The Saga Of House Valor

by ThatAuthorA

In the far reaches of the Imperium exists the frontier, where worlds are constantly won and lost in the name of the Emperor. Often ignored for those worlds that have long proven their worth the Emperor, they are often without anyone but themselves. One Imperial Knight House, House Valor, lost and without home, find themselves here. And here, is where their saga begins.

25. A Guardsman's Purpose (Side Story Pt3)

A Guardsman's Purpose Part 3

How did she end up here? Laeria was only a child, only just entering her fortieth year. Of all of the possibilities, of all the paths that the weave could have given her, she found herself here. She could not have predicted where it took her. Well, perhaps if she was older she might have had a chance. She still had so much training to go in order to fulfill her role. To complete the path that her elders put upon her. But she couldn't have seen, not even any of her elders knew, what had come to pass. When their Craftworld was attacked and destroyed as if by enigma, the work of some shadow in the warp. That was the only way she found to rationalize its sudden destruction. She was only saved because she was sent away abruptly only a few cycles before her home was destroyed. She had been told she was important, and that something fierce and fateful was on its way.

She was taken away by her guardian, Denvae, and a small retinue far away into the void of space. Denvae was the member of the farseer's council which trained her to become one of them, and so she was chosen to be her caretaker. It was foretold, that Laeria was to lead the Eldar of her craftworld to a bright future. What that meant, nobody seemed sure, only that this path was destined for her, and she could, no, she would have no other. Regardless of how she felt about it, or how much she had longed for something else. No, she was only told to accept this as destiny and was taken from her parents without so much as a moment of hesitation from them. To everyone around her, she was little more than a tool or a symbol of some bright future to pass. To that end, she was trained in seclusion from the others of her age, raised to be a figure of raised status as a Farseer. Not that she was very apt at it. Still, she had grown to be disciplined and strict, forced to mature far beyond her peers. While she didn't understand it, she still trained diligently. She listened and followed the directions given to her, driven by a sense of duty and purpose, for that was all she had. Yet, after it all, she still had doubt. She could not understand why this was to be her fate. Perhaps it was because she could not see the future herself, no matter how hard she tried. Still she was young, and her teachers all took far more years to even master the basics. How they then expected her, at such a young age, to even accomplish half of what they were capable of… it confused her. It frustrated her. But in her diligence and respect for the elders, she said nothing. Perhaps that is why this came to pass.

No. Who could have foretold such a tragedy? Their Craftworld was destroyed, and she only discovered the truth when Denvae insisted that they return to check on them. It was a foolish decision, especially for one as wise as she claimed to be, but she could see it on her face. She saw her emotions break through that rigid and cold exterior, as she felt some distant disturbance. It was nothing to the anguish that she saw and then felt when they arrived at what remained of their home. Laeria still remembered peering outside of the ship, into the cold void of space. Their Craftworld ripped open and spilling its contents, like blood pouring from a wounded corpse. The bodies of hundreds of thousands…she didn't even want to recall. Yet the memory persisted like a phantom that choked her throat. She was kept away from seeing much else, as Denvae went out with her warriors to seek survivors. When they returned, they came back with nearly a hundred of them, only several of which followed the path of the warrior.

When she thought things could get no worse, things changed again. Denvae began to declare Laeria as a savior figure, a leader, a symbol of renewal for the sake of the others she said. Yet, Laeria wasn't allowed to even speak with anyone, kept at the back of their ship in seclusion like the precious doll she was. Denvae explained that such treatment was intentional, that they needed a symbol, and she happened to be what the others needed. Something to be seen, to provide hope, but not to speak lest she shatter the illusion and reveal she was a scared, helpless little girl. At least until they could find their sister Craftworld, but everyone knew such wouldn't be an easy task. So it was that Laeria was forced upon the path of leader, when she was at her most scared and vulnerable. Not that she let those emotions surface enough to be noticeable. Her years being chastised for such things wouldn't let her. She couldn't reveal that she was a young, vulnerable child forced into a role she didn't understand. She had no choice, she was simply whatever the others needed. Still the turmoil in her psyche wouldn't stop, despite how hard she tried. Needless to say, Denvae did not notice her needs, nor did she seem to care in the slightest. She was a member of the Farseers council first, a teacher second, and her caretaker third. Laeria knew full and well, that if she was not prophesized to be so special, then she wouldn't have even given her the smallest moment of attention. She might as well be a doll…

Yet Denvae was the only person she had. The only one left whom she could consider close to her, for she had been secluded from all else. The other members of the council… they were all dead. Her parents… they were likely dead as well. She had no-one left but Denvae. Yet despite their dire situation, even then, their troubles did not end. They were attacked by a human ship as they scanned the ruins of the Craftworld. That was the first time that Laeria had ever met them outside of the stories she was told. Denvae became convinced that the destruction of their Craftworld was their doing, the 'monkeigh', lesser creatures who would stop at nothing to eliminate them all. Still she knew they would not stand a chance, and so they tried to escape. They couldn't do it in time, and the humans caught up to them. Denvae did what she had to, and without hesitation sacrificed her bodily form to allow them to escape, her soul only barely retrieved and placed within the confines of a wraitknight aboard their ship. Still the troubles didn't end, and they began to have difficulties sustaining all of the survivors they rescued. Yet while they were told to go hungry, Laeria was given proper meals. She was well cared for, despite the collective suffering beyond her room's door. All because she was told to be special. Laeria didn't know how to feel, and so kept quiet, and allowed such… she acted like the doll they wanted her to be.

In her spare time, Denvae told her stories of the humans, of all the horrid things they had done to the Eldar, of their arrogance and of the danger they posed. Every story more gruesome than the next, as Denvae would lose herself to memory and talk as if to a wall. Denvae frightened her. The bloodlust that simply exuded from her form as she told those stories… even her physical form was scary, unnatural and even more imposing in her walking construct of wraithbone. Worse still the details she included within her stories were enough to drive her mad, as her unstable emotions continued to probe her sanity. Denvae left no unsettling moment spared, let it be what humans did to captured Eldar, or the mass genocide of thousands… ultimately Laeria found it difficult to even sleep.

Then they arrived to that human station, such a large and imposing metal thing drifting out in the void. It circled a set of asteroids which drifted nearby, where she had overheard Denvae tell the others Orks had been seen. Still what was to come next only horrified her more. They were to board the station and procure supplies, and to Denvae… Laeria could only see her desire for vengeance emit from her like a cloud. A cloud that spread to all the others, as something dark and primal came from them. And worst of all, Laeria was taken along inside with them. The Aspect warriors went in first of course, and by the time she had actually stepped inside the station, not a human was left for her to actually see. Well… none alive. Even before she had entered, she could feel the terror and excitement of battle, she could feel the humans within the station. Like thousands of bright flames which flickered in the weave. One by one, those embers extinguished as they ceased to be. They were mercilessly killed, their pain and terror screamed within her young mind. Still she did her best to ignore it, holding onto the terrible stories that Denvae told her, of all the horrid things humans had done to the Eldar. She told herself that these were the ones who destroyed her Craftworld, everyone she cared about, killed her parents, killed everyone she had known, and trapped Denvae within the shell of a wraithknight. But it didn't change how horrible she felt, as her body shook and wavered at the mere thought of the brutality her guardian indulged within. Her latent psychic abilities haunting her, as they brought all of these feelings to her in force. Something she was told to never allow, to keep the predators of the warp away. She was only a child though, she didn't know how else to feel! Was it so much better for the Eldar to… the humans that her brethren slaughtered so… violently?

She still remembered as she was heralded within the station. How Denvae was covered in the red stains of blood that dripped across her wraithbone construct. Fresh and thick, like a mucus as it dripped onto the ground. She did not even seem to acknowledge that Laeria had arrived at first. She remembered the glimpse of what she wasn't supposed to see. A single door on the station open, just wide enough to reveal its wretched contents. The foul smell of death and decay thick in the air as it leaked out of it. Inside the piled bodies of humans reached the ceiling, many of them broken and twisted, with holes and bones, organs and blood meshed together in a dead mound. Yet what struck her most, was that she never imagined them to look so similar to the Eldar. Certainly not as defined and lack of Edlar beauty, though the blood and gore made such things difficult to judge, but they resembled so closely. It was enough to send shockwaves within her mind and into her very soul. That the Eldar were capable of such brutality… that they so easily killed them all. This was a moment where her mind snapped. She could not help but let out her anguish, as her body gave up on her and she collapsed.

