TENSIONS OF WAR


Production facilities were an important piece to any military operation, something which held true even on Kimara where no official conflict was taking place. Kimara's civilian population had been harshly depleted by the Imperial tithe paid by their present planetary governor and was set to total decline thanks to the lack of men to procreate, but even then the native Kimarans numbered in the millions. It meant that they could not properly protect each and every Fortress City, and so a consolidation had taken place in the proceeding decades over certain more financially viable cities to the planet where the Fortress Cities unable to maintain a proper garrison and defend themselves had their City left nigh abandoned by decree of the Governor. As many of Kimara's fortresses were solely in existence for military purpose it was considered natural that these 'outpost' cities be left unattended while moving their workforce to a more beneficial section of the planet rather than continue to upkeep allegedly unnecessary facilities.

This did not however completely solve the issues faced by the population collapse, as while Kimaran women were able to take up many of the roles of their husbands, brothers, and fathers they were unable to be in two places at once and carry out their own original tasks as well as those of fully trained soldiers. For this role the Planetary Governor had begun to import greater and greater numbers of soldiers from the nearby planet of Wostyn, with whom he had served in the Imperial Guard and achieved military honors with such that many of them were granted honorable discharges from their service. By utilizing trained soldiers to fill in for the lack of men it on paper solved the problems faced, and given the poverty of Wostyn after its complete ruination by the Iron Warriors and Kimarans in ages past hiring them came cheaply to Governor Conomor.

At first it was just some thousands recruited from those men originally serving under his command, then tens of thousands, and more recently their numbers had swelled to reach the millions as recruitment expanded to include untrained men barely older than children, pirates who saw greater opportunity for wealth within the law than outside of it, and convicted criminals who could serve their sentence under the watchful eye of penal officers. Wostyn had little to offer but its people themselves given the present day status of its world, and since they had so little before they grew fanatically loyal to the kind governor who solved their economic woes and Kimara's population decline in one fell swoop. That they were tasked with violently upholding his rule came as little issue as they had no love for the Kimarans, who showed none in kind to their ancient rivals.

Despite his allowance for the brutality required to demoralize the population into subservience the Planetary Governor did keep the mercenaries hired on a leash, for until he had complete and total control over the world an uprising born of shared mistreatment would be a brutal affair for all involved. Each Fortress City could fire upon numerous others with their Earthshaker cannons, their variants, and other forms of artillery and so while individual crimes could be overlooked the mercenaries were kept from pushing the envelope too far. Those who did tended to be from the ranks of the lesser trained or criminal aspects of the mercenary force, granting the Governor some public goodwill when he would see to their punishment for public and egregious crimes, but ultimately it was him who set loose soldiers and criminals with generations of anger at Kimara's population.

With the presence of the Wostyn military a civilian uprising would be nigh impossible as things stood, for while Kimaran women were not averse or untrained to deal with the dangers of their Death World many of them lacked experience in such matters. Before they had been primarily involved in homemaking and civilian endeavors such as agriculture, and to send mothers and farmers out to battle against veteran soldiers would be to invite disaster. The lack of a newer generation also meant that they as a population were aging and less capable naturally of combat as the ravages of time took their toll, further weakening any possible uprising's chances of success. Right after the Conomor coup against the Jarns the world was looked after by the watchful eyes of the Imperium and so the chance to overturn things in their youth had been squandered by the threat of full Imperial invasion, and so now they were forced to suffer through their undignified situation all the while possessing natures too stubborn and prideful to admit to it.

That they were loyal to what they believed to be the legitimate ruler of their world was of course the most restricting factor of why an uprising was unlikely, especially since the governor spent a great deal of resources building up his image with the public as a war hero from his time in the Imperial Guard. The lack of military training was another, but perhaps most inhibiting was the lack of tools to wage armed conflict in any way other than artillery. A civilian uprising could hypothetically arm itself with the few weapons they could salvage from any defeated soldiers and would have access to their city's own artillery, but unless they sought to kill their fellow Kimarans they could not rely on artillery alone to free themselves. It was in this manner that modern Kimara was well guarded against external foes, but lacked a proper defense mechanism to deal with ones allowed through the front door by their leaders.

For a proper set of weapons to wage war they would need to have them produced, and to have them produced in such a way that would not draw attention. That Kimara had a great deal of mining done across its frigid landscape meant that the industrial mining tools sometimes utilized by Genestealer Cultists could prove useful, but to have them produced for nonexistent mining operations would require allies within the local Mechanicus that the Commandant did not yet possess. If enough production capabilities could be set aside for their needs then they could be ready for open conflict if things came to that, and in time they more than likely would as the Governor and his cronies grew ever bolder in their depraved actions.

To try and kill him would just result in some other Conomor stepping forward to fill the vacuum, and in the time that took his soldiers would have their leashes cut off and the pain and suffering they inflicted until now would be made paltry compared to what they might do then. In this way conventional warfare was the option left on the table to them, and while it would no doubt cost many lives the Kimarans held the homefield advantage by knowing their planet far better than their adversaries. Wostyn soldiers were skilled at hit and run tactics rather than defending static stations, while Kimarans were not the most suited to shock tactics and rapid assaults while proficient at sieges, so neither side was in a position to play to their strengths.

Tension was rising, and while the idea of rebelling against an Imperial-backed force once again was far from the mind of the average Kimaran the necessary sparks leading to such an event were rising with each passing day. An uprising now would mean the death of Kimara as a world and culture, its remaining population receiving the final blow necessary to finish their proud people's legacy of suffering and the world free to be repopulated by the Imperium as it once did Cadia. Even those longing for their freedom from the Conomor regime knew better than to openly oppose it, and those hidden from its ever watchful surveillance would prepare quietly until either the day came that revolution was at hand or that the Planetary Governor and his men came cracking down their doors.

With the bloodshed spilled in wonton acts of cruelty over the years it was only too easy to find and target those with growing anti-government sentiments as those who mourned their loved ones or who survived the brutality harbored their resentment with eyes open to the propaganda surrounding them. For their justified beliefs they were routinely purged under the veil of protecting the peace and security of Kimara, when in truth it was the lack of peace that was being covered up.

Perhaps sensing the growing animosity towards his regime, Governor Conomor had begun to raise his public profile gradually to appear as present and forthright a leader as those of ages past on Kimara. With soft blonde hair lighter than his tanned skin he was a natural spectacle to witness upon Kimara, his family's history dating back to its founding when the population's typical appearance was not yet established and so always having stood apart from them. Their ties to other worlds that the Conomors would travel to meant that he was not so starved of natural daylight as those on Kimara as to appear ghastly like them, and despite having retired from active service he remained fit and thin even after years of hedonism enjoyed behind closed doors.

While being around a century in age the Governor appeared like a much younger man, extensive work having been done to retain a vibrant and youthful appearance. Dressed in tailored military garb that exuded regality with a flowing fuchsia cape and brilliant golden trim across it his already unique appearance was made all the more eye-catching, something which made his public marches through the streets surrounded by a sea of personal guards an even greater spectacle. On occasion a mournful survivor would try and fire upon his pristine visage, but never would a bullet find its mark: not only did he proudly use a personal energy field taken from the Jarns' own vaults that could deflect a great deal of incoming fire, so too did he possess a seeming unnatural speed and grace that made him all the more exotic to witness in the flesh.

