[IC] Warhammer 40,000: Tales of the Inquisition

[Eisenhorn]

Hive World Terrias
Hive Terrias Primus (De Facto Capitol of the the planet and Sector)
Unlisted Private Quarters

---

Inquisitor Andros Xersus was not in the most pleasant of moods, although he didn't betray this to the Governor Militant's men as they showed him to the quarters that he had requested be furnished for he and his retinue. The man, despite being sorely outranked by the Inquisitor who had arrived on his world, was stubborn and sorely refused to believe that his world was no worse off than it already was. The planet itself was undergoing efforts to repel a Chaos incursion to begin with, about a third of the planet was firmly in the Enemy's hands, while half of the planet was firmly in the Imperium's. The remaining bit was no man's land, or so utterly destroyed that nothing could be considered valuable in holding such ground. A PDF Chimera had dropped him off ahead of his Retinue, and had narrowly avoided several artillery shots that were landing. The local Guard, from what he had gathered, were used to this sort of daily shelling, it was almost like a lethal, constant rainstorm that came through on a daily basis. Most of the Hive was underground, including this bunker of a place he was going to be calling a local HQ for the time being, which was fortunate in a safety regard. Hopefully no one was hoping for a penthouse view of the warzones, he thought with a slight smirk. The building itself was part of the Guard command complex, which suited his purposes fine, if the need arised, he could commandeer comm relays and get a hold of the nearest reinforcements and get them over here in a hurry, and it was well guarded to boot. The PDF detachment here was of some concern, in case they were corrupted, but PDF were rarely a serious threat to anyone of his, or those accompanying him, caliber.

But the bunker that he and his retinue were residing in was spacious enough, for such a place, and was clearly an auxiliary command space for emergency uses. A command table, with a holo uplink to various locations and stations, now including his personal Ship in Orbit, as well as various outposts on the front lines, who were rather surprised to have an Inquisitor on the Vox, requesting up to date field reports about the current situation, stranger than usual occurrences, and so on and so forth. Information had led him this far, and as he dismissed the PDF escorts back to their normal duties, which they happily did, rather than continue to deal with the armored inquisitor before them. He leaned on the holo table, reports and orbital surveillance pouring across his vision, while the Hive city's layout, current troop distribution, enemy assault sectors, and other information was lit up in the background, all as up to date as the Guard General in charge of the defense, and eventual reclamation, of the planet, should no Space Marines be available. And what with the 13th Black Crusade going on now, resources were scarce for fronts beyond that one, since things did not sound like they were going as smoothly as they could have been.

But they were here for one thing, and one thing only. There was a renegade Psyker, which normally would not fall under Xersus' care or jurisdiction, what with galactic events as they were. But this renegade had something that the Inquisitor wanted. Information, on a certain relic he had been tasked with hunting for sometime. An unholy device, capable of opening rifts into the Immaterium, or so it was rumored. Hardly something that could just be left floating about, disrupting events wherever it ended up. And Emperor forbid the results if that thing should end up in Abaddon's hands, which was a current, and very real, fear, since the forces here could be linked back to the Black Crusade forces, a raider detachment to do as much damage as possible, while claiming resources and other unique prizes. And what a prize this cursed artifact could be for whomever claimed it. So this would explain why an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus, who would otherwise be better served aiding in the efforts to repulse this latest assault by the forces of Chaos and its Traitor Marines, Daemons, and such, was on this minor world, hunting rumors and chasing shadows. But such was the life of the Inquisition, but looking at the climate on this planet, well, he suspected things wouldn't be remaining a quiet skulk through the alleyways and shadows, hunting such rumors, unless they got lucky.

But his Retinue would be arriving after Xersus, and he was awaiting them as he compiled the reports into one single brief for those that he called allies. A varied enough bunch, compared to some, their diverse skills hopefully, Emperor willing, would be more than enough for the tasks ahead of them. But that was for the future, right now, Inquisitor Xersus, already clad in his full power armor, awaited his retinue to arrive, hopefully without complication. He really didn't need an artillery shell inconveniencing one of them by removing their vehicular transport here. That would be a waste of time and resources, having them walk after the transport was ruined, since that would delay their start of the search further, something that, looking at the information on the situation on the planet, could not be afforded lightly. He suspected the raiders knew full well what had fled here for sanctuary, and would no doubt be looking to capture this renegade Psyker for their Dark Gods. Well, Xersus figured, he would have to disappoint them once more, he had questions that rather pressingly required some real, concrete answers. And with his retinue, this renegade would be found, and broken, any and all useful information taken from the psyker's mind, forcefully if need be.

[Fallen Muse]

About the same time the Inquisitor was on his way to the complex that would be the retinue's HQ, a Vendetta was flying a supply run towards the front lines, a highly risky affair in the current situation, but vital towards that position being able to continue to hold its ground against the Chaos raiders. What the crew of the Vendetta did not realize was they had two stow away guests on board as well, and that a specific complex they were making a slow fly over, so they could be registered as friendly by the Anti Air being fielded by the guard, would give these two guests all the time in the world for them to disembark. These two guests were the Vindicare Anastasia Dona, and the Callidus Frika Stadheim, both utilizing their stealth suits to avoid being spotted by the crew, who were too busy elsewhere to notice anything unusual without the suits assistance, and as the Vendetta slowed down to register on the AA Grid as friendly, both the Callidus and Vindicare made their moves, quietly exiting the rear of the slow moving and low flying Vendetta, managing an utterly silent landing on the roof of the command bunkers, which placed them a good bit of time ahead of the Inquisitor, even if they wasted time before entering the complex proper.

But the two assassins were not here to waste time, they knew their marching orders, and they needed to get off the roof in case an artillery shell landed close enough to be dangerous. Opening an emergency hatch on the roof, which the codes were acquired prior to this moment, was opened by the Vindicare, allowing the Callidus to drop in first, blades at the ready in case trouble was already waiting for them within the compound. The Vindicare sealed the roofway hatch behind her, and not a moment too soon, as several shells caused the building to shudder, but the two assassins were safe. Deployed ahead of the Inquisitor, they swept into the building, registering the gross security hole that they had exploited to enter the building so easily for future rectification and possible exploit, depending on the situation that they found themselves in. But the unused passageway from the bunker's roof hatch let them out near the Inquisitor's requisitioned bunker, another violation of security that would need to be monitored and dealt with, when the time came. But for now, the two stuck to the shadows, making sure the room was secure as the Inquisitor arrived and went about his business, appearing oblivious to the two assassins being present, which was all part of that particular plan, in case things went south.

The two assassins silently slipped through the shadows, melding like they were naturally part of the environment there, not a word spoken, not a single bit of noise made as they moved into overwatch positions in the room, hand signals only visible to each other used to maintain complete and total silence, as to not betray their movements and positioning. They were setting up the most optimal position to watch the Inquisitor and ensure no harm befell him while he was on this world, although this duty was obviously constant regardless of the planet they resided on, but for now, it was here, in this underground bunker complex that they would be launching this operation from that required their overwatch, so once they settled into positions, they remained motionless and silent, monitoring any and all that might enter the room, ensuring none meant the Inquisitor any harm.

