The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

"I seriously can't remember the last time we hang out dude."

"Blimey, neither do I…does this count?"

"I'll take it, but we need to rectify this."

"As soon as possible love."

Laura held out her fist and Tangmo bumped it with a smile, yet the two knew they were not out of the woods yet. Tangmo couldn't help but held his breath, one hand clung to the straps fastened across his chest, the other coiled tight around Laura's own as the shaking around the hull reached its worse. Funny, the sensation of a spaceship leaving the atmosphere was nothing new to him, but the stake of this particular flight was pretty goddamn high. His lungs were starting to hurt when the shudder abruptly ended, a serene stillness settling in as he began to float off his seat. The artificial gravity kicked in two seconds later and Tangmo finally exhaled in relief, released Laura's hand, and started undoing the webbings around his torso.

"So far so good," Tangmo freed himself from the harnesses but remained seated, sighing as he eased his back into the worn leather cushion. Laura, equally spent, didn't move either. Around them the main characters were rising and stretching their limbs, half wore visages of relief, the rest were like Tangmo and Laura, grim and bracing for shit to go wrong. "This isn't over, is it?"

"I doubt it," Laura crossed her legs and slouched. "Syrathel let us go, just like at the citadel."

"Bad guy's logic 101, stupid fucker like to toy with their prey, instead of going in for the kill," Tangmo snorted. "Syrathel had always loved her own hype, not unfounded mind you, but that's the reason why she keeps fucking up, she's full of herself."

"We're not any better mate," Laura gave Tangmo a sideway glance. "And she did come close to winning this time."

"…Yeah, she did," Tangmo admitted with a nod. "But we pulled through in the end."

"Did we?" Laura asked.

"Guess we'll find out," Tangmo shrugged and held up his hand, catching the bottle of energy drink Yuki tossed his way. "Thanks dude…Blueberry Lightning, you know me too well."

"You are most welcome," Yuki handed Laura an orange bottle, plopped down beside the British inquisitor and unscrewed her own green drink. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, and failing completely to relax," Tangmo drank the ice cold energy drink heartily, the flavor really hitting the spot. Taking another mouthful, and feeling better by the seconds, Tangmo glanced around the Stormbird. Piloted by Coreth and Marlonah, of the Night Lords Omnibus fame, the Great Crusade precursor of the Thunderhawk was fucking huge. Originally designed to carry a hundred Astartes into battle, the Eight and the main characters all fit easily into the large interior, many chatting and strolling, all of them glad to be off Thima-Chantra. "You see Leilatha anywhere?"

"She's going over the post battle reports with Lita," Yuki glanced mischievously at Tangmo, "looks like those two are finally getting along, nice job dude."

"I know, I'm the best," Tangmo snorted and found Leilatha and Lita a few seconds later, huddled over a data-pad, his girlfriend and his ex were very chummy. "But seriously though, I didn't do anything, besides getting my ass kicked by Syrathel. They bonded while saving me."

"Yeah mate, we were there," Laura said. "What happened by the way? Did she pull off the ZA WARUDO while fighting you guys?"

"Oh yeah, she went straight up Dio on our asses," Tangmo took another swig of the energy drink, goddamn he loved blueberry. "I mean, the bitch can fight, I'll give her that much. Me, Leilatha and Lita all ganged up on her and she still managed to hold us back. It wasn't until we started tiring her out that she goes full ZA WARUDO. I did get frozen in a pretty cool pose though."

"Did she cop a feel before strolling off?" Laura smirked insidiously. "A little squeeze here and a little grope there for good luck?"

"Yeah Tangmo, show us where the bad sorceress touched you," Yuki giggled, she and Laura were inappropriately curious.

"Unlike you two perverts, she actually put business before pleasure and refrained from indecency," Tangmo grinned at the pouting Laura and Yuki. "But she did wink at me before heading off, and boy, did that one little look spoke a thousand words."

"Quite boring all things considered, but I'm glad you're safe," Laura held out her bottle and Tangmo clang it.

"Same goes for you two," Tangmo said. "What about you? How did the dynamic duo kicked Syrathel's ass and rescue Isha?"

"We didn't do anything dude," Yuki sighed melodramatically and leaned lazily back into her seat. "It was none other than Galatea that came to the rescue, she and the canonesses went full Sailor Moon on Syrathel, shit was epic yo, too bad they didn't duke it out but damn it was cool as fuck."

"Galatea saved Isha?! Ha!" Tangmo barked a laugh, drawing dark looks from Miriya and her Celestian buddies, the nuns were hanging around the water dispenser. "That must have stung, how did our esteem canoness react to such display of heroism?"

"We never got to know, because she was frothing over Adelhard," Yuki shrugged. "You saw what happened right?"

"Yeah, he carried Isha all the way up the Stormbird like some ancient knight rescuing a fair maiden from a dragon," Tangmo finished the last of the energy drink and threw the empty bottle across the cabin, it landed in the trashcan after making a circuit around the rim, coming close to hitting Firnera on the head, the Banshee was not happy. "So that's what got Galatea's panties in a twist? Welp, I like to see her try and fight a freaking Black Templar."

"Don't encourage her, she might actually do it," Yuki laughed nervously. "Seriously though, we really need to know what happened to Adelhard and his squad in the Webway, some crazy shit must've happened for the most batshit zealot chapter to make a one eighty on their xeno policy."

"Guess we'll find out soon…"

Tangmo's words trailed off when a hushed silence came over the Stormbird, the soundless reverence broken only by the thumping of heavy footfall. Trading looks with his homies, Tangmo, Laura and Yuki got up the same moment Jaghatai Khan strode into view, majestic and powerful, every bit as legendary as the Horus Heresy books made him out to be. If Roboute Guilliman's presence was that off a blazing, radiant sun, Jaghatai Khan was a divine wind wreathed in lightning and cyclone, indomitable and unstoppable. The Primarch of the White Scars was accompanied by the Astartes, all three chapters forming into three pristine columns, trailing after him as an honor guard would. On instinct Tangmo saluted Jaghatai as he walked passed, Laura and Yuki followed suite a nanosecond later, the heels of their boots clicked sharply. It took every ounce of control he possessed not to squeal like a little girl when Jaghatai saluted back, the super Mongol Primarch grinning as he walked down the corridor.

"Did you cream your knickers, love?" Laura asked as the three of them fall in behind the Astartes, the procession growing as more main characters joined in.

"I got this fucking close," Tangmo adjusted his awesome commissar coat and cap. "Holy shit, he looked straight at me!"

"He looked at all of three of us," Yuki rolled her eyes. "Besides, he was looking at me."

"I'm really happy the two of you are fangirling over the affection of a hulking Primarch, but I believe a better drama is about to unfold," Laura pointed forward and yep, shits about to go down. The entourage emerged on a clearing where Isha was tending to an injured Tanrion, the captain commander looked tired but was otherwise okay, with Celalira and Zolwyken standing nearby. The Aeldari goddess and her cohorts turned to Jaghatai as he drew near. Isha rose to her feet, ignoring Tanrion, Celalira and Zolwyken's attempt to hold her back, the tattered dress she wore did nothing to hamper her queenly grace as she stepped up to the Warhawk. Isha courtesy and Jaghatai gave her a handsome Chinese bow.

"Your eminence," Jaghatai began, his timbre a deep resonance of evanescent power, commanding yet strangely welcoming.

"My lord Primarch," Isha bowed, her clear voice rang cleanly across the hull, pleasant and bright with life.

"Are you injured, your eminence?" Jaghatai went on, his stern visage made it difficult to gouge his true emotion.

"I am not, my lord, my power has seen to that small mercy," Isha said, despite the size difference she did not shy away from the Primarch's intense regard. "It is because of the Immortal Spirit battlegroup that I am now safe."