Whatever he might not be able to protect from an assassin would be blocked by his guard retinue who were possessed by a deep Imperium-driven religious loyalty to the Governor, for he was the chosen leader of this world by the God Emperor of Mankind's own servants. Not only that almost all of the men under his direct command were former comrades of his on the battlefield, and he warmly showed them his favor and benevolence which further drove their dedication. That the Governor was widely hailed by their homeworld as the savior, a Kimaran who had finally apologized for the actions of his people's ancestors (while also bringing attention to the fact that his own family, the Conomors, were 'victims' of the Jarn dynasty as well and not complicit) and provided aid and effort to the financially unstable world of Wostyn to help alleviate their suffering. Their families could prosper under the relief provided to them by his policies, and for all of these reasons those directly surrounding the Governor were unquestioning in their loyalties.

So when told to crack open the door of a suspected family of rebels they did so with righteous purpose, the governor marching with his comrades proudly through the streets of whatever Fortress City was being swept of alleged terrorists. With their raid's commencement their overwhelming retinue would burst into the homes of these traitors to Imperial rule and gun down whatever armed resistance they might face, ruthlessly cutting down the Jarn dynasty revolutionaries who dared to oppose the Conomor and thus Imperial rule. These renegades would dare to hold themselves above their Imperial kin, and in striking them without mercy they were forced to face the consequences of their actions. The Governor himself would be present at most of these sweeping operations, making certain that no dissidents remained and that all in connection to the criminals were eliminated for their heresy.

The young, the elderly, the infirm, and the healthy, it did not matter what they were, if they were believed to harbor unsanctioned beliefs they were to be dealt with the same. The Conomors had been brought to power under the will of the people or so they claimed, and so those that opposed them opposed Kimara as a whole. To question that was to invite such a visit to your own home, and so silence reigned. Those who were without a doubt guilty might be then paraded before Kimara's population as extremists before being executed after an alleged trial that was wholly a political practice rather than a judicial one dedicated to justice.

On such occasions Governor Conomor would speak to all across Kimara in broadcasts of the execution, using his uncanny charisma and sway over others to make those who might question the events believe in the narrative his regime was putting forth.

"Oh how it pains me to do this, for these are our kin we have toiled beside in protecting our dear world, and yet they have turned their backs upon us. My dear comrades and I are merciful to our very core, but the law is the law and as abiding members of the Imperium we must see to it that those who question His majesty and threaten our security meet swift justice," he would say as if with a heavy heart for the consequences of his own actions that would go wholly unaddressed as firing squads formed behind him and took aim at the political prisoners.

"This is for the good of our people, and let it be known that I will not tolerate any such heretics who would seek to impose the tyrannical jingoist ways of the Jarn family upon us again! Through their expulsion from our society we may yet save ourselves from falling to the folly of our past, and so while we as the children and worshippers of the one true Emperor may mourn their straying from our path we should feel no regret for their divine punishment!"

Such proclamations would then be followed by the executions of those rounded up, and so another day upon Kimara would pass 'peacefully' and 'without incident'. After all, if you questioned the circumstances of any of this you might be perceived to be a heretic and renegade, so it was best to keep your head down and accept that those obviously guilty insurgents brought their fates upon themselves.

That very loyalty and trust in authority practiced by the Kimaran people safely for millennia beforehand had become the very chains by which they now were enslaved to an uncaring and brutal regime.


There were numerous Mechanicus facilities upon Kimara spread throughout its various Fortress Cities to prevent any one region from becoming a priority target for invasion, for capturing or otherwise incapacitating the world's production of war materials would mean crippling it in the long run and leaving it vulnerable to a siege. It was for this purpose that even the primary Mechanicus stronghold, known as Fakultat colloquially despite possessing a more technical designation like other Fortress Cities, was not surrounded by other such Mechanicus facilities but rather by particularly reinforced civilian cities. From them it drew its workforce in addition to its own population, and by keeping the Mechanicus separate across the world it helped restrain their influence and power since while a natural consequence of defending them from all directions so too were they threatened on all sides.

Fakultat might possess deeper meaning and purpose to the Mechanicus and the world's military production but it held little value to the Conomors due to its lack of export and financial gain. It was the oldest and most advanced of the Mechanicus' holdings on Kimara, but with its focus entirely on keeping the world's defenses replenished from wildlife, pirate, and Xenos incursions along with the personal pursuits of their Magos Biologis (known also as Genetors) it meant their forges provided no excess goods or services to trade with the greater Imperium. They had developed many of Kimara's unique variants of their wargear ranging from Basilisk cannons to Tauros all terrain vehicles meant for extreme cold, but their most notable contribution to Kimaran society was overseeing its thousands upon thousands of years of gene-crafting in pursuit of improving upon Humanity through biological albeit technologically manipulated means.

This tendency to push the limits of their technology and Humanity itself saw the local Mechanicus as outcasts and barely tolerated within the ranks of the greater Mechanicum, only staying within their graces due to the slow and cautious approach to their developments the Kimaran Mechanicus undertook rather than engaging in completely revolutionary experimentation. This gradual improvement and methodology was both a result of their Kimaran temperaments as well as a necessity given that to try anything greater could result in censure, thus eliminating any purpose and gains of the research done. It was better to gradually improve upon the Human form by removing things such as genetic flaws bit by bit than to try hopelessly to match the genius of the God Emperor's own genetic machinations where in short order he advanced Humanity's understanding of such technology by leaps and bounds.

If Kimara was to ever see the end of the Conomor regime its loyal sons and daughters would need access to not only civilian factories but the mighty forges of the Mechanicum, and for that reason Isolde had been sent by her father to visit Fakultat under the official purpose of overseeing and reviewing its defenses given recent migratory patterns of Yormungaros in the region. Due to the Conomors lack of favor the surrounding Fortress Cities in its grid had been left undermanned thus leaving the members of Fakultat more vulnerable to attacks from a variety of sources, and while the Mechanicus was adept at protecting itself that did not mean they could withstand a horde of Kimara's dangerous beasts setting upon them without sustaining major casualties. For this purpose sending a Commissar to oversee things was nothing out of the ordinary, with Isolde's presence merely being on paper to facilitate the restructuring of local forces to best prepare for the Yormungaros while maintaining cohesion and order.

Beyond that was of course Isolde's true motivation, her visitation being to facilitate connections with scouted influential and sympathetic personnel within the Adeptus Mechanicus. Their members upon Kimara were primarily drawn from the ranks of the planet and so shared in its burdens, with there being a deep rift growing between them and the regime in recent years due to the growing political strife on the planet. By being separate in leadership from the Planetary Governor and his forces the Kimaran Mechanicus had grown to house those with ill-will towards the direction their planet was heading, though this did not fully comprise their members. Those who had held grievances for whatever reason with the Jarn family or its regime had been granted enough support by the Conomors to rise above their peers, and in this way the main figurehead for the Mechanicus presence on Kimara was a direct crony of the Planetary Governor by the name of Shetth.

While not the top ranking member or the one with the greatest seniority Shetth possessed a great deal of influence and so in effect was their leading member, capable of making others bend to his will through authority rather than any form of charisma or loyalty. His arrogance was second to few throughout the Imperium, believing himself to possess greater intellect and insight than even the ruling lords and Archmagos of Mars, all the while possessing little talent that only was able to facilitate his rise through outside intervention born of his loyalty to certain influential elites upon Kimara such as the Conomors.

