortress home world was gone forever, and with it the warp storm collapsed into itself. The Sacking of Gassan Prime was complete.

Aftermath
With their home gone and their Chapter Master dead, the Protectors of the Emperor had no heading to direct their vengeance or anger. After this shattering defeat the fleet limped back to Arcadia, and the remaining marines decided their fate. They decided to rename themselves the "Rift Flames", after the flaming rift left on the chapter's heart by the murder of their brothers and the fall of their fortress. Their armour was repainted dark green and their heraldry stripped, painted black in memoriam of their fallen. Their standards shall remain black and empty until all of their brothers are avenged. The Emperor's Shield was renamed the Flaming Void, for that is what it will leave behind. Thus they set out for vengeance, never resting until the daemons and warlords responsible for the Sacking are destroyed.

Notable Units
Chaplain Auris

Chief Librarian Benthad

1st Company of Terminators (all but Brother Ferov)

Tactical squads: Alpha, Delta, Gamma

Dreadnoughts, Brother Irana and Brother Techin

Land Raider: The Fist of Gassan

Sternguard Veteran Squad Omega