Series II - Rising Star

Episode I - As You Command

Ulis is a warzone once more. Stung by the loss of their expeditionary force to the manipulation of Samovar von Guyen and its subsequent eradication, the Tau Empire has struck back hard. Thousands upon thousands of xeno warriors have laid siege to the capital of Fastunhive and this time their offensive has broadened into the planet's countryside as well. No target is safe. It is against this backdrop that Gyrus, newly promoted to the Second Company despite disobeying Third Captain Jarfur, must struggle to find his footing among his new comrades.

Aurora III rose over the planet Ulis every twenty-nine hours, bathing its starward side in rays of concentrated radiation. It was a harsh star, thrashing in its death throes and merciless to the worlds unlucky enough to be orbiting it. There were twelve of these, most of them gas giants with huge plumes of nitrogen extending from behind them, blown out by Aurora's fury. Only one occupied the habitable zone between two and three hundred million miles from the system's core. Ulis had been under Imperial rule for thousands of years, and it had seen many changes in that time. Its savage tribes had been subdued and exterminated, its indigenous wildlife hunted to extinction. Giant manors and estates had taken the place of forests and jungles, and entire continents had been reduced to little more than endless seas of fields. It had flourished, and the population had blossomed. Then the Warp storm came, and changed everything. Contact with the Astronomican was lost in a matter of hours. The supply ships stopped coming, as did all word from the rest of the galaxy. By the time the wrath of the Etherium had passed, Ulis was a shadow of its former self. The cities either fell into civil war or were abandoned by citizens searching vainly for a better life elsewhere. That made it a prime target for the Tau Empire.

"Sir," Gyrus said, closing the log file and turning to his Sergeant, "I have it. The cowardly xenos have swept in and taken control of a defenceless world. Nothing we haven not seen before."

Piraeus smiled as best he could as he took the auspex from Gyrus and set it down on a table. His face was scarred and twisted permanently into a grimace. He had several neural implants in his forehead, circles of smooth metallic grey set in rings of shining blue. He was gaunt, and Gyrus imagined that he must once have been considered handsome. Any semblance of his past looks was gone, however, hidden behind high cheekbones and a metal chin with slats in it for ventilation. When he opened his mouth, Gyrus could see right down his throat and make out pistons instead of vocal cords. His voice was deep and slightly artificial, as if it was a machine speaking and he was simply feeding it instructions.

"Knowledge is power, brother," he said. "Knowledge and . . ."

"Faith," Gyrus finished. "I am aware of that, sir."

"Good," Piraeus said, "Because I expect you and the rest of the squad to be fully briefed and ready for insertion to the surface when the time comes."

The two of them were standing in Gyrus' quarters aboard the Last Hope of the Weary, a medium-sized strike cruiser playing host to the Chapter's Second Company, the Spearheads. The five-kilometre ship was long and thin, styled to resemble a gothic cathedral. It had a domed bridge, supported by flying buttresses and flanked by tapering spires. The prow, which came to a sharp point, had two intake grilles set into it.

Gyrus' staterooms boasted windows looking out into space. They gave a brilliant view of Ulis, rotating slowly and glowing in Aurora's light.

"And brother," Piraeus went on, "Captain Harlus wants to see you as soon as possible."

"Why, sir?" Gyrus asked.

"I do not know," Piraeus said. "You will have to find out for yourself."

"Understood," Gyrus nodded. "Thank you for coming down."

Piraeus signed the Aquila.

Gyrus returned the gesture.

"I also wanted to congratulate you on your promotion from the Third Company," Piraeus added. "You are the White Knights' rising star . . . but this comes with a warning, Astarte. Soldiers in my squad follow the orders they are given."

Gyrus frowned.

"I do not know what you mean," he lied.

"You disobeyed Third Captain Jarfur," Piraeus said.

"Sir," Gyrus said, "I saved thirty men."

Piraeus shook his head.

"Be that as it may," he said, "Rules are rules. There is no place for excuses."

"I will not accept that," Gyrus told him. "It was not an excuse, it was an explanation."

"You will have to accept it," Piraeus replied.

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.

"The control room," Piraeus ordered. "Now."

"As you command," Gyrus said.

Piraeus turned and left.

The door automatically slid shut behind him.

Gyrus tutted to himself and raised a finger to his ear. With no suit on he lacked the ability to make radio calls with his mind, but he could still use the microbead implanted beneath his skin. Marines were never cut off from their commanders. That would be disastrous in the field.

"Captain Harlus," he sent, "Do you hear me?"

"Right here, Gyrus," Harlus replied, his voice seeming to come from inside Gyrus' head.

"I am on my way to you," Gyrus told him.

"Excellent," he said."I anticipate your arrival."

The corridor outside the staterooms was well-lit and led away in both directions. Gyrus turned towards the engines, passing a couple of Astartes on his journey. A short way down the passage was a lift. He called it and waited patiently. The shutters eventually parted, revealing a crewman with a box cradled in his arms.

