The buffeting of the Peregrine pinnace as it passed through the upper atmosphere momentarily broke Inquisitor Brake’s train of thought. His work on Norcross III was apparently complete and he was now on his way from that backwater of the Imperium of Man to the relative civilization of Caldur, the sub-sector capital, where his duties would be more to his liking. At the moment he was reflecting on events on Norcross III and in Pella in particular. The work there had hardly been worth his talents, a murder or two and the apparent theft of a valuable Imperial Ikon. These were things for the Adeptus Arbites or perhaps junior members of the Ordo Veritas. However, it was also clear that things could not be as they seemed. High Inquisitor Sigismondo, Supreme Inquisitor of the Ordo Veritas, had been involved personally and it had been at his direct, if enigmatic, orders that Inquisitor Roberto Brake, one of his most important subordinates, had been involved. Over the next few weeks or months as Inquisitor Brake made his way to Caldur he would think long and hard on what had happened. He would research and analyze. He was very good at that thanks to his electro-graft. Eventually he would work out what had been really going on. Eventually.

A small corner of his electro-graft enhanced mind was drawn to the figure of Proctor Master Paramedes, the new leader of his Nemesis squad, standing by his restraint rack.

‘My Lord, are you ready to disembark?’

This was delivered in an appropriately deferential tone, but Inquisitor Brake could also make out both concern and even a little impatience in the Proctor’s voice. What he really meant was

“My Lord, are you ready to disembark yet?”

Inquisitor Brake realized that he had been deep in thought for more than two hours and that the pinnace had now been docked for at least an hour.

‘Let them wait,’ he thought. Although Inquisitor Brake hated wasting time and time-wasters, he took a moment to savor what might well be the last time he could really call his own for some considerable period. When Inquisitors travel between systems they usually rely on special Imperial transports. A senior member of the Inquisition like Inquisitor Brake had his own highly modified Viper, the naval equivalent of which, the Cobra, was one of the fastest ships in the entire Imperial navy. In this case, however, claiming danger from remnant Chaos forces, High Inquisitor Sigismondo had suggested, which is the same as commanded, only with a smile, that Inquisitor Brake take passage with the Imperial Navy.

**********

In orbit around Norcross III, having delivered Arch-Redemptor Kyrinov, was a battle group commanded by Sub-sector Commander Admiral Vladimir M’Dhu on his flagship, the Orlanth Rex. It would be returning to Caldur by the most direct route, so the passage would be only a week or so longer than if Inquisitor Brake were to use his own ship and it was undeniably safer. It would indeed seem to be the logical choice, to an outsider at least, one who did not know of the difficult relationship between the Imperial Navy and the Inquisition.

The Imperium of Man was an inherently conservative Empire. ‘Let Every Day be as Great as Yesterday’ was one of the slogans drummed into every Imperial citizen. As an organization, the Inquisition, and especially the Ordo Veritas, was even more conservative than the Imperium in general. The old was readily identifiable as good or bad. The new was unknown and therefore always trouble. Even so, the Inquisition recognized the need for change. Careful, studied, guided change, but change nonetheless. If the Imperial Navy had a slogan it would be ‘Let Every Millennium be as Great as the Last Millennium’. Their official position seemed to be that they would ignore change for a couple of hundred years in the hope that it would grow old and die, or at least get bored and go away. This, in itself, would not normally be a great source of friction if it were not for Tradition. The Imperial Navy clung to Tradition like martyrs clung to their Faith in the Emperor as their bodies slowly burned away.

Although it was almost blasphemous to even think it, the root cause for all the problems lay with the Emperor himself. Not the pure, perfect, omniscient Emperor of today, Ever-living in the Golden Throne. It was the actions of the Emperor as a Man that caused the problems. When the Emperor walked the stars as a Man, from time to time, he submitted himself to the authority of the Imperial Navy when traveling in their vessels. This had become Tradition. Once aboard the Orlanth Rex Inquisitor Brake’s theoretically unlimited power as a personal representative of the Ever-living Emperor would become subordinate to that of the Ship’ Captain and the Ship’s Commissar. Even Admiral M’Dhu, commander of the battle group, must recognize the Captain’s absolute power. Of course, if anything happened to Inquisitor Brake investigations would be made, reports would be filed, and punishments might even be meted out. Once aboard the Orlanth Rex he would be a passenger and guest, an honoured guest even, but he would not really be Inquisitor Brake in his full majesty. Inquisitor Brake had traveled by Imperial Transport before and he hadn’t much liked it. Still, it was Duty to Obey. With a brief Prayer of Submission and a nod to Proctor Paramedes, Inquisitor Brake steeled himself for the coming months as the Proctor uncoupled his restraints.

**********

Whatever Inquisitor Brake had expected, it was not this. In normal circumstances, the arrival of Inquisitor Brake and his party would have caused a stir. Inquisitor Brake was one of the minority of Inquisitors who usually traveled the Imperium openly, proclaiming to all their allegiance and power. While Inquisitor Brake himself was not so imposing at first glance, relatively slight and below average height, his entourage more than made up for it. His chief assistant, Scriptor Karpus was tall and broad and carried himself with an obvious aura of command if he didn’t work hard at it. Inquisitor Brake’s Nemesis squad of bodyguards was also impressive in their crimson power armour, wielding their power servo-axes and lead by Proctor Paramedes, bigger even than Scriptor Karpus, almost the size of a Space Marine. Smaller even than Inquisitor Brake, but much broader and in many ways more terrifying Interrogator Grauman, almost completely concealed in his informal black Robes of Truth and Mask of Inquiry and accompanied by his own retinue of Examiner/Servitors. Few could look upon them without experiencing dread at the thought of what they represented, Examination, Interrogation and Correction. The Ordo Veritas were renowned for the efficiency and thoroughness of their Interrogations and the implacable perfection of their Correction. However, they were seriously out-gunned here.

Instead of delivering Inquisitor Brake to one of the main entry ports, the pinnace had been docked in one of the large service bays. It was a measure of the huge size of the Orlanth Rex that it had many such bays and that the pinnace occupied only a small potion of this one. The rest of the bay was occupied by the reception for Inquisitor Brake, not a formal reception, but a military reception. There was a whole company of Storm Troops, elite fighters trained for boarding and repelling boarders complete with their heavy weapons, there were three squads of combat Servitors with their Tech-Adepts and a Tech-Priest, there was a whole Priestly Delegation, lead by an Under-Confessor, a force of Security Squads lead by no less than three junior Commissars and commanded by the Third or Fourth Commissar and finally a very small honour guard lead by an Ensign. Inquisitor Brake would have considered this whole force a complete waste of time and the Emperor’s valuable resources if they were there to greet him but, with the exception of the honour guard, they were all in their full battle dress and arrayed not for reception but for defense, weapons at the ready, force shields activated. As the Inquisitor’s party advanced toward the honour guard, the weapons tracked their progress. No noise could be heard over the chants and hymns of the priests and above that all, hymns to the greater glory of the Emperor were being broadcast from all Inspiration Projectors. As the Inquisitor looked around, he also noted the air was filled with the haze and smell of incense and that banners of Faith and Loyalty hung from the walls and the ceilings. Inquisitor Brake had visited cathedrals less well decorated.

Scriptor Karpus stepped forward slowly to present his papers to the Ensign, covered by weapons every step of the way. After a few moments of discussion, the Inquisitor’s electoo pricked and on his private channel Scriptor Karpus informed the Inquisitor that everyone must be searched and all equipment and personnel must be blessed before being allowed on board. The Inquisitor had traveled by Imperial Navy before and it had never been like this. Perhaps it had something to do with Arch-Redemptor Kyrinov. This trip did not look like it was getting off to a good start. Also, it was unthinkable that Inquisitor Brake would allow his person to be searched by anyone, much less a mere Ensign in the Imperial Navy yet it was clear that someone had arranged this reception with the likely intention of humbling the Inquisition. Muttering a brief prayer of Fortitude, Inquisitor Brake stepped forward and motioned Proctor Paramedes and Osfolio, one of his personal guards, forward.

