delire series

8/8/2019 Delire Series

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Delire Series 1 - Loyalty Begets Faith

"Captain, we have an unidentified warp exiting vehicle, at minus forty two

Degrees, abeam too Port. Range.... Thirteen hundred K." The calm voice of the ancient Navigator, just a mere husk of a human, caged in its iron maiden-like capsule; was something akin too the crackling of parchment. Captain Delire could alm

ost see the dust coming out of the Vox speakers on either side of the command chair.

He crushed several buttons on the control arm, bringing the ship's siren to bear, and retracting the vast slabs of adamantium and iron that coveredthe heavy weapons portholes along the port side. "Pilot Servitor, ignite enginesFive and Eight too seventy four percent power. Turn us into our broadside." Delire glanced down at the small control panel on his chair, watching as the Masterat Arms of Port Batteries signaled weapon readiness one by one.

Initiate Hellius shouted over the growing din that filled the bridgeof the Emperor's Shield. "Two more signatures, larger than the first. They are

already at attack speed!" The haste of his voice was not fear or nerves, but theexcitement that everyone except the servitors, felt thundering through their veins. Battle. Ode to what glorious release, thought the Captain.

"Scratch that sir, they are bearing down on the first craft. Its transponder code is coming over now." Hellius, now in his fourth decade of the nomadically crusading Black Templars, initiated the recognition logic-engines. "Transponder is receiving as...Emperor's eye's, it's an Ordos Hereticus ship! A lightscout bird... Sir, the system is telling me that its..."

"I know. Its not a Warp worthy craft." Delire finished his third incommand's statement. He was sitting forward in his chair, staring at the green holo image displayed on the front view port. He zoomed in on the small three pers

on craft, noting its already damaged exterior. "Any word from the-"

"Attention Black Templar warship, this system is as of now, under the Jurisdiction of Inquisitor Feylong. You are to remove yourselves immediately from the system."

The captain's hackles rose, and anger swelled in him. "Initiate, isthe authorization code correct?" Delire glanced over too his officer, who nodded. The look on his face confirmed that he felt the same way that the captain did.

Delire punished a button on his control arm, almost shattering the s

mall aluminum nub. "Inquisitor Feylong, you are in the direct path of our patrol." A lie, to be sure, "We can not deviate, lest one of those Ork Roks that you will find on your scanners at Neg-92 Zenith, slip past us." There we no Roks thatanyone knew of, but there was enough debris in that area that it might be true.This was Ork territory after all.

"Captain, you will not, I repeat, Will not interfere with our task.Cut your engines, and lower your blast shields. Now!" The Captain was seriouslytempted to rip the Vox speakers off his chair all together.

No sooner had the small conflict within himself settle itself, did two servitors along the starboard wall begin whirring with quite a frenzy. They were attached directly into the private communications package that all Templar s

hips were equipped with.

"Captain, this is Battle Sister Rosetta Vertas of the Order of Angel


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esis Maxima. I am aboard the Scout ship, and bearing a Black Oath. Please protect me from my aggressors." The woman's voice, eerily emitting from one of the suspended servitors, sounded haggard but firm.

"Hellius, bring it up the signal on the holo." The captain rubbed the Aquilla on the front of his armor, troubled thoughts at war through his ordered mind. The image that appeared on the screen would have been shocking, had not

everything else been unbelievable. On the unit shoulder pad of the Battle Sister's armor, rode the iron cross of the Black Templars. The other side was a set ofpearly wings on a field of blue. Delire just starred incredulously at the womanfor a few moments. Unashamedly, she stared back, deep brown eyes hard like nuclear glass.

"What is this blasphemy, woman? How dare you bear our cross!" Outrage had won over the dark humor that he was known for.

Rosetta did not even blink, but did activate some sort of secondarysystem after a cascade of sparks blurred the holo image.

"I do not have enough time to explain good Captain, but none the less, I am the holder of a Black Oath. I am sending over the sanctity codes as we speak. I can not outrun the Witch Hunters for very much longer, I suggest you make your deci-"

Both communication servitors spasmmed, and with an ozone pop-flash,died on their racks. The Navigator hissed in his tomb, "The Witch hunters are using a repentant witch. She is young.... But I am holding. There will be no moreinterruptions." He sounded like his mouth was full, but that was of little concern to the Captain at the moment.

"Captain, the codes are correct. They are from a Templar marine, umm.. Sergeant Agustus Magnatus. It's a real Black Oath." There was a hint of awe i

n the younger man's voice, and indeed the Captain felt somewhat the same way. Hehad heard of a Black Oath, but never seen one enacted. It usually bound the bearer to eternal revenge, or the accomplishment of some task too monumental to undertake. Every Black Templar was supposed to assist in the Oath, should the bearer called upon them. But unless they did, no one was allowed to interfere with the bearer. Lest a chaplain be very, Very mad at them.

"Pilot, bring us about. Fire all starboard attitude thrusters, clearand depressurize fighter bays One through Five. Cut all main engines. Port Master of Arms!" Delire keyed the ship intervox.

"Ho sir! Twenty seconds to firing range. Targets Two and Three already plotted." The grizzled, vacuum pitted face of the Master at Arms grinned backup through the blurry green holo screen. The captain smiled slightly and shookhis head. The Masters at arms were notorious for listening to the bridge com system.

"Hellius, get that Inquisitor back on the line." Hellius grunted a response to the captain's request, and obeyed.

"Ordos Ships, " Delire looked down at the identification plate, where lay the transponders for the three ships. "Faithful Wrath and Desirus Solitudo, this is a Templar matter now. Your pet witch has attacked our ship, and is continuing to damage our Navigator. We will brook no such disturbance. Leave the area this instant, or be fired upon. The scout ship is our property now, by Black

Oath. Priority Alpha, Alpha, Delta, Alpha."

As the solution readiness lights blinked green on the overhead contr


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ol portion of the Captains chair, Hellius grimaced and looked up from his screens. The soft blue under-lighting made his face paler than normal. "Their not turning sir. Both ships just lit all three of their main burners, and they will be able to get to the scout ship faster than we can swing over it." The Initiate's eyes contained just a hint of unease when they locked gazes with the Captain's own. But he held his tongue as was proper.

At that very moment, the Emperor's Shield was in a non ballistic course towards the beleaguered scout craft. Leading with its long Port broadside, the explosive decompression of the fighter bays on the starboard Axi greatly increased its Port-ward momentum.

The Pilot Servitor initiated several sustained bursts from the craft's attitude thrusters, keeping them from rolling and killing their prow-ward momentum. The bridge, and indeed the rest of the ship shuddered and vibrated in protest at the unconventional punishment of its ancient bones.

Captain Delire had taken this old lady by her bootstraps many times,and knew her limits. He had acquired the Black Pearl Chevron with just this sor

t of risky maneuver, only three years before in the Wuirsters System. He had single handedly run to ground a Hell Hound class cruiser, and under withering return fire, sidled the Emperor's Shield right up along its belly like a sword slash.That had been a good day.

The Hereticus ships were fast and new. Both were half the size of the Emperor's Shield, and of an unidentified type of craft. Probably light cruisers or fast attack frigates. They were prow forward and running hot, straight at the Shield's prepared broadside guns. Delire gave them a nod for their bravery. "Fire, all Port batteries." Calm voice belied the swift beating of his hearts.

The Emperor's Shield was a very ancient Linebacker class medium ballistic support cruiser. That class's major success had spawned the much used Aven

ger class Grand Cruiser, a ship many times the size of the Linebacker class vessels. She had been home to more than a thousand captains, and taken down countless amounts of enemies. There was not a buttress, flank gargoyle, or arching towerthat did not have some sort of battle scar on her. The crew often joked that there was nothing actually left of the original ship that once had been named theEmperor's Shield. She had been built right after the Black Templars had left ontheir personal Crusade, and would be part of several engagements in Segmentum Obscurus and Pacificus, before being found mothballed and forgotten by a Templar Battle group that was in need, many years later. Mothball and rear line service had found her much abused and used, though there was still something of worth inher Machine Spirit.

Though Delire wished he had fighters, indeed they were currently being used in the next system over towards galactic North, in the campaign againstthe Ork Waaagh that was currently underway. But by the Emperor, the old lady could still sing.

The Desirus Solitudo came apart almost immediately, its void shieldshattered with a head on collision with a Titus shell, which was a very old semiballistic nuclear projectile, roughly about the size of a inter system cargo lifter. The Emperor's Shield didn't have Anti ship lasers, like most of the modernships of it's size, but she did have a few throwbacks from the glorious past ofthe Imperium.

Its lower decks vaporized by the penetrating Titus round, the Ordos

ship rolled in the night; spewing air, crew, and life from its belly.

The Shield shuddered again, this time from the blindingly bright lan


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ce of white light that slammed into her Void shield. The second Hereticus ship had come into range, and apparently had more punch than their size would lead tobelieve.

"Captain, Void shields cut too 65%. That Lance weapon is hideously strong." Hellius was shouting over the din of incoming calls, outgoing orders, and the hissing mutterings of working Servitors.

