Rise of the Tau

[Razor Devil]

Part Ten.

A first glimpse.

‘Oh crud. It’s a Lar’shi-Class.’ Andrasi uttered.
Grungi snorted in disdain.
‘Only one? I’m offended.’

The entire ship shook around them, a low thrum resonating through the bulkheads.
‘Well, that’s it.’ Andrasi groaned. ‘They’ve deployed gravitic hooks. We’re snared. Damn! Damn damn damn!’
‘So, what now?’ Codian asked, glancing as the lights about his head began to flicker and dim once more.

Grungi appeared and shuffled over to his side, removing his padded flight jacket as he did so to reveal the tight bare skin of his barrel chest beneath.
‘First they’ll send the boarding drones. They can’t ‘shift’ like the Nicassar, so they have to cut their way through. Once the drones have done their job, that’s when the Shas’kayon will come. I suspect you will find them very worthy adversaries. I will try to save some of them for you.’
Codian frowned and turned his attention to the doorway of the bridge for a moment, searching for any sign of his brothers. Somewhere to his side, he heard Andrasi’s chilling warning as he activated the ship’s vox system.
‘Why do you do that?’
Grungi frowned, peering up at the towering warrior.
‘Do what?’
‘You strip to your waist before a fight, Demiurg. Why do you do that?’
The short alien smiled.
‘I let them see my scars. I show them that I am not afraid of death, that I have faced it many times and still stand before them. I offer my flesh to their guns and their blades. That way, they may mark their own passing upon my skin. I will not hide behind armour.’

Codian frowned as he heard this. He retrieved the skull-faced helm hanging from his belt and slid it over his head, locking it in place with a slight twist.
‘I hide behind nothing, alien. My armour will show them what I am. I am Death personified, the Emperor’s wrath given form. I want them to see that as I relieve them of their debased lives.’
That was when the first screeching shudder ran through the ship.

‘The aft airlock!’ Andrasi hissed, leaning towards the flashing display before him. He turned towards the Space Marine, a look of foreboding spreading across his face.
‘You had better hope your Techpriest brother is on his way up here, Chaplain. The damn drones are coming in right next to him.’

+++

At the end of the darkened corridor, the airlock shook. The thick metal rumbled as it began to glow, the edges shimmering as they changed in hue from grey, to crimson and then orange. Bright blue sparks began to spill from the affected areas and patter across the deck like water and a keening wail grew steadily louder, its scream playing herald to the arrival of the attackers. Within moments, the rough circular hunk of metal at the centre of the ring of glowing fire burst inwards and the Tau automatons flooded through in silence, multiple searchlights piercing the gloom.

Large, heavy creations, built for smashing their way through reinforced steel, the tri-legged drones thundered out into the corridor, the glowing blue teeth of their twin pulse-cutters buzzing menacingly. Servos whined and footfalls thumped as they lurched forward, their smooth, domed sensor arrays turning from side to side as they hunted for any opposition.
They found Laenar waiting.

‘Laenar! This is Codian! Answer me!’
He hurtled around the corner, the deck quaking beneath his heavy boots. Sounds of conflict began to filter through to him, echoing along the seemingly endless corridors beyond.
There was conflict up ahead.

He turned another corner and ground to a halt, skidding over the smooth deck. A storm of alien metal swirled about the space, the Tau-forged technology illuminated by flashes and sparks as it came apart. Laenar stood at the centre of the maelstrom, a vast shadow of black carapace, the huge arms of his newly acquired servo-harness flailing about him. The plasma cutter crackled as it bisected one of the automatons, the two servo arms tearing another apart as if it were paper.
‘The Caesus.’ He growled dispassionately, his voice more alien and inhuman than it had ever been. ‘We cannot allow its capture.’

Codian thundered into the fray like a force of nature, his sacred weapon flashing as it cleaved the air in two. More of the machines fell, unable to defend themselves in such a small space.
‘For the Imperium! For Macragge and for Terra!’ He hollered, the words spilling from his mouth unbidden.
He pushed past the Techmarine and sprinted onwards; decapitating another drone with a fierce, upwards swing. His other hand found his bolt pistol and he thrust it forward, firing as he ran. The machines ahead began to stall and turn as he approached, only to shudder and break apart under the relentless assault.
‘Codian, come in! Chaplain!’
Berolinus’s voice barked over the vox, the sounds of the fight that accompanied it giving away the Marine’s proximity.
Codian ignored it. Up ahead he could see the breach.
Beyond that, the enemy ship.

[Razor Devil]

Part Eleven.

The face of the enemy.

The escape boat shook again, the thick bulkheads thrumming as they shuddered beneath the explosion. He threw himself back into the seat, the curves of his power pack sliding into the recess behind him. The restraint harness slid over his shoulders and fastened with a thick clunk by his hips, securing him in place.

Captain Artemon thundered through the door and into the small ship, his features alight with rage.
‘Damned Eldar! Treacherous alien scum! They will pay for this, every last one of them…’

Laenar was busy at the controls, the smooth flesh of his head illuminated by the many flashing runes before him.
‘We must secure ourselves as quickly as possible! The Wrath’s core is about to go critical!’
The deep red of the Techmarine’s armour disappeared for a moment as the space before him was thrown into shadow. He looked up to see the cold skull-helm of Codian towering above him.
The Chaplain lowered his hand and placed it on his shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was deep and calm.
‘This is not retreat, Marine. An Ultramarine’s first duty is to the Imperium. To die here and now would be to end that duty prematurely. We will live on to fight another day.’
With that he moved on to the next warrior, repeating the very same words over again.
The Champion Maximus nodded, his mighty sword clutched to his chest with both hands. As Codian moved away he turned to face him, the gold artifice of his magnificent armour sparkling in the light.
‘Duty is all, brother. Death is only a worthy sacrifice if it counts for something. To die needlessly is nought but waste.
Survive long enough, and perhaps one day you will be the one to wear this armour...’

‘Marine!’
He shook himself and glanced up to see the towering form of Laenar staring back, the eyes of his helm glowing red against the sheer blackness of his armour.
‘He has gone, warrior. Codian has taken the fight to the Tau.’

Lurom Berolinus was by far the youngest Marine among them, fresh out of the Scout companies. The intended boarding action against the Eldar was to have been his first mission as a fully-fledged battle brother. The others had thought him headstrong and perhaps a little over-eager, much to his annoyance.

Surely they could understand that this came from a simple desire to prove himself, to honour his Chapter and his brothers?
He thought back to the desperate escape from the dying cruiser, the Guilliman’s Wrath. Taking his place in the escape seat, the faces of the venerated warriors around him. Captain Artemon, the mighty Epistolary Kreusus, Chaplain Codian…
Maximus, the company Champion had taken his seat beside him. How he had longed to wear that armour, to honour that position.
And now…

The others ground to a halt behind him, their eyes falling upon the ruination about them. Umbras, the Demiurg and a small number of the ship’s crew, encased in thick carapace armour.
‘Gone?’ The Apothecary uttered, glancing around him.
‘He’s boarded the Tau ship.’ Berolinus answered, turning to peer beyond the Techmarine. ‘He would risk his life to guard this damned Mechanicus artefact.’

Grungi smiled.
‘He has a warrior’s heart, and a warrior’s greed for glory. I will not allow him to steal my thunder again.’
‘Nor will I.’ The Marine whispered, feeling his fingers tighten around the grip of his bolter.

+++

Codian thundered across the alien bridge, his soul aflame. He crossed the expanse in seven mighty strides, throwing himself through the gap and into the Tau ship without a second thought.
Straight into the path of the oncoming Tau.

He ground to a halt, his eyes finding the shifting mass before him. The alien creatures mirrored his actions, their boots grinding on the smooth surface as they slowed as one, alien features widening in surprise.
‘Blessed sanctity…’ He breathed.

They were nothing like the Tau he had known. They had the same smooth, grey skin, the same obsidian eyes. They sported the same armour, only vastly larger and more bulky.
That was were all similarities ended.

These were huge creatures, almost simian in their build. Each one more than matched the Chaplain in size and bulk, their shoulders and arms seeming almost comically oversized.
Each of the creatures carried a long, crackling staff, the tip glowing with coruscating blue energy. The twin gun-drones slaved to each of the six monstrosities turned as they detected the warrior’s presence, pulse rifles humming as they powered up.

‘Gue’la Marine.’
Something huge pushed its way through the gathered aliens, larger still than the rest of them. The creature stomped towards him, each footfall shaking the smooth ground. One arm was dominated by the unmistakeable elongated barrel and bulk of a railgun, one of the most potent of all the Tau’s ballistic weapons. In its other hand was a huge curved blade, decorated and crackling with arcane energy.
The alien turned its head at look at him; the thick augmetic welded over its left eye flaring briefly. It raised the gun in his direction and fired.

Codian leapt to the side as the screaming shell punched its way through the air, a glowing corkscrew contrail shimmering in its wake.
The projectile drove itself into the thick bulkhead by his head, punching a wide hole through the alien steel as if it were made of paper.
He fell to one knee and fired out at the warrior in retaliation. The two thick drones hovering above it shifted forward and the shells shattered one by one amid a flash of blue light, almost as if they had struck some invisible wall.
The creature was shielded.

‘Shas’Kayon! Destroy it!’ The towering Shas’O roared.
Codian reared up and started forward as the alien levelled its massive gun once more and fired another shell.
The powerful shot slammed into his chest with such force that it lifted him clear off his feet and threw him back through the airlock and onto the bridge. He landed hard on his back, his weapons skittering away across the smooth surface.
As one, the hulking Tau advanced.

Something large and fast thundered past the downed Chaplain and through the open iris, a blur of blue armour.
‘Alien murderers!’ Berolinus roared, his bolter shuddering as he fired from the hip. Two of the warriors fell, their armour shattering like glass as the bolt rounds exploded inside them. The rest charged, their slaved gun drones unleashing a storm of pulse fire so thick that it was impossible to avoid.

Berolinus lowered his head and strode on, his massive frame shuddering as the alien fire shattered against it. Still the bolter in his hands continued to fire until it was torn from his grasp amid a flash of sparks.
‘You will not stop me, filth! I am an Ultramarine!’ He roared, tearing a frag grenade from his belt. He primed the device and charged, finding the first of the attackers within seconds. He jammed the grenade into the groove of the alien’s neck armour and pushed it away, feeling the intense backwash of heat behind him as it detonated.
He fell to one knee and snatched the warrior’s fallen weapon from the floor. He rose again sharply, twirling the staff around his head, fragments of armour falling like rain about him as the drones above came apart.

Pulse fire continued to slam into him, tearing great chunks from his armour. Sharp pangs of pain coursed through him and he sagged, feeling one of his hearts burst in his chest.
They were killing him.

He roared in anger and charged forward, taking the head of another of the attackers with a powerful lunge.
The gathered gun drones began to shudder and sway, disconnected from their masters. Indiscriminate pulse fire filled the corridor as they wheeled and spun, hard-wired synaptic overrides struggling to assert themselves.

The massive Shas’O lurched forward and smashed the crackling staff from his hand, shattering it with a single blow. Berolinus staggered back, stunned by the ferocity of the attack.
The alien thrust its hoof forward and smashed it into his head, knocking him to the ground.

His vision began to dim. He could feel the blood gushing from his damaged organ, congealing within his chest. His left hand was all but useless, the armour that encased it blackened and smouldering. The Tau raised the huge gun in its hand…

The Marine tore his combat knife from its case and rammed it into the alien’s exposed neck, driving the blade right to the hilt. The Tau gargled and dropped its staff, its fingers clutching at its throat. Berolinus saw his opening and thrust his fist into the Tau’s stomach, buckling the thick armour there. He snatched the barrel of the railgun and spun, throwing the Tau into his back and ripping the weapon free of its grasp.
‘Run.’ He growled, hefting the huge rifle up before him. Blood gushing from its neck, the Tau turned on its heel, a look of horror spreading across its grey face.
It had taken no more than three striding steps before a piercing scream spilt the air and it fell to the ground, the shield drones above it convulsing and falling in a shower of sparks, their generators overloaded. The gun shrieked again and the Shas’O came apart at the midriff in a wash of violet blood, its limbs scattering violently as its torso disintegrated.

Kneeling, the Ultramarine lowered the huge gun, hissing blue smoke curling from its long barrel.
‘The wrath of Ultramar has found you, xenos.’ He whispered, the eyes of his helm glowing scarlet in the half-gloom.
He staggered to his feet, the sounds of hurried footsteps filling the bridge behind him. He dropped the gun to the floor and spread his arms wide, his head falling back, and he screamed.
‘The wrath of Ultramar has found you all!’

[Razor Devil]

Does anyone actually read this? If they don't I'm closing it.

[Razor Devil]

Hey opened it again for some people who want to read it. Liking it so far?

[Lord_Crull]

I do like it very much.

[Razor Devil]

Part Twelve.

Counterstrike.

‘Brother, let me tend to your wounds.’ Umbras uttered, holding out his hand to steady the punished Marine.

