Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica or Warhammer 40k
Something clever. Something clever. She absolutely had to come up with something clever to say. The stage had been set. The planets had aligned. It was as though fate itself had conspired to create this singular moment for the sole purpose of creating an opportunity for her to show off her quick witted humor.
"There's… two of you now…?" Sayaka asked uncertainly.
Khaine damn it all.
Sitting across from her in a wheelchair, Madoka offered up a tenuous, almost apologetic smile, while she shrugged to herself. Near the opposite end of the room that the Troupe had been brought to by their armed escorts, another Madoka stood idly by, seemingly oblivious to the world around her as she slowly rolled her staff back and forth in her palms.
"Um… It's kind of… complicated." Madoka number one replied. "But she's sort of working for the other Inquisitor. Maybe it might be best to let them explain it."
Still clouded by the ever present fog over her senses, Sayaka's mind was having to fight in order to make sense of the information she was being given. There was apparently now a second Inquisitor who had their own Madoka. Maybe this was a human thing she wasn't aware of. Was there another Sayaka as well? One different from her? She hoped she wasn't an Ork. Anything but an Ork.
A sudden slap on her shoulder jolted the Harlequin out of her thoughts, forcing her back to the present as Navarre strolled up beside her. The grinning portion of his mask seemed to stretch itself wider than usual at the peculiar sight in front of them.
"Oh, how wonderfully confusing." He chuckled. "I'm sure this will cause no end to our headaches in the communications department. Why, I once traveled with a pair of Rangers that both went by the name of Eluin. Trying to differentiate them became such a trying affair and, well, one thing led to another and they were both torn apart by Tyranids. Interesting duo, they were."
Chair-Madoka blinked, looking to Mami for guidance on how to react to white might or might not have been an attempt at breaking the ice. For her part, she didn't seem to have the energy invested in the moment to even get annoyed.
"You don't need to worry too much about that." The man standing across the way remarked. He was rather tall for a human, though it might have been the power armor he was wearing that made him look that way. Sayaka could only assume that he was the previously mentioned Inquisitor Heidric. "This girl answers to the name Kaname, and I doubt that you'll have much need of communicating with her. She is, as you can see, rarely in a mood for talking, and when she does decide to speak, it is in warnings that I have been working to decipher."
So that was how they'd know. The humans had a Seer. For some reason, Sayaka found herself frowning behind her mask. She couldn't quite place the reasoning why, but the situation surrounding this body double was troubling her.
Not that she wasn't rather troubled already. Whether by her persistent injury, or the fact that all modes of human transportation seemed to want to pry her skeleton out from under her skin, she hadn't exactly been feeling at peak condition recently.
"That aside, it's good to meet the Troupe of the Broken Oath in person." Heidric continued, managing to only catch briefly on the word 'good'. "Especially you, miss Miki. I've heard much about you in the visions and prophecies of my charge."
"Well, that's…" Creepy. "Nice to hear. I'm afraid I'm not feeling much like myself at the moment, but I'm glad to hear that my fame has been spreading."
"Oh, your reputation most certainly precedes you." He replied, his tone edging somewhere that she didn't quite like. "I was most surprised to find you were of xenos origin when I first heard of you, but I can see now that there was no role more fitting for you to play."
"…I'm going to pretend that was a compliment." Sayaka said, silently looking over the condition of his armor. Perhaps focusing a bit much on where its weak points may be located. "But since you've known we were coming for a while now, I take it you know about the ones following behind?"
"The Orks?" He asked. "I do. Which is why I've called you here to begin with. However, I would prefer to wait until everyone is present until we get down to business on that front. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if miss Tomoe took the time to fill you in. I do hate repeating myself."
He gestured towards the blonde, politely beckoning her towards the Eldar. Sayaka had to hold back a small noise in the back of her throat at such a move. The Eldar assumed that, despite her obvious young age and inexperience in the Ordos, there would still be a certain amount of respect between fellow Inquisitors. For the sake of each other's influence if nothing else.
