Extremus Fors Chapter 27

Ajax's cannon roared, filling the icy tunnel with a hurricane of rounds. Flaring contrails shot away, blasting Ceramite and turning snow into clouds of vapour. Spent casings poured out of Ajax's cannon, falling about his feet unregarded as he vented his fury. Bright lights made a strobing effect as the flaring discharge stuttered, noise hammering autosenses like slamming pistons in an engine and the smell of cordite clung in the nose.

The Dreadnought was lost to fire frenzy, blazing away with no regard for where he was or who he was shooting at. His assault cannon swept back and forth, hitting the walls as much as the Grey Knights. Novak was aghast, unable to understand how things had fallen apart so quickly. Tense had been the meeting but there had still been a chance to avert bloodshed, that prospect was lost forevermore. Ajax's demented mind had destroyed any chance of peace, his delusions pulling them into a conflict unlooked for and unwanted. The folly of Ajax had set them on a course for destruction, and Novak had no choice save to follow.

The Grey Knights were caught off-guard and bullets slammed home, chipping Ceramite and making them stagger back, but they recovered swiftly. Hypras' Psychic Hood flared and the air shimmered, becoming a curved barrier. Not so weak as Novak had assumed, he still commanded immense power. Ajax roared as his barrage was blocked but charged forward, power fist swinging. The Grey Knights didn't wait for him to land the first blow. Agriff, with a two-handed hammer, launched himself at the Dreadnought, weapon arcing past his guard to slam into the sarcophagus. Hammer met armour and crumpled it like parchment, leaving a massive indentation in the Dreadnought's front. Novak couldn't believe it, he'd seen Ajax take blows from Daemon Engines that did less damage, a mere hand-held weapon shouldn't trouble in the slightest. There was more to that weapon than physical strength, a might beyond conventional means.

Ajax rocked back, his charge thwarted. In the second's respite the Grey Knights withdrew, marching backwards down the tunnel. They were not foolish enough to engage a Dreadnought in the tight confines of the tunnel. Ajax roared as he recovered his footing and charged after them, feet spraying powdered ice in his wake.

"Wait!" Arvael cried, "Stop Ajax!"

"It's too late," Novak snarled as he gave chase, "We are committed."

"We can't fight Grey Knights!"

"We already are, get used to it!"

Novak sprinted after the mad Dreadnought, seeing only Ajax's reactor taking up the bulk of the tunnel. The passage descended, then burst into a wide cavern, another of the natural fault lines buried deep in the glacier. As he entered a wave of moisture ran down his throat, pulled from the wet air. The cavern's bottom was dominated by a pool of liquid water, heated by hot rocks that lined the floor. A geothermal vent was melting the ice, leaving open water in a world of frozen wastes. It came up to Novak's knees and sprays of water rose high with every step as he waded deep.

The Grey Knights were waiting for them, spread out in a line. Hypras stood in the middle, his staff crackling with lightning. Agriff hefted his hammer, promising destruction with every swing. Mordad's greatsword was sheathed in psychic flames, Galhuan's halberd glowed with power and Pelleus' swords shimmered, as if vibrating too fast to see. Hypras looked upon the closing Storm Heralds and snarled, "Faithless Traitors! You have raised your hands against the Sons of Titan. For this your Chapters shall be declared Excommunicate Traitoris, but first I shall take great pleasure in killing you all."

"Let's see how you manage that with no powers!" Novak yelled as his thumb hit the rune of the limiter. Arvael snarled in anguish as Micah's null-aura was let slip and Novak felt a cold rush sweep over him. The Grey Knights however were castrated. Lightning died, flames evaporated and blurring swords became merely steel. They were blocked, their powers denied, leaving them no more than five Space Marines.

"They brought a null!" Hypras snarled in pain.

"Damned right we did," Novak spat, "Now we fight as equals!"

