Story: Rumination, pt. 2
Author: WalkingMaelstrom
Actually, "anti-plot" isn't the proper phrase for this.
The thing, however, is that Rumination (I refused Lelith's notion to refer to this as Mastication, as it frankly is less pleasant than that) is the start of a trend in Rivals Til Death to divert from the main storyline (or whatever there is that can be called a main storyline) in order to explore the inner workings of various characters.
All previously mentioned plot comes to a hold hereafter, and remains in a state of stagnation for another 150,000 words. Bear in mind once again, many of the most popular pilot-novels have clocked in at half the length of what we've suffered through.
And to what end do we cut all continuity in this part?
Welcome to CATFIGHT 40,000!"... The juvenat deceives all around you with the impression of youth and novelty, Lady Tina, but not me."She struck a low blow, but Tina wouldn't falter. "Again with these accusations. Personally I'm a little insulted they decided to send you for these. A simple vox recorder would have sufficed instead of a sycophant." The retort was returned with a smack upside her head by Judias herself.
So now, I (the amazing Supreme Overlord of Commorragh) present you with...
Castration, pt. 2
"Wait..." For an Inquisitor Lord, even he was slightly surprised by what was told to him and what could potentially be asked.Okay, so Inquisitor Tenepht is not only an obvious villain, he's just plain stupid. The writer even tells us this!
Though it is not initially revealed what is being spoken of here for lines and lines of dialogue, Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Tenepht "X" with his decades (perhaps centuries) of experience is apparently incapable of topping the knowledge of space marine epistolaries on the topic of possession.
Because apparently the Librarians here are certain Cailean is possessed:
"We fear the Epistolary's mind is already wavering towards darker things.""Like heresy?""His service for the chapter would not make you believe that, but the reports we have been reading give allusions to something worse."
In Dan Abnett's Brothers of the Snake Apothecary Khiron kills a battle-brother that he recognizes is possessed, and he definitely knows what the consequences will be when he does it; it's simply his duty and that's that.
An even more modern example of how Astartes reflexively respond to suspicions of taint exists in the game Space Marine (which we will continue to draw from) where Leandros calls on the Inquisition to deal with Captain Titus, fearing him tainted. The Inquisition does not hesitate to arrest Titus, either, and it's clear that Inquisitor Thrax was no idiot. There was potential for an important marine to be corrupt, so he proceeded with an entourage of other marines in case Titus flipped out and started caving his skull in.
Also notice it's Black Templars who are escorting Thrax. Black Templars hate the Inquisition with a burning passion, but they hate heresy and corruption many times more. They're there because this is such a pressing matter and they have to do something. All parties involved here understand that the Ruinous Powers can be subtle and deceptive in their approach.
Sure, Space Marine was released something like a year after Castration (yes, I'm going with it) was written, but there's a mound of precedents for dealing with even minor suspicions of taint amongst the space marines. You don't even have to be versed in years of codex lore to know that the Imperium kills potential taint on-sight!
So how is it that Cailean continues to walk free? Alive, even?
Leandros completely fucked over his captain despite hours spent fighting hordes of orks and daemons for the express purpose of destroying a dangerous warp-artifact and slaying a daemon prince. Leandros was definitely more of a pussy than Khiron about it, but what has Cailean done that merits any sort of defense against such accusations where Titus, a demonstrated war-hero, was condemned by the misguided suspicion of a retarded greenhorn tactical marine?
Has the entire galaxy suddenly been hit by the stupid-stick?
And now let's comment on the naming patterns starting to emerge between Torture-Device and WalkingMaelstrom.
