The First Mission, part 6

This Story Takes Place In The Warhammer 40k Universe

Caffus sat on blood soaked grass, surrounded by carnage. Ishta was using a pict recorder to capture images of the battle ground. Ravion was searching for the book, the foul artifact responsible for the death and depravity that had occurred that night. The book that had killed Lug. The cold purple sun had gone out with the deaths of the daemons.

While his companions worked, Caffus sat there cradling what was left of Lug. Caffus hadn’t known the man long, but he knew that Lug deserved more than he got. Lug had accepted Caffus, been a friend to him.

But Caffus mourned for more than a fallen friend. A part of him had died that night as well. Everything he thought he knew had been wrong. He thought that mankind was powerful, that men were the rulers of the galaxy, and that their enemies couldn’t stand before them. But after tonight, he seriously doubted those views.

Ravion sighed as he sat down next to Caffus. “Found the book.” He held up a small package wrapped in leather.

“What’s going to happen to it?”

“We’re going to destroy it. We’re going to make sure its evil never influences anyone, ever again.” Caffus nodded. They sat in silence a moment, watching Ishta finish her work. “I remember my first mission,” Ravion said. “A group of daemon worshippers was trying to open a warp portal and cause a warp incursion. If they’d succeeded, the entire planet would’ve been overrun by those things. By beings so powerful, the things we fought tonight would look like sickly dogs in comparison.

Caffus stared at the stars. He’d never seen anything like them before. Countless stars, and most of the had billions of humans living near them. And they were all in danger of falling prey to the carnage he’d seen tonight. He asked Ravion the question that had been bothering him since he first laid eyes on the debauchery he’d witnessed. “How could they do that? How could they summon those… things? On purpose?”

“They fell astray,” Ravion replied. “They succumbed to temptation. They weren’t strong enough to resist.” After a pause, he continued. “That’s why we do what we do. Because someone has to resist. Someone has to be strong. Someone has to stem the tide.”

Caffus sighed, and stood. “I guess that’s us.” Ravion smiled.