The last thing she recalled before her consciousness shut was Denvae angrily yelling at the others for not hiding the bodies well enough. Such a thing to say… When she awoke, she was still within the station, resting on a crude bed in a small chamber. The Aspect warrior who watched over her, named Dilrea, told her that a single human managed to destroy their ship having activated one of the many cannons that defended the station to fire. Only a few Eldar were killed, but now all of them were stranded aboard the station until they could find a way to escape.

Denvae seemed to change after that. Her guardian, for the first time since they had left their destroyed home, asked her how she felt. Laeria however, didn't know what to respond, Denvae's cold and unnatural body, still stained in blood, made it difficult to even speak with her. Dilrea soon became the one that Laeria spoke with the most, as she was designated as her guard. In the short time that she knew her, she grew close. Dilrea treated her with a kindness and compassion she rarely got from the rigidness of her guardian. Someone lost to their path, Dilrea was set on being a warrior to the day she died. She constantly asked her how she felt, and eventually she even shared her true feelings and emotions. For the first time, it felt as if someone treated her as just a child, not some prophetic figure. She understood how she felt, how confined and scared she was. Laeria had come to like her, she was the closest thing to having something resembling a parental figure that cared about her. If only it didn't have to end. Why did judgement have to come for them? Why…

The humans came back. She remembered how much of a whirlwind it was, as she was taken by Denvae and Dilrea into one of the furthest reaches of the crude metal station. A storeroom, filled with the crates of food they had been plundering. She sensed the presence of many thousands coming close, and though her elders didn't tell her, she just knew the humans returned. Denvae told her things would be ok, that she had to stay put and not leave her side. Dilrea however, left her there with a promise to return. A promise she knew she couldn't keep. All of them seemed to know it, but whether it was a matter of pride or a genuine effort to survive, every Eldar on the station was set to fight. Laeria didn't want her to go, but Dilrea was set on her path and so she went. Only she and Denvae left in that storeroom after that. She then had to come to grips with the reality that all the others whom they had come with took up weapons to protect her. Many of them weren't warriors, had never even treaded the path, but this forced their hand. Laeria could do nothing but sit there, beside her guardian as she reached out and felt. Felt her protectors die, one by one, as the humans boarded the station and began to clear it of Eldar. Every death was followed by a screech that chilled her soul as she felt them fade into oblivion, the soulstones they wore crushed one at a time. But the worst of all of them, was when Laeria felt Dilreas life end, and her soul torn away shortly after. Denvae felt it too, and her anger only grew. It was a matter of time then, that the humans fund themselves at the entrance to the storeroom she was held within. It was there that her guardian finally said her last goodbye.

When the doors opened, Laeria didn't hide. She didn't move at all. She was terrified, scared of what came for her. Everyone she knew was gone, killed and taken away. It was her turn to die as well, she simply knew it. Still as she saw the two human soldiers walk towards her, both bloodied and full of wounds, one missing an entire arm, she froze. A brief recollection of Denvaes stories frozen in her mind. What would they do to her? She didn't know… and then the one who seemed in charge, the one without the arm, he began to yell at her. Though she shouldn't have, in her fear she reached out into his mind and she saw horrible things. Things done by the Eldar that only further crushed her spirit, that humans entire family killed in front of his eyes… as he berated her she said nothing, she gave up. There was no good in this, there was nothing. She was but a child! Yet she learned the horrible truth of this galaxy, and she had to deal with it. She was without purpose, a doll that failed to live up to her purpose. So, through her shivering she didn't move and waited, waited for the two of them to at last, end her anguish. When the human without an arm told the other to shoot her, she closed her eyes and prepared for death. She held onto the soulstone in her hand, and wondered for just a moment whether she would be eaten like the others, consumed by the foul monsters of the warp. She did not expect what would actually come to transpire. She heard a loud blast and then opened her eyes.

The human with the weapon didn't shoot her, he shot the other one. She didn't understand, by all accounts humans were supposed to hate Eldar, and anything else that wasn't them. Denvae was sure to tell her such over and over. Yet there she was, sat on a box, having soiled herself in her fear, as she watched with a trembling heart at the human who stood in front of her. He dropped his weapon and knelt before her as he told her to follow along, putting his helmet over her head and covering her in the bloodied coat of the human he killed. When other humans came, he held her behind him and lied to them. Silently, he took her with him through the hallway on small vehicles that treaded along the ground on tracks. They were filled with crates, and he had her placed within one, the tight confinement making her mind run wild at what was to become of her. Yet she did nothing to halt it, for she had nothing else, no other chance, and if this was a ruse… she was doomed to suffer it. The rest of the trip a long blur, as she remembered nothing but the darkness of the crate which surrounded her, until she eventually she was met with a bright light as the same human looked down at her. He quickly pulled her out of the box, and as quickly as possible had her follow him through the bowls of the ship he had come from. Humans were everywhere, many of them very similar to the one who took her, dressed in the same armor. Many of them celebrating as they were handed out small packages. The crew, as far as she could guess, given how they were dressed differently, also partook in the excitement.

It was only a short time however that she was here, before she noticed several other psychic presences aboard the vessel, and as she was trained her mind automatically took measures to hide her presence. The darkness of the ship grew steadily as the human pulled her along, until the number of humans decreased to none. They came to a small crevice in the ships interior wall, concealed by the darkness. Here too he pulled her along and through swaths of wires and pipes, they came into a small box-like room, lit up by some unseen source above. Here she feared the worst, having been brought to such a secluded place, but nothing happened. The human only told her to wait there and left again. Too scared to do anything else she waited, and looked at the oddities that were around the room, the crudely made chair, the random assortment of seemingly useless objects scattered about. Then the human returned, and he gave her food. In silence she ate, as did he, across from her and eventually time continued awkwardly between them until he laid down on the cloth that covered part of the metal floor. He looked up at her and told her she was safe to sleep if she wanted, and then he himself began to sleep. And this is where she was. Reminiscing on all the things that brought her here to this place in time, watching as this human slept soundly. What did he intend to do with her? From what Denvae had told her, it was better to be dead. What then would she do about it? What then was she supposed to do? She didn't know…

She spotted the sharp angular piece of metal which was among the collection of useless objects that this human seemed to collect. She grabbed it in her hands, it's sharp and crude nature almost cutting into her soft skin merely by touching it. She held it firmly as she slowly skootched her way towards the human. He was a soldier… one of the ones who helped kill those she knew. Perhaps he was the one who killed Dilrea. She could kill him now before he did anything to her… and then… and then what? Her hands shook as she raised the metal piece above her head and looked down at the sleeping human. Much to her surprise he stirred.

Argus didn't actually sleep. His own thoughts clouded his mind, and though he laid down and closed his eyes, he was wide awake. He hardly knew what he was doing, or what he intended to do with the Eldar girl he saved. He managed to bring her here to this place, his only haven. Whether it was wise or not didn't really bother him, it was his decision and he accepted the consequences. Still he knew nothing of the Eldar, and he wondered if the girl hated him. Humans were supposed to hate them, so it only served to reason that the Eldar would hate humans in kind. When he heard her move about, messing with his collection of things, he wondered if she looked for something to kill him with. Why wouldn't she? She was an Elder and he was a human… but he didn't seem to care. If he died here like this, it would have been due to his consciousness and his decisions, not those of the people above him.

"If you are going to kill me, please get it over with. I don't have any regrets. Well, a lot actually, but… you're an Eldar after all. How could I blame you?"

Laeria dropped the metal as it fell onto the metal ground with a clang. She pushed herself away from the human as she looked at her trembling hands. So he wasn't asleep after all…

"What do you plan to do with me? Why haven't you killed me or… or… worse…"

Argus sat up, the strain that he had put on his body beginning to weigh him down. So she could talk? In his tongue no less… she really was just a scared child. Though, that she would think he was capable of such things was woefully expected. He wasn't that type of person, he would never bring himself to do such horrible things to anyone. Let alone a lone scared child, a victim of this insane reality like he was.

"This universe is a big place isn't it? There certainly are some humans who would have done that to you… but I am not one of them. I don't know what you've been told but there is no such things as absolutes in this damn universe. We are all different, every human, and every Eldar I'm sure. As much as this universe wants to make us one thing or another. Humans have done terrible things to the Eldar, but so have the Eldar done to the human's right? Were all trapped in this same reality regardless. I won't hurt you, and I could not stand letting a child be another victim of this endless cycle of violence. Not that I know where to go from here…"

Argus was unsure why he started to rant to this little girl, turning away as he looked out at the darkness of the entrance to his haven. They would have gotten all that they came for soon enough and then probably leave…

He looked back at the little girl who only stared at him, still clenching her cloths as she pressed herself against the wall opposite him. He didn't really give her many options… he knew the truth that this was a difficult situation for her. It was selfish to bring her here, trapping her in this ship surrounded by humans who truly would kill her or worse. Regardless, he would find a way to make things better. He just had too. Still, she… if she seriously wanted to take his life, she was free to choose what she wanted.

