The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

"This day just refuse to bloody end."

"I know, right? Jesus Christ, a hot bath would be great right now."

"You and me both, can I join you?"

"Always."

Laura and Yuki shared a tired laugh as they sat themselves down on the ground, back braced against an ammunition crate, more than happy to rest their collective arses after the final sprint from the river and into the Immortal Spirit battlegroup's control zone. Around them Sororitas, guardsmen and Aeldari bustled with urgent animation, darting this way and that as they went about fortifying the ramparts, trenches and bunkers around the refugee camp, the Anguirus batteries were already unleashing another salvo across the river. King Russes thundered toward the front, Falcons swooped across the battle line, Wraithguards took position beside heavy bolter teams, everyone readying themselves for the last stretch of the engagement. And Laura had never been more content. Bloody hell, it's so nice to just sit down and rest, she might even snatch herself a few minutes of power nap.

"Are you injured, lady inquisitor?" Laura blinked, not recognizing the voice. Shaking away the drowsiness and giving her cheeks a few sharp smacks, Laura turned and found Isha of all people sitting gingerly down next to her.

"A little winded love, but I'm in one piece," Laura quirked an amused brow when she saw that Isha was wearing Elnys's blue dress, behind her the handmaidens huddled in close, all of them messy and exhausted. "You look good in blue. Save to assume Elnys is the one running around naked now?"

"No quite, lady inquisitor," Elnys appeared at Isha's shoulder, now clad in a Victorian era undergarment, which was very modest and showed little skin, much to Laura disappointment. "But I admit to feeling a little expose."

"Eh, that's a lot less revealing than what we wear," Yuki shrugged as more people congregated around them, that being the main characters, all of them weary but happy to be alive for the moment. The Japanese exarch narrowed her eyes on the goddess suddenly. "Aren't you supposed to be on the latest flight out of this hell hole?"

"I shall remain, lady exarch, until every last Aeldari had fled safely from Thima-Chantra," Isha's declaration earned scoffs and groans from the hardline Sisters of Battle, while the moderates looked at the goddess with something akin to respect. Personally, Laura thought Isha was fucking stupid for trying to act like a tragedienne who sacrifices herself for the weeping masses. The goddess must've read her thought, because she shot Laura a leveled look, daring her to say something. The British inquisitor just shrugged. "I cannot in good conscience flee while so many more languish in my name, the only responsible thing to do would be to remain behind and see them off."

"So why are you here with us, instead of your subject?" Lady commissar Raine spoke up, arms folded across her chest, hard and inquisitive in countenance.

"Because the Immortal Spirit battlegroup already have the evacuation running smoothly, with every detail perfectly calculated," Isha answered, trying her best to match iron with Raine. She didn't quite succeed, but it was cute nonetheless. "If I were to appear amongst them, as good as my intention may be, it will disrupt the flow of the evacuation, which will then mire down the process and create unnecessary chaos for the civilians." Laura didn't know whether Isha's lopsided smile was resigned or mocking. "I love the Aeldari, but I can be pragmatic when the situation calls for it."

"You could have save us a lot of trouble, your eminence, if you had just come down the elevator with Elnys and the handmaidens," Amberley clearly meant that as a joke, but Isha's face dropped miserably.

"I'm sorry," Isha said lowly, hugging herself tighter. "I should have thought better but…sorry, but after millions of years I still behave like an impulsive little girl."

"If you had, then everything would've been fucked, both literally and figurative," Nikki cut in before Elnys and Tanrion can piped up, the comment earning the Russian exarch intrigued gazes from the main characters.

"Care to explain, lady exarch?" Gaoseng Zhensu of the Celestial Serenity asked.

"Simple really, Syrathel would've simply stopped the elevator, dragged all of you back, and proceed to do unspeakable things to the lot of you. But when Isha sacrificed herself, the Four Bitches' initial plan went down the toilet," Nikki explained with authority and the main characters nodded their understanding. She then reached down and firmly grabbed Isha's shoulder. "All I have to say is thank you, your eminence. Your unconventional approach to solving problem might have effectively saved the day."

"I only thought about saving Elnys and everyone," Isha mumbled but Nikki's words had worked its charm, the goddess didn't look so glum anymore, a shy little smile now gracing her face. "Thank you, lady exarch."

"Yeah, we could all use a little bit of kindness now and then," Nikki winked cheekily at the hardline Sororitas, all of whom glowered at the Russian.

"And we'll make sure none of them Chaos bastards lay a hand on you," Jurgen said, to the startlement of all, every eye now honed on the scruffy Valhallan. Although the Blank didn't really fit the image of a guardian knight, what with his bedraggle appearance and very uniquely foul odor, Isha nevertheless bestowed Jurgen with a warm, genuine smile. "You can count on me mam. Not only that, we have Ciaphas Cain himself here, he's the Hero of the Imperium, and he'll make sure none of them heretic and daemon scums even glance in your direction."

"I only hope that I can live up to my reputation, your eminence," Cain took off his hat in greeting and Isha bowed politely. Laura gave herself a mental pat on the back for managing to stifle her laughter, because beneath the dashing, pearly white grin, Cain was sure as all fuck screaming internally, probably imagining himself strangling Jurgen for putting him in a position that demanded heroism. "Myself and the 597th Valhallan will do everything in our power to see you safely from harm."

"You do me too much honor, commissar Cain," Isha remained humble as ever. "Forgive my ignorance, but I thought your moniker was the Singing Commissar, although the Hero of the Imperium does have a more dashing ring to it."

"Oh, that's Tangmo," Lita spoke up. "He's the Singing Commissar, Cain's the Hero of the Imperium."

"I see," Isha settled her gaze on Raine, the goddess flinching from the woman's cold, unfriendly regard, "a-and what would your nickname be, lady commissar?"

"I don't have a nickname," Raine uttered flatly.

"What are we to do now, lady inquisitor?" Galatea cut in, bringing the conversation back to the present, a present which was currently consumed by dins of gunfire and monstrous roars.

"For now, just chilling and letting everyone else do all the work for a change," Laura stretched out her legs with an indulgent sigh, not giving two fucks as she drew the giggling Yuki into her arm, both snuggling tight, both grinning at the extremely offended Sororitas. "After running up and down Minas Tirith, then there and back again, I'm down for a little rest."

"Idleness leads to heresy," Lithia's words would've carried a lot more weight if she didn't leaned lazily into a pile of sandbags, removed her Batman helm, and wiped sweat from her short tomboyish hair.

"We haven't exactly been idle, have we?" Yuki propped her head on Laura's shoulder, shuffling around until they were both comfortable. "Let other people have fun for a change, it's not like we'll be running out of targets soon."

"There is merit in what you said, lady exarch," Bellona spoke up and took off her helm, running her gauntleted hand over her short red hair. "It will not do to be short of breathe when facing the enemies, such weakness is an affront to the God Emperor."

"And we wouldn't want any of that now, would we?" Nikki took out her canteen and drank deeply, prompting the main characters to start sipping and sharing refreshments. After taking a few swigs herself, Laura handed the water to Isha, who nodded gratefully and tilted the container down her gullet, draining it to the last drop. The goddess blushed furiously and handed the canteen back to Laura, earning a smatter of laughter from the moderate canonesses and their Celestians.

"I'm sorry," Isha squeaked. "I shouldn't have drunk it all."

"That's okay, I can always share with Yuki," Laura winked at her girlfriend. "But bloody hell love, you should've told us you were that thirsty, I would've gave you some earlier."

"Thank you lady inquisitor, but I was more concern with surviving my ordeal," Isha said then shifted her attention to Galatea, the canoness frowned but the goddess held her ground, refusing to wilt away. "Thank you, lady canoness Galatea, for everything that you and your sisters have done for me and the Solace Sun, even if you despise us."

"I do what has to be done," Galatea responded snappishly, but softened her tone somewhat afterward. "Your thanks are not necessary."

"I wish I could be more useful and not be a burden," Isha gazed sullenly at the ground and Elnys wrapped her arms around the goddess's own. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help, because of me your lives are now in danger, I'm sorry…"

"Enough with the apology damn you!" Lithia snapped and Isha clamped her mouth shut with a short, high pitched squeal. "Instead of mewling, how about you show us some backbone?! By the Emperor, at least try to make yourself look like something worth fighting for!"

"How dare you?!"

"You will not speak to her eminence in such a way!"

"We speak as we see fit," Naledi raised her voice over the unhappy Elnys and Tanrion, "since it is clear that you two are responsible for the goddess's simpering condition."

"I cannot begin to imagine the horrors and pains you went through under Nurgle's captivity, Isha," Lita cut in kindly, but firmly, stopping both the nuns and the elves from continuing their spat. The Mexican Warseer strode over and sat down before Isha, her warm smile easing the tautness from the goddess's willowy frame. "Although the canonesses can be somewhat direct…and rude at time, I cannot help but agree with them in this instant."

"That's a fucking first," Morelia scoffed and the Valorous Heart Celestians chuckled nastily. A sharp look from Lita shut them up.

"As I was saying, your eminence," Lita returned her kindly attention back to Isha. "We are in no way downplaying your ordeal inside Nurgle's Garden, I doubt anyone of us would retain our sanity if we were to suffer as you had, yet here you stand, proud and unbent to all that had been done to you, and if that isn't courage, then I don't know what is."

