Captain Olivina pressed her Naval cap slightly, setting it on her head as she took a smooth seat in her chair aboard the bridge. Nearly two weeks in the warp, twelve days, and she couldn't help the small wedge of worry that worked its way into the back of her mind.
Traveling through the malevolent forces of the Immaterium was neither a safe or assured thing, and any member of the Imperial Navy worth their salt was aware of this.
"Beginning transition" was the general announcement of Olivina's bridge crew.
While utilisation of the Warp allowed the Imperium to vastly expand and conquer area's of the universe unreachable by Sub-light travel, the Warp was like an ocean with a mind of its own.
Time did not flow as it did in realspace. It could alter and shift, dragging out the eddies of time into the most horrid of ways. A day in the Warp was at closest approximation, twelve days in realspace. But it was not unheard of for journeys and voyages to take longer or shorter. Vessels and fleets could be lost to the stars for years on end. Reinforcements for battles could potentially arrive long after the fighting had concluded, or in some extremely rare cases, before the battle had even begun.
The latter case of early arrival was considered to be a tall tale and unconfirmed by the Imperium at large. The former however, was a proven possibility of Warp travel. What might only feel like days in the Warp could equate to hundreds of years within realspace.
Olivina closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to the Emperor.
Without Him, he who powered the Astronomicon upon the Throneworld, the Imperium would be shattered. Their guiding light in the darkness, the Master of Mankind, even thousands of years after his ascension to the golden Throne of Terra, and he still was helping to lead the men and women of his Imperium across the stars.
Olivina had always wished to see Terra one day.
The Tempests Advance shuddered slightly, but not seriously. Her crew however, those that scuttled about on the long and narrow bridge, started to chatter among one another.
Olivina barked out her command of, "Report!" her hands gripped the tips of her command chair's armrests.
General announcements began to rain toward her.
"Gellar Fields holding ma'am"
"No breaches have been detected, Captain"
"Ship wide report reads green!"
"Suspected eddy in the Warp Captain"
Olivina eased herself down, releasing the sudden build up of stress within her body by exhaling loudly.
'Breathe daughter, there is always a moment to calm yourself'
The unbidden words of her Mother were banished as her senior First Lieutenant, Lodias, dispensed a good piece of news.
"We have transitioned back into realspace ma'am"
Thank the Emperor.
Their target destination was Agrax, a relatively new and still developing Forgeworld located close to the edge of the Ultima Segmentum, within the Nephilim sector.
Agrax was the only planet capable of sustaining human life within its system, and had originally been slated to become a Hive-world. This process had been underway for some time now, and had seemed to be the end of the story for the planet.
Until of course, the fairly recent and incredible discovery of the vast number of minerals and resources not only deep within Agrax, but it's neighbouring planets and moons.
The Adeptus Mechanicus had essentially seized the claim of the world, demanding not only its raw resources, but to establish Agrax as a great Forgeworld. The planet was the centerpiece for the entire system, and now as the Mechanicus' greatest foothold into the Ultima Segmentum, was developing at a commensurate rate.
The products of Agrax were dispensed long and far throughout the Imperium. Due to the relatively calm channels of the warp which lead to and from the world and the already established lanes of travel, Agrax was a diamond in the rough.
A diamond that they were visiting.
"Captain" her Lieutenant approached her, "current dating systems have confirmed. We've been within the Warp for one and half standard months"
Hmm.
Olivina dismissed him with a wave, and the uniformed officer retreated back to his patrol of each of the bridge displays.
Lodias was a good man. A Cadian man. Olivina had been surprised when it had been her promoted to Captain of the Tempests Advance, and not him.
Lodias was an older individual. The hair on his head was graying and frayed, cut as short as it could be without being bald. Clean shaven and fierce, like all living men from the Gate were, she often differed to the man for his stalwart judgement.
Olivina was considering the 'bump' the Advance had been subjected to. As most projects would go, they very well could have spent a much longer time within the swirls of the warp when compared to realspace.
But it was not to be.
They had arrived not only within an acceptable branch of time, but one that saw less of a hamper between their transition.
Vownus' good luck must be rubbing off on her Vessel.
"Captain" a Junior Officer spoke, "we're slightly off point of the Mandevillle point, but within an acceptable deviation. At current course, we'll reach Agrax within the day"
'A little far out' Olivina nodded to herself, 'but not much to do about this'
"Full ahead" she commanded, "as soon as we are within range of the planet I want to be informed"
As the loyal members of her crew affirmed her command, Olivina stood from her command chair and exited the bridge.
She'd been awake for over ten days now and required some rest.
Even for a woman as tenacious and strong as her, the Warp played horrible tricks on the mind. Such dreams and memories were not to be experienced often. Grief had its place in the pages of history, not fresh upon her mind like an open wound.
Agrax was a planet teeming with life as equally as it was coated in fumes and pollution. Divided almost perfectly between the spire filled hives of the Imperium and the large factories of the Mechanicus, the dominant world of the Zeidos system was considered the next great frontier.
Grand voidships of various aspects of the Imperium floated through spaces. Trader vessels and transport shifts flocked to the large star ports like moths to a flickering flame. These various spacecraft were here for the exportation of Agrax's resources. The Tempests Advance was but a small craft among the greater tonnages of these transport vessels, housing crews far greater than the Light Cruiser's own.
Patrolling these flocks and clumps of hundreds of starships were the ever vigil Navis Imperialis, their constant presence in the defense of Agrax both welcome and known by its many millions of inhabitants.
Scattered between these grand warships were the spatterings of the Mechanicus, also present to repel any invaders that threatened their newly developed Forgeworld.
All of this detailed information of which ship was what, and who was who, barely registered within Lucian's mind, the young boy of nearly Thirteen instead focusing on the totality of the incredible sight displayed before him.
"It's been a very long time since I've seen a sight quite like this"
Caius loudly scoffed at Lynwood's demure tone and comment, retorting with "you've seen something like this before?"
"Once" Lynwood nodded, "but it is not a sight you forget easily"
"I agree," Lucian muttered to his bodyguard, unable to truly tear his eyes away from the glass of the viewing deck.
They had found time between Vownus' ordered trainings to come witness the first new world they would be arriving at. Lynwood of course, knew what it was like to travel between the stars, but for Lucian and Caius, this was all very… incredible.
Not overwhelming though. Because as tired to the bone as he was, Lucian found it quite easy to take in the visible might of the Imperium of Mankind.
Helios was but a small world in an insignificant part of the universe, devoid of the grand purpose that planets and systems like Agrax quite obviously possessed. The understanding that he was a tiny cog in the ever turning wheel of mankind had been a humbling and well reinforced experience.
During their travels in the warp, Vownus had personally ordered Lynwood and Caius to 'get the boy into shape'. While an active lad and diligent farmer on Helios, the boy was as physically substandard as one could be in terms of martial might.
And so he had begun a grueling series of physical training programs.
Lynwood had personally devised the rigorous regime, something that young Lucian believed the man had done just to torment him for all the trouble the boy had indirectly caused him.
Vownus had not just mandated an improvement of the body, but of the mind as well. Caius was held responsible as Lucian's current tutor and mentor, teaching him about the Imperium at large, but the newly declassified information that only an Inquisitor and his retinue had access to.
Needless to say, it was as equal a learning experience for Lucian as it was for Caius.
On a weekly basis, Caius was instructed to test young Lucian, and see if he was indeed grasping the concepts and understandings required of him.
Vownus had yet to iron out exactly what Lucian would be doing, or explain to him exactly what his 'training' would be, when it came to the boy's capacity as a Psyker. The man had yet to make a proper appearance before the boy, or even engage in some kind of formal training with Lucian.
