The message had been sent; the Cadian had received it and would no doubt come looking for him. He had to move. The Imperium's Bane had crashed - as far as he could tell - many kilometers away from the Meridius. That said, he had a good head start.
As he walked, Jeremy couldn't help but think of all that had transpired. Everything he'd lost, everything that he'd gained since his betrayal on Cadia.
Cadia Prime; six months ago
"Ah, The Negotiator! Captain Howlett, we've been expecting you," Commander Carla Larkin, of the Cadian 44th greeted. "And... Jeremy Hess? Is that correct?"
Jeremy nodded and made the sign of the Aquila over his Carapace Breastplate. Larkin responded in kind and took a seat, gesturing at the other two men to follow suit.
"Captain Howlett... We're about to lose this Kasr, and honestly, my forces are dwindling and can hardly hold their own against the heretics," The commander admitted. "I'm going to need your help to evacuate the civilians."
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, our forces should be out on the offensive."
The Rogue Trader sighed. "Jeremy... We're not goi-"
"Why? So that her men and woman can die, while our soldiers protect the weak," The Elysian interrupted. He glared at the blue-eyed Cadian. "I'm sorry, Logan, but our forces are superior. We could turn this battle around. Instead, we're sitting on our asses, helping civil-"
"We are not going to discuss this again. We've gone over this before, and I thought we were on the same page. Apparently, you weren't listening on Axia," The large man was losing his patience, and it was beginning to show. "Now, you will remain silent until the meeting is over, or you can wait outside. Either way, we're doing what is asked of us."
Hess sighed, conceding defeat. "Yes sir."
Commander Larkin gave a slight cough, attempting to get the men back on track. "Anyway... I have several squads of Shock Troopers and one squad of Karskin ready to assist."
Logan nodded. "Very well. We'll begin evacuations immediately."
"May the Emperor watch over us in these dark times. Good luck." The commander stood up and saluted the Rogue Trader, then turned to Jeremy and gave a slight nod.
The two men exited the office and strode briskly to the exit. Neither of them looked at the other nor spoke a word. As they left the building, they heard the echoes and cracks of gunfire from the streets below.
"Logan... I'm... I'm sorry for what happened back there. I wasn't thinking." Jeremy stated.
Putting his cybernetic hand on the Elysian's shoulder, Logan said "I understand that you were upset about my decision back on Axia. But I-"
"- chose the wounded women and children over the Elysian forces." Jeremy finished for him.
Logan sighed. "Yes. Yes I did. I made a choice, and as a leader, I have to do that. I'm sorry that you didn't agree with my decision, and I wish there had been a way to save all of them. But there simply wasn't."
Jeremy's face suddenly changed. He was smiling. "Alright. I completely understand."
The Trader raised an eyebrow. Before he could investigate this sudden shift of demeanor, his micro-bead went off.
"Logan? It's Sarah. Emerson and I are leading the first group of civilians to the checkpoint."
"Got it. Are the Commander's forces ready to assist?" Logan inquired.
