Consequences By Andy Clark

‘Apprehend these traitors.’ unclear; whatever the case, they froze as they found
themselves staring into the cavernous barrel of the
The command was so shocking, so horribly bolter built into Tyvar’s spear.
incongruous that Knight-Centura Dessima could
not immediately obey. She tried to reconcile what ‘Shield-Captain…’ began Gerion.
she had just learned, what it meant, with the order
Shield-Captain Tyvar had given. The voice of a man who finds himself suddenly
attempting to defuse a bomb, thought Dessima,
The entire bridge crew of the Lux-Imperatus shared a sliding her own hand down to the pommel of her
moment of frozen horror as they stared at the holo- executioner greatblade. In her peripheral vision, she
projection floating in the air before them. saw her sisters following her lead.

The world of Khassedur had been their destination ‘You do not address me, Gerion,’ said Tyvar, his
through long months of toil and trial, across blazing voice cold and hard as adamantine. ‘You do not look
battlefields and amidst the teeth of ferocious warp at me, nor at any of these faithful servants of the
storms. Their duty had been to reach it, to deliver Emperor. You are tainted by heresy and you will be
the two full companies of Brazen Drakes Greyshields detained, along with all of your battle-brothers, until
to their newly adopted home world, and to see an appropriate fate can be determined.’
that Chapter Master Kaslyn accepted the gift of
Cawl’s Miracle. A spasm of anger passed across Gerion’s blunt
features, but was swiftly hidden behind his usual
Now, there hung Khassedur, revolving as a grainy guarded mask.
three-dimensional image before their eyes.
‘Shield-Captain, we do not know the Chapter has
War-torn. truly turned,’ he said. ‘This may be a mistake, some
machination of the enemy. We may have brethren
Ravaged. even now fighting to restore the honour of the
Brazen Drakes on that world. We should aid them,
Beside it, inescapable, scrolled spools of low gothic not abandon them! You ask us to condemn our
strategic reports, warnings and cries for aid. They comrades, even ourselves without recourse to proof. I
told a story of heresy, of rebellion, betrayal and am not in the habit of betraying my battle-brothers.’
destruction. They engulfed Dessima’s vision, making
a mockery of all that she and her comrades had ‘And I am not in the habit of repeating myself,’
endured to get to this point, rendering hollow the Tyvar replied. ‘Disarm. Command your brothers
hope they had thought to bestow. throughout the fleet to do likewise. Understand
the lenience I show you in this, for your Chapter is
All this the Knight-Centura absorbed and processed confirmed Hereticus Diabolus Extremis.’
in a scant span of heartbeats. Still, Tyvar was ahead
of her, ahead of all the Human crew and armsmen The designation scrolled across the hololith,
who staffed the bridge, ahead of Shipmistress repeating beneath the damning seal of the Ordo
Kachorkyn and of the Null Maidens who stood at Hereticus. It could not be an error. They all knew it,
Dessima’s side. even Gerion.

Ahead, even, of Captain Gerion. The Greyshields’ This is wrong, Dessima thought, pushing down her
leader was turning, eyes widening even as Tyvar extreme frustration and bitterness. We set out with
raised his guardian spear. The three Brazen a purpose. A mission. We were to strengthen the
Drakes who flanked him moved almost as fast, Imperium’s defenders against their foes. Instead, we
but not even the post-Human Space Marines had find yet more corruption and betrayal. More supposed
the preternatural swiftness of thought and body champions unworthy of the trust the Emperor has
possessed by the Adeptus Custodes. extended them.

