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Chapter 14: Diplomacy is not a dead art
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Part 3
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Victory Bay
Kronus
On the way down from orbit, Amberley had a great view of the field where the Ork horde died. It bore visible scars from precise orbital strikes. When her flight got lower, she could see a ravaged landscape, working parties still pilling up Ork corpses in mass graves before incinerating them, and more.
During the final approach, the Inquisitor could notice multiple Mechanicus parties salvaging damaged vehicles, mostly Tau. Whatever else, this was a reassuring confirmation that the reports she went over were true at least in part. Even such a little thing had an impact on her now. Amberley was still trying to process her short "negotiations" with the Necrons. The aliens were polite, almost reserved, nothing like what
she imagined them to be. It was a stark contrast with the silent killers she was familiar with.
Most startling was the fact that the alliance still held. There were no reported incidents of Xeno aggression from Kronus. The Eldar were retreating, and indeed, they have been present. Her ship's sensors could prove that much, observing the tail end of a Grav tank column as it vanished into the mountains. Even now, many auspexes and other instruments were focused on twenty-five Walkers heading the same way.
That was disturbing and unusual enough, even if offered precious opportunity to gain intelligence. It was all the Necrons operating openly that greatly concerned Amberley. There were many of their Drones flying above Victory Bay and several bordering provinces. With the Warp event above the Deimos Peninsula dissipating quickly, orbital observation revealed the Xenos busy at work building more of their Pylons.
If those worked as advertised, she knew many Inquisitors who would gleefully commit mass murder to get their hands on them. She wouldn't be able to blame them either.
The ship's auspexes couldn't observe the Necron stronghold. The whole mountain range showed only a green haze when someone tried to scan it. If that wasn't ominous, Amberley wouldn't know what would be.
Her transport finally landed, surrounded by its escorts, and her party disembarked. Amberley patted her pilot on the shoulder in appreciation and disengaged herself from the back seat of the modified interceptor she rode down. She put the helmet on the seat and got out, then quickly disentangled her hair. It didn't like helmets very much.
Vail's retinue quickly formed around her, with Mott gently guiding their Psyker. Rakel could barely stand and cried tears of joy.
"I can see His light! It shines true!" The Psyker babbled.
Perhaps bringing her down here was a mistake, Amberley mused.
"It's time to find the truth." She muttered quietly and headed towards the far end of the landing pad. There a platoon of the Guard waited for them at attention. They were half the way there, when the armored doors separating the landing pads from the rest of the facility slowly began to open, revealing a golden glow.
"It comes forth!" Rakel exclaimed. "Rejoice my friends! Behold Divinity!"
Not a good sign that. Amberley saw Mott's right hand vanish in his robes to grasp the hilt of a blade, ready to deliver the Emperor's mercy. Simeon and Zemelda fell a step back, readying weapons as well. Good, the Acolyte was learning and the "former" Commissar was at his efficient best.
Vail left Rakel in their care and looked forth at what awaited them. A well outfitted Guard unit briskly marched forth, spreading out. A tightly knit cluster of Stormtroopers followed, backed by a man with the distinctive uniform of a Commissar.
Amberley barely noticed any of them. It was the man who they guarded that caught her attention and made her breath hitch. Those wings were real, and they blazed with a golden aura. This was the moment of truth. They were either in the presence of the Emperor's chosen, in which case, Amberley's life would become tremendously more complicated. Or they would be fighting for their lives and souls against a Daemonhost.
The soldiers standing at attention shifted, making the sound of the Aquila at the passing group. The winged man waved at them with a smile and focused his attention on Amberley's retinue. His eyes studied each one of them in turn while the two groups closed the distance. As they grew closer, one thing became clear, the potential Saint was tired. It was obvious if you could look him in the eyes and go past their shimmering glow.
"Inquisitor Vail? Inquisitor Delkatar Veil, former Acolyte of Lord Inquisitor Requista." The man introduced himself. "It's good to receive some sorely needed support at last. We need to talk."
