Chapter 1 Part 5

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Inquisition

=ATBS=

Part 5​

Diomedes residential complex

Elysium District

Victory Bay

In hindsight, my idea turned out to be sub-optimal. The heavy armed and armored servitors that had us pinned in the end of the corridor made that point very clear.

"Sir, you could have warned us about them!" Santos shouted over the roar of bolter rounds disintegrating the corridor leading to Requista's quarters.

"Throw a Krak grenade or two downrange." I snapped back.

Everything started so well too. First, Captain Thule had agreed to be somewhat reasonable and informed us that he would sent a Space Marine to meet us on the main route leading to Deimos. He would also try not to annihilate any more Guard companies while we searched for Requista, though he didn't made any firm promises on that point.

Getting to the district where the Inquisitor was staying went without a hitch too. It was quite enjoyable too. This place had parks! With actual real trees and plants! It so damned green and bloody awesome!

It was the first time I remember being this close to live plants, you know.

Thanks to the view I was in a rather high spirits when we reached the ten story residential building where Requista had made his lair.

The Stormtrooper obeyed and retrieved the grenades from his harness. In the meantime I concentrated, opening my mind to the Warp. Touching it was as exhilarating as ever, yet it made me flinch. It felt even nastier and more turbulent than few hours ago. Whatever was affecting it so wasn't good news. With an ugly snarl I fueled myself with the Warp's tainted power, channeling and shaping it. Purple energies coiled around my left hand, manifesting in the form of lighting. Allowing the Immaterium to enhance my senses I let my mind expand until I knew where exactly the Combat Servitors were standing.

I gave a sharp nod to Santos and moved faster than an ordinary human had any right to be. My hand leaned over the corner behind which we were hiding and I released the Warp-craft I had prepared. That was followed by the Corporal throwing the grenades.

The eldritch bolt slammed into the chassis of the closest Servitor, caving in the armor as if it was a tissue paper, before hitting something important. I could feel the former man freeze in its tracks before the Kraks hit, bathing the corridor in fire and shrapnel. The overpressure wave slammed into us next, though my Warp enhanced body and the Stormtroopers' armor kept us intact.

I didn't release my connection with the Immaterium until I was reasonably sure that both Combat Servitors were disabled.

"I think that they're done. Check carefully and shoot them a few times to make sure." I grunted and gently let go of my connection with the Warp, while quietly reciting prayers to the Emperor. The power reluctantly left me, leaving me weaker and hungry for more.

There was something damn wrong with the Warp and considering what exactly it was at the best of times, that was saying something.

I finished my prayer, while Valencia and Dole - the other two Stormtroopers - gleefully shot to pieces what was left from the Servitors. The latter wasn't something I was going to mention to any Cog-head. They tended to be peeved off and downright murderous about such things.

Strange people.

I shook my head, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. That was usually hard just after I had stopped channeling the Warp. My mind kept jumping to odd places or the desire to open myself for more power.

It was a distracting issue, one that I was taught should be mitigated as I gained more experience and until then I should be praying for the Emperor's protection and hope for the best - or so my instructors taught me.

It was too bad that the Emperor was undoubtedly too busy dealing with much bigger issues than one poor, novice Psyker who was liable to get killed while distracted.

"It's clear, sir." Santos shouted from down the corridor.

I leaned over the corner and winced. The place was torn to shreds from bolter and laser fire, even before the rather energetic way we ended the firefight.

"Good. Now let's see what other surprises the Lord Inquisitor had left us."

"You first, sir. You have a better chance of dealing with whatever awaits us in there." Santos' voice lacked any emotion.

"Don't worry. I won't be using you as bait for any traps. That would be a waste."

Were those sighs of relief I heard? I shrugged and carefully avoided the smoldering remains of the Servitors.

Getting almost killed was my fault. I should have known better. It was a no-brainer that an Inquisitor would have defenses protecting their quarters. When I first saw the Combat Servitors – humans turned into two meter tall murderous cyborgs with cogitators for brains, I was overconfident. So far my Sigil had been sufficient to get me through most everything I faced. Besides it had a lot of codes buried within it, so I could be identified for who I was.

That's why I presented it to be scanned with no care in the world.

"Codes not recognized. Intruders detected."

Those words chilled my blood.

"BACK!" I shouted and at the same time disregarded most of what I was taught about safely touching the Warp. I sprang through my mental defenses and plunged my mind in the Immaterium. The raw power made me feel giddy, like a god among men. The tainted energies ran through my body at the speed of thought, enhancing me beyond what was usually possible for a human.

"Inquisitorial Sigil detected… Error.. Engaging intruders..."

The weapons of the Servitors were already aiming at me when I channeled the Warp into a blunt wave of physical force that threw them off their feet.

That didn't stop them from opening fire with built in lasguns, though it fortunately threw off the aim of the rather large bolters they had built into their arms.

