Tales of the Amber Vipers Chapter 303

"Where are they?" Coluber mused.

"Don't ask me," Ferrac retorted, "I've been here the whole time."

"Any word from our Brothers as to where they've got to?"

"I haven't checked," Ferrac sniffed.

Coluber grimaced, "Remind me, why did I bring you along?"

"For my charming ways," Ferrac scoffed.

Coluber rolled his eyes in annoyance. Once more he sat in his audience hall, awaiting the arrival of his guests. This was the appointed hour, but none had arrived. Coluber found that vexing, the negotiations were at a critical phase, surely they would not be laggard. This had to be some macabre diplomatic strategy, one the claimants had cooked up between them. What it was supposed to achieve eluded him, whatever game they were playing served only to piss him off.

Coluber leaned back in his throne, armour purring with his motions, "Did Shrios send any word about the… mishap?"

Ferrac lowered his voice even though they were alone, "He's burned the evidence, there should be no trace of it anywhere."

"And the missing specimen?"

"Reddam's on the hunt," was all Ferrac could tell.

"Let us trust he can keep a lid on this, the last thing we need is everyone finding out what we've been doing."

A hint of motion at the door revealed the Brother-Exemplars, waving in the first visitors. Coluber was surprised to see the Ordo Xenos envoy arrive first, Varrel, entering with a sly grin on his lips. One step behind came Daggon, the Soul Drinker. Coluber's skin crawled at the sight of those colours, his loathing deep and abiding. Daggon's expression was grim, but knowing. The look in his eye hinted at forbidden knowledge and oncoming destruction. Despite all Coluber's efforts he still did not know what purpose the Soul Drinker hid behind that glower, but his mere presence was an accusation.

Varrel approached the throne, "Coluber, I trust you are well?"

"Apart from being kept waiting," Coluber retorted.

"Ah yes, that," Varrel grinned, "I had business to attend to."

"More pressing than this?"

"I have many calls upon my attention," Varrel grinned.

"Enough banter," Daggon growled, "Let us get on with this."

Coluber turned his eyes to the Chaplain and said, "You seem displeased to be here."

"My Brothers wage war, while you make chitchat. This should have been over in a day."

Coluber didn't buy that and retorted, "How curt your dismissal is, do you not enjoy my hospitality?"

"Frivolity has no place in the life of an Astartes. You may drink and brawl, but I have the Emperor's work to do."

Ferrac muttered, "I forgot how Chaplains suck the joy out of every situation."

Daggon turned his eyes to the Battle-Captain, "I have noted your lack of spiritual guidance, Amber Viper. You are slovenly and weak, lacking in martial zeal."

"You're welcome to test my zeal any time you like," Ferrac growled as a hand brushed his axe-rake.

Coluber cut him off, "I do not want you brawling with our guests, we had enough of that…"

He trailed off as more guests arrived. Past the Brother-Exemplars strode Ryneon, with Auriga and Toran in tow. Their joint arrival startled Coluber, for they moved as one. Had they expanded their alliance to include the Storm Heralds, he mused, but then where were the envoys? Posix was nowhere to be seen, and neither were Castabore, or Velpecula. This was most disturbing, something was very wrong.

"Greetings…" Coluber called.

"Save it," Ryneon spat, "We are here to make account for your crimes!"

Ferrac's voice rang loud, "Do not dare to accuse us of perfidy in our own house!"

"Accusations are for those whose guilt is yet to be determined," Ryneon growled, "Your treachery is beyond doubt!"

Varrel cut in, "What is this?! Do you enjoin in an alliance against me?!"

"You are of no consequence anymore," Ryneon hissed.

"You dare disparage the Ordo Xenos!" Varrel spat, "You shall not claim the STC with insults!"

"Forget the STC's," Ryneon spat, "This is bigger than them."

Coluber was vexed, "You are making no sense! What crimes do you think we have committed, where are the envoys?!"

Toran chimed in, "Posix is safe, Castabore tinkers with the Machine Spirits but Velpecula lies dead."

Coluber was stunned, "Dead, where… how?!"

Auriga answered, "She was slain in the bowels of your den, her throat torn out by a rabid beast. We have found proof of genic deviancy among the Amber Vipers, a mutant was by her side, a foul perversion of the blessed gene-seed!"

Coluber hearts sank, Shrios' missing specimen, the Inquisitor had found it. These warriors had uncovered it, that they assumed it was an Amber Viper was no comfort. Of all the dire events that could had fouled this day, that had to rank among the worst. What of the Aberrants, the chill thought arose, did they know about the defective Space Marines populating his ranks? Even if they did not he could hardly claim not to know of mutation in their Chapter. All they would have to do is demand an Aberrant remove his helmet and they would see the truth.

Ryneon sneered, "Your silence is confession enough. The Vipers harbour mutants, they have defiled the genic purity of the human form. Their mercenary ways are well-known but the depths of their treachery demand punishment!"

"Don't dare to threaten us," Ferrac growled, "We have you outnumbered."

"We have seen your pathetic excuses for Astartes, they do not give us pause."