"I am glad to hear it," Jaghatai nodded, his sharp frown morphing into concern, tinged with clear sadness and shame. "I was almost too late, and for this I give you my deepest apology. If I had come sooner and not tarry, if my decision has been quick then the tide of Chaos could have been stemmed. My time in the Webway has made me lenient, a sword that had lost its sharpness and coated in dust. I should have been faster."

"You owe me no apology, noble Primarch," Isha reached over and touched Jaghatai's gigantic armored arm softly, causing the Sororitas to gasp in horror. Some were even reaching for their bolters. "You have been instrumental in helping all of us achieve victory when defeat was a certainty."

"I could have done more," Jaghatai sighed and clasped his gigantic gauntleted fingers over Isha's tiny hand, it was very cute to behold, the Sororitas's extremely vocal affront only add to the comedy.

"Your help goes beyond anything I have ever expected," Isha's flashed her winning, radiant smile, managing to thaw even the solemn Jaghatai, who cracked a ghost of a grin. "Thank you, my lord Jaghatai Khan."

"You are most welcome, my lady Isha," Jaghatai nodded, resumed his stoic demeanor and let go of Isha.

"First Guilliman, now Jaghatai, this human eldar partnership is really going places," Tangmo, being the fearless badass that he was, decided then that it was time for him to join the conversation. Stepping forward into the clearing, followed by the Eight, Tangmo stopped three paces in front of Isha and Jaghatai and, his movement in sync with the others, saluted handsomely. "If I may, Great Khan, we were on our last leg when you and the Harlequins showed up. I don't think it's an understatement to say that we would have been dead if it wasn't for your timely intervention."

"And where are the Harlequins, if I may ask sir," Henry added.

"They retreated back into the Webway then collapsed the gate after their evacuation was completed," Jaghatai narrowed his eyes on the Eight, which nearly made Tangmo shit himself. "I confess to being surprise, lord commissar. Tales spoken across the Webway painted you in a rowdier picture."

"Well shit my Khan, you're pretty goddamn scary," Jaghatai Khan wanted a full Tangmo experience? He's more than happy to deliver. "I mean, me and my homies met Guilliman before dude, and even though he was intimidating and regal in a Julius Caesar kinda way, you, Great Khan of Chogoris, scare the living shit out of me. Seriously, the only reason I'm not shitting myself right now is because I'm too tired to give a fuck. Jesus Christ, now I know what the Shah of the Khwarazmian Empire felt when Chinggis Khan and the Mongol horde came for his ass."

"Ha! Yes! Inspiring fear is a quality I cherish greatly!" Jaghatai threw his head back and laughed boisterously, his timbre shaking the cabin. "My brother always had an aura of a mighty stateman, his majesty was that of a radiant sun where the masses congregate to. I, however, am a storm, terrible and swift, a primordial power that consume all in its path."

"A pretty goddamn accurate description," Tangmo grinned, feeling a little less scare of the White Scars Primarch now that he was displaying a very human, and infectious, mirth.

"My brother," Jaghatai said, "he has truly returned then? I dare not hope when news of it seeped into the Webway."

"Like I said, we met him, twice actually, and the second time was face to face," Tangmo said. "You are here to help him, right? As in, working with him to make the Imperium of Man great again, whole and not fragmented to shit?"

"You believe I would try to secede from the Imperium?" There was no rancor in Jaghatai's question, only mild amusement.

"It's the grim darkness of the 42nd millennium dude, we always assume the worse in everything," Tangmo went on. "In case you were out of the loop, everything seriously went to shit this last ten thousand years."

"I had always admired honest cynicism, it makes the mind sharp," Jaghatai said. "And to answer your questions, no, I will not betray the Imperium, and yes I know of its decrepit state. What have Guilliman been doing?"

"His best, no doubt," Tangmo said, not far away the Ultramarines grunted in the affirmative, unwavering in their loyalty. "But it ain't easy my Khan, like I said earlier things really went down the toilet since the Horus Heresy, and the pluming just got clogged and everything's overflowing. Also, the Emperor is a god now, the God Emperor, with churches and preachers and shits."

"I am aware, it was an evitable conclusion given the trajectory of how he had led the Imperium," Jaghatai snorted and shook his head disdainfully. The Sororitas grumbled and Galatea had to hold back Miriya, the canoness knew the Primarch of the White Scars will not take kindly to the Celestian's words like his Ultramarines counterpart. "A cruel irony, after spending several lifetimes ridding Terra of religion he ended up being the head of one."

"The thing is, there's no denying that he really is a god now," Tangmo made a pleading face at the Sororitas, all of whom backed down with huffs and pouts. "Not only that, his power just saved our collective asses, just asked Galatea, her faith power broke Syrathel's ZA WARUDO."

"You missed understand me lord commissar, honorable Sisters of Battles, I am not doubting his divinity," Jaghatai inclined his head respectfully at the Sororitas, successfully mollifying them. "Although the notion went against everything the Great Crusade stood for, I cannot deny that indeed father has become a god. Me, Adelhard and his Black Templars had witness that first hand."

Okay, now that was interesting information. Tangmo was about to inquire more when he felt the Stormbird slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Coreth's announcement rang across the cabin a moment later, "we're inside the Immortal Spirit's tracer beam and is being guided to the hangar. The traffic is light and we should be there in about ten minutes, prepare for landing."

"It'll be nice to get back on the Immortal Spirit," Tangmo sighed, not willing to say more unless he jinxed things. "Prepare to disembark people, make ready."

With trained swiftness, the Eight and the main characters formed a protective square around Isha and Jaghatai and marched to the back compartment of the Stormbird where the big ass ramp was located. Those minutes between being suspended in the tracer beam and the Stormbird's smooth landing was probably the most nerve racking experience in Tangmo's life. Not because of Jaghatai Khan looming over him, after that little chat it had become easier to withstand his majestic aura. Oh no, what twisted Tangmo's stomach was that this moment of helpless inaction was where things will go wrong, if it goes wrong. Always bracing for the worse, it's easier to accept disappointment and bad luck that way, Tangmo couldn't stopped his long, relieved sigh when the Stormbird touchdown and the blinking light turned green, Laura and Yuki tapping and rubbing his back friendlily, all the while parting words of condescending encouragement.

"Landing successful, lowering ramp now," Coreth's announced and the ramp descended slowly, dramatically, to hisses of hydraulics and clangs of grinding space metal, the clean and sharp scent of purified oxygen rolled into the Stormbird.

"We made it," Erik took a deep breath as the Eight huddled together, arms over shoulders and heads pressed together, the posture a little awkward given Damien's size. Nevertheless, all of them joined in the hug, a heartfelt and warm moment shared between best of friends. "Holy shit guys we made it, we actually managed to rescue Isha …holy fucking shit guys!"

"And got Jaghatai Khan as a bonus too," Henry blurted and the Great Khan laughed. "Goddamn, this went better than expected."

"We pull through again," Lita held out her hand and the Eight joined in, palms piled atop each other like a super sentai team, "still alive!"

"Still alive!" The Eight intoned powerfully as one and broke apart, all of them jumping and cheering, "still alive!"

"I'm still alive!" Tangmo, Erik, Laura and Yuki belted out the powerful lyric together, their voices rocked the hull. Although the ramp was not yet fully lowered, bombastic cheers rumbled from outside in response to the Power Metal song. "And I know I'm alive enough to stand my ground! So there is nothing to revive, I'm still alive!"

Goddamn, he fucking loved epic, dynamic entrance, especially after winning one of the most hard-fought battles in the battlegroup's history. The ramp slammed down with a powerful bang and Tangmo, along with Erik, Laura and Yuki, struck awesome heavy metal poses, cornas and fists raised, basking in the roaring ovation of the guardsmen, eldars and civilians that had gathered to welcome their return. Tangmo was just starting to do the Randy Orton pose when the cheering died abruptly, as if someone flipped an off switch.

