Uninvited Guests
During the Season of Fire, Host Vahlkaer of Craftworld Ulthwé ambushed the Cobalt Scions Third Company on Edrastan. The Cobalt Scions managed to take captives and called in Inquisitor Michael (accompanied by the Raven Guard Fifth Company) to interrogate. Vahlkaer called upon Host Taliesin of Craftworld Iybraesil to assist them in a rescue attempt. They only managed to extract one of the two prisoners, but Inquisitor Michael was critically injured when they attempted to capture him as well.
Aeldari Treachery
+++TRANSMITTED: BXK-426; Iolan Reaches; Eridani Sector; Segmentum Pacificus;
+++RECEIVED: Deliverance; Segmentum Tempestus.
+++TELEPATHIC DUCT: Adept Mae Zerbe; Steadfast
+++DATE: 6.013.122.M42
+++AUTHOR: Codicer Aethon; Librarius, Seconded 5th Company.
+++DESTINATION: Epistolary Nironen; Librarius.
+++SUBJECT: Aeldari Treachery.
Brother Epistolary Nironen,
Twelve days ago subjective Inquisitor Michael received a message that he shared with us. It came from an Astartes chapter based nearby, the Cobalt Scions, with whom he had had some previous dealings. They informed him that they had received a distress signal from the planet Edrastan, however they knew it to be faked as Edrastan maintains no Astropaths. Nevertheless as many of our cousins do, they made their way blindly into the trap, metaphorical pennants flying.
Their first action was apparently to build some kind of fortification, and during this process they were, predictably, attacked. A large force of Aeldari, the Inquisitor has identified them as belonging to craftworld Ulthwé, assaulted their base. The ambush was well executed and successful, the Cobalt Scions were badly mauled and the assaulting force then withdrew before they could turn the tide.
Fortunately the xenos had not considered the rapid deployability of the repulsor based heavy armour, and the Scions chased them down in an armoured column dropped from low orbit. The response was reported to be devastating. In addition, two Aeldari scouts were captured. It was for this reason they had contacted the Inquisitor, calling upon his expertise to interrogate the prisoners and find out why they had been baited and ambushed by a foe they were not engaged in active warfare with.
With no specific leads on our current investigation, we agreed to assist and transported Michael to Edrastan. The Scions had secured an area on the surface for holding and handover, and we deployed a token escort to accompany Michael and secure the prisoners.
The first sign of the enemy was reported by Squad Saserys, from their sniping position atop a local enforcer bastion. Sweeping in from both sides was an Aeldari strike force of walkers supported by infantry mounted in grav-tanks. Half of these forces were not in the black and bone of Ulthwé, but the blue and white the Inquisitor later identified as Iybraesil.
We later learned that Iybraesil had maintained, until that point, a tentative truce with the Cobalt Scions. The 3rd Captain Lucullus had negotiated that as long as Craftworld Iybraesil did no harm to Imperials in the region, they would be left alone whilst the Scions dealt with more immediate threats such as the Orks and Genestealers causing carnage across the region. This then is the famed treachery of the Aeldari.
By chance or design, the blue and white liveried Cobalt Scions mostly ended up engaging with the blue and white of Iybraesil around one of the prisoner transports, whilst the Raven Guard were largely engaged by our own dark mirror at the other. The vanguard of the Iybraesil thrust were the Aeldari wraith constructs. Michael informs me that these strange mechanical bipeds are essentially robots, but instead of being controlled by an Abominable Intelligence, the Aeldari bind the disembodied souls of their dead to these constructs.
On “our” flank, Squad Qeld held the transport along with Inquisitor Michael. Faced with overwhelming firepower, they pulled back from their position. Rather than making a heroic but doomed last stand, they intended to pull back then retake the position once reinforcements arrived. Once again the duplicity of the Aeldari confounded us. Instead of heading to rescue the prisoner, they focussed on Squad Qeld and, it became quickly apparent, Inquisitor Michael.
As the heavy intercessors were downed by missile fire from the enemy war walkers and heavy laser fire from the grav-tanks, Micahel was swarmed by disembarking infantry. Rather than try to kill him, they swarmed him and attempted to drag him down and disable him. Finally their intentions became apparent. They wanted a prisoner of their own, and they had picked one with a terrifying amount of intelligence.