Berolinus swept his hand away fiercely.

‘Leave me, Apothecary! Our Chaplain is in greater need of your attention. I go to finish this.’

Grungi ground to a halt by his side, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he looked upon the huge alien weapon in the warrior’s hands.

‘You heard him. The lad hungers for retribution! Let us seek it together.’

The Apothecary watched as the two figures turned and thundered out into the alien ship, defiant and unafraid. Part of him longed to join them, though his duty was to tend to the fallen.

He continued to stare out into the ship for a moment longer before turning his attention back towards the smouldering body of the Chaplain.

‘Fallen brother…’ He whispered solemnly, staring at the distorted skull set into the centre of Codian’s chest armour.

‘To fall before the enemy is no dishonour. To give your life in the service of the Imperium is to honour He Who Sits in Judgement. Rest well, and know that your seed will be preserved.’

The small chainblade attached to his arm began to buzz angrily and he lowered himself on to one knee, gazing at the huge blackened dent before him.

‘Brother Umbras…’

Umbras leapt to his feet so suddenly that he almost fell back, a long gasp of disbelief hissing from the grille of his rebreather.

‘Blessed Guilliman…’

The Chaplain sat bolt upright, faint smoke curling from his between the joints below his neck. He hauled himself to his feet and glanced around, soon spying his scattered weapons.

‘Brother Codian, you live.’ Umbras uttered, unable to believe his own eyes.

Codian said nothing. He glanced down to where the blackened rosarius hanging forlornly across his chest, its bejewelled centre shattered and smoking.

‘The Emperor protects.’

Umbras nodded slowly and then bowed his head, one arm laid across his chest.

The Chaplain slid his bolt pistol back into its holster and then wrapped his hand around the small cross, ripping the chain from his neck.

‘This has saved my life many times.’ He declared, handing the relic to Umbras. ‘Now it is all down to faith and resolve. The Emperor will be my shield now. The others. I take it they have advanced into the enemy ship?’

‘Yes Chaplain. They thirst for vengeance.’

‘So do I.’ He replied. ‘And I will find it yet.’

Berolinus threw himself around the corner and smashed the barrel of the huge gun into the face of the Tau warrior heading their way, crushing his head into the smooth walls. The alien grunted and fell with a thud, the impact shaking the floor.

The Marine frowned. He had put all his strength into the blow and such an attack would normally have near decapitated an opponent. These Tau were much stronger and robust than anything he had encountered before.

He hefted the gun up and out before him, firing off a single round into the advancing squad. The charging aliens froze as one, the screeching projectile punching its way through the packed flesh as if it were cutting through fresh air. Torsos disintegrated and bodies fell apart as what was left of the creatures crashed to the floor amid a fine spray of dark blood.

Grungi barrelled past him and tore into the survivors, a blur of flailing, spinning death. The glowing weapon-fist twirled about him and the staggering warriors came apart violently, unable to defend themselves from such an aggressive attack.

‘Never give the enemy any quarter.’ The grinning Demiurg snarled, his scarred face glistening with the dark fluids of his enemies.

‘Always finish what you start. It takes a lot to keep a Fire warrior down for good.’

Berolinus checked the reservoir of the weapon and then nodded at the scattered and bloody mess.

‘What happened to them? Those abominations are far removed from the Tau warriors of my time.’
Grungi grinned again, his augmetic shining malevolently.

‘The Tau didn’t conquer this galaxy with ignorance, human. They recognise strength wherever it may lie. If it is effective, then they absorb it. If it cannot be absorbed, they emulate it. I will leave you to piece the rest together.’

With that the squat warrior turned and pointed down the corridor, his other smouldering fist retracting back into his arm.

‘You hear those sirens? The whole damn ship will soon be coming to greet us. It is all very well taking on the vessel’s entire compliment of Shas Kayon but if we are to make this little jaunt count then we need to maximise the advantage of surprise. We should head this way, and we should get there as soon as we are able.’

‘Why? What do you have planned?’

Grungi flicked his head back, throwing the lank crimson dreadlocks up over his face.

‘You will see. You had better pray to your Emperor that these grey-skinned Ork trucklers have been busy.’

+++

Codian’s rage burned fiercer than ever now. Each lunging stride shook the floor beneath, almost as if the ship itself quaked at his passing.

He threw himself around the corner, the barrel of his bolt pistol hunting the space beyond. More scattered bodies, their blood painting the walls. Berolinus and the Demiurg had certainly come this way.

The sounds of gunfire drifted through the charnel heavy air from somewhere up ahead. Good, he thought to himself. They were still alive, still causing havoc amongst the xenos scum.

‘Halt! Lay down your weapons and surrender!’

He froze. He turned slowly to see a number of armed warriors converging at the mouth of the access way to his side.

‘I mean it, Marine! Do as I say or we’ll cut you down where you stand!’

He looked on at the gathering, feeling the bile rise in his throat. They were human.

The leader of the squad turned to the others and muttered something before turning his attention back towards the Marine. The others raised their pulse rifles his way, the tiny red pinpricks of their targeters swimming across his black armour.

‘Imperial filth. You are all the same, too stubborn and stupid to realise the absolute authority of the Great Unity. Dead or alive, you will serve our masters. Fi…’

The Gue’vesa’ui lurched back, his chest disintegrating beneath the detonation of the bolter shell. The rest of the soldiers scattered almost immediately, firing as they went.

Pulse fire tore into Codian’s armour from all angles, tearing ceramite away in strips. He felt his body being jolted violently under each blast, the ancient armour groaning as it was compressed and seared.

He swung the pistol out took another three of the traitors clean off their feet in the space of a second, and by the time they had hit the ground he was into them, roaring in anger as he took them apart.

The single surviving soldier turned his rifle around and smashed it into the giant’s helmet, only to look on helplessly as the weapon shattered and spun away, his opponent never even flinching.

The man sighed and he cast the remainder of the gun aside, his shoulders sagging. He looked up into the blazing eyes of his would-be killer.

‘Go on then, do it. Kill me.’

Codian holstered his pistol, reached out and plucked the man from the floor, the fingers of his gauntlet tightening around his neck.

‘Worthless, traitorous scum. Death is too good a fate for you. Death is…’

‘My escape, Marine.’ The man spat, his hard, lined features creasing in pain. ‘My release. My absolution. I deserve to die by your hand so kill me and be done. I will not resist.’

Codian released his grip and the soldier fell to the floor, a tangle of limbs. He looked on as the defeated man removed the alien helmet and cast it aside, a look of disgust etched upon his weathered face. His cropped hair was flecked with grey and thinning, indicating his advancing years.

‘You are Guard.’ Codian snarled, towering over the dejected figure.

‘Kasrkin, Cadian 415th. The worst kind of traitor, Marine, so serve me the Emperor’s justice and be done with it.’

The Chaplain did not answer. He lowered himself slowly onto his haunches so that the snarling skull of his helm was almost touching the traitor’s glistening skin.

‘Not a chance, filth. You seek atonement for your defection by offering your life to me. You believe that the Emperor will see this as repentance and grant you forgiveness. I will not give you this satisfaction.’

With that he rose once more, the wailing alarms still screeching about him.

‘No!’ The former Cadian shouted, leaping to his feet. He snatched one of his fallen comrades’ rifles up from the floor and thrust it towards the Chaplain, his face a mask of rage.

‘Kill me! Kill me or I swear that I will shoot you! I will not die a traitor!’

Codian shook his head and drew his bolt pistol once more, turning to follow the trial of death and destruction.

‘Then shoot, turncoat. Compound your sins.’ He uttered, his back to the man.

The Cadian spat and lowered the gun, his anger draining away.

‘You don’t understand, Marine. You weren’t on Cadia when the Tau came. They would have killed them all if we hadn’t complied. They would have murdered the populace, even the children. We had to…we had to…’

‘This way. Where does it lead?’

The soldier looked up to see the Marine pointing out down the corridor with his hand weapon.

‘I…I don’t…’

‘Where does it lead?’ He repeated again, firmer this time. ‘Death is not always the most fitting way to gain repentance. I know of the Kasrkin, Cadian. I know of their fierce honour. You have sullied the memory of that honour. Why not join me and find your honourable death while you still can?’

The soldier’s face slowly changed, his expression hardening. He retrieved his open-faced helmet and slid it back onto his head, gathering as many pulse power cells as he was able to carry.

‘The holding pens, Marine. That is where your captive brethren lie in wait.’

Codian froze as he heard this, taken aback by the Cadian’s words.

‘My captive brethren? What do you mean?’

The soldier pushed past him and paused, a look of bemusement etched upon his face.

‘Marines, warrior. Dozens of them. You are here to rescue them, yes? Why else would you board a Lar’shi?’

With that the soldier flicked his head in the direction he intended them to take and moved out, leaving Codian frozen to the spot.

Marines. Dozens of them.

[Razor Devil]

Part Thirteen.

Deathwatch.


The Cadian lowered himself slowly and peered around the corner, his pulse rifle shouldered. Moments later he slipped out into the corridor and began to feign a stagger, the sound of footsteps growing louder.

‘Marine intruders! Marine intruders have infiltrated sectors five through seven!’ He shouted, thrusting a finger out past the opening and towards the chambers beyond.

The large Gue’vesa squad thundered past him, a mass of stomping boots and swinging guns. He waited for a moment more and then followed them to the nearby doorway, where he slowed and then stopped, allowing the automated hatch to close. Once it had he raised his gun and fired point blank at an area close to the hatches recess, buckling the smooth metal sufficiently enough to prevent it opening again.

‘It is safe, Marine.’ He uttered, turning and passing the huge shadow. Codian emerged from his concealment and followed; his brisk stride more than enough to keep up with the jogging man.

Within minutes the two figures had reached a large doorway. The soldier slowed, creeping up to the opening with his gun at the ready, stepping over the scattered Tau bodies strewn about the corridor.

‘We are here. The holding pens. From here on in we must exercise caution. It sounds as if there is a fight ahead.’

Codian was about to answer him when something huge thundered through the doorway, scattering the startled soldier. The fleeing Tau warrior had sprinted no more than two paces when he came apart, his entire torso vaporising.

The Chaplain raised his arms and the creature’s remains bounced off his armour, leaving a bloody residue where they had connected.

‘What the hell was that?’ The Cadian cried, springing to his feet.

‘The advance party.’ Codian answered, turning on his heel as the space behind them came alive.

The first salvo smashed against his punished armour, knocking him to the floor. By the time he realised what was happening the entire corridor had come alive, the overhead lights sliding over the mass of smooth armour filling his vision.

The heavy gun drones filled the air with their pulsing drone as they veered into sight, the twin barrels of their pulse cannons spinning a web of glowing death out at the two figures.

The Cadian cursed loudly and threw himself through the entrance, pulse fire tearing up the walls around him. He emerged seconds later, his own alien rifle flashing as it returned the malicious attack.

Codian hauled himself to his feet as drones began to crash into the walls and fall to the floor, picked off by the expert aim of his newfound ‘colleague’. He added his own firepower to the exchange, dropping another three of the automatons in quick succession.

‘Move it Marine! There are too many of them to face and more will follow!’

He found himself responding without hesitation, ignoring the many wounds strewn about his body as he turned and threw himself through the opening, enemy fire exploding all around him. He threw himself into a forward roll and came up onto his feet, blue death zipping all around him.

Then he saw it.

The chamber was in total chaos. More Tau bodies lay scattered all around, bloodied and broken. These creatures were somehow different, smaller and stockier, with none of the armour of a Tau warrior. They were the workers and technicians of the Earth caste, and it was clear that they had not expected their fate.

Fire warriors and drones lay in heaps around the many entrances lining the chamber, cut down where they had tried in vain to enter.

‘There are more of them than ever, Marine! I cannot hold them back!’ The Cadian called behind him.

‘Then fall back and follow me!’

He turned and began to run deeper into the chamber, the Cadian hot on his heels. There was a low booming clap and a flash of light seconds later, followed by the sounds of crackling electrical discharge.

‘Haywire grenade.’ He heard the soldier utter, his voice fraught with effort.

The two warriors sprinted further into the vast chamber, chased by the sounds of the advancing enemy.

Codian could almost feel the ship shifting around him, the many and varied forces of the enemy steadily mobilising as they began to realise what was happening.

A handful of warriors could only fight an entire ship for so long.

The Cadian slowed beside another hatch, turning to wave him through.

‘In here, quickly.’

Codian ducked through the opening and the hatch closed behind him. The soldier tapped in quick code and the door hummed, sealed tightly in place.

‘Okay Marine, we do not have long.’ He warned, turning to the small console station in front of him. He worked quickly, his efforts producing a glowing holographic representation of the surrounding sectors.

‘Patrols are closing on our position.’ He announced, working the console once again. ‘I’m going to try and redirect them but I can’t guarantee success. Your comrades are located within the main holding cell block and most of the response units are converging there. I’ll see if I can delay the reinforcements long enough for your friends to open the cells.’

