[NiteRabbit]

Inquisitor: The Trans-Kurani Paradox (Action Thread)

Towering over the the planets of the Trans-Kurani sector, the Dauntless class Cruiser Burning Litany glided along effortlessly through the void of space, a massive cathedral of ceramite and plasteel with sharp arches and minarets that seemed to pierce the very fabric of space itself. Its every deck was a hive of activity as the ship prepared to make one final short range Warp jump to the planet Zephira where it had been assigned to control the space above the planet and cut off whatever reinforcements the vile traitors on the surface were receiving. The vox communication spread through the entirety of the massive ship almost instantly as the fabric in space time began to open.

"Warp shields active", came the decidedly female voice.

"All systems checked. Full power available to Warp drive. Hull integrity at 100%."

"All personnel to your posts. Stand by to initiate Warp jump."

With that, the ship was there and then, quite simply, it wasn't anywhere.

Several light years across the Sector, the Burning Litany emerged from the currents of the Empyrean little worse for the wear. Immediately, its efficient crew went to work conducting purity tests on all psychic members to make sure that they had not inadvertently brought something else with them when they exited the Warp. Meanwhile, several of the Astropaths began to report that any further Warp jumps or communication would be impossible in this part of the sector. The planet Zephira was generating too much interference. The Burning Litany was on its own.

Undaunted, the ship continued to buzz with activity as detachments of Imperial Guard began loading into Drop Pods and Valkyrie Assault and Transport craft that would deliver them to the surface to continue the cleansing.
------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is Fleet Command."

"As per your request, Lord Inquisitor, we have placed all relevant information on the planet Zephira at your disposal. We understand that assistance was specifically requested from the Ordo Malleus but of what nature we are unsure. Whatever aid you require in your investigations, know that we stand ready to provide."

c2.3.09
orb distance:
1.98G/temp 24c
Agri World
Tithe Grade: Adeptus Non
Aestimare: C7
Population: 1,000,000,000
Minor food exports to the rest of the sector, major exports of pharmaceuticals to Ad. Mech. Research Worlds for study and rendering, Officio Assassinorum involvement in [Inquistion Clearance Alpha required]

"Drop ship will depart at your convenience, Lord Inquisitor."

[End Vox Transmission]

OOC:
Inquisitor, you will have a bit of time to brief your men on the mission to which they are being assigned or do whatever else needs to be done in terms of character socialisation etc. If you wish, we can skip straight to the action but this is mainly an introductory scene.

Everyone begins in their quarters on board the Burning Litany.

 

[Visitor Q]

[OOC: Where do we all begin? Are we with the Inquisitor or still in our quaters?]
If I am in my quaters then I am reciting the 777 Litanies I learnt as a child.

Right I go from my quaters to the briefing room.
"Coporal Ghent reporting my Lord Inquisitor".

 

[darkreever]

Riener ignores the corporal, qiuetly damning whichever of his rival inquisitors had requested them as part of his entourage. His thoughts on the mission ahead swim not on the factors of its success, more on a pair of the datalsates spread on the briefing table. The two which held the information of the recent additions to his team. Turning back to Ghent after staring out the pict screen on the wall, displaying the target world, he noticed that only Ghent had come of the two. "Fetch your partner corporal, there isn't much you need to be told so I won't need aeons of time to explain it to you." He said before turning his back to the man.

His thoughts of unease towards Ghent and his partner were twofold, it was very true he did not trust them but it was more so because he was an untouchable and such feeling came from everyone he came in contact with. As Ghent left he turned to the pair clouded in the shadows. The other two members of the group, his men not ones assigned to him. Turning to the two, " Anything feel wrong to you Pleacus?" he adressed the older member of his group. Heiro need not be asked anything, he was death cult and they niether spoke nor faltered from orders.

[OOC: Ares and Dumbparamecium, anything you have to say to Riener is between our three characters. Just to show where Riener places those under his command...8)]

 

[Visitor Q]

I turn on my heel with a curt Nod and leave to get the Sarge. Along with my equipment. If any other guardsman on board say anything to me such as a greeting I ignore them.

[OOC uh should you really be describing what your character is thinking?]