Much akin to Governor Conomor it was a rare sight to see Shetth out among his people, and while the ruling Conomor was making efforts to combat his seemingly out-of-touch persona Shetth was wholly unaware of such opinions held towards himself. On the occasion he might make a public appearance Shetth would likely spout some random trivial mechanical nonsense at length akin to a grandparent speaking of how things were in their day before departing without a response, as if he had been monologuing to himself. This repeated behavior had many members question if his systems were fully operational as he would often repeat the same topics in these rants, and snap violently if questioned at all while possessing no seeming capability for the logic the Mechanicus was known for.

If not for his connections it was unlikely such an individual would have ever risen to any position of power, but with his volatile personality and lack of deep thought it made him a useful tool for those who would benefit from seeing the Mechanicus' presence diminished and eventually brought entirely to heel. The Magos officially was both a member of the regime and the Mechanicus, and that was noteworthy as it made him allegedly twice as important and possess a greater deal of political protection, when in reality it just drew him ire from both groups since his actions permeated through both sections of Kimaran life.

That Shetth desired to spend his time with his fellow upper-crust socialites suited Isolde just fine, for it made coming across him less likely and it was well known that he held no respect or love for her father or any member of Kimara's Schola. Instead she went about her duties without seeking the attention of those who would impede her, carrying out routine inspections and meeting with the local defense forces to prepare them in case the Yormungaros did stray onto their territory. With a skeleton crew manning each of the nearby Fortress Cities the Yormungaros could appear at a moment's notice completely untouched by gunfire, for while a fully manned set of defenses would eradicate them at range there were holes in what they could cover at the present time.

From Isolde's initial inspection of the defensive capabilities present there was a heavy emphasis placed on civilian and Skitarii forces, for while there were members of the Wostyn garrison they were assigned to protect the innermost sections of the Fortress City and protect Shetth himself rather than the surrounding area. This meant that on paper enough support had been lent to the city to defend it, but in actuality they were capable of utilizing half their artillery at best while the rest was left to untrained or otherwise rookie militia members who were being drafted upon Isolde's suggestion after reviewing the local database for any individuals non-essential to the operation of the city that could still assist militarily.

With her authority as a Commissar Isolde was able to force even those who would typically grant orders to obey her will, and the hegemonic power structure on Kimara saw those local Mechanicus and militia forces submit without further question given her identifying characteristics. Upon her initial arrival Isolde had been asked about her business within the holy halls of the Omnissiah, at which point she was granted immediate entry when she showed them not only her documents identifying her as an official Commissar now but also a ring given to her by her father that had belonged to him as a personal mark. The Commissar had dealt with the Mechanicus in the past and so the iron and sapphire ring immediately identified her as a part of his circle with her armband and identification aiding the connection.

The only difficulty with the local Mechanicus came with Isolde attempting to bring Bo with her inside their facilities as she inspected them and arranged for their defense, as there was a longstanding ban of Ixolotls entering the Mechanicus except to undergo scientific study. This was done in ages past due to the absent-minded nature of the creatures leaving them vulnerable to causing accidents in their factories and forges, causing injury to not only the creatures but also staff and whatever it was they were creating. It was not done out of spite like more recent laws meant to cater to the distaste held for the salamander-like creatures by those from Wostyn, but rather for the safety of all.

Isolde had brought Bo with her due to her desire to have him learn from the various locales they visited, as while simple creatures Ixolotls could learn a great deal even if they did not properly understand what they were doing or why. If Bo was to be a helpful companion in her future he would need experience, and Isolde had no intention of leaving that to later, so he rode beside her on her modified Dirtcycle in a sidecar variant meant for Ixolotls widely distributed throughout Kimara to facilitate their transportation. Bo enjoyed sitting backwards on it for reasons known only to him, but he was perfectly content riding for however long was necessary to reach their next destination so long as he was with his owner.

To get around this ban, and certain that she could keep Bo from doing anything particularly unwise, Isolde stated her intention to have him subjected to a scientific study. This saw Bo through the entrance into the Mechanicus buildings she visited, the juvenile Ixolotl just happy to follow along even if he was not doing anything else at the time. Isolde made certain he was present when the Basilisks were being loaded, for while his arms had not developed enough yet to properly help rearm the artillery Bo still would begin forming the connection between the actions involved.

While Ixolotls were barred from entry into Mechanicus facilities on Kimara they did possess a counterpart in the form of Gudrus, a species of slug-like creatures that had adapted to live off of the industrial waste produced by the local Mechanicus. Their somewhat amorphous shape allowed them to thrive in otherwise difficult to reach spaces and their consumption of otherwise toxic or harmful substances made them quite at home wherever a factorum could be located. While young they would often find their home in smaller devices which led to the Mechanicus providing them specific objects to inhabit, and given their flexible bodies they would eventually be provided mechanized suits akin to those of Necromunda's Ambots to serve as assistants as the Gudrus grew large enough to inhabit them. Taming the creatures was simple enough given their fascination with certain types of technology that the tech-priests had ready access to, the creatures sharing a natural curiosity that was shared by their eventual masters that saw them drawn to recreational equipment such as skis and snowboards for reasons unknown but hypothesized to be a result of their amorphous and near liquid forms naturally being poor at travel over Kimara's frozen tundra.

Bo was particularly fascinated by the sluglike beings that only thrived within the factories and forges of Kimara, never having seen them before and so drawn to their metal golems they inhabited. It was a sign of the particularly biological bent to the research done on Kimara that their Mechanicus was able to create such contraptions, and while not particularly large they possessed the prerequisite strength to handle the roles often left to Servitors with servo-arms. Unlike other Imperial planets Kimara was almost wholly lacking in the usage of Servitors, their culture's nature being such that they were considered cruel abominations of flesh and steel that had no place among their ranks. Kimarans were expected to have the self-sufficiency to handle the more menial tasks of Servitors were tasked with rather than rely on a Servitor to take their notes for them or open doors or other such trivial matters.

It is almost certain that the longstanding bond between Kimarans and Ixolotls factored into their usage of Gudrus in the factories where Ixolotls were not permitted, as while an Ixolotl might get in the way without knowing Gudrus were so malleable in structure that they were unlikely to suffer harm should they get caught in a machine's inner workings. If not for the attachment between Kimarans and another semi-intelligent creature throughout the years it was likely these servants of the Omnissiah would have simply exterminated the slimy creatures feeding off their industrial waste as other members of the Imperium might. Instead they cultivated the creatures in such a way that they would mitigate the environmental effects of their work while also contributing to the required manual labor to streamline production, thus proving superior to the Servitors they had replaced albeit requiring the presence of a factory to thrive and thus limited in their presence across the world.

Bo's interest in the Gudrus would help facilitate Isolde's meeting with one of the scouted Mechanicus members who could become a potential ally within their organization by the name of Mahla, a young member who had survived battles against the Yormungaros in recent months after being deployed on the frontlines to fend them off due to the lack of defense personnel. Witnessing their destruction firsthand and the slaughter the beasts carried out among her peers also forced to engage them directly had left a mark on Mahla, knowing that lives could have been saved had the self-named 'Sons of the Emperor' from Wostyn been deployed to assist them.

Not only had she been granted reason to become jaded with the status quo, Mahla was also among the ranks of those tech-priests on Kimara dedicated to scientific discovery and progress rather than the stagnation the Imperium was now defined by. With a desire for knowledge and capable talent in her fields Mahla was exactly the type of individual that could be better served by a more supportive political structure. Her youth did not prevent her from finding success in her technological pursuits, even possessing her own hand-crafted augments that assisted her in her work. The tech-priests of Kimara were less likely than their counterparts elsewhere to replace parts of their bodies such was their pride in their physical form, but that did not prevent them from adding to their bodies mechatendrils and similar devices that could assist them in their work.

