Verum vs the Bronze Guardians

Gabriel Ziad smiled genuinely when he saw the boy he was looking for. A prideful boy walking off to protect the Imperium. He was taller than the boys his age and bulkier than most. His brown hair was cropped short and he had a very clean and clear complexion. His green eyes were focused and hopeful. His shoulders were squared, like he meant business but his step showed his excitement. One could tell that this child had been waiting all his life for this day. He knew this boy, although he had never met him. His file said he would be perfect for the Chapter, a great addition. What made him special was subtle. His devotion to the Emperor was perfect, his desperation to leave this world and find an honorable purpose, to protect the Imperium of Man from heretics, xenos and chaos, excellent.

His parents supported him completely and watched as he walked away to live his father's dream, Ziad assumed. This child had worked hard on his father's potato farm, which had made him stronger than other children who had picked berries and other crops. This child was a risk, though, because he was smart but he respected authority so this would help and if his mental prowess proved to be an issue, they could simply erase that, he thought. Hopefully he was right. The advantages of having him in the Chapter outweighed the risks. They had special ways to deal with the risks. Usually they could either bring the Marines back into the fold or just use them in Delta squad. It would be highly disappointing to lose this one to Delta squad. Ziad had high hopes for him.

The boy's parents walked away when they lost sight of their eldest son, leaving this forsaken planet for a better life. They were likely returning to work as their daughter would be watching their other son. As the parents saw their precious boy leave to become a hero, they beamed with pride. No greater honor was bestowed upon a family name than when they joined the Space Marines. I started walking casually toward the boy. I loved recruitment. These children would be wasted on other Chapters of Space Marines, we could use them to their full potential. We can make the Emperor proud. Our work is important. Finding heretics in the ranks of other Space Marines, stopping them before they turned completely and, like a rotten apple, infect the rest of the group quickly and completely. By the time the Inquisitors were involved, it was usually too late. Most of the damage was done. We got to them before they infected others. We stopped the plague of heresy from spreading. It is not like we didn't receive orders to retake certain planets from xenos attacks or other high priority cases but this, this was what we lived for. New blood, keeping the numbers up, staying behind a veil of secrecy, under the Emperor's orders.

The scroll says that we must keep the secret of our real mission. We are the Chosen, the Few. I approached the boy as he got into the line to enter the recruitment center for another Chapter of Space Marines. I spoke to a few kids ahead of him, introducing myself as Instructor Ziad, which was true, in a way. There was no need for them to know more at this point. I also had no intention of recruiting them. I was here for the boy. I asked some questions and jotted down some notes and thanked them for their time. Finally, I got to my target.

"Hello, I am instructor Ziad. Would you mind answering some questions for me? Name?"

He straightened up a bit and answered: "Vek, Alessander Vek, sir."

"Well then Vek, what makes you want to join this Chapter of Space Marines? What are your qualifications? Just a bit of pre-screening. We are always looking for the creme de la creme to join our special division."

"Oh, sir, it is an honour for me to join the Marines. I want to make a difference, fight for the Emperor, serve him and eliminate any and all threats to the Imperium. I am a strong man, I am not afraid of hard work and I would like a chance to die for the Emperor."

Ziad arched an eyebrow. "Interesting...and you are not just here to get off this miserable planet? That is what most people your age reply to that question...but not you? Why is that Alessander Vek?"

Vek let the question sink in, probably evaluating and weighing my wording, which may have seemed strange to him but that was the point.

"You read me well, Sir. I just want to serve, fight and die for the Emperor, help his light reach into every corner of the Imperium and perhaps see Holy Terra with my own eyes but if it is not his will then, I will stay behind and do my duty here."

"Alright, Alessander Vek, if you would kindly come with me. You do not have to wait here, this does not appear to be the right Chapter for you. You may want to join the Verum Illuminate, a Chapter of Space Marines who specialize in searching and apprehending traitors and heretics. We tend to be called in on sensitive cases. It is up to you, you can join this Chapter and also do the Emperor's work or you can join us, the Elite, the last defense against the forces of chaos. Unfortunately, the offer stands for as long as I stand here." He paused for a moment and continued. "Or I could find another candidate but with your answers and dedication, I do believe I have found my man. What say you?

Vek does not answer. He is deep in thought. Ziad waits for a few minutes then shrugs and starts walking away.

"Have a nice day M. Vek."

Vek grabs his bag and runs after Ziad.

"Sir, it would be an honour to accept your offer. Verum Illuminate, that means the Enlightened truth. The Emperor's light, the Emperor's truth, there is only one truth and I will lay my life down for the Emperor. I will do my best to not let you down. I will not let the Emperor down."

"Glad to hear it. This will not be easy, some days you will want to quit, walk away, you've had enough, cannot do it anymore. Sometimes the enemy will try to make your faith waver but you must stay strong and remember that The Emperor Protects and guides you. You are a chosen son, of sorts. Your brothers will stand with you and die with you."

Instructor Ziad had been kind on recruitment day but as soon as training began, he started being incredibly strict, especially with me. I wanted to prove that he had not made a mistake by choosing me so I worked as hard as I could. This morning was the same as all the others. Training was nearing its end. Soon it will be determined if I am good enough to be part of the Elite. Sometimes, I felt like, perhaps, I would make it to Echo squad but other times, I wondered if I was defective. Just the other day, I thought I had hallucinated but maybe I was just recalling a dream. I did not dream much here. There was no time to dream. Time! I checked the time and quickly snapped out of those thoughts. Inspection will start shortly. I made the bed perfectly, everything was spotless, not a speck of dust on a dresser or a wrinkle on the bed. The trick was sleeping on the bed. All you had to do in the morning was smooth out the wrinkles. It was so much faster than making the perfect bed.

