MLP: Magic is Heresy!

[Communist]

The Gelded Mare, 100 kloms above planet Buckinum.

"Would all acrolytes please report to the briefing room, repeat, all acrolytes to the briefing room. By the Empress's will, tarry not."

A soft voice over the tannoy echoed through the long ship, bringing some sembelence of life back into it. The Gelded Mare had been parked above the planet for the past week now, and all the crew sat waiting orders. Only those few repair bots rushed about, their squeaking wheels ominously screeching down the corridors that in some cases stretched for over a kilometre.

Checking his hooves absently in the briefing room sat the Inquisitor, a young looking stallion, black with a white mane. He wouldn't look out of place anywhere, really, but the telltale =][= shaped necklace gave off a deadly aura of it's own, marking this pony as one of great power, who could condemn a world to burn with a simple clap of his hooves.

Behind him, and the thick tinted glass, the planet of Buckinum shook under the treads of many ponies fighting for their planet, and those warped ponies trying to snatch it from them. Some of the fires could be seen even from here, but for this last week the Inquisitor Valentine DeMare had done nothing but watch, watch and wait. Well, now that would change. He just prayed to the Empress that his acrolytes didn't end up as badly as the last batch...

He straightened his black cape, mentally preparing himself for their arrival.

"Thought for the day:" he began, as a small servo-skull, a pony skull implanted with cybernetics, flicked to life. "Ah... Friendship... is... hazardous. Yes."

He coughed, and opened the doors up. It was only 1.2 kloms to their bunks, so they should be here soon... Valentine began to work his speech. "We shall strike their headquarters on our own, lightly armoured and armed. THey outnumber us only 100,000 to 1...."

Putting his hat aside, DeMare thought that one over. Might need some work.

[REDACTED]

The Gelded Mare was a fine ship, that she was. That was something Chimera couldn't deny. She was just a bit large for his taste, but who was he to complain? He had spent several days on the ship, doing nothing. He was even beginning to regret coming. He just wanted to do what he had to, and get out as soon as possible. There was little to no contact with the others aboard, he barely even knew any of their names. Save for the Inquisitor, of course.

Chimera was in the mess hall when the announcement rang throughout the ship. Somewhat reluctantly, he downed the last of his drink, threw out his trash, and put on his helmet. He was rarely seen without it. He had his reasons. As the trek down the corridor began, Chimerabegan thinking. It was like he was trekking down the hall through the stars. He was on a. . . star trek.

He was just getting tired of hearing his boots slam down on the metal floor when he reached the briefing room. He stepped in, and found he was the first one to arrive.

"Tactical Marine Chimera of the Imperial Hoofs reporting." He stated to the Inquisitor, and gave a small salute. This was his first good look at the Inquisitor. Well, the first that he cared about. Chimera's eyes ran over the Inquisitor. He certainly was intimidating, and would truly be a terrifying adversary. And, thus, he waited for the rest of his allies to come.

((OOC: Wait. The Inquisitor is a. . . male? He looked a LOT like a mare.))

[Dusty]

"Would all acrolytes please report to the briefing room, repeat, all acrolytes to the briefing room. By the Empress's will, tarry not."

Dusty tossed a look to the tech priest that was working his cybernetic lag"ما كنت تفعل؟" he shakes his head and talks in Low Gothic "you done?" the tech priest nods and closes his lag...

Walking a long the long halls of the ship was nothing new to the guard pony, he grow up in the vast underground bunker's of Tallarn and then had a new home on the vast ships of the guard. To him this was just a other hall, a other ship, a other war. He had nothing to go back to, all he can hope for is to die in the Empress's name. like ever other guard pony his life is nothing in the vast army's that no pony can dare number, he is a guard pony. and this ship is his new home and nothing more. "A Guardspony's life is to die."

Not long after he stands in fruit of the Inquisitor in his battle gear and Bedwine strapped to his side; this weapon has a longer barrel and is more fluid in its design than the standard-issue Imperial Guard pattern. His gear was the stranded for Tallarn Desert Raiders. (this) "Tallarn Desert Raiders 442nd Regiment, Dusty hooves, Sgt rank, ready to die in the name of the Empress's my lord!" he says bowing.

