Unknowns
The Commissar and General were both frozen. Ricardo spun to Lornan with a glare and the agent nodded. He moved to a nearby scanner console, the guardsman there making way for him quickly. Lornan's fingers flew over the scanner, his own skill far better than any Guard.
"What just happened?" The general demanded, face ashen.
"The Mechanicus betrayed us." Ricardo snapped back and everything in the HQ stopped except for Lornan's tapping the keys. "They found that cache and were going to pilfer it without telling anyone else. The problem is that the vehicle inside is very temperamental according my information and the last time they did such, it blew up in their faces." He paused and then shook his head. "Literally. The reactor melted down."
"Ouch." The General shook her head. "And they took your agent."
"Which was a tactical error on their part." Ricardo said with a snarl. "I implanted her with a tracker that even they will have difficulty removing or negating." Both the General and the Commissar looked at him and he shook his head. "How are we on planning the assault?"
"Considering they are supposed to be allies, I was kind of hoping not to have to." The General admitted. "But if you will look here..." She indicated the holo table and a screen showed a cluster of prefabricated buildings on the surface of the planet. "We have not been able to get any drones close enough to do a full scan. They shoot them down. This is from the transport 'Oricius' in orbit."
The Inquisitor looked at the scan and shook his head, pointing at a position on the map. "Is that what I think it is?"
"If you think that is one of five long range anti-air missile emplacements, then yes sir." The General said sourly. "They have a range that is prohibitive to any conceivable air assault force and we do not know their targeting parameters. I doubt they consider us friendly after this last little stunt. We do not have time to neutralize them quietly, do we?"
"No." Ricardo said flatly. "But we also have no men to waste in stupid frontal attacks. I will handle those. Get me coms to the closest Imperial Navy vessel with ground strike capability." Eyes shot up all around the room at that but no one commented. Inquisitors could order orbital strikes. "Consider those removed."
"With those out of the way, we have access for our close air support to take on the interior defenses." General Sentars said with a nod. "We are planning a combined arms assault that should overwhelm what we know about their forces on planet and then some."
"They won't have told everything they have in place." Ricardo said with a frown. Sentars nodded. "Which you planned for."
"Two Avengers and a squadron of Thunderbolts with close air support packages should take out any heavy armor they put out." Sentars agreed. "We land two companies here and here..." She pointed at two spots on the map. "That is inside their demonstrated air defense range, so we have to reduce that threat before we can go in with any chance of success. Permission to start putting assets into place to begin suppression of enemy air defenses?"
"Granted." Ricardo said with a growl that was echoed around the room. The General nodded, keyed her com and started speaking quietly into it. Moments later, a whining roar started outside. It quickly dwindled. Then there was another.
"Sir!" A com tech called. "Imperial Navy Cruiser 'Righteous Fist of Vengeance' is replying to our call for orbital fire support. They require authorization codes."
Ricardo stepped to the tech grimly. He knew this would be a bad day for a lot of people, hopefully most of them servants of the Omnissiah. He just hoped he could explain to Kay what had happened before she killed him.
Ten minutes later
He needn't have worried.
By the time Ricardo had finalized the orbital strike and set the General's plan in motion, Kay and the other sisters had joined him in the HQ. The sisters' presence stilled everyone just as much or more so than the Inquisitor's arrival had. Even the Lord Commissar stepped carefully around Sororitas it seemed. Smart man.
Kay was ice cold. She barely reacted when he told her what had happened. Only a hint of movement around her nostrils betrayed any emotion at all. Karne on the other hand…
"Some 'safety'." 'Extremely unhappy' did not not quite portray the veteran sister's emotional state. 'Very angry' was an understatement. Luckily, most of her anger was directed at the Mechanicus who had taken Georgia, not Ricardo, but the flash in her eyes promised pain if she ever got the chance to deliver it. "Tell me again, Inquisitor, how you were going to protect the Hospitallar."
