Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 144

"You lost them?!" Coluber hissed in annoyance. This was met by a sheepish look from Kerubim, who seemed ashamed of himself. Kregulf for his part stood steady and unwavering, his helm rigid. He still bore his Fission-blaster and crystal knife but seemed content to wait and listen to Coluber's diatribe. Behind him the Brother-Exemplars stood silently, their Burst-lances held upright in parade rest. Beyond them the camp bustled, shuttles landing and taking off constantly as the chattels began shipping salvage into orbit. The process of stripping this world of its treasures was begun, but Coluber's attention was fixed on the pair before him.

"Where did they go?" Coluber continued.

Kerubim winced slightly as he said, "We don't know, the Cadmus-robots simply left on their own initiative. There was no sign of their route."

Coluber growled, "Those battle-automata have displayed distressing independence of action in the past. I thought you were going to fix that Kregulf."

The Cerberii replied coldly, "I have been watching them closely, my order's chattels scour their cogitators for signs of deception. Nothing has been apparent, all their behaviour could be explained as pre-programmed threat responses… until now."

"Well I suggest you go find them," Coluber uttered in a tone that left no doubt it was a command.

Kerubim however protested, "But what of the power station?"

"Yes," Coluber allowed, "A troubling prospect, to draw energy from the warp, but I don't see how that's our problem."

Kerubim's eyes widened as he squawked, "But this planet is powered by a warp-rift!"

But Coluber retorted, "One that has run flawlessly for thirty millennia. If it hasn't blown up already I doubt I will today… unless some idiot goes about poking at it. Keep everybody away from it while we focus on our salvage operation."

Kregulf interjected, "If I may suggest…"

"You may not," Coluber snarled, "You managed to lose three dangerous robots in this forge. Go find them immediately!"

The pair were left no choice save to turn and depart, the hunchbacked Vorax following Kerubim like a faithful pup. Coluber shook his head and returned to the field, checking on how far the Chapter had progressed. As per his instructions their focus had been on stripping parts and tools, anything that could boost the Chapter's logistical capability. Ferrac had grumbled but the Battle-Captain did not see that any munitions liberated were by definition finite, weapons to be used once then expended. Rebuilding the Amber Viper's ability to produce their own supplies was of far greater value, anything that took the Serpens Rex a step closer to its former glory was to be pursued with full rigour.

Coluber saw Ferrac, Shrios and Maru standing by the Thunderhawk Poisoned Fang. He steered towards them and heard the Battle-Captain arguing, "Maybe if we look deeper in the Forge."

Maru replied, "No, the source is too diffuse. I can't locate a single point of origin; I suspect it may be generated by various nodes across the Forge."

"What's this?" Coluber asked as he closed.

Maru's sensor dome turned as he replied, "I have been seeking the source of the Warp Beacon but it eludes me. I cannot find a way to shut it off."

"So we can't hide this world from prying eyes. Someone will come looking sooner or later. That means we're working against a clock. Shrios, what of your investigations?"

The apothecary sniffed, "As I suspected this world is in its final stage of ecological collapse. There's barely enough photosynthesis occurring to keep the air breathable, any added burden will only accelerate the disaster."

"So we can't inhabit this planet," Coluber sighed.

"You want to claim this planet as a base?!" Ferrac yelped.

"No," Coluber corrected, "I have no plans to stake out a Chapter homeworld, but I toyed with the notion of leaving some Chattels behind to restart a few manufactorums while we fight elsewhere. I thought we could make periodic visits to stock up, but it seems not. We will simply have to grab as much as we possibly can, while we can, then get out with our holds filled."

"Then time is against us," Maru stated, "We should go oversee the efforts."

Ferrac however demurred, "In a moment, I want to show Coluber something first."

"I've got a lot to see," Coluber pointed out, "We're overloaded with options, every hour brings a new discovery."

"Trust me," Ferrac argued, "You will want to see this."

They were the oldest of friends so Coluber nodded and they set off, Brother-Exemplars in tow as Maru and Shrios headed back. Ferrac led him from the camp and into the shadow of a towering building, one with huge hanger doors upon the front. Coluber suspected it was some form of orbital shuttle assembly building, or torpedo manufactory, and said, "Still pressing for Vortex missiles?"

