In The Grim Darkness Of The 41st Millennium, Nobody Beats G.I. Joe!

sunsunsunsunsun · Jul 18, 2024

Aineko said:
Depends whether the death allows or blocks regular inheritance of titles and possessions.

If the entire family was dispossessed, there's nothing to inherit.

Aineko · Jul 18, 2024

sunsunsunsunsun said:
If the entire family was dispossessed, there's nothing to inherit.

Yes, I am aware. I was responding to the post I quoted which described dispossession as a fate worse than death. In which context, the death and the dispossession are being discussed as alternatives.

jwolfe_beta · Jul 19, 2024

-From the latest posts over on fiction.live-

"That's a grave accusation. Do you have evidence to support it?"

"Does the word of a Knight not constitute all the evidence you need?!"

"No."

I can just imagine Brutale's surprised Pikachu face when Ironhide gave that response.

darkstarling · Jul 19, 2024

Will write more later, but I LOVED this update.

sun tzu · Jul 20, 2024

It's with some trepidation that you comm the infirmary (the one on the Flag, not the one in the current G.I. Joe lodgings in Starhill). But, well, you got to know.

"The good news is, the girl looks like she'll make a full recovery," Doc answers your question. "Early analysis suggests she got lucky - her immune system was able to slow down the Genestealer's parasites. Not stop, just, slow down by a couple hours. She's traumatized, obviously, but as far as we can tell she's still herself.

"The boy got less lucky. You rescued him long before the process was complete, but not before it did some damage. His cognitive abilities are there, but he appears to have suffered a significant loss of drive and will."

You wince. "Anything you can do to fix him?"

"Us? No. But there might be better options back on Organitron."

And the Flag has a working Space Bridge.

Well. You suppose you can only hope for the best.

"So… this immune system that's able to slow down Genestealer indoctrination…"

"We're already working on those antibodies, but keep in mind, it's not immunity, it's just some extra time."

"Tech-Priest Ironhide. Just the man I was looking for."

"Commissar Popov. Always a pleasure," you lie. "What can I do for you?"

"As you may be aware, Tech-Priest," Popov says, "yesterday, several members of this regiment, including your colleague Menlo, were present when Dame de Rose-Versailles, a Knight in service to the Crown Prince of Devoir, challenged Lord Gemeaux, a powerful vassal of the King, to a duel. The duel is to take place in a matter of hours, and both sides bring witnesses - and both the regiment's members who were present at the challenge and I shall be attending. Given your own fame over a matter of trial by combat, I thought it would be a proper show of respect for you to be present as well."

"Oh, actually, I was also there," you reply. Popov blinks. "I never spoke to Dame de Rose-Versailles, but I was present, as were Bleu-Blanc-Rouge and Cadet-Commissar Kaltberg."

"Wait, Kaltberg?" Popov pauses. "…Well, I suppose we don't need even more witnesses. Regardless, we shall be departing at noon local time, so ready yourself!"

Oh joy.

Hm. A duel between those two… Now, what should you bring…?

Inside the Valkyrie, Popov is glaring daggers.

"We are about to act as witnesses in a duel among the nobility. Was it too much to ask that you dress nicer?"

"I'm afraid, Commissar, my dress uniform is back on Organitron," Turnabout smiles as he leans back.

You take note of the Joes present. Menlo, Turnabout and Paladin you expected, since they were with Rose-Versailles yesterday. Poker Face, admittedly, you didn't expect. She's sitting by Paladin, who's holding her hands and smiling while her eyes shine bright and nothing's gay here everyone's straight move along definitely didn't see something illegal think of something else-

You consider the sensor suite you brought along. Fairly advanced stuff. Overkill? Possibly. But you never know in this place.

The Valkyrie lands in the rural land surrounding Starhill, next to… some kind of watchtower, you guess? Oscar de Rose-Versailles is already there in all her androgynous glory, along with the guy who was with here yesterday. From the looks of it, they both got here on horseback.

Gemeaux isn't here yet, but to be fair, you're a bit early.

Popov steps out of the Valkyrie, adjusting his sash. "Do not embarrass the regiment," he whispers menacingly to you all.

Popov wastes no time marching up to Rose-Versailles and giving a crisp salute. "Lady Rose-Versailles. It is an honor. I am Commissar Parvasky Popov, representing the First Organitron Expeditionary Regiment."

She gives a polite nod. "A pleasure. I am Oscar de Rose-Versailles, Knight of Crown Prince Raoul Helldrake. This," she points at her companion, "is my most trusted servant, André." She steps past Popov. "Menlo. Turnabout. Paladin. Glad to see you again. I understand you are Ironhide, also known as the Titanfall?"

"Just Ironhide will do," you chuckle.

"If half the stories about your duel with Grand-Shield are true, I can imagine the reasons for your presence. And you would be…?"

"Poker Face. Here as General Hawk's representative."

"Charmed. Now, I believe we have a few minutes before Gemeaux and his witnesses arrive…"

Poker Face glances at you.

Then she meaningfully glances at the watch tower.

This close, you think this place looks abandoned.

Poker Face gives you another meaningful look.

Hm…

You activate the sensor suite you brought.

Well. What do you know. There's a human-sized heat signature near the top of the watchtower.

You move closer to Menlo. "So… pretty sure there's someone in there," you point at the tower.

"I'll, I'll ch-check," she stutters. Seconds later, her drone-cosplaying-as-a-Servo-Skull silently flies inside the tower.

Oscar is practicing shots with her Hot-Shot Pistol. She's… an excellent shot, as far as you can tell.

One of her shots just happens to coincide with the scream coming from inside the tower, which is probably why she doesn't react to it.

"There was… a guy," Menlo says. "Dressed like a commoner. Knocked him out. He, uh… he looks like he spent the night in there. Got a device that's, um… sort of a spotlight, but, well…"

"Like something you'd use to briefly blind someone without being too obvious about it?" says Poker Face.

"Yeah, t-that," Menlo nods.

"Hm." You ponder. "OK, my first instinct is that the guy who shoots kids would also be the guy that cheats at duels, but, that's not automatically true. What do we know about her?"

"Politically speaking, she tends to be careful and think things through," Paladin whispers. "This duel is happening because Gemeaux trying to shoot a kid really made her exceptionally angry. I don't think she would cheat in a duel, but I can't speak with certainty."

"Nor can I," Turnabout says, "but I will note that she hasn't paid any attention to the watchtower since getting here."

"Frankly," says Poker Face, "having read Gemeaux's dossier, I would like her more if she did cheat in a duel to the death with him."

You step closer to Rose-Versailles, who's putting laser blasts through small rocks at a respectable distance without taking the time to aim.

You've seen better shots. But most of them are in G.I. Joe, and notably good shots within the corps.

"Nice shot," you comment idly. "I couldn't aim that well without support from my technological tools."

"My father was of the opinion that his son ought to master all forms of combat."

"'Son'?"

She smirks. "He was also of the opinion that his child would naturally be male, and it would be a waste of money to go to the Biologis."

"Ah," you chuckle. "So, all forms of combat…"

"Guns, swords, Knights - the latter as our primary duty, the former two should the need present itself." She keeps taking shots. "If I am protecting the Crown Prince, I'd much rather do so in command of my Knight. If I get ambushed by men with poisoned daggers, I need to be able to fight on my own."

"Fair enough." You pause. "Forgive me, but… is there a reason for this duel beyond what I saw yesterday?"

She pauses to stare at you. "I do not have a political reason to want him dead, if that's what you mean. Nor do I owe him money."

That honestly would have been one of your guesses. A college friend of yours who was doing a lot of research about the antebellum South once told you most duels weren't fought about politics or love or anything of the sort - they were fought because person A had borrowed money from person B, and person B was accusing person A of not paying them back within a reasonable amount of time.

"So it's all righteous wrath over the attempted infanticide?"

Her gaze hardens. "If us nobles behave like beasts, how can we justify our position and privileges?"

…You're getting the impression she's seen some shit and does, in fact, doubt the justice of those positions and privileges.

"Forgive the question," you say, "but… how good is Gemeaux in a fight?"

"He knows how to use a gun, and he knows how to use a Knight," Oscar says as she keeps practicing shots. "If I were a betting woman… I would give myself two chances out of three of winning."

"I'd have preferred better odds."

"Such as in your duel with Grand-Shield?"

"Those were different circumstances. He started the fight. I chose to shield someone, is all."

"That does you credit, Tech-Priest."

"Please. Call me Ironhide."

"If you'll call me Oscar," she says, with the barest hint of a smile as blows yet another rock.

Hm. It's almost time… Well, assuming Gemeaux doesn't show up late.

Just to be on the safe side, you check your scanners again. Hm… nothing unusual is showing up.

"For the record, Oscar, there was a man up on that watchtower with a device that could easily be used to discreetly blind someone the moment they were taking aim at their opponent," you say, "though Menlo has already knocked him out."

She blinks. Then she resumes shooting, looking a bit angrier. "I should have expected something like that," she mutters. "I'll have to thank Menlo later."

And then you notice it.

The sound of horses.

(Surely these guys can afford vehicles? …No, wait, the streets of Starhill are not very accommodating for wheeled vehicles.)

You recognize Gemeaux. There's a woman whose fine clothes and jewelry suggest she's also a noble. And a bunch of… you're guessing guards and/or Oath-Blades.

"Oscar!" the woman grins. "Always a pleasure."

"Dame de Hurlevent," Oscar doesn't smile but gives a polite nod. "Here as Gemeaux's witness, I assume."

"And I, in turn, assume that you did not inform the Crown Prince of this little affair," says Hurlevent. "I cannot imagine he will be happy when he finds out."

You do note Gemeaux smirking slightly as he glances at the watchtower…

Popov wastes no time stepping forward. "Lord Gemeaux. Dame de Hurlevent. It's an honor."

"Ah, Commissar Popov," Hurlevent smirks. "Always a delight."

Wait, those two know each other?

Ah, whatever.

You move closer to the other Joes. "I'm about 98% confident Gemeaux set up the guy in the watchtower."

"He did," Turnabout says. "100%."

Well, if he says so.

"You think we could throw Gemeaux off his game by revealing his man is unable to help him?" you say cautiously.

"Should we be intervening at all?" says Paladin. "This is a duel. I like Oscar, but if we press our thumb on the scale here, that's basically murder. And I don't think Oscar would appreciate it one bit."

"Yesterday wasn't Gemeaux's first time shooting little kids," Poker Face says. "Some of those kids are his own bastards, whom he executes to remove any complications to the inheritance of his title. And if we count the peasant uprising he put down with his Knight nine years ago, he has the blood of thousands on his hands. And he will never, ever face official justice for any of these things."

"…I see," Paladin says.

"So," Poker Face goes on, "this is the closest to justice we're gonna get. Excuse me for a moment."

As both sides prepare for their duel, Poker Face steps toward Gemeaux.

And speaks to him. For a few seconds. Before walking away.

The two opponents take their guns.

They begin walking.

And it's very obvious to you that Gemeaux is sweating. And stealing constant glances at the tower.

And then the two opponents turn toward each other.

And the motherfucker still wastes a whole tenth of a second glancing at the tower.

And then Oscar fires a laser blast that explodes his head.

"…What did you say to him?" you whisper to Poker Face.

"Just enough to keep him guessing whether the man in the tower was going to shine a bright light at Oscar's eyes, or his."

"…You're scary."

"I know."

"Alas, poor Lord Gemeaux," says Dame de Hurlevent. "And thus does Devoir lose a valiant Knight, and I lose a good business partner. Well," she smirks, "I suppose I should be off. Gemeaux's heir is going to be pretty busy with the terrible news soon - a title to inherit, a Knight to pilot, and all the financial advice he'll be taking from his departed father's friend."

"It is always about money with you, Hurlevent," Oscar says with some scorn.

"That is quite literally my job, Oscar," she grins.

Wait. That sound…

That's a Valkyrie.

One landing right next to you.

It's… gilded. Almost as extensively as Lamedor's vehicles, but with draconic iconography instead of saber-toothed tigers.

The Valkyrie's door opens. Out steps a young man who looks like he should be on the cover of some vampire romance novel or somesuch. Also, he's wearing a crown.

He is followed by a very tall woman built like a brick house. Helps that she's wearing Carapace armor. Also, that's a pretty massive scar on the right side of her face.

After them come three men in Carapace Armor with Bolters. So, bodyguards?

All the Devoir natives (and Popov) get down on one knee at the sight of the man in the crown. "Your Highness!"

He stares at Gemeaux's corpse. "Oscar. You challenged Gemeaux to a duel."

"I did, my Prince."

"At a time when Devoir is more divided than ever, even as we are fighting a war for survival, you fought a duel to the death with a fellow Knight."

"I have done what was necessary, my Prince, to ensure none would think you were behind it," Oscar replies, cool as a cucumber. "The responsibility is mine and mine alone."

"Unfortunately, that much is true," Raoul Helldrake, heir to the throne, sighs. "There will be consequences, Oscar. That cannot be averted," he says as he turns around, heading back to the Valkyrie.

"Excuse me, but-" you begin, but Paladin puts her hand on your shoulder and shakes her head.

