29: That Sacred Incense

"3… 2… 1…"

Captain Amelia's First Officer counted down. The air aboard the bridge of the Immortal Spirit was tense and alive. Octus stood next to the Captain's Throne. Ashe stood on the other side. Sabine stood at Octus' back and Lacey stood next to him, clutching his hand tightly. And, of course, Amelia sat in her rightful position on the throne, lord of all she surveyed.

High above them in the Navigator's Tower, Lady Nuit guided the Immortal Spirit through its final moments in the Warp. The blast shielding around the bridge was still down. She and her son were the only ones with a view of the roiling maelstrom that was the Immaterium. Then, with a mighty, ear-splitting whine, the Spirit's Warp Drive tore a hole in the fabric of non-reality.

"We have a tear," another officer announced to the bridge.

"Reactor peaking at 77% load… Dropping now… Holding steady at 69%…"

"Nice," Octus couldn't help himself from whispering in his excitement.

Thankfully, only Sabine and Lacey heard him. Both women gave him amused looks before focusing their attention forward again. In the center of the bridge, a projection of the system they were arriving in began to build itself. The process was slow, as auspex signals bounced off everything at the speed of light, and shaky due to the interference from still being partially in the Warp.

The low, steady roar of the Plasma Drive rocked the ship. The titanic nozzles on the aft of the ship spewed out tons of nuclear-generated plasma, pushing the immense but still relatively tiny Heavy Frigate out through the tear in the Warp and back into reality. It took minutes for the nearly two-kilometer-long ship to accelerate and fully emerge back into real space.

"We're clear," Lady Nuit's pleasant, matronly voice came over the vox attached to the Captain's Throne. "Praise the Emperor and His Astronomican."

"Ladies and gentlemen… We have emergence. Gellar Field Generator to maximum capacity. Let's close that tear before something nasty decides to come through behind us," Amelia announced, quickly ordering the rest of the bridge into further action.

"Here it is," Octus mumbled to himself as the various officers and bridge crew scrambled to their assigned tasks, working together like a familiar, well-oiled machine. "The first Warp jump under my Warrant. Proof that the galaxy really is at my fingertips now…"

Octus was… excited to say the least. He'd had a solid month's worth of lessons on everything it meant to be a Rogue Trader in the 41st millennium. Everything from freedom to power to wealth to duty was hammered into his skull by his teachers. And he was finally coming to terms with what he'd gotten himself into this time. He just needed one last nail to firmly hammer it into his brain.

And as the blast shields around the bridge began to rise, that final nail presented itself. The first view of space from the bridge of the ship he'd claimed with his Warrant. The first view of a system that had been unexplored for millennia. The first view of thousands like it in his immortal life.

The blast shields rose, revealing the stars. It was… anticlimactic, to say the least. They were still at the system's Mandeville Point after all. They were outside the gravity wells of all the important planets or other bodies in the system. There was nothing to be seen but an ocean of white pinpricks on an impossibly black background.

"Shit…" Octus sighed. "I don't know what I was expecting…"

Things on the bridge sort of stagnated after that. There were a lot of things to do but no hard time limit. The Immortal Spirit surged ahead, chugging toward the inner system. All the while, auspex signals began to return clearer and clearer pictures of their surroundings.

Still, there wasn't much for Octus and the others to do on the bridge. Nothing immediate at least. The Immortal Spirit's experienced officer crew had everything well in hand. Amelia was in her element, directing the show and getting the lay of the space around them with the ease of a skilled captain going through a routine.

Octus and the others were left to return to their quarters or attend to other business. It took a full day for them to be called back to the bridge. In that time, the Immortal Spirit made good, steady progress toward the inner system and they were now orbiting around the only planet in the system's habitable zone.

"Right, what am I lookin' at here?" Octus asked as he, Osiris, Ashe, Amelia, Lilya, and Lady crowded around the auspex display in the center of the bridge.

