The bells rang all across Macragge, clangour of victory. The fleet was returned and the world celebrated. Sara Tarken smiled at her daughter as she laughed, playing with Mikey and Teddy like the child she still was. It was good to see her happy, especially now. The Ultramarines had been treating her like a precious object for days, ever since the Miracle, until Sara herself had put her foot down.
"She's just a child, a little girl who prayed for someone she should not have because she didn't know any better. It's not her fault that the Emperor answered her prayer, nor her doing. It is His doing and His purpose. Janey was just the catalyst; do you honestly believe that a child could cause the Emperor to do something that He had not intended all along?"
That last had got their attention. The Emperor intended that His son, the sainted Primarch Robouté Guilleman, encased in stasis with his weapons and armour, should be restored to His service. For the Ultramarines that was like the world had begun anew. They were affirmed in their already near-unshakeable faith, and if anything more devoted to becoming the perfect space marines than ever.
She looked up, disturbed in her thoughts as the massive black armour of brother-captain Abdiel loomed in the doorway. Now, he, she thought, really was a miracle. Somehow, some why, the hole driven through his chest by the carnifex's talons had healed and he had been restored to life, right in front of two utterly astonished Ultramarines. Much to Abdiel's sorrow and puzzlement, brother Lieth had not been so restored; neither he nor anyone else could work out why, but were forced to accept that the Emperor had taken Lieth to rest in His Light while restoring Abdiel for some purpose as yet undetermined. The scar-faced captain had spent long hours in prayer this last two weeks. Understandably, it had to be said.
Abdiel nodded briefly in acknowledgement of their presence. It was as close as the man ever came to smiling. Sara smiled and returned the nod, waiting for him to speak.
"Captain, I am pleased to inform you that one of my Chapter's vessels has arrived here. I shall be leaving today."
"We shall be sorry to lose you, captain. You have honoured us by staying aboard."
"You have been most gracious hosts, captain." He opened his hand, holding something out. "You risked your ship and your lives to save my brothers, captain. This is for you, to wear in battle against the Emperor's enemies."
She looked at it curiously; a white cross inset on a black circle, both of wax, attached to a small scroll of parchment upon which was written a prayer to the Emperor. "I don't understand."
A flicker of something – humour? "It is a purity seal, captain. It is normally affixed to battle armour, or to a uniform."
Sara went white. A purity seal? For her? "Captain Abdiel, I, … I don't know what to say. I am not, ... not worthy of such an honour."
"Captain Tarken, it is not for you to say whether you are worthy."
She nodded, hesitantly reaching out and placing her hand over it. "Captain Abdiel, I am unfamiliar with how such an object should be consecrated by its wearer. Would you do me the honour of instruction?"
This time it was a real smile, however brief. "It will be my privilege, captain. First, however, I would like to ask something else of you."
"I am at your service, captain."
He nodded. "My brethren ask that your daughter attend a service aboard our ship."
She blinked. "Of course she can. Janey?"
Janey grinned up impishly. "Yes, brother-captain. I'd like that very much."
Abdiel nodded. "In an hour then, after your mother and myself have sealed this to her use."
Janey nodded eagerly, dark curls flying. "Should I wear something formal?"
"It would be appropriate, darling."
She nodded and dashed off to get ready. Sara looked after her, then carefully lifted her toys off the deck. "She is still just a child, captain."
He nodded, the merest flicker of movement. "I know. But she is blessed by the Emperor Himself. Captain Tarken, I am sorry, but I do not believe she will get many more chances to be a child."
Sara sighed slightly. "I know." She shook herself. "We should do this in the chapel?"
"Yes, captain."
It was a strange sight, even for Macragge's military dock, the grim and massive Black Templar keeping an easy formal pace with a tiny girl-child, his black armour a stark contrast to her white dress and rich purple and gold over-robe. Several dock workers stopped and stared before their supervisors chivvied them back to work.