"That we do, Inquisitor Veil. Do you have a place in mind?"
"General Alexander's HQ is nearby. I'm sure he can spare a secure room for our discussion." He looked at Rakel and shook his head in what might have been exasperation.
"It would be safer to hold discussions on my ship. More private too." Amberley offered a sultry smile, wondering how he would react.
"I'll have to decline, though I'll appreciate a tour at a later date if the situation permits it." Veil grimaced, keeping an eye on Rakel. "I'll recommend getting her in range of our test Pylon. Being in an area where the barriers against the Immaterium are much stronger might do some good to your Psyker."
"You know what's wrong with her?" Amberley inquired. Of course, he knew, he was the source of it. The only question was if it was a benevolent incident or a malevolent one.
Veil's wings twitched in what might have been an annoyance. A moment later, his voice confirmed it.
"People around me have funny reactions to the Emperor's power flowing through me. That and the fact that it calms and cleanses the Warp in a small area around me. Apparently, it is an experience that takes some time to get used to after having to deal with it's usual… miasma."
That almost sounded plausible. It was also insane and probably impossible. The odds of things turning out all right declined by the moment.
"Inquisitor!" Someone shouted, creating a commotion at the Spaceport's entrance.
This was it, Amberley decided and prepared to act. Around the Inquisitor, her retinue picked up the clues and was ready for action. This had to be a brave soul risking life and limb to get a warning out…
Amberley was ready to give the word, cursing herself for entertaining the thought that this wasn't a worst-case scenario.
"Scipio, what's now?" Veil's long suffered voice gave her pause. "Don't you have enough things to study and fix?"
A Tech-priest appeared. His red robes billowed from the speed he moved at and soon, the Mechanicus agent stood beside Veil.
"You can help! You must! It's the crowd! They're keeping us from the relic!"
That was both an unhelpful and ominous explanation.
"Scipio-Ro-11!" Veil barked and his wings fluffed out in a threatening display. "Compose yourself and act with the grace expected of one who represents Blessed Mars!" Veil paused. "Get yourself together! You're embarrassing the Adeptus Mechanicus in front of two Inquisitors!"
For the first time, Scipio-Ro-11 turned his hood their way. He stared at Amberley's retinue for a moment, then looked back at Veil.
"We've been scanning the site where the Omnissiah blessed you as it is proper! By the Motive Force, it was even more of a blessing we believed! We detected a large object buried right where you arose to smite the Orks! We're sure it is a trice blessed part of the Divine Engine The Aquila Ignis!"
"That's good?" Veil said. Confusion radiated from his whole figure.
"It's the crowd! It's back! There are even more people praying there, and they're ready to fight! They won't let us dig up the blessed artifact! You must come, Inquisitor! You must speak with them now!"
The first clear sign that Veil might not be a Daemonhost was the incredulous expression he displayed for all to see.
"Can we skip all the trivia, so someone could shoot me already and put me out of my misery?" The potential Saint groaned loud enough that everyone around could hear him.
This had to be one of the oddest Saints or Daemons in the galaxy, Amberley decided.
"Why would anyone want to shoot you, Inquisitor Veil?" She asked, faking naivety.
Amberley earned herself a despondent dead-pan look. Even the wings dropped, though their radiance didn't diminish. Truth be told, under the glow, Amberley had a hard time believing this could be a Daemon possessing some poor bastard. Naturally, that only made her feel more suspicious.
"Where do I start? Let's go stop the locals and the Martians from killing each other. I'll answer your questions on the way. Then you can shoot me, so all of this could be yours to deal with." Veil declared.
That certainly wasn't Daemon like behavior.
"Lead the way, Inquisitor Veil. Start from the beginning."
"You really want the long version?" The man gave her an incredulous look.
Of course, she did!
"I insist!" Amberley pouted.
"As you wish. Well, it was about sixty million years ago when the Necrothyr…"
Veil began speaking of things that were either beyond classified, or no living being had a right to know in the first place. Sometimes both and more. All Amberley could do was listen with sick fascination, while the insane man ignored her choked demands to shut the hell up!
