# The Apprentice Chronicles



## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

This is the first story that I'm going to put in chapters, like Dirge's stories so here is the first chapter:
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*DENIAL*​
The young boy watched the irritable master-smith at his work, each blow of the hammer sending sparks cascading like a waterfall of light, the forge's fire reflecting on the sweat slicked arms of the smith and the hissing as the cherry red admantium heat was quenched in a barrel of oil.

Wiping his hands on his apron, Banex turned to the child, his lined and weatherbeaten face in one of his near perpetual scowls asked "I thought I told you to clear off boy!"

The child remained where he stood,head down, drawing lines in the sand on the floor mumbling a inaudible excuse. and was shocked to look up and see the burly smith crouching down at eye level, staring right at him.

"What did you say boy?"

"I want to be like you " replied the boy wringing his hands behind his back, but the smith was obviously taken aback by the child's statement and nearly fell over.

"Like me?" asked Banex "But you are the son of a wealthy aristocrat, you should be either a military officer or politician?"

"I don't want to, my father has tried to get me to learn but I cant, I hate politicians because they all lie to the people they say they look after and the only thing in the army that stirs me is the weapons you forge for them" the boy said his voice growing in volume as his anxiety wore off "And you are the only person in my father's employ that isn't a self serving dog!"

The smith's face broke into a smile as he began to laugh "Boy, for one as young as you definitely know the way of your fathers world, but because of your high birth you cant be what I am, so forget it!"

"Why?"

"Because your father might be a good landlord to me, we have a long history!"

But before the hotblooded youth could reply a blood curdling scream tore through the still, mid-summer night........


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## Gore Hunter (Nov 5, 2007)

Nice so far


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

Heres the next chapter...

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*The Light and the Dark*​Errand turned at the eerily familiar scream, one he had heard each time he scared his childhood friend Estelle, running outside of the forge gates he saw his father's mansion erupt in green flames, Errand dropped to his knees, staring at the blazing inferno, then he felt the heavy hand of the Banex grab the back of his shirt, lifting Errand to his feet.

"Boy, do you know how to these?" asked the smith as he pressed a las pistol and a sheathed power sword into Errand's arms. When the boy finally nodded dumbly, sharply turning back to inferno, his features strained and he was longingly looking at the flames the tall man continued "I'm going to call for reinforcements, then we can go and see if you family survived, ok?"

"...ok...."

And without a further word the smith ran back into the forge, later emerging in a gleaming suit of power armor, covered in litanies to the Emperor, and holding a humming sword, faintly glowing with a white light. And once the boy looked up and saw Banex's armor his eyes widened in shock and disbelief and he started spluttering, "y...y...you're a Space Marine?!"

Banex looked towards Errand with raised eyebrows and replied,"Not just any Space Marine, I am a Grey Knight, a holy warrior of the Emperors righteous Inquisition"

Errand was dumbstruck, quickly masking his emotions as he waited until the Space Marine had finished talking into a vox caster he had brought from the forge, then gathering up enough courage Errand asked, "Sir Banex, what will happen to me?,sir"

"Well I don't know. but stay with me and I'll endeavor to keep you safe, so have faith in the Emperor and your weapons they will see you through the dark and into his holy light" replied Bannex as he bowed to a knee and started chanting under his breath," We walk in the twilight, between the Emperor's light and the darkness of Chaos, I shall fight the darkness and protect the light,astra imperator gloriam,astra imperator gloriam, ASTRA IMPERATOR GLORIAM!"

Hours later Errand awoke to the scream of engines, the force of the sound pounded against his head in waves like a heartbeat, and the air howled around him and Bannex, small twigs and stones whipping against the heavy cloth of Errand's tunic but making pinging sounds against the armor of Bannex.
As soon as the Thunderhawk touched the ground Imperial stormtroopers rushed out and formed a wide circle around the craft, swiftly followed by a single Grey Knight who walked swiftly towards Bannex and bowed low and said 
"We have arrived Brother-Captain".....