These two epistolaries coming to the inquisitor lord like little scheming bitches are named Ine and Dicrez. Try pronouncing that. Exactly what language-group is that based off of? It's clear that these are characters with little thought put to them, because WalkingMaelstrom is tossing together sets of three letters to name them. These clash with the naming scheme for previously mentioned Imperial Paladins - Cailean, Dinotus, Quintus. "Dinotus" is an excruciatingly stupid-sounding name, but it's better than "Ine". At least it's actually a Latin word and not fake space-mumble. Apparently "dinotus" meant "to discern". Ironic, given Dinotus can't discern the that his favorite
Torture-Device has a knack for excruciatingly bad names of his own: Phoeb and Iden. Like, Phoebe? That's a Greek girl's name. If I heard those two mentioned elsewhere with no backstory attached I'd think they were retarded peasants.
Anyway, Ine and Dicrez just blabber to one-another for a few more pages, during which it is revealed Lope Angelico is apparently their super-secret spy against Cailean, thus confirming that Angelico is indeed this guy... girl? Thing?
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| "Does this mean I can see your penis now, Cailean?" "Shut up, Lope." |
Now that the space marines have gotten their exposition, we turn to our feature time-waster.
"Lady Inquisitor Almathea Maxamillian Tina…whatever you call yourself nowadays…we finally meet again. It's been years, perhaps even decades, yes?"
Fuck! This guy can't even spell the names MaKo85 gave. Nor can he get them right, for that matter.
But currently the Lady Inquisitor Tina is being interrogated by her colleague, Inquisitor Eriu Judias, who is Tenepht's lapdog.
 |
| "Judias" couldn't be a reference to anything obnoxiously overused, could it? |
Wait, stop.
Why is she being interrogated by her fellow inquisitors?
What the fuck happened? Shouldn't these idiots be providing her with medical assistance instead for the countless diseases she likely picked up while stuck onboard the flying dildo?
Tenepht will have to have informed the rest of the Inquisition that he's interrogating a fellow Inquisitor and if Eisenhorn is to be believed, for him not to be smacked with a reprimand once it's out of the bag he'll need the approval of several of his peers.
So this would indicate that somehow, a majority of Ordo Malleus inquisitors agreed that Inquisitor Tina is corrupted?
Lady Inquisitor Tina. You know, the registered pariah. The one who has no soul and is a blight to the warp. The one who is completely immune to the effects of the warp. The one whose null-field Cailean somehow overwhelmed.
These terms don't add up. This is nothing short of mind-numbingly stupid.
You would think this would be the perfect time for Tina to inform her peers that Torturer is about to stage a massive prison-break. You know, so they can change the codes Torturer stole.
Okay, here's the thing that Lelith neglected to mention in Interrogation pt. 2: Torturer insisted that he'll have his shitty tech-priest break the algorithm for the facility's passcode. Never you mind that you need several sets of codes just to start cracking an algorithm. It's mathematically impossible to break a code sequence with just one set of them.
Still, it's been weeks. It couldn't hurt to have them send a message and relocate Haask so that Torturer's idiotic plans are completely foiled and he is pulverized over the prison world. While Torturer is fumbling around with... whatever he's doing, they could send an astrotelepathic message in a matter of days or hours and get the word: "HEY, THERE'S A MADMAN COMING YOUR WAY" so that any number of things can be done to counteract Torturer's brilliant plan. Why did Torturer ever let Tina go in the first place?
Why do they even have passcodes to enter a prison world, anyway? How does that work? Torturer is banking a lot on his ability to somehow outdo a probable flotilla that shall likely sooner nuke the prison than let him get away with a target like that. So much of this is just senseless.
But the point is that Tina is in the perfect position to completely foil all of Torturer's plans. What does she do?
It hadn't come across to Tina, but she could use the already-paranoid nature of her line of work and turn it against her questioners. "The Ruinous Powers are already deceptive, Eriu. Killing me would've just ended this twisted little puzzle oh yes…but he didn't. I gave him the names of places that had long ago relocated valued psykers before abandonment and installations that were either destroyed or scrapped. As for the Eldar I haven't a clue of what those fragile witches are in his plans for and thus I had nothing for him. He grew tired of my games when I fear what he'll do to me…and he doesn't follow through. Instead he leaves me reeking of suspicion, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker! HE'S OUT THERE NOW DOING UNSPEAKABLE THINGS AND YOU'RE INSISTING I HELPED HIM PLAN IT ALL!" Breathing became furious and heavy, an act to really tug at the thoughts of her oppressor. "For all the toughness you exhibit it certainly seems lacking in the aspect of outward thought! Were you bred by an ogryn or something?" Tina could see the look of confusion on her interrogator's face. It seemed to be working.
