Secret War: Warhammer 40,000 by Ben Agar (reading eggs books TXT) 📖

half the length of the body. I couldn't identify what design it was or make; I didn't have much knowledge in such subjects. But I could tell it would easily transport us all with no problem.

I just hoped it was warp travel capable; Glaitis' ship in orbit had warp drives, a Geller field all of it, assuming it was even still there; with the vox down, there was no way to know.

The door swished open behind me, and I heard Darrance let out a long whistle.

"Nice," he said, and I looked over my shoulder at him.

"What's nice?" I asked.

"Why the ship, of course," he said. "A Salvani class VIII Guncutter, I can see Taryst spared no expense and had a good taste while at it."

"A Guncutter?" I said. "So, not warp-capable?"

Darrance snorted and shook his head with an amused smile, then approached the ship, rubbing his hand on its sheened metal surface.

"A ship this size isn't even slightly large enough to house a warp drive, let alone a Geller field, too," he said. "You show your ignorance spectacularly."

I pursed my lips and shrugged, feeling he was merely stating a fact rather than trying to insult me.

"We all can't know everything about everything," I said.

It was Darrance's turn to shrug, but he said nothing, so enraptured by the Guncutter.

"It'll have an internal medicae capability, right?" I said. "If this ship is so frigging, super special awesome and all."

"Yes," he said while beginning to walk around the ship, gaping in awe.

I had no idea that Darrance was so into ships; he would've been the last person I could've imagined being interested in such a subject.

"I would even say the medicae facility would even be automated," he said after a long pause. "I would suggest you get the psyker and the other injured here."

"She has a name, you know," I said.

"I'm sure she does," he said almost wistfully, still keeping his back to me, still sliding his hand across the Guncutter.

"Fine," I said. "Be that way, then."

I turned to walk away when the door suddenly slid open, and Adelana stepped into the hanger.

"Oh, hi!" I said and felt a smile unintentionally crossing my face.

She smiled back, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Vex sent me; he's managed to get into the cogitator's vox system. We've received a communique, and she wants to talk to you."

I nodded; she looked very visibly scared all of a sudden.

"Yes," she said, shivering despite the warmth in here. "She said...She said that she was an Inquisitor."

 

 

Adelana, Darrance and I emerged back into the quarters.

Everyone who could still stand was crowded around the cogitator desk, gazing down at the large display. It was now showing the head and shoulders of; a woman wearing black, ornate power armour. Her dark chocolate brown skin, and her blue eyes were incredibly piercing, suggesting they were extremely advanced augmetics. Her long, thin white hair tied into a top knot.

I stepped into view of the display, the others stepping aside to allow me in.

The woman's eyes narrowed as she saw me.

"You are Attelus Kaltos," she said; her voice boomed from the speaker; it was the confident voice of someone who was a leader, a true leader and who knew it but didn't revel in this knowledge. It was a statement, not a question.

I managed a nod, and she smiled, it was a sensual smile, but it wasn't pleasant at all. It was almost predatory.

"Yes," she said. "Wesley had told me much about you in his reports. I apologise; allow me to introduce myself. I am Inquisitor Jelcine Enandra of the Ordo Hereticus."

She held up a Rosette, briefly, casually as though such a thing didn't give her power and influence beyond measure.

"I have just arrived in the system," she said. "I have brought with me ten ships of the Calixis battlefleet, and they are about to engage the Space Marines."

I involuntarily flinched as some of the others suddenly let out a cheer.

Their elation didn't last long as Enandra's expression darkened and said, "I doubt they will last long, though; they are merely a distraction."

"A distraction?" said Arlathan. "A distraction for what?"

She sighed. "A distraction for your escape. My personal ship, the Audacious Edge, is built for battle and stealth, and we have entered the system undetected. We are orbiting the blind spot of the local star. It is at great risk that I am talking to you now."

"How?" said Darrance. "How did you get this frequency?"

Her eyes narrowed again but in bemusement. "Wesley gave it to me in one of his astropathic messages; he never told you that?"

"No," I said and wondered how the hell he got it in the first place; he seemed to have neglected to tell us a lot before his death.

+I gave it to him,+ said Karmen. +I gave him this frequency; I knew Taryst had a high powered vox situated down here, one capable of interplanetary communication. I felt that the reinforcements he sent for would need to know it, although I didn't believe it would amount to anything. Obviously, I was wrong.+

'Wesley also told us he never got any reply," I said. "Did you send anything back, mamzel?"

Enandra's eyes widened and straightened as if I'd asked the most stupid question in the verse.

"Yes, of course, I did," she said. "Where is he?"

"He's...He's dead," I answered hesitantly. "I'm sorry."

"Really?" she said but didn't seem at all upset by this, more surprised. "Always thought that old bastard was indestructible. Tell me later how and why he died; we don't have the time now. It's sad to hear; I was hoping he might be able to talk my former master down from this, rather disproportionate, retribution for Omnartus and its people."

Adelana and the old woman looked at me then, looking very anxious all of a sudden.

"You two should get to the ship," Arlathan said to them. "Take Karmen with you, please."

They both nodded and hurriedly; took Karmen's bed, then left the room.

"Did I say something wrong?" said Inquisitor Enandra.

