The distant sun was reflected on the icy surface of the asteroid. From
the cockpit of the Thunderhawk Gunship, the pilot scanned the sterile ground.
The machine spirit yelled the location of the Monastery. Long columns
of steam left him and were lost in space.
Quizá los Servidores estén
aun defendiéndola, pensó el piloto.
Maybe the Servitors are still defending it, the pilot thought.
Tiró de la manivela de
control y descendió bruscamente. No quería ser un blanco fácil contra el fuego
antiaéreo.
He pulled the joystick and descended sharply. He didn't want to be an
easy target against anti-aircraft fire.
Los Tecnosacerdotes del
Monasterio Asteroide “Pecado de Hierro” son fieles seguidores del Emperador,
creados para servir y defender su fortaleza. No habrían sobrevivido de otro
modo en el cinturón de asteroides donde se habían establecido. Las pozas de
metal cruzaban los asteroides de lado a lado, y su mena atraía al imperio al
igual que a Rogue Traders. Los Orkos tampoco habían sido diferentes.
The Tech-Priest of the Asteroid Monastery “Iron Sin” are faithful
followers of the Emperor, created to serve and defend his fortress. They would
not have otherwise survived in the asteroid belt where they had settled. Metal
veins crossed the asteroids from side to side, and the ore attracted the empire
as well as Rogue Traders. The Orks had not been different either.
In the cargo hold, the soldiers stood waiting: eight Space Marines of
the Blood Raven and his Astartes Lieutenant, Hadrian, along with about Thirty
Imperial guards who had rescued from a previous brawl in an asteroid-prison.
Los Blood Raven, con su
Servoarmadura revestida de cerámica, y sus pesados Bolters, desprendían un olor a carne asada y metal.
The Blood Raven, with its ceramic plate Power Armor, and weighty
Bolters, gave off a smell of roasted meat and metal.
La Guardia Imperial, al
contrario, con sus ligeras armaduras polvorientas y máscaras vitales que
ocultaban sus rostros cubiertos de sudor, mantenían una postura cansada.
The Imperial Guard, on the contrary, with its light dusty armor and
vital masks that hid their faces covered in sweat, keeped a tired posture.
-Medio tic.- dijo el
piloto.
"Half tic." said the pilot.
Sin necesidad de una orden,
silenciosos por costumbre, los Blood Raven aseguraron sus puntos de sujeción,
mientras acomodaban sus armas. En la bodega, soldados y Marines Espaciales
formaron una fila sin demasiado orden. El Teniente levantó la mano y todos se
prepararon para un cálido recibimiento.
Without the need of an order, silent by habit, the Blood Raven secured
their attachment points, while accommodating their weapons. In the cargo hold,
soldiers and Space Marines formed a line without too much order. The Lieutenant
raised his hand and everyone prepared for a warm reception.
La Thunderhawk descendió
pesadamente, chocando con sus patines en el pavimento de la entrada
del Monasterio, rompiendo adoquines y lanzando escombros alrededor. La baja
gravedad causó una gran polvareda, y aún no se había disipado cuando la puerta
delantera se abrió. Los soldados descendieron rápidamente, tomando posiciones
defensivas alrededor de la Thunderhawk.
The Thunderhawk descended heavily, colliding with their skates on the
pavement at the entrance of the Monastery, breaking cobblestones and throwing
debris around. The low gravity caused a large dust cloud, and had not yet
dissipated when the front door opened. The soldiers descended quickly, taking
defensive positions around the Thunderhawk.
No
sucedió nada.
Nothing happened.
Veinte pasos más allá, los
muros de piedra y cerámica del Monasterio mostraban impactos de disparos. El
símbolo dorado del Emperador seguía en lo alto. Eso era una buena señal. Los
Orkos nunca dejaban nada sin saquear.
Twenty steps further, the stone and ceramic walls of the Monastery
showed shooting impacts. The golden symbol of the Emperor was still high. That
was a good sign. The Orks
never left anything without looting.
Los Imperiales se
desplegaron, buscando cobertura ante un posible enemigo oculto. No ver a
los Orkos no significaba que los Orkos no pudieran verlos.
