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Ara 27
   Guns of the Traitor Guard were roaring everywhere around them as Initiate Stefan and his squad's loyal steed Sigurd exploded around them, scattering debris, electrical discharges, Initiates and Neophytes alike. He fell face first into mud after flying for what seemed like 10 meters or more after the explosion. He saw Champion Randor taking cover in a crater as demolisher shells landed around him, the squad recovered they were all there. Like a single body, without a word to eachother they started moving toward the suppressed champion. Initiate Wayland's Lascannon firing whenever it charged up to draw the Traitor Engine's focused fire away from Champion Randor. As the last Lascannon shot hit home and tore apart the Cannon of the Demolisher away Initiate Stefan noticed a crackling of lightning gathering on top of them, with the Tank silenced he saw Champion Randor Charging toward a building fortified by traitors; than he looked back at the lightning above them like a glowing white orb now, witchcraft no doubt... The orb exploded, discharging bolts of lightning everywhere. For a few minutes it was
just a white light, no sound, no feelings, no ancients runes from his armour's machine spirits. He saw himself falling again when his sight came back; machine spirits of his armour were also coming back to their senses as runes were reappearing on his view, he kept falling
till he hit facedown onto ground, facing right. Then another figure fell next to him, he knew the face plate of Armor of Hate very well, and Brother Champion Randor did not seem councious. The Crackling lightning field of holy sword Khalis had died away, in the background he saw Sword Brethren McCorough firing his assault cannon for suppression as they retreated; a sole Chimera, the closest thing he can notice that is to himself and Brother Randor turning to tail the retreating Sword Brethren, in the sky 3 Valkyrie's were approaching, omen for the incoming enemy reinforcements. He saw Faerlina Retreating toward other side. Runes displayed by his armour were showing his vitals as critical, his heart was not pumping even, he was on secondary Heart, he held the Blade of holy sword Khalis and stood up, no one from his squad was around. It was two of them in middle of overwhelming numbers of enemy and champion showed no signs of coming back to counciousness. He was barely standing, Lightning had burnt out all his lungs, with the blade held in his right hand he started walking toward the chimera, the uncouncious champion still holding to the hilt of the blade and sliding facefirst on the ground as Stefan walked. As Chimera sped up to follow the Sword Brethren, Stefan made a dash for it, dragging the Champion behind him he jumped after running for half a minute to hold
the backdoor handle of the Chimera which seemed to be leaving the main traitor group, still holding the handle his vision got more and more blurry till it went away, never to come back...

    The Chimera kept tailing the Terminators, Sword Brethren McCorough knew they'd catch up soon but it was too obvious that when they caught them up it'd be farther from the Traitor Guard encampment behind them. He wondered for a second if they really thought they could take them out with their witchcraft without the overwhelming numbers of guardsmen behind. Then
he reminded himself how he was not supposed to try to reason the decisions of madmen that betrayed the Emperor anyway and gave the signal to stop and engage. It was no battle, Chimera torn apart easily and Pskyers inside burnt and torn apart in mere seconds. Only 3 of the psykers were intact, one dead with a broken neck other two taken; to be interrogated as Psykers hoped, according to their Master's plan.. Pity their master had no clue about this particular Astartes Chapter.  The Brethren noticed Stefan and Randor after the engagement, Stefan still holding to door handle with one hand and blade part of Khalis with other; Randor still uncouncious.

    It was back at Que'Nephe sector 7 landing, Brothers gathered for Initiate Stefan's funeral. Chaplain Hrotgar was citing the litanies as Stefan lay on Altar, one Stake two metres from his head, another two meters from his feet. a Witch burning on each of the stakes. Sister Hospitaler Ophelia watched from the door of medical pod for a few minutes more as the Astartes prayed for their lost brother. Than she turned back into the pod to "tend" the 3rd witch they had recovered, whose neck was already broken so was not worth burning at stake since he was already dead. Though to her training she knew it took longer than that for a man to truely die, for her purposes anyway. She had asked Chaplain Hrotgar's permission to examine the witch to determine any possessions or mutations.  As she stepped into the chamber were she was examining the witch. As the pod closed behind her, her hospitaler suit turned black then writhed around her turning into slimy black tentacles as it changed form, her medical tool turned into a long silver colored blade as the suit covered her entire face while letting her long braided red hair outside, which ended with a single mono-dagger attached. She examined the Blade's true form for a few seconds, she had some problems with it till they came to this sector, like a millisecond delay on the blade's reactions to her commands. The Blade had been like one of her limbs for her for 5 centuries now, but this recent change made her feel like it was actually someone elses limb. She brushed those thoughts aside to turn to task at hand. She slid the Liquid Metal blade into the witch's neck and let the nanites do their job, reviving him for one last talk. The witch came to his senses with her face very close to his, a face clad in black Synskin sole feature being Insect-like eyes. He saw a Symbol on the forehead a Symbol few men know to fear, from his reaction he was one of those men. She fired some kind of energy gun toward the ceiling, a sound filled his head. Then she started to talk with one unrecognizable voice;
   - Your master can not hear us now, we are all alone you and I. So tell me what
you know about Xeber?

    With that their "talk" began, and it kept going on until she heard the loud voice of Preacher Joseph in the Serf's Quarters corridor outside. She had to return to her disguise, the Astartes were going to war. She slid the blade back in to make sure he was not lying about this name he just gave to her, she aimed the nanites in his brain seeking the name; and blade found and extracted the knowledge again, the feeling of delay on Blade's reaction came again, longer this time, maybe a full second, She felt like the Blade it self also tried to memorize this name.. Margo Knobi... as she herself did; sole fruit of this interrogation. Just as the man was wishing for all this to end she draw the blade out, breaking his neck in the same fashion it was supposed to be broken at the first place. The suit formed back to her hospitaler robes as she was once again Sister Ophelia, she rushed out to see if she was to accompany Ophelia's Master Chaplain to battle. Astartes were gathered, all knelt before their Champion, they were citing some verses  screaming them out of their super-human lungs, repeating after what their Champion said:

  O, Emperor, in wrath rejoicing
         at bloody wars, fierce
               and untamed,

  whose mighty power doth make
    the strongest walls from their
             foundations shake.

       All-conquering Master of
                   Mankind,
     Be pleased with this war's
             tumultuous roar.

    Delight in swords and fists red
   with traitor's blood, and the dire
            ruin of savage battle.

    Rejoice in furious challenge, and
   avenging strife, whose works with
         woe embitter human life!