by Dan Abnett
'I don't know, captain.’ Karkasy said. 'No one's seen her about much. She has become reclusive since...'
'Since?'
The Whisperheads.’
'What has she told you about that?'
'Nothing, sir. She says there's nothing to tell. She says the first captain told her there was nothing to tell.’
'She's right about that. These are fine images. Thank you, Ignace. Thank Keeler for me. I will treasure these.’
Kakasy bowed and began to walk back into the Retreat.
'Karkasy?'
'Sir?'
'Look after Keeler, please. For me. You and Oliton. Make sure she's not alone too often.’
'Yes, captain. I will.’
Six WEEKS INTO the voyage, while Loken was drilling his new recruits, Aximand came to him.
'The Chronicles of UrshV he muttered, noticing the volume Loken had left open beside the training mat.
'It pleases me.’ Loken replied.
'I enjoyed it as a child.’ Aximand replied. Vulgar, though.’
'I think that's why I like it.’ Loken replied. 'What can I do for you?'
'I wanted to speak to you.’ Aximand said, 'on a private matter.’
Loken frowned. Aximand opened his hand and revealed a silver lodge medal.
'I WOULD LIKE you to give this a fair hearing,' Aximand said, once they had withdrawn to the privacy of Loken's arming chamber. 'As a favour to me.’
Той know how I feel about lodge activities?'
'It's been made known to me. I admire your purity, but there's no hidden malice in the lodge. You have my word, and I hope, by now, that's worth something.’
'It is. Who told you of my interest?'
'I can't say. Garviel, there is a lodge meeting tonight, and I would like you to attend it as my guest. We would like to embrace you to our fraternity.’
'I'm not sure I want to be embraced.’
Aximand nodded his head. 'I understand. There would be no duress. Come, attend, see for yourself and decide for yourself. If you don't like what you find, then you're free to leave and disassociate yourself.’
Loken made no response.
'It is simply a band of brothers.’ Aximand said. 'A fraternity of warriors, bi-partisan and without rank.’
'So I've heard.’
'Since the Whisperheads, we have had a vacancy. We'd like you to fill it.’
'A vacancy?' Loken said. You mean Jubal? I saw his medal.’
"Will you come with me?' asked Aximand.
'I will. Because it's you who's asking me.’ said Loken.
FOUR
Felling the Murder trees Megarachnid industry Pleased to know you
THEIR BROTHERS ON the tree were already dead, past saving, but Tarvitz could not leave them skewered and unavenged. The ruination of their proud, perfect forms insulted his eyes and the honour of his Legion.
He gathered all the explosives carried by the remaining men, and moved forwards towards the trees with Bulle and Sakian.
Lucius stayed with the others. 'You're a fool to do that.’ he told Tarvitz. "We might yet need those charges.’
What for?' Tarvitz asked.
Lucius shrugged. "We've a war to win here.’
That almost made Saul Tarvitz laugh. He wanted to say that they were already dead. Murder had swallowed the companies of Blood Angels and now, thanks to Eidolon's zeal for glory, it had swallowed them too. There was no way out. Tarvitz didn't know how many of the company were still alive on the surface, but if the other groups had suffered losses commensurate to their own, the full number could be little higher than fifty.
Fifty men, fifty Astartes even, against a world of numberless hostiles. This was not a war to win; this was just a last stand, wherein, by the Emperor's grace, they might take as many of the foe with them as they could before they fell.
He did not say this to Lucius, but only because others were in earshot. Lucius's brand of courage admitted no reality, and if Tarvitz had been plain about their situation, it would have led to an argument. The last thing the men needed now was to see their officers quarrelling.
'I'll not suffer those trees to stand.’ Tarvitz said.
With Bulle and Sakian, he approached the white stone trees, running low until they were in under the shadows of their grim, rigid canopies. The winged megarachnid up among the thorns ignored them. They could hear the cracking, clicking noises of the insects' feeding, and occasional trickles of black blood spattered down around them.
They divided the charges into three equal amounts, and secured them to the boles of the trees. Bulle set a forty-second timer.
They began to run back towards the edge of the stalk forest where Lucius and the rest of the troop lay in cover.
'Move it, Saul,' Lucius's voice crackled over the vox.
