Royale

Cypher.

The name skittered around the small clearing as if on claws. Ricardo had seen records of the warrior known only as Cypher. He had seen classified reports of the Terran Crusade, the path that Roboute Guilliman had taken to Terra and the misadventures that the Ultramarines Primarch had encountered along the way. Cypher was wanted very badly by the Dark Angels Chapter of Space Marines. The fact that he wore armor that was identical to theirs was bad enough, but he had evaded their capture teams for centuries, maybe longer. How old was this being? Ricardo had seen records going back thousands of years. Odd records. None knew if he was an ally of the Imperium or an enemy. One thing was sure, trouble followed in his wake. As did the Dark Angels.

"I never lied to you, Daughter." Cypher said slowly.

"You left me to him!" Kay snapped. "You used me and left me to him!"

"Yes." Cypher said quietly. "We did. That warband needed to die, they were causing far more trouble than any others in the area. You were a useful distraction and we assumed you were simply warpspawn."

"YOU LEFT ME TO HIM!" Kay screamed, her sword up and ready again. Cypher didn't move.

"We came back." Cypher slowly bent, kneeling before Kay's wrath. "I didn't remember until I checked the records. A week, Daughter. It took me a week to peruse my records and as soon as I did… We came back!"

"You left me to him." Kay was shaking in rage as Cypher bowed his head. "Do you have any idea what he did to me?"

"Yes." Cypher said quietly. "I do. We searched for you. We 'acquired' several of his servants and we persuaded them to talk. We are not the equals of the Dark Angels Interrogator Chaplains, but we do have skills." His head came up and his eyes were bleak as he stared at Kay. "You say you told us no, that is not true. You told the Chapter 'No'. Azreal himself sent that message to you, asking if you would take your place as a light for the Imperium. The Deathwing did march on the facility where the Mechanicus held you. They have been seeking you as hard as we have. You know this. Do you know why?"

"You..." Kay was shaking. From rage or sorrow? It was hard to say. "...lie!"

"I am not lying." Cypher was calm and assured. "The truth cuts far deeper than any lie in this case. We wronged you, my men and I. We did not know who you were until it was too late. My men and I may very well be lost and unforgivable, but you… You are not." He shook his head. "I sent word to the Dark Angels as soon as I realized you were in his clutches. Your life is worth more than mine. Far more!" He declared. "But if Rashinos takes your daughter..."

Kay was gone. One moment, she was standing there, blade hovering to end the kneeling sort-of Dark Angel. The next? Only a whisper of wind traced her passing.

"She hasn't changed from what Ulrik told me." Bjorn turned and started off. Cypher rose and followed in the huge war machine's wake. He was still bleeding! Ricardo following as well, almost punch drunk by all this. "Still as impulsive as the day she was born."

"Decisiveness in a battlefield commander is not a bad trait." Cypher replied. "She is not stupid. She won't rush in."

"She loves..." Ricardo paused as she remembered Kay's non-verbal warning. He doubted she had changed her mind and he knew that if she decided he was dead? He was. Had that really only been a day ago? "She cares deeply for her sisters. For Georgia."

"After all the pain she has endured, it is a small wonder she still dares to feel." Cypher replied, face grim. "We have to save Georgia, get her clear before the Chaos Lord arrives. If he threatens Georgia or kills her…"

"Kay may very well fall to her rage." Ricardo finished for the Space Marine. Cypher nodded. "As strong as she is, she is at her limits. We cannot let that happen."

"Outside of her vehicle, she is vulnerable." Bjorn interjected. "We need to get her to it and rescue Georgia at the same time. My brothers are occupied with the Titans. Yours?" He spoke to Cypher who nodded.

"I have two squads. One of scouts, one of tactical equipped marines." The Fallen Dark Angel said with a frown. "Both are deployed around the depot and facility. The scouts have rearmed with sniper weapons and are moving to take the depot approach under long range fire. They can harry the Skitarri, but they cannot hold out against a full assault by such." He looked at the Dreadnought. "May I ask your aid, Son of Russ?"

