40 Thousand Reasons

Chapter 50: Backup

We circled back and began finishing off the crippled destroyers, then incinerated what was left of the corrupted battleship.

Adamantium wouldn't quite burn and evaporate, but I was cautious not to try to salvage something that would surely be imprinted with demons or psychic emanations.

Perhaps if I had a company of Grey Knights, but those walking purification engines were very rare, secretive and likely busy doing more important work.

We still had more repairs to do, and nothing to surprise the Chaos siege fleet with. But they wouldn't know that, so my own fleet would prevent them from committing to a desperate assault.

"Commodore Jorvis, you know the drill. Largest hull fragments into the sun." I ordered at my destroyer squadron leader, and went back to my room.

Then I looked around at the melted walls and furniture, and walked out.

"I'm homeless now." I muttered towards Ludvaius.

"You have 18 ships right here, and those planets in the Fringe. I'm certain we will find a place for you to sleep." the veteran Astartes said without changing tone, simply flat.

"It was a joke, big brother." I replied in a tired voice, leaning on a blackened wall. I then voxed my other guard for help.

In a minute, Captain Thrasius arrived and led me to his own room, which had been the Scythes' dormitory when there were more of them. "You sleep as well, Brother Ludvaius. I will keep watch." my guardian declared and sat beside the door, then started cleaning and oiling his bolter.

I never slept better, being very tired but knowing I was safe.

Even took my armor off, which was not recommended during a Yellow alert.

Unlike Astartes, who could keep going for a month without sleep, or sleep with an eye open, I was still human and got tired.

Much later, I woke up to find a Biologis Magos poking me with a hundred sharp instruments.

"Common sense priest! Wake me up for a check-up." I growled and held my hand for a cup of caf. But Ludvaius was missing.

Tharsius didn't serve coffee, or even seemed to care I was being probed in funny places.

"Incorrect, Captain. It is better to investigate a patient that is sedated or asleep. Less chance I sever an important nerve or leave you sterile because you thrash around." the Magos declared serenely.

"Fine! Sedated yes, asleep no." I muttered still groggy. The priest had some logic, but I felt violated. And I probably was.

"Is this Astartes cleared for my report, Captain?" the tech-priest continued without care, and took out a holoslate with a hundred indexes marked in yellow and green.

"I'm slowly turning into a neophyte, Thrasius. Probably the work of the Angel on Estaban. It already reaches my shoulder." I explained and held my left hand out.

The Astartes blinked and stepped closer to grab the holoslate. "It should hurt tremendously. And it never starts from the wrist." he mused to himself, while scanning the data on the device.

"I have participated in the transformation of a few Space Wolves. The numbers do not lie, Astartes. It is just going very slowly. A thousand times slower." the Biologis Magos replied a bit offended.

"Also I am a Blank, so whatever is happening has to overcome my innate resistance." I added helpful. 'To Warp bullshit' I continued in my mind.

Thrasius sighed and sat down again, after handing me the slate.

"It shouldn't work anyway. But miracles keep happening, as the Emperor wills. By the way, there's another fleet parked beside us. Blood Angels, led by an Inquisitor." he explained softly.

"And they called Ludvaius to report? Of course they did." I answered then turned towards my priest medic. "I will need your expertise, Magos. And something to subdue an Inquisitor, if he's corrupted."

A few rites of purification and logic cantrips emerged from my doctor.

"...I cannot help, Captain. Only another Inquisitor can..." the tech-priest began while I walked to my power armor and removed a tiny box in the backpack.

"Will this help?" I asked jovially, holding a Rosetta made from a palm-sized coghead, but still inscribed with the capital I. It also contained the necessary Clavis type engrams and DNA authentications.

My Rose wasn't stupid, after all. That cyclonic torpedo could only be activated by an Inquisitorial Rosetta. In this case, my own.

"In that case...this obedient one will provide chemical and hallucinogenic means, to subdue any human without Astartes organs. Power armor and refractor shields may render them ineffective." he answered in a completely subservient voice.

I waved my finger in denial. "And, the means to penetrate armor and shields, Magos. The Inquisition is quite dangerous, but I never underestimate the Mechanicus. Some sort of Power Syringe or such."

