The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

"This is an extremely bad idea."

"I wouldn't deny that there is some risk to this undertaking, but I believe it will benefit us both."

"Let's turn back, please. Just the thought of the chaos that will follow frightens me."

"Then you shouldn't have shown me the schematic of the labyrinth in the walls between the Sororitas and the Aeldari quarter and how to correctly navigate those passages."

"If I had known your true intention, I would've kept my mouth shut."

Celestine shrugged innocently but it did little to put Isha's worries at ease. Isha was correct though, because if Celestine had been forth coming with her plan, then this expedition would have been dead at the conception. It was a good plan, and no amount badgering from the Aeldari goddess will stop her.

"You can always go back, watch your head," Celestine ducked under a clutter of pipes, the metal surprising clean and well maintained, Isha following gingerly. The Immortal Spirit was truly an impressive ship, a Gloriana that eclipsed the Macragge's Honor in size and grandeur, but never would she have thought the cleanliness of the exterior would be mirrored in the deeper interior. Even within the walls, home to a maddened web of wires and pipes and chutes and circuitries, everything was clean and orderly, with enough illumination all around.

"I most certainly can," Isha hefted up the skirt of her priestess robe as they walked over a patch of spilled water. "But then, I will be leaving you to the mercy of this maze of steel."

"I got a map with me," Celestine held up her data-pad.

"Yes, you got a map, but not the knowledge of its correct navigation," Isha offered smugly. "I sincerely doubt the map in your hand would tell you of the hatch ten stride away that opens into junction eleven, or that if you take those stairs to the left you will find a ventilation system leading to a parking lot, or if you follow that narrow path on your right you'll emerge in the water reservoir of the northern garden."

"Ah, I see that besides your godly duty, you have not been as idle as many has been led to believe," Celestine's knowing look made Isha huff, her cheeks reddening. "But to venture into the skeleton of the Immortal Spirit, I never took you for an adventurous soul."

"I'm not," Isha dusted down her skirt. "But during my time on Thima-Chantra I've developed the need to know and memorize every available route of escape, in case the unthinkable happens. I got very good at it, and had been making many clandestine explorations since. To tell you the truth, I found the exercise to be quite invigorating."

"Something tells me Elnys, Tanrion and Celalira do not take kindly to this behavior?" Celestine and Isha came to a stop at a two way junction, both the left and the right path looked identical, "which way do we go now?"

"Take the left then go straight for about a hundred meter until you find the access door," Isha marched down the aforementioned direction, surprisingly fleet on her feet, but Celestine quickly matched steps with her. "And to answer your question, yes, my antic was politely discouraged many times. At the end of the day though, I am their goddess and I do as I please."

"So Elnys is aware of this?" Celestine asked.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Isha said sheepishly. "I did tell her that I was feeling rather tired today, and would like to rest without being disturbed."

"A good cover story, you always look so sickly," Celestine looked Isha up and down.

"I do not look sickly!" Isha folded her arms crossly over her chest.

"Fine, you're a lot healthier than when you got possessed," Celestine tapped her chin contemplatively. "Skinny would be the more correct term."

"That, I will not deny," Isha conceded and opened a door on their left, revealing an empty corridor, the walls white and illuminated by ample neon that lined the ceiling. "And here we are."

"Wouldn't the people working here be surprise if they see us?" Celestine asked as she and Isha walked down the corridor, their speed unhurried.

"As far as I can tell, the workers only use this passageway if something goes wrong," Isha pushed open the door at the end of the hallway and the low hum of bustling activities washed over them, unnaturally loud after the silence from before. Glancing left and right to make sure there was nobody around, Isha and Celestine strolled into a large warehouse filled with tall metallic benches brimming with mechanical tools, "which is a rare occurrence on the Immortal Spirit."

"If only the Imperial Navy worked half as good as the ships in this fleet," Celestine ruminated on the stagnation of the Imperium at large and almost bump into Isha, who had stopped walking suddenly. "Sorry. Is something wrong?"

"It's just…I've never ventured this far before," Isha grinned shyly. "But I do know that the exit is over there."

"Time for an adventure then," taking the lead, Celestine went over to the simple steel door and pushed. The exit swung outward easily, and within moment Celestine and Isha found themselves in the open. Well, open was a relative term considering that they were still inside the Immortal Spirit, but the illusion was near perfect. The air was clean and sweet, the light beautifully simulating the twenty four hour day cycle of Terra, the hue morning gold, the walls and ceiling so seamless that they appeared to stretch into infinity above. All in all, it was very pleasant. "This is nice."

"Indeed," Isha agreed. "Is it like this on every Imperial ship?"

"No, absolutely not, this is beyond anything I ever thought the Imperium is capable of technologically," Celestine was gawking, honestly gawking at something as mundane as a ship's hull, when high pitched honking pulled her back to the present. She studiously ignored the smirking Isha as she turned right. "I believe that is our transportation, we should hurry."

"This is a bus depot, we can take our times," Isha took the lead again. "I'm glad I'm not the only one excited."

"Besides the churches of the Sororitas, the Aeldari parks, and your seat of power on the Immortal Spirit, I have not been exploring much," Celestine took her place beside Isha and together followed the bustling ambience of vigorous humanity, the timbre joyful and hearty. They rounded the corner of the warehouse and was greeted with an enormous half circle building comprised almost entirety of glass, the transparent walls and vaulted ceiling held together by Aeldari bone material. "And I truly regret not doing this earlier."

"The handmaidens were always talking about the grandeur of the Immortal Spirit, and how there were endless wonders and discoveries to be made, more so than even a Craftworld," Isha smiled wistfully but scooted closer to Celestine when they neared the entrance of the bus depot, where great number of humans and eldars congregated and mingled. "I would be lying if I say I wasn't a bit curious."

"How have your work been?" Celestine asked as she and Isha slowed down, the press of people was getting more hectic, with many shoulders brushing. "Most of my time has been spent performing sacraments and initiation rites for new Sisters of Battle, seeing to the disposition of the Sororitas's manpower and resources, and martial and mental training. I honestly haven't had much time to myself."

"I thought that was because you like to personally take charge of things?" Isha snarky raise of a brow was very endearing, and unbelievably infuriating to behold. "You should delegate more."

"If you must know, I am delegating," Celestine held her nose daintily high, the display made Isha snickered. "I am simply making sure things are done properly the first few times around."

"That's not what I heard," Isha said and Celestine made a mental note to find out who the tattletales were.

"If Elnys testimony is to be believed, you are also a stickler for precision and perfection," Celestine countered and Isha affected an innocent expression. "But all joking aside, I couldn't believe the Immortal Spirit have a machine that connects to the Infinity Circuit. And not just any Infinity Circuit too, but an Infinity Circuit programed specifically to your person. It was as if the builders of this Gloriana had you in mind when the construction began."

"That was a surprise to me too. But it is not an Infinity Circuit, even if the function of safeguarding Aeldari souls is the same, no, this is the Harmony Nexus," Isha smiled softly as the glass doors parted smoothly, soundlessly in front of them. The depot was not simply a place to board the buses, but a hub for meeting and recreation as well, with many shops and restaurants placed at frequent interval along the ground floor and the five tier walkways that extended up the curved walls. Seeing how the flow of people was starting to grumble, courtesy of the gawking goddess, Celestine took Isha's arm and guided her to an ornamental tree, one of the many that lined the depot's crisscrossing paths, pulling them out of the heavy traffic. "Oh! Sorry about that, but yes, the device is called the Harmony Nexus, not the Infinity Circuit."

"Your friends have been rather conservative with the details," Celestine tried to appear aloof, as if she was making small talks. Isha's unimpressed look told her that she had failed miserably. "That is…if you're comfortable with sharing the information with me."

"I see no reason to hide, humanity and Aeldari are allies now," Isha shrugged but a solemn shadow darkened her visage. "I only hope that you will not use this knowledge against me or mine."

"I swear it Isha, no harm will come to the Aeldari," Celestine meant every word, and Isha was able to see her sincerity.

"I believe you," Isha nodded with a friendly smile. "As for the Harmony Nexus, well, it's a pocket dimension within the Webway that only I can access, a haven for myself and all who worship me, but it was sealed it off by my followers after the Fall. I'd assumed that it was lost for good, for although I know that a few points of access survived the knowledge of their locations have since been lost to all. But it has been found once more, and on a ship made by mankind no less."

