The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

"Okay, so maybe blowing up those Mechanicus temples wasn't such a hot idea," Tangmo offered sheepishly. The blaring sirens had ceased, only to be replaced by wailing humanities, the cacophony of prayers and crying people echoed loudly across the adamantine bunker.

"I agree, but it was satisfying nonetheless," Miriya said from beside him. She, Firnera, Astrid and their squads were huddled in one corner of the cramp hall, passing around a bottle of communal wine that the huskarls had pilfered earlier as Tangmo turned on the data-pad's speaker to listen in on the engagement. They were out of the Warp now and fighting the cog's fleet, which comprised of about thirty cruisers and twice that number of support ships. Yep, it's the Bismarck and the Yamato all over again, and they were the super battleships this time.

"Targets incoming!"

"Void shield at a hundred percent integrity!"

"Lance batteries fully charge and ready!"

"Nova cannons lock and loaded!"

"All fighters and bombers are grounded until further notice."

"Why are we not sending out the fighters?"

Isabel, Miriya left hand women, asked suddenly, cutting into the navy transmission that was starting to go around in circle, each commands repeated with minor variations.

"It would be a waste of good pilots," Tangmo told her. "The moment our jets take off they're fucking dead. And that won't do anybody any good."

"I doubt Ae-Shin will be happy about that," Danae, the redheaded Asian Celestian, snickered.

"Oh, she'll never let Henry and Solveig hear the end of it," Tangmo said the same moment vibrations rocked the bunker. It wasn't anything jarring, but it was enough for cries of despair to erupt amongst the cowering civilians and pilgrims. The canonesses quickly brought things back under control, berating the people for their cowardice while at the same time reciting inspiring litanies to lift the spirit. So fiery was the declaration that the mistress of Repentance didn't even need to use her whip.

"I would very much prefer to die on a battlefield, instead of waiting for a random explosion to fling me into space," Astrid growled and took a big swig from the wine bottle, her huskarls bobbing their heads in agreement.

"Yeah, how about you go easy on the wine?" Tangmo snatched the bottle away from Astrid, her pouting puppy eyes having no effect on him, "because you might get that chance soon."

"What make you say that?" Miriya asked.

"The cog bastards need to take the Immortal Spirit in one piece," Tangmo went on, and shit the pounding staccato was getting scarier by the second. He flipped the data-pad closed, everything were all incomprehensible shouting at this point and listening to it wasn't gonna improve morale. "We're too valuable a prize to simply be blown to shit, so when they took down our void shield they'll be sending in boarding parties."

"Then we shall meet them with fire and zeal," Miriya declared to a very rousing hurrah from her Celestians and the huskarls.

"That's the spirit," Tangmo smiled and took a sip from the wine, the vintage was pretty good, not Sidonius good, but very palatable. He smacked his lips a few times, tasting something that wasn't wine. "Why do I taste cosmetic?"

"Because we have lipsticks on?" A petulantly haughty voice answered and Tangmo was surprised to find Sigrid sitting with them, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"When did you become a huskarl?" Tangmo passed the bottle to Thora.

"When Una was slain back on Leenisium," Astrid said solemnly, "so Sigrid was elevated to her place. I also had Himinn transferred to my squad. After her showing at the Azrael asylum, she's going to be an unstoppable addition to our pack."

"Hello," Himinn, sandwiched between Verity and Alnelle, gave a shy little wave and Tangmo felt like a dick for just noticing her now. The hospitaller and the eldar medic have been the recent talk of the town thanks to the story of their friendship that bloomed on the battlefield, and judging by how welcoming they were to Himinn, they had brought the Front Bringer psyker into their fold. It was scene like this that put a smile on Tangmo's face, goes to show that even nice things can happen in Warhammer 40k. Tangmo was about to make some more comments when everything around him changed. Not in the jarring, holy fuck daemons are attacking kinda way, but a nuance shift of reality, a fae like feeling that invaded every fabric of his being. It took a few trips for Tangmo to get used to the sensation, but after all these times a Warp transition still gave him goosebumps.

"Yo Henry, did we just jump back into the Warp man?" Tangmo unfolded his data-pad.

"Yes we did," Henry's voice was almost inaudible amidst the chorus of shouting naval men and women.

"Is that a good idea?" A redundant question, Tangmo admits, but he had to ask. "Isn't that gonna put a massive stress on Eurydice and her Navigators? And are we making a blind jump? Where are we headed?"

"Don't fret lord commissar, I am quite capable of seeing us through the miasma," Eurydice joined the conversation, voice only so that her third eye doesn't kill anyone, her timbre was strained with exertion but healthy. "As for our destination…a beacon flared up in the Warp and the ship responded with familiarity. Considering that we are short on choices, I've decided to follow it."

"I can confirm lady Eurydice diagnostic, lord commissar," Solveig added. "The beacon hailing us is recognized by the Immortal Spirit's databank, showing the same sequential pattern of corresponding algorithms between the ship and the destination. It is as if the ship and the beacon know each other."

"Albert? Mary?"

"What he said," the two AI answered Tangmo in unison.

"How long until we reach the place?" Tangmo asked.

"Approximately forty-five minutes, lord commissar," Eurydice told him.

"And how long do we have before those fucking Mechanicus sons of bitches catch up?" Tangmo pressed on.

"A while, and I mean a big while," Mary spoke up. "The beacon's signal is unique, wired specifically to the Immortal Spirit, no one but us can read and decipher it. Sure, the Mechanicus will eventually track us down, but it will take them weeks, maybe a month."

"So…we just sit tight for the moment?" Tangmo asked.

"That's the gist of it, yeah," Henry nodded.

"Sounds good to me," Tangmo grinned and stretched his arms upward until the shoulders popped satisfyingly. "I got plenty of wine and pretty girls to keep me company."

"Lucky you," Henry rolled his eyes then waved goodbye. "I'll see you in a bit, have fun."

"Catch you later dude," Tangmo made a mock salute and cut the transmission, the smile never leaving his face as he glanced at the annoyed women around him. Welp, they were gonna kick his ass anyway, might as well have some fun with it. "What? I'm just stating facts here."

"Well, can't say that he's wrong," Astrid and the huskarls sniggered.

"I concur," Cassandra smirked toothily and the Celestians relaxed somewhat, Miriya's eyes were still narrowed on him though. "We are, after all, quite stunning to behold."

"That is disputable," Tangmo turned to Firnera, surprised by the jest in her tone. The Sororitas responded with lighthearted scoffs while the Banshees giggled daintily.

"Holy crap, who would've thought getting drown in shit would be the thing that brought all of you together," Tangmo laughed at the intense death glares now honed on him. "I'm fucking curious though, when you got me surrounded back there, with the canonesses conveniently looking the other way, what were you guys planning to do?"

"We were going to drag you to a secluded place, forcefully stripped you of your clothes, hogtied you, take a few pictures, carry you to a septic tank in the ship bowel, throw you in, and take more pictures for blackmailing purposes," Miriya was dead serious when she spoke, the air around them thick and suffocating. Then, after about half a minute, the corner of Miriya's lips started quirking upward, not in a creepy way but with genuine mirth. Then she started laughing. Tangmo joined in, then the Banshees, the Celestians and the huskarls were roaring with laughter, drawing a few startled look from the civilians.

"Okay, in all seriousness," Tangmo said when everybody settled down. "That's an epically awesome plan. Hell, I wouldn't even be mad if you guys somehow manage to pull it off."

"There's still time," Miriya shrugged good-naturedly.

"But you know I didn't mean for that to happen, right? Back on Gothicipolis I mean," Tangmo went on. "For what's it worth though, I'm really sorry."

Miriya stared menacingly at him for a few seconds before her visage softened, the little smile on her lips was almost motherly, "Let's bygone be bygones then."

"Thank you," Tangmo clasped his hands together in a wai and bowed, the Sororitas and Banshees returning the gesture with graceful slowness. "I'm glad that we can finally bury the hatchet. Seriously though, it's really good to see Aeldari and Sororitas getting along, going as far as plotting to sexually assault me together, that's super impressive."

"Many remain vehemently close minded," Firnera took on a sagely tone then looked at Miriya, "me and mine are fortunate to find companions who see through eyes unclouded by mindless hatred and prejudice."

"I still question if we were correct in shedding our veil of ignorance," Miriya sighed heavily, the Celestians looking equally solemn. "The Sororitas uphold the Emperor's teaching, the light that guides humanity through the darkness encroaching upon us. But after meeting the battlegroup…nothing is simple any more. Lord Guilliman's heretical decree regarding his own father, Saint Celestine herself striking an alliance with the Ynnari, and every tribulation since…sometime I wish for the cold comfort of ignorance that none of us can now return to."

