Misdirection at Monins

The opulent throne room of the governor’s palace was silent as Baron Ironblood sat deep in contemplation.  The inquisition was digging too deep into his business interests.  If they continued with their investigations, it would not be long before they started to uncover some of his more serious transgressions and that was something that he could not allow.  The inquisition was not infallible, though, their obsession with the ruinous powers could be used against them.

The baron smiled to himself as he ran through the plan in his mind, he would allow the Volkstan tribes to acquire the ruinous sword that Red Jackal had recently brought to him and through it the tribes would be slowly corrupted.  The inquisition would then turn their attention towards the Volkstan tribes and destroy that thorn in his side.

Black Major felt a cold shiver run up her spine as she instructed her patrol to advance through the plains of Monins.  She been given an assignment that reeked of subterfuge, to escort a research-tech and his research through the lands of the Volkstan people, it was madness.  Why weren`t they using an atmospheric transport?  What had she done to fall out of favour?  Still, she could not go against the wishes of the Baron.  Her troops could take the lead they were expendable after all.    

As the Red Shadows cautiously advanced through the plain Red Laser spotted a group of tribesmen up ahead.  Without waiting to find out what the tribesmen wanted Red Laser ordered his men to open fire.  The sounds of the auto-guns shattered the silence on the plain as their deadly munitions shattered the bodies of three of the Volkstan people.

The survivors of the unprovoked attacked could not contain their rage and charged the Red Shadows.  The Volkstan warriors fought valiantly but the red mist that engulfed them was more of a hinderance than an aid and they were quickly chased down and slaughtered by the Red Shadows.

Tears ran down the faces of the second group of the Volkstan as they saw their friends being killed, but they held their fired  Taking careful aim with their muskets the tribes men opened fire into the unsuspecting backs of the Red Shadows killing two of their number.

The sounds of gunfire had alerted the tribesmen in the vicinity and as the Red Shadows engaged one group in a firefight a third group of Volkstan warriors arrived on the scene. 

The newly arrived warriors did not wait to assess the situation they let out a terrifying war cry and ran headlong towards Black Major and her charge.

The Volkstan warriors were temporarily held in check by Black Major as she fought like a fury.  Her power sword lashed out parrying blows from one warrior, then stabbing at another, finally cutting one of the warriors in twain, but slowly she was pushed away from her charge.  The research-tech looked back at the major his eyes wide with fear but before he could drop to his knees to surrender one of the Volkstan warriors smashed him in the temple with the butt of his musket knocking him unconscious. 

Black Major quickly surveyed the situation her forces were depleted, and the enemy would soon be reinforced.  Shaking her head, she ordered the retreat; she did not know how she would explain her failure, but she had no intention of dying on a fool’s errand.

The guttural voices of the Volkstan warriors sang a lament as they carried the unconscious research-tech and his research off the field of battle.  The elders would be able to determine what it was these men of the city had been trying to smuggle through their lands and whether it was worth the price that had been paid in blood for it.

 

Exorcism at Elms Vale

The chair groaned under the weight of the ancient artificer armour clad space marine as he slumped into it. Tutor Zeno tried to make himself comfortable, but the discomfort he felt was more intellectual than physical. The performance of the neophytes troubled him; the flora should not have caught them so unaware. The neophytes had all been schooled on the possible dangers of the planet. Zeno shock his head the recent cohorts had not performed as well as was expected, and the thought of the falling standards troubled him. The veteran warrior picked up his auto-quill he would have to inform the senior tutor of his findings. Zeno disliked the administrative side of his role, but performances had to be evaluated and reports for the chapter master had to be written.

Zeno sat back in deep contemplation oblivious to the howling storm that was raging outside of the fortress monastery of the Wardens of Dubris with his administrative work done he could take a few moments. The deep chambers that he had been given allowed him to escape some of the tedium of chapter command and his mind returned to the overthrow of the tyrant Nearchus. It had been a glorious victory, one that had seen him elevated to the elite cadre. Drinking deep of his old memories the ancient warrior did not stir as the Lord Warden of Dubris entered his chambers. Before the commander of the Wardens of Dubris could speak Zeno raised his hand and spoke. “We know of your troubles and will of course aid you; it is the least we can do for the hospitality that you have shown us. I have studied the opponent we will face. We will need one of your ancients to accompany us, with their support I think this creature will be put to rest.”

The Mentor legion had lost twenty of their best servitors as they computed the course of the infernal demon, the very act of trying to fathom the actions of a creature of the ruinous powers had been too much for the human computers.  Their sacrifice had allowed the Elite Cadre to get ahead of the creature, and the names of those damned for acts against the Imperium would be given places of honour, their redemption complete.

Activating his jump pack Brother Wilson of the Wardens of Dubris soared through the air.  He had been tasked with engaging the demon at close range to allow the Mentor legion to get into position. 

The daemonhost looked up as he saw brother Wilson hurting through the air.  As the demon bounded towards the dreadnought`s landing spot brother Wilson opened fire.  The bolter rounds bent around the demon as if they were repulsed by its very existence.

 Gallglut Fatflesh did not wait for brother Wilson to hit the ground before he attacked.  The preternatural speed of the demon overcame the dreadnought`s defensive routines, but even its warp spawned claws could not penetrate the armour of the ancients.

Having received the signal from brother Wilson the mentor legion elite cadre moved into position and activated their targeting web.  The five-man squad`s weapons slaved to one another, when the time came to fire they would fire in unison with lethal effect.

The demon, Gallglut Fatflesh, screamed in frustration as his claws raked harmlessly across the armoured plates of brother Wilson.  The mortal was proving irritatingly hard to deal with, and with the arrival of more mortals Gallglut decided that it was time for him to break away from this conflict.

Brother Calliphon pulled the trigger of his bolt-gun moments before any other members of his squad and all their guns sounded in harmonious unison.  The deadly rocket propelled rounds slammed Gallglut Fatflesh, any mortal opponent would have been shredded by the fusillade.  Gallglut was no mortal opponent, though.  The rounds barely slowed him down in his escape.

Brother Wilson had no intention of allowing the demon filth to escape and engaging his jump pack he shot through the air barrelling into the demon.  The two opponents stood up cautiously looking for any weakness in each other.  In the blink of an eye Gallglut stuck the dreadnought.  His blow tore a deep gouge into the ceramite plates of the dreadnought, ripping out crucial servos in the dreadnought`s torso.  The demon licked the cables in triumph savouring his momentary victory.  In response, brother Wilson lifted his power assisted left leg and brought it down with a squelching thud into the demon breaking its back.  Brother Wilson repeatedly stamped on the helpless daemonhost until it was nothing more than a wet puddle of mangled flesh.