Chapter 449 Colorful Space Warriors (4K5)
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Thirty standard minutes before the start of the siege of Karan-Gol.
Somewhere near the position of Soltarn's troops.
"What do you think of them-these people?"
Uriel Ventress-or, in other words, the former captain of the 4th Ultramarines Company, who we should call Filhammer in the territory of Medlengard, was lying behind a bunker rock, sharing the scene detected by his eyepiece auspex with the other party, and using the communication rosary to ask his loyal friend and deputy, Sergeant Pasanius Lesani-currently the big man named Anverk for his opinion.
"If you ask me, you found them here for sure It's not a glorious event." The blond sergeant muttered, his hand moved on his weapon, as if he wanted to do some imperial etiquette for a moment, but he held back and began to touch the pendant on the rose rosary on his chest-it was a parting souvenir given to them by the priest brother Julius on the Destiny Steel.
When Captain Soltarn saw the two items, he said nothing, but told them to cherish the two rosary beads. Pasanius felt that Captain Soltarn had underestimated him. Such a gift from a priest brother - the priest brother also had the great face of their gene father - he would certainly cherish it, especially in this place, cherishing it was like grasping the last link between him and his hometown, the chapter and the Emperor's light.
There was another point he had never told anyone. Pasanius could not completely put aside the cold pain brought by the strange sickle that cut off his arm for a long time - it was something too profound, the wound it caused might have penetrated into the human soul, and the strange feeling of death that the lifeless metal penetrated into his arm made him shudder - he held the rosary tightly, and a warm force penetrated into his soul through his power armor glove like the palm of a living person.
The small gift given to them by the priest brother Julius radiated heat in his palm.
A slight pain in Pasanius' chest pulled his thoughts back. The wound of the Imperial Double-Headed Eagle that he had repeatedly carved there had not healed yet - but he had not further cut open the flesh on his chest to deepen it due to the intense battle in recent days. He did this to remind himself not to indulge in the overly good atmosphere of Captain Soltarn at present - they were Ultramarines, and they had their own death oaths to fulfill.
The sergeant looked at his captain worriedly behind his helmet goggles.
Uriel Ventress adapted to Soltarn's team faster than Pasanius. It could even be said that it took him only a few minutes to accept his new name and new paint. When he walked out of Soltarn's meeting room, he looked like a lieutenant of the "Silver Skull" - but Pasanius felt that what was more terrifying was that he saw with his own eyes his best friend, the former Guardian of Ultramar, the captain of the 4th Company of the Ultramarines, Uriel Ventress, wearing a new power armor, mixing with the "Iron Warriors" lurking brothers who washed off the blood and oil on their bodies, removed the excessive spikes and superfluous machinery and joined them. He looked so... sociable.
He should find a chance to talk to Ventress about this. Although it is very likely that Ventress could convince Pasanius with just a few words, as he had done many times in the past, as a friend rather than a battle brother, the big sergeant would still choose to do so, just as he followed his superior without hesitation when he knew that Ventress would be stripped of his honor and thrown off the Garan Stone beside the Hera Falls or exiled from the chapter to perform a death oath.
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Uriel Ventress did not know what Pasanius was thinking.
He was now focused on the things related to their mission. And did not want the discordant notes to disrupt the normal rhythm in this rare dawn.
Really, good enough, hope enough, isn't it? He comforted himself and hoped to start concentrating his mind, to take his eyes off the walls of Kalan-Gol that were constantly oozing blood and the slaves below that were crying and being whipped, enslaved, and even buried in the fortifications by the Iron Warriors guards. Just looking at the scenes happening here and on this planet, it was as if the filth had penetrated into his heart, making his mind gradually lost in a kind of numbness, gradually becoming cold and hard.
Think about something else, Uriel, think about it, since they met the Destiny Steel and the Silver Skulls, things have gradually taken a turn for the better.
He turned to think.
They originally regarded this journey as a journey of atonement with no return, just as the name it was given when it was issued: the death oath.
