Which probably indicates that this portion of his memoirs was compiled before the tyranid incursions and the Black Crusade were to drag him back to reluctant active service in the closing years of the 41st millennium.
51
Astartes do, of course, eat, although most of them seem to regard doing so merely as providing fuel for their enhanced metabolisms, taking little more pleasure in the act than members of the Adeptus Mechanicus do. The real reason for the Reclaimers' reluctance to invite their guests to join them was probably that such gatherings are generally regarded as providing spiritual as well as physical sustenance, being accompanied by prayers to the Emperor and the Chapter's primarch, and readings from their own martial litanies. Doing so in the presence of outsiders, and thereby revealing some of their Chapter's most sacred mysteries to non-initiates, would, of course, be anathema to them.
52
Which would have, and did, take years.
53
Probably static cling. I used to have a dress like that, but it was never quite the same after a firefight with some hrud; and concealing a weapon while wearing it was always extremely uncomfortable, so I never bothered to find a replacement.
54
Not without reason: almost a decade was to pass before the Ordo Xenos felt able to declare Viridia free of taint with any degree of certainty, and the local authorities remain vigilant for any sign of a renewed outbreak to this day.
55
A peculiar form of recreation, practised in some form on many worlds, in which people attempt to balance on a plank being swept along by waves or water currents for as long as possible without falling off. Since they inevitably do, the appeal of the pastime escapes me.
56
Though Cain is clearly exaggerating a little here, he's quite right in the essence of his assertion: if there's an Astartes Chapter which doesn't regard its training areas as hallowed ground I've yet to hear of it, and granting access to an outsider is an honour seldom conferred.
1 In fact he was a great deal better than that, being one of the finest swordsmen I've ever encountered, which in my line of work is quite something.
57
In fact he was a great deal better than that, being one of the finest swordsmen I've ever encountered, which in my line of work is quite something.
58
If anything, Techmarines tend to be regarded as somewhat eccentric at best by most Chapters, which affords them a fair amount of latitude in their behaviour. In fact, judging by Cain's account, Drumon seems to be more accepted as an equal by his battle-brothers than would normally be the case, perhaps because of the Reclaimers' unusually strong ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus.
59
Hardly surprising, since they were probably aspirants to membership of the Reclaimers who'd narrowly failed the rigorous selection process.
60
Clearly more than the two Cain mentions seeing in the hangar bay earlier in his narrative; perhaps they were docked elsewhere, or simply engaged on other duties on the occasions he embarked and disembarked.
61
Damage Control Team, a term also in use by the Imperial Navy.
62
Damage Control Team, a term also in use by the Imperial Navy.
