Chapter: 3.2
Chapter: Accazius II
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Part: 2
Onboard Departmento Munitorum: Imperial Transport 'Gauntlet'
Inquisitorial Quarters
The Inquisitor turned on her heel, marching out of the Bridge, making it clear that she was less than pleased with these turns of events. With each step, her mood got worse and worse, and all her plans and contingencies regarding a groundward invasion were flushed out of her head.
She made her way back to her quarters but stopped next to a corridor leading down to the ship's armory.
"Hmm~"
Her eyes narrowed as she thought back to the two troop cards in her Void-Engine Inventory and smiled. The time was ripe to summon them, after all, her 'retinue' wouldn't exist unless there were living and breathing bodies to fill up posts.
Greybrand's mind buzzed with anticipation as she made her way to the armory, an unnoticeable skip in her steps. She arrived at the entrance to the armory and acknowledged the Troopers stationed there. As they recognized the Inquisitorial Insignia hanging from her neck, their expressions changed from vigilance to exasperation and then to respect.
"Open the armory doors,"
She commanded, her voice carrying the weight of her position as an Inquisitor of the Imperium.
The guards hastened to obey, activating the mechanisms to unlock the heavy blast doors. With a hiss of hydraulics, the doors slid open, revealing arrays of weapons, armor, and equipment being tended to by a couple of Tech-priests, mostly Enginseer and a couple of others she could've named but didn't bother to.
She motioned for them to leave her alone and they did so, but not before muttering a couple of curses in Binary which, of course, she couldn't make out. Once alone within the storeroom filled with rows of racks and shelves holding deadly implements of war, the Inquisitor called upon her 'patron,'
"Watcher, how do I call out the troops that the Void Engine gave me?"
Her voice was barely audible amidst the tightly packed shelves, and the holographic interface materialized before her once again, displaying the cards representing the Phantom Operatives and the UNSC-ONI Escort Unit. With a bit of focus, the card for the Escort Unit drew out of the interface.
[Summoning initiated. Stand by for deployment.]
The air crackled with energy as the chamber filled with a bluish glow. From the shimmering light emerged fifteen figures clad in slick black armor adorned with Imperial insignias and golden Aquila. Among them stood three towering figures in olive-green armor, their presence exuding an aura that reminded her of... neophytes?
She didn't know how to respond to their presence, so she simply stared at them with one of those death glares that the Inquisition teaches all their Acolytes.
The ODSTs and SPARTANs regarded her with disciplined nods, their faces were hidden behind their helmets. Greybrand noted their silence and glanced at the interface which showcased their descriptions,
[Name: Ariadne-218 (Ariadne Credelle)
Race: Human (SPARTAN II)
Allegiance:
Inquisitor Seraphia Credelle Greybrand
The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition; Ordo Xenos
Attributes:
Physique: 350/With Armor (150/Without Armor)
Psyke: 10 (Omicron Grade)]
The one named Ariadne was standing at the very forefront of the three SPARTANs, although, it would have been almost impossible to tell them apart since their armors were almost entirely identical. Why on Terra's holy grounds did they have the same surname?
[Name: Enyo-222 (Enyo Credelle)
Race: Human (SPARTAN II)
Allegiance:
Inquisitor Seraphia Credelle Greybrand
The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition; Ordo Xenos
Attributes:
Physique: 320/With Armor (145/Without Armor)
Psyke: 10 (Omicron Grade)]
A second female? Fine by her but... what in the Emperor's holy arse was up with her surname?
[Name: Athena-155 (Athena Credelle)
Race: Human (SPARTAN II)
Allegiance:
Inquisitor Seraphia Credelle Greybrand
The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition; Ordo Xenos
Attributes:
Physique: 370/With Armor (160/Without Armor)
Psyke: 10 (Omicron Grade)]
This was the last straw, she snapped at the 'Watcher' that had its Warp damned rear fixated inside the Void Engine.
"Tell me, watcher, why are these SPARTANs all female, and why in the name of all that is holy, do they have the same surname as me!?"
The holographic interface flickered for a moment before responding with the calm tone of the Watcher,
[I thought it would be amusing, Insignificant one, and I just happened to be finding it quite amusing. As for your and their shared surname, it is merely a coincidence, albeit a curious one.]
Greybrand narrowed her eyes at the explanation.
Coincidence? Yeah right!
Her frustration simmered beneath her controlled facade as she processed the Watcher's response. She resisted the urge to lash out verbally, reminding herself of the precariousness of her situation. Instead, she took a deep breath, her mind already calculating the implications of this unexpected development.
"Amusing,"
She muttered under her breath, her tone tinged with sarcasm.
"Very well, Watcher. Amusement aside, they will serve their purpose."
