Silver Skulls: Portents

by S P Cawkwell

  There was a moment’s silence during which the Head Prognosticator registered his Chapter Master’s shock at the words. Then the older Space Marine placed his hand down on the table.

  ‘You have anxieties that the Inquisition will question our practices. My practices. Those of the Prognosticatum.’ Again, it was not a question.

  ‘They are our traditions. Looking to you, our advisers, has always been the way that we have divined our course. We have never had cause to explain this to anybody before. No, it cannot be that simple.’

  ‘Do you believe so?’

  The two warriors locked gazes for a while. Argentius looked away first, unable to submit to Vashiro’s scrutiny for extended periods. It was as though he were transparent and every thought and feeling was on display for the psyker to see.

  ‘We will discover the truth soon enough,’ said Argentius. ‘For now, she awaits in orbit. I have heard nothing further from her so it appears that her “matter of grave urgency” is not so very grave.’

  ‘Settle yourself, my lord.’ Vashiro opened the bag of runes and scattered them into an untidy pile on the table before him. ‘Do not look upon this intrusion as a hindrance. Instead consider the honour that the Inquisition do our Chapter by arriving here.’

  ‘The honour?’ Argentius could not keep the incredulity from his voice.

  ‘Aye, my lord.’ Vashiro took up a single silver rune and let it dance across the back of his knuckles; a simple sleight-of-hand exercise, just one of many he employed to keep his senses sharp. ‘What better opportunity to create a good impression than in front of one of the Ordo Hereticus? Do we know anything about her methods?’

  ‘There is nothing available in current records,’ replied the Chapter Master. In truth, Vashiro’s words had pulled him up short. He had been so absorbed in considering all the negative reasons the Inquisition could have arrived on Varsavia that the positive element to their presence had not featured at all. ‘But then, communications take a long time anywhere in the Imperium. Our most recent records do not return her name. She is either new, or simply more covert than those of whom we are aware.’

  ‘Then it is vitally important that we impress upon her our fealty to the Golden Throne. That will not be a difficult task. Select your honour guard with care.’ A ghost of a smile flickered across the psyker’s face. ‘I would avoid putting Brother Djul and Brother Gileas into that party… at least not together.’

  ‘You heard about that, then?’ Argentius shook his head. Phrixus had been duty-bound to report the matter to the Chapter Master and as of yet, Argentius had not addressed the situation. Instead, he had engineered situations that had kept the two from coming into contact with one another until he could speak with them formally about it.

  ‘I did. It is an unfortunate situation you have to deal with. Both of our brothers are headstrong and courageous. Both have very different outlooks on the future of the Chapter. Bringing those two viewpoints together into a shared vision will be an arduous task.’ Vashiro studied the rune in his hand. ‘Arduous, but certainly not impossible.’

  ‘Wise words. I will leave both for now. Kerelan, obviously. Yourself. Phrixus. Bhehan?’ The Head Prognosticator shook his head; a barely perceptible movement. ‘Not him. Sensible.’

  ‘Allow one of the new psychic intake to attend,’ suggested Vashiro. ‘Nicodemus has great potential and is a good listener. He is young and observant and has not yet had time to settle into what some might perceive as our more… unusual habits.’

  ‘Agreed. Of course, I may yet decide to greet her alone.’

  Vashiro gave another of his enigmatic smiles and dropped the silver rune back into the bag at his waist.

  ‘As my Chapter Master wishes,’ he affirmed.

  ‘Then I will send word to the inquisitor,’ said Argentius. ‘Time to fetch her down here and find out what it is that she wants with the Silver Skulls.’

  Nine

  Duty’s Call

  Argentius had expected a full retinue to accompany Callis to the surface of Varsavia, but when the visitors emerged from the Thunderhawk, there were only three of them. Two were tall, one wearing a long black coat over the immaculate uniform of a soldier of Astra Militarum. Argentius did not recognise the heraldry on the breast of the man’s coat. The other was a slight creature, swaying in the katabatic winds that gusted from the mountains with unbridled savagery. He was clad in thick, heavy robes that hung from his gaunt frame. Argentius studied him for a moment longer, taking in the body language; the set of the shoulders that spoke of disapproval, and the shadow of contempt on what could be seen of his face beneath the hood.

