Speculum Enigmate Chapter 34

The Adamantium gate soared over their heads, a vertical slab of indestructible metal barring their path. It was ringed by rounded towers of slab-sided Ferrocrete, pocked with gun blisters and crested by crenulations. Further out the defensive walls were not a smooth circle but shaped into arrowhead protrusions, creating funnels and crossfires to entrap any attacker. To reach the gate one must first brave a lethal crossfire from on high then breach a solid barrier of Adamantium, all while suffering torrents of incoming ordnance.

Persion looked up at the gate and was profoundly glad that the guns weren't firing, for his rag-tag army wouldn't last a few seconds if the defenders chose to start shooting. Behind him lurked hundreds of souls, criminals, Arbites, PDF troopers and hundreds of fearful civilians. He also had five Intercessors and eight Devastators, a paltry force by most reckonings but they were Space Marines and Persion would rather have a dozen Brothers at his back than a hundred lesser soldiers. He was sure from those high walls his followers could make a real difference, the problem was getting inside.

Behind him Sergeant Zeax shrugged his Thunder Hammer and asked, "Are we just going to stand here all day staring at it?"

Persion shook his head and replied, "I'll get it open, just let me talk to them."

Marshal Gunnah stepped up and declared in his deaf monotone, "I'll come with you."

"I'm coming too," Fysk asserted, "Always wanted to get a good look inside the Jade Citadel."

"As you will," Persion allowed, "Zeax, stay here and keep the mortals quiet."

Zeax glanced to the side and inquired, "How do I that?"

Persion raised his voice so all could hear, "Break the jaw of any fool who opens his damned mouth."
The mortals huddled fearfully back but Zeax sounded amused as he stated cheerfully, "Can do!"

Persion left them behind as he strode to the gate, the law-man and mob boss in tow. Fysk looked up at the towering gate and muttered, "Heard the snobs always moaned about the defences, complaining they ruined the style of their fancy home. Bet they aren't moaning now."
Gunnah grumbled, "Nothing like a war on your doorstep to make you appreciate the need for military preparedness."

As he walked Persion fell back on his old skills and idly perused the defender's vox-channels, easily bypassing their comms security. Compared to an Astartes Chapter their protocols were laughably ineffective. He heard a babble of voices from within, people calling for orders and querying what they should do. He quickly determined that the defenders were singularly lacking in coordination, several officers talking over each other, each thinking they were in command of the gate. Persion sighed, it seemed the Governor had merely ordered a lockdown and left her guards leaderless as she hid, that wouldn't do.

Persion picked one name at random from the babble as he strode up to the gate, then he rapped the metal with the butt of his Friction Axe as he cut through the vox-waves, "Major Trennan, get out here!"

He stepped back and waited for a response but Gunnah leaned over and asked, "What exactly are you planning to say?"
"I don't know," Persion admitted, "I was planning to wing it, just try to look confident."
"I can do that," Gunnah confirmed, "Walking into any situation like you own the place is the first lesson in dealing with criminal scum."

Persion stood still as he waited, not letting slip any hint of anxiety. He had to look like he had every right to be here, he had to impress his authority from the start. He reminded himself that he was the Emperor's Finest and therefore the highest ranking warrior on the planet. The mandate of Terra hung upon him and any who opposed his will was by default in the wrong. It was a nice sentiment, it was just a shame he didn't really believe he was up to it.

After a couple of minutes a portly man stuck his head out of a high-seated gun blister, carefully stepping around the Heavy Bolter crew taking up most of the space. He wore a peaked cap and his shirt was hung with gold braiding and cheap medals. His face was jowly and he had a thick moustache that was precisely waxed and curled at the tips. He looked more suited to the dinner table than the battlefield and Persion judged the man hadn't fought a proper war in his life. The officer looked down on them with watery eyes and had to yell to be heard from his high perch, "Who approaches the gate of the Dominus?"

Persion looked up at the man and checked his vox was open as he replied boldly, "The Adeptus Astartes come. In the name of the Emperor you will open this gate!"
Trennan called back, "I cannot do that without orders."

Gunnah lifted his head and called out, "Your Governor cowers behind high walls, while her planet falls into ruin. She should be leading the fight to reclaim her world!"
"The Dominus is the ruler of this world, you have no right to question her decisions," Trennan rebuffed them.

Fysk yelled, "Open your eyes you damned fool! These are your people dying out here. Look at them, they won't survive if you don't let us in."
Trennan didn't sound impressed as he retorted, "The fates of lower-caste dregs are not my concern."
Fysk muttered under his breath, "Self-righteous Grox-Fondler, I should have known the snobs wouldn't care."

Persion had been quiet throughout this but he finally spoke, "Time's up, open the gate."
Trennan yelled back indignantly, "For the last time: no!"
Persion shifted his head slightly and snorted, "What made you think I was talking to you?"

Suddenly there was an almighty rumble and the sound of gears grinding. A series of weighty thuds rang out as locks inside the gate began to ratchet open and reinforcing bars slid back into the walls. A deep vibration rumbled through the ground as a seam appeared in the middle of the doors, a widening gap that grew as the doors retracted. Two slabs of Adamantium rolled back, revealing the way within, while the guards sitting on the gate stood dumbfounded.

Persion wasted not a second to stride within, head high like he was the master of this place. Fysk and Gunnah trailed after him and the Marshal gasped, "How did you do that?!"
Persion merely smiled under his helm as he said, "I have friends in high places."

