Chapter 6:
The Perfect Ambush
The Macragge's Honour traveled through the Warp at the head of the Ultramarine and Successor Chapter fleet, its destination to Terra set in the minds of the fleet's Navigators. An ancient vessel from the Era of the Great Crusade, the Macragge's Honour had gone through Hell and back to return to the Ultramarines. During the Horus Heresy, it had been lost in the Warp after pursuing the Infidus Imperator, the flagship of Kor Phaeron. After its eventual return, it had been the last known location of Seneschal Tarasha Euten during an attack by Traitor Astartes. After Guilliman's return, it had been lost to the Red Corsairs before it was eventually recovered. Despite all the hardship, the Gloriana Class Battleship had weathered the storms and had returned to its proper place as Guilliman's flagship during the Indomitus Crusade.
The Primarch of the Ultramarines sat in contemplation of the events of the recent past. Since their departure from Ultramar a few weeks ago, Roboute Guilliman had barely left the confines of his quarters except for solo-training in the practice cages. The Primarch had thrown himself into his work, planning practical strategies for the upcoming siege that would account for theoretical situation that could occur in battle.
With the Night Lords involved as an enemy, it was important to account for their stealth and terror attacks. What made them dangerous as a foe was that the Night Lords had no limitations on what they would and would not do. During the Great Crusade, the Night Lords amassed a fearsome reputation as cruel monsters that would slaughter a planet's population, women and children included, and broadcast the screams of their victims system wide to inspire fear and surrender. Curze had fostered and encouraged this insanity in the VIIIth Legion after his discovery. From what Guilliman had been told, before Curze's discovery, the VIIIth Legion had used similar tactics, but nothing on the level as what the Night Haunter had taught them.
Guilliman remembered when Curze had come to Macragge purely for the sake of causing mayhem and cruelty out of spite. On his own, Curze had caused just as much damage as a whole company of Space Marines. He'd even attempted to kill Tarasha Euten, Guilliman's Seneschal and former caretaker. If it hadn't been for Vulkan saving her at the last minute, she would have been dead. "I will kill you myself, Konrad. I swear it."
A chime at the door signaled a visitor. "Enter," Guilliman stated.
The door opened to reveal Marneus Calgar in full armor. "My Lord Guilliman, I was hoping I could talk to you if you had the time."
Roboute smiled at the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines. "Of course, Marneus. Take a seat." Marneus sat across from his Gene-Father, the tension in the space between them palpable. Marneus' attitude towards his Primarch had been uneasy since the Plague Wars. It wasn't insubordination or outright hostility, Guilliman could handle that. What made it worse was that it was disappointment. The legend of Roboute Guilliman had outgrown the man himself. His own defeat at the claws of Fulgrim had been altered or embellished multiple times to the point where even Guilliman had doubts as to what had happened and he was the core figure at the center of the myths.
After his revival, there had been expectations that Guilliman had been unable to fulfill. Instead of remaining in Ultramar, he'd had to return to Terra to see to its safety after the opening of the Great Rift. Then he'd had to set out on his Indomitus Crusade to bring order back to the Galaxy and to assure the citizens of the Imperium that they had not been abandoned nor forgotten. Marneus had been left in charge of Ultramar as usual, but instead of the great leader and custodian of Macragge, he'd felt like a placeholder for Guilliman until his return. Then the Plague Wars had begun and Guilliman's duties had brought him back. The tension had eased slightly, but then Guilliman had left again to make his way into Imperium Nihilus to see to the lost worlds there. Then he'd received a vision of a great return to Terra that he'd had to leave the Indomitus Crusade to see to.
The return of Vulkan, Corax, Russ, and Jaghatai had eased Guilliman's burdens greatly. He was no longer alone and after leaving the Regency to Vulkan, he'd returned to Ultramar at last and the remainder of the Indomitus Crusade. There was still work to be done, but at least there was time to see to his people. Now it seemed that he and Marneus would finally have that chance to talk. Marneus spoke first.
