IroFath Chpt 4

==Iron Father - Chapter 4 -==
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Guards were manning the wall looking out into the night. Others were around a table drinking ale. The night watch had to be broken up because of the monotony. They were playing classic poker by betting on shifts and wages. Then one of them felt something.
"You guys feel that?" One of the guards said. Thud... The ale in one of the cups rippled.
"Its just you Rick, just get on with..." Thud. Then they all noticed that their ale cups rippled.
"Night haunt and a big one!" One of the guards yelled at the table.
They cleared out and manned the wall. The Thuds were coming more methodically. As they peered out into the night they could see nothing.
"The damn horses aren't spooked at all. You sure that is a night haunt. Might it be a earthquake?"
The night lit up with three jets of fire. The archangel appeared to descend from the night sky and landed on the wall. It strained under the weight. Guards scattered and the horses started to go bonkers. The commotion brought about alarms and people coming to see what was going on. People gawked, gaped, and pointed at the metal giant that sat on the walls. It did nothing but move its torso around looking around. Panic started to ensue until someone pointed out the Word of Blake iconography that adorned it.
"Corden has returned came cries from the crowd!" As news spread.
Then the sun came out from the mountains and illuminated the archangel from behind, just as Corden planned it. He turned on his speakers.
"I am Phantom Adept Tau Corden of the Word of Blake! Manei Domini created in the image of The Master! I am the Iron Father of Turbline! I bring justice to the all the towns. Mankind has been kept in the mud thru falsitude and deceit! The nobles have conspired together against you all. For this, I bring Blake's judgement. And it is death!!!"
Corden then pointed his ER PPCs at the nobles tower. Someone was in there and he fired.
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Bret the noble was awaken to a nightmare. On the wall stood a giant of angular metal. Four spines jutted out its back. Arms that looked like gigantic cannons. Then it spoke and he learned Corden was still alive. Fear turned to terror. He should be moving and letting the others know via the radio, but he was frozen in fear. Then he heard the pronouncement of judgement and the arm barrels pointed towards him. "NO!" came out of his mouth then blinding white light filled his eyes and then blackness.
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Twin particles of lightning struck the tower, incinerating the occupant and dislodging stones. They fell to the grond scattering anyone near the tower. Corden waited for the weapons to cycle and then chain fired them every four seconds until the tower was decimated to rubble.
"This town is now under the control of Tim the guard. His heart is pure and mind fair. Also look to the guides for guidance. I have cleansed the valley and mountains of night haunts and will erradicate them from this world. Mankind has found its birth right to the stars. For now, I go onwards to bring the other nobles their damnation for their sins."
Corden gauged the reaction of the crowds. Cheering, cheering met him.
"See Deback, what we can do. See the uplifting of their hearts. See the glorious exaltation of Blake! Witness the common mans rapture!"
"I don't know what to say, Corden."
"Then don't say anything. Just witness. Witness Blake's work."
With that, Corden jumped his mech off the wall, twisting the mech in the air. He landed in a perfect run heading to the next town. The theatrics had been perfect. Hearts and minds won. Yes, things were going according to plan.
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With four hours of travel in between each town, it would be easily to snuff out all the nobles without them knowing it. Each town had a slight variation each time Corden arrived, but in the end he left the guides in charge at each town. Baltmare was the exception due to his holy work there. Things changed when he made it to the tenth town.
It was daylight as he was approaching and he could see bodies swinging from the walls. Smoke was filling the air and as he approached he could see they were guards. Corden jetted onto the wall and what met him flabbergasted him. Store fronts were being looted, taverns burning, and homes ablaze. He flipped on his external speakers and spoke.
"I am Phantom Adept Tau Corden of the Word of Blake. Iron Father of Turbline. You will cease what you are doing immediately or I will open fire on all of you!"
Corden aimed at a burning tower he assumed was the nobles. Lightning and particles discharged wrecking the already burning structure. The effect was immediate. People stopped, dropped rocks they were throwing, and also stopped a pursuit to what were guards being hounded.
"I have one question. Is the noble here dead!"
Corden waited as the crowds got shifty looking upon the mech on their walls. Soon one man came moving thru the crowd, got on a roof, cupped his hands and shouted.
