Darkstar, civilian name Detrious Rex, was not always an assassin. He was raised on the Imperial planet Braxius IV towards the edge of Imperial space. He, like most of the Imperial citizens believed that they were safe, and that the God-Emperor would protect them from the dangers of space.
He was a well off hunter running a company to take the likes of Imperial nobility to track and kill the Braxius Razorapes, great ape like beasts of high intelligence with razor sharp horns and claws. He had a wife and three children at the age of 20. His favorite child, Jexer, was a bastard born to him by his mistress. Jexer had great promise to follow in his father’s footsteps and was his tracker at the age of 10.
It was on one of the Razorape expeditions that Darkstar’s life changed forever. The noble he was chartered by was a piggish man with a high pitched whine of a voice. They were in the deep forests and the noble had just lined up for a shot on a Silver-back Razorape when the sky darkened. The Razorape inexplicably bellowed and ran as a rain of bio-pods crashed through the canopy of the dense jungles.
Darkstar had never seen a Razorape run from anything in his life, and he knew it wasn’t from the pig-noble. He could hear Las Batteries firing from the city and the air raid sirens wailing. Darkstar left the pig-noble where he stood, running towards home. The last thing he heard from the pig-noble was a horrified squeal and a wet thud.
Running through the forest he noticed several alien beasts trailing just behind him. Through his brief glances he could see that they had razor sharp scythes where hands should be and chitinous bodies.
He whipped out his Compact Las Pistol and shot at one behind him. The blind shot struck home, and the beast fell, only to be replaced by another pursuer in the swarm.
Ahead of him he could see the clearing that would lead to the city. Inspired he ran even faster.
The clearing came quickly and to his surprise there was a full gun line of Imperial Guardsmen formed up pointing their rifles in his general direction. The sky was filled with Valkyries dropping soldiers as quickly as possible and spores were falling from the sky quickly. The Sargent of the guardsmen shouted “Duck!” at Detrious and he did as ordered. Las shots were streaking above him towards the forest he had just left, behind him he heard an inhuman shrieking.
Peering behind him he saw the beasts that were pursuing him. Hordes and hordes of talons and fangs, some of the dead beasts were still chomping their jaws in their death throes. One of the beasts jumped up and landed on him, only to be put down quickly by a shot from his Las Pistol. It collapsed on him and was soon covered by several other bodies of its group. Detrious lay there for what became hours, Las Gun fire became accompanied by screaming, and screaming followed with the crunch of bones and the patter of feet. Eventually that sound had gone as well, the din of battle was miles away now, and the chill of night was setting in.
Pushing the alien body off of him, Detrious carefully peered around, ensuring there were no more monsters nearby. The scene before him was one of utter destruction. What was once a lush forest was now barren dead trees, the city behind him was shattered and smoking. His thoughts went to his family. He grabbed a sword off the Sargent, now dead, and picked his destination.
Rushing to his house, he saw it was still in tact, only a few minor holes were visible. Hope surged in his chest as he pushed open the door, sword at the ready. He looked in the common room and saw Jexer lying there, disemboweled. A fat grubby monster was squirming about where his intestines used to be. Detrious dispatched the beast and swallowed his emotion. His wife and his other children may still be alive.
He heard a noise upstairs in his bedroom. Climbing the steps he saw the bodies of his daughter Lana and her twin Lara, both partially eaten. Their faces displayed the last moments of horror they felt. The bedroom door was cracked, the light in the room reflected the pool of blood that was just now crusting at the edges. He saw a flicker of movement.
In a fury he kicked open the door, scattering dark wood shards everywhere, the hinges gaped openly as if in awe, now empty of their charge. The beast inside had it’s back to him, its tentacled face was inside his wife’s brain.
Before the beast could react Detrious was slashing with his sword with all his fury. The beast made a feeble attempt to block the strike, raising one of its mantis like scythes. The defensive attempt was futile, Detrious cleaved through the scythe and beheaded the beast, spraying purple ichor around the room. He then pulled his Las Pistol and emptied the charge into it.
Grieving, Detrious wanted it all to end there. He put the Las Pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. The charge was already spent. Detrious heard the sound of more of those monsters coming and so he grabbed his throwing knives and rushed out, he would not be slain by a beast.
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For the next 5 years Detrious lived within the city, hunting Tyranids for their meat and living unseen within the swarm. He watched his once mighty city slowly become mighty towers of biomass that reached seemingly into the depths of space itself. He also watched the digestion pools consume those he loved, he knew, and even those he loathed. Hopeless, horrified and angry he made it his mission to slay as many of the beasts as he could.
On the fifth anniversary of the attack Detrious was cleaning the skull of another of the beasts when he heard a sound he thought he’d never hear again, the engines of a ship. He went to see what was going on and was amazed to see Space Marines unloading by the hundreds. In front of them strike aircraft dropped firebombs, destroying the cursed monsters by the thousands. Detrious once again felt that swell of hope in his heart that he had thought was killed so many years ago.
He blocked the route to his balcony and pulled his rifle out. He started carefully shooting the bugs he had identified as most dangerous when he saw a shimmer in the marine line. Directly behind a Chaplain was one of the beasts with the tentacled mouths and mantis claws.
The Chaplain turned and had his right arm pierced by one of the mantis claws. The second claw was swinging for the chaplain’s head when Detrious fired at the tentacled monster. He neatly split its skull, the claw falling limp inches from the Chaplain’s face.
Shocked, the Chaplain looked to see where the bullet had come from. Detrious was surprised when the Chaplain pointed his finger of his one good arm at him and said something to his marines. They got on the radio, and a Valkyrie was hovering at his balcony within seconds. The boarding panel lowered and Detrious didn’t hesitate to get on.
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Detrious was on the battlecruiser Conviction looking out the window when the Chaplain came to him several hours later. “So the marines say you’ve been down there for 5 years.”
“Yes I have.” Detrious replied.
“How did you survive so long in that hell?” The Chaplain asked.
“I hid and only killed when the time was right,” said Detrious.
“So what’s your name soldier?”
Detrious thought hard before replying, “Darkstar, and I am no soldier.”
“Don’t you have a real name?”
“I did once, but it died a long time ago.”
“I believe the Emperor has a place for you,” remarked the Chaplain.
“I am my own man,” replied Detrious sternly.
The Chaplain gritted his teeth at that. “Well, if you won’t do it for the Emperor, perhaps you’ll do it for a cause.”
“I’m listening,” said Detrious.
“We need someone with your special skills to work to prevent disasters like this. There are other forces out there that seek to corrupt and destroy us, and with you in the employ of the Imperium, I feel you would be a valuable asset.”
Detrious looked the Chaplain in the eyes and the Chaplain felt that somehow Detrious was looking through him to the truth of the issue.
“Ok, I’ll do it.” said Detrious. “But I’ve suffered enough. I am my own man and I plan to enjoy my life. I wear no chains on this agreement.”
And with that Detrious Rex died and Darkstar was born.
