Shadow of a Doubt

Chapter 22

As the multitude of transports flew up towards the strike cruiser, Kyreg looked around at the overall structure that had been destroyed as Captain Ikanis and Sergeant Atilius trotted to his side, the XVI Captain had his helmet off and a wolfish grin on his face. The Warhound also had his helmet off but had a more appraising smile to his face instead of the playful one on the Luna Wolf Captain. "This was an excellent assault Commander. Truth be told, I am surprised by the amount of resistance that was put up. No casualties on our end but there are definitely a few body parts that might need to be replaced by augmentics." Ikanis said as he patted Kyreg on the pauldron. Atilius saluted the XX Legion Commander with an armoured gauntlet across his breastplate. "Yes, just hurt pride and wounded limbs. No lives lost, which I am glad for. We were once more than forty, now only eight of the Warhounds remain." Kyreg nodded before looking over the battlefield where the Assault Spear legionnaires as well as the remainder of his Stealth Spear legionnaires were dug into the surrounding areas around the former command station. The wounded were tended to by the apothecaries while those uninjured or still capable of holding their weapons were in cover, their armoured bulk hidden by the craters that was their bunkers right now.

"We have found our prize. There are so many suits of power armour, and we have emptied the vault of all geneseed. As per the wishes of the Ancient ones." He replied as he watched the last shipment of power armour and weapons were sent up to the Strike Cruiser. "The next batch of transport gunships should be for our extraction, I want one trip up, no more than that." The two Legionnaire Officers both nodded while Ikanis took a deep breath in and shook his head. "This planet smells of pollution. Of chemical and metallic discord." Kyreg chortled slightly at the Luna Wolf Captain. "It's a forge world. It is a place where even the water itself is acid and can be used to burnish our armour." Atilius snorted at the words but still nodded in agreement. "Perhaps it is good that we are leaving then." The XVI Captain stopped for a moment and then sighed a little. "Am I a fool for remembering and missing the days where the XVI was the favoured and received the finest armour and weapons that the Mechanicus could produce and get their hands on?" Atilius shook his head. "I too remember those days, where the heavens trembled at our approach. Where planets surrendered only because the XII was in their system and awaited the command to exterminate the planet. I remember when the XII fought always as a Legion, forcing breaches in the enemy lines where the enemy once believed unbreakable." Kyreg smiled at the other Legionnaires words. "Enough reminiscing gentlemen, we have an extraction to pull off." The other two officers nodded and set their helmets back on and trotted off to their respective defensive positions.

Kretis would approach the XX Legion Commander and bowed towards him. "I am glad you kept your word Commander. I have acquired sufficient resources for what I need to do." Behind him could be seen six servitors he had repurposed from the basement vault each carrying a massive grav lift filled with different kinds of mineral crates and boxes. Kyreg nodded at the tech adept and gestured towards a single Stormbird that had landed close to where the Commander was. "You can bring your servitors on board that, adept. You will be escorted by a squad of my troops." The tech rogue smiled and bowed in thanks to the legionnaire. "You surprise me Commander. You could take this planet if you wished to, and have an entire forge world enslaved to your will. Yet you choose not to." Kyreg looked at the tech adept and tilted his head, as if to ask the rogue tech priest what his point was.

"Why do you not Commander? After the assault on Marauder Station, you could have installed yourself as the new ruler. I highly doubt that the Magos could have done anything after most of his gun servitor troops were destroyed by the Chaos incursion." Kretis seemed to pause questioningly, unsure if he should proceed with the question. Kyreg sighed softly and then laughed a little. "Install myself as the ruler of Marauder Station; for what purpose? So that I may rule over a small meaningless domain and hide from my enemies in the fringes, my only use to be of a rest stop of sorts and repair station for renegades, traitors and xenos alike? I think not adept. We are not mortals, nor do we think the way mortals do. We exist to serve the Emperor's Will. No more, no less." Kretis took these words in and made a few beeps in machine code, activating the servitors who began to haul his metals on board the transport gunship before bowing once again to the XX Legionnaire. "You are truly one of the most unique characters I have met Commander." Kyreg snorted a little bit while Kretis held a hand up. "Truly Commander, I do not know of any who would hold back such as you have done on a planet that is ripe for the picking. Certainly not even within the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes could some Commanders resist the temptation to take over a planet for their own chapter."