The mismatched pair arrived at the berth belonging to the strike cruiser Indomitable Purity, which had arrived only a few hours before. Four black-armoured astartes guarded its access ramp and the girl spoke quietly but rapidly to the marine she was with. A few moments later all six walked through the hatchway and it sealed behind them.
Janey walked carefully close to Mr Abdiel. Brother-captain Abdiel, she reminded herself. The other Black Templars were just as grim as he was, and even though she felt very very safe around them, she felt nervous too. She had to do everything right.
At the end of the long corridor – she was starting to get sore feet, it was so long – was a pair of huge wooden doors, black and polished with the white cross on them. Above the doors rose the golden aquila. The doors were already open, and past them she could see a lot of very very big, black-armoured warriors. Some of them were almost as big as Mr Morgan, she thought, maybe even bigger. She followed captain Abdiel down between the big carved pews of marines until they were seated in the very front.
She sat when they did, and prayed when they did, and stood when they did and it was very nice. The Black Templars were all sort of contained inside themselves; not like Mr Morgan who was nice and friendly. Well, more anyway. As the service ended, she spoke quickly to captain Abdiel, who looked at her like he was surprised but nodded anyway and signalled to the chaplain, who nodded slowly.
He spoke to the marines. "Brothers, as you have no doubt noticed, today we have a guest at our devotions, a child whose prayer caught the attention of the Emperor Himself. She has asked that she be allowed to speak to us; pray listen closely. Sera Tarken?"
She nodded and stood up and looked at them all.
"Uhm, I'm not sure how I want to say this, and I didn't think much about it before, but when brother-captain Abdiel asked me to attend your service, mummy said something that made me think. We picked up the signal from Righteous Endurance three weeks ago, while we were going somewhere else. Mummy and Mr Morgan decided that we had to respond, and I'm very glad we did, because if we hadn't brother-captain Abdiel wouldn't be here with us today. But that's not why we did it.
"You see, you're space marines. And you're all about duty and honour and protecting people like me. That's why we have space marines. To fight evil where normal people can't. And by doing that, you make it easier for everyone else. People, ordinary people, only have to worry about getting a job, or school, or their friends and family, because you keep all the other problems, the big horrid nasty evils, away from us. Mr Morgan says that evil lives in a pit, and to fight it you have to go down into the pit and get dirty. Well, I guess he knows better than anyone. And that's why you have services like this one, to help you clean all the evil off yourselves. But you're not evil, and you're not in need of cleaning, not here," she touched her chest, "in your hearts, where it really matters.
"I'm not sure how I'd be able to be a space marine, even if girls could be. I don't know if I'd be brave enough to do what you do, to go down into the pit again and again. I've seen it, just once, really, when mummy and Mr Morgan fought the Word Bearers on Haura. They twisted what people believed, so that they were serving chaos when they thought they were serving the Emperor. Because that's what evil does; it twists things so that truth is lies and lies seem true. But the Emperor, he was looking down on mummy and Mr Morgan and me that day, and he showed one of the Word Bearers' people that he was wrong, and that man shot the Word Bearer's priest in the back so mummy was able to kill him. The man was killed doing that, and I 'member him in my prayers, not just 'cos he saved mummy, but 'cos he found the Emperor's truth right at the end and that deserves to be remembered. And mummy and Mr Morgan won, and they burned all the temple and set demolition charges and blew what was left to little bits.
"And that's what you do, you blow all the evil to little bits. And people look up at you, so big and strong and brave and powerful and they're, well, not scared, but, like, worshipping. And that's not right. You're human too. And you deserve something better than just worship. And that's really why I'm here. Uhm, would you all stand up, please?"
They did, a mass of ominous black. She stepped down and walked to the first marine, taking his armoured hand in both her own and looking up at his grim face. "Thank you for being there for us." Then she went to the next one and did the same, and the next and the next and the next, until she'd said thank you to every single one of them. Then she walked back down the front, feeling tired but needing to say something else.
