Utham Luna Hesh Udar watched as the soldiers attached the nutrient dispensers to the cells' interface ports.
When the interface's back-pressure reacted with the engine's stray frequencies, one of the containers fell to the ground.
Natagi, of the Yurian Stormlords, cursed as he fell, the intersecting stasis fields had robbed him of his footing, making him slip.
"Steady your rear end, and you won't slip," said the veteran of the Kitanin Cavalry.
"Silence!" Udar barked.
"No idle chatter during duty."
"Forgive me, Custodian," Natagi said. "It won't happen again."
"Once today's tasks are done, you'll return to the surface to collect your pay and your discharge papers," Udar said.
"I have no mercy for those who disobey orders."
"Custodian?" Natagi pleaded.
"I tolerate no dissent. You have no idea how dangerous the prisoners here are, " Udar cut off abruptly, his stim-glands instinctively recognizing anger and surging violence.
He gripped his long halberd. "Follow me."
Udar led the soldiers through the cell blocks, confirming each prisoner was secure.
His first priority was Tagore of the World Eaters, who, before being subdued, had slaughtered three hundred and fifty-nine elite auxiliary soldiers.
Udar watched the World Eater pacing like a beast within his cage, his prison jumpsuit torn to shreds.
His muscles and jaw were taut as a maddened wolf's; his body was covered in blade and axe scars.
A metal plate was embedded in the back of his skull, radiating a frenzied killing-lust.
"Traitor, step away from the door," Udar warned.
Tagore stared at him. "One day I'll kill you and make you watch your spine get ripped out through your chest."
"You're merely a cages animal, I'd like to see you try," Udar said.
He shook his head and moved deeper into the prison.
He knew the most terrifying prisoner in the entire facility was Asava, the Thousand Sons sorcerer.
Udar arrived at the cell and saw the sorcerer standing at its center, hands at his sides, as if waiting for something.
He sensed danger instinctively, his halberd spun rapidly in his grip.
Asava's eyes snapped open, blazing like the sun.
"Leave!" Udar shouted to his men.
Asava curled his lips. "Too late."
Natagi pulled the trigger, Veteran Custodian Sumant Giri Phalguni Tirtha collapsed to his knees.
The plasma caster's heat-sinks radiated excess heat.
An ancient forbidden weapon the Emperor had prepared for Khangba Marwu had killed a loyal warrior with seventy-six citations.
Udar raised his halberd, the weapon under its blade roared, blasting Natagi to pieces.
His gaze swept over the other soldiers; his tactical visor displayed their threat ratings:
Yurian Stormlords soldiers with hellguns, minimal threat.
Two Vitrian commissars, one with a plasma gun, the other a grenade launcher, moderate threat.
Three Crimson Dragoons, armed with plasma carbines and smasher guns, direct threat.
Udar dodged the hellgun beams, his spear pierced crimson armor.
He spun, his halberd cutting a low arc that sliced through four attackers, a searing plasma blast glanced off his helmet, leaving him temporarily blind.
Udar crouched in a defensive stance, his halberd whirling to deflect all incoming rounds.
His vision returned in two seconds. He rose and charged, his return fire blasted a Vitrian commissar to pieces.
Udar's eyes jumped, the last Crimson Dragoon was pressing Tirtha's bloody palm against the gene-fingerprint lock.
Tagore stepped out of his cell. "I said I would kill you."
The Crimson Dragoon did not stop, he ran to Asava's door and opened it.
Asava, seated cross-legged, opened his eyes, he already sensed that another puppet had awakened Kai Zulane.
He rose from his cell and felt the waves of the Great Ocean flood into his body.
Crack!
His psychic suppression collar snapped and fell to the floor.
The tide surged into him. He exhaled long and deep, renewed.
"Give me the ring."
Asava raised Tirtha's ring to his lips, extended his tongue, and licked the blood clean.
With Pavoni arts, he savored the genetic delicacy, its rich flavor filled his senses.
Though he was a Temple Master of the Athenaen Cult, he had already crossed the threshold and been permitted to explore other schools' mysteries.
Some Thousand Sons masters specialized solely in their own school, but Asava, like Motep of the Corvidae Cult, chose to study widely across other disciplines.
He tossed the ring back to his puppet. "Continue freeing the other warriors."
Asava ran toward the battlefield, eyes fixed on the fist-to-fist melee.
The Guardian Spear had been brutally broken by Tagore, its blade embedded in the ceiling, hissing.