Kyreg looked at the adept with a small smile. "Is that not why half the Legion fell and turned their guns towards their own brothers, because of the temptation of such power that flooded their own brains with thoughts and dreams of boons undeserved and ill placed amongst the ranks of warriors? Where warriors think to become rulers, the warriors have only one method; to dispose of the ruler. That is when the warrior ceases to become a warrior and casts off his oaths and his bonds to become renegade." Kretis nodded and bowed again. "You are most enlightening, Commander." The adept stated with respect in his voice before boarding the transport ship, which rose from the ground and began to fly back towards the strike cruiser. Kyreg looked up and sighed a little, before placing the helmet back on his head. He could not lie and say that he was not tempted by the idea of running a space station as its king. He had enough troops, both Astartes and mortal to make it happen. However every time he thinks of these thoughts, he thinks of the day where brothers fired upon brothers and he is reminded of the price that must be paid when Legions thought to rule.

Along the side of the bridge stood the Lupi Titania, where Catriona stood unhelmed, although her helmet was clipped to her belt while the other Sisters all stood with their blades sheathed but their bolters held in hand. Catriona had her bolter clipped to her right side within easy reach to draw it quickly should she need to. She raised her head slightly as she shot a look to the Commander who nodded and walked over with his helmet off as well. "What can I do for you Sister?" He would ask with a nod of acknowledgement to the others Sisters of Silence.

"You left us here while you went to battle. I would know the reason why." The armoured Olivion Knight would respond as she tilted her head up a little with slight indignation. Kyreg thought about her question for a moment. "Simply put, it was because I needed someone on board to defend the ship. It was the Lupi Titania and Taleon who remained behind, and may I remind you that Taleon contains the last of our Terminator veterans so you were not held in low esteem in such a tasking." Catriona seemed much more mollified with that answer and bowed her head, her massive topknot cresting behind her as she bowed towards the Commander. "Very well then Commander, I simply request that we not be just left behind without explanation. We take our duties extremely seriously and I shall not have my Sisters and I standing around a bridge wondering where our role shall be." Kyreg nodded and smiled slightly. "I will ensure better communication in the future." Catriona nodded with a slight sniff, before tilting her head to look over at one of the map displays projected on the bridge itself. "Tell me Commander, did we gain what we were looking for here?" Kyreg looked at the map that the Sister of Silence had her eyes on and nodded. "It was an important objective. If we are to grow with strength then we must have the necessary tools for it. A task that must be done, although it was held by the Mechanicus which means that I will not have to explain their slaughter to the Emperor."

Catriona seemed a bit surprised at his words. "I thought the Mechanicus saw the Emperor as the Omnissiah." Kyreg snorted at her reply. "Of course they do. That's why they venerate the Emperor and do whatever it is that they wish to do in order to collect more information or technology. No, Mars is for themselves. It just so happens that they require Terra to survive as well, while Terra needs Mars to supply its armies with weapons and warships. It is a relationship that is made more palatable by having the Martians claim the Emperor as their God. You have seen how the Emperor punishes those who worship him as a God." Catriona nodded, she had heard rumours about what had happened to the Urizen and she knew that her Sisters had been there with weapons at the ready should the Word Bearers have not yielded in that moment. The sanction had been an utter ultimatum given to Lorgar and his sons by the Emperor.

"Yes. I see why you have hold such distaste of them. I of course care not for their existence but it made me curious Commander. Do not underestimate me, should I find you wanting I will fulfil my duty to the Emperor as well." The Sisters of Silence had always been used as executioners by the Emperor during the Great Crusade, which is why an entire regiment was always kept beside him in case and were used anytime there was the threat of an enemy psyker that could throw a battlefield into disarray. They of course always acted his will upon his enemies and killed those who moments before had been allies. Kyreg laughed without malice as he shook his head. "I expect nothing less Catriona. Of course, I did not expect the famed Sisters of Silence to be so similar to the Wolves of Fenris." The female officer snorted before gesturing for the other Sisters to follow her while she would move to stand behind him and to the left. The other Sisters formed around her while Kyreg looked at them with a puzzled smile on his face before heading out of the bridge and towards the section of the ship sequestered for use by the tech marines as well as other adepts.

