03:29And less than two leagues from our location, Gemnon. We have a chance, sister. An opportunity to end him. We cannot let it pass.
03:41With respect, Senioris. There is nothing about this data that can be authenticated. It could be enemy propaganda. It could...
03:51There could be many things, Gemnon. No data can be trusted at this hour. But if it is him...
04:01I understand, Princep Senioris. Cogitate your line. Assault proposal. My engines will walk with you.
04:13I am gratified. Falling on my left flank. Half-stride. The Omnisire will bless us for this, Gemnon. Kiso out.
04:33Steersman, execute maneuver. Half-stride. By your will, Princeps. Half-stride.
04:43Half-stride.
04:57Moderati. Relay the supportive action order to our other engines.
05:02Your will, my Princeps.
05:06I taste doubt in you, Ninex.
05:08How I feel about it is irrelevant, my Princeps. My loyalty is total. To you and to the Omnisire. The same goes for every member of this crew. If this is your will, we will obey without hesitation. If you think we must pursue this target, then we will.
05:26I would not care.
05:29I would not care to explain to the Emperor that we had this chance and failed to take it, Moderati.
05:35We trust in your instincts, my Princeps.
05:39The battle group report ready to receive your brief, my Princeps.
05:51Very good. Display, please.
05:53Princeps.
05:54Princeps, salutations.
05:55Explain your decision, Gemnon.
05:56The evidence supplied by the Tempestus engine is worthless.
05:58A bold remark, Augustine?
05:59From one who was so recent to the enemy.
06:00The battle group report ready to receive your brief, my Princeps.
06:01The battle group report ready to receive your brief, my Princeps.
06:02Very good. Display, please.
06:03Princeps, salutations.
06:04Explain your decision, Gemnon.
06:05The evidence supplied by the Tempestus engine is worthless.
06:06A bold remark, Augustine?
06:07From one who was so recently a moderati.
06:08A callous remark, Princeps lead.
06:09From one who knows how bitterly I earned this honor.
06:10A fair riposte. Forgive me, Princeps. Emotions run high.
06:11What?
06:12What?
06:13What?
06:14What?
06:15What?
06:16What?
06:17What?
06:18What?
06:19What?
06:20What?
06:21What?
06:22What?
06:23What?
06:24What?
06:25What?
06:26What?
06:27What?
06:28What?
06:29What?
06:30What?
06:31What?
06:32What?
06:33What?
06:34What?
06:35What?
06:36What?
06:37What?
06:38What?
06:39What?
06:40What?
06:41What?
06:42What?
06:43What?
06:44What?
06:45What?
06:46What?
06:47What?
06:48What?
06:49What?
06:50What?
06:51What?
06:52What?
06:53What?
06:54What?
06:55What?
06:56What?
06:57What?
06:58What?
06:59What?
07:00What?
07:01What?
07:02What?
07:03What?
07:04Scopes, Gamnon. Nine targets, Principle. Enemy engines. And you abandon that to follow this... this folly.
07:15He has to be somewhere.
07:16Horus Lupakal would never present himself so openly.
07:22The Warmaster would never turn against the Imperium. Isn't that what we believed?
07:28You place your trust in Kiso of the Stormlords, then?
07:32As much as I place it anywhere in these days of blood and bitterness.
07:39I do not believe this data, but we have to act upon it. We are committed, my commanders. Are you with me?
07:48You have my support, of course. Demotine out.
07:53I walk with you, Prince Epsleed. Whatever my reservations. Augustine out.
07:58Damn you, Orla. If you are walking us into the grave...
08:04We're in the grave already. And whatever we walk into, Yuri, I will be leading the way.
08:12For Grafonicus, then. War is just. Zara out.
08:17Hard stop. Hard stop.
08:43Hard stop.
08:44Hard stop.
08:45Hard stop.
08:46Hard stop.
08:47Hard stop.
08:48Report.
08:49Clavius Dredd has affected a hard stop, my Prince Epsleed.
08:52Kiso, this is Gemnon. Report.
08:55There's an engine canal out there.
08:58My guess is a Shadow Sword. Four leagues out. Perhaps five.
09:14None of us have the shield strength to toy with this prey. My kindred? We should move.