Mami certainly didn't miss the meaning in the exchange, but neither did she let any irritation show through if she felt it. Instead, she simply paused for a moment before-
"That would be most inefficient."
All those present gave a slight start, turning towards the far corner where the Magos and his guard had taken up station. Funny. They had been so still and silent that Sayaka had almost forgotten they were there to begin with. For oversized Mon-Keigh in bright red cloaks, they were surprisingly good at laying low when they wanted to.
"Inquisitor Heidric, your explanation of the current events was laced overmuch with unnecessary details and stylistic wordplay." Uzzaiel stated, actually causing the man to blink. "It is my understanding that Inquisitor Tomoe's descriptions would follow with similar flaws. For the sake of minimizing wasted time, I would put forth my own rendition."
Heidric merely looked at him for a long while, as though trying to figure out exactly what had just happened. The Magos, for his part, continued to stare back with all the visible expression of a brick wall.
"Very well then…" The Inquisitor agreed, motioning for him to go on. "If you wish to, then by all means."
Uzzaiel nodded once, satisfied. Whether this was an attempt at political maneuvering on his part, or if he genuinely was fed up with how slowly things were proceeding while in the hands of the Inquisitors was difficult to tell.
Sayaka wasn't left to wonder however, as the Magos dove into what she could only think to describe as a rapid-fire barrage of events listed in chronological order. The speed and even keel with which they were delivered left her feeling dizzy, but she managed to at least catch on the gist of what was said. With his exchange completed, Uzzaiel returned to his seat, lapsing into the same observatory silence that he'd adopted previously.
"Were you able to make sense of all that?" Mami asked, seeming to understand that the sudden burst of information might have been more than a little confusing.
"Oh, you need not worry yourself." Navarre replied, waving away her concerns. "Tis' hardly the strangest thing I've seen in my lifetime, and we have more pressing matters to worry about at the moment, yes?"
"Agreed." Gilliam offered from behind Madoka's wheelchair. "I would very much like details on the amount of preparation that's been done for the coming attack."
"As I said, I will give you the words you desire as soon as everyone is assembled." Heidric assured. "In the meantime, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable. The final guests should be showing up shortly. Now, are there any other questions that I might answer before then?"
"Yes, actually." Mami said, stepping out towards the other Inquisitor.
"Do you happen to have any tea around here?"
From the moment she set foot on the Fortress World, Kyoko could tell that something was off. The people here didn't look anything like the uninformed bunch of conscripts she'd been expecting. The air was charged with an electric tension, with groups on constant patrol to and from Emperor-knows-where, all carrying with them a variety of armaments and weaponry.
These people were preparing for war. Something she made sure to point out to the Lord Marshal as soon as they were out of earshot of those passing by.
"That they are." He agreed, keeping his gaze fixed on the back of the Stormtrooper that had apparently been sent to meet them at the gate and lead them inside. "And it may be a good thing at that. I'd much rather face our enemies with a ready force than a hastily thrown together assortment of soldiers."
"I'm with ya there, but have you noticed what state they're in?" The Freeblade shot back, keeping her tone hushed. "Everyone here looks like they just ran a marathon gauntlet through the Eye and back. Most of the common workers are practically stiffs on legs. You don't get this kinda wear from a bit of prep work…"
Milenhelm was silent for a long while, the only sound echoing around them being the heavy footfalls of the Kasrkin troops, and their impassive guide. That was another thing, Kyoko noted to herself. Almost no talking. It was as though these people were in the middle of a siege or something.
"I know what you're referring to." He said eventually. "There is more at work here than simple foresight. Tell me, have you felt it yet?"
She raised an eyebrow at that, turning her attention to their surroundings. After several moments with no results, she shook her head.
"Ain't feeling nothing but how stuffy this place is." She said with a frown. "Why? You picking something up?"
