Mortarion?!
The moment the voice of authority echoed across the communications channel, all the Carcharodons—including Janes, Chris, and their comrades—were stunned.
When had this Primarch, along with his elite fleet, emerged from the warp? And when had they arrived at Kuikanto?
Even more perplexing was the fact that no one had detected his presence.
Yet, the sight of the Retribution-class battleship meant that "anything was possible."
Though the Retribution lacked the colossal Ark Mechanicum's ability to open direct warp portals, it was equipped with the "original" Forerunner slipstream drive.
Ever since Dr. Catherine Halsey and her core research team delved into the "legacy" left to humanity by the Forerunners, the Imperium's scientific divisions had achieved a series of technological breakthroughs through reverse engineering artifacts like the Retribution and the Ark Mechanicum. These breakthroughs had fueled unprecedented advancements for the Imperium, propelling its development forward at an extraordinary pace.
However, even with these strides in faster-than-light travel, the Imperium still lagged significantly behind the "civilian standards" of Forerunner technology.
Thus, when Mortarion received word of Chaos activity on Kuikanto, he wasted no time. Utilizing the Retribution's slipstream drive, he led his fleet at full speed to the battlefront.
Thanks to the extreme efficiency of the Forerunner drive and his position a "mere" 200 light-years away from Kuikanto, Mortarion was able to arrive undetected by the Carcharodons, intervening at the critical moment.
Mortarion, his towering frame clad in Primarch plate that still appeared "lean," stood at the center of the Retribution's bridge.
Before him, a holographic display updated in real time, showing Kuikanto's surface.
The Chaos tide surged through the rift and the canyons, countless heretics and daemons flooding the surface like an unstoppable wave, their corrupting power consuming the land beneath Mortarion's figurative feet.
Yet despite the dire scene, the Primarch, renowned for his close relationship with Corax, did not immediately intervene after reaching Kuikanto's low orbit.
Instead, he watched in silence, seemingly assessing how the Carcharodons would respond to such a dire situation.
Mortarion had high expectations for the sons of his brother.
But the battle unfolding before his eyes left him visibly disappointed.
Tyberos' and the Carcharodons' excessive aggression had cost them the optimal window for retreat, resulting in over a hundred Astartes casualties—losses that could have been avoided.
Mortarion frowned deeply at these unnecessary sacrifices.
His brother Corax was known for his prudence, favoring minimal losses for maximum gains. How, then, could such a "reckless descendant" as Tyberos emerge from his lineage?
The moment a Great Unclean One had appeared, Tyberos should have immediately retreated, leaving the matter to "specialists" capable of dealing with such a foe.
Still, despite his frustration, Mortarion couldn't deny a certain admiration for Tyberos' fearless combat style and the courage and tenacity displayed by the Carcharodons.
Moreover, he could not simply stand by and watch his brother's sons—especially Tyberos—fall in battle.
The loss of Tyberos could plunge the Carcharodons into a prolonged period of decline, a blow that Corax and the Raven Guard could ill afford.
A failure here would also tarnish the reputation of the Raven Guard, something Mortarion was unwilling to let other legions mock.
After delivering his rebuke over the comms, Mortarion turned and strode out of the bridge, issuing further orders as he went:
"I will personally take charge of the situation. The Carcharodon fleet is to remain on standby and is not to act without my explicit orders."
The first lieutenant of the Carcharodons, who had assumed command following Tyberos' loss of communication, immediately responded over the channel:
"Understood, my Lord Primarch."
The brief reply carried an undertone of respect and submission, reflecting the Carcharodons' and Raven Guard's esteem for Mortarion.
"Hmm," Mortarion grunted in acknowledgment before cutting the communication link.
With that, Mortarion, accompanied by seven of his Deathshroud honor guard, began making his way to the Retribution's deployment bay.
The Deathshroud, clad in their heavy, custom Terminator armor, followed in silence. Their grim helmets concealed their expressions, while the massive scythes in their hands gleamed coldly under the bay's lights.
Without a word, they marched behind Mortarion, a silent tide of lethal resolve, fully prepared for the mission ahead.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the Retribution's deployment bay.
Unlike the traditional drop pods of most vessels, the deployment bay here was sleek and advanced, its centerpiece a series of circular platforms glowing with a faint bluish light.
The surfaces of these platforms were inscribed with intricate Forerunner glyphs, which pulsed intermittently with mysterious energy flows.
Mortarion strode toward the central platform, his cloak billowing slightly behind him, exuding an unspoken aura of dominance.
Thud—thud—!
His heavy footfalls echoed through the cavernous bay as he stepped onto the platform.
The seven Deathshroud followed closely, each taking their designated positions on the platform. They stood rigidly, like statues, their presence exuding an almost palpable chill.
Moments later, the platform erupted with light, its brightness nearly blinding as it enveloped the entire bay.
Zzzzoooom—!
A faint humming filled the air, followed by a sharp whistling sound as the energy reached its peak.
When the light faded, the figures on the platform were gone, as if they had never been there. Only the faint energy ripples on the platform's surface bore witness to what had transpired.
Meanwhile, on Kuikanto's surface:
Whoosh—whoosh—!
With the flicker of blue-green light, a landing zone that had fallen eerily silent was suddenly illuminated once more.
Once a staging area for the Carcharodons' deployment, the site was now a scene of desolation, corrupted and defiled beyond recognition.
As the light spread, Mortarion and his Deathshroud honor guard materialized on the surface, less than a hundred meters from the chasm leading to the underground city.
Though the Imperium's scientific division had made little progress in reverse-engineering the Forerunners' "instantaneous teleportation" technology, the Retribution came equipped with its own short-range teleportation "deployment" systems.
