172. Politics

Guilliman led them back to the battlefield at accelerated speed. He scouted ahead himself and Titus and Tiberius both picked up on the white fire burning in their Primarch’s body. He almost seemed disappointed when they reached the lines and nothing had tried to attack them.
Arriving here, Titus’ trained eye immediately picked up that the fight was over. Squads of Ultramarines and Wings of War alike were spread far and wide over the plain. Some were disappearing into the mountain range to hunt remaining packs of daemons. Titus was relieved to see that the squads of the different chapters actually had started to mix. Nothing made more peace among warriors than to stand side by side against a mutual foe. This was a good development.
The first commander they encountered was Saphane. She had taken off her helmet to be clearly distinguishable to her sisters and her absent gaze suggested that she was listening to the reports of her captains.
When they were about to pass her by, she turned and Titus could see the calculation behind her beautiful eyes. Guilliman’s armour was broken and blood encrusted in a vital spot and Vox was out cold looking like she had been put through a grinder.
“Aegis!”, she said and came up, gallantly ignoring Guilliman, who stopped dead and frowned. “We saw the white fire from here”, the chapter mistress continued. “Where are your apothecaries?”
“We were separated in the mountains”, Titus told her. Nobody needed to know that Vox had deliberately taken only her Ultramarines along to meet the Lord of Ultramar.
“Abaddon?”, she inquired quickly and a gleeful smile spread across her delicate features when he nodded. They got no further because both of them suddenly registered a dangerously fast moving shadow entering their fields of vision. The chapter mistress had her power sword in hand in an instant and blocked the strike of the other power sword that came towards Titus who twisted to shield Vox from the attacker as he stepped back.
Having knocked the sword aside, Saphane grabbed the attacking man in blue and golden armour to lift and unbalance him. A well executed step and push and the attacker landed on his back, the foot of the chapter mistress on his sword hand and her blade at his throat. The attack and defence had lasted less than two seconds.
“What do you think, you are doing, captain?”, Saphane asked him sharply, ignoring that all Ultramarines in the area had their weapons aimed at them after this.
“Hold your fire!”, Guilliman commanded and came up to them. “I would like to know the same, captain”, he added, looking down at Saphane’s victim.
Titus stared at him. He had recognized him by his movement pattern already and he found himself stunned by the pressure of reality. Theoretically, Aegis Titus had known how far he had travelled to arrive back here with his brethren but faced with them now he felt the difference in himself. It was hard to remember the man who had stood shoulder to shoulder with them.
His friend Silvius Saevus, captain of 3rd company, however, still seemed to be the brilliant tactical hothead he had always been. He had spotted Titus, recognized him in his black and red armour and immediately classified him as a threat. On a battlefield where chaos Space Marines had roamed only a short while ago, he could hardly blame the man.
Titus remembered a conversation with Vox where she had asked him if she should leak information to Cato Sicarius that Titus had been acquitted of his heretic charges. He had hesitated and never come back to this and now they were here.
“Traitor!”, the captain hissed and Titus regretted this lapse even more dearly. Not only for the danger it brought now but for the fact that his friends of yore still thought him a heretic.
Nothing for it now. He had to get a grip on the situation.
“Saphane, stand down!”, he ordered as calmly as he could. “Contact Ferone and ask him to come here.”
“Yes, Aegis”, Saphane said, earning a surprised look from the captain. He clearly recognised the heraldry of the head of a chapter. That she stepped away to heed Titus’ words like this made him hesitate.
“My lord, Guilliman”, Titus addressed his Primarch while Silvius came to his feet, collecting his sword. “My friend Silvius Saevus knows me as captain of second company of the Ultramarines. I lost that title when I was accused of heresy by an Inquisitor named Thrax. The man held me for three years without finding proof of corruption in me and has been indicted and executed for this treachery. After my release, I was seconded to the Deathwatch and none of my friends ever heard back from me. This is why Silvius thinks me a traitor. As you heard just now, I asked Ferone of the Blood Angels to come to us. He is commander of the Deathwatch, who has joined our endeavour and can confirm my words. Marneus Calgar also will confirm this if you ask him after Captain Titus of the Ultramarines.”
Guilliman’s unforgiving gaze rested on him while a hand gesture delegated the task to contact the chapter master of the Ultramarines to one of his honour guard.
