"Greetings Deathraven, Ulasht, Draex, Akkad, Aldegund, Menstras, Lheorvine Ukris and Telemachon Lyras, the Anamnesis said, floating in the murk before you.
Lheor walked over to her, looking up at the nude figure entombed in the thin sludge of aqua vitriolo. He tapped his finger against the reinforced glass, the way a child might trouble fish in a tank.
The Anamnesis did not smile, of course, but nor did she order him to desist. She looked down upon him as if his behaviour were a momentary curiosity, the strange game of an insect, nothing more. Lheor grinned at her staring features.
Derathraven nodded at being acknowledged, and waited quietly for the answer to why they were summoned.
[B] "Greetings to you as well Anamnesis, we have come at your invitation. Do you seek discourse or physical assistance?" [\b]
"So you’re his sister, eh?" Lheor said looking up at the girl in the tank.
"We are the Anamnesis." she replied
"But you were his sister before... all this." Lheor said.
"We were once alive as you are alive. Now we are the Anamnesis." she replied
Lheor looked away. "It’s like arguing with a machine."
"Abaddon told us that you’re unlikely to survive merging with the flagship’s machine-spirit. That it will swallow your consciousness within itself." Telemachon cut in before Lheor embarrassed himself any more.
The Anamnesis floated lower, almost standing on the bottom of her tank.
"Khayon vocalised the same concern." Her words came from the chamber’s speakers. "His voice patterns indicate emotional duress in this matter. He sees us not as the Anamnesis construct, but as the human Itzara. This is a flaw in his reasoning. It limits his objectivity. This is why you are all here."
"We are to remove you from the Taloc and place you in the Vengeful Spirit then".
"This is what Khayon has told us." she replied to Ulasht "We are not capable of calculating an answer on conjecture alone."
Ulasht glances at Aldegund, "This would be a project that requires your expertise I would think, Brother".
Telemachon shook his head. "There’s a difference in how you look at Khayon, and how you look at the rest of us. It took me mere heartbeats to see it – a quiver of emotion in your eyes when you look his way. His sister lives within you, buried but not dead. Are your thoughts coded and programmed to deny it? Is that denial necessary for your function?"
She said nothing for several seconds, staring dead-eyed at the swordsman. "We... we are the Anamnesis."
"Are you having second thoughts, Khayon? Was this not your intention since the beginning of our compact?"
"There seems to be an underlying "personality" to the Anamnesis machine spirit, that's why it continues to say we" as he clears his throat I will help with every thing I can brother to see this through safely for all concerned"[/b] looking at the Anamnesis "I believe what will happen is the Anamnesis will be taken over by the Vengeful Spirit machine spirit, but not your sister. It's a long shot but once the Vengeful Spirit takes over it will basically in lame terms take over the Anamnesis"
Aldegund continues to ponder "Its work and way it operates is different which might also give more liberties to your sister subconsciousness once and IF the machine spirit of the Vengeful Spirit takes over"
Aldegund continues to see data through a data slate as he works with the techpriest now assisting as needed but more in gathering information on the workings to replicate the Anamnesis
"After all it's half her brain also, and all those memories and quirks she developed in her life that are still as much part of the Anamnesis as it is hers, and thus will always say we, or it would just speak in singular, but it cannot do so entirely.
Aldegund turns to Khayon "I will do what I can to free more of your sister, but not enough to ever interfere with a machine spirit, for that is what you made her into, and thus it shall be so."
She looked at Aldegund
"We are the Anamnesis," she said. "We are One, from Many. The She you speak of is merely the dominant percentage of our biological component cluster. She holds no stronger role in our cognitive matrix than any other mind."
Draex stands sentinel watching Anamnesis and Khayon and their emotion interaction, Listening to Aldegund's interpretation of Anamnesis merge with the Vengeful Spirits machine spirit.
"..."
Tic. Tic.. Tic...
" How many minds are compressed into your being?"
Draex asks to take his mind away from the probing of his skull
"You waste time we do not have. Let us transfer the girl and be about our task."
Visored eyes track the scurrying adepts never venturing near Khayon.
"If there are any mercies left then the machine will consume her fully."
Khayon looks at Deathraven "You would not understand, Mesntras is right we need to get ready. My adepts will handle the movement of my sister."
Deathraven placed a gauntlet on Khayon's pauldron.
"I understand your erroneous assumption, brother. You don't know me very well, yet. You would be amazed at the depth of my understanding. I am an able listener. Is there any way that Ashur-Kai could support the Amnamensis through the transition? He has a psychic rapport with her that could, theoretically, be used to give it strength of brotherhood through the coming ordeal. She shouldn't have to fight the coming battle alone. I, for one, believe that the Vengeful Spirit will be even stronger with her intact."
