Interrogator Hammerhand

The Sitprep 20:10

2010-03-25T19:21:00.000Z

As a planning meeting it had been a fiasco as a response to the military situation. The Governor of Bubo IX had rebelled folowing a raid on the systems' Administratum by the Ordo Hereticus. The rebellion had been a preplanned tripwire response as the only surviving Imperial forces loyal to the Emperor that had not been destroyed during the coup were the Sisters of Short Mercy and their indentured Imperial Guard Regiments beseiged in their planetary fortress. The embattled Ordo Hereticus forces that had triggered the rebellion and the recuperating Penal Legions were all that was left on Bubo IX. Inquisitor Lord Beisenhorn who had also been covertly investigating the administratum on behalf of the Ordo Malleus had assumed command of all Loyal Imperial forces as the surving representative of the Inquisition. He had used his personal astropath to summons help from the Imperium from the Penal Legion's base in the vast equitorial desert crater at the equator of Bubo IX. Help was unlikely to arrive within the year unless fortuitously a Space Marine battle force was transiting nearby. Only the Penal Legion had been left unmolested by the rebels, possibly because they assumed that sooner rather than later the legion would go over to them.

The meeting had started with recriminations and had ended with recriminations and improbablyimpossible orders.

The Sitprep 20:01

2010-03-23T08:00:00.001Z

While Hells Owns small pool of officers listened to Beisenhorn's hologram image reiterating an abridged version of the mission objectives he had given Colonel Sven at the briefing earlier that day Hammerhand's mind drifted back to the actual briefing he had attended with the Colonel. As usual Inquisitor Hawk seemed to have dropped Hammerhand up to his neck in the proverbial. Hells own had been relocated to Pressoul for two reasons. The rank and file of the penal legion had been markedly depleted after recent combat and Pressoul had jails replete with scum that could be absorbed into the legion.

The Sitprep 20:00h

2010-03-20T15:36:00.000Z

After Colonel Sven and Hammerhand has arrived back from HQ the Colonel called his officers to a briefing once the techpriests had informed him that they were ready to show Inquisitor Lord Beisenhorn's sitprep holo. Hammerhand sat at the Colonel's side at the planning table. As sharply animated image of the Inquisitor Lord appeared at the head of the table to address the gathered officers as if he was present in the room with them it struck Hammerhand that suprisingly the cogboys had excelled themselves this time. He had sat through many a sitprep holo previously that was blurry, jumped disconcertingly and audibly only just above a mouse squeak.

Explosive Torcs

2009-12-21T08:49:00.001Z

Few of Hell's Own's recruits had flinched when the Colonel had the explosive torcs, locally known as the blesser, demonstrated. The muddy floor of the shack was now bloodily strewn with the remains of the various demonstrations the Colonel had sanctioned for the education of his new officers, amongst them Hammerhand, and to reinforce obedience amongst the recruits and the existing penal legion troopers. A fatigue squad of abhumans from Hammerhand's company had been assigned to remove the headless corpses, explosively detached limbs, heads without torsos, slippery guts, livers, hearts and lungs that were the product of the close discipliner's art. Hammerhand suspected that the rat-form abhumans assigned to the task might be dining well tonight. He had 13 squads of these Emperor Cursed creatures amongst the 25 assigned to his company. Hammerhand had buried his liking for these abhumans. In the Imperial creed they were an abomination, a corruption of mankind due to the warp. Any explict liking could be expected to create a taint of heresy. That would make his job here harder. As far as Hammerhand could discern they were extremely obedient, indifferent to hardships and casualties, capable of living off the land on any scraps of nourishment to be found, and coping with extreme conditions better than any human. No resentment was expressed for their race's enslavement in the Imperial Penal Legion system or for the orders they were given. In short they were ideal soldiers. Their one weakness was their matter of factly literal interpretation of any orders. To get the best out of them a commander must be extremely precise in constructing all his orders. Hammerhand made a mental note to ensure that his servant prepared his evening meal from Hammerhand's own supplies.

That this latest consignment of criminals had appeared unimpressed by the torcs was a worring sign thought Hammerhand. That the Colonel made such profligate use of the torc was also a concern. If the troopers had no hope whatsoever of survival beyond the moment then the fear of the torc was completely devalued. Instead of acting as an immediate and unrecindable extension of military discipline and custom it became degraded to a way of ensuring that a few of the officers might survive a revolt.

Penal Legion Troopers

2009-12-05T20:01:00.001Z

Hell's Own, Hammerhand's briefing had described it as a classic hardcore penal legion. The criminals conscripted were described as typically deserving of their fate. They were recidivistly violent criminals, psychopathic murderers, revolutionaries, traitors, corrupt officials, psychotics, weak but controllable psykers, Imperial Guard troopers convicted of the crimes of cowardice, dereliction of duty, and other transgressions of regular military law. In addition chaos adherents that had been caught before the corruption of chaos had insinuated too deeply were often also recruited and used as cannon fodder. These latter and the psykers were often a concern for the Inquisition. Infrequently but, given the chronic Imperial manpower and logistics problems, all too often the taints of chaos had corrupted squads, platoons, companies and even complete penal regiments causing revolts or setbacks and even defeats during Imperial campaigns. Hence Hammerhand's allocation to Hell's Own. He hoped that the name was not intended to insinuate inevitable corruption, was simply ill omened but more likely simply ill considered.

The actual criminal composition of the Imperial penal legions varied from system to system, governor to governor and year to year. Due to the endless demands for manpower to underwrite the Imperial Guard's incessant casualty lists the level of criminality required for recruitment was often markely reduced. Endemically in some systems and in any and every system if the conditions were correct expressions of blasphemy , defeatism, and fear were enough. In other desperate or corrupt Imperial systems failure to deliver production targets, spitting, wealth, property, or having sons or daughters desired by powerful Imperial Officials were usually sufficient.

As a consequence every officer in a Penal Legion had to watch their back every waking hour and minute. They also needed to find someone they could trust to watch their back when they were asleep.

An Artist

2009-11-27T20:08:00.005Z

"The blesser is an art form. I have worked to imbue it with a spiritual form. Even in disciplinary death the scum must show reverence. Just now when the Colonel demonstrated to our new vollies the consequences of disobedience he used the "Emperors Majesty", did you not observe how the volly's knees bent and his body bowed while his head fell forward in a bow when the torc detonated."
" Indeed, I did. It struck me as pure chance," Hammerhand intrigued, decided to stimulate the Close Discipliner to expand.
"Absolutely not."
"You mean that you could arm the torc intentionally to create that?"
"Absolutely, yes."
"Are there any other forms that you create?" asked Hammerhand.
"There is the Holy Flame, Prostrate Worship, Dance for the Emperor, and In Awe amongst others."
"You are undoubtably a reverentially imaginative individual. Tell me what do should I aspire to address you besides artist or Close Discipliner?" teased Hammerhand.
"I am told I was named Lic Aban when I awoke, here in Hells Own, CD is how most officers address me."

An Art Form

2009-11-26T20:13:00.000Z

Armed Storm troopers of the Witch Hunters stood outside facing every exit of the windowless building. Grey rain sodden clouds slid overhead. An orange watery sun flickered hazily through the thinner parts of the low scudding cloud belt. The blustering wind attempted to force moisture into every chink in Hammerhand's uniform. Tightening up the belt of his greatcoat before leaving the lee of the reception hut, Hammerhand was joined by the Hell's Own Close Discipliner. The criminals Colonel Sven had just addressed were being inducted as Penal Legion Troopers. As soon as all had their explosive torc fitted they would be released to the orders of their new officers and the Stormtroopers would be gone.
"You get to meet all sorts in this line of work."
"You find them interesting?", commented Hammerhand while adjusting his greatcoat.
"No, its not the scum sent from Emperors frakked courts, although I grant you now and again some of them survive long enough to become interesting. What I mean is the officers, your lot. Take the Colonel for instance. He has been around for a while now, survived a fair few missions despite the odds. Has become a bit of a showman he has. Quite nicely he allows me to develop my artistic side."
"What do you mean?" asked Hammerhand, gently gazing around while wondering if the drab parade grounds were bugged or if this was a test. If so by whom as it was unlikely to be Hawk, and for what purpose.

Punishment

2009-08-22T08:16:00.002Z

Colonel Sven studied the shabby and broken replacements ranked before him on the muddy floor of the wooden shack. A mixed lot he thought. Male, female, child, abhuman, broken officials, and officers, scum from the ranks. As a matter of fact and of the record here, and also in the ministorium they were all equal in their degredation. All were Emperor cursing scum who had been dealt with far too leniently by legal tribunals as far as Colonel Sven was concerned. About the only sort he had not seen pass through this regiment were space marines. It would be pleasant, he thought, to get his hands as it were, on one of those goody too shoes superheroes just to see if they were as tough as they claimed without their power armour. It did not seem likely. The other sort he got only occassionally were true heretics. These were usually winnowed out by the Inquisition long before they got to a penal legion. Sometimes they got here but he and his officers knew how to deal with them. With a shrug he turned his attention back to this lot of criminals to be inducted into the 666th Penal Legion, known to its officers and especially to the scum who served in it as Hell's Own.

"This is the end of the line for all of you." The colonel snarled. "You have been given this final chance to redeem yourselves in the name of the Emperor. Some, a few, of you will take this opportunity and die in pain and contrition fighting heroically for the Emperor's blessing."

He paused to see if his words were having any effect with this lot. No matter he thought.

"Most of you will just die uselessly, blown to bits in an obscure skirmish on a useless and unknown planet, if you are lucky. The unlucky bastards amongst you will survive and make a home here in Hell's Own the 666th Penal legion."

"You have not been mind wiped despite your crimes just in case some of you have useful skills. Any infraction of discipline will be punished by use of the blessers."

"Sergeant demonstrate the blesser."

What Happened

2009-03-28T09:22:00.003Z

Time jumped. Emperors belly, that hurt thought Hammerhand. He felt ravenous. What was he doing here? Where is here actually? I am in deep shit he thought. Looking around he changed the thought. We are in deep shit is more correct.