  Standing between them was a petite, slim woman who seemed little more than a child swathed in a dark, floor-length hooded coat. As Argentius strode towards them her features came into sharp focus. She was in possession of flawless, alabaster-pale skin that was slightly reddened by the bite of the wind. ‘A lazy wind,’ Argentius remembered a long-dead battle-brother calling it once. ‘Just as soon go through you as around you.’

  The woman stood a little ahead of her two male companions, straight and proud, and her gaze turned towards the Chapter Master as he approached. One eye was augmetic; an obviously expensive implant that had no doubt been handcrafted at great cost for her. The other was bright blue, cold as the ice that surrounded them. Her lips pursed slightly as she boldly took in Argentius. Her eyes ranged up and down the Chapter Master of the Silver Skulls, weighing him up. He met her scrutiny with mild aloofness. She may have been an inquisitor, certainly… but he was a Space Marine. He was her superior in virtually every way.

  He had chosen to meet her wearing his ceremonial plate. It was the same brushed steel as the rest of the Chapter livery, but with gold scrollwork that marked his position as an individual of note. A fur-edged cloak of deep wine-red fluttered from his shoulders, snapping in the wind where he stood.

  On further consulting with Vashiro and based on his own instincts, Argentius had elected to meet the inquisitor alone. It would undoubtedly impress her more and help to convey that he had nothing to hide.

  The inquisitor ceased her scrutiny and dropped a low, courteous bow. Her coat flared out behind her and when she rose again, there was nothing but respect on her face.

  ‘Hail and well met, Lord Commander Argentius,’ she said. ‘I am Inquisitor Liandra Callis. Thank you for extending me the honour of meeting you here in this most sacred of places. I apologise for any inconvenience that my unexpected arrival in your system may have caused. My ship is… ageing, and our cogitators and communications are less than reliable. I trust that we did not put you to any trouble?’

  Her formal greeting surprised Argentius. He had been expecting an immediate demand for escort indoors from the freezing air. He inclined his head and returned the formality in kind. If she was capable of making an effort, then it would cost him nothing to respond in like manner.

  ‘You do me and my ancestors a great honour by recognising the sanctity of the fortress-monastery, Inquisitor Callis. Rest assured that the initial hostility that you may have felt we exhibited was nothing but precautionary.’

  ‘Commendable,’ she said with a terse nod. ‘Such actions are preferable to allowing miscreants and traitors to roam freely through your sector.’

  Argentius smiled and it was warm and honest. ‘Formalities over, perhaps I might invite you within the fortress-monastery proper? The conditions here are not kind to those who are unused to them.’ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the robed man nod enthusiastically.

  ‘That would be acceptable,’ came the short response from the inquisitor. ‘I ask that you extend the same courtesy to my companions.’ She indicated the men at her side. ‘These individuals are my chosen protectors and where I go, they go.’

  The bigger of the two men stepped forward and made the sign of the aquila across his chest. ‘Harild de Corso, regimental sniper, S
iculean Sixth, my lord. An unfailing honour to meet you.’ There was something instantly likeable about the man. There was charm oozing from every pore and his smile was warm, calculated to put people at their ease.

  This may have been a tactic that worked on normal men, but Argentius did not count amongst that number. He saw the smile for what it was and filed a mental note not to trust this de Corso until he proved himself. Regardless, he bowed his head in acknowledgement of the man’s perfectly rehearsed respect. He could play a role when it suited him as well.

  ‘And this is Nathaniel,’ the inquisitor said when the other man did not seem inclined to say anything. The scrawny figure finally looked up, the soft hood falling back enough to expose his face. Argentius immediately noted the brand across his eye. The inquisitor looked at the psyker, who lightly shrugged one shoulder. It was a barely noticeable gesture, but Argentius was used to spotting such things.

