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SWEET MOTHER OF GULLIMAN - THERES MOAR STORY!

That was actually a very touching addition to the story, having a kid myself I can really sympathise with the panic that your offspring could be in danger, so much so that everything else dissapears into the back ground.

Top work and I'm happy I kick started this again

I appreciate you helping remind me of my obligations. I'm glad you enjoyed that little section. I have some good plans for the Tsabo family in the long term and I thought a little dash of back story would help us relate to what he was going through. Next up we will bring back Kaihiro and Xanshi, or Reticence, or whatever you want to call her. When I planned out this story, I really did not intend to have this many story arcs. I guess this is the downside to writing in order and only loosely planning things out.

Kaihiro stood on the quickly descending platform a step away from his Bushini. He looked down at her diminutive form. Her armor was gleaming from the beams of the assembled vehicles. Ribbons adorning her shoulders and belt rustled in the whirling air of the shaft. She held onto the Mortimon Brooch in her small hands, studying it intently.

Slowly Kaihiro let his eyes leave Xanshi to pass over those around them. A unit of five massive men had formed a protective circle around Xanshi and himself. The unit was made up of men from Clan Batterhorn, all armored and armed with long hafted blades and short barreled blasters that hit hard but not far. Gorehzingus had sent them along when the astartes had all stayed up on the service to help guide and protect.

The sounds of the arguing space marines still seemed so odd to Kaihiro. The one that called himself the Celestial Unicorn was practically restrained by other marines when Sergeant Mortifex had ordered him elsewhere.

Several heavy coughs seemed to grab at his attention. Kaihiro looked past his immediate wall of men to see the tight crowd of vehicles and civilians. Nearly a dozen trucks were packed tight on the platform and every space on and around them was filled with people. Refugees all fleeing the coming attack.

Without warning the sound of screaming brakes ripped through his skull. It was painfully loud and the cries of children and startled people soon followed. Despite the sound the platform slowed to a halt in a chamber with several tunnels and massive doors.

Only one set of doors was open and only the bottom third was open. Kaihiro looked up to admire the hundred foot tall door. The top two thirds were still connected via a massive clockwork mechanism and the bottom led into a dim lit corridor. Directly in front of them floated a, thing. Kaihiro was not sure what it was exactly. It wore a black robe and hovered above them. A bronze face mask with an angelic face looked back at them. Kai was not sure if he should be running away or happy to see the thing.

Suddenly the form bowed before speaking. “Welcome home Champion Oshiashi.”

The feminine voice seemed very out of place to Kai. He could not tell if there was any woman in that machine but the thought quickly left him. Movement behind her grabbed his attention as three space marines walked out of the shadows flanked by stone machines that stood twenty feet tall.

“Omicron Eighty Eight, please organize the refugees and send this platform back to the surface with all haste,” Xanshi ordered as she stepped off the platform towards the tunnel. People quickly followed as the vehicles fired up their engines to rumble along behind.

The stone machines stepped aside to let them pass. The space marines flanked the crowd.

Kaihiro took long strides to keep up with Xanshi, he was in awe as he passed through dark tunnels with ornate carvings and ceilings that were so far up he could not see them. Omicron floated above them all. Wires dangled and twitched underneath her floating mass.

Kai was so distracted by everything around him that he had not noticed Xanshi send the crowd of people and vehicles down a side tunnel with Omicron. He had lost all sense of time. How long had they been walking? Had it been minutes or hours, his head was swimming with thoughts and sights. The rumbling of the distant vehicles diminished and the tunnel grew darker before a cavern opened up before them. Lights adorning the walls and ceiling began to illuminate more and more of the immense hall.

“Bushini, what is this place?” he found himself thinking out loud.

She slowed down before stopping at the entrance to the biggest cavern Kai had ever seen before. Statues were everywhere, banners hung from the ceiling, more massive doors lined both walls. Everything was so big that he felt like a bug looking up at the limbs of a massive tree. Lights continued to bathe the vaulted room revealing the majesty of the ancient room. Xanshi whispered a command in the high speech of old and the remaining lights flickered on. Fires in several vast pits roared to life shooting gouts of flames thirty feet into the air.