Space Hulk

2008-04-13T11:23:00.001Z

The deep scanning naval auspexes on the orbiting “Emperors Will”, the “Imperial Holocaust and the “Xenos Extermination” suggested that the Hulk contained as many as two hundred ships. Many were clearly of alien origin and bizarrely shaped. A dozen of the more recently attached around the periphery of the Hulk were clearly Ork in origin with their aggressively crude and makeshift but functional construction and appearance. The drives in these ships were burnt out. Across the Hulk as a whole energy sources indicated a least thirty warp plasma drives with the same number of alien drives using different principals from the Imperium to develop Warp power. Some ships were vacuum welded to each other but many showed evidence of sentient actions in their location and attachment to the Hulk. Deep scans showed corridors running in a regular grid in some parts of the Hulk, directly through separate ships that had been welded together while in other areas the there seemed to be no pattern to the corridors and in others thay ran in curves and spirals. The central agglomeration of the Hulk contained the oldest ships. The density of Xenos ships was highest in the center suggesting that one or more Xenos species had been responsible for initiating the creation of the Hulk. The oldest Imperial ships were of ancient patterns both civilian and naval. These were clustered around the core with the age of the incorporated ships decreasing the closer to the outer surface they were located although this was not an absolute rule as some old Imperial ships could be identified vacuum welded to the outer parts of the Hulk’s pack of ships.

The outer surface of the Hulk was scarred. There were blast craters including the one recently created by the Ork infestation. There were lasers scars and evidence of torpedo and other projectile weapon hits. There were weapons bulges and warped organic looking towers of unknown function dotted across the surface. Simple crude Ork style cabling and piping ran alongside advanced Xenos and sophisticated Imperial ducting and piping linking point to point on the skin of the Hulk. There were orifices for engine exhausts and given its age there were craters that could only have been form meteor impacts. There was evidence of patching some of the damaged areas indicating that some of the previous inhabitants had existed in the Hulk for some time,

“There in the outer shell of the core is our target,” stated Hawk. “The design of the ships indicates that these Imperial Naval Cruisers are at least three thousand years old. There is a strong possibility that we will be able to salvage archeotechnology that wil be invaluable to the Imperium.”
“How will we get there, Lord?” asked Captain Meddigo of the Red Hunters.

Progressive

2008-04-11T18:56:00.001Z

The skeletal remains of the gargantuan predator had the mummified remains of a naked Ork stuffed in its jaws.
“This makes no sense”, muttered Hammerhand.
“When the impossible is eliminated, whatever remains is the truth,focus on that", remarked Hawk casually.
“Captain Pilgrim, I need a review of all ships types that the fleet scanners have identified as part of this Hulk agglomerate. I also need the likely age of all known vessels and any specific identifications available from the Imperial Navy data sets”, ordered the Inquisitor.
Inquisitor Hawk was patient, cunning, secretive and remarkably intelligent as a result his chosen augmentations. If some of his orthodox puritan colleagues and associates in the Inquisition had the slightest idea of what Hawk had done inside his head he would have been declared Abominus Imperialis without hesitation particularly by the Ordo Hereticus.
“This conference is adjourned until Captain Pilgrim’s savants extract the necessary data from the imperial archives.”
Hawk left followed by his bodyguard and savant.
“What are our orders, Chaplain Arsestus?” called Sergeant Mudmilk.
Hammerhand stood even so the Red Hunters Chaplain’s bulk dominated the room. “Advance to the next bulkhead. Take samples of the beast and Ork”, ordered Hammerhand. The Chaplain stirred. Hammerhand waited for the Chaplain.

Lots of Teeth

2008-04-05T17:31:00.000Z

It had had a lot of teeth. The pict sender image showed the bony remains of a gargantuan creature.
“Sergeant Mudmilk”, ordered Hawk, “take your squad and the pict sender up to that carcass.”
The Red Hunter Space Marines advanced in hostile territory formation. The pict sender showed the vastness of the space in which they were advancing.
The images on the screen swung from side to side with the advance but the image of the skull of the massive beast with teeth as tall as an erect Space Marine lingered in the vision of the watchers.
“Hammerhand started. “What is that in its mouth?”

Conference

2008-03-31T13:29:00.002Z

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

2008-03-23T10:31:00.002Z

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

2008-03-21T16:54:00.001Z

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

2008-03-20T20:05:00.000Z

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

2008-03-16T20:23:00.001Z

“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

2008-03-09T09:18:00.002Z

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

2008-03-02T17:21:00.001Z

“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”

Moloch

2008-02-29T21:01:00.001Z

"Cool," exclaimed Moloch cheerfully. It was floating 10 meters above the avenue. A baneblade had appeared at the furthest end.
The avenue through the exclusively wealthy part of Lakupad town was scattered with lumps of flesh hewn from the local populace. The once white washed buildings sported a thin coat of a bright shade of blood. Moloch spun on his heels in mid air and a powerfully vivid ball of flaming white fire shot from his chest to the tank. There was a massive explosion. The baneblade rocked in its tracks, the hull mounted demolisher cannon had been ripped off.
The image on the Voxpict link blurred. "That was 20 minutes ago," grated Assault Marshall Vikrumm.
He screamed, "What were you thinking of when you released that? Inqueestitor Hammerhanded"
"If I could put your ass in front of a firing squad I would do it gleefully and pull the trigger!"

Garzakk's End

2008-02-18T09:24:00.000Z

Garzakk's belly burst with an explosive flash of green guts and blood as the stormbolter rounds exploded inside. His legs ran on for a few more steps down the central corridor of the Hulk before they realised that he was dead.
Meddigo had detailed two squads of terminators to ambush the Orks detected re-entering the Hulk by Inquisitor Hawk’s auto savants.

The surviving Orks in Garzakk's mob surged forward towards the corridor junction from where one of the two squads had opened fire. As they did so Terminators power fisted through the corridor walls behind them and charged home slaughtering the Orks at the rear of the mob. The other squad now charged the front of the howling mass of Orks firing their stormbolters as they leap forward. The mob of Orks found itself crushed between two assaulting squads of spacemarines in terminator armour. While in normal circumstances the Orks would have been able to give a good account of themselves, here in the gloomy confines of the ribbed ancient metal walled corridor of the Hulk the Orks were pressed so closely on each other that they were unable to effectively fight back. In the center of the mob fighting broke out between Orks, biting and gouging with talons and head butting, as they were unable to swing their weapons. The terminators pressed forward compressing the writhing mobs of Orks as they slaughtered them down to the last greenskin.

Armoured Column on Dirtball

2008-02-10T09:31:00.000Z

The armoured column rolled forward. Baneblade after Baneblade grinding slowly across the blasted landscape. On the distant horizon their goal. The largest industrial complex on the planet and its associated towns located in a river valley area and given the tactical name Zone Zero, or double Zed to the Belisimar Chem Dogs.
Alfus and his squad rolled comfortably across the blasted heath and scrubland in a Chimera. The second landings had been successful and after the failed Tau counter attack resistance seemed to have crumbled.

Hammerhand sat in the command chimera as it followed the Leman Russ squadrons behind the Baneblades. Assault Marshall Vikrumm and his command team sat around the planning table. As Inquisitor Hawk’s representative on the Dirtball as they were calling the planet Hammerhand was de-facto part of the team.

“The enemy seem to be mainly the Xenos Tau. The locals seem human which should be expected as this world was part of the Imperium before the Heresy.”
Commissar Goldengoth was speaking.
“Once we have occupied Zone Zero I do not expect further resistance. The remaining Xenos will probably surrender in the hope of prisoner exchange.”
Vikrumm grunted his assent.

Staff Officer Russ cleared his throat, “I have the draft orders for the establishment of a base and the organisation of pacification and Imperialisation of the planet, my Lord Assault Marshall.”
Vikrumm indicated that the documents were to be placed on the table. He looked at Hammerhand.
“The glory of reincorporating this lost world will be yours, my Lord Assault Marshall,” continued Russ.
“Indeed,” responded Vikrumm with satisfaction. The glory of the deed would be the seal to his career. He turned to Hammerhand.
“How long in your estimation will it take for the Inquisition to eradicate taints of Xenos and deviation? We need to know to start assessing the logistics for this operation.”

“With respect Sir,” responded Hammerhand, “I believe the the High Lord Inquisitor Hawk does not consider this fine battle group as a force to be blunted by the tedium of occupation. He has not shared his intentions for the end of local resistance. I recommend that we immediately re-establish communications with Captain Admiral Pilgrim of the fleet and through him contact the Inquisitor.”
In other words phone home before Hawk decides to kick your fat immobile backside, thought Hammerhand.

“In any case it may take decades before the Inquisition can be confident that the isolated population on this world are able to be reincorporated."

"It will depend on how long they have been associating with the Xenos and what other deviations have taken root here during its isolation.”
And undoubtedly there are some strange goings on as I discovered through poor Zakalwe and his levels considered Hammerhand.

Garzakk Rentry

2008-02-06T11:25:00.000Z

The hull airlock outer door exploded in a flare of slivers. Garzakk and his mob felt the blast wave through the Hull. A few grots lost their grip and floated off the Hulk . None of the Orks paid any attention. They were closely following the Mek's team as it lowered the next charge into the gaping scar on the surface of the Hulk where the airlock outer door had been.

Hezakk was not dumb but he was not stupid either reasoned Garzakk. He would have positioned some grots and Orks wif big shootas to cover the airlock as well as the corridor approach. What he would not have thought of was that he Garzakk was much cunninger. The airlock would be blasted through. Any Orks beyond the door would be blasted out in to the vacuum with the air rush. One of his Garzakk's mobs was positioned to slug and blast any intact Orks thrown out by the blast. Then he would use his cunning plan.

With the second blast Garzakk's Orks opened fire on the tumbling bodies. The spew of gas and debris died away. Now was the time when Hezakks mob would be building an emergency air wall. Garzakk signalled the second mobb. They carefully rolled a black nobbly cylinder over to the gash in the Hulk. Sitting on the cylinder a crazed grot in a vacuum bubble strapped to the back of the stubby winged cylinder ignited a rokkitt motor on the outer surface. With a momentary crazed wave the grot rode the black cylinder into the gash in the Hulk. Garzakk and his mob fired their rokkit boostas and jumped as far around the Hulk as they could without launching themselves into orbit. A vast convulsion shook the surface for kliks around. Several of the appendages on the surface of the Hulk shook loose in the blast with some tumbling into orbit around the Hulk over under the force of spurting gas and boiling fluids. The gash on the Hulk were the airlock had been was no longer. There was now a gaping crater where Hezakk's control room had been.

Now was the time to get back in through anuvver airlock and srtoll down the central corridor finishing off any of Hezakks mob that would not join his. He could feel himself beginning to grow again. What Hezakk the useless grot had not realised but he Garzakk had was that there were many control rooms in this Hulk.