"I will do my best to provide for you here. You though… you can do what you feel is right. I won't stop you. I will let you know that I have killed Eldar, but I won't bring myself to hurt a child who had no say in this. Make your own choice."

Laeria looked at the human with a burgeoning sense of curiosity. She still kept to her side of the room as she scooted herself tightly against the wall. Though her soiled clothes began to make her feel sick and uncomfortable. She watched him, curious as to why he did what he had done. We were all trapped in this universe together, he said. That seemed to echo in her head as she watched him lay back down. Why?

"Who are you?"

Argus took a deep breath.

"A nameless soldier in the ranks of the Imperial Guard. That's all there is to me anymore. Rank and file, a guardsman, trained and taught to kill what my superiors tell me to."

Laeria could feel the disdain he had in his voice. Still, he wasn't what he called himself. He didn't kill her. He killed his superior to protect her.

"Then why didn't you kill me?"

Argus closed his eyes as he gave a single chuckle.

"Because above all of those things I am also a traitor with too much of a caring heart. A liability probably, something that shouldn't exist in this damn… I didn't want to be this, a soldier destined to die on some battlefield away from home. No matter how much I shouldn't, I still care. I still recall the memories of my life before this fondly, and hold onto some shred of my humanity despite its insistence I throw it away."

Laeria didn't know that the humans were forced into being soldiers. The Eldar always had a choice about what they wanted to be. Well… most anyway. She never had that chance. She didn't want to be where she was either, even if being called important inadvertently saved her by bringing her here. But such could only be temporary. Still, she seemed to have some more in common with this human than she anticipated. If nothing else, she wanted to distract herself from the turmoil in her mind.

"What's your name? You have to have one."

Argus sighed.

"My name is Argus. My mother gave me that name, a long time ago. Here though, I am just a guardsman. Still… I suppose it's nice to share it with someone who won't use it at the brunt of an order. Since you asked mine… what's yours?"

Laeria hesitated for a second. What would be the purpose of hiding it though?

"I… You can call me Laeria."

The two found themselves fall back into silence. However the tension that once pulled between them disappeared. Both began to wonder more about the other, and of the worlds that were entirely different between them. Argus didn't know anything about the Eldar, least of which whether the girl was a child really, given how she talked so well. Still, he had known the more wealthy back home to speak really well… even he himself had gotten some education growing up, and he was supposed to be nothing but a warehouse worker. Laeria began to wonder at the human world, and how it came to fight so furiously with the Eldar and everything else. How there could be those like Argus amongst them. Both of them started to speak at the same time as their curiosity grew too much.

"Why does-"

"How old-"

The two of them stopped as they waited for the other to finish. When it was apparent that they were going nowhere, Argus pushed himself back off the ground despite how much he wanted to fall asleep.

"How old are you? How can you even talk to me?"

Laeria was taken back by the question.

"I'm in my fortieth year, still rather young… and I was taught how to speak your language by my… by my guardian. Though it is a lot slower than I usually speak, so it's a little hard to keep up… how old are you, Argus?"

Fortieth year? He looked at the girl, how small she was, and how she looked just like an eight or ten year old girl. Then again he didn't know much about them, did he?

"You are old enough to be two times my age. How long do you Eldar even live?"

Laeria was surprised to learn she was older than the human that saved her. He didn't look like a child. They didn't grow like they did? He seemed so much more experienced than a twenty year old should have been. She had started her training to be a farseer at that age.

"Usually around two-thousand years. Don't humans…"

Argus laughed at the absurdity of it. Such a thing wasn't even a consideration for humans as far as he knew.

"No. Humans are lucky to get past a tenth of that. Well, most of us anyway. I'm sure there are some out there that live that long."

Laeria hadn't realized that such differences even existed. Then again, the only thing she had ever heard from Denvae was the things they had done to the Eldar, and why they were dangerous. What else didn't she know? These questions distracted her mind from the turmoil she had gone through before, and the remembrance of those she lost. Momentary relief, but well needed for her young mind. She was here now, and there was no getting out of this situation. She could only do what she was capable of, and so she decided to continue asking questions of Argus.

"Would…. Can we continue to talk like this? To answer my questions?"

Argus took a deep breath. For once, he actually seemed to enjoy the prospect of conversing with someone aboard this ship.

"Why not?"

---

Elsewhere within the ship was another conversation. This one was about what was to be done, and a regrettable truth that had to be discussed. Lord Farune was elated with the success of his guardsmen, sitting contently in front of Captain Farlo's desk. Captain Farlo was relieved, for the first time in such a long time. His ship was restocked, fully resupplied and fit to continue its service. Most importantly, his legacy was saved. He protected, what was in his eyes, a valuable asset for the Imperium even with the low quality of troops he currently had, and would continue to be able to lead as captain. Still, now that the operation was completed, there was yet one matter that had to be resolved. Something he hoped would fully rid him of his problems. He held his hands tightly together, laying his elbows onto the desk. His head rested softly over his fingers as he stared at Farune, who seemed so elated by his success that Farlo worried if he forgot what had to come next.

"Well then, it seems I misjudged your guardsmen. They performed amiably, and succeeded in taking back the station."

Farune frowned, as he realized where this was going.

"Ah. So you plan to leave my guardsman here to continue manning the station? And not just my guardsmen…"

Farlo took a deep breath, though he didn't move his gaze. While Farune had been instrumental in helping him stabilize the situation regarding his ship… he was also a liability. Someone who knew what had transpired, and whom understood the seriousness of Farlo's transgressions as well as his disregard for the orders sent to him by the administorum. He was dangerous, and in Farlos eyes, their relationship was best to be at its end.

"You can fully serve the Imperium by manning this station here, while keeping an eye upon your guardsmen."

Farune pulled on the brim of his hat.

"So, this is what it's come to is it? You try to cover up your mistakes by leaving me here? I would better serve the Imperium fighting and dying in some battle in some distant world. Merely a hundred of my guardsmen will be more than enough to keep the station under control until further reinforcement arrives."

Farlo pulled back and rested on his chair.

"Do you understand that there was enough food and other resources to fully stock my ship?"

Farune narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Captain. He didn't like what this was implying.

"Yes, at the cost at severely limiting the resources left on the station. It's a massive structure, but at the current moment, with the resources left in the station, there is only enough to support a small group-merely a few hundred or so. Yet, that's not the number you intend to leave here, is it?"

Farlo felt the laspistol he had holstered beneath his desk.

"Your guardsmen had their battle. Now it is time that I leave them, and continue on to continue my mission. Acquire more, 'quality', guardsmen elsewhere."

Farune smirked.

"Oh? Fearful my guardsmen will bring the reputation of your glorious vessel down? Such arrogance, captain. But, don't forget, you were a part of this from the beginning. Leaving me won't spare you. Not unless, you decide to destroy the station as soon as me and my guardsmen are left behind. No evidence, and the perfect excuse. Isn't that right?"

Farlo's hand carefully gripped the handle of the pistol, taking care to keep his movements to a minimum. This was a dreadful part of his profession, but he would not hesitate. His legacy meant too much to him to be tarnished by mistakes, so he would make sure they could never surface. The station was an important asset, important enough that the loss of all the guardsmen to take it wouldn't be suspect within the Imperial records. The destruction of the station would be seen as but a common measure often taken to ensure assets were not taken.

"You cannot deny that this would be a mercy. Better than leaving you all to starve."

Farunes frown slowly creeped into a smile as he rolled his shoulders, sitting comfortably into his chair. He didn't expect to have to resort to this so soon.

"Well then, will you pull out that laspistol and shoot me already, captain?"

Farlo gripped the handle of his laspistol firmly, but did not pull it. He froze as he looked at Farune. That grim smile on his face as he looked at him, it made him pause with fear. What did he do?

"What manner of trickery have you concocted? You are but a lord commissar. I am the captain of one of the Imperium's holy vessels!"

Farune tipped his hat as he threw it to the ground. Then he reached into his coat and pulled out the symbol at the end of the necklace which he wore. Farlo could not do anything but stare at the shining metal object that danged from the end. It was the I of the inquisition.

"You… you are no Inquisitor!"

Farune chuckled to himself as he stood up.