"If it were for you? Not a chance." Bjorn replied evenly. "But for her? We call her pack mate and sister." Cypher jerked and then nodded slowly. Bjorn wasn't done. "If you hurt her in any way further, I will tear you apart."

"We have hurt her enough." Cypher agreed. "Part of me almost wishes she had struck clean and true." Bjorn did not reply and the odd trio marched in silence for a time. Finally, Cypher spoke again "What of you, Inquisitor?"

"What of me?" Ricardo asked, "I was tasked to determine if Kay was impersonating a Sororitas. She was not and is not. She is Sororitas in every way. They believe they are spiritual daughters of the Emperor, she is a true daughter and she follows their faith. She claims nothing for herself, only for her father and the people she is sworn to protect." Cypher looked at him and Ricardo shrugged. "I seems I was manipulated into this to lead Kay into this trap. I don't mind being bait if needed, but Kay is what she seems. The Lord Inquisitor who set this all up doesn't seem to care what she is. I do." He said softly. "I have seen far too much darkness to believe that there is hope, but if there is? She will bring it."

"I know the feeling." Cypher said softly.

"What do you wish of her?" Ricardo asked. "What little I know of you says you cannot be trusted."

"I have my own duty." Cypher replied. "One laid on my shoulders long, long ago. I too have been in the darkness so long, it is hard to look at the light. I cannot speak of why I do what I do. I can say I helped Guilliman in the hopes of an audience with the Emperor." Both Bjorn and Ricardo froze at that. "I was denied such, but… Honestly? I do not know if I deserve it. Especially after what happened with Kay."

"You are a Dark Angel." Ricardo said slowly. Cypher nodded. "But you do not serve the Chapter."

"I serve my oaths to Lion El'Jonson and the Emperor." Cypher replied. "That has put me at odds with the Chapter on many occasions. I cannot speak of why, but I can speak of what I will do now. Kay will be protected even if I must surrender to the Chapter that still hunts me. They can protect her. They offered such before and she refused."

"I do not understand." Ricardo replied. "Why would she refuse such?"

"I cannot say for certain." Cypher frowned. "Son of Russ?"

"She feels honor bound to the oaths she swore to her father. To serve the people of the Imperium, not to seek power for its own sake." Bjorn replied as the dreadnought plowed through the underbrush, slowed little if at all. "I did not know her, but our Legion was tasked with maintaining one such depot on Fenris, so we were told the ancient sign and countersign if we ever encountered her."

"As were we on Caliban. It did not survive the destruction of our world." Cypher allowed. "No records I have found have said why she was hidden away and never woken. I believe Horus' troops drove the loyal forces from the planet on which she slept before she could be awoken, but I can find no records of that."

"Nor can we." Bjorn replied. "All we can do is endure and protect her now."

"Indeed." Cypher said firmly. "We will protect her." He held up a hand as the forest thinned a bit. "We are getting close."

A Space Marine scout in Dark Angels colors slithered down a slope and came up to the trio at a run as they stopped.

"Sir!" The scout nodded to Cypher. He did not salute, not in the field where snipers might be hidden. "Something odd is happening at the depot. The Skitarrii are under attack and not by us." Cypher and the others looked at Bjorn, but the scout continued. "Not by the Wolves either."

"Then who?" Ricardo demanded. "Kay is running right into the middle of whatever it is."

"As you say, she is not stupid." Cypher looked at the scout. "What can you tell us, sergeant?"

"Not much, sir." The scout sergeant said with a frown. "Whoever is attacking the Mechanicus is fast and adept at staying out of sight. My team is dug in on high ground and we have clear line of sight to most of the depot, but we have only seen shadows. Imperial Guard forces are dug in around a far perimeter. Elysians, if I am not mistaken."

"You are not." Ricardo smiled grimly. He knew Sentars would have posted guards looking both ways. She trusted Gornal almost as much as Ricardo himself did. Not at all. "I may be able to get them to aid us."

"Or you may get gunned down as soon as you break cover if they were given orders to do so." Cypher shook his head. "Even one squad could do you in if they are in cover with heavy weapons."