"Gunnery, all sights on the Faithful Wrath. Port Flak guns, make a barrier between the Scout and the Hereticus cruiser." The Captain watched as theanti-fighter and missile batteries turned the blackness into flashes of red andgreen, the small shrapnel filled shells making an effective gauntlet to protectthe limping scout ship.

For a moment, it looked as if the Faithful Wrath's void shield had surrendered under the incredible amount of ballistic fire from the Shield's Portcannons, but with a blue flash, a secondary shield slid smoothly into place. Ithad took a few glancing hits and was leaking air from a small rip in her starboard flank, but nothing too serious.

Delire cursed, and keyed the Master of Arms.

"Mathew, why isn't our Titus cannon firing?" In the sickly green image, he could see the Master at Arms was directing the next titanic shell into place. It took six cranes and more than a hundred work Servitors to load the damnthing.

"The second shell wasn't up to snuff sir, we aren't making them likewe used too. Give me thirty seconds!"

Delire was forced to grab onto the control arm with both hands to keep from being thrown to the deck. The deadly lance of energy from the Ordos crui

ser scored a boiling line along the port fighter decks, more than likely weldingtheir doors into solid plates.

"Void shield is down sir. Recharging setting...Now. Novid reactors coming online." Hellius put in a bit late, but had been in good timing with warming up the old reactors.

"If we had five of those ships, we could route those Orks from space. What's the range till we pass in between the scout and the assailant?" The captain watched calmly as a flight of missiles made a wreck of his favorite observation buttress, crumbling the castle like structure in a pillar of flame.

"45 seconds sir. 59 seconds till they are in starboard firing range." Hellius didn't even look up from his screens, his fingers tapping out a symphony on his control pad.

"Engine Room, " Delire made some quick calculations in his head, using variables that weren't exactly direct from the Codex. "Light burner number three to...25%." He hit the starboard com button. "Felix, is the Titus loaded?"

It took a moment for the Master at Arms to appear at the screen, butthe relatively young Marine nodded. "Yes sir. Ready to fire. Its one of the oldshells sir, should be quite a bang."

The captain nodded. "Be ready to fire on my mark." Delire looked up

to the Pilot servitor, suspended from its booth in the ceiling. "Pilot, initiatea 30% roll too port along the bow center Axi, ...Now."


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The artificial gravity fluxed and rippled as the stars begun to spinto the left, and the port batteries fell silent as they lost their angle on theswiftly incoming cruiser.

Delire studied the visual layout of the Hereticus light cruiser fora moment, then reached down beneath his chair. "Hellius, helmets on."

The re-breather clicked on, hermetically sealing the Captain into his marine armor. His and any of the other Master Sergeant and above suits had special links with the ship's systems, allowing them to do their job even in the lack of atmosphere.

Just as the Faithful Wrath rushed over the Shield, from port to starboard, it ignited its laser, searing a deep wound down into the tough armor justaft of the bridge, ripping a hole several decks deep. The forward view ports shattered, even though it was more than a foot thick. Air, bits of metal, the glass itself, and one of destroyed communication servitors rushed out into the nothingness, but the Captain and Initiate were prepared for it, and stayed strapped in their places.

Green lights lit up across the board, as the starboard flank rolledup into the underbelly of the light cruiser.

"Mark!"

Delire and Hellius watched as the massive Titus shell exited the Shield's three hundred foot cannon, propelled by an only slightly smaller nuclear explosion than what the shell itself made on impact.

Traveling somewhere in the neighborhood of .4c, or 40% of light speed, the cylindrical round the size of a building struck the Faithful Wrath's Voidshield just below and aft of the engine cluster going at full burn.

At the .01 seconds of impact, the nuclear blast trumpeted out of themagnetically focused front, collapsing the void shield just enough to let the round through. It landed on the slightly convex hump of the number three engine.

Round, crew, and ship, vanished in a ball of light so incredibly bright, the optical sensors on the starboard side of the Emperor's Shield would have be replaced. Sixty two servitors and four marines were flame washed from the unprotected gun decks, their only remains but mere shadows cast upon the wall.

"Alright Hellius, lets get that damn bitch aboard, and find out whywe just vaporized two Inquisitorial ships." The captain unbuckled himself from the command chair, and went to see if the bridge exit door still worked. Half ofit did.

"Oh and Initiate, destroy the transponders. I don't want any of thiscoming back onto us."

Hellius nodded in silent, grim agreement.

+++Record File Beta 843A+++

+++Last Accessed, M41.794+++


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History of Chaplain Ramiel and the Apheleion Sector Crusade.

Originally sent to recover a piece of the Standard Majoris from the lost forge world of Meshen Delta (far past the rim of the now known Pacificus Segmentum), but events quickly escalated to a drastic degree.

The defunct dock yard facility above the planet contained several ancient mothball locations, containing many venerable ships. Including the Emperor's Shield, a Linebacker Pattern cruiser, several strike cruiser class ships (beyond repair), and a host of fast attack ships the likes of which have not been seen since before the Heresy.

One of the jewels of that particular crusade was the discovery of amostly complete Grand Cruiser sized ship, named the Hand of Meshen.

For four years after its discovery, a detachment of Tech Marines ofthe Templars and several from Mars itself, continued to complete the great ship

along its original designs. If it had not been for the plans that were still ondata crystal, liberated by a Sword Brother named Delire Omsheir, the powerful subsystems would have been completely unintelligible in their complexity. Even asof 887.M41, there is still a large expedition of Mars occupying several areas ofthe ship.

Built originally by the Arch Lord Angeton of Meshen just before theLoxattal invasion around M34 or so. Designed as a mobile service for the local sector's Adeptus Arbites fleets, four sister ships like it had been constructed.But none had survived the Xenos genocidal invasion.

The Loxattal clans had moved through the area with relative ease until being forever broken by a large force of Ordos Xenos and Deathwatch. Due to t

heir distaste and hatred for the Imperium, few clans chose anything but a pirate's life after their resounding mass defeat in M34.739. Apparently the Deathwatchhad more on the plate's at the time than to chase down all of the straggling clans, which resulted in the Loxattal being used too this day as mercenaries in many engagements all across the Segmentum Pacificus.

Navigating the rings of debris and still very active mines, ChaplainRamiel led an expedition of Templars down into the somewhat abandoned Hives ofMeshen, escorting a mystically shrouded Lord of Mars and his attendants.

While beating back the roaming groups of feral Loxattal, the Chaplain and the Brothers in Chains of the Black Templars, were able too find the access-logi engines for both the Emperor's Shield and the Hand of Meshen. Under the guidance of the Crusade's head Tech Marine, the Machine Spirit of the Emperor's Shield laboriously awoke. The venerable cruiser was able to clear the hideously old and effective minefield, allowing safe direction and passage between the surface of Meshen Delta and space. Thus was the first of many major successes due tothe Emperor's Shield in this Crusade.

Shortly after this clearing of passage, Marshal Constantine moved his command post to the Emperor's Shield, and gave direct Captaincy too one DelireDemerox. Delire had been instrumental in bringing the Shield online, and in clearing the naval grade mines that had proved to be as much as a trap to the inhab

itants of Meshen Delta, as a guard against foes.

Three years of purging left all but three of the Old Hives still sta


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nding. From either bombardment from the Shield's glorious Titus cannon, or frominstigated pile melt-down, only three of the titanic hives were declared as sacrosanct by the Adeptus of Mars. Why, they would never share, though throughout the rest of the Crusade, the Martian activity would increase twenty fold in that same area.

Marshal Constantine was killed in an ambush only weeks before the pl

anet Meshen Delta was announced as Cleansed'. The rumored fragment of the Standard was not to be found. Evidence of several newer hulks drifting in the minefieldsuggests privateer activity within the past century.

Chaplain Ramiel presided over the remains of the Crusade, which nownumbered only some 48 Black Templar Marines. His actions throughout the campaignwould forever forge the bonds between himself and the Brother's in Chain, becoming irrevocably strong.

For the next decade the Crusade, now almost completely self sustaini

ng through the massive repair and construction bays of the Hand of Meshen, Chaplain Ramiel cleansed over six worlds of the Loxattal taint. Most were feral in origin, and due for some quite precise orbit-to-surface bombardments.

Though vastly understaffed and dangerously ancient, the Emperor's Shield spoke vibrantly in the several naval engagements that were undertaken within that ten Imperial Year span. She hardly required the assistance of the two Gladius class frigates that had originally been assigned to the Apheleion Crusade.

Through brilliant leadership and a seemingly innate understanding ofnaval tactical maneuvers, Captain Delire was able to destroy almost five comparable Loxattal birth ships in three engagements.

At year seven of their crusade, eight and a half years after the re-awakening of the Emperor's Shield, Captain Delire's fleet dropped out of warp inthe Yelegon system. Immediately setting his fleet to alert status, they approached the most likely to be inhabited world. Yelegon IIV was once an agri-wold, but had been found to contain high traces of a very pure promethium. Sub sequentially it had been annexed by the industrial conglomerate of the local day.

Though I would like to mention here, none of the Hives that we foundin the Apheleion sector could be even termed as such be today's standards, thesingle hive we found on Yelegon IIV itself was massive.

