Shadow of a Doubt
Chapter 8
"I want this to bemade very clear Equerry. I tire of this planet and I tire of this throne room. Mobilise every one of my warriors, we will see who would dare stand against the might of Chaos." Viprus hissed, his blade still dripping the blood of a Bloodsworn officer who had dared to bring him such news. Three squads of his most veteran Marines dead? As well as an entire company of Bloodsworn troops. The lives of the mortal soldiers meant little to him, but he suspected there just might be more to this forest than they had initially discovered. His Sorcerers had sacrificed hundreds of unwilling mortals in order to discover the truth of the matter and find where the damned Eldar had erected the psychic defences to protect the pieces of their Craftworld. The largest one was the forest, but perhaps there just might be more simply psychic defences there. "I will lead them myself into battle. How many Thunderhawks do we have still available to us?" His Equerry bowed before answering. "Lord, we still possess a dozen Thunderhawks on the planet at the Capital City Starport. However most others are lost along with our battle barge." Viprus hissed a bit. "Call for the Jerucales." His Equerry bowed again, before turning around and leaving.
Aristotle entered the communication room and handed one of the cultists that manned a vox transmitter and a coginator. "Long range transmission. This is the message and this is what it should say." The cultist bowed lowly at the mighty Astartes who stood in front of him before quickly moving to the vox transmitter.
"The Jerucales my Lord?" Captain Persedeus tilted his head at the Chaos Consul questioningly. "Do not give me that look Persedeus, you look like a scorned daemonette." Viprus snapped as he licked some of the blood off of his blade. The First Captain, instead of being offended just laughed with amusement. "My Lord, I ask because you normally do not ask for them unless you are thinking this can be a new home world for us?" Viprus nodded at his question. "We are at the furthest fringes of the galaxy. We are not too far away from the Eye, and there is an overabundance of slaves and recruits from here. I believe too that based on the planets terrain, there should be quite an abundance of raw minerals as well. This would be a good world for us, especially as we can increase our ranks substantially after this has all been done and dealt with.."
The Chaos First Captain nodded in agreement. "Of course to deploy the Jerucales… what of our current base? They will deploy whole heartedly I believe and that means all of our slaves and servants will be sent here." Viprus shugged as he sheathed his daemon blade. "So be it then. We must also claim another battle barge." Persedeus nodded in agreement. "I believe my dear Consul, that I have a plan to acquire one." Viprus stretched in his ornate relic power armour and raised a finely trimmed eyebrow questioningly. "Do you remember what we exchanged with the Warsmith in order to ensure the Iron Warriors loyalty to us?" Viprus paused for a moment. "Yes, the assault on that moon. Ah I see what you are thinking of. The Knights of Blood. One of the milk pups of the Blood Angels. They have been declared traitors have they not? By the Inquisition." Persedeus chuckled softly as his commander saw where he was leading the conversation. "Yes. A small remnant of them are still on board their battle barge as we killed dozens of them in the crossfire that was set up. But their battle barge, it stayed on that moon after we retrieved the relic that the Warsmith wanted, did we not? Yes. We will make sure we claim it after we have solidified our hold on this planet."
Lorhenge
"You there, get over here. What are you doing wandering out past curfew." The white uniformed Bloodsworn soldier gestured at Galya as she held onto the data slate tightly. Sighing internally, she would strut towards the soldier with a sultry sway of her hips as she pouted at him. "I'm Lord General Blythe's assistant. I have to make a .. delivery to his manor." The soldier laughed as she handed him a pass that was signed by the Lord General. "Hurry up then before us lonely soldiers decide to inspect you any further." The other soldiers in the checkpoint snickered as Galya gave a flirty smile and strutted past them. She did not care one way or the other if she had to use her sex as a weapon but on a planet now ruled by a Slaaneshi cult essentially, she despised how often she had to do it. The more human side of her wished for a chemical bath after all this was said and done; when she can finally complete her mission.
