Series III - Fastunhive
Episode VII - Inquisitor Orrick
Third Captain Jarfur, a centuries-old veteran and formidable commander of men, lies mortally wounded on Fastunhive's top level. His Company Champion and personal squad are all dead. But thanks to the communications blackout, news of this tragedy has not yet reached the ships in orbit. Finally confronted with the arrival of the Inquisitor, Chapter Master Sanctus Grimfist calls his closest allies to his side.
The shuttle descended smoothly through the forcefield and into the nave of the cathedral aboard the Glory of Russala. It was a blocky and cumbersome craft, capped with a blunted nose and flanked by thundering engine pods. The hull was embossed with the Inquisitorial crest, a red letter I with script around its edges, framed against scrolls and ancient scriptures. Three figures came down the ramp.
Escorting the Inquisitor were servitors, human serfs forged with machinery and electronics.
Between them was Josephine Orrick. She had a thin face and a long neck, framed by locks of curling brown hair all the way down to her waist. Her armour was fashioned from treated leather. It was covered in symbols and various icons were etched into its plates. On her stomach was the same crest as on the shuttle. A ceremonial sword hung at her belt.
"Inquisitor Orrick," Grimfist said.
He had come to meet her, accompanied by Farus and Curatio Lonnar.
She looked him up and down curiously.
"Sanctus Grimfist," she returned. "At long last."
"Yes," Grimfist agreed. "Now we are finally face to face, you have my apologies. I delayed this meeting far too long."
"You did," she said. "I had better get to work rightaway. There is a Marine in your Second Company named Gyrus. I intend to meet with him."
Grimfist shook his head.
"He is not here," he said.
"Where can I find him, then?" Orrick asked.
"On Ulis," Grimfist replied. "He is currently taking part in the assault on Fastunhive."
"Then call him back," she ordered. "Now."
"That would be difficult," Lonnar explained, stepping forward.
She turned to him and her face fell. The Inquisition resented all Space Marines and strove to hold them accountable for their actions, with moderate success. That was impossible for members of the Adeptus Mechanicus, whose heretical beliefs were nonetheless protected by ancient treaties. In the eyes of the Inquisition, Techmarines represented the worst of both institutions.
"And who are you?" Orrick said, coldly.
"Curatio Lonnar, Master of the Forge," he introduced himself, smugly. He knew he was beyond even her disciplinary powers. "I'm currently attached to the Second Company myself. I served five years with the Deathwatch and I am responsible for the running of this battle barge. More importantly, I was in regular contact with Gyrus before communications went down."
"And when was that?" she said.
"Not long ago," Lonnar told her.
"Fine," she said, beckoning to her servitors. "I'm going down to the surface. Farewell."
They retreated back into the shuttle.
None of the Marines spoke, just waited while it throttled up and climbed away into the void, leaving the smell of jet fuel and the dying downdraft of its engines.
"Well handled, Curatio," Grimfist said, gratefully.
"I'm the only one above reproach," Lonnar remarked. "She won't give you any trouble as long as I'm around, sir. For all my talk, my loyalties are firmly with the White Knights."
"We should not have let her leave," Farus said.
Grimfist looked at him.
"What else would we have done?" he said. "Detained her? That would make this mess worse."
"Not detained her, no," Farus said. "But letting her go down to Ulis shows our disregard for her life. Fastunhive is not yet secure. For all we know, the Tau might have even more weapons to deploy."
"Disregard for her life," Grimfist chuckled. "I do not care if she lives or dies. If she wants to get herself killed, she can go ahead. And now that she is out of the way – permanently, if we are lucky – we can discuss our options. With me, brothers."
He led them along the cathedral. Each of the giant pillars holding up the soaring, vaulted roof housed a lift shaft to give access to the battle barge's lower levels. The waiting serfs stepped aside, bowing and muttering prayers as they did so, and they took a lift to themselves.
Grimfist synched his armour with its systems and directed it downwards, through the fin that extended from the Glory's underside. At its very tip was the vessel's control room. He sighed.
"I hope you realise how much of a threat the Inquisitor poses," he said, to Farus. "Our recent discoveries could give her more ammunition to use against us."
"So they could," Farus said.
"I had that thought too," Lonnar said. "But although assimilating alien code can be construed as heresy, the technology is Imperial. Surely she can't complain at that."
"She will find a way," Grimfist assured him, shaking his head. "I am certain of it."
The shutters slid apart and they emerged into the control room.
Second Captain Harlus was working at a terminal nearby. Grimfist had left him in charge of the attack while he went to greet Orrick. He was trying to bring communications back online. At a nod from the Chapter Master, he fell into the step with the group and followed them through to the adjoining chapel. The door locked behind them upon an unspoken order from Farus.
"As always, old friend," Grimfist said to him.
"Of course, Sanctus," he nodded.
The four of them closed their eyes.
Farus cast his mind into the Warp. His consciousness encircled them. It reached into Grimfist's shared memories and extracted a thought, a distant recollection of a place none of them had ever actually visited. The world dropped away to be replaced by another location altogether. They were standing in a grassy courtyard, at the centre of an old stone cloister. Rising into the azure blue sky nearby was an ornately decorated white marble tower with seams of gleaming glass windows climbing up its curving flanks. The cloisters' outer walls had more windows set into them and they gave a magnificent view of the dust storms obscuring the endless plains far below. The entire complex was built inside and atop a tapering mountain peak.
"It is always here," Harlus said, as he opened his eyes once more. "Why . . ."
