Chapter XIII

The marines were running again toward the west. The gunships had retreated into orbit to take care of the wounded marines and collect the two dead marines left behind earlier. Jehuel stubbornly refused to let Leliel go with only a solitary bodyguard and broke his squad in two. His combat team would aid in guarding Leliel and take part in any further assaults. The second combat squad was attached to Pammon to replace his losses.

Brother Nakriel was starting to falter in his performance and it was beginning to trouble Leviticus. They were nowhere near the center of the quarantine zone. He took an auspex unit when they were resupplied by the Thunderhawks. Occasionally he would look for anything that would suggest a threat or their quarry. He also scanned the condition of all the Angels. Nakriel was displaying all the signs of one with fever. He should have been loaded with the wounded in the village. Enhanced physiology or not, even a marine needed time to heal before going back into battle.

Leviticus slowed the pace to allow Brother Nakriel time to regain some strength. The drugs administered by Assiel had helped but now the effects were wearing off. Vehuiah and Paschar came up along side and switched their vox-links to a secondary squad frequency.

Vehuiah spoke first, ‘Sergeant, why are we falling out of formation?’

‘ Brother Nakriel does not have the strength to make the journey with the rest of the group. We will proceed at his pace.’

‘Have you informed the rest of the force?’

Paschar answered, ‘They haven’t even noticed that we have fallen out of formation.’

‘No, but they will. Moreover, when they do, I fear that our Lord Leliel will be beyond reasoning. Too many errors have transpired ever more recently than is acceptable for even a novice marine. Brother Nakriel should never have been brought on this mission for a Xenos trinket. I cannot help but question the leadership of Leliel.’ Leviticus added.

Vehuiah stopped running as he thought about Leviticus’s words. “He has been the Lord of the Angelus Conturbo for near on thirty years and then he was fighting for fifty years prior to that. You have not been with us more than a few months and now you are contemplating a challenge for power.

 ‘I don’t believe it is I who is currently challenging his power. I believe he is tainted by Chaos and it is slowly consuming him.’

‘Are we not all tainted by Chaos? We were scattered by those foul beings when Caliban was shattered. We should have died with Caliban that day. Instead, we found ourselves thrown somewhere else and in another time. Who is to say that they did not leave a mark on us as we were scattered? I had come to accept this as the case. I fight two battles constantly. One along side Leliel and one against the taint I may carry. ’

Leviticus was shocked at this revelation. He had never thought about the possibility that the Chaos gods threw him through time and space like the Primarchs. Even the Primarchs were vulnerable to the subtlest taints and several did fall. He thought about his recent memories, remembering all the times he smelt fresh blood. Could he be tainted as well? His mind swirled in the confusion welling up inside him and he collapsed to the ground.

+ + +

Leviticus felt the world fall away from him and he suddenly felt himself floating. He had no idea where he was or what had happened to his squad. All around him was a multi-colored fog of every shade of color. It was very nauseating to view, but it was made worse as he could not feel nor see ground beneath him.

‘Don’t worry Brother Sergeant Leviticus. You are still alive and safe for the time being.’ Leviticus knew the voice but he saw the figure it belonged to emerge from the swirling fog. Before him stood Epistolary Librarian Uwala covered  in an immaculate suit of Power Armor. ‘It is good to see you again.’

‘I thought you were dead.’

‘Oh I am quite dead. There is no doubt of it when you create a Warp Vortex. My sacrifice didn’t go unnoticed and I now stand beside the Emperor once again.’

‘Then I am dead as well?’

‘Oh no Brother, you are still back with your squad. I have brought you here because I have been watching and I saw your reaction. Needless to say, I decided that you needed some help and advice.’

‘But the mission and the rest of my squad?’

‘They are all fine. When all is said and done here only a few moments will have passed on the planet. Brother Nakriel is taking this opportunity to rest while Brothers Gurid and Paschar are trying to revive you. They are fast becoming very loyal to you.’

‘Alright, what is you needed to advise me?’

‘That Brother Gurid’s notion that the Fallen Dark Angels have all been tainted by Chaos is utterly false. The four do not have the power to mark a soul unless it is offered to them freely. They may torment or seduce a soul, but they cannot change it or the body in which it inhabits unless the person offers themselves to them freely. This brings me to Leliel, you are right to question him. He has secretly offered his soul to the Blood God in return for greater power. He was given the vision that on this planet is a Daemon artifact. Along with the typical heretical blood spilling rituals, he is to retrieve the artifact as his first task toward becoming a favored Champion of the Ruinous Powers.’

