Chapter VIII

Behind a white portal, covered with golden floral motives, lay the hallway on which the cultists had barricaded themselves. According to the Captain, the hallway led to the conference room, where they expected the remaining xenos were guarding the planets nobility. The three Acolytes and Captain Pericles, with eight of his men, had come up the stairs, now studying the findings of a motion tracker on the screen, fastened at the Captain's arm. The conference room was to be a huge circular room, where the Lord Governor usually held audiences and welcomed guests. About two hundred signatures crowded the center, surrounded by a ring of nineteen individuals. On the hallway itself were only five men, separated from the room by another portal.

"We somehow need to kill those five without alerting anyone else inside." Mandrake whispered, running a few fingers over his chin.

Captain Pericles had an idea. "We have enough silent weapons; all we require is exact timing and perfect aim."

Jane nodded; well lined up shots could take them out before the cultists had time to react, and she looked up at the Captain, who was now wearing his helmet again. "And then? There are at least nineteen cultists we would have to take out, and they have hostages."

"It won't be possible to retake the conference room without collateral damage." He answered with a clinical tone. "I trust you still have some of the blind grenades, Lady Nazahah has issued." Naturally Pericles knew about their equipment; he had authorized it and had placed his guard's weaponry at their disposal.

"We have five left." Seth answered, putting a sound suppressor onto his pistol's barrel. As quiet as a las weapon could be, his Hell Pistol was still a very audible variation, and he wasn't about to take a risk.

"Enough to blind everyone in the room." With gesture, Captain Pericles called three of his men, who laid their large body-covering shields aside, walk up to take their place in front of the door. During the next minute, they adjusted their aim, five sound suppressor barrels pointed at the door. Pericles checked the motion tracker one last time, before he and Mandrake opened the portal. The line of fire was free, the five cultists turned around surprised and confused, trying to raise their guns, one opened his mouth to shout, less than a second before each was killed by a precise las round. They collapsed, smoke emerging from the exit wounds. Five black spots now dotted the door to the conference room.

The group advanced to said door, Pericles returning to examine the monitor. "No movement." He said to Jane's relieve. "Two groups each will circle around one side after the grenades hit. Two of my men shall remain here to keep anything or anyone from escaping."

"Understood." Mandraked replied, while the Captain divided his men. "Pravin will join your group, if you don't mind."

He looked at her; at least that's what it looked like with his helmet on. Jane couldn't say that she liked it, being examined like this, and so she replied with a cold stare. "No objections." Pericles said.

The two door wings swung open, followed by five blind grenades, flying through the air, the entire room suddenly filled by bright light, and outcries of nobles and cultists alike. The hybrids fired randomly, probably hoping to hit something, and indeed some rounds found the crouching people at the center. Mandrake led Seth and three guards to the left, cutting down four still blinded cultists, Pericles leading the rest to the right, killing another three, before fire was returned. The advance slowed down, each squad now covered by the silver shields. While Jane stayed behind this wall, firing from time to time, whenever the enemy seemed to take a break, Pericles moved further right, from where a cultist attempted to flank them. His smaller, circular shield blocked a few bullets from the stub gun, and with only a couple of steps, the Captain was close enough to bash his shield against his opponents face. The nose cracked audibly and the enemy stumbled backwards, as Pericles finished him off by slamming the shield's side against the larynx, cutting deep into the throat, the shield now covered with bright red spots and streams.

Without cover, the cultist offered easy targets, though some were dragging hostages with them, and after two minutes, only six remained. A handful of nobles tried to run, however they were stopped by the two guards at the doorway, others laid dead in pools of blood, most however still cowered, crying and screaming. At this point Mandrake had had enough. The psyker reached out with his will, and now that their leader was no longer nearby, their number reduced, the Interrogator could use this power. Their bodies twitched as if struck by electricity, their eyes getting empty.