"There's one last thing I want to say. When mummy and me were at home we were attacked by Night Lords. You all know who they are. Mr Morgan saved us. Mr Morgan was once a space marine like you. But he followed his Primarch and rebelled against the Emperor, long long ago. An' he was bad bad man, like the Night Lords and Word Bearers, for thousands and thousands of years. But, like the man in the temple, he got a second chance. A chance to be a proper space marine again. The Emperor said that he'll die, but I think that in a funny way he's quite pleased to know that he'll die in the Emperor's service. Anyway, I'm wearing the Imperial colours of his Legion today. I don't know if any of you know them, but this is an armour-robe for the Emperor's Children, from the time long ago back before they followed chaos. And brother-chaplain, I want you to take it. Keep it, until those colours are proud again. It's a sign of hope, that with the Emperor's help even the worst people can be better. And it's a warning too. I guess you all know what it's a warning about."
She took it off and offered it to him. He took it, carefully folding it over his arm. Then he spoke. "What is your duty?"
The marines answered all at the same time. "Service to the Emperor's will."
"What is the Emperor's will?"
"That we fight and die."
"What is death?"
"Death is our duty."
"What is your duty?"
Captain Abdiel stood beside her as the chant built and built. Then it cut off and the chaplain made a final benediction. Abdiel touched her shoulder gently and she followed him; the Black Templars made a space for them.
As they walked together along the corridor a marine approached. "Brother-captain, your presence is requested. With sera Tarken."
Abdiel nodded and they followed the man down a cross-corridor to another marine-sized black wooden door. Through the door was a big oval table with four marines sitting at it. She recognised the chaplain, but not the other three. The man in the middle, wearing the insignia of a captain on his black armour, stood as they approached.
"Brother-captain, sera Tarken. Please take a seat."
She shook her head. "Can I stand on it? I can't see over marine tables."
The captain nodded. "Of course. Janey, is it not?"
She nodded, suddenly shy.
"I am brother-captain Vascelij, commanding the 9th company, and this ship. We would like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind?"
She scrambled up onto the big chair. "Uhm, okay."
He nodded. "You spoke about the Night Lords and the Word Bearers today. You have seen both, is that correct?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir. The Night Lords attacked mummy and me on the farm – well, mummy mostly 'cos I hid upstairs. And we fought the Word Bearers on Haura."
"Yes. We know that your mother and Morgan Sedreth fought the Word Bearers. What did you do?"
"I ran tacscan, mostly. But I 'ported in and dropped some gernades and 'ported out again. Mr Morgan said I wounded a Word Bearer so mummy was able to kill him." She blushed. "Mummy was really angry at me."
"Why?" asked one of the other marines.
"She said I coulda been killed."
The captain nodded. "You could have been. How many Word Bearers were involved in the action?"
She counted on her fingers. "Uhm, there was three to start with, then eight more 'ported in from somewhere. So that was eleven."
"Your mother and Morgan Sedreth killed eleven Word Bearers on their own?"
"Yes. Well, not all at once. Mr Morgan had killed one and hurt another before the squad 'ported in, and 'cos we managed to get the co-ordinates right, he was able to throw some krak gernades right where they landed, and mummy threw her flamer too, so four or five of them were killed before they could join in the fight. An' Mr Morgan got the one he'd already hurt right about then too"
"I see. And then you destroyed their temple complex?" asked a scar-faced man with a white skull helmet sitting in front of him.
She nodded. "Mummy and Mr Morgan burned it all, then set a demolition charge. Was that okay to do?"
The man laughed briefly, sudden dark humour. "You killed a Word Bearer black chaplain and his guards, and destroyed his vile temple. Yes, I think you could say that it was okay to do."
She felt the relief flood through her. "I thought you might be mad we didn't get any prisoners, or call the governor or something."