For the guy who had told the boy how bloody dangerous the warp was, he seemed pretty lax when it came to his end of the agreement made between them. Lucian himself didn't really know how to use his powers, and the very sparse and quiet attempts he had made to try and discover them had ended in silent and empty failure.
He could not draw his powers on command, even in the relative secrecy of his new room and home.
The very empty and deserted room and home.
A few things had been brought in by servitors and attendants of the ship.
Most notably was new clothing for the Helios natives. An interesting collection of articles and items. For some of them.
Lynwood had transitioned seamlessly into his new wears, his powerful figure filling out his new black and red trimmed outfit. Identical to Caius', the new clothing was simple but clear. The trousers were military grade, the armor plates that composed the calves, shins, thighs and hamstrings all black and smooth. Inscriptions were denoted upon the plates in nearly invisible white ink. Litanies and prayers, each far too miniscule to make out or even notice at a distance.
The waist had a standard utility belt, if not a bit more polished than the mass produced variant the guard wore. Lynwood's handcrafted bolter had already found a comfortable place on his hip. Lucian had noted a few grenades and other accessories that he carried at all times.
The upper half of Lynwood and Caius' new uniform was long sleeved and black. In Lynwood's case one arm was removed, allowing the free movement of his prosthetic. The material had plates of armor attached to it in close intervals around joints. Both of the ex-Arbites were not restricting any potential movement or mobility in their new digs, and in fact probably had a far greater range of movement than they would have in their previous armor.
The singular chest piece was a flak vest, similar to the Guardsmen's, but Lucian figured it would be of higher quality due to Vownus' considerable budget. Each left shoulder was trimmed in red, and the Inquisitorial seal was stamped above their hearts.
Over time they would add damage to the armor in service to their Witch Hunter boss. And naturally the material of the uniform would become more damaged. Not to mention the additional cloak that Lynwood had ignored but Caius embraced would wear and fray. But for now, they looked fresh, clean and pristine.
Lucian thought they looked really cool and had expressed as such. Black trimmed nicely with red went very well together.
Of course this was without them adding parchment prayers to their small shoulder pauldrons which bore the Imperial Aquila. All in all, they would cut a very striking and imposing presence when escorting either Lucian or their Inquisitor.
Lucian's new clothing had been… lackluster, in comparison. He had failed to escape the regular and dull grey tones of his initial Medicae outfit from Helios. Vownus had procured a very boring set of all purpose clothing for the youth, each as bland as the next.
Grey pants, grey shirt, grey underwear, grey socks.
The boots weren't grey at least! But they were a dull black, meaning Lucian didn't even get to enjoy the striking reds he was ever so slightly jealous of.
But at least he didn't have to deal with the repetitive and rigorous application of armor like they did. Instead he just had to slip out of his dirty clothes, pull on his new ones, and get drilled into an exhausted heap by Lynwood.
The clothes were freshly repopulated in his personal locker each time he was out of the room for training. His recovery day, each alternative day, was Caius' study sessions conducted in Lucian's room.
The man refused to let the boy sleep in. On the more grueling days Lucian was given no quarter from his tutor, with Lucian's request for additional time for recovery time resulting in a surprise test the next lesson.
His failing grade had earned him two laps. Of the ship.
It was nice to see the admittedly perplexed faces of the rest of the crew. Lucian ignored the looks of fear as he had jogged beside Lynwood.
The Tempests Advance was as minimally staffed as a warship could be, while still remaining safely functional. A wide array of people were scattered all over the vessel, and each of them had seemingly heard about Lucian in some capacity or knowledge.
People steered out of their way, avoided looking at him, and in general did their best to ignore his existence. This feeling of general disgust or dislike by all those aboard the vessel was only strengthened by the housing situation.
As in, how bloody empty their part of the deck was.
Frankly, it seemed like they were the only people within their section of the ship besides the Adeptus Astartes.
Their large and unsociable neighbours.
They were the Emperor's Angels of Death, warriors capable of taking on the most fierce and deadly of mankind's foes. Even though Lynwood had explained their importance and prowess, having fought alongside Astartes during his tenure within the Ordo Xenos, and had detailed their accomplishments and heroism... Lucian just thought they were really rude.
For great 'men' they were kinda jerks.
Besides Germael, none of the other Astral Knights bothered to communicate with their new neighbours. Occasionally one would stomp down the hallway they all shared, and enter their own room. The Space Marine would either exit moments or days later without so much as a glance toward the young boy that had been so very intrigued by them.
Initially Lucian had stared at them with awe and wonder. But by the fifth time one of these 'great warriors' had passed Lucian silently on their way to the Chapel, without so much as a turn of their helmeted head in his direction, Lucian had made up his mind.
If they didn't want to talk to him, he wouldn't talk to them.
Other than Germael, who Lucian could identify through his slightly more silver and less blue armor, he had given names to all the other ones.
There were the Brothers, simply titled One and Two. Lucian could barely find any way to distinguish the two, but because they were always with one another the youth had cleverly clumped them together as one identifiable entity. It didn't matter which was which, they were just One and Two.
The one with the scratched and damaged armor was labeled 'Dirty'. Lucian hadn't needed much else to notice the pockmarked and worn armor of that particular Marine.
'Quiet' was his favourite. Lucian liked him because it was so hard to notice the huge man. Unlike the somewhat present step of his comrades, Quiet hardly made a sound as he moved, many a times only signalling the entrance and exit of his room with the tell tale noise of the door shutting.
When Lucian was still trying to talk with them, or see if they would even notice him in the slightest, Quiet had eluded him at every turn.
Initially Lucian assumed it was intentional, but eventually realised that this nondescript Marine was just really good at sneaking around. Way better than Lucian could ever hope to be.
So after Lucian had declared the lot of them jerks, lame and what not, Germael and Quiet still remained within his favour.
There was one more… Creepy.
Lucian had only a few interactions with that Marine, the one who remained out of his helmet at all times. Unlike the others, Creepy had a hood that covered his head. A hood that he always seemed to have on whenever Lucian and him crossed paths.
The Space Marine had earned the name Creepy because of their first interaction. Lucian's exit from his room for one of the first of many training days, had been simultaneous to the hooded Astartes leaving his own private space.
They were, after all, direct neighbours to one another at the end of the roomed hallway.
Lucian had offered a "My Lord" and a bow, but all the hooded figure had done was stare at him.
Then he had just turned around and walked back into his room.
Rude!
From then on all the Marine had ever done was stare at Lucian, or ignore him entirely.
And thus 'Creepy' was dubbed his official title.
Naturally Caius had been both amused and horrified at the boy's naming of the Emperor's Finest. Lynwood hadn't commented, but Lucian could see the disapproval in the man's eyes. The fact that he didn't voice any concerns or reprimand the boy meant Lucian was alright.
Lynwood was who both Lucian and Caius differed to, even though the youth technically outranked them. They were after all Lucian's bodyguards.
But because Lynwood had far more experience and knowledge regarding their situation and what was going on, he took the brunt of the youth's questions, and Caius' concerns.
"How many people are aboard all these ships?" Lucian breathed out in wonder, the vast hull of a Battleship silently drifting past them.
"Millions," Caius answered, resting on the railing of this particular observation deck. His own eyes were locked onto the hundreds upon hundreds of starships. When they had made their way into the encased viewing room, Caius had muttered a very long prayer to the Emperor.
Lucian had felt similarly.
It was a long room they were in, only a few decks above the one they occupied. The Entrance was a currently closed and sealed door, one that was put there in case the integrity of the observation deck's outer casing was broken.
