Might not be able to update tomorrow because of weather. So... enjoy!


Converging

Kay recoiled a little in her seat, her face suddenly stricken. Both Ricardo and Karne had been eyeing her and both stared as she slowly bowed her head and closed her eyes.

"Kay?" Karne asked, concern rising when Kay did not respond immediately. "Kay!"

"We have to focus on the tank." Kay said in a monotone. "They will unearth it and try to activate it. Even if their Magos is suddenly doing something else, the lesser priests and servitors will continue doing what they were told. They want the glory of finding operable tech and to hell with the risks to everyone around them."

"What just happened?" Ricardo demanded.

"The Mechanicus tore your MindShackle out." Kay said quietly. Lornan and Mace both froze as Ricardo did. "It didn't kill her, but she will wish it had."

"And you know this… how?" Ricardo was trying very hard not to get angry. Angry with already furious Sisters of Battle in the same ship as him might not be such a good idea.

"Do you really think I am going to tell you everything?" Kay asked, her tone suddenly tired. Sad and tired. "You have neither the need nor the right to know most of what I do."

"Why won't they kill her?" Ricardo asked, moderating his tone. Kay glanced at him and he shook his head. "You have already proved you can hash any of my recorders. I haven't had time to set up anything else in here. There are no bugs or recorders active, my pilot shut them all off as standard procedure. This is as secure as we are going to get. Why did they take her?"

"I can't tell you that." Kay bowed her head again. "Shoot me if you will, but I can't."

"I can." Karne's soft voice had everyone freezing. Kay's head shot up, disbelief coloring every inch of her face and Karne nodded. "You know we looked over every record our Order had when we were sent after you. It wasn't that hard to figure out when we had every record, Kay." Kay slumped a bit. "May I speak of your pain, Sister?" She asked formally.

"It is my shame, Karne!" Kay protested. "No one else's!"

"What shame?" Karne snapped, her anger flaring again. "You were violated! They hurt you! Over and over, they hurt you! And despite all of that, you did not turn from the Emperor's light. You are the best example of endurance in extremity that any of our sisters have ever heard of."

"The Mechanicus." Ricardo reeled a bit as realization struck. "You said they dissected you."

"The last time they caught her, they held her for some time in some kind of odd prison. Xenotech probably." Karne's voice held scorn and hate both. "She is sworn not to speak of it, but the marks on her body were clear. They healed during her time with us, but for a very long time, our healers feared she would not survive the wounds she arrived on our doorstep covered in. She was half mad from delirium and blood loss, but still alive. The Dark Eldar themselves could not have hurt her that badly and left her alive."

"You didn't die the last time they dissected you." Ricardo said weakly. Kay shook her head. "Emperor!" He breathed. He had thought himself beyond horror, but that?

"They didn't want her dead." Karne said with a growl of anger towards those who had hurt her sister. "They knew if she died, she would simply come back. So, instead, they hurt her. And then worse."

"Karne! Stop!" Kay snapped. "You know I have to kill you if you continue! He doesn't need to know!"

"Yes, stop." Ricardo said with a nod. Karne stared at him and he shook his head. "I can put the rest of it together and since I am postulating, with no recorders active, this will never be known to anyone else. You refused to go back to Mars to be examined and/or serve them." Kay stared at the Inquisitor, eyes hooded. "So,… they pride themselves on logic. If you will not serve them, they will make someone from you who will." He shook his head at that heretical thought. "Cloning is forbidden, but such puny things as Imperium wide bans never stopped tech priests before."

"You shouldn't have brought her." Kay was crying softly as she glared at Karne who looked at the floor. "I knew the moment I saw her that this wasn't going to end well."

"A daughter's love is a powerful thing." Karne said quietly. "Who are we to deny her? She was the best qualified. We all argued with her, but she is stubborn."

"Stop!" Ricardo snapped as Kay seemed to swell. If she went berserk in here, no one would survive. "She cannot speak of that. At least, that is what I assume. You swore never to." He asked Kay who nodded. "Okay, do not speak of that. Speak of what the Mechanicus want with Georgia. Not of where she came from, what will they do now?"

