Part 10 (1/2)
The Astartes made the sign of the aquila, his oversized gauntleted hands banging against the carved white stone of the Imperial eagle on his breastplate. A Hadris Rift captain flinched at the loud snarl of servos from the gianta's armour joints.
a”I am Brother-Captain Corvane Valar,a” the giant said. His helmet speakers, mounted into the muzzle of his relic helm, rendered his voice distorted and harsh. a”Commander of the Fifth Battle Company of the Adeptus Astartes Raven Guard Chapter.a”
Matters of rank and seniority between the Imperial Guard and the Astartes were far from straightforward. The Astartes Chapters were autonomous servants of the Imperium, and answered to no authority but their own. And yet technically, the lord general held rank here. It was a tension repeated countless times across millennia. The Adeptus Astartes operated under a mandate from the G.o.d-Emperor a- their genhanced bodies marked them as his chosen sons, living on as shadows of his image. Yet the Imperial Guard answered to Segmentum Command and, in turn, the High Lords of Terra. Cooperation was common between the Guard and the Astartes, but conflict was hardly unheard of.
The Cadians, as if on cue, returned the sign of the aquila immediately. Tionenji was a moment behind them, as were the Hadris Rift officers. Overseer Maggrig bowed his head in a shallow nod, made the sign of the aquila himself, and smiled in what he hoped was a superior, yet warm, expression. He a.s.sumed it hid his nervousness to be before one of the Emperora's chosen. In that, he was wrong.
a”Welcome to the war council, brother-captain.a”
a”Good to see you again,a” said Colonel Lockwood. The giant in black nodded, taking several moments to stare before replying. Thade wondered if the Astartes was scanning the colonel.
a”Cadia. The siege of Kasr Vallock. Colonel Josuan Lockwood, Cadian 88th.a”
a”Good memory, brother-captain,a” smiled Lockwood. a”And I thank you again for your Chaptera's a.s.sistance in the defence of my home world.a”
a”Dark days. I remember them well. But not fondly. Much of my Chaptera's strength is still garrisoned there. My own force will be returning as soon as we are finished with our duties here.a”
a”Thata's good to know, captain.a”
That seemed to be the end of the conversation. Maggrig continued discussing his plan. The Astartes was content to listen, standing still as a statue but for the occasional turn of his helmeted head to regard another part of the cityscape map.
a”There.a”
Several of the officers started at his sudden voice.
a”Brother-captain?a” Maggrig asked. Hea'd been pointing at a district towards the centre of Solthane, housing the great Cathedral of the Archpriest. It was there that the bones of Saint Kathur were laid to rest.
a”There,a” the Astartes repeated. a”That is where the Raven Guard will focus its efforts. I will dispatch scouts immediately to prepare the a.s.sault. The Fifth Battle Company will link its intelligence with yours, lord general.a”
a”We would be honoured,a” Maggrig said. He was flushed with pleasure and pride to see an Astartes officer showing such respect to him before his own men. This would surely spread through the ranks a”It is the disposition of your own forces that necessitates our deployment.a” The giant pointed a brutish hand at two points in the cityscape. a”The Cadians and Vednikans are your princ.i.p.al source of veteran strength. They are here and here, respectively.a”
Here, the Astartes turned to look at Captain Thade and his command team.
a”The Raven Guard Fifth has served with the Vednikans and the Cadians before. We have judged their characters as a planetary people, and a.s.sessed their prowess as regiments in service to the Emperor.a”
He turned to Maggrig, those blood-red eyes staring without mercy. a”They are the claws of your plan. They are the killing talons sharper than all others at your disposal. Therefore, we will unleash our fury and the anger of our weapons elsewhere, where they will most a.s.suredly be more needed.a”
Silence greeted this. Thade and several of the Cadians nodded in respectful thanks.
a”Whatever you see fit,a” Maggrig murmured.
a”Then I am done here,a” the giant said. Someone cleared their throat at that moment. Unseen servos growled in the joints of the Astartesa' armour as he inclined his head to Seth.
