>>2791200
That caused her to glance up at me. “What do you mean?”

“It was before you joined us, on Ascendant. We'd gotten on planet to investigate the planetary governor after a series of uprisings that the guard helped quell. We cleared him of it but got a couple of cults in the process.” I paused as I noticed something else. “And it seems that his report was buried underneath other ones. Because he had pulled some strings to get all non-planetary guardsmen off world as quickly as possible.”

“Saving face tactic, right?” Catherine was catching on fast.

“Right. Had did the same with the Guard reports.” I did a quick cross reference. “And it appears that we might have gotten to this investigation sooner if he hadn't of called in those favors.” I made a quick note before burying myself in the reports again.

>>2791208
“Lyssandra seems to be quite protective of both Jim and Maksim,” Catherine noted. “According to this report, Venris ended up having to play an avoidance game in order to question people.”

“Unsurprising,” I muttered softly. “She probably keeps a close eye on Jim. She's probably been covering for him for quite some time. Might even be willing to put a bullet in him if need be. They'd been through hell together, and were from the same homeworld. That tends to form tight bonds. Dangerous bonds.”

“Yes, well. The clerics speak highly of him. Faithful, pure, and dedicated, they say. Other people indicate that often he can be heard muttering the litanies. Many times he says that he is reading through them with Maksim. Though there seems to be some degree of divergence, however. Some of the men describe him as 'able but stupid,' while others consider him highly intelligent.”

“They're both right in a way.” I set my report aside and hunted for another. After a moment I tossed her one before resuming my hunt. “Go ahead and take another look at his education. I'll give you a hint – it's virtually non-existent. Only two days in training. He was never taught to read, he simply learned on his own. Or maybe his parents taught him, it doesn't say. Regardless, he went on to read and comprehend the Tactica Imperium. He also wasn't kidding when he said he could fly or shoot anything; he's qualified to use any weapon and vehicle within the Imperial Guard. It also says that they often give him access to medical supplies. There are multiple reports of his field expertise being used to save life and limb where otherwise the Emperor's Benediction would be granted.”

>>2791213
She glanced over to me curiously. “Was he trained as a medic?”

I smiled a little. “No more than the Primer indicates. In Commander Silon's own words, 'Show him something once, and he'll be able to do it a hundred times without fail.' It's not often that you see one like him.”

“Mm. If that's true, then I suppose he should be happy that he's never accidentally stumbled into techno-heresy.” She paused for a moment. “All in all, though, it's mostly what I've expected.” She tossed down the report and reached for another.

I quickly skimmed it myself. Venris had decent enough script; nothing compared to my own, naturally, but still legible. True enough, it did say mostly what we had expected. Of course, what it said to Catherine was completely different to what it said to me.

I dared a glance to the psyker, noting that he was sweating profusely as he wrote his own report. It was our way; I'm not sure about the rest of the Inquisitors, but we left a paper trail explaining our decisions and how we came to them. Catherine thought that it was being compiled in order to instruct future Inquisitors and their Acolytes, but I thought it was just our way of covering our asses.

As soon as the psyker finished his report, I snatched it from him. Time was of the essence now, and I still had thoughts to confirm. This report would either prove me right, or completely humble me next to my peers. I barely noticed the psyker lean against the wall, breathing heavily. As I began to delve into his writings, I began to understand why.

Ahh! He's back!
Shit, i'd almost forgotten about this...

>>2791214
I was halfway through the report when the door opened. I had thought maybe if I prayed on it hard enough, the Emperor would keep him from coming in until I was done. Alas, such selfish prayers are never answered.

Inquisitor Guilliman was an imposing man. Working under him had taught me much; mostly how to keep from being unnerved by anything. Though his face was gaunt, your eyes never focused on his thin lips or his hollow cheeks – instead your eyes were drawn to his. Those bulging gray-blue eyes seemed to pierce your very soul. Most would prefer to stare at the servo-skull and cherubim that accompanied him. This was a man adept at being feared. He smiled at us.

