The odds had been tilted towards the space marines standing a chance, the berserkers number cut down by over half. Achilles squad was in with a chance of survival now, five against seven and the berserkers we disoriented.
The chance was now and Achilles squad did not hesitate. Charging the berserkers who were spread out wide through the alley. Taber made the first contact, with his katana in hand he sliced on a vertical angle targeting the base of the berserkers neck. His enemy raised his chain axe to block only have the weapon split in two, the metals standing no chance against the relics monomolecular edge, its blade black yet reflective like glass.
The berserker roared in defiance as he fell but Taber was already moving onto the next, his moves were agile even by Astartes standards seeing himself in action he could understand why he had been chosen to walk the path of a Blademaster.
He turned himself this way and that, making sure he was never in front of his opponent and always attacking from dominant side angles. Alone he bested three of the world eaters while the rest of his squad finished the job. Each using the Red Hunters specialised close combat methods, some preferring a grappling style that made their movements look like a snake as they slid around the berserkers tying up their joints and snapping ceramite and all as the armour could not bend in such horrific angles. while others used stikes that looked something more like an Eldar martial art delivering strikes from the shins, knees, elbows, fists and when no other option headbutts. Each was a combination of genehanced physiology and the unforgiving toughness of ceramite, the strikes targeted the soft joints of the armour snapping bones and leaving the berserkers crippled before having their skulls crushed by a final elbow or knee.
Achillies squad had escaped at the cost of three brothers, the Sergeant looked around knowing that they needed to hurry before more enemies trawling the city stumbled across them. "Second squad get moving its seven kilometers to the nearest stronghold. let's hope they haven't been overrun before we get there." The Astartes broke into a run, their superhuman bodies allowing them to make pace for hours. As long as they could avoid any more World Eaters Patrols they would not take long to reach their destination.
without any more encounters, Achillies squad had reached the stronghold. a chapel converted its thick stone walls pockmarked where it had stood against the enemies weapons. inside was the first veteran squad in their hulking Terminator armour and two other tactical squads accompanied by a few hundred imperial guard. many trying not to show their fear inspired by the horrors they had seen at the hands of the traitor legion, lest the commissars kill them on sight for cowardice.
Achillies approached one of the terminators with the chapter standard mounted to the top of his armour. his name was Oran Shrike, not a warrior alive could remember a time Shrike had ever taken a knee in combat or been injured so bad as to fall and as such was entrusted to fly the banner of the chapter. Shrike and Achillies had joined the chapter during the recruitment and had always been friends. Getting along instantly even after having their minds scrubbed repeatedly and always feeling like old friends even if the memories were gone. Achillies smacked the hulking back of the terminator "Shrike you hulking flag pole, where is the captain? I have the location of the demon gate." Turning to face his old friend. "Achillies I thought you were dead for sure. you have been gone for hours without a word! It is good to see you." "The streets are crawling with berserkers, we did not want to risk transmissions giving away our location before we could relay the location of the gate." replied Achilles as he held up a small data slate containing the map. "Well, captain Coro is in the back speaking with the guardsman general and some inquisitor."
Second squad headed through the church its long halls filled with bodies. on they walked past the masses of guardsmen and civilians who had not managed to flee the planet in time. they clutched their loved ones in terror praying to the emperor that they would be saved. Finally, they reached a large round from at the back. bookcases lined every wall and in the middle was a single massive desk. Clearly the once private chambers of this churches imperial cult leader.
As Achillies stepped into the room he could feel the intensity of the room. Faces looked heavy, as Taber looked around he could see why. He could see a human woman cowering under the boot of an Inquisitor. She begged him for mercy but her sobs fell on deaf ears. The unknown inquisitor fired his bolt pistol and ender her life as he coldly stated "cleanse the planet."
Captain Coro took a step towards the Inquisitor and spoke. "But we have saved this planet inquisitor. If you wanted it destroyed you could have enacted exrerminatus from orbit." The inquisitor turned on his heels hard and stormed up to the captain. "you are a memoir are you not? A Red Hunter with privileged not to have his mind scrubbed." The captain surprised that the inquisitor even knew about the chapters inner circle. "I am." he said in a flat tone. "good, then you have the clearance to know that we are here for an artifact, this artifact has now been recovered. we will pull out and enact exterminatus." between the two the inquisitor flashed something to Coro, visible only to him.
At that point, the mood shifted, and the captain's demeanor changed. whatever the inquisitor showed him obviously had big meaning to sway an Astartes into compliance so easily. Finally, Achillies was able to report his findings. though the information was now pointless. Providing the demon gate location Achillies advised. "we should make sure we drop extra ordinance here, the gate is quite deep underground."
While the sergeant spoke Taber opened a vox to Artorias. he was curious to know more about the odd interaction between the captain and the inquisitor who was now flicking through documents on the large desk at the center of the room. "Artorias can you see those documents from where your standing, what do they say?" Ever trying to be the perfect soldier Artorias replied "That is classified information Taber, I'm not looking." Taber sighed in frustration. "did you not see what I saw. something weird is going on. what is this artifact they spoke of? what did the inquisitor show the captain to make him change his tune so fast? I heard we have thirty-six confirmed K.I.A marines today, do you not want to know what they died for? Artorias rolled his eyes. "Fine. from this angle I cant see that much but I can see the location was to the south of here in some mechanicus archive. It says something about the warp and I can read the words Ordo Templaris and that is it." "Ordo Templaris? what on Terra is that?" wondered Taber aloud.
The vision began to fade again and then images began to flash, like a floodgate had been opened. Tabers mind was barraged with images of horrendous things he had done by request of the inquisition. Not noble wars or heroic battles but shady assassinations and secretive missions where entire populations simply vanished as the Red Hunters stormed the streets of hive cities. Battles into chaos territory to steal artifacts he never even got to see to be taken off to secret vaults. This wasn't what Astartes were made for. They were made to fight the enemies of mankind and wage war in the name of the emperor. there was no honour in these acts, it went against every Taber knew about the Astartes.
He felt disgusted by his visions but the worst was still to come. On an Intel recovery mission, Taber's squad was discovered by a squad of Dark Angels who had come to investigate a rumoured chaos threat. Instead of teaming up for the mission or even lying about their reasons to be there. They were ordered to kill their cousins, their black ops to remain secret from everyone including themselves.
This was the reason for so many mind wipes. This is why they were not allowed to remember. Because they were continually sent on missions that were clearly heresy. Clearly, this was the work of this Ordo Templaris. whoever they were Taber was going to uncover them and their secrets and their connection to the memoir. The whole thing stunk of heresy and he swore he would get to the bottom of it or die trying.