Turnabout steps by. "Unless I'm reading it wrong, that was basically Helldrake Junior telling Oscar to keep a low profile while he runs damage control."

"Ah," you nod.

Meanwhile, the tall woman with the scar approaches Rose-Versailles. "Oscar."

"Brutale," Oscar nods.

"I won't tell you you shouldn't have done it," says the woman you assume is named Brutale from context. "But I do wish you hadn't. Right now… Right now is perhaps not the ideal time for the Prince's Knight to go around killing powerful nobles, even if they deserve it."

"I understand political realities," says Oscar. "But there exists a point where even political calculous has to step back."

"That's true," says Brutale, "and if you had killed Gemeaux to save the entire city of Starhill, I would fully approve. You killed him for something far pettier than that. I hope you will not come to regret your choice, old friend," she says as she turns away.

The Prince and Brutale both depart in their gilded Valkyrie. You step closer to Oscar. "You holding up all right?"

"Right enough," she shrugs.

"I get that that was man Prince Raoul Helldrake," you say, "but who's Brutale?"

"Dame Brutale de Far-Etoile," Oscar says. "She is the Commander of the Royal Guard - the Knights that serve as the right hand of the King, and fight by his side when he ventures out on the field of battle."

"…Does that happen often?"

"Less so, these days," Oscar admits. "When his father died in battle against the Tyranids, his Majesty Aurelien Helldrake took to the battlefield as soon as the royal Knight was repaired. For the first years of his reign, he was a common presence on the battlefield, and is even credited with the death of a Hive-Tyrant." Her eyes get a faraway look. "These days… He rarely leaves the Starkeep." She shakes her head. "All of that aside… forgive me for a moment."

And then she heads to the watchtower.

A minute later, she comes out of the watchtower. "It would appear, and not for the first time, that I am in your debt, Menlo. As annoyed as I may be with myself for not preparing for treachery, the fact remains, you probably saved my life today. If there is any way to repay this debt, do not hesitate to let me know."

"Such a day might come sooner than you think," Poker Face says as she heads back toward G.I. Joe's Valkyrie.

Oscar quirks an eyebrow. "What did she mean by that?"

"Beats me, I can't read that woman," you chuckle. "…Should you be worried about revenge from Gemeaux's heir?"

"Today? No. When he's old enough? Who knows," she shrugs.

"So how'd it go?" Gavpierre asks.

"Gemeaux tried to cheat. We foiled his cheating attempt. Oscar shot him."

"He dead?"

"Very."

"Good riddance." He pauses. "By the way, deer can't talk, right?"

"Uh, right," you nod. "Wait, are there deer on Devoir?"

"Never heard of 'em before today, so, I guess not," he shrugs as he runs off.

What was that abou- Oh. Right. Curated movies, and you guess Bambi made the cut.

(Sadly, Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit are all very, very out of the question.)

Well, you suppose you should make some time for the worksho-

And then your comm bips. Looks like you've been summoned.

You suppress a sigh as you head for General Hawk's office. Which you reach around the same time as Brimstone.

…Wait, why are you and Brimstone summoned at the same time? You've got a bad feeling about this.

Inside are General Hawk, Duke, Flint, Lady Jaye, and Poker Face. "Ironhide. Brimstone," says the General. "Take a seat."

Brimstone does so wordlessly. So do you, after checking it's a chair that can handle your armored weight. "You wanted to see us, sir?"

"Well, someone wants to." What does that- "You're aware of tomorrow's event, I believe?"

"The Star Vow, yeah," you nod. "The King and a bunch of VIPs go to some special location out of town, the King renews his oath of loyalty to the Imperium, big event for Devoir's jet-set. Horse-set, I guess?"

"Well, there's a bit more to it than that," says Flint. "The Star Vow has a variety of traditions attached, and one of them is that a number of theological scholars from across the land are summoned to have a spirited debate on matters of faith."

Oh no.

"Now, usually, only Ecclesiarchy priests are involved, but it's not unheard of for one or two members of the Adeptus Mechanicus to be invited," Flint goes on. "This time, an invitation came specifically for you, Ironhide, and I suppose they couldn't invite you without also inviting G.I. Joe's regimental chaplain."

"But…" you hesitate. "…Why?"

"Perhaps you can answer that," says Duke. "Your invitation had a PS in a different writing than the rest of the letter. It just says, 'swift and merciless, as promised'. Any idea what that's about?"

Curse you, Angeloff! Curse you to kitty hell!

You are, to put it mildly, not a religious person. Hence, you are currently getting a crash-course in how to handle this from Brimstone.

"The most important thing you need to remember is," Brimstone says, "let me do most of the talking."

Harsh, but fair.

"Now, keep in mind - by and large, the Imperium is not keen on asking too many questions. This extends to the Ecclesiarchy. Most of it doesn't have the kind of culture of theological debates you might see on Organitron, because it's that easy to get executed for heresy. Devoir is actually an outlier there, with a lot more intellectual activity among priests than in the rest of the sector. Which… tends to weird out the regimental priests of the Imperial Guard present on the planet. There'll likely be a couple of those present as well."

"Beside you."

"Absolutely beside me," his eyes narrow. "Bishop-Praetor Bondieu should be present, but he never participates in the debates himself."

"Makes sense, can't argue with the boss," you chuckle. "No Brownrobes, though?"

"Not a chance. Bondieu wouldn't stand for it."

"What about the Sororitas?"

"The Palatine and some others will be present at the ceremony, but can't involve themselves in the debate. They're the Ecclesiarchy's armed forces, not priests; they are expected to be even more unopinionated and dogmatic."

"Of course they are," you roll your eyes. "Say, beside the King's oath and the theological debate, you know what this ceremony will involve?"

"I know there's multiple musical displays, including songs from beyond Devoir," he says. "Which is why Rock'N'Roll and Bifrost have been invited."

"…This I gotta see," you chuckle.

Brimstone and you for the religious debate. Bifrost and Rock'N'Roll for the musical exhibition. Rolande (technically not a Joe, but…) because she's a Knight. General Hawk and Commissar Popov because of rank.

Absolutely not Gavpierre.

"Kid," you crouch down, "I respect your utter determination to never let fear control you. Please understand that if you play that game at the Star Vow, you will die. No ifs or buts."

"Probably, yeah," he nods. "Well, try not to die yerself. Yer a swell fella to have around."

"Much obliged, and I can only promise to try," you chuckle, "But hey, it's the Star Vow. In all likelihood, the most dangerous thing that can happen to me is that I'll get bored to death."

"Dreadful way to go, that."

***********************************

"And remember - we are in the presence of the highest secular and religious authorities on the planet. You will be properly deferential," Commissar Popov says (again) as your Valkyrie approaches the ceremonial location.

For all that practically half the Knights are invited (used to be literally all of them before the Tyranids, but now they want some to stay in contested territory at all time), only a handful have their actual giant mechs on location - the Royal Guard, the ones who answer directly to the King.

The actual ceremony's location is interesting. A set of circular walls without roofs… but with force-field domes. Unusual, that.

A wheelchair that's really more of a hoverchair.

The mustache to end all mustaches.

So many cybernetic parts.

It's your first time seeing General Ivanov face-to-face.

"General Hawk. Commissar Popov. At ease," he says. "You're wondering, perhaps, why I invited you here."

The thought had crossed your mind. The G.I. Joe intelligence folks mostly figure out it's a good opportunity to gather intel on the local who's who.

"Well," Ivanov goes on, "I fear I'll keep you guessing for a while longer. I do, however, want to ask a few questions about latest events, General Hawk."

"Yes sir. What about?"

While that's happening, you meet some familiar faces. Looks like Oscar is here, accompanying Prince Raoul (does he always look sad and tired in a heartthrob way?).

Might as well say hi.

"Oscar. A pleasure," you step closer.

"Ironhide," she nods. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Someone decided to invite me as an elaborate form of revenge."

"Then you have clever enemies." She pauses. "And you would be…?"

"Rolande de Jean-Stone, vassal Knight of Lamedor and proud ally to G.I. Joe," your friend says. "And I must say, Dame de Rose-Versailles, the rumors of your beauty have not been exaggerations."

"You're too kind."

The Prince steps in. "Dame de Jean-Stone. I believe you deserve thanks for your service. You have represented Devoir honorably on Cavitus."

"I'd say I merely did my duty, your highness, but in truth, it was my pleasure."

"Rolande's courage and skill in command of her Knight were of great help on Cavitus, your Highness," you say. "That she is greatly honorable was a welcome addition."

"Hm. Honor is a precious thing, but not a simple one," Prince Raoul reflects. "A philosopher I am rather fond of once said that the word actually refers to two separate concepts - external honor, and internal honor."

"Your Highness?" Rolande asks.

"External honor is your reputation, and how far you are willing to go to protect it," Raoul goes on. "Certainly, every Knight and Lord on Devoir greatly value their external honor.

"And then, internal honor is how far we are willing to go in order to do what is right when no-one is watching. By its very nature, it is harder to gauge. Yet, it is the true strength of our character."

"That is true, your Highness," Rolande says, "but I like to think that the Knights of Devoir have plenty of external and internal honor both."

"I would like nothing better than to think that, Dame de Jean-Stone," he replies, "but the world will not allow me such comforts."

"With all due respect, your highness," you say, "historically speaking, giving people power of life and death over the majority of the population and little to no consequences for abusing that power has rarely resulted in those people developing an honorable character, especially when such privileges are earned through birth rather than deeds. Honorable exceptions such as Rolande here are rare."

Oscar has a little wince. Rolande glares at you. Raoul… quirks an eyebrow. "You speak with more frankness than I am used to hearing, Titanfall. I understand Organitron has no hereditary aristocracy?"

"We do have some people who have inherited far, far too much money," you say. "So there is that." Also not every country on Earth is a democracy, but getting into the details would be a terrible idea.

"I'm uncertain how you make it work," he admits, "but apparently, you have made it work well enough. Alas, I fear we have no such options on Devoir," he says with a sad smile.

You shrug. "There exists a whole spectrum between Devoir as it is today and Organitron. But I am probably not the person to speak to about it."

"Neither am I. I fear I do not hold that much sway with my father."

"Huh." You look around. "Where is he, anyway? I would have thought the King would be the center of attention at an event like this."

"Oh, there is a traditional time for him to make his entrance," Raoul chuckles, "though I can introduce you to the other major players until then." He stares at Rolande. "You ought to listen as well, Dame de Jean-Stone - Devoir owes you a debt of gratitude for your valiant prowess off-world, but I imagine it's left you less than entirely up-to-date on local politics."

"Ah… As you say, my Prince."

"I believe you're already familiar with General Ivanov, of Revelation," he points at the hoverchait-bound man, who is still having his conversation with General Hawk and Popov. "He's been leading the Imperial Guard on Devoir for longer than I've been alive. The man is a religious firebrand, but even so, he has refused to involve himself in the conflict between the Ecclesiarchy and the Brownrobes - mostly on account that if he came down on the Brownrobes, the Imperial Guard would no longer be welcome in the Fortfroid lands," Raoul explains.

"Huh. Well, I'll take a minimum of good sense over a lack of good sense," you note.

"I as well, Titanfall. You'll also notice your colleague following him around - that is Tech-Priest Kramer of the Biologis. Aside from being General Ivanov's personal physician, he is also one of the greatest authorities on Tyranids on the planet.

"That woman over there is Admiral Isabella, of Cavitus, commanding the Imperial Navy forces in orbit," he points at a woman with enough medals to be a banana republic generalissimo… who is glaring daggers at Ivanov. "She is here to make sure no Tyranid leaves Devoir, and she launches the occasional ortillery bombing when the Xenos overextend… but in recent years, she has been less and less inclined to have the Aeronautica support the Imperial Guard."

"…Why?"

"As far as I can tell, on account of an ever-escalating grudge between herself and General Ivanov."

You slap your forehead.

Raoul seems to sympathize. "I wouldn't normally mention this to you, but I understand you've already met," he points at a man who looks busier than most here, and oh.

"Interrogator Shinichi Kuroda," you note. "Gene-scanning all the Very Important People while they're all in one place, I see." You pause, because… why is there someone in a gimp suit and way too many knives with him? "Er. Who's that following him around?"

"I have no idea what their name is," Raoul shrugs, "but I understand that they are a member of a respected Revelation death cult, and a member of the Interrogator's retinue."

Of course the Imperium has "respected death cults". Someone pick up that phone, because Umberto Eco called it.

"Over there," Raoul points to the most cybernetically-enhanced man in the place, "is Magos Kruger of Vectorime - leader of the Adeptus Mechanicus temples on Devoir, and direct representative of Vectorime's Archmagos Sternschrei. The man is always quick to support the Knights of Devoir. His support for the Imperial Guard, however, has been waning in recent years."

"Huh." You pause to consider. "I do not say this to brag, but, the Imperial Guard is effectively dead in the water without the Adeptus Mechanicus. So what's that about?"

"You'll have to ask him," Raoul replies, "but I can tell you this much: It's an open secret in my circles that he has been arming Brownrobes for the specific purpose of weakening the position of the Ecclesiarchy of Devoir. Not something I would recommend openly accusing him off - politics, you understand - but as I said, an open secret."

Hm. Well, Raoul is not telling you everything. That much is clear.