"Wisdom is a baptism in fire, only the strong will endure," Firnera waved her hands around the hall. "I myself question and deny this union at first, until I realize that perhaps we are not traveling toward some undiscovered vista, but revisiting knowledge and bonds thought lost to both our species."

"What do you mean?" Miriya asked.

"Do you not see the vestige of the past made manifest before your very eyes?" Firnera gestured animatedly at the bunker. "You call this ship a Gloriana, we call it a Craftworld, but perhaps it is both? Mankind's ingenuity made up the flesh and bones of this ship, but when one looks deeper to the veins, sinews and synapses, Aeldari's technology provided the mortar that fuse all of it together, a near perfect union of our two people."

"Yes, there's no denying it at this point," Himinn spoke up and passed the near empty wine bottle to Firnera. "I can sense the power within this place, a calming serenity that is pure to the touch. It is definitely of Aeldari origin, but also welcoming to humans too." Himinn flicked her fingers across the air, the Celestians and the Banshees backing away warily. "It almost feels like the energy remembers the touch of mankind."

"Maybe we will learn more about it in the coming days," Verity offered when Himinn put her hand down.

"We can only hope," Annelle agreed.

"Call it a hunch, but I'm pretty sure we're about to get an answer real soon," Tangmo said as Firnera handed him the wine bottle. Draining the last few drops, Tangmo looked at the Banshee with a quirked brow, "you too? Lipstick or lip gloss?

"Lipstick, lord commissar," Firnera smacked her lips and Tangmo almost had a heart attack from the unexpected cuteness. He knew then and there that the pictures showing eldars as having elongated heads were Imperial propaganda trying to make the elves look bad.

"I'm just curious, do you people wear makeups into battle?" Tangmo put the wine bottle down.

"Of course we do," Cassandra scoffed. "It is imperative that we of the Sororitas look radiant when serving and dying for the Emperor, unlike those uncouth and unkempt women of the Militarum."

"You do realize that at the end of the day, y'all end up cover in soot, blood and shit anyway, right?" Tangmo asked.

"And at day's end, we will still look better than them," Isabel smirked and the Celestian giggled girlishly, which was a surprised to Tangmo because seeing Sororitas behaving normally will always be weird.

"Yikes, don't let the guardswomen hear that," Tangmo chuckled nervously. "Hot as it maybe, I don't think a war between nuns and guardswomen would be good for the battlegroup."

"That might have already happened," Astrid grinned toothily and nudged the sheepish Himinn in the rib with her elbow. "Isn't that right little sister?"

"Someone's bullying you?" Tangmo's brow quirked upward, "please tell me you turn those assholes into popsicles."

"I am not callous with my power, lord commissar," Himinn glanced at the equally timid looking Verity and Alnelle before sighing. "But yes, me, sister Verity and Alnelle have run afoul of several guardswomen a few days ago."

"Tell me everything," Tangmo demanded, making sure that Imperial Guardsmen don't act like fucking douchebags fall directly under his authority. When the three hesitated to share their tale, Tangmo put on his more serious commissar voice. "I can only help if you cooperate. Now tell me what happen so those involve can be punish accordingly."

Verity fidgeted, but after receiving firm nods from Alnelle and Himinn, took a deep breath and said, "the three of us were leaving Madam Frilon Confectionary Emporium when, after taking a wrong turn through an alleyway, we were accosted by captain Korri of the Cadian sniper, senior armored engineer Elpida and medic Zuhra, who then proceed to swindle half of our hard earn acquisition."

It took Tangmo's brain a few seconds to process what he'd just heard, before raising his hand in a halting gesture, "wait, hold up, did you just say the three of you got rob by Korri, Elpida and Zuhra?"

"Yes lord commissar, they were the culprits," Himinn nodded vigorously.

"Korri, Elpida and Zuhra?" Tangmo repeated. Utter disbelief plastered upon his face. "I'm sorry, but, are we talking about the same people here? Krillen's little sister, Ladaee's protégé and the Tallarn medic who'd just earn the nickname 'The Angel of Tallarn'?"

"Those are the three, yes," Alnelle said and Tangmo's unblinking eyes darted over the three women. Then he started snickering, and tried as he might it wouldn't stop. Verity, Alnelle and Himinn's jaws dropped to the ground, looking both angst and hurt that their testimony wasn't being taken with the gravity it deserved.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," Tangmo calmed his ass down and waved apologetically at the three. "But the image of those three kicking your asses is beyond hilarious. I mean, what the hell did Korri do? Ask nicely?"

"She threatened to hurt us!" Verity cried.

"And it was only after we agreed to share half of our cake that they finally leave us alone," Alnelle added. "We were surrounded and they would have beaten us if we didn't give them what they want!"

"For the love of – you people are combat medics and a sorceress!" Tangmo pinched the bridge of his noise and turned to Miriya. "Didn't you teach her how to, you know, fight?!"

"I've been teaching her," Miriya snapped at him.

"And I know how to throw a punch!" Verity huffed. "But as you've said before, sisters and guardswomen shouldn't be fighting, so I elected a diplomatic approach."

"What did you buy that made Korri attack you guys?" Tangmo asked.

"Madam Frilon's Dark Void Delight," Himinn said wistfully. "It's a scrumptious four-layer cake of blue berry, strawberry, grape and peach enclosed in a hard chocolate outer shell, with a dark velvet ice cream covered in bingsu ice at the core. It was heavenly."

"And those idiots just hack half of it off with a combat knife," Alnelle groaned.

"Oh shit, I know about the Dark Void Delight, madam Frilon make only five of those once every blue moon and only a few lucky bastards managed to make a reservation in time," Tangmo said, remembering how he and Leilatha failed to secure a bid in the latest batch. "No wonder those sugar daemons attack you guys, which is a pretty dick move. Tell you what, I'll find Korri and her gang and get all of this sorted out, trust me on this."

"Thank you," the three nodded and smile when, once again, a subtle change came back to the hull around them, a return to normalcy that was barely perceptible to the naked eyes. Around him, humans and eldars alike glance nervously this way and that, no doubt feeling the same alteration in reality. One thing was clear though, they were out of the Warp and back in real space.

"Yo, we're out of the Warp?" Tangmo flipped open his data-pad, "Eurydice, you there? Are you okay?"

"I haven't exerted myself this much in a very long time, lord commissar," Eurydice was breathing heavily on the other end, but there was a smile in her voice, "nothing that a few cold beers wouldn't fix."

"Are we clear of the Mechanicus?" Tangmo continued.

"Yeah, we're clear," Henry's answer sounded…distracted? No, not distracted, there was a timbre of breathless awe to him. "But dude…"

"What is it? Dude, talk to me, what's happening?" Tangmo pressed.

"Holy shit dude…" Henry was starting to chuckle now. "You have got to see this!"

Damien, his awesome Space Marine helmet magnetized to his belt, Ultramarines and Salamanders at his sides, strode along the translucent bridge that led toward the spherical core of the space station that was waiting for the Immortal Spirit when she exited the Warp. Let's rewind a little bit, the moment the ship returned to real space they were greeted with what they first thought was a freaking moon. But after a quick scan, it was revealed that the round object was actually a dormant space station, three times the size of Earth's moon. It was made of glass and held together with pleasing geometrical webs of metal, and as the Immortal Spirit flew within a hundred thousand kilometers of it, the place lit up like that ball in Time Square during the New Year party, shinning soft but bright, a cold sun in the absolute darkness of infinite aether. The surface parted at around the five hundred kilometer mark, and Solveig gently guided the stricken, bleeding Gloriana into the station. Despite the short fight, and the navy's heroic maneuvering and daring attack, the Mechanicus was able to inflict substantial damage on the Immortal Spirit's outer armor, especially in the stern area and propulsion engines, which the cogs were trying to disable. Thankfully, besides ruptured gas pipes and the subsequent fire that torched a few neighborhoods, the interior of the Immortal Spirit was more or less intact, suffering no humans or eldars casualty. Once the Gloriana made a successful, and suspiciously easy, docking, the military personnel swiftly secure the perimeter, only to find the place, despite being very functional and clean, deserted. So for the past two days, the battlegroup went about exploring the place.

"I have heard of the might and grandeur of the Imperial Fist's Phalanx," Gallus, san helmet like the other Astartes, glanced around at the impressive, encompassing structure. "Never had I dream that I would walk upon something of equal magnificent."

"This bastion was made in times long before the Emperor's coming," Antalok was equally awed. "It's beauty is a tragedy made manifest."

"Woah, that's a weird complement," Damien quirked a brow at the Salamander sergeant. "What make you say that?"

"It shows how far mankind had fallen from the pinnacle it once stood," Antalok answered and Damien couldn't help but nod in agreement. Damn, that was some truly grimdark assessment, a bit of a downer but the truth hits hard man.

