[Dark Heresy] Blood on the Lathes IC

[Dead_Jester]

Since its inception at the hands of Malcador the Sigilite shortly after Horus' rebellion, the Inquisition has always stood as the barrier between mankind and the corruption of the daemons and xenos that prowl the galaxy. Ever watchful, it ceaselessly strives to uncover and destroy any hint of corruption within the entire Imperium, from the tallest spires to the darkest jungles, from the numberless ranks of the Imperial Guard to the bureaucratic nightmare Adeptus Terra. To achieve this, the Inquisition is given absolute power over any Imperial citizen, and even the right to order the destruction of entire worlds if judged necessary.

And yet, within the Imperium of Man, there are those who stand apart, immune from the absolute power of the Inquisition. Of course, the Adeptus Astartes, favoured sons of the Emperor himself, bow to no one but their own kin despite their great betrayal, and brooch no invasion into their secrets, and so the Inquisition usually only monitors them from afar.

Moreover, within the confines of the Imperium, and yet standing distinct in most things, lies another institution, more ancient than the Emperor himself, the Adeptus Mechanicus. Indeed, in the primordial days of the Great Crusade, the priests of Mars swore an oath to the Emperor, not as vassals, but as allies, giving birth to the symbiotic relationship still seen today. In so doing, every world claimed to the will of the Omnissiah would stand apart from Imperial Law, being only submitted to the decrees of the priesthood of Mars, thereby making them all but immune from the direct influence of the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition, often to the great displeasure of the latter.

Nevertheless, be they man or machine, a thinking being may be tempted and corrupted, and so the Adeptus Mechanicus maintains its own watchdogs. In the Calixis Sector, this task falls upon the Lords Dragon, a secretive cabal of priest dedicated to ensuring the moral and intellectual purity of the Dominion of the Lathes. Acting always through emissaries, their existence is all but unknown even within the priesthood.

Whether by fate, misfortune or duty, you have been pressed into the service of this shadowy organisation, under the direct control of Magos Juris Hadrek of Hadd. Since than, your existence has been relatively quiet in the depths of the forge cities of the Lathes, and although the Magos has insisted on having you follow basic cult hypno-indoctrination therapy to get you up to speed, the true purpose of your recruitment remains nebulous.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _

Practical. Efficient. Uniform. Sterile. Those are all words that would well describe your new Mechanicus appointed life-cells. Barely illuminated by the dim glow of a lumen bulb, your humble accommodations spread out before you. Composed of a bed with a mattress the consistency of concrete, a desk with an integrated dataslate glowing sickly in the dim lighting and a standard issue footlocker containing a simple red robe, your rooms look more like cells than living spaces, a distinction solely apparent by the presence of a relatively large empty arms rack opposite the door, and the omnipresent smell of machine incense permeating the air.

Just as you are getting settled in, your ears slowly getting used to the endless chorus of machinery echoing through the entire structure, the dataslate placed on your desks begin to glow noticeably brighter, and green text begins to appear on it in a simple, easily readable monospaced font.

Spoiler

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--------30:30
...
--------Incoming Message
...
--------O-C23-L005-PH001-Me03Ju-HA002142
...
--------Encryption Code Omega
...
--------Commence Decryption Y/N?
...
--------Decryption Commencing
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--------Convocation Order

Priority: Tau
Dispenser: Magos Juris HA002142, common appellation "Hadrek"
Time: 33:00 Het Standard Time
Locale: Infotomb H003-V23-J15, common appellation "Judicial Vault 15"
Motive: Preliminary Investigation
Transport: Cargo shuttle L4503, docking bay C04, departure 32:00 H003


Though for the day
"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."
Tesla of Terra

--------Message Link Terminated
...

[Col.Straken]

Vex was doing his regular press-ups when he noticed the message, moving over to the table he grabbed the data-slate and read through it. Throne I will never get used to these codes. he thought to himself. He made to leave the room before remembering the robe, Expecting me to wear this thing, not exactly fashionable he threw the robe over his Leather gang jacket with a winged skull on the back. It also covered his two gun holsters, the left containing a finely made Fate Bringer revolver with its long Barrel hanging almost to his knee, on his right hip sat a Carnadon, the conplete opposite of the Fate Bringer, it was short, blocky and practical looking. Lastly it fell over his loose fitting jeans, and big black boots. He ran his right had through his mess of hair, as he often did.