Ferrac snorted, "You've made your position clear but the Snakelets found this an hour ago and I knew you'd want to see it."

As they stepped within Coluber sighed, "I haven't the time to waste. I've sent Nathanal back into orbit to supervise the transfer and storage of equipment. We need to speed up the delivery of stores to our holds."

"Parts and spares," Ferrac snorted.

"Essential supplies," Coluber countered, "Rebuilding the Nest to even a tenth of its glory would free us from sordid deals and bargains with venal governors. And the power armour manufactorum is beyond priceless. To craft our own plate, can you imagine…."

He trailed off as they emerged into the huge interior of the building. It had been hollowed out to leave a void in the middle. Around that space were gantries and lifting hooks, chains and pulleys. Strange tools hung from above, fuel lines and energy conduits, all pointed inwards like a spider's web emanating from a central node. The entire hanger was but a cocoon for a single war machine, but what a machine. Coluber's jaw fell as his head tilted back and his eyes took in the sight. A vertical cliff stood proud in the middle of the hanger, resting upon bipedal legs each as wide as a Baneblade was long. Hips joined them together and supported a barrel chest formed of armoured plating that could shrug off Earthshaker rounds. Broad shoulders jutted out to each side, supporting a clawed fist on the left and a long-barrelled weapon on the right that hung down to its knees. Over the shoulders poked the barrels of anti-aircraft batteries and just visible on the top was the shadow of a head.

"A Titan…" Coluber gasped in awe.

"Frakking hell," muttered Seyda from behind.

"Told you you'd want to see this," Ferrac laughed with a grin.

"You were right," Coluber breathed, "What a find."

"Come on, there's a better view from up here."

Ferrac led him to a gantry and they climbed higher, ascending ramps and steps until they were approaching chest-height. Coluber looked in awe at the magnificent war machine. Titans were the most powerful mobile weapon platforms ever conceived; carrying Captial Ordinatus level guns but far more mobile. Void-shielded and heavily armed a single Titan could lay waste cities and break armies. A maniple of them could, and oft had, turned the course of whole wars. There was no possibility of reactivating it, the Amber Vipers had nowhere nothing like the expertise to awaken such a beast, none outside the Collegia Titanicus did. Yet the Adeptus Mechanicus would pay any price for a single example of their hallowed, 'God-Machines.'

As they climbed Coluber remarked, "It's as big as an Imperator, but I don't recognise the pattern."

"I don't think anyone would," Ferrac claimed, "It doesn't match anything I've ever seen or read about. There's a plaque on the door calling it, 'Castigator' but I'm not sure if that's the Engine's name or a model type."

"Castigator-pattern," Coluber mused, "No, that's not a design the Collegia Titanicus uses. This is new… or rather old."

They reached a point level with its heart and Coluber paused to take in the sweeping black armour and the glossy sheen of its hull. Unlike the lumbering brutes of Imperial make this Titan seemed sleek and elegant, its joints bulging with black fibre-bundle musculature, rather than gears and pistons. Coluber suspected it would rival an Eldar Titan in its speed and grace, but would be far more robust in combat. It had been centuries since he had seen Titans make war but he knew this God-Machine would surpass any of them.

He craned his head back and remarked, "I've never seen a Titan with its head sited on top, usually they hang the cockpit lower."

"Looks mean," Hasak intoned.

Coluber knew what the Brother-Exemplar meant. The cockpit was smooth and bland, a sweeping curve of bare metal broken only by twin red eyes. Most Princeps of Titans demanded bestial expressions, or knightly helms, be carved into the faces of their war machines, to embody the ferocious spirit within. Yet this faceless mask was somehow more inhuman than that, a cold and indifferent visage, emanating scorn for all it surveyed. For some bizarre reason Coluber found himself growing wary of this 'Castigator', any Titan was a force to reckoned with but this thing oozed lethality and contempt.

Ferrac gestured at the long cannon and remarked, "I've never seen a weapon of that type."

Coluber eyed the strange barrel, bulging with pre-firing chambers and energy capacitors, and ventured, "Some form of energy blaster… plasma or las maybe."