"The noble is dead. His corrupt guards punished. They..."
"Enough!!! This is not Blake's way. You burn your own home, destroy what has been built by mankinds hands, you are all frail! Are you willing to take up arms to man the walls? The guards might have been corrupt here, but they kept you all safe from the night haunts! From now on, the guides are in charge here. They will determine what guards are guilty or innocent. They will determine the punishments to be handed out. If I catch word of any harm coming to any guides or guards from here. I will return. I will annihilate your town. I will rip apart the walls to allow the night haunts to feast on you. Your children will die. You will die. Do NOT disappoint me."
With that he scanned the crowd to see their reactions and something caught his eye. Someone looking like The Master was looking at him. Cybernetics and all. That was impossible, The Master was on Terra or dead! The Master simply nodded and disappeared as some people moved past him. How? Corden shook his head. Without paying any more attention he jumped off the wall and started to make way to the next town.
Two hours later intense pain his him and the archangel stumbled.
"Corden, are you Ok."
Corden grimaced and slowed down his archangel. As it slowed the pain started to sub side.
"No Deback, I am not ok. I believe the side effects of my VDNI are starting to take hold. Even my blessed pain shunt will not stop them. I have run out of drugs that might hold at bay pain and eventual psycosis. It would have happened sooner or later. In fact I might be having hallucinations"
"You do know that there are doctors and apothecaries on this planet. Plants and drugs that you never knew about. Have you even talked to them?"
"No I have not. Thank you, Deback, when this part of the war is over. I will talk to a trusted acquaintance."
Corden increased the speed to running again. By the time of the thirtenth town night time had come. Corden again experienced pain from his VDNI. He stopped the archangel dead in its tracks. His body was being taxed to much. The cybernetics taking a toll drawing power from his biological body.
"Deback, I have to rest. I need to... rest..."
"Sleep, Corden. I have rested enough between each town. It is now my turn to watch over you brother."
Corden smiled and let the blackness envelope him. Deback was worried. He did not know how to help Corden. For the first time in his life, he prayed. He prayed to Blake to protect Corden. To allow him to complete what he had started out for this planet. Then he watched for any night haunts that dared to attack the Iron Father.
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The HPG transmission that was received was very unusual. The date stamp was old, but showed accurate against the encryption keys. The coordinates of the system that the transmission had come from was observed by special telescopic satellites. It was in some sort of nebula and the readings of mineral contents were shocking. Germanium existed in all the spectrum readings and all Republic scientist presented the data were excited at the find. The prospect of the element essential to K-F jump drive construction warranted the mission. The may day of a Manei Domini though, in iteslf, would have been utter suicide for the sender or by anyone claiming to be transmitting such a message. Because of the fact that a possible Manei Domini was alive and the minerals situation, Devlin Stone himself had handed Paladin Kendricke the orders. Take the this Manei Domini alive at all costs.
So there he was on one of the DropShips checking over the manifests and cargo. A klaxon sounded warning of jump in one minute. As the seconds counted down, Kendricke thought of what he might encounter. All the Manei Domini were dead and no sighting of any of the psychos had been reported in a very long time. They were gone at the end of the jihad that had birthed his nation. They had hunted for the missing shadow divisions and still had to locate the two hidden worlds. There was a possibility this was one of them. Then the klaxon chimed again and the jump was initiated.
Seconds later he came back to reality and intense pain. His left arm had been shifted one inch above his elbow and he was bleeding into the weightless air. Quickly he pulled off his belt and applied a tourniquet. Bearing down on it he grunted in pain but it stopped the flow. What had happened?! A sickening feeling came to him and he made his way to the DropShip airlock. It wouldn't budge. A quick check on the airlock indicator showed that the JumpShip air supply was practically gone. No. Not now, not a misjump. Was this system cursed?
He made his way to the medbay to patch the exposed flesh then went to the bridge. Engines were dead. He was truly stranded. Then he tried to radio the other two DropShips. No response. They were either empty, crew dead, or the radios were broken. He had enough food, water, and air to last awhile, but he was dead in space. Then he did the unthinkable.