"Holy shit dude, that went straight to the…"

"Make way!"

Manaus cried out and the Astartes column split apart to allow a hovering diamond shaped robot of eggshell white to float passed. The futuristic machine, which looked kinda like EVE from Wall-E, slowed down to scan them for a moment before going about its business.

"They make me nervous," Matuk, the Salamander Tech Marine, followed the robot with narrowing red eyes. "Sentient machines cannot be trusted. They can turn on us without a moment notice."

"I agree," Galerius backed Matuk up. "They need to be destroyed."

"Overruled," Damien rolled his eyes and led the Marines onward, their paces unhurried. "Besides, those robots are not sentient. They're practically Servitor without the creepy human corpse. Program to obey everything we tell them to do, so chill."

"You have not led us astray so far, Brother Sergeant, and I shall trust your judgment on this," Gallus said and the other Marines murmured in the affirmative, "although I do feel uneasy around them."

"You'll get used to it," Damien glanced upward. "But you have to admit the robots are doing a pretty good job patching up the Immortal Spirit, not to mention getting the other ships ready to disembark."

The Marines looked up and grunted in agreement. Suspended high above them, locked in place by powerful tractor beams, the Immortal Spirit floated unmoving as an armada of unmanned robot gathered around the damaged parts, sparks flying as metal were welded back together and reinforced with new plating. But what drew the Astartes's gazes were the six massive ships arranged around the Immortal Spirit herself. Judging by the size, they appeared to be Emperor class battleships but the shape, although bearing rudimentary likeness to standard Imperial designs, looked slimmer and smarter, lacking the flying cathedral motif.

"There are also twenty five cruisers and fifteen light cruisers beneath us," Gallus told them. "Prime Navigator Eurydice is leading an inspection on them as we speak."

"Prime Navigator, Tangmo sure knows how to name ranks," Damien chuckled, Eurydice was flustered and blushing when the high command bestowed the rank upon her after bailing them out of the Mechanicus's ambush, and by God did she deserved it. "Anyway, why is she inspecting the cruisers?"

"Apparently the cruisers can transverse the Warp without the need of a Navigator," Sidonius said tersely, the vintner Marine not liking the idea. "Instead using some kind of artificial brain created with a combination of genetic engineering and Aeldari sorcery. The Prime Navigator wanted to be sure that it is safe to use."

"We'll probably get an answer soon," Damien craned his head back when he heard another set of footsteps coming up behind him, the tempo sharp against the glass surface. He couldn't stop a groan from escaping when he saw the Adepta Sororitas swiftly closing in on them. And like always, the canonesses and their Celestian were perpetually frowning.

"Trouble?" Antalok spared them a brief glance.

"I don't know," Damien trepidation eased somewhat when he saw Miranda amongst the retinue. She flashed him a friendly smile and waved, Damien returning the gesture. "Have there been any report of Sororitas vandalizing or picking a fight with anyone since we docked?"

"Not that I am aware of," Gallus leaned in closer then. "I assume your rendezvous with the Avenging Knight went well?"

"We were about to go grab a bite after a very pleasant afternoon strolling through the greenhouse when the Immortal Spirit came under attack," Damien growled vehemently. "I now hate the Adeptus Mechanicus with a burning, unhealthy intensity."

"Don't we all," Manaus said and the Marines shared a hearty laugh as they approached the core's translucent gate, the seamless plate of crystal parting soundlessly for the Astartes. The Space Marines were just crossing the threshold when the Sisters of Battle caught up with them.

"Brother Sergeant Damien," Galatea, the de facto leader of the canonesses, bowed curtly at Damien before gazing disdainfully at the core.

"Lady canoness Galatea," Damien bowed respectfully, not quite sure what was making her so mad, the place looks great. Huge modern looking domed ceiling of glass awn above them, providing a clear view of the cosmos, while the interior itself reminded Damien of the iconic United Nation conference room, with a big ass podium and raised seats at the far end of the hall. The only difference here was that the center was dominated by what appeared to be a very large hologram projector. No columns of pillar ringed the hall, which was a pretty nice change of aesthetic, replaced instead with super beautiful statues that ringed the circumference. Oh, now he understands why the Sororitas didn't like the place, the statues were of eldar maidens in various queenly poses. And adding to that, most of the Aeldari main characters were here, with only Henry and a few companies of guardsmen to represent the Imperium.

"Damien!" Lita waved heartily and approached him, causing all eyes to turn to the newcomers. The change in the atmosphere was a physical thing that Damien could reached out and touch, the eldars tensing at the sight of the Adepta Sororitas, all of whom looked like they wanted nothing more than to burn this place to the ground. "Glad you could make it!"

"I answer your summon milady," Damien made a playful bow then fist bumped Lita. "Damn, this place looks nice dude."

"I know, right?" Lita smiled then turned to greet the Sororitas, her sunny disposition never skipping a beat. "Welcome honorable canonesses, what a wonderful surprise. Thank you for joining us."

"We are here to make sure that the artifacts and knowledge found within these walls are not tainted by heretical texts or xeno blasphemies," Galatea announced, her powerful voice echoing across the circular hall. "What we have found so far have not been heartening in the least."

"I assured you lady canoness, wisdom found here will benefit both humans and eldars alike," Lita went on amicably and gestured politely for the Sisters of Battle to follow. "If you would come with me, I'll happily show you what we have found so far."

"Very well then," Galatea nodded and her retinue fall into steps behind Lita as she led them toward the hologram projector.

"Ladaee, Elpida, you guys got the hologram to work yet?" Lita strode up to the kneeling commander engineer and her protégée. Henry, who was hovering nearby, flashed Damien a corna, the gesture was returned with a smile.

"Should be any moment now lady Warseer," Ladaee was typing quickly into her glowing data-pad, the tablet was connected to the mainframes jutting out of the hologram's cubic base. "Me and Elpida just need to finish debugging the operating system and input the activation protocol. We'll have it running in about ten minutes."

"These technologies, is it of the Imperium?" Canoness Heloise of the Sacred Rose spoke up, her sharp eyes darting at the eldar statues. "Or something else entirely?"

"It is of mankind's making," emerging from the other side of the hologram came Caengan and Saengan, the eldar twin the battlegroup rescued from Leenisium. Although they remained gaunt from the incarceration and torture they suffered, the eldar twins were actually looking a lot healthier now, thanks to the Immortal Spirit first class hospital and food. The pair were still nervous around human though, especially the Sororitas. "But they did not accomplish this feat alone."

"Just as we have fear," Morelia growled, and Damien totally didn't like how the Sororitas were agreeing with her. Strangely enough, the Frost Bringers didn't seem to care either way, hell, the way they were glancing around veered more toward touristic curiosity than judgmental. Open minded Viking, who would've have thought. "This entire station is tainted by Aeldari influence. The architects of this place have turned from the light of the God Emperor and instead embrace blasphemous wisdom."

"First off, you need to calm down," Damien shot Morelia a sideway glance. "Secondly, the Imperium didn't build this place with the Aeldari, it's the human empire from the Dark Age of Technology that did. Obviously, they saw the benefit of an alliance, and goddamn look at what they've accomplished! A freaking space station the size of several moons filled with weapons and technology more advance than anything the Imperium can cobble up, this place is a gold mine of lost knowledge."

"Those knowledge didn't save them from extinction," Bellona grinned nastily, and for all their closed minded zealotry the Sisters of Battle have wits sharper than katana. "This place is a tomb to commemorate their failure."

"Yet here it stands, a shining beacon amidst the darkness that is your Imperium," captain Marwen of the Biel-Tan Craftworld stomped forward, looking pretty pissed, a gaggle of Aeldari exarch close at her heels, not taking kindly to the canoness's callous words, but before Damien and the Astartes had to step in, Elpida of all people saved the day by declaring loudly, triumphantly:

"We got it! The hologram is online!"

"Excellent job Elpida!" Henry quickly exploited the opening, stopping the argument before it can start. The nuns and elves now turned to the crisp, ultrahigh definition holographic globe hovering silently above the circular platform, "…so what do we do with it? Please tell me there's something, because everybody looks about ready to kill each other again."

"We've found a lot of video files within the hard drive," Ladaee told him, still tapping away at the data-pad, eyes squinted. "The most prominent one appears to be a clip called 'Celebration Day', shall I open it?"

