The water sloshed hard against rusted metal, brazing the steep pillars, ripping off layers of detritus and organic debris. Black stars pulled themselves higher and higher as the waves came in. Squealing as they dropped one by one. The mist had just rolled off surface, miles upon miles of abyssal water, patched by black. The small boy clung to the edge of the platform, his legs dangling off. A small pendant wrapped around his neck, glinted from the flood lights above. The first wisps of pungent burning came through, making his nose twitch, as the rig churned to life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norma shivered, every second she spent in that tech priests quarters had her gagging and gasping for air. Needles and saws, screws and hammers, vats and vials. She rested quietly, a short reprieve from maintaining the cuts and bruises to her hands. The workshop had calmed down, only silent hammering was heard in different parts. A small clinking drew her gaze upwards from the small grey starch bar she was deftly nibbling at.
A large black box hung above her, leaning to one side as the chains gently swayed. Tattered gothic writing sat above newly imprinted red runes. Norma squinted her eyes, In His Name I Died, And In His Name I Have Risen Again, To Enact His Justice.
"Foreman" Norma jumped, almost smacking her head on a pillar.
"Yes honoured Tech priest?" she replied, quickly standing and brushing herself off.
"I need you to go to the artificer's deck and request Dhibrocz and Iazhec. I require their input"
"Understood honoured Tech adept"
"Tell the Yaczharri to come as well, all three of them, they will understand"
Norma gave a quick nod and salute.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iazhec retracted his thumb quickly, sucking it as he slowly manoeuvred his tools with the various screws and caps adorning the large power pack.
"How many times are you going to burn yourself on that thing?" Dhibrocz spoke
"until I get it fixed"
"you won't fix it, i watched your predecessor try" Dhibrocz said, over a whirring sound as he tuned the weapon's coils, red light bubbling against the wall as it spewled.
"no problem in trying, although I'll do my usual 'repair' for now" he says, sparks flying momentarily as he works.
"want me to take a look?" Dhibrocz speaks.
"your welcome to try D'irri"
"im not that much older than you" He replied calmly, pressing his goggles to rest upon his forehead.
The slow grinding of mechanical cogs, alerted the two to Norma's presence.
"The magos is requesting your assistance"
Both artificers stood up with a nod
"where will I find our lords?"
The 2 artificers gave each other a glance before standing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The chainblade cut close, missing its perch among artificial muscle fibres, the teeth screeching against ceramite. Ivex batted it away, the clicking of blades moving into position as he thrust his gauntlet upwards, narrowly missing Finnik's chestplate. Ivex's cowel shuddered, threatening to slip from its rest upon his head. His arm came in fast, fist curled, causing him to reel back. He struggled to get his senses back into shape, trickles of blood ran down his eyes and cheeks. Finnik bounded forwards with a teethy grin. Ivex took his footing, using his right hand to pass the swung chainblade to his left, pulling it forward with a strong grip. Finnik let go. Gladius in hand and thrusting it towards Ivex's neck, using his momentum to push him down.
"you are getting more fun to fight by the day" Finnik said.
"Thats enough" Tyllalb said, striding into the meagre light, he wore simple overalls in place of his armour, offering Ivex a hand.
"I am glad you think so brother" Ivex said clasping his hand with his brother's in firm grip
Finnik's smile was beginning to reach the corners of his cheeks.
"another loss for you?"
"only barely"
"another round?"
"not before I correct his errors" spoke Tyllalb, interrupting the exchange.
"Be quick" sighed Finnik, as he began to walk to the back of the chamber giving irritated mutterings as he went.
"Brother, you must learn how to anticipate in close combat, you must be ready for the enemy to throw anything your way in order to achieve victory. Does this hood hamper your powers that seriously?"
"no brother, I still feel the ebb of the immaterium, yet shutting it out while fighting is proving… tedious."
"perhaps instead of focusing on physical combat you should once again sharpen your mind, as you once did, instead of shutting it out"
"maybe but I cannot see myself as our leader, without improving myself, to redeem us"
"plus how else would Finnik keep together interest without an opponent in the ring?" Ivex continued.
"Perhaps this time we should fight hand to hand"
Finnik dropped his chainsword and hit his fists together, a smile once again plastering his face.
"do you only listen when violence is involved brother?" Spoke Ivex, shaking his head.
"It is the process by which we do our justice, by which we find perfection" retorted Finnik quickly pointing his fist up towards his leader
"Speak respectfully Finnik" the booming voice of Tyllalb rang, like a parent disciplining a child.
"hand to ha-"
Ivex was cut off by sound of footsteps at the door to the chamber.
"My lords, the Magos has requested your presence in the infirmary wing"
Tyllalb tensed, Ivex bowed his head and nodded. Finnik, retrieved his chainblade.
