Warzone: Borhelia - a mini-campaign on the planet Boreliah in the Esenie system!
The air was stale in the Inquisitor's chamber, and the dark lights and brooding atmosphere added to the unease of General Colbert and made him long for being back at the camp fires with his beloved men of the 22nd, sharing stories about deeds, mishaps… and loved ones. But, here he was. In the heart of schemes, interrogations and “corrections”. He noticed the flickering - black of course - candles that were the only light on the walls, apart from four ancient torches that added some much-needed illumination to the otherwise gloomy room. Colbert couldn’t help but smiling at the Inquisition’s obvious need for drama and intimidation. But, then again, he wouldn’t smile if he were to become the subject of their ... interest. The stories he had heard of interrogation and downright torture sent a chill down his spine. But, then again, dark powers constantly plotted against mankind and dire times need dire counters. And, considering the fall of half of the 22nd Regiment to the ruinous powers, he had to take this visit seriously. The Inquisition had their eyes on him and his Garde Imperial and could delete everything of the 22nd with the wave of a hand. General Colbert shuddered and his smile had died.
As he walked to the awaiting Inquisitor he looked at the twelve banners that hung from the ceiling. Heavy cloth attached to brass railings that looked ancient... which they probably were. The Imperial way is the way of holding on to the ancient, and therefore “trusted”, ways. But the banners were also impressive and beautiful. They told bleak stories of battling and winning over the alien and tales of the enemy within, that must be purged at all costs. The banners were very descriptive in telling the punishment for plotting against mankind. Very descriptive, indeed. Colbert walked cautiously forward, swallowed hard, and addressed the Inquisitor, who stood turned away from him, looking at a holo-map of the Pomonian area.
-Inquisitor Ripley! I am honoured to serving you and the Emperor. Bless his light!
General Colbert looked at the holo-map and noticed several red dots and arrows and very few blue dots with arrows pointing backwards. It was not hard to see that the Emperor's forces were in deep trouble on Esenie X.
-Spare me the clichés, general! I don’t have time to be polite. There is a problem on Esenie X and I need you to help me solve it.
-As you wish, Inquisitor. I presume it has something to do with the situation concerning the Tyranids and the Chaos forces there?
Colbert nodded towards the Pomonian area on the holo-map.
-Indeed, General! Indeed! Inquisitor Ripley turned to face General Colbert. Our forces are stretched out and there are not many reinforcements to count on. If any. The Tyranids are pressing on and the Lord Entragian and his vile plague forces are most certainly near to retrieve the Liber Magii... again! That can not happen, Major. That is not an option!
Colbert had heard about The Liber Magii, the strange book that was both an instruction for sorcery of some kind and an eledged road-map to a mysterious and extremely ancient library that had information about the Ancient Ones and how to find and contact them. That was what the rumors said anyway. Perhaps it was the greatest artifact ever, but it could also be a ridiculous rumor or a scam made by... well... someone... or something. Colbert knew that dreams of wonderful artifacts and treasures often led to gruesome death and disaster. But he also knew that this was the only thing the Inquisition cared about here in the Esenie sector. A stinking book! He cautiously shook his head.
-What would you like me to do, Inquisitor? My regiment is exhausted and depleted. And that half of them turned to the ruinous powers didn’t help. In fact, I am a bit astonished that you are even talking to me... There are lots of other Inquisitors breathing down our necks for being part of a mutinous bunch of soldiers and...
-Ah! No! The 22nd Regiment has proven its loyalty to the Emperor... and, most importantly, to me, General Colbert, don’t you worry about that. Your actions at Thermopylae proved your loyalty and determination. No doubt! I don't want to hear anymore about that! Now... the Tyranids are spreading southwards through the Pomonian Plains and Lord Entragian follows them from the north. To the south there is a large concentration of Orks. What they are up to no one knows, but rumor has it that the Liber Magii somehow... don’t ask me how and why... has ended up in their hands. Now, the Tyranids may just run over the Orks... and that doesn’t bother me at all... But... the Liber Magii... it is somewhere in that mess! And with Lord Entragian tracking the mess and is getting closer, we must do something! I have an idea, General, which, by the way, won’t go down merrily with some other Inquisitors, and I want you to listen to this idea and then act upon it. It is an unorthodox idea and goes against all Imperial protocols and rules... But I think it might work. And we wouldn’t risk losing anymore soldiers in this particular... action.
General Colbert was both intrigued and astonished at the Inquisitor's straightforward way of telling him that she was okay with... alternative ways. But what had she in mind? This was getting very interesting and scary at the same time. And he was afraid that her talk about the 22nd proving it's loyalty was a way to lure him and his already questioned regiment into more trouble. Perhaps even a perfect scapegoat?
-Perhaps you should tell me what you have in mind, Inquisitor. I feel the 22nd is already under your scrutiny and...