The double doors slid open as Centurion Maygis stood there with his arms crossed, his assistants who made up the pilots of the various vessels on board the Kilo Zeta guiding various servitors to different stations where weapons as well as power armour was being suited up. The double doors were guarded by four Initiates who wore the small insignia of the XX on their collar gorget wielding combat shotguns. Each Initiate all saluted the Commander, Kyreg acknowledging their fists slammed against their carapace breastplates with a nod of thanks before he stepped into the doorway. Maygis would turn around and held up his hands high towards the Commander. "Finally Commander, you truly bring me gifts instead of more damage to the relics you wear. I can almost say today that I am glad to be under your command." Kyreg snorted slightly. "Your sarcasm does you credit Centurion. I am shocked that your ability to express emotion has not yet been replaced by a data chip or something." Maygis sighed as he shook his head and gestured towards all the equipment being offloaded from the Thunderhawks, precious metals needed to produce ammunition as well as weapons of differing degrees and of course, the power armour itself. The power armour was guarded by the Initiates who seemed to be supervised by Sergeant Lefias who stood in his power armour instead of the Terminator armour he usually was found in. Taleon squad was there with their heavy weapons and moving the Initiates around to best defend the power armour that was being loaded into secured holding tanks. Some armour was indeed already painted in the colours of the Legion they were meant for, while most were blank, their only colour the dull steel grey of the armour.

"So tell me, how many suits of armour were there?" Kyreg asked as he looked at the servitors who were off loading and moving them into the appropriate sections. "Well Commander, consider ourselves lucky. We gained access to ninety suits of painted armour, and more than three hundred suits of unpainted. Not all are in perfect working conditions and require some level of maintenance and repair, but it seemed that the painted suits of armour were meant for Sergeants or veteran units. They are quite gilded in different manners. While the unpainted suits are Mark III power armour, the painted suits of armour are all Maximus pattern armour. Of course those meant for XX use will require my modifications." Kyreg nodded and looked at the suits of armour still being loaded. "I wish for this Centurion. One suit in each Legion colour will be put together as a monument. A monument to brotherhood that was once shared by the entire Legios Astartes, and this monument will be placed in the Strike Cruiser's chapel. The rest, please consult the appropriate Legion officers for what should be done with the suits of armour painted in their colours." Maygis nodded in appreciation, a monument made up of the painted armour from before Horus threw his lot in with Chaos. It was something that was necessary, a reminder to those on the strike cruiser that millennia ago, every Legionnaire swore an oath to the Emperor and this will be the reminder of the oath.

"What about weapons then Centurion? And ammunition?" Maygis would pick up a data slate that rested on a massive pile made up of various crates containing everything from ore to weapons to ammunition. "They are still being inventoried. So far, we have found quite a bit of bolters, bolt pistols, and a few heavy weapons. Relic weapons are still being discovered as we go. Ammunition is plentiful, but most of it is not ammunition that we use. They are simple conventional bolt rounds that I believe our brothers in the assault spear can make use of. Unless you wish them to fire specialist ammunition as well?" "Keep half of it stored as regular ammunition. I'm sure someone on board will use it, whether it is a brother Legionnaire or one of the Sisters here. Cainite rounds and Kraken rounds are still held as priority production items." Maygis would nod again before gesturing over towards the processed minerals brought on board. "With those, I can produce more of our own ammunition supplies as well as accessories and repair items for our weapons. Those weapons that are being seized, I wish for a chance to examine them further and modify them. I believe that I can produce more customized weapons for our strike teams to use. Of course it also means that we do not require wasting resources to produce our own patterns of bolters from the grounds up, rather I already have a base built in."