Whilst he has been somewhat modest in his own retelling of the event, the helmet feed from Squad Saserys is quite clear. As the Aeldari closed in, the leader of the Ulthwé forces, a witch, cast it’s warp-powers against the Inquisitor, however he resisted and denied them. He is not a psyker, so his mental training must be formidable. Surrounded by Aeldari infantry, alone and pinned against the side of a shuttle, he defied them physically as well. He leapt upon their heavy weapon platform, destroying it with his power sword, and vaulted over the roof of the shuttle.
From there he sprinted back towards the safety of the bastion and the reassuring Redemptor Dreadnought of Brother Draevus. Unquestionably the most impressive performance by a mortal that I have witnessed.Sadly, it was not enough. Realising they would be denied their prize, another squad of Aeldari unleashed a blistering hail of shuriken fire at him, cutting him down.
We continued the battle, driving the enemy away but not soon enough to stop them from freeing one of the prisoners. Squad Saserys reported a clean headshot on the leader of the Iybraesil, who was not cautious enough to avoid them. As he was wearing a helmet at the time and his body fell from sight, we cannot confirm the kill, and the corpse was not found so his status is unknown.
As the Cobalt Scions secured the scene, I personally launched a vengeance strike, deploying fresh units from the Steadfast to supplement the un-injured already on the ground. We pursued the Ulthwé survivors into the nearby forest but, strangely, they had held back some heavy units that had not taken part in the initial strike. We devastated the forces deployed against us, and made them pay, but were unable to break through to the evacuating casualties.
When we returned, we learned that Inquisitor Michael yet lived. Defiant despite his grievous injuries, he had escaped into the sewers. There he was found first by an Aeldari seer of the Iybraesil, and later by Captain Lucullus. The three have negotiated a somewhat fragile cease-fire. Iybraesil claims to have been drawn into this conflict on somewhat false pretences by Ulthwé (the Aeldari, it seems, are deceitful even amongst their own kind). Notably, however, the real reason Iybraesil are here is to investigate the Pheraean Rift. The Inquisitor wishes to use them to aid our own investigation.
So far no considerations have been promised, and he has made it clear to them that they are widely considered enemies of the Imperium and will be violently repulsed if they enter Imperial territory, but he has advised them that we have learned much in our investigations so if they can keep the peace there is much we may be persuaded to share with them. For my part I think the Inquisitor has made the right call. Knowing what we already do of the involvement of their ancient foe the Necrons, we may well be able to use this to our advantage.
The other matter of note is the Inquisitor’s injuries. He suffered significant cranial fractures, and the Aeldari seer saved him by bonding his fractures using their wraithbone material. I have thoroughly examined him myself and consider him to be un-tainted. Unfortunately for Michael, it is quite emphatically xenos in origin, and this fact will matter far more to any political opponent than the reality of the situation.
The rest of his injuries were left to Apothecary Orlos to deal with. The shurikens turned the meat of his back and arms into mince, and in many places chipped and fractured his bones. A large portion of his upper body is now plasteel and synthflesh. Once he has fully recovered, and Orlos assures me his prognosis is good, he will be much stronger than before, and more resilient too. Not quite to our level but far more enhanced than a baseline human.
I will also forward you the results of interrogating the remaining Ulthwé prisoner, once Michael has recovered enough to undertake it.
Shadow keep you,
Aethon
+++TRANSMISSION ENDS
Still Not Dead
+++TO: Inquisitor Lear
+++FROM: Inquisitor Michael
+++SUBJECT: Still not dead
+++ENCRYPTION: Theta Sigma Prime
Dear Ash,
I am sorry to inform you that I am writing to you once again from the medicae. In my defence, I had no idea I was walking into a war zone at the time.
As you may recall I was undecided about heading back to Cetus or hanging on to continue the search for the escaped Necrons. In the end I went with option 3. Captain Lucullus of the Cobalt Scions Astartes chapter contacted me and informed me that after an unprovoked attack by some Aeldari of craftworld Ulthwé he had taken prisoners and asked for my assistance in interrogating them. I arranged to come and pick up the prisoners from him, but we were ambushed by a combined force of Craftworlds Ulthwé and Iybraesil.
We had two aircraft with two prisoners and I was near the one with fewer defenders, so most of the Aeldari headed our way. Squad Qeld, in heavy armour (yes, Astartes have even heavier armour) made a solid defence but we were facing missile armed walkers, grav-tanks and a flanking force of elite infantry from in front and behind. We fell back, intending to hold out then retake the target once reinforcements arrived, but as they came on it became clear they were not heading for the prisoner but instead they were heading for us.