"I don't think so," Ferrac countered, "Most Titans have multiple weapon points, Warhounds two, Reavers three, Warlords four but this Castigator only needs one. I suspect that means the makers didn't think they'd need anything more than this."

Coluber argued, "It has a power fist and anti-air flak…"

Ferrac muttered, "Small change by comparison. I don't know what comes out of that barrel but wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of it."

Coluber nodded and said, "Mark this building for later investigation. I'm not sure we want to risk moving this, I'm certain we don't have a lifter big enough to haul it to orbit, but the Mechanicus will want to hear about this. Perhaps we could trade this location for…"

He was cut off as his vox blared, "Chapter Master, come in at once!"

Coluber frowned as he replied, "This is Coluber, what's going on Nathanal?"

"Auspex has picked up an intruder vessel on approach!" the mortal yelped from orbit, "An unknown vessel is closing on the Serpens Rex!"

Alarm rang through Coluber as he spat, "How close?"

"Too bloody close," Nathanal barked, "They practically got on our doorstep before we saw them."

Coluber's transhuman mind went into overdrive and he calculated vectors and positions. The Nest's, drive acceleration curves and gunnery weight and armour stability, none of them favourable. Possible combat scenarios rang through his head but without sufficient intel he was flailing in the dark. All he knew as the Nest was in no state for a fight. This was bad, very bad.

"Nathanal, have you installed the lance arrays yet?" he voxed.

"Are you kidding?!" Nathanal yelped, "We haven't finished unloading, installing them will take weeks!"

Ferrac muttered, "If only someone had suggested we load some vortex missiles…"

"Too late for second-guessing," Coluber hissed, "Nathanal, tell me of this intruder."

"It's almost on us!" the mortal cried in panic, "It's going to open fire!"

"Nathanal focus! You're not dead yet, panic is the greatest enemy. You're a tech-adept; work the problem as you would any other. Intelligence gathering is the first step on the road to victory. Tell me of the foe… you said it is only one ship."

Nathanal's voice steadied as he said, "Yes.. one ship. Small displacement, moderate power emissions. I… I don't think she's a line cruiser. She masses less than the Wyvern."

"One lone ship means this is a mere scout," Coluber affirmed, "They may not have been expecting to find us here and they won't be looking for a set-piece battle. They must have been drawn here by the same beacon we were and came to investigate the planet. You're only in their way."

"I understand," Nathanal replied, "Cogitators are processing the silhouette… we have a match. Records identify it as a vessel of the Tau Empire."

"Tau?!" Ferrac snarled, "Filthy Xeno scum."

Coluber's mind churned through the strategic evaluations and battle reports his allies in the Navigators had forwarded to him. He concluded, "Tau are expansionists by creed, inventive and aggressive. They've been pressing into the Eastern Fringe, looking to subvert and conquer Imperial worlds. The Forgeworld will be a prize they can't resist."

"We can't let them have it," Ferrac snarled.

"I don't think I can stop them," Nathanal voxed, "I can barely keep the shields up."

"You can't stop them," Coluber confirmed, "Pull the Serpens Rex into a higher orbit and launch Wyvern and the escort frigates. You will have to fend them off, but don't try to deny their landing craft, you can't afford the distraction. Your orders are to deny orbital bombardment only, keep the bigger ship distracted. We'll take these Tau on the ground."

"Understood, Emperor be with you," Nathanal said then the vox went dead.

"You don't want to return to orbit?" Ferrac asked.

Coluber was already jogging along the gantry, heading back to the exit as he replied, "No, this isn't a fight that will be decided in the void or in the air. These Tau want this Forge for themselves, that means a landing party will be coming. We'll be ready and waiting when they set foot on the ground. Summon all squads and brief them on what we know of the Tau. We will fight them as they come."

With that the Space Marines dashed away, racing to regroup with their Chapter and make ready for the coming war. But little did they know they were being observed. As they left visual sensors in the Castigator tracked their motions and vox-capture vanes listened to every word they had said. Behind those eyes Apophis watched patiently, the Soulbound already inhabiting the Manifold of the Titan. All the players were where he wanted them to be and the outcome set according to his will. Everything was ready, now all he had to do was let events play out and the future would belong to him.