Early 36th Millennium, Reign of Blood
Habalus Cluster within the Abalatian Reach
Cassius 6 in the Cassius System
Far beneath the planetary Astropathic Choir Chambers

Four years after the battle between the Rus 105th Infantry and the Maxell PDF on an unnamed world in the Abalatian Reach…

The light flickered on and off, momentarily bathing the ceiling around the fixture in its glow.

Another flash of light erupted from the fixture, revealing soldiers marching beneath it. Soldiers in black carapace armour and visored helms with lasrifles on their shoulders. And again, a flash erupted from the fixture, revealing an armoured figure standing watch as the soldiers marched by, revealing a golden icon upon the figure's chest, a High Gothic numeral "I" with three crossbars and a skull-and-crossbones lain overtop it. And revealing the staff in the watcher's hand, a staff topped with the Imperial Aquila over the All-Seeing-Eye, an Imperial force staff. The light continued to flicker on and off, alternately revealing and masking the soldiers and their watcher, but the sound of boots splashing on the damp rockrete floor remained constant, droning on with the light and without it.

As the last marching soldier passed, another stepped out of the shadows and up to the watcher.

"Are you ready for this, Commander Cadmus?" the soldier asked the watcher as the two began to trail the marching soldiers. The sound of footsteps echoing behind them signaled that more soldiers were following in the pair's footsteps.

"Don't you mean ready to get shot, Captain Lerriksen?" asked the watcher with a laugh in a youthful voice. He tapped the icon on his chest. "I don't think this was exactly the intention they had in mind when they decided to make the Inquisition a known quantity."

"But you've got the Emperor's luck, kid," Lerriksen laughed. "If not, I think I can speak a fine eulogy for you," he added. "Commander Basil Cadmus, a kid who had the Emperor's Luck until he didn't have it, and got shot in the chest."

"As long as we stay in the dark and they don't have a multi-spectral occulum built into their helms like we do, I might be alright," Basil answered as they continued marching through the darkness.

The Troopers and their two commanders continued down the wet corridor, occasionally slowing for scouts to return before making a turn. The passages through which they marched were the old access corridors to the storm sewers and had seen little use since the new constructions upon the Choir Chambers above had begun. The air and walls were damp and most of the lighting had long before ceased functioning, but as they climbed various flights of stairs, the number of fixtures still operating became more frequent.

"Looks like the Inquisitorial icon is going to make a great target on your chest after all," Lerriksen laughed as they entered a well-lit corridor.

Basil shrugged in response.

"The Frateris Templar," Lerriksen said with some heat in his voice, changing the subject. "I never would have thought I would be fighting them. Never would've thought they would have disobeyed Ecclesiarch Thor's order to disband." They continued silently for a few more steps before he spoke again. "Maybe Vandire's execution snapped something in them."

"I think there's something more going on with these particular companies," Basil answered. "They took control of their ship and fled to here. Fled here and took control of the newly fabricated Astropathic Choir Chambers. I think they have someone on the inside who tipped them off."

"I'm not sure I agree with you on that," Lerriksen answered. "Taking control of the Choir Chambers had the potential to prevent off-world communications and buy them some time. They just got lucky that Inquisitor Masina is also the Provost of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and doesn't want her newly built Astropath facility to be destroyed." Lerriksen chuckled for a moment. "That reminds me, I don't know what she's going to do to us when she finds out we attacked despite her orders to negotiate."

"She'll get over it," Basil answered. "I trust the tip I got on how to access the facility, and with it, we will flank them from within when the outside attack starts, protecting the Choir Chambers from combat. Any damage we do elsewhere can be easily fixed," he added.

"If you say so Commander," Lerriksen finished.

At that moment, a single soldier marched his way against the flow of Troopers toward the two. He stopped before Lerriksen and gave a salute which the Captain returned.

"Captain Lerriksen," the Trooper began. "We've reached the final flight of stairs into the greater facility. And we've found the power distribution center for the entire complex."

"Is it guarded?" Lerriksen asked.

"It was, Sir," the Trooper responded. "Specialist Michaels terminated him and secured the distribution center."

Lerriksen turned back to Basil. "You've still got the Emperor's luck, kid," he said with a laugh. "Wait until time for the outside forces to attack and then shut the power off?"

"Yes, Captain," Cadmus answered. I'm just glad that these Storm Troopers are trained well-enough to think on their own when necessary, Basil said in his head as he contemplated Michaels' action to secure the distribution center. "You've trained your men well. In eleven standard minutes, the monotask servitors will make their charge. Wait thirty standard seconds more, then we'll storm the facility."

"On the outside, you're really just throwing up a bunch of labour servitors in the front, without weapons, to try and overwhelm the Templars before the local forces charge?" Lerriksen responded in the manner of a question while shaking his head. "Inquisitor Masina won't be the only one after you, the Mechanicus will too."

"Monotask servitors are the most easily replaced," Basil responded. "Now that the Mechanicus has finished constructing the psychic enhancement portion of the Choir Chambers, their work here is done and they only have a tiny presence on this backwater planet," Basil responded. "I'm worried about keeping the loyalty of the locals who will be here after we leave."

"You're the Commander," Lerriksen answered.