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Part 4
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Bridge
Necron Battlecruiser Scythe
En route to Kronus
The negotiations with the Humans went better than anticipated, Amarkun concluded. They weren't shooting at each other. The Humans and their Imperium might yet prove useful. They could be a shield against some of the new threats rising in this age or a sword aimed at old problems. Like rival Dynasties. Or Aeldari, Devolved Krork infestations, and more.
Amarkun, Zaa, and the Necron Lord of Kronus, now calling himself Herald of Victory, a bit pretentious true, but well, everyone had to have their delusions… The three of them spent a long time discussing tactical and strategic options, all the while, the Nemesor did his absolute best to wrangle the best possible price for his assistance. He was careful though because alienating the Herald might not be the best choice.
With the principal enemies on Kronus defeated and posing no immediate threat, it allowed the allocation of even more resources on intelligence gathering. Most of the local human systems were relatively easy to penetrate, even though many did require physical access. Getting to the data wasn't the hard part. It was doing so without being noticed and leaving no trace of intrusion. There was no reason to rile up the poor primitives any more than they already were. Doing so might be counter-productive after all.
Those efforts did offer a lot of priceless data about the state of the galaxy, even if not all of it could be trusted. The Humans loved to drape religious dogma over everything and take things of faith that had nothing to do with such a fleeting concept.
Said data painted an even grimmer if a fragmented picture, which was the topic of endless discussions.
During one such brainstorming session, various assets on Kronus informed their Overlords about important events unfolding on the planet. Inquisitor Veil was awake. He had grown a pair of wings, which was now confirmed to be a permanent and very unusual state of affairs.
The Inquisitor had to deal with a crowd of the more foolish of his kind, something Amarkun could commiserate over. Then things got interesting. First, it appeared that offering a gift or two might be to ensure future good-faith negotiations. The Humans didn't have to offer something, not after the Inquisitor risked life and limb to protect a Planetary Lord.
There were, of course, similar but superior concepts among the Necrons when negotiations between Dynasties took place. It was almost nice to see the primitives did show the occasional glimmer of proper civilization. It was either that, or they were giving the Humans too much credit. Still, generally, it was better to overestimate something rather than underestimate it. Especially if it was a third party.
"The Inquisitor lost an arm saving you, Lord Herald of Victory." Zaa dispensed wise advice. "Perhaps we should craft him a proper replacement? From the data we have, while the Humans could craft adequate replacements, they're little better than mere flesh!"
Really, what was the use of replacing a missing limb if you didn't do so with something much better?
"That's good advice!" Amarkun agreed.
"Herald?"
"I already have my Crypteks design and build several prototypes to serve as replacements. Honor alone demands it."
Amarkun slowly nodded. Honor did matter when kept within reason. Without it, the Necrons would be a little better than the few more enlightened Aeldari, or primitives like the Humans.
"The Inquisitor lost his other arm earlier after engagement with devolved Krork and the Tau primitives. Perhaps we should offer a better replacement each?" Zaa again proved the foresight that gained him the title of Tomorrow.
"Perhaps an old fashioned shield so he won't be misplacing other parts in battle? He is running out of appendages." The Herald of Victory suggested.
"Cryptek, have designs drawn, and examples build. We'll examine them and decide on proper gifts." Amarkun declared magnanimously. According to some Human records, awing the primitives with exemplary gifts could go a long way. Those same records plainly said that such tactics worked on the Humans themselves.
They went back to strategic level discussions until it came time to observe the meeting between the Inquisitors. That would undoubtedly provide a lot of vital insight for the negotiations.
The Necrons watched and got more than they bargained for.
"How does he know this much? Did you tell him?" Zaa of Tomorrow left proper manners behind and all but accused the Herald.
"I did no such thing!" The Planetary Lord stood his ground and denied everything. "Besides, his story is incomplete! Just said so!"