Then I turned towards Thrasius. "And you Astartes, report to the armory and request 3 phase-iron bolter rounds, and a separate bolt pistol." I demanded, playing with my unlimited power coin.

"Understood." he growled and left at a brisk pace.

After that, I hid the Rosetta again and went back to sleep. Nobody expects the Inquisition.

A strong hand woke me up, and I groggily opened an eye. Ludvaius...and not very happy.

"Lord Pef...we should leave...as fast as possible. The Inquisitor is coming here to investigate you. And...he claims that my Battle-Brother Arkio is Sanguinius himself, reborn. The idiots on the barge believe it too." he explained after checking the room for spies or something.

"Ludvaius, my brother from another father. You seem worried, for some reason. Is Librarian Mephiston on board that barge?" I asked with another motive.

"We don't have that name in our ranks, Captain Pef. Perhaps he is not yet born?" he asked with curious eyes. Good reasoning, as I asked for a rank as well, and Librarians didn't grow on trees.

"Obviously, if you never heard of him. That guy will indeed contain a part of Sanguinius. Not the left hand, but probably very similar in some aspects." I proclaimed confidently.

If Mephiston hasn't appeared yet...there was still time. I should go get the other hand, as soon as my ship could travel through Warp.

Which meant, I needed this Forge World.

I started dressing and placing the armor, and Ludvaius helped eagerly.

In a minute, I started assembling a welcome party in the shuttle hangar, some 30 Sentinels and 300 Catachans with heavy weapons and sniper rifles.

A squad of Ogryns in full gear took the honor guard place, with their ears blocked. No need to tempt the impressionable giants to the dark gods.

And then the Blood Angels arrived, a full Company escorting some Inquisitor named Ramius_Stele.

Unlike the other Blood Angels, wearing proper red armor, this Arkio was wearing a golden one, like a Primarch.

Compared to my own modest dark green and blue armor, he looked like an Emperor. Plus, the guy had a holy spear and bloody wings!

The Inquisitor had power armor too, because why not. Artificer-class, and painted gold and black. All it was missing were Chaos spikes.

"Blood Angels. Move aside and let me speak with my guest." I demanded in my loudest voice.

"Rogue Trader Lancefire. There have been rumours about you. Rumours that need to be investigated." the Inquisitor interjected, possibly worried about lacking protection.

He also tried something psykery, waving his staff at me, but it had no effect. Challenge accepted!

"A servant of Chaos wants to investigate me? Pef Lancefire, who just killed the traitor Lorgar, Primarch of the Word Bearers? Laughable! And you Astartes, I gave you an order!" I shouted holding out my Rosetta.

The Astartes stood undecided, while I advanced on the traitor Inquisitor with my guards flanking me.

"What? His words were lies?" Arkio yelled and crashed to his knees.

Stele tried to grab the Spear of Telesto, but a shot from Thrasius deflected his impure hand. The phase-iron burst on impact and produced a psyker inhibiting dust cloud, making the traitor fall to his knees from the shock of being depowered.

So I just nodded, and watched Ludvaius inject the fallen Inquisitor with the Mechanicus contraption.

Then I marched forward and confiscated the spear with my left hand, while still holding my Rosetta as a shield. "Magos, take this idiot Astartes, and see how to repair whatever the corrupt scum has done to him. Some implant in his spine I expect."

Meanwhile, Ludvaius has begun dis-armoring the Inquisitor, and disarming him of too many weapons.

Now this was a nice looting opportunity, once I checked all the relics for corruption. The spear seemed light and easy to use with my left hand, but I didn't dare trying with my right, not in public.

"In the name of the Emperor, I declare you, Ramius Stele a heretic and a traitor. Excommunicate_Traitoris !" I proclaimed in a grave voice, and stabbed the tattooed man with my new spear.

He was unpowered and sedated anyway, but those Chaos spikes on his chest told the real truth. And thus, the traitor died on the very spear he had discovered.

There was no explosion or demon jumping out.

Just a fool, played with by Chaos and left to die ignominiously.

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