Chapter 7.6
In the armour fitting room of the Red Talon, which they had transferred to earlier that day, a squad of Iron Warriors assembled...
"New to the squad eh?" Corporal Maràad said to the fresh faced warrior beside him
"Yes! But proud to serve the emperor and our Primarch. I'll purge the traitors today if I can" Said the yong warrior. Astor's newest addition to the squad, besides him.
"Want a piece of advice? Do whatever they tell you to do today. The legion is in a foul mood and won't tolerate questions or disobedience, even if you mean well" Maraad offered.
"Yes. Sergeant Astor has been clear about that. The whole squad was made to do it" The young warrior took off his helmet and pointed to his black eyes and broken nose.
The rage in Maraad was almost overwhelming. "If he does that again, come to me first. He hates me anyway so it'll make no matter. After this operation, things will change I think"
"Thanks" said the young warrior, a genuine tone of gratefulness in his voice
"What's your name?" asked Maraad
"Grandon"
"Maraad"
They clasped arms.
"Attention! Sergeant on deck" came a sharp voice.
"We have been given new orders from our Primarch" Sergeant astor said proudly and put down a dataslate for all of them to see on the floor.
A hologram appeared from a projector on the dataslate and it formed into the image of Perturabo.
"My sons. We have been lied to. By the Sigillite, by our fellow Primarchs, by our own Emperor. It was never to enlighten humanity or free it. It was to make him a god in all but name and be cast aside when we were no longer of use. Horus was almost killed by his own allies when he discovered this truth and we have been sent to finish the job they started under lies. The brothers you are to serve with are too loyal to see the truth. We have been used like dogs for centuries and are now betrayed. Put them out of their misery. It will be the kind thing to do lest they be used to prop up a liar and tyrant" said the hologram in Perturabo's voice.
Afterwards Maraad and Grandal stood in shock.
"Do you wish to redeem yourself for the Primarch and the Legion, Maraad?" Astor asked. The door shut and bolters were trained on them.
Maraad,although feeling utterly furious and hurt, he managed through sheer will to not allow this to reach his face and kept a mask on his features somehow. To his sorrow he knew what to do then, otherwise he would be dead and he would be unable to help and warn the loyalists.
"Yes. For too long we have been spat on and ignored. If the Warmaster would see an end to this, so goes my support!" Maraad said wearily
In his mind though he was singing a different ballad.
*My Primarch has finally lost his mind. I cannot follow him in this. I will take his head along with Horus's*
"I will purge the blind dogs like he asks. I am a loyal Iron Warrior" that last part was true at least...
His mind raged on inside his head *I am no longer an Iron Warrior. I must warn the other squads but I will feign along for now. Emperor forgive me it is the only way to serve you and mankind*
"Then join with Horus to make a better way for our legion and mankind" Astor said
*You deluded fools, Horus as I knew him would've openly took on the emperor himself instead of this cowardly hiding then betraying our brothers behind their backs. Is this why Perturabo punched me, as he knew I would not go along? And if Horus wished to treat us better, he could not sent us to half the hells he sent us to. He's using you my primarch and you've damned us all with this*
"For Horus, the Warmaster and Mankind" Maraad instead replied in a celar voice. Though he thought*for the emperor and mankind*
They turned to a horrified Grandal
"No you cant? This is wrong We're the emperor's servants above all! I wont betray my oath, not even for the legion!" he exclaimed with shock across his young face
All of the squad's guns besides maraad (who did not have one also) wheeled on him.
"Do it or die whelp i care not" Astor barked
"Then at least i dont die a turncoat..." He looked at Maraad with contempt and hate. Maraad didnt blame him. But he had to have an ally in this otherwise he would fail. Grandon spat at the rest of them and held his head high like a man who meets his execution.
"Fine then. Kill him" Astor ordered
"WAIT!" Maraad cried suddenly
Astor whirled on him "YOU were on thin fucking ice already, Maraad and now you defend this traitor to the legion?" Astor asked in fury.
"No. I mean let me talk to him first. If I can't talk him round, like the Primarch said, put him down. it will be the kind thing to do compared to what Horus will do to him after all" Maraad pleaded
He turned to the young warrior and grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to the wall.
