The Conclave

"There was a time before this, my children, when the holy, immortal, god emperor, may the golden throne never lose power, walked among the mortals. Not only did he, in his brilliance, walk, my children, he, in his brilliance, also lead humanity, his eternal servants, to the eternal reaches of the stars. Many worlds bowed to him, who is above all else, but many others resisted his coming. He, in his brilliance, fought and conquered, unyielding and invincible at war, merciful and wise in peace, such were his infallible ways. Some times he, in his brilliance, secured victory eternal by single combat, besting the best of the planet in his magnanimous might. Occasionally he, in his brilliance, fought with weapons native to the planet, with swords, axes, spears and knives did he, in his brilliance, reclaim the lost and the weak into his fold, and with the hammer. Twenty three times, no more, no less, did he, in his brilliance, wield a native hammer in single combat against the misguided champion. Twenty three times, no more, no less,  did he, in his brilliance smite his foe with a native hammer. Twenty three times, no more, no less,  did he conquer for his everlasting, perfect imperium, with a native hammer.

And before me now, I see the iron head of the twenty third hammer. Emperor be praised. All glory to him on earth."

+++recovered from the ruins of Jerimurds VIX+++
+++beleived to be the writings of [unknown]+++
+++dating indicates 663 years since penning+++

Aldros Drahlan had been living on this backwards sewer for three months, lying low, biding his time, whatever you want to call it, hiding out. His fortune was decreasing steadily, and he had no prospects of income any time soon. He had been about to cut it off, to go back into the galaxy and reclaim a position that was his worth. To be in politics again, to dance the only dance he knew, but that he danced so well, weaving around the blood of his adversaries as it fell, with great decorum, to the floor. Oh to return to that life. Oh to return to life at all, for what he 'lived' here certainly didn't quality. He had been about to cut it off, to go back into the galaxy but then, his patience paid of, in a most unexpected way.

Rayne had returned from his daily trip to the market stands with news, he could tell from the study from the sound of the wych crossing the hall. Had he been alone with this abhuman for so long that he could tell his mood from his pace, oh for to return to life. But the warp cursed cur had news, and shared it eagerly, of speak of a relic. Pausing only to don his coat and top hat, curse the fashion of this miserable rock, he proceeded as fast as dignity would allow to the tavern Sladin had suggested and immediately recognised the huddle of conspiracy around the only occupied booth, predictably bathed in shadows. They had been reluctant to share at first. But when the most aggressive of them spasmed and withered, unable to lift his muscles or to breath, until he lay still, they spilled their guts. He'd left them with a round, the local poison, brewed from hops, and spiced up with a little of world poison of his own.

Now he stood, overlooking the temple ruins, his top hat replaced with his helm, and his coat hiding his armour. The wych was with him, where else, and they would return soon. With a relic such as this was supposed to be, he could win a sector. Sector governor Drahlan of the hammer, he liked the sound of that. Bless this quaint planet; for all it's shortcomings, the luck it had awarded him now was worth it all.

He would rise again.

Rastgnac scowled around him, through his mask and hood, as he disembarked the shuttle. He strode through the arrival checkpoint, his foul mood almost visible in the air around him. The security staff wisely chose not to impede him. He stopped outside to scan the horizon, he needed to be in the mountains, and shortly settled on the best course. There was a stand, nearby, with passenger carts, each drawn by a local in a small, two wheels motorised cabin. He stepped into the first, glared at the pilot, who was looking back at him expectantly, and deigned to speak the name of his desired location.
'Aye sire, are ya'lone?'
A second of withering silence, and a nod.
'My lord?' it was his follower, in uncleaned robes, carrying what little baggage there was. He has somehow taken to following back on Sernin, and had followed him here. Merlack his name was, or so Rastgnac thought, but his uncertainty didn't worry him. The man was loyal, which was rare in itself but weather he was useful was another matter.
'Get in'

