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’What do you live for then?’ asked Boreas
’Death in battle, to build the Imperium of Man, to serve the Emperor,’ croaked Astelan weakly
’And you do that by walking out of that door and lying down to die in so tone lashed at Astelan, sending his thoughts spinning into turht, Chapter commander? Are you afraid that perhaps your convictions are not as strong as you thought, that perhaps your lies are beginning to unravel? But, leave! Leave and die with the knowledge that you did not have to face that ultimate test, that you aban­doned the chance to tell me more of your vision, to convince me of your worth Leave and you will save your­self much misery and pain, and I will know that you die as a heretic because it will prove to me that you are weak That you are the type of man that could break his oaths, that could turn and attack his ainst those he once served Leave!’
’No!’ Astelan took a step towards Boreas, a sudden surge of strength welled up within hiht! I tread the true path, it is you who have wandered’
’Then stay and prove it,’ offered Boreas ’How much pain is the Emperor’s true orth? The pain you feel now? The saain? Thrice as much? How much pain will you endure to stay true to the Ealaxy, if it proves to you that what I say is true,’ Astelan replied
’Do you believe me now that I could keep you alive for a hundred days?’ Boreas asked
’Yes, yes I believe it,’ Astelan said, his head nodding against his chest
’And yet you have only endured my attention for fif­teen days,’ the Chaplain told hirim smile
’Fifteen days? That is not possible’ The strength that Astelan had felt leeched froone only fifteen days of this tor­ment?
’I do not lie, ould be the purpose?’ Boreas said, crossing his aro That torment, that pain, is the work of a mere fifteen days You can end it all Just three steps and you will have left this cell, left the agony behind’
Astelan looked at the glow beyond the door, which beckoned and taunted hith He took two steps forward, up to the door itself, and stopped there to ease his protesting body
’A single step, just a single step frooaded him
Astelan leant on the door, and turned his head to look at the Interrogator-Chaplain over his shoulder Swinging his ar around the cell For an instant, just a fraction of a lim­mer of approval that quickly faded back to the Chaplain’s norhtened himself and walked purposefully back to the slab and lay down upon it, and stared at Boreas The Interrogator-Chaplain walked over and leaned over his prisoner
’Very well, you have made your choice,’ he said ’But there is still another way A ithout chains, without pain, without Brother Samiel’
’I wish to hear nohis head away
’There is no need for this I can put away the blades and hooks, and ill just speak, as one Space Marine to another,’ Boreas said, his voice quiet and soothing ’All I ask is that you open your s, probe your motives Look with eyes untainted by centuries of hate, years of isolation andScrutinise your ambitions and see if they are pure’
’I know that they are,’ Astelan said defiantly
’For now,’ Boreas argued, leaning forward on the slab ’But ill just talk, and you will listen to uht’
’I think not,’ snorted Astelan
’Then if you have nothing to hide frohts to me and we shall see,’ Boreas said insistently
Astelan sat up and looked directly at Boreas, but he could read nothing in the Interrogator-Chaplain’s expres­sion
’What do you wish to know?’ Astelan asked
’Tell me of Caliban, your ho openly and with truth, and yet your first question is based upon ignorance,’ Astelan started to laugh but it turned to a choke that made him retch
’What do you mean?’ Boreas’s broas creased with a frown of confusion
’Caliban is notback against the slab and pausing until his ragged breathing had eased ’I was of the old Legion, of the Dark Angels before the co of Lion El’Jonson I was born on Terra, from a family whose forefathers had freed the ancient birthplace of hue of Strife Since the Emperor revealed hiside hian to breed a new type of super­human warrior, it was from my people that he took his first test subjects With their aid, the Emperor recon­quered Terra and hue of the Ie that when he perfected his techniques for the creation of the Space Marines, many of st them That is why you speak in lies, because Terra was the world offor Caliban?’ suggested Boreas
’That is not true either,’ Astelan said, closing his eyes, feeling the sweat froions conquered the galaxy, rediscovered human worlds and freed thenorance, we caene-seed that the Eenitors, the Legions, in part were bound to the fate of their primarch When the Emperor found Lion El’Jonson on Caliban, we all celebrated The Eels had a new home and ere filled with joy, for ere now far from Terra’
’So what happened next? What started you on that dark path to treachery?’ Boreas’s voice was flat, emotion­less
’We adopted Caliban as our own, and when El’Jonson was given the co,’ Astelan answered slowly, having to gather his thoughts before every sentence, ignoring the accusations of treachery He no longer had the strength to argue every barbed coood that new Chapters of Dark Angels would be raised froave the that was precious in those tumultuous times I did not know then that our new pri that we had created’
’Tell in?’ asked Boreas
’Our glorious primarch, in his supposed wisdom, had abandoned us there He had turned from those who had come before him, who had welcomed him as a lost father and taken his homeworld as their own’ A chill swept over Astelan’s body as he thought of the events that had led to his defiance of the prirave mistake, but we had sworn oaths of loyalty and ould not break them We hoped that our primarch would see the error he had made I sent deputations to him to reconsider his decision, but they were all returned without a reply Not even a reply! Fro scorn on us with his silence’
’And that is how Luther bent you to his evil ways?’ Boreas asked, his voice now beco more insistent
’Luther? Ha!’ Astelan’s exclah and it was several seconds before he could speak again ’Your histories deels, and yet you know so little of the truth It is convenient for your legends to show hireat Lion conquered the galaxy, but El’Jonson’s betrayal of Luther was the greatest of all! Withoutfrom his tower to no avail’