More than likely, though I am sure many will research into the HiveAlephos as it was once called, that massive complex worked out for its inhabitance more than anything else.

Captain Delire, along with Chaplain Ramiel, the Brothers in Chain, and some 20 other Black Templar marines were set upon in their initial investigation of the old Hive City. They had entered in through a curiously unshielded drain valley, and had found little to no evidence of combat.

It wasn't until they reached several miles in that they saw the first hints of foul play. Plasma scores, dripping metal, the shiny divots of shells

scouring metal from the walls they bounce from, began to surround the adventuring marines.


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Makeshift barricades littered the passageways that branched off fromthe aqua-treatment plant that the marines found. There was evidence of constant, unrelenting, and determined resistance against the presumed Loxattal invaders.Even the stalwart Chaplain commented on the evidence of ruptured booby traps and deadly pitfalls used by the defending forces.

It wasn't until several levels and hours later that the expeditionar

y force was set upon in ambush by the resident Loxattal forces. Feral beyond usual bounds, it was only their massed numbers and sheer strength of their Xenos breed that finally wore down the Marines too where many confirmed their last stand, drawing out their last firing positions with white chalk and prayers.

Finally, when they last rush came, there was to be no prisoners anddefinitely no survivors.

For an hour and a half the Marines of the Black Templars held back the rushing tide of bursting bodies and hate filled multi-faceted eyes. If it hadnot been for Hellius and his band, there would have been no Marine left to tellthis tale.

As long as the Xenos had been on this planet, there had also been the sons of Terra. Unbowed, uncowed, undefeated. Tribes of them, living in the highest towers of the Hive had survived miraculously on the ancient technology thatrefused to die when exposed to many millennia of neglect.

These tribal humans fell out of the very ceiling vents, panels and trap doors at first unapparent to the normal and even augmented, eye. With the spear, the sword, and the axe, they slaughtered from behind and above; the Loxattal that had been in battle with the Marines, and both advanced with the advantages of both.

Over the next few months, all of the human tribes had driven the Loxattal from their precious Hive, something that uncountable forefathers had beenunable too do.

It was great pride, that Hellius and several others of the more experienced warriors from the tribes still left alive, were inducted into the BlackTemplars as Neophytes. Such a deserving group of man had ever been so worthy, and few will contest that in the presence of a Templar.

Almost the entire population, due to lack of wish to stay and the Hive's infertile environment, is probably still housed within the Emperor's Shieldand the Hand of Meshen. They make up the internal workings, and now after several generations, are apparently very adept at their job. I would not wish to seea boarding party attempt to take their new home from them.

Since that crusade's absolvement, Captain Delire has been noted in several engagements, breaking enemy picket lines almost single handedly. Wuirsters System, just sixty seven light years from the Armageddon, Captain Delire's small fleet intercepted several chaos ships feeding off he carnage in the nearby contested system. Complete route ensues, and the destruction of several noteworthychaos Cruisers as a result.

Many actions against the local ork forces and line actions against Tyranid splinter groups has kept the crew of the Emperor's Shield on its toes. The ship never travels vary far from the Hand of Meshen, now renamed the Emperor P


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rovider, which is under the command of Chaplain Ramiel and the Brothers in Chain. They have only a slightly more autonomous role than the normal Black Templar crusades, able to chose the theater of their involvement. As of M41.991 they haverefused the invitations to help secure the evident threat of the 13th Black Crusade, instead the small battle group has been jumping from point too point in search of the Necron menace, said to be at the fringes, resulting in several alarming loss of communications.

+++End of File+++

+++Edit? Y/N+++

Thusly, this brings us back too Delire's last known location, patrol

ling and enacting the ritual checkup of the Chapter Fortress on Khreak.

Her shattered right arm and part of her face would heal, said the marine Apothecary.

"What's that, Brother Gestus?" Captain Delire pointed at the sealedstasis pod, about the size of a small air to surface torpedo.

The grizzled Apothecary Gestus inclined his head towards it as he spoke. "We had to pry her off it actually sir. I figured we should bring it here as it is, since there is a life signature within." He moved over to the cylindrical pod, touching the small control panel on its side. "Its coded to her genes and a pass code. What ever it is, the system is very complex. I am not surprised t

hat it is from the Ordos Hereticus. But, she should wake up soon." Gestus movedoff into his large office and workshop that was attached to the trauma center.

Delire picked up the now separated shoulder pad with the Templar cross on it. He could faintly see the other markings that were just underneath thepaint. Actually, it wasn't paint per say. It seemed to be some sort of vegetablecompound. But he didn't care enough to run it under one of the examination servitors that rested, deactivated, in nooks beside each bed.

Restraining chains rustled, a chill note that every Templar knows byheart, pulling Delire out of thoughts about battle damage and dock time. The Battle Sister moaned slightly in her wavering sleep, her one eyebrow wrinkled in afrown that her lips lacked the ability to recreate.

"Agust..."

Delire felt a cold wind rush through, and felt it through his armor.He, like her, frowned. He left the Trauma deck, calling for a meeting of the Staff sergeants in control of the damaged sections. He had better things to do than to nurse made a blaspheming sister of the Ministorium.

It was only a tiny little voice that whispered to him otherwise. Andthe vertical scar on her abdomen. Too much like his mother's, some hundred andforty years ago.

Several days, ninety seven staples, fourteen pins, and the amputatio


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n of three fingers off her left hand, Rosetta awoke to two very grim looking faces studying her from what seemed like an orbital distance. It took a few momentsfor everything to come into their proper distance or color, but when it finallydid, she recognized one of the faces.

"Captain Delire..." Such a small voice for a very tall woman. It wasraspy, probably from the steam burn on her throat. It was covered with an adhes

o patch.

"Tell me why I shouldn't set you out an airlock. I have quite the mind too." There was seriousness of a definite proportion in the captain's voice.He would not say however, that he had been beside her bed regularly, taking devotions in the otherwise empty trauma center. This had calmed his heated soul, balmed by the guidance of the Emperor. He now felt that, what with the little evidence to be had on the wrecked scout ship, that her story was of some how great import.

Rosetta's drugged eyes cleared for a moment, the mist laying open for the sun, revealing the landscape below. Pain, sorrow, and deep currents of res

entment spoke out through those limpid brown pools. But laughter bubbled up fromthe almost alive woman before them, when she caught a glimpse of the pod on anengineering cart beside her bed.

"Thank the Emperor." And that was all she said.

For the next week, besides soft sleep mutterings, she woke only longenough to scream. Once.

The Emperor's Tarot had been increasingly poignant this last week for the Captain, and truth be told, for the rest of the crew who put stock in suchthings. The damage patrols and work crews had been finding miraculous things. Where previous damage sensors had told the crew that there was a problem, there w

as little too none. The great grasping holes in her hull were patched with an ease that would put the most experienced Marine spacer crew to shame. Every supplypart, replacement buckle, piece of tubing, was just where it was supposed to be, in exactly the amount that was needed.

By the fourth day, some of the more elderly servitors had become almost spry, even in their mindless state. They stopped leaking eldritch fluids, their lenses became bright, and were if nothing else, much more efficient.

Only a few of the crew besides the captain noticed Hellius and Gestus to name two, but something was definitely changing the ship. Up until now, there had been no real physical evidence of praetor-natural tampering. But Gestus,who spends a ridiculous amount of time in his workshop, had come to see this more acutely than others. Even measuring their progress, denoting the analytical mind of the Marine surgeon. The more than ancient frescoes, mural work, even the etchings that had been long worn off, were showing themselves. Like worms diggingup from the ground, likened Hellius, who was worried of chaos taint. Strike that Marine, the captain said, I would like to find the warp beast that can quote verbatim from the Emperorus Liberium, and not be singed by its holy words. They had been studying the etchings in the bulkhead around the bridge door. They had been long since rubbed away before Delire's time, but it was like looking at something that you had always known was there. But never noticed.

No, more like the old girl is getting herself back into shape. Likea girl with a new lover, or a unit with a new officer. They left the conversatio

n at that, as business was at hand.

The captain would later look back on those words, and find them inte


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restingly direct.

"Thank you Ramiel for coming so quickly. I have a small...situation." Captain Delire inclined his head in respect for his former Sword Brother. Thewizened beast of a man, bent but never bowed under the weight of knowledge no man should own, nodded back. Delire often wondered how such a powerful man show old wounds as such, but the solid steel in Ramiel's gaze would give even the most

stalwart Khornite pause.

"How could I refuse you Delire, were we not in the fires together?"The man, not much older than Delire himself, smiled slightly. Chilling really, above the slight glow from his Rosarius, something that he wore unceasingly thesepast few years. "The Shield is looking quite good eh, but been in a little action as of late I would surmise. Burner number five on the blink again?"

It was true, Delire knew, but true to their age old game he replied,"Must be your eyes old man, she is running as true as ever. Why don't you comeaboard, Honored Chaplain, it would be our pleasure of your company."