Tarvitz didn't reply.
'Move it, Saul. Hurry. Don't look back.’
Still running, Tarvitz looked behind him. Two of the winged dades had disengaged themselves from the feeding group and had taken to the air. Their beating wings were glass-blurs in the yellow light, and the lightning flash glinted off their polished black bodies. They circled up away from the thorn trees and came on in the direction of the three figures, wings fhrocking the air like the buzz of a gnat slowed and amplified to gargantuan, bass volumes.
'Run!' said Tarvitz.
Sakian glanced back. He lost his footing and fell. Tarvitz skidded to a halt and turned back, dragging Sakian to his feet. Bulle had run on. Twelve seconds!' he yelled, turning and drawing his bolter. He kept backing away, but trained his weapon at the oncoming forms.
'Come on!' he yelled. Then he started to fire and shouted 'Drop! Drop!'
Sakian pushed them both down, and he and Tarvitz sprawled onto the red dirt as the first winged clade went over them, so low the downdraft of its whirring wings raised dust.
It rose past them and headed straight for Bulle, but veered away as he struck it twice with bolter rounds.
Tarvitz looked up and saw the second megarachnid drop straight towards him in a near stall, the kind of pounce-dive that had snared so many of his comrades earlier.
He tried to roll aside. The black thing filled the entire sky.
A bolter roared. Sakian had cleared his weapon and was firing upwards, point blank. The shots tore through the winged clade's thorax in a violent puff of smoke and chitin shards, and the thing fell, crushing them both beneath its weight.
It twitched and spasmed on top of them, and Tarvitz heard Sakian cry out in pain. Tarvitz scrabbled to heave it away, his hands sticky with its ichor.
The charges went off.
The Shockwave of flame rushed out across the red dirt in all directions. It scorched and demolished the nearby edge of the stalk forest, and lifted Tarvitz, Sakian and the thing pinning them, into the air. It blew Bulle off his feet, throwing him backwards. It caught the flying thing, tore off its wings, and hurled it into the thickets.
The blast levelled the three stone trees. They collapsed like buildings, like demolished towers, fracturing into brittle splinters and white dust as they fell into the fireball. Two or three of the winged clades feeding on the trees took off, but they were on fire, and the heat-suck of the explosion tumbled them back into the flames.
Tarvitz got up. The trees had been reduced to a heap of white slag, burning furiously. A thick pall of ash-white dust and smoke rolled off the blast zone. Burning, smouldering scads, like volcanic out-fhrow, drizzled down over him.
He hauled Sakian upright. The creature's impact on them had broken Sakian's right upper arm, and that break had been made worse when they had been thrown by the blast. Sakian was unsteady, but his gen-hanced metabolism was already compensating.
Bulk, unhurt, was getting up by himself.
The vox stirred. It was Lucius. 'Happy now?' he asked.
BEYOND REVENGE AND honour, Tarvitz's action had two unexpected consequences. The second did not become evident for some time, but the first was apparent in less than
thirty minutes.
Where the vox had failed to link the scattered forces on the surface, the blast succeeded. Two other troops, one commanded by Captain Anteus, the other by Lord Eidolon himself, detected the considerable detonation, and followed the smoke plume to its source. United, they had almost fifty Astartes between them.
'Make report to me.’ Eidolon said. They had taken up position at the edge of the clearing, some half a kilometre from the destroyed Uees, near the hem of the stalk forest. The open ground afforded them ample warning of the approach of the megarachnid scurrier-clades, and if the winged forms reappeared, they could retreat swiftly into the cover of the thickets and mount a defence.
Tarvitz outlined all that had befallen his troop since landfall as quickly and clearly as possible. Lord Eidolon was one of the primarch's most senior commanders, the first chosen to such a role, and brooked no familiarity, even from senior line officers like Tarvitz. Saul could tell from his manner that Eidolon was seething with anger. The undertaking had not gone at all to his liking. Tarvitz wondered if Eidolon might ever admit he was wrong to have ordered the drop. He doubted it. Eidolon, like all the elite hierarchy of the Emperor's Children, somehow made pride a virtue.
'Repeat what you said about the trees.’ Eidolon prompted.
