Basil entered into the sparring deck and his ears were immediately assaulted by the sound of blades clashing nearby while on down the corridor he could hear the sounds of bolts and lasrifles. He began scanning for Ansgar as he walked through. On either side of him, Basil passed cages enveloped by a mesh of plasteel. Most were empty but several contained members of the Inquisitorial Storm Trooper regiment serving aboard the Veiled Strike. Basil watched and measured them as he passed by. They were lean and muscular men, with some women mixed in, who moved with skill and grace. Some were dressed in light clothing, while others were in full battle gear, and they fought mostly in pairs, knife or sword against bayonet. I'd have a tough time against some of those, he noted. Some? Basil laughed to himself. I'm fourteen years old, who am I to compare myself to seasoned warriors?
Not finding Ansgar, but recognizing a black-haired Trooper standing outside a cage in pants but no shirt or helmet, Basil spoke up. "Trooper Aedricson," he snapped.
The Trooper quickly turned to face Basil, revealing a long scar on his face that narrowly passed by his eye. "Yes, Interrogator Cadmus," he answered.
Commander one day and Interrogator the next, Basil scoffed to himself, distinguishing between the title he was addressed by when commanding the Troopers versus his official title under Inquisitor Matthias. At least the Void Spectres don't give me a title other than 'kid' or 'young Basil' from time to time. Lerriksen too, most of the time. Basil finished those thoughts and came to a stop in front of the Trooper. "I was told Ansgar was here in the sparring cages. Could you direct me to him?"
"Yes, Interrogator," Aedricson answered and pointed down the corridor. "You will find him in the ballistics range."
"Carry on," Basil added and then continued on down the corridor, approaching the sounds of bolter fire and lasblasts.
After passing several more cages on each side, he approached a "T" in the corridor. Following the feeling in his gut, Basil turned left and walked down the corridor, entering the ballistic range area of the sparring deck, passing one firing cage after another with each one filled by a Trooper or pair of Troopers. Inside the cages, he could see Troopers practicing their shot versus targets, some of which were static while others "popped up". Most common in the Troopers hands were lasrifles, though some had laspistols and were firing at targets fashioned from heat dispersive materials. A few others fired bolt pistols and various projectile weapons at more solid targets that represented heavily armed foes such as orks and even renegade Space Marines as well as heretek Tech-Priests.
Basil came to a stop before a range with an open door and a single occupant, Ansgar, the last Librarian of the Void Spectres. His power armour appearance is fully compliant with the Codex Astartes, Basil noted as he glanced into the cage at its occupant and compared him to Attalus.
No longer in the dark colours of the DeathWatch, Ansgar's power armour was painted blue with the Void Spectres skull and tabard symbol in silver over a field of black on his right shoulder pauldron. On his left pauldron was a great silver icon of an open book, marking him as a Space Marine Librarian, a specialist in psychic powers. He wore a yellow tabard that was tucked in above his belt so as to leave exposed the Imperial Aquila on his chest and which extended down below his knees. A band of black ran across the bottom, changing to a semi-circle in the middle with black lightning bolts radiating up from the arc while a black skull lay within it, the entire symbology marking him as an Epistolary. A bolt pistol was on the Librarian's hip and a force staff was in his left hand. The Space Marine's blue helmet was attached to his side, revealing a large bald head with dark eyes that bore into Basil as he approached.
"Before Attalus teleported down to the surface, he told me to see you," Basil said.
"Do not wait outside, young Basil," Ansgar answered. "Come in and begin your instructions today.
Instructions? Basil didn't allow his thoughts to slow his feet and immediately walked through the cage door. "Yes, Ansgar. I am always ready and willing to learn." As soon as he entered the range, Basil noticed a small stand behind the Librarian. On it rested a recurve bow of gold as well as a quiver with a score of black flightless arrows. Is that what Attalus said Ansgar was going to give me?
"Yes," Ansgar said, correctly guessing Basil's thoughts. "This bow is for you. Take it in your hands and I will instruct you in its usage. See how well you take to it."
I've been instructed in the use of a bow, Basil thought. What's different about this one? He walked past Ansgar to the stand and his eyes carried down to the end of the range while he did so. At the end were three large targets, each was green and made of plasteel with ceramite blocks behind it. Ork targets, OK, he thought and reached for the bow.
"My brothers found this in the trove of War Boss Ulthric after Chapter Master Lorgin took the big ork's head, and it has a most interesting story," Ansgar said.
Basil took the bow into his hands, instantly noticing something odd about it while admiring the skill with which it had been fashioned. What is it made of? Does it resonate with the Warp? He placed the quiver over his shoulder while the Space Marine spoke, then stopped and waited for the rest of the tale to be told.
"Our Librarians knew I am an especially gifted psychometrist," Ansgar began. "So, after it was recovered, they had it sent to me to read what I could from it. The weapon is ancient and most of the psychic impressions left upon it were too dull for me to read, but one was much newer. I saw two orks talking, one with the bow in hand. And do you know what they were talking about?"
"No," Basil answered. He knows I don't know but he's telling a story and I need to pay attention. I don't think it would be a good idea to 'remind' him he knows I don't know.
"This is what they spoke of," Ansgar said. "The ork holding the bow said, 'We jus' get here. Why we gotta go?' and the other ork answered, 'Cause da Boss sed so, dat's why.' The ork with the bow in his hand was confused and just stared at the other one. Finally, the other ork said, 'Cause da Brain Boy told Ulthric to. Da guy also sed if'n we took any loot from dis world dat one uh dem big oomies would have Ulthric's head fer uh trophy.' That was enough talking and the two started swinging fists at each other," Ansgar finished.