In my mind, I joined my battle brothers and imagined their breathing patterns, once I was ready and sure I was on the same wavelength, I calmly made my way to the corridor waiting for the inspector to come by. Everything went fine, as usual. We had been doing this for years, at this point. We had yet to see any action, to serve the Emperor's will. We were getting close to the end of training. Soon we will be out in the real world ridding the Imperium of traitors. For now, a couple more weeks and then, the worthy will be assigned to Echo Squad. Some of our Brothers had already moved on to other training units and some ha ceased training. Others had been selected for Delta Squad. Those guys were like robots; they only had one thing on their minds. Fight, Win and Destroy. Never a word, all action. I really didn't want Delta Squad. I had gotten away with a few minor stumbles but nothing big enough to earn me Delta. I was going to keep my nose clean and nothing will stop me from reaching Echo.

The day would start in the great hall, as it always did.

"What is death?"

"It is your duty."

"What is your duty?"

"To serve the Emperor's will!"

Our voices echoed in the great hall. Not a sound, not a breath was taken, not a move out of sync. We are soldiers, we are family, brothers of the Verum Illuminate, Servants of the God-Emperor, Enforcers. We will accomplish and honour his will and follow his orders. This was our training. Training for the real world, our battlefield. Every day, we will seek the truth, victory over the forces of chaos by capturing, detaining or destroying traitors. Ridding the Imperium of the impure. There were hundreds of us, all lined up, in parade, wearing our power armour, standing, ready, waiting for our orders. Our instructor repeated loudly once again.

"What is death?"

"It is your duty."

"What is your duty?"

"To serve the Emperor's will!"

The instructor turns and looks at us, inspecting us. He hit his chest with his first and the sound of metal hitting metal echoed in the great hall. We counted to three and did the same. We then counted to three again and marched out of the great hall. The training was rigorous. We had to be mentally prepared for anything. Destroying any creature who vowed allegiance to the force of chaos. Ridding the worlds of the evil that threatens the Imperium. We marched for hours, reciting our vows of serving the Emperor. We did not stop for food or drink. Once we had marched for four hours straight. Then, we moved to combat training. One on one. Show no mercy! The battle was over once the Instructor called the battle over. We took turns. As the combatants battled, we stood, unmoving, breathing in unison and watched. After another three hours of battle, we were free to sit together and talk, laugh and eat our rations, which was a thirty minute break. We then convene at the auditorium where we started prayer, reading the will of the Emperor. Every day, we recited the words of the Sacred Scroll, word for word. The story of how it disappeared for so long without a trace. Our vow to never lose the Word of the Emperor again. We studied and were taught the will of the God Emperor. We were a special Chapter.

We were chosen by the instructor. Hand picked. The most promising youth of the system. On the day we thought we would join the Emperor's Space Marines, we were questioned and chosen for more. We were called in when everyone else failed. We may not be very many in number but our efficiency was quite impressive. Most other Chapters did not know of our existence, the records did show a few of our accomplishments but there were never many details and most of the information was redacted. Our mission was to find traitors and eliminate them but also to find errors in the thoughts of other Chapters and assure that the heretics are weeded out.

Most of us had tried to join various Chapters but before we even made it to the recruitment process, we were snatched up by the Instructor. The Emperor told him who to choose and we were told the training would be rigorous, our work would be Holy work and that, if we refused, then we would be refusing the Emperor's will. I only know of two people who have refused. They were called traitors. Everyone knows what happens to traitors.

Most of us were between sixteen and twenty-four at this point in training, strong, physically fit, smart and we have very strong faith in the God Emperor. As always, this part of the day went as planned. We integrated the lecture, asked no questions and prayed for the God Emperor's light to lead us in the fight against chaos that is brought on by humans and traitors. This particular day was interesting as we learned of the History of Holy Terra and the actions of the servants of the Emperor and priests that had come before us. From what we were told, the greatest failure of the servants of the Emperor came almost immediately after the Horus Heresey. Apparently, the servants had thought up a way to eliminate the greatest threat to the Emperor's psychic power, even as his body decayed on the throne.

They decided to force Psykers to self-sacrifice in order to keep the Emperor's power over chaos and the warp omnipresent but it was never proven that these Psykers' sacrifices were indeed necessary to feed the Emperor. Hundreds of millions of psykers were sacrificed without confirmation of the need for their death. Although we were not meant to react emotionally to any teachings that we underwent, the air was filled with a feeling of indignation and uncertainty. No one said anything and we all calmed ourselves and kept our breathing at the rhythm as our fellow recruits. We tried to integrate this information as truth. Suddenly, one of our own stood. We all turned, slightly alarmed at why he would break rank and he spoke.

"With all due respect, sir. All my life, I was taught that the sacrifice of these psykers was the Emperor's will. Most psykers welcomed this duty, which was their own death, the ultimate sacrifice. Why would they not? Is that not what we are taught? Every morning, we answer your call. You, yourself ask: What is death" It is your duty!! The psykers, it is their duty to keep the Emperor alive, is it not? "

"What you were taught, all your life, was a myth, tainted by chaos. What I tell you now, this, is the Enlightened Truth. Name one piece of evidence, in the scriptures, that states that this is false. That this is made up and I will be ready to listen. You cannot refute the fact that this is what happened. Our goal is to put a stop to this useless sacrifice and to save these poor psykers from the chaos gods' will. The Emperor tells us so. Do you defy the Emperor's will? We will gladly grant you Mercy if you do."

The recruit, Roth, looked down shamefully and apologized for voicing his thoughts. He then knelt and prayed for forgiveness but we all knew what would come next. Well, I knew. I checked my emotion and rejoined my team in body and mind, hoping the instructor had not noticed. I could do better, I was sure of it. We are a team, get back in the fold, I told myself.

We listened to the Instructor, no more questions were asked and no thoughts were shared. We dutifully repeated and prayed to the Emperor before the instructor told us that tomorrow, we would get our weapons tomorrow.