"All of you are very popular I see," Jaghatai said, his hawkish gaze swept over the gobsmacked crowd who were now singularly staring at him, a light smile gracing his face. "Not many leaders can win the heart of their people to such magnitude."

"Oh yes, besides kicking arses we made sure that the people of the battlegroup have a comfortable and higher living standard than the rest of the Imperium," Laura smirked. "That's why they love us."

"I remember welcome like this back on Chogoris, those many millenniums ago, a heartening balm after a long battle," Jaghatai nodded solemnly and the crowd gasped sharply, with many eldars coming close to fainting. Brow quirked, Jaghatai glanced left and grinned lightly, "your eminence, glad to have you with us."

"That's a lot of people," Isha said nervously but her back was straight, her shoulders squared, and her chin raised slightly, a perfect regal posture. "I had assumed that the Immortal Spirit battlegroup was comprised only of soldiers and warriors, but there are so many civilians here, both humans and eldars."

"There's gotta be close to six million people on the Immortal Spirit now after we took in the Solace Sun. Don't worry, the Gloriana is only about forty five percent full," Tangmo spun around so that he was facing both Jaghatai and Isha, the discrepancy in size was jarring, but kinda cute. "Can you guys, like, walk down the ramp together? It'll put people's minds at ease seeing a Primarch and a goddess coexisting harmoniously, while also fostering deeper bond between humans and eldars. That'll be super sweet and heartwarming."

"It would be my honor, lord commissar," Isha nodded at Tangmo, prompting him to wai lowly, before turning sheepishly to Jaghatai, the Primarch was unreadable but didn't appeared hostile. "That is, if the Great Khan would not mind such a display…I'll understand if you decline, the wounds between our two people bleeds still and is nowhere near mending."

Tangmo honestly came close to having a cardiac arrest when the seconds stretched on, Isha growing meeker by the heartbeats while Jaghatai simply stared at her, fucking hell the Warhawk had one of the best poker faces he'd ever seen. But when it seemed that the Primarch would reject the goddess, Jaghatai held his armored forearm toward Isha, slow and respectful, and bowed lowly.

"Let the healing begins then," Jaghatai's lip tugged upward in what could only be described as a cavalier smile, dashing and mysterious, causing Isha to blush as she laid her hand on his arm. "Humans and eldars must be united against the one true enemy."

Sharing one more nod, Jaghatai Khan and Isha walked slowly down the ramp and onto the Immortal Spirit proper, followed by the Eight and the main characters, all of whom had formed into a parade ground column, acting as the pair's honor guard. Tangmo thought he and the Eight needed to hype up the crowd, because shit was getting way too quiet, when the first, singular note of a clap resounded across the soundless vacuum. He didn't know who clapped, humans, eldars, in the end it didn't matter because this heroic individual broke the dam. From one, many followed, growing to couples, then several, then dozen, then hundreds, then thousands, and before anybody knew it the entire hangar had erupted in cheers and applauses, the joyous reverberation deafening and unending.

"Holy shite mate, this went a thousand times better than when we forced Yvraine and Celestine to shake hands!" Laura nudged Tangmo in the side, both of them smiling brightly.

"I know, right?!" Tangmo laughed as the column veered right, toward the gigantic processing area, Lita having taken the lead to guide them in the correct direction. The great mass of people parted a reverent corridor for the procession, many on their knees and praying. "Jaghatai and Isha put actual effort into this!"

"Let it not be said that Roboute is the only one who knows how to navigate the dangerous water that is politic," Jaghatai glanced at Tangmo, his voice barely audible over the thunderous cheers. Goddamn, was the fucking volume rising? "If you would recall your history, lord commissar, I was the Great Khan of Chogoris."

"You're doing great mate!" Laura gave Jaghatai double thumbs up. The British inquisitor was bouncing happily on her toes with Yuki, both of them no longer afraid of the Mongol Primarch.

"Yeah! Guilliman ain't got shit on you!" Yuki beamed brightly, ahead the square corridor of the processing area loomed closer, guardsmen and Guardians were now pushing back the crowd who had surged closer to catch a glimpse of the super couple. Shit was getting way too K-pop for Tangmo's taste, with shrilly screams of adoration growing to an incessant volume. "Holy shit, you're doing a lot better than him when it comes to making friend with eldars!"

"I sincerely doubt that," Jaghatai sniggered.

"Umm…not that I mind the welcome, truly, it is a lot more than I deserve," Isha began sheepishly and clung tighter to Jaghatai's arm, the Primarch immediately noticed and pulled her closer to him. "But…isn't this a little loud?"

"Don't worry your eminence, we're here," Tangmo said then tapped his earbud. "Security, I need you to push the people back, make sure they don't get too excited and start a stampede. Kindly tell them to disperse please, because lord Jaghatai and lady Isha had an extremely long and hard day, they need to recuperate."

"Yes lord commissar," was the response Tangmo got when the Whiteshields, and the other regiments' equivalent, appeared through the crowd and start to gently, but firmly, pushed them back until a King Russ size avenue opened up for the Eight and the main characters. With the way clear, they all marched down the corridor and into the domed shaped reception area, which was about five stories tall and lit bright by pleasant white neon, the futuristic open air design, a mixture of both human and eldar architecture, gave the place an extremely welcoming aura. Currently, only the clerks and hangar officials were inside, all of them watching Jaghatai and Isha with unrestrained awe.

"Goddamn, I actually got a bit worried there for a second," Henry took off his awesome general cap, wiped his forehead, put it back on, and turned to Isha. "Are you alright your eminence?"

"I am truly touched by the reception of the Immortal Spirit, lord general, it is a rare thing to be shower with positive intend in this day and age," Isha steadied herself before removing her hand from Jaghatai's arm, bowing gratefully for his gentlemanly display. "But after so many years imprisoned within Nurgle's realm…large crowd of people, screaming and hollering, have not sit well with me since."

"Shit, I shouldn't have asked," Henry waiied apologetically, "I'm sorry your eminence, I didn't mean for you to recall any of that."

"It is fine lord general, no need for apology," Isha smiled, soft yet radiant, and Tangmo felt his spirit buoyant by the purity of her visage, a kindness all together lacking in this grimdark universe. It was clear that the main characters, humans and eldars, were similarly affected by the goddess's sunny disposition. Even the Sororitas reacted positively, despite their best attempt to hide the fact. "And just so you know, I'm a lot stronger than I look."

"That is debatable," Galatea scoffed disparagingly and turned to Tangmo, her nose stuck up in the air like a noblewoman who had just found a vagabond among her entourage. "What are we supposed to do with her?"

"Isha's staying with us love," Laura skipped happily up beside Tangmo. "There are plenty of places for her to stay, like that gardens between the Aeldari main quarter and the Sororitas sanctum. And if she wants, she can go buy one of those expensive suites or high rise apartment in Block B."

"We are to harbor a xeno goddess on the Immortal Spirit?!" Galatea bit off each word harshly and Tangmo really wanted to run for the hills, he was actually trying to find a way out when Isha scooted closer to him and Laura, desperately seeking refuge. Resigned to his fate, because he wasn't gonna abandon Isha, Tangmo stood his ground as Galatea and the canonesses converged on Jaghatai, all the while waving harshly at the Aeldari goddess. "You cannot be complacent with this. As the living son of the God Emperor, you must not allow this!"

"If I was to take your counsel, then perhaps you can advise me as to the perfect location where her eminence Isha can go," Jaghatai humored Galatea, it was clear the Primarch's frame of thinking doesn't aligned with the Sororitas.

"One of the damn Craftworlds," Galatea went on heatedly, more than aware that Jaghatai doesn't share her mindset.

"And what guarantee do you have that she will be safe from the clutches of Chaos?" Jaghatai asked reasonably, without rancor, which only irritated the canonesses more. "I commend your loyalty and dedication to the God Emperor, honorable canonesses, but Isha is now the Imperium most valuable ally. Sending her to one of the Craftworlds would be extremely ill advice."