They were deemed to be the people in charge of the various groups under the command of Octus' Warrant. Ashe and Amelia represented the Inquisitorial and naval portions of Octus' current power respectively. Lilya represented her Order of the Silver Shroud. Lady represented the Imperial Guard regiments aboard, having been elevated by Ashe to command the Inquisitor's personal regiment as well as the one she was already in charge of. Osiris was there as a representative of the ship's Navigator House, and because he was the only one with any real idea of their current position within the galaxy.

"You tell me, Lord Octus. Let's see if your lessons with me have been paying off," Amelia said with a distinctly feline smirk.

Octus snorted, now eager to prove himself after the friendly challenge. He focused on the Auspex display. Front and center was the planet they were currently orbiting. According to their sensors, it was a jungle planet, densely populated with flora and fauna and there was no telling how dangerous any of those native species could be.

Then there was what was under that dense layer of potentially-hostile life. Deep pings had revealed that intelligent life had certainly inhabited the planet at some point. There were ruins and other remains of some kind of civilization. Of course, there was no telling what kind of civilization that was without getting a closer, more personal look at things from the ground.

"Can we get a zoom in there?" Octus requested. "There… see that? Doesn't that look Human to ya?"

The Auspex display zoomed into the planet's surface, coming to a stop on a series of ruins. The ruins had long since been overrun by the unending crawl of nature. Trees and vines grew from ancient concrete and metal, unceasing in their quest for the sun. Smooth lines that could only be made by an intelligent species were overgrown by the harsh irregularity of nature.

The display focused on what looked to be the remains of a colossal statue. It stood at an angle, buried in dirt, stone, and vegetation up to its chest. But the statue had decidedly Human-looking features. Not the inhuman grace, elegance, and knife-like ears of the Aeldari. Nor the cold, metallic calculation of the Necrons.

While the statue had its own sense of elegance to it and its own sense of purposeful design, it was obviously not of Xenos origin. Through the decay that scarred the statue's features and the static of the Auspex display, he recognized the statue as kin. The figure it portrayed was Human. Of that, there was no doubt in Octus' mind.

"There are legends amongst my house of ancient Human civilizations here on the galaxy's rim. Dating back to the Dark Age of Technology and the Age of Strife, no less," Osiris said. "Even back then, we served as Navigators aboard great star-sailing vessels. Perhaps this is all that remains of one of those civilizations?"

Octus nodded, "Makes sense. If yer legends are true, yer family would have to know how to get all the way out here. And they'd obviously chart the routes they used. Maybe we just retraced the steps of yer ancestors?"

Osiris puffed up with pride, "Of course! This just exemplifies the (former) greatness of my house! There is nowhere my ancestors did not travel! Nowhere they did not chart! They were the hidden masters of the galaxy! And, I swear, I will personally see us return to such heights!"

Octus gave the young Navigator a slow, only semi-sarcastic round of applause, "That's great, buddy. And I'll be sure to help ya with yer goals. But how 'bout we focus on the here and now, okay?"

Osiris blushed, looking around at the amused looks he was getting from the others present around the Auspex display, "Ah… My apologies. I seem to have gotten away from myself."

"It's okay, man," Octus laughed it off. "But we're all agreed, right? There were Humans down there at one point."

There was a chorus of nods and agreement from around the Auspex display. No one could deny the logic behind Octus' words. And if his claim was proven true… There was no telling what they could find in those ruins.

And though he hadn't been a Rogue Trader for long, Octus' instincts were telling him this was a prime opportunity. There was profit to be made here and adventure to be had. With the authority of his Warrant, he could claim this planet for the Imperium and himself. This would be his first real action as a Rogue Trader. He could only hope that it paid off.

"Well, then that leaves us with only one thing to do. We gotta get down there," Octus proposed eagerly. "This is great! I've always wanted to explore ancient ruins! Let's put a team together and get down there!"

"This is so not great! I'm not having fun anymore!" Octus yelled as he and the rest of the exploration party ran for their lives through the jungle.