a”You. Sanctioned psyker. You would speak with me?a”
a”Yes, lord.a” Setha's voice was a wet whisper.
a”Brother-captain.a”
a”Yes, brother-captain.a” A little more strength to his tone this time. Thade noticed Tionenjia's hand inching towards his own holstered laspistol as Seth spoke. He read caution in the gesture, not aggression, and said nothing. But it still aggravated him.
a”Speak. I have no wish to seem rude, but my time is limited.a” The eyes of every man present fell on Seth now. What in the h.e.l.l was he thinking?
a”I am given to understand the Adeptus Astartes have individuals that share my talent.a”
a”It is so. We name them Codiciers and Epistolaries, depending on rank. Again, forgive the implied insult, but their powers eclipse those of an unenhanced human psyker by a great degree.a” The Astartes paused here and Thade, for some reason, imagined him smiling behind the impa.s.sive muzzle.
a”You delay the deployment of the Emperora's finest to question me on trivia?a” asked the giant. His voice was different now: less stern, despite the vox-speakers distorting his tone. Maybe he had been smiling, after all.
a”No, sir,a” Seth said. a”I would ask if you have one of these men among your force here.a”
a”I do.a”
a”May I speak with him?a”
The Guard officers stared in silence. Was this an affront? An insult? A breach of decorum, certainly. Thade tongued his teeth, trying to think of something to say should the Astartes take offence. Looking up at the towering black figure with its snarling joints and red-eyed mask, absolutely nothing came to mind. Not a Throne-forsaken thing. Tionenjia's pistol had cleared its holster now.
a”Tell me why,a” the giant said, his tone still neutral.
a”Matters of the Emperora's Tarot.a”
The awkward silence returned, intermittently broken by a curious addition. A series of muted clicks came from within the Astartesa' helm. Vox-clicks, Thade realised. He was using his suita's internal vox to speak with someone.
a”It is done,a” the Astartes said only a moment later. a”Brother-Codicier Zauren is aboard our strike cruiser, The Second Shadow. He will make planetfall in fifteen minutes to attend to your request.a”
Seth bowed deeply. a”A thousand thanks, brother-captain.a”
The Astartes made the sign of the aquila to all present. Once more, his oversized gauntlets banged on the stone eagle across his breastplate.
a”I will leave you to your planning. We will meet again, should the Emperor will it.a”
a”Victory or Death,a” said Lockwood. That made the giant pause.
a”A very fine memory, Colonel Lockwood.a”
The colonel smiled. Without another word, without even waiting for their replies or salutes, the giant in black stalked from the room, parting the cl.u.s.ters of busy headquarters staff before him like a curtain. They scattered from the doorway as he neared.
Seth leaned on his staff in the silence after the Astartes had departed. a”If you will excuse me, lord general?a” He addressed the Overseer but his watery eyes were locked on Thade, almost bleeding significance with an intensity that would be comical if it were any other soldier in his unit. Thade gently inclined his head. Message received. You still need to speak with me.
It was obvious to all of them that Maggrig had no idea what to say. The Overseer just nodded, and Seth left to keep his curious appointment. Only then did Tionenjia's laspistol find its home back in its brown leather holster.
a”The psyker,a” Lord General Maggrig said with narrowed eyes. a”He must be watched.a”
a”He is,a” replied the commissar.
a”He always was,a” added Thade.
The guns.h.i.+p was the same deep and glossless black as the armour worn by Brother-Captain Valar. It came in low, throwing up a storm of dust as its thrusters howled and belched fire. Landing claws extended in a smooth dance of well-oiled technology, biting into the gra.s.sy soil as the Thunderhawk guns.h.i.+p came to a rest. The roar of the great turbines and engines faded as they cycled down.
Setha's eyes fell upon the great white symbol painted along the guns.h.i.+pa's flank, repeated in smaller relief on the wings. A stylised white raven, wings outstretched. Heavy bolters trained left and right from the Thunderhawka's cheeks and wingtips. Seth was put in mind of a great bird of prey, powerful beyond words but sitting uneasily, alert to the possibility of foes even within the sanctuary of its nest.