This would be it. Silon sat on his throne inside the belly of the Stormraven, the red glow shrouding the crimson marines in a sort of camouflage. Silon glared out at his remaining squad mates, he wished that the Cannoness had struck more of them down or at least killed Allister. Silon would kill that sadistic bastard first.
The stormraven had been flying for around three minutes now, already making good distance across the wasteland. The front ramp had remained closed so Silon couldn't make out how far exactly they had gone or what they had passed, but little of that mattered to him right now. He was already envisioning putting these traitors down and finally paying back the debt that he owed to his old friend.
Before Silon could begin to relive the moment of his chapter's initial descent into betrayal, the pilot of their craft radioed through across the internal vox network.
"Lord Eisen."
"Speak." The Chaplain's harsh tone replied.
"We are picking up vehicles ten miles ahead."
"Vehicles as in plural?" The Chaplain hid any hint of worry that he may have had when he spoke, "We were only expecting one."
"It is possible that Sergeant Payne was incorrect, revered one." The pilot said.
Chaplain Eisen let out a growl of frustration before continuing.
"Bring us over to them and hail them on the vox, we should be far enough from the jammers within the fortress so their tech will work out here."
Silon's mouth twisted into a sort of pout. The heinous jammers within the fortress' catacombs had been set up the night before the betrayal and had been designed only to block the Ecclesiarch vox network, just another act of cowardice amongst the web of other conspiracies in this massacre.
The stormraven continued its flight for another thirty seconds before a female voice came across the network.
"This is Sister Superior Tegren of the order; the Argent shroud hailing the Astarte aircraft flying over our vehicles, please respond."
The stormraven's speed dropped and the thrusters held it in one position. Eisen stood from his throne and activated the forward ramp's release procedure.
"Pilot, what do you see?"
"An Immolator Lord." The pilot's tone was uneasy, "And an exorcist battle tank."
Chaplain Eisen froze.
"That thing could shoot us out of the sky." Whether the chaplain had meant to speak those words aloud was anyone's guess.
"This is Chaplain Eisen, Chaplain of the Roaring Lions, I am receiving you."
"Where have you come from, revered one?" Tegren's voice came through once more, "We have not had word from Keelo or our sisters at the fortress for little under a week now."
"Perhaps we should have this talk face to face, sister. We shall land at once." The Chaplain drew his crozius and switched onto the internal vox. "Put us down."
Silon glared and as expected, his suit began to feed combat drugs and stimulants into his blood stream. The front ramp of the craft was open now, allowing the harsh winds ripping across the wastes to enter the vehicle. Silon looked out as the ground started to become closer as the thrusters of the stormraven lowered them briskly to the ground.
When it finally landed, the Chaplain ordered the squad up from their seats.
"Stand ready, brothers."
Silon rose from his throne. He unclamped his bolt pistol from his thigh and pulled free his power-sword from its scabbard.
Jargen rose from the throne opposite Silon and nodded towards his Sergeant.
Silon returned the nod before turning to face the open ramp at the front of the aircraft, seeing that it had finally landed and out in the wastes he could see two silver vehicles approaching in the distance. One was an Immolator and the other one was the easily recognisable Exorcist battle tank, dozens upon dozens of organ tubes extruding from the top of it.
"Anti-air capable tank sighted, Chaplain Eisen." Allister growled.
"That is our primary objective." The Chaplain replied, "Brother Jargen, take it out the moment the fighting starts."
"I shall not fail you, Chaplain." Jargen held his melta weapon up towards the ceiling.
"Brother Sergeant." Eisen sneered, "I task you with the Immolator, think you can handle that?"
"Aye, Chaplain." Silon glared back at Eisen.
"If memory serves, sergeant, you could barely handle that insidious traitor Sergeant Kraeker back when our revolution began and yet you think you can take out an APC all by yourself?"
Silon heard Allister let out a chuckle and every muscle in his body tensed with rage. Sergeant Arfar Kraeker had been Silon's friend for little under a century in the time before the chapter's descent into heresy. Kraeker had been the one who warned Silon of the Chaplain's sudden betrayal and the subsequent purging of those loyal to the Imperium from the chapter. After the two of them had attempted to reach the chapter's ancient dreadnoughts whom Kraeker was sure wouldn't abandon the Imperium, they came across Captain Praetus, Chaplain Eisen and a large retinue of marines who had abandoned the Imperium inbetween them and the Dreadnought holding bays.