I hissed air through clenched teeth, "not everyone knows everything."

"Frig yeah, we don't," said the Stormtrooper sullenly.

"What's happened to the System Defence Force ships?" said Arlathan.

"Already dead," stated Enandra. "Or, to be more precise, destroyed. The Space Marines had lost none of theirs in the process, but a few were damaged. The Marine ships are all now in orbit, blockading the planet's air traffic and destroying the orbital platforms and soon, very soon, they'll initiate the Exterminatus once the orbital battle is won."

"What about the surface to orbit defence turrets?" said Arlathan.

Enandra sighed again. "From what I understand, according to the PDF vox; I have been monitoring him, they seemed to have been...sabotaged."

"What?" said Arlathan, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Then it hit me. "it might've been the Adeptus Arbites!"

Enandra turned her head and said sceptically, "Adeptus Arbites?"

I nodded and quickly relayed the events of their earlier ambush. It was rushed and abridged, and I withheld some details.

Enandra looked at me sidelong once I finished, her jaw clenched slightly. She could tell that I'd skipped some things, but after a few seconds of pondering, she eventually nodded.

"I see," she said. "After you had informed me of that, your theory does have some merit, that they are either under the influence of my former master or Inquisitor Edracian, but at this point, it matters little. Do you have a void capable ship?"

"Yeah," I said. "We also have a ship in orbit..."

"I don't care if you do!" Enandra interrupted me suddenly. "You are to go to my ship and none other! Any other ship is suicide at this point and besides."

She smiled, but again it was that predatory and strangely sensual smile. "I would like to talk to all of you face to face, and I mean literally, so I can make sure you are..."

She paused and raised her eyes to whatever ceiling was over her in a mock, exaggerated imitation of someone struggling to find the right word to use.

"Proper," she said eventually.

"In all honesty, mamzel," I said, leaning close to the screen. "The way you said that doesn't give us much incentive."

She laughed, and it was a genuine laugh; it was almost musical, and I couldn't help but like it. "Yes, I guess it wouldn't. I like you, boy. From what Wesley told me, I knew I would like you, Attelus Xanthis Kaltos. Son of the infamous Serghar Kaltos, it seems you didn't inherit his anti-social qualities."

"You know my father?" I asked as I felt my face flush.

"No," she said, for the first time smiling genuinely. "I know of your father; there are very few within the Inquisition who do not."

"Of course there isn't," I sighed.

"Anyway, your ship has more than likely been destroyed anyway," she said, becoming sober and professional again.

"So, what happens now, mamzel Inquisitor?" said Verenth, his voice shaky.

"The Calixis battlefleet ships will be first engaging the Marine spacecraft in about half an hour," said Enandra. "They will be fully engaged another fifteen minutes after that, so I need for you to wait for that timeout then leave Omnartus. Fly for the local star, and once you are ten thousand kilometres away, send me a brief communique on this frequency. There I will give you the coordinates of the Audacious Edge. Then I will allow you to board and, from then on, wait it out until the Space Marines and my erstwhile master have left the system. Does that make any sense?"

"Wait, with respect, mamzel Inquisitor," said Verenth, and I couldn't help wince and hiss through clenched teeth. "Did you just say, 'wait it out until the Space Marines leave?'"

Enandra glared at him, her jaw twitching slightly, dangerously. "That isn't quite verbatim, but it's close. So, yes."

"Aren't we gonna do something?" he cried. "We can't just stand by and watch! They're gonna destroy my world!"

Enandra sighed, her eyes falling to the floor, and for a second, there was true despair on her attractive face.

"Yeah," she said as her gaze suddenly snapped back on us, a look of fiery determination on her face. "Yeah, I do, and if you don't want to, there is another option. You have a weapon, you can use it on yourself, or I could do it for you. I'm sorry, I am; I wish it could've ended in another way, but it's too late. Just too late."

Verenth listened with wide, teary-eyed horror, his mouth gaping, and I felt sorry for the Hammer.

"I must end this communique," said Inquisitor Enandra. "I have almost gone over the safe time gap already. I am sorry; I wish all of you luck and hope to see you soon."

Then the screen abruptly went blank.

For a long time, we were silent, the only sound, the pained moans and groans of the injured.

The first one to find his head was Arlathan. "Alright!" he snapped. "We've got three-quarters of an hour to get things ready! Attelus, Darrance, Verenth, Vark! You four get the heavily injured into the ship."

"What are you doing?" said a voice, and we turned to see Helma was groggily getting off the bed; she was smiling at us. "Brutis Bones put me in charge, didn't he?"

"You shouldn't be up, captain!" cried Vark, but she waved him off.

"I have been unconscious and useless for much of what has happened," she said. "I'm sorry, now it's about time I will be of use."

Helma turned away and hauled up Jelket by his good arm, then placed it across her shoulders,

"I heard what the Inquisitor had said," said the captain. "She's right; we can't stop this. But if we escape with all we know, we can make sure that Etuarq will never be able to do it again."

She started to the door, and I held out my hand to offer help, but she shook her head in decline.

As she passed, I once again saw the enormous black bruise on the side of her skull and fought the urge to flinch at the sight of it. I had no idea how she was awake, let alone moving.

I reached down and hauled up Hayden;