0800 hours, Mercy Hospital Interior, Scout Sergeant Epilus.

Sifting through the enemy dead was dirty work; work that full battle brothers would not bother with. These things were left to the scouts. Epilus and his squad waded through the dead zombies, their lower torsos drenched in blood and zombie remains.

"Here it is. The biggest entrance to the rooftop was sealed at this angle." Epilus said, bringing his squad to a halt in front of a giant cave-in of wall and debris.

"Charges were detonated here, it was a wonder that they did not bring down the whole building." Epilus motioned his brothers forward. "Move initiates, the Techmarines want this area cleared and searched. Any of our fallen brothers here are to be recovered."

His initiates started to move the rubble with alacrity, careful not to risk destabilizing the surrounding structure too quickly. A large power armored form strode in to lend a hand.

"Apothecary Felix," Epilus acknowledged. "Your presence here is welcome. We were told that many brothers fell here. We shall ensure that their gene-seed is recovered and that our fallen brethren continue to live on in our new initiates."

"Our dead may not be many, sergeant," Felix said, brandishing several filled redactor vials that contain the Chapter's future: the gene-seed of the Space Marines. "But even if one of our own has fallen, we will move an entire building to recover him. They deserve that much at least."

"Sergeant!" One of the scouts shouted. "Two of our brothers lie here; we shall clear a space around them."

Epilus glanced at the Apothecary, who withdrew his Reductor and stomped over to the fallen marines. Felix knelt before the first one, and began to mutter to himself as he worked.

"Head caved in, both from enemy force and by the blast." He pried open the shattered breastplate and cut out the Progenoid gland from the fallen marine. He placed the gland into an empty vial, and said a quick prayer over the fallen body. He moved to the second one, and knelt before the body.

"Suit integrity, zero. Armor broken but fused to body. This brother, he was the one who detonated the charges. Emperor rest his soul. His armor could not shield him completely from the blast, although the rubble protected him from the tampering of the foul warp-spawn." Felix cut apart the shattered ceramite breastplate as best as he could, and bent to retrieve the fallen Marine's gene-seed.

Apothecary Felix jerked upright, his body conveying shock while his helmet could not. He turned to Epilus.

"Summon the Thunderhawks, emergency extraction. This one still lives."