“Ferone is on his way”, Saphane reported shortly afterwards and she and Titus exchanged a thoughtful glance. Both of them understood the delicate political situation. Surrounded by Ultramarines who had spotted the incident, there were still too many of Vox’s followers here and Ferone was on his way. That Saevus had been the offender meant nothing. The act of violence made the situation difficult.
Saphane elegantly solved the problem by absenting herself with a polite apology that she wanted to return to her duties. Her leaving caused a certain amount of normality to ease back into the situation. For a moment Titus tensed and was uncertain if Guilliman would allow her to leave but nothing was forthcoming.
“Captain Saevus, I haven’t heard from you yet”, Guilliman instead said when she was gone.
“My lord, the last I heard from this man was indeed that he had been accused of heresy”, Silvius said, standing to rigid and uncomfortable attention. “Today, he stands before us in colours I don’t recognize and which aren’t those of the Deathwatch either, as you might notice.”
“Indeed”, Guilliman confirmed. “They are the colours of his lady. I’ll still be interested to see how this plays out, Aegis Titus”, he informed him with a dangerous amount of calmness in his voice.
“My lord!”, the man who had been sent to contact Marneus Calgar returned. “I have reached the Chapter Master. He confirms that he has seconded captain Titus to the Deathwatch sine die and asks your permission to come to see his lost son.”
“Granted. And you would be Commander Ferone?”, Guilliman asked the glorious figure in black and silver armour who came towards them. He had made haste to arrive. Slowing his run to a measured stride when he was spotted gave the unfamiliar warriors time to read his heraldry.
“Indeed, Lord Guilliman”, Ferone said politely and bowed his head when he stopped in front of him. “Aegis, you wanted me?”
“Yes, commander. I have been recognized by an old friend of mine, whose last information was that I had been accused of heresy. Today, I stand here in new colours, carrying our lady, whom I wish to bring up to the ‘Primarch’s Bride’ to get treated as soon as possible.”
“Certainly, Aegis”, Ferone said, indicating with a small bow towards him that he had understood what his role here was. A gesture of respect like this from the commander of another chapter solidified Titus’ status even more and from the corner of his eye, he caught his old friend Silvius starting to shrink back a little.
“Marneus Calgar will confirm that Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, after his three years of wrongful imprisonment by a certain Inquisitor Thrax, has been seconded to the Deathwatch”, Ferone told them in his deep, vibrant voice. “This was about two years ago. I myself granted him leave to follow my Lady Vox when she went to find our Primarch a year ago. As you can see, the colours he wears are hers.” His eyes wandered to two more men approaching. Titus recognized both of them at once. One was Chapter Master Marneus Calgar, the other was Varro Tigurius, chief librarian of the Ultramarines. Titus had met them many times and for a moment felt the urge to salute them. With Vox in his arms this was impossible anyway but the realisation that he was not required to do this anymore felt odd. He opted for a polite nod instead.
Both their stern features were as strict and unforgiving as ever while their gazes swept over him. Then they exchanged a glance and Tigurius nodded very slightly. By the way Calgar relaxed under this, it was easy to assume that his chief librarian had just confirmed to have found no immediate sign of corruption in the small group.
“Titus!”, the chapter master exclaimed. “I never thought I’d have the pleasure of laying eyes on you again.”
“Forgive my lapse, chapter master”, Titus said solemnly. “We feared delay and complications had we announced ourselves.”
“I’d embrace you, my son”, Calgar stated just as severely. “But I see you are busy.” There was no suggestion of amusement in the stern features of the chapter master but Titus remembered well what humour among Ultramarines looked like. He had not missed it but faced with it now, he felt a pang of homesickness welling up inside him. Very gently, he tightened his grip on Vox. Returning had long been out of the question and whatever path had taken him here, he had found his place.
“My Lord Guilliman!”, Calgar meanwhile addressed his Primarch, who turned his stern gaze to him. “I can not tell you why Titus stands before us in unfamiliar colours but I confirm once more that he has been caught up in unfortunate events by no fault of his own. I seconded him to the Deathwatch and as you certainly saw just now, Varro Tigurius could detect no obvious corruption in him.”
Guilliman looked thoughtfully at the master of his home chapter. A thousand considerations flashed behind his intelligent eyes.
“Let me introduce commander Ferone of the Deathwatch to you, Marneus”, he said. “Since you will be fighting side by side and don’t seem to have met.”
“It’s an honour!”, Calgar exclaimed, thumping his fist to his breastplate in salute. Ferone answered in the same way. “I am forever grateful for what you have done for my son Titus”, he let Ferone know. “We were already mourning his loss when your message arrived.”