The man gave a low grunt, halfway between a chuckle and a sigh. Out of the corner of his eye, he gave her a quick glance.
"I'm surprised, Freeblade." He said. Fecker was grinning. She just knew it. "Given that you spent the most time around that girl, I would have thought you'd grown to recognize this sensation. Though, perhaps, it's because you spent so much time around her that you've grown numb to it."
"What the hell are you getting a-"
She paused, realization hitting her across the head. Immediately, her attention was turned back inwards, focusing on the ambient atmosphere around them and recalling the feeling of having Madoka's presence nearby.
Somewhere… There was something… She could almost…
There.
The sudden awareness was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over her head. She could feel it. A presence that was so very similar to that of the girl from another world, and yet, so vastly different. There was an edge to this one, as though it might cut anyone that came too close. The warmth was there, but it had turned to a sort of simmering heat, sitting at the edge of boiling instead of offering comfort.
More disturbing than that was the effect she could feel it having on her.
There was something rejuvenating about being around Madoka, though Kyoko would never admit such a thing out loud. More than just the memories, it was as though she had some sort of aura. Something that dulled out discomfort and anxiety simply by her proximity. She didn't appear to be aware of the effect on her own, leading the redhead to believe that it was probably something to do with her 'Magical Girl' status. She still thought it was a stupid name though.
This presence was not refreshing. Quite the opposite. Rather than returning energy to her, it felt as though she was being drained. Not overtly, no, this was something subtle. A tiny leak at the edge of her awareness that she'd never have spotted had it not been pointed out to her. Something was taking away from her, and that was enough to send her tension skyrocketing at the thought that she could be fed on in such a way without realizing.
"What the feck?" She hissed, speaking as loudly as she dared. "What the feck is that? How did you even notice?"
Milenhelm grunted lightly, rolling his shoulders. The signal sent an almost invisible ripple through the Cadian elites, each one shifting into their own preparations. They knew full well that they could be walking into an ambush, and only quick reflexes and iron discipline would see them through if that was the case.
"Practice." The Lord Marshal responded. "There is a saying among the Inquisition that I happen to be fond of. 'Trust no one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die in vain than live an abomination.' Perhaps a bit overly dramatic, as much of the Ordos tends to be, but the message is clear enough."
He paused, giving her a meaningful look out of the corner of his eye.
"I would strongly suggest you get used to picking out details like this." He said quietly. "I have a feeling that it's a skill you'll need to learn quickly if you're going to be staying around the Inquisitor's girl."
Kyoko made to respond, but thought better of it at the last moment, choosing instead to simply nod. She focused her attentions on that little pinprick, the feather-light touch of an alien presence sapping at the corners of her mind like a parasite, and committing its details to memory. It was strange. Even trying to focus on the sensation was pulling her mind in a way she wasn't used to moving. This would take getting used to.
"We've arrived."
The Stormtrooper's announcement, spoken with about as much inflection as if he'd simply remarked on the weather, caused the group to slow to a halt in front of a large, but otherwise unassuming double door.
"The Inquisitor and your associates are waiting inside."
Without another word, the ebon-armored soldier departed, leaving them to their own devices. Kyoko took a moment to collect her thoughts before regarding the Lord Marshal with a sidelong glance.
"How much you wanna bet something explodes the moment we open that door?" She asked.
"I would hope that, in the event of things going poorly, our enemies would have the enough respect for us not to try such a crude tactic." He replied dryly. He did not, however, dispute her question.
With a wordless wave from Daedalus, two Kasrkin moved into position, ready to breach or duck in cover as the situation demanded. He paused only briefly, giving a nod to Milenhelm before taking up his own station at the entryway.
"Entering."
Kyoko, and everyone else, she suspected, tensed for what was waiting for them on the other side.
She wasn't prepared.