It was also there to keep any poor fool from wandering into the viewing deck during Warp travel. One of Lucian's many new lessons had been about traveling in the Warp, and the almost ludicrous number of dangers and possibilities associated with it.
The very easy and first lesson he was taught had been imprinted in his head with relative ease.
Don't look out the window if you have one.
Now safe within Realspace, the farm boy was free to gawk at the stars once more, and the machines and vehicles designed to safely traverse it.
"Seen enough?" came the grunt from Lucian's right.
Lynwood was still watching the void, but his arms had shifted from their light grip on the railing that surrounded the edge of the deck, to now be crossed over his chest.
He didn't like the idea of wasted time. In his head, there was a timeline that Lucian was on, and points he needed to reach in order to keep Vownus happy.
Since they were all serving under the Inquisitor, Lucian supposed it was his own personal duty to actively work towards attaining those goals.
"Yeah" Lucian nodded, stepped back and away from the edge of the deck, "yeah I have"
"Good" Lynwood nodded, ready to push the boy back into his training. He did however, offer a much quieter affirmation, "you'll have some free time later today" he gestured to the view "if you wish to return here"
Lucian's nod of affirmation wasn't surprising. Lynwood had a feeling he'd be finding the boy up here more often. It was the transfixed gaze the boy had, the twinkle of wonder in his eye. While the Imperium may be a disgusting thing to look upon with detail and close examination, from afar it was grand.
Break time was over though.
"I'm off to pick up some chow" Caius stated, being the first to find his way out the door. Turning around he looked his colleague in the eye "Caff?"
Lynwood simply nodded.
Lucian was hoping from foot to foot, warming his legs up for the morning's run.
"Be back later" Caius briefly waved over his shoulder, strolling off down a grey steel corridor with his thumbs hooked in his Flak vest.
Lynwood and Lucian were gone around the opposite bend a second later, the younger doing his best to keep pace with his trainer.
Even through his rebreather, Hive Rex and its numerous factories could be smelt. Vownus could only imagine what it was like without the mask currently protecting his lungs from the dangerous chemicals in the air.
From the large spire landing pad, Kaede couldn't help but edge closer to the lip, glancing down into the sprawling hive city below. His fear of heights was a well kept secret, something that he liked to prod with the occasional daring stunt.
The slight clammy feeling in his palms started to build the longer he peered over the edge. Only a handful of seconds later he decided enough was enough and spun away, strolling after his ever eager Mechanicus allies.
The witch-hunter, while dressed in his official garb and armed with his Inferno Pistol, and Power Sabre, Slight Jest, was about as off duty as possible.
His purpose for being upon the surface of Agrax? To accompany Magos Explorator Cortetis Nesyon, a fairly large group of heavy ladened Servitors and his armed Skitarii, to an appropriate factory to commence immediate fabrication.
Vownus, while being completely useless in the matters of technology and crafting, was present to provide the very essential need of Inquisitorial justification. That way, anyone who got a little bit too nosy in whatever it is Magos Nesyon was up to, could be thoroughly pacified.
One way, or another.
While the Tempests Advance had remained in geo-stationary orbit, permission of which was granted due to confirmation of the ship's Inquisitorial status, Vownus and co. had departed for Agrax's surface post haste.
Due to the vast number of individuals the Magos was bringing, three vessels had been required. Vownus, Magos Nesyon and his Skitarii took one vessel, while the equipment and material carrying Servitors flew in the other two.
They would have flown directly to their selected factory if it had not been for a very curious request.
It seemed that the Noble Imperial Governor of Agrax had already gotten wind of the sanctioned Psyker hunter. Furthermore, the Governor wished to have a quick chat with all arriving parties. The Magos had not been pleased with this.
Magos Explorator Cortetis Nesyon was old. Machinery had kept him alive far longer than what a regular body of flesh was capable of. Considering the Magos was mostly metal, and had a lower body akin to a mechanical spider, Vownus had not been surprised when the former man had informed him of being alive for more than four centuries.
Cloaked in the regularly oil smeared and tattered red robes of his order, Cortetis was probably the least annoying member of the Cult Mechanicus that Vownus had come across, even if he was the largest.
Well, not large as in tall per say, but the Magos' width did fill most rooms considerably. The Explorator had three arms attached to his torso, two of which seemed humanoid, the third being a multipurpose tool arm. His mechadendrites would be constantly swaying and flowing around him, this, added with his set of six bright red eyes… Well, he was also the most intimidating Magos Vownus had ever had the pleasure of meeting.
This, coupled with a crankiness that only old people really seemed to possess, meant Vownus would have to do his best to mitigate any insults thrown between the Magos and the Governor, intentional or accidental.
Politics.
How tiresome.
Away from the large landing pad was the narrow path that led into the spire itself. Vownus couldn't help but glance upward at the hundreds of floors that towered into the sky. Something far more ludicrous than the size of most hive cities, was the incredible fact that more often than not they were too small. Population estimates usually explode at certain points of a hive's development, human resilience to deadly and adverse environments both boon and burden to this factor.
In layman's terms, while many died in a Hive like Rex each day, far more were birthed. Jobs would be filled. Work would be completed. Humanity would continue.
The entrance into the central spire of Hive Rex was notably lacking guards of any kind. Usually if a planetary Governor heard of an Inquisitor's arrival and suggested a meeting, they would attempt some kind of demonstration of either their power or influence. Vownus had been on the receiving end of both instances, and he could without a doubt say he hated both equally.
Based upon the beautiful looking attendant with a data slate waiting within the atmospheric anti-chamber of the spire, it looked to be the latter.
The woman was dressed in a fine white dress, stripes of gold running the edge of it's incredibly revealing front. Vownus didn't even register the ample chest that was so obviously displayed before him as she dipped into a deep bow.
This woman was… soft. Malleable and weak just wasn't his type. Besides he wasn't going to let himself fall for the obvious bit of bait being thrown at him. She was a bargaining piece for a negotiation that had begun the moment his dropships had left the Hanger of the Tempests Advance.
"My Lord Inquisitor, the Governor is delighted to host a member of the Emperor's Inquisition"
Vownus barely restrained his eye roll, knowing that even within this airlock of a room, he was being studied intensely. Any Governor on a world such as Agrax was always ten steps ahead, playing every possible angle they could. After all, the Governor had political enemies.
This was not something that Vownus knew personally, but was only natural for one that resided above the lives of untold millions.
Everyone coveted power, no matter where they found themselves upon the pecking order.
Vownus acknowledged her words with a nod, gesturing past her toward the room where the Magos and his nearly automated help waited impatiently.
"I should hope to thank the Governor in person. Shall we?"
The woman's smile was disgustingly fake, but thankfully Vownus wasn't subject to it for long, as she turned to lead him into the following room.
'Still no guards' Vownus observed, the opulent room before him registering as some kind of waystation into the upper levels of the spire.
To his left of the hundreds of meters of white decorated space were the large doors to a truly titanic freight elevator. The size of the lift was fair enough considering the vastly empty space before him. Besides the scriptures, individually carved statues and glass murals lining the upper floor, Vownus couldn't spot anything else that resided within the smooth and desolate room.
Kaede nearly faltered in his step.
'Fuck' he grumbled in his mind, ignoring the whirs and beeps of the Mechanicus which studied the room.
He had finally realised what this room was.
No doubtedly, there was a massive series of weapons and traps hidden all over, designed to deter or eliminate anyone trying to make their way to the right hand side of the huge space.
The identical doors for an equal sized freight-lift stood tall and proud, the only difference between this one and the others, was that Vownus could see it traveled upward. Higher into the spire.
