‘Daemons... on the ship.’ Argel Tal watched the faces of screaming souls thrashing against the dome. ‘This cannot be our choice. These cannot be the gods of the galaxy.’
Xaphen softened his voice. To Argel Tal’s ears, he’d never sounded more like Erebus, his former mentor.
‘Brother... We were never given a promise that the truth would be easy to bear. The way we were chosen – and our father favoured – by true divine power.’
Argel Tal turned to stare at Xaphen through a targeting reticule. ‘You seem very certain about this course of action,
‘Are you not honoured to be chosen like this? I wish to be one of the first to receive the blessing of the gods. It is a leap of faith, as Ingethel said.’
‘Sylamor will not lower the Geller Field, even if we order it. It would be suicide.’
‘We can carry this lore back to the Imperium, but humanity will never surrender itself to this... chaos.’
The Word Bearer didn’t speak the words that lay on his tongue – nevertheless, the daemon sensed them.
‘One last question,’ he said.
‘You name the Emperor as the Anathema. Why?’
Argel Tal looked into the daemon’s eyes for a long, long moment. In the mismatched depths, he once more saw Lorgar abase himself in the dust. He felt the deceitful Emperor’s psychic gale throwing him from his feet, casting him to the dirt before the Ultramarines.
He felt the serenity of standing in the City of Grey Flowers, knowing beyond doubt that his cause was holy, that his crusade was just. How long had it been since he’d felt such purity of purpose?
‘Qan Shiel Squad,’ Argel Tal spoke into the vox. ‘Make your way to Geller Generation on deck three. Squad Velash, move to support Qan Shiel.’
Affirmations crackled back. ‘Orders, sir?’ asked Sergeant Qan Shiel. ‘I... we have all heard as you heard.’
The captain swallowed.
‘Destroy the Geller Field generator. That’s an order. All Word Bearers, stand ready.’
Ninety-one seconds later, the ship gave the slightest rumble beneath their feet.
Ninety-four seconds later, it pitched to starboard, wrenched from orbit by the storm’s rage, drowning in the thrashing tides.
Ninety-seven seconds later, light died on every deck, bathing the crew and their Astartes protectors in the red gloom of emergency sirens.
Ninety-nine seconds later, every vox-channel erupted in screaming.
Ingethel uncoiled itself and launched forward, reaching for Malnor first.
Xaphen lay dead at the creature’s feet.