"One of them has a broken arm, and the other has concussion!  It's barbaric, my lord, truly barbaric!"<br/><br/>Scribe Edaeus wiped his spectacles, hoisiting his brown robes as he jogged to keep up with the Deacon.  "We got them to the medical bay," he stuttered, "And... and I called for reinforcements, my lord.... but... but there's no reply from the armoury.  I don't know what's happened!"<br/><br/>Deacon Rimoah scowled, irritated by the nasal voice of the scribe.  He strode down the corridors of the lunar base, his Ecclesiarchy robes trailing on the metal floors.  "Why in the Emperor's name were the guards antagonising our guests?"<br/><br/>"Well..." Edaeus faltered, adjusting his spectacles, "Well that's just it, my lord - they weren't.  The guards were stationed by the Astropath's chamber.  They were attacked."<br/><br/>"WHAT?!" roared the Deacon, quickening his stride and lunging through the double doors of his office.  "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS OUTRAGE, INQUISITOR?!"<br/><br/>The office was a long and collonaded room, pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling, where arched windows peered out into the void.  The stain-glass caught the starlight, painting the room in myriad hues.  Through the clutter of archive shelves, servo-monitors and statuettes, the two officials regarded the figure sat at the Deacon's desk.<br/><br/>A small trinket twirled in the starlight, the 'I' shape of the Inquisitorial Seal distinctive, centered by a haloed skull which stared back at them, dead horror in its eyes.  The Seal was held by a metal hand, the slight whine of servo-motors as the fingers shifted.  Beneath a hood of dark cloth inscribed with sigils, half a face looked out at them.<br/><br/><div align="center">(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l81/Asmodeus1845/Stories/Silas_the_monk_by_Anasztaizia.jpg)</div><br/><strong>"Who are you to speak of outrage, Brother Deacon?"</strong>rasped the sickly voice of Inquisitor Vailon Chaarn.  It was a calm and insidious sound, as though from a throat that had not been quenched in decades.<strong>"Witness the travesties I have seen, and then I shall permit you this... indignation."</strong><br/><br/>Scribe Edaeus shifted nervously, the very presence of the Inquisitor unsettling him.  But the Deacon was not so easily swayed.  Starting forward, the old cleric raised his grey hands in anger.  "You violated the chamber of the Astropath!  That place is sacrosanct!"<br/><br/>Vailon pushed out of his chair and was around the desk in the space of a second, face-to-face with the Deacon.  A slender claw extended from the other sleeve of his robe, serated metal touching beneath the Deacon's chin.<strong>"<em>Sanctity</em> is not a luxury an Inquisitor can afford."</strong><br/><br/>Edaeus gasped, his breath expelling in a whimper as he saw the lightning claw, inches from his master's face.<br/><br/><strong>"And besides..."</strong>said Vailon,<strong>"The chamber was violated long before I arrived."</strong><br/><br/>"What do you mean?" demanded the Deacon, trying to conceal his fear as the Inquisitor's pale eyes held him.<br/><br/>A slight smile tugged at Vailon's lips, almost like a sneer, and he turned, retracting the lightning claw.<strong>"My dear Deacon, it has come to my attention that the Calleras system has the pleasure of welcoming TWO Inquisitors this day."</strong><br/><br/>Edaeus lingered by the doorway, fidgeting, whilst the Deacon frowned.  "Two?"<br/><br/><strong>"Indeed."</strong>Vailon sat down behind the desk again.<strong>"The message your Astropath sent was broadcast <em>twice</em>, and to different destinations."</strong><br/><br/>"But..." the Deacon looked at the floor, puzzled by this revelation.  "But that's against protocol!"<br/><br/><strong>"Precisely,"</strong>answered the Inquisitor,<strong>"And after my Ogryn performed a <em>surprise</em> inspection of the Astropath's chamber, he found <em>this</em>."</strong>His bionic hand whirred as he lifted a vial from the table, holding it up in the starlight.<br/><br/>By the doorway, Edaeus clasped his hands behind his back, sweating profusely.<br/><br/><strong>"Eremorph,"</strong>explained the Inqusitor, holding up the vial.<strong>"It was introduced to the Astropath's holy censer.  He was breathing it in along with the incense.  You have a whole supply of this chemical in your armoury, as my Space Marine discovered."</strong><br/><br/>The Deacon swallowed.  Now he knew why no reinforcements had been sent.  The Inquisitor's Astarte bodyguard must have had the entire armoury held hostage.<br/><br/><strong>"It's used as a sedative,"</strong>continued the Inquisitor, placing the vial down on the desk.<strong>"It makes the subject incoherent, forgetful.  That's why the Astropath sent two messages -the psyker was delirious."</strong><br/><br/>By the doorway, Edaeus reached inside his robes, taking hold of something.<br/><br/>"But that's preposterous!" exclaimed the Deacon.  "No one has access to both the armoury and the Astropath, except myself and......"<br/><br/>Realisation dawned....<br/><br/>The Deacon turned slowly, his mouth dropping open as he looked back at his scribe.<br/><br/>And then Edaeus's head exploded.<br/><br/>Gore showered the doorframe and the Deacon was splattered with blood, reeling back in shock.  The headless body of his scribe dropped like a rock, and behind him a Battle Sister lowered her boltgun, her fierce and beautiful face nodding to the Deacon.  The scribe's body twitched, a laspistol clutched in its dead hand.<br/><br/><strong>"Know the heretic."</strong>hissed Inquisitor Chaarn.<strong>"Kill the heretic."</strong><br/><br/>"My Emperor," whispered the Deacon, his whole body trembling.  He sat down heavily on another chair, his face stained with Edaeus's blood.  "I've been a fool."<br/><br/><strong>"You were not to know,"</strong>said the Inquisitor.<strong>"Do not waste yourself on regret.  Scribe Edaeus served with distinction for 11 years - he was beyond your humble suspicion."</strong><br/><br/>"Oh God," muttered the Deacon, holding his head between his hands.  "Oh God..."<br/><br/><strong>"This is Heresy of the darkest kind, my Deacon,"</strong>rasped Vailon, giving no sympathy to the old cleric.<strong>"To turn Edaeus, a once loyal servant of the Emperor, and to strike at our Astropaths, suggests an intelligence, a scheme.  The Enemy, whoever it may be, intends to disrupt our communications.  For now he has failed, but there is a beast with many heads at work here."</strong><br/><br/>By the doorway, the enormous hand of an Ogryn appeared and gripped Edaeus by the ankle.  With a single wrench the heretic's corpse was dragged out of the room and down the corridor.<br/><br/><strong>"Now,"</strong>said Vailon, rearranging his dark robes and resting his lightning claw on the desk.<strong>"My ship is being refitted.  I require a new shuttle and clearance for Delvon.  Send word to the Cardinal.  I expect his full cooperation in securing an audience with Governor-General Khamaro."</strong><br/><br/>"Yes," whispered the Deacon, wincing at the blood on his robes.  "Of course... of course...."  For a while he sat there, shuddering, before finally looking up again.  "And what of the other Inquisitor?"<br/><br/>Vailon looked up, his hood casting shadows across his pitted face.<strong>"Let us pray he as... <em>diligent</em> as I."</strong><br/><br/><br/><br/>