"I very much appreciate your kind words, lady Warseer," Isha smiled, and by God it was a beautiful smile, Laura felt enraptured by the sight. "However, I cannot help but feel…"

"But as the canonesses have said earlier, you don't need to beat yourself up over a past that is no longer in your control," Lita said and clasped her hands over Isha's own, the goddess welcomed the touch. "I understand that it's difficult, almost impossible, to believe you can enjoy life after everything you went through, but you must fight on. Every second that you're free is a triumph over the Ruinous Power. You have fled Nurgle, so do not let him win in the end by allowing the bastard to continue hurting you. So please, be strong, if not for other then for yourself."

Holy shit, Laura always knew Lita was amazing with words but this was beautiful, the kind of speech that sent spirit soaring, the warm sun that banishes the dark clouds. Laura, Yuki and Nikki smiled brightly, moved by Lita's impeccable words, while the main characters were awestruck into silence. Isha, naturally, started tearing up again.

"T-Thank you, lady Warseer," Isha wiped vigorously at her eyes and sat up a little straighter, and damn, now that she put some iron into her spine, she does look like a goddess. "I will strife to be better, I shall not be afraid anymore."

"We'll need all the courage we can muster before this fight is won," Crestienne, the least bitchy of the canonesses, nodded firmly at Isha then glanced up at the roiling, unnatural sky with a grimace. Grotesque shapes, ephemeral and gargantuan, an amalgamation of fleshy nightmare, moved across the thinning barrier between the material and the immaterial. The pulsating anomalies only seemed to increase in frequency and animation as the minutes passed. "Leaving the planet will not be easy."

"Tyra doesn't seem to be having much problem, last I heard," Laura said. "The eldars got spooked though, but the Sororitas and holy men fixed them up nice and quick once they landed on the Immortal Spirit."

"A strange development," Morelia grunted, she and the hardliners were not buying the information.

"The Emperor protects," Heloise shrugged and the moderates nodded slowly.

"Whatever is happening, humans and eldars are in the same boat now," Laura drew Yuki tighter into her arm to highlight this point, earning a snort from Galatea. "So how about we be a little nice to Isha now…"

Rattling staccato of exploding ordnances interrupted Laura, the thunderous booms were way too close for comfort, the cacophony sprinkled liberally with shouts and screams as the defenders returned fire vehemently, tanks, heavy guns and artilleries roared loud and unceasing.

"Great, and I was just getting comfortable," Yuki groaned and, despite Laura's clinging, rose back to her feet, rolled her neck until it gave a satisfying pop, drew her katana, and held out her hand to the pouting British inquisitor. "Come on, we'll cuddle later, we have a job to do."

"Fine," Laura sighed petulantly and let Yuki hauled her up, around them the main characters were doing the same, faces fierce with determination for the battle to come. Laura unslung her claymore and gave the grip a few flexes as guardsmen, eldars, tanks and jeeps darted in every direction. Amongst the controlled chaos were Damien and Erik, the boys directing the flows of the troops with calm, yet vigorous animation, the Ultramarine and High Ranger becoming the central nexus of the battlegroup.

"Oi! What's happening my lovies?" Laura, with her mates and the main characters in towed, joined the boys.

"Same old shit," Damien said as he waved four King Russes to the front, the cadence in that direction was worryingly loud. "But that doesn't mean it's a good thing."

"So what are we dealing with this time?" Nikki asked, "traitor guardsmen, heretics, cultists, daemons, Chaos eldars, Chaos Sororitas?"

"All of the above," Erik tapped his data-pad swiftly then swiped the message across the screen with a frown. "Syrathel, Azarvhin, Miriael and Luscinia are leading from the front, which would explain why this new wave is so damn big."

"Something tells me the Four Bitches might be a bit miffed that their tentacle rapist got his boners snapped off," Laura and the main characters laughed boisterously, "whatever, we'll deal with them like the last…"

A powerful eldritch blue light, flaring brighter than the sun, cut off Laura. This was followed by earth shattering explosions as five Falcons and two King Russes, the war machines wreathed in flame, bounced brokenly across the ground not fifty paces away from them. Screams shattered the air, but Laura, her mates and the main characters were gobsmacked into silence.

"Uh…Mavia, please tell me that wasn't your tank flying through the air," Laura stared unblinking at the fiery wreckages, one hand tapping her earbud.

"Thank the Emperor it isn't!" The Tallarn general chuckled dryly, her own nerves fraying a bit, but the former rayiys quickly composed her voice. "Syrathel is pressing hard, our forward most defenses are already getting overrun, as you can see from the tanks get thrown clear across the sky. Our lines along the river are heavily pressed, with breaches showing in many sectors. The Chaos legions will have a firm beachhead soon, but our troops will hold, for as long as it takes."

"Initiate tactical withdraw general," Laura told Mavia while pointedly ignoring the angst Sulla. The Valhallan general probably wanted everyone to remain where they were for a heroic Sabaton last stand. "Begin the retreat Mavia, we're relocating to the first tier trenches, the artilleries and air force will cover our retreat."

"Acknowledge lady inquisitor, good luck," Mavia cut the transmission and a barrage of heavy caliber tank weaponries resounded all along the battlegroup defenses, every cylinder unleashed as Anguirus artilleries pieces were swiftly dissembled and latched on to the back of trucks or Chimeras and hauled away.

"Ae-Shin, please tell me you and your jets are available because we really need your help right now," Laura tapped her earbud and glanced nervously up at the sky.

"I'm diverting every fighter, bombers and Titancrafts to your location lady inquisitor, hang tight," Ae-Shin chirped happily and before long the ambience of jet engines cleaved through the air, the pounding of bombs and missiles followed a few moments later.

"Whoa, bloody hell, top job Ae-Shin, you're the best love," Laura was pleasantly surprised, but although her mates and the main characters received this development with cheers, worry needled her brain. "Look love, I'm glad you're helping us, but is Tangmo fine with this? There was a fuck load of Chaos Astartes heading his way, last I heard."

"I wouldn't worry about the lord commissar, lady inquisitor, he got all the help he needs," Ae-Shin's voice carried a note of mischief, but before Laura can question the air commander she had already cut the transmission.

"Well, whatever is happening, it can't be bad, or Ae-Shin would be fretting right now," Yuki leaned in close with a douchey, conspiratorial look. "The girl got something of a high school crush on him, you know? You saw how Leilatha always have to chase her away."

"Yeah, I don't think we need that kind of drama right now love," Laura flashed a quick sequence of hand signals, prompting the main characters to form a protective square around Isha, who was standing a lot straighter now after Lita's little pep talk. Elnys and the handmaidens were trying to squeeze their way in between the Sororitas, but Laura quickly stopped them. "I'm grateful for everything you've done Elnys, but I need you and the handmaidens to get on that Falcon over there and hightail it to the landing site. Because, and sorry for being blunt, you're gonna slow us down, and right now we seriously need speed."

"I understand lady inquisitor," Elnys agreed without a fuss, thank God, and swiftly directed the handmaidens toward a waiting Ulthwe Falcon. They move with clear reluctance, but a stern look from Elnys got them running up the ramp. "Up you go ladies no dallying now."

"Thank you for understanding, Elnys," Laura held out her hand and Elnys took it, both shaking firmly, cordial and respectful. "Stay safe, and don't worry about Isha, she'll be fine."

"I'm sure she will. Thank you lady inquisitor, I hope you remain safe," Elnys nodded amiably, let go of Laura, and walked up to Tanrion. The two siblings stared at each other for a moment before embracing fiercely.

"Don't die," Elnys clutched her brother tight. "Please…don't die, we are all that remains…don't die."

"I won't Elnys, we will see each other again," Tanrion broke the hug, held Elnys's head gently, and kissed her forehead. "Go."

"Elnys wait!" And the goodbye wouldn't be complete without Isha saying her piece. The goddess shouldered her way through the Sisters of Battle and jogged up to Elnys, took the elven woman by the hand and squeezed tightly. Welp, this was an amazing waste of time but damn, Laura was a sucker for soap opera moment like this. "Thank you for everything Elnys, please stay safe."

"Oh your eminence," Elnys threw her arms around Isha, the intimate display made the goddess sobbed again and a new round of hugging started. Laura, Yuki, Nikki and Lita articulated the scene with a long drawn 'aww'. "Please come with us, you don't need to remain here with the warriors."

"I must, for the sake of all the civilians, I will not put them in harm's way," Isha let go of Elnys and waved quickly at the Falcon, the pilot was glancing nervously at them from his cockpit. Laura seriously couldn't blame him, because the fucking explosions were getting closer. "Now go, please, I'll be fine."

"Will you get on the damn thing already?!" Elnys leapt into the Falcon with a squeal after Bellona shouted at her, the pilot wasted no time and sped off before the ramp was even properly closed. Huffing, and making a pretty good impression of a Bloodthirster, Bellona swept an impatience gaze over the main characters, and by God she was hot when angry. "Now, can we please get a move on?!"

"Yes mam, right away mam!" Laura saluted when Damien, Erik and their men joined them. "Oh hey guys, what's up?"

"What the fuck are you all still doing here?!" Damien demanded shrilly.