"Listen to me, you little shit, you will do as the Primarch asks!" *Maraad Winked and mouthed "play along" when he was pulling him towards Maraad* "Whatever sympathies you might have had for your former brothers, that is gone now. Our Primarch would not lie about such a thing. It is the only path open to survival for you now so take it. For the Warmaster! Agreed?"
Again he winked.
After a terrible pause Grandon understood.
"Agreed. For the Warmaster" he managed
Good " Maraad pulled him close to embrace him like a brother and said quietly in his ear "I'll get us out Follow my lead"
Grandon whispered in his ear "For the emperor"
"For the Warmaster!" Grandon said loudly after they escaped the embrace.
As they shuddered and fell towards the planets surface in the drop pod, Maraad felt tense. He knew him and Regular Grandon would have to make their move soon once on the planet. It was the only hope of alerting the loyalists to the Iron Warriors treachery. The actual treachery plan was to take the demolition charges they had been given to blow up the relay station (each iron warrior had training in them from before they were even issued with a bolter) and use it in an ambush to kill the surviving loyalists at the rally point. After all, why risk warrior lives and bolter ammunition when a bomb would do? No chance of escape unlike a firefight and if there were any still breathing they could easily be mopped up while they were writhing on the floor. Efficient use of resources.
"Right we all know the plan?, Fracking well better be. The Primarch doesn't give orders twice and neither do I." Astor asked
"How are the base troops going to know that were on our side?" Maraad asked
Astor bumped open a small compartment in the drop pod and took out a piece of parchment. "With this. Code frequencies for the base comms. This is why we serve the Warmaster. This stuff was planned out long before we even set off from Terra. How else do you think the loyal dogs didn't get suspicious?"
"This is Sergeant Astor of the Iron Warriors. Perturabo sends Warmaster Horus and your respected Primarchs his regards and sends aid from us. Who is in command here?"
"Haha nice try Loyalist dogs. I don't know how you found our comms channel, but you can frag off right now and.." a terse reply came back out
"Allow me to prove my loyalty now. If you would look up from whatever it is you are doing, you will notice three drop pods and a Thunderhawk gunship approaching. I can give firing coordinates and drop site positions of those deemed ... expendable for their blind loyalty to the emperor"
"Very well. Provide me with them and I'll cooperate. I assume you want us to only fire on those and not yours?"
"Of course. We're laying s trap at your entrance for any you don't shoot down. All we ask is you don't shoot at us. Transmitting coordinates now..."
Maraad felt his gut tense. Regular Grandon had looked at his boots the entire time. He and Maraad had managed a quick chat before landing in private after he asked him to help get extra chargers from the main ships armoury.
"Are you loyal then?" Grandon quietly asked after they checked they were alone
"Keep your fracking voice down, of course I'm loyal. But we need to go along with it before we can expose it. I don't know how deep this goes or any other legions are involved. No one will believe is if we come forward now. We need proof" Maraad angrily replied
"Hang on a moment. My father, well, my real one, gave me this before I was shipped out to join the recruits. A miniature Vox Thief. Records voices so I'd remember bits in training. Memory was always my weakest area. He got dismissed from the Olympia PDF forces because he kept forgetting military passwords so he didn't want me to deserve the same fate. He built me it when I was born and was going to give it to me when I came of age" revealed Grandon
"Fracking brilliant. Did you get the meeting?" Maraad asked, mightily pleased by this news.
"No, I don't bring it to briefings. Just in case I'd lose it and if the enemy or my brothers found it, recorded tactical briefings. I feared I'd be shot if that happened. Wish I did bring it now…" admitted Grandon.
"We'll bring it on the mission. We'll catch them all talking treachery and have our proof. The second we drop, turn it on. Put it in your magazine pouch to hide it though"
"Good idea!" Grandon had paused then, but asked with obvious resolve "Maraad, why did you even get transferred to this squad?"
"Perturabo didn't like that I gave honest answers that displeased him. He used to value that trait in his men but he is changed. Ever since Olympia..." Maraad said, mournfully
Maraad broke out of his reverie as they hit the ground. He needed to be sharp or he would die and this would have all been for nothing. *For the Emperor* he thought and climbed out the drop pod.
"Right since someone needs to set up charges. I'll volunteer?" Maraad suggested as they clambered out the pod
"Why? That's my duty!" Private Blaine, one of Astor's toadies enquired.