"Lord Guilliman, I want to talk to you about... some things that have needed to be discussed for a while."
"Please, Marneus. Call me Roboute. Please."
"Is it alright if I call you, 'Lord Roboute', then?"
Guilliman smiled. "Very well, Marneus. What is it you want to talk about?"
"Lord Roboute, I want to discuss matters of... succession."
Guilliman arched an eyebrow at that. "Are you sure, Marneus? Your battle records since crossing the Rubicon have been exemplary. Surely you don't think your days are numbered?"
Looking at the massive Gauntlets of Ultramar, Marneus flexed his fingers as he contemplated his answer. "For a while, Lord Roboute, I have felt a weight on my shoulders. Something that tells me that my time is coming to a close. That I am nearing my end. If that happens... I want to be ready."
Guilliman understood that mindset. It was smart to have a backup plan in case the worst should happen. "I assume you've chosen your candidates, Marneus?"
"I have, Lord. Severus Agemman, Cato Sicarius, and Uriel Ventris."
Guilliman wasn't surprised by these choices, but was eager for elaboration. "Why these three, Marneus? Tell me." Bringing his hands together, Roboute leaned forward in anticipation of Marneus' reasons for his choices.
"Severus, even with his title of Tetrarch, is still First Captain and is in line as my successor by default. However, it is more than that. He is a staunch believer in the Codex and its virtues. I know he may be seen as stiff, but he would be a pillar the Ultramarines and their Successors can rally behind. Cato is Severus' opposite. He's always done things his way, but he still gets results within reason and he's a noble warrior. Since his return and your appointing him to the Victrix Guard, he has lost quite a lot of that... ego that always seemed to hold him back. Some said before that I would have chosen him during his time as Second Captain. But I honestly think now he has earned the chance to be Chapter Master."
"And Uriel?"
Marneus leaned back in his chair and smiled. "If Severus is the mind and Cato the spirit, then Uriel is the heart of the Ultramarines. His trials as Captain of the Fourth Company have been great, Lord Roboute. He has been tested like none other and always managed to remain devoted to his ideals. His devotion to the protection of Mankind is second to none. I believe Uriel would be a great Chapter Master."
Having served alongside Uriel, Roboute agreed. All three Ultramarines were ideal choices and he felt Marneus had made good choices. Then he remembered what he'd wanted to say before this conversation had started. "Marneus, I want to apologize."
Calgar's eyebrow rose in surprise. "For what?"
"For not being what you wanted me to be. The Legend of Roboute Guilliman does overshadow the reality and I know that I was not an ideal Primarch following my return. I left a lot on your shoulders and when I returned, I came across as displeased with your work. Nothing could be further than the truth, Marneus. You remind me of an old friend. Marius Gage, my First Chapter Master during the Great Crusade, was a good man. A true leader and a good friend. I think he would be proud of you. Your battles in the Vigilus and Nachmund Gauntlet Campaigns left you scarred, but you won a great victory for the Imperium against Abaddon and I am proud of you for that. I just hope I can do better as your Gene-Father."
Roboute could not tell, but as stared at the floor while being praised, he thought he could detect the faint hint of a smile and some redness on Marneus' cheeks. Before the Chapter Master could reply, however, klaxons blared throughout the ship. The mechanical voice of a servitor sounded over the vox speakers. "ALERT! ALERT! ENEMY FLEET INBOUND ON COLLISION COURSE! ALERT! ENEMY FLEET INBOUND ON COLLISION COURSE! ALL HANDS BRACE FOR EMERGENCY TRANSLATION INTO REAL SPACE! ALL HANDS BRACE!"
Guilliman and Marneus looked at each other before making for the door and to the bridge. Their conversation would have to continue another day.