Finally ready he made his way out of his tiny little room, as he walked down the corridors he let his thoughts wander Supposed to be a simple Merc job, been here a month and all they have done is fill my head with junk, no girls, no drink, no gambling. A right bunch of stiffs these Cogs are.

Vex was the first into the docking bay, he sighed, So much for punctuality. he waited in the far corner leaning casually against the wall.

[Emperor Ing]

Perhaps most striking to the Imperials is the only man of discernible Mechanicus origin. Already wearing a red robe he moves with a rather unnatural grace and ease belittling the implants visible all across his body, the overwhelming majority of which don't seem to perform any practical purpose whatsoever. He seems like he is, and indeed would be, comfortable in these supremely spartan quarters. A long-las is visible across his back, held there by a sling across his shoulders, over the cloth of the robe and the dark metal of unpainted armor of a design seen only used by the Skitarii Tech-Guard.

To Vex this guy certainly looks like a stiff.

We have orders. Move out.

[deluxaran]

Finally, something that could be a mission, all this waiting and these lessons... like they want me to become one of them. is thinking Eisen. He gets up from his bunk and he starts to put on his armor and his uniform. All his belongins in the backpack and the weapons at head he makes his way to the cargo bay from where his shuttle will depart.

[Lostbutseeking]

Sitting crosslegged on the floor of the cell, my hair not quite bothering to obey gravity as I meditate on the Immaterium when the slate beeps. Reality snaps back and I shake my head clear.

Reading the slate I sigh No Details. Never any details. Typical. I latch the thin sword to my waist and pull the unadorned crimson robes on over my clothes and pull the hood up Camouflage is always nice, no one ever bothers to look twice at red robes around here.

Collecting my travel pack I head out of the cell and through the corridors to the lift banks that lead to docking bay C04. The bay is utilatarian and nearly empty This emptyness must be orchestrated, given the size of this place and it's normal throughput. Looking around I spot two people who have arrived already and head towards them. Well that one is dressed as a Skitarri, whether he is though is another matter and the other ... a mercenary perhaps?

Reaching them I smile, though this largely concealed in the shadows of the hood. Hello, do you know if we are expecting anyone else?

[Kaynebot]

The dull, clean living cell made an almost perfect training room and even living space too for Xanthis. If only there was a little more room was only complaint Xanthis had about the room but that was for practice reasons not comfort. He was in the middle of an especially hard flourish of sword strokes when he saw a green light glinting out of the corner of his eye. This momentary distraction made his foot slip by the slightest degree. Those mechanicus always but in at the wrong time. was Xanthis' thought as he put his magnificent sword away. He walked over silently read the dataslate, suited up, and donned his red robe. When he walked out of his cell he had his arbitrator uniform on with a shotgun slung over his back and his sword slung at his side, with the robe draped over it all. He walks to the docking bay keeping to himself the whole way. There he waits for someone to step forward with more information.

[Dead_Jester]

As the fifth red-robbed stranger arrives in the largely desert loading bay, a small individual, unrecognizable as even human being behind the veil of cyber implants and the red robe he wears, exits the back cargo doors of the lander with a decidedly mechanical stride, and positioning himself between the group of outsiders and the lander, which is in fact a small intrasystem craft, pulls out what appears to be a small black metallic seemingly out of nowhere.

Indicating that you should come forward, he points at the device, his voice surprisingly human sounding despite the monotone."Protocol requires gene-scanning to ensure identity. Please step forward in an orderly fashion and present a digit for laceration and sampling. Procedure is relatively painless. If no digits are possessed, a 1 mL sample of blood will suffice."

Simultaneously, what appears to be a mechanized trolley filled with crates marked with the Cog Mechanicus stops besides the lander, and a group of large servitors equipped with lifting-claws begin loading the crates into the the lander. "A cargo hauler without cargo is suspicious. After gene-scanning, proceed to the seats at the back the hauler; there is adequate seating space for everybody, please do not sit or lay on top of cargo. In the event of an accident, the cargo compartment is meant to separate from the rest of the chassis and retro-dampers should ensure your safety. In the event of an attack, firing ports will open alongside the periphery of the cargo bay for your personal use." He adds, looking back at the small craft.

[Kaynebot]

Xanthis quickly stepped up to the line. "Please do get on with it." After the gene-scanning is finished Xanthis walks onto the cargo hauler and takes a seat at the back. He pulls out his sword and starts cleaning it with a methodicalness that would impress a priest. He was preparing himself to do work for the Emperor... in a roundabout way. That's what he told himself anyways.