"We were just saying goodbye to Elnys and the handmaidens, Isha's loyal and stalwart companions, as they headed off for the refugee camp," Nikki made her dreamy eyed explanation, enjoying how disgusted Erik and Damien were becoming. "You should have been here to see it, what a beautiful sight it was, with loves and friendships abound, all of us were in tears."

"Oh my God, who the fuck cares?!" Erik blurted as gigantic pillars of fire bloomed dramatically behind him. "Syrathel and her crazy friends are already across the river and they're fucking pissed! They're tossing Wraithguards and tanks and people all over the fucking place!"

"We can stall them long enough for the rest of the battlegroup to withdraw properly!" Sulla declared excitedly, much to the barely hidden horror of Cain, the Sororitas roared their asset while the guardsmen and eldars blanched visibly, not warming to the idea. The Valhallan general beamed brightly at the Hero of the Imperium. "It'll be a walk in the park for us, right sir?"

"Bloody hell Sulla, we're not staying! Ae-Shin's covering our rear and we're hauling arse, you got that?!" Laura gave Sulla her twitchy eyes, the Scottish accent coming to the forefront, the Valhallan general squeaked and ducked behind a swooshing awesome commissar coat. Unfortunately, Sulla's refuge turned out to be an extremely unamused Raine. "Good! Now ladies and gents, let's get the fuck out of here!"

"Form up!" Galatea bellowed and the main characters swiftly got into a sleek column. Not attuned to military maneuvering, Isha found herself standing in the open without any armored bodies to act as cover. Muttering extremely impolite words under her breathe, Galatea stomped up to the petrified Isha and pointed at Miriya's squad. "Get in between the Celestians, your eminence, and do try to keep up, we will be making all haste and cannot wait…"

"Nope, no time!" Isha squealed loudly when Damien scooped her up, bridal style, again, and sprinted westward, the Ultramarines and Salamanders forming up around him. "Don't just stand there, get a fucking move on!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Laura needed no further prompting and sprinted after the Astartes, her mates and the main characters matching her break neck speed with ease, the column kicking up a storm of dust as they made a hasty retreat to the western trenches. Just in time too, because after hazarding a glance back Laura saw the first of the neon blue Tzeentchtian daemons bulling through several Myrmidon Humvees, the jeeps bursting into flame as they spun through the air, "holy shite!"

"Keep running lady inquisitor, I got your back," Ae-Shin led a wedge of fighters down close to the ground and pounded the pursuing daemons and heretics with a barrage of vulcan cannons and missiles. Soon, the air force was converging on the river, the thunderous explosions coming faster and louder until it sounded like a Death Metal concert. "That should stall them for a while. The coast is clear lady inquisitor, best of luck."

"I'll invite you to dinner with me and Yuki love, this I promise!" Laura laughed loudly and waved at the sky, she and the main characters were running across a wide, empty flatland now, joined by the battlegroup's troops that had evicted the river defenses, Mavia and her tanks bringing up the rear, turrets turned backward.

"It'll be an interesting night," Ae-Shin snickered and cut the transmission.

"You don't mind, do you?" Laura turned to Yuki with an innocent smile. Ahead the trenches, studded to bursting with heavy weaponries of every conceivable form, loomed closer.

"Not at all, I like company," Yuki winked at Laura and leaned in close, raspy breath tickling her ears. "She can be our dessert. I always have a craving for hangwa."

"Cheeky, aren't you?" Laura giggled, the column slowing down as they neared the sandbag wall.

"Just for you," Yuki said saucily as Damien, with Isha still clinging to his huge arms, leapt into the trench with the Astartes, the sight was reminisce of a giant kidnapping a beautiful princess.

"Yeah, I'm glad the romances between you two are as diabetic as ever, but maybe save that kinky shit for later?!"

A smile split Laura's face in two when she saw the annoying bastard who had spoken, waving and jumping energetically up and down the fire step, some of the main characters were already cheering him.

"Tangmo?!" Laura squawked brightly as she jumped inside the trench, a spacious, well designed, ergonomic, and extremely clean trench brimming with surplus ammunition and armaments, backed by several battalions of tanks and artilleries. Good God, the Death Korps really were the master of trench warfare, and open to new ideas the Eight gave them too, judging by the futuristic and sanitary workplace. And none other than the Singing Commissar was standing in the middle of the earthen corridors. "Fucking hell, it's bloody good to see you again!"

"Aww, you too!" Tangmo spread his arms wide and Laura leapt at him, the two embracing fiercely. "Damn dude, I'm really glad you're safe, seriously."

"The feeling's mutual mate," Laura smacked his back and the two broke off. "You really got all of us worried when you started yelling about the Titans."

"Turned out those fuckers were the easiest things we fought today."

"Dalthorn!"

The trench burst out laughing when Lita tackled the shrieking Dalthorn to ground, hugging and kissing the eldar captain with unrestrained affection. At least that's what Laura thought it was, because it looked like the Mexican Warseer was mauling the poor man.

"Oh thank God you're safe," Lita leapt back to her feet, dragging a blushing Dalthorn up with her, arms wrapped tight around his chest, all the while showering him with more smooches. "Are you hurt? Any cuts and bruises?"

"I believe I'm bruising now," Dalthorn said breathlessly. "Lita, can you, umm, put me down please? People are staring."

"Eek! Sorry!" Lita promptly released him and went about adjusting any pieces of armor that got skewed out of place, "and there! Good as new!"

"Jesus Christ Lita, give the man a break and stop babying him," Tangmo chuckled.

"I'm not babying him!" Lita huffed without rancor and strode up to Tangmo, her visage one of friendliness. "Thank you for looking after him."

"No problem, though he didn't really need any protecting, hell, he actually got me out of a few tight spots," Tangmo and Lita clasped their hands together with a loud, fleshy smack, then proceed to bro hug, the embrace tight and friendly, the Thai commissar and the Mexican Warseer smiling brightly. "Nice to see you still in one piece, sorry I didn't holler earlier."

"That's okay, I'm glad you're safe too," they broke off, amiable and spritely. "I knew you would be fine, even after you started squealing when the Titans showed up."

"Something tells me you didn't have an easy fight either," Tangmo glanced up and down Lita's soaked attire.

"No, we didn't," Lita chuckled and tucked a strand of black lock behind her ear, Laura's heart almost stopped from how cute it was.

"Holy shit, kiss already you two!" Yuki was bouncing on her toe and Laura nodded vigorously. It's been so long since they have any saucy romance drama! For their parts, Tangmo and Lita spared them a dead eyed look, so damn lifeless that it was necrotic. "Go on! The two estranged lovers finally reunited, drawing burning jealousy from their respective current partners, with blood, tears and tragedy abound!"

"That sounds very bad and you should be ashamed of yourself," Lita rolled her eyes. "Good God, have you been watching those bad telenovelas again?"

"More like lakorn nam nao," Tangmo shook his head and drew Leilatha, who had silently appeared beside the Thai commissar, into his arm, Lita doing the same with Dalthorn. "True, the both of us used to date, but now that it's over we respect each other decision and moved on. Now we're best friends, and all four of us know this, right Leila?"

"Indeed," Leilatha glared at Laura and Yuki. "And I trust Tangmo enough to know that he will never do anything to jeopardize our relationship."

"And Lita have always been forth coming with me, therefore I too know that I can trust her," Dalthorn added with the trademark eldar snootiness.

"Bloody hell, all of you are so goddamn boring!"

"Yeah, that's not gonna last," at Erik's high pitched utterance everyone in the trench bounded on to the fire steps, the sight across the dusty no man's land was not a good one. "Ae-Shin and the air force just ran out of bombs, but Syrathel's not running out of troops."

"Huh, completely forgot about that bitch," Laura shrugged, magnetized her claymore to the power pack, and drew her hellgun, the laser humming pleasantly. She spun at her mates, canines barred in a toothy grin. "Well shit, it's been a while since the Eight all fought together, how about we show Syrathel what happens when we decide to wreck some massive shite?!"

"Hell yeah!" Henry bellowed and her mates and the main characters joined in loudly, the cheers clashing powerfully against the cacophonic baying across no man's land. "As it was written in the sacred scripture of Austin 3:16, we're gonna whoop your asses!"

"Now can you dig that, sucka?!" Damien laughed boisterously, then remembered abruptly who he was carrying, bowed apologetically, and slowly, gently, lowered Isha to the ground. "Sorry about that your eminence, here, watch your steps."

"Thank you, Brother Sergeant," Isha gingerly landed inside the trench, standing regal and pristine amongst the battlegroup, half of which were gawking openly at the softly glowing Aeldari goddess.

"Who's this?" Tangmo quirked his brow at Isha, Henry was equally curious.

"Lord commissar Tangmo and lord general Henry I presume?" Isha asked politely, earning nods from the Thai and the American, and curtseyed. "I am Isha, the Aeldari goddess of life, a pleasure to meet you."

Tangmo and Henry looked Isha up and down, and Laura was honestly surprised by the pair's lack of overt enthusiasm one should have when meeting a literal, breathing goddess. Bloody hell, even the Sororitas were confused by the clear absent of awe coming from the commissar and the general.

"Afternoon your eminence."

"Please to make your acquaintance, your eminence."

