Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 4

Lorhenge

Galya bowed as the noble duke ordered another round of amasecs for the table. She would walk into the back of the drinking hall and fetch another fresh bottle and uncork it before pouring it into four large decanters and placing them on a serving plate. Then she would head back out and set the serving plate in the middle of the table, taking one of the decanters and filling up the various nobles glasses again before bowing and disappearing into the background of other servants and the like. Even though she was dressed in the light blue uniform of a serving girl of the Ibris Nautica drinking hall, underneath the uniform she was a lithe killing machine formerly of the Death Cult of Moritat in a coven that was hidden in a small trade planet in the Segmentum Pacificus. However her Death Cult was eliminated bit by bit, and when Kyreg had shown her the truth, the Imperial Truth, she had slain her Master herself.

"This is truly dreadful business you know, our earnings have decreased by at least 15 percent." A large portly figure was saying to the other nobles around the table. "So have ours. Well what to expect, trade has been cut off so if your holdings deal with external trade, then I suppose you are the unfortunate one." Another man piped up and the table chuckled a bit at that. "Diversity I tell you, a portfolio should always be diverse. After all, would you rather be at the soup kitchen or being drafted? No no.. ensure your portfolio is diverse, that is how we guarantee our income during times of crisis." The last man would speak up and the others all clinked their glasses in agreement together. Even though the planet itself had declared itself separate from the Imperium, after the week of murders and cleansing of loyalists, it had gone back to usual relatively quickly. The only difference now is that the new police force were members of the Hyberg Enforcers, white uniformed soldiers who patrolled the streets now in the name of the Governor and the dark prince. The Governor had started ordering for the orphanages to be opened up and its occupants taken towards the Governors palace, which was now an eyesore of a building. The previously relatively mild white stone built structure was now painted in various shades of garish eye sore as well as heavily armed Hyberg Enforcer troops whom carried riot shotguns and las rifles taken from the various PDF armouries that had fallen.

Galya turned her head at a sharp whistle. The owner of the bar, a motherly looking woman by the name of Shaury Ouinn had whistled at her and gestured for her to come to the kitchen. "Suzanne hun, I need you to take care of the new girl. Say hi Rose." Galya saw a young woman with purple in her eyes and frowned a little bit on the inside before nodding at her. A Cadian? All the way out here? Any Cadian who wasn't busy serving in a Regiment was a corpse being buried somewhere. She would file the information away for later. "Rose hun this is Suzanne, she's one of our servers. Just follow her and learn the ropes from her. Suzanne, I just hired her. She's one of the refugees from the country side." The tavern owner would look awkwardly at that before disappearing back into the kitchen. Refugees. That's what they called the civilians that the Hyberg Enforcers had found in other cities and trucked in to act as labour. It was a bit far fetched for Shaury to say that she was "hired." No, she was drafted and given a choice of working in the city or sacrificed.

"I'm a faster learner.. I think.. so I won't give you any trouble. Please just don't send me back to the barracks.." Galya looked at the woman for a moment and thought about her words. "The barracks? You mean…" The woman nodded slightly, a faint bruise could be seen as she nodded, her neck barely being covered by the collar of the uniform. "Yes.. this is my.. second.. assignment.." Galya sighed softly and led the girl towards the liquor section. "Listen Rose, you're a nice girl and all and I'm sorry you got sent to the barracks first. But don't do anything stupid here, the nobles that drink here are all flunkeys of the Governor, you get my meaning?" She would whisper harshly into her ear, the new girl nodding furiously. "Just smile and twirl away if you get your ass grabbed." The girl nodded again and began to follow Galya as she made her way back to the tables. Galya in her disguise wore glasses now but they were recording glasses. A covert pictcapturer was built into, one of her many gadgets that helped her complete her objectives.

"A toast to the new Lord General!" A table nearby erupted in cheers as a man with a too dark for his age set of hair held up a glass. They wore the uniforms of what was the Tythen V PDFs General Staff. "It was about time really, I was quite glad when ole Reggie was executed. Too much of the Emperors worshipper in him really." Another similarly attired man laughed as the Lord General, a man with a monocle and a set of hair that was not out of place at a Tempestus Scion Academy tried to light a cigar and frowned a little, before waving Galya over. "My dear, a light if you will." Galya curtsied slightly before taking a jetlighter out of her uniform pockets and lit the officers cigar. "You know my dear, you remind me of a young officer at the academy once upon a time, she was quite eager and ambitious you see.." The General chuckled slightly, as the other men around the table all gave each other knowing smiles. "Well I was thinking that I am in need of an assistant you see.. and you seem to have the qualification for it.." Galya chuckled lightly and curtsied again. "If you're looking to hire me sir, I'd gladly accept." The General looked almost stunned for a moment before nodding and handing a card over to her. "Yes come by the PDF base tomorrow.. a sentry will show you in." Galya curtsied again before leaving the table, the other men giving the newly promoted General congratulatory remarks.