The winged forms use them to secure prey for feeding, lord.’ Tarvitz said.
'I understand that.’ Eidolon snapped. 'I've lost men to the winged things, and I've seen the thorn trees, but you say there were other bodies?'
The corpses of Blood Angels, lord.’ Tarvitz nodded, 'and men of the Imperial army force too.’
'We've not seen that.’ Captain Anteus remarked.
'It might explain what happened to them.’ Eidolon replied. Anteus was one of Eidolon's chosen circle and enjoyed a far more cordial relationship with his lord than Tarvitz did.
'Have you proof?' Anteus asked Tarvitz.
'I destroyed the trees, as you know, sir.’ Tarvitz said.
'So you don't have proof?'
'My word is proof.’ said Tarvitz.
And good enough for me.’ Anteus nodded courteously. 'I meant no offence, brother.’
And I took none, sir.’
Той used all your charges?' Eidolon asked.
yes, lord.’
'A waste.’
Tarvitz began to reply, but stifled the words before he could say them. If it hadn't been for his use of the explosives, they wouldn't have reunited. If it hadn't been for his use of the explosives, the ragged corpses of fine Emperor's Children would have hung from stone gibbets in ignominious disarray.
'I told him so, lord.’ Lucius remarked.
Told him what?'
That using all our charges was a waste.’
'What's that in your hand, captain?' Eidolon asked.
Lucius held up the limb-blade.
You taint us.’ Anteus said. 'Shame on you. Using an enemy's claw like a sword...'
Throw it away, captain.’ Eidolon said. Tm surprised at you.’
Yes, lord.’
Tarvitz?'
Yes, my lord?'
The Blood Angels will require some proof of their fallen. Some relic they can honour. You say shreds of armour hung from those trees. Go and retrieve some. Lucius can help you.’
'My lord, should we not secure this-'
'I gave you an order, captain. Execute it please, or does the honour of our brethren Legion mean nothing to you?'
'I only thought to-'
'Did I ask for your counsel? Are you a lord commander, and privy to the higher links of command?'
'No, lord.’
Then get to it, captain. You too, Lucius. You men, assist them.’
THE LOCAL SHIELD-STORM had blown out. The sky over the wide clearing was surprisingly clear and pale, as if night was finally falling. Tarvitz had no idea of Murder's
diurnal cycle. Since they had made planetfall, night and day periods must surely have passed, but in the stalk forests, lit by the storm flare, such changes had been imperceptible.
Now it seemed cooler, stiller. The sky was a washed-out beige, with filaments of darkness threading through it. There was no wind, and the flicker of sheet lightning came from many kilometres away. Tarvitz thought he could even glimpse stars up there, in the darker patches of the open sky.
He led his party out to the ruins of the trees. Lucius was grumbling as if it was all Tarvitz's fault.
'Shut up.’ Tarvitz told him on a closed channel. 'Consider this ample payback for your kiss-arse display to the lord commander.’
'What are you talking about?' Lucius asked.
'I told him it was a waste, lord.’ Tarvitz answered, mimicking Lucius's words in an unflattering voice.
'I did tell you!'
Yes, you did, but there's such a thing as solidarity. I thought we were friends.’
We are friends.’ Lucius said, hurt.
'And that was the act of a friend?'
*We are the Emperor's Children.’ Lucius said solemnly. We seek perfection, we don't hide our mistakes. You made a mistake. Acknowledging our failures is another step on the road to perfection. Isn't that what our pri-march teaches?'
Tarvitz frowned. Lucius was right. Primarch Fulgrim taught that only by imperfection could they fail the Emperor, and only by recognising those failures could they eradicate them. Tarvitz wished someone would remind Eidolon of that key tenet of their Legion's philosophy.
'I made a mistake.’ Lucius admitted. 'I used that blade thing. I relished it. It was xenos. Lord Eidolon was right to reprimand me.’
'I told you it was xenos. Twice.’
Yes, you did. I owe you an apology for that. You were right, Saul. I'm sorry.’
'Never mind.’
Lucius put his hand on Tarvitz's plated arm and stopped him.
'No, it's not. I'm a fine one to talk. You are always so grounded, Saul. I know I mock you for that. I'm sorry. I hope we're still friends.’
'Of course.’