That observation made, Vownus concluded without a doubt that the Governor was indeed up to something. Considering he was in a room that probably hundreds of people had died in. Beneath the very floors and hidden within the walls were weapons, bolters, chain saws and blades. Ready to spring from the lift were probably assassins and killers, each devoting their sworn services to their Governor.
Vownus sighed. If this was a trap of some kind, as he suspected it to be, it was already far too late for him to find his way out. With this in mind Vownus removed his rebreather. The air quality within the spire felt better than the open fields of Helios. Probably important. Possibly poisoned?
Vownus grumbled, gesturing to the large party of waiting members of the Machine Cult to follow him.
As soon as they started after Vownus and the attendant who were walking towards the upward bearing lift, the woman turned.
"My Lord Inquisitor" Vownus could see the slight edge of nervousness that had taken her false smile, "the Governor has requested only your presence"
Oh no.
No no no.
Fuck that.
Steeling himself, Vownus brought out his Inquisitor voice. There would be no kindness here. No pleasantries or half measures. If this is how the head of Agrax wished to play, this was how Vownus would respond.
He would, however, make this pill a little easier to swallow for the Governor. Even if Vownus was entirely within his jurisdiction to just start blasting until no more problems presented themselves... dealing with the prideful lot of bureaucrats was far easier than whatever unruly upstart could potentially replace the current seat holder of power.
"The Magos will accompany me" Vownus' voice was laced with sheer ice. His tone brokered no disagreement or denial. It was his way, or the highway.
And disturbingly enough, the attendant did not falter in her smile. She just nodded and said
"Certainly My Lord, if you will..." she gestured to the now opening doors of the lift.
...after a second of hesitation, Vownus marched on. The skittering metal legs of Magos Cortetis only a few steps behind.
As they stepped into the lift, Vownus had one final thought before the doors closed and the lift began to travel skyward.
'God-Emperor, if you can hear me. Please let me finish that bottle of Gleece in my quarters before I die?
Governor Lula De Chambaal was calmly placed behind her admitted small desk within her Incredibly large office. Located at the top of Hive Rex's largest central spire, the formidable woman typically enjoyed the view located directly behind her. A simple few moments of gazing upon all of the many millions that served under her being enough to reinforce her convictions.
It took great resolve to make the decisions that she did, and spur the others no matter how much more convenient and simple they were.
But as she waited for the Inquisitor to arrive, the view behind her had failed to bring any calm. Even the masterfully crafted books shelves, portraits, busts and statues that lined the walls of the oval office seemed insignificant today.
From beyond the doors ahead of her, wood imported from a world so incredibly far away that the order for such an item had come from Lula's great grandfather, her fate approached.
The Inquisitor was probably exiting the lift at this very moment, having been greeted by yet another of Lula's many loyal servants. He would approach from the long corridor filled with servitors and attendants, all three hundred of them furiously documenting and recording the daily information flow from Rex's many varied and specialised districts.
A final crucial report would be delivered to Lula upon the conclusion of the day. Anything significant or disastrous would of course be brought to her immediate attention.
'Now is not the time' she sighed to herself, steepling her fingers as she remained focused on the door.
He would be here, any second now.
Hive Rex was suffering from a problem, one that needed as delicate a hand as possible to assist her. While the Inquisition was known to be extreme in its removal of threats, she hoped to curtail such a possibility by explaining the situation to the Inquisitor directly.
What were the odds of not only an Inquisitor arriving in system, but a member of the Ordo Hereticus.
A witch hunter.
It was perfect, and exactly what she needed in such trying times.
Lula knew the political sphere of not only Hive Rex, but of her entire planet as a whole were becoming more tense, but the relationships between herself and the leaders of the other Hives of Agrax...
Like sharks in the water they smelt blood, and sooner or later they would circle in on her. Some had already begun prodding Lula for weakness. But the Chambaal heir had rebuffed their efforts. Just because she was young for her position did not mean she was weak, or foolish.
The doors opened inward, revealing the wide being of the Cult Mechanicus first. This was the compatriot to the second individual Lula noticed, the man in the pointed hat. The black clothed figure of the Witch Hunter.
Lula stood, "My Lord Inquisitor" she bowed slightly and introduced herself.
"I am Lula De Chambaal, Governor of Agrax and Noble Servant of the Emperor's Imperium. I am honored to meet with you"
Vownus had been expecting a man. Someone more likely to believe they could bully a member of the Inquisition into a meeting. Someone so far up their own ass they'd forgotten what sunlight looked like had been his first impression.
He hadn't been expecting this fifty year old goddess, this woman with regal bearing and noble stature.
Her features were immaculate in a way no physical adjustment could perfect. She was nature's final product of thousands of years of noble breeding and dedication toward perfection. Unlike the horribly interbred and physically adjusted Nobles of countless other worlds, it seemed the Chambaal's had been quite good at naturally constructing their members.
Lula De Chambaal's mother must have been a complete knockout.
Tall and lithe, the Governor's hair was much shorter than most noble women to Vownus' memory. The scattered locks of pure white and black only gracing her shoulders with its silky contact.
He hardly needed to look anywhere else as he stepped into the office, the new attendant closing the great wooden doors behind them.
"Governor Chambaal-"
"Please my Lord" she sat back down, a bright look in her eyes that caused something to stir in the Witch-hunters belly, "call me Lula"
Vownus grunted, failing to correct his address to the woman "Governor. Let us dispense with the pleasantries as quickly as possible" he gestured to the large member of the Mechanicus by his side, "this is Magos Explorator Cortetis Nesyon"
The Governor nodded toward the being, slightly miffed at Vownus directly ignoring her request "Agrax will always be welcoming to loyal servants of the Omnissiah"
That must have really oiled the Tech-priest's gears, for they actually replied somewhat civilly, "I have been informed your world has exceeded the Fabricator-General's expectations"
And having gotten as close to a compliment as most members of the Cult Mechanicus could deliver, the Witch-hunter regained control of the conversation.
"And I am Vownus Kaede of the Ordo Hereticus" he didn't bother with the long winded version of his title. Name and affiliation would do.
"I would like to know why you have so desperately corralled us here, Governor"
"My Lord?" she simpered, "corralled?"
Vownus sighed as he broke eye-contact with her, moving around her office to glance upon the various items and fixtures within it. A particular bookcase caught his attention, and he approached it to see if all of the texts placed upon it were permitted. Anything heretical or forbidden and it would make this meeting come to a swift and distinct end.
"Magos Cortetis is assisting me in matters vital to the Inquisition and its objectives. Your insistence upon this meeting jeopardises not only my mission, but the potential lives of the Imperium and its Citizens," Vownus drew a tome from the shelf, noting its cleaned surface. An impeccable first edition, relating to some foreign world's notable military history.
Very boring stuff.
But popping it open did reveal a wonderful slew of images, making the book quite easy to read. The images of war and destruction made it a bit less dull.
"Why have you so desperately brought me here, Governor De Chambaal" Vownus flickered through another page, one depicting an Imperial Victory over a long extinct Xenos species.
"I am in need of assistance"
Vownus turned his head to her, but did not replace the book or move toward the now seated woman. Lula De Chambaal seemed tired, very tired. Not ignoring the possibility of this being some kind of ruse or trick, Vownus kept his physical and metaphorical distance.
"Governor. If you required the assistance of the Inquisition, an agent would have heeded your call by now. Whatever petty scheme you are-"
The woman slapped her hands upon the table.
"I cannot!" she pushed the chair back, standing abruptly in order to look out over the Hive city below her.
Must be a nice view.
