Warhammer 40k: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 137: Assassination and Slander

"Let's get some rest, everyone," Damon suggested. "According to the Lord's assessment, the heretics here have already targeted the Dynasty. We haven't concealed our identities, so it's impossible for them to remain idle."

"I suppose that's all we can do," Ian agreed. "Tomorrow, I'll try again to see if I can get more intelligence from the Inquisition."

Even at night, the upper hive was a riot of activity as nobles and magnates indulged themselves without restraint.

No one noticed that the Governess's private guard was mustering, converging on the guesthouse where Damon and his team were staying. The on-duty Planetary Defense Force troopers also had their leave abruptly canceled.

Inside the guesthouse, Damon and the others had retired to their rooms. A dozen Raiders and twenty Night Sentinels were on alert, securing the building.

However, none of them had discovered the hidden, secret chamber within the structure. In the chamber's floor, a single tile was slowly sliding aside. Below it was a hole that no normal human could possibly fit through.

Yet a person, contorted into a ball, squeezed their way out.

It was Caules.

His body moved as if it had no bones. Following behind him was a group of mutants just like him. With covert assistance, this band of underhive scum had managed to sneak into the upper hive through a secret passage.

They were all like Caules. Their pliant bodies moved without making the slightest sound; these creatures were like born assassins.

Once everyone was out, Caules began to lay out the plan.

"Boss Caules, who do we kill first?"

"Ignore the patrolling soldiers for now. The mission is the priority. Take out the Rogue Trader's bodyguard first. I need the Bishop and the Inquisitor alive."

"Heh heh, don't you worry, boss," one of them snickered. "I brought the good stuff this time, got it from a sorcerer! I hear even one of the Emperor's Angels can't handle this anesthetic!"

"Then you'd better get the dosage right, you brat. Don't kill them!"

"Relax, boss! I tested the dose on an Ogryn. I've got the measure of it. Those big guys couldn't last a second!"

They then began to pull out a variety of weapons. Their sharp blades were coated with potent toxins, and serrated edges were clearly meant to inflict double the pain on their targets. While they lacked heavy weapons, they were armed with several brand-new laspistols and military-grade grenades—equipment that no underhive dweller should have been able to acquire.

One by one, they muttered the names of an unknown entity, all of which pointed to the Lord of Pleasure. The reward for this mission would be enough for them to indulge themselves with abandon for a long time.

One of the mutants crept to a ventilation duct and began to pump a highly efficient anesthetic into it. The aerosolized gas started to spread throughout the entire building via the ventilation system.

"It's done, boss! We just need to wait one minute. Then you could slowly carve the flesh from their bones and they wouldn't even wake up! A pity, really. We won't get to see their pained expressions... an Inquisitor... sigh... those types have a very high tolerance. It would be great if we could take one back..."

"Don't even think about it. They are the mission targets!"

Caules waited with excitement. Years of slaughter and worship of a dark god had transformed these people. They were no longer just completing a mission; they were savoring the process. Their faith in the Lord of Pleasure made them addicted to the acts of torturing their targets, and even themselves.

As the countdown neared its end, Caules and his subordinates pulled out syringes and injected the contents into their own necks. While inflicting extreme pain, these combat drugs also enhanced their fighting capabilities, granting their frail bodies a strength they should not possess.

Seeing that the time was right, Caules led his men into the ventilation ducts. They had been provided with a complete layout of the building beforehand; this guesthouse had been specifically chosen for Damon's team. From the moment they had arrived on Malfi, their every move had been perfectly monitored by the enemy.

Caules ordered his men to split up while he went directly for Damon. This was the one target who could be killed, and even if the man was unconscious, Caules planned to thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of the slaughter. His subordinates, meanwhile, would go to capture Holter and Ian alive.

Caules dropped directly from the ventilation duct, confident that Damon was already unconscious. But before he could even make a move, a fist smashed through the hard wall beside him, yanking him forcefully out of the structure itself.

"Pain... such real pain..."

Caules's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. The man before him showed no sign of being drugged; he was completely unaffected.

Caules's anesthetic was indeed potent. He hadn't been bluffing; its special combination of technology and warp-sorcery could likely fell a Space Marine.

But Damon's body had long since undergone a terrifying level of enhancement. Years of constant warfare had honed his strength to a dreadful degree. The moment the anesthetic gas entered his room, he had already sensed it.

"How can you not be unconscious? What is wrong with your body?"

"Who are you?" Damon asked calmly. "Corrupted by the warp? Are you a worshipper of Chaos?"

Caules's next action took even Damon by surprise. With a savage grin, he drew a long knife and sliced off the very arm that Damon had grabbed. He then immediately launched an attack. The pain from the severed limb seemed to further enhance all of Caules's abilities, but that depended entirely on his opponent.

"A worshipper of Slaanesh?" Damon mused aloud. "One who enjoys pain and torment? The characteristics are very similar to what Lord Lucan described."

Damon hadn't expected to find any leads during the day, but now a clue had delivered itself right to his door.

Caules was fast, but against an unarmored Damon, he was still hopelessly outmatched. Damon, wanting to capture him alive, did not use lethal force.

Panic began to set in for Caules. His opponent was absurdly strong... there was no way he could win. He immediately changed his strategy.

"Give up! I admit you're strong! But my men have already captured the Bishop and the Inquisitor! If you resist any further, I'll have my men kill them!"

But Caules saw no flicker of surprise on Damon's face.

"Capture Ian and Holter? Given your own combat strength, I think you're overestimating them. You didn't really think your anesthetic would work on them, did you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Suddenly, the sounds of battle erupted from the other rooms.

"Scum of Chaos! I, Holter, shall purify you in the name of the God-Emperor!"

The sound of a power hammer smashing through a wall echoed through the building. Not only that, but a powerful wave of psychic energy washed over the area, making even Caules tremble involuntarily.

"Attacking an Inquisitor? You truly have courage."

Ian brandished his force staff, and arcs of destructive psychic energy obliterated his assailants in both body and soul.

Both Ian and Holter had also been enhanced by Lucan's Divinity Machine, and the durability of their bodies now far surpassed that of an Ogryn. Although they weren't as unaffected as Damon, the moment they felt their bodies reacting to the gas, they responded immediately.

Hearing the screams of his men, Caules couldn't believe it. The targets of this mission were far too powerful. Was this a setup? Was I sent here to die?

"If you tell me who sent you, you might have a chance to live!" Damon said, pressing his advantage.

Just as Caules was cornered with nowhere left to run, a massive explosion erupted from beneath the ground. The enormous shockwave threw everyone off their feet.

Instantly, the Governess's private soldiers, who had been waiting in position, swarmed the area.

"By order of the Governess!" an officer bellowed. "The Mongorte Dynasty has colluded with heretics and attempted to assassinate the Governess! They have murdered Malfi's Cardinal Bishop! They have murdered an Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos! They have even murdered the Naval Commander of Port Wander and seized the station for themselves! By the Governess's command, purify everyone within this building!"

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