In a turn of fortune Isolde's interest in recruiting Mahla to their cause was matched by Mahla's curiosity with Isolde herself, for while Mahla possessed the well-sculpted physique one could expect of a Kimaran woman Isolde was a complete anomaly in form which thus drew the curiosity of a member of the Magos Biologis. Isolde was a puzzle to be inspected and solved, and it was not difficult to see why.

That Isolde drew the attention of a particularly curious member of the Mechanicus was not surprising to her, as turning heads was something Isolde had grown quite used to while she grew into a young adult. At just under seven feet in height Isolde possessed a striking figure now that she was fully grown, towering over even many of her male compatriots at the Schola in particular those who came from off-world and lacked more typical Kimaran features. That around half of her height went to her athletically sculpted legs only made her appear more striking, balancing lithe muscles with a distinctly female curvature that made her height not simply give her the appearance of a flagpole.

Perhaps most grabbing in terms of Isolde's figure was that while retaining her thin figure it was proportional to her size and not seemingly anorexic, best exemplified with her distinctly gene-crafted hourglass features that saw her waist narrow, her hips wide with thighs to complement, and possessing breasts that each were larger than her head in seeming tandem with her overall height. At nearly the height of an Astarte it was only natural that Isolde's features would be so far beyond the norm, appearing more like a particularly tall woman rather than a spindly one whose height was not matched by other physical traits she possessed.

Whatever methods have been utilized to gene-craft her had left Isolde as a wholly imposing figure wherever she would go, drawing not only attention but the natural awe Humanity was hardwired to associate with particularly tall individuals. Her paleness matched with her flowing mane of jet black hair and icy blue eyes instantly labeled her as distinctly Kimaran, and the mixture of height, beauty, and general appearance was evocative of female Kimaran rulers from ages past. Perhaps that was the intention of whomever created her to be the way she was, but such matters were not discussed with Isolde herself and were beyond her focus: to the Commandant's daughter there was always more work to be done, training to be repeated or expanded upon, and so such idle thoughts were to be left to those who bore witness to her near mythical and eerily crafted beauty.

After exchanging greetings at the tech-priest's personal laboratory Isolde offered Mahla a bag she had brought with her, the contents of which were revealed to be raw currency once Mahla opened it. This surprised the tech-priest, who despite wearing a mask which concealed her face still managed to convey her confusion through a small tilt of the head.

"Statement: explanation required," was Mahla's response, her voice even and robotic and demonstrating a particular quirk that differentiated her from the other tech-priests Isolde had encountered so far.

Isolde nodded back to reaffirm Mahla that this was not just some gift or some form of payment, but rather a donation, "The Commandant is sympathetic to the losses your people have suffered without recompense. Civilian, Imperial servant, or otherwise we all are daughters of Kimara and if we do not look after one another then who will?"

Her words seemed to have the intended effect upon Mahla, who looked down to the small fortune just handed over to her as Isolde continued in a solemn yet reassuring tone.

"It will not bring back those you have lost, but the missing incomes of families can doom their prospects or even survival. Please pass this along to them so that they may get through these difficult times."

Mahla furthered her line of questioning to ascertain the remaining issue she held with accepting a large sum of their world's currency, that being the origins it possessed and whether it would have ramifications should she take it.

"Addendum: purpose understood, source of fund appropriation left unknown and within question."

Isolde grinned, finding the thought to be well-meaning even if it was implying there might be something dark hidden about the donation, as it was a smart thing to inquire about if only to claim later that it was accepted under the express statement that it was clean money, "The funds are not stolen if that is what you are concerned over. Every credit comes from the Commandant's own personal account."

This finished Mahla's curiosity about the subject, finally accepting the funds in full and placing them away where they would be safe until she could grant it to those in need of it, "Statement: explanation acceptable. Compensation for losses shall be distributed."

With the matter handled Isolde found herself asked to have her 'perplexing physical form' studied with some basic scans and tests, to which Isolde acceded to help ingratiate herself to Mahla. If the Genetor desired to learn about her body then Isolde had little objection so long as the tests were not particularly invasive, and it could always help Isolde understand her own body better. All of her medical tests in the past had been handled by a specialist arranged by her father, so this would be her first time having her body inspected in a scientific manner outside of that.

As Mahla put Isolde through a battery of tests she spoke, proving to be quite talkative when given the opportunity even if no-one in particular asked about the subject at hand. In one such instance she explained what set Kimarans apart from other types of Humans in regards to their musculature, explaining that, "Statement: Typical Kimaran constitution range greatly exceeds homo-sapien average, only falling short of Astartes range and distinct Abhuman strains. Type one muscle fibers standard quantity vastly outnumber type two counterparts, resulting in immense natural endurance at the expense of bursts of force and agility."

Her explanations and statements could largely be boiled down to the fact that while a Kimaran would not be winning footrace competitions with the fastest members of other worlds they would outlast physically almost any not-Abhuman peer in raw endurance. While not particularly fast runners they still possessed the necessary components in their bodies to react rapidly which was most noticeable in their marksmanship, but possessing such hand-eye coordination to properly hit a target at range did not enable them to perform particularly well in closer engagements where the sudden twist of a knife would matter more than how well you could angle and finesse that knife to stab. They possessed precision above initiative in such matters and that was a strength they played to in their defenses where properly aimed artillery would matter more than rapid-fire instruments.

Isolde did not mind that it took over half an hour to properly survey her body with all of Mahla's various scanning technologies for right now the Yormungaros were estimated to be hours from appearing and the Fortress City's defenses were currently rearranging themselves as per her instructions. It would take time for them to accede to her demands and so Isolde would have to wait for them anyways, so spending this time gaining a possible ally was a worthwhile endeavor in her mind.

Upon Mahla's completion she gave a long list of basic information about Isolde ranging from her height to her eye color, largely covering things Isolde was obviously well aware of until she began to speak about Isolde's internal composition. First was a comment about her suspected reproductive health to which Isolde did not comment, but did listen intently to given that she had always wished for a family that she never could have given the social circumstances on Kimara.

"Conjecture: projected fertility of subject highly divergent. Optimal gynecoid pelvis and musculature for parturition and carriage beyond baseline Kimaran structure."

To hear that she was equipped for motherhood yet knowing she would be unable to attain it due to the lack of suitable partners struck Isolde in a way she had not expected, it dealing a blow to her typically prideful nature via her personal softness regarding family.

While rattling off other information gathered Mahla mentioned another anomaly and irregularity she observed in Isolde's body, quickly drawing Isolde's attention away from her woes to instead focus on the somewhat worrying details being raised.

"Observation: a myriad of abnormal organs of unknown origin located within abdominal region. Integration comprehensive and natural given excess organs possessing Human genetic strain. Subject should not possess averse side-effects, pending further research."

In less complex terms Isolde possessed supplemental organs in her body atypical to the Human form, but not only were they seemingly natural parts of her they were distinctly Human in their genetic formation. This seeming contradiction drew Isolde's attention and caused her to press Mahla further on the issue.

"I would appreciate if you would explain further."

"Addendum: preliminary inspection reveals organs to be inherent to body without sign of tampering or implantation. Genetic inheritance or gene-crafting likely explanation. Replication in offspring possible."

Whatever these unknown organs were they not implants placed into her, rather they were genetically formed within her by all indications and might pass down to her own hypothetical children. Further information on their purpose was unknown, though the proximity of one to her chest and the seeming link between it and her well endowed bosom seemed to inspire Mahla to further test the subject.

