Nothing But a List of Names to Mark his Ascension

Chapter 50: Passing of Giants

Note: I do not own Warhammer 40,000 or Dawn of War, I am simply writing a different perspective to the events portrayed.


"Prepare for departure," said Aramus. His words broke the rest of the marines from their trance. Their eyes turned from the bloodied sword to their Commander, awaiting further orders.

Augustine stepped forward. "Commander, though my squad numbers only three, I wish to join this battle. I will redeem the squad's honor, by killing Thaddeus."

Aramus put his hand on Augustine's shoulder. "We will all avenge this insult. You will lead the squad now Brother Augustine. I cannot make you Sergeant yet, but that title will be yours when the time comes." Then he spoke to the others. "Make no mistake. There is no redemption for Thaddeus. We go down to Aurelia to ensure that today is the last day he draws breath."

"I have no objection," said Cyrus. "He made his decision long ago it seems."

"Aye," nodded Tarkus. "We will defeat him, but not before wringing every last bit of knowledge from his traitorous skull."

"Tarkus speaks well," said Avitus. "I will put my boot on that bastards neck for what he has done."


Merrick sat with the Daredevils in one of the many shell craters that littered the road. He and the others listened intently over their microbeads, waiting for Kippler and Verisson to report. The two had left the rest of the Daredevils behind to explore the area north of the electrics hub. If the enemy presence was light, they would vox back for the rest of the Guardsmen.

To the southwest, the thunder of heavy guns was getting closer and closer. Reports from General Castille were becoming more frequent. There were casualties, but a steady advance as well. The heretics were being pushed back to their stronghold. Merrick was sure that the Administratum building would be theirs in a day or so. After that came the task of cleaning up the rest of the Hive.

"Kippler here," said a voice over the microbead. "Verisson and I found an entrance on the northern side. It leads into the basement areas. Should be empty."

"Copy that," replied Merrick. He nodded to Alek and said, "Let the Captain know. We'll go on ahead and secure the place."

Alek quickly voxed Uther, and in a few minutes, the squad was advancing. They left the main roads and headed southwest, passing through allies and empty lots filled with rubble. Occasionally they came across rotting corpses. Some were found with weapons at their side, evidence of the resistance that was crushed when the traitors emerged from hiding. Two buildings dominated their lines of sight though. Their destination, the power station, reached up towards the roof of the level. Its towers loomed overhead like rusted overseers, wrapped with wires. Further south was the Administratum building, black and ornate, though now daubed all over with red paint. It was a wide structure, but still held more than forty stories.

In fifteen minutes, the Daredevils had reached the edge of the power station. Its high walls loomed above them, blotting out the scant light from above. The Daredevils followed the wall, keeping to the darker shadows until they found the entrance. A ramp led down into the ground to a thick blast door. It was half open, stuck in the middle of opening or closing when the power had failed.

"Alright Kippler," said Merrick into his microbead, "We're here."

"I know sir," said Kippler. He was already standing behind Merrick, with Verisson at his side. They had been hiding in the shadows the entire time.

Merrick recoiled as Kippler announced himself. "Throne! Don't do that!"

"Sorry sir," replied Kippler. "Shall we go in?"

"You bet," said Merrick. "Waddy, take point."

Hurst moved to the front of the squad and waved Alek, Gren, and Flin to follow him. "Remer, Vornas," he said. "Sidearms out. You won't be using your launchers in here."

"Got it Sarge," the two replied in unison. They slung their grenade launchers and pulled out their laspistols.

"Hate this thing," said Vornas, shaking the weapon. "It feels like a toy."

"The Commissar wouldn't be happy to hear you say that," said Remer.

"You should know," said Merrick. "Unlike the rest of us, you grenadiers are issued with those laspistols. You were a moron to try and pawn it off."

"Excuse me?" said Hurst, kneeling by the half open door. "Aren't we a bit busy?"

"Right you are," said Merrick. He stood and followed Hurst. After the squad stacked up against the door, Hurst made entry. The squad stepped into a darkened labyrinth of hissing pipes and meters recording dozens of different variables. The wires and pipes stretched far into the ceiling. Even though the power was switched off, the station was still active. Merrick wondered if key points of the facility had been disabled.

