Inquisitor Lord Hansel Offenbach, thought Valerian Ztern.

He has become a bureaucrat – little more than a pulpit warrior. A past hero of the Imperium, who has been trapped in a life support chair for one hundred years. Surely he will bring his lap dog with him – that insufferable Desdemona Kali and her blind puritan teachings. It is a pity that Lord Offenbach has the mandate of the Conclave. The both of them will ruin everything I have worked for all this time.

The frigate of Valerian Ztern, the Sudden Retribution, was dwarfed by the black menace that was the Justificatum Dolor – a truly oppressive representation of the Inquisition's dreadful power. The twin prows of the great barge were inscribed with the sigil of the Inquisition, and where other Imperial vessels would have displayed proud Gothic facades with stained glass windows radiating a celestial light, the Justificatum Dolor showed only forbidding black armor and batteries bristling with deadly weapons. A heretic who witnessed its great bulk blotting out the stars, thought Valerian Ztern, could not help but feel the iron hand of the Inquisition at his throat.

A pair of Imperial Navy cruisers flanked the Inquisition barge, surrounded by swarms of smaller escort ships.

Valerian Ztern had clad himself in his stately suit of power armor. It had been crafted millennia ago on the famous forge world Hephastus from the purified remains of a fallen Traitor Titan, as a symbol of the Emperor's ascendancy over the forces of chaos. At his side was a precious Inferno Pistol, and in a chest holster he carried his trusty old slugthrower. His manservant Günther trailed behind carrying his helmet, which was embossed with the seal of the Inquisition.

Valerian had chosen his entourage with great care, so as to project his authority without seeming ostentatious. There was Veteran Sergeant Kartox and two of his Astartes; the Stormtrooper Captain Kerrigan and a squadron of his most elite soldiers, and also the Inquisitor's personal Astropath. He had chosen to use his personal sloop for his audience with the Inquisitor Lord.

As his small vessel drew near to the vast bulk of the Justificatum Dolor, he felt himself sinking a little. He knew what was about to transpire aboard that great ship. And yet, he had always been taught that to despair, was to sin against the God Emperor.

The great pillared hallway that led to the Judgment Chamber aboard the Inquisition barge was hung with great black banners depicting the Aquila and the seal of the Inquisition. The absence of statues in this place, he was once told, was a tribute to the myriads of unsung and unnamed heroes who had given their lives in service to the Holy Ordos and the Emperor of Mankind. The corridor was lined on each side by a whole division of stormtroopers.

At the end of the great passage there was a sombre black chamber lit by smoking braziers, but the solemness of the place was relieved somewhat by a gigantic mosaic of the God Emperor as he appeared before his ascension to the Golden Throne, gazing down in stern but just judgment on all before him.

Before the mosaic there was a raised dais of thirteen steps, and upon it presided Inquisitor Lord Hansel Offenbach in his great life support chair. The Lord himself was almost completely obscured by the many strange machine components that were required for him to cling to his fourth century of service to the Emperor. Half a dozen cherubim and automated drones hovered above. Valerian Ztern felt a twinge of irritation as he saw the lithe, armored figure of the Inquisitor Desdemona Kali also upon the dais, surrounded by many servitors and acolytes.

Valerian Ztern and his retinue fell to one knee before the dais, paying their respects to the Inquisitor Lord and Hero of the Imperium.

"Rise, servants of the Emperor".

The voice of Lord Offenbach echoed through the chamber, aided by ventilators and vox-magnifiers.

"I have answered your summons, Lord Inquisitor", said Valerian, rising to his feet again. His retinue followed suit.

"My former acolyte, Inquisitor Desdemona Kali, needs little introduction", said the Inquisitor Lord.

Desdemona Kali descended the thirteen steps. Her eyes were fixed on the faces of Ztern's retinue. He knew she was scanning them for any outward signs of corruption and heresy.

"Has the purge of Atopos XIV been commenced", asked the Inquisitor Lady. Her face, although very pretty, seemed to be always frozen in an iron mask of mingled contempt and suspicion.

"No, Inquisitor Kali. The case does yet require some discretion", said Ztern.