The carriage rattled off, through the city, mostly over dirt roads, and out onto a paved highway that had fallen into disrepair. The carriage shook from the irregular impacts with the uneven ground as the highway led of for miles into the foothill, but discomfort meant even less to Rastgnac than the pain that perpetually flooded his insides, and that was to him a focus, to keep his mind on his holy work.
He had crossed three sectors numerous times to get here, tonight. His long years of investigation and he had finally tracked it down. The 23rd hammer was here on Dommelline, the least likely of planets. In the catacombs of the no longer standing chapel of Saint Adriaen, the only significant structure to ever grace the rightfully humble planet he would find it. Touched by the Emperor himself, weilded by him against the unworthy, surely it was a relic of relics. It's lightest touch would doubtless sear the guilty with holy heat. With this instrument, passed down from him on earth to Rastgnacs own hand, he would purge the Inquisition of the heretic wytches that infested it's ranks.

"This had better be good Gamn," Omoyes reiterated, as if his aide had made the decision to make this treck.
"I know not master." He replied, distractedly peering down the barrel of his revolver, and blowing through it, not that there was any dust in the immaculately clean weapon. "I just had the feeling, you know me master, always getting feeling."
"Yes yes," Omoyes dissmissed he had learned to trust Gamn's hunches, especially concerning psykers and had no intension of letting this one pass. He knew he was just snapping at his subordinate to pass the time, and work out his frustration of not being back in the void of space, the only home he knew.
"Why did you have to get this now?" he demanded, entirely unfairly. "Just when we were finished on this planet. I finally found proof that the Smythes were not involved with the Xylous cult, and so that we'd wasted two weeks here, and you invent another excuse for us to stay."
"Throne above, may it be always golden, knows that I have no wish to remain here milord, came the frustratingly rational reply, now from behind the two separate parts of a laspistol, how could he dismantle weapons whilst walking. "Would you rather we turn back master?"
"No, no. You've always been right before, it would be dereliction of duty not to investigate this too. I have no anger at you, tis fate that earns my wrath."
"Quite so, milord." Polishing a focusing crystal.

"Nickol, down." Omoyes hurled myself down, Gamn following suit a second later. The pair were on the ridge below them, stationary and looking down at a ruin, clearly of a chapel.
"That him master, the one with the pointed stick."
"Looks like a force staff, that fits, and you think he is a psyker."
"That isn't for me to say I'm sure milord, I just have this funny feeling about him. Smells like trouble, so to speak."
"That's good enough for me. That other guy looks important, so he's probably legit, still odd for a sanctioned to be out here with only one minder though. What's say we go down there and inquire as to their business."
The two of them stepped to their feet, Omoyes somehow contriving to make the manoeuvre look dignified.
"Come."

But as they were still some distance off, the observed figures drew pistols. Omoyes and Gamn were down and armed in a spilt second, but they observed the two merely check and ready their respective weapons, and replace them in holsters. They moved off, towards the ruin. Omoyes gestured to Gamn and they followed more discreetly this time. They lost them in the ruins, but soon found the tunnels the must have taken. Omoyes cocked his autogun and flicked it to full auto for close quarters fighting. "I smell conspiracy, the stench of heretics. It would seem our work here is just beginning."

Drahlan lead the more timid Rayne down the tunnel, using their lume packs to see. Up ahead the passageway widened it to two, and faint light showed from both. The larger path lead ahead, into a chamber, if the cave deserved so neat a name, that was sporadically lit by holes in the ceiling. The second path, to his left was narrower and promiced less light. It didn't take him long to come up with a course of action.

"This had better be worth it." Drahlan snarled, to no one in particular, "I've had it up to here with crawling round this stinking cave."
The route that his unwilling contacts had indicated had led nowhere, he had begun to worry that there was nothing down here at all. He turned back to Rayne and tipped his cane towards the minor tunnel.
"It doesn't look like anyone is down here. We shall split up, but take care all the same Go down that passage." He stepped close to the other man, and gripped him by the collar. He growled into his ear: "If you find it, don't touch it. It's mine. You hear me?"
"Alright, alright," Sladin weasled back, "What would I want with it anyway."

