A/N: Today, A World of Bloody Evolution earns its 'Inquisition' tag. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Oh, and huge shout-out to SixPerfections and flufflyone93, who told me to post on Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity Forums. The response there has been incredible and I'm extremely grateful!
Onwards, for more RWBYhammer 40k!
Book One: Baptism by Fire
-Chapter 7: A Better Imperium-
"An exemplary graduate of the Schola. Beta-level psyker, bordering on alpha. Survived Imperial Psyker Sanctioning when she was eighteen. Without a doubt, the most impressive telepath the Inquisition has seen in centuries. Her transcripts show a cunning intelligence far beyond her age, and a drive for justice I've not seen in some of our brethren. Fear not Sister Steelshield, she's perfect for our organization. I'll accept her as my acolyte tomorrow." - The Hallowed Inquisitor, Lord [REDACTED] and Inquisitor Steelshield, Lady [REDACTED], discussing The Lady Inquisitor, Lady [REDACTED].
The Lady Inquisitor chose simpler garments for today. She did not don her battle vestments; the sanctified power armor with hallowed seals, for today was a different kind of battle. It was a battle long in the making, carefully prepared and plotted for many years.
Arriving on Elodia IX in only few weeks, her quarry had not managed to flee in time. Such was the speed and skill with which the Scythe of Morning knifed through the eddies of the Warp. The Black Ships of the Inquisition instilled fear and awe for a reason.
To strike anywhere and any time, with exacting judgment and unyielding force, all in the name of bringing justice to the Imperium. Such was the purpose of the Ordo Herecticus. It was a will that the Lady Inquisitor sought to uphold in all aspects of her life, and one that she would find fulfilled today.
It was time.
Throwing her office doors open, she found Ira and her stormtroopers, waiting patiently for her exit. Her acolyte was a promising individual, and undeniably useful, but he was not quite ready for the mission at hand. His time would come. She addressed him with a nod. He bowed low, a fist over his heart. Her kasrkin guard saluted vigorously.
"I am off to meet with Inquisitor Ezzelino. You are in command of the Scythe of Morning while I am away. Understood?"
"Understood, my Lady. I wish you luck in your hunt, and may the Emperor guide you to victory." She smiled and strode off. Luck was for lesser beings, for those who had neither patience nor deft skill. Although divine intervention was always helpful.
Her grip tightened on the inferno pistol that graced her hip. Surety in her plans was one thing, but preparation for any eventuality was prudence exemplified. Overconfidence would not be her downfall. Her power sword accompanied her as well, hanging steadfastly at her hip.
And in the most dire of situations, she always had her Ace in the Hole, her last line of defense. It would not come to that, though. Her quarry today was far too easy to necessitate his use.
Climbing aboard one of her shuttlecraft, she readjusted her fine ivory hair and settled herself within. It detached from its host craft and hurtled towards the city that glowed faintly on the horizon.
A truly magnificent sight. She pondered, watching the sun glow a mellowing, sensual orange as it dipped below the ebony skyscrapers of Primum Mobilus. A shame I must visit… my comings and goings are never good tidings. Especially since the residents have much to celebrate. It is not every day an ork horde is brought to heel.
Only a few minutes now. She tightened her fingerless leather gloves, relishing the black leather as it stretched over her supple skin. Like the rest of her outfit, they were exquisite, yet served a purpose, as did everything the Lady Inquisitor owned. Functionality. Practicality. Lessons learned as a youth that were no less relevant as an Inquisitor.
"We have arrived, my Lady." A voice called out from the cockpit.
"Thank you, Serviceman Chung." The man gave her a stiff salute.
"Yes, my Lady."
The door opened, and wind tore at her coat. With a hand on her wide-brimmed hat, she strode out to the meeting place. A precarious stretch of metal connected the landing pad to the interior, lit in the growing darkness by a series of pulsing green lights. With the howling wind and eighty stories separating her from the city, the noise below was little more than an empty droning.
The Lady Inquisitor shuddered still, for the wind chilled her. It was an ominous gale, one that smelled like corpses.
She had requisitioned the city's finest dining hall for her meeting with Ezzelino. The interior was sparse but impressive, with vaulted, arched ceilings and baroque architecture; it reminded her vaguely of home. One of the walls was not a wall at all, but rather an enormous window that gave a pristine view of the city.