About half an hour later, she approached the manor house and rang the bell at the gate. A security camera can be seen moving to watch her while the gate opened slowly. A squad of tan uniformed grenadiers appeared as she walked past the gate and would escort her in after giving her a pat down. She was a frequent enough "guest" at the manor house that the pat downs were relatively informal and quick. Thank the Emperor for small miracles, she thought as she walked through the front foyer where she was greeted by the Lord Generals butler. "Hello, I am here to make a delivery for the Lord General." The Butler bowed deeply before showing her upstairs to where the office was. The Butler would announce her, like countless times previously before disappearing.
"Close the door behind you my dear. Ah yes, is that the new recruitment numbers? Excellent.. you know the Astartes lords know just quite how to recruit huh. The prisoners from the central prisons all funneled into the Bloodsworn and kept in line by combat drugs. That's a rather ingenious idea. Why are you standing so stiffly? Fetch us some drinks will you?" The Lord General read through the data slate and looked at her with a lecherous smile on his face. She would bow slightly and head towards the liquor cabinet and poured two measures of amasecs into a crystal glass and walked over to him, placing it on his desk. The Lord General smiled and took a sip from it. "I think it's time we discussed your promotion Suzanne. How about a military title.. Colonel? No, perhaps Brigadier. I think the Brigadiers uniform would look much better on you." He smiled as he stood up and walked over to her, his hands reaching up to her shoulder and lightly massaging her. He would slowly turn her around and she faked a look of innocent shock on her face. "There there, no need to be so alarmed. It's about time that I took you into my.. confidence."
With a lecherous smile on his face, he leaned in towards her with his lips pursed and pressed them against hers. She relaxed a little bit and ignored the taste of tobacco and the scent of liquor before placing her right hand on his chest. With her left hand, she reached up and pushed his lips harder against hers while she flexed her right hands ring finger. With a soft cough, a toxic needle was fired from one of the rings she wore into his heart, the toxin paralyzing him as he stared at her with wide eyes, unable to breathe or make another sound. Then laying his body down quietly and then locking the door, she would open a window and wait a few seconds before a man dressed in a black bodyglove jumped in through the window silently. She gestured towards the body and the man quickly injected himself with something as he looked at the body. In a few moments, a complete look alike formed in the mans place. "You know what to do Orin?" Galya asked him and the man nodded. "I expect you to be at the office tomorrow just before noon, understood Suzanne?" The imposter stated, his mannerisms down to even the most miniscule detail. Galya bowed slightly before the two of them would pick up the deceased Lord General. The Imposter dressed into his clothes quickly before the two assassins tossed the body out the window. Of course no sound was made, the body having been caught by a taunt fibrous blanket held by a few body gloved agents who would transport the body to be destroyed by melta fire.
The new Lord General would open the door and stated quite clearly out for the benefit of anyone listening. "You are dismissed for the night my dear, please ensure you are more.. fittingly dressed in the morning." Galya curtsied before she exited the room and headed downstairs where the butler would escort her to the front door. At the front door, the same squad of Grenadiers waited and took her to the main gate where she finally left the property. She knew that once she was gone, everyone in that mansion was going to be replaced. The guards of the property would be dismissed to be replaced by agents recruited locally, and already placed in position thanks to her various handy work throughout her current tenure as the Lord Generals assistant.
Golden Wrath
"There is a message, genecoded to you only, Captain." Captain Prephas turned to see a warrior of the Ironwights warband bowed before him with a cryptobox. He nodded his thanks as he reached down and took the cryptobox and looked at it. He would walk down the halls, moving slowly in the blood red Cataphractii armour into his quarters before biting his bottom lip lightly and letting a few drops of blood drip onto the seal. The seal flashed a green light as it acknowledged it and the message opened. He would listen to the message twice and nodded before crushing it in his armoured fists and walked back to the bridge. "Warsmith." The silver armoured figured turned and clasped a fist across his breastplate in salute. "The Consul has given order. We are to join him on Tythen V. His message to me was 'A suitable base has finally been found. Ensure the Warsmith is informed.'." The Warsmith could be heard chuckling, a deep grinding sound from inside his horned helmet. "The Consul honours us once again. I will make the preparations." Warsmith Gryshun smiled inside his helmet as he held the graviton hammer, his most prized possession. It was a prize worthy of bending a knee to the Consul. In return for his loyalty, the former Blood Angel Consul had rewarded him and the Ironwight warband with slaves and tech adepts enslaved to his forges.
