Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 63

The depths of the starship Apophis rang with the patter of light feet, echoed by the crump of larger hooves. Fleet Eldar raced through the bowels of the wreck, riding two-legged mounts or larger quadrupeds. They moved with the speed and surety of their race, flowing through the transepts and thoroughfares of the broken vessel. Their weapons were ready, deceptively primitive but potent enough to end a Space Marine if used with skill. Hundreds of them poured into the ship sweeping with the skill and cunning of lifelong hunters. Yet a starship was an immense place, with the internal dimensions of a city and sweeping such a volume would take a great deal of time.

Ferrac stepped back from a balcony overlooking a transept, as woad painted Eldar flowed along the passageway below. He moved cautiously, trying to go unnoticed as he retreated. He walked back into the darkness of the ship, without stablights, as he fled pursuit. Beside him Excelsium was walking with his trident in hand and he muttered, "They've come looking for us."

Ferrac replied gruffly, "It was inevitable, but they haven't found us yet."

Excelsium asked thoughtfully, "Do we fight or withdraw?"

Ferrac sighed, "Withdraw, we can't fight those numbers, not yet. I have a grand total of one round left in my gun and my axe-rake. We're outnumbered and outgunned. We need to find an advantage."

As they walked into a series of twisting passageways Excelsium looked around and mused, "Speaking of advantages, do you think this ship is salvageable?"

"This wreck?!" Ferrrac scoffed, "Not a chance. It's smashed to ruin, broken in ways we can't describe. Thirty thousand years in the mud have reduced half the systems to rubble and the rest we can't even name, let alone repair. Every Tech-Priest of Mars combined couldn't get this ship to fly."

"Shame," Excelsium muttered, "It would have been grand to lead the Chapter from such a vessel."

It was true, Ferrac thought, the Apophis had been prodigiously powerful once. The vessel must have surpassed the mightiest of Battleships in its prime, a Dreadnought unseen since the Great Crusade, or possibly even then. Sadly it was a smashed ruin, twisted and broken in ways beyond repair, yet there must still be something useful in its depths. Ferrac had broken up the squad into pairs, sending them out to scour the ruin. He knew it increased their chances of running into the Eldar but time was against them, without an advantage they were finished.

Suddenly Excelsium stiffened and said, "This way."

Ferrac frowned as the Sergeant stepped into a non-descript corridor, only to pull up short when he found the Amber Vipers waiting for him. The survivors of the assault squad, all idling like schoolboys. "What's this?" Ferrac barked, "You're supposed to be searching the ship."

Excelsium, turned to face him and said, "We need to talk."

Ferrac looked about and hissed, "Where's Kerubim?"

Brother Kregulf answered, "This isn't for his ears, there's no telling where his loyalties lay."

Ferrac reached up and ripped his helm off as he snarled, "You better explain that remark!"

"Patience," Excelsium said as he removed his own helm, "We need to talk to you about the future of this Chapter."

Ferrac's lip curled as he said, "You want to talk about this now?!"

Excelsium replied, "What better time to show you the truth. Look at us, forsaken in the dark, left to rot by our Master. Good Brothers died on the surface and we were forced to leave them behind, we can't even perform the Rite of the Dead. We have been abandoned, betrayed and scorned by our own kin. For what? Another of Coluber's inglorious missions, scrambling in the dust for scraps."

Kregulf added, "We're sick of these sordid missions, of being held back from true glory. We want a leader who understands the hearts of Astartes, a Chapter Master who leads us to glory."

Ferrac's eyes narrowed dangerously as he said, "You speak sedition and self-aggrandisement."

However Excelsium replied, "No, we don't seek power for ourselves. Coluber is a distant and uncaring lord, he grubs in the dirt when he should be leading us to glory. We want you to take up the leadership of the Amber Vipers. When we get out of here you must call him out in the fighting arena and prove your superiority. The Amber Vipers desire Chapter Master Ferrac."

Ferrac's anger rose as he snarled, "Coluber is the Chapter Master, he is our sworn leader. The Amber Vipers have nothing save brotherhood, if we doubt our leader we are done for."

To his surprise Brother Vardat spoke out, "Ferrac's right, Coluber is our master. I said this was a bad idea."

"So," Ferrac hissed, "You're not even united in your own ranks. Who else stands for Coluber?"

