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SINDERMANN FELT HIS heart lurch in his chest at the sight of Petronella's bodyguard coming towards them. The man's every step was like death approaching and Sinderma
Jonah Aruken's eyes widened as he saw the massive form of the saint's killer approaching. He turned quickly and said, Titus, grab her. Now!'
What?' asked Cassar. 'She's hooked up to all these machines, we can't just-'
'Don't argue with me,’ hissed Aruken. 'Just do it, we've got company, bad company,’
Aruken turned back to Sinderma
Sinderma
He wanted to run, to get far away from the evil smile that promised a silent, agonising death, but his legs were lead weights, rooted to the spot by some immense power that prevented him from moving so much as a muscle.
Jonah Aruken slid from the medicae cell, with Titus Cassar behind him, the recumbent form of Euphrati in his arms. Dripping tubes dangled from her arms and Sinderma
Aruken held his pistol out before him, aimed at Maggard's head.
'Don't come any closer,’ he warned.
Maggard did not even slow down and that same deathly smile shone at Jonah Aruken.
With Euphrati still in his arms, Titus Cassar backed away from the relentlessly approaching killer.
'Come on, damn it,’ he hissed. 'Let's go!'
Aruken shoved Sinderma
'Shoot him,’ shouted Cassar.
'What?' asked Aruken, throwing his fellow crewman a desperate glance.
'Shoot him,’ repeated Cassar. 'Kill him, before he kills us,’
Jonah Aruken tore his gaze back to the approaching Maggard and nodded, pulling the trigger twice in quick succession. The noise was deafening and the corridor was filled with blinding light and careening echoes. Tiles shattered and exploded as Aruken's bullets cratered the wall behind where Maggard had been standing.
Sinderma
Sinderma
Nothing happened and Sinderma
likewise flinched at the thunderous noise of laggard's gun. He lowered his arms and his mouth fell open in amazement at the sight before him.
Maggard still stood there, his muscled arm still holding his wide barrelled pistol aimed squarely at them.
A frozen bloom of light expanded at an infinites-imally slow pace from the muzzle and Sinderma
As he watched, the pointed nub of a brass bullet began to emerge from the barrel of Maggard's gun and Sinderma
The Titan crewman was as shocked as he was, his arms hanging limply at his side.
AVhat the hell is going on?' breathed Aruken.
'I d-don't know,’ stammered Sinderma
'No, iterator,’ said Cassar from behind them, 'it's a miracle,’
Sinderma
'Euphrati!' cried Sinderma
Sinderma
He reached up and ran a hand through Euphrates hair, her skin hot to the touch.
'She saved us,’ said Cassar, his voice awed and humbled by what he had seen.
'I think you might be right, my dear boy,' said Sinderma
Jonah Aruken joined him, alternating between casting fearful looks at Maggard and Euphrati. He kept his pistol trained on Maggard and said, 'What do we do about him?'
Sinderma
'Are you sure?' asked Aruken. 'He will come after her again,’
'Then we will keep her safe from him,’ said Cassar. 'The Lectitio Divinitatus has friends aboard the
Vengeful Spirit and we can hide her until she recovers. Iterator, do you agree?'
Yes, that's what to do,’ nodded Sinderma
FIVE
Dark Mille
Warsinger
LOKEN HAD NOT set foot on the strategium for some time, the construction of the Lupercal's Court rendering it largely without function. In any case, an unspoken order had filtered down from the lodge members that Torgaddon and Loken were no longer to stand alongside the Warmaster and act as the Legion's conscience.
The isolated strategium platform was suspended above the industrious hubbub of the vessel's bridge, and Loken leaned over the rail to watch the senior crew of the Vengeful Spirit going about the business of destroying Isstvan Extremis.
Warriors of the Death Guard and Emperor's Children were already in the theatre of war and the enemies of the Warmaster would even now be dying. The thought of not being there to share the
danger galled Loken and he wished he could be on that barren rock with his battle-brothers, especially since Torgaddon had told him that Saul Tarvitz was down there.
The last time the Sons of Horus and the Emperor's Children had met was during the war against the Technocracy and bonds of brotherhood had been reestablished between the Legions, formally by the primarchs, and informally by their warriors.
He missed the times he had stood in the presence of his fellow warriors when the talk had been of campaigns past and yet to come. The shared camaraderie of brotherhood was a comfort that was only realised once it was stripped away
He smiled wryly to himself, whispering, 'I even miss your tales of "better days", Iacton.'