  ‘Nathaniel Gall,’ the psyker finally said, as though reluctant to give away something as important as his name.

  ‘Nathaniel is one of my chief advisers,’ said Inquisitor Callis, and Argentius kept a smile from his face at the look of pleasure this simple sentence brought to the psyker’s eyes. ‘Both him and Captain de Corso are cleared for maximum security and can be fully trusted.’

  ‘Captain?’ Argentius turned back to the sniper, who smiled broadly. This particular smile, however, was entirely honest and eminently more likeable for that simple fact. The Chapter Master’s single-word question required no expansion and de Corso answered straight away.

  ‘Imperial Guard,’ he said, his pitch modest. ‘I admit, I long fell out of the habit of using my rank when introducing myself. My role within the Inquisition is so far removed from what I was back then.’

  The Chapter Master was intrigued by the offhand manner in which these three humans had reacted in the presence of a huge warrior of the Adeptus Astartes. Argentius was accustomed to those not of the fortress-monastery’s complement of staff reacting with awe and instant respect when faced with the massive reality of an Emperor’s Angel. The inquisitor and her bodyguards, however, seemed indifferent to him. They had dealt with Space Marines before, then. A useful nugget of information that he stored away.

  ‘If you would care to follow me,’ he said, ‘I will take you to a place where you can warm yourselves. We have arranged refreshments and sustenance for you.’ This at least sparked an obvious reaction in the psyker’s eyes. ‘When you are ready, we can talk.’

  ‘I am ready to talk now, Lord Commander,’ said Callis with a brief smile. ‘But I would not wish to offend your sensibilities by refusing a gracious offer of hospitality. Please lead on.’

  She was charming; there was no better word for it. Argentius had not crossed paths with many inquisitors, but this Callis was certainly different to the bombastic demagogues he had previously encountered. He did not doubt for one second that she was every bit as ruthless as her fellows; she would not have reached the rank that she held if she were weak. But she seemed oddly deferential. Perhaps she had adopted such an approach as her signature style of investigation.

  He led the visitors in through the fortress-monastery gate, beneath the huge, vaulting entrance that opened into an enormous courtyard. Here, at ground level, were small dwellings designed for the Chapter’s many serfs. The psyker seemed interested in the architecture and frequently pointed out things to the inquisitor in his soft voice. Here he would note the probable age of a curtain wall; there he would observe the style of a turret.

  ‘You will have to forgive Nathaniel, my lord,’ said Callis eventually with a small laugh. ‘He likes to study, and the Space Marines are a subject open to very few.’

  ‘He must be powerful.’ The observation was candid. ‘To face the perils of the Ruinous Powers and live so long.’ The Chapter Master pitched the words very carefully towards the inquisitor, but it was the psyker who replied.

  ‘I have my uses,’ was all he said. Callis shot a silencing glare at him, the bionics in her eye clicking softly. In that one look, Argentius learned all he needed to learn about Liandra Callis. She might appear charming and refined on the surface, but there had been daggers in that stare.

  ‘Nathaniel is one of my best operatives,’ she said simply, as though Nathaniel himself were not even there. ‘His devotion to the Golden Throne is without question and his skill is guided as much by his powers of observation as by his ability to channel power from the warp. His level of self-control has left me breathless before.’ She frowned. ‘He does, I’m afraid, have a tendency to open his mouth and speak without giving his brain a chance to intervene.’ De Corso chuckled softly at this and picked up the thread seamlessly.

  ‘Nathaniel has proven his worth over and over again. He asked specifically to accompany the inquisitor and myself here on this visit. He is greatly interested in your Prognosticatum, my lord.’

  Now we come to it, thought Argentius as they passed through another vaulting archway that led to a vast stone staircase. Following this down would bring them out on the first of the fortress-monastery’s many subterranean levels.

  ‘A purely academic interest, my lord,’ interjected Nathaniel with a swift smile. ‘Nothing more.’

