retrieval mission: F-645

Inquisitor Ogden stared in awe at the holovid that was glowing before him. The data was tapping in and he read frantically every single piece of it. It all added up to one thing… It was here! Here on Metz! The events on Hyperia were just the starter. It had to be! He had been right all the time. The Tyranids on Hyperia had vanished because of this. The hostilities between the Sons of Russ and the Imperial Guard had been fuelled by this. It was a glorious scam! A scam deluxe! And he knew now why.

-Uris! Get me Inquisitor Bellatrix and Captain Taxacis! Quickly!!

The aide turned on the spot and left Ogden’s office in a hurry. Ogden nodded and smiled. There was still time… If only those damned Tau had not showed up… things were complicated enough…

***

Inquisitor "Buffy" Bellatrix said nothing. She just looked at the data that was before her. For seven years, she had been Ogden’s top apprentice and had recently, and finally, become a fully-fledged Inquisitor, who had earned herself an important mission. It must be the crushing of the Ork nest at Yrethyia that had finally made her viewed at as an accomplished and ready Inquisitor. It felt good and she could not wait to show Ogden that he had been right to take her under his wings. Finally she broke her silence:

-Inquisitor Ogden… Is this what I think it is? I have never… uhmm… experienced… these things before, but from what I see, this is grave news. Disturbing news…

-Indeed, dear Inquisitor Bellatrix... indeed!

She felt proud. To be called Inquisitor by the great Anthram Ogden of the Ordo Xenos… it was almost intoxicating…

-But don’t lose your head, Inquisitor… This is your first mission as a commissioned Inquisitor of the Ordo Minoris. Remember everything I taught you. Focus on your mission! Get me the information! Nothing else! Leave the Tau to Captain Taxacis and find me the missing pieces from the F-645. If I’m right… and I am pretty sure I am… we need to act quickly or the Esenie sector will fall into even more turmoil and difficulties…

-Sir! Inquisitor! If I may ask… Captain Taxacis had watched the data laid before them and felt the need to speak:

-Yes, Captain Taxacis! By all means! You need every bit of information to secure the bombed-out factory…

-Inquisitor Ogden… Why did you order a bombardment? If we now need to go down there and…

-Yes! Yes! I ordered a bombardment! Yes! I did not have the full picture then… Yes! And those Space Wolves were down there… I had to be careful… They might be treacherous… we will soon find that out, but they are still soldiers of the Emperor… Look, Captain, I will say this only once… and never… never… question my decisions again… Huh? I have seen signs of alien tech down there. I could not let the Tau get their alien hands on it… but now I know that that tech is so… much more… important!! That tech must not find its way to the surface and we need those data that were scattered by the bombardment to seal what is under F-645 forever… Do you understand, Captain?!

Captain Taxacis nodded and kept his mouth shut. Inquisitor Bellatrix just stared in disbelief at the Deathwatch Captain… How could he speak in such a disrespectful way?

-Now, Captain Taxacis, you may leave and prepare for landfall. Inquisitor Bellatrix, stay with me for a while… I need to speak to you.

Bellatrix nodded and Taxacis left without a word. Ogden waited for the door to shut and then turned to Bellatrix.

-Inquisitor Bellatrix… that Captain… damn it, but I like him! Keep him alive for me down there… I think he can be of great value. Ogden chuckled to himself. I think… he reminds me of myself when I was young…

***

Captain Taxacis walked in silence beside Inquisitor Bellatrix on their way to the Teleportarium. It was an awkward silence and Taxacis knew that he had stepped over the line with the improper question, badly veiled as an accusation. He damned himself for always being so curious and to have the need to always know things that actually didn't matter to him or the mission he was about to undertake. Must be my Skythian upbringing, he thought and smiled to himself. Aways asking questions, always prying, always wanting to know... Well, dont't do that in front... frag it... two Inquisitors! He snickered lightly.

-Something's funny, White Scar? Inquisitor Bellatrix asked dryly.

-I'm sorry, Inquisitor... forgive me... I just thought of my childhood...

-Well, Captain, now is now and please stay focused. If you have the need to look back... maybe you should leave this one out? I need a sharp and focused commander beside me. This is not a game you know...

-Yes, Inquisitor... Taxacis realized that the Inquisitor was... perhaps not nervous... but... jiggly and easily aggitated. It was her first mission as a fully-fledged Inquisitor after all. He decided to shut his mouth and do what he was supposed to do... keep those xenos at bay!

***

The ruins and craters of the now destroyed factory were rapidly becoming small bastions for the Deathwatch force. In the distance they could see the Tau already advancing fast and aiming their weapons at them. The Deathwatch were made for this kind of missions and as they saw the incoming missiles and plasmabullets they hunkered down and awaited the first strike. Then explosions and flying debris were all around them. Captain Taxacis quickly assessed the situation and when the smoke lifted he ordered a retalliation of Imperial measure. The whole line of the Deathwatch fired everything they had at the Tau, which now had found their own fire positions. The fire from the Eathwatch hit, but strange shields protected most of the Tau units. Taxacis bit his lip and calculated his next move. He quickly glanced towards the Inquisitor, who looked back and pointed at something ahead of her and a Deathwatch unit. Taxacis nodded and at the same signalled back to her, that he aimed for a point slightly to the right. His HUD told him that the cogs with the data were scattered all over the remnants of Factory 645, but at least they showed him their positions. If they just could grab as many as possible as quickly as possible...