But you're pretty sure he hates Magos Kruger.

Interesting.

"Speaking of," the Prince now points at an overweight man covered in religious blink, "this is his Holiness, Bishop-Praetor Bondieu, high authority of the Ecclesiarchy on Devoir. He is also the uncle of the current Lord Bondieu, making him a doubly important figure."

…Raoul is being very guarded here. His words toward the Bishop-Praetor are more reverential than his words toward the other VIPs, but you're getting the impression he's being doubly cautious and keeping his actual feelings under wrap. Like he's scared of Bondieu?

You recall that Raoul has a reputation as being a champion of the Ecclesiarchy.

Makes you wonder what that's about.

"The actual Lord Bondieu, meanwhile, is over there," Raoul points at an intense-looking man with a black goatee who is chatting up a scared-looking maid to the side. "Yves Bondieu is loyal to his Holiness, but don't mistake him for a puppet.

"And I believe you are already familiar with Tyrant Lamedor." The man and his three kids are already present - Tyranicus actually gives you a subtle wave. "The praseodymium mines of House Lamedor have long earned it a close relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus, making them the richest of the Greater Houses… and with so many of their lands recently reclaimed from the Tyranids, House Lamedor is believed by many to be on the rise.

"As removed from that as it gets, we have Lady Elena Fortfroid," he points at a woman who, despite her short stature, has a certain presence. "House Fortfroid rules the northernmost and coldest lands of Devoir," which, you know, still isn't really cold by your standards. But then, you grew up in Alaska. "They have a reputation for being honorable and dutiful - a reputation which doesn't always earn them friends, admittedly. These days, they are under heavy suspicion for openly tolerating the presence of Brownrobes, leading to some whispers of heresy and Genestealer infiltration… though the fact that they remain whispers rather than open accusations is telling in itself.

"If Lady Fortfroid can be said to have a friend here, it would be Lord Bertrand Martel-Storm." Raoul points to a tall, heavyset man - hard to tell how much is fat and how much is muscle - who is laughing rather loudly with a few other men, spilling some of his drink in the process. "House Martel-Storm has a martial reputation even by the standards of Devoir's Knights, and their current Lord is doing little to give lie to that reputation - he is considered one of the greatest Knights of our war with the Tyranids, spending more time on the battlefield than off it."

"The exceptionally tall man over there," Raoul continues, "is Lord Louis Steel-Guesclin. Do not let his size fool you - the man has an intellectual bent, and fancies himself a patron of the arts and sciences. Such has been the case of several Steel-Guesclins in recent generations. Forgive his somewhat somber mood - his heir died earlier this year. It was a noble death, fighting the xenos, but a death nonetheless.

"You may also notice the group over there, dressed entirely in green," he points at a handful of men and women. "Understand that green is the color or mourning on Devoir, and that the survivors of House Plastiquacier always wear it."

"House Plastiquacier," you nod. "They used to rule over the Green Hills, didn't they?"

"That they did, until the House's destruction by the Tyranids a few decades ago - one of the great tragedies of the war," Raoul says, clenching a fist. "What Knights could be recovered have been, but all but a handful are now in royal hands.

"In her unmistakable armor is Palatine Angeloff, who leads the Sister Of Battle contingent on Devoir. Revelation sent a thousand of them here at Bishop-Praetor Bondieu's request, and they have been of great help in the war."

You already knew most of that, but… "Is that the purpose of their presence?" you probe.

Raoul blinks. "…The Sisters Of Battle fight the Emperor's enemies, Titanfall, and they do it with skill and courage."

He's dodging, and you get the impression it's because he doesn't want to speak ill of Bondieu. Is he scared of him?

…You also notice Angeloff directing a glare at the Bishop-Praetor, and you wouldn't bet on there being a lot of lost love there, either. Hm…

"Anyway, one final name worth mentioning…" Raoul points at a man in Imperial Guard uniform, with long hair, who's talking to some presumed Knights. "Major Acquilon Goodpart, leader of the 4092nd Purgatorium Penal Regiment. After the regimental Commissar was killed at the Crimson Conference, Goodpart was temporarily granted command as an emergency measure, and then turned out to be exceptionally skilled at the job. He has since won multiple spectacular victories against the xenos in Martel-Storm territory - enough to actually be noticed."

Which sounds doubly impressive given how penal regiments are looked down upon.

Honestly… for a theocratic zealot in service to a dogmatic evil church, Angeloff ain't so bad?

You make your way toward her. "Palatine Angeloff," you say. "You're an irredeemable monster."

"Titanfall. I did promise you swift and merciless vengeance."

The people who were with her - two other Sororitas and a few nobles you don't recognize - blink in confusion.

"All I did was criticize your faith. That hardly justifies such cruelty, the likes of which would make even the worst heretics blush!"

"Then let them blush, and let me watch, as I look forward to seeing what that silver tongue of yours accomplishes in an actual theological debate."

"You may be disappointed. Most of the talking will be handled by Brimstone," you point at your colleague, "G.I. Joe's regimental priest."

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment. Is this Brimstone as inclined to sophistry as you?"

"You know, I honestly have no idea. I'm a Tech-Priest, I'm not actually required to attend all that many Ecclesiarchal sermons."

"Sometimes, that which is not officially required is still a necessary balm for a dark and rotten soul, Titanfall," she says with an amused smirk.

"Why do they even bother giving you a sword, when you clearly have much sharper tools?" you chuckle.

…Wait, are you flirting with power-armored catgirl from space?

Angeloff notices that she's getting strange looks from the other two Sororitas. "…Is something the matter?"

"No, Palatine," says one of them, "it's just… this is the most words I've heard from you outside of prayer and battle-planning."

Angeloff blinks in confusion.

"Ah, excuse me," says one of the nobles, "I don't think I've had the pleasure…?"

"Good sir, allow me to introduce Tech-Priest Ironhide, of the Organitron 1st Expeditionary Regiment," Angeloff says, "known to some as the Titanfall."

"The one who slew Grand-Shield?"

"Just one of many deeds," Angeloff says. "I have also seen him slay a Genestealer in town but two days ago."

"I mean, it wasn't my first time meeting a Genestealer," you shrug.

"About that," says Angeloff. "The children?"

"One is fine," you reply. "The other… Our Biologis is keeping them under observation for a while longer, until they're positive on whether or not they're free of the Tyranid infection." Oversimplified, but you have to be careful with what you say.

"That's good," Angeloff nods somberly. "I also understand that Lord Gemeaux met justice yesterday."

"I was among the witnesses," you shrug. "I can't say I shed many tears."

"Your holiness," one of the nobles object, "Lord Gemeaux was a brave Knight and a credit to a noble line-"

"He was a motherfucker who tried to shoot a little kid," you reply. "Negative credit, maybe."

"I envy your your ability to speak so freely, Titanfall," says Angeloff.

Oh, sister, if you only knew.

"Say what you will," the noble says, annoyed, "but Rose-Versailles went too far! It is high time the crown properly disciplined her!"

"You're still jealous about her dancing with your wife?" another noble says, smirking.

The first noble sputters.

"I can see the appeal," one of the Sororitas says, completely deadpan, staring in Oscar's direction with a neutral expression. "If I had to dance with someone here, the only reason I wouldn't pick her is that I do not think she is actually into women."

"Anabelle!" the other Sororitas says, scandalized.

Anabelle maintains her perfectly even expression. "I am merely being logical. As pleasant as Dame de Rose-Versailles may be to stare at, there is little point in wasting one's limited free time on someone who won't return one's interest."

"Anabelle," says the scandalized Sister, "it is unbecoming to discuss worldly desires before the laity!"

"There is no need for you to complain, Natalia. I am not discussing your worldly desires."

"I have no worldly desires!" Natalia shouts in a panicked tone.

"I could give you a heart attack by repeating the things you mumble in your sleep."

Natalia makes amusing noises, while Anabelle remains perfectly deadpan.

You chuckle. "I take it you've been to this sort of event before, Angeloff?"

"I was invited in previous years," she nods. "To be honest," she begins walking, and you follow, "I would rather be out there slaying the xenos. This feels like wasted time that we can ill-afford."

"What, you don't enjoy the opportunity to bask in the presence of the Bishop-Praetor?"

She rolls her eyes. "Titanfall, I was born on Revelation, I was educated on Revelation's Schola Progenium, and I am a Palatine in the Argent Dawn cloister of Revelation. I have on many an occasion met Cardinal Stalnoyvery himself. I believe my basking needs are covered, Bishop-Praetor or no Bishop-Praetor."

"To be honest, I'd rather be at work myself…" you begin.

"If you are fishing for an apology, you have taken your first step on the road to disappointment as well."

You chuckle. "What I mean is, while I'm not exactly… hungry for battle, I would much rather be working on technology - or, failing that, at least meaningfully contribute to the strategic objectives. The Tyranids are making a huge mess of this planet, and they need to be stopped, and I could be out there fighting them so someone else doesn't have to."

"Titanfall," she replies, "if the more credible rumors are to be believed, half a week in Starhill was all the time G.I. Joe needed to destroy three nests of cultists of the Archenemy and a dozen Genestealer cults. If anyone on Devoir can be said to be doing their part, it is you."

"…High praise coming from you," you say. "I'd still rather be working on my armor." You pause. "Or your armor. It's an amazing work of technology."

"The Ecclesiarchy provides."

"That I see." You tap your Marauder Suit. "I've put a lot of work into this thing, I'd be lying if I denied wanting to compare them."

"You built this armor?"

"I did. You sound surprised."

"I had assumed it was an archeotech relic."

"I've met some machines I wouldn't know how to build." Like that graviton gun, or the Magnificus Recordus. "This isn't one of them."

She pauses. "You were also able to fix that xenotech machine."

"It honestly wasn't that complicated."

She pauses. "Didn't it… disgust you? A machine created by xenos."

You consider for a moment. "It wasn't a shoddy design. They respected technology."

"They were xenos."

"I have no idea what they were like," you say, "but from seeing that device, it looks like they were living in peace with some humans. Whatever else, they weren't like the Orks and Tyranids."

"The God-Emperor commands that we hate the alien."

"The God-Emperor also empowered Rogue Traders to traffic with aliens," you point out, "so he apparently didn't feel this was a point one should never compromise on, as called by the situation."

Well, you wouldn't be surprised if he was a Hitlergrade bigot, but, well, fuck his opinions.

Angeloff remains silent for a moment. "I hope you're not suggesting we try to traffic with the Tyranids, Titanfall," she says with a small smirk.

"You only say that because you haven't heard about my brilliant plan to get them to stop eating humans in exchange for a regular supply of Roadblock's cooking."

And then there's a hush.

You turn around and see a shimmer in the force-field as someone steps in.

The family resemblance with Raoul is fairly obvious. The crown looks like a mix of gold and steel. Though the man doesn't look very athletic compared to many of the nobles on this planet, he still carries a chainsword by his side, and you're pretty sure that's a force-field generator on his belt. Also ten bodyguards in carapace armor with hellguns.

King Aurelien Helldrake of Devoir, everyone.

Everybody kneels. You follow suit (even Interrogator Kuroda went down on one knee, this isn't the time to act finnicky).

"His Majesty, King Aurelien the Fifth, custodian of the Emperor's Mandate!"

The massive Royal Guard Knights are arranged in formation. Yyyyyeah, you don't think anyone incurring the King's wrath will have very good survival odds in here.

Eventually, the King orders everyone to rise, and for the ceremony to commence. …And apparently the opening act is the theological debate.

"Just let me do the majority of the talking," Brimstone whispers.

"Gladly."

"Unless I signal you to speak up."

"Less gladly."

"His Holiness, Bishop Sepulture of Devoir!" A finely-dressed man with a goatee.

"His Holiness, regimental priest Rasputin of Revelation!" …You hate this galaxy.

"His Holiness, Friar Courbien of the Order of Saint Maccharius!" Guy dressed like a monk.

"His Holiness, regimental priest Brimstone of Organitron!" Looking cool as a cucumber.

"His Holiness, Tech-Priest Ironhide of Organitron!" You resist the urge to wave to the crowd.

Bishop-Praetor Bondieu's gaze sweeps the room. "The subject of the debate, brothers in faith, shall be as such: What do those blessed to enter the Golden Palace by the grace of Him On Earth feel for the faithless and the heretics condemned to the eternal punishment of the Warp?"

Did you mention that you weren't exactly a churchmouse?

Yyyyeah.

"…thus, if the heretic, the faithless, have spurned the light of the Emperor, they are fully deserving of their eternal torment," says Sepulture. "Those who live forever in his light, therefore, must look upon this torment with righteous joy."

Rasputin tries to make a counterargument about the people in Space Hell don't matter and all the elect in Fascist Heaven will care about is the Emperor, but he ends up sputtering. Not much of a public debater… which actually makes sense, you realize: Devoir has much more of a theological debate tradition than the rest of the sector. You're starting to suspect that outsiders mostly get invited to these events to make the local talent look good and have some fun at the expense of those uncultured priests from off-planet.

"It is not so simple," says Courbien. "Even the most devout among us may, through the path of their lives, come to love those who are ultimately lost. If a mother loves her child, is it truly in her power to cease loving the child when he turns away from the light of the Emperor? No, I tell thee - even the most pious soul is not safe from loving one who goes astray.