I hated that smile.

“Your opinions?” he asked as Venris stepped in behind him, closing and locking the hatch. My eyes quickly went back to my report, so Catherine began.

>>2791229
“James is a capable man, and one that under other circumstances I would respect greatly. He has purposefully withheld his promotions in order to be better prepared for the roles he would serve. While some would gauge this as being foolheardy, there's a wisdom to it. I've treated many soldiers who were injured because somebody was either promoted before they were ready, or because somebody wasn't confident in their abilities. The Emperor protects those who steel themselves.

“However, his witnessing of the Grey Knights notwithstanding, I believe that he may be tainted by the Warp. The reports that lead to our discovery of him aren't the only instance of his taint in my opinion. His highly-lauded Commissar was killed a full two hours before the ork warboss assaulted the trenches. As well, his corpse was heavily crushed in the assault – his head was completely destroyed under the warboss's metal feet. His hallucinations of the dead are signs that Chaos is attempting to influence his actions, perverting his mind and will. As well, his joining of the Guard was in direct violation of regulations. Even with the dire circumstances behind his conscription, such youths are ill-suited to fight the forces of Chaos and emerge with their minds intact.

“He is twenty-three years old, and set to be promoted to Lieutenant. If this were to come out, there would be riot in the ranks. I believe that he must be put down for his own good, and the good of his fellow Guardsmen.”

There was a pause. My eyes were glued to the report, and I didn't dare look up to see what Guilliman was doing. Probably digesting her report.

>>2791239
“Understandable, Sister Catherine. Quite understandable. However, there are things which I believe you are not aware of. And judging by the look of your compatriot, I would guess he has figured many things out. After all, he only has that particular smug grin whenever he knows something that somebody else doesn't.”

I held up a finger as I read. Furiously now, my eyes absorbed the words in front of me, sending my mind churning faster and faster. The pieces of the puzzle, the few things that didn't make sense from my own conclusions, were falling into place at such a speed that I could barely keep up.

Finally I tossed the report to the side and leaned back in my chair, a wry grin crossing my face. “I'm sure that it's nothing that you can't guess at, but I'll go ahead and say it anyway to fill Sister Catherine in. First, I'll start with my initial suspicions and conclusions.

“James is indeed quite the formidable force. He has countless kills against unknown horrors, leading whatever unit with which he's been attached to victory against countless of horrors. He's survived countless situations that would crush lesser men. Worse, he's proven himself highly intelligent, and intelligent people often reflect upon the horrors they've witnessed. Often, this leads men down the path of corruption. James, however, has held firmly to his faith.

“Still, we have to look at the regiment to which he's attached. Silon's Scrappers, as they're commonly called, fluctuate in size constantly, continually filling in losses with remnants from other squads, regiments, whomever they can get their grubby little mitts on. There are three instances where they have left a planet with approximately a regiment and a half, only to arrive at their destination with a barely full force. Most of these deaths are marked as 'found wanting,' however these numbers lead towards figures that are relatively new to the unit."

>>2791253
“Commander Silon may have the favor of some, but he also has many enemies. It's for this reason that his regiment is constantly driven from one war-torn planet to the next, why they are constantly assigned to make the final horrible push. It has lead to the hearty reputation that the Scappers have earned. It has also lead to another reputation. Many spread rumors that the unit is cursed, and that everybody within it is driven mad.”

I mimed putting a gun to my head. “Boom. Many people are found wanting by their own hand, and take their own lives. The can't cope with what's happened, what they've seen, what they've done. At least, that's my theory on the matter. Continuing on with this, however, is the fact that James is an intelligent man. Intelligent men often try to find ways to survive, to keep from doing things that will shorten their own lives. The fact that his bravery under fire is without question, then perhaps he's found other ways to survive. To keep the horrors from clawing deep at him.

