Legends of the Smoke Jaguars Chapter 239
"The sun is getting low," Dhulak observed.
"Not enough to worry about," Vendrick dismissed.
"If you factor in time to reach the Thunderhawk it is," Dhulak countered.
"Irrelevant," Vendrick refuted, "The mission cannot be allowed to fail."
"Even if it damns our souls?"
"I won't dignify that question with an answer!"
The pair continued in silence, walking through the upper reaches of the abandoned palace. Not so vast or grand as the Wind King's abode but sufficient to convey great wealth and power. Whichever long-forgotten dynasty once resided here must have been counted among the mighty of Calan Gaeav, their glory rendered in the material of their home. Any furnishings had decayed long ago but the remaining walls were elegantly contoured and shaped according to artistic whims. As with all Eldar construction there was an organic quality to the building, a sense that it had been grown not erected, but that was secondary to Vendrick's primary mission.
The Censor glanced out a hollow window and saw the Automaton army outside had grown. Hythraal still stood outside the gate, his twisted amalgam of forms an insult to all that was good and pure. The Space Marines were still working on the assumption that some ancient law or protocol forbade them to pass into a rival dynasty's household, true or not it seemed to be holding firm. The trio had determined to explore, Belphian currently scouting the lower basements, all in hopes of finding an unguarded exit. So far they had enjoyed no such good fortune.
"Perhaps we can blow a wall and make an exit," Vendrick mused as they walked on.
Dhulak sighed, "Unlikely, we know not the layout of the surrounding streets, we might stumble straight into an army of constructs."
"I grow weary of your defeatist talk," Vendrick growled.
"And I tire of your repeated attempts to end yourself!"
Vendrick turned on his heel, "You accuse me of such weakness, you who would abandon your mission?!"
"Do not insult my honour!" Dhulak snapped.
"I never thought the Storm Giants were so weak," Vendrick growled.
Dhulak bristled at that, "How little you know us. We are hammered on the anvil of war, following the creeds of Prometheus: duty, dedication, self-reliance and sacrifice. But Vulkan taught us to temper our wild impulses in service to greater need. I would die in service to the Emperor without hesitation, but to throw one's life away in a futile display of pride is no worthy endeavour. This mission has been for nothing, we chase a delusion, and when the sun sets we will be damned for all eternity."
Vendrick's eyes narrowed, "You think this mission is unworthy?!"
Dhulak retorted, "I know what we seek, what eldritch prize Lazar seeks. It is unholy, forbidden, a power not meant for men to grasp."
"That is the blinkered cowardice that led to the Imperium's stagnation!"
"It is the Emperor's Law," Dhulak snapped, "Certain things are not safe for men to know, to even look upon Chaos is to be consumed by it."
"You dare question our orders?!"
"Tell me you trust Lazar with this kind of power and I will call you a liar," Dhulak sneered.
Vendrick paused, for that struck painfully close to home. The Magos' whims were mercurial, his experiments Heretical and yet necessary. Vendrick believed in the Censor's goal, to increase the potency of the Adeptus Astartes, against their renegade brethren and the Traitor Legions themselves. They'd come so far towards that goal, and yet it wasn't enough. There were powers and principalities of the Warp still beyond any living thing, the Imperium had to be able to meet them on equal footing if it was going to survive.
Vendrick drew in a breath to say, "The Emperor should have warned his sons against Chaos. Heretical I know, to even suggest He was anything less than perfect, but among the Red Hunters it is recorded that He hid the reality of the Warp even from his Primarchs. I do not say that the common masses should have been told, not even the half-truths and misdirections the Ecclesiarchy peddles, but those tasked to guard against the Terror should have known the nature of the foe they faced. They could have prepared, armed themselves for the coming conflict, warded their souls against the sly corruptions. That is where we stand now, the foe comes and we are not ready to face it, we must arm ourselves with greater weapons, we can no longer close our eyes against the darkness and pray it goes away."
Dhulak shook his head, "You mean to take the weapons of the enemy and use them against it, we have seen where that road leads."
"No," Vendrick asserted, "This is not Chaos, it is the opposite. We seek the mirror of the Warp, that which it is and is not. The nature of this target is unique, that is why we must capture it for study. To claim such power would allow us to contest with Chaos on the same level, but not be corrupted in turn. It is the only way to win this endless war."