[Grothnor]

Sten Revna was no stranger to the dreaded whistle of artillery, but it had been sixteen years since he had heard them. It made him anxious, even this far underground. Artillery was a horrible thing. It frightened the ever living warp out of soldiers, but there was never anything they could do about it except hope and pray it didn't hit them. It frakked with men's minds and they often lost it for no reason. Artillery was one of the things Sten missed the least about the Guard.

He proceeded through the base towards the Auxiliary Command Center casting his mind out ahead of him to determine the best possible route through the bastion. A lit lho-stick was clenched between his lips, filling the corridors with its lingering and distinctive scent. One or two officers along the way tried to get him to put it out, but were silenced by the inquisitorial electoo on his hand. Sten was in no mood for patience, and neither was his master.

Sten had spent the last four years in the employ of Inquisitor Xersus, who had recruited him not long after he had earned his Primaris rating. He hadn't been brought along on very many missions, but was regularly employed for his precognition. Sten respected the Inquisitor greatly: Xersus bore the twin responsibilities of a psyker and an Inquisitor and he met them with a will more dauntless and hardened than any man Sten knew.

Sten's mind felt the presence of his master, and he homed in on it, following it like a beacon. He doused the tiny ember within his lho-stick and returned it to his case before he reached the command center. He entered without knocking, for Xersus surely sensed his presence as well, and bowed. “Inquisitor.”

[Dragonruby]

Atellus nervously stalked his way through the bunker, making for the room he had been ordered to meet his new employer, Inquisitor Xersus in. There was a number of reasons as to why he was nervous. First and foremost, was that he was meeting an Inquisitor personally. He remembered, a number of years back, when an independent team of Inquisitorial acolytes rode aboard The Baleful Beacon to be dropped off at some hive world or another as a favor to a friend of the Captain's. A number of his fellow crew mates did their best to avoid the acolytes, lest they be charged with some sort of heresy, and now here he was going to meet an actual Inquisitor. The artillery fire didn't help much at all, either, and he did his best to liken both the shaking and the sounds to the firing of a macrocannon, though it didn't work very well, as he still felt as if there were insects crawling around in his stomach.

A small part of Atellus wished to delay the meeting a little, so that he could calm his nerves, but another part of him told him that keeping an Inquisitor waiting was probably not the best idea. As he approached the door to the designated room, Atellus very quickly double checked that all his gear was on him. His lasrifle was slung over his shoulder by a strap, his baton was by his side in a small holster, and his keepsake knife was strapped to his right thigh. He quickly adjusted one of his gauntlets, and knocked on the top of his helmet, more for good luck than any kind of equipment check, and took a deep breathe before entering the room.

Stepping inside, Atellus quickly surveyed the room, noting that it was somewhat similar to the bridge of The Baleful Beacon, albeit, much less flashy and without a view to the void beyond. There were two other men already in the room, one was rather obviously the Inquisitor, dressed in power armor, with the 'I' of the Inquisition emblazoned upon it. The other, he judged to be a psyker, not only by the subtle feeling of strangeness that all psykers gave off, but also by his robes and the staff the man carried.

Atellus was a little unsure of what to do, and so went with what was familiar, stepping besides the door, he unslung the rifle from his shoulders and cradled it in his hands, assuming a guard position, standing still and straight, likening the room to the bridge of a ship, and the door as his post.

[Honored Brother]

"Emperor grant us salvation from the eternal darkness of chaos." Father Ignacius Christus recited. A simultaneous response of "aymen" filled the inside of the Chimera armored transport the priest was in. Father Christus rode with a men of Hive World Terrias' Planetary Defense Force. The Chimera was speeding towards the front line. The destination Father Christus was heading was on its route. Prior his current trip, he was offered to be transported via another Chimera private only to him. The priest denied this as it was a waste of resources for the already strained PDF's. Humility in service to the Emperor. Even the simplest of decadence was vanity and vanity is one of the paths to the prince of excess. In fact the robes that Father Ignacius wore was too lavish for the man but he new of its symbolical importance.

"Emperor spare us from the weaknesses of man, the sins and vices that surrounds, the weakness that leads the faithful to the ruinous powers." The Chimera was once again flooded by responses. Father Christus was reciting a common prayer known as the "Orationum od imperatorem". It was a common prayer which was a bastardized version of the sanctioned Imperial Litany which was not approved of the Ecclisiachy but tolerated. The prayer was used for personal uses as well as small gatherings but should never be used in a proper place of worship or anywhere near a Cardinal. There were also other priest that would not tolerate the prayer, believing it to be a heretical invocation. Those were almost always the irrational, ultra-conservatives who would want people to pray in High Gothic. Father Christus has met one such man. He wish never to meet another so long as he lived.

"Emperor preserve us so he may act his holy will." Another simultaneous response of "Aymen". Father Christus was hearing the faint sound of artillery. It was getting louder and louder. He looked up to see the faces of the men around him. They must have been no older than 18 or 19. Father Christus couldn't help but look sad as he viewed this young men, knowing that they were being thrown into the meat grinder. He was too 18 when he became a preacher for the Carthaginian Assault Troopers and so were most of his comrades. He knew what war would do to their young, fragile minds. Misery was set on him but he hid this and continued to pray. Do your duties to the Emperor and you shall be in his embrace once the final hour strikes, He thought to himself.

"Emperor guide us with your holy light and give us a place in your eternal paradise." The responses were cut sort when the driver informed the priest that they were no more than a few seconds from his destination. Father Ignacius thanked the driver and finished the final verse.

"Emperor watch over us now unto our deaths." A final string of 'Aymens' and a few seconds later, the Chimera came to an abrupt stop. Father Ignacius grabbed his belongings and darted outside the Chimera as the door latch opened. He ran for the safety of the bunker while the Chimera began to drive off further into the conflict. A shock wave almost made the priest tip over. He regained his footing however and moved inside. His eyes soon found the people he would be working with, or at least he assumed to be. It wasn't hard to spot who the Inquisitor in the group was. Being cautious and polite, Father Ignacius bowed before the Inquisitor first and then to every other person in the room. "Lord Inquisitor, honored entourage, good day and greetings. I' am Confessor Ignacius Christus, ready to serve the Emperor and his holy Inquisition."

[Pyro V]

The chimera was deathly silent as the rain of artillery around them shook the Hive and made their ears ring. The crimson clad woman inside the vehicle with them made everyone uncomfortable. Partly of it was the large Inquisitorial seal stamped across her right pauldron. The rest, however, was just a feeling they all got. Like something she was something unnatural, even more terrifying than the daemons on the other side of the line. A helmet covered her face, masking whatever expression she had. Really, she was smiling beneath her mask. It was always amusing to her, to watch others squirm and shift away from her. Penal Legionnaires, they hadn't done that. They'd accepted the feeling of being around her during training. The 808 hadn't cared much either, mostly because she was basically a saint to them.