"How so? The planet is rife with heresy, is it not?"

"Sub-Sector Commander Ba'rak VonLugosa", answered Ztern, "is indeed a heretic of a most vile nature. His subversive plotting and corruption is so vast that my archives are threatening to burst, as the accusatory documents continue to pile up. But I am waiting for him to rise up in open revolt against the Imperium. This will intice his co-conspirators out of their own subterfuge. My trap is set and ready to be sprung, Lady".

Desdemona Kali turned toward Ztern and pointed an accusatory finger in his direction. "You, Inquisitor, are displaying all the traits of a bleeding heart moderate. Procrastination leads to doubt. Doubt begets heresy!"

Valerian scowled.

"You forget that you are addressing a fellow Imperial Inquisitor, my Lady".

Desdemona Kali gestured dismissively. "Once the arch-heretic has been purged, the necessary accusations can be fabricated. Then we can persecute all those who could possibly have conspired with this Ba'rak VonLugosa".

"Forgive me, Lady", said Valerian, "but that is absurd. That would add up to every planetary governor in the sub-sector and their nomenclatures, and every military commander, plus countless members of the administratum. The sub-sector could be thrown into utter anarchy. It could spread through the whole sector, and beyond!"

"Hear me now", said Lord Offenbach in a stern but labored voice. "All who are not full members of the Imperial Inquisition must leave this chamber at once".

The retinues of the Inquisitors obediently began to defilate out of the Chamber of Judgment Behind them, great steel doors swung silently on hidden hinges and slammed ominously shut. As the echo subsided, Lord Offenbach spoke once more.

"That is a risk that we are forced to take. You are unaware of the wider perspective, Inquisitor Ztern. The Segmentum Solar is under attack. The tyranid Hive-fleets are poising themselves to strike at Holy Terra Herself, and this segmentum of the Imperium may be cut of. We cannot allow heresy to fester and grow, for any reason whatsoever. The purging of this system will take place now, whether you like it or not, Inquisitor Ztern".

"My Lord. I merely do not wish to throw my hand. It would be a great waste, to both us and the Imperium as a whole".

You may act as you wish, Inquisitor", answered Lord Offenbach. "You do carry an Inquisitorial Rosette. But, if you attempt to interfere in any way: bear in mind that I have it in my power to issue a writ to the Conclave, requesting that you be declared Excommunicate Traitoris!"

"Interfere?" Ztern felt flabbergasted. "I must aid you, Lord Inquisitor! I have teams of acolytes who have infiltrated the spire palace of the sub-sector commander. They are standing by to destroy the void shield defenses of his fortress as we speak. Without my assistance, many valuable servants of the Imperium would be lost needlessly during the assault".

"So be it then", said Desdemona Kali. "We will set course for Atopos XIV at once, and order the Sub-Sector Commander to stand down his defenses and face the righteous judgment of the Holy Inquisition. Purge the heretic!"

Some hours later, Valerian Ztern was standing on the command deck of his own frigate, watching as the Imperial Navy cruisers delivered a pair of devastating broadsides to an orbital defense battery. There was an explosion like the birth of a new sun, and the great structure – the size of a small hive-city – began to break apart. A large defense monitor vessel entered the fray and pounded one of the Imperial cruisers with heavy fire.

The Empire had flexed its muscles, but the sub-commander's only response had been silence and a sudden volley of fire from his orbital defenses The command deck of the frigate was a frenzy of activity as the Navy officers directed fire against squadrons of traitor torpedo ships that were attempting to form up for a concerted attack against the Justificatum Dolor.The entirety of the Sudden Retribution shook slightly as the frigate was hit by some scattered shots.

"Assemble the strike force", said Valerian to a nearby acolyte.

The man bowed, and hurried away.

"Oh, and Günther", said the Inquisitor to his manservant, "you'd better bring your laspistol. I have a feeling this could get rather ugly".

Valerian Ztern had gathered the best forces at his disposal in the mustering hall of the Sudden Retribution. There stood three companies of Stormtroopers, led by the stalwart Captain Kerrigan; a veteran of countless battles in service of the Inquisition. An informal band of Ztern's most trusted acolytes were there also, armed to the teeth with various weapons of exotic manufacture and appearance. Dwarfing the companies of mortal warriors were Captain Kartox and his ten Astartes – nine of the tactical variety, and one apothecary in white power armour who was tasked with the recovery of the gene-seed of any fallen Space Marines.

