3.
Whilst the Bastion of Haganash went about its daily business and what some considered boring and mundane duties deep below the bastion was a different story,
The central tower, home of the Mechanicum members went far deeper then anyone actually realised.
The natural rock formation of the bastion allowed for natural caverns that needed little if any restructuring. The walls were all sheer, no ledges or footholds the only way out was the smoothed walkway that ran its way like a long coiled snake.
The path ran for another ten feet downwards and came to an abrupt end before two huge steel doors guarded by two of the biggest guardians that the approaching Tech Adept had ever seen. They were standing like stoic centuries their eyes dimmed but the young adept had no misgivings about the fact that they were ever watchful. Their weapons were held across their chests like space marines holding their bolters at half arms, again he was under no illusion that if they had to stop an intruder then they would swing into action faster then a man could breathe. With ammunition capable of blowing even the armour of a space marine apart, these guardians were totally different to any he had ever seen before.
Whilst their bodies were mainly human their faces were horrifying to look upon, twisted parodies of old earth stories of gargoyles, it made him shiver to even look upon them. The doors were six inches thick and twenty feet high, only opened if the correct incantations were made or if the master wanted visitors there with him.
He stood before the door and placed his hand in the alcove at the side, he didn't even flinch as the small needles within entered his hand. He was however, acutely aware that the guardians were watching him.
"Tech Adept Naylon Kendral"
He jumped at the voice and glanced up to see one of the guardians heads turn and look down upon him its twisted features lit with an unearthly glow as its eyes glowed a murky, sinister green.
He prayed that the old Magos had not forgotten that he had sent for him for if he had then his life was going to over in a very bloody way. The wait seemed to stretch forever then the needles withdrew and the Guardian returned to at rest, the doors opened with a rumble that sounded like an aftershock of an earthquake. He steeled himself and entered the room.
Tech Adept Naylon Kendral had little if any augments and they were mainly under the skin except for his augmented left eye and that had been due to an accident on Mars several years ago.
He made his way through the room and tried to ignore the palatable stomach churning fear he felt whenever he was in this place. There were rows upon rows of mindless servitors working at varying stations, the sound of their working did little to calm him and he found himself whispering a prayer to the Omnissiah as he made his way towards the great staircase in the centre.
He moved down the spiral staircase and stopped short as he saw the gold sarcophagus and it was the biggest thing he had ever seen. Completley encased but the power eminating from it was more then he had ever known
"Tech Adept Naylon Kendral welcome to the greatest knowledge our order has faced since the time of Kelbor-Hal"
He turned to see the Magos move towards him. The Magos was more machine then human these days, his legs were gone replaced by a chasis with tracks, behind him and to the side of him were six huge mechandrils that did all the work his hand arms and hands would once have done and they were now hanging limply by his side useslees and withering.
His face was like a metal skull only a little brain matter left the rest were a nest of circuits and processors. He spoke with little emotion, everything flat and monotoned. Naylon had served the Magos for over a century and had become one of his trusted staff.
He was rarely seen out of this room, whatever communicationshe had with the commanders of the Bastion was done through vox communications. The rumour was that he was so old he could not even moved from his control centre but that had been an elaborate lie to stop any Imperial commanders from interferring in the real nature of the work here.
Magos Katara Hol whilst ancient was not as acient as some of his peers he was over 900 years old and the illusion of being a helpless remnants of a Preist of Mars served his purposes well.
"My Magos" Naylon bowed his head "What is this?"
The Magos cocked his head, a curious side effect and some human remnant of inquisitiveness that reminded Naylon of some skeletal machine eyeing up a morsel of prey before dragging it to the underworld to feed.
"Can you be trusted Naylon Kendral?"
"My oath is to the Omnissiah my lord of course I can be trusted. I have served you well for over one hundred years"
That seemed to satisfy his master, the Magos turned his back and moved away towards an information cogitator. Naylon followed his master then sat down.