“If a man survives, then one does not mourn his loss. Jim simply sees that somebody is dead, and doesn't register who. He then hallucinates that the actual person is still alive. This would explain how he believed that the Commissar tossed the sword to him as well as other irregularities. Simply hallucinations, his own private way of keeping from falling to the warp.”

>>2791266
“But you abandoned this theory,” Guilliman said slowly.

“Naturally. First, it left too many questions unanswered. Too many coincidences that don't quite add up. The most blasphemous of which being the fact that these coincidences didn't come to our attention sooner. The moment that I read the first paragraph of Garvel's report, one sentence in particular, everything began to click into place.”

Catherine pursed her lips and raised a questioning eyebrow. I couldn't help but smirk. “The sentence? Simple. 'James is a psyker.' Read the report for yourself, it's true. Just as I'm sure our patron can attest.”

Catherine snatched the report, but Guilliman was nodding slowly. “It's not often that I find myself unable to sense when a man is a psyker, especially one so powerful, but James did manage to mask his presence immaculately. Until he started telling his story.”

“Precisely.” I was on a roll now, reveling in the moment. “An extremely powerful psyker... Of course, dear Catherine, you'd be curious as to how he managed to hide himself so perfectly. One half of the answer is that he was whisked away from his homeworld before he could be properly questioned by the Inquisition. A sad thing, this, as it would have solved all manner of issues. The other half, however, is well-detailed in the report.”

“By the Throne, cut to the chase,” she growled under her breath.

>>2791273
I winced a little. While she wouldn't hurt me, she had all manner of ways to make my life more difficult. Best to appease her. “Back on his homeworld, he participated in a great battle, and ended up assisting a Grey Knight in destroying a daemon. With the final attack that spelled the daemon's doom, however, he was knocked unconscious. As the demon began to... die, I suppose, it showed its great arrogance. The only person conscious at this time was a lone Knight, who would bleed out very soon. It laughed mockingly at him, informing the Knight that this daemon, this entire attack, was only the forerunner of greater evil. A greater evil that would come to that planet, rise up, and destroy it. That would use the planet as a launching post for greater conquest, lead by an even more powerful daemon.

“As it died, it said that the invasion being pushed away was only part of the plan. What details it gave were scant, but it was enough to foretell doom for multiple worlds.”

“Wait,” Catherine cut in, looking back at me. “How do you know all of this?”

Apparently she wasn't reading the report as fast as I had. Not that I was complaining, of course. I loved moments like these. “Ah, that's the tragedy. The Knight was unable to communicate what he'd learned due to his injuries, and knew that his time was short. So he turned to the only person he could – the young psyker who had so bravely aimed his weapon for him. He forced the message into the youth's mind, imprinting it, if you will. He knew that Inquisitors would come, so he prepared as best he could."

>>2791283
“But he also wasn't sure that the fighting was done. He knew that it wouldn't be safe to just leave the boy like that, so he imprinted more. As much as he could, as much as he dared to before his own life was snuffed out. And once that was done, he curled his body over the unconscious boy, hoping that it would keep him from being injured.”

“So you're saying that he died protecting Jim?” Catherine asked slowly.

A harsh laugh escaped me. “Don't be stupid. Battle Brother Maksim did no such thing as try and save James himself. No, he was protecting the message, which he felt needed to be known. That's why he imparted so much onto him. He needed to be sure that James survived long enough to give the message.

“Unfortunately, James was whisked away from the planet before the Inquisition got there, and sent on a long trail of bloody campaigns. The imprinted knowledge, however, remained. This is only conjecture on my part, but I believe that at first it was nothing more than how to steel himself against Chaos, protect himself from danger as well as his own mind, that sort of thing. However, as time went on, it changed in his mind. Such a large imprinting of will and personality is bound to have a lasting effect, especially when the mission isn't completed.”

>>2791297
“So, what you're saying is, the hallucinations of Maksim are a direct result of the imprinting?”