Right now though, his focus was on any hostiles. The station was massive, but their line of sight was restricted by the twisting pipes and larger machines inside. The Daredevils followed the twisting corridors of metal, delving deeper into the building.


Gabriel Angelos leaned back, listening to the roar of the drop pod as it fell towards the surface of Aurelia. As planned, the 3rd Company was moving on Stronghold C, the largest and best fortified of the "islands" that floated above the main Chaos force. Secondary scans had noted that the enemy presence on the islands had decreased, and Angelos suspected that they were only there to slow down the Blood Ravens. Eliphas wanted a climactic battle. Angelos looked down at the helmet perched on his knee. The bone colored paint was fresh, as were the gold laurels. After a moment, he put it on. If Eliphas wanted a fight, he would get it.

The drop pod hit the ground and seconds later the ramps dropped away. With a tactical squad at his side, Captain Angelos leapt from the drop pod into the freezing air. The rest of the Company was deploying all around them. To the west, a wall of ice was visible, steaming from recent bombardment. Four breaches had been made, but behind the walls were numerous compartments, nearly a square mile each. Stronghold C was a citadel made of numerous chokepoints and causeways. Without the bombardment it would have been an impossible task, and even now it was difficult.

"Angelos to orbit," said the Captain. "Enemy forces sighted near the first wall. Requesting armor support."

"Understood Captain," replied an officer aboard the Litany of Fury. We will soon dispatch Thunderhawk transporters. Your forces need to destroy the nearby void shield generator. Once it is down, we can commence precise strikes on anti-air guns from orbit. Only then can armor land. Positions are marked on your map display. The Emperor protects."

"He does indeed," said Angelos. He looked out into the distance. Already he could see tracer fire coming from multiple positions. The walls seemed unstable, as no gun positions were mounted on them. However, smaller ice barricades protected more forward positions.

"Forward Company," ordered Angelos. "Once those anti-air guns are destroyed we will let the armor take the lead. Our brethren manning the tanks have become quite bored lately."

A few chuckles came over the vox as the 3rd Company moved west. Ground fire was light. With visibility reduced to less than a hundred yards with auto-senses, it must have been even worse for any Vandis heretics.

"Sergeant Corallis here," said a voice in Angelos' ear. "My Land Speeder group has crushed almost all resistance on Strongpoint A. We are awaiting extraction before we move to assist you Captain."

"Very good," said Angelos. He broke into a run as enemy positions became visible. Vandis guards hid behind rusted tank traps ahead. Their armor was scrap metal over long black overcoats and they manned an old PDF anti-air gun. It was a four barreled autocannon much like the one mounted on Imperial Guard Hydra vehicles. The Vandis troopers looked up as the Astartes approached. They fumbled for their weapons to no avail. Pinpoint bolter shots took them all. In seconds, Angelos and his brothers were in control of the site.

As Angelos brought God-Splitter down on the gun, he listened to his brothers report the capture of the other positions.

"Where is the generator?" he asked over the vox?

"It seems there are more than one," said one of his marines. After a moment of intense static, the voice returned. "We just destroyed the one we found."

"Perhaps that will be enough," said Angelos. "Many times the destruction of a single generator can overload the whole system. Litany of Fury, launch pinpoint bombardments!"

From the sky, lance-fire fell on areas beyond the ice wall. The void shield, while not completely gone, was unable to hold back firepower of that magnitude. In a matter of minutes, the larger guns had been destroyed. It was up to the infantry to clean up the rest.

The transporters were clear to land. With armor support, the traitors would be annihilated. Then, just as the thought had passed through Captain Angelos' mind, the ground shook. Ahead of the marines, the wall of ice exploded outwards. The destruction revealed a dugout in the permafrost, and out of the pit charged dozens of heretics.

Bolterfire met the first rank, killing dozens. The pit was long and deep though, and many more came. Angelos quickly looked around. The breach in the wall was also teeming with the traitors.

