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by the parting bulkhead doors； and the darkness there was heavily pixellated and vague。 Then a
bulky robed and hooded shape appeared。
A single； unblinking light shone from beneath its hood； positioned where a left eye would have
been。 It limped down the fire…blackened steps to the metal grilled mechanical floor。 Four massive
individuals accompanied it； they too were heavily robed； their faces obscured by deep hoods。 They
turned their heads to regard the heavy flamers that rotated to fix upon them。
The lead figure limped across the room； unconcerned； and came to a halt before the blast doors。
“Blessings of the Omnissiah upon you；” it intoned； looking up at the armoured relay camera box
positioned above it。 Up close； Machion…Dex could see the cogged wheel symbol of the Adeptus
Mechanicus upon its chest。
“And upon you； servant of the Machine God Incarnate；” replied the procurator； speaking into a
grilled vox…unit。
“Knowledge is the supreme manifestation of divinity；” said Machion…Dex； invoking the sixth of
the Mysteries； one of the sixteen Universal Laws memorised by all adepts of the Cult Mechanicus。
“Comprehension is the key to all things；” came the reply。
“The Omnissiah knows all；” said Machion…Dex。
“The Omnissiah comprehends all。”
Satisfied； Machion…Dex keyed a sequence of commands into the data…slate； and a control pillar
rose from the floor beside the image of the hooded figure beyond the blast doors。 The procurator
saw a mechanical tentacle emerge from within the figure’s robes。 It lifted up before the camera； its
mechanical claws snapping open and shut。 A thirty…centimetre data spike slid from the centre of the
snapping claw； and it was thrust into the control pillar。
A flood of data flowed over the data…screen in front of Machion…Dex； the apparently neverending
stream of scrolling information overlaying the motionless image of the hooded figure。 The
procurator’s eyes flicked left and right； and his mouth moved soundlessly as the internal processors
built into the left hemisphere of his brain…unit registered and recorded the flow of data。
The information was quickly processed and Machion…Dex blew out a slow intake of breath；
impressed。 With a click of a button he dismissed the stream of information from the screen。
“Deactivate weapon hardware；” he said； and the heavy flamer units went off…line； their pilot
lights cutting out。 They turned away from their targets and retracted back into their housings。
Machion…Dex cleared his throat and leant forward to speak once more into the vox…unit。
“Access granted； Tech…Magos Darioq。 Welcome to Kharion IV。”
Magos Darioq stood stock still； his features hidden in the darkness beneath his hood as the blast
doors were opened。 Steam from the disengaging lock mechanisms vented around him。
“Revered magos；” said the procurator； bowing his head and touching his fingers to the symbol of
the Adeptus Mechanicus； “your visit is most unexpected。”
Darioq remained motionless as his four companions jerked into motion； marching suddenly
forwards。 Each of them stood almost two and a half metres in height； and their massive shoulders
were twice as wide as the procurator’s。
8
Machion…Dex’s eyes flicked between the intimidating figures in alarm。 He had thought them
combat servitors； but he saw now that their movements were arrogant and self…assured； far from the
ungainly； stilted gait of a servitor。
Robes were thrown aside and archaic bolters raised； and before the skitarii warriors’ targeting
arrays registered a threat； the first of the weapons began to roar。
Fire burst from the barrels of the ancient weapons。 The sound was deafening； filling the enclosed
space and echoing painfully off the walls。 Fully half the skitarii were destroyed in an instant as high
explosive shells tore through their bodies； ripping them apart in bloody explosions of armour and
flesh。
Machion…Dex stumbled backwards； falling to the ground； his face a mask of horror as he gazed
upon the massive； augmented beings。 Their armour； inscribed with heretical symbols and litanies；
was the deep red of congealed blood； and they fired with controlled discipline； eliminating each
target with practiced efficiency。
The remaining skitarii brought their hellguns to bear； energy capacitors humming as the
weapons surged into life。 Electric…blue las…beams stabbed from the barrels of their guns； knocking
one of the towering warriors back a step； searing holes through his robe and leaving smoking black
impacts on his armour。
Two more of the skitarii were cut down； one of them spinning as a bolt slammed into his