At a table across the room, two men sat with a plate of a local vegetable deep fried in between them while they both drank out of tall mugs of amber ale. "It's not bad this stuff. Really." The man on the left sat there with a very bankers crew cut said to his companion. His companion, having shaved his head bald only nodded with a grunt. "Come now Troiey, you never enjoy the small stuff." The man dipped a piece of a root vegetable in a green sauce and ate it appreciatively. The bald headed man only growled a little, before tasting a small piece of it. After chewing it for a few seconds, he would tilt his head a little in acquiescence. "Alright Dirk, fine. It's not bad. We're still not here on a food tour." The former Elysian stormtrooper simply shrugged and emptied his mug. "Look at the waitresses here. I mean stick a skull on my face and call me chaplain, look at her walk away." Interrogator Troiey Lamber only sighed slightly and kept his attention on the table of PDF Generals. As was typical after a "revolution", it was now power grab time. It was not like local nobles cared really about the Emperor one way or the other, only for ways to increase their own wealth. He regretted bringing Dirk around but his only other option was to bring maybe the Watchmaster along. And wearing a full on Imperial Guard uniform in a tavern that was in a city that controlled a planet that was wholly devoted to the dark gods now was quite frankly suicide. He believed in the Emperors might with all his heart. He also knew from practical experience that auto rounds and las bolts did not distinguish between the loyalist and the heretic.

"Looks like we won't be receiving any help from the PDF forces on the planet." He muttered quietly as a waitress walked by. Cyprus nodded slightly and tilted his head towards where a lot of the nobles were sitting. "If I had to guess, we would find the resistance not in the major cities but in the country side. Seems like corruption started with the seats of power here." Troiey nodded and ordered another ale. Maybe after the raid, he could convince the Inquisitor to confiscate some barrels of this stuff, it really was good.

Two days earlier

"Inquisitor. I hope to frak our stealth shield is holding because I think that's an Astartes battle barge on the other side of the planet." The Elysian Sergeant blurted out as the Inquisitor and her retinue stood on the bridge of the Inquisitional Cruiser. The Krieg Watchmaster turned his head and looked at him for a moment, as if he dared to say such things in front of a Holy Representative of the Emperors Will. "Frak you Veimeer. I know you Krieg clones all think dying in battle is the greatest thing since toasted wheat but I would rather not go up against an Astartes vessel to find out." Cyprus said to the Watchmaster. "It's Frak you Watchmaster Veimeer." The gas masked man said to the surprise of everyone before he turned his head back to look at the viewing port.

"Magos?" The Inquisitor asked the tech adept on board standing in front of a console. "Lady Inquisitor, it is by my calculations that the appropriate rites have been observed and that the stealth shielding will hold unless we were to take a direct hit from a main gun of the vessel there." The Inquisitor nodded for a moment. "Alright. We need more information so Troiey, take two people down there with you. We need to find out more, and find out just how far gone this planet is. Most of all, we need to see if there's any resistance, any loyal subjects of the Emperor down here because other wise I will have to order this planet contained by His Divine Majestys Navy and have it cleansed by cyclonic torpedo." Troiey had nodded and looked at the people gathered around. "Cyprus, Silas. I'll take you two. Sorry Veimeer, but you're gonna get us all killed." The Interrogator would respond. The Watchmaster simply shrugged and patted the hellgun at his side. "It is not ours to ask why, but simply to do or die." The Kreig soldier answered.

The re-entry into the atmosphere was rather easy. The Inquisitional thunderhawk was equipped with multiple layers of stealth fields that allowed them to get on the surface rather easily. Once on the surface, they had to find their way to the actual underground hives. There were massive open dock spaces but instead of drawing attention, they had disguised themselves as merchants.

"This dust is horrible for my hair and my skin. Ugh." Silas complained as he took another sip from a large bottle of cold water while riding in the large 4x4 truck. Cyprus looked at the effeminate assassin and sighed a little bit while Troiey was just annoyed. 'Well I know you two don't care about how old you look but I would like to hold off the rejuvenant treatments for a bit longer."

