816.M41
Segmentum Obscurus
Calixis-Scarus warp conduit
interstellar debris field ID-03-303-517
unnamed storage compartment in refurbishment zone of the Tiberius, Excelsior-class grand cruiser, flagship of House D'Romas
Sarcasin shone the light onto the case and looked up at Vitus' shadowed face. "What have you there, my young psyker?" The threads had stopped spinning in her head and she knew this was it. Without a care for potential value, she cleared everything off a table and onto the deck.
"Navigator maps, or something like that," he shrugged and set the case down on the table. "Remain outside", he said to the armsmen and battle-servitors lining up in the hallway and preparing to enter. "Shut the door." Mathis dutifully pushed the door closed.
Sarcasin stared at Vitus closely. He placed his hand on the side of the box and began to concentrate. After a moment she heard a click and the box opened. A light filled the room and a hololithic projection appeared of a woman with long, dark hair, clad in robes that were dark crimson with gold laced into them.
"Greetings, scion of House D'Romas. I have made this pict-cording in the year eight-sixteen of the thirty-fourth millennium because I knew you would come one day. I am Angelica D'Romas, direct descendant of Valentina D'Romas who had her warrant of trade placed into her hands personally from those of the Emperor himself many years ago when he still walked amongst men." She turned to Sarcasin and Vitus and then continued, "Scion, remove the dataslate from this case and place your hand upon it."
Looking inside, Vitus found the small box and did as instructed. Suddenly a great multilayered hololithic projection of a star map appeared in the air. Sarcasin was stunned. The Koronus Expanse. The thought came to her mind as she recognized the chart. With detailed warp routes.
"We created these maps on our journeys while searching routes for an Explorator fleet of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Some information was required to be deposited at the Wykthorne Prime naval installation, but we kept most hidden," she finished with a laugh. "Enclosed within this dataslate is the complete documentation of our journey through these regions. I knew that one day they would be valuable to you and to the dynasty and to the Emperor. I knew the day I made this pict-cording was not that day."
"The Koronus fragments," said Sarcasin in awe. The image stood still and remained silent as Sarcasin spoke, its controlling cogitator recognizing the speech of another. She continued speaking to Vitus, "In the planning stages for the Angevin Crusade of the thirty-ninth millennium, a group of documents regarding an area beyond the Calyx Expanse was discovered in the naval base on Wykthorne Prime and added as an addendum to the planning material. Later, stories arose from those documents and gave rise to legends which led to the discovery of the Maw and passage into what would become known as the Koronus Expanse. It appears these are the complete and original documents from which those fragments came."
As Sarcasin spoke, Vitus reached into the case and removed another object. This object was long and slender and wrapped in fine cloth that was dark crimson with gold thread woven into it. He unwrapped the cloth, revealing it to be an ancient battle standard bearing the heraldry of House D'Romas. The holo-image began to speak again. "Ah, I see you have found them. The ancient banner was carried into battle against the Emperor before the swearing of fealty to him and afterward born into battle in His name on countless worlds to unite the lost tribes of Holy Terra during the Great Crusade. You are tasked to continue that work."
The banner was awe inspiring, but what remained in his hands held both his eyes and those of the Inquisitor. It was an incredibly long scabbard with a hilt protruding. Vitus awkwardly drew the sword from its scabbard, its length nearly too great for his long arms. He stared at the exquisite beauty he held for a moment, then closed his eyes. Sarcasin continued to stare in disbelief. One side of the blade had a version of the D'Romas family heraldry exquisitely inscribed into it- the eagle within the laurel but there was a trailing scroll with the letters SPQR inscribed on it instead of into the laurel's leaves. The other side of the blade was blank, as if awaiting a future inscription. By the Emperor! Sarcasin's thoughts screamed in her head. She knew that exquisite craftsmanship and recognized the material from which it was constructed. It could have only one origin. Eldar handiwork!
"I see you have found it," spoke the holo-image in obvious reference to the blade. "It is a force blade unlike any other I have ever lain my eyes upon. Taniquetl, a void dreamer for a clan of Eldar corsairs presented it to us while we rested on a planet that was the most beautiful I had ever seen. He said that one day, one of us who could wield it would hold the warrant. He said the scion would wield it against our great common enemy. I suppose he meant the orks, there are so many of them out here, and I suppose that day has now come." With those words, the image vanished.
"No, Angelica. Taniquetl did not mean the greenskins." Vitus, his eyes still closed, slowly slid the blade back into its scabbard and placed it within the case. "It will take some time to properly attune myself to this blade." He opened his eyes, then quickly and reverently folded the banner. Vitus then methodically replaced the star chart dataslate into the long case. "It appears we will not be chasing the Margin Crusade after all when this pass through the warp conduit is completed." He took the case into his arms and began walking toward the door.
"Lord D'Romas, we need to talk, alone." Inquisitor Sarcasin said, looking at Mathis as he followed Vitus out the door. The Margin Crusade. That is one fewer lie I will not have to bother unraveling for you now that you are not going to chase it. However, it appears I will have to unravel another lie in its place. A larger one that will require me to expedite your indoctrination into a Throne Agent. She sighed, then silently followed him out. Please Emperor, let my choices in this be the correct ones.