Kardan Stronos, Chapter Master of the Iron Hands, was furious at the sight he beheld from the bridge of the Gorgon's Will. The Emperor's Children, lead by Eidolon, had ambushed the Iron Hands fleet on-route to Terra and were delaying their arrival. The Emperor's Children, of all the Traitor Legions, were the most hated of the enemies of the Iron Hands. It was their Primarch Fulgrim that had killed Ferrus Manus. It was they that had broke their Legion upon the sands of Istvaan V and harried them to near extinction. And now they were ambushing them like the cowards they were. Stronos considered himself a controlled and logical individual. One who had mastered the anger born from the death of Ferrus, but faced with this, he wished for nothing more than to crush Eidlon's disfigured head between his metal fingers.
"Now is not the time to lose ourselves," Stronos thought. "We were not there on Terra and in the name of the Gorgon, we will be there!" Stronos, upon receiving the transmission from the Primarch Vulkan, and recalled all Iron Hands that were out in the field. Even if they were in battle, they were to return to Medusa. Now they were beset on all sides by enemies and they had not even rendezvoused with their Successor Brothers either. It was time to make a hard choice. "Get me Iron Captain Caanok Var on the vox," he said to a serf.
The serf nodded and ran to patch the Chapter Master through to the master of Clan Avernii. Soon, the serf called out that Var was on speaker. "Lord Stronos?"
"Var, I need you to rally Clans Sorrgol, Borrgos, Morlaag, and Vurgaan to Clan Avvernii's banner. I need you to give the rest of the Clans the chance to break through this blockade. You have command of the reserves, except for Clan Dorrvok. Kill Eidolon if you can and bring me his head on Terra. Can you do that?"
The Iron Captain of Clan Avernii nodded. "It will be done. I will show these bastards why the Flesh is Weak when I tear Eidolon's head from his shoulders!"
Under his mask, Stronos smiled. "The Flesh is indeed Weak, Iron Captain. But this deed, like iron, will endure." As he rallied the rest of the Clan's ships to him, he prepared a maneuver that he was certain would have the Iron Council look upon him with concern. It might even hurt his chances at reelection as Chapter Master. But for now, a change in tactics and style were needed.
Patching himself through to the ships under his wing, Stronos directed the Shipmasters to begin stoking the fires of their enginariums and to hold position until he gave the signal. From the view screen, Stronos saw Var direct his ships into the blockade. Many were destroyed, but the sudden offensive had forced the Emperor's Children to rally. As the ships of the Iron Hands pushed against the tide of traitors, a crack in their line began to form. Stronos smiled as he raised one metal hand and pointed to the Master of the Vox with the other. "On my signal..."
During the War of the Beasts, Stronos had met a White Scars Captain who had told him of how, during the Horus Heresy, the White Scars Legion had broken through a blockade of Alpha Legion ships. It was a battle that had been recorded in the annals of White Scars history and had intrigued Stronos. The only problem was that Iron Hands ships were not built like White Scars ships. More for endurance than speed. However, if the engines of the Iron Hands fleet could be persuaded enough, if the Tech Priests associated with the Chapter could stoked to life, perhaps they could be made to imitate those ancient ships.
"Omnissiah," he whispered. "Please deliver us to your side upon Terra. Please allow us to make up for our mistakes. We were not there upon Terra when you needed us. We were selfish. We were consumed by our rage. Let me make up for the sins of our past. In the name of Ferrus Manus, we will have our righteous fury visited upon your enemies."
The crack in the lines spread just a bit further apart. As it did, the strike cruisers piloted by the human servants and officers of the Iron Hands placed themselves in the vanguard. Stronos knew there would be casualties because of this. But the human servants of the Iron hands knew what was at stake if they were delayed. Terra and the Emperor needed all the help they could get and the Iron Hands were needed.
"All ships... Forward."
The fleet of the Iron Hands, those that were making their way to Terra, shot forward. The ships that had made the gap did their best to evade. Some were hit by the strike, their wings clipped or hulls scraped. Their outsides ripped open to let the air out and the people in those sections were cast into the void. It had to be done. Sacrifices had to be made in war. And this war of 10,000 years demanded many sacrifices of all of mankind.