Basil stared at Ansgar, sifting through what he had read as well as the memories which had been infused into his mind, and came up with nothing. "That Brain Boy's prediction came true, didn't it? Chapter Master Lorgin was the big 'oomie' that took Ulthric's head. But what exactly is a Brain Boy? What kind of ork is that?"
"This is where it becomes interesting," Ansgar said. "I didn't know, so I asked Inquisitor Draegoth. He told me that Brain Boyz weren't orks. They were ancient creatures of immense psychic power and knowledge that created both the Aeldari and the orks but were believed to have gone extinct long ago. Draegoth said he learned that bit of information from Inquisitor Ipabog, the Master who chose both he and Matthias to serve under him as Interrogators, as you now serve."
Basil stared at the Librarian waiting for more.
"Go on," Ansgar said. "Shoot it."
Basil reached into the quiver on his shoulder and removed one of the flightless arrows, then smoothly nocked it and easily pulled the arrow back, feeling virtually no resistance as the string tightened and the bow bent, then carefully sighted the leftmost target. Basil released the arrow. A streak of light silently flashed from the bow and into the target, knocking it over.
The thick plasteel target with ceramite backing lay on its back with the black flightless arrow protruding from it, still intact.
"Remarkable, isn't it?" Ansgar said with a smile on his face. "And dangerous. I'm quite certain it is more than capable of penetrating my power armour. Attalus has been able to replicate the arrows from adamantium, but the bow...it is made of wraithbone, fashioned by the Aeldari."
"This is a remarkable weapon," Basil said. "I do not know how to thank you."
"I do," Ansgar replied and reached his right hand out for the bow. Basil quickly complied and placed it into the giant gauntleted palm of the Librarian. "Place your hand upon my shoulder," he said and Basil quickly did as he was instructed. "I am going to try to reach back farther in time than I have before…with your help."
Basil just stared at Ansgar in response. My help. Why does he need my help?
"I see the confusion on your face, young Basil," Ansgar said with a smile. "You have spent so little time in training your psychic skills and encountered so few other psykers that you have no grasp of the power you possess, nor how quickly you learn to control it." He paused, and then added, "Yes, I need your help."
Basil reached for the Warp and grabbed hold of it, drawing it in, then reached out with it to Ansgar. The Librarian roughly took the reins from him and proceeded to shape the Warp to his will, Basil carefully watching what was being wrought. When he finished, flashes of light and dark alternated in Basil's mind. Then, images appeared and vanished, too fast for him to recognize. For an instant, Basil saw two orks with one holding the bow. Then blackness.
Finally, an image formed and began to play out before Basil's eyes.
Three men in long coats of blue stood over a table. Each was tall and slender with long hair, two blonde and one black, and they stared at a table beneath them. On it rested two recurve bows fashioned from a dark metal and one of gold. A low, almost inaudible, single tone filled the air.
"There is so much to it," said the man with black hair as he tapped his hand against the gold bow. The tone slowly modulated as he spoke. "We could only barely begin to copy the physical processes involved much less the psychic components. But our derivative weapons are elegant and deadly, though not a match for this superior device."
The figures faded from view and Basil felt the Librarian drawing forth more power through him and refashioning the Warp. He's reaching back farther, Basil decided.
Two figures faced each other. One a tall human with long black hair and dressed in a long green coat, the other a tall and slender Aeldari with long black hair drawn up into a topknot and dressed in a long red tunic with long wide pants of gold that did not reach his ankles. The Aeldari's hands were extended, with his fingers wrapped around a recurve bow made of a gold metal that sat in his palms. A low, almost inaudible, single tone filled the air.
"This is a gift from the people of Rubha Àird Driseig to you," the Aeldari said. As he spoke, the almost inaudible sound raised in volume and evolved into an everchanging, but soothing, song. "We have taken note of your appreciation for sound and music and would invite you to a performance tonight," he said, the continuous music rising in anticipation. "Will you join us? This performance will be our first lesson to you about a thing we call Kaos and the dangers it brings."
"Kaos?" the man asked with surprise, as the music turned shrill.
The image vanished.
"The Aeldari of craftworld Rubha Àird Driseig wanted to teach that ancient human civilization about Chaos," Ansgar said with a hint of a smile. "And they are moving. Moving in the Reach as well as in Thule. You must tell Inquisitor Matthias of this at once."
The words left Ansgar's mouth, but Basil barely heard him. I think I understand it, he said to himself and reached out to the Warp as he drew another arrow from his quiver and nocked it. Music and sound and the mathematics behind them say things. Basil drew back the arrow and the string emitted a single note, a note that changed pitch as he aimed at the second green target. Basil released the tension, and as he did, the note died away. He glanced at Ansgar and smiled. The Librarian did not smile back, he just stared intently at the boy. Basil drew back the arrow again, then puckered his lips and whistled to match the note, then stopped. He slowly changed the direction of his aim to the left cage wall, halfway down the range, and the note changed as he did so. Basil released the arrow and, in the same instant, whistled the same note he had whistled before changing his aim. The black arrow burst forth in a flash of light like a laser, at the mesh wall, then sharply changed direction and impacted into the second target, knocking it over.
"Music," he said while looking back to Ansgar with a childish grin. "This human civilization understood the mathematics associated with it and the Aeldari recognized their familiarity with it, their use of it in language, and gave them a gift in celebration of it." Basil and the Librarian simply stared at each other for a moment. "Is this mine to keep?" he asked.
"Yes, young Basil," Ansgar answered. "It is yours."