As Silon regarded the battle brothers ahead of him he felt an alien and surreal feeling. Kraeker would never lie to him, but the thought of his Captain, an honoured veteran who had served the Imperium for centuries and had lead their company for all of the years that Silon had served, turning against the Imperium was almost impossible to believe. Stood alongside the Captain was the revered Chaplain Eisen, the stern skullfaced marine had always been their rock in the midst of battle and a voice of reason within the company. Eisen was a legend within the entire chapter from the campaign within the Hydris sector where the company had had to make a hasty retreat from a warband lead by remnants of the traitor Alpha legion. Eisen had sustained several hits from plasma guns as he retreated from a ruined city his unit had been holding and fell, the rest of the company had left the city without him and he was presumed dead, only to make a miraculous return before they left the planet.
How Eisen survived the engagement was unknown to Silon but Eisen was changed by that campaign. Changed enough to go along with this heresy against the Imperium anyway.
Silon turned to Kraeker who was still staring around the corner at the other marines who were still unaware of their presence.
"They'll kill us." Kraeker stated. Silon tilted his head in hesitation before speaking.
"Are you sure, Brother? This is madness."
"Madness incited by that bastard, Eisen." Kraeker growled, "Brother Vaern is dead."
Silon's eyes widened. Vaern had been in the company since before Silon had become a Sergeant and was widely respected throughout the company.
"Why?" Silon asked the question but suspected he already knew the answer.
"Vaern denied their betrayal." Kraeker said quietly, "They butchered him and his squad, they weren't even in battle plate."
"By the Emperor…" Silon's sorrow soon turned to rage.
Before Silon could say another thing, Kraeker pulled himself and Silon back around the corner of the corridor.
"They're coming this way."
"If we get the drop on them we might have a chance." Silon held up his bolter.
"The risk is too great." Kraeker shook his head, "Silon, they have blocked communications throughout the ship in order to keep this betrayal secret, we must get word of this to the Imperium."
"We'll never make it to the hangar without drawing attention." Silon replied.
"No, Silon. We won't."
"What?"
"You must get word out, Silon. Go along with it until you get your chance."
Silon couldn't even ask what Kraeker meant, for as Kraeker finished his sentence, his good friend slammed a gauntleted fist into the front of Silon's helmet.
He crashed backwards around the corner and sprawled backwards on the floor, barely keeping a hold on his bolter. He glanced quickly to his left and saw the Captain and his entourage, they all stopped and the marines surrounding the leader all held their bolters outwards. Silon turned back to Kraeker who had drawn his power sword and was now advancing on him.
"Traitor scum!" Kraeker roared as he charged towards Silon. Silon rolled to the left and launched himself up to his feet. Kraeker swung his sword in a downwards arc towards him. Silon caught the attack with the side of his bolter and shoved his friend back away from him.
"Get out your blade." Kraeker pointed the sword towards Silon, "I don't care if you are siding with our bastard heretic of a Captain, I will not kill an unarmed marine."
"Very noble of you, Sergeant." Captain Praetus' voice came down the hallway.
Kraeker feigned a sudden look of surprise as he turned towards the Captain.
"Stay out of this, traitor. Reserve yourself some honour and allow me single combat."
Praetus beckoned towards Silon with his right hand, the other resting upon the hilt of his sword.
"By all means, Sergeant. By all means."
Silon looked into his friend's helm's glowing eyes. He realised what Kraeker was doing and the realization bit deep. He drew his own chainsword and held it out in a defensive stance.
Kraeker stepped forward without another word and swung his sword, Silon parried the incoming blow and threw his weight forward causing Kraeker to stumble backwards. He then kicked out at Kraeker's shin-guards to knock him off balance before swinging his now active chainsword in a side on swipe toward's Kraeker's chest. The screaming chainsword struck the side of Kraeker's torso and dragged up across the plate, sending sparks shooting off in multiple directions. Kraeker quickly counter-attacked before the blade reached his helm with an upwards swing of his sword. Silon brought his blade back down just in time to deflect another of Kraeker's blow, it was at this point that he realised Kraeker's power-sword was damaging his chainsword immensely and that it couldn't take much more abuse before breaking.
Kraeker raised his blade once more and swiped in a predictable direction towards Silon, Silon knocked his blade to the left and headbutted Kraeker, before Kraeker could react, Silon kicked out once again at his shin-guard and slashed down towards the now exposed knee joint. The chainsword's teeth bit deep and sent a spray of sparks and blood erupting from Kraeker's wound. Kraeker fell on his bad knee and raised up his blade to catch Silon's next strike. Silon realised this was it. With one hand he pressed his blade down at Kraeker's and with the other he grabbed Kraeker's wrist.
