Again, another two-week delay. I really do try! It's been an interesting few weeks. New apartment and such. After nearly a decade of perfect driving, I had two accidents in two days… But on a happier note, anyone else listen to RWBY vol. 4 soundtrack? I think I account for half of the plays on Spotify for it. Literally. Let's Just Live is an amazing song. But I digress.

Anywaybits, here is a chapter for you. Filled with new stuff and things. With some fluff thrown. Everyone loves fluff, right?

Within the confines of the green armoured Thunderhawk of the Salamanders stood a single Space Marine. As far as Salamanders go, his armour was nearly identical to the others. The Mark VII Aquila Pattern power armour with the same helmet and intimidating vox grill. The same oversized pauldrons. The same motifs depicting great serpents that his brothers had. The only part of his armour that marked him as different were the weapons he carried. Weapons he now checked and rechecked.

But this Marine, known at Data'tek was… unusual... compared to his brothers.

Bolter. Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern. Fires .75 Calibre Adamantium tipped self-propelled bolts. Cycling rate of 600 rounds per minute from thirty round sickle magazines. Included underslung single shot melta for armoured targets.

Lethality? Moderate.

This was a single train of thought within the analytical mind of Data'tek as he rechecked his combi-bolter for the third time before strapping it onto his thigh. He was unusual for a Salamander in this way of thinking. Where the common Salamander was at ease in the presence of others, being far more 'sociable' than the standard Astartes, Data'tek was aloof. His mind was pragmatic and calculating. Clinical. He saw facts and options, calculating percentages and ratios in his brilliant mind. Motions weren't wasted without good reason.

He considered his current motions to be highly… wasteful.

Not the checking of his weapons. This was an act that was always acceptable. No, his current qualms came from the orders of a certain Inquisitor Rory Knox. A man who had greeted the Astartes with blood on his boots and alcohol on his breath.

Unacceptable.

Yet the Inquisitorial Seal could not be denied, even by the Sons of Vulcan. For nearly ten millennia, the Inquisitorial Seal had borne the full authority of the Emperor. No one, from wayward civilian to Sector Governor could deny it. Thus were the Salamanders, direct descendants of Vulcan, a true scion of the Emperor, brought to heel by a murderous drunkard. Such was the way of the Imperium.

The Inquisitors mission? Obviously, save the Hive and the entire world from traitors, but he had another objective that he gave even higher priority to. A retrieval mission. Yet, not a retrieval of a Adeptus Mechanicus Magos, Priest or even another high-ranking individual. No, the target was a single Guardswoman.

A Cadian with silver eyes.

Satisfied with his combi-bolter, he reached over his right shoulder and gripped a solid shaft. Armoured servos whirred as his magnified strength pulled a weighty hammer from his back. It was a solid weapon, crafted by Data'tek's own hand in the forges Nocturne, the home of the Salamanders Chapter.

Thunder Hammer. 200 kg of adamantium and Promethean alloy. Encased energy field generator. Energy released upon impact will liquify organs of armoured combatants. Highly effective against all targets in melee.

Lethality? Maximum

He gave his most prized creation a quick check for functionality. Power fields crawled to life at his touch, energies that begged to be released upon impact. He nodded, satisfied as he powered down the weapon. The Machine Spirit within expressed irritation at being denied action as Data'tek set the hammer back into place upon his back. With thundering steps upon the plasteel floor of the Thunderhawk, he exited. Making his way to a nearby freight elevator which would take his enormous frame down to the hive below.

Sergeant Yun'ak, the commanding Salamander of the squad of ten Space Marines who had arrived on the planet, had tasked Data'tek with a simple directive. Find the Guardswoman. Protect Her. Retrieve Her. This, Data'tek could do.

Ruby was in the middle of an existential crisis as, for the third time in twenty-four hours, the contents of her stomach were being violently purged. After the best night's sleep she had had in days, she had awoken to not only resurfacing feelings of guilt, but also the single worst headache she had ever had. How could amasec, that liquid contentment, have betrayed her and made her feel so horrible?

"You are the biggest light weight I have ever seen." Said Grandy, who despite her mocking tone, was kindly holding Ruby's hair back from her face. "How many did you have again? Two shots?"

Ruby's answer was lost in another violent convulsion.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I remember only pouring two for you. Don't worry you little milksop, we'll toughen you up yet." Grandy patted Ruby's back softly as the last of Ruby's MRE feast was expunged, her actions seriously contradicted her mocking. After a few pats, Grandy walked away.