"All you need to know is in there Naylon Kendral"
Naylon plugged himself into the cogitator eager to assimilate the information that it contained, it was to be the biggest mistake he had ever made.
The Diablous Infernos roared into Imperial space, the ship was hunting again and it was eager to kill. Its corrupted spirit wanting nothing more then to spill blood in the name of the gods.
It entered orbit around the gas giant neighbour of Dagas Prime that would shield her from any imperial watch monitors. Her landing bays were busy. Stormbirds and Thunderhawks were taking off conveying the host to the planet. Smaller transport vessels conveyed the cult army, red-garbed fanatics, the Imperial Guard that had betrayed their oaths to the Emperor throwing their lot in with the Word Bearers
When they came into land it was nighttime. Tor Panarl had made the landing site ten miles from the Bastion, which would give them time to assemble their forces and not be seen by the enemy until they were ready to be seen.
He stood watching as the human cattle that would die before the blessed brothers brought themselves to attention before his scrutiny. He moved along their rows not really caring about their affiliation all he cared about was that they were prepared to die in the name of the gods and for the prosperity of the sons of Lorgar.
He had little time for Cult fanatics to him they were nothing more then human scum, they had betrayed their people to serve the greater power but he was under no illusion what the gods did with insignificant insects like this, the same thing he did and he would kill them all now if it was required of him.
He moved to the former Imperial Guard regiments. Now these he could trust. They had fought and bled in the crucible of battle. They had seen the true folly of the Emperors ways, they understood the sacrifice the Carrion Lord demanded of his subjects and the fact they never got any thanks for it.
Their Warmasters sullying the title with their never-ending source of human cannon fodder and the cost of lives meant nothing to them, no more then the swatting of flies. When Horus had been alive he valued the lives of his Astartes and his Guard, not like the modern counterparts, they weren't even fit to clean the Warmasters boots.
He stopped before a man daubed with the ritual scars of chaos undivided. His uniform bore no guard insignia just the insignia of the Word Bearers 47th Host but he knew the man was formally of the Caltanan 23rd Rifles. His eyes burned with hatred and Tor Panarl went over what he knew of the man. Colonel Franklin Gerhardt, a man that had witnessed the true nature of the loyalist marines when they deserted the world of Neros IX.
The Dark Angels had come to aid them but at the last moment left them all to die at the hands of the Orcs like they were beyond even notice. Gerhardt, battle hardened and fed up with seeing his men and women killed for no reason other then the will of a drunken lord did what was expected of him and it was he and his other commanders of the Derian 27th armoured corp. and the Mendoza 35th and 25th that had seen the Orcs back.
Bitter that he had lost many due to the desertion of the so-called Emperors finest he found an outlet for his anger. He was fed up with the Commissar who had berated his men and women saying that the victory was not complete, that they had shamed the Emperor in their slow advance that his favoured sons had been forced to abandon them.
Seeing the downtrodden faces and weary expressions he moved to the Commissar and shot him point blank through the head. It had been a signal to every other commander and they killed their Commissars.
Tor Panarl realised that when men and women, warriors that had seen the worst the universe had to offer and gave it the best they could to be told they had let their god down so bad that he had withdrawn his favoured sons it would break them.
They didn't find the traitor guard, the traitor guard found them and aided them against the forces of Solarnus XII as the Word Bearers were currently battling against the Howling Griffons they were grateful for the help of the four regiments.
Since that day they had been the guard attachment to the 47th Host and Tor Panarl could work with a man like this.
They had uniforms made that were reminiscent of the Word Bearers colours and were christened the 47th guard of the Dark Host.
"Tell me Colonel how are the troops bearing up? Are they ready to bring death to the false god?" The Coryphaus clasped his huge hands behind his back.
Gerhardt raised his gaze to the Coryphaus. He was a tall man for a human but he barely came up to the Word Bearers midriff.