"May day may day. This is Paladin Kendricke of The Republic of the Sphere. We have suffered a misjump. I am the only one alive that I know of. Jumpship is airless. Engines are dead. Two other dropships are none responsive. I am injured and my left arm is crippled. This is an emergency. Please respond."
He then hit the repeat transmission button and waited for a response. From a possible ****** blakist. A Manei Domini if true. What hell did he just jump into?!
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Almost to the last town, something was bothering Corden. It wasn't his VDNI pain. It wasn't The Master hallucination. It was the last towns almost seemed to expect them. Had a leak happened with the guides? Why did the riot happen? He would have to do some further investigation. Thinking more on it...
"Deback, is there any kind of animal that can send messages between people in the towns?"
"No, why?"
"I am disturbed that the last few towns we made it too knew we were coming in some form. Do you know of any way that the nobles might communicate?"
"I know they communicate with the handlers some how. However their lair is quite some distance from the towns."
"Is it close to instant communication? The pack that was sent against me and the others was pretty quick to have found us back then. Hold on, that might mean something, I have an idea..."
Corden engaged his onboard communications. Dialing in different channels he was not surprised by his hunch. There were radio transmissions. He then fired up his C3i computer that had lied dormant since he had been on Turbline. It might help assist him some more. There was one signal, weak, distant. Computer analysis indicated it was coming from space. Another was the dropship. Must be Aaron thought Corden.
<<"Corden you there? Come in. Corden?">>
"This is Corden, I assume you figured out how to use the radio. Go ahead."
<<"I have been trying to get a hold of you for the past few days. We have received a may day. This Paladin, Kendricke is now here and has reported misjump. I have not responded to him yet.">>
"Good, thank you for not doing so. Keep monitoring him and his situation. Is he a threat.?"
<<"Judging from his message, he is injured and stranded at his JumpShip.">>
"Aaron, this gives you more reason to finish repairs. We might need to conduct a rescue or it is ruse. I had cleared some night haunts from the mountains to Baltmare when I went there. You might want to see to getting the resources you need. Also I have a question for you. Do you know if the nobles have radio communication? Rumors. Supersition of instant communication. Magical messaging. Anything?"
<<"There has been speculation amoungst the guides that the nobles had some kind of way of talking to each other. We guides would know timings and such due to our specialty of moving people from town to town. Messengers mainly. Sure the nobles had spies within spies within spies, but there were times when things didn't seem to fit in place. Like someone knew something ahead of time in regards to important events.">>
"Thank you, I will be in touch, Blake's judgement is almost over. Corden out."
Corden kept searching the channels. There was other activity on the lower bands. VERY close activity. He tried to hone in on the transmission and got nothing. Then he took a ninety degree turn from his path.
"What are you doing Corden, we aren't moving towards the last town?" said Deback.
"I am triangulating and trying to find out an origin of radio transmission. I need to get a different angle from a different distance."
Thirty minutes later, Corden slowed down his mech. He had his sources. It was the thirteenth town and the handlers lair. They were communicating and it was also encrypted. During this time, Corden had been trying to break the encryption. Then he got an idea. The radio they were using was likely a hold over from the past. He cycled thru older codes that were never used because they were considered obsolete and easy to crack. The radio started to chatter.
(("I tell you. We are not hearing from the other towns. This Corden has been on the move, I think killing the others."))
>>"You are being paranoid. You don't know that."<<
(("If I am right, then you are also doomed because your little party we hired you for did not do its job. Curse you. After I find what is going on I will personally be visiting you."))
>>"Do not threaten me. You do not know what resources we have. You have only seen a fraction of our power. We will take care of this problem ourselves and then you will serve us. We will visit this so called Dropship and remove it."<<
Corden had heard enough. He activated the guardian ECM and began jamming signals. The response was immediate from both parties. They couldn't receive each other but he could hear them. They had cursed each other and ended their transmissions at the same time.
"Corden, the man that was being threatened was the head master of the handlers. His name is Ralen."
"What do you know about their so called power."
"I was an apprentice, Corden. I do not know."
Corden switched the channel to the dropship.
"Aaron come in, Aaron come in."
