Chapter 10 Part 9
Chapter 10: Tonight, we dine in hell
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Part 9
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Aceria Forests
Kronus
It should have taken them days, no weeks, to properly perform all the necessary rituals! Awakening such ancient, Holy Machine Spirits blessed by the Omnissiah Himself, was a slow, careful, and precise work! Magos Explorator Gaius should have had the time to examine the beyond ancient corridors at his leisure and bask at the everlasting achievements of the Ancients, before even thinking about touching the Holy Machinery!
Instead, in a few hours, the Necrons had the whole facility opened up, mapped and their Drones were busy repairing everything in a crude mockery of the Omnissiah's sacred rituals!
It was working…
The Astartes guarding Gaius and his acolyte were even happy at the insanely dangerous and improperly fast progress. The Magos Explorator himself was torn. The unfolding events had all the hallmarks of sacrilege, and he was one of the more progressive members of the Mechanicus. He didn't even want to think about the reaction of his more conservative peers, who were now too busy being dead after Scipio-Ro-11 and his cohorts purged them with Inquisitorial backing.
The old Magos knew that sooner or later there would be hell to pay and to avoid the worst of the fallout, he needed a result. This facility was a good start. The Necron supplied technology. If approved, would help as well. However, they weren't the reason why Gaius was on Kronus. His allies back home wanted the legacy of Magos Paladius, and all leads they could discover led to this forgotten world. Due to Xeno and Heretical interference, Gaius was unable to find anything tangible. Just rumors and the barest traces of Paladius' presence in the distant past. This facility didn't answer any pressing questions, merely raised new ones.
For example, the place had been sealed for ten thousand years. There was no trace it had been breached or opened for that manner, until now. Yet, there were clear traces of combat inside, including the remnants of the Tech-Priests and guards manning it. How heresy found its place inside, Gaius had no idea and that naturally made him wary.
The Necron's didn't help. Their machines jump-started the Logic Engine responsible for the facility's critical operations, even gained limited access to its functions. It was fast, brutal yet elegant in a way Gaius knew he wouldn't be able to replicate without some of the most sacred and coveted relics held within vaults on critically important Forge Worlds. The Necrons did it with what was for all intents and purposes light, disposable multi-purposes machines. Not even a sacred fusion of flesh and metal, just machines!
It was vexing, infuriating, yet it stirred burning envy too!
Beyond ancient large screens and hololiths came to life painfully slowly, yet when they did, the images were crisp and clear, better than most the Mechanicus could easily produce these days. The image of Kronus appeared above the main hololith in the control center, then blinked rapidly while powerful scanners sang their songs and tagged everything in orbit. The Logic Engine quickly recognized the Imperial designs, even though it painted them in amber due to not having their IFFs in its data banks. Multiple red symbols appeared next, showing the small battered Tau fleet keeping station above the blue Xenos' holdings. A sorry collection of mostly disabled Ork monstrosities came next, barely holding orbit above the Greenskins' stronghold, thus preventing its purge by the Imperial Navy.
And finally, a handful of Traitor vessels hung above the Deimos Peninsula. Those combined with the Warp emanations coming from the abominable gate there made effective orbital bombardment impossible.
Another pulse rippled through the crystal-clear hologram, and five new gray symbols flickered to life. Their designations were in an older dialect of Gothic, though one Gaius could easily read.
Orbital Bombardment Platforms, Ares class.
The Magos loudly praised the Omnissiah and rant to a nearby console, his revere interrupted by the new information. He demanded data on those platforms, only to find out he needed access codes he lacked. He had to placate the Machine Spirit of the Logic Engine and gain more access! Who knew what other treasures this facility might allow him to find!
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Task Force Talon
Thur'Abis Plateau
Kronus
It was close to midnight and low clouds covered the sky. It should have been pitch blackout here in the heart of the desert. Instead, a green glow and the occasional arcing lighting illuminated the white sands. Instead of forgotten ancient ruins that should have been buried and unrecognizable at this point, dark metal monoliths rose into the sky. We could see neat squares of cylindrical generators, heavy weapon emplacements guarding them. There were even a handful of immense forms poking from the sands and pointing at the overcast sky.
There was no mistaking those – ground to orbit installations. The Necrons took the security of their base seriously, a fact underscored by the escort we picked up as soon as we approached the territory they claimed. Fusions of Necron Warriors and skimmers silently floated around our Task Force by the dozens. More joined them with every kilometer we advanced. Soon, we could no longer see the sky due to an immense swarm of Drones buzzing overhead. Some were familiar, others resembled tiny insects no larger than a grown man's fist.
"Inquisitor, I'm glad they're on our side." Commissar Weber sat beside me on top of a Chimera.
My Kasrkin bodyguards rode in the troop compartment below. My new Ogryn friends traveled into the following vehicles – they refused to let me get too far away from them. The newly named Selene rode on top as well and dozed off cuddled in my side to the profound relief of my security detail.
"I hope our superiors will agree when they arrive." A pair of Titan-sized Monoliths joined the procession escorting a number of floating Pylons. The Necrons had altered the precious devices. They were attached to over-sized skimmers similar to the lower bodies of the Destroyers, and other half-metal men, half-machines that surrounded us.
An utterly silent flash of blinding lightning struck, and we weren't alone on the Chimera's roof. The Necron Lord himself towered above us in all his glory. He was even larger than before, all pristine dark silver necrodermis with green undertones. His eyes blazed with power when he looked down at us.
"We're ready." He rasped in a deep, halting way.
"We're ready too." I carefully waved at the armored column stretching behind us. It contained the fastest vehicles the Guard had available and nearly half of the Blood Raven's armored forces.
"Proceed." The Necron Lord ordered, and a shudder went through the Xeno forces surrounding us. Then they moved forward as one.
"With this, we might stand a chance when assaulting hell today," Weber muttered, then winced when he remembered where he was and who could overhear him.
"We're going to hell and back, my friend. Tonight, we dine in hell and kill every single Traitor, Heretic, or Daemon who dares stand in our way!"
The Necron Lord looked at us with what might have been exasperation.
"All available data points out that consuming food in hell would be hazardous for your health."
He was joking, right?