Iron Father

[shopsmart]

CHAPTER 7

Days later Corden watched the guards perform drills outside the walls.  They were doing well enough for his tastes and his were high standards.  When they did assault the lair they would need to know their gear inside and out.  Deback and Corden had switched over the Archangel to the invictus configuration in preperation of the future assault.  Afterwards he finally went and saw Carol the Medic.  There were some drugs that could abate the pain, but the hallucinations she had nothing to go on.  Other apothecaries presented little hope other than enhancing them.  It was about this time Aaron appoached him.

"Yes, Aaron."

"Corden, while you train and finish your war, I would like to goto the jumpships again."

"Without my aid?  Are you bloody Blake sure that you can handle the dropship?"

"Yes, I am confident now.  I know I only had one real ago at it, but we have been doing simulations on the bridge for weeks now.  I saw where I made my mistakes on landing and even some of the other guides could act as a co-pilot."

"You are coming a long way from books to doing the real thing."

"You have no idea what it is like to simulate a craft from the texts.  Looking at a chalk lined wall that is your instruments.  We did this for centuries to the point people wondered if what was on the black board was true.  Fake buttons on a piece of rock and a wooden chair as the pilot seat.  The idea translated over some that the simluations took very well to those who tried.  Like you said, we have do things without you.  If this venture works.  Well, we might have a second dropship be able to return with us.  Maybe even have some rigging to get one of the jumpships wired up.  We have been taking the resources in the caves, refining them, molding parts, and making wire.  Tools that might be used to cut, bend, and shape.  We have prepared for this day for centuries Corden, it..."

"GO!  Go Aaron!  Ascend to the heavens and bring forth fruition!  I have faith in you!  This is my leap of faith for you and all the guides!  It is time!  As the Iron Father of Turbline I give you Blake's blessing and with it he shall guide you!"

"Thank you Corden."

"I will need to remove somethings before you leave.  They might have future use here in the coming conflict.  Some would say I should also remove other things in case the dropship crashes.  If it does, it wouldn't matter anyways.  Now go!"

------

Corden watched as the dropship ascended into orbit.  A hour later it would be on its way to the jumpships again.  They had loaded tons of metal wiring and tools that they had forged.  It was exhilarating to see mankind come together and work towards a common goal.  Most of the unloaded gear had been put near the Preta that now stood as a cheap fusion battery.  Corden made sure only trusted guards would be near this equipment.  He could not risk any damage or theft especially at this time and hour.

Deback had made a map of the lair as best he could.  There were places that he didn't have full knowledge of, but enough to figure out the entrance points and objectives.  The people that would be going payed attention to the details and what they might expect.  Lesser night haunts were likely to be in the lair so the battle armor would be taking point.  Each Se'irim would be assigned to five guards who in turn had mauser 1200s.  In Corden's mind he went over their numbers.  Five troopers in se'irim battle armor, one tengu suit for him, and 24 guards equipped with mauser 1200s.  Sprinkle in a Kendricke and he had a mobile fighting force.  The guides managed to fashion together a wooden structure with 25 seats.  They did take some care to install springs on those seats because the journey would be bumpy with the archangel holding it.

When the day came, Corden first donned the tengu suit and attached it the archangel.  Popping the hatch he was able to just make it to the cockpit and fire up the mech.  Then he gave the signal and five other battle armors affixed themselves to the torso.  Corden flexed the left hand and took hold of the wooden structure.  All twenty five men were already sitting when he lifted it slowly to test its stability.  Without any problems he started heading in the direction of the lair.  It would take twp days by mech to get there at its walking speed of 32.8 kph.  Anything more risked lives.  They would make stops along the way until the final approach where night would be their ally.

On the final approach Corden did everything he could to avoid detection.  He searched thermal scans of any scouts that might see him.  He used the terrain to break up his out line.  Sometimes going thru a woods or two.  When the lair was in sight, he powered down the archangel and slipped into the tengu suit.

"Corden checking in.  Every squard leader check."

"Kendricke here."  "Tim here."  "Deback here."  "Charles here."  "Tantan here."

"Today we free any apprentices we find.  Kill any night haunts and erradicate any handlers.  Watch your targets as anyone young should be considered a friendly.  Incapacitate if you can, but if they fight, then do what you can.  Blake be with us."

With that they dismounted.  It took them about an hour to appoach the bastion.  From what Corden could see thru his true eye, the straffing run from weeks earlier had obliterated the western pens.  The few craters he also saw were testiment to the destruction of the explosives the handlers had.  He could see guards on the top of the ramparts and a few at a gate.  He motioned to Kendricke who in turn took his squad which had memetic cloaks.  They made their approach to the gate and Corden heard four clicks.  Four guards.  He responded with one click... attack.

Kendricke and his men appeared in front and behind the handlers at the gate.  With night haunt daggers they slit their throats and pulled the bodies away into the night.  Then they entered the gate.  Minutes went past until Corden noted Kendricke and few other guards on the ramparts.  More handlers died silently as they made their way thru clearing the battlements.  Corden then motioned everyone to start moving forward.  They would take it at a steady walk until they got there or an alarm sounded.  Inside the liar, battle armor would make too much noise and it will be full on.  They made to the entrance without any problems.  More clicks and responses came between Kendricke and Corden.  More handlers died silently in the night.  Then comms came on.

"Corden, Kendricke here, I have found what I believe is the apprentices quarters.  I am sending directions right now."

Corden noted on the tactical map where the route went.  Deback also confirmed it.

"Deback, you are to go to those quarters, secure it, and hold it.  I will be making my way in the opposite direction to intercept anything that comes your way.  Sweep this place and if something of interest pops up, note it on the tactical map.  GO!"

Deback went in running and the thud of battle armor steps echoed in the halls.  Up top on the ramparts, Kendricke's team setup snipers while he would observe and point out potential targets.  Corden went in and broke right.  Charles squad would remain at the gate and prevent any escapes.  The others would act as a reaction force where needed.

Corden had made it down an empty hall when a transmission came.

"Uhh, Corden you there?"

"Corden here, who is this."

"Dan sir, Charles is dead."

"HOW!  We just got here and he..."

"Crossbow bolt to the chest.  Night haunt spine tipped.  We have no way to open the battle armor or use it."

"Blake's blood!  Get to the ramparts and assist Kendricke.  Too everyone, watch yourselves, the battle armor is blake's blessing, but it has been proven this world is a bane to mankind."

They still had good momentum despite the loss.  Corden changed his currnt plan and started making way to the location of the fallen guard.  He finally was found by a group of handlers who hestitated with a metallic demon in their home.  Corden swept the hall with the mech scale medium laser.  HMMM!!!  Torsos fell from abdomens as he cut thru the group.  They stood no chance in these compact halls.  Around the bend was an ambush and Corden pulled back.  Crossbow bolts landed in his armor and the wall.  The thicker skin of the Tengu held the spined tipped bolts at bay, but damage still read out on his helmet display.  Considering there might be more cocked crossbows, Corden fired a grenade from the mauser 1200 around the corner.  An explosion later he was around the bend unleashing rapid bursts of laser fire.  Survivors he simply stepped on their skulls and the weight of the battle armor took care of the rest.

Up top of the ramparts Kendricke was directed laser fire on anything that moved.  Some young night haunts were finally seen with handlers.  A simple shot to the handlers let the proverbial night haunt off the leash.  It would know not what to do being robbed of direction before instinct took over.  It then ran into the halls and started attacking other handlers.  The pain bond only worked in one way.