"Ah. You have no idea how badly I needed this." Mami remarked, a calm and peaceable smile covering her face as she set down an empty teacup. "It has been far, far, too long since I've had a proper drink."
Around her, Commissar Gilliam, Magos Uzzaiel, his Skitarii, Madoka Kaname, and what looked to be the entire Harlequin Troupe were situated. In addition, there were two unfamiliar faces present.
Rather, one unfamiliar face, she realized, and one which she knew all too well. It wasn't as bad as she'd thought. It was so much worse.
"Oh feck me…" Kyoko groaned. Even as she tried to deny what she was seeing to herself, the room's occupants turned towards the new arrivals, further enforcing the reality of the situation.
"Ah, and the stragglers have arrived." The unknown man commented. He had to be Inquisitor Heidric. Even if he wasn't wearing a full suit of power armor, she could tell just by looking at him that he was one of those types. The Ordos was very good at shaping members who could stand out. "We've been waiting for you. Miss Kyoko Sakura, I presume? And you must be Gregor Milenhelm."
The Lord Marshal nodded, not missing a beat despite the oddity of the situation. Despite herself, Kyoko was glad that he was the one who liked to do the talking. She wasn't sure just what the hell would come out of her mouth if she was forced to make conversation at the moment.
"I would take it that you are the Inquisitor who seems to know far more about us than one would expect." Milenhelm replied, silently taking stock of the state of things. "Now, I might be overstepping courtesy with a question so soon, but would your apparent prescience happen to be linked to that girl standing beside you?"
Maybe not the smoothest way of going about it, but it beat her original plan of demanding answers, likely with a few expletives thrown in for good measure.
Heidric smiled. It wasn't a pleasant expression. Kyoko admitted to herself that she might have grown overly used to the gentle expressions often displayed by Inquisitor Tomoe. This was more what she expected an Inquisitor's smile to look like.
"Right to the point." He said, stepping out from behind the table. "I can respect that. And yes, miss Kaname here is directly connected to this entire situation, in more ways than one. I would be happy to explain it all to you if you'd be so kind as to allow me?"
"Now then. Have a seat."
Madoka wasn't even sure what to think anymore. After sitting through the third telling of the situation, this time from a mixture of Mami and Uzzaiel's words, she still found herself wondering if she was about to wake up in bed at any moment.
It didn't help that the object of her confusion refused to acknowledge her presence.
After the first encounter, she'd tried several more times to catch a brief conversation with the girl known as Kaname. Each time, the Psyker had simply ignored her, never showing even the slightest bit of recognition. She didn't dare try reaching out to touch her, and she could only press for interaction so loud without risking the attention of those around her, but Madoka had tried her best in the circumstances. All for nothing, unfortunately.
During a lapse in the discussion, she stole a glance at her friends in an attempt to gauge their reactions.
Kyoko, unsurprisingly, wore an annoyed expression. It seemed to be the only one she possessed other than her challenging grin, and the occasional bout of thoughtful quiet. After having only just started to get through the Freeblade's shell, Madoka had a feeling that this new development wouldn't sit particularly well with her.
Sayaka was far harder to read. Normally, even with her mask and bodysuit, the Eldar girl was quite expressive with her body language. Recently that had been changing. Madoka had been having more and more difficulty seeing what her friend was thinking. She knew something was going on with the Harlequin, but there was no telling what that could be, or if she would even be able to understand if she knew. Right now, all she could say for certain was that she looked… contemplative. And tired. Very, very, tired.
Feeling a touch of resignation, Madoka refocused her attentions back on the discussion at hand. She knew that the war meeting was important, and even if there wasn't much she could be expected to do in her current state, it would benefit her far more to listen and plan along with them.
"-Will have the rest of my men working to establish a solid means of communication with the Apocrypha." Heidric seemed to be saying. "I've found the interference to be troubling, but not so much as to be an impossible barrier. We've already managed with our orbital defenses, so opening a channel with your ship should prove simple enough."
