Ciaphas Cain: Choose Your Enemies

– Cain is probably exaggerating here, since a typical Imperial Guard platoon consists of between fifty and sixty people; although, given the size of the average gubernatorial household, such a number isn’t entirely inconceivable.

– Commander in Chief.

– The Administratum adepts of the Munitorum being just as efficient as their counterparts in other branches of Imperial service, it was hardly surprising that adherence to protocol and precedent generally weighed far more heavily than due consideration of what assets were actually needed to counter a particular threat; indeed, to them, one Guard unit seems to have been essentially interchangeable with another, regardless of whatever expertise or experience it might actually possess. Which accounts for the relatively few occasions the Valhallans Cain was attached to – cold weather warriors par excellence – were deployed on ice-worlds, rather than to the wide variety of environments he mentions in the course of his memoirs.

– Just the usual things a girl needs when she’s out and about: ammo clips, hanky, displacer field, a few grenades and a packet of dried ploin in case she gets peckish.

– Although it could be argued that doing whatever an inquisitor asks you to do is very much in your own best interests, given the probable alternative.

– Definitely exaggeration for humorous effect, since he would have been perfectly aware that even the tertiary reserve units of a civilised world’s defence force would be issued with lasguns. How effectively they might be able to use them is, of course, an entirely different question.

– The local name for law enforcers.

– The Adeptus Arbites being concerned with the administration of Imperial statute, rather than planetary or system-wide laws, which vary widely across the galaxy. They do, however, have an oversight role, primarily to ensure that no local ordinance contravenes any ruling by the High Lords of Terra – which, as these are often outdated and mutually contradictory, keeps most arbitrators gainfully and happily employed for the duration of their careers. 

– Definitely wisely.

– That would be most of them.

– Which they probably thought we were, not being privy to the big picture.

– Nothing like as much, though still a formidable barrier.

– And why would it? They were both aware of my presence, and were familiar enough with my methods to know I’d start to work openly as soon as the situation demanded it.