Thus, Mortarion and his honor guard bypassed the need for traditional drop pods, deploying directly onto the battlefield.
Before they could act, a guttural roar and shrill, alien voices echoed through the corrupted air:
"Ruv'ka, jor te Qik!"
(For my master!)
"Toom'ka varath, kol'ah hai'yai kresh!"
(All things rot, and all life endures!)
Twisted heretics and daemonic creatures, their bodies and souls warped beyond recognition, surged from all directions.
Upon spotting the new "unwelcome guests," they howled ferociously, charging at Mortarion and his guard like a ravenous black tide. Their malformed feet churned the corrupted ground, and their warped weapons and claws gleamed with sickly green light, eager to tear apart the Imperium's finest warriors.
Yet beneath his helmet, Mortarion's expression remained impassive.
He cast a cold glance at the oncoming horde before silently turning toward the chasm leading to the underground city.
Without a word, he bent his knees and leapt into the abyss, the Deathshroud following closely behind.
They descended in freefall, hurtling straight toward the swampy and jungle-like underground city.
Bang—bang—!
The sound of bolter fire erupted in the cavernous space, followed by the metallic roars of Astartes:
"Die, you wretched filth!"
"For the Raven Guard! For the Imperium of Man!"
While still mid-air, Mortarion assessed the battlefield below.
He saw a group of ten or so surviving members of Tyberos' honor guard desperately holding their ground atop a pile of rubble. These elite Astartes, nearly back-to-back, had formed a small defensive perimeter, using the rubble for cover as they fought off waves of heretics and daemons.
The surrounding ground was littered with enemy corpses, the air thick with the stench of rot and death. Despite their exhaustion, the honor guard stood firm, unwavering in their resolve.
Further ahead, Tyberos himself fought with ferocious strength and speed, dominating the battlefield.
Out of ammunition, he wielded his chain-powered claws as his sole weapons.
Each swing of his claws was a whirlwind of destruction, the whirring chain-teeth blending with the anguished howls of daemons in a symphony of blood and metal.
His Terminator armor's energy shields had long been shattered, leaving no time for recharging. The armor itself was drenched in the decayed blood of his enemies.
Even so, Tyberos moved with relentless precision, like a bloodthirsty shark in a sea of prey, cutting through the corrupted tide with unmatched ferocity.
The dire situation made it clear: the Carcharodons had suffered devastating losses.
The once fully-staffed honor guard of a hundred elite Astartes had been reduced to just a handful of survivors.
The cause of their plight was unmistakable—the Great Unclean One.
This embodiment of decay and destruction, yet paradoxically a symbol of "life," stood leisurely beside the portal, its disdain for the ongoing battle evident.
It refrained from joining the fray, content to watch as its heretical followers and daemonic thralls overwhelmed the struggling Carcharodons, seemingly intent on driving them into utter despair.
But the arrival of Mortarion and his Deathshroud changed everything.
The Great Unclean One's decomposed, fungal-riddled eye sockets briefly gleamed with a peculiar light as it noticed the newcomers.
"+Heh heh—so the favored child of the Father has come at last—+"
Its deep, disease-ridden voice resounded across the battlefield, laced with indescribable malice and glee. The tone carried an air of mockery, provocation, and even envy, as if it had anticipated Mortarion's arrival all along.
Yet Mortarion paid the daemon no heed. Beneath his helmet, his eyes remained as sharp as blades, surveying the battlefield with a cold, calculating gaze.
He gripped the scythe gifted by his father and began walking toward the Great Unclean One.
His deliberate, unhurried steps radiated an oppressive aura so intense that even the heretics and daemons recoiled in fear, instinctively retreating to clear his path.
As he walked, Mortarion issued a simple command to the Deathshroud behind him:
"Cover their retreat."
The Deathshroud responded with a silent nod, then swiftly advanced toward the embattled Carcharodons.
In a matter of moments, the elite guards sliced through the corrupted tide like shadows wielding spectral scythes, their razor-sharp blades carving through the enemy with terrifying efficiency.
The corrupted horde, which moments ago seemed unstoppable, crumbled before the Deathshroud's advance. Every daemon and heretic that dared to stand in their way was mercilessly cut down.
The Deathshroud soon reached Tyberos and his remaining honor guard.
Without hesitation, the silent bodyguards began leading the exhausted Astartes northward, toward the exit.
The tide of battle shifted with astonishing speed. This time, Tyberos did not stubbornly insist on continuing the fight.
The captain understood that the enemy before him was beyond his ability to defeat. Staying here would mean only senseless sacrifice.
Thud, thud!
Mortarion's measured steps brought him closer to the Great Unclean One, unimpeded by the cowering heretics and daemons around him.
But as he passed the corpse of a Carcharodon—a warrior who had been cleaved in half by the Great Unclean One and had no chance to trigger his reactor's overload—Mortarion paused.
!!!
Beneath his helmet, Mortarion's face twisted in uncharacteristic rage.
"WRETCH! DIE!"
Mortarion's furious roar shattered the air as he charged the Great Unclean One with a speed so blinding that no creature, mortal or daemon, could track him.
The reason for his fury became clear—he had discovered that the fallen Carcharodon's gene-seed had been extracted and stolen by the forces of Nurgle.
To Mortarion, this was the ultimate desecration and an intolerable insult.
The theft of the gene-seed was a direct affront not only to the fallen Astartes but to the Imperium itself. Combined with the daemon's earlier taunt about the "favored child of the Father," Mortarion's wrath erupted like an unstoppable storm.
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