Tales of the Amber Viper Chapter 384
Serpens Rex returned to Dimmamar with stately majesty, drifting into high orbit without fanfare. Missives from the Confederation of Light were ignored while demands for explanations of the recent battle went unanswered. The Amber Vipers were more concerned with cleaning up the battle. Shuttles swept the scene, surveyors sweeping for boarding torpedoes missed by the Revenge, unexploded munitions were destroyed before they could endanger the Starfort and a few stray Brothers were plucked from the void, having thrown themselves into space when they could not reach the extraction point.
While this went on the Lamentantor was brought near. The Chapter-Barque had suffered greatly, her crew much diminished. Dead bodies were ejected in streams from airlocks and sparking fusion-torches across the hull spoke of teams despatched to patch up the gashes in her armour. She was battered but not broken, yet fit to fight for a worthy cause.
"You're sure about this?" Ferrac asked.
"There is no other way," Coluber asserted, "We cannot claim that ship."
Reddam sighed, "A shame, the Chapter could do with a second capital ship."
"It just rubs against the grain," Ferrac concurred, "Giving away war material."
The trio were on an observation deck of the Widdershins quadrant, looking out to the stars. All of them were scored by battle, their wounds many and yet their pride had never been greater. Coluber was pleased to see his decision to stay and fight had been right. Despite the loss of a score of Brothers the Amber Vipers had gained something of far greater value than bolt shells and bombs. The solemn pride in doing their duty, the hallmark of all loyal Astartes, was theirs at last. Today the Amber Vipers could truly claim to stand equal to any Chapter in the galaxy.
Coluber proclaimed, "We have a duty, to defend the Emperor's domains. Nihilus is still part of the Imperium and it must be defended. Our mission was to strengthen the armies of man, we would be failing in our duty to leave this half of the galaxy weaker than when we arrived. Lamentantor stays here."
"Not the only thing we leave behind," Reddam sighed.
That cut deep. Shrios, their Chief Apothecary had laid down his life in service to the Chapter. Coluber felt the loss like a wound to the hearts, a deep and abiding ache that would never heal. Shrios had been with them since the beginning, to continue on without him was a harrowing thought. Bitter and snide, but loyal and true. Coluber had lost a good friend this day.
"Shrios will be honoured," Coluber declared, "None were more leal than he."
"Hard to like," Ferrac agreed, "But loyal to the core."
"His skills will be missed," Reddam concurred, "Without him I'm not sure any of his sawbones have the genius to effect the Primaris paradigm."
Coluber frowned, "He trained the Apothecaries himself, they will figure it out."
"And always moaned they were imbeciles in white armour," Ferrac pointed out, "Do any of them have the wit to be a Chief Apothecary?"
"Someone will rise to the occasion, we must be patient," Coluber affirmed.
Ferrac looked concerned, "You do realise that with his passing the Old Seventeen are down to single digits?"
"I know," Coluber whispered, "We grow fewer and fewer, soon the last of us will be gone, but there is yet time to temper the Amber Vipers further."
"I wonder who it will be?" Ferrac mused.
"Who what?" Coluber started.
"The last of the Old Seventeen to die?"
"Bet you a bolt clip it's you!" Reddam scoffed.
"Ha, you're on. I plan to die this year if possible!"
"You die first, I'll gladly hand over the bet."
"I can't wait to see your face when I win!" Ferrac crowed.
Reddam and Coluber shared an amused glance, both wondering when Ferrac would spot the flaw in his logic. It seemed the Battle-Captain would not, so with a wry smile Coluber led them from the gallery. Into the Serpens Rex they headed, passing busy chattels about their business. The Starfort was frenetic with activity, supplies and munitions being readied but Coluber left them to it. He had more important matters to oversee.
Half an hour's walk brought them to an ante-chamber, guarded by Hasak. The last Brother-Exemplar stood guard, terse as always. Coluber stepped past into a waiting room, with tarnished furnishings and void-frosted paintings of imperious nobles, and a large wooden door on the far side, sealed tight. Coluber didn't know who they were or what purpose the ancient owners of the Nest put this room to, but it served to house two visitors.
The first was O'leia, the mortal commander of the Auxilla. She had survived Lamentantor's last fight, and looked irate at being summoned so. The other was Korinthus, Sacredos of the Blood Talons. The Amber Vipers had been most surprised to find him adrift in the void, armour bleating a vox-beacon. No others had they recovered, not from space or Naglfar. As far as Coluber could tell, Korinthus was the last of his Chapter.
"There you are!" O'leia spat, "I demand to know why you have dragged me here!"
"There are matters that must be discussed," Coluber explained.
"Explain?!" Korinthus growled as he clenched his rod of office tight, "Explain why you dishonoured me so, before I remove your head!"
"Don't threaten Coluber in front of me," Ferrac growled.
"Seriously, don't," Reddam advised.
Coluber ignored that, "Korinthus, you seem upset."
The Sacredos snarled, "You insult me! I was dead, lost in the void. A death as fine as I could expect. You ruined it, you brought me back to life! To what, to find my Blood destroyed, my Brothers expunged?! I am a lingering shade, without cause or kin. This sham existence is not worthy of being calling life. What can I achieve alone? My death will be inconsequential."
"Maybe, maybe not," Coluber said as he waved towards the door. Hasak entered, bearing a casket. In his arms it sat, squat and square, an ancient reliquary scrounged from somewhere in the Nest. He set it down and stepped back, as Coluber kicked it open with a boot. All looked within and Korinthus gasped at the object within. An ornate goblet, heavy and bound by arcane mechanisms.