Vownus said nothing, allowing the woman to compose herself. He was curious after all. As an Imperial mandated Governor, she possessed the access to appropriate channels in order to make contact with the Inquisition. Only if the situation mandated such contact. More often than not it was better to be safe than sorry.
She exhaled a sharp breath, obviously struggling with her next words.
Turning around, the stare she fixed upon Vownus was laced with desperation.
"My Lord. The situation I find myself in is very… precarious" she took time to compose her words, speaking slowly but with assurity.
"It started three years ago, with the disappearance of my younger brother"
Vownus didn't need to be a mind reader to see the grief on her face, or to know it was real. After a long time surrounded by fake emotions and crafted masks of feeling, eventually you gain a sense of real and fake.
"Ever since then someone or something has been murdering not only the members of my family, but of the other Noble families of my world" she ran a hand across the top of her hair, causing disarray to its once immaculate position.
"An assassin?" Vownus couldn't help but question. That wasn't exactly the Inquisition's area of expertise.
She threw him a derisive look.
"My Lord, that possibility was discussed between myself and my cousins upon the discovery of the first body" she reached for something beneath her table, "we quickly found ourselves perplexed"
Vownus stiffened at her movement, a tiny fear that she would actually draw a weapon of some kind, her interesting words only being served as a convoluted trap.
He only relaxed when she procured some kind of file.
She placed it on the opposite end of her desk, obviously offering it to him. The Witch-hunter accepted silently by stepping forward with only a dash of haste to examine the documents.
This was beginning to feel like the startings of a hunt, and he couldn't deny the excitement building within his feet.
Within the document were an arrangement of Picts. Each and everyone of them, 27 of them in total, displaying a macabre scene.
"Each body was… mutilated. In ways we have been mostly unavailable to confirm" Lula continued speaking, "whether this is the work of traitors or some kind of cult remains to be scene" she sat back down in her chair, looking quite relaxed as she slumped into it.
"The Inquisition exists to deal with such threats, Governor"
"I could not call upon the Inquisition directly, Lord Kaede. As more of my family members die… my political basis is filled by those that covet this very chair" she smiled sadly, "I am already quite obviously in weak standing with those I once called allies. Were I to publicly bring the heavily scrutinizing gaze of every facet of the Inquisition to this world, I would expect myself to quite suddenly be the victim of an accident of some kind"
That was a very blunt statement. One that truly showed how desperate the Governor had become. Obviously the Governors got up to certain things that some would frown upon. While far and few inbetween, the Imperium did have some degree of operations and conduct that occurred within a grey area. Such as Rogue Traders or the incredible amount of wealth planetary rulers amassed. More Radical members of the Inquisition would be open to such things, but those that adhered to the doctrine and orders…
Well, a statement such as the one Lula had just made could have resulted in her death if Vownus were a man like Rykehuss.
She was banking on the chance that Vownus would assist her. This was not done out of contestable control, but of desperate necessity. These brutal but strange murders were eroding her powerbase, and the longer these horrid killings occurred the stronger whatever faction wished to depose her would become.
How tiresome.
'Imperial Politics,' Vownus thought cynically, 'once again working toward the betterment of mankind'
Vownus wanted to roll his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.
She, a loyal servant to the Imperium, would forfeit her life due to doing the correct thing, and reporting these strange killings to the one authority designed to deal with such matters.
"It did not matter what kind of Inquisitor you were my Lord, merely that you are capable in dealing with this threat to my world"
Vownus was still looking at the images, his mind running over the pictures again and again. Each corpse seemed… melted in some sense or capacity. The origin of that decay appeared to be different in each of the photos. Melted heads, rib cages, arms, legs… one poor fellow had his genitals missing.
Even as he spoke to her he was thinking back to his Ordo Xenos training, and each of the species that could accomplish something like this.
'27 cases, three years. No, if it was Genesteelers they would have struck already. Not to mention the targeting Nobility...'
"I assume you spy upon the other Nobles" Vownus glanced up to meet her gaze. Lula merely nodded in response.
"You have noticed nothing odd with any of their behaviours? No gatherings, meetings or strange new additions to their households outside of the normal?"
"None my Lord" Lula confirmed, "my family have always been weary for the signs of Chaos... since the Heresy…."
Her family was of old blood, people that did not forget the damage done in those tumultuous days. Most were hardly even aware of the specifics of what had occurred during the Heresy, but if anyone were to know of it… Kaede was not surprised; he was a rich and well educated noble.
"My own Ancestors have felt the sting of the Archtraitor. Ever has our gaze remained vigilant, and upon Agrax we have yet to find any sign of a ruinous presence"
Vownus nodded. He wouldn't discount the idea of a potential Chaos cult… but one that was avoiding the Nobles security measures and personal protection?
Unlikely. Some kind of evidence would have been found by now. Looking into her mind for a brief moment, Vownus felt nothing wrong or altered. She was free of corruption.
So who or what was this murderer?
The victims had been so viciously displayed in their own home. Such an act would draw the attention of servants, aides and protectors.
A most curious situation indeed.
Vownus made up his mind.
"Governor Lula. Magos Cortetis is conducting work that is important to me and my objectives. We require use of a factory and complete secrecy to the fact… provide us with this and I will do it"
The Governor was taken aback, but regained herself momentarily. As any good bureaucratic leader would, she confirmed exactly what Vownus was offering.
"What exactly will you do, my Lord?"
The man leant forward across the desk, smiling as he swiped up the folder in one hand. He'd go over its notes and details while he was once again aboard the Tempests Advance.
"I'll catch your killer"
Lula De Chambaal finally felt a modicum of relief. The Inquisitor had agreed to the task at hand. He was also given a particular Vox communique with the Governor's office, one where they would be able to reach one another in case of any developments.
He had quite swiftly left the office after this, striding away with the Magos following closely until the doors shut behind them, leaving the Chambaal heir all alone.
It would be a grand day once she was rid of these problems.
She had felt the icy coolness upon her brow as she had spoken to the Inquisitor. He had read her mind to a degree, something that told her two things.
One, he was not to be trifled with.
Already her servants and aides were combing reports and information, trying to find some kind of reference for this 'Vownus Kaede'. His Rosette was authenticated, so Lula demanded to know everything about him before their next meeting.
She had not liked how bare she was before the man, so desperately in need of his aide. As a Psyker, he was also uniquely placed to deal with this problem. Which was the second tid-bit of information. Even though he had scanned her mind, he hadn't dug deep enough to reveal what she had buried.
Should the truth of the murderer ever surface…
Lula didn't have to worry about this.
The Witch-hunter would kill him, and his annoying little creature, and then everything would blissfully return back to normal. She'd have the other Nobles back in line before they could even blink.
Explorator Magos Cortetis Nesyon observed the space around them, their many lenses and Magnoculars examining the great forge they were marching through.
Loyal Skitarii flanked to their left and right, their neural connections still holding strong to the master of them all. The servitors marched behind, each one still hauling or carrying the resources and supplies from the Tempests Advance.
Inquisitor Vownus Kaede had brokered an agreement with this world's Governor, but Cortetis couldn't care less as to the details of this agreement.
All they were focused upon was finally being able to begin the Fabrication process. To test if the devised process that had been gifted to them by Vownus Kaede would indeed serve the man's purpose.
Cortetis had departed from the Hive Spire with their contingent of beings toward their designated Forge immediately. The Inquisitorial codes associated with Vownus' agents or acolytes seemed to be completely unnecessary as the two vessels had touched down at the Forge's rooftop landing pad.
Cortetis calculated that it was almost certain the Governor was pulling strings for them. However, if the present members of the Mechanicus at the facility would begin to ask Questions, the Inquisitorial Rosette would dissuade them.
