Riding the Rails

The Emperor had received an unexpected invitation. It was from the minor forgeworld of Lianth. They utilized a special train to move adamantium around. It had the appearance of an ancient Terran train. They had recently re-fitted it so that it functioned as a passenger train.
The Primarchs were interested, though not exactly as excited as their father was. He explained that he had once ridden rails during M2. It had been an interesting experience. Magnus and Perturabo were looking forward to experiencing the train. Konrad of course wanted to prank as many people as he could.
Vulkan was the most excited of the Primarchs. The train's appearance was of a steam-engine train. Functionally it was a mag-train, as all trains were in the Imperium. However, the tech priests did have a functioning steam engine for passengers to view. This meant a lot of fire, and that was always a plus to Vulkan.
Valdor was accompanying them, as per normal. Remembering other situations, he opted to travel in his armor. There was a bit of concern in regards to how well he might fit in the train, but he insisted on bringing it.
"I can keep my helmet off for the most part," Valdor said. The Emperor had no argument for that, and knew that Valdor was fully capable of working out a way to move about the train.

*********************

They arrived on Lianth, and boarded the train. The first thing the Primarchs did on reaching their car was determine where everyone was sleeping. All twenty of them were staying in the same car. Konrad and Corvus both had earplugs to avoid issues with Leman's snoring. 

The next thing they did was check out the other parts of the train. Most of the cars were freight cars that passengers weren't allowed on, and other passenger cars like their own. However, there were a few lounge cars and two dining cars. It was in the first lounge car that they began to meet other passengers. 

Several of the other passengers were high ranking people of Lianth. There were also several people who had won passage as prizes. They all bowed, or knelt as the Emperor and the Primarchs passed through. Valdor had worked with the tech priests to ensure that there were no fangirls, or at least not fanatical ones

Their final stop was the mock up of the steam engine room. Vulkan was full of questions for the enginseers who were there. They had answers for most of his questions, but the Emperor had to help with a few. 

**********************

"Well, that complicates things," Shia said after the Emperor passed through the second lounge car.

"How?" asked Kinto. 

"That was the Emperor, you fool," Shia said. "And a Custodian. They'll take us down in a heartbeat."

"The Custodian will only act if we threaten Him," Miathyn said.

"Or the Lord Primarchs," Shia said.

"We'll just leave them alone," Miathyn said. "Start the party while they aren't around."

"Maybe," Shia said. She didn't sound as convinced as Miathyn was. Kinto looked between the two women. He wasn't the brightest of people, but he was strong. That was all that mattered to Miathyn. 

"Kinto can handle them if one of them tries to get involved," Miathyn said sternly. Shia nodded, Kinto smiled. He liked getting to "handle" people.

*********************

"That was interesting," Vulkan said. He was happy to have seen the steam engine model. It was a bit sad to him that the steam engine wasn't the one that was powering the train, but he understood the reasons why. 

"This whole thing is more interesting than I expected," Fulgrim said. He was looking forward to seeing the forgeworld as the train passed through it. Several of the others agreed with Fulgrim. The Emperor had told them a few stories from when he rode rails long ago. However, it had seemed almost fantastical to them. 

Valdor looked a bit silly when he had to move around the train. He had to bend nearly double to fit in the corridors. However, no one said anything about it. Several of the Primarchs did hide smiles from him. The Emperor also found it amusing, but was a bit better at hiding it from Valdor.

The tech adepts had made a special table in one of the dining cars for the Emperor and his party. This was more for Valdor than for the others, but it was helpful to them as well. It was large and that allowed them to all sit at the same table which was nice.

**********************

The train departed the station. Its destination was six days away. The first two days were quiet and calm. The Primarchs began to get bored as the forgeworld wasn't as exciting for them. Valdor was pleased at how the trip was going so far, though he was beginning to feel a bit silly for having brought his armor. 

Miathyn's plan was to strike during the middle of the trip. She was sure that was when the guards of around the adamantium would be at their laxest. The train would also be close to the location she had agreed on for the sale.