"And yet, there can be no grief within the Golden Palace. Within the Emperor's bosom, no tears are to be shed but of joy.

"To ensure that, the Emperor, in His infinite mercy, wipes from the minds of the faithful the very memory of the damned. The mother may bask in His light in peace, for she no longer grieves for a son whose memory she has been freed of."

You feel a shudder at the thought. "…That seems…" Monstrous? Callous? "…inefficient."

"The red priest is not entirely wrong," Rasputin rallies. "We call killing the heretics the Emperor's Mercy, and it's no mercy if they suffer in the Warp forever. If the Emperor loves humanity, and He does, then surely he annihilates the souls of those who have turned from Him, rather than merely allow them to suffer forever."

"Annihilation is a mercy they do not deserve," Sepulture says dismissively. "As for the notion that the elect would lose their memory, it is laughable. No, within the light of the Emperor, they are filled with His righteousness and holy hatred. When they see the damned in the Warp, they feel no pity, feel no love - only joy at the justice, the rightness of their eternal torment. The mother of the heretic, having joined the Emperor, will be cleansed of her tainted love, and take joy in the well-deserved agony of her traitor son."

Holy fucking shit.

"Are you all children?"

All eyes, yours included, turn to Brimstone, who is looking done.

Brimstone glares at them. "You claim that the Emperor shields the elect from pain by erasing their memories, as if that would be a favor rather than an act of utter violation. You claim the Emperor would remove a mother's love and make her hate her own child, as if such a thing could be considered human. Such claims reduce the Emperor to something lesser, to a creature that sees no value in humanity.

"And why do you make such mad claims? Because you struggle to comprehend how the elect can be perfectly and flawlessly happy in the Golden Palace, knowing some of their loved ones are in the Warp. Because you cannot reconcile this contradiction, you have come up with insane ideas about the Emperor manipulating the minds of the blessed like a cheap witch.

"Did it truly, at no point in this insane process, occur to you that a much simpler, saner answer exists?

"The answer is as follows:

"In the Golden Palace, those who have loved the damned grieve."

Yeesh. He's being intense right now.

"They grieve, because grief is human. The Emperor has blessed us with the power to love, and with love comes grief. To take either of them away is to deny our humanity. Will we be less human once we enter the Golden Palace? Does the Emperor hate humanity, that he would seek to replace it with heartless spirits? Your idea of an afterlife that has not even traces of sadness and grief in it is childish, and only works if you reduce the Emperor to a lesser thing because you can't handle the idea of being sad in Heaven.

"Heartbreak is the price of having a heart. That is a universal truth. To deny it, to claim a Golden Palace with no heartbreak, is to deny the human heart as well."

Yyyyeah, you think that's a mic drop. Brimstone makes a tiny signal, so you pipe in: "I am inclined to agree. Remove the possibility of grief, sadness, and pain from a human, and you've turned him into a xeno. Hardly pleasing to the Omnissiah. I can believe that the Golden Palace's joys outweigh its griefs a thousandfold - not that those griefs don't exist."

"I've been in firefights less intense," you whisper to Brimstone once the debate ends (…after a freaking hour).

"Read up on the Valladolid Debate one day," the Congolese Joe shrugs. "I hear they made a movie about it."

You nod. "I swear, those Ecclesiarchy nutbags believe the wackiest things."

Brimstone gives you a look.

"…Did I say something wrong?"

"Ironhide, what exactly do you think Christians think people in Heaven feel for people in Hell?"

"I, uh… have no idea."

"And there is no consensus," Brimstone says, "but I promise you - every single opinion you have heard expressed over the past hour has been expressed by one of our own theologians back on Organitron at some point during the past two thousand years. I've heard it all."

"…Ah."

You notice music playing. Guess it's that part of the ceremony now.

The first band to play is, apparently, from Vectorime. It's three men, each with cybernetics where their throats should be - they "sing" the music rather than play it. Their music doesn't quite drown the King proceeding with his ceremonial role, which you understand is going to go through multiple stages and cover the better part of the hour.

…You're no music critic, but, gun to your head, you'd describe it as "competently performed but utterly uncreative".

Since you are an engineer rather than a music critic, you focus your attention instead on the device at the center of the room - a force-field generator, constantly guarded by a Tech-Priest and a handful of AdMech cyborg soldiers - Skitarii, you believe they're called. The only other thing near it is one of the Royal Guard's Knights (makes sense, you suppose - you want significant muscle guarding the force-field that defends this ceremony).

"Do you require anything, brother?" the Tech-Priests says in Binaric.

You reply in the same. "Merely admiring this magnificent work of the Omnissiah."

"It is worthy of such, but admire from a distance. It is my duty to operate the sacred force-field during the Star Vow, and none else may touch it."

Oh, but you want a closer look at this thing. It's a different model from any force-field generator you've seen so far. Hm…

It may be a different model, but it's still Imperium technology. If you've learned anything from working on the shield generator on Chien Du Forgeron… Let's see, if you quietly send a wireless ping signal via this channel…

The shield generator makes a beeping sound to acknowledge your ping.

The Tech-Priest's head instantly swivels (…by almost 180 degrees, like an owl. Definitely got a cybernetic neck under that cowl). "What's that sound?"

"Oh, that is just a Class Zeta-Zeta-50-Alpha-1 hymnal chime," you say nonchalantly. "Nothing to worry about as long as it only does it once-"

And then you send another ping, and it beeps again.

"Well, it's only urgent if it does it three ti-"

You ping it. It beeps again.

"Ah," you say. "Well, brother, since you have urgent duties, I suppose I should leave you to it-"

"Wait." There's a partially-suppressed edge of panic to his voice. "You appear to be familiar with this procedure."

"I mean," you say, "I'm not the foremost expert, I've only done it on my own less than twenty times, usually there's a-"

"That will do," he directs you to the generator.

Ohhhh, now this is some good stuff.

This shield system is like an intermediary step between the one on Chien Du Forgeron and an actual starship's defense system, but more than that, it's got flexibility. It's able to quickly adjust the size of the circular shield it generates depending on need, and it has enough juice to stand up to a massive bombardment by heavy artillery. Not shabby at all!

While you "work" on it, you notice that the music has shifted - Rock'N'Roll and Bifrost are now on stage, playing some song you don't recognize about brothers-in-arms finding courage in the need to protect each other. Glancing around, you see General Hawk talking to Major Goodpart, Rolande talking to Oscar, Popov talking to General Ivanov…

The massive mech near you shifts slightly. You can see why: King Aurelien Helldrake is proceeding to the next part of the ceremony, and for this part, his bodyguards can't actually follow him. Even from here, you can see the King's eyes darting around with nervous energy as he makes his way to a statue of the God-Emperor that's surrounded by a circle of diamonds embedded into the floor.

The King pulls out his chainsword and places it at the statue's feet while kneeling himself. "O Master Of Mankind, eternally doth this planet serve thy holy will-"

And then-

Oh shit-

The massive mech standing only a short distance from you moves. It aims its massive autocannon at the King.

A voice erupts from the mech, amplified by loudspeakers. You vaguely recognize the voice of Brutale de Far-Etoile - the Royal Guard member who accompanied Raoul yesterday - as it shouts "IMPERIUS VULT!"

In that second, you barely have time to process any options. Only one comes to mind: You can reset the force-field so that the mech is inside of it, and the King outside.

Only problem with that approach is…

You'll be inside. With the giant mech.

You fingers move like lightning as they move a switch and press a button.

The Knight fires.

There are screams.

You feel some shockwave from the explosions - at this range, the autocannon's blasts don't hurt you, but you still feel them.

But all those shots have exploded harmlessly against the force-field. The King has fallen on his ass, staring in horror at the Knight that just tried to kill him.

More explosions! This time, from the Knights outside the force-field, trying to shoot at Brutale. Like her, their shots fizzle harmlessly against the shield - and they quickly stop firing when they realize they might harm the King, who is right in front of the force-field.

Brutale's Knight turns to face you. "You! You did this! Lower this force-field immediately!"

"I didn't do anything!" the Tech-Priest beside you hurriedly says. "It was him! It was the Titanfall!" he points at you even as he and the Skittari carefully shuffle behind the shield generator.

Brutale aims her Rapid-Fire Battle Cannon at you. "Lower the shield at once, cogboy!"

"…I'm afraid I might have to refuse," you say, nervously staring down that massive barrel.

"You must! That man is a traitor to all of Devoir! He must die, so all others may live!"

You're vaguely aware of General Hawk ordering the crowd to evacuate in an orderly fashion rather than stampede out.

"I'm sorry," you reply, "I'm afraid I can't let you just murder a guy like that."

"You will lower the force-field, or meet the Emperor."

You gulp.

You're trying to think of a way out of this, but… this is kind of a tighter spot than your usual. Annoyingly enough, your brain is picking now of all time to freeze.

Your eyes glance to the side. Angeloff is making the sign of the Acquilla. So are several people in the crowd. The King is being escorted to safety.

C'mon, brain, don't do this now. Think of something. Anything.

Your brain is thinking of the armor-killing weapon aimed right at you by someone who's actually able to use it with great dexterity.

Fuck.

This is…

And then you hear musical notes.

Rock'N'Roll is playing.

Bifrost is singing.

"Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the saints?

"Where's the wise Maccharius to fight the ruinous taint?

"Isn't there a soldier upon an iron steed?

"Late at night we toss and we turn and we dream of what we need…"

Brutale's attention turns to the musical duo. "What in the Emperor's name are you doing?"

Well, aside from distracting her?

They're helping you re-center your mind and think clearly. Which is exactly what you needed right now.

You didn't come to this ceremony empty-handed, after all! Sure, you weren't expecting trouble, but G.I. Joe teaches you to be prepared, and you brought a number of tools with you - just in case.

Call you paranoid, but you went all-out on defenses today. Your own shield (obviously not much compared to the massive dome this generator creates, but still), enhanced evasion algorithms, the goop armor treatment (…That's not its official name, it's what the Joes informally call it because of that time Dusty… well, now's not the time).

You also included Grasshopper Braces (when you're in a big massive armor, you learn to value mobility), and your best technician's kit (in case you ran into interesting technological relics, like this generator).

So, really, you shouldn't think of yourself as having no options.

You're a G.I. Joe.

And Nobody Beats G.I. Joe.

And so you jump. Ten feet in the air, landing on top of the shield generator.

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the end of the night!

"He's gotta be smart and he's gotta be fast

"And he's gotta be ready to fight"

Then you take a second, bigger jump. "YO JOE!"

And you land… on the massive arm-cannon sported by Brutale's mech.

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the morning light!

"He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon!

"And he's gotta be larger than life

"Larger than life!"

You give Brutale (or rather, her mech's cockpit) a cocky grin. "To answer your question, fair lady… They're distracting you, and helping me not panic and freeze."

"Ironhide!" Looks like General Hawk managed to get his hands on a loudspeaker. "Dismantle her advantages one-by-one!"

Don't need to tell you twice. Let's see… this super-cannon of hers gives her a ranged option you'd really rather she didn't have…

"Titanfall," comes Brutale's voice, "are you insane?! Get off me this instant and lower the force-field, or you will die!"

"Now why would I do either or those things? You seem to be under the impression, Dame de Far-Etoile, that I am locked in here with you. Not so! It is you who are locked in here with me," you shamelessly rob Alan Moore even as you use your experience working on Chien Du Forgeron to identify the… right, exactly here. You make a panel pop open. There's still some armor plates in the way, but the wires that control the firing mechanism should be under there-

"Somewhere after midnight

"In my wildest fantasy

"Somewhere, just beyond my reach

"There's someone reaching back for me

"Racing on the thunder

"And rising with the heat

"It's gonna take a Living Saint to sweep me off my feet!"

"Oh no you don't-" comes Brutale's voice.

One problem with balancing on top of a giant mech: The damn thing moves. Brutale moves her mech's arm rapidly, trying to make you fall.

Almost succeeds, too. You have to hug the arm and hold on tight to avoid slipping.

And then you hear the sound you really, really don't want to hear in your position:

The sound of the giant, oversized, tank-slicing, massive chainsword on her Knight's other arm, coming in your direction.

Your armor's heads-up display helpfully informs you that the way it's moving, it will likely cut you in half and stop several inches short of actually nicking the cannon arm. Brutale is actually good at fighting with this thing.

…Maybe you can use this to your advantage.

Put your feet against the metal plates.

Wait for the exact tenth of a second.

Jump.

The Reaper Chainsword cuts only air as it hits the empty spot where you were an instant ago.

Brutal sees you perform a somersault in heavy armor, rising above the level of her Knight's head.

Then you land feet-first on her mech's sword arm, just a couple feet short of where the "blade" starts.

The sudden impact is enough to lower the Reaper Chainsword just a few feet more - and hit the part of the cannon arm you were messing with.

"NO!" Brutale screams as sparks fly. She aims the cannon arm in the King's direction (he is currently behind one of the Knights) and uselessly tries to fire. No shot comes this time.

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the end of the night!

"He's gotta be smart and he's gotta be fast

"And he's gotta be ready to fight!

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the morning light!

"He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon!

"And he's gotta be larger than life

"Larger than life!"