“This is my families catacombs. This is where we have been sleeping all this time. Our knights our behind those doors. With this brooch I should be able to wake up the old systems and bring everyone back. House Oshiashi will walk to battle and once again protect the people of this planet.” She paused and looked at the statue in the center of the chamber. It was several hundred yards away but Kai could make out a two legged machine defeating a double headed demon of equal size.

“I have thought of this moment for years, ever since I woke. Countless times have I wondered how many of my relatives are slumbering here. I had a large family…” her voice trailed off.

Kai wanted to say something but he did not know what. He himself did not know anything of his own family. He often wondered what it was like to have kin.

“Come Kai, let us ascend to the throne room to see what will wake.” she added with new determination.

Outstanding addition Ice

Oh yes, there is certain build up here which is just awesome.

A couple of points/questions if I may.

- I like the name Omicron, however my first instinct was to think of Unicron from the transformer movie and thats what I now think of for that character.
- The lighting in the cavern they stepped into, is there anyway to elaborate on that, as in my head cannon anything that deep underground would be shrouded in darkness the higher up the cavern extended, but the way they they could see things indicated otherwise?

Thanks guys.

Questions are always welcome. There is not much I can do about the name thing, but I can elaborate on the lighting situation. I will do a little rework. Thanks for the comments guys!

Okay, give it a reread. Is that better?

P.S. Somebody post something so that I can post more story too. I don't want it to auto merge with this one. THanks!

Omicron 88, surprisingly catchy! Great additions

The path to the throne room was a surprisingly difficult affair. It started with a floating platform that Xanshi went directly too but was unadorned and unmarked. With another whispered command a piece of floor simply floated upwards carrying the two of them towards a balcony. After that there were hidden levers, disguised stairs, scans of body parts, and still more unknown commands spoken in the long forgotten Mortimon High Speech.

Kai had once again lost track of where exactly they were or how they had gotten there. Xanshi had not muttered a word to him during their trip and he was starting to wonder if she had forgotten he was behind her. This deep into her family's lair, the signs of age were everywhere. A thick layer of dust coated every surface except a small path. The air had not circulated in ages and every breath tasted like a forgotten time.

At last they entered an area full of exquisite furniture, amazing art, and ancient tomes. Every one of them was sealed in cases on the wall or standing in specialized domed glass. Kai wanted to stare and study every one but he did not dare fall behind the still hurrying armored woman.

Here and there he noticed disturbances in the dust. He could see the small footsteps of Xanshi, she must have been here before. He wanted to ask her countless questions. The sudden urge to stop her and make her explain more filled him for the briefest moment but dissipated like a flock of birds startled in a field.

Xanshi had stopped. Her hands hovered above a circular door. It was not much taller than him but a perfect circle. The hinges were massive metal columns, one on each side at chest height. She took a deep breath and placed both of her hands on the door, one on each side. A red line appeared deep in the metal and scanned her hands while a blue light came down on her from the ceiling. For a moment nothing happened and the silence was deafening.

The red lights stopped and the overhead illumination vanished. A click resounded within the door before it soundlessly swung open.

Kaihiro looked over Xanshi into the dark room. Red lights gave off a shallow glow that gave him the faintest outline of the hards lines of chairs, monitors, and tables. One overhead light shone down on a throne. It loomed near the end of the massive metal table that dominated the center of the room. His eyes were fixed on that seat.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Pins, wires, vidscreens, straps, even several weapon holsters were built into the throne. To his untrained eye it looked more like a torture device than any chair a person ought to sit in.

“This is it,” she whispered. The sound was quiet but it crashed against his thoughts like a meteor hitting the rough seas of his mind. He focused on it and forced himself to blink. This whole day was becoming too much for him. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He realized he had a headache and that he was really hungry but instead of dwelling on that he stepped up beside her. The need for him to speak up finally arrived. He knew it. Deep inside of him his honor, his code, was forcing him to act.

He tapped his heels together, bowed, and held his head in respect.

“I am honored to have been allowed to see all of this, but” he paused seeking for the right words, “I am lost. All of this is,” he slowly shook his head as his words ran from him.