"Look!" cried one of his marines. It was then that he noticed. The traitors did not bleed. A clear fluid dripped from their wounds, evidence of their god's blessing. They were lightly armed and even more lightly armored. They charged in wearing coveralls or work trousers, swinging sickles and axes at the Blood Ravens.

"Blessings of Nurgle!" shouted one of the other Astartes. "They have touched death! Now let them taste it!"

The 3rd Company engaged the cultists at point blank range. In the knee deep snow, the Astartes were only marginally hampered. The traitors however were greatly disadvantaged. Yet no matter how many were shot dead, the rest still came on. Twice Angelos stepped forward and swung God-Splitter around to through them back, and twice the traitors rallied.

The 3rd Company pulled themselves towards the center of the defenses, moving away from the two breaches that flanked them. The marines were heavily outnumbered, and could not afford to be isolated.

"Accept the blessings of the plague go-" shouted one of the cultists before being thrown off his feet by a bolt round. Two more pressed ahead, but were shot as well.

"Watch your flanks!" ordered Angelos. He lowered the thunder hammer and drew his bolt pistol, firing shots into the screaming wind. After a few seconds, more targets presented themselves, dozens moving towards him in a wedge formation. Behind Angelos, a heavy bolter opened fire, cutting a swathe in the enemy ranks. Still, scattered remnants reached the Blood Raven line. Most of the pockets were only one or two men deep, and were easily repelled. Some were larger however, and to Angelos' left, a marine was brought down by sheer numbers. Eight men tackled him, driving their rusted blades into the joints of his armor.

"You will pay for that!" shouted Angelos. Before he could strike, the cultists were thrown off the Blood Raven by his brothers. They fired shot after shot until the killers were dead and dragged the limp body back to the center of the ranks.

"Captain," said one of the marines, "We need to move on. The traitors mean to hold us here while they prepare further defenses."

Angelos nodded slowly, watching the shapes moving in the icy tempest. It was certainly a diversion. The Vandis heretics needed time to prepare their second line of battle. Then Angelos' vox crackled.

"Captain," said the voice. "This is Brother Talmud with armor support. We have four predators and a vindicator siege tank at your disposal."

Angelos smiled under his helmet. "Very good," he said. "Make your way to the right-most gate and engage all enemy forces, we must break through their lines now!"

"As you say Captain. We are on our way."

In the distance, Captain Angelos could see the flashes of the siege cannon. In mere moments, the armor would be with them, and they could press ahead at full strength. No matter how prepared the Vandis heretics were, they would not even manage to slow a vindicator.


Cyrus knelt in the snow, looking ahead at the path before them. The 4th Company had deployed in a relatively abandoned area of the weather station. However, they did not expect to be ignored for so long. Their advance had not been met with any resistance.

Augustine came up to him and knelt at his side. Behind him stood Alaris and Lloyd, the remaining members of the assault squad. Ahead of the marines, the metal walkway continued for some time, occasionally melding into the earth of the mountain before descending deeper into the base, ground that the Blood Ravens did not tread the last time they were here.

"Anything Cyrus?" asked Aramus. The Commander stepped up to the scout's side. In Aramus' right hand was the Alexian blade. He had cleaned it after Harkon had removed it from Martellus' chest, but the hilt still bore specks of the Techmarine's blood. Aramus' own blade was sheathed at his side.

"This place seems abandoned," said the scout.

"That is impossible," said Avitus. "Scans detected large amounts of enemy forces. Let us press ahead."

"I agree," said Tarkus, "but we must do so with caution. Thaddeus is here, and Emperor knows what else."

Without another word, Cyrus stood, leading the few scouts that he brought with him. The rest of the Company followed, with Captain Thule taking up the rear. He and Orion moved side by side, watching for enemies that could be trying to flank the marines. Soon the walkway opened into the station proper. Its plasteel expanse covered nearly the entire island. Yet even as the Blood Ravens moved across the rusted paths and wide sensor bays, they encountered no hostiles. It was another few minutes before they found the first bodies.

In the middle of what used to be a wide area for transporting larger pieces of the sensor arrays stood a Blood Raven drop pod. It was off center, leaning against the metal wall behind it. Both the pod and the ground around it were pockmarked with bolt rounds, and the area was strewn with the bodies of more than twenty Black Legionnaires.