"The Black Chalice!" Korinthus exclaimed, "Where, how?!"
O'leia spat, "You did steal it!"
"We did not," Reddam barked, "One of my squad claims they snatched it off a dying Space Wolf."
"But how did they get onto Lamentantor to steal it?"
"Unknown," Coluber sniffed, "But Nihilus abounds with mysteries and they were Chaos-tainted. The impossible is a regular occurrence in these times."
O'leia glared, "I don't buy this."
But Reddam countered, "I trust my Marines implicitly."
"It matters not how," Korinthus breathed, "This is a miracle."
The Sacredos stooped and took up the relic, holding it in gentle hands. He stroked the engravings like a lover, tender and attentive. His handsome face shone with pride and his eyes misted over. Never had he resembled his Primarch more, and Coluber was moved by the awe he displayed.
"I must board Naglfar," Korinthus declared.
"What, why?" Coluber uttered.
"Aronyx's corpse remains, the memories of Regnator's past are with him. They must be preserved. I must make a pilgrimage to his last battlefield and claim his memories."
"You want to eat his brain?" Reddam gulped.
"It is our tradition," Korinthus explained.
"Actually, you might want to give that honour to another," Coluber cut in.
"Other, what other?" Korinthus blinked.
Coluber turned to the far doors and sent a vox-pulse. The wide doors swung inwards, revealing a vast mustering yard beyond. They emerged onto a high balcony, gazing over a cavern in the Serpens Rex. Air-exchangers thrummed above as they cleared fumes and servitors plodded to and fro, hauling anointing oils. All this paled though compared to the ranks of Transhuman giants standing in rigid lines. Ten by ten they stood, Companies arranged in parade formation. Ten Companies, forming one thousand Space Marines. Each of them bore an upright bolt rifle, and their armour was Mark X, Primaris Marines, but in the colours of red and black and their shoulders bore the icon of the Blood Talons.
Among the ranks proud banners flew, embroidered with images of the noble Sanguinius, standards sown at the dawn of the Imperium and held in stasis for ten millennia. Intercessors stood proud, their colours gleaming. Aggressors loomed over them, heavy weapons oiled to perfection. Inceptors stood in wider spaced rows, jump packs demanding more space. Reivers managed to stand in something resembling formation, while Hellblasters cradled early-examples of Cawl's new plasma rifles. Officers held their heads high, Bladeguard Champions bore naked blades and all of them, every single one, was gazing up at the stunned Sacredos. The expectation in their eyes was heavy indeed, enough to snatch a mortal's breath away.
"What have you done?!" Korinthus gasped.
"Fulfilled my mission," Coluber explained, "I was sent to retrieve armies of new-generation Space Marines, for the defence of the Imperium. A thousand from each loyal bloodline did we unearth and these are those who bare Sanguinius' gene-codes. A thousand of his Blood, ready, willing and able to fight for the Emperor's realm."
Along the balcony Kerubim approached, his bearing vexed, "All is ready, the cryo-decanting was flawless, but I must protest this action."
"As you will, but this is my order," Coluber stated.
"Archmagos Cawl and the Imperial Regent were clear, the Primaris were meant for the Indomitus Crusade!"
Coluber glared back, "They were meant for the Imperium, and Nihilus is yet part of that realm. I will not leave these troubled expanses undefended. The Blood Talons fought the horrors abroad among the stars, and they shall continue to do so in a new form. They have Primaris Marines and Repulsors, they have Lamentantor, gunships, munitions, we even found some stray jetbikes they can have. Nihilus will be well defended."
"The Regent will be error-shunt-abort over this," Kerubim muttered.
"Let him be," Coluber dismissed, "I am not a servitor, to be expected to follow mindlessly. I judge the need is greater here, and so I shall act as I see fit. He can have eight thousand Primaris, and be glad of it."
Korinthus looked stunned, "This... this is... what is this?"
"We can't possibly fit them in Lamentantor," O'leia gulped, "Not a thousand."
"You can make room, it's a big ship," Ferrac snorted.
Coluber pressed the point, "Your Brotherhood died fighting Skoll, but they deserved to be remembered. These warriors can be their legacy, a proud band, carrying their name and fighting in their honour. You can be with them, not the last of the old Blood Talons, but first of the new."
"You want me to lead them?" Korinthus breathed, "I am a Sacredos, it is my place to uphold the rites and traditions, not plan strategy and command bloody charges."
"They have officers of their own for that," Kerubim explained, "Trained in the old ways, when the Imperium was young."
"What they do not have is someone to teach them who they are, to impress upon them the sacred mysteries of your Chapter," Coluber encouraged.
Korinthus' perfect brow furrowed, "They bear Sanguinius' gene-line, but they are not Blood Talons."
"They could be, with you to induct them into their war-doctrines, philosophies and practices."
Korinthus' eyes became distant, "A new Brotherhood, to honour the passing of the old. My Regnator has passed, all my kindred, they earned the title Angels of Death. But do the mysteries not tell that death is but a part of life? The old must pass away to make way for the new, it is the duty of every Brother to die beautifully, and so become a legend to inspire the next generation. I could do this; I could make these callow youths into Blood Talons."
Coluber smiled as the Sacredos accepted his new kin and whispered, "It would be a beautiful life."