The captain shook his head. "We are not angry. Surprised that you succeeded, but not angry. Now, Janey, can you tell us what you know about the chaos Legions?"
"Uhm yes, okay. I only know what Mr Morgan says though. Anyway, there's nine of them. The Night Lords and the Word Bearers and the Emperor's Children and the World Eaters and the Death Guard and the Alpha Legion and the Thousand Sons and the Iron Warriors and what used to be the Luna Wolves but Mr Morgan says they're just called the Black Legion now. They all rebelled against the Emperor in the Heresy, an' all their Primarchs are daemon princes now except Mr Morgan's 'cos he's actually possessed by a daemon, and the Black Legion's and the Night Lords' cos they're dead. Mr Morgan says that the Primarch of the Alpha Legion was supposed to be killed too, but he doesn't think it's true. He says that he's only certain that three Primarchs are dead. Horus, Sanguinius, and Ferrus Manus." She stopped suddenly aware of lot of tension.
"Uhm did I say something wrong?"
Captain Abdiel shook his head slightly. "No, Janey. But I would be interested to know why Morgan Sedreth does not believe in the deaths of the Night Haunter, or Primarch Dorn, or the accursed traitor Alpharius."
"Uhm, we didn't really talk about it, but he says that basically only a Primarch can kill another Primarch; they're just too powerful for anyone else to."
"Very well, please continue."
"Okay. Anyway, Mr Morgan says that the chaos Legions are all evil, but some are much worse than others. Like the World Eaters are only dangerous in battle, 'cos they're all little warbands now, not one Legion, and that's the same for the Emperor's Children, but the Word Bearers take their orders from their Primarch still so they're not just dangerous in battle, but dangerous in other ways too, 'cos they plan. An' so do the Night Lords, but they have lots of factions which fight each other, like the Iron Warriors do. Not little warbands, but big armies and companies. An' the Death Guard just spread plagues an' disease an' stuff an' spend a lot of time fighting other legions in the Eye, so they're a lot less dangerous to humanity than they could be. An' he says the Thousand Sons don't actually care about the Imperium, just about knowledge and getting better at sorcery. He says that that doesn't mean they won't attack the Imperium, but, except for the Space Wolves, they'll ignore and avoid space marines if they can."
"And the Alpha Legion?"
"Mr Morgan says he doesn't know much about them, even after all that time. He says that whatever they're doing, it's very secret. He says that no-one knows what they want or even if they serve chaos, really, but that they are very dangerous in battle 'cos they have no sort of set tactics an' are good at pretty much every kind of fighting."
"And the Black Legion?"
"Well, they tried to clone Horus, but the other Legions stopped them."
"They did? When was this?" Captain Vascelij sounded alarmed and the others round the table seemed to coil in on themselves.
"Mr Morgan says about five hundred years after the Heresy, before the World Eaters and Emperor's Children had their big war. Everyone wanted to stop Horus coming back. He says he was there when the Emperor's Children broke into their fortress and destroyed all the clones."
The warriors round the table visibly relaxed.
"I see. Do you know anything else about them?"
"Not really. Mr Morgan says that their commander now was their First Captain during the Heresy, and that he's a very good tactician and straty-jist."
"He is correct. Has he discussed his former Legion with you?"
"A bit. He says that his Century, the 79th, were one of the warbands, and that most warbands are made up of a few survivors from the Heresy plus newer recruits. He says that they like torture and destruction, but they like to make people enjoy themselves too. I didn't understand that, but he says that if people enjoy themselves too much, that's all they do, and they can easily be turned to chaos. And he says that his last captain was an idiot."
They looked questioningly at her. "I don't know why he says that. I think it's 'cos he wasn't very good at tactics an' stuff."
Captain Vascelij stood. "Janey, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. Brother-captain Abdiel will take you back to your ship now."
She nodded and scrambled down, then gave them a little bow, 'cos she felt she should. "Thank you. Emperor's Grace on you and your brothers, captain Vascelij."