"Let them go." Mandrake ordered his voice harsh and almost unnaturally loud; Jane had to cling to her gun, to not succumb to the effect. Some of the guards however were unprepared and dropped shields and weapons alike. Very slowly the remaining cultists removed their arms from the hostages; a woman realized that quickly, and rammed her elbow into the cultist's stomach, who stumbled surprised backwards, before she ran to her husband in the cowering crowd, taking her into his arms. Pericles, Seth and Jane pushed forward, with those guards still holding on to their guns, and finished the last cultists off.

…

Almost twenty minutes later Mandrake and Seth were standing in the hallway again, in the conference room behind them, Captain Pericles was speaking to the disgruntled as well as frightened nobles, while Jane was tending to his men's wounds. The Interrogator had finally managed to contact Nicomedo, who had just come from the lair, and was now in the spacious estate of House Demetio.

"The palace is under control again?" There was some edge in the Inquisitor's voice.

"Yes, my Lord." Mandrake replied. "Every cultist has been eliminated; however their leader has escaped us." He admittedly felt ashamed for his shortcomings, but nothing in his voice seemed to betray this. "I fear he too is a Magus."

There was a short pause, before his mentor answered. "He's returned home, I can already sense him somewhere above us. As soon as the Kill Team has regrouped we will hunt him down. I want you to join us here."

The Interrogator's mood lightened up. "We'll come as soon as we can. May I suggest you proceed without us, sir; we can catch up with you on the higher levels." There was no time to waste in Mandrake's opinion, and at this point he couldn't tell how long it would take them to join Lord Nicomedo. The Magus should not escape a second time because of him.

"Agreed, but be quick."

"Yes, sir. Mandrake out." He said with some enthusiasm.

Seth looked concerned. "You've heard that in his voice?" He asked his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"We have a second Magus he didn't account for, and the Governor got kidnapped. Who knows how many nobles are infected; our Lord's displeasure is understandable." Mandrake was confused by Seth's annoyed look, the Acolyte gave him at his words.

Jane and Pericles joined them a moment later, the Medicae's hands covered with blood, though she tried to clean them with something that look like a handkerchief, while Pericles looked strained.

"I have tried to explain the situation to the nobles." The Captain began. "They are less than thrilled about being examined for alien genomes, but my men will keep them here until your Inquisitor returns. Some of them extradite others, claiming the xeno have done things to them."

"You believe them?" The Interrogator asked.

He watched astonished as Captain Pericles shot a scornful look back to the crowed. "There are many internal conflicts within the nobility; they might see this as a chance to get rid of a competitor."

"Even in these times?"

"Sir Interrogator, once you've spend as much time as I around politics, you will see that there is no time dire enough to stop their disputes."

Mandrake nodded in acknowledgement. "My mentor, Inquisitor Nicomedo, has ordered me and my fellow operatives to rejoin him. We are to hunt down the Magus, and if possible rescue the Governor."

The Interrogator had just gained Pericles full attention. "In that case, I must ask you to take me with you. My duty, the duty of his Guard is to protect him, and tonight we have failed him." He straightened himself. "For the honor of the men and women under my command, I'd like to join you, and return the Governor myself."

Jane and Seth exchanged looks, before turning their gaze towards Mandrake, waiting for his answer, as he was still in charge. He briefly considered his options. "We'd be honored to have you with us Captain Pericles." It was the first time they saw the captain smile, and he bowed shortly in appreciation. "I would be further grateful if you could bring us to House Demetio's estate."

"Naturally." Pericles replied. "The Governor has several speeders in his hangers. They should bring us to the spire in less than fifteen minutes. Please, follow me."

Pain rushed up his leg, waking him up quite roughly. He whimpered and opened his eyes again, seeing that the elevator had stopped. Taylor looked at his still bleeding and shattered leg, his vision blurred, almost colorless, and he very slowly dragged himself to the door, which was silently sliding open to something like a storeroom. A huge, towering figure approached him, according to the weapon and the green colored, right shoulder guard it was Lord Nadim.

"Acolyte Taylor." His voice was a bombardment to his head, though the Astartes wasn't speaking loudly. "What has happened?"

Taylor was somewhat lifted, and brought to a nearby wall to keep him sitting upright. The Kill Team gathered around him, with Nicomedo kneeling next to his Acolyte, a worried and slightly distressed look in his eyes. The Inquisitor reactivated the Limiter. "Taylor?"