"True." Ricardo shook his head. "Thing is, for all of his brains, Gornal is a politician. Not a soldier. Maybe he was one once, but he hadn't been for years. Maybe longer." Cypher and Bjorn looked at him. "He will think of protecting himself first and then the mission. If we threaten him, he will flee. If he sees a Chaos Titan up close? He will wet himself and then flee."

"What is he doing, exactly?" Cypher demanded. "His actions make no sense."

"He apparently was told by the Mechanicus that the tank could be duplicated." Ricardo said sourly. "They want Kay to serve their Omnissiah. They couldn't care less about tech that they know they cannot touch." He paused. "Although she said some STC fragments were found in the depot she had slept in. There are probably more in this one and they probably want those as well."

Both Dark Angels nodded. Such things were the epitome of buried treasure across the Imperium. Wealth beyond imagination.

"Do the Mechanicus know who she is?" Bjorn asked.

"I don't think they do." Ricardo allowed. "They call her an abomination and apparently that is how they described her to the Lord Inquisitor. But if that is the case..." He mused. "Why would they want her to serve them? This makes no sense to me."

"You have see what she can do." Cypher said with a grunt. "Few alive can say that. The Mechanicus likely know about her abilities. Hence why they tried to duplicate her."

"And hence why she hates them so much." Ricardo said savagely,. "Can't blame her for that."

"I sought information on what the Mechanicus did to her." Cypher said slowly. "I found some. It was horrible. As bad or worse that what the Chaos Lord did, if for a shorter time. They were trying to warp her mind. They did not succeed."

"That is good. Isn't it?" Ricardo asked as Cypher looked at the sky,

"I don't know enough about her." Cypher admitted. "I do know that even Space Marines can break when pushed too hard or too long. She is not a regular human, but she shares so many similarities with them. With the code and countersign given, her body will change to be more like the Emperor."

"And?" Ricardo demanded,

"I don't know." Cypher snapped. "You?" He asked the dreadnought.

"No." Bjorn replied. "I do know the ceremony for her ascension was meant to be done in comfort, surrounded by allies, medical support and people who could protect her. Not in the midst of a wilderness with her child in jeopardy."

"Then what say we do what we can to protect the Emperor's daughter and her child?" Ricardo checked his pistols as Cypher nodded to his sergeant. "I have done many things that I regret. I don't think this will be one of them."

The scout sergeant vanished back up the slope.

"There is a ravine nearby that I can use to approach closer." Bjorn said. "When you start the fight, I will come. Try not to get in my way."

"For the Lion and for Russ. For the Emperor and his daughter. Let the heavens sing." Cypher intoned as he drew his pistols and checked them. His wound had stopped bleeding. "Let the darkness fear our wrath. I may not be one of the Emperor's chosen warriors anymore but I honor my vows."

Without further word, Bjorn strode off, his form impossibly nimble and incredibly quiet in the thin forest. The human and the Space Marine started off as well towards the now visible edge of the forest. As they walked, Ricardo set up his recorders for automatic record and playback when tweaked with Inquisition codes that were not Gornal's. He didn't know if he would survive this, but the Inquisition would need to know. Kay would likely kill anyone who came after her and she was the Emperor's daughter. She was the Imperium. His oath was to protect the Imperium as was hers. He admired her and in the deepest recesses of his soul, he knew he was more than a bit awed by her.

"Skitarri ahead." Cypher warned as green beams lanced out across the sky. "Fighting…" He paused and then cursed softly. "Oh hell!"

Ricardo shared the Fallen's sentiments. The Skitarri were being overwhelmed by a squad of forms that flitted in an out of shadow. Tall, thin forms. Dark Eldar. He gripped his weapons tightly.

"Mandrakes. There cannot be many. Yet." Ricardo said softly. "Any commanders in sight?"

"No." Cypher growled in annoyance as the Skitarri were boxed in and the resulting melee was swift. "That damn flare. The Mechanicus summoned all kinds of scum to this battlefield."