Without giving the Ensign time to respond or think, he took the dispatch case from Osfolio and placed it on the floor in front of the Ensign.

“This case contains Inquisitorial records and is under the seal of High Inquisitor Sigismondo. Be careful when you search it. If the Void Bomb is activated, it will carry everything within a hundred meters into the Warp.”

This was largely a lie, but Inquisitor Brake always felt that a powerful offense was best when heavily out manned. The Orlanth Rex might be a huge vessel with a crew of tens of thousands, but everyone knew how powerful mere Void grenades could be, usually only as a result of legendary tales because they were very rare today. Who could know what damage a Void Bomb could do?

This was something that the Ensign had not been prepared for and he obviously did not have the authority to decide on his own responsibility. Time passed. Quite a lot of time. The Ensign and the others had been prepared for a lot of things but not this. One of the honour guard was sent off to confer with the Fourth Commissar, but soon returned. Inquisitor Brake waited some more, he had his orders and he was going to obey them.

**********

Somewhere at the back of the bay where was a stirring of the troops and a figure, accompanied by a small four-man bodyguard, emerged from the thickening cloud of incense. He was tall and slim, but of indeterminate age. His heavy cloak hid his uniform but no one blocked his progress. Closer, it was clear that he was old, but not ancient. The trouble with the Warp and anti-agathics was that it became very hard to tell anyone’s actual age. His skin was slightly wrinkled and the mass of scar tissue on the right side of his face and surrounding his ocular implant and command interface, indicated a very experienced officer in the late prime of his life; at that point where his body begins to deteriorate but where the mind remains sharp, where any loss of precision is made up for by years of experience and low cunning. A short gray beard, almost concealing a very determined mouth, covered the lower half of his face. It did not take the information from Scriptor Karpus for Inquisitor Brake to recognize Sub-sector Commander, Admiral Vladimir M’Dhu.

Inquisitor Brake had studied the files of all the senior personnel on the entire battle group. He had started with Admiral M’Dhu. The M’Dhus were a very old family with a history of service in the Imperial Navy that stretched back beyond even the records of the Administratum. It was generally believed that the M’Dhu’s service predated the Imperium itself. As a family, the M’Dhus were respected, even admired. No officer was unhappy to have one in or under his command. If there was one word that summed up the M’Dhu reputation, it was Reliable. M’Dhus could be relied on to carry out their orders, support their superiors and do their considerable utmost. While they were not always successful, they were never spectacularly unsuccessful. Send a M’Dhu off to deal with a problem with adequate forces, or even inadequate forces, and the problem was dealt with, or at least sufficiently damaged or delayed to have lost much of its strategic effectiveness. Vladimir M’Dhu, it appeared, was going to be a spectacular exception.

As far as Inquisitor Brake could see from his record, Admiral M’Dhu was a classic example of a man promoted far beyond his competence. He had shone as a Cadet and junior officer, admittedly under the protection of assorted relatives, but, as he was promoted further, the good reports continued. He was everything expected of a M’Dhu, perhaps even a little more. When in command of the Sword Rapidus, his recapture of the light cruiser Black Axe was celebrated across the whole sector. Of course, the ship was manned by pirates and renegades but, outgunned and outmanned nearly ten to one, he had prevailed. His cruise in the Lord Nelsun, supported only by a squadron of escorts, cleared Eldar pirates from three systems and earned him the name ‘Lightning from the Dark’ from his opponents. He had risen rapidly up the ranks of Captains, but once he had reached Captain Senioris, his career had begun to stagnate. Although he continued to mostly achieve his objectives, his successes were always tarnished in some way. The recent attack on Caldur was a good example. Two squadrons of ships, one under the command of Captain M’Dhu, had been sent to cleanse the Marxos system of Chaos. In this, it must be admitted; Captain M’Dhu had been successful, even following the corruption of Admiral Bandini. However, at least one enemy capital ship had escaped and Captain M’Dhu’s force had been seriously damaged. Another attack was defeated, but with about equal sized squadrons, Captain M’Dhu’s forces had taken ten times the casualties of Captain Haygood’s and again, some Chaos capital ships had escaped and Captain M’Dhu had to return and deal with them. He seemed to be reluctant to close-with and finish off the enemy, yet at the same time, caused his own forces to suffer severe casualties. The orthodoxy of his tactics had been the subject of an investigation by the Fleet Commissar himself. A censure had been given, but no further action had been taken.

Contrast this with Sector Admiral Zoltoy. Sector Admiral Zoltoy, one of the Imperial Navy’s greatest fighting admirals, had recently destroyed a major assault by the forces of Chaos on Caldur itself, lead by Abaddon the Cursed, himself. Although commanding only one wing of the fleet and yet delivering the decisive blow, Admiral Zoltoy’s casualties had been quite modest, less than a thousand men. Captain M’Dhu, as acting Sub-sector Commander, had lead the smaller wing and had been responsible only for covering the Admiral’s flank. Even so his casualties had been ten times greater. However, according to the dead hand of Tradition, as a senior officer in a great victory, Captain M’Dhu had been promoted to Fleet Admiral, but it was significant that he was still only Acting Sub-sector Commander. Admiral M’Dhu’s detachment on this mission to deliver the Arch-Redemptor to Norcross was also significant. It was clear that the mission was an excuse to keep Admiral M’Dhu out of the way and unable to cause further losses. To ensure this result, the Captain of the Orlanth Rex had been replaced with Captain Senioris Zoltoy, the Admiral’s son and former Flag Captain and Fleet Commissar Borax and Fleet Grand Confessor Morion had been sent along to assist

**********

Inquisitor Brake waited as Admiral M’Dhu approached.

‘May I be of assistance Inquisitor?’ he asked politely.

Now things made more sense. This whole reception was for show; a complete waste of men, time and resources. Admiral M’Dhu had arranged for the Inquisitor to be put into this difficult position and then, conveniently, came along in time to assist him out of it. He no doubt expected that the Inquisitor would be in his debt for this assistance. He would learn different. The Inquisitor made no response. Let the Admiral make his position clear. The Inquisitor was prepared to wait as long as it took but was not given the chance.

‘SIR!’ shouted the Ensign as he and the honour guard snapped to attention. He had his orders, but they seemed not to cover this situation. He was not going to be responsible for breaching an Inquisitorial Seal. Now a senior officer had arrived. Let it be his problem.

‘Standing Orders require that I search all arrivals, no exceptions. This case is under Inquisitorial Seal and is protected by a Void Bomb.’

The Ensign and the honour guard stood at rigid attention and waited. It was now all someone else’s problem. The sigh of relief was almost audible.

Everyone waited. The whole bay waited.

‘Standing Orders state that no baggage or persons will be allowed on board the Orlanth Rex unsearched do they not Ensign Brach?’ There was a slight reaction of surprise from the Ensign. Out of all the hundreds of Ensigns on board, Admiral M’Dhu knew both his face and name.

‘YES SIR!’

‘Inquisitor Brake, did Inquisition personnel search your baggage and the pinnace before leaving the Buford port?’ This was a redundant question, as the Admiral was well aware. The risk of assassination was everywhere. Inquisitor Brake gave a slight nod to Proctor Paramedes.

‘Sir, I am Proctor Paramedes, Master of the Inquisitor’s Nemesis squad. The pinnace and all the Inquisitor’s baggage were searched thoroughly. Some traitors are still loose on Norcross.’

There was some animation in the Admiral’s eye, as if laughing to a private joke.

Such a shallow and obvious ploy thought the Inquisitor.

‘Very well Ensign Brach, the job has already been done on Norcross. The Inquisitor and his party may pass.’