‘I do not understand. Who do these cells hold?’

The Cadian glanced his way and frowned, as if Codian had just asked him the most foolish question he had ever heard.

‘I told you before. Your brothers. This is a hunter ship, Marine.’

He tapped another few keys and the display changed again, this time expanding, small human-shaped representations spreading and multiplying in the air before him in neat lines, fringed with strange alien symbols.

‘Thirty two in total. Living, that is. I do not know how many have already been processed before them.’

Codian gasped, his eyes fixed upon the shimmering picture.

‘I don’t understand.’

The soldier shook his head and retrieved the rifle from beside him, his scarred features twisted with confusion.

‘This ship is a Marine hunter, surely you know that already? I assumed that you and your colleagues had boarded it intending to rescue those captured.’

‘No. The ship found us. We had no choice but to counter attack.’

Upon hearing this the soldier tipped his head to one side.

‘The ship was hunting for you? Let me get this straight, are you the Marines who escaped O’Mogdrak on Ryza?’

‘If you mean the grey Ork, then yes. The next time we meet I will finish him.’

The Cadian gasped quietly and then smiled, falling to one knee before the astonished Chaplain.

‘It is you. It is an honour to meet the warrior who bested O’Mogdrak. We didn’t even know if the rumours were true and now, Emperor’s light, I fight alongside you. It has to be destiny, warrior. I believe the Emperor Himself guided me to you.’

Codian turned away from the man and found the display once more.

‘You say that there are captive Marines on board this vessel, and that my colleagues fight to free them.’

‘Yes, lord.’

‘Then we will join that fight. If the drones have passed us by then they are heading towards the others and we can’t allow that.’

+++

Berolinus fell to one knee, his shoulder guard spinning away amid a flash of neon blue. He fired again and another Tau warrior came apart with a thunderous wet clap.

‘Marine! Above the doorway!’ Grungi barked.

He glanced up and saw the walkway above, suspended by a number of thick cables. He lifted the railgun and fired, severing one of them. The entire walkway groaned and then swung down, smashing into the opening and scattering the warriors trying to push through.

Grungi nodded his head in gruff acknowledgement and then nodded towards a large iris set into the centre of the chamber’s largest wall, the hulking Shas warriors that had stood guard around it sprawled lifelessly across the floor.

Berolinus shouldered the huge gun and jogged over to where the Demiurg stood in wait, glancing at the dead creatures as he closed.

‘Shas Kayon Marine Hunters.’ Grungi growled, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. ‘O’Kir’la’s best. Lumbering oafs at best, every one of them.’

The Marine found himself intrigued by the dead alien warriors. Huge creatures, they seemed as far removed again from the rest of the Tau he had faced here onboard the ship. They were clad in thick, blood-red armour and sported a golden cape draped around one shoulder, giving them an almost regal appearance. Each of them carried a long ceremonial staff ending in a thick blue crystal blade, and it was clear that this weapon was used for both ranged and close quarter fighting.

He stooped low and picked one of the fallen weapons up, swinging the strap around his shoulder.

Grungi smiled.

‘You seem to be amassing quite a collection of trophies, Marine.’

‘This O’Kir’la. Who is he?’ Berolinus asked, ignoring the Demiurg’s comments.

‘Shas’O Vior’la Kir’la Mont’re Kayon. He is the Unity’s greatest Marine hunter, a hero among his people. This is his ship, Marine.’

‘Hmm. Then perhaps you had better show me why he feels the need to keep whatever lies beyond that door guarded.’

Grungi turned and stepped aside, holding out a hand towards the thick iris. He nodded at the railgun leaning against the Marine’s shoulder.


There was a thunderous boom and the door disintegrated, sending blackened metal clattering out into the room. The two figures stepped through the opening, wreathed in smoke.

‘Blessed Ultramar…’ Berolinus gasped, stepping into the dimly-lit chamber.

Grungi smiled again.

+++

Codian thundered into the terrified Gue’vesa squad like a vengeful wraith, a living, roiling mass of murderous shadow. The soldiers scattered, dropping their rifles as they fled the roaring warrior.

One or two of the older men stood their ground, falling to one knee, their rifles shouldered. Hissing pulse fire picked them off, one by one, each single shot killing its target cleanly and without quarter.

The Cadian sprinted out from behind cover and disappeared once again, more pulse fire zipping from his new position seconds later.

Within moments it was done, and Codian sealed the door by jamming the head of his crozius into the control panel, causing the small metal box to smoulder and run like quicksilver.

‘We are almost there. The entrance is…Creed’s lament! Look at that!’

Codian turned and glanced out to where the soldier was pointing, his voice heavy with disbelief.

A shattered metal iris was set into the wall at the other end of the chamber, the circular hole blackened and smouldering. Dead Tau were scattered about it like fallen leaves, slaughtered without hesitation. He looked on in disbelief as armoured bodies began to stride through the opening, one after another, faltering slightly as they laid eyes on the two figures. After what seemed an age the line dwindled and then stopped, Berolinus and Grungi the last two bodies to emerge.

‘Brother-Chaplain!’ Berolinus called, breaking into a jog. He reached the astonished Chaplain and slowed, dropping the alien rifle to the ground as he did so.

He removed his helmet and bowed his head, congealed blood streaked across his face.

‘Marines, brother. We have found Marines here.’ He gasped, his breathing laboured.

Codian placed a hand on the warrior’s shoulder and then stepped past him, deactivating and sheathing his crozius as he did so. He stopped before the assembled warriors, the crimson eyes of his helm shining as he glanced at each one of them in turn.

‘Warriors of the Emperor. I am Chaplain Daelo Codian of the Ultramarines, and I salute you.’

[Calif]

Bravo, very interesting.
I want to know how this end

Cheers, Calif

[Razor Devil]

Part Fourteen.

Fallen Son.

+++ THE SHRINE WORLD OF GEHENNA+++
+++SEGMENTUM SOLAR+++
+++THREE DAYS AFTER THE FALL OF SCILLUBUS BINARY +++

Ventris opened his eyes and turned as the light beyond the small chamber spilled through the open doorway.

‘You disturb my meditation. What is it?’

The Marine bowed his head and entered unbidden, falling to one knee before the ancient Ultramarine.

‘Forgive me, Ancient. I have been sent to bring you to the Warmaster. He needs your counsel immediately.’

‘Very well.’

Ventris rose slowly, bowing his head one last time before the golden statue of the Emperor before him. The robed Sororitas attendant beside him passed the folded banner to him and bowed her head before turning to extinguish the scented candles laid about the effigy, making her own silent blessing before the sacred image as she did so.

He stepped out of the small chapel and into the harsh sunlight, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt the warm sun hit his lined face.

The sounds of distant explosions filtered through his ears and he opened his eyes once more.

The chapel overlooked a huge, sprawling valley, the endless fields stretching out beyond as far as the eye could see. On the furthest reaches of the horizon the skies were black with smoke, the very mountains themselves seeming to shimmer and distort.

‘Damn them.’ He uttered, his azure eyes fixed upon the distant conflict. ‘They snap at out heels wherever we go. Scillubus is lost, and now they are here, almost at the gates of Terra herself.’

‘We will not falter, my lord.’ The Marine beside him uttered, banging his bolt gun against his chest. ‘They can beat us back to Terra but she will not fall.’

Ventris sighed and turned away from the distant scene, feeling the weight of the long centuries settle heavy on his shoulders.

‘We are losing, warrior. It pains my heart to speak so, but it is the cold, hard truth. If we lose Gehenna then we will be forced back beyond Pluto to where the rest of the Promethius fleet fights to conquer Saturn. We will be confined to a single system. We are running out of options, Marine. If we join the fight for Saturn then we will leave Terra wide open. If we fall back to Terra, Saturn will be consumed. Either way, we will bring the elements of Promethius back together. Our greatest hope lies in the retrieval of the Caesus and the brave warriors that fight to deliver it to us.’

The Marine beside him did not answer. Ventris turned as he realised that something was wrong.

‘You seem troubled. Tell me, why does the Warmaster request my audience so desperately?’
Finally, the warrior spoke.

‘The war, Ancient. It seems that the war advances faster than we had anticipated.’

‘Explain.’

‘Kraken, my lord. It nows seems that elements of the fleet left the Ultima Segmentum sooner than was first thought. That is why we are struggling to slow the Tau advance here. The Alliance Strategium now believes that almost half of Kraken has merged with Promethius in their fight to take the Segmentum Solar.’

‘Damn.’ Ventris whispered, baring his teeth. ‘Little wonder then that we are struggling to keep them at bay. Our entire forces are distributed unevenly. It is all beginning to make sense now. The Alliance Strategium had calculated that we should have had the strength to destroy the elements of Prometheus that were hunting us and fall back in time to crush the other half against Saturn’s defences, denying Leviathan’s attempts to join the fight. This should have been straightforward, and yet the Unity played us for fools. Damn it, they outsmarted us! Is the Warmaster aware of all this?’

‘Yes, Ancient.’

‘Good. Take me to him, warrior. We must plan our next move if we are to keep the Unity from the Emperor’s seat.’

‘It…it is not as simple as that.’

Ventris frowned as he heard this, his eyes narrowing.

‘The advance elements of Kraken brought something with them. Something we had all hoped to be no more than a rumour, a lie spread by the Tau.’

The Ancient emitted a soft, choking gasp, his massive form visibly swaying, almost as if pushed by some physical force.

‘No. Blessed Macragge, no. Tell me that you are mistaken.’

The Marine removed his helmet and folded it under one arm. Hot tears ran down his face, a face creased with pain and agony. He was visibly shaking.

‘My lord, I…I swear to you that I speak the truth. It has been confirmed. Damn the Tau, it has been confirmed. They have done it. They have done what we could not.’

Ventris sagged and fell to his knees, slamming the pole of the banner deep into the earth. The ancient standard unfurled and caught the breeze, unfolding to reveal the sacred image of the Ultramarines.

‘The b------s have brought the Primarch to Gehenna, my lord. Guilliman fights for the Tau.’

Ventris did not answer. He released his hold on the banner, threw his head back, and roared.

‘Noooooooooooo!’

[Razor Devil]

Part Fifteen.

Brothers In Arms.


‘Never!’

The other Shas’la cowered before the mighty commander, fearful of his wrath. Shas’O Vior’la Kir’la Mont’re Kayon bunched his fists and anger and then punched the wall, buckling the thick metal.

He turned and stared accusingly at the gathered faces, his single eye a bottomless pool of obsidian. Ragnar Blackmane, the only Marine ever to escape his clutches had put out his other eye long ago, leaving a milky white orb set into a face-long scar. He still wore the ancient warrior’s severed hand around his neck as both a trophy and a reminder.

‘How dare they? How dare they board my vessel and make war with me? I will take the head of this Marine myself!’

O’Kir’la was a huge beast, larger than any other Tau. His thick crimson armour lent him even more girth and size. The twin barrels of his shoulder-mounted pulse cannons protruded high above his head when they were at rest, ready to slide over his shoulder guards when activated. His full-length golden cloak was swept back over his arms, revealing fists the size of a man’s head.

His scalp-lock hung by the side of his scarred face, longer than any of those around him, a clear indicator of his rank.

‘Mobilise every available unit we have! Shas Kayon, Gue’vesa and drones!’ He commanded, sliding his own huge pulse-staff from over his shoulder.
‘We will annihilate them all!’

+++

Codian found himself facing a wall of silent inexpressive faces. Some were battered and bloody, others caked in grime. All seemed quite unmoved to have been saved from incarceration. The Marines were all members of the Deathwatch, this much was apparent by the black-painted ceramite they wore, accompanied by the ornate silver shoulder guard and gauntlet that were part of the faction’s identity.

They were all thankfully armed, their weapons no doubt retrieved from whatever passed for a munitions impound on this alien vessel.

‘Who is in charge here?’ He ordered, striding along the assembled throng.

‘I suppose I am.’

The gathering parted and the figure pushed his way through to stand before the Chaplain, the multiple blades of his lightning claws glinting under the chamber’s lights as he advanced.

Codian saw almost at once that this warrior was a member of the Librarium a heartbeat before he became aware of the individual’s potent psychic presence.

‘I am Ligur, brother Marine, and it would seem that I hold the highest rank amongst these men. We are…grateful for your aid.’

Codian glanced at the warrior-psyker’s opposing shoulder guard and frowned, his eyes finding the unfamiliar markings there. In place of the usual Chapter insignia was a depiction of the Imperial eagle, the symbol of the Tau torn in two and held in its claws.

He was about to query this when he noticed that the Warrior seemed to be staring at his own Chapter markings, a look of dubious confusion spreading across his face. Some of the others around him had begun to notice this too and were starting to shift uneasily, passing quiet comments amongst themselves.

‘Is there a problem?’

‘You wear the colours of the Ultramarines, Chaplain. When we first laid eyes on your battle brother we assumed that he had merely liberated his armour from some mouldering battlefield corpse, an act borne of desperation that is all too common amongst the Astartes now. Now I can see that this is not the case. Why do you still bear the markings of an Ultramarine?’