Ezzelino and his acolyte at stood the head of a table laden with delicacies, as per her request. There were no waiters or chefs today. The acolyte was also here at her request, as she had been the one to recommend him to Lord Ezzelino's service.
"My Lady, it has been far too long!" He boomed, grinning broadly. His acolyte bowed deeply, as was due his station. Raising her hand to his, he kissed it politely, a lingering press that made her squirm in her coat.
He had never been the most subtle man. Even now, she saw the silken visions that danced across his mind, brazen and abhorrent.
"Lord Ezzelino. It certainly has been awhile."
"A while! You hear that, boy?" He asked his acolyte, nudging him sharply in the gut. "A while!" Inquisitor Luccio Ezzelino was a hulking, broad shouldered man, an impression made even vaster by the armor he chose to wear today. It was silver and gold, intricately patterned and thick as steel. A voluminous fur coat lined his shoulders, coming to rest on two aquiline clasps. A brilliant metal disk hung about his neck, engraved in impossibly tiny detail. Her eyes narrowed as they passed over it.
He was handsome, the Lady found herself unable to deny that. But it was a base attractiveness, one that spoke of sheer power and unremitting dominance. His sharply lined jaw turned upwards in a large smile, and lights danced in his cerulean eyes.
"A while! It's been fifty years since we graduated from the Schola Progenium!" She returned his smile, turning her lips upwards.
"At the top of our class, if I recall correctly." Ezzelino chuckled.
"You recall perfectly, as per usual." At the Schola, they had indeed graduated with full honors. The Lady Inquisitor had been academically dominant, while Ezzelino had been physically unbeatable and vehement in his faith. Both had been marked for the Inquisition at an early age. However, like their academic records, the two Inquisitors varied greatly in their approaches to resolving heresy.
She took her seat, scooting the mahogany chair softly across the velvet carpet.
"Now, my Lord, I fear I have unwelcome news." She started.
"Right to business? Come now, we must be friendly first!" He said, his mouth bearing a smile his eyes did not share. She sighed, and unclasped her coat, letting it fall about her. The outfit she had chosen for today elicited exactly the response she expected. Even if she were not a psyker (and able to read his thoughts like text upon vellum), the sheer desire that spilled from Ezzelino would have choked her.
Tonight she wore an open-fronted jacket, covering a tightly wound raven-black bodice that was trimmed in velvet and exposed her cleavage. Combat leather stretched the length of her legs, meeting tall heels that wrapped her feet in metal.
"I suppose we may speak about other things for a bit." It was the least she could do. All she would do. The time was not yet right.
"So tell me, how has life been for the Schola's flawless gem?" She sneered at the old title. It had been too soon since she heard it last. Not like anyone other than Ezzelino used it anyways.
"I am the same as you, my Lord. I hunt the enemies of the Imperium."
"Just as closed off as before. Very well, I shall begin. I have been very busy these past few decades. Heretics, mutants and witches are springing up at an alarming rate." The Lady Inquisitor nodded. He was not wrong. "I visited Elodia IX with the express purpose of clearing it of infestation. The taint of Chaos had spread to even the Lord Governor and his officials."
With that, she slid into his mind like a shiv between the ribs. Around his mind lay defenses so laughable and crude, they would make an ork blush. He remained unaware, smiling as he regaled her with his butchery. She nodded and prompted him, scanning his memories and secrets like a particularly tasteless dime-store novel.
He was lying about his most recent investigation. Only the Lord Governor had been touched by Chaos.
"Him and his cabinet were executed immediately." This was the truth. He had butchered them like animals, smoking them and their families out of their homes and blowing the remains apart with holy bolter rounds. She watched them die, the memories tinged with a hint of savory, repugnant satisfaction.
"It is comforting to know the Emperor's justice has been done." Inwardly, she sneered. Justice. Ha! What a base joke. "I have been busy as well. I recently uncovered several seditious plots on the outer reaches of the Imperium."
"Oh?"
"Yes. They were well-organized and expertly planned. But they were no match for me."
"You give the heretic scum much credit." She folded her hands before her, cocking her head at the man.
"Underestimating an opponent is the first step in ensuring his dagger finds its way into your back." Ezzelino guffawed, beaming at his acolyte, who merely nodded.
"You haven't changed! Fifty years and you are the same as the day I first met you. Just as beautiful too." He winked. Flitting visions of herself skirted about in his mind's eye, where she lay moaning, naked and vulnerable. She tried not to gag.