"Assessment: results incomplete. Biopsy required, full amputation for functionality recommended."

Isolde brushed Mahla's instruments away while casting a bemused glance, sensing that Mahla was stating that Isolde's chest was impeding her and was unnecessary and so should be sacrificed for scientific study. Whether there truly was a link between one of the organs and Isolde's enhanced form was certainly an interesting scientific question, but Isolde was unwilling to be someone else's test subject in such a way. She was proud of her body and had worked hard to maintain it at the peak of fitness, and so to dare subject it to mutilation would betray her efforts in maintaining it. Mahla might be correct that having a pair of breasts so large that they would be an encumbrance to a typical woman was a drawback, but they posed no burden to Isolde and she did not suffer from any of the typical health issues associated with such a physical feature. That itself might be a result of her different physical structure perhaps influenced by these organs, but Isolde was not going to begin having others poke around her and prod her like some lab rat.

"I am as I am meant to be. I would threaten to remove tenfold anything you take from me, but such an arrangement may be considered optimal to a member of the Mechanicus."

Mahla nodded, accepting this even if she was still curious about the subject given that this was her first experience with such a unique circumstance, "Supplication: biopsy option available in perpetuity for scientific inquiry."

"While your scientific endeavors and progress possess my support, I am afraid I must firmly decline any personal experimentation. If you must hack away at a body I notice you possess similar attributes to first test," Isolde replied with a nod over at Mahla's own curvaceous body that was the baseline for their planet.

Without missing a beat Mahla responded back while gesturing to her mechanical harness on her body, "Answer: encumbrance negligible. Augments supplement physical form sufficiently to counterbalance possible complications inherent to standard Kimaran female form."

Before the subject could continue further it was interrupted by the noise of something crashing onto the floor, drawing both women's attention over to where Bo was climbing atop a workbench. He was inspecting various tools while Mahla's personal Gudru attempted to stop him, only managing to make matters worse in the process by knocking over other objects with its less than precise servo-arms built into its suit. Bo's tail wagging back and forth and thumping up and down was hitting things he was unaware about, and so the reason for Ixolotls being banned was demonstrated all in one short display.

"Upa."

Mahla repressed a sigh as she watched the young Ixolotl begin running around without seeming purpose on top of her station, "Observation: signage concerning beryl toned salamanders is visible upon entry."

Isolde was used to Bo's antics by now and so just left him be, able to see that there was nothing he could actually damage where he was and thus the only thing that could come to harm was Bo himself.

"Consider it a learning experience for him."

Mahla did not share this lax attitude on the matter, "Cautionary: Mechanicus facility possesses various hazards."

Bo managed to trip off of the workstation and tumbled onto the floor, shocked for a moment about his sudden tumble but ultimately unharmed and thus unperturbed about it. Instead he found himself fascinated by the scanner he fell onto, it being one meant to study brain activity in Humans and animals to help facilitate the Genetor's research.

Perhaps unsurprisingly when it automatically scanned Bo little brain activity was to be found.

"Then it is all that more important of a learning experience," Isolde stated as she too repressed a sigh, looking forward to the day that Bo's youthful energy was expended and that he would be as reserved as his father Olym.

Despite Mahla's reservations about Bo's presence in her laboratory she would moments later find herself looking after him, for in the distance the rumblings of an oncoming horde of Yormungaros made itself known. Isolde reacted swiftly and grabbed her gear, rushing outside to confront the beasts head-on with the forces she had spent the past hours organizing.

The Yormungaros were approaching faster than anticipated and in greater number if their noises were any indication, and so there was not a moment to lose.


Verita had a part to play in the machinations of the Commandant just like Isolde and Dairine did, though hers were in an entirely different arena. Where Isolde was rallying others to their cause and Dairine was eliminating those in their way, Verita was the one gathering information and learning the truth about various subjects that would prove beneficial to them. Becoming the acolyte of Inquisitor Kravin had brought additional duties to her, but they were things she likely would have undertaken even without his instruction due to their importance.

The Inquisitor had tasked Verita with investigating specific irregularities in the Conomor regime which saw her interacting with and ciphering through their mountains of bureaucracy, for despite any other failings it was a strength of the Conomor regime to make all their paperwork, laws, regulations, and related material all look exactly as it ought to be under Imperial rule. This made it an arduous task that would bring most to their heels but to Verita it was something she could sort through as if placing pieces of a puzzle together bit by bit, and that was why she had been chosen by the Inquisitor in the first place. She possessed a straightforward clarity that allowed her to cut straight through to the heart of things and understand them, and that was an invaluable trait when dealing with a nest of corruption, lies, and falsification.

How Verita decided to go about her investigation was largely left up to her by the Inquisitor perhaps as a test, for so long as she achieved results and brought him more pertinent information on the Conomor regime it was enough to satiate him. His own work kept him busy as he met with officials, traveled to see to Imperial documents held off-world related to Kimara, and otherwise approached the subject from all angles to ensure that a once traitor world was indeed still loyal. This left him with little time to meet with Isolde in person, and she instead often was passing along her reports to the local Deathwatch forces that served as his personal enforcers in this matter.

Due to her parents' possession of it the enigmatic box Verita had acquire some time ago remained a focal part of her investigations, for not only did their historical studies seem to involve it somehow the box had led Verita to numerous places of importance upon Kimara. If all of its destinations were so significant then continuing to follow it might shed greater light on their situation, and so Verita followed its lead when it revealed itself occasionally upon the full blue moon of Kimara. First had been the site of the Iron Warriors' arrival to Kimara, and second had been an abandoned outpost used by a pair of young political refugees whose family had been persecuted by the Conomor regime.

There Verita had found a diary kept by the younger sister up until her passing, having died of starvation waiting for her elder sister to return with food and supplies while unaware that her sister had been caught and been disappeared by the Sons of the Emperor. Only by fully going through the log detailing the horrors endured by the two had the box shown the next letter in its seeming code, as if the only way it found the bearer worthy of possessing its information was by possessing the empathy to fully listen to the tragic story told.

-O-E-

While this could have been overlooked as a simple method of siphoning out those who would take the effort to inspect the abandoned facility and demonstrate personal care for those who suffered, it also told Verita something else: the box was relatively new, for it had been made in the time between the arrival of the Wostyn garrison around two decades ago and her own family's deaths when she was quite young. Whomever made it had put it together for a purpose in the present day of Kimara, and what that meant was unknown as of yet to her but it did at least help her understand its context better.

Outside the base Verita had noticed that someone had buried the deceased sisters, something that would require no small amount of effort given that it meant retrieving the body of the elder while also digging into the hard ground of Kimara frozen solid a thousand times over. Whomever had found them was likely also whomever made the box, and they displayed an altruistic side in doing so by seeing the two victims of the regime laid to rest despite whatever difficulties lay in accomplishing it. While not entirely conclusive it did make Verita believe that perhaps whomever made the box had similarly positive and well meaning reasons for doing so, further strengthening her resolve to discover what secrets lay within it.

