Conference

Hawk was using the bridge on his assault shuttle as his master tactical nerve center. Cables snaked from the belly of the blunt armoured craft. With its heavily armoured hull and bulky weapons pods, stubby wings for atmospheric maneuvers and shielded engines there was no mistaking the ship for what it was. Beside it the pragmatic design of the Arvus Lighter that Hammerhand had arrived with seem graceful in comparison. The towering walls of the remains of the hanger in which the Orks had ambushed the first assault dwarfed both. Both ships sat in vacuum. But technical servitors had domed part of the hangar and linked the ships in the landing zones to the domes and the airlock entrances to the Hulk with atmosphere tunnels.

Cables were stapled across the undomed part of the hangar to link the ships to the manned Hulk command rooms that Hawk’s teams had activated.
Chaplain Arsestus was reporting the Red Hunters progress to the conference Hawk had called. Present were Hammerhand, Hawks autosavant, Captain Meddigo, the Colonel of the Belisimar boys and a Holo of Captain Pilgrim.

“The Red hunters Teams have opened a route through the Ork infested area to hullward. The advanced tactical squad Panther has entered the unknown section. No resistance has been encountered.”
“Sergeant Mudmilk has a datavox report which has been downloaded to the Holopict projector.”
“With your permission?” he asked Hawk.
Hawk nodded.

The image quality on the screen was superb. Hawk had made and maintained many friends within the ranks of the techpriests having supplied many xeno and archeotech artifacts without allowing them to be subjected to a full bureaucratic assessment through the Ordo Xenos. As a result Hawk’s technical equipment was always fully functional and of top specification.

On screen and with sound Sergeant Mudmilk demonstrated the vast cathedral like empty space that squad Panther had entered. Powerful searchlight failed to penetrate to the far wall of the cavernous chamber. The floor was covered in a fine dust.
“Scanners indicate that the dust is organic in origin. Only 78% probability of entirely human origin.” A background ticking noise could be heard over the link.
“Turn the pict sender on the walls and roof,” asked Hammerhand.
The walls were ribbed. Each rib rose tapering in an arc to meet others in a point on the ceiling. The walls were significantly indented between each rib.
From the rib arch points on the ceiling hung glistening white moist material, that slowly oozed fluid dripping to the floor 20 metres below.
“The atmosphere is breathable but only if you are desperate. The air temperature is only slightly above freezing. The oxygen concentration is only 10%. The remainder is carbon dioxide some nitrogen plus sulphur dioxide and a high level of complex organics as you can see from the data downloaded to your auspexes,” continued the sergeant.
“Comfortable if you are wearing power armour,” commented the Belisimar Colonel.
“Good job we can’t smell the air over there from the data you have downloaded. “The stench from the sulphur dioxide and organics must be overpowering,” commented Felix the autosavant.
“It must smell like rotting flesh of some sort,” thought Hammerhand aloud.
“What is that in the distance, rotate the pict sender clockwise 45 degrees,” commanded Hawk.

The Astropath

A low dull insistent throbbing could be just about heard. It made it difficult to think unless tasks were concentrated on directly. Hammerhand blamed the throbbing for the fact that he had almost tripped and fallen twice on his way back down the corridor to the second and third control rooms they were using. In contrast to the chamber he had left the corridor’s walls and ceiling were made of slabs of a metallic alloy that appeared to have been welded together, Contrastingly the floor was lightly ribbed. That along with the cabling snaking between the control rooms that they had taken over made walking while thinking of something else a hazard. Mechanical servitors were still working on the cabling.

Hawks idea was that by combining the functions of different rooms and linking them directly to the shuttle controls it would be possible to gain significant control over the Hulk. Perhaps more control than anyone had achieved before. That in turn could lead to even greater access to the bulk of the Hulk with the release of as yet untapped knowledge. Although the cabling was not quite completed, Hawk had already ordered that the Ork infested chambers forward and hullward of their location be vacuumed as a test of the set up. The pumps were transferring the atmosphere to another of the Hulk’s areas, one that was thought to be a storage area.

Hammerhand reconsidered the conversation he had overheard Hawk having with Captain Pilgrim’s Astropath. The Astropath Xavier had been insistent he had sensed unpredictable changes in the warp ahead. He had warned Hawk that if he did not have full control over the Hulk in the next 48 to 72 hours the vortices could be expected to induce the Hulk to launch back into the Warp.

Space Hulk Control Chamber

The dark sooty and spongy walls of the chamber were ribbed, arcing to an apex at the centre. Lighter green and yellow stains of something had dribbled down and dried between the ribs. The room had an organic under odour as if something had died and rotted to dust many years ago in a sealed room. From the apex dripped clear fluid. The autosavant had stated this was merely condensation. Hammerhand was not so sure himself. He though that sometimes it seemed blood red as it fell but each time he examined a drop in the bucket that had been thoughtfully placed below the fluid remained gin clear. Hammerhand dismissed this consideration from his mind and refocused on the briefing. This was another of the Hulk’s so called control rooms. There did not seem to be any pattern except that from each it was possible to interface to the systems that controlled some of the Hulk’s systems. Each of the four he had seen had been unique. Perhaps even created by different species. Each offered access to different parts of the Hulk’s systems. No single room found so far had been the motherlode control giving complete control over the Hulk. He had seen only four but between the team over 30 chambers had been examined so far within the part of the Hulk to which they had access. Large areas of the enormous spacefaring body were presently inaccessible. Some contained hordes of Orks that had been trapped and needed to be dealt with. Others probably contained some even less sociable of the spacefaring species know to the Imperium. Others were simply a blank. They were inaccessible with nothing so far known about what they contained.

