Void Stalker

by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Deltrian’s internal processors required a fraction of a heartbeat to recall Carahd’s facial appearance, Legion record, and every modification made to his battle armour in the last three centuries.

  ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘your situational update is fascinating. Where is Talos of First Claw?’

  ‘First Claw is engaged on the primary concourse. What’s wrong?’

  ‘I have discovered and analysed the flaw in void shield function. I require the lord’s order, and an escort, to–’

  Carahd’s vox-link deteriorated, breaking apart with the sound of furious screaming.

  ‘Carahd? Carahd of Sixth Claw?’

  Another voice took over. ‘This is Faroven of Sixth Claw, we’re falling back from the landing bays. Anyone still breathing in the sternward concourses, link up with us in New Blackmarket.’

  ‘This is Deltrian, I require a Legion escort to–’

  ‘For the love of all that is sacred, shut up, tech-priest. Sixth Claw falling back. Carahd and Iatus are down.’

  Another voice crackled in reply. ‘Faroven, this is Xan Kurus. Confirm Carahd is down.’

  ‘I had visual confirmation. One of these aquila-bearers took his head off.’

  Deltrian listened to the legionaries as they defended the ship. Perhaps their disrespect was excusable, given the circumstances.

  Walking around the organic refuse that had once been loyal soldiers of the Golden Throne, and the mortuary of modified bodies that had been his own weaponised minions, Deltrian decided to take matters into his own hands yet again.

  Lucoryphus of the Bleeding Eyes wasn’t limited to the decking in the same way as his lesser kindred. He couldn’t run though, not as he once might have done. His retreat was a surprisingly agile and unarguably feral race on all fours, his hands and foot-claws clanking on the deck grilles in bestial rhythm. He ran as an ape would, or a wolf, or – as he was – a warrior who’d not been fully human in many years, thanks first to Imperial genetic redesign, and later to the shifting tides of the warp.

  Lucoryphus, perhaps more than most of his brothers, wanted to live. He refused to die for their cause, and refused to stand his ground in a hopeless battle, let alone one he was ill-suited to fight in the first place. Let the madness of futile last stands be something his brothers embraced. He lived his life, twisted as it was, by a code of abject rationality. Thus, as he fled, he felt nothing in the way of shame.

  Responding to his feverish need for self-preservation (one couldn’t call it fear, especially when it lay closer to anger), the thrusters on his back trailed thin, bleak coils of smoke. They were eager to breathe flame and howl loud, carrying him up into the sky. He was eager to give in to it. All he needed was somewhere to soar. Trapped on board the dying Echo, it wasn’t a likely prospect.

  Over the vox, First Claw were still berating the Bleeding Eyes for retreating.

  ‘Let them whine,’ Vorasha chuckled, his laughter a hissing ‘Ss-ss-ss’. Both of them were clinging to the ceiling as they fled. The other Bleeding Eyes, whittled down these last months to the most stubborn and brutal survivors, clawed their way across the walls and floor.

  The ship shuddered again. Lucoryphus had to cling to the metal for a moment with his hands and foot-claws, to prevent being shaken free.

  ‘No,’ he hissed back. ‘Wait.’

  The Bleeding Eyes halted with inhuman union, each of them holding motionless, clinging to the walls around their leader: a pack meeting in three dimensions. Vorasha tilted his sloping helm, watching as a bird might. Each of them regarded their champion with the same tear-trails painted upon their daemonic iron faceplates.

  ‘What? What is it?’

  ‘You go.’ Lucoryphus punctuated his order with an irritated shriek. ‘Fall back to the second concourse. Reinforce Fourth Claw.’

  Their muscles tensed as the instinct to obey ran through them. ‘And you?’ Vorasha hissed back. Lucoryphus gave a wordless cry, the call of a carrion crow, as he turned and moved back the way they’d come.

  The Bleeding Eyes regarded each other as their leader tore back down the corridor, running along its ceiling. Instinct pulled at them: the pack hunted together, or not at all.

  ‘Go,’ Lucoryphus voxed back to them

  Without sharing a word, they reluctantly obeyed.

