7124815.M41
I really did not dare to hope, not even when those Eldar sprung us from the cells, and indeed only a few of us have escaped from captivity alive and (mostly) whole. It was really a close thing in those corridors, trying to reach the exit point. Three of my brothers did not make it out and of the Eldar we left nine behind. We have no way of knowing whether they are still alive or not. May the Emperor’s blessing be with them.
Brother Bethor I half-carried myself the last few meters out of the corridors and to the waiting transport, and now that the healers have treated his wounds he sleeps in the habitent thing assigned to our Eldar, healing swiftly as is our way.
The Lady herself rests there too, white as a corpse milk, but alive. One of her people carried her when she collapsed after receiving two critical hits to her upper body. On our way back to base camp she was fading so fast we feared we might yet loose her, and the Falcons had to stop while we stabilised her as best we could. Besides the wounds, she suffered greatly from withdrawal symptoms setting in. The extraordinary skills of the Eldar healers in the camp have saved her arm so far, but were unable to counteract the withdrawal of that drug which was used to suppress her psychic talent. (What an irony! Not that there were much left of it, anyway, to judge from accounts of my brothers…)
When she learned truly grasped the cost of her freedom, she literally went into shock, and did not speak a word since. Especially the loss of Brother Azrael seemed to affect her deeply. I am only mildly surprised astounded to find the mutual bond between her and my brothers is that close. Young Brother Damian insisted on being left behind when unable to continue, to guard a doorway besieged by our pursuers to keep them off our back and buy us some time, a noble act of self-sacrifice truly in keeping with our chapter’s history. The venerable Brother Calidus, who had been supporting the wounded Brother Azrael for some time then, stepped aside from the exit to see the Eldar brought to safety first, and when she realised they did not make it through behind us, I actually saw tears on her face. I judge her not to be the type to cry for fear, nor very much out of pain, so there you are.
I have seen that eternally miffed Eldar psyker the battleseer around once since our return, and he actually seemed relieved, although whether that was due to the fact that he’s got his Autarch back or because the young warrior whom I suspect to be his son (this would indeed strengthen my assumption) returned from the rescue mission just superficially wounded, I cannot tell. He does not, however, seem to be overmuch apprehensive about sacrificing nine warriors to rescue one autarch, I was interested to note, so this tells us a lot about the value the Eldar place on their leaders, despite the deceptive laxity of protocol they are showing towards them.
Now there is some commotion outside, somebody is coming, and from the voice I would think it to be our Eldar’s brother, who has managed to get a Titan damaged quite spectacularly to aid in her rescue, so I have heard…
Excerpt from Brother Ezekiel’s diarium
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