Ensign Brach visibly blanched and Inquisitor Brake thought for a moment that he might even faint. This was not the reaction he expected. Something else must be going on. Ensign Brach licked his lips nervously and mustered as much of his courage as possible. He took a brief and despairing glance over his shoulder in the direction of the Fourth Commissar.

‘Sir, Standing Orders…’

‘Do these orders command you to search Ensign?’

‘No Sir, but…’

‘Well then, Commissar Borax must be more careful in the orders he issues.’

‘Sir…’

‘Don’t worry Ensign, I’ll testify at your Court Martial.’ Admiral M’Dhu smiled. It was not a comforting smile. ‘This is on my authority. I’m giving you a direct order. Carry on.’

‘Yes Sir.’ Even so, Ensign Brach did not seem relieved.

‘Inquisitor Brake, make your arrangements. I will escort you to your quarters.’ At last, the play that the Inquisitor expected.

As soon as the Inquisitor’s party made to move the Fourth Commissar and his Security Squad marched forward, rather too fast for dignity, to block their progress.

‘Yes Commissar Xanthus?’

‘SIR.’

Did everyone in the Imperial Navy have to shout?

‘Standing Order 41.56455-78-a requires that….’ This impressive example of recall was halted in mid-stream by Admiral M’Dhu raising his hand.

‘Commissar Xanthus, do these orders require that Ensign Brach search this baggage?’

‘SIR, YES SIR. That is what Fleet Commissar Borax has ordered.’

‘Ensign Brach, bring up Standing Order 41.5645…’

‘…5-78-a Sir’

‘Very Good. Bring the Standing Order up on your command lectern Ensign.’ Admiral M’Dhu let the Ensign proceed before taking his place.

‘Commissar Xanthus, would you please show me where this order requires the Ensign to perform the search.’ The Commissar read the order, re-read the order and read the order again.

‘Fleet Admiral. My orders are clear. Ensign Brach is to do his duty or I am to execute him immediately.’

‘Well Commissar Xanthus, we agree on that at least. I have commanded him to follow these orders to the letter and if he fails to obey, we can both have him executed.’ Admiral M’Dhu smiled again. Inquisitor Brake had seen few men who could pack so much menace into a simple smile.

‘Fleet Admiral, Fleet Commissar Borax intends that no…’ Again Admiral M’Dhu halted his speech.

‘I make no attempt to divine what Commissar Borax intended. Orders are to be Obeyed. Obedience is Duty, Duty is Obedience. The baggage has been searched. The orders are satisfied. Carry on Commissar Xanthus.’

Commissar Xanthus was clearly torn between conflicting imperatives, but in the end the power of the written word was victorious and he motioned his Security Squad to one side. Inquisitor Brake did not know what was going on, but there was something very wrong here. Admiral M’Dhu ran a very strange fleet. Inquisitor Brake would need to be very careful and watchful.

**********

Both Inquisitor Brake and Admiral M’Dhu seemed oblivious to the enormous procession as the passed along the starboard upper battery. To the modest entourage of the Inquisitor and the Admiral’s escort had been added the bulk of the forces in from the landing bay and they had been joined by a considerable body of priests and censer bearers. To the Inquisitor and the Admiral, each for their own reasons, these escorts did not exist.

It was with great pride that Admiral M’Dhu pointed out the holy macro-cannon, which were the main armament of the ship, except for the squadrons or fighters and bombers. In spite of his wide experience across the Imperium of Mankind, Inquisitor Brake was impressed. The Orlanth Rex was an ancient battleship, built in a time when memories of the Emperor as a man were still fresh. It had fought in almost countless campaigns, battles and lesser actions. It has transported numerous high officials of the Imperial Navy, Administratum and Inquisition, as the many battle banners, campaign ikons and celebratory plaques denoted. The whole vessel was as much an Ikon as any sacred relic in any cathedral and the holiness was enhanced by the heavy miasma of incense and the pervasive pale blue haze of smoke. The Inquisitor noted the dedication with which the gun crews, practiced their Prayers of Devotion to the guns, each individually blessed and an Ikon to the Ever-living Emperor in their own right. The priests leading the devotions needed to use their scourges only occasionally, a clear sign of well trained crews.

A slightly more disturbing observation was the large number of corpses displayed both above the guns, hanging from the high ceiling braces, and pinned to the inner bulkhead wall. Some few were obviously very old, but the vast majority were very fresh and the omnipresent cloud of incense didn’t quite keep the stench at bay. The Imperial Navy had a reputation for draconian discipline. In space or while traveling through the Warp the slightest lapse of Faith or Duty might spell death for everyone on board. The display didn’t bother him, he had seen and done much more himself, but he was concerned by the waste of bodies and souls.

His experience did not prevent him from breaking his stride slightly as he passed the battery chapel. Above the door, on either side, were two corpses in the ragged remains of uniforms. One was that of an Imperial Navy Lieutenant, apparently junior, but an officer none-the-less. The other corpse was even more surprising, that of a Tech-Adept. Technically, the Tech-Adepts on board were not even under the direct discipline of the Imperial Navy, and only a very strong minded and/or misguided Captain would order one to be executed. It took a very special man indeed to order the corpse displayed like a common criminal.

“Ah yes! Lieutenant Barzini and Tech-Adept Arton”, mused Admiral M’Dhu. Inquisitor Brake turned to bring his whole attention to bear. “Adept Arton insisted on renewing the Incantation of Insulation during a gunnery drill. Second Commissar Kardon did not agree and executed him for failing to obey a direct order.” The Inquisitors penetrating gaze demanded more. “Lieutenant Barzini attempted to intervene and was court martialed for insubordination.” After a brief pause the continued, “the gun continued to fire as required and only three or four men were killed by the flash-back, so it seems that Adept Arton was mistaken.”

The Inquisitor muttered a brief prayer for the souls of the two men. Let other complain about this. Whatever reservations the Inquisitor had had about traveling under the protection of the Imperial Navy were now increased ten-fold. Things were seriously wrong here.

To the outsider, the Imperial Navy might appear as a huge, featureless organization, but that was definitely not true. The great bulk of the Navy did indeed consist of members of the Space Force, from the lowliest impressed sweeper up through the Captain of the ship to the Lord Commander of the Segmentum Solar, one of the twelve High Lords of Terra. However, the bulk of this force represented merely the flesh and sinews of the Navy, and their importance was in no way related to their great numbers. The influence of the Commissariat is at least as important. The Commissariat, through its force of Commissars, is responsible for the mind of the Navy, the purity of thought, the dedication to the Imperial Creed and the maintenance of discipline. For every officer in the Navy, there was an equivalent Commissar to ensure their loyalty. Even a small vessel had the weaponry to devastate whole cities; such power cannot be placed in the hands of one man. If the Commissariat is responsible for the mind of the Navy, then the Ecclesiarchy is responsible for the soul. Every vessel, from the smallest escort, up to the largest battleship had its contingent of Priests and Confessors. Large fleets often had Cardinals Astral as well. There was much opportunity for the men to fall into the ways of Sin. It was the task of the Ecclesiarchy to prevent this. The Ecclesiarchy also acted as a balancing influence. Someone must watch the Commissariat and they reported ultimately to the Ecclesiarch of the Adeptus Ministorum, another high Lord of Terra. There was also the Guild of Navigators. They were the eyes. Although few in number, no vessel when anywhere in the Warp without them, and without them the Imperial Navy was helpless, and they reported to the Paternoval Envoy of the Guild of Navigators, yet another High Lord of Terra.