We were confined to quarters for the night. I took my armour off and quickly washed, then I lay flat on my back and waited for the lights to close. Once they did, the now familiar sound of static was heard through the speakers in the building. The voice counted down and soon, I was asleep. I knew the morning would come and that my comrade would be gone. It is the Emperor's will. The voice reached one and I was still thinking. I need to fall asleep quickly. There isn't much time. The crystal clear sound of a bell rang through the building and I drifted off.

The next morning came quickly. I awoke and took a breath, trying to find the appropriate rhythm and got ready for the day. I quickly got dressed, ate and donned my armour and smoothed out the wrinkles from the bed. We never slept under the covers because it took too much time to make the bed to perfection. I stood at attention when the instructor came in for inspection. I marched to the hallway and waited staring at the wall straight across from me.

As we stood outside our rooms, waiting for the Instructors to conduct inspection, we listened to morning prayer and answered the call. In my peripheral vision, I saw something quite unexpected. My neighbour, the one who had dared speak yesterday during lecture, was standing at attention. This was the first time someone had gone against the Emperor's will and was still present the next day. I almost forgot to answer when it was time. I gave myself a mental shake and answered just as the instructor was walking past me. Most of us did not know each other well but we were all connected. It is an odd feeling to be one of the many but one slowly gets used to it. Sometimes it felt like I was one of the many and at times, I felt like we were one. My brothers and I have been training for so long, it was second nature. From the corner of my eye, I saw Nathaniel standing, just like me, cool calm and collected but in my mind, I could hear his thought process. It was nothing like his calm, stoic exterior. I was likely imagining things, or projecting how I would have felt. When he closed his eyes for a second too long, I saw images and heard him plead to me.

I shuffled inside my boots, unseen, how they had taught us to do so our legs wouldn't fall asleep and recited my answer to Instructor Ziad like everyone in the corridor. We had been told to report anything, absolutely anything out of the ordinary but this, this was not the first time. I wondered if anyone else had this experience or if all the traitors decided to speak to me in their minds. This time, I said nothing and marched behind Nathaniel toward the training area, my mind kept being flooded with images and words that could hardly reach me.

I concentrated on my breathing, trying to stay in the fold but I also focused on the words more than the images. The images were fuzzy and too fast but I got the jest of it. I needed to hear his words. I only caught one sentence before Ziad stood before me and asked me, only me:

What is death?

It is your duty

What is your duty?

To serve the Emperor's will!

When Ziad walked away, there were no more images or words. I snuck a peak at Nate. He was staring me in the eye. I quickly looked away before the Instructor announced over his shoulder that we would be getting our personal weapons after a battle to the death. Nathaniel Roth stepped forward. Without a look or a single word, I felt myself move forward. I was not in control of my own body. I had volunteered to die or to kill my friend. A very short lived look of surprise crossed Ziad's face, my own surprise showed by the widening of my pupils but nothing else. It was too late, I had already volunteered. Ziad recovered quickly.

"Psykers!" he spoke loudly to everyone standing at attention. They will get in your head and make you do things you do not want to do, speak words and thoughts that you do not believe. If you do not have the mental fortitude to block them out, you will not survive to enforce the Emperor's will! Before we proceed with this battle, I will make sure that none of you have been influenced by anyone but the will of the Emperor. Back in line Vek and Roth!"

We both answered: "Yes Sir!" and stepped back into line. I couldn't help wonder why this time, there was any reason to question why we would volunteer. I did not know why I stepped forward, maybe it was the Emperor's design or something completely different but normally, Ziad did not care. He just let whoever volunteered into battle. This was odd.

I listened but every word he spoke, every sentence, I asked why? This was not good, I was going to fail as a Loyalist. I needed to get back into the fold and believe. Focus, I told myself, as Ziad turned on Roth.

"Who made you speak yesterday? Were those your words or is there a traitor within our ranks?"

Roth answered:" The words just fell out of my mouth, Sir. I cannot tell you whence they came from."

Ziad watched him for what seemed like forever and answered. He took out a device from his pocket and scanned the mind of the soldier standing before him. He looked down and replied, "Your mind is weak Roth, you will be punished but the Emperor refuses to see your bloodshed on this day. It is his will that you will live. There will be a battle but not to the death. You will report to the Evaluation room after the battle."

He then walked past us while reciting morning prayer, scanning us, one at a time. More Instructors came to do the same for the rest of the unit. By the time we were done with prayer, the Instructors were satisfied with the results. A simple skills battle would take place.

We both chose a sword and walked to either side of the arena. "Vek! Roth! Ready?! Fight!" Ziad exclaimed. We cried in unison: "Verum Videre!" and I attacked my friend.

The other recruits cheered as we both leapt into the air and our swords clanged together. These matches were always quite long because we could predict each other's moves. We also needed to show restraint as the goal was not to kill our opponent. We were also trying to learn to use muscle memory and clear our minds in battle. At first, no one landed much of a blow but eventually, as I concentrated on my breathing only, I started moving more naturally and Roth seemed to struggle more as he tried to predict my other moves. My mind was blank and I fought. I felt as if I was watching myself from Roth's point of view, I could practically hear his thoughts and my body knew when and where to strike. I landed a blow to the chest and pushed him to the ground and knelt over him with the tip of my sword at his throat.

The instructor called the win and smiled. I stood and extended a hand to Roth and helped him up. Ziad frowned and ordered us to the Great Hall for morning lecture. Roth broke rank and reported to the Evaluation Room.

We did not see Roth for five days. After the battle, I was called to the Instructor's office. He asked me what had compelled me to volunteer for the battle. He told me that I could tell him anything I had on my mind and none of it would be held against me. I looked at Ziad and said:

"Sir, I cannot tell you why I volunteered. I felt myself step forward but I can understand my subconscious motivations. It is entirely possible that I wanted to prove myself to you and all the recruits, that I could deliver mercy to any heretic, whether or not they were my brother or some stranger, more skilled than I or not."

