Port of Call - Hunting the Hand
Timestamp: 7.323.996.M41
Location: Hive Primus, Corax Secundus, K4 V 'OCG-001671A' system
Situation: Haxtes hunting Veiled Hand cultist with =][= Soldevan
Body: Things rarely turn out the way you expect. This time included. You meet up at the Inquisitor's residence. You later learn from Trempan that it has been provided for him by Speaker Hauptish. There are people watching the residence - spies most likely. You don't think it is a known fact around here that Soldevan is an Inquisitor - he seems to be posing as an important trade factor from the Imperium. Speaker Hauptish must know though.
Soldevan's group is kitted up and ready to go.
The Interrogator, Trempan, is dressed in a light flex-plate suit and carries what looks like a compact local autogun with a folding stock. On closer inspection is probably a tactical autopistol; lighter caliber, but high rate of fire and excellent for close-in work. He also has a sword protuding above his left shoulder, secured in a quick-draw scabbard and a double stub rig carrying matching heavy automatics. So he's not just a scholar.
"Hello again Acolyte Haxtes."
Forden, the ex-Guard Sergeant from Cadia (guesswork on your part, but the purple eyes and the Kasrkin badge sort of gives him away) seems very competent. He is, like Trempan, sporting visible augmentation work - in his case it's not a brain job, but limb grafts - and most likely other, hidden, replacements. He's clad in old guard-issue combat armor - the standard flak body-suit, but with reinforced leggings, greaves, clamshell body-piece, and a hi-threat sealable helmet. He's got a customized rapid-fire lasgun with an advanced targeting array that's linked right into his nervous system. The lasgun has an underslung multi-launcher. Various secondary weapons are carried - powered combat blade, compact shotgun, heavy pistol, some grenades. Grizzled, scarred, scowling - he's almost a caricature of a Guard NCO.
"Greetings."
Lady D, the team's resident whore (that's what she looks like anyway with her bling and facial paint) has somewhat lighter armor, an armored bodyglove, but makes up for it by lugging around a sleek-looking plasma rifle! The hood of her bodyglove is pulled down to reveal a mass of lilac and silver hair. She has a pair of hi-end targeting goggles over her eyes. You can see the faint reflection of light being projected directly onto her retinas, feeding her combat data from her gun - and other sensors carried by the team. She has a compact jump pack strapped to her back. Her role is - obviously - mobile fire support.
She smiles at you in a very inviting fashion: "Hi there."
But its the Inquisitor himself that takes your breath away. Covered head to toe in articulated power armor of finest Mechanicus manufacture. Copper burnished adamantium scales glitter alongside germanium-and-gold-covered ridges. A tri-bolt launcher is connected to the suits right arm, but the gun is currently in the retracted position, the barrels folded back to give the suit's owner full manual dexterity. An armored ammo feed runs back to the drum mag clipped below the suits environmental unit. The suits opaque-polished face-plate of monobond crys-steel is elevated to reveal the man within.
Soldevan with a smile: "Magnificient isn't it? A gift from Magos Obligatum, the Plantation Prince of Verdure, made in the image of his own re-built body.
We do not hunt unprepared. Welcome to our little band Haxtes. We are glad to have you - the Inquisition has few resources to draw on on this planet, so its a strictly hands on operation.
We've been tracking the survivors for some time now - there are three left. D and Forden took out the other two a few periods back as they were scouting out the approaches to the lower hive. A rearguard by the look of it. Managed to report. So the enemy knows we are coming.
From the looks of it the three have split up into a single and a pair. Trempan thinks the single may be Master Oblash, the real heretic we're hunting, with the other two being a diversion. Or maybe that's what they are wanting us to think.
No matter. We have drones with advanced sniffers on to both. We'll go in, take out the pair using heavy firepower. Then we'll pursue the loner. Which is where you come in. You have stealth skills we do not. While we track the loner, you will go by another route and try to get another angle on him. I think that could give us an important edge.
If possible I'd like an arrest; but dead is also acceptable. Just not one thing - NO HEAD SHOTS. The targets brain must be preserved for examination by the Holy Ordos."
While the others finalize preparations you have a private moment with Soldevan: "I'm sure Xerza has filled you in as to my supposedly wicked character and ulterior motives for inviting you?
I do know who you are. And knowing Tancred's operation and Xerza I warrant a guess - you're a latent or emerging rogue psyker, are you not? I must say I don't like you kind in general, although I do accept that psykers have their role in the Imperium and I have a few psyker colleagues that are no worse than their mundane kind. Rogue psykers, however, the xenos-worshipping kin in particular, I usually just terminate. Like I did the Veiled Hand.
But since Xerza has claimed you as an accolyte you're entitled to some...I'm not going to just eliminate you out of hand Haxtes. Not a round in the back of the head. No accidents. But I will be watching. And if I think you're out of line I'll notify the Conclave and they can take it from there. Does that sound reasonable?"
The last member of the team, Molochan the Tech-priest, is not combat-ready. He's not going along, but staying behind to take care of things on this end. Right now he's rigging some pretty advanced equipment around the main lounge.
Soldevan to the group: "Make ready Acolytes. Oblash must answer to the Throne for his traitorous deeds. He's escaped us once before, he'll not do it again. But I warn thee - do not underestimate him. He was one of the finest Acolytes there was, and his murderous skills have only improved as a result of his stay with the cult."
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