Lines Drawn

[Necris]

We are the last line of defence the ultimate defence of the Imperium we have authority that is second only to the high lords and the Emperor,
So what happens when we fail?
What happens when the enemies within without and beyond are allowed past our defence?
What happens when we are the cause of that failing?  
For too long our lines have been weakened by the radical and the heretic within our ranks, too long have the fringes of our order worn away our strength more and more are falling to decadence and depravity.
Today it ends.

Lord Severus Constantine Ordo Hereticus
At the recent conclave of Feroxa

Inquisitor Bequis sat in one of her many safe houses this one a veritable fortress within the towering spires of Questa Hive on the world of Defforis Prime, she was relaxing in her common was sitting within her study watching a classic terran vid from the Urgal tribes, the vid was the retelling of the Emperor's ascension it was a good story but lacking any of the true events that took place during that time, but it was entertaining and yet without ever showing the Emperor for to characterise him would be a travesty they had managed to capture the majesty of the time the air of anticipation flowed from it with the ease of a talented director, she'd seen this vid dozens of times and knew it intimately able to quote large sections of dialogue by heart. She'd sprawled herself out across a plush stack of silk cushions arching her back and stretching out the tensions of the last few weeks, it was rare she allowed herself the pleasures of such things to strip off her armoured cuirass and dress in a flowing dress fitting of any high born noble across any world in the Feroxa sub sector. She would easily be considered attractive it was something she's spent a long time perfecting numerous surgeries and treatments had gifted her with a startling beauty that caught many men off guard when out of her armour when in it, she was dazzling a chiselled mask of beauty encased in armour of brilliant white and gold. She stretched one of her long slender arms out marvelling at the sub dermal muscle enhancers hidden beneath her perfect skin and picked a goblet daintily from the table beside her, sipping the contents she turned her attention from the screen holding the goblet centimetres from her lips. The one thing that marked Bequis out aside from her beauty was her psychic abilities. A telekinetic she was attuned to her surroundings and especially so in her safe houses and something unexpected had just passed through her outer awareness.

She stood placing the goblet down and went from her study into her private suite moving to a large grey slab of marble she pressed her thumb into a hidden plate on it's surface, the slab opened like a fan revealing her weapons a second slab opened containing her armour, he looked at it and scooped up the shield generator slipping it into the folds of her dress before scooping up a shuriken pistol she checked the load of the weapon and turned as the slabs closed behind her she went into the heart of the house calling out.

"We have guests!"

Men appeared three of them two carried pulse carbines of tau design auspexes over one of their eyes the third carried a hellgun the power pack slung over his back, they looked at her for a moment then moved to stand before her leading the way as they strode towards the main entrance of her safe house. The main door was thick reinforced with adamantium plates and she moved to a control terminal, thick plassteel plates rose from the floor as she keyed in a code and the locking mechanism on the door snapped shut, she turned as more of her staff joined her taking positions behind the plates her interrogator Deloc was the last to arrive carrying a plasma pistol he looked at her his face a stern mask of fury.

"Perhaps you should withdraw my lady and don your armour."

"The outer defences will stop them."

"And if they do not?"

"Then there is little my armour will do to protect me."

Gun fire echoed from beyond the door sporadic and heavy then all fell silent she returned her attention to the terminal keying another code she frowned.

"The security feeds are dead. The guns are still online but I can't see a thing."

She tried to feel what was occurring beyond the door and a cold shiver ran up her spine, she felt her stomach tighten and the pressing need to void her bowels gripped her, she doubled up at the sensation and let a pained gasp escape her lips specks of blood fell from her nose onto her dress.

"Pariah."

She wheezed as she pushed herself upright.

"You should retreat to the inner chamber my lady, we can deal with it."

She nodded backing away from the door deeper into the safe house she left the chilling sensation and returned quickly to normal turning in horror she realised what it meant and shouted down the corridor.

"They are outside the door!"

A large explosion sounded filling the corridor with thick acrid smoke swallowed into the darkness she heard high calibre weapons firing on full auto a pair of them they send shells screaming down the corridor and it was only thanks her force field that she survived the field sparking to life as rounds disintegrated inches from her, she staggered back from the flashes of the field and lifted her pistol aiming into the dark smoke, her own people were firing back she heard the plasma pistol discharge and the pulse carbines and others she couldn't make out. Something loud came to her ears and she shivered the thunderous clump boom of a bolter firing no not one a pair of them bolters firing into the mass of her people she heard screams of pain and of people dying and then a figure fell from the smoke before her, Dem one her best he staggered bleeding from a wound in his chest and turned firing his weapon back into the smoke.

"Inquisitor you should go we can't hold them here."

She took a step back as a bolt round caught Dem in the chest it detonated tearing him apart before her showering her in blood, more men came from the shadows her people still they forced her back into the inner chamber and bared the door her Deloc moved to her side he'd discarded the plasma pistol in favour of a las pistol.

"They are tough bastards I'll give them that."

She looked at the men left close to a dozen out of thirty each of them already injured save for herself.

"Who is it?"

"Don't know but they are well armoured and heavy armed, they mean business who ever they are."

She frowned as the cold feeling started to gnaw at her again this time she was ready for it and managed to keep herself from feeling the need to vomit.

"And they brought a pariah which means they know about my psychic powers."

"Could it be inquisition?"

"I doubt it."

"What about Lord Constantine's speak at the conclave?"

"I hardly think he meant Inquisitors like me, besides he is an ancient man and we have been friends all my time as an inquisitor."

Deloc looked at the shuriken pistol in her hand.

"This is hardly heretical."

She snapped as she followed his eyes to the weapon, two thuds silenced them and their attention turned to the door as it fractured as krak grenades tore it open her people didn't flinch they fired into the corridor send a punishing salvo into the darkness beyond, cries of pain were their reward and they stopped to see if return fire came at them, they over turned tables and furniture to act as barricade, a hissing sound came to her ears and Deloc shouted out as he pushed her aside.

"Flamers!"