Henry tipped his awesome general cap and Tangmo waiied, the gesture carried little reverence, drawing immediate ire from Tanrion and a Farseer who was walking toward Isha, the goddess gasped in joy and leapt at the eldar woman.

"Celalira! Thank the stars you are alive!" Celalira started in surprised when Isha embraced her, but the Farseer returned the hug with a tired, but heartfelt, chuckle.

"I am happy to see you too, your eminence," Celalira pried herself from Isha and spun sharply at Tangmo and Henry. "This is Isha, the goddess of life, show her all due respect!"

"There's no need for that Celalira, truly," Isha tried to calm the Farseer down to no avail. The eldar woman was mightily pissed that Tangmo and Henry didn't grovel before the goddess.

"Thing is, as awesome as it is to be standing before a goddess, and you are awesome, your eminence, make no mistake about that," Henry flashed his thumbs at Isha and Tangmo held up his cornas. Still a far cry from the necessary breathless devotion Tanrion and Celalira were expecting though. "But after everything we just went through…yeah, you feel more like a side dish, or a dessert. No offense meant your eminence."

"And what could be more important than Isha herself?" Tanrion demanded snappily.

"Jaghatai Khan."

"WHAT?!" Laura, along with Yuki, Nikki, Lita, Erik, Damien and the main characters who went to the citadel now gaped at the nonchalant Henry and Tangmo, the loud, ear-piercing shout was followed by a torrent of disbelieving questions, the approaching Chaos army for the moment forgotten. Through it all, the Thai commissar and the American general waited for the noises to die down, the grinning bastards were very pleased with themselves.

"He also brought an army of Harlequins with him," Henry put on a thoughtful look and glanced at Tangmo. "Or did they bring him here? That wasn't very clear to begin with."

"I'm not quite sure about that either, but it was obviously a mutual understanding between both parties," Tangmo said.

"Huh, no wonder Ae-Shin was able to send the air force our way," Laura piped up.

"Damn straight, and right now Jaghatai is leading the Harlequins and the White Phoenix Lancers, eldar Winged Hussars basically, in a sortie against the Chaos army coming in from the south," Tangmo told her. "That's why we were able to redirect all our forces here instead, heard you guys were coming in hot."

"Really appreciate the help mate," Laura held out her fist and Tangmo bumped it.

"So that's the reason you two idiots were singing Winged Hussars," Erik glared at the sweetly smiling Tangmo and Henry.

"Did you like it Erik?" Henry asked, his brows dancing obnoxiously.

"There will be consequences," Erik seethed.

"I think we can discuss the detail after we deal with these motherfuckers," Tangmo winked at Erik then braced his battered Zetton lasgun on the sandbag wall, prompting the main characters to do the same, every barrel pointed at the Chaos horde, "I think they're about to charge."

"Same old shit, different day," Henry groaned and aimed down his optic sight, lips peeled back in rictus concentration. "You know the drill people! Wait until they get in range before blasting them back to hell!"

"You think Syrathel would wise the fuck up, considering how many times this same tactic blew up in her face," Laura snorted, finger easing around the trigger. "Some people just never fucking learn."

"If you learn, then you're admitting that mistakes were made, which is obviously unacceptable for our little Tzeentchtian Champion," Tangmo tensed suddenly, and growled. "Holy shit, Syrathel is leading from the front."

"You cannot be serious," but Tangmo was serious. Across the field was Syrathel, astride a beautiful armored unicorn with two barbed, jagged horns, there's a name for that thing but Laura couldn't remember at the moment. Hue in radiant, evanescent blue and surrounded by horsemen flying banners of silver and sapphire, the leader of the Chaos Sororitas was a picture of regal grace, her bearing that of a warrior queen out of legend. Syrathel raised her staff, the tip crackling with blazing lightning, then lowered it like a lance and bolted for the trench at a full gallop, behind her the Chaos horde surged forward, a tsunami of flesh, iron, claws, fangs and talons. "Bloody hell you are serious, the stupid cunt is actually charging us head on."

"Such is the nature of daemons and heretics," what prompted Laura to turn around was not the distorted Space Marine voice, but Damien off key squawking, and bloody hell, she made an identical reaction when she saw who were standing behind them.

"A-Are those fucking Black Templars?!" Laura stammered and yes, the black clad sons of Dorn, a squad of them, were here with the battlegroup, the Ultramarines and Salamanders now walking up to meet their fellow Astartes. Good god, the leader was wearing a bloody Teutonic Great Helm, with horns!

"Indeed we are, lady inquisitor," the Black Templar sergeant with the Great Helm bowed respectfully at Laura then turned to the flabbergasted Damien. "Brother Sergeant Damien?"

"Uh, yes! I am Brother Sergeant Damien," fucking hell, Damien was absolutely failing to keep his cool, shamelessly geeking out at one of 40k most iconic Astartes chapters.

"I am Brother Sergeant Adelhard, of the 5th company, 7th squad of the Black Templar," Adelhard and his cohorts stood at attention. "Where shall we be deploy, Brother Damien?"

"Here dude, absolutely here!" Damien was inappropriately giddy but managed to compose himself quick enough, behaving like a real Space Marine for once. "Please array your troops here, Brother Sergeant Adelhard. The Immortal Spirit battlegroup have fought Syrathel and her minions enough times to know that this position will be the crux of her assault, we must muster every available force here."

"As you command, Brother Sergeant," Adelhard and his squad spread out around the trench, magnetized the bolters to their belts and unslung Astartes size Germanic longswords, striking a sentinel pose akin to the Arthurian knights of legend.

"Wait a bloody minute, I thought Jaghatai Khan showed up, not Dorn," Laura spoke up.

"He did, and he brought the Black Templars with him," Tangmo said, his eyes never leaving Syrathel and her Chaos hordes. "Apparently these guys were on Cadia when it blew up and got lost in the Webway after Yvraine herded them inside. Jaghatai found them, they went on a little road trip, tagged along with the Harlequins and here they are."

"Sounds like one hell of a story," Laura aimed down her iron sight, Syrathel nice and pretty at the center. "But I think that can wait."

"I agree," Tangmo tightened his fingers around the grip then raised his voice. "Make ready! Hold…hold! Let them get a bit closer! Just like all the other times we kick their asses! In the name of the Emperor, let none survive!"

"Stand fast and push back the darkness! Mael Danna! For Isha! For life and for light!" Lita stabbed her Singing Spear high into the sky, the Aeldari's thunderous cheer rivaling their human compatriots while Isha herself was moved almost to tear, again. Leave it to the Mexican Warseer to make the Solace Sun's war cry a thousand times more epic.

"Just little more people, steady!" Henry bellowed, his command echoed loudly down the trenches as Syrathel made her final approach, the battlegroup collectively holding their breathes, the silence before the impact, the last calm before bloodshed beings in earnest. "Hold…hold…open fire! Kill them all! For the…"

A blinding flash of white exploded from the top of Syrathel's staff, ala Gandalf when he bailed Faramir out of Osgiliath, but this was no guiding light that banished the darkness, oh no, this light seared, burned, scorched, and Laura shrieked as she turned away from the hateful glare. Blinking quickly, her vision thankfully returning, Laura trained her hellgun forward and was about to let it ripped when she was greeted by silence and emptiness. Syrathel was gone, along with the entirety of the Chaos vanguard, men, daemons, skavens, tanks, all of them no longer presence, leaving behind nothing but sooty dust drifting lazily across no man's land. On the far horizon, another horde was already churning into formation.

"What the fuck…" Laura hissed, her perplexity shared by her mates and the main characters, tensed murmurs rippled along the trenches, every gun still trained on the empty flatland beyond. Her confusion didn't last long though, because after playing so many video games, watch so many movies, and read so many books, she knew without a doubt that it was already too late for the Immortal Spirit battlegroup. "Syrathel just Warp jump! She's gonna show up in front of…!"

"FOR THE DARK GODS!"

She was right, but Laura didn't felt like a winner. No blinding flash of light like before, instead Syrathel and the Chaos vanguards simply remerged into the material world, reality parting like a curtain of a gentle waterfall. It was an impressive sight, not to mention tactically masterful, but the tumultuous din that came with it nearly launched Laura off the fire step, fucking hell that shit was loud. Laura was proud to say that she managed to let off a few shots into the careening wall of death before a scaly, fat, Tzeentchtian toad daemon tackled her off the fire step, the same moment pandemonium erupted as the Chaos horde flooded into the trenches. Landing hard on her back, her furious roar lost in the din of battle, Laura swung her hellgun at the toad daemon that was squirming on top of her, the iron rim stock crashing into the ugly tosser's eye, the fleshy orb exploding in gouts of gore. It howled in pain and staggered off Laura's torso. A straight Muay Thai kick launched him clear across the ground.

"Motherfucker!" Laura sprang back to her feet, dropped the hellgun and its power pack and drew her claymore. Holding the huge Scottish weapon in a half-sword, one hand on the grip, one hand on the fuller, she stomped down on the thrashing toad's stomach, and thrust the tip into its bulbous head. The fucker died with a wet croak and Laura pulled the claymore out, and sighed. "Shite."

