Author's Note: Very sorry N. Kage, to keep you waiting. I hope that you like this chapter.
A New Ally
Inquisitor Valorus plunged his force sword into the chest of the possessed Tau Ethereal. Alien blood mixed with sickening daemonic ichor ran along the blade as the creature within the Xeno sought to break free.
Tarquinius Valorus sent the power of his soul rushing down the psychically conductive blade as it met the power of the daemon coming the other way. He could feel the alignment of the monstrosity through years of experience. The thing belonged to the cursed Prince, Slaneesh.
He sent a single psychic attack fuelled by faith and resolution crackling along the blade. If that was unsuccessful he was finished. The battle had drained him, and that was the last of his strength.
He raised his plasma pistol and fired a blast into the daemon's host. Beside him Hierophant Confessor Strauss swept away a Tau trooper with a swing from his power brazier and his Cherubim, Sephanos was bringing its scimitar onto the helmet of another of the Xeno.
He felt the daemon within the Tau give way, it was weaker than him, the Grey Knights and his Hierophant had done their work.
His gun servitor sent a blast of melta fire into the near by Devilfish as the two Squads of Grey Knights under Justicar Methuselah engaged the remaining fire warriors.
The battle was won. He signalled to the drop ship in orbit to come to the surface to pick his fighters up, activating his homer.
Minutes later the craft emblazoned with the Inquisition symbol landed on the surface with the scream of ancient engine technologies.
The Inquisitor marched up the metal boarding ramp, his boots clanging against the metal.
The pilot greeted him with the Sign of the Aquila, "If you please sir, there's a Lord and a large party awaiting you on the Black Ship in Orbit."
"Very good," stated Valorus, sitting down at a low table and watching his soldiers march in victorious.
Aboard the Inquisition Black Ship above the skies of the verdant world he was met by a man he knew to be as high-ranking Inquisitor Lord.
The lord spoke first, "Inquisitor Valorus, I am Lord Inquisitor Mournio. I am here to inform you that you have been assigned to investigate a newly discovered and highly industrialized planet. It may not be the typical work of the Ordo Malleus but high command believes that you are the man for the job, you have been assigned a retinue and are to begin immediately," he leaned a little closer and lowered his voice, "about the retinue Inquisitor, I wouldn't trust one of them. So keep your eyes open."
Valorus nodded and his superior led him through a doorway. Inside the small austere audience chamber were fifteen people.
The first, who stood as the Inquisitors entered, was a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, that was obvious.
The voice of the Enginseer grated through a vox set that had probably been built long before Valorus was born, "I am Archmagos Ventr. I have been ordered to aid you in the technological aspect of your investigations." So, not an Enginseer, a fully-fledged Archmagos, there must be something about this planet that they hadn't told him. He studied the man more closely, although whether he could be technically classified as a man was doubtful. Even the lowly Enginseers he had met had seemed to be verging on the line between human and, something else, the Archmagos was definitely over it. He had a variety of tools where his right hand would be, and a hollow tube on his left forearm, surrounded by other capsules. There was no face to speak of, it was either replaced by bionics or covered by a large hood. Tubes and wires of various descriptions extended from his back to other parts of his body, and in a few cases, ended in prosthetic eyes or servo skulls.
The other men and women included a stony faced Commissar who had shaken Valorus' hand very firmly, a preacher who had openly glared hatred at the Inquisitor, a new scribe, a navigator, and soldiers from both the Guard and the Adepta Soraritas along with several others.
After an exhausting round of introductions Inquisitor Valorus managed to speak privately to his superior, "My lord, to ensure my safety I would like to be allowed to choose one final ally. The man I have in mind resides in the Inquisition Fortress on the planet of Maskrie, not far from here. I insist on picking him up before we proceed to the destination."
"Very well," replied the Inquisitor Lord.