Caine jolted awake, panting, gasping for air, this was the second episode this month. It had been 49 years since he had received that knock to the head on Armageddon and these episodes were only getting worse. He raised his head to see what the damages had been this time, his chrono and desk had both been split in half and his wall had been struck so many times that he hadn’t even bothered to check. As he stepped toward the scattered stack of paperwork that he had thrown he finally noticed that he was in his warplate, odd, he thought to himself, what was i doing, he began to move toward the door to the hallway of the fortress monastery’s Astartes dormitory, having finally managed to catch his breath he stepped into the hallway.
”you’ve been in there awhile Caine'' said a small voice, a mortal voice, from next to the doorway, he strained his neck to see who it was and lo and behold Adam’s personal artificer, Eve, stood there, evidently having waited for quite a while as she had pulled up a chair and a glass of rotgut to keep herself occupied. “Might I ask what it is you are doing drinking outside my quarters, Artificer”. Sighing, finishing her drink, then standing up to be eye level with Caine’s upper thigh. “Adam sent me to make sure your lazy arse got to the exercise on time, but i figured walking in there while you were screaming like the techpriests when i spilled their sacramental oils wasn’t the best of ideas.” Exercise? What exercise? “Most of the chapter is waiting for you in the deserts about a hundred kilometers east of here.”
This was news to Caine as today was meant to be an equipment inspection, what was Adam thinking doing a training exercise while our gear wasn’t in good condition. Caine looked down toward Eve once more “Vox to Adam that I’ll be at the training grounds within the hour”. “I would but for some reason I can’t seem to get in contact with anyone that’s at the training grounds”. What in the name of the throne is going on today, “Let the transport bay know that I will be down and to prepare some sort of ship for me.” “now that i can do” Eve turns away and speaks something over the Vox that Caine doesn’t care to listen to. Too concerned with trying to piece together what he was doing before today’s episode, from what little he could recall he had been assembling his wargear and speaking to Somebody over the vox until… until it all goes black and he wakes in the situation he’s in now. “..ne!” “...aine!” “CAINE!” suddenly pulled from his thoughts to see Eve standing on her chair and jumping to try and get in his face “the transport bay has a small vessel ready for you and if you were listening to me you would have heard me the first time” Caine stifled a laugh as Eve stood on her toes, standing on a chair and still straining to even reach Caine’s neck “Eve” Caine said as he suddenly became very serious, his face looking as though he had just come to a shocking revelation “i need you to come with me and do not ask why, do you understand me” “yes sir but what’s with the sudden change in demeanor” “I’ll fill you in on the ship, just keep up”
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The two were almost at the launch bay when they encountered the first captain, also geared as though they were marching to war today, Caine only greeted his brother with a nod but Abel had stopped him with an arm on his pauldron “what’s going on Caine, you’re supposed to be at the training grounds with Adam and the Marduk and the others.” “I was having one of my episodes earlier and am now running late if it seems i'm in a hurry” “Well i won't delay you but i must ask you one thing, Brother.” “That being?” “Will you always fight by my side as my brother and my best friend, come hell or high water.” Caine nodded, placing his hand on Abel’s shoulder “always, Brother”. The two then walked away from one another with not another word spoken, a bloody handprint on Caine’s shoulder. As the two proceeded to the embarkation deck and began their flight to the training ground, and into the jaws of fate.