It took a few hours, but finally, the box was delivered to the bridge, and I had them place it in the lift before sending it up. It was a common iron box, but it would do well enough to secure the pandemic staff, at least until I could figure out how to frame the Skaven for its existence. It shouldn't be too hard, seeing as there were already chaos cultists involved with them. The trick was just finding a way to get it into the Skaven undercity without anyone making the connection of me being the one who brought it along. But that could be fixed as well. I would just need a few troops that were destined for death anyway. I may hold extreme power, but I simply refuse to compromise my humanity by condemning honest Imperial soldiers to death for the sake of my scheming. That would be a slippery slope to becoming like the despotic Lords of the Imperium.
With the staff placed safely in the iron box, I sent word to the Mechanicus on board. I needed a few servitors to carry the iron box. I didn't want to risk my Ogryns or guardsmen. Servitors were lobotomized anyway, if they got infected with chaos, they would receive a merciful bullet to the brain, ending their tormented existence. Considering the free reign they had gotten over the prison population, they were more than willing to accommodate me, and soon enough the guards on the bridge reported that the servitors had arrived. They came up with the lift, and I was shocked when I saw them up close. I had seen servitors in the distance before, but never this close. If you looked hard enough, you could see the still-working sentience beneath the lobotomization and cybernetic augmentation. A life being unable to control yourself until you break down, are forgotten doing a menial task or die. I shook myself out of my dark thoughts and ordered them to carry the box to the hangar. I may not have any drop pods, but I could still load them into one of the larger crates that were used to supply the troops down below. While they struggled with the box, I voxed the quartermaster and demanded he makes a generous supply of amasec ready for the soldiers below.
He grumbled and explained and excused himself, but in the end, my will was done and several thousand bottles were prepared to be shipped down. When I arrived ahead of the servitors, I found crate after crate being lined up and made ready to be loaded onto the transport designated to carry them down. The small army of workers The quartermaster was standing there as well, a scowl adorning his face and an air of frustration about him. No doubt he had planned to dip into the supplies himself, but it shouldn't surprise me, nor did I intend to do anything about it. There had to be a few advantages to holding higher offie, and if the worst was a bottle of amasec going missing every once in a while, I considered myself lucky.
"Lord Captain, to safeguard some of the reserves, I have added several crates of Wobble instead of the requested amasec. I have also added a generous supply of Ploin juice to help keep up the morale and health of the troops." His tone was apologetic and his demeanor was resigned, rather than convincing, so I chose to believe him.
"Just as well, the troops care less about the name of the drink and more about the effect of it. The Ploin juice was a good idea, consider me pleased with the initiative." I said and went about inspecting the still open crates, but I did notice the look of pleased relief on the quartermaster's face. I picked out a crate of each drink and ordered them marked and set aside. The quartermaster did inquire about the crates set aside, but a single glance made him bow his head in submission. I was not about to be asked about my business by my crew.
The servitors arrived carrying the iron box, and I directed them to load it along with the 3 marked crates before the regular work crew was allowed to fill up the transport with the rest of the goods. It took almost an hour, but when the work was done, we left almost immediately, only suffering a minor delay from a vox drone carrying a message for me. It turned out to be from Idris and only contained 2 words. A single name, of the lord at the head of the resistance to my reforms. I had to find her when we got back down, but first I had to deliver the entertainment to the soldiers. They had been dutiful and worked hard without complaint or defection, and I felt like a small token of appreciation was in order. There was also the fact that I was pitting them against an enemy unknown to the Imperium, alongside the normal heretics, but Nurgle worshippers were always tricky. The smallest cut of their blades usually meant infection bad enough to warrant amputation, and the diseases that followed in their wake would have brought a medieval army to their knees in a matter of a few weeks.
Fortunately for me, I had more advanced technology, medical care, and juice that gave much-needed essential vitamins and minerals to the troops. Yes, there were both wounded and fallen among my troops as well, but the Skaven to Gurdsman exchange ratio was disgustingly and horrendously overwhelming. As it currently stood, I lost 1 guardsman for every 3000 Skaven killed, on average. At least according to my ships analysts. Now that we had dug in at the outskirts of the undercity, those numbers would see a rapid increase in our favor, s we could perform fast attack raids and immediately withdraw to our defensive lines and let the heavy gun emplacements do the work.