"I see." She sighed. It was only as well that he was easy to manipulate. "I find you quite unchanged as well. You are just as brash and uncouth as I remember." Inquisitor Ezzelino stopped, his features falling before erupting into another boisterous laugh.
"How cold, my friend!" The acolyte suppressed a spreading smile.
"Now please, my Lord, the business at hand."
"Yes, yes of course! But first-"
"Some wine." She said, interrupting him with a smile and two flutes. The drink was from her personal stores. It was a rare vintage, not that the ape before her would know. And quite unlike Ezzelino, she paid for the privilege of enjoying it, instead of just requisitioning it, as was well within her rights.
Her finger ran around the rim of a flute, while she flashed him her most brilliant smile.
"I assure you My Lord, it is quite unlike any other you have tasted."
He bought it. Hook, line and sinker. For now she was forced to stoke his dreams of sleeping with her. But not for much longer.
"That remains to be seen, My Lady." He answered with a sly smile. She poured the liquid out, a heady crimson brew, aged for two centuries on Johannesburg I. Their flutes met in a tinkle of glass.
"May Mount Amalath forever shine upon your path." Such a benediction was a standard quip from the puritanical faction of Inquisitors to which Ezzelino belonged. They were staunch in their convictions that the Emperor's master plan was unfolding around them, perfect and immutable. The Lady Inquisitor had nothing but contempt in her heart for the 'Amalathians'. Stagnant, foolish, and backwards, the lot of them.
"And upon yours as well."
They sipped the beverage politely. The wine was dry, but with a fruity relish that danced an elegant step on her tongue.
"Rutilius Amor... from Johannesburg I – M41.799. A good year." She said.
"A good year." Idiot. Rare thought it was, it was the cheapest vintage she could bear to consume. "Now tell me, what so wounded your pride that caused you to come crawling for assistance?"
The Lady Inquisitor fought back a snarl of indignation. If only you knew the real reason I sought you out.
"I have recently been forced to perform Exterminatus, on a system-wide scale. An infestation of Plague Zombies brought hundreds of millions to their knees, and despite my best efforts, the source eluded me." He paled.
"I was not aware of this."
"That is unsurprising." An upturned eyebrow.
"And why is that?"
"Because you are a pathetic excuse for an Inquisitor." He spluttered, chocking on his wine. He coughed, his visage turning grim and dangerous.
"You dare insult me like this?!" He said, words sliding out in menacing crawl.
"My business is not in daring." She sipped her wine, and appraised the color of the drink as she sloshed it around in the flute. "It is in knowing. And I know everything about you."
"Emperor protect me, you're an arrogant bitch!"
"Let's not bring the Emperor into this. I know as well as you do your faith is as false as your smiles. You have played up your zeal as a front, believing – correctly, I might add – that it would get you farther in life."
"You lie!"
"I have seen it in your mind." He snarled, knocking a tray of food off the table to send it scattering across the room.
"I knew you were a fucking psyker, but I didn't know-" At this, the Lady Inquisitor let loose a loud, uproarious laugh.
"You never know! You truly have not changed from the simpleton I knew all those decades ago." She scoffed again. "Although, to what little credit you deserve, not even the drill abbots knew the extent of my abilities." She chuckled. "I might not be able to summon holy gouts of flame or hurl thundering storms of lightening, but for investigative purpose, my abilities are unparalleled. Your mind is like an open book."
"You little bitch! I'll have you in for witchcraft!"
"I'm sanctioned, so I doubt you'd get very far."
"Rooting around in my mind like-"
"Your father raped you until you were fourteen, and Chaos cultists made you an orphan." She said, taking another sip of the wine. Tasty stuff. "That's why you make sure the doors on your ship are well oiled. The squeaking reminds you of his visits, when your bedroom door would open and you'd see his smiling face. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, My Lord, but he was missing an incisor on his bottom jaw, was he not? That's what you hated most about his smile." She paused, relishing the sweat that beaded upon his forehead, the metallic tinge of fear that settled in his countenance.
"I used to pity you, you know. Until I learned what a violent brute you were. I tried my best to help you, but you were only interested in what lay between my legs." Ezzelino's acolyte sat peacefully, unperturbed by the revelations laid before him. "It is a burden, I admit. I am intimately aware of the intentions and miseries of those who surround me. Yours were always simple though, so praise the Emperor for small favors." He growled, and red anger radiated from him. She continued.