True too form, Ramiel arrived with a fully loaded Thunderhawk, complete with honor guard and retainers. Not that it was necessary, but he did have asense of style. The two old friends met on the flight deck of Bay two, claspinghands in the traditional way. But the looks that passed between them relived old days, that of fire and blood, and the Emperor's will having been done.

It warmed their hearts to be in trusted company, because though onemay be separated from a Sword Brother, one never actually leaves them.

Hellius escorted the Chaplain out of the bay, along with the retainers that stayed always at the Marine's side. The Brothers in Chain.

These are not normal Black Templars.

These are the Brothers in Chain. Irrevocable, unstoppable, such a force of nature that they had become personal attendants for the great Chaplain himself over the course of just one Crusade.

Mernas and Junda, linked at bolter, power pack, and hip by great ship-worthy chains melted too their armor. Their devotion, twins founded from the Vinculus crusade. A rarity among themselves. Their concert of fire and bolter shells were oneof the true aspirations among most Initiates that had the fear of meeting them.Perfect cohesion, perfect timing. A prayer to the Emperor could be harder to say, than the death oaths they offered to their enemies.

Theodor. Hand of Death, so they speak of him, entrenched in gore andold memories. Signature weapons his, won and made by his own hand in the thirdWar of Armageddon. A vibro blade, something of his old hive world nature, attached to a extended length of chain. Backed by his custom made chainsword, this almost always silent marine was the epitome of cold and pure close quarters combat.Many show deep respect just to his very presence. The only times he spoke at any length were recitations of Imperial and Black Templar scripture.

Then there is Zelnus. Lord of Pistolas, a dueler of ancient days. Few see his face anymore, and rumors of where he originated from could only be traced back to perhaps the High Marshal's records. The bark of his twin bolt pistols and the life claiming ring of his sword have become synonymous with the Chaplain Ramiel as his personal bodyguard. Many a scar Zelnus owns, that was meant for

the Chaplain himself.

Now, however, the servitors that follow Ramiel; I can not speak of.


12/81

Emperor protect me, but I don't wish to see them again.

"She is looking quite fine Delire, I don't think I have ever noticedthis inscription before. Is it recent? I can almost see the shavings about thefloor." The two brothers had been moving towards the trauma center, when they pa

ssed a brass and gold gilded bulkhead.

The dark look that passed over the Captains face signaled to Ramielthe importance of his visit. "No my friend, no it isn't. Infact just yesterday,there was no brass to be found upon this arch. I passed it here myself several times, throughout my ship-day. Here, come look at this." Delire guided Ramiel tooa beautifully depicted mural, made up of very tiny ceramite tiles. It showed avast space battle between six marine Battle Barge class ships, two of which flewdefunct Space Marine sigils.

"This is not that uncommon Delire, though the detail is absolutely exquisite. I have not seen its like." Ramiel arched a scraggly brow in Delire's d

irection.

The tall Space Marine captain nodded, but pointed to the date and artists name.

"By the Light." Was all Ramiel could respond. "I have passed these halls many times over our tour on this old beauty. But this, nor any of this, have I seen." Already wrinkly forehead, multiplied enforce, a chill breeze again rushing down the collar of Delire's armor.

The Chaplain swayed slightly, but Delire made no move to steady him.Only catch him if he fell, a Templar's honor would have no other way. After a moment, he croaked, "My spirit speaks of no ripples in the warp, no daemons lurki

ng at the wings. Were it any other way, I would know." Ramiel held up a small glass vial to Delire's attention. "Saint Johnathan's bones. They always react toochaos. Has not failed me yet!" The Chaplain gestured towards the fresco. "Trulythis is a remade vessel Delire, it's as if the blessings and etchings were brandnew!" Brilliant eyes, backlit with some focus of will that the captain would never completely understand, locked and held his own. "By the Emperor, what has happened?"

"Well...old friend, its this woman you see..."

One of Ramiel's hearts stopped at that comment, never to beat again.The one set of words that no Marine should ever utter, or even need to utter.

The incense clouded the Trauma bay, making it look more like a battlefield than home. Two brass dipped ship-servitors were saying prayers out of ancient books, at the cardinal ends of the center itself. None the less, the Chaplain took many precautions, laying purity seals and wards on and about every outward bound surface. Ever door was covered and hatch sealed. The entire ship had been notified of battle status, but awaiting further orders. The eight marines inthe room besides the Chaplain himself stood at attentive ease, tensed for Emperor knew what.

"Ignus Dominae Imperium."

"Auspicio Imperetor." Intoned the eight Marines, following the words of the Chaplain's Litany.


13/81

The four, Delire, Hellius, Gestus, and the ships Chaplain, Herior, had weapons ready and prayers laying their lips. Ramiel had said to be ready foranything, as he planned to absolve the Black Oath that the Sister had taken, andthusly open the stasis tube. Finally, the day had come. However, the other fourmarines, the ones part of the very abnormal normal retainer squad of the Chaplain, looked almost bored. But the tension in the grip of their weapon's belied th

eir watchfulness. The Brothers in Chain were no fools.

"Awaken, Daughter of the Emperor!" Blue sparks spewed from one of the overhead lights as Ramiel spoke the last sentence, scarring the deck in theirpower. Probably a coincidence.

Without a second's delay, the Battle Sister sat bolt upright on theobservation table. She had only the rough cotton garments most injured would wear, should they be served at a Marine ship. Rosetta gasped and took deep breaths,eyes wide, emotions too mixed to show.

"I call upon your Oath. Name it, as is Law." The Chaplain spoke, pas

sing his chain and skull studded Crozius over the stricken Battle Sister. The deck plates railed and tossed against their confining screws.

"Rosetta Vertas, of the Order of Angelesis Maxima." The tall woman seemed to be in shock, eyes looking about in a panic, but seeing nothing at all.

"I am charged with the return of the Chalice of Heynon, and the geneseed of Agustus Magnatus, to its rightful place with the Space Marine Chapter, Black Templar. I am charged with the use of all and every available resource to complete my sworn task." Her words were tumbling, halting, as her conscious mindattempted to put order to the Chaplain's command.

Herior caught the captain's eye for a moment. They both knew, one mo

re than the other, about the Chalice. Truly this was auspicious, despite the circumstances surrounding the issue.

Like a coughing almost-drown victim, Rosetta coughed and spit as a spasm gripped her. Blood ran from her nose and dripped from her chin, such was the power of the Chaplain's force of will.

With a sibilant hiss, and the sound of a key turning in a rusty lock, the Chaplain removed his hallowed Rosarius. His worn face sniffed the air, running shaking hands over the ship's walls, the wracked patient, and the life preserver itself.

"There is no chaos here." When Ramiel turned back to Delire and spoke, the captain noticed that small beads of blood shown upon the Chaplain's brow,as were they sweat from a work routine. "We hear her story."

Delire could only nod.

"To be honest with you now, sir, it was a spawn damned small table.But as strange as it seemed, we all fit. Stars above us through the ruined and dipping floors above us, we held our little council of war.

We were all reminiscent of the losses we had suffered, still angry at the pain we had endured. Agustus had broken a chair over the scout's back earlier in the day, but that was just to get some vindication over the shattered nos

e the slight but sturdy Blood Raven devotee had given him. Black Templars weren't known for their suffering of grudges. But that seemed to bring a slight peacebetween them, for as long as it lasted.


14/81

Maltus was sleeping then, the flow of blood staunched from his stomach for the moment, but he did look to be happy on that pile of rags. It didn't bother me overly much at the time, though now...I will morn him. Now that its allover.

Agustus, his armor nicked and pitted from the day's earlier combat,

grunted at the gruel Calisto and I had scraped together. Well some of us had toeat. His dark eyes were troubled, but cool. Like a dark lake, disturbed only bywhat's underneath it's surface. That was probably the reason I dragged him backfrom the killing grounds when the drop pods fell afoul of the arcing AA fire. Iremember seeing those eyes, staring up at the sky...

I didn't have much to say at the time, our little committee seemed fruitless. The ever faithful Templar urged us to make a last rush attempt at thechaos citadel, simply stating "When the head dies, so does the body."

But in the end, with soft voice and deadly intention, Calisto convinced us otherwise. His haggard face proved if nothing else, that he had experienc

e. The studs over his eye, were more than obvious. It is few, if any, that turndown becoming a fully fledged marine. He chose to be a scout, and was a silent death because of it.

He counseled us to use the shadows, to strike swiftly and quietly. To build fear in the rebelling aspects of Ferdon IV. There were many factions that warred for control, but none the less, the corrupt Nurgle marine Demeros-Hoskstayed in charge. Over the next several days, he taught me how to firmly silencemy bolter, how to pad the grips of my boots, and how to use the shadows as a blanket instead of a hindrance.

It wasn't soon after when he let me start going out by myself, thatI came back to two bloodied figures wrestling one-sidedly across the first floor

of the ruined housing building we called home base.

Oh how Agustus railed against the poor Blood Raven scout, calling him an affront to the way of the Emperor, blessed be his light. The scout was fastand knowledgeable, but the marine was young and incredibly strong. They both called each other traitor and coward, but for different reasons. They each hated the way the other went about things, their ideals and codes clashing just as steel and silk.