The Inquisitor climbed a podium and surveyed the strike force. The hull of the ship was shaken once more by an explosion from the Naval battle that raged outside.

"Warriors of the Inquisition! The day has finally come. Today we march to bring justice to the enemies of the Imperium. I doubt that much quarter will be asked for, since we face heretics of a most vile and callous nature. But If you encounter any that do not offer resistance, ask that they repent their sins against the Emperor. If they do, you have permission to grant them a swift, clean death. Astartes! Will you join the fray?"

To a man, the space marines fell to one knee.

"We ask only to serve, Inquisitor", said Captain Kartox.

"Arise, angels of death. We march to war!"

The assembled host cheered.

"Beseech the machine spirits, so they may convey us across the ether to the enemy's gate!"

There was a mighty outbreak of static through the mustering chamber, and nanoseconds later the strike force vanished... only to appear suddenly in an enormous enclosed courtyard in front of a great ornamented gate.

Around them, towering hive-spires pierced high into the clouds. Terrified nobles in decadent finery scattered in every direction, looking for a refuge from the sudden arrival of the Emperor's wrath. The hive shook suddenly as the orbital bombardment of the defenses began, and moments later, Desdemona Kali and her Stormtrooper legion materialized.

The Inquisitor Lady inspected her war gear and turned toward Valerian Ztern. The thunder of approaching turbine engines could be heard in the distance.

"Inquisitor", said Desdemona Kali. "Here comes the heavy ordinance. This heretic's gate won't hold for long".

Five great Inquisition transports landed and disgorged armor, heavy weapons and even a mighty Baneblade tank. Desdemona Kali strode forward and gave the order to advance.

The Inquisition infantry marched forward in lockstep behind the armor as the threads of the tanks crushed carefully trimmed trees, decadent statues and gurgling fountains. Great meteor trails of smoke and fire illuminated the heavens as the remains of the heretic's orbital defenses fell into the atmosphere.

A few hundred yards before the great gate, an order was issued to halt.

"Heretic! The Holy Inquisition has come. Open the gate, or face the Emperor's wrath!"

There was suddenly a deathly silence, and then massive vox-magnifiers were activated in a storm of feedback.

"His Excellence Ba'rak VonLugosa, Rightful Lord and Sovereign of the Kyberiad Sub-Sector, is not receiving petitioners at this time. Now get ye gone, leach-dog sycophants of the Emperor!"

No orders were required. All heavy weapons fired at once at the fortress wall, the main weapon of the Baneblade tearing a great crater in the ornamented gate.

Automated defense turrets came to life and began spitting death at the Inquisition troops. A hidden side gate opened and gun servitors swarmed out, adding to the carnage. Those unfortunate civilians who had not managed to escape from the great courtyard were cut down without mercy, and soon the ground between the Inquisition line and the fortress wall was a mess of broken bodies, craters and burning wreckage.

In an act of near suicidal courage, an Astartes rushed toward the gate through a storm of gunfire. He carried a great melta siege-charge on his back. He attached the bomb to the gate with the aid of an electromagnet, and somehow managed to dash back to the loyalist line. Moments later, the gate and a large portion of the fortifications were evaporated in a blinding eruption of light.

The guns fell silent for a short while, and a great cheer went up from the Inquisition forces.

Beyond the gate there waited a packed mass of traitor guards and soldiers. Many had been annihilated by the melta bomb, but now the survivors surged forward, screaming as they went.

The Baneblade rolled into the fray, its heavy bolters cutting bloody swathes through the advancing throng. Valerian Ztern stood at the front, shouting encouragement to the troops and picking of heretics by the dozens with his slugthrower. There were hellish screams as wounded traitors were crushed by the Baneblade's tracks.

The walls of the Heretic's stronghold were taken with only moderate losses for the Inquisition.

During the initial battle, the piles of corpses in front of the space where the gate had been had grown into veritable mountains.