[deluxaran]

Eisen goes last for the gene-scanning and presents his small finger for it, meanwhile he is looking around the cargo bay at his flight companions. Silently, he gets on the cargo hauler and takes a seat close to the door.

[Col.Straken]

Vex moved over to the tech priest and offered his thumb, well he wants going to damage either of his trigger fingers. "Don't see the need for this, no-else looks good enough to be me." he states with a sly smile.

Once his identity is confirmed, he boards the hauler, sitting opposite the guy cleaning his sword. Watching him for a few seconds he relaxes, leans back, and starts to roll a coin around his fingers. "That's a pretty stick you got there. Not much use in a gunfight though." he says nodding towards the sword, his grin widening a little, though it never reached his eyes which were constantly looking around. "I reckon you'd have your brains blown out before you even managed to get outta that seat."

[Lostbutseeking]

Letting my hand slip clear from the sleeves of my robe as I offer it up to the priest I wince slightly as it the device jabs me, more at a memory than any actual pain I never did like needles. I doubt anyone who lives through it does.

When the priest is done I board shuttle and take a seat. Shortly thereafter I pull my hood back and start to idly straighten my hair as I listen to the presumed mercenary twit a man cleaning his, obviously very fine, sword.

[Emperor Ing]

As per procedure, Cleave presents himself when called, and displays an implant designed specifically for making this procedure as quick as possible. Afterwards he returns to the group awaiting further instruction, momentarily distracted by the bout between the two mercenaries. He sincerely wishes this was a purely Mechanicus operation, he can't possibly imagine any logical explanation as to why the Priesthood would bring in outsiders, of all things. Surely there are Hyspasists to draw upon? Leave him alone, mercenary.

[Kaynebot]

After a few minutes of methodically cleaning his sword he sees the guy who was leaning against the wall walk on and into his seat. Then after a few seconds he sees him pull out a coin and start talking nonsense, Xanthis thinks I've heard plenty of these people before. He takes a couple seconds before issuing a reply. "Your not the first person to say that, you know. But somehow most everyone who has said that is dead." Xanthis says evenly and calmly not looking up from cleaning his sword. Then he looks up to see the face of who actually said this to him " The ones alive, are alive because they weren't heretics or breaking the law, like you" Xanthis leans back down to continue cleaning sword.

[Dead_Jester]

As the Skitarri soldier takes his seat, the back doors slowly close as lumen bulbs light up in the passenger compartment, the harsh flickering glare of the artificial light, rapidly overpowering what little exterior light can be seen through the scattered portholes.

A creaky voice erupts from the intercom system. "Primary Ignition Protocol commencing. Initiating automated transit." The doors closed, the deep rumbling of the engine ignition protocol can be heard, the smell of burning promethium filling the cabin, and the ship begins to move laterally, as if on rails, towards what seemed to be the back of the hangar. Less than a minute later, the movement stops, and a loud click can be heard from outside, followed shortly by a dramatic increase in the intensity of the engine's rumbling. "Takeoff Protocol commencing, please take a seat."

As the Tech-Priest's announcement finishes, you feel a very strong acceleration towards the top, the crafts engines roaring as they overpower the planet's gravitational pull. Shortly thereafter, the vertical acceleration diminishes, and a gradual shift to frontward acceleration is evident as another announcement is made."Flight Protocol commencing" Almost instantly, a cool breeze can be felt in the cabin, and the slow whirling of the aeration system heard as the smell of burning promethium is slowly replaced with that of machine incense. "ETA is 32:55 Het Standard Time."

[Col.Straken]

Vex grins again, this time a little more sincerely, he's about to reply when the take off procedure interrupts him. Once the flight path settles down, he looks at the swordsman again, "I'm not most everyone, I'm the best looking guy this side of the Eye, and those on the other side, well, they aren't much to compare against. eh? As for breaking the law, cant say I stuck by it too much, a guys gotta eat."

He eyes the others up, stopping on the only female on board for longer, he watched as she played with her hair, Well, at least we have ourselves a looker around here he thought to himself. "Hello there M'aam, what's a pretty gal like you doing here? he asks hoping to appeal to her with his natural charm, "Names Vex, well thats what everyone calls me, never did know what my parents called me. Hows about you?" he runs his right hand through his hair again and flashes her a brilliant smile that has wooed hundreds of women across the Sector.

[deluxaran]

Eisen looks at his fellow passengers and without saying anything with a small shrug he rummages trough his backpack and pull out the Primer and starts to read it.