"I'm not a lot of things captain. Truth be told, I'm not even a Lord Commissar. My original name wasn't Farune. Hell, you can get really far taking peoples places, you know? Thing is, I climbed my way up to where I am through sheer intellect. I started out as an acolyte, oh so long ago… to one Lord Farune, an actual Inquisitor. I was one of three, not that the other two lasted very long. They weren't cunning enough to survive, but I was. Yes, I was. I did everything right. Everything! But then, that blasted fool thought I was too unstable to take his place. Unstable he said…"

Farune chuckled to himself as he pressed his hand onto Farlo's desk.

"I am a servant! A noble, and loyal servant of the Emperor! Damn it all, I deserved to succeed him. But no, he was greedy and wanted all the power to himself. I can do so much more for the Imperium at large! And that is exactly what I will do. He tried to have me executed, but I was cleverer than he thought I was. I managed to learn a quaint little, swapping, trick. You know what that is?"

Farlo slowly edged the laspistol from its place. At the same time, he reached for the alarm button hidden within his chair.

"Would it be treason, Farune?"

Farune shook his head as his eyes made contact with Farlos. A shimmering glare of power shined behind them, and Farlo genuinely felt unsettled by the man before him.

"No, not exactly. See, my master was an Inquisitor of the Ordo-Xenos. Studied the foul abominations and all of that, collecting quite a treasure-trove of artifacts. One of these, artifacts, but a simple little orb. And while he insisted that such things be left alone, I knew that I would do anything to serve the Imperium. Even if it meant using Xenos technology for myself. If it was to the betterment of mankind, why shouldn't I? It seems simple enough to me. But he would have preferred I died, for seeking too deeply into things I should not have. Well, it was his mistake."

He flicked the side of his Inquisitorial pendant as Farlo noticed the small orb in place of the skull which normally would have been there.

"What is this heresy?"

Farune sighed.

"You could have avoided this, captain. I was happy playing the part of Lord Commisar. But, having studied you, and now seeing your true nature, I realize… you are too arrogant and prideful to effectively serve the Imperium. So constrained by your own desires that you would sacrifice Imperial assets to keep your legacy free. Well, no more. Consider this the Emperors judgement."

Farlo pulled the laspistol and stood in a single motion. He pulled it up to shoot Farune, but found that it didn't work. Farune reacted quickly as he pulled a knife from a pocket at his side and stabbed it into Farlos shoulder.

"Don't worry, Captain, I will be sure to continue you're Legacy for you, and serve the Imperium dutifully."

He pressed the orb on his pendant close to his eye as a bright flash enveloped the room. Farune, or at least as he called himself in his current body, never liked the prospect of using his Soul Gem. An ancient xeno artifact of considerable power, which allowed those who knew how to use it, to swap both their conscious and their soul with that of another. It was his greatest accomplishment, breaking the code which described how to use it. If only his master had just accepted him for the loyal servant he was! Then he would not have had to swap through bodies, over and over again in his bids to assist humanity. His last body once occupied by a Lord Commissar of little tact, who wasted the lives of his guardsmen. He rectified that. But now, he would become a Captain of an entire Vessel, dedicated to the transportation of Imperial Guard from world to world. He couldn't help but feel just a little excited for the change of pace, and for the new role he would have. He would play it wonderfully.

As the bright flash ended, Farlo grabbed the necklace from Farune and pulled it off of his neck. Then, using their dazed state he reached into his coat and grabbed the boltgun, left loose in its holster. With no remorse, and with no moment to spare, he fired repeatedly into Farune's chest, the body falling backward as it plopped to the ground in a bloody mess. Farlo sighed as he looked at the boltgun in his hand.

"It was a good thing that I left this loose."

He smiled as he looked to the bloodstained I pendant.

"And it is always a shame when I have to use this. But, it could not be helped Captain. You forced my hand."

He stuffed his pendant into his breast pocket, as he looked at the body on the ground. The doors busted open as several Voidmsen ran inside, their lasguns held up as they cleared the room. The leader of them, looked to Farlo.

"Captain, are you ok?"

Farlo continued his gaze at the dead body.

"Captain you say… yes, I am the Captain. You were late, Voidsman. But no matter, I killed the traitor. Never liked the bastard. He insisted we leave the Guardsmen here to die, when they would be better served delivered elsewhere. Ah no matter, clean this mess up. I must address the crew and the Guardsmen. We will be stationed here for a time, as we await orders. Though, send a message would you, establishing that the station was secured."

The voidsman nodded as he bowed.

"Of course Captain. But uh, there is one more thing. We have noticed the appearance of a Rogue Trader in the local system. They tried to contact us…"

Farlo thought about it for a moment. A rogue trader. Yes… this could serve useful.

"Ah, well reply to them. Tell them to set a course for this station. Tell them to expect a… warm welcome. We have some business to discuss."

The voidsman seemed momentarily confused. He knew far better than to question his superiors however, and so with a single nod he stood straight. He turned around without another word and ran off to carry out his orders. The voidsmen that remained picked up the dead body as they pulled it away. The blood unfortunately still stained the ground, but it was a minor inconvenience. Farlo left alone as he looked at his reflection in the monitor of the main console. He touched his face, feeling his now rough features.

"If only you looked better than this Farlo. Oh well, I cannot help such things. If this is the mask I must now wear, then so be it. I will continue to be a loyal servant of the Emperor, now and forever."

---

None knew of what transpired between the Captain and the Lord Commissar. Nearly several terran months going by since they had reclaimed the station. Only a small number of Guardsmen left inside the station, while everyone else was to remain on the ship. The death of the Lord Commissar a very quiet affair, told to everyone once over the intercom system, and then promptly ignored. It was actively hushed and punished if one were to inquire. Not that much anyone cared to do so. More surprising was that the crew were allowed to intermingle with the Guardsmen more openly as they were told they would remain docked at the station until further notice. The procedure to dock the massive vessel with the floating station a long and complex one, but which went off without problem. The guardsmen put under stringent rules, though not as rigid as they were before. The bad treatment they had received blamed upon the Lord Commissar who had gone crazy, as far as the rumor went anyway. The Captain praised as a heroic figure among the guardsmen, portrayed to be one who cared for all under his command. Life settling into a strange daze, where there was little for the Guardsmen to do other than to train and mingle freely with the crew. The sudden abundance of resources, changed the policies of the entire ship. The restriction on rations and water changed back to their standard levels, not that the guardsmen knew such was the treatment they normally would have gotten.

For Argus, the shift was eerie and uncertain. He could not help but feel unsettled. Such a drastic shift in treatment was hard for him to wrap his mind around, and it felt like some longwinded trap. But, his thoughts often shifted to the Eldar girl he saved. To Laeria. He dedicated himself to being able to provide for her, at least until he could figure out what to do, and find a way for them to get away entirely. Not that it seemed possible anytime soon. Still, he was cautious with every action he took, and was always mindful of being watched. He stayed to the dark side of the ship, those areas where he could move around unwatched and unquestioned. Every day he had to report for training, the strictness of their regiment much harsher, but the down time afterwards much less controlled. Regardless, the veterans who had helped him before seemed to continue their assistance. When asked about the girl, he only said that he took her to one of the crewmen families aboard the ship, which seemed more than enough to satisfy their curiosity. Still, since they were now allowed to talk with the crewmen, he managed to procure more goods. The first of which was clothes for the girl, seeing as she had nothing but the soiled ones that screamed xenos. It was at the cost of making himself out to be of the unsightly variety, but he managed to acquire them.

When Laeria changed her clothes, she looked just like a normal human girl. Though they could do nothing about her pointed ears, or the unnatural beauty that she had. Still, Laeria was grateful to have a change of clothes. Though the human fabric was rough on her delicate skin and not nearly as comfortable as anything she had from the Eldar. But she would not complain, hearing how much Argus had done to get them for her. He was her sole companion, and during the beginning of every 'day', she would meditate as she was trained to. In the latter half when he returned, he would speak to her of his day, and in turn she would speak to him of stories from her past. He always seemed amazed at how much their two worlds were different, and how many experiences she had. Conversely, she found Argus to be just as fascinating, though he had not lived nearly as long. The story he told her, of how he came to be on the ship long and saddening to her. Much of what she heard and saw about the humans was woefully tragic, though she could not understand why the human leaders would treat their fellow beings so cruelly. As Argus explained, some of it was necessary, and some was just human nature. Some things, he simply didn't know. He never denied to her that humans were imperfect, in fact he seemed very quick to tell her that they could be very dangerous and flawed. Still, in Argus, Laeria saw something that showed humans weren't completely bad.