Kyreg nodded and looked over at the Initiates that were being used to assist the armoury as well. "I wish for the Mark III suits to be painted. Paint only the amount of Initiates that we currently have, the Mark IVs we shall leave for the other Legions to decide. However I want them all modified. Backpacks on the Mark III suits need to be more efficient. Of course the Mark IV's painted in XX colours require the usual battery of camouflage technology and hologram displays all over the actual armour itself." The tech marine nodded and gestured to where Kretis was with some servitors who were now offloading various metals and ingots onto machines and tooling sets. "I foresee some interesting developments from the tech adept. Did you know that he was once in charge of weapons development until he tried to make use of xenos tech and that was when he went on the run from Mars?" Kyreg nodded slightly. "I assumed that for a tech adept to be declared heretek, it must be because he tried to do something new." Maygis gestured towards the small changes on Kyreg's power armour. "That is because our Genefathers, for all their crimes, they understood one clear thing. If the technology works and can be used to turn the battle in our favour, then let it be so. Let us adapt it, use it and shape it to our image. However Mars will always remain in the dark and it will never progress, only deter the advancement of humanity."

The strike cruiser began to make towards the closest warp jump point, their prize secure, the strike force returned to their original objective, the traitor Mikhail. The tracker was still active and it was to be found on a most unlikely place. "Commander, the tracker was found, the beacon is still active. It stopped at a civilian space station and then moved further towards the Eye of Terror." The vox message was sent by Catriona who stayed on the bridge and sent the report when the signal was re-discovered.

"Any specific planet it's heading towards?" Kyreg responded. "It seems like a death world. Teletyr II. Declared death world due to the massive jungles that cover the entire planet. Tactical data suggests that due to the thick foliage all around, landing with assault craft may not be possible." Kyreg sighed softly and gave the order. "Pursue. Attempt to intercept if possible. If we absolutely have to, we will deploy a small team on the planet, a hunter killer team."

The order was relayed rapidly, the serfs on board changing course and adjusting the engine speeds. Kyreg returned to his own quarters where he would carefully set his helmet down on the Spartan desk there and sat on the bed that was there. He closed his eyes again, letting his mind wander and his brain slowly shut down a little bit at a time before sleep finally overtook him.

Compliance 2293785

The sound of the heavy weapons being fired finally roused the defenders even as the massive cannons of the Imperial Auxilia liquefied enemy positions and turned bunkers into burning wrecks. The brave men and women of the 566th Imperial Army regiment advanced through the sandstorm, their greatcoats clutched tightly around them even as they advanced with bayonets drawn. The dark green uniformed soldiers didn't advance with clear objectives, only that they were advancing towards the enemy. The defenders began to fire back, hundreds of thousands of solid slug rounds flying through the air and hitting flesh and bone as hundreds of 566th troopers fell to the ground dead but still they kept coming. From the north side came the 1019th Khitoffen Rifles in their trade mark spiked helmets and long spear like bayonets on the ends of their las rifles, their advance held by an officer in a gold trimmed cloak who awaited the signal from the voxcaster.

The defenders fired back even as more of their positions were liquefied, until a flight of jets flew over and the guns were silenced by multiple rockets striking into the artillery line. Even as lines of anti-aircraft fire flew into the air, it was already too late. The Commander of the 566th could only grit his teeth as he ordered the advance forward some more, his power saber in one hand and a large ornate bolt pistol in the other. Around him, more of his men died, felled by the large calibre solid slug rounds that the enemy favoured. The air was acrid with the tang of gunpowder and the sweet smell of death; this was the 4th attack. The General ordering the assault had no illusions about what would happen if this attack failed, it would mean the end of his command career and so more than fifty thousand men had been marshalled for this assault on the planet, this was the bridgehead that they needed to take and it needed to be done now.

The signal was finally given and the 1019th Khitoffen Rifles began their charge with their bayonets fixed. Over ten thousand infantrymen began their attack towards the enemy positions, the hope that more men thrown into the flames would drown the fires at some point. Even as the 1019th attacked, the soldiers of the 566th could only duck and crawl in the sands, using the bodies of their dead comrades as the only cover they could find. They began to fire back, their las rifles blasting thin ruby beams into the enemy positions but they were stuck in the open with no cover.