"Kendricke to everyone.  Learned something.  Kill the handler of a night haunt and they go rogue.  Use it as you will."

Deback was almost to the apprentice quarters when machine gun fire lit up a hall way.  It appeared that the handlers still had some equipment in their inventory.  Unphased he stepped into the fire and walked thru it.  His recoilless rifle opened up killing the machine gun users and then his squad came up behind him firing.  They used him as a mobile shield as they pushed thru the hallways.  Then they made it to the apprentice hall, Deback hesitated as memories came up.  Instead of opening the doors, he upped the volumn of the suits external speaker.

"This is Deback, former handler.  Convert to the Word of Blake.  I am here to free you from your masters.  There has to be no more pain.  No more suffering.  You will go back to your families.  Your father, mothers...."

Shuffling could be heard from within the room.  Muffled screams.  Deback did not hestiate.  He simply walked thru the door shattering it open.  Inside apprentices were mobbing what ever handlers were there.  Some groups were more successful than others.  Deback took aim at any masters that had the upper hand and put shells thru those that still stood.  The guards came in and started executing any handlers being held down.  As the fighting came to a close, Deback saw that the remaining apprentices were in worse shape than he remembered.  Starved, whipped, beaten, they had taken the brunt of the handlers anger at the hands of defeat.  They were being hyper accelerated in the bonding of their mounts and today it ended.  Deback went into another two rooms, but they were empty.  Other apprentices he would learn later had died during the upticked brutal bonding process.

"Deback to everyone.  I have what is left of the apprentices.  I asked them if anyone else is in the lair and it is just handlers.  Weapons free, repeat weapons free.  I am taking the apprentices to the gate."

Corden smiled, they could stop being precise now.  SRMs could be utilized by the suits and granades by the others.  The place would be cleared in no time.  No sooner had the order gone out that thumps could be felt in the air.  The grenades already being utilized.  The suit Charles was in was now at Corden's feet.  He put aside the medium laser and typed in the opening code.  The hatch opened with a dead Charles inside.  He extracted the body then propped up the battle armor as best he could.  Looking inside with the limted view he had, Corden could see that it was still functional.

"Deback, break off one of your men.  Have them come to me.  I have a suit open and ready for piloting."

Four minutes later a guard came by the name of Ulrich.  He got in the suit and they took off together.

"Corden here, report squad status."

"Deback, no casaulties, we are now outside awaiting order."
"Kendricke, one of my men took a crossbow bolt and is out, but alive."
"Tim, I have lost two of my men.  One injured."
"Tantan, with Deback waiting for orders."

Corden did some quick thinking.  He would switch out Tantan's team for Tim's.  They would then guard the gate.  Then Tantan and Deback would have to sweep again, but it was trivial at this point.  He fired his medium laser again before entering another hall.  Food was placed out on tables.  The hall was definitely some kind of meeting place.  As they entered, no one was there.  Then something landed on Ulrich and bit.  A night haunt had been hiding up in the rafters waiting for prey.  The teeth sank into the armored head of Ulrich and the suit fell over dead.  Corden didn't react in time as the night haunt turned its attentiom to him.  He felt the weight of it as it jumped onto his back.  They moved too and fro knocking tables and chairs all over the place.  Food and ale slicked the floor.

Corden attempted to bring the medium laser to bear, but the night haunt was latched on behind him.  He disengaged the connection to the laser and let it drop to the ground.  Helmet displays showed the jump jets come on line and he fired them.  The night haunt screached and let go as  Corden ascended into the air and spun.  His mauser 1200 ripped thru the air at the creature only doing surface damage.  The beast was older than a youngling and its hide thick.  As he came down and landed the night haunt charged.  Corden extended his left hand to offer it to the night haunt and it took the bait.  Its maw bit down on the arm and the mauser 1200.  Damage indictors flared as its teeth grated against the armor, but the suit held.  Corden then fired the grenade launcher and the creatures neck exploded outward.  Extracting the head from his arm, he saw the mauser 1200 was fragged from the back blast and teeth.  Corden picked up the medium laser and plugged it back with his suit.  He was at a disadvantge now with only a cumbersome weapon.

Deep in the lair, Corden started to hear more thumps and then a SRM rack ripple thump thumps.  Threats were still abound in this place.  Corden then found stairs going down.  Deback mentioned a sub floor where the bonding process was done to apprentices.  Corden descended the stairs and found more hallways.  He wasn't sure which way to go so he went right as he always tended too.

Around a corner Corden stopped dead in his tracks.  A red robed figure stood in the middle of the hall.  It was not The Master.  Considering the deceitfulness of the handlers and the ongoing hallucinations, Corden raised his medium laser.  The figure then revealed its head.  A black skinned man with cybernetics looked right at Corden.  It was the first Manei Domini, Appolyon.  He raised and pointed his hand at a door, then went around the corner.  Corden knew logically that Appolyon was not there, that he was dead, and this was figment of his VDNI.  The man inside him looked around the corner to see nothing.

Steeling himself he busted thru the door and discovered a grand library.  Books upon books were inside the hall with a roaring fire in the middle.  Handlers were tossing books, records, and documents into the blaze.  What knowledge had been lost or covered up appalled Corden.  He disengaged the medium laser again wishing he had brought something else.  His battle armor claws clicked and he sprinted at full speed freed of the lasers encumbrance.  The handlers stood no chance.  Some fired crossbow bolts that the armor repelled.  Some tried to stab him with daggers. One even had an old assault rifle.  By the time he was done in the room, twisted and disengorged bodies remained.  Looking at the fire, Corden determined that it thankfully wouldn't spread.  He picked up the medium laser again and plugged it in.

Then Corden went down the hall way furthur.  Doors he opened revealed store houses of gold, silver, mops, and other odd and ends.  It was the last room that caught his attention.  As he went to open the door words came from behind it.

"Enter"

Corden turned the knob and entered the room.  An old man sat a desk.  What looked to be a radio and other old technological artifacts lied on that table.  What Corden took notice of was that the old man was absolutely calm.

"We finally meet Iron Father."

"I can only guess who you are, but yes it is me."

"You certainly have made a mess of this world.  You have destroyed centuries of tradition and progress."

"Progress!  You call the nobles and you handlers progress!  How much suffering have you and your past leaders done to the innocent."

"What has to be done must be done.  I have heard rumors that you have stated the same thing.  But I digress.  It is over for this world.  When we are gone the night haunts will rule again."

"What to you mean by that?"

The old man pushed a button on his desk.  Moments later explosions in the distance could be heard.

"I return this planet to its rightful order.  Mankind does not de..."

Corden pulled the trigger on the medium laser and the old man was no more.  Corden looked over the singed desk and noted that there were stacks of reports.  Going thru them he pieced together the situation that was going on up until he entered.  There was desperation in the notes about the destruction of the pens, the explosives they had stored, and the losses they had on the planet since Corden arrived.  What piqued his interest was the reports on a breeding ground.  What manner of project were the handlers working on?  Then the explosion that this old man had initiated.

"Everyone, there was an explosion set off by the handlers.  Anyone got eyes on what that might be."

"Kendricke here, there is a plume of smoke in the distance by the base of a few mountains.  Quite a distance.  My quess is 25 km from here."

"How goes the clearing of the upper levels.  The basement has been cleansed."