Squad Qeln were taken out by combined missile and shuriken fire (but all five of them survived, this extra heavy Astartes armour, on top of their already incredible physiology, is honestly unbelievable stuff), but the Aeldari came for me with knives and hands, whilst one of their witches attempted to get into my mind. Only then did I finally realise what was happening, they somehow knew who, or rather what, I was and were trying to take me alive. That was a new and deeply unpleasant experience for me.
I resisted the witch; lacking your gift, I have trained extensively in mental defences. I managed to cut my way clear, heading for the reinforcements already on their way. When the Xenos realised I would escape their clutches, they changed tactics and cut me down with a storm of shuriken fire. That’s a new personal low for me, gunned down whilst fleeing, both in terms of physical agony and an old warrior’s ego. At least I content myself that I was fleeing not for my life, but to safeguard the information I hold in my head from the clutches of the enemy.
I am certain my armour saved my life, again. Certainly the shuriken were slowed enough when passing through carapace that in areas protected by plate, those that penetrated caught in my bones rather than lacerating my organs. I really don’t know if it was wise or not but at that point I wasn’t really thinking clearly, so under the cover of the advancing dreadnought and the plasma fire from the nearby Marines I crawled into a nearby grate and fell into the sewers so that they would not have to worry about hitting me by mistake. Unfortunately much of my upper musculature was shredded by this point and I landed on my head. I am told the rest of the battle was highly destructive. My attackers were thoroughly repulsed, although not before one of the captives was rescued. They bought that one life with many others.
When I came to, I was still in the sewers, in the care of an Aeldari; Osinell of Iybraesil. He had patched up my wounds and was waiting for me to awaken. He claimed to have followed me in order to repair our diplomatic relations. Honestly it was a twisty conversation, as one might expect from Aeldari, but ultimately they, Iybraesil, wanted peace despite having just attacked us because they had been manipulated by Ulthwé. They also claim to have no interest in the Imperium but are only here to investigate the Pheraean Rift. Given that this is what I am also investigating, I judged that we might be able to use them.
Partway through, Captain Lucullus found me and (after another tense bit of negotiation) joined us. It seems he had dealings with them since the first time we met and had managed to obtain a mutual truce with them, up until today. In the end we agreed to let Osinell go unharmed, and agreed that we would communicate with a view to sharing information about the Pheraean Rift. At the moment it seems I know far more about it than he does, so we shall see how much I share with him, but if I can direct the resources of the Aeldari against their ancient fores the Necrons I will. Of course I am conscious of the lessons of Kryptman and the current mess that is the Octarius sector. With that dealt with, I was extracted to the medicae.
I’ll spare you the grisly details of what the shuriken did to me, but I think it’s fair to say that despite not losing any limbs I’m getting close to rivalling you for the amount of artificial replacements in my body. Being in the care of an Astartes chapter has some benefits, and when they had to repair bones and replace muscles the materials on hand were all Astartes grade. However, and here we get to the reason I encrypted this message and I will ask you not to share this detail, the Astartes weren’t the only ones who put me back together.
It seems that at some point, either when I was shot, or possibly when I fell into the sewer, I cracked my skull. And I don’t mean a little hairline crack, I mean more like you crack a boiled egg. Unquestionably a fatal injury. Except that Osinell fixed me, and he did it using wraithbone. Remember the first time we came across the Aeldari, when a Craftworld technician was being forced to grow wraithbone so that the Drukhari could turn it into psychoactive drugs? Osinell used to wraithbone and grew it into a web that knitted my skull back together. But it is woven in, there is no removing it short of replacing my entire skull.
That is a possibility at some point, if I can find a good enough facility, but for now in my current state Apothecary Orlos insists such an operation would kill me. I have of course had Librarian Aethon thoroughly investigate me, and he confirms that it is inert, and not causing me any harm, nor is it broadcasting my thoughts or acting as some kind of homing beacon, it genuinely appears harmless and simply the only way Osinell could save my life. Nevertheless, it is a uniquely Aeldari material and it is liable to cause alarm and suspicion in anyone who has less of an understanding than I do.