Valerian Ztern looked on as Desdemona Kali used her power sword to grant the Emperor's Pardon to some wounded traitor PDF-soldiers. She paused in front of one and looked into his eyes with cold indifference The PDF-soldier coughed up some blood as he tried to speak.

"You can't stop the revolution", he wheezed. "We will throw of the yoke of your evil, corrupt Empire!"

The soldier was only a boy, twenty at most. The first few times he had seen that innocent glow of idealism in a heretic's eyes, Ztern had been shocked and surprised. But now, when he had long since learned what sinister forces always lurked behind the corruption of innocents such as this boy, he felt only a vague sadness.

"You know not of what you speak", said Desdemona Kali. "None can stand against the might of the Empire. Repent now, and you will join the Emperor in the afterlife".

The boy coughed up some more blood.

"Many will have to suffer and die so that the next generation can be free of you. You'll never catch Lord VonLugosa... "

"Heretic!" cried Desdemona Kali and plunged her sword into the soldier's heart. The light went out in his eyes.

"You should have kept him alive for interrogation", said Ztern. "If the arch-heretic has fled, perhaps he knew where".

"It matters not", said Lady Kali. "This place must be cleansed".

"Very well", said Ztern. "We had better send in the sappers. The inner courtyard is probably full of mines and traps".

Groups of Inquisition Engineers led by tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus climbed the smoldering rubble and began searching the inner courtyard. Beyond was the forbidding Gothic facade of the Sub-Sector Commander's palace. It was a truly impressive arcology, stretching far above the other spires of the enormous Hive Gothia, which was thought to be one of the greatest in the entire sector. Nobody knew how many toiled in the hive-city's vast manufactoriums, but they probably numbered in the billions.

There was suddenly a loud explosion, and a cry went up:

"Death vapor!"

"Respirators", Valerian Ztern shouted. "May the Emperor protect us!"

A few stormtroopers who had fumbled with their masks chortled and fell to the ground, writhing in terrifying spasms. Blood was gushing from every orifice in their bodies, but nothing could be done except to grant them the Emperor's Mercy. Ztern had donned his intimidating helmet, and his manservant Günther wore a crude but efficient gas-mask.

Ztern could hear Lady Kali through her voxcaster, reciting a litany.

"Emperor, protect us from the evil machinations of the heretics – their foul stenches are deadly anathema to all your faithful..."

"Advance", Valerian Ztern ordered across all Inquisition bands of the vox-link. "Purge the unclean. Cleanse the heretic".

Stormtroopers with flamers lay down a rolling defensive cordon, and behind them the rest of the detachment moved toward the main gate of the palace. The field of carnage before the gates was partially obscured by a haze of pus-yellow Death Vapor and the smoke from burning traitor corpses.

It took forty-five minutes of continuous heavy weapons fire to bring down the gigantic gates of the Palace. Beyond was a great hallway, with pillars so tall that they rivaled cathedral spires. The place was clearly built to impress the subjects of one who commanded the fate of entire worlds. But the hallway was curiously devoid of any enemy presence.

"Sergeant Kartox. Take half your squad and five companies of Stormtroopers. Sweep the palace. I and Inquisitor Kali will proceed toward the Inner Sanctum. Captain Kerrigan, you will go with Sergeant Kartox".

"Orders received", said the Astartes Sergeant across the voxlink. "Battle Brother Klang – squad division procedure Epsilon. For the Emperor – cleanse and purge".

In the labyrinthine corridors and chambers of the palace, the Inquisitors encountered only scattered resistance. The antechamber of the Sub-Sector Commander's personal office, which was ordinarily teeming with thousands of Administratum clerks and petitioners, was completely deserted. Inquisitor Ztern ordered one of the Astartes forward. The space marine smote the great door to the office repeatedly with his great armored fist.

"Open! In the name of the Emperor, and the Holy Inquisition – open!"

Suddenly, and to the mutual surprise of the Inquisition host, the great pneumatic double doors slowly began to part.

