The gargantuan transport burst through the upper atmosphere of the planet. In the clear vacuum of space Katrina and her commanders could clearly see the tau fleet orbiting high above the planet. Shoals of the monstrous Manta transports swarmed around the larger ships. The Tau clearly expected the transport and made no attempt to stop them.
“That does not bode well for us,” remarked Katrina.
“Ma’am?”
“This is an imperial transport, Breya, carrying goods for imperial troops. It was guarded by Tau forces, not PDF or Arbites as you would expect. They are making no moves to stop us, so they obviously expected us. You know that the tau incorporate human auxiliary troops, of course. So this fleet has been moving from the Tau empire through imperial space to here, and along the way have annexed human worlds. Plus, they must have sent human envoys before the main fleet, why else would this ship be prepared already? They couldn’t have arrived sooner then two weeks ago. That’s not enough time to prepare supplies for a transport of this size.”
“By the Emperor….we have to reach Inquisitor Malekai. But when we go off course, wont the Tau realize this?”
“Not necessarily Breya, they haven’t given us escorts as you can see, and Malekai is no doubt stealthing around Laerta in the Sentry. We can land near the inquisitor’s fortress, and transfer our warriors and any useful supplies we might find on the ship. Once we rendezvous we can discuss further plans.”
“Agreed,” replied Breya.
The cargo ship made its way through space toward Laerta. The moon, which had no atmosphere, was little more then bare rock littered with astral dibris and craters. the only human presence on the moon was the fortress-home of Inquisitor Malekai, of the Ordo-heraticus, his personal retinue, and the 50 inquisitorial stormtroopers allotted to him.
Malekai himself was quite tall, a well built man with a graying beard and peircing blue eyes. Over 85, he had taken juve treatments that made him appear much younger then he was. A feircsome warrior as well as skilled interrogator, he was the bane of any heratic or traitor to the imperium. He had close relations with the Order of the Ardent Soul, who accompanied him on the majority of his missions while his stormtroopers oversaw the fortress and the Sororitas chapel-barracks on the planet.
Malekai had taken all personell from the fortress and into the
Sentry, ready to flee if the tau made moves toward the moon. No doubt the traitor xenos-loving son of a grox governer had already informed the alien scum of his presence on Laerta.
"Sir, there is an Maccrage class cargo vessel approuching. They are not in long-vox range yet. orders?"
"Charge weapons and stand by. It could be Tau, or loyal imperial forces that know of our presence fleeing the planet. Perhaps even the Sororitas escaping, though if it is, the Tau will regret letting Katrina escape. we will not let this heresy pass."
*side note: i notice how a full page and a half of writing in microsoft word seems like a short post here
*