 

[Brother Ares]

Heiro nods to his master and relaxes his hand alitte on the hilt of his favorite longsword.then tuns his head to look at Pleacus waiting for his reply

(ooc Heiro hardly leave Riener's side because he is also he bodyguard as well as his assassin, if this is ok with you dark and everyone else)

 

[DumbparameciuM]

After what seems like ages have passed, Pleacus steps out of the shadows, the hydralics in his artificial legs hissing. The lighting of the breifing room illuminates the Tech Priests leering chrome visage. Pleacus's bionic eyes add a soft blue tinge, making his head look similar to a Holo-Display of an Apothecary. The jaw clicks open, and cabling running ino the skull via the jaw pulses as Pleacus wills the complex array of machinery throughout his body into action.

++Feelings are a thing of the flesh++ booms from the Vox-Caster, set inside the "mouth" of the Tech Priest. The speech is hollow, metallic - void of any emotion, bereft of pattern or melody.
++Like flesh, they cannot be trusted. Given the disturbences in the warp, I would not trust any emotions here, even if I were still flesh.++
The jaw clicks shut as Pleacus seemingly considers the information made available. Mechandendrites slither about Pleacus, hunting for inputs or a source to jack into. One of them, a squid-like Data-Feeder, finds the appropriate port in one of the data tablets. Information begins streaming across the surface of the Tablet, flashing too fast for the human eye to see.
Pleacus jaw clicks open again

++The data given, I sense it is abridged. Mere tainted flesh of cultists could not hold the might of the Iperium back for so long ++
++Is there data you have neglected to inform us of, Inquisitor?++

 

[Visitor Q]

Once I reach the Sarges quaters I tap the speaker inteerface at his door.
"Sarge its me, Ghent, we have been requested to attend the briefing". I look round nervously to make sure no one is spying on me.

 

[dr_nick22]

Sgt. Corran Dann heard a quieted sound emitted from the speaker at his door, something along the lines of 'Sarge....me...Ghent...reques...atte...briefing'. The reason for the sound sound being muffled was the heavy metal music blaring from his vox-caster in the corner of the room, 'The Hive world Scum' with their new album 'Exterminatus'.

He finished his chin up's on one of the plexi-steel rafters a metre or two above his bed,
" 997...998...999...1000!" he grunted as he let go of he cold steel bar, dropping back down on his cot, muscles feeling like they were going to explode from such straining physical exercise.
"As soon as I get back on the field, the adrenaline pumping through me will make me forget all about it" he thought to himself". He had to keep his fitness up, he wasn't as young as he used to be.

Sweat glistened over his well-muscled body as he pulled his shirt back on, flexed his arms a little to relieve tension, and walked over to the vox caster, turned off the music, and finally headed to the door. He activated the hand scanner, the display glowing a bright green, the words 'clearance accepted' lit up on the interface, and the door slid open with a slight 'hisss...'.

"Lead the way".

 

[Brother Ares]

Heiro looks to Riener with a confused look in eyes, not understanding most of what Pleacus just said, and then looks back at the Tech Priest to help his master better understand.

 

[darkreever]

"You should know better Pleacus, some things your not supposed to know for the good of your own life and the lives of others. You know what I left out old friend, and you know your not to speak a word of it either." Riener all but whispered to the techno-man. Cult work and a full blown coup of the planetary government, it looked like the work of chaos but not in the same sense as one including daemons. There were others, traitors of mankind, who were better known for such tactics.

"It is better to go in ready for the worst rather than come face to face with it and be unprepared." Riener whispered to himself, but the augmatics of Pleacus and the assassins enhanced senses probably heard him anyway. Turning his attention to Heiro, "Leave keeping my life safe to me, I want you to keep an eye on those other two. The moment they turn on us I want their heads."

[OOC: after this I'm not posting OOC comments here; DumbparameciuM as far as it matters Pleacus and Heiro are true members of Rieners retinue and are actually more privy to certain knowledge than Ghent or Corran. Such as the fact that Riener refers to the implacations of possible daemons backing up the cultists...8) Ares, death cult are both gaurd and killer. There is no need to OK this.]

 

[Brother Ares]

Heiro nods,bows and heads to shadow the two gaurdsmen on their two the briefing.