C'tan

2008-01-31T19:43:00.000Z

High commander Fa'thanen sighed. Everything that had been going so well with Operation Lone Pilgrim seemed to be on the verge of being lost. The orbital defenses were bombarded out of existence after they had been revealed too early. Why had he let himself be convinced to open fire at that point? The native human population had become restive as the orbital fireworks told them that what the Tau emissaries had convinced them of previously was not exactly true. The fleet had had to be withdrawn to defend against a surprise Imperial Crusade against one of the Tau Rim worlds. His two picket system ships had vanished shortly after they had reported contact with a derelict Space Hulk approaching the system and now this. The reports he held indicated that the attack he had ordered to wipe out the isolated human imperial survivors from their recent original landing had gone bizarrely wrong long before the attack force had made contact. Devilfish exploding for no reason or colliding into and destroying other transports made no sense at all. All his slim residual resources would be required to rescue the survivors. He needed to think. Had the humans made contact with the indigenes and their bizarre system of levels. He shrugged. The Imperial Humans would stamp that cult out as soon as they took control. The High Commander shook himself he must not think like that. He needed to concentrate on the needs of the greater good.

Were the imperial humans using as yet unknown weapon systems and that was why the attack had failed or could it be sabotage Fa'thanen pondered. Hn'harduden his bumptious servant entered. He had never learned to precede his wish to enter a room with a respectful clearing of the throat before entering.
"Why are you here," demanded Fa'thanen.
"I have a message," came the unusually confident response.
"Speak then."
"By the order of the High Emperor of Terra I pronounce you foul Xenos and sentence you to die. So says Inquisitor Hawk and so do I."
The form of Hn'harduden blurred. A C'tan phase sword stabbed forward impaling the High Commander before he had time to react to his death sentence.
High commander Fa'thanen sighed and slid off the sword.
Sophia laughed and teleported. "What a useless piece of meat," she thought.

Devilfish

2008-01-30T19:20:00.000Z

A taloned hand punched through the bulkhead separating the seated armoured suited Tau warriors from the drive compartment of their Devilfish transport. An evil demonic visage followed. It emanated waves of unnatural horror that clung to any who saw it like a stench of death and decay. The warriors nearest to the apparition were retching as they tried to squirm themselves as far away from it as possible. They were crammed too tightly together in the transport's troop compartment to use weapons or in any way defend themselves or escape. It paused to allow them to appreciate the horror of their predicament. It spoke to them, not in words but directly and repulsively into their minds. "Canned meat I like that." Caliban launched himself into the compartment faster than the warriors could react. A spray of blood, bowels, gobbets of flesh and gurgling screams resonated around the compartment. In less than a minute Caliban was grinning, and preening itself while hovering over a layer of minced tissues awash with blood. The intercom snapped and spat. "Ah, the pilot," murmured Caliban and reached through the ceiling of the compartment. The Hammerhead lurched and spun. Caliban teleported. The Devilfish raced out of position and smashed into it partner in formation. Both hit the ground with an immense flash and explosion.
Further down the line of Devilfish and Hammerheads the same events recurred.

The sentry reported to Gann Arfur, "Flashes and explosion on the horizon, Sir, North West , sensors suggest 20 kliks distance."
"Any idea Hammerhand?" asked the Gann.
"Probably my and Hawk's pet."
"What sort of pet?"
"Our daemonhost, I let him off his leash just before I Ieft to come here. I have also asked him to bring his associate Moloch this time."

Take me to your Leader

2008-01-28T19:04:00.000Z

"Take me to your leader," whispered Hammerhand with a smile in the ear of the sentry. Athelwist startled, dropped his las rifle and fumbled for his knife as Hammerhand grasped his wrist. "Easy there soldier," commanded Hammerhand. "Here is may badge of authority with the Inquisition. My rank is Interrogator."
"Please don’t tell the sergeant," gasped Athelwist.

The autosavants reported matter expressionlessly. "The Hulk’s systems report that there has been a significant perturbation of the Hulk’s trajectory. The controls are being used without understanding and as a result the divergence from an atmospheric entry path is becoming more marked with each passing minute. There are probably only 3 to 4 hours during which the trajectory can be repaired. We can influence the control systems from here but with the presence of others in the control room also using the Hulk’s systems it is unlikely that we could achieve sufficient control to ensure that a planned landing on the planet can be achieved."
Hawk demanded. "If the trajectory is not corrected, what then?"
"It is likely that the Hulk will strike the planet’s atmosphere at a glancing angle, losing speed due to atmospheric friction and as the resultant trajectory would if uncorrected pass close to the system’s sun, suffer significant heat and radiation damage before collecting speed from its passage through the solar atmosphere and if it survives this it will be ejected from the system in the directions of the Dark Marked Warp region at sublight speed reaching…."
"Enough, thank you," responded Hawk.

"It seems we either have to gain full control of the Hulk or evacuate."
"Evacuation may only be possible after completion of the planetary assault," responded captain Meddigo through Blou.
"Agreed," replied Hawk. "We need full control of the Hulk, despite its infestation with Orks.
"According the Hulk’s systems," intervened the autosavants, "there are 2 or 3 million of them on board. Almost all as ‘passengers’ sealed in other compartments controlled by the Mobs that have occupied the bridge and engine rooms."
"There is also evidence of other Xeno species on board."

Frame Shifts

2008-01-27T09:18:00.000Z

“Captain, arrange for the snake data umbilical of the shuttle to be located in the nearest Hulk data point,” commanded Hawk. The two autosavants began their analysis of the Hulk.
“There are two battle worthy platoons of Grey Knights,” reported Meddigo through Blou. “And there is also one Deathwing platoon ready for immediate deployment.”
Hawk thought. “And the injured, how many will be available after patching and repairing with the facilities we have here.”

Hezakk and his mob waited for Garzakk and his mob to come done the axial corridor to the control room in the Hulk. His boys were ready with choppas, rokkits, and sluggas. Master Mekk Boltzerr and Slaver Slyzakk had their grotts fighting with the alien systems of the Hulk in the control room to restore stability. The fight in the hangar, the explosive collapse of the hangar roof as well as the impacts of the assault pods and the weight of debris falling on to the Hulk from the destruction of the Ork cruisers and the secondwave had altered the Hulk's course fractionally.

Hammerhand arrived as a wave of black armoured drop pods crashed to earth around the Belisimar positions on the crater rim. He dropped his stolen speeder to ground quickly before anyone thought to target him and cautiously approached the Belisimar positions.

Garzakk and his mob were crossing the outer hull of the Hulk. The skin of the Hulk was scarred from millennia in deep space. Its outer rind was fissured. The fissured valleys were often dominated by protrusions, some of which were smooth domed. Others were mind wrenchingly twisted. A few larger ones had leathery surfaces pocked by micrometeorite impacts and venting gasses, suggesting an organic origin. Yet others were crudely mechanical and functional. The latter were often additions that generations of Orks had added. The functions of most were of little interest to Garzakk and his mob even if he could have understood them. Many contained sensors or warp controls and propulsion mechanisms. Garzakk crept through the vacuum seared industrial landscape of the outer surface of the Hulk to an airlock that he knew led directly into the control room.

Hammerhand crept on his belly to the sentry. Visibility was still markedly reduced as a result of the original bombardment throwing tons of fine micro-particles high in the atmosphere, reducing sunlight and allowing moisture to condense out. Daytime was only slightly brighter than nighttime. Inching forward he crept past the sentry and eased himself into the communication trench that ran outwards to the sentry point.

Hangar Victory

2008-01-26T08:58:00.000Z

Hawk's launch swooped down into the Hangar with fusion motor flames incinerating and hull mounted cannons blasting Orks. The remaining Orks fleeing the launch fell under the bolters of the Terminators. There was no escape.

Grey Knight Captain Meddigo plugged himself into the comms port on the outer hull of the shuttle by the landing gear. He linked to Inquisitor Hawk through the Vox-link communicator. Hawk eschewed vox linked communication directly into his own neural circuits and mind. Blou the pilot spoke for Captain Meddigo. "It was touch and go, Sir. You arrived just at the right time. When are the second assault wave due?"

"We are all that will be arriving of the second wave," responded Hawk.
"None the less we must take this Hulk."
"Report to me your strength and situation, while my autosavants interrogate the Hulks systems and formulate the best approach to taking control of the Hulk. If need be we may have to cut a deal with one or another faction of the Orks here to get neutralise them if we do not have sufficient ammunition to erase them all at the moment."

Changing Fortunes

2008-01-23T19:50:00.000Z

Hezakk waved his Nobs forward as he slipped back from the whirling melee. It was not looking so good now. "Time to go," he thought. He noticed some mobs of lesser Orks hanging back. Moving over he grabbed and threw their leaders in to the fight at the same time sending his attendant grots to get his bodyguard of Nobs to fall back. Garzakk noticed the change and signalled his own mob to fall back to the bulkhead doors. Hezakk and his mob began running for the doors. Blood thirsting Orks cleared out of the way of the Boss and his Nobs but closed up ranks after he had pushed through. Garzakk realised he could not catch up with the retreating Boss. His group was blocked as it fought and pushed through the jostling mass of mobs. Blood crazed Orks struck by Garzakk's mob lashed out at other Orks. Creating a heading chaotic secondary Ork versus Ork battle. The front ranks were whittled down by increasingly devastating bolter fire from the terminator suited marines as the Orks fought amongst themselves. The massive hangar was a whirling chaos of chopping and firing and dying spacemarines and Orks.

Shouting into his mask, " Usless grot," Garzakk fired his slugga at the retreating back of Hezakk. Hezakk stumbled and fell. His Nobs grabbed him and roughly carried him throught the bulkhead door. The doors began closing. Garzakk signalled to his boyz and Nobs, "Use Rokitts." Back strapped rokkitts fired. Most Orks rose slowly at first then rapidly, mainly out of control arcing out of the hangar through its shattered roof and onto the surface of the Hulk seeking functioning airlock doors.

Retinue

2008-01-20T17:22:00.000Z

The confines of Inquisitor Hawk's assault shuttle were cramped with equipment, retinue and by the fact that all were already vacuum suited. The atmosphere had been evacuated from the craft to ensure no delay during an assault debarkation when the craft touched down.

His retinue were strapped into crash couches welded to the floors and bulkheads of the craft. Directly ahead of Hawk, Blou Max, the pilot positioned at the apex of the chamber was massively cybernetically augmented. He appeared to have been melded with the controls he used. His rewired hands played a flight of harmonies across the keys surfaces. Data inputs were wired directly into his skull. Framed as if windows the visual map displayed on the bulkheads around Max seemed to show the void around the ship. In fact they displayed Max's visualization of the data fed into his skull. Hawk approved. At least here was someone whose thinking he could see clearly.