[Demir]

"Better be on time." Feather thought to himself, hoping to get on the Inquisitor's good side. He knew what the Inquisition was capable of at the slightest provocation, and did not want to upset them. The unfamiliar weight of a bolt pistol hung at his side, and he was slightly eager to fire it for the first time, but also apprehensive of the situation it might be used in.

He continued down the hall, shyly examining his feet, and nearly bumping into several ponies. The clinical, pristine environment of the hallway was quite different that what he was used to, having grown up on Praetoria. Drifting off into memories of his former life on Praetoria, he continued down the hallway, and soon arrived before the briefing room. He composed himself promptly, and stepped into the room.

Positioning himself in front of the Inquisitor, he bows deeply, and says, "Imperial Psyker, Feather Frost, my lord." Straightening himself up, he does his best to put on a stoic expression.

[Boss_Hoss1]

Leadfarmer groaned as the announcement sounded "Why in all that's holy do they always! ALWAYS! call these things while I am in the head?!"

There was a clattering and clanking as he scrambled to get out of the vacc ready toilet, then a steady psssssshhhhhh! as the vac toilet "flushed"

- a minute later-

A rapid gallop echoed up the hallway, then a clatter as the pony pulled up short before coming into view.

The red roan wearing an Imperial Guard uniform tried to casually walk into the room and stand at attention.

"Imperial Guard, 45th regiment from Boxer, Scout/sniper platoon, Cpl. Leadfarmer reporting for duty, SAH!"

He tried not to show any indication of his distress at meeting with an =I=nquisitor...

[Communist]

((OOC: The picture given wasn't quite intended to be the actual inquisitor, just to give an idea.))

"Ah, excellent. Well, now that we're all here..." he began, consulting his data-slate. "Or, almost all here. I believe we're still waiting on somepony, and Empress protect them if they aren't here within five."

He looked around the group he had so far, running though his mental assessment. Chimera seems the most reliable, but perhaps not quite suited to leading just yet. Sergeant Hooves seems reliable enough, but all guards serving life crimes should be watched carefully. Frost... seemed like quite a pedantic psyker, hopefully his abilities would be useful though. Corporal Leadfarmer is something of an unknown, but he seems too headstrong. I suspect the chief acrolyte will have to be the Hospitalier...

He made a point of ignoring the acrolytes in the room, checking in with the crew instead. "Are the drop pods prepared? Is my equipment ready in the armoury? I need a full analysis of Chaos taint across the planet."

I wonder how long I can leave them there before one of them cracks. Valentine thought wryly.

[Ancre]

Morning. Misericord couldn't see the sun from where she was, but she knew The Empress had her gaze on every pony in the universe. Watching them for eternity.

Morning prayers and ablutions. Her life was following the rituals of her order. She had always been very consciously following every rule, and wasn't about to stop now.

A signal echoed across the large ship. “Would all acrolytes please report to the briefing room, repeat, all acrolytes report to the briefing room. By the Empress' will, tarry not.”

Misericord raised an eyebrow. The briefing room wasn't exactly next door, and she still had a prayer to finish … Well, there wasn't anything she could do about it : “The Empress come first”, she thought.

She made her prayer short, grabbed her belongings, and walked out of her room. She put on the robes and the necklace of her order swiftly, trotting at a hastened pace. The sister mare wouldn't be late, but she wouldn't be early either.

Misericord opened the briefing's room door. She grimaced inwardly, hoping she wasn't in fact late. Everypony was already here, and the Inquisitor, a young black and white stallion, was already giving orders to the crew, making sure everything was properly done.

She waited politely for the Inquisitor to finish and introduced herself, with a clear voice. “Sororitas Acolyte Misericord reporting for duty.”

[Demir]

Feather Frost looked at the Inquisitor with a brief, but apparent expression of wonder, pondering wether the Inquisitor didn't hear him, or if he was being deliberately ignored. Dismissing it as being too quiet, he begins to look around the room, but has his attention drawn as another pony enters the room. He turns his head around to see the newcomer, and returns his gaze to the room to inspect his companions.

"Another Space Marine." He thought to himself as he turned to Chimera, becoming slightly anxious at the thoughts of what they could possibly need that kind of destructive power for.