Even without their powers the Grey Knights remained Transhuman and fearless to boot. They levelled their weapons and charged, weapons ready. Water fountained high as they tore through the pool, angling to meet the Storm Heralds blade to blade. Novak accepted the challenge, lifting his sword and half-shield to intercept. His steps were slowed by surging waves, but he pressed on, trusting inertia to keep him moving.

He found himself confronted by Galhuan, the one with the polearm. He wielded it like a spear, thrusting the point for Novak's heart. The champion swung left, letting the tip pass over his shoulder without making contact as he slashed his blade laterally in a disembowelling stroke. To his surprise Galhuan blocked the move, swinging the haft of his weapon down to knock the blade away. Novak reacted instantly, lashing his shield high to hammer at the silver helm. Sadly he had forgotten his shield was only half-intact, his reflexes not yet compensating for the loss. The truncated edge merely clipped the top of the helm, making a ringing noise but doing no further damage.

Galhuan pivoted, splashing water wide as he tried to bring the blade atop his weapon into Novak's bicep. Novak saw the move coming and managed to get his sword up, deflecting the weapon high. Amazingly Galhuan compensated, twisting the polearm over to turn a deflected blow into a high slice. The lethally wicked edge caught Novak's pauldron and took a slice out of the golden ablative overlayer, leaving a vicious groove.

Novak fell back, wet splashes painting the back of his legs up to his arse. He hastily revised his opinion of Galhuan's skill; this one was superlative in combat. His style was flawless and his forms perfect. In a few exchanged blows Novak had seen him adapt and innovate, not only experienced but able to think beyond constrictive teachings, able to improvise and invent moves in combat.

"You're good," Novak begrudgingly admitted.

"You should see me with my powers," Galhuan hissed, "In a fair fight I'd eviscerate you."

"I won't fight fair then," Novak muttered as he kicked his leg up.

In the second of respite he had dug his armoured toe into the floor and when he brought it up a spray of hot rocks and boiling water came with it. Galhuan was caught full in the face by the shower of debris, his sight blocked for a key moment. Novak was on him in an instant, sword thrusting for his hearts. Galhuan could have died then, but he reacted on instinct, blindly swinging his polearm across his front. Novak's blade was knocked askew, merely carving a deep groove into the flank of his foe. Galhuan was sent staggering back, blind and disabled, granting a Novak a moment of advantage.

He pressed forward, determined to end this, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the others engaged. Their individual battles were as fast and furious as his own, the noise of combat filling the cavern with deafening noise and roaring violence enough to make strong men cower. Pelleus was battling Ajax, the swordsman was no match for a Dreadnought in strength, so relied on speed alone. He ducked and weaved, spun and dodged, never in a position to be struck as his sword scored over armour. That great wrecking ball fist swung in immense arcs, making the air whistle but never making contact. One strike could end this, but it never happened, leaving them stalemated. Ajax chased him with fury in hand, roaring, "UNDYING! YOU SHALL KNOW DEATH AT LAST!"

Geryon was engaged with Agriff, photonic axe meeting Nemesis hammer in a clanging exchange that rang like blacksmith hammers. Their armour was cracked and smoking, their blows battering each other into submission. Little skill was evident but sheer stubbornness kept them on their feet. Two pugilists wailing on each other, until one or the other fell over. Meanwhile Mordad was battling Cortha, Crozius against greatsword, their duel one of grim resolve and merciless strikes. Cortha was bleeding from scores of wounds, his plate rent in many places. In return Dread-hand fell as piledriver, battering the Grey Knight into submission. Every touch pained the Psyker, the cold aura freezing his soul and robbing his strength. Neither could find the fatal strike, but neither was willing to fall either.

Further out Arvael grappled with Hypras. Their weapons were inert, so long as the null-aura persisted, so they wrestled hand to hand. Arvael tackled the senior psyker about the waist, bowling him over. They hit the water and it flowed over his face, but Hypras was not daunted. His fist slammed into the side of Arvael's head and then Hypas surged up, rolling hard. Now it was Hypras on top, fists pounding Arvael mercilessly. The younger Librarian responded by grabbing the gorget and heaving down, bringing his skull into Hypras' face, shattering his nose.