"Because I'll do it right. I may be demoted, but I know my way round a demolition charge better than all of you put together" Maraad snarled. He really hated this ruse and couldn't keep his mouth shut damn it.
Astor looked to spit blood but he knew Maraad was right. He wasn't going to show it though.
"Fine. Knock yourself out. I'm checking it though in case you frack it up like you did your command"
The troopers laughed at Maraad but he ignored them. It wouldn't matter in a few moments. He hoped Regular Grandon was able to play his part or they'd be dead meat or worse. He looked at Regular Grandon and he nodded at Maraad. He hoped no one saw that...
As he went down to the meetup point by the main gate, he looked behind him. There was no one there it seemed, just rocks. So he took a deep breath and turned the comms unit on in his helmet.
"To all forces. This is Corporal Maraad of the Iron Warriors. WE ARE BETRAYED. Astor is..."
He was suddenly cut off by a smash to the head from behind.
His head span and a harsh voice said "I fracking knew all along. I just needed proof!"
Astor and the men were looking down at him.
"Drag him up! I swore that he'd be returned ready to serve in combat, with or without loyalty. But Forrix said nothing about whether he'd be able to speak or not!" Astor commanded
Two men grabbed him, Astor was holding his combat knife. "When I cut your tongue out, you'll be unable to speak and be unable to be put on command duty regardless. Therefore you'll be in my squad to torture for all time!" He roared with laughter and before they could pry open his mouth, Maraad shouted" Now Grandon!"
Private Grandon shot Astor in the back screaming "FROM IRON COMETH STRENGTH", then shot Blaine in the head as he was holding Maraad to the left screaming "FROM STRENGTH COMETH WILL" Unfortunately Astor had recovered and blew his head off.
Fortunately Maraad had already moved and grabbed the shocked trooper to his left's Powersword and whilst revving it, jammed into the trooper's neck. Blood gushing across his face, he whirled around to face Astor only to have a bolter pointed at his head.
"I'd tell you to drop it, but we both know you won't. I'll bring your head to the Primarch, Forrix can go frack himself!" snarled Astor
"Why? Tell me why at least before you kill me?" demanded Maraad
"Power. I couldn't give a damn who I serve and Horus won't give a shit about us like the Emperor before him. But a man like me is celebrated in this new regime, not despised. I've more in common with these traitors than I ever did at the fracking Crucible. I could go far! But as for promotion, well it'll be a bloody affair if I heard right, on Istvaan 5. They'll be a spot open after the casualties roll in. You made it hard for me today, but I'll get my reward!" answered Astor with relish
"By the Emperor, you will die screaming" Maraad growled
"No. Actually, that's you. Goodbye Maraad. Enjoy death" Astor gloated and went to pull the trigger…
BANG
Maraad blinked, looked at the lack of holes in his chest, then whirled around in shock. He was not dead, how?
Two blood angels stood near them beside the rocks, one of them had a bolter gun smoking in his hand.
"Hope he enjoyed his death" Sergeant Danvers said. "Heard most of the exchange before we decided to make ourselves known. Now drop your blade, slowly!" Holding his smoking bolter dead on Maraad. Maraad released it and it clanged to the ground.
"Good. Now what on Sanguinius left hip is going on? Speak quickly!" demanded Sergeant Danvers
"It'd be easier to let the vox thief speak for me" answered Maraad
"The vox thief?" Decius asked sharply
"Yes. A Vox Thief" Maraad replied coolly
"Where did you get one of those? They're rare these days.." Decius exclaimed
"Its a long story. This brave Regular recorded the entire conversation with Astor admitting his treachery here". He had tears in his eyes but got on with his task.
He slowly reached down, Maraad's hands clearly visible, towards Grandon and grabbed it out his ammo pouch. He slid it across the ground towards the Sergeant.
"Here. Play it all" Maraad said wearily
Just then a voice called out from above on the ramparts.
"Iron warriors? Did you manage to kill those Emperor loving fools yet? Or do you need help with even that t.. ALARM! FIRE ON THEM!" A World Eaters Sergeant, looking down from the walls, yelled in surprise.
"Throne of Terra, MOVE! All of you! Find cover!" Maraad shouted.
As they did, he grabbed the vox recorder and a bolter from Regular Grandon's hands. *I'll bring justice for you brother. The emperor shall know your name*
"Kill them! Blood for the Warmaster!" roared the World Eaters Sergeant, high above.