Behind Hawk were his three massively augmented combat servitors. Their limbs and reflexes mechanically augmented to make them impervious fighters capable of slashing rending and crushing their way through maxsteel without needing tools or weapons. They responded to the names of Ironhand, Shannar and Drutt respectively. Beside hawk were his two autosavants. These although not suited for combat were his most powerful weapons in his long struggle against Chaos. With their massively enhanced cognition and eidetic memory they were friends, advisors and libraries. Three of his acolytes also accompanied him. Hammerhand his Interrogator was heading for his designated position on the planet below. The three Explicators had armed themselves with close combat equipment including power armour, storm shields and chain swords. They answered to the names of Snap, Crack and Pop. His familiar a psychically enhanced flobber worm curled at the foot of Hawk's crash couch.

Outside flashes of light and hurtling debris from the spasmic vicious detonations of assault pods caused Max to make the shuttle slip, weave and dodge as it powered down to the surface of the Hulk.

Hulk

2008-01-16T20:24:00.000Z

Launching payloads the Ork cruisers disintegrated under sustained linac fire from the 3 Imperial warships. Hawk gripped the arms of his couch as his pilot fired attitude jets at seeming random intervals to evade the scattering clusters of Ork lobba mines. Inquisitor Hawk's landing ship was designed for atmosphere as well as vacuum work. As a result it was highly maneuverable. The Assault pods crammed with the second wave of Space Marines were no maneuverable at all. The second wave disintegrated in multiple majestically soundless flashes around Hawk's ship.

In the vast hangar the battle was slowly developing a direction. Piles of fallen space marines lay across the centre of the vast airless arena. Slowly the space marines had pushed the Orks back through their awesome fire power. The Orks had become more and more entangled with each other and the dead which had prevented them from mounting a final close combat assault to wipe out the residual marines. Time was now telling against the Orks as their vacuum resistance was running out.

"Bak, yelled Hezakk waving to his surviving Nobs, "Mobbup behind da bulk heads," he screamed at his Mek made kommunicator. He kicked his grots into action to get them to alert his tiring but still blood hungry Orks.

Speed Mek

2008-01-11T21:35:00.000Z

The Ork cruisers burst from the blind side of the Hulk. Each was a unique and brutal nightmare agglomeration of Mek madness. A core of crudely powerful propulsion around which was bolted bizarre and powerful weaponry. Impaled on the apex of each propulsion tube was a small life support habitat containing one Mek Nob and a few grots. The cruisers shoaled close to the body of the hulk. The Mek pilots gloated with their relative speed across the surface. Green taloned fingers gripped the contols mercilessly. This was the life for a speed freak Ork Mek. Anticipation of a mega death blowout at the end of the speed run made it only better. The shoal of cruisers twitched as they lined up for the attack run. Arms swung out from the sides of the craft as grots activated mine lobbas. Some mines were actively homing piloted by speed freak grots. One craft flashed and spun in a searing streak impact as it was pulled down onto the surface of the Hulk as a result of an inopportunely deployed lobba arm. Regardless the remaining cruisers lined up for their attack run. Before them lay the second wave of Imperial Void Black assault pods the fleet had launched at the Hulk.

"Signal the Inquisitor, greenskin attack ships closing on second assault wave. Evasive action immediate." Ordered Captain Pilgrim.
"Secondary batteries retrained and locked on to attacking cruisers," reported Gunnery Officer Isvista.
"Concentrate fire on those closed to the Inquisitor's ship," Ordered Captain Pilgrim, "Otherwise fire at will."

"Bugga," yelled Garzakk. He had shot close to Hezakk again but again failed to hit the useless grot.

According to Plan

2008-01-08T15:20:00.000Z

Hundreds of void black armoured assault pods powered in waves to the surface. Secondary batteries of turbo cannons from the three ships engaged the Hulk. There was no return fire from the Hulk. Turbo penetrator rounds blasted holes in the outer shell of the Hulk, penetrating the armour and into the habitat beneath. Geysers of debris spouted from the holes spewing tumbling orks and grots their equipment and debris into the void. Other rounds scoured the surface of the hulk of any defenders with cinematic patterns of mathematical explosions around the target locations for the assault pods.

Captain Pilgrim reported to Hawk, "Debris scanning indicates the Hulk is infested with greenskins, Sir"
"Seems we will be doing the job of the Ordo Xenos again," remarked Hawk.
"We need the Hulk in any case. Proceed with the assault."
"It looks as if the Orks have not mastered any of the defensive fire power that these Hulks usually carry."

Just before impact each pod instantly switched from power from rear to nose engines, adding their searing fusion flame to the scouring of the surface of the Hulk in a cruel and brutal deceleration. Space Marines groaned in their armour. They were held in place by the monomolecular threaded crash webbing that had been blessed by the techpriests before launch. The first wave of pods crunched to the outer hull of the Hulk. Webbing snapped open and Grey Knight terminators and Deathwing terminators rushed in a spreading fan of assault squads from the grounded pods, heading for the breaches in the hull. At that moment shaped charges detonated across the landing zones blasting the surface occupied by the assault for and its pods down into the mighty hangar below where the Ork counter assault waited.

"Anuvver cunnin plan and a good fight comin up," screamed Harzakk at his Nobs. "Get stuck in, chop all de humins, Now!" He waved them forward with his big choppa. All the nobs were power armour suited which gave them a prolonged stay in vaccum. They shambled forward joints wheezing in the cold vacuum of the void. They were backed up with all the killa kans and closed cabin trukks and vehicles.
It was my plan you useless over-grown grott thought Garzakk. And why dont yous let us blast them now while they are fallin and lyin' in heaps. He fired his blasta narrowly missing Hezakk and killing a grey knight struggling to stand.
"Watch wot you are doin," screamed Hezakk.
"One to me already," retorted Garzakk.

MALAC linac

2008-01-05T17:44:00.000Z

Explosions sparkled across the slowly spinning body of the space Hulk. The swarm of small attack craft discharged their payloads across the rear of the Hulk close to the engines.The Emperors Will open fire on the closer of these craft destroying several with each blast of its MALAC batteries, matter/antimatter linear accelerator cannons. These twin linked linacs fired matter and antimatter alternately at either a target or close to a target. The blasts of energy as the highly charged balls of matter and antimatter collided were powerful enough to create transient black hole energy with warping gravity waves sufficient to disrupt most hulls within tens of kilometers. A direct hit usually resulted in the complete gravitational collapse of the target unless it was vastly large. The closeness of the engagement meant that the damage repair crews on the Emperors Will and her consorts were constantly in action.

Along with the cannonade the Emperors Will discharged her cargo of landing pods configured and crewed up for boarding.

Prepare for Boarding

2008-01-01T10:24:00.000Z

“You are destroying my ship,” yelled Pilgrim at Inquisitor Hawk.
“Velocity matching and boarding maneuvers for the “Emperors Will”, plus the “Imperial Holocaust and the “Xenos Extermination”,” replied Hawk to Pilgrim the vox-comms servitor and the helm servitor.

“My apologies, Pilgrim, for usurping temporarily the tactical command of your fleet. There was little time. And I have also taken that into account regarding your claim of ownership of this ship of the God-Emperor.
The visual of the Hulk, on your screen, indicates a state of poor repair indicating that it is likely to contain either an Ork or Tyranid Xenos infestation. Either way if this is the case they must not be allowed to disrupt our planned actions. When I have gained control of the Hulk with the landing parties from these 3 capital ships I will have acquired a significant additional weapon. Remember the Tazim 22 action. A large asteroid was used to destroy the defenders.”

Quick Decision

2007-12-29T17:26:00.001Z

Explosions sparkled in the stratosphere of the planet. Weapons that had been left in orbit following the initial raid disrupted the locally integrated planetary defense sensor and communication systems.The Inquisitorial fleet’s sensors detected a small fleet decelerating from the orbit of a hot inner gas giant in response.

“Sensors indicate multiple small high velocity craft deploying in an attack formation,” reported the fleet bridge scanner servitor.”
“Numbers?” questioned Pilgrim.
“Four thousand and ninety six exactly.” Came the flat response.
“If they have shown their complete hand they do not have enough to significantly disrupt our maneuver,” quietly stated Hawk.

As if in answer at that moment collision alarms sounded aboard the leading elements of the fleet including Pilgrim's flagship the “Emperors Will”.

The helm servitor called for orders, “Collision evasion maneuvers commencing in 5 seconds unless priority over ride cancelled.”
“Hulk 80 by 500 kilometers, under power detected entering real space,” reported the fleet bridge scanner servitor.
“Intersection of orbits of 30 ships within 30 to 200 seconds as of now.”
“Time to our intersection,” demanded Hawk.
“One hundred and ninety two seconds as of now,” came the response.
“Cancel collision evasive maneuvers solely for the ‘Emperors Will’,” commanded Hawk, pressing his Inquisitorial rosette to the priority override validation console.

Last Orders

2007-12-27T19:03:00.000Z

Hawk had ordered Hammerhand to make contact with the landing party, mainly Belisimar Inducted Chem Slaves, podded approximately half the planet away. After Sophia had departed with the phase bomb Hammerhand had ordered Caliban to follow her.
"Follow her," he had ordered, "kill her if you can. Don't take any chances, she will best you in a straight fight. Sneak up when she is otherwise engaged and then try to kill her."
Caliban had responded, " I will drink your soul, but hers first, and teleported out.
You will need to be a lot smarter than you are Caliban thought Hammerhand, but just stick to her and she might just make a mistake.

Then he had had to kill the Tau warrior to acquire his skimmer. This was most likely a mistake but how could he get half way across the planet in the timescale Hawk demanded. Sophia and Zakalwe had already eaten precious minutes from his schedule. But even in a skimmer how can he get across half of a civilised planet without falling foul of the local gendarmes when he did not speak much of the lingo or know anything of the customs. He could not use Zakalwe as a point of information, and anyway the fellow had been such an idiot to get in the way of Sophia's sword.

Time to go

2007-12-27T13:14:00.000Z

Hammerhand examined the suited figure. For the greater good, he thought. So thats who they are. Its unusual having Tau and humans living in this way. Zakalwe did say they had been invited in. I wonder why but no time for that now. Its time to depart. He took a last look around the workshop that had seemed a paradise when he arrived. He mentally reviewed Hawks orders and the recent events in the workshop. He grabbed a bag and filled it with some of the smaller useful tools.

