Rescue in Reverse

Even Sien could not help feeling nervous as the Power Sword appeared beside his shoulder, its Disruption Field flickering. It could take his head off at any moment.

Fortunately, Iax had no intention of killing him. To Iax, this Duel had been little more than a game.

If he truly wanted to kill them, Iax only needed to enter Hyper-Acceleration Mode once to tear all these supposed demigods apart before they could react.

Iax casually tossed the Longsword back toward its owner.

The Black Templars warrior flinched at the sight of the Longsword flying toward him and tried to twist aside. But that instinctive movement happened to expose the scabbard at his side.

The Longsword flew straight into the scabbard, its trajectory visible yet impossible to evade. Its remaining momentum even made the Black Templars warrior stumble.

The other Astartes watching nearby had been ready to charge, but they all stopped in their tracks when they saw the Power Sword land precisely in its scabbard.

There was only one Ancient Construct, while there were twelve of them. Yet their Sergeant had challenged him to a Duel and been defeated fair and square.

The Black Templars Chapter had its own creed. As one of the many groups of sons descended from the Primarch Rogal Dorn, the Black Templars placed the greatest emphasis on loyalty and honor.

They had an obsessive preference for close combat and prized chivalry, even seeking suitable enemies to challenge to Duels on the battlefield without regard for their surroundings.

This peculiar trait had influenced so many of them that every Black Templar was a dueling fanatic. It was not only the Emperor's Champion who fought Duels on the battlefield. Their captains, sergeants, and even ordinary Astartes would challenge enemies whenever they deemed the opponent or circumstances suitable.

In other Chapters, almost no one apart from the company champions insisted on dueling their enemies, and even the company champions did not necessarily do so.

Having lost the Duel, Sien stared at the towering Iax before him, his thoughts in turmoil.

This Machine Intelligence actually spared us?

That seems completely different from everything I read.

These intelligent Ancient Constructs could actually choose not to kill?

Perhaps this isn't an abominable intelligence. But what does that make him?

Iax, meanwhile, watched Sien stand there in a daze. Even with the helmet in the way, his scanner could see Sien's expression through its less-than-sturdy shell.

"All right. Whatever you're thinking, it doesn't matter to me. I need historical information. I need records. Since you all say Earth might have the relevant information, I have to go there. This city might not have navigational equipment, but since you came here from off-world, I assume you must have the means to navigate."

"I need some help getting to Earth. Since you lost the Duel, I believe the victor has the right to state his demands."

Iax reached out and patted Sien's pauldron.

The gesture interrupted Sien's thoughts, and he asked in bewilderment,

"Where is Earth?"

Vashul quietly poked his head out from the side and answered Sien's question in his electronically tinged voice.

"Earth is Terra."

Sien started violently.

"You want to go to Terra?"

"Didn't you tell me that the Imperial Historical Archives on Earth held the most complete historical records?"

Iax looked earnestly at the Astartes before him.

"What? Were Sage Vashul and that Battle-Brother behind you lying to me?"

Although Iax had a mechanical body, his head had been crafted with exceptional precision. Numerous intricate mechanical structures allowed him to form a wide range of expressions. They still differed somewhat from those of a real person, but his general emotions remained recognizable.

Combined with his electronic eyes, which had turned pale red, it created an inexplicable sense of pressure.

Sien turned his helmeted head to glance at Sage Vashul nearby, then looked at his Battle-Brother before shaking his head.

"Neither the Sage nor my Battle-Brother would spread lies. But we cannot allow an uncontrolled Ancient Machine Intelligence to travel to Terra. Although you have yet to cause any harm to the Imperium, your origins remain unverified."

"Besides, the journey to Terra is extraordinarily difficult."

Iax grew irritated.

"I've already told you who I am. As the homeworld of my Creator, I see no reason I shouldn't be allowed to visit Earth. And what exactly do you mean by difficult?!"

"Bzzzt, krrsh..."

"Hello? Sien... orbit... under... heavy... attack... renegade... forces."

"We... support... Boarding Action..."

Sien reached up and pressed the button on the side of his helmet to connect the communication channel.

"What happened? Respond!"

The sudden transmission interrupted Sien and Iax's conversation.

Powerful Psychic Power interference made communications extremely patchy.

Communication interference was hardly rare, but for it to appear so abruptly, the only possible explanation was the arrival of enemies from the Warp.

Although the transmission was incomplete, they could still extract the important information.

The enemy had launched a Boarding Action against the ship in orbit!

But a Boarding Action against an Imperial Battleship?!

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Sien no longer had time to deal with the Ancient Construct before him, who seemed to pose no immediate threat.

"Brothers, return to the Thunderhawk Gunship at once. We're heading back to the Battleship in orbit. You all heard the transmission. The enemy may have launched a Boarding Action. Be ready."

With Sien giving the order as their sergeant, the others naturally had no objections. Lowering the ancient Mechanical Constructs' priority was no great matter. After all, he seemed harmless, and even a Sage with no combat capabilities was still here.

Although Iax was not included in their communications protocol, at this distance his audio pickup system captured the entire transmission inside Sien's helmet. He immediately established a remote connection to the Raven lingering overhead and used it to access the Shatterer Cannon's fire-control system.

Some damned things interrupted my conversation. They'll have to pay for that. Perhaps if I lend a little hand, these people can answer my questions.

In orbit, the enormous Imperial Battleship was firing furiously. The four warships nearby bore conspicuous spikes. There was nothing particularly distinctive about their designs, and they even looked much like Imperial Ships, but the style of their ornamentation had become decidedly grotesque.

The Captain stared at the unmistakable markings on the four warships and shouted furiously.

"The renegade Legion, the Iron Warriors!"

"Those damned Traitors!"

The enemy's four ships also included a Battleship, along with two Cruisers and a frigate.

The Iron Warriors' objective was clear.

This location was very close to the Great Rift, making passage in and out exceptionally convenient for the traitor Legions. They could emerge anywhere at any time to strike or plunder whatever targets they deemed suitable.

And now, this lone Imperial Battleship holding orbit around a Planet was clearly an excellent prize to seize.