"I don't give a damn about her safety, the goddess's presence on the Immortal Spirit can have a damning, corrupting influence on the human populace," Bellona piped up maliciously, not really endearing herself to Jaghatai. "But if you truly wished for her eminence Isha to be safe and secure, then I suggests we take her to Ophelia VII, I'm sure the accommodation would be more than adequate."

"Ophelia VII?" Jaghatai asked, the name doesn't ring a bell for him, but it sure as hell did for the Eight and the main characters.

"The Adepta Sororitas homeworld," Laura growled and square up to Bellona, locking glare with the Bloody Rose canoness, "listen hear, she just got out of Nurgle's prison, and I'm sure as fuck ain't gonna let you people toss her into an equally bad one, do you understand me?"

"But lady inquisitor, the Adepta Sororitas takes good care of all wayward souls who denies the God Emperor's light," Galatea's little grin dripped mockery and malice, prompting the hardliner canonesses to snicker lowly at the petrified Isha.

"Like what you did with Syrathel?" Laura shot back, going for the jugular and successfully drawing blood when the six OG canonesses stiffened, stunned into silence, so dazed by the British inquisitor's retort that no counterargument came.

"How about we calm down a bit, alright? Let's just say we currently have no plan to drop Isha off anywhere," Tangmo braved the rising feminine fury and stepped in between Laura and Bellona, physically placing himself between them. He shot the two stern, no nonsense look, and thankfully they backed down, Laura nodded while Bellona shot him a murderous look. Sighing, Tangmo turned to Jaghatai. "With that, for the moment, out of the way, may I ask what you plan to do now that you have return? Is there anything we can do to help?"

"I must meet with Roboute immediately," Jaghatai told him. "I have abandoned the Imperium for far too long and must rectify this gross dereliction of duty. Many things that I must learn after ten thousand years of absence, and there are things my brother must also learn after my time in the Webway and the Warp."

"We'll set a course for Ultramar immediately, or wherever lord Guilliman is at the moment, pinpointing his location shouldn't be too much trouble," Tangmo tipped his awesome commissar cap at Jaghatai. "Thy will be done my lord."

"I must also speak with your Navigator and Astropaths," Jaghatai went on. "Now that I have returned, the White Scars and its later founding chapters must be made aware of this development. It is not an exaggeration to say that all of them would be expecting this message."

"That sounds deliciously clandestine," Tangmo quirked his brow at an amused Jaghatai.

"I am not above indulging in such sin, lord commissar."

"All personnel prepare for Warp transition. I repeat, all personnel and civilians head to your designated areas immediately, transition into the Warp eminent."

Solveig's announcement rang powerfully across the hull and Tangmo tensed involuntarily. Goddamn, he was never gonna get used to jumping into the hellscape that was the Warp, shit was super icky.

"Shouldn't we be heading to a safe place?" Isha asked.

"We'll be fine here love, trust me," Laura laid a reassuring hand on Isha's shoulder. "There's absolutely nothing to worry about, that announcement was for the civilians, they're not as tough or as attune to the Warp as we are, for some reason. Basically, everything is dandy."

"Warp transition, engage," Eurydice's voice now boomed across the Immortal Spirit and the pressure around them changed, near imperceptible but pronounced enough that the wrongness became apparent, a shift in the material world that was jarring yet untouchable. The usual Warp shit, but Tangmo knew the disconcerting feeling will pass after a few minutes. He waited, but the pressure did not lessen, worse, he was starting to feel sick, his limbs suddenly heavy and stiff as if from an onset of fever.

Oh shit.

"Umm, I hate to be that guy, but something is really fucking wrong right now!"

"RED ALERT! RED ALERT! ALL PERSONNEL, BATTLE STATION AND PREPARE TO REPEL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, BATTLE STATION AND MAKE READY TO REPEL!"

Well shit, Erik had barely finished his sentence when Solveig's voice boomed across the intercom. The supreme commander of the Immortal Spirit fleet could give Gaunt and Yarrick a run for their commissariat salary with that fucking octave. The bombastic announcement was swiftly followed by blaring, high pitched sirens, the abrasive noise echoed without end throughout the Immortal Spirit. If Tangmo listened hard enough, he could hear screams among the apocalyptic symphony.

"Henry, get every available detail from Solveig and pinpoint where the breaches will happen!" Tangmo told Henry, of course they had a contingency plan for this crap but that doesn't mean they liked the damn thing. As the American got into a machine gun fast conversation with Solveig, Tangmo tapped his own earbud. "Lay it on me Eurydice, how massively fucked are we?"

"I believe massively fucked would be greatly underselling our predicament, lord commissar" Eurydice was obviously gritting her teeth on the other end, but Tangmo was glad that despite the heavy breathing the Navigator sounded physically and mentally hale. "The Ruinous power were waiting for us, they were ready the moment we made our transition into the Warp."

"Well fucking shit, I kinda suspected that," Tangmo grimaced, around him the Sororitas were praying and holding their weapons at the ready, sharp eyes scanning the hall as if expecting daemons to start crawling out of the walls. Considering the massive shitstorm they were now embroiled in, the likelihood of that happening was pretty fucking high. "I'm sure you have a plan to get us out of this one."

"I will try my best lord commissar, but since you have asked me to be truthful, I would recommend that you prepare for the worse," Eurydice told him, and Tangmo truly appreciated her honesty. "Sir, I must also inform you that the current phenomenon is unprecedented, and I doubt Syrathel and her cabal are responsible for this."

"Eurydice, you're scaring me a bit here," yes, Tangmo was super scared as he glanced left and right, the implication sinking in until no matter how hard he tried to deny the possibility, the truth simply refused to budge. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Because I seriously doubt I'm gonna like what you're about to say."

"I'm sorry lord commissar," Eurydice's apology was genuine and heartfelt, "but this is the work of the Dark Gods themselves."

"Holy shit, que the Michael Bay dramatic three sixty uninterrupted camera pan, because shit just totally got real," Tangmo pulled his hand away from the earbud, a quick sweep told him that the main characters, although surprised and frightened by this development, were nevertheless steely in conviction, at peace and ready to look death in the face and tell it to go fuck itself. Funny how one moment everybody was happy, and the next calamity descended, the universe truly was a cruel place. "Yo Henry, any breaches yet?"

"Not yet, but me and Solveig found several places being prodded right now," Henry told him, like Tangmo he kept his cool, because there will be plenty of time to squeal later. "The shield created by the Black pylon attachments is keeping the worse of the Warp out, but that ain't gonna last with a fucking Chaos god prying the damn thing opened."

"What do we do?" Nikki asked calmly, rifle cradled at the ready in her arms.

"Get every available soldier to the possible points of entry, call up all the reserves and have them backed the main force," Tangmo clasped his hands behind his back, striking an indomitable pose. Hey, if he was gonna die he might as well look cool all the way to the grave. "Henry, support them up with Myrmidons and Falcons and heavy gun platforms, leave the artilleries as the absolute last line of defense, I don't want collateral damages too fucking earlier. Also, have every automated turrets and security drones in those areas and the surrounding vicinity activated, I want those places clogged."

"I already have all of them positioned around the possible breaches," Lita nodded firmly and turned to Isha, the goddess was wearing a strangely blank look. "Your eminence, please, we must get you to safety."

"No," Tangmo had to blink several times to be sure that he heard right. Did Isha just said no? "Forgive me lady Warseer, but I shall not flee."

"A poor time to grow a spine, goddess," Galatea snarled and grabbed Isha's arm harshly. "This is not up for debate, you will be taken to our sanctum, now, where you shall remain until this calamity reaches its end, whatever outcome that maybe. So stop being difficult!"

"I am truly sorry, lady canoness," Galatea stumbled back with a squawk, landing hard on her ass, glaring in disbelief after Isha blinded her with a burst of light. "But I cannot comply with your request this time."

