Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 111

Coluber frowned as he examined reports in a flickering pict-screen, lines of data and detailed battlefield scans of the Dyson Sphere playing out before his eyes. He absorbed the information with eager interest, devouring every morsel of data like a drunk would a bottle of rotgut. He replayed the data several times, magnifying scans and examining each aspect in microscopic detail. His mind was a sculpted gene-engine of war, creating and discarding stratagems in moments. He compared the battlefield to thousands of previous engagements, rejecting certain possibilities and honing others. The assault played out in his mind a thousand times and each one ended in miserable failure, but he continually improved his plans and finally he saw the way.

Coluber straightened up and cricked his neck as his certainty grew. He breathed in deeply and looked about. He was in the command centre of the Serpens Rex, or 'Nest' as his Brothers had taken to calling it. The beautiful space was filled with activity, Chattels tending to the stations and servitors chattering as they joined with the Starfort's Machine Spirit. For days they had been labouring to reawaken the engines, allowing the base to move through realspace and from their excitement they were close to success.

Near to the raised platform he was standing on a different kind of activity was taking place. The looming form of Maru Kysoto casting a long shadow. The Librarian-Dreadnought was magnificent in form and fit into the beautiful décor like he belonged here, yet his attitude radiated disapproval. This had been his home before any current Amber Vipers had been born and he did not endorse the foreign occupation of his abode. Many had stood in awe as he strode past, none of the younger Brothers ever having seen a Dreadnought before let alone a Psychic one, but Maru had shown no interest in communication.

Yet two souls had drawn his eye. Brother-Exemplars Vardat and Seyda were drilling before him, swinging their Burst-lances in dazzling sweeps of light. Their hands blurred as they spun their weapons around their bodies, the air thrumming like the chop of a propeller as they wove intricate webs of defence and deception. Coluber was impressed by the grace and skill of their drill, the way it drew the eye into misleading feints and subtle deceptions and the way they got faster with every repetition. They concluded with a sudden low sweep at knee-height, one that would have dismembered any foe who had dared to challenge them. Maru watched keenly, then offered critiques and ordered them to repeat the exercise.

Coluber descended the steps as they repeated the exercise and came to stand alongside three Brothers. There was Ferrac, who was glowering at the Dreadnought with undisguised apathy. Then there was Kregulf, the Claviger of the Cerberii whom Coluber had ordered to attend. The order of the Cerberii hadn't met with Maru's approval either, the ancient warrior-philosopher seemed to find the very concept of them distasteful. Finally there was Apothecary Shrios, who had only just returned from his expedition to the most derelict parts of the Nest, looking for the Main Apothecarion. From the look on his unhelmed face he did not bring good news.

They were watching the Librarian-Dreadnought in various poses of sullen resentment and suspicion and Shrios asked, "Where did this one come from?"

Coluber crossed his arms and stated, "He has always been here, waiting to be discovered."

Ferrac muttered, "Shame he didn't stay lost."

Shrios looked at him and asked, "You don't approve, what happened between you?"

Ferrac muttered, "He made me take tanna with a little girl."

"Gnaph," Shiros snorted in mirth, "That's rich!"

"It's not funny," Ferrac snarled.

"It's a bit funny," Shrios needled.

Kregulf interjected, "This is no laughing matter, he killed five of our snakelet-scouts and we let him walk among us without exacting vengeance."

Shrios looked at him and asked, "What did he say to piss you off?"

Kregulf answered, "He told me in his age a disgraced warrior would be sent on a death-quest. Not a mission of redemption but a form of ritual suicide, given a mission and expected to die in its completion. Victory and death."

Coluber shook his head and said, "We aren't going to start doing that, but we shall adopt the best parts of the original Amber Viper's lore and artefacts. Speaking of which, what did you find Shrios?"

The Apothecary sighed, "Disappointment, the Apothecarions are smashed and the gene-seed vault had a crack you could put your fist through. The progenoids had withered to dust, there was nothing to salvage."

Ferrac sniffed, "Then we'll keep using our own stockpiles. Even if we have to put up with a few aberrants."

Their conversation was interrupted as Maru declared, "You must keep your elbow in perfect alignment. Drop your right shoulder and try again."

