Chapter 2
Procuro and his retinue were pacing down the bleak metal expanse of the landing bay, the multitude of crew members and servitors parted to make way. Their jet black lander was waiting for them in hanger ten, at the far end of the cavernous room. With the swoosh of his cloak, Procuro leapt through the rear hatch of his lander and took a seat on the side, his retinue following him.
"Buckle up!" the pilot yelled through the intercom over the noise of the starting engines. The lander rattled for a moment before lifting majestically of the landing bay floor and out into the eerie blackness of space, the only light coming from a dull sun on the other side of the planet. He glanced to Ferox beside him, who was vigorously cleaning the bolt pistol in her gauntleted hands, to Harkman and Yevin opposite him, all of them quiet and lost in thought.
The retinue sat in silence as the small ship rocketed towards Chlorus II below, a hail of smoke trailing it as the atmosphere was pierced.
Minutes later the small black ship landed in the city's space port, disgorging it's passengers into the busy crowd of citizens below. Procuro, clad in elegant robes of blood red and gold, appeared greatly out of place amongst the common rabble as he and his retinue made their way to the city streets. But the citizens seemed to pay him no mind.
As he was pushing his way through the crowds a hand shot out and pushed on the breast plate of his armour, stopping him in his tracks. His eyes gazed up at the owner of the imposing hand to see a local law enforcement officer looking at him apprehensively. The officer held an autogun ominously towards Procuro and his retinue.
"Excuse me, sir," the Enforcer said in a gruff voice, his eyes narrowed under his helmet's visor. "Could I see some identification, please?"
Procuro sighed. He had hoped his presence on Chlorus II wouldn't be revealed until later. Reluctantly, he moved his cloak aside to reveal the mark of the Inquisition upon his armour, as well as his bolt pistol and sheathed sword.
The Enforcer's eyes widened and his jaw grew slack for a second before he shut it quickly and stepped back from Procuro. "Inquisitor?" he croaked out.
Procuro sighed again, this time in clear irritation. "Yes. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with my business."
The man nodded vigorously as he turned back into the crowd and left the annoyed Inquisitor. Ferox stepped up beside him, warily looking back at the retreating officer.
"He's going to inform his superiors that you've arrived and eventually it will reach the Governor himself ," she stated simply.
"I know that!" Procuro spat, his irritation rising further, "but he would have been expecting me sooner or later. He'd be a fool not to."
"Nevertheless, it would have been better on our part not to have gained the attention of the authorities so early, perhaps you could have given him a false identity," she said cynically.
"It would have aroused more suspicion. The local authorities will not trouble us yet, anyway."
The look in her eye told him she wanted to argue more, but she was quickly silenced by his glare. Turning away from Ferox's gaze, he looked for Harkman and Yevin. They had taken up positions on his flanks, their long black coats covering their armour and weapons, whilst their eyes roved over the surrounding horde of people for any sign of danger. Procuro signalled for them to follow him as he continued on towards the exit of the busy space port.
Pushing his way out of the terminal he was suddenly hit with a rush of frigid, frost bitten wind and a wave of rain, pouring down into the hapless streets below. Procuro cursed loudly as he was drenched from head to toe in seconds, his retinue was feeling the same way judging by the surly looks on their cold faces.
"Where now, sir?" Harkman asked, barely audible over the loud patter of rain.
"This way, I have a vehicle waiting for us."
"I knew we should have brought warmer clothing," Yevin stated as Procuro led his retinue through the freezing city. They made their way through the downpour towards an old, rundown parking lot across the street. A single jet-black civilian transport was the only vehicle in the dingy lot, it's uperclass façade looking oddly out of place amongst the cracked and rundown buildings surrounding it. Perched upon the hood of the car, seemingly ignorant of the rain's attempt to drown out the city, was a young man, watching the approaching Inquisitor without any trepidation.
"Good Evening, sir," the man called, "Thomas Gant at your service."
Procuro merely nodded and entered the passenger side door. Ferox, Harkman and Yevin took their place in the backseat, whilst Gant took the drivers position. The car started with a low growl and took off into the city streets, a hail of water splashing up in it's wake.
