Love Can Bloom - The Complete Edition: A Warhammer 40K Heretical Fanfiction

Chapter V - 5

"It's unprecedented," The Inquisitor said, as he crowded into the bunker, staring at the consoles, the Techpriest having taken a seat and started rattling off the status and location of the rogue assassin, "Well, at least for this temple," the Inquisitor shot a glare at Lukas, who sat in the corner, rubbing his forehead, "You do understand-"

Your life is forfeit if you breathe a word of this to anyone not cleared to know it, thought the Governor Militant.

"Your life is forfeit if you dare to breathe a single word of this to anyone not cleared to know it." The Inquisitor said, confirming Lukas's thoughts.

"Right."

"And the Farseer?"

"No one knows. We had sent out a scouting party, but they have yet to return."

"Hmph. He's heading towards a combat zone," murmured the Inquisitor, ceramite finger tracing the route of his assassin errant on the watch screens.

"Yes, a team of Kasrkin are holed up resisting Orks a little beyond the mountains, I've dispatched some men to–"

"Call them back."

"I'm sorry? I can't see how it would harm–"

"We have the greatest opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Governor."

"First, as an Inquisitor, I know well the way the common man thinks; even if you DO save the men, and by some miracle, they all survive, they shall criticize you for even leaving them in that situation, and I desire your administration to remain stable without any further scandal."

"Second, I require that one of the most secret orders the Imperium has ever known to remain a secret, and beyond that, that they can be corrupted must remain a secret."

The baleful, flickering green glow immersed the inquisitor's grin, under the red glow of the bionics. His fingers were playing with the handle of the bolt pistol.

Lukas stared at the Inquisitor, locking eyes best as he could and slammed his fist down on the comm button, "Ardrin! Tell Yoland to recall the men, and that I have rescinded the order. Rather–"

Call out the Basilisks, Mouthed the Inquisitor.

"Call out Tennyson's basi-"

All of them.

"All. All of them. All of the basilisks."

Ardrin's reply cut out with a squawk as Lukas flicked off the button.

"Give me a show, Governor," said the Inquisitor, as he swept out, his retainers following. 

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The sea was far off, on the horizon. In the horizon, it was chopping, surf sloshing about, but above it was a storm, thunder and lightning wrapping around and around and around–

This wasn't right. She shouldn't be doing this, she wasn't looking ahead right now, to be sure, she could always feel the ebb and flow of fate, running along her ankles in the back of her mind, but she shouldn't be seeing it unless she wanted to.

The hunger. Behind her.

She turned and beheld the glittering dust of spirit stones. Beneath a burning sun, they danced like embers above the bodies of Eldar, common and noble, all with their hands plaintively in the air. The air, beset with gasps for breath and whispered pleas, as under their bodies, roiled the dark and cracked ground, flesh and blood growing under them, mouths spawning, again and again, coiling like cancer across and over the bodies. The gasps became screams, and the whispers became cries for help.