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The 23rd Hammer.

Started by Inquisitor Cade, December 11, 2009, 04:08:20 PM

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Inquisitor Cade

#15
He had seen a helm, he was sure, before it had withdrawn behind the column of rock.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."
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#16
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?"
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#17
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#18
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#19
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#20
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#21
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#22
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#23
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?"
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#24
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"
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#25
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."
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#26
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#27
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#28
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.
*Insert token witticism*

Inquisitor Cade

#29
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.
*Insert token witticism*