She tumbled away as fire washed into the room cooking those closest to the door they flailed in agony as their skin burned the fire kept coming engulfing the room forcing her people even further back, shots picked a few from their feet as men fired from behind the wall of flames than grenades were tossed in fragment from the grenades cut more down and only a handful were left herself Deloc and two others, the fire stopped the damage done the chamber was a burning inferno the flames licking towards the four survivors with each passing second, a tall figure appeared lean and clad in powered armour it strode through the flames without a care the fire licking over the dark surface of it's armour, it's face hidden behind a helm, in it's hand was a thunder hammer held casually at it's side, Deloc raised his pistol and fire the las shot doing nothing but scoring the surface of the armour glowing eyes turned to regard him from the helm the other two fired their weapons like Deloc doing little as the figure strode forward, Bequis fired her shuriken pistol the disks scaring the armour she lowered the weapon.

"Keep them busy I need my sword."

He turned and headed to her personal suite to the grey slab she pressed her thumb into it waiting as the case opened she could head fighting in the chamber the hammer's snapping discharge as it impacted she closed her eyes as it went quiet, the slab clicked open and she drew her sword pulling it from the sheath she turned igniting the powered blade, a grenade bounced into the room and she was thrown back as it detonated cracking against the open slab she felt bones breaking as she crumpled to the ground behind the slab. She heard heavy foot steps entering the suite it strode into the room standing for a moment in silence listening, she could hear the closing dialogue from the vid in the study it was the sigalites speech proclaiming the Emperor as master of all mankind. The figure came into view it looked down on her.

"Inquisitor Bequis you are charged with heresy, you are charged with the use of xenos technology, the evidence is confirmed sentence is passed. The inquisition will be purged of your filth."

It brought the hammer up she tried to move but her body failed her the last thing she ever saw was the hammer coming down.

[Necris]

"This is getting out of hand!"

He slammed his armoured fist into the oak table cracking the wood his bearded face was a mask of blind fury as he surged to his feet and stormed the length of the chamber his voice bellowing out.

"Constantine and his dogs are allowed to run rampant across the subsector and we can't find them!"

His armoured form was impressive big as a space marine scout his power armour was a deep crimson his black beard and wild hair framing his bronzed face, he was raging as he turned on those gathered before him.

"An you call yourselves Inquisitors! You are a joke you can't even find this Inquisitor in black how can we put a stop to this madness if we can't find Constantine's lap dog and with each death his cause grows stronger."

He returned to his seat glowering at the Inquisitors gathered.

"How many have fallen now?"

One of the others gathered hidden beneath robes of black looked up his face what little could be seem was almost white paleness his teeth were blackened in stark contrast to his skin.

"Seventeen, with Bequis being the last, she was slain in a safe house."

The bearded inquisitor rubbed his brow as he leaned back in the seat.

"Constantine's crusade is targeting anyone that has deviated from the purist path, we need to look to ourselves and see if we have transgressed in any way."

He leant forward onto the table looking around those gathered.

"We have all made use of the tainted and the corrupt in the past, that is what brought us here to this meeting in secret, we are all on Constantine's hit list, we have to strike back, Inquisitor Goridas is a vocal supporter of Constantine and he is not afraid to make a public show of his support. My sources tell me he is going to be arriving on Semtera Nine to ensure the support of the local guard regiments deployed there, he must not be allowed to meet the Lord General at any cost."

[Dolnikan]

Inquisitor Tomyris Cassadon stood in what by daytime would be the overseer's office in this manufactorum which produced quills to fuel the Imperium's bureaucracy. She watched what was happening through a dozen of carefully hidden cameras. Her followers were in place. The door to the outside slowly opened and a single man entered. He was wearing a long coat and carried a heavy combat shotgun of the type normally used by the Adeptus Arbites. He made a sign and then walked further into the room. He looked around and when he was assured there was no one there he made another sign. Soon thereafter another five people entered, all of them surrounding an elderly man. All of them wore long coats and weapons which clearly had all too  recent been hidden under the coats.

Cassadon walked out of the office onto the walkway. In her right hand she carries her bolt carbine and in the left a small signaling device. Hidden in the darkness she pushed a button on it and immediately all the lights were turned on. On the walkway almost a dozen of her servants stood, they had weapons aimed at the small band down below. Cassadon spoke loudly: "Lay down your weapons, inquisitor Diomedes. In that case this can be concluded without further bloodshed. Otherwise I will be forced to kill you."

The inquisitor replied: "I knew that this would happen and I do not fear you. The Emperor is on my side."

Given hardly any warning the supports holding the walkways exploded causing them to collapse. Cassadon jumped off the walkway, her followers were not so lucky and many of the suffered heavy wounds from the fall and the shattered construction. She landed with a roll before rising to her feet again. Immediately she opened fire. Others were shooting as well but she did not see if any of her supporters were in the fight. She whispered: "My Emperor, guide the aim of your servant, aid me in crushing those who defy you."

An unseen hand threw her through the building. She smashed into a wall and lost consciousness for a moment. When she regained her senses she knew that there was a witch present. Pain flared from her wrist which was clearly broken. While reciting the litanies of hate she ran back towards the ongoing struggle, there were more survivors then. She drew her power mace which had been gifted to her by her master when she had become a full inquisitor.

She picked her first target, a large woman who was busy firing with an autogun. One of her friends alerted her to the charging Cassadon and she turned to fire at the inquisitor. Several of her bullets hit, smashing into Cassadon's conversion field. The woman was blinded by the flashed produced by the technology and the inquisitor used the moment to smash her head to a bloody pulp.

The man who had alerted her first opponent was furiously reloading his combat shotgun. He walked back slowly towards a knot of his friends who were in cover behind a large pillar. There were only three of them remaining but from the ruined walkway came mostly cries and only two of her own followers were still shooting.

The others had noticed her as well. She continued her charge, standing still she was a far too easy target. Before the former arbitrator could reload she was upon him. He attempted to block her blow with his weapon but the weapon was destroyed by the power field. The attempt to parry had given him some time, he jumped backwards and drew a shock maul. It was a bit too slow and Cassadon managed to hit his arm. The man fell and his life was quickly ended while Cassadon proclaimed: "Thus is the fate of all those who defy the Emperor."

Diomedes directed his two remaining followers to attack Cassadon. He had already thrown aside his long coat revealing a set of carapace armour. The first man who came at Cassadon was a primitive tribesman who had just dropped his bow and assailed her with a heavy axe. The weapon bit deep into the armour of her left arm and drew blood. Before he could strike again his muscled belly was torn open by the power maul.