Brutale's arm cannon is out of the fight.

The arm itself still moves just fine though, as she proves when she swings it at you with surprising speed.

The crowd gasps as you get smacked like a bug and fly off… and just barely manage to land on your feet.

…That could easily have crushed you, Marauder Armor or no Marauder Armor. You're pretty sure your force-field just drained its batteries saving your life.

Then you hear General Hawk's voice. Not on a loudspeaker this time - in your helmet's comm. "Ironhide - turn the force-field down!"

"What? Why- ohhhh."

Brutale is bouncing back fast. "If you will not lower the force-field, you leave me no choice but to destroy the generator myself!"

…Can she destroy it? As far as you can tell, it's made of adamantine. Shit's resilient. You're honestly not sure.

And she probably isn't sure either, or she'd have tried that first.

"I cannot allow you to harm this bounty of the Omnissiah," you reply. "Very well. I'll lower the shield."

"Do not mock me!" she shouts as she swings that giant chainsword at you.

This time, with the dodging algorithms, you manage to barely sidestep it. The sword cuts a trench in the stone floor instead.

And then you lower the force-field.

"You did…?" she says in surprise.

Which is when shots from the other Knights' cannons begin hitting her shield.

"Up where the mountains meet the heavens above

"Out where the lightning splits the sea

"I could swear there is someone, somewhere, watching me

"Through the wind and the chill and the rain

"And the storm and the flood

"I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood

"(Like a fire in my blood, like a fire in my blood)

"(Like a fire in my blood, like a fire in my blood, blood)!"

The intense artillery fire breaks Brutale's force-field-

But then she begins zigging and zagging in her mech with shocking agility, holding her cannon arm in front of her to use it as a shield.

"Fellow Knights of the Royal Guard," she says solemnly, "it's been an honor to serve as your Commander… but none of you can stop me."

She rushes forward, countless tons of metallic fuck you rushing across the hall to deliver death.

And then at the last half-second, you turn the dome back on, and she smacks against the force-field like a bug against a windshield.

Her mech turns around, and wow, you can actually sense her anger through the mech's body language.

"You fool," she seethes. "Do you think Brutale de Far-Etoile forsakes her oaths lightly?! Aurelien Helldrake must die! That madman will kill us all!"

She doesn't wait for your response. She's, uh, charging you.

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the end of the night!

"He's gotta be smart and he's gotta be fast

"And he's gotta be ready to fight!

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the morning light!

"He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon!

"And he's gotta be larger than life!"

Massive, bipedal insult to the square-cube law running toward you.

You should put a stop to that.

You wait for the exact right moment when Brutale is mid-stride.

Tiny jump. You're a couple feet in the air, nearly-horizontal, both of your feet braced against the dome generator.

And then you launch yourself like a cannon shell.

Deliberately colliding with her moving foot.

Pushing it back a few yards at the exact moment she can't afford it.

Brutale's got good mech-pilot reflexes. She moves her arms. She adjusts. But you timed things right, and her Knight falls flat on its face.

(You're pretty sure you damaged your own armor with this stunt, but them's the breaks.)

Of course, she's already trying to get back up.

Can't have that.

So, once more, you jump high in the air. This time, you land on her mech's back.

You know exactly where to go.

Power tools.

Two seconds to open up exactly the right plate.

You fire your Hellgun inside it.

And the Knight's internal systems, already dealing with significant damage as is, proceed to shut down completely. The Knight collapses, with you standing atop of it.

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the end of the night!

"He's gotta be smart and he's gotta be fast

"And he's gotta be ready to fight!

"We need a hero! We're holding up for a hero 'till the morning light!

"He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon!

"And he's gotta be larger than life!"

And just in time for the song to end, too.

You give a bow to the audience. "Thank you, thank you! Now, would anyone mind escorting the King to safety?" …Though as far as you can tell, Raoul, Major Goodpart and Oscar are already handling that.

There's some knocking sounds coming from the cockpit of the downed mech. You saunter up to it.

"You OK in there?"

There's a silence for a couple seconds. "…That is an imbecile's question," Brutale's voice echoes, muffled by the cockpit.

"That's fair. I'm guessing you're stuck?"

"The Machine-Spirit will not respond."

"Yyyeah, I think it's gonna take some repairs before the door actually opens."

"At which point I'll get executed, if Helldrake doesn't just have me burned alive still inside my Knight," comes her bitter voice. "You have doomed this entire world to the flames of destruction. I applaud your courage, but you have doomed us all."

"About that," you say. "You can't have been expecting to survive killing the King like that…"

"Obviously. But I would be a poor Knight if I was unprepared to give my life."

"…and you had to know, everyone would view you as a traitor and an oathbreaker after this. And you didn't shoot at the King the moment he showed up - you waited until the only part of the ceremony when he was a good distance away from other people. You wanted to ensure you didn't kill anyone but him. So I gotta ask… what's your motivation?"

"I swore an oath to serve and protect my King. I swore an oath to serve the Master Of Mankind. I decided the latter was more important when the King went mad. He is planning to burn the whole planet to cinders. He has been speaking to your inhuman masters, plotting to have this world consigned to flames, leaving only a handful of survivors beside the Knights!"

Jackpot. "That's a grave accusation. Do you have evidence to support it?"

"Does the word of a Knight not constitute all the evidence you need?!"

"No."

"…The Lords of the Greater Houses know. All of them. Bondieu and Fortfroid yet oppose this mad scheme, named 'Plan Aurora'. I was willing to sacrifice my life, my name, my honor, to stop this abomination, Titanfall - if there is any shred of honor in your soul, put a stop to this vile madness!"

"Oh, I fully intend to," you nod grimly. …Not that you think she can see you.

"Ironhide, are you all right?" comes General Hawk's voice.

"I think so, sir! I might have a cracked bone, not entirely sure, but I'm up and unconcussed."

He nods. "Terrific job under high pressure. You did good."

"…Thanks, General. Ah, I should probably lower the shield…"

The Tech-Priest and Skitarii huddled behind the dome give you a look. "…Are you a saint of the Omnissiah?"

"I'm a member of G.I. Joe," you grin as you adjust the dome.

Hm. The other Knights all have their cannons aimed at Brutale's cockpit, but they're not firing. Honestly, it's not like you blame them for being cautious.

Angeloff is among the first to reach. "Titanfall, you, you mad cogboy-" She takes a deep breath. "You actually survived."

"Not to brag, but I'm good at my job."

"This goes beyond being good at your assigned duties. This… This is downright miraculous-"

"Don't. Don't you dare," you frown.

"…Titanfall?"

"You said it yourself, Angeloff: Trials by combat are not actually judged by the Emperor, they're decided by skill, equipment, and pure dumb luck. I'm not going to act like I won this due to some divine favor." …The idea of Angeloff starting to treat you like you're some kind of messiah is a deeply upsetting notion.

She closes her eyes for a few seconds. "…You are right. My apologies. Nonetheless, you must be aware that it is unusual, perhaps unprecedented, for a single soldier, or Tech-Priest, to defeat a Knight single-handedly."

"Single-handedly?" You raise an eyebrow. "That looked single-handed to you?"

You gesture at the downed mech. "When I stared down the barrel of that Knight's cannon, I froze, Angeloff - I was paralyzed with fear. Rock'N'Roll and Bifrost here," you point at your fellow Joes, "started singing not just to distract Brutale at the crucial moment, but also to restore my courage, and with it my ability to think clearly and act swiftly. General Hawk gave me orders several time during the fight, figuring out how to defeat the stronger enemy more cleverly than I could have on my own. And even then, I would not have been able to beat Brutale if the Knights of the Royal Guard had not shattered her shield.

"This was not one man's effort, Angeloff - I was just the one whose effort was most visible."

She stares at you. "I am uncertain if you are as humble as you appear. Few of His servants are to such a level."

"Oh, I'm a cocky, arrogant little shit," you smirk. "Doesn't mean I want people thinking I'm a Living Saint. I am not qualified for divine authority!"

She actually chuckles. "Yes, I suppose I can understand that. I also suppose I can understand why your Cadet Commissar is losing her mind, commisserating for such a regiment."

Rolande is staring at Brutale's unmoving Knight. "Ironhide, I'm… not sure which part is more insane. That a man on foot defeated a Knight - and not any Knight, but one piloted by Brutale de Far-Etoile herself - or that Dame de Far-Etoile betrayed her oaths and made an attempt on the life of the King." She pauses to consider. "…Well, having seen what G.I. Joe gets up to, I suppose the latter is the more insane of the two."

Before you can reply, there's a stomping sound. The sound of a Knight moving with purpose.

That's… a massive amount of bling embedded in this Knight. Also lots of fire and dragon motifs.

Get a no-prize for figuring out this is the King's own Knight.

"Is the traitor's Knight immobilized?" his voice booms as his cannon aims at the cockpit.

"So it appears, your Highness," says one of the Knights.

"Get some melta weapons in here. I want her burned alive inside."

Oh shit.

You step forward. "Your Highness, both this Knight and the traitorous subject within it are yours to dispose of. I would be remiss in my duties to the Omnissiah, however, if I failed to mention that it is far easier to replace a Knight's pilot than a Knight itself. Given some time and effort, the traitor may be extracted from the holy machine without wasting such a precious resource."

"Then extract her! And be quick," the King barks.

"As you command, your Highness. One more thing, though - as a relative newcomer to the planet, I don't understand its politics. I do not know who would have persuaded a Knight to turn against her liege lord. Should I assume that there is no need to interrogate the prisoner?"

"Oh, she'll be interrogated." You can't see his face, but you can practically hear the feral grin. "Very thoroughly."

"Indeed, your Highness, she must be," says another voice. Oh…

"Interrogator Kuroda," says the King. "Why should I trust you over my actual interrogators?"

"Because if the Inquisition wanted you dead, you'd be dead, your Highness. And because my methods are far, far more efficient."

The King's mech moves around. …Careful with that weapon discipline, dude. "You," he points at you. "You stopped this assassination attempt on my royal personage. You just happened to be at the exact place and time to turn on the shield. Am I supposed to believe it's mere coincidence?"

"Coincidences shape the galaxy," you shrug. "I was only working on the shield generator at the time because it made certain beeping sounds that were making me concerned. In hindsight…" you do your best to appear thoughtful, "…in hindsight, I'm starting to think the generator's Machine-Spirit was deliberately calling me for this exact purpose. Perhaps the Machine-Spirit of the traitor's Knight had warned it of the crime that was about to be committed."

The King doesn't say anything for the first few seconds. "…I will not forget my debt on this day. As for you, Interrogator, you will reveal to me every single thing Far-Etoile whispers under your interrogation."

"Of course, your Highness."

"Now let us be off," says the King, "I perform this ceremony every year, the Imperium will survive it being cut short for once."

"General Hawk. Take a seat," General Ivanov wheezed.

Hawk sat down. "You wanted to see me concerning the events of this evening, sir?"

"No, I can congratulate you by vox just fine. Truly amazing work your people did - I am starting to believe that, if there were inaccuracies in the reports from Cavitus, they lay in downplaying your accomplishments."

"You're too kind."

"I'm realistic. And I intend to expand your regiment's repertoire of honors in a richly deserved way… but that's not why you're here either. Not the reason I brought you to Starhill."

"Then I'd love to know the reason."

"I'm getting to it. In truth, Hawk… In truth, I do not wish to take away from the spectacular feat that tonight's rescue was, and yet, Devoir might have been better off had Far-Etoile succeeded. Tell me… Do you know why the war for Devoir has lasted for two whole centuries by now?"

"I have gone through official reports on the campaign. At first glance, it appears the Imperial Guard on Devoir is caught in a vicious cycle - every time it comes close to defeat, Sector Command panics and sends reinforcements to avert the rise of a Hive-Fleet that could threaten the entire subsector, but every time the Guard pushes the Tyranids back, reinforcements dry up to reinforce one of the other fronts."

"You said 'at first glance'."

"Yes sir. While this sort of reasoning could explain the difficulties we're facing in the two other Tyranid-infested planets in the sector, Devoir is a different matter. It's a Knight World, with around 2,000 Knights still active. Their presence in the Sector has been a central factor in its ability to fend off Orks and servants of the Ruinous Powers. That Sector Command, in two centuries, never once gathered sufficient forces to free the planet, strikes me as deeply suspicious."

"Further proof that you are willing to use the brain the God-Emperor gave you," Ivanov nodded. "No, there's a reason Devoir is stuck in a perpetual war. Politics." He grimaced. "You see… Within the Xanadu Sector, the Sector Lord is elected by a council from within its members. The council includes the Lord-General of the Imperial Guard, the Lord-Admiral of the Imperial Navy, the Archmagos of Vectorime, the Cardinal of Revelation, the Lord-Prefect of the Administratum, and the Grand Chancellor elected by the Sector's planetary Governors. The current serving Sector Lord is, and has been for centuries, Lord-General Appolonius.

"When the Tyranids first reached Devoir, the Imperial Guard and Navy were reeling from the fight with the Hive-Fleet, but a force was sent to the planet to assist the Knights. The General in charge of those efforts was… insufficiently competent. After twenty years, the Adeptus Mechanicus concluded that if it was going to get those Knights out there again, it needed to get involved directly - and so, the Archmagos of Vectorime sent a force of ten million skitarii as reinforcement."