Drahlan released him with a shove, and strode to the end of the tunnel. He passed a crack in the wall to his right and stopped short of where the passage opened up. He reached to the panel on his helm, and keyed the motion detector on, before leaning out to scan the chamber.

Rastgnac too was approaching the cavern, though through a different tunnel. He'd done his reserch and had followed the path he had learned of is a sure, if not direct, route. He observed before him a minor tunnel branching off to the left. Ahead, a larger branch went right, and just after that, it opened up into the chamber he'd been expecting. The pair of chasms that crossed in the entrance were a surprise though. They looked at least a yard across, and though he couldn't tell their depth from where he was he doubted they were shallow. He stopped to consider his next move, having to remember to take the cultist, who had evidently managed to keep up, into account too.

He turned to Marleck, giving him a sharp stare to emphasize his earlier warning for constant vigilence and stealth, then inspected the passages more carefully. A step into the one to his left showed it to be very narrow. He would probably make it, but Marleck with his rifle might not. Closer to, he found that the chasm was indeed at least a yard accross at it's norrowest, and that was further complecated by the second crevice that crossed it. In the near darknss, a crossing would be unecessarily dangerous, and more importantly would not be quiet. While there was no reason for him to suspect anyone else was down there with them, experiance had taught him that the one commodity one could always find, were enemies.

He chose the third option. He could see from here that the tunnel to the right appeared to curve back to the left, so was reletively sure that this would take him where he wanted to go. Just a few yards in, a fissue cut halfway accross the, tunnel floor, he surmised that it was the other end of the same one that had blocked him before. He smartly stepped by it, and continued down the passage, scanning the path ahead carefully as he went.

Omoyes had lost his quarry, they had left no trail in the solid rock of the caverns that had quickely replaced the dug out catacombs. Neither was he sure of the way out. A glimps of light had lead him up the tunnel he was now in, and sure enough it opened up just ahead into a cavernous chamber, minimally lit by sunlight through faults in the roof.
'This,' he though, 'was likely the destination of the unknown psyker. Maybe he could coverty acertain his purpose down here, and hence his loyalties.' He had an idea...

"come on Nickol," he whispered to Gamn with a jerk of his head towards the lit chamber, then with a gesture to the left, "you take that side." He kept his autogun tight under his arm, the stock pressed securely between his bicep and his side, and his thumbhovering over the safty catch, and stepped in  to follw the right hand wall, keeping as flush with it, without brushing against the irregular surface. He moved slowly, but silently, taking care with each step not to slap against the rock or dislodge any loose stones.

The wall quickely gave way to a chamber, but was continued by a waist high pile of rock, evidently from a minor cave in; there was a simerlerly sized indent in the roof above it. It lead to a crude pillar of stone. He bent his knees to get low behind the debris, and glanced over the top as he passed. There was another wall just beyound it, with a chasm at it's base, and a passage, albeit a narrow one, heading back in the same direction that they had come from. He reached the pillar and and straighted, pauseing to take a more dedicated look around the chamber from his new vantage point within it.

Sladen Rayne stumbled back a step from Drahlans' shove, and shot a filthy look at his back, before turning to the dark passage he had assigned him too.

He stepped into it carefully, hefting his polearm and loosening his pistol in it's holster. Some yards in, the path forked, an off shoot heading left. He peered down each, taking his time. The offshoot appeared to have a pile of rocks, fallen from the roof, blocking the way, whereas the right hand path had some sort of creviss cutting accross it. He was going to have to climb or jump, or go back, but he doubted weather Drahlan would be impressed if he did.
"Well, I was told to go down here, so I'll stay the way I'm going. Even with that crack. Don't like the look of those cave-ins  too much anyway..." He noticed he was talking to himself, again, but saw no particular need to stop, he'd been doing it more and more since that badly failed channeling eighteen months ago.