I did not try to break this up, but instead, stalked the perimeter,keeping any unwanted spawn from our little domestic dispute.

It was not until later that I heard, separately from each, that it was Maltus that finished their argument. His simple words were as thus.

The Emperor is here with you. He knows, and sees what you believe.

But he has charged both of you with the same cause.

To destroy your enemies, to succeed where others will not.

You both are knowledgeable. Accord yourselves such, andrealize the

Emperors' will. Be not afraid. Have faith..


15/81

Those were his words sir, I swear it. That was to be the last time he spoke, until his last day.

The Cup. The Chalice of Heynon. The White Vessel. Until a few yearsago, I would have thought it was just idle gossip and poetic license of the youth of the orders of the Adepta Sororitus. But it was real. The unearthing of theartifact caused a ripple through the warp of which only two of our psyker astropaths survived the concussive wave.

Our mission was stationed on Lepsus Alpha, so we were but a jump from the Ferdon system. Our Canoness organized the launch of our small force but brief hours from the warp storm. Likewise, a small Crusade ship from the Black Templars, as you well know; was struck with the same shockwave. They alerted the Ministorium of the disturbance, but as Calisto told us later, the Blood Raven patrol ship Corax Vulnerum intercepted the call.

By the time we all arrived, roughly within hours of each other, theplanet was already in revolt. We were too late, by far. The cursed forces of Nurgle had been waiting, just off the warp shadow of the system. I can only assumethey already knew of the un-earthing of the artifact, or that it was to come topass within a short amount of time. Their warp trail started dangerously close to the native gas giant in-system.

...I am sorry sir. It is hard to speak of those black days, the daysof buffeted drop pods, exploding astro-charges, sweaty palms. We landed in themain Hexus landing platform under false praise and welcome. Only a few of the sisters made it out from the original landing point, and we were whittled down bya hostile city throughout the days to come.

It was simply by luck I was near where the ailing Templar drop pod landed, in an explosion of brick and permacrete. And it was only Agustus that seemed even savable, which I and my brother priest maneuvered to a small safe placewe had managed to hold.

Another piece of luck, was that the Blood Raven scout found us. Hejust dropped into our building several days later, calm as marble. We sorted things out, and he knew the ways to incite the machine spirits of the Templar's armor. So this is where we started Sir... with our table. Table of War.

Only a few days after the fight between the two Chapter holders, that Maltus awoke for this most lucent, and only time. His speech, was almost serene in its quality, his vocabulary much more eloquent than I had ever heard from this man. But he was a Priest after all. There were only three things he requested from us, his chain sword, the copy of the Librum Empirum, and his golden Exterminatus cross. I regret to this day, that I never asked where he came by such aspecific piece of equipment, and I regret even more that I will never know whatmeant to him.

Bloody footstep by bloody footstep, he ascended the stairs of the main palace bridge. Las fire whizzed and klinked off of the stone hand rail. The traitor Polico had really organized once they had detected his presence, assaulting the Palace itself as it were. Their chaos banners made us all dry retch, evenat our distant and elevated view point.

With a cry of enjoyment? Maltus raised his Librum high once he reached the elevated bridge to the palace itself. The Emperor is great, and mighty. I


16/81

have never seen as such, but a las bolt ripped through the lock of the great book. It tumbled into pages, whirling about the dying priest, in a frenzy of wind.I expected it to abate, but it did not. It gained power with each step of the faith filled Maltus.

All of our jaws were open then, as flying pages beheaded the guilty, chased the traitorous down stair wells, played in gouts of blood from the here

tical. It was the most incredible display I have ever seen. I die fulfilled, from simply that day.

Only when the Deamon Lord pussed and slithered its way onto the bridge, just before the gates, did true battle take place. Bowels leaking from his stomach, Maltus took the fight too the abomination, goring huge swaths of pustuleridden flesh from the daemon. He screamed the prayers of the Emperor as he wasswallowed, the bridge left quiet of all retort, empty of defenders but the daemon itself.

Later, when we returned to base camp, we did not speak for three days. It was quiet reverence, though I think that it was more than just sand in our

eyes to account for the tears we all felt upon our faces.

There would be a reckoning, and we had a blessing.

For one year and a day, we slew the traitors. We struck from the shadows, bringing in to play the ever present hatreds between the chaos followers.They warred above us, spilling the blood of thousands in their thirst for miss-begotten revenge for crimes their adversaries did not commit.

We were the shadow hands of the Emperor, his will done with two or three that could not be done by ten or thirty. We eradicated leaders, destroyed c

ashes, immobilized whole armor units. Surely the gift of the Will was upon us, our every mission was a success. There was no enemy, no daemon, no heretic, no mutant, that could stand in our way. Blessed by the Emperor were our weapons, ourlives.

The last day was the most blessed. Finally we had cleared and created a way into the almost impenetrable fortress that loomed above us. Uncounted hours had been spend pouring over the plans and schematics that the Blood Raven scout had found. It was but a matter of time, when we found the way in.

Now that I look back, I don't see any way out. I don't think that iteven occurred to us to find a way of retreat.

It was slow going at first, great bales of trash and refuse blockedour way, clogged effluence from humans in uncountable numbers. Eventually the tunnels were cleared, and the final stretch secured. The main Imperial cult auditorium had been remade into a shrine too Nurgle, feeding off of the poor conditions of a hive city without proper systems. Truly there was evidence of their plagues everywhere, even upon the impermeable permacrete.

We found the worship-gala, but at the time there was near to no wors

hipers of the foul daemon. Agustus bade us to find out places among the many tiered auditorium, picking our places with care. This was the last act in which heover-rode the much honored Blood Raven veteran Scout.


17/81

Four hours and many stenches later, the Auditorium had filled with the pustule filled worshipers of the foul Nurgle Prince that had taken up residence on this world. Desperately, this daemon wished for devotion and worship, forcing his supplicants to greater and greater displays of faith and ignorance.

Finally, once the great Daemon revealed himself, Calisto set off the

signal. Ten Ministorium bells from across the city, carelessly left in the moorings, exploded into sound. The arcane ringing of the old instruments shattered the great paned windows above the gathered plague congregation.

Though not the intended effect, hundreds of polluted humans were shredded that day. Literally, shreds of flesh remained after the cascade of holy glass that fell upon the unrepentant worshipers of false gods.

Despite the turn of events, we executed out parts. Agustus and Calisto leaped from the lowest balcony, ripping into the shrieking throng like lightning bolts. The heavy bolter we had liberated, now to sit in my hands, jumped andbucked at its eagerness to spray shells at the unbelievers below.

While the Daemon shrieked and gurgled in rage, we cut down it's adoring crowd like so much smoke before the wind. It wasn't until we realized the enormous doors to the chapel itself had been opened, did anything slow out penitent slaying.

"Agustus, finish this. I can not best the daemon, Emperor take me."Over the close-set Vox net, it sounded blurry, but true. Calisto stood as a manrealizing his purpose, the truth in life. I wept to his enjoyment, for truly tears rolled from his eyes as he tore down the main isle, heading for the doors.

Dual vibro-blades brandished in the most experienced fashion, the scout leapt with a scream upon enemies I could not see from my vantage point.

Agustus Magnatus moving through blood, gore, regurgitated innards, and skeletally exposed corpses, roared his defiance upon the Daemon next to the corrupted Imperial altar.

I brought a hail of the heavy bolter fire down upon the monstrosity,but only one in twenty shells got through what ever field it was projecting. Even then I knew it was useless, so I took my power sword and spear, sliding and climbing down one of the banners on the side of the altar I was closest too.

Agustus went to battle, calling out the most Holy of scriptures. Thepower flail he wielded struck pounds of flesh with each blow from the Daemon. Though chunks of the hideous flesh squirmed and quivered as they were ejected from the Foul being's body, Agustus was failing in his strength. Boils and barnacles had begun to form on his armor as contagions and toxic fluids washed over him.Valiant was his assault, but by the time I reached the floor of the worship center, Agustus was reeling from more blows than I ever saw land.

Pulling up a torch of antiquity from a chamber column, I rushed thedaemon, shouting my faith in the Emperor's light. For mere moments it shied frommy presence, but at the last second, it struck me from its space with an incredible blow. I thought my life as finished, as the air took me, soon to contact asolid wall with the most irrevocable force.

The Emperor keep me, in the retelling of what happened there after.


18/81

As I awoke, adrenal glands jolting me back into reality, I saw the most glorious sights. Calisto, the dire scout, was standing above the body of Agustus. He sliced and cut at the massive dripping arms that attempted to encirclethe two. The gaping wound in the daemons chest seemed to overflow with green andyellow puss, dripping down onto the wet flagstones beneath our feet.

But as brilliant as Calisto was defending the maybe still alive Marine, they were both failing. Calisto's less protected body held many a grievous wound, and the growing spider webs of cancerous veins.

I had only one Emperor card to play, my spear. Previously I had spent a day making a spear from a section of water piping. The jagged end as the head had three frag grenades stuffed down into it, the arming studs pressed at a slant against the interior.

