Chapter 17 Part 3

Chapter 17: Kronus: Endgame

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Part 3

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Victory Bay

Kronus

Today, Charles had one simple job entrusted to him by the Lord Inquisitor, Living Saint, and friend, Delkatar Veil. After the near-failure last time, the Commissar took no chances. Their small corner of the stand was as close to a bunker as the Mechanicus cyborgs could make it in a hurry. No one wanted to be near them, which simplified the security situation.

Well, almost no one. Lieutenant Regina was back, with a wide smile on her face and what looked like all the camera crews the Propaganda Department could find, buy or steal. All those cameras gave Charles a flashback, and he grabbed his weapons, while his head whipped around, looking for kidnapping Necron thieves.

Fortunately, not a single such bastards materialized, and Weber relaxed a fraction. His shoulder twitched at the sudden movement, reminding him that his new arm still needed some time to properly heal and adjust. That was irrelevant. The flesh was weak, and of little consequence when an Inquisitor gave you an order!

Besides, failing a Living Saint, who was your friend as well, would be even worse if that was at all possible! Mother would never forgive him!

Charles kept looking suspiciously around, but no one paid them much attention when the parade began. At least Selene was happy at the circus. She kept waving a small flag from her exalted position – on the shoulders of the Ogryn Sergeant, which gave her an even better view of the street below.

It was a nice parade; Charles could allow that much. It was appropriately patriotic and held an incredible amount of hard-fought promise. It was tangible proof that with the Inquisitor leading them, they could achieve the impossible! Destroy Daemons for good, smite overwhelming numbers of Xenos and traitors! Even convince some Xenos to fight for the Imperium!

Such was the power of a Saint, just like in his mother's stories! It had been the utmost privilege to watch Inquisitor Veil earn such acclaim and recognition from humble beginnings! And it was his eternal honor to be by Delkatar's side!

The parade continued without a hitch, and it began soothing Charles' frayed nerves. The music was properly uplifting and enjoyable. It was always a joy to see happy crowds cheering at the Guard, especially when the Imperium's soldiers fought so hard to keep those people safe. Charles allowed himself a small content smile.

Eventually, it was time for the Mechanicus part of the show – sanctifying the cannon in the name of the Omnissiah and returning it into the fold or something like that.

At that point, everything went wrong, fast. Charles' first clue that trouble was afoot, came when the Inquisitor soared upon fiery wings, a bad sign that, and landed just out of sight. A wave of something nasty exploded from the cannon and rippled through the air. It clashed with the Emperor's divine energy wielded by the Inquisitor. However, even that wasn't enough to contain it.

The Commissar grimaced when he saw at least a couple of a dozen Tech-priests liquefy, only for their remains to turn into diseased flesh that began crawling up the cannon.

A really bad sign that.

"We're moving." He snapped, holding back a vile curse. The questions were where should they go, and do what exactly?. All around them, people fell, suddenly laid low by something looking like a terrible disease.

It wasn't hard to connect the dots at that point. The reason why Charles, the Ogryns, and Guardsmen around them were still hale was obvious. Selene's unpleasant aura just saved them a world of pain.

"Daemon incursion." Weber hissed. Just looking at the cannon and what was happening there made bile rise in his throat. "We're going in." He looked around the people fallen around and writhing in pain. "Watch where you step! Keep away from the blood!" He barked in his best Commissar voice.

At least the others not crippled by the daemonic disease wasted little time and engaged the Daemon. Even the Necrons, who stepped into existence from thin air, while more of them appeared on the heels of lighting strikes.

Multiple tanks and lighter vehicles opened fire as well, shooting straight and true. No ordinary monster could have survived the onslaught, especially when it would have to contend with a Saint as well.

Unfortunately, this must be their luck. The Daemon didn't go down. Instead, it kept growing and even multiplying, the rotten bastard!

"Push through! Sergeant, get Selene to the Saint! We're going to kill that thing before it can claim the city! For the Emperor!" Weber shouted over the mixed sounds of combat, screams, prayers, and music.

Why wasn't there a flamer at hand when you needed one?

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The Warp around Kronus

Nurgle retreated in a hurry, and Revelation was glad for it. There was no question, the Emperor was much more powerful than that diseased sack of offal. Unfortunately, his current state was a great drawback when such confrontations were concerned. Even now, he had to strain in order to keep himself from ascending. The power he had access to when not holding back was addicting. It drowned most of the agony that was his world for what felt like an eternity now. And the last thing he wanted was to let go and go back.

In hindsight, it was a good thing that Revelation was the principal shard of his being bound to the Golden Throne. Many pieces wouldn't have chosen to go back for humanity's sake. They would have told themselves that ascension was the only path left and gone for it. Ascension in his current state meant damning Segmentum Solar, tearing off the heart of the Imperium, and consuming the souls of countless trillions.

That was the last option. Unless Cadia fell and Chaos rend the galaxy asunder, Revelation would keep fighting, keep struggling to give humanity a fighting chance.

He briefly gazed at Kronus, and while the continents were all in the wrong shape, it reminded him why he fought. It helped him remember Terra as it once was, blue, green, and pristine.

The pain, jubilation, and hopes of the millions in Victory Bay, their hope for a better tomorrow, and most importantly, their faith that it was all possible because of him, were a balm to the Emperor's tortured soul. With one last effort, he gathered some of the wasted power racing outwards after the clash with Nurgle. He sent it at the planet, using his agent there as a focus.

Nurgle's plagues wouldn't claim this world! They wouldn't turn today's efforts into an exercise of frustration!

Revelation let his power wash over Kronus, and reined himself in, falling back towards the Golden Throne and the indescribable agony waiting to greet him with a vengeance.

Now he had to hope that Chaos got the message. While he would meet any such high-handed efforts with his full might, their agents could continue clashing as before. Anything more would risk ascension.