"Silas, you're 42 and you've had two rejuvenant treatments already since being on board, all cosmetic." Troiey answered, just to stick a wrench into the assassins wheels. The assassin almost blushed and stared daggers at the Interrogator while Cyprus burst out laughing. "Bloody hell, you're 42 and you still act like that?" Silas leaned back on his seat with a humph. "How typical of you Troiey, so afraid to admit that you find me attractive so you have to be hurtful." Troiey was about to respond when Cyprus stuck in again. "Wait so Troiey, the rumours going around about you are true?" Before the Interrogator could answer, they were already at the checkpoint. Showing their forged documents and what not, the soldiers guarding the checkpoint just waved them through, already having been dosing on obscura or worse.

"Seriously though, you are one of the.. others?" Cyprus would ask after they passed through. Troiey gripped the steering wheel and rolled his eyes a little. "No I'm not. Silas here just wants to start a new gossip on board the cruiser because he's bored." The assassin nodded before drinking more water. "Sure sure, deny it all you want dear, everyone knows how you look at me." Cyprus chuckled while Troiey just sighed again and drove them to one of the main hotels in the capital city.

Present

In the early mornings, Galya put on her best "professional" outfit, garnering many a stares from the various locals as well as a few over appreciative pat downs by the guards at the front of the base. She had shown them the Generals card and soon she was being brought to his office. The General was seated in his office and smiled at her when she came in.

"Ah yes, I see you've found yourself at the right place. And how very well dressed you are this morning." Lord General Crass Blythe grinned at the woman standing infront of him. She could sense his lechery from across the desk but it was part of her duty. "Good morning sir. I think you'll find me quite capable. I'm extremely adept at most consoles, and I'm a fast typist. And I've been told I make an excellent cup of recaf." The General grinned again and nodded. "Excellent, excellent. The desk out front is yours, and in that case please fetch me a cup. I prefer mine a bit sweet you see. Don't be afraid to put a little amasec into it either my dear."

Galya curtsied a little and went out towards the front where a receptionist desk was and near it was a small cabinet and a hot water heater. She would brew up a fresh pot of recaf and poured some syrup into it and a shot of amasec. It was things like this that made her put a bolt round into her former Master. She remembered all the amasecs so old that the labels were no longer legible. The golden gilded furniture that adorned the mans quarters. The demands of the Master Assassin to utilise his charges under him for his own pleasure. Of course it was seen as simply obeying the words of the Emperor back then through the Master of the death cult. Before she had been enlightened. She remembered the youngest recruits, and their tradition of being sent into the Masters chambers after their first kill. She remembered all of this. And she was glad, glad that it was by her own hands that the man was put down. In her more human moments, she felt a certain sadness towards the astartes that had rescued her. She had seen it all, seen his helmet recordings. She was perhaps one of the few to actually see the Emperor of Mankind back when he still walked the stars through the recordings that they had given her to see. She knows what his voice sounded like. Those few hours of recordings had brought her closer to the Emperor than ever before and yet, she no longer worshipped him. She understood what the Imperial Truth was and what the legionnaires had killed and bled for.

After giving the General his coffee, she had been given a list of commanders to check with. She would call them one by one, apparently this was a list of all of those who were loyal to the Governor. A map was there and it showed the known loyalist positions marked out to be assaulted and the positions of the various deployed PDF troops. She was momentarily thankful for lecherous old men as she was given only a simple back ground check and her forged background stood up to it. Then she was asked to swear loyalty to the Governor and to denounce worship of the Emperor. At this, she smiled a bit. She had ceased worshipping the Emperor many decades ago. Her rejuvenant treatments however had ensured she still looked like the two decade old assassin when they had found her back then.

These information were already recorded by her glasses. As she sat down on the desk, she quickly logged onto the console and checked the Generals appointments for today. There were a few other senior military officers here to offer their congratulations but also some nobles who were there surely to find favour. It was quite typical of the weak and feeble minded to throw their lot in just like that.

Forty kilometers east of Lorhenge

Kyreg checked the message sent to him. It was Yingr who received his confirmation to meet. Yingr sent him a set of coordinates and Kyreg sent it to the rest of Xythos. "Commander, I believe that is a small farmhouse type structure there." Thobor said to him as he examined a map on a data slate of their surrounding areas. "Very well then, let us not keep Yingr waiting." A series of affirmatives answered him over the vox and the two assault bikes were driven towards the objective.