Putting together a team had been simple. Octus, Ashe, and Lilya formed the core three of the group, and then others from each of their retinues were added. That meant Lady, Sona, and Violet for Octus. Sabine and Geneva for Lilya. And some Tech-priest Octus hadn't met for Ashe. Alastor had also come with them but he said he'd be keeping out of the way unless he was truly needed.

With the team together, they'd taken a shuttle down to the planet's surface, landing near some of the ruins. Everyone was in high spirits as they set off to explore, especially the Mechanicus Tech-priest and Octus himself. Those high spirits quickly died as they encountered some of the planet's 'friendly' wildlife.

"When the fuck did Grox get so Emperor-damned big?!" Octus exclaimed.

"Less talking, more running, master," Sona said with a wild grin on her face.

The group had barely made it into the treeline around their landing sight before they were set upon by the planet's greeting party. A monstrous roar had shaken the very earth they stood on. Then from between the dense vegetation, they saw glinting scales, fierce fangs, and a murderous pair of eyes staring back at them.

No one got in a word before the beast charged them. As one, the exploration party turned and ran. There were times to stand and fight. Being run down by a 40-foot-long dinosaur was not one of those times. By some miracle of luck, they all managed to flee in roughly the same direction.

Ahead of Octus, the unknown Tech-priest scurried on spider-like robotic limbs, easily leading the pack. Around him, the others of the party kept roughly the same desperate pace as Octus. Being chased by a rampaging, oversized Grox was good motivation. The only one who had been lagging behind was Violet. Her little legs couldn't keep up with the rest of them and Octus had just ended up picking her up and carrying her as he ran.

"Think ya could do something about that thing, Vi?" Octus asked the Psyker in his arms between panting breaths.

"I-I can try," Violet stuttered, her fingers clutching tightly to the newly-tailored fabric of Octus' shirt.

Octus felt the air crackle and chill around him as Violet tapped into the Warp. It was honestly kind of refreshing after running through the dense, humid heat of the jungle. Then the ice started to form and it stopped being refreshing. Despite their environment, Octus felt his teeth start to clatter.

With a heaving breath and a flash of gold in her eyes, Violet took hold of the chasing beast with her mind. It let out a yelp uncharacteristic for its size as its momentum was suddenly halted. It struggled but Violet's mind held firm. With another shaky breath from Violet, the beast was wrenched upward by unseen strings and sent flying off into the sky where it disappeared into a twinkle.

Octus slowed to a stop as he slowly processed what he'd just witnessed over his own shoulder. Violet had just taken an animal that might as well have been a dinosaur, one that must have weighed more than half a dozen tons, and thrown it fast enough to reach escape velocity with only her mind. If there was any doubt in his mind about the potency of Psykers, it died then and there.

Around him, the others began to stop running as well. They'd clearly heard the beast chasing them yelp and then scream as it disappeared over the horizon. They were left trying to catch their breath and process just like Octus.

Before anyone could fully catch their breaths, Octus heard the scuttling of many metallic legs and a deeply digitized voice, "##Nice toss##"

He looked up to find Ashe's Tech-priest looming over him. The Tech-priest barely looked Human, too many limbs and other augments obscuring its natural features. A loose red robe covered the Tech-priest's massive frame, with a deep hood that only revealed glowing red optics. Octus could only guess that there used to be a man under all that metal. Now all that remained was the #machine#.

Before Octus or Violet could feel uncomfortable in the Tech-priest's presence, something happened that made them both blink speechlessly. A thick cloud of smoke rolled out from beneath the darkness of the Tech-priest's hood. The smoke smelled of incense and something more fragrant… something danker…

"Ya've still got lungs under all that?" Octus asked in somewhat-stupified shock.

"##Of courrssssee, maaaaaaannnnn~ I need 'em for that good shit~ That medicinal incense shit~ That power-pakk, gorilla-glue, smoke-til-you-drop-then-smoke-some-more shit~ The flesh may be weak but this shit sure as hell ain't##"

"I… don't know how to respond to that…"

"##You want some, meatbag? I can hook you up. My gas will have you communing with the Emperor. Ain't no problem some grade-A, medicinal incense can't solve##"

"W-What is happening? I-Is this even real?" Violet was just as lost as Octus.