-I will tell you this! I am sanctioning this idea. I take full responsibility for what is about to happen. And I will notify the Ordo High about this. I do know that several other Inquisitors think this is not... that... unorthodox. In fact... we spare human lives and waste xenos life instead...
-What is your plan, Inquisitor? Xeno lives? I'm beginning to think that we will cooperate with xenos... Surely that can't be the...
-Indeed it is, General! We WILL work with xenos... We will employ the Orks to fight for us!! There is a rising unrest among the Orks on Esenie X, now that Warboss Badlukk is gone and we must take advantage of that. A large force of the Blood Axes Orks is making a big noise about themselves and that their leader, Noshreg, is the new Big Warboss. Also, there is an uprising among the lesser greenskins against the Orks. They seem to, for now, unite with Noshreg. General Colbert, we MUST take advantage of this! And you WILL meet this Noshreg and help him arm his forces. The meeting is already set and the Orks of Noshreg are eager to prove themselves. And what is better than to prove one's mettle than against the Tyranids? Huh? With a bit of luck the Orks will defeat, or at least hurt the Tyranids a lot and they themselves will take a beating. And then we step in and mop up the rest and, Emperor willing, we will find the Liber Magii before Lord Entragian. It's a win-win, General Colbert!
General Colbert was flabbergasted at what he just had heard. Deal with the Orks? They couldn't deal with themselves! Arm them? Win-win? There were so many things that could backfire here... And was the Inquisition okay with this? Did they even know what Inquisitor Ripley was up to? Colbert shuddered when he thought of Herr Doktor Hoffmann... If he was against this, Ellen Ripley would be in deep trouble. Had she even told her fellow Inquisitors about this? He didn't think so, the plan was too far out. But as he looked at her, he realized that she had made up her mind and already set the plan in motion. He sighed and nodded. It was just another step on the redemption road for the 22nd... Let's just hope that Ripley would be the one held accountable if things went sideways...
***
Inquisitor Ellen Ripley swallowed hard. She had been waiting for a report for hours and when all she heard was static and broken words, she had almost lost her temper. Almost. But patience is the Inquisitor’s best virtue and she had restrained herself from anger and impatience. News would come and news would be good, she told herself. It better be. That maniac Herr Doktor Hoffman had requested a meeting with her, without mentioning about what. But she knew. She knew that Hoffman knew and that he was not pleased with dealing with the enemy. The enemy… which, according to Herr Doktor Hoffman, probably were everyone and everything in the universe that didn’t praise the Emperor! Well, she could handle Hoffman… She had Eisenhorn by her side and he had sanctioned the dealings with the greenskins. Strangely enough. But Eisenhorn was a pragmatic Inquisitor, much like herself. She drew a line of dealing with Daemons though, bound or not, that was something she couldn’t endorse. But Eisenhorn did. Hell, he’d even used one, it was said. Ripley shuddered at the very thought of working with a Daemonhost.
She leaned forward as the holo-map shuddered and lit up. At the same time, the vox erupted with a distressed voice.
-Inquisitor Ripley! This is Sa’laam al-Hahn… request affirmation!
Ripley swallowed again. Sa’laam was her contact in the Pomonian area and she had expected him to report for hours. The tension now struck her and she had a pang of worry about what Sa’laam had to report. If her plan had failed… she shuddered at the thought of a gloating and insane Herr Doktor Hoffman entering her chamber with a malicious grin…
-Sa’laam! Good to hear from you! Status?
-Sayidati Ripley! The Orks ran into the aliens at the the city of Lud. Harsh fighting! Several losses on both sides! Mahdi reported that the alien leader… thing… went down, along with a bunch of bugs and greenskins alike!
-That is good news, Sa’laam! Indeed! And Noshreg… the Orks?
-Beaten back. The Ork Warboss went down. Don’t know if killed… Both sides took heavy casualties…
-Excellent! Sa’laam… now proceed with your orders! I think you should move towards the south of Lud… There is a possibility that something might be of importance. Reports say that the Orks stayed there and have left a small rearguard there. Check it out!
-Will do, Sayidati! Over and out!
Ripley slowly rose from the microphone, as the static once again filled the chamber with its lingering noice. The plan is working, she thought. It is actually working! And the reports of a large force of grots moving towards Lud was more good news. The rumours of an uprising among the lesser greenskins were seemingly true. If Noshreg was alive, he would have to take the Grots seriously and deal with the bugs at the same time. It was a powder-keg waiting to explode and the Orks and the bugs were in the middle of it. Now. if just Sa’laam could get his mercenaries to find the whereabouts of the Liber Magii…
Inquisitor Ripley sat in her chamber waiting for Herr Doktor Hoffman. That insane madman of an Inquisitor had just landed at the star-port and was heading directly to her chamber. She would enjoy this meeting… Things were going her way… She couldn’t stop smiling.
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Tony Melander (2024)