He stepped off again, to get a better look at the gap.

Rastgnac has gone on without giving Marleck any instructions or indications of what he wanted him to do. Time to use his initiative and to prove his worth to the mightly Inquisitor. Being very carful not to let Rastgnac down by making any noise, Marleck followed him down his chosen path.

Gamn wiped a last peice of imaginary dirt from Faith's handle and replaced the gun and the sanctified cleaning cloth away, it was time to work.
He checked the polished buckle secureing Charity, and tied the drawstring on Faith's holster before following Omoyes. He too crouched to pass behind the debris, though instead of glancing over it he kept a vigil on the left hand side. Omoyes stopped just past the waist high cover, and Gamn stopped too, remaining on his knee. He took the oppotunity to study his arc in more detail. Directly opposite him was a boulder, jutting out from a wall that continued another five yards before opening into the chamber proper. A crack ran through it a yard or two from the end, and there was something protruding from around the end. Gamn saw the glint of light off metal.

A burst of movement, as if by a bird, but with no sound, was detected and displayed by Drahlans motion detector, eminating from deep within the chamber. Nothing appeared to be there though, either by visual or repeated motion scensing, so he attributed it to ghost images. He continued to scan, from left to right and, as he had hoped, continued to see only cold, still rock.
But then, to the far right of his field of view a soft glow on his visor indicated movement. Not much, but more that inanimate objects regularly demonstrated. He held his head as still as possible as the image focused, revealing the forms of two men (he assumed they were men), one of whom was leading with a rifle, and the other of whom had an impressive sword strapped to his back, and was looking his way.
He ducked back, they didn't seem to have seen him. 'Who were they' he wondered, 'and would he have to fight them.'
He stepped backwards, a few yard slightly paniced by the unexpected apperance of well equipped military unknowns. His right hand went to his needle pistol, deftly unclicking the holster fastening and sliding the pistol into a ready position, while his left went to the com control on his helm. Depressing the sent key, he said to Rayne:
""Rayne, company. Two men, heavily armed." And as an afterthought, "Keep going, but keep your eyes well open."
He flicked a release on the needler, and a long thin cylinder, about 1' by 4', clicked out at an angle. Withdrawing it he inspected the six needles that protruded just slightly fron the frount end. He'd kept them well coated with his supply of Hynilan Iodic aciditate, anyone hit by this would feel it's full effects. He threaded  the cylinder, the fragile needles first, back into the slot on the weapon and pushed it back into place with a click. He raised it, and watched the opening to the chamber along the ornate sights, the rear ones made to look like cherubs, the frount one a bared sword, and depressed the button under his thumb. A tiny green light on the back indicated it was armed.

Rastgnac knew nothing of any of this as he strode meaning fully but quietly trough the tunnel. It started to curve back to the left, and just there, in the left hand wall, was a smaller tunnel, barely more than a crawl space, that had light coming through. Behind him Marleck was following.
He stopped to review the situation.

Omoyes saw nothing remarkable as he scanned around the corner, but as his view settled ahead of the tunnel he saw some sort of pedestal at the far side of the cavern.

It was definately out of place amongst the jagged rocks of the cavern. There was, he reasoned a good chance that it was related to whatever his quarry were down here for. Scanning swiftly from side to side he, he dodged forward, bent double to take advantage of the waist hight cover that was sporadicaly to either side of him, and moved quickly for the other side of the room. He covered the six yard dash in seconds, coming to a short jutting spur. To the left was the pedestal, with a small object atop it, but he stepped to his right, into a small natural alcove.
Omoyes glanced back the way he had come, to check on Gamn, then focused on his weapons. He loosened his force hammer, Glaudrung, in it's loop at his belt, and then pulled the bolt of his autogun bach halfway, until he could see a chambered round within. Finaly he checked the safty catch, flicking it off, then back on, to ensure it wasn't stuck. Confident he was ready, he started edging back towards the corner of the spur.