Ruby groaned and sat back, her head reeling as she did so. The soft gurgle of water met her ears and she opened her eyes to see Grandy standing by her again, proffering a canteen. "Did you drink any water last night?"

Ruby shut her eyes tight against the light and shook her head. "No. Not since yesterday morning."

"Okay, well, that's your problem stupid." She shook the canteen in Ruby's face again. "Drink all of this right now. Then, fill it up and do it again."

"Uhg…. I'm never drinking ever again!" Said Ruby as she took the offered canteen. Although every ounce of her body cringed at the thought of consuming anything, she did as she was told, unscrewing the lid and drinking deeply of the lukewarm liquid. It did little to alleviate her current pain.

"Pfft, you'll be fine, it's just a hangover and it'll be gone in a few hours. Just remember to drink water next time and you won't have this problem."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Whined Ruby, biting her bottom lip to complete the pout.

Grandy laughed, her loud voice making Ruby wince. "What am I, your mother?" She turned and walked away. As she did, Ruby heard 'mucking newb,' but she was sure she misheard.

Ruby sat there for some time, obediently sipping from the canteen as Grandy had suggested, her head continually throbbing, the very idea of standing seemed the quintessential torture for her. She shut her eyes and laid her head back against the crate she was resting against. She felt her mind start to wander, pathing its way unerringly towards guilty memories she didn't wish to visit. She clenched her teeth tightly and, with effort, pulled her mind to the present.

To distract herself, she listened to the world around her. In the now relative morning within the hive, the Guard's compound was alive. The sound of barked orders, the whirr of machinery and the deep rumble of tank treads on ferrocrete streets. The stomp of booted feet on hard pavement getting continually louder as if it was approaching her.

"Hey there. Are you okay?"

She cracked open one silver eye slightly to see that, in fact, someone had approached her. "'Scuse me?"

The man in front of her was undoubtedly Cadian. He was unnaturally tall like all the others, but he was thin. She had only seen one other 'thin' Cadian and that was Cade. But where Cade was a fit thin that reminded her of Uncle Qrow, this new Cadian was lanky. His forehead was elephantine, exacerbated by a receding hairline with a bifurcated chin to complete the image. He walked with a continual hunch, his head almost level with his shoulder blades. Specifics aside, he looked like an ogre.

Ruby struggled to contain a giggle at the thought. She took another large sip from her canteen to give herself something to focus on besides his 'unusual' appearance.

"Are you okay?" The newcomer said with increased emphasis, somehow lowering his head even further than Ruby thought possible.

"Yeah, m'fine thanks." She offered in a short quip, silently begging this newcomer to leave her in peace. His voice was hardly helping her headache, but she played the good girl and opened her eyes to speak with him.

Whoever this stranger was continued to speak, all the while now staring intently into Ruby's eyes, "Okay, just making sure. The name's Hick's by the way."

"Ruby. Ruby Rose." She said politely, before forcing another distasteful draught of water into her mouth.

"Ruby. A pleasure." He paused and smiled. It was, Ruby supposed in hindsight, meant to be charming. But somehow, it didn't flow with his next words. "You have… beautiful eyes."

Ruby showed forth her true colors as a social butterfly… by spraying all the water from her mouth in surprise. Her unintentional target? The new guy in front of her. More specifically, the crotch of his trousers. True to form, her cheeks turned vermillion as she jumped to her feet, hands covering her mouth in mortification. "Ohmygoodness!I'msososososorry!"

Hick's as he had introduced himself made no movement. He merely stared down at the now wet mess that were his pants. He signed deeply and without a word, turned and walked away. Ruby was left to herself, her cheeks warm enough to cook breakfast as she watched this newcomer leave. She quickly looked around to see if anyone else had seen the embarrassing scene. Seeing nobody, she disappeared in a cloud of petals, heading straight for her squad's barracks.

"Let me get this straight. A guy comes over to you to see if you are okay. You sprayed an entire mouthful of water at somebody because he liked your eyes?" Said Lovelock as the small squad marched together towards the motor pool and their awaiting transport for the day.

"Um… Yes." Said Ruby, her head dropping as she ducked her head in shame. She was regretting already her decision to try to garner sympathy by sharing the story. But on the bright side, her hangover was starting to recede.

Lovelock laughed at her, "Oh wow. Remind me to never compliment you. Ever"

"You already did last night." Said Trunks. "She put a knife between your fingers."

Lovelock waved a hand at them, shaking his head in denial. "Pfft, I would do no such thing, besides, I would remember something like that."