"No one could have anticipated that they would do something as insane as abscond with her." Ricardo said again, not that it did any good. Karne was looking for a fight and he was not going to give her one. Not here. Not now. They had more important things than her anger and she knew it. Which just made her angrier. "We are tracking her."
"And?" Karne demanded. "Are you sure she is alive?"
"No." Ricardo admitted. "We cannot be sure. She chose this, Veteran Sister Karne."
"Because you left her no choice." Karne said with a growl that was pure malice. "Understand this, Honored Inquisitor..." There was precious little respect in the sister's words. "Her Canoness made me responsible for her safety. If she is harmed, I will hold you responsible. Do I make myself clear?"
Ricardo nodded, his attention on Lornan who was still working the scanner. The agent sat back with a smile and Ricardo was at his side in an instant.
"Got her." Lornan said with a nod. "Smack dab in the middle of that fortification that the Mechanicus erected near the coordinates."
"It is a lab, not a fortification." Kay said quietly. "Although with them? Such distinctions are moot. It will be heavily defended."
"Our objective is the tank." Ricardo replied and Kay nodded.
"If they activate that and they will try if they can, they are very likely to blow themselves and the surrounding area to hell." Kay said with a small frown. "There is no large scale reactor to chain react with here, so it is highly unlikely to irradiate more than a few hundred square kilometers..." At that, everyone in the room but Kay winced. "...still, we need to prevent that if we can. That tank is the Emperor's. The Mechanicus must not befoul it."
"How soon can we go in, general?" Ricardo asked.
"Reports coming in now." The General did not look up from her holoscreen. "'Righteous Fist of Vengeance' reports fire mission completed. Their post attack scans show all long range missile batteries and over the horizon scanning arrays obliterated. I am surprised the Mechanicus didn't try to jam our targeting."
"They didn't expect anyone to find them so soon?" Ricardo was looking at Kay whose face was a stone mask. "Or maybe a trap."
"Only one way to find out." Karne was checking her bolt pistol, the other sisters doing the same for their own weapons. Kay was still a statue.
"Right." Ricardo took a deep breath and nodded again. "Begin suppression of enemy air defenses, General. My team will be going in with the second wave."
"Do you need one Valkyrie or two?" The General was no fool. She could see the tension between the sisters and the Inquisitor even as the men in the background moved to start packing up the command center. They would reassemble it on site.
"One." Ricardo and Kay said in unison. The sister and the Inquisitor eyed each other, but Kay did not speak again and Ricardo shrugged.
"My pilot is qualified for Valkyries and Vultures." Ricardo said after a moment. "Do you need another pilot?"
"We have extra birds." General Sentars said quietly. "If you want your pilot to fly you, he or she better get out and preflight the bird now."
"No offense, General, but Master Sergeant Korniazal had gotten me into and out of more scrapes than I care to remember." Ricardo said with a small smile. "She has more hours than most of your pilots put together. Lornan? Get on the com. Tell Lisa to seal the shuttle and get with HQ here to find a bird for us."
"Yes, boss." Lornan pulled out his com and started speaking into it.
The Elysians were moving and Ricardo started after them, Mace and Lornan forming up around him. The sisters followed, still surrounding Kay. The General paused and stepped close to Ricardo who nodded as she kept walking towards the assembly area and the waiting transports. In the distance, he could see a blue uniform moving around one of the Valkyries. Lisa wasted no time at all when combat was imminent.
"The one thing we haven't covered, sir..." General Sentars said softly. "Rules of Engagement?" Ricardo just looked at her and she made a face. "The Mechanicus are allies. Sort of."
"Allies who have acted against us." Ricardo said with a nod. "While I do not like the idea of fighting them while there is a war on here either, we cannot allow them to activate that vehicle and they will not listen to reason. I want my agent back if possible. Prisoners would be nice. I could go for some answers, but do not risk your men." He said sternly. "We will need them on this hellhole."