"That is an extremely personal question, Captain," Grimfist interrupted him. "One I do not yet feel comfortable answering."
Harlus glanced at Farus.
The Librarian wore no helmet, but the hood and the pulsing conduits covering his forehead made it difficult to fully read his expression. He was concentrating intently on the projection. Their physical forms were still inside the chapel aboard the Glory of Russala, but he had crafted the courtyard in the Warp and brought their minds to it. Not only was he keeping them there, he was protecting the psychic meeting from the powers of Chaos.
"One day, you will have to tell us where we are," Lonnar remarked.
"I hope that day never comes," Grimfist told him, forebodingly.
"But if you cannot tell us, who can you tell?" Harlus asked.
Grimfist nodded.
"I understand," he admitted, and looked around at them in turn. "You are the Apostles – my closest allies, chosen personally to meet in secret and guide my decisions. Perhaps I will someday explain the reason for the existence of this institution, or the importance of this place. But to explain would be to relive a part of our Chapter's history that has long been forgotten."
"And for good reason," Farus muttered, his voice strained with effort.
"This is somewhere extremely significant from my past," Grimfist said. "From before I joined our glorious ranks. I find solace in this memory when times are dark. That will have to suffice."
Lonnar began to speak but Harlus cut across him.
"As you command, Master," he said, obediently.
"Good," Grimfist nodded. "Now, we turn to the situation on Ulis. What can you give us? What could be causing the communications blackout?"
"As far as I can tell, the Glory of Russala's own systems are functioning perfectly," Harlus told him. "The problem is on the ground. Curatio, does that help you?"
"No," Lonnar said, shaking his head. "If anything, it hinders me. It means I cannot simply repair something on the ship."
"So you will have to go to Fastunhive," Harlus realised.
"It is not safe," Farus said, still speaking quietly.
"It is for me," Lonnar assured him. "I've identified which of the Machine Spirit's protocols the Tau data streams were inhibiting. With that knowledge, it would be quick and easy to shield them behind additional layers of protection."
"The Apostles have lost one member recently," Harlus reminded him, a little sharply. "We cannot afford to lose another."
"Now is not the time for debate," Grimfist announced. "We need to be absolutely clear. With luck the Inquisitor will fall to the Tau in Fastunhive. Either way, Curatio will go down to the surface and locate Sergeant Piraeus' squad."
"I'll run some impact projections," Lonnar said, "And establish where the Voice of Terra crash landed. We have to keep Gyrus away from Orrick. She'll kill him."
"And you would have a problem with that, brother?" Harlus asked.
"I'm not your brother," Lonnar instinctively snapped, then calmed himself. "I may share Third Captain Jarfur's opinion that Gyrus broke the law of the Lexicon, but I'm not stupid enough to believe he deserves to die for it. What manner of Marine would throw away his comrade's life in return for saving thirty men?"
"Jarfur will be dealt with," Grimfist said. "When he returns. Curatio, what do you think is actually causing the blackout? More importantly, can it be stopped?"
"There's no way to tell at this stage," Lonnar replied. "My guess would be remote generators at key locations around the hive. They may even be portable. They're probably trying to corrupt the Spirits of the Astartes' suits. Once I know where Sergeant Piraeus and the others are, I can enlist them to find a generator and then reverse the signal to bring the entire network down."
"We will be monitoring you from orbit," Grimfist said. "Knowledge and faith."
"Ex machina," Lonnar returned.
"Free them," Grimfist said, to Farus.
Farus released his grip on Harlus and Lonnar's minds. They melted away from existence as their consciousnesses returned to their physical bodies in the chapel. With only himself and Grimfist to support, his task became easier and he relaxed a little.
"Sanctus," he said, "This deception cannot . . ."
"Jarfur will prove himself," Grimfist insisted. "He will become loyal."
"That was not the deception I was referring to," Farus said. He walked over to Grimfist and laid a thick gauntlet on his armoured shoulder. "We have buried so much for so long. Sooner or later the truth will come out . . . and when it does, we both know it could change everything."
"It does not have to be that way," Grimfist said. "The past is the past. It is done."
"Not in the eyes of the Inquisition," Farus pointed out. "There is no transgression too small for them. They present an existential threat to our Chapter."
Grimfist did not reply. He gazed up at the soaring marble tower.
"Never mind the others," he said to himself. "I do not know how long I can sustain it myself. The Knights are more feared and respected now than ever before, and yet it is all built on lies."
"Only history can judge you," Farus said. "It may be fair."
"When is it ever?" Grimfist joked, with a dry chuckle. He cleared his throat. "I have been thinking about our conversation after the White Council. You said that you would spoken to Gyrus, that you had told him he would be Chapter Master someday."
"It is the clearest path I can see for him," Farus agreed. "The signs are there to be read."
"Then you know what we must do," Grimfist said.
Farus' already drawn face paled further.
"Surely you do not intend to tell him," he said, incredulously.
"He has every right to know," Grimfist replied, calmly. "Especially if all our darkest secrets will be laid bare before him in time. I would rather reveal the truth myself and suffer the consequences than have it destroy my legacy after I am gone."
Farus considered what he'd said for a few moments.
"You are right, as ever," he said. "It is wise."
"Can you show him?" Grimfist said. "If I allow you to access the memories?"
"I can place him in your past, as I place Harlus and Curatio during our meetings," Farus told him. "But I cannot filter the events he experiences. He will see everything we have hidden."
"So be it," Grimfist said. "Let him judge me. I have no regrets."