I found this chapter an utter turd to write even though it's so short. Tried not to bore you all with too much meaningless dialogue.
Hope you all enjoy.
In seconds, the strategium devolved into fierce argument, thunderous and surprised voices filling the space where a dignified meeting had been going on moments before.
"In the Emperor's name, that cannot be allowed!" Calgar roared as he stared directly at Cawl. "That shrine is sacred to our Chapter and I will not allow you to defile it in any way."
Calgar's tirade continued, getting more and more thunderous with every syllable. In the background, autoquills scratched away at a furious pace as serfs tried to keep up with the evolving argument happening around the central dias.
The pilgrims too turned to look at Cawl like he taken complete leave of his senses, with the Inquisitor squaring up to him and demanding an immediate explanation before she took more direct and violent action for the apparent betrayal of the Emperor.
Georgia watched all this unravel from her spot at the edge of the room, a small, amused smile spread across her face. She found it so damn funny how stuck up and suspicious each one of the Imperials was. The battleship had no idea why they wouldn't just accept Cawl's request at face value and not lose their cool, but still ask plenty of questions to get the full picture before they started shouting death threats and other stupid things.
Glancing across, Georgia locked her eyes with Azuma who looked completely lost standing in the middle of the maelstrom of shouting voices. Much like Georgia, the large cruiser was getting bored with how childish the 'experienced adults' in the room were being.
Eventually, First Captain Agemaan's voice rose above the din in a vox amplified roar.
"I demand that there is quiet here" he shouted, overpowering everyone else's voices easily. "Remember where we stand, and the offices that we all hold." The Space Marine continued. "We need to calm down and talk through this in a sensible manner!"
Thankfully, everyone heeded the First Captain's words as order was swiftly restored to the strategium. Happy, Agemaan then turned to his Chapter Master to utter a few phrases.
"I do not trust these newcomers" he quietly said. "With the orbital battle still in the balance and the Chaos forces advancing on the fortress, we should place all of these pilgrims in confinement so that we can focus on the more direct threat." The First Captain gestured to the travellers arrayed on the other side of the dias from him. "Furthermore, the auto reliquary should be placed in stasis until its full nature can be determined and the Eldar exterminated so that they don't pose any further threat to the Chapter."
"If I may" Celestine then spoke up. "I was sent here on a mission from the Emperor to…."
Her attempt at explaining her presence, and that of her unlikely companions was swiftly cut short as the saint noticed the muzzles of fifteen or so Honour Guard bolters pointed at her head, making it clear that the ball was still definitely in the Ultramarines side of the court.
As weapons were once again lowered, all eyes slowly turned towards Calgar who was looking face down at the dias, not meeting any of the looks thrown his way as he thought through the situation presented to him. A few moments later, he turned to perhaps his most trusted advisor, Chief Librarian Tigurius to ask for further counsel.
Nodding and staying silent for a few long heartbeats, Tigurius eventually decided to speak for the first time in the meeting, his voice rich and full of wisdom.
"Firstly, I must remind you my Lord of the troubling visions that I have born witness too, both before and after the coma that I found myself in. Perhaps the most important of the visions was that of a flight of iron birds which had taken flight from a distant, burning orb of churning cogs. In a series of visions, those avian creatures had soared through shadow and fire that had spilled out from a broken castle gate of a vast size. Throughout it all, they had clutched blazing swords in their talons, and their wings had shone golden with holy light as they flew towards Ultramar."
Tigurius then paused and almost imperceivably shook his head, unwilling to continue his half-finished tale. Clearly, he did not wish to discuss the dark side to the particular series of visions that he was referencing.
Everyone was on tenterhooks though, wanting to fully understand the meaning of the visions which would play a role in how the Ultramarines proceeded with the unlikely group of visitors that they'd been presented with.
Then, just before one of the Pilgrims was about to speak up, Georgia started speaking from the back of the room. Instantly, all eyes turned to regard the black haired girl who was sitting in the shadows next to a massive cogitator bank.
"But, through the ruptured castle gateway, stared an eye, an all-seeing and slit pupiled eye. And as the birds neared this planet, a giant corrupted maw full of bloodied fangs had loomed wide around them, ready to bite down with crushing force."
Disengaging eye contact with his charge, Tigurius turned to regard the others arrayed around the command dias, internally thankful that Georgia had finished the tale which had put him in his coma.
"As I'm sure many of you realise that these visions pertained to the fall of Cadia and the subsequent ferocious invasion of Ultramar by the Black Legion. They have already been proven somewhat true with timely messages sent to the Ultramar Defense Fleets to aid us at this crucial moment. Now though, I believe that the visions have taken on a new meaning pertaining to these travelers."
Taking a moment to stroke his weathered face in thought, he delivered his final verdict. "Ultimately, I feel inclined to vouch for the presence of these travelers, even that of the Eldar. I believe that these souls are the birds that I saw in my visions, and are therefore the Emperor's will made manifest."