When we landed the transporter, I broke all regulations and touched down right in front of the entrance to the mountain, much to the annoyance of the various officers tasked with outside security. Still, as soon as they understood my reason for doing so, they were more than pleased to order the troops to unload the crates. A few were set aside for the troops outside, but since the majority of soldiers were either engaged inside the mountain or resting up inside the mountain, the long walk with a heavy burden began. The soldiers bore it well though, they had heard what was inside though they didn't understand the purpose of bringing such vast amounts to the surface, but they had a good idea of what I intended.
Idris showed up quickly when we reached the large cavern we used for a main base, the procession of soldiers carrying crates attracting much attention when everything was piled into a newly constructed large wooden shed that was used to store important supplies. I called it a shed though it was more akin to a small house in size, but this was the Imperium we were talking about. Idris came up to me with as much hastened dignity as she could muster.
"Lord Captain, what is this? We have already received the heavy weapons you sent down." She asked when came close enough, but I raised a hand to silence her question.
"Gather the troops. Everyone is not currently on active duty. And get me the highest-ranking Ecclesiarchy representative currently available on your ships. I want them to lead a mass prayer before I bestow gifts upon the fighting men and women of the Imperium. Those under your charge included." I said and she looked at me like I had lost my mind but she walked off to get things done. It would take a little while to set up, and as soon as the shed was locked and the crates secured, I walked briskly toward the tunnel leading to the Undercity. Her arch militant had gone all out, opting for blockhouses that blocked off the tunnel every 200 meters, made from thick wooden logs that would require serious efforts to remove, and small doors opening outward to prevent an easy break-in point from occurring. Simple security in the design itself.
I counted 7 blockhouses on the way to the drawn-up frontline and I happily admit that I started to feel like we had the situation under some sort of control. For the first time in a long time, I was no longer running from small fire to small fire, trying to extinguish it in the hopes of staying on top of the problems. But I had gone about this all wrong, which was the reason I was as strung out as I was. I had subordinates for a reason, and I had to use them if I was to stay effective as the focal point. It would also give me time to look for a way home, other than running around and getting tangled up in whatever happened across my path.
I could still join the frontline, mostly out of selfish reasons to level up, but also because it was expected of me, as a trader militant. I didn't want a reputation as a lazy lord who sat around in seclusion and debauchery. At the last blockhouse, I found the arch-militant reloading a freshly mounted autocannon on the parapet overlooking the beginning of the Skaven Undercity. I spotted the occasional Skaven peeking out from around corners and windows in the far distance, but nothing that warranted opening fire.
"Lord Captain, we stand ready to begin probing attacks and skirmish assaults." The arch-militant presented the Aquila with the status report, but I waved it off.
"Later. For now, man the defenses 3 blockhouses back, double-check that all side tunnels are securely walled off, and then return to base. We have been negligent in our prayers and we must rectify this oversight. I also wish to address the troops, and this will provide a fine opportunity. Let's hurry, we are on a schedule to show the enemy the might of the people of the Imperium!" I said, turned, and started walking back. I admit, it was a long walk just to deliver this message, but doing so in person would send a message that I cared enough about the troops to make sure the right orders were given, and it would give the arch-militant some time to ponder my choice of words, which no doubt would reach Idris sooner rather than later. I might not be from this universe, but I was not naive enough to think that strange things, like me mentioning the people of the Imperium instead of the might, would not be recorded and delivered to people in power. My every word was being analyzed by people working in the shadows, trying to determine what kind of character I possessed to best manipulate me into doing their bidding.
Let them try, I didn't care. I had no horse in whatever race the nobles of the Imperium were currently engaged in. I had my own agenda and I was sticking to it. The trip back was uneventful, except for the trickle of soldiers who started following me as my orders were passed around. I could hear the mumbling among them, but they knew me as a Lord Captain who did not distribute death on a whim, so the tone was light and cheerful. We were fighting an enemy that had little to no chance of winning the battle, as long as we kept our distance and had decent aim.