Exiting the chimera, the red woman turned her head slightly to look back at them, and said, "You guys are fucked." Then she was off, leisurely walking towards the bunker. The chimera drove off without a moment's hesitation, and Anna went inside the network of tunnels and bunkers. PDF attempted to avoid her in the cramped hallways. From somewhere down the hall, there was a loud caw! and seconds later a robotic raven appeared, flying down the way towards her. After a brief moment where the woman muttered some things to it and listened to a few recordings, she let it loose once more and followed the bird towards where the rest of the team was probably waiting on her, like they usually did. Anna wasn't exactly known for her respect of authority or promptness, and so was usually a few minutes late. She did it just to piss off the rest of the retinue.

With no time to spare, the door burst open to allow her in, a few minutes after the Confessor. The strong psychic presence in the room immediately died as she strolled on it, still seeming in no hurry, even as she knew that one of those assassins that were always around were probably staring hatefully enough to please Khorne for decades. She removed her helmet, revealing a face that would be pretty, if not for the cold grey eyes and the brazen Aqulia tattoo that covered her cheek and part of her eye. As the raven perched on her shoulder and her hand rested on the pommel of her sword, she grinned at the Inquisitor and gave a mock bow. "Sorry for my tardiness once more, my Lord," she said, the sarcasm practically dripping from her voice. Even the title seemed to mock him, as she knew full well that he wasn't a Lord Inquisitor yet. She righted herself, and leaned against the other side of the door, opposite the soldier. Not another word was spoken, but the look on her face showed just how pleased she was with herself. A noise that one could swear was a snicker came from the bird on her shoulder.

[Mortarion]

Constantine stayed on the back of the Chimera transport in which he had accommodated himself in. He stood in the back of the vehicle with the guardsmen on the front looking around nervously, it was obvious they had never seen one such as him, but the one that was seated besides him was an Enginseer and he did as best as he could to calm his companions inside the vehicle. Drustos felt what muscles remained behind his heavily augmented face to do the movement that one would associate with a smile, and certainly not with one of the Priests from Mars, but the vehicle reminded this particular Tech Priest of simple times when he was still with the Warhawks of the 358 regiments and found himself patting the dog-tags that still hung from his neck.

He felt a request of communication from the Enginseer seated besides him, apparently he had noticed him patting the dog-tags and was asking him why he was patting his chest. He responded in the sacred tongue of the followers of the Omnissiah, lingua-technis, and explained briefly to the Enginseer besides him that he too had once been like him. He was responded with was, according to their own language, a baffled response in holy binary from the lesser Tech-priest. But before he could explain himself further the conductor told over the vox that they had arrived to his destination, knowing that time was short he sent to the still confused Enginseer a message in lingua-technis encouraging him to have more faith in the Omnissiah and that through it and his effort he could be like him.

By the time he had finished transmitting his message, the doors of the Chimera were wide open and he exited and before they could fully close he gave the members of the regiments an universally known salute of the Astra Militarum to those that were going to face the most hated of enemies of mankind "Go forth and bring glory to the Emperor" He said in low gothic as he finished the salute, making a few of the Guardsmen gasp in surprise at the fact that one such as his knew about them but none were more surprised than the one whom moments prior had been talking to him with incredulity. He watched as the door of the Chimera closed and allowed himself to loose a few precious seconds in watching the Chimera disappear, a sense of melancholy washing over him as he patted once more the dog-tags that hung from his neck.

He then turned around and entered the complex, following the information that the Auspex in his explorator-mechadendrite provided him with. Soon enough he was in the room with Inquisitor Xersus and a number of other people in it which consisted of a Stormtrooper, a member of the Ecclesiarchy, a sanctioned psyker, a female clad in power armor whom was apparently not another Inquisitor. "Lord Inquisitor" Said Omicron-Sigma as he vowed "Magos Errant Constantine Drustos presenting himself per your request" He said, making the sym of the Cog and then that of the Aquila to not to offend either the Inquisitor or anyone else present in the room.

[Crazy Guy]

Edwin had quietly followed behind Constantine, having seen the Tech-priest before on a previous outing with Inquisitor Xersus. His hands danced around the knives sheathed behind his back and the laspistol by his side, the dark side of his heart itching to inflict pain.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind of screams and pleas. The medic began berating himself again for feeling this way; after all, hadn't he been doing his duty for years? Surely this got easier in time, when you no longer keep count of your victims and the blood you spilled?

Just clear your mind, soldier. Come on, empty your head and do your damn job. He let out a "whew!" and continued walking behind the Tech-priest, not wanting to make conversation despite his polite, small smile.

In the temporary silence, Edwin's mind returned to the Inquisitor who had summoned him. The combat medic continued to respect the elder servant of the Emperor; believing in the cause of the Imperium under his eye had allowed him to feel at peace for once. Being around his lovely apprentice was a bonus as well, but Edwin felt that he would have stayed by the Inquisitor's side even if he had never taken the Interrogator under his wing.

The quiet man waited his turn after the Tech-priest introduced himself as Constantine Drustos. A fine-sounding name, Edwin thought, capable of carrying weight, respect, and fear in its pronunciation, compared to his own name. When the cyborg completed his greeting, Edwin stood by his side and made the symbol of the Aquila to the Inquisitor as he bowed his head.

"Edwin Venator at your service, Lord Inquisitor." He said, raising his head after he had greeted his superior before moving to stand off to the side of the room. Seeing the Interrogator present as well, the medic nodded his head at her, praising himself for continuing to not stutter in her presence.

"Greetings, Interrogator Cassius." He said evenly, hoping to not betray his attraction to her.

[mattmanganon]

"Are you sure this is fine?" Mary asked as she looked over a railing into the small pit area bellow them, a pair of Guardsman stood, looking around, scared out of his mind. Yoheved looked down as well.

"He's a deserter, we can do whatever we like to them, nothing is too cruel for one that disobeys the Emperors word." a Arco-flagellant stood motionless in the pit with them. Yoheved looked to made sure that they could see her. "Traitors, Heretics, cowards... For whichever reason you decided to disobey the Emperors word, you are to be punished." she said. She produced rock and made sure the guards could see her. "If you survive, then the Emperor has forgiven you." she then took aim and threw the rock at the Arco-flagellant. It seemed to whirr to life as its whips began rotating and it rushed, screaming at the guardsmen, blood splattering across the arena as one of the guardsmen fell to it. The other guardsman rushed towards the smooth steel wall, trying to scale it.

"BY THE EMPEROR, YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!!!" he screamed at them, but they continued to look at him, Mary with her same dull expression, Yoheved, laughing like a schoolgirl that had just heard a dirty joke. He finally managed to find some footing, but it was too late as the Arco-flagellant reached him. Gore and flesh thrown everywhere. The guardsmans head flew straight upwards and was caught by Mary.

"I guess the Emperor didn't care to save worthless filth such as yourself." she cooed into it's horror-frozen eyes, she then kissed it gently on the forehead before dropping it back in for the Flagellant. "May the Emperor treat your souls better than we treated your bodies." she said, then looked over to Yoheved who wiped a tear of enjoyment away from her eyes.