It was all I had, for my sword was nowhere to be seen. Rising too myfeet, I leapt over several wrecked pews, heading for the momentarily distracted

daemon.

Calisto's strength finally gave out as he was hurled headlong one ofthe stone support pillars, landing with a definite crunch. The beast of Nurglespewed toxins and gurgled in triumph as it turn its attention too the prone Templar.

My spear, fulfilling its martial destiny dug deep into the monstrosity's side, in between plate like ribs. If indeed they were ribs, I never went back to find out.

I awoke with many scoring wounds, having been blown backwards by theshockwave, even though I had leapt away. My, memory, is sketchy here about thos

e first few minutes, but I remember the big doors were once again shut and someone on the other side was not happy about it. My first and foremost thought was to reach the altar, the center stage of the plagued church middle. The reliquarywould not at first give to my forceful ministrations, but eventually yielded. Though the exterior was riddled with the evidence of the Disease Lord that now owned this hall, the interior was still pure smooth gold. And beckoning, upon a yellow and purple aged pillow sat the Chalice. Forgive me for such callous handling, but I quickly stuffed the great Cup into my storage pack. My attention re-awakened with my deepest desires fulfilled, I turned my attention upon my much injured compatriots.

Calisto was dead, most of the top of his head occupying the bottom.But Agustus was not. He was gripped in a violent seizure when I came to him. Mystrength was not enough to restrain a Space Marine, so I checked on the barricaded door. The Scout must have been the one to do it, fore there was a much mutilated corpse shoved in between the man high tarnished brass pull bars. The thunderous banging had stopped, and I feared that the cultists had found another way in.

The great daemon lay in a deep pile, flesh and fluids unmoving. It had been mostly turned inside out by the concussion wave. But as I came back to where Agustus lay, he had calmed from his spasm.

"Rosetta..." His weak voice was filled with... fear.

I almost balked as I knelt next to him, running a hand over his brow.


19/81

"The Geneseed. You have to extract it, before it is infected." Partrelief, part worry, I shook my head. I did not what it was, how to remove it, orstore it. I told him thus.

He gripped my hand with failing strength and drew me close. For thenext few minutes, till we both heard boot falls upon the adjoining access stairsto the auditorium, he schooled me on code rituals and certain parts of his own

anatomy.

With his own knife I carved the glistening Progenoids from his neck.But with blood spraying from his clenched teeth he told me simply to run. The corrupted figures I saw spilling from the auxiliary entrances spurned me on my way. The barking of Agustuses' bolter heralded my exit from the defunct worship center.

In the blood of the two heretics that attempted to stop my exit fromthe structure, I swore the Black Oath, that Agustus had introduced me too in the past few days. I had no idea that it would lead me here.

As the Battle Sister lay back, still taking deep breaths in calmingher excited and battle damaged nerves, Ramiel took Delire aside.

"From what she tells us, that was over five years ago. Her planet ofmention was virus bombed from orbit by the Ordos Hereticus three Imperial yearsago." The now ancient eyes of the Chaplain bored into Delire's own, searching for their inner feelings.

"So is it to be believed?" Delire questioned, but Ramiel nodded with

a certain firmness.

"It can not be a lie. First, there is no chaos here, else I would have found it out. Second, there is no deceit, or else a Black Oath could never beenacted. You know as much, from the Old Text."

Delire frowned, looking down at the prostrate Sister. "Yes, I remember. But none the less, this is all hard for me to...digest." Delire nodded to Hellius and Gestus, bidding them exit the room. They did, though it was obvious that Hellius was much irritated and shamed by the request.

When the room was cleared of all of the superfluous personnel, Delire never having then the slightest idea of asking the Brothers to leave, Ramiel turned too the Sister.

"Lady Rosetta, we need you to open the stasis pod. I will not ask ofhow you came here past your ordeal, but know that we are heavily invested in this undertaking. We have no choice now." The fallen heretic skulls that adorned Ramiel's Crozius brushed the floor, bound to him by eldritch chains.

She did so with halting grace, telling of her wounds. The room was at its seat point, a hushed breath held in each throat.

Mist spilled out of the sides of the pod, as it cracked open, its smooth corners and operation a mystery to most. At last when the hood did rise, at

long last revealing the child within.

Clasped to his white cloaked breast was the Chalice, gripped with th


20/81

e ease of long familiarity. Already there was a small scar upon the boy's face,a crescent just beneath the left eye.

When Delire moved to the child, no more than four or five years of age, it opened its eyes and spoke.

"Ave Imperetor."

And its eyes shown as of the Iron Cross of the Templars, the pupilsformed too the very crest that Delire held upon his armored shoulder.

And no one could have predicted the days that followed.

Delire Series 2 - Of Chaplains Loved and Lost

Delire frowned. He had been doing that more and more as of late, running acrossso many blackened and hauntingly dark colonies.

Hellius looked up to the source of Delire's attention and frowned as well.

They were both staring at a strange winking purple light, glittering from the forest of controls attached to the ceiling.

"Hellius, what is that light?" Delire folded his armored arms across his skull emblazoned marine chest plate.

Hellius, when under the normal bridge lighting, a very pale ex-hiver Marine. Inany other lighting he was even whiter, his people lacking any melatonin at all.

"I...am not rightly sure. I am still trying to figure out what this whole new section of controls over there is." He stoically pointed, gesturing too the desk and empty seat just across from him. Delire shifted uncomfortably in the Captain's chair, glancing about the bridge he thought he had known so well.

But since their incident with the Child and the Chalice, his ancient ship had grown young again in a matter of days. The host of Tech Marines and the expeditionfrom Mars that was still here from when they found the ship, were going practically out of their collective minds. Last time he had seen his Enginseer, the poor priest had been pale and shaky from lack of sleep, the vast engine room littered with papers and data crystals too many to number.

"Well it seems to be getting faster. I- hold on sir, I am getting some energy fluctuations from the polar magnetosphere. Hellius kept frowning.

They were in a guarded orbit of some unknown planet, its colonial beacon had been shattered and the few scattered villages found empty. Why anyone had even attempted to colonize the rocky ball was beyond Delire's imagination.

"Nope, its gone. Still, it looked like there was a ship out there. For just a moment..." Hellius was usually never wrong, but it was suspicious.

Delire slapped the battle stations siren, but did not open the blast doors for his flank based ordinance. "Signal the Emperor Provider and her escorts too headfor the system Zenith, we will join them when we have investigated." The communi


21/81

cation servitor, sunk spread eagle into the left hand side of the bridge, made only a few beeps in response.

The Emperor Provider was a forge ship, built for supplemental fleet maintenance.It also had become a ad hoc training ship, under the command of Brother Chaplain Ramiel. It had been found by Delire and Ramiel in the Apheleion Crusade.

As it stood, both ships had been charged with looking into the evidence of Necrons on the move past the edge of Segmentum Pacificus.

"Pilot, bring us about to 90plus degrees bow plane, and 31plus too port."

The pilot, like the rest of the servitors on the bridge, was attached to a wall.It just happened to be the ceiling, enmeshed through bundles of cables and hoses.

"Light all engines." Though the ancient ship leapt forward like a tiger, the forward portal's view shifted slowly to place the planet below the ship.

Delire reached up to one of the many internal communications switches and threwit, his eyes not leaving the odd blinking purple light. "Brothers Mathew and Felix, prepare the Titus cannons. If this is the Necrons, those will be about the only thing we have to hurt them with." There were two positive replies, clear asday. Previously since Delire had taken command of the Emperor's Shield, the speakers themselves had hardly worked. Now, you could play symphonies through them.

Which he did from time to time.

The Emperor's Shield had a host of ballistic cannons, all situated on her flanksand a few at her rear. Due to her antiquity, and change in tactics of the Imperial Navy, she was no longer useful to them. She was a line breaker, meant to charge in under the heaviest fire, and bring both of her flanks to bear on the pier

ced naval line. It appealed to Delire's sense of honor, so he had fought to keepthe old bird.

When Hellius looked up to mention that there had been no other fluctuations, theCaptain was standing on the command chair, the purple light glowing off his shoulder guards. But his head was buried in the vast amount of cables and wires.

"What is it Captain?"

"It... looks like an Auspex screen. But not like I have seen before. Its all blurry and runny, with little shapes and numbers on it."

The Navigator rustled softly, hidden in his Iron Maiden like enclosure, but didnot speak.

"Do we really need all these cables here?" Exasperated, the captain stepped downto the deck, staring back up the vine like forest above him. Most of the wiringhad not been original, but instead bypasses and jury rigged power feeds done byhis Tech Marine.

Hellius only shrugged, watching his glowing green screens at his work station.

They had arrived just over the northern magnetic pole, and there was nothing tobe found on any of his scanners. When he mentioned thus, the captain was pinningthe cables back with rubber ties. The screen he had spoke of was of a descent s

ize, and truly was strange. It looked more like an in depth sensor reading of anoil slick.


22/81

The Captain and Hellius looked at it expectantly for a few minutes, but as it'sblinking started to slow, their attention was otherwise diverted.

Another ship had just entered the system. But, as it passed the small husk of amoon that orbited this ball of rock, Hellius identified it as a Rogue Trader.