He would turn swiftly, his escort of two Ourea veterans carrying combi-bolters with underslung plasma guns turning as one and followed him with their weapons carried across their chest. Precision, that was the hallmark of the Iron Warriors; the Warsmith was quite glad for an opportunity to fortify and finally hold a world as their own. He knew as well that the details would be left to him as the Consul had little interest in the earthworks or fortification process of securing a position. He would soon reach a section of the ship that held little of the prestigious and intricate decorations of the remainder of the battle barge. Through it he would enter into a large training hall where various Iron Warrior Astartes of the Ironwights were readying weapons of war or studying the theoretical behind past battles.
"Ironwights. The Consul has given us the order to deploy. He has found a planet for us to remake with the glory of Iron." The reply of "Iron Within and Iron Without" came as one thunderous roar as his warriors began their preparations immediately.
Captain Prephas entered an exceedingly large room tiled with marble, with various weapons on racks as well as large training cages built in. He smiled with approval as his warriors, the veteran Astartes of the Oathsworn trained and practiced their battle drills fervently. Nothing less was expected from the terminator elites. Of course Sanguinis had overlooked the greatness of the Oathsworn, and of himself. It mattered little now, his only link to his genefather was the genecodes that ran through his blood. Looking over towards the end, several human slaves were in sealed containers, unconscious with tubes hooked through their bodies at various points. With his nod, the human serf pressed a button and within thirty seconds, every drop of blood was drained from the slaves, the red lifeblood being fed into seven different chalices. The sudden smell of blood caused the red armoured giants within the training cages to stop and sniffed the air with a slight growl.
"Brothers, we have been called upon the anvil once again. Slake your thirst with me in celebration." The unhelmed Captain called out as he strode over and picked up a large chalice. The members of the Oathsworn sheathed their weapons and trudged over, each picking up a large chalice reverently. "Today, we hone our minds and slake our thirst once again in service to the Consul. The next feast will take place AFTER victory is ours. Now drink my brothers, let us drink to the four gods!" The armoured giants in the room all chugged the hot rich blood with thirst and with relish. Moments after, each chalice was dropped onto the floor with a loud clang. "Captain, where are we do go this time?" One of them asked. "We are to join the Consul on his current mission. He requires true veterans my brothers." Each of the chaos terminators chuckled. While all were clad in the same blood red cataphractii armour as their Captain, they had various trophies and symbols on their armour. The Captain had a massive wolf pelt hung over his pauldron while the others had symbolic slashes across their armour as tributes to a worthy opponent. Some had skulls dangling from a series of chains attached to their armour, while others still had skulls both human and xenos impaled on the trophy racks on their backs. Most had helmets in the colours of various loyalist Legions and Chapters, their former owners skulls still stuck inside attached to chains on their armour. While they were dueling each other in the practice cages with their chainaxes, all of them now walked towards a large polished steel step that held their revered Reaper pattern autocannons. Bayonets were attached to them, large jagged pieces of steel. They would pick them up and load them expertly, millennia of practice having honed their control of the terminator armour to a precise art. Prephas however picked up a massive stormbolter still with the symbols of the Blood Angels on it. He would load it with a large drum magazine and chuckled deeply.
Kilo Zeta
"Inquisitor, have you thought about our last discussion?" Kyreg asked the woman calmly as he entered the room. She was sitting there as she always was, and she glared at him like she always did, although this time with less fervour behind it. "I will show you the truth then." He nodded as Thodor the Xythos squad psyker entered and took a seat in front of her, somehow balancing himself on a smaller chair made for an unaugmented human. "Do not struggle Lady Inquisitor. It will cause you damage if you do." Before she could ask what the psyker meant, he placed an unarmoured hand on her forehead and then all she saw was blackness.
She felt her mind falling before they were finally stopped, arrested by a pair of power armour helmet visors that she now looked through. She could not control any movements at all, but suddenly she felt herself moving forward.
