Although it escaped the catastrophe, the Blood Curse was still in poor condition. It was struggling in the subspace. The Geller force field covering it was fluctuating and cracking, and the necrotic material spilled out of the subspace like rotten matter. The bad pus flowing out of the wound is surrounding the dying battleship.
And its surface is full of plasma and debris, and the engine is burning weakly, like a patient's gasping - the wounds left by the bombing on the hull are still bleeding, and if the patient is not treated as soon as possible, he will only suffer. dying slowly.
But it could do nothing, only deathly silence.
"I thought no one would find me here."
This is the ruins of the former church of the Blood Curse, but now only the ruins remain. Sanguinius is depicted on the rusted steel on the walls and ceiling, looking down at his descendants who are in dire straits, Santo Joel. The former champion sat helplessly on a stone bench.
Technical Sergeant Frank walked over gently and sat on the stone bench opposite the Chapter Leader.
"There is no place to relax on this ship, Chapter Master, and I found you without much difficulty."
"What's our situation?"
Santo Joel tilted his head back, leaning against a torn wall, looking blankly at Sanguinius on the broken ceiling.
"It can't get worse. The Geller field is failing. We can't stay in the subspace for too long."
"Can we go further?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Okay, how's the reactor doing?"
Frank suffered a serious facial injury in his early years of service and required reconstruction of his entire face. He had an artificial subcutaneous mask implanted, which was almost the same as his appearance, but it also turned the technical sergeant into a facial paralysis.
Santo Joel knew that this had taught the tech sergeant to convey most information with his eyes, and the other person's eyes told him that the news was definitely not good.
"We only have fuel remnants left...their last attack destroyed most of the fuel we were carrying, the remaining reactors and fuel are just enough to do one more subspace jump, now we need more fuel or else We will forever lose momentum.”
"Then you have to at least tell me where to get it?"
"There's enough refining equipment on board to convert anything into fuel, and any civilized world can provide something I can use."
"Ah, a civilized world, I hope we can find it before we are all drowned in the warp."
Santo Joel sighed and stretched his legs forward, looking weak.
"Chapter Master, you are blaming yourself."
"That's a good guess. Is there any other way?"
“Ask other people for help.”
"Others? Are there 'others' around us besides our enemies? Anyone with good reason to drive us all out."
"But this is the only chance, Chapter Master."
"Perhaps I am no longer fit to be a Chapter Leader."
"Chapter Master, that's not your fault."
"I have to be responsible for my Chapter. I indulged the soldiers. When the Chapter is in trouble, do I have to pretend that I am not at fault?"
"If it weren't for you, we might have been wiped out by the Inquisition many years ago."
"We did survive, but we only have one-fifth of our original strength left. It was me who caused us to enter the battlefield, and the cost of escaping was the sacrifice of many brothers... I’m worried that we are just hanging on, struggling to our death, gradually weakening until we become extinct, and what should I do?”
"If that is what you are worried about, Chapter Master."
The technical sergeant said calmly:
"Then death is not far away from us."
"If I had a chance to choose, I would never choose such a fate, but fate has never given me a chance to choose... We can no longer fight for humanity as we did in the past, but I will not forget what fate has given me. My role, that's why I'm responsible for what happened to us, because I made a choice."
The tech sergeant sighed and shook his head.
"Many years ago, the Chapter sent those of us with technological ambitions to Mars to learn from them the knowledge given to them by the God of Machines, and there I learned that even a wounded machine, a burning wreck, In their view, it is not a destroyed thing, but a potential masterpiece. This is the method of the Mechanicum to pursue the footsteps of the God of Machinery, because they regard all machines as potential containers of the Almighty God of Machinery.... ...Chapter Master, we are not destroyed, we are not lost, we remain the Sons of Sanguinius."
"But now I don't know what to do."
"I'll tell you what to do."
At this time, a buzzing report came from the communicator on Tech's body, and then he looked at Santo Joel.
"Chapter Commander, now we have arrived at the edge of a planetary system, where we have our last chance."
"What?"
"The Nessen galaxy is the home world of the Astral Knights Chapter and the home of the Alliance of Tribulation. We can reach it with a short jump."
"you--"
Santo Joel lowered his head and looked at the technical sergeant in surprise. He naturally knew about the existence of this alliance, but he had never had any thoughts about it.
"Is this the opportunity you were talking about?"
The technical sergeant nodded seriously.
"This is our only chance. Since they are willing to take in the Weeper, it is possible that they can take in us, even if it is temporary, and give us some respite."
"What if they refuse and attack us?"
"Then this is our fateful moment, and I therefore leave the choice to you, Chapter Master."
Santo Joel frowned and thought, but he didn't know much about this alliance, and he only heard about it because of several major battles.
It is said that this alliance was initiated by Soshyan Alexey, the chapter leader of the Astral Knights. What will the other party's attitude be like?
Finally, he made up his mind.
"Go ahead."
Santo Joel looked at the technical sergeant.
"If you think this is going to save us all, then go ahead and do it."
"Understood, Chapter Commander, then I will perform a subspace jump now."
Santo Joel stared at Frank's retreating back. The Techmarine had followed him steadfastly from the beginning, never wavering even in the midst of bloody conflicts with official Imperial institutions.
A student of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Frank remained loyal to the Chapter.
His decision, Santo Joel chooses to trust.
Then, he raised his head, met Sanguinius' eyes again, and put his hands into fists against his forehead.
"Merciful Father, please give us your last mercy——"