I wasted no time, turned tail and sprinted down the corridor, hoping that my carapace would be up to the task. I stumbled as my back was hit, but continued running. I was almost at the end when searing pain lanced over my right hand. Another blast caught me in the back and this time sent me flailing on the floor. Before the Combat Servitors could blast me to pieces, a strong hand pulled me behind the corner.

Not a moment too soon, because a second later my former position was torn apart by bolter fire.

I winced. That had been particularly dumb and overconfident thing to do. My body shook as the adrenalin that had flooded me at the start of the firefight started draining out. Just great. My first time out working and I almost got myself and the Stormtroopers killed. Not a nice start at all. Not to mention that if I wasn't enhanced by the Warp at the time, that shot would have blasted off my arm instead of letting me get off with only a nasty burn.

A few deep breaths and a calming mental exercise later, I had centered myself. Somewhat.

This time I accessed the Warp properly, which meant very, very carefully. Its tainted power washed over me, invigorating my body. I closed my eyes, letting my mind wander forward into Requista's quarters. I could sense no more servitors, though there was something blessed, which shone hard enough in the Warp that it prevented me from perceiving anything past the corridor leading deeper in the apartment.

I pulled out my chainsword, brought it to screaming life and tore apart the battered heavy wooden doors that were in my way. Splinters flew in all directions as the obstacle disintegrated under my strikes. Once I had the doors done for, I looked inside.

Even the small corridor I could see was quite opulent. Expensive rugs over marble, walls covered with wooden paneling and paintings… The place looked fit for a noble. Apparently Requista liked his creature comforts. Can't say I blame him really.

A Warp blast, similar to what I used to disable one of the servitors obliterated the next door from a safe distance. That turned out to be simple paranoia, because no further attackers materialized. No traps were triggered either, but after my earlier mishap I was suddenly a firm believer in the better safe than messily dead school of thought.

I went through the blasted door, ready to jump back in the corridor and run like hell if needed. I found myself in a large living room, furnished richly and tastefully enough that most nobles would be hard pressed to find a reason to complain, though that was less than helpful in this situation. Until I laid my eyes on a large table surrounded by intricately carved stools. It had an old fashioned paper map strewn over it. I walked there and looked it over. Sure enough, it depicted the Deimos Peninsula, though there weren't any helpful markings showing where Requista went.

Fortunately I wasn't limited to what was visible to the naked eye. Looking at the map through the prism of the Warp was different. There were spots that psychically resonated, though I lacked a certain context, a point from which to attack the problem.

I needed an item belonging to Requista, one on which his presence had been imprinted. I drew back, leaving only a tiny connection between my mind and the warp and looked around. The most likely place I would find something was the room where I could sense the relic, but that was also the last one I was going to check. I was sure that there were additional protections around it.

Luckily I didn't need to go in there. In the dining room I found a crimson cloak lying discarded on a chair. It had the stylized symbol of the Inquisition embodied on it, though nothing else special I could feel. No protective runes or anything like that.

That was actually great. No one but an Inquisitor would dare wear such an article of clothing.

I went next to the cloak and touched it, focusing on it through the Warp. My head was starting to throb already but I got what I needed.

The world around me shattered, the Warp clawing at my mind. A blurry image appeared.

A man, a bit taller than myself. Middle aged, graying and receding short hair. Scarred face with bionic eye shining in the night. Just looking at him, you'd simply disregard him like someone unimportant, unimpressive.

Something that served him well. He looked at me and the vision shattered.

I stumbled back and groaned. My head was killing me. What was to follow was going to be really unpleasant. The state of the Warp around here made even the relatively simple things exhausting and painful even if it freely offered more power than I could comfortably handle at the best of days. The very act of touching it was the greatest power trip ever combined with walking through the sewers of a wretched Hive city.

I returned to the map all the while muttering prayers to the Emperor.

Now that I was familiar with Requista's psychic signature, I had something to work with. I went deeper into the Warp. Disregarding the whispering voices in the back of my head I concentrated on the places on the map that had the strongest emotional imprint.

Requista was leaning over the table, speaking to someone I couldn't see. I couldn't hear his words, they were unintelligible whispers, though I could see where he was pointing. He shook his head and moved his finger towards the mountains in the middle of the peninsula. His tone became more insistent. His face twisted into a grimace.

My vision became blurry, then turned red. My head felt like it was about to explode. The Warp around me was getting even more restless if that was even possible. I could feel something skittering, it was hissing hungrily and getting closer.

It took all my remaining willpower to tear myself away and plunge back firmly into my body. My trembling lips were busy muttering litanies of protection against Chaos.

I didn't know how close that thing came to attacking me, whatever the cursed warp-spawn was, but it was too close for comfort. I felt something wet sliding down my cheeks and brushed it with a finger before looking at it.

It was blood.

"Fuck." I groaned.

"Sir, are you all right?" Santos' voice was wary, on edge.

"I"ll live. That was to close to comfort." I whispered in a tired voice. "At least I know where the Inquisitor went. We need to go. And call the medic, he should look me over. I almost melted my damn brain."

That didn't reassure the Stormtroopers. When I looked up at them, they were pointing their Hotshots at me.