I arrived back with a trickle of troops behind me, and Idris had not wasted time in my absence. A small platform had been raised for the preacher to stand on during the prayer and a large area near the entrance to the cavern had been filled with benches and tables for the troops to use later. A small army of preachers, confessors, firebrands, and lesser Ecclesiarchy representatives stood gathered around a Cardinal, and the sight of such a figure made me ponder just how many people Idris had in her fleet to warrant the presence of a Cardinal. They usually resided over planets, maintaining the Imperial faith and ensuring their position through diligent politicking. If she had such a high-ranking Ecclesiarchy member on her ship, she was either more powerful, more well-connected, or far richer, than she had initially led. An arch decaon peeled off from the group the moment I came close, and made a line straight for me. When he got close, I saw the look of disdain in his eyes as the Inquisitorial insignias on my armor became visible, but he masked it well.
Everyone knew there was no love lost between the Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition, but I was adamant about not adding to the grief unless I was given reason to. But an arch-deacon was trouble. they managed the finances of the Ecclesiarchy, as well as the logistics, and I could not for the life of me imagine a good reason for him to seek me out unless he was getting greedy.
"Lord Captain." He said as he stepped up to me and bowed deep. "May I have a moment of your time?"
"Speak quickly, arch-deacon, I have matters that require attending," I replied, doing my very best to let my tone of voice tell him I had no interest in this conversation.
"very well, I have been in contact with your ship's purser, regarding the costs of this little venture." He didn't get any further, as his words infuriated me.
"LITTLE VENTURE?!!? We are at war, arch-deacon, against the enemies of the Imperium! Protecting the people of this planet against an enemy that would sooner eat them than enslave them, and you want to count beans and weigh costs? NO COST IS TOO GREAT WHEN THE GOAL IS SAFEGUARDING THE IMPERIUM! Just because you are not making a profit, you want to abandon these people to their fate? I expected so much more from the supposed guardians of Imperial faith! Leave my sight this instant!!" I spat, growled, and yelled my words at him, and while I admit to using him as an outlet for pent-up frustration, there was a great deal of merit to my words. If his analysis said we should abandon the campaign because it did not yield a net profit, this planet WOULD fall. And as it was under my protection at the moment, this was simply not a possibility, not while I had the means and the manpower to change it.
I looked around and realized that my interaction with the arch-deacon had drawn in a lot of attention, and now that it was over, everyone was busy making it look like they were not listening intently a mere moment ago. No matter, it's not like I said anything that could get me in trouble. If anything, this should improve my reputation among the common soldiers. I approached the mob of ecclesiarchy representatives and the Cardinal waved away the nearest of his followers to give me room to approach.
"Ave Imperator, Cardinal. Thank you for taking the time to come help out on this forsaken planet." I said as I presented the Aquila and made the smallest of bows in his direction. He responded with mumbling a blessing of the Emperor and a new blink appeared in my view before he extended his hand in the direction of the cavern that was now bustling with activity from the soldiers returning and gathering.
"I was delighted to hear your request to administer to these soldiers of the Imperium. We worried that your ties to the Inquisition would make you less.. inclined, to see the wisdom in spreading the knowledge and wisdom of the holy God-Emperor. For once, I can truthfully say I am happy to have been proven wrong. I also understand you have encountered traitors among the mutants?" His voice was a hoarse croak, every bit as ancient as the eyes that nonetheless stared directly into my soul.
"We have encountered heretics and apostates, and have dealt with them in the only way that makes sense. By granting them the Emperor peace and burning the bodies. I would be most appreciative if your followers could sanctify the burn sites to soothe the poor souls forced to deal with this task. But before we get to all that, the podium is yours whenever you wish to begin." I gestured to the raised platform, and with a slightly regal nod, the Cardinal slowly strode toward the podium, his followers rushing ahead to get the guardsmen to show proper respect for such an elevated figure of authority. I found a nice rock to settle down on where I could watch the show from behind. I wanted a good view of the crowd as well as the Cardinal, as this was going to take quite a while and It would give me time to figure out what had happened when the Cardinal mumbled a blessing over me.
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As he intoned the initial prayers and the soldiers that had gathered in the cavern settled down in the familiar ritual, I opened my status screen. The blinking was golden, elegant, and pure, and when I opened the notification, I almost fell from my seat in shock.
Achievements unlocked: Mass prayer. You have organized a mass prayer for the troops under your command. +100xp.
Diplomatic finesse: You tactfully extended an olive branch to a rival faction within the Imperium. +150xp.
