bounced across the floor past him. The Traitor that was facing Elijah slumped to its knees and then collapsed to the floor.
Within a few moments, the empty armour of six Thousand Sons Marines lay inactive and crumpled on the floor of Cadmus's command centre.
Haegr stood at the side of the room, picking up a chest plate, bewildered by the fact that it was empty. Torin, Jeremiah and the other Dark Angels checked the room ensuring that they were safe.
Ragnar leapt to Gabriella's side, removing her gag and bonds. 'Gabriella, are you all right?' he asked.
The Navigator was barely conscious and felt so fragile, nothing like the person he knew. Her face was bruised and swollen. Red stripes of dried blood curved down the side of her face from the corner of her right eye. Fresh blood pooled in her ears.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, but it took her some time to focus properly. 'Ragnar, is Magni alive?' Gabriella asked.
'Do not worry about that now, my lady. We must get you to safety' said Ragnar, his voice reflecting his concern.
Gabriella started to wipe the blood away from her face, and Ragnar could tell that her faculties were returning. In her eyes he saw the grim determination and confidence that she had always possessed. She looked at Ragnar. You must stop Cadmus.’ she demanded.
'Once you are safely away from here, my lady. We must get you out,' Ragnar argued.
Gabriella grasped the edge of Ragnar's armour and pulled herself up to a sitting position. 'I will be fine.
Cadmus must be stopped,' she said again, only this time Ragnar knew it was not the request of a delirious woman, but the request of a member of House Belis-arius. Gently placing her against the wall, he stood. He was a warrior of the Astartes, a Son of Russ, and he knew what had to be done.
'Torin, see to her wounds. Haegr, cover the door,' Ragnar commanded.
Jeremiah and Nathaniel crossed the room to join Ragnar. Together, the three Space Marines went through the door Cadmus had left by.
As they entered the room beyond they found Cadmus, weapon in hand, staring blankly at a blazing blue-green fire in the corner. He seemed oblivious to the Space Marines' presence. Ragnar took in the Chaos markings that adorned the floor and walls of the room as well as various racks of arcane-looking weapons.
When he saw Jeremiah, Cadmus broke out in laughter.
There was really nothing more for Ragnar to do except honour his oath to Jeremiah. Gabriella was safe with the Wolfblade; his duty was to bring this conflict between the Space Wolves and Dark Angels to an end. 'It's over Jeremiah,' he said. 'I honour my oath to you. Cadmus is yours.’
'Ragnar, I have a message for you from an old acquaintance of yours.’ Cadmus said.
'Silence, heretic.’ Nathaniel shouted, striking the commander across the face.
Cadmus was defeated, his plan thwarted. What message could he possible have, Ragnar asked himself? He
knew better than to listen to the final pleas of a condemned traitor. However, he was still unaware of what Cadmus's true objectives were.
'What could you possibly have to say that I would want to hear, Cadmus?' Ragnar asked.
'I know why you were sent to Terra, and I know of your failure. I know you were sent to the Wolfblade in disgrace for losing the Spear of Russ.’ Cadmus said, speaking quietly and with precision.
Jeremiah and Nathaniel exchanged quick glances, unsure of what to make of this information. Jeremiah began to grow concerned. He knew what Cadmus was trying to do. He was trying to divide them, trying to use this information to create a rift between the allies.
'You speak in vague generalities hoping to sound as if you know more than you really do. You speak as someone who is about to be brought to justice and scrambles to find a way out,' Ragnar said.
That may be, Wolfblade, but I digress; as I said, I have a message for you from and old friend. Madox sends his greetings,' Cadmus said.
Ragnar failed to hide his surprise. He had spoken of the Spear many times while on Hyades. Cadmus's surveillance equipment could have provided him with that information about the Spear of Russ, but how would he know its true name? Logic and reason told him that this was another of Cadmus's attempts to manipulate the situation in his favour, to fracture the fragile alliance between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels. He needed to proceed carefully.
'How do you know that name?' Ragnar growled.
'As I said, boy, I have much information, but all of it comes at a price.' Confidence grew in Cadmus's voice.
'Ragnar, don't listen to him,' said Jeremiah. 'He is a heretic, a pawn of the Dark Ones.'
'Don't interfere, Dark Angel! Or perhaps you'd like me to discuss other issues. Issues of a more personal nature, perhaps,' Cadmus threatened.
'As I said, Cadmus, how do you know that name,' Ragnar asked again.
'A price Ragnar. You should know that all information has its cost,' Cadmus said, almost gloating.
'Name it, then,' Ragnar demanded.
'A trifle really not much at all. I just want my life.’ said Cadmus, all the fear gone from his voice.
'Tell me what I want to know and your life will be yours.’ Ragnar said.
'Ragnar, you swore an oath! Is this how a Son of Russ keeps his word?' Jeremiah asked, stunned.
Ragnar saw the betrayal Jeremiah felt in his eyes and understood his anger. He had given his oath that Cadmus would be his to deal with as he saw fit, but this was a new development. He had to know how Madox fit in to this. Ragnar remembered his first encounter with the Chaos sorcerer. He had never known true evil until that day and never truly understood the scope of the danger that Chaos represented to the Imperium.
The learning machine had taught him of the nature of Chaos and shown him many battles between the forces of the Imperium and Chaos. However, being told what evil is and experiencing it first hand were entirely different. Madox hated everything about the Space Wolves and the Imperium. If he was involved,
then everything that had transpired on Hyades had little or nothing to do with House Belisarius, Hyades or its promethium mines. Was that information more important than his oath or his honour?
'If Madox is here then it is imperative that we have all the information, Jeremiah.'
'Ragnar, we had an agreement! I trusted you.’ said Jeremiah.
'Then continue to trust me, Jeremiah,' said Ragnar. 'You do not know what Madox is capable of. We must have answers.'
He looked to Jeremiah and then to Nathaniel, trying to determine their course of action. He did not want a conflict with them, since they had earned his respect several times over, but he would have the answers, above all else he would have them.
'Get on with it, Cadmus! What does Madox have to do with what's going on here?' Ragnar demanded.
'He wants you dead, wolf, and once you are dead he intends to destroy the rest of Russ's sons,' Cadmus explained.
'How does he intend to do that and what does Hyades have to do with all this?' Ragnar asked, a growl rising in his voice.
'Hyades is merely a battlefield. He wanted to spark conflict between the Lion and the Wolf. This would give him access to one of the two components he would need, the sacred gene-seed,' Cadmus continued.
'Gene-seed!' The three Marines were horrified. The future of every Chapter of Marines rested in the gene-seed. The most sacred of all things: without it
each Chapter would eventually diminish and become extinct.