“Marius, Sebastian and Gilead,” said Jeremiah. “You will seek our brethren and support them. Report to the interrogator-chaplain on our progress.”
“Will you seek out the heretic yourself, captain?” asked Sebastian.
Jeremiah drew his blade. The reddish light of the mining machinery reflected off the polished weapon. “By the winged blades, our mission has not failed. Elijah, Nathaniel and I will find our target. Further, if he commands the defences of this city, then we will decapitate the defenders, completing our victory. You have one final task, before rejoining the Brethren, a dangerous task, but essential to capturing our target. Engage the Space Wolves. Draw them after you as you retreat and lead them as far away from the city centre as you can. We three will find our way to the target.”
The three Dark Angels nodded their assent. “The honour of the Lion shall be ours,” they chanted in unison.
Jeremiah said, “I expect our adversaries will be in the tunnels to the north. They will find you if you do not find them. Engage and disengage, making your way to the surface swiftly.”
“Brother Jeremiah, what route will you take back to penetrate their defences?” asked Gilead.
“Our target is intelligent and understands that he fights a war with us, not just a battle. Though not a coward, he will be relentless in finding a way to continue his quarrel with us, and he will have planned a way to escape from our Chapter’s holy strength. The best method of passing out of this city unnoticed and undetected would be these tunnels. We will find his escape route and follow it back to his lair. I have one idea of where to go. We passed a corridor built up like the rest of the refinery, but it was devoid of servitors and had few lights. I suspect that may be the path. If that proves false, we will find another. Do not underestimate the skills of the Space Wolves, and remember, the hand of evil guides our enemies. Your faith in the Emperor will be your shield and the pride of the Lion your strength. Go,” said Jeremiah.
The appointed three disappeared into the tunnels, moving quickly and quietly, guns drawn. Jeremiah knew they would fulfil their duty. The Space Wolves would not stop his team.
It had been several hours by Ragnar’s reckoning since the Dark Angels had escaped from the Imperial palace complex in the city centre. Along with Torin and Haegr, he crouched quietly in a tight maintenance shaft, hoping that his plan worked.
If Ragnar was right, the Dark Angels would make their move at any moment. He hoped that he had anticipated things correctly. If he was wrong, then he, Torin and Haegr had just abandoned the rest of the search team.
An eternity passed with each second. Then, Ragnar caught the scent of anointing oils and heard the scrape of power armour against rock coupled with the swish of robes. The Dark Angels had taken Ragnar’s bait. He had known that with their fanaticism, the Dark Angels kill team would not give up while there was any hope of completing their mission. With the help of the tech-priest, Ragnar had moved the servitors out of this tunnel and ordered the lights to be shut down. Ragnar had wanted to make this passage conspicuous with its lack of activity. He hoped that the Dark Angels might decide it would make a good place to hide, set an ambush or try to make their way back to the palace complex. It had all worked. The hardest part, besides waiting, had been fitting Haegr into the maintenance shaft.
Hidden behind the doors, Ragnar, Torin and Haegr couldn’t see the Dark Angels, but with their well-trained senses, they could hear and smell them. Ragnar held himself in check, while his blood burned with anticipation of the fight to come.
“Here,” said the voice of one of the Dark Angels. He was undoubtedly the leader, as his tone wasn’t muffled by his helm. “We are blessed by the Emperor, my brethren. Nathaniel, remove the maintenance hatch.”
With a savage howl, Ragnar kicked the maintenance door from its hinges. The door struck the Dark Angel full in the chest, knocking him backwards and leaving him without his weapon drawn. From Ragnar’s right, another Dark Angel whipped out a blade and drew his pistol with a speed worthy of a Blood Claw, although he paused before firing his bolt pistol, apparently rattled by Ragnar’s howl. Torin engaged the quick one, because Ragnar had already chosen his target. There were only three of the enemy and the Wolfblade had the element of surprise in the darkened tunnel.
The helmetless Dark Angel had handsome, classical features, the sort sewn into tapestries to represent angels. Despite his youthful appearance, Ragnar could tell from his stance that he was a formidable fighter. Ragnar slashed at him. The Dark Angel just managed to parry the sudden attack. Ragnar’s runed blade drove into the metal of the Dark Angel’s sword. Ragnar heard the sounds of battle behind him as Torin pressed his foe. Something was missing.
