Chapter master Sergei Kirov stood on the bridge of the Golem. He watched via video feeds as his chapter worked hard to evacuate everything on Turthol, their home. Odessa, no An'ubak, was on it's way. Many chapters had been completely destroyed trying to fight it. The Ultima Segmentum had held for five years before finally falling. Terra had held longer, at thirteen years. Now more than three quarters of the once glorious Imperium had fallen. Leaving Turthol and the Salamanders as some of the few surviving chapters.
Naturally the orks had gravitated towards the front and after long years of fighting they too had been eradicated. The Tau, being a race of blanks, would have escaped the demon's attention had it not been for the humans scattered through out their empire. They too fell, though the story was it cost the forces of Chaos billions of human lives to take each planet. The Eldar had for the most part escaped, unharmed. A few craftworlds, most notably Beil-tan and Altansar, had stood their ground, while others like Ulthwe had fled to the webway. Harlequins had become an increasingly common sight as they gathered experiences to form a new story of these end times. They had started to appear to humans now too. Mostly warnings of which planets were next. But too the Astartes of the Promethean Fists they were frequent guests.
Sergei had risen fast through the ranks, a sign many had taken as the grace of the Emperor. But he alone knew why this was happening. The demons that now controlled Odessa, his lost love, were mocking him, thanking him for their ascension. The chapter sensed this change in him, the chaplains coming forth and asking him on what was troubling him. He had answered each time with the same dour answer. “My sins are for the Emperor, not his servants. Nothing can bring me peace now but death. My actions have caused a great enemy to arise. It is my duty now to live long enough to face it one last time.”
Not long after the campaign on Miigor III the harlequins had begun to appear. At first it was warnings of a new threat. Then they progressed to demanding that Sergei himself be handed over. With the entire chapter refusing them they had grown quiet for some time. Then as reports came, from the frontier of the growing chaos incursion, the visitor became vocal again. They warned against opposing it. Instead they showed the then chapter-master Borovets a way they might escape the disaster, a webway gate on the outer rim of the Pyros system.
Suspicious Borovets had declined. A year later he fell in battle as he lead the Second, Third and Fourth companies into battle against An'ubak at the homeworld of the Black Dragons chapter. As captain of the First company Sergei was promoted to chapter-master. Unlike his predecessor Sergei decided it was in their best interest to prepare for a mass evacuation. He sent word to Nocturne to do the same. For the most part they refused, choosing to instead give their lives so their civilians could be evacuated instead. A few marines arrived as escorts, but upon delivery they insisted on returning home. Sergei refused, ordering them to remain with the Promethean Fists for the time being.
Now they were running out of time. What should be taking weeks was being done in days. Though many voiced their objections, Sergei overrode them all. His regrets ate away at him. He became more lonely and secluded, often he was seen standing at a view port watching with a sad expression even when there as nothing to see. “I'm just remembering... I want to remember this... It's all my fault...”
Just as their neighboring systems were attacked the massive Promethean Fists convoy entered the webway. Behind them, the harlequins sealed the gate shut. Sergei deigned to appear one last time before the people they had rescued. Grief stricken he spoke, broad casting from his private quarters.
“Brother and sisters, I regret that I have not been as forward with you as I should have been. The champion that leads our enemies rose to power because of my decisions. On Miigor III I was captured along with a Sister of Battle named Sister Odessa. She and I escaped together and wanders for weeks until our bretheren returned. In that time we came to know one another and even fell in love. But there was a dark side to her. She had been born of human seed and demonic flesh. She became a host for four demons, each of a different aspect of Chaos, who called themselves An'ubak.By her training she had kept the demons in check, but it was the love we shared that freed them. Multiple times I had the chance to kill her and prevent their coming, but I didn't. My love for her was too powerful. I let her live, and for that I am sorry. After Miigor I rose rapidly in stature. Many of you thought it was because the Emperor loved me. But he had no say in this. An'ubak, those demons, were what caused my rise to power. It was their gift for my setting them free. And now even in the Imperium's last days I could not bring my self to go out and face her. The Odessa I know hates me for my inaction. I know it. For that I shall have my penance. But you should be glad in knowing that with you hope survives. But the future is for you, not for me. I can never share in it.”
Many in the chapter were surprised at the contents of his quarters. Sergei had decorated with mementos of Odessa, from a scrap of script he had recovered from her to a picture of her from before Miigor. In some ways he regretted letting her live, and yet he regretted ever growing so attracted to her, but most of all he regretted ever taking the Burning Walk. His last act as chapter master was to deliver a letter of apology and resignation to the Master of the Forge. Then he boarded a fighter craft and departed. The deck crew would swear afterward that Sergei had wept before saying, “Odessa, I'm coming for you... My love.”
With the letter were instructions that the letter was too be read after his departure. It read as the following:
Civilians, Survivors of the Imperium, and my brothers,
I am resigning my post. Our brothers in the Salamanders have a ritual called the Burning Walk. It is a final walk for them. For us it is a path to a new beginning. I must say that I regret my Burning Walk. And for that I embark on a second Walk. One that shall lead me to my penance and salvation. I know now that I should have pulled the trigger on my second night with Odessa. The demon and I were speaking with each other, my bolter was in my hand aimed directly at her heart. Despite my hatred for the demons in her I couldn't. But I want to set that mistake right. That is why I am leaving. I don't expect that I will survive the encounter but if I do, do not expect to see me again. I cannot express my apologies in any other way. Good bye everyone, May the Emperor bless you and guide you. May He be with you now and forever. For he is no longer with me.
With my Deepest Regrets,
Sergei Kirov
Sergei was never seen after that. It was said that he was taken in by the harlequins as he made his way to Terra, where An'ubak now ruled. Whether he ever rescued his beloved Odessa remained a mystery, one that not even the harlequins had an answer for. They have a dance though, appropriately named The Path of Fire and Fate, in honor of the shared importance of the Burning Walk. It tells of that fateful battle, before the Golden Throne, when Sergei and An'ubak would finally meet and cross blades. Yet despite the lack of direct information a legend persists among the Promethean Fists of their ex-lord. It tells of a man and woman who travel the galaxy and webway. Hand in hand the couple are said to live with the harlequins, their eternal protectors.
Originally Posted by Kirlov
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