Saeva Abyssi Chapter 19

Athra J'rect was examining a statue, considering its lines and forms. It was an interesting piece, with unusual symbolism. It was also sculpted out of a living being, its flesh rewoven in horrific ways. But the most interesting thing about it was that it was still alive and still screaming thinly.

Athra was stood within a chamber on his flagship, a small vestibule tucked away out of sight. It contained the statue and a single pair of chairs, with a small table set between them, bearing a crystal decanter of wine. The other only other thing present was the Incubus Dramaq, who was gripping his Klaive blade silently and constantly at alert. Athra had been waiting several minutes in the room but he didn't mind, the coming meeting was something he had been looking forward to. There was the scrape of a heavily boot behind him and Athra turned to see the Sorcerer Beta entering the room, followed by his brute Gamma. They wore their armour, as always, but still looked mystified as to why they were here.

Athra opened proceedings by saying, "Well you have a lot of explaining to do."

Beta sounded cautious as he said, "How have we given offence?"

Athra was enjoying this but he faked a frown as he spat, "You abuse my hospitality and that of my other guest."

Beta demurred, "Archon I assure you…"

"No!" barked Athra, "I was quite clear on how you were to deport yourselves, and you violated my trust!"

At that the brute Gamma, leaned forward with a growl of anger but Dramaq stepped forward, Klaive raised in readiness. Beta waved his brute back with a hand and gripped his staff firmly as he said, "Could you at least tell me what we have done to offend you?"

Athra leered and said, "Trying to feign ignorance? Well, let me show you."

Athra waved a lazy hand and a section of wall lit up like a pict-viewer. Displayed upon it was a shocking scene, two armoured Astartes kneeling down with their hands upon their heads, surrounded by armed Dark Eldar guards. It was Delta and Epsilon and they had been trapped by their hosts.

Athra's superior smile widened and he said, "We caught these two trying to sneak into places they shouldn't have been: the lovely Farseer's cabin and a landing bay. Careless of them, did they really think I didn't have them under observation?"

Beta was taken aback but he tried to wriggle out of the situation by saying, "They acted without orders, I shall have to punish them severely for their disobedience."

Athra said, "Allow me; I think that taking their heads would be fitting."

Suddenly there was a furious roar and Gamma launched himself at Athra, bringing his double-headed axe around in a killing blow. Before he could land a strike there was a blur and from nowhere Dramaq appeared, deflecting the strike with sublime grace and making the air ring. Gamma reacted instantly, swinging around again to carve the Incubus apart but Dramaq twisted his klaive to parry with effortless ease. Gamma launched a third strike but Dramaq didn't parry this one, he let it pass over his shoulder while he twisted back on his right foot and braced his hip into the larger warrior's midriff. A curious millisecond passed by and then somehow Gamma was inverted, flying head over heels to crash onto his back. A shining blur knocked the axe from his hand, sending it skittering away over the floor, leaving Gamma unarmed.

Dramaq placed his klaive against Gamma's throat, perfectly positioned so the warrior couldn't reach him from his prone position. The Incubus had the Chaos Marine trapped and the slightest twitch of his hand would slit his windpipe, a blow even an Astartes couldn't recover from. All of this had occurred in less than two seconds, less than two. Athra was thrilled by the sudden violence but Beta was staring, aghast at the result of the duel. He had never seen Gamma bested in combat before and would never have thought it could have happened so quickly. He glared at the Archon and growled angrily, "If I had my flagship…"

"Well you don't," quipped Athra, "As you would say I hold all the cards."

"So," growled Beta and an aura of psychic might grew around him, "Is this how it is to be, a fight to the death? My Sorcery against whatever powers you wield?"

Athra snorted and said, "Oh don't be so dull and unimaginative, I've lived far too long to be stirred by such banal threats. Bloodshed can be amusing but there are far more subtle ways to achieve one's goals."

Athra sat down in a chair and gestured Beta to be seated. Beta stared for a moment, then he released his psychic power, dissipating it harmlessly before he sat down, making the chair creak alarmingly with his weight. Beta reached up and removed his helm, revealing a bronzed, tattooed face while Athra reached out and poured a thick syrupy wine into two crystal goblets. He offered one to Beta who refused it but he sipped at his own, enjoying its acrid falvours.

The two sat in silence for a long moment and then Athra remarked, "It seems that you have been a poor guest, sending your men to break into the Farseer's cabin and rifle through her things."

Beta growled angrily, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, so you weren't looking for this?" asked Athra holding up a small data-crystal in one hand.

Beta went very, very still with his eyes fixed upon the crystal. He didn't say a word for a long second but then breathed, "Do you have any idea what that contains?"

"Actually I do," commented Athra lightly, "It's the original Sangprimus Portum, created by your Corpse-God."

"He's not my God," growled Beta harshly.