“Let them know that mighty Haegr comes,” bellowed Haegr. Ragnar heard armour grate against metal. Haegr was having trouble getting through the maintenance hatch. “Ragnar, Torin, leave some for me or I’ll give you both a good thrashing.”
Ragnar kicked his foe as their blades locked. The Dark Angel fell backwards. Ragnar lunged forwards, nearly skewering his enemy with the blade gifted to him by House Belisarius.
The Dark Angel’s eyes widened. “You fight with a daemon weapon, wolf,” he spat, “but it will avail you nothing against the Sons of the Lion. Just as Lion El’Jonson defeated Leman Russ, so I will defeat you.”
Ragnar looked at the Dark Angels. “I am Ragnar of the Space Wolves, and I won’t be defeated by a Dark Angel any more than Leman Russ was. If you wish to prove your strength against me, throw down your weapon, Dark Angel, and let us fight unarmed.”
Ragnar could hear Nathaniel extricating himself from the maintenance hatch, and was worried about an attack from behind.
With an echoing roar, Haegr burst free. The Dark Angel would have to get past the massive Space Wolf to reach Ragnar’s back. From Torin’s fight, Ragnar heard the distinctive clatter of bolter rounds ricocheting off ceramite.
“I, Jeremiah of the Dark Angels, accept your challenge, Ragnar of the Space Wolves.”
To Ragnar’s surprise, the Dark Angel threw down his blade. Ragnar grinned and sheathed his own sword. The Dark Angel had undeniably realised that Ragnar had the better weapon, but if he thought he’d have a better chance in unarmed combat, Ragnar would prove him wrong.
“Brother Elijah, I’ll help you with that one, once I’ve dispatched this giant,” said Nathaniel.
“Ho, the little Dark Angel thinks he can do something that no man can do. He thinks he can dispatch mighty Haegr of the Wolfblade!” Haegr laughed, swinging his mighty hammer. Nathaniel brought a chainsword up to defend himself, but against Haegr’s onslaught, it was too little. Each blow echoed through the tunnels, booming like thunder. The Dark Angel was pushed back and smashed into a rock wall. Despite the pounding, he refused to fall. Haegr grabbed him and crushed him hard. The servos in the Dark Angel’s power armour smoked as Haegr threatened to pop him like an overripe fruit.
Torin kept up his assault on his spirited foe, Elijah. The young Dark Angel lacked Torin’s skills, but he made up for it with superhuman reflexes, arguably rivalling those of Ragnar. Still, little by little, Torin dissected the youth’s defences, wearing him down with his finesse. Elijah caught Torin with his bolt pistol, but the shells bounced off the Wolfblade’s chest plate. Torin realised that he had to end the fight quickly. The Dark Angel couldn’t last, but he might get lucky.
Torin waited until Elijah managed to fire off another volley, then staggered, hoping that he had read his foe correctly. He had. Elijah rushed in with the sort of enthusiasm Torin would have expected from an untested Blood Claw. The feint worked. Torin thrust his blade up unexpectedly, catching it between his foe’s helm and shoulder, right against the neck. Elijah’s life was in Torin’s hands, and they both knew it.
Ragnar grappled with Jeremiah. By Space Wolf standards, he was strong, but the Dark Angel’s strength startled him. Jeremiah was a match for him.
Ragnar pushed and shoved, trying to gain an advantage, but every move he
made, the Dark Angel countered.
Ragnar felt his anger grow. Jeremiah had insulted Leman Russ. While Ragnar may have lost the Spear of Russ, he would not fail his primarch in this challenge. He felt the rage of the wolf within him, giving him strength and enhancing his senses.
For a moment, Jeremiah appeared to have the advantage. As Ragnar struggled with the beast inside, Jeremiah hammered blows against him. Then with a howl, Ragnar found the strength he needed.
In a rage, he grabbed Jeremiah and hefted him off his feet, ramming him against the wall. The world went blood-red and Ragnar could no longer hear the battle around him. He smashed Jeremiah’s head against the wall then smashed it again. Then, it seemed to shift to resemble the helm of the Thousand Sons, the traitor Chaos Marines who were the eternal enemies of the Space Wolves. He could no longer think about anything but the honour of the Space Wolves and Leman Russ.