Given the potential political ramifications, for now I am keeping it quiet. Captain Lucullus and a few of his senior staff know, as do some of the Raven Guard. The only other person who knows is now you. The person who knows me best, an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor and someone completely immune to psychic manipulation. Whilst I am certain that this is safe, and I have the assurances of a powerful psyker, I always like a backup plan. I would have asked for your consent before handing you this burden, but there is simply no way to do so without telling you everything anyway. I have told Captain Lucullus that I will be informing an Inquisitor I trust, but I did not tell him whom. Feel free to contact him if you wish.
This has taken most of a day to type up, my fingers aren’t working very well at the moment, so I will leave it there for now. Orlos said it would be good for me though, to maintain full dexterity. How are things in Cetus Major? How is everyone?
Warm regards,
Gregory
+++MESSAGE ENDS
Intelligence on Craftworld Ulthwé
+++TO: Captain Lecullus, Cobalt Scions, Fortress of Syrnum, Thonis, Saedran Sub-sector of the Eridani Sector
+++FROM: Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos, Obelisk, Cetus Major, Cetus Sub-sector, Achernar Sector
+++SUBJECT: Intelligence on Craftworld Ulthwé
+++ENCRYPTION: Theta Sigma Prime
Dear Captain Lecullus,
I am now somewhat recovered, although lacking the enhancements of you Astartes it will take me some time before I am ready to take the field of battle again. In the meantime as agreed I have been interrogating the Aeldari prisoner you captured on Edrastan. The interrogation was, I believe, very successful and I have learned the following:
- The prisoner is named Ashrah.
- The Farseer leading this group is named Vahlkaer. We already heard this from Osinell but it’s good to have it confirmed.
- The Autarch (a non-psyker war leader rank subservient to Farseers) is named Ahlethanar.
- The Rangers, who are not or no longer part of the craftworld but are sometimes persuaded to assist them, are led by one named Loec. Loec is an old friend of Farseer Vahlkaer. Eliminating either of those key figures could potentially cause the Rangers to break apart from the Craftworlders.
- Ashrah claims that Vahlkaer did not want to attack and that he considered every possible option before attacking the Imperium. Honestly I can’t believe that it was the only choice, but perhaps that is what Vahlkaer tells his followers and Ashrah did seem to believe that Vahlkaer considered it “regrettable but necessary”.
- The motivation, Ashrah claims, was to reduce your, and by extension the Imperium’s, ability to react to the current violence breaking out in the Iolan Reaches. The Aeldari call this outbreak the “Season of Fire” and are keen that it occupies us entirely.
- Ashrah claims not to know why this distraction is necessary, and I believe him, but clearly there is something major going on either elsewhere in the sector or in a sector nearby that Ulthwé want us fully distracted from.
Obviously this all comes from the lips of an Aeldari, notoriously untrustworthy, but I believe that once I made clear to him that I understood the significance of his waystone and therefore had the power to feed his soul to the warp, but on the other hand I was willing to return him to his people if he cooperated, he was quite keen for the latter. I wasn’t lying either, I fully intend to return him to his people; one dead Aeldari is worth little to us, but if word spreads amongst the Aeldari that I keep my word, then future interrogations and indeed threats are more likely to work.
I leave you to decide how you will deal with this intelligence. It seems clear to me that whilst we absolutely must deal with this “Season of Fire”, if we ignore what is happening elsewhere it is likely to catch us unawares and could cause untold harm. This is not my sector and I don’t have the resources here that I have in Achernar, so I will be passing this information to the local Ordos as well in the hope that they can send out assets to search for clues.
Capturing Vahlkaer or one of his top officers would be strategically invaluable. Breaking one such as he would be incredibly difficult, although there are certain resources I could call upon to aid us and the potential gain would be worth every effort. But even if we can’t, the actions of his followers once devoid of his leadership, and fearing what he might tell us, could be indication enough. I am fully prepared to authorise a Deathwatch Kill Team deployment if necessary. Of course if we cannot capture him, killing him is a good second prize.
Sincerely,
Gregory Michael
Inquisitor, Ordo Xenos
+++THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Slay the beast and the horde will die.
+++MESSAGE ENDS
An Unusual Pen Pal
+++TO: Inquisitor Gregory Michael
+++FROM: Interrogator Maximus Drent
+++SUBJECT: An unusual pen pal
+++ENCRYPTION: Theta Sigma Prime
Michael,
I sincerely hope you were expecting this, otherwise we might have a problem? Either way: I have many questions.
Hope Eridani isn't treating you too rough, or at least less roughly than last time. All is well here.