Finally there were the Tech-Adepts, Priests of the Machine God, the Adeptus Mechanicus. As much as the Imperial Navy depended on it men, it depended as much or more on its machines. No machine functioned long or well without the services, prayers and anointing of a Tech-Adept. The Adepts, and their Servitor slaves comprise about ten percent of the crew of every naval vessel and squads of modified Servitors, lead by their fanatical Overseers would fight to the death in the defense of the vessel to preserve its Holy Technology. To cross a Tech-Adept was both foolish and dangerous, as the crime plaques hung around the necks of many of their Servitors attested. Of all the crew members, the Tech-Adepts were the most independent. Their lines of command and information stretched back not to the Administratum on Terra, but the High Altar of Knowledge on Mars. Only then, through the offices of the Fabricator-General of Mars himself and also one of the most powerful two or three of the high Lords of Terra, were matters brought to the attention of the rest of the Imperium of Mankind. More importantly, no officer in the Navy had the authority to punish a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Yet this had been done. There would be serious consequences.

“A shame about Commissar Kardon” mused the Admiral. He could tell he had the Inquisitor’s attention. “He was killed by a plasma conduit rupture. The Machine God had his revenge.” The Inquisitor could not tell if he was joking or not, but from his own experiences assisting High Inquisitor Sigismondo, the Inquisitor knew how dangerous it was to mock the Machine God.

**********

The quarters assigned to the Inquisitor were seriously sub-standard and a calculated insult. The Inquisitor could not insist on better, chose not to demand better, and absolutely refused to ask for better. If it were the Admiral’s intention to get him to beg, he would have a long wait. The cabins, if such they could be called, were dirty, cramped, noisy and very hot. While the Inquisitor was offended officially for this slight on the Inquisition as an institution, he was not all that unhappy privately. He was not a man who expected luxury. In fact, he was well aware that a taste for luxury was another of the many roads to damnation. An Inquisitor who found solace in comfort soon lost his will to Smite the Heretic. Heretics had a bad habit of hiding in squalor. The cabins were hardly more cramped than the accommodations on the Miracle of Saint Basil and they were isolated, defensible, secure and well protected. It would give his men plenty of things to do on the passage to Caldur and there would be much less chance of friction between his men and the crew. It was thus with some satisfaction that the Inquisitor lead his men in their evening devotions to the Ever-living Emperor.

The Inquisitor had expected some formal contact from Captain Zoltoy but no messages had been received. When the Inquisitor attempted to leave the quarters for the evening meal, he was told, very firmly, that without orders he was going nowhere. No one on this ship seemed to do anything without orders, specific, written orders; orders that could be produced at their court martial.

It seemed that Admiral M’Dhu was ensuring that all contact must go through him, doubtless more of his plan to put the Inquisitor in his debt. There was food available amongst the Inquisition stores and the means to prepare it. The Inquisitor would wait and see what was planned, but the waiting would not be idle. The quarters did have a command console, lectern in naval parlance, but the Navy had not done their research well. Karpus was easily able to overcome the security, bypass the seals and sigils and obtain full access to the ship’s machine spirit and network of cognators. In the morning, at least the Caldur morning of ship time, the Inquisitor would start analyzing the information provided by the Scriptor and decide how to proceed.

Deep in sleep, the Inquisitor was awakened by a loud knock at the door to his compartment and the sound of some considerable confusion outside. There was no emergency, there were signals for that, and the coded knock suggested delay rather than urgency. As he was dressing in his formal robes, he received a message on his electoo from Karpus. No less than Grand Confessor Morion himself had appeared, complete with his retinue of Confessors, Deakons and Priests. Their stated mission, supported by orders from the Captain, was to purify the Inquisition’s compartments from the taint of Chaos!!

The Inquisitor took his time, but his appearance was none too soon to prevent an act of Martyrdom. The entire Nemesis squad, some clad in their night shirts, the rest in their crimson power armour, was blocking the entrance to the Inquisition’s quarters. They were supported by Interrogator Grauman and his force of Examiners. Facing them, packed in the corridor, bathed in dense smoke of incense and singing their Hymns of Protection were the servants of Confessor Morion, armed only with their faith, banners and censers. An almost Irresistible force encountering an almost Immovable object. Standing at their forefront, with a dangerously fanatical stare, was a Confessor reading Prayers of Cleansing from a large scroll, the fervency of his prayers not diminished in any way by the appearance of the Inquisitor. In fact, he took advantage of a slight softening in the stance of the Nemesis squad to thrust forward against the servo-axe of Osfolio. Had the power field been activated, he would have died in an instant, as it was his robes were torn and his chest was slightly cut as Osfolio was forced back a pace. The supporting priests gathered themselves to press on, but in that same instant there was a crack and a pale blue flash as Proctor Paramedes and the remainder of the squad, save Osfolio, activated their power fields.

‘Halt!!’ shouted the Inquisitor, sub-vocalizers at full power, simultaneously displaying the Mark of Command. The noise did not diminish, but the advance ceased as, almost in unison, all the visible priests snapped to attention. Some at the back were still trying to push forward, but a voice from the rear stopped them. After a short delay Grand Confessor Morion himself pushed his way forward and, at a signal from the Inquisitor, the Nemesis squad fell back two paces.

‘Inquisitor Brake, order your men to stand aside. I am commanded by Captain Zoltoy to purify these compartments.’

‘May I see your orders Confessor?’ This was not the response expected.

‘I am Grand Confessor Morion. I need no written orders.’

‘I believe you are mistaken there Confessor. Standing Orders require you to present your orders to the officer in charge.’

‘There is no officer in charge, Inquisitor. Stand aside.’

‘There you are mistaken again then. I hold the rank of Commander in the Adeptus Frateris of Terra. My patent is signed by the Ecclesiarch himself. I have been given official charge of these quarters by the Captain himself. I have the written orders here. Now, present your orders.’ This was one of the advantages of the close relationship between the Ordo Veritas and the Ecclesiarchy. The Adeptus Frateris was nominally an independent Militia, but it had officers, ready to be activated in time of need.

There was a considerable silence as the Grand Confessor thought.

‘My Lord’, he said, adopting a more conciliatory tone. ‘I have orders from the Captain himself to perform a regular purification of all compartments on the ship. We are engaged in a death struggle with the forces of Chaos in this sub-sector. No one is exempt.’

‘I am familiar with the Prayers of Purification.’ Indeed, no Inquisitor, who might be up close and personal with the very stuff of Chaos at any time, could afford to be ignorant of the Prayers, as the Confessor should have been well aware. ‘This is a very large vessel, you have a great deal of work to do. I would be happy to assist you by purifying this section of the ship. If you would care to leave me with one or two of your assistants, I will complete the rituals.’

The Confessor was beaten, or at least repulsed, and nodded in assent. The Inquisitor displayed the Mark of Ease and the priests regained control over their own bodies. One or two turned out to be about twenty, but the remainder of the priests went off to perform other duties. The Inquisitor dismissed his guards, and after a few moments of preparation began the Prayers of Purification and the Rites of Cleansing all recalled perfectly in every detail from his electro-graft enhanced memory.

**********

In the morning the Inquisitor was awakened by the receipt of an order commanding, not inviting, him to appear before Captain Zoltoy immediately. A complete storm squad, lead by both the seventh lieutenant and a Commissar was sent to stress the point. With such an escort no bodyguard would be necessary, but he took Paramedes and two of the duty guard anyway. To gain the time to receive the Scriptor’s report, he performed his morning devotions with unusual thoroughness, finishing with a heart-felt prayer for Patience and Forbearance.

The report was shocking. Since leaving Caldur with the Arch-Redemptor, just less than one tenth of the whole crew of the Orlanth Rex had been executed for a wide variety of crimes, the most common being Taint of Chaos, Failure to Obey Orders and Failure to Perform Duty. Some details had been provided. Grand Confessor Morion, it appeared, was a Witch-Smeller, some divine ability allowed him to detect those touched even slightly by Chaos merely by being in their presence. This skill had greatly impressed the fervently devout Arch-Redemptor and, with the assistance of the Fleet Commissar, he had purged the vessel from stem to stern. However, this had not been enough and additional sweeps continued to uncover more tainted. How that taint was being spread was still unknown.

