Extremus Fors Chapter 17

The Sabretusks were a small clan, existing on the periphery of the Technobarbarian's realm. Never strong or fierce enough to carve out a kingdom in the warm heart of the land, they had been forced to migrate along the edges of the region of Geothermal activity, where life clung by the fingertips. Their hunting grounds were sparse, they had no derelict Forgetemple to house them. They lived in rough huts, kept from starvation only by stalking Blubber Whelks and Tunnel-Wyrms that roamed the ice-caverns. Insignificant, forgotten and ignored, their only true defence was nobody wanted anything they had. Thus they were completely unprepared when Transhumans warriors marched on their home.

Fire and death stalked the rude camp, destroying anything that dared lift its head. Warriors with the simplest of Augemtics fell with their knives unbloodied, mothers clutched babes tight as flames washed over them. Elderly were cut down as they limped away. They stood no chance against the enemy that had come for them and pleas for mercy. The Grey Knights had no clemency in their hearts and killed all they found.

Hypras strode among the dwellings, most of which barely reached his head. He glowed with power, his might given free rein to break any who dared stand in his way. He moved through the camp with determination, crushing all opposition. He felt no exultation as he killed, no triumph, this action was nothing but a necessary clearance. The Sabretusks stood between the Grey Knights and their goal, so they must be removed.

A pair of warriors with spring-loaded knives on their wrists sprang around a corner, eyes wide with terror as they fled the destruction. They didn't understand what was happening and their orange-dyed hair was lank with sweat. Hypras witnessed their faces as they spied his presence, instinctive flight or flight responses taking hold. They each chose a different response.

The nearest let out a wild yell and sprang at Hypras, knives flashing. To Hypras' genhanced perceptions he may as well have been wading through treacle, so slow was the attack. Hypras didn't let the knives so much as brush his armour, exerting his power to wrap telekinetic vices around the warrior. The primitive froze mid-step, eyes darting back and forth in confusion as his jaw tried to move against invisible bonds. Hypras did not allow him to speak, merely increasing the pressure with inexorable will. The savage's arms began to bend backwards, straining against the joints, then his legs and his neck. A gurgling noise of fear escaped the throat, then the arms snapped, followed swiftly by legs and ribs and spine. With a series of sickening pops Hypras mangled the feral clansman, snapping every single bone like dried twigs.

Hypras dropped the flopping heap of flesh to the ground and saw the other hadn't bothered to stay and watch his friend die. Already bounding away, trying to escape behind a rude hut. Hypras nearly lifted his Storm Bolter to gun the coward down, but stayed the impulse. Grey Knight shells were precious things, inscribed with litanies of banishment and anointed with the blood of most holy men, too valuable to waste on these dregs. Instead Hypras sent forth a wave of power, driving needles of warp-energy into the arteries of the fleeing wretch. At Hypras' command iron particles in the blood became super-agitated, dancing as if plunged into a forge. Blood boiled as the heat increased, ripping through capillaries and tissues as the pressure soared. A moment later the fleeing savage exploded, spraying blood across a wide swathe of the camp, leaving steaming gore painted over the walls.

Hypras continued on, unbothered by the gore. Through the Aegis he watched the other Grey Knights, observing their progress. Agriff had taken to smashing in dwellings, his shining hammer imploding huts and bringing roofs down on their occupant's heads. He had left a trail of destruction in his wake and seemed determined to continue until they were all destroyed. Mordad on the other hand was seeking out knots of resistance, those few warriors who dared stand against the Grey Knights. With holy flames he doused them, psychic fires bringing low the wicked and those who evaded the cleansing he broke upon the edge of his blade. Pelleus was guarding the perimeter, catching any who attempted to flee. His twin knives made short work of any refugee and those who sought to evade him were horrified to find how fast he could run, when empowered by his gifts.

It was Galhuan who Hypras paid most attention to. He had protested this action, saying the killing was unnecessary and beneath the Grey Knight's dignity. Galhuan had proposed they circumvent the camp and leave the savages unaware they had ever been here. Hypras had denied the suggestion, time was not on their side and seeking an alternate route would take days. By his reckoning they had roughly ten days till the Exterminatus fleet reached Lujan Minoris, there was not a moment to spare. Still, despite his protest Galhuan did not hold back once ordered to act, he killed ruthlessly and precisely, his polearm flashing to pierce hearts and decapitate with perfect strokes.