Brothers Kregulf, Berio, Radfal and Paneyr were shamefully silent, but Brother Sedya stepped to Vardat's side and said, "I stand for Coluber."

Excelsium shook his pale head at the defiance and said, "Don't be stubborn fools, we are offering you everything."

Ferrac however snarled, "And what fate do you intend for Coluber?"

Excelsium sniffed dismissively, "Death."

Ferrac's hand fell to his axe-rake and he triggered the motor as he snarled, "Nobody threatens the master of the Amber Vipers while I draw breath: not even you."

Excelsium saw the move and triggered his trident as he said, "Don't…"

But Ferrac was already in motion, hurling himself at the Sergeant as he roared, "Traitor!"

Ferrac's anger burned hot and he swung his axe-rake wildly, aiming for the hearts. Excelsium was surprised by the sudden attack but he reacted with Transhuman skill, swinging his trident about to block. Ferrac snarled as his weapon was deflected but he redoubled his efforts, attacking again and again but Excelsium backed up, deflecting with consummate skill. The others stood dumbfounded as they duelled, unwilling to intervene in the challenge. Ferrac chased the Sergeant pace for pace, outraged at the sedition this scum had embraced. Ferrac had seen one life reduced to ashes by filthy Heretics and he was disgusted to learn that the Amber Vipers were anything other than unflinchingly loyal, it was an offence that could only produce bloodshed. His vision narrowed and his arms burned with rage as he sought to end the Traitor's life but Excelsium had earned his rank through skill and was the Battle-Captain's match.

Ferrac swung wide but Excelsium's boot came up and kicked him in the midriff, forcing him to stagger backwards. The Sergeant swung his trident about and pointed the energised prongs at his foe as he barked, "Stop this madness, we're trying to help you, we're trying to make you Chapter Master!"

Ferrac's armour was blazing hot across his back as he spat, "Filthy scum, I won't stand for Heretics in my Chapter!"

Excelsium's exposed face crinkled in scorn as he spat, "So be it!"

Ferrac's anger boiled over and he leapt at Excelsium, his weapon swinging high. The Sergeant had been expecting this and thrust his trident, catching the Battle-Captain in the left side of his torso. Ceramite shattered under the blow, flesh and carapace and bone parting to let forth a gush of hot blood. Ferrac felt the wound pierce him deeply but his rage drove him, pushing through the searing agony to smash his axe-rake downwards. The Sergeant managed to evade having his head split open but the chainteeth scored over his pauldron, ripping away the icon of the snake and goblet. In return Excelsium smashed his trident's butt into Ferrac's wounded side, sending spikes of torment into his chest.

Ferrac tried to grapple with the Sergeant but Excelsium leaned into the blow and shoulder barged him away, gaining room to bring his trident about. Ferrac was the stronger of the pair but Excelsium was the faster and he knew how to use it. The trident came at the Battle-Captain again and he was forced to dodge lest his hearts be pierced. He staggered sideways, blood running down his side and tried to bring his axe-rake to bear. Yet before he could regain his balance, Excelsium's weapon came at him, points then butt then shaft, knocking him over onto his back.

Quick as a flash Excelsium was on him, holding his trident behind its head and pointing it at Ferrac's throat as he snarled, "Bloody fool, we offer you everything and you reject it. We would have followed you into the gates of perdition itself!"

Ferrac looked up into his former Brother's face and saw only a filthy Heretic. He wanted to shout deprecations, to utter dire threats but knew it was useless, there was nothing more to be said. So instead he convulsed his jaw and activated his Betcher's Gland, then he spat a stream of acid into Excelsium's face.

The Sergeant screamed as the corrosive saliva chewed his skin off. He dropped his weapon and flung both hands to his eyes as he lurched upwards. Instantly Ferrac surged up, fists flying as he tackled the reeling Sergeant. Fists and elbows and headbutts, smashing into his foe relentlessly. His hearts burned with anger, his fists were piledrivers powered by wroth and as he battered his rival down he screamed, "Raaaaagh!"

The Sergeant collapsed under the onslaught, going limp as Ferrac rose to his feet. Excelsium's struggles grew weaker as he slumped to the floor, barely conscious as the skin on his face sizzled with acid burns. Ferrac stepped back, chest heaving with exertion from the fight. His wounded side was weeping blood and his armour burnt his back from the overtaxing of the power cell. He was battered and bleeding but he was victorious. His head snapped around to take in the rest of the squad, who stood dumbfounded, and he snarled, "Anyone else?"