"It's over, Brother." Silon said in the most sincerely contemptuous tone he could muster as he wrenched his brother's arm away from what it was protecting.
"Burn in the warp, Heretic." Kraeker replied, looking dead at Silon.
Silon with great effort forced himself to wrench Kraeker's arm to the side and pushed his own chainsword down towards his friend's faceplate. The chainsword bit at the ceramite and continued to do so until Silon brought it down to Kraeker's vulnerable throat padding. The teeth of the blade tore hungrily through the padding and into the flesh below, blood erupted from the wound and the constantly moving teeth of the blade sent his friend's blood splattering over both marines. Kraeker convulsed and let out several agonized grunts before falling off the sword onto his back.
Silon stepped back and listened as he heard the dozens of footsteps approaching him. He turned just as the Captain reached him. Praetus reached out and rested his gauntlet upon Silon's left pauldron.
"I know he was your friend, Brother Silon." Praetus' tone was tender and caring, "But we have all had to make sacrifices in this time of liberation. We were never going to break the shackles imposed on us by the Imperium without bloodshed, I see you understand that."
Silon lowered his head.
"Yes, Brother Captain."
Chaplain Eisen stared long and hard at Silon before turning away, leaving Silon with an uneasy feeling.
Silon's thoughts were interrupted as he realised the Chaplain was exiting the storm raven. He looked outside and saw that the Sororita vehicles had finally made their way over to the Stormraven's landing point.
"Here we go." He thought to himself, clenching his bolt pistol and the power sword he had taken from Kraeker tighter.
As Silon walked forward to follow the Chaplain, he looked out towards the Immolator transport and saw a dozen or so battle sororitas appear from the side hatch of the vehicle. Each of them held a bolter and wore the unique sororita helms apart from one who stood with a plasma pistol in one hand and her helm in the other, assumingly she was the superior of the squad. Just as the Chaplain was about to step out of the stormraven's thresh hold, a frantic message split the silence on the vox network.
"To any Battle sisters who can hear this! We are in need of assistance! The Astarte forces have betrayed us!"
Silon's eyes widened and Chaplain Eisen stopped mid step.
"Who in the hell is that?" He growled calmly over the squad's vox network.
Silon saw the battle sisters outside tense up and a couple raised their bolters.
"Please if any of our sisters can hear us, respond!" The speaker rang out again.
"What is the meaning of this?" The superior said through the vox, her pistol too rising towards Eisen.
"Take off." Eisen barked, "Take off now!" Eisen stepped back into the Stormraven and drew his bolt pistol.
"Stop!" The superior yelled as she loosed off a plasma round. The shot missed Eisen and instead struck the side of the ramp mechanism, disabling it. Eisen hastily returned three shots at the Superior; one of the shots met its mark and hit her in the shoulder, the detonation sending her falling backwards. The Stormraven rose up into the air as bolter rounds started streaking across the hull.
"Who in the hell sent that message!?" Eisen yelled, turning back to the squad.
"We're picking up a Sororita vehicle coming from our six, Chaplain." The pilot replied through the vox, "Half a mile out, coming from the direction of Armryt."
Some survived. The thought excited Silon and he decided on his plan of action immediately. First he clamped his bolt pistol once again to his thigh and used the same hand to grab two Krak grenades from his belt. He thumbed the activation runes on the side of both of them and rolled them to the back of the Stormraven, the noise of the wind and bolter fire outside drowning out the clangs that the heavy explosives made along the floor. Quickly he drew his pistol once again and in one motion turned to Allister, he fired two shots at point blank range, striking the marine in the side of the throat and in the centre of his chest.
Chaplain Eisen just began to raise his own pistol as Silon threw all of his weight against the Chaplain. They both fell towards the open ramp of the aircraft, the Chaplain desperately scrabbling at the walls. Silon, still using the momentum of his shove drove his power sword upwards through the side of the Chaplain's torso, the heated blade appearing through Eisen's right pauldron. Eisen cried out just as Silon threw both himself and the Chaplain out of the aircraft. Silon listened out as the two grenades detonated within the belly of the Stormraven, multiple death chimes ringing out across his HUD as a couple of his squad members died.
He fell with the Chaplain through the air, still gripping the sword that had penetrated through the Chaplain. Eisen swung his crozius in at Silon, the desecrated weapon striking him in the side of his helm, but Silon held on tight. He saw the sandy floor growing closer and closer, Eisen flailing all the way.
"Finally did something right." Silon said over the vox so that Eisen could hear.
"BASTARD!" Eisen screeched just as the two of them slammed into the floor.