Yingr was a rather unique astartes. During the great crusade, he was one of those who first who surrounded himself not with fellow astartes but with human operatives, providing information and intelligence to commanders. It was a rather unique manner which the legionnaire operated by but it was an effective one. Of course he was also a rather potent psyker, that was what had alienated him from many of his squads in the first place. The Edict of Nikea was not one that had sat right with him, that much Kyreg knew but he had also not obeyed it. No one in their legion had. After all, it was very few of them that their cousins even knew about and could even judge.

Kyreg had rescued him during the scouring, where the loyalist legions had pushed the traitors back towards the eye of terror bit by bit. But for Kyreg and the 8th, they had instead retreated into hiding. They had spent their time allying with Blackshield legionnaires, those who wished to carve out their own fiefdom. Bit by bit of course, Kyreg and his crew had taken many of them down but when he had encountered a brother captured in a prisoners cell years ago, he had released him only for the brother to demand to know where his loyalties lay. When he found the answer satisfactory, Yingr had joined him and proved to be a powerful asset. That is not to say the legionnaire Sergeant was incapable with bolter or blade, but that it was rather an entirely different skillset which Kyreg required from him. At the same time, Yingr was also their unofficial Master of Initiates. Recruitment for them had been slowed down quite a bit as stable gene seed became less and less available but after this, perhaps more would be increased.

On board the Kilo Zeta, only six initiates were there, those who had passed their trials and showed compatibility with their gene seeds. Yingr had taken them under his wings and trained them in the way of the Legion. Of course it would be a while before they could take to the field of battle in full astartes plate. The modifications that Maygis specialised in required a lot of time and efforts to produce. A Mk IV power armour needed a upgraded powerpack in order to power the stealth fields as well as the holographic adjuster installed onto their armour. The helmets needed to have upgrades, all modified xenos tech, in order to detect the stealth suits used by Tau stealthsuits or Eldar technology. Last he had checked, they were 80 percent complete. Of course even after receiving their battle plates, more hypno conditioning was required, as the initiates needed to be shown the truth of the Horus heresy. The truth of what had happened. Out of the four hundred they had recruited, only five had succeeded. Many had to be put down by his own hands after their minds simply broke at the knowledge that had been shown them, of the nature of chaos. Of xenos. Of the level of treason that the current Imperium of Man and the High Lord of Terra were enacting.

They soon arrived at their destination and it had a small farmhouse and a barn on the field. "No life signatures in the farmhouse Commander. Six in the barn." Kyreg nodded and opened a vox channel to the preset one for Yingr. "Xythos is count of four." The reply back was quick said by the steady voice of Sergeant Yingr. "We are count of seven. You are welcomed." With a nod of his head, Kyreg gestured for Xythos to follow him. Moving from the defensive positions they had taken while on the bikes, Kyreg entered first followed by the rest of his squad. The other legionnaires all came in with readied bolters. The way of the Legion was one of paranoia and deceit after all. Sergeant Yingr was there along with five Initiates. "Welcome Commander. I trust your journey treated you well." Kyreg laughed lightly as he undid his helmet. The Astarte Sergeant was in full warplate with his cameoline cloak while the five initiates were there as well in scout armour. The initiates bowed their heads respectfully towards the Legionnaire Commander. "You wished to meet Commander?" Kyreg nodded and handed Yingr a data slate which played the video taken by Galya a few days ago. Yingr watched it carefully and nodded a little.

