Dessima swung her blade at Gerion, and he just managed to parry the blow. She immediately whipped around and aimed a cut at his legs, which he barely evaded. He was less fortunate with her next strike, which plunged straight through his chest-plate, placed perfectly to pierce Gerion’s primary heart.

The traitor Captain stiffened in shock and pain as Dessima’s blade slid home. Bright blood welled from the wound as she ripped her executioner greatblade clear and prepared to deliver the killing blow.

Before she could, a hail of bolt shells filled the air around her. Instinct and training took over, and Dessima dropped into the lee of a cogitator bank. Explosions shook the ancient machine, causing its affronted spirit to spit sparks of indignation down upon her.

Tyvar was forced back by the fusillade, shells ricocheting from his auramite armour as he raised his guardian spear and fired back. Ruptured bodies hit the floor around Dessima, bridge crew and armsmen butchered by the furious crossfire.

She rolled sideways and came up in a crouch behind an adjoining nav-shrine. From here, Dessima could see half a dozen Brazen Drakes who had spilled through the bridge’s bulkhead door to support their Captain.

Wounded and ashen-faced, Gerion and his surviving battle-brother were falling back towards the living bulwark of their comrades. A few armsmen bravely fired their shotguns at the Space Marines. Their reward was swift and violent death as bolt shells tore them apart. Dessima shot Battlemark signs to her three surviving Prosecutors, who crouched in cover nearby.


Psychic Awakening: Consequences