"They will try to take her to Mars." Kay said with a small nod. "The Mechanicus have any number of problems. Not the least of which is that they are stagnating. They maintain, they repair, they work to hold what power they have. They do not, indeed, cannot innovate. It has been bred and cut out of them. Their Omnissiah knows this."

"How do you know that?" Ricardo wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"I have touched it. While I was a prisoner, they hooked me directly to a FTL link straight to Mars. To it." Kay's face spoke volumes. From the look on her face? Nope. He didn't want to know. "As bad as the Elder tech was? That was worse." She shivered a bit. "Just the memory hurts."

"But it is Imperium tech." Ricardo said slowly. "Why would Imperium tech hurt...you..." He trailed off as Kay looked away. Imperium tech wouldn't. So, whatever the Omnissiah was, it wasn't Imperium tech. "No."

"I can't say." Kay said weakly. "Please?" That was the first time she had said 'please' in quite a while. She was really shaken by this. "I can't say!"

"If there is even a chance of such an abomination in the heart of the Terran system, I have to report it." Inquisitor Ricardo had a duty to the Imperium. Such a threat was not a minor problem.

"I did." Kay said softly. "To several different Canonesses as well as other interested parties. They are investigating. Carefully. Please, Inquisitor. If you push this, the Mechanicus will react badly and they are in position to do all kinds of damage to an Imperium that is already reeling from the events at Cadia." She sighed and shrugged. "All you have is my word anyway."

"Frankly?" Ricardo managed to dredge humor up from somewhere. "I would trust your word over any Mechanicus any day. You at least act human much of the time."

"Thanks." Kay manage a weak smirk. "I think."

"Okay, so let's think this through." Ricardo said slowly. "They want to take her to Mars. From how the Magos reacted when she saw Georgia, I assume they know what you will do if you catch them." Kay nodded. He didn't blame her one bit for wanting vengeance. He would too. "So, they will run like hell."

"The leaders will." Kay corrected him grimly. "The others? They likely won't know what is happening. If the Magos orders them to defend the place, they will. They have no free will to question."

Ricardo growled and a flash on a screen nearby caught his attention. It showed several Imperial Guard aircraft making strafing runs on the location in question. Several points blazed with anti-aircraft fire, but the pilots attacking the facility knew what they were doing. Most were flying incredibly low to avoid detection, popping up to fire stand off missiles or other ordnance and then vanish from sight and sensor. One Thunderbolt vanished from his plot, downed or disabled, he couldn't tell. An Avenger popped up from a valley and fired its main cannon, blowing the offending AA station into atoms. They were doing it, destroying the Mechanicus defenses. He just hoped the Chaos forces didn't realize how vulnerable this area would be for a time. If they launched an attack while the defenses were in disarray… He shook his head. High Command had been appraised. They would have done what they could to counter any such.

"Can Georgia do what you do?" Lornan asked and Ricardo looked at Kay as she eyed the agent. "If she can, then she may be able to access the vehicle."

"No." Kay sighed deeply. "She is human. No discernible powers that I or any of the sisters have been able to determine. Admittedly, none of us are anywhere close to the Emperor in skill, but I had specialists check her. There was no sign of anything odd. I hoped she would live out her life as a Sister of Serenity and perish without ever meeting me. My life is not for the faint of heart and she is a good kid."

"The Emperor only knows what the future holds." Ricardo said slowly. "But if we can rescue her, we will."

"She would be the first to say 'The mission comes first', Inquisitor." Karne said sadly. "If we divert to rescue her and the Imperium suffers? She would never forgive any of us."

"My feelings are all screwed up." Kay admitted. "They have been since I saw her in the hangar bay. My duty is clear. That vehicle cannot be allowed to fall into their hands. Even if, by some miracle, it doesn't self destruct, they wouldn't be able to duplicate the tech and would kill who knows how many Imperial citizens trying."