The third day arrived, Fulgrim, Perturabo, Jaghatai, Sanguinius, Ferrus, Magnus, Horus, Vulkan, and Corvus were with Valdor in one of the lounge cars. Unbeknownst to them, it was the one that Shia and Kinto were going to hold up. This was Miathyn's distraction to get at the adamantium. 

"Everyone, put your hands in the air," Shia said as she walked into the room, she had an autogun and began to sweep the room with it. Kinto followed behind her with an Army power sword. He thumbed the activator stud for the disruptor field.

"What is the meaning of this?" Valdor asked, he wasn't able to stand to his full height in the car, but there was no denying what he was.

"It's a stick-up, Banana-man," Kinto said, pointing his sword towards Valdor. There was silence for a moment, and then Valdor began to chuckle darkly. The Primarchs moved behind him, knowing that as a dangerous chuckle.

"Now, now," Shia said in a falsely sweet voice, autogun turning towards them. "Can't have that, everyone where I can see you. Hands in the air."

"Do as she says, please," Valdor said to the Primarchs, his laughter stopping abruptly. They spread back out, except for Corvus. Valdor's use of the word "please" had been code for them: act as captives. Corvus was in the shadow walk, looking to disarm the thieves. Fulgrim began to cry, distracting them.

"Shut it," Kinto said. His orders from Miathyn had been to prevent people from crying or being very loud. Fulgrim was doing both things. Kinto, unaware of what Valdor was, stepped up to Fulgrim and slapped the Primarch.

"Kinto! You Throne-forsaken idiot!" Shia cried out, breaking the silence that had descended on the lounge car at that action. 

"I'm doin' what Miathyn told me to do," Kinto whined, turning from Valdor and the other Primarchs. Corvus took advantage of the situation and took Kinto's power sword. He wanted to get the autogun, but didn't want to reveal himself.

Valdor stood as best he could in the confines of the car. Kinto saw the look of horror on Shia's face and turned slowly back towards Valdor. Valdor took Kinto by the throat, and almost casually tossed him the length of the car.

"Are you alright, Lord Fulgrim?" Valdor asked. He knew the answer, but he wanted the other thief to know who had been hit.

"I'm not hurt, Valdor," Fulgrim said. He cast a glance at Kinto, who was still alive. "You didn't kill him?"

"I have questions he might be able to answer," Valdor replied. "Perhaps your father will help me with the interrogation."

"He better hope that it's Father and not Konrad," Fulgrim said. "Or Lion."

"Indeed," Valdor said.

"Valdor!" Ferrus called out. "The other is escaping!" Shia was indeed escaping out one of the windows. Valdor quickly gave chase, warping the frame of the window as he forced himself out. Ferrus and Magnus quickly bound Kinto before following Valdor and the others out the window.

"Stop!" Valdor called as they got onto the roof of the train. Shia kept running, hopping from car to car. Valdor took off after her, the Primarchs following behind.

**********************

The hold-up had begun in the furthest back of the lounge cars from the engine of the train. This left the other two lounge cars unaware of the events in the other cars. 

That changed when the chase began up top. There was the light pounding of Shia's feet as she ran, and the much deeper thudding of Valdor as he charged across. His footsteps were accompanied by bulges in the ceiling, and the pattering of the Primarchs who were following after him. One of the bulges caused a chandelier to drop three inches, nearly hitting a passenger in the head.

**********************

"Halt!" Valdor yelled again as he charged after Shia. She was starting to panic a bit, Valdor was catching up, and the Primarchs were right behind. They were also starting to run out of train. She brought up the autogun, hoping for a lucky shot on Valdor. Then she got a better idea. 

Sanguinius was running on top of the train like everyone else, though he was gliding over the gaps between cars. He wasn't fast enough flying to keep up with the train, but he got close to Valdor each time he switched cars. The other Primarchs were ranged behind the two of them. 

Shia aimed her autogun past Valdor, right towards the Primarchs. Valdor spun around, stretching out to catch more of the solid shots from the autogun. In his armor there was no risk to himself. 

This fell right into Shia's idea, the train was quite close to a tunnel. Valdor would have to duck to avoid hitting his head, but turned around, he wasn't aware of it. The train passed into the tunnel, and Valdor fell forward as he was struck by the tunnel mouth. This caused an even larger dent in the roof of the train. 