‘Because that is what I am, and I am proud to do so, Librarian. Just because Macragge is lost to us doesn’t mean that I would readily abandon all that I am. I am surprised that you would even quest…’

Grungi sighed and pushed his way between the two Marines, shaking his head.

‘By the mighty League of Thor, we don’t have time for all this! The entire damned ship will be dropping in on us soon!’

He turned to the Librarian and held up his hands, shaking his lank mane from his eyes as he did so.

‘Listen, we don’t have time for lengthy introductions, so here it is. This is Codian. He has just spent the last six hundred years in stasis and so he missed the whole fall of the galaxy thing. He’s an original. Grak, he’s a genuine Ancestor Lord in the flesh! He doesn’t know about the Alliance Solar or the Grand Honour Guard. He has barely had his eyes open for a week and he has already brought O’Kir’la down on our heads!’

Ligur waved one huge paw at the short alien and stepped forward, a look of surprise replacing his frown.

‘You are the warrior that bested O’Mogdrak on Ryza? Blessed Macragge! I thought you nothing more than a rumour.’

Codian glanced at the soldier beside him and then back at the Librarian.

‘It would certainly seem that my reputation precedes me. Good. I am the one who spared the xenos creature’s life, if only to send the message back to the Tau. We have a mission to fulfil, Ligur. We took possession of an artefact on Ryza…’

‘The Caesus! You have the Caesus!’ The warrior gasped, his eyes glowing brightly for a fleeting second.

‘Then it is true. By all that is sacred, it is true.’

‘Yes, we have this relic onboard our vessel. It is imperative that we deliver it to Calgar. That is all we know.’

Ligur did not answer. He turned on his heel and began barking orders at the gathered warriors, sending a ripple of activity through the assembled throng.
‘Form up, brothers! Five-man teams, standard arms displacement! One heavy bolter per team and at least one combat specialist!’

The warriors began to shift and disperse, quickly reforming into small groups. Ligur saw this and turned back to face the Chaplain.

‘I assume the ship you were travelling on is currently held fast by the Lar’shi’s gravitic hooks?’

‘The ship was seized, yes.’

Ligur nodded and turned back to face the assembled Marines once again, his lightning claws igniting.

‘Brothers, our original mission still stands. We have been given a chance and we will not waste it. As before, we need one squad to head for the reactor chambers, another to disable the ship’s gravity generators.
Our mission here is now more important than ever, for we have a chance to deliver the salvation of the Imperium into the hands of the Emperor. Who will give their lives for our cause?’

Without hesitation or thought, two of the Marines stepped forward, their heads bowed. Ligur nodded.

‘Die well, my brothers. Make them pay for every drop of your blood that they spill.’

With that the two warriors and their teams headed off into the bowels of the ship, their selfless task underway.

‘It is the way of the Deathwatch, Chaplain.’ Ligur uttered, sensing Codian’s thoughts. ‘Death is inevitable amongst our kind. The best any of us can hope for is to die with honour. Now we must leave this ship. O’Kir’la will be hunting for us even as we speak. We will accompany you back to your vessel and ensure that the Caesus escapes the clutches of the Tau.’

Codian bowed his head sharply and made to turn.

That was when O’Kir’la found them.

‘Mariiiiiiiiiiiiiiines!’ A thunderous voice roared, causing the gathered warriors to freeze. Something huge and fast hurtled into the far end of the chamber, a vision of burning anger.

‘The beast has found us.’ He heard Ligur growl, and seconds later two of the warriors fell, searing pulse fire punching holes through their armour.

Codian caught a glancing hit to the shoulder and went down, the integrity and artifice of his ancient ceramite armour saving him from serious injury.

More Tau warriors began to filter through into the chamber, their pulse staffs alive and thrumming. A hail of glowing death slammed into the Marines, felling more of the armoured giants. Codian felt thick hands wrap around his arm and haul him to his feet roughly. Ligur’s gnarled face appeared before him, his ethereal eyes glowing with an ominous fire.

‘Fall back to your ship, Codian. Fulfil your task. We will hold the enemy as long as we can.’

The Librarian pushed him aside and spun around to face the threat, his fists bunched and his claws thrumming as they powered up. He roared something unintelligible and the light around his head seemed to shimmer and distort. A huge shimmering blue fireball of screaming light burst from his armoured form and roared across the open space, spreading and growing until it hit the advancing aliens, bowling them bodily off their feet as it passed by.

A number of the warriors screamed and shuddered, armour peeling from their bodies as their skin turned black, a ghostly light spilling from their open mouths and eyes.

O’Kir’la crossed his huge arms before him and weathered the psychic blow, the phenomenon nonetheless causing him to slide back several feet.

‘Hah! Pathetic, Ligur, as always! I will take your head this time, Marine filth!’

The aging Librarian snarled and sprang forward, bolter fire zipping through the air past him. The huge Tau commander lowered his arms and wheeled to face him, his twin pulse cannons spinning out a hail of glowing fire at his hurtling form.

Ligur danced around the stitching fire, displaying a speed and agility that greatly belied his towering form. He landed on his haunches and sprang forward, twisting in the air, his claws flashing.

The first blow separated one of the pulse cannons barrels cleanly amid a shower of sparks, sending it twisting away. The second was parried by the alien’s staff, likewise the third and the fourth. Ligur landed and the hulking alien smashed the weapon’s haft into the back of his psychic hood, sending him rolling on his shoulder to land upright on one knee, his arms out by his side.

‘So slow, Ligur. So inadequate.’ O’Kir’la mocked, his grey features contorting into the equivalent of a Tau smile.

‘You are a shadow of the warrior you used to be. Perhaps it is fitting that I end your life here and now, while you still have the respect of your subordinates.’

The Librarian frowned, rising slowly to his full height.

‘Arrogant xenos scum. I took an oath that I would be the one to destroy you. That oath still stands. Sooner or later you will fall before me. The last thing you ever see will be my face, O’Kir’la. It is as I have seen.’

The commander emitted a sharp, rasping clacking sound, mocking the defiant warrior. He gestured around him at the rising conflict, Marine against Shas Kayon.

‘I grow tired of such claims, Marine. You have vowed to kill me again and again and yet I still live. I know of your powers all too well. Tell me, Ligur, is this the day I die?’

The psyker sneered again and closed his eyes, a shimmering mist playing about his head. His entire body seemed to quiver and distort for less than a second and then he vanished and reappeared once more, almost as if reality itself had blinked.

He smiled.

‘The veil of time has spoken, xenos.’ Was all he had to say.

‘Then we shall see.’ Came O’Kir’la’s reply.

Ligur pounced, his lightning claws pulsing. O’Kir’la countered, sweeping the crackling staff before him with a blow that should have taken the Marine’s head from his shoulders. The Librarian raised one claw and batted the blow aside, a look of calm softening his craggy face. The Tau swung again, only to have his attack turned aside by the silent warrior, sparks coruscating from the two weapons.

‘I have seen!’ He announced, smashing aside another fearsome blow. ‘I have seen how this conflict ends! I have seen all I need to see, xenos! I know how this ends!’

Ligur stepped back and thrust his arm out, turning at the hip. A hulking shape loomed over his shoulder, its progress halted in the blink of an eye. The Tau warrior ground to a halt, its midriff impaled upon the Librarian’s blades. He dropped his staff to the floor and folded, his intended attack thwarted.

Ligur withdrew his hand and the dead warrior fell to the floor in a heap, broken and done.

‘You see.’ He uttered, a smile spreading across his scarred face. ‘The Emperor reveals the truth to those he favours. This fight is already over and done.’

[Lord_Crull]

Thank you.

[Razor Devil]

For what? It isn't finished yet.

[Razor Devil]

Part Sixteen.

A Desperate Flight.



Codian looked on as the two warriors entered into combat once more, trading blows powerful enough to shatter the stars. The Librarian seemed different now, his every move blocking the Tau’s murderous efforts the split-second they were made. Around the mighty conflict the two sides fought, a furious exchange of fire filling the air.

‘Brother Codian…’

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, finding Berolinus standing there, his armour torn open in a dozen places.

‘We must fall back while there is still time.’

Codian nodded and turned to leave, only to hesitate almost immediately.

‘This isn’t right.’ He uttered, bunching his fists. ‘We cannot leave these warriors to their fate.’

Somewhere in the distance a thunderous explosion rocked the ship, causing the lights to flicker and dim.

‘Feel that, Tau?’ Ligur uttered, his cold eyes flaring briefly. ‘That was your vessel’s heart being torn out.’

O’Kir’la did not answer. The look upon his face did that perfectly for him. The Deathwatch were slowly starting to gain the upper hand in the conflict, now that they had moved close enough to the enemy to bring the fight face to face.

Ligur’s eyes flickered briefly, shifting so as to glance behind the Shas’O for a moment. The huge commander suddenly brought his staff around and rammed it through the chest of a charging Marine, the head of the weapon flashing with azure light as it impaled the unfortunate warrior.

He flung the flailing Marine away and turned to face Ligur once more.

‘It seems that your farsight has failed you, gue’la. Another of your kind has fallen to my staff…’
The last word trailed away into silence, as he suddenly came to realise that the Librarian was no longer there. Broken and bleeding Shas Kayon littered the floor of the chamber all around him, but of the Deathwatch there was no sign.

‘His sacrifice was not in vain, xenos! There will be a reckoning between us yet!’

O’Kir’la lifted his head and snarled, watching as the defiant psyker turned and slipped through the hatch at the far end of the chamber, the rest of his brethren sprinting past him.

‘Ligur! I will destroy you yet!’ He roared, casting his arm before him to signal the emerging reinforcements to follow the escapees.

As the charging Shas Kayon flooded the chamber around him he turned, soon finding the body of the fallen Marine in a broken heap where he had cast it aside. He grunted and stooped low, hauling the cooling corpse from the ground.

He raised his other hand and a small vibrating spike slid from his wrist armour, glinting as it caught the light. He rammed it deep into the dead Marine’s throat and drew his head back, emitting a long, sibilant hiss.

Done, he let go of the corpse and rose, his face muscles twitching.

‘Your geneseed will be the sweetest of all.’ He whispered, joining the hunt.

+++

Codian thundered through the featureless tunnels, his keen sense of direction almost subconsciously manipulating his every move. Berolinus sprinted alongside him, leaning heavily on his left leg. Behind him the rest of the surviving Deathwatch followed, hunting the shadows as they moved. At the rear of the group Grungi and the Cadian struggled to keep up, their faces red with effort.

‘You are injured.’ The Chaplain observed, keeping his eyes on the way ahead. ‘How serious are your wounds?’

‘I should live. I have lost my secondary heart, and I think my leg is broken.’

‘You have fought well, brother. Umbras will tend to your wounds once we reach the Hellrunner.’

‘Pick up the pace!’ He heard Ligur bark. ‘They are gaining on us!’

Codian hurtled around the corner and skidded to a halt, a forest of gun barrels rising to greet him.

‘Chaplain! Great Anthac’s moon, thank the Emperor!’

Andrasi pushed his way free of the mass of armed men and hurried to greet him, picking his way over the heaped corpses and scattered drone parts littering the mouth of the boarding tunnel. He slowed as he laid eyes on the gathering Marines behind him, his look of astonishment fading quickly to be replaced by a frown of concern.

‘You are lucky. The Tau ship unexpectedly released us minutes ago, and we would have left then if it wasn’t for the fact that we are still held fast.’

‘Still? But if the gravitic hooks have been disabled…’

The Free captain reached over and patted the yawning circle harshly, shaking his head.

‘The boarding tunnel. This damn umbilical holds us fast here until we can figure out a way of detaching it. We’ve tried everything we can think of to sever it and we’re stuck. Explosives do not work. Melta-torches are way too slow. We’ve fought them off this long but we can’t keep it up indefinitely.’

The fallen Kasrkin at the rear of the group suddenly dropped to one knee, twisting at the waist. He swung his rifle up and fired twice, both shots sliding cleanly through the heads of the emerging Shas Kayon. More of the aliens began to pour into the opposite end of the corridor.

‘They are here!’ He shouted, flinching as pulse fire began to smash into the curved walls around him.

The Deathwatch turned and fired as one, a storm of bolt shells all but obliterating the round hatch and anything passing through it.

Still the enemy advanced, their numbers thickening with the passing of each moment. Marines began to fall back steadily, bright energy tearing chunks out of their armour. Within moments even their ballistic attacks began to falter, a wall of premature explosions flashing across the length of the corridor as emerging shield drones began to mass.

‘Options Chaplain?’ Andrasi hollered over the tumult, his voice heavy with concern.

Codian heard one of the Marines curse beneath his breath and watched as the hulking warrior stepped forward, his dark features stern and serious. He carried a broad-headed thunder hammer in one hand and a large, ornate storm shield in the other, the face of the silver shield sporting an impressive crafted Deathwatch symbol facade.