"Yes sir." Sentars took a deep breath and then keyed her com again as she walked. "ROE is as follows: Weapons free on any Mechanicus. Prisoners if you can safely, but take no chances. They are devious and have better tech than any of the rest of us take for granted. Do not turn your backs on them." She shut her com off and her eyes flicked to the armored women following Ricardo. "The Sisters?"
"They are escorting the specialist." Ricardo said with a nod. "And yes, they are very angry with me for losing the other."
"I never would have guessed, sir." General Sentars said with a grimace. Her eyes held another question that she did not voice. Ricardo shook his head. While Sentars's men were good, well trained and equipped, they were not even remotely the equals of the Adeptas Sororitas and Kay was a joker in the deck besides. It was possible that Sentars could lay an ambush to take them out, but even if they succeeded in taking the sisters by surprise, victory in such a close range firefight was not guaranteed. The sisters had better armor and weapons. More likely all it would do was get a whole bunch of men killed and make the sisters even angrier.
"See to your men, General." The Inquisitor strode up to the Valkyrie where the blue armored guardswoman was finishing her preflight. The General saluted and strode off. "Sergeant?"
"Bird checks out, sir." Lisa had her rifle in hand as the Sororitas clumped up after Ricardo. "Um… Lornan told me about Georgia. Orders?"
"We have to secure the vehicle, Sergeant." Ricardo said with a sigh. She didn't like leaving people behind. That was who and what she was. Then again, he didn't like like losing members of his retinue either. It was both embarrassing and inconvenient. "Lornan traced her to a lab nearby, if we get the chance, we will search for her but vehicle is priority."
"Do we know why they wanted her or what they are going to do to her?" Lisa asked, her face almost plaintive.
Wonder of wonders, Kay responded.
"They won't kill her." Kay said quietly enough that it was hard to her over all the engines spooling up. Everyone looked at her and she shook her head. "I can't go into why. There are secrets piled on secrets, many of which no one here is cleared for. But they won't kill her."
"No one?" Lisa stared at Kay and then at Ricardo who nodded. "I… see. Ready to lift, boss. Say the word."
"Let's go." Ricardo started of the rear hatch as Lisa moved towards the cockpit. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can secure the vehicle and get some answers."
He did not miss Karne looked at Kay and both grim Sororitas slowly shaking their heads.
Somewhere
Georgia was cold. So very cold. What had happened? She was confused. Everything was gray and cold. Her armor was gone and she was lying on something cold. She couldn't move, couldn't speak.
++++You will not be harmed.++++
The words came from nowhere. They seemed to be coming directly into her skull! Heresy! Blasphemy! Some kind of psyker scum was mucking into her brain! She had to resist! She called on the Emperor to shield her from the blasphemy.
++++No.++++ The other sounded upset now. ++++Oh, child. This is technology, not blasphemy. You do not know who and what you are. We do not have time to explain. We are sorry for this, but it is needed.++++
That was the only warning Georgia had before red hot agony tore into her skull. She was floating on a sea of pain, screaming prayers to the God Emperor as the pain tore through every single fiber of her being.
Then it stopped.
++++Mindshackle removed. Damage is extensive but repairable.++++ The other sounded upset. Something soft wrapped around Georgia as she cried. ++++The abomination is coming. We cannot stand against it and the Imperial Guard. We must flee. You will come with us.++++
Why are you doing this? Georgia begged in her mind even as the pain faded to a sharp memory. She couldn't speak aloud, but somehow, the other heard her.
++++The Inquisitor's Mindshackle tore bits of your psyche but you are resilient enough to recover fully.++++ The other sounded pleased. ++++We calculated that you would be resilient enough to handle such. The pain will not repeat. We will not harm you further. We have been looking for you for almost twenty years, child. We will protect you.++++
Why? Georgia begged even as warmth suffused every pore and she was falling. She was going under! She fought hard to stay awake, knowing it was fruitless.