“For Russ!” he screamed and smashed his head into Jeremiah’s, drawing blood.
“Lad, that’s enough. We want them alive for questioning.” Haegr said, grabbing Ragnar and pulling him off Jeremiah. Ragnar looked at Haegr, taking a moment to recognise his old friend. Finally, the anger subsided.
Jeremiah lay unconscious, his handsome face covered in blood. Nathaniel groaned on the ground. His power armour had not yielded to Haegr’s strength, but his bones had not fared as well. Torin’s blade remained at Elijah’s throat, and the young Dark Angel had lost his weapons.
“You’re the only one awake, so I guess it’s up to you to surrender,” offered Torin.
“Dark Angels don’t surrender to Space Wolves,” snarled Elijah.
Haegr smashed the young Dark Angel on the head, dropping him instantly.
“So that would make this case a special exception,” remarked Torin.
Ragnar retrieved his weapons and tried the comm. “Markham, do you read me?”
The comm crackled with static before coming to life. “We’ve suffered some casualties among the men, Wolfblade Ragnar, but we’ve got them on the run. They are making their way to the surface. I’m broadcasting the location to Commander Cadmus. I believe we have them. The rest of the Wolfblade are giving chase,” said Markham.
“Good work. You are a tribute to House Belisarius. Ragnar out.” He clicked off his comm.
Ragnar was impressed. The Dark Angels had split up to try and draw his men away. In some ways, the members of this kill team thought like Space Wolves.
“Are you all right, brother?” asked Torin.
Ragnar nodded. He had come close to losing control and letting the wolf come out. Within every Space Wolf lived a beast, a primal savage. They all had to work to control it, to constantly keep the beast in check. Now that the adrenaline had died, Ragnar was starting to feel aches and bruises. Jeremiah had given him a good bout.
“Let’s take these prisoners back up to the surface and see how the defences are holding. We need to know why they are here. Perhaps they know something we don’t,” said Ragnar.
“Perhaps they think they know something we don’t,” offered Torin.
“I suspect that they all needed a good sound thrashing, and once they heard that Haegr was here, well, they knew they’d found the most solid thrashings in the galaxy. What say you to that?” Haegr kicked Nathaniel.
The Dark Angel groaned.
“I’d say he agrees,” said Ragnar.
An explosion rocked the mines. The scent of the anointing oils intensified heavily. More Dark Angels were coming, most likely from the surface. Some of them had penetrated the mine, and it was bad luck that they had entered near the Space Wolves’ location.
“They better be careful. Too many more explosions like that and they’ll puncture one of the pipes and set the promethium ablaze,” said Torin.
“This whole place, the refinery and the mines, could turn into an inferno!” said Haegr.
“I hope not,” said Torin. “I believe that the machine-spirits would shut down parts of the pipes where any explosions took place. This whole set of tunnels is convoluted simply because they have an array of pipe systems in case a section malfunctions… Maybe if someone intentionally sabotaged the system.”
“What?” asked Ragnar. “You mean that if one of us shot one of the pipes it wouldn’t cause all of these tunnels to erupt?”
“Exactly,” said Torin. “Ragnar, did you think… That’s why you looked so nervous about the man with the flamer.” Torin chuckled. “If the whole place was likely to erupt, Lethe would have been destroyed a long time ago. Even the servants of the Machine-God. aren’t flaw-, less. You’d start a large fire, Ragnar in one section of tunnel, like this one, roughly like getting roasted by a heavy flamer point-blank or an Inferno cannon. Hardly healthy, but that’s why we are Space Marines in power armour.”
“So, it’s not much more than using a heavy flamer?” asked Ragnar.
“No,” said Torin. “Believe me if it was, I’m sure one of the Dark Angels would have shot that promethium pipe during our hand-to-hand combat. I know I would have if I was sure that we’d die on an espionage mission rather than be captured by the enemy. However, I think, rather than debate the explosiveness of the tunnels, we need to consider getting out of here. I smell more Dark Angels.”