More thumps and laser fire could be heard.  Everyone checking in reported a few more casaulties, but otherwise the place was almost done.  Half an hour later they met at the entrance.  All rifles were recovered and the bodies of the fallen would be left where they were for the time being.  Corden managed to bring the dead Se'irim back up.  After looking it over he determiend it would be spare parts.

"We need to investigate out towards the mountain.  An old man that I assume was the head master here set off explosives that did something.  I want Deback and Kendricke with me.  The rest stay here and await my transmissions.  Kendricke, suit up, I assume you know how to use battle armor."

"Yes, just this battle armor is going to feel malignant."

"Swallow your hatred for now.  Even with a bad left arm, you can functionally operate the right arm.  I need people who have had a broad experience of life for this I feel."

Little more than an hour and half later they were on the archangel heading to the mountains that the plume was sighted at.  What awaited them, no one knew.

[PsihoKekec]

''If I can't have this world, then no one will!''

[shopsmart]

CHAPTER 8

The archangel approached the base of the mountain while the sun was coming up.  Before them a gash was cut into the mountain that revealed a cave system that even a mech could enter.  The explosion had destroyed what appeared to have been some kind of structure at the entrance and rubble was strewn about.  Corden slowed down his mech as they made their way to the entrance taking careful steps as to not fall down.

"What do you guys think?"

"It has got to be something with the night haunts.  I don't like the feeling I am getting and there is a strong musky smell coming from there."  Deback chimed in.

"Beats me Corden, if your thinking of going in there then I would advise serious caution."  Kendricke said.

Corden pushed forward and into the cave.  His true sight combined with the sensors had a hard time adjusting to the near total darkness.

"Both of you.  Activate your search lights and point them as best as you can."

The lights turned on and the Se'irim battle armors pivoted.  Light flooded the cave and what greeted them were countless eyes looking back at them.  Corden fired the heavy PPC scouring a few night haunts and started to back up.  The mass started to move at him and he fired the plasma rifle in a sweeping arc.  Hot plasma rained down on the horde that was approaching holding it back temporarily.  He needed to get out of the cave and quick.

"Kendicke, Deback!  Keep them off my legs.  They can not make it onto the torso or we are dead.  When we get out of the cave I will jump jet out."

They opened fire with their recoilless rifles at any night haunts that made it to the archangels legs.  It was a frantic fight as Corden concentrated on not falling all the while firing the plasma rifle to keep the brunt of the horde at bay.  Then daylight hit them and the mech soared into sky.  Ninety meters back he slammed down then fired them again.  Landing beyond the rubble they saw much to their relief the horde remained in the cave.  Corden could make out eyes staring back out at him.

"Corden to anyone at the handlers lair.  Gather any material on night haunts, caves, and the mountains in this area that you can find.  Be prepared for immediate extraction.  Have the apprentices double up on the seats.  We have a dire situation."

Corden pushed his mech to a sprinting speed.  What was in that cave was a literal creeping death when night came.  If he had other manei domini in force he could have easily cleared and cleansed it.  Now he had only one option.  The trip back to the towns was silence.  When they arrived at Baltmare it was to cheering but when the news came then it was terror.  The guides that were there held an emergency meeting and they determined they could consolidate the populations into the original towns and hunker down in the caves.  It would provide choke points if the horde were to breach the walls.  Corden on the other hand had another idea.

-----

"What are we going to do?  We never anticipated night haunts running amok and the numbers that are down in that cave.  Truly did the handlers actually keep that species in line?  A necessary evil?"  said Kendricke

"It doesn't matter no more.  They are dead and gone.  We do what we must next.  Come with me."

Kendricke and Deback went to where Preta was parked and other items had been off loaded from the dropship.  One crate in particular Corden appoached and entered in a security code.  The top opened and what was inside chilled Kendricke to the bone.  "NO!  Not this!"  Went thru his mind.  He didn't even think as his PTSD took over.  He reacted.  Lost in horrors and nightmares he remembered he drew his pistol and started firing upon Corden.  Cybernetic reflexes saved Corden's face as he haunched over to bring up his dermal armor plating.  Deback reacted by charging at Kendricke in the line of fire.  Bullets entered his head and neck.  Others entered one of his arms and chest.  Deback fell to the ground dying and Corden came in at Kendricke.  The first blow broke his right wrist into a 90 degree angle dropping the pistol.  The next blow caved in his ribs.  The last was a back hand that sent teeth flying from the Paladins mouth and into an unconscious lump.  He looked to Deback.

He laid there bleeding out and breathing.  Corden ducked down and picked up his body.  He then turned to guards that were there absolutely stunned with what just happened.

"Send for any doctors or apothecarries now!  Put the Paladin in chains.  No one is to hurt him futhur but treat his wounds. Tell him when he awakes that if Adept Deback dies he does to."

Corden slammed shut the crate then took off as fast he could to another section with Deback.  Deback might have saved his life now it was his to do in return.  It only took a minute to get to the right crates at the rate his blessed true legs could take him.  On the way he tried to look Deback over.  His left eye was gone.  His left arm might have to be amputated because of shattered bone.  Any bleeding in his chest might be clean holes, but he wouldn't know till he probed them.  Deback moaned and that was a good sign to Corden.

At the crates Corden opened them up seeking medical aide.  Clotting agents, internal gauze, thread, stims, anything to save Deback's life.  He started at the neck and went the way down checking the bullet holes.  Thankfully they went clean thru and nothing major had been hit.  Then he removed what remained of Deback's eye and sprayed artifical skin on the wound.  The arm, the arm was shattered.  There was nothing that could be done.  Deback started to gain some semblance of coherentcy due to the stims.

"I have to take your left arm off Deback.  I am sorry that I can do nothing more with what is on this planet.  In another time and place, we could have pinned the bones and allowed..."

"Just... do... it..."

Corden pulled out the intruments he needed.  Numbed the area with syringes and did the deed.  It only took seconds to separate the arm just below the shoulder.  That much was given for the technology he had.   Carol the doctor and few others then showed up.  They took to attending Deback at that point.  Corden had only done what he could, but the resting and healing was not his forte.

"How is he?"

"I think he will live.  He is in your hands now Carol as is Kendricke's.  What of his condition?"

"He has major rib fractures from what we can tell.  He will need some fake teeth.  His wrist though.  I am not sure if he will be able to use that hand effectively again.

"So he is in essence a cripple now.  So be it."

Tim the guard then approached.

"What the hell was that about!  The night haunts!  Then this!"

"The paladin has displayed prejudice against the Word Tim.  He let his past experiences catch up with him.  He is to be isolated and away from anyone at this point.  I once considered him an ally.  Now an enemy?  I do not know till I speak with him again, but there are other pressing matters that require our immediate attention as you know.  Come Tim."

He opened the crate again and Tim just looked at what was in there.

"What is this Corden?"

"This is Blake's and mankind's ultimate sanction.  It will bring down the caves and seal the doom forever in the ground.  This is a thermo nuclear warhead.  We walk in there, arm it, then pull out.  This will do the rest."

-----

Aaron and the guides were working thru Corden's wreck first.  The experience they gained would better themselves for Kendricke's.  The repairs were relatively simple.  Reconnect one terminal connection to the other.  One wire to another.  One inch or so apart.  Double check the electrical flow behind the repair and then move on.  It was tedious work though with the amount of separations, but the crew he put together worked well.  Then they got word of what was going on down on Turbline.  The handlers dead, apprentices freed, the horde, and then Kendricke's assault on Corden.  It was almost too much to take in but Corden pressed that they were doing mankind a service and needed to complete it.  If he failed then they would need to leave this system.  The guides continued their work in the void.