He nodded. "And on you, Janey, and your companions."
She followed captain Abdiel out. They were all so brave. She held tight to his big hand as they walked and she sniffed back the urge to cry.
He paused, looking at her. "Janey, why are you upset?"
She blushed. "'Cos you're all so brave and you go an' get killed for us."
"Janey, do not cry for the astartes. We are blessed above all men. We are truly privileged to do what we do, to be humanity's shield. It is an honour above any other."
"Really?"
He nodded, kneeling down to meet her eyes – she still had to look up. "Janey, your thanks today are all, and more, than we need. To watch the loyal citizens of the Imperium going about their business unafraid, that is reward enough. Come now, dry your tears and let us return to your ship."
She nodded, wiping her eyes on her hankie. "Do I look like I've been crying?"
He paused and looked down at her. "No, Janey, you look perfectly fine."
She nodded again and stood as straight as she could, walking beside him the long way round the docks back to mummy and Eyes of the Phoenix.
Back in the council chamber Vascelij was discussing the interview.
"I am not comfortable with a girl-child knowing so much. And what of this Sedreth? Can anyone be sure of his loyalties? He broke faith once before."
"I understand your concern, brother-captain. However, I have spoken at length with the librarians of the Ultramarines; they are convinced that Sedreth has been tasked by the Emperor. In person."
"This, 'Miracle'?"
"Yes. Brother-captain, every single shrine on the planet glowed with His power. All the librarians felt His presence; the Astronomicon burned brighter in the minds of our own navigators than it has done in a thousand years. And the prophesied Victory is complete; the hive fleet spur was utterly annihilated. Our brothers can rest easy for their last task is now accomplished."
"Hmm. And what of possible taint?"
"I sensed nothing, brother-captain. I have not met this Sedreth, but neither Abdiel nor the child showed any touch of chaos. And Lord Calgar would not have allowed any of them to live had his own librarians or chaplains detected a hint of taint in them."
He paused thoughtfuly, then went on, "They are dangerous, brother-captain, but not, I think to the Emperor's interests. Whatever those may be. It is His will that they live and His purpose they serve. Abdiel, too, has some task to perform, I think."
Vascelij nodded slowly, meeting each man's gaze. "Do you believe her about the accursed Emperor's Children Primarch?"
"Brother-captain, I do not know if it is true. But she believes it. And I think that this Sedreth believes it – although how much of that is merely because he does not wish to think that his Primarch could willingly become such a vile creature, and how much truth, well, a matter of irrelevance. The being known as Fulgrim remains an enemy to be destroyed without mercy, in the unlikely event any of us are ever in such a position."
"And the Primarch, brother-captain? Could he still live?"
"Again, that is not a matter of immediate relevance. If he still lives, he has chosen, like his brothers, to remove himself for some reason unknown to us. In which case, he will return to us when the Imperium has true need of him. Either way, we can only continue as we always have, and hunt and destroy the Emperor's enemies."
Sedreth looked up as the blue-armoured warrior entered his small cell. The man spoke without preamble or greeting, like those few Ultramarines he had met since Calgar had led his forces against the tyranids. "The fleet is returned victorious as promised. You will come with me."
He followed silently, barely acknowledging the lack of courtesy – it was natural after all. They quickly arrived at a gleaming doorway which his escort opened and ushered him through. In the small chamber beyond stood the Lord Commander in full battle armour, and beside him, the massive armoured coffin of a dreadnought. Calgar spoke without emotion, but he could sense the man's anger.
"I am not comfortable with this decision, Morgan Sedreth, but I have served my Emperor all my life and will not disobey now. In the next chamber are your armour and weapons; your ship is in count, both your companions already aboard. I do not recommend you return here."
He nodded.
The dreadnought's external speakers crackled to life. "The Ultramarines obey the Emperor, Morgan Sedreth. You have a chance at redemption. Do you fail, or again break your allegiance, know that we shall hunt you down even to the Eye of Terror."