"let us retrieve our armour brothers, we shall inform the chapter when we confirm for ourselves."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He kept his head low, each tank making his arms and legs scream and bicker. The smell of burning squeezed the life out of the air. As an orchestra of coughing and sputtering continued throughout the platform and above. The boy hauled the next tank into place, a small wheezing was heard from the machine as the diver took his first few breaths of air. Beginning to move and writhe, as though the ancient suit had finally given him life. The child bowed his head as the diver turned. A large beep sounded, and he dropped, various cables and winches began to work as the diver began to descend. He squinted as warm bulbs finally turned on above him, eventually dimming to manageable levels.
"Vritho can you give me a hand?" he said, sweat falling from his chin, struggling with another copper tank. Vritho clambered down the stairs into the well beneath the rig, his nose twitching as the smells of the water reached his smaller figure. He grabbed the other end of the tank weakly, helping the shift it slightly into place alongside the docking ramp.
"thanks for the hand, are doing alright up there, im not hearing much from you?"
"course, the D'irri are really nice since pa moved up"
The boy ruffled Vritho's short black hair.
"good, now get back up there before they notice you've gone, alright?" he said with a smile, leaning down to his height. Vritho smiled, grinning from ear to ear, nodding, he scrambled back up the rusted stairs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The boy wasn't moving, he was barely a quarter of the size of the three hulks standing above him, watching him lie upon the surgical table. Wires sprouted from newly added mechanical inputs, scars ran deep along chest, head and neck. The air smelt of ammonia and blood.
Quiet had returned to the makeshift med bay. Osatar breathed a sigh of relief, too long she had laboured in flesh and bone, wincing over every cut. She watched as they performed a salute over the small boy and closed their eyes, murmuring words and syllables she hadn't yet forsaken to memory. She gave a short bow before speaking up.
"Ivex, there are troubles"
"troubles?" He replied sternly, frowning as he was dragged out of his stupor
"The machine you call brallax, I have done a full survey of her, she is remarkable. I get lost in how she even moves, let alone performs combat."
Ivex looked down at, his eyes scanning from one of her newly empaced lenses to the next. She quickly bowed her head again.
"forgive me, the new surgical equipment we obtained from that station proved useful in further dedicating myself"
"I see" he replied, his words slowing, hanging on the last syllables.
"Continue"
"Yes, well, I fear I need more time with the machine to bring her fully operational, she will not be ready for any battle in the near future"
"I had not planned to"
"understood, my apologies for interrupting"
--
Ivex gave a nod, and metallic clinking sound of Osatar and her servitors began marching down the hall. Ivex gave a sigh, heat leaving his body.
"Tyllalb I entrust you wish teaching him our ways" Tyllalb gave a small nod.
"Finnik, make sure he doesn't fail on his first mission" Finnik slammed his gauntleted hand against his breastplate, coughing the chuckle back down his throat.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The large red display once again filled the shuttered room. Iazhec struggled to keep his shaking arms still, Dhibrocz giving him a small punch in the shoulder. Not that the owners of claws and whirring flesh engines seemed to pay any mind. His ears struggled, they made almost no noise now, part from the loud wet breathing.
"This plan is all well and good Ivex but how do we know the heat will be drawn off us?"
"The Talons should take care of that, but as a precaution the redeemed will be let loose on the lower floors, you are free to do as you wish, Khatal"
"I am glad we came" spoke the beast next to Iazhec, making him back away slightly, as the creature lifted its taloned foot to rest on the console.
"you seem so much more fffffffun than the followers of the prince"
"squad Yanuthlu is to follow us into the spire via Seeker while tethri remains to guard the ship"
The beast clicked it's tongue, retreating off the console, If it even has a tongue. It bumped into Iazhec, one of its mighty armoured legs, pushing loosly against him, almost making him loose his balance. The colour in Iazhec's face fell, he stared into the two blood red slits that stared backwards through empty vision lenses. It gave a hiss, pulling it's face close, every pore seeming to smile as Iazhec took an audible gulp, backing away until he bumped into the marine behind him, quickly giving the beat a glare until it retreated.
"Brothers, make it back into the Indomitable's arms, this I wish upon you." Ivex ended, pulling his face up, and putting his fist across his breast. The marines responded, creating a clanking upon armour that almost made him hold his ears.
He calmed his shaking arms, fiddling with the wires protruding from his lord's power pack
"be still artificer, the armour is fine" Finnik snapped back, holding his arm back as if to shove off a fly. Iazhec relented, stopping his cult like tinkering, and quickly hurrying to the back of the room.
"head down to Seeker all of you, we shall make planetfall shortly. And so depart our justice onto thos who know it not"
The parting words were calm, an almost silent parting as Iazhec exited chamber, hearing loud cheers and cries coming from the closing door.