-----

Corden approached the Preta and dismissed the guards there.  Up the chain link ladder he ascended and into the cockpit.  He sat in the pilot seat contemplating his next move on the cave.  Deback wouldn't be with him and Kendricke's experience would be missed.  There was a possibility that he might not come back with the lose of valued people.  Corden reached into one of the small compartments of the mech and pulled paper and paper out.  He scribbled out some notes and special details.  Then he hid them.  After that he hit a record button to speak into.  With all contigencies he could think of set.  He got out of the Preta and stood vigil at the feet of the medium mech.  He stood guard for the next hours till a new set of guards arrived.  He told them only Deback was allowed up into the cockpit from this point on.

-----

Contact with one of the towns was lost in a few days.  Corden already had an idea what had happened and the guides started moving the populace as fast as they could.  People and horses were moved in mass to better defended towns where people could hide in the underground caverns.  Meanwhile Corden prepped the team for the assault on the cave.  Five Se'irim suits were left after repairs and rearmament had been conducted.  The archangels plasma rifle ammo was topped off and the nuke was given a hastly manufactured cradle that the left hand could carry.  Those that were going were Tim, Tantan, Ralph, Irene, and Frank.  Tim and Tantan Corden trusted 100%.  THe others were a hasty addition and he hope they would work.  After they mounted his archangel they set out for the lair.  They would take a detour though to the town that had lost contact with to double check on its condition.

When they arrived there was utter devestation.  Ramparts had been breached, the gates flung wide open, and buildings torn apart.  No one was left alive.  Foot tracks were all around the outside and inside of the walls.  There were a definite pattern to the way the tracks went.  They came in from the direction of the cave and then went back to it.  Night time activity was their highest activity, but they had learned something from the papers found at the lair.  The night haunts at the cave for some reason only came out on moonless nights and the last few days had been absolute darkness.  It gave them the ultimate edge against humanity, but technology tipped the scales.

It only took a day and a half to get to the cave without worrying about anyone getting hurt like at the assault of the lair.  When they got there, the battle armor dismounted, and lined up.

"Ok, everyone one, we push into the cave until we find a place I feel will do the most damage.  We arm the nuke on a timer then fight our way out.  Then you all mount up and we get the frag out of this place.  Blake be with us all!"

"Blake be with us all!" came over the comms.

All the Se-irim activated their search lights.  Beady eyes appeared at the front of the entrance.  Corden started firing the heavy PPC at the groups and kept firing after each recharge.  Man made lightning and particles ripped thru the outer horde and melted rocks.  Eventually the horde backed away from the netrance and the battle line started to move in.  As they made it into the entrance the battle armor let rip the recoilless rifles.  Controlled bursts to kill anything that got close.  They checked the ceilings, fissures, everywhere something might hide.  It was a slow process, but they managed to push in.  Corden with the mech scanners directed their fire and let loose the heavy PPC every chance he got.  When they got in deeper is when the preassure got turned up.

A three way split appeared to them and Corden made the choice to move right.  It would prevent a pinchor attack from three sides on exitingand instead have two fronts.  Also there was a chance the middle cooridoor had smaller interconnecting tunnels from the fork in the path.  It was then the attack came from front and back.  Corden fired up the plasma rifle and used it like hose, spraying the screeching creatures.

"Corden to Frank, fire your SRMs at the ceiling behind us."

Five SRMs streaked out and detonated on the ceiling.  Instead of the usual high explosive they had been armed with infernos.  Napalm ignited and a cascade of fire appeared behind them.  Night haunts in the general vicinity caught fire and ran panicked spreading even more liquid fire.  The line pushed forward into the cave.  Recoilless rifles firing, PPC thundering, and plasma boiling.  They repeated the process and fired another volley of infernos behind them, pushing deeper into the cave.  Then one of the ignited night haunts ran into Irene.  It knocked her over slashing and biting in mad fury.  Then it bit one of the inferno missiles and began a cascade event.  Liquid fire engulfed the night haunt and Irene.  She screamed over the comms as she was cooked alive.  Corden directed the other Se-irim to get away from her and maintained cohesion.  They were down a vital piece of the plan with a SRM rack out of the picture.  Then something large came charging at the archangel.

Corden tried to turn to face the beast but it was absolutely huge.  Larger than the mech.  "What was this thing?" thought Corden.  What were the handlers doing with this cave?   Was this some kind of breeder?  It did not matter now.  It was here and it was her to kill them.  As it charged, it ran over Frank.  On the comms the sound of a crunch came over before it was cut.  Frank was dead.  Corden fired the plasma rifle at the beast and it ran thru it as if it were just a snow shower.  Skin sizzled and baked, but the creature was unphased and unaffected.

It swatted down on the mech and armor sheered away.  Corden backed up but every time he did the night haunt was on him.  So he pushed back.  He dropped the nuke and punched the night haunt in the gut with the left arm.  Ribs cracked as 100 tons of metal pushed into the beast.  Then Corden activated the retractable blade.  It shot out and pierced the beast in the chest.  In response it slammed down on the blade.  The claws severed the mechs weapon and inflicted more damage on itself.  Entrails fell out of the wound but it continued to move in on him in sheer anger.  Corden had to think quickly.  The heavy PPC at this range wouldn't fire due to the particle inhibitors that prevent backwash from unleashing manmade lightning.  So Corden took a gamble and over rode the inhibitors.  Then the wait for the heavy PPC to recharge began.  They danced too and fro all the while Corden punched the beast with the remains of his left arm.

Finally an armed signal came to Corden's mind thru the VDNI.  Corden prayed alloud and fired the heavy PPC point blank.  The blast ripped into the beast and one of its arms.  The beast pushed on into the archangel in blind painful rage and grabbed his mech in blind fury.  Corden was affixed on the spot as he punched and punched trying to get free.  Yet the creature kept him in place and ripping armor off his mech.  Corden had only one thing that he could think of that was a truly desparate move.  He disabled all safeties on the PPC to allow it to over charge.  Then the beast bit down on the cockpit.  Armor and glass shattered.  Blood started to appear on Corden from the spalling but he did not feel it due to the pain shunt.  The beast had done a very bad move and Corden took advantage of it.

He fired the plasma rifle mounted on the head.  Super heated plastic jetted into the mouth and the screeching creatures vocal cords were cut short.  Its lower jaw sizzled, bubbled, and fell off.  Then Corden took a step back as the beast let go due to the pain.  The signal for the over charged heavy PPC came on and he allowed the advanced targeting computer to guide him.  Then he fired.  A powerful blast of lightning plowed thru the night haunt Vaporizing the heart and exiting out its back.  The particle stream shot down the cave passage roasting other night haunts from the sheer contact heat before contacting a wall.  Then the heavy PPC failed and exploded internally.  Arm armor peeled like a banana as inner strucure ripped apart and blew into the side torso killing the targeting computer.  Corden took a feedback hit from the explosion but the blessed pain shunt allowed him to function past the pain.  He had vanquished the beast and went to retrieve the nuke.

Then something failed in the Archangel as Corden registered it thru the VDNI.  One of the leg myomers had snapped from the strain back in the Battle of the Anchor and the battle with this beast.  He couldn't arm the nuke and get out in time.  Their path had been set.