“Why Catherine, you catch on fast.” I was avoiding looking at Guilliman. Even still, I could feel his eyes boring through me. “In a way, it's perhaps the best way to keep our intrepid guardsman alive was to have a second set of eyes watching over him. Somebody to see the things that he didn't notice himself, to shout warnings, and to give advice. The imprinting, along with the abilities within James, created Maksim.”

“You still didn't say how you knew this.” Catherine's expression was... odd, to say the least.

“Oh, that? Once he started explaining, apparently Battle Brother Maksim appeared in the room, visible only to psykers... such as our sanctioned friend, or an Inquisitor. He explained his message, plain and simple. Perhaps he was tied into those suppressed psyker abilities so that James projected him. I'm not sure. I'm no psyker myself, so such details are beyond me.

“Now, as for the other hallucinations that James has conjured within his own mind, I'd like to remind you of what each of these hallucinations are: people that he views as being superior to him, giving him orders and directions that lead to his survival. James doesn't realize these people are dead, as him knowing so would be cut off from his ability to take orders from them. Their supposed orders lead him and his men to victory. Victory means survival. Survival means that he will eventually give his report.”

Guilliman cut in. “In your opinion, Jim only received his medals because of Battle Brother Maksim's interference.” He said it like a statement, but I'd long since come to understand his questions. There was a reason why I held my position.

OH SHI-! NEW CHAPTER!

Come on, get to the part where they start taking off their clothes...

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!!

I've missed the last two chapters! Do you have a site or a download somewhere or the others? I don't want to skip ahead!

>>2791318
“No,” I corrected quickly. This was a moment of elation to me, correcting my Inquisitor's assumption over something that was obvious. “The Adeptus Astartes are rather linear in their tactics and methodologies. Silon's Scrappers are effectively an irregular regiment. Though they retain the standard ranking structure, they fall back on many forms of irregular tactics. They've been known to make use of skirmishing, harassing, cutting supply, ambushing... all tactics that Adeptus Astartes are frowned upon for using. Or, at least, the Grey Knights. And he relies on the thoughts and opinions of his squad to come to decisions, a skill that the Astartes aren't well-known for. No, James excelled in these areas by his skill alone.”

My eyes darted back to Catherine. “You read the report by Venris. James trains almost constantly, and pushes his entire unit to do the same. When not training, they're studying the word of the Emperor. And when James isn't doing either of those, he's telling stories. These stories have an important effect on people, however – they share combat experience, explaining things to do, and things not to do. This is where I think Battle Brother Maksim's interference comes into play the most.”

I looked back to Guilliman. The bastard's skin was taut around his face, and he wasn't quite focusing on any of us. He was calculating again. Plotting. Planning. The servo skull was focused on me, the cherubim focused on Sister Catherine. I was glad they were on the other side of the room – they made me sick to look at.

>>2791330

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html

>>2791330
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2600504 Chapter 1
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2620824 Chapter 2
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2671674 Chapter 3

http://thethinfatguy.blogspot.com/ All three in one location, craptastic blog style.

>>2791339
“Anyway,” I continued. “For my own advisory, I'm voting that he be terminated as well. He's an unsanctioned psyker, and he's not only seen but interacted with a Grey Knight. In fact...” I pushed my notes across the table towards the Inquisitor. “I've taken the liberty of preparing a list of people who should be terminated as well, for hindering the investigation of an Inquisitor. I even included a list of their crimes, from the Commisar who hid the fact that James witnessed the Knights in action, to the arrogant nobles who ensured that James was gone before we reached a planet.

“Of course, you'll notice that I didn't include Commander Silon. That's the only ounce of leniency that I'll give on this matter. By the Throne, he must know that so many of his men have a tenuous grip on their sanity. Though I would never doubt that he keeps a close eye on mutation, heresy, or taint; I also know that since his men must suffer due to his own political standing, he must allow some give on the parts of his men's mental states.” I withdrew a lho stick and lit it with a smug grin. “What do you think?”