"Always seeking violence. How many have you killed in the name of the Emperor? How many have you slain on trumped-up charges of taint and rebellion? How many innocents have been tortured on your orders?" She laughed, a cold and spritely sound. "I've read your reports. You performed Exterminatus on no less than three separate occasions, on charges that were –frankly– thin."
"They were valid-"
"You cannot lie to me, so do not try. I know that you wanted to see a world burn at your word, and practically invented cults so you could watch it happen. You are a monster. May the Emperor have pity on you, you miserable sot of a man."
In an instant, he drew his bolt pistol, leveling it directly at her forehead. She took a sip of wine.
"My Lady." A voice whispered in her microbead. She dismissed it, showing a palm to the window.
"Calm yourself Luccio." The sudden use of his first name shocked him out of his anger. He coughed then, beating at his chest with a meaty, gauntleted fist. "I shall forget you leveled your weapon at me, for now at least."
"Why did you meet with me tonight? What purpose do you have in torturing me?!" He demanded, slamming the pistol down on the table, splintering the wood apart.
"I need your help, My Lord."
"With what?" He spat, froth railing across his lips.
"I'm building a better Inquisition. A better Imperium. Tell me, have you read the works of Gideon Ravenor?"
"'The Spheres of Longing'?" He huffed, his face red and blotchy from coughing. "I have perused them."
"I figured as much. In his works, you recall, there's a… pattern in his writings, a chorus of sorts… 'Only the Emperor is infallible'."
"Such a statement is obvious."
"You were never truly an idiot, My Lord, just never quite as keen as myself or our peers. It is obvious yes, but the purpose of such a statement is not one of fact… it is more about what such a fact implies. Only the Emperor is infallible." She stood, neatly tucking her chair into its place.
"Not his saints. Not the holiest bearers of his divine word." A sly grin crawled across her face. "And not even his Inquisitors."
"So what does this have to do with 'building a better Imperium'?" He demanded. "Why do you need my help if you despise me so much?!" He said.
"It's simple, My Lord." She leaned forward. "I need you to die."
He paled, realizing. Another cough wracked his body, shaking his enormous frame.
"You are now thinking of that finger I traced so seductively across a glass. Your glass."
"You cunt!" He shrieked, reaching for his bolt pistol. The Lady Inquisitor was faster, kicking it out of his reach.
"You are thinking I may have dipped my finger in poison."
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Another cough, but one that did not subside. Instead, it spat blood across the table, spilling through the hand he used in an attempt to stem it.
"So yes, My Lord, I'm building a better Inquisition. One Inquisitor at a time." His acolyte removed himself from his seat, standing next to the Lady Inquisitor.
"You…traitor!"
Their matching sterling necklaces glittered in the soft candlelight.
"It is a shame that Inquisitor Ezzelino succumbed to the wiles of a lowly slaaneshi cultist. Is it not?"
"It is." The acolyte said, shaking his head. A recent induction into the Recongregationalists, he was the linchpin around which the assassination of Ezzelino revolved. Now that he was on his way to join the emperor, the Lady Inquisitor and her comrades could be content that a comrade was replacing him.
"For how could he have known her murderous intentions? If he was only a little better at discerning motives and investigation instead of wanton slaughter, perhaps he would have learned in time."
"Such a shame." He agreed. Ezzelino was retching now, blood and vomit flooding from his nose and mouth.
"It is a good thing I was there to witness him bequeath his Inquisitorial duties to his loyal acolyte before he passed." The Lady Inquisitor said.
"Indeed, it was quite fortunate."
Inquisitor Ezzelino desperately clung to life, crimson tears streaming from his eyes as he writhed about on the floor. Bile and blood streaked his hands as he wormed his way to his bolt-pistol, a destination he would never reach.
"I suppose congratulations are in order." She shook the Acolyte's hand. "Oh, and Luccio," she said, turning to face the dying man, "may the light of Amalath forever light your path." He gave one more rattling cough before expiring.
"It is done." The acolyte intoned.
"Indeed." She kicked his body over, tearing his necklace from its place around his neck. A holy sealing relic… and the greedy bastard wore it as if it was some kind of charm. "I'll be taking this back to its rightful place, wherever that may be." With a delicate hand, she carefully folded up the relic, wrapping it red silk. A sigh escaped her. Finally, the bastard was dead. She withdrew his seal and tossed it to the acolyte, who caught it in a deft hand.