The words came out of me like someone else was speaking them. If he found I was weak of mind, then both Roth and I would be punished. Perhaps this was a test. I was unsure but, for some reason, I felt as though, perhaps Ziad himself was telling me what to say.

Ziad seemed satisfied. "You are to report to the armoury to receive your weapons, no inquiry will be necessary."

"Thank you, sir." I replied.

Five days later, Roth returned, his features were drawn and his eyes were distant, like those of the Marines from Delta Squad. He would likely not speak his mind again. They had successfully brought him back into the fold.

Once training was over, we were sent to a full physical and psychological evaluation. We were to find out which squad we would be joining. Everyone wanted to be Echo or Foxtrot but only a select few would skip the line men or Alpha squad. Assumptions were made that Roth would be Delta squad. He never was the same.

Physical examinations always went well, everyone would pass. Those who would have failed had been dealt with a long time ago. Psychological examinations took place after the physical one but no one knew what would place a Marine into which squad and there was no recollection of the examination. We all accepted our ranks with pride. It is an honour to serve the Emperor, no matter what squad we were selected to join.

I was selected for Echo squad and so was Roth and another Marine named Somek, which was a surprise to all the recruits. We did not voice our reaction to anyone's placement but accepted our orders. Somek, Roth and I were then called to our respective Squads. The other members of Echo squad did not like us much. In our smaller unit, Somek and I were usually sent together with older, more experienced seekers. Roth would be on a unit with more protectors and Foxtrot than Seekers. Perhaps because of the incident during training. Although they were willing to give him a chance, perhaps they felt he was more volatile than we were.

During down time, the three of us would stay together and laugh at jokes and mess around but everyone stayed away from us. We were like the outcasts. On a mission, we were precious, people to be protected. We just theorized that it was jealousy or perhaps fear. Did they think we would do something to them? They are our brothers, we would never hurt them. If we had to fight, wield our weapons, that meant that everyone else was pretty much dead. Maybe they thought we were spoiled? One thing was certain, they were envious and irritated. They thought we were the favoured Marines, Instructor's pets. It was luck that we had become Seekers. It was rare to have a mutation which gave this gift, we did not ask for this, it was the Emperor's will.

Perhaps we were, in fact, a little spoiled because we were considered high value assets and got the protection detail but it was not like we did not know how to fight. We were strong fighters and encouraged to practice battle without using our minds as weapons but we also had that extra training that the other Marines did not have. We trained our minds to block psyker attacks and to control other people's thoughts and actions.

All members of the Verum Illuminate were trained to resist a certain amount of Psyker probing, some were highly successful and some were less. While the other squadrons were out in the action, most of the time, we would only go on certain missions and we needed to stay on the top of our abilities. We often got guard duty in the vaults of the Fortress Monastery. One day, Somek and I stood guard in front of the vault of the sacred scroll. Every time we stood guard there, we both felt like there was something amiss but we couldn't put our finger on it. On that particular day, Instructor Ziad decided to visit the vault. I needed to know that nothing was amiss. I signed to Somek my intention and slipped in behind the instructor, while Somek held the illusion of me, standing guard. I hid myself from view. Ziad was not as perceptive as the seekers. He never knew I was in there. I looked around, there was nothing out of the ordinary. I really wanted to see the scroll and I knew that my being here was wrong. I would be mind wiped and reconditioned, at best if I was discovered. The closer I got to the scroll, the more unease I felt. There was definitely something wrong here. I felt like that time I was sent to find a witch. It was almost exactly the same. Ziad approached the scroll and started chanting. I did not recognize his words but the more he chanted, the more evil the room seemed and Ziad smiled as if he had received a message. I feared being revealed by whatever warp energy Ziad was communicating with. Now I knew, I knew that Roth had been right, when we were aspirants. The Emperor's truth was not available in this chapter. Traitors, we were traitors. When Ziad left the vault, I quickly exited also. Once he was out of sight, I took my place, guarding the traitor scroll.

Once we were off duty, during our free time, I carefully informed Somek and Roth of my findings. Both of my friends stared at me for a moment. I worried that they would turn me in. Roth was the first to speak. He believed me. Somek needed a little bit more convincing. I reminded him of the feeling we had, every time we guarded that vault. That was a warp presence. I told them about the chant, I explained that we had been tricked into serving chaos. Eventually, Somek agreed that this was the likeliest of explanations. Together, we vowed to serve the Emperor of Man and to discreetly create a resistance. We would fight the chaos within but quietly and until then, it would be business as usual. If we thought a mission was wrong, we would fail to find the target. If it was legitimate, we would acquire our targets. We needed to be successful so as to not be demoted to line men.

Those of us who could not maintain the highest standards in our abilities were demoted to line men or Delta Squad, at best. We were trained by the Chapter Master himself. Roth was always the best at resisting our combined mental attacks. Perhaps it was his time spent in reconditioning after his lapse of judgement during training but his mental resilience was impressive. He had even managed to make me...the memory is painful, I don't think I will disclose. I became stronger after that sad episode. Somek was actually reduced to tears once when Roth and I teamed up on the offensive. He was not penalized, nor was I but Somek was also reconditioned, in the same manner as Roth but I was not. We were told it was in order to increase his mental fortitude. I always wondered why I had not been reconditioned also, I had failed to resist Roth.

We went on a few missions, mostly under the supervision of veteran Seekers. Eventually, Roth and I were both called on a mission to retrieve a dangerous psyker from a planet called Zephyr. We were very excited about our very first mission. When we found out that there would be two more senior Seekers coming with us we looked at each other and understood that this was not a simple mission. It was either it was a test or our first mission was very high stakes. High enough that four Seekers were necessary on Echo squad.

