Flesh Is Weak (Renegades Saga, Book 9)

by Renegades Inc

After the Emperor's self-declaration of divinity and alliance with Chaos, he has repudiated the Treaty of Olympus, and sent his son Ferrus Manus to subjugate Mars. But the Mechanicum's cyborgs are proving harder than expected to subdue, and as the war drags on, other powers play their own hands. Written by son of azurman and VulkansNodosaurus, 2013-16. Takes place late 002.M31.

1. Prologue: Acolyte

The silence never stayed. Constantly, the hum of the engines and the occasional distant sound of servitors maintaining the working parts of the void-ship echoed through the vessel. A small chamber lay in the very deepest parts of the Sanguis Ferrum, a strike cruiser of the Iron Hands' fleet in orbit around the red planet. At the centre of the room knelt a lone Astarte. The pitch-black of his V plate reflected no light and gave off no sign of life except for the red glow from its eye sockets. Still as a statue the warrior remained, like the unfortunate fate of the mythical medusa's victims.

All around the walls, no lights shone and no decorations hung; only the metal pipes and beams showed across the rooms boundaries, for this was a ship of the Iron Hands, who needed no finery.

"Nephew, what news do you bring?" Another figure appeared in the room at the far wall.

"My lord, Ferrus Manus has taken control of Mars and finished the clean-up operations two days ago." The Astarte still knelt and remained still, but a voice came over his helmet's vocal transmitter.

"This is good; however, i could have learned of this from Ferrus himself. What news do you bring?" repeated the giant figure.

"Father is troubled, his human emotions are kicking in."

"What do you mean? You state weakness in the Gorgon."

"Despair, my lord. First captain Santar agreed not with the Emperor's vision and attempted to defy our father. He had no choice but to silence him before he could cause harm. Even as we speak the Morlocks are searching the legion for signs of insurrection," exxplained the figure.

"I see, and this news is playing havoc on my brother's mind. Very well." The giant primarch turned from the Iron Hand and started walking. "Ulrach, keep me updated, and remember: for the Emperor and the glory of Chaos." The giant disappeared, evaporating into thin air as the hologram deactivated. The computer on the far side of the chamber powered down.

"For the glory of Chaos," muttered Ulrach Branthan as his head rose to face the wall where the Primarch had been.

"Chaos protects."