Severe as the word might be, it completely undersells the clusterfuck the battlegroup was now embroiled in. A cacophonic melee raged around her, Imperial and Aeldari soldiers locked in a vicious fight with daemons and traitors, misty sheen of crimson hovered above the trench, the rusty haze growing thicker with every geyser of blood that erupted from severed limbs, cut jugulars, or disemboweled torso, the thick droplets sizzled when las, bolts and shurikens shot through the air. Not one to sit around and wait for calamity to descend, Laura leapt into the mosh pit, cleaving, stabbing and pommeling any traitors and daemons that were unlucky enough to get in her away. Within minutes she was covered in ichor, gore dripping from her claymore, a red drenched maiden of war wading through a carpet of corpses, and holy shite did she felt powerful. Decapitating a Slaanesh Sister with a compact swing, Laura kicked away the headless body and rounded on an unlucky Dubh Saur officer who was standing nearby. The man was backing away, quite freak out by Laura's scarlet grin, when a slender, gleaming point punched through his forehead. He went crossed eyes, twitched miserably, and collapsed to the ground when the folded blade was pulled out of his skull. And standing behind him was Yuki, a katana in hand.

"Hi!" Laura waved and took a step forward, sword held out.

"Hi!" Yuki responded chirpily and touched the katana to the claymore in greeting, a sword high five if you will. She looked down at the dead man, her blood splattered visage suddenly sheepish. "Were you about to take care of that? Sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay love, I don't mind," Laura shrugged good-naturedly. "That was a great kill by the way."

"Really? Thank you," Yuki glanced around, the fighting appeared to be simmering down somewhat, whether this was because they kicked major arses or Syrathel had managed to push deeper into the other trenches Laura didn't know. "You hurt?"

"Everything's working properly, so I think I'm fine," Laura shoved Yuki gently aside and blocked a mad thrust from a screaming Saigner Aube infantrywoman, the bayonet grated against the claymore in a shower of sparks before the shorter blade got caught in the cross guard. The woman tried to yank free but Laura got her locked in place. "What about you?"

"Bruises here and there, but otherwise I'm unscathed," Yuki's katana plunged into the woman's side, going deep to the hilt. She screamed shrilly as the Japanese exarch gave a nasty twist and pulled the sword free in a fountain of blood. The infantrywoman dropped to the ground, choking miserably on her blood, hands pressed feebly to her gaping wound, and Laura shut the whiny French bitch up by ramming the claymore into her mouth. "Not gonna lie, this is bad."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Laura shifted stance, held the claymore's grip with both hands, and stabbed an ape looking daemon leaping at her. The stupid bastard thrashed wildly and ended up impaling itself more firmly on the Scottish sword. "Syrathel really hoodwinked us this time. Honestly, I think we got a little too complacent after winning so many times…do you mind, umm, taking care of this? The spits and blood's gonna be a pain to scrub off, and I really like this armor."

"Sure, put him down," the ape daemon howled in pain as Laura slammed him to the ground, but his incessant wails ended when Yuki made a clean decapitation. "But yeah, this is what happens when we go easy on our arch nemesis, those bastards always find a way to blindside us."

"Guess there's only one thing left to do," Laura got her HEMA guard up as Yuki joined her, katana brandished in a perfect kenjutsu form, their shoulders touching, absolutely heroic as they faced down a gaggle of frothing heretics, daemons and skavens sprinting toward them, a wild bunch, which means easy target. "Shall we my love?"

"Of course my love," together, their movement a blur, an immaculate synchronicity, Laura and Yuki dived into the midst of Chaos madmen and monsters. And as Laura had expected, the Chaos scums were unable to withstand her and Yuki's unstoppable swordsmanship, the beautiful song of claymore and katana, radiant in silvers and scarlets, the tempo ringing, the timbre sharp, the octave angelic in its sublimity. It was a symphony of great grandeur, complex and long, Laura couldn't remember the last time she and Yuki were so invested in their crimson duet, the glittering mist of blood and gore now shrouded them like an extra layer of clothing.

"Can I be super honest for a moment?" Yuki panted heavily, now that the heretics and daemons and skavens were sprawled unmoving around them, she and Laura finally got a moment to take a breather.

"Yeah," Laura wiped thick sheen of blood from her face and clawed a clump of oozing red muck from her hair, fucking hell this was gonna be a pain to wash off.

"I haven't been this tired in a while," Yuki sighed in relief when the Homeland Rifle and Mordian bayonet charged a group of daemon hounds, sparing her and Laura the trouble of killing them.

"I know what you mean," Laura let the tip of the claymore fall to the ground, the blood was ankle deep and filled with glistening meat, of the mentionable and unmentionable kind, the iconic Scottish sword had never felt so heavy in her hands. Damn, she really needed to put more hours in the gym. "Fucking hell, it felt like we just fought a whole bloody army."

"You're not actually that far from the truth," Yuki blew a few strands of hair from her face, only for it to fall over her eyes. Laura reached over and tucked it behind Yuki's ear after several more failed attempts. "Thanks, but yeah, the fuckers just keep on coming, like a fucking tsunami."

"There's only one thing to do then," Laura inhaled deeply and got her claymore up again, Yuki doing the same with her katana, the pair striking a weary but indomitable pose, "round two?"

"Round two…"

"Get the fuck off me you fucking bitch!"

Laura and Yuki's head snapped around and found none other than Tangmo plowing through a group of dazed heretics, knocking them flat on their faces before throwing himself hard at the wall. He coughed, dropped his Zetton lasgun, and started clawing at the staff now pressed firmly across his neck, wielded by none other than Syrathel, the Tzeentchtian Champion smiling in delight as she continued to choke Tangmo out.

"Yes, squirm you little bastard, what a pretty sight you make," Tangmo was reaching for a dagger on his belt when Syrathel slammed his face into the trench wall, the Thai commissar yelped in pain and the Tzeentchtian Champion jammed her armored knee into his spine while pulling the staff back sadistically. "What's the matter Tangmo, nothing to say? And here I thought we shared a special connection."

"No…we…don't…bitch!" Tangmo croaked, bloody spittle flew from gritted teeth, desperate fingers clawing feebly at Syrathel's smiling face, "I'm…gonna…kill…you!"

"Brave word, if so painfully lacking in poise," Syrathel leaned back some more until Tangmo was bent torturously, his eyes starting to roll back into his skull. Then the Tzeentchtian Champion lowered her head until she was whispering into the Thai commissar's ear, a sickening parody of loving intimacy. "Now go to sleep Tangmo, there will be plenty of time for us to get reacquainted."

Welp, Tangmo was fucked, and it looks like Laura and Yuki will have to save the day. But before the dynamic duo can rescue the damsel, Tangmo flopped bonelessly to the ground while Syrathel was thrown clear across the trench after Leilatha shoulder tackled her. Snarling at the lady commissar, and more than peeved at having been interrupted, Syrathel swung her staff with a roar at Leilatha, who immaculately parried the blow with her rapier, flashing sparks danced across the air as the two women traded vicious blows, the screeches and clangs of steel rang loud and sharp.

"Tangmo!" Laura slid in beside Tangmo and, with Yuki's help, slowly eased him back on his feet. "Holy shit mate, are you okay?! Talk to me!"

"Fucking bitch jumped me," Tangmo coughed and leaned heavily against Laura, his grogginess fading with every heaving breath he took. "What's happening, where the fuck is Syrathel?"

"You should have kept your nose out of my business!" Syrathel roared as she slowly got the upper hand over Leilatha, the Tzeentchtian Champion's staff was a blur, forcing the lady commissar to yield more and more ground.

"I will not let you lay a hand on him, Chaos whore!"

"Neither will I!"

Seriously, the last thing Laura expected to see was Lita, appearing out of nowhere, drop kicking Syrathel in the head, the blow sending the Tzeentchtian Champion staggering as the Mexican Warseer took her place beside Leilatha, Singing Spear lowered. Syrathel snarled and launched another flurry of attacks, and bloody hell the woman was an apex fighter, easily holding both Leilatha and Lita at bay, the handicap not bothering her one bit, sparks and fires flew in blazing streamers, the clash of steels scaring away daemons and battlegroup soldiers alike.

"What the fuck was that?!" Tangmo blinked furiously, head darting around. "I heard Syrathel, and Leilatha, and Lita, what in the fuck is going on?!"

"Your girlfriend and ex-girlfriend are fighting off your stalker," Yuki snorted a laugh. "This is seriously the weirdest soap opera episode I've ever seen. I mean, I like the catfight well enough, but I was expecting a triple threat match, not a handicap match."

"Say what now?" Tangmo could only stare as he watched Syrathel, Leilatha and Lita duked it out, feminine fury unleashed in flashes of silvery flame. Currently, Leilatha and Lita were locked in a stalemate with Syrathel, the battle for the moment stationary. "Holy crap, that's fucking hot."

"Would be a lot hotter if they start tearing each other's armors off," Laura quirked a knowing, wicked brow at Tangmo.

"Too bad that's not how armors work," Tangmo drew his broad krabi sword and what appeared to be a blade-less grip fashioned in the likeness of a tsuka. "Welp, wouldn't be a good boyfriend if I let Leilatha fight alone, and Dalthorn is a cool dude, so the neighborly thing to do would be to help Lita."

"Whoa, that's big hearted of you," Yuki eyed the tsuka with clear curiosity. "What is that?"

