Week 3 Epilogue - Chaos vs Imperials - The Inquisitor Part 2

Pursuing his prey was no easy task.  Imperial reinforcement was heavy.  Garrowbraid’s scouts had reported in that other than the Shadow Lords, they had spotted Silver giants adorned with the inquisition symbol.  Garrowbraid’s brow furrowed as he remembered the rumours of an elite branch of Astartes, whose presence usually corresponded to daemon incursions.  What was Dreagher really planning?  What was the artifact's real importance?

Reports came in that the Inquisitor and his men were holing up in the central chambers of the underground facility.  Such foolishness would be repaid in the enlightenment of their demise. 

Garrowbraid’s forces surrounded the central chamber.  He could sense the occupant’s fear.  The Shadow Lords didn’t fare very well in their last battle.  It seemed that the Captain he had faced was back on his feet, his pride more injured than his physical disabilities.  Garrowbraid would love to face him down again.

Screams of the death of the scouts permeated the chamber, and his forces surged forward.  2 of his squads, a Raptor unit led by one of Garrowbraid’s most trusted men, and a chaos marine squad, covered both flanks, while he took the centre with his retinue and a Helbrute.  The chaos engine bounded forward in anticipation, the pilot within, crazed for blood.  Garrowbraid was wary of it, but it was an asset that may prove useful in the confined quarters of the facility.

The Imperial’s fell back from the advance, crossing a choke point that the Night Lords would soon need to cross.  A large from blocked the corridor.  One of the surviving Shadow Lord’s Venerable Dreadnought stood as a bulwark against the Night Lords.  Seeing its Imperial counterpart, the Helbrute bellowed in rage and let loose a flurry of Plasma Cannon shots.  Garrowbraid ducked as balls of plasma burned through the ceramite and adamantium armour of the Night Lords in the way.  The Helbrute was far too unstable an element and his men paid for it.  Garrowbraid spat his curses, regretting bringing it along.

The hairs on Garrowbraid’s neck tingled as psychic energy filled the room.  He sensed that the Inquisitor was attempting to cast some powers to support his side.  But he had not counted on Garrowbraid.  In a retaliatory gesture, Garrowbraid flexed his own psychic might, usually hidden deep down.  Minds met minds and the Inquisitor was found wanting.  A hidden wail from the far corner of the corridor was heard as the Inquisitor fell to the floor, blood spilling out of his eyes and ears. 

Behind the Venerable Dreadnought, gouts of flame filled the corridor.  The smell of burnt flesh of the Inquisitor’s human retinue filled the room.  Garrowbraid’s champion had engaged the right flank, his unit’s flamers wreaking havoc in the close quarters of the facility.  Grey Knight silver armour turned brown while Shadow Lords burnt as the flames melted their power armour seals.

In the confusion, some well placed krak grenades from Garrowbraid’s squad detonated on the Venerable Dreadnought’s chassis, cracking the sarcophagus that held the Astartes hero.  Amniotic fluids leaked out through the cracks that formed across its armoured shell.  Garrowbraid plunged his lightning claw through the cracks, offering the pilot no further chances at life.

His unit engaged their jump packs, dangerous in the cramp corners just in time as the Helbrute charged the now dead chassis of the Shadow Lord Walker. The crazed walker was attempting to attack anything in its way and it found a tactical squad set squarely in its sights.   Garrowbraid’s champion had charged the remnants of the burnt Shadow Lord tactical squad and was now fighting close quarter combat with the Grey Knights.

Leaving his champion to his devices, Garrowbraid him found the marine he was looking for.  The Shadow Lord Captain, Aerius Gaius stood in the centre of the corridor, staring at him defiantly.  He was clearly still injured from the previous battle, but he had recovered enough to slaughter the flanking Raptors responsible for the conflagration of the corridor.  The Night Lord blood splattered on his raven black armour was testament to that. 

Garrowbraid charged but Gaius was prepared.  Crouched in cover, he swung up against the charging Night Lord, his lance slicing through Garrowbraid’s armour easily.  As Garrowbraid fell, he watched the Gaius and his men engaged his own men. The Night Lords put up a fight but worn and battered power armour finally caved.  In their distraction, Garrowbraid leapt into the shadows, clutching his cauterized wound.  Still wounded, Gaius was too fatigued to chase the Night Lord Commander.

From his hidden perch, Gallowbraid watched his champion fall as a Dreadnought close combat weapon crushed his spine from behind.

Following cautiously behind, a Chaos warrior squad made their way into the carnage of the corridor, careful to stay clear of the line of sight of the Helbrute. 

The second Astartes Dreadnought pondered into view and they fired their plasma guns at it.  The black armour of the dreadnought hid the burn marks but a careful look would show that the Dreadnought did suffer some damage from the super heated blast.  It fired at the Helbrute with its Assault Cannon.  The high rate of fire of high caliber shells tore through the organic components of the corrupted Dreadnought just as the Helbrute finished off the tactical squad.  ‘Better them than me, Helbrute’, seethed Gallowbraid from the shadows.

The Chaos marines continued to spray bolt shells and plasma at the second dreadnought, pushing it back. Just as they thought they had the situation in control, Grey Knight Terminators turned around the corner.

Garrowbraid watched Grey Knight psychic powers and force weapons cut through the remaining Night Lords.  In his hand the Grey Knight commander held a spheroid object.  Garrowbraid could feel the object calling, and it took all his concentration just to stay hidden, to keep his mind shielded from the probing influence of the Grey Knights.   

It was successful.  As one, the Grey Knights turned and left, together with the remnants of the Inquisitor’s retinue and Shadow Lords.  Waiting for what felt like a long time, but was only moments, Garrowbraid eased himself down.  He made his way to the slain body of the Inquisitor.

And he felt something.  It was very faint, very well hidden and very familiar.  He let his sense spread out and found a broken shard, a section of the artifact that had broken off in the battle, probably when the Inquisitor fell.  Garrowbraid picked it up.  Such a small part of the artifact held so much power.  The whole item could have easily clouded anyone’s mind, including the Grey Knights.  It probably masked the shard’s presence.  In his mind he knew that the item would not activate without being whole, and he now held the key to it.