  From his birth on an orderly, respected feudal world at the edges of Ultima Segmentum, the warrior had risen among the ranks of his Chapter through a liberal measure of discipline, focus, skill and peerless tactical acumen. None of his brothers had bested him in an honour duel for close to four decades. He’d been offered a company captaincy on three occasions – to assume the mantle of mastery over a hundred of the Emperor’s chosen warriors – and had refused with humility and grace each time.

  One shoulder guard was given over to the white stone majesty of the Crux Terminatus, the other bore the symbol of his Chapter carved in blue-veined marble and black iron.

  To his brothers, he was simply Tolemion. In the archives of his Chapter, he was Tolemion Saralen, Champion of the Third Battle Company. To the enemies of Terra’s Throne, he was vengeance incarnate clad in carnelian ceramite.

  His armour was an ablative suit of composite metals, layered and reinforced through hundreds of hours of consummate craftsmanship. His helm, with its ornate faceguard and bronzed grille, was an imposing and crested relic from a bygone era, forged in the age of humanity’s interstellar apex. One red gauntlet clutched a trembling thunder hammer, its power field charged to a teeth-aching whine. The other held a huge tower shield out ahead, the barrier’s shape that of an aquila in profile, one golden wing spread to protect the bearer.

  The order he growled to his kindred was a mere two words.

  ‘Boarding blades.’

  The warrior’s remaining three brothers advanced alongside him, slinging their bolters and drawing pistols and short swords.

  First Claw watched this implacable advance, pouring fire down the corridor, watching everything they had shatter harmlessly against the champion’s tower shield.

  Mercutian dumped his heavy bolter with a disgusted crash.

  ‘I’m dry.’ In mirror image of the closing Space Marines, he drew a bolt pistol and the gladius sheathed at his shin. ‘I never thought I’d want to see Xarl,’ he added.

  Talos and Cyrion drew their blades a moment later. The prophet helped Uzas to his feet, expecting no word of thanks, and stunned when he actually received a grunt of acknowledgement.

  In the moment before the squads came together, the Imperial shield-bearer growled through his amplifying vox-grille.

  ‘I am the End of Heretics. I am the Bane of Traitors. I am Tolemion of the Genesis, Warden of the West Protectorate, Slayer of–’

  First Claw didn’t wait to be charged. They were already running forward.

  ‘Death to the lackeys of the False Emperor!’ Uzas cried. ‘Blood for the Eighth Legion!’

  VII

  DEADLOCK

  First Claw had one chance to survive the next few minutes, and they reached for it with everything they had left. The four of them hurled their weight forwards as one, shoulder-charging in a mass of midnight armour. Talos and Mercutian bore the responsibility of the vanguard, and both of them thudded their sloping, spiked shoulder guards against the half-aquila shield with a shared cry of wordless anger.

  Tolemion braced against them, his boots chewing sparks from the decking as he was sent slowly skidding backwards. He had the shadow of a second to swing his hammer, pounding the maul into Mercutian’s back-mounted power generator, discharging its gathered storm of force in a burst of energy and light.

  Mercutian’s backpack exploded, blasting debris in every direction. The hammer’s concussive force threw him to the decking in a clatter of deactivated armour, to be trampled beneath the grinding feet of both squads. Talos saw Mercutian’s life signs wipe blank from his retinal
display, powered down before even registering a flatline.

  Even as Mercutian was falling, Uzas took his place against the shield, sending the champion staggering backwards. Cyrion pounded into his brothers’ backs, adding his strength and weight to the jury-rigged phalanx.

  It turned the tide. First Claw and their majestic victim went down in a fighting tumble, cursing and spitting.

  Cyrion was the first to rise, the first to face the Genesis Chapter’s blades. His gladius punched into the abdomen of the closest Imperial Space Marine, eliciting an irritated, pained gurgle. The Space Marines hacked at his armour, their scoring blades leaving silver smears where they cleaved paint from the ceramite, and ceramite from the subdermal layers.

  Uzas didn’t even bother to rise. He cleaved with his chainaxe, severing one of the enemy at the knees. For his efforts, he was rewarded with another of the enemy warriors ramming a short sword into his back.

  Talos, pinned atop Tolemion’s shield, couldn’t reach the champion through the aquila barricade. He caught an incoming sword from above with his augmetic hand, and yanked to pull the bearer off-balance. The Genesis warrior fell forward, his proud breastplate of beaten bronze meeting the rising gold of Talos’s Blood Angel blade. A crunch. A squeal of metal on metal. The hiss of bubbling blood on charged iron.