"Genestealers." He answered, groaning from the continuing pain. "Overran us…just before the elevator…came back. Lord Tullius ordered me…to leave."

"Are they already reorganizing?" Taylor couldn't tell who of the Astartes had spoken.

Nicomedo turned to the group behind him. "If what Mandrake told me is true, we have yet another Magus to deal with." Taylor could tell that the Inquisitor's next words were directed at him. "The others are coming to join us. I want you to stay awake until then." Nicomedo turned to the surviving Storm Troopers. "Marcus, Lucas; you'll carry him."

…

Another larger and more luxurious elevator brought the Kill Team farther up the spire. Inquisitor Nicomedo could sense the Magus, ever since it had returned to its home. It was weaker than the other one, probably the reason it was the official head of the Demetio House, being more difficult to detect as what it was. Nicomedo's eyes wandered over to his Acolyte, who hung limply in the Strom Troopers' arms, a small pool of blood forming beneath his foot. He hoped Jane would arrive soon, before Taylor was out, or went into shock.

The elevator's doors opened to another long corridor, windows along the entire left side. The strange thing was that the entire right wall was covered with red twines, and the air itself was not clear but misty, the humidity increased drastically.

"Lord Seneca, what do you make of this?" Nicomedo asked, his eyes scanning the twines, even growing as he watched.

"Tyranids manipulate plant life to absorb as much biomass as a world can supply. There have been reports of deserts turning into lush forest under their influence. I suspect something similar has occurred here. I wouldn't touch it." He added, when the Inquisitor reached out with a few fingers to touch the twines, only to quickly pull them back at the warning.

"Let's move on."

They walked for another minute, Taylor slowing them down somewhat, a door in sight at the end, easily another two hundred meters away. Seneca lifted his head, when sounds emerged from above. "Ventilation system." He simply stated, and the Astartes raised their weapons. About six Genestealers crashed through the ceiling, simultaneously the door opened and Hybrids came, guns blazing into the hallway. Nicomedo shot back, in the corner of his healthy eye watching the Apothecary piercing an alien through the relatively unprotected abdomen, purple blood spilling over his arm and helmet. While attempting to evade the las-fire, Nicomedo came into contact with the wall, dozens of thorns ramming into his skin, their barbed hooks causing him to drag along the twines as he detached again. He immediately felt dizzy, and tried to rid himself of the plants with his energy sword, the blade cutting both twines and the marble wall. His view turned foggy, and he went on his knees, keeping himself up only by his sword, as if it were a crutch. Damn poison; Nicomedo's mind was already occupied with stopping his bleeding.

"Inquisitor." The remaining four Storm Troopers that weren't helping Taylor, had come forth to assist the Inquisitor, three firing at the Hybrids, the one who'd addressed Nicomedo, dragging him behind his men. The Astartes were still fighting the Genestealers; Nicomedo could see Cyrus stabbing a monster through the open snout with his combat knife, the blade re-emerging at the top of its head, his Bolt Pistol punching Hellfire Rounds into the skeletal torso. Maccius' claw tore another two into pieces, Quintus crushed one at the wall, his lower arm against its throat. The claws were slicing through his armor, but unable to hit anything vital, the Red Scorpion, grabbed its upper jaw, and while the fangs dug into his hand, he broke the skull in two. The last was killed by the Apothecary.

Meanwhile three Storm Troopers were almost simultaneously hit by bright red las-fire, stumbling, one dead instantly as it penetrated his carapace armor and chest. The second was hit in the leg, tried to get up, only to be shot in the head, the third only saved, when Nadim grabbed him, and pulled him back. The Salamander covered the survivors with his own body, providing the only cover in the hallway. Thankfully the las-fire could not make it through the Astartes' armor. He had also drawn his Bolt Pistol, firing with the right, the left still holding his Melta. At this point seven Hybrids had been killed.