Beyond was a chamber, at the center of which a chair of office stood, surrounded by many holo-screens and servo skulls. Around the chair there was a system of trenches filled with cogitators and other arcane tools of administration. Ordinarily they would have been swarming with Administratum officials and clerks, but now they were empty.

A lone cloaked figure sat in the chair.

"I have spent my entire life in service to the Imperium. I have overseen endless toil to meet the quotas and fill the tithes. I have fought countless wars, and seen innumerable lives sacrificed for the Emperor. I would gladly have given my own. And now you force your way into my palace, bringing accusations".

It was the man in the chair of office who's plaintive voice echoed through the chamber. Valerian Ztern was surprised by how utterly sincere Ba'rak VonLugosa actually sounded. He could detect only weariness and grief in the administrator's voice.

Desdemona Kali drew her sword and started walking with resolute steps toward the chair of the heretic. The rest of the retinue followed.

"Ba'rak VonLugosa, for your many crimes of conspiracy against the Imperium and the God Emperor of Man, I hereby place you under custody of the Inquisition. Submit, or face my righteous wrath".

"Crimes of conspiracy? Were I not so tired of the likes of you, I would laugh", said Ba'rak VonLugosa. He looked like a tired man, old and bent, with many bionic replacements granted to him by the tech-priests. But his eyes seemed to burn with fervor and conviction.

"You have no right to question the verdict of the Inquisition, heretic". Inquisitor Kali pointed the tip of her power sword toward the Sub-Sector Commander.

"Perhaps not. But I will not remain silent! With the power I had at my fingertips, I could have created a paradise for Man. Yes; a paradise. And what has been in store for my subjects? Endless toil. Endless taxation. Endless war. For them, death is a release – a release from a life of slavery and pain. All in the name of a corpse that rots on a golden chair half across the galaxy! I cannot stand it any more. I will not stand it!"

"Ba'rak VonLugosa", said Ztern. "One who has been promoted so high in service of the Imperium should know better than to utter such heresy and blasphemy! You know that it is ultimately the light of the Emperor that protects us from the darkness, the chaos and the xenos threat. The price is steep, but it is the only way. You must submit now, or face judgment here".

"I will not submit", said VonLugosa.

"Then you will be submitted", said Desdemona Kali. She strode forward, and placed the palm of her castigation glove on VonLugosa's forehead. He twitched in agony and gritted his teeth as white lightning ran across his body, but did not make a single gesture of resistance.

Suddenly, a hollow, disembodied voice rang through the chamber.

"You must stop that at once", it said.

The first one to display any reaction was Tlingast – Ztern's personal Astropath. He began to claw at his face, as if he was trying to get at something that was beneath it. Then Ztern felt something too – it was like a thousand white-hot scalpels dissecting his brain. He stumbled backwards, and fell into one of the Administratum trenches. The pain was such that he could only barely struggle to his feet and witness what was going on above.

Almost the entire retinue was on their knees, on all fours or on the ground, screaming and writhing in awful agony. The only ones who could stand up were the Astartes, but the psychic inhibitors in their helmets and their many years of mental discipline could only block out a fraction of this massive mental assault. One of them tore his helmet off and started to gouge out his own eyes as his powerful voice howled in torment.

"The heretic", moaned Desdemona Kali. "He... must not live".

One of the Astartes, who had dropped his bolter, managed to draw his combat knife. With a super human effort of will he threw himself forward and plunged the blade into VonLugosa's chest, before collapsing motionless to the floor.

The psychic assault intensified. Bolts of ectoplasm played between the members of the strike force as Inquisitor Kali was lifted off the ground by an invisible force. Jets of blood spayed out from her eyes, nose and mouth as her body was torn asunder from inside and then slammed hard into the floor. The last thing Ztern remembered seeing was a strange hooded figure coming into view, levitated three feet above the floor.

He was awoken by a stern slap to the cheek. As his vision cleared, a strangely soft featured face with a prominent nose came into focus.

"Inquisitor? You are alive. Good. You can stand up, if you wish. Remember that my psyker can rip your soul from your body in an instant, if you try anything foolish".

Valerian Ztern was able to struggle to his feet, mostly because of the assistance of his power armor. Before him stood a rather smallish man clad in a discrete suit of carpace. His right hand was an exquisitely crafted bionic replacement.