In answer, Tangmo squeezed the grip and a beautiful katana blade, the rippling hamon immaculate, extended out of the tsuka, the length and width identical to his broad krabi sword, "why, it's a retractable eldar katana of course! This way I can go full krabi-krabong without having to borrow other people's swords."

"That's so fucking cool!" Yuki was practically drooling.

"Thank you," Tangmo tipped his awesome commissar cap, gave the two swords a twirl, and stomped toward the catfight. "Now if you'll excuse me ladies, I have a stalker to deal with. Oh! You guys should go help Isha by the way. Last I heard she's in quite a pickle."

"She always is!" Laura laughed and headed off in the opposite direction with Yuki. "Good luck mate!"

"You too!" Tangmo said before jumping into the fray. Laura and Yuki took a few seconds to admire the sight of Tangmo heroically coming to the aide of Leilatha and Lita, not that the two bombastic babes needed any help, but the person most ecstatic by this development was none other than Syrathel, there was no denying the pleased gleam in her eyes. After the few first clashes, Laura and Yuki spun around and charged down the trench to where Isha was last spotted, plowing through any daemons and heretics stupid enough to try and stop them. The Chaos tossers got the message quick enough and swiftly made way for Laura and Yuki, not in any hurry to join their dead, dismembered buddies.

"No! Stay back!" Laura and Yuki rounded a bend, slid across the trench like badarses, and found Isha raising her outstretched hands at a fuck huge Bloodletter, almost of height with Damien, bright shafts of light lanced from her opened palms, blinding the shrieking Khornate daemon and pushing him up against the wall. The Bloodletter roared in outrage and agony, it's skin boiled and bubbled from the goddess's holy light, the great, burning battle axe in his hand swathe uselessly at the silvery illumination. And lying at Isha's feet was Tanrion. The captain general stirred weakly as Fanduin and Dalthorn hefted him up between them and carried the man away.

"Over here!" Laura waved them over and Fanduin and Dalthorn corrected their course. "Is he dead?"

"Got clobbered pretty badly in the head by the Bloodletter, he threw himself in front of Isha," Fanduin said. "And no, he's still amongst the living, but he won't be for long without medical aid."

"Take him down the eastern corridor there, it's the shortest route to the refugee camp," Yuki pointed at an alleyway flanked by two pillboxes.

"Did you see Lita anywhere?" Dalthorn asked suddenly, ignoring Fanduin annoyed groan at the delay. "We got separated when the trench was breached."

"She's fighting Syrathel right now," Yuki told him. "Don't worry, Tangmo and Leilatha is helping her, the three of them should be more than enough to keep that bitch at bay."

"Perhaps I will join her too, and level the field further in our favor," Dalthorn said as he and Fanduin darted down the corridor. "Good luck lady exarch, lady inquisitor, the captain general is in good hand."

"Is Tanrion safe?"

"Isha, you dumb bitch, don't take your eyes off the fucking daemon!"

And Isha had to be a dumb bitch and took her eyes off the fucking daemon. The thing was, Laura appreciated good, kindhearted, selfless individual like any normal lasses, hell, she'll be the first to say that the multiverses needed more people like that. Unfortunately, pure angelic soul like Isha tended to be altruistic to a fault, bordering on the moronic, as the Aeldari goddess of life was now displaying by turning away from the fuck huge daemon wielding a flaming battle axe to instead stare with motherly concern at the unconscious Tanrion. So the most predictable thing happened. The heavy bladed axe, covered in pulsing red runes of the most hellish spectrum, careened at the screaming Isha in a decapitating blur. At least the goddess was quick enough to duck, her hair billowing as the axe flew passed, the whiplash almost blowing Laura and Yuki off their feet.

"Shit! Isha, get over here!" Yuki bellowed as she and Laura darted forward, katana and claymore raised above their heads, even when they both knew it was too late. Isha was slow to move and the axe was already coming down, the Bloodletter cackling in delight. Well, she did survive a beatdown from the Four Bitches so this probably wouldn't kill her, right? Isha shrieked, dropped to her knees, covered her head with her arms, and a piercingly loud flash of light blinded the world.

"Bloody hell woman, get off your arse!" Laura and Yuki skidded to a stop besides the cowering Isha, grabbed her arms, and hurled the goddess up. Isha blinked, surprised to be in one piece, and squealed when she saw the burning axe hovering not five inches from her face, the Bloodletter snarled and tried to push the blade lower, only to be stopped by the gigantic sword now holding it in place. And it was none other than Adelhard, the Brother Sergeant of the Black Templar, who now stood protectively over Isha as he shoved the Bloodletter back. Holy shit, did the most zealous Space Marine chapter just fucking save a xeno goddess?! Laura really liked that!

"Back to the Warp, daemon! For the Emperor!" Adelhard roared and, with a mighty push, slammed the Bloodletter into the trench wall. Blood sprayed from the daemon's mouth in pitiful gurgle, but his pain didn't last long, courtesy of the Black Templar clean decapitation, the Bloodletter actually looked surprised as his head slid off his shoulder. Adelhard didn't revel in his kill however, the Black Templar lifted up his longsword and struck down another daemon hound trying to leap at him, the momentum of the swing turned him into a tornado of death as he cut down several more Warp spawns that tried to converge on him. To say that Laura and Yuki were gobsmacked would be an understatement of the millennium.

"Are you injured, my lady?" And the day continued to get weirder as Adelhard went to one knee, sword stabbed to the ground, every inch the romantic Teutonic knight, showing complete deference to Isha, who was startled by this display to say the least, given her less than kind reception from the Sororitas.

"Y-Yes, I am uninjured thanks to your gallantry," Isha stammered as Laura and Yuki helped her up, the goddess waving quickly for Adelhard to rise when some of the nearby Sororitas turned sharply at the scene, it didn't take a genius to see that they were seething under their helms. "Please rise, noble warrior, I am not one to condone acts of prostration."

"That was some epic sword work mate, real heroic stuff," Laura said as Adelhard rose back to his feet. The Sororitas, and it had to be fucking Bloody Roses, lingered a moment more before moving on menacingly, "gotta say I'm a bit surprise though, what with you being a Black Templar and all. Bloody hell, I expected you to try and kill Isha the moment you see her."

"Our time within the Webway with lord Jaghatai Khan has been crushingly enlightening, to say the least," Adelhard spun around sharply when another series of explosion rocked the trench. "A tale for another time lady inquisitor, I believe we should concentrate on taking her ladyship Isha to safety."

"Yeah, it'll be good to know where that is!" Yuki chuckled nervously.

"Hello?! This is Tyra, anyone still alive down there?!" Laura was startled by the Australian pilot's spunky announcement across the intercom.

"Go ahead mate, what do you got for us?" Laura tapped her earbud and ducked when several shells landed to her right, body parts and red soaked dirt landed in thick drizzle around them. "Please let it be good news."

"Praise the Throne for I come bearing good tiding!" Tyra responded perkily. "The evacuation of the refugee is completed. We got all the eldar civilians out more than an hour ago!"

"Mate, that's the best news I've heard all day!" Laura high fived Yuki and a ragged cheer rippled down the trenches in all directions, "when can you get us out of this hell hole?!"

"I'm bringing down the evacuation detail right now, plenty of airships for everyone!" Tyra went on, Australian accent had never sounded so beautiful. "Just a question though, the Aeldari goddess is with you, yeah? Because if she's still inside the fucking citadel, then let me tell you right now that none of us are going near that place."

"Don't worry, she's here, I'm hugging her right now!" Laura drew Isha into her arm, the goddess squawked from the roughhousing. "I'll see you soon love!"

"Count on it, lady inquisitor!" Tyra was obviously holding up her thumbs on the other end when she cut the transmission. Like fireworks going off on V Day, the Immortal Spirit tanks and artilleries let out a thunderous salvo at the Chaos army's second wave, the cacophonic explosions and painful howls told Laura that Syrathel's forces were not having a good time.

"You heard the pilot, everyone haul ass to the refugee camp! Tactical withdraw people, move it!" Yuki yelled into her earbud and threw her arms around Isha, giving the goddess a very big hug before letting her go. "We're getting out of here baby, you ready to run?!"

"Well, I'm not much for speed, but I can try," Isha offered shyly, and from what she'd seen Laura wouldn't mind booking the Aeldari goddess a few hours on the treadmill.

"If you would allow me, my lady," Adelhard went to his knee again, magnetized the Astartes size longsword to his back, and held out his arms. "Time is of the essence. Please make your choice quickly."

"Of course Brother Sergeant, thank you for your help," Isha approached Adelhard and gingery climbed into the nook of Black Templar's armored forearms. In a great contrast to the Martyred Lady canoness, Adelhard handled Isha with care and stunning reverence, shifting her willowy frame in his gigantic arms until she found a comfortable position. Laura and Yuki gaped, open mouthed, and decided to remain silent, because laughing and pointing at a Black Templar didn't seemed safe. "You are most kind."

"I do what I must, my lady," Adelhard was emotionlessly polite when the rest of the Space Marines joined them, the Ultramarines and Salamanders stared in surprise at Adelhard, while the Black Templars were as chill as their sergeant. Now she really wanted to know what the hell happened in the Webway. "Brother Sergeant Damien, Brother Sergeant Antalok, are we withdrawing?"