The fight was suddenly interrupted, when fire was opened on the windows, and two seconds later a blue speeder smashed through the glass, taking with it the remaining Hybrids, and crushed them against the adjacent wall. The difference in pressure sucked the last two out of the hole, before heavy shutters came down, closing it up again, and cutting off the speeder's rear in the process. Dust and debris was catapulted through the air, making the Inquisitor violently cough. Thankfully with the speeder's entrance the fighting was over for the moment. The cockpit opened and voices swept over, the first sounding like Seth Nelson.

"Did I get them?"

"Yes, you got the 'em." A female voice replied annoyed, even angry. "Feel better know, or would you like try to kill us a second time?"

Mandrake came next. "There was the high possibility that the speeder would have simply been destroyed by the impact."

"That's why I shot at the windows first."

"Genius." The female voice replied dry and snappy.

Nicomedo shook his head, slightly bemused, the break providing him with enough time to get back on his feet. Jane was the first to emerge from the dusty fog, the high-heeled shoes, replaced by military issue boots and carapace chest armor over a Governor's Guard uniform. She gave Nicomedo a short nod, and kneeled down next to the Untouchable, who the two Storm Troopers leaned against one of the still intact windows. Taylor looked tired, his eyes disoriented, but he spoke with a bit of a smile, pretending like nothing had happened. "Hi, Jane. How was your day?"

"Not too bad, until the party was crashed." She wasn't looking at him, instead examining his leg. "You'll need an augmentic." She rammed a needle into his upper leg, making him flinch.

"Lovely as always."

Jane gave him a dry smile. "Even dying you can't shut up."

"Don't tell me you wouldn't be worried, having me all quiet. What happened to your dress?"

"Ever worn a corset?" She asked in return, cleaning the wound as best she could.

Taylor coughed. "Can't say that I have."

"Then I give you the short version: it's impossible to fight in them."

"I'm sure to remember that for next time."

Mandrake, Nelson and a man in the Governor's Guard's armor turned the Inquisitor's attention away from the medicae. Both his Acolytes had received the carapace armor, wearing it over their suits, but looked mostly unharmed, aside from a few superficial cuts and burns. "My Lord." The Interrogator greeted him.

"Mandrake, I trust the nobles are contained?" This infection could not be allowed to spread any further.

"Yes, the guards are ensuring no one leaves before our return. The nobles aren't happy, but they are scared: we have received news of sabotage and attacks from all over the planet."

"What sort of attacks?"

Mandrake turned to the other man in his company. "Captain."

The Guard removed his helmet. "My Lord Inquisitor, I'm Captain Pericles of the Governor's Guard. I have spoken with the Adeptus Arbites, PDF, Imperial Guard and Navy. They all have reported cultists within their ranks, and multiple attacks as well as bombings. As we speak they are locked up in battle, and will not be able to assist us."

This was the very reason why he hadn't contacted local authorities, and asked for their assistance. "Unfortunate, but I've been expecting this. My Acolytes have briefed you on our mission?"

Captain Pericles nodded, his eyes briefly moving over to the Space Marines, seemingly intimidated. Who knew if he'd ever seen one before? "Yes, milord. I'm at your service."

"Very well; you've been here before, Captain?"

"Naturally, I've accompanied the Governor several times, when he visited the Demetio family."

Nicomedo was delighted to hear this. While he could sense the malicious beings in this place, anything else was unknown to him, with most of his own powers busy keeping him alive. "Can you tell me what is behind that door? I can sense the Magus' presence in the room behind it."

Captain Pericles nodded yet again. "The inner courtyard; a huge garden for recreational purposes around a monument, remembering deeds of the family."

A garden; that could complicate things. "The dimensions?"

"Circular room, about a hundred diameters, with four, symmetrical pathways forming a cross, meeting at central monument. The only doors are this one and another at the opposite side. Glass ceiling might be accessible from the outside."

"Why do you think the Magus stays there?" Nelson asked, after his eyes were finished regarding the unnatural plant life.

"I take it you've seen these plants; if this is caused by the Brood, I suspect they could turn that garden into a jungle, which is a perfect environment for Genestealers. Besides, this Magus is now the only creature on this world still controlling the Brood, and seeing as it is significantly weaker than both the Patriarch as well as the other Magus, I suspect it has to focus on this task. Doing anything else at this point might throw the Brood into disarray and this at the critical point of their attack." Nicomedo was basically just glad the Magus had run off to such a well-known location. Searching him all over the planet could have been both exhausting and futile. Maybe it trusted too much in the capabilities of his kin.