"Easy Galatea, easy," with Crestienne and Tangmo's help Galatea was lifted slowly off the ground, the Martyred Lady canoness was too furious to form a coherent response. "You okay? Can you see?"

"I can see fine," Galatea growled, teeth bared at Isha as Tangmo let go of her armored arm, a pissed off canoness wouldn't take too kindly to the Singing Commissar touching her. Crestienne, however, tightened her grip on Galatea, the Argent Shroud canoness wisely preventing her Martyred Lady colleague from doing something violent. "Let go of me!"

"Isha, I hope you have a spectacularly good reason for this," Tangmo folded his arm across his chest and holy shit Isha was tall when she stood to her full height. "Because I've never seen Galatea this pissed before."

"Again, I apologize for my action lady canoness, but I must make you listen," Isha said sternly, yet kindly. "I must now confront the architect of the woe that has come upon the Immortal Spirit face to face. For I know who is doing this…one doesn't forget the miasma after ten thousand years of torment."

"Nurgle is doing this?" Tangmo asked.

"He is," Isha nodded and Tangmo didn't miss the trembles raking her posture. "It is fitting, don't you agree lord commissar? This will now end with a confrontation of the gods, for only divinity can vanquish divinity."

"…You're going to fight the fat syphilitic fuck?" Tangmo couldn't believe what he was fucking hearing right now.

"I am," Isha remained adamant. "I need a place where I can see into the empyrean, only there can I confront Nurgle and free the Immortal Spirit fleet from his clutches, hopefully."

"The atrium," Laura snapped her fingers, "it's in the middle of the ship, the vaulted roofs and ceilings are comprised of a special Dark Age of Technology glasses that allow us to watch the Warp without any side effect, would that be a good enough place?"

"I believe so," Isha nodded hurriedly, the hull was starting to quake now and noxious stench, cadaverous and rotting, were seeping through the air vents.

"Then we have no time to waste," Jaghatai declared, the Primarch's aura of leadership was a beacon that filled hearts and souls with determination and valor. Just looking at super Chinggis Khan got Tangmo all hyped up to kick some ass. "Make safe the Immortal Spirit and deny the Ruinous power their sought after victory, send them screaming back into the foul empyrean!"

"For the Emperor!"

"For life and for light!"

Humans and eldars raised their voices as one, weapons thrust high into the air, all thoughts cast aside for the epic fight to come.

"Your eminence, I shall be by your side to the very end," Jaghatai gave Isha a powerful Chinese bow, the Aeldari goddess's eyes glistened with tears of gratitude. The Primarch then turned to the canonesses. "I must ask that you come with me also, honorable canonesses, for your faith can counteract the corruption that is the Warp."

"Your will be done, lord Primarch," Galatea and her buddies made the sign of the aquila, bowed lowly, and turned to their respective Celestians, parting swift combat orders.

"I'll take all of you there, I just spotted the perfect vehicle," Tangmo's perfect vehicle in question was a hover bus that was parked nearby. Grinning, Tangmo returned his attention to the Eight. "You guys gonna be okay without me, because I'm about to go be a fucking hero."

"Of course dude! Go babysit while we kick some real asses!" Damien and the Eight laughed together.

"Hey, I'm coming too!" Laura joined Tangmo with a face splitting smile. "We got Isha out of Minas-Tirith, so I'm seeing this shit through to the end."

"Keep her safe Tangmo," Yuki put on her eldar mempo, which made her daemonic glare that much scarier, "or else!"

"Gotcha, I'll bring Laura back in one piece," waving his goodbye to the Eight and the main characters, Tangmo and Laura dashed for the aforementioned hover bus, where Isha, Jaghatai and the canonesses were already getting settled inside. "Holy shit, you people are fast."

"We are not one to indulge in needless dramatic, lord commissar," Galatea said with no small amount of sass when Tangmo and Laura leapt inside the bus, the Thai commissar taking the driver seat while the British inquisitor sat behind him.

"I'm not being dramatic, I'm being passionate!" Tangmo snapped at Galatea then fastened the seatbelts across his chest, adjusted his awesome commissar coat and cap, and pressed the ignition button. The engine purred pleasantly. "Now sit your asses down, all of you, I'm about to go full Bangkok traffic on this bitch!"

"Oh please, we've fought on numerous battlefields aboard fast moving vehicles, wroth with perils the likes you can never begin to imagine. I doubt your mediocre driving will be – ahhh!"

Tangmo floored it and the bus dashed forward, the front part rising off the ground, the speed going from zero to one hundred kilometers in a split second. Judging by the shrilly screams and colorful curses that erupted once the bus leveled out and sped through the Immortal Spirit's wide, and thankfully empty road, none of the canonesses listened to Tangmo's warning.

"I told you to sit your dumbasses down!" Tangmo turned around and flashed his most shit eating grin at the canonesses, all of whom were sprawled at the back of the bus in a messy, and sexy, tangle of limbs. A quick glance told him that Isha, Laura and Jaghatai were fine, the goddess and the British inquisitor having strapped themselves securely to their seats, while the standing Primarch doesn't seem one bit bothered by Tangmo's crazy driving.

"Umm, mate, you mind watching the road?" Laura pointed passed Tangmo.

"Oh right, sorry about that," Tangmo returned his attention forward and Tokyo Drift the bus across a narrow bend, the squealing canonesses were thrown flat against the side windows.

"Would you slow the fuck down?!" Bellona shouted.

"This is the No. 8 bus lady, we don't fucking slow down!" Tangmo cackled like a maniac as he swerved onto the main highway leading to the atrium, honking the horn loudly at the few cars and trucks in his way. "Get the fuck out of the way, godly emergency coming through!"

"Lord commissar, we truly appreciate your urgency, but it would be extremely preferable for us to arrive at the atrium alive – gah!" Tangmo made another sharp turn and snorted when Zhensu flew buttock first into Morelia's face, the gaoseng of the Celestial Serenity rolled off the Valorous Heart canoness only to land between Eldul's bosoms, the Frost Bringer elskerinne didn't mind one bit. It wasn't until Heloise pulled Zhensu up that Tangmo looked away from the rear mirror and back at the road.

"No need to be so dramatic!" Tangmo smirked and hit the break. "We're here already!"

Unclasping the seatbelts and giving himself a good stretch until his shoulders popped satisfyingly, Tangmo leapt spritely off his seat and extended his hand to Laura, the British inquisitor took it with a sweet smile, "here we are milady, I hope the ride wasn't too vigorous for your constitution."

"Thank you, my good man," like Tangmo, Laura had adopted an exaggerated stereotypical English accent, all haughty and aristocratic. "And the ride was indeed quite splendid, well done."

"Oh, how capital," Tangmo was pretty sure he'd just butchered the Londoner accent.

"Tally-ho, old boy," and Laura helped vivisect what remained.

"Will you two stop wasting time?!"

"Alright, alright," Tangmo spoke normal again and with Laura leapt off the bus, thin wisp of smoke rising from the engine. Outside, he found Isha, Jaghatai and the canonesses already formed up into a column, the goddess in the middle, the Primarch at the front, with the Sisters of Battle around them. "Damn, you people are fast."

"We move out now," Jaghatai said and turned to Galatea, who was standing beside him. "Do you know of the optimal place for this ritual to commence?"

"I do," Galatea raised her zweihander high as Tangmo and Laura sidled in next to Isha, she greeted them with a reserved, one could say resigned smile. "Follow me, we have no time to waste!"

The column thunder off into the atrium, the beautiful green landscape, manicure floras and gentle streams passing in a blur, and Tangmo was surprise to see Isha easily keeping up with them, her determination unwavering, the fearful woman from before nowhere to be seen.

