Chapter 14: Surprise? Or Shock?
In the dimly lit corridors of the starship, cold white lights flickered at intervals, casting long shadows on the steel walkways. Ogotai, pushing his wheelchair, walked side by side with Taral.
"I want to give that boy a chance," Ogotai said bluntly, his eyes fixed ahead.
"I can see that," Taral replied, unsurprised. "But this goes against both Legion regulations and the laws of the Departmento Munitorum."
Taral continued, "First of all, he's not from Chogoris. He's from some hive world we've never even heard of. According to protocol, he'd need to undergo training and evaluation at the Quan Zhou Monastery. He'd have to stand out among countless candidates just to earn the chance to become a neophyte."
"Oh, and," Taral added, remembering something, "he'd also need to pass a political screening by the Departmento Munitorum before any surgeries. That's non-negotiable."
Taral's tone grew stern. "Let me be blunt, Ogotai. You're an Astartes company commander. This isn't your responsibility, nor is it within your jurisdiction."
Ogotai shook his head slowly. "No, Taral. Things have changed."
"How long has it been since we lost contact with our homeworld? Have you seen any new recruits joining the fleet? Meanwhile, our brothers are dying one after another!"
"Taral, my brother, let me tell you this straight: this isn't just a local rebellion. This is a galaxy-wide war. This is Horus' betrayal!"
"The entire Imperium is in chaos. No one cares about the damn Departmento Munitorum. No one cares about our sacrifices. No one cares how many White Scars are left—except for us!"
Ogotai's voice grew impassioned, his eyes red with emotion. "If you want to talk about Legion regulations, then let me tell you this: if the Khan were here on the 'Shortsword', he would support my decision."
"Besides," Ogotai continued, calming himself slightly, "the Sons of Horus are already scavenging for supplies on some backwater world. You can see it too—this war has stretched the traitors' resources thin. If we don't replenish our ranks, how are we supposed to fight in the coming battles?"
Taral fell silent for a long time.
The corridor grew quiet, the only sound the rhythmic clanking of their footsteps, a stark contrast to the heated argument moments before.
Finally, Taral shrugged and sighed. "Alright, alright, Ogotai. You know how it is—you've convinced me again."
At this, Ogotai allowed himself a small smile. "Besides, I see something different in that boy's eyes. I have a feeling he'll bring us surprises."
***
The door to Ogotai's quarters slid open, and he wheeled himself inside.
The first thing he saw was Fu Qinghai sitting in a chair, cradling a bolter in his arms, the barrel pointed directly at him.
Ogotai was stunned.
A bolter was a weapon that a Space Marine could wield one-handed in certain situations, but for Fu Qinghai, it was far too large. He had to hold it with both hands, as if carrying a bulky grenade launcher.
"What the hell are you doing? Be careful, or you'll blow yourself up," Ogotai said, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Fu Qinghai smirked coldly and pointed to a silver coin on the bed. "What's this?"
Ogotai glanced at the coin and frowned. "A silver coin. What about it? Do you know what it is?"
"It's a token from the Warrior Lodges. And we both know what role the Warrior Lodges played in the White Scars' internal strife, don't we, Khan?"
Ogotai's confusion deepened. "How do you know about these things?"
"Don't worry about that. I know a lot more. Like why you have a complete set of Mark IV power armour. Like why you're not with the main Legion fleet."
As he spoke, Fu Qinghai thought to himself: 'I'll test him. If he's a traitor, I'll shoot him first, then go on a rampage through the ship. Kill as many as I can, earn enough assimilation points, and then off myself. I've got one life left anyway.'
Regardless of the system assigning him to the Emperor's faction, Fu Qinghai valued his independence of thought and emotion highly. In his previous life, he had despised those who lost themselves to drugs or other vices. He had a mental cleanliness complex. The idea of becoming a fanatical follower of Chaos, his thoughts and emotions manipulated by the Gods, was worse than death to him.
The thought of the depraved practices of Slaanesh's daemons, as described in the novels, sent a shiver down his spine.