<<"Is your damn judgement done yet?">>
"No it is not. Cancel everything I asked you to do earlier. Pull in everyone that is in the valley, I repeat, everyone. Take up arms with anything that you can field in there. Consult the manuals. Seal the dropship. If you can, learn the Dropship external weapons. They are on the destructive scale as my mech. Anything that enters that valley that is not me or your guides, you send them to hell."
<<"What is going on!">>
"The nobles and handlers have access to radios or some sort of wireless communication. Very old communication radios I assume. The handlers have some kind of power they gloated about and Deback does not know what it is. It could be something from the past that came with your ancestors or something about the night haunts. I am heading towards the last town and then heading back to the dropship after this."
<<"Corden... Blake speed to you as much as I don't like what your doing. Thank you for the warning. I think you say it as, Aaron out.">> The channel went dead.
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Corden approached the walls. Heat signature showed that the guards there were up in force. More than what usually should be. As he prepared to jet into the air arrows began to fly at him. To his surprise they landed and embedded in his mech. Some hit the mechs head and some pierced the cockpit glass. Looking up he saw they were night haunt spines.
"Deback dismount now!!! Get behind the Archangel!"
"Already am, I took a few hits, but still operational."
With Deback free from the torso, Corden powered up the medium pulse lasers and set them to cycle concurrently. He raked the walls, bodies burst, stone slagged, wood burned. Another valley of arrows hit him and then something else. A few pots with fire wicks landed and the mech was engulfed in flames. Past memories flooded Corden. Fire, pain, who he was before the sacrifice of sinful flesh. He panicked. Giving into the frail sin of.. fear.
"Deback, get away, back away!!!"
He could hear Deback firing back at the guards on the wall. The heat was increasing, but he could manage. He centered and calm himself. Admonishing himself for the lapse in control. Instead he drew deep what the fire reminded him of. Anger. He fired more of the medium pulse lasers and more guards died.
"Corden, my brother... Carry Blake's torch to them. Illuminate them." Came a voice from somewhere.
Corden shook his head. Was that The Master? No, no, not now. By Blake not now. He engaged the jump jets as the next pots started to land. He made it over the wall and found the source of the canisters. He fired the ER PPCs into the catapults that had tried to cook him. The resulting chain reaction of volatile chemicals blew apart anyone near them. Corden waited for the ER PPCs to charge and blasted the main gate.
"Deback, the walls here are clear, catapults are gone, guards are running, we are going in on foot."
"What! Why. Ok, never mind, Corden. I am entering thru the main gate now."
Corden disengaged his VDNI and left the archangel on idle. He pulled out the memetic cloak and threw it around himself before grabbing the mauser 1200 and a head set radio. He opened the cockpit hatch and a chainlink ladder fell out. Taking the edge, he closed the cockpit hatch then slid down. He met up with Deback who was firing on anything that seemed like a threat.
"This town is different. More militaristic. You will be the hammer Deback, lead the way, I will follow."
Deback started forward while Corden went at a walking speed making sure the memetic cloak could keep its camoflage of bent light. The main gate to the inner complex was ahead. Deback made short work of any resistance before a portcullis fell in front of the doors.
"Deback, missiles."
Deback took aim for the first time in his life and engaged the SRM rack. Five high explosive missiles ruined the porticullis and barred gates. Sharpenel blew out the back shredding victims into ruin. Already Corden was moving and aiming thru the dust. CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, more guards died. They were now in the main building. Deback went forward firing into the main hall way while Corden moved down the right hallway. He was the hunter while Deback was the distraction.
"Deback, make some noise, I am going hunting."
He moved down the halls, looking thru doors, clearing rooms as he went. Single targets he took out. Groups of guards, he stopped moving and let them pass as they ran to and from. He wasn't going to chance anything to blow his cover. The radio over his ear squawked.
"Corden, you will not believe this, but I use to live here."
"What! You? How? What happened."
"Before I was handed over to the handlers as a small boy, I had memories of working in a large place. I remember the paintings that are in here. Tapistries. I remember the lay out I think. Where are you now."
"I went right when we entered down a hallway, went past a few doors then turned left."
