"Sir, we have just received a cypher from our agent inserted in the Sons of Ananta. Somehow they know of zone desigation 143 230. They are heading there now."
"Hmm, the new bloods ey? Notify the task force that they have company."
"We cant sir. That channel was closed, and can only be opened from their end. They will be surprised. We dont know how the Sons know about the area, we dont even know if they know who they are converging on."
"This is... Inconvenient. Can we mobilize any re-inforcements for them?"
"Maybe a Fire raptor, possibly a squad or 2. Not much."
"See it done. And find out everything we can about this new *chapter*. DO NOT grow complacent about them. They may have a bigger part in this than intended now."
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Sons of Ananta - marines:
Acting Chapter-master Reclusiarch Adis Shanga was satisfied. The Hervara information had been accurate, and the scout teams had verified trace emissions to a narrow location effectively, and the initiates had gained experience.
All that was required was a surgical force extraction mission to secure the artefact and the Sons could depart the system with some thing the Hervara Mechanicus coveted very much indeed. He flexed his fist. Perhaps he could lead the force himself. He had not fought an enemy in too long and the idea of smiting the Emperor's foes himself rather than ordering others into combat appealed.
His com bead buzzed.
"Reclusiarch, message received. Imperial priority codes read inquisition level message."
The Chaplain grunted with annoyance. "What now?"
The com-bead buzzed again, and this time it was no chapter serf, but the Master of Signals.
"Brother. The Inquisition are... ordering... us to to another location in the Anubis system."
The Chaplain froze. "Ordering us." His tone was flat, angry.
------------
Adis Shanga stood in the Strategium, balled fists resting on the console in front of him.
"... now Bardas tells me there are two marine forces in the area *we* surveyed." Adis Shanga practically hissed. "That was our data, our expedition."
The tall, rangier Marine sitting with him spoke softly, as always. "No matter, Brother. We do the Emperor's work."
Shanga cut him off. "No, Brother Sargeant. We do the Inquisition's work. They send us away on an errand as though we are servitors, to clear the way for their own purposes. You know the Inquisition can be..."
"Brother! Stop this now." The quiet voice nonetheless cut Shanga off like a sword. The larger man held Shanga's gaze. "You are our chapter master. Our Reclusiarch. These words are unbecoming. We came here for ourselves, to gain more favour from our allies, to gain more equipment."
He held up his enormous hand to forestall any further interruption.
"And this is necessary. I know this. And I know well that those around us are not honourable, that we must gain strength to serve the Emperor."
He stood and gripped Shanga's shoulder gently.
"But now we have an opportunity to fight those who betrayed the God-Emperor himself. Who stood on Terra, defying him. This is the reason we were brought here."
Shanga shook his head as if to shrug off a punch. He smiled briefly, coldly. "You speak wise words, brother. I have become lost in matters of politics, and..." He spat the word, "logistics. The traitors *will* feel the Emperor's vengeance. Since Hervara my Crozius has been idle. I will lead the assault."
He held the other man's steady gaze. "And you, Danarvas? Will you stand with me in this fight?"
A real smile this time. "Always, brother. Always. And when we have punished the traitors..."
The Reclusiarch nodded. "Then we will deal with those who would use us as their playthings."
---------
Veteran Sargeant Danarvas stood and rolled his neck and shoulders. The carapace shifted and hardened under his skin and the powered servos in his armour whirred and flesed. He whispered his litanies, clenched his fist, felt the armour respond and expanded his mind to fill his suit until they were one. Beside him he looked up at his Centurionwar-suit, tilted at the waist and with the leg clamps and recievers ready. He stepped forward and into it.
Danarvas shut his eyes, while the serfs and servitors roiled around him, at waist height, fitting, tightening, listing the feed-outs. He blocked them out, breathed deeply and concentrated on his new self, armour together with marine, and waited for the Machine spirit of Mitaana. The serfs connected his suit and the simmering bubbling anger enveloped Danarvas’ calm, golden mind. He softly insinuated himself into the war suit’s aura, bringing the servos and pistons and sensors into his orbit, then waited for the formless, undirected spirit to notice his prescence. It did, but too late. He grimaced slightly as the machine roared and charged, but the golden tendrils of his mind held firm and tied the spirit down. Mitaana strained against its bonds, but Danarvas whispered softly… “We are the destroyers. We are the point of the sword, the obliterators. Blood will flow for the Emperor. Ananta. Ananta.”
The warsuit responded, calming and slowing. Danarvas allowed the spirit to flow alongside his own. He coiled his mind and sensed the creature coil with him – ghosting ahead and behind in that deceptive style that allowed the huge suit to move so swiftly. He felt the twinned claws pulsing, allowed the machine spirit to flow to the oversized scythes on his war suits’ fists. The power flowed to their tips. He abruptly bought the machine to heel, activated his vox. “Reclusiarch. Brother Sargeant Danarvas here. Mitaana is ready.”
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Alpha legion:
"Are they coming?"
"Yes brother."
"Good."
This scenario had the sons of Ananta carrying out an attack on an alpha legion outpost. Their objective was to destroy the immobile fire raptor on the table.
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