  The prophet rolled aside, kicking the dying Imperial’s legs out from under him.

  Two down. His senses thrumming in response to heightened synapses and reflexes, Talos scrambled up and launched at the last Genesis Space Marine in the same moment as Cyrion. Both Night Lords bore the warrior to the decking, slaking their blades’ thirsts with each puncturing stab.

  We are not soldiers. We are murderers first, last, and always.

  Who wrote those words? Or spoke them? Was it Malcharion? Sevatar? Both were prone to those dramatic turns of phrase.

  He was dizzy now. His vision watered as he dragged his sword from its scraping sheath in the Space Marine’s collarbone. He’d never had to fight so soon after a prophetic dream. Tolemion rose on snarling armour joints, smashing Uzas aside with the edge of his shield. The Legionary staggered back into his brothers, his helm mangled beyond recognition.

  Mercutian lay unmoving at the champion’s feet. The three Genesis warriors were down and just as dead. Talos, Uzas and Cyrion faced Tolemion, all of their bravado – in short supply even at the fight’s beginning – now gone. Uzas and Talos were barely able to stand. In First Claw’s infamous, not-quite-illustrious history, few battles had ever looked so one-sided.

  ‘Come then,’ the Space Marine intoned. They each heard the cold amusement in his voice, distorted as it was by the waspish buzz of vox-growl.

  Despite the challenge, Tolemion didn’t wait for them to charge, nor was he willing to risk them trying to flee. His crested helm dipped as he advanced, the hammer emitting its migraine whine as it made ready to fall.

  Aurum, the Blade of Angels, caught the first blow. Gold scraped against gunmetal grey, with the prophet locked against the champion. Tolemion broke the deadlock with only the scarcest effort, levelling a second blow against the sword’s crosspiece. The thundercrack was deflected enough to miss a direct strike, but pounded into the Night Lord’s joined wrists. Talos lost hold of the blade, and Tolemion kicked the prophet against the arched wall, finishing him with a backhanded blow to the chest. The broken aquila on Talos’s chestpiece burned black with scorch damage, while chasm-cracks ripped out in an unintentional star.

  ‘Down you go, heretic.’

  As Talos collapsed, joining Mercutian on the decking, Cyrion and Uzas descended as one. The former hurled himself onto the weighty shield, his gauntlets clawing at the edges. If he could tear it from Tolemion’s grip, or even lower it enough, Uzas could deliver the death blow.

  He realised his mistake as soon as he latched onto the ornate shield. Uzas, at his best, was sloppy beyond belief when it came to pack tactics. Desperation didn’t focus him the way it did his brothers. And Tolemion was no fool; he recognised the threat as soon as it came near, and bashed Cyrion back against the wall the moment the Night Lord had a grip.

  The pressure was somewhere close to falling beneath a Land Raider’s treads. Cyrion voxed nothing beyond strangled breaths as he felt himself slowly crushed into the wall. Reaching around the shield’s edge with his pistol allowed him to crack a shot into the champion’s knee, which did nothing but scar the ceramite.

  Tolemion used his backswing to finish the damage he’d already begun to inflict on Uzas. As the axe-wielder came in for a second strike, he met the thunder hammer face-on. It broke through his weak guard, pounding a half-second later into his breastplate. Lightning played across Uzas’s armour in sick delight, even as the warrior toppled backward, dead-limbed, onto the decking next to his brothers.

  With the others finished, Tolemion released Cyrion. The Legionary staggered forward, weapons falling from numbed hands. A third and final shield bash rocked him back to his heels, sending him down to the deck in a weak heap.

  ‘Your impurity sickens me.’ The angry hum of Tolemion’s armour was a rumbling percussion to the snarl of his words. He moved to stand over Cyrion, pressing a boot onto the Night Lord’s chestplate. ‘Was it worth it, to fall from the Emperor’s grace? Do all of your viperous achievements validate your cancerous existence, now that your life comes to an end?’

  Cyrion’s laughter was broken by coughing, but it was laughter all the same. ‘The Thirteenth Legion… always gave… the best battle sermons.’

  Tolemion raised the hammer, his expression hidden by the dense metal facemask.