Then, he looked at Dusty, frowning inwardly. He assumed most Guardsponies were simple creatures, and this one appeared to be no exception. All brute force, and no forethought. Although, he was slightly impressed by his Heavy Bolter.

Finally, gazing upon Leadfarmer, he was met with the same reaction. Another Guardspony. "Atleast he's a sniper." he thought, assuming it takes a lot more skill than to spray and pray like the other Guardspony.

He quickly returns his eyes to the front of the room, directed at the Inquisitor, waiting for him to address the mission at hand.

[Dusty]

Dusty did not show it, not even with his eyes. But like all he feared the Inquisitor. But the Inquisition merely performs the duty of it's office, To further fear them is redundant, to hate them, Heretical. Those more sensible will place responsibility with those who forced the hand of the inquisition. And with some fortune they may foster this hatred into purpose, and further rule their own fate by coming to the Emperor's service. And here he was. Standing in front of one ready to die.

As he stand dusty looks at the others, a sister... joy. and look at that a space marine~ they get the honer and the guard just get body bags. Talking of gourds he nods at Leadfarmer looks like he has some pony to trust even if he is not form the same world.... apsyker. Dusty has no love for them, all he can see is a walking death trap that can fall to the warp at the drop of a shell. looking back at the Inquisitor dusty looks out the thick tinted glass, and to the war blow. He hated being up here, as follow guards die in numbers that he dare not think of. He was missing the yell of tanks and the falling shells, his home was on this ship but his life was in war...one he can only wish to get to.

[Boss_Hoss1]

Leadfarmer looked at the others, his ears moving like radar arrays. The earth pony stood wondering what misbegotten mess he was in now with this assignment (whatever it was going to be), and who was most likely to have his back when the roadapples hit the air oscillation device.

The.. Inquisitor pointedly ignored them, apparenty waiting to see which of them would prove to be a heretic, well it was not gonna be him, nosiree! He did not survive the battle to save a word just to end up purged as a heretic!

He looked cooly at the Psyker, then decided the psy-pony had not determined him a threat and nodded pleasently to him.

There was a Space Marine among them too, likely a hard-nose who considers everypony here, including himself, expendable. He had no illusions that they werent expendable, he just saw no need to hurry the inevitable along with gung-ho ferver. He may or may not have your back, but standing behind him would be awfully handy in a close firefight and all that armor...

He kept his eyes from resting on the battle sister. The fillies of the Order Sororitas were as deadly as they were beautiful, and rumor had it just ogling them could bring dire punishment. -with gelding being the least of the punisments. Lets just let her show how far she will let her mane down...

He then looked to the desert garbed IG pony. At least he's a fellow ground-pounder and most likely to have his back as he would his. Maybe he could find out for sure when they tossed back sasparillas and hard ciders later.

[Communist]

After what might have been a few minutes or as much as an hour, Valentine turned back to his Acrolytes, practising his stern yet inspiring gaze upon then. (Or at least hoping that was how it appeared.)

"I'll get right to the point. As my acrolytes, you will be tested constantly, even when you sleep. Especially when you sleep." he glared at the two Imperial Guardsponies as he said that.

"Regardless, my observations have come to the following conclusions. The planet of Buckinum will at this rate fall within three days. Given the deplorable state of the economy and their crime rates, I find this fact..." he paused for maximum effect. "...Irrelevant. However, the taint of the Dark Gods created this unrest and civil war. This taint is coming from Buckinum palace. It is my intention for us to strike their palace and remove the taint. I confess, the exact repurcussions of this are as of yet unknown, but at the least it will dishearten the Royalists."

He used the term passingly, knowing they had no clue what it was about. "Lord Verrin will be pushing his forces hard, so we shall have to be rapid. I do have several ideas, but first I would like to hear yours. Tell me, acrolytes. The enemy king is in his castle. How shall we strike him?"

[Dusty]

"my lord, if ah may." Dusty bows "From what ah know the city's east walls are week and open. He has moved must of his army to the west to hold back the guard. My lord ah can lead group of tanks in to this oping fast as the sand storms of my home. We well blast open his doors before he can even move his solders. But if we can it may be best to do some heavy shelling ware his mane army is, this well trick him in to thinking that well me a mane way in. We well dig in and never think to look at his open flank. But that us just my plan my lord, your fare wiser then this guards pony." he looks back up at the Inquisitor with the same hard look. He has lead his men to war on Orks, and he hopes what he uses to wipe them out well work here too. But he was not to happy with the land, he was use to open sands! not close in city's! but even then he knows know to do it. He like all Tallarn's he grow up in underground towns and has trained in the art of underground war, what to him was close to a city just with the sky over your head.