Varrel looked up at the throne, "Do you deny these charges?"

Coluber knew there was no point, "I do not. The Amber Vipers rebuilt from nothing, and there were troubles in our early attempts at implantation. The gene-seed was mostly effective, but a fraction skewed out of control. We could not afford to put them down, we needed every hand that could hold a bolter. We allowed them to live, but forbade their gene-lines to continue. They were a temporary measure, a compromise made to achieve greater ends. Once we had sufficient numbers, the practice would have been forbidden."

"Compromise," Ryneon hissed, "Everything I see in this midden is a compromise. You have forsaken your honour, you have defiled the doctrines and pride of the Adeptus Astartes. You have even broken the parley!"

"We didn't kill Velpecula," Ferrac hissed.

"Then you allowed her to die and are guilty of negligence, either way you shall pay for this affront!"

Coluber looked to Toran, "Cousin, you saw my vision of the future, you know we do not revel in these deeds. Surely you can see they were necessary steps, on the path to something greater?"

"Do not speak to me of greatness," Toran hissed, "You have made too many compromises, taken too many steps from the course of righteousness. You and your ilk offend the Golden Throne with your misbegotten ways. I regret ever treating with you, I should have gunned you all down the day we first met!"

"Nobody threatens Coluber in front of me," Ferrac snarled.

"Draw steel and you die," Ryneon retorted, "I am not here to spill blood, but to demand recompense. We give you one chance to make good your errors: return the relics of our Chapters at once!"

Coluber blinked, "What?!"

"Did you think we would not know?" Ryneon spat, "You took the relics of the Howling Griffons from Athelling. Armour, weapons and vehicles. Rhinos, Land Speeders, tanks and other precious items. You were fools to think we would not come for them, to assume the Howling Griffons would forget, or forgive."

"You lost them, we found them, end of discussion," Ferrac snapped.

"You do not even feel shame for your crimes," Toran spat in disgust.

Coluber gulped as events span out of control, "Surely you cannot mean to deny Victor's Rights."

"This is no case of claiming a trophy won in battle," Auriga snapped, "You have taken what is not yours to claim. Offended the honour of our Chapters. You will give us what the traditions of the Astartes demand returned. This is the first step in recovering your honour."

"I never took anything off the Blood Ravens," Coluber protested.

But then Varrel cut in, "This is a farce!"

Everyone blinked at the sudden interruption and all eyes slid to the Inquisitor. Coluber had no idea what the Ordo Xenos envoy thought he was doing, and by the looks of it Daggon didn't either. The Soul Drinker betrayed shock at the outburst, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Whatever game the Inquisitor was playing, it hadn't been discussed between them.

Ryneon faced him, "You refute the Viper's crimes?"

"I do not argue a whit with the facts, I simply do not care to judge them," Varrel replied.

Daggon looked irate, "What are you doing?!"

"What must be done," Varrel replied, "The Ordo Xenos is no stranger to harsh choices and questionable deeds. Well I am aware that loyalty to the Golden Throne demands a man set aside his own morality, in service of a greater cause. Whatever my feelings as a man, as an Inquisitor I must respect the outcome. Coluber has built a Chapter out of scraps of gene-seed and purloined guns. Victory requires no explanation, defeat allows none."

Auriga glared fiercely, "I see your game, you think if you side with Coluber he will reward you with the STC's."

Daggon growled, "You set aside honour to achieve your goal. You break the bonds of your office to acquire power. How like an Inquisitor."

Varrel replied calmly "The lines are drawn and as my sworn protector you must stand with me. Too late to quibble."

Ryneon looked disgusted, "Petty ambitions will not spare you. By my word this conclave is ended. The Howling Griffons, Storm Heralds and Blood Ravens judge these Vipers guilty of offences against the Emperor and our Chapters. We demand recompense! The relics you have taken shall be returned to us within the hour, or you shall face our wrath!"

Coluber's head swam with the speed events had slipped out of control, "Surely you cannot mean to wage war upon another Chapter."

"One hour, give us what is ours, or we shall take it by force," Ryneon spat as he spun on his heel and marched out.

"Toran, surely you do not agree with this madness?!" Coluber implored.

But the Storm Herald's face was dark, "I shall heed your lies no more."

The Captain stormed out, followed by the Librarian. That left Coluber and Ferrac, along with their unlikely allies Daggon and Varrel. Two souls Coluber wouldn't trust as far as he could throw a Banblade, but ones cruel fate had placed at his side. The Conclave had crumbled upon his head, along with all the dreams he had built upon it. Respect, glory and honour, all slipped from his hands leaving him with the desperate truth that their survival was now in jeopardy. Coluber could scarce imagine how things could have gone more wrong.

"That was lively," Varrel quipped.

"Save us your smugness," Daggon growled, "You have placed us on the wrong side of a losing war."

"Speaking of which, what are we going to do?!" Ferrac blurted.

"The only thing we can do," Coluber lamented, "Summons Primus, Secundus and Tertius, arm our squads, and our Chattels too, and tell them to prepare for battle. War has come to the Serpens Rex and we have no choice save to wage it."