"In the name of the master my lord and the holy Primarch always will we do honour and not disappoint you."
Tor Panarl rubbed his jaw and cast his ever-cold eyes over the assembled guard. There were a few more additions to the ranks that had been taken from the last couple of worlds they orbited and press ganged into service.
All in all they were massed as the Guard he expected and they were loyal to him and the Dark Apostle that is all that mattered to him.
"Keep an eye on the Infardi" he lowered his voice "I do not trust them"
Gerhardt cast a glanced to his left and the disgust showed on his scared face "As you order my lord"
"Have your armoured divisions ready, ours will be arriving shortly when that is done meet me in the command tent"
The Colonel bowed, Tor Panarl moved away to where his brother marines were waiting.
"Bring them down" he ordered "I Want everything ready for when the Dark Apostle gets here."
The information that was rushing through Naylons head was not only overwhelming but it drained any reasonable logic he had, only the thought of pure thinking machine man hybrids overriding all that he had been taught to believe.
The Mechanicum expressly forbade self thought in any of their constructions and more so since the Heresy that split the brotherhood in two. Now he had images in his mind of machines and man working together in perfect harmony thoughts as one, actions as one, equals and loyal to each other. It was beautiful, a fantastic thought a wonderful thought.
He could see the new Titans marching against the traitors of their former brothers their weapons destroying all that threatened the sanctity of the priesthood of Mars. Something else entered his mind. Something that wanted to show him more, show him what truly was the destiny of man.
A small voice erred on the side of caution but so lost was he in the beauty of what he saw his mind screamed out for more the thirst for knowledge was like a drug to him and all of his order. To not know everything would be a life worse then death to him.
The Magos watched as his Adept writhed in what could only be described as ecstasy the smile across his face more then any woman might have given him. He glanced back at the golden sarcophagus, yes the master would teach them all how to make the Mechanicum the greatest power in the universe.
As long as their work remained hidden, this angel of the Omnissiah was ready for them, to receive their ready souls to bring the machine god home. He had been assigned here when the last Magos had died. At first he had been told to ensure that the secrets kept since the Crusade remained but over time he had discovered the body of the great demon.
Alcatran. The great prince of chaos undivided and the one being able to bring back the Mechanicums glory days. He had zealously guarded the demon not wanting to let any know of his discovery until he was ready.
The Prince was able to speak through telepathy; its body had been shattered by the Grey Knights Psyker powers and unable to move back into the warp. It had told him what to do and in return for helping him to remain in this realm then he would teach him all he knew.
The Sarcophagus was built to exacting specifications with whatever wards the Prince asked for and in return the Magos was taught how to create a hybrid of man and machine. Such knowledge was forbidden everyone knew that but Magos Katara Hol knew that sometimes such rules had to be over ridden if they were ever to be back in their glory days and march to war in the name of the machine god.
His thirst for knowledge had allowed the great demon entry. First he convinced him to have this place fortified with warriors. The Mechanicum did not need to explain its requests and seeing as it was a bastion of importance to the Imperium being on the outskirts of the Maelstrom then it was granted.
The Priests at Mars were told that they had STC's deep within the Bastion that were unable to be moved but would be of great benefit for rebuilding the shattered planet. The very thought of STC's allowed the allocation of Titans and Warhounds to the Bastion.
Titans of the Legio Ignatum and Legio Invicta came to the Bastion not to metniton the Imperial Guard. All told to guard the Bastion from hostile Xenos forces and that is exactly what they were doing.
Alcatran now had the Magos firmy in his grasp but it would take a little longer before he back to his full strength. Searching out his allies in the warp he found the mind of a gifted Word Bearer. Their zealous nature and their pious respect for the gods would bring them here to aid him and free him.
As laid low as he was Alcatran was still a being of power, he was giving the Magos what he wanted but the Magos believed that he had power over the prince. Let him think that, they all thought that, it was just a matter of time before his creations responded to their true masters.