In Orbit

2007-12-26T09:55:00.000Z

Gaps in the fabric of spacetime stretched. A dozen wierdboyz heads popped. Grots ran around clearing the mess. The warp-void belched the ork infested hulk into real space. The body of the Hulk groaned with the stresses. Within the orks chanted beating their choppas on vehicles, walls body armour or passing grots. They were excited. Small sections of the hulk popped spilling the contents of chambers adding to the debris already orbiting the hulk. Orks spasmed in the vacuum. Their tough physique allowing them to linger alive long enough for a few to climb back in before the gaps in the hull were sealed by gangs of grots.

Look dere, shouted Garzakk. "Fusion burning rokkitts, the humins are comin to greet us."
"Yess, launch the space battle cruisers while the rest of us get down on dat planet we see dere," ordered Hezakk.

Lets Get Ready

2007-12-23T08:11:00.000Z

Grots ran squealin' through corridors strewn with the debris of a long flight. Laughing Orks tripped them as they passed. The Orks were in a good mood. A fight and loot and pickins had been promised. The grots tried to clear the accumulated debris, of many unfinished dinners and scraps between orks to prevent shards flying like shrapnel around the craft and damaging truks and weapons. Some grots shoveled the debris into chambers in the hulk. Filling them to the ceiling. The doors were then sealed with an insta-weld glue. From some chambers came the muffled thumps of unfortunate grots and the occasional sleeping Ork who had not been quick enough to get out before the doors were sealed.

Orks prepared themselves for reentry to real space by tying or gluing themselves to whatever seem to be a structural component of the Hulk. Others gripped handles, some hung onto others. The largest Orks Nobs and Bosses lay on custom built crash couches. The speed and vehicle freaks strapped their precious transports down and strapped themselves in. Grots hid from their slavers under vehicles.

"Going Down!" crackled over the tanboys system.
"Useless cursed unlucky grott," hissed Garzakk under his breath in the control tower.

New trick

2007-12-16T09:09:00.000Z

"The phase shifter keeps our phase in step with the C'tan sword. What Zakalwe failed to remember is that a de-tuned phase sword is still a sharp bit of metal that can cut you."
Hammerhand shrugged poor Zakalwe had never been much of a fighter. Perhaps this was what he had hoped to learn from Hammerhand. He had never understood his system of levels or his motivation for helping.

"Hawk, sends his instructions,"reminded Sophia. She picked up her sword.
"Caliban, clear up the mess," Hammerhand gestured vaguely between Sophia and Zakalwe.
"Don't get too clever Hammerhand," warned Sophia.
"Pulse bomb is charged," replied Hammerhand, "Over there." He gestured.
"Give me Inquisitor Hawks orders."

Out of Phase

2007-12-15T11:41:00.000Z

Appended to a white shimmering blur the C'tan phase sword sliced towards Hammerhand. He swayed back out of range. The slice rolled into a thrust. The phase sword became embedded. Sophia let a grunt of surprise escape. Bugger thought Hammerhand. Zakalwe gasped and groaned. Blood dripped onto the floor. Caliban hissed with pleasure. The C'tan fell from Sophia's grasp as the body pitched to the floor.
"I see you have found yourself a new trick, Hammerhand," stated Sophia.
Bugger thought Hammerhand, why did that idiot Zakalwe have to get in the way.
"Yes, its called a phase shifter. I learned it from my esteemed colleague and ally there." Hammerhand gestured at the corpse. "I see you have greeted him in a rather undeservedly casual manner."

Landin Plan

2007-12-14T19:29:00.000Z

In the empty hangar Hezakk addressed his Bosses and their Mobs.
"We have rich pickins on the dirtball below. All we need to do is land and chop the scummy humin natives into bits and then enjoy the planet. We is goin' to build a huge base here and all the Orks lookin for the tru leader will flock here and join our waaaghh against the useless humins."
Fat useless grot on steroids thought Garzakk. Call yourself a boss, you wouldn't know Bossin if it bit you on your green arse

Energy Transference

2007-12-11T21:39:00.000Z

Caliban suddenly teleported in with a flash, a high pitched crack and a stench of burned rotting flesh. Its containing box creaked and buzzed.
"No need for the fuss and noise," remarked Hammerhand. "You won't break your containment. In fact you will never get out unless and until I release you."
"Who or what is that," asked Zakalwe eagerly.
"This is Caliban, one of Hawks pets, and if it ever gets out of the box it will eat you alive, literally."
"Come we have work to finish."

Hammerhand and Zakalwe had spent the last 3 days working on a use for the energy stored by the micro particle converter in his survival suit. The well equipped workshop had made the process easy. Zakalwe's help had made it even easier. Hammerhand still did not trust the ease with which Zakalwe had transferred his loyalty to him. Hammerhand had therefore insisted on making the teleport beacon homer for Caliban himself. He wanted no mistakes when it came to Caliban. Dealing with Caliban was a bit like juggling anti matter bare handed.
Hammerhand still vividly remembered the day he and Hawk had summonsed Caliban and forced it into the containment box.

Attakk Plan

2007-12-09T09:36:00.000Z

“See dat planet.”
“See the readouts here. Deres fighting goin on.”
“If we's to go back we needs a base and some fightin and winnin' and loots an slaves and some time to build our boys back up to strength,” Hezakk set the strategy.
“Now for some cunnin tactics.”
“We need all the boys, so lets put dis scummy hulk down on dat miserable planet, dere,” He waved a broad taloned finger at an equatorial continent.
“Den once were down we gets the bikes and truks out and smashes and loots de nearest town.”
“Get the grots onto it,” He ordered.
“Right away Boss,” Replied Garzakk. You useless fat git he thought.
He stomped out of Hezakk’s control room down the scummy corridor shouting orders at the grots and lesser orks he came across.
“We’re goin’ down.”
“Brace for battle landing.”
“Get weapons ready.”
“Get the weird boyz to get this hulk out of warp.”
“Grots to the engines and wait for more orders.”
Useless bastard he thought.

Under the Silent Surface

2007-12-07T07:55:00.000Z

The red painted Hull had blackened in Hyperspace. The corroded reddened hulk slipped through hyperspace leaving only a faint trail through the vortex. It was hunting.
"No Dats dem over dere." grunted Garzakk, pointed a taloned green finger.
"You betta be right dis time," snapped Boss Hezakk, in reply.

Plan of Attack

2007-12-01T15:15:00.000Z

"Select three equatorial industrial zones, spaced roughly equidistant around the planets equator," stated Hawk.
"Pulverise them with an orbital bombardment," added Pilgrim.
"Launch the assault troops in drop pods to arrive on the selected pulverised zone, just as the bombardment switches to the primary target," continued Tiberius.
"The second wave, which you will command Tiberius, will assault through an orbital and aerial envelopment," continued Hawk.
"The original assault group will build a defensible base from which the ongoing assault can be supported."
"The primary target should be the spaceport identified through the original scans," stated Pilgrim.
"No," countermanded Hawk. "It is located on the shore of the central ocean. We will disable it through a tsunami caused by a level 7 tunnelling nuclear strike on the ocean bed."
"After all if we can do that they could do the same to us after we captured it."

Dog Belly Dreams

2007-11-25T14:01:00.001Z

Assault after Dark

2007-11-25T13:56:00.000Z

Somehow the enemy had detected them. Visibility was minimal. The atmosphere was still clogged with particulate debris from the bombardment plus smoke from fires within ruined structures. In addition night had fallen. Alfus could barely make out Athelwist's rump 10 spans forward as he lay amidst the debris born of the orbital bombardment. Athelwist was watching the enemy positions. His signals indicated that 3 of the armoured suits were active in the remains of the buildings ahead. Other suits lay inert. Alfus itched to go and examine them but this was not the time. The Gann had put him in charge of the squad and the eight of them were relying on his tactical skills and adherence to orders to see them through.
The three active suits seem to be assembling some type of weapon which pointed in their direction. Alfus hoped the Gann would not wait much longer before signalling the attack. The Belismar boys were to flush out any enemy from the ruins of the defense complex. Given that this site had been of the focuses of the bombardment the fact that masonry still stood at the bottom of the 3000 span crater showed that the building had been built as a strong point. The above ground structure had been blasted off during the bombardment but the beneath ground layers exposed by the destruction above were designed to take over the defense.
Blur 100% the signal came to Alfus' squad. As the blur switched in everything slowed but at the same moment time slipped. One second Alfus and his mates were switching the mixture. The next they were amongst the enemy suits firing, stabbing and clubbing at the slowly dropping and twitching figures.

An unexpected helper

2007-11-22T18:35:00.000Z

"I know that you are from off planet," the flamboyant man continued. "You qualify as an Unreal even if you do not know how to behave as one."

Hammerhand stepped close to Mr Zakalwe Iridescent. His right hand slipped up his left sleeve and closed around the grip of the extensible steel bar he kept strapped to his left forearm. Low technology, he thought, but capable of smashing skulls and so effective at close quarters.

"Just a little moment, I am on you side and that of your masters," pleaded Zakalwe. "You have technology we do not have and we have technology you do not have!"

A Night Attack

2007-11-19T21:56:00.000Z

Caliban to Bubo IX

2007-11-17T10:21:00.000Z

"Excuse me, Inquisitor Hawk, begging your pardon but Captain Pilgrim ordered me to report that your Daemonhost has left the ship."

"Excellent," Responded Hawk.

An Introduction

2007-11-17T10:19:00.000Z

"Just one littlest quickie question," asked Mr Iridescent.
"No", stated Hammerhand, "there is no scope for negotiation. I need information now. I do not have time to answer every question you have. You have an opportunity to work with an "Unreal". Either take it or leave." Choose now or I will chose for you."
The flamboyantly dress little man was taken aback by this outburst. Then he brightened. Took a breath. drew himself up to his full height.
"Zakalwe," he said and stuck out his hand.
"Interesting."
"Who owns this place?"
"I do."

After Shocks

2007-11-17T10:08:00.000Z

Emerging from the tunnel complex the surviving Chem Dogs staggered exhausted on to a blasted desolate desert terrain. It seemed as if they had been transported to another world. There were no signs of the lush vegetation and brightly coloured characterful creatures that had been there at dirt fall. The light was weak and grey. There was a heavy haze limiting visibility to a few hundred spans. Fine ash and dust swept across the scoured surface driven by gusting winds. Only due to their filtered chem inhaler systems could they breathe.