Rayne had gauged that the canyon was a good yard and a half across, and deeper than his eyes could see, which admittedly, wasn't very far, when he recieved the message from Drahlan.
"As you say", he acknowledged, taking a few steps back. With the short run up he easily cleared the chasm, though he landed awkwardly, the crash carrying in the ominous silence. For a few seconds he froze, listening for any reaction, but when he heard nothing he progressed on, keeping his pace down so as not to betray his position.

Up ahead Marleck observed Inquisitor Rastgnac halt. He knew from his short time serving the Inquisitor that he often didn't waste time instructing underlings, whom he mostly saw as irritating rather than useful, to his divine purpose. He would be expecting Marleck to do the right thing by himself. It was time to decide his course of action.

He had seen a helm, he was sure, before it had withdrawn behind the column of rock. Gamn's hand itched to draw Hope, but he restrained himself, Hope was here to serve Omoyes, not himself, she shouldn't fire without instruction.

Inquisitor Omoyes was busy, and the girls were impatient, he drew Charity instead, switching from safe to repetition. Leveling her at the column, he slowly broke cover and advanced on it.
"Who goes there," he called out, his voice resounding around the caverns, "don't think we didn't see you."

Drahlan easily heard the shout. The resounding from the walls made it impossible to pinpoint, but he assumed it was one of the figure he had seen.

Putting on a voice of timidity, and telling himself that it was entirely put on and not slightly related to how he really felt, he tightened his grip on the needle pistol and replied:
"I could ask you the same question. I'm on official Imperial business. Do not hamper me."
There was little chance of them respecting his claimed authoroty, but hopefully they wouldn't see him as a threat, assuming they were imperial agents themselves. He wondered weather they too were here for the relic, and decided to continue the charade.
"You will answer my questions truthfully. Who are you, what are you doing here, and how do you know about this place?"

Omoyes saw Gamn advance on the wall, heard his challenge, and was surprised by a reply, he had doubted that Gamn had truely seen anything. He reasoned that they had found the pair that they had tailed, and they sounded to be imperial. He would have to double check that the psyker was correctly sanctioned, but he assumed that he would be off planet shortly, that there was nothing heretical here.

Given that, Gamn should be able to handle them for now. Omoyes was intrigued by the mysterious object up ahead. He ducked out of his alcove, and into the corner with the pedestal. It was a marble affair, topped with a chrome finish. Three buttons, each in a rich wood and carved with styleised runes, and a small red light featured along the frount. Atop it was a lump of iron, or dark stone, with an even hole bored through it, evidently for a shaft or handle. It looked for all the world like the head of a hammer. A red metal ring, part of the pedestal surface ran around the object.

Rayne continued along the passage way, keeping alert. He slowed as he reached the end of the tunnel, it turned into the central cavern, and leaned around the corner to see in. Mere meters away he could see a pedestal, and on top what could only be the hammer that his boss was after. Of more immediate note to him, however was the armoured man standing over it, and the large gun that he carried in his hands. He decided he sould have his own gun out at this point, and reached for his holster.

Still covering the opening with Charity, but with no instructions from Omoyes, Gamn had to act on his own initiative. The other had claimed imperial authoroty, but Gamn was esspecially close to the emperor; he served his girls, they served Inquisitor Omoyes and he directly served Him on Earth. Few planetary governers were as privaledged, to be a mere 4 degrees of service away from the Emperor, so whoever this was, he was doubtless beneath him.
"I too am a servant of the Imperium," He announced with conciderable pride, "however I dare say my authority outstrips your own. You will identify first! What is your name, what is your authority, and what is your purpose in this place?"
He concidered lowering his gun, but repented the thought, he should keep Charaty in position to act immmediately should the Emperor require it.

