HisRigHan Chpt 9

==His Right Hand - Chapter 9 -==
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===Delivery of a Message===
 Turbline System, Periphery3132
Zaphkiel was one jump away from Turbline. The re-enforcement of that system was his cover. He wanted to set foot on a new Blakist world. He wanted to see the resources, the masses, the progress. He also had a goal. With him he had brought a bunch of the ascended Manei Domini. It was time to honor Deback for everything he had done for the Word. Three months they had made jump after jump. It would have taken longer but the improvements Ramus had done with the Turbline KF Drive cut it in half. Finally when they had jumped into the system, Zaphkiel experienced blackness and the sucking feeling of his life was trying to be removed from his body. Then they emerged and intact. He made a note to talk to Ramus about this oddity.
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Codes and FFL were handed out and Zaphkiels DropShip made its way. Five days later, the Heres Domini landed on Turbline. No fanfare was made for him as he wanted to walk unrecognized amounts the citizens there. Even amounts his filii. He wanted to gauge Turblines disposition to The Word. What he found left him wanting. Baltmare was a pinnacle of the faith. Blake and Corden murals were all over the place. Teachings and lines from the book inscribed here and there. The old stone and wooden structures were slowly being replaced to higher technological levels.
He talked to the different citizens in their taverns and sometimes their homes. There was no fear of the Manei Domini here. The frails treated him like he was one of them. It was a renewed feeling. The Manei Domini were respected in the colonies. Maybe feared at times, but it was because of their reputation. Here the reputation was of saviors and their sacrifice to mankind recognized. He was fully awed and humbled by what Deback had accomplished here. Enough that his final decision held full merit.
Then he got to see the night haunts in person. The docile ones were a fascinating thing. Being so close to touch the tamed ones and learning that they were kept as... pets. So strange. To think that these things kept mankind down on this planet and now they lived in some homes. The christian sect that had been discovered and brought over had changed Baltmare some. They had been met with open arms, but the night haunts they kept and regarded as family felt alien.
The research facility on the plateau was also an eye opener. There in strict secret he visited the researchers there. They had no idea who he was until he announced his presence at the end. He had tried to calm them but they bounced to and fro attending to him. Frails, what can you do. Maybe it was the cult of personality. Maybe it was his authority. It didn't matter. What he saw there only confirmed that the species would remain on Turbline and the Turbline Protocol would stay forever.
As he boarded his Dropship to return to the main continent, he executed the orders he had been sitting on. A message was sent out to Deback to come to his Dropship when it landed.
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===Long awaited Path===
Main Continent
Turbline, Periphery3132
Deback entered the DropShip wondering who had summoned him. He entered a briefing room that held a single man with his hood up. He was gestured to sit before him and only when he had lowered it did it hit him. Deback bowed his head and then raised it.
"You have done a fine job on Turbline. I have been here for a month walking amongst the populace. I am humbled. I am grateful. You have been the blessing The Word could not thank you enough for. The resources here in this system are bringing about JumpShip and warship production the likes the inner sphere has never seen. Already construction facilities have been completed."
"Thank you heres domini. I serve Blake and his will."
"And more. I want you to wait here for a little bit and then you will be summoned. In the mean time. I want you to chagne into these robes and mediate on what you have accomplished here."
"Yes, Heres Domini."
Zaphkiel left the room and Deback pondered the sudden appearance of Heres Domini. He sat in supplication and thought about what the past years had brought. His family. His time in the the riders. His conversion to the Word. The loss of his mentor. The time he never got to visit Corden's blast site. He sighed. He should do that sooner as the mop up operations still kept on going on after the years.
Then something jolted Deback. He lost site in his true eye and his left arm fell limp. He started to panic and then gathered himself. Fear is a sin. He was better than that. Focusing his mind he hit a console to report his situation.
"Be at peace Deback. Mediate now on your blessings you had. Feel your sinful flesh. Understand what and who you are." Then the line went dead.
Deback was at odds what was going on, but maintained his composure. After what seemed like hours, a tech came and got him. He was escorted outside onto the DropShip ramp and what greeted him astounded him. The masses had been gathered. The Manei Domini in front. Turblines in the back. To his left Zaphkiel stood near him. To his right he recognized Precentor Obeedah Mot and the AI Aegaeon being holo projected from Obeedah. Then Precentor Tauseen being projected as well. They nodded to him and in turn he did. Zaphkiel looked at Deback, nodded, then turned to the masses.
"Blake eleison!"
"BLAKE ELESION!"
"Terra elesion! Mea Culpa Terra! We are gathered here to honor Phantom Precentor Omega Deback, The Right Hand of Corden. Here he stands as a frail. His true blessings not of himself."
The Manei Domini looked at him. In the past it would have been hate. Instead here they had pity. They saw him as a frail right now.
"Disrobe, Deback."
Deback was startled by it and did so. His naked flesh was exposed to the masses. He did not understand what was going on.
"Walk to them. Show them your corruption."
Deback went down into the front ranks of the Manei Domini. He recognized them and who they were. They circled him, joined hands, and began to chant.