The tunnel where the Wolfblade stood connected the abandoned mines to the working refinery. The sound of bolter fire came from the direction of the refinery. Ragnar could smell Space Marines from both ends of the tunnel. It was hard to tell just how far away they were. “Don’t worry,” said Ragnar, “Varnus told me that the maintenance shaft we hid in leads to an old command centre for the unused sections of the mines.”
“What?” asked Haegr. “Tell me that I didn’t hear that right?”
“He’s right old friend. We may have to leave you behind. Too many pies, roast meat and barrels of ale.” Torin paused to sigh. “I doubt you’ll fit in the shaft, so you won’t make the climb.”
“That’s only because Haegr has so much power that he needs food worthy of his stature,” said Haegr.
They heard more bolter fire from the direction of the refinery, and the explosions of grenades. A flash of light came from that direction as well, along with a blast of heat.
“See, they detonated part of the promethium,” said Torin.
In a strangely serious tone, Haegr said, “Don’t worry, I’ll fit in the maintenance shaft, even holding one or two of these Dark Angels. I’ll bring up the rear.” Then he added, “Besides, that way I can best protect you two in case the enemy comes down this tunnel and decides to check the maintenance shaft.”
“I’ll go last. I’m going to discourage any pursuit,” said Ragnar.
“Fine, I’m not going to waste time debating.” Torin grabbed Elijah and pulled him into the maintenance shaft.
“Are you sure about bringing up the rear, Ragnar?” asked Haegr.
“I’m sure, but I may need your help with Jeremiah.”
The giant heaved Nathaniel and Jeremiah, laying one over each shoulder. The large Space Marines looked like children on Haegr’s shoulders. “Even if I have to go on my knees.” Haegr said ducking down and entering the shaft.
Ragnar was torn. He had decided to turn this tunnel into a flaming ruin. On one hand, maybe he should wait until the last moment to see if he could catch any Dark Angels in the blast. He still felt that it was dishonourable, even if it was no worse than using a heavy flamer. These were the hated Dark Angels, but they were Space Marines as well.
Once again, he had to make a choice: to remain loyal to House Belisarius and to his oath of duty, or to listen to his heart and trust in the Emperor.
He missed life on Fenris.
The Dark Angels, whatever their motives, were the enemy, and had to be treated as such. In their place, he doubted the Space Wolves would have behaved any differently.
Hearing enemy approaching, Ragnar clicked his belt and a grenade came free. With one hand, he set the charge and threw it towards the large refrigerated promethium p
ipe in the centre of the tunnel. Without waiting, Ragnar leapt as far as he could into the shaft. Behind him, the grenade went off.
The initial blast was a simple burst. Then, there was a rush of flame and a great roaring, as the promethium ignited and split the pipe, spilling its deadly contents into the tunnel. Ragnar reached a ladder at the end of the shaft and began climbing up it. Below him the shaft filled with light as the fireball flew into it.
“By the Fire Wolf itself,” said Haegr, reaching down and grabbing Ragnar’s arm, “you managed not to kill yourself, lad.”
“That should discourage them from entering the tunnel, and I suspect the lower part of the ladder melted,” said Ragnar.
“Do you think you got any of them?” asked Haegr.
“No, I was trying to stop them pursuing us,” said Ragnar.
They had climbed up the ladder into an empty corridor, fitting Varnus’s description of the unused mine monitoring station. In Imperial Gothic, a sign on a metal door at the hall’s end declared it to be a security station. The three Space Wolves exchanged glances, gathered their prisoners, one each, and made their way forwards.
Haegr placed his Dark Angel on the ground, roared, and threw himself against the security door. The door groaned, but didn’t budge.
“Haegr…” said Torin.
But there was no stopping the massive Space Wolf. He took his hammer and pounded the door, again and again. The booming strikes resounded in the hall. After several blows, Haegr threw down his hammer and charged the door once more. This time the enormous girth of the Space Wolf was too much for the door and it collapsed beneath Haegr, falling into the room.
“There,” declared Haegr. “Now Torin, what were you going to say?”
Torin clapped his large battle-brother on the shoulder. “I was going to say something unimportant about knowing the House Belisarius security override codes.”
Ragnar laughed and then his battle-brothers joined him. “It was much more impressive Haegr’s way.”
[Space Wolf 05] - Sons of Fenris Page 13