49. Standing in for a Friend

Stifling a curse, Titus grabbed the bolt pistol and stepped out of the room. He was just in time. The brothers Heartrock, trailing Orin Gahannen were closing in at speed. They had their weapons ready and looked highly nervous. From the other direction, Dankwart ran up to them.
Titus gently pushed the door shut behind him and braced himself for what would follow.
His brothers had come to kill the psyker and he was in the way. He wondered if having only one measly bolt pistol was to his advantage or disadvantage. He had not dared to come out without it. Not because he was concerned that he needed it for Vox again but because he had no chance to build his case if he could not at least claim that he had disarmed their librarian. Of course, this was ridiculous. Vox was a walking weapon at any time. Probably not even tying him up would change that.
Titus was only glad that Gradus’ sergeant was in the infirmary. Without an actual superior and since he had been the last leader, he had a slight authority, which he could use.
β€œWhat’s happening?”, he demanded before they had come to a halt and was glad to see that this confused them somewhat. They stopped and looked at him with caution.
β€œOne of the crew started to scream prophecies of doom down the corridor and died shortly afterwards”, Gahannen said.
β€œAnd our librarian didn’t answer his com”, Vyron added.
β€œAnd you asked me where he had gone, so we figured you were searching for him”, Gahannen provided.
β€œYou smell of blood”, Vyron growled.
β€œWhere is Vox?” The question came from Hyron and nothing before had sounded as threatening as this.
β€œHe’s inside”, Titus answered slowly to take speed out of the conversation. β€œHe freaked out after what happened today and we got him stable again.”
β€œYou were with him when that happened?”, Hyron demanded aggressively.
β€œYes.”
β€œAnd with β€˜stable’ you don’t mean β€˜dead’?”
β€œHe is alive”, Titus stated calmly. Their expressions told him that they were ready to correct this state of affairs and take him down while they were about it. He needed to get a grip on the situation in the next few seconds.
β€œBut that’s a good point, Hyron”, he added smoothly. Still slow and careful in his demeanour, he turned to their apothecary.
β€œDankwart, could you check on Vox? As far as I could tell, he hasn’t been treated yet.” Nor has anyone given enough of a damn to check his equipment, he added silently to himself. β€œNostromo has gone to find out what exactly happened and he asked that Vox wasn’t to be shot in the meantime. I think we should heed the wishes of the master of the ship.”
With this, Titus made way, granting access to the door. Reliably as ever, Dankwart went inside without a word.
This at least put the developments on hold. They all were used to standing back while the apothecary worked. The brothers still stood around indecisively. Especially the Space Wolves proved awkward.
Luckily, the navigator returned.
β€œI’ve checked in with the other ships. There were only a few casualties!”, he called out as soon as he turned the corner. β€œThe warp gate ripping open on Almond has taken out most of the sensitive people already. We had only a handful of additional deaths.”
Maybe not as lucky that he returned then.
Titus looked at his Space Wolves and braced himself. This was going to go bad, he knew it.
β€œBrother”, Hyron said and again, the threat in his voice was unmistakable. β€œAre you telling us that Vox killed even more people than that damned rift and you let him live?”
β€œIt took me a moment to get at his pistol”, Titus said. β€œUntil then, he had stabilised. The damage was done, why add another death?”
The memory of the desperate gaze of his little brother filled Titus with new resolve. Whatever else had happened, Vox had gotten a grip on himself without help. Titus looked down. He could not have lived with the knowledge of having pulled the trigger after an accomplishment like this.
Distracted by these musings, he was taken by surprise when Vyron sprang him. The Space Wolf had remained silent since his brother had taken over the conversation. Now, he went violent without warning. In return, it was the growling, threatening Hyron who interfered when his brother tried to twist Titus’ arm off.
The wolves went down with a crash and used the opportunity to let off some steam. They had time to struggle for about two seconds before they heard a command. Quiet but menacing for its intensity.
β€œStand down! And stand up! Both of you!”
When they all looked around, Sergeant Cunn limped up to them.
β€œWhere is Dankwart?”, he wanted to know while the twins came to their feet. β€œI sent him on ahead.”
β€œHe is inside with Vox, sergeant”, Titus reported with a sinking feeling. So much for his authority. The smell of the blood on his robe seemed even more unfortunate all of a sudden. He wondered what had alerted the sergeant to the proceedings that he had found his way to them on a large, unfamiliar ship.
β€œWhat happened here?”, Cunn demanded calmly, looking from one to the other.
β€œI went to check on Vox and he seemed troubled”, Titus recounted cautiously. There was something about the man. An ominous tension that augured complications if not handled carefully. He remembered well that he was dealing with a fellow Ultramarine. The chapter was large but Titus had been one of ten distinct faces among his brethren. There was a chance that this man knew who he was talking to.
β€œHe attacked me but before I had taken his bolt pistol away, he had stabilised again”, Titus pushed on despite these concerns. β€œI’m told that he sent out a pulse of dangerous warp energy in the process. A few people died.”
Merth Cunn looked at him from narrowed eyes.
β€œYou are told?”, he asked, each syllable distinctly shaped by his slow, careful voice.
β€œYes, sergeant. I am resistant to the warp and felt nothing”, Titus replied.
Cunn’s gaze wandered over to the hovering navigator.
β€œMay I inquire, who you are?”, he asked.
β€œI am CasimirΓ© Nostromo. Navigator and owner of the fleet of Destiny you are accommodated on, sergeant”, Nostromo informed him coolly.
Cunn bowed, apparently painfully so.
β€œSergeant Merth Cunn of the Ultramarines, navigator Nostromo. Very pleased to make your acquaintance. Can you confirm what my brother has just told me?”
β€œI can, sergeant”, Nostromo declared in his slightly mechanical voice. β€œVox lost control over his powers for a moment but stabilised immediately. Right now, he is no threat”, he added severely.
The sergeant’s expression displayed a very interesting mixture of disbelief and slightly dangerous amusement when he looked Titus up and down.
β€œBrother Titus”, he said and Titus just knew that the man had recognized him. He braced himself. This would get ugly.
β€œJust to be clear”, Cunn recounted. β€œYou came unarmoured to your librarian, who seemed unstable to you. You managed to get the bolt pistol off him and didn’t shoot him down?”