"Good." Mami commended. "Running information to and from orbit via shuttle isn't an appealing prospect. How long should it take to make a secure link?"
"Four to five hours at most."
"That quickly?" Gilliam questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"As you might know, we've been quite busy around here." Heidric responded with a knowing grin. "Paltua's forces have been rallied to the best of their abilities under these conditions. As it happens, we have a coven of Astropaths at our disposal who have been working to transmit long-range messages through the interference."
"Can we expect reinforcements from the rest of the Ring?" Milenhelm questioned, leaning forwards in his seat. "I understand that the garrisons for the surrounding planets are sizable enough to make a difference in a fight like this."
"I'm afraid not. Daemonic attacks have started up on several of the Ring planets recently. Considerable ones. Those worlds will be unable to provide us any aid, as most are too preoccupied with defending their own territories."
"Inquiry." Uzzaiel spoke up. "Your Psyker has shown a considerable amount of accuracy with her predictions. Has she said anything about the composition of the Ork fleet moving in on our location? Our fighting ability would be greatly aided by knowing the size and strength of the enemy force."
Heidric took a moment, glancing towards Kaname who remained fixated in her own space, ignorant to the world around her.
"Her visions are largely centered around those with a connection to Madoka Kaname. Her descriptions of the Orks have been… sporadic. From what I've been able to glean from her, the main force consists of somewhere between five and eight craft, cruiser class or above. There's no telling how many escorts will be following however."
Milenhelm nodded grimly.
"The Minean Deliverance and the Guardian of Feroa are only Dauntless crafts. Against a force that size, they'll not be able to offer much frontline support."
"Hell, you say it like the Apy's gonna being doing much better." Kyoko added, chewing her thumbnail. "Thing's a Mercury. Ain't really designed to act as a roadblock."
"Valid concerns." Uzzaiel stated. "However, there is one advantage our ships possess."
"Speed." Navarre chimed in, rising from his seat. "Let me tell you here ladies and gentlemen, no amount of armor plating is going to stop a concerted Ork assault. Skilled maneuvering and precision attacks however, can bring down hordes many times one's own size. You can take it from me."
"Perhaps with an open expanse of space to defend and no barriers in our way…" Mami said. "But that won't aid our ground forces. The orbital stations will only buy so much time before the fleet gets in range to launch their landing crafts, whatever shape they may take, and drop onto our heads."
"Ah, but the Orks reaching the planet is a foregone conclusion." The Troupe Master replied easily, waving his hand as though it was of no concern. "There is no way we could hope to prevent that at this point. Trying to would only lead to the destruction of your vessels. Instead, we should focus on how to repel them when they do arrive."
"What about those pals you're supposed to be callin' in?" Kyoko demanded, jabbing her finger towards him. "They gonna be any help, or was that just a bunch of empty talk?"
"That remains to be seen, now doesn't it?" He chuckled to himself. "As it so happens, the word has already been sent out. Whether its intended recipients choose to act on it is something that only Lileath and her favored may say with certainty."
"Oh? And when exactly did this happen?" Heidric question, raising an eyebrow. "To my knowledge, your Troupe has only been planet-side for the past hour and a half, and entirely under the watch of my men. When did you have a chance to send a message that I wasn't made aware of?"
Navarre shook his head, stepping out from behind the table and strolling its length to the man's side, taking his time to draw out the moment for as long as possible.
"Now, now, Inquisitor… if I told you that, it would ruin the magic of it all, wouldn't it~?" He questioned, leaning in just enough to be uncomfortable. "But since you've been such a good sport with sharing secrets, let me just say that you're not the only one with allies that are prone to certain… visions…"
Something crossed Heidric's face at that statement. It lasted only a fraction of an instant, too swift for Madoka to even catch what it was, but the reaction seemed to please the Troupe Master greatly, causing him to erupt in a fit of lighthearted giggles as he spun away on his heel, pirouetting out of reach and all but throwing himself into his open seat.