"Aha..." she finished her laughing "We need to do this more often, sister. Those Flagellants may have once been heretics, but they are such a good source of the Emperors justice. Come on, Lord Xeneus awaits our arrival." she said before walking out of the "Justice Arena" and back into the base, they passed a patrolling guardsman. "As soon as the Arco-flagellant is done with the deserters, have someone clean up the mess. It is rather awful this time." she pouted. The Guardsman stood to attention, saluting them, too scared to say anything, the sadistic streak in those 2 was infamous across the spire. Enjoying torturing anyone they deemed heretics and giggling like schoolgirls whilst they did so. He was a little glad that the soldiers that they had executed had been done so using the Arco-flagellant, it was one of the more humane deaths they had ever given, if the rumours were to be believed. They continued to walk down the corridor, their massive Eviscerators hung across their backs for all to see. Finally, they reached the command center where the Inquisitor presided, they walked towards him and knelt at his feet, their heads down.

"We apologize for our tardiness, great Lord Inquisitor." said Mary "We were overseeing the execution of some worthless deserters and lost track of time."

"We do as well, thank you greatly for the gift of the cleansed heretic, he makes an excellent tool of the Emperors divine wrath." They then each kissed the Inquisition ring on his hand before getting up and taking their places with the rest of the retinue. "You should have joined us Confessor." Yoheved said to Christus "Their dying screams would have most certainly made interesting listening for one such as yourself." she smiled a childist smile.

[Eisenhorn]

Xersus turned as the first of the visible members of his retinue arrived, he was aware of the Assassins arrival and presence since he had, after all, requested for them to come along in this situation. Each of them were talented in their own fields, the Callidus was excellent in her ability to infiltrate and eliminate, while her compatriot from the Vindicare temple was equally lethal at range, and was surprisingly more amiable than her sister, but that was neither here nor there. They were both more than capable members that did their jobs well, though it was rather curious why they had never been recalled by their respective temples, and he suspected that the Assassins in general were more than content where they were, but he had his theories behind why these two were, apparently, 'forgotten', so he always kept that in mind and didn't overstep his boundaries with those two, they were a useful resource, but he couldn't just go power mad with them, that would not end well. He did not say a word to betray their presence, instead offering a small gesture that would not be readily noted if someone had walked in unnoticed, but let them know he indeed acknowledged their presence and welcome here.

The first to arrive was the other Psyker in this group, and a man Xersus generally was inclined to like, all around., and he was already facing the man when he entered, noting his presence before his arrival. A fellow psyker and one capable of that curious art of precognition, the Inquisitor respected the man's abilities and prior service in the Imperial Guard, and while he did often employ him for those abilities to see what the future held in store, as much as he could at any rate, he was also a fearsome presence on the battlefield, gifted in pyrokinetics and capable of torching quite a bit of enemy forces. As Sten made his greetings and bowed, he returned the gesture and greeting. "Welcome to the front, Sten. We will begin once the others have arrived, including our blank interrogator, so you may wish to brace yourself in that regard." He gave the primaris psyker fair warning in that, since it would have quite the adverse affect on the psykers in the group.

The next was a voidborn mercenary he had made sure was employed into his retinue recently. The man was a quiet sort, from what the records and recon had stated, and he could tell the man was nervous, despite the armor that he wore. He took up a guard position by the door without being ordered or asked to, and the Inquisitor offered a mild incline of the head in greeting towards the voidborn Atellus. "Welcome, Atellus Zuriel. I had hoped to meet you before a ride through a contested world, but such things are not always able. I do not stand on great formality, so do not trouble yourself greatly in that regard." That was all he had to say to Atellus at the moment, since he hadn't dealt with the man before, he had other people to greet and deal with, as they trickled in. Battlefield conditions made such gatherings like this annoying.

A man clad in the robes of a Ecclisarch came in, carrying his own gear, and Xersus placed the name to the face before he introduced himself. Confessor Christus, a man chosen not for his combat skills, but the skills of convincing the enemies of Man to confess their sins to him, which would no doubt provide valuable information to the Inquisition in general. Such a man would serve him well once they got their hands on the heretic they sought this day, but he would have preferred that a chaos invasion had not been going on at the same time, but he suspected the Confessor could defend himself, and he left it at that. Returning the bow to the Confessor, he spoke to that man as well. "Welcome, Confessor. You need not refer to me as Lord Inquisitor, I have not attained such a status yet. Inquisitor when in the fray, and Xersus otherwise, is sufficient. The same goes for the rest of you."

Xersus knew who was coming next, that blank shadow approaching their room indicated that more than enough. Interrogator Cassius, a feisty and generally disrespectful woman, but one of talent, if it bent on the dark side of what the Inquisition could tolerate before calling for their execution. Her status as a blank gave her more leeway than others might have, but it was a dangerous line to walk. He had postioned himself just so that the blank field, while painful, would not be too much so. He didn't betray so much as an instance of this though, and gave her a feint smile in return towards her sarcastic commentary. "A pleasure to have you arrive, as always Interrogator. I've had something forged for you, here." The feint smile did not leave his face as he tossed her a collar device, apparently elegant and made to fit her neck perfectly. Even if she 'accidentally' dropped it or brought violence to it, it would cause no damage. "That device restricts the blank field you emit, so when amongst the retinue in situations like this, or not in combat with psykers, your notable presence shall not interfere with the powers of those psykers among us." Her pet warranted no response, and he gave her no indication of his innate reaction to a blank field, just because he knew she enjoyed seeing such things.

The collar would prove a relief to the psykers in the room, as well as that uncomfortable nature she caused in normal people as well, and allowed the Inquisitor to focus on the next person who entered. An Explorator of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and a bit of a renegade in their eyes as well, he would fit in well enough in the retinue. His technical aptitude and varied skill set from his bodily replacements would prove helpful, as would his experience exploring the galaxy in search of new technologies would help. He had his own goals, which the Inquisitor recognized, and suspected they would not necessarily harm the Inquisition, so he remained amiable towards the man, returning both gestures of the Cog and Aquilla, working with enough members of the Adeptus Mechanicus to be able to do so. "Welcome, Magos Errant. Your talents will be most welcome here, as too will your experience, I have no doubt in that."

The next to arrive was one Edwin Venator, a talented medic and, according to the recommendations that he was given, an even more talented torturer. The man was pleasant enough, but he knew the records and first hand accounts of the man, according to those very same recommendations, that indicated he had a split personality, in short, that took over when doing that grim work of torturing the secrets out of men. He would be useful if the Confessor's own arts failed. But his primary work would probably be as a medic for now, considering they were in a warzone after all, and injury was likely to occur to some of the more lightly armored individuals, if they did not act carefully. But he greeted the man as he made his own in turn. "Your presence is welcome indeed, Venator. Your medical expertise shall be put to good use, in more ways than one, I suspect."

Last to arrive was the twin sisters, dressed as the Repentia did and bearing Eviscerators, whom went about their own methods of greeting him, which he respected as he did the others. They acted pleasant enough, even childish in some ways, but were absolute nightmares to the enemies of the Imperium, should they ever drift close enough to the screaming teeth on this blades. More than one foe had met their end on those weapons, and they often took to overseeing executions of heretics and their ilk, such as deserters here, to pass the time. They had their uses, and he applied them to the most benefit possible. "Welcome, Mary, Yoheved. Your tardiness is not at all a problem, we haven't begun yet, I planned for extra time since I expected delays from the artillery and such. We will actually begin the briefing a bit ahead of schedule." With that, he activated the holo console and the image of a raggad man, clad in ruined and defiled robes of a Navigator were worn, and the pict showed him firing a laspistol on Arbites forces, third eye clearly visible in the image.