β€œIndeed, sergeant”, Titus answered and forced himself to keep calm. If the sergeant had recognized him, he knew that he was talking to a captain. That was something he could use. Cunn probably also knew which captain he had before him and that he had found a rather dishonourable end. He wondered if he could use this too.
β€œHe showed no mutation nor overly much aggression and went still of his own accord.”
β€œHe’s in there?”, the sergeant asked almost nonchalantly.
β€œYes, sergeant”, Titus confirmed smoothly. β€œDankwart is with him.”
β€œGive me the pistol.” Cunn held a hand out for it. Titus hesitated for one second. This was a clever move, he had to admit. It would leave the possible conspirator unarmed in the presence of his uneasy brothers. Still, he could not avoid this right now. He had been given a direct order by a higher ranking officer. So, he handed Cunn the pistol and the sergeant went inside without a further word.
β€œI can’t believe you failed to kill him”, Hyron spat as soon as the door had fallen shut. β€œIt’s your fucking duty to kill a psyker when he goes nuts!”
Titus looked him squarely in the eyes. The most important thing was to keep the lid on things now. He allowed himself an apologetic smile.
β€œYou’ll have to admit that it is incredibly hard to pull the trigger on someone who saved a couple of planets a few hours back, won’t you?” Titus left the question hanging deliberately. He needed the Space Wolf to confirm this out loud.
β€œI suppose so”, Hyron admitted reluctantly.
β€œI can imagine what you think of me”, Titus continued in a soft, calm voice, making sure to look at all their faces in turn. β€œBut Vox really stopped coming of his own accord before I got the pistol to his head.”
β€œLook, Ultramarine”, Vyron snapped. β€œEven your Codex Astartes says that a psyker is to be killed when he poses a threat! You know how I know? Because Vox told us!”
β€œRight”, Hyron agreed and actually cited: β€œβ€™Keep your thoughts clear and your weapon ready and strike him down on the day he gives the darkness way to this world’! That’s what it says!”
β€œYes”, Titus said simply. β€œAnd it wasn’t today.”
He held their gazes resolutely.
β€œVox persevered”, he told them. β€œWith a planet burning behind us and the incredible things he pulled off for all of us, our librarian still got a grip on himself.”
β€œAnd you just waited for him to do that?”, Vyron demanded. β€œWhat would you have done, if he hadn’t stopped coming?”
β€œI had the pistol to his head, he had no other weapon in his hands. What was he going to do against someone, who is resistant to the warp?”, Titus asked calmly. β€œBurn me? I have to admit that we haven’t tested this yet but I don’t think he could have killed me fast enough.”
This, of course, was a powerful argument he had come upon and he decided to exploit it further.
β€œCome on”, he said, daring to lay a hand on Vyron’s shoulder guard. β€œYou heard how surprised he was when Dankwart told him that my leg wasn’t a problem. I know each of you would have had to kill him at once but I have more time in these matters. Vox can’t harm me as easily.”
β€œPeople still died!”, Hyron argued but finally, he started to sound uncertain.
β€œOh, come on!” It was Orin Gahannen who uttered the cry. He sounded annoyed.
β€œDo you listen? Titus needed a moment before he had gotten hold of the pistol. The damage was done until then! With his actions today Vox at the very least saved the Fleet of Destiny and probably several worlds. I also remember him taking an active role in getting Gradus out. Five Space Marines to fight for humanity and protect thousands of people.”
β€œWithout armour”, Vyron said drily and was not fast enough to dodge when Gahannen hit him. Titus and Hyron had their work cut out to separate them. While Titus managed to get Gahannen into an armlock, the twins used their chance to continue the brawl Cunn had interrupted earlier.
Gahannen and Titus exchanged a disbelieving glance when they realised this and then tried to separate the two Space Wolves in turn. When finally all of them stood panting and not actively trying to kill anyone, they got aware of the hovering figure of the navigator. He had his head cocked to one side. Under his strange, fathomless gaze they all straightened up and pulled themselves together.
β€œThe point I was trying to make is”, Gahannen said. β€œEven if a hundred had died today because Vox slipped, he is worth more than that.”
β€œI agree”, Nostromo said calmly and they all focussed on him a little nervously. β€œMaster Vox earned more than one chance to be left alive as long as possible and what I saw from him in the past eleven years, tells me that he will continue to do so.”
β€œNobody says that a psyker who sprouts additional limbs is to be left alive”, Titus said in a conciliatory manner.
β€œYou two stayed in that damned rift!”, Vyron snapped, pushing Titus in the chest forcefully. β€œHow do we even know if you are still you?!”
Finally, Titus saw the problem. During the mission, there had been no time to stop and think about something like this but now it was only natural that this preyed on their minds. He breathed in deeply to gain a little time to think.
β€œLook”, he said. β€œIt were these lust daemons down there, right? Remember when you had saved us from the genestealer cult? Vox blushed when you started to make sexually explicit jokes and even stopped you from doing it when he noticed our brothers getting angry. Why should one of these daemons do that? He would have joined in if he had been tainted, right?”
β€œYeah, alright”, Hyron said reluctantly. β€œBut then you went on that station and only the two of you returned in one piece.”
β€œYes”, Titus conceded. β€œBut you sat and listened while Vox introduced us. Do you really think that something like that could have come from anyone who wasn’t Vox anymore?”
The Space Wolves looked at each other.
β€œAlright”, Vyron finally said. β€œVox is still Vox. What about you?”
Titus lifted his hands.
β€œI don’t know the procedure in the Deathwatch. Back home we are required to undergo an interrogation by the Ecclesiarchy if exposed to the warp.”
β€œThis is the case in the Deathwatch too”, Nostromo supplied. β€œBut unless someone accuses anyone, the interrogation is a mission follow-up conducted on Erioch.”
β€œWhat if anyone accuses anyone?”, Gahannen wanted to know.
Nostromo shrugged.
β€œThat you’ll have to ask Master Vox.”
Again, the Space Wolves exchanged a glance. Titus tensed. For a moment he was sure that the two of them would not bother with accusations and go for violence again. Luckily, the door behind him opened, admitting sergeant Cunn and Dankwart. They all stared at them.
β€œVox is on healing duty until the day after tomorrow”, the sergeant told them. β€œI will see you all at prayer. Dismissed. Brother Titus, a word please. Navigator, I thank you for your help in this matter”, he continued when he had sorted the Space Marines out. β€œIs there anything I can do for you?”
β€œNo, thank you, sergeant”, Nostromo said and hovered back to his door. β€œGood night”, he bade them and went into his room.