This quest for knowledge brought Verita to the next location indicated by its coordinates, that being the current capital city of Kimara as ruled by the Conomors. In years past the city had been named after the Conomors in honor of their memory as a part of Kimaran history, making the aptly titled 'Conomor City' a natural location for the Conomors to reaffirm their claim to rulership over the planet. The Fortress City had been reinforced as had those around it to mirror how the Jarn's own palace and its city had been deeply fortified, for while the Conomors might despise the Jarns there was still plenty the former rulers had done that would be foolish to not mimic. To take the city would be nigh impossible, especially given that the most accomplished and veteran soldiers from Wostyn served directly there to protect their benefactor while the more expendable trash were left to deal with more peripheral cities where casualties were inevitable no matter your training or discipline given the sudden onslaughts Yormungaros could wage.

It was thus here that the Conomors dictated the course of Kimaran society as well as its discourse, for Kimara's many defenses included those against external subversion. The Imperium had worried that the Iron Warriors might return one day to lay claim to the world with all of its resources, and so they had set the world's communications in such a way that no unwanted messages would pass through to the population. The rulers of Kimara and its Imperial oversight were the ones to determine what could be broadcast, and this had helped over the years shift Kimara to being a loyal member of the Imperium despite never forgetting its grudges and history. Through the Jarn family the populace had grown to respect the Emperor and his ideals even while holding disdain for their personal treatment by his servants, and so Kimara had refrained from rebellion for thousands of years.

Under the Conomors this focus had shifted instead to venerating the Imperium as a whole and also the Conomors themselves, for while the Jarns did their part to instill a cult of personality among their people they were humble by nature despite it all with it being a trait passed down through the generations seemingly by choice given their gene-crafting. The Conomors however took it to another level, utilizing outright propaganda, lying or omitting facts about situations broadcast to taint the views of their citizens in a particular way, poisoning the well of their ideological opponents, and outright ignoring pressing issues that ought be reported because it would detract from their image. This practice of misinformation was disgusting to Verita who valued the truth above all else, and so upon seeing the capital city she readied herself for whatever she was going to witness within it.

Getting through its security was a simple matter for Verita given her ties to the Schola and an Inquisitor, the latter of which was nigh unquestionable and so even those who might deny her entry were forced to allow her in. The coordinates given to Verita by the box were specific enough that she knew she had to visit the Conomors' personal palace and so she wasted no time in making her way to it, passing through numerous checkpoints on the way and being waved through each of them. The city was beautiful from a glance, though a closer look revealed the signs that not all was as fine as it would appear to be: podiums to carry out executions, slums, and other such signs of societal degradation were evident throughout despite the beauty of its buildings and even military fortifications.

Upon her arrival at the palace there was a single word in Verita's mind to describe it and all she had seen thus far, and that was 'excessive'. Atypical was the architecture on Kimara that was complex and not designed for function and military purpose, and the Conomor palace was one such location. Possessing architecture on its outside best described as sinuous and organic, its colorful curvature and asymmetrical design possessed a unique flair at every given point that set it far apart from the simplistic designs to be found in other Fortress Cities. Gates were not simple slabs of reinforced metal but rather spiraling designs with bright heraldry and openings as if to grant the viewer a glimpse at what lay beyond without truly revealing it in full.

Compared to the spartan living style of the Schola it was extravagant just to behold, and the near organic appearance to everything was uncanny with archways possessing details evocative of ribcages. Elsewhere one could witness stained glass like one would find in a cathedral lining the walls in complex patterns while walls being made of sculpted stone rather than hard metal to show off innumerable forms of artistry in each fine detail. All throughout one could view Imperial eagles either as statues embedded within the architecture, edges and towers emblazoned with golden wings or beaks, and entire sections of the palace shaped to evoke the very same imagery when looked at from afar.

Such wealth and opulence being visibly displayed was fairly new even to the Conomor family itself, as historically their members while affluent still possessed a degree of the financial humility shared by others of their world. Such considerations were apparently lost on the current Planetary Governor, but with armed guards posted in excess throughout the palace and its exterior it was just as likely that he was aware and simply did not care as to the opinions of those outside.

Even if the palace itself was not built specifically to withstand a military attack the city around it was, as each Fortress City upon Kimara was designed with the same philosophy which saw them segmented and reinforced such that even if part of the city's structure fell others could reinforce and be closed off. This was important given the constant threat of Yormungaros upon the world since if they dealt damage to one section of a city the rest would not be condemned to the harsh elements of Kimara, and if a military invasion were to take place one block of the city falling would then be partitioned off from the others by the very same rapidly deploying walls and structures to prevent further incursion. This then would leave the invading force vulnerable to artillery fire from other nearby Fortress Cities that could bombard the specific segment of the city and eliminate the attackers without causing further harm to the city's other areas.

With each Fortress City possessing similar designs and architecture as envisioned by Trahaearn Jarn himself it made repairing and reconstructing fallen sections far easier than a more organic city might. Nearly every part of a city had its blueprints well documented and replicated all throughout the planet with only specific Fortress Cities possessing more unique designs, while most only possessed unique flairs in their innermost cores where their most civilian endeavors took place. The Conomor palace was itself a complete aversion to this and its sprawling nature saw it unlike any other building throughout the world, perhaps throughout the Imperium, and so it stood structurally more vulnerable than the militaristic and brutalist structures found elsewhere.

As a display of their alleged openness the Conomors had allowed public tours to take place within the halls of their palace to better appear as if they were leaders of the people, when in reality witnessing their personal abode only made native-born Kimarans uncomfortable with how extravagant it all was. The ones who truly enjoyed such displays were the tourists that the Conomors would invite from off-world, typically from Wostyn but sometimes from other more distant worlds as well, to draw them in and show them their vision of Kimara's future rather than having them witness the more native culture of the world as practiced by its people for the past ten thousand years.

Due to this skewed target demographic Verita found herself as the only native-Kimaran on the tour she was able to freely sign up to join, being surrounded instead by a small fleet of mothers and their children from Wostyn. Very few of their number had come over to Kimara as of yet since almost all members of Wostyn on Kimara were those hired for military service, which Wostyn did not permit its women to join, but more recently the Conomors had made overtures towards inviting civilian members of Wostyn over as well to be with their families. Despite official proclamation by the regime that they were not engaging in the age-old Imperial practice of replacing less trustworthy populations with devout loyalist ones to run a world more securely it certainly felt like this was the beginning stages of such a move, setting the stage for the eventual migration of Wostyn's long aggrieved population to a world with greater potential while phasing out the bitter and cold Kimarans who would never truly possess complete loyalty to the Imperium given their eternal grudges they held.

The guide of the tour, an offworlder turned Kimaran man by the name of Psittac Iformes according to his nametag, however proudly proclaimed that the Governor proudly welcomed these prospective members of Kimara and that such loyal members of the Imperium would be accepted with arms open. After all, anyone who did not want loyalist members of the Imperium upon their world must not properly pledge allegiance to the God Emperor of Mankind, and that such thoughts were heretical and worthy of censure. He seemed unaware that within the crowd he had an actual Kimaran despite Verita standing taller than all of those around her, the tour guide's focus instead being on the first row of the crowd since he was shorter than them and could not see up over them at where Verita's own head was well above the others.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the tour was uninspired in terms of content, being a basic historical overview of Kimara, the Conomors, and the palace itself which were basic information for a Kimaran but fascinating to those from offworld. The historical tale told was one of years of tyranny ending with the liberation from the Jarns, something that even from the most objective of standpoints was egregiously inaccurate, and so while the tour guide rattled off facts and information Verita used it as an opportunity to think about the subject herself from all of the myriad of sources she had studied until now. The tour would take awhile since it was moving at a glacial pace, the natures of Kimarans and Wostyns opposed once again with the need for efficiency causing Kimarans to move along at a brisk pace to go from one task to another while the lack of almost anything on Wostyn left its populace free to take their time engaging in travel. This relaxed attitude towards punctuality and efficiency made planning around Wostyn patrols difficult at times, but in this instance it left Verita time to think over the subjects at hand.