"Ladies, gentleman, this is Navigator Astradas, of the House Mercator of the Navis Nobilite. he served aboard several smaller cargo freighters with distinction, and never showed a iota of taint until he vanished several systems away from here, stranding the cargo ship and leaving it unable to flee Dark Eldar raiders. We found no survivors or bodies. But the Ordos Xenos will handle that aspect of matters, and inform me of any developments from the remains of any survivors, if they are fortunate enough to catch them before they flee reach. We want this man alive, and have traced him here." A series of vids and images were listed, showing the evidence of his violence against the loyal Imperial servants who attempted to apprehend him, from men who had seemed to have their lifeforce itself torn to shreds, for they were dead without a single physical injury, to those who seemed to have been reduced to piles of bones and charred meat, indicating the sheer danger this man had posed so far.

"He is, clearly, a great threat to anyone who crosses his path, but this is not why we seek him. He is known to have a information regarding an artifact of terrible power that could unhinge the restrictions Daemons have upon entering the material plane, returning ancient princes and other legendarily foul creatures from the warp, under its wielders control. This cannot be allowed in the hands of the Chaos forces here, who I suspect are chasing the very same man as we. While it is easy to think of his as a psyker, he is more a window into the Immaterium, and should be treated with more caution than a renagade psyker. I suspect your Blank field, Interrogator, will still work wonders, even more so, it might be lethal to him, so only employ it if he will otherwise escape out of our reach, should you be the one to corner him." The vid and picts changed to recent ones, obviously taken in orbit of this planet, laying out a blasted landscape and hive that was being fought over, and it was clear this was current and up to date.

"He has been tracked down to this Hive, where reports of renegade pyskers have been made. The remains match those left in the past by this renegade Navigator, and rumors of a three eyed monster in the guise of a man by Imperial Guardsmen are also noted to have originated from this front, so we are going here. This is a warzone, and we will be traveling in a series of underground tunnels, dug large enough for transports to run through safely, much safer than surface travel. From the forward command post you see about a mile outside the hive outskirts, we will continue on the surface, and from there, we work through the Hive, looking for this renegade. Questions?" He folded his arms behind his back, looking from each person to the next in the Retinue, looking for any questions they might have before undergoing the trip to this Emperor forsaken hive.

[Fallen Muse]

Both assassins acknowledged the Inquisitor's gesture, that alerted them that he was indeed aware of their presence, and as the first Psyker walked into the room, the Callidus skulked over to the space above the Inquisitor, and without a word, she dropped down, making not a sound as her lithe form landed, rising into a guarded stance, not openly hostile, but guarded, as if she was ready to handle any trouble that might arrive with utterly lethal force. One hand rested on the grip of her Neural Shredder, ready to draw should anyone present cause trouble, or attempt harm upon the Inquisitor's form. This was probably of some surprise towards those who were not part of the Inquisitor's retinue, but the assassin said not a word, simply watching everyone in the room for any indications of trouble or hostility that might arise, that were worth acting against. Beyond that, at this moment, the Callidus said nothing and did not make any moves towards leaving her position right by the Inquisitor.

In the shadows above her though, having not moved from her post was the Vindicare, who observed that the Callidus had indeed dropped down like she signalled the Vindicare, who turned her scope onto the doorway. If someone entered who was not supposed to be there, and threatened undue violence against the current group, they would likely find themselves far more amiable with a round clean through the head, the Exitus rifle dispatching another threat to the Inquisitor and Imperium. She wasn't moving, and with the motions of her fellow assassin, attention was probably focused on her. Since it was rare for more than perhaps one assassin to be seen working with an Inquisitor for any length of time, it was a deception and more effective way to hide the Vindicare from sight for now, until it was time for her to reveal herself, for whatever reason that may prove necessary with.

As the Interrogator walked in, the pattern that the Vindicare had changed. She trained her scope dead over the blank woman's heart, without a second's hesitation, she could fire and make that woman nothing more than a ghost, even less so, if one believed being blank meant having no soul, which meant she would be delivered into complete and utter oblivion, should she make a move against the Inquisitor. But this was from shadow, and only at most, an inch of movement, so it would doubtfully be clear that such precautions had been taken, and she was being deliberately targeted. The Callidus seemed to relax now, instead of become more tense, but in fact, without a glance or warning, engage any single person in the room without warning and make a rather serious attempt on their life, but for now, she seemed not to move, perfectly relaxed and content where she was.

[Crazy Guy]

"Your presence is welcome indeed, Venator. Your medical expertise shall be put to good use, in more ways than one, I suspect."

Edwin twitched inwardly when he heard the Inquisitor imply more purpose in this retinue than as a simple medic. The medic bowed to his master when duty demanded that he inflict pain, but it always tore him up inside when he felt a bit of joy at the implication alongside his shame. He continued on to his spot at the wall where he greeted the Interrogator before returning most of his attention to the situation in the room.

He noted some of the people that he didn't feel like talking to, such as the Confessor or the various other assassins and fanatics, and the people that he did wish to speak with, such as the psyker, the Tech-priest, the armored man, and of course Cassius. When Xersus completed his briefing of their mission, Edwin took a moment to speak.

"Should we be expecting resistance from anyone other than the Navigator and these renegade? Any gangs down there we should know about?" The medic had heard of how dozens of levels in a single Hive could be dedicated to total war between gangs, and he needed to be mentally prepared in case he needed to inflict more pain than he was expecting. Scarily enough, part of Edwin continued hoping to inflict unnecessary pain in the course of their mission.

Just give in, Edwin. A voice was heard, a dark mirror of his own. Give in...

The Venator blinked rapidly and shook his head slightly to silence the intruder.

[Pyro V]

The Interrogator kept her mouth shut as the last few entered the room, her smart mouth going no farther than to the Inquisitor before her. Despite the rest being equals to her, if only in name if not rank, she showed a certain respect to them. Mostly, it was through not harassing them as much as she did her boss. And she only harassed him because he put up with her shit. She'd made cracks before about the harem of assassins he kept around him, which probably would have ended up with her head on a stick if she'd said it to any other Inquisitor. Either way, she respected him enough to not do more than irritate him. At least, not on purpose.

However, the gift of a collar only made it too painful to choke back any comments. Once he finished explaining its purpose, she gave him a skeptical look, and said, "Damn, boss, you got some weird kinks giving this to a girl a fourth of your age." Her hands trembled for a moment while holding it, the woman extremely reluctant to limit her abilities in any way, even if it was to the benefit of her peers. With a heavy sigh, she strapped the collar around her neck, then sidled back against the wall, looking more than a little subdued.

As Xersus droned on, the raven on her shoulder, whom Anna had dubbed Archimedes, surveyed the others in the room. Beak in her ear, it muttered little things it noticed, as it was meant to. Such as the angle of the Vindicare's gun, and that, even with the Rosarius and her power armor, it would likely still kill her. At the very least, mortally wound her. Other little things, like the way others stood, when their eyes wandered, whether they seemed tense or relaxed. Nothing could be made of Xersus, though. Anna hated that about him, if nothing else. Never showed any sign of anything, unless he wanted you to.

