Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 182

His situation didn't look promising; his position was weak and he knew it. The chances of success were slim but Juto Hornan was not intimidated by long odds. The Imperial Navy taught its officers that he who hesitated was lost, the only road to success was to risk all. If he ever dared to dream of climbing above his station he had to brave the knives of failure and leap the chasm of doubt. So with bold confidence he reached out his hand and declared to one and all, "I'll see your fifty and raise fifty."

The clinking of coins on the table brought raised eyebrows as his companions looked at the cards hidden in their hands. Grim faces peered at him with hard eyes, as they tried to judge if he was bluffing. Juto gave them nothing, his face stern as only one who had faced down danger on the bridge of a starship without flinching could be. Sat in leather chairs around a polished table were his compatriots and gambling buddies, each with a glass of indifferent amasec by their side and the full expressions of those who had recently dined at the Captain's table. Captain Yarret had put on an excellent spread for her officers and then retired with good grace. Tradition stated none could depart until the Captain left, but the night watch was yet early and so the seniors had withdrawn to the first officer's quarters, for Amasec and a hand of Bakkan Masque.

Opposite to him sat Gansay, his narrow features screwed up in a constipated expression. His Masque-face was awful, emotions written all over his face and he had lost almost all his pay for the month, he'd be eating nothing but ship's biscuit and rationed azureberry juice for a while, Throne help him. To his right sat Adrea Ambos, in the formal attire of a Fury pilot. She was a hefty woman, with hardened muscles, a broken nose and scarred hands. Like all fury pilots she was young, few of them served long-enough to require Juvenat treatment, yet Hornan wouldn't have cared to share her bed, she had a dangerous glint to her eye. Plus Hornan wasn't interested in the beds of women in general. The last companion was Torhay, who had fitted a small pincer to his claw to hold his cards. His face could have been carved from stone and he had been steadily accruing coin through the game. His gambling was icy-cold, never losing control or getting too invested in a hand. Ultramarian discipline, effective but he'd never win big with that attitude.

Torhay stared suspiciously as he growled, "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Hornan replied blankly.

"I know it," Torhay accused.

"It'll cost you fifty to find out," Hornan replied.

Torhay glanced at his cards then threw them down spitting, "I fold."

A moment later Gansay added his whining, "I'm out."

Hornan was amused to notice Gansay's hand was better than his own, but revealed none of it as he turned to Ambos and said, "So..."

Ambos grinned as she pushed a stack of coins forward and proclaimed, "Call."

Hornan's heart sank as he lowered his cards but then to his surprise it turned out Ambos' hand was even worse than his own. Groans rang out around the table as he leaned forward and scooped up his winnings, adding them to his own. He leaned back as Ambos collected the cards and began shuffling. As he waited he took in his quarters, a spare and functional suite of rooms within the Carmilla. For a man of his privileged rank he had few luxuries, merely a collection of well-read novels and a couple of Amasec decanters, old family heirlooms that were handed down to him. His retainer, another family relic, was lurking in the other room, keeping out of the way as a good manservant should. Hornan's life was duty and work, a gruelling slog to earn command rank, that had fallen short.

"So how long will the Carmilla keep circling the ion storm?" Gansay sighed.

Torhay shrugged, "Until the convoy is ready to return to the Crusade."

"Suits me," Ambos grinned as her hands moved, "My pilots were getting bored flying endless orbital patrols."

Hornan chewed on it for a moment then asked, "What did you make of the invasion?"

"Short, brutal and victorious," Torhay asserted, "As all wars should be."

"What of the Space Marines?" Hornan mused.

"Why do you care?" Ambos questioned.

"Not sure," Hornan sighed, "They just give me a bad feeling. They were up to something on the planet, I know it. Mysterious comings and goings and they won't let anyone near that ship of theirs. I wonder what they're hiding."

"Astartes are a cagey lot, put it from your mind," Torhay said, "We'll be back in the Crusade soon and then it will be another assignment, with a new taskforce. The great Guilliman likes to keep his fleets busy."

Ambos scoffed, "For such a pragmatic lot you Ultramarians sure talk like him as if he's some holy saint."

Torhay scowled as he spat, "You speak ill of the Primarch!"

Ambos shrugged, "He's just a bigger Space Marine. Intended for greater tasks than we, but not some divine avatar of the God-Emperor, as some would have it."

Torhay eyed her curiously then guessed, "You've not seen him, have you?"

"A fury commander hanging out with the Imperial Regent?!" Ambos scoffed, "That's as likely as meeting the great hero Ciaphas Cain."

"Isn't he dead?" Gansay wondered.

Ambos snorted, "Who knows, he's been declared dead so many times and then popped up again the Administratum put out standing orders he's to be kept listed as on active duty... even if they have his cold, dead corpse to prove otherwise."

Hornan eyed Torhay and asked, "Have you ever seen him?"

Torhay blinked, "Ciaphas Cian?"

"No, the Regent!" Hornan spat.