"Go for it," Damien nodded quickly and Ladaee stabbed her finger at the data-pad screen, and was rewarded with a very generic sounding newsreel jiggle that blared loudly across the hall, causing many humans and eldars to duck from the sudden acoustic assault. Squawking, Ladaee quickly lowered the volume to an acceptable level as the hologram played a news segment not that dissimilar to twenty first century broadcasting. Gasped went up around the hall when the flashy title sequence ended to reveal two news anchors, dressed in a stylish attire that looked to be an amalgamation of flowing silken robe and modern suits, one was an eldar man, the other a human woman.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a very special edition of the Solar Sentinel News Network," the eldar said in perfect English, his mouth quirked in a soft, but dashingly handsome smile. "For tonight marks the beginning of a new epoch for Aeldari and mankind alike, isn't that right Magdina?"

"Yes indeed, Vylenra," the human woman smiled brightly at the camera. "For today the Aeldari Empire and the Terran Galactic Union officially signs a joint declaration of peace and cooperation, ushering in a new era of friendship between our two people. I know you are very thrill about this Vylenra, don't lie to me now!"

"I'm already planning a trip to Terra, I heard it is quite beautiful in the northern hemisphere during winter, the aurora borealis is the talk of this sector," Vylenra and Magdina shared a good natured laugh, a bit artificial but still pleasant enough to look at. The screen then transitioned to a scene where an eldar and human representative, both dressed immaculately, seated before a big gilded mahogany table decorated with little flags of the Aeldari Empire and the Terran Galactic Union, signing two pieces of paper as epileptic flashes of camera danced over them. The two diplomats were unconcerned by the lightshow as they got up, the leather framed treaty cradled in their arms, and shook hands with a smile. The eldar was slim and tall, the human almost of height with him but broader and more muscular, his black suit taut tight around his Heracles like frame. The human had a long, glossy shoulder length hair and a powerful aura of pure charisma and leadership that, even though this was just a recording, Damien could feel. He narrowed his eyes and something in his brain clicked, haven't he seen this dude somewhere before?

"Recorded earlier today is lord Olanedor, the High Seer of the Aeldari Empire, shaking hand with Mr. Chakapat, the Exalted Minister of the Terran Galactic Union," Vylenra said and it was then that Damien recognized who the smiling man was, because his face was on every Warhammer 40k artworks and fanarts, not to mention being the main character of an insanely famous YouTube comedic series, although he was a skeleton in that.

"Holy fucking shit dude, that's the God Emperor!" Damien cried and stabbed his finger at the man on the hologram. Gasps and screams went up among the humans. The Astartes were shocked into silence as they gazed upon the moving image of their progenitor, while the guardsmen and Sororitas went to their knees, praying reverently. The eldars on the other hand, were exchanging excitable conversation, the timbre sounded positive.

"Are you sure?" Gallus asked him, his visage caught between hope and joy, truly wanting to believe that he was seeing the God Emperor.

"Of course it's Him dude, can you not feel the radiating majesty?!" Damien blurted and goddamn, he was barely able to keep his cool. This is fucking awesome!

"And that name? Chakapat? It literary means 'emperor' in Thai," Lita added, equally awed. The Emperor and the eldar representative were shaking hands amicably, leaning down to whisper a few words into each other's ears before breaking apart with uproarious laughter when the clip ended, the hologram going black.

"Play the next clip Ladaee!" Henry told his girlfriend, who was staring slack jawed at the data-pad's screen. "Ladaee! Yo!"

"Huh? Oh! Right!" Ladaee snapped out of her ravine and tapped the screen swiftly. "The next clip is called 'the Interview'."

"No!" Galatea cried out suddenly, the look she gave Ladaee was beseeching. "Please! It is not right for us to look upon His image! It is a desecration of His sanctity! Blasphemy!"

"Kindly play the clip, commander engineer," Damien ordered, Ladaee pressed the screen, and another jiggle blared across the hall. He turned to the fidgeting Sororitas and narrowed his eyes. "You worship and revered the God Emperor, how about you show Him the respect He deserve by actually watching and listening to what He has to say?"

The Sisters of Battle shot him a look of purest indignation before reluctantly turning to the hologram, revealing a setting similar to the show 60 Minutes, comprising of an utterly black background and two armchairs separated by a coffee table. And lounging comfortably on those armchairs was a middle aged man with short grey hair, who looked kinda like Neil deGrasse Tyson, and the Emperor in a dapper black suit.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Galactic Hour, with me Key Xankan," the host smiled disarmingly at the camera, exuding welcoming warmth. "We have a bombshell of a guest with us tonight. The man who had accomplished great feat of inter-galactic, and inter-species I might add, diplomacy, who had graciously spared time from his busy schedule to be with me here tonight. Exalted Minister Chakapat, welcome to the show."

"Great to be here, Mr. Xankan," the Emperor said, his super melodious voice was fucking godly. Behind him, Damien could hear the Sororitas's shuddering gasps and wondered if they just had a collective orgasm. "And thank you for the introduction. It's a lot better than the usual reception I get in the senate."

"A pleasure to help, Mr. Chakapat," Xankan and the Emperor shared a laugh. "Now, let's get down to business. Let me start off by saying: Congratulation! You did it!"

"Thank you, Mr. Xankan, victory is mine!" The Emperor chuckled. "But in all seriousness, I would not have been able to accomplish this historic feat without the help of my team of tireless diplomats and staffs, and the Aeldari people willingness to cooperate. Without these two parties to help me, I would not be triumphant. They deserve equal, if not greater, recognition than me."

"Humble as always," Xankan grinned before adopting a more serious posture. "Now I have to ask you Mr. Chakapat, what had driven you to pursue this alliance with the Aeldari Empire? Despite the vehement opposition you face in the senate, some of the concern voiced by your detractors quite legitimate, why then did you, with draconic stubbornness, go ahead with this endeavor?"

"Heretic! How dare you question the Emperor's will and wisdom?!" Bellona roared and stabbed her finger at the hologram, the Sororitas joining in raucously. It was only after the Emperor nodded to the question, the same disarming smile never leaving his face, that the armored nuns calmed down.

"The universe is a vast and dangerous place, Mr. Xankan," the Emperor answered with an academic air. "Even the method that we travel through it is hazardous beyond comprehension. We have made great leaps and bounds in the understanding of the Warp, yet we know next to nothing about its true nature. We have mapped the galaxy only to find it filled with horrors beyond our wildest nightmare, not to mention hostile and manipulative alien races that are waiting to exploit us. I have absolute faith in mankind's pioneering and undaunting spirit, but in this last frontier humanity now face it is nothing short of folly to think that we can survive alone. Therefore, it is only wise that we look to those who had treaded the stars longer than our species have been alive. And so, I asked the Aeldari to share their wisdom with us, and they have agreed to help."

"A sound logic Mr. Chakapat, but you have to understand the concern coming from the Terran Senate," Xankan pressed on. "We have indisputable report showing that the core worlds of the Aeldari Empire have fallen into a state of such debauchery and anarchy that any civil communication with them has been rendered impossible. Yet now you are making friend with them."

"I am well aware of the less than desirable state of the Aeldari Empire, the representatives I have spoken with were very forthright on that matter," the Emperor went on eloquently. "It is unfortunate what had befallen the Aeldari home worlds, but given the single minded determination toward self-betterment I've seen from eldars on worlds bordering Galactic Union's space, I believe the rampant indecency within the empire can be stem if mankind and eldars unite, becoming a bulwark to push back this alarming trend."

"And the Aeldari are fine with this strategy?" Xankan asked. "I've spoken with several of them and…they don't seem very approachable, and definitely quite snotty."

"I've been called worst," the Emperor waved the question off easily. "But yes, Aeldari are not the warmest of folks. They are a proud and ancient race, but I found that their icy stoic demeanor can be thawed with honesty and reason. That is what I did, and it had worked splendidly."

"That actually ties into my next question. Religion and theology," Xankan said and Damien heard sharp intakes of breaths coming from the Sororitas and guardsmen. "One of your most prominent policy, which haven't endeared you to a lot of people, is your aggressive, some going as far as calling it fascistically militaristic, stance on all kind of religious beliefs."

"It is," steel now laced the Emperor's timbre as very displeased murmurs rumbled from the Sisters of Battle.

"Then you are aware that the Aeldari worship a pantheon of deity, which they claim had played a physical role in the shaping of the universe millions of years ago," Xankan continued. "Given this revelation, do you foresee any conflict that may arise between your constituents and that of the Aeldari?"

"I do not see any problem in the foreseeable future," the Emperor stated and sat up a little straighter, "by the very simple fact that Aeldari's system of belief differs greatly from Terra's religious institutions, in both practices and results."

"Results? Can you elaborate on that please?" Xankan leaned closer, looking very interested.

"Simply put, unlike the gods of mankind the Aeldari deities are, in a mathematical calculable and quantifiable sense of the word, real," now it was the eldars turn to gasp at the Emperor's words.

"The Aeldari gods are real?" Even Xankan looked surprised.