The Conomor coup took place with the promise of reformation, of changing the current social paradigm and freeing the planet from thousands of years of dictators. By removing the current nobility common citizens could be lifted up, their rights could be expanded, and their overall wealth and prosperity improved. Under their rule all would be equal, all would prosper through the reformation of the state, and the eradication of the social classes of old. According to all the records these claims had proven accurate, though what was laid upon paper did not always convey the full truth.

The Conomor family had instituted public elections for their offices, but any verification of the results was obfuscated or outright refused by the political entity. Thus while the people had more power invested in them it was stolen away as the cronies of the Conomors continuously found themselves brought into power as if they were appointed rather than elected. Restrictions on public behavior had been lifted after millennia of strictly enforced laws had kept order, but such expanded freedoms were largely enjoyed by the wealthy elite while they ultimately had little impact on the day to day lives of the average Kimaran. With the Conomors opening trade with Wostyn and other Imperial planets far beyond what Kimara had ever done previously it had resulted in massive growth for their planetary economy, but the spoils of this growth almost exclusively rested in the hands of those running such enterprises while local businesses suffered from the competition thrust upon them all at once.

Life was not perfect under the Jarn family's rule, but their leadership had proven consistent and reliable throughout the ages in a way atypical for dynasties. This longevity could perhaps be explained by the planet's almost homogeneous personality and set of values which they themselves shared, and with the same sets of genetics from one generation to the next thanks to specific gene-crafting each successive Jarn leader was similar to the last or even a superior iteration.

The last reigning sovereign had been named Trahaearn as had all of the firstborn sons before him, and while lacking the Astartes physique of their predecessor he still greatly resembled how Trahaearn the First might have looked if not for his transformation into an Angel of Death. At over seven feet of height, possessing a broad musculature, and with jet black hair upon a rugged face he stood as a model for all other Kimaran men physically while his mind was shrewd and quite capable of the expectations placed upon him. His execution had been carried out the same night as the coup took place, for so long as he and his kin lived then so did the hope of restoring his dynasty. What's more, it was fully expected that a public execution would have caused even more of an uproar than what was faced in the immediate aftermath, making his death for allegedly undermining the Imperium all the more important to carry out far from the public eye.

What truth may lie in the accusations levied against the second to last Trahaearn was well shrouded almost a century after his passing, and so discovering the truths of that turbulent era was all the more important for one dedicated to deciphering reality from fiction. Even the records of what happened specifically with Trahaearn's son of the same name were vague and at times conflicting, all of them ending with the boy's unfortunate yet almost certain death given how his body was found, but details concerning it were where they differed. There were still those alive who had witnessed his corpse which lent credence to the outcome, though a full investigation would need to be done to properly determine which story was true. Other stories yet told of numerous sons that official records had removed from documents to cover either their existence and their execution, and such was the myriad of tales caused by a century of disinformation and conflicting narratives forced upon the population.

During the tour Verita noticed an opportunity to slip into the palace's personal library, and so she did so when no-one was any the wiser. To enhance the leisurely feelings of those within guards were only posted to prevent entry to the upper sections of the palace as well as at the entrances and exits, with no seeming care given to a library of all places. Listening to the propaganda spewed by the guide had left quite the bad taste in her mouth, and given her authority granted through Inquisitor Kravin she had a right to inspect whatever documents lay within the library. Her location was known and recorded in a multitude of methods, and so should anything happen the Inquisitor would be aware and be able to take retaliatory action which left her with a degree of security here within the Conomor's own halls.

Verita would ironically possess less attention away from their government buildings, for out in the wastes of Kimara accidents could happen that could not be tied back to any particular party while here in this public section of the building there were enough watchful eyes that they could not act with impunity towards someone as untouchable as an Inquisitor's acolyte and proxy.

Most of the books and documents within the library were entirely for show, being there to make the Conomors appear well-read and knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects but it was evident that many of the books present were too well maintained to have ever been properly read through. They were properly dusted and kept from appearing untouched, but a lack of any personal touches to the texts that would come of accidentally bending one page, staining a cover, or otherwise warping them was quite noticeable as was the crisp sensation of touching their pages that had never been cracked open before.

It was obvious that this was not the personal study of the Conomor family and just was here for appearances, though that did not preclude it from having anything worth paying attention to: in their hubris front and center among various displays within the library was a historical text concerning the Conomors, and so Verita decided to take a look after she went through a few of the other books present. After all while the Conomors were prone to being generous with their own motivations and history seeing how their history was told in a book by an external party that they favored enough to feature would prove illuminating, as it might shed light into their mindsets at the least that this text was chosen over however many others existed on the subject.

So nominally used was the library in favor of the Conomor's personal study that some hours passed by without interruption as Verita deciphered what valuable information lay within the texts she had chosen. While not particularly groundbreaking she did come across one piece of information that caught her attention, that being that there was a member of the Conomor family from the time of the Great Crusade who was conspicuously absent in most books concerning the family. All of the ones she had referenced thus far had made no mention of him, but in this one book as if by oversight or by discovery on the hand of the author the name 'Phrixus Conomor' was mentioned.

Unlike other members whose lives had paragraphs or pages dedicated to them his took up little space besides how he was the son of the onetime ruling member of the Conomors and a mistress, as any records referenced in this text regarding him only reached up to around the age of ten. After that Phrixus was completely unmentioned as if he had disappeared or perished, and given the downfall of the Conomor family in the time period it was possible that these events were related. There were copious statements and theories about how the Jarns had eliminated the other Conomors with poisons and such underhanded means to usurp their power, but no such explanation was provided in this instance.

Instead it appeared as if Phrixus was some source of shame that had been mostly hidden away from history until now, and so Verita took note of the cited texts so she could look more deeply into them moving forward. While a child disappearing ten-thousand years ago was not likely important on its own it could shed further light into the survival of the Conomors and their inter-family politics in the present day if any of those alive now were his descendants or from a rival branch.

Timing it so that she joined a subsequent tour through the palace, Verita slipped out of the library without anyone seemingly being the wiser.


After departing the palace and going through numerous security checks again Verita was left free to roam the capital, and she still had plenty to do while there. The obsidian box had not reacted to the palace the way it had other landmarks she traveled to, instead granting her a second set of coordinates to travel to as if in addition to where she had just been. These new ones would require travel, but first she had a contact she had made before within the Wostyn government that she had arranged to meet with.

It would have been simple enough to arrange the meeting with the informant through a vox communicator but Verita instead chose a more complicated method that would accomplish the same goal albeit with additional steps. A vox communication could and almost certainly would be intercepted by the regime's intelligence agencies, but a roaming Ixolotl would be overlooked as one in a sea of such creatures. Their actions were typically meandering and slow with Ixolotls often able to be found staring at a reflective surface, collecting or inspecting metal objects, or just standing around content with life rather than engaging in any meaningful activity.

For this reason even if one knew to inspect them for hidden messages or such materials the amount of manpower invested in such an endeavor would be largely wasted, as there were more Ixolotls than Kimarans in the cities after the mass exodus of their masters and any one of them could hypothetically be a secret courier of information. It was common for Ixolotls owned by someone to possess accessories or clothing to assist the creatures in their everyday lives or see to their comfort, so it would not even be as simple as narrowing it down to those wearing backpacks or other such methods of transporting goods. To ascertain what they were carrying within their various accessories would be a constant matter given their predilection of picking things up and keeping them in the various bags and pouches granted to them by their owners, and despite the tens of thousands of Wostyn soldiers recruited over the years to police Kimara's fortress cities the Ixolotl population outnumbered them.