"The spirits of eldars who accept you as their deity are placed inside the Harmony Nexus via the Soul Stones?" Celestine asked.

"They are," Isha nodded and, after finding the least congested path in the throng, took Celestine by the hand and together walked toward a big, neon bright screen, one of the hundred placed along the many intersections. The bus numbers, time of arrival and departure, and destination filled the pristine digital display.

"And besides being a resting place for the Aeldari valiant dead, the souls also serve as your power source. The Harmony Nexus can increase your power, depending on the number of souls contained," Celestine might have lied to Isha in regards to her ignorance about the Aeldari device. She had never liked subterfuge, but at the urging of Greyfax and the canonesses, Battle Sisters masquerading as scholars were sent to find out more about Isha's seat of power. The disappointment and betrayal that came over Isha's visage made Celestine felt the more wretched.

"It is hardly different from the Golden Throne that your God Emperor now sits upon. Does the power of faith not grow stronger from every life that perishes in his name?" Isha shot back sharply and Celestine received the blow without complain, it's a lot less than what she deserved. But the goddess's anger dissipated quickly, and was replaced by shame. "By the stars, I'm sorry, that was out of line. Please forgive me."

"I deserve that," Celestine tried to smile but a sad sighed came out instead. "Besides, everything you said was true…and more besides."

"How was the orientation?" Isha squeezed Celestine's hand, the warmth of the contact banishing the gloom. "I heard Greyfax did not take the revelation well."

"I didn't survive unscathed either," Celestine chuckled. "How wrong I was to think that seeing the God Emperor in the flesh would be a joyful occasion. Then again, only through pain can salvation and enlightenment be achieved. Still, to be so brutally told that everything we've ever known was wrong can be a tad difficult to accept."

"Your Emperor is a pragmatist above all else," Isha said. "Even if the Imperium of Man was not as he'd originally envisioned, I doubt he will find fault in what you and the Sororitas have done, you should be proud of what you've accomplished."

"I am proud, and I shall continue to serve the Imperium of Man till the very last drop of my blood," Celestine declared proudly and Isha snickered, pleased to see her spirited again. "Although I have to admit, my transition into the ranks of the battlegroup would be a lot less aggravating if it wasn't for the Eight."

"Oh yes, they can be quite a handful," Isha's recollection of the Immortal Spirit high echelon leaned more toward the positive. "I have not yet run afoul of them. They were very polite with me, if a little strange in colloquialism."

"I met them before you know," Celestine and Isha went to stand before the large digital screen, clear and without static, not even the Macragge's Honor was this technologically stable. And not a Mechanicus in sight too, which was always good. As Celestine scanned the lists of departure and arrival, the people around her and Isha quickly made room for them. It was not because they were clad in mighty armors or regal dress spun from the very stars itself, no, Celestine and Isha currently wore simple nun habit and priestess robe, allowing them to blend easily into the populace. The fearsome reputation of the Sororitas and the Aeldari, especially the Howling Banshee Aspect Warriors, was the reason for the deference displayed. Humming softly, Celestine pointed at the screen. "Where did you want to go again? Block B was it?"

"If it's not too much trouble for you," Isha nodded. "I have heard that it is the Immortal Spirit most metropolitan sector."

"Good choice, I was hoping to visit the place too, even the most pious amongst the sisters are quite enraptured by the place," Celestine and Isha went over to the waiting area for bus no. 493, the place was bustling. "And getting to see the place without an ostentatious armed escort is also a plus."

"Humans and Aeldari are not so different after all," Isha said. "You said you met the Eight before?"

"Indeed, and they haven't changed in the decade since," Celestine snorted when a large rectangular hover bus, white and sky blue in color, long glass panes ran the length of the two passenger decks, glided to a stop before the waiting area. The doors at the front and back slid open and the waiting people boarded the bus. Nudging Isha in the side, Celestine held up her data-pad and pointed at the screen. "Get your data-pad ready, and make sure the…QR code is visible."

"I know how to use the data-pad, Celestine, it's not that difficult to grasp," Isha rolled her eyes and let the bus's scanned the screen, easily and instantaneously purchasing a ticket, before taking the stair up to the second deck. Celestine followed with a grin, Isha had always disliked being treated delicately. Still pouting, Isha took a window seat and Celestine sat down beside her, the goddess had her nose in the air. "Behold, I have not crumble to dust."

"After everything I've seen of you Isha, I'm sure you'll outlast even me," Celestine eased her back into the seat and adjusted her habit, then pointed at Isha's robe. "Your hem is lodge in the seat."

"Oh thank you, I'll – ahhh!" Isha squeaked and flattened herself into the seat, drawing curious look from the human couple seated opposite them. "It's Elnys and the handmaidens!"

Brow quirked, Celestine looked out the window and indeed Isha's right hand woman and a couple of handmaidens were walking casually across a waiting platform adjacent to their own. The springy steps and lively conversation boded well for the saint and the goddess, but Celestine was prudent, so she reclined back until she was leveled with Isha, her eyes never leaving the women. Thankfully, their bus purred and took off down the road, and within seconds they were out of Elnys's sight.

"Well, wasn't that thrilling," Celestine sat up, Isha following suite a moment later, the goddess scanning the landscape as if expecting Elnys to suddenly materialized out of thin air and snatched her away. "She didn't see us."

"All for the best, I suppose," Isha sighed. "I do feel guilty though, when Elnys finds out about this she'll be frightfully worried. It's almost like I'm betraying her."

"Technically, you are. But at the end of the day you are a goddess, what you do is above reproach," Celestine said.

"A leader must bear responsibility for their action," Isha countered. "One cannot hope to lead if they are exempt from the judgment of their peers and subjects."

"Very true," Celestine nodded, very much liking Isha's attitude toward governance. If only the leaders of the Imperium possessed such honesty and virtue, then mankind wouldn't be in such a decrepit state. "So why didn't you tell Elnys?"

"She would have said no," Isha admitted coyly. "And I would have surrendered to her infallible logic."

"Better to avoid an unwinnable battle," Celestine and Isha was sharing a laugh but stopped when the bus got on the main road proper, both their attention now fixed singularly on the passing landscape outside. Having grown used to the less than pleasing edifice of Hive Cities and the decay of rapid urbanization, Celestine found herself lost for words as she beheld one of the many highways that cut across the Immortal Spirit. The paved road was spotless, with clear marking to indicate the lanes, wide enough for vehicles of all shapes, sizes and colors, both of the civilians and military sorts, to traverse with ease. Tall lamps, the design an amalgamation of Aeldari flowing curvature and Imperium strict geometry, lined the median strip between the roads, shinning bright and pleasant. But most surprising of all were the trees, tall emerald specimens that rocked and swayed to the gentle breeze, placed at measured intervals along the highway, casting cool shades on the walking pedestrians. And beyond the tree line were open areas dominated by buildings, mostly of the residential sorts, while more enterprising constructions rose up onto the very wall of the ship.

"Trees," Isha was near breathless as she pressed her face flat against the window. "By the stars, I haven't seen trees of the like in such a long time, and growing in such great numbers."

"It is so clean too," Celestine leaned over Isha's shoulder, her own cheek an inch away from the touching the glass, "and orderly, barely a hint of poverty to be seen."

"Look at that! There are towers and spires coming down from the ceiling!" Isha tilted her head upward and Celestine mirrored her movement with equal enthusiasm. And by the Throne of Earth, what a magnificent sight it was, gleaming inverted towers hug upside down from the ceiling, each building connected by wide walkways of glass and steel. Even the unfinished structures were daunting to behold, swarming with hover platforms and flying vehicles and being fuzzed about by countless construction workers, as bees would tend their hive.

"I never knew mankind was capable of such creativity," Celestine said and, after remembering her manners, sat back down, humming as she primly adjusted her habit, Isha reined in her excitement after a few more heartbeats.

"I'm not. I was around during the time period you called the Dark Age of Technology. Personally, the Golden Age would be a more apt name," Isha glanced at Celestine. "You look quite excited for someone who had been on the Immortal Spirit before."

"I only commuted between the Sororitas sanctum, the Aeldari quarters and the many military installations," Celestine said. "And after exorcising you, my schedule has been more or less the same. A saint is perpetually busy."

"Not as much as a goddess, I assured you," Isha snickered as the bus entered a tunnel, and like the road it was well lit, although the orange hue was significantly darker. "Even the tunnel is nice, how impressive."

