[h1][center][color=0054a6]The Bastion of Arrogance - Eastern fringe of Imperial Space[/color][/center][/h1]

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The council had been called... it was only a matter of time now... Rokurou sat at the head of the great table in the Council chamber at the center of the Star Fort. He had called the gathering a few standard Terran days hence. Most of the Captains were on the Fort now, and today was the appointed day of the gathering... they would be here soon. 

Rokurou looked down at his hands, the massive chainfists silent and cold against the table, they had lain idle for a long time now... months had passed since their last campaign Rokurou had had more pressing matters. The room itself was lit very dimly, the cahpter master himself sat in near pitch blackness, not but his pale white face and black eyes could be seen, as well as his hands and chest. This was for good reason... few knew of his... additions, only Chief Apothecary Serviel Cantus and the Master of the Forge and captain of the Engineseer company Constantine Drustos. He wished to keep the sobering new fact from his chapter until absolutely necassary.

He sat, enshrouded in dark as he had learned to be all those centuries agon when he was a Raven Guard, even his great Terminator bulk was largely hidden from view... it was but a few hours longer before the Captains and other command staff would arrive... this was perhaps the single most important event in the young Chapters history, and Rokurou wished it was not him who had to place such a burden on his sons.

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He waited for the Captains to become settled around the great table, some of whom had never even seen this chamber, and they needed the short time to settle. After a few moments the door to the chamber was shut and sealed as the Chapter Master raised his hand for silence, nd cleared his throat.

[color=92278f]"Captains, Chaplains, Librarians and all... you may be questioning the purpose of this gathering. Why I have not told you,  why you are here... the Chapter stands on the edge of a Knife. Our Gene seed had... devolved, mutated and now over 90% of our Chapter has changed. Even... even as we learned the third generation of scouts was tainted it was already spreading, even to those previously pure... most of you have your own mutations. And now... even I have succumbed."[/color], the Chapter Master stood, and the great emaciated wings jutting from his back. They moved slightly, shrouding his form before they returned to their position behind him. He looked to his assembled council, [color=92278f]"And now, I must reveal to you a far worse consequence. I have instructed Serviel to give only our purest Gene seed to the tithe fleets since this all began. Now, we have but a handfull, not enough to satisfy the fleets. You may beleive me foolish or not for this action, but now it has forced us to a crossroads. If the Inquisiton discovers our Gene seed is tainted there will be... investigations. They will not tolerate our rampant mutations, and they WILL take drastic actions. This gathering is to decide our fate, our course of action... what will we do?"[/color]
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[color=ed145b]"How much longer Captain?"[/color], Lord Inquisitor Vera Kilrit stood on the bridge of the great tithe ship, horrendously impatient and ready to be where she had been sent. "Not much longer Lord Inquisitor, it should be but a few more Terran hours!", the young captain was honoured to have a member of the Inquisiton aboard his vessel... but had finally worked up the courage to ask why, "But... Inquisitor, why are we travelling to the Warp skulls now? The tithe is not due for quite some time... and why do you accompany-", the inquisitor cut him off, [color=ed145b]"You will be informed when and if I deem it fit. Yours is not to ask questions of the inquisiton."[/color], the man bowed deeply to her in apology before slinking back to his command throne.

In reality Inquisitor Vera was accompanying this early tithe because of a number of... distressing rumours about the Warp Skulls, a chapter of Astartes. She had heard of Librarians coated in glass, third eyes and scales... and worse. It was not all that unlikely that such rumour was no more than superstitous fear and awe at the sight of the Angels of death... but Vera did not take chances on rumours... all to often tey were far to true.