Heads shook denial as the squad submitted to his will, none of them willing to challenge the Battle-Captain. Ferrac turned away in disgust and faced the fallen Sergeant. Excelsium was dazed and beaten but his genhanced body was already starting to piece itself back together. Excelsium raised his burnt head and groaned, "I… I yield."

"Get on your feet," Ferrac sneered in contempt.

Excelsium labouredly wobbled to his feet, staggering from his beating and said, "You win, I shall not challenge you again."

Ferrac's lip curled as he growled, "You have broken faith with the Chapter and forsaken our Brotherhood. Did we not teach you that the only thing we have is each other? The bonds that bind us are what holds this Chapter together, you threw that aside."

Excelsium's voice was low as he whispered, "I shall atone, I shall pay whatever penance you desire."

Yet Ferrac sneered, "Chaplains may speak of penance and atonement but we have no such niceties. We are the Amber Vipers and there is only one punishment for Traitors."

Excelsium's eyes went wide and his jaw fell but he was too slow to act as Ferrac grabbed his gun and lifted it to point at his face. There was a single moment of stunned disbelief and then Ferrac pulled the trigger and fired his one remaining round into Excelsium's skull. The fat round crossed the distance in an instant and struck the Sergeant square in the face. Excelsium's head folded up around the projectile, contorting inwards as the round passed through his skull and blew his brains over the wall. The shot echoed loudly in the passageway as Excelsium collapsed in a heap, missing his head.

Utter silence reigned as everybody looked upon the corpse with slack-jawed incredulity. The Battle-Captain had just executed the errant sergeant, none of them could believe it, none of them had expected him to act so. Kregulf was the first to speak, "You... you killed him."

"You're damned lucky I don't do the same to you," Ferrac hissed, "I need you alive to fight the Eldar but make no mistake, this is the fate of traitors. Speak sedition again and I will kill you all."

Brother Vardat spoke softly, "Why did you make him stand up?"

Ferrac replied candidly, "I didn't want to risk damaging his armour further, it's worth more than he was. Vardat, you stood for the Chapter Master, henceforth you are Sergeant and keep a tighter eye on your squad than that scum did. Sedya you remained true, you will be his second, if the others let slip one word of complaint you are under my direct orders to kill them."

Vardat looked up in surprise at his promotion and asked, "Shall we perform the Rite of the Dead?"

"If you must," Ferrac muttered, "Don't bother with the gene-seed, that Traitor deserves no legacy. You four, stay where you are."

As Vardat and Sedya moved to collect memorial items from the corpse Ferrac faced the others and growled, "Kregulf, Berio, Paneyr and Radfel, you have covered yourselves in shame. You will not die this day but do not think for one second that you are forgiven. You have walked the path of treachery and embraced sedition, that will not be forgotten. I will deal with you later, but so you don't forget this you will need a reminder."

Ferrac pressed his gauntlet to his wounded side and dipped his hand in the wet blood. It was clotting fast but his gauntlet was dipped in blood when he pulled it back. He stepped up to Kregulf and smacked his open palm on the faceplate, leaving behind an imprint of a bloody hand. He repeated this with the others then stepped back and saw each of them marked out. Ferrc spat, "You are marked for censure. How severe will depend on how hard you fight in the coming days."

The four hung their heads in shame, knowing that they had lost the Brotherhood of their comrades. Meanwhile the other two had collected their memorials, Vardat claiming the trident for himself. Ferrac glared at the lot of them, disgusted with their acts. He was saved from further berating them by the hiss of his vox, it was Kerubim the one Amber Viper not present and he squawked, "Come in, can anybody hear me?"

Ferrac turned his eyes from the squad and said, "Ferrac here, what is it?"

Kerubim replied excitedly, "I've found something, come and see. You all have to see this!"

"Acknowledged," Ferrac replied, "Hold position, we're en-route."

The vox snapped off and Ferrac glared at the squad who hastily fell in behind him. The Battle-Captain set off at a quick march, leading the wayward squad away from the scene of the execution. Behind them Excelsium's corpse was left alone in the dark, abandoned to rot in disgrace. For him the fight was over and his name would never again be spoken with respect or admiration. For the rest, their fates remained to be decided.