"Open the communication lines." When the small but familiar click sounded, Delir

e spoke. "Rogue Trader, this is the Emperor's Shield of the Black Templar Adeptus Astartes. Identify yourself."

"Pilot, bring us about to a parallel bearing on the Rogue Trader. Put us right up beside her." Hellius was twisting the braid of his hair, still in traditionalform of his tribal people. The Captain hated it when he did that, but it was anunconscious movement and they both knew it.

"Um, this is the Rogue Trader vessel Eminent Reward. Is there a problem sir?" The reply was that of a high pitched woman, but no holo signal.

"Cut your engines and prepare to be boarded." Was Delire's only reply, cutting the signal against frantic replies. This colony had been dead for probably a decade, there was only a few reasons that this ship was here.

Other ships always smelled strange to Delire. He and the ApothecaryGestus along with an armed squad of the now indigenous crew of the Shield were starting to get irritated at the captain of the Eminent Reward. She was a slightwoman with a shaved head and vibrant costume, and as it turned out, proper license. None the less this did not stop her gushing apologies and fawning demeanor.Which was not unusual when faced with the threatening presence of a Space Marine. Fear would have been normal too, though there seemed to be precious little of

that.

Delire was still suspicious. He held little love for those of the Rogue Trader demeanor, but it was barely legal. He had enough a reputation for a trouble maker as it was.

"Madam Surchild, please show us to your cargo holds." Though courteous in voice, Delire was holding his treasured gold inlaid Bolt Pistol to her shiny head. He had found it in the Captain's safe, after he had the Tech Marines replace the lock. It was quite a beauty, and terribly old. But it still spoke wellof itself on the firing range.

Without hesitation, she did lead them down the murky corridors of the cramped and musty cargo vessel. Just as she made a turn around a corridor, Delire caught sight of her eyes. No fear, like before. But now very angry.

Delire exchanged glances with Gestus and Terrell, the leader' of theband of hard bitten men and women from the Shield. Their former home, a defuncthive and close proximity to a Xenos race that had conquered the planet and gonetribal, had bred some hard people. Both men nodded, though their weapons were already to bear.

Minutes past as she led them through the dimly lit warren, few othersouls glimpsed along the way, all of which made themselves very scarce very fast. At last the troop came to two cavernous bay doors, marked with a colossal num

ber 2. Hulking servitors waiting on Surchild's command laboriously opened the passage.


23/81

"Bay number one is filled with water, so I figured this is where youwould want to go. Delire absently nodded, looking through the passage way intowhat seemed to be rows upon rows of Servitors. Most of them were combat equipped, but quite a few towards the back were of a more technical bent. Though dead and mind wiped, all of the prosthetics and additions were bright and new. There had to be several thousand of them. Space Marines had little use for money, but Delire knew he was looking at quite a King's fortune.

As his serfs checked through the bay, he squared off with Surchild."Run down ship, old style, yet interesting engine signal. Fake battle damage, carefully hidden sensor packages, and now this. What is a free Trader like yourself, with this Lord's ransom," Delire gestured not only too the servitors, but thesurrounding ship itself. "doing in this place, of all places. This is a dead system."

Surchild's face darkened, not saying anything for a few moments. When Delire began to raise his Bolt pistol, she held her open hands out too him.

"I have been chartered here by a certain party. I am here to just aw

ait their arrival. I do not know the name of those who will find me here, but Ican only assume they are not you." She laid her hands on her slim hips, staringup at him with much more defiance than before.

Delire growled in his throat, leveling his pistol at her chest. "Youwill, by the Will of the Emperor, tell me who chartered you. I can not abide mysteries and cloak and dagger shit from the likes of you." The space marine Captain was like all Templars, a very upfront person. Leave the secrets to the Chaplains.

The dark haired captain almost shot Surchild when she reached into her coat, to retrieve a small disk. Engraved on it was the Ordos Xenos emblem. Inwardly, Delire sighed. Personally he had enough experience with the different Or

dos, to let him know he had entered treacherous waters, head first.

Glaring her defiance the whole way, she moved both of them over tooa small nook in the grimy walls. Inside partially hidden from view was a crewman, obscured in heap of dingy cables, the high powered Sniper gun trained on Delire's exposed head. But that was not why she had brought him here. In fact she hadnot even pointed the crewman out, who was as still as a corpse. Delire had beena ship bound marine for most of his life as a Templar, but that did not mean hewas stingy where training or experience was considered.

A small display screen popped up out of a swivel out bench. Surchildinserted the micro disk, and text began to roll across the screen. Delire had never seen a level 4 item acquisition and placement order, but if there ever wasto be one, this was it.

Though many Templars exemplify embarrassment and confusion with theresponse of anger and rage, Delire had never been one as such. He simply nodded.

"If you had given this information first hand, this whole escapade and waste of my time could have been avoided." He scolded her, much like a child,wagging a ceramite armored finger at her. That made her even more angry, the color that was already in her cheeks deepened. That was usually his way of gettingeven, and on any normal basis would have continued to pick at her for the remainder of time that they would have been exposed too her.

However, events did not fall that way.


24/81

The communication waves suddenly burst into several people speakingat once, one frantic, one calm, and one eerily cool.

Of what snatches Delire could immediately pull out, was his own Navigator. The withered being almost never seen was simply repeating, "The warp is growing cold..." Finally, Hellius must have shut off the communication feed too the Navigator.

Secondly, there was some unidentified male voice pleading for help,requesting urgent intervention by anybody and everybody.

Third, was the voice of Hellius, attempting to talk some sense intothe man. But the unidentified voice was paying absolutely no attention to anyone.

Delire stepped back out into the cavern sized entry way, calling hisserfs to him. Gestus was already on his way, rallying the men. He was proud tosee not an ounce of fear in the normal crewman's eyes. These were the dedicatedand battle hardened humans he had liberated from their desiccated hive and terri

fying xenos predators.

Captain Surchild was likewise listening, undoubtedly her own com bead, staring off into nothing. She only absently nodded when Delire spoke of his immediate desire to return to his ship. They parted without another word. Unerringly Terrell lead them back too the launch bay in much less time than had taken them to get there. A generation aboard the Emperor's Shield had made these men more than competent. They wanted to be competent, which is more than most shipbound serfs throughout the Imperium can say.

The Thunderhawk lifted smoothly from the deck, and rushed out into the Great Dark, heading for the Shield's waiting bays.

"Brother Captain, we are receiving a message from Chaplain Ramiel, patching you through." Hellius' voice cut through the others, on a higher bandwidth.

"Brother Captain Delire, the Emperor Provider and escorts are movingtoo your position. We have detected two groups of inbound ships. One is definitely Imperial in origin, where as the second can not be determined at this time.Meet us at 45.97, Provider out."

Delire, leaning over the desiccated but fully functional pilot servitor, grimaced. A Three-way. As appealing it had seemed in idea, back before he had become a Templar, now tactically it was one of the worst situations possible.

The red lights surrounding the Landing bay pulsed a blue-red pattern, signaling that Hellius had already initiated battle stations. Delire made a mental note to comment on the Neophytes good service, if they lived through this.

"Be advised Eminent Reward, there are two fleets currently heading into the close proximity of our position. Suggest flee at once. Repeat, flee. Wecan buy you some time to drop into Warp." Delire released the target oriented comm. button, gripping onto the acceleration couch of the servitor pilot as the Thunderhawk made its landing.

By the time he got from the cockpit too the troop bay, only Gestus was waiting, the normal crew having already left the vehicle.


25/81

"The Emperor has blessed us with a mighty crew, Brother Captain." Though Delire chose to be mostly informal with titles during times of inactivity,old Gestus was almost always proper. The Apothecary looked on the Captain's forgivable laxity with the same sense that a parent looks on a child. Even they werebut neigh 80 years apart in age.

"Indeed he has. Lets go make sure they do not all die today, shall we?" Gestus nodded at Delire's comment, and followed him out of the Thunderhawk as it powered down and went through post-flight checks.

The door to the bridge rolled to the side with a sibilant but smoothhiss. "What do you have for me, Neophyte Hellius?"

Hellius quickly stood from the command chair, and took his normal place at one of the two desks in front and too the side of the Captain's seat. Originally when they had found the ship, there had been no desk on the left. Neithe

r of them rightly understood what it was for, and had not spent any time figuring out as of yet.

"Four bogeys in the Imperial group, burning hot and heavy. One of them has to be a Battleship, its spitting out too much radiation to be otherwise.The other set... well if it wasn't for that," Hellius pointed at the still un understood screen on the ceiling. "I would not have even seen them. The Provider must have some warp-strong sensors. There is little to no radiation emissions, orany other for that matter. They might as well be dead rocks, which they might be though I doubt it, but regardless they are headed here."

Delire nodded, flicking the engine room comm. switch. "Enginseer, iseverything in place and ready for a fight?" The startled tech priest visibly ju

mped from the sudden communication, even though he should have been at battle stations.

His bionic eyes zeroed into the holo plate, and then laughed in a high pitched, almost hysterical fashion. "Their fine! Everything's fine! Ahhhh!"