"Uh, yeah, we're getting back to the ship," Damien stabbed his thumb in the direction of the refugee camp, head titled to the side, taking in the sight of Adelhard and Isha. "Just a fair bit of warning dude, the Adepta Sororitas might not take too kindly to you being so…nice to the Aeldari goddess. I cannot guarantee that they will response with grace."

"The Emperor protects, brother Damien," Adelhard said.

"Okay then, let's get the fuck out of here," Damien held his bolter at the ready and waved at the trench beyond, the corridor was littered with corpses of heretics and daemons, the battlegroup and the Solace Sun having already took their dead. For the moment, the traffic of retreating people was pretty light. "Move out!"

Damien took point with Laura and Yuki, Adelhard and Isha a few steps behind, Gallus and Antalok flanking him, while the rest of the Space Marines formed two columns behind them, their steps fast and in sync.

"Yo, what the fuck?" Damien leaned down to Yuki, the volume of his awesome Space Marine helm toned down to the lowest setting. "How come Adelhard's helping Isha instead of murdering her?"

"Shit, I don't fucking know," Yuki was as flabbergasted as the rest of them. "All I can say is that I'm really interested about what they saw, learned and heard in the Webway, must've been some crazy lore breaking shit."

"Oh yeah, I thought I wouldn't be surprise after everything that had happened with the battlegroup, but damn this is on another level…"

"Look out!"

Yep, she was too late again. The warning had barely left Laura's lips when…she doesn't even know what the fuck she was looking at, but the best explanation her slow, tired brain could make would be that a wall of transparent, watery tsunami of concentrated power was hurtling through the trenches, like when the hull of a ship broke and the ocean rushed in. And none of them could get out of the way in time, so in laymen's term, they were absolutely fucked. On instinct Laura took one deep, probably her last breath as the tide of crackling energy washed over her. But she wasn't swept away and dashed against the trench walls until her bones were mushed, or was she fried to crisp by a million volts, hell, she was pretty goddamn surprised the Warp sorcery didn't reduced her to a bubbling liquefied blob. Unfortunately, after exhaling slowly, Laura found herself completely unable to move, only her eyes obeyed, rolling uselessly in its sockets. She tried forcing movement into her arms and legs but nothing responded, her body frozen with a stupid look on her face, claymore held up in an incomplete guard. Now, if Laura was a betting woman, which depends on the situation, she'll pin this latest episode on Syrathel.

"That's a good look for you, lady inquisitor," shit, why did she have to be right about this?! Eyes darting toward the velvety voice, Laura found none other than Syrathel sauntering sexily toward them, the grime on her face and armors only made the Tzeentchtian Champion that much more bombastic, in a classic femme fatal kinda way. Tangmo was a stronger man than she was. "I have seen the same expression many times, usually when I move in for the kill."

Laura wanted to tell the Chaos cunt to good fuck herself, alas she was unable to do so, what with being frozen and all.

"Oh, where are my manners," Syrathel giggled girlishly and daintily waved her hand. The immovable pressure disappeared from Laura's head, and she gasped sweet air into her lungs. Heavy breathing sounded to her right, and Laura craned her neck to find that Yuki had also been freed, well, her head at least. "There, all better now, I hope you are quite comfortable, I do hate to speak to inanimate objects."

"I'll take your word for it, looks like you have a lot of practice," Laura said, getting a bit nervous when Syrathel closed their distant, the gaits predatory. "What did you do, paralyzed all of us?"

"Come now lady inquisitor, do I look like someone so lacking in imaginations?" Syrathel smiled sweetly, stopping only a few paces from Laura, close enough that she can smell the sorceress's perfume, lavender, not bad at all. "No lady inquisitor, I have transcended the limitation of the flesh, for time itself now bend at my command."

"…You fucking froze time?" Laura eyes widened, her disbelief lasted until she saw las, bolts, tank shells and missiles hovering above her head at different elevations, all of them suspended in crystal clear detail. Mouth gaping like a koi out of water, Laura turned to Yuki, who was also gaping like a koi. "Did she just fucking ZA WARUDO our arses?!"

"She just fucking ZA WARUDO our asses!" Yuki shared the same horrified realization as Laura. Holy shite, just how powerful was Syrathel?! The shock passed quickly from Yuki's visage and was replaced by rising fury, "Tangmo…Lita…Leilatha…what happened to them?! What did you do?!"

"Nothing, yet," Syrathel shrugged easily, reveling in Yuki and Laura's anger. "After my business here is done, I'll go back and retrieve the lord commissar and his two whores. I have many things planned, and I find that an audience only makes the experience more…intense."

"Spare me you fucking cunt, go bore someone else with your tripe," Laura spat, a ghost of a smile playing across her face when Syrathel spun at her with clear agitation. "This must be pretty taxing. The power to control space and time doesn't come cheap, does it?"

"Yes, I will admit that I am exerting a significant amount of my power to uphold this timeless vacuum, and across the entirety of the trench networks and the refugee camp too," Syrathel gloated, and Laura wanted nothing more than to sock the smug bitch in the face. "However, I am the mistress of Warp craft, so if my calculation is correct I should be able to maintain this lovely conversation for, oh, an hour more I guess?"

"Plenty of time for things to go wrong for you," Laura knew it was wishful thinking, but hey, when your adversary can control time, what else can you do?

"Yeah, just like what happened on Tera-Antebella," Yuki added poisonously. "I'll admit, this ZA WARUDO shit is pretty goddamn impressive, and very imaginative, but original?! Bitch please this is basically the same shit you pulled when you caught Miriya and the canonesses. And we all remember how that turned out."

"This is not the same as back on Tera-Antebella!" Syrathel hissed, her calm façade gone in a blink and replaced by feral rage. Fear knotted Laura stomach, if the Chaos bitch even so much as touch Yuki, well, there's no place in the galaxy or the Warp she can hide from her. "Never compare me to those lowly Mechanicus bastards, xeno, what I perform here is more sublime than anything your accursed species can even conjured!"

"And you're gonna fuck things up like last time," Laura added quickly, drawing Syrathel's blistering attention back to her. "Bloody hell lady, you're in love with your own voice, aren't you? All you do is talk and talk and talk, sheesh, give it a rest you cunt."

"It's textbook narcissism," Yuki swiftly added, she and Laura now verbally double teaming Syrathel. To what end, Laura didn't know, but anything to delay Syrathel from reaching her objective, "the downfall of every vapid idiot with a delusion of grandeur."

"Here's a nice bit of advice bitch, give up while you have the chance, or runaway, like you always do, before we kick your arse again like all those other times."

"Well? I'm waiting! Get on your knees, kiss my feet and beg for forgiveness, maybe then I'll be merciful."

"Better yet, go kiss Tangmo's feet, you're totally obsessed with him."

"What the fuck is up with that any way? You have a crush on him or something? I think I speak on his behalf that he's not interested."

"The Champion of Tzeentch crawling after the Singing Commissar like some spurred psycho yandere bitch, that's fucking sad."

"Super sad."

Laura knew then that she and Yuki was about to die a horrific death. Hey, at least they had a good run in the world of Warhammer 40k, but all parties must eventually come to an end. It would be nice to get a bolt to the face, or a death ray that disintegrated her in seconds, unfortunately for Laura and Yuki, judging by how pissed Syrathel looked at the moment, their demise will probably be the excruciating kind. Oh well, might as well go out like a boss, so Laura took a deep calming breath and glared unblinking at Syrathel, matching hatred with contempt. She didn't know how long the staring contest lasted, the suspense chipping away more and more of her confidence, but after a while Syrathel relaxed her taut frame, stepped back from Laura, and smile.

"As infuriating as the lord commissar, but possessing not half his charm," Syrathel snorted.

"No need to be needlessly hurtful," Laura deadpanned.

"The truth is always bitter," Syrathel's villainess charm returned swiftly as she affectionately trailed the contour of Laura's cheek, causing Yuki to hiss dangerously. "But yes, you and your eldar lover truly are a handful, and if I had a bit less self-control the two you might have succeeded in your pitiful stalling attempt. Alas, it is not to be."

Flicking her sharp, armored finger tip off Laura's chin, Syrathel patted Yuki loving on the cheek, laughing when the Japanese tried to bite her hand as she sauntered passed the two, regal and haughty like a spoiled princess. "If you haven't already figured this out, lady inquisitor, lady exarch, I don't plan on making the same mistake as on Tera-Antebella."

Craning their necks back, Laura and Yuki can do nothing but gasped and vainly tried to move their nonresponsive body as Syrathel strut victoriously toward the petrified Adelhard, more specifically Isha.

"Hello again Isha," Syrathel waved her hand and Isha's limbs came free, the goddess took a sharp breath in fright. "Did you miss me?"

"Ahhh!" Isha squealed and tried to climb higher up Adelhard, the sight of the Aeldari goddess trying to flee Syrathel by scaling the Black Templar would have been comical if the situation wasn't so dire. "Stay back! Go away!"

"Get over here!" Snarling, Syrathel lunged at Isha and grabbed her leg. Isha screamed and clung desperately to Adelhard's ceramite breastplate, her fingers digging into the battered aquila, and started kicking Syrathel, managing to land a few shots on the sorceress's face. "You fucking bitch – get down!"