The Imperials deployed, seeking cover before a possible hidden enemy.
Not seeing the Orks didn't mean that the Orks couldn't see them.
The door of the Monastery was in front of them. As they approached, the
doors opened. A handful of Servants came out the door, including a brother
Tech-priest. They were a dozen and some still wielded heavy weapons. The Lieutenant
made a mute signal to stop.
Se
adelantó el Tecnosacerdote. Su medio rostro mostraba un ojo fatigado. Su cráneo calvo
terminaba donde empezaba el metal. Miró inexpresivo a los Marines.
The Tech-Priest came forward. His half face showed a tired eye. His bald
skull ended where the metal began. He looked inexpressive at the Marines.
-A
buenas horas.– les dijo con sequedad.
"A bit too late." he said dryly.
El Teniente Hadrian encogió
los hombros, sin responder. Contempló un par de cuerpos desmembrados a la
entrada del monasterio.
The Lieutenant Hadrian shrugged, not responding. He looked at a couple
of dismembered bodies at the entrance of the monastery.
- Dos Servidores, - dijo el
Tecnosacerdote - fueron emboscados.
"Two Servitors," said the Tech-Priest “they were ambushed.”
-¿Algún
Orko?
-Any Ork?
-Allí.
“There.”
El Teniente caminó unos
pasos. Junto al muro oriental había tres pequeños cuerpos entre grandes
piedras. Eran pequeños Grots, cuerpos menudos que vestian harapos pardos. No
había armas a su alrededor. Uno de ellos presentaba un gran corte en la cara.
Otro estaba boca abajo, con el torso cubierto de sangre. Al tercero le asomaba
las quemaduras de un impacto de plasma.
The Lieutenant walked a few steps. Next to the eastern wall were three
small bodies between large stones. They were little Grots, small bodies that
wore brown rags. No weapons around him. One of them had a large cut on the
face. Another was face down, with the chest covered in blood. The third was
showing the burns of a plasma impact.
-Intentaron asaltarnos por
aquí -dijo el Tecnosacerdote-. Creyeron que sería fácil porque el ventanal está
cerca del suelo.
"They tried to attack us here," said the Tech-Priest. “They
thought it would be easy because the church window is near the ground.”
-¿Cuántos
eran?
“How many were they?”
- Treinta, o tal vez más.
Capturaron a los dos Servidores cuando realizaban la guardia matutina. Querían
usarlos para entrar en el Monasterio, pero lucharon. Así que los mataron y los
saquearon. Luego nos acosaron durante varias horas, intentando entrar por otros
lados.
- Thirty, or maybe more. They captured the two Servants when they did
the morning guard. They try to use them to enter the Monastery, but they
fought. So they were killed and looted. Then they harassed us for several
hours, trying to enter from other places.
- ¿Cuándo se fueron?
“When did they Leave?”
- No hace mucho - el Tecnosacerdote
miró a los soldados. - Quizá os vieron llegar, o tal vez no. En
cualquier caso, se fueron.
"Not long ago." The Tech-Priest looked at the soldiers. “Maybe
they saw you coming, or maybe not. In any case, they left.”
Hadrian observó las huellas
de los fugitivos, estas desaparecían al llegar a unas quemaduras en la tierra.
Quizás usaron una cañonera Orka, quizás dos. El Tecnosacerdote lo
miró, inquisitivo.
Hadrian observed the traces of the fugitives; these disappeared when
they reached some burns on the ground. Maybe they used an Ork Gunboat, maybe
two. The Tech-Priest looked at him, enquiringly.
-
¿Van a perseguirlos?
"Are you going to chase them?"
- Por supuesto.
"Of course."
- Pues llevan delantera.
"Well, they're ahead of us."
- No hay prisa. Estas
cosas se hacen despacio. Y mi gente está cansada.
"No hurry. These things are done slowly. And my people are
tired."
La expresión del Tecnosacerdote
se endureció. El Teniente señaló a la guardia imperial.
The Tech-Priest expression hardened. The Lieutenant pointed to the
imperial guard.