The speakers cut off. Sedreth saluted; it was not returned. The two Ultramarines left the chamber, leaving him alone.
"Mr Morgan! You're back."
"I would not stay away, Janey," he answered, as the armoured hatchway closed behind him. "Sara. I am aboard." He walked with Janey along the corridor to the lift. She bounced happily beside him.
"Mr Morgan, lots of weird stuff has been happening."
"Oh?"
"Uh-huh. Brother-captain Abdiel came back to life, and all the ship systems came online at once, and the chapel's all bright and clean."
"All bright and clean?"
Dark curls flew as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. It's all shiny, an' you can see all the banners an' everything."
They walked out of the lift and down the short corridor to the bridge where Sara sat in the pilot's chair. She looked round as they entered and smiled. "Hello, Morgan. Janey, can you take scan? Morgan, take comms and nav, please. We're undocking in three minutes."
He took his chair with a slight smile. The bridge gleamed, its lights somehow brighter than he remembered, and even the few faint traces of dust in unused corners were gone.
"This is naval dock control. Eyes of the Phoenix, you are clear to undock."
"Acknowledged, control. Umbilicals detached. Undocking in thirty seconds."
Janey's light voice sounded serious, all business. "System scan to pilot. Navigation hazard in quadrant tau-epsilon mark 6."
"Confirmed. I have your course, Morgan. Laying in now. Jump to warp in twelve minutes. Janey, bring the Geller fields online."
"Yes, mummy. Geller fields show yellow and building. Power systems operating normally."
"This is Macragge control. Eyes of the Phoenix, you have clearance to system nadir, navigation lane seven-gamma."
"Acknowledged, control. Proceeding on lane seven-gamma, point 35 c."
Controller Ibdis watched the image on his screen and idly flicked through the readout, watching the great warship as he did so. Even though this was a base for the Ultramarines, it was very rare for another space marine vessel to dock here, and he was honoured that it was him who had been tasked with guiding the Black Templars ship from local space. He looked at the registration readout.
Indomitable Purity, epsilon-93, 1047-gamma, 37-sigma, epsilon-secundus-9.
37th millennium? That was an old ship. Most warships – he knew it was a warship from the class code 'epsilon', even though he'd have to look the registry manual to know what class – didn't last that long. He wondered why all astartes ships had the symbol 'sigma' after their year of fabrication. Perhaps there was some significance to the letter. He knew that trade ships had a tau, and Imperial naval vessels a gamma. Administratum vessels were alpha, and Inquisition omega, while the very rare ships of the Ecclesiarchy were signified by pi. A new blip appeared on his screen, hand-off from dock control, and he dismissed the puzzle.
"This is Macragge control. Eyes of the Phoenix, you have clearance to system nadir, navigation lane seven-gamma."
"Acknowledged, control. Proceeding on lane seven-gamma, point 35 c."
That was quite fast for a trade ship – very fast in fact. He pulled up the ship's details. By the Emperor. 29th millennium? He turned to his supervisor.
"Sir, I have an anomaly."
She leant over his shoulder as he pointed out the age and class of the mysterious, ancient, ship.
"Ibdis, that is not an anomaly. You will forget you ever saw that ship. In fact, it would be better if there was no record of that vessel being here."
He looked, astonished, at supervisor Martel's greying and lined face. Her eyes were very serious. "Ibdis, I know you're a numbers addict; all the best controllers are. Trust me, you do not want to know anything about that ship, and especially nothing about its registration."
He nodded. "Yes, sir." He turned back to his screen. "Eyes of the Phoenix, affirm that. Point three-five of light."
"Acknowledged, control. Opening warp gate in thirty seconds. Confirm." A light feminine voice.
"Warp gate confirmed, Emperor's Grace on you."
There was no reply as the ship went to warp.