Novak's glimpse lasted a moment, then he was on Galhuan. He angled his sword for the back of the spine, aiming to end this fight in one blow. He hadn't asked for this fight, he didn't want it, but once blood was drawn he would not hesitate to kill. Sadly Galhuan had other ideas. As Novak closed the halberd speared backwards, razor-sharp blade thrusting for his ribcage. Novak reflexively brought his left arm about to block, but once more was foiled by the broken shield, its shorn length not quite enough to stop the blow. The blade kissed his side and pain surged in his ribs as blood flowed.

Novak threw himself aside and clamped his arm over the wound. It hurt like hell but he ignored that as he snarled, "One blow, that's all you get."

"We'll see about that," Galhuan barked as his arm came up, storm bolter looming on his wrist.

He didn't aim it at Novak, that was the curious thing, he held it away from his body, aiming off into the distance where the servitor-mule lurked. Novak saw the intent too late and threw himself forward, trying to stop the shot. He was too slow, the water slowed his motions and he could not prevent a pair of shells firing, slamming into the bulky machine and knocking over its precious cargo. Micah, the pariah, the only thing keeping the Grey Knight's powers at bay.

A scream rang out, but Novak had no time to worry if the Pariah yet lived. He flung himself at Galhuan, sword a smear of light. Galhuan was forced to grab his polearm with both hands to defend himself, moving to block and deny. Novak felt the first parry ring up his arm and followed with a low cut, then a high strike, which he converted to a diagonal slice across a pauldron. Every blow was blocked but Novak pressed on, arm moving as fast as he had ever struck. Desperately he thrust forward, intent on keeping Galhuan engaged. He couldn't let the Grey Knight get off another shot, it may be too late already, Micah could be bleeding out right now, but Novak could not spare a moment to check. All he could do was attack, trusting the null aura would last long enough to win through.

He struck with all his speed and skill, he struck for the desperate chance of ending this fight and he struck to save his Brothers. His hearts ached that it had to be so, they should be friends with these warriors but the time for such thoughts was over. All that remained was to fight and kill, mercy and reason were ashes and everything had fallen to ruin.

Galhuan fought back to the utmost of his ability. A display of skill that would have left men dazzled. He was good, damned good, but his fighting style was honed to fight Daemons, rare had been the occasions when he met an Astartes blade to blade. Novak had fought Traitor Marines and rival Astartes, he had fought his own order in civil war and killed Transhumans by the score. He knew intimately the play of blades between warring Astartes and when the opening came he saw it instantly.

Galhuan's left arm drifted ever so slightly out of line. It was a small thing, such a tiny mistake. Only one who had years of experience battling Space Marines would see the flaw but Novak did and his reaction was blinding. His blade flew free, slamming into the polearm's haft and knocking it out of line. Instantly he was spinning about, pivoting around the locked weapons to appear on the exposed flank. Water slowed him not, neither did doubt or mercy. He slammed into Galhuan's side and then his sword plunged under the pauldron into the armpit, sinking deep, shearing through muscle and bone to bisect both hearts.

Galhuan froze, his life cut short. A gasp of disbelief escaped his lips, then his weapon fell from dying fingers, hitting the water with a loud splash. Weakness pulled him down, knees buckling as life fled. Novak pulled his sword free, letting the Grey Knight fall face-first into the pool where thick Transhuman blood oozed, tainting pure liquid the red of spilled vitae.

Novak's shock rang through him. He had killed a fellow Space Marine. Not a vile traitor, not a misguided rival or follower of a deviant creed. This one had been loyal and true and Novak had killed him. Denial threatened to unman him, but he pushed it aside as he lifted his blade and prepared to do it again. Grief could come later, for now there was a battle to win.