Cato Sicarius had, against all odds, miraculously recovered from the terrifying self-detonation of the Norn Emissary.
The torrent of energy, which should have been enough to tear an ordinary Space Marine to shreds, had left deep, bone-searing burns on his body and melted his power armor.
But the resilience of the Space Marine, coupled with his own indomitable willpower, ultimately conquered the pain. Now, the scars on his body had healed, and his internal tendons and bones were once again vibrant. Power surged within him, as potent and unrestrained as ever.
Despite his severe injuries, Sicarius had never allowed himself to be moved far from the front lines. He adamantly requested to be stationed in the medical facility near the command post rather than being sent to the rear for recovery.
He could not tolerate lying on a comfortable sickbed while the galaxy was ablaze with war. Thus, the moment he was fully recovered, he immediately rose, eager and impatient, to resume his journey to the front—or, at least, to the command post.
He strode with determined steps into the arched gateway of the temporary Plantidium command post, where micro-lights from the holographic tactical maps flickered. However, the moment he entered, he keenly sensed an anomaly.
Every eye, from the Tech-Priests and orderlies to the other Company Captains present, was fixed squarely on him.
Sicarius frowned. Just as he was pondering why he had become the center of attention, Severus Agemman, who he knew to be the Second Company Captain, approached him with a heavy expression.
"Congratulations, Cato Sicarius, my brother," Agemman's voice was solemn. "You are now the Captain of the Ultramarines Second Company."
A look of rare shock crossed Sicarius's usually confident face. He even suspected his hearing was failing him.
"What?" he blurted out, his voice tinged with disbelief. "What has happened?"
Agemman briefly recounted the recent events: the First Company's encounter with the enemy at the command post; the near annihilation of Chief Captain Sol Invictus and the entire First Company; Chapter Master Marneus Calgar's decision to promote Agemman to temporary First Company Captain to fill the vacancy; and finally, the designation of Sicarius to take Agemman's place as the new Second Company Captain.
The entire sequence of events sounded like fantasy, but seeing Agemman's serious expression and the looks of all the Astartes around them, Sicarius knew it was no joke.
"I understand." Sicarius took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening. He swiftly adjusted his mindset, suppressing personal feelings and replacing them with the duties of an Ultramarines Captain.
Agemman clapped him on the shoulder, his eyes filled with expectation: "Cato, the glory of the Second Company is now in your hands. I believe you will lead them to continue fighting for the Emperor and Ultramar."
With that, Agemman turned and left, evidently to begin fulfilling his new responsibilities.
Sicarius watched Agemman depart, then strode toward the center of the command post where Agemman had been standing. He scanned the holographic tactical map, noting the dense cluster of Tyranid markers and the deployment of the Second Company.
The new burden was heavier than he had anticipated, but he quickly embraced the responsibility.
"The Second Company…" he murmured to himself, a seriousness in his voice that even he hadn't fully realized. "From this moment forward, I will lead you to utterly crush these foul xenos!"
Sicarius stood before the holographic tactical map, his fingers deftly gliding across the light-formed terrain of Plantidium. He rapidly absorbed all the intelligence provided by the command post: the Tyranid deployments, their routes of advance, and the weak points in the Imperial defense lines.
He could feel the heavy atmosphere permeating the command post, and the barely contained grief and fury in the eyes of every Astartes. The loss of the First Company had undeniably impacted the Chapter's morale.
"These xenos believe they can consume everything," Sicarius stated coldly, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance, but deeper within, the ironclad resolve of an Ultramarine.
"We will not retreat, nor will we allow them to continue devouring our home. The Second Company will execute a sudden strike." he announced, his gaze sweeping over every officer and Captain present.
His tactical concept was bold and aggressive: he proposed that instead of traditional defense or slow ground recovery, they concentrate all the elite forces of the Second Company for a daring deep penetration, bypassing the Tyranid main defensive lines to directly assault a critical bio-hive in their rear—a hotbed for incubating large numbers of Tyranid elite organisms. This was undoubtedly a high-risk gamble; if encircled by the swarm, the Second Company would face complete isolation and certain doom.
Normally, such a tactical proposal might draw skepticism from cautious officers, who would argue for a more conservative strategy to avoid unnecessary losses. One experienced officer was already slightly frowning, apparently preparing to suggest a safer alternative.
However, Sicarius gave them little time to deliberate. His voice suddenly rose, striking the heart of every Astartes like a war drum: "These xenos attempt to drag us into the mud; they think we are lambs ready for slaughter! But they are mistaken! We are the Ultramarines! We are the Emperor's blade! The sacrifice of our First Company brothers shall not be in vain!"
"We will use their blood to mourn our fallen! We will use their bones to forge new defenses! We will use our sharpest fangs to tear these vile xenos apart, and let them know that the wrath of the Ultramarines burns far hotter than they can imagine!"
His words, like fuel poured onto fire, instantly ignited the boiling vengeance in the hearts of all the Astartes present. The annihilation of the First Company was their collective shame and sorrow. The chest of every Space Marine was consumed by an ingrained hatred for the Tyranids; they craved a thunderous counter-attack, a visceral satisfaction of blood for blood.
The officer who had planned to object violently slammed his tightly clenched fist against his chest plate, emitting a muffled clang. All hesitation vanished from his eyes, replaced by resolute killing intent.
"For the First Company!"
"For the Emperor!"
"For Ultramar!"
Roars echoed through the command post, a chorus of mourning for the lost and endless murderous intent for the xenos. Sicarius's aggressive tactics, at this moment, perfectly matched their desire for vengeance.