"Apparently not." Muttered Cade, leaning in to Ruby so only she heard. She let out a small giggle at his comment, herself remembering quite vividly the events of the night prior and glad for the focus to turn to Lovelock.

The rest of the conversation was a one-sided argument, each trying to convince a amnesiacal Lovelock that it had indeed tried to flirt with Ruby while Cade guided them through the Guard's enclave to the motor pool. Even walking there was no small feat as several hundred men and women bustled and moved about in chaotic order. The individual guardsmen were lined up in squads and platoons, each preparing to board the awaiting Chimeras. The fighting vehicles rumbled in eager anticipation whilst Techpriests clambering over the vehicles, pouring unguents and offering prayers to the Machine Spirits within. But Ruby and the little squad paid them no mind. Eschewing the armoured personnel carriers and making for the heavy armour deeper within.

They approached a Leman Russ tank. It had a scarred and battered hull, but emblazoned on the side proudly were the words Holy Intent. Large shells, each 120 millimeters in diameter, lay haphazardly about in an odd display of potential destruction. One was balancing on the tank itself, carved crookedly in the explosive shell was the phrase 'Intend to fill you with holes.'

A man knelt on top of the tank turret with his head inside the cupola. Muffled shouts and curses were heard coming from within. A hatch popped open near the front of the vehicle and the red robes of a Techpriest were seen. The cyborg-human himself uttering static bursts and curses that had nearby vehicles revving their engines for a moment in response to his ire. He stomped away, forcing his way through the approaching Guardsmen of Cade's squad as if they were inanimate objects.

Nearly bowled over by the deceptively heavy techpriest, Trunks hopped on one foot which had been stepped on. "Ow! Emperor he is heavy. Someone gave him the wrong motor oil for breakfast."

"You're probably right," Said Cade, still staring after the Techpriest, "I think the cog-boys actually do drink motor oil."

"They really creep me out with their all their tentacle thingies." Ruby held her hands up in the air and waved her fingers in a rough pantomime.

"Wait," Said Merith, who had rejoined the squad that morning. Her eyes were practically dark splotches from the lack of sleep and stress her responsibilities carried the day before. She was currently running purely on stimulants after a night of medical duties. "Isn't that the tank from the battle yesterday?"

Ruby couldn't suppress a smile, "I think it is!" She practically jumped on the balls of her feet in excitement, all thoughts of the Techpriest driven from her mind. "I've been wanting to see the inside of one of these things. I mean, four guns on a tank? That's awesome!"

"You should see a Baneblade," Said Cade to Ruby. Before she could ask him what that was, he stepped further ahead to the Leman Russ and yelled out, "Hicks! Are you ready for us you ugly troll?!"

Ruby froze in her tracks, her excited smile fleeing. "Wait. Did he say Hicks?"

The man on top of the tank popped his head out to see the newcomers. Ruby recognized him immediately. It was the same guy she had spat on earlier that morning. Cheeks already turning red, she sidestepped, placing herself behind Lovelock and was easily obscured by his well-built frame.

Hicks focused on Cade, his mouth twitching in an ugly frown. "Oh, it's lazy-ass Blackshire, coming to bum a ride off of me again." He jumped down from the tank and walked towards them. "Figures. Why can't you just ride in a Chimera like the good foot slogger you are." He pulled out a stained cloth from his pocket and wiped his hands. "Whatever. Yeah, we'll be ready to leave for the South gate in a minute. Go ahead and climb on." He paused as he saw a silver eye peek out from behind Lovelock. He pointed at Ruby behind Lovelock, "Except for you. You can walk."

"Oh come on! I said I was sorry!" Ruby whined, hardly believing she deserved the punishment.

Lovelock looked quizzically at Hicks, thinking for a moment he was pointing to him. After a moment, he turned around to see Ruby hiding behind him. She waved up at him nervously and he started to chuckle unashamedly at her misfortune. "You really did spit on someone."

She punched Lovelock lightly in the stomach, her ears burning. "Shut up Jorge."

"Oh don't be that way Hicks." Said Cade, drawing Hick's attention to himself, his smirk a mix of humor and maliciousness, "It's not like it's the first time a lady has spat on you."

A chorus of 'ooh's' came from Cade's squad.

Hicks sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't even want to deal with you right now Blackshire. Just… Get on the friggin' tank."

Cade walked up to him and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Thanks, you ugly ogryn. Oh, and by the way, don't let the short one start talking about the tank." Cade lowered his voice and gestured over his shoulder at Ruby. "You'll never get her to stop."