But now Uriel Ventress has never been so serious about considering it as a mission that can be returned. His ambition is both big and small: he wants to complete the mission entrusted to them by Chief Think Tank Tigris and Chapter Master Calgar from this devil planet, and retreat with his companions.
Even though they now have war machines, a whole warband, and auxiliary troops, this matter is actually hopeless, but Ventress still grasps the current situation like a drowning man grabbing the last floating object in his hand, so he seems particularly flexible and humble - it must be said that considering that the crime he was convicted of was largely due to being reported for not complying with the provisions of the Astartes Codex, this verdict is really in line with his character to some extent.
The former fourth captain of the Ultramarines and the temporary adjutant of the Second Company of the Silver Skulls is now thinking rapidly in his mind.
There is no doubt that as they arrive in Medrengard and stay here for a longer time, the more they know, and the more the secret mission they are given shows its incredible complexity and abruptness.
Across the space-time distance of the entire galaxy and the Eye of Terror, how did Varo Tigris, with his own human power, accurately know what will happen, is happening, and will happen in a certain fortress on the Medrengard? In other words, can someone with this ability still be called a "human"?
He collected his thoughts.
His Excellency, the Chief Librarian, has proved his worth and loyalty in many military operations. He should not consider these. The first priority is to execute and complete the death oath mission. Is the Onfalos evil spirit they met on the road part of the whole thing? Does the devil's conspiracy have a back-up plan? They don't know.
But the people on Medlengard do know the name of the Onfalos evil spirit, and they are quite familiar with this man-eating demon, which is enough to surprise him. Many of the factories they attacked have a square-like platform full of flesh and blood. It is said that as long as enough lives and souls are sacrificed, the Onfalos evil spirit can be summoned to serve them, and the owner of Kalan-Gol is one of the largest employers of this demon train. Soltarn told Ventress that after they captured Kalan-Gol, they might be able to find more people to ask for details.
Moreover, the situation on Medlengard is also very complicated. There is no honor and credibility between Iron Warriors and Iron Warriors, and between Demons. New conspiracies and plans are constantly being staged, and more complex and long-term intrigues are constantly advancing. Many ancient demons and Chaos Gods are feasting in the chaos.
In this situation, it is difficult to see who is using whom. Perhaps Soltarn’s mission is not as simple as he said (after all, anyone with eyes can see that some Iron Warriors are really too Iron Warriors, and Soltarn is really much higher than them), but Ventress swears that he will not allow himself and his companions to be used by any evil.
Although there were dangers around him and in front of him in the past, he could always feel that the Emperor’s will was being carried out through him, and his chest was always filled with the flames of courage and honor.
And he once or now still feels that a part of his body is so empty.
Uriel had learned about the deeds of many combat heroes in the halls of the Hera Fortress, and had heard countless generous and inspiring sermons from combat priest brothers. They always described the Emperor's sacred power as a torch, a beacon, a true light, burning brighter than any star, illuminating the road in front of people and dispelling the darkness in everyone's heart. They always described the glorious virtues of those heroes, each of whom was pure, from soul to body, from inside to outside, without arrogance, doubt or weakness from the heart, and without any stains questioned by the outside world.
So this is why Uriel Ventress can naturally blend in with those "Iron Warriors" without looking abrupt.
Now, without that burning fire in his chest, he had been judged and expelled by his Chapter, driven from Hera Fortress under the gaze of his battle-brothers, disowned by his homeworld, stripped of all past honors and marks of battle, his past life and value as a soldier completely taken away, no longer the hero his people needed, no longer the role model in the eyes of his warriors.
In those darkest moments, he also had to tend to Pasanius's emotions - the big sergeant followed him firmly, but he sometimes looked as fragile as glass since the attack of the metal god of the dead. Uriel had to appear more confident and stronger than his friend - the miraculous event of meeting Brother Julius of the Destiny Steel no doubt gave them great courage halfway through, allowing them to persevere to Medrengard. But when he desperately needed the light of the Emperor, where was the fire and light promised by the priests? He could not feel the light of the Emperor every day on this demon world they were exiled to.
