Fulminata- A Warhammer 40,000 Story

Too Loyal

Cimric slowly awoke in the medical bay. The bright lights were garish as he slowly sat up. He looked around. The Apothecary was around working on other wounded Astartes.

He tried to remember what had happened. He had been fighting alongside Lieutenant Theos. Bloodletters had been invading the ship. They leapt over the barricade, one slashed at his chest. He got a few shots off before his stasis had taken over. After that...

Cimric had thought himself dead. He had thought he would have died then and there. But someone had taken him to the Apothecarion. Someone had allowed Cimric to survive.

Cimric slowly pushed himself out of the medical bed, wincing as his repaired flesh bristled under the strain. Apothecary Descio rushed to Cimric as soon as he saw the Astartes attempting to leave the bed.

"Slow down there, soldier. You're not fully sealed back up yet. I'd hate to have to take your gene-seed."

Cimric begrudgingly sat back down. "What happened? How long have I been down for?"

"I assume your familiar with the Daemonic incursion," Descio said, turning to work on another patient, "As for how long you've been out, I only know you've been in my Apothecarion for a few hours."

Cimric nodded, thinking about the situation. "Are we still in the Warp? Where's Lysus and Theos?" Cimric obviously worried for his sergeant and the stalwart Lieutenant. The last he had seen they were being overrun but the Bloodletters.

"Unless anyone has neglected to inform me, we're still in the warp. Lysus and Theos were still kicking the last I saw them. It'll take more than a few Bloodletters to take out that lieutenant. I swear, if Khorne himself materialized on the ship, Theos would charge him right alongside Cicero..."

Cimric's armor and long since been shed, and he felt vulnerable without it. His Bolter was missing too, lending to Cimric's sense of helplessness.

"Where's my equipment at?" Cimric asked, looking down at his naked body.

"I have Taenia taking a look at it right now. He worked a lot with Anius, he knows a lot about how to repair armor."

Cimric nodded absent mindedly. "How long until I'm cleared for combat?"

Descio shook his head. "I wouldn't clear you until we're free of the Warp. That Bloodletter blade isn't letting you heal fully, so long as we're within the influence of the Warp."

Cimric's spirits dropped. He should be with his squad, clearing out the Daemons and freeing them from the warp, not stuck in the Apothecarion, waiting for wounds to heal that wouldn't heal.

Cicero rose slowly. His fists were clenched, shaking from the force of his grip. As he rose, Anius stood next to him.

"Cicero..." Anius whispered. "Did you..."

"Did I feel it too?" Cicero asked, "Like my brain was ripped from my skull, and shoved back in?" His face was laced with venom, spitting every word with hate.

Anius nodded. "Somethings different. Like I've seen..."

"The truth." Cicero stated. He looked Anius in the eyes.

"I can save us from the Warp. I can save the Chapter. Kaeso can't."

Anius growled. The usually calm Astartes was overcome with anger. The powerful Terminator armor shook with Anius's sudden rage.

"You know what we need to do," Cicero said.

Anius nodded, his visage grim. "How many will follow us?"