"Lady inquisitor, can you do me a favor?" Isha spoke up when the column trudged across a bridge, leaves were starting to drift around them in thick shower, snapping off branches as sickly, outworldly green and violet light swept over the atrium. Tangmo glanced up and let out a slew of nasty Thai curses when he saw the Warp roiling furiously beyond the vaulted glass ceiling.

"Anything love," Laura said.

"Please contact Elnys and Tanrion," Isha told her as the column started to slow. Ahead was a wide clearing, the swaying grasses turning brown. "Tell them to lead every Aeldari in prayers."

"You got it," Laura tapped her earbud and swiftly relayed the message as the canonesses formed a loose circle around Isha.

"So what happens now?" Tangmo stepped up to Isha, hand resting easily on the pommel of his sword, striking a badass pose as he glanced up at the empyrean above.

"I must confront Nurgle and break his grip on the Immortal Spirit fleet," Isha declared and Tangmo spun sharply at the derisive snickers coming from the canonesses.

"What can we do?" Laura asked.

"I appreciate you being here, lady inquisitor, lord commissar, but I'm afraid this is a fight that I must face alone," Isha began but glanced sheepishly at the canonesses. "Well…not truly alone, because I need the help of the canonesses for us to prevail against the Plague Father." She locked eyes with the stern Galatea then. "Please, I cannot do this without the help of you and your companions."

"The Adepta Sororitas are warriors of faith, the best and finest within the Imperium of Man," Jaghatai spoke up before Galatea can give her answer. "Faith in my father is the most poignant weapon against the Dark Gods and their minions, and I believe it can also enhance your eminence's power. Together, both mankind and Aeldari can fend off this darkness."

"So be it then," Galatea nodded, shifted her grip on the zweihander so that it was pointed downward, and stabbed it into the ground, every inch the paladin of legend. "We shall stand with Isha."

"Thank you," Isha stopped herself from shedding more tears and bowed lowly at Galatea, who nodded curtly in return. Wiping her eyes quickly, Isha turned to Tangmo, Laura and Jaghatai. "I must ask the three of you to step to a safe distant, the power unleashed might be…overwhelming."

"Say no more," Laura took off her awesome inquisitor hat and bowed at Isha, Tangmo tipped his awesome commissar cap and Jaghatai bowed in the solemn Chinese style. "Good luck your eminence."

"Yeah, good luck," Tangmo waved at Isha then walked up to Galatea. She quirked a surprised brow when he extended his hand to her. "Good luck Galatea."

"Thank you, lord commissar," Galatea took his proffered hand and shook firmly, with heart, seeing the sincerity in Tangmo's eyes, absent his trademark mischief. "The Emperor protects."

"The Emperor protects," Tangmo let go of Galatea's hand, tipped his awesome commissar cap and hurried after Laura and Jaghatai. "Catch you later."

"Of course," Galatea nodded and turned back to Isha, a silvery misty sheen had now enveloped the goddess and was growing brighter with every passing heartbeat. Closing their eyes, Galatea and the canonesses, all of them striking a super badass sentinel pose with weapons stabbed unmoving to the ground, started singing lowly, a beautiful hymn that was serene in timbre, yet possessing a churchly strength that resounded across the atrium. Golden lights, dancing like aurora borealis, drifted upward from the canonesses, the fiery illumination coalescing with Isha's solemn own, the two colors blending into a calm vortex that spun slowly above the Aeldari goddess.

"Bloody hell, that's beautiful," Laura commented when Tangmo joined her, Jaghatai grunted lowly in agreement. The three were about fifty paces away from the unfolding sacrament.

"I couldn't agree more," Tangmo adjusted his awesome commissar cap and lowered his hand to the bolt pistol at his belt, fingers drumming the worn grip. "So…umm, what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

"Make sure that no one interrupts Isha," Jaghatai crossed his arms over his chest, "although I believe we will only be paying lip service to our vigilance. The power unleashed here, of Isha and of the Sororitas, has rendered this place the safest on the Immortal Spirit."

"Right on my lord, the eye of the storm is always the safest place to be," Laura said.

"From my own experience, I found that wisdom to be woefully incorrect," Jaghatai cracked a small grin, causing Tangmo and Laura to snigger.

"Yep, you would know," Tangmo glanced up at the vaulted glass ceiling, where murky green haze, thick like the thunderhead of a storm, bled into the atrium from above, easily phasing through the clear crystals without damaging it. The noxious cloud, taking on the shape of unnamable daemons that churned with hungry animation, zeroed in on Isha, who raised her hands high to meet it. The Nurglite cloud crashed into the vortex, the two powers repulsing each other. "My lord Primarch, can I ask you a super honest question?"

"Your reputation seems to suggest that you are never not honest," Jaghatai shot Tangmo a knowing look and the Thai commissar snorted, the easy camaraderie was quite out of the place considering that two divine forces were battling within spitting distant of them, Isha's vortex and Nurgle's storm was clashing more violently now.

"Yeah, you're right," Tangmo said when a powerful gale crashed into the trio, the force would've blown him and Laura clear across the atrium if Jaghatai didn't braced them with his hand. Grabbing Laura's arm tight, the British inquisitor nodding her thanks, Tangmo scooted closer to Jaghatai until they were both leaning against his knee. "Thank you, but seriously, before all of us die in the next minute or two, what the hell happened in the Webway dude? I mean, I expect a lot more drama between you and Isha."

"I met the Emperor," Jaghatai needed to raise his voice over the cyclonic cacophony raging above the atrium. "A splinter of His soul, to be more precise, that was fragmented when he was interned upon the Golden Throne. One such splinter had found refugee within the Webway. We talk, and he regales to me of what must be done for humanity to survive extinction, the crux being that Isha must not fall into the hands of the Ruinous power again."

"Are you sure it's not the Chaos Gods tricking you or something mate?" Laura was now clinging to Tangmo's neck, the Thai commissar pulled the British inquisitor close until they were pressed tight to each other, "or just Cegorach dicking with you?"

"Forgive me lady inquisitor, but I know my father," Laura squeaked and snuggled deeper into Tangmo's arm when Jaghatai shot her a cold, sideway glance.

"Eek! Sorry!"

"You traitorous whore!" An ancient, sickly voice boomed across the atrium as the terrible wind suddenly ceased, all was still yet the Chaos clouds remained, roiling abhorrently, the façades of abominable beasts and monsters lurked just beyond the miasmic veil, leering and snarling at Isha and the canonesses. Frozen to the spot, Tangmo, Laura and Jaghatai can only stared at the horned, rotting, bulbous face of what could only be Nurgle, the universe literal overflowing shit filled toilet. "After everything that I have done, you betrayed me!"

"You kidnapped me!" Isha shouted back, head held high, unbent against the unrelenting mass that was Nurgle, around her the canonesses' powerful hymn was rising in octave, the ambience pushing back the cloud that was the Plague Father's manifestation. "You tore me away from my people! You used me at your pleasure! Abuse me! Humiliate me! Parade me as a conquest to your rivals! I have received nothing but suffering under your dominion!"

"I saved your worthless life!" Nurgle roared back, and holy shit, Tangmo was not unaccustomed to the stench of corpses but this was on another level of fucked. The gust that swept over him felt like it was birthed from an open rotting graveyard the size of a continent. "While your kin were getting devoured by Slaanesh, I personally intervened on your behalf, bringing you to the safety of my garden, where you were pampered and shown nothing but love!"

"Dying at the hand of Slaanesh would have been a mercy compare to what I went through in your garden," Tangmo and Laura traded shocked look, because goddamned Isha was snarling at the Nurgle, and unbelievably the cloud appeared to faltered, shying more and more away from the radiant silver light illuminating from the Aeldari goddess. "I curse your name, and I pray that nothing but ruin come to you and yours, may your ambition turn to dust. Hear me, pestilence, anathema of life and beauty, I shall never return to you and never shall you have possession of me again. Go back to the Warp and rot."

"You whore!"