"How far did we fall?" Celestine knew she shouldn't sour the mood, but she could not stop herself. She might never get a chance to be alone with Isha like this again, and she will not waste this opportunity. "I'm sorry for changing to such a bleak subject but…I must know, was mankind truly better before the advent of the God Emperor?"

"…They were," Isha sighed and offered Celestine an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Celestine, I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but I think it is better for you to face the truth head on."

"I've always been headstrong," Celestine's grin was resigned. "So all of it was true? Everything that was shown during the orientation? The God Emperor's original vision for humanity? His disdain for worship? All of it?"

"I'm afraid so," Isha nodded sadly. "Although I've met him only once, it was clear that he seeks to elevate mankind to an enlightened race, one free of fear and prejudice, a mighty empire that will never cease moving forward."

"I've been brought up by nothing but lies," Celestine was unsuccessful in keeping the bitterness from her voice. "All the sacrifices made, the suffering rendered upon the Imperium, the countless lives cast into the pyre of faith…all of it went against the wishes of the God Emperor. Our achievements despoil his dream and goal of humanity…no wonder Guilliman was so despondent after his resurrection."

"Please don't say that," Isha grabbed Celestine's arm lightly. "This might not be what your Emperor wanted, but he was a pragmatist, not an idealist. After everything I've read about you, everything that you have done, if the God Emperor will find fault in your selfless service then he is not worthy of worship."

"Thank you for the kind words Isha, even if it is unforgivably heretical," Celestine meant the chastisement to be a joke but Isha paled in fear. "I jest, relax…I only hope that when my times come, truly comes that is, I can find a place next to Him on the Golden Throne."

"I'm sure you will Celestine," Isha said and removed her hand from Celestine, the absence of the goddess's warmth was an unpleasant, tangible void. "If I might add, you took the revelation a lot better than many of the Sororitas."

"Oh I know. Many tears were shed during the sermon I gave in regard to the God Emperor's words. In the end, I believe the Adepta Sororitas knows and accept the authenticity of the holovids provided by the battlegroup," Celestine shook her head, remembering the rampant denial, with many sisters begging for her to denounce the evidences. A stern talking to silenced the outburst quick enough. "A lifetime of rigid doctrine can be difficult to sunder."

"Many Aeldari are the same. Hours did I spent lecturing them on the virtue of coexistence with mankind, battering them down until they could do nothing but submit to my logic," Isha was very pleased with herself as she leaned to the side, "the tunnels ending."

Not a heartbeat after Isha had spoken light flooded into the bus and Celestine found herself gawking without reservation, again. Block B was a technological and architectural marvel, a metropolis squeezed into the gigantic hull of a Gloriana warship, stretching as far as the eyes can see, a verdant forest of steel and light that shone like the brightest of stars, towers and spires protruding from above, below and the sides. Celestine was not alone in her breathless astonishment, for Isha was equally enraptured by the sprawling urban wonder, their awe only heightened when the bus entered Block B proper.

"I…could never have dreamed that a city can look like this," Celestine was leaning over Isha's shoulder to get a better look now that the traffic had slowed, the saint and the goddess unblinking in their gander, "so clean…so spacious…so bright, chaotic and cramp in several places mind you, but this put the upper tier of many great Hive Cities to shame. How was such order and cleanliness achieved? See those roads? They're paved with vehicles and pedestrian in mind, easily accommodating both. And the buildings, it's actually pleasing to look at, absent noxious grime and decay."

"And very lively too," Isha took in the passing vista with a childlike smile, one that Celestine was sure she shared. "Everybody is talking and mingling. It is so strange to see humans and eldars coexisting harmoniously, well, as harmoniously as can be when mercantilism is concern, I can already see a lot of haggling."

"Next stop, Siam avenue, please mind the gap between bus and sidewalk. Next stop, Siam avenue, please mind the gap between bus and sidewalk."

"Is this where we get off?" Isha asked in response to the bus's monotone announcement, around them many were stirring and rising and gathering their belongings. Prying her eyes away from the window, Celestine drew the data-pad from her habit.

"I believe so," Celestine nodded after scanning the information on the screen, "strange name for an avenue. Siam? I wonder what dialect that stems from."

"Certainly not an Aeldari one," Isha was adjusting her priestess robe when the bus came to a stop. "Well, here we are."

"Indeed we have," Celestine got up from her seat, smoothened her habit, and was extending her hand to Isha when she found the goddess still seated, unmoving, the wonderment that had shone so bright in her eyes was now frosted over by fear. "Isha? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is quite fine Celestine," Isha knew she wasn't fooling anyone, so she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, like how one would ready themselves for a fight. "I'm sorry, I'm being stupid, but after everything I went through, large crowd of people make me nervous."

"No Isha, it's not stupid, please do not demean yourself in such a way," Celestine knelt down so that she was eye level with Isha, ignoring the other passengers behind her as she gently grabbed the goddess's hand. "You are still healing, and such thing takes time, there is nothing to be ashamed off. Trust me when I say that I will be by your side through it all, whatever the future holds we shall face it together."

"You're right, you're absolutely right," nodding vigorously, Isha sprang off her seat, ears fluttering animatedly, her determination was very endearing to behold. "I cannot live in fear. Besides, my reputation amongst the Sororitas is already lacking, I rather not confirm its validity."

"That's the spirit," hands still joined, Celestine and Isha bowed apologetically to the line of agitated passengers behind them and hurried off the bus, their combined smiles was not able to thaw the annoyance on the driver's face. The first thing to assault the pair was the cavalcade of boisterous noises, lively and dazzling in timbre, loud but strangely pleasant on the ears. The bus had dropped them off at a bustling intersection where four wide roads met, surrounded on all side by buildings decorated with great holographic signs, panes of digital screens and lights of every imaginable spectrum. The lanes converged on a roundabout with a tall obelisk at the center, a great pillar of metallic ivory. And placed at the eight corners of the monument were statues of Imperial Guardsmen in varying poses of combat, the spotlights shining from below painted the unmoving soldiers in a golden, heroic hue.

"I can't recall the last time I've visited a city with such energy," Isha smiled brightly, her earlier aversion seemingly vanished. "Where should we head to first?"

"Well, let's see – oww!" Celestine was jolted forward, almost dropping the data-pad in her hand when a continuous stream of people bumped into her, all of them grumbling as they hurried to their destinations. "Sorry!"

"Watch where you're going!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Bloody mooks, standing around like a buncha idiot!"

"Who the hell let them out of the abbey?!"

Was one of the few colorful interactions Celestine had with the pedestrians as Isha pulled her away from the current of humanity and Aeldari, the goddess managed to find a row of benches, all of them occupied by those least disposed to urgency, and took refuge amongst them.

"Are you alright?" Isha smoothed and dusted off Celestine's habit.

"A little bit of shoving doesn't bother me," Celestine waved Isha off and started tapping her data-pad again. "But if I was being honest, I did not expect such rudeness, and toward nuns and priestesses too!"

"You did wanted a true, unaugment experience of life amongst the people of the Immortal Spirit," Isha shrugged, her smile cheeky. She then waved at Celestine and herself. "Besides, we are not exactly aglow with radiance divinity, are we? Our mundane attires could hardly inspire great veneration. Without our raiments and, ahem, the flaunting of our powers, we are but another pair of gentle nun and priestess…and your eyes are not glowing. Blue, that's a pretty color."

"Why, thank you Isha" Celestine snickered and tapped her screen, nodding when she finished plotting the route they would take, "and there, all done. I believe I have found the optimal path for us to take."

"I can't make sense of anything," Isha leaned closer to see the digitized map, eyes squinted in confusion.

"I can, this is actually a lot less complicated than most of the military maps I had to put up with," Celestine held out her hand, Isha took it, and together the pair headed into the throng of people, this time easily navigating the flow as they headed down the brightly lit street. "This should be a pleasant and educational experience. It has been too long since I had a chance to simply relax."

"Where are we headed by the way?" Isha asked.

"According to the map, the Sukhothai walking street," Celestine found it extremely hard to focus on the road. The lights of merriment, the cadence of healthy trades, the clashing music, the caressing scents of foods and floras, it made Celestine realized how such peaceful atmosphere, one free of war and suffering, had become a foreign thing to her. Her life was war, she was a weapon of the God Emperor, peace was the prize she rendered after every victory, not something she indulges. But now, embraced within the ambience and vista of exuberance, Celestine was for the first time experiencing what she had fought and died for.