Captain Zoltoy’s style of command was considerably different to that of his predecessor. He was a rigid follower of The Book of Regulations for the Maintenance of Order and Discipline in the Imperial Navy. To this work, actually sixteen volumes, he had added some two thousand Standing Orders of his own. Anyone who followed the Book and the Orders was good. All others were bad. People were punished for being a minute late for a watch change, a minute early for a watch change, for failure to follow orders to the letter, even when the letter was foolish, and for failure to use initiative when necessary. It was interesting to note that all the punished were from the original crew and none from the transfers that the Captain had brought with him. They evidently knew his ways.

The executions did not bother the Inquisitor. Discipline and order were essential and Chaos must be fought at every point. However, he did feel that things were being done in a very inefficient manner. Thousands had been killed, but the source of contamination had not been determined, in spite of the powers of Confessor Morion. Many souls had been wasted to no obvious effect. Also, it was clear that the combat efficiency of the Orlanth Rex had been seriously compromised. Not only had one tenth of the crew gone, but the continual services, hymns, prayers and purifications were occupying so much time, that the crew were spending less than an hour a day at their weapon stations and in battle drills. Worship of the Ever-living Emperor was a duty for all but, as members of the Imperial Navy, the crew of the Orlanth Rex had responsibilities for the care of their holy weapons. No man could smite the Heretic and purify the Unclean to the best effect without constant training.

As the Inquisitor and his escort passed through the galleries and passages the scale of the executions was confirmed. There were bodies everywhere; a stench that no amount of incense could overcome. He also became aware that the route he was following was not the most direct. From the deck plans now residing in his electro-graft, the Inquisitor could determine many more direct routes. No, this route had been selected as a demonstration, whether of the power or the determination and loyalty of Admiral M’Dhu, he could not tell.

He was somewhat surprised when he was directed to the Captain’s private chapel, rather than the Navigation, Command or Battle bridge. He was also somewhat surprised by those present. There was Captain Zoltoy a couple of Staff Officers and his bodyguard, of course, but in the absence of Admiral M’Dhu, Commissar Borax was unexpected. Zoltoy’s own commissar, Zhukoff, was also absent, but Confessor Morion and a whole battery of Priests and Deakons was there. The bodyguard was in full battledress with boarding pikes at the ready. If this were a show of power, it was completely wasted on the Inquisitor who had taken his Inquisitorial Oath in the presence of the Golden Throne itself. As the blast doors to the chapel closed, the Inquisitor muttered a brief prayer of Patience and Forbearance. He was sure that he would need plenty of both.

The Captain and his retinue said nothing, but the Inquisitor was prepared to wait. He was thus surprised by a priority call from Karpus via his electoo. No details were supplied, but he was needed urgently. Not caring how it would be interpreted, he turned to leave, but the blast doors remained shut and did not respond to Inquisitorial Over-ride either. He was trapped, effectively a prisoner. However, he was not one to rage at things he could do nothing about and turned back to face the Captain.

‘You have a problem Inquisitor?’

This innocent seeming question brought the Inquisitor to a point of crisis. He had two choices. He could insist on leaving. It seemed unlikely that this would be permitted. If he insisted and was not permitted to leave, he would then have to back down or take action. Backing down would seriously weaken his own personal power and that of the Inquisition in general. Taking action would result in the death of many of those in the chapel and, as full of the Power of Righteousness as he would be, the Inquisitor was not sure that he would be able deal with everyone. The Ordo Veritas was not one of the truly militant Ordos. Its members were not renowned as great fighters. Even so, as an Inquisitor, Brake was a skillful fighter. Strengthened by the Catechism of Faith he could perform prodigious deeds. If he had all his weapons and Sigismondo’s Armour of Faith he was sure he could deal with everyone present. If.

His other choice was to ignore the circumstances. This too would weaken his personal power, but that might be restored in the future. He knew the choice that most Inquisitors would make at this blatant challenge and he wondered briefly if that was why High Inquisitor Sigismondo had sent him. There was always the chance that Sigismondo expected him to die and would use his death as the excuse for other action. In that case, the High Inquisitor would be disappointed.

‘No Captain. No problem.’

‘Excellent.’ He nodded to one of his staff officers, who approached the Inquisitor and handed him a document. ‘One of your men has been found guilty of Assault on a Superior. This is the sentence of the Court Martial. I realize that it may be difficult for you to discipline your own retainers, so I have had the sentence carried out.’

The Inquisitor read through the document. It appeared to be completely in order. The Inquisitor expected no less. The sentence was Death. This was a gross abuse of Imperial Law. The Imperial Navy had no formal jurisdiction over a member of the Inquisition but, as the Inquisitor himself had noted in the past, by the time any complaints were dealt with at a formal level everyone concerned might well be dead of old age. The Inquisition also had informal methods for dealing with such an assault against its authority. However, none of this would help at the moment. Someone had decided deliberately to humiliate the Inquisition and, perhaps, kill Inquisitor Brake. More information came from Karpus. Osfolio had been taken, stripped, scourged and executed. Grauman had been presented with overwhelming force and had chosen to submit to authority rather than have the complete force destroyed. Let the Navy think what they like. It might take a long time, but the Ordo Veritas would balance the books.

‘You have exceeded your authority Captain!’ He noted the slight smile. This response had been anticipated. ‘My slave required both Admonishment and Correction before I executed him!’ The smile, which had developed slowly like the tide coming in, retreated swiftly. ‘Now his soul cannot be saved! There will be an official complaint to the Ecclesiarch and my Ordo Master for your excessive zeal.’ The Inquisitor detected a slight reaction as he reminded the Confessor and others of the close relationship between the Ordo Veritas and the Ecclesiarchy. ‘The Navy’s methods of Admonition and Execution are crude and inefficient. Interrogator Grauman can keep a subject alive for weeks during the Examination process. His Guilt can be determined, his accomplices identified. If this is an example of your methods, no wonder your ship is over-run with corruption. On this matter too, I will be reporting to my superiors!’

This was not the speech expected and it was doubtful that any of the listeners could tell that the well-spring from which the fervour was drawn was not Righteous Passion, but blazing anger at the Navy’s high-handed actions. In this, the preemptive strike was successful. Carefully prepared defenses were swept away and whatever plans there had been were thrown into confusion. The assault continued.

‘I insist on making my staff available for Interrogations. I will set up an Interrogation chamber in my quarters. Next time you find someone tainted with Chaos, I demand that you hand them over. Perhaps then we will find out what is going on.’

The Captain was thrown into confusion. He turned to Commissar Borax for advice. There was a brief conference.

‘Thank you for your offer of assistance Inquisitor Brake, as soon as we have someone worthy of your expertise you will be summoned. Until then, I have assigned you and your men to the Port Upper Gallery boarding party. You will be under the command of Lieutenant Verdi, the fifth lieutenant. The boarding party is undermanned and your lack of space combat experience should be no real disadvantage up there.

We are about to hold a service of Praise and Purification. You may stay if you wish.’

It would have been very easy for the Inquisitor to have left but it would have sent the wrong message. His prayers were heart-felt as he Praised and Purified. He also begged for inspiration.