"I expected as much. This seems to be a more intelligent cult, they've seized the planetary communication relay. They have not started summoning daemons yet." Yingr gestured at the various figures that were there. "They've tried to restore normalcy as fast as possible. Of course they're still fighting the various factions that have formed after this declaration." Kyreg nodded. "I think as this corruption comes from the capital regions and are spreading outwards, it's not as strong as it would've been. Whoever was here fermenting cults have not done a thorough enough of a job but whoever it is, realised it. I think the idea is to keep the loyalist forces busy fighting the cultists and not worry about what they are really planning." Kyreg said to the other legionnaires who were now gathered around. Yingr called for one of his initiates to come over. "Initiate Harvenn here found something you might think important." The Initiate slung his bolter across his chest and ran over, kneeling when he reached the two legionnaires. "Commander. During our patrols around the mountains north of Lorhenge, we found a loyalist position manned by an entire PDF company in full strength." Kyreg looked at the initiate and nodded. "Well done. What can you tell me about them?" "Lord, they seem to be based off of a light infantry patterns. Three platoons and a command platoon. No dedicated heavy weapons platoon. One heavy bolter per platoon, but three stubbers per platoon. No dedicated anti-armour weapons except for a few rocket launchers that individual infantrymen carried. No sniper or marksmen personnel seen. They were armed with autoguns and it seems a full combat load of ammunition." Kyreg nodded at the initiate. "Thoughts, initiate? What do you think of them?" The Initiate paused for a moment before Yingr encouraged him with a nod. "Lord, I believe they are as green as PDF can be. They're green enough that they have only heard of the troubles developing in the capital but have not yet fought anyone. Their commanders however might be guard veterans seeing as how he made his base a hard to attack ridge and the cave system behind it is his command point. I also believe that due to their location, and the space that seems to be in the caverns, they might hold some senior loyalist PDF officers. I don't believe a single company requires enough room for a regimental headquarters." Kyreg looked at Yingr with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Training warmasters now Sergeant?" Yingr only chuckled lightly. "You know the way of the Legion. We must not only train their bodies but their minds. After all, Initiate Harvenn here just might one day be Sergeant Harvenn commanding a strike team." Kyreg nodded and laughed with amusement as Yingr dismissed the scout back to his position.

"It's funny Commander, you realise that the loyalist Astarte chapters train their new initiates in the Scouts as well now? It seems that the Codex that Guilliman wrote states that new Initiates must be trained first in a Scout Company." Yingr mentioned to Kyreg as he placed his helmet back on. "Truly? So the Battle King can copy as well." Kyreg chuckled humourlessly. Yingr nodded slightly. "Did you know the first and only time I met him, he was busy telling Horus how we should be folded up into his Legion and taught how to really fight a war?" Kyreg raised an eyebrow inside his helmet. "And what happened with that Yingr?" The Sergeant shrugged lightly. "Horus tilted his head and Guilliman realised that I was there with my squad waiting to see the Warmaster. He coughed and walked out without looking at us." Kyreg snorted at that part. "Yes, the Ultramarines, the adored of the Imperium. Does the Imperium know that every formation that isn't just charging forward guns blazing with swords drawn at heavy bolters was something that Guilliman copied off of other legions? Look at even his siege troops" Yingr smiled a bit and chortled. "Yes, he put bigger missile launchers on his own terminators and thought they were a match to Perturabos Seige Tyrants. Only Dorns heavy weapons veterans are a match." Kyreg paused as he shrugged. "But it takes a certain level of arrogance my friend to try and copy something that is steeped in their own traditions and cultures, and believe that it can be improved because he is the one to improve it."

"Still, perhaps Guilliman forgot about how effective the reconnaissance squads are in battle but to delegate that role to initiates only? Initiates are trained from scouts in order to master the basics of war and watch how their enemies wage war. You cannot have an entire battle plan based off of a group of untried recruits." Kyreg made a face inside his helmet as he spoke the last part. Yingr sighed softly and nodded. "That is why there are reconnaissance squads Commander, but Guilliman has always thought his word should have been law." Kyreg snorted a little at that. "That's why his barely alive body is kept in stasis on Ultramar and visited by pilgrims." The two chuckled as the other legionnaires looked upon them in amusement.

"I will not keep you any longer old friend. We still cannot deploy Cerberus assets, but I believe the assassin can be of much use to us in this instance. I will head towards the mountains and seek out this PDF company. From you, I require your specialised talents." Kyreg then told the story of what had transpired with the previous PDF unit they had encountered. "That could be an excellent potential truly. Those that are worthy can be indoctrinated rather quickly." Yingr nodded as he thought about the number of civilians and soldiers they had taken and thought about what could be done with them. "Well they won't all be of Galyas calibre." Yingr responded. "No mortal I've ever met has been of Galyas calibre Sergeant." Kyreg smiled and thought about the assassin. He had been there to recover his lost bolter pistol, a piece of memory important to him more so than a true asset of war. It was after all, one of the few original works that had come from the forges of Terra. It was with that pistol he had first been blooded and it was with that pistol that he had learned of the purpose behind his Legion.

Twenty Years Ago

When the Moritat Death Cult had come under attack, Galya and her sister that had been part of the bodyguard for the Master had donned their death masks and drawn their bolt pistols and long swords ready to die and lay their lives on the line for the master. That was until the doors were blown wide open to the ancient sanctum and they entered. Standing more than eight feet tall and striding through the doors with their cameoline cloaks fluttering behind them, the death cultists had all blanched for a second. It was shocking to see Astartes first hand, especially them, of the infamous Legion.