Jane stepped up behind him, and pulled off the last twines from his shoulders. She looked at them for a second, frowned saying. "You have been poisoned; I 'm afraid I do not have the antidote with me."

"Your concerned is appreciated, but I will make it through tonight." He replied, trying to sound not has tired as he felt. He was reaching his limits. "Now we must end this. I might need Taylor's help again: how is he?"

She looked positively unhappy, and crossed her arms. "He suffered severe blood loss, and whatever has been in the Genestealers saliva is infecting the wound. All I could do was stabilizing his circulation."

"All I need him to do is turn off his collar."

Jane looked back at Taylor with concern, thinking over her answer. "I need to start treating him in less than three hours." She finally said.

Nicomedo breathed in deeply. "I believe that's going to be enough."

The Kill Team got moving again, and Nelson walked beside Nicomedo. "So?" He asked. "Is there a plan here?"

"Kill everything inside."

"As always you have a fine eye for the details, milord." The Acolyte noted dryly.

…

The team crossed the smoking wreck, and was not attacked again on their way to the portal. Even the twines could not cover the Demetio axe-emblem, dominating the two door wings. "Throne, no!" The medicae suddenly exclaimed in what was almost a whisper, her eyes staring out the window in shock.

Cyrus turned his head just in time. A Battle Cruiser broke through the atmosphere, all five kilometers of the hull, burning and glowing brightly at the entry, coming straight down. The eagle-shaped bow hit the city first, and as the ground crumbled, the front part of the massive Cruiser exploded, before a fireball coming from below swallowed not just it, but expanded and was coming towards the spire.

"Get down!" Seneca bellowed.

The blast and fire wave hit the spire, and the entire construction shook violently, windows bursting, showering the hallway with razor-sharp shards. The Astartes covered the normal humans from the worst; while most shards were deflected or stuck to his armor, Cyrus could feel one slicing the side of his neck, and another stabbing into the back of his lower leg. Flames licked around them, reacting to the increased level of oxygen inside the building, and part of the ceiling collapsed. A heavy flagstone came down, causing the medicae to jump back closer to him. The pressure difference made itself perceivable again, dragging even at the Space Marines. Unfortunately the building was so damaged that not all shutters came down, leaving holes. The Blood Raven saw Nadim and Quintus hold on to the two Storm Troopers supporting the Untouchable, in order to keep them inside. A few seconds later the pressure difference was resolved, and the drag disappeared. More or less slowly everyone rose. The medicae just in front of him was rubbing her ears; without Lyman's Ear her inner hear had been unprotected.

"You're unharmed?" He asked, a hand grabbing the shard in his leg and pulling it out.

"Yes, milord." She answered him, putting out a small flame on her sleeve, before she looked at him. "Pardon, milord." With a finger the Acolyte pointed at his head. "But your hair is on fire."

As he killed it, the Inquisitor checked on his men, anger and frustration marked his expression. "Is everyone alright?"

"Couldn't be better." Acolyte Nelson growled, removing shards from his left arm, his sleeve drenched in blood.

"Watch your tone." Inquisitor Nicomedo replied. "More than a million souls have just been lost, because we haven't stopped those monsters yet. I can do without your remarks."

The Acolyte looked grim, but nodded quietly. Nadim and Maccius took the lead, arms ready, waiting for the order to open the door, while the Inquisitor and Seneca assigned teams, keeping psykers and the Untouchable separated. The portal opened, and the pressure difference created a strong draft; the air from inside was warm and humid. Cyrus could not help, but be reminded of Typhon's jungles. The large trees, which had not gone through the roof twenty meters above just yet, prevented most of the moonlight from reaching the ground, and the few lights along the wall only cast diffuse twilight upon the garden. The path ahead was partly destroyed by the flat but high roots, and one could even watch the twines and moss crawl over the terracotta-colored stone. Everyone put on their night vision goggles, the medicae was offered Acolyte Taylor's, leaving only Seth Nelson and Interrogator Mandrake without.