The Inquisitor turned her attention back to the three super-augmented soldiers, they were slightly stronger than a neophyte, if she had to guess, but the 'Watcher' would be able to answer her question.
"Watcher, care to explain how strong are they?"
[SPARTANs, Insignificant one? Hmm~ An example would be more appropriate to explain this matter. Adeptus Astartes, or Space Marines, undergo extensive modifications, transforming them into heavily enhanced beings that transcend the limitations of regular humans. In contrast, SPARTANs share similarities with Astartes but exhibit fewer augmentations and performance disparities in comparison.
This was more than enough information for her, smaller and faster but much less durable versions of Space Marines.
"They would do."
It had been roughly five minutes since she had summoned them and the ODSTs were still standing at attention but the three SPARTANs had dispersed and were busy looking around the armory for new toys. The one named Athena-155, the bulkier of the three, had dislodged a Chain Sword from its position on the rack, and before Greybrand could warn her, the Spartan pushed the throttle, but the chain sword didn't respond.
The weapon's failure to activate was not because of the lack of fuel in its mini promethium canisters, the tech-priests had been working their arse off to maintain all weapons in the armory after the combat alert, but because f the lack of respect that the warrior showed towards the weapon.
She sighed, letting her guard down far too early.
The Spartan remained undaunted by the lack of response from the weapon and slammed her fist against the promethium engine... and the chain sword roared to life.
Greybrand's eyes twitched as she thought about how the Tech-Priests would respond to this insult towards the machine spirit and the Omnissiah, eliciting another sigh from the tired Inquisitor.
The roar of the Chain Sword's engine activating echoed in the armory, drawing the attention of both the ODSTs and the other SPARTANs who, to Greybrand's dismay, started to dislodge another pair of Chain Swords from the armory rack. Athena-155, undeterred by her companion's new toys and the initial hiccup, swung the weapon through the air with practiced ease, testing its weight and balance.
The Inquisitor's expression turned expressionless as she wished to warp with the tech priests' complaints. Her attention turned back to the Void Engine's interface, displaying data on the ODSTs',
[Name: Ruth Credelle
Race: Human (ODST Minor-Augmentations)
Allegiance:
Inquisitor Seraphia Credelle Greybrand
The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition; Ordo Xenos
Attributes:
Physique: 160/With Armor (80/Without Armor)
Psyke: 12 (Nu Grade)]
Greybrand groaned once again, exasperated at the 'Watcher's' humor, and shook her head. She nodded to herself and acknowledged the SPARTAN's antics,
"Put the chain sword down, Athena-155; we have more pressing matters at hand."
Athena-155 complied, deactivating the chain sword and carefully returning it to its designated spot. The other SPARTANs continued their exploration of the armory, inspecting various weapons and equipment.
[It's their old habits, they like new toys to play with.]
Greybrand watched as the SPARTAN obediently returned the chain sword to its place, her expression softening slightly at the compliance. She made a mental note to ensure that her new subordinates understood the importance of respecting the machinery aboard the ship, especially in the presence of the Tech-priests.
The Inquisitor's frustration lingered, but she quickly refocused on the immediate task at hand. The holographic interface continued to display information about the summoned troops,
[United Nations Space Command
Office of Naval Intelligence
Operational Report: ODST Squad "Sentinel" and SPARTAN-II Kill Team "Aegis"
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Unit Designation: Aegis Valkyrie
Commanding Officer:
- ODST: Captain Elena Credelle
- SPARTAN: Ariadne-218
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Unit Composition:
1. ODST Squad "Sentinel":(10)
- Armament: M247H HMG, M392 DMR, M45 TS, M90 Shotguns, M41 SSR MAV/AW.
- Specialization: Close Protection Specialists (CPS), Tactical Support Team (TST), Technical Security Specialists (TSS), & Medical Response Team (MRT).
2. SPARTAN-II Operatives:(3)
- Armament: MJOLNIR GEN2 Powered Assault Armor (Variant: Warrior)
- Specialization: Heavy Assault Specialization (HAS)...
3. Support Vehicles:
- M831 Troop Transport: Light troop transport
- M12A1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle: Light anti-vehicular
- M274R Mongoose: Reconnaissance/light scout
4. Medical Officer - Lieutenant Morgan Credelle
- Role: Combat Medic
- Equipment: Advanced medical kit, Biofoam applicators, Nanobot injectors
- Specialization: Field triage and emergency medical support
5. Technical Specialist - Chief Petty Officer Ryan Credelle
- Role: Technical Support
- Equipment: Portable hacking devices, drone surveillance kit, M7S Submachine Gun
- Specialization: Technical support for SPARTAN armor systems.
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