They had spent a day and a night carving a new tunnel to get out of the complex as everything within 500 spans below the surface had been pulverised by the bombardment. Alfus wondered where they were headed now. And who had thought to build a tunnel complex that could withstand an orbital bombardment. Alfus was now in charge of his squad. All that remained was five from the original ten. They still lugged their heavy bolter between them. Few squads had abandoned any of their weaponry as the Chem Inhalers prevented the troopers from losing heart regardless of their circumstances. Fingers flicked and the sergeants and squad leaders passed on the Gann's orders. They were led onwards to the position from which the defensive lasers had fired in short rushes from cover to cover.

Action Stations

2007-11-15T20:07:00.000Z

Beneath the thatched roof the workshop was warm dry and impressively equipped. Tools were arranged in groups along the walls and in cupboards. There were power supplies of varying magnitude. Work surfaces, micro precision tools and micro manipulators along with both large and miniature furnaces. Every surface was clean and the floor swept.
Outside it looked like a shack and inside a paradise for Hammerhand.

"Mr Iridescent, you tell me that I can use this workshop for as long as I wish, and there is no charge, no payment, nothing owed."
"You must be completely correct about this as I have nothing to hand with which to settle any bills, nor do I wish to run up credit that will cause me and my benefactors any future embarrassment of any sort."
"Am I precisely clear about my position to you?"

"Your are, Sir and as I have already explained it is an honour too serve an Unreal Level such as yourself."
"I will pay the owners using my own resources which I assure you are ample for the purpose."
"In return I ask only one small thing."
It always comes finally down to a deal thought Hammerhand, even in a sense with Hawk. I would have been better slitting his gizzard as soon as Iridescent here stopped making sense.
"Please let me be your assistant while you complete your task here."
"First tell me your name," replied Hammerhand.

Basic Assumptions

2007-11-11T20:18:00.000Z

Rain dripped from the canopy of branches overhead. Hammerhand had not been dry since his splashdown.
"What did you say your name was?" questioned Hammerhand.
"As matter of fact I did not say anything of the sort," replied the small personage.
"I have told you my level and will tell you my resource designation, but we do not know each other well enough to exchange names."
Hammerhand thought.
"Who are the armoured warriors I have have seen?" Hammerhand tried. "They do not seem to be your sort."
"Indeed not. They are not our sort. As you know, I am certain, they are our guest labourers."
"By the way is this a test?"
"It certainly is," retorted Hammerhand. Just who is being tested is another question he thought.
"If I needed something repaired, to whom should I take it, my good fellow?" tried Hammerhand.

Going Native

2007-11-08T20:56:00.000Z

"You look to be an Unreal level", he stated. "Am I correct?" He asked. "In case you hadn't realised I have achieved a iridescent level".
Hammerhand regarded his captive, who was small overweight and dressed in some luxuriously foppish robes of discretely matching but bright colours. He was eye catching but there was nothing remotely iridescent about him. Hammerhand sighed. He had definitely felt unreal about the whole situation as soon as he had managed to get discretely ashore. He needed some tools.
"Do you have any tools?" He asked.
"Of course I have," replied the captive, "but why would an unreal want an iridescent tools?"

Surface Bound

2007-11-06T21:45:00.000Z

The boys hugged the floor. They hugged each other. The ground shook, bucked and twitched under the orbital bombardment. Dust spurted from metastatic cracks in the plascrete ceiling of the bunker. The walls bulged inward with each cataclysmic blast. Several of the Chem Dogs had already received broken limbs, heads and backs from leaning on or simply being too close to the walls when the bombardment hit. Shock waves pulsed through their bodies. If the bombardment was prolonged many would die from internal cavitation injuries caused by the blast shock waves.

The air in the bunker was thick with fumes and particles. This and the shock waves did not trouble the Belismar Boys breathing kalm through their closed respiration systems. Few imperial units could survive such as bombardment as a fighting unit. Even for the Chem Dogs their time was limited. The bunker was deep and the Gann had lead them in closing the blast doors shortly before the bombardment began.

Cataclysm

2007-11-05T21:46:00.000Z

Incandescent bubbles of light and energy flared around the falling fleet. Some was refracted by ether phase change screens produced by the ships. Others bursting close by the silent ships were reflexively penetrated by responding flares of light and debris from the ships as hulls burst open under the impact of the energy bursts. Still the fleet fell until close to the planet when ejected payloads hit preplotted trajectories. This time the fleet burned as fusion drives accelerated the ships from the tormenting energy bursts.

Payloads flared red on hitting the atmosphere. Some burst with massive electromagnetic impulses to paralyse electronic communications. Some burst into unbearable flares of light to destroy ground based optical sensors while the remainder fell hot but momentarily impassive on to their selected targets.

The Gann's Race

2007-10-21T13:18:00.001Z

The Belismar Boys got moving as Sweetfruit fell in Blur induced slow motion face first.

Retribution

2007-10-10T19:49:00.000Z

Debris jagged,burning, molten, toxic and crushing blazed down from on high. The kalm kept the Belismar boys disciplined in the bombardment despite squads being instantly obliterated as some of the larger chunks hit pay dirt. Athelwist nudged Alfus and signalled look at the Gann and Sweetfruit. The Gann was signalling, "Blur 75%, Kalm, 25% By squads move NW." Sweetfruit looked furious and was pointing to the South towards the still distant rumble of machinery. He drew his powersword. He is mine signalled Alfus to Athelwist, rapidly taking aim and firing a burst with his lasrifle.

Orbital Strike

2007-10-07T20:26:00.000Z

"I want a tactical strike on the identified orbital defenses of the target", ordered Hawk.
"I can send a battlefield orbital bombardment group from cover at max gees to hit the target in the identified solar orbital within 30 minutes. They will hit the exposed orbital defenses with a targeted bombardment of lance strikes plus area and randomised bombardments to maximize results using an orbital bounce to minimize risk to the fleet detachment," stated Captain Pilgrim.
"Expected collateral", demanded Hawk.
"Our tactical analysts predict 50% probability of 75% damage to Belismar boys, who at the moment are irretrievable. After the bombardment they predict 100% recovery or the residue." Replied Pilgrim.
"Where is Sweetfruit?" asked Hawk.
"With the Belismar command Squad"
"Do it." Ordered Hawk.

Flash Bang

2007-10-04T18:56:00.000Z

Flaming debris from the Thunderhawk fell with thuds and screams from the Belsimar Boys. Shots started sniping in from the horizon. The rattling grinding noise was coming closer. A second Thunderhawk fusion flame appeared over head. This time the blazing line from the horizon was steady and a second explosion flared overhead. A third fusion flame appeared above and the leeringly bright line joined it to the horizon and was almost immediately followed by yet another blazing flaring debris casting detonation.

Alfus and Athelwist cowered in a depression on the ground they had so recently captured. One of the first transport's engines had crashed on to the command platoon crushing the Captain.

"Lost three Thunderhawks!" snapped Inquisitor Hawk. "Stop the disengagement."

Splashdown

2007-10-02T06:52:00.000Z

Hammerhand fell the last few kilos but hit the sea with little visible impact other than a few ripples on its wind disturbed surface. The energy transference system of his survival suit consumed the kinetic energy of his arrival, storing it for use to propel him in his survival suit to the shore. Hammerhand set sail for the distant port he and Hawk had identified as the planets major transportation hub including docks and a spaceport.

Some Light

2007-09-30T11:51:00.000Z

"Where is that cursed transport", snarled Athelwist. The Belismar boys were getting restless. There was an ominous rumbling creaking noise just over the horizon. Masks on was signalled, kalm 100%. Complaints died down amongst the Chemdogs. "It should be here soon", signalled Alfus with his fingers. "They told us it would be a quick in and out, bit like you Athelwist."
At that moment a blaze of light appeared above. "Thunderhawk on fusion drive," Alfus nudged Athelwist and waved his gaze upwards.

A beam of light seared from the distant horizon seeking and joining with the fusion flare of the thunderhawk. The fusion light wobbled twice and a colossal flash lit the sky.

Here comes trouble thought Hammerhand as he saw the searing flash on the distant horizon.

A Quiet Moment

2007-09-26T19:24:00.000Z

The world below seemed innocently peaceful. As he fell Hammerhand's mind drifted back to his apprenticeship on Mars with the Enginseers. The satellite images that Hawk had shown him of this world reminded Hammerhand strongly of Mars and the manufactoriums and design workshops, yet unlike Mars many parts of this planet seem pristine, untouched by habitation.

Freefall

2007-09-25T19:18:00.000Z

Hammerhand enjoyed the rush of air past his face. He was now in the lower atmosphere floating down at a mere 250kph. It had been a roller coaster ride until now. Almost all of the energy of his drop onto the planet had been stored in the entry suit by the creation of a handful of antimatter molecules held in magnetic field. The micro particle converter had been one of his own creations. He had not bothered telling Hawk knowing his antipathy to anything that was not classical Imperial technology. He had jettisoned it at 8km. It had exploded spectacularly halfway across the planet. He hoped that and the Belismar boys would get the attention of anyone on the ground.

More Hand Signals

2007-09-25T18:51:00.000Z

Standing amidst the shattered bodies of the enemy Alfus saw hand signals flickering around the platoon again. The Lieutenant had ordered kalm only, blur off, form perimeter, hold position, await thunderhawks. Alfus slipped off his mask as everything slowed down. Too much blur and you burned up. How much was too much was an imperial secret.
He nudged his mate, "What do you reckon they are, twists?" He pointed at the shattered armoured suits scattered around."
"Do you reckon we should do a Yarrick now we're finished with gun-babies?"
"Why not," Athelwist replied. "What about that over there, that smart expensive looking box?"

Look at That!

2007-09-24T18:49:00.000Z

Shards of tracer flicked past Alfus and his squad. They were breathing kalm so it seemed as dangerous as a light show. The shards flickered and steadied on one of the pods. It glowed red and then exploded shredding a squad that had just disembarked. More pods were pitching down, their thudding impact drowned by the throaty crack of the enemy fire. Hand signals semaphored from squad to squad. The chem dogs passed orders by hand as their masks precluded verbal orders.
Alfus read the signal, mix kalm with blur 50:50 and advance on enemy. Forward we go he thought as blur coursed through his muscles. On this mix the squad advanced at the double. The enemy tracer fire seemed so slow that Alfus tried to catch some in his hand until he realised that was a bad idea. The Belismar boys rocket forwards covering the 2 kilos to the enemy guns in under a minute. More hand signals, this time torch them. Alfus open fire on the armoured figures that appeared to move incredibly slowly as they reacted to the sudden appearance of the troopers.
Soon their armour began to glow and split under the impact of hundreds of lasgun shots at close range.

