'We don't have much time, commander. The Dark Angels have breached many of our defences, and the Space Wolves…' the lieutenant swallowed. 'Sir, why are we attacking the Space Wolves?'
Cadmus fixed the lieutenant with his gaze. Faint beads of perspiration showed on the man's forehead. Cadmus sighed. It wouldn't do to have the other men see Carson afraid. It was a pity. Carson had been the type of tool that Cadmus would have forged into a legend on other worlds in times long gone.
'Come with me, Carson.' Cadmus led the lieutenant out of the monitor chamber. None of the servitors even registered the fact the two men had departed.
'Sir, where are we going?' asked Carson.
Cadmus raised his hand in answer and led the young officer down the hall to a large plasteel door.
'This is the most secure chamber in the city. I even had the servitors eliminated after its completion to maintain the security. Once we are inside, I'll explain the plan.'
Cadmus pressed the correct runes to activate the security door. With a rumble, the massive door slowly opened.
The lieutenant strained his eyes to see inside, but the room was pitch black.
'Go in.’ ordered Cadmus. The commander followed the lieutenant inside. The door slid closed
quickly, surprising the lieutenant as it slammed shut. The room was cold as well as dark. Carson felt as if they had entered a tomb. The two men stood in near darkness.
'Lieutenant, you were born and raised here on Hyades, were you not?' asked Cadmus.
'Yes, sir.’
'Did you know that the people of Hyades, particularly Lethe, are some of the most defence-minded that I've ever met? Your people adamantly refuse to give in to the wilderness and you refuse to adapt to the world. Instead, you try and force the world to adapt to you, an admirable quality. Unfortunately, you don't seem to realise that your world only exists at the whim of the Emperor, or should I say, the Imperial bureaucrats.’
'What?'
Cadmus smiled. 'Surely, you know that the Emperor is dead in that Golden Throne of his. He's been dead for ten thousand years. The Imperium is a lie, and the greatest liars are those devout Dark Angels come to butcher you. So, lieutenant, I'm going to give you a bit of honesty.’
'Sir?' The lieutenant took a step backwards. 'I don't understand.’ he said.
'Lieutenant, I don't care about you or anyone else on this planet. I only care about my brothers and myself. To secure my safety and defeat my enemies, I'm afraid that I've had to make a deal and I'm going to sacrifice Lethe to my new allies.’ Cadmus said.
The commander swept his arm out in front of him. As he did, an arcane circle sparked to life in the
centre of the room. A bloody red light emanated from its twisting runes. Smoke swirled within the circle, and the lieutenant thought he could see something translucent moving inside it. Whatever it was, it was fascinating, and merely gazing on it made the lieutenant's blood freeze with terror.
'The power of the Lord of Change flows there.’ whispered Cadmus. 'I can tell you are intrigued. The flames mesmerise even the strongest willed men. It's even more impressive when fully activated.'
'Why would you…? What does this…?' The lieutenant struggled with his words and emotions.
'Blood sacrifice activates it,' said Cadmus in a tone as cold as ice. His sword flashed through the air, slicing neatly through the lieutenant's throat. Cadmus carefully caught the soldier's body with his free hand, pushing it into the circle. The smoke turned a deep red, and a hissing sound filled the room.
Cadmus paused for a moment and wiped his sword clean as he watched the lieutenant's blood pulsing into the circle.
'The time is now,' said Cadmus, addressing the circle of power. 'I have done everything you requested. The bodies of Space Wolves and Dark Angels litter Hyades. I even have the Wolfblade here as you wanted.’
A moment of silence followed. Then a commanding voice boomed from beyond space and time.
'You have done well, Fallen. As promised, your enemies will be destroyed. Vengeance shall belong to both of us, for though you hate the Dark Angels, there is nothing that can compare to the hatred for
the Space Wolves that belongs to the Thousand Sons! As for me, soon I shall personally end the life of one who has ever proven himself to be a thorn in the side of my master.’