"I could set this all on fire." Nadim suggested.

"You would only force the Magus to retreat." Apothecary Seneca interjected. "Have you located him, Inquisitor?"

"Yes, at the center. I can also sense three dozens of his brood."

Acolyte Nelson looked questioning. "So, will we actually get there?" A justified question; two Battle-Brother had fallen already, and more of the Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. In this environment, with severely reduced ammunition and injuries, the xenos had clearly the upper hand. The Kill Team's only real advantage was the nearly unconscious Untouchable.

"We have no other choice but to try, or this world will soon go up in flames." The Inquisitor answered. "Good luck to you Lord Seneca."

"And to you Inquisitor."

The team split up, Seneca leading half to the left, Lord Nicomedo the others, including Cyrus to the right. The Inquisitor's team consisted of Nadim, Interrogator Mandrake, Pravin, Captain Pericles, two Storm Troopers and himself. Each team would move to the next pathway, about 90° along the circular room's walls, and then go straight for the Magus, attacking from two sides, rather thanjust one. They weren't attacked during the first thirty meters or so, when suddenly a Storm Trooper's head exploded, and Cyrus turned his head just in time to see a Genestealer coming for him, mouth opened, presenting its razor-sharp fangs. The Astartes' arm blocked the worst, though he flinched when the claws went through his gauntlet, cutting into his flesh. A few rounds from his Bolt Pistol took care of it, when a second and a third took him down. His head slammed against the wall, as he immediately stabbed one with his combat knife into the side of its head. The third however kept with two of its arms Cyrus from firing at it, a single shot only disappearing somewhere into the jungle. A claw lashed about, and he tilted his head away, still three lines were cut across his face. What wouldn't he give for a shotgun. A bright blue light appeared, and an energy sword cut through the Genestealer's neck.

Captain Pericles stood next to him, a huge piece bitten out of his round shield, and another dead xeno to his own feet. Cyrus nodded his thanks, and got back on his feet, blood running down his face, before dropping off his chin. The Captain cringed, when the Blood Raven suddenly rose his pistol, seemingly aiming at the man, only that the round hit another Genestealer, jumping out of the vegetation, though only a second finished it off. Cyrus' eyes wandered briefly over the fight, seeing Pravin firing Las-Pistols at Hybrids, same as the Interrogator, who was keeping Genestealers with his powers at bay, pushing them back into the forest. The multitasking was giving him trouble though, so Pericles and Cyrus took down two of those monsters. Another one evaded the rounds, emptying Cyrus' clip, practically bouncing off the wall to launch itself at the Astartes. He quickly picked up the sword of the fallen Storm Trooper, though it was about as long as his knife for him, and met his attacker with both blades. Unfortunately they hit the Genestealer at the torso, the best protected part of its body. Only with his enhanced strength, Cyrus was able to bring it down to the ground, the blades not slicing, but breaking through the exo-ribs, a kick to the skull ensuring its death, which was crushed beneath his boot.

Thankfully the remaining attackers were Hybrids, and they were able to use the partial over one meter high roots as cover, even if sometimes a las shot got through the wood. "We need to move on!" Shouted the Inquisitor, and without radio his voice would have been drowned by the firefight. They continued to advance along the tree line, rushing from root to root, when a bright crimson shot hit the medicae in her left shoulder, tossing her forwards, where she was caught by the Interrogator. Lucky for her, the wound was immediately cauterized by the las round's intense heat.

"You're alright?" Interrogator Mandrake asked.

"I'm fine." She answered, despite gritting her teeth. "Until the adrenaline wears off, at least. Let's go."

The team continued under heavy fire, without anyone being injured too badly, until eventually they reached the pathway. Nadim and the Inquisitor were still in the lead, the latter having increased difficulty with holding himself up, and so the remaining Storm Trooper had to support him from time to time. Cyrus took the Sniper Rifle from his back. This pathway was to lead straight to the room's center, though the flora was covering everything in complete darkness. Not to mention one had to look around the roots and trunks, which were getting in the way, and yet they were probably the only thing giving them a chance to get to Magus. If the Governor weren't here they could have just blown up the place, instead of putting their life so unnecessarily in danger. Cyrus dismissed those thoughts, focusing only on the task at hand.