“Kaihiro, I am honored to have you here with me. There is nothing you can do now but pray.” She touched the side of his face with her hands and forced him to look at her. She smiled a parental smile and slowly turned towards the lit chair. Before sitting she opened a panel in the chair and another on the table. Kai could not see what she was doing but he could hear buttons being pressed and switches being flipped. New lights began to bathe the room but everything else was still quiet and dark.

Kai slowly strode through the room, careful not to touch anything. He noticed that each throne was unique. Names were engraved on gold placards and were built into the head rest. On the back of each metal machine a collection of them hung. He paused next to one as he read the name.

“Xanshini the Graceful,” he turned to look back at Xanshi. She had stopped and was staring at him. He felt awkward and internally hoped she would say something. When that never happened he cleared his throat. He opened his mouth but she thankfully intervened.

Xanshi had turned back to her task. The Mortimon Brooch was in her hand.

“When I woke up, one of the first things I did was come here. Every throne in this room represents one of my families knights. While I was sleeping it looks like my family had grown in power and number, but something went wrong.” She shook her head and her hand trembled slightly.

“I don’t even know what happened to my children,” she whispered and stared off into space.

Kai looked back at the engraved name on the chair next to him.

With a sniff she tightened her jaw and placed the jeweled device into a purple lit slot in the table.

Oooh is this remote controlled Knights? who knows but I want to know more.

Knightly, I bet they all do a drop into the knight, kind of like in Pacific Rim

Ooh that would be sick, something like Voltron!

Remote control knights? I do l like that idea but Azalle has already given up my secrets.

How was Pacific Rim any ways?

Deep in the shadows Captain Razzik stood. He stared forward out into the downpour. Flashes of light crackled through the sky as lightning danced in the dark blanket of cloud cover. In that flash he saw his target.

A black winged ship banked hard and came around for another pass across the city. It was a sliver in the darkness. Its wingmen were in a loose formation behind him. He could not make out the markings but he knew the ship designs. He had seen the destruction its kind had already taken out on the city. The street war was proceeding better than expected by his initial thoughts, but the minimal anti air systems had already been taken out in the first strikes.

Time was dwindling and he could not let these craft continue their destructive rampage.

“Go” he whispered into his vox as he sprinted from the darkness to the edge of the high rise he had been waiting on.

In six steps he was at a full sprint and at the edge of the downward sloping rooftop. He leapt and his jump pack aided him in launching him into the sky. Ice Angels from other rooftops did the same.

The Dark Eldar ships did not see any of them coming when they slammed onto the wings of the squadron. Many of the Ice Angels did not get a grip before falling off the slick wings of the ships as they twisted and rocked. Razzik on the other hand had punched into the metal next to the cockpit of the Vampire Raider and held onto to a beam. He was jostled up and down before he could release his krak grenade into one of the engines at the rear of the vessel.

He pushed off as the explosion took the ship out of the sky.

He fell and while correcting his trajectory he reviewed the combat around the city. His tactical squad was holding several city gates while his assault squads were descending and heading to new points where fighting was heaviest. The rest of his company was at the Spire and the Vault.

“Captain, Clan Belithralith has lost its gate and the Warrens are being invaded by skimmers and armored Eldar.”

“Affirmative Sergeant,” Razzik landed and took a moment to align himself before beginning another series of jumps. He paused to watch a Nightshade Interceptor crash into a building and out the otherside. The munitions went off in a chain reaction before it hit the ground. The bright explosion illuminated an Ice Angel leaping off the damaged building towards him.

“Salandria, form up at sector 8,” Razzik commanded while setting a waypoint on the city map. Eight minutes for him, most likely more for many of Squad Salandria. He gave a quiet prayer as the entire squad responded with affirmatives. Every one of them had survived their aerial attack.

He made out the forms of leaping marines from buildings and streets before he too began to leap.

That was like something out of a comic book, I imagined it all in black and white, rain plinking off the armour while waiting for their prey.

Very nice section!

Thanks Knightley! I am glad you approve. It feels nice to move this forward again. There will be a slight lull as I am traveling for thanksgiving but more will be here soon enough.