'Surely you speak of the Wolf Lord Berek?' asked Cadmus.
'No, I speak of the whelp, Ragnar!' The portal crackled. Blue bolts of lightning cascaded from the centre, and a large form took shape.
Cadmus took a step back and gripped the hilt of his blade. Though he wouldn't admit it, seeing the image of the huge armoured shape manifest before him put him on his guard. The Chaos Space Marine wasn't truly in the room, he reminded himself, just appeared to speak to him via dark sorcery. Still, Cadmus couldn't escape a feeling of dread in his gut.
'My apologies, Lord Madox.’ offered Cadmus.
The huge Chaos Marine sorcerer wore blue armour traced with gold covered with ever-changing sigils of Tzeentch. It was an artifact, a relic of Chaos in its own right, exposed to the power of Tzeentch and the daemons of the warp for untold millennia. Madox's eyeplates burned with a bright yellow-white light, and Cadmus could feel the hatred within this master of the Thousand Sons.
'The Space Wolves destroyed our planet. They betrayed us. Our master, Magnus the Red, attempted to save the Emperor, but he was ignored. Only Horus believed us, and even he did not fully accept the truth! We could have saved the Imperium then, but we will destroy it now! I have walked the surface of Fenris. I have beheld the return of my primarch from
the warp. Only one thing has stopped me from being the greatest of the Thousand Sons, that insignificant wolf pup, Ragnar.'
Madox threw his head back, raised his arms, and laughed.
Cadmus was sweating. He had seen hundreds of battles and faced terrifying enemies. He had even barely escaped the Dark Angels on two occasions, but the presence of the Chaos sorcerer chilled his soul.
Madox's voice took on a maniacal tone, and the lightning from the portal struck in tune with his laughter. 'My lord Tzeentch truly is the master of Chaos, the Master of Change, the Master of Magic, and the Almighty God of Fire! Truly, he tests my resilience. Were my adversary a Wolf Lord, or a hero of the Imperium, then my defeats would find excuse, but to face an ignorant warrior has driven me to aspire to greater heights! Thank you, Tzeentch, for Ragnar, for he and he alone has shown me the way to destroy his entire cursed Chapter.'
Laughter responded in a blasphemous cacophony from the portal.
Madox looked directly at Cadmus. 'Now, Fallen, as you said, it is time.'
The Chaos sorcerer raised his arm and fire raced from his fingertips into the ceiling of the bunker, burning purple, blue, indigo, yellow, green and deep red all at once.
'Let the fire in the blood of this world, bring Tzeentch's blessing.'
Cadmus heard shrieking. The sound was soft at first, but soon it echoed from all around him.
'The deaths of the Space Marines must provide fruit. I need more than just their lives; I need their very essence. The children of Tzeentch shall come and they shall reap the souls of their enemies.'
'Lord Madox, what more do you need?' asked Cadmus. 'Have I not given you everything you requested? I have made a war.'
Madox fell quiet, and the shrieking fell to an almost imperceptible scream. 'I wanted more than a war. I wanted bodies. Now, I want gene-seed.’
The gene-seed was the part of every Space Marine that made them what they were. Each gene-seed contained a piece of the DNA of the primarch, the Chapter's founder. When a warrior was chosen to become a Space Marine, the Apothecaries implanted the gene-seed within their body. Other organs would be implanted alongside the gene-seed, which controlled and regulated not only the genetic changes but also the body's acceptance of them.
The gene-seed was the essence of a Space Marine; it was what separated them from ordinary men, far more than their signature power armour or even their faith in the Emperor.
Cadmus suddenly realised that he was just a tool for the Thousand Sons. Everything he had done meant nothing to them. He was merely a pawn in their games. His anger brought courage. He wasn't going to let anyone, not even an ancient evil ten thousand years old, play games with him.
'My lord, I expect you to honour the terms of our agreement.’ said Cadmus, 'and if you don't…'