"Celestine? Are you well?" Isha's concerned question pulled Celestine out of her ravine.

"I was lost in thought," Celestine shook her. "Happy thoughts though."

"That's very nice," Isha glanced at Celestine's map and started down the street, taking the initiative. "Now that you're back, Sukhothai Street awaits!"

"That's the spirit!" Celestine beamed but planted her feet on the ground, stopping Isha mid step. "But, umm, it's this way."

"Eek! Sorry!" Sharing a laugh, Celestine and Isha strolled along the wide footpath, admiring the multitude of people surging toward and away from them, their vigor for life intoxicating to behold, the noise that had sounded so unwelcoming before now carried a pleasant note that propelled the pair onward. It took longer than expected, with Isha slowing down in front of every little shop to gander and Celestine getting so easily distracted by the beautiful cars that zoomed passed them, but they eventually came upon the entrance of Sukhothai walking street. No grand archway or the likes greeted them. Instead the only thing marking this place as a beginning of a new road was that the smooth tarmac ended, blocked off by a row of metallic bollards, and was replaced by gleaming cobblestone. Trading nods, Celestine and Isha, hand in hand, walked onto Sukhothai Street, passed the two flanking buildings dominated by large screens with vivid moving pictures, the mass of people greatly lessening now that the road had broadened.

"It's so big," Celestine found herself in awe of the size and diversity of services displayed, and this was just the beginning too. Ten steps in and she and Isha were gaping at restaurants, beauty parlors, liquor stores, indoor markets, toy stores, by the Throne, even the Militarum recruiting centers were very pleasing to behold. "I don't know where to start."

"I have an idea," Isha grinned and walked down one of the side road with Celestine, the goddess had her nose in the air, sniffing and following a scent like a dutiful hound. Celestine was on the verge of laughing when the aromas struck her also, and before she knew it her mouth was watering. "In my haste, I forgot to feed myself before leaving."

"Same with me," Isha's nose had led them true, for she and Celestine now stood in an alleyway comprised totally of eateries. It was an hour before noon so the traffic was light, which gave the pair ample time to browse. They were just scanning the first few places when Celestine turned to Isha with a quirk brow. "I had assumed that a goddess would not bother herself with such trifle thing like food, with you getting enough nourishment from the prayers of faithful across the galaxy."

"I eat!" Isha huffed.

"Could've fooled me," Celestine snorted.

"I am a gentle goddess, not a saint of war, my diets are therefore light compare to what you would normally consume," Isha went on heatedly but her timbre turned sheepish quick. "But if I was being honest, one could get bored very quickly of salads and fruits and fishes. Elnys gave me an earful when she discovered my hidden stash of liquorish. The handmaiden who had acquired them for me almost got flayed."

"I know what you mean," Celestine sighed. "The Sororitas are pious even when it comes to food, breads and soups and tiny slices of unseasoned meat can grow very stale. Why, just last week I was helping myself to a handful of candy after a meal with the Sororitas, the look the canonesses and the Celestians gave me was so judgmental that I had to stop myself from indulging."

"Good thing no one's here to judge us," Isha grinned mischievously before fixing her attention on the many restaurants arrayed around them, bright grey eyes sparkling. "What do you fancy?"

"The people are sparse, so a reconnaissance seems the most prudent approach," nudging her head, Celestine and Isha took off into the alleyway wreathed in tantalizing aroma, misty sheen of delectable steam hovered gently above their heads. "Come on!"

Celestine had lived and died many lifetimes in her long service to the Imperium, and was remiss for overlooking the simple beauty of food. Although she could be forgiven for not noticing the meal she ate, most were slops or blocks of barely edible protein anyway, to finally be able to see the variety of delicacy offered from every culture across the galaxy was both a thrill and a joy she had not felt since she was a child. And to be able to share this excitement with Isha, a soul that was bright and pure, only made the experience better. They passed an establishment that specialized in searing large slaps of meat, the sizzling cuts were cooked over a roaring fire for all passersby to see, spices and seasonings rained on them like drifting snow. The next place the pair came upon served noodles in large lacquered bowls filled with broth, the top decorated with thin slices of meat and a variety of vegetables. After that was an eatery spewing heady steam as herbs and minced meats were tossed around in a large pan with depression in the middle, followed by a restaurant with rolled up breads filled to bursting with delicacy, and an establishment that prepared raw fishes. Celestine, and Isha by the looks of it, was starting to get dizzy when the saint and the goddess suddenly stopped in front of an unassuming restaurant, and in that moment knew the right place has been found.

"Welcome to the Blooming Sandwich, honorable nun, honorable priestess," a waitress emerged from the restaurant, the bell on the door chimed pleasantly. In her hand was a pair of leather bound menus. "Please have a look at our offerings."

"Thank you," Isha took the proffered menu, her eyes widening at the many pictures plastered upon the pages, even Celestine had to admit that all the items looked decadently scrumptious. "That's a lot of food."

"Please take your time," the waitress bow respectfully and retreated back to the door, waiting for, unbeknownst to her, the saint and the goddess to pick their lunch.

"This is quite a selection," Celestine flipped a page and was greeted with more extravagant foods. "To have so many to choose from…no wonder the disposition of the Immortal Spirit's civilians are strangely amiable compared to the other places I've visited. Then again, not having to eat those protein rations can improve the mood of even the most hardened cynic."

"You have a lot of happy memory then," Isha smirked.

"Absolutely not!" Celestine snorted and narrowed her eyes on a particular sandwich, a fulfilling but modest looking specimen. "Have you made your pick yet?"

"I believe I do," Isha nodded and haven't turned her head halfway when the waitress appeared beside them again, predatory in her swiftness. "Oh! You're fast."

"I have to be quick, wouldn't want you wandering off," the waitress was bubbly in her response. "Have you made your choices yet?"

"Indeed we have," Isha pointed at a picture on the menu, causing both Celestine and the waitress to balk in surprise. "I believe I shall have the triple decker steak and bacon sandwich with grilled cheese, with a side of lettuces, tomatoes and pickles please."

"The fasting must have been pretty bad up there, huh?" The waitress chuckled as she tapped her data-pad and turned to Celestine. "And will you be having something equally hefty in size?"

"My choice is no less intimidating," Celestine tapped the item she had been eyeing. "A smoke pork sandwich with extra vegetables for me please."

"Coming right up," the waitress said and held out the data-pad to them. "That will be two hundred credits please."

"I'll be paying," Isha let the waitress scanned her data-pad and flashed a grin at Celestine. "My order was more pricey than yours, seems only fair that I bear the financial burden."

"And done," the waitress announced happily, "will you be dinning inside the restaurant or have your foods on the go?"

"It's already approaching noon," Isha glanced upward, although there was no sky, what with them being inside a spacefaring ship, the Immortal Spirit created a good enough illusion of a sunny day, and right now it was hot and bright. "If it would be possible, we would like our food on the go please."

"Don't go anywhere, we'll have your food ready in a couple of minutes," the waitress hurried back inside the restaurant, waving her arms energetically at the cooks, leaving Celestine and Isha to stand beside the road. The waitress was good with her words, for less than ten minutes had elapsed when she reappeared with two paper boxes in hand, steam rose invitingly from within, the aroma making Celestine swooned.

"Here we are, enjoy your meal!" The waitress made her swift goodbye and went to entertain the growing line that had formed outside the restaurant, the crowd becoming so sizable that the woman had to summon her cohort for help.

"I spied a resting area up ahead," Isha once again took the leadership initiative and headed down the street, a short journey later found them emerging onto a miniature park, with neatly manicured trees and flowers, clean walkway lined with marble white statues, and a glistening dancing fountain at the center. It was here that Isha had chosen as their dinning spot, the goddess seating herself down at one of the empty stone tables that encircled the fountain, waving energetically for Celestine to join her. "Come on, before the food gets cold!"

"I am really enjoying your more spritely and assertive side," Celestine sat down opposite Isha, but given how small the table was, which was obviously designed with intimacy in mind, they were only inches apart. "But in all honesty, it truly heartens me to see you so full of life Isha. It was about time you live up to your moniker."

