Gabriel looked at Evaria in confusion, but readied his daemonhammer.

  "Swing clockwise, thirty degrees."

  Gabriel followed his lady's order, and his weapon collided with something soft, launching it into the wall. It struck with a sickening wet slap, and blood exploded out against the wall.

  "Forty three degrees, overhead swing."

  Gabriel did as he was ordered, and his hammer connected with yet another invisible entity, striking it and driving it into the deck plates. It flickered, and revealed his hammer was embedded in the chest cavity of a cellexus assassin.

  "Ten degrees, feet sweep."

  Gabriel moved, sweeping his hammer as told, and it took off the head of another one.

  "Are there more?"

  He heard Evaria cry out and turned to see a gash across her chest. Yet, she gripped a human by the throat, holding him easily off the ground.

  "Who are you?"

  Her voice was filled with anger, and Gabriel felt it rising within himself. The assassin remained silent, struggling against her grasp.

  "My lady, it is likely the Lords of Terra sent them."

  The assassin hurled his weapon at Gabriel, but Evaria's hand snapped out like lighting, blasting air in Gabriel's direction as she caught the blade end of the weapon with her fingers. The metal cut into her flesh, and she dropped the blade. She then brought her bloodied hand up to the assassin and removed his helmet. He looked average, with no markings or means of discerning his provenance. She placed her hand on his flesh, her blood absorbing into him. He began to react, his body wracked with violent jerky motions as he foamed at the mouth.

  "Pariahs..."

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  Gabriel glanced at Evaria, trying to read her expression. She snapped the assassin's neck, ending his suffering. She let go, allowing the body to crumple to the deck.

  "Who are these Lords of Terra?"

  Gabriel was about to speak when a member of the Order of the Crimson Grail launched herself past him, tackling an unseen foe and driving her combat knife through the assassin's neck. She rose to her feet and wordlessly bowed to Evaria, then took her place at her side.

  "They are the successors to your father’s War Council during the Great Crusade. A class of nobility who lead the Imperium, and have members in each of the arms of the Imperium, from the Inquisition to the Adeptus Militarum."

  "And they answer to my brother?"

  Gabriel nodded slightly. "Yes, my lady, though he recently took many powers away from them to increase the efficiency of the Imperium. They likely did not take well to that, and are making an attempt to keep you from bolstering Imperial Regent Guilliman's authority."

  Evaria nodded, and went to take a step, but fell to her knees. Gabriel rushed to her. "My lady!"

  Evaria shook her head slightly and looked down at the wound in her chest. "It's a paralytic. Curious they could concoct something that could slow me so much..."

  "Then they must have intended to kidnap you and leverage you against Lord Guilliman."

  Evaria slowly nodded. "And they would be met by his War-Born, and torn asunder."

  "War-Born... The primary chapter of Guilliman's sons are known as the Ultramarines, of Ultramar."

  "Ah… right. He changed that fairly early on…"

  Evaria leaned against Gabriel and struggled to her feet.

  "Is it safe to assume that the closer we get to Terra, the more frequent these attacks will become?"

  Gabriel nodded. "It is, my lady."

  "Was it the Inquisitor?"

  Gabriel glanced at the sister of battle who supported Evaria from the other side as he responded to the Primarch.

  "I doubt it, my lady. It is likely that the Lords of Terra have paid off members of the Inquisition, and found out about you from that."

  "Then my brother may not even know of my return?"

  Gabriel thought for a moment. "It is possible."

  "Have the Inquisitor come to my room. Please go personally, Lord Angelos. With respect. This sister will help me to my room."

  Gabriel frowned and held on. "As capable as the Sororitas are, she is merely a human-"

  "I have made my decision."

  Evaria's tone was gentle, yet firm. Gabriel bowed his head. "As you wish, my lady."