*********************

The Emperor had the other Primarchs, the Lion, Leman, Rogal, Konrad, Angron, Roboute, Mortarion, Lorgar, and Alpharius, and were checking out the freight cars, the guards had allowed it due to the Emperor. Rogal and Roboute were asking questions about the shipping process for adamantium and a few of the other ores that the train was moving. 

Miathyn had slipped along the outside of one of the freight cars. She heard the commotion start in the lounge car through the open comm bead with Shia. It was show time, she pushed into the car from one of the loading doors that hadn't sealed properly. This was the car that the Emperor and Primarchs were in. 

"Mam, this is a freight car," one of the guards said, approaching Miathyn. She pulled out a bolt pistol and shot the guard in the head. The other guard brought out his weapon as the body of his fellow fell to the ground. 

"Drop the bolt pistol!" the guard yelled. Miathyn's response was to shoot at him. She was hyper-focused on the guards, and was therefore surprised when the bolt shell was vaporized against a kine shield. 

"Well, crap," Miathyn said as she spotted the Emperor and Primarchs. She then darted out the door, back to the rest of the train. The Emperor gave chase, noting that the Primarchs were following him. 

They began to notice the bulges in the ceiling after passing through the first lounge car. The Emperor had to duck and weave around them. He shrunk his size to get under the chandelier. The Primarchs were small enough as they were.They paused a moment when they saw the larger bulge.

"That's when we entered the tunnel," the Emperor said.

"Do you think he has amnesia again?" Mortarion asked, realizing the bulge was roughly the same size as Valdor's height.

"I doubt it," the Emperor said. "He does have his helmet this time."

"True," Mortarion said with a chuckle.

************************

Valdor came around while they were still in the tunnel. He rolled onto his back and came up in a crouch. He glanced around and spotted the Primarchs in the gloom of the tunnel. Vulkan was also crouching.

"Are you alright?" Fulgrim asked.

"I am alright," Valdor said. "I have my helmet this time." As if to prove it, his head got snapped back as the plume on his helmet snagged on the top of the tunnel. 

"Conical helmet failure?" Perturabo asked. Valdor chuckled a bit as he got his plume un-snagged. 

Shia was spending the time in the tunnel catching her breath and examining the connectors between the cars. She dove between a pair of cars as soon as the train left the tunnel. Valdor took off, the Primarchs following.

They made it to the junction where she had gone down, but she was kicking the cars apart when they arrived. Valdor got off the roof of the train as gently as he could. He bridged the gap between the cars and grabbed both cars, keeping them together.

"Perturabo, Ferrus, Magnus, and Vulkan stay with me," Valdor said. "The rest of you go after her. Keep her from getting to the engine. Stay safe."

"We will," Horus called, leading those not named by Valdor on. Perturabo, Ferrus, and Vulkan began to inspect the connector. 

"She shot it," Ferrus snarled, temper rising.

"We'll have to weld it," Perturabo agreed. "Can you hold the cars together that long?"

"I can try," Valdor said.

"We need to be quick," Magnus said, he had looked around the car to see what was ahead. "We're approaching a hill, and it looks steep."

"That's almost a baby mountain," Vulkan said, checking on the other side.

"We don't have a welder though," Ferrus said, getting back on the main topic.

"We have Magnus," Perturabo said. "He'll have to do."

"I don't know where to weld though," Magnus said.

"I'll tell you," Perturabo said simply. 

"I can point things out to you if you need it," Ferrus said. The necrodermis covering his hands would be protection enough.

"Alright," Magnus said. "Tell me what to do." The other three Primarchs began to tell Magnus where to make the welds. Magnus was "welding" through psychic powers. The autogun shot had done a lot of damage and it was slow going.

A bolt round winged off Valdor's armor. It skittered off and away from the train. Valdor turned his head to look at where the shot had come from. He spotted Miathyn coming down the car they had just run over. 

"Can you put a kine shield up?" Valdor asked Magnus.

"I'd have to stop welding," Magnus said. He didn't have the power to do two things at once yet.

