Saturday, August 25, 2007

Transcript of a conversation between the commanders of the Oathkeeper Chapter, Sister Clara Amparion and Inquisitor Alastor Drakonis, taken from the records of Chief Librarian Octavius Drakonis' familiar.

Isaiah Aetos: "My brothers remain grateful for the assistance the Inquisition has lent them, Alastor. But the situation has changed. Confirmation has just come in from aerial surveillance. Julian has crushed the Orks. Whatever he and his masters wished to gain from them he now has. Our time has run out."

Alastor Drakonis: "Captain, if you act rashly you may bury us all. Do not charge into the daemon's den."

Octavius Drakonis: "According to your own reports the daemonic infestation is centred in Julian's capital city of Ariacad. The Chapter's intends to launch a surprise lightning strike at his bastion in order to penetrate his defences. When they arrive, your own forces may join us in the siege of the city itself if you so wish."

Claudius Varnus: "I would not count on the element of surprise. You will recall that my... interrogations... have yet to completely root out the subversive element in this Chapter."

Octavius: "And you will recall, Brother Chaplain, that there is no proof as of yet that any such element exist. The three brothers you submitted to Alastor have all been cleared of any wrongdoing."

Alastor: "Let us try not to get sidetracked. I am afraid this is no longer a matter of destroying the abominations of the warp. When Julian destroyed the Orks, he retrieved a tome of tremendous power. A tome that we ourselves thought to be lost. It is already in the hands of his master."

Clara Amparion: "His master?"

Alastor: "Yes... Sarados is his name. I detected his presence last night. Surely you felt him too, brother... a pillar of malevolent psychic energy. When your Chaplain brought news of an Alpha Legion presence on this world, he was the first name to come to mind. I am afraid to say that our worst nightmares have come true."

Isaiah: "Who is this Sarados?"

Alastor: "Alpharius' lieutenant... A Space Marine whose records stretch back to the Great Crusade. When Alpharius turned on the Emperor, Sarados was at the fore. Oceans of blood are on his hands. I first encountered him while hunting a heretic from our own ranks ten years ago. I had the heretic cornered when fifty Marines appeared from out of thin air. A hundred Imperial Stormtroopers in the service of the Emperor and thirty members of the Daughters of the Emperor were killed in one hour. At the same time, a fleet came from the warp and lay waste to the planet's hives. Millions died. I myself hardly escaped with my life."

Isaiah: "Brother Claudius, was this Sarados among the Chaos warriors you encountered?"

Claudius: "No. I do not believe so. The stronger of the Chaos champions was not a psyker and the sorcerer he brought with him seemed to be a subordinate."

Clara: "And the tome you mentioned? What of that?"

Alastor: "The Shrine of St. Aerith was captured by the Orks at an early date. In it are the bones of an Imperial martyr."

Clara: "The Blessed Lady, Aerith, yes, I know that. But what could Chaos possibly gain by desecrating her?"

Alastor: "What is not known, sister, is that Aerith sacrificed herself to kill a sorcerer by the name of Zi'isrel, a man said to have eluded the Emperor himself during the Great Crusade. The book and its blasphemous secrets were protected from destruction by black magic and so it was interred with the very martyr that sealed it. It has now been unearthed."

Isaiah: "And what foul acts do these heathens seek to undertake?"

Alastor: "I know not. But Sarados is more powerful now then ever before. To face him without our combined forces will be madness."

Isaiah: "And to give him the time to call more foul beasts of the warp to his side is equally mad. Inquisitor, we have waited long enough. My Oathkeepers will consign our souls to the Emperor and move. That is all we can do."

Clara: "I agree! Please, Captain, let me and my sisters come too! Julian damned this entire world... my friends, my family... my home. All gone thanks to that... that monster. Please, let me fight. Let me avenge this world."

Isaiah: "There have been enough martyrs in this war already, sister. If anything were to happen to you, then this entire Chapter would grieve for the loss. But... I shall see what I can do to deliver Julian to your hands. I believe that the Emperor would deem that to be just."

Clara: "Thank you... Isaiah."

Alastor: "If this is the course that you are set upon, Captain, then I can do nothing to stop you. I simply pray that this not lead to disaster."

Isaiah: "As do I, Inquisitor. As do I."

2 comments:

Sputnik said...

All you will find this day is death, and forever after only pain.

Naelok said...

All I found... was victory.