Vendetta-Grimm omens campaign

 

Wreck of the Sejanus- Inquisitor Iris led her strike force into the wreck of the Sejanus.  There in the center lay the corpses of the guardsmen who had survived the crash.  The sisters of battle moved out and formed a protective ring as Iris examined the bodies.  Iris could sense the work of Grimm in this.  The wreck had been stripped.  Grimm had moved on and her hunt would continue.  Iris sensed a sudden surge of warp energy.  The bodies glowed with witchlight and began to merge into a undead chimera composed of corpses.  Shouts of alarm sounded.  Grimm was here.  It was a trap.  Iris used her warpsight to see the runes carved into the one corpse.  She leveled her condemner boltgun even as undead hands seized her ankles.  She fired the witch bolt into the corpse with the ruins.  The anathema power of the bolt stake burned the corpse to ash.  With it destroyed the spirits animating the corpse chimera were untethered and vanished like smoke into the ether.

     "Ambush!" Iris yelled as she prepared for the onslaught.

Grimm voxed his forces as the psi trap he laid activated.  These imperials would be trapped.  His corpse chimera would be holding them ensnared and ripe for slaughter.  His forces moved in and Grimm could hear the vindicator firing to trap the imperials within the wreck.  He and his chosen sprinted in ahead of the rest of his warband.  A sister of battle squad was suddenly before him.  The chosen hacked them apart before they could even fire.  Grimm felt surprise as he saw his corpse chimera was no more as he turned to face the remaining sisters of battle.

Iris issued orders even as Grimm cut down the squad of battle sisters.  "Repentia and squad Angelis with me.  Kill the heretic!  The rest breakout aft and rip their trap asunder!"

     The battle sisters attacked at once blasting the vindicator and setting it ablaze while dominions blew the helbrute off it's feet with concentrated melta fire.

     The sisters fired at the chosen and Iris stepped forward at Grimm.  She fired once and the stake ripped into Grimm's shoulder pinning him to the skeletal birders of the wreck and causing him to howling in agony.  Before he could pull himself free she fired again and pinned his other shoulder to the frame.  Iris read shock and surprise from this arch heretic. 

     "By the authority of the Emperor I declare you traitor and sentence you to death!" She roared.

Pinned and helpless she unleashed her full psychic might into the would be warlord.  Blood flew and he slumped his head and lay still, pinned and covered in his own blood.  The repentance slammed into the chosen and a terrible bloody melee erupted.  Iris keyed the vox.

     " Mission success the heretic is dead!  All units withdraw!  Repentance form the rear guard," she ordered.

Harkon heard the cries proclaiming the death of Grimm.  he did not believe it, that would mean mission failure.  He heard vox cries as the sisters fought their way out of the trap.  arcoflaggelants had disabled the venomcrawler and the cultists were fleeing.  Harkon motioned his squad forward towards where the chosen were battling the repentia rearguard.  

     "Why bother Grimm is dead, we need to position ourselves carefully ." Kyhber the cruel said from his squad.  Harkon turned then.

      "What would you have us do brother?" Harkon asked without malice in a curious tone.

     Khyber never had a chance to answer as the envenomed power dagger that Harkon had hidden in his palm slashed his throat and he tumbled gurgling.

     "I am in charge and I gave the order to move."  harkon said in a calm measured voice.

     no one else argued and they raced to where Grimm was transfixed bleeding profusely.  The repentia all lay dead cut down by the chosen.  The chosen looked at harkon as he ran up.  Grimm was not dead but he was in a coma and would be soon if nothing was done.

     "order an extractation and get him to the medicae aboard the "Dread Lord" Harkon ordered the chosen.  He then voxed the rest of the ambush party.  Cease pursuit and fall back upon the wreck.  Recover our dead and wounded and strip the enemy fallen.  When the cultists arrive I want their leader impaled upon a spar to die slowly." Harkon ordered as he removed his helm and cracked open the head of a fallen sister of battle.

    "What are you doing?" asked one of the chosen.

     "We need intelligence, who was this foe?  I shall eat of this one's flesh and discover the answer.  Now see to our lord." Harkon ordered before eating a handful of the sister and absorbing her memories.

     Grimm awoke from his coma a week later on board his cruiser the "Dread Lord"  He sensed his ship was underway and felt a sting of betrayal and then he saw harkon standing over him.

     "You have recovered lord," Harkon said levelly.

     "Disappointed Harkon?" Grimm asked acid in his tone.

     "No Lord," harkon answered. "I have a full status report when you are ready."

     "You did not usurp my command?" Grimm asked warily.

     "No lord, Abaddon would not look upon it kindly if your mission failed and as he chose you for the task I must see you through for the legion and the warmaster." Harkon said in a level voice.

     "then tell me Harkon how long have I been out and what has occured." Grimm ordered.

      "You have been in a coma for the past week.  I assumed temporary command of the mission.  The Inquisitor and her strike force have fled.  It seems this Inquisitor Iris was hunting you specifically.  She seems to specialize in the hunting and killing of powerful psychers.  At the moment she believes she has killed you." Harkon said straight faced and calm.

     "You know this how?" asked Grimm.  "You took a prisoner?"

     "No lord i ate of their dead." Harkon answered.

     "That is to my advantage.  You will tell me all you have learned of this Inquisitor Iris later, first where does the "Dread Lord" go?" Grimm demanded.

     "The strike force sighted a cobra class destroyer of the Imperial navy that mutinied and have been acting as pirate raiders out of the rift.  They spotted it making for a settlement on deserted planet not far from here.  The sisters wanted to destroy them but the Inquisitor forbid it as her mission was to kill you and that had priority.  We need more strength if we are to operate here.  And we need more information.  I have set course to raid this lair.  We can take the ship as our own and force the renegades to serve us.  It will bolster our strength.  They also will have astrogation and navigation information on this region that can aid our mission." harkon said.

     It made sense and Grimm looked at him.  "You have done well harkon.  i will lead us then and collar these renegades to my will.  We will be even stronger when this Inquisitor Iris learns of her failure and comes again.  You are right they will have valuable information.  I will see them broken and then yoked to our cause. I will see you on the bridge in an hour for a council of war with all my commanders."

     Harkon saluted fist to chest and left.  Harkon felt unease grip him as he turned.  Harkon needed to be watched.  Grimm needed to be sure of his loyalties.

     Harkon marched then to the bridge.  Grimm was back in control.  He had not failed in his duty.  He would have to be careful now though.  Grimm was paranoid, he had to be in the Black Legion if he was to keep his command.  The clearing of the renegade nest would be a brutal cull and subjugation.  harkon sighed, a bit of deception and diplomacy would see the renegades fall for even greater gain but Grimm would use terror and brutal force to achieve this objective.  Still harkon figured he might be able to suborn a few of the new conscripts into assets that could observe and report to him.  Harkon was patient.  he had to be and his precaution might even enable him to survive the paranoia of Grimm if it turned bloody.  Perhaps one day Grimm would need to be dealt with, but for now it was vital his mission succeed, so Harkon would aid him.