Inquisitor Cassadon was barely fast enough to step out of the path of the other man's chain sword. He was an ordained member of the church. The inquisitor said: "How can you turn from the path of righteousness, you, a priest of the God-Emperor."

"It is not me who is in the wrong, it is", before he could finish he was killed by Cassadon.

"To those who walk in the light there shall be no obstacle too great, no enemy too strong. Those with faith shall always triumph.", she said.

Diomedes was left alone now. He had already increased the distance between him and Cassadon and was readying a new psychic assault. He looked even older than e had when he had first come in, the price of his powers. Cassadon walked towards him, the wound in her leg preventing her from running. She had a dozen wounds, most of them bleeding staining her white armour red. Before she reached her rival he unleashed another psychic assault. Invisible fingers closed around her throat and cut off the flow of blood and air.

Even while choking the fanatical inquisitor did not give up. Step by step she forced herself to close on the psyker. When she had almost reached him the force suddenly relented and she was free to breathe again.

She took several deep breaths. This time was used by Diomedes to draw an ancient sword made of a translucent material. He said: "Just give up, you cannot win, look at yourself. I know that you think that I am a heretic but I have never broken the Emperor's laws. I have rooted out the followers of the darkness in hundreds of places. Never has my faith failed. I just want to know what drives you to do this."

"You have sinned and are a heretic. You are a witch and I do not suffer the witch to live. It is the command of the Emperor. You have consorted with mutants, spared their lives. I have come to bring you to justice. You resisted the righteous and for that you must die."

"You are young now, in time you will come to see that our work requires certain sacrifices. I confess, I have made use of mutants. They are scum and in an ideal case I would have them destroyed as well. However, even the lowest servant of the Emperor deserves the chance to serve him in any way they can. It is not heresy to use all the tools at your disposal."

"There is only one unbreakable boundary, that between purity and the darkness. Even the smallest step across that line inevitably draws a person into the hands of our enemies. Never can deviancy be tolerated, because the deviant will always turn ever darker. Only faith can preserve us."

"That is not true, to battle the darkness we must take on some of its aspects. Otherwise we can never find its source. We serve in the shadows. Our faith is our inner light that preserves our souls even as we associate with traitors and heretics. To do our duty we cannot be free of sin entirely. But I see that you re too much blinded by your own ego to see through your self-deception. However, I wish to avoid violence. Just surrender. I will take you away from this charnel house and deliver you to a hospital. You are badly wounded, you can barely stand. You have only one hand, your armour is broken and you have clearly lost a lot of blood."

"I will never surrender, witch."

"Too bad, I would have preferred not to have to do this."

After those words psychic energy leapt into the translucent blade and Diomedes struck at Cassadon. She evaded the blow but in the process lost her balance. She fell onto her back. Diomedes followed up immediately. He stabbed at her from above and Cassadon rolled away. Again the old inquisitor came at her. This time she used all her strength to throw the power maul at him. The weapon impacted with one of his legs, the power field tearing it apart. The old inquisitor fell with a grunt.

Slowly Cassadon heaved herself upwards again. She limped towards the fallen inquisitor who was obviously heavily injured. She drew her gilded laspistol and put her armoured boot on his chest. She said: "Inquisitor Filion Diomedes, I find you guilty of witchcraft, heresy and treason. For those crimes I convict you to death. Per numen Imperatoris."

He looked defiantly into her eyes and Cassadon pulled the trigger.

[Koval]

Estu, Hermes Delta System

"This is the place."

"Do you have the charges?"

"Yes."

"Do it."

Fifteen seconds passed in silence as the first speaker affixed first one demo charge, then a second, to the door.

"Charges set."

"Ten second fuse ought to do it."

"Got it. Get clear."

The first speaker set the timers, activated the charges, and ran for cover as the timers wound down. Two powerful blasts knocked him from his feet, and the second knelt down to pick him up.

"Is it open?"

"Dropped my infrascope."

"It's by your elbow."

"Got it. Door's open."

"Excellent."

The two figures drifted through the smoke from the detonations, and entered a large, decidedly spartan atrium that felt very much like a bunker.

"Shotguns," the first advised. The second nodded, and both figures produced bulky combat shotguns that might have been more at home in the hands of an Arbitrator.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"Nobody here."

"How can you tell?"

"You'd have thought that she'd have servants running to her defense, to fend us off."

"Maybe she doesn't care. Or maybe she'll only break out the army when Lord Keirta comes along."

"Where is Lord Keirta?"

"Should be five minutes out."

"If she's waiting then we need to flush her out before he arrives."

"You go further in. I'll guard the entrance."

"You go."

"You've got the flamer."

"Fine. But I--"

"Wait."

"You hear something?"

"Lord Keirta's early."

"Damn."

"What?"

"If he's ahead of schedule then that makes us look like we're slacking."

"We'll both go."

"Right."

---

"Macauley!" shouted Keirta. "Come and face me, heretic!"

"Should we flush her out?" asked Straus over the vox.

"One way or another, she's going to burn," Keirta answered. "Do it."

"Understood, Lord Keirta. There's something else: we found a trap door in the floor at the back."

Keirta paused for a moment. "Have Asler stay on this level. Go down there and investigate. Did you keep any explosives?"

"Aye, my lord."

"If that's a basement down there, then use them."

"Understood, my lord. And if it's not?"

"Then tell me what you find," Keirta instructed. "If she's got a whole bloody mansion under the floorboards then I'm coming down."

"Yes, my lord."

Keirta sighed, stepping past Stakhov and passing through an open doorway into what he assumed was a dining room, beyond which was a small kitchen with ration packets strewn all over the floor. Asler was standing over the trapdoor Straus had mentioned, waiting patiently for Keirta to arrive.

"Straus took the demo charges and the flamer, my lord," Asler reported.

Keirta nodded, putting a hand to his microbead. "Straus, have you found anything?"

"Just empty rooms, my lord," Straus reported warily. "An office and a master bedroom, both devoid of anything but furniture. The bathroom's also empty, my lord. That leaves one more room."

"Is the door locked?"