"Keep low then," Valdor said. They hit the hill and he began to strain to keep the cars close together.

"Right," the Primarchs chorused. Miathyn took a shot at the Primarchs, but missed and nothing happened.

There was a feral howl as Leman and the other Primarchs who had been with the Emperor appeared in the car. They had gotten ahead of the Emperor due to their smaller size making it easier for them to maneuver through the crowd.

Miathyn's response was to throw the bolt pistol behind her, and draw a power sword. She ran at Valdor, thumbing the activator stud. Ferrus popped up from the connector and caught the blade as Miathyn swung.

"Let go," Miathyn shouted.

"No!" Ferrus shouted back. She tried to wrest the sword from him, but he used the weight of the blade against her. She stumbled and the other nine Primarchs swarmed her. Angron sat on her to prevent her from rising.

"Hurry up!" Valdor said to the remaining three. The hill was very steep, and Valdor could feel his grip slipping on the trailing cars.

"We're on the last weld," Vulkan said. "Just a bit longer."

Magnus gave a shout of triumph as he finished the last weld. Vulkan got up and turned the staying pin. However, it spun freely.

"The cars are too far apart," Vulkan said. "We need to get them closer together."

Valdor tried to bring the cars closer together. However, he was essentially trying to pull an entire train together and one Custodian was not enough. He knew he was failing and could do no more, then he saw the Emperor approaching down the trailing car. The Emperor got into a position mirroring that of Valdor.

+Together, Constantin+ the Emperor said. Valdor gave a nod and together they pulled on the train.

"You got it!" Vulkan yelled as he felt the stay pin engage with both cars. "Help me, brothers!" Perturabo and Magnus quickly snagged the wheel part of the stay pin and began to help Vulkan spin it.

The Emperor and Valdor relaxed when the stay pin stopped turning. Valdor staggered a bit as he no longer had to hold the train together. He went to turn and continue after Shia only to find the other five Primarchs leading her back.

Horus was leading, Sanguinius and Fulgrim were holding her while Jaghatai and Corvus came behind. Jaghatai was holding the autogun, Corvus was limping slightly as he came up to the others. Corvus had been hit in the foot when the autogun went off while they were tackling her.

"Are you alright, Corvus?" Vulkan asked, looking concerned.

"I should be," Corvus said. The Emperor intercepted Corvus, and picked him up. He spotted the autogun round and removed it, also closing the wound a bit.

"Well done," Valdor said to Horus while the Emperor tended to Corvus.

"Thanks," Horus said. "Though what you did was awesome."

"Perhaps," Valdor said with a chuckle. "Though it does not feel as awesome when you are the one holding a train together."

"How does it feel?" Sanguinius asked.

"Painful," Valdor said. "The hill was unhelpful."

"Fair enough," Sanguinius said.

"However, it was still cool," Fulgrim said. "You held a train together."

"True," Valdor said with a smile, though the Primarchs couldn't see it.

"Now, what are we going to do with these thieves?" Konrad asked. He was fingering his knife under his cloak.

"We will question them," the Emperor said. "Then turn them over to the guards on the train."

"Alright," Konrad sighed, bringing his hand back out from under his cloak.

"There is a third," Valdor said. "A man in the first lounge car. He did both Fulgrim and myself grave insult."

"How so?" the Emperor asked.

"He slapped Fulgrim," Valdor said. "And called me a 'banana-man'."

"Grave insults indeed," the Emperor said. "We'll begin the questions with him."

"He's a lackwit," Miathyn said. "You'll get nothing out of him."

"Perhaps not," Valdor said. "However, it is a serious thing to insult a Custodian, let alone the Captain-General. It is another thing again to strike a Primarch."

"He can't tell you anything though," Shia said. Kinto was her brother and she was quite protective of him. 

Valdor made no reply as they moved back down the train. They grabbed Kinto as they moved through the lounge car. The Emperor signaled on the vox to the guards to allow them to the back of the train. 

They arrived at the back of the train. Valdor was holding Kinto, Angron and Leman were holding Miathyn, and Vulkan and Magnus were holding Shia. Miathyn managed to free an arm from Leman and took a swipe at Sanguinius. Acting on instinct, Sanguinius launched himself into the air. The issue was, this separated him from the momentum of the train. Sanguinius wasn't fast enough to catch the train, and was dropping behind.

