The Bleeding Chalice

Teturact ruled an empire a dozen systems across, and he ruled them utterly. His servants carried orders to whole worlds of the faithful, who obeyed as one, without question. The Imperium, who had betrayed and abandoned them, was trying to reclaim their worlds but Teturact, in his awesome wisdom, was calling upon his followers to mire the Imperial armies in planet-wide battlezones and give up their lives for the glory of their saviour. The fleets of warships docked at Stratix had been turned into groups of fast raiders and fireships, breaking up the Imperial Navy spearheads. The Imperial armouries were stripped and used to turn hordes of grateful infected into loyal armies that rose up to slaughter the Imperial Guard that approached their cities. With their deaths, they would keep the empire of Teturact inviolate. There was no better way to die.

The empire included the Stratix system itself, and the forge worlds of Salshan Anterior and Telkrid IX. It encompassed the mineral-rich asteroid fields that circled the blue dwarf star Serpentis Minor. From naval shipyards, to agri-worlds that produced enough to feed those of his followers who still needed to eat, Teturact controlled enough resources and manpower to force the Imperium into a war that could last for centuries. The empire of Teturact was not due to fall for a very long time.

THE EMPIRE OF Teturact flickered by on the grand Galactarium, its diseased star systems whirling around the superimposed image from the pict-recording. Gradually individual stars locked in place over the image, until the star map and the night sky recorded over the outpost were identical. Sergeant Graevus ran over to Techmarine Solun, who was reaching feebly for the wires plugged into the back of his head. Graevus unplugged the wires and Solun's eyes flickered back into focus.

'Did you find it, brother?' asked Graevus.

'Stratix Luminae.’ said Solun. 'Oudying the Stratix system. It's still there untouched, it was never setded.'

The Arbites have caught us up. Can you fight?'

'Always.'

'Good. Follow me.'

Sergeant Graveus and Techmarine Solun were still heading from the Galactarium chamber towards the front of the temple when the gunfire began.

SARPEDON HAD KNOWN the Inquisition would find them eventually - the Soul Drinkers were excommunicate, and Sarpedon had personally killed the Inquisitorial envoy who had delivered the sentence to the Chapter. But if the Ordo Hereticus could only have stayed off the scent just a little while longer, instead of finding the Chapter at their most vulnerable.

But they were implacable and intelligent. Inquisitor Tsouras, who had been outwitted by the Chapter in their escape at the Cerberian Field, had been little more than an enforcer, a thug who used his authority to bully and coerce. Thaddeus, though, must be a subtler and more patient man. It was an enemy Sarpedon did not need, not now when the whole Chapter needed to act with speed and secrecy. But Sarpedon had always known he would have to face the Inquisition again.

The first shot was from an Arbites sharpshooter, a cold-blooded killer and a good officer. His sniper-fitted autogun sent a bullet through the right eye of Phrantis Jenassis, blowing the back of the old man's head apart and leaving him a dead weight in Sarpe-don's hand. The order had probably come from Inquisitor Thaddeus himself - the hostage represented Sarpedon's sole advantage, and that advantage had to be removed. The authority of the Ordo Hereticus exceeded even that of the Navigator House to which the Arbites precinct was bound.

Now the other officers had no reason not to open fire on the mutant who faced them. The pintie-mounted weaponry on the APCs sent shots raining down and Sarpedon scutded to the side just in time to miss a ca

The body of Phrantis Jenassis flopped to the ground. His ragged turban fell off and his glossy black warp eye, now blind and harmless, stared blankly at the sky.

'Thin them out and fall back!' Sarpedon ordered Hastis and Krydel as he headed back towards the Galactarium.

Gunfire ripped out of the front of the temple and scoured the slope as the Arbites advanced. Their shotguns were useless over open distance but once in the temple they would be ideal for blasting around cover, so the riot details advanced through the bolter fire coming from the two Soul Drinker squads. Sarpedon had given his Marines time to pick their targets, but a ca

The Galactarium was frozen, its sphere now showing only the night sky of Stratix Luminae. It was strange to finally give the place a name. But if the Soul Drinkers could not get that information off Kytellion Prime, it would mean nothing.

Graevus's squad was at the edge of the courtyard, with Solun alongside them. Solun was apparently alive and capable of fighting, which was just as well. If the Arbites judge had any sense he would send officers with grenade launchers onto the roof of the temple to rain frag and krak grenades onto the Soul Drinkers as they fought the Arbites coming in through the front. And in a spot like that Sarpedon needed all his battle-brothers fighting.

'We will defend this space and try to break them. Hastis and Krydel will be the front line - Graevus, you are our reserve.’ Sarpedon pointed towards the machinery of the Galactarium. 'Destroy it.'

Graevus yelled an order and an Assault Marine ran towards the Galactarium, unhooking a large metal canister - an anti-armour melta-bomb - from his backpack. Squads Krydel and Hastis were assembling at the entrance to the courtyard, shotgun shrapnel following them as Hastis stopped his squad, turned them, and began to direct their fire against the Arbites storming in between the columns. Sarpedon added his own fire, snapping a shot into the stomach of one officer and sending others ducking back behind the columns with a volley of bolts.

A series of massive explosions ripped from the front of the temple, throwing a cloud of earth and marble dust into the interior. Squad Krydel was caught in the storm of shrapnel and fell back, purple armour chalked with the white dust.

'Demolition charges.’ voxed Hastis. 'They've brought down the front of the temple.’

'More cover for the advance.’ replied Sarpedon. 'We have no fields of fire. We'll have to fight them toe-to-toe. Graevus?'

'Commander?'

'Counter-attack on my word.’

'Understood.’

There was a pause as the dust cleared. In the pause Sarpedon could hear the creaking as the melta-bomb's detonation seared through the machinery of the Galactarium and sent the huge metal construction sagging. The image twisted and flickered, and suddenly the star field was gone, to be replaced with the marble architecture of the temple. Sarpedon quickly sca

Gunfire erupted between Squad Krydel and Arbites using the fallen chunks of marble to close with the Marines. Sarpedon saw Sergeant Krydel, power sword flashing, wading into the fight. Squad Hastis was backing them up, snapping bolter shots into the Arbites who ducked out of cover to loose off shotgun blasts.