"Me, no but my granddad did, back when the lord was in stasis. Greatest moment a citizen of Ultramar could dream of, to make a pilgrimage to the Temple of Correction. Spoke of it often he did, a peerless moment, never to be forgotten."

Hornan frowned as he mused, "Wait, my grandfather told me what it was like when he returned. Spoke often of how life changed on that day, and he wasn't an old man by any means at that point."

"How is that possible?" Gansay mused.

Torhay sniffed, "The warp is the warp. Time flows strangely in those haunted depths; centuries blur past and days last lifetimes. You could have a lot of years on me, old man."

Hornan snorted in amusement, "There's a lot of strange stories flying back and forth and a lot of voidfarer's tales. I heard stories of worlds where time has slowed to such a degree that the Great Rift hasn't even opened yet, and others where time flows so fast ships return filled with grey-bearded men, coming home to find wives have barely aged a day."

Ambos began dealing cards as she remarked, "Lot of broken families out there."

"Pah," Torhay spat, "It's not right a naval man should marry while serving. Losing years with every warp-jump. Marriage comes after retirement or a station-posting. Everyone knows that."

Hornan scooped up his cards and fought back a grin, he had four cardinals, a nearly unbeatable hand. He kept his expression blank as the cards were dealt and everybody examined their collections. To distract them he said, "Family isn't an issue for me."

"Not the type to settle down?" Gansay asked innocently.

"Not with a woman," Hornan stated, hoping the revelation would throw them off.

Torhay however didn't bother to look up as he tossed some coins into the middle and said, "Why does that matter?"

"Would you marry a woman you didn't love?"

Torhay snorted, "What's love got to do with anything, we're talking about marriage."

Hornan was flummoxed by the response and said, "I'm not sure I could raise a family like that."

Gansay added some more coins and remarked, "Is that why, or is it your family history?"

Hornan's mood soured as he snapped, "I don't want to talk about it."

Ambos took her turn to bet as she chuckled, "Come on, I'll tell you mine. See my father was a Space Marine and my mother was a Canoness of the Adepta Sororitas..."

"Oh, be serious!" Gansay retorted, "Everyone knows Space Marines don't have kids and Sisters of Battle don't date."

"Too right," Torhay muttered, "No man wants a woman who will be forever dragging him out of bed for Holy Mass at the crack of dawn."

Ambos grinned as she said, "You got me: my father was a drunk and my mother was a streetwalker. The navy was the only way out, pilot schools are always desperate for warm bodies, the Imperium chews up fighter pilots like a starving mastiff does a bone."

Torhay nodded, "Service, duty, loyalty. My family has served for generations, proud boys set off for the stars and then their mothers nurse the bits of them that make it home. There was never any question I would sign up."

Gansay said, "My father was a second-grade clerk at a munitions plant. My older brother would inherit the post, so I was told to get out of the house and make my own way. Rose to Master of Ordinance by simple merit of everyone more qualified than me being killed in battle."

Hornan knew they wouldn't leave it and sighed, "Yes, the rumours are true my family rebelled. No, I don't know why. We weren't some mighty house or warrior breed. We ran the Juvenat works in Bakka, a profitable but inglorious prospect. Then one day my relatives went insane, rose up screaming of the Imperium's unforgivable crimes... madness, utter madness. The Arbites put down the rebellion and that was that. Those of us too unimportant or remote to be killed were left almost penniless."

"I'm surprised you were allowed to serve," Torhay remarked.

"Commissar Landry thinks I shouldn't be," Hornan said, "He'd have shot the lot of us. But Captain Yarret said she sees potential in me, she gave me a chance. I owe her everything."

"Potential eh?" Torhay said, "Your hand says otherwise."

Hornan grinned as he pushed his pile of coins forward, "It will cost you to find out, all in."

Ambos and Gansay threw their cards down in disgust but Torhay shoved his pile forward and said, "Let's see what you've got."

Triumphantly Hornan laid down his cards and reached out to scoop up the pile but Torhay smirked as his claw lowered to reveal his hand: four Emperors. Hornan flopped back in disgust as the officer grabbed the coins and the others shook their heads. Nobody had enough coinage to keep playing, it seemed Torhay had won the night.

"Standard rations and ship's biscuit for all then," Gansay lamented.

"I thought I had you beat," Hornan groaned.

"If you must fight an Ultramarian be sure to kill him, for if he yet lives then you are dead," Torhay crowed.

"That quotes only for Space Marines," Ambos argued.

"Principle still stands," Torhay chuckled.

Hornan decided to take his loss in good grace and said, "A good night spent in good company. I propose a toast: to absent friends across the void!"

Everyone took up their glasses and made traditional naval toasts. Gansay proclaimed, "Our swords, our ships and our shipmates!"

Ambos declared, "To ourselves, as nobody else bloody cares."

And Torhay added, "To a willing foe and command of the stars!"

They all drank deep and then set to finishing off the bottle. The day shift was still a long way off and Hornan was determined to make the most of the night watch. He could only hope tomorrow would bring him better luck than today.