Arlathan cursed yet again as he sliced through yet another vine with his monomolecular enhanced sword. He ignored concerned the look of Delan Tathe, who walked alongside him and used his inactive power sword far more effectively, because of course, he did. Arlathan had to remind himself constantly Tathe was a swordmaster who'd been practising since he was old enough to speak, but it still got to him.
Everything about the damned Commissar got to him...in all honesty.
Arlathan glanced over his shoulder to the line of Stormtroopers and Throne Agents following him and Tathe. There was Karmen, in her full power armour including her helm, then sergeant Kollath, young Vex Carpompter who led four Stormtroopers who hauled his cogitator container between them. After them was Halsin, and watching the rear alongside five Stormtroopers was Torris. Twenty more Stormtroopers were held in reserve in the dropship they'd left at the LZ about twelve kilometres behind them. Ulysses was their designated pilot, which had been a bit of an existential crisis for Darrance; much to everyone's amusement, Darrance was happy he was on the field than waiting for the call as a pilot. But he was also torn on being replaced by his supposed rival, especially after Enandra had learned of his incredible piloting back on Sarkeath. Honestly, Arlathan would much rather have Darrance with him on the surface. As much as Ulysses was an excellent warrior with his dual bolt pistols, Darrance's abilities as a fighter, infiltrator and assassin far exceeded Ulysses. Arlathan would've more than wanted Hayden on the team; his skill-set far exceeded any other agents in their organisation in its diversity, but alas, a-frigging-las.
Arlathan had taken the lead along with Delan "frigging" Tathe, besides the four scouts invisible ahead, because he was supposed to be the leader. Still, by frig, he was struggling through the damned jungle, and everyone knew despite how much he tried to hide it. He was born and raised on a Hive world; this was most definitely not his element. He also felt naked; upon his ascendency to the rank of Interrogator, Enandra had gifted him his own set of power armour, he was forced to leave it back in the dropship and wear a black bodyglove beneath his pilgrim's robes. Privately, Arlathan disagreed with Enandra putting him in charge instead of Attelus, the main reason being that damned Space Marine Kalakor, who Attelus had somehow earned his friendship and respect. Arlathan didn't have that privilege, and Kalakor wasn't subtle about his disdain when he spoke down to Arlathan. He just hoped the Space Marine wouldn't cause any problems.
Arlathan slashed his way a few more metres, taking his anger out on the underbrush instead of who he wanted to take it out on.
Then he came almost face-to-face with the Velrosian scout, Dellenger, causing Arlathan to cry out and jump back.
'Oh, God-Emperor! Damn it, warn me next time you do that! Frig.'
'My apologies,' said Dellenger, but he didn't seem to mean it. 'It's getting dark...sir, but we have found a good place for us to set up camp.'
'"Good place", meaning a less-shit place, right?'
Dellenger shrugged in his annoyingly non-committal way. 'We've had worse, haven't we...Delan?'
'It's true,' said Tathe. 'I remember back on Cirlia, fifteen years back when we fought the Orks, we had to sleep on a ledge hanging over a half a kilometre drop in the middle of a sandstorm. Our only protection our sleeping bags. The ledge was only half a metre wide so that we couldn't set up tents, and we had to sleep in single file, several hundred of us. It was in a valley about two kilometres wide, and the Orks held the other side and were taking potshots at us the entire night. Emperor only knew how they knew we were there. We eventually had snipers set up in nests we dugout in the cliff face above us, despite the fear it might cause a rock collapse. But they may as well have been spitting into the wind. We lost troopers Rellit and Torl and sergeant Issla due to lucky shots that night.'
Arlathan blinked; he couldn't help admit that sure as hell put it in perspective for him. He was about to reply when his micro-bead beeped, so he raised a hand for silence and opened the link.
'Attelus, this better be damned good.'
'It isn't good, Arlathan. It really isn't frigging good,' said Attelus, and his tone caused Arlathan's blood to seem to stop flowing in his veins. 'I just killed one of this planet's apex predators, and...'
'And, what?'
'I think...Frig, I think the Plague god is infecting this planet,' said Attelus.
Enandra stepped out of her quarters; she wore her power armour and her witch hunter wide-brimmed hat. Hadrel and his ten-man Stormtrooper escort waited for her in the corridor waiting outside for her. Much to her amusement, he saluted her smartly, so she lazily returned one in turn.