Augustine looked at the bodies. They had been chopped cleanly, and their blood stretched out in a spray behind each of the pieces. This was a running battle. Thaddeus had not fought them head on. Rather, he had used their numbers to his advantage. With his superior speed, he had only needed to engage a few at a time.

"Look," said Lyon, pointing to the north. The bodies formed a trail, leading up and over a landing pad and further into the base.

"Follow close," said Cyrus. He checked the load on his bolter, ensuring the vengeance rounds were in place. As the Company crossed the landing bay, rounds came at them from the east. In that direction, the mountain sloped up, leading to administrative buildings and storage areas. From the landing pad, the Blood Ravens could see the muzzle flashes through the icy wind.

"Magnus, Mercutio, circle to the north and clear out the enemy," ordered Aramus. "When your job is done, sweep back west and regroup with us."

"Understood," said Mercutio. He immediately moved east with his squad, and Magnus' assault squad following with bounding leaps.

As the two squads moved on, Aramus said, "Lead on Cyrus."

With a short nod, the scout sergeant moved on, keeping his body in a low crouch as they descending from the landing pad. The trail of corpses was more sporadic now, but occaisionally the marines came across clusters of Astartes and Vandis heretics. There was evidence of multiple battles where hunting parties had found Thaddeus, only to be taken apart piecemeal.

As the squad descended further into the base, escaping the howling wind, they ran into a survivor. A Black Legionnaire lay sprawled against the wall. His right arm was missing and he had a deep slash across his chest. He looked up weakly and opened his mouth. Whatever he was going to say, he had no chance. Cyrus killed him with a single blast of his bolter, destroying his head utterly. The body slid down the wall, leaving a trail of brains and gore dripping down from above.

They followed the sloping path downward, leading towards the foot of the mountain. In a few more moments, they reached the edge. The corridor widened out into a large assembly ground where trucks from below would carry materials too heavy for air transport. The area was wide and void of cover, about two hundred square yards in total. Where the path would lead down the mountain, there was nothing. When the island had risen into the sky, that path had been the breaking point. Now there was a sheer cliff masked by the freezing wind, a drop that reached nearly a mile down to the planet below.

In the middle of the open ground stood Thaddeus. His armor was dark with the blood of the many traitors he had killed. Strapped to his side were the two blades that he had stolen from the Retribution. The Descendant blades recovered from the Aurelian Fortress-Monastery had been a gift from the Mantis Warriors. Both blades were slightly curved with long grips, worn blade up in the sheath. One was as long as a normal sword, while the other was about half the size. Thaddeus' hand rested lightly on the hilt of the longer blade, and he glared at his former brothers.

The 4th Company spilled into the clearing, taking up a semi-circular position around Thaddeus. The assault sergeant's face was dark with displeasure. On his right pauldron, a dark burn had erased the insignia of the Blood Ravens. The Aquila on his chest was scratched away as well.

"You do not seem surprised," said Tarkus. His finger rested on the trigger guard of his plasma rifle. If Thaddeus made a move, he could fire in an instant. At his side, Aramus stood firm. Augustine and the remnants of Thaddeus' old squad held the right flank, while Avitus held the left. Thule and Orion stood in the rear, watching. Apothecary Harkon, armor stained with Martellus' blood, waited with Avitus' squad.

"I knew you would follow me," said Thaddeus. Contrary to Augustine's expectations, his voice was not angry. Rather, it sounded as soft as usual. Still, Augustine gripped Thanatos with all his might. It took every ounce of his restraint to keep from attacking. The heat welled through his core, burning and pulsing within. It hurt, and if Augustine did not have the chance to release it soon, he felt that it would burn him out from the inside.

"Now that we have followed you, what will you do?" asked Aramus. "You have attacked your brothers already. There is no redemption for you."