  ‘Behind you,’ Cyrion was still laughing.

  Tolemion was no fool. Even an initiate wouldn’t be deceived by such crude trickery. That fact, coupled with the noise of chatter from the boarding squads in constant communication over the vox, was why he was taken completely by surprise when Xarl came at him from behind.

  Cyrion was the only one of First Claw to witness the duel that followed. What he saw stayed with him until the night he died.

  They didn’t engage at once. Xarl and Tolemion stared at each other for several moments, each taking in the trophies and honour markings displayed across their rival’s suit of armour. Tolemion was a vision in Imperial accoutrement, with wax purity seals, honour scrolls and aquilas decorating his ornate war plate. Xarl stood in filthy reflection, his armour adorned with skulls and Imperial Space Marine helms hanging from rusted chains, with swatches of flayed skin in place of parchment scrolls.

  ‘I am Tolemion of the Genesis, Warden of the West Protectorate. I am the End of Heretics, the Bane of Traitors, and a loyal son of Lord Guilliman.’

  ‘Oh,’ Xarl chuckled through his voxsponder. ‘You must be very proud.’ He tossed something round and heavy onto the decking between them both. It rolled to knock gently against Tolemion’s boot. A helm. A Genesis Space Marine’s helm – the eye lenses put out, the faceplate smeared with blood.

  ‘You’ll scream just as he did,’ Xarl said with a smile.

  The Champion showed no reaction. He didn’t even move. ‘I knew that warrior,’ he said with solemn care. ‘He was Caleus, born of Newfound, and I know he died as he lived: with courage, honour, and knowing no fear.’

  Xarl swept his chainsword across the scene, gesturing at the prone forms of First Claw. ‘I know all of these warriors. They are First Claw, and I know they’ll die as they lived: trying to run away.’

  It was the laughter that did it. His mockery of the Genesis Champion’s demeanour wasn’t quite enough to incite the Imperial wretch to rage, but Xarl’s laughter served as the coffin’s final nail.

  Tolemion advanced, shield high and hammer at the ready. ‘Make peace with your black-hearted gods, heretic. Tonight, you will know the–’

  Xarl gave a distinctly annoyed snort. ‘I’d forgotten how much you heroes liked the sound of your own voices.’ As Tolemion
drew nearer, the Night Lord gripped his two-handed chainblade in a single gauntlet. In his other hand, Xarl caught the handle of Uzas’s damaged chainaxe, as he kicked it up from the deck.

  Both blades began to roar as their teeth chewed the air. He’d fought through seven Imperial Space Marines to get back here, and their blood flicked in a light spray from the whirring teeth of his chainsword. Beneath his armour, sweat bathed his skin in a greasy sheen, while amusement danced with the strain of pain and anger in his eyes. The sting of already suffered wounds knifed at him through the rents in his war plate.

  ‘Let’s get this done,’ he said, still smiling. ‘I look forward to letting our slaves use your helm as a shitbucket.’

  Deltrian didn’t need to breathe – that is, to respire in the conventional sense – but his remaining internal organics required an oxygenated system to function, and could only be slowed by necessity for so long. The augmetic equivalent of holding one’s breath was to manipulate his inner chronometry, forcing it to operate at a fraction of optimal speed. It left him slower, near sluggish, but it meant he could operate in the void for up to three hours, by his closest prediction.

  His robes drifted around him as he walked. Beneath his clawed feet, the ridged hull of the Echo of Damnation stretched out for kilometres both ahead and behind. To look in any other direction was to stare out into the far reaches of space, and the stars winking an infinity’s distance away. The enemy vessel circled the Echo of Damnation with rapacious patience, casting shadows across the larger cruiser’s hull as it eclipsed the distant sun. The ship was a battlemented void-cutter, a strike cruiser with the inscription Diadem Mantle along its prow. Almost against his will, he considered it a singularly beautiful name for a warship.

  Deltrian took another step, making his cautious way across the outer hull, leading a phalanx of those in his service. Most wore environment suits and full rebreathers. Several were robed, as resistant to the void as Deltrian himself. The pack traversed brutalised sections of the ship’s armoured skin, moving through craterous holes and across wrenched-steel terrain. A warship would endure an eternity of external damage with no concern, but a handful of unfortunate shots against certain sections, and havoc was the result.