Dhulak sighed, "Then your will is set?"
"All our lives are forfeit for a chance at true victory," Vendrick affirmed.
"Then I will argue no longer," Dhulak conceded, "May Vulkan forgive us."
Their debate was interrupted as Belphian came jogging along a corridor. He'd been scouting the basements and it seemed he'd found something interesting. The Son of Medusa had an eager clip to his step and his manner was bursting. A breakthrough at last, this was what Vendrick had been waiting for.
"Report!" Vendrick ordered.
Belphian skidded to a halt and said, "I found a culvert, dry as a bone but leading out of the palace. It's located at the lowest level, a perfect evacuation route."
"Surely it will be guarded," Dhulak cautioned.
"Too tight for many to come at us at once," Belphian refuted, "In tight confines they won't be able to use ranged weaponry, they will have to engage us hand-to-hand."
"No mere automaton can match a Censor in melee," Vendrick declared, "This is our chance to breakout. Lead us to it."
Belphian spun about and led them down the corridor to a winding staircase that plunged into the planet's bowels. As they proceeded he asked, "Brother-Sergeant, what happens if we run into the Smoke Jaguars?"
"They betrayed us," Vendrick growled, "They stabbed us in the back, we shall repay their treachery in kind."
"Good," Belphian affirmed, "I want to carve my names into their black hearts."
"I'm glad you agree," Vendrick said, "And when we return to the Ordo Astartes we will petition the Inquisition to Exterminatus their world!"
"Is that not going too far?" Dhulak murmured.
Belphian sneered, "Treachery must be punished, and when we have the greatest power we shall command the life and death of Chapters anywhere. An example shall be made, so all know the price of becoming renegade. In victory alone is the power to determine what is right and wrong found, and the victor shall decide what is honourable. And if we be damned then we shall drag as many Traitors to hell with us as we can!"
Vendrick agreed, "The time of half-measures and compromises is over, the day has come to be bold. We shall break this trap, claim what is ours and punish those who turned their backs on us,"
"As was prophesied," Belphian agreed.
"The Sons of Medusa foresaw this?" Dhulak asked with a sceptical tone.
Belphian snorted, "Not so literally. The Moriae Schismatics decoded the Astronomican and beheld an age of Darkness rising. The galaxy split in twain and the resurgence of Chaos, but there would come champions to fight it. In the darkest of hours a new kind of Space Marine would step forward, led by visionaries and giants to rival Primarchs. A new paradigm of Astartes, this is central to many of the prophecies. When the Sons of Medusa learned of the Censors we knew it was the hand of destiny at work. The stifling constrictions of Ferrus Manus have hobbled us too long, the time has come to embrace the power to save the galaxy!"
Vendrick was surprised to hear that, Belphian had never been so open about his motives before. Now he understood why the Son of Medusa embraced augmentation so wholeheartedly, it was a chance to seize destiny by the throat and force it to submit. The way was clear, the door was open, all they had to do was walk through it.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into a basement. Ahead lay a culvert, deeper than their heads and broad enough for three to walk side by side. No bars, no grate, but the constructs seemed bound to remain outside regardless. Vendrick was about to drop inside but then a shimmer passed through his Censoria. He paused, then it came again, and again, sweeping from right to left. He turned his head and the origin became clearer, a specific point not too far away.
"What is that?!" Dhulak blinked.
"A signal," Vendrick guessed.
"From who?" Belphian mused, "The Eldar constructs?"
"Doubtful, they would not need to signal us, and the Smoke Jaguars have no wish to reveal their position."
"So who?"
"Athra J'rect," Vendrick concluded, "That treacherous worm seeks to draw us to him."
"Why would he want that?"
"Because he is an Eldar!" Vendrick spat, "Ever playing games with honest men, seeking to turn us into pawns on their regicide board. Athra wants us to come after him, knowing we'll fight the Smoke Jaguars and he can slip away in the confusion. The Knife-ear is devious and sly, but he's overplayed his hand this time. We shall track him, we shall kill the Smoke Jaguars, and then break his scrawny neck!"
Vendrick's blood ran hot at the thought. The final end of this mission was in sight and he was yearned to complete it. That he would get to repay the betrayals wrought against him only made it sweeter. He dropped into the culvert and drew his Maul and bolt pistol as he headed out. He was going to exact retribution and Emperor help anyone who got in his way.