ABILITY SYNERGY ACHIEVED: Your prayer of absolution has been replaced with aura of exoneration. Being personally blessed by a high-ranking member of the Ecclesiarchy is an honor reserved for the few. How you managed to achive this, is beyond even the gods understanding.
Aura of Exoneration: Passive ability, always active. Any Imperial within a 50 ft radius feels the presence of the Emperor closer and more clearly, steeling their resolve and will to push beyond the limitations of their flesh. Allies receive excellent morale and endurance bonuses when in your close vicinity.
Synergy ability acquired. Opening new possible career paths.
Wait, what? New career path?? But I already had a class and a career so what was all this about? And how would it work against me next time I came close to a sanctioned psyker? I felt no different, so I guessed it only affected those around me. A shame, I could use some of the inner calm and sense of purpose for myself.
Not much else had changed on my status screen, but I didn't care. I was busy wondering about synergy abilities. So it took an already existing ability, paired it with something I would be about to receive, and turned it into something else. It had half the range, but the effect was now passive and constant. Which, in theory, should make any troops near me pretty damn resilient to morale damage. A rare sight in the Imperium, if you didn't count specialized guardsman regiments like the Kriegers or the Steel Legion. Who knows, I might even be able to create a new renowned regiment with time, if I keep getting skills that bolster those around me. But then again, how much could I dedicate myself to searching for a way home, if my strength was those around me, instead of myself?
There was also the coming attack to think about. If my orders were followed, it would be a slow assault. Grenades and las cannon fire would rain down on Skaven before we set fire to the city. Parts of it would be burned down, the Skaven would prevent it from spreading too far, rinse, and repeat. My only worry was the Skaven themselves. What tricks were they holding back?? Stormfiends, plague monks, heretic berserkers, more grey seers, the possibilities were endless. And my troops would be hungover, but that was not much of a concern, they would still be able to shoot straight... Or at least, straight enough to do their job.
I continued dwelling on the mysteries that were the system while the Cardinal continued his rites for what felt like hours. When he finally finished up with a communal prayer, which I made sure to take part in, he made a small gesture behind him to signal me that the podium was mine. As I stepped up, a hush fell over the crowd. They knew my appearance and my general mood, but few of these men and women of the Imperium had heard me speak, if I was not issuing orders. I cleared my throat before I raised my voice as much as possible without yelling.
"Soldiers. Men and women in the service of the Imperium. I stand before you now to inform you that I am content. You have done your duty, and done it well, but the biggest task lies ahead of us. Tomorrow, we begin our assault on the mutant city inside this cursed mountain with the intent of purging the unclean, the heretical, and the mutated that reside in that filthy imitation of true civilization!" This was followed by a roar of approval from the soldiers and I had to raise a hand to quiet down the masses.
"But before we get to do our job, there is something I must do!" A mix of anticipation and fear spread among the ranks. Anticipation of what I would say next, and fear that it might be bad news. "I must provide a token of gratitude to all of you. You, the soldiers of the Imperium, that safeguard its worlds and people. You, that embody the spirit and tenacity that has seen the Imperium stand strong for the past 10.000 years! You, that gladly kill the enemies of humanity so that we all may sleep a little safer!" A small gesture made a couple of troopers haul a crate to the podium and hand me a prybar, which I used to crack open the lid and pick up a bottle of amasec. "Which is why I have orders enough amasec to be sent down here for all of you! Consider it my gift to you, my way of thanking you for the sacrifices I demand to be made in the Imperiums name! Consider yourselves relieved of duty until tomorrow morning." The joyous roar that filled the cavern made the ceiling and walls shake, and my ears hurt. But it was worth it because wherever I looked I saw adoration bordering on worship in the eyes of every soldier present. A gesture like this was not just unheard of, it was unprecedented. And being relieved of duty meant they could get as drunk as possible, without fear of punishment for shirking their duties. This would be a story they would tell for many years in the future.
"Now go have fun, get drunk and live! Just make sure there is no trouble tonight, I will not tolerate anyone tarnishing the festivities with fighting or anything else that might ruin the fun!" I finished my impromptu speech and selected soldiers started carrying crates out among the troops. Guards had been summoned from the ships to take over the duties of those who would otherwise be forced to miss the party, which I would not allow, and even the Ecclesiarchy members looked happily surprised at my action.