++++You will know in time, child. Rest now in the arms of the Omnissiah, Child of the Machine God.++++
Then she knew no more.
The Mechanicus lab
Magos Rebekah Sarariss was not a particularly devout being. She had not been since her ascension to the ranks of the priesthood of Mars. But she was praying as Georgia's still form was slowly lowered into the pod that would be her home for the foreseeable future. The girl seemed so small and so slight, but she was as the Omnissiah had predicted. Everything was happening as the Omnissiah's calculations had predicted.
The abomination had returned just as predicted. The depot that had been found had sent some kind of signal, just as predicted. No Mechanicus scanner had picked up anything, but if this one here, the abomination was not far behind. Rebekah had sacrificed much to achieve her current position, but some small fragment of her humanity remained under the robes and mass of mechanical parts. That small part was weeping in relief as Georgia was laid in the pod and the interior swelled to cushion her still body.
Machines were all around Georgia now. Some helped her breathe. Others filtered her blood and checked for disturbances. Still others washed her skin with soft unguents intended to both soothe and protect. Mechanicus machines would provide nutrients and still others would carry away waste. She was safe. Finally!
The Magos nodded to the closest underpriest and her subordinate slowly held out the holy headgear. Rebekah took it gingerly, it was a far heavier than it looked. She paused, checking every sensor, every single telltale. Everything was green. She laid the device in place and the collar clicked closed. She stepped back as the tendrils of the machine slid around Georgia's head, the red stone in the middle of the device glowing with fell energies as the device coiled around Georgia's skull, sealing the stone to her forehead.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
The furious mental voice was not Georgia. It was female, but it did not sound human. The reddish light was surrounding her now. It hit the edges of the pod and went no further.
You fools! What have you done?
"The Omnissiah has decreed that this one will be protected." Rebekah said quietly. "You will protect her."
Do you have ANY idea what you just did? The other demanded. You just sent up a flare across the entire Webway! Every single Eldar just saw that!
"You will take us to Mars." The tech-priest said sternly. "We will travel via Webway."
Are you insane? The other snapped. I do not have the power to… The voice paused and then gasped. No. No… You stupid Mon'Keigh… You didn't… A child? You did that to a child? Small wonder that human shaped thing wants you dead so badly!
"You will take us into the Webway." Rebekah said sternly. "We will provide power and locomotion. You will guide us to Mars so this child can reach her new home."
No. The other snapped. I will not doom an innocent for your amusement. I also have no wish to cross the abomination you so fear.
"I can compel you, spirit." The tech-priest laid a slow appendage in the machine that coiled around Georgia's head. "You know I can."
Then do it. The ancient Elder contained in the soul stone retorted. Damage the vessel of you precious Omnissiah's prophecy. Not that any of you primitives would know true prophecy if it bit you. She gasped as energy flared around the stone. No! Don't!
"How much of the substructure do I need to break before your soul stone shatters?" Rebekah asked mildly. "I have always been curious about that."
You Mon'Keigh think you know it all. The other said softly. You know nothing! You call me evil? You who abuse a child for this necromancy?
"You are xenos. Trickery and evil made manifest." Rebekah did not relent and the energy continued to flash around the stone. "We are going to Mars. We can access the Webway. We lacked a guide. You will guide us."
You are insane! The other said sharply. If you enter the Webway with my stone unshielded, you will draw the attention of everyone and everything in range. Rebekah actually smiled as she withdrew her appendage. The girl's eyes shot open, but they were pure black, not human eyes. The voice that came from her mouth was not Georgia. Georgia's face contorted in fear that was not human. "You… no..."
"The body will shield your emissions." Rebekah said firmly as the stone was covered by metal that coiled further around Georgia's head.
"You don't know what you are doing." The Eldar spirit wasn't begging. Not quite yet. "My mind will destroy hers!"
"No, it won't. And even if it does?" Rebekah said with a shrug.
"The Omnissiah really wants its child back."