Adeptus Anew

"Arch Magos we are being voxed what are your orders?"

This is odd from the ships size it would indicate it is some sort of frigate however that doesn't match data on past interactions with Imperium Frigates. This ship is clearly marked as a Mechanicus vessel and no Imperium frigate would risk voxing a Mechanicus vessel. From my experience they ignore us lest they find themselves on the servitor production line. So unless the captain of this ship is incredibly brave or an idiot they would not approach a Mechanicus vessel. The command flows as binary and Lingua Technis from my mind into the nooshere and onward to the tech priests in charge of the crews maning the weapons. In a precise movement all weapons on our starboard side move to aim at the frigate.

"Accept the vox." The Vox crackles and a voice speaks an unknown language, we have no record of the language or its translation matrix. I look at a nearby tech priest who rushes to set up a portable cogitator to translate the language.

"I repeat this is Grand Moff Tarkin of the Empire. You are in Imperial territory and classified territory at that state your business and power down your weapons or we will open fire."

This is unusual the ship before me is vast our reading indicate it is 10 kilometres in length it is either some form of prop or a super weapon. No the empire would have noticed if anyone was building such a super weapon the resource cost alone would be detected. It must be a prop of some kind the intricateness of the surface is incomprehensible to build into an actual functional ship. The comm system doesn't seem to be working properly we are only receiving some form of sudo binary static that is incomprehensible. I am just considering sending a boarding party when a mechanical voice comes over the comm.

"This is Arch Magos Terak of the Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars why are you voxing us?"

Arch Magos what sort of title is that and what is this Adeptus Mechanicus. I am just formulating a reply when one of my officers gasps and as I turn I see multiple officers gathered around his station.

"Moff Tarkin Sir I did a scan of the vessel it appears to have a population of roughly 72 thousand life forms Sir."

Even if it was accurate populating a ship with that many people is incomprehensible just feeding them would cost hundreds of thousands of credits.

"Your scan must be wrong officer to populate a ship with that many life forms is impossible."

I turned back to the window.

"Well 'Arch Magos' you are in restricted Imperial space and your prop of a shell around your ship does not scare me or my men. Now, you will submit to a boarding party or we will engage you."

There was a pause then the mechanical voice spoke.

"Who do you think you are to command an Arch Magos, you command a mere frigate yet seek to command us what to do."

A frigate what is this fool blathering about? His claim to authority is odd as far as the indication this mechanical voice gives he truly believes in his authority. The voice speaks again,

"You intrigue me 'Grand Moff Tarkin' I will permit you to land a shuttle in docking bay 8."

I turn to one of the officers stood behind me.

"Send a shuttle I want an officer under heavy guard to inspect that ship and report back." "Yes Moff Tarkin Sir"

I don't like this while the Moff thinks that ship is fake but I don't think so, I saw the life sign scans there are almost 80 thousand life forms aboard this vessel and the closer we get the more intricate the hull gets. I glance over at the Storm Troopers sent with me I doubt that even if the people on this vessel have no weapons that they could protect me. The protocol droid walks up to me.

"I can find no record of any of the iconography displayed on the outside of this vessel." "That is not reassuring IMP-29" "It was not meant to be Sir."

I am just about to curse the droid when the pilot announces we are approaching what she thinks is docking bay 8 as it is the only one open. She brings us to land and the ramp descended as I stepped onto the deck of the ship I pause this docking bay is vast and ornate huge cogs are mounted on the walls and there are candles and incense on every surface. Before us is an army of what appears to be soldiers dressed in red robes with metal chest armour and a red hood covering their heads with some form of gas mask, each one has a pistol like weapon with a large attachment on top that glows blue and a mace thats head glows blue. In front of them stands someone who might be a woman in similar red robes. From what I could see her hands were prosthetic with long sharp fingers, under her hood didn't hide the three lenses on her mask, weird tentacles seemed to emerge from random spots on her robes. As I watched a human skull with sharp spider like mechanical legs crawled onto her shoulder. She let out the odd sudo binary static and a box held by another robed figure spoke in the mechanical voice.

"Greetings, I am Magos Falsen of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the arch Magos sent me here to greet you my apologies about the communication via cogitator but we do not speak your language." "Greetings I am Lieutenant Gant of the Galactic Empire. We have a protocol droid with us to translate."

The Magos nods and looked towards the protocol droid who was about to step of the shuttle before all the soldiers shifted their pistols raised and their maces crackerling with electricity. Magos Falsen herself seemed to be furious and several glowing weapons had emerged from her robe. She spoke again in the sudo binary and the cogitator translated.

