Chapter 40
"Russ, I really must advise you — our sister works herself to exhaustion every day. Why do you keep dragging her into drinking contests?"
Russ scratched his beard and picked at his teeth with complete lack of concern.
"Brother, you misunderstand. I've never once dragged her to drink. She comes to me."
Horus stiffened.
"Impossible. My sister is not the sort to indulge in drunken excess. Speak plainly."
Russ rolled his eyes.
You don't believe me when I tell the truth?
And who exactly are you calling someone who drinks excessively?
Fleets Divide
With the return of the Wolf King, the Imperial expeditionary host dispersed once more. The Legiones Astartes could no longer operate as a single massed force; the Great Crusade demanded simultaneous compliance campaigns across dozens of systems.
Yuki considered her position.
The Emperor had assumed most administrative burdens.
Horus no longer required mediation.
Their father and eldest son could now speak openly — and when they did, their bond was unmistakable.
If the Emperor still chose silence and distance after everything… then any future tragedy would be the result of his own stubbornness.
After departing the main expeditionary command, Yuki and Russ operated together for a time along the northern compliance routes.
And during that time…
Yuki frequently invited Russ to drink.
Star-Speaker Argument
Horus nearly lost consciousness when he heard.
The Star-Speaker crackled between fleets.
"Russ! You corrupted my sister!"
"Horus," Russ replied calmly, "I tolerate much from you. I will not tolerate that. Drinking is not corruption. Whether she drinks is her choice. Does sharing mead make one dishonorable?"
"That is sophistry! In thirty years I never saw Father drink even a drop—"
Russ muted the channel.
Here we go again.
Letters Between Brothers
Despite their quarrels, Russ received frequent correspondence.
Horus congratulated him after every major victory.
His tone was sincere.
Warm.
Proud.
Russ had expected arrogance.
Instead he found generosity.
The letters accumulated on his table.
Every one of them — somehow — mentioned:
those thirty years
a golden ring
a silver necklace
Russ understood.
Horus was not boasting.
He was remembering.
Russ turned a silver-gray drinking glass slowly in his fingers. A wolf totem was engraved along its rim. The metal remained frost-cool no matter how long it was held.
A gift from Yuki.
He liked it more than he cared to admit.
He considered telling Horus he too had received a gift.
But dismissed the thought.
He did not wish to sound like a jealous cub.
So he listened to Horus talk.
Interruptions
"Jarl! The Princess has arrived to drink!"
Company Commander Gunnar burst through the door carrying an enormous tankard.
Horus: "…"
Russ: "Apologies, brother. Urgent matter. We speak later."
Channel terminated.
"Horus?" Abaddon asked cautiously. "Did he… hang up on you?"
"…I believe he did."
Fenrisian Mead
Yuki and Russ sat across a rough iron table.
Between them rested a barrel of Fenrisian mead.
Despite its name, it contained neither honey nor anything recognizable as conventional alcohol. Fenrisian auxiliaries swore it doubled as engine fuel.
It could intoxicate Astartes by overwhelming their enhanced metabolic defenses.
To Yuki, it tasted like burning promethium.
She drank anyway.
Not for pleasure.
For silence.
Primarch physiology made true fatigue rare — but mental exhaustion was another matter entirely.
Sleep brought no rest.
Even unconscious, the mind continued its calculations.
Drink blurred the edges.
That was enough.
"Hic— Russ… the Imperial Wings depart soon. You'll be operating independently."
"Do not worry, sister. Fenris raised me harder than any campaign."
Yuki shook her head, leaning forward.
"No one is omnipotent. If you encounter difficulties, speak to Father. Or me. If neither of us is reachable, the Chancellor on Terra can assist you."
Russ nodded.
"I will remember."
He hesitated.
"And if I encounter… that?"
"Report directly. Do not attempt to face it alone."
The Warp Threat
Unlike the Emperor's policy of secrecy, Yuki had warned her brothers in limited terms when necessary.
Not truth.
Not details.
Only danger.
They knew there were entities within the Warp that preyed upon thought, emotion, and ambition.
They understood enough to be cautious.
And wise enough to speak of it to no one.
Russ had no intention of wrestling such things alone.
That was a fight even wolves should not hunt.
"Send two casks of my finest mead to the Imperial Wings," Russ ordered.
Yuki waved weakly.
"Keep it. I drink it only as medicine."
Russ understood.
But he could not solve burdens measured in empires.
"What occupies you now, sister?"
Yuki groaned.
"The Ninth Legion."
The Ninth Legion Problem
Some Thunder Warriors had been implanted with gene-seed lines not originally intended for them during early stabilization efforts — including that of the Ninth.
The flaw manifested as extreme hematophagic compulsion and battle-fury.
The IX Legion's affliction was no mere thirst.
It was a psychic and biological craving that could erupt into uncontrollable blood-hunger.
On the battlefield, affected warriors risked losing all discipline.
Other Legions called them ghouls.
Yuki issued strict control protocols:
Thunder Warriors assigned to IX Legion oversight
Immediate sedation of any berserk episodes
conditioning responses to suppress frenzy triggers
Now some afflicted Astartes had developed involuntary sleep responses when restraint teams approached.
Crude.
But effective.
The Thunder Warriors bore the burden without complaint.
Retirement, it seemed, had been postponed.
"I estimate ten years to stabilize the flaw," Yuki muttered, dragging fingers through her hair. "Too much work. Endless work."
Russ smiled.
"We have many brothers yet to return. Some will share your burdens."
"I pray to any listening god that you are right."
She lifted the cup.
"Enough. Drink."
Russ laughed.
"Drink."
Elsewhere
Aboard the Vengeful Spirit:
"Horus to Russ. Russ, answer the channel. Russ."
Static.
Abaddon leaned cautiously against the console.
"Maybe he's… busy?"
Horus stared at the silent receiver.
"…I will remember this."