Chapter Two: Black Watch

The alloyed steel hatch stands quietly before Vito. He looks around the vast training ground, which is devoid of people. Although a Mars-class battlecruiser doesn't have a large crew, and like most creations of the Adeptus Mechanicus, most of the compartments here are modular and can be adjusted for functionality at any time.

But after all, this place has been made into a training cabin, and there's not a single person here? Vito remembers that Cole had recently ordered the ship's armed marines to undergo training. After all, the performance of these old brothers when facing Ork boarding parties... leaves much to be desired.

But there's not a single person here, not a single training machine, not a single shooting target is occupied, not even a servitor, it's as quiet as a derelict spaceship.

But because it's quiet, Vito clearly hears the noise inside the cabin. He has to admit that the loud voice is quite clear, he can hear every curse word, and he's not even cursing in Gothic, but... a very distinctive regional dialect, a dialect from a very cold planet.

Vito sighs, presses the switch, and the cabin door opens immediately, but a gust of wind comes straight at him. Vito is surprised to see a large hand appear in front of him, holding a battle-axe that almost flew out and pierced his forehead.

Vito looks at the sharp blade, then leans forward to see the dangerous perpetrator. In the center of the training cabin, two Astartes brothers are fighting in the metal circular training cage.

Their muscular bodies are covered in sweat, the two giants wielding weapons, fighting each other in the training cage with swift movements. They've even broken through the protective cage, which is why he almost got his skull cracked open just now.

"Why are they fighting again?" Vito asks. The large hand in front of him is withdrawn, and Olaf sighs irritably. He puts the battle-axe back on the weapon rack, "Lancelot and Ragnar are arguing over who won the fight between our progenitors, Leman Russ and Lion El'Jonson, ten thousand years ago."

"So their solution was to come here and fight it out?" "Yes." "Wow, that's... very characteristic of them."

"This is madness! Ragnar! I just stitched up your wounds! You're going to tear them open again!" The Astartes in white armor, different from Olaf, roars, looking quite angry. He stands outside the training cage, roaring like a lion.

"Give it a rest, Bel! Stop talking nonsense, I've been bitten in the arm on Fenris and still managed to strangle a giant bear, let alone deal with a kitten!" Ragnar says, then gets hit hard with a longsword while laughing, retreating and crashing into the cage. His opponent follows up, pressing him hard against the edge with his longsword.

"Don't be in a hurry to show off, pup, you haven't beaten a knight of Caliban yet!" The blond Astartes smiles charmingly, but the Fenrisian son still laughs crudely, headbutting that perfect face, causing Lancelot to retreat.

"You two, get down! I demand you come down in the name of the Apothecary!" Bel roars, seeing the two warriors start fighting again. Lancelot laughs, spitting out the blood in his mouth, "Give it a rest, you took over an hour to treat me on Lexos and in the end, I had to go into battle with a bomb gun."

"By the Emperor! Were you lightly injured then? You were hit by a Tyranid's axe! I told you to get down and you didn't!" "In the name of the Emperor and Terra! You two, get out of there, I've been rigorously trained on Ultramar! I swear you'll keep me busy all day!"

Vito laughs, standing with Olaf to one side, "How long have they been fighting?" "They've been fighting since before I got here, Inquisitor, I estimate it's been almost an hour."

"Very well."

Vito says, pulling out his bolt pistol from his waist, raising his hand and firing a shot. The first round accurately shatters the blade in Ragnar's hand, the second breaks Lancelot's longsword. Both Astartes are forcefully halted.

Both giants turn their heads, seeing the smoking barrel of the Inquisitor's bolt pistol. Vito puts down the gun and looks at them helplessly, "If I remember correctly, both of you, your progenitors once swore under the witness of Lord Rogal Dorn, that brothers would no longer be enemies, yet here you are, drawing blades on each other?"

Olaf laughs, pushing Lancelot aside with a punch, "Sparring, Inquisitor, it's an ancient tradition of our two chapters." "When the Space Wolves and Dark Angels meet, each sends a warrior to spar."

"That's right, if I wanted to kill him, I would have won already." Lancelot flips his wet blond hair, laughing heartily. Ragnar laughs back, pulling a second weapon off the rack, "Is that so? I'd like to see how you win." "I'd be very happy to show you."

Another gunshot rings out, the hunting knife in Ragnar's hand is shattered, "Enough, next time you two can compete in killing xenos, it's better for you, better for me, better for everyone. Also, you've broken the training cage again."

Ragnar jumps out, looking back at the training cage with an extra hole in it, "Well, a little repair and it'll be usable again, you figure out how to fix it, Bel." "By the sun of Ultramar! I'm an Apothecary! Not a Tech-Priest!"

Ragnar laughs, draping his arm over Bel's shoulder guard, "The more skills, the better, you see, why not learn? As everyone knows, the best way to heal allies is to kill the enemy." "Get lost."

Ragnar laughs heartily, Lancelot also jumps out, he rubs his neck, grabs a towel from the side to wipe off his sweat, "Is there a problem, Lord Vito?"

"Other than you guys breaking stuff again? Yes, there is, we have a new mission."

Vito finishes speaking and everyone looks over. Vito stands in front of everyone, his hand behind his back, facing the Astartes warriors in his signature pose.

"Grand Inquisitor Hackett has sent a message, there's a place in the Victoria system that needs us." "Victoria? Do we know what the threat is?"

Olaf asks, the steady old wolf is as reliable as ever. Vito looks at his old friend and shakes his head slightly, "No, we don't know. If Grand Inquisitor Hackett didn't tell us, it means no one knows."

"Ha! That's great! I love this kind of fight!" Ragnar roars, extremely excited, "Just like hunting on our homeworld, Olaf, tracking prey on the snowfield, and finally winning the victory!"

"I prefer to be more cautious, Inquisitor, do we have any intelligence?" Bel asks, then getsinterrupted by Ragnar, who leans in close to Bel with a mocking face, "Don't be so boring, Bel, not everything has to be done according to the Codex."

Lancelot laughs as he puts on his armor lining. He picks up his power sword and casually tosses a chainsword to Ragnar, who naturally catches it.

"Alright, we should head to the bridge now, don't you think? Old Wolf, I don't plan on missing the sight of the warp jump."

Old Wolf Olaf also laughs, "Indeed, let's go, Inquisitor, lead us there." Vito and Olaf exchange glances and laugh, putting away the bolt pistol, "Of course, but I guess we'll have to listen to some complaints first."

"Olaf, Lancelot, you've broken my equipment again." Cole curses, but the towering giant in black armor smiles. He walks past Cole, heading straight for the command bridge.

Cole looks at Ragnar, then at Lancelot, who is also smiling. They both trot off without a word, but the answer is written all over their faces.

Cole sighs helplessly, "Bel, if they make a fuss again, use your shock gun to knock them out." He tells the Apothecary, who pats the anesthetic on his waist in response.

Olaf and Vito also walk past him, Cole sighs again, straightens his collar and strides onto the bridge. He stands between the four Astartes, the captain overlooking the faces looking up at him from the bridge, all filled with awe.

Whether it's for the captain, or the four Astartes, or perhaps the Inquisitor, but I guess, it's for all of them.

Cole looks up, seeing the chaotic vortex appearing in the starry space ahead. Countless lightning and energy waves are surging within it.

"All hands, prepare to enter the warp, begin navigation." Cole says, Vito also walks to the edge of the bridge, looking down at the people below, "Let the adventure begin!"

The battleship's giant vector thruster turns into a blue flame, the ship completes its turn, heading towards the tumultuous waves of the warp, and towards a new journey through the stars.