"The moonlight is quite bright tonight." The voice came from a figure standing in front of a backdrop of a magnificent castle. Was that Terra? She found herself staring at the figure until the helmet visor moved closer. She realised that she was looking through the eyes of a space marine. "Sigilite, you honour me once again with your summon." The space marine whose eyes she was looking through lowered, seemingly kneeling down to the mortal with one knee. "Honour is done nephew." The voice stated and the marine stood up again. She blinked her eyes a few times as she realised who it was. The mortal had turned around, wearing a simple administrators cloak but he was unmistakable. His image was printed on billions of books, and painted across the galaxy. Malcador the Sigilite. He looked like an old man but he exuded greatness. Power. Strength. She found herself unable to think for a moment.
"My Lord, Theta stands once again to serve you." The space marine stated. Malcador smiled and nodded. "I am pleased to hear this, although I regret to inform you that this will be an unpleasant mission. The former Kingdom of Ursh. A following has begun again, amongst those who were left to govern. You were from Ursh were you not, Sergeant Kyreg?" She was shocked as she realised she was viewing the memories of her captor. "My Lord, I am of the Twentieth." The Sergeants reply was brisk and Malcador bowed slightly. "I do not mean to insinuate anything Sergeant. I apologize.. I just like to know those in my service." A sound of ceramite on ceramite sounded, Kyreg slamming his armoured gauntlet against his breastplate as a sign of assent. "Go forth loyal Theta. Bring me their heads."
The next memory she saw was of utter blackness with a white edge. The vision cleared slightly as she realised there were blizzards all around and then Kyreg was moving upwards. It seemed he was climbing out of a snowdrift and she could see a large palace up ahead. Kyreg stopped next to a pair of guards who had not yet seen him. "The stars themselves shall alight with the great illumination." The guards suddenly stood still and turned, replying. "And the Emperors wrath shall reach all found wanting." They then opened the doors and bowed, their movements slightly sluggish. The only telltale signs of their hypno indoctrination being activated. Kyreg moved through and she realised that there were others with him, other Astarte warriors clad in the same dusk blue as him. The palace seemed to be oddly empty as Kyreg advanced upstairs. Even servants in the halls seemed to take no notice of him, the legionnaire walking without a sound past them. Kyreg opened a door and drew a long blade from it while the sounds of blades being drawn can be heard from the others. A large group of people looked up at the open door and gaped but before they could scream, Kyreg and his squadmates had entered and began hacking them apart, decapitating one after the other as screams wailed from them. "Why, why are you doing this?" The last woman alive pleaded right before Kyreg sliced her head off. "No act of treason is ever hidden from the light of the Emperor." Kyreg hissed as her head tumbled onto the ground. "Collect the heads. We extract now." Kyreg and his squad headed for the roof, their grisly trophies having been collected and held in a satchel. On the roof was a stormbird, oddly quiet for a vehicle of that size in the colours of the Custodian. She blanched as she watched them enter.
She saw nothing but blackness once again, and this time she saw greenskin. Hordes upon hordes of them in front of her. She shuddered as she heard their roars and saw them charging in close. "Tell me, son of Hydra. How do you think this will end?" A voice of magnificence, sounding older than the world itself yet full of radiance could be heard. Kyreg turned his head and bowed, Laneth catching a glimpse of a figure that shone so brightly it hurt her eyes, his armour golden and resplendent. "As it always will my Lord. With your victory." The voice laughed richly. "Then let us meet the foe shall we. My grandsons, my faithful Legionnaires. Let us show these xenos why it is the right of Man to stand first amongst the stars." A series of roars replied to the mans words and Kyreg and the others charged. Behind them could be seen Custodians in their golden armour, their weapons shining brighter than the sun in the light. She saw Kyreg take down xenos after xenos, his bolter thudding as explosive rounds caught the orks in their eyes, throats, and through roaring maws. "Your marksmanship is to be commended." A rich baritone voice sounded from Kyreg's left, a handsome bald figure standing a few meters taller than Kyreg striding forward with a crackling power maul. "I see my brother really did send his best to accompany us on this moment of triumph." Kyregs head bowed slightly before he resumed firing.