Her hand raised up to scratch at the Aquila stamped across her cheek, and allowed her eyes to go to the pair of Sisters in the room. If she didn't know any better, she'd think they were worshipers of Khorne, as much as they liked torture and violence. Or perhaps Slaanesh, now that she thought about it. A smirk came over her face, imagining the two under the colors of Chaos. And the called her a radical.

Now that she was done thinking about everything of minor importance, and the medic who had positioned himself next to her - much to her discomfort - she straightened up and folded one hand behind her back, the other cradling her helmet to her hip. "Hive gangs shouldn't give us much trouble, unless they've fallen to Chaos. I used to be in one, full of spineless cowards who only know how to shoot a bunch of poor people for money. But, different Hive, these guys might actually have some balls." Another smile, then she asked her own questions. "Regarding the search for the renegade, I have to ask, how do you plan to subdue him, if I must hold myself back? More importantly, how will we find him, if we all stay together? Or would you have us divide and look? The words of a few scared guardsmen are hardly much to go off of." Made her wish some Penal Legionnaires were here. Hardly anything scared those guys. Super psyker, just another thing to shoot before they got roasted by a laser. Ah, good times, the Legion.

[Honored Brother]

"I would have loved to see the Emperor's justice dispensed on those unworthy, but the proud men of this planet's defense force needed their faith reinforced before they face our blessed Father's accursed foes." Father Christus replied to Yoheved. "I' am quite sure the retribution enacted about by you honored sisters has pleased the Emperor well enough." Father Christus' voice was dry and low toned with a hint of tiredness. It was understandable as to why the priest would have tired. His trip took him from one corner of the galaxy to another and into a war zone. He also prayed for the soldiers he briefly accompanied inside the Chimera transport. His low tone was because of the fact that he stood only a few inches from an inquisitor and other noble members of his retinue. Respect for his fellow servants of the Emperor. The dryness in his voice was because the prayers he had led for the soldiers, or so was his excuse if anyone asked. In truth, the Sisters Repentia that had arrived unnerved the priest. The confessor has met other sisters of the faith on his travels as a confessor and as a companion for other inquisitors. He was even once in the company of the order of the Valorous Heart. The Repentias he accompanied often looked for the smallest imperfection on the priest, the slightest sign of weakness. This was to be expected of them and they often looked for weaknesses among each other. However those Repentias were different from the ones in the priest's presence right now as they were almost as stoic as he was off the battle and battle frenzied and fanatically suicidal in battle. These ones seemed to relish not the atonement for their sins but the act of inflicting agony among others. This was not to say that Father Christus was displeased with the torture of the enemies of man. By all means, they had every right to suffer for standing against the will of their guardian and savior. It was just that this Repentias did not act as Repentias at all. This bothered Father Christus but not enough to speak ill of them. However Father Christus would have to keep an eye opened for this sisters and perceive their true character.

Another person Father Christus felt bothered about is the Interrogator woman that arrived a few minutes after he did. He found her actions brash and to put it bluntly, uncultured. The moment she spoke to the inquisitor with the tone she had given, Father Christus batted her a look that could have been fitting of a father looking over his children to correct them. Again Father Christus couldn't bring himself to speak ill of the woman, specially so after finding out that she could have possessed the Pariah gene. A most valuable asset indeed when fighting rouge psykers. Although he may have had to teach the poor girl on manners if he had the chance. He probably wouldn't though only as a sign of respect and courtesy. He may have to cope with the uneasiness he may feel around the blank Interrogator now that he was working with her but it would not be too much of a trouble to do so.

The inquisitor soon notified them of their mission. Father Christus was informed, along with the rest of the retinue, that they were after a renegade navigator and an artifact that would let the horrors of the warp into their plane of existence. A hologram of the three-eyed psyker along with several other imagery of displaying the damage caused in his wake. Psykers, it always has to start with psykers Father Christus thought to himself and unintentionally turned his gaze to the psyker along with them, Sten Revna, who met his gaze. Father Christus was quick to break eye contact and focused once more on the inquisitor in front of him. Father Christus hoped the psyker would make nothing of this as he tuned his attention to the task at hand. They were then informed that the said renegade navigator may be hiding in the local hive of this planet. Hives, out of control psykers and the taint of chaos were never a good sign. And they were to be traveling to underground networks that led to the hive which were assured safe for passage. Rarely are underground routes safe from the experience of the priest. But the priest feared not to venture with the inquisitor and his retinue for he knew his companions were skilled enough to protect themselves and each other and the Emperor himself must have looked on with pride, offering his protection. And if the priest was to fall, he would fall acting the Emperor's will.

Father Christus' attention was then turned to field medicinal expert of the group, Edwin Venator, who asked about the possibility of gangs opposing their mission and the answer Interrogator Cassius. The priest placed his hand on the medic's shoulder and made an Aquila sign on his forehead. "The Emperor protects." Father Christus said to reassure the man and give him confidence and strength. He then gave the man a reassuring smile, a sign of faith to the Emperor, before walking past to carry his equipment and prepare for the long voyage ahead.

[Grothnor]

Sten sighed louder than he intended when the Interrogator put on her limiter. Sten disliked her presence. When she was around, the chorus of quiet voices in his head grew silent. As much as he disliked 'hearing' the warp in such a way, he had grown to rely upon their whispers of things to come. Remaining silent, he beheld the other members of the Inquisitor's Warband.

Sten could sense the assassins' desires to kill long before he saw them. They seemed like tightly wound springs, waiting patiently and alertly until they could be unleashed. The sisters seemed to possess some spark of talent with the warp, though he knew not where their talents lied, and so did not probe too closely. The magos seemed like most techpriests, lost in his own world most of the time, but Sten did sense something that set himself apart from the others, though he did investigate further, out of courtesy to his teammates. The ecclesiarch was looking at him, and Sten met his gaze, only to have it broken promptly. Sten sensed a faint amount of disgust directed towards Psykers from him. Sten found this hurt more than it should. He wasn't proud of his psyker gifts, nor with what he'd done, but he was doing the best he could with the hand he'd been dealt. All he had left was to do the most good he could before he died, since 'only in death does duty end.'

[Dragonruby]

Atellus watched, from the corner of his eye as he kept his head straight forward, as people he assumed to be other members of the retinue enter. First came a priest of of the ecclesiarchy, introducing himself as a Confessor named Ignacius Christus. An older man than Atellus, looking somewhat grizzled and dressed in the robes that one would expect a man of the faith to be wearing. He was in the middle of idly guessing Ignacius' true age when a subtle sense of 'wrongness' washed over him, forcing Atellus to stand straighter as he tried to figure out its source. Whatever it was, it was different than the same feeling that Atellus picked off psykers.