A buzzing sound like an approaching swarm of angry insects grew from beneath the floor. Distant clanks and thunderous booms echoed from all around. Kai held onto the table with both hands expecting the room to collapse or shake, but the room only filled with sound. A series of lights began to glow on Xanshi’s seat. She closed her eyes and sat back, deep in the embrace of the metal throne.

She took in a sharp breath as cold metal surrounded her hands, legs, head, and lastly her face. She whimpered and moaned as wires reconnect with her spinal and cranial ports. Blood trickled out of her nose and ears, but Kai saw none of it. More and more of her was being covered as the throne morphed into a cocoon. A distant screech of metal cut through the sounds before there was a terrifying moment of silence.

Kai stood, mouth open in astonishment and fear. A single click cut the stillness and the throne disappeared into the floor. Before Kai could move metal plates filled the vacant spot where it once stood.

Alone, he leaned heavily on the table unsure of what he should do. He tried to recall the path he had taken to get here but he could not concentrate. He rubbed his face with his right hand trying to get his mind right. He slowly looked around at the plethora of monitors showing icons and measurements that were steadily growing. The table began to illuminate from within revealing countless images of rooms, halls, and more. One in particular caught his eye.

A dark brown armored space marine was standing in a circular doorway in front of a long table with………..

Kai gasped and spun on his heels. The space marine was a few strides away from him. Reflexively he recoiled. The space marine silently tilted his head.

“Hello Kai,” he said with a chuckle of amusement.

“How do you know my name,” Kai asked without thinking.

“I have been following you and Reticience since you arrived. You can learn a lot by listening,” he answered as he entered the room. His armor made no noise as he moved. It was like watching a shadow suddenly come to life.

“Honor would demand that I know your name,” Kai dared to ask. He felt a rising sense of annoyance at being followed and eavesdropped on.

“Honor? In a galaxy full of xenos and traitors, you feel that your honor has some power to force me to answer your questions?” the space marine chuckled again as he test several buttons on one of the larger screens within the table.

Kai watched as the space marine took a few moments to acquaint himself with the set up before it began to filter out the static screens and leave only the functioning ones. In minutes the table had several score of active screens showing everything from darkened tunnels to a pair of cameras mounted somewhere at the top of the elevator shaft.

Kai took several steps closer to look at a group of monitors showing the grand chamber that held the stone statues and massive iron doors. He scanned the thresholds for activity hoping to see Xanshi step out but there was nothing.

An armored gauntlet rested on his shoulder. Kai shook from the surprising touch. He looked over to where the space marine had been standing before taking a quivering breath trying to steady himself.

“It will take a few more minutes before she emerges. A slumbering knight does not wake quickly.” The space marine spoke briefly before continuing past him to the end of the table.

He studied images and then continued his orbit around the room.

Kai watched him in fascination. The marine had a stout double barreled weapon on one hip and a smaller pistol on the other. A mace clung to the small of his back. The entire armored form of the marine was dark brown. A doubleheaded aquila adorned his chest armor and it too was brown.

The marine stopped across the table from Kai and met his gaze.

“Tek’Ar. That is my name,” the space marine added before looking back down at the table.

“Thank you Tek’Ar,” Kai responded with a smile. He followed Tek’Ar’s gaze to a group of screens where the floating mechanicum woman was working. A row of stone covered machines were being activated, each strode over to pick up a heavy weapon in turn before slowly walking out of the room.

So Tek'ar was uploaded to your Gallery in June 2012 and has made his appearance now (unless he did so in a previous book, I don't recall if he did or not)

That is one heck of a build up for Chemical Cutthroat's marine! I did enjoy this passage, from a marine who has no idea on whats going on to the complete opposite of a marine who does, duality!

Although I can't help but think a super soldier marine would be able to process stimulus quickly and apart from the initial shock he would be ready for what could happen next (But thats just me)

Can't wait for the next passage!

Tek'Ar has been around. He is part of Mortifex's squad. He has shown up in several sections before today, it may have just been awhile. When Mortifex first arrives at the ruined Spire he is met by Tek'Ar. Right before the full squad is revealed.

I may have to edit a bit, Kai was the one in shock, not Tek'Ar. BRB.

Hahah I guess he was first introduced 5th November 2014 and last heard from 29th Feburary 2016, it slipped my mind. This should teach all those folks to regularly do refresh reads of this amazing tale!