"##Is anything, maaaaannnn~?… Whoa, that just sent my cogitators for a trip~ I require more incense to please my machine spirits##" the Tech-priest 'said', blowing out another cloud of what Octus was beginning to suspect wasn't just sacred incense.

Thankfully, Ashe came to save Octus and Violet before they could continue questioning everything they thought they knew about the Mechanicus, "Please, try not to pay too much mind to him. IV-20 is eccentric even amongst the Mechanicus. He was nearly excommunicated for his… unique ideas regarding sacred incense and its uses in the various rites of maintenance."

"##They called me 'Dark Mechanicus'… More like 'Dank Mechanicus'…##" IV-20's digitized mutterings were about as quiet and subtle as the beast that was previously chasing them.

"Yes… quite…" Ashe said with a deadpan look that spoke of long familiarity with IV-20 antics.

"Ya seem to, uh… collect quite the interestin' group of characters, Ashe," Octus said hesitantly.

"I do not exactly have the cream of the crop available to me," Ashe defended herself. "As I have said before, I do not have as much clout within the Inquisition as I would like. Hopefully, you will help me change that.

"Besides," Ashe continued. "I like to think I work well with the hand I have been dealt by the Emperor. I have a good eye for talent that goes unappreciated and opportunities that others would hesitate to take."

"I'll say," Octus nodded appreciatively. "Ya gave me a chance after all. After everything y'all have taught me this past month, I know yer taking a big risk here. Pretty much everyone else would have tried to use me for their own gains or tried to sweep me under the rug."

Ashe was struck by a sudden guilt at Octus' trusting words. She'd come to quite like the Perpetual himbo Rogue Trader. He was simple at first glance but displayed a surprising amount of depth as one got to know him. He was quick to pick up everything she taught him and he'd even started to think in the more ruthless, result-oriented way she'd been encouraging.

But he was still Octus Humblestock. He was still too trusting of those he called friends and not wary enough of those who could come to be enemies. Something that would undoubtedly come back to bite him when he began dealing with the higher powers within the Imperium. Alliances never lasted forever and betrayal would always be a core part of Humanity's darker nature. Even Ashe herself still had her own ulterior motives for supporting him.

She had no plans to betray him, but her support was not simply from the goodness of her heart. Just as she was his ticket to the stars and all that lay beyond, he was her ticket to glory and prestige within the ranks of the Inquisition. She offered him a modicum of protection — for what little her word would matter to those with true power — and he offered her opportunity.

Still… Ashe couldn't help but feel guilty when faced with the whole-hearted, sincere trust Octus displayed. Though he was becoming more worldly with their lessons, he was still relatively straightforward. If you did good by him and he felt he could trust you, he did. And the simplicity with which he viewed their relationship left Ashe feeling like she was taking advantage of him.

She turned her head, not willing to let Octus see right through her like he often did when you least expected it, "Yes, quite… You are already showing promise. I would have been a fool to discount or dispose of you so easily."

"And look where we ended up 'cause of that!" Octus laughed. "We're on a lost world and we're about to explore ruins from the Dark Age of Technology! Hundreds of Inquisitors would kill to be where we are now. And a thousand more Magos would do even worse!"

"They literally would," Ashe said quietly, knowing the reality behind Octus' words even if he didn't realize just how truthful they were.

Octus' voice and the excited, adventure-hungry look in his eyes softened, "So I just wanted to say thank ya, Ashe. Ya gave me a chance and I promise I won't disappoint ya. Whatever we find in there is just as much yers as it is mine."

Ashe blinked, "That is… very generous of you, Octus. But you do realize that there is no guarantee that we will find anything, right?"

Octus just smirked, "Don't worry yer pretty little head, Ashe. I got a good feeling about this one…"

AN: I don't have a good picture for IV-20 so have some cute skitarii pics instead