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’Retribution and death!’ answered Zaul as his bolter ejected its eazine and he smoothly took another fro harmlessly off his power ar the paint froauntlet, glancing harhs and groin A ball of flickering blue plas through a stanchion and incinerating themessily to the deck Twenty metres ahead, the corridorahead and to the left Three dozen bodies left in their wake, the Space Marines continued their relentless assault to the junc­tion and took up covering positions Boreas shot away the leg of a crew in the Interrogator-Chaplain’s audio pick-ups Suddenly quiet descended, as the last ene­ht
’Status check,’ Boreas de down the corridor to the left Zaul and Thumiel had the forward approach covered
’Entry point cleared,’ confirmed Zaul ’Praise the Lion!’
’We need to orientate with the bridge,’ said Boreas, bol­stering his pistol and passing his auspex to Hephaestus The Tech it in a slow arc to the left and right and then up and doirling static on its screen coalesced into an i out sons ahead and to the right,’ Hephaestus reported, holding out the auspex ’I’rid, there seems to be a terht Detecting communications nexus as well, same position’
’Zaul, Nestor, secure this point,’ Boreas ordered, taking the proffered auspex from the Techmarine There were between thirty and forty crew around a corner ahead, and within side rooms to the left ’Prepare for counter-attack The rest of you with me Take and hold the terminal chamber’
The Space Marines stalked quickly ahead, and just as they approached the sealed door to the chamber, the crash of bolters sounded out behind the, heavy casualties inflicted,’ Nestor reported ’No assistance required’
Hephaestus bent to examine the keypad next to the chamber door At that ed from around the corner ahead Bullets clattered off the bulkheads and lasfire flashed brightly down the corridor Thu on se a path of bloody craters across the chests of the first line of attackers, hurling them from their feet into those that followed behind By the time they had clambered over the dead, Boreas had his bolt pistol in his left hand and was firing, the bolts punching fist-sized holes into the poorly protected men The last few realised their mistake too late and were cut down as they tried to turn and run, their lifeless bodies falling upon the heap of those already dead
’They’ve engaged security rites, the area is locked-down,’ Hephaestus reported
’If Iup his powerfist, which erupted with a sheen of shireed with a nod, turning his attention back to the auspex There were no life signs within fifty metres
Damas squared up to the ar his powerfist, he swung A thunderous detonation booh thehis hand, he peeled away the torn h for theh
’Thumiel, sentry point Zaul and Nestor, remote secure area and advance to this position’ After receiving their affirator-Chaplain pushed his way into the power chae, barely fivepower conduits and coils of finger-thick communications cables
’Relay interface,’ Hephaestus said, pointing at a screen and terave hi an assortment of wires from his backpack, Hephaestus tried a couple until he found one that could connect with the interface ’Assi schematics,’ the Techmarine announced
Boreas checked his chronometer Just short of twoaction Another fifteen seconds went by before Hephaes­tus declared that he had the information he needed
’We’re four levels down froe, and about sixty metres to the starboard,’ he told them
He paused for a moment as he consulted with the three-dirid ’There’s an ascensor shaft twenty e entryway’
Boreas’s comm buzzed as it received an external trans­mission and decoded it
’Lord Boreas,’ he heard Sen Neziel say ’Saint Carthen has reduced her fire considerably I believe she isher crew to repel boarders’
’Acknowledged,’ Boreas answered, before he turned to Hephaestus ’How secure is this area?’
’One access point by the stairithin one hundred metres, three ascensors within the same distance,’ he replied after a brief pause
’Can you shut down the ascensors from here?’ Boreas asked
’Not quickly, rites of command have been initiated,’ the Techmarine said with a shake of his head ’However, frorid to the whole section, which will slon reinforcereed,’ Boreas said with a nod ’Set es, helped by Da the Techmarine’s directions for the best sites, Boreas ducked back into the corridor where Zaul, Thu for him
’Zaul, Thumiel, advance around the corner and secure the ascensor,’ he ordered They headed off up the corri­dor, bolters held ready Hephaestus and Damas hurried back out of the relay chamber, a ht Sparks cascaded frohts died Boreas’s artificial sight bathed everything in a red haze
’Quick advance, that will only slow the the others after Zaul and Thu the corner, he saw the two battle-brothers flanking the double doors that gave access to the ascensor shaft With his power arth, it only took a moment for Boreas to force the doors open The shaft stretched several levels above and below their position The ascensor itself was on the next level down
Thu positions on the shaft Nestor hold this point Hephaestus and Da his pistol and ju onto the ascensor’s cables The threaded ht Certain that it would not hold up to the strain of three fully armoured Space Marines, Boreas leant across the shaft and drove his fingers through the co hirip of his other hand, he swung over the gap, the toe of his boot driving into the wall Steadying hi hand and footholds as he went