Thaddeus nodded. "I understand that I cannot return. However, I do not wish to. The Blood Ravens are a den of corruption and evil. They are no worse than the Traitor Marines that we have fought for so long! I have seen it. I have seen the truth of this universe. If this course continues, humanity will die. World by world, they will destroy each other until nothing is left. The Imperium knows this, but it refuses change and reform! It perpetuates the disaster! I know better now! Ulkair has shown me better!"

"You trust the lies of daemons?" said Orion. "Remember your teachings Thaddeus! They speak no truth. Their words exist to corrupt good men. I have no doubt that you were virtuous once."

"Ulkair promised me what I wanted most," said Thaddeus. "The power to save humanity is all that I require. When my plans come to fruition, I will claim this power. With it, I will destroy Chaos and Imperial alike! With enough willpower, such a thing can be made to serve humanity! I can do it!"

"You are lost," said Tarkus. "You cannot control the powers of Chaos any more than a boat can control the storm that wrecks it. You have been seduced by lies."

"I do not believe you," said Thaddeus. "You saw the Honor Guard with your own eyes! That came from within!"

"What do you mean?" asked Aramus. "Ulkair was the perpetrator of that horrible act! He stole the souls of loyal Blood Ravens."

"Ulkair could not have acted without a vessel," said Thaddeus. "Of the marines on that Space Hulk, which of those seemingly escaped unchanged?"

"You do not mean to say…" began Orion.

"Kyras did it," said Thaddeus. "His long stay on the Judgment of Carrion did not positively impact his sanity. He serves Ulkair now. He has destruction in mind, the death of the Imperium and the rise of Chaos as the dominant power in this galaxy."

"KYRAS…" said Thule. "GABRIEL. . . NEVER TRUSTED HIM."

"It cannot be," said Aramus.

"Mystery surrounds the Chapter Master," said Tarkus. "I never voiced my suspicions, but I am not surprised that this is the case."

"He is fallen into madness," said Thaddeus. "When I have claimed Ulkair's power, I will kill him. Then I will destroy all of Chaos."

"You are a fool Thaddeus," said Avitus. "You cannot control it. It will consume you just as it did Kyras."

"It will," said Aramus. "This path will only lead to destruction."

"I never expected you to understand," said Thaddeus. He turned to Augustine. "But you, Augustine. You said you would follow me when I regained my strength."

After a moment, Augustine shook his head. "No. You have betrayed us all. My Sergeant Thaddeus died a long time ago it seems. I will kill the monster that bears his name. I will avenge Borian and all the others that died because of you."

"I see," said Thaddeus. There was a hint of disappointment on his face, but perhaps he expected this as well. Slowly, he drew the longer of the blades out of its sheath. The curved sword glinted, its power field melting the snow around it.

The 4th Company tensed. Then, as Thaddeus brought his sword up into a fighting stance, Mercutio called Aramus on his vox.

"Commander, we have driven the enemy out of the east and are returning to your position. However, the Black Legion remnants are converging on your position."

"Copy that," said Aramus over the vox. Then he spoke to the others. "When the traitors arrive, we will use the opening to attack Thaddeus. Use caution, those swords impart something to his skill. We cannot underestimate him."

Then there was movement on the right flank. A dozen Black legionnaires charged out of one of the paths leading up to the station, screaming wildly and firing their weapons. Immediately, Captain Thule turned to engage them, firing his assault cannon in short bursts. Thaddeus was unperturbed as bolt rounds flew past him. His eyes were only on Aramus. Then, as Avitus opened fire with his heavy bolter, Thaddeus joined the fight.


"Third floor clear," said Kippler. The Daredevils regrouped on the south side of the building, third floor. The main sections of the power station were found to be clear of hostiles. Through the cracked windows on the south side the squad could view the Administratum building and the square in front of it.

Merrick grabbed the vox horn and said, "Captain Uther. "We've cleared the lower floors of the power station; I'm sending Verisson back to bring you guys in. Small groups in quick intervals."

"Understood Sergeant Major," replied Uther. "We'll be waiting. How does it look?"

"It's fraked up sir," said Merrick. "The place is teeming with cultists. The bastards have sick monuments everywhere. I can smell the dead from here. We'll need a hundred flamers to deal with this."

"I'm sure we'll scrounge up the promethium from somewhere."