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Guide Me Through the Darkness by Julia M. V. Warren is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

7 Comments

  1. Priscila January 20, 2021 at 7:19 pm - Reply

    Poor Vox! 😞😒 I like how Titus care with your friend, and your gratitude with your little brother is immense. ❀️ I hope that all be resolve well πŸ™

    • Julia M. V. Warren January 20, 2021 at 7:57 pm - Reply

      Define “well” :D

  2. Priscila January 20, 2021 at 9:22 pm - Reply

    I have very little knowledge about the powers of Chaos (I’m sorry πŸ˜…). I imagine Vox will have total control of his powers, and Titus will help to have control πŸ€” … But only after many adversities … But we are in the grimdark, so it will not be easy … That is my humble opinion ☺️

    • Julia M. V. Warren January 27, 2021 at 8:52 am - Reply

      That’s a pretty good definition of “well”.
      Sadly, it’s built in to this universe that you can’t control chaos. Vox is powerful and therefore useful but everybody gets nervous when they witness his powers. The psyker might just slip at any time and the more powerful they get, the more damage they do when the day comes. But stabilizing Vox is an excellent idea and Titus is admittedly a very stable character :)

  3. Priscila February 10, 2021 at 7:06 pm - Reply

    I didn’t know that the chaos in the Warhammer universe is uncontrollable. Now I understand why people are so terrified of Vox 😞. I think if Vox is stabilized, Tito can help … He has a pure heart, is incorruptible and resistant to warp … 😊

    • Julia M. V. Warren February 10, 2021 at 8:08 pm - Reply

      Yeah, Titus is awesome! :D
      Sadly, it was not my honour to invent him. I stole him from the game “Space Marine”
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Space_Marine

      I immediately liked the setup of his character. The way he runs into trouble and then does everything super-human-possible to turn it around. One word: Inspiring!

      • Priscila February 20, 2021 at 11:32 pm - Reply

        Me too! I think Titus is amazing, one of the best characters in Warhammer 40k. I met the character in the Space Marine game on YouTube, when I was looking for the Doom Eternal game, then I found a Space Marines gameplay … Although I never played it, I think it’s a great game.

        I thought that all space marines were tough and with a heart of stone, but knowing Titus I started to like Warhammer 40k even more. Whenever I read the comments, many were saying bad things about Ultramarines, but I saw that there are other cool characters too. Thanks for the link! You’re doing a great job, writing the sequel to Space Marine 😍

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