"Hey! I am not short!"

Hick's jumped as the voice came from behind him from on top of his tank. He looked away from Cade's smirk to see Ruby on top of the Holy Intent. He failed to notice a single rose petal that drifted in the air. "How did she….?"

Ruby's excited voice cut off whatever question he had as she stared down the cupola into the tank interior. "Hi in there!" A muffled and surprised hello made it back out to her before she turned back to her friends. "This is so cool!" She paused for a moment, then a massive grin slowly spread across her face. She reached back and pulled out Crescent Rose. The little red box clattered to life, exposing the weapon it truly was. She placed the spiked end on the tank's hull, the blade high in the air. She placed one foot slightly in front of the other and pointed majestically into the distance, her face set in a defiant stare. The only thing missing was a flowing cape.

"Drive me closer! I want to hit them with my scythe!"

For a moment, everyone stared at her blankly. Then, Lovelock snorted in laughter, "You are-"

"Amazing?"

"Ridiculous." Lovelock finished.

Laughter rose to meet her before she too devolved into giggles. The other guardsmen came to join her, Ruby reached down a hand and Grandy took it, accepting the boost onto the tank. The rest clambered onto the tank and making themselves comfortable. Ruby herself sat down on the turret, she stretched out so her feet dangled off the tank while she peeked her head down the cupola, no doubt harassing whoever was inside with questions about their armoured steed.

Hick's stared incredulously at the unusual sight before looking at Cade, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. "How do you find these people?"

Cade chuckled, content to see Ruby smiling after the events of yesterday. He stepped around Hicks and made to join his squadmates. "Luck. Lots of luck."

After clambering onto the sixty tonne vehicle, they were on their way moments later. Their legs and limbs dangling dangerously over the cyclical rotation of tank treads that ground the very pavement beneath them to dust. Their inexorable advance, trailed by a half-dozen Chimeras filled with Guardsmen, would take them directly to the Southern Gate.

After several hours of this monotonous travel and her trapped quarry of a tank crew unable to explain the ancient machine as well as she would have liked, Ruby paused to take in the sights. All she had previously seen of the hive had been from the interior. Inside it was an architectural soup. Buildings were built on top of each other to create the towering Hive. The city was so massive that in the time that she had been present, she had yet to see the sun. But at the outskirts of the Hive, where the gates were found, the cavernous hold gave way to open skies. Skies she was about to see.

A single gate stood in the way. It was a finely wrought piece of military and civic architecture. On either side, standing as silent sentinels, were stone motifs and Imperial heroes. Red banners drifted from them like royal capes and tabards, tattered at the end, but no less noble. The point of the gate stood far overhead so even the largest of machines would traverse the portal with little difficulty. As they themselves crossed this final gate out of the inner city, see finally saw it.

The sun was blue.

Eyes wide in wonder, she committed herself to a staring contest with the cerulean sun. She watched it until her eyes watered and she couldn't bear the blinding light any longer. Blinking away the glare that dominated her vision, she looked over to see if anyone else was as amazed as her. But they weren't. they continued to chat or nap, unimpressed by the nuclear marvel of the cosmos.

Eventually, her eyes were drawn away from the star to the world she stood upon. Just outside of the gate they had crossed was a large courtyard. It was well manicured all things considered. A statue of a woman stood in the center. The grey stone figure stood proudly, reaching to the side with one hand gripping a sabre hilt, the other the scabbard. The details on the figure were exact, a perfect stone replica of a human being. At the base of the statue were gilded letters stating; Governess-Captain Ildra. If there were other words detailing this notable woman, Ruby did not see them present.

A great cathedral stood off to one side. Large stained-glass windows were illuminated by the sun. Ancient battles were shown where golden armies fought with creatures of shadow. Around this holy house stood smaller buildings that continued to complete the courtyard, broken only by additional roadways.

The rest of the Hive itself was no less of a wonder in its own archaic way. It spread out another several kilometers from the edge of the inner city to create a smattering of homes and hovels, shops and markets. A distant wall stood as a beige defiance, bisected by a single gate that stood many meters off of the ground. At such a distance though, she couldn't make out the fine details other than the silhouettes of soldiers atop the wall.

As Ruby looked closer at the city itself, it became more apparent that not all was well. Where there should have been the mumblings of crowds and the tittering of children's laughter was only silence. The silence was punctuated instead by the distant and periodic boom of explosives. Homes were deserted, their doors open wide and their interiors looted. The inhabitants were replaced by armed Guardsmen, forlorn conscripts and PDF troopers. Smoke drifted up in several locations, carrying with it the scent of burning flesh and ash.