"Traitors and heretics deserve only death!" Her sister had screamed before charging head first against them. Her blade was aimed right for the soft spot between the jaw and the throat where a single stab would cut right through to the spinal column and render the victim dead. At the last second however, the Astarte drew his exotic blade and cut right through her sister, blade and all. A century old power sword reduced to pieces of metal on the ground while her sister fell apart in two pieces with a scream.

"Traitors? Heretics? Hardly. For all your worship of the Emperor none of you have even seen him. Or walked aside him. On the fields of Ullanor by the order of my Primarch I accompanied the Emperor as part of his Honour Guard. In front of the Custodians stood a single Legionnaire from every Legion. I was beside him as we charged towards the Ork warlord and I was there when Abbadon and the black clad Justaerin terminators charged the flanks. And I was there when Sanguinis led his golden armoured bodyguards to rescue the Emperor and Horus when we were surrounded by xenos. Do not speak to me of treason or heresy. Before your ancestors were even a thought, I had shed my first drop of blood for the Emperor of Man." The Astartes roared out. She would know him later as Commander Kyreg. "But do you wish to speak of heresy? Or treason? It is you. All of you. Those who hold the Emperor in worship. How dare you. The Imperial Truth is what we fought for. What we bled for. It is why the Emperor humbled Lorgar and the Word Bearers by forcing them to kneel in the ashes of Monarchia."

His words stunned her. Could it be, could it be that the Imperial Creed is heresy? She looked at her master questioningly. "My child they are heretics. You cannot believe their words, who are they but those who have turned away from the Emperors light?" Her master said to her as he drew an ancient bolter pistol large enough he needed both hands to carry. "This was a gift of the Emperor, this that we based our worship on. It is said that on Ullanor this was dropped by a warrior dying who received an Ork blade to the chest in defence of the Emperor. This was a true warriors weapon and with it I shall end the traitors!" The ancient master assassin hissed the last words out.

"That bolt pistol belongs to me you scum." The astartes strode forward slowly and laughed at deeply. "I never fell on Ullanor. Why you would even have that, I could only believe that you deal with stolen items, master assassin. Come then, tell her how you got it. Tell her how after that bolt pistol fell out of my hands and a valorous apothecary of the Lunar Wolves tried to save my life as orks and astartes fell around us in equal measure. Tell her what happened to that bolt pistol after it was trampled on by ork nobz, after First Captain Abbadon screamed out in outrage as he was the last standing amongst the fallen Justaerin and the Warmaster struck the blow that would allow the Emperor to use his powers and slay the Warboss."

Galya looked at her Master who clenched his jaws. "That bolt pistol is named Styx, after the River Styx of ancient terran legends. It was forged by the Emperors own forges to those of us the first two thousand that were created. Those of us the Emperor first sent into the shadows. Those of us along with the Rout. The Salamandars. Those of us held aside as the first legions fired their triumphs from the mars forged bolters into the stars and humbled those who would dare stand before humanity." The master assassin aimed the pistol at the astartes and pulled the trigger. However, nothing happened. He checked the magazine and it was fully loaded, and he would pull the trigger again. Nothing.

A deep laugh would sound from the astartes as he led the rest of his similarly attired brothers towards them. "And Styx was built in with the cognitor to differentiate between master. And foe. Why would Styx fire upon me when I am its master, the one it was gifted to. The one it belongs to." At this, the assassin master howled and drew the long blade that was the favoured blade of his cult. Galya could only stare before understanding at a fundamental level that the Marine was right. With a sorrowed sigh, she fired her bolter pistol and put an explosive round into the head of her former master. As the master assassin collapsed onto the ground, she would turn to face the approaching astartes and kneeled. Kyreg had nodded and bade her to stand again. "Honour is done Mistress Assassin. So now what will you do?" Kyreg casually picked up the bolter pistol and locked it at his side. She looked up at him and he would see there was no fear in her eyes. "I shall go wherever you go. I see not defaced acquilas nor signs of the ruinous power. From whom do you descend from? Which legion do you claim parentage? Who are you all?" She would ask him boldly. Kyreg sheathed his blade and undid his helmet, revealing a shaven scalp and a slight stubble around his lips. A single tattoo of a serpent was etched under his left eye. "We are Alpharius."