Ztern struggled to remember – he had seen the man's face before, but he couldn't quite recall where.

"I am Inquisitor Atikus Noille. We've never had the pleasure before, I'm afraid".

The entire detachment, including hundreds of stormtroopers, were still a jumbled mess on the floor. The body of VonLugosa sat motionless in the chair of office, the combat knife of the Astartes protruding from its chest.

Ztern could almost not keep his mind together. "You are assumed to be dead. I saw your holopic and name on the wall of the Conclave Assembly Chamber".

"Yes", said Noille. "I've taken extreme measures to instill that belief. It wasn't easy, by any means. Not by any means at all".

"If this is your doing, then you are a heretic. You have caused the death of loyal Imperial servants", said Ztern.

Atikus Noille smiled slightly and gestured at the robed figure Ztern had seen at the end. Its hood now removed, he could see that it was a man with a gaunt face, his eyes aglow with the energies of the warp.

"Isn't he magnificent? He is the highest grade unbound psyker I've ever encountered. I've had to employ some rather unorthodox methods to ensure his loyalty".

The renegade Inquisitor lifted one of Desdemona Kali's limp arms from the floor with the tip of his boot, and then let it fall back.

"Now this one... That was almost personal. Have you ever encountered such a single minded meddlesome busy-body? Pity about the Astartes, however. Such fine examples of what humanity could become. All I can say that my psyker is more of an atomic than a surgical instrument".

Ztern pressed a small transmitter beacon that he had implanted in his palm, saying a silent prayer to the Emperor that the renegade Inquisitor wouldn't notice.

"I suppose you are keeping me alive just so you can gloat about your plans", he said. "Just what I'd expect from a heretic".

Noille's soft eyes looked into Ztern's.

"Not at all. I was hoping that you would live. In fact I instructed him not to hurt you... too much. I've kept an eye on you, and you seem to be an insightful man. I believe you still have a part to play, when it comes to the fate of the galaxy".

"And what fate would that be", said Ztern.

"Strange that you should ask. Humanity's fate, of course. Humanity's ascendance. You see, we have become weak, and the only thing that breeds strength is adversity. Some say that heresy should be eradicated. I say that it should be allowed to breed. Many times through the history of the Imperium, ordinary citizens have become saints and martyrs when they rose up – on their own accord - against heretics and xenos. They grew, and became greater servants of the Empire than you or I could ever hope to be. There are some in the Inquisition who agree with me. But not enough. It is up to individuals like me to ensure that heresy grows, and that inhibiting elements like Inquisitor Desdemona Kali are removed".

Ztern looked at Atikus Noille with an expression of utter disbelief.

"But that is insanity! It goes against the basic tenets of the Inquisition It is my firm belief that the Emperor himself would destroy you utterly, were he here".

"The Emperor", said Atikus Noille with soft disdain. "Have you ever seen the Emperor? Spoken with him? Who knows what the Adeptus Custodes on Terra are guarding. Perhaps it is only a myth, or a shriveled and impotent relic of a bygone era. Perhaps there isn't anything there at all!"

"Heresy", screamed Ztern. "Heresy of the highest degree! I know that the Emperor protects, and guides me in all my actions. The Emperor's Tarot is only a small part of the evidence I could present to you".

"The Emperor's Tarot. It reminds me of shamen on feral worlds, throwing bones and sticks on the ground, and then interpreting meaning into the patterns they create. The Tarot gives no higher guidance than your own wishes and desires. It is a superstition – no more".

Valerian Ztern scowled with contempt. "I will listen to no more of this heretic talk. Kill me now, and get it over with. I will be with my Emperor; and when you die, your soul will be fodder for the Ruinous Powers".

Atikus Noille sighed. "That is sad. I was really hoping we could see eye to e-"

The renegade was cut short, as he gawked at the sight of his psyker servant being impaled on a spear with a strange greenish tint. Gibarius, Valerian Ztern's assassin, materialized in a cloud of static behind the psyker. He stared in disbelief at the lance that protuded from his chest for a few moments, before his head was lopped of by a blade of cold Necron metal.