Very nice updated Ice. I just liked it. Sometimes the calmer, more intimate interactions between people appeal to me even more than a good action scene.

Loved it brother. Can't wait to see what Knight Steps out!
Loved the description of her bonding with her command throne, graphic and visceral. Well done!

Knightley wrote:Hahah I guess he was first introduced 5th November 2014 and last heard from 29th Feburary 2016, it slipped my mind. This should teach all those folks to regularly do refresh reads of this amazing tale!

Knightley, thank you for the research. I think you are now the offical Ice Angel Historian. As i have started back up, I've gone back and read my own fluff as refresher. I'm ashamed at how much I'd forgotten. It doesn't seem like its been that many years since i started this.

Gitsplitta wrote:Very nice updated Ice. I just liked it. Sometimes the calmer, more intimate interactions between people appeal to me even more than a good action scene.

I completely agree. The cold calculation of my Ice Angels has made my focus almost more so on the nonangels.

Master Azalle wrote:Loved it brother. Can't wait to see what Knight Steps out!
Loved the description of her bonding with her command throne, graphic and visceral. Well done!

Me too! Thanks Azalle. I am trying to be a little more descriptive. I'm glad you approve

The trip from the throne room into the knight was not smooth like she had remembered but that was the least of her concerns. The feeling of immersion with her throne was painful and bizarre. It was not anything like she could recall. The throne was hers, she was sure of it, but everything else was alien.

“How long had it been? When had she last jacked in?” the questions jostled around her conscience just like her body was being tossed around. When the drop finally ended she heard whines, whistles, and clicks. She shut her eyes tight as the throne connected with her knight.

The expectation of an immediate jolt, never arrived. Instead she heard or felt a distant emotion. Her body tingled as her feelings melded with her more powerful metallic form.

But it wasn’t her knight. The weapon layout, the stance, the entire body, it was not hers.

“No, no, no,” a moment of panic began to creep in as she spoke. She was startled at her own emotions, then a thought smashed into her. Was that emotion hers?

The thought solidified so many things in her mind. With a mental force of will the metal covering her face turned transparent so she could see her cockpit. She examined her surroundings and noticed a blinking light for the first time. The symbol of her house was engraved into its soft blue plastic.

She reached out and flicked the cover off of the button and gently pressed it. A hologram materialized in her lap. It was the bust of a hooded woman. Hands came into view and pulled back the hood. She was old and matronly, but authority was in her eyes. Lines graced her face when she, for the briefest of instances, smiled.

“Hello grandmother,” the hologram spoke.

Reticience watched in silence, suppressing the emotions that waged war inside her.

“I hope the Emperor has granted you the opportunity to see this. I prayed countless times, seeking for some other option. I wish I could have woken you sooner. I longed to hear your voice, the voice of legend to see if you could save us all but,” she shook her head and held her chin up before blinking and shaking her head once again. “What you need to know is that house warfare destroyed the ruling class. We tore each other apart, knight to knight, clan to clan. We discovered too late that it had all been set up and created by agents within the houses themselves from an outside force.” The elderly woman had tears in her eyes as she continued, “my mother….” she paused. “your daughter, sacrificed herself to give me this opportunity. We had to take down our own house in order to save the people and give us the chance to hide what we could. We struck a deal with the machine cult and the civil war ended but the old clans…” she paused and let the thought linger to gather her thoughts.

“The few remaining knights have left to crusade with the Empire or have hidden themselves in endless slumber in other tombs such as this. I wish I could leave you with the coordinates for the other vaults, but I can not.”

She paused and the hologram flickered for a moment, “you must be in Vlivaledew Djamaur in order to be watching this. She is the newest model we have and, she was to be mine. She is now yours. Do what you must. Bring back honor to our name Grandmother,” the hologram looked right into Reticinces eyes. No words were spoken but Xanshi could see all the turmoil inside of her grand daughter. The hologram gave a sniffle before suddenly reaching to some unseen item and deactivating the hologram.

Xanshi was once again alone. She forced herself to relax.