[Ancre]

(Ooc : let's revive this thread ! )

Misericord pondered the given informations for a while. The planet was in a state of global war, the taint of Chaos emaned from the Buckinum palace ; and they had to remove it at all cost. She had little else to work on : the mission order that she had been given had given her very few actual informations, in order to protect her faith.

One of the guards proposed a frontal assault with a little army on the eastern walls. This was the guard's way, as subtle as a large tank, but it wouldn't be enough to remove the taint from the planet. A global war meant that armed forces were far bigger than anything they could control. And they would lose precious time in organizing such an attack, when they had to strike fast.

Perhaps a better idea would be ...

"My lord, if I may," Misericord started, detailing her plan. "Brute force alone will not give us the King's head, if the entire planet is at war. I do not know what defenses against teleportation the castle have ; nor the obstacle we may encounter once inside, but we surely have its maps. We could use an army's strike, if we have one, as a decoy to infiltrate the castle, penetrate it deeply, and strike once we've entered its heart."

There would be less need to purge an armed force of its renegate members this way, giving them more time and a bait for the King. It wasn't a perfect plan - and Misericord would have to pray the prayers of contrition later this day for such a failure toward the Empress' figure - but it was a start.

[Dusty]

((YES! come on guys! we can make it LIVE!))

[Boss_Hoss1]

(I may be a bit out of turn, but it seems so is everyone else atm )

Leadfarmer looks around at the others, and listens to the other proposals, then steps forward with an ahem. "My lord, It sounds like the trend of the proposals are a distraction, and a small strike team infiltrating to do the deed."

He straightens his stance "While the distraction will doubless spend many Guardspony lives for the Honor of the Empress, it will be for naught if the King does not die. If I am not required to be part of the distraction and honor my lost unit, I feel my talents would be useful in the striike team. Get me a straight line-of-sight and even if I cannot hit the false noble, I can kill much of his protection keeping the rest of the team from taking his head."

[jim]

Metal Maker stood in the back of the room, well acquainted with the inquisitors speeches and posturing. He was the rarest of the breed on the ship, A scientist/fighter./spy. He looked on with quiet intelligence as Valentine spoke to the acolyetes and guard ponies. he wondered, not for the first time why he was called to the meeting. He had experiments to run and an operation on enemy intelligence to plan.. He kept his impatience in check as it would be bad form to oppose the inquisitor but felt that this was a major waste of his valuable time.

[Demir]

Nodding slowly, Feather Frost's mind finished processing what sister had said. He glanced around the room briefly, and said, "I couldn't agree more with what the sister has said." Drawing his breath sharply, he continued.

"I believe it would most definitely be in our best interest to maintain a certain level of, stealth. If we come guns blazing in the front door," He stops for a barely perceptible moment, looks at Dusty, and continues. "We're liable to get killed. This needs to be as discrete as possible, the less attention we draw to ourselves, the better."

After he finishes his speech, he steps back towards the bulkheads, noticing a figure he had not seen yet in his peripheral vision. Turning his head slightly, the pony comes into view and he gives the new pony an inquisitive glance.

[jim]

Feeling someone looking at him, he hesitates to respond as nis mind is full ofo ideas and plans. The Pony haas made a good point however, so he says" I agree Brother, Stealth is always preferred over frontal attacks" So saying, he turns back to the inquisitor and wonders for the first time if she should be more interactive with the others in the group facing the inquisitor

[jim]

Metal Maker grows restless with the Inquisitors hesitancy to use stealth rather than cannon fodder techniques.

Technically he is ranked higher than the inquisitor as he is a chief assassin but defers to his wishes in public. he will have words with him when they are alone, however.. They have a talented crew to form a strike force at present and he wishes it to be used as such.

He Impantiently awaits the end of the lecture so that he can make his wishes known both to the inquisitor and the higher ups

[jim]

OOC I this this rp thread has died 2/10/12