"Ah, trust me, worrying on the appearance of our cousins in arms isn't worth the effort of heartache." He concluded cheerily. "They will or they won't, and the lot of us will be be made to suffer their decision in either case. Now then, shall we return to the matter at hand?"
There were a few muttered grumbles from Kyoko, and a distinct air of dissatisfaction with his words throughout the room, but nobody chose to pursue the topic any further than that. Everyone had lapsed into a thoughtful silence, their minds no doubt turning over the countless different battle strategies which could, or would, be employed when the green menace turned up on their doorstep.
It lasted only until a shaky, timid hand was raised, drawing the attention of the room to the girl doing her best to avoid trembling in her wheelchair.
"Madoka?" Mami asked, a curious note entering her voice. "Was there something you wanted to say?"
"Um…" She gulped, forcing back the unpleasant feeling of so many eyes focusing on her. "It's just… I was thinking back on what you said on Atlania. About the Ork army. You said that they were led by one important one, right? And if you were to… erm… kill him, that the rest would start to fall apart?"
"Traditionally, that is the case." Heidric confirmed, stepping into the exchange. "Greenskins can be exceedingly varied, but their command hierarchy is brutally simple. There is a one Ork in charge of a warband, typically the largest and most ill-tempered of the lot, who directs the army."
He paused, giving her a serious look.
"However, if you're implying what I think you are, I would need to warn you that killing such a beast is no small feat. Orks are difficult to slay at the best of times, and a Warboss surrounded by an entire invasion fleet is a force to be reckoned with."
"What if he wasn't surrounded? Would you be able to stop him then?"
Several people exchanged glances, most towards Mami who simply frowned at Madoka's words. After a pause, Heidric cleared his throat.
"Perhaps." He said. "However, isolating such a creature would be an endeavor in and of itself. I take it that you have some reasoning behind such a statement?"
She took the chance to look towards Kyoko hopefully, silently pleading for support. The Freeblade looked just as confused as everyone else, until a small light of realization hit her.
"Wait a second there, Pinky…" She said. "I don't think I like where this is going…"
"When we were on the ship, and fighting the daemons, we had a plan to lure them out." Madoka explained to the others, shooting another glance towards Daedalus, who had begun stroking his chin. "I was the one they were after, and since I couldn't do much fighting, we… um… used me as bait."
Her words were met with silence. Unsure if this was a good sign or not, Madoka closed her eyes and pushed herself to go on rather than dwell on what she was about to suggest.
"It's just… I was thinking… the Orks are after me too right? Maybe we could do something like that to get their leader alone…?"
Still nothing. Cracking one eye open nervously, she peered out at the others in an attempt to gauge whether her idea had any weight in their eyes. She didn't have long to ponder, before one of the group broke the impasse.
"You did WHAT!?" Sayaka practically screamed, slamming her palms down on the table like a thunderclap. Even with her face covered, the bloody glare that she was directing at the Knight pilot sitting across from her was painted on her features as clear as day. "You used her as BAIT!? To lure out daemons!? Are you out of your… your…"
A string of words followed that Madoka couldn't hope to follow, spoken in a language that was unlike anything she'd come to recognize. Despite being an alien tongue, there was no mistaking the vehement curses being thrown out.
"Hold the feck up a second!" Kyoko shot back, jumping to her feet with a scowl. "Don't go trying to pin that shit on me. It was her idea to begin with."
"And you AGREED!?" The Harlequin demanded. "Do you have any idea how dangerous daemons are!? Do you know what would have happened to her if she'd been caught!?"
"Of course I fecking know how dangerous they are! I've been fighting them nonstop for the past few months!"
"You say you knew but you let her do it anyway!? You absolute bitch!"