Many ships in the front line were smashed to pieces as they collided with the ships of the Emperor's Children. Many lives were lost as a result of Stronos' gambit, but it had to be done. Their lives would not be spent in vain. Not in worthless death. They would be at Terra and they would be on the walls when the Night Lords came.
As the Gorgon's Will cleared the blockade, Stronos thought about Captain Var and the other brothers and servants of the Iron Hands that had been left behind. Despite belief about the Iron Hands being cold and distant, even by the standards of their cousins, they did feel things. Stronos believed that it was important that while the Iron Hands kept their emotions controlled, it was important that they felt things. That they kept that part of their humanity alive. Their understanding. Their rage. Their hope. They needed it if they were to be Mankind's Protectors and Avengers. Some in the Clans did not believe this. Some believed that only wrath was needed. Cold, logical, wrath. Stronos did not want to believe this. He wanted to believe that there was more.
"Lord Chapter Master," an officer called. "The Emperor Children vessels have launched boarding torpedoes at us. Several have collided with the Gorgon's Will. We have intruders."
"One last cut from the Soul-Severed it seems," Stronos smiled. He stood up from his throne and lifted his power axe up. He turned to the Shipmaster who had been standing silently by his throne. "You have the bridge. It is time to excise corruption from this ship. Who knows, maybe the Soul-Severed got cocky and decided to finish me himself. Oh... I hope he decided that."
On the bridge of the Macragge's Honour, Guilliman entered alongside Marneus Calgar to see a flotilla of ships surrounding their fleet. Ships bearing the cursed mark of the Emperor's Children. For a moment, his fury at their journey being interrupted was abated at the hope that he would get to face Fulgrim again.
The ships of the Emperor's Children were abominations of flesh and metal melded into one. Once, these ships had been some of the most beautiful in the Imperium. When they came to a world lost to time and the darkness of Old Night, they brought either illumination or destruction. They would either bring swift destruction or culture to the planet's people. Then they had turned on the Imperium and embraced madness. They mutilated themselves and pursued hedonistic goals and self-gratification. It was disgusting and it was because of them that a loyal Primarch had died. It was because of Fulgrim that Roboute had been gravely wounded upon the brink of death. If Fulgrim was here then perhaps Roboute would have a chance at revenge. Perhaps.
Roboute shook his head. No, no, it was not the time. This was a distraction. He had to break free of this. Turning to Admiral Lazlo Tiberius, he fixed him with a cold glare. "Lord Admiral, patch me through to the lead ship. I wish to speak to whomever's in charge."
Tiberius inhaled, his ire at the situation as evident as his Primarch's. "Actually, my Lord, we were contacted by a strike cruiser called the Diadem. Its Captain claims to be the one in charge."
That ship. Roboute knew that ship and the one who commanded it. "On... Screen."
The image of an overly scarred, lipless, hairless head with a sickening serpent smile appeared on the hololith screen. Lucius the Eternal. "Greetings to thee... Uncle."
"Where is Fulgrim, Swordsman," Guilliman said, striding forward until his face was inches away from the screen. "Where is your father?"
"Father could not be here now, though I know he sends his regards, Dear Uncle. No, I come to pay you a social call. On request from Dear Uncle Konrad, I'm here to either delay you or kill you."
Guilliman's blood boiled at those words. Though he suspected he would feel less rage if they had come from someone else. Of all the Emperor's Children, Lucius exemplified the arrogance and narcissism of that fallen Legion. There had been many great warriors within that Legion that Guilliman had been proud to fight alongside. Lord Commander Abedemon, Captain Saul Tarvitz, Solomon Demeter, and Akurduana. All of which had been great warriors and would never have sided with Fulgrim during the Heresy. But Lucius had always been an egomaniac. Always eager to prove himself superior to others and had been known to stab his opponents in the back. It wouldn't have surprised Guilliman if Lucius had done that during the Betrayal of Istvaan III. Now his once handsome face was nothing more than the head of a snake. Just as he always been.