That, and the personal code of blessing Cortetis had received from the Fabricator-General so many years ago would prove to be significant rebuttal to probing Priests.
As their spider-like limbs carried them through the hazy and bustling halls of the forge, Cortetis could only observe wistfully at all the technology and equipment they would lose access to once aboard the Tempests Advance.
Huge lines of cascading molten metal slurped into fixed platings, drawing a comparison to waterfalls and lava. Steam rose from many locations as Servitors patrolled back and forth through the hundreds of rows of great forges. Through all the smog and haze, this floor appeared to be producing ammunition. In particular, Bolter rounds.
Cortetis focused elsewhere, their attention returning to the path before them and their guide.
What little part of them was still human…. Cortetis felt eager, excited.
Anticipation was not something they had dealt with in a long time. A long time. Only the return of STC fragments to Mars had been the last time such feelings had flooded the Magos. To feel young and intrigued once more, gidding to the concept of new discovery.
Their Servitor guide halted before the bay doors of a near silent wing of the Forge. A part of the facility closed off to most members of the Mechanicus, but somehow the Governor was capable of allocating to strangers. Regardless of their Inquisitorial status, such a concept should have drawn attention from those that worked and toiled in the rows and paths behind them.
The guiding Servitor attached itself to a nearby panel, and the towering fifty meter tall entrance to the Forge bay beyond was opened, revealing to the Magos where they would begin their duty.
Cortetis wasted no time entering the baren, recording and cataloguing all the equipment within the space. Mental commands were issued to all of the Magos' subordinates.
As their guide Servitor disconnected from the door and floated off, the Skitarii took up positions at the terminus on both sides of the Forge bay's doors.
A large crucible lay in the center of the room, a multi-purpose piece of metallurgical equipment designed to forge the pieces of Titan technology. Hence why this entire bay was Empty, the Magos reasoned.
The crucible would serve their purpose.
Servitor's found places for all of the materials they carried, positioning them in locations near the appropriate equipment. Only half of the large foundry was required.
As the doors to the bay closed, Cortetis ordered their Servitors to begin the heating of the Crucible and the great forge at the back of the bay.
The observed temperature was much higher than what was considered safe by most facilities standards, but this forge would suffice.
The Material would be moulded. It would work. The Omnissiah willed it so.
With a loud slamming of the two titanic doors, the bay was shut.
What they did now, would echo out into eternity.
The largest of the carried containers, one that was hauled between four Servitors now lay before the steadily heating forge, its contents still hidden to the Magos.
Cortetis approached it, ignoring how sacred oils were spread along tools and binary litanies were being read aloud to sooth the spirits of the unused equipment.
The case was opened with a short press of coded commands, opening to reveal its precious cargo.
Cortetis could not help themselves, marveling at one of the many shards of material. Their lens took in every aspect of the obsidian resource, precious and rarer than any other in the universe.
The case was full of it. A supply that Vownus Kaede had stumbled upon and nigh demanded Cortetis to make use of.
It was Blackstone.
Noctilith.
An invaluable resource from a bygone era. Blackstone was as hard to come by as technology from before the Age of Strife. But its value lay in its near mystical relation to space and the Materium. For it was both a deterrent and conductor of warp energies.
The latter option only being achieved if the material was forged and then moulded correctly.
The method of which, having been recently discovered by Cortetis.
"By the Will of the Omnissiah, our work is blessed" Cortetis blurted out in a wave of Binary speech.
And then the forging began.
"No!" Caius snapped, taking the book out of Lucian's hands, "I refuse to believe-"
Even as he attempted to deny the youth his awfully smug smile, Caius' eyes were not deceiving him the first time it read through the low gothic text.
Nor did they lie the second or third time he skimmed the information.
"Well?" Lucian smirked up at him, reclining ever so slightly in his desk's chair.
Today's lesson was taking place in Lucian's room, with Caius being relegated to stand and pace behind the boy as he completed his test. Today's topic? Threats of the Imperium and the difficulty at which they were dealt with.
Apparently, according to sources within the Astra Militarum, Greenskins were considered worse than Eldar. Something that Caius had thought to be the other way 'round. So when Lucian had written that as his answer, Caius had scolded the boy.
This immediately prompted defense of his answer and then an inevitable argument between the two.
And now, the smug little shit was grinning like the cat that caught the canary, an expression that just tugged at Caius' fist to make contact with the youth's face.
Instead of this, Caius took the moral high ground, bringing the book down from his face and placing it before the boy.
"I concede," he admitted, earning a whooping cheer from young Lucian.
But while topics such as the various and deadly Xenos which inhabited the Universe were new material, -new material in the sense that the wealth of information Inquisitor Kaede had access to was far grander than Helios could ever attest to,- both the impromptu teacher and willing student shared the same boat.
Most of this information was new to them. Caius' position within the Arbites merely gave him an excellent grasp on High Gothic and the Codex Imperialis. Information such as; the specific number of Ork clans and how to deal with them, the combat tactics of the Eldar and Tau ranged engagement procedures was entirely fresh.
The elder of the two did have one distinct advantage….
"However!" Caius snapped, drawing one raised finger up into the air, "you fail to see the true error of your test!"
Like an Astartes Drop pod, Caius' raised finger fell upon the book, striking exactly where he had noticed the boy's lack of attention.
"You have claimed in your fifth answer that Necrons are more of a threat than Tyrannids"
The boy's expression morphed into a freeze frame of shock, and now Caius wore the vicious smile, the kid scooting closer to the desk to check his answer.
Because Caius' advantage over Lucian was that he could read and write better than the boy. Something that this teaching was to be changing, but an advantage the young Arbite would enjoy for some time.
Failure in any answer or form would result in the immediate destruction of Lucian's test paper, and for him to write the entire examination all over again. This would keep going until every answer was correct.
Chuckling to himself as Lucian aggressively began the test all over again, jotting down his answers with a fury only found in those that were condemned to repetition, Caius heard the telltale noise of the boy's door open.
"You better have not brought me that nasty Caff, you old coo-"
It was not Lynwood who came around the short corridor to the door of the room.
Garbed in his Witch hunting robes with his weapons attached to his belt, Vownus Kaede looked as threatening as ever. This was also the first time Caius' had seen his new boss in a long time, hence the sudden weight on his tongue.
Mouthing off to Lynwood was one thing.
To your Inquisitor boss? No sir.
"I'm afraid I haven't brought any Caff at all with me" Vownus smiled, "but I'll be sure to remember next time. How is everything?"
Caius took a second for his brain to reboot. He bowed forward in the next moment, "My Lord. I have been doing my best to instruct young Lucian in the subjects you have detailed. We have just began dissecting the topic of Xenos of notable threat to the Imperium"
Vownus approached the teacher and student, the latter being made aware of the Witch hunter's presence only after the man had spoken. Lucian had turned in his chair to glare at the Inquisitor. While the look was far less pronounced than it had been the first time Lucian had met Vownus, it was still a display of animosity.
The Witch hunter ignored the look, instead coming to stand beside the boy in order to study the text.
"One of my Ordo Xenos tome's…" Vownus observed, running a hand along the page, "I haven't seen this book in a long time…"
Caius felt even more petrified at the sudden look of forlorn emotion that was displayed across his boss's face.
"I apologize my Lord, it was the only book I could find that described the Xenos objectively" Caius justified. As compared to any and all information relegated to those that the guard would or could study, this book was filled with classifications and detail some might consider heretical.
"It was written by one of my Colleagues in the Ordo Xenos, Van Vuygens…." Vownus looked away from the book, turning his wide brimmed hat and head toward Caius with a smile.