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

*NEW BEGININGS​*
Errand walked through the ashes of the vast mansion house his family had lived in for generations, there were still remnants of the large mansion, charred piles of masonry, still smoking wooden joists and supports and the occasional unharmed object poking out of the ash, when Errand bent down to see what one of these soot covered objects were and he discovered his father's power halberd, a relic that had been passed from father to son down through the ages right back even to the Emperor's time.

As Errand lifted the halberd he was surprised to have it snatched out of his hands by Banex, uttering a cry, he was shocked to see Banex offering it to him saying, "This is all that remains of your house and by birthright this is your inheritance, and the responsibility that comes with wielding this weapon, because only Grey Knights have the privilage to use these, but your father earned his, will you?"

"Yes" replied Errand,taking the blade and cradling it in his arms "And I will kill whom or what ever did this!"

"Well good because they are coming now!" replied Banex as he straightened up and drew his force sword.


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

Come'on people please critique my story, I needs the feedback or I'll start thinking I can match Dirges stories!!! :grin: hope you enjoying it so far people...
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*REVENGE AND REDEMPTION​*And as if the Grey Knights words had summoned them, a large group of Tzeentch Flamers materialized in front of the small group of Imperial warriors, the grotesque deamons hurling fireballs into the organized ranks of the Inquisitional Shock Troopers, immolating two before the troopers returned fire, their hell guns ripping into the daemons and one of the shock troops let out a roaring burst of promethium flames from his flamer, returning the favor done to their comrades.

But the Flamers had barely just fallen before another, larger, group of the warp entities appeared unleashing more multicoloured flame at the brave humans, but none of the flames reached the shock troops, the whole entire salvo had halted in mid-air and disappeared, but the daemons had little time to wonder at this development before the two Grey Knights tore through their ranks like silvered grey hurricanes, bits of Tzeentch daemon flew everywhere 
and the Shock troops and Errand were covered in droplets of thick, orange blood, which strongly smelled of promethium.

When the last Flamer fell, the two Grey Knights walked a ways away from the rest of the group and started having a conversation, while the two space marines conversed the Shock trooper's sergeant, a gruff man named Igor, ordered his men to rest, and cleanse their weapons armor of the Flamers blood, as the men finished their rites of purification, and their weapons and armor were clean, the vox carried by the coms officer crackled and sputtered to life, "Squad Alpha Romeo Charlie, come in, locstat, over"

Picking up the handset of the vox Igor replied, "Hq, this is squad Alpha Romeo Charlie, Locstat, we have engaged and defeated two groups of enemies, we have two dead and some with minor burns,over"

"Copy that, astropaths report traitor space marines-planet side, all remaining forces ready to deploy, out"

Returning the headset back to it's holder Igor straightened and walked over to the two Grey Knights and saluted each in turn and said, "Sir, HQ has confirmed traitor space marines are on planet, and all the remaining forces left at Hq are ready to deploy, sir"

Bannex turned to the sergeant and said, "Thank you sergeant, call in a thunderhawk, we are returning to the base"

Half an hour later a Thunderhawk could be seen over the horizon, flying low towards them until it reached them and landed, it's rear hatch slamming down and the Shock Troopers walking up it, the clank of their steel capped boots was highly audible, even with the low whine of the engines, but when the Grey knights started walking up the ramp it seemed lightning was striking for each step.

But one everybody was on-board the craft started to shake as the engines worked to lift the Thunderhawks bulk off the ground, but after a while the shuddering stopped and Errand felt weightless and turning to Bannex he started to ask, "Wher-"


"In space, we are going to my ship the _Angel's Fortune_ were you will begin your journey to revenge and redemption"..............


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## casanova (Nov 1, 2007)

wow amazing a few false spellings but otherwise a brilliant story do you mind if i copy a paste on word to show my mates?


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## sea dragons (Jan 14, 2008)

nice start, could have extended the fight a bit, its good i like it next chapter ??