Fire rained down from above and they ran towards the rocks below. They scrambled under cover of them but were pinned down.
"Where do we go?" Decius asked as he fired off a couple of rounds and took a world eater out on the ramparts
"We've got to link up with the others and find the drop pods. Ours has an emergency beacon. The forces are too strong to take this fortress by ourselves" shouted Sergeant Danvers whilst unleashing bolter fire against the walls
"Didn't you have a full squad?" Maraad asked as he reloaded his bolter.
"We were ambushed at the landing site. Only me and Sergeant Danvers survived thanks to the others sacrificing themselves." Decius
It was a story they had concocted before going to the rendezvous point. "The best lies have a hint of truth to them. We were ambushed and overcome by a force, whichever we tell them it was" Decius suggested unexpectedly. Danvers had to agree. The Primarch himself had forbidden anyone to speak of it but Decius had to be told, he had no choice, hopefully Sanguinius would understand. He and Decius wouldn't tell anyone else though, especially outside the legion.
"We cant take much more of this. I'm on my last magazine! Maraad said
Just then a seven-man squad of World Eater Terminators jetpacked over the wall and were heading straight for them in the air. Decius struck one of them with his bolter and his pack exploded mid jump and Danvers got a fatal hit on one with his chainsword as he landed, but they were still outnumbered.
Maraad retreated behind a rock with Danvers whilst Decius grappled with the leader blade to blade. He managed to get a left hook on Decius and he stumbled. " Get out of there Decius!"
Danvers shouted but it was too late. Decius was shot in the leg by a bolter round and went down. Danvers roared and unloaded onto the assaulting marine but had to stay down as the other four retaliated with a swarm of fire. Maraad fired off his last ammo clip into one but then drew his Powersword and primed the demolition charge Astor had forgotten to take off him. If this was to be it he would go taking the traitors with them. He started to commend his soul to the emperor..
Suddenly more bolter fire came from nowhere and two world eaters were cut down. The one who tried to kill Decius was beheaded by an Ultramarine wielding a chainsword. The sergeant turned his bolter on Maraad but Danvers stepped in front of him "He's loyal trust me. He gave the warning over the vox and helped saved us from dying to an Iron Warrior ambush"
"If you say so. I'll kill him if he tries anything funny though" Sergeant Gaius said coolly
KABOOM
An explosion not far from their position erupted
"Get up brothers. We need to get out of here NOW, they've got a Predator tank!" Uther shouted
As if to confirm his words, an explosion happened twenty metres from them. " Tank On the hill. Retreat to cover. We'll be slaughtered" the sergeant barked
"We have no cover?" Maraad retorted
"Retreat to the Ultramarines drop pod back there about 500 meters. We can signal for extraction there!" Apothecary Turalyon suggested above the noise
"FINE. RUN" Gaius bellowed
As they all ran an explosion erupted where they had been just standing. The apothecary went flying to the ground. "RUN" he shouted
Maraad grabbed him up and the apothecary nodded his thanks.
He dropped his demolition charge. "Nasty surprise for the tank eh?" Maraad grinned at the others as he ran.
Decius grinned for the first time all day.
"RUUUNNN!" Danvers shouted
A tank shell flew over their heads and detonated at a cliff face three hundred feet from them, but none of them looked long as the remainder of the traitors fired at them from the comms station walls.
They ran. They ran like lions chasing a gazelle. Guns fired from both the comms station walls and the fleeing loyalists. Sergeants Gaius's shoulder was hit, Uther turned to help him mid stride but Gaius yelled "A flesh wound! Run you stupid bast.."
Boom
The drop pod they were running to was destroyed by tank fire
"Where now?" Decius asked
Looking around Danvers spotted something in the cliff face. No tank could get in there…
"Into that cave along the cliff's edge, hurry!" Sergeant Danvers commanded, pointing to the cave.
Looking back, Maraad saw where the tank was moving. *perfect*
"Hang on one second." Maraad said, pressed the detonator and there was an explosion. It didn't blow the tank completely up, but it had destroyed the treads and the cannon. Only its machine gun fired at them now but it crackled against their armour.
Unfortunately, the Comms Station guns still worked and were lobbing shells at them
"Into the cave!" Sergeant Ultra ordered
As they dived in the cave, a small missile shot out from the gun emplacements and Sergeant Gaius shouted Look out!"