"It has been proven many centuries ago that the Warp is not empty, on the contrary it is teeming with life forms that defy human comprehension," the Emperor said easily. "After many scientific incursions into the Warp with renowned scientists of the Aeldari Empire, it has become apparent that their gods have a very tangible presence in the Warp, to the point where communication was almost established. I hope to resume my study on this phenomenon once the finer detail of the alliance is settled."

"If what you say is true and god, or a supreme entity that is more powerful than the human mind can perceive, truly exist, will your stance on Terra organized religions change if somehow, someway, a god of mankind creation, come into being? Will you strive to suppress and eliminate it like the old religions? Or will you let it flourish?" Holy shit, Xankan went for the fucking throat, now that's a brave journalist, considering that he was questioning one of the most powerful being in the universe. The Emperor, for his part, looked a bit surprised, but with a very clear hint of respect for Xankan, and didn't answer immediately. If the Emperor was aware of the massive foreshadowing, he made no sign. After a moment he grinned and said:

"I will have an answer when that day comes. Although I doubt it would be any time soon."

"We'll be back right after these words from our sponsors. Next on the topic of discussion: The Isha Moon Space Station, a monument of interspecies cooperation. And on the juicier matters: human and Aeldari copulation, a glimpse into a harmonious future or idle fetishes of sexual deviants? Mr. Chakapat will be answering these questions when we return."

A jingle played, muting the friendly conversation passing between the Emperor and Xankan as Damien, Henry and Lita laughed their asses off from the cliffhanger question. The Imperials and eldars, however, weren't amused in the slightest.

"Yo Ladaee, do we have the entire episode?" Henry asked his girlfriend.

"It would appear so," Ladaee's eyes darted nervously between her boyfriend, the blistering Sororitas and the seething Aeldari. "What do you want me to do with these clips?"

"Save everything and store them in the Eight's secure cloud server," Henry told her, then quirked his brow at the nuns and elves. "You know we're gonna release all of this, right? Uncut and uncensored."

"The fallout of this will be…drastic, to say the least," Marwen offered.

"Matter of faith is a delicate thing, one must tread lightly when revelation of this magnitude comes to light," Galatea said solemnly, her canoness buddies sharing the same temperament. "We must call an emergency council meeting with all representatives of the Ecclesiarchy on the Immortal Spirit. This most crucial topic must be discussed thoroughly, with the direction of how to proceed be decided unanimously. There can be no schism or doubt going forward in matters of the God Emperor from this point on."

"The Aeldari would also like a seat at this meeting," Lita stepped forward, undaunted by the Sororitas's immediate hostile reception, the nuns' glare burning hotter than their flamers. Marwen and Dalthorn, Lita's boyfriend, quickly took their place at the Warseer's side. "I understand that this is a very personal matter to the Adepta Sororitas, but like it or not, both humanity and Aeldari's fate is now entwined. And given the God Emperor's rather positive inclination toward the Aeldari before the whole Birth of Slaanesh and the Great Crusade thing, I see a chance to further improve the relationship and cooperation between our two species, a chance to heal and make amend for ten thousand years of bloodshed."

Damien was honestly surprised to see the canonesses' visage softened, even hardliners like Bellona and Morelia appeared to be moved by Lita's heartfelt words. She always had that soothing, welcoming effect on people. The canonesses turned away from Lita and started conversing amongst themselves, the Celestians closing in to form a wall around them, blocking their bosses' private deliberation from view. After a few minutes of tense discussion, with many sharp hisses and raised voices, the canonesses returned their combined attention to Lita, the Mexican Warseer unfazed by the granite stern looks cast upon her.

"The Aeldari are welcome to participate in this conference," Galatea uttered each word with clear disdain, the politeness so horrifically forced that it made Damien, Henry and the guardsmen cringed from how painful it was to behold. Lita though, flashed one of her winning sunny smile and extended a hand to the startled Galatea.

"Thank you for this honor, lady canoness," Lita said and, after a moment of indecision, made worst by the affronted looks her colleagues were giving her, Galatea took the Warseer's hand and shook awkwardly. "I see great things coming from this."

"That remains to be seen," Galatea said tightly before drawing her hand back.

"I'm going to transfer every clip to the Sororitas and Aeldari's cloud, looks like you guys are going to need it," Henry nodded at Ladaee and her fingers danced across the data-pad glowing screen. "Don't worry, everything's gonna be there, uncensored and unaltered."

"Thank you, lord general," Galatea nodded her thanks, but went stiff at the insidious grin creeping across Henry's face.

"And I'm assigning Tangmo as the mediator for this meeting," Henry said. "You guys need someone tough and impartial for a conference like this."

"Don't worry, I'm going to make sure that he's on his best behavior," Lita's crisp utterance, steely in its adamant conviction, silenced the Sororitas's rising displeasure.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Miriya scoffed to the Celestians agreeing murmurs.

"Trust me, lady Celestian," Lita's sunny grin took on a darker dimension, causing the Sisters of Battle to flinch, obviously not used to this side of the lady Warseer. Damien on the other hand knew that look too well, especially when he did something to piss Lita off. "He knows the very unpleasant consequence if he doesn't listen to me."

"Alright then," Galatea gathered herself and stood a little straighter, not wanting to be outshined by Lita in the scary department. "We shall retire to our quarter on the Immortal Spirit and set the date for the meeting. We shall let you know via email."

"And we'll be here," Damien waved the Ultramarines and Salamanders to follow as he took off toward one of the statue. "Come on guys, let's check this place out."

The day has ended on a positive note and Severina Raine couldn't be more pleased. It had been a long, and surprisingly tiring, nine hours shift. Although overseeing transportation of relics, STCs memory units and machines were nowhere near as nerve wracking as a battlefield, making sure things ran smoothly did required an equal amount of work. With lady commissar Leilatha to assist her, the job was completed with precise swiftness, with barely any delays or accidents to hamper the planned schedule, the guardsmen and Aeldari performed their task splendidly, the aggravation between the species nonexistence.

Some would say the calamity that had befallen the battlegroup was a blessing in disguise, and Raine admits that she was one of those people. When it seemed the Adeptus Mechanicus's fleet was poised to deliver the killing blow, the Immortal Spirit managed to make a blind jump to this wondrous space station, where troves of forgotten knowledge had awaited them, along with a fleet that was more than a match for the pursuing armada. Three weeks had passed since their arrival, and those times had been spent in transportation, loading raw materials, and training the surplus naval officers from the various regiments and assigning them to the many ships now under their command, Solveig and Eurydice personally overseeing the process, scrutinizing every minute detail. Things had gone surprisingly well, which was why Raine found herself strolling through the opulent boulevard of Block B, the cosmopolitan section of the Immortal Spirit. Her steps clicking sharply along the pristine sidewalk of polished marble, Raine let the stress of the day melt away and simply enjoyed the lively sight and sound. A most vain pursuit for a commissar, she admits, but when things went so smoothly, a trait with this battlegroup, Raine decided she was allowed a little indulgence.

People gazed in her direction. Children waved at her, adults gave her a respectable breadth, while some of the more daring bowed or tipped their hats in greeting. Raine awarded these brave souls with a nod of acknowledgement as she approached her destination. Raine had always thought the protein slops she ate with the Antari had deadened her taste bud, but once she had the chance to try the many delicacies aboard the Immortal Spirit it was nice to know that her palette was still functioning. And now she stood in front of what she judged to be the most palatable place in the entire ship, the El Luna il Cigno restaurant.

"Ah, good to see you again lady commissar," the maître d', Enzio, greeted her with a low bow, "table for one?"

"As always Enzio," Raine nodded as the maître d' strode into the rows of pristine, opulently decorated tables, and her heart sank a little at how bustling the place was tonight, the lively conversation dampening the pleasant classical music being played by the restaurant's quartet. Enzio returned after a moment and Raine knew his answer before he even spoke.

"I'm very sorry lady commissar, but the place is fully booked tonight," Enzio told her, his face crestfallen. "But if you are willing to wait, I believe we can find an opening for you in about an hour."

"That is quite alright Enzio," Raine tipped her hat politely at him. "I'll leave you to your busy night then, I'm sure there must be some places around here that isn't…"

"Oh! Severina! What a pleasant surprise!"

No. This was not possible, he cannot be here. Not now, not at this very precise moment and place, cosmic coincidence could not be this wicked. But as Raine spun around, using every willpower she possessed to keep her face impassive, her fear was confirmed when she found lord commissar Ciaphas Cain, resplendent in his shinny uniform and medals, a sickeningly friendly smile plastered upon his face, blocking the exit.

"Ah! Lord commissar, your veranda suite is ready, if you would follow me," Enzio bowed and was about to usher Cain inside when he blinked, once, twice, before glancing over his shoulder, "and your partner?"