"Nevertheless this is his handiwork," said Athra with a grin, "Gifted to the Shaded One in your species' little civil war. Your lot stole it from Ravendelve, intending to do Abyss knows what with it, but then they lost it… how careless of them. I won't bore you with the rest of its history, suffice to say after a long and convoluted journey it ended up in T'selia's possession and she used it as leverage to gain your support. Oh, the things you could do with this information, the possibilities are positively titillating."

Beta glanced over to where Dramaq still had Gamma pinned to the floor and then he growled, "You're obviously not planning on killing us, so why are we here?"

Athra cocked his head in enjoyment of seeing the Sorcerer's ire and said, "Why don't you guess."

Beta shook his head and growled, "I have no patience for your games, just tell me what it is that you want."

Athra sipped at his wine and said nonchalantly, "Such an impatient race, never taking the time to appreciate the finer things in life: like a good story. I hear you killed your gene-father… tell me about that."

Beta eyed him suspiciously, looking for an ulterior motive but then he drew in a breath and said, "We were the last of the Emperor's Legions, the XXth, made in secret so none would know what we were ordered to do. We were made to do the unthinkable, to perform the deeds other Legions wouldn't or couldn't do. We moved in silence and few even knew of our existence. To them were the Aleph Null, the Left Hand of Darkness, the Amaranth Coil and the Hydra. We earned no glory, no renown or titles, even honour was denied us, there was only the mission and its completion."

Athra commented, "What a hollow existence."

Beta nodded, "Yes but then our Primarch came, our father so like us not only in body but in mind and soul too. He thought like we did, moved like we did and his strategies were flawless in planning and execution. He led us into the light, to stand alongside the other Legions, though those snobs never appreciated us."

"How sad for you," Athra remarked.

Beta sighed and said, "Even after we emerged the Alpha Legion still got all the dirty jobs, the deeds that were unthinkable to most. Oh, the VIth Legion, the self-declared 'Sanction of the Emperor', had its uses but it was a loud, crude thing, prone to going off-mission. So here was the rub, how do you sanction a sanction? What do you do when the executioners need killing?"

Athra smirked and said, "The first rule of planning an assassination: kill the assassins."

"Yes", said Beta with a smile, "Unfortunately it was too unpalatable a deed for the high and mighty to sully their hands with, so naturally they fobbed it off to us. Alpharius himself gave my cell a mission to develop the gene-tech necessary to destroy an Astartes, a whole Legion if necessary. Long did we search through arcane lore and forbidden texts, I learned much of the Warp at that time, but sadly we did not find the key we sought. Then finally after the defeat of the Ak'Haireth bone drinkers we found it, a way to manipulate the Xeno's genetic structure to our own ends. We used it as a base to create a virulent virus, one that an Astartes' gene-crafting would be defenceless against."

Athra asked, "Naturally you tested it?"

Beta nodded and replied, "I unleashed the virus upon one of our own cells, the Unbroken Chain. The operation went perfectly but oddly it didn't kill them, instead it drove the entire cell insane. They went mad, frothing and clawing in a rage that put the XIIth Legion to shame and then they launched a genocidal campaign that depopulated several colonies. An extreme reaction to be sure but one that could have been mollified with further experimentation."

Athra commented, "But your Primarch didn't approve…"

"No, he was outraged and immediately ordered the project purged and covered up," barked Beta, "He said the project was a total failure, that he had wanted dead enemies not berserkers. I was punished, told that I had violated the unity and brotherhood of the Legion, but I saw through his hollow protests. For all his talk of adaptable thinking and extreme measures, Alpharius was still clinging to the Emperor's narrow vision. Afraid to grasp real power, the power that flows from the Warp. I saw then that for the Legion to achieve its true potential, to grow into its full might, the Primarch had to be eliminated."

"I see," mused Athra, "Well it certainly is an intriguing tale, one that deserves a reward." With that the Archon tossed the data-crystal towards the sorcerer. Beta's hand shot up and snatched the crystal from mid-air and he slowly brought it down to eye level. Beta stared at the crystal in his hand in disbelief and then said, "You're, you're giving it to me… Just like that."

"Why not," said Athra, "We are allies are we not?"

Beta looked suspicious and said, "No, we are not. This is about T'selia isn't it; you're doing this to undermine her position."

Athra explained, "She thinks herself clever, but like all born of the Craftworlds she follows the future blindly when she should be forging it with her own will. Take this for example, without this she has no hold over you."

Beta nodded and said, "So when you make your move she will be bereft of allies."

Athra's smile widened and he said, "Then it seems we understand each other."

Beta's eyes narrowed and he said, "But will you let us leave unmolested?"

Athra shrugged saying, "My goals do not require your presence, once we are done here I will return you to a neutral location and you can summon your Flagship. We can each pursue our own goals and make the futures we want."

Beta took up the wine before him and raised a toast saying, "Then it seems we have an accord. To the future."

Athra declared, "To the future," as he emptied the glass.