Yet, as she heard more and more, and even as she began to tell Argus of her home… she began to find parallels that pained her. She was always told that the Eldar race were the ones who had right to the Galaxy, the oldest and wisest race. She remembered Denvae telling her that mistakes had been made in the past, but that the Eldar were the rightful heirs to the universe. The Eldar were the pinnacle of creation, above the lesser races, who fought and bickered amongst themselves, and were destined for death. As she heard more from Argus however, even in his limited experience, she saw comparisons so much more alike the Eldar than she thought. The power struggles, the belief of superiority, the disdain for others unlike them, the claim of righteousness in their actions, their arrogance, the brutality given to their enemies, and the belief of entitlement to a universe that actively hated them, all of it was in the Eldar too. Certainly, the Eldar seemed to care more about their people, but the Eldar were… she was always told they were superior to every other race. The lesser races plagued the universe, and prevented the Eldar from reclaiming what was once theirs. Devnae always told her that the Eldar were the true ones, the ones who deserved it all. There was a big mistake, a long time ago, but such was long gone and dealt with. Not that she told her what that mistake was. They were the oldest, the wisest and the most civilized of all the races, the others nothing but beasts hoping to usurp them. But she could not deny that the Eldar caused much pain and misery… how selfish they were. The humans too, and Argus was the one to tell her, were not innocent either. Not by any stretch of the word.

It was a cycle of violence, one that could never end. Every side needed to do many terrible things, and so many had already been done that there was no justice. The Eldar could not escape, for they were always on the run, and though they stayed away from violence as far as she had seen, that didn't change the atrocities they caused either. The Eldar's beliefs would lead them to fight, and forever be on the run for their actions. The humans too… they were embroiled in war, they were easily influenced and they cared little for their own lives. Argus told her how they would draft people into military service by the planet full and destroy entire worlds… the humans were dangerous, led by what Laeria could only see as monsters. But it was the product of this universe, and being away from the Eldar teachings for so long… being able to see the universe through the eyes of someone else in Argus, she came to see the futility of it all. How every side made justifications, every side was arrogant in their right to the universe, every side perpetuated the endless violence. There was no choice for many, and she was included. Argus…was only here because of circumstances set long before his birth, and Laeria too found the weave of fate cold and uncaring.

Still, she had come to be very close with Argus. A human, an enemy, but as time progressed she stopped seeing him as nothing else but a good companion. He gave her a reason to push on despite the futility. As he did, if they were to be stuck in an uncaring universe… why didn't they fo what they believed and make their own choices? She saw his genuine nature, and the care he took in watching over her. Like a father to a daughter… though she was older than he was, he still was careful in what he said, and treated her as she was, but a child. She often found herself vulnerable, her emotions becoming too intense for her… and Argus would notice, and then try to calm her. She still recalled a day when she thought of Dilrea, and her emotions began to pound heavy in her heart. Though she tried to hold back these emotions, she could not, and when Argus found her he did not ask her why she wept. He sat beside her, and hugged her, without a word, and without a wonder, he stayed beside her. He was a kind and compassionate human, trapped within unfortunate circumstances. She had become fond of him, whether it was correct or not of her to do so. He really became a… a friend. Someone who took the time to listen to her, to talk and converse, even when he lacked words at times. She had not felt so close to another, since Dilrea. She knew his intentions were pure, having reached out with her powers to see. Still, she did her best to suppress her presence in the warp, though it was more difficult than her training made it seem.

She did not tell Argus either, for Denvae told her that above all the humans despised the 'psyker', those who had connection to the warp. Though she doubted Argus even knew what that was… it terrified her, the thought of losing yet someone else she had grown used to. Human or not, it hardly mattered anymore. She was away from the influence of her elders, to decide for herself what she believed. And the universe was a… horrid place. Yet, as Argus had said when they first met, she would come to make her own decisions, and her own mind of what was right and wrong. Whether it spelled her eventual doom or not she wasn't sure, but nothing was promised but death it seemed, at least in this universe. He saved her, when he shouldn't have, and she came to think of him as a companion when she should have hated him. She too then, would decide for herself.

She truly did find herself enjoying the time she talked with Argus, and equally, she saw his emotions lighten around her. Humans were always so very loose with their expressions, much more than the Eldar. Though she wondered if the humans felt as deeply as Eldar did, for she knew her feelings could become all encompassing. Either way, Argus wore his emotions and was easy for her to read. She had become so comfortable that she found herself speak her normal speed at times, as if talking with another Eldar. He found it amusing, which was confusing to her, but it made her happy that someone else enjoyed her company. Something which was so rare since she was taken by the Farseer Council and secluded. She was free to be who she was… whoever that was supposed to be. Though, neither she nor Argus could deny the reality of their situation. However long they managed to survive… she only hoped it would last. But such things were rarely guaranteed.

On one particular day, there was something remiss about the ship. Argus left early to discover what had transpired, and found himself assembled into a procession in one of the docking bays. All of the guardsmen were put within square formations before the docking bay door, their commanders in front as they waited for something. The chaff rarely heard much of anything about their superior's motives, and so went along with it as any other order. They waited there, standing in attention for a long time as the guardsmen began to wonder what was going on. Argus found himself increasingly nervous at the prospect. Were they going somewhere else? Were they preparing for another operation? He didn't know. Something he found rather odd, considering he would have simply stood with acceptance before… before he met Laeria. He felt responsible for her, and the longer they stood the more he began to think about the prospect of if he were to die. The reality that he would be leaving Laeria behind with nothing, and in a place she couldn't escape. She was a child, even if she was older than he was. To be left alone in this circumstances… he bit his tongue as he tried to keep focus on whatever the hell was going on. Still, it was silent as everyone in the docking bay waited, and waited for who knows what. The commanders had to know, they just didn't tell them what it was about. Argus could only assume it was something deemed above them. He knew better, as all the others around him did, to keep quiet and wait. The silence only brought back more thoughts however, as Argus found himself worrying for the future. A future he didn't think about much before, expecting a horrible death to be the only end result. Yet here he was, saving a young Eldar girls life, and beginning to care about her like… at times he found himself talk to her as if she was human, as if she was something akin to a daughter. He found himself enjoying his time talking with her, thinking about her wellbeing even over his own. Yet, the circumstances around him, his reality as a guardsman of the Imperial Guard, only began to truly frighten him. Where once he was accepting of death as a pawn, he found himself hoping for more, to continue living peacefully. Such, he knew was probably impossible, and however long he could keep these circumstances up… he didn't know. He didn't want to leave Laeria alone, and worse he didn't want her to suffer the consequences of his choice to save her. One horrid thought suddenly in his mind that he quickly tried to erase.

Would all of this have been avoided had he simply shot her? He would not have put either of them in this position. He would not have grown attached to her, or let her become attached to him… No, he didn't regret it! Fuck that thought! This was his choice dammit… yet it didn't stop the newfound worry, or the responsibility of the purpose he created being a heavy weight on his shoulders. Yet, a churning, sickly feeling like that of guilt swirled in his gut and refused to leave. The more he stood in silence, surrounded by his fellow guardsmen the more he found himself unsettled. Thankfully, he had the right distraction as the docking bay doors opened to reveal a large ship which pushed its way inside. It was far larger than any of the transport shuttles, and took up nearly half of the entire docking bay. Despite its size, the ship landed in front of the procession with a surprisingly soft clank. Then Argus noticed a large man surrounded by decorated commanders and voidmsan of seemingly high rank at the back of the procession of guardsmen. The commanders at the front of the Guardsmen all stood in salute, and by reflex so did all those behind them, Argus included.

"Present for the Captain of our fine vessel!"

That man was the captain? Argus had never seen him before. Whoever was on the ship that docked was important enough to warrant his presence? Argus glanced at the massive ship, its long and smooth surface nothing like the bulky box that was the maw. It came to a rounded point at its front end, emblazoned with a golden eagles head welded onto its surface. The slender sides of the ship lined with two long flat structures along its width. Large turrets pressed into its frame along the top side of its body. A set of small doors on its side, which opened as a metal ramp slowly descended down. Argus could only wonder whom the ship carried, or why they had met them here. Not that he could do anything other than watch.

What he did not know was that this was the Rogue Trader ship, The Gilded Eagle, the pride of the Lancast family for hundreds of generations. The active captain a man named Roland Lancast IX, an eccentric by even the accounts of Rogue traders. His crew a combination of xenos mercenaries and human specialists alike, not that he would reveal his xeno's affiliation here, or make note of his impressive artifact collection. He stepped out of his ship onto the loading ramp besides his two trusted companions. Lady Mara, a free blade of House Valiant, who had remained in his service ever since she learned of the destruction of her home world, and Remora Vincent a damn good assassin he had come across in his travels. These were the only two he had asked to come with him to meet the captain of this transport vessel, who so strongly insisted upon meeting him here at this remote station. The reason for which, he would be sure to shed light upon. Still, he didn't like playing the little power games of other captains, and so he didn't move from the top of his ramp. If the captain of the ship wanted to meet him, then he could come to him. After all he docked his entire Gilded Eagle so seamlessly onto their ill-sized bay, even if it was against his own crews warnings. The three of them dressed in their usual blue uniforms, Roland wearing the additional cape and a Commissar's hat he had 'borrowed' a while back.