The Brother-Exemplars repeated the exercise and Coluber lifted his voice to ask, "You are teaching them your ancient fighting styles?"

Maru's sensor-dome turned slightly as he said, "Kusanagi: the Grass-cutting kata. Tis the first style of spear fighting, as taught in our schools of combat."

Shrios sniffed, "You're only teaching them one move, why not show them a few more?"

Maru however refuted, "They must master the first step before taking the second."

"Rather limited," Ferrac snorted.

But Maru stated, "It is written: I fear not the man who has practised ten thousand strokes, but I fear the man who has practised one stroke ten thousand times."

Coluber queried, "Could you teach Primus Cohort some styles?"

"Some of you may prove worthy of my teachings," Maru allowed, "But it requires skill, dedication, focus and humility. Few in your ranks have such grace and we had no schools that taught combat-katas for chainweapons. They are the cudgels of uncouth barbarians, only a feral mastiff would touch so undignified a weapon."

Ferrac snorted, "Are you calling me a rabid dog?"

"The truth is self-evident, for those with eyes to see," Maru scoffed.

"I don't have to listen to these insults," Ferrac growled.

"Then go back to your kennel," Maru replied.

Ferrac's hand gripped his axe-rake as he snarled, "I should rip you out of that tin can and piss on your bones!"

"You are vulgar," Maru snapped.

"Screw you!" Ferrac snarled.

"Cease this at once!" Coluber bellowed, "You are under my command and I will not have us at each other's throats. Keep civil tongues in your heads."

Ferrac grimaced but said, "As you will."

Maru only said, "I will abide, so long as you keep your promise to me."

Coluber nodded, "Vengeance is close, the Peregrine has docked and Sergeant Reddam's rescue party are on the way. In fact, here they come."

From the far end of the command centre strode a gaggle of Astartes. At their head was Sergeant Reddam, followed by his squad, the rescued Aberrants. Berio was absent, returning to his order with the Cadmus-robot. The drills ended as the party marched up to their master in a jubilant mood but pulled up short when they spied the looming bulk of Maru Kysoto and Brother Glord cried, "Holy Frakking throne!"

Coluber enjoyed the looks of stupefaction on their faces and said, "Welcome Brothers, I congratulate you on your successful mission. As you can see we too have been busy. May I present our new Chief Librarian: Maru Kysoto."

"He's…" Joffel gaped, "He's…"

Maru merely stepped closer to them and looked over the Aberrants, who wore helmets and helms and wrappings to disguise their mutations once more, and he said, "Twisted rejects, you risk your own blood for these?"

"They are our Brothers and they fight for the Emperor," Coluber stated, "We shall not deny them worthy deaths. Now to business… Reddam I read your vox-reports and I have devised a strategy."

Reddam kept glancing up at the towering Dreadnought but said, "I'm not sure what you're planning but I doubt it will have much effect. The Dyson Sphere is vast and well-defended, we scanned it thoroughly and found no weak points. Any assault is doomed to fail."

"Not necessarily," Coluber argued, "I agree destroying the Necrons is beyond us, but we can hurt them. We can make them suffer and bleed. I have accessed the reports and determined the primary objective will be to destroy the super-weapon you encountered."

Maru's waist rumbled around threateningly and he hissed, "You aim to blow up a gun? This is not the vengeance you promised me."

Coluber argued, "You yourself said it destroyed the Ghost Crusade's fleet, that weapon is a threat we cannot ignore. Its destruction must take priority."

Maru's voice lowered a notch as he growled, "If you seek to deceive me…"

Yet another voice interjected, Kazao the aberrant, who argued, "With respect, do not underestimate the value of that target, the Synaptic Annihilator they called it. We saw their preparations first-hand, we saw what it cost the Necrons to awaken it. They were shipping in resources at a terrifying rate, trains in endless array delivering stores every minute. The Necrons seem able to rebuild anything in moments… but that weapon was something else. I can't imagine they have more than a handful of them, it may even be unique. It's value to them cannot be overstated. Destroying that target will hurt the Necrons, They will feel its loss most keenly."

"So we have a target," Ferrac muttered, "How do we take it on. A full-frontal assault with every Brother we have?"