But somehow Decius managed to hit it with his bolter shells and it exploded above the entrance. This unfortunately caused a cave-in of the entrance and they were trapped inside.
"Damn good shot brother" Uther clapped Decius on the back. Decius grinned.
Sergeant Danvers added "He's got a long way to go in other matters, but his combat skills are brilliant i will give him that"
Decius chuckled "From you sir, ill take that as a compliment"
"You should. That's twice you've saved this old salts neck today!" Danvers grinned
Decius oddly looked guilty but shook himself to go out into a grin again to Uther.
Uther decided to ignore it, but something was suspicious and he couldn't let it go.
"Your Sergeant ok brother?" Maraad asked
He had almost forgot the wounds Gaius had taken in the madness of the dash to the cave. "Good point. I'll go check"
"Sergeant Gaius? Are you ok?" Uther asked
"Ill be fine. As usual Apothecary Turalyon has patched me up"
"The bandages have stopped the bleeding and it'll hold for now, but we need to get you to the infirmary to be sure. They have poisoned their boltshells and bullets with something and its slowing your healing" Apothecary Turalyon warned
"Ah stop worrying old friend. It'll take more than a flesh wound to kill me. Good work still as always Turalyon" Sergeant Gaius said with humour
"Thanks sir. Always a pleasure" Apothecary Turalyon said gratefully.
"Alright, dangers over. We have a rare breather. What's the plan now boys?" Danvers shouted
The chamber was lit by an emergency flare and helmet torches. They all gathered by the flare, even sergeant ultra who winced at his shoulder plate being reattached.
"Right first things first. How in Baal's backside did this shitshow happen? I've still yet to hear the full story from you?" Sergeant Danvers pointed at Maraad
"We've yet to hear any of it! How many are in on this? Entire legions or just fractions? Also how is it you're conveniently alive and not slain like they're trying to do to us?"
Sergeant Gaius demanded at Maraad
Maraad's temper finally snapped.
"ENOUGH! IVE HAD A LONG SHITTY DAY, SEEN MY PRIMARCH AND BROTHERS TURN TRAITOR AND IVE SEEN FRIENDS DIE!"
He breathed. "I will answer your questions. I owe you all an explanation. We've only got so long before they break through this cave so it'll have to be without questions till after"
"Start then. ALL OF IT! Not a single omission" Sergeant Gaius growled
"Very well. It all began with me getting punched by Perturabo.." Maraad began.
After that he went through the entire thing, playing the vox thief and having Sergeant Danvers and Decius back him up for the end.
"Shit! If we don't get word to the fleet, they're going to be going into a trap!" said Apothecary Turalyon
"We'd have to get out this cave and seize control of the Comms bunker. If the Iron warriors have gone over so must have others" Danvers said
"Ferrus wouldn't turn though, he was furious at Fulgrim for doing so. If we contact him we can warn them?" Piped up Decius, who remembered the rumours about Ferrus's fits of rage on the fleet.
"True. Neither would Vulkan. I served alongside the Salamanders when I was a Private. They would never. But I would've said the same for The Emperor's Children once" Sergeant Gaius said.
"Nevertheless we must make contact with the fleet. Otherwise we shall die on this rock" Maraad said
"Two of us could scout down the other end of the cave whilst we fortify this position" Decius offered
"True. You go Uther. You decius is it? You go with him. This will be a tedious preparing of defence and you both have quick reflexes to deal with unexpected encounters along the cave. I don't intend to get taken by surprise again. Maybe there's a way out or hole in the rock we can blow away with our grenades" Sergeant Gaius said
Maraad helped set up the defence, setting up walls of rocks and creating ambush points with grenades put under particular points in order to collapse sections on the attackers. Iron warriors were masters of siege breaking, so knew how to make a hellish holding position to attack.
As they walked down the cave, it became clear it was very long and had once been inhabited, though not for many centuries.
"Why did you look guilty when your sergeant praised you? I didn't want to make a scene but he's not here now. Its ok you can tell me, just us lowly privates here!" Uther spoke up using the old joke. He simply could not let it go.
"Really? That joke's older than Sanguinius" said Decius jokingly
"That joke usually goes down well in the Ultramarines. We're a traditional lot I suppose" admitted Uther
Decius's face turned serious "I don't want to talk about it. It's nothing. I'm just wondering what we could've done better is all" he said with gritted teeth.