"I'm afraid Amberley won't be joining me, alas her work with the conference will keep her thoroughly occupy tonight," Cain offered the maître d' an apologetic smile. "But since we've already made our reservation, which was not easy, I couldn't bear the thought of it going to waste. So here I am."

"I see," Enzio nodded understandingly. "Will you be dinning alone then?"

Cain locked eyes with Raine, a mischievous gleam flitting…oh no, he couldn't possibly…, "were you getting a table, Severina?"

"The restaurant is unfortunately full," Raine said quickly, searching and finding no way out of this predicament. "I was just leaving."

"Well, this is serendipitous, a seat has just opened up," Cain took off his cap and bowed with a gentlemanly grace. "Will you do the honor of joining me tonight?"

The bastard, with the confrontation unfolding in public, he knew she cannot refuse without appearing both unprofessional and impolite. His quick maneuvering was a thing of beauty, putting her in a position where she has to submit to his demand.

"I would not want to intrude on your meal, lord commissar," Raine made her last attempt to squirm free. It was not successful.

"Nonsense! Nothing would please me more than to share fine foods and wines with the illustrious Severina Raine," Cain announced brightly, sealing her fate. "If you would do me the honor, that is."

"Let it not be said that I do not appreciate the finer etiquette of a gentleman. I humbly accept your offer, lord commissar," Raine bowed then turned to the nervous looking Enzio. "Lead the way, my good man."

"If you would follow me," the maître d' took off, his steps more jittery than normal, probably sensing her permeating animosity. That aura only worsened when Cain gesture for her to take the lead, his grin infuriatingly smug. Keeping her composure, Raine tipped her hat and started off after Enzio, Cain looming close behind her, cutting off any route of escape. Gasps and whispers followed them through the restaurant, the patrons trading hushed words with the subtly of a rampaging Titan. If there was one flaw in the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, it's the rampant gossips. The high command doesn't seem inclined to stop this very obvious security threat, going as far as encouraging such puerile interaction. Improvement of morale was the excuse general Henry gave. The three of them were entering a corridor of opaque glass now, the place radiating luxurious anonymity, providing a place for clandestine meeting.

"Here we are lady commissar, lord commissar," Enzio went to stand besides an opening in the wall, gesturing politely to the room beyond. Raine had dined at the El Luna il Cigno many times before, eating at a table set into a reclusive, dark corner of the restaurant, away from inquisitive eyes, the balcony was a frivolity she refused to entertain. But now, as she stepped onto the veranda suite, Raine had to admit that the place was indeed beautiful. Extending out from the restaurant proper and suspended above Block B, the open air suite granted a sweeping nocturnal vista of the Immortal Spirit, the internal clock having dimed the light to that of an average night. But there was nothing average about the view. A shining cityscape stretched out before her, not the gloomy obelisk of smog and filth of a Hive World but a forest of steel, glass and light that shined like multi-spectrum diamond. Skyscrapers of magnificent design, slender and pristine like a master crafted sword, thrust upward to graze the high ceiling, while some reached down from the heaven to touch the floor below, a manmade cavern of metallic stalagmites and stalactites, glittering like stars.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Cain joined her at the railing.

"Indeed," Raine admitted, and she dearly wished she was sharing this moment with someone else beside the Hero of the Imperium.

"Shall we?" Cain waved back at the table, a rounded, lavish thing draped in gleaming white cloth embroidered with pearls, topped off with a crystal candleholder fashioned into the shape of a swan and a multitude of cutleries and silverwares.

"Very well," no point in delaying the unpleasantry, Raine nodded and seated herself down on the cushioned chair, while Cain took his place opposite her.

"What will your orders be tonight, lady commissar, lord commissar?" Enzio stood patiently beside their table, stiffer than a cadet at parade ground.

"Me and the lady commissar will be taking our time browsing the menu," Cain told the maître d' politely. "Oh, and can you please shut the door and give us a little privacy?"

"Of course, lord commissar," Raine quirked a brow as Enzio bowed lowly and, with a less than polite haste, headed back into the corridor. The opaque door slid close, becoming seamless with the wall, and it was then that the sunny smile on Cain's face simmered to a more tired, honest one.

"The restaurant must be buzzing by now," dropping his bombastic, poseur timbre, Raine had to admit that Cain's voice was rather pleasing on the ears.

"The gossiping started the moment you walked in," Raine cast her gaze around the balcony. "If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you had all of this plan out in advance."

"Really?" Cain snorted.

"An empty balcony without any cover," Raine continued unhurriedly. "I wouldn't be surprise if there's a Valhallan sniper lurking in one of those high rises, with me right in the middle of the crosshair, ready to pull the trigger if I falter in my manner toward you."

"Well, Kasteen did offered to shoot you back on Leenisium, but I talk her out of it," Cain shrugged good naturedly. "But I digress, there are no snipers."

"Then why does this feels like a trap?" Raine leaned back into her seat, arms folded across her chest. Cain didn't say anything, instead casting his eyes downward with a sigh, his crestfallen demeanor almost convincing Raine of its sincerity.

"Why do you despise me, Severina?" Raine was taken aback by Cain's soft, unbelievably childish, question.

"Excuse me?" Raine couldn't believe a full grown man just said that.

"You seem to harbor an extreme dislike for me," now it was Cain's turn to fold his arms. "I'm just curious as to why."

"All of this posturing for a simple question that could have been asked in a mess hall," Raine scoffed contemptuously. "I didn't imagine you to be so wasteful. Amberley doesn't even know about this, does she?"

"I did plan a dinner with Amberley," agitation was seeping into Cain's voice. "And she really is tied up with the others. The point is, I didn't plan for this, I just wanted to eat something. Instead I run into you, which was, as I said earlier, serendipitous."

"I don't see anything happy or beneficial about this meeting," Raine sneered.

"There! Right there!" Ciaphas stabbed his finger at her, causing Raine to flinch back in surprise. "Here I am trying to have a simple, honest conversation with you, and all you do is snap and snarl at me. What is your problem with me? Because unless we address this friction between us, it will become a fatal problem on the battlefield sooner than the both of us would like."

"I'm not wasting my time with this stupidity," Raine got up from her seat and headed for the door, her tolerance for Cain having reached its end. "Enjoy your meal Ciaphas. The ravioli is very good, don't forget to order a plate."

"Lady commissar Severina Raine, attached to the 11th Antari Rifle, graduated from the Schola Progenium on Gloam, decorated and honored for playing a pivotal role in the victory of the Bale Star Crusade and unearthing the corruption within the crusade's high command," Cain got off his seat and Raine froze, craning her head back slowly as he approached her, his steps confident.

"What did you just say?" Raine hissed through gritted teeth.

"Daughter of lady commissar Thema Raine, exalted war heroine of the Bale Star Crusade who was killed in the line of duty when you were six years old," Cain pressed on undaunted as Raine stalked toward him, hands clenched into shaking fists.

"Do not dare say her name," Raine warned.

"Father, name expunged by the Ministorum, was a guardsman who abandon his entire company to their death, and was summarily executed for cowardice," Cain backed away from her easily, never stumbling even when Raine quickened her pace.

"Not another word, Ciaphas," Raine growled as she and Cain drew nearer to the balcony's gilded rail.

"Little sister of lady commissar Lucia Raine, also of the Bale Star Crusade, who was found complicit in a conspiracy to overthrow the crusade's high command, stripped of all ranks and achievements and sentenced to summarily execution by firing squad as a traitor."

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!"

Quicker than he could react, Raine snatched the collar of Cain's commissar coat and pushed him up against the railing. Despite the upper half his body dangling off the precipice, with only a miniscule bar of brass standing between him and a sixty foot drop, Cain just quirked an annoyed brow at her, looking bored more than anything else. It made the urge to push the bastard off even more powerful, and it took every last remaining shred of control Raine possessed to stop herself from going through with it.

"And here I had hope things would remain civil between us," Cain deadpanned, totally aloof of his predicament.

"We're long pass that point you son of a bitch," Raine snarled, her grip on Cain's collar tightening.

"Safe to assume the dossier is not incorrect?" Cain pressed on.

"You know nothing of the truth," Raine snapped.

"I think I have a pretty clear image of the truth," Cain went on. "Doubts and accusations from unsavory characters plagued commissars of our caliber."

"We are nothing alike!" Raine raised her voice.

"I would say there are certain aspects that overlap – Whoa!" Raine hurled Cain away from the railing, sending him stumbling back toward the table. To Raine immense disappointment, Cain easily found his footing and spun around to face her, calm and immaculate as ever.