We went through our checklist and had a briefing session with Ziad who would be mission leader. He informed us of our mission. We were to apprehend and secure a very strong psyker who had eluded capture by multiple Chapters of Marines. We were called upon because of the special qualities that Echo team possessed. The other heretics that had helped him escape were of no importance and were to be eliminated on sight but Brentley was a capture and return to the Fortress Monastery, Dara Sands. We were informed that if we came into contact with any other Imperial forces, whether it be Sisters of Battle or others, we were to keep the details of the mission secret. We would do as we were told. This was a very high stakes mission and failure was not an option.

When we left the briefing room, we prepared for the trip to Zephyr. We encountered Somek before we left, he was disappointed to be left behind. He wanted to fight, be on the field, do some good but we were the lucky ones, according to him, off to serve the Emperor's will while he stayed here, on Stygian, guarding a building. We clapped him on the back on the way out.

Aboard the ship, we found our quarters where we left our personal items. Then we went to the armoury, to have a look around. We made sure our weapons were cleaned and well oiled and put our personal power armour and other weapons in their designated areas. We then headed to the Captain's office for a debrief.

The objective was to capture the witch Brentley alive and get him back to the Dara Seans. The other heretics that were with them should be destroyed as per the Emperor's will. We were heading for Zephyr, a planet which held a small population of humans. The climate was temperate, there would be forests and Mountains, oceans...similar to Holy Terra but it was very turbulent there because of frequent earthquakes. We would likely find our target in the western hemisphere. In and out as quickly and as quietly as possible. If we were to have contact with the locals, we do not disclose the mission and turn them away. If any other Chapter or organisations are present, we should default to protocol and a leader will be determined among the seekers, at that time.

Roth and I were a little nervous. The pressure of this test or high stakes mission, whatever it was, was getting to us so we decided to mess around to decompress a little. Roth and I were friends, we had been on smaller missions together before. We tended to gravitate toward each other. We got along and understood what the plan was before the other person spoke. All we needed was one look. We were Brothers but we were also friends.

"If I ever get lead. I'll tell them that you're a bit slow and I keep you with me so I can keep an eye on you." Said Roth.

"Pfft...they would never choose you, clearly, I'm the smartest one here, plus, I've never been reconditioned so I'm officially smarter than you too."

"Touché." Roth stood up rigidly.

"Yeah. I know." said Vek.

A look passed between Roth and I, as we grabbed our gear and stood at the gate, waiting to make landfall. I did my check list, making sure everything was ready and nothing was missing and Roth did the same. We waited in silence, focused and serious, for the rest of Echo and Foxtrot to join us. As the gate lowered to let us down, Roth got tapped on the shoulder by the leader. He turned his head and gave me a smug look. I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips as the Verum Illuminate advanced onto this planet, already seeking our target as our minds were being guided by the evil of the witch Brentley.

As I walked with Roth, my weapon raised, I cleared my mind and focused though a smile tugged at my lips when we approached the hive city. There appeared to be more than one powerful witch but the one we were looking for was Brentley. I spoke to the commander.

"They split up."

"Follow Brentley, he's the main target," he said to Roth and I. "We'll take half of Foxtrot with us, the rest of you are going to hunt the others heretics."

The team separated. Roth and myself heading to the West and the second team heading North. Soon we came upon a small group of Sisters of Battle. It appeared Roth would have the honours this time. The Sister Superior walked straight toward us with purpose. The Sisters were excited about something.

"Sister Superior Mila of the Order of the Dawn. I believe we are supposed to work together on the Brentley capture. We have orders to interrogate."

Roth spoke. " Nathaniel Roth, Seeker echo squad  Verum Illuminate. We have orders to capture the heretic. Once he is in custody, you can interrogate him."

A feeling of both hope and excitement passed over me as the Sister superior spoke.

"We would like to join you on this hunt. Study how you work and perhaps be of assistance."

Roth seemed confused for a moment. We were supposed to work alone but he was in charge and these were Daughters of the Emperor. Roth looked at me and the commander quickly. I nodded slightly.

"Only a small group, Sister. As long as you don't get in the way."



As Lord Carl Walsh was returning from a semi-successful campaign near the Sanctus system, he was alerted by a crew member of an all too familiar call sign on the radar.

"Ah, ha! There you are," exclaimed Lord Walsh seeing a familiar number on the radar. Their old ship, the one that was stolen, was sending out a signal. "Okay boys, lets go get what is ours. Set a course for Kevillon. We will take back our ship and set a world on fire!" Lord Walsh laughed with anticipation. "Hopefully, we find someone to fight."

The men prepared for battle as they traveled through the warp at impressive speeds to reach their destination. Commander Robert McGee reflected upon the reason why Pallas expedited their way through the warp.

"She wants something, doesn't she?" Asked McGee.

"Likely. She always wants something. Maybe they have some sort of jewel she likes or a new brand of Champagne. Who knows? More than likely, she wants us to turn the people of that planet to her side and use them as soldiers. We'll know soon enough. I prefer fire, myself but whatever the Lady wants, the Lady gets."

The door to the bridge slid open inciting Walsh to roll his eyes. The sound of high heel shoes hitting the cold metal floor echoed in the near silence of the room. Walsh and McGee turned to greet the newcomer.

"That is correct. I get what I want and what I want is..." she inhaled deeply and shivered.

"Do you feel that? Can you hear them? I miss them so. The power and their screams of agony. Walsh, you will get my cloak back and you, McGee, you can pick up your ship but I also need someone to stay behind. I have a plan. I need your best seeker!" Pallas exclaimed.

"Yes, my Lady," McGee answered quickly and bowed.

"Whatever pleases our Lady," answered Walsh but he did not bow.

Pallas smiled and turned back to leave. As she turned, she gave an elegant flick of her wrist and Walsh folded in half in pain. Pallas spoke angrily without turning.

