Third Inquisitorial Mission - Sixth Session - The Ignis Fidelis Incident

[01/21/17]  Begin Transmission:  Debriefing of  Trooper Xerxes Severus - Arbitrator at Ignis Fidelis, Sector 5.  117.014.M42:17:20 LST:

"I was Adeptus Arbites under Investigator Jeroboam Gortner in Sector Five in Ignis Fidelis.  I served there for eight months.  This was my first assignment after graduating Quantus.  About a hundred days ago I was on the hunt for a serial murderer in the slag pits, that's what we call the purificator levels.  I was with a certain archivist for the Administratum, a valet named Cortez.  We found the source of the murders and it was none other than a horde of ghillam, or hullghasts or some such mutants.  Anyway, we were outnumbered and I was blowing them away with my shotgun.  I killed a few.  But someone got us with a webber and we were taken to some boss mutie called Heat Mizer, I guess because he likes melta guns and flamers.  He wore a suit of boarding armor with a reinforced photo-visor.  It looked like a firesuit.  He told us he kept us alive for the Ritual, whatever that was.  They took all our gear and fed us with some foul foods and drink, the bare minimum to keep us alive.  A few weeks later I reckon, these folks showed up with a bunch of autoguns and grenades blowing the hell outta the place.  I was able to finally make some progress in freeing myself from the sticky webbing and helped them attack the mutants.  I nearly died on a couple of occasions as Heat Mizer burned a couple streams of melta past me.  It was a near debacle.  Two of them died, one of them was Simon who was an overseer in Sector Nine.  He gave me the heavy flamer he was carrying around.  The other casualty was Cortez who struggled late to get out of the webbing.  Two more lost their arms.  But we finally killed Heat Mizer when I caught him on fire with the heavy flamer.  He was damned diehard.  Anyway, he started cooking off promethium and melta fuel and I hurried to get the crew back to their lander in Bay Twelve.  The co-pilot was a decent medicae and helped Stern and Castus as we made our way back to their survey ship."

End of Line.

Begin Transmission:  Communique from Throne Agent <classified> to Magos Geza Takahashi-44.  119.014.M42:  Hive Tarsus, Scintilla.

"Your expertise is necessary for the grafting of artificial limbs (right and left arms) for Stern Dekko and Castus Eli, both acolytes for the Inquisition under Inquisitor <classified>.  They have served the Emperor well and deserve these merits.  Our donative to the Priests of Mars shall be as we agreed yesterday.  I want no complications.  Thank you."

Magos Geza Takahashi-44 to Throne Agent <classified> 122.014.M42:  Hive Sibellus, Scintilla.

"The operations were both successful.  Once again the Omnissiah has gifted your acolytes with the parting of useless flesh and replaced it with the sturdy and eternal components of plastic and hypoallergenic steel.  Castus had some issues with twisting his wrist to the right quickly, but prayers and rituals to the Omnissiah have ensured its correction.  Call upon me again if you should have need of me."

Intercepted vox-pattern transmission from Taltos (no known ID) to Cavendish (ID #38di0q3933i) Gunmetal City, Scintilla.

"I have a suspicion that the one who killed Meiko in the urinals of the Panopticus is the same one who offed your master.  He has done us a supreme indignity but did not upset Twojob's wetwork.  Nonetheless, he should be taught a lesson in manners.  I have already forwarded the gelt to your account.  Here are several pics of him taken from the Panopticus security cherubim.  Send him a message.  The Omazu will not forget."

Communique from Throne Agent <classified> to Inquisitor <classified>  120.014.M42:

"Gamma Protocol successful, master.  They made it to the Second Magnitude before they fell.  It would have been a total wash if it was not for a certain arbitrator called Xerxes Severus.  He was debriefed and found free of corruption and insanity.  Request X be added to Sigma Jericho."

Reply comm from Inquisitor <classified> to Throne Agent <classified>  132.014.M42:

"Good.  They are improving.  However, if you recall, cabal Omicron Tyre made it to Fourth Magnitude and still fell to sinful chaos.  But the fact they there was no retreat until the foe was in flames warms my Imperial heart, and gives gladness to the Emperor.  You did well to replace their lost limbs and, yes, include Xerxes to Sigma Jericho.  Should he refuse, follow standard procedure.  This ends the Protocols.  They are now Trusted Servants (except for Xerxes, he is still in initiate status).  Begin Operation Real Life."

Communique from Throne Agent <classified> to Inquisitor <classified> 143.014.M42:

"I would like the records to indicate my concern as I think ORL is too soon at this juncture, but it is not my will but the Emperor's be done.  As you wish, master."

Stern Dekko earned 200 xp and an artificial arm.
Castus Eli earned 200 xp and an artificial arm.
Xerxes Severus earned 330 xp and a permanent Fate Point.

End of Line.

