Daggers Drawn

"Betrayal" is a conceptual power, a part of a grand sacred ritual that transcends our existing war philosophy and lies beyond the tactics of the Adeptus Astartes legions.

No one understands the full extent of betrayal's power, except the Word Bearers. We have mastered it.

Cho'el surveyed the hall, Ultramarines and Word Bearers gathered together, enjoying the feast.

"What if, at this very moment, the Word Bearers suddenly launched a surprise attack on the Ultramarines, with bolter rounds and plasma, with chainswords and power swords, sacrificing your blood to the Empyrean, what if you and I turned our blades upon each other?"

Cho'el's words seemed to carry a deep meaning. His eyes were unreadable, as if he wanted his old friend to gain some enlightenment, or perhaps it was merely a profound mockery.

"My Brother, I must admit this is an extremely vicious act," Lucius breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, it's not real. We are immune to fear due to our superhuman augmentation and training, but that doesn't mean we won't be terrified and shocked. We would be utterly helpless."

Lucius nodded seriously. He had to admit this was something the Gene-Father had overlooked. Enemies who believed in the extraordinary power of "Betrayal" needed to be dealt with.

"For the first time, I feel regret for the tolerance and integrity of the Ultramarines. This is almost a naked suggestion, yet he shows no suspicion."

Nikanna watched as this Thirteenth Legion NCO earnestly discussed the dangers of betrayal with a Word Bearer, without considering a terrifying possibility: was what the Word Bearer proposed not merely a hypothetical scenario?

The atmosphere froze at that moment.

A chill from the Empyrean spread through the chamber. Nikanna sensed, dimly, that something was watching what was about to happen.

"Can you understand me, my brother, my friend, my Lucius?"

Cho'el's voice rose. He straightened his back, hoping his old friend would react.

"Understand what? Perhaps you could be more explicit," Lucius asked.

"I have been asked to join a new path. I need to prove that I have wholeheartedly committed myself to this great goal. I need..."

Soloth Cho'el's gaze met Lucius's.

Lucius finally understood. If Cho'el was irresistibly compelled to join a new path, then he would inevitably have to abandon the old one.

He wasn't hypothesizing or discussing.

"Betrayal" had already arrived.

With superhuman reflexes, he released the wine goblet in his hand and, with the speed honed by decades of service, reached for the bolter pistol at his waist. This was pure, ingrained instinct. His consciousness seemed to remain trapped in an unbelievable stupor.

Cho'el's plasma pistol was already aimed at Lucius. This weapon, containing a micro-fusion core and powered by hydrogen fuel, activated, and lethal plasma erupted forth.

Nikanna opened fire.

The silenced bolter rounds struck Cho'el's arm at such close range, shattering the protection of his ceramite armor. The heat and shrapnel tore through skin, black carapace, dense muscle, and bone as hard as alloy.

The plasma, as scorching and violent as a star, deviated from its original trajectory. It was meant to completely vaporize Lucius's entire chest cavity, including his armor, his plate-like ribs, and his two thumping superhuman hearts.

Instead, he was left with most of his left arm vaporized by the plasma. As blood and muscle turned to ash, the intense heat cauterized and sealed his major artery. The massive impact sent Lucius flying backward.

His lower limbs shattered the tabletop, and the exploding debris knocked over a still-falling wine goblet, spilling its contents onto the deck.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

"Enemy attack!"

Lucius's pained cry, amplified by his helmet, boomed like thunder in the ears of the Ultramarines.

Losing an arm was not a significant wound for an Ultramarine. Even with the plasma embers searing his flesh, the pain was nothing compared to the betrayal of a brother.

The Word Bearers had betrayed them.

Lucius's subordinates instinctively started to turn, the sudden loud noise and bolter fire making the superhuman warriors' blood boil.

But under their Captain's roar, they suppressed their instincts and immediately overturned tables and chairs in front of them, rolling to take cover.

The Word Bearer warriors, who were prepared, didn't falter in the slightest. Some were surprised by the Ultramarines' reaction, but they didn't slow down as they raised their bolters and fired wildly at their battle-brothers.

The roar of bolters and intense heat ravaged the chamber. The warm feasting hall now revealed its true nature as a slaughterhouse.

Even with Lucius's warning, more than ten of the seventeen Ultramarines who had accompanied him fell to the Word Bearers' guns.

Bolter rounds pulverized their power armor and flesh, leaving only a hollow, gaping wound. Through the cross-section, one could see still-twitching muscles and organs. The heat had charred them black, while the metal armor glowed red from melting.

At such close range, bolter weapons could destroy all defenses except for the shoulder armor and power backpack.

However, several Ultramarines still survived. Using cover and thick marble table slabs for protection, they swiftly dragged the severely wounded Captain to the rear of the battlefield.

Through his helmet, Lucius stared intently at the traitor's face. Cho'el, whose arm had been blown off by the sudden bolter fire, turned his head, gazing into the darkness with a mixture of surprise and relief.

"Raven Guard..."

The Word Bearers couldn't understand when a Son of the Raven had infiltrated this sacred ritual. It was supposed to proceed smoothly, with him being offered as a sacrifice to the great entity in the Empyrean.

There was no time to think further. Nikanna's precise shots struck again, her movements colder than machinery as she sent bolter rounds into the heads of the Word Bearers currently attacking other Ultramarines.

The Word Bearer's head exploded, and blood mist diffused into the air. This sudden third party, like the hand of death, gripped their hearts.

Cho'el did not choose to continue fighting. He ordered his Word Bearers to cover his retreat, and he vanished into the deep chamber with unparalleled speed.

Although not as perfect as planned, the Ultramarines who died here, and the fallen Word Bearers, still satisfied the sacrificial offering for "Betrayal."

The bombardment from dozens of bolters had caused numerous breaches in the warship's hull. The gas within the chamber, along with debris, was sucked into the vacuum of space. Nikanna's power boots activated their magnetic locks, firmly gripping the deck.

"No further explanation is needed. The Word Bearers have betrayed us."

Nikanna appeared like a wraith before the remaining Ultramarines. The wounded Lucius, supported by his comrades, stood up again.

"Notify the Primarch immediately! Tell everyone, the Word Bearers are damned traitors!"

At that moment, a series of explosive beams from the orbital platform left all surviving Ultramarines stunned.

The Kaos orbit was burning, the world was weeping.

New book please collect, please vote, please comment.