"They are broken!" Agriff cried.

"We shall drive them into extinction," Pelleus exhorted.

"Continue Brothers," Hypras commanded, "But remember to leave me a survivor, I have questions that need answering."

"I have already done so," Galhuan stated, "As ordered."

Hypras changed course, heading towards Galhuan's position. He moved past burning huts and crumpled dwellings, giving no heed to the smell of blood and open bowels and burning oil that clawed up his nostrils. By the light of a flaming hut he found Galhuan, standing guard over a fallen savage. This one was different, far more augmented than her kin, which was why she had been chosen. A Techno-shaman of some description, her eight mechanical legs shorn off by precise blows from Galhuan's polearm.

This one rocked back and forth, clutching liver-spotted hands to a withered chest and moaning, "We are undone, we are undone. I warned them, Kinfe told them she did, said the Undying would come and so they have. The undying have come and we are all lost."

"Silence hag!" hypras barked as he loomed over the feral woman.

Her head snapped up and she wept, "You speak?! The Undying never speak. They come from the frozen wastes, wrapped in flames. They take our blood-kin and none can oppose them. They burn our souls and eat our dead… but they never speak."

"I care nothing for your primitive superstitions," Hypras spat, "I need information. Tell me where the Daemonsword lays."

"I don't know what that is," Kinfe wailed.

"A blade, held by a champion or king. An evil thing of ill omen. Tell me or I shall rip it from your mind!"

"I don't know what you want!" she cried.

"Brother-Librarian, if I may," Galhuad interrupted, "You; tell us if anything has changed recently. Have your lives been upset by strange occurrences or a new warlord risen in your ranks?"

Kinfe gulped, "You'll kill me if I tell."

"There are many ways to die, some more painful than others," Galhuad stated, "I promise a swift and painless end, if you tell us what we want to know."

Kinfe looked at the pair and saw only truth in the promise. She lowered her head and whispered, "The Sunsider clan, they won a great victory over the Nightsiders. Even all the way out here we heard the news. They say chief Lugdac has found the Star Queen, he calls all the Lords of Sinew and Steel to bow before him."

"Where?!" Hypras barked.

"Towards the warmest vents, follow the heat and you will find them."

"You speak true, and our word is kept," Galhuan whispered. His mind moved in the Aegis and popped a blood vessel inside the hags' skull. Kinfe's eyes rolled up and she toppled over, killed by an aneurism. Painless and soft as promised.

"Superior workmanship," Hypras stated, "Too good a death for these wretches though."

"It is not for their sake but ours," Galhuan whispered, "It is not about superiority, but purity."

Hypras caught the implication and growled, "You doubt I would keep my word?"

"Never," Galhuan sighed, "Your intent is pure, pure as heartblood gushing from a fresh wound. Red, bright and hot. It is merely the distraction from our purpose that troubles me. We are Daemonhunters, made to confront the Ruinous Powers. To sully our blades with mortal blood seems… imprecise. A misuse of our strength."

Hypras was not pleased by the criticism and stated, "Sometimes it is better to kill mortals before they can be corrupted. Better to stop a ritual summoning before the Neverborn break into reality."

"I understand that," Galhuan replied, "Cultists, sorcerers, dupes of the Primordial Annihilator. Even those who simply see too much, these are necessary deaths… but sometimes…"

He trailed off but Hypras sensed he had more to say. The Librarian lifted an eyebrow, "This is no theoretical, this is a personal matter. You speak from experience."

"I…" Galhuan said, "It was a classified matter."

"I am a Librarian of Titan, I know secrets that would blast the brain from your skull. If you have something to say, say it. I would know the root cause of your intransigence."

Galhuan lowered his eyes and whispered, "It was the first year of the Indomitus Crusade, when the Grey Knights committed to the retaking of the galaxy. Much effort was given to reaching what is now known as Imperium Nihilus, many expeditions were sent to the Nachmund Gauntlet and others. But Lord Inquisitor Jurrest believed he had found another route across the Great Rift: the passage of Invoactor."