Whether they sought to reach for their weapons The air in the bridge thickened with tension. Captain
or raise their hands in gestures of placation was Gerion stared at Tyvar, making no move to obey his
instructions. Around Dessima, bridge crew watched Gerion had raised his pistol and squeezed its trigger,
the exchange with the fearful expressions of those but even as the gun fired, Tyvar crossed the gap
still struggling to grasp the danger they have found between them and swatted the weapon’s barrel
themselves in. They did not dare move, though aside. The bolt shells flew wide, one cratering the
she could see that many of them wished to flee, or astrogation console, the other hitting a fleeing rating
at least to duck down behind their slab-like metal in the back and blowing him apart in a visceral spray.
consoles in order to shield themselves. Dessima
did not share their fear – the Sisters of Silence were Tyvar’s follow-up thrust was so quick that Dessima
made of far sterner stuff – but she understood it. could barely track it. Somehow, Gerion managed
to weave aside, though not fast enough to avoid
‘You give us no chance to speak in our defence!’ losing half his ear to the spear’s crackling blade. The
cried one of Gerion’s brothers, no longer able to skin of his cheek was flayed by its power field, and
hold his silence. ‘These sins are not ours to account Gerion snarled.
for! We have fought loyally and done no wrong,
and now–’ ‘Brothers, we are betrayed!’ he roared into his gorget’s
vox mic, throwing himself sideways as he reached for
The gunshots rang out across the bridge, their his own drake-embossed power sword. ‘Consider all
thunder in the silence like a hammer taken to a outside our Chapter hostile! Seize the fleet!’
pane of glass. The Brazen Drake who had spoken
was thrown flat on his back by the tight burst of That was a mistake, thought Dessima, as her blade
mass-reactive bolts. At so close a range, even power whipped out and opened the throat of one of
armour could not resist their fury. Blood sprayed Gerion’s remaining brothers; the Space Marine had
Greyshields, deck crew and consoles alike. barely raised his weapons before she felled him.
The other swung a clubbing blow that broke the
The storm broke, sudden and violent. Ballistic neck of one of Dessima’s sisters and threw her body
alarms howled from cherub-faced speakers. backwards into her fellows.
Crimson tactical lumen engaged, bathing the bridge
in a charnel hue. Dessima’s blade was already singing He then raised his bolt rifle and let fly at Shield-
from its sheath, even as Captain Gerion’s face Captain Tyvar.
contorted in fury and he snatched his heavy bolt
pistol from his belt. The Shield-Captain moved with light speed that
belied his towering stature and armoured bulk.
The bridge crew and armsmen reacted more slowly, He took the shells on his pauldron, weathering
despite all their training and years of expertise. their explosive impacts, then fired back in return,
They could not hope to do otherwise, for the fight pummelling the Brazen Drake with ammunition as
erupting in their midst was one between demigods he strode swiftly forward.
and angels, not mere mortals.
One shot blew a ragged crater in the Space Marine’s
Screams of fear and shock mingled with blaring right greave and Tyvar’s spear-blade swept down in
alarms. Robed figures dove for cover or cowered, an arc intended to bifurcate the warrior’s helm. It
trapped in place by paralysing fear. Armsmen met Gerion’s own sword with a crack of power, and
blinked and half-raised their weapons, unsure of the wounded battle-brother seized his chance to
how to react to a situation that would never have duck back and put a runic console between himself
entered into even their darkest dreams. and danger.

‘I will not have weapons fire upon my bridge!’ ‘You have torn this fleet in two, traitor!’ spat Gerion
barked Shipmistress Kachorkyn, and Dessima at Tyvar, as the two warriors pressed against one
admired the courage of the sentiment even as she another’s blades. ‘You have turned on the Emperor’s
recognised its futility. loyal servants. You have slain my brothers and
forced my hand!’
Might as well command the stars to stop burning,
or the warp to cease its turmoil, she thought as she ‘The heretical gene-seed within your bodies is its
stepped into battle. own condemnation,’ Tyvar replied. ‘I am Custodes.
I speak with the Emperor’s voice. Were you loyal, tore them apart. Dessima shot Battlemark signs to
you would set down your weapons and accept your her three surviving Prosecutors, who crouched in
guilt. But you side with your brothers before your cover nearby.
Emperor, as the Adeptus Astartes always have.’
Outflank. Keep to cover. Close on the Space Marines
Gerion twisted his blade, attempting to force Tyvar’s and surprise them.
spear aside. The Shield-Captain was too canny,
however, and far too skilled; he allowed his weapon’s Her sisters nodded their understanding and began
point to swing outward, feeding the momentum to move, dashing and rolling between the bridge’s
into a vicious upward swing with the weapon’s haft. consoles, ignoring the terrified or maimed crew
It connected with Gerion’s midriff hard enough to they passed.
crack the ceramite there and drive the air from the
Captain’s lungs. Gunfire thundered continually, and Dessima
realised, to her amazement, that Shield-Captain
Gerion reeled back, and Dessima seized her chance Tyvar still hadn’t sought cover nor been slain by the
to advance on his flank and allow her stifling null- massed fire of the foe. Instead, he was advancing,
aura to enfold him. He was no psyker, but still, storm bolter booming, blood running from a wound
proximity to a Silent Sister could sap any enemy’s in his side and a savage gash in his cheek. His
will and strength, and cloud their thinking when expression was terrifying in its focused calm. Only
they most required clarity. his eyes showed the fury that the Shield-Captain felt.