"If what I have heard about the battle-effectiveness of Skitarii is accurate, then that's a sizable force indeed."

"Oh, most assuredly. It should have been enough to turn the tide.

"Instead, it ended in disaster. I strongly suspect sabotage, personally, but regardless of the cause, this formidable force was annihilated by the xenos. It was an utter humiliation for the Archmagos - enough for him to be ousted from this throne, his position seized by his former lieutenant, who thus became Archmagos Sternschrei.

"Sternschrei is a consumate schemer and traitor, and Lord-General - I should say, Sector Lord Appolonius, considers him the greatest threat to his power. And so, why empower this threat by giving him 2,000 Knights who can act as his military arm across the Sector?"

"I see what you mean," Hawk nodded. "Even if the Knights' allegiance is to the Administratum, in practice they're dependent on the Adeptus Mechanicus. So Sector Command has deliberately been stalling the conflict here to deny the Archmagos a political tool."

"Precisely. And so it has been for generations - the Lord-General only sending in enough support to keep the Tyranids from overwhelming us, but never enough to truly defeat them once and for all. Ironically, we end up frequently depending on the Adeptus Mechanicus to bail us out.

"Unfortunately, things have changed. Archmagos Sternschrei has gotten sick of this waiting game. He has decided on more extreme measures to regain the use of the Knights - measures that he needs the King's approval to enact. It's why the Mechanicus, too, has started lowering its support for the war - at this point, they don't want our Guardsmen to win anymore, they want Devoir's nobles desperate enough to accept desperate measures.

"Which brings us, Hawk, to what the cogboys have named 'Plan Aurora'…"

Thanks to the wonders of medical nanotech, your cracked bone from yesterday night barely hurts anymore - which means that rather than spend time in the infirmary, you can spend it repairing your Marauder Suit.

…Or at least, that was the idea. Turns out, you have visitors.

"Titanfall! Glad to see you up and about, after obliterating your previous record for most unfavorable battle turned into a victory against all odds!"

"Hello to you to, Tyranicus," you reply. "Forgive me if I'm not giving you my undivided attention, but I fear my armor requires a portion of it."

"If you are working on such a gift of the Omnissiah, then I shall consider it a testament to my personal charm that I can get any of your attention at all," he chuckles. "Speaking of personal charm, my incorrigibly curious mind cannot help but wonder what has earned you the visit of such a comely lass," he gestures melodramatically at the other visitor who stepped inside with him.

"The Titanfall," Angeloff rolls her eyes, "has fought by my side against the hidden villains of this city. Furthermore, he has shined on many occasions by his heroism. It would be inconsiderate and disrespectful of me not to inquire after his health."

"Inquire after his health… is that what offworlders call it this day?" Tyranicus says with an exaggerated pensive look.

"You both keep calling me 'Titanfall'," you say while doing some soldering. "You could call by my actual callsign, you know - all my friends call me Ironhide. Or failing that, Solomon, my actual name."

"I get 'Ironhide', but 'Sulieman' ain't punchy," says Gavpierre, who's been watching you at work since you got here.

"The annoying child has a point," Angeloff concedes, "though I'll call you whatever you want."

"Oof, don't make a promise like that so freely," says Tyranicus. "Of course, I have to wonder if they'll start calling you 'Knightfall'. Would that be a promotion or a demotion, I must question…"

"You know," you look up from your work, "after I took down Brutale's Knight, but before the King returned, she was saying some curious things. About something called 'Plan Aurora'."

Angeloff's expression turns into a hard glare. Tyranicus gives an amused grin. "Now, Ironhide… If, hypothetically speaking, I knew something about some so-called Plan Aurora before yet couldn't outright tell you about it before, surely I could not tell you now. But it does sound like something worth being curious about."

"I can tell you about it," Angeloff hisses. "Magos Kruger - perhaps on his own, perhaps on behalf of Archmagos Sternschrei - has offered King Helldrake the use of a weapon, only slightly less destructive than-"

She pauses.

She looks at Gavpierre.

"…Perhaps," she says, "such things should not be discussed in front of children."

"It ain't gonna be worse than what I deal with on the streets," Gavpierre shrugs.

"Then perhaps such things should not be discussed in front of people who have neither the ability nor the desire to keep secrets."

"Because the rumors spread by street rats are gonna change the fate o'the planet," Gavpierre chuckles.

"It concerns him, and he's one of the proudest people I've met. I figure he deserves to hear it," you say.

"Very well, the annoying child stays," she nods. "Magos Kruger has offered use of a weapon only slightly less destructive than a tool of Exterminatus - a weapon that can cause every bit of vegetation, every piece of wood on the planet, to burst into flame. This weapon, if deployed, could instantaneously kill most of the human population, while also destroying enough Tyranids that eliminating what remains would be child's play - sacrificing hundreds of millions of the Emperor's flock so that the Knights may be once again deployed to other battlefields across the sector."

"Hm." Gavpierre nods. "Yup, sounds like a nob plan all right."

"The annoying child gets it," Tyranicus chuckles.

"Brutale seemed to believe that, by striking down the King, she could prevent the planet from dying in fire," you say, "so I take it she at least believed the younger Helldrake would be less inclined to burn down his own planet than the older one."

"The Crown Prince is, shall we say, not yet quite as ruthless as his father," Tyranicus says. "As for his Highness, his increasing distrust of everyone around him - a distrust which I imagine an assassination attempt by his top bodyguard has done nothing to attenuate - means he is becoming less and less inclined to preserve this world as it stands. When you think the world is against you, burning it all down and heading off to the stars holds some appeal."

"Childish reasoning!" Angeloff says angrily. "He has a duty to the people of this world! This is a naked power grab by the Martian priestho-" she pauses, looking at you.

"You don't need to worry about me defending the Adeptus Mechanicus, I still remember how much of an evil bastard the chief Magos of Cavitus is," you wave off her concern. "With that said - Brutale mentioned that Lady Fortfroid and the Bondieus were against Plan Aurora?"

"Fortfroid holds to the radical notion that, while the common folks are duty-bound to serve their liege, their liege is equally bound to protect them, rather than treat them like talking cattle," says Tyranicus.

"That's radical all right," says Gavpierre.

"As for House Bondieu… Their current de facto leader has made the choice to pursue power through the Ecclesiarchy. Politically and financially, it has served him well. Why, being the final arbiter on the annulment of marriages alone has forced many powerful men and women to seek his favor. But Bondieu's ambition does not stop at becoming rich and powerful enough to challenge the King of our little planet - he is playing the long game, and one day, he intends to succeed Cardinal Stalnoyvery on Revelation. Such ambition would be impossible to fulfill if the world he is a Bishop-Praetor for effectively became an enclave of the Adeptus Mechanicus."

"So yer sayin', the head priest don't give a crap about us, but he needs us to become more rich an' powerful than he already is," Gavpierre shrugs.

You glance at Angeloff. She looks annoyed, but she isn't saying anything in the Bishop-Praetor's defense…

"I apologize if this is an uncomfortable question, Angeloff," you say, "but what's your take on the Bishop-Praetor? He's the one who summoned you to Devoir."

"He did. Not even to fight the xenos," she says, frowning angrily, "but to fight the Brownrobes."

"Fight the xenos threatening the planet, or fight the people rejecting his authority? Easy choice, for a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of power."

"See, shorty here gets it," Gavpierre gestures at the massive Lamedor man.

Angeloff glares at Gavpierre. "Don't go thinking, annoying child, that I am unaware of corruption and greed within the ranks of the Ecclesiarchy. I have seen it on Revelation. I am not surprised to see it here." She takes a deep breath. "You are honorable, Ironhide, so I won't hide it - I believe Bondieu is a man without faith, for whom the Holy Ecclesiarchy is nothing but a pathway to power. …And yet," she says bitterly, "his very selfishness means that he stands against this world's destruction."

"Your open-mindedness is both appreciated and unexpected," Tyranicus grins.

"So," you say, "what about the other Greater Houses?"

"Father's only concern is whether Plan Aurora will leave House Lamedor with more power and respect than before, or less," Tyranicus shrugs. "If he hasn't endorsed this plan yet - and he has not truly opposed it, either - it is because he has very little trust in anyone, and this extends to the Adeptus Mechanicus, who would hold too much power in the transition to his liking.

"Martel-Storm support the plan enthusiastically. They're quite sick of fighting Tyranids in the jungle, and are eager to travel the sector, slaying Orks and heretics.

"Steel-Guesclin, I believe, are on the fence.

"As for House Plastiquacier… What about House Plastiquacier?" he shrugs.

You sigh. "So, some are for, some are against, and ultimately the survival of four hundred million civilians - plus however many Imperial Guardsmen don't get to safety in time - comes down to the King's willingness to let it all burn."

"An' from the sound of it, yesterday night ain't gonna discourage the crowned bastard," says Gavpierre. "Yer a swell fella, Ironhide, but I think mebbe ya shoulda let 'im hang."

"Maybe. Maybe," you say. "I might still have a chance to fix things, though."

"'Cause ya saved his nobby bacon?"

"Something like that. He wants to talk to me this afternoon." You pause. "So does Magos Kruger, but he only gets me this evening."

"Oh dear," says Tyranicus. "My friend, I fear you leave me with little choice but to give you some personal coaching. After all, the fate of the world literally rides on it."

"Do convey my gratitude to your colleague. His gallantry in saving my father's life was truly extraordinary," said Raoul Helldrake, Crown Prince of Devoir.

"I, uh, I, I'll c-convey your th-thanks," Menlo stammered.

"Mine as well," said Oscar, looking grim. "I still can't believe it. Brutale was the best of us. The Knight other Knights looked up to. The last person I would have expected to become an oath-breaker. Perhaps Genestealer influence might be behind it?"

"I find it unlikely, Oscar," Raoul said, looking exhausted.

"I mean, um…" Menlo fidgeted. "Oscar, you, uh, challenged Gemeaux to a duel because he tried to shoot a kid."

"…I did. What is your point?"

"My point is, the King is plotting to burn this kid alive. And all of his friends. And, er, all of his friend's friends. And anyone he ever walked past. And… well, everyone."

Oscar paused. Then crossed her arms, saying nothing, but looking even grimmer.

Raoul sighed. "I have been arguing against Plan Aurora for years… but I'm uncertain of my ability to sway my father after last night."

"Um." Menlo bit her lip. "Ah, Ironhide is, um, going to be meeting him. Any, er, suggestions?"

Not even two months on this planet, and it's already your second time being escorted into the palace of an extremely powerful aristocrat with a reputation for ruthlessness and a number of pointed questions to ask you.

…Well. This time you saved his life rather than steal intelligence and kill one of his lieutenants, so hopefully this should go better?

At least, you hope so. There's a big spot in the courtyard for executions, and the preferred method is apparently burning at the stake.

Hm. Compared to Tyrant Lamedor, Aurelien Helldrake takes a lot more precautions when meeting you - his force-field, multiple guards armed with Bolters and Chainswords, and a significant number of stairs between you and him that force you to look up from your kneeling position. …To be fair, when you met Tyrant Lamedor, you were unarmed, and now, you're wearing your Marauder Suit.

"…and that was when you returned in your Knight, your Highness," you finish. Though you have to assume that he's already watched the footage of the fight - heck, you've rewatched it yourself a couple of times, just to get your story straight.

"Then it would seem I owe my life to a stroke of pure luck - or, perhaps, a miracle of the Machine-Spirits," says Helldrake. "That is poor comfort, to know not even my most trusted guards can turn on me."

"If it is any consolation, your Highness, every other member of the Royal Guard chose to fight Far-Etoile to defend you."

"Yes, but will their loyalty hold forever?" his expression darkens. "Traitors. Far, far too many traitors all around me."

Best say nothing.

"But that is for the Crown to concern itself with," he says, "and not for the hero of the hour. Tell me, Tech-Priest Ironhide - what reward should saving the life of Devoir's King fetch?"

You force yourself to stay calm. You got tips from Tyranicus on how to talk to this guy. You got tips from his son (relayed by Menlo). You got tips from several of the Joes in intelligence/counterintelligence. You can do this.

"Hope, your Highness. Hope."

He blinks at that. "…Hope? I fear you may need to explain yourself more clearly."

"Your Highness. From the moment I have landed on Devoir, I have again and again met soldiers who have treated this war as unwinnable, an eternal slog in which the Tyranids could never be defeated. More than that, I have seen my brothers and superiors within the Adeptus Mechanicus display shockingly little desire to commit resources to the war - it is as if the Mechanicus no longer wishes to push the xenos threat out of a Knight World. It's… absurd.

"Well, I don't know what these other Tech-Priests are thinking, but I consider myself a soldier of G.I. Joe first, and a priest of the Omnissiah second. G.I. Joe exists to win the battles others consider unwinnable. We did it on Cavitus - enough times to completely turn the situation around in the span of a single year. You have already gotten a taste of what we can do, at the right place at the right time.

"Give G.I. Joe the support it needs, your Highness, and we will smash the Tyranids. We will dismantle their Genestealer cults, obliterate their spawning pools, and slay their Hive Tyrants until Devoir is free.