Command and Control

2007-09-23T13:30:00.001Z

"Recap the situation for me, Captain Pilgrim."
"The fleet is stationed and hidden within the system's twin jovian systems, stealth satellites for both communication with our ground forces and ground surveillance and intelligence are in orbit of the target. A feint reconnaissance in force has podded in using the Belismar Boys Mercenary Dogs Light Infantry and finally Interrogator Hammerhand has been stealth inserted using a powerless drop pod close to the site of maximum energy use on the target."
"So far, so good," remarked Inquisitor Hawk, "now we have the hard part, the wait for information."

Landfall

2007-09-20T18:36:00.000Z

The drop-pods hit the steaming vegetation in a staccato series of muffled thumps. A brief interval of stunned natural silence was terminated by an explosion of racketing bird-reptiles launching themselves skyward towards the bright lapis lazui horizon from the dusky orange vegetation. Their coarse cries were lost in the sound of the drop-pods cracking followed by the battle cries of the imperial chem dog mercenaries launching themselves onto the forgotten world.
"Alfus look at that!"

The Belismar Boys

2007-09-17T19:16:00.000Z

"Pull the trigger Hammerhand or let me do it," screamed Alfus, "Give the bastard what he deserves." His fellow Leftovers screamed and yelled along with him, raising an unholy racket as they battered the walls and fixtures of the squad room while they watched Hawk's conference on the monitor.

Alfus had barely survived Sweetfruit's slaughter of the conscripts and along with the remnant of his squad was on board the Imperial transports of Pilgrim's fleet.

Redeemed for Inquisitor Hawk

2007-09-16T18:37:00.000Z

"Thank you, Hammerhand," continued Hawk in the same cool dry tone.
"You may pull the trigger if the Commissar does not give his full attention to my presentation."
Hawk had the complete attention of the meeting. "Interrogator Hammerhand has arranged for this discussion to be broadcast to the entire force embarked within Captain Pilgrim's fleet."

"We are at a significant moment in the history of the Imperium. Beset by enemies we must ramp up the technology we use, particularly as I have evidence that some parts of the Imperial Forces are turning to the heretical technology of our alien foes." He glanced at Sophia.

"This condemned force will therefore set course for Bubo IX. This world lost contact with the Imperium in the ancient past, but the latest scans suggest a highly technological civilisation. It was part of the Imperium before the great rebellion and so is not officially a Xeno World but it may well have become so as it has been so long separated from the Imperium. More importantly it may still have records of or access to ancient Imperial Technologies that we have lost!"

Secondly

2007-09-15T13:19:00.000Z

Secondly the Captain and crew of any Imperial vessel required to transport the Inquisitor. Sweetfruit, Daedalus, Sophia, Hammerhand and the Tribune Torne do not qualify for survival except........ A scream of rage interrupted the Inquisitor.

"Nooo not me" raged Sweetfruit. Commissars are always exempt." He hissed at Hawk.

Hammerhand stepped behind Sweetfruit and held his laspistol to the Commissars temple. Sweetfruit went still. A laspistol was about the only weapon that could be used relatively safely within a spaceship as it would not be powerful enough to penetrate the hull.

"You will listen carefully while Inquisitor Hawk finishes," ordered Hammerhand crisply. This was so cool he thought, wait until the guardsmen hear I have pulled a pistol on Sweetfruit.

Dead Men part 3

2007-09-12T20:51:00.000Z

As Hammerhand continued he paced around the conference and watched as the heads of the senior officers twisted to follow him, except Hawk who lounged at the head of the table. He had their attention without a doubt he thought.

"Wait a moment that does not apply to us, only to the grunts." Interrupted Sweetfruit.
" It applies to you without a doubt," snapped Daedalus of the Ordo Hereticus, "but we will make an exception for the Captain here," with a nod to Captain Pilgrim, " without him and his crew I and the others of the Inquisition would be breathing vacuum."

"Sir!" Shouted Hammerhand, snapping to attention and clicking his heels.
"With respect the Imperial Decree states in simple and clear language that the 'Emperor's Benediction' is to be applied without consideration of rank or unit."

"Interrogator Hammerhand is correct." Stated Hawk in a cool dry tone that penetrated around the table.
"There are only two exceptions. Firstly the Inquisitor who erased the incursion of Chaos , in order that Imperial Records will contain the documented means applied to exterminate the incursion."

Dead Men Part 2

2007-09-08T12:48:00.000Z

The power in the blade made the air sparkle and sing as it swept from ear to ear. With a scream Sweetfruit laid into the conscripts, Blood, severed limbs, bowels and heads sheeted through the air as the power sword effortlessly slided through the soft flesh on the unsuspecting conscripts. The first conscripts were slaughtered as they stood too dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events to move despite the evidence of their eyes. Alfus swayed ducked and pushed one of his motionless comrades into the path of the keening blade. He fell back and collapsed sliding under body parts and a film of blood to feign death.

A silence fell disturbed only by the hum of the power blade. Alfus heard Sweetfruit. "Sorry lads, muttered the Commissar, "Nothing personal, you all did your bit, but Imperial Decree requires it to be thus."

We are all dead men

2007-09-06T20:34:00.000Z

"By Imperial Decree, of our God Emperor, all who are exposed to Chaos must be removed permanently from the Imperial Commonwealth of Man to protect the innocent and pure majority of citizens from the least taint of the traitor forces of Chaos."

Interrogator Hammerhand stated to the council. He had donned one of his many uniforms, this one cut in the design of an Heroic Cadian Karskin Captain.

Commissar Sweetfruit

2007-09-06T19:49:00.000Z

"Death comes to us all", shouted the Commissar. "Death in the service of the God Emperor comes only to the privileged few." The conscripts cowered, except for Alfus from Belisimar.
"Death should be slavering for that one", he whispered to his friend Theodosius, "if there is any justice". Alfus had been press-ganged into a New Etrurian Free Company while drunk after a works night out. Sweetfruit had pulled his power sword out and was slashing it through the air around his head. The power in this blade made the air sparkle and sing as it swept from ear to ear. Sweetfruit's blade was a family heirloom and had been handed down through four generations of illustrious ancestors until it had arrived at their unworthy descendant, Tatum Sweetfruit, Commissar by privilege and inheritance.

Importance

2007-09-02T18:56:00.000Z

To the left sat Commissar Sweetfruit, not a sweetie, but definitely fruity and more like a sweetbread, thought Hammerhand, definitely a taste only for gourmets of pain. Alongside him sat the apparently eternal Sophie the assassin. Two difficult customers.

To the right sat Inquisitor Daedalus, Tribune Torne, Enginseer Troy and Captain Pilgrim of the Brethren Class Battle Cruiser upon which they were embarked. Only Captain Pilgrim could be relied upon at this meeting, except perhaps for the Sweetie as Hammerhand thought of Commissar Sweetfruit, provided the sweetie had the promise of oceans of bloodshed. Hammerhand recalled the deference with which Troy had greeted Hawk after they had embarked and the easy way in which he had acquiesced with the requisitioning of his ship.

Case Conference

2007-09-02T09:36:00.000Z

Inquisitor Hawk chaired the meeting just as he had taken command of the Imperial starship.

"Unhuman heretical technologies have been illegally introduced to the imperium. These technologies have been responsible for the destruction of Gladstone VI. My Acolyte Hammerhand will now explain the details. Following his briefing this meeting will formulate a plan to deal with the issues identified."

Hammerhand stood, glancing around the chamber.

From Orbit

2007-08-27T08:27:00.000Z

Looking down at the ruins of Gladstone IV Hammerhand reflected on the eventful last 4 months fighting across the surface of the planet. When he had arrived, from Orbit, the planet was a radiant ball of blues, greens and browns covered with patches of high swirling white cloud formations. It had looked a paradise despite the evil lurking presence of chaos on the surface.

Now brown and black clouds spewed from massive eruptions and their plumes roiled across the grey surface. All was grey, lands and water. A massive Imperial evacuation was underway. Despite the destruction of the planet the Imperial and Inquisition's proclamations had declared a massive victory over Chaos. The Chaos space fleet had been defeated as it passed the solar shock wave and so all traitor forces were trapped on the doomed planet.

Only Hammerhand, Inquisitor Hawk and perhaps the Assassins Guild knew exactly why the planet was collapsing into a black hole. The astronomers were have a field day with new theories of quantum black hole creation and their propagation in time and space.

Hammerhand knew that his friend Halfhead the Ogryn accidentally dropped a molecular black hole. This had fallen out of Sophia's weapon that Hammerhand had been investigating under Hawk's orders. The black hole had destroyed most of Dogbelly in a sub nuclear explosion and then leaving a rapidly growing volcano had dropped through the crust of the planet to the core like a hot knife through butter. It was now growing exponentially. Eventually it would consume the planet and in a few years the entire Gladstone system.

Backs to the Wall the Grey Knights Fight On

2007-08-11T16:49:00.000Z

Daedalus' Vow

2007-08-05T10:53:00.000Z

Perish Hawk or perish I. Yet I cannot perish

Some Take Their Orders Elsewhere

2007-07-31T19:14:00.001Z

Not all Inquisitors Respect One Another

2007-07-31T19:02:00.000Z

Elsewhere

2007-07-31T18:53:00.001Z

Mercenary Chem Dogs

2007-07-25T19:04:00.000Z

The flash disturbed mopping up operations by Hawk's Mercenary Chem Dogs. Some went mad and tore off their drugs inhalers to become intoxicated on fresh air.

Storm Troopers

2007-07-24T20:11:00.001Z

Stormtroopers search for clues to the unexplained blast in Dogbelly.

Flash Boom

2007-07-18T06:30:00.000Z

"Release the blackhole" snapped Hawk.
"Release the blackhole?" questioned Hammerhand.
"Yes, release the blackhole. Tell Halfhead to allow the shredder to open fully. Wait until we have moved out of the blast radius and tell him."
"Won't that tell the assassins that they have lost a shredder." questionned Hammerhand?
They know already that one is missing and will be seeking it even now. Release the blackhole and they will assume that whoever had it perished while it was being investigated. We have finished our job on Gladstone and now need to move on. No rest for the wicked Hammerhand"

Inside the Shredder

2007-07-14T09:01:00.000Z

"Hawk it's a molecular black hole! The shredder power unit is a molecular black hole, suspended behind a vacuum field. Energy comes from allowing the atmosphere to diffuse into the vacuum field."