Lady Mara looked at Roland with an annoyed glare as she stood behind him.

"Must you truly act so childish Roland? We are in the presence of another envoy of the Imperium, not a World Governor. Don't you think we should be more accommodating?"

Roland rolled his eyes.

"You worry too much, Mara. But I know you as the 'noble' sort just hate these little games. Why do you suppose I play them so?"

Remora Vincent coughed into her hand to get her captains attention.

"Please, the both of you, act proper. And Vincent, you know that she is right. Even I couldn't take down all of these soldiers if you somehow managed to anger the Captain with your little 'games'. Remember, all of our lives are at stake here."

Roland sighed.

"Hey, we survived the Voltis Prime incident didn't we? And he had entire legions of gangers."

Remora shoved the tip of her hidden blade against his back.

"Oh yes, gangers. Not Imperial Guardsmen if I recall. And worse still, I almost died. Twice. We will not go through that again to fit your ego. Understood."

Roland smirked as he stepped forward away from Remoras sleeve knife.

"Fine, fine. I have to wonder sometimes, who's the captain on this ship."

Lady Mara sighed into her hand as she looked to the side and out at the Guardsmen lined up in formation. Her eyes catching a glimpse at one of them who seemed to stare at her, amongst all the others who looked blankly forward. She was a noble of course, of a… of an Imperial Knight House, House Valiant. Perhaps the only one left now. Since departing on her quest she had gotten used to living amongst those of the lower classes, circumstance aboard a rogue traders vessel all but assuring that. In her time aboard she had also come to speak with those of the Imperial Guard. Many of those in the past looked at her with lust, admiration or even jealousy, but by all accounts a figure to be upheld. This one guardsman however, looked at her with such a saddened and terrified expression on his face, as if she frightened him. She wasn't sure why she noticed his presence, or why he even caught her notice, but he did.

She almost lost track of where she even was for a moment, before she forced herself back into focus. To her surprise she watched as the Captain of the transport ship seemed to actually play along with Rolands foolish games as he walked up to the edge of the ramp. There he and his procession stopped and the Captain did a small wave of his hand. Roland chuckled as he nodded over his shoulder at his two subordinates.

"Hey, what did I tell you? It was fine. Seems the Captain at least knows how to play along."

The three of them began to walk down as they met the captain and his following officers at the bottom. There they stared at one another, waiting to see who would speak first. After a few intense moments, Captain Farlo broke the silence.

"Ah, so you are the Rogue Trader in command of this ship are you? Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. Though, I must say it is in bad taste to be wearing an icon of the Commissariat, and bold of you to ask me to walk up to you like this. After all, I was only the one who invited you on this ship."

Roland raised an eyebrow, interested in this peculiar Captain.

"In 'this' ship? Ah, odd way to talk about your own property, don't you think."

Farlo narrowed his eyes.

"'This' ship is not my property, as that vessel is not yours. They belong to the Imperium of Mankind, and we merely carry out their functions. Do not, even for a moment, believe that we are nothing more than servants of the Imperium, and more importantly, extensions of the Emperor himself."

Roland bit his tongue. So, he was dealing with a zealot was he? Ah… how he hated zealots.

"I will be sure to remember, Captain. So then, why did you ask me to meet you here?"

Captain Farlo took a deep breath as he motioned for Roland to follow him.

"Might we discuss some things in private? I am sure, after all, that there is an arrangement I believe you will like greatly."

Roland shook his head. If this captain wanted to be so demanding, perhaps another game was in order. He never liked these pompous arrogant types, especially those who thought they could simply strong-arm him to do what they wanted. He was a rogue trader by right of his heritage, and given credence by his beloved Emperor skeleton. He only grinned as he looked at the captain with a coy roll of the eyes.

"Tough chance. Afraid to speak to another captain in front of your own crew? Or perhaps, you are worried that I will not like your 'arrangement' and will try to seduce me in your quarters."

The officers beside Farlo began to grow fidgety, increasingly annoyed with the rogue traders attitude. Farlo however, maintained his calm as he held up a hand to warn them.

"Very well then, if you want to be an insolent child, I will tell you here. It is up to those with tact and an understanding of their purpose to educate those below them after all. This is what I ask of you, Rogue Trader. My services are needed elsewhere, and I cannot afford to coddle this station for the rest of my life, or the lives of the guardsman aboard my ship. You are more than capable of taking over command of the station while you wait for proper reinforcement to relieve you of this duty. That is what I expect you to do, in compliance with your responsibility to the Imperium. Understood?"

Roland couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was being ordered to babysit a station? By another captain of a troop transport ship no less! He was a rogue trader! Did he not understand this? Roland could not held but begin to chuckle as he looked at Captain Farlo. This was too damned funny. His attitude very much to his subordinate's disdain, as they merely watched him with a frustrated gaze, both knowing that he may have very well put them in a terrible circumstance. Roland didn't seem to mind it at all however, unwilling to let this other captain bully him around like he had any authority.

"Really? You expect me to just stop what I am doing to—"

Farlo smiled, without a care it seemed about Roland's rudeness, and interrupted him.

"That is exactly what I am asking you to do. I will even provide an additional hundred Guardsman to help you maintain the station. And, while we are at it, why don't you consider the prospects for this little venture. Consider the remote nature of this station. Far in the frontier. A place where someone like you could… conduct business."

Roland stopped laughing as he thought about the prospect.

"Wait, what? What exactly are you implying here?"

Captain Farlo rolled his eyes.

"Truly you don't see it? Imagine it. A place to stay put for a while, conduct some business, gain some fervor with local worlds that need this station, and all you have to do is 'babysit' an important vox station at the edge of the Imperium."

Roland suddenly recomposed himself as he cleared his throat and tidied his uniform. Perhaps he shot the boltgun too quickly…

"W-well, I suppose there could be some reason, that I might possibly, perhaps, just maybe, come to some… er… arrangement, as you called it."

Farlo closed his eyes in victory with a smile as he turned away.

"Good. Well, I will send a message to inform my superiors of this development. And while I await an official response, please, feel free to remain docked here. Mingle amongst the crew, and don't mind the guards. I am sure, that it will take several months for confirmation after all, and I can't afford to let you go off on your own. Thank you, for docking your entire ship in my docking bay. Made it easier to ensure you comply. Well, I must be off. I have a lot of other, more important, business to take care of."

Without another word Captain Farlo and his officers began to walk away as he pointed towards several of the Commanders as they dismissed their guardsman. Others moved quickly to set up a perimeter around the rogue trader's ship, and soon every corner was watched. The docking bay doors shut tightly behind them. Roland left standing in place as he realized what had just happened. Remora gripped his shoulder tightly as he tensed up. She really got angry at him at times.

"Well then, Captain. I hope you enjoyed playing your games."

Roland swallowed as he cleared his throat once more, brushing off his uniform.

"Right, yes… I surely showed him didn't I?"

Mara only sighed as she turned away and began to walk up the ramp of the ship.

"Seems we'll be stuck here for a while."

She looked back at the many guardsman as they began to move about. Among the group she saw him again, the man who had stared at her with that uncomfortable look. He interested her as she watched him carefully separate himself from the other Guardsman and sneak his way back into the bulk of the ship, avoiding the notice of his superiors. Such a strange guardsman. What was he doing?

Her attention was pulled away as she looked up the ramp to see Aloi, the Eldar corsair that Roland kept onboard as a mercenary. He was a proclaimed ranger, whatever that meant, but ultimately he always unnerved Mara. She saw him as simply a xeno to be purged, not a crewmate. Still, she maintained her obligation as a noble aboard the ship, and reigned in her discomfort. Regardless, he shouldn't be seen. Lest they are discovered to be harboring xenos and killed for treason. She walked up the ramp quickly and forcefully pushed him back into the ship.

"You, what are you doing? Do you want to get us all killed?"

The Eldar scoffed as he looked away from her.

"My name is Aloi, not that you are fit to use it. If we were to be discovered, I would be the one to survive at the very least. And regardless, it's not your business what I do."

Mara took a deep breath as she tried to calm every mental tick that insisted she challenge him to an immediate duel to the death.