"You ought to watch your back in this part of the city, Inquisitor," Gant said after a few seconds of silence, "a prominent man like youself would be a target for the local gangs."
Procuro smirked. "I think I can take care of myself."
"Of coarse, of coarse," Gant corrected himself quickly. "But lately the gangs have been growing bigger and unchecked. The local Enforcers havn't been putting them in their place. Letting them get away with murder, literally."
"Interesting," Procuro muttered. And it certainly was, he thought. Why would the the Enforcers be ignoring crimes? Perhaps they've been bribed, or maybe they were ordered not to do anything? Whatever it was, it usually wasn't good.
Rounding a corner, Procuro was greeted with the sight of two law enforcment vehicles lined verticaly across the streets with a gap in between just large enough for cars to fit through. Surrounding the blockade was at least half a dozen Enforcers, their weapons at the ready, checking the passing civilians.
Gant cursed loudly. "Damn, I was hoping to avoid a checkpoint. They've got no problem with practically tearing apart your whole car if they suspect something."
"Are they going to be much of a problem?" Harkman asked, silently releasing his plasma pistol from the holster inside his coat.
"I doubt it, they should know better than to mess in Inquisitorial business," Gant answered confidently.
Slowly, the car pulled to a halt in front of the checkpoint and was quickly surrounded by Enforcers. One of them knocked on Gants window and ordered him to roll it down, Gant complied, letting in a wave of rain.
"Can I see some identification, please?" the Enforcer asked, unperturbed by the imposing passengers in the car.
Gant opened his mouth to reply, but Procuro cut him off. "I am Inquisitor Procuro of the Ordo Hereticus and in the name of the Emperor I demand we be let through."
Normaly this would have left most men doing whatever he wanted them to do, but the Enforcer merely looked back in shock before leaving the window to speak with the other officers.
Suddenly, the surrounding Enforcers raised their weapons at the car and cocked them with a resonating click. Ferox let out an audible gasp as an autgun was aimed directly at her through the window. The Enforcer that had talked to them before returned with a smug look on his face that made Procuro want to knock him out.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to restrain you and your entourage, Inquisitor. Please step out of your vehicle and give up your weapons or we'll have to use force," the Enforcer sneered.
Procuro could barely contain his anger as the Enforcers surrounded him. He wasn't just going to surrender. Their only other option was to fight their way through the blockade, but that wasn't easy as they were surrounded. Slowly, he stepped out of the car and into the pouring rain, scowling at his captors as he went.
"I am a member of The Emperors most holy Inquisition, it would not do you well to displease me," Procuro said threateningly.
The lead Enforcer simply smiled, then gestured for them to remove their weapons. Procuro moved to remove his bolt pistol, but an unexpected movement to his left cought his attention. Ferox had rapidly pulled her bolt pistol from inside her holster and consequently a number of shots rang out into the darkness.
Procuro took advantage of the sudden diversion and swiftly aimed his bolt pistol at the nearest Enforcer's head and pulled the trigger, sending the doomed man's brains flying across the street. Upon seeing a second Enforcer taking aim, he dived into a roll, bullets raking the ground where he was standing and shot the man through the heart, his flak armour not providing enough protection for the powerful bolt shot.
Turning back towards his retinue the first thing he spotted was the four dead Enforcers sprawled around on the ground, numerous wounds littering their bodies. Yevin was standing guard, surveying the surrounding area with two laspistols clutched in both hands. Harkman and Ferox were tending to Gant, who was sitting on the wet ground clutching a badly bleeding wound on his shoulder.
But instead of moaning in pain, Gant was laughing. "That bastard missed me! He was aiming for my head and he missed me!"
Ferox sighed in frustraition. "Sit still," she said firmly whilst trying to wrap a bandage around his shoulder.
Procuro shook his head in silent amusment at the situation and turned to Yevin. "Start the car, we should get out of here before anyone else shows up."
Yevin nodded before dashing towards the car and hopping into the drivers position. Looking towards Harkman, Ferox and Gant, he saw that they were on their feet and moving towards the vehicle. Taking one last look at the surrounding buldings, blurred in the falling rain, he quickly followed his retinue into the car.