"Everyone!  My archangel just suffered catostraphic damage.  We are not leaving this cave alive."

"What!?"  "How."  "No, not like this!"  Came over the comms.

"One of the leg myomers has snapped.  I can not run without chancing a fall and I am too slow.  We could never out pace the blast wave even walking.  Instead we now embrace Blake's ultimate sanction."

Corden remotely armed the nuke allowing it to cycle up.  Out in the moving mass of the night haunts, something caught his eye.  The Master stood a top a boulder.  He was looking directly at him and simply nodded.  Corden did not know what to believe any more.  Was this a ghost or another hallucination.  Corden opened the comms channel hoping the Preta would catch it and for everyone to hear.

"This is Phantom Adept Tau Corden, Iron Father of Turbline.  This is my last will and testament to all on this world.  Deback, I would have sponsored you to enter the manei domini, you have proven yourself to walk truly in Blake's light.  From now on you are part of that brotherhood and anyone who addresses you should as Phantom Adept Alpha Deback.  Thank you for everything and look to the Preta Alpha Deback, Manei Domini, my right hand.  Aaron, all the guides, complete the repairs, send Kendricke and anyone who wants to back to Terra.  It is one way trip as there is no way to return without doom falling on any returning jumpship.  Those who walk in Blake's light.  You are not safe out in the inner sphere.  You have seen and heard what happened to me and Deback.  You will be persecuted, for that I am sorry that you can not walk on Terra freely.  This system is yours now, the stars are open to you, and you will now thrive here without fear."

The nuke showed armed.

"Corden, thank you for everything you have done for me.  I now get to meet my wife again." said Tim

"It is the least I can do.  Everyone, lets pray one last time."  Corden fired the plasma rifle in a sweeping arc.  More night haunts died as he fought to keep them at bay for a moment.

Then Corden began to chant.  Later others would say another voice was also in the transmission besides the group.

"Blessed be those who follow Blake!"  The figment of The Master also started to chant with them.  "Let his wrath be unleashed on the abominations of this world!  We bring Blake's final judgement and we do not find it wanting!"  Corden hit the detonation button and white light engulfed him.

The last thing heard on the transmission was a voice that only one man would recognized.  It said "Blake's will be done!"

The ground shook as 5 megatons flashed a mini sun into existance.  Night haunts were vaporized and caves collapsed.  Whatever unnatural evolution that existed below the surface was radiated.  Evolution was cut short as mutangenic genes were spliced and diced by nuetrons.  The citizens of the twelve towns saw the rising fireball and new valleys forming from the earthquakes.  The mushroom cloud ascended and drifted out towards the ocean.  The final act of Corden had been enacted.

The Preta had picked up the transmission and had blarred it over the external loud speakers.  People cried out in despair at their loss of Corden.  Others talked of joy and the sacrifice of the Iron Father.  Deback was utterly numb that the person who was the closest to a father to him just died.  Kendricke was still unconsious at this time.  Five minutes later the relayed transmission from the Preta reached the guides.  Great sadness had hit them all.  Aaron wanted to head back, but the others were committed to this work.  The Iron Father had sacrificed himself for all and them.  Completing the work up here would be the least they could do.

[PsihoKekec]

Talk about going out with a bang. Though that was his destiny, Manei Domini were supposed to be a weapon to be used, a willing sacrifice for the greater good.

[HABeas2]

The Protege I believe is Berith per Ghosts of Obeedah.  At least what I have going on in my head.

Nope, sorry. The Protege is the Master's Protege. Berith was Apollyon's

On another note, been trying to message a few people here and the system seems broken.  Getting syntax errors and see other are too in the tech support section.

I've heard vaguely about this. No idea what 's going on there, either.

- Herb

[PsihoKekec]

It's an old forum software, admin keeps it running via proverbial duct tape, chicken wire and dark magic.

[shopsmart]

Talk about going out with a bang. Though that was his destiny, Manei Domini were supposed to be a weapon to be used, a willing sacrifice for the greater good.

When I created the character, I envisioned his end.  I have debated on whether he should have died or not months after his demise for certain reasons.  Corden had grown on me in a strange way so when I ended him, it was kind of hard.  I will have a follow up write up after I finish posting all of Iron Father.  Something that might help other fan fic writers or some kind of take away of why the story was created, the direction, and the thought patterns of it.  Glad you have been reading.

[shopsmart]

Nope, sorry. The Protege is the Master's Protege. Berith was Apollyon's

I've heard vaguely about this. No idea what 's going on there, either.

- Herb

Hold on.  So are there three proteges?  The Master's, dead.  Apollyon's, Berith.  Then the third mentioned in Ghosts of Obeedah... or is that Berith?  Then there is the successor from GoO Zaphiel.  Is "The Protege" different from "the protege".  I figured each protege is a succession in line choosen by 1st/2nd in command to replace them.  Kind of need to know this on my own part.

Regarding the synntax messaging error.  Tried to send someone a message I had the error with and now fixed it seems.

[PsihoKekec]

There are proteges and there is the Protege. Protege with capital P would be a designated successor and protege with minor p would be someone mentored.
Master was a mentor figure to several aspiring Blakists, but there is one person whom he envisioned as his successor - hence the Protege. The name of this person is not known, it's implied in several places in fiction and sourcebooks that it might be Arthur Steiner Davion, but the powers that be left that thread dangling for the time being.

So in short

Apollyon was preparing Berith as his successor, Master was preparing an unknown person, but both have also mentored other Manei Domini albeit in lesser capacity. McIntyre was envisioned as Blakist leader of Cirinus, so not a successor of leader of WoB.

[HABeas2]

Hold on.  So are there three proteges?  The Master's, dead.  Apollyon's, Berith.  Then the third mentioned in Ghosts of Obeedah... or is that Berith?  Then there is the successor from GoO Zaphiel.  Is "The Protege" different from "the protege".  I figured each protege is a succession in line choosen by 1st/2nd in command to replace them.  Kind of need to know this on my own part.

Regarding the synntax messaging error.  Tried to send someone a message I had the error with and now fixed it seems.

The Master's Protege is the same one mentioned in GoO. Berith has his own appearances there.

I can't go into the Master's Protege any more than that (as there is much about them yet to be revealed), but Apollyon, as CO of the Manei Domini, had two favored successors in his time. One of them was Damien Lucille, who was slated to take the Ascended name Lucifer, but died before he could truly do so. Berith was the second one. In all cases, though, you're right; these proteges were individuals being groomed to take the job their respective masters held.

- Herb

[shopsmart]

CHAPTER 9

A week had past.  People still mulled about at a great loss and a great victory.  They didn't know what to think or feel.  Deback left his bed side for the first time and made his way to the Preta.  The last transmission told him to look to it.  He got in the cockpit like the few times he had and looked around at the councils.  He still did not know how to fully read, but he had looked at the dials, read outs, and buttons.  He tried to recall the lessons that Corden told him when they were both working on the mech.  Then he saw a blinking light that had never blinked before.  He hit the lone button that was next to it and a small monitor lit up.  Corden appeared on it.

"At time of this recording Deback, you have just been wounded and resting.  I am about to head out the cave and seal it.  It also means I am gone if you are seeing this.  I hope my death accomplished what I set out for, but that means you are now alone.  I am sorry for that, but warriors die in wars.  We manei domini were made to do the unthinkable and do what others can't do.  I have told this to you time and time again.  But now you are a part of this brotherhood.  I instantly knew that when you tried to stop Kendricke.  You fought with faith and to save another of the order.  Since The Master is long dead and my brothen you now carry the mantle.  Though you have not been blessed by technology or had the sin cut from you... you have already sacrificed your eye and arm.  That is proof of your devotion."