Isha's sharp cry ended with a pained oof when Syrathel pulled her off Adelhard with a brutal yank, Laura and Yuki wincing when the goddess's skull cracked loudly against the gore splattered floorboard. Most people would have died from a landing like that, or got knocked unconscious if you're lucky, but thanks to her healing ability, Isha was fighting back in no time. And when Laura says fight, she meant that Isha squirmed and thrashed pitifully as Syrathel started dragging her away. Then suddenly, Isha launch herself at Syrathel and grabbed the sorceress's armored arm. Seconds passed and nothing happened, Isha's eyes bulged to saucers while Syrathel just snorted.

"Same trick doesn't work twice, your eminence," Syrathel sneered, shook Isha's arms off, and savagely backhanded her, the goddess was launched off the ground and landed messily at Laura's feet, coughing blood and moaning weakly as she tried to get up.

"Don't touch her – don't you fucking dare touch her you fucking cunt!" Laura shouted when Syrathel walked up to Isha, snatched up a fistful of silver hair, and started dragging her away cavewoman style. "Let her go you fucking bitch! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Words in the wind, lady inquisitor, are as harmless as it is useless," Syrathel said sweetly and easily dragged Isha away, giving no fucks as the goddess punched her arm desperately. "But feel free to vent, I can tell someone like you will not accept defeat with grace."

"Let Isha go you fucking bitch!" Yuki roared, but like Laura, no matter how much they strained and pushed the two only managed to spit and snarl at Syrathel, like two hounds teetered to a length of chain, helpless as the wolf dragged away the lamb. "I swear to everything that's holy, I'm gonna fucking murder your ass! You hear me bitch?! I'm gonna fucking kill you and all your friends!"

"I'm sure you will try," Syrathel laughed lowly, elegant and evil, like something Cersei Lannister would do, her pace leisure as she dragged the flailing Isha away, "but I doubt the goddess will be around to see it."

"Unhand her!"

Laura and Yuki froze mid tantrum, Syrathel too was startled by the declaration that rippled powerfully across the timeless vacuum, while the equally flabbergasted Isha glanced in the direction of the voice and found none other than canoness Galatea leaping down the trench wall, dashing shoulder first at the Tzeentchtian Champion. Syrathel squawked, more surprised than angered, as she was thrown into a wall of sandbags, Laura and Yuki cheered loudly when the canoness went to stand protectively over Isha.

"H-How?!" Syrathel roared and lowered her staff at Galatea, who in turn pointed her zweihander at the sorceress. "My power is immeasurable. You shouldn't be able to break free!"

"The light of the God Emperor burn brighter than your foul witchcraft," Galatea declared piously, and not without a little bit of smugness. "My faith in Him on the Throne of Earth had rendered me immune to the trickery of the Warp. This pitiful conjuration is of no obstacle to the flame that is the God Emperor."

"So be it," Syrathel snarled, gave her staff a showy kung-fu twirl and stomped up to Galatea. "I can easily take you on your lonesome."

"Who said I was alone?" For all her stoicism and no nonsense bearing, Galatea appeared to have picked up some of the Eight's flare for the theatric, because with a small upward tugging of her lips the other canonesses appeared around the wide eyed Syrathel. Heloise, Amaryllis, Morelia, Myorin, Naledi and Victrix joined Galatea in the trench, while Crestienne, Bellona, Eldul, Lithia and Zhensu arrayed themselves on the trench wall behind Syrathel. Bloody fuck, this must be the coolest thing Laura had ever seen in her life.

"You cowardly bitch!" Syrathel spat as the canonesses tighten the ring around her. "You fight with no honor! Twelve against one?!"

"Honor is reserve for those who can be redeem in the Emperor's light, whether in this world or the next," Galatea said. "You deserve no such clemency, me and mine will make sure of it, heretic."

"I never asked for one," goddamn it, why was Syrathel smirking again? Great, now she's rising her staff and, yep, stabbed it to the ground, the impact ringing like an abominable off-key bell that rattled Laura's teeth. Expecting some blinding flash of light or a shockwave that would throw her across the trench, Laura squealed when she and Yuki flopped face first to the ground, their limbs suddenly free of imprisonment. Judging by the groans around them, it appeared that, for some reason, Syrathel had deactivated her time bubble.

"Getting a little suicidal, girl?" Eldul flashed her canines wolfishly but didn't move to attack, like Laura the elskerinne knew something was up. "I'm more than happy to assist in your death."

"You should be more concern about your own mortality," Syrathel shrugged easily, absolutely uncaring that the canonesses were edging closer and the Space Marines, all of them visibly pissed, were stirring. The sorceress spread her arms wide and made a ballroom spin as she took in her adversaries with a condescending smile. "My power encompasses only the trenches and the refugee camp, what do think waited beyond? That's right, the entire Chaos forces had position themselves around the time void, just waiting for me to dissipate this unmoving vacuum. And now, like a tidal wave, they will sweep over your defenses, the torrent too strong and fast for you to withstand."

"More than enough time to kill you," Bellona growled and gave her sword whip a sharp crack, causing Zhensu to duck. "Sorry."

"An unachievable possibility, but I'm sure you will – ahhh!" Laura and Yuki got back on their feet just in time to see Syrathel suddenly bent over, her staff clattering to the ground, both hands clutching tight her head, face drawn in rictus pain. The canonesses traded wary looks but remained where they were, not sure whether Syrathel was in genuine agony or about to assume her final form, which would be bad for everyone. Galatea was opening her mouth when Syrathel raised her head to the sky and started speaking. "Master…I am so close, please, just…what? But…I have them within my grasp! I can…no! Please master, I am not questioning your words, I am merely…oh…truly? I see…I shall do as you command." Syrathel rose to her feet and stood erected, proud and regal, the glowing staff flying into her hand. "Thank you master, I live only to serve the empyrean and the gods, I shall continue to make you proud."

"Who the fuck is she talking to?" Laura asked as she and Yuki joined the canonesses, quite redundantly in hindsight, because she had a pretty good idea who Syrathel was conversing with.

"…Tzeentch?" Yuki gave voice to her thought and the canonesses muttered quick prayers, their weapons raised at the ready.

"Bingo," Laura flinched when Syrathel inhaled deeply, her visage one of blissful emptiness but tinged with clear disappointment, and smiled sadly at the canonesses.

"Alas, my part in this battle is over," Syrathel shrugged. "A shame that me and mine will not be the one to herald your demise, but I cannot disobey the Changer of Ways. I bid you goodbye then, rest assured that we will meet again."

"Enough of this, attack!" Bellona roared and the canonesses leapt as one at Syrathel the moment a deceptively pleasant white light enveloped the Tzeentchtian Champion. Laura and Yuki snorted when the canonesses not only missed Syrathel completely, because the sorceress had teleported the hell out of there, but also managed to spectacularly crash into each other, limbs and weapons tangling dangerously. "Get off me! Where did the bitch go?!"

"She teleported, duh!" Yuki spoke up as the canonesses shouldered and shoved themselves free.

"My lady, are you alright?" Whatever argument was about to erupt amongst the canonesses ended when they all turned to Adelhard, the Black Templar had bend a knee and was helping Isha up to her feet, the goddess had since healed but her dress was splattered with blood. Adelhard held out his arms and Isha climbed into it, the Space Marine once again acting as the goddess's personal sedan. "Please forgive me for my lack of diligence. I swear I will never let such ignominy happen again."

"It is quite fine, brother Adelhard."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Galatea stomped up to Adelhard and Isha curled deeper into the Astartes's arms with a squeak, "why are you touching her like that?! Are you not supposed to abhor her kind?!"

"Centuries before I would have shared your zeal and hatred," Adelhard stood up a little straighter, the Astartes showing that he will not be bullied by the Sororitas, "but not anymore."

"Yeah, maybe we should concentrate on getting the fuck out of here first?!" Laura cut in before Galatea and her buddies can get catty with Adelhard, who was now joined by Damien and the other Marines, the British inquisitor waving frantically in the eastwardly direction. "I can feel the ground shaking mates! Syrathel's buddies are coming right at us, and we need to…"

"Yo, pull back to the refugee camp, the way's clear!" Tangmo announced bombastically over the earbud. "Tyra's making the final call my dudes, get a fucking move on!"

"Are you off your fucking socks mate?!" Laura blurted. "Syrathel told us her cronies were position beyond her time vacuum thingy, and they're coming straight for us now!"

"That's Jaghatai Khan and the Winged Hussars dude! They're heading your way!" Tangmo blurted happily, his sentence punctured by heavy breathing, the Thai commissar was obviously running, "when the Warhawk and Zolwyken saw the time vacuum they plowed straight into the rear of Azarvhin's forces, the Chaos horde are scattered!"

"Oh," Laura said, the mood around the trench was quickly improving, even if the Sororitas were still acting like a buncha of sourpuss. "Guess everything's dandy then."

"Damn right it is!" Tangmo said. "Now come on, I don't want to miss the flight!"

"Neither do I mate!" Laura strapped the claymore over her shoulder and vigorously waved everyone down an alleyway. "You heard the Singing Commissar, let's get the fuck off this planet!"