Hammerhand stuttered to a halt. Something was wrong from the glare he was getting from Hawk. "Get out of my bathroom, now!" snapped Inquisitor Hawk. "Wait in the ante chamber until I am ready." As Hammerhand left Hawk hauled himself out of the bath. It has been a long day he thought and now its going to get longer.

"Now, Hammerhand, first tell me who's technology the assassins are using, can the Adeptus Mechanicus use molecular black holes in hand weapons?"
"No, we cannot, we use them only in large vehicles, typically starships. The technology in the neural shredder must have come from either the Eldar or the Tau."
"Captured or traded that is the question." mused Hawk. "By the way where is the shredder now?"

"I left it with Halfhead he is holding it together, without correctly coded tools the shredder will dissassemble itself and release most of the power of the molecular black hole. It is an ingenious trap. The shredder will aid its disassembly to the point where it explodes. Halfhead used his strength to hold the components just before that point."
"If you allowed me to set up a complete workshop now that the fighting is over I could disassemble it completely."

Neural Shredder

2007-07-11T19:47:00.000Z

Sweat dripped from Halfhead's browridge on to Hammerhand's shoulder. In the dim light of the lantern in Hammerhand's quarters in the ruins of Dogbelly Hammerhand watched as Halfhead slowly turned the lock on the neural shredder. It took all of the Ogryn's enormous strength to turn the lock slowly opening the shredder. Hammerhand waited to stop the operation just before it fully opened. He expected it to be booby trapped. The anomalous internal power source of the shredder was slowly being drained into an inductance capacitor that Hammerhand had constructed. The capacitor was discharged into the ground a few hundred meters away close to the Ratskins quarters. Hammerhand reasoned that anyone looking for an explanation for any unexpected energy discharges or blasts would look no further than the Ratskins.

"Stop now, Head" called Hammerhand to the Ogryn bonehead as a millimetric gap opened between the components of the shredder. "Its pushing apart Boss", grunted Halfhead as he strained to keep the components together. Hammerhand had repeatedly instructed him that under no circumstances should he allow the parts of the shredder to completely separate.
"Easy now", muttered Hammerhand as he inserted a fiber optic probe to view the inside of the shredder. Inserting the optic into his eye he was stunned by what he saw.

Hide and Seek

2007-07-06T18:06:00.000Z

While Hammerhand sought the secret of the neutral shredder the Ratskins and the Ratlings played in the ruins of Dogbelly.

Allies

2007-07-03T19:28:00.000Z

Hammerhand knew that Hawk liked to have abhumans in the brigade. This was not actually surprising as Hawk also kept Caliban a demon held in a unique host machine that Hammerhand was responsible for servicing. As the fighting died down, the forces of chaos everywhere on Gladstone desperately retreated to their orbiting ships that were themselves under attack from the massed Imperial fleet. Back in Dogbelly Hammerhand met some of Hawks newest recruits.

Ratskins, vicious hand to hand fighters that were reputed to be unable to hit a barn door even standing beside it.

Back to the Void

2007-06-26T19:19:00.000Z

Final Stage

2007-06-26T19:08:00.000Z

The Ogryns smacked into the combat. Another three renegade chaos space marines went down. The conscripts led by Hawk pressed forward. Pressed from three sides and with more of their fellows going down under the smashing blows of the Ogryn's ripper gun the Chaos marines broke and ran sobbing and gibbering with fear. Too fast for the panting Ogryns and the blooded conscripts to catch. Hammerhand and Hawk had now pushed the enemy forces from the left wing and center of the battlefield. The Lemann Russ clattered up behind Hammerhand and Hawk's position, its battle cannon seeking targets on the right flank.

On the right two Rhinos packed with Possessed and Chosen Chaos space marines had taken a tortuous route to the front to avoid imperial fire. On the right Hawk had stationed a platoon of imperial guard in a hastily made strong point in ruins. They were screened in front by two heavy flamer armed sentinels and had a Hellhound on the far right.
The Sentinels moved forward to block off the approaching Rhinos targeting each with their heavy flamers in the hope that the searing heat and flame of these cruel weaopons could find a chink in the battle scarred armour of the Rhinos. Luck had deserted the Sentinels. The Rhinos halted scortched but unscathed. Chaos marines poured out. Horrid and loathsome to look at, mutated, tormented and cruel, they fired bursts of bolter fire and plasma that rapidly destroyed both sentinels. As they destroyed the sentinels their corrupt minds clamouring for rending and cutting, the lopping of limbs and heads, they strained to sense the imperial platoon ahead with their chaos warped perceptions. Slowly they dimly realised that they had taken the bait of an Imperial trap.

Out of assault range of any of the imperial troops they were exposed to the combined fire power of the full platoon and the Hellhound. The Possessed Chaos squad took the full force of the decimating combined Imperial fire power and succumbed leaving only the Chosen. Realising that they now faced the almost unscathed full Imperial forces they silently withdrew to face the wrath of their masters.

Training Accomplished

2007-06-20T19:23:00.000Z

With a scream Hawk hewed into the chaos space marine traitors. Three fell to slashing blows from his power sword. The conscripts piled in behind and around the Inquisitor their bayonettes stabbing at the chaos squad held at bay by their sudden assault. Despite their initial losses the chaos space marines held. Hawk realised that he was in for a busy few minutes keeping the conscripts in the fight long enough for sheer numbers to overwhelm the renegades.

As the Ogryn disappeared into the ruined building Hammerhand leapt down from the Lemann Russ. He dashed into the gap the Ogryn had disappeared through. Too late he thought.
The interior of the ruin was sprayed with blood. Grey chaos blood. The bodies of the enemy slumped in death on the floor and pinned to the walls. He was just in time to see the only survivor of the squad rush out the door at the furthest point of the building.

Tapping Halfhead on the elbow, he said, "Good work and we have some more to do."
"It was fun Boss," growled Halfhead. "These fools tried to fight so we had fun wif them. Too bad yous did not come so quickly."

"Come on Halfhead, some more fun out here", smile Hammerhand pointing through a narrow gap in the wall to where the conscripts were struggling with another squad of chaos space marines.

"Good idea Boss", growled Halfhead. "Come on boys", he shouted as the rushed through the gap dislodging more of the crumbling wall.
"Why use a door when you have an Ogryn!", shouted Hammerhand as he ran through the gaping hole in the wall made by the Ogryns.

Close Support Ogryns

2007-06-20T19:13:00.000Z

The Ogryn move forward at Hammerhands orders.

Training

2007-06-19T06:48:00.000Z

While the orbital strikes pounded the renegade chaos marine positions Inquisitor Hawk stood in the front rank of the conscript platoon. Around him the conscripts shuffled and nervously scratched and eased the unfamiliar weight of their equipment. In the dawn light there were many grey faces and no smiles but most had a strength of confidence that the presence of an Inquisitor provided.

"A fine day for some proper training for these conscripts", thought Hawk easing his annointed blade in its scabbard.

In the quiet that followed the last strike Hawk raised his voice, "Warriors of the Emperor." He shouted. "For that is what you will be once tempered by todays battle."

"There is nothing and no one on this battle field to fear, " Hawk paused, "Except me." There were a few bleats of nervous laughter."

"Let the enemy hear you coming so that they know fear." "Forward"

Hawk raised his voice in a battle scream which was also ripped echoing around the rubble from the thoats of the conscripts. They surged forwards. "Keep in line." Shouted Hawk, "Keep in line."

Bolter and plasma gun fire burst from the Chaos positions pouring into the conscripts. The platoon shuddered as men fell out of line.

"Steady." Shouted Hawk. The platoon surged forward again. Hawk sighted their target a squad of Chaos space marines movin up an alley to launch a strike on the Lemann Russ on the left. Hawk glancing to the left saw the Ogryns storming the ruins containing the autocannon positions. The time is now he thought.

"Charge", he yelled and ran forward to launch himself into the enemy squad he had chosen. The conscripts sceamed and followed their inquisitor firing bursts from their lasrifles as they rushed the Chaos space marines.

Repelling Chaos

2007-06-18T18:34:00.000Z

Once the Grey Knights had departed Dogbelly, and the reinforcements that Hawk had summoned were equipped and deployed in their start positions Hammerhand knew that before long Hawk would go on the offensive again. Inquisitor Hawk's organisational energy always stepped down a gear or two whenever the Grey Knights were around. Both Hawk and Hammerhand considered them too prissy, too fussy and too concerned with the style of the battle for Hawks taste. They were choosy about who they would fight alongside and which weapons could be deployed. Hawk being secretly allied to the Radical faction preferred to demonstrate his exquisite tactical skills and offensive armoury out of sight of anyone that might have links to the Puritan faction amongst the Inquisition. A showdown between factions was long overdue.

Hammerhand thought the Grey Knights were mainly boring as everything had to be done by the book. No personal tweaks here or there. Waiting for the offensive to start Hammerhand had time only for a few scans of the stolen neural shredder, deep within it the scans showed an anomalous power source the like of which Hammerhand had never seen. When he showed this to Hawk, his only comment was, "Excellent." Hawk clearly had some idea of what it was but he would not tell Hammerhand anything more.

"Get Caliban ready Hammerhand, priority number one," said Hawk. "The shredder can wait for the moment. Keep it safe."
Hammerhand smiled. Despite the real risks to life and sanity he truly enjoyed working on the electromechanically contained demonhost that Hawk like to call Caliban.

"Once Caliban is ready, what is my assignment for the battle, Inquisitor?", asked Hammerhand.
"You are assigned to the Ogryns. You will help Halfhead, the Bonehead organise his fighters on our left flank in support of the Leman Russ." "You are to suppress any enemy heavy weapons and hook to our center once the enemy's right flank folds."

At dawn Hammerhand crouched with the Ogryn beside the Leman Russ. Once the orbital bombardment of the Chaos positions stopped they moved forward beside the roar the the Russ's engine. Almost immediately the Russ came under autocannon fire from a tank hunter squad of Chaos hidden within a partially destroyed factory. The cadian crew panicked and returned fire with the hull mounted heay bolter rather than the battle cannon. Thumping Halfhead on the elbow to get his attention above the noise of the heavy weapons Hammerhand waved the Ogryns forward showing Halfhead that he wanted them to assault the entrenched autocannons. Hammerhand climbed the exposed side of the Russ and opened up on the enemy position with the turret pintle mounted heavy stubber to give the Ogryns covering fire as they rushed forward weaving and firing their ripper guns.

Dogbelly Evening

2007-06-10T18:48:00.000Z