It was then, the Inquisitor addressed him. "Lord Cyrus, could you take out the Magus from here?"

"Negative; view is too restricted, and I cannot get a clear shot."

Undoubtedly Lord Nicomedo was looking for a solution; what he came up with was not to the Astartes liking. "We need a distraction, someone to lead them away from us."

"More than one." Nadim corrected him. "I'd like to take the Storm Trooper with me, and Captain Pericles." Both men nodded their affirmation.

The Inquisitor did the same, and hid completely behind a root, suggesting the other to do as he. They waited what was certainly less than a minute, though feeling significantly longer, before Nadim jumped out of cover, followed by the Storm Trooper and Pericles, into the jungle to their right, red lights on their heels. It wasn't long before the Hybrids went after them, soon crossing the path to keep up the pursued; in this case, the darkness was helpful. When the fighting had distanced itself from the other four, Lord Nicomedo gave the order. Pravin and Mandrake basically grabbed the Inquisitor under the arms, to speed things up, dragging him along the Path, Cyrus behind them. After forty meters, even in the twilight, Cyrus could finally see the Magus atop of the tumbled monument, a black marble block, surrounded by his Brood, all Hybrids of sorts. Cyrus took aim, sights on its head. He pulled the trigger.

The Magus turned its pale head towards him, two Hybrids jumping in the way, both killed instantly by the bullet. It went through them though, misdirected by flesh and bone hitting the Magus at the shoulder, throwing it off its feet. With only one last round to spend, Cyrus returned to combat knife and Bolt Pistol, as the Hybrids attacked, about fifteen of them. He took down three, las rounds impacting on his carapace armor without inflicting damage, before the ones only armed with swords and knives reached them. Both Acolytes had taken down five, now letting go of the Inquisitor, whose energy sword cut through a xeno body effortlessly. The Hybrids, apparently infected servants, posed little challenge to trained operatives and an Astartes, who were cutting them down one after the other. The only thing keeping them from finishing the job was reinforcements.

Being threatened so directly, the Magus had relocated his forces, and from the part of the jungle where Nadim should be, fire erupted. Being forced into melee anyway, the Blood Raven fired a second shot with his Pistol at the Magus, who tilted his head and dodged the bullet, before Cyrus took the fight to its kin, suddenly appearing between the Hybrids ranks. A round removed a pale, disfigured head, a slash with the knife cut a nearby throat, before a vicious backhand broke through a Hybrid's ribcage, just when a second round went straight through a head, into another one's arm.

The Inquisitor and his two Acolytes meanwhile, had taken care of those on the path, advancing on the Magus, stepping into the clearing. It however, was not helpless without its servants; it simply evaded their rounds. Lightning was launched at the two Acolytes, Pravin thrown back, body smoking, while the psyker seemed more resilient, holding is ground for a few seconds, before brought to his knees. Now Lord Nicomedo took his turn, deflecting the lightning with his energy sword. It turned into a stalemate; the Inquisitor couldn't advance, while the Magus was forced to concentrate on his current opponent. If he hadn't been locked in combat against the Hybrids, Cyrus might have been able to take the xeno down.

Suddenly the psychic duel was interrupted, both stopped, the Magus reaching yelling for his head, Nicomedo collapsing to the ground. From the other pathway, the two Storm Troopers had arrived, still carrying the Untouchable, whose collar was obviously turned off. He was probably the only reason the three of them had made it unharmed. Just a second later, Maccius rushed out of the jungle, his glowing Energy Claws pointed at the Magus. Finally this would end.