He stepped aside for Gyrus and quickly hurried away, not wanting to attract unwanted attention and risk punishment. Even among their allies, the Adeptus Astartes – or the Space Marines, to give them a moniker they had spent millennia resenting – were regarded as young gods to be feared and obeyed. To anyone else it would have been a curious and cumbersome existence, but Gyrus was more than a human. He did not understand the nuances of his being not through ignorance but because he had no need to. It was his duty to inspire fear and doubt in his allies and foes alike, such that he may better serve the Emperor.

He calmly selected the control room from the list of destinations. The lift shook as it climbed the palatial tower towards the glass dome at the top. Its journey was short and he soon emerged into the cool, air-conditioned room. In the sky to his left was Aurora.

Harlus was nowhere to be seen.

"Sir," he said, "Where are you?"

"I am in the chapel, Gyrus," Harlus sent back.

There was an archway in the wall on the far side; Gyrus wove his way between the desks and control panels and went through. The men and women in the room shirked away from him as he passed them. The chamber he found himself in was cold, with flat metal walls and no windows. On the roof was a giant mosaic of the Emperor, reaching out to Holy Terra and taking it in the palm of His hand.

Harlus wore his armour, coloured white but with a gold shoulderpad on the left side to denote his rank. A quietly humming power sword was slung by his belt. Hearing the Marine approaching, he glanced over his shoulder.

"You found your way here, then," he said.

"I am still getting used to the new ship," Gyrus admitted.

"How do you like her?" Harlus asked.

Gyrus smiled.

"It is a step up from the Third Company," he said.

Harlus nodded his agreement.

"Pray with me," he ordered.

"Yes sir," Gyrus replied.

He knelt beside the Second Company Captain and rested his head on his hands.

"O most holy Emperor," he recited, "Saviour of mankind and preserver of the realm, we implore You to forgive us our failings and make us stronger as the sun rises in the morning. In the same way You taught freedom and morality, we are bringing the Imperium's light to the far reaches of the galaxy, be it through peace or war. Keep us safe and let the White Knights endure through even the toughest of times. Knowledge and faith be with us all."

Gyrus kept an eye on Harlus as they prayed. He'd shared a room with the Second Captain on only a few occasions, and this was the best chance he'd been given to get to know him properly. From what he could tell, Harlus was a much more even-handed and understanding commander of men than Jarfur had ever been. He was looking forward to serving under him.

They straightened up.

"That was well said, Gyrus," Harlus said.

"Thank you, sir," Gyrus replied.

"I have been talking to the Chapter Master about the situation developing on Ulis," Harlus told him. "He believes that direct intervention is required. It is a pity, but I can see no other way."

Gyrus frowned.

"A pity?" he said. "I have had a thirst for blood since Fastunhive."

Harlus sighed.

"Gyrus," he said, "I like you. The Master likes you. But we are taking a risk here."

"I do not follow," Gyrus admitted.

The lush glow from the eyes of Harlus' helmet washed over Gyrus' chest with his nod.

"No-one other than Piraeus has a problem with what you did in Fastunhive," he explained. "Going against Third Captain Jarfur's orders and advancing even when you knew you were placing yourself in danger was selfless and insolent in equal measure."

"Where is this going, sir?" Gyrus asked. "I have training to do if we are going back to Ulis."

"We have called the White Council, Gyrus," Harlus told him. "This is serious."

Gyrus stiffened. The White Council, formed of three representatives from each Company, was the Knights' decision-making body. They voted on key issues facing the Chapter.

"Over me?" he said.

"No," Harlus said. "That is the real problem." He synched his suit with the door and ordered it shut. "We have been contacted by an Inquisition ship. They are tying up loose ends now that von Guyen is dead. Apparently we have taken possession of the artefact that corrupted him, and that makes us a target for them. They want a show of loyalty."

Gyrus formed his hands into fists and punched them together.

"Let them come," he spat. "We are pure."

"I know that as well as anyone here, brother," Harlus assured him. "But they have declared whole worlds excommunicate traitoris. They pose a significant threat to us. The White Council has been convened to debate what to do."

Gyrus smiled.

"We shall stand as one against this bureaucracy," he promised.

"Not quite," Harlus said, and laid a gauntleted hand on Gyrus' shoulder. "They want to have you removed for interrogation. You are to be made into an example of what happens to Astartes who commit the crime of insubordination."

"I will not stand for this," Gyrus growled.

"Nor will I," Harlus said. "You need the opportunity to make your voice heard. I can stand up for you, but only for so long before they start blaming me instead."

"So you are bringing me to the meeting," Gyrus concluded.

"That is for you to decide," Harlus said.

Gyrus knew the true meaning of his words. The three speakers from each Company were the Captain, a Sergeant of his choosing and a Marine who had distinguished himself from his fellows.

"Just give me the chance to prove I can do it," he said, eagerly.

"I already have," Harlus said. He pointed at the floor. "Ulis."

"What of it?" Gyrus asked.

"Piraeus will be leading the ground assault," Harlus said. "As a member of his squad, I expect you to follow him. You are a Spearhead now, Gyrus. That means you have access to special wargear and equipment. I am happy to help you ready up."

"I can do it on my own, sir," Gyrus said.

"Excellent," Harlus said. "Visit the Stock Officer by the loading bays. He will find a sword for you. And I am glad you came to see me, Marine. Your case is most disturbing."

Gyrus nodded.

"Knowledge and faith be with you," he recited.