>>2791355
MORE STORY LESS LINKING

f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5f5

>>2791362
“I think I want to change my vote,” Catherine said suddenly. She looked to me. “You've always talked about figureheads and how sometimes doing something for the sake of appearance is for the best. In this case, I think that his termination would be devastating not only to his unit and regiment, but to the ship and others that he has come in contact with.”

She turned to Guilliman. “Jim is a charismatic man who inspires loyalty. He's also a capable soldier, with a sharp mind and good reflexes honed through over a decade of combat. A decade of combat, and he is still in his early twenties. He also was able to notice the suspicious behavior of Venris, and I'm willing to guess that he told Lyssandra to keep an eye on him. Since your bodyguard has died, sir, and we have not yet secured another... I suggest that we add Jim to your retinue. Failing this, he should be loaded onto a black ship and sent back to Terra for proper processing.”

I was impressed. Not only had she changed her opinion on James, she was willing to add him to our number before he run the risk of becoming a sanctioned psyker. Still, I had my own objections. “Once again, I'd like to remind you that he forms his opinions based on those around him. I don't think we need somebody who will just reflect back our own thoughts.”

Catherine shook her head. “He doesn't just use their opinions, you silly twit. He consults his squad's thoughts and opinions to see if he can get new ideas and weigh his own. By taking that into consideration, he can come up with the answer that he's looking for. Much like we already try to do.” Her eyes flickered to our benefactor.

>>2791362
IN B4 Jim is the narrator's new boss

>>2791375
“Interesting,” Guilliman said in a tone that somehow reminded me of fingernails scraping across a bulkhead. “A very unusual investigation indeed. We would do well to remember this incident in the future, to aid us in preventing circumstances like these from arising in the future. I am only glad that the Administratum detected such discrepancies so we could interview James. It was truly an event that was guided by the Emperor himself. We now have advanced warning of a major Chaos invasion of a planet. Though only a few scant years before it is set to occur, it gives us time to prepare the planet.

“As for the people involved...” Guilliman leaned on his staff, not that he needed it. “I accept your proposal that the people who obfuscated the situation be punished. Ignorance is no excuse! Those few who moved him on purpose, or ordered him to lie... They will be made an example that none shall forget. Those who claim ignorance will simply be lashed and killed.

“As for James...” A chuckle escaped him. “For now, we shall see that he gets the medals that you told him he was due.” That caused my mouth to dry. It had been just a lie... “He will receive the Honorifica Imperialis, as well as the Merit of the High Lords. He is eligible for both. I've already confirmed that there are a good number of planetary awards which he could receive. He will receive as many as we can possibly influence. I want his chest so shiny that a sniper would see him before he sees the commander. After that, he will stay within the command of Silon a little while longer.”

>>2791390
I could almost feel the hatching plots ebbing from his mind. The dark glint in his eyes was the same as when he'd ordered the purge of an entire hive... and then supervised its repopulation. “Besides, I want all eyes on James. Just receiving one of those two honors would be enough to earn him quite the distinction, but both? From the same battle? One of them traditionally earmarked for officers? No, all eyes will be on him for quite some time.”

Guilliman smiled as his hand reached out to the table, pressing a few buttons. I didn't recognize the planet that appeared on the screen set into the wall, but I could tell the designation: death world.

“I have plans for James. I have plans.”

With a frown, I snuffed out my lho stick. I hated that smile. And even more, I felt something that I hadn't felt in a long time – sympathy for the poor bastard. Nothing short of an order by the Emperor Himself could get me to want to switch places with James now.

CHAPTER 4 END
COMPLETE

>>2791403
NO FAGGOT, WRITE MORE.

Thank you all for reading. This all spawned in a long-forgotten thread involving Tau and ice-cream from a simple idea of "Wouldn't it be tragic if Guardsman Jim's silent best-buddy Maksim was just a hallucination?"

What followed was a month or so of frantic research, rewrites, edits, and wondering what the fuck I was thinking.

in b4 "I want to know what you were thinking, too."

>>2791427
Maybe some day later. For now, I've told what I've wanted to of Jim's story. This was the intended end from the very beginning.