As the 1019th got into range, the defenders opened up on them as well, with long barreled auto cannons sending large calibre shells into the ranks of the charging soldiers, bodies flying as shells detonated amongst the tightly packed ranks. It was a slaughter but the men of the 1019th grit their teeth and continued the advance until they at last got within one hundred meters of the enemy position. By then there were only a few hundred of them left and they used the same tactics as the 566th. Hunkered down behind the dark grey uniformed bodies that cluttered the sands around them, they could only fire back with their las rifles with the occasional rocket that was launched towards the enemy positions. The 566th Commander asked for support over the radio, for artillery or air strikes to bolster his position. The reply came back was to succeed or die. Cursing the name of the General, the officer was about to disobey orders when the enemy positions began exploding, detonating as various caches of ammunition exploded and starved the enemy heavy guns of any ammunition or really, any personnel to man them.

Sergeant Kyreg looked out with satisfaction from within the dust covered interior of the city, on top of the Kings palace. Behind him lay corpses, soldiers in black uniforms and silver trimming that littered the rooftop, his power sword still dripping blood as he turned and went back downstairs. The detonator in his hand was quickly crushed and disposed of as he made his way downstairs with his bolter in hand. The bottom of the staircase was covered with gore and more bodies, with bolt round craters in the walls and all along the staircase itself. The King sat along in his throne room, his advisors and his guards all slaughtered in a brutal fury, but the King still sat with royal dignity as he looked at the Astarte who walked in.

"Are you not finished killing my people, foreign warrior? Will you not even grant me the dignity to die as a King?" Kyreg looked at the man and looked away for a moment as he looked at the King's family, cowering in their seats at the long table in front of the throne. "Tell me why you came here, why you have brought such ruin to my people, why you have killed my men, good loyal men who served me until their dying breath, brought low by a killer like you." Kyreg ignored his words as he waited, his mind calculating the precise seconds before he would pull the detonator from his armour and triggered it.

The enemy positions exploded as charges dug deep into the sand detonated and sent sand flying everywhere like lethal shrapnel, the carefully dug enemy trenches disappearing as the sand flooded over the flak boards used to keep the trenches open, killing many and burying many alive. At the same time, the large gates all around the city itself detonated, shaped charges cutting through chains and locking mechanisms to send the pieces of the gates crashing down onto the sand covered entrances. The King looked out from his throne room and saw the walls of his city crumble, his fists clenched together in helplessness and rage. "Why do you do these things? What have we ever done to you?" Kyreg turned and put a single bolt round into the King, the mass reactive bolter round detonating inside the King's ribcage and sending his corpse sprawling onto the floor. As the King died, his wife hurried to his side sobbing while his children cried and screamed, Kyreg paying them no mind as he gunned them down as well in precise bursts of his bolter before stalking off out of the palace, walking past corpses of guards and servants. No witnesses. Some bore deep stab marks in their vital organs, while others had bolter craters in their torsos, all mercilessly cut down with precise blade and bolter. A few others however, had white foam around their lips, their bodies twisted from the effects of the poison that had been distributed into the kitchen much earlier, Kyreg uncaring how the city state was paralyzed.

He would exit the palace, before reaching the flag pole where the blue and green flag of the city state was and lowered it, replacing it with a carefully folded up flag that held the Emperors Aquila over it, raising the Aquila high above the city state where everyone can see. Even the remaining defenders saw, and they began to surrender. The 566th advanced through the city gates along with the 1019th, less than a thousand of them remaining after the massive fight outside. Behind them advanced the command vehicles, the General smirking as he saw his promotion imminent as he had managed to take the city state. Large numbers of the Imperial Army soldiers were marshalling prisoners off to one side when from within the city gates walked out a single figure, a dusk blue armoured Astarte with blood and ash black burn marks all over his armour, walking forward slowly. They began to kneel one by one as one of the Emperors chosen walked past them, no doubt in the mortals mind at all of who was the cause of their victory. The General got out of his vehicle and saluted the figure, a large arrogant smile on his face.