That's right! She fucking-
Wait, I need to reread that.
Hold, is she saying Torturer only thought Janeus Eta was still in use? And that Haask isn't actually there?
I call "lying whore" since she didn't give him "the names of places that had long ago relocated valued psykers" (breathtake) "before abandonment and installations that were either destroyed or scrapped."
Whew. Mouthful. There it is again, these run-on sentences that I hate so much from this guy. Nobody talks like this. Nobody! I don't even talk like that, and believe-you-me, I've had some long-winded speeches for no better purpose than to make my hordes of foot-kissers stand in the cold.
But no, as I remember in Interrogation pt. 2 she simply laughed at Torturer and then gave him the codes when he threatened to turn her into a sex-doll. So, in light of that I maintain that Lady Inquisitor Tina is a lying whoooooooooooore! Particularly one who refuses to explain what she's saying, for no better reason than she wants to fuck with her captors.
So we're back to square-one here.
The two engage in all-caps blabbering until Judias decides she's had enough of the catty slut, and then this scene happens:
So Inquisitor Tina is currently being held by guards and Judias stands there shouting at her to "GET OUT! GET OUT!" like this is a possession movie. These people have no sense in their heads.
"You'd like to think you're wizened, Eriu, you really do. But let me tell you something. You know nothing…absolutely nothing…about me, my servants, or my chaplain. You sit here with threats abound and the arrogance of being under that Tenepht's wing, but you haven't the faintest idea of what I've been through and the dedication my men and women have towards the Imperium. Throne help you the day you find yourself helpless and no one else to turn to…""Get out.""…but me.""Get her out of here!""Maybe that one day…""OUT!""I won't be there at all…""Let's go!" The guard barked behind her, yanking her arm nearly out of the socket as she was back in the cold hallway. Unlike her entrance to this room originally, this time she bore the subtle grin of satisfaction. So far she had bought herself more time. She knew Judias was impetuous and sometimes fell prey to mind games. Insisting that Torturer and the Flawless Host were setting the Ordo Malleus up for an internecine conflict with a recently captured Inquisitor and suspicion abound felt ingenious in her mind. The only real concern was how long she could keep the charade going and how long it would be until someone else came to her aid. Her retinue could only do so much and the Death Spirits were light years away.
"I can't move! What do you want me to do?"
Once the guards finally listen to their boss's insistent demands and remove Tina from the room, they send her to a cell surrounded by all of her completely forgettable henchmen.
Remember the incompetent joke of a storm trooper who got her hand cut off, so she had to be carried by that devastator to some random open field in the middle of the fight? She's there too! And she still only exists to fellate the men!
Watch as in her delirium, she starts seeing the Imperial Paladins' icon in the flickering light-bulb.
Despite their situation, she remained calm and slept with a faint smile on her face. She did not fully know why, but she just did. She believed in her cause, her Lady, and the Emperor. To her, that was all that mattered. As she sat there, the light continued to flicker, revealing a pattern drawn above her. To Trooper Hallock, perhaps it was something else, or someone else, very powerful and fearsome, that would also bring them their vengeance.It was the most vivid image in her mind since her encounter.It was of the yellow cross and white skull.
---~~~---
Something about this chapter just filled me with an almighty rage. It might have been the poorly-disguised misogyny, or maybe the horrible dialogue, or maybe the increasingly stupid plot, but I am very upset!
No, it was all of the above. I may need to rape someone. Lelith is waiting on me at this moment. Hopefully the two of us can figure out a way to get me out of this little mood of mine.
Enjoy the endless night, my little Kabalites!
- V.
Man I love all these catty sluts!
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