"Abbadon, carry my wrath forward." The figure commanded, and a large terminator, astonishing large even amongst the gods that walked upon this planet roared his acknowledgement and led dozens of black armoured terminators charging into the flanks of the greenskin horde. Kyreg advanced steadily with the other Astartes beside him, a firing line of different Legion colours and symbols. "For the Lupercal, for the Emperor, CHARGE" Their leader, a yellow armoured Astartes roared at the top of his lungs and the firing line began charging faster towards the greenskins. Blades could be heard drawn from sheathes and the crackling of power fields being activated. The next few moments were tense, Laneth seeing only limbs being chopped off and green and red blood flying through the air as the melee overwhelmed her senses. What she saw next clearly was a massive ork with almost black skin thrusting forward at the golden figure, charging towards him. Kyreg sliced through the ork infront of him with disdain and rushed towards the black ork. At the last moment, the ork saw Kyreg and roared, thrusting his massive war axe towards the legionnaire. His power sword deflected the first hit but the ork reached out and grabbed him. A large grunt of pain could be heard as the war axe was smashed into his stomach plate, crushing through it as blood sprayed from Kyregs lips on the inside of the helmet. Half a second later, a large power maul crushed the ork attacker. "Apothecary. Keep this man alive, no matter what." The voice ordered. "By your command Lord." Laying there on the ground, Laneth saw the armoured giant wade into the melee, the massive wolf pelt covered with green ork blood as an apothecary in seagreen armour quickly jumped to beside Kyreg and began administering to him. She could see Kyreg drawing his bolt pistol and firing at any orks that got too close, covering the Apothecary as he worked.
Her sight blinked to black again as this time, she saw through Kyregs eyes as he fired a bolter point blank into another dusk blue armoured helmet. "Kyreg! We must follow the Warmaster. Even our genefather has sided with him." A voice yelled as Kyreg turned his head and saw another of his legion. "The 8th has always and always will be for the Emperor." Kyreg replied coldly before cutting his brother down in a burst of bolter fire. "8th Harrow. We will NOT follow our brothers into this madness. We will fight for the Emperor as we always have. As we have on the first days of Terra when we donned our warplates. Chaos is no friend of humanity. Look around you, look at the madness. Our own blood fighting each other." As Kyreg looked around, Laneth saw that the Alpha Legionnaires had divided into two lines, hundreds of them looking at each other with bolters raised. "Do you wish to be like those Sons of Lorgar, preaching of gods? Or losing your mind in nothing but blood just like the sons of Angron. No, we are Alpha Legion, we are of the Trefoil."
"But Commander.. we have our orders. We cannot disobey." Kyreg snarled a little inside his helmet and looked at the Marines that stood in front of him. "This is your last chance Captain. The 8th either stands with the Emperor or we do not stand at all." The Marines opposite of him hesitated, and lowered their bolters. "We have always been for the Emperor. ALWAYS. No genefather nor Warmaster will sway us from this path. We were the Emperors Ghost Legion before we met our Primarch. We were his wrath in the shadows, coiling like the scales of the serpent. But this. You all know what this has come to. Even a single moment of treason is exile. You all know this." The Marines looked at him and some took off their helmets with tears in their eyes. "We have slain our own blood tonight Commander. How will we find repentance in that?" One of them asked.
"We find repentance in death brother. We find repentance in fighting for the Emperors dream. His foremost command to us was to take to the stars and illuminate them to the Imperial Truth. I have not heard any commands contrary by Him on Terra so we OBEY. We of the 8th will remain on the Emperors side. We will return to the ghosts from where we came."
The memory flashed to black again and this time she saw through her own eyes again, as if her mind was torn flying from the past and returned back to her own body. She took a deep breath and gasped, coughing as her body rebelled against the unwilling psychic powers that had flooded her mind. She stared at Kyreg and Thobor and fought to catch her breath. "Was that. Where the orks were. Was that the Emperor? And Horus?" Kyreg nodded sadly and took off his helmet. "Yes. At Ullanor where I last saw the arch traitor and the Emperor. Back when. Back when the Legions all flew the Aquila." Laneth stared at them for a moment and shook her head. "Why then. Why did you not go back to Terra and defend the Imperial palace? Why do you remain loyal?"