"Yes, my lord. Does that mean she's in there?"

"Only if that's the last room here, but there might be another trap door. Be on your guard."

Keirta climbed down through the trap door, landing on the top step of a short staircase, and watched as Straus shot the door's hinges with his shotgun, before switching over to his flamer and kicking the door inwards. Straus rushed in, but rushed out again just as quickly.

"Straus!" snapped Keirta.

"Get out, get the frak out while you can!" Straus shouted back, already up and out of the trap door.

Perplexed, Keirta went over to the room and stepped over the fallen door, wondering what had terrified Straus.

He didn't have to look very far.

"Oh, frak," Keirta muttered as the timer wound down to zero and the plasma bomb detonated.

[Dolnikan]

Inquisitor Cassadon was in a bed in the centre of a compound of the Sanctified, a local cult which the inquisitor used as a base of operations. She was accompanied only by sister Metanire of the order of the stainless hand, a sister hospitaller. The sister had tended the inquisitor's wounds removing any trace of them. The procedure was intensive and painful. Cassadon would need to keep rest to allow for complete recovery.

The inquisitor was fully awake, reading the sixth volume of the sermons of st. Sylvester. Metanire meanwhile was inspecting her work. As always it was perfect, not the slightest sign of the injuries remained on the inquisitor's flesh.

Someone knocked on the door. Cassadon spoke: "Enter."

Merei, one of the few survivors of the encounter with Diomedes entered. The veteran warrior had suffered only lightly, several new scars were added to her already impressive number. She bowed slightly and said: "Most blessed lady inquisitor, the unbelievers have penetrated the outer walls of the compound. We belief that they have come to martyr you."

"Thank you, bring me my weapons. Duty calls again and never may we refuse. May the Emperor guide you."

Merei turned to collect the armaments at once. Metanire said: "My lady, you should remain resting. Let your servants deal with the unbelievers. It is more important now that you recover fully."

"No sister, these attackers are vile heretics, however we cannot presume them to be stupid. They will have brought sufficient forces to shatter our defenders. Only faith may bring us victory and I am needed to encourage the pure of heart."

A little later Cassadon once more was wearing white armour. It was one of her two sets, the other was at the artificers to be repaired. The doors of the inner sanctum remained closed. Several dozens of cultists had gathered in the building to drive off their attackers. They had spoken about hundreds of mutant dregs storming the low outer walls. They had been exceptionally well armed. This was obviously the work of a heretical inquisitor. Only one of them could have freed hundreds of the mutant slaves and incited them to attack this specific site.

Something heavy was slamming into the heavy outer doors. The mutants were obviously attempting to break through using some sort of ram. Makeshift barricades had been prepared on the inside. They would not find the servants of the Emperor easy prey. Merei had taken a heavy stubber and several other members of her retinue were heavily armed as well. The cultists however only had simple projectile weapons.

The doors slammed open and Cassadon started firing at once. She was joined by her followers mere moments later. The inquisitor started a loud prayer: "O divine lord and Emperor, smite the unclean, crush the impure, drive off the darkness. Allow your servants to triumph over the unbelievers."

The first of the mutants had easily been torn apart by the weight of fire. The others had quickly learned their lesson and none were storming the entrance now. It was obvious that they were preparing something. Then several grenades rolled through the open doors. Instantly Cassadon recognized them as photon grenades, designed to blind rather than to kill. She shouted: "Close your eyes."

Even with her eyelids closed and her face turned away the light was immensely bright. She turned back towards the door and opened her eyes. Many of the cultists were screaming about losing their sight, only a few of them had obeyed quickly enough to still be capable of seeing.

This time many more mutants flooded in, and only met little fire from the few remaining defenders. After firing four shots, each blowing a target to pieces Cassadon put away the powerful weapon and instead prepared her power maul, holding it in both hands. She advanced into the tide and started her bloody work. She knew that the odds were against them, they were vastly outnumbered by the forces of darkness. The Emperor ad blessed them by returning the sight of those who were blinded, which slightly evened the odds in the desperate melee. But even with their aid there were too many of the mutants.

Cassadon shattered another skull. Her arms were tiring and the number of her followers was continually shrinking. Then she saw something new, the spirit of the mutants seemed to be dwindling as well. There was less ferocity in their attacks, probably because the bravest had already fallen. Seizing the opportunity she shouted: "Advance, in the name of the Emperor, drive these degenerates before you, spare no one, it is the Emperor's command!"

She threw herself in between the mutants, striking left and right. The first of them started to run, soon followed by the others. Cassadon and those still on their feet gave pursuit. The running mutants were easy prey for the bloodthirsty cultists. Once they were back outside the remaining mutants quickly outpaced their tired enemies. Cassadon prepared her bolt carbine again and shot a few in the back before asking: "Are there any surviving scum? If there are any bring them to me, I have questions to ask them."

[Koval]

His Resolve, Feroxa Subsector (interstellar space)

"We are the last line of defence. The ultimate defence of the Imperium!"

Not for the first time that night, Inquisitor Rosheine Macauley found herself sat in front of the vid-caster. Scenes from the Conclave of Feroxa were on the screen. The focus was on Severus Constantine.

"We have authority that is second only to the High Lords and the Emperor!"

Constantine. A self-righteous arse of a man if ever there was one, believing his own brand of Monodominance to be the only "correct" path for an Inquisitor to follow.

"So what happens when we fail?"

Inquisitors had already been assassinated, murdered, or otherwise "removed" by him and his sycophants. They applauded in adoration even as he belched his vile creed at the gathering.

"What happens when the Enemies Within, Without and Beyond are allowed past our defence?"

Seventeen, they had said. Diomedes made eighteen. Emperor alone knew how many others had perished at his hand, or Goridas', or Cassadon's, or Keirta's.

Keirta. The very thought of the man made Macauley giggle. She'd heard of his presence on Estu, so the Feroxan Sub was already proving too small for Constantine. But Keirta had tried to reach too far, and she'd known about it.

"What happens when we are the cause of that failing?"

The look on his face must have been priceless, she mused. The plasma bomb had not been easy to acquire, and even harder to get into the basement; setting it to arm itself the instant someone entered the room she'd housed it in, however, had been child's play, and all she'd needed after that was one idiot that was both resourceful enough to find her safe house, and stupid enough to come looking for her.