**********

Later, in the privacy of his own chapel, Inquisitor Brake prayed for Guidance. His heart-felt prayers to the Emperor helped him blot out the bloody image of Osfolio’s body pinned to the bulkhead opposite the entrance to his quarters. It was not for any great feeling of loss that the Inquisitor was concerned, but rather to suppress desires of Revenge. Desire for personal revenge was another of the many roads to destruction for an Inquisitor. Revenge fed Hatred and Anger and these emotions made the soul vulnerable to the corruption of Chaos. Whatever was going on here, it appeared that proper research had not been done. The traps set had been designed for a different sort of Inquisitor, not him and no one who really knew him well could have taken his speech in the chapel at face value. However, the speech had achieved positive results. The guard on the Inquisition quarters had been greatly reduced and the Inquisitor’s own escort had been reduced to a token level. The ship was short of manpower. Since he had been assigned an official combat station, he had some authority and a reason to inspect parts of the ship. He had also used this authority to expand the space allocated to the Inquisition so that proper Examination and Interrogation chambers could be set up and, earlier in the day, he had taken private pleasure in the discomfort exhibited by Confessor Morion and the Second Lieutenant as they inspected the facilities. Grauman’s matter of fact description of the equipment and its use had a powerful effect, assisted by the sub-sonic projectors which the Inquisitor had ordered turned on for testing purposes. The only disappointment was the lack of subjects. According to the ship’s machine spirit, several more purifications had been performed and a number of tainted had been executed, but none had been brought to the Inquisition. If the subjects would not be brought to the Inquisition, the Inquisition would go to the subjects. With a final recitation of the first twenty-six verses of the Litany of Loyalty and a prayer for the Emperor’s protection, Inquisitor Brake prepared to confront the enemy directly.

The Inquisitor had no intention, however, of acting alone. Other Ordos might have Inquisitors capable of taking on the entire crew of a battleship like the Orlanth Rex single-handed but not the Ordo Veritas and certainly not with Inquisitor Brake. What he needed were allies, allies he could trust, or at least not distrust too much. From his study of the ship’s log and the information provided by Karpus he thought he knew where to find them.

He sent out his instructions as Karpus helped him don his suit of Tactical Dreadnought armour. Master Paramedes was to muster the Nemesis squad in full battle order and Grauman was to provide a squad of Examiners equipped for close combat. Ready, he inspected the men, then leaving Grauman in charge and Karpus continuing with his researches, he led the small force out into the main gangway. As small as the force was it was not something that could easily be ignored. The power armour and bionics of the men were perfectly synchronized so that every member marched exactly in step; the rhythmic tread of their coming was that of Implacable Doom echoing down the corridors and galleries, further enhanced by the amplifiers and sonic projectors built into the Inquisitor’s own armour. The pace was chosen so that the Inquisitor’s naval escort had to almost run to keep up.

When he arrived at the Port Upper Gallery he was not in the least surprised to find the men at prayer. Almost all their working day was spent in prayer at the moment and, besides, the Inquisitor had read their Watch Bill. The prayers were being lead by one of the lesser priests and there were no officers or commissars present only a Master Gunner, a Master at Arms and their Advisors, essentially sub-commissars. The Inquisitor had timed his arrival at the end of the Prayers of Purification, but before the Prayers of Fortitude so as not to disrupt the service. Rather than interrupt directly, he started by a recitation of the first ten verses of the Litany of Loyalty and in that time was able to take control of the gathering. He halted the priests before they could continue.

‘Men, I am Inquisitor Brake of the Ordo Veritas. I have been assigned to your boarding party. We are now all going to conduct a boarding drill.’ The men made no move but looked towards their Petty Officers.

‘Master at Arms, prepare the men for a boarding drill.’ The Inquisitor could see the man was transfixed with fear and doubt and saw him cast a glance toward the corpses hanging above the guns. The Inquisitor also noticed the Master Gunner’s Advisor drift off to the gunnery lectern. In response to a slight gesture, the Nemesis squad unholstered their hell pistols with awful precision. The Inquisitor advanced and the men shuffled backwards, leaving the Master at Arms isolated.

‘This is a direct order.’

The Master at arms fell to his knees in a surprising supplication.

‘Please Sir! I have no orders to perform such a drill. We will all be court martialed if we do as you say.’ This was delivered in a tone of abject terror, the last thing expected from a Master at Arms. Fear was not an emotion he should ever display to his men.

The Inquisitor opened a compartment in his vambraces and, as the Master at Arms cringed further, produced not some weapon of doom, but a piece of paper. As the same time he summoned from within the full power of his Inquisitorial authority; even the Inquisitorial insignia on his armour glowed with a blinding pure and holy light.

‘This is an Inquisitorial Edict, on my authority as the direct representative of the Ever-living Emperor. Those who choose to obey it, move to the rear of the gallery and prepare for boarding drill. Those who choose to die now, remain where they are!’

A veteran student of men, mobs and crowds, the Inquisitor was not surprised at the result. The anonymous men at the rear drifted away to safety and as those nearer to the front realized what was going on, they too joined the others until only the petty officers and a few others remained. The Master of Arms looked around, and with great difficulty got to his feet and approached the Inquisitor. His hand reached out and the Inquisitor placed the Edict in it so that he could read it. When he turned to the rear of the gallery the release of tension was palpable.

‘Prepare of boarding drill. Boarding pikes out!’

It was almost as if a switch had been thrown. The Master of Arms had changed from fear to ferocious in an instant. He was now back in his natural habitat, at one with his experiences and training. His assistants used their lashes to get the men into line beating those who were slow. After a short time the arms were issued and all five hundred or so men were lined up armed and ready.

‘Port Upper Gallery ready for boarding drill SIR!!!’

‘Continue Master at Arms.’

‘Aye aye, SIR!!’

The Master at Arms then proceeded to lead the men through the sixteen positions of the Manual of Arms for the boarding pike while the priests chanted the Rites of Defense.

‘Boarding drill complete, SIR!!’

Now it was the Inquisitor’s turn to be surprised. Such a book drill was almost laughable. He knew that each station did only one boarding drill a month and that an hour was allocated and it appeared that about five minutes of this was handling arms and the rest was prayers or preparation. This was worse than criminal.

‘Master at Arms. Have the men form a defensive line from the hull to the bulkhead across the middle of the gallery.’

Puzzled, but obedient, the Master at Arms and his assistants herded and lashed the men into formation.

‘Men, we are now going to have a close combat drill. My men will be using non-lethal force. For every one of my men that reaches the end of the gallery behind you, you will all suffer an hour of Admonition, under Inquisitorial supervision. Every one of my men you disable or capture reduces the Admonition by one hour. These are my orders! Master at Arms, prepare your men.’

It seemed to be a very uneven contest, over five hundred crew men against the Inquisitor, eleven guards and ten Examiners, and all five hundred were armed with the fearsome boarding pike. The boarding pike consists of a shaft six to eight feet long surmounted by a halberd-like head, one side being the usual axe blade for chopping and the other the spike for penetrating armour, but instead of the spear point, at the tip was mounted a short cylindrical shaped charge explosive which could punch through two or three lightly armoured men and defeat even power armour. Even the Inquisitor’s Tactical Dreadnought armour was not completely impervious.

As the Inquisitor and his men approached the mass of men he gave out his own orders by means of inconspicuous signals. Finally, he took a moment to recite the Verses of Swift Striking and Purity of Purpose from the Catechism of Faith, drawing on a little of the Emperor’s power through prayer. Thus fortified, his hypno-sub-vocalizers at full power and with the cry

‘For the Emperor!’

he launched himself at the stunned defenders. As he leapt, he drew a power maul from each of his leg holsters and, although the power fields were not activated and he was not using the servo-motors in his armour at full power, burst into their midst.

The men had not even the time to take up the Second Position, so fast was the Inquisitor; pikes were splintered, bones were broken, blood was spilled and men were felled under the relentless assault. Of course very few men could actually get at the Inquisitor and others, in their attempts to engage him, threw the whole formation into confusion. Worse, at the point of maximum confusion and disruption, Proctor Paramedes lead the rest of the men into the fray; clubbing with the butts of their hell pistols, slapping men aside with the flat of their servo-axes. The Nemesis squad was supported by the Examiners wielding their pain lances and neural disruptors. In less than a minute it was all over. Examiner Orange, hit by at least three boarding pikes, had been destroyed; parts of his body scattered across the deck. Lugar had a deep score in the left shoulder of his power armour and Bezant was walking strangely, two parts of his left leg armour fused together. On the other side, more than fifty men were lying inert or at least unable to stand, of which only three were actually dead, and perhaps fifty more showed the sights of greater or lesser damage.