Heads nodded but Reddam countered, "I doubt that will work, they know we saw the weapon. They'd be fools not to be ringing it with armies. I doubt we could even approach that site, no matter how many of us there are."

Coluber nodded, "As I strategized, besides open assaults are not our way. We shall land far away and draw their forces to us, distracting them with a set-piece battle. While they are engaged one squad will sneak in through the lower levels and deploy our most devastating weapons."

"My squad volunteers!" Reddam declared boldly.

Coluber grinned, "I thought you'd say that. Very well, your speed with serve better than any others. Kregulf shall arm you with his most deadly arms and while I draw their attention you shall stab them in the back."

Heads nodded in approval but then Kregulf growled, "That is not your decision to make."

"What?!" Coluber yelped in surprise.

Kregulf crossed his arms and stated, "The Gate of Perdition does not open at your order, you yourself decreed it so. Only I may judge if an enemy warrants total destruction, only I can determine if the danger justifies letting my charges loose."

Coluber's jaw dropped, he hadn't factored this into his strategies and his head reeled as he cried, "You can't mean…"

"I shall not open that door simply because you order it," Kregulf snapped.

Ferrac growled, "You treacherous cur, I knew I should have cut off your head when you turned on the Chapter."

Yet Kregulf was not admonished and declared, "I would see this Chapter burn to the ground before I let my charges run wild. They are too vile and too dishonourable to unleash against any common foe. Only a threat to the Imperium Entire can stir the Cerberii to war and that judgement is mine alone to make… and I judge these Necrons are indeed such a threat. They imperil the rule of the Emperor and challenge Mankind's manifest destiny to rule the stars; such a danger cannot go unchecked. The Gates of Perdition shall open and the tainted weapons be brought forth, but not because you order it. I do this as my duty to the Emperor and Mankind, not at your whim."

Coluber breathed out in relief and said, "Very good, your commitment to your oath is commendable."

Yet Maru seemed unconvinced as he said, "I unleashed an Exterminatus on that Dyson Sphere and it did nothing. What kind of weapons could you possibly own that would trouble them?"

Kregulf replied frankly, "The worst kind, not nearly so conventional and direct as virus bombs or cyclonic torpedoes. My charges are weapons designed not to kill but inflict suffering, the creations of a sadist and torturer. The Eye of Discord shall be our weapon of choice; its nature is a crime against reality itself."

From the squad Glord muttered sarcastically, "That sounds a safe thing to be strapping to our bikes."

Kregulf nodded, "Berio shall remain with you and you shall have some of our lesser tools to aid you. The Necrons will not be stopped by bolters alone."

Coluber was glad to hear it and declared, "This then is the plan, our fighting strength will deploy to the Sphere and draw out the Necrons in force. While they are distracted, Reddam shall sneak below the surface and plant our weapon under the Synaptic Annihilator. When it is done we shall withdraw with haste and leave the Necrons to burn."

Maru interjected, "One should not make plans to live when marching to war, you should never seek battle if you are not prepared to die."

Yet Coluber argued, "I plan to win, not commit suicide. Our deaths may be likely but I do not intend to fall so easily."

"Oh, we'll die," Ferrac muttered, "Three hundred Astartes against everything the Necrons have, I'll be amazed if any of us come back."

Shrios interjected, "We should make plans to secure our legacy."

"That is prudent," Coluber allowed, "Transfer the Gene-seed stockpile from the Wyvern to the Serpens Rex, the Chattels shall remain here and steer the Nest back to the warp-gate. When we engage the Necrons they should have a chance to make a run for it and get back to the Milky Way."

Maru sniffed in disapproval but Coluber's orders were set. All faces were grim but it was Ferrac who said, "This plan still revolves around three hundred Astartes facing the combined might of the Necrons. We haven't the numbers to hold them off for long. It would take an army to hold them at bay."

Yet Coluber grinned at him and said, "An army? Ferrac, it would take more than that to even slow the Necrons down. Yet thankfully, I happen to know where we can find an entire Crusade, waiting patiently in stasis. The Necrons made a mistake when they captured the sons of the Imperium instead of killing them. The Ghost Crusade shall march to war once more and bring the wrath of the Emperor to the undying!"