"With your support, G.I. Joe can turn the tide. And then, if the very King of Devoir gives us the credit we'll have earned… the regiment's glory will echo throughout the Segmentum, even as the Knights of Devoir ride to every needy battlefront of the Xanadu Sector, from Fanatic's Joy to Kiboutan."

The King stares at you for a moment. Then he laughs. "Very well. I'd rather deal with a glory-hungry soldier than a priest of the Machine. And I have seen you take down Far-Etoile's Knight on foot. I will speak to your Colo- your General. I will see what G.I. Joe can do with the King's blessing and support." His gaze hardens. "Pray not to disappoint me, soldier in a priest's garb."

OK.

You think he bought it. But God this guy gives you the willies.

"I do hope the food is to your liking?"

"The food's perfectly fine," Brutale said from the other side of the force-field. "I have to ask, Interrogator… when does the torture start?"

Kuroda quirked eyebrows above his augmetic eyes. "…Torture?"

"I am in the custody of the Inquisition. Torture the likes of which can shatter the strongest of minds is what I expected."

"I can torture you if you wish," he shrugged, "but I don't much see the point of it?"

"The point would be to make me confess all my secrets."

"Really." Even with the augmetics where his eyes once were, he managed to convey a flat stare. "Why, that sounds positively brilliant! I'll put you through such agony that you will be willing to tell any lie whatsoever to make it stop, and then ask you questions!" He switched from sarcasm to a chiding tone. "Do you realize how much incorrect intelligence that would give me? Everything would be utterly colored by my biases as I would force you to say what I believed was true. Torture is a tool for breaking people, not for acquiring reliable intelligence."

Which was why Inquisitor Valentine Imperia had taught him to start by building a rapport with people he interrogated and get them to answer his questions of their own free will - sometimes without even realizing it - and then, only torture them afterwards, to cross-reference what they had said under interrogation with what they said under torture.

Frankly, knowing that many Inquisitors jumped straight to torture disgusted him. Unprofessional sadists.

"Well, I can't say I mind the lack of pain, but I assume there's a reason you're keeping me here."

"Why, yes. I have questions."

"If it's about the reason I wanted to kill his Highness, it's not complicated."

"Plan Aurora. I know, I'm not even going to ask."

"You know about that, and you haven't shot him yourself?"

"Don't think the thought hadn't occurred to me," he smiled, "but I am required to think very carefully before I undertake such extreme measures."

"Surely the death of a planetary governor is less extreme than the death of the entire planet."

"Surely you understand it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Is it? We're talking about an Exterminatus, and one performed without the authority of the Inquisition!"

"It we were talking about a genuine Exterminatus, everyone involved would currently be either dead or sitting in an Inquisition jail cell. The Imperium takes the permanent destruction of its planets very seriously.

"But, please understand, the people behind Plan Aurora are not mad enough to suggest a genuine Exterminatus. This will leave an inhabitable planet behind - and spare its most precious resources. True, the ecosystem will be lost, but as this is not an Agri-World the Administratum does not value its ecosystem. True, hundreds of millions of lives would be lost, but Sector Command sacrifices such numbers regularly when it drafts them for the Guard and Navy then sends them to die for the Emperor. No, I fear this is simply nowhere near enough to qualify as an Exterminatus.

"It is still deeply, deeply foolish and evil, of course. It is still the reason I have to consciously keep my hand away from my weapons whenever I meet Magos Kruger or King Helldrake."

Brutale stared at him. "…What questions do you want to ask?"

"Well, I've already subjected you to a gene-scan," he chuckled, "I didn't think this was a Genestealer plot, but they're crafty, I had to make sure. That aside, I was wondering if you had any plans for the younger Helldrake?"

"The Crown Prince? My only plan was to end the life of his father. Once on the throne, Raoul would never have sacrificed the planet."

"True enough, I suppose - even if he were so inclined, Bondieu wouldn't allow him to."

She blinked. "Bondieu?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you bringing Bondieu into this?" she asked with signs of nervousness subtle enough he would have missed them without his augmetics.

"Well, I did confront him earlier with a lovely pile of evidence," he lied smoothly. "He saw little point in denying what I already knew. Nerves of steel on that man, I'll grant that much - he barely stopped short of demanding that I reward him for masterminding yesterday's events."

"…I wouldn't really say he masterminded yesterday," Brutale sighed. "My confessor forced me to confront the reality of what Plan Aurora means, and yes, the man probably takes his orders from Bondieu. And yes, Bondieu's reasons for wanting to save Devoir are selfish. It was still my decision and my plan."

Kuroda hadn't actually talked to the Bishop-Praetor since yesterday's events. Soon. But it had been an easy enough guess. As long as Brutale thought he knew more than he actually did, she'd confess without realizing it.

It made sense, of course. Bondieu was not risking any of his personal resources with this scheme, and had it succeeded, it would not only have preserved the planet, but also put a man on the throne Bondieu could control.

Or would it? Knowing what he knew about Raoul Helldrake, Kuroda worried that there was a certain risk…

*********************************

"He's bluffing," Lady Jaye said to the assembled team as they listened in on the bug.

"About having talked to Bondieu?"

"Yes, he's roping her into confessing. Honestly… he's not half bad," Lady Jaye admitted grudgingly.

"And given the extensive torture arsenal Snake Eyes found… I don't think this ends well for Brutale," Turnabout said.

"Not today, not tomorrow, but sooner or later," Scarlet said, grim-faced.

Honestly… compared to the Mechanicus Temple of Ciudad, the one in Starhill isn't all that impressive.

But it's still an important place - the domain of Magos Kruger, and you can't afford not to come.

At least here, you don't have to go in alone. As your superior, "Magos Mainframe" is with you.

…And every Technomat, Engineseer and Tech-Priest on your way stops to gape at you.

Yyyyeah, your fight with Brutale is on the Noosphere. They've all seen it.

"So what's it like, being a superstar?" Mainframe chuckles.

"Annoying and gratifying in comparable measure," you admit.

**********************************

Magos Kruger is… big.

Like, Meganob-big.

You wouldn't speculate how many pounds of flesh are within that body. But as you stare at him, you also notice the portrait behind him - one representing a very different AdMech priest. A representation that feels downright worshipful.

"Admiring the Archmagos?" Kruger follows your gaze. "His Holiness, Archmagos Stenrschrei, has done far more for the Omnissiah than I can do justice for in the time allotted to us. Being from Organitron, you may lack proper familiarity with him."

"I fear I have not been so blessed," you hazard.

"Suffice to say for now, the Archmagos has gone above and beyond to ensure the servants of the Omnissiah across the Xanadu Sector have access to the resources they need - a task made difficult due to the Lord-Fabricator of Omega-Alpha."

"Ah, yes," says Mainframe. "The Lord-Fabricator of Omega-Alpha. Definitely a tale we hear of on Organitron."

"Sarcasm noted. Omega-Alpha is a hallowed Forge-World within the Silverstar Sector. In ages past, whenever a Knight fell on Devoir, a replacement was constructed on Omega-Alpha and shipped to Xanadu.

"Alas, Omega-Alpha grew proud, and arrogant, and left the Archmagos of Vectorime little choice but to deny the authority the Lord-Fabricator had grown unfit to yield."

"Let me guess," you pipe in. "The Forge-World retaliated by cutting the Xanadu Sector's Adeptus Mechanicus off from access to the more exclusive patterns. Such as Knights."

"Indeed. All these centuries later, this grave injustice yet persists - and yet, Vectorime perseveres.

"But enough about such concerns. I wish to understand how, exactly, a Tech-Priest was able to take down a Knight."

"…So you see," Mainframe concludes, "Ironhide is a favored soul of Omnissiah. There is simply no other explanation for the string of miracles that follows him everywhere."

"…Remarkable," says Magos Kruger, his awe evident even in his electronic voice.

What's remarkable is how expertly Mainframe is able to bullshit; you barely needed to assist. You want to be this guy when you grow up.

"Your awe is misplaced," you say solemnly. "I merely do as the Quest For Knowledge demands. The Omnissiah has seen fit to bless me with an affinity for the more esoteric among His creations, and all I can do is seek to honor that - by wielding those creations against the Omnissiah's enemies."

"An excellent attitude to have," the Magos nods. "Perhaps your talent and your blessing are wasted here. Why, I think the Archmagos would be pleased indeed to host someone such as yourself on Vectorime, holiest seat of the Omnissiah's power in the sector."

"That would be a far greater honor than I deserve," you reply. "Alas, also a far greater honor than current circumstances allow me to accept."

"And why is that?"

"It is the will of the Omnissiah that I grant his bounty to the 1st Organitron Expeditionary Regiment," you explain, "until their holy mission against the foul xenos is complete, and the Knights of Devoir once again ride across the Xanadu Sector. As such, I must remain here until the war is won."

"Have no fear," Mainframe says, "for with a bounty such as this, how could we lose?"

"Hm." Magos Kruger considers. "If all goes well… we may win the war very, very soon."

"What do you mean? Has the Omnissiah provided a greater weapon yet?"

"Oh, he has. He has," Kruger steeples his fingers. "Should the Omnissiah will it, perhaps you shall be lucky enough to see it, favored soul."

You hope so.

Gaining access to the virus bomb in order to sabotage it is, after all, your best backup plan.

"You will be redeploying tomorrow," General Ivanov wheezed.

"Indeed, General," Commissar Popov nodded, taking a sip of the excellent amasec. Ivanov himself was not yet in any state to partake in the drink, but he had generously offered him a glass. "The regiment shall not disappoint you on their next mission."

"I know it won't, Commissar. The regiment's record speaks for itself. The events of the Star Vow speak even louder.

"But then, if a regiment truly shines, it can only do so thanks to stellar discipline. Behind every successful regimental commander is a Commissar who ensured the men gave their very best for the Emperor."

"You flatter me, sir."

"Not at all. I am merely giving credit where credit is due.

"And… given the difficult position the Crimson Conference has put us in… I have done more than just that."

"…Sir?" Popov tensed slightly.

"I have been talking to my connections in the Commissariat, on both Revelation and Anathema. Congratulations are in order, Commissar Popov - you are now officially the Operational Chief Commissar for Devoir - the highest authority of the Commissariat on the planet until the xenos threat is exterminated."

Popov ended up spilling several thousand Thrones' worth of amasec. He barely noticed, grinning instead from ear to ear. "I will not disappoint you, sir."

"I know you won't."

After all, Ivanov reflected, once he'd explained the threat of Plan Aurora, General Hawk had proven amenable to his idea of sabotaging the virus bomb. Better yet, he and his experts were improving the plan on their own.

After all those years of hard work, he was not going to allow the planet to be lost to the flames of the Mechanicus.

And if, afterwards, he needed G.I. Joe to serve as scapegoats… or if General Hawk became more of a hindrance than a boon…

Well.

Having their Commissar in his pocket provided one more way of getting rid of them.

jwolfe_beta · Jul 20, 2024

sun tzu said:
Having their Commissar in his pocket provided one more way of getting rid of them.

Less than you think buddy. Cobra Commander was more competent in most if not all fields than Popov, had far more (and better) equipment along with better trained and numerous manpower at his disposal, and still couldn't take down G.I. Joe.

Warmachine375 · Jul 20, 2024

jwolfe_beta said:
Cobra Commander still couldn't take down G.I. Joe.

Isn't it because he's the Saturday morning cartoon main villain whose purpose is to get his butt whooped and his schemes foiled always and that he's voiced by G1 Starscream himself who too get his butt whooped and his schemes foiled always?

ExNihilo · Jul 20, 2024

Hm. I'd originally assumed the, let's call it five millennia or so since the Imperial Cult has had to minister its flock of quadrillions would have lead to theological innovations, but in hindsight, while I'm sure there are some, of course the most rote and doctrinal positions pervade. Also makes it easier on the author, one supposes.

I also get the impression that it's been a while since Angeloff has had someone that respects her intelligence, isn't deathly afraid of her at all times, and is still willing to disagree with her and challenge her viewpoints constructively.

woweed · Jul 20, 2024

Warmachine375 said:
Isn't it because he's the Saturday morning cartoon main villain whose purpose is to get his butt whooped and his schemes foiled always and that he's voiced by G1 Starscream himself who too get his butt whooped and his schemes foiled always?

I don't know if you notice, but everyone involved in GI Joe has gotten something of a competence upgrade to say the least. I think the assumption is that the original cartoon is like the "lies to children" version of what really happened: The broad strokes are correct, but it's an oversimplified take on a more complicated reality. So I would tend to assume that Cobra Commander's failure, in this fic, wasn't down to being the incompetent-even-by-80s-cartoon-bad-guy-standards (seriously, Skeletor, Shredder, and Megatron all look like paragons of competence by comparison) boob of the Sunbow canon, but more to his adversaries being, as we have seen, simply THAT good. And, hell, even in the original cartoon, as much as he personally was an incompetent imbecile, his schemes were often VERY dangerous. There were several occasions where the Joes won by sheer luck. I would assume he's still arrogant, impetuous, and cowardly (he did lose every time for a REASON), but very much NOT incompetent. At the very least, given some of the evil schemes he nearly pulled off on absurdly-short timeframes, he seems to have had an absurd skill with logistics.