"An interesting way to instill morale. Effective though." The Cardinal said to me as I stepped off the podium, still holding the bottle. I handed it to the Cardinal who looked it over for a moment before smiling wide.
"This is a good vintage. Not the finest, but most certainly not cheap swill either. It must have cost a fortune to supply this to the troops."
I shrugged, "What good is a boosted economy if you are not going to use it? My job is not to hoard wealth but to explore and safeguard the Imperium, and I can only do that if the people under my command give their best. This is a simple but effective way of ensuring that. And if I'm being completely honest, it all belonged to the late planetary governor before I was appointed to take his position." My reveal made the Cardinal chuckle dryly.
"I can imagine it being a special kind of satisfying to make your people love you, at the expense of another. A rogue trader through and through." The cardinal was now full-on laughing as he spoke, "Also, allow me to thank you for this wonderful opportunity to strengthen the faith of the soldiers. They shall surely be victorious with the Emperor's blessing." I bowed slightly at his words and he turned, signaled his entourage, and started making his way out of the cavern. He had not said it, but he was immensely pleased that he could report back to the Ecclesiarchy, that the Inquisitions' new rogue trader was both pious and open to the idea of working with the Ecclesiarchy.
All in all, this had been a very successful afternoon. Now I just had to wait until the troops were good and drunk, and I could figure out a spot to put the iron box with that thrice-damned pandemic staff. With a little bit of luck, the soldiers would find it tomorrow and report it, giving me the perfect excuse to report my 'finding' to the Inquisition and score a few goodwill points for recovering a powerful chaos artifact. I just had to keep an eye on the marked box and wait.
Idris soon showed up next to me with a bottle of amasec in each hand. She was already showing signs of enjoying this break of military discipline to the fullest extent, but it was fine, I couldn't blame her for having some fun. She threw herself down next to me and thrust one of the bottles in my face.
"You aren't getting away with sitting here and plotting as you usually do, Lord Captain," She said with a slight slur as she dangled the bottle in front of me and I couldn't help but crack a smile and take it. "So, what are you brooding over this time?" She continued as she took another swig of the bottle with a happy and relaxed expression.
"Nothing specific, just trying to sort out everything. The boring side of being a somewhat responsible rogue trader. Don't worry about me, I will make sure to relax tonight." I said while pulling the cork out of the bottle with my teeth and spitting it to the ground.
"You don't make sure you have a way of closing the bottle again?" Idris's eyes wandered over the crowd as she spoke, musical instruments being played, cards and dice games with small amounts of Imperial Thrones changing hands rapidly. I saw no reason to punish human behavior and it helped keep morale up. A stray thought made me ponder capitalizing on it and creating a ship-run casino, allowing me to win back the pay my crew worked so hard for.
"Does it have anything to do with those marked boxes your Ogryns are watching over like they expect your troops to steal from you?" She had a coy smile on her lips and the look in her eyes was challenging.
"Leave it be Idris, the less you know, the less attention you can attract." I stared her down as if answered with a voice as cold as the air on the planet where my adventure started.
"A shame. I like playing with fire, despite wanting to make a profit. What good is life without a little excitement?" She continued and sat upright.
"Safe and anonymous." I deadpanned and the silence drew out for a few seconds before she engaged in random and mindless small talk to ease the tension. It worked, and we ended up relaxing and talking for the next few hours as we worked our way through a bottle of amasec. I didn't want to get drunk, and the night was long before the soldiers would get tired for at least a few more hours. The time passed in relative peace, any trouble was quickly squashed by the squad leaders who seemed extremely intent on making this night a proper good one without fighting or trouble.
Eventually, the alcohol did its work and people got sleepy, Idris included who also sensed my desire to keep this secret my own and left me to my own devices. When the only people still awake were the roaming sentries, I made my way over to the 3 Ogryns guarding the crate holding the iron box and quietly instructed them to extract said iron box. As quietly as 3 large abhumans and a man wearing carapace armor could, we made our way toward the main tunnel leading into the mountain. I couldn't move too far down unless I wanted to risk being spotted by the blockhouses that had been constructed, but there were still several small side tunnels that had been blocked off a dozen or so meters down. It wouldn't be too much trouble to drop it off in one of those and pile some rubble over it. Then it was just a matter of time until it was discovered.