'Mamzel, Inquisitor,' he said. 'You wished to meet me here.'
'I did. You need to relax, Hadrel. You are not one of the people who'd returned from a tainted world.'
'Then why have the Stormtroopers following me around?'
Enandra shrugged. 'Huh, must've forgotten to exempt you in my order, sorry about that. Sergeant Voln, you are dismissed.'
The Stormtroopers simultaneously saluted, turned and marched off.
Hadrel gaped at her. 'Are you sure-'
Enandra interrupted him with a raised hand. 'I am sure, Hadrel. Come, let's walk.'
The Master assassin nodded, and they began down the corridor side by side.
'You seem...quite earnest for a master of assassins, Hadrel.'
Hadrel shrugged. 'I don't know what to say to that, mamzel Inquisitor.'
Enandra smiled and looked at him. 'I bet you also don't what to make of all of this.'
'I don't, mamzel.'
'So, what do you feel about all of this?'
'I...feel that my men and I are getting into something that is far above our pay grade.'
Enandra couldn't help laughing. 'Maybe so, but you of the Sons of Dispater are well known in the sector as professionals, so I am sure you and your men will perform well.'
Hadrel shrugged. 'Mamzel, just one of your men managed to slaughter over three dozen of mine single-handed if you need him to fight your enemies if they are on his level...'
'Attelus Kaltos is a freak. He has been enhanced by the Adeptus Mechanicus. You do not need to worry.'
'Oh yes? And what about his father? The infamous who Serghar Kaltos apparently slaughtered Attelus? What will my men do if we have to fight him?'
Enandra frowned. 'So, do you wish to go back to the Sons, then? I would like to have a contact within them. I have connections within the Blades of Vengeance.'
Hadrel turned to her, his eyes wide. 'N-no, mamzel. I did not mean to complain. We have betrayed a contract, so we cannot go back. We are honoured to be able to join your ranks.'
She stopped, and Hadrel halted a split-second after, his reflexes like a feline's.
'Please, do not kiss my butt, Hadrel.'
The assassin master raised his hands. 'I-I'm not, mamzel Inquisitor. I meant it. I swear.'
She studied his face for a good five seconds before she saw he was legitimate, and they began moving on again. Enandra wanted to tell Hadrel he was only here out of sufferance, that Attelus' strange ability to get people on his side was a colossal pain in the frigging arse. But she wanted Hadrel on her side. He seemed immune to her flirting so far, though.
'Tell, me, Hadrel, how did you join the Sons of Dispater?'
Hadrel smiled, obviously pleased he'd managed to predict such an obvious question. 'Was running in a gang as a slinger back in Gunmetal City. We tried to take out an enemy gang leader, but he was rich as frig and hired a bunch of Sons to protect him. All my squad were taken out, but I managed to take out a few Sons before getting injured. I impressed the master so much he saw my potential and hired me as I was being treated for my injuries by one of his own. Then, well, the rest is history, mamzel.'
Enandra nodded absently.
The assassin master sniggered. 'I would ask you how you became an Inquisitor, but I doubt you would answer that.'
'No, I wouldn't,' said Enandra as they turned a corner and began approaching the prison checkpoint where four Stormtroopers were stationed.
They exchanged the usual crap before she and Hadrel were walking onwards again.
'Where are we going, mamzel?' said Hadrel.
'You will see soon, Hadrel,' said Enandra, as they turned another corner to find another cell door with two Stormtroopers standing guard. One typed in the code on a security panel beside it.
Enandra went to step through, but Hadrel had stopped.
'You coming?'
Hadrel furrowed his brow in obvious bemusement but then nodded and followed.
Inside was a desk, a small cot and a toilet, and the man sitting behind that desk raised his gaze at them as they entered.
'It's good to see you, Enandra. It has been how many decades, now? Five?' said Draven as he stood up from his chair. 'I see you brought my traitorous employee with you.'
'Yes,' said Enandra. 'Torathe did warn us about the dangers of hiring mercenaries.'
Draven's eyes glazed with rage. 'You have no right to utter his name. You were his murderer.'
That took Enandra off guard for a micro-second. 'I was told Attelus Kaltos informed you of what happened three years ago. It was Torathe who boarded my ship. It was Torathe who ordered an unnecessary Exterminatus on an important Hive World. He lost his mind became so puritanical he came out the other side into fanatical radicalism. He became a liability, an extremely dangerous liability, and I had to put him down. What I did, was a necessity. What I did, was a mercy.'