 

[DumbparameciuM]

If Pleacus was moved by the words of the Inquisitor, he doesn't show it. The data slabs have stopped flickering, and the Mechandenrites flick back and foward like the tongue of a serpent. Pleacus jaw drops open, cables pulse, and again the Vox-Caster hisses into life.

++ Forgive me, M'lord. I know you had the best intentions - however, for full combat effectiv-++

Pleacus stops 'Casting, but his jaw continues to remain open. While the concept of "friendship" was alien to him, Pleacus knew what it meant to those with Flesh. He knew, too, that the loss of his vocal chords and face consigned him to a life of virtual apathy - he was no longer able to emote on any level. He knews that this made his speech sometimes sound as if it lacked sincerity, but, in company such as this, he meant every word. Soon, Pleacus begins speaking again - but slower this time.

++ I understand your intentions fully. I shall be inserted at full capacity, to ensure the safety of all ++

The realisation had danwed on Pleacus that now was not a time to dance around the issue at hand, but to meet the threat time on. It bothered him that brash methods might have to be used - he much preferred being able to sit and cogitate over a battle plan.

His jaw snaps shut. Pleacus' Mechandenrites swarm before him, taking the shape of the Aquila. Pleacus bows his head slightly, considering all that has been.

"God Machine and God Emperor, both, protect and guide us," the ancient machine-man prayed inwardly, "For I fear it is more than our combined fury can best". Pleacus logged the prayer, storing it in one of his many mem-grams for when such ministrations may have been more profitable.

 

[Visitor Q]

I lead Corran back through the long corridors of the space cruiser to the briefing room. On the way I turn to him and quietly say "This Inquisitor....Reiner, I like him. Blunt and to the point. I don't think he trusts us though".

 

[dr_nick22]

" And with good reason, Ghent. If you were in his position, would you be so quick as to trust two men who were the only surviviors of a daemon-infested world? We don't even know how we survived. He probably thinks we're possesed by some Greater Daemon, and he'll pop out and devour him if we get too close. No...he probably had too much caffadrenaline this morning. He's probably had his toaster oven Pleacus place a listening device on one of us already, so no doubt he'll know about all our little conversations we have from now on. Now, shall we go inside and see how much scum we have to kil today?" Corran said to his fellow IG comrade, as they wound their way through the many corridors and passageways of the 'Burning Litany'.

They stopped in front of the door to the briefing room, and Corran keyed the comm switch,
"We have arrived Lord Reiner."

 

[Visitor Q]

Before we enter I mutter "Don't speak so lightly of the infernal beings, they...the flame, Corran the flame!"

[OOC Corran you think this could be another of my "episodes" coming on but then it subsides]

I sigh heavily " Ready to face death and more old friend?".

 

[Brother Ares]

Heiro standing in the shadows of the long corridors of the space cruiser behind the two men hears all that is said and will report it to his master later.

 

[DumbparameciuM]

Pleacus turns to face the Guardsmen.

"We are so different. How can we be fighting for the same cause? There is such little logic in this existence, sometimes.". Pleacus quickly pulled himself together - there were emore important things to be focusing on.

Pleacus impulsed the hydrolics in his legs and spine to stiffen. He rises, his chest expanding a little as the Gaurdsmen walk into the room proper. Wether he feels intimidated or challenged is hard to tell, but nevertheless, the sight of the Machine-Man getting an extra couple of inches hight is an imposing sight. The soft whine of gears and pistons as they readjust augment this display - it's enough to remind anyone of a combat-servitor about to strike.

 

[Brother Ares]

as the two guardsmen step into the room Heiro slips in behind them and makes his way around to Riener and Pleacus through the shadows of the room.

 

[Visitor Q]

My eyes grow wide with an intense look in them as I seem to notice the Tech Priest for the first time. I walk up to him and point my Melta Gun at him.

"Bless My Weapon Tech Father". I pause for a moment in thought,

"It has been about Four months since it was last purified. Better that the rituals and anointments be done now before we set out on a dangourous venture lest we forget them in the heat of battle"

 

[Brother Ares]

As Heiro come around between Riener and Pleacus, he sees Ghent raise his gun and then step in front of Riener and draw a sword alittle, then Ghent ask that the weapon be blessed he then relaxs and put it away fully but he still stand in front of his master and still holds the hilt.