The Warfield (A warhammer 40k story)

Chapter 9

The Grey Knight ship slowly encased the dropship as it landed in the large ships hangar and as Ventris watched the two guardsmen almost seem to hunker down in their seats as the Grey Knight Michael came back and as the dropships landing ramp lowered, they met another Grey Knight in the hangar as he was surrounded by sevritors with incense burners and more and he came forward as Jonathan and Logan heard the distinct clicks and thumps of mechanical parts for the Grey Knights body.

"Welcome, Sons of Titan and Maccrage. I am Alec of the Eight Brotherhood... But you already knew that..." said the Grey Knight techamarine as he looked own with his red, monocle eye towards Jonathan.

"I see you have changed since we last met... but its good to see that a techpriest is here..." said Jonathan as he bowed his head, as did Logan.

Alec was 7'7" in his robes, his hair was short and a dark black. His other normal eye was black and Jonathan remembered seeing it glow in the dark before on Carkiss 10. He also had a scar going from above the black eye to his chin.

"Now... we must hurry... although it will be two weeks until we reach the planet of Carkiss 10, much will be needed to be done to you before you join us in combat... so come! To the Citadel... Windheim and our other brothers are already there, waiting for the ceremony to begin." said Alec as he began to move and the servitor surrounded the four of them as Uriel was pleasantly surprised by this.

"You aren't suppose to do this normally, am I right?" asked Uriel as they walked from the hangar.

"Aye, you are correct, Captain... but dire situations sometimes need the most unusual techniques to mend them... The brotherhood... remembered these two well and after coming together and discussing much with the Grandmasters... and the Inquisition... we decided to go with this dangerous plan..."

"Dangerous?" asked Logan.

"The way to create Space Marines is forever lost to us... and you are too old to become Grey Knights, nor would there be time to normally make your Grey Knights... but, the Grandmasters know of a way to make... well... what is the world for small figures?" asked Alec.

"Mini?" Suggested Jonathan.

"Yes, mini Grey Knights... although the word for you all is actually...

"Grey Marines..."

"Grey Marines?" asked Ventris.

"A human can, at certain ages, be turned into an ad hoc Space marine and be able to do much what a Space Marine can do. Grey Knights are above the normal Grey marines but Grey Marines have made history in our ranks before..."

Then the group was silent as they continued on.

When they came to the large doors of the Citadel, Alec gave Jonathan, Logan, and Uriel grey robes and as they donned them, Michael said to them, "Be respectful as best as you can. Remember, just because we give a friendly manner doesn't mean we still won't kill you."

Logan and Jonathan nodded as Alec opened the doors to the Citadel and as they looked inside, they were blown away by the looks of it. It was, in truth, a chapel and three Grey Knights stood clad in grey tunics as they watched the group come closer. One was Justicar Windheim and Jonathan put names to the last two, Daxx and Bjorn.

"Welcome to the Citadael... I greet you, Captain Ventris... and to you both, Jonathan and Logan..." said Windheim as he extended his arms to them.

"Justicar Windheim, a pleasure to meet you..." said Ventris with a nod and as they met at the end of the Citadel, which looked like a large church.

Servitors tended the candles all around as the place could fit a entire company of fully armored Space Marines within and as Ventris looked around, he asked Windheim, "What a grand place to meet in..."

"Its even more grand when the brotherhood is all together in their armor... but it is good to see one of our fellow Space marines here..." Windhiem looked at Logan and Jonathan as he smiled to them.

"And you two, you have changed much... Jonathan looks more grizzled and Logan looks like he's gotten more friendly.." 

"Justicar, I ask to take these two to their chambers to proceed with the procedure while we still can." asked Alec as he put his large hands on the shoulders of both guardsmen.

"Of course..." Windheim nodded and both young men were whisked away as Ventris looked to Windhiem and asked, "Tell me... these Grey marines? What are they like?"

"Well... to be fair, it shouldn't be possible for anything non space marine to exist but... the Grey marines were the first scouts before the old legions of the Emperor itself. Its said that though many of them turned from the Emperor with the Horus Heresy, The Grey Marines were the only ones who stead fast against their own... their ways have forever been encased with our monastery at Titan for safekeeping... but now, we take those teachings out and use them to make what may become the finest generation of Grey marines."

Ventris thought about this as he said, "Will... they not survive this?"

"The technology has been locked away and never been bettered by even and Tech Magos... so they may die as well.." said Windhiem with regret.

"Then May the Emperor Protect."

"The Emperor Protects."

As Jonathan and Logan lay on the tables, the Techpriest looked at them as then a Apothacarion of the Ultramarines appeared and as the Apothacarion began to walk around them, Jonathan asked, "What will happen to us when this is all done?"

"You will become something amazing." said Alec as the procedure soon began.