"BOW TO YOUR LADY, INSOLENT! Next time, I will not be so lenient!"

Walsh righted himself as soon as Pallas left the room and grumbled under his breath.

"Alright! What are you waiting for! Let's go!"

The Verum Illuminate prepared for the landing. Lord Walsh chose their best psyker grudgingly, sending him to Pallas' quarter for a briefing on his secret mission. Walsh was angry. He wanted that secret mission. How would he ever be recognised by the god of change, if he wasn't even allowed to do anything significant. He did steal the gene-seed but that was not enough and taking back his own ship and getting the spoiled brat her freakish cloak back? Nothing!

When they arrived, all the echo and foxtrot squad and the Delta squad approached this grandiose Fortress- Monastery. This planet, it was much nicer than their own homeworld...it was falling apart. Desert everywhere you looked were ruins instead of a grandiose fortress monastery. The loyalists, they had ruined everything. Why could they not just fall into the mold?

"Alright, in and out boys. We are getting the cloak and the ship and leaving. Destroy anyone who gets in your way. It is time to disappear. ECHO! Verum Videre!"

The Marines repeated their war cry in unison and split up half heading to retake their own stolen ship with Commander McGee and the other half with Lord Walsh to retrieve the freakish cloak. Lord Walsh's team walked boldly to the fortress monastery and marched up the steps, knowing they were unseen and confident they would easily find the cloak. Walsh could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He always felt that in the presence of the cloak.

Commander McGee marched to the ship with the same confidence as Lord Walsh's team. Soon they arrived upon their own ship. McGee wondered why the ship was left here? Why would Vek and Somek come here, this close to Sanctus? They would be killed for just being members of the Renegade Chapter. It made no sense? Oh, well, they are dead, he thought to himself. The Red Crusaders would never let them live. He stepped aboard with a techmarine and a navigator, the rest of the squad waiting outside. The ship was in working order and the regular prayers soothed the gods as the board lit up. The rest of the team boarded the ship.

"Ah, I've missed you," said Commander McGee to the ship. "Alright then, let's get the ship into space and see what progress Lord Walsh has made."

The ship did not protest as it left the surface of Kevillon. McGee radioed their main ship to inform them that the mission had gone without a hitch and that, if Lord Walsh needed back up, they would gladly support the other company on their mission. There had been no communications from Lord Walsh. He liked to do his own thing and was rarely unsuccessful. Commander McGee was only mildly concerned although they were bound to need more time to find the cloak. McGee was staring at the pretty planet below wondering what it was that Pallas could possibly want. Maybe there was another sorcerer. He started feeling jealous when he heard her footfalls behind him. He turned quickly and bowed.

"My Lady, you have special orders?"

"Yes my dear commander. You know you are my favourite commander, don't you?"

The corner of his lips turned up in a small, fleeting smile as he answered.

"That is quite the compliment, my Lady, what can I do for you?"

Pallas waved a hand at the planet below.

"I am tired of this perfect planet. I wish to return to Stygian. Take me back."

"Yes, my Lady. Set a course for Stygian," he ordered the navigator and with that, they were gone.

On the planet, Lord Walsh and his small company started up the steps of a very clean, square, Fortress Monastery. The steps leading to the front entrance were made of white marble. The Fortress itself was large and had very clean lines. The architecture was ancient. Reminiscent of an old Terra era called ancient Rome. The Fortress-Monastery looked and sounded completely empty but the Seeker made sure to keep their approach hidden from all eyes and ears. He informed Lord Walsh, quietly that there were souls inside the Fortress. Once they arrived at the courtyard, they saw a very large, golden statue of the God Emperor wielding his mighty sword. Lord Walsh's eyes were riveted on that statue. It felt like the Emperor was watching him, judging him.

When they entered the fortress, they noticed the oddly shaped corridor that was all made of marble, the roof held up by columns. The halls were lined with statues. Lord Walsh asked the Seeker which way to go for the vaults. The seeker told him he was uncertain but that there was a faint sense of chaos on the left. As they started down the oddly shaped hall, the silence continued to weigh on them. Their footfalls seemed to echo so loudly but nothing else could be heard. The halls were lined with life size statues, dressed in bronze power armour, red robes and red accents, like the Marines they depicted. The Verum Illuminate had never heard of this Chapter of Space Marines, so seeing the faceplates of bronze, molded to look like the Marines who once served the Emperor, was impressive and he studied some of the statues. This is when he realised that they all had different faceplates that seemed to be molded to the face of a revered Space Marine. Lord Walsh had to admit, the aesthetics of this place was absolutely magnificent. As they continued walking down the hall, a marine of the Verum Illuminate whispered:

"Doesn't that one look like Vek?"

Walsh's head spun so fast, he stared at the statue. It had to be a coincidence? Vek was dead. There was no way the Red Crusaders would let them live, not the Crusaders, they were do-gooders, straight arrows. He looked away and continued up the step. Another Marine, on the other side, commented on another statue.

"This one looks just like Somek." He gave a nervous laugh. This Marine did not bother to whisper, the place was deserted, he felt no need to whisper. Walsh did not like this at all but he had a mission and he needed to get that cloak, no matter what. The air seemed to fill with tension. He was imagining things...or maybe not. The Seekers grabbed their heads and screamed. Something seemed to be wrong with his psykers. This was not good. The rest of the Company turned looking for a threat, weapons drawn and ready. That is when Lord Walsh heard it. The screams of hundreds of people filled his head. This was an almost unbearable war cry but there was no attack. Some of the Marines of the Verum Illuminate dropped their weapons but the Delta squad held fast. That is when the statues came to life! Every other statue had been a real Marine, guarding the Fortress Monastery.