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## Taomax1 (Dec 20, 2007)

I like so far how do you get the ideas? (a few typos though)


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

casanova said:


> wow amazing a few false spellings but otherwise a brilliant story do you mind if i copy a paste on word to show my mates?


 Yeah of course, and the spelling you are having problems with is because I'm using Australian word correction on my computer.


sea dragons said:


> nice start, could have extended the fight a bit, its good i like it next chapter ??


Well fights are my only real weakness I'm not much good at them but better that I was when i started writing


Taomax1 said:


> I like so far how do you get the ideas? (a few typos though)


I HAVE LOT OF TIME ON MY HANDS!!!!:biggrin: nah I just make up stuff on the spot and then go with the flow..

P.S and if you want to read my other stories : Glory of the Blood God, The 7 Plagues and Soaring Angels


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

Here is the next chapter

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*BEFORE THE STORM​*
The thunderhawk cut through the atmosphere, like a knife through butter, which seemed too fast for Errand because seemingly moments since they lifted from the ground, Errand's intestines were trying to tie themselves into knots, but once the shuttle passed into the hangar of the vast ship, Errand's stomach settled and he was able to see the hangar, Errand saw red robed Tech-Priests scuttle towards the thunderhawk, closely followed by their servitors, trailing cables and tubes.

When the main hatch lowered with a hydraulic hiss, Errand was surprised to see his father's bodyguards Captain,Ordel, in the same silvered power armor as Bannex and his companion, when Bannex and his comrade walked down the hatch Ordel bowed down and said, "Brother-Captain Bannex, Brother-Lieutenant Septimus, the Ordo Malleus has supplied us with two companies of their elite Shock Troops and 100 of our Terminator brethren are en-route from Titan as we speak"

"Very good Sergeant, carry on" replied Bannex and with a swish of his clock he turned on his heel and walked across the hangar, trailed closely by Errand and Septimus.

After Bannex visited the bridge, he showed Errand to a cabin deep in the bowels of the ship and said "These are your quarters, go rest and and prepare your self for tomorrow, I will send Ordel to fetch you so be ready" and without a further word Bannex left Errand to his thoughts.....


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## casanova (Nov 1, 2007)

zboy234 said:


> Yeah of course, and the spelling you are having problems with is because I'm using Australian word correction on my computer.
> 
> Well fights are my only real weakness I'm not much good at them but better that I was when i started writing
> 
> ...


yeh please i want to have a good 40k story i dont have topay for lol


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## sea dragons (Jan 14, 2008)

nice cliff hanger, but the chapters could be a bit longer.


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

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*THE FIRST LESSON​*
The next morning the door of Errand's cabin seemed to become a gong when Ordel knocked, the metal door clanged loudly with each tap from the silvered gauntlet of the Grey Knight, when Errand opened the door, Ordel was surprised to see the boy without signs of troubled sleep, curiosity burning him Ordel asked the boy " How was your sleep?'

"Fine" replied the boy,"Why do you ask, eh?" continuing, "Thinking I would be crushed by my family's death, well I am, but I have solace in the revenge I will wreak, when I am fully ready"

His curiosity quelled Ordel bowed and said "Well you shouldn't speak to me as a subordinate anymore,nor as a friend, I am now your superior, boy"

"Yessir"

"Good, now Captain Bannex expects you in the galley"

The trip to the galley was a long one, Errand soon became lost in the confines of the ship, totally trusting Ordel to lead him to his destination. A while later Ordel stopped and gestured to a door to Errand's left, which opened as soon a Errand walked near. Inside sat Bannex at a table with a bowl and eating utensils spread before him, seeing the boy Bannex called to Ordel," Veteran Sergeant, you may leave us now and attened to your duties'

"As you command, Brother-Captain" replied Ordel, who turned and walked through the door behind him.

"Errand, my boy, come here" Bannex asked, when Errand had finished the meal Bannex had set upon the table, the space marine began talking, " Errand, I have a offer for you, I offer for you to become my apprentice in return for your oath of loyalty to the Grey Knights and the Emperor"

Suspecting a trap, Errand asked, "Why are you offering such an honor, what if I decline to accept your offer?"