‘Stand aside! I will tear the damned tunnel apart myself!’ He snarled, his bearded face a rictus of fury. He marched towards the horrified Andrasi and his crew and raised the hammer, igniting the head with a reverberating thrum.

‘Stand down, Torvus.’

The assault Marine slowed and turned his head, a look of bemusement changing his features. Ligur met his gaze, his cold eyes unwavering.

‘You could kill us all. Everyone fall back into the ship. I will free us.’

The Marine bared his teeth and then stomped his way past the fearful crewmen as if they were beneath his attention, shaking his head. Ligur nodded to Codian and waved him on. The Chaplain hesitated for a moment and then returned the nod, quickly moving towards the exit. One by one, the others passed quickly into the boarding tunnel, leaving the Librarian to turn and face the advancing enemy alone.

A thick cloud of shield drones filled the space before him, so dense it almost obscured the tide of Tau hunters following behind it.

Ligur closed his eyes and spread his arms out wide, muttering something beneath his breath. Though merely whispered the words seemed to echo and deepen, rising in volume like the howl of some ethereal wind.

A flickering nimbus of light played around his head, swirling energies flashing and sparking as if vying to be released to their full potential.

He opened his eyes and begun to walk backwards, the intricate whorls and runes crafted into the gauntlets of his lightning claws glowing with an unearthly light. He passed into the tunnel moments before the air at the very mouth of the opening began to shimmer.

Dark light began to spill from the growing phenomenon, as the air itself seemed to bubble and melt, crackling fingers of multi-hued energy snaking from its epicentre to rake the surrounding walls.

The Tau slowed, a ripple of apprehension passing through the massed aliens. Only the drones continued on undaunted, shimmering softly as they neared the growing singularity.

There was a sudden flash of energy accompanied by a deep pressure boom and the entire deck shook. Ligur turned and began to sprint as the first of the drones wobbled and then spun away into the yawning abyss, breaking apart even as they rolled out of sight.

The rest of the constructs began to crash together as they struggled to hover away, only to be sucked into the rift in massed clumps, unable to escape its irresistible pull. The Shas Kayon behind them began to shout and cry, grabbing hold of whatever they could find, their hooves skidding across the smooth floor of the deck. Weapons were hurriedly discarded as they fought to flee, armour and equipment peeling away in chunks to spin off into the gap.

Ligur had opened a gateway to the warp itself on board the Lar’shi and the resulting forces began to tear its surroundings apart. The entire housing ring surrounding the iris began to peel away from the wall, groaning as it bended. Sections of the iris itself rang as they spun away, sparks zipping after them like star-fire.

The segmented boarding tunnel began to quake, imploding in on itself as the immense pressures began to compact it. Debris swirled into the rift in a glittering spiral, thickening as everything around it came apart.

At the very rear of the screaming, shuddering tumult, a single eye as black as the void of space looked on as the entire tunnel broke away from the hull of the ship, coming apart piece by piece as it depressurised.

Roaring and cursing his rage out into the widening void, Shas’O Vior’la Kir’la Mont’re Kayon swore revenge.

[Razor Devil]

Part Seventeen.

Revelations.

+++THE MASSCIL ASTEROID WASTES+++
+++SEGMENTUM SOLAR+++
+++ONE SOLAR MONTH LATER +++


‘There she is. We have found her at last.’

Space Marine Chaplain Daelo Codian opened his eyes and turned his head to the small viewport by his side, feeling the Hellrunner shudder gently around him once again.

Grey asteroid chunks cartwheeled past, some the size of Land Raiders, others as large as a Strike Cruiser.

The cutter trembled again, fighting the effects of passing by another gigantic rock. He studied the vista beyond closely and, after a few moments of searching, saw her for the first time.

The black behemoth hung ominously in the void like an ambush predator, almost invisible save for the many twinkling lights glittering across its vast surface. An Astartes Fortress Monastery, Ligur had called her the Proscriptus Rex. That is as much as he knew about her, even now.

It had been twenty five days since the incident onboard the Tau ship. Twenty five days of running, of fighting to stay alive. He could never have imagined just how difficult such a relatively short journey could be, especially when this journey was taking place in what used to be Imperial space.

During this time he had come to know most of the Deathwatch well enough for them to begin to open up to him. Perhaps it was his role as a Chaplain; maybe it was the fact that they saw in him a living, breathing relic of an age forever lost to them, an age where the superhuman warriors of the Emperor dominated the galaxy.

For whatever reason, he had begun to slowly piece together the full, sobering truth of his current situation.

The ever distant Liger had spoke little since the escape, and yet what little he had told Codian troubled him greatly.

Firstly, warp travel. The psyker had explained that prolonged warp travel in this region was all but impossible now. Something here was affecting the entire Immaterium, though what, he would not say. All he would divulge was that it was the Tau’s doing, that the enemy had somehow found the means to quiet the raging power of the warp itself.

He had never concerned himself much with the mechanics of this foreboding dimension, though he found himself questioning this. Firstly, he could not imagine even the Tau to possess such power.

Secondly, he had argued that surely such an effect would allow for smother travel, not render it impossible.

The Librarian’s answer was short and simple; all would be revealed in time. He would find the answers he sought onboard the Proscriptus Rex.

In the days following their escape from the clutches of O’Kir’la, another disquieting fact had become apparent. It seemed that these warriors were not a part of the main Imperium rebellion. They operated alone and towards their own agendas, though it was clear that they fought and died in the service of the Emperor.

Codian found himself deeply troubled by this. Why would these warriors refuse the leadership of Calgar, the greatest of all the Chapter Masters? Ligur himself had once been Ultramarine, as had many of the others. There was no doubt in his mind that these men were still fully faithful to the Emperor and committed to seeing the power and rightful dominance of the Imperium realised once more.

Again, the same answer had fallen from Ligur’s lips. All would be revealed.

He turned away from the stars and his eyes found Berolinus, the youngest among them. His helmet removed, he still wore his shattered armour with pride, refusing all offers from the others to have his suit repaired or replaced.

‘I am an Ultramarine.’, He had told them. ‘And I will wear the colours of my Chapter until I fall.’

‘Brother, how goes your healing?’

Berolinus turned and met his gaze, his face sombre and serious.

‘I grow stronger by the day, Chaplain. Umbras has tended my wounds well.’ He uttered, holding his gaze for a moment.

Codian nodded and then turned to retrieve his helmet, feeling the ship begin to slow. Soon, he told himself. Soon he would discover the truth.


+++

A day later he found himself standing before the door of the huge chamber alone, the lights of the surrounding glow-globes centred on him. It had taken the Deathwatch a day to bring him to before their mysterious commander, a day of misdirection and half-answers, of probing questions and augur scans.

Whenever he had asked what was going on or why they seemed to be delaying his requests for an audience, he had received the same reply.

We have to be sure.

Did they suspect him still? After all they had been through, did they still think of him as some potential enemy spy?

It had taken them a day to bring him here, and still they would only allow he alone to seek an audience with the driving force behind all this. Umbras and Berolinus were being kept securely within the training quarters, and Laenar was still in his chamber onboard the Hellrunner, refusing all requests to give up the Caesus for inspection.

Codian had called on the reclusive Techmarine but once since the incident with the Tau, and he had seen first-hand what had happened to his adopted quarters. It would take the cutter’s entire crew just to breach the doorway, let alone bypass the defences within.

He was still considering all this when the doors of the chamber began to grind open, an ethereal light spilling through to bathe him in its glow.

‘Enter.’ A deep mechanical voice uttered from somewhere above him.

He strode through the doorway and slowed, finding himself at the centre of a lighted dais. The doors slid shut behind him and he tensed, sensing the shadows all around him shifting and churning. Servos whispered and the floor shook. Augmetic eyes lit the impenetrable shadows like a crimson starscape as a multitude of weapons powered up.

‘Greetings, Ultramarine.’ A voice uttered, surrounding him.

Codian glanced around him and then bowed his head sharply, clearly aggravated by his current situation.

‘I have travelled far and gone through much. I would appreciate an audience with the commander of this ship, not just his voice and a host of guardian constructs.’ He answered, his powerful voice reverberating around the vast chamber. There was a moment of deep silence, and then an answer.

‘Very well.’

The shadows shifted and parted as something large moved towards the centre, whining and humming as it advanced. A large plinth slid into view, the silver symbol of the Deathwatch glinting at its base as it caught the light.

Codian looked on in silence as the area at the top of the dais exploded with light, a pale blue bubble of blue-grey energy shivering and humming as it came into being. At the centre of the energy field he could make out the outline of some sort of seat or throne, and on the throne sat a robed figure, its features indistinguishable beneath the folds of the flowing cloak.

Codian never even flinched as the entire top section of the platform detached with a resonating thrum and hovered gently forward, the newly revealed underside of the throne sparking and pulsing as it advanced.

‘It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Chaplain. It has been many long years since I last met one of your kind.’ The individual uttered, his voice distorted and ghostly, no doubt an effect of the strange energy field surrounding him.

The Chaplain didn’t even flinch. He stood his ground, proud and unmoved in the face of this unknown entity.

The figure at the centre of the field shifted his weight, leaning forward slightly. He caught a glimpse of gnarled fingers, almost white in the cold glow of the protective bubble.

‘I have heard your story, Codian of the Ultramarines. I’m sure you can appreciate my apprehension. To have been lost in the ocean of the Empyrean for so long… Still, all the tests confirm that you are telling the truth, and that you aren’t an agent of the enemy. You must understand Codian, we had to be sure. O’kir’la and the Unity have been hunting us for a long time. You wouldn’t have been the first Astarte to infiltrate our organisation.’

‘Who are you?’ Codian asked, plainly disinterested in the individual’s explanation.

The figure shifted his weight again, settling back into the ornate chair. He raised his hands and clasped his fingers together slowly.

‘A relic of the past, just like you.’

A brief silence settled over the scene. Beneath his helm Codian frowned, bemused by the comment. He decided not to answer. He didn’t want to give this unknown stranger the satisfaction.

‘Tarsis Ultra, Chaplain. I was there.’

It was this next comment that caught him off-guard. His fingers slackened and then tightened almost immediately, his mind reeling with memories of the distant past.

‘So was I.’ Was all he could bring himself to say.

The figure leaned forward once more, the field shimmering around him.

‘The Tyranids, Chaplain. We saw a great victory against the Tyranids on the Tarsis Fields. We beat the Devourer of Worlds back despite all odds and we won. It was a proud time.’

Codian remained silent for a moment more and then turned to look about him slowly, watching as the shadows around him shifted softly once again.

‘You say that you have determined my allegiance and yet you still seem to fear me. You know now that I am no Tau spy. Why are you still apprehensive?’

‘As I said, you would not be the first Asta…’

‘You are renegades.’ He uttered, striding forward.

The shadows bulged outwards as the hidden constructs responded as one, a thicket of whining guns and crackling blades encircling him.

‘Deactivate.’

The single word caused the host of machines to freeze, the huge circle of eyes fading to blackness around him.

The robed figure threw himself forward and slammed his fists into the armrests of the chair.

‘We are all loyal servants of the Emperor, every last one of us! You understand little of these times, Chaplain. The old Imperium is long gone. Calgar and his Alliance Imperialis Solar are but one facet of the rebellion. The Astartes Chapters themselves are divided into many separate factions. It would surely open your eyes to discover just how fragmented the forces of the Imperium are now.’

‘Then tell me!’ Codian roared, sweeping a hand before him, his mighty voice heavy with frustration. ‘I am tired of fighting to piece together every single aspect of this damned time! I have a mission to fulfil, a mission so important that it could bring about the fall of the Tau. How can I see it through when I know so little of what has happened to our glorious Imperium.’

‘The Caesus.’

‘Yes, the Caesus. I am expected to deliver this device into the hands of Calgar and yet I do not even know what it does.’

‘I do.’ The figure answered suddenly, causing the Marine’s breath to catch in his throat.

‘You know what it does?’

‘Yes. I helped to create it, Codian. Join us. Join us and together we will journey to Terra. Together we will deliver the Caesus to Calgar and bring about the fall of the Unity.’

Codian hesitated for a moment and then turned away, shaking his head slowly.

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘No. Not until I start to get some answers. If I am to join you then I want to know everything. I will go no further until I am satisfied.’

He turned back towards the figure and walked towards him, his dark armour bathed in pale light.

‘What is your answer?’

‘Very well. Though I warn you, Chaplain, you may not like what you discover.’

‘I will take that chance. Now make a start. Tell me your name.’

The figure nodded and then swept his hand before him, deactivating the protective field. He lifted his hands and removed his hood to reveal a pale, hairless head, a face creased with long centuries of age. Despite his ancient appearance Codian found a face he somehow recognised, a face from long, long ago. The face of the saviour of Tarsis Ultra.

‘Kryptman.’ He whispered quietly.

[Razor Devil]

Part Eighteen.

Kryptman.


Codian exhaled slowly as the weight of this latest discovery settled in his mind. Things were starting to fall in place, to make sense at last.