"Thank you Celestine, you are in no small amount instrumental to my physical and spiritual recovery," Isha smiled warmly and Celestine reciprocated in kind. "Thank you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Celestine grabbed her lunchbox and flipped it open, her eyes widening at the picture perfect food steaming in front of her. "Now, enough of the solemn talk, we came here to get away from all of that. And I don't want anything to ruin this meal."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Isha beamed brightly as she, with surprising expertise, lifted up her large triple decker sandwich. After turning the food this way and that, as if examining a piece of art, Isha opened her mouth and took a sizeable bite. The Aeldari goddess looked about ready to cry as she chewed, slow and delicate, before swallowing loudly. "By all the stars, this…this is amazing! It's been too long since I've eaten anything this good!"

"Manners, dear Isha, don't speak with your mouth full," Celestine chuckled, hefted up her own food, and started eating. The moment her teeth sank into the warm crackling bread, the juicy simmering pork, the crisp green vegetables, flavors the like she had never experience exploded in her mouth, a perfect blending of all ingredients that turned mundane eating into a sublime experience. Failing to stop a moan from escaping, Celestine ignored the giggling Isha and focused her attention on the sandwich. The saint and the goddess did not speak in the minutes that followed, both engrossed in the task of devouring their delicious foods, so voracious was their table manners that it drew a few impolite looks from the park goers.

"Oh, that was delightful," Isha sighed and slouched back into her chair, managing to finish the bigger sandwich before Celestine, the goddess licking and sucking her fingers. "I'll be sure to let Elnys know of the new dinning agreement from now on."

"I am tempted to discuss the same thing with the canonesses," Celestine wiped her hand clean with a napkin and gave a spare to Isha. "But I believe such indulgence should be limited to an occasional affair. Such excess, although enjoyable in the extreme, will eventually weaken the mind and body for the hardship to come."

"You speak as if we are not allowed to relish in the joys life have to offer," Isha tucked the napkin into her robe.

"In better ages perhaps, an epoch of happiness and contentment…no, in this universe where war and death is the only constant, even innocent expression of joy can lead to the faltering of conviction and aptitude," Celestine said solemnly. "If we allow ourselves to falter, just only by an inch, our many enemies will not hesitate to use that opportunity to gain meters and kilometers of ground."

"So much suffering, so much fear, so much pain, yet even in the midst of this lightless age hope still shine," Isha and Celestine turned to the sound of laughter, bright and innocent. A group of children, humans and eldars, skipped happily up to the fountain and started a water fight, much to the charging of their elderly caretaker. "I have to disagree Celestine, the millions who stand against Chaos must be allowed to feel the purity that is life and exalt in its grandeur."

"I want to agree with you Isha, I really do," Celestine grinned as the children, now wet and dirty and beaming, were herded away by the old woman. "It swells my heart to see happiness…but I have lived through many lifetimes and witnessed firsthand how easily innocence dies."

"It is better to have something to hope for, something precious, no matter how small, to fight and to die for," Isha waved at the park around them. "Let humans and eldars indulge, let them taste, smell and feel all the good things this existence have to offer, that way they will be motivated to fight harder now that they know what can be lost if they fail."

"…I've never thought about it like that," Celestine was rightly impressed by Isha's logic, her smug grin though, not so much. "Yes, such motivation can indeed boast the morale of the people and the troops, happiness can be as good an incentive as fear."

"Let them have fun, but not too much fun," Isha laughed nervously. "We Aeldari have a very painful lesson in that regards."

"Rest assured Isha, me and the Sororitas will make sure that piety is enforced, to an agreeable degree of course," Celestine chuckled and stretched her back like a lazy cat. "That was a very good lunch, one of the best I've had in recent memory."

"Me too," Isha nodded in agreement. "And it is rare to see someone readily disregards dinning etiquette like myself."

"Even a saint can't always be perfect, my dear goddess," Celestine wiped away a splotch of sauce on her habit. "Besides, I wasn't anywhere near as voracious as you."

"Yet I have not a splatter on my robe," Isha giggled and glanced at the sky. "Seems like noon had just passed, what are our plans now?"

"I have always wondered what the function of this so-called shopping mall is," Celestine pointed at a crystal dome rising above the park's swaying trees, the crisscrossing metallic frames glinting pleasantly. "The canonesses and the Sororitas seem unable to give me a straight answer on the function of the establishment, and I haven't been able to get a hold of any of the Eight to inquire them on the topic."

"The handmaidens were enraptured by it," Isha and Celestine got off their seats. "Those that went claimed that it is a place where you can purchase any conceivable thing your heart's desire. I also have it on good authority that Elnys and Celalira had visited one of these malls several times too."

"It will be quite educational for us then," Celestine took her place beside Isha and tapped the digital map on her data-pad. "This particular mall is called Pasukorn, one of the highest rated on the Immortal Spirit, so I believe we would be getting an unfiltered experience in regard to the true purpose of the establishment."

"You talk as if we are marching into battle," Isha snickered and started down the stone path flanked by arching trees with Celestine.

"Habits I'm afraid, several lifetimes of war will do that to you," Celestine shrugged.

"Good thing we won't be fighting anyone then," Isha smiled as the pair strode onto a large parking lot filled with rows upon rows of vehicles. And beyond loomed a large rectangular building resplendent in vivid golden light and shimmering glasses, all sorts of activities bustled behind the transparent panes. "Come on Celestine, we have an entire day to sinfully indulge, let's not waste it!"

Celestine only laughed as she allowed Isha to drag her into the strange structure before them. She didn't know how long they spent inside the shopping mall, but Celestine and Isha eventually came to the conclusion that the handmaidens were correct, this place has everything. They passed flora shops, an aquarium selling pet of the aquatic nature, a gigantic emporium dedicated to selling clothes that took up three floors, a boutique of jewelry, a book store that occupies an entire floor, high end restaurants and bars that required invitation or reservation to enter, the mind-boggling selection of services made Celestine's head spin. Eventually, they slowed their paces, the lights and sounds simmering down until normalcy of the senses returned and the overwhelming, tangible oppressiveness passed. The confectionary called ice-cream Isha decided to purchase also helped greatly with the nerves, the vanilla flavor was delicious, cleansing the palate as well as the mind.

"Feeling better?" Isha asked after chomping the pink strawberry on top of her cone, the Aeldari goddess possessed a very healthy appetite.

"Indeed," Celestine nodded, attacking her snack a little more politely, but with no less speed. "The Immortal Spirit continues to impress."

"In the most pleasant way," Isha bit the crispy cone and chewed carefully, a guarded look coming over her. "You must wish that Greyfax would be here instead of me."

"What? No Isha, of course not!" Celestine gasped. "I have chosen to come with you today, and I am extremely glad of it too, for I couldn't think of a better companion to enjoy this expedition with. Ha! If someone had told me that I would be friend with an Aeldari, a goddess no less, several centuries ago, I would've strike them down as a heretic. Besides, Greyfax wouldn't enjoy any of this, too happy and bright for her taste."

"I see," Isha nodded and turned to Celestine with a questioning look. "I thought you would be more comfortable with her."

"Greyfax can't stand me at the best of time, and she always tried my patient," Celestine snorted. "Why would you think I would enjoy spending time with her?"

"I had assumed the two of you were lovers."

"What?! Ack!"

The last crumb of the cone went down her windpipe and Celestine coughed violently, back bent as she successfully ejected the choking piece from her throat, Isha gently rubbing her back with soothing stroke.

"Me?! Greyfax?!" Celestine raised her voice but quickly lowered it when she started drawing looks from the startled people around them. Taking Isha by the arm, Celestine quickly guided them down a corridor. "Are you serious?!"

"I didn't mean to insinuate!" Isha squeaked. "I'm sorry, but after seeing how the two of you interacts, I had assumed a deeper bond exists."

"You assumed wrong!" Celestine snapped, not quite understanding why she was so infuriated, but the stark fear on Isha's face quickly restored her equilibrium. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that but…me and Greyfax? Really?!"

"I'm sorry to have upset you," Isha's apology was genuine, but Celestine saw that her words were not spent. "But I am a goddess of life, of nature, and of beauty, so you must understand that in matters pertaining to love, none is my equal in this galaxy. And with all due respect, the feeling you and Greyfax share goes beyond simple companionship."