A kind of sullen fatalism settled over the defenders. They had failed miserably in this exercise and hence in their duty. If the Captain were in a generous mood only every fifth or tenth man might be executed. For the survivors, after the Captain finished with them, there was only Admonition at the hands of the Inquisition. It might be that those executed would be the ones getting off lightly. The priests and healers moved among the men, staunching the bleeding, binding the wounds. This activity was interrupted by the opening of the main blast door. Lieutenant Verdi had at last arrived, the haste clearly shown by his relative degree of undress. With his short squat build, undress robes and twin ocular implants, the fifth lieutenant gave the impression of a flustered owl.

‘What’s going on here!’ This was addressed to the Master Gunner and deliberately ignoring the Inquisitor, the Master at Arms not having yet regained consciousness. The Gunner’s voice failed him.

‘Boarding drill, Lieutenant’, replied the Inquisitor quietly for the mute Gunner.

‘On whose authority? I gave no such orders.’

‘The Captain’s authority, Lieutenant.’ The way the Inquisitor spoke the word Lieutenant suggested that it might be the name of a painful wasting disease. ‘Standing order 41-56003. “The crew will, at all times, be trained and ready to perform their Duty.” I believe that is what it says.’

‘That is not relevant here. Standing order 41-56203-12 states. “No changes to the Watch Bill without authorization of higher command.” Leave the interpretation of standing orders to the Navy!’ We are….’

‘Lieutenant!’ The Inquisitor’s words cut into the Lieutenant’s speech like a power axe through naked flesh. ‘I am an Inquisitor of the Ordo Veritas. On my armour is my Inquisitorial Seal. On my authority alone the Exterminatus may be brought to whole words. I am a direct representative of the Ever-living Emperor. There is no higher command than me!”

‘These men have disobeyed the Captain’s orders. They…’

‘The men were acting under a duly issued Inquisitorial Edict. Until such time as I am declared Diabolus by an Inquisitorial Conclave, no one who obeys my Edicts can be punished for it. Even the threat of such punishment is an offense against the Inquisition. Such offenses are punished severely.’ It seemed from the Inquisitor’s tone that Joy through Punishment was one of his watch cries and that he would greatly appreciate Verdi allowing him to demonstrate his talents.

‘I will have to report this to the First Lieutenant.’

‘As you wish. I will be making my own report. If you have any explanation as to how I was able to defeat your entire boarding force, I’m sure the First Lieutenant will take it into account at your court martial.’

Lieutenant Verdi had arrived full of righteous indignation to confront someone who had interfered with the smooth running of the ship and who had certainly ignored or violated a great many of the Captain’s orders. It at last began to penetrate that it was he, not the Inquisitor, who was in mortal peril. He knew the Captain. If given a choice of scapegoats, who would he choose, the Fifth Lieutenant, a follower of Admiral M’Dhu, or Inquisitor Brake? Time for a major and desperate course correction.

‘My apologies Sir! Far be it for me to question an Inquisitorial Edict. Praise the Emperor no! The men are under my command. I am responsible for their care and training and it is my duty to see that the Captain’s orders are carried out. In future, Sir, I would be pleased to assist you in revising their training.’

‘Thank you Lieutenant. I will put your offer of assistance in my report too. Now if you could do me a favour.’

‘Anything Sir!’

‘These men have failed in their duty to both the ship and the Emperor. However, it is not the way of the Ordo Veritas to punish indiscriminately. These men are to receive twenty hours of Admonition under my supervision here in the gallery during the next week. Please revise the Watch Bill so that this possible, no more than two hours at a time and at least ten hours between each session. The men will need time to recover. I expect you to attend too, if you are not occupied with other duties.’

It was thus that Lieutenant Verdi realized that his future, life and very soul were now in the hands of the Inquisition. He could only hope that he would not become an accidental casualty in the game that was being played by this Inquisitor.

After the Examiners had collected the pieces of Orange and Bezant had used his servo-axe to free his knee joint, the Inquisitor returned to his quarters pleased with his progress.

**********

After changing back into his second-best dress robes and completing his devotions, the Inquisitor reviewed the Scriptor’s latest information. In this he was disappointed; not at the work itself, but in the information presented. The Inquisitor’s electro-graft enhanced brain was optimized induction and deduction, drawing out patterns from the information provided. This ability stood him in good stead with his investigations on behalf of High Inquisitor Sigismondo and his analysis and correlation of multiple Interrogation threads was greatly valued by the Ordo Veritas as a whole. He was concentrating on the crime of Taint of Chaos; the other infractions of Imperial Navy orders were of no great interest to him. The Inquisitor had expected to find some great pattern or design, some conspiracy or hidden cabal amongst the crew but this appeared not to be the case. Analysis of the records, duties and movements of those executed provided no help. There was no common contact, planet of origin or sect involved. There were very few points of common contact and one or two had not been in contact with any of the others since the Arch-Redemptor boarded at Caldur. The only common features were that they all formed part of the crew of the Orlanth Rex before the Victory of Caldur. None of the replacements who arrived with Captain Zoltoy showed any taint. With few exceptions, the tainted had good records and long service, many with commendations for efficiency and bravery, apparently zealous and dedicated men in the service of the Emperor. It was also strange that in spite of the apparently wide spread of Chaos, nothing had actually happened. In fact it was the enormous resources committed to the investigation and purification process that was resulting in the huge reduction of the ship’s fighting efficiency. What Chaos had not even attempted was being done in the Emperor’s name. This did not imply that the Inquisitor had any tolerance for the forces of Chaos. The Ordo Veritas rigorously followed the Puritan doctrine. As amongst the most fervent believers in the Amalathian creed, Inquisitors of the Ordo Veritas were great students of the Emperor’s pronouncements on the dangers of Chaos, but where other Inquisitors might slash and burn the forest that was Chaos, the Ordo Veritas preferred to attack at the root and perhaps so prepare the ground so that Chaos could not flourish at all. The executions and purifications were attacking the symptoms, not the cause. The Inquisitor would give the matter more thought. Meanwhile there were more allies to enlist. Summoning Karpus and his bodyguard, the Inquisitor went to seek them.

The realm of Magos Technicus Mechanicus Bohr received few visitors and, frankly, they were not encouraged. There was much sacred technology which would be better if it were kept from the profane touch and gaze of the unanointed, those who were not initiates to the mysteries of the Machine God. It was thus both with surprise and annoyance that his Communion with the High Altar was interrupted by a priority message. The Inquisition wished to meet with him, in his quarters, now! Under normal circumstances, he could have easily ignored this summons, pleading important rites which could not be disturbed. There were large craters on some worlds that bore mute testament to the danger of disturbing followers of the Machine God in the middle of their sacred incantations. However, this was by no means normal. According to Rune-Priest Mohs, the Inquisitor bore a symbol of the Favour of the Machine God, rare enough amongst the Adepts of the Administratum on Terra, almost unknown amongst the Inquisition. The Favour of the Machine God was given only to those who were Initiates to, but not of the Adeptus Mechanicus itself. According to the High Altar there were only twenty-six Inquisitors in the entire Imperium holding the Favour and Inquisitor Roberto Brake, now aboard the  Orlanth Rex , was the most recent. He had been trained on Mars to assist High Inquisitor Sigismondo. It was also noted that High Inquisitor Sigismondo held the personal Favour of the Fabricator-General of Mars as well. He broke contact and unplugged the lex-interface. Summoning the available Rune Priests and his retinue of Lectors he went off to meet the Inquisition.