Lord Inquisitor Kryptman had been a well-known figurehead of the Imperium for a long time, the unchallenged expert on the Tyranid menace. Despite this he had been declared Excommunicate Traitoris after his desperate actions had caused the deaths of billions of souls under the advance of Hive Fleet Leviathan.

‘Is it really you?’ Codian whispered.

‘It is, Chaplain. Hundreds of years of exile have taken their toll on me, but I am still the same person who fought to save the Tarsis sector. Perhaps you are now better able to understand why Ligur and his brethren class themselves as separate from the main rebellion. I currently have under me around three hundred Marines. Some were initiated as neophytes, others found themselves joining our ranks as disillusioned defectors.’

‘Defectors?’ Codian echoed uncertainly.

Kryptman smiled weakly.

‘There are some that…disagree…with the beliefs and doctrines of the Alliance Imperialis Solar. Most of those, like Ligur himself, found their way to me after the fall of Cadia and the Great Fragmentation. The truth can be hard to accept, Codian, even for one as powerful as Calgar. You must understand, we all work towards the same goal. We all wish to see the an end to the reign of the Tau. It is unfortunate that we cannot all work together to achieve this.’

‘Unfortunate? I find it absurd that the forces of the Imperium fight a common enemy whilst divided.’

Kryptman smiled again, his ancient face creasing further.

‘As I said, Codian, the truth can be hard to accept. You do indeed have much to learn from me.
As for my own agendas, one of them is to bring the Imperium back together. A goal, I’m sure you can imagine, that is made all the more difficult for me to achieve by my current exile.’

‘I am fully aware of the events leading to your expulsion from the Inquisition.’ Codian answered sharply, his anger lingering at first and then subsiding a little, his change of emotion hidden from sight by the ever-frozen skull of his helm.

‘There were many amongst the Ultramarines that did not agree with your expulsion. Your measures were extreme, I will not argue that, and yet many of my brethren agreed with your decision. Many more lives were saved than were lost. Most important of all, Leviathan’s advance into the Imperium was stalled.’

Codian thought back to that distant time. He recalled just how close the Imperium had come to buckling under the advance of the Tyranids.

‘I sent them against the Orks.’ Kryptman continued, a measure of regret in his voice. ‘I steered Leviathan towards the Octavius system. I hoped against hope that the two forces would expend themselves slaughtering one another. A desperate gamble, by all accounts. Those were desperate times, Codian. Our options were limited.’

‘Did it work?’

Kryptman did not answer, not at first. He continued to stare at the Marine with those unwavering eyes, eyes dark with age and heavy with the burden of all they had witnessed.

‘For a time.’ He finally uttered, lowering his gaze. ‘We always knew that there was risk. The Orks were the most numerous of the Imperium’s foes and yet even they were hard pressed to stall the advance of Leviathan. The Orks of the Octavius sector struggled against the Tyranids for almost four hundred years, Chaplain. Four hundred years. Drawn by the call of war, more and more Orks poured into the sector, unable to resist the challenge. The green menace all but disappeared from Imperial space, and for a time, unbelievably, there was peace.’

The Chaplain sighed heavily and shook his head slowly.

‘So, you are saying that you actually found a way to set the two most arguably powerful xenos races in this galaxy against one another?’

‘In a word, yes. The plan did work, Chaplain. In fact, it worked better than we could ever have imagined. By infesting the Ork empire with Genestealers we managed to alter the course of the entire fleet. The Tyranids simply could not resist such an abundance of life. The Orks themselves in turn could not resist the challenge Leviathan brought with it. The Ork thrives on warfare, you know that.’
‘I am assuming something went wrong, Kryptman. For a time, you said. What happened?’

The ancient Inquisitor fell silent for a moment and then sighed, his fingers tightening around the arms of his obsidian throne.

‘As I said, the plan worked too well. We had hoped that the green plague of the Octavius sector and the ravening swarms of Leviathan would annihilate one another. I only pray to the Immortal Emperor that He can forgive me for the apocalypse I brought into being. The Orks and the Tyranids found in each other the perfect opponent. For the first time in recorded history, the Ork race unified beneath one banner. Entire systems were abandoned as the Orks gathered to answer the call of war. The Tyranids of Leviathan responded in kind. Splinter fleets the length and breadth of the galaxy altered their course to join with the main fleet. Brought together, the Ork and the Tyranid almost wiped themselves out.

The unbelievable had happened, Codian. Both races abandoned their designs on our galaxy and descended upon one another, each utterly obsessed with the other. Stars themselves shook beneath the apocalyptic conflict. We dared foresee a victory greater than any we could ever have imagined possible.’

‘I take it I am to assume that something went wrong?’

‘Indeed.’ Kryptman answered heavily, slowly nodding. ‘As with any plan, there were factors that we did not consider.’

‘The Tau?’

‘The Tau.’

With that Kryptman waved his hand and the field reactivated around him, thrumming softly as it ignited once more.

‘You must excuse me, Chaplain. I am old, far too old to rightfully exist. This field is all that keeps me alive these days, I cannot survive long without it.’

‘You were telling me about the Tau.’

‘That I was.’ He answered, and with that the lights surrounding the chamber increased, revealing the huge space fully for the first time.

Codian looked around him in silence, taken aback by the sheer volume of xenos artefacts that lines the walls of the huge hall. Above the silent hulking machines that flanked the walls hung countless weapons and devices, all apparently Tau in origin.

‘The Tau, Codian. How foolish we were to underestimate them. They were young then, you see, mere upstarts struggling to forge a destiny for themselves in a galaxy already so very old. That was how it seemed to us, anyway. Hmm, if only we knew then what we know now. We came to realise at our cost just how much potential the race had. This device that keeps me alive, even this is of Tau design.’

Codian began to pace around the walls, his hands behind his back. Most of the objects he laid eyes on he did not recognise, though some of the most ancient-looking devices seemed familiar to him.

‘It would seem that we all underestimated them, Kryptman. Tell me, what did the Tau have to do with the Ork-Tyranid wars?’

‘Commander Shadowsun. Aun’Va. Shas’O R’Myr. Are you aware of these names?’

‘No. Should I be?’

‘That is unlikely. Those are just a few of the names of the many enigmatic Tau characters that were starting to emerge round about the time you were lost. Even then the Tau had a propensity for advanced change, both evolutionary and characteristically. They were already growing stronger, wiser, becoming more of a challenge. Elements of the Imperium were starting to sit up and take notice, though I fear the Octavius wars were at that time more important than any other concern.

‘It now seems that the beginnings of the Tau threat were already starting to seed. No one truly knows exactly what happened to the Tau, to my knowledge. Those that do would never speak of it, for it is one of the ultimate secrets of our universe. It has taken me many long years to hypothesise that which I am about to tell you.’

There was a brief pause, and then he began.

‘You have encountered the grey Ork, I take it?’

Codian nodded.

‘We fought them on Ryza.’

‘Then I’m sure you are aware that the creatures you encountered are not true Orks, but an amalgamation of Ork and Tau. More specifically, Orkoids that have been genetically modified with elements of Tau DNA.’

‘I am aware of that fact, yes.’

Kryptman nodded.

‘The Octavius wars raged for many years. It was during this time that the Unity discovered the means to genetically conquer the Orks. They began to culture the creatures at an exponential rate, though the reasons for this were not apparent at first.

‘You see, the Tau did not simply wish to conquer the Orks, they wished to use them. They were created to serve as a weapon, a weapon to use against the Tyranids. The Tau themselves had suffered in the advance of the hive fleets. The Eastern Fringe always was a dangerous place, an unknown territory. It seemed as if they feared the Tyranids above all else.’

‘So, how did they intend to use these creatures?’

‘Quite ingeniously, as it happens. You are probably aware of the fact that they are able to control the grey-skinned Orks due to the genetic bond the two races share. Little by little, the Tau began to send small fleets of modified Orks into the Octavius conflict. These creatures were soon assimilated by the swarms, as were those that followed. Decades passed and, slowly but surely, the Tyranid gene-pool became slowly but surely saturated with Tau genetic material. It was enough to alter the course of the entire war.

‘The Orks were doomed, of course. The entire might of Leviathan and its splinter fleets was reduced to little more than a shadow of its former self but, in the end, the Orks were wiped out. The Tyranids had won, but it was a hollow victory. The Ethereals now had a rudimentary control over the remnants of the Tyranid swarms, effectively becoming a collective surrogate ‘hive mind’. It was a control so powerful and yet so vastly different from the psychic influence of the Hive Mind that it eclipsed the galaxy-spanning influence.

‘The Tau managed to influence the swarms enough to steer them away from the galaxy and back out into the Great Void beyond the Fringe. Some accounts even go as far as to suggest that they were sent to challenge the gestalt entity that directed them here in the first place, but I find this hard to believe.
One thing is for sure though, and that is that the Tyranids were, at last, turned away from our borders.
.
‘The growing Unity wasted no time in bolstering the defences of the now-conquered Eastern Fringe. Massive stockade defences were erected across the entire length of the Fringe. Millions of gun stations were shipped en masse to defend the area, and to guard the billions upon billions of null-field generators and drones that even now hang in space there, ever vigilant should the Tyranids return to take their revenge.’

Upon hearing this Codian turned away, his eyes finding the many relics hanging on the wall before him.

‘So the Tyranids are gone for good, and not simply another part of the Unity. As are the green-skinned Orks. I thank the Emperor for that, at least.’

He left the edge of the chamber and headed back towards the centre of the room, removing his helmet as he did so.

He had always found it pertinent to wear his helm whenever he met with an opposing commander. Not only did it hide any emotive reaction but it also served to reinforce his position and status. Now that Kryptman had opened up to him, he felt it was time to show his true face.

‘I am sure that you can appreciate my position, Inquisitor.’ He began, using his counterpart’s former title simply due to the fact that he could think of no other.

‘I am still getting used to this grim time. I feel that I can only fully perform my duties if I am brought up to speed with everything that has happened since we were lost.’

‘Of course Chaplain. A good commander directs his actions through knowledge. Know your enemy.’

Codian closed his eyes and nodded.

‘Then you will forgive my questioning. Before Tau came to power, there were three great threats to our rightful dominance. The Tyranids, the Orks…’

‘And Chaos.’ Kryptman interrupted, drawing his pallid head back slightly.

‘And Chaos.’ Codian finished, his mouth twisting into a troubled frown. ‘No one has yet dared tell me of the fate of the Ruinous Powers and their foul minions. The Tau may have changed almost beyond recognition, but there is one thing I know for sure. The Tau were able to bring fear to the arrogant and ancient Eldar. They were able to find a way to best the mysterious Necrontyr. They even managed to bring both the Ork and the Tyranid under their control. I accept all this and yet I can not, I will not, allow myself to believe that they somehow conquered that which cannot be conquered. No force in this galaxy or beyond has the power to bring Chaos to heel.’

Above him, Kryptman’s face altered. He tipped his head, a look of bemusement spreading across his ancient features.

‘An interesting admission for an Astarte to make, especially a Chaplain. You do not believe Chaos can be conquered? Not even by the glorious Imperium?’

‘Don’t mock me, Kryptman. I am no heretic. Neither am I a fool. Faith is worth nothing if it is blind. The only way we can conquer Chaos is to eradicate those who serve to spread its influence. The Imperium has struggled to do this for thousands of years and yet still the rot continued to take hold. Are you to tell me that the Tau were somehow able to achieve this?’

‘In a word, yes.’

Codian spat a curse beneath his breath and swept am arm before him, turning sharply on his heel.

‘Impossible! I will not believe it!’ He raged, his face contorted with anger.

‘The forces of Chaos were beaten back, just all the others were. It is the truth Codian, no matter how hard it is to accept. You have seen with your own eyes how powerful the Unity is. No one was prepared for them, not even us.’

‘Then tell me.’ He answered, turning to face the Inquisitor once more. ‘Tell me how the Tau bested the forces of Chaos.

Kryptman tipped his head and closed his eyes.

‘Very well.’

[Razor Devil]

Part Nineteen.

The Eye.


‘Of all the opposing forces facing the advancement of the Unity, Chaos proved the most difficult to defeat.’ Kryptman began, his voice low and ominous.

‘With the Threat of the Ork and the Tyranid extinguished, the Tau now found themselves with two other major forces to contend with. The Imperium and Chaos.

‘The Tau knew little of the Warp and its unfathomable denizens. They were a race of blunts, with no psychic ability whatsoever. They did, however, know of the Eye of Terror.
Their plan of attack was simple and yet vastly effective. They began to move against the inner systems, one by one, pushing their empire forward.

‘This began with Ultramar. The change had already begun to take place, the Great Evolution already well underway at this point…ah, forgive me Chaplain. I do tend to ramble these days. The full history of the Tau’s rise to power will have to wait for another time. To put it bluntly, the Unity played us for fools. They quickly swamped Ultramar, attacking with a strength and numbers undreamed of. The Octavius conflict had come to an end by this point and the defences along the Eastern Fringe were well established, leaving the Tau free to begin to push west into the Imperium.

