Ben Counter - Galaxy in Flames

'No,’ agreed Garro. 'It's not the Death Guard way, is it?'

'I wouldn't know,’ said Tarvitz, waving over an Emperor's Children apothecary despite Garro's protests. You're too barbarous a Legion for me to ever understand,’

'And you're a bunch of pretty boys, more conВ­cerned with looking good than getting the job

done,’ said Garro, rounding off the traditional insults that passed for greetings between them. Both warriors had been through too much in their long friendship and saved each other's lives too many times to allow formality and petty differences between their Legions to matter.

Garro jerked his thumb in the direction of the summit. You killed her?'

'No,’ said Tarvitz. 'Lord Commander Eidolon did,’

'Eidolon, eh?' mused Garro. 'Never did have much time for him. Still, if he managed to bring her down, he's obviously learned a thing or two since I last met him,’

'I think you might be right,’ said Tarvitz.

SIX

The soul of the Legion

Everything will be different

Abomination

Loken found Abaddon in the observation dome that blistered from the hull of the upper decks of the Vengeful Spirit, the transparent glass looking out onto the barren wasteland of Isstvan Extremis. The dome was quiet and dark, a perfect place for reflecВ­tion and calm, and Abaddon looked out of place, his power and energy like that of a caged beast poised to attack.

'Loken,’ said Abaddon as he walked into the chamber. 'You summoned me here?'

'I did,’

'Why?' demanded Abaddon.

'Loyalty,’ said Loken simply.

Abaddon snorted. 'You don't know the meaning of the word. You have never had it tested,’

'Like you did on Davin?'

Ah,’ sighed Abaddon, 'so that is what this is about. Don't think to lecture me, Loken. You couldn't have taken the steps we did to save the Warmaster.'

'Maybe I'm the only one who took a stand.'

'Against what? You would have allowed the War-master to die rather than accept that there might be something in this universe you don't underВ­stand?'

'I am not here to debate what happened on Davin,’ said Loken, already feeling that he had lost control of the conversation.

Then why are you here? I have warriors to make ready, and I won't waste time with you on idle words.'

'I called you here because I need answers. About this,’ said Loken, casting the book he had taken from the fane behind the strategium onto the mosaic floor of the observation dome.

Abaddon stooped to retrieve the book. In the hands of the first captain, it looked tiny, like one of Ignace Karkasy's pamphlets.

'So you're a thief now,’ said Abaddon.

'Do not dare speak to me of such things, Ezekyle, not until you have given me answers. I know that Erebus conspired against us. He stole the anathame from the interex and brought it to Davin. I know it and you know it,’

'You know nothing, Loken,’ sneered Abaddon. 'What happens in this Crusade happens for the good of the Imperium. The Warmaster has a plan.'

'A plan?' said Loken. And this plan requires the murder of innocent people? Hektor Varvarus? Ignace Karkasy? Petronella Vivar?'

'The remembrancers?' laughed Abaddon. 'You really care about those people? They are lesser people, Loken, beneath us. The Council of Terra wants to drown us in these petty bureaucrats to stifle us and strangle our ambitions to conquer the galaxy.'

'Erebus,’ said Loken, trying to keep his anger in check, 'why was he on the Vengeful Spirit!'

Abaddon crossed the width of the observation dome in a second. 'None of your damn business,’

'This is my Legion!' shouted Loken. That makes it my damn business,’

'Not any more,’

Loken felt his choler rise and clenched his hands into murderous fists.

Abaddon saw the tension in him and said, Thinking of settling this like a warrior?'

'No, Ezekyle,’ said Loken through clenched teeth. 'Despite all that has happened, you are still my Mournival brother and I will not fight you,’

The Mournival,’ nodded Abaddon. A noble idea while it lasted, but I regret ever bringing you in. In any case, if it came down to bloodshed do you really think you could beat me?'

Loken ignored the taunt and said, 'Is Erebus still here?'

'Erebus is a guest on the Warmaster's flagship,’ said Abaddon. 'You would do well to remember

that. If you had joined us when you had the chance instead of turning your back on us, you would have all your answers, but that's the choice you made, Loken. Live with it,’

'The lodge has brought something evil into our Legion, Ezekyle, maybe the other Legions too, something from the warp. It's what killed Jubal and it's what took Temba on Davin. Erebus is lying to all of us!'

'And we're being used, is that right? Erebus is manipulating us all towards a fate worse than death?' spat Abaddon. 'You know so little. If you understood the scale of the Warmaster's designs then you would beg us to take you back,’

Then tell me, Ezekyle, and maybe I'll beg. We were brothers once and we can be again,’

'Do you really believe that, Loken? You've made it plain enough that you're against us. Torgaddon said as much,’

'For my Legion, for my Warmaster, there is always a way back,’ replied Loken, 'as long as you feel the same,’

'But you'll never surrender, eh?'

'Never! Not when the soul of my Legion is at stake,’

Abaddon shook his head. We tie ourselves in such knots because men like you are too proud to make compromises,’

'Compromise will be the death of us, Ezekyle,’

'Forget this until after Isstvan, Loken,’ ordered Abaddon. 'After Isstvan, this will end,’

'I will not forget it, Ezekyle. I will have my answers,’ snarled Loken, turning and walking away from his brother.

'If you fight us, you'll lose,’ promised Abaddon.

'Maybe,’ replied Loken, 'but others will stand against you,’

Then they will die too,’

'Thank you all for coming,’ said Sindermann, over­whelmed and a little afraid at the number of people gathered before him. 'I appreciate that you have all taken a great risk to be here, but this is too much,’

Crammed into a dark maintenance space, filthy with grease and hemmed in by low hissing pipe work, the faithful had come from all over the ship to hear the saint's words, mistakenly believing that she was awake. Amongst the crowd, Sindermann saw the uniforms of Titan crewmen, fleet mainteВ­nance workers, medical staff, security personnel, and even a few Imperial Army troopers. Men with guns guarded the entrances to the maintenance space and their presence served as a stark reminder of the danger they were in just by being here.

Such a large gathering was dangerous, too easily noticed, and Sindermann knew that he had to disВ­perse them quickly before they were discovered, and do it in such a way as not to incite a riot.

You have escaped notice thus far thanks to the size of your gatherings, but so many cannot avoid notice for long,’ continued Sindermann. You will no doubt have heard many strange and wonderful

things recently, and I hope you will forgive me for putting you in harm's way'

The news of Keeler's rescue had spread quickly в– through the ship. It had been whispered among the grime-covered ratings, it had been communicated through the remembrancer order with the rapidity of an epidemic and it had reached the ears of even the lowliest member of the expedition. Embellishments and wild rumour followed in the wake of the news and tales abounded of the saint and her miraculous powers, incredible stories of bullets turned aside and of visions of the Emperor speaking direcdy to her in order to show His people the way