“The honour is mine”, Ferone said. “I was pleased to help in this matter. Bringing a mighty warrior like him back to the field is a noble endeavour and it was my pleasure to be part of it.”
Suddenly Calgar’s gaze was dragged sideways.
“Tiberius?”, he exclaimed in surprise. Only now did Titus notice that Tiberius had taken his time to remove his helmet and the memory of brother’s family name flashed through him. Their techmarine smiled broadly as the chapter master walked up to him to embrace him joyfully.
“How have you been, cousin?”, Tiberius Calgar inquired politely.
“Busy, as you can see!”, Marneus answered. “And you… Well, I must say!”, he said and his quizzical look rested on the unconscious Vox for a moment. “I’m eager to meet this lady of yours. Who is she that you have taken up her colours?”
“She is the saint of the sanguine blooded, Marneus”, Tiberius told him with conviction. “And she has brought Sanguinius back into the world.”
“My lord, I suppose you have met my cousin Tiberius Calgar?”, the chapter master remembered himself, turning to his Primarch again.
“I have”, Guilliman said and the glint in his eyes, although certainly born of amusement, spoke of a lot of danger. “And I never thought that our visit to Custos would bring so many happy reunions”, he said. For a moment, he sank his unfathomable gaze into Titus’ grey eyes.
“Tiberius Calgar”, he continued then. “You are most welcome to stand at your cousin’s side”, he let them know. “And you, commander”, he added, turning to Ferone. “Will you do me the honour to accompany me while Aegis Titus brings your lady to treatment?”
“It will be my greatest honour, my lord!”, Ferone replied and Titus saw the amused twitch around the corners of his mouth. He and Titus both were impressed at how easily and elegantly Guilliman took political prisoners and certainly both of them saluted him inwardly when the Primarch turned to his third captain now.
“Captain Saevus”, he addressed him, getting a hasty salute in return. “Are you ready to accompany your returned brother to the flagship of our new allies to bring the lady to medical attention?”, the Primarch asked.
“I am, my lord”, Silvius confirmed even though he still looked bewildered by the proceedings.
“Take one of your squads as retinue”, Guilliman continued easily and beckoned his honour guard close again. “Martius, organise a ship to take them up!” The man nodded and stepped aside as he had done before.
What a coup! The commander in his hand, one of Vox’s honour guard bound with his cousin and eleven Ultramarines on the way to the ‘Primarch’s Bride’ without making use of the fact that Vox had surrendered the ship to him in any case. No one could impute to him that he was taking precautions. On the contrary. He was polite and tended to all sensitivities of all parties involved. Titus was deeply impressed.
Vox had deliberately taken Tiberius down with them, he knew. Having the cousin of the chapter master at their side was too good a bargaining chip to pass up but she had taken months to plan their approach. Guilliman had gotten no time to prepare and seconds to think. Magnificent!
When Silvius and 3rd company’s veteran squad Torsion joined them in the stormraven made ready for them, indeed Titus saw several old friends, who greeted him with different degrees of reluctant delight. The conversation on their short trip was awkward, most of the men uncertain what to talk about, not least because of the unconscious Vox in Titus’ arms.
“Where is second company?”, Titus inquired because he had not seen the golden rimmed banner on the battlefield. “I would like to meet my brothers again.”
Silvius, to whom the question was posed, gritted his teeth for a moment.
“They have been lost in the warp on their way to Terra”, he informed Titus.
“Grave news”, was all Titus found to say. “Who is the new captain?”, he asked just to keep going.
“Cato Sicarius.”
“Yes, I thought so. He was the best.”
“Well, who knows”, Silvius said. “Maybe he still is, just somewhere else. The warp can be like that, right?”
Titus nodded. He knew how else the warp could be too. He regretted not sending a message to his old friend even more. Now, he would never get the chance. He forced himself to inquire about the battle on the surface and how 3rd company had fared in particular. After their shared grief for the lost brothers, Silvius thawed slowly and told him about the things their Primarch had set into motion since he had been brought back to the world. The situation remained awkward nevertheless and luckily, there was little time before they reached the ‘Primarch’s Bride’.
Titus was glad of it for personal considerations as well. He had trouble coping with the fact that his old world had changed. He had known that there was no going back in any case but up until now, the Ultramarines had been preserved in his memory like a precious gem. To find out that it had new facets while some of the old lustre was missing was troubling.