M38AV-DELTA (Prograde)

Background
The individual know as Prograde is currently a Mechanicum Aeronautical Engineer and an Acolyte in service to Inquisitor Jericho Cadent. He is a genius level individual whose daring creativity is only spared by his marked usefulness to the Mechanicum as a whole. Something that may not save him for long.

Origin
His early life was spent in myriad maze that makes up the reactor regulation chambers of the Explorator ship Labor's Light working as an apprentice to his mother. This however proved to be a short lived affair as during the testing of a new experimental plasma drive his mother sacrificed herself, along with 30 other brave Tech-Priests, to prevent a ship-wide meltdown that would have left them stranded at best.

However Prograde was a man that knew when to take advantage of a bad situation and soon turned his horrendous loss into a promotion, something not likely to occur until he had served half his life aboard the ship. He was assigned to the new head of the Engineering Deck and was taught to manage the ship's plasma engines. His natural skill and intelligence swiftly showed through and it was not long until he was outstripping even his master. Not wishing to waste such potential he was moved off ship in order to start his induction into the priesthood.

His training progressed at an almost alarming rate, bringing many senior members to question the safety of one so intellectually dangerous. The debate of his survival continued for many years until finally it was deemed that the good he could bring outweighed the risk of his very existence. At the young age of 18 Prograde was accepted into the Mechanicum as a fully fledged member of the priest hood. He was quickly assigned to a military space dock where he worked on the repairs of the great vessels that plied the depths of the void. Of course sometimes the repairs required a few test flights... off the record.

After a year of working upon the vessels of the navy his repeated flaunting of Mechanicum regulation saw his survival once again up for question. Eventually the Mechanicum agreed that rather than waste such a promising recruit they would instead transfer him somewhere his borderline heretical actions would cause no harm and may in fact aid the Mechanicum. After much deliberation he was transferred to Labor's Light once more, to work upon the engines and fighter craft stored upon the vessel.

Halo's Light
Prograde had rejoined Labor's Light at a dangerous time however. The ship was preparing to travel into the darkest part of the galaxy, the dreaded void of The Halo Stars. No ship had ever returned from its cold depths and vast, uncharted land lay deep within its boundaries. Such a voyage was a dangerous affair but the possible rewards of what lay deep within the mist had brought many millions to their deaths.

However The Halo Stars is a cursed place and desperate to retain its secrets. As Labor's Light progressed into The Halo Stars they were soon under attack for the first time in a thousand years. Traitor Guard, who had forsworn their oaths to The Emperor appeared as if from nowhere and struck at the explorator vessel. Dozens of enemy vessels were torn apart in the attack as Labor's Light unveiled weapons not seen in the Imperiums arsenal since The Great Crusade. Sadly however, even the grand technology of the Mechancium could not stave off death forever and soon they were boarded as dozens of boarding torpedoes were fired at close range. Many of these were destroyed by the advanced targeting cogitators aboard the vessel but enough made it through.

As per standard guard doctrine, many of the torpedoes penetrated near the plasma engines, intent upon disabling them and thus rendering the ship helpless. Melta bombs and heretical tools were deployed and Prograde found himself one of the few left alive who was capable of dealing with the imminent destruction of the plasma engines he could hear clearly tearing apart. Rushing quickly through the ship he passed hundreds of bodies, both crew and traitor, torn apart and dead.

Soon he arrived at the Engine Bay and found four servitors, covered in blood, standing defensively before the main reactor drive. Dozens of bodies lay torn apart by heavy weapons fire and brutal trauma but Prograde did not hesitate for a second. A quick scan revealed that the coolant system had been all but destroyed and was working at a bare minimum capability. Worse still more the ships auspex showed landing craft in bound, hoping to finish off the wounded ship.

Prograde then did what no Tech-Priest should ever do. He innovated. He prepared the ship for an emergency plasma vent before disabling the coolant systems entirely. The reactor began to overheat faster and faster, arcs of lightning striking out and destroying the arm linked to the coolant systems. Fighting through the pain Prograde used his remaining good arm and initiated the venting procedures, pouring tons of raw, energized plasma into the void and vaporizing the entirety of the incoming guard.

The ensuing communications distortion and loss of men forced the Traitor Guard back and Labor's Light used the break to limp away, back to the nearest Mechanicum port. Against all odds Labour's Light survived the journey and found itself docking at the Echonis Augury, deep within the Askellon Sector. Here Prograde faced trial for his actions for while he had undoubtedly saved the ship from a terrible fate, he had also displayed signs of tech-heresy deemed unforgivable by the Secutors.

His trial however was cut short by the arrival of Inquisitor Jericho Cadent who swiftly conscripted Prograde into his ranks. Now Prograde serves the Inquisition loyally and his recent influence has seen his crimes dropped by the Mechanicum hierarchy who once more accept his growing genius into their fold.

And M38 remained.

Memorable Moments
Getting bored in a duel and murdering the Clan Chief with a single high-powered laser shot to the chest.