Fulminata- A Warhammer 40,000 Story

The Court of Thunder

Titus sprinted towards Anius as Gladio suppressed the Captain. Titus couldn't ever hope to compare against a Terminator single-handedly, especially with his unassimilated cybernetic limbs.

But he wasn't alone. Gladio dropped his Boltgun right as Titus engaged with his Chainsword. Gladio drew his own, and charged the Terminator. The chainsword revved as he neared Anius, the high pitched-whining adding to Titus's chainsword.

The pair of loyalists engaged with the Terminator. Anius held his Power Axe at the ready, growling at the two.

A small chainsword couldn't rip through tactical dreadnought armor. It couldn't even rip through regular power armor. But two experienced Astartes could certainly keep him off balance.

The Court was awash with the sound of battle. The whining of chainswords almost overpowered the hissing of the Power Swords as the electrical fields intersected.

It was death. A single mistake from any of the combatants would lead to death. The fate of planets had been decided in the Court of Thunder in the past, but now the fate of the chapter was in the five combatants.

It was soon to be decided.

Anius roared with rage as he punched at Titus. Titus brought his chainsword up to block the punch, but there was no chance of turning such a blow from a Terminator. The teeth caught on the first, and the chainsword was pushed back. The blow struck directly into Titus, snapping the sword in half between the fist and his ceramite armor.

Titus stumbled back, his chest piece cracked from the force of the blow. He staggered back towards the duel between the Chapter Master and the 1st Captain.

Cicero turned towards the staggering Astartes. He swung his blade at Titus, the energy field ripping through the air. It connected with Titus's back, just below his shoulder blades. The Ceramite armor stood no chance against the Power Sword. It sliced cleanly through, bisecting the poor Space Marine.

Titus fell in two parts. His lower half continued with its momentum, falling past Cicero. His upper half fell to the side, spilling blood across the floor, splattering some on the slab of marble in the center of the Court. His spilled blood flickered with reflected light.

Cicero had removed one of the loyalists from the equation. But he had disengaged from a dangerous opponent. Kaeso certainly wouldn't sit idly by while Cicero slaughtered another of his brothers.

Cicero spun, bringing his blade to bear. Kaeso was already striking, his sword shooting towards Cicero's chest. Cicero desperately brought his blade down to parry the blow. The blades met. Kaeso kept pushing his sword forward. Cicero forced the blade down. The blades slid. Kaeso's was forced down fur her, past his chest, his torso...

Cicero realized his mistake. Kaeso had never intended to strike his chest. He had been expecting Cicero's parry, the deflection. He had accounted exactly for how Cicero was going the defend himself. He knew Cicero too well.

Kaeso's sword buried itself deep into Cicero's leg, shearing through the plate and burying itself hilt-deep into the Captain's thigh. Kaeso had already let go of his sword. He closed his hand into a fist, swinging it up into Cicero's head. It connected with a crack, his fist slamming into Cicero's chin.

Cicero was lifted off his feet by the force of the blow. His mind buzzed and his vision sawm. He lost grasp on his sword as he fell to the floor, trying to regain clarity.

Kaeso moved forward, pulling his sword from the Cicero's leg and kicking Cicero's sword to Gladio.

Gladio was being overwhelmed by his superior foe. He couldn't damage Anius is any meaningful way with his Chainsword. Anius, however, could end Gladio with a single blow.

But a power weapon would change everything.

Gladio jumped back, grabbing Cicero's Power Sword from the floor, ditching his own battered Chainsword. The sword jumped to life with a hiss as Gladio powered it up. He blocked an axe-swing from Anius. He grinned.

Now the battle could begin.

Gladio stepped forward, driving his blade towards Anius's midriff. The captain batted it aside, but with more desperation than he had showed before. Now there was danger to him. Now it was real.

Kaeso straddled Cicero between his legs. He could have ended, one more sword stroke. But that wouldn't be enough.

He brought fist after fist down into Cicero's helmet. The 1st Captain had no time to recover. Each hit scrambled his brain, leaving him unable to recover. Ceramite cracked under Kaeso's assault. Cicero felt bones crack, he couldn't tell if it was his skull or Kaeso's fingers. His nose was pulped and its cartilage smeared across his face. His left eye was bruised shut; the right was nearing the same state.

Kaeso stood, halting his brutal assault for a brief moment. Cicero's head spun and his ears rung. His organs were pumping chemicals into his bloodstream. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His felt his muscles tense, his arms already moving to defend himself.

But his brain was too scattered. Cicero's arms reached feebly towards his old Chapter Master, grazing Kaeso's knees. His head swam, sinking into darkness. He fell through his mind, coming to a very old memory...