We slipped into a side tunnel, planted and camouflaged the box so it looked like it was uncovered by the explosions that had collapsed the tunnel, and were making our way back when I thought I heard something. Signaling the Ogryns to stop, I listened intently, closing my eyes to force my brain to rely on senses other than sight.
...
There it was—faint scratching. I should have expected it, the Skaven would either try to clear an existing way or make a new way, to try and flank us. A brave, but futile effort, the design of the blockhouse meant that it worked equally well in both directions. And if they broke in behind the last one, they would be facing the anger of every hungover and pissed-off Imperial guardsman and voidsman under my command. Good thing I scheduled the attack for tomorrow.
Now freed from my damning burden, I allowed myself to stride down the corridors with my Ogryns following closely behind. They would not speak of what had happened here if they even understood it, but I could sense their agitation. They were not used to downtime like this and they deeply desired to serve the Emperor the best way they knew how. By smashing everything over the head that didn't love the Emperor, like the Skaven and especially the heretics we now faced. They seemed to carry a deeper-than-normal hatred for those who had cast their Imperial faith aside in favor of heretical inclinations, and it showed whenever they heard regular troops speak of whatever crazed fanatic had stormed the barricades in the most recent attempt to wear down my troops, their furrowed brows and cracking knuckles spoke their own language of desired malice and pain.
I made it back to my seat, poured another bottle of amasec out onto the ground and added it to the 2 empty already on the ground, and sealed the crate back up, after which I took a seat and fell asleep, leaned against the crate.
I was woken several hours later by a scarred veteran soldier who did his best attempt at a respectful nudging of my foot. "Lord Captain," He said the moment my eyes fluttered open. "The troops have found... Something, that requires your immediate attention." He stood at attention and made it very obvious he had no intention of moving unless I accompanied him. So I got up, dusted myself off a little, and made ready to follow the soldier.
I wasn't surprised when he led me to the main tunnel and I could see a large gathering of soldiers near the side tunnel where I had left the iron box, and both combat medics and a few Field Chirurgeons were gathered around a stretcher on the ground. A horribly diseased limb was burning alongside the furthest wall and a natural perimeter of a few meters had formed around the entrance to the side tunnel.
"Lord Captain, this trooper found and touched the staff contained within an iron box within the tunnel. His arm started becoming rapidly diseased, so emergency amputation was performed and holy fire was applied to the offending limb. Since then, no one has dared touch it." A Field Chirurgeon ran up to me and reported as soon as we got close, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt at the sight of the now one-armed soldier.
"Summon my navigator, post haste!" I barked at the veteran who led me here and he ran off, "Make him comfortable, do what you can for him, and observe him for the next 2 days. If his condition remains unchanged, release him after giving him a standard replacement limb. Hopefully, this will be a valuable lesson to him." I ordered the Field Chirurgeon and turned to the gathered soldiers.
"Don't you all have things that need doing?" I asked out loud and they went from mulling around to a blur of frenzied movement in their eagerness to make themselves scarce. Then all that was left was to wait for Farsyn. It took him almost an hour to arrive, but arrive he did and he didn't even need to get close to the side tunnel to know what was going on.
"I need the Inquisition here, Farsyn. We have discovered an artifact of chaos and will need to take steps to ensure it does not fall into enemy hands. Make sure they understand the urgency of my request, as I cannot wage war effectively in the Imperium's name if I have to worry about dark artifacts in my possession. I NEED someone to come to take it off my hands and I need it quick." I urged of the navigator and he seemed to agree.
"I would have summoned them regardless of your orders, once I felt this foul presence, but I am happy that we share the need for urgency, Lord." Farsyn was staring at the staff without blinking as he spoke, and I wondered for a moment if he was being tempted, but he changed his gaze and shook himself as if shaking off a bad feeling and turned on his heel to return to the ship. A man of few words indeed, but he would convey my message with all the urgency it needed to summon the closest Inquisition ship, no matter their current mission. Recovering chaos artifacts was no small thing and we needed to secure the area. I posted guards with orders to keep the box under constant supervision until ordered differently by me personally and went through the collection of blockhouses toward the front. It would not do to be sitting in safety when the Inquisition showed up, and the frontline was the one place that would put any investigating agent at ease, knowing I was too busy fighting to be plotting.
It was time to start the assault on the Undercity.