"We are onboard an Imperium Transport ship, one carrying several thousands of Imperial guard. While I may tolerate your existence here, I do not believe they will."

Aloi looked out the open doorway.

"So what? Will you tell them about me? Reveal your collaboration in harboring a xenos aboard a rogue trader's vessel? Hmmm, you self-proclaimed noble without a title that means anything?"

Mara wasn't going to continue to humor him any further.

"You know that would mean death for all of us."

She turned away and began to walk towards her quarters. He hated her just as she hated him, and that was as it should be. Still his mere presence infuriated her. Yet, she stopped to listen as Aloi spoke up once more.

"You know, these men have killed Eldar already. I can feel it. And something else…"

Mara felt a small, tick of empathy. She stamped it out immediately as she shook her head, but didn't continue to walk. What was he getting at?

"So what?"

The Eldar took a deep breath.

"Nothing that concerns you. There is a Craft World that exists within this region of space, one I have a lot of unfinished business with. Let's say, very tenuous and bloody business. Unfortunately, revenge may not be allowed to me anymore, lest these humans already killed them all."

Without another word he began to walk past Mara, and towards his own room. The sick bastard. Mara slammed her fist against the wall beside her. Seemed even the Eldar hated themselves. She couldn't imagine why anyone would want to kill their own kind. Really, it only served to make her hate him more.

"Sick bastard of a xenos."

With nothing else to do, she stormed off to her room. The thought of the future heavy on her shoulders. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to think so freely on such things. As soon as the guardsmen were allowed to leave their place, Argus began his trek back to Laeria. It was easy enough to avoid the attention of his superiors through the crowd of other Guardsmen. However, he found his heart beat hard in his chest. While he was looking at that ship, when those three stepped out… he locked eyes with that woman. It was only a moment, but she saw him. For some reason he was terrified at it, as if she knew something was wrong with him. It was a completely unfounded thought, but the more he thought about it, the more paranoid he became as his mind seemed to go towards the idea that those people were here because of… damn the thought! Enough of this nonsense. That was enough. Argus snapped himself back to reality as he found himself in the dark hallways of the ship once more. He looked around and saw no one else around. He was thankfully almost back to sanctuary…

He froze in place as he heard someone call his name. He looked back to see another guardsman, someone he hadn't met before as they walked up to him.

"Hey, Argus right?"

Argus took a deep breath.

"Yeah. Now what do you want?"

The man rolled his eyes.

"Look, don't shoot the messenger pal. Been looking for your sorry ass since that event or whatever the hell it was ended. Just letting you know you're on shift for guard duty of the… what the hell was it called?"

He looked at a paper in his hands, crumpled from his grip as he struggled to carry both it and his lasgun at the same time.

"Ah right, the 'rogue traders' ship. Who knows what in Emperors name that is, but, gotta' be important if the Captain of our ship showed up himself right?"

Argus took an internal sigh of relief. So that's what this was.

"Of course. When do I have to report?"

The man scratched his head.

"Well I mean… the paper says uh…"

He stuffed the lasgun between his left armpit and held it in place as he got a better look at the paper.

"You got the shift for every first cycle. I think that means you report… er… shit. Look, whatever you do just get your ass over there eventually so that I don't end up on the shooting line alright?"

Argus nodded.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be there…"

The man only rolled his eyes as he started to walk away.

"Better, or I'll kick your ass."

Argus waited where he stood, careful not to let anyone follow him, until the man was completely out of sight. Then he waited a while longer, as he looked about for any other unexpected company. Today was just filled with surprises…

He shook his head as he began to move again. The slight paranoia that someone watched him ever over his shoulder as he moved further into the darkness of the ship. After a while the feeling faded away as he found himself back to the familiar hole in the wall. He climbed through, maneuvered through the pipes and found himself back in sanctuary where Laeria sat with her hands on her lap.

"So… what was the commotion about Argus?"

Argus glanced once back at the entrance before he laid down his things and sat down across from her.

"I'm… not entirely sure to be honest. But, I'll be gone on and off for a while. A 'Rogue Trader's ship docked today, not that I know what that is, or what it means. Either way, I have to be part of the guardsmen who, er, guard them."

Laeria smiled, though inside she held back the uncertain feeling that beat in her heart. She had felt something odd earlier, a small while after Argus had left. A presence. Something that felt like… like an Eldar. But, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It was angry, and it scared her.

"Ah, that's something…"

She couldn't help but shift as her eyes drifted towards the entrance as well. Argus noticed her discomfort and was quick to ask what was wrong.

"Hey, you ok?"

Laaria shook her head.

"Truthfully… I don't know. I… felt something earlier."

Argus had come to learn that the Eldar were really sensitive. At least as Laeria explained it to him. The Eldar noticed a lot of things that others couldn't. Still… the way she looked now was frightened, something he hadn't seen her be for such a long while now.

"What do you mean?"

Laeria shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be worrying you with this. It's likely nothing. Let's move on to other things."

Argus shook his head. That wasn't an answer really. More of a dodge.

"Laeria, I might not understand it but if somethings bothering you, I can at least listen."

Laeria sighed, as she held onto herself. Though she scooted slightly closer to Argus as she found herself stare at him. He really was the closest things she had ever had to a parent figure.

"If you insist. It was like there was another eldar somewhere. But… it wasn't a good feeling. It was like they were angry. Like they… would kill me if they ever got the chance. It was scary."

Argus was taken aback by what she said. Of all the things she could have said, that wasn't one he could have expected. Another Eldar? At first he assumed she meant someone coming for revenge… but for them to want to kill Laeria didn't make sense. Still, he saw how much it bothered her, and he wouldn't deny those feelings. He scooted closer to her as he put on the warmest smile he could.

"I wish I could better understand. But… I will do my best to protect you, Laeria. Even if it… I won't let harm come to you, ok?"

Laeria smiled just a little. She knew it was a bold claim at most, and there was no getting around the fact that keeping it would be much harder than he made it sound. She knew that Argus understood that too, but he said it to help her feel better… it showed he cared. That was enough for her.

"Thank you Argus."

She scooted against Argus as she leaned against his shoulder. Argus didn't move away from her, content where he was.

"I'll do my best Laeria. I'll take care of you."

They stayed there in silence for the rest of the time before they decided to get some rest. Argus was the first, as he always was to sleep, and Laeria found herself staring up at the metal ceiling. She had to suppress her powers more than she had before. Something was close by which could sense her, something that felt too much like an Eldar for her liking. An odd thought really, that she worried about the presence of another Eldar. Truthfully… it didn't really matter to her anymore if she ever saw another Eldar again. She would make her own decisions, without the likes of Farseers deciding her fate for her. She never really had a chance to interact with her own kind because of them. Then again, she was still so young. It really didn't matter anyway. She was oddly content where she was. It was no longer after she finished thinking, that she fell asleep as well.

---

Time passed and Argus started his routine as a guard for the rogue trader's ship. Every shift lasted for at least seven hours, as far as he could tell. Then he was released by the next Guardsman in line, a different one every time so far, and allowed to go about his business. From there, he took his rations for the day and would return to see Laeria. She would always wake after Argus had left and begin meditating to contain her powers while he was gone. When he returned they would resume their usual talking sessions and converse about things. Still, the more she tried to contain her powers, the more tired she found herself become. Argus was soon to notice as he began to question her about her health. She assured him that she was fine, though he decided to take it upon himself to have her exercise with him. The way he figured it, being stuck within a metal box without movement wasn't healthy, especially with the conditions aboard the ship as they were. It actually managed to help Laeria a little, as her body got a chance to exert energy and the strain on containing her powers became slightly easier. Still she would become tired beyond the point of reason at times, and if things kept up this way, she knew Argus would look for a Medicae, a human specialized in the medical field, to look over her. Something the both of them knew was a horrendously dangerous risk. Not only for the reason that she was Eldar, but that the quality of the Medicaes was likely… uncertain at best. Still she did her best not to worry him, though she felt that same presence grow stronger, the one that felt like an Eldar.

Unknown to either of them, there was another problem which slowly grew. Lady Mara, the freeblade aboard the rogue trader's ship, noticed the strange movements of a peculiar guardsman. It was the same man whom had stared at her so uncertain during their meeting with the captain. She saw him as one of the guardsmen assigned to babysit their ship, and after he was relieved of his shift, he did the same thing every day. He carefully avoided the sight of his commanding officers, and made his way towards the darkened hallways along the ship. She really had little desire to explore the ship, unlike Roland and Remora who was dragged along with him. The rest of the crew preferred to stay inside their own ship, and Aloi hadn't even left his quarters since the first day, not that it bothered her. Still, how he entertained himself all alone with nothing only frustrated her to think about. Not that her method of passing the time was much better… or admittedly even befitting of her noble status.

