"Tarik was one of my two best friends, the most Loyal, the other brother of the Mournival who sided against the Lupercal. We were bombed together on Istvaan III, but survived the initial attack, and made a stand that lasted several months...."

He rocks her gently as he holds her, almost like he's comforting a child, continuing his story as he goes through a description of their last battle, the pertinent point coming at the end,

"Finally, we found that Horus Aximand, little horus as he was known, and Abaddon himself had come down to the surface to supervise the final attack. We set out to meet them, and fought them both in a great Cathedral."

He is silent for a long time, "We lost. Tarik died in front of me, beheaded by Aximand, who seemed utterly in despair as he killed his brother. Abaddon, on the other hand, was vicious in his hatred of me. I gave in to anger... and as such, lost our duel. Ironically, it was the Lupercal's insistence on orbital bombardment that saved my life. If Abaddon had been given time, he'd have given me a death-blow with the same sword that killed Torgaddon. I stayed by his body, wounded and insane, healing on a death world for 6 months by myself." He halts, after that explanation, hecking on her.