"Please, speak" Calgar then gestured to the pilgrims as he opened the floor for them, at the same time internalising the information that his Librarian had provided him with.
With the order given, an awkward silence fell over the pilgrims as they shot each other sidelong glances, egging on the other to speak first. None wanted to start though, presumably because they didn't want to reveal any information that they didn't have to disclose, wanting to reveal as little about their own personal agendas as possible.
Eventually, Azuma took it upon herself to start their tale since hers was arguably the most simple to explain, so with an exasperated sigh, she started speaking. "So yeah…" the large cruiser said. "I'm like that other girl in the corner over there" she pointed towards Georgia still sitting in the shadows of the cogitator bank. "I don't know how I got here and why I'm here, only that according to Saint Celestine and Marshal Amalrich 'I'm going to be important in the pivotal moments that are to come' or something like that" Azuma shrugged, not really believing it herself.
Thankfully, Azuma's awkward piece was the catalyst the other travellers needed to start saying their own tales.
"Yes" Marshall Amalrich continued. "We found her in the Atheron mountains on the planet of Laphis which we'd moved to after exiting a webway gate at the edges Ultramar after our flight from Cadia."
"We were lead to a webway gate on one of the moons at the edge of the Cadian solar system by our Eldar allies." Saint Celestine continued.
"And myself and my troops correctly guided the Imperials through the winding pathways of the webway safely to the Ultramar sector" Yvraine almost arrogantly added in typical Eldar fashion.
"It was decided that the majority of the forces still with us would be placed under the command of the Ultramarines guarding Laphis shrine while myself and this group continued on to board the Strike Cruiser and make planetfall upon Macragge to meet you here" Greyfax concluded the short tale.
Calgar stayed silent throughout the story, the pieces slowly falling into place as the travelers told about the carnage wrought within the Cadian system and their flight across the galaxy, constantly hounded by Abaddon's minions. Their words also going someway to also explaining why there were Eldar among their party.
"And what say you Archmagos?" Calgar turned to Cawl since he hadn't spoken as part of the group. "Do you wish to tell of your part in this narrative?"
Irritatingly, despite the Chapter Master's constant questioning, Archmagos Cawl refused to divulge any more information about his purpose and presence upon the world of Macragge.
Getting annoyed herself, Inquisitor Greyfax spoke up. "As the highest member of the Inquisition within this place, I am placing myself personally responsible for Archmagos Cawl's summary execution if he proves to be acting against the will of the Emperor, Chapter Master Calgar."
Nodding, Calgar once again raised his hand to forestall any further comments as he decided upon his final verdict.
On the one hand, he could listen to the advice of his First Captain and throw them all in confinement and be done with the matter so that he could focus his efforts on the defense of the planet. That would be the easiest and most simple option. But after listening to their stories Calgar realised that the fact that the strange group of people had arrived here when they had, and from the visions of that his Chief Librarian had told him about, that it was more than a mere coincidence, and that something of earth-shattering importance was afoot. So disregarding the advice of his First Captain, Calgar gave his final verdict, his voice full of authority and laced with a hidden menace.
"I will allow you and your party to go to the Shrine of Guilliman" said the Chapter Master as surprised whispers echoed around the busy strategium. "However, you will be placed under heavy Ultramarine guard. While Agemman offers sage and simple advice, we must all remember that we all live in dark times. The Black Legion has once more set foot on Macragge, while the warp churns to madness in the sky above us. I will not dismiss the precognitive powers of my Chief Librarian, nor the wisdom of a living Saint as such a time as this, even if I have been given very little reason to trust Archmagos Cawl or the Eldar within your party. It is no mere accident that you are all arrayed before me today, so we need to see what the Emperor has demanded of us all in these strange times."
Not wasting any more time, Calgar turned to his still mostly stunned men and started to issue orders. It would be decided that 3rd company battle brothers would accompany the band along with an Honour guard and a contingent of First company Terminators alongside Calgar himself and Tigurius.
Falling into a loose formation once again, Saint Celestine gave the Chapter Master quiet words of thanks, praising his sagacity. Meanwhile, Cawl looked impatient, annoyed by the petty wranglings and politics which he'd been enveloped in, keen to be about his business. Further back in the procession, Inquisitor Greyfax and Marshal Amalrich exchanged loaded and suspicious glances as they walked side by side, neither trusting the allies which they'd been traveling with.
However, the very last people to leave the strategium were Azuma and Georgia who shared a quick hug and relieved smiles as they quietly chatted away throughout the journey to the shrine as the sun set beneath the majestic crown mountains visible from the armaglass windows of the strategium. The battle raging on into the night as explosions and gunfire lit up the twilight, the battle for the planet still in the balance.