Instantly, as if Casdin had uttered an unforgivable heresy, Dawn levelled her sniper at his head. She knew she had seen him before. Those penetrating brown eyes, stared out from the Old Brotherhood photos. Of course, "Traitor" had been scribbled over his face but the similarity was unmistakeable.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger you back stabbing bastard."
Casdin backed off slightly, conscious that he was staring down the barrel at an armour piercing .308 bullet.
"Am I missing something here?" interjected the initiate.
"Say hello to Brotherhood Outcast Henry Casdin, public enemy number one."
"You can call me Cas." He extended his hand to try and shake the initiates but was warded off by Dawn's sniper rifle
"One reason Casdin."
"Well I could tell you why you're definitely not going to shoot me." He stumbled backwards. Dawn wasn't sure whether it was the unidentified limp or simply because he was struggling for words and time.
"Humour me." Both Knight Captain and Initiate advanced on him, leaving the shelter that the Citadel gate offered.
"Well you see. I'm guessing, and this is only a guess, that your power armour is pretty old right?" Silence ensued as all three figures moved away from the Citadel Gate enabling the rain to resume its attack.
"Well old power armour needs repairing, especially the components around the joints. So you probably fixed them and didn't replace the fiddly metal shielding between the armour plating. I mean there's no way a bullet or even a laser blast could fit through there."
Casdin finally stopped his retreat a smug smile spread across his face. "But water can."
Right on cue wisps of smoke snaked from the gaps in between their power armour. With a horrible grinding sound the well oiled joints seized up, turning their inhabitants into human statues.
"Shit I can't move!" Shrieked the initiate, his boundless enthusiasm gone.
Swiftly, Casdin ducked under the sniper barrel and in one fluid movement grabbed the laser pistol from the Knight Captain's holster. Experience told him that it would take the Sentry Bot a fraction of a second to power up its minigun but that was all he needed. Before the bot could get a lock on he jammed the laser pistol in between the helmet and armour of Knight Captain Dawn.
"Command?" the bot hesitated, realising a friendly was in harms way.
"Call off your friend," ordered Casdin.
The initiate continued to reel off expletive after expletive but Dawn remained silent. She knew panic meant death and even sealed within her power armour tomb her brain was trying to calculate the possibilities. Unfortunately, Casdin had been through the same training and had sealed all the exits.
"You're well and truly cornered I'm afraid," still she did not respond and for a second Casdin thought her arrogance would be the death of them all. He tried a different tack, noticing the rank etched on her shoulder. "You're a decorated hero. I don't think you want to be killed by your own sentry bot."
"Command?"
Grudgingly, Dawn ordered the Sentry Bot to stand down. "Deactivation code 109856."
"Good decision." Casdin lowered his newly required laser pistol and walked past the sentry bot, blasting the targeting chip when he was close enough.
Knight captain Dawn tried to salvage some pride. "There's no way you'll get into the Citadel Casdin."
"We'll see," and with that he pressed the intercom and kindly informed them he had two very willing hostages.
***
By the time reinforcements arrived the rain had lessened to a light shower. Maintaining regulation search tactics the expedition force fanned out, creating a gradually expanding semi circle that protected the gate.
Eventually, they found the supposed hostages and it was definitely a sight to remember. Clearly, their power armour had locked up after the recent downpour but that wasn't the reason for the humiliation. Their unarmed assailant had manoeuvred them both into ballet positions, the initiate with his arms pointed to the sky and Knight Captain Dawn on one leg.
After the hearty guffaws of laughter subsided, they were able to hear the Knight Captain's crazed warnings about a man called Henry Casdin. Most of them ignored her. Dawn was notoriously arrogant and no doubt she was trying to protect what was left of her pride. Besides, there was no way that anyone could have entered the Citadel and even if they did the endless corridors and patrols would defeat them. Only someone who had spent years on the inside would have a slim chance.
With that in mind they broke rank, surrounding the unfortunate Knight Captain like a pack of laughing hyenas. Not a single one of them noticed the faint ripple as a stealth camouflaged Casdin slipped into the Citadel.