Assets

Inquisitor Hawk commenced the meeting. “Let’s review our assets.”
“Two squads of Grey Knights Terminators,” Announced Captain Meddigo.
“Four platoons of Belisimar Boys with heavy weapons and Inhalers,” added Hawk. He had taken command of the remnants of the Belisimar Boys at Hawk’s order.
“The Inquisitorial assets,” remarked Hawk, “including two daemon hosts.”
“Three squads of Red Hunters Space Marines,” grunted the pale faced Chaplain Arsestus.

Tombstone Blues

“Sir, may I respectfully request that we immediately evacuate the Hulk”
“Why,” grunted Hawk to Hammerhand.
“The statistical records, err, such as they exist, demonstrate that despite the best organised efforts of the Imperium and Inquisition, Hulks have unpredictably and typically at the most inconvenient instant dematerium to the Warp.”
“Unpredictable they are like any living organism. Admittedly there are risks, but any engagement with the arch-enemy of Mankind and the Living Emperor has risk stamped on it.”
“Are the gains here worth these risk to all we have so far achieved”
“Look on it as another adventure, Hammerhand, you are young enough, why question this opportunity to seize control of a Hulk for the Inquisition and Imperium.”
“I do not question the opportunity nor do I wish my loyalty to be questioned. I am solely concerned that we will find ourselves at the mercy of the Hulk within the warp and in circumstances that releases the contained mobs of Orks and probably Tyranid Hordes.”

Arvus Departure

The blocky steaming shape of Arvus lighter hunched on the pad as if hiding from the bleak grey sky overhead. A light drizzle was falling. Not an auspicious start to a new venture thought Hammerhand as he ran from the rear ramp of his Chimera which had backed up to the lighter’s loading ramp.

The spaceport was still under sporadic sniper fire from disgruntled elements of the local population. The Tau had left in their own ships once it had become abundantly clear that they could no longer deceive the planet into submission.
Most of the locals seemed indifferent to their liberation and welcome to the Imperium. Some downright resented the damage to their interests, homes and families that had occurred. Hammerhand suspected much of the resentment may have been due to the exuberance with which Moloch and Caliban had executed their instructions. Both were now stowed within the lighter.

Off to the Hulk thought Hammerhand. Hawk had reinforced his forces within the hulk as a prelude to purging it and taking control. Hammerhand had been summoned to join him and leave Commissar Steele and Captain Pilgrim in command of the Imperial forces with the tasks of suppressing all resistance and completing the reintegration of the newly discovered world.

Hammerhand ran up the loading ramp of the Arvus. A solitary lasbolt crackled by missing him by a good distance and striking sparks from the toughened hull of the small space freighter. Hammerhand scarcely noticed as he was musing on the Hulk and his and Hawk’s predicament should it decide to depart.

The Off Switch

“Just who do you think you are addressing,” retorted Hammerhand. He had immensely enjoyed saying that as he had always wanted to drive some pompous appartchik demented with it. Hammerhand blessed Hawk again for giving him these opportunities to say what he had always wanted to, to the power bullies, thugs, psychopaths and commissars.
“Your life is hostage against any deviancy. Those who question the Inquisitor Hawk’s methods must to answer to his Excellency."
“Contact Hawk now,” Ordered Marshall Vikrumm.
“The is no need as I am the Lord Inquisitor’ plenipotentiary representative on this planet with full legislative and legal powers as constituted by the Imperial Decree Inquisitorial. As such I am outside the Imperial command chain and superior to any officers of the Imperial Guard and the Commissariat.”
“What, what, how dare you,” spluttered Vikrumm.
“By order of this associate rosette and mandate of delegated Inquistorial authority I pronounce you traitor to the Emperor, may his name be revered. Do you have anything to say in your defence before sentence is pronounced.”
“Yes I have this to say in my defence,” Vikrumm snapped contemptuously as he worked the flap of his bolt pistol holster.
With a well practiced, smooth and fluidly effortless motion Hammerhand palmed his spring loaded laspistol. A new circular black rimmed orifice was created in Assault Marshall Vikrumm’s forehead. He looked astounded. Little blood tricked out as lasbolts tended to cauterise. Vikrumm fell backwards sliding across the map table. His staff were transfixed. As the back of Vikrumm’s head smacked onto the floor small pale grey gobbets of his impact dislodged brain splattered on their shiny boots.
“Staff Officer Russ, remove the mess that the traitor has got himself into.” Ordered Hammerhand. Hammerhand congratulated himself that he was now beginning to get the hang of this inquisitorial thing. He pulled Moloch’s control transmitter from his jacket pocket and signalled the control unit to bind and immobilise Moloch.
“Just ask nicely,” he remarked in a conversational tone.
“I suggest that Commissar Steele takes over for the moment while I consult with Hawk concerning a succession for the Assault Marshall”