"Because the Emperor expects." Kyreg turned and exited while the psyker Marine bowed and left as well, leaving Laneth to stew in her own thoughts. Was it another trickery of the Alpha Legion? But those scenes, she knew that they were real. No illusion can fake the lumen of the Emperor, nor the greatness and wisdom behind Malcador the Hero. She looked down at her hands and dry heaved a little, her mortal body unused to seeing even a memory neither of the Emperor of Man, nor of the greatness of his favoured son before his fall.
Lorhenge
Viprus smiled at his gathered Warband. Soon His sword whispered to him as he smiled at the pleasurable sensation that filled him every time the daemon in his blade spoke to him. At the front ranks was his First Captain standing by his Arenwing Squad, wearing ice white Cataphractii armour with golden trim and a purple stripe over his breastplate, a symbol of the Legion he came from. His Equerry Aristotle stood beside him with his bodyguards, Methusla Squad armoured in white artificer armour, with red trim instead of the gold that adorned the rest of his legion. Every left fist was the same red as the Blood Angels but each right fist was painted gold. A twin red and gold stripe streaked across their breastplate as well showing their role as the Consuls bodyguards. Behind his First Captain stood three demi-companies each of white armoured marines. Each was headed by a Captain in the white armour although they bore golden trim along with stripes denoting their heritage as well as their roles.
Behind them stood Rhinos with their engines humming, the occasional growl can be heard from the daemon-posessed engines. Then rows upon rows of Bloodsworn Infantry armed with auto rifles and stubbers while Chimera armoured vehicles stood behind them as well as large transport trucks.
"Brothers, today we go forth over the bodies of our enemies and we will embrace our destiny. We shall crush those who dare stand before us, the Angels Evermore and we will rule this planet the way we should have from the start. On this planet we shall be Warlords and Tyrants alike!" The gathered Marines all cheered as the more bloodthirsty Astartes clanked their weapons upon their breastplates. "To the pursuit of perfection my brothers, this planet will be under our RULE." As one, each member of the force gathered in front of the Consul executed a precise turn including the Terminators of Aernwing and the gathered host began to load themselves onto the various transport vehicles there. In scant moments, the mechanized force began to move onto the highway and make their way towards the southern polar axis.
Sushenge
The Seer held herself against the wall of wraithbone as her vision overtook her. Visions of death, of a great serpent that curled itself around the world as eldar corpses burned. Flames would burst into the air as iron giants stalked through the battlefield. Blood thirsty creatures followed their advance and the thirst of the youngest god could be felt by her so keenly. Then she saw chaos, signs of corruption and burning filling her sights while the giant serpent grew more heads, each head devouring each faction. The serpent grew to spread all around the battlefield even as war still raged before she gasped and almost fell. A green armoured gauntlet reached out and steadied her gently. Seer, are you unwell? The green armoured Aeldari asked as the Seer would reach out and grasp the wraithbone with difficulty. A seat was quickly pulled up by one of the aspect warriors who began to step in closer to hear the conversation. Yes. And No. My body is fine but my mind.. my mind cries. I have had another vision, a vision of death, of corruption. Of a giant serpent. The others around her bowed their heads at her words. We must make preparations now then. Exarch Wyndilel would calmly speak although those who know him could detect the slight tremor of his voice, the excitement of once more wading into battle. The Dire Avengers of Saim-Hann will ready the Starcannon platforms. Exarch Yiliea stated as she strode forward, her shuriken catapult cradled expertly in one arm. Her armour covered her lithe body quite well, lending her a fearsome yet at the same time handsome presence.