"A good choice"
Caius nodded with a relieved, "thank you my Lord"
Vownus chuckled briefly before speaking upon a different topic.
"As informative as your lesson must be Agent Caius, I'm going to have to steal your promising student for some time"
The "What?!" from Lucian, and the "Certainly, my Lord" from Caius came at the same time, both looking to the other a moment later with betrayal in their eyes. Lucian was vexed at how easily Caius had given him up. Caius was worried that Lucian's rebellious nature would get him shot.
Many men and women of the Imperium had been killed for far less.
"Lucian"
The boy looked up to the Inquisitor, noticing the serious tone in the man's voice and stowing his dislike for the current moment.
The youth was unprepared for the blank yet ominous words delivered to him.
"It is time I taught you how to use your powers"
Caius had exited the room quite quickly after that announcement, bidding goodbye to the two Psykers that had locked eyes with one another.
Vownus had merely waved his new agent away, reminding him to close the door behind him on his way out. It was important that this lesson would not be disturbed.
Especially by those that would be affected by any possible or even accidental warp energies, disturbances or fluctuations.
The goal of Lucian's first Psyker lesson would not be the manifestation of power or direct control over the energies of the Immaterium. For now Vownus would work through the theory and safest possible practices when utilising the warp. Nothing was truly safe when the Warp was involved, but he would prepare the boy as best as he could.
Vownus was the first to look away, brushing his cape behind him as he sat upon the floor of Lucian's room. As he was crossing his legs, the boy slipped out of his chair to join him upon the steel base of his cabin.
Lucian may not like Vownus, but that did not mean he would not attempt to learn from him.
The boy was quicker than he had initially seemed. That, or he was slowly beginning to learn a thing or two. Vownus prayed it was the second.
"First things first" Kaede explained, taking the hat from his head and placing it between the two of them, "we're going to be going over basics. These will be the few rules and general tips I've amassed over my incredibly successful career"
Lucian frowned at the pat on the back Vownus had given himself, but couldn't refute the point. The man hunted dangerous and deadly people, the ones too unstable to receive help or worse. Vownus being alive and visibly uninjured or even disfigured was an impressive feat.
"Rule number one" Vownus raised his first finger, his eyes very seriously focused upon Lucian's own.
"You do not pull upon the Immaterium with your feelings. Emotional manipulation is the easiest way to get yourself possessed and kill everyone around you in the process"
The boy nodded.
"Calm and collected, or someone will be cleaning up your remains"
Lucian felt a shiver run down his spine, but nodded again.
"Good" Vownus replied to the boy's now stark and watchful attention. A second finger was raised into the air, "keeping a balanced mind is just as important as keeping your thoughts serene. Rule number two; when drawing upon the Immaterium you think about the action not the result"
Lucian's confused expression was to be expected.
"For example; If you need to kill somebody or something, don't focus on him, her or it being dead, you focus on whatever it is you need to do in order to make them or it dead"
Lucian blinked, and when he nodded it was hesitant and slow.
Vownus realized this wasn't exactly sinking in for the boy and would have to demonstrate in order to get the points across.
'...You'll.. you'll make a… heh... great teacher…. one day kiddo…'
The words were gone from his mind, banished back to the deepest recesses of his lock box of a mind. Lucian needed to be taught correctly, here and now.
No mistakes.
Vownus focused on himself, drawing the correct mindset and image to the forefront of his consciousness.
He placed his hands a few feet apart from one another in the air between him and the boy. Lucian cocked an eyebrow in confusion, before nearly startling backward as a small bolt of lighting passed between Vownus' palms.
Vownus' deliberate demand of a question was the only thing that pulled Lucian away from his instinctual reaction.
"What am I doing?" the Inquisitor asked his student, keeping the small bolt flickering between his palms.
"You're... " Lucian began, but quickly stopped, focusing intently on the little light show his teacher was giving him.
"Well, you're thinking about the action, the moving of the… projectile? Between your palms"
Vownus smiled, dropping his hands and ceasing his pull upon the Immaterium, "exactly"
He held his third finger up;
"Rule number three. And this one might be a hard one to understand, but it's more important for people like you and me Lucian" Vownus leaned in a bit, his voice now quieter but far more serious than his regular cadence "we're not like the rest. Even among Psykers we stick out a bit, so keep this one always at the forefront of your mind"
Lucian nodded softly.
He was ready.
"Never" Vownus closed his eyes, an image of a memory forming in his mind unbidden, "never, demand anything of the Immaterium. Ever. If you cannot do what you wish to do, you practise until you either can or you pass out, or you die."
Lucian could feel that there was more to this rule that met the eye. Something about having to repeat these words was causing Vownus some kind of discomfort. Or even pain. Lucian tried not to stare as the men kept his eyes scrunched close as he reinforced his reminder.
"You will never ask the Warp to help you, got that kiddo?"
Vownus' eyes opened to Lucian nodding, "Yes sir"
"Good lad" Vownus reached forward and ruffled the boy's hair, earning him an indignant squawk, "still mad at me?"
That brought the frown back, the same frown that had slipped off Lucian's face without him even noticing it. The boy didn't answer the question. He didn't need to. Vownus chuckled.
"It's alright. I'm sorry it's taking so long for us to have a proper sit down and lesson regarding… well you, kiddo" Vownus found his way to his feet, "Agrax is our last pit stop before we hunker down for a bit somewhere. Once we're on solid ground we can let loose"
"And then I'll learn?" Lucian asked, a hopeful glint in his eye as he also came to his feet.
Vownus nodded.
"Then you'll learn the practical applications. But for now, theory is the safest thing I can impart to you kiddo"
Lucian went back to his targeted frown.
Vownus just smiled.
"Hey. I've got a question for you"
Lucian cocked his head at the man, noticing the sudden uptick in positive tone. Vownus didn't give Lucian a chance to affirm or deny, he merely spoke atop the boy's still forming reply.
"Wanna help me solve a bunch of murders?"
Sergeant Raduriel of the Astral Knights had deviated from his typical course of travel. Instead of taking the path he and his Brother's regularly traveled between their rooms and the Chapel grounds with which they trained in, Raduriel banked a right. His path would lead him to the gigantic near six lane highway that ran the entire length of the Tempests Advance.
The fastest path to his destination.
While most of the crew was aware of the Adeptus Astartes presence onboard, many had not actually witnessed or seen the large warriors in person before. So Raduriel had to withstand the hundreds of stares and wide eyes of all the men and women he passed on his way across the ship.
Many stepped out of the way, bowed, whispered prayers to the Emperor, or all three. Raduriel had paid them no heed. Like the boy that was neighbour to them, their rapt attention and muted shock was annoying to him.
'Mortals' Raduriel thought to himself in annoyance, 'no matter which world they hail from, like every man of this Imperium they are all the same'
At least the Servitors and Ratings barely acknowledge his presence, the former not even deviating from its unknown tasks and the latter merely risking a glance or two.
Reaching his exit from the grand central path of the Advance, the large hulking form of the Space Marine Sergeant broke right, advancing upon his destination. It was typically Germael that made this trip, but the Captain was undergoing battle training with Dominius, so Raduriel had been the one to meet with Thade.
Passing through and turning at the correct corners, Raduriel's march eventually led him to the secondary barracks, a facility closer to the engine room than what the Necromundan 501st occupied.
At the gates of the barracks, standing guard for their brothers within, were two Neophytes.
Angolo and Sullur. Armored lightly and still the size of a mortal man, if not moderately larger, these two had already adopted the mannerisms and practices of the Knights. But their attachment to the Chapter code was not the reason Raduriel knew them so well.