As a voidborn, Atellus spent his entire childhood, hell, nearly all of his life, aboard a spacefaring vessel, and a decent amount of that time aboard was spent in warp transit. Perhaps it was because of this that Atellus had always found himself a little more sensitive to the more subtle aspects of the warp, compared to most planetbound imperial citizens, and while he was by no means a psyker, he had always found that he could pick up on certain 'feelings' and 'auras' such that seemed to follow most psykers around. And as such, Atellus felt it rather distinctly when the feeling of wrongness from earlier seemed to smother the room, quashing the psychic presence that was present in the room earlier, and seemingly foretelling the arrival of another member of the Inquisition, an Interrogator, Atellus would learn a few moments later. The sudden shock of this feeling actually forced Atellus' head to snap towards the woman, staring at her as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.

Next would come a tech-priest, introducing himself as a Magos of all things, followed by a member of the Imperial Guard, although the medical jacket the man wore over his armor either hinted at some form of eccentricity or a medical background of some kind. The last two to enter were more members of the ecclesiarchy, rather puritanical hardliners if their manner of speech was any measure of character, and their gear gave off a few rather heavy hints of it too. Atellus then started as an assassin dropped down from above, taking place besides the Inquisitor, obviously ready for hostile actions, with her hands on her weapons like that, and Atellus bristled slightly, getting more and more nervous at the situation he found himself in. He had stuck himself into a hell of a bad place to be, it seemed, stuck into a group with a Magos, an assassin, and two sadistic looking women who would probably be willing to tear him to shreds at the slightest sign of heresy, if the Interrogator and the Inquisitor weren't willing to already. The others, Atellus could handle well enough, seeming like normal enough people, but these people... These were people in high places, capable of killing him with ease and likely capable of doing it without even getting a slap on the wrist. He found himself questioning if he was needed here in the first place.

He did his best to turn his attention to the Inquisitor as introductions were done and the briefing was stared, Atellus visibly trying to relax as he lowered his rifle to point at the floor, though he was still rather stiff due to his nervousness. He learned that they were after a Navigator, a powerful psyker to be sure. Atellus had done some time guarding the hallways leading up to the Navigator's station, as well as their rooms, both of which were rather unpopular amongst the other armsmen, and so he knew a little bit about them. The most memorable thing about them he had learned was that they were capable of seeing the Astronomican, the literal Light of the Emperor, his presence within the warp. He wondered how someone capable of seeing such a thing was capable of turning to Chaos themselves...

He shook his head of such thoughts, turning back to look at the Inquisitor as he asked for questions. "If you'd pardon my intrusion, Inquisitor... What brings Astradas here of all places? Is he simply following the warband around? And if so, why? If he has knowledge of such an artifact, surely the man would be chasing it down."

[Mortarion]

Constantine bowed respectfully when the Inquisitor returned both symbols of the Cog and the "It is an honor to be here Inquisitor, I hope that my talents will serve you well" He said humbly, Constantine knew that being part of an Inquisitorial retinue required one to be skilled to be able to survive for the Inquisitors only picked those they deemed worthy to join them and as such he couldn't waste such an opportunity, leaning against the wall after he had finished speaking.

He looked around, his mechanical eyes scanning the room, noticing the tension on the Venator at the prospect of possible torture and the reassuring gestures of the Confessor, in whom he also noticed a certain nervousness around the Repentia Sisters that had arrived after him and the Venator. Their comments upon torture hadn't go unnoticed to him, a waste of a possible resource; didn't they know that the holy machine they liked to use to torture heretics had been once like the one they had executed, no it would be better for them yet to serve the emperor as the humblest of them as servitors for in that way they could at least expect to find a modicum of salvation. His eyes then wandered to the psyker in the room when he sighed loudly, and then to the woman who had put on the collar; apparently she was a bearer of the Pariah gene, a useful trait to posses if one was an Interrogator like she seemed to be according to the comments from the Venator, which would explain the reaction from the psyker whom seemed to discomfort the Confessor. Finally his eyes turned to look at the man in carapace armor whom seemed quite uncomfortable, a fact which seemed to become more notorious as he scanned the people on the room, he had seen something similar in newly inducted Guardsmen when they were in the presence of a Commissar or someone of a higher authority than them.

His eyes then returned to the map, listening to the various doubts and questions expressed at the Inquisitor. He analyzed the mettle of each question, the first one was the Interrogators; certainly, searching for the Navigator would pose a problem by virtue of this being a contested military zone, but by the same virtue one could already discard those areas where the fight was the most intense or where the Guardsmen had a firm grasp, as such the Navigator would most likely be hidden in the areas controlled by the forces of the Archenemy or those that were more lightly contested but there was also the possibility that he would hid in the lower sections of the Hive which also was a probable fact. He then analyzed the question posed by the man in carapace armor, Atellus was his name apparently, but couldn't find a reason to pursue it, it was a question that wouldn't be answered until they had found the Navigator and could question him themselves.

"Inquisitor, if I am allowed to suggest something, wouldn't it be useful to request access into the Guardsman's vox line?" He said "In that way, we could be potentially alerted if any of their numbers find our target, allowing us a faster time of reaction" Said Constantine after pondering for a while "If it was also possible for me to know, where was the Navigator last sighted? In that way I could potentially form an hypothetical route he might have taken based on where he had been previously" He finished speaking, lowering his head as he connected to the data streams that passed through the building in which they were and began looking for more relevant data that could help their mission.

[Eisenhorn]

Xersus addressed the questions and concerns of each member of his retinue as they asked, starting with the medicae Edwin, who's questions were fair enough and worth note, and with several button presses, brought up a side report, one with the seal of the Adeptus Arbites, chronicalling the history of crime and gang warfare in the hive they were going to be assaulting before too long. "The gangs present prior to the Chaos incursion have most likely already sworn themselves to some Champion or another within this warband, perhaps even the renegade Navigator himself. No note of any weapons of unusual qualities, the strongest weapons they had, last report, were stolen Heavy Stubbers from the PDF stationed there, and this was several months prior to this invasion. So we would be well prepared to be wary of such things, since the PDF stationed there were made short work of." With that, he finally turned his attention towards the commentary and questions coming from the Interrogator, offering her own unique outlook on things. First, to address, was the collar, and he gave her a bit of additional explanation on the device.

"You know me too well Interrogator, but the field is merely condensed around you. In a way, its even more focused being that close around you. Psyker abilities and sorcery will still fail to reach you, more so now than before, all it does is prevent your hindering of a wide area. You can disable it on a whim, there is a toggle next to the clamp that secures the collar, for fast deactivation on the field. As for subduing him, his eye is the source of his power. I have a means of blinding him, and should they fail, I'll let you enjoy blinding him the hard way. And the guardsmen are not the only force scouting for me. A detachment of Stormtroopers have tracked him to this hive, and will be giving a field update when we arrive at the Hive proper, and he has been tracked here through contacts within the Ordo Hereticus being helpful, for once. Between them and the Stormtroopers, we will know where he is, and consider this, a presence like his in the Warp is hard to hide from one psyker, let alone two. Once we are close, yes, we will split into kill teams and hunt him down." Having addressed Anna, he observed the interactions between the various members, noting the Confessor's interactions with the others, before thinking on the question posed by Atellus, and answering in kind.