At that moment, a haze that looked like red, blue or purple emerged from the bottom of his gray eyes.
A certain point in his chest suddenly became hot, and he felt its heat. Uriel had to twist his neck to try to move the rosary slightly away from its original position.
"I don't know, but I think we should go check it out."
Uriel heard Pasanius's answer, and he nodded. His eyepiece covered his gray eyes that were shining with a little white and gold light.
"Then let's go over and see what's going on. I think I saw more than one familiar chapter emblem. They shouldn't be in that form, and they shouldn't appear here."
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The two former Ultramarines used the winding cracks of the rocks as cover and cautiously approached the group of warriors who were also watching them with great caution.
Soon, the two warriors in silver-gray armor who left the camp alone found themselves trapped in a small broken rock basin or crater, with at least ten grenade launchers or other weapons pointing at their vital points.
"We don't want to argue. Who am I talking to? Can anyone here answer me?" Uriel tried to speak in an Ultramar-style friendly manner.
This Ultramarines-like gesture and tone may have attracted the attention of someone on the other side. A warrior wearing mostly mottled white, with some parts roughly patched with captured iron plates and fillers, slightly exposed half of his body from behind the stone. On one side of his shoulder armor, the gray white primer was painted with a blue eagle head, and a rough "X" was made on it with red paint.
Pasanius's low sigh sounded in Ventress's communication channel: "White Archon..."
"Who are you?" The other party asked vigilantly, holding his metal-colored bolter tightly, and the muzzle was still pointed at the curious visitor, "You are not like Ultramarines, and Ultramarines will not mix with those Iron Warriors."
"I am, Filhammer, this is Anverk, we are from the Silver Skulls, maybe you have heard that we are both sons of Guilliman. This one of the White Archon?"
"I am Jeffer of the White Archon - I used to be. I know the Silver Skulls, so what are you doing here? Why are you mixed with that group of traitors? Have you fallen into the group of traitors?"
"I used to be? Then what are you doing here? Didn't you betray?" "We are not traitors!"
Uriel sighed, Pasanius really cared about this. He put his hand on the sergeant's arm armor and patted it.
And Jeffer tilted his head and stared at them, like a hawk.
"We are traitors who have drifted here, but we are not traitors. We rely on looting and killing Iron Warriors to obtain survival supplies. There is obviously going to be a big battle here, and we are here to see if we can find some supplies in the chaos." He said bluntly, "But based on our observations over the past few days, you two are not just serving these newly rising Iron Warriors, especially you, Filhammer. I see that you are clearly the right-hand man of the new lord. Maybe we should capture you and strip you two of your weapons and equipment, and then kill you two traitors."
"We are not traitors!!" Pasanius shouted, holding his head high, and the sound of metal collision nearby became more obvious.
"How to prove it?"
"We have discovered you a long time ago," Uriel pointed out calmly, "If we are as evil as you think, we only need to bomb this place into ruins from a distance. If you are not a traitor, you may consider talking to us."
"This doesn't mean anything, but." Eifel tilted his head again, "You and this group of new Iron Warriors are indeed not much mutated, and your habits are also neat and disciplined in combat."
The former White Archon's Space Marine asked in a certain direction, "How do they smell?"
A rough voice replied, "It smells a little wary, but the rest is good, the smell is very good, a very standard son of Guilliman, let me say, it smells more like those rigid blue men than you did at the beginning."
Another more hoarse voice also replied, "There is no sense of chaos... They have some kind of guardian power on their chests-not the throne, but not the god of chaos."
Ventris and Pasanius exchanged a look of surprise, and remembered the rose rosary on their chests.
Brother Julius the priest... is it really just looking like that holy man?
"Well, let's see if you can speak eloquently."
With these words, more footsteps began to appear from the surrounding rubble and shadows.
And Uriel's eyes widened in surprise at the many colors he saw.