"For too long, our lines have been weakened by the radical and the heretic within our ranks! Too long have the fringes of our order worn away our strength! More and more are falling to decadence and depravity!"

The fact that that idiot had been Keirta was just icing on the proverbial cake. She'd been meaning to do away with him for some time, but he'd always been in Constantine's shadow, and nigh-impossible to separate from his idol. The best part was that the only evidence the plasma bomb had left was a crater; the blast would have atomised Keirta and his men in a heartbeat, not even leaving ashes where they fell. Anyone that went to investigate might have thought that a generator had overloaded, but the truth was nowhere near as mundane.

"Today it ends."

"Dead right it does," Macauley muttered, turning off the vid-caster and pouring herself another amasec.

[Dolnikan]

The damage to the compound was immense. Cassadon did not doubt that there would come another attack now they were exposed. There certainly was an ambush waiting for them to leave. The situation was desperate. Even with the patched up survivors and fully prepared they would not survive.

Only a few of the mutants had survived the righteous fury of her followers. They had been brought to small rooms usually used by the cultists to sleep in. Cassadon entered the first room, containing the mutant she considered to be the most pliable. The mutant was obviously terrified when the inquisitor entered, closing the door behind her. The mutant was female, somewhere in her mid teens. She had only one eye, the other had somehow grown into a featureless thing, which made her hideous.

The blood-covered inquisitor sat down next to the mutant. She said: "There is no reason to be afraid. I just want to ask some questions. No doubt you have heard many stories about people like me, member of the Imperial Inquisition."

The girl nodded.

"They will have told you about horrible tortures and a complete lack of mercy. That however is wrong. I actually hate torturing. If necessary however I am still capable of it. Now tell me, do you belief in the Emperor?"

"Yes, I do."

"Very well then, could you tell me about Him, how do you see Him?"

"The Emperor is the light that guides us. We must serve him to earn, erm, to be saved."

"Now, what is your name?"

"Yilz"

"Good, then can you tell me what you think about me Yilz? Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you, I just want to talk, but first, let me look at your wound."

It hurt Cassadon on the inside to touch the mutant. Her duty required it of her. She would prefer to simply kill the aberration but first she would need to find out more. Once that was done she could hunt down those who were responsible. She took some water from a canteen at her side and started to clean the wound the girl had on her forehead. She said: "Once, I actually wanted to become a healer. Now I also am a healer of sorts, I heal the Imperium of the rot beneath the surface."

"You are much nicer than they told us. The man said that you were a butcher, a fanatic bent only on the destruction of all who deviate even the slightest. That is why you work with the Sanctified."

"I have come to the Sanctified only because their faith blinds them. They obey every order without question. But who is this man, my child?", said Cassadon putting her arm around the mutant to comfort her.

"He called himself Gideon, he said that he would set us free if we would kill you. It was our only chance."

"I understand that, he has deceived you. He has made emty promises. What did he look like?"

"I couldn't see much but he was tall and very handsome. He killed the slavers and gave us weapons. He said he was an inquisitor. He had teeth made of metal and was completely bald. I don't know much more, I'm so sorry."

"Are you sure that there is nothing else you could have forgotten?"

"One of his friends was very strange, he seemed absent and just acted weird."

"Do you know where they are now?"

"I have no idea, my father however heard them whispering about Greydelve."

"Is there anything else?"

"I don't know much more, but please, do you know if my brother is still alive, his name is Ramash."

Cassadon tightened her arm around the girl's throat and started to strangle her: "From the curse of the mutant, our Emperor, deliver us."

[Necris]

Inquisitor Goridas strode from his shuttle, encased in thick scarlet armour with ornate designs of gold and silver he played the part of an Inquisitor well, a heavy flamer unit hung at his side and an small army of fanatical servants looking like priests they were robed in muted tones of dirty whites and dark browns, they followed bearing his personal arsenal, a bolter heavy decorated with purity seals lay over a silk cloth in the hands of one, a long sword bore by another, a third followed bearing a long pole with a flaming symbol of the inquisition atop, three followed bound with chains heavy plates of iron bolted to their faces the words repent daubed across them, goading them was a priest like figure in black an inferno lance held in his hands the flame licking from the end threateningly a figure in armour strolled out behind the parade white and splendid she bore a pair of power sword and a long and elaborate pistol her eyes scanned the surroundings as still more armed priests followed bearing las guns and auto weapons, each of the priests had a rebreather fitted firmly over their faces the items fashioned from black leather with steal reinforcement like the grates of fire places, their eyes were wide and blood shot from the rousing of their masters and snapped from side to side looking for any signs of impurity.

Goridas turned his attention to the armoured female, his acolyte favoured above all other in his retinue she was his shining light his protégée.

"Have the Immolators brought forward, I would show this world the might of the Inquisition."

"As my master commands."

She strode off before them leaving the landing pad she headed for another where his armour had been brought down five Immolator tanks, enough to transport his whole retinue to the Imperial Guard Command Bunker, why'd he'd just not landed within the confines of the bunker was beyond her but her master wanted to show the people that the Inquisition was power and to be rightly feared, she agreed the Inquisition should be feared but this show especially in the current times was a risk she did not like, they should have brought more men from the Purifiers then if anyone had  been fool enough to attack her master they would feel his fury.

++

A figure in dark power armour watched Goridas arrive arms folded across it's chest it stood in the shadows of one of the tallest hives, turned from it's vantage it stepped back into the hive and spoke to the figure beside it shrouded in blackened robes.

"He's here make the arrangements for the counter attack if the radicals attack Goridas we'll be ready."

[Dolnikan]

Both other mutants had revealed nothing of interest. Cassadon had formulated a simple plan to escape the second attack while evading any ambush she could encounter. The sanctified's leader had first refused to do as he was told which had forced Cassadon to employ a more direct manner to achieve her goals. The whole cult was assembled in the chapel which had only recently been the scene of bloody violence.

She spoke: "Brothers, sisters, fellow worshippers and servants of our most beloved and holy Emperor. Calamity has come to us. The forces of darkness gather their might to bring low His servants. We face odds that normal men cannot triumph against. However, faith can conquer all. You all know the stories of the great heroes and martyrs of the Imperium. They refused to back away from certain destruction, instead, they rose to face it. Remember the words of the Great Confessor.