Two meters separated him from the xeno, when a huge shade tackled the Raven Guard, who groaned in pain, though not from the impact. Mantis-like claws had pierced his chest. The thing was about two and a half meters high, rather slim of build with six limbs, aside from the claws it was equipped with talons and tendrils instead of a mouth, the carapace shifting with its surroundings; in the darkness it was almost invisible. So far Cyrus had only heard of it: Lictor, a vanguard of the Hive Fleet. Quickly he took care of the last three Hybrids, and with no other enemy in sight, he switched back to his sniper; with only one bullet left, he had to make a decision. Maccius' right arms was trapped, his left claw however slashed one of the enemy's arms off. The tendrils came to life, running over the Astartes' helmet, and as Cyrus took aim, some of them broke through the red lenses. What followed was a scream of pain, Maccius body convulsing, but the bullet was already on its way. It pierced the Lictor's head, and its lifeless body toppled over to the side, mantis-claws still in the Astartes' torso. None of them moved.

When Cyrus turned his attention back to the still crippled Magus, Captain Pericles emerged out of the vegetation, taking the Magus by surprise. His Shield was gone, along with his cloak, and so he held his Energy Sword with both hands. He lifted the blade straight up, hilt above his head, tip pointed at the xeno. With all his strength, Pericles brought it down, ramming the blade through the back of the neck, before it resurfaced at the chest. The xeno looked utterly shocked, spitting blood. Its gaze slowly wandered down to the blade, just when it collapsed, and the Captain pulled at the sword, slicing the human form wide open, through chest, shoulder and neck. Breathing heavily, Pericles stood at the dead body, before his sword came down again, and beheaded the xeno, ensuring its demise.

The Inquisitor had sat up at this point, behind him Mandrake was helping Pravin back on her feet, and nodded his compliments. "Well done, Captain. The Governor is fortunate to have someone like you in his services."

"My thanks for your compliments, but I cannot accept them until the Governor is found and saved. Besides, without your team I could have never accomplished this task." Nadim entered the clearing, carrying the body of the Storm Trooper, who seemed to be still alive, as he lifted his head slightly. The Astartes himself looked rather beaten, the silver and green parts of his armor blackened by las fire. Nadim's eyes wandered from the Magus to Maccius, though his helmet hid his expression from the rest.

"Of course. Jane, please help me up." With his armor on, the Inquisitor proved almost too heavy for his Acolyte, yet with a growl she helped him stand. It was obvious he needed treatment soon. "He is close by; his mind is the only none alien mind aside from us. It would seem he is kept in the only room connected to this place. Mandrake, you should be easily able to sense him. I want you to bring the Captain to the Governor."

"Aren't we facing more opposition?"

"The two who are guarding Lord Lazzaro should pose no threat to you; and besides, the brood should be in disarray once more, even vulnerable to psychic attacks. We've taken care of the rest in here, though I fear the true cleansing must wait for now." There was no arguing with the Inquisitor; their number was greatly diminished, their ammunition all but spent, and everyone had been injured, requiring treatment in varying degrees. Continuing at this point, would mean the death of them all.

"As you wish, sir."

It had been only a few minutes since the Battle Cruiser had crashed into the city, but the Adrastos' crew had already recovered from the sight. They had seen many horrible things, and not knowing anyone who'd lived there eased the suffered shock. Yes, millions had died, yet as it was now, it was only a number in their heads, without an immediate impact on any of them.

At least that was how Ship Mistress Vivian Sammael saw it. She was on the bridge, where she spent most of her day, only watching the fight the Navy fought amongst themselves, unable to intervene. She prayed Nicomedo would get a move on and finally kill those damn xenos, before the entire planet went up in flames. Factories, power plants, barracks; she had watched many explode or be fought over. It was almost as if the planet was caught up in a civil war, though Vivian was well aware that theoretically all those attacks only required a few people in key positions to sabotage and plant a few explosives.

As dawn came over this side of the planet, one of her crewmen approached her, his expression worried, even nervous. "Milady, we have lost contact with the neighboring sector."

"Lost contact? What is the problem?"

"The Astropath described it as a shadow across the warp." He replied, restlessly rubbing his knuckles, his face pale.

Vivian held tighter to the railing; Nicomedo had told her what to look out for in her wait. "Contact the Inquisitor at once! His mission has just been prolonged."

Do, ut des

I give, so you give