Secret War: Warhammer 40,000, Ben Agar [list of ebook readers .txt] 📗

a shrug. "I explored the staircase in its entirety. The Throne Agent, Wesley, is correct. This is just getting stranger and stranger."

I smiled as I reloaded my autopistol. "Almost an open invitation, one may say," I said.

"What about the doors?" asked Castella.

"Nothing," said Darrance. "Obviously, I didn't open them and cannot tell what is on the other side. They could be booby-trapped."

I nodded; I was leaning against the metal wall in the confined, industrialised corridor. Not far away, the Hammers with Wesley kneeled behind the sandbag wall that the enemy had used not so long ago.

I took the ceramic case of Lhos from the pocket of my flak jacket, popped out one, placed it in my mouth, and then lit it.

"According to the data slate," I said while exhaling smoke. "Almost the entirety of the tenth floor is an ecclesiarchy church."

I held it up so they could see. "Twelve pillars on both sides, fifty pews total, twenty-five on both sides. Plenty of cover for our enemy. Not much for us when we break through the doors, of course. That's even before they'd undoubtedly reinforced the place. "

Darrance grinned and shrugged. "When has that ever been a problem?" he said.

I clenched my jaw. "I'd suggest we wait for reinforcements before we even go near that place."

Castella raised an eyebrow and looked at Darrance. "Who's the one being logical now?"

Darrance shrugged again. "And how long will that take, apprentice? At this rate, hours? And how many more will die? We risk only the three of us to cut off the head effectively."

"Assuming he's even there," I said.

"Well, if he isn't, we can just fall back and report that," said Darrance.

"What about the doors?" I said. "Won't we need Hayden?"

Castella stroked her chin. "I doubt it. This Inquisitor could've laid traps far more numerously throughout the entire building than he did. If he wanted this place destroyed and all of us dead, it would've happened already. I have a feeling he wants us up there."

"But why?" I asked.

+To give you a message,+ the words filtered through my thoughts, sending a shiver through me, which made me flinch in fright. It was unmistakably Edracian's voice.

"Apprentice," said Darrance. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah!" I said, realising I'd suddenly started to sweat. "I'm fine. I'm sorry."

Castella and Darrance shared bemused looks.

"I don't know," she said. "You're the one who's met him face to face. If anyone should know, it's you."

"Perhaps," I said with a shrug, then I looked at Darrance, "and perhaps you're right. Perhaps we should do this."

Darrance grinned. "Perhaps you will learn one day, apprentice. That I am always right."

I sighed, and people chastise me for being arrogant.

With another sigh, this one sadder than the last, I stubbed out my Lho stick on the wall and pushed myself off it.

"Wesley," I said. "We're headed for the tenth floor; you'll have to hold off the mercs without us."

He frowned. "Yes, I know. You are aware I can supersede you on this. I need you here and getting the elevator working is the highest priority."

"Correction," I said grimly. "You can try to supersede us, but we're going; stopping Edracian is the actual highest priority, isn't it? We're going to do it."

He frowned. "You are insane; who frigging knows how many men he's got up there with him. You're going to your deaths."

I looked him in the eye. "Perhaps so, but if we kill him in the process, you'll only lose the three of us. Instead of dozens upon dozens of others."

I paused and looked at Verenth, who glared back at me. "Dozens who might have families, children. None of us has that; we're just hired, murderers. Let us try, Wesley. You've got nothing to lose."

He grimaced. "You are aware, Attenlus. That if you sacrifice yourself like this, no one here will give a shit. You've caused too much damage to people like Verenth that you'll never be forgiven. They'll see it for what it is, a hollow, selfish notion."

I shrugged. "Yeah, I know, but hardly care, and if I die, I'll care even less."

I flinched. "Because I won't be able to care because I'll be dead."

Wesley grinned and sniggered. "Yeah, I got that. Alright, go ahead. Once we get the elevator going, reinforcements will be en route."

I waved for Castella and Darrance to follow with a nod, and we moved past the Hammers then jumped over the sandbags.

"Wish us luck," I said over my shoulder.

"I'll do even better," said Wesley. "I'll pray that the Emperor's will is with you."

I let out a derivative snort just before we were around the corner and out of sight.

"Nice speech there, Apprentice," said Darrance. "Did you mean any of it?"

I clenched my jaw. "Yes and no, if I die, then I die, and for me, this hell is over and damn well done with, but I have utterly no intention to die this day."

+Oh, you have no idea, the irony of your words,+ said Edracian's voice.

Go away! I snarled wordlessly.

I was only answered by roiling, echoing laughter.

"Attelus, are you okay?" said Castella.

I stopped and turned to her. "I'm fine. I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'm fine."

Castella frowned and furrowed her brow, not looking at all convinced.

"We should move carefully from here on," said Darrance. "Keep to the shadows."

Castella and I nodded, and immediately we melted into the darkness as though we were never there.

 

 

It took a good ten minutes for us to reach the stairs. Having to dodge two massive waves of mercs as they ran toward the Elevator controls and our allies. I'd taken the liberty to vox them the number of mercs and their armaments once they'd passed.

All the while, I tried calling the Farseer, tried to get her to find out how Edracian was talking to me, but much to my frustration, she didn't reply.

Most likely, she couldn't.