"Copy that," said Merrick with a chuckle before returning the vox horn to its mount. They had a few hours to ensure the rest of the building was clear. Then they could set up their positions for when General Castille's group arrived. That psyker was out there somewhere, and Kippler needed to kill him.


The battle was absolute chaos. Black Legionnaires were pouring in from the right flank. Avitus watched as they charged Thaddeus. Evidently some of the fallen had captured images of him to transmit to their brothers, and the majority of the Traitor reinforcements were focusing on him. Four traitors reached him, swinging their blades simultaneously. They were dead in seconds. Avitus had never seen a sword move so fast, nor slice so cleanly. In his eyes, the sword did not cut so much as it separated. It was as if the sword was so sharp it created space between things, rather than split them.

As Thaddeus cut down the first rank of Legionnaires, Avitus opened fire. His first burst went wide as Thaddeus stepped back. The six rounds hit a Black Legionnaire that was closing in on his flank. As the traitor fell, Avitus adjusted his aim back to Thaddeus. Two more bursts Avitus fired, with Arkadios and Argippa firing their weapons as well. Yet, despite the amount of rounds heading his way, not a single shot hit Thaddeus. It seemed that every time Avitus or one of his squad members adjusted their aim, Thaddeus would step aside at the last possible moment. Then Linus had his missile launcher ready.

As soon as he had a bead on his target, Linus fired. Avitus saw the shot in slow motion. The frag missile streaked through the crowd of Astartes. It passed Tarkus' squad and the Traitors that were exchanging fire with them. The missile hit the ground no less than three feet from Thaddeus. It should have killed him instantly in a tornado of shrapnel, but Avitus saw it clearly. In the instant after the projectile struck, but before it went off, Thaddeus leap back out of range. No man, Astartes or otherwise, should have been able to move like that.

A cloud of dust and grit filled the air as the missile went off. To the right, one of the Legionnaires stumbled as shrapnel pummeled him. As the traitor ripped a piece out of his arm, Nikephoros killed him with a single bolt round to the neck. As the dust began to settle it blew outwards towards the Devastator squad. From the expanding cloud came Thaddeus, sprinting across the frozen ground.

In a moment of error, Avitus and his brothers did not fire until Thaddeus had already covered half the ground between them. It was a fatal mistake. He crossed the last twenty feet in a second, avoiding the few shots that came his way. Arkadios was killed in an instant, chopped into four pieces in less than a second. Linus dove out of the way. Some instinct had saved his life, but he did not escape unharmed. He screamed in pain. His right leg had been severed at the knee, and he clutched the stump to try to stem the bleeding.

Argippa fell next. In three swipes of Thaddeus' blade, he lost his limbs and his head. The pieces clattered to the ground in a pile, staining the earth. Avitus jumped backwards past Linus and brought his weapon to bear. Then Thaddeus spun, slashing horizontally with his blade. Avitus fired his weapon, sending two dozen rounds at Thaddeus, but the Assault Sergeant had already displaced. Avitus turned with shock as he realized Thaddeus was standing just past him on his left side. He was stock still, not even looking at Avitus.

"What have you. . ." began Avitus. His voice was quiet, tranquil almost. When Avitus heard it he had not believed that it was him that spoke. He breathed in deeply. As he breathed out, he looked down. Red was pouring down his armor, outlining the eagle on his chest. The left wing and head of the eagle were punctured, leaving nasty holes that gushed blood that caught in the grooves of his armor.

"Rewarded as you deserve," said Thaddeus. He did not move, nor did he look at Avitus as he spoke.

At the other end of the arena, the last Black Legionnaire fell, killed by a fire blast from Codicier Orion. All was silent save for Linus' groans of pain as Harkon treated him. They all watched the exchange.

Avitus straightened his back and tried to turn, but he could not. He settled for removing his helmet. Immediately the wind hit him, but he did not feel the cold. All he could think was "Why now?" He had so much left to accomplish, so much more to see. He was not unrealistic. Both his hearts were ruptured, pierced before he had even noticed. He would never fight again, never pull the trigger of a bolter again, never more feel the recoil rock his body. His vision blurred. Why now, he thought, when his brothers needed him the most? The rage that had led him through his whole life was gone. The simmering hate had cooled.

