Editing Bleeding Out: A Custodian's Story (Warhammer High) (section)

=== To the Palace Depths ===

The meeting lasted another hour of more menial details before Malcador finally rose to his feet. “That is everything for today. I believe there is one more item of business. The Daughters must be informed. That is the task of the Secutarii Filias to perform.”

“Aye.” Skuratova rose to her feet. “The Shield-Captain and myself will be heading for the bunker. We’ll inform them of the Custodians attached to their duties, brief them on exercising a degree of caution for the foreseeable future and answering any questions they might have that are within our power to answer.”

“Very well.” Malcador clapped his hands together. “With that, this meeting of the Council of Terra is dismissed.”

Skuratova was taken aside by the Lord Provost Marshal, while Valdor came up to Quadriga.

“Who will we assign to this duty?” Quadriga launched straight into it. “Those who served as Aquilan Shields or Oculi Imperator are our best bet.”

“I already have a few names in mind.” Valdor replied. “I’ll be summoning them to the Tower of Hegemon once I get back. Once the selection has been made, I’ll place them under your command.”

Quadriga instantly knew the implication. “So there is to be a new Sodality for this duty, even if it is only temporary?”

“Aye.”

“I have never commanded a full Sodality, Captain-General.”

“And it is high time you did so, Quadriga.” Valdor asserted. “You’ve commanded squads in battle many times. This is the same, only with a few more men.”

Quadriga nodded, instantly assimilating the news and breaking it down. Unlike in the Astartes or the Army, he knew any Custodes under his command would obey any order he gave like it was the word of the Emperor Himself. He had no fear that his command would not be respected, or that he would somehow have to prove himself.

The Captain-General took his leave without another word. The other members of the Council of Terra were not far behind him, no-one seemed to wish to linger.

Skuratova bid goodbye to the Provost Marshall and joined Quadriga as they went back to the surface. Once they were far enough, Skuratova cut loose a long-suppressed snarl, part rage, part frustration. “I knew this was going to be bad, but not this bad. The Administratum are out for blood now. I can’t have an enemy at my back as well as ones in front of me.”

“We can address their concerns at a later date. Right now, we have to deal with the subjects.”

Skuratova shot him a glare. “I would ask you not to refer to them as such to their faces, Shield-Captain.” She put her head in her hands. “How many times to I have to tell you this before it will penetrate that auramite helmet of yours?”

Quadriga stared at her for a few seconds until she broke eye contact and gave a swift shake of her head in despair. "Never mind." She said.

“I would prefer that you handle the subjects, as far as briefing goes. They tend to trust you more than they do me.”

“And why is that I wonder?” Skuratova added.

The two left the chamber and re-boarded the Coronus without another word, but as they were speeding for the buried depths of the Palace, Quadriga began preparations for the next duty.

“Who are we likely to have trouble with as far as this assignment?” He already had an answer in his head, but felt Skuratova was a better judge of opinions. She was a human woman, and thus closer in understanding to the Daughters than he ever could be.

“The obvious one is Miss Angron. She will not take this well at all.”

“If she has an issue with it, she can see how well she’d fare in fighting a Custodian.”

Skuratova gave a small chuckle, her first laughter all day. “Knowing her, she’d try it.”

“And if she did, she’d learn her lesson very swiftly.” Quadriga said dryly. “Subject five will likely be the same.”
“I concur. Though she’s far more reasonable.”

“Four might have issue. She’s had bad experiences with her bodyguards in the past.”

Skuratova nodded. The Lazio incident had hit her hard back in the day, and Skuratova still wore it as a badge of shame. “That is why she’ll make no issue of it.”

“Good to hear.”

“Victoria won’t much like it either. A hulking Custodian might well keep all the boys away.”

“And I think that would do her good.” Quadriga replied bluntly. “Of all the subjects, she is one of the most pain-inducing.”

“You got that right.” Skuratova concurred with a grimace.

“I see annoyance from the others, but they will accept it given the circumstances.

“Agreed.” Skuratova then gave Quadriga a serious look. “I need to affirm to them that this will be merely a temporary measure, that they will not have to endure Custodian escort for long.”

“My fellows will feel much the same way. Such a duty I suspect will be seen as onerous and doleful.”

Skuratova picked up on that instantly. “You speak from experience?”

“Yes. I will freely admit that this duty is one that is very taxing on me, and there are times when that burden lies heavy.”

“You have been the most invaluable of advisors to us down the years.” Skuratova said firmly. “As you said, you see what I and my fellows cannot. And we’ll need that skill more from now on. We missed this, but we cannot afford to miss something like that again.” She went quiet for a second, then added softly, “Speak truthfully. If you had been overseeing at the site, would you have found the shooter before he could make his shot?”

Quadriga’s first thought was to say yes, but a microsecond later he realized that was a lie. He never thought of advising the team to sweep further. He had assumed that their standard procedures were enough. The thought had not entered his head to have them to expand their search perimeter, or to hold it for the entire duration. Striking him like a lance to the heard was the terrible thought that his own skills had gone rusty. He could see what needed to be done clearly after the act when he should have seen it before. Their failure was also his. The Council might lay blame on Skuratova, but his failure to offer the correct security recommendations meant her fault also lay with him. It was not a thought that often came to a Custodian, and he felt tainted by it. He was made to be beyond such mortal failings. This should not have happened…

“Honoured Custodian?” Skuratova’s words cut through his fog of thoughts.

“My apologies. That is not a question worth asking, not now at any rate. We can’t change what has happened, but we can prevent it happening again.”

Skuratova gave a fragile smile and nodded. “Damn straight.” She said, some of her usual fire back in her voice. “Now, to inform the kids themselves of that fact.”