Although it escaped 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 this dying battleship.
And its surface was filled with plasma and debris, and its engine was burning weakly, like a patient's gasp - the wounds left by the bombing on the hull were still bleeding. If the patient was not treated as soon as possible, he would 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 force 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 needed to have his entire face reconstructed. 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 made the technical sergeant learn 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 residue left... Their last attack destroyed most of the fuel we carried. The remaining reactor and fuel are only enough to make another subspace jump. Now we need more fuel, otherwise
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 subspace."
Santo Joel sighed and stretched his legs forward, looking weak.
"Chapter Commander, 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 has every reason to drive us all out."
"But this is the only chance, Chapter Master."
"Perhaps I am no longer suitable to be a Chapter Leader."
"Chapter Commander, that's not your fault."
"I have to be responsible for my war group. I indulged the soldiers. When the war group 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 death, gradually weakening until extinction, and what should I do?"
"If this 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... It is impossible for us to fight for mankind 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 happens to us, because I made a choice."
The technical 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 All Machines, because they regard all machines as potential containers of the Almighty Mechanic God....
...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 anymore."
"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 in this regard.
"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 Weepers, it is possible for them to take in us as well, even if it is temporary, so that we can have 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 about it, but he really 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 Alexei, 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 technical sergeant had followed him unswervingly from the beginning. Even in the bloody conflict with the official institutions of the empire, he never wavered.
As 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's eyes again, and placed his fists on his forehead.
"Merciful Father, please give us your last mercy——"