The swiftness of the movements and rage fueled attack by the living statues on the unsuspecting Verum Illuminate, made Lord Walsh's team slow to react and put them at a disadvantage. The resounding screams of anger from the Guardians lining the hall, flooding their foe, created instant terror and the chaos Marines were stunned into inaction and their hands instinctively went to their ears in a protective reaction. Walsh tried to understand how this could happen. He realised that the shape and the size of the halls were made to intensify and disperse the sounds of the warriors' cry. They had been ambushed by architecture and statues.

-

He could feel it. He hadn't felt anything quite like it in more than a hundred years. He could never forget it, the memory associated with this feeling made it hard to be still. He warned the others, silently. They were coming. The ones from the Traitor scroll. They were unseen but they were there. Their seekers, masking their presence. He tried to contain his rage, he wanted to scream out but they were not in position. There...a whisper, one of them recognised Vek. He smiled in his bronze mask but he did not move. Just a little bit further. He waited until, right in front of him, he heard a traitor say: "This one looks just like Somek."

Roman Somek screamed in with all his psychic might and the seeker's illusions failed. He reached out, as his mind kept screaming, he grabbed the marine by the neck and lifted him off the floor, throwing him onto the sword of the statue standing guard across the hall from him. The other guardians screamed as loud as they could, their screams filled with rage and hatred. The Guardians attacked the group of traitor marines. Finally, Somek's rage could be expressed and this time, they were ready and they would win against their traitor founding chapter.

In his office, up a few floors from the entrance of the Fortress-Monastery, Chapter Master Marcellus Tacitus was discussing a mission with the Legatus Legionus of the third company. Abruptly, he stopped talking and his face contorted in anger. He told his Commander to send all available Marines to the main hall of the Pantheon and to have the ship sweep for any enemy ship. The Verum Illuminate were here. Tacitus would be granted his revenge.

He grabbed his golden mask off his desk and ran as fast as he could down the hall. Down the stairs at an incredible speed. Too slow, he thought. He ran to a room and broke a window. He pulled himself onto the ledge and went through the window, his jet pack slowing his descent. Instead of being excited, as he thought he would be, he was enraged and when he arrived in the hall, his power sword immediately set to work against those hateful traitors.

--

No, no, no! This was not right. This was not the plan. In and out, no one even knows we were even there. Lord Walsh realised that they were at a disadvantage. These marines had the same training as they did, they had seekers and they had their gene-seed. He had just successfully stolen the gene-seed of the Champions of Mortis, not 50 years ago and here lies his own gene-seed. He made a quick decision. He informed the two seekers of his plan. One was to go with him and the other, return to the ship where he would be safe. They would get their gene-seed back and Pallas' stupid, freaky cloak. He and his escort disappeared from sight. They ran through the battle, avoiding power swords and other weapons as they went until they came to a halt in front of a large arch. They leaned against the wall as over fifty Marines rushed past. Lord Walsh shook his head. His men would all be lost. He cannot turn around and run. He must get what is theirs and Pallas' fashion faux-pas.

The last Marine, the Librarian, stopped in the archway. Lord Walsh gathered his thoughts and projected a feeling of both anger and excitement. He tried mimicking what the marines from the loyalist chapter were thinking and feeling to better hide himself from the librarian. It would be the only way for them to not be caught. The Librarian continued and Lord Walsh and his seeker continued down a long hall. They turned to a large wooden door with black iron hinges and a door handle. It looked out of place in this white washed marble fortress. The Seeker motioned to Lord Walsh that their scroll was somewhere behind that door. As more Bronze Guardians rushed by, they stayed close to the wall. When the Fortress Monastery fell quiet apart for the sound of distant fighting, Lord Walsh opened the door. What he saw was curious.

There was a large tunnel leading down. It was lit by glass sconces which gave off yellow light. He knew immediately that this tunnel led to the vaults where he would find and take back what was his. Confident in his ability to discover the gene-seed and the cloak, among other possible items that belonged to the Verum Illuminate, he sent his seeker back to the ship with an order to wait for him before they should leave. He could feel the pull of the cloak. It felt...miserable and powerful at the same time. He started down the tunnel. The walls of which were rounded until the tunnel branched out in three different directions. A curious looking square about 2 feet by 2 feet was built into the wall. A dark screen was displayed above it but there were no prompts. He could feel the pull of the cloak down the right corridor. He pressed some buttons on instinct, hoping the screen would come on but it did not. He could hear the sound of the machine humming but nothing happened. He chose to ignore it and walked down the left corridor, wondering when he would encounter guards.

There were no doors or any kind of decorations. This was the oddest underground vault he had ever seen. The walls were smooth and white with light flickering from sconces. The floors were slick and shiny. They twisted and turned, moving slowly but steadily deeper into the mountain where the Fortress-Monastery was built. He followed his instincts but his instincts told him to go right. There was no door to the right. He felt the walls to perhaps find something to push to open an unseen door. He fiddled with a wall sconce to no avail. Frustrated, he turned around and noticed that there was a passage way to the left or he could keep going right. Confused and having to turn his back on his instincts, he thought that the left passage may circle around to where he wanted to go so he started down that hall. Suddenly, he realised that the passage was in fact turning to head the correct way but he did not notice that there was a very small incline. As he trudged on, he found another fork in the tunnel. He followed his instincts and stepped into the brighter tunnel. After a few steps, he heard a click under his boots. It was so loud that he was surprised by the sound. He drew his weapon, expecting an attack but nothing happened.

After a few more steps, Lord Walsh realised that he was putting in a little more effort than he had been, previously. Soon he noticed the incline. What he didn't notice was how sticky the floors had become. After a few more seconds, he realised that his boots were sinking into the floor. He had tripped a trap. He started to turn to go back the way he had come when he stopped and heard a familiar chant. Lord Walsh cursed quietly under his breath but the time it had taken him to listen and recognise the chant had been enough to create a more immediate problem. His boots were now completely stuck in the floor and the floor had hardened. This was not a problem that would take very long to solve but he knew that he now had a time limit before real trouble came.