Still, she felt uneasy. The zombie plagues that were cropping up implied disturbing things. Or… was it something here? On Elodia? She knew a Guard regiment was stationed nearby. Stalking over to the window, a gloved hand caressed the polished glass, and a blanket of psychic energy pulsed throughout Primum Mobilus.
A beacon of psychic energy came back, so bright and so powerful it brought her to her knees.
"My Lady!" The newly-ordained Inquisitor cried, running over to her.
"I'm fine." She waved off his helping hand. "Truly, I am." Blood seeped into her lips, a red trail that ran from her nose. Dabbing at it, she looked out at the city with ice-cold eyes. Tapping her microbead, she spoke in a low, hushed whisper.
"Ira. Contact the regimental commander of the Guard here. Immediately." The sheer power that radiates off this being… God-Emperor and the Thousand Saints of Terra… She couldn't even get a good location on the psyker, so great was its power. The former acolyte looked at her, eyes wide with worry.
"Is there something amiss?" She rounded on him, fear pulling at her face for the first time in decades.
"Yes. God-Emperor help us all, yes."
A/N: Tl;dr: Don't fuck with The Lady Inquisitor.
I apologize for the lack of Yang in this chapter! This chapter was necessary on a few levels, both to fully develop The Lady Inquisitor and to explain why she's on Elodia (as well as introducing the Inquisitorial shadow war plot element). As of chapter 13, this is the only fully TLI chapter, so you won't have to worry about another one cropping up for awhile.
As for the Amalthians and Recongregationalists, they are puritanical and radical factions of the Inquisition respectively. The Amalthians believe that the Emperor has a perfect holy plan that must remain untouched and protected. The Recongregationalists believe that the Imperium has fallen into decay and corruption, and in order to survive, must undergo radical changes.
I hope you guys liked it! What are your thoughts? Please, let me know!
Review Replies:
reality deviant: Thanks! No plans to stop just yet!
DanAbnettFan1997: Does Yang seem like the sort to seek power and influence? But I'm glad you're liking the TLI. :)
Zedicus101: Thank you so much!
thefluffyone93: As I mentioned in the PM (and as you may have realized by the end of this chapter), I am very aware of the Inquisitorial factions. From the very beginning of this fic, the conflict between them was going to be a part of it. (Although the factions will be adjusted slightly to fit some story needs. And I have spent many hours on both 1d4chan and good ol' /tg itself, so don't worry!
undead3: I mentioned she only has the one! :) And I fixed my little error, thanks for pointing it out!
giodan: The ork battle is over, but larger threats lurk...
RED Roman Pyro: Sorry! I wanted to write it out, but I don't have their characters fleshed out %100 yet, so I couldn't write it from one of their perspectives.
Jouaint: :D
L4 of the WEST: She's not hallucinating, just seeing herself coated in blood and being horrified. (Recall that since most people on Remnant have auras, their fights are largely brief and bloodless. To the best of my knowledge, ork blood does not contain hallucinogens!
edboy4926: Thanks for all the reviews! I don't know about the Blood Angels, but space marines will show up at one point! Not tellin' when! :3
Guest: That will be an interesting day indeed...
Bear of Cali: I love your WMG-ing! We'll see how everything turns out!
DeusImperator92: You're welcome! Hope you continue to enjoy it! :D
CrimsonHeresy: Thank you! I can't wait to write more!
Nemris: I bet the tag helped! ;) Seriously though, thank you so much for your awesome review! I would absolutely love to see tabletop stats for Yang, but ask that you wait a few more chapters... you'll see why soon enough! As for restocking on shotgun shells, the IG still stocks a few shotguns (if Gaunt's Ghosts is anything to go by), and carries varying gauge-sizes. I figured at least one has to fit Ember Celica.
CV12Hornet: Glad you like it! And hooray, another Dust Effect fan! That premise (Yang goes to different universe) was the absolute genesis for what eventually became A World of Bloody Evolution. However, yes, this story (as a result of its setting) is a lot less happy-go-lucky than Dust Effect. The way I like to put it is Mass Effect's story is about winning, while WH40k's stories are about surviving.
biolaj1998: I hope this chapter answered your questions! :D
Holy God-Emperor and the Thousand Saints of Terra! You guys are incredible! School's starting up soon, so updates will slow down a bit, but I'll keep plugging away at this! I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am!