"Throne have mercy upon me, this is ridiculous," Celestine pinched the bridge of her nose as they turned a corner. "You will be forgiven for your ignorance Isha, because distrust and loathing are the only two feelings Greyfax bestow upon me. She always made it clear that she sees me as a threat to the sanctity and security of the Imperium, a threat that need to be dealt with, usually spoken with a bolter present."

"And has she hurt you yet?" Isha tilted her head infuriating.

"Of course not, I'm a saint, she have enough self-control not to attack me," not in public or private, Celestine mentally added to herself.

"Hatred defies all reasons, as you have experience on Izennir and many other places across the galaxy. Your title of saint is no shield to that," Isha pressed on. "If Greyfax truly hated you, then she would've tried to kill you long ago. And from what I've learned of her, she doesn't fail in that regard."

"Where are you going with this?" Celestine turned to face Isha when they stepped on to a descending escalator, the goddess standing a flight taller than the saint.

"I only wish for honesty, from you, and from Greyfax if that is possible," Isha smiled, the soft motherly smile so insidiously filled with good intent and sunny warmest that not even Celestine can withstand. "Death is a certainty in life, and in our profession the possibility of it happening in the shortest of term is astronomical. Although you can be revived by the will of the God Emperor, Greyfax doesn't have that luxury, any words left unspoken in the meantime will diminish you both. It is better to live with the truth than with regret."

Celestine opened her mouth to retort, but was unable to form any words or sentences to counter Isha's declaration. She tried again, but like before her throat constricted, the goddess's unbending fact proving itself immune to every response the saint had prepared in her mind. Isha had easily saw through the façade she, and probably Greyfax also, had created, penetrating deep until the truth sequestered within their souls were laid bare. As much as she willfully denied the fact, Celestine knew of the affection she harbored for Greyfax, a secret she doesn't even allow herself to acknowledge. Although it was true Greyfax had initially loathed her, believing in totality that she was a daemon of the Warp, while Celestine saw the inquisitor as nothing but a mad woman, the product of a twisted doctrine to be kept at arm's length at the best of time, they had fought and endured the horrors of the galaxy together, stood side by side on countless battlefields, until eventually the impurity that was hatred and distrust were removed in the crucible of war, and in that fire their relationship was tempered with trust, respect and understanding. And from that simple bond of friendship, stoic and begrudging in presentation, another emotion stirred, an emotion Celestine cannot acknowledge, an existence she must deny, for her sake and that of Greyfax's.

"No…what you saw was not real," even as she spoke Celestine's conviction wavered. "It cannot be real, it can't."

"Why not?" Isha asked, not forcing the answer from Celestine but eagerly awaiting it nonetheless.

"It would be cruel," Celestine surrendered to Isha's persistence, having no conceivable defense for this sort of conversation or the curdling emotion that had come over her, "for all our differences, I cannot hurt Greyfax in such a selfish and irrevocable way. I lack that sort of cruelty."

"How can admitting your love for her be cruel?" Isha pressed on.

"I am not teetered to the cycle of life and death," Celestine explained. "In a way, I am an immortal like you. Every time I die the God Emperor will resurrect me, a vessel of His will upon the galaxy. But Katarinya is a mortal woman, her death is inescapable. If I was to tell her how I feel, how I truly feel, and if by some miracle it is reciprocated, then what? There would be no peace and joy between us, just one war after another, an eternity of carnage without end. And if I die, I have no idea where I would remerge, and what would become of Katarinya then? The pain will destroy her, if las and bolts don't kill her first. And I…I…"

"You're also afraid of the same pain," Isha finished Celestine's sentence and took her hand, squeezing tightly, the warmth of the contact steadying her greatly. "You are an immortal, and Greyfax is a mortal, her death is assured the moment she took her first breath."

"And I will be alone when the inevitable comes to pass," Celestine said, hating how her voice quivered and burning wetness stung her eyes. "By the Throne, I am weak. The doubts many has cast upon me are well founded after all. I am a weapon of faith forged by the God Emperor Himself, but look at me now! I'm lamenting over a love that I have not the courage to even express!"

"Humans and Aeldari alike have this asinine notion that expression of mortal fragility is weakness, when it is not at all!" Isha huffed, more than a little peeved. "Love, friendship and trust, quality so universally abhorred in this age, is what makes us better than the evil that is the Chaos gods. What is the point of all the suffering, the death, the sacrifice, if it was not done for a cause higher than the dogma and creed of empires? We all seem to forget that we fight in the defense of life and all the good that comes with it."

"A lofty ideal," Celestine grinned, because she agreed with Isha.

"And a correct one!" Isha went on heatedly, but quickly softened her tone. "I understand your fear Celestine, I truly do, and I know the road ahead, if you choose it, will be hard. But in the end, love is like a flower. We plant the seed in uncertain ground, nurture it until the seedling sprout, and take the greatest of joy when it blooms to full radiance. But in the end, the petals will wilt, and the flower will die, as all things will. Yet can you truly say that you would regret the nurturing and the blooming? Is it not better to feel happiness and satisfaction, no matter how brief?"

"Bellona was right, you are dangerous. Your words are a lot better than my sermon," Celestine chuckled and squeezed Isha's hand friendly, then sighed in resignation. "I am afraid, about myself, about Greyfax, but let it not be said that I will cower from a battlefield." Celestine locked eyes with Isha then. "I will try to pursue what you have told me, your words were very persuasive and, admittedly, very inspirational."

"I'm happy to help," Isha's bright smile lasted until she started glancing around, her visage slowly, but surely, morphing into one of confusion. "Umm…Celestine, where are we?"

"Huh?" Celestine blinked, followed Isha's bewildered gaze, and yes, she and the Aeldari goddess were in a location most unfamiliar to them, a great contrast to the colorful animation of commerce from before. They were inside a parking lot, a great gargantuan specimen filled with hundreds of vehicles. Turning back the way she and Isha had come, Celestine balked when she couldn't even find the corridor that led them here, only a lot of doorways and balconies and narrow paths like the one she and the goddess were standing on. How could her concentration lapse so grossly?! If this had been a battlefield, she would've been dead ten times over. "By the Throne, how did this happen?"

"Seems like we were lost in conversation, in the most literal sense of the words," Isha gulped loudly. "Do you know where we are?"

"A parking lot," Celestine deadpanned.

"Yes, I can see that," Isha added unhelpfully. "What I meant was, do you know a way out?"

"Logic dictate that an exit does exist," Celestine made her catty reply.

"There are elevators over there," Isha pointed to the left, where a cluster of elevators, arranged in neat rows, were built into the wall. "Maybe we can get back to where we started using those?"

"A good enough start as any," Celestine shrugged and headed for the elevator with Isha. The layout was simple enough, so Celestine pushed one of the buttons, it glowed a pretty golden hue, and waited with Isha for the elevator to arrive. The machine took it's time, thankfully she and Isha were the only people in the vicinity so they passed the time in companionable silence. Near a minute must have lapsed when the clicking of footsteps sounded behind Celestine and Isha, drawing inexorably closer before coming to a stop not four paces from them. Returning Isha's alarmed squeeze of her hand, Celestine affected calm on her face and turned around. It took every ounce of control she possessed and honed throughout the millennia not to squawk at the black coated man wearing a peaked hat now standing unassumingly within spitting distant of them.

"Lord commissar Tangmo?!" Isha had no such restrained however, and blurted when she saw the young man.

"Good evening ladies," commissar Tangmo tipped his cap politely. The commissar had a pair of plastic bags in each hands, the content inside bulging against the fabric. He looked at them for a moment before turning his gaze forward, thankfully not recognizing her and Isha. "Sneaking away from the churches and temples?"

"Just sightseeing, lord commissar," Celestine answered with a low bow, Isha doing the same, the two women obscuring their faces with a curtain of hair, preventing the lord commissar from discerning hers and the goddess's true identity.

"After you," Tangmo pointed at the opened elevator. The empty cubic interior was walled with mirrors and bathed in warm light.

"Thank you, lord commissar," Celestine and Isha walked into the elevator and huddled together at the very back, which wasn't saying much given how small the place was. Lord commissar Tangmo entered a moment later and kept a respectful distant, seeing the tautness in hers and Isha's, especially Isha, posture.

"Which floor are you headed to?" Tangmo asked, his finger hovering over the panel with vertical rows of button.

"The same floor as you, lord commissar," Isha spoke quickly, the goddess's composure was crumbling quickly.

