Caspian sat on the cold floor in front of the sealed door, his expression one of pure disbelief as he reeled from the ordeal. He didn't know exactly how many Abominable Intelligences were down there, but he was certain they numbered more than three.
He looked down at the items he had snatched in his flight. The first was a small disk, no larger than his palm, an Inertial Dampener Module. It was a high-tier piece of tech, but as he looked at the second item, a wave of cold frustration and resignation washed over him.
In his panic, he had grabbed the very component required for the Chrono-field's power-sync. It was the stabilizer that would have allowed the field to hold indefinitely. Instead, it was out here with him, useless in his hand.
"Argh!"
He resisted the urge to hurl the component against the wall. He wanted to go back in, to slot the piece into the machinery and secure his safety, but there was no remedy for regret. Now, the Chrono-field was on a timer, a decaying loop that he had to calculate before he could plan his next move.
'I honestly don't understand why people keep getting reincarnated. If I was on terra fine, but out here where I don't even know…sigh' Caspian thought to himself.
746.M30, Segmentum Solar, Sol System, Terra.
Aurelian Gaius Trajan and twenty-five Custodians moved through the sterile, shadow-drenched corridors of Luna. Captain-General Valdor had handed them a clear mandate, exterminate the remnants of the Selenar gene-cultists who were still causing havoc and delaying the production of the future Astartes Legions.
"Namian, take 5 men and circle around, separate yourselves and allow the enemy to come to you." Aurelian commanded
"Malxum, you will do the same, spread out so the enemy fails to understand our numbers. I will move with the rest to push them towards you"
""Yes Captain"" they both answered.
They have been under captain Aurelian for 20 years now, his tactical awareness always seemed like precognition. What they did not know was that a group of rebels have been monitoring them the very second they landed on Luna.
Aurelian moved with deliberate, heavy steps, making the Custodians' presence known to all. He wanted the rebels hesitant, forcing them into making the specific desperate decisions he had already accounted for.
He knew they were listening, it was an open plot. They knew the plan, but against the Golden Legion, knowledge was not power. It was merely a front-row seat to their own demise.
They have been trying to retrieve the magna mater to hide it once more. Aurelian notices some of the members of his squad shifting the formation, it is a sign they are preparing to engage an enemy.
BOOOOM
An explosion rocked the corridor. Aurelian and his squad moved instantly toward the Magna Mater's storage vault.
Their movements were controlled and terrifyingly fast, slicing through the panicked crowds that the explosion had created. Their weapons were poised, eyes scanning for the tell-tale intention of an assassin.
Then, the unique, rhythmic thud of a Custodian bolter echoed in the distance. The battle had begun. Through the scattering civilians, several figures moved with sudden, unnatural speed toward Aurelian's position.
"Form, surround the area. Check your fire lines, eliminate them proactively" Aurelian said to the squad.
Directing Custodians is not about team work, it is about telling them the parameters of combat and allowing them to do what they are best at. He draws his Sentinel Blade and lifts his Praesidium Shield, he has changed his weapon, he no longer guards as much.
His mind expands covering 5km, he can feel every weapon, its angle of incline, its purpose, and its path. 8 genetically enhanced men are moving towards their position, but only 3 are coming directly in front of him.
Taking a breath, his feet push against the floors cracking it as he disappears from his position. He weaves through the crowd aiming to eliminate the 3 coming forward. By the time they notice he is close to them
Slingggg
The first rebel lost his head before he could raise his rifle. Aurelian slammed his shoulder into the falling corpse, breaking its descent, and stepped on the chest with enough force to shatter the ribcage into the floor. He dodged a hail of autogun fire with a tilt of his head, spotting a frag grenade mid-air.
Using his shield as a kinetic ram, he swatted the grenade back at the shooter. The resulting explosion silenced the fire. Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle caught his attention, a heavy cannon shell was screaming toward the squad.
"Namian, I don't want to deal with shelling from cannon fire" the calm voice of Aurelian sounded over the vox channel.
Namian has a member of his team who uses a Castellan Axe. They are made for dealing with tanks and vehicles. Meanwhile Aurelian retreated back to the other Custodians, forming a defensive line. They connected their armor shield forming a wall right before the impact of the shells.
The Custodian charges to the back line where the tank is. Using its wide blade as a shield he blocks most of the shots directed towards him. Although it is said that the Castellan Axe sacrifices speed for power, it is all relative.
Coming before the barrel of the tank that looked like it was cobbled together in haste. Most of its body is not even made of the same materials. The Custodian cleaves through the tank from nose to rear without any further complication.
By the time the smoke cleared, the battle was over. As the Imperial auxiliary troops moved in for the cleanup, a familiar pulse thrummed in Aurelian's mind.
("Aurelian, I would need your help") a communication from Caspian.
("I would provide assistance I it is within my capability") he replied
("I need a permanent solution to abominable intelligence")
Aurelian is confused by this. He knew that Caspian had an abominable intelligence close to him, but he did not ask for assistance in that instance, why now. He questioned Caspian to understand the situation.
Caspian told him all that happened during this short period of time. Both men were silent for a while, because they knew surviving such an encounter can only be a result of luck.
("I will see if I can have access to the scrap code within this period, it should give you a chance to view it.")
("I will appreciate it. I have a feeling I will not be awake for much longer.")
("Is it to happen again? Do you have an idea of who should be birth?") Aurelian questioned knowing the importance of such a situation.
("That is not something I can know, but I feel something will change this time.")