Secret War: The Annihilation Plague (Part1)

Chapter 8

It only took them about a minute to find the strange Space Marine as he was in his chamber, the first place they checked.

Kalakor towered over Attelus and Karmen, his arms folded across his huge cuirass.

'You wish to be informed of my background?' he said.

'Th-that's it's said Attelus.

'Are you sure you wish to know?'

'No, but it's important,' said Attelus. 'We need to know how you can use sorcery because Inquisitor Enandra will know soon enough.'

'Why?'

'Because too many people know,' said Karmen. 'Most of us saw you penetrate the veil. All of us saw you destroy the Sword of Kalncerak.'

The Space Marine's inscrutable red eyes turned on her, although Attelus knew his gaze would be inscrutable, even helmetless.

For a few seconds, Kalakor seemed to calculate the variables of this. 'I understand,' he said.

'That's good, Kalakor, that's great,' said Karmen. 'So tell us, please, how did you learn sorcery?'

Kalakor nodded slightly. 'I will. I am a man of my word, although it was only Attelus Kaltos whom I swore to, you Karmen Kons are good too.'

'Uhh, thanks!' said Karmen.

'But before I tell you of how I learned sorcery, it is better I inform you as to why.'

'Okay,' said Attelus. 'That makes sense.'

'But before I start, I must remind you that both of you are working alongside Xenos, and you, Attelus Kaltos, were under the control of a daemon sword and slew many loyal servants to the Golden Throne.'

'I...yes,' said Attelus, the blunt reminder of him killing those soldiers stung, but he was really beginning to dislike where this was going. 'So, you're subtly implying that we shouldn't judge you?'

'I am,' said Kalakor without a hint of irony.

'Just please get it done, Kalakor,' said Karmen.

The Space Marine's hands clenched into fists, and for a split second, they shook slightly; could that have been fear? 'I shall be blunt. I...was an Alpha Legionnaire.'

Attelus' heart fell to his toes, and he could only begin to splutter out monosyllables.

'One of the nine traitor legions?' Karmen said, and Attelus had never heard her sound so exasperated.

'I was Karmen Kons. Emphasis on was,' said Kalakor and Attelus had never heard him sound so exasperated either. 'I left their ranks a long time ago. You see, I was taken in as a new recruit into their ranks near the end of what you in the Imperium now calls The Horus Heresy. After my...primarch Alpharius elected to join Horus in his rebellion.'

In the corner of Attelus' eye, he caught Karmen look at him, and he met her wide-eyed gaze. A gaze that said, "Frig this, you were right; we didn't need to know this."

'But I did not wish to fight against the Emperor and the Imperium, and I saw the impending corruption degradation awaiting me by witnessing it within my older brothers and those of the other traitor legions. I saw that this corruption brought the worst out in them, or the brothers who had been changed alongside me. I saw the vile, terrible rites that those of the Word Bearers and those who had given themselves entirely to the Chaos gods would perform for, but a sliver of their power and disgust rose inside me. Disgust, loathing and hatred. So I decided to abandon my brothers and forge my own path. A path dedicated to battling the...what was later entitled The Ruinous Powers, in any way I could and aid humanity and the Imperial Truth in any way I can.'