Chapter 13 Part 1

Chapter 13: Revelations

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Part 1

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Gorgutz stronghold

The Green Coast

Kronus

The Great Rockit, the pride and joy of the surviving Mekboyz rose high up in the sky. It was a pile of scrap leaking fuel. Gorgutz gave it one look and shook his head. At least the Boyz painted it properly in Red, to be fasta, and Purple, to be sneaky like. The Warboss sniffed the air and the acrid stench of rockit fuel filled his lungs.

"Good work. Now get on and make sure it workz!" He rumbled, wondering how to climb up himself. It took a few piles of scarp, a few hours of Mekboyz hammering on it, and five squigs, to punch together an ugly crane.

Gorgutz looked suspiciously at the contraption and prayed to Gork and Mork that he would die in glorious combat, instead of Mekboyz' mistake. It took thirty Boyz working the crane to lift him enough that he could get into the cockpit. That day, Gorgutz learned he didn't have a taste for swinging on a chain like a squig ready to be roasted.

It was hard to get through a too small of an opening, but Gorgutz was a crafty Warboss and managed if barely.

A pilot, a survivor from a shot down ship, waited for him, puffing on a pipe made of green pipes. The much smaller boy grinned at him and put on red-rimmed aviator glasses, made sure his hat was properly on his head, and pointed at an almost large enough throne at the back.

Predictably, the Mekboyz had wielded it together from scrap. It was all pokey and uncomfortable looking.

"We're lifting, right now! Plesur to fly with Orkysh Rockits!" The pilot mumbled around his pipe and began pressing buttons. The cockpit closed, and Gorgutz hurried to secure himself.

"Three." The Pilot said aloud.

Gorgutz cursed the diseased spores the Pilot spawned from and sat heavily into the throne. It groaned under his bulk and all scrap poked him in all the uncomfortable places.

Something below them began to rumble ominously to make the day even better.

"Two." The Pilot flipped a large red cover from an even larger red button.

Gorgutz held for dear life, cursing all the Mekboyz across the galaxy.

"One."

The world exploded and kicked Gorgutz in the ass, then sat on his chest and tried to squash him like that greetchin he stepped on before coming on board. The pressure made sure to poke scrap even deeper into his hide.

"And we fly!" The Pilot waved a fist in the air, then continued to press colorful buttons.

This was going to be a long and unpleasant flight… More than long enough for Gorgutz Ead Hunta to swear vengeance upon everyone responsible for the rockit ride from hell!

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Eres Badlands

Kronus

Digging in the dirt like slaves! That was what Eliphas and his Astartes had to do, while the Sorcerers chanted, giggled, and screamed. One of the vital bastards fell to his knees and clawed out his eyes babbling nonsense in tongues.

"It burns! The light burns! He's watching us!"

That was all the Black Apostle could understand. After the earlier experience with the portal, it was more than enough. That rotting corpse on the golden casket still had some fight in him. That wasn't good, like at all.

"Hurry, damn your souls!" Eliphas spat and redoubled his own efforts.

Eventually, they hit black rock and excavated a massive slab of it covering what had to be the entrance. It took all the Astartes might, that of the Sorcerers too, even the babbling imbecile, to move it. It was a slow and hard process, but they managed it, all the while venomously cursing their lot in life.

With the chamber opened, the saner Sorcerer led the way, checking for nasty surprises. There were a few wards to break, and in that regard, the crazy one proved invaluable. He opened himself to the Warp and began burning in silver flames. Nevertheless, the true believer lasted long enough to overpower the first two defensive enchantments.

The third required ritual self-mutilation to crack. It was only his altered physiology that allowed the remaining Sorcerer to live long enough to get the job done. They finally managed to pass the short corridor leading into a small circular chamber made of the same black heavy stone as the slab outside.

The last Sorcerer croaked orders, spreading the willing sacrifices, including one of the Astartes, so they could form the necessary arcane symbol. Then he began to chant and opened his wounds. The sacrificed followed suit, and fresh blood, freely offered, pooled in the ground, which drank it greedily.

The Sorcerer's voice changed, he choked and began to burn. The chamber shook, all light went out, and something powerful manifested inside. Inhuman fury clashed upon Eliphas, and only his experiences in the Basilica of Pain allowed him to retain a semblance of sanity. The remaining Astartes weren't so fortunate, and they fell upon each other with murderous intent.

The screaming and chanting ceased. All save for Eliphas fell to the ground dead, and not a drop of blood remained in their bodies.

"It's you." Something spoke through the Sorcerer's throat. Burning embers stared at Eliphas from the scorched and otherwise empty eye-sockets of the possessed corpse. The body was shifting and mutating in front of his eyes. Bones shattered and transformed, limbs stretched, the skin darkened until it was blacker than the chamber walls.

"Khorne wants the Inquisitor dead." The Daemon rumbled in eager anticipation. A monstrous maw leered at Eliphas from where the Sorcerer's face used to be. "But not today."

A huge clawed paw closed around the Black Apostle, and reality shattered around them. They fell into the Immaterium and slammed straight into a barrier of light. The Daemon roared at its searing touch, and Eliphas chorused its screams when the cleansing light bathed his tainted soul.

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Bridge

Rogue Trader Vessel Lucre Foedis

The Warp en route to Kronus

The Lucre Foedis tore itself from the Warp in a surprisingly easy fashion. Too easy really.

Amberley held a weapon in death-grip while staring at the Navigator's alcoves.

The senior Navigator knelt in front of her, crying tears of joy from the corners of his eyes. Whatever happened a few minutes ago, seared them shut, and stunned everyone daring to glimpse at the Immaterium.

Despite the crippling injuries, the Sanctified Mutant was happier than Vail had ever seen one of their kind. He was in rapture.

Nearby, Rakel was a little better. She had her trembling hands frozen in the sign of the Aquila and muttering prayers. Every few verses, she would smile happily and mumble something about beautiful divinity.

The alcoves hissed open, and the replacement Navigator stumbled out. A few were little more than drooling, laughing wrecks. Most had at least one eye sealed shut.

The most coherent among the group turned to look at the gathered armed party pointing weapons at them.

"The Emperor's light, it's beautiful." The woman declared. "It was like the sun bursting forth from Kronus, illuminating the darkness and searing away all the Daemons! Rejoice, it was a miracle! We beheld Divinity, stared straight in the Emperor's light, and it was too much to bear…" The Navigator collapsed and fell into a peaceful slumber. The content smile never left her face.

"I'm open for suggestions, Inquisitor." Captain Orelius asked in a subdued manner that was nothing like his usual bearing.

"Put them under quarantine and observation. At the first hint of trouble or taint, give them the Emperor's mercy." Amberley kept watching the Navigators like a hungry bird of prey. "Contact Kronus and request status update. We need to know what in the Emperor's name happened over there."