Khayon nods at Deathraven not saying a word and makes his way to the exit.
Deathraven bids his farewell to the Amnamensis before returning to his duty getting the fighters moved to the Vengeful Spirit.
Ulasht merely shrugs and exits along with Khayon.
"What a curious being. Can a machine spirit keep a soul from its components, and can it give rise to a new soul? A question for another time." Akkad follows the rest out.
The transportation of everything that needed to go from the Taloc to the Vengful Spirit took about 2 weeks. The Anamnesis was successfully transplanted into the Vengful Spirit as it's machine spirit but instead of being in the core her tank was placed on the bridge for all to see. Khayon did not partake in anything that pertained to her transportation and injection as him and Ulasht had to prepare for their extremely difficult undertaking of dragging the Taloc along side the Vengful Spirit when it left the planet.
When the Anamnesis combined with the Vengful Spirit it took on a new personal calling itself Ultio. The raw rage of the Vengful Spirits machine spirit injected itself with her but she won out and not without change. She was more alive than when you saw her on the Taloc. Her raw emotion and hatred you could see in her eyes and movements. The killing urge itched at her.
The trip took 5 months to make it to Harmony where the Canticle City rested.
Deathraven searched for a second power fist and a grenade launcher.
Ulasht clears his mind of all distractions. His expectation of being greeted like a long lost battle Brother was... disappointing.
For centuries Ulasht has clung to his identity as a gene seed descendant of Horus Lupercal. With a disparaging remark a wave of a hand and a facial expression full of disdain the High Chieftain wiped it all away. All the things which Ulasht took pride in were lost, never to be recovered.
Abaddon claims he will form a new legion. One where there are no Sons of Horus who were damned by Lupercals' decision so long ago on Istvaan.
Ulasht pushes his despair and his worry to the back of his mind. His power over the warp is not nearly as great as that of Khayon it will take all Ulasht has to accomplish the task set to him by Abaddon.
And after that is done then what... then what...
Ulasht
The trip to Harmony is a blur to you. It takes all your will to assist Khayon with the task. Slaves provide you water as you sit still for 5 months feeling your senses wrap around the cold iron of the Taloc drifting along side the Vengful Spirit. Your muscle cramp and tighten but you are no human and able to push past all the discomforts and perform the task assigned to you. You and Khayon have no contact with anyone during the travel time except for Nefertari and the wolf guarding his body.
Searching for the long winded dark apostle draex approaches to inquire about a subject Akkad is well versed in
" Akkad! " Draex shouts. The call itself to onlookers would seem as threatening challenge and with a face that reads psychopath any servents and servitors immediately remove them selves from proximity of the Space marine.
"A word cousin, I wish to speak with you of Khorne" with the mention of the name of the blood god Draex senses a pusle like sensation from Crimson mist. It was there and gone in a heartbeat then vanished but there was an unnerving response.
"What do you know of the ultimate blood requester?"
Akkad looks at the World Eater with bemusement, and starts growling in mimicry. "the blood god seeks that you kill kill kill always swing the axe spill the blood!" and then composes himself and goes back to his normal melodious tones. "Your god is, in the simplest sense, the primal need for living creatures to use violence against each other, and has been worshipped ever since the second life form developed and found the first. Every act of violence, every shot of the gun, every stroke of the sword, is a prayer to him. But he is more than that, as humans are more than mere animals who hunt for food. He is anger, hatred, feuds lasting ages when all reasons have vanished in the dust of history. He is a bully, crushing the weaker for sport, and the honourable warrior, always seeking the greater challenge in fair combat. What would you like to know of him?" He waits, seeing if Draex is paying attention.
Draex listen through the pains of his throbbing skull
"I see so he does not care for the zelots to bend the knee and utter prayers to him, all he cares for is the letting of blood. I care not to sing the tunes for him, to murder in anyone name but for my own sake. The slaughtering of my enemies makes me feel alive. Its the only way to feel anything beyond this mind bleaching pain. I would be made a liar if i were to say i was not without gift from the blood god. I still refuse to dance and be a puppet for another amusement. If these beings are of immense power what reason to bestow such rarity upon me? I could never figure his aim and what is in it for me to align myself with such choas"
Draex resist clutching his head to appear weak in front of the barer of the word
"HA HA HA Do you actually believe any of that nonsense?" This is the first time any of the warband have heard the Apostle break into such manic laughter. "HA HA Are you completely blind to yourself, who you are, what you do? No, you are the blood god's War Hound. He owns you, down to the marrow of your bones. And do you know why he blesses you? Because he can. Same reason you kill. Because you can. But why would you not want to align yourself with him? He offers you a timeless eternity of blood and violence. Make all your murders an offering to him, all the blood you spill in his name, and he may bless you further."