"Now comes a leap of faith and this is for your ears only.  The Master had a plan for us after the jihad.  We had fall back positions once the 3rd transfer had been completed.  We were to head to these certain points then fall back to the five hidden worlds.  There in the afterlife we would watch and wait to determine if the inner sphere ever needed us again.   As of now I know that three were discovered and are no longer safe due to the information on Kendricke's wreck.  There are two left.  The closest one that could be made is Obeedah.  I do not know what you will find there at this point in time.  Fourty seven years have passed and I don't know what The Word of Blake is doing.  After I was done here and the repairs on my jumpship complete.  I was going to head there and take you with me.  Alpha Deback, even after the nuke was set off there still will be other night haunts.  There will be a need to seek out our brothers to fully cleanse this planet.  Ramus the guide thinks it might be possible to jump into this system without the damaging effects that have plagued the last three jumpships.  How I do not understand.  Now you have that chance.  You can go there and Blake willing they are there.  You can tell them of this world, that The Word of Blake lives on here, that our brothers and sisters need saved.  Look in the side compartment under the seat.  Take what you find there to my brothers.  There is also a piece of paper and a device.  Seek out the guide known as Ramus and show him the note.  He is a savant when it comes to KF drive technology and will know what it is.  Whatever you do.  DO NOT tell Kendicke of this info."

"In my final weeks Deback, I have seen visions or ghosts.  Which I do not know.  The Master himself has appeared to me.  Guiding me it seemed.  Never speaking but pointing the way.  I have mentioned to you about the VDNI side effects that were hitting me.  But never confessed what I was truly seeing.  This is that confession.  I do not know what to believe at this point.  I have always believed in Blake's and The Master's visions, but to be in the miasma of vision or hallucination weighed heavy on me.  I carried this burden and now am free of it."

"Beyond that, I have a feeling that the masses will be lost without me.  I had become a symbol to them as The Iron Father.  Go to them brother, preach the Word of Blake.  Bring hope to the masses.  You are my right hand Alpha Deback!  You are manei domini!  Blake's will be done!"

The screen shut off and went black.  Deback broke down in the cockpit and cried for a very long time.  When he came out of it he found he was clutching the pendant he was given the first day he met Corden.  The edges had dug into his hand and was bleeding.  Conviction filled him.  Hope filled him.  Purpose came to him.  He reached down under the seat and found the compartment.  There he found a data chip, a device, and a note.  He couldn't read what was on it except for some numbers.  He pocketed them and found something else.  Corden's personal copy of the Word of Blake.  Deback knew what he had to do from this point.  He stood up from the cockpit and looked down.  People were moving about in zombie like stares going about their lives.  No direction.

"Behold citizens of Turbline!  I am Phantom Adept Alpha Deback, manei domini, Right hand of The Iron Father!  I have listened, learned, and witnessed the Iron Father!  His sacrifice is not in vain!  He sacrificed his life for all of us!  Do not mill around!  Do not despair!  Live and rejoice!  We are all now free to choose our destiny!  I say it is Blake's guiding light!  His hand has been here ever since Corden landed!  I have seen what the Word has done and I rejoice!!!"

Deback went on for hours standing atop the Preta.  He attempted to lift spirits and hearts.  Bring hope to them all.  He would travel the twelve towns and preach the word and the sacrifice of the Iron Father.   By Blake he swore this!

-----

Months had past.  Kendricke remained in chains in the dungeons left over from the nobles.  He remembered feeling the nuke go off and the dirt fall from the ceiling.  He had not been beaten, tortured, interogated, or mistreated the entire time to his surprise.  This world was fully Blakist and he had no more doubts about that.  Then a day came when the ground shook again.  A dropship was landing but it was more intense than normal.  Did they actually get some of the dropships from his wreck?  That would mean they now had his mechs and materials.  Days later the cell door opened.

Light flooded the room and Kendricke was blinded being in absolute darkness for the entire time.  A man came in dragging a wooden stool, placed it down, and sat on it.  He patiently awaited for Kendricke to get use to the light.  Kendricke saw that the man wore red robes.  Corden had finally come for him.

"You aren't going to convert me Corden.  I have seen the evils that you have bore..."

"I am not Corden Kendricke."  Deback said.

"I want to speak to Corden.  I have much to talk about."

"The Iron Father now walks with Blake paladin.  I am now here instead."

"What do you mean."

Deback produced a electronic recorder.  He pushed the button and Corden's last transmission played.  The last voice on the recording haunted him as he recognized who it might be.  The impossibility of it, but he said nothing.

"The guides have returned.  They have repaired your jumpship as best they could.  You and the non faithful will be returned to Terra cousin."

"Cousin?  Are you mad!"

"No I am not.  I heard the conversation you and Kendricke had.  Believe it or not.  The republic is a child of the Word due to the third transfer.  I am of the Word now, but after the fact.  Cousin is more fitting rather than brother between you and me."  He smiled.

"Goto hell Deback."

"It is Phantom Adept Alpha Deback.  Manei Domini.  Right hand of The Iron Father.  Paladin.  For the attempted murder of Corden and myself.  By his and my decree I exile you from my sight and from this world.  You are now to be boarded and sent to your jumpship.  From there the unfaithful will be sent back to Terra.  All material, mechs, and anything of value is to be seized.  The Republic is not to set foot into this system.  As you know, any jumpship coming here is scrap anyways.  So stay away.  Peace of Blake be with you."

Deback got up and picked up the stool and made his way out.

"Deback wait!  Deback waiiiitttt!!!"

Guards appeared as Deback left the room.  They forcefully picked him up and dragged him to one of the dropships.  As he was outside for the first time he saw the town had radically changed.  More Blakist iconography existed.  Murals of Corden had been place here and there.  The area around the Preta had stones now setting around it.  As they made their way out of the walls, he saw four dropshops.  Oh my god he thought.   They got all of his dropships.  Outside those dropships, equipment and mechs were being unloaded.  They were herky and jerky in their movements.  Amatuers trying to pilot what they had never touched.  One though seemed to move more smoothly.  It was probably Aaron, but he never found out.  He was forced aboard and chained in place in one of the smaller quarters.  A copy of the Word of Blake was sitting on a desk.  Kendricke screamed.

-----

Deback went down into the caves seeking out Ramus.  He asked him to put up on a wall KF drive and hyper space equations.  The man dived into his work, stencilling out the formulas and math.  Deback had no idea what they meant.  Just numbers and letters and symbols.  He recognized the basic arithmetic, but the rest was completely alien.  Finished, Ramus turned to him and simply bowed.  Then Deback showed him the piece of paper.

"My Word.  This is revolutionary!  The expanded equations are magnificant!"

Ramus modified the equatons working furiously.  He stepped back a few times then erased some work and redid it.  When he was done he turned to Deback.

"The information here is possible, but it would take two jumpships to accomplish it.  Both cores would be burned out in the end, but it is theorically possible."

"There exists a way to do this Ramus, it is called lithium fusion batteries and Corden's jumpship has them or have you forgotten?"