[Lostbutseeking]

I still my hand as the mercenary speaks and the smiles at me I wonder how long he spends practicing that...

Smiling back I answer "Generally i'm Olivia, Apparently i'm here for a preliminary investigation, like you Vex. What of, I have no idea." a quick flash of a grin and then " I so rarely do. What do you all go by for names?"

[deluxaran]

Eisen pauses from his reading and speaks.Name's Eisen. Miss Olivia, can you please detail more about this preliminary investigation? Or anyone of you if you have the knowledge?

[Col.Straken]

Vex turns away from Olivia finally and shrugs at Eisen. "We go, we look, we shoot some stuff, we come home. That's how all Investigations go." He takes a second to scan the group again "Well we got a Lady, a guy with a pointy stick, a Cog-boy, a guy in Uniform, and Me. So to me that tells me they aren't expecting too much trouble, but they needed me to make sure you all got back in one piece." he settles back into his chair and starts playing with the coin again. "I'm just ready to get this Throne forsaken robe off."

[Lostbutseeking]

My fingers resume their twirling "I'm afraid I can't tell you the details Eisen, I haven't a clue what they are after all. I can't say I have ever been called a lady before though."

[Kaynebot]

After the take-off Xanthis continues cleaning his sword and listening to the turns of the conversation. "Names Xanthis." He says shortly after asked. "You know Vex, the talented hawk hides its talons." And with that Xanthis deliberately and carefully puts his sword away. He leans back clearing his mind while listening to the conversation.

[Emperor Ing]

Designation Lambda S2 CCLVI The mechanicum guard replies. Skitarii Support 2nd Class. He doesn't go on for much longer, apparently not having much else to say.

[Dead_Jester]

As the flight goes on, partly in idle chatter, partly in awkward silence, the intercomm systems buzzes again. "ETA 10 minutes, please return to your seat. I remind you that Data Vault Access Regulation Decree 8-c states that firearms of any type are forbidden inside Vaults, and any integrated weaponry must be depowered. Gene-locked arms lockers should be available upon entrance."

[deluxaran]

Eisen packs all his grenades, the death-light and the laspistol in the backpack, keeping the knife on himself. They said no firearms right?It seems that you are a lucky one Xanthis. Maybe someday you will teach me some more than what I know at the moment about melee weapons, that being:"The pointy stick goes into the enemy". Then he awaits for the ship to land, curious about what this meeting is all about.

[Emperor Ing]

Even the Skitarii knows that investigations are harder with firearm restrictions. Really all that does is empower interlopers who won't abide by Mechanicus regulations. Nevertheless he is willing to abide.

[Col.Straken]

As soon as the announcement comes on and states no firearms permitted Vex's blasé attitude vanishes and he turns slightly pale. "Whaoh, no-one said that before we left, no way no how am I leaving my guns anywhere with anyone except myself. Not even in a locker!" he starts to hyperventilate "You can forget it, I'm not doing it. I'd rather face down a herd of charging Grox than give up my guns."

He then shouts to the pilot, whether he can hear or not, or even if he would register the complaint "You better tell them that I'm keeping my guns, no Frakking way am I leaving them behind. You better tell them, and they better Frakking listen!"

[Emperor Ing]

The Skitarii puts his arm in front of Vex, urging him to calm down with veiled threats. The cogs of the Adeptus Mechanicus must always turn. If you want to fly in the face of the will of the Machine God, well...there is always a demand for Servitor components.

[Col.Straken]

Vex turns to the Skitarii "I'm not sure you understand Cog, let me spell it out for you. I. Am. Not. Giving. Up. My. Guns. No debate, I don't give a flying Frak about the cogs of the Mechanicus, they can try making me into a servitor but I promise they won't get close!" his hands float to his guns resting lightly on the handles.

[Kaynebot]

Xanthis was sitting back listening when the announcement came over about no firearms, well I least I don't feel the need to lug around my shotgun now, was his only thought about it. He was ready to respond to Eisen about having respect for weapons when he hears Vex freak out about his weapons. Xanthis chuckled a little before replying. "Looks like that hawk is going to get his talons removed." He leans his head forward and opens his eyes getting ready for the departure.

[Lostbutseeking]

As Vex starts to hyperventilate I reach out and rest my hand on his shoulder, then squeeze gently "Calmly Vex, Calmly. Panicing doesn't do anything for anyone and i'm sure a big strong man like you can handle a little trip into a datavault without your guns."