"YOU DARE TO BRING ABOMINABLE INTELLIGENCE ONTO THIS SHIP." She paused a moment almost as if she was listening to something. "The Arch Magos has said that if it remains on your shuttle we won't destroy it." I am about to protest but with the guns aimed at us I probably shouldn't. "IMP-29 remain on the shuttle and out of a sight."

Thankfully the droid doesn't protest and vanishes into the shuttle I can hear the crackle of the maces raid and the unified clang as the soldiers return to attention. The Magos seems to have calmed down and her weapons have retreated into her cloak.

"I will escort you around the ship, Do not talk to anyone I do not introduce you to, do not walk off, do not touch anything. If you disobey these rules you might earn yourselves the ire of a tech priest who would be more than willing to turn you into a servitor."

She points towards a horrible creature it's bent seemingly under the weight of its own cybernetics its face is twisted in pain but its eyes are dull and lifeless as if there is nothing behind them. I shudder and nod.

"Follow me." She turned, the soldiers splitting ranks to let us through.

The first place we visit is referred to as a manufactorum it looks like a factory to me. The Magos says that this encompasses two entire floors of this ship Moff Tarkin will be highly interested in this especially the output of this manufactorum.

"What is the output of this manufactorum?" "It varies depending on the product however for our needs the maximum output is 2 million units per day." "Could such output be reproduced." "Not without mechanicus oversight."

I am about to say more when she strides on the storm troopers glance at me but I shrug and follow. She leeds us to several other areas where she gives a breaf description and barely answers my questions. She stops before a large ornate door.

"This is the temple to the motive force." I step towards the door but she doesn't move. "We will not be entering." "Why Not?" "The priests of the motive force are in prayer I did not intend to show you as I assumed you like having your skin on your body."

I could swear she is grinning behind that mask. We carried on visiting a dizzying quantity of rooms and floors and even more were not included on our tour and every protest I gave was met by a perfectly logical reasoning. We couldn't even go near the engine as the person sent to refuels it melts shortly after refuelling the engine. I declined the offer to let us try and examine the engine. Eventually we finished the tour and I regret it no matter how fitted your boots are if you walk for 9 hours straight you get blisters I can't imagine how the storm troopers felt there boots were one size fits all. As we approach our shuttle I notice that there seems to be a circle of candles around it and several wax seals had been placed on its hull. As I turned to ask the Magos spoke.

"The candles are to ward against the abominable intelligence and the seals indicate that the engineseers have worked on it."

Suddenly she stiffened before hunching over as if she was using a cane and she began to speak her voice having a slight resonance beneath the mechanicalness,

"I am sorry that I couldn't escort you in person however I have many duties and since you brought an abominable intelligence aboard my ship I have spent the last 9 hours soothing the machine spirits. I would like to know Grand Moff Tarkin what does his rank mean?"

What? She seems very different her speech patterns is different and speaking in basic not to mention the change in posture.

"Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?" "Apologies I am Arch Magos Terak, my servant here is currently giving me command of her neural implants and I downloaded the translation matrix for your language so I can speak it without the use of a cogitator." "Thank you for you taking the time to speak to us. Grand Moff is Moff Tarkins rank and shows that he is Governor of this oversector. Can I ask what your rank means?" "As you have told me it only makes sense. I am an Arch Magos which means that within this vessel what I say is law no one can or will disobey me. Ultimately within the Mechanicus I am of high rank and most won't question me or my decisions. Now go you need to deliver your report."

We were rapidly ushered off the vessel. As we took off I heard the pilot and copilot discuss how much more receptive the shuttle was and praising the Mechanicus maintenance crew. I don't think its worth trying to explain. When we arrive back on the Executrix I set about writing my report on what is saw when I am done hours later I limp to bed. Several hours later I am awoken by a call to the bridge Moff Tarkin has read my report and wants to question me. I get dressed and rush to the bridge.

"Lieutenant Gant, I have read your report and It does not meet my expectations. Now please inform me as to why you left the droid behind on the shuttle." "Sir they reacted hostilely when the droid made its presence known and within an instant we had a multitude of weapons aimed at us. As I stated in my report they gave me the ultimatum that either we make the droid remain in the shuttle or they destroy it and I had no doubt that we couldn't prevent them from doing so. Sir." "You expect me to believe that that." He points at the ship. "Is a fully functioning ship?" "Yes Sir, I reported what I saw and the storm troopers can confirm my report is accurate."

Moff Tarkin turns back to the window and mutters.

"If this is true they can be a valuable ally, anything else Lieutenant?" "Yes Sir, when we were leaving our guide was apparently possessed I think by Arch Magos Terak. He asked what your rank meant and then explained that his rank means that he has absolute control within his ship where none can or will disobey him." "Interesting, hmm call the Arch Magos again I wish to speak to him."