Light Bringers

Varil Nabusal overlooked the field of debris, orbiting the home world of his and his Legion, from the bridge of the Elestial Dawn. The first waves of Thunderbirds swept by, thrusting towards the surface of Nabis, past the remains of the imperial Ships, his own fleet destroyed in a bold manoeuvre, mere moments ago. They had little time, as the diversion, distracting the “Wolf King” and his 6th Legion of Astartes, only gave them so much time. The hounds of the Emperor were after him.
Varil stared onto the dark turquoise surface of Nabis, looking like a monumental statue of doubt and despair. Shanta Durr, one of his Praetorians, who in traditions of Nabis old monarchy, were called Sky-Glaives, approached his Primarch and father of the 2nd Legion.
“We sent out all available Brothers to evacuate the planet. Authorities have been contacted, but the sentiment differs on the surface. Some saw the impending Exterminatus on their world as an act of betrayal to them. Others still hold loyalty to the Emperor.”
Durr cringed his teeth, trying to find the courage to ask. “What are we supposed to do, when Nabis’ populous has been saved.”
Primarch Nabusal did not answer. His mind wandered, caught between past and future. All that he was and had, as the Primarch of the 2nd Legion Astartes, the Horizon Guard, against what will come and how his actions will decide the fate of millions, as they did countless times before. His mind went through all the possible outcomes of his actions, only to go back hundreds of years, back to Nabis. How he first saved his home from a tyrannical monarch, only for giant warriors to decent from the heavens, carrying the law of the ‘Emperor of Mankind’. He defied him back then, successfully slaughtering the Astartes who came to embrace him, only for the Emperor himself to come to Nabis’ surface.
“My son.”, he spoke with a sombre voice, as the golden God walked through the halls of the royal palace, littered with the bodies of Astartes. Varil lured them into a deadly ambush, back then, as they invaded Nabis after Varil’s defiance towards seemingly another tyrant.
“Can’t you see what you have done. Who those brave souls were? I can feel that you know them, just as I know you. Like a father, seeing his own blood.” Varil raged at the foreign invader, only to realise the truth of his words. He understood who the warriors were, who the ‘golden God’ was. And he wept. All he was, the Stormbringer, Saviour and Lord of Nabis, Protector of “Mankind”, reduced to so sobbing boy, kneeling in the blood of his lost sons. He rebuilt the Legion, took repentance, and swore himself to the Emperor that day. Never again would he fail those, who depend on him.
Like from a slumber, Varil stirred. “You leave. Away from the Empire, the coming Crusade, the War.”
Durr hesitated and the other Astartes on the bridge turned around to their Primarch. Listing in awe and confusion. Some of them did not understand what was happening to them, to the Horizon Guard. Why they left the crusade and their brethren Legion in hate.
“I am sorry, my Lord. But what of the Empire? Why would they sentence Nabis to death? Us? What about you? We have done nothing wrong. Conformation was archived years ago and the Nabians are loyal subjects to the Emperor! Have we done wrong?”
All of them surrounded Varil, like lost children, looking for answers, who did not understand the events of the last days. Varil shook his head, his long dark braided hair falling from his shoulder.
“No, my son. You did nothing wrong.” Again, his mind went back to a time of contempt. The Great Crusade across the stars. The Primarchs, Gods among Man, following their father into the dark beyond, to unify Mankind once more. To bring light into the universe. It just started, only to already fall apart, as news of imperial Dreadnoughts surrounding Nabis and an Exterminatus order reached Varil’s ear. The utter destruction of the world and its people. Varil had an idea who ordered this, and why, although many of his Legion did not know of the vaults beneath Nabis.
Never again would I fail them.
So, he confronted the Emperor, only to be greeted by deafening denial of answers. In a rage, he left the Crusade and his father sent Leman Russ and his Space Wolves after him and the 2nd Legion. Knowing the Wolf and his overall approach all too well, as he was the third of the Primarchs to join their father after Russ and Horus Lupercal, he will take no prisoners. Only by placing decoys, did his fleet of ships managed to divert the Space Wolves, buying them time to evacuate Nabis. They may destroy it, burn its surface, and wipe its ancient culture from the face of the Empire, but not it’s people. He made himself and his Legion into traitors, defying the will of the Emperor openly in his search for knowledge and answers meant to be buried and forgotten. The terrible truth of the Primarchs’ origin.
“There is no room in the Empire for traitors.”, Varil said, his Astartes in shock.
“But I rather be branded Traitor, than to live in darkened ignorance and obedience to a man, who does not care for his subjects. Does not care for his children, who are nothing more than tools for his goals” Varil turned around to face his sons, sudden clearance and determination in his eyes. “He does not care for Mankind, for the Enlightenment of such or his own children! And if he is incapable of carrying the Light of the Imperial truth to the stars, then I will carry the torch! I will be the bringer of light to a universe, darkened by lies, deceit and ignorance.” 
Never again, he thought.
“Glaive Durr. For what do we fight?”, he asked, looking his closest Praetorian and close friend in his eyes.
Durr slowly lifted his gaze to look his Primarch directly into his.
“We fight for a new Dawn…”, he said, his face uplifting with determination as well. “We weather the storm! We fight for Mankind!”, he shouted, raising his fist into the air. More and more of his brothers joined in.
“I named thee Horizon Guards once. A fighter’s name, to carry into battle and against the Empire’s foes. The Wardens watching the skies of Nabis to protects its people from her unrelenting storms. But it was not my name, it was his. You are now the Light Bringers and you will raise the people of this world to the heavens, into a new promised land!”
The human crew, which served aboard the Elestial Dawn, joined in, while the first Thunderbirds and even some nabian ships started to lift from the planet’s surface. One by one did the fleet of the Light Bringers grew around their home world, with even some imperial Guardsmen joined in.

When the Space Wolves arrived, most of the planet’s population was already onboard of the growing flotilla of the new-found Light Bringers. As the 6th Legion descended upon Nabis, they were greeted by Varil Nabusal, the Light Bringer, and other brave volunteers, who held back the Space Wolves if they could, as the refuge fleet escaped the system. All of them were slaughtered by the fury Leman Russ, betrayed by one of his brothers.
Sky-Glaive Durr and the people of Nabis disappeared into dark space, far away from the Emperor as possible. The Legion was deemed exterminated and was swiftly erased from all imperial records by degree of the Sigillite, as they were the first to dare to stand against the will of the Emperor. They would be others, who would defy him, but the Light Bringers did not care. They saw the seed in the heart of the Traitor, which would lead to doubt and his eventual loss of trust in his father. There is no room for neither traitors, nor Astartes in the Emperor’s vision of the future. And in his eyes, they have failed him from the start.