In a rare moment of interspecies coordination, Milenhelm and Navarre each sped to their respective charges, the Lord Marshal hooking his arms under Kyoko's shoulders and restraining her just as she was about to jump up on the table to confront Sayaka. The Troupe Master clapped his hands down on the Harlequin girl's arms before she could do the same, twisting them behind her back so that she was effectively trapped in his grasp.
"Let me go you fecking prick!" Kyoko shouted, fighting to get a solid footing as Milenhelm struggled to keep her off balance and manageable. "You wanna start throwing out insults xeno!? Go ahead! I'll force 'em back down your fecking throat and make you choke on 'em!"
"Athair, release me!" Sayaka pleaded, only to have her legs swept out from underneath her, Navarre kneeling down on her back and effectively pinning her down. "She admitted to putting Madoka's life in peril! We can't just ignore that!"
"Sure! Let me at her!" The Freeblade demanded, gaining enough ground that both Daedalus and another Kasrkin had to step in to help, the three of them forcing her down against the table while she shot a withering look across at the Eldar. "I been waiting for a fight with that little prissy alien!"
Madoka, aghast at what her attempt at being helpful had caused, attempted to speak out to stop the conflict, only to be interrupted when a miniature explosion detonated in the midst of the room, blinding her for a brief moment and causing her ears to ring. Everyone scattered back several steps, reaching for weapons and spinning around to face the cause of the disruption.
Only to find Uzzaiel, holding up a strange handgun-like weapon pointed at the ceiling, in which a still-smoldering hole had appeared.
After a short pause, the Magos slowly turning his head so that his lenses met the eyes of both Kyoko and Sayaka, he returned his weapon to the folds of his robes.
"Your emotional outbursts will no be tolerated in the midst of this discussion." He stated evenly. "Engage in interpersonal conflicts during your own time. No more disruptions will be allowed. That was the only warning shot I will provide."
The heat of the moment passing, the two girls were slowly released by those holding them down, each glaring at one another, but otherwise keeping themselves under control. She might have imagined it, but Madoka thought she heard mutterings of unkind words drifting out from behind Kyoko's teeth just out of earshot.
"My." Navarre remarked. "That was exciting. What were we discussing again?"
"Unless I'm mistaken, I believe miss Kaname…" Gilliam paused, catching himself as the Psyker at the far end of the room looked up at the sound of her name. "…Madoka was about to suggest we use her to lure the Ork warboss out of hiding."
"So it would seem." Mami agreed, giving the girl a serious frown that made her personal feelings on the subject abundantly clear. "Madoka, would you please finish your thoughts?"
"…Er… well… that was about it…" She finished lamely, twisting her hands in her lap nervously at the explosive reception she'd caused. "I just thought that maybe we could make something like that work. If we were able to stop their leader, that would make the rest a lot easier to deal with, right? And we could go back to worrying about Walpurgisnacht."
"Perhaps... perhaps... it's an idea that could bear further discussion, definitely." Heidric spoke up, keeping his tone carefully neutral on the subject after reading the mood of the room. "However, first and foremost we need to focus on enduring the first assault of… hm…? Kaname, is something the matter?"
The Psyker was no longer blanking out the world around her. The normal distant apathy she wore was replaced with an oddly centralized focus as her sightless gaze locked onto the gap in the ceiling created by Uzzaiel's firearm and her mouth hung half-open as though on the verge of some profound statement.
"There is a hole above us…" She said quietly.
Heidric sighed, his shoulders deflating.
"Yes, well, I'll have someone fix that when the opportunity arrives." He said offhandedly. "Now, about our defense plans…"
The atmosphere aboard the Apocrypha was a tense one. Twelve hours after the ground parties had reestablished contact, things were growing more and more heated.
"-men have been put on high alert, ready and standing by for anti-boarding actions. The Techpriests report that our weaponry is in prime condition, and the Machine Spirits have been prepared for combat."