At the laughter and words of Akkad liquid rage in the form of blood rush throughout Draex's super engineered body. "I do believe powerful entities exist in the warp to an extent we have yet to discover however I do not believe i have to bow to them. They send countless underlings into the material realm and I have dispatched them with ease." Draex pronounces as he clutches the regurgitated skull offering the demon had given him which still hums with benign warp radiation. " why should I offer them anything? " After a defiant outburst Draex gives pause a moment for if rage takes over he will learn nothing.
"Which of these Dark Choas gods is the strongest?
Draex is open to learning these icons although he says he is not
"I have no idea which god is the strongest. Does an ant have any idea if a cruiser or frigate is larger? There is no need to bow to the gods, we serve them all the same, even if we fight against them. Your god is violence, even if you slaughter his minions the violence exalts him and he is greater than he started. Chaos cannot be denied. Hope for victory, and you feed Tzeentch. Surrender to despair, and you feed Nurgle. Turn your will inward, and you feed Slaanesh. Enact your will on those around you, and you feed Khorne. As long as we live, we serve the gods.
"Thinking of them as beings or persons is the wrong way to go. There are creatures of the warp, the neverborn, just like there are creatures of the material world, but the gods of the warp are not creatures any more than time, space, or energy, the gods of the material. The gods of the warp are stronger than the gods of the material, and they can at least be treated with. There is a chance against a horde of daemons. If you are thrown off a ship in the deep void there is no chance of survival, nothing except death in the endless night. That is why my father turned to them as the only chance for the survival and ascension of our species."
Akkad will present a blank façade to the World Eater, and teach him anything he desires about theology and the worship of the gods.
Beyond that, he tries to spend time with his errant brother Sargon, trading stories of their experiences since Terra and trying to learn any lore of or rituals Sargon has learned in his time. Also, he will watch the Anamnesis on the bridge, trying to evaluate how much will it has. If it truly has free will and a soul, it could make a fascinating convert.
Draex stares at Akkad blankly absorbing the words he has spoken weighting his thoughts
"I thank you for your insight cousin " clutching his head from the verbal overdose he has received and the physical punishment being enacted on him.
"Is there any other avenues I can seek more information On these 4. One less quieter "
Akkad waits a moment. He's seen the nails bite into World Eaters before, and does not want to interrupt him. "I will prepare a selection of the Book of Lorgar for you. Your god is very straightforward, and you will find his ways in battle."
After five months of travel the Vengful Spirit reaches it's destination, Harmony. As soon as you enter their space attack ships engage the Vengful Spirit. A fleet ringed the ship quickly chasing you. They sought to block you with escort frigates tearing ahead of their parent cruisers in eager attack runs. Weapons-fire hammered uselessly against the Vengeful Spirit’s inviolate shields.
The plan was simple. Khayon and Ulasht will drop the ship on the Canticle City and then await for the rats to leave the planet. Once you identified which ship housed the Primogenitor you would perform boarding actions and ensure all the cloning work is destroyed. The boarding actions will be 2 pods that consisted of your whole team with Khayon, Telemachon and a few Rubric marines. Once aboard Khayon will open a conduit to allow more marines in with Ashur-Kai's assistance (just like you did when the Emperors Children attacked).
A Justarian awoke Khayon and Ulasht from their meditation. Muscles sore and throat dry from months of no movement they make their way to the bridge.
"Ultio," Abaddon called across the bridge. "Speak."
"Void shields holding," came the voice of the Anamnesis, echoing across the cavernous chamber.
"Be ready. We’re about to cast the spear." he said to her.
"Abaddon," she snapped back, her voice not just charged with emotion but saturated with it. She sounded eager to the point of laughter. "Let me kill them. Let me tear the iron from their ships’ bones and strangle them in the cold of the void."
"Soon, Ultio, soon." Affection coloured his voice. Affection for her murderous replies, perhaps. "Keep the shields high as we move into low orbit. Run out the guns."
"I comply." she said sounding unhappy with the order.
Once the ship was in position Abaddon spoke again.
"Now, my brother," Abaddon said. "Throw the spear."
