Interlude

Amakyre took in what the dataslate he had been given with a critical eye. The chapter master of the Word Bearers Legion's Star of Judgement Chapter was not one to show emotion this early.

But what he read was pushing his limits. "You are sure of this?" He asked.

Captain Kagax of the World Eaters Legion's XIIth Company nodded. "I am. Our cousins in the XVIth have already returned to their craft. The Phaereon is ready to grant them undocking clearance."

Amakyre nodded slowly as his gaze returned to the report. "And they have asked for our help?"

Kagax nodded. "They know of your, craft with dealing with this sort of thing. We all do."

Amakyre made no comment to this. The XVIIth took pride in their ability to stamp out any sign of Chaos corruption in a world when needed.

He himself had stamped out several, several of which shared a connection to the past history of Colchis.

He took even more pride in crushing the remnants of the Covenant whenever he could.

Kagax's hesitation was not new to him. Few among the Legions took much pride in killing civilians unless there was no other way around it.

But the corruption of the Ruinous Powers ran deep and it did not always show then. Sometimes it would be years before it showed in the populous.

The two of them had worked together before in fact to cleanse such an outbreak on the captain's homeworld of Ioiria Prime some years before.

It seemed the corruption the Space Wolves had left in the wake of their failed invasion in M.33 had never fully been cleansed and continued to be a source of irritation millennia later.

Amakyre handed the dataslate back to his companion. "I must thank you for this brother captain. If there is a corruption, then I must ready my brothers at once."

Kagax nodded. He wished their reunion had been under better circumstances but there was nothing for it. Whatever he thought of the XVIIth's methods, he had nothing but respect for them.

"Do you need any assistance?" He asked.

Amakyre smiled, and a real one at that. "No brother. I think with what we have, we have more than enough."

Kagax nodded. Extending his hand, the two shake in the old warrior way of wrist to wrist before Amakyre turned away and made his way to his Legion's exit from the Hall of Victory.

A fitting name if there ever was one he thought as he turned his attention to the mural that dominated one wall. One that celebrated the 1st Battle of Paramar.

One of the first battles after the Dropsite Massacre of Isstvan V, Paramar had been a key target of the Arch Traitor's march on Terra.

If he could capture it, the world's extensive stockpile of weapons, ammunition and promethium reserves would give the Traitor Legions a major advantage in the war to come.

Unfortunately for them, it had not gone all according to plan.

Though thought broken at Isstvan V, the Alpha Legion had managed to pull together an effective defense of the system with very little time to spare, helped in large part by the 77th Grand Battalion of the Iron Warriors Legion.

Like some in the Legion, they had been so entrenched in their duties eradicating all manner of xenos filth in the surrounding systems that the Praetorian Perturabo would not pull them out to rejoin the Legion on Terra.

Despite this the warriors under Warsmith Kyr Vhalen's command had fought with the bravery and tenacity that the Legion was famed for.

Though the system had fallen in time, the Iron Warriors, Alpha Legion, along with a small contingent of the Legio Fureans Titan Legion had forced a major delay in the advance on Terra.

A delay that had proven decisive in the Siege that was to come.

The mural on the far wall depicted the final battle of that campaign. It was stylized of course since no known Loyalist had survived the battle and was based on what little Mechanicum evidence there was.

And when it came to the Alpha Legion, you couldn't be sure of anything. No one knew for sure if any of the figures represented were of the XXth Legion or not.

Those members of the Legion today would not say one way or another, and many had asked if given the chance.

To add to the confusion, the Alpha Legion's commander, Harrowmaster Armilius Dynat, had been among the fallen, and yet he was credited with saving the world of Alpha Tarsis from the Ultramarines some time later.

The planet even had an arch in his honor. Kagax had seen it himself.

Kagax admitted that he was no art expert, leaving that to the sons of Fulgrim, but even he could admit the artistry that had gone into the mural.

The mural was the first thing any entering the hall would see. Nine entrance ways led into it, one earmarked for each Legion and its support only. No other was allowed to use them except by invitation only.

Each led to a smaller hall tailored to each Legion's own taste. What each was like none ever talked about of course for it was deeply private for each.

Kagax himself was on his way to his own Legion's area. There was nothing much for him to do at the moment. The Warrior's Bond would not be fit action for some time.

His company also needed redressing after recent battles. Several of the scouts attached to his command were ready to undergo their final trials, and he would make that recommendation on their return to Nuceria.

Whenever that might be.

Returning as fast as was possible to his own ship, the Lunar class cruiser Light of Truth, Amakyre had already sent word to the bridge to request undocking clearance.

He would not be delayed unnecessarily if it could be helped. The void battle already underway did not concern him too much for he knew the Sons of Horus commander was a master at such things.

What had him seething was the fact that the longer they took, the more the corruption of the Ruinous Power's would be working its way into the citizens of Pyros.

The fact that it was the slaves of the Blood God and the Prince of Pleasure made it harder for both were as difficult, if not more so, to remove than those loyal to the Changer of Ways or the Fly Lord.

That would not be the case here, this he swore. Not if he had anything to say about it.