Ramus turned to the equations.  He then made more modifications and spent time starring at the wall.  Two equations came from the original.  One the known super jump that Deback had on the piece of paper.  The other, an improved efficient one that would make a jumpship go a bit more than the standard 30 light year max.  Then Ramus kept adding more and more to the equations.  Different ways to do different things.  Then he set the chalk down.

"This here is the original forumula on the piece of paper.  With that I am able to extrapolate the better efficient one here.  Now this one here.  If one strategic places germanium here and here.  They modify the hyperspace bubble by controlling the sub hyperspace bubble that I think shows up when entering this system.  In other words, I think I found a way back into this system if we were to leave.  I have been thinking about how it happens and why it happens.  The conclusion me and Corden came to is the high quantities of germanium in this system mess up jumps into the system.  The super jump formula works by creating a sub hyperspace bubble within a hyperspace bubble.  Threading a needle within a threaded needle.  This is simply astounding."

"Aaron told me that you guys also repaired Corden's jumpship.  When Kendricke jumps out of system you and me leave this system.  You of all people have the knowledge and know how to accomplish this.  If we are successful and you are right.  My breatheren can return and finally remove the night haunt menace.  We will be competely be free at last.  I know you don't believe in the word, but will you do this for all of us Ramus?"

"Yes."  He didn't even hesitate in the response.

-----

Two dropships had attached themselves to Kendricke's jumpship.  Many people had wanted to leave Turbline that were non believers.  They wanted to see mankinds home planet and thus it was happening.  The rest of the populace remained behind.  Believer or none believer alike.  They worked together to defend their home from whatever night haunts were left.  They weren't simply erradicated as one would have hoped but their numbers had been significantly reduced.  In the coming years it would be observed that the constant changing forms declined considerably.  Whatever Corden had destroyed had given Turbline the chance to expand the towns and better defend themselves.  The mechs from Kendricke's force would be kept on Turbline and a few people would attempt to use them.  The guides would figure it out.

In a flash Kendricke's jumpship left the system.  Only then did Deback and Ramus talk to the populace on the next step of the plan.  They revealed they would be on a journey to another system known as Obeedah.  They would attempt to seek out Corden's breatheren and bring them here. When and if that happened, Turbline would truly be freed from the night haunt menace.

A week later the two remaining dropships took to the sky.  Five days later one of the dropships attached to Corden's then transferred the pilot back to the accompaning escort.  Afterwards Ramus and Deback began the process of switching over the systms to do a super jump.  In this case Ramus the master and Deback the helper.  With all the settings done the two week process of charging up the KF core and lithium fusuion batteries begun.  The solar sail hadn't been fixed so the fusion power plant had to be utilized.  After the chargings, Deback pulled out a device that Corden had left behind.  It had three VDNI connections and three input screens.  He attached the device to the main jump console and entered Vapula's ID code, Cordens code, and finally Adept Naamah's.  They both looked at each other, hit the red button, then waited.  The onboard HPG began to cycle and called into the existing HPG network.  There the system took the codes and searched for buried encrypted information left by the Word.  There the coordinates were unlocked for Obeedah and relayed to the computer.  The ten minute count down began.

Deback and Ramus made for the dropship as fast as they could.  They made it in time to seal the hatch and make for the bridge.  The final claxon came on the minute they got there and ten seconds later the jump initiated.

-----

What seemed like five minutes passed then they were ejected into real space.  Warning lights and sounds flared as the jumpship died its final death.  The dropship creaked and groaned.  Inner bulk head bulked but held.  Damage to the dropship rendered it unmanevourable.  After the assessment they consigned themselves to fate.  Deback prayed and Ramus joined him too.

Two days later noise could be heard coming from the jumpship airlock.  Deback got into the tengu armor and simply waited for what was to come.  Someone was alive on the ship and they would be coming to the bridge.  Ramus opted not to get in the djinn armor.  He would meet them as he was.  Then the bridge door opened and battle armored asuras came thru into the room in a clearing formation.  They pointed thier multiple machine guns at the occupants and dead silence hung in the air for a moment.  They had the symbol of the Word of Blake on their armor.  Deback fanally spoke.

"I am Phantom Adept Alpha Deback.  Right hand of the Iron Father of Turbline.  I seek out my breatheren and I am not disappointed."

Minutes passed before a response came.

"We have no records of you Deback.  You speak like us but yet have not shown your face."

"You are correct.  I was elevated by the Iron Father himself to manei domini.  At the time, he was unsure any of us were yet alive and I am not blessed with technology.  But..."

He opened the hatch of the tengu.  Revealing his crippled visage.  He was missing an eye and the left side his face was an utter mess.  There was no reaction from what was likely the leader of the asura squad.

"The Iron Father said I paid the price when I showed true devotion to the Word."

"Who is this Iron Father you speak of."

"Phantom Adept Tau Corden, Iron Father of Turbline, manei domini out of time.  His identification is PTC37819038918A99001..."

Deback went thru the memorized code of 256 characters that only those blessed with technology could access to verify authenticity.  The fact he knew it by heart was astounding, but he had time to have memorized it from the paper he had.  Half way thru the reading the asura lowered their weapons and simply waited for him to complete the code.  Minutes passed after he had finished before anyone said anything.

"You have much more explaining to do Adept Alpha Deback.  Come with us.  The way back is exposed to the void.  What about him."  The asura pointed to Ramus.

"That is Ramus the guide.  He is a KF drive savant.  You would be a fool to kill or harm him.  It would be utter blasphemy to hurt this frail.  Ramus enter the djinn so we can get off this wreck."

They floated thru jumpship and entered a new docked dropship.  From there they detached and began a four day journey till they landed on the planet.  During this time they were assigned quarters they were to stay in.  During this time Ramus helped Deback learn more how to read and they used the Word of Blake book to do so.  When they landed they were transported in a wheeled APC to a complex.  There they waited.

"Adept Alpha Deback, Precentor Obeedah will now see you."  Deback entered a room...

----

Inside a man sat and simply gestured to Deback to sit.

"Adept Alpha Deback, I am Spector Precentor Mot, manei domini, keeper of the Afterlife.  You have alot of explaining to do.  For now I will humor you with your name as you relayed Corden's ident code verbatum.  To have extrated or got that could would have resulted Corden initiating his suicide charges.  Then there is the other two codes and the device that was found on the jumpship."

"He gave me that code after his death freeing the planet Turbline, the other two codes were extrated from a Republic of the Sphere dropship, and he gave me this."

Deback reached into his robe and produced a memory chip.  He put it on the table and slid it over.  Mot picked it up and looked it over.  It was old and in fact original.  He pulled up a terminal and plugged it in.

"Aegaeon, access this files and analyze for authencity."

The computer AI ploughed thru the files on it and took time going over the data.  Then a holographic image of Corden appeared on a projecter and spoke.

"I am Phantom Adept Tau Corden, manei domini, Iron Father of Turbline.  I trust that Phantom Adept Alpha Deback, manei domini, right hand of The Iron Father has successfully reached some kind of breatheren of ours on Obeedah.  There is a tale that must be told before you render judgement on Deback or anyone else that accompanied him.  Some of it will appear extrodinary.  Some of it almost impossible.  I am not alive due to my actions to free a world and one that is on the road to embracing Blake.  It all started..."

-----

Kendricke stood before Devlin Stone.  Both his arms had been replaced by cybernetics.  His jaw had been repaired and metallic teeth implanted.  The hostility towards him from anyone that didn't know him was evident due to his looks.  Even Stone winced looking upon Kendricke.  The brush with the blakist would last physically forever.