"Sanguinius!" Horus yelled and tried to go after him. The Emperor snagged Horus, holding him close. A thick cable flicked out from over the Emperor's shoulder. Corvus had found some extra restraining cables and was using it as a whip. It wrapped about Sanguinius' wrist. 

"Help me!" Corvus called as he tried to pull Sanguinius back to the train. Sanguinius flapped his wings, trying to at least keep the height so that he wasn't being dragged along the tracks. Those that weren't holding on to people helped Corvus pulled on the cable. Between them Sanguinius was hauled back to the train. The Emperor set Horus back down.

"That was unwise," Valdor said. He held Kinto out off the edge of the train. Shia screamed, but Vulkan and Magnus had solid grips on her. 

"Did someone hire you for this?" the Emperor asked Miathyn.

"I'm not telling you anything," she snarled. 

"You could tell us, or the Arbites," the Emperor said.

"Never," she replied.

"I can make her talk, Father," Konrad said, his hand back under his cloak.

"No, Konrad," the Emperor said. "She will talk, or not."

"What about the man?" Fulgrim asked.

"Drop him off the train," the Emperor said to Valdor. 

"I like that idea, my king," Valdor said. All he had to do was let go and Kinto would be done. 

"I like it too," Fulgrim said.

"Then let it be," the Emperor said. Valdor released Kinto, who snatched at the air as he fell. Shia screamed again, but could do nothing.

"Kinto was a package with Shia," Miathyn said. "His loss means nothing to me."

"That's alright," the Emperor said. "You no longer have any allies, as you have lost Shia, as you name her."

''That was your plan?" Miathyn asked.

''If nothing else, she will tell anything that she knows about your plans," the Emperor said. 

"it also handles the issue of the insults he gave," Valdor said. Fulgrim nodded.

"Let's take these two to the guards," the Emperor said. "I believe they have a holding car for trouble-makers."

"Indeed," Valdor said. He took over Miathyn from Leman and Angron. Vulkan and Magnus kept a hold of Shia.

"What are we going to say about the man?" Fulgrim asked the Emperor.

"The truth," the Emperor said. "We dropped him off the train because he struck you, and insulted Valdor."

"Alright," Fulgrim said. Shia struggled, wanting to go back for her brother. Vulkan kept wrenching her back on course. They met up with a pair of guards who took Miathyn and Shia into custody.

"This is much appreciated, my lord," one of the guards said, clearly fighting to not kneel. "We'll take them from here if that is alright."

"It is," the Emperor said.

***************************

The rest of the train trip was fairly uneventful. The Emperor, along with Perturabo, Ferrus, and Vulkan, assisted in repairing some of the damage that Valdor had caused during the chase. They were quite pleased with being able to help, especially since the three Primarchs had also been involved in the chase that caused the damage.

They arrived at the receiving station and the passengers got off. The Emperor waited for the guards to remove Miathyn and Shia before getting off himself. He did allow the Primarchs off the train as long as they stayed close to Valdor.

"That was fun," Roboute said. "It was a bit like when we went sailing."

"Without the cabin fever," Mortarion said.

"Yeah," Angron said. He was much happier now than he had been when he came off the ship. 

"I think it was a lot better," Sanguinius said.

"Yeah," Magnus agreed. "No one got sick this time."

"But Corvus got shot," Vulkan said. "And Fulgrim got slapped."

"The slap was more of a shock than anything," Fulgrim said.

"Father helped my foot get better faster," Corvus said. 

"They still happened," Vulkan said.

"They did," Corvus admitted. "However, I don't think it was as bad as those who got sick."

"I guess," Vulkan said.

Miathyn and Shia were escorted off the train under heavy guard. They handed the two women over to waiting Arbites officers. The Emperor stepped down after that and rejoined the others. 

"Are we ready to go?" the Emperor asked.

"Yeah," the Prirmachs chorused. Valdor had made arrangements for a Thunderhawk to meet them at the end station so they could return to the Imperator Somnium.