  Argentius nodded. He’d not spoken the thought aloud. Strangely, the psyker plucking it from his mind did not bother him in the slightest. Vashiro did the same thing constantly. It did, however, remind him of the Head Prognosticator’s words that he should guard his thoughts more carefully.

  Three levels beneath the surface was the hall that the Silver Skulls had long since set aside for meeting off-world Imperial personnel. It was a plainly furnished room, with a polished table at its centre surrounded by a number of chairs. It was clear from their size and construction that they were designed for humans rather than Space Marines.

  A tray containing refreshments had been left on the table, including a jug of steaming recaff, its bitter scent permeating the air of the room. Argentius indicated the table.

  ‘Please sit,’ he said formally. ‘Help yourselves. I will fetch my senior council and bring them here to meet with you.’ Callis bowed her head politely.

  ‘You do me great honour, Chapter Master.’ She indicated to de Corso and Nathaniel that they should get themselves a mug of recaff, which they both did with great enthusiasm. They may have been stoic above ground, but Argentius knew well how the cold of the planet bored into the bones. He noted also that the psyker fetched the inquisitor a drink before he got his own, and the look of pleasure on the pinched, warp-aged face when she thanked him. Argentius was not without his own powers of observation.

  ‘Is it acceptable for me to smoke in here?’ The sniper asked the question and waved a packet of lho-sticks around. Argentius turned a thoughtful gaze on the human.

  ‘I have never understood why anybody would indulge in a pastime that polluted their lungs and invariably contributes to their early death,’ he replied in the fullness of time, ‘but please feel free to kill yourself.’

  De Corso put the pack of lho-sticks away, visibly deflated by the Chapter Master’s painfully clinical assessment of his vice.

  Having so spoken, the Chapter Master left the inquisitorial retinue to their own devices and headed to fetch the rest of his party. Some of the uncertainty that he had known on hearing she was coming down to the planet had fled. If she had been desperate to pin heresy on a young Prognosticator who had done nothing more than what it had taken to deal with a clear and present danger, she would have come straight to the point.

  Something else, then. Argentius had moved from cautious to intrigued.

  ‘Are you sure you’re comfortable, Chapter Master?’

  The inquisitor’s voice was filled with polite concern. She and her companions were seated at the long wooden table and the four attending Space Marines stood around them in a neat semicircle.

  ‘Perfectly, inquisitor.’r />
  ‘If you wished to reconvene in a room that was more suited to warriors of your…’ She paused and Argentius had the fleeting impression that she had been going to say ‘size’. Instead, she was more diplomatic with her words. ‘…warriors of your stature, then I would not be insulted.’

  ‘Our comfort is not an issue, inquisitor. Please. Say what you have to say so that we may better understand what we may do to assist you.’ Argentius had fought campaigns that had seen him standing on his feet for days, even weeks at a time. Standing in a room with three humans was no hardship.

  He had introduced his three companions – Vashiro, Kerelan and the young Nicodemus – and each had said nothing beyond simple words of formality before lapsing into stern silence. They stood stock-still, like monochromatic statues. Nathaniel’s eyes had lingered for a while on Vashiro before switching to Nicodemus and it was evident even to Argentius that the psykers were testing the limits of one another’s latent abilities. Eventually, the sanctioned psyker seemed satisfied with whatever he had gleaned and leaned back in his seat.

  ‘As you wish, Chapter Master. I appreciate your desire for candidness. The fact of the matter is exceptionally simple. I need your assistance to quash an uprising.’ She reached into an inner pocket of her coat and drew out an exquisitely wrought silvery disc. The carvings on its exterior were beautiful and she handled it with great care. She twisted it slightly and set it in a new configuration before placing it gently down on the table.

  ‘The Valorian system,’ she said as a hololithic display flickered into being. The quality was poor at best, but it was possible to extract information. ‘Specifically, this planet. Valoria Quintus. Fifth planet from the sun and the source of this information.’ The hololith zoomed in on the planet she described. There was nothing particularly special about it; it was the same as any number of other blue-green planets that the Silver Skulls had ever encountered.