Chapter 133 Ascetic Chapter
The battle barge [Eternal Night] drove smoothly in the void, its huge engine kept running at a low speed, and the frigates followed it forward lightly, in the tens of thousands of kilometers wide Travel back and forth in the investigation area.
The bottomless void reflects the blue-gray appearance of the Evernight, like a hunting wolf. The thick armor on both sides is decorated with skulls with cold gazes.
This giant ship had just emerged from the subspace a few hours ago. The aftermath of the shutdown of Geller's station still emitted a dazzling white light, illuminating the hull made of fine gold.
The Evernight's command bridge is located at the rear of this huge ship, surrounded by tall towers, bulwarks, and sloping turrets.
The void shield ripples like gossamer on the several-meter-thick glass porthole. Below it is the crew of the bridge, who will do their best to ensure that the ship sails normally and that all its systems operate perfectly.
The space inside the bridge is very huge, and a cave-like hall more than 200 meters long has been carved out of the center area of the battleship.
The top of the hall is mostly transparent, and lenses like portals to the physical universe are arranged in a grid made of steel.
Below it is an open platform surrounding cranes, each patrolled by armed Chapter servants.
Further down is the middle deck. Most of the people here are mortal crew members. Most of them are crew members and mechanics wearing pearl gray robes. Of course, there are also anti-jump gangs among them, who wear anti-explosion armor and transparent The visor stepped forward on the metal deck.
There are openings in certain places on the deck floor that reveal the structure beneath the deck below.
Here are crowded tactical workstations: rows of throbbing cogitator computers, and servitors huddled in dim ditches.
Many servitors are tied to their respective terminals by cables. There are a large number of tubes on their backs or faces, and the patchy gray skin exposed from them is that they are human beings. the last remnants of.
The way these people serve is different from the past. Now they are lobotomized slaves, forever shackled to the machines that sustain their lives, performing numb and dull tasks over and over again. .
Above all these levels, located at the very end of the bridge hall is the command seat.
This is a hexagonal platform extending from the arched wall, ten meters in diameter, and surrounded by heavy steel handrails.
In the center of the large platform is a slightly raised platform, and in the center of the platform stands the throne - a heavy and angular seat carved from solid granite.
It is so huge that it is difficult for mortals to sit down, but that is not a problem here - because no mortal has ever dared to set foot on this platform.
The place has been empty for several hours, but that will change now that the Evernight is approaching its target.
When the support piston began to retract back and forth, the giant doors behind the throne made a hissing sound.
Then they burst open.
A huge creature walked through the gates.
Mazar, the Lord of the Death Temple and the Chapter Master of the Ascetic Chapter, wore his burly armor and strode onto the high platform.
This formidable warrior wears exquisitely crafted power armor that looks like a skeleton. The chest emblem is made of long bent and twisted ribs. The imperial flying eagle with spread wings looks like a high throne looking at the corridor of bones. Every part of the power armor from the greaves to the arm armor, the leg armor to the neck armor is shaped like a skeleton, and the armor emits a menacing low and regular buzzing sound as he moves.
His movements were slow and calm, and every move showed caution and solemnity. The bones as a trophy were constantly shaking on the huge shoulder armor, and behind the armor was a cloak full of bullet holes.
The Chapter Master's face was as shiny as tanned leather, and wrapping his plump jaw were two tufts of sideburns as black as night, as bright and neat as the hair of predators.
No one knows the actual age of this fearsome Chapter Master, but most people guess that he is at least seven hundred years old, and may be the oldest of the many Chapter Masters in the Empire, second only to the Blood Angels Chapter Master Dante's ancient hero.
With him came other giants.
Astardor, the Death Priest, wears armor as black as a forge, his face hidden beneath the drab mask of an ancient helmet.
Haugandez, the fourth captain of the battle group and the master of the fleet, wears an armor full of battle scars, and his slate gray hair is braided and hangs down over his neck - due to the influence of the home planet world Custom, such hairstyles are not uncommon among Ascetic Chapters.
The door slid shut behind them, sealing off the platform where the trio stood.
Under them, the deck creaked under the pressure.
Mazar examined the sensor with a grimace on his face, the wrinkles on his forehead as deep as gray mountains. .
"Are we there yet?"
The voice surged from his chest like a rhino engine starting. The monks in the war group believed that he did not need to raise his voice even in the fiercest battle.
"Soon."
Astador said softly:
"We will be at Naisen IV soon."
Mazar muttered and sat down on the throne.
As a giant of almost three meters tall and two meters wide, he moves very easily.
The Chapter Leader’s low brows were knitted together, and his green eyes shone with clarity and alertness.
“It’s so boring.”
He said impatiently:
“Hell, do we really need to spend time on this kind of entertainment?”
Generally speaking, Astartes become more taciturn and serious as they grow older, but Magyar is an exception.
Perhaps it has something to do with the tradition of the Chapter - eating the flesh and blood of the enemy. Whether in battle or in daily life, he maintained a fiery passion, which allowed him to survive as the years passed. Didn't get low.
Of course, occasionally there will be some undignified side.
Once there is no fighting, he can easily fall into a low mood.
For him, life without a goal is a fragmented job, and a hunter needs some real prey.
"Captain, we are going to visit a group of heroes."
Haugandez said, leaning forward slightly as if checking the visual feedback from his helmet.
As soon as he finished speaking, a semi-circular display screen surrounding the command platform slowly lowered and started flashing.
A brown-red planet jumped into the field of view, growing larger every second, but because it was too far away, the picture was still blurry and distorted.
"Naisen IV has received our request to enter the port."
As the fourth company commander spoke, he carefully checked the data sent at the same time as the image.
"After entering the starport, we will arrive at their monastery fortress in the Thunderhawk."
The images kept coming back, Mazar stared at them, and his mood began to slowly change.
“They built a monastic fortress on it?”
“Probably so.”
Mazar jumped up from the throne, a smile appeared on his face, implying some malice.
"If I remember correctly, this Soshiyan Chapter Commander is still a recruit who has served for less than fifty years."
The hazy image became clear, and the planet's surface Coming into view, dark brown with dirty orange streaks, it looks like a rusty iron ball in the universe.
"If the information is correct."
"Today's young people have two brushes."
He then burst into a savage laugh.
“A battle group with only thirty men left can still rebuild the monastery fortress and exploit the navy.”
He looked at Astador, then at Looking at Haugandez, his eyes radiated excitement.
“I can’t wait to meet him!”
(End of Chapter)