Juvenile Ixolotls such as Seta went about their business with even less notice than their mature counterparts, as their smaller size meant that they were literally beneath the notice of certain cameras and guards who might otherwise see them. Despite their typically absent-minded nature Ixolotls were quite capable of being trained, it just was a relatively slow process even if it did mean they could engage in somewhat complex tasks other animals could not be expected to. In this way Seta had been trained to not only act as a courier for Verita, but the young Ixolotl had also learned to go about their business by backtracking and constantly changing directions so that on no two days were its movements the same. This kept patterns from being recognized in Seta's routes to deliver things as well as helped shake off any who might track her by continually joining and leaving other groups of Ixolotls standing around in the various cities they visited.

There was only so long a surveillance agent could watch Ixolotls standing still or moving around in seeming circles or other random patterns for hours before such an endeavor was to be called into question, and few Humans possessed the patience to match that of a simple-minded creature that was wholly unaware that it was being observed and would not care even if it did. Sending messages in secret through such means did take time, but given the reliability of Ixolotls to carry out their given tasks it was one Verita used without reservation.

Perhaps such methods were excessive and complex, but their success spoke for itself and never once had Verita's correspondence with various external parties been discovered. Her straightforward nature meant that she preferred keeping things simple, but that also meant that if the pathway to success involved complexity then she would engage in it without reservation.

The end result of this endeavor was a meeting with her informant in a back alley bar within the capital city's slums where displaced Kimarans had ended up for one reason or another over the years. Despite how seedy and dangerous it felt to be within the area there was little actual danger from the population as Kimarans were too proud typically to resort to things such as crime to make a living, leaving any danger posed in the area to patrolling Sons of the Emperor who would regularly harass and abuse those inhabiting the area as if they were prey ensnared in a trap waiting to be feasted upon.

It was not lost on Verita that the only consideration that her informant had was his personal wealth and financial well-being, and that if he had not crossed the wrong man higher on the totem pole than him he would have remained a part of the grisly regime now in place. He wanted a payout so he could get off-world, and he would get what he was looking for...so long as his information proved truthful and reliable. Verita was not above paying for information when necessary, and in fact had been granted a generous budget by the Inquisitor for such instances, so she would send her informant his dues when she verified whatever he had to say.

From their meeting Verita learned that the overtures of the Planetary Governor were in the process of being made real: that the regime's distaste for the native population was so severe that they would rather recolonize it with a population forever indebted to them, and that they were trying to rise tensions enough that they could speed up the time table regarding replacing the Kimarans. If the Kimarans were to engage in a large enough revolt that they had to be put down with the military then they could use it as justification to 'pacify' the remainder and sweep them out. They could not take direct action to see to this however as the risk involved was great, and so they were slowly grating on the Kimaran population to make them too broken and fragmented to wage a unified rebellion when things came to that. Once they were dealt with the planet's resources would remain, fit to be mined by a new population far more dedicated to the Emperor and without past loyalties to a traitor Legion like the Iron Warriors.

It was a shifting and amorphous plan centered around evolving dynamics and situations, but it was hard to say it was not on track to completion: Kimara's collective spirit had been battered down in the past two decades, and with the majority of their fighting forces drafted into the Imperial Guard it would be difficult to properly rebel against an unjust regime's actions. According to her informant Verita learned that this plan was seemingly hatched in the Governor's many years fighting alongside the Wostyn soldiers in the Imperial Guard, having learned how deeply loyal they could be to their cause no matter what came between them and it, something he allegedly did not feel from the Kimarans he served alongside as well. He saw Kimarans as horribly flawed while the people of Wostyn as near perfect, and for that he brought them into his inner circle.

As a part of the tensions they were rising the regime had also seen fit to begin focusing on whatever grievances might arise between their civilians towards the Wostyn soldiers, igniting further resentment from the soldiers towards those they were meant to protect. A riot had been set to occur in the Schola's very own Fortress City until the armaments and supplies that had been funneled to help facilitate such an uprising mysteriously disappeared, though the propaganda to raise those tensions remained and so it would only take a small match to cause a much larger catastrophe. The lack of proper weapons in the immediate area would not stop the Sons of the Emperor from rioting against believed heretics to their beloved Emperor, and if the Kimaran civilians responded with their own force it would grant their government the excuse they need to step in officially. Everyone was being used by those in charge for their own benefits and goals, and the ones who would suffer would be all those caught up in the flames of a manufactured riot.

Following their conversation Verita obtained from the former official various plans and documents to confirm his statements, agreeing to his payment once she verified it all before departing to see to the box's second location: the former palace of the Jarn family, now long since abandoned.

By the time she reached a security checkpoint to depart her informant was laying in a pool of his own blood and that of the other bar patrons, the incident to later be broadcasted as a drive-by shooting done by disgruntled Kimarans.


Within his office in the capital the hefty man known as Wost sat up in his seat to reach over and take the incoming call pestering his ears, his attention having been focused on the feed of information being sent to him to filter through and determine what would be allowed to be known by the public and what would be censored. Elevating one story over another and downplaying other events impossible to cover up was just the everyday task of the regime's Public Intelligence and Information Bureau, and so it was an endless endeavor that he took pleasure in despite the long hours he worked. It was through him that power was held and expanded, and it was through him that men rose or fell in the public eye.

"What is it?" he grumbled into his personal communicator his beard now was intertwined with.

"The target has been eliminated, but I noticed that rat is scurrying around still. Would you like me to take care of her as well?"

Wost grimaced as he thought of that growing pain in his side Inquisitor Kravin had forced upon him, the propagandist irritated that she dared to continually question him or what his agencies stated. Such behavior had already been outlawed thanks to his work, but the Inquisitor's presence meant that to take direct action against her would result in severe consequences. He could always blame his agents or others, but the risk still remained that it could backfire on him and so he reluctantly allowed her safe passage...for now at least.

"Leave her be for now. Keep me updated on her whereabouts and what she is doing, and make certain you handle the traitor's body with caution. One man disappearing means little on a Death World, so do what you must to take care of the matter. And if the rat crosses any lines...well, she can join her dear informant for one final meeting in the snow. If it comes to that I want her here first, so we may learn what they know."

"Understood."

The line went silent, and Wost reclined in his seat with a puff of his cigar blowing from his mouth. For him there was no such thing as ethics, or truth, only power, for it was through power that you could dictate what the truth was even if it was directly contrary to the facts. Power was all that mattered, and those who believed otherwise were simply fooling themselves.

It was not yet time to fully bring Kimara to the truth they so denied, but that day was drawing ever closer, and if they refused to partake...well then they had their chance, just as he once did. It would be a shame if that annoying yet beautiful acolyte was among those to be sacrificed for the future, but if that was the cost then it would be paid, just as it had in the blood of thousands of other so-called innocents.

They were the chosen, the sons of the Emperor himself, and they would bring death to his foes.


A/N: I am highly appreciative of your support on the last update, as it allowed me to write this one despite being severely ill recently. Expect more in the days to come because I have a lot more on the way, and so I hope you'll continue to lend your support as I work on it all!

Hope you all enjoyed and that you will let me know what you think in the comments below!