She stared aghast as they continued to rumble through the city. They some distance away from the courtyard from before, instead using a widened street with several deserted vehicles in place. The Leman Russ did not negotiate the territory, rather, it demanded it, rolling over the civilian vehicles and leaving flattened metal disks in its wake. The desiccation about them reminded Ruby of a distant and despair filled day. The day when Vale fell. The day when Penny and Phyrra were lost. Sombering further at the mournful thoughts of a nightmare made fresh, she quickly looked to the others to see if they noticed her internal diatribe. No one did, but Trunks did catch her eye. He stood up from his seat and walked across the tank before sitting down next to her, his own legs dangling next to hers.

They sat there in awkward silence.

For a long time.

"So, how's your-" They both began simultaneously. The both laughed nervously, again simultaneously.

Trunks cleared his throat, "So… How's your hangover? Feeling better?"

Ruby shrugged, "Oh uh… It's okay I guess." She swung her feet back and forth, clicking her heels together in the air. "You?"

"Fine."

As their painful conversation was occurring, they were drawing ever closer to the gate. Ruby could now see the finer details of the thick walls. They were decorated as the rest of the hive in a gothic fashion. But this particular architecture had teeth in the form of armed soldiers and rapid-fire weaponry, punctuated with the sharp canines of heavy artillery and mortars.

"So, Ruby."

"Hmm?"

"I was uh, wondering. If we get another rotation in reserve that is, if I could uh… Show you around the city."

Ruby was at a loss, the swinging of her feet halting as she turned her head towards Trunks. His own face was red and sweat beaded on his forehead. "Are you… asking me out?"

"Um… Yes. Yes, I am." He sounded so timid and nervous.

Ruby mentally face-palmed, but for once, her face failed to betray her emotions as she cleared her throat. "Gee Trunks. That's awfully nice of you. But uh… I have to-" Ruby paused as at that same moment, as they approached the final stretch of the gate, shouts were heard from atop the wall.

She turned her head upwards, craning her head back to see what the commotion was. She could see the Guardsmen that were atop the wall pointing and shouting. Several were bringing weaponry to bear, the muted crack of lasguns sounding off. The sky was what truly drew Ruby's attention. The sky was normally the most vibrant blue, but now it had acquired a pink tinge, like blood mixing with water. She stood, the very air teeming with a feeling of apprehension.

"What in the Warp?" Ruby looked back to see Cade standing behind her, his hand on his brow to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Cade?" Ruby asked, fear inserting itself into her voice. "Why is it pink?"

"I don't-"

An otherworldly screech filled the air. Piercing through what felt like Ruby's very soul. She shouted in pain and covered her ears, but her comrades, her friends, each of them screamed in response to the noise and fell to their knees, covering their ears as Ruby had done. Blood seeped from their ears in crimson rivulets.

The screech shifted tones. Changing from an ear-shattering pitch to a deep roar, the sound reaching such a deep pitch that Ruby could no longer hear it. She could no longer hear anything, just a dull throb in the background. The world about her was played out in mute. Men were screaming silently, the guardsmen atop the gate had collapsed, no longer firing at whatever foe lay beyond.

Ruby herself was begging for release from the noise. The incessant rumble drawing to the surface the nightmares of the day before. Screaming faces, more vibrant and lifelike than ever before, danced in her vision. Ruby's eyes swam as she gave up hope for it to end.

Then, in a rising crescendo, the noise gave one final thump. A visible shockwave was seen from the wall exterior. It passed through everything unimpeded. Men atop the wall were thrown aside, several tumbling off of the wall. Ruby and her squad mates stumbled from their perches, Merith nearly falling from the Holy Intent. Everywhere, men remained in fetal poses, holding their bleeding ears as sound slowly returned to the world. The sky slowly returning to its original blue.

But as sound returned, so too did a noise like the shattering of glass and the grinding of stone. Ruby and others, their ears still ringing followed the source of the noise. The Gate, having long stood steadfast and indomitable, was cracking. Deep fissures ran up the stalwart structure, spreading further and further until the entirety was reminiscent of a spider's web.

One more thunderous bass note sounded, and the Gate shattered.