The distance emotions coming on from the connection with Vlivaledew slithered into her swifter now. It felt like she was entering a dream by skipping the sleep. She allowed her metal visor to return to the exterior display. The metal shifted from the cockpit view to the area in front of her knight. It was a connection stronger than any she had had before. She moved her right arm and looked at her hand. The metal hand had dexterous fingers that she moved one at a time. Her left hand was the same. She studied her overly armored forearms.

An instinct in the back of her mind kicked in and she acknowledged it. She smiled as each forearm opened up revealing chainblades that within seconds had slid down the back her hand and into her metal grip. They were the equivalent of daggers to her size but each was as long as a transport vehicle.

She saw that each forearm contained several such blades. Her view shifted from her blades to her surroundings. She was in some sort of hanger. She realized that she was sitting. The weight of her was supported by a structure that caressed her entire form. For the first time she looked ahead of her and saw the hangar door. It could only be opened by a knight and from the inside.

The mechanism built into the door and frame seemed to unravel in her thoughts. Xanshi knew where to apply pressure and the sequence she would activate the levers holding the door in place. She thought about standing up and the room rumbled. Servos began to move. Her seat lifted her and in a few minutes she stood up. She felt ancient. Her body ached from lack of activity.

She attempted to move forward but the knight refused. Things were still in motion. A weight sat onto her back and shoulders. She was unsure of what it was but when the last connection fell loose she nearly fell back over. It took a moment for her to gain her balance and feel her body as the knight she was melded with.

A hesitant step forward then another and she was in front of the door. She pulled a lever which unlocked the crossbar. She stepped on a panel that lowered the metal clamps holding the floor and ceiling portion of the door. Her two metallic hands grabbed the crossbar and spun it to the vertical position.

She leaned into the door and it swung open painfully slow. She expected it to open to statue chamber but instead, she walked into an armory and another identical door. The room was six strides deep. Chambers built for servitors and human crew alike adorned one wall. Workstations and machines covered the other wall. Next to the narrow path were two massive rectangles with handles on top, sized for her knight to pick up.

A surge of thoughts and emotions swept through her like an incoming tide. She allowed the knight to take over and she found herself stepping forward between the rectangles. She stepped on another foot pad and power surged from wall units into the rectangle on her right. While Xanshi watched, it began to glow. The amount of energy crackled and leapt. She felt her skin crawl as it touched her metal legs.

She stepped forward and grasped the handle. Her arm twisted in a way that human arms could not and the rectangle attached itself to her lower back. She then turned towards the other handle protruding from a massive box of metal. She hesitantly lifted it but interrupted the machines flow. She held it up and closely examined it instead of putting it away. This one did not have an overwhelming surge of power. It was completely inert.

Lowering the box, it attached itself next to the first at the small of her back. The heavy objects balanced her form and she finally felt complete. Vlivaledew Djamaur took its final steps toward the door. It was time to protect her people.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Holy moly that was epic, such an interesting passage relating to how a knight pilot would interface with a Knight. Great stuff!

I agree with Knightly, the interface with the Knight was a fantasitic read. Also, you message from her grand daughter adds sooo much more. Spot on Ice

Thanks guys. I spent some extra time trying to make that connection a bit more relatable. I always loved the idea of direct interfacing with a machine like that and I wanted my version of that connection to be a bit more detailed. I hope it worked.

The city district where she ran was full of ear splitting gunfire, roaring engines, and screaming humans. The buildings were built on top of one another in tight clusters each with a winding street deep within. All of that, was now behind her. She stood at the edge of the next district. The line was easy to notice. An ancient wall of stone was built up and up, each layer a different color than the one beneath. This wall was more formidable than the first. A gate was open wide, inviting her to continue her rampage of destruction.

She yearned to run forward. She needed to feel the spray of blood on her nearly naked body. Even now the screams of fear and panic were like a powerful energy revitalizing her entire being. She shivered with the pleasure of it all, but she held her ground.

The women around her were equally enjoying the sensations coursing through the air, but it was fading with every moment of inactivity. She did not look at any of them to know what they were thinking. To stop a coven of wyches mid murder was a terribly risky endeavor, but she knew something was wrong. The small, miniscule, logical, part of her brain was throwing a fit.

