A Failed Act of Redemption

[SickSix]

*I am writing on my phone due to circumstances. This is a story of my Dark Swords. You can check the Liber for their WIP IA.*

 

Somewhere in the inner chambers of Mount Sanctus

 

The dim lighting, cold stone, and grim decor of the Grand Masters chamber only amplified the somber mood. The super human being sitting in his stone throne, wearing his dark yellow monastic robe, was almost sucking in what little light was present with his dour mood. The massive robed figure was leaning forward with his hands steepled in front of his hood, elbows resting on his massive thighs. A two handed power sword of ancient origin leaned against the side of the throne. A barely smoking censer hung from one of the arms of the throne.

 

The noise of his chamber door opening and closing did not disturb the robed Grand Master. The heavy yet oddly quiet footfalls of the fully armored marine seemed to add even more grave emotion to the scene. The barely audible jingle of chains and rustling of a heavy robe over armor would have given away the identity of the intruder if the Grand Master had needed such clues to know who dared disturb him in the first place.

 

Only at the slight sound of air being sucked into a vox grill did the robed statue finally move. He sat up straight, placing his hands on his knees and stared straight ahead past the brother marine about to speak.

 

'Master, it is confirmed,' reported First Interregator Chaplain Thelstan.

 

It was hard to read the emotion of the Chaplain. Interregator Chaplain Thelstan was a very suspicious and grim man. But the Grand Master figured that was typical if not necessary of Chaplains. At the moment he tried to calm his own emotions, using his friends stoich front to help anchor himself.

 

'Do you think they will forgive me?', asked the Master finally turning to look into the face of Thelstan's death mask.

 

There was an almost imperceptible nod under Thelstan's hood. He sucked in more air through the vents in his skull styled helmet.

 

'Some will not, but most will put the blame where it belongs, with the perpetrators of this disaster. '

 

'You are correct. There are some whom are all too eager to cut ties with our past. And that is a mistake I am trying to correct. ' The Grand Master's voice slowly rising as he stated this.

 

Thelstan lowered his crozius infont of him resting his armored hands on its pommel as its head rested on the cold stone floor.

 

'The real danger is keeping them from blaming the original sinners.' At this the Grand Master smashed his right fist into the stone of his throne, cracking the arm rest and releasing a small trickle of blood down the chain of the hanging censer.

 

'Our Gene sires were not the sinners!' He shouted. 'They have been hunting the sinners for eons. A duty we have shied away from for nearly two thousand years.'

 

Thelstan didn't even flinch. 'Forgive me my Lord. I was speaking on behalf of our number who feel that sin and guilt is not ours to bear.'

 

'Words are powerful Interregator, you of all men know that. ' The Master glared into the mask of the chaplain to drive home his point before looking away. 'Men of our status must watch every word we exhale in front of our warriors. They take in everything we say and often read more into it than we intend.'

 

Seeing that his Lord and Master was starting down a dark and familiar path as of late, Thelstan decided to get the conversation back onto the current mission.

 

'Master, how do we redeploy in light of this loss?' Thelstan subconsciously cocked his head slightly as he often did when he was attempting to get his Grand Master to start thinking in battle terms.

 

'First, we don't know that they are lost.' Quipped the robed giant glancing at his black armored advisor. 'Second, we deploy the Tenth to scour the system and its surrounding stars. I want my Knights boarding and searching any debris big enough to hold them.' He paused to look at his right hand and the cracked throne. He hoped this was not some ill omen. 'Recall the 5th and 6th and have them ready to deploy wherever the scouts need them.'

 

Thelstand waited just a moment to ensure their were no further orders, before bowing and dismissing himself. Getting what he needed from his master at the moment he left him alone again to ponder the future of this troubled Chapter.