Editing The Tales of the Emperasque: Part One (section)

==4-004-001-M42== 
Transcript of the holopict recording of the Daily Strategy Meeting, Kasr Prime, Cadia, Lord Castellan Creed presiding. Activus Personae: 

*Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed, Supreme Commander Munitorum, Cadia 
*Harald Deathwolf, Wolf Lord, Space Wolves 
*Lord Commissar Blenkach, senior Commissarial representative to the Cadian Joint Task Force 
*Lord Admiral Clenden, Supreme Commander Cadian Naval Task Group 
*Mardeus, Cadia Master telepath, Adepta Astra Telepathica 
*Jarran Kell, Colour Sergeant, Kasr Force 

Castellan Creed summons order. Various sounds come in through the window open to the parade ground, [dogs, firing rounds, wake-up drill noises, engines] 

Creed: Gentlemen, I’m afraid we must abandon our usual pleasantries. Something unexpected has occurred. I need to fill you all in as rapidly as possible. 

Deathwolf: Did Abaddon wake up cranky, or is it something genuinely unusual? 

Several seconds pause, Sergeant Kell suppresses laughter 

Creed: We – by which I mean Mardeus – have detected a Warp emanation approaching the Cadian gate. It will arrive within the hour. It’s not a ship, we can tell, but it does seem to be moving faster directly for the planet. Its point of origin is Terra. 

Harald: Then what’s the problem? 

Clenden looks astonished. Creed sighs angrily 

Creed: The problem, Astartes, is that we have absolutely no idea what it’s doing. We don’t even know what it is. 

Clenden: Are there any Warp Storms between here and Terra, Sieur Mardeus? 

Mardeus: No. The Eye does not extend beyond us, and the Lady Navigatrix of your own fleet assures me that there are no distorting daemon worlds between us and Holy Terra. 

Clenden: Then we should account for the possibility that whatever it is, it may not be a servant of the Great Enemy. 

Blenkach: And by what stretch of the imagination do you make that assumption? A warp entity this close to the Eye isn’t going to be safe to approach, and I don’t care if it’s Cypher himself, nothing that the Warp spits out lacks an agenda. 

Clenden: I said nothing about its trustworthiness, Lord Commissar. All I said was that it might not serve the Dark Gods. 

Creed: Whatever it is, its approach puts it on the surface in… [checks watch] five minutes. 

Table dissolves into incoherent babbling for several seconds.

Deathwolf: And we’re learning about it NOW? 

Mardeus: I learned of it myself less than fifteen minutes ago, Lord Deathwolf. I assure you, even seeing it at the speed it’s moving was nearly impossible. It’s moving faster than anything that isn’t in the Webway should be, and emitting a warp displacement the likes of which a Blackstone Fortress couldn’t match. A Tyranid Hive ship has a smaller presence in the immaterium. 

Clenden stands 

Clenden: The full force of Battlefleets Obscura, Gothic, Carredius, and fully one third of Solar stand ready to intercept this thing. And who knows, if it’s as dangerous as it sounds, and truly isn’t here to interfere with us, those Eldar of Ulthwé might even have a hand in it. [turns to Mardeus] Is there a possibility that this thing might be an Eldar craftworld that got sucked into the Warp? 

Mardeus: No chance. Craftworlds are harder to see at these distances, and they can not move that fast through the Warp. They aren’t even supposed to be able to enter it all, you’ll recall. 

A shriek of terror, followed by a very loud THUD sound from the outside of the window. Creed and Kell leap to the window and Mardeus collapses. The light from outside visibly turns purple 

Deathwolf: WHAT IN THE NAME OF LEMAN RUSS IS THAT THING?! 

Creed: I... I have no idea. 

Inhuman roar sounds from beyond window. A cacophony of dogs barking and human screams begin from the parade grounds. 

Mardeus yells in shock and passes into a coma. Blenkach draws his vox-caster.

Blenkach: Artillery command! Fire control, active! Immediate effect, danger close! Target parade grounds and--

Creed: [grabs vox-caster away from Blenkach] Belay prior commands, artillery command. Target has departed. 

Blenkach: Departed?! It’s…gone?! 

Deathwolf: It’s gone, Lord Commissar. 

Mardeus begins shivering, still comatose.

Kell: Lord Creed, sir, shall I summon a medicae? 

Creed: Immediately, Kell. [sits down, begins shaking his head] I never thought I would see THAT. 

The light from the window returns to the normal color of morning sunlight 

Clenden: Why was it glowing? Why was it laughing? [pulls out his own vox-caster] Fleet command, this is Admiral Clenden. Track the object that emerged from the warp rift in the Kasr parade ground at once. Where is it going? 

Several agonizing seconds pass.

Clenden: What the living hell do you mean, TOWARDS the Plaguemaster base?