The reply told Drahlan several things. On the plus side, his claim to be a loyal imperial had been believed. However, his opponent was confident, in his authority, so he must be important, and in his current position, as he was clearly not phased by the possibility of combat. This suggested that he was a capable warrior or that he had sufficient backup on hand.
Drahlan had lost the initiative though, unless he could somehow wrest authority back he was faced with three choices, and little time. If he could come up with a valid story explaining his presence he might be allowed to continue, but failing that it was fight or flight, and he did not want to get into a fight with these people, he had never liked it when people could hurt him back.
He tried a new bluff. As he was going with diplomacy he had to appear the part, so he lowered his pistol and stowed it back under his coat.
"I was sent here to escort a sanctioned psyker to this place. There have been reports of visions regarding a cursed item in these caverns." He might have some influence over them if they thought he knew of a threat that they didn't. "I was told to wait here while he went ahead to remove the wards guarding it, so that it may be destroyed. The curse upon the item is such that it flays the flesh of any who grasp it. Such is my duty."
He hoped this last would give him some leeway; powerful people, in his experience, were keep on the idea of duty.

The shouted challenges of Gamn and the apparent imperial official had died down, replaced by quieter exchanges. Omoyes couldn't hear what the official was saying, beyond the odd word, but he caught the term curse. Further study showed the runes to be numeric notation, representing, he thought, a one, a two and a three.
He reached into his vest, and retrieved his pict pen. Pointing it at the pedestal from several angles, he depressed the capture stud five times, making sure to get a close up of the control panel.
Replacing the pen, he turned towards Gamn, determined to get to the bottom of this.

Rayne unbuttoned his holster, drew out his pistol and took a moment to ready it, and another to make sure he hadn't missed any thing, he didn't want to forget the safety catch again. When he looked back up, the armed figure was moving away, back to the right, leaving the pedestal in place.
He fingered the button on his comm link and reported: "Contact, single male, armed. Took interest in something. Orders?"
With his other hand he leveled his pistol at the retreating figure, and he edged around the corner to keep him in sight. A small nook allowed him to rest his gun with a good view of the central room. A well as the first figure he could now see another who was covering the tunnel that was probably the one Drahlan was in. He weilded only a pistol though, so Rayne kept his aim focused on the first target, with the rifle.

Gamn glanced at his master, and saw that Omoyes was turning back towards him. Around the corner the 'official' waited for a reply. He decided to question him further.
"Tell me more of these 'visions' that brought you to this place. Who had them, what exactly did they see, and why were they trusted. And who are you, that you are sent to deal with this?"

Drahlan was listening to Rayne on the comm, so missed what was being shouted at him, though he could tell it was a challenge for more infomation. With a limited knowledge of the protocol on this planet, his bluff was in danger of collapsing.

One problem at a time, Drahlan keyed the send switch. Diplomacy seemed to be falling through, he had to use the eliment of surprise or he might loose it. "Take him out." He ordered.
Stowing his pistol but keeping it readily accessable he stepped out to face a clean shaven man in a mix of robes and leathers, pointing a gun at him. "I am Rall Ulrich," said Drahlan, he had once met an envoy of that name, "servant of the Holy Emperor. I am afraid I don't have the information you are seeking. I am but a lowly servant, entrusted with enough information to fulfill my mission. An empty mind is a loyal mind"

As he approached Gamn Omoyes saw the figure, in a fine coat and well made armour, step out, and heard him speak.

"An empty mind is like a chamberpot," he boomed, filling the chamber with his voice and presence, "waiting for Chaos filth to fill it." He stepped out of shadow into the pool of light given by a crevice through the cavern roof, letting the glory of the sight of him, his rich robes and gold trim armour sink in "Now," he continued, not hiding the fire in his eyes, "whom do you work for? I assume you know that much at least. And answer quickly. My patience, unlike my power, is not limitless."