"I will send you back down to the planet and you will die when the Ordo Malleus arrives to cleanse the planet of all life to ensure that Chaos cant get a foothold in this sector" Bannex replied without emotion

coloring when he realized he was entrapped, Errand replied with clenched teeth, 'I accept your offer but I reserve my loyalty to the Emperor and the people of the Imperium, not you, nor the Grey Knights and definitely not to the Inquisition!"

At the boys outburst, Bannex raised his head and roared in laughter, the man visibly weeping before he stopped laughing, "Boy you have learnt the first lesson of the avenger, trust no-one, well, you _are_ going to be a great student to teach!"


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## sea dragons (Jan 14, 2008)

nice ! and then ?????


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## zahariel (Feb 28, 2008)

this is brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!:grin:


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

*LESSONS*​
Errand stood sweating in the training room, his arms leaden heavy, the point of his sword traced wavering circles in the air. Ordel stood on the other side of the room, his breathing calm and controlled.

“Are done already Errand?’ asked the Grey Knight, almost like an insult.

Errand already exhausted from a half hour of fencing with the marine, snapped, roaring his pent up frustration, anger, guilt and grief he charged the marine, dropping his shoulder and angling up his blade so the point was aiming for the marine’s chest.

Ordel swatted Errand’s blade away with his own and stepped the the boy’s left and poked him in the ribs, sending the boy sprawling.

“A swordsman never gets angry, although anger might be a great motivator, a warrior of the Emperor is never to show theirs” snarled Ordel.

“What’s the point, I can’t beat you...At this rate I would never be able to avenge my family” sobbed Errand pounding his fist on the floor.

“Silence, you might not be able to beat a marine like me, for a reason; you don’t have the amount of experience I have, I have fought as a marine for over two hundred years, you have not” roared Ordel grabbing Errand’s tunic and yanking up to his feet.

“My life is fighting for the Emperor” Ordel said softer, his face showing his sympathy, “You will learn in time, you will learn how to beat men who have lived and fought for millennia”

“I will?” muttered Errand, not daring to believe what he heard. But the blaring of the ship's alarms ripped him from his inner termoil

[Alert all crew to battle stations]

“Boy come with me” Yelled Ordel over the ship’s blaring alarms, the Grey Knight strode out of the door without waiting for the boy.

Errand sheathed his sword and clipped on his belt, checking his bolt pistol was still in place. Errand unclipped his vox earpiece and attached it onto his ear, a flood of voices roared in; “Boarding squads report to pods, Magos Ternial and Neophyte Errand report to bridge”

Errand rushed out the chamber, the room’s automated door hissing shut. Servitors shuffled past the ship's hallways, Errand dodged most but he toppled one as he ran past, stopping and running back he helped the cyborg to its feet.

“Sorry about that” Errand said

“It’s quite fine, now I must be off” replied the servitor, small spurts of binarary emmiting from its vocaliser

“You can talk?” Errand asked incredulously, “Aren’t most servitors’ mind wiped?”

“I’m unique” the servitor replied before shambling off…….


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Very nice storyline! I'm enjoying how this is progressing from his training. Too many stories start with the main character being a god. 

Update soon, please!
-Dirge

P.S.- I'm flattered by the number of times my name comes up with the phrase "Like Dirge's stories." It's good to know people are interested...


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

*COMPULSIONS*​
The bridge of the ship was a veritable riot of activity, servitors were plugged into consoles and whip like arm sprouted from their backs and arms, Inquisitional bondsmen dashed around preparing the ship for battle and enginseers stood next to vital systems chanting prayers to soothe the machine's spirit.

Errand stood in the middle of the press of bodies, looking for the Grey Knights, they stood next to the ship's Captain. The three marines looked like three silver statues standing in a dark sea, but the captain, for all his uniform's finery and gold lace, looked insignificant in comparison.