"You do not need to ask for forgiveness on an intrusion when I ask for questions, Atellus. Hives are excellent places to lose oneself, especially criminal ones, a tactic that has proven useful in the past. And, with foresight, it is possible the man knew that this place would come under Chaos attack, making it all the more promising for a traitor to flee to. He has no prior links to this raiding warband, that investigation has unveiled, and an artifact like this requires resources and knowledge above that of a solitary Navigator. He would need manpower, and backing, the kind that would have no problem using an artifact of this nature. I suspect he intends to parlay with their leader and trade information for a patronage of sorts. I intend for us to stop him before then, if possible." The Inquisitor smiled, and not in the friendliest manner, when the Magos suggested merely asking for access to the Guard vox network. One would quickly figure out that, in cases like this, an Inquisitor didn't need to just ask for something, he made a demand, and it was met. Or consequences were severe.

"Magos, we will not have to ask for access. I already have the Vox access codes for every useful organization and Guard regiment on this planet, and I have both the Inquisitorial Stormtroopers and additional Guardsmen on stand by, should the need arise. And we are going to go for the precise location he was last sighted, Hab Level 12-S of the hive, a poor section that has seen little fighting until recently, due to its lack of strategic worth. We will receive more recent information, Emperor willing, once we arrive at the Hive." He showed the Magos, on the holo display, the level he was speaking of, it was near an apparent dead end section of the Hive, with industrial levels in the direction generally opposite of the Guard forces encroaching on the Chaos forces, while the front lines were in several mercantile levels, with highlighted Temple areas as well. It would be a fair amount of close quarters, and at times hand to hand fighting, once they got to the Guard front lines within the Hive and penetrated the Chaos lines as well. It would be, to a military eye, obvious that there would be a good bit of fighting to get through hostile lines and deeper into the Hive to pin down the renegade Navigator. If no more questions were fielded then, Xersus shut down the holo display, nodding once to the assembled group. "You all know what we seek now, as far as opposition to us shall be concerned, chaos cultists and renegade gangers are the largest threats we have met. If any Traitor Astartes are present, there have been no reports made of them. The true chaos invaders are trained soldiers, so caution will be warranted."

Inquisitor Xersus motioned for the group to follow him as he strode out of the command center, several PDF troopers snapping to attention and directing the Inquisitor and his retinue in the direction of the tunnel transport network entryway. The network had been developed by a Krieg siegemaster when the planet fell under Xeno influence roughly several hundred years ago, to deny any advantage that air superiority gave towards harassing supply lines on this planet, and even after the space battle swung into Imperial favor, the tunnels were more viable than surface travel, mostly, so they were kept well maintained and well used, even after the fighting ended. And now they were used to conceal troop movements and the like, although tunnel fighting happened quite a bit between Hives, especially after failed attacks out of them. Hence the heavy Guard presence at the tunnel, which while part of them were deploying to the front lines, a fair number were guarding the tunnel entrance, both from unwelcome people trying to get into the tunnels, and potential raiders trying to assault their way out of them. The tunnel was large enough for several Chimera's to travel side by side, and admit Lemun Russ tanks with room to spare as well, and obviously had the look of Krieg handiwork, should any of the present Retinue recognize such things.

Transport was a dedicated Chimera, the same that the Inquisitor had used, and it was well armed and armored, more so than the Chimera's other Guardsmen had been travailing in. Equipped with additional armor plating, a searchlight, dozer blade, autocannon, and hull mounted flamer, the transport was more than ready to get them to the frontline in one piece, and provide fire support as far as it could follow them as well. Xersus boarded the Chimera first, and since it would only be them and no additional Guardsmen, it wouldn't be as packed as it might normally be, giving them some breathing room at least. Once everyone was aboard, the Chimera's engine roared and kicked into action, sending them hurtling into the dimly lit tunnels, searchlight showing the path ahead for the driver, while Xersus looked at each of the men and women in the vehicle in turn, before speaking one last time, checking the storm bolter on his wrist as he did. "We will be at the Hive in a matter of minutes, barring tunnel collapses." The rumble of artillery above them cut the Inquisitor off, and once it ceased, he continued. "We will have to breach Chaos lines and drive into the Hive, which the present Guard forces at the Hive failed to do. But they are not expecting us, and that will be their downfall. If you have any last minute questions, ask them, for the time for talk and discussion is almost at its end."

[Pyro V]

Anna merely shrugged at the Inquisitor's response, but could tell that some of the people in the room were more than a bit relieved as the oppressive sense of emptiness that was her aura was lifted and contained to just her. Even so, she'd still be invisible to daemons and invincible to psykers, which was what she was meant to be. However, now, rather than others, it was she that felt wrong. Like her sight was reduced. Yes, she could still see the psykers in the room, but she couldn't feel them anymore. And it bothered her. She wouldn't know where the Navigator was until he tried to incinerate her. And he might just kill everyone else with the splash, if it wasn't concentrated. Weird, how she seemed to care about the others.

When the Inquisitor motioned, the Interrogator took her position at his right, just behind him, and followed closely. Archimedes flapped his wings a few times, and flew on ahead. Anna placed her helmet back on, and rested her left hand on the pommel of her daemonsword. The psykers could probably feel the raw power of the greater daemon bound within, now that her aura didn't cover everything. Her brows furrowed beneath the helmet, which managed to just fit over the collar around her throat. Thankfully, or else it wouldn't have mattered how much Xersus ordered, she would have ripped the damn thing off. Only idiots went out into a free fire zone without a helmet.

Archimedes was already waiting at the Chimera for her, and as soon as the doors opened, he flew in. Anna sat in the seat directly next to Xersus, the raven in her lap, quietly muttering to itself. Her hand gently rubbed down its head and back while the Inquisitor spoke again. When he finished, she shook her head. She knew her job. Go out, find the Navigator, and get the thing. If he refused to give the thing, she brought him back so the Inquisitor could deal with him to get the thing. Archimedes let out an ominous caw, which caused Anna to shush it quickly. She wanted a bit of quiet before they were to go out.

[Grothnor]

The corner of Sten's mouth quirked at the sight of the Chimera. His old regiment, the Kaviskr Shock Troops, often used Chimeras in rapid strike operations. His troops prized the Chimera for its speed, armor and firepower. He ran a gloved hand over the armor before he entered, faintly smiling in memory. He took the seat furthest from the interrogator. Even with her limiter on, he disliked the Interrogator. He could overlook the fact that she was a blank; her abilities were useful against his kind and she could hide his and the Inquisitor's presence from other psykers. However, the sadistic glee she took in causing him discomfort made his stomach turn. Either that or her beauty....

Sten shook his head, trying to dispel the thoughts that had entered his head. He was mildly disturbed with the personal revelation that he found the Interrogator attractive, and chalked it up to the limiter and the absence of her blankness. There is no point in even considering this line of thought. We are polar opposites. Nothing can exist between psyker and blank.

He found that his gaze had unconsciously rested on her while he thought. She either hadn't noticed or pretended she hadn't, but her psyber-raven met Sten's gaze, almost accusingly. Sten glared at the bird for a moment before turning his attention towards his laspistol, field stripping it, examining the components and reassembling it. He tried to clear his mind before entering the battle, retrieving his half-finished lho-stick and finishing it off.