Sidebar: I've probably mentioned this before, but, while I don't know what backstory this quest is using for the Commander (and I doubt it'll ever come up), i'm hoping it's the "used car salesman who lost everything and went insane" bit. Sure, it's not the cartoon one (where he's an exiled scientist with implied military training), being from the Marvel comics, but I kinda like the idea of Cobra starting as a DOMESTIC terrorist org, and I feel the idea that some random loser just had a really bad day and made the jump to international terrorism...I don't know, has some resonance in this day and age.

Always Late · Jul 20, 2024

sun tzu said:
Holy fucking shit.

"Are you all children?"

All eyes, yours included, turn to Brimstone, who is looking done.

Brimstone glares at them. "You claim that the Emperor shields the elect from pain by erasing their memories, as if that would be a favor rather than an act of utter violation. You claim the Emperor would remove a mother's love and make her hate her own child, as if such a thing could be considered human. Such claims reduce the Emperor to something lesser, to a creature that sees no value in humanity.

"And why do you make such mad claims? Because you struggle to comprehend how the elect can be perfectly and flawlessly happy in the Golden Palace, knowing some of their loved ones are in the Warp. Because you cannot reconcile this contradiction, you have come up with insane ideas about the Emperor manipulating the minds of the blessed like a cheap witch.

Brimstone's speech makes me think the people watching are hearing a Shining Knight "there's the creeping moral decay of the past thousand years" rebuke.

sun tzu said:
the virus bomb

The Ad-Mech is trying to pass that off as something below Exterminatus? Guess being the Empire within an Empire has its perks...

Until the Inquisition slips a note to the Forge World's Malagara office that someone's taking their exclusive toys and not playing with them properly.

Warmachine375 · Jul 20, 2024

Always Late said:
Until the Inquisition slips a note to the Forge World's Malagara office that someone's taking their exclusive toys and not playing with them properly.

Oh yeah, contrary to memes, the Inquisition do not casually use Exterminatus by simply head smashing into a Big Red Button and its members got sacked if it turns out their use of Exterminatus was used very irresponsibly.

That's what got Kryptmann into trouble in the middle of Orks and Tyranids he had them go "Let's You And Him Fight!"

sabreFather · Jul 20, 2024

sun tzu said:
"Dreadful way to go, that."

I am starting to think Gavpierre is a Callidus, or the ideal Astartes Recruit. Truly, this child Knows No Fear.

... Or he's a shard of the Emperor. Or Cegorach on a Deadpan streak.

sun tzu said:
The mustache to end all mustaches.

If you can say one thing, the facial hair of the Grim Darkness of the Far Future is truly unmatched.

sun tzu · Jul 21, 2024

Warmachine375 said:
Isn't it because he's the Saturday morning cartoon main villain whose purpose is to get his butt whooped and his schemes foiled always and that he's voiced by G1 Starscream himself who too get his butt whooped and his schemes foiled always?

I have actually compiled a list of Cobra's wins and losses throughout the Sunbow cartoons, along with the causes of their defeats and rare victories.
As you may see, while incompetence within Cobra (and infighting, and fanaticism, and luck) play a major role, a very large number of G.I. Joe's victories actually come down to G.I. Joe's competence.
Duke and Dusty out-spy Cobra in "The Traitor".
General Hawk turns the tide with superior tactics in "The Most Dangerous Thing In The World".
Roadblock thinks fast under pressure in "The Wrong Stuff".

ExNihilo said:
Hm. I'd originally assumed the, let's call it five millennia or so since the Imperial Cult has had to minister its flock of quadrillions would have lead to theological innovations, but in hindsight, while I'm sure there are some, of course the most rote and doctrinal positions pervade. Also makes it easier on the author, one supposes.

I also get the impression that it's been a while since Angeloff has had someone that respects her intelligence, isn't deathly afraid of her at all times, and is still willing to disagree with her and challenge her viewpoints constructively.

Like I've said before - the Imperium as a whole, to put it mildly, is not a culture that encourages healthy debate. It's a culture that encourages you to accept dogma without thinking and punishes questions.

woweed said:
I don't know if you notice, but everyone involved in GI Joe has gotten something of a competence upgrade to say the least. I think the assumption is that the original cartoon is like the "lies to children" version of what really happened: The broad strokes are correct, but it's an oversimplified take on a more complicated reality.

Pretty much this, yes!

So I would tend to assume that Cobra Commander's failure, in this fic, wasn't down to being the incompetent-even-by-80s-cartoon-bad-guy-standards (seriously, Skeletor, Shredder, and Megatron all look like paragons of competence by comparison) boob of the Sunbow canon, but more to his adversaries being, as we have seen, simply THAT good. And, hell, even in the original cartoon, as much as he personally was an incompetent imbecile, his schemes were often VERY dangerous. There were several occasions where the Joes won by sheer luck. I would assume he's still arrogant, impetuous, and cowardly (he did lose every time for a REASON), but very much NOT incompetent. At the very least, given some of the evil schemes he nearly pulled off on absurdly-short timeframes, he seems to have had an absurd skill with logistics.

I honestly think you're being a tad harsher on Sunbow!Cobra Commander than he deserves. XD
But yes, the man was able to come up with some incredibly dangerous schemes, and was damn good at building up his evil organization from nothing. (...And he was much better than Serpentor at knowing when to cut his losses and retreat, despite being a frontline commander who could hold his own in a fight.)

Sidebar: I've probably mentioned this before, but, while I don't know what backstory this quest is using for the Commander (and I doubt it'll ever come up), i'm hoping it's the "used car salesman who lost everything and went insane" bit. Sure, it's not the cartoon one (where he's an exiled scientist with implied military training), being from the Marvel comics, but I kinda like the idea of Cobra starting as a DOMESTIC terrorist org, and I feel the idea that some random loser just had a really bad day and made the jump to international terrorism...I don't know, has some resonance in this day and age.

Yyyyeah, Cobra Commander's origin is one aspect in which I'm going with the comics rather than the Sunbow animated continuity.

Always Late said:
Brimstone's speech makes me think the people watching are hearing a Shining Knight "there's the creeping moral decay of the past thousand years" rebuke.

Brimstone's heard it all on Earth already.

The Ad-Mech is trying to pass that off as something below Exterminatus? Guess being the Empire within an Empire has its perks...

Until the Inquisition slips a note to the Forge World's Malagara office that someone's taking their exclusive toys and not playing with them properly.

Like Kuroda says - this is still below what actually qualifies as Exterminatus.

sabreFather said:
I am starting to think Gavpierre is a Callidus, or the ideal Astartes Recruit. Truly, this child Knows No Fear.

... Or he's a shard of the Emperor. Or Cegorach on a Deadpan streak.

Gavpierre's a kid who was forced to grow up too fast, and decided along the way to never let his fears control him.

If you can say one thing, the facial hair of the Grim Darkness of the Far Future is truly unmatched.

Everybody thinks the Tyranids use Genestealer cults to spy upon their prey and sabotage their defenses, but those are just bonuses. The primary goal is to allow the Hive-Mind to sport excellent beards and mustaches.

Always Late · Jul 21, 2024

sun tzu said:
Like Kuroda says - this is still below what actually qualifies as Exterminatus.

Then Kuroda is bad at his job, since he doesn't know what the Life Eater Virus is. Even if he's just an interrogator, the use of an item that hasn't been manufactured since the Great Crusade, is only used for Exterminatus, and is responsible for the current state of planets like Tallarn, should be something of note. And it's not like there's an alternate playload. The whole reason they're called "Virus Bombs" is because they deploy the Life Eater Virus.

Legit, so many Tech-Priests are getting shot for this borderline treasonous misuse of irreplaceable resources.

sun tzu · Jul 21, 2024

Always Late said:
Then Kuroda is bad at his job, since he doesn't know what the Life Eater Virus is. Even if he's just an interrogator, the use of an item that hasn't been manufactured since the Great Crusade, is only used for Exterminatus, and is responsible for the current state of planets like Tallarn, should be something of note. And it's not like there's an alternate playload. The whole reason they're called "Virus Bombs" is because they deploy the Life Eater Virus.

Legit, so many Tech-Priests are getting shot for this borderline treasonous misuse of irreplaceable resources.

You may be misremembering - as explained a couple chapters ago, this is in fact an alternate payload (a variant that only infects plant life).

w34v3r · Jul 21, 2024

Does that really matter though? It's tyrannids, I've never known them to have problems using dead biomass.

sun tzu · Jul 21, 2024

w34v3r said:
Does that really matter though? It's tyrannids, I've never known them to have problems using dead biomass.

Not just "dead", "converted into highly flammable gas".

namar13766 · Jul 21, 2024

This Kuroda is a lot more professional, if no less ruthless, since he still is only at the first action: the inquisitor interrogates the suspect directly, not through any proxies or other indirect manners.

Once again, I really like how you simultaneously show that the greatest threat to humanity in 40K is the Imperium and how the greatest enemy to the imperium is the imperium

Warmachine375 · Jul 21, 2024

namar13766 said:
the inquisitor interrogates the suspect directly, not through any proxies or other indirect manners.

Inquisition has been divided into several sub-factions that had different methods and ideologies in a nutshell and not all of them get along with each other when it comes to that.

beleester · Jul 21, 2024

This chapter had some good bits, but it also felt a little bit like a holding pattern. Joe found out about Plan Aurora a long time ago, they've had a bunch of situations where people were like "so-and-so is a bad guy, but I'm not allowed to say why" and the Joes nodded and said "yeah, they're talking about Aurora, we need to pretend we don't know about it" and now in this chapter we're still going around and talking to people who know about Aurora and acknowledging that we know we aren't supposed to know about it.

It feels like one of those "common knowledge" logic puzzles where everyone knows what Plan Aurora is and who's behind it, but you need to go through some complicated mathematical proof that everyone knows that everyone else knows that everyone else knows in order to do something about it.

darkstarling · Jul 21, 2024

beleester said:
This chapter had some good bits, but it also felt a little bit like a holding pattern. Joe found out about Plan Aurora a long time ago, they've had a bunch of situations where people were like "so-and-so is a bad guy, but I'm not allowed to say why" and the Joes nodded and said "yeah, they're talking about Aurora, we need to pretend we don't know about it" and now in this chapter we're still going around and talking to people who know about Aurora and acknowledging that we know we aren't supposed to know about it.

It feels like one of those "common knowledge" logic puzzles where everyone knows what Plan Aurora is and who's behind it, but you need to go through some complicated mathematical proof that everyone knows that everyone else knows that everyone else knows in order to do something about it.

Most of the people are doing the 'I'm telling you without telling you' thing, because actually SAYING it would be treason but they're toeing the line.

At least we're making major progress. We've learned who is for and against, we've got the king on board with giving the army One More Chance (tm) to win with GI Joe, we may have gotten access to sabotage the bombs. We've also acquired the bonus objective of saving Brutale from death by torture. And we've learned who is one what side for Aurora and why. So now we can start with the politicing.

I am waiting to learn more about the Brownrobes.

Vehrec · Jul 21, 2024

...is it weird that I had an idea for this Omake that involves a bunch of League of Votann mercenaries in their mass-conveyor/holdship showing up to demonstrate their prowess against the Orks on Cavitus, only to find that the planet is by now completely in cleanup mode and they can't make the arms deals and phat mercenary contracts they were anticipating?

Warmachine375 · Jul 21, 2024

Vehrec said:
a bunch of League of Votann mercenaries in their mass-conveyor/holdship

As they're Space Dawi, they're gonna say, "That goes to the Space Book of Grudges!"

Aineko · Jul 21, 2024

beleester said:
This chapter had some good bits, but it also felt a little bit like a holding pattern. Joe found out about Plan Aurora a long time ago, they've had a bunch of situations where people were like "so-and-so is a bad guy, but I'm not allowed to say why" and the Joes nodded and said "yeah, they're talking about Aurora, we need to pretend we don't know about it" and now in this chapter we're still going around and talking to people who know about Aurora and acknowledging that we know we aren't supposed to know about it.

It feels like one of those "common knowledge" logic puzzles where everyone knows what Plan Aurora is and who's behind it, but you need to go through some complicated mathematical proof that everyone knows that everyone else knows that everyone else knows in order to do something about it.

I think this is partly a sort of unstated coalition building.

They've got a bunch of people saying-not-saying they'd like Aurora stopped, and thus may back a Joe-delivered fait accompli solution delivering that given the chance.

They've also got a bunch of sources of the information, so they're safe from implicating their original means of having found out about it.

And of course Ironhide in the brief royal audience set up plan A for canceling the apocalypse: GI Joe wins the war so there's no reason for Aurora.

Vehrec · Jul 21, 2024

Warmachine375 said:
As they're Space Dawi, they're gonna say, "That goes to the Space Book of Grudges!"

Nah, beating them to fulfilling a contract isn't worth a Grudging. Karl would not approve of this behavior. If you want corporate to approve your promotions, if you want to rise in the Guild, you need to prove yourself worthy by beating GI Joe at their own game. You've been provided with the finest railguns and hover-trikes our hold can produce. All you have to do is use them.

In The Grim Darkness Of The 41st Millennium, Nobody Beats G.I. Joe!

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