Udar's attacks were precise and elegant, his fists and feet struck vital points, drenching the naked Tagore in blood.
Tagore's eyes bulged, his teeth bared, he cared nothing for defense, nor for death.
He drove a kick into Udar's knee, the Custodian fell to one knee, blocking a knee strike to the face with his gauntlet.
Udar then grabbed Tagore, slammed him to the ground, and raised his boot toward the World Eater's head.
Tagore rolled forward and drove a fist into Udar's thigh, the leg bone cracked, forcing the Custodian to one knee.
Another punch sent the Custodian's helmet flying.
Udar surged up, swinging his fist into Tagore's jaw.
The iron spikes in Tagore's skull spat red sparks, rage flooded his blood, electrical jolts amplifying his emotions.
All the fury he had accumulated since his imprisonment now poured out.
Tagore's eyes blazed red, each of his blows struck the armor the Anatolian Peak artisans had painstakingly forged for the Custodes.
Udar's fists hammered Tagore's unprotected body, sheer force shattered the bone plates in Tagore's chest.
His elbow crashed into Tagore's jaw, bloody teeth flew.
Tagore swallowed a broken tooth, pain was a stimulant beyond rage.
He seized Udar's fist, a savage headbutt broke the Custodian's nose.
Blood blinded Udar, Tagore's bloodied fists hammered the ornate armor.
Metal bent; bones broke.
Tagore roared as his fist plunged into the Custodian's chest, flesh churned until his fingers met solid bone.
He grinned, gripping the spine.
"Tagore," Asava called. "I need him alive."
"Only Angron and his captains can tell me what to do," Tagore bellowed.
"Magnus's whelps, no chance."
With a terrible crunching sound, Tagore's arm ripped the spine from Udar's body.
He smashed the broken bone into Udar's face. "Custodes, I said I would kill you and I did!"
Udar tried to rise, but even a Custodian's magnificent body could not withstand such grievous injury.
Boom!
Udar collapsed into a pool of blood.
"Do you know what you've done?" Asava said sharply.
"Killed a powerful and memorable enemy."
"That is irrelevant," Asava said helplessly, looking up at the ceiling and walls, nearly a hundred gun-turrets rotated, ready to purge them.
"Utham Luna Hesh Udar, I deeply apologize for the desecration to come." Asava reached for the Custodian's head.
"But I urgently need your assistance." He wrenched the head off with force.
Udar's blood flowed over Asava's hands; marrow dripped from the broken spine.
The wall-mounted cannons roared, thousands of rounds hammered the cell block.
Tagore pressed himself against the outer wall, shouting: "Can you stop them?"
Amid the acrid smoke, Asava's consciousness projected into the Custodian's skull, Pavoni arts channeled psychic energy into dying vessels, staving off brain death.
He felt the high-speed neural firing crackle, his mind linked with Udar's.
Udar's brain gradually revived under the biomancy; Asava's body began to match and alter with the Custodian's blood, his biology reorganizing.
His exterior remained unchanged, but his inner cells had become Utham Luna Hesh Udar's.
At the same time, he absorbed everything the Custodian guard knew:
Khangba Marwu's layout, security protocols, and most importantly, the exits.
The most critical information for the current situation, the shutdown code for the turrets.
"All batteries offline, power disabled," Asava said, mimicking Utham Luna Hesh Udar's voice with perfect pitch.
No voice-sampler challenged the speaker; the authorization level was recognized as Omega 93, the highest clearance at Khangba Marwu.
The deafening fire ceased instantly, every barrel retracted, slots sealing shut.
As the smoke cleared, Asava saw several figures emerge.
Asuba and Suba, the twin assassins, even larger than Tagore.
Gythor of the Death Guard, called Goliath, the tallest among them.
Beside him stood Argentus Kylon of the Emperor's Children.
Severian of the Luna Wolves, known as the Wolf, reclusive and inscrutable.
And the last, far smaller than the five Astropaths, Kai Zulane, Khangba Marwu's final prisoner.
"We must leave at once."
Asava said, dragging Kai Zulane, and ran toward the only bridge connecting the floating island to the outer world.
The other six followed, racing toward the archway.
Asava maintained Utham Luna Hesh Udar's identity, shutting down automated gun-turrets one after another.
Boom!
Gythor's massive frame burst through the gate, then suddenly halted, staring at the Shadows of Order before him.
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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