‘Even as the Unity began to move upon the Ultramar system, the full might of the Tau war machine was still being realised. Several huge and powerful fleets began to emerge and, slowly realising that the Tyranids were no longer abroad in our space, the powers-that-be named them after the various Hive Fleets that had plagued Imperial space.’

Kryptman paused for breath, his head sagging a little. Codian watched as his chest seemed to rise and fall, each breath laboured.

‘Rest if you must.’ He uttered hesitantly, unfamiliar with the concept of emotional concern.

Kryptman shook his head and held out his hand.

‘No Chaplain, forgive me. For one to extend his life beyond its natural capacity there are burdens to bear, and bear them I must. I will continue.

‘As I was saying, the Tau played us all for fools. At first the Tau attacked as one with thousands upon thousands of ships, a vast armada of vessels. Ultramar was unprepared for the sheer size of this fleet and she fell, an inevitable consequence only slowed by the stalwart defence of the Ultramarines. At this point the weight of the Imperium’s fleets were tied in with maintaining the defences around the Octavuis conflict, ready to bear down on the survivors of the war. They were little prepared for what happened next.

‘The Tau armada fragmented, splitting into the fleets we know today, an unanticipated manoeuvre by all accounts. Kraken continued the war against the survivors of the Ultramar conflict, a war that was to rage on until the system finally fell less than two solar months ago.
Prometheus moved west into the Ultima Segmentum, conquering all before them as they advanced. As the Tau had predicted, the Imperium moved to counter this threat.

‘The Leviathan fleet moved northwest. They passed through the galactic core, seeding the fallen Demiurg homeworlds as they went, before heading north to skirt the very edges of the Imperium itself.’
‘I have been told of the fate of the Demiurg.’ Codian interrupted. ‘And I see where this is leading. They were headed for the Eye.’

The Inquisitor nodded.

‘They were indeed. The ships of Leviathan were created to hunt down and destroy Chaos, Chaplain. By the time the fleet had passed south of the naval base of Cypra Mundi it was already too late. They seeded the Ork planets of Gathrog and Dreguk north of the Eye and then descended, sweeping all before them.

‘The majority of the Imperial fleets were either engaged in the defence of the Ultima Segmentum or were heading to meet the advance of Prometheus. Mars had fallen to the suicidal Kroot less two years before and they were taking no chances. System by system, Leviathan hunted the forces of Chaos back to the very threshold of the Eye itself.

‘Along the way many Imperial worlds were conquered and their populace subjugated, further adding to the fleet’s military might. Those worlds that could not or would not be conquered, such as Mordian, were systematically scoured. Drone factory ships fell from the skies like rain to unfold amongst the packed hive cities, spewing forth millions of murderous yet expendable machines. The Tau had prepared well for this push, and it soon became clear that Leviathan was by far the most powerful of the fleets yet.

‘By the time war smashed into the naval base at Port Maw, it was too late. The Ork worlds of Gathrog and Dreguk were by now churning out Greyskins at an exponential rate. The Tau advanced slowed and they began to dig in, taking Port Maw as they did so.
They knew the Wolves of Fenris were coming.’

Codian’s face hardened as he heard this.

‘The Space Wolves.’

‘Yes. Unfortunately for the Imperium, most of the Chapter had left to meet the advance of Prometheus. The remaining Wolves gathered to meet the closing threat, accompanied by a great fleet sent forth from Cadia herself. Despite the strength of this vast force, they were ill-prepared for what awaited them.
Hundreds of defence Orbitals now lined the outlying systems. Every world they had conquered now churned out drones, millions at a time. While the fleet dug in and awaited the arrival of this force, hundreds of Vespid Hives were headed towards Fenris, accompanied by around close to a thousand Drone Factory ships. At the same time a vast fleet of Ork landers headed south west of the approaching Imperial forces and descended upon Cadia.

‘No one is quite sure of what happened from this point. Fenris eventually fell. The Wolves were beaten back, the survivors swearing revenge. The entire Gothic sector now belonged to the Tau. Cadia herself was now embroiled in war…’

‘Chaos, Inquisitor.’ Codian interrupted. ‘You have yet to tell me about Chaos.’

Kryptman fell silent, his grey eyes holding the Marine’s gaze for long moments.

‘You don’t see it? There you have your answer then, Chaplain. No one did. No one realised that all this was about the Eye. By this point it was thought that the Tau were pushing to surround the Segmentum Solar. In truth, this could have been part of their intended plan. We were to discover, however, that their true goal was to conquer Cadia.’

‘The Cadian Gate.’

‘Yes.’ Kryptman continued. ‘They intended to seize control of the gate. The Imperium realised this too late. The Unity’s push for Cadia came just as the majority of the Imperial war machine reached the edges of the fight for the Ultima Segmentum.
Calgar had by now taken control of the fight against the combined might of both Kraken and
‘Prometheus and was now faced with a soul-destroying choice. He could either continue to fight to keep the two fleets from pushing further into Imperial space, or make the long journey back to Cadia. To compound matters, Macragge herself still held out against the Tau. Isolated and trapped by the sheer weight of the two fleets, the world was weeks from falling.

‘Somehow, Emperor knows how, he made his decision. Macragge was abandoned to her fate and the Imperial alliance fled west, praying against all hope that they would arrive in time to stall Leviathan’s advance into the inner systems themselves.’

‘No.’ Codian whispered in disbelief, his head falling.

He blinked slowly and shook his head, exhaling a long, hissing breath. He found himself unable to imagine the consequences of having to make such a decision. Abandon his homeworld to defend the seat of the Emperor, or stay and risk His downfall. How could any man choose either path?

‘The choice almost tore him apart. No faithful servant of the Emperor could ever risk an enemy treading upon Terra’s holy soil. Anyway, for Cadia at least, the decision was made too late. The mightiest of the Imperium’s heroes met the Tau on Cadia and the world itself shook beneath them. Unfortunately the Tau had already established a foothold there…

‘They were too late. Millions died. It was here that the Imperium fully realised the true power and treachery of the Tau. There followed the Great Fragmentation, the event that saw the forces of the Imperium divided to this day. Those who stood with the Warmaster abandoned the planet and fell back, dividing further in order to defend the shrinking borders of the Segmentum Solar. Those who did not left to pursue their own agendas, to fight the Unity on their own terms. The rest, as they say, is history.

‘Cadia was lost. The forces of Chaos had retreated back to the safety of the Eye like a black tide, sweeping all before them as they fought their way back.

‘It was as if they somehow knew what the Tau intended to do. This caused further problems for the already stretched defenders of the Imperium. Great armadas of Chaos worshippers began to emerge from every corner of the galaxy and head in the same direction, burning everything and everyone in their path in their desperation.

‘Cadia suffered greatly at the hands of the foul legions as they had fought to bypass the legendary defences of the Cadian Gate and the Unity descended upon the ancient world like carrion birds, sealing her fate prior to the arrival of the Imperial forces.

‘The Unity’s plan was complete. Cadia stands today as a bastion world, just as she has for millennia, only now it is the Tau that keep watch over the Eye. Millions of orbiting gun platforms are perpetually trained on the rift, weapons with the power to nullify the energy of the Warp itself. Billions upon billions of null-drones are sent into the Eye day by day, slowly pushing the immeasurable power back.
It has to be seen to be believed, Codian. Little by little, the Unity are closing the Eye of Terror.’

Codian shook his head slowly, the weight of this latest revelation too much to bear. To imagine that the Tau had the power and ability to actually do this shook him to the very core of his being.

‘But…but why?’ He asked, his mind reeling. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘The Tau seek to unify this galaxy. It is their ultimate goal, a goal they will see realised at any cost. They can’t conquer the gods of the Warp, Codian, no one can. Neither can they destroy them. But they can contain them. Seal the Eye and they will have succeeded in closing the largest gateway into our reality that Chaos has.

‘The servants of the Ruinous Powers knew that, should the Eye be closed to them, they would be left stranded, alone. Can you imagine an Imperium without the Emperor? Of course not. They did the only thing they could. They ran for the door before it was locked.’

Kryptman fell silent, his ancient face creasing with exertion. Codian could see that even the effort of talking was beginning to take its toll on him.

‘So, what now Inquisitor? Where do we go from here?’

‘I…I am dying, Chaplain. Time has allowed me to postpone my death this long, but the field is barely able to sustain me now. I wish to see victory before I die. I wish to see the Imperium restored, the Unity scoured from the face of this galaxy.

‘I sense a strength inside you. You are a leader of men, a living link to a past glory lost, a glory that can rise again. Lead these men to Terra. Steel them as only a Chaplain of the Astartes can, a true Chaplain of the proud times. Ligur and the Deathwatch brethren are strong and courageous warriors, but they are a rare breed, Codian. The Astartes of this time are not what they used to be. Calgar is a strong and competent commander but he is desperate. Initiates are pushed through too soon. The procedures of replicating the geneseed and organs are rushed, hurried by the impending push for Terra. Deformity and mutation are rife within the ranks.

‘Steel yourself as you steel those you lead. Prepare for the worst. Prepare to have your faith in the Emperor and the Imperium pushed to its limits. Keep your eyes on the goal no matter what. Your Imperium exists now in but one place, and that is inside you. Strive to restore it and I believe that you will find victory. Mourn its passing too much, and you will fail.
Will you lead my warriors, brother?’

Codian swept his cloak aside and then bowed his head.

‘I will.’

Kryptman smiled and closed his eyes, almost as if the weight of the universe had been lifted from his shoulders.

‘Thank you. Go now; spread the word amongst the others. I have but one more thing to tell you, possibly the most important thing you will ever hear. There is still much that you have to learn, and there are things even I dare not reveal at this stage. In time you will see. The enemy of your enemy is your friend, Codian. Remember that fact and that alone. Do not consider it; do not even attempt to ponder it. Remember.’

[Razor Devil]

Part Twenty.

Arisen.

+++ST. UPHRASIA FIELDS+++
+++ THE SHRINE WORLD OF GEHENNA+++
+++SEGMENTUM SOLAR+++


‘Is it true?’
The raised voices echoing around the chamber died down. All eyes turned to the doorway, finding the accusing eyes of Ancient Ventris before them.

‘Is it true?’ He asked again, his voice low yet saturated with an ominous weight.

The faces gathered before him hardened in discomfort. None of them had ever known the Ancient address his commander in such a way before.

‘It is.’ Came the reply, deep and resonant.

Calgar stomped through the centre of the small group to meet with the new arrival, his vast mechanical frame blotting out the lights above. There followed a short silence between the two old warriors, a silence broken only by the constant pulsing hum of the mighty machination.

That, and the distant rhythmic pounding of a war already underway.

Ventris’s scarred face wavered, the steel-blue of his eyes softening a little.

‘How? Sacred Macragge, how did this happen?’

‘We don’t know.’ The Warmaster answered, the depth of his augmetic voice causing the Ancient’s breastbone to tremble.

‘Though it has been confirmed, Uriel. The Unity has restored him to health. They have brought him back and placed the reins of dominance around his blessed neck. Several Scout squads have already sighted him walking amongst the enemy. Guilliman commands the Tau here on Gehenna.’

Ventris began to shake, his fingers tightening.

‘It can’t be true. It has to be a trick, an enemy ruse. They seek to demoralise us.’

‘Ancient, it is more than that.’ Calgar answered quietly. ‘Leaving the Primarch behind was the hardest thing we have ever had to do. That the enemy have taken him as their own is our punishment, the price of our failure. The price of my failure.’

‘It cannot be him.’ Ventris continued, unable to accept it. ‘Even the Tau aren’t powerful enough to bring our Primarch back to life. That thing out there is not Roboute Guilliman. I will give my life to disprove this if I have to.’

Ventris turned on his heel to leave, retrieving his precious Chapter standard from the Honour Guard Marine standing in the doorway.

‘Ancient, wait.’

He turned to see Saint Cloelia the Endymion take a step forward, her mirrored silver armour shimmering as it caught the light. Cloelia and her Sororitas had joined the war as the Unity had pushed into the Gehennan system. The shrine world was a holy site for the Sororitas, a world housing some of the most sacred relics to be found within the Segmentum Solar, including the bones of St. Uphrasia herself. Cloelia herself claimed that she had been reborn in order to defend this very world against the Unity.

As she spoke, her words seemed to echo in the mind of everyone around her.

‘We must take care. The Unity have deployed in great numbers along the St. Uphrasia Fields. It will be here that the fight for Gehenna will be decided. The Legio Titanicus are even now moving to counter this threat, allowing our forces to prepare for the ground assault. We are not yet prepared to meet the Unity head o…’

Ventris thrust his armoured fingers deep into the metal of the console beside him, causing the Saint’s words to die in her throat. He tore the entire station from its moorings and hurled it the length of the room, sending it smashing into the opposite wall in a shower of sparks.