Dessima swung her blade at Gerion, and he just She would not leave him to battle the traitors alone.
managed to parry the blow. She immediately Dessima rose and ran forward, seeking to draw the
whipped around and aimed a cut at his legs, which enemy’s fire. Bolt shells streaked toward her but,
he barely evaded. He was less fortunate with her swift and agile, she evaded each one. She was bare
next strike, which plunged straight through his paces behind Gerion and his wounded brother,
chest-plate, placed perfectly to pierce Gerion’s preparing to strike them down, when a fresh
primary heart. explosion of violence erupted around the doorway.

The traitor Captain stiffened in shock and pain as Dessima had a fleeting impression of huge, golden-
Dessima’s blade slid home. Bright blood welled from armoured figures and crackling energised blades,
the wound as she ripped her executioner greatblade then the Space Marines were turning, crying out,
clear and prepared to deliver the killing blow. falling as their heads and limbs were hacked off,
their bodies laid open by punishing blows. At the
Before she could, a hail of bolt shells filled the air same moment, Dessima’s Prosecutors struck. They
around her. Instinct and training took over, and added their own flashing blades to the storm of
Dessima dropped into the lee of a cogitator bank. violence engulfing the Brazen Drakes.
Explosions shook the ancient machine, causing its
affronted spirit to spit sparks of indignation down ‘Emperor, no!’ yelled Gerion, raising his heavy bolt
upon her. pistol. Before the Captain could fire, Dessima was
upon him. She span and sliced, taking the head of
Tyvar was forced back by the fusillade, shells Gerion’s limping comrade. She then lunged low, a
ricocheting from his auramite armour as he raised disembowelling strike at the traitor Captain that
his guardian spear and fired back. Ruptured bodies he batted wildly aside. Gerion lashed out in return,
hit the floor around Dessima, bridge crew and the point of his blade cutting so close to Dessima’s
armsmen butchered by the furious crossfire. face that she felt the hot wind of its passing. She
dropped back en garde, but need not have bothered.
She rolled sideways and came up in a crouch behind Suddenly, Shield-Captain Tyvar was there, his
an adjoining nav-shrine. From here, Dessima could guardian spear plunging into one side of Gerion’s
see half a dozen Brazen Drakes who had spilled torso and tearing out through the other.
through the bridge’s bulkhead door to support
their Captain. Blood exploded from the catastrophic wounds,
and the traitor Captain barely had time to gurgle in
Wounded and ashen-faced, Gerion and his surviving shock before his eyes glazed over in death.
battle-brother were falling back towards the living
bulwark of their comrades. A few armsmen bravely Contemptuous, Tyvar placed one foot against the
fired their shotguns at the Space Marines. Their Captain’s corpse and shoved it off his blade. He
reward was swift and violent death as bolt shells saluted his fellow Custodians and the Null Maidens
who stood over Gerion’s butchered brethren, then crew. Robed ratings and officers were emerging from
turned to Dessima. hiding, blinking in shock or praying fervently to
the Emperor. ‘We started nothing,’ he repeated, ‘but
Breathing hard, the Knight-Centura flicked blood we will finish it. We will not rest until every Brazen
from her blade and slid it back into its sheath. Drakes Space Marine, old or new, lies dead.’
Over the vox net, she could hear reports flowing in
of violent clashes between Greyshields and other Dessima considered the Shield-Captain for a
Imperial forces throughout the fleet. moment, then nodded.

What did we start here? She signed to Tyvar. A new mission then, she signed. A new purpose. One
they cannot corrupt.
‘We started nothing, Knight-Centura,’ he replied,
with a baleful glance at the hololith still spinning ‘Just so, sister,’ Tyvar replied. ‘It is time that they
above the butchered bodies of several dozen bridge faced the consequences of their actions.’