He said: "I tread the path of Righteousness. Though it be paved with broken glass, I will walk it barefoot; though it cross rivers of fire, I will pass over them; though it wanders wide, the light of the Emperor guides my step."

Today you have the chance to tread in his footsteps. You can show your devotion. You can go through the rivers of fire and triumph. Let your faith guide you, let the Emperor be your guiding light. Smite the unbelievers, the heretics, the mutants and all other traitors. There is no place for them in our Lord's blessed realm. Crush them all in the tide of your righteous fury. Do not fear death or injury, through them you shall become martyrs at the Emperor's side.

You are here today to receive the ultimate blessing, to assail and crush the foes of the Emperor. Charge them, drive them before you and leave no survivors. You have faith, they do not. Those without faith cannot stand before the faithful. Feel no doubt, feel the warmth of the Emperor's gaze on you. Today He is watching you. Do not fail Him."

The assembled cultists cheered and crying in devotion they burst out of the compound to engage the mutants and any other enemies. Cassadon meanwhile took her few trusted companions with her, covered under heavy cloaks, initially following behind the mutants but soon enough they slipped from the path of the divinely inspired warriors to evade any pursuit.

[Koval]

Ferox Est, Semtera System

"This is a test of faith, a test of your faith in the Divine Emperor!"

In the Ferox Est's main hall, thousands of Naval crewmen stood watching the Inquisitor atop his pulpit, all crammed into the room to listen to him. To not do so was punishable by death, and the officers were counting heads with a sort of zealous eagerness. Only the servitors manning the Ferox Est's essential systems were exempt.

"There is naught but the Emperor's divine grace between us and the temptations of the Great Enemy! Yet even now, the servants of the Enemy move among us, as a blight upon our souls!"

Niccolo Vecciani was not known for being especially fond of speeches. For him to stand up in front of a warship's entire crew was almost unheard of, and neatly underscored the seriousness of his concerns.

"They move among us, from the lowest galley slave to the highest officer, to the ranks of the Inquisition itself! Beware the Enemy, for everything you have been told about the Inquisition is a lie. Even as I speak and you listen, more and more fall to the Enemy, and we, who have the power over life and death, we who carry the authority of the Emperor himself, do nothing to stop it."

"Sorry to interrupt you, Vecciani," a cold female voice stated over the vox. "But you'd really get more done if you stepped down from your soapbox and just got on with it."

Below Vecciani, the Ferox Est's crew began turning to each other in confusion, wondering aloud who the owner of the voice was, and more importantly, how they had gotten vox access.

"Yes, there are those among our order that have fallen to Chaos, and yes, Inquisitors are at each other's throats in the Feroxa Sub," the voice continued. "But your rhetoric isn't going to solve that problem. I thought you knew that already."

"Show yourself, traitor!" Vecciani roared. "Show yourself, or by the Emperor I will--"

"Continue to make yourself look like an idiot, shouting at what isn't there?"

Vecciani stood in silence atop his pulpit, his words failing him utterly in his rage.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Ferox Est," the voice continued. "In order to cleanse the Imperium of the heretics and traitors within our ranks, sometimes a few innocents must be sacrificed along the way. Inquisitor Niccolo Vecciani, for his crimes against the Holy Ordos of Emperor's Inquisitors, has been judged a traitor to the Imperium. And you are the innocents that we must sacrifice to ensure his demise."

If Vecciani said anything, it was lost in the noise of confusion issuing from thousands of Naval throats. Some were shouting curses, others prayers, others orders. Officers were shooting in an attempt to enforce order.

"Niccolo Vecciani, for conspiring with the heretic Severus Constantine to devastate the Inquisition and weaken the Imperium of Man's defences against the enemies you claim to fight," the voice went on, the sound carrying over the noise of confused Naval crewmen, "I sentence you to death."

From the safety of the Ferox Est's bridge, Macauley glanced over at a console. Five minutes until Warp transition.

"To all members of the Imperial Navy," Macauley announced. "In less than five minutes' time, this vessel will enter the Warp without the protection of a Geller Field. The life pods have already been jettisoned. Use your final moments to pray for deliverance, if you believe it will help you."

Macauley turned on her heel.

"End transmission."

Leaping over the bodies of whichever idiots had tried to bar her entry, Macauley left the Ferox Est's bridge, the bloody corpses of its crew lying where they fell, and sprinted in the direction of the one life pod she hadn't prematurely jettisoned.

Three minutes later, exactly on cue, the demolition charges around the Geller Field generator detonated, stripping the Ferox Est of its protection against the perils of the Warp. The vessel was already committed to its jump, however, and with the Navigator having been cut out of the loop entirely during Macauley's exchange with Vecciani, it was already far too late for him to avert the ship's fate.

Barely more than a minute after that, a lone soul drifted away from the Ferox Est as it plunged unprotected into the Sea of Souls, condemning Inquisitor Niccolo Vecciani and thousands upon thousands of Naval crew to annihilation in the depths of the Warp.

As the life pod tumbled away, Macauley looked outside and couldn't help but smile as the Ferox Est perished.

[Dolnikan]

Cassadon and her few remaining followers had found a new safehouse in Greydelve. The settlement was relatively small. It was a mining facility. The work in the mines was not done by normal humans but because of the high risk involved in the work mutant slaves were used instead.

Cassadon had secured a small hut where she looked at her loyal companions. All of them bore fresh wounds, except for the always impeccable inquisitor. She said:

"The sanctified are with the Emperor. Their noble sacrifice will be rewarded. We shall hunt down those responsible and bring the Emperor's justice to them. If necessary the whole town shall burn to purge its heresy. These mutants who are being put to work here have no right to live. They are an abomination and can never be allowed in the blessed realm of our Lord. They are being used by someone called Gideon by the scum, he probably uses a false name. The mutants like this man. He must be apprehended and will be charged with heresy. But now let us pray."