Third Inquisitorial Mission - Fifth Session - The Ignis Fidelis Incident

[12/10/16]  Throne Agent <classified> briefing to Sigma Jericho - 087.014.M42:

"Orbiting the ninth moon of the gas giant Synford IV, the industrial orbital complex called Ignis Fidelis processes the ores of the nearby asteroid belt.  The station is six hundred years old and has a contigent of Adeptus Mechanicus priests on hand to console and placate the machine spirits that infest the extractors and purifiers there.
Since the culmination of the Malygrisian Tech-Heresy sixty-seven years ago, the system is a shadow of its former glory as a forge world.  It still operates but barely so, at great expense and longer time.
Several chartist vessels have recorded a distress signal coming from the station.  The last signal was recorded over ninety Standard days ago.  There are no Adeptus Astartes within closer than eight weeks warp-route, therefore, you will have to do.
Certain catchwords used in the distress signal seem to indicate heretical influence.  We will send you in a lighter vessel from the Imperial Survey Ship, Panopticus, to land on the station and ascertain what is going on there.  The Survey vessel will stay within vox range in orbit of Synford IV, but do not be surprised if the strange magnetosphere surrounding the gas giant interferes with vox signals.  It has happened there in the past and was a well-known issue on Ignis Fidelis.  Investigate, transcribe, record and report.  May the God-Emperor of Mankind cast his eternal light upon your endeavors."

End of briefing

Intel gathered from data slate #38djke83io3k possessed by Acolyte Castus Eli - 117.014.M42:

"Lighter craft Malatesta inserted our cabal consisting of myself, Stern Dekko and Twerda Fuqarwi into Ignis Fidelis on 097.014.M42:16:44 IST.  Told Malatesta to wait for us.  We had a three hour window before they left for the Panopticus.  We found carnage and the taint of mutation throughout this cursed refinery.  Bodies of Adeptus Mechanicus enginseers and servitors were strewn over catwalks and hung from cables and cords from the pipes in the ceilings.  We found a startled Mechanicus prole called Caleb 7803 who was in the grips of total fear.  He told us of the Pale Throng and how they convert humans into their kind which is a strange amalgam of living and dead tissue.  We put him out of his misery and moved on to a barricaded control facility where we found a frightened laborator called Simon who brandished a stub revolver at us.  After we talked him down and revealed our inquisitorial affiliation, he joined our cause to eliminate the foul threat of the Pale Throng.  He further informed us that there were two bosses in charge of the facility:  Heat Miser and Cold Miser, and they, in turn, were enslaved by The Master who holds court in Core Vault One in the center of the refinery.  He was in possession of a heretical artifact known as the Inverted Crown which holds all the Pale Throng in thrall.  To destroy it, we needed to locate the Holy Charge Pack of St. Nicolai of the Sainted Claws which is supposedly attuned to a frequency to destroy the atomic structure of the unholy Crown.  Stern had a laspistol.  I hoped that was enough as none of us carried any lasweapons.  

He then led us to a freight elevator and we went to the next level down.  There we encountered a dozen mutants led by a hulking super-mutant wielding a heavy flamer.  We slew the lot and took possession of the heavy flamer.  Due to its bulk, we gave it to Simon who was reluctant to carry it.  We discovered that Heat Miser was above us in a sealed tank and there were two entrances into it.  We tried the first and somehow we ruined the maglock such that we could no longer enter.  We moved around to the other one and encountered more mutants on the catwalks.  Slaying them easily enough, we finally reached the second entrance where the maglock was intact..."

To be continued next session...

Intercepted transcript from Outlier courier over shigawire <classified>.  Gunmetal City, Scintilla.

First Voice:  (Asian accent) "So let me see if I have this right?  You say this guy pounded your servo-skull to dust then grabbed a soda-straw and sniffed the crushed bone fragments up his nose?"

Second Voice:  (Calixis accent) "Yes.  Then his eyes went wild and his nose started bleeding.  Then Meiko gave him a warning or something and went to the restroom."

FV:  "What did you do during this time?"

SV:  "I walked in a few seconds later, saw this tatooed, blonde headed brute kicking the holy hell outta Meiko and Yashido.  There was blood all on the tiled floor and Meiko was face down in a urinal that that idiot kept flushing while slapping Yashido around."

FV:  "And you did....what?"

SV:  "I got the fuck outta there.  That guy's fuckin' nuts!"

FV:  "I see.  Then what did you do?"

SV:  "I went back to my seat in the lounge.  Later, that nutjob comes out with water all over him and he sits next to his buddies at the bar and puts his arm around some suit.  I think he's gay."

FV:  "Get to the point.  Did you do anything to stop him later on?"

SV:  "Uh...no, sir.  I kept out of it so someone could tell you what happened."

FV:  "I see.  Well, you've done your job.  Congratulations."  (sound of two muffled thumps.  Then a door hisses.)
FV:  "Get this pathetic carcass out of my sight."

Third Voice:  (Gunmetal accent)  "Yessir.  There's a guy just come in.  He mentioned our contact in Praetoris, should I let him in?"

FV:  "Well, who the hell is he?"

TV:  "He says he works for the Inquisition.  He showed us his rosette--"

FV:  "By the Emperor's Balls!  Let him in for fuck's sake!  If he's an inky, then we--"

(Sound of a crack and a heavy thud)  FV:  Holy Mother Terra!

Fourth Voice:  (Core accent)  "When I show my authority I expect to be shown in.  Not to wait for an indeterminate period of time."

FV:  "Of course, inquisitor.  Excuse my servants they don't know their manners.  Please, have a seat."

4V:  "I prefer to stand.  (sound of a lho-stick igniting)  I understand you are a person of some importance in the Gunmetal underworld."

FV:  "I...uh...well....yes, I suppose, I er..."

4V:  "You lost two of your goons recently on an Imperial survey ship bound for Synford?"

FV:  "Uh... yes I did."

4V:  "Then you and I have much to discuss..."

End of shigawire manuscript <classified>.
End Of Line.