Inside the gate they walked down a long tunnel, with holes in the roof where defenders could shoot downwards at intruders. They marched straight into an interior courtyard, ringed by more defenders. Guards lined the upper ramparts, lasrifles pointed downwards but Persion ignored them as the interior doors rolled back, revealing two Primaris Marines standing in the gap, fists covered in blood.

Gunnah jerked to a halt and gasped, "You had men inside the Citadel the whole time?!"
Smugly Persion explained, "Our tank drivers, it seems the Governor forgot about them. Hail Brother Aspa, Brother Kintar. I see you got my message, is that blood I spy?"

Aspa replied, "The guards were reluctant to obey us, they tried to stop us reaching the controls."
Kintar added, "Couldn't stop us though."

Persion's response was cut off as Trennan ran onto a rampart, his face flushing with outrage as he shouted, "Intruders! Intruders in the Citadel!"
Persion glanced up at the lines of men surrounding them and snapped, "They can see that, get me someone with authority."
Trennan looked like he was going to have a heart attack as he shrieked, "Shoot them, everybody I order you to…"

"Belay that order!" a high-pitched voice yelled, stopping everybody in their tracks. Persion shifted his gaze and saw a small child walking out of the Citadel, passing between the Primaris Marines like they were nothing. It was Otlie Bassail, the Governor's spiteful daughter and Persion was bemused to see the citadel's guards obeying her order. The girl couldn't be more than eight or nine years old but she carried herself like a queen. She was wearing her fatigues and a custom-fitted carapace breastplate and her face was set in a furious glower.

Trennan called out, "My Lady, our Dominus ordered…"
"Shut it," Otlie barked, "She's not here, I am and I am ordering you to stand down."

The soldiers relented as Persion craned his head downwards and said, "You're in command? You?"
Otlie glared up at him and snapped, "I seem to be the only one here with any brains. Tell me why you darken my door."

Fysk smiled broadly and spread his hands and said, "Ah, the fair lady, I have heard much of you. Let me…"
"You open your fat mouth again and I'll have you shot," Otlie hissed then turned to Persion and demanded, "You: explain."

Fysk promptly shut up as Persion lifted his hands to his helm and removed it. He gazed upon the Governor's daughter with his flesh eyes and stated, "Your world has been invaded, alien Genestealers have tainted the populace and seek to overthrow your dynasty. I am here to make sure that doesn't happen. I intend to add my forces to yours."

"About damned time," Otlie growled, "I've been calling for us to do something since this all went to crap."
Persion cocked his head and asked, "You don't object to letting our forces inside?"
Otlie replied, "Can they shoot straight? Good, I need every gun I can get. Send them up to the ramparts."

Persion waved Gunnah and Fysk to go back and bring their motley forces inside. Meanwhile he turned to Otlie and asked, "What is the Dominus doing?"
"Hiding in her safe room," Otlie sneered, "Mother has been crapping herself since Odrin disappeared."

"Odrin's part of this," Persion informed her, "He's a Genestealer Hybrid."
"Never heard of Genestealers," Otlie muttered, "But they sound like trouble. I've been keeping everybody on alert, expecting an attack."

Persion glanced around and asked, "You are? Surely there is someone more... senior to run the defences?"
Otlie snorted, "Don't know much about Pascum do you: Caste trumps rank and age. None of these wastrels are high enough in blood to question me. My uncle has turned Traitor, my Brother is catatonic and my mother hides. All she commands is to forbid anyone to leave the Citadel. That leaves me to run things."

Persion found it hard to believe this tiny ball of vitriol could issue orders to hardened soldiers but the Imperium was rife with corrupt institutions and moribund protocols of authority. Stranger things had happened among the worlds of men, so he resolved to deal with the situation head on. He drew in a breath and said, "By coming here I have drawn the enemy's focus to you. They will launch an assault on your walls soon. You must be prepared to withstand a full siege. My Astartes can aid your defence but I will need your men to hold their ground and obey my orders."

Otlie hissed, "This is my command, these men will obey only me."
Persion snapped back, "This isn't the time to quibble. I don't doubt your courage nor your steel, but you have zero experience in running an army. Your protocols of command and control alone are hopelessly inadequate. I have centuries of combat experience and was gene-forged for battle. If I tell you something needs to be done then you can take that as Imperial writ."

Otlie's eyes narrowed but she allowed, "I'm not foolish enough to ignore an experienced advisor. You can tell me what needs doing and I'll consider it."
Persion accepted this and said, "First, let us get my force inside and seal that gate. Tell your men the enemy will be here soon, then the bloodletting will begin."

Otlie nodded briskly then turned to the watching lines of men high above and proclaimed, "You heard him: here we stand and here we fight. History will probably dress this up with tales of heroic exploits and fancy speeches but I'll keep this simple for you. The enemy is out there, we're in here. If they get in here we all die. I say we kill them first!"

Persion was impressed by her short speech and as the guards let out a ragged cheer he dared to think that maybe this plan might just work. It better had; if it failed then they were doomed. More times than could be counted an Imperial world had depended upon a handful of men defending a wall and this looked to be such an occasion. His actions in the next few hours would determine all their fates but he took comfort that this was at least a fight he could understand. Everything rested in his hands and for the first time that prospect did not daunt him.