As the imposing figure in his sights finished his monologue, Rayne received the kill order. He wasn't sure that  he wanted to fire on this individual, but he certainly didn't want to incur Drahlans wrath later.

Leaning into the wall to steady himself, he let fly a round. It skimmed the rubble in front of his target, sailing past his body and impacting the wall behind with a plume of shattered rock particles. Rayne resighted, adjusted his aim as he had been trained, and fired again. The target went down behing the rock, he thought the second shot had hit him before he went out of sight. He fired two more rounds low over the rubble, in case the fool ws thinking of showing his head again, then shifted his aim right over the other figure.

Bullets whined accross the room from Gamns right, defacing the wall the other side of it. Gamn spun, not seeing his master anymore, but seeing the final muzzle flash from a stubber barrel that began to turn towards him.

'Eyes of the Emperor be my eye'

He looked back along the sights of Charity, she was still pointing at the figure who had identified himself as Rall Ulrich. A bright flash emmited from her and an impact corona blossomed from Drahlan's chest.

'Hands of the Emperor be my hand'

His left hand grasped Faith, automatically loosing the drawstring that held her, withdrawning her from her sheath and pulling back her hammer. His right hand adjusted for the gentle recoil from Charity and her next shot flew just as true.

'Ordnance of the Emperor be my ordinance'

Charity spoke a third time, but her words sailed over Drahlan as he fell onto his back. Barely free from her sheath, Faith added her voice, her hammer fell, and a slug of pristine metal was carried on her song to skim the side of Drahlans almost prone form and imbed itself in the ground.

With a muffled crash Drahlan hit the ground. The man had shot him! The pain in his chest felt light, he believed his brestplate had held, but the impact with his side might have cracked a rib. It took him a vital second to regain his senses.

Sitting up, leaning forward and clambering to his feet, Drahlan kept his grip on his cane. Depressing the button hidden in the engravings, he shook the shaft free, revealing a meter of gleaming steel. Leaping at his attacker he thrust at his head, but he stumbled back, ducking under the blade. Drahlan regained his balance, drawing his swordarm back for another strike.

Cluching the bullet wound in his left shoulder, Omoyes raised his head above the rubble to glance around. The shooter was before him, sighting towards Gamn, off to the left, who was embroiled in combat with another unknown individual.

Leaving his autogun where he had dropped it, Omoyes skirted the rubble, drawing his Glaudrung from it's loop, and charged towards the gunman. Three strides took him accross the chamber. He pulled the hammer up behing his right shoulder and as he stepped into range swung it accross his body at Raynes head. Rayne ducked, avoiding the blow at the last second and causing the hammer to pulverise a segment from the wall he was resting on. Seeing the horrifically scared Omoyes prepare another attack, Rayne retreated back down the tunnel, with Omoyes poised to pursue.

As he sensed the psychic energy built up in the hammer traverse through the space he had just vacated, Rayne hurried his pace, opening up a few steps from the madman. Only then did he realise that in his panic he had dropped his gun.

He grappeled for the sling that held the staff accross his back. He managed to undo the buckle before he was driven back by another hammer swing. It fell to the gound, bounce on it's end, and toppled away from him. Rayne leapt after it, seizing it before it clattered down, and whirling to face his attacker, the sling and buckles flailing loose from the haft.  The next strike came in at his chest. He raised his staff to into guard position, catching the blow before it hit him. The parry was marred by a psychic discharge, a shockwave that tore the leather straps from the staff and drove him back several meters, almost over the edge of the chasm that he had crossed before. With his back to the drop, and running out of options he fell into the warp, drawing on it's power. Driven by fear, he bent the immaterium to his will, manifesting it in his arms, his shoulders, his chest. He gave a bark of pain as his muscles spasmed, bulging to several times their original size. His tunic strained over the expanded body, the right sleve actually bursting at its seams. Driving down the pain of the unatural growth, he drew his staff back , weilding it two handed, like an oversized club, ready to strike as Omoyes stepped forward again.