Inquisitor Brake had much experience in dealing with the Adeptus Mechanicus while stationed on Mars assisting High Inquisitor Sigismondo in his great report, now known to the few authorized to read it as the Liber Mechanicus. He was well aware of its contents and, based on his personal knowledge of the Adeptus Mechanicus, was certain that they were well of its contents too. Given that the conclusion of the report was a strident warning concerning the danger of the growing power and influence of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Inquisitor had been puzzled not only by the lack of reprisal from the Tech-Adepts, but their comparative friendship and co-operation. Assuming someone lived long enough to write a similar report about the Ordo Veritas, they would not survive long afterwards without protection from the highest levels, and perhaps not even then.

The area occupied by the Adeptus Mechanicus was typical of their working spaces, dimly lit, hot, cluttered and clouded by strange mists and vapours. The Inquisitor’s toxo-implant identified no less than seven toxic gasses, although none were present in sufficient concentration to cause any harm. Magos Bohr and his retinue appeared out of a cloud of steam, perhaps in a display intended to impress the less knowledgeable. The Inquisitor acknowledged the superior technology and information of the Magos, displayed his runes of Favour, and in perfect Lingua Technica spoke the Prayer of Preparation,

‘Stop! Read this before proceeding.’

the first prayer learned by any initiate to the mysteries of the Machine God.

Bohr read the runes of Favour, which showed both the prayers and rites known by the bearer and his level of mastery. He was impressed. By the standards of Tech-Adepts, Brake knew very few prayers, but his level of mastery was almost perfect. He took his rites very seriously. With such obvious dedication, Bohr could now see why the Favour had been bestowed. In the same glance he surveyed the runes emblazoned on the Inquisitor’s implants and enhancements. Again he was impressed. The Inquisitor had much sacred technology on his person, from his electro-graft enhanced brain to his bionic legs and unlike so many who were not Tech-Adepts, everything seemed to be in perfect condition, all the rites and lubrications performed as was required. Everything showed that this Inquisitor was a serious Scholar and perhaps even a true believer, not some casual dabbler with important connections.

‘Magos Bohr, I come to mourn the information lost with Adept Arton.’

‘Loss of knowledge offends the Machine God. The guilty have been punished. Mars has been informed.’

‘I do not think it is finished yet. Taint of Chaos seems widespread and who knows where it might spread or where it might originate.’

‘The Captain had been warned. The anger of the Machine God is terrible.’ The Magos had a vox projector implant, his mouth was sewn shut, so there was no trace of emotion in the tone of the speech, but the timing spoke volumes. Machine God and terrible anger were two concepts that sane and knowledgeable people did not want applied to them or their immediate environment.

There was some sudden disturbance amongst the ranks of the Tech-Priests and within moments information was flooding into Brake’s mind from the Scriptor’s electoo. Something was going seriously wrong in Plasma Generator Room Six, something to do with Chaos.

The Inquisitor gave Bohr no chance to dismiss him. ‘Chaos is involved, I must go at once.’

It was thus that Magos Bohr and the Inquisitor hurried through the inspection ducts bypassing the corridors, companionways and galleries. The way was dark and narrow but the pace was swift. At some invisible signal those in the vanguard stopped and four of the Servitors advanced to the front with an arcane device. Four small discs were erected on its upper surface and a Rune Priest quickly intoned several prayers, most of which were unfamiliar to Brake. A force screen of purple cracking fire filled the corridor. Only seconds later there was a great thump, felt more through the deck than heard through the air and shortly after that the corridor ahead was seared by a great gout of flame which dashed itself against the purple screen. Even so, small strikes like lightning pitted the deck and bulkheads and even the armour and implants of a few of the servitors. After less than a minute the screen was deactivated and the party continued forward. Now the Inquisitor’s toxo-implant warned him almost continuously of the noxious atmosphere. The way ahead was blocked by a narrow blast door which, from the pitting and charring on the visible side, had not done its job properly. More incantations and prayers and anointing with holy oil and the door slid slowly open.

The sight revealed was of a long wide compartment, the Port Inner Stabilator Gallery according to Karpus. On the floor were several hundred bodies, parts of bodies and smoldering lumps that might once have been bodies. Not all the bodies were dead, many screamed or groaned, writhed or twitched. Every visible surface was blackened and burned. Even the corpses on the wall had been reduced to skeletons and from some of the empty manacles perhaps even farther than that. Only the metallic threads of the banners which had hung from the ceiling remained and some of them had melted. At the far end of the gallery the inner and outer bulkheads were pierced by huge holes extending from almost the deck to the ceiling. The Inquisitor could see that the holes continued through several compartments beyond the outer bulkhead of this gallery and it was only when his brain combined the view of distant darkness with the reduced air pressure that he realized that the hull itself had been breached, with only the air shield keeping the atmosphere from rushing into space. A small part of his mind recalled a Prayer of Thanks and Salvation. The  Orlanth Rex  was in space not in transit of the Warp.

The Tech Adepts went about their duty with complete ruthlessness. There was no thought for the dead, soon to be dead, or the living. Rune Priests activated lecterns or connected directly to the ship’s machine spirits. Debris, organic or inorganic, was cleared away, the hole in the outer bulkhead was filled with the force screen, Holy Technology was shut down for safety or repairs and initialization were commenced. Let others worry about the flesh, the Tech Adepts would save the machines.

Great damage is expected on warships and there are drilled responses intended to deal with such situations. In this case the ship was not braced for impact, or even cleared for action, but even so help soon arrived, healers healed, priests prayed, Tech Adepts repaired and the Inquisition investigated. The prime source of the damage was the rupture of a huge plasma conduit which provided drive power to the main engines. It appeared that at least one Tech-Priest, it was hard to tell exactly how many individuals were represented by the few shards of bone and lumps of semi-melted metal, had stayed at his post and successfully damped down the main generator, otherwise the entire reactor might have vented or even exploded. Although it was very difficult to identify much of anything, there were no signs of Chaos. The Inquisitor’s Diviner, an admittedly short range and imprecise device, could detect no sign of Warp intrusion, characteristic of any major Chaos event. However, Grauman had much more precise instruments.

Back in the stabilator gallery order was being restored. The Inquisitor was a little surprised to see how great the number of survivors was, but then remembered the sacred threads of protection woven into the uniforms of the Imperial Navy, intended to protect the wearer from just this sort of sudden short blast of fire. He was far more surprised to find both Commissar Borax and Confessor Morion among the survivors, hardly recognizable in their charred regalia. More officers and men arrived, as did more Tech Priests and a horde of servitors. Even as the Inquisitor waited for Grauman to appear, the hole in the outer bulkhead was trimmed to shape and the gap filled in, complete with an air-flap door.

Amongst the crowd, it was surprisingly easy to set up the equipment; the Inquisition party was treated as just another squad of helper or repairers. It was a little more difficult to perform the Rites of Recognition, but the Nemesis squad and the Examiners managed to keep the bystanders from disturbing the wards and sigils. Finally, when all was complete, the Examiners spread out across the gallery looking for any trace of Chaos incursion. The whole great gallery was searched and, with the permission of Magos Bohr, the Plasma Generator Room too, all to very little effect. About ten yards from the breach in the inner bulkhead a handspan wide puddle of formerly molten silver showed definite, but weak signs of Chaos contamination. Contact with the Warp, the stuff of Chaos, had altered the very structure of the material itself. However there was no sign of any entity or force which could have been responsible for the destruction. From the Inquisitor’s own experience, what he was looking at was the remains of some sort of unholy charm or icon, befouled and corrupted by perverted rites. Making such a charm, possessing such a charm or even knowing about such a charm were all capital offenses for they showed a lack of faith in the Ever-living Emperor. However, the evil contained in such a charm could not have caused this disaster. Satisfied of the facts as he could determine them and increasingly in the way of crew members trying to clear up the mess, the Inquisitor had the equipment packed up and he and his men returned their quarters where he could continue to analyze al the information collected by both Karpus and himself.