Chapter 7 Part 1

Chapter 7: Chaotic complications

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Part 1

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Victory Bay

Kronus

The Lord Inquisitor was something else, all right! Commissar Weber didn't know what they fed and taught baby Inquisitors in their Scholas, but it had to be the good stuff – there was no other way to explain how someone as young as him managed to pull off what their resident Inquisitor did in just a few short days, not to mention that he even survived it more or less intact! The way he wasn't affected by the little blank was astounding as well.

"Leftenant Groban, sort out working parties to see to our dead, Leftenant Konner, get your Medicaes on the wounded, yesterday!" Weber barked orders to get his troopers moving. They were good people, especially for soldiers of a PDF regiment from a messed-up place like Kronus. When it mattered, they didn't flinch and went after the Xeno for all they were worth, something the Commissar could only approve of. He knew very well that many of his colleagues who arrived with General Alexander weren't so lucky with their own regiments.

The only shadows staining his victory mood were the mechanical Xeno, those so-called Necrons milling around, and the Blood Ravens, which should have been unthinkable treason just a month ago. Now, after seeing firsthand the Emperor's Angels of Death shooting at loyal Guardsmen and PDF troopers because of something as innane as conflicting orders… Weber glanced at the back of the huge Astartes who went to speak with the Inquisitor and bristled. It simply wasn't right! He took a few deep breaths, doing his best to ignore the stench, and forced himself to calm down. The last thing anyone needed was for a Commissar of all people to loose his temper and do something regrettable. Still, he could dream of the Inquisition falling like the wrath of the Emperor himself upon everyone who had anything to do with the utter mess on Kronus, human and Xeno alike!

Weber just got everyone working on dealing with the battle's aftermath, when the Inquisitor emerged from the back of the Chimera. The Commissar's smile wavered when he saw the blank lass clutching Veil's side with one thin hand while she was busy munching on an opened field ration. Even at a distance, simply seeing the child was most unnerving experience, even before her wide open eyes starred blankly at him. Weber's smile froze on his face when the Inquisitor saw him and waved him to approach. He shook himself, he was a Commissar, for the Emperor's sake! He wasn't going to run from a little girl who when all was said and done was an asset for the Imperium!

Even if she made his skin crawl and feel like running as far away from her might be for the best…

"Inquisitor, how can I be of service?" Weber was proud that he kept his voice steady. Without being pumped with adrenaline and righteous anger at the Xenos, coming anywhere close to the brat was anything but easy.

"Commissar Weber, do us all a favour and find someone reliable to look after the child." Veil ruffed the blanks' short hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world, something that made the Commissar's appreciation of the man rise up another notch. To think he could handle her proximity and touch without flinching, it was simply incredible!

"I'll see to it personally, my Lord Inquisitor!" Weber declared and he was proud his voice rang with conviction. If the Inquisitor could force himself to tolerate the little blank, even her touch, he could do nothing less! He had an example to follow! "Hi there!" Weber waved at the girl trying to be as friendly as he could.

For better or worse she paid him no attention and continued to munch on her meal. Huh, were those waffles?!

"Good. I'm leaving her in your capable hands, Commissar. I'll be back to check on her once my meeting with the General is over. Take care." The Inquisitor offered Weber a salute and the Commissar hurried to return it.

Weber's determination took a nosedive once Veil managed to coax the blank to let him go and offered him her hand. Touching her was like handling a live power line! It was all Weber could do not to push her away and jump as far from the girl as he could. He had to keep repeating in his head that this wasn't her fault and that she wasn't going to hurt him or worse. That in fact, while in his presence he was as safe he could be from Chaos as one could get unless there was a genuine Emperor blessed Saint nearby!

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Eres Badlands

Kronus

A small convoy of vehicles drove through the baked hell that was the Eres Badlands. Every single machine was properly sanctified and blessed in the name of the Four Gods and repainted with blood and all kinds of holy symbols. The leading Chimera, which was faithfully liberated from the servants of the Golden Corpse, proudly wore the torso of a sacrifice as a hood ornament and liberally sprayed blood when the vehicle drove through any bump in what passed for roads in this forgotten place.

"I have fond memories from this place." Eliphas mussed from his seat on top of an ancient Rhino transport that drove in the center of the convoy. "It was over there I gutted couple of the Guilliman's boys..." He smiled in a fond memory and pointed at a small dusty hill in the distance. "I even kept their skulls until the last Black Crusade..." He continued. "Those were good times..."

"I don't care what you skull fetishists do to entertain yourselves nowadays, much less what you did ten thousand years ago." That unpleasant screech came from the Chaos Sorcerer ridding beside Chaos Champion.

Eliphas narrowed his eyes at the follower of Tzeentch, while the fingers of his right hand closed around the hilt of his good old Crozius. He had to remind himself that bashing in the skull of the Sorcerer right now would be counterproductive, no matter how much satisfying it would be. Perhaps once the ritual was done…

"We're almost there anyway." Eliphas pointed at the distance to the East. "Over there. Can you feel it Sorcerer? He hungers for blood. He can sense how the Corpse Worshipers and the Eldar are slaughtering each other." Those blue fools too, but who cared about them?

"The Prince of Pleasure would reward us for every Soulstone we sacrifice to him." The Sorcerer nodded in agreement.

The Chaos Champion looked back at the transports driving behind his ride, and smiled in approval. He could see the faces of many eager sacrifices, who had been busy carving the signs of their devotion in their own flesh and that of their children. While he usually preferred to spill the blood of the unbelievers and then feed their souls to the Gods, he had to admit that there were times when there was no substitute to blood and lives willingly sacrificed for the faith. This was going to work beautifully, he was sure of it!