"Get assets closer. We will fill in some blanks with our story." Amarkun decided. "Do watch Inquisitor Vail. The analysis concludes she mistrusts Inquisitor Veil. Such a state of the affair might harm our negotiating position."
"I'm working on it." Herald of Victory declared.
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Victory Bay
Kronus
Amberley felt a profound sense of relief when they got into the back of a Chimera. Thanks to Veil's wings, only a handful of people could get inside with him. She chose Mott, who was busy recording everything the madman said. The Commissar who arrived with Veil prepared to climb in as well when dreadfully familiar green lighting caught Vail off guards. Her instincts kicked in, and she dove for the ground.
Her retinue was slower on the uptake because they were already onboard a nearby transport. Necron treachery! That was Amberley's first thought. However, there were no screams of dying people, while their bodies disintegrated. No sounds of combat assaulted her ears. Just a few snorts and nervous laughter that died fast.
"Did you have to startle the good Inquisitor?!" Veil demanded, just as a wave of something wrong and foul hit Amberley.
Was there a Daemon of Nurgle here?! She rolled to her knees and looked wildly around. A pair of rather thin Necrons stood beside the boarding ramp of the Chimera, and no one else bats an eye at their appearance. The only other difference was a small girl hugging Veil's chest. That and the fact that he no longer glowed. His feathers were just snow-white in color now.
Amberley's mind raced to figure out what in the Emperor's name just happened?!
"Our Lord, Herald of Victory, deemed it fitting that we joined you to fill up missing parts of your story."
Mott, bless his scholar soul, nearly jumped in glee even if he looked a bit ill.
"We couldn't leave our charge behind." The other Necron conversationally pointed at the child hugging Veil.
"Everyone, this is Selene, the Greatest Pariah in the sector, honored Kneekaper, the bane of Daemons."
Finally, Amberley's mind kicked in high gear. Out of the armor, the girl looked much smaller and thinner, however, her status explained Vail's reaction.
It most certainly didn't explain why Veil wasn't screaming in pain. Why he wasn't wailing like Rakel, that a black hole was eating the Emperor's light? That said, her presence was firm proof that Veil wasn't a Daemonhost. Amberley keenly remembered what happened to one when they got too close to Jurgen, Caiphas' aide. It wasn't pretty. A lot of screaming and viscera got involved long before anyone did their best to put that thing out of everyone's misery.
"Zemelda, subdue Rakel before she does something foolish!" Amberley snapped. Damn it, her temper and self-control were fraying already!
"Pile in. Charles, you're either riding on top or getting another transport. I'm sure Inquisitor Vail will behave."
"As you wish, sir." The Commissar saluted and climbed on top of the Chimera.
Meanwhile, the two Necrons squeezed inside, a feat made easier by their slim bodies, much slimmer than the Necrons Amberly fought before. She gathered her courage, muttered a prayer to the Emperor, and climbed inside, staying as far away from the Pariah and the Xeno as she could, for all the good it did her.
"Where were we?" Veil had the sheer gall to ask when the transport began to move.
"At the point where you stop spilling classified information where anyone could hear it! Are you out of your mind?!" Amberley raged for a moment before catching herself. So much for keeping control and upholding the lofty standards of the Inquisition.
"Did I say anything you didn't know?" Veil infuriatingly ignored her and asked the Xenos.
"Nothing of consequence. Our Lord does wonder how you know of our origins?"
"I'm not sure myself. When a topic arises, I seem to recall such trivia."
"I would love to hear more!" Mott pipped up. Damn his scholar soul!
"Can you two make up your mind?" Veil looked between Amberley and her old friend with exasperation written all over his face.
Amberley knew she should demand the man shut up for good. However, if he actually knew what he was talking about, if the Necrons for some insane reason we're ready to collaborate the information and fill up holes in it, then it would be Amberley's duty to gain as much intelligence as possible, then ensure it got to the Inquisition at large! This had to be a stalling tactic, a distraction! And it was working, damn that man!
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