Yours Quizzically,
Max
+++MESSAGE ATTACHED
+++TO: Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos, Obelisk, Cetus Major, Cetus Sub-sector, Achernar Sector
+++: ######
+++SUBJECT: ######
Cera, Inquisitor.
I have ensured the fulfillment of your terms in our entente. The passage is no more. I implore you to meet this gesture with your own: the release of our kin, both living and those bound within spiritstone.
I beseech this as a token of your earnest desire for mutual amity, both in the spirit of the accords we struck and of things mended.
I await.
ʊ.
+++MESSAGE ENDS
+++TO: Interrogator Maximus Drent
+++FROM: Inquisitor Gregory Michael
+++SUBJECT: Re: An unusual pen pal
+++ENCRYPTION: Theta Sigma Prime
Dear Max,
I think that, short of death, few things would count as being treated as roughly as taking a Necron phase blade to the face; but unfortunately I seem to have found at least one of them. In brief, Craftworld Aeldari tried to capture me, and when I escaped them they did not take losing gracefully. Still, the Raven Guard have continued to provide excellent medical services. It seems they consider having all the muscles in your back lacerated by xenos shuriken to be more of a painful irritation than a career ending debilitation.
I’m pleased that things are going well in Achernar. Personal problems aside, Eridani is turning into something of a warzone. The Pheraean Rift might actually be of some benefit here, at least to Achernar, as it forms something of a barricade and prevents things from spreading rimward.
Mysterious indeed but not entirely unexpected. The sender came through as gibberish to me, but see if Winnie can send this back the same way.
Best Regards,
Michael
+++MESSAGE ATTACHED
+++TO: ######
+++FROM: Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos, Obelisk, Cetus Major, Cetus Sub-sector, Achernar Sector
+++SUBJECT: ######
Cerkish, ʊ.
Thank you for disconnecting the webway gate, I believe that to have been in both our best interests. Regardless of that, I told you I wished to return to you Anhrathe Ashrah or, if he died, his carrecenad. I keep my word and I am pleased to be able to return him to you alive. Let me know how you would like to arrange a transfer.
He shared with me a little of the intentions of your kinsman Vahlkaer. Vahlkaer wishes to cripple the Imperium and watch us be overrun by the violent races that, conveniently for him, are already rising up across the sector. I hope you do not allow yourself to become another of his tools, like the Orkead and the IllMureead.
I do not wish to be your foe, the anomaly we call the Pheraean Rift is a risk to both our peoples and I believe we could cooperate to our mutual benefit.
Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos
+++MESSAGE ENDS
+++MESSAGE REDIRECTED+++
+++TO: Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos, Obelisk, Cetus Major, Cetus Sub-sector, Achernar Sector
+++FROM: ######
+++SUBJECT: ######
Vahlkaer is a gifted weaver of fates in his own right, though to what end he seeks this bloodshed is veiled to me and mine. I offer you this, Inquisitor: whilst we cannot intervene, his designs are not ones that my craftworld seeks, nor shares.
I am gratified to know that our Ulthwe cousin remains whole and my host would move to reclaim them from your charge. We would also reclaim the three carrecenad hitherto gifted to you by Martellus Lucullus.
I seek to suggest a mutually palatable location where we may perform such a task. Would one of the moons in the system you have named Cynane suffice? As I am to understand, few of your (or any) kind linger there, and those that do would have little means of reaching us. It could also provide fertile grounds for discussing the seeds of co-operation, should you so choose.
I await.
ʊ.
+++MESSAGE ENDS
+++TO: ######
+++FROM: Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos, Obelisk, Cetus Major, Cetus Sub-sector, Achernar Sector
+++SUBJECT: ######
I did indeed receive stones from Captain Lucullus. I do not believe them to be from Iybraesil, do you know their origin? They are not currently available to me, although rest assured that they are currently safe and within my control and no-one elses. In the future when I have a chance to collect them I would be glad to return them to you, or their rightful home, assuming we are able to cooperate.
In the name of cooperation, I propose we meet on the world we call Xise-Yuan. Coordinates attached. It is empty now, I was one of the last people to stand upon it. In the fullness of time it will be re-settled, but for now we will be undisturbed as I transfer Anhrathe Ashrah into your care. I think you will find the story of why this world came to be empty quite enlightening, and there are some things I can show you.
Inquisitor Michael, Ordo Xenos
+++MESSAGE ENDS