Denatus stood on his place, he had little to say, even if others where to start blaming him, he hadn't told anyone to lay there weapons in front of the enemy, it hadn't even been needed, lowering them had seemed enough for those of the squad not blind or devoid of own thoughts. Though now he just stood silent and helmless, this showing his not so pretty features anymore from the acid and toxin damegeds, at least he wasn't the only one to sport them anymore, but there was little in that fact.
Golden Eagle Hadrian was silent, perfectly willing to let Caphen create for himself a scaffold and noose. The other Marine had had his chance at leadership but, in Hadrian's opinion at least, he had dismally failed. He'd failed the moment he'd surrendered to the eldar and the incident with the child had just compounded his failure.
Isaiah had the desire to defend his Brother-Sergeant, but kept quiet at the nonverbal urging of his truest brother. He stood there, looking back at Elijah, not smiling, but not communicating spite, either. His face was just... empty. But he knew that, if the need would arise, he would fully support Caphen.
Theo stood with his brothers silent, After the scolding and glare he had gotten from Caphen from last mission he kept his tongue silent for now letting there commanding sergeant speak for them instead of bringing up his side of the story. Theo's face had on it a look of fatigue. He had been working most of there trip before making it to Ullanor on studying to poisons and acids on the xeno weapons and cataloging them and looking for ways to defend against them, and possibly even antidotes, Along with that time he received some tips on putting bionics together and applying them to a patients body. Lastly he had taken look at the genetic makeups of the xenos species they encountered and looked for deadly poisons and weapons that would give them a edge on fighting them if they encountered them in the future. Along with keeping eyes on his brothers Immune systems, and a closer Elijah's and Denatus systems for any resonance from the bomb Denatus used. Bringing his mind on the current task at hand he kept his head high and tried to keep form as Caphen would debrief there commanding officer.
"Of course Lord Commander." Caphen paused, deciding he would lay it all out and not give his 'lesser' brothers the satisfaction of seeing him cower in fear of his life or at the very least his new title as sergeant. "When first arriving on the planet Sergeant Callus after consulting the squad deemed it best if we head through the swamps towards the odjective while our comrades of the Iron Hands took the rocky outcropping." The Chemosian looked at his lord commander and with a weary heart began delivering the series of unfortunate events that transpired. "We were ambushed, Brother Sergeant Callus took point and thus had no real chance to survive, a savage group of lizard beasts fell upon us slaying our leader instantly. After the skirmish Brother Rylanor asked the squad to select a temporary Sergeant in place of Sergeant Callus. I was given the honor." Now for the Eldar Caphen thought... "Once more while advancing we were caught off guard and surrounded by a foe we could not see. They demanded we sheathe our weapons or die. Not wanting my first order ro be to throw away my squad's lives needlessly I told them to comply." Caphen knew Vespasian would be displeased by this. "They took us to a witch who requested our aid against another foe. Never ONCE did I have the intention to do so and aid them, but before I could coordinate an Alpha strike, Brother Denatus disobeyed orders and threw one of his phosphex devices. They reacted quickly and we were put in a bad position quickly." Illios looked to Denatus with a face of disgust and anger. "We gained some ground but then the new foe arrived and we tried to warn Rylanor who was duelling one of the xenos, but they were too fast and within a second he lay in the condition you find him now." Caphen looked downwards briefly to show his pain for such a failure. "Without letting our mighty standard fall brother Arnock retrieved it and fought valiantly, I ordered the squad to regroup as the Iron Hand's arrived. As they did this Brother Denatus once again decided to put the lives of his brothers in danger by detonating a phosphex bomb on himself and some xenos near him, this action nearly cost Brother Elijah his life." Once more a look of derision was cast at Denatus from the Chemosian. "The new foe managed to escape with one of his lackeys, this is when we scoured the temple and found a small xenos child and a nearly dead witch. Finding no honor in slaying them where they stood I allowed them to flee and carry the message of what destruction sons of The Emperor shall bring to their kind should they cross us again." "I understand the consequences of my actions and take any punishment willingly Lord Commander, but you can ask my squad and I assure you plenty here shall say I made the right call and that they support me. At the very least none here can deny that I did what I thought best for the well being of my men and took actions I thought would best serve our Lord Fulgrim and The Emperor." With that Caphen let the future decide itself.
Each time that Caphen glared at Denatus he just responded with a confident smile, "i wasn't awake for the part within the tower, though i must say, first ordering us to lay down our weapons, then not even a small vox about this *surely* planned alpha strike, and then leaving the Eldar witch and their disgusting offspring live, i am glad i was comatosed to not see the latter part" Denatus said. with the most eloquence he could muster, he would make no secret out of no longer supporting Caphen for leadership, he was a fine warrior, but lacked daring and had mercy for the wrong foe, the one mainly known for its treacheries.
"Perhaps if you had some intelligence in that malformed head of yours brother you would realize I was gathering intel by questioning the witch, or perhaps you were not present for our briefing to find out what the signal was either, were you in suspension then as well? Perhaps it is best you stay in comatose." Caphen let his pride get the best of him but cared not as he would not let this snake wriggle out of his disobediance.
"I can confirm that Brother-Sergeant Caphen's report is honest in all things. I stood with his decision and supported it and will thusly face any appropriate punishment alongside him as well. " Davian stood upright and passive in expression just a body down from the left of Caphen, facing their trial with stoicism. No matter his thoughts on how the mission went overall dishonesty was not a quality he would foster within himself. Having had time to reflect on both thought and action back on the planet he found himself most struck by his distaste for Callus and what he believed was an insult to the Iron Hands. Even if Ferrus' lot might not of cared he did, despite the right or wrong of it though such bitterness wasn't a healthy thing for a son of Fulgrim to harbor. As such there was no hesitation to stand along their fresh faced superior even in the face of such lauded individuals as those before them. Glancing side long as barbs were exchanged between Denatus and Caphen his flat mouth almost twitched into a frown, almost.
"Gathering intel is one thing Sergeant, but to spare the life of a filthy xenos is another! The Emperor did not order our Legion to spare the xenos out of pity, but to see them destroyed or exiled from our galaxy. And as you have no assurance that they will do anything but retreat to the nearest Eldar craftworld, the only sure option was death. In the absence of fact, we must do what is necessary to know the true out come," Arnock said as he thumped the banner pole on the ground.
His face still frozen in passisivity, Isaiah too voiced his support of Caphen. "I too supported the decision to spare the xenos. If you have any punishment to mete out, I will stand by my decision and ask to share the pain."