Something clicked in Uther. "That's not all of it is it? What happened? Maraad was brave enough to come forward about his legion. What do you have to be afraid of?"
"Careful brother" Decius warned, his temper rising visibly.
"Did one of you turn traitor?" Uther pressed on, determined to get an answer.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! No, he didn't!" Decius snapped wildly.
"Who didn't?" Uther pressed
*There's no other way* Decius thought "Fine but promise not to tell another living soul. Not even your sergeant"
I promise" Uther said solemnly
"Arneus.. used to be a librarian. Right when the ship broke into orbit, he said he started hearing voices to Sergeant Danvers. Said they started quiet when they broke orbit, but then got louder. He tried shutting them out but they just got worse apparently. He was in the med bay most of the voyage here, but they found nothing wrong physically. He .. he succumbed to them on the drop pod opening and attacked us. His own brothers. I looked in his eyes and he wasn't him. Not anymore. We had to put him down. He was no traitor though! He was possessed by a madness that wasn't him for sure, no thinking involved. Somethings wrong about this place though. It's turning us all mad" Decius explained slowly, his voice thick with grief over it still.
*Some of that was even true. At least I didn't tell him about the flesh change* Decius though sadly.
"Sorry I just thought you were hiding something bad. I should not have asked"
Uther said apologetically, taken aback by Decius's words.
"No i understand. Danvers would be the same. He would've dug the truth from a first captain i swear. Perhaps we should've all asked a few more questions about our brother legions. Might have spared some bloodshed, eh?" replied Decius
"Perhaps" Uther agreed
"Hey what's that over there, in the alcove?" Decius suddenly asked
A statue was there. It looked like some humanoid woman but wasn't a human. Their face was different, elongated. It was placed on an altar which looked like a door to a chamber.
"Alert the others. I don't like the look of this but it might lead to a way out?" asked Uther
Decius nodded and voxed the rest "Sergeant, get everyone down here. We may have something?"
"Hang on. We can't all go down. What if they burst in whilst were up there?" Sergeant Danvers said back over their vox
"I could set up extra tripwires with the grenades?" Maraad said in the background
"Good idea" Sergeant Gaius agreed in the background.
"Yeah we'll be there in a moment. Just setting the traps" Sergeant Danvers said
"Done. Two hidden tripwires with grenades and rock barriers to provide cover. That'll have to do. What have you boys found?" Maraad voxed over
"This statue. It's easier to show you" Decius said.
After a few minutes they all caught up, Sergeant Gaius limping though seemed alive otherwise.
"What is it?" he said
"No idea it's not human though. Xenos maybe?" Uther offered
"Eldar. Its Eldar. Looks familiar even somehow. Urgh where were we? Some Eldar temple on a backwater forest moon. Yrdashaa or something the Eldar scum called it. They had one like this, but in much better condition and massive. I remember because my Prim.. well my former Primarch, may death take him, commented on its strange beauty. "A pity such a finely crafted thing is created by Xenos hands" Perturabo said." offered Maraad unexpectedly
They all looked at him stunned.
"What? I never said I myself found it beautiful!" Maraad said hotly
"Aside from a Eldar history lesson, do either of you have a point in showing us this?" Sergeant Gaius asked
"Well there's a breeze coming from underneath this rock gap on the altar floor." Uriel pointed to it. I traced across and it looks like this altar wall is a disguised rough stone door?" Uther said
"Well spotted. If it is, Uther, how do we open it?" asked Sergeant Gaius
"All doors have buttons or handles to open, right sir? It would be good to search for the handle or button, no?" Uther said
"I'd discipline you normally for uttering a stupidly obvious answer, but its been a long day and you're correct" Sergeant Gaius chuckled.
"Do you remember anything more about this statue, Maraad? Did it have a chamber or something? Or symbols?" Sergeant Danvers asked
"No chamber, but it had a tiny alcove inside. I wasn't there the day when they worked it out but I remember reading about it in the report. It was a switch on the statue or something. Oh, what was her name? Shit I can't remember"
Boom.
"Well, if we don't find a way out soon we've had it!" Decius said without thinking.