The names and identities of every Neophyte were engraved upon the minds of Raduriel and his battle brothers. They were the potential future of his Chapter. While training them was important for their military efforts, they were never actively deployed unless they were granted success in the field.
Even if defeat was an excellent teacher, the loss of any of their lives would be far too damaging for the Knights.
They were the future, and the future must live.
"Sergeant Raduriel" Angolo intoned, stepping aside as the Space Marine approached them out from the dim light of the hallway.
"Angolo, Sullur" he stopped just before the posted guards, "I have come to speak with Thade"
Sullur nodded to the armored Sergeant, "Thade is currently overseeing a duel"
Angolo's slight shifting caught Raduriel's ever watchful eye.
"Korelus and Augustald" Raduriel hummed the two names with complete asureity. If ever there were two individuals so perfectly opposite of Raduriel's own brothers, Rhamine and Tiberec, it would be the two Neophytes he had named.
"Indeed" Angolo muttered, "it is first blood once more. I saw the fight break out before we were rotated onto guard duty"
"Still" Raduriel remarked to himself, before addressing the somewhat distrubed barrack guards, "have faith Neophytes. Their animosity toward one another will sharpen them"
And the Space Marine strode into the barracks, nodding and addressing all those that called greetings to him. Singular beds were laid out in every direction of this room, with only a third of them being occupied.
Raduriel suspected it would be a long time before all of them were filled, even if they ever were.
Some Neophytes were in prayer, either for themselves and their Chapter, or for their equipment and weapons. A few were speaking amongst one another, naturally forming into the squads they would be assigned to if the time ever came.
They all noticed Raduriel enter.
And this was the attention that the Sergeant was comfortable with. It was not awe, or shock. It was not mere amazement.
Hardened steel marked their eyes, with will and fortitude composing their calls and acknowledgements toward the Space Marine.
And as he returned their greetings, they shifted back to their tasks and duties, the sight of the Sergeant seemingly invigorating them. Raduriel noticed a few of them slip away to the training rooms, ready to test themselves and improve their martial skills.
He made for the other end of the barracks, the door and path beyond it that led to their Vehicle depot… as well as the Ring.
Korelus backpedaled, shifting out of the way of the short sword that had lunged at him. His counter attacking stab with his own blade was rebuffed by his opponent's swift block.
The powerful force behind the stab allowed the two fighters to spring away from one another.
Augustald was the faster of the two, a coiled cobra in combat which excelled in his fast blows and then an immediate withdrawal into defense. He was the faster of the two, taking many victories over Korelus due to his speed alone.
Both stepped away to circle one another once more, sweat pouring from their bodies. It took a great deal of focus and physical exertion for Korelus to keep up with his nimble nemesis. Conversely, Augustald, while strong like all of his other Neophyte brethren, would never equal Korelus in power. His slightly larger brother was hailed as the strongest among the ranks of the Neophytes.
This difference of skill and strength had drawn a line between the two recruits when they had been selected. What time they had not spent antagonising the other was spent sparring. These spars were infamous among their trainers and brothers, heralding the two of them as the greatest talent the Neophytes would produce in a long time.
Korelus and Augustald couldn't care less for this attention and praise. Their attentions were focused upon the other, and how to defeat him. Eventually the spars had shifted into the duels, knowing that the stakes were far more important. Both needed to be above one another, both wished to do better than their counterparts. And most importantly, both believed their own skill was greater than the others.
Augustald sprung forward again, his form low as he targeted Koerlus' mid section. His blade was poised to lash out at the waist of his enemy. The larger of the two swung down, aiming for the shoulder.
Augustald spun, flipping over himself to adjust the direction of his approach.
Korelus' wouldn't be winning this spar, he would claim-
August was caught across the chin and cheek by the pirouetting foot of the other duelist, a move he had not seen coming.
He tumbled away, skidding across the floor of the Ring and colliding with its wall.
"I'm not falling for that again Brother"
Korelus' taunt lit a deep fire in Augustald's heart, the boy exploding upward and prepared to charge. He was a second away from doing so, when the loud voice of their proctor chimed in.
"Blood has been drawn. Korelus has attained victory"
The mechanical voice of the hulk of a being managed to stop Augustald's attack. Korelus did not smile as he and his brother remained focused upon one another. The animosity in each of their gazes was shared between the two of them. Even though Augustald won more often than not, it was Korelus' ingenuity and fresh battle tactics that would score him a humiliating victory. These wins dug at Augustald's pride.
"You will grasp, and return to your training"
Korelus approached the coiled viper, reaching out his empty hand toward his brother.
Augustald hesitated.
"You will grasp"
At the urging command of Thade, the Dreadnought which overlooked the ring, the smaller of the two reached forward with his own hand.
Both gripped the other's forearm as they spoke in unison.
"By Dorn and the Emperor"
They broke the grip aftward, disgusted by the other's touch. Both turned to face the large form of their Chapter Master, Thade.
"Dorn and Emperor watch over you both" the titanic warrior uttered down to them. A Dreadnought of the Astral Knights was decorated in the Chapter's typical tones of silver. Deep blues lined the ornate details and markings of the well preserved and managed armor. Thade was entombed within the vehicle of war a long time ago, well before the Neophytes had even been born.
He was the oldest being alive that any of them knew, and it was his experience and temperament that had shaped what remained of the Astral Knights and their chapter.
Clasping a closed fist above their hearts, the two duelists saluted their Chapter master and departed the room. They took a moment to greet the figure which stood by the entrance to the Vehicle Depot and Ring.
"Raduriel" Thade addressed the stoic figure, his lumbering form adjusting itself to face the waiting Sergeant, "You seem troubled"
The Sergeant did not move for a moment.
Eventually he reached up to his helmet, plucking the item from his head as he approached his Chapter master.
"Chapter master" he began, before dropping to one knee before Thade's form.
"I have concerns"
Thade's form could barely emote, but one could imagine a raised eyebrow from the way the Dreadnought tilted ever so slightly.
"Regarding?"
Raduriel exhaled briefly.
"Captain Germael, Chapter master" he looked up into the direct presence of the large war machine, "the Captain is seemingly unaware of the Inquisitor, Vownus Kaede. I fear he does not see what the Inquisitor is planning"
Thade rumbled an immediate reply.
"And what is it that you see, Sergeant Raduriel, that both myself and Captain Germael have not?"
AN: Sorry this one took so long guys. I've had to do a super amount of Lore reading in preparation for not only the coming chapters but for Astartes in General. Honestly I could really use some help with Lore stuff so I don't have to keep tabbing out of my document to find the information I'm looking for. But eh, I don't see many complaints from y'all so I assume your good with the extended times between chapter releases.
Before anything else is said I gotta thank Hadrian Caesar (who's name was removed from my thank you note in last chapter, for some reason). And AlphariusMaygar. Your voiced support helps me tab back into my story when I'm feeling a bit off or worn out from writing.
Orks A currently has 1 vote versus Orks B's 0 votes. By the time the next Chapter releases, I'll have to have made up my mind of this.
Once again, super sorry about this training Arc, but I'm going to spend time developing the characters a bit before I throw them into some good ol' bloody and violent combat. They need to feel real first, with some time and relation under their belts in order to reflect their development and decisions.
Lastly, chapters will not be released until I've reached a point where I'm comfortable with the content within it. This chapter was ready about two days ago, but wasn't where I wanted it, so I delayed the posting of it. Sorry if this is annoying, but I promise it'll be worth the wait.
Next chapter: the Witch Hunt
Much love and many well wishes,
-Freedom.