Delire frowned, the weirdness of his statement twisted like a smallworm in his gut. But none the less, he had to take the Enginseer's word for it.He cut the channel with little bits of himself arguing back and forth about thesanity of his poor Adeptus Mechanicus. Perhaps one of the forty or so other techpriests that were scattered across the ship would replace him for a while.

Such arguments ended when his Focus of Attention Marine shot all ofthe rest of the arguers into silence.

"Pilot, bring us up too coordinates 45.97. Keep all engines warm. Hellius, raise the Void Shield, and bring the reactors online just incase." Delirewent through a series of button pushing, dial turning, and lever adjusting maneuvers, setting his command board just as he wanted it.

Engines spitting ions by the trillions into the night, the Shield hurtled away from the Rogue Trader ship. A few minutes later the Eminent Reward came about and up, following in the Shield's wake. Better a reluctant ally than the unknown.

Thirty minutes and a full ship's readiness sound off later, the Shie


26/81

ld arrived at guard position too the Emperor Provider. Chaplain Ramiel greeted Delire's arrival in the formal way that they usually used on ship to ship statements.

The two Nova class frigates took up opposite positions out and 10 degrees down' from the Shield's bow plane. The Furious Interdictor, and the Quiet Slash were young ships, but their Marine captains were well liked by Delire and R

amiel. And they were loyal to their battle groups secret charge, the Child.

The still as of yet unidentified Imperial fleet, consisting of 8 ships, were definitely slowing. They had presented their engine columns, and were slowly killing their momentum.

However, the unknown entities had made no change too their velocity.The Imperial ships had made a warp signature upon their entrance, but data fromthe Provider had shown that the unknowns had simply appeared' at the edge of sensor range.

Minutes before the Imperial ships should have been in comm. range, a

blast from them took over Delire's systems, announcing from every speaker in the ship.

"Adeptus Astartes ship, this is the Unrelenting Flame of the Deathwatch Chapter. Identify yourself or be considered hostile."

Hellius and Delire caught glances. They both smiled slightly, as theresult could have been worse. He waited until the ships were within range, thenflipped the com switch.

"Unrelenting Flame, this is Emperor's Shield of the Black Templars.Do you require assistance?" Delire waited patiently for the reply, but it was timely enough.

"Emperor's Shield, we have no record of a ship of this name under Black Templar ownership. Stand where you are or leave. You will be fired upon in any other decision. Do not attempt to maneuver any closer than fifty thousand K.Are we understood?" The deep growling voice that made the communications bled respect and obedience from the speakers from which it came from.

"You are understood Deathwatch. We will not hinder you in any way."Delire nodded to Hellius' silent request. Powerful scanning beams reached out through space towards the Unknown group of objects. It would be several minutes until anything would return, but it was a start.

The engines, already kept warm by their crew, were lit in an instantafter the Captain deemed it necessary. The Furious Interdictor, and the Quiet Slash took up retainer positions, with the Eminent Reward trailing oddly behind.

The Unknowns, which had been definitely defined as Necron vessels, were tearing into the Deathwatch something good. Finally, Delire could take it nomore, when the tide of the battle swung against his brother marines, no matterhow far removed from courtesy.

"All weapons deploy, damage response crews to their posts. Marshals,make sure everyone his armed, we will most likely take on boarding parties." De

lire went through a quick series of changes in his original combat layout afterhis announcement to the Shield's crew.


27/81

"Hellius-"

"Yes, I know, Take us into the thick of it." Hellius mocked CaptainDelire's usual words in their own companionably way. It was as an old hand to them, but most Templars would be shocked by their familiarity. None the less, Hellius ordered the Pilot servitor into the thick indeed.

"Fire! Damn the warp Felix, Fire!" The Shield rocked under the glittering arcs of energy emitted from the Necron ships. Two more had gone down sincethe pell mell Templar charge, disregarding any and all protests. Since then, events had turned from worse to unbelievable. Delire was crouched, making sure theskull-ish head of the Necron warrior was truly removed before he stood over thesmoking metallic corpses that littered Bridge Alpha.

Hellius, most of his left shoulder vaporized by enemy fire, was work

ing his symphony of information, with one hand. Belatedly, the speakers above them attached to the captains chair crackled with a snapping hiss.

There was really no need to announce a Titus cannon, the braking thrusters on the opposite side of the ship making as much of a vibration as the subatomic explosion that propelled the massive shell from the Shield. But none theless, Felix sounded "Shell away Brother!" once the radiation ripple from the magnetically baffled explosion cleared.

With blood shot eyes and a gaping wound that had shredded two of hismain lungs, the captain stared at the phantom green holo.

The instantly fast propelled round struck the living metal center of

the Scythe class Necron ship. Just as always, the blinding flash and sphericalrealm of destruction spread the cross like structure into many pieces, each seengroping for its partner. Eventually the tendrils would slow and die.

The starboard ballistic batteries pulverized the two Jackal type Raiders that were harrying the stricken Light of God.

Though boarding parties ranged about the Sword's interior, and the loss of the Quiet Slash, the battle was placed now back on its fulcrum.

As if on cue, the Unrelenting Flame moved through the ever scattering cloud of debris, bringing it into combat range with the black-as-night Necronship that hosted the destruction of most of the Deathwatch fleet.

The logi-engines said it was a Cairn class ship, more than a match for a battle ship of the Flame's size. But it had been none the less, more silentthan it should have been, during the battle. There were eaten holes in its hull, and pockmarked spots that indicated travel damage. This was what was throwingthe Shield's logi-engines off on the identification factor. The living metal that Necron ships were made of, repaired themselves. This Tombship, had yet to showevidence of such repairs. Though its weapons were still apparently, fully functional.

"Masters at Arms, how many Titus shells remain?" Delire's throat wasfull of blood, but the hid it well.

"Two!" and a few seconds later from the Port battery, "Three! But Ithink only one will fire. We are cradleing it now."


28/81

Delire fired two pristine bolts from his anciently inherited pistoldown the hallway. He had heard metallic scraping and scuffling at the end, pastthe blown inward door. That would have been enough in of itself, but the green splash of pseudo-plasma that burned a wave like scorch mark in the deck plating was what really prompted the holding shots.

The com lines had been for some time, clogged with shipboard reportsof Necron boarding parties. The valiant men and women that had chosen, pointedly chosen, the Shield as their home; were selling every foot of the ship's corridors with their precious blood. There was naught but one Templar marine for everyfifty serfs, but by the Emperor, they held. The Mars expedition was the true telling point. Their advanced combat servitors and intimate knowledge with the ship itself had proven invaluable in the last few hours. Many an invader had been scoured from the decks by plasma and melta, or ejected into space by the errant maintence tube linked to an opened exterior bulk head. The priests of the MachineGod would never go easily into the dark Night, let no one say otherwise.

The Unrelenting Flame's front was of the much heralded design of a r

amming prow. More than likely it had been, at one point in time, a Mars class battle cruiser. None the less, the deeply armored prow struck the Cairn Tombship at dead center, minus 18 degrees bow point.

Both ships enmeshed, explosions jettisoning crew or other types of unknown personnel into space, they ground together as two monsters in grapple.

Delire ordered the damage crews away from their stations, to assistthe beleaguered boarder-repelling units. He even ordered the Masters of Arms from their posts. Hellius gripped the Plasma pistol he had acquired a few years back in his still functioning right hand, and went to do battle with those Necronsthat were still in the hallway. The Captain had put them down twice already, butthey repaired themselves. Occasionally.

A crimson stain followed Delire to the command chair, but he made nomove to cover his air sucking wound. Hellius' Plasma pistol and tribal war cryheralded his clearing of the few Necron forces that still lurked in the hallwayjust beyond the ruptured bridge door.

Delire sighed, with a gurgling huff, as he swung the control arm over his waist. He had everything that was required here. The final Necron raidershad reverted into the immaterium, or where ever it was that they went.

Dim and haltingly visible cross hairs were aligned on the enmeshed two ships, centered on the most applicable energy emissions. No ships remained inworking order, but the slightly damaged Eminent Reward, and the Templar strikeship Furious Interdictor.

Moments went by, consciousness snapping into points of consciousness, centered on barely glowing cross hairs.

The great enemy cruiser, with no apparent build up or reason, simplyvanished. Much like its other raider escorts, but much more hesitantly. It tookmost of the front half of the Unrelenting Flame with it. After a time that no one would be able to define, a com message penetrated the discord of the Net.

"Enemy ship neutralized. Stand down."

With a single gurgling breath, Captain Delire elapsed into darkness.


29/81

Dreams followed, with no hint of time. He was again on Nutra, charging the line of Orks, his las rifle spitting fire. This time, things did not follow their original order.

It was but a few days before Delire was back to full capacity, it took a lot ofdamage to kill a Marine. Hellius, still only a Neophyte, took much longer. A newarm was acquired for him at the Captain's insistence. Captain Delire spoke tooChaplain Ramiel about Hellius and his competence. The Chaplain offered to let him stay aboard the Emperor Provider for the duration of their scavenging and repairs.

The remaining forces of the Deathwatch, with the

delire series

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