"Okay," Tangmo's tone was suspicious but he pressed a button nevertheless. The elevator slid closed and started ascending, and not a heartbeat later Tangmo turned slowly, with clear menace, to face them.

"…Isha?" Tangmo's eyes bulged out of his skull. His earlier wariness melted away and was replaced by shock of the most absolute kind, sprinkled liberally with wiry amusement.

"Good evening, lord commissar," sighing, their deception at last reaching its end, Isha bowed in greeting at Tangmo. Celestine mirrored the goddess, head dipping a bit lower. Maybe the commissar would remain obtuse to her identity.

"Yo, what the hell bro, is this seriously happening right now?!" Tangmo chuckled, and the moment he locked eyes with Celestine, she knew immediately that her hope for anonymity has died, "no way…no fucking way, Celestine?! Saint Celestine?! With Isha?!"

"Hello, commissar Tangmo," Celestine deadpanned, the last person she wanted to be discovered by was the notorious commissar, and her utterly unimpressed visage conveyed that message in the strongest term.

"Am I dreaming right now?" Tangmo continued. "I mean, shit, yo, I'm sharing an elevator ride with Celestine and Isha!"

"This is not a dream, lord commissar," Isha offered him a lopsided smile. Unlike Celestine she found the young man's antic more endearing then annoying.

"Damn, wait until the other hears about this," Tangmo's eyes darted between them, one brow quirked deviously. "So…umm, does Greyfax know about the two of you eloping?"

"By the Throne of Terra, does everyone knows about that?!" Celestine blurted loudly, making Isha squeak in fright, but not enough to wipe the smile from Tangmo's petulant face.

"Just me and my homies, but don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Tangmo pointed at Isha. "Is it safe with her though?"

"I am not a tattletale, lord commissar," Isha huffed. "Every discussion I had with Celestine regarding her…relationship with inquisitor Greyfax is spoken in confidence, and unless given explicit permission I will not divulge this story to a single soul."

"That's cool dude, I ain't telling anybody either," Tangmo said. "Just to be clear though, you two are not on some romantic date?"

"No, we are not," Celestine said.

"Yeah, the hand holding is giving out a very different vibe dude," Celestine and Isha squealed and swiftly disengaged their hands from one another, both blushing furiously. The sight pleased the commissar immensely, who then proceeded to twirl his finger upward. "That's better, remember, there's CCTV inside the elevator."

"Sorry," Isha mumbled.

"It's alright," Celestine wrung her hands and stood up a little straighter, the damn blush refusing to subside in a timely manner.

"Let's hope Greyfax doesn't find out, she doesn't look like some who behaves rationally when faced with…this," Tangmo waved his hands to encompassed both Celestine and Isha. "And the fact that she's getting along well with Raine is only making me more nervous."

"Greyfax is not one to trust easily, but when she does, she will prove an unshakable ally," Celestine nodded slowly when the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding open to reveal another parking lot that was identical to the previous one. Tangmo pressed a button and ushered Celestine and Isha to go first, a very welcomed gentlemanly display. She honestly believed the commissar was incapable of behaving maturely. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tangmo joined them with an inquisitive look. "So what are you two doing now? It's getting kinda late, the light's gonna set in a few minutes."

"It's evening already?!" Isha cried out in alarm, unable to hide her startlement. "We need to get back now!"

"Say no more, my car is over here," Tangmo took the lead, and since they had no other option Celestine and Isha followed briskly. Within a few seconds they came upon a black car which Tangmo unlocked by tapping the data-pad on his arm and proceed to toss his bags on the front seat. Huh, given his notoriety for bombastic and pompous behavior, Celestine had expected the man to drive something flashier, not unassuming and ergonomic. After fastening his purchases with the seatbelt, Tangmo sprinted around the car and opened the backdoor for Celestine and Isha. "Here you are ladies."

"Thank you, lord commissar," Isha bowed gratefully and got into the car, Tangmo closing the door gently once Celestine was seated beside her.

"Alright, let's roll," Tangmo jumped into the driver seat, strapped himself in, started the ignition and took off. The hover car veered smoothly out of the parking spot and shot straight for the raised path in front of them, an exit judging by the congestion of traffic. "I'll be your chauffeur tonight ladies, where are you headed?"

"The Sororitas sanctum please, lord commissar," Celestine told him. "As Isha had stated earlier, we must make haste with our return."

"…Jesus fucking Christ," Tangmo turned around and fixed her and Isha with such a judgmental stare that it made them both squirmed uncomfortably. "Please tell me you two didn't sneak out without telling anyone."

"I shall not say anything then, lord commissar," Celestine huffed but quickly composed herself, the boy has been polite so far, there's no reason to be snippy. "But yes, me and Isha made this excursion without informing a soul."

"And you got away scotch free? Goddamn, I'm impressed, no joke, that was very well done," Tangmo swerved the car onto the main road, the night's neon flooded inside, dazzling and mesmerizing, a lot more colorful than when the artificial sun was up. "Did you guys enjoy yourself? Got into any trouble?"

"It was truly an enjoyable experience, lord commissar, and not once were we in danger," Isha perked up brightly but tempered herself with regal solemnity. "But I'm afraid we have caused great distress for the Adepta Sororitas and the Aeldari with our action today, they must be worth with worry right now."

"Considering that the nuns and elves haven't tear the ship apart already, I'll say your little day off was very successful," Tangmo chuckled good-naturedly. "I'm glad you guys had fun, we all need a break from all the war and death and worship once in a while."

"I'll concede you that point," Celestine relaxed into her seat, finding peace in watching the nocturnal vista passed by. "There are quite a few bus stops in the vicinity lord commissar, I'm sure myself and Isha can take the bus back to the sanctum. We wouldn't want to inconvenience your night."

"There's no way in hell I'm dropping off Saint Celestine and Isha on the side of the road dude, seriously, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I do something like that," Tangmo told her, and Celestine found the commissar's genuine honesty very moving.

"Thank you lord commissar," Isha smiled. "We'll be sure to repay your kindness."

"You don't owe me anything, I'm glad to help," Tangmo tipped his cap and made a smooth turn at an intersection. "Besides, I was heading to the sanctum anyway, so no trouble at all."

"Oh? You have business with the sisters?" Celestine asked.

"It mostly concerns booze," Tangmo grinned toothily, "lots and lots of booze."

"Ah, I see," Celestine smiled and turned to the confused Isha. "It is a well-known fact that the Adepta Sororitas, especially the Bloody Rose and the Ebon Chalice, are connoisseur when it comes to making alcoholic beverages, a hobby that has since become a booming enterprise amongst the sisters, besides duty of faith that is."

"And since more diverse Sororitas orders had joined us, we're getting a lot more variety of alcohols than before, from meads, to ogogoro, sake, baijiu, specialized cocktails, all sorts of awesome drinks. Hell, Sidonius's vintage will be in trouble if he doesn't…" Tangmo's data-pad, which had been magnetized to the dashboard, flared red suddenly, the screen now dominated by an exclamation mark and emitting siren like wail. Celestine and Isha stiffened as Tangmo turned slowly to face them, his mirth barely contained. "How much you wanna bet the emergency call is about you two?"

"Gambling cease to be fun when the outcome is so painfully transparent," Celestine rolled her eyes and quirked her brow questioningly when Tangmo didn't move to answer the call. "Shouldn't you answer that?"

"No, no, no, let's wait a little longer," Tangmo snickered, completely ignoring the blaring emergency in front of him. "It adds to the suspense dude, get them all riled up and stressed out of their fucking minds, it's gonna be hilarious."

"Please lord commissar, I believe it would be better if you make haste and put the people on the other end at ease. I'm sure they will greatly appreciate it," Celestine smirked when Isha's heartfelt reasoning managed to sway Tangmo's conviction, his visage visibly changing to one of shame.

"Alright, fine," Tangmo mumbled like a scolded child and tapped the data-pad screen. "Yo, what's up?"

"Tangmo, we have a big fucking emergency mate!" Inquisitor Laura, whose anxious face now dominated the data-pad's screen, the awkward angle highlighting her bugling eyes, bellowed loudly at Tangmo. In the background clashing cacophony of readying weapons and arguments rang loudly without end.

"Celestine and Isha are missing, aren't they?" Tangmo asked calmly.

