The Chapel Project – Part XXXII – Ambrose the Acquitted Acolyte –

32 posts for the Chapel… Wow! I knew I’d get carried away but not THIS carried away haha. I hope you’re enjoying looking at and reading it as much as I am putting it together. Lots more to go.

Here is my Acolyte, Ambrose The Acquitted.

Life as a cabin boy can be tough, especially in the grim dark future…

Ambrose never met his mother or father and was, instead, raised by his sister Miranda. They were close, inseparable in fact until Captain Galloway decided to take young Miranda as his unwitting bride. At first she tried to run away with Ambrose but Galloway and his band of inbred cohorts soon tracked them down. Galloway threw Miranda to the ground and then straddled her so she couldn’t move. Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. Her eyes caught her brothers and both of them started to cry. They knew they would never be free now. It took a good year before Galloway broke Mirandas spirit, just two months after the birth of their son Edgar, she took her own life. Ambrose found her body cold and lifeless in the hull of Galloway’s Junk Hauler. Ambrose saw the Crimson streak across Mirandas wrist and he wept for her. He also wept for himself. Now he was truly lost and alone.

Ambrose knew what he must do but knew he was too weak and inexperienced so he waited. He waited months, he waited years until he had the strength and the experience. You see, under the guise of a Junk Hauler Captain Galloway was actually a Star Pirate and a bloodthirsty one at that. He took Ambrose under his wing and taught him the dark trade of murder and thievery. Ambrose played along, biding his time. When not committing heinous crimes with the rest of the crew he worked as a general dogs body, a cabin boy. He was picked on by the other pirates because he was young and, in their minds, useless. He swallowed down all their insults and beatings all the while planning something big for all of them, especially the depraved old Captain.

Ambrose chose his time perfectly. They had all just raided a small agricultural town high up amongst in gully amongst rocky peaks.They had slaughtered the townsfolk and stolen everything they could carry. They were all rejoicing and cheering at how well they had faired after this plunder. They were all drunk and running riot. All but one. All but Ambrose. The young cabin boy was busy laying explosives all over the ship. The crew were all in the galley drinking, smoking and carrying on like wild pigs. Ambrose had secretly saved up so much explosives and wire that he could blow the ship up half a dozen times over. This would be his revenge on the crew but for Galloway he had something much better.

As the night nearly turned to day Ambrose, with a laspistol tucked under his tunic, crept into the galley. He tiptoed over the snoring crew members until he reached a large throne-like chair where the Captain sat slumped and fast asleep. Ambrose took out his pistol and placed the muzzle of it on Galloway’s shoulder. Then, without hesitation he squeezed the trigger. The high energy bolt tore through the Captains shoulder and through the back of the throne. Galloway cried out and his eyes stared up at the roof, bloodshot.
The crew leapt to their feet ready to strike but halted when they saw Ambrose with his gun pointed at their Caltains face. Galloway glared at the young cabin boy with pure hatred. “What dare you boy? I’ll eat your gizzards for my breakfast!” The Captain hissed through gritted teeth.

Ambrose smiled back at the old captain but didn’t say a word. Instead he hauled Galloway to his feet with one hand while the other hand still held the gun firmly at his prays head. The crew made way as Ambrose calmly lead his captive out of the galley. Without so much as a look back Ambrose slammed the galley door shut and bolted it.

“Do you think you will get away with this boy? I will hunt you forever if need be. I’ll cut you up and feed you to the men and they will shit you out.” Captain Galloway growled. Still Ambrose did not utter a word. He lead the captain upstairs and into the Bridge. Ambrose forced Galloway to sit in his captains chair where Ambrose cuffed him so he could not stand up or get out. The Captain watched as Ambrose then went to the utility closet and took out a large steel barrel. “What is that boy?” Galloway asked, the anger gone from his tone.

Ambrose rolled the barrel closer to where the Captain sat trapped.

The cabin boy unclipped the lid to the barrel and removed it. He watched intently as Galloway’s face turned from arrogant and stern to one of pure shock and fear. “Now… now look here son… we have plenty of loot boy. Take it all, just put the lid back on…” Galloway started to beg and Ambrose smiled, for the first time in a long time. Then he started to laugh.

He slowly backed away, not taking his eyes of the distressed Captain.

As he closed the door the first of four Tyranid Rippers crawled out of the barrel and started gnaw at Galloway’s hands and forearms.

Even as he leapt off the ship and into the warm morning sun he could still hear Galloway’s screams.

He sat down on the sand smiling triumphantly to himself. He waited until he could no longer hear the screams and started to walk away from the Junk Hauler then calmly pressed the green button on his detonator. The explosion was immense and singed his arm hair but he didn’t care. He couldn’t stop smiling.

It was only a month or so later that he applied to be an Acolyte for Inquisitor Malice. It was out of him and two other prospects but, strangely, the others were found hanging in their rooms on the day Malice would make his choice.

Needless to say Ambrose became the Acolyte in the hope that, one day, he would be Inquisitor and reign down vengeance on all the evil and heretic people on the known galaxies.