'As you claim.'
Enandra gaped. 'It is what happened, damn it, Draven. I know you, and I never got along but do not let that get in the way of you seeing the truth.'
'He was your saviour. He taught you everything he knew. You owed him everything, everything! As did I, but you, or you had one of your peons, cut his throat like he was some animal in a slaughter den.'
Despite herself, Enandra froze so abruptly, and obviously, it made Hadrel look at her and Draven to furrow his bushy eyebrows.
'That is how he died, wasn't it?' said Draven. 'That is what that little fool Attelus Xanthis Kaltos told me when I interrogated him.'
Enandra's eye twitched. How did the little fool know that? That piece of information had never escaped the bridge of The Imperial Crusher Enandra had made frigging damned sure of that.
Could it have been Karmen Kons, somehow finding out through her powers? Or could it have been...Could it have been the Eldar? But if so, did they tell him this before or after the fact? Because if it was before...
'Mamzel, Inquisitor?' said Hadrel. 'Are you alright?'
'I am fine, Hadrel. Thank you for your concern,' said Enandra, then she sighed. 'As that little fool is so fond of saying, in all honesty, Draven. I did not have anyone "cut his throat like he was some animal". I was not there when it happened. It was my now Interrogator who did it. He led a team which successfully infiltrated The Imperial Crusher, as my men fought the bulk of Torathe's forces. They were just meant to cause...discord behind enemy lines, but they managed to get to the bridge and there fought Torathe, the bridge crew, and the remnants of his retinue and won. My Interrogator was the only survivor. If that didn't happen, I would have gone about it differently, a trial, perhaps?'
'That might be true, but you are still the leader, and thus the responsibility lies on your shoulders alone.'
Enandra rolled her eyes. 'We maybe Inquisitors, but we are not gods, somethings happen that we cannot control, even actions by our underlings. While I take responsibility for Torathe's death, the circumstances are different. Such as your circumstance now, for instance.'
Drevan sneered. 'I should've killed all of them when I had the chance, God-Emperor, damn you. And you needn't be so smug about it.'
She grinned. 'Drevan, you are such an unmitigated arsehole that I cannot help be smug about it, and I am entirely not sorry about it, either. Sorry.'
'I am an Inquisitor of the most Holy Ordos. I am beyond such labels as "arsehole" or "evil". Only the God-Emperor Himself can pass such judgement on me.'
'See, Drevan, that type of attitude is why you are now locked away, and I am not.' said Enandra. 'And last I checked, I am in possession of your Rosette, so...'
Drevan shrugged and indicated Hadrel with a tilt of his head. 'What in the God-Emperor's name is he doing here?'
'Yes, mamzel, Inquisitor, ' said Hadrel. 'Why am I here, exactly?'
Enandra shrugged. 'Just thought you would like to say a thing or two to Draven here, tell him he's a bastard or whatever you wish. Your chance to call a former Inquisitor anything you want. He was ready to bomb that building with you and your men in it if Attelus Kaltos did not comply. You must be angry about that, even a little.'
Hadrel folded his arms and shrugged. 'Don't know, mamzel. Just, yes, I think if he didn't think us so expendable, this would not have happened. I learned a long time ago that treating your people like shit can only make problems for you down the line, and this is a great example.'
'People? People? You are just mercenaries, your type barely even qualify to be labelled "people". "Scum" "dogs" are more accurate terms. When I bombed those Refectories, it would have made the galaxy a better place.'
'"When"?' said Hadrel. 'You were going to bomb the Refectories no matter what, then?'
'Of course,' said Drevan, as if it was the easiest thing to do in the galaxy. 'I had to make sure to punish the administratum officials for taking them in somehow.'
Rage made Hadrel's face curl into ugliness, and he began toward Drevan, but Enandra's hand on his shoulder stopped him.
'Like our erstwhile master, you have gone off the deep-end, Draven,' she said. 'Come, Hadrel, we'll return later.'
'Yes, I think that is the correct thing to do,' said Hadrel. 'Or else I'll slay this fool with my bare hands.'
Drevan smirked behind his beard and seemed to want to make a snarky reply but stopped himself.
Enandra had a good idea of what he wanted to say, something along the lines of "getting killed by scum like you could not have been a more indignant death", which in all likelihood, just make Hadrel kill him there and then in spite.
And she wasn't sure she would bother to stop him if he did.