Sergeant Danvers gave him a strained look. "Thank you, Decius, for that wisdom"
"I take it back, you didn't say the most stupidly obvious thing today" Sergeant Gaius said to Uther
"Enough! Now everyone look for a switch or button on the statue! Quickly they'll be here any moment!" Maraad said
Everyone but Apothecary Turalyon then gathered round the statue, pulling and prodding like a medicae team with a corpse at an autopsy.
He'd kept silent, but he was wracking his brains with this. He loved puzzles and riddles in his spare time and this was just another to him.
*Now if i were a temple architect, why would i keep the switch where everyone would be at the statue? It probably had Eldar worshipping the thing near it all day, someone would have activated it all the time by mistake. You'd never have put it there*
From what he understood (which was little) of religious worship temples, it seemed to be like theatre on Ultramar. The actors would walk on stage and the curtains would be opened to the set. Then you'd never notice the crew operating the lights and machinery, just the actors. Oh how he missed that..
Something clicked. He looked around, not at the statue but around it. At first there was nothing on the walls, but to each side of the altar, a stone arm where a brazier might have been was on each wall. " Of course" he said
He tried one, no luck.
Boom. *They are almost in* Turalyon thought, *Hurry!*
Then he walked to the other. Apothocary Turalyon pulled it down and something whirred in the wall
The statue was moving back on a pulley system of sorts and revealed a passageway and a chamber beyond.
"How in the name of Macragge did you know to do that?" Private Uther exclaimed
"Does it matter? Run in the chamber now! They're coming through the barriers!" Sergeant Gaius yelled.
They all promptly ran in and found a lever to the left.
Boom
"Close it quick boy!" Sergeant Gaius shouted at Uther.
The door closed. A good solid wall of rock between their pursuers and themselves
"Good work today. We'll make an Ultramarine of you even the primarch would want at his beck and call" Apothecary Turalyon said to Uther smiled unexpectedly
"Where are we?" Decius said
"Turn those headlamps lamps a bit brighter..." Danvers suggested
A large chamber, with a high ceiling, stone chandeliers and a massive statue within a low bowl, in what looked like a pool must once existed around it.
The statue was breath-taking. Not stone exactly, but a bone like material with jewelled eyelids and painted features and clothing on it. A tall, pale, slender Eldar woman in faded white robes holding a staff. Her emerald eyes seemed to stare into you.
As the others fanned out and Uther stared again, he suddenly had a blinding flash in his eyesight. He saw not a statue, but a lithe, powerful blonde Eldar woman with flowing white robes. Then a rusted iron cage with a ragged but defiant Eldar woman with white hair, surrounded by pestilence and rot. With a start, Uriel recognised both were the same Eldar woman and heard a voice in his head. "Though you may not know it, Uther of the Ultramarines, you will aid my people and in doing so, save yours. I have foreseen it. When it comes to the moment, remember that if you do not help my people, your people, your Primarch and your Emperor will suffer grievously for it. But not from my hand shall this suffering come, but from they who seek to destroy both our peoples..."
His eyesight returned suddenly. The statue remained as still as it had been these long untold years it had sat in the dark.
"Uriel are you ok? You seemed in your own world there for a second?" Apothecary Turalyon said.
Deciding to say nothing for the present, Uther answered "I'm ok, just a bit lost"
"Ah i think we all are today in a way, but you've got to keep your head together. I think they've found a way through?" Apothocary offered
The rest were over by the door on the far side. On one side of it was a stone wheel they were looking at. They went over to them. "I think this might be the way out at last" Apothecary Turalyon said to Uther
Sergeant Gaius finally turned it clockwise and said "Got it. This door was blocked by something but this switch unlocks it. "
It came open a crack but needed to be pushed a bit They all put their backs into it and it began to budge.
"Maraad, what was that name of that statue? You never said?" Uther asked
"I can't remember. Began with a Y or something. Eeesshh something. Why do you ask?" Maraad grunted as he helped push the open door further open
"Just curious is all. Another time for that though" answered Uther, trying not to arouse suspicion.
Finally, they opened the door ajar and it opened into a corridor but it was almost black with darkness.
"Its Ysha actually" came a strong and regal voice out the dark beyond the doorway
Then before any of them could so much as raise their bolter, streams of electric came out the dark and paralysed them. As Uther's vision grew dark and he dropped to the floor Uriel saw a humanoid shaped metal skeletal figure before him. It had glowing green eyes, holding a staff and wearing a metal looking cloak, looking down at them...