A hololith snaps out images of Power Armoured soldiers with various biographic and statistical data streaming.
“Interrogator-Colonel Nilihilus Prime and his Arcanix cohort have inserted on planet Plantage on the edge of the Calixis Sector. Their mission is reconnaissance and hostile extraction of xenos” Watch Captain Servais begins.
An odd mechanical limbed being in what looks like green Mechanicus robes enters from a conceal portal in the floor. Four mechadenrites locomote the being to the console in the mezzanine of the War Room. Smaller appendages snake out into the console and the images in the hololith shift to images of Orks!
An image of a ‘standard’ ork appears. High speed vid of vivisection and statistics scroll by. Fairly common ork xenology. Images shift to the planet Armageddon and bulletpoints and images appear by the dozen. Individual bits shift from green to red and collect with notations from various Ordo Xenos inquisitors and biologis magos.
A syntesized voice squeels “Yes! Yes! The Interrogator’s mission is KEY!!! Small, not even medium waaaaaaagh, but… but…AH!!! Yes! Warbands of orks! Warbands have been invading planets across the Calixis sector in random incidents. HA! Random???” the odd magos becomes very animated and new green images are projected from a newly revealed mechadenrite in his skull.
The images spin and focus to an unbelievable resolution and real color. A very large ork specimen appears. Covered in ork tech armour wielding a vicious power klaw and large ork heavy weapon. Ghazghull Thraka! Other images of orks appear, but out of focus and small. The magos gains near Zen-like composure and his voice projects very clearly.
“This ork is Ghazghull Thraka, prophet of Waaagh, the menace of Armageddon. He is central to the story. Thraka is unlike any ork encountered in all of Humanity’s dealing with the xenos breed. Through a series of events and biology Thraka is unique, and possibly the most powerful ork in the galaxy”. The images begin to show images from the Armageddon Wars appear and disappear. Thraka is like a force of nature. The images eventually show the defeat of the orks and their flight from Armageddon.
“Thraka brought together all the major ork tribes of the galaxy, as well as thousands of smaller tribes and warbands. The Waaagh was broken but many of the survivors as well as at least five subsequent generations of orks have left Armageddon and are unaccounted for throughout all of Imperium intelligence reports. Accounting for incidents such as warp related destruction, infighting, and over five hundred other factors, over fifty million Armageddon orks are ‘at large.’ In most considerations, taking into account for ‘standard’ ork psychology and history, not truly a problem since over a few decades attrition will decrease this number to insignificant numbers”. The Inquisitor steps into the hololith images abruptly.
“Excuse me Spectramancer! This level of detail is extraneous and outside of the Deathwatch’s present purview and purpose… The magos disconnects and his extra limbs collapses and he descends the stairs on normal legs, his thick green robes flutter as he approaches the Inquisitor and Watch Captain.
Astartes enhanced senses detect the slightest hint over movement toward the Inquisitor as she chides the magos. It seems to disappear as quickly as it appeared.
“I beg your pardon Madame Inquisitor and yours as well lords Astartes. I meant no breech of protocol. I AM!!! AH!!! The data. So, so much” the magos shakes his head and leaves the chamber quickly. The Inquisitor remains composed and turns to the Kill Team. Watch Captain Servais directs his equerry to reactivate the hololith.
An image of an agriworld farm compound appears. A large levy covers a large arc closing in the compound on the north and west. Large raft islands, known as chinampas, have resblocks, storage, and light manufactorum facilities connected by causeways bob along the long irrigation conduit stream. Chinampa farms drift along the perimeter of the Central Processing Atoll. Various runes and icons flicker across the entire facility, and according to the text much of the planet, is run with archeotech systems from before the Great Crusade.
“The fragile nature of the barge fill platforms will not allow for drop pod insertion and none of the landing zones are large enough for a Thunderhawk, at present” Watch Captain Servais states.
The inquisitor points to the processing rig in the center. The area highlights in gold.
“This warehouse is to be leveled by melta charges to allow for a thunderhawk extraction when the Interrogator-Colonel, his operatives, and the xenos package arrive. Civilians are being evacuated from the township and the area will be vacant by the time of your insertion”. She continues as she walks around the perimeter of the hololith.
“After the demolition portion is completed the Kill Team may deploy in a defensive stance to hold the extraction zone until the Interrogator-Colonel arrives. Brother Claudius will be in full command of the operation up and until contact with the Interrogator-Colonel is made, at that point the Interrogator-Colonel will take operational control…”
“He has an exceptional combat record Brother Claudius. He and his commandos are able and devoted” Watch Captain adds as a shadow detaches from wall and becomes a tall man in a black cloak. The cloaked man approaches in between both the inquisitor and watch-captain, he comes to stand at the edge of the hololith’s halo.
“Our cabal will make planetfall before the Kill Team. We will traverse the township and clear the eastern residence blocks of any xenos presence. We will be in vox range. Prime is not only my former fellow acolyte, he is my friend. This mission will be a success or I will hold those responsible for its failure in His name” with that the cloaked figure snaps around and disappears in the shadow. A brief glint of light appears from a concealed passage as the cabal exits.
“The Shogun of the Dark, will be on planet and may be able to deliver support if you request it Brother Claudius. He and his cabal are… able and devoted” Inquisitor Carmillius finishes. She bows slightly to the Kill Team and then the watch-captain and swiftly marches from the war room, her escorts meet her in the corridor and they march away.
Servais waits until the blast doors seal before facing the Kill Team.
“This mission is atypical of Erioch’s normal fare. Calixis sector is not within Erioch’s normal operational reach. Also Erioch does not make a habit of fielding newly formed Kill-Teams on an operation of such importance to the Ordo. This operation and the Inquisitorial agents involved will be coming to Jericho Reach to continue their work and requested a Kill Team seconded that could be called upon regularly” Watch Captain looks directly at the Ultramarine Brother-Sergeant Claudius.
“This inquisitor is ambitious and his ‘theories’ are interesting and more than a little disturbing. Bring the Interrogator-Colonel to the Reach with his prize and your secondment to Deathwatch will prove to be interesting” the watch-captain slowly walks across the kill team; he looks each member in the eye as examines them.
“You are good Astartes each. Your records are excellent, glory to each Chapter you represent…” in a flash Servais turns on his heel and his eyes turn alight with the type of zeal rarely seen outside the ranks of the Astartes.
“You are Deathwatch now. And we expect more from you than your chapters ever could. I truly mean that. And to be chosen to directly serve His holy Inquisition from the start is a heavy weight, one I do not envy brothers. You have taken the Oath. The Watch will always be here for you, you must always be here for the Watch” with that the Watch-Captain strides out, his equerry follows stopping to give Claudius a data slate and giving to Kill Team the sign of the Aquila.
The Kill Team is left in the War Room to prepare.
[Mission Point to any player that adds to the Preparation portion of Mission One here in the Adventure Journal]