Ceramite and plasteel fell to the earth like rain, burying those unfortunate enough to remain underneath. Ruby watched in terrified awe as it unfolded, men dying before her eyes. Yet this was just a precursor. For as the last of the gate fell to ruin, the world beyond was made clear. A single large man, his form armoured and massive as he held an unusual weapon. He stood in a blood-stained circle, six corpses were lying uniformly about him. Yet beyond him was yet a more terrifying sight. An unholy horde of man and metal, spreading as far and deep as she could see, was already moving towards them.

Ruby paled and fell to her knees, despair filling her heart at the sight, crushing her will to fight.

Yet hope came from the most unexpected of sources. A burst of stubber fire. Ruby turned to see Hicks, his eyes and ears bleeding, gripping in pintle mounted heavy stubber with white knuckles. He was glaring at the remains of the gate, his homely face only adding to the ferocious visage he wore. He was talking to himself, likely deafened and unaware he was speaking so loudly. Every sentence was punctuated by another burst of stubber fire.

"I haven't come this rutting far-"

"-wasted my entire life-"

"-To die on this Emperor forsaken hell-hole-"

His hands dropped down and grabbed his vox. Whether by chance or design, he spoke over both the vox caster as well as the loud speaker. His words echoed throughout the grounds.

"FIRE MAIN CANNON. DON'T STOP UNTIL THE BARREL MELTS AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE RUTTING BASTARDS ARE DEAD!"

With mechanical chugging, the mighty battle cannon of the Leman Russ rotated into position. Ruby came to herself enough to cover her ears as the 120-millimeter smooth-bore cannon fired, a single return note after the chorus of destruction they had witnessed. The trio of bolters on the Leman Russ' hull opened fire as well, a single stopgap against the encroaching darkness.

Other Guardsmen pulled themselves to their feet and the Chimeras that had been part of the convoy unloaded their charges. A full company of battle-hardened Cadians rushed forward and found whatever cover they could as the Leman Russ continued to pour hellish fire through the gate. Heavy bolters and autocannons were dragged from Chimeras and placed to create a crossfire. Lasguns were charged and braced and bayonets were affixed.

Not a moment too soon as the first of the traitors poured through. Weapons fire resounded from both sides in a bloody hail.

The final battle for Hive Kastle had begun.

Data'tek stood within the freight elevator, staring out of a viewport to the city perimeter below. The slow ponderous movement of the lift had, after several hours, finally approached the ground level. It was however, the only lift available that would carry his massive weight all the way to the bottom. Data'tek hadn't minded the slow creeping. Patience had always been one of his strengths, even amongst a Chapter known for its stoicism.

Now however, staring out the viewport to see the dark energies coalesce and shatter the South Gate, his patience was wearing thin.

Slowly the lift reached the bottom of the lift, ponderous Machine Spirits awoke to open the thick doors barring Data'tek's path. But it was a slow process as the steel gave way to open space. Data'tek took his bolter from his hip and ejected the magazine to inspect to precious bolts within. As he did so he began to quote the Litany of Devotion.

"Where there is uncertainty, I shall bring light. Where there is doubt, I shall sow faith."

The doors opened fully and Data'tek stepped into the cyanic sunlight. A few men had been prepared to unload the freight elevator now turned from the destruction at the gate at the heavy boot falls of the Space Marine. Their eyes opened wide and their mouths moved in unheard prayers at the sight of one of the Emperor's Chosen.

Data'tek paid them no mind. He had a decision to make. He likely had only once chance to find the silver-eyed Cadian.

"Where there is shame, I shall point atonement. Where there is Rage, I shall show its course."

Data'tek paused and considered his options. If the Inquisitor was in search of this Cadian, she was likely a skilled individual. One at home on the battle-field. The South Gate, the Eye of the Storm, would be his most logical choice. He squinted, his helm visor magnifying his vision automatically as he studied the breach in the wall. He could already see a formidable line of Guardsmen forming on the central highway to the Gate. A Leman Russ and Chimeras forming a solid battle line beside the brave Guardsmen.

Data'tek had only respect for guardsmen. They held the line as but frail humans with hearts of adamantium.

"My Word in the soul shall be as my bolter in the field."

He slid the magazine home, racking a bolt into the chamber with a satisfying pull of the charging handle. He nodded with satisfaction and set out at a run. His slow armoured jog out pacing the fastest human's alive. There was no subtlety in his movements. Men and women dove from his path, a story they would likely tell their grandchildren with pride. They had seen an Adeptus Astartes.

But they were of little consequence. Only one fact remained within Data'tek's mind. He would find his quarry. Emperor help whoever stood in his way.

Did I say fluff? Sorry, I meant HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE MURDER.