"The report is most disturbing Kendricke.  The loss of men, machines, and the destruction of the jumpship coming back to Terra is heavy.  On top of that, not being able to return to that system to get the germanium is a complete loss.  Then there is your actions that ruined our attempts to get Corden alive.  That is pretty damning Paladin.

"Sir, I acted out of mental trauma from the Jihad.  I..."

"Don't lecture me on mental trauma damn it!  I can't remember who I was before I entered one of those Blakest reform camps.  Effective immediately you are to cease all command of any divisions and units.  You are now the liason for the refuge situation.  You created it, you get to deal with it.  I have no bloody idea what to do with them.  They can't be allowed to talk to any citizens of the Republic without starting rampant rumors of The Word being alive."

"Sir, they earned their freedom to come here.  Despite what transpired there, whatever the Blakists did, I believe they deserve to walk on Terra."

"There are a few islands that they could be allocated to them.  Maybe a few places in Australia.  We would have to vet them and filter out any Blakist infiltrators."

"Sir, these aren't the Blakists from the Jihad.  They aren't suicidal cyborgs nor fanatical death cultists.  If anyone is amoungst them, it is misguided fools."

"Noted.  For now that is all I have, dismissed."

Kendricke left Devlin Stone's office.  The physical parts of him were easy to deal with.  It was the mental images and problems he was having.  He dared not express what he thought or he would be labeled as a symptheizer.  The actions of Corden up till the very end of his sacrifice had shooken his opinion of The Word of Blake.  The manei domini were humans for sure, monsters, but Corden had fought for Turbline's populace and sacrificed himself to give them a chance against the night haunts.  He never came and talked him after he tried to kill him.  He only had learned when Deback saw him in person.  Then the book.  That damned book.  What it contained and what it said to him.  The note from Corden to him...

Then there was that damned recorded final transmission where it sounded like The Master had spoke at the end.  Kendricke would be haunted for the rest of his life with inner tourmoil.  As a Paladin and a possible Word of Blake convert that would never have resolution in what to truly believe...

-----

"Phantom Omega Taust, escort aDEPT Alpha Deback out."

The heavily modified manei domini took Deback and they headed towards an infirmary where he would likely be blessed with a new arm and eye.  Precentor Mot turned to the a computer council and a holographic image of Appolyon showed up.

"What do you think Aegaeon?"  The computer AI image looked at Precentor Mot.

"The information that Adept Alpha Deback is most stunning.  His passion and conviction are off all the psychological charts.  What he has told us is 99.99% true per psychological analysis.  All data indicates that all events are scientificly possible.  The report by Adept Tau Corden.  The misjumps, future jump, the system appearing cursed.  All of it is possible with in the realm of hypothetical calculations.  I have spent considerable cpu cycles simulating and replicating what has been presented to us.  In fact the data being provided by Ramus the guide is ground breaking.  The implications of what could be accomplished for jumpship travel could change things forever."

"Put all that aside for now, what about sound recording index TM34134.  Put some effort into that one."

The AI computer switched over to the directive.  A few minutes passed before...

"Blake's will be done!", "Blake's will be done!", "Blake's will be done!", "Blake's will be done!"....

"Aegaeon, initiate subroutine 'cancel'."

The computer knocked itself out of a causal continuous loop.

"Results Aegaeon?"

"Data analysis of the final transmission recording of Corden puts in a matching voice modulation to The Master at 96%.  However due to radiation spike, nuclear detonation, and the like, the percentage drops down to..."

"Enough.  Append the file to percentage...  Faith.  The brotherhood will have to debate and decide on this.  However it is not the sign."

"Agreed.  It is not the sign of the promise.  It is something else."

"Yes, I whole hearted agree.  I call it an opportunity and a calling.  We will initiate Corden's last will and memory based on your findings.  It will take years to prepare and test the jumpship changes, but we will do it"

The holgriphic image of Aegaeon switched over to another figure.  The Master.

"Blake's will be done."

-----

Ten years had past with no sign of Corden's right hand.  The populace had done its best to defend itself.  Mechs had broken down in time due to improper maintenance.  The technology mostly beyond the guides but they fought to keep them running.  The towns had expanded and the main travel routes had walls following them.  The newer towns had been abandoned that didn't have the caves and the older towns had expanded outward.  In silence the Preta stood in a stone structure that had been built to protect it from the elements.  It had served everyone well.  It charged batteries for all the laser weapons, kept some power for Baltmare, and kept the battle armors left over some what running.  There was the vigilance order, created to check the Preta cockpit for transmissions every so often.  During those ten years nothing came.  Then one day something came thru.  Static appeared that indicated a jumpship had entered the system.  Then the radio came alive.

"This is Phantom Adept Tau Deback of Turbline, Right Hand of the Iron Father.  I have returned and Blake's blessing is upon you!  No more despair, no more want of hoping, no more suffering and waiting!.  Your breatheren are here and the night shall be alight!

Five days later five dropships hovered over the planet.  Two were of the interdictor class.  Armed with sub capital weapons, they would bombard the planet where it was needed to rid any infestations on other continents.  The other three contained celestial mechs and spectral aerospace fighters.  They were preparing to drop in on the planet.

Deback was in his archangel luminos.  He had taken on the mech in Corden's honor and memory.  The design had suited him well.  Over his buffered VDNI he issued the command to pre-launch everyone.  The drop pod would do fine until they hit the atmosphere and then he would descend to the planet on the mechs own wings of fire.  He looked at his reflection in the cockpit glass.  His true left eye glowed red.  Then he looked at his left true arm and then made a fist.  He nodded to himself and with a few simple words he started the drop sequence.

"Brothers and sisters it is time.  Let Corden's memory fill your hearts as we go.  Blake's will be done.  Corden's last will be DONE!"

His archangel and others were released from the dropships.  A new beginning of an era on Turbline began as they entered the atmosphere over the towns...

[shopsmart]

Thus ends Iron Father.  Some rework is needed from what others have pointed out.  Currently the story in its form could be cannon due to it being slightly removed in a different system working behind the scenes.  Since we don't have much on the WoB other from The Ghosts of Obeedah, this makes things dicey of what comes next.  Since finishing the story, I also learned there are only a number of Paladins that exist.  Kendricke could be some form of hidden or ghost paladin.

In any case stay tuned for the second installment when I get around to it and most importantly.  FINISH it.  No stop gap measures or half published something that just abruptly ends.  The way Iron Father ends works great, but what more could happen....

The Right Hand of Corden is the current working title.

[PsihoKekec]

Deback returns less than a decade before the HPG network crashes.
Coincidence? I think not.

I am no fan of WoB, but you made your story compelling enough for me to follow it to conclusion, congratulation on the work well done.

[shopsmart]

Deback returns less than a decade before the HPG network crashes.
Coincidence? I think not.

I am no fan of WoB, but you made your story compelling enough for me to follow it to conclusion, congratulation on the work well done.

Someone is paying attention.  I want to keep the story in "canonitty" but there comes a point where there will be a break off if I get the next story line finished.  This is due to the BT universe time line has not revealed what is next, what info that is still missing era, and  info that Habeus can't talk about.  So I am left filling in gaps that I really don't want to fill, but requires it to push the story on.

Actually I am glad you are not a WoB-er.  Gives credit that the story was good.  My biggest worry about writing this thing was that no one would read it and enjoy it.  One person did is enough to push me forward.