Through gritted teeth, Guilliman growled his response to Lucius. "You will not stop me, you bastard. I will break through your pathetic blockade and if possible, I will break your spine over my knee. Make no mistake about that."
"I look forward to it, Uncle. If we do meet, I promise to be more obliging than Lord Fulgrim was and I will give you a handicap."
Guilliman's fist smashed through the Hololith screen just before the snake began to chuckle at his own joke. For what felt like a long time, he stood there seething at the insult. "I am going to kill him. I am going to tear his head off and preserve it in bronze!"
"With respect, my Lord, you cannot." Removing his fist from the hololith, Guilliman turned to the speaker. Chief Librarian Varro Tigurius stood with his head held high. "My Lord, you are needed on Terra. This is a clear attempt to play upon your hatred for them by distracting you."
"And what would you suggest we do, Chief Librarian? We are surrounded by thousands of ships."
"We send squads aboard the ships in our way and cut off the heads at the source. But you cannot remain here. We were not on Terra when we were needed and we cannot let that happen now."
Guilliman breathed in and out as he absorbed his Librarian's advice. "Very well. But only volunteers. I will not order my sons to their deaths. One squad per Chapter. That should be enough for them. But we need a leader." Turning to his assembled officers, Calgar, Sicarius, Acheran, Ventris, and Epathus, Guilliman looked them over. "My sons, I must ask one of you to risk your life for the Imperium. If any of you can-"
Cato Sicarius stepped forward, Victrix helm tucked in one arm, his hand on the pommel of his Talasarrian Tempest Blade. "Lord Guilliman, as head of your Victrix Guard, I feel it is my duty to see you safely out of this blockade."
"Cato, are you certain?"
"I have never been more certain of anything in my life. In fact, let me ask the fleet for volunteers."
Guilliman's ire began to diminish in the face of his son's courage. "Thank you, Cato."
Moving to the Vox Operator Station, Cato instructed him to make a broadcast to the entire fleet. When the Operator was ready, he gave the Commander the signal. "My brothers, I come to you to ask for volunteers. Lord Guilliman needs our help to breach this blockade. One squad per Chapter only. The Emperor's Children think they can humiliate us like this. I say we show them why our Chapters are among the most exemplary in the Imperium. I say we show these degenerates why their Legion was always weak enough to fall to Heresy and Chaos! Who will stand with me?"
For a while, there was silence, but then they received a message from the flagship of the Iron Snakes. "This is Chapter Master Priad of the Iron Snakes. Squad Damocles volunteers its service."
After that the vox was overwhelmed by messages from the fleet. Several volunteering squads were from the same Chapter. It took almost an hour to sort through them all, all the while the Fleet of the 13th Legion Chapters readied themselves for battle, weapons arming and shields rising. After it was organized, Cato turned to Guilliman with a sad smile on his face. "My Lord Primarch, permission to leave the bridge and rendezvous with my Command Squad?"
"Then go. And good luck Knight Champion of Macragge, Grand Duke of Talassar, and High Suzerain of Ultramar. And if you can, bring me Lucius' head."
"I will attempt it, Lord Guilliman."
As Cato left to meet his squad, Tigurius stepped forward. "Lord Guilliman, I must ask permission to join, Cato on his mission. I have foreseen this eventual day and I need to be with him when it happens."
"You saw this day coming? Why did you not tell me," Guilliman asked.
"It was only in bits and pieces, my Lord Father, due to the tempestuous nature of the Warp. A fleet of ships made of metal and flesh, Cato facing against a serpent, and the coffin of a Dreadnought. I believe this is that day."
Guilliman turned to Sicarius who had stopped at the bridge doors. "Do you accept his help, Cato?"