Also, if anybody has any questions reguarding the plot or whatever, now's the time to ask.

>>2791429
I love you. Write more.

is chapter 3 archived anywhere because im not seeing it on sup/tg/

>Also, if anybody has any questions reguarding the plot or whatever, now's the time to ask.

Aight, heres one.
What the dick use would a psyker be on a Death World?

OH GODEMPEROR WRRRRRY! Too much cliff-hanger awesome.

By the throne is it possible to get a sequel?

>>2791446
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2671674
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2671674
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2671674

By the Emperor's golden brass monkey! MOARRR!

>>2791454
Good question. Ask the Inquisitor. Some things, like what happens after the story, I won't answer.

>>2791460
For now, I consider this story done. I might come back to it -- I like Jim, and want to play with him some more. You might see him comment at times on here as well. I'd like to play with his relationships with his squad and others some more, but I need to hear a cockney accent more in order to do that. (That's how I personally imagine Low Gothic sounding for some reason.) But no more on this until I at least find a job at the very least. Roomie's kindness only goes so far.

>For now, I consider this story done.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Oh Christ, I thought this shit was done and over with.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

NO, WRITE MOAR, FAGGOT. SHIT IS TOO AWESOME TO END LIKE THAT.

more would be much appreciated

>>2791429
I was actually thinking that Jim was an Emperor's Vessel, which is why I asked if the narrator was a Thorian in the second thread. Your end is still cool, though, and I really want to see what Guillman wants to do with Jim.

Okay, tell you what -- I'll write more, but not for a while. Let me get a job, root out some ideas, find something kinda dark to mess with, and learn more about the setting, and I'll write more about Jim. The big thing is inspiration, though, which may take some time/lurking.

>>2792343
HA! I remember that, and it actually played into the end. No, the narrator himself isn't a Thorian. Frankly, he's just doing his job. Catherine actually is, which is why her opinion changed so readily. Guilliman, however, has yet to actively "tell" me what faction he belongs to, so I can't tell you what his stance is.

>>2792403
And so i am bound to scan /tg/ forever more

Really great stuff, sir. I thought that they might have sent a Space Marine or two as a small attachment to watch over Jim while saying that they're there to help hold the Scrappers together until their ranks would be properly filled (which wouldn't happen).

Jim's speech seems to kind of fluctuates between levels of intelligence. In the first chapter, and I could be wrong because I've come to learn a lot more about the character now, Jim seemed like a naive farmer. By this chapter, he sounds more like he just has an accent. ...If that makes sense.

Also, Jim was retelling the Commissar's speech, right? How did you picture this scene in your mind? It seemed odd to me that Jim's articulation completely changed, even trying to use "he REALLY wanted to memorize it" as an explanation.

Fantastic. I mean, really, it felt like a professional short novel.

This is awesome and you should feel awesome. Bumpan so others don't miss it.

And I was just going to post a thread soon asking if I'd missed this.

Can we finally get a title for it? I'll put it on 1d4chan once it has one.

oh thank god
the whole time im thinking
"i swear to god if they kill jim"

Holy crap, it's still here?

>>2794196
I tried to keep the same speech patterns throughout. That said, I never intended him to be a "stupid hick," just an uneducated hick. I did mess up a bit on the commissar's speech, yes. But the main thing was that I wanted to get the fact that he is a bright man who just happened to be born on a planet and in a location of said planet that prevented him from using that intelligence. If I were writing this professionally, I would consider all of this a rough draft and rewrite the dialouge to make it more consistent, but... meh.

That said, thank Hooks for correcting some of the narrator's speech, fixing various mistakes, and other proofreading. I spel gud!

Lastly, no, Silon's Scrappers would never be bolstered by Marines. I may not have remembered much about the setting going in, but I know better than that.

>>2795452
As I've said before, I suck at naming, be it people or stories. If you want to post it on 1d4, then go ahead, but name it yourself. The best I've got is "The Inquest" so whatever.