Rapidly retreating, Gamn didn't quite avoid Drahlans second strike, as it drew a gash across his forehead. Blood dripped past his eyes.

Back peddling, he hurriedly, but smoothly replaced both Faith and Charity in their holsters, sparing a moment to mentally bless their rest. He called on Hope, reaching over his shoulder to grasp her handle and quietly humming her hymn. Melody turned to a bark of pain however, as he dodged right when he should have dodged left, and the rapier blade of his opponent's sword impaled his left thigh. The steel trust glanced off a stud in his leathers, but it cut pierced the leather as if it weren't there, the vibrational source in the handle making the blade appear to shimmer through the light armour as if not quite corporeal. Although it missed the bone, the tip emerged from the back of his leg, defeating the leather there just as easily. As the strike was withdrawn, a spurt of blood followed the sword from the puncture, and blood began to flow freely from it.

With the wound came pain, and with the pain came adrenaline. Gamns arm tensed, his thumb tightened on the activation stud. With a cough of internal combustion and a grinding of gears, Her teeth came alive, shredding the straps that held Hope to his back, as she flew forward, leading his hand in a wide sweep. It was Drahlans turn to jump back, flinging his arms up to be clear of the vengeful weapon. The scabbard-cane was knocked from his left hand, the lower end severed, to clatter across the cavern in two pieces.

Gamn couldn't put much weight on his left leg, but hobbling slightly, he held Hope in neutral guard, so she was ready to react.

Drahlan and Gamn circled slowly. Drahlan acted first.

A lightning fast thrust at Gamns heart was barely parried, but Gamn used the back stroke of the bloke to attempt a clumsy counter attack. Spinning on his right heel, Drahlan turned out of the way of the scything teeth and the over extended man behind them, Gamn's  shoulder actually brushed his back as he passed, and he kept turning, stepping onto his left heel, coat swirling about him, coming a full 540, facing Gamn's back. A swift slash to the hamstring brought the over pious warrior to his knees.

"Skill-less curr!" Drahlan uttered, genuine contempt in his voice. "How dare you attempt to strike me! I am your superior in every way!"

He had driven his quarry to the edge of a chasm, and the coward was unlikely to jump with out a run up, which would need more space that he was likely to give him. The bulging muscles that erupted through the sleeve was proof enough that this was a psyker, and his hostility more than enough to condemn him as a rogue and a traitor.

Reaching for the warp himself, he moulded it into a ball of exothermic phosphorescence, and hurled it, with his mid and his arm, at Rayne. The fireball burst on his chest, flames scattering across his body, scaring his exposed arm, and setting light to the frayed edges of the torn sleeve. But even as the warp fire was leaving his hand, he felt an eruption of pain behind his eyes and blood ran freely from his nose. It was not the first time he had channeled too much power too fast, but it felt like one of the worst attacks he had experianced, though at least it left him concious.

Rallying his mind, and  suppressing the pain, that mere illusion of the body, he followed up, with a an over head swing that, on fire as he was, Rayne failed to parry, deflecting the blow enough to land it on his shoulder rather than his head. The impact didn't do any serious damage through the flack plate, but the impact wasn't all the hammer would deliver. Even as the blow landed Omoyes reached again into the warp, to channel its power thorugh the haft and head of the hammer, but hie felt a block, then his headache intensified and the cranial bleeding increased. Almost blinded by the pain, and unable to reach the warp he swung again wildly, forcing Rayne to almost overbalance over the ledge as he dodged.

His right arm was on fire, his chest was smoldering, and chances were he would be without eyebrows for the rest of his life, though that wasn't looking to be very long. His left arm hurt too, as much from the expansion as from the hammer strike, but at least his opponant was showing signs of weakening. He recognised the feel of psychic feedback, but even if his was counldn't manipulate the warp, this man still outmatched him. Rayne was not in a good place right now, but then, when had he ever been?