"Be gone!"

Isha screamed and an atomic bomb of pure white light erupted from where the vortex and the storm collided. Tangmo and Laura were thrown flat to the ground, both of them squawking like frightened chickens, high pitched and offkey, and within moment the glaring white light rolled over them like a vengeful tsunami.

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!" Tangmo squealed as he and Laura held on to each other, both curled into a ball.

"Don't let go, don't let go, don't let go!" Laura shrieked with equal passion, like Tangmo she was rocking back and forth like a child hiding under a blanket.

"Be at peace, lord commissar, lady inquisitor, it is clear that death will not claim you today."

Blinking, then taking a moment to stare blankly at each other, Tangmo and Laura traded goofy chuckles and disentangled their entwined limbs. When he was a hundred percent sure that every part of his body was intact and working correctly, Tangmo glanced around the ruined atrium and shook his head, tsking all the while. Fucking hell he liked the place, and now it was all rotten and dusty, at least the cause of the desolation was not presence anymore. Yes, the sickly feverish sensation and cadaverous miasma was gone, so Tangmo and Laura got up and adjusted their respective awesome coats, trying to keep cool under Jaghatai's gaze.

"Oh yeah, we're alive," Tangmo said sheepishly.

"That you are, lord commissar," Jaghatai looked skyward. "And so are we, against all odds."

Tangmo and Laura followed Jaghatai's unblinking stare and almost wept, both gasping and choking with joy, barely able to hold back tears. The White Scars Primarch was right, by some fucking miracle they were alive. Not only that, but the all-encompassing Nurgle cloud was retreating, the roiling filth was seeping through the vaulted ceiling and back into the Warp.

"Holy fuck…" was all Tangmo managed to mumble as Laura threw her arm over his shoulders, drawing him into a friendly hug, the hero and the heroine standing triumphant after an apocalyptic battle.

"She did it mate," Laura sniffed and pointed at Isha, the Aeldari goddess was being helped back to her feet by Amaryllis and Morelia, the canonesses were no longer hostile. "She saved all of us."

"Lord commissar, I don't know what you did, but it worked!" Eurydice declared with uncharacteristic giddiness, relieved and happy in equal measure. "We are no longer in the throe of Nurgle. The fleet is falling back into formation and is now following the Astronomican. We'll be far away from the Vhilytra system in no time."

"I didn't do anything Eurydice, it was Isha who saved our asses," Tangmo told her. "What about the Immortal Spirit herself? How bad were the breaches?"

"Beside superficial damages to the outer armors, the Ruinous power failed to penetrate into the Immortal Spirit proper," Eurydice told him. "Preliminary report from Solveig indicates that the same things happened to the other ships."

"Would you kindly get us the fuck out of here please Eurydice?" Laura entered the conversation, her legs and arms having gone weak from the overpouring relief.

"Your will be done, lady inquisitor," Eurydice was surely smirking on the other end before cutting the transmission. Sighing, Laura snuggled deeper into Tangmo's chest and he had to admit that it felt very nice, and quite nostalgic too, both of them was very close before breaking up.

"Not gonna lie, I like this," Tangmo gave Laura a hearty squeeze before easing politely out of the embrace, the British inquisitor complied easily. "But I don't want Yuki to get the wrong idea."

"And Leilatha doesn't look like someone who would take this in stride," Laura agreed and flicked the front of her awesome inquisitor hat upward, brown eyes narrowed on the vaulted ceiling. "That fucking Nurgle cloud is still inside the ship."

"Duly noted," Tangmo's hand drifted down to his bolt pistol, Laura doing the same with the holstered laspistol at her belt, while Jaghatai loosened the Mongolian tulwar from its scabbard. They traded looks, a wordless understanding passed between. See, like Yuki, Tangmo shared her superstitious streaks, especially one where you don't, under any circumstances, celebrate prematurely until you were a hundred percent sure that the threat had passed. Watching the roiling green cloud that was the un-distilled essence of the Plague God flow slowly back into the Warp, Tangmo found it extremely difficult to relax.

Then everything went to hell.

"Look out!"

"No!"

Jaghatai dashed forward, faster than what was possible for someone his size, tulwar brandished high, leaving Tangmo and Laura to choke on his dust and bear witness to the unfolding calamity. It happened so fast, yet he saw every little detail as if the world had gone into slow motion. Isha and Galatea were talking, amiable for once, when the last speck of Nurgle's cloud, moments away from transitioning back into the Warp, coalesced into a solid shape, that of a spear, and shot straight down. Galatea and the canonesses failed to see this, but Isha did. Seeing the trajectory, Isha cried out and shoved Galatea away, and was impaled by the plunging spear, the Aeldari goddess daggled off the ground, lanced cleanly through.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Tangmo bellowed, what little euphoria he felt died at the sight of the skewered Isha. Faintly he could hear the cackling, coughing noise of Nurgle, reveling in his final victory. Dashing passed Heloise and Myorin, Tangmo skidded to a stop ten paces from Isha, the goddess was no longer moving, no longer breathing, his jaw hung slack and tears burned the corner of his eyes. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"No…" Laura said softly beside him, hands clasped over trembling mouth. "No, fucking bullshit, this isn't how this…this cannot be how this fucking ends!"

"Make ready!" Naledi shouted and the canonesses got into their respective fighting stance as the lance impaling Isha started writhing, the surface becoming liquid in consistency. Then the weapon atomized into black, wispy vapor, but the haze didn't drift into the vaulted ceiling, oh no, because that would mean this fucking nightmare was coming to an end. Instead, the black smoke flowed into Isha, who had fallen face first to the ground with a hollow thud. "Prepare yourself sisters!"

The canonesses were edging closer but stopped when Jaghatai Khan, the tulwar held easy but ready in his grip, strode toward Isha. The goddess was stirring, croaking moans coming with every weak rise of her back.

"Your eminence?" Jaghatai soundlessly got into a crouch and reached out with his free hand. Not taking any chances, Tangmo and Laura held their sidearms at the ready. "Your eminence, can you hear me? Please, I need you to say something."

"As you wish, son of the Anathema!"

Isha leapt at Jaghatai, clawing hands studded with jagged talons reaching for the Primarch's jugular, the scream she made was an amalgamation of several tortured, demented voices sharing a single vocal cord. Jaghatai was a blur of movement as he backhanded Isha across the face, sending the goddess bouncing across the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"That wasn't very nice, Warhawk," Isha snickered as she slowly pushed herself off the ground, the contorted back, arms and legs reminded Tangmo unpleasantly of Japanese horror movie. "And you were so polite to me before!"

The Aeldari goddess spun around, and if this has been a Sam Raimi movie the camera would speed zoom into her slimy, pox riddled face, crimson needle sharp teeth gleamed through her demented smile, bones popped and cracked to every prowling movement. In that moment Isha, the Aeldari goddess of life, no longer exist, and in her place was the twisted avatar of Nurgle, the Plague God magnum opus.

"She need to be subdue," Jaghatai declared and held his tulwar up in a defensive guard, Tangmo and Laura swiftly took their places beside him, sidearms pointed forward, while the canonesses tightened the ring around Isha. "Whatever happens we cannot allow her to die."

"Fool, have you learned nothing from your exile?!" Isha cackled. Her voice was of many speaking simultaneously, each timbre uniquely daemonic. "We own this whore now! But if you must force us to leave, then go ahead, you know what to do! Come on, what are you waiting for?! Strike the harlot down and – ugh! What?! Argh!"

Isha clutched her head and wailed in pain, the unfettered agony was reaching its zenith when, amazingly, the tumors receded from the goddess's face, revealing a patch of unmarred, shinning flesh twisted into abject pleading.

"Please!" It was Isha, the real Isha, having crawled to the surface of the filth that had now consumed her. "Kill me! Please – ahhh!"