Cato smiled at Tigurius and donned his helm. "I accept my Brother Librarian's aid with all the joy in my hearts, Lord Guilliman."
Tigurius bowed to Guilliman and made to depart from the bridge. Upon joining Cato, the two of them saluted Guilliman, their hands clenched into fists over their primary hearts. They bowed as one. "Courage and Honour, Lord Guilliman."
"Courage and Honour, my sons."
They turned away from each other at the same time, Guilliman looking out into space as the Emperor's Children Fleet began their attack, opening fire upon the 13th Legion Chapter Fleet. "Return fire," Admiral Tiberius declared to the fleet. Despite Guilliman's presence on the bridge, he deferred to Admiral Tiberius' years of experience. He had faith in his son. "All ships, launch fighters. Fighters, cover the gunships for their attacks upon the Emperor's Children ships! Prepare anti-boarding squads in case of enemy intrusion. All ships, forward! Let us break this blockade apart."
As the fleet returned fire on the Traitors, Guilliman was impressed. Tiberius was a nearly 500 year veteran of Void War and was unflappable in the face of the enemy. They would break through. He was certain of that.
As the two of them marched through the halls of the Macragge's Honour, Tigurius spoke to Sicarius in a loud whisper. "You will not need to wait long before facing the Eternal One, brother. He will be coming here."
"You are certain of this?"
"In my vision, you faced the serpent under the Ultima Symbol of our Chapter. Unless the Diadem has a trophy room that is dedicated to the defiled relics of his enemies, he will be coming here. The Eternal One cannot resist the chance to face Lord Guilliman in battle. He will try for him."
"Then we will make sure he does not reach Guilliman."
"We will." Tigurius stopped, causing Cato to turn around, one graying eyebrow raised.
"Brother? What is it? Tell me."
"You will not like it."
Cato smiled, placing a gauntlet upon Tigurius' pauldron. "Varro, you and I have fought and bled together. You saved us all on Damnos when all was lost. You can tell me anything."
"You will not kill Lucius. You will defeat him, but the Eternal One cannot be ended. Not forever."
Cato removed his hand, his face stern. "I don't believe that. Nothing lives forever. Everything can die."
"Lucius' armour is covered with the faces of those that thought like you, Brother. They are his killers and his victims. If you are not careful, you will be added to those faces. I say this not to offend your skills, Brother, but to warn you."
Cato was silent for a moment. "I will beat him," he said at last. "I will."
He turned away and walked off to meet his men. Varro sighed and shuddered. He knew what was coming next before Admiral Tiberius announced it. "All hands, prepare for boarding torpedoes! I repeat, prepare to be boarded!"
"He is coming," Tigurius whispered.
Author's Note:
This has been coming for a while. Forgive my tardiness. July was a shitshow at work and August has just been me decompressing after all the stress. But now I've finished this chapter and now it's onto one of the big micro-battles in this storyline. Don't worry. Terra will be there soon. But we've got a few things to prep. This one I've wanted to do for a while.
The Emperor's Children may be the biggest bastards of all the Traitor Legions. Sure the Black Legion were Horus' boys during the Heresy, but there's always been something so punchable about the ECs even before they turned to Chaos. Lucius is probably my most hated of them so... yeah, look upon this Chapter and at least the next couple as wish fulfillment.
On the other end is Cato Sicarius, an Ultramarine that has been the buttmonkey of Warhammer 40K for years. The funny thing is that after seeing all the jokes and then reading Knights of Macragge, I didn't see what people were talking about. Maybe he was more buttmonkey-esque during the Matt Ward Era, but when I read his stuff, he was more professional and less arrogant. But then I read about Damnos and realized that Sicarius actually went through character development, which is pretty rare for the most part in stuff like this. I liked the idea of an arrogant twit getting beaten badly and then learning from that. It's why I wanted to make this storyline.
Only a few things have changed in the process of writing, but the main outcome of this fight will be the same. I hope to get to it soon.