"Celestine and Isha are missing mate! They – wait a bloody minute, what the fuck did you just say?!" Laura asked before snapping her head around. "Shut the fuck up you wailing cunts!" By some miracle all noises behind her died away and several people now gathered around the lady inquisitor, amongst them were canoness Galatea and Farseer Celalira. "I'm gonna ask again, how did you know Celestine and Isha are missing? We just noticed, like, twenty minutes ago."

"Because they're in the car with me," Tangmo turned the data-pad so that it was facing Celestine and Isha, prompting the saint and the goddess to wave shyly at the screen. "See?"

"What have you done to her eminence?!" Elnys appeared on the screen, pushing Celalira out of the way before the Farseer can open her mouth.

"You dare accost her ladyship?!" Galatea added her frothing outrage to the fray.

"Be at peace Galatea, Elnys, you have my words that the lord commissar has been nothing but honorable toward myself and Isha," Celestine explained calmly, and although it was clear more words were forthcoming, the canoness and the handmaiden held their peace, settling instead for burning glowers they bestowed in totality on Tangmo. "To put it simply, myself and Isha are responsible for this current misunderstand, and we shall explain everything once we've arrived back at the sanctum."

"I am not at all surprise that you would be the one to lead her eminence astray," Elnys spoke up, drawing immediate ire from Galatea. After all these times, the head handmaiden was still rather cold toward her.

"No Elnys, this was my doing, if anyone is to blame, it is me who had drag Saint Celestine into my scheme," Isha declared politely, but with iron, settling Elnys down.

"Girls just wanna have fun dude, there's no crime in that. So can all of you maybe chill?! Jeez!" Tangmo cut in and tapped the data-pad's screen swiftly. "We'll be there in about fifteen minutes, in the meantime get your shits together and put the bolters away before you freak the good people of the Immortal Spirit out. Goodbye!"

Celestine snorted and Isha giggled when Tangmo terminated the transmission, the last image before the data-pad faded to black was a very offended Galatea and Elnys opening their mouth to shout at the commissar.

"Alright ladies, sit back and relax, we'll be home in no time," Tangmo tipped his commissariat cap at them as the car got on the main highway, the darkness of the night and glowing neon made for a beautiful landscape of contrasting colors.

"I hope you would drive more moderately this time, lord commissar," Isha said, and yes, Celestine had heard of the incident, the canonesses were very quick to mention it whenever the topic of commissar Tangmo came up.

"Of course, we're not in any rush this time," Tangmo tapped his data-pad again, bringing up a list of names with musical notes beside them. "You want me to put some music on? It'll really put you in the mood, seriously."

"If it's no trouble to you, lord commissar," Celestine said and Tangmo tapped the first name on the list. And he was right, the pleasantly soft music, supremely crafted in melody and tune, transported Celestine to a world without war and death, just for a moment.

"That was beautiful," Isha said when the three of them got out of the car. The great arch entrance of the Sororitas Sanctum loomed just beyond, wreathed in radiant golden light. "May I ask the name of the songs?"

"It's called Summer, A Town With An Ocean View, Once In A While Let's Talk About The Old Days, and Waltz of Chihiro, composed by an ancient musician of Holy Terra named Joe Hisaishi," Tangmo told her and started for the sanctum, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, Celestine and Isha matched steps with him on his left and right. "One of the greats, I have a lot more music like that in my hard drive, I can send them to your data-pad if you want."

"Thank you lord commissar, the music was very good," Isha nodded.

"I would like a sample of your collection too, if it wouldn't trouble you lord commissar," Celestine added and held her gaze on Tangmo. He returned her regard and was rightly surprised when she smiled at him. "I must confess to being surprise, lord commissar. Although the canonesses were correct in some aspects of your rumbustious behavior, I am pleased to see that you are very well mannered."

"Oh…umm, thank you, lady Saint Celestine, I try my best when the situation calls for it," Tangmo fidgeted sheepishly, a blush coming over his cheeks, the bashful display only worsened when Celestine and Isha started giggling. "Yeah…look, when we met back on Izennir, I was kinda rude to you…well, not kinda, I was super rude to you, like, I was way outta line. I just wanna say I'm sorry for speaking to you like that, no excuses, I was a dick."

"You were under a lot of stress then, not to mention being in the thick of battle," Celestine said kindly, by the Throne she was actually starting to like the boy. "You owe me no apology lord commissar, although I would very much like to see this side of you more often, I find it a lot more agreeable than your more raucous temperament."

"Maybe when nobody's looking," Tangmo winked when loud rumbles resounded from the sanctum's entrance, heralding a tidal wave of humans and Aeldari that rushed straight for them. "Welp, here comes the welcoming committee, brace yourself."

"I'll try my best, lord commissar," Celestine traded nod with Isha and, together, held up their hands and waved at the approaching column, comprised of Sisters of Battles and Aeldari warriors, all of whom spread out to form a circle around them. "Be at peace, sisters, me and Isha are safe."

"Your eminence, you will come over here right this instance!" Elnys declared snappishly, causing Isha to scoot closer to Celestine, while also using Tangmo as a shield. The head handmaiden was not happy her strongly worded request was not complied, while the commissar chuckled at the unfolding confrontation. "Your eminence I will not repeat myself! We almost turned the Immortal Spirit inside out because of what you have done!"

"Out of all the stupid, irresponsible, thoughtless thing you could have brought upon all of us, you have chosen the most unimaginable, unfathomable choice that would earn any Battle Sisters a permanent place in the ranks of the Repentia!" Greyfax shoved passed Galatea and Laura to come and stand beside Elnys, the inquisitor and the handmaiden were identical in anger. It was amusing to behold, but Celestine kept that thought to herself and met Katarinya's huffing fury with serene calmness, "what if some heretic decided to kill you?! Or kidnapped you?! What if you got hurt?! What if you got lost?! What if Isha tried to harm you?! How can you be so stupid?!"

"None of your fear came to past, Katarinya," Celestine was of mind to start one of their infamous argument but a quick nudge in the ribs stopped the words dead in her mouth. She turned and found Isha staring at her sternly, and in that moment the conversation at the mall came rushing back. Blinking, she applied what the goddess had said and looked at Katarinya from a new perspective, seeing passed the anger and deep into the root where the outburst stemmed. With that done, she locked eyes with Katarinya, and smiled. "But you are correct, I have behaved quite irresponsibly, and I am very sorry to have worried you so. I'll be happy to discuss this with you in private, if you will entertain me."

Katarinya's eye went wide, and for the first time since meeting her the lady inquisitor was lost for words, stammering and failing to response. Articulation returned eventually, and when she spoke it sounded reserved, almost bashful. "Well then, I suppose a discussion is needed after this debacle."

"Yo Celestine, that was really smooth dude, goddamn! Respect yo," Tangmo held his thumb up at her.

"We have you to thanks for this then?" Galatea stood to her full impressive height, staring down her nose at Tangmo.

"You're welcome by the way, please, hold your applause ladies, I can't handle all the love," Tangmo grinned obnoxiously, feeding on the canonesses rising annoyance, the only person actually cheering him was Laura, the inquisitor blowing kisses at him loudly. "By the way, is the liquor store still open? I'm looking for several bottles of Rosa Nocte wine, a Silver Mist brandy, and a lot more, my stock is pretty goddamn depleted right now."

"Come to think of it, Yuki's also looking for a bottle of Blue Comet Ale," Laura said.

"I'm sure we can accommodate your wishes, now that crisis has been averted," Galatea and the canonesses relaxed their stance and started back toward the sanctum, nudging her head for Tangmo and Laura to follow. "Come along then, it has been a slow day and our wares are well stocked."

"Can I get a discount?" Tangmo asked hopefully.

"Depends on how much you buy," Galatea turned back to Greyfax and Elnys, her finger wagging between them and Celestine and Isha. "You have this cover?"

"We certainly do," Elnys inhaled deeply, managing to make herself look bigger as she narrowed her gaze on the sheepishly smiling Isha. "Well then your eminence, enough drama for the day, I would ask that you return to your home with me."

"Of course Elnys," Isha nodded and held her hand out to Celestine. "Thank you for a wonderful day Celestine."

"I very much enjoy spending time with you Isha," Celestine clasped hand with Isha, both shaking firmly, companionably, the overt display of friendship made Greyfax's visage darkened visibly. "We should do this again."

"Oh, most definitely!" Isha beamed brightly, Celestine laughed, and Elnys and Greyfax were angst.