"I have heard of no such passage," Hypras frowned.

"Because it was held by minions of the archenemy, the Black Legion," Galhuan sighed, "They sought to sally into fresh territory, but were opposed. The Sable Swords Chapter held the line and stubbornly denied all invaders. Inquisitor Jurrest cared nothing for their cause, he demanded they stand down and allow him to cross. The Space Marines refused, to stay their guns would allow the Black Legion to wreak havoc in Imperium Sanctus. They opened fire on our fleet as we tried to pass."

"The Inquisitor did not take that well," Hypras guessed.

"Indeed not, he took it as a sign of their corruption. He declared the Sable Swords Excommunicate Traitoris and demanded our fleet attack at once. We obeyed, as we were sworn to do, assaulting their fleet and driving them back to their Fortress-Monastery. We had regiments of guardsmen, Titans, warfleets and tens of thousands of the faithful, plus fifty Grey Knights. The Sable Swords were outnumbered and outgunned, but were defending their home and a Fortress-Monastery is no small obstacle."

Hypras gasped, "He didn't try to storm their castle?"

"Jurrest was a man obsessed, the Sable Swords had defied him, and this he could not forgive. He ground the Space Marines down piece by piece, selling a thousand lives for one of theirs. Whole regiments were wiped out merely to pile bodies higher at the foot of the walls. We Grey Knights committed only to the most vital strikes on those indomitable bastions. We never let them dictate terms of engagement, but still twenty-four of our Brothers fell. Half our strike force lost, and we had not even attempted the Great Rift yet. And while the defenders of Mankind waged war on each other the Black Legion roamed free, burning a score of helpless planets to ash."

"How did it end?"

Galhuan lamented, "In humiliation. A Torchbearer fleet arrived, sent from Terra with Primaris reinforcements for the Sable Swords. Custodian Guards were with them and deemed Jurrest the Traitor, overturning his Carta against the Astartes and denouncing him as an agent of the Black Legion. They fell upon his army with fire and steel, burning his forces with righteous ire. Ships were struck from the void, Titans toppled into the dust. The Sable Swords were saved and made stronger than ever, their names praised for standing true."

Hypras was stunned, "They fired on Grey Knights and lived?!"

"They didn't have to. Seniority fell to Justicar Alcannon and he deemed the entire expedition a wasted effort, withdrawing our support as soon as the Custodians revealed themselves. Inquisitor Jurrest was left to hang as we departed, leaving no record of our involvement. The Custodians let us depart, respecting the autonomy of Titan. It was then that we learned the Passage of Invoactor had shut, closing while we wasted time on a pointless war. All we had suffered, twenty-four of our Brothers lost, all because we wasted our strength on a meaningless conflict."

Hypras caught the accusation and retorted, "You think we waste our strength here, but I assure you this was necessary. The mistake at Invoactor was to follow a mortal's lead, to trust the judgement of a mere man. We Grey Knights should have taken charge as soon as his incompetence became clear. This time it is we who make the judgement, and we condemn these savages because we must. These people stood in our way, and nothing can be allowed to slow us down. We must claim the Daemonsword, no other outcome is acceptable."

"And we could not have even tried to find another way?" Galhuan pressed.

"Not with the scant time we have remaining. If that dismays you then remember that this Forgemoon is doomed. All these people will die when the Exterminatus comes. Everyone we meet is dead already, we merely hasten their execution. It could be kinder even, to end them quickly."

"I understand," Galhuan sighed, "I will see to it that these mortal's end is swift and painless."

"Do so," Hypras allowed, "Grant them clean endings, then we move on."

Galhuan took up his polearm and moved off, seeking survivors. Hypras watched him go and knew he would not hesitate, but his hearts would be heavy. There was nothing that could be done for that, save continue the mission. He gripped his stave tight and set off himself, determined to kill every last soul he found. One sweep of this settlement would ensure no witnesses remained, then the Grey Knights would press on, feet set upon the path more firmly than ever.