"Keep going in that direction. Four to five doors down should be a stairwell up. If you enter or see a kitchen, the actual door you want is to the left if you were to exit it."
"Thank you, Adept. If you are right, we have a chance to catch the Nobel like I want."
Corden made his way down the hall following Deback's directions. He made it exactly to where he had told him. Opening a door he found the kitchen. Staff were hiding under tables and other implements. They saw nothing standing in the door way and then the door magically shut. Corden wanted to chuckle, but he had to keep moving. The next door he opened revealed the stair case.
"Deback, I found it, make your way to me."
Corden ascended the stairs taking it slowly. It was two people wide and should have been one to maintain a defensive position. A bad design that would allow Deback in his armor up here. At the top was a heavy door. He knocked on it.
"It is over. Open up as Corden is he..."
Gun fire poored thru the door. Bullets hit Corden and he pulled back to a wall. "Ugg." The mimetic cloak started to shimmer and fail. It had been damage and Corden saw he was bleeding. Looking himself over he found he had been hit on his metal chest. Spalling had entered his flesh causing him to bleed. It would have to be removed after battle. The gun fire had stopped.
Corden made for the top of the stairs to descend a little to get cover when more gun fire started up. He disengaged the safety on the underslung grenade launcher and fired. The door ripped off its hinges and Corden charged in. A guard, noble with a pistol in his hand, and a woman holding a child were in the room. CRACK! Corden put the guard down. CRACK! The nobel dropped the pistol as his wrist turned scorched black and he screamed.
"As I said this is over."
Corden approached the Nobel and buttstroke him arcoss the face. Teeth flew out and Corden grabbed him.
"You are going to tell me what I want to know before you die!"
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Deback was ascending the stairs when screaming could be heard in the upper room. When he entered he found the smoking guard corpse and a crumpled noble. A woman was in the corner shaking. He saw Corden was pulling back a painting and trying to open a safe. The handle came off and Corden looked to Deback.
"Open this, but gently."
The vibro claw activated and Deback took the door off of the safe. Inside was the radio Corden was expecting. Documents and other things of interest were in there.
"****** you, metal man." the noble spoke thru bleeding teeth. "You can go..." CRACK! The noble fell over dead.
"Corden you have done it! It is over!"
"No it is not. Two more yet remain." Corden turned around and starting approaching the woman and child.
"NO!!! Corden, you don't need to do this!"
"It must, I said that the nobles would be ended. Blake's judgement has been rended and I will finish it."
With a flash the woman charged Corden with a night haunt dagger in hand. Deback responded immediately and fired his recoilless rifle painting the room red. He had saved the man that had saved him. But the child. Deback slowly lowered the recoilless rifle.
"Corden, don't do this."
"I am Manei Domini Deback. I do things that others will not and do what must be done." Corden raised his rifle. CRACK!
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The journey back to the Dropship was in utter silence. Deback not speaking. Corden thinking. Eventually the silence was broken a few hours later.
"When you were out clearing the valley, Aaron told me what you did to the first handler you ever met. He said you were a monster. He was hoping to temper you but I suspect that will never happen."
"You are correct."
"I think I understand you more now. And The Word..."
"Do not begin to understand what you do not know fully. The Word of Blake has many different factions. I am just one facet of a diamond. The most militant I will concede. I have told you many times what I do. I am Manei Domini, sinful flesh sacrificed, humanity sacrificed to do what others can not do. We do The Masters bidding and execute Blake's vision that has been delivered thru him."
A few minutes of silence pass...
"I think I understand you more than others then. Its the cause. Am I right? Nothing but the cause."
"You are correct."
"You might call me a heretic, Corden, but this needs to be said. I forgive you."
The statement hit Corden like a brick. He did not need forgiveness. He did this willingly for all of mankind. To save it. The what must be done that no one else would do. He became a monster to rid the world of abominations, despots, and tyrants in all forms. By what right did he...
"Thank you adept. No one has ever told me that."
Both of them prayed aloud to each other and to Blake the rest of the way. Seeking understanding, atonement, and for the souls that no longer existed on Turbline. The Archangel and riding Se'irim rode into the coming night. Trying to make its way to the Dropship and an uncertain future.
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Chapter 4