"Our mission hasn't changed." Ricardo said firmly even as the Mandrakes ran off towards a set of boxy buildings in the distance. "Where is that excavation you spoke of?"

"That way. This has to be a trap for Kay." Cypher started forward, his pistols in hand. The Dark Eldar stuck without warning, swiftly and mercilessly. "The others are distractions. The Mechanicus will be ready for her."

"Maybe for her." Ricardo said savagely. "Not for us."

"You hope." Cypher chuckled. "All this time fighting and here I stand fighting beside an Inquisitor to aid the Emperor's daughter. Of all the things I expected, I never thought it would come to this."

A raging firestorm was visible on the horizon. Flashes and detonations were occurring just over it. The Space Wolves were doing what they always did, fighting. The perimeter was also alive with fire as Imperial Guard troops engaged sweeping forms in dark, angular armor. The Dark Eldar raiders were not doing very well. They had probably expected to strike without warning, but Elysians were nothing if not adaptable. Ricardo knew the 743rd had fought Dark Eldar before. They would take casualties and not all would die, but they would hold. Any who survived to be taken to the Dark Eldar home would pray for death and it would not take them for a long, long time. So the drop troops fought even harder then normal, knowing the horror that awaited them if they failed.

"Good troops." Cypher said softly and then tensed as a dark form stepped out into his view. The Dark Eldar was eyeing the Elysian lines, his back to the approaching pair. The pair of hulking bodyguard beside him turned to watch Ricardo and Cypher approach.

"Well, well, well..." The Dark Elder commander spun in place and Ricardo had to fight to keep his stomach contents down as he saw a flayed human face spread across the front of the evil xenos' helmet. "What have we here?"

"One chance, xenos scum." Cypher said firmly as he continued to walk forward. Ricardo matched his stride. Both held their weapons ready. "Run now and live. Stay here and die."

"Ooo, bold." The Dark Elder hefted a pistol weapon of some kind but did not flinch as Cypher closed the distance. Both bodyguard held long polearms that they gripped in readiness. "You are going to be fun to break!"

"There is a problem with that." Cypher's tone was conversational as he closed the gap. "You are dead."

Whatever the Dark Eldar was going to say to that was cut off as both of his bodyguards fell with smoking holes in their helmets. Before the Dark Eldar Leader could realize that he had been tricked into standing in the open, two more sniper shots hit him. Both glanced off of some kind of shield, but now Cypher was firing. Two plasma shots and then a bolt round fired so fast that even Ricardo's enhanced senses thought they were a single shot tore into the Dark Eldar and he fell. Cypher stepped right up to the Dark Eldar who was scrabbling for his fallen pistol and shot the xenos in the helmet with his plasma pistol. Then he fired twice more with his bolt pistol, both rounds slamming into the gut of the alien. He was still moving as Ricardo belatedly opened fire, his plasma and bolt rounds tearing into the fallen xenos. Cypher shot both of the bodyguards again, this time with plasma at very close range. Their armor wasn't proof from that.

In moments, all three of the Dark Eldar lay silent and still. None would rise from the Dark Angel's and Inquisitor's wrath. A cry went up around the area and Ricardo could see tall thin shapes fleeing in every direction. Many were cut down by the Elysians, but some of the xenos vanished into the forest.

"Cleaning them out of there is going to be a bitch." Ricardo said sourly as he reloaded his bolt pistol. Cypher hadn't seemed to, but Ricardo bet he had.

"Not our problem." Cypher said with a shrug. "Our problem… Oh no!"

He sounded stunned. Almost afraid! Ricardo looked ahead and his own blood ran cold as he saw a small crowd of very dead Skitarii forms clustered around an immobile stasis pod. Kay stood in front of the pod, her face savage as she faced both the Magos and Inquisitor Gornal with her sword in hand. The Magos was recoiling, but Gornal held a bolt pistol/crossbow combination weapon that he was aiming carefully. Kay's eyes were focused on the Magos, she didn't seem to see the Lord Inquisitor!

"KAY!" Ricardo and Cypher shouted her name as one.

Too late. Gornal fired.