When Errand finally forced his way to the marines they were joined by the chief Tech- Priest on board and the strange servitor from before, both of which were deep in conversation with the Knights and the Captain.

“The ship’s spirit is ready for battle; it will do as you ask Captain” droned the Magos, his face a mask of metal plates and bionics under his crimson hood and robes, mechandrites sprouted from his back, snaking around his staff, topped with the skull and cog sigil of the Mechanicum.

Ordel nodded, “Well, the storm troopers are ready to deal with any boarders”

“How long until the fleet from Titan arrives” Bannex asked the astropath high above in his throne

‘One hour lord’ replied the astropath psychically.

“I believe the _Angel_’ can hold those scum off” replied the captain confidently, pride of his ship and crew lining his words.

“If so my brothers and I will go join the boarding parties” replied Bannex turn and walking away.

“What about me?” yelled Errand, the sequence of event moving to fast for him.

“You’re joining us, think of it as training lad” Bannex roared back.

“Don’t worry I’ll be with you lad” Ordel said kneeling down beside Errand.

The servitor behind the started to address his master in binary.

[I request to join the boy]

[Why?] Asked the Magos his cant showing his displeasure

[I do not know I have this strange compulsion to follow him] replied the servitor his confusion obvious.

[You have my permission, my only request is that you endeavor to recover any knowledge you find uncorrupted in the chaos ships]

[Understood]

Using his flesh-voice the magos addressed Ordel, “My servitor will accompany you, he will assist you in disabling the chaos ships”

“My thanks Magos” replied Ordel before he followed Bannex and Septimus out of the bridge.

Errand followed Ordel but at a distance waiting for the servitor to catch up to him, when the hybrid came level with Errand, the boy turned and begun to ask why but the servitor put and augmented arm up and said.

“I’m following you because you are also unique…..”


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

Errand awoke, the campfire beside him dead, he lifted himself up and put on his gunbelt, the twin bolters gleaming from their well worn holsters.

_'Morning my friends'_ Errand said to himself, _'We shall finally have our due today, he cannot run much further'_

Errand ran his hand through his sandy hair, shaking the last remanants of his sleep and his dreams of his childhood.

_As Bannex would say, the past is gone, today is a new battle and tommorow is what we must live to see_ Errand thought a smile creasing his face for a moment, before being lost.

"Immortal emperor, hear me, let me not forget the face of my father and those of my teachers, let my vengence be done and the stain on mine honor removed, hollow is thy name and mighty are thou who sit upon the golden throne" Errand chanted, eyes closed.
_
Now let us hunt_ and he slipped into the desert's heat haze.

The city was dead, humanities accomplishments had been torn down and all that remained was the ever hungry desert and the skeleton of civilization. Bodies lay in the streets, next to sand blasted wrecks, bones bleaching in the sunlight, scavengers hid in the damp shadows ,clawing for survival.
_
This is how a world dies _

A man in the black cloak strode though the city, even the most bloodthirsty shied away, his presence was abnormal, inhuman, not of reality. But even in a monster such a he, fear swam in his heart. For once in his long life, he was the hunted…..

Errand stood on the outskirts of the silent city, a lazy gust of wind rippled his sanguine cloak, the sun glinting on his weapons for a moment, closing his eyes he sought for the quarry.

The hidden probes in the city found the renegade quickly, the fool was making for the supposed safety of the factory district, it seemed as if he didn’t know he was still being followed.

_How did this person ever fool me, I’ll never know,_ he thought, _but it all started with ‘that’ ship._


Well sorry for the sort piece but I've just got addicted to bloodbowl :sorry: but there is more coming, also there is a WHFB fic coming, watch out dirge!!!1:biggrin:


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## waltzmelancholy_07 (Sep 30, 2008)

Nice story... But some typhos... I got confused with Errand's age from the start... Hehehe... Should've made it clear... Hehehe... But still... It's very nice...:biggrin:


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

sorry proplr did that kinda trashed... very little sleep:grin:. I put the wrong chapter up so that shall be remedied with a new realease....and a update


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## zboy234 (Dec 29, 2007)

did that last post trashed as well, see people SEE what heresy is doing to me!!!!:grin:

Also to anyone wondering, Errand's story is coming both from his training and from his later life which will be interrealted. :SPOILER, because I can:

here's the LONG overdue update, enjoy:grin:

*BEGINNING OF THE END*​
Errand sat in the pod, his borrowed flak armor uncomfortable, he had mentioned it to Bannex but the Knight had smiled and said he would get used to it. Errand still hadn’t.