Captain Remius took in the reports with a distant expression, his gaze fixed on the viewing port as he idly toyed with the apple in his hand. It was a novelty, to be certain, having a real piece of fruit on board a warship, light-years away from the nearest agri-worlds, but the luxury of it was lost on him in that moment.
"Have the other ships been briefed?" He asked, mentally preparing for what looked to be a harrowing ordeal.
"Aye sir." The armsman replied. "Both crafts have been filled in on the battle plan, and are moving into striking position as we speak."
For a long while, Remius said nothing, gazing out into the void with an uncharacteristic severity, before turning back to the man with a quiet, humorless, smile.
"Good." He said. "Open a channel with them, if you would."
"Right away sir." He saluted, rushing to comply with his captain's orders. Remius regarded him silently, letting the weight of their current situation sink in. It was one thing to run from an encroaching army. To face them in open combat, while at a sizable disadvantage, however…
A shiver of anticipation ran through him, causing him to chuckle lightly to himself. With a swift, practiced movement, Remius bit into the apple in his hand, savoring the taste of what could prove to be his final meal.
"Channels open sir. All ships awaiting your word."
"Good work Median." He said, setting the partially eaten fruit aside. "That will be all."
Taking a breath, Remius steadied himself. Gone was the mask of jovial amiability. In its place, a stern, iron curtain. Unflinching. Unmoving in the face of what was to come. Without a hint of doubt in his voice, he spoke.
"Men and women of the Imperial Navy, hear me now. These past few months have been trying for all of us. An enemy we know all too well has taken a new shape to strike out at us. To spill the blood of the Imperium's populace in the name of their twisted machinations. Until now, we've been forced to simply react, letting our enemies dictate each move in accordance to their whims.
"No more. As some of you may be aware, the agents of the Emperor's holy Inquisition convene on the planet below us even now. They have come together to find a way to end this blight on Imperial space, and drive back the unholy scourge that dares prey on our people. Soon, we will have a means of striking on the offensive, and we'll answer every crime that has been committed by these abominations.
"Before that, we face another threat entirely. The Green Tide bears down on us. As we speak, the Ork war machine storms towards us. We are outnumbered. Outgunned. Thoroughly outmanned. But there is one thing we have that no greenskin filth will ever be able to claim.
"The Emperor's blessing.
"Make no mistake. Even here, in the far reaches of the cold void, the Emperor watches over us still. He has tasked us personally with overseeing this mission through to the end. Ensuring that the threat of Chaos be wiped from our worlds. This is our mission. This is our divine judgment. I stand before you now, not as your commander, but as your fellow crusader against the forces of the Dark Gods. I stand before you, ready to form the bulwark upon which the waves of the Green Tide will shatter and break.
"We fight together! Every man and woman as an impenetrable fortress of the Emperor's will! Though times are dark, never forget the long and fabled glories that have brought us to this point. The grandeur of the Imperium is built on the sacrifice of martyrs, and should we fall this day, know that the God Emperor will catch us!
"Go now! Steady your souls and steel your hearts! Prepare yourselves for the true fight ahead! Meet the foe! Strike them down! Make them bleed for every atrocity committed against the Imperium of Man!"
"Ave Imperator!"
"The Emperor protects!"
The ship rumbled beneath his feet, as though growling its own primordial assertion to his words. Remius closed his eyes, feeling the familiar fire starting to spread under his skin as his instincts warned him of the coming threat.
It was a good day to die.
Far above the Fortress World, the empty void roiled and twisted, rupturing under the force of rampant Warp energies. The first of the alien vanguards burst into the material plane, leading the way for the war fleet behind them.
In orbit, the human ships altered their courses, moving to intercept the enemy while those aboard the orbital defenses sent their prayers to the Golden Throne, bracing themselves against the oncoming enemy.
Unseen by either side, ancient warriors stepped into motion, vanishing into sorcerous portals with an unquestioning will.
Deep in the heart of the Warp, a goddess laughed, and the galaxy trembled.