shoulder and exploded； severing its arm and leaving a gory head…sized hole in its torso。 A bolt round
detonated in the brainpan of the other and its head exploded； spraying blood； brain matter and
splinters of skull in all directions。
A las…blast struck one of the warriors in the helmet； jolting his head backwards。 With a snarl of
anger； he ripped the skitarii apart with his return fire。
The firefight was over in seconds。 The acrid smell of gunfire rose from smoking； silent barrels；
and two of the giant warriors moved in to inspect the kills。 One of the skitarii； who had been cut in
half by a burst of gunfire； was still twitching。 His movements were halted as a heavy armoured boot
slammed down on its head； crushing its skull like a nut beneath a hammer。
Machion…Dex lay on his back； his breath coming in short gasps as he stared up at the terrifying
figures。 Each was massive； their every movement filled with power； and their inscrutable； Heresyera
Astartes helmets extensively modified to make them all the more fearsome in appearance。 One
had been fashioned in the likeness of a snarling daemon； and others had fierce sets of curving horns
and tusks that gave them a brutal； barbaric look。
One wore no helmet at all； but its true face was far more terrifying than any of the helmets。 The
left side was a mess of scar tissue and augmetics； and its skin was so pale as to be translucent； blue
veins could be seen within its flesh。 A lidless； baleful red orb had replaced its left eye； and an
infernal glyph of the ruinous powers was emblazoned prominently in the centre of its forehead。 The
figure snarled down at him； lips pulling back to expose sharpened teeth。
“Area secure；” growled one of the warriors； and the one standing over Machion…Dex nodded； not
taking his eyes from the procurator。
“The location of the target will be found here； Enslaved？” he said over his shoulder； his voice
filled with power and authority。
“That is correct； Marduk； First Acolyte of the Word Bearers Legion of Astartes； genetic
descendant of the traitor Primarch Lorgar；” replied Magos Darioq in his monotone voice。
“Then let’s get this done；” replied Marduk。 He stepped towards the cowering form of Procurator
Machion…Dex； and looked down at the terrified man。
“Do you need this one？” he asked over his shoulder。
“His continued existence is not required in order to retrieve the information held within the
logic…centres of this installation；” replied the magos。
Procurator Machion…Dex gasped and began to scramble backwards； desperate to get away from
the image of death looming over him。
9
Marduk’s bolt pistol was levelled at the procurator’s head and he froze。
“No；” begged the man。 “Omnissiah； protect your servant。”
Marduk smirked。
“Your profane god does not heed your ay； heathen；” said Marduk。 “You have devoted your
entire； pathetic； worthless life to the worship of a false deity； a silent； profane image of the
unbelievers。 I will show you the path to the true gods。 In death； you will bear witness to the glory of
the true gods。 They will feed upon your soul； and you will cry out in your torment。 Embrace it； little
man。 Embrace your damnation。”
He shot the procurator in the head； and blood and gore splashed across the grilled floor。 “Glory
be to the true gods；” declared Marduk。
Marduk stood with his arms folded； deep in the bowels of Kharion IV。 He stood upon a grilled
gantry within the hollowed core of the asteroid； a massive pillar of machinery rising from the
roughly hewn floor before him； glittering with lights and dials。
The magos stood before the humming pillar； fluid leaking from the severed input…jacks in his
spine。 He was connected to the pillar by the one mechadendrite tentacle that had been re…grafted to
his body； and his pallid； dead lips twitched as he extracted information from the heart of the
installation’s data…library。
At last； the flexible tendril was retracted； and Magos Darioq jerked spasmodically as the
connection was severed。
“Well？” growled Marduk。
“I have disabled the automated defence system that protects the installation；” said Magos
Darioq； “and initiated the self…destruct mechanism； so that our presence will not be transmitted to
the god…cogitators of Mars。”
“Good；” said Marduk。 He grabbed the waving mechadendrite tentacle with a violent motion and
gave it a solid wrench。 It was ripped from the magos’s spinal column； writhing in his hand like a
serpent。 Darioq touth。
“You have the information we need？” asked Marduk； ignoring the mixture of blood； oil and
protein…fluid that dripped from the thrashing