# Sacrifice - Part 7



## Unknown Soldier (Oct 24, 2008)

Hurray! We have reached the penultimate chapter of the story, only one part left to go. Thanks to everyone who's had the patience to make it thus far, not long to go now.

Sacrifice Part 7

‘Take us back to the Vanguard, I have wasted too much time in this foul place’ commanded Lexington as he climbed aboard the Messenger.

‘Did you not find what you were looking for venerable Sergeant?’ Erest the Navigator asked in an apathetic manner.

‘I met only lies and deception. Let us tarry here no longer’ muttered Lexington, strapping himself into the seat of the shuttle.

‘I am glad that we are leaving, I am sensing the beginnings of a warp storm in this sector, it is not safe for us to stay’ warned Erest, genuine fear ringing in his voice.

Ten days later, the entire incident on Verity was forgotten as the Crimson Fist Chapter was thrown head first into a violent conflict with the Orksih hordes on the capital planet of Feros in the Ferodite Sector.

Sergeant Lexington fought with distinction, leading his Fast Attack squad to many great victories in battle, ferociously riding his Bike into swarms of Ork Boyz and cutting down the enemy in great swathes of bolter fire.

But at night or when he was on long range patrols, his mind kept wandering back to Verity and his encounter with the Canoness. What if he had been wrong about her? What if her story were true and she really was chosen by the Emperor? It was not his problem, he told himself, the Inquisition would make the correct choice and decide her fate. Though, no matter how he tried to convince himself that he had done the right thing, a tiny niggle of doubt ate away at his sub-conscious.

When he was able, he was sought guidance from Librarian Taft and asked him several questions about the Emperor, Sainthood and the Inquisition. He relayed to Taft his experiences on Verity and went into great detail about the mystical Canoness. He even dared to flat out ask the Librarian if the Inquisition could have made a mistake by condemning the planet and not recognising Augustine’s divine right. Taft’s answers were often general and noncommittal and when pressed, he would quote the standard rote repetitions of holy scripture, designed to placate the listener and inspire love for the Imperium.

For the rest of the campaign Lexington channelled his energies towards the destruction of his enemy. Leading his squad into one dangerous engagement after another, the guilt weighing upon his brow turning him into an even more fierce and efficient killing machine. In one particularly bloody encounter, he had set the timer on his Frag grenades and ridden his Bike directly towards an Ork gun emplacement, leaping from the speeding vehicle mere seconds before impact.

Such was his bravery and tally of enemy kills, that he was honoured with leading a flanking charge against the Ork stronghold on Feros and through his heroic deeds, helped the Imperium win a decisive battle against the fearsome Warboss Oocha ‘Edbutz.

‘Why so glum Brother Lexington? We vanquished the enemy this day, the Orks will not return to the Ferodite System for many years to come. You fought like a man possessed…by the Imperial spirit that is’ Librarian Taft teased as they waited for the Thunderhawk transport to return them to the Vanguard.

‘I know this might seem a strange question Librarian, but how did the Inquisition react to the news of Verity’s survival?’ quizzed Lexington, still wiping Orkish blood from his dark blue armour.

‘They thanked us for the information and said the situation was well in hand. And in case you are wondering, I did some investigating on your behalf and unbelievably, the astropathic signal is still emanating from the planet’s surface, though not for long’ mused Taft.

‘Why is that?’ Lexington asked with concern.

‘A massive warp storm is scheduled to hit the entire sector, it will totally decimate the region for centuries to come. It is a great shame, many vital forge worlds will be lost and the Imperium will struggle to recover from such a shortfall in production, especially after the damage caused by the Orkish hordes in the this system. If only there were some way to avert the storm’ Taft confided to Lexington, again the sparkle in his eye and the raised eyebrow denoting a conspiratorial recognition of the knowledge they both shared.

‘Navigator, grab your things, we are leaving’ Ordered a determined Lexington to Erest back on the Vanguard.

‘We are, where to?’ the mutant responded.

‘Verity’

The Final Part 8 to follow


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