Chapter Nine.

Koro Aster looked out over the battle from the bridge of the Sanguine Fury. The two battling fleets were equally matched, the Nine Tears was a smouldering wick, as was the craft it had barreled into. The traitor strike cruiser, Skinner, was filled with self-sealing holes and boarding torpedoes. The torpedoes had slid through its shields and disgorged their living-cargoes in its armoured flanks.
'What is the status of the teleportarium?' the captain asked, turning to the Techmarine on the bridge, Kroxis.
'They are still being calibrated, my captain. Brother Marneus informs me that he is ready to awaken our slumbering Ancients.'
Aster nodded, he turned to regard the holo-display he had been examining before. 'Raxion, what condition are the Caestus rams in?'
The strike cruiser's captain seemed to recline in her seat with the question. 'The hanger itself is ready, though Marneus informed me that they would not fly again if used here.'
'A necessary sacrifice.'
'Agorix, you and Haegar are to take those rams to the enemies bridge.'
The First Sergeant nodded and departed.
'Korbel, take Eight Squad to the teleportarium chamber, I will join you shortly.'
The young Company Champion departed with an aquila salute over his chest.
Raxion regarded the young Fourth Captain before she spoke. 'Just what is your plan, lord Aster?'
'You will see soon enough captain, just bring us in close. And bring down that accursed ships shields.' He said and departed.
Upon reaching the teleportarium, Koro Aster looked over his brothers one by one.
'Strike,' he said, taking his position at their head.

The angels in ruby-and-snow appeared out of a maelstrom of purple lightning in the passage before the Skinners bridge. Aster felt sensation drain from his limbs before nausea hit him like a Baneblade. Screams met them as they slammed into reality.
Brother Thoras, vetrean of two centuries of constant war, was embedded in a greasy wall. He still lived. His entrails had been turned into the swing of a fat little monster of slim and fat. His teeth rotten black stumps pocketed by nests of maggots. His service studs had turned to a web of inflamed veins, connected to the cataracts of his eyes.
'Brothers,' he gurgled. 'H-how long, how long have I been here? The noise, the carrions call. Please, the carrion calls it mus-' He spoke no further before Haegar crushed his head with his hand.
'Be at peace now, Thoras. the Emperor knows your name.'
Daemons, cyclopean horrors of withered stumps and shabby blades greeted the surviving Blood Knights.
'Forwards,' rallied Aster, firing and moving at the head of his brothers.
The creatures that met them were the servants of the Plague God, wielding blades that could pass fatal poisons from one host to another before killing all. Even a Space Marine had to be weary of that fact. But they were still weak. Their lanky bodies were held together by stick-thin malnourished joints of mould and muscle. Bodies exploded as bolt-rounds detonated. Chain teeth carved through meat and blood. Flame cleansed the passage of taint.
When the passage was clear, Aster placed two melta-flasks to the bridge door. 'One minute Korbel,' he said, receiving a nod from the younger warrior.
The charges on the doors detonated. Melta beams cut through locking mechanisms before blowing forwards, propelling the door into the bridge itself.
Haegar took the lead then. He and his brothers fired as they advanced. Emaciated crew and mutant bests became shreds of meat under the sustained hail. Aster followed in slowly. His helm displayed locking on a figure in cancerous-armour at the head of six Plague Marines.
''Greetings, friends,' said the giant. 'I am Telloch, lord of this ship. Are you here to receive the Gifts of Nurgle, or the Fury of Khorne? Perhaps both, no?'
'Zero,' Aster said and mag-locked himself to the decking.
The bridges fore imploded as the two Caestus rams hit the bridge. The ramps' hatches burst open and their occupants disbursed after a flurry of melta-beams turned one Plague Marine into a molten puddle.
Warriors of Maximerio's squad took up positions around the traitors, followed by Agorix who covered the bridge with bolter and flamer. Maximerio's left hand was a lightning claw of an older variety, the claws were instead talons which flexed with the sergeants fingers.
'I take that as a no,' bluttered the one named Telloch. 'Then may I-'
Aster silenced him with a bolt-round to the skull. 'Kill them all.'
Aster brought out his power sword, swinging it down to decapitate the falling hulk of a traitor. Around him, the rest of his battle-brothers were following his example.
A vox-link opened in his ear as his sergeants and the champion rallied on him. 'Captain,' came the voice of Garan. 'I have failed you.'

Well, this is gonna be one of the last chapters of this fic. Hope you enjoy this and the few following chapters. Take care.