He tightened his grip on the bolter. 'I'd rather die than embrace Chaos!'
Ogotai raised his hands, signaling for Fu Qinghai to calm down. "That power armour was looted from the Sons of Horus. I had another set, but it was destroyed on Cheslatan. We're not with the main fleet because we have a separate mission. The details are classified, so I can't tell you more. As for the coin..."
"You're right. I was part of a Warrior Lodge. I don't know how you found out, but yes, the lodges played a dishonorable role in the uprising. But not everyone who joined a lodge betrayed the Khan. Isn't that right?"
Ogotai met Fu Qinghai's gaze and countered, "With just these things, how can you judge whether I belong to the traitor Legions?"
'He's right. With just these clues, I can't be sure. I wanted to test him, to see if he'd panic or lash out if exposed. But he's so calm...' Fu Qinghai thought for a moment, then said:
"Then shout 'Horus is a fucking idiot!' three times at the top of your lungs."
Ogotai almost laughed in exasperation. "Why would I do something so childish?"
'Click!' The sound of the bolter being cocked.
"Horus is a fucking idiot!" "Horus is a fucking idiot!" "Horus is a fucking idiot!"
***
"Stop hitting me... I was wrong, really, stop..."
"Damn it, and here I was thinking of giving you a chance. You little brat, I really misjudged you..." Ogotai lifted Fu Qinghai off the ground with one hand, scolding him while delivering light slaps.
"You think you can threaten someone with a bolter? If I hadn't stopped you, the recoil would've torn your arm off!"
The strength of a Space Marine, even when holding back, was enough to leave Fu Qinghai's face bruised and swollen after just a few slaps.
Warrior Lodges were a common phenomenon, a form of organization. Through secret tokens, Space Marines could gather, communicate, and bond across ranks, companies, and even Legions. These gatherings were known as Warrior Lodges.
On the positive side, expedition fleets were relatively closed environments. The semi-anonymous (masked but not voice-disguised) nature of the lodges allowed brothers to vent their frustrations, say things they couldn't in formal settings, and relieve the stress of prolonged combat. In the lodges, there were no distinctions between neophytes and veterans—everyone was equal, which helped new recruits integrate into the Legion.
Every large military organization was likely to develop such informal structures outside the chain of command.
The Emperor and the Departmento Munitorum explicitly forbade Warrior Lodges. Some Primarchs tolerated them, while others vehemently opposed their existence.
However, during the early stages of the Horus Heresy, the lodges played a very negative role. In the Sons of Horus and the White Scars, traitorous Space Marines used the lodges to spread rumors, express views contrary to Imperial doctrine, and plot rebellions.
The silver coin in Ogotai's small chest was a typical Warrior Lodge token.
Finally, Ogotai set the bruised and battered Fu Qinghai down, saying irritably, "Clean yourself up. You're coming with me to meet someone."
***
Fu Qinghai followed Ogotai deep into the ship.
Compared to the brightly lit bridge, this area was dimly lit. Aside from a single white light overhead, the surroundings were shrouded in darkness, with only a few red warning lights on the walls indicating that this was off-limits to regular crew.
At the end of the corridor was a heavy gray steel door, its edges marked with yellow-and-black hazard stripes.
They had arrived.
Fu Qinghai noticed that the guards at the door weren't crew members in White Scars uniforms, but two towering, bulky robots.
These robots were painted deep red, with thick limbs and massive three-fingered power fists. A shoulder-mounted cannon extended from the left side of each robot, and they stood twice as tall as Ogotai.
'Kastelan robots guarding the door...' Fu Qinghai thought immediately. 'There must be a high-ranking Tech-Priest inside.'
The robots' helmet-like heads turned toward Fu Qinghai and Ogotai, their cold visors scanning the two before turning away.
'Hiss—' The steel gate slowly opened.
As they passed the two towering machines, Fu Qinghai couldn't help but glance back. On the robots' deep red shoulders was an insignia—a cogwheel with a skull in the center.
'From Mars, the heart of the Mechanicum.'
***
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