"Benedictus Blake. Benedictus Nomen Sanctum eius."
Blessed be Blake. Blessed be his holy name.
"Benedictus Toyama Conrad, verus hom, et in Sanctis."
Blessed be Conrad Toyama, true man and saint.
"Benedictus Terra, homo canabula."
Blessed be Terra, cradle of man.
"Benedictus technologies, homo artifiosus."
Blessed be technology, the works of man.
"Benedictus manei, prausel presul Terra."
Blessed be the Hands, protectors of Terra.
"Benedictus sanctus Apollyon, The Master, Berith, Corden."
Blessed be Appolyon, The Master, Berith, Corden.
"Benedictus Heres Domini. Magister Cor eius Decretum."
Blessed be heres domini. Master of the sacred order.
"What is your purpose, Deback!"
"I am Manei Domini.", Deback replied
"Why are you here!"
"To bring light to the Turbline system. To guide mankind into the destiny foretold by Blake and the Blessed Saints. To bring the message of the Iron Father to all."
"Frail is the flesh. An imitation of sin. Upkept by blessings of technology where flesh fails. Behold his blessings!"
Deback's cybernetics engaged again and searing pain stabbed into his flesh.
"Blake eleison! Blake eleison! Confiteor confireor filii!"
"Blake have pity! Blake have pity! Confess confess to your brothers!"
Deback felt the words in his mind. Confession. He remembered the words Corden had shared with him in his last days. His own confessions of seeing things. VDNI hallucinations. Here he was now in front of his breatheren and his Turbline family. He felt the guilt deep down. Always busy. Always distracted. He knew what he needed to confess!
"I am sinful! I have been lacking in my own faith! I have not kept my own word to visit Cordens sacrifice! I am not worthy of being his Right Hand! Mea culpa! Mea maximua cupla Corden!!!"
The burning pain was going away. He could see out of his true eye again.
"Misereatur tui Blake, et, dismissis peccastis tuis, preducat te ad vitam aeternam."May Blake have mercy upon you, your faults forgiven, your life now everlasting.
"Rise as you are no longer Deback. That past has been burned away. From this moment on you are Zagagel. Archangel of Guardians. Right Hand of Corden."
Deback thought to himself. I have been ascended! I have been ASCENDED! Deback... no Zagagel he thought to himself, this would take some time. Zaphkiel started down the DropShip ramp raising his hands up in supplicaton.
"Benedictus Phantom Precentor Omega Zagagel. Dextera Manu Corden!"
Blessed be Phantom Precentor Omega Zagagel. Right Hand of Corden!
"BENEDICTUS!" Responded the the crowd.
Zaphkiel approached Zagagel. Heres Domini saw in his eyes what had been confessed. Saw the deep pain that was there. He remembered the youths fanatism and dedication the day he met him. Here it had been replaced with something else. Zagagel needed to go on his own missionary experience.
"Go, Zagagel. Go and see your mentors resting place. I have heard your out cry. You have waited too long. I am here now to keep command in order. Take the time you need and GO!"
Zaphkiel took Zagagel's hands and they joined in the circle of their brothers. They too blessed him and bid him to go. He then left and ascended the ramp and put on his new robe. Both precentors of Obeedah and Tauseen nodded to him and then winked out. Zagagel then entered into the DropShip. His Archangel had been moved there and his team was now waiting for him. He had been ascended. One of the highest honors that any Manei Domini could ever attain. And in front of everyone. The likes of which was rarely done. He had been practically elevated to just under heres domini in rank himself. What did that mean? He didn't worry about it. He felt fire and conviction in his heart. He now was ready to see the tomb of his mentor to pay respects.
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===Watching from the sidelines===
Adept Anne had watched the entire thing from a distance. She wasn't the Word. She wasn't a Turbline. She felt that she wasn't Comstar no more. This was something she would never forget. Comstar had taught her the meaning of technology and its workings. Here though she saw a comraderie that Comstar hadn't had in some time. It was a shell of itself she finally admitted, but what to do? She was stuck on a planet of religious fanatics who would at a drop of what they called The Sign, usher in what they thought was the right thing.
She was at a loss of purpose. The work she had done when intitially arriving into this mythical place had felt right. Even adopting some of the old customs and sayings that The Word kept from the old days of Comstar. It helped her intergrate into their society. She was no longer called a heretic as she had proven herself to be at least part of the neutrals. From here on out she would have to forge her own way.
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*Chapter Notes from Author : This here is technically the end of His Right Hand. There is an epilogue I am smoothing out that could be considered another chapter. For those that like an end to a story I would consider this it. But wait, there is more coming if you want it...
For now...
I want to thank everyone that has read this and enjoyed it.
I want to thank the youtube channel A Vox in the Void. If not for his style of narration, I wouldn't have the writer voice in my head as I see this story put out.
I want to thank HABeas2 for his PM clarification on WoB lore and for Ghosts of Obeedah. The frame work of that publication made this story possible.
I want to thank CORE/VOID if they ever read this. Been gone a half year due to this guys.
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Chapter 9