"Uh, boss?" Lisa's voice came from the cockpit. "We got a problem."

"What now?" Ricardo asked sourly. "Status?"

"High Command reports a pair of Chaos Warhound Titans just crossed the lines." The pilot sounded calm, but then again, he had seen her act calm while surrounded by anti-aircraft fire with nowhere to go. That mission hadn't gone so well. "They lost track of them, but last report puts them on a course for the facility."

More than one of the listeners shivered. Titans were massive war machines, designed to dominate the battlefield. Even Warhounds, the smallest of the common classes, mounted incredibly strong shield generators and incredibly heavy weapons. The Elysians would be wheat before a harvester machine even with air support.

"Why the hell would they be going here now?" Ricardo demanded. Kay slumped a bit. "Kay?"

"Because what the Mechanicus just did probably sent up a flare across the Warp." Kay said softly, her face pale. "I cannot sense that myself, but I was told such a thing would attract all kinds of attention. All kinds."

"Titans..." Lornan was just as pale as Kay. "We are gonna need lots of backup." No one disagreed with him.

"Kay." Karne said softly. "I know why you think what you do and I admire you for that. But if..."

"NO!" Kay snapped. "I will not for myself or Georgia! For the Imperium, maybe. Not for myself. That way lies damnation!"

"We don't have any other spare forces and such Titans are next to impossible to hit with orbital artillery." Ricardo said after a moment. "If you can summon backup..."

"She can." Karne said quietly. "But the cost is dear. I will pay, if needed."

"You don't have any idea what you are saying, Karne." Kay seemed half a step from feral. "You can't pay it. I don't know if I can."

"Can you summon backup?" Ricardo asked softly. "If we lose this sector, we will likely lose the planet. If we lose the planet, it may be very hard, if not impossible to hold the system. We would return in numbers, but who knows how long that would take?" Kay seemed to wilt and Ricardo continued. "Can you summon backup?"

"Yes." Kay's voice was a monotone now.

"Can they get here in time with enough force to aid us against Titans?" Ricardo pressed.

"Yes." Again, a monotone.

"Then what is the problem?" Ricardo asked, suddenly concerned.

"The problem, Inquisitor, is that if I do this, my anonymity is gone." Kay said quietly. "The Emperor ordered me to sleep and when I woke, to maintain a low profile until I could determine how to aid the Imperium. He knew I would be tempted to meddle. It is my nature to try to fix things. So, he ordered me not to unless I was sure what I was doing was right. The Adeptes Astartes may or may not react badly to this. After what Horus did… I am afraid of what I could do, Inquisitor. I am one woman. Maybe I am not mortal, but I am fallible."

"You are one woman." Ricardo said softly, but with iron conviction behind that. "But you are the Daughter of the Emperor. And correct me if I am wrong, but… Wouldn't that make Georgia the Granddaughter of the Emperor?"

Kay stared at the Inquisitor for a long moment and then she laughed. Said laugh was bit on the hysterical side but then she relaxed.

"He told me what to do, but I never had the guts to try." Kay admitted. "I don't know who will answer my call or how many. I am willing to bet that as soon as I do call, all hell will break loose."

"Call?" Ricardo asked softly.

"It's uh..." Kay shook her head. "It's complicated. I will need to remain here until what I do is done. Karne." This was a command and the veteran sister jerked upright. "Get Georgia. Keep her safe."

"Yes, Ma'am!" The clang of the sister's fist against her chestplate should have been thunderous, but then Kay started to hum something and all thought vanished. Whatever it was, it wasn't a tune Ricardo knew.

The world suddenly turned golden and he was sitting on something as Kay rose into the air to hover, her arms at her sides. The others were there. Karne and her sisters, Mace, Lornan. Even Lisa in her seat. All seemed frozen. Ricardo could see and hear, but not move. Not a pleasant feeling.

Father. I failed.

There was something. Ricardo didn't know what happened, but the feel was clear. Something responded to Kay's abject confession. There was a feeling of compassion, of worry, of pride. Was she really…?