"You want to know why I despise you Ciaphas?! Why I can't stand to be in the same room with you?! It is because you are a coward, a charlatan, an anathema to everything we were taught to be at the Schola Progenium, and you are exalted instead of punished!" Raine shouted, all lessons of decorum and control crumbling before the on rush of white hot rage. "All of your accomplishments are nothing but a farce! Acts of cowardice sheened in false veneer of glory and bravery, everything you are is built upon nothing but lies! And you are hailed as the Hero of the Imperium, cherished, loved and deified as the personification of heroism. Why are you cheered when I must endure the scorn of others for sins that are not my own?! Why are you celebrated when legacy of good woman like Lucia is left tarnished and unsung?! Why are you allowed to walk free absent consequences while I, not matter how hard I fought and bled for the Imperium, is questioned and doubted at every turn?!"

Raine didn't know when the tears started flowing, the wet stream burning down her cheeks. Cursing lowly, Raine turned away from Cain and furiously wiped her eyes, forcing her breathe to steady, making sure that no sniffs or sobs escaped. It was a shameful outburst, but the relief it brought was undeniable, unfortunate that she must now suffered its repercussion. Cain will surely use this vulnerability against her. The gentle touch on her shoulder was the last thing she expected. Raine rounded on Cain, teeth barred and fists clenched, but the look of pure, undiluted kindness on the lord commissar's face stopped the punch from being thrown.

"Sit down Severina," Cain pleaded, his voice strained as he gesture to their seats. "Please."

The naked weariness was surprising to Raine, or maybe Cain was truly a consummate actor and had simply put on another mask to manipulate her. Regardless of his sincerity, Raine decided to entertain his wish for the moment and returned to her seat. She made no attempt to hide her disdain when Cain picked up his chair, placed it down next to her and scooted closer than what was deemed polite.

"I am very sorry about that," Raine would have scoffed at the apology if it wasn't for the look of honest sadness on Cain's visage. "I never like hitting people below the belt, but it was the only way to stop you from storming out. I'm sorry."

"Where did you get the information?" Raine asked steadily, hammering out the lingering quivers, even when she knew the answer to that question.

"Amberley is very thorough when it comes to finding intels on person of interest," Cain admitted easily, absent guiles.

"Should I be flattered that I've made an enemy out of the great Amberley Vail?" Raine laughed sardonically.

"No, you shouldn't," Cain's timbre was low and serious.

"Am I a threat to her? Or am I a threat to you?" Raine narrowed her eyes and Cain offered her a tired smile in response.

"A threat to me," Cain leaned easily back into his chair, sighing wistfully. "Love can make you do crazy and violent thing."

"A toast to your guardian angel then," Raine scoffed. "She had successful put me into a corner, and now I am at her mercy, and by extension yours too. I admit defeat lord commissar, to the victors goes the spoils, I have been completely outmaneuvered."

"I've never asked her to do this," Cain said.

"And I should believe you?" Raine shook her head. "You of all people have the most to gain over this."

"I did not do this," Cain hissed, and for the first time Raine witness the lord commissar's anger, fleeting and well-hidden though it might be. It was unsettling to behold, but she appreciated the sight nonetheless, in anger men were most frank.

"Then how did you come upon the dossier?" Raine continued, admittedly curious.

"Amberley have been spending a lot of time with the Astropaths, sending out secured communication to her friends inside the Ministorum," Cain said, quite nonchalant about betraying his lover's confidence. "I wouldn't have minded that, she an inquisitor after all, but then she started snooping around the regiments. More specifically, she has been spending a lot of time with Leilatha and Evangeline, and the glimpses I caught of them told me that the conversations were not friendly. The most reoccurring topic? You."

"Not surprising, if an inquisitor is convinced that someone is guilty of a crime, real or not, they will eventually find a way to convict them," Raine said. "That still doesn't explain how you got the dossier."

"I…might have snuck into her room and sleuthed through her computer," Cain admitted sheepishly.

"Hmm, I don't suppose Amberley is too thrilled about this betrayal?" Raine snorted, a brow quirking.

"She'll understand after I explain the necessity to her, I can make quite a charming argument after all," Cain smiled smugly. Raine was far from impressed however.

"How detailed was her dossier on me?" Raine asked.

"Extremely detail," Cain said solemnly. "Your family tree, the accomplishment of each members of the Raine family, thorough records of your service, including that of Lucia and Thema, your psychological profile, all your likes and dislikes, most of it hearsay, and an in depth data on the 11th Antari Rifles," the lord commissar fidgeted in his seat before continuing. "She also knows about your…infatuation with the Tempestus Scions captain, Arden Fel."

Raine didn't respond immediately, choosing instead to glare, unblinking, at a very nervous Cain, the man rightly bracing himself for another lunge at his throat. But Raine took control of her anger, held its seething fire in her hand and squeezed until the blaze dimmed, not dead, only waiting to be fanned aflame again. The thought of anything happening to the Antari, to Arden Fel, because a vindictive bitch was trying to protect her cowardly mate, was almost enough to shatter her hard fought serenity.

"I cannot guarantee the safety of inquisitor Amberley if she and I cross path in the future," Raine made her threat.

"And I must warn you that she can fight back, and she fights very well," Cain chuckled. "Anyhow, although I love her with all my heart, I unfortunately cannot condone such action. Therefore, I had copied your dossier on to my personal data-pad and deleted the original files. I am now the sole owner of your history."

"…That's supposed to make me feel better?" Raine couldn't believe what this grinning idiot was saying. "Am I supposed to be grateful that you now wield a knife that can be plunge into my back at any moment?"

"I'm not a Samaritan, Severina," Cain reached into his great coat and Raine tensed. Many scenarios rushed through her mind. Would he taunt her? Make demands of her? Instead he withdrew a thick, worn leather notebook, the cover and edges wrinkle from constant use, the page yellowed by time. "But I think it is only fair that you have a knife of your own to use against me."

Raine stared at the notebook as Cain held it out toward her. After a minute of tense silence, with Cain adamant and unmoving in his offer, Raine reluctantly reached out and took the proffered notebook from him. He sighed in relief as she looked at the unmarked cover.

"What is this?" Raine slowly flipped through the pages and skimmed the contents. It was a dairy of some sort.

"My journal," Cain said and Raine's mood soured all over again.

"More jest at my expenses then, Ciaphas?" Raine groaned. "If I'd wanted your glorious life story, then I'll just go and buy one from a bookstore, it's been a bestseller since you and the Valhallan joined the battlegroup."

"As fun as the doctored version might be, I found it straying too far from what I'd originally intended it to be. A confession," iron laced Cain's voice now. "This is the original version, written by my own hands, unchanged and uncensored by Imperial propaganda."

"You said this is a confession," Raine's fingers tightened around the notebook, her eyes locked with his, "a confession of what, Ciaphas?"

"Your accusation about me was correct, Severina. I am a coward," Cain deflated and slouched into his chair, looking as if a great weight has been lifted off his shoulders. "And by my own hands, I have condemned myself. Why? I don't know, perhaps it is guilt, perhaps it is honor, even I don't know. In summation Severina, what you hold in your hand is a death sentence, my death sentence."

The notebook suddenly became a lot heavier in her hand. The weapon to undo the Hero of the Imperium was literary in her grasp, to free the Imperium of the lies this charlatan has constructed, and she only needed to reach the astropathic choir and contact the nearest Commissariat high command. In less than a month the name Ciaphas Cain will be a curse on the tongues of every Emperor fearing men and women.

"You are giving this to me," Raine said, her gaze leveled on Cain.

"I am," Cain nodded, oddly calm for someone who's talking to his executioner.

"What is preventing me from using this?" Raine pressed on.

"Nothing," Cain shook his head and both of them spend the next minutes just looking at each other, gouging and searching for any emotion to surface, triumph, rage, defeat, fear, euphoria, anything. Yet all they got were blankness, the commissariat's stoic equilibrium, the first lesson they learned at the Scholar Progenium. Eventually Raine, and Cain by the looks of it, recognized the futility of this clash of will, so she sighed and leaned back into the chair.

"This is a very brave gesture Ciaphas, more than what I imagine you are capable of," Raine couldn't stop the poison from seeping into her voice, and to his credit Cain made no overt reaction. "Alas, as much as I want to see you fall for your lies, I don't think I shall be the one to bring judgment upon you."

Cain's wide eyed, breathless incomprehension was so naked in its earnestness that Raine actually cracked a smile.

"What?" Cain gaped.

"Believe it or not, I've had this exact same conversation about you with Tangmo before the skaven ambush us back on Leenisium," Raine went on. "He explains to me the virtue of…allowing you to continue with this façade, and unbelievable as it may be, I actually agree with him."

"Guess I have to thank the singing commissar for his intervention," Cain chuckled.