Your steadfast manner is a true virtue.’ Lucius said. 'I become obsessive sometimes, in the heat of things. It is an imperfection of my character. Perhaps you can help me overcome it. Perhaps I can learn from you.’ His voice had that childlike tone in it that had made Tarvitz like him in the first place. 'Besides.’ Lucius added, 'you saved my life. I haven't thanked you for that.’
'No, you haven't, but there's no need, brother.’
Then let's get this done, eh?'
The other men had waited while Tarvitz and Lucius conducted their private, vox-to-vox conversation. The pair hurried over to rejoin them.
The men Eidolon had picked to go with them were Bulle, Pherost, Lodoroton and Tykus, all men from Tarvitz's squad. Eidolon was so clearly punishing the troop, it wasn't funny. Tarvitz hated the fact that his men suffered because he was not in favour.
And Tarvitz had a feeling they weren't being punished for wasting charges. They were suffering Eidolon's opprobrium because they had achieved more of significance than either of the other groups since the drop.
They reached the ruined trees and crunched up the slopes of smouldering white slag. Remnants of stone thorns stuck out of the heap, like the antlers of bull deer, some blackened with charred scraps of flesh.
What do we do?' asked Tykus.
Tarvitz sighed, and knelt down in the white spoil. He began to sift aside the chalky debris with his gloved hands. This.’ he said.
THEY WORKED FOR an hour or two. Some kind of night began to fall, and the air temperature dropped sharply as the light drained out of the sky. Stars came out, properly, and distant lightning played across the endless grass forests ringing the clearing.
Immense heat was issuing from the heart of the slag heap, and it made the cold air around them shimmer. They sifted the dusty slag piece by piece, and retrieved two battered shoulder plates, both Blood Angels issue, and an Imperial army cap. 'Is that enough?' asked Lodoroton. 'Keep going.’ replied Tarvitz. He looked out across the dim clearing to where Eidolon's forc
e was dug in. 'Another hour, maybe, and we'll stop.’
Lucius found a Blood Angels helmet. Part of the skull was still inside it. Tykus found a breastplate belonging to one of the lost Emperor's Children. 'Bring that too.’ Tarvitz said.
Then Pherost found something that almost killed him.
It was one of the winged clades, burned and buried, but still alive. As Pherost pulled the calcified cinders away, the crumpled black thing, wingless and ruptured, reared up and stabbed at him with its hooked headcrest. Pherost stumbled, fell, and slithered down the slag slope on his back. The clade struggled after him, dragging its damaged body, its broken wing bases vibrating pointlessly.
Tarvitz leapt over and slew it with his broadsword. It was so near death and dried out that its body crumpled like paper under his blade, and only a residual ichor, thick like glue, oozed out.
'All right?' Tarvitz asked.
'Just took me by surprise.’ Pherost replied, laughing it off.
'Watch how you go.’ Tarvitz warned the others.
'Do you hear that?' asked Lucius.
It had become very still and dark, like a true and proper night fall. Amping their helmet acoustics, they could all hear the chittering noise Lucius had detected. In the edges of the thickets, starlight flashed off busy metallic forms.
They're back.’ said Lucius, looking round at Tarvitz.
Tarvitz to main party.’ Tarvitz voxed. 'Hostile contact in the edges of the forest.’
We see it, captain.’ Eidolon responded immediately. 'Hold your position until we-'
The link cut off abruptly, like it was being jammed.
'We should go back.’ Lucius said.
Тез.’ Tarvitz agreed.
A sudden light and noise made them all start. The main party, half a kilometre away, had opened fire. Across the distance, they heard and saw bolters drumming and flashing in the darkness. Distant zinc-grey forms danced and jittered in the strobing light of the gunfire.
Eidolon's position had been attacked.
'Come on!' Lucius cried.
'And do what?' Tarvitz asked. 'Wait! Look!'
The six of them scrambled down into cover on one side of the spoil heap. Megarachnid were approaching from the edges of the forest, their marching grey forms almost invisible except where they caught the starlight and the distant blink of lightning. They were streaming towards the tree mound in their hundreds, in neat, ordered lines. Amongst them, there were other shapes, bigger shapes, massive megarachnid forms. Another clade variant.