Bannex walked into the pod and handed Errand an extra bolt pistol, along with a bandolier of ammunition and grenades, “These are yours now, make sure you keep them in good order or I’ll give you a thrashing you won’t soon forget”

Errand nodded glumly and began to check the bolt pistol, checking the barrel, breach and cocking the weapon and dry-firing it, almost without a thought and finally but a fresh magazine in but leaving the safety on.

Ordel walked in next and sat in the seat next to Errand, the oily musk of power armor assaulted Errand’s nose, the Knight held a glowing sword and his face was concealed in a helmet, he turned to Errand, “Boy, once we get in there leave any marines or deamons to us, I want you to look after the servitor and kill any mutants you find, understood?”

“Yes, I do, protect the servitor, kill any mutants” replied Errand, desperately hoping his nervousness didn’t sound through his words. 

Ordel nodded, “You’ll do fine boy, be calm”

The servitor was the last to walk up the ramp; Septimus had been the first in, cradling his incinerator like a child. The servitor’s left arm had been replaced by a wicked looking gun; it was followed by a small flock of what appeared to be flying melta bombs. It flung itself don in the last seat and closed its eyes.

The ramp closed and the pod was now bathed in green light, the sound of gentle chanting filled the air, Errand eyes widened when he heard the Litanies of calming and discipline. Even grey knights could feel nervous, ‘or were they doing it for me?’ Errand wondered and he began to join the knights. 

The pod shot out with a deafening roar, Errand was thankful he had buckled himself in, his HUD told him he was hurtling towards one of the enemy ships, Errand didn’t like the thought that he was being shot like a huge bullet, but Errand put that out of his mind as he went though the order in which the pod would be emptied;
Septimus first, allowing his weapon to do it’s work in the cramped corridors, Ordel and Bannex would be next then the servitor then finally Errand, the latter two armed with the group’s explosives.

Errand had little time to worried when the pod rattled violently, the lights in the pod turned red, meaning the craft had hit its target, it also meant it was mere seconds before the breaching charges made a hole.

The pod ramp slammed down squelching in the semi-organic, mutated deck, Septimus jumped out twirling and unleashing a ring of fire, Bannex and Ordel stomped down and rushed for cover the servitor and Errand followed closely behind.

The group stood in a circle of charred ash, Septimus had slung his weapon and drew a glittering broadsword, he walked into the dimly lit passage ways, a servo skull detached itself from the inside of the pod and followed him.

“Where is Lord Septimus going?” Errand asked Bannex.

“He’s going to clear the way for us, we don’t need any enemy sneaking up on us while we disable the power core” replied Bannex. “Now boy be on your guard, it’s up to you to cover the servitor and protect the demolition charges”

Ordel turned to Bannex “I’ll take the rear; you’ll be with the boy right?”

“Yep that’s about the shape of it” Bannex answered.

[Sptimus here, it’s clear, be warned, there are some mechandrites that will sprout from the hall, don’t let them near Errand and the servitor, they’ll be ripped apart]

[Got it Septimus, Bannex out]

“Errand, servitor at your pleasure” Bannex said. The boy nodded and moved off drawing one of his bolt pistols and muttering a prayer.

The servitor shifted slightly as a small whine issued from his shoulder, from under his crimson robes a mechandrite snaked out, undulating as it herded the hovering melta charges. Once the errant explosives were once again hovering next to servitor, it followed Errand into the dark, twisted confines of the ship….


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