The Dark Reapers of the Occunis will light the skies with our firepower. None shall stand. Exarch Iosifine stated, her armour black as the night while her war mask seemed to twist its visage in joy at the incoming war. Glorious battle, we shall once more meet upon the anvil of fate itself Seer. That is a joyous event. Wyndilel almost hissed out, a hand reaching out to caress the handle of the chainblade that has served him well for centuries. The fastest path will never lead you true. A green cloaked figure would state as he stepped silently towards the gathered aspect warriors. A long rifle was slung delicately over his back, the leathery sling holding the weapon to the pathfinder. The outcast is right. An orange armoured warrior stepped out from the crowd. We must consider our position. We cannot simply take the fight to the enemy, we are too few. A golden armoured figure smiled, his warmask off for now. They shall come to us, and we shall present to them their defeat on a plate of doom, cousins. The Shadow Spectre Exarch stated while the Pathfinder looked him with a look of slight melancholy.
I do not doubt that we will triumph. But what is the price of blood that we must pay to reap this harvest? The Ranger would ask while the Seer looked at each one of them. It will not be that simple honoured Exarchs. We must stop them at any cost. Even if it is at the price of every drop of Aeldari blood. We cannot let this piece of the infinity circuit be taken by them. We simply cannot, the souls of our fallen to be harvested like wheat? The Chaos mon'keigh will offer our bounty up to the primordial evil and more of our brethrens souls shall fall to the thirsting beast. No, we must hold. The Seer stated even as she reached up with a finely manicured hand to cup her head. I apologize, these new events have weakened me and my powers. I'm afraid that it will be much more than I had thought and promised to you all. For that, I give my sincerest apologies. The Seer bowed her head slightly as she spoke the last part.
No apology is needed Seer. We of the Aspects must each come to grasp with where our path may end. The importance of this task cannot be measured. We are the only ones capable of stopping the threat on this planet, for if this piece of the Craftworld that had fallen here millennia were to fall into their hands and allow their disgrace to debase and vilify it, then no other Craftworlds will remain safe. The Dire Avenger Exarch stated. The Seer nodded her thanks and looked up through the canopy of leaves and branches. If this is where it must end, then it will be a price she gives willingly. She closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, once again communing with the fates and seeing where each paths may lay.
Golden Wrath
The battle barge had begun its journey finally after retrieving all of its slaves and serfs from the small moon they occupied for the time being, its warp engines burning with the roar of daemons as a path to the warp was opened and the twice-damned ship would speed up through it. "Warsmith, I require a status report." Captain Prephas stated as he stood in the bridge, the mortal serfs slaving away at each aspect of the ships command and control system, each one of the crew knowing the path for failure while the chaos marines stood on the bridge. "Captain, the Ironwights are prepared. We are eager for this, eager to once again display the ironclad loyalties we have sworn to the Consul." Warsmith Gryshun stood at a control console making adjustments to the augers even as he made his reply. "Let it be known Warsmith that the logistical and technical skills of the Ironwights are still as legendary as the Iron Cage itself." The former Blood Angels Captain stated while the Warsmith bowed slightly. "The Consul has made his position known to us, and once we are in orbit over Tythen V, the Oathsworn shall make planet fall in support of the Consul. I believe the Consul wishes for you to deploy your forces to his position as well, although I leave those arrangements to you." The Warsmith smiled inside his helmet at the Captains orders.
"The Ironwights stand prepared, Captain. Has the Consul stated anymore of what is to be done on the planet?" The Iron Warrior asked while his left hand twitched, the servos in it misfiring slightly in his excitement. "There is a great treasure on the planet. Not just the planet itself but a piece of a fallen infinity circuit. There are Eldar spritstones that need to be claimed in the name of Slaanesh. At the same time, that piece of the craftworld holds on board Imperial relics. The craftworld was brought down by a Word Bearer frigate whos Astartes had discovered the craftworld by mistake, the craftworld having been damaged in some previous conflict. The Word Bearers rammed the craftworld and boarded it, destroying it from the inside and sending pieces of both ships down on the planet. This was before the planet itself had been brought under compliance. The disappearance of the frigate was not noticed as soon after we cast off the chains of the false Emperor."
The Warsmith broke into a large smile for a second underneath his helmet. "That means, there will be much prizes to be claimed then?" The Terminator Captain nodded. "And you will be promised your share Warsmith, of that I can guarantee. The Consul is quite fair to each of his Captains." The Warsmith clasped his armoured gauntlet to his silver-grey breastplate. "For the Consul and the Evermore."