All the old Taloc crew members are on the bridge assisting Ultio with it's maneuvers (around 50 humans/mutants). Abaddon, Ashur-Kai and 50 Rubric marines stand with him (more are within the ship itself), Falkus and his 20 Justarian stand with him, Lheor and his 4 men including Draex, Khayon, Nefertari and his wolf, and the rest of you are on the bridge.
"How will we know which ship is carrying the Warmaster's corpse? Will it show up on Auspex or do you have a more arcane method in mind?"
"Our Oracle will identify the ship." Abaddon replies.
You do not see Sargon on the bridge at this time.
"Time to do this, then."
"Faster Brothers, Faster." Abaddon urged. "Launch the spear!"
Khayon gritted his teeth "You. Are not. Helping." as he concentrated.
"Marking current trajectory of the spear in the holo screen" he begins to work the console to show up the screen and image "Trajectory and time displayed, simulacrum of impact to calculate debris and best route to our objective"
Draex stands on the deck as the battle commences. Grabing hold of Crimson Mist, Draex tares into the flesh of his palm. Opening his main hand draex lets blood well up into his hand, balling his fingers up letting them soak. Draex takes his crimson lava like blood and scribbles the icon of the blood god onto the head of the axe and repeats the same ritual with blood extractor. Clinging his axes together Draex straps both weapons o to his back and heads towards the pods for boarding prep.
"Time of war is upon us, let the rivers of blood flow"
Ulasht nods to Khayon smiling beneath his helm. Months of intense concentration and unimaginable physical and psychic pain have brought both Sorcerers to this penultimate moment. Mentally linked together through Khayon’s powers, both elite warriors have peered into each others’ mind, without such an intense connection such a feat would not have been possible.
Khayon’s skill in the art and Ulasht’s will to see his enemy suffer are about to bring Abaddon’s schemes to fruition. Neither Astartes could have performed such a task without the other.
Iskandar Khayon is the more senior Astartes and the more powerful of the two Sorcerers but this moment is Ulasht’s moment. With a nod back from Khayon, Ulasht manifests both Sorcerers will with the physical act of his arm, literally and figuratively throwing the spear into the heart of his enemy. The Tlaloc is loosed, “let slip the dogs of war” Ulasht screams with a fury that even Draex could admire.
Their connection slips and Ulasht for the first time is some time is alone with his own thoughts. He watches with great pride as the weapon speeds towards his hated rivals…
Menstras watches the display intently.
Let the Imperium tremble!
The Canticle City was prepared to repel assaults, with its skyline of armoured bastions aiming defence turrets and flak cannons towards the heavens. But while fighting back an invasion is one thing, resisting a cataclysm is another.
Daylight died above the Canticle City. Through the wide, upturned eyes of worker menials, pleasure slaves, and III Legion warriors, you saw the gun-battlements light up in helpless rage as a shadow grew in place of the sun. The shrieking hymns broadcast from vox-towers were drowned out by the metal-hammering of defence batteries lighting up the darkening sky. The black shape that swallowed the sun burned as it fell, first aflame with atmospheric entry, then on fire from the rage of the Canticle City’s guns.
A crack of thunder split the sky as the falling spear broke the sound barrier. It was no longer falling straight – it rolled as it plummeted, its hull streaming black smoke and its spinal battlements screaming with fire.
Less than a minute passed from the moment it entered Harmony’s atmosphere to the second it struck the ground. Long enough to let the population see death falling towards them. Not long enough to do anything about it.
It smashed into the earth with the force of the War God’s axe. From orbit, all you could see was the spreading blackness of choking smoke blooming over the city. Your sensors recorded tectonic unrest grave enough to send tremors rippling across the other side of the world. Harmony itself was heaving with torment.
The Tlaloc was almost two kilometres and eight megatonnes of ancient, ironclad anger.
On the Vengeful Spirit’s bridge, a cheer rose from a thousand throats almost deafening.
"That’s for Lupercalios!" Falkus crashed both of his thunder hammers together in triumph. "May you all choke on the ashes."
Abaddon turned from the smoky devastation clouding across the occulus. His quiet words carried in the wake of the cheering, becoming a breath of calm after the hurricane of sound.
"Ultio, take us back up into high orbit."
"I comply." she replied
"The rats are about to flee the sinking ship. Let’s break their backs as they run."
Deathraven stared in wonder at the carnage they had wrought. Millions dead in less than a minute. He almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
"Let them spread the word to every corner of the galaxy, my brothers. This is what is in store for those who oppose us. This is what befalls the enemies of this new Legion. Terror and then Blackness. The Black of Death."
He looks at Abaddon, a small smile forming upon his lips.
"I must say, Brother, that I like the way you fight."