‘That is good to know. Is there an ancient artifact for me to find to use against him?’

‘You already have it. The Sword of Omael was given to him by the Lion. It has its origins on Caliban during the time the Lion began was clearing out the Chaos tainted forests.’

‘Yes, they were cleared by the time we arrived on Caliban with the Emperor.’

‘The man who carried the sword was a brilliant strategist like Omael. He devised many tactics and devices to defeat the minions of Chaos. Several of those devices have been integrated into the sword. It did not let you down when you hunted down your former squad member Liwet.’

‘I remember the sword found a chink in his armor and it managed to wound him. I defeated him with the next blow.’

‘There you go. Leliel is not yet the caliber of Liwet but he will still be formidable now that his pact has been made. Now, it is time to go.’

‘I do have a question of another sort.’ Leviticus asked.

‘You want to know how Leliel managed to escape from the Dark Angels on the station.’

‘Yes, Brother.’

‘To put it simply, you did not. As I created the vortex that destroyed my body, my mind was being assaulted by the Librarians aboard their cruiser. When I stopped resisting, I was able to pull two of their souls with me into the warp. Unfortunately, a pair of daemons followed the link back to the Librarians’ bodies and possessed them. They proceeded to go on a very bloody rampage aboard the ship that allowed all the other vessels in the area with crew aboard to escape. The destroyer tried to destroy as many ships as it could but there were too many for the one ship to handle. Now go for time is growing short.’

+ + +

Leviticus woke with a start. The members of his squad were circled around him as Vehuiah attempted to tend to his Sergeant. ‘I am well Brother Vehuiah. I was unprepared to hear such candid talk about the Dark Gods forgive me brothers.’

‘You are forgiven Brother Sergeant. Brother Gurid was out of line to suggest such a foul thing.’

‘No he was not. Brother Gurid, am I right to assume that you have harbored this notion for some time.’

Gurid looked down before responding, ‘That is correct, Brother Sergeant.’

‘That is a false notion. You should have more faith in yourself and of our Father the Emperor. The Dark Ones can only corrupt those that give themselves over freely. Sadly, many of our brothers have let themselves be seduced by power and selfish desires, including our Lord Leliel’

‘Brother Sergeant, are you considering a mutiny against Leliel and those marines still loyal to him?’

‘I am. Ever since I joined the crew of the Angelus Conturbo, I have been uneasy and I believe it revolves around Leliel and his lust for blood.’

‘Blood for the heathen god’ spoke Esme.

All marines turned toward Esme. He continued, ‘ Brother Sergeant Pammon was approached by Leliel shortly before we were reassigned to you. Brother Pammon is loyal to Leliel as you all know and has no love for the Imperium, but he declined the offer for power. The power gained by spilling the blood of ones foes and claiming their skulls. It did not take Brother Pammon long to discern that he referred to swearing allegiance to the Blood God. He will gladly serve under Leliel, but he prefers to kill his enemies through sheer firepower instead of at close quarters.’

‘So Brother Pammon did not turn.’ This time Chaioth spoke. ‘If he could be brought to believe there is no honor in serving Leliel. He may leave Leliel’s side.’

‘No, Brother Pammon served beside Leliel during the Crusades. They have saved each other countless times over. There is a bond there stronger than Adamantium.’ Barkiel replied, ‘I was in another Tactical squad that fought occasionally with both when Leliel was a Sergeant. I have seen their camaraderie. Brother Jehuel became favored because Leliel and Jehuel share an affinity for close combat.’

‘So the three Sergeants are in league with each other. We cannot defeat one without confronting the others.’ Leviticus looked down in consternation. How can his one squad take on the combined might of the other squads?

The weak voice of Nakriel spoke next, ‘What about Brother Duma?’

Vehuiah’s face paled slightly as he spoke, ‘By the Emperor, I had forgotten he exists! He has to be down here somewhere! Curse my insolence!’

‘Who is Brother Duma?’ asked Leviticus.

‘You probably never met Brother Duma on the ship. He is the quiet type, deathly quiet. He sticks to himself with a few others. He has a real talent for silent infiltrations and sabotage. He got his hands on a few pieces of scout armor used by the current Astartes a few years ago and I have not seen him without it. Before we go against Leliel, we’ll face Duma.’