"Commander," he said shakily. "Apologies for leaving so soon. Weakness prevented me from killing the filth that stands behind me."

He coughed, spitting blood, and said, "I will leave it to you."

Avitus wobbled, and immediately locked down his armor to remain standing. He would not fall in front of the man who had slain him. He would die on his feet, like a true warrior. And so he did. Avitus, Devastator Sergeant of the 4th Company, met his end on Aurelia at the hands of his traitorous brother-in-arms. He ascended to the Emperor's side with his face at ease.

Everyone was still for a few moments, waiting. Thaddeus looked at Avitus' corpse for a minute, then turned to the other marines. Behind him, Harkon gently lowered Avitus' body to the ground for excision.

"Damn you Thaddeus," said Aramus. "Have you no honor?"

Thaddeus did not respond. He simply brought his sword back into the ready position. Aramus dropped into a stance as well, readying the Alexian Blade.

Augustine was in a blind rage. He had never been close to Avitus, but seeing his former Sergeant so casually dispatch him was too much.

"Thaddeus! THADDEUS!" Augustine screamed. "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS! I'LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!"

His squad rallied behind him, and Aramus stepped to his side. Together the marines stood across from Thaddeus, ready to fight.

"Brother Augustine," said Aramus. "Let us fight side by side and kill this scum."

"Aye, Commander!" snarled the smaller marine. "I will not rest until he breathes no more."

"Come now Augustine," said Thaddeus. "Do you really think that you can defeat me? Even with the help of Aramus and the others, you are nothing compared to the level I have reached!"

"We will see," said Aramus. For a few seconds, neither group moved. Then Thaddeus' leapt forward. Aramus met him first, somehow deflecting the lightning fast strike that aimed to sever his head.

Immediately, Augustine and the others moved to Thaddeus' flanks, trying to attack him from a blind spot. Alaris attacked first, but his blow never landed. In the blink of an eye, Thaddeus' sword had cut him from left hip to right shoulder. Alaris' cry was muted, and the two pieces of his body clattered to the ground.

"THADDEUS!" screamed Augustine. He emptied his bolter to no avail. With little less than a glance, Thaddeus leapt back, avoiding every shot. Augustine cast aside his spent firearm, calling the flame to his right hand. To his shock, the psychic fire leapt around and crackled, reaching out for Thaddeus. Without Augustine even directing it, the fire was moving. Beyond simple will, Augustine's subconscious was trying to kill his traitorous Sergeant. Three slashed flew towards Augustine. Perhaps his psychic powers gave him a bit of precognition. The younger marine jumped back, only having to block a single strike. Thanatos however, was cut in two. The chainsword would not roar again this battle.

In response, Aramus drew his other power sword. With a single motion, he threw it towards Thaddeus, while simultaneously stepping forward to slash with the Alexian blade in his right hand. The throw was ineffective, with an invisible slash Thaddeus deflected it, sending the weapon skittering across the ground. That was Aramus' intent though, for Augustine was the one to pick up the wayward blade.

"Lloyd!" shouted Augustine. "Stand back, do not engage him head on. We cannot afford to lose any more marines."

As ordered, the marine stood back, watching for any openings he could exploit. Augustine stepped behind Thaddeus, switching the power sword to his left hand. With Aramus in front and Augustine behind, Thaddeus turned his body slightly and closed his eyes.

Augustine breathed in and out, looking past Thaddeus at Aramus for a signal. The Commander's eyes were thin, but Augustine caught a flicker of intent in them. As one, Augustine and Aramus charged forwards, swinging their weapons from both directions. Augustine carried Aramus' power sword in both hands, and the psychic flame wreathed the already deadly weapon. He no longer cared about his own safety. He would kill Thaddeus, or die in the attempt.


Author's note: This chapter may hit some people hard. I'm ready for the angry reviews. In other news, this story will be going on hiatus when this arc ends. Its high time I focus on my other stories. 51 is nearly complete, so you should see it soon.