Thankfully they did not have to wait long. A trio of lumbering raiders came hovering up the road. They were burdened with warriors screaming in excitement. Behind the raiders were scores of other warriors running to keep up. They all wore yellow helmets and carried all manner of long rifles and toxic blades.

“The Mandibles Pinch,” she whispered as she recognized the male standing on the prow of the lead raider. “I never liked those whelps.” She mumbled to no one.

“You do not like anyone,” the nearest wych added while licking blood from her blade.

“Shut up hluukythimm,” she spat.

Savra watched as the trio of raiders entered the gate. Dark forms fell from the inside of the gates onto the open topped vehicles. The sound of chainswords and dying warriors soon followed.

There was a surge of energy around her. Wyches stepped forward, ready to run up the street at the space marines.

“NO,” she snarled. “We go elsewhere. Let these space marines clean out the impure of our kind. Send word of a high value target at this gate. We head north.”

Before she had finished the sentence she was running. The wyches quickly followed. The act of moving brought screams of excitement from those around her and once again the coven soon found humans to slaughter and blood to taste. She steared them away from the gate and kept the pace at a run. She had to get away from this place.

Tsabo watched the battle from his command throne. He always thought he would like the safety of sitting inside a fortress telling others where to shoot, but as he watched, he felt the opposite. He hated it. He loathed every second of it.

The feeling of relief that his son was onboard had passed soon after the gunfire outside had turned into a real firefight. Watching his men, his friends, die one by one was like living a nightmare. The space marines seemed to be impervious to the fact that his men were dying. He had seen the Ice Angels, alongside his men, stop every attempt to reach the vault but each one was another loss of life and supplies. The waves of battle had ebbed and flowed like a thunderstorm. One moment the gunfire shook the walls, other times he could hear the soft steps and chair adjustments of those around him.

He had lost track of how many times he had gotten up and paced the room. He kept coming back to the chair, to resume his staring at the wall of monitors. A tray of food sat in the middle of the room. No one had touched it. The thought of eating seemed alien to him at the time. He looked away but just for a moment.

A new sound made him look at the doorway. Techmarine Philosir stood with a green weapon case in his hand. The red armored half machine marched over and looked down at him. He wordlessly held out the case.

Tsabo looked down at the simple green case. It appeared to be worn wood with simple brass clasps. There was an unusual lack of elegance or artistry in the case. It seemed so out of place in the red hands of the Tech Marine.

“It is customary for a Lieutenant to be gifted a side arm upon reaching the rank. I apologize for the lack of ceremony but I have a weapon that I believe will serve you well.” Philosir held out the case and it silently opened without any visible assistance from the Ice Angel.

A black holster held a light blue hilt. It was sized for a human and with a slight head nod from Philosir, Tsabo reached out and gingerly removed the holstered pistol. He unsnapped the clasp that held it in place. He grasped the cold metal grip and withdrew it.

His eyes widened as the magnificent laspistol shined in the dim light of the room. The barrel was polished to a near mirror finish and the body was the same ice blue as the hilt. A scope adorned the top that looked like an abyssal drake screaming in flight. Everywhere he looked Tsabo saw drake iconography and expertly crafted details. He carefully turned the weapon over before his gaze stopped on a matte black plate above the battery release.

The plate was blank.

“Did you craft this piece?” Tsabo asked.

Philosir nodded slowly and looked past Tsabo, “I made it a long time ago.”

Tsabo looked back at the gun and slowly put it back in the holster, “does it have a name?”

“Its first owner,” Philosir paused for a moment. His monotone voice was a surprising gap of silence. “She died a long time ago and never had the opportunity to give it a name.”

“May I ask what her name was?” Tsabo asked after a short break while reviewing a monitor that had a sudden burst of activity.

Philosir turned to leave but paused at the door. “She was known in the chapter as Ven.”

Tsabo strapped on the weapon while watching Philosir. “Thank you sir. I am honored by your gift.” Before he was finished the techmarine was already marching away. Tsabo could hear the charging of systems within the techmarines armor. Servo arms were handing Philosir a shield and weapons were spreading out from the wide backpack above his shoulders.

Tsabo looked down at the weapon now on his left hip. “Ven,” he whispered the name and let his left hand rest on the hilt.