"Ah Lord Astarte, I thank you for your assistance, although it was not required. My battle plan would have had the city in our grasp by nightfall. However you are more than welcome to be part of the victory parade I intend to hold in this city, so that every man, woman and child in this place shall know of the Emperors glory." The General held a fist in the air as he spoke, as if he was posing for a camera of some sort.

Kyreg looked at him for a moment before drawing his bolt pistol. "This was not the Emperors wishes. The Emperor would not wish for you to expend the lives of your entire army just to take one single city state. This was a catastrophe." The General was unsure of what to do or say, his honour guard hesitating right before Kyreg raised the bolt pistol and fired, the generals body falling to the ground as the brass shell was ejected from the bolt pistol. They looked at him in shock, and none dared to raise their weapon. 'The Emperor expects better than this. The Emperor expects victory, not a slaughter." He would begin to stalk away, walking past the kneeling soldiers towards where a single Stormeagle was landing, painted in the colours of dusk blue.

"Commander, we have the targets position." The vox message woke him up, Kyreg rising back up into wakefulness with the practiced ease of a veteran and acknowledged the message. "How long until we get to strike distance?" The reply came back swiftly, Centurion Maygis having returned to the bridge in order to command the pursuit. "The target has landed on planet, we will be in orbit to launch drop pods in one hour."

Kyreg was about to reply when the alert rang through the entire ship. "Multiple war entries, reading, Emperor protect us… multiple Word Bearer ships. At least three battle barges and five strike cruisers." Kyreg ran towards the bridge, sprinting even as he could hear orders for weapon systems to be powered up. "Full torpedo spread, fire all weapon platforms." Kyreg entered the bridge just in time to see a series of torpedoes strike against the shield of the Kilo Zeta. "We will only last at most fifteen minutes in this scenario, Commander." Maygis replied dryly, calm even as he saw more torpedoes incoming towards the ship. A loud click of power armour boots behind him informed him of the Lupi Titania's presence. "Order a retreat Centurion. And ready a single drop pod." Kyreg was about to turn when Maygis grabbed his arm and prevented him from leaving. "What is your intention Commander."

"My intention is to strike our target. And you are to take the ship and retreat, and repair the ship." Maygis paused before taking his hand away. "One drop pod, ready it." As Kyreg turned and began sprinting towards the drop pod, the Oblivion Knight followed him, sprinting at his heels. He turned his head and acknowledged their assistance before jumping into a drop pod and strapping himself in. The Sisters of Silence around him all did the same, their bolters held at the ready. The drop pod door was opened, and Kyreg looked up to see Sergeant Rythor and Sergeant Lefias who grunted at him. "You sure you want to do this Kyreg? We may not be able to return for you." Rythor asked even as he dumped crates of bolter ammunition down on the floor of the drop pod. "In my absence, Centurion Maygis is to be in charge. Make sure that is known." Rythor nodded while Lefias looked at the Commander and saluted him, his power armoured fist slammed against his breastplate. "May your Harrow be merciless." Kyreg returned the salute as Rythor shut the drop pod door, the Sisters around him reaching down and grabbing more ammunition even as the accelerator activated and the drop pod was fired down into the planet. Kyreg could still hear the orders given by Maygis, who ordered the bombardment cannon fired and the ship to give full energy to the engines. He closed his eyes as he felt the turbulence and he could make out the Kilo Zeta blow past the Word bearer's ships as the drop pod seared through the atmosphere and flew down towards the jungle canopies.

With a loud thud, the pod landed after punching a hole through the massive canopy of the thick jungle, landing next to a small settlement. The people who lived there looked out with curiosity at the drop pod, many grabbing rifles and the like and began heading towards it.

The doors opened, the firing mechanisms sending them tumbling onto the ground as Kyreg got out with his bolt rifle raised, the Sisters exiting behind him. As his autofocus adjusted itself, he could see the few dozen humans staring at him, a few with simple rifles that looked at him with puzzlement.