-

In the hall of statues, the Bronze Guardians fought the traitors with one goal in mind. Destroy those that had made them flee their planet and turned their backs on the Golden Throne. These heretics must all be purged. The battle was fierce but the Verum Illuminate were outnumbered and no match for the Bronze Guardians. Chapter Master Tacitus ripped through the enemy as he walked calmly in the center of the hallway. He raised his power sword and brought it down in an arc even though no one had attacked him. He met with resistance and heard the screech of his sword hitting power armour. The sound was satisfying but the sight of the injured seeker reminded him of his time with the Verum Illuminate. As he pulled his power sword back, he thrust it into the traitor Marines chest, the light of his lenses flashing off. This could have been him. He could have been a traitor, purged by loyalist marines. Fortunately, he had discovered the truth, in his first days as a Seeker. He had felt the power of chaos in that underground vault, emanating from the scroll. He had understood immediately that it had been corrupted, that the higher ranking members of the Verum Illuminate were traitors, tainted by the God of change. If it hadn't been for his curiosity and his gift of chaos sense, they would all be turned and the Bronze Guardians would have never come to be.

The fight did not last very long, all the traitor invaders were purged. Chapter Master Tacitus felt avenged until Roman Somek informed him that the labyrinth had been breached. Tacitus smiled.

"Our old friend, Ikarus, will gladly dispose of him."

Tacitus expected reinforcements to come but they did not. He thought it odd so they would go to the Verum Illuminate. This was their chance to purge them from existence. He sent some marines to the maze, in case the labyrinth and Ikarus would fail to destroy the intruder and they started preparing to take the fight to space. He called to the ship he had sent on orbit.

"Report?"

"They are gone," answered the voice on the vox.

"What do you mean gone? They ran?"

"Yes, sir. Not before we caused them some damage. They just left mid battle. We kept firing but they did not return fire."

Chapter Master Tacitus thought about this new piece of information.

"Go to Stygian. We will bring the fight to them. I will send reinforcements on Aegis."

As the clean up of the hall of statues began, the Chapter Master was informed that the underground labyrinth had been breached. A smile momentarily appeared on his lips and disappeared just as fast. He made his way to the entrance of the labyrinth to seal the exit. He wanted to be there to confirm the kill and he also wanted to know who had gotten past them.

---

In the labyrinth, Lord Walsh looked at his feet in annoyance and planted his power sword into the now, solid floor. He worked his way around his boots, attempting to free himself with his sword. He began hearing a very troubling sound as the floor began shaking. Lord Walsh worked faster to free himself, soon his boots were freed from the floor. He turned to face the tunnel on the right, as the noise was coming from that way. A loud electronic sound came from that path and around a corner, about 40 feet away, the tunnel was aflame. Behind the flames was a Dreadnought hold a very large axe. Lord Walsh swore under his breath and looks around for the best place to make a stand. He ran back the way he came to an intersection where three different tunnels connect together.

If he could make it around the corner, he would have the element of surprise on his side. As he rounded the corner, the sound of the roar of the dreadnought was deafening, because of the size and architecture of the tunnels. The booming of every step of the foe made the whole labyrinth shake under its weight. Unfortunately for Lord Walsh, the noise the dreadnought makes masks the sound of walls falling into place through the labyrinth, ready to trap the intruder and force him to face Ikarus. Lord Walsh jumps out and immediately attacks the dreadnought, he is met with a wall of flame. The fire does not stop Lord Walsh. He slammed his power sword into the enemy causing very little damage. He tried to step away from the axe that comes toward him but it sweeps him off his feet and he hits the wall behind him. He lumbers to his feet using a wall for support and realised that there used to not be a wall there. Walsh realised he was boxed in with the dread. There were only two ways out, through the dread or through the walls. He chose to stand his ground. He wanted his geneseed back...if he could get at least that, he would consider it a victory for the Verum Illuminate.

---

The Argo and Aegis both approached Stygian just in time to see the planet being slowly pulled into the warp. Hopefully, this would mean the end of the Verum Illuminate. They stayed in place, far enough away as to not be seen or appear on radar and watched until the planet was completely gone. The Bronze Guardians reported back to Chapter Master Tacitus of the unexpected turn of event. Tacitus recalled the Aegis, which would be in need of minor repairs and ordered the Argo to stay and patrol for any stragglers.

Marcellus Tacitus stood in front of the entrance and listened and waited. The traitors in the hall of statues were being disposed of in silence. A small feeling of satisfaction came over him. Finally, they got what they deserved, a victory against the Verum Illuminate. Behind him, he heard the unmistakable cry from his brother Ikarus. His lips turned up into a small smile. He wondered what the traitor would choose to do, stand and fight or run like a coward only to be stuck between Ikarus and himself at the bitter end. The screams stopped and so did the massive footsteps. He waited a little more. Ah, the traitor decided to stand and fight. The sounds of battle in the labyrinth began. Ikarus was playing with the enemy, he hadn't been awake for a very long time so he was taking his time destroying him. Cries of pain were heard all the way to the entrance. The light beside the door was still flashing, even after a last cry was cut short. The light by the door stopped flashing.

Chapter Master Tacitus opened the door and stepped into the labyrinth. He undid the knot from his robes and placed it rope on the correct peg and waited for the labyrinth to reorganise itself. He took his rope again and walked until the next set of pegs and repeated the procedure three times until the tunnel opened up on a dismembered traitor Marine, laying in a pool of blood. Tacitus spoke to the dreadnought.

"Thank you brother Ikarus. Your work here is greatly appreciated. Your labyrinth worked perfectly, as planned."

An electronic voice answered." I did tell you this would work. Have I been asleep for long?"

"Only two centuries."

"Then, if I am not needed at the moment, I would return to rest."

"Very well, old friend."

The dreadnought turned away and made his way back to his resting place at the center of the maze.