- Unknown, Arexia Prime -
A trio of soot-black swords seemingly stamped onto the wall. A single large black sword in the centre, pointed downwards, with the two smaller swords on either side, pointing upwards and at a slight angle. This was the symbol that had begun popping up all over Gregori's little Imperium Reborn besides groups of slaughtered criminals. Occasionally a quote is found stamped under the symbol of swords, 'Truth is the Sword's Virtue', 'Purified by the Blade', or 'Forgiveness Only in Death'. When the first few such scenes popped up it was believed to merely be a local vigilante gang on their own little crusade against those they perceived as impure. But the killings occurred across the planet's surface, in dozens of locations. Always the killers left their mark, and always their targets were known criminals. Specifically those involved with the drug trade and black market appeared to be targeted, although victims had been found from all castes and forms of crime. On one occasion a judge of a local court had been found killed in his own home, with documents proving his corruption laid across the corpse. Surprisingly, his family had been left untouched.
After a few days the vigilantes became known as the Obsidian Truth, based on the words burned into the flesh of a black-clad warrior who was found at one of the battle scenes. Rumours were abound as to where they had come from, who lead them, and how they managed to perform what most would consider to be impossible feats. They were the ghosts of those wronged by criminals, or a secret organisation created by their government, or an army of assassins lead by a mysterious overlord. Those few black-clad corpses discovered with tattoos of the three swords spoke not a word as to the true nature of this band, leaving questions where answers were sought. But the effect was noticeable, as those of criminal intent fearfully crept back into the shadows. Crime was diminished worldwide and neighborhoods were made safer. And while some citizens saw the Obsidian Truth as a threat, most considered them saviors, vigilante heroes. Even if they were hunted down by the law they were heroes in the eyes of those they saved. And never, across hundreds of battles, was an innocent killed by their hand.
Of course, all of this was a rather stunning and wide-spread ruse. A plot that even the most cynical of civilians would never have thought. For these mystery killers were the oathbound mercenaries and vat-grown monsters of K'Vari, the Stryxis trader. The corpses that had been discovered were slaves, attired and killed just for that purpose, to create this image, the dream of a vigilante army. Most of the actual killings were performed by K'Vari's highly skilled and trained elite. Of course, the goal was simple. By wiping out the black market and specifically the drug trade, he effectively cut off Ritske's supply of recreational drugs. It appeared her favoured contacts died just slightly more than other drug traders, although not by so much that it would appear as a noticeable pattern. Slowly the prices would go up, the supply would dwindle, and Ritske would have to go to ever greater lengths to acquire her kick. Meanwhile new groups took control of what remained of the drug trade, newcomers who stood perfectly poised to fill in the power void left by the dead. Those stubborn groups that refused to back off from the trade under threat of death were pushed out financially, strangled by better financed groups who seemed to have no goal other than to ruin them.
And so K'Vari would establish his foothold. There was no way he could completely shut off the drug trade, of course. There would always be supply, and thus there must always be demand. By instating his own little groups, drug cartels who received support from him, he gained an extensive control over the supply, and the Obsidian Truth allowed him to severely tone down the availability of drugs. Removing Ritske's contacts prevented her from having easy access, and she would need to get at least part of her drug supply from his puppets. Those she dealt with not under his control would be muscled out of the way by new, rival gangs, or annihilated by the Obsidian Truth, until K'Vari was her sole drug dealer. This would perhaps not instantly win her loyalty, and if he played it wrongly might even lead to his untimely demise, but it gave him severe leverage over the Slaaneshi killer and her mercenary company.
Of course, only a fool would invest this much effort into gaining leverage over a single target. The Obsidian Crusade was a far more useful tool than just that, and one of the main tools he would use to engineer his superiority within this Imperium. For by pretending to be the Obsidian Truth he had conjured them into reality, as if by magic. A magic greater than that wielded by any sorceror or psyker. Mere days after the first killings already applicants began to appear. Those who had been wronged by the world's criminal element, the zealous who wished to fight for justice, those whom's lives or livelihoods had been saved by the Obsidian Crusade's brutal justice. Enforcers who wished to have more of an effect, disillusioned soldiers looking for a cause, xenos looking to escape the prejudice that chased them. Little bases would be established across the planet, as more and more flocked to his banner. Slowly he would withdraw his own forces when they had served their cause, although always maintaining control of their leaders. They would truly become an army to fight crime, and he would never be discovered, even should the entire organisation be rooted out and destroyed. More importantly he would have created a private army, provided with weapons and training from his own men, placed all over the prime world of the Empire Reborn. A force that could easily be used to deal with any who opposed him, eventually perhaps even growing strong enough to eliminate the Sisters of Battle from their stronghold, should they receive support from an anonymous mercenary party....
A secondary importance was of course to increase his manpower aboard his ships. While at first extensive killings and showing of force had been necessary, afterwards the concept of Penitence was swiftly introduced. Those criminals that wished to repent for their crimes would not be killed, but would rather be dragged off to one of the Obsidian Truth's headquarters. From there they would be spirited off to his caravan aboard one of the many trade vessels that constantly moved between his assets in space and those on the ground. Supposedly these figures would earn a chance to join the Obsidian Truth, and in a manner this was true. Collared and conditioned they would become slaves, serving K'Vari in his fleet as both labourers and meat for sale. Those that showed an aptitude for battle would be sent back down to serve as one of K'Vari's warriors in the Obsidian Truth, bound by the death-collar to the Truth's cause. So he also expanded both his stock and his army, an immense net profit.
Should the machinations of the Obsidian Truth not be stopped, it might very well be that K'Vari would soon be in control of two incredibly dangerous military forces to assist in his scheming.
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