"Yes, he is capable of wisdom if he reins in his immaturity once in a while," Raine grinned. "And I have fought beside you Ciaphas, and regardless of what I believe, or what you really are underneath the tall tale, you are fearless and very dependable in the thick of battle. You had many chances to kill me, and your Valhallan would've gladly looked the other way, but nothing of the sort happened. I am forced to admit that you, deep down, are a good man."

"By the Throne, was that a compliment Severina?" Cain's toothy grin looked very punchable in that moment.

"Don't push your luck, Ciaphas," but Raine pushed the annoyance down and waved the beaten journal at him. "But I will be reading this, seems only fair after you went through my entire life already."

"I am sure you will enjoy every moment of it," Ciaphas smiled easily. "Again, I am very sorry for what I said about Lucia."

"The dead are seldom bother by the words of the living," Raine sighed. "I am immune to the scorn and accusation heaped upon my family's name."

"Oh, I doubt the Raine family name would invite anything but praise and veneration," Cain chuckled at Raine's confused regards. "Your family was vindicated, Lucia especially, she is hailed as a shining example of a commissariat defiance and dedication even in the face of death."

"Do you speak truly?" This was the first time Raine have heard of this, there wasn't a moment for reprieve or reflection after the conclusion of the Bale Star Crusade. She was barely able to stand when lord Guilliman's summon came. No time for question, no time for goodbye. But to know that something good had come from hers and the Antari's sacrifice almost made Raine wept with joy.

"I am," Cain nodded.

"But if that was the case, what was Amberley planning to do with my dossier?" Raine asked.

"She made a coward into a hero, remember? Amberley can turn lies to truth and truth to lies," Cain pointed at himself and Raine snorted good-naturedly before she can stop herself. "She was preparing a campaign of misinformation which will result in you being ostracized, branded a coward, then a heretic, and eventually burned at the stake by her."

"I don't know whether to be jealous of you for having a partner with such unfaltering dedication, or to be scared for your life," Raine cursed the smile lifting her lips upward. "Alas, her plan is now in tatter thanks to you."

"I'm sure she will forgive me," Cain stretched his legs under the table and sighed contently. "I like this."

"I'm sorry?" Raine eyed him suspiciously. Cain did have a reputation of being a lecher, after all.

"You and me just talking to each other," Cain told her. "And all it took was you almost throwing me off a balcony."

"Don't get too comfortable with this, Ciaphas," Raine said, the venom from before surprisingly absent. "We are a long way from being friends."

"I've face worse odds and emerge victorious," Cain smirked. "This one will be no different."

"Always the optimist," Raine shook her head, more to hide her grin than anything. "Was that everything you wanted to discuss with me?"

"I believe so," Cain pulled his chair closer to the table, hands rubbing together excitably. "Now let's eat, I'm famished."

"A sentiment I wholeheartedly share," Raine's stomach chose that moment to start grumbling, reminding her that she also hasn't eaten anything yet.

"Let's summon our maître 'd again," Cain said, "I never ate here before and he might be able to give me some pointers."

"Enzio does love to go over the menu," Raine tapped the digital screen set into the table, pressing the bell icon. In approximately half a minute, the translucent wall slid soundlessly open and Enzio, prim and proper as ever, strode inside, looking relieved to see that the balcony haven't turned into a crime scene.

"Lady commissar, lord commissar, I shall be your host tonight," Enzio began perfunctorily. "Are you ready to – AHHH!"

The maître 'd crashed to the ground when someone shoulder him aside and took his place. Blinking, Raine glanced up and found a furious Amberley Vail glaring at her, the amiability of the situation did little to placate her temper.

"Get away from him," Amberley seethed and made a beeline for Raine. She was about to leap off her seat when lady commissar Leilatha dashed onto the veranda and placed herself in the inquisitor's path.

"Stop this immediately Amberley!" Leilatha's sharp command halted Amberley in her track, the inquisitor swaying slightly as reason and logic reassert itself. "Ciaphas is fine, see? You have nothing to worry about."

Gathering herself and dusting off her ruffled up inquisitorial coat, Amberley stood a little straighter, slowed her breathing, forced a strained smile upon her face and said, "Ciaphas, is everything alright? I heard you ran into some undesirable company and fear that you might have been in danger."

"Everything is quite alright Amberley. As you can see, me and Severina were just about to order our foods," Cain said. "Pray tell, how did you know about us?"

"Shit was all over social media yo, people were twitting and Facebooking like crazy," a smirking commissar Tangmo emerged from the doorway, his data-pad pointed at them, almost tripping over the rising Enzio, "oh shit, dude, you alright?!"

"Everybody knows about this?" Raine asked as Tangmo helped Enzio to his feet, the data-pad still aimed at them.

"Yeah, you guys just went to the top of the treading list. Can two commissars, bitter enemies, become lovers? Damn, the hashtags are gonna be amazing," Tangmo stepped closer. "That's how Amberley found out. We were just about done with the Sororitas Aeldari meeting, shit went surprisingly well by the way, when Kasteen send Amberley the email. That was when she hijacked our ride and forced us to drive over here, I pretty much GTA the fucking place up."

"I did not hijack your car, lord commissar," Amberley huffed petulantly. "I simply ask that you assist me in confirming Ciaphas's safety."

"You were breathing down our necks and snarling threats the whole time," Leilatha deadpanned and Amberley grumbled nastily. "It was nothing short of a miracle Tangmo didn't kill anyone with his driving."

"Pretty sure I ran over an old lady crossing the street," Tangmo chuckled then started lowering his data-pad, a childish disappointment creasing his face. "So…you guys are not gonna kill each other? Because I was kinda hoping to find the two of you tearing each other apart, I got the camera ready and everything."

"I did try to push him off the balcony earlier," Raine nonchalantly nudged her head at the railing and almost let out an undignified snort when Amberley's eyes bulged out of her skull.

"But beside that minor scuffled, nothing else happened," Cain cut in quickly before Amberley can pounce Raine. "I'm sorry to disappoint you Tangmo, but I'm afraid there will be no fight today."

"Yeah, but these two are probably gonna duke it out soon, and they'll draw a bigger crowd than you ever could. A lot of people will pay good money to see Severina Raine and Amberley Vail catfight it out," Tangmo stuffed the data-pad back into his coat, unperturbed by the glare Raine, Leilatha and Amberley shot him as he glanced around the suite, whistling appreciatively at the view. "Holy crap, this place is nice. No wonder it's impossible to get a reservation."

"Do you want to join us?" Cain chirped up brightly. "All of us are already here and the table looks big enough to accommodate everyone. Would that be quite alright, Enzio?"

"Of course lord commissar, I'll get right on it," Enzio hurried back into the corridor, fingers snapping, and within a minute three more chairs were placed around the dining table, accompanied by more glasses, plates and utensils.

"How about it my friends? Care to join me and Severina?" Cain made his invitation again. "The more the merrier."

"Thank you lord commissar, but I do not think it is appropriate to intrude," Leilatha declined despite the very obvious gleam of interest in her eyes.

"First rule of life Leilatha, never turn down free food," Tangmo seated himself beside Raine with a boyish grin. Leilatha rolled her eyes but nonetheless joined him. "We graciously accept!"

"This was supposed to be our night, Ciaphas," Amberley pouted as she sat next to Cain, all the while making sure to give Raine a frosty, unfriendly look. "But I do enjoy a soiree in pleasant company. Well, mostly pleasant, but beggar can't be chooser."

"We'll be browsing the menu for a while, Enzio, but in the meantime bring us your finest vintage, I'm feeling a little parch," Cain told the maître 'd.

"I am at your service," Enzio bowed and made his exit, the translucent wall becoming seamless again.

"Well, this is a nice way to end this little R&R," Tangmo flicked his finger through the digitized menu, "a night of fine dining, doesn't get any better than this."

"When are we due to disembark?" Raine asked.

"Tomorrow," Tangmo said.

"And the space station?" Raine pressed.

"It was program to slide back into a pocket dimension in the Webway," Tangmo told her. "Apparently it will show up in real space every time the Immortal Spirit is in trouble, and when we're no longer in danger it'll teleport away, so there's no chance those Mechanicus assholes are gonna find it when they get here."

"The Mechanicus fleet is coming here?" Cain's voice rose in alarm.

"They'll be out of the Warp in two days, we'll be ready to meet them by then," Tangmo grinned. "Solveig want to give the fleet a baptism by fire."

"What is that, Severina?" Amberley piercing gaze was now fixed on her, more specifically the notebook in her hand. "I do not believe that is yours."

"A peace offering from Ciaphas," Raine replied curtly and stuffed the notebook into her coat.

"It is the right thing to do, Amberley," Cain spoke up before the inquisitor can protest, his poignant, pleading look settled her down, but Raine can still feel the woman's seething undercurrent lapping across the table. Raine was glancing at the menu when she caught Tangmo looking at her. Their eyes met, and he winked.