I tried to do what you wished. I really did. Kay was crying as she hung in midair. But everything went wrong. The Mechanicus hurt me. They made a copy of me. I stole her from them, but now? They have taken her back and hurt her. They want to hook her into their 'God' and I don't know what to do.

Now, the feeling was rage. Rage that dwarfed anything that Ricardo had ever encountered. He had faced Deamons straight out of the Warp that had felt less angry.

What can I do, Father? Kay begged. I am one woman and I make mistakes!

Now the feeling was chiding her. Gently, but thoroughly. Kay smiled a little sadly and nodded.

I know self pity is pointless. Kay said quietly. It just hurts so much, Father. I want to make things better and all I can do is watch them get worse. What can I do?

The feeling focused. It seemed to be talking to her, but not quite. Kay was nodding and then she gasped.

Really? They would- She broke off as feeling that felt remarkably like a rebuke came. She seemed to stiffen in midair. Yes sir. She said contritely. No, I will not interrupt again, Sir. I will try not to disappoint you. She was crying again.

Anywhere else, such a massive change in the confident woman would have been hilarious. Not here Not now. The feeling was pride again as something focused on Ricardo. He felt power the likes of which he had never imagined sweep through him. He didn't know what it was doing, but it felt… curious? Not hostile for sure.

Yes. When Ricardo looked up, Kay was watching him. He is a good man. She shook her head. No, I won't trust him. I am not that stupid. Yes. I will. I love you too, Father.

Ricardo landed on a hard surface to see Kay land right beside him. He stared around and they stood on a flat white plain. No… A flat white structure that seemed to extend into a void. It wasn't anything human made. It looked Elder and ancient.

"This is a portion of the Webway that the Eldar do not use now." Kay said before Ricardo could summon the energy to ask. "And no, do not speak of what just happened. To anyone." Her glare could have cut steel. "I don't know why he did that. Let you see that. Much of what he does make no sense to mere mortals." She scoffed. "Even some immortals. Speaking of..."

"Kay!" A terrified voice sounded and Ricardo recoiled as an Eldar appeared out of nowhere. The female xenos wore no armor and carried no weapons. She was running towards Kay, her face frightened. "I cannot stop it!"

"I can." Kay sad softly. "Take my hands, Liriel."

"Who is this?" Liriel demanded, but then gasped and relaxed as Kay took her hands and power flared across both of them. She was babbling. "By the ancestors, I am sorry. I didn't know who she was when they put my stone on her! I tried not to hurt her, but prolonged contact will hurt her."

"It is all right, Liriel. I can hold the energy at bay for a day or so. By then, this will be settled, one way or another." Kay said with a sigh. "Introductions are in order. This is Ricardo Illusmar of the Ordo Hereticus." She nodded to the stunned Inquisitor. "Inquisitor, may I present singer Liriel, formerly of Craftworld Ulthwé?"

"An Inquisitor?" The Eldar recoiled, her face fearful again.

"He knows much of what has happened and has figured out more." Kay sighed deeply. "Father vetted him and says he can be trusted as long as we do not betray the Imperium."

"As if you could, you silly Mon-Keigh." The Eldar's insult was mocking? She knew Kay and Kay knew her. Very well indeed it seemed. She bowed to Ricardo. "I would say 'Well met' Inquisitor, but we have serious problems."

"And Father has authorized me to summon a serious solution." The Eldar's eyes went huge at Kay's quiet words. "Stay behind me."

"Oh yes!" Liriel darted behind Kay as Kay raised her head, put a hand to her mouth and… howled? Ricardo stared at Kay as she did it again and again.

"Tell me she is not doing what I think she is." Ricardo moved to stand behind Kay as well. "They do not like the Inquisition."

"Who does?" Liriel said with a grunt as several circles of golden energy appeared nearby. Forms appeared in each. Six of them. One hulking form strode forward, his face angry.

"Who dares summon Logan Grimnar?"

The High Wolf of the Space Wolves Chapter of the Imperium Space Marines was not happy.