09:20Negative. It can't have a visual lock on us. It will be listening for Step Echo.
09:25I need a moment to manifest an Orspex lock.
09:32Orspex?
09:33Down to ten. Then failing again, my Prince Epsleed.
09:37I have a solution. Fire in!
09:39Fire in!
09:50Target kill?
09:52All specs down. No confirmation.
09:55Signoris.
09:56Confirmed Treadkill. I had a clear lock on him.
10:01Castrum Renga is hit.
10:02Registring significant damage. It's hunting the weakest of the Manipole.
10:11She said she'd killed it. Get me a lock, Moderati.
10:16Orspex is inactive.
10:18Dimartine? Dimartine, respond.
10:21Hull penetration. Fire in motivation keeper. Suppression system active. Trying to stabilize.
10:30I had a clean Orspex lock on its hull metallics.
10:43Signoris!
10:46It's heat tracking Dimartine's burn plume.
10:499X, boost acoustics.
10:51My Prince Epsleed.
10:52My Prince Epsleed.
10:54It's deceiving all specs.
10:56But that's a volcano cannon.
10:58Boost acoustic and pinpoint origin of the power build.
11:01At once, my Prince Epsleed.
11:04Acoustic track. Origin located.
11:08Kill it!
11:21It's done.
11:32Are we certain this time?
11:35Acoustics confirm. Dread kill.
11:39Dimartine, Astrup Venger, respond.
11:43Fire suppressed. We have hull and internal damage. Multiple casualties.
11:48Motivation is in tatters.
11:52Can you hold?
11:53Our power is restricted. Shields gone.
11:57We can walk and fight.
12:01Stabilize your engine, Prince Epsleed.
12:04Engines advance. Half stride.
12:08Signoris Kiso.
12:10We will have a conversation.
12:12On open vox, Genov?
12:14No.
12:16Come alongside.
12:18We will hardlink our manifolds.
12:21Ah, a private conversation.
12:37Mechadendrite hardlink established. Link achieved.
12:41Thank you, Moderati.
12:44Signoris Kiso.
12:45Ola?
12:46You are angry.
12:47I had just persuaded my engines to follow, despite their misgivings.
12:50What happened?
12:51I told you the Auspex can't be trusted.
12:52I had a solid lock.
12:53But you improvised well.
12:54I told you the Auspex can't be trusted.
12:55I had a solid lock.
12:56But you improvised well.
12:57Acoustic tracking was a shrewd gambit.
13:06Signoris, what is your level of Auspex damage?
13:09It was not a problem with my Auspex.
13:10It was a problem with the world my Auspex was trying to read.
13:19The traitors are here, Ola. Chaos is here. The warp is saturating terror. Nothing is true anymore.
13:29Nothing?
13:30Nothing?
13:31Time is out of joint. Can you not feel it? Time and place. The warp has done this moments before we met today. Mapping placed me near the Lionsgate.
13:41Likewise. An error.
13:42Reality is twisting and dislocating.
13:43If you're right, and nothing can be trusted, how can I trust the evidence you present?
13:44How can I trust the evidence you present?
13:45Nothing is true anymore.
13:46Nothing?
13:47Time is out of joint. Can you not feel it? Time and place. The warp has done this moments before we met today. Mapping placed me near the Lionsgate.
13:58Likewise. An error.
14:00Reality is twisting and dislocating. If you're right, and nothing can be trusted, how can I trust the evidence you present?
14:10You can't, Ola. Neither can I. The footage. It could be lies, conjured by the warp. Propaganda to break us. Or an invitation to trap us.
14:25The War Master has been conspicuously absent from the field of war since the siege began. He has left the killing to his puppets.
14:38But he is Horus Lupakal, Ola. He is writing his own myth, and needs to claim victory himself.
14:49So you think he is really here?
14:52I'm saying the chances are high. This is the end, Ola. We are losing, and losing badly. This is the moment he's waiting for.
15:02But if it's a lie. If it's a lie, or a trap, or a trick, or hallucination, we die the death of fools. The death waits us anyway. And I would rather die, and die and die a thousand times over, and die deceived too, than ignore the possibility of victory. We could end this war, Ola.
Be the first to comment