All those in the building fell to their knees in front of Cassadon. She prayed: "O divine Lord and Emperor, be our guiding light. Allow us to drive the darkness from your blessed realm. Grant us the strength to destroy all those who stand in the path of your Holy Vision. Smite the unholy. Deliver us from the many guises of the darkness. We beg of You, in the name of all Your saints, receive the souls of those who gave their lives for You. Welcome them to Your side where they may eternally serve Your will. Guide us in our search for the heretic, the mutant and the deviant."

Cassadon raised her hands over her followers saying: "In the name of our Lord and Emperor, I bless you to destroy His enemies. To drive them from their hiding places into the pyres that await the unclean."

Her companions rose one by one. Each had the divine light of the Emperor burning in their eyes. Their faith remained unharmed.  Cassadon knew that they would follow her commands, giving their lives if it was necessary. Ever since escaping the compound of the Sanctified she had been thinking about how to punish this Gideon. She had drawn up a plan and everyone had to play his or her part in it. With the Emperor's blessing Gideon would burn.

[Dolnikan]

Inquisitor Cloelius was worried. Cassadon remained alive, her body had not been found in the compound used by the Sanctified. He had vowed to kill her. She was dangerous, insane even. Why else would she have openly slain his friend Diomedes who had never broken any of the Emperor's commandments, accusing him of heresy. Her insanity had to be stopped. He would stop at nothing to remove the threat of her kind of self-righteous zeal.

He had just debriefed another of his agents. Cassadon remained hidden. He gathered his inner circle together with some of his cell leaders. They all were gathered around a table. He said: "The traitor Cassadon must be found. While she remains we can never overthrow the corruption of this world. She could respond too quickly, never allowing us to bring about the revolution that will lift up the needy and bring low the decadent and faithless."

All of them shouted their agreement. They would tear down the rotten structures and turn Godan II into the kind of world the Emperor had envisaged. The mutants would be used up as cannon fodder allowing the righteous to win the in inevitable struggle for power.

Some refreshments were brought in by several women. All of them victims of the brutal government. It pained Cloelius to see their scars. All of them had been hereditary servants of  the great families of Godan. They bore the signs of abuse openly. The brutality would end and a new glorious age would begin where the world would fully serve the Emperor and not the deluded whims of weak aristocrats.

They had been brought some of the local alcoholic beverage, called mudwater. He did not drink it but all the others did. He never intoxicated himself. As an inquisitor he should always keep a clear head. The others drank and kept talking about the revolution, until, after a few minutes the first of them fell from his seat with his eyes wide open. He was followed by all the others.

Cloelius leapt to his feet drawing his weapons. Someone had poisoned the entire revolutionary leadership. He called for help. Immediately armed people entered. One of them, a strikingly tall woman took him by his arm and said: "Come with me, I shall take you to safety."

Cloelius followed her, he had to escape, much had already been lost but he himself could not die as well. Only then would everything be lost. The woman took him away from the scene of the poisoning and he said to her: "Where are you taking me? What is happening?"

"I am taking you to a safe place, I saw what happened because I was just going to bring important news to you. Cassadon has been found. I saw her with my own eyes. She has gathered a large armed force and was on her way here. She obviously also had agents working on the inside. I want to rescue you, Gideon, otherwise we are all lost."

"Thank you for taking me away, how are we going to leave?"

"I know a passageway to the mines, from there we can slip out of Greydelve without being caught."

The pair arrived at another door. It was locked but Cloelius shot the lock and the door swung open. Behind it lay a small room with a hatch in the floor. Together they opened it and fled into the cavern beneath it.

[Dolnikan]

For hours the pair walked through the mines. Most of them were abandoned, the actual workings having gone much deeper long ago. The woman said: "We're almost to a safe place. We can rest there before continuing."

Cloelius was tired, he preferred not to get involved on this level. He said: "Is it much further? Do you still know where you are?"

"Just about half a mile. I know these tunnels like the back of my hand."

"Why then do you look at your wrist whenever my gaze is turned away? I'm not stupid, I can see it when someone is not telling the truth.", he aimed his pistol at her, "Drop your weapons, you are betraying me, I don't have to ask who sent you, but let me tell you this, you will tell me her plans, otherwise you will never leave these tunnels. Where does she want you to take me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Obviously you are an agent of Cassadon, you are to lead me somewhere where she can kill me, I will not allow that to happen. My work is more important than that fanatic."

"I have spoken only the truth, my lord, however, I cannot stop you from killing me if you want to. I am not an assassin. If you were supposed to be dead I could have killed you already, we have been alone together for hours."

"You are lying, now tell me the truth, I can be very convincing when necessary."

Tears welled up in her eyes: "I swear it on the Emperor, I am loyal to the people of Godan. I saw Cassadon and her forces moving towards the compound. I am trying to save you, you are our only hope."

"Do not blaspheme! You are trying to deceive me, you serve the deluded! Tell me what you know and I might show mercy."

"I speak the truth, I swear it, please, I only wanted to help you. I heard them, they said that they would come for you in our safe house. You have to believe me. I saw Cassadon and heard her speaking about our base and that it would be easy to take. I rushed there immediately to get you and the other leaders to safety."

She was starting to cry. She was a well-trained spy then. He shot her on the spot saying: "You have attempted to deceive me and to lead me to my death. You have forced me to do this.

Then, from behind him he heard a woman's voice: "Drop your weapons and surrender to the will of the Emperor!"

From the shadows a figure dressed in white power armour emerged. She was tall and radiated authority. Her serene face was split by a long scar, she spoke: "Do not attempt to resist, you will be treated fairly and shall be judged in the name of the Emperor."

"Cassadon! You may have found me but at least your spy is dead.", while saying this he let his weapons fall to the ground.

"I am glad that you have chosen the sensible path, Gideon Cloelius. You will come with us to await judgement."

Cloelius was thoroughly searched revealing several hidden blades on his person. He was escorted to Cassadon's hideout without any words being spoken. There he was locked in a small, unfurnished cellar and dressed in a simple shirt. He did not have to wait long. Cassadon entered after only an hour.

The room was brightly lit and for the first time he got a good look at her. Her face was well-maintained, her eyes were bloodshot, as though she had not slept for days. She spoke: "Gideon Cloeilius, of the Holy ordos of His most August Emperor's Inquisition. What justification can you give for your seeding of sedition, cooperating with mutants, attempting to kill His agents and associating with known witches?"