"Be silent!" The daemons inside Isha quickly reclaimed their dominion, pushing the Aeldari goddess away, pusses and boubous multiplying in grotesque multitudes, "when will you stop fighting?!"

"The sarcophagus…" Galatea breathed lowly, earning quirked brow from Tangmo and Laura. She swiftly gathered herself and tapped her earbud, speaking clear and with power. "This is Galatea, code umbra, I repeat, code umbra. Bring the sarcophagus in here now!"

"Code umbra?" Tangmo blurted, his inquisitive gaze honed unblinking on Galatea. Not far away the rumble of heavy transport drew nearer, "sarcophagus?! What in the fuck is going on?!"

"Die!" Not Isha roared and leapt forward again, this time heading for Morelia, claws brandished. The Valorous Heart canoness grunted and swung her thunder hammer at Not Isha, striking her head with an audible crack, but Tangmo could tell Morelia was holding back. Nevertheless, the blow was hard enough to send Not Isha spinning, her skull already healed by the time she stumbled out of the pirouette. Before Not Isha can get her bearing, Bellona's whip sword lashed out, fast and hard like a striking cobra, the rattling blades wrapped themselves around the goddess's calves and ankles, and with a powerful yank pulled her feet from under her. Roaring in outrage, Not Isha was about to claw at the blades bidding her legs when Crestienne and Zhensu dashed in from the sides, the power halberd and power guandao held in reversed grips as the two canonesses thrust downward. The blade of the weapons, after making a brilliant cascading sparks when they grazed each other, formed an X just above Not Isha's thrashing neck, locking the goddess in a makeshift stockade.

"You fucking bitches!" Not Isha roared, and was starting to writhe violently when Eldul stabbed her power spear down between the goddess's legs, the shaft lodging firmly between the whip sword's chains and blades, further immobilizing the possessed deity. "This cannot stop us! We can never be stop!"

"Hold her down!" Galatea, now glowing radiant gold, placed the tip of her zweihander on Not Isha's back. The possessed goddess screamed and flailed as the sanctified weapon held her down, thin wisp of smoke rising from where steel meet skin. Not Isha refused to give up though, her struggle growing so ferocious that the other canonesses went to help Crestienne, Zhensu and Eldul hold their weapons in place. "By the Throne, where is that damn sarcophagus?!"

A hover trucked swerved to a stop beside them and a dozen Sisters of Battle wearing nun habits leapt to the ground, eight of them carried a huge blackened coffin of gothic design, which they set down beside Not Isha with a loud thud.

"What in the bloody fuck is that?!" Laura blurted as the Sisters of Battle, many of them carrying thuribles and large poles with Imperial tome affixed to the top, started praying loudly, the volume and tempo more akin to Heavy Metal music than church hymns. "What is this fucking thing?!"

"The only thing that can contain her!" Galatea swept a hard glance over the canonesses, all of them grim. "We must put her inside the sarcophagus sisters, make sure that prayers to Terra are hot on your lips, that way we can mitigate the worse of the corruption. Together now, for the…"

"Allow me, lady canoness."

Moving with startling nonchalance, Jaghatai grabbed Not Isha by the back of her neck, the goddess squirming wildly as the White Scars Primarch lifted her easily off the ground, strode over to the open sarcophagus and shoved her none too gently inside. Expecting the Aeldari goddess to leap at Jaghatai and clawed his face off, Tangmo and Laura allowed themselves shallow sighs when the voice echoing from the iron confine was that of the real Isha.

"Close it!" She screamed and the Sisters of Battle pushed the lid over the sarcophagus, unseen mechanism sealed it close with clicks and clangs and sharp metallic hisses. Not Isha returned with a vengeance and started pummeling her prison, dents bulging to every violent pounding, prompting the Battle Sisters to nail scriptures and litanies to the sarcophagus, while some dipped their fingers in holy water and started writing more prayers on the iron surface. It amazingly worked and Not Isha calmed down somewhat, she still screamed and cursed loudly though.

"All of you stay here and cleanse the atrium. We make for the sanctum, now!" Galatea bellowed and Jaghatai hefted up the sarcophagus with a grunt onto his shoulder and bounded for the rumbling truck, super-fast despite the extra load. Tangmo, Laura and the canonesses sprinted after Jaghatai, who unceremoniously threw the sarcophagus inside, causing the truck to bounce a few feet into the air and the driver to squeal.

"Quickly now!" With Jaghatai's help, Tangmo, Laura and the canonesses all hopped inside the rear compartment. The canonesses positioned themselves around the sarcophagus, drawn weapons lay on the lid, Not Isha ceased her yelling, opting for an animalistic growl instead.

"We're all in, get us out of here!" Galatea bellowed and the truck lurched into motion, the Martyred Lady then strode over to Jaghatai. "My lord Primarch, are you injured? Please let me see your hand."

"I am fine, lady canoness," Jaghatai held up his palm and wiggled his fingers, dust drifting off his ornate gauntlet. "Nurgle will always flee from me, he still remembers what I did to Mortarion."

"Galatea," Tangmo entered the conversation, giving Galatea his undivided attention. "You have some explaining to do. As in, what in the fuck is this sarcophagus shit?! It's obviously been made long before we even know about Isha, so what the hell man?!"

"The sarcophagus was made for Warseer Lita," Galatea answered him, guiltless in her declaration, both the hardliner and moderate canonesses supporting her with level stares they now honed unblinking on Tangmo and Laura, daring the pair to make a fuzz. "We deemed her the most immediate threat to the Immortal Spirit when the Aeldari first entered the battlegroup, the sanctified adamantium would be more than enough to contain her power if she betrays us. That now seemed unlikely in the extreme, but we must be prepared for every possible contingency. We never thought the sarcophagus would be used to hold another occupant."

"Well shite, thank the God Emperor for that little foresight slash paranoia," Laura let out a little chuckle and fist bump Tangmo. Judging by the startled look on their faces, this was not the reaction the canonesses were expecting.

"I thought Warseer Lita was your friends?" Bellona asked, her head tilted to the side.

"She is, and this is a really dick move by the way, but hey, we have our own secrets too, so, c'est la vie," Tangmo winked at the canonesses and Galatea grinned in a way that said well-played. "But I need you to tell her about this."

"As you wish, since I doubt it will be a secret anymore," Galatea shrugged then stabbed the zweihander down on the sarcophagus when Not Isha started screaming again. "Quiet!"

"So, now that we're not gonna kill Isha," Laura swept her gaze over the canonesses, all of whom nodded with varying degrees of reluctance, "what the fuck are we supposed to do? Can you guys, like, exorcise her?"

"She is currently inhabited by several Greater Daemons, quite likely close consorts of Nurgle, therefore they are beyond our ability," Victrix told Laura.

"I'm waiting for a solution here," Tangmo pressed on.

"There is only one person who we believe have the power to exorcise the daemons without killing Isha," Galatea announced sternly. "Saint Celestine."

"Cool, do we know where she is?" Tangmo knew it was a longshot, but at least it was something.

"Maybe she's with Guilliman? We can start there," Laura suggested.

"Eurydice, do you read?" Tangmo tapped his earbud so hard that it almost went into his ear canal. "I need you to plot a course for the Macragge's Honor immediately, we need to find lord Guilliman yo! This is a fucking emergency!"

"As you command, lord commissar," Eurydice wasted no time and went about her task.

"Lord commissar, is there any possible way that I can contact your Astropaths from this location?" Jaghatai spoke up. "I must send a message to the White Scars and every associated chapter that came after."

"Here," Laura removed the data-pad from her armguard and handed it to Jaghatai, who took it with a polite bow. "Can I ask what you're doing?"

"A clarion call for war," Jaghatai said simply and began tapping the data-pad, his movement graceful and delicate.

"Welp," Tangmo's shoulders slump as he glanced at the sarcophagus, then shared a sardonic look with Laura. "Let's see how we're gonna get our asses out of this one."