‘This abomination is not our Primarch!’ He roared, his lined face red with rage. ‘I will hunt down this heretical impostor and I will bring back his head on a spike! I will make him scream for forgiveness!’

With that he turned back towards the doorway to leave.

‘Ready the Banner Guard. We go to make war with this pretender.’

The Marine nodded and left, leaving the Ancient to turn to face those gathered before him. His eyes found the Warmaster, his hulking frame towering over those around him.

‘We left him behind, lord Calgar. We abandoned him. That is an Ultramarine’s greatest shame. I will not allow this travesty to continue a moment longer. By my life, I will end this.’

Calgar watched in silence as the Ancient disappeared through the doorway, the eyes of the others around him turning his way.

+He is heading straight into the heart of this war.+ Iron-Father Gaumech growled, his synthetic voice like the growl of some predatory feline.

+His heart burns for vengeance. He will surely find death at the hands of the Unity.+

‘Can you not simply order him to stand down?’ Lord Inquisitor Arthas asked, a look of bemusement spreading across his aged face.

High Chaplain Nostracles of the Flesh Tearers sneered as he heard this, his pitted face knotting.

‘He thirsts for retribution, Inquisitor. Such things are the way of the Astartes. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.’

‘Nostracles is right, Arthas.’ Calgar uttered, silencing the Inquisitor’s intended retort. ‘It would be inappropriate for me to deny the Ancient his vengeance, no matter what it may cost him to seek it.’

‘Then what do we do?’ Arthas asked, glancing at the field of tactical readout screens beside him. ‘It will take nothing short of miracle to stall the Tau’s advance here on Gehenna, let alone prevent Ventris from finding his own death.’

‘We aid him.’ The Warmaster answered.

‘B-but the advance…’ The Inquisitor began.

Calgar ignored the Inquisitor and stomped forward towards the door, turning his vast sarcophagus on its axis to face the others as he crossed the room.

‘The war for Gehenna begins now, people. Ventris is right; we have to uncover the truth behind this heresy. Commander Gorth, am I right to assume that the Guard are deployed across the length of the Fields in readiness to meet with the enemy advance.’

‘They are, lord.’

‘Good. Magos Vanthadox. Have the Titans of the Gigas Passus legion entered the field?’

The flickering holo-image to his right nodded its head in response.

+The Titans are loosed, Warmaster. Their systems sing with the joy of the conflict to come.+

Calgar came to a halt, turning his legs around to even himself out.

‘Then the war has truly begun. Whether or not this figure proves to be the Primarch himself or some blasphemous Tau construct, the need to uncover the truth is paramount. If we are to reach this deep into the enemy lines then we need to act fast and we need to do so now.

‘Heavy armour will not carry us to the heart of the enemy. Gaumech, Nostracles, you are the senior Astartes present here. I want you to arrange a strike force of assault troops and Land Speeders, the best we have. Scour the troops if you have to. I know we have several elements of the Raven Wing and a few veteran Flesh Tearers assault squads.

‘Lady Saint, if you would do me the honour of having your Seraphim sisters joining the attack, we may just see the heart torn out of this advance before it has a chance to take root. May the Emperor guide us this day.’

With that the Warmaster turned and strode from the chamber, leaving the others to begin the hurried preparations.

One way or another, the imposter would be revealed.

+++

The earth quaked as if in terror as the Titans of Gigas Passus moved to meet the Unity’s advance. A dozen armoured giants strode towards the shifting mass, their holy weapons thundering and flashing. Explosions glittered across their omnipotent mass as they attracted the enemy’s attention, though nothing even came close to staying their advance.

Something huge rose from the ground to meet them, carried aloft on multiple legs, a vast machination of smooth taupe armour.

The Kor’Vesa factory ship unfurled its mighty guns, its vast domed head turning to face the threat. Hundreds of drones continued to pour from its open sides, an endless mass of expendable firepower that hovered or crawled its way towards the Imperial lines, unmoved and unafraid.

Volcano cannons and turbo lasers ignited the air itself as the Titans fired, tearing great burning rends across the Factory Ship’s armoured flank. The alien craft returned fire undaunted, though its efforts were to prove fruitless.

Even as the mighty machine fell, another rose from the smouldering crater a thousand metres west, unfolding its armaments to meet the threat.

+++

‘Press on! We will not falter!’ Ventris roared, his beloved standard clutched tightly to his breast. His jump pack screaming, he bucked and then veered left, passing through the towering legs of the striding Titan. Ahead on the horizon he could see the enemy lines. He felt his hearts hammer in anticipation.

He turned his head to see Galthor, the Champion of the Banner Guard accelerate alongside him, his honour blades drawn and ready. The rest of the Banner Guard followed, their axes to hand and shimmering with crackling energy.

‘Our scouts have confirmed the position of the enemy heretic.’ Ventris sub-vocalised. ‘We are closing in on position. Let us honour the memory of Guilliman, my warriors. Let us wipe this shameful stain from our Chapter’s honour and show the Tau what little good comes of trying to demoralise a Space Marine.’

Ahead, the truth awaited them.

[Jansor]

Need more story!

[Lord_Crull]

Need more.

[Razor Devil]

Part Twenty-One.

Evil’s Heart...


Ventris held his breath and released his grip a little, allowing the ancient cloth to catch the wind. The banner rippled and exploded outwards, unfurling in the air, whipping and thrashing as if imbued with a life of its own.

‘For the Imperium!’ He cried, feeling his age-old hearts stir once again.

‘Honour the Standard!’ Came the reply of his brethren.

The Ancient touched down, the rest of his squad following suit around him. The ground itself quaked beneath the advance of the Titans behind them, the air above hissing and burning as each mighty lance or blast carved its way through the indistinct mass on the horizon.

He scoured the flat expanse, searching for his target.

To the left of them the air shimmered and burned, the huge blackened shell of a Kor’vesa Factory blocking the entire horizon as far as the eye could see.

‘Stay sharp, brothers! We have to pierce the heart of the enemy and we have to move soon, otherwise we will be undone!’

His eyes began to adjust to the blinding firelight and, within moments, he saw it.

Around a quarter of a kilometre ahead lay a small abandoned pilgrimage town, a smouldering, alien-defiled ruin. Small yet bright flashes of light sparked across the horizon from in between the forlorn stone shells, sporadic yet unremitting. He focused his hearing and found he was able to single the noise out. A continuous low thunder.

The thunder of the Earthshaker.

‘Traitooooors!’ He roared, his voice rising in pitch to match that of the cacophony about him. The Banner Guard seemed to tense as one, almost as the very mention of Imperial defectors caused them to experience physical revulsion.

Ventris gripped the pole of the standard tightly in his hands and lowered his body into a crouch, his eyes burning with a fierce thirst.

‘Let us guide them towards His judgement.’ He growled, and was gone, borne aloft on wings of thunder and fire.

+++

‘Keep the supply flowing! Runners and loaders maintain! Maintain I say!’
Gue’vesa’ui Monik Dursch marched along the line of armour, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. The speaker drone hovering by his side seemed to shudder softly and continuously as it amplified his voice, raising it so as to carry his words over the cacophonous tumult of the hammering guns.
Before him the powerful vehicles continued to quake, thrown back one by one as they unleashed shell after shell, stabilising support legs digging deeper into the soft grassy earth.

‘That’s it! For the good of the Unity, we shall not falter!’

He paused and lifted his field goggles and, looking out over the ruins of the city he watched in silence as the shells impacted against the distant hillside. Beyond that hill lay the Shrine of the Saint. Victory was within sight.

‘For the Greater Good.’ He whispered.

There was a brief, screaming whine and something landed heavily before him, throwing up a cloud of soil as it slammed into the ground. He gasped and reared back, reaching for the laspistol by his side instinctively.

‘Weak-minded turncoat!’ Ventris roared, his power sword igniting with a growling thrum.

‘Astartes.’ The Gue’vesa sergeant gasped, his eyes widening. He lifted the pistol and fired three shots at the hulking shape, only to watch them bounce harmlessly away from his thick chest armour.

‘Treacherous to the last.’ The Marine growled, cutting the man down where he stood.

The rest of his squad fell to earth around him, weapons drawn. Brother Cyries spun on his heel and lifted his plasma gun, sending a brace of bright blasts screaming through the air and into the bodies of the crew of the nearest field gun.
‘Take them out! Take the whole damn line out!’ The Ancient roared, sprinting towards the artillery line.

He reached the first Earthshaker and leapt up onto the rear bed, the entire platform shuddering as he landed. The two gunners cried out and fell against the stabilising arms, curling up in fear. A single sweep of his sword saw the men’s treachery come to an end and he kicked the remains aside, slamming the pole of the standard through the thick plate below him with little effort.

He tore a single krak grenade from his belt and cast it through the open barrel hatch before slamming it closed. He retrieved his banner and leapt down from the platform as the huge barrel shuddered, a low rumbling boom resonating through the entire vehicle.

The skies above were dark now, the sun itself dimmed by the sheer volume of Tau fliers screaming overhead. He lifted his face up to see something huge and incredibly vast sliding slowly through the air above him.

It was a Megalodon, the largest of the Unity’s aircraft. Objects were pouring from its vast underside like rain. Drones and warriors spilled from its belly in their hundreds, falling earthwards to join the fight for Gehenna.

It did not matter. Nothing mattered here and now except vengeance.

‘Lord Ventris!’

The Ancient turned as he heard the call, his eyes running across the length of the punished artillery to where Gaedan stood, one hand thrust out towards outskirts of the ruined town beyond.

The living rain still fell there, the skies saturated with countless warriors, war machines and drones. He could make out several large shapes breaking free of the main mass and heading their way, each one almost as large as a Warhound.

‘Crisis Dominators.’ He growled. ‘Hold the line. The Titans will deal with them.’

‘No, lord. Something else comes with them. Look!’

Ventris took to the air and landed beside the warrior, his eyes combing the ruins beyond the outstretched finger.

Sure enough, someone or something seemed to be advancing with the Dominator suits, matching their velocity. Brilliant blue flashed beneath the sun, fringed with flecks of gold and crimson.

It was running. Running at least as fast as a Rhino with its engines gunned to maximum.

Running towards them.

‘Banner Guard, to me!’

The rest of the squad began to fall in around the age-old warrior within moments of the command, all eyes falling upon the rapidly advancing shape. The Champion Galthor strode forward to stand by his side, both swords held out ready to counter the threat.

‘Another of the Unity’s abominable creations to slay. Allow me the honour, Ancient.’

Ventris nodded and then turned to the others around him.

‘Ready yourselves, brothers. We may have to meet the Dominators in combat yet if they manage to break past the Titans’ guns. Remember the drill. Meltabombs ready. Target the joints and the sensor arrays first. For the Emperor!’

The veteran warriors roared in answer and he turned once again, ready to meet the threat.

Something large and incredibly fast slammed into the waiting Champion with such force that it threw him through the air and into the back of one of the smouldering Earthshakers, his twin swords shattering beneath the force of the blow.

Galthor hadn’t stood a chance.

Ventris reeled back in surprise, his scarred face twisting.

‘Emperor deliver us…’

The glowering abomination’s void-like eyes found his, and it smiled.

Cries of agonised disbelief rose up from the rest of the Banner Guard as Ventris staggered back, the banner falling to the floor beneath him. For the first time in an age he found himself frozen with fear, swayed by indecision.

The Banner Guard strode forward as one, weapons raised. They were unsure, perturbed by the warrior standing before them, towering over each one of them as an adult would a child.

‘Astartes.’ The figure began, its voice like thunder.

Ventris shook his head and rose to his full height once more, retrieving the fallen banner as he did so. He looked out at the blue-armoured warrior, standing tall as a giant before them. Its white hair and majestic features were all too recognisable to him. He looked upon a face he had seen many, many times, a face revered by every Ultramarine who had ever lived.

The face of Roboute Guilliman, son of the Emperor, father of them all.

‘Primarch-father.’ He uttered.

The Primarch’s gaze fell upon each of the warriors before him in turn. The ancient looked on, his voice stolen. It was the first time he had ever seen Guilliman’s eyes.

They were black. Black as the trackless cold of space.

‘I am returned.’ The giant said, his powerful voice seeming to echo no matter the intensity. ‘My sons, kneel before me. Kneel before your Primarch.’

The Banner Guard swayed visibly, unsure. One of the warriors finally stepped forward and lowered himself onto both knees, his hands falling by his sides.

‘No...’ The Ancient whispered, his voice still unwilling to spill forth.
Guilliman coolly swept his sword across the Marine’s neck and sent his head rolling away across the dusty earth.

The rest of the squad cried out and tensed, axes thrumming as they were raised.

The Primarch turned to face them and kicked the corpse aside, his face twisting into a mask of utter malevolence.

‘You should have knelt, filth. You would have died swiftly. Instead you raise arms against your own gene-father. I will shatter the light from your eyes. I will empty your veins one drop of blood at a time.’

‘Honour the standard!’ The Guard hollered as one, defiant despite their fear.

‘For the Greater Good.’ Came the Primarch’s ominous reply.