The stairs, like much of the building, were built with white marble with golden abrasion lining. They were very wide, a good five metres and brightly lit and curved around ninety degrees, so the door at its peak was out of sight.

I sighed. "I don't like this."

Darrance's attention snapped to me. "Tell me, apprentice! Is there something you actually like?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, caffeine, Castella. Not you."

"Very subtle, apprentice," said Darrance. "Next time someone you 'like' actually bothers to remember your birthday, please do inform me."

I gaped, unable to even consider a response.

"Also, Apprentice, I only remembered it because I make a point of remembering everyone's birthday, so do not feel special," said Darrance.

I sighed. "Don't worry. I don't."

"Come on, let's move," growled Castella as she started up the stairs. "And do try to be quiet, please."

I frowned and followed her, so that's why she'd acted weird when Darrance had mentioned my birthday earlier. It mattered little; she'd come to my bedside every day to pray; I'd say that more than made up for it.

That's if Feuilt was telling the truth, of course.

With weapons raised, silently, we stalked up the stairs, Darrance in the lead. There were barely any shadows, so stealth wasn't an option.

It took a good three minutes before we finally came to the doors; they were huge, ostentatious golden things, standing at a good four metres tall. Carved into it was what looked like the Emperor handing what looked like a scroll to a generically handsome mortal man, with the stars behind them.

We stood there for a few seconds just looking; Darrance was the first to speak.

"Apprentice, open them."

"What? Why me?"

"Because, while I admit you do have considerable skill, you are still an Apprentice; you are the lowest-ranked. So it's up to you to go first, as you are the most expendable," he said.

"No, you go first," I said. "The one with the most experience and skill should go first as they're more experienced to handle what may lie beyond."

"Your sarcasm doesn't make it any less true," he said. "But I insist, as your superior, I order you to go first."

I snorted. "When did I ever care for your orders?"

"Enough!" snapped Castella, and with a blast of her plasma pistol, she vaporised the left door's hinges then kicked it, so it fell inward with a crash.

We slipped behind the remaining door and waited for the retaliatory fire, but oddly, it never came.

After sharing confused glances, Darrance leaned out to look; it only took a second before he turned back.

"You said he wore power armour, right?" he asked.

I nodded.

"It's only him in there. His back to us."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure, Apprentice," Darrance said, looking wounded. "Of course I am; who do you think I am?"

I smirked.

+You three, you have finally arrived; please do come in. You are more than welcome.+

Involuntarily, I clenched my teeth, and my eyes widened with fear.

Castella and Darrance were suddenly moving out into the church, weapons held loosely at their sides.

"Castella! Darrance!" I yelled, but they didn't respond; they just kept moving.

"Frig!" I snarled and slipped after them, pistol raised.

 

 

I stepped into that vast church, here the walls, pillars, floor and ceiling made of a dark green marble that reflected the intense light emitted from the dozen large chandeliers hanging high above. Stairs led down to the church, eight total that surrounded the place from length to width, elevating the pillars and the altar above the nave. I couldn't help wonder exactly how many mercs were hiding behind them.

Between each pillar were huge paintings, each depicting the Emperor of Mankind in some great act, somewhere. When I was younger, I wanted to be an Imperial historian; I used to study the crusades, the heroes of the Imperium, so perhaps I might've recognised what it symbolised. But the war changed me; I've forgotten all that now; my pragmatism didn't just extend to my fighting style, all that learning was redundant, replaced by knowledge more applicable for my new calling. Glaitis had an extensive library of information back on her ship, so if I ever needed to be reacquainted with it for a mission's sake, I easily could.

I frowned at the thought of Glaitis.

Edracian stood in the epicentre, amongst the pews, still in his power armour, and as Darrance had described, his back was to us, his red cape so long it folded onto the floor a good metre behind him.

Whatever had taken hold of Darrance and Castella was abruptly gone as they shook their heads and raised their weapons. I thought they were wearing psy jammers; how the hell could they've been affected?

+I have been waiting for you! You have taken your time!+

"Inquisitor Nonin Edracian!" yelled Castella, her plasma pistol raised. "Surrender, now! And you will be spared!"

His laughter filtered through my thoughts.

+And on whose authority do you demand this surrender?+

"The authority that comes from the barrel of a frigging plasma pistol!" she snarled.

He laughed again. +A plasma pistol? Do you really think I would fear a plasma pistol? It is powerful, that is sure, but its power is nothing compared to the power I possess!+

"And what power is that?" asked Darrance.

+The power of the warp!+

Then he slowly raised his arms, and as he did, everything started to quake and shake—the pews, the chandeliers, hell, even the frigging pillars.

Castella didn't hesitate as a bright lance of light erupted through the room straight toward Edracian. But suddenly, it stopped only a few inches from hitting him; the plasma beam seemingly evaporated into nothingness.

My jaw dropped; it was hard for me even to comprehend a force strong enough to stop plasma until then.

"Well, shit," said Castella and shot again but only to get the same results.

Edracian laughed and kept raising his arms; then, the pews started to rise into the air, floating upward and upward. The temperature abruptly dropped, condensation began to form on the walls and floors, then quickly hardened into frost.

The shaking was so intense now; that I could barely keep my feet.

She shot a third time, but this one went wild, succeeding only in burning through the wall at the other end of the chamber.

"Castella!" I yelled over the cacophony. "I'd try