"The only justification I need, it is His will. The corrupt cannot be allowed to rule over His domain. I have made use of mutants for one simple reason. I hate them. By using them I not only strike at His enemies but also dispose of those abominations. I led them to strike at you for what you did to Diomedes. You murdered him without reason."

"The death of Diomedes was an unfortunate affair. I had hoped to get him alive for his judgment. He however showed his guilt in attempting to resist. To even consider using mutants is heresy. Have the saints not commanded us to exterminate them wherever we find them? To even associate with them is to invite corruption."

"They are nothing but a tool, they cannot corrupt me because I see their corruption. They have faith in the Emperor. He hates them for what they are, but why can they not be used to serve His ends. They bear a curse but that does not make them utterly useless."

"They can never be trusted. To allow them to die for Him is too much honour. There are many who have some purity in them who would gladly be martyred for Him. Is it not better to allow the truly faithful to do His work and to leave the mutant to rot?"

"I can see clearly now, you are blinded by your faith. It is no use to speak to you. You cannot see beyond small minded dogma. You are a grave danger to the Imperium, you would tear His realm apart in your quest to crush minor heresy. You are a monster! A foul murderer who uses His name to justify her crimes. You cannot judge me, you are insane!"

"Your words have proven your guilt. Inquisitor Gideon Cloelius, in the name of our most holy Emperor who rules from Terra, I declare you to be a heretic and with the authority of the conclave of Feroxa I strip you of your powers and titles.", she paused for a moment, looking at Cloelius who looked back defiantly, "I call you in diabolis extremis. For your grave heresies you will be punished by death by the purifying flame."

"You cannot do this to me! You are insane, my colleagues will hunt you down and kill you."

Cloelius leapt at Cassadon to hit her. Before he had even touched her she had planted her fist in his face throwing him to the ground. She said: "Bring him to the courtyard."

Strong hands lifted him up and dragged him out of the building. In a small courtyard one of the most recognizable tools of the inquisition had been built. A pyre, used since times immemorial to dispose of witches and heretics.

He was tied to a pole and Cassadon spoke: "Do you wish to repent in your last moments?"

"I have nothing to repent. You are a different matter. You go beyond the limits of your powers, you are the heretic!"

Cassadon lit the pyre using a torch given to her by one of her attendants. Soon the screams of Cloelius filled the courtyard and even other parts of the city.

[Koval]

"See that, Henderson?"

"Yeah. Over by the life pod."

"Think he's breathing?"

"I don't... wait, was that movement?"

"Command, this is Drummond. We've got a survivor."

---

As she moved to get up and promptly fell back down again, Macauley came to the conclusion that she was in a lot of pain.

The life pod had embedded itself in the road at an awkward sixty-degree tilt, forcing Macauley to use the seats to climb her way to freedom, but no sooner had she reached the top than the life pod had overbalanced and come crashing down. She was convinced that at least two of her ribs were cracked, although thankfully she had only subluxed her right shoulder rather than fully dislocated it.

She made a mental note to favour her left hand.

Several of the life pod's lockers had been thrown open by the crash, and Macauley's attention was initially drawn to the sheer number of lasguns strewn across the floor, but she swiftly reminded herself that there were more pressing matters than how well-equipped the life pod was.

Pulling a kit bag down from one of the lockers as carefully as she could, Macauley picked up one of the lasguns, then thought better of it as her chest flared with pain. Looking down at the weapon, Macauley identified it as a Ryza-M pattern, easily manufactured but decidedly heavy for a lasgun, and she discarded the weapon and the kit bag out of irritation, deciding that she would manage just fine with her own weaponry.

A quick check of her guns revealed that all three were in working order, though she resolved to favour her laspistols over the shotgun until her injuries had healed.

Her attention was drawn to voices outside the life pod. Making sure that the officer's pins she had stolen were secure, she staggered over to the entrance, noticing for the first time that her left knee was stiff, before deliberately tripping over the life pod entrance and landing in what was left of a street.

She tried to ignore the burning pain in her chest.

---

"Emperor's arse, Drummond, that's a woman, not a man."

"How was I supposed to-- oh, hell."

"What is it?"

"See those pins?"

"You've got to be vissing me. Are those a major's pins?"

"She bloody outranks Company Command if they are."

"But... hell, if she's Navy, they don't have majors, do they?"

"Whatever she is, we need to get her back to command."

"But if she came from that mess up there..."

"I know that, Henderson, but that's something for the Commissar to worry about."

"Right. Let's get her to the Chime--"

A pained gasp.

"Throne, Drummond, she needs medicae, not a Commissar!"

"The hell you--"

"I think she's got broken ribs. Broken something, at least."

"Get her legs. I'll get her back."

"Command, this is Henderson. We're twenty minutes out and returning now. Survivor's a Naval officer, we're not sure what rank she holds, but she needs medical attention. No, sir, we've found no other survivors; looks like she's the only one. Bringing her straight in."

[Dolnikan]

Tomyris Cassadon sat on her knees, praying for guidance. The small room was cold and lit by a single candle. The enemies of the Emperor were everywhere, ready to strike at those who would expose their evil. She knew that even now the forces of darkness were working to further their corruption of the Inquisition.

She heard someone knocking on the rough wooden door. She stood up, her knees aching from the hours of her prayer. When she opened the door she saw a messenger girl carrying a sealed scroll. The girl tried not to look at the inquisitor but could not control her curiosity. Cassadon said: "May you always to the Emperor's work, direct your every thought to Him and devote your life to His service. That is the path of Justice. Bear His blessing with you as you live."

A smile appeared on the girl's face turned to leave the inquistitor. Cassadon closed the door again and opened the scroll, carefully not touching it, knowing that the vellum could be poisoned. It had come from the astropathic choir of the planet. It contained the transcription of a short message, written in code bearing the identifiers of one of her contacts. It said:

"Honoured lady,

I have sighted inquisitor Hyrole here on Biont. She resides in the capitol city, I have not been able to find out much. She is accompanied by a group of between six and twenty people, most of them armed. She poses as a widow but her description is a perfect match. May the Emperor's blessing always be with you.

Servus fenestrae"