Ever since she learned that her home-world was destroyed, with no word that any of House Valiant survived… the need to act like a proper noble seemed to fade and wane. She did her best to uphold the name she carried, the reality that she could very well be the last of the knights from House Valor deep in her mind. It was a heavy burden to bear, but none among the crew of the Rogue trader's ship gave her sympathy. They had all had worlds destroyed, seen worlds destroyed, and Roland for all his eccentric nature hinted that he had a hand in one worlds demise. Her noble status hardly accounted for anything in their eyes, and though she could have easily stayed anywhere else, perhaps joined the crusade of one of the Inquisition, she did not. She stayed aboard the rogue trader's ship, and allowed herself to sulk. She had not even gotten within her Knight for so long, felt is mechanical embrace that she began to forget its feeling. Not that she stayed away by choice, her Knights armor and systems were simply broken beyond the crew's ability to repair, and its spirit was only alive enough to maintain its current state. It infuriated her, as well as deeply saddened her to see it, and so had it stored carefully in the ships docking bay in stasis. She had been a member of the rogue traders ship since the day she left her home world on her quest, and since learning of its destruction… had been nothing but a glorified passenger.

Every destination she had always found something to distract her from her minds turmoil. Here was no different. Since noticing the first few times that she saw that guardsman, she decided to make a small sport of it. She learned the guards shift simply by observing them, their consistency woefully crude. Different guardsmen appeared every single terran cycle. All except for that one peculiar guardsman who snuck away after his shift, whom appeared every time regularly. While she would have liked to believe that he was simply the most ambitious and dedicated, she knew that likely wasn't true. His behavior contrasted too much with his peers, and she began to formulate that he likely had a secret. So she watched him, every cycle, sat on a metal chair at the top of the ramp. So far, he hadn't noticed, and she was careful to not let him catch her gaze towards him. This particular guardsman intrigued her so much. At some point curiosity had to evolve into investigation.

She did the same on this cycle, as she watched him stand aside from the other guardsmen on watch duty. She was sat on her chair as she played with the end of her swords hilt, swinging it back and forth. This was the first time that she brought out her father's saber, though she wasn't sure why herself. It simply felt right. Her gaze was distracted as she noticed Roland walking back from one of the many hallways that led into the ship, surrounded by drunk Guardsman. They hung onto each other as they walked along, Remora held close to his side as she held onto his arm like a love struck damsel. On the outside she gave a stern and bored look, one could even say she looked agitated to be where she was. Mara had come to know her better than that however, and from the light blush on her cheeks she knew that Mara was just as tipsy as the rogue trader. The way that she held onto his arm and gave him side glances made it clear what they were going to do when they returned to the confines of the ship. The two of them always had sex after getting drunk, and even when they weren't, they could be found all over the ship together. It was a vulgar and excessive romance the two shared, one that rubbed against Maras own sensibilities greatly, but she didn't reprimand them. After all, in this case she wasn't the higher authority.

Roland and Remora said goodbye to the drunk guardsmen at the bottom of the ramp, as they were shooed away by those who guarded the ship. He and Remora walked haphazardly along the ramp as they stumbled their way up. As Roland saw Mara he only gave a drunken smile.

"H-Hello Mara… boy, do these guys have strong booze! Damn! M-Me and Remora are going inside to… to have a little talk."

Remora rolled her eyes as she pulled him close.

"Yes, a very loud and intimate talk. Now shut up unless you're going to invite her…"

Mara stood from her seat as it clattered to the ground. She wasn't even going to humor these two. At the edge of her attention she saw her peculiar guardsman begin his usual sneak away from the others. He was relieved from his shift just in time. And seeing as she didn't want to be badgered by some drunken company, she decided investigation might as well start today. Without looking back at the rogue trader or his far too eager company, she began to walk down the ramp. Remora only cooed after her.

"Come on, Mara, it was only a suggestion."

Mara shook her head, focused on her prey ahead of her.

"I'm going to explore for a while. I will be back later."

Remora answered back, expectant as usual.

"Well then, another time."

Mara continued onward. Remora was a completely different person when she was drunk, her usual refined self was traded for a more… loose and wild side. She wasn't royalty after all, and she was found amongst the lower classes of a hive world. Such things were likely only engraved into her personality, no matter how deeply she would bury it. Mara walked past the guardsmen at the end of the ramp who watched her as she went. Her hand ever on the hilt of her sword as she moved along. She was careful to stay at least fifteen paces behind the guardsman who snuck about. He looked about himself constantly, and every time he did she was quick to move out of his sight. So far, it seemed to work, and slowly she followed. Deeper, and deeper into the ship until the light began to darken and she found herself clenching the hilt of her blade tighter.

It wasn't uncommon for traps to be made for royalty. As she moved along, she began to wonder if this was a long ploy to trick her into coming here. Still, the way that the man acted as he moved about the darkened halls didn't seem to make that likely. He was too skittish, too worried about his surroundings to have set a trap. That the number of other guardsmen or crew she saw began to dwindle to nothing also piqued her interest. Finally the man came to a stop along the dark hallway and began to look about. Quickly she hid behind the nearest corner. She waited for several moments, and then looked back to see that he had disappeared.

Cautiously, she made her way down the hallway and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Along the wall she noticed a carefully placed piece of metal covering a hole in the wall. What was this? She recalled the cults she had come across while adventuring with the rogue trader. Was that what she stumbled upon here? She halted as she reached out to pull the metal. Perhaps she should get reinforcement first…

Then again, maybe it would be better for her to settle this quietly. She moved aside the metal and stepped through into a darkened hallway, lined with piping and wires. She put the metal back into place behind her, to lower any suspicion lest others would come. Then she walked onward, as quietly as she could, one step at a time. The darkness gave way to light, and she found herself staring into a small room, a metal box hidden within the ships walls. There she saw the guardsman sitting across from a young girl. What was going on here? And what was he doing with this young girl

"What are you doing here?"

Argus and Laeria looked to see the mysterious woman who found them. It was a shock, straight through their hearts as they saw her. They had been discovered, and by whom they didn't know. Argus reached for his lasgun, but the woman reacted faster as she drew her sword and placed it between his hand and the rifle. Argus managed to look up at her as she kicked him in his stomach and picked him up by his collar. She lifted him up and rushed him against the wall.

"What are you doing with this girl?"

Laeria reacted without thinking. She stood up and ran over to the woman as she pulled on her clothes.

"Let him go!"

Argus thought a thousand thoughts, unsure what to do, until he spurted out his reply.

"She's my daughter!"

Mara was surprised by that answer as she let him go. He brushed her off as he quickly stood between her and the little girl. He had a bruised lip from his impact against the wall. He held up his hands as if to protect the little girl and pushed her back, his attention held on her the whole time. Mara could tell that he cared about the girl behind him. Perhaps she had assumed the worst too early. Still… this wasn't the scene she expected to find.

"Why is she here? Where's the mother?"

Argus struggled to find an answer. Laeria meanwhile began to feel the strain of the sudden stress that was put on her. Her emotions ran high as both fear and uncertainty gripped her chest and ripped at her soul. For just a moment she felt herself lose control of her powers with a scared yelp, only to quickly pull them back into control again. Argus looked back at her, his desire only for her to come out of this unscathed.

"Don't worry Laeria, we'll be ok. Just stay behind me."

Mara sheathed her sword, a sudden surge of empathy stretching to the two of them. It wasn't uncommon for Imperial Guardsmen to have children, though she could only imagine the difficulties it presented. Still, to be so secretive about this entire situation…

"I didn't hear an answer."

Argus took a deep breath.

"I don't know where her mother is. But, I'm taking care of her. This hellhole is no place to raise a child, but I don't have any other choice. I refuse to leave her to the mercy of those outside either."

Mara began to feel a deep sense of regret over this entire situation. That is, until she noticed a single, faint detail that almost escaped her grasp. Though the girl wore human clothing, she radiated a sense of beauty rarely found without surgical means, and most damning of all were those pointed ears, reminiscent of the Eldar aboard her ship, Aloi. Without hesitation, she drew her sword again and pressed its blade tightly against his neck.

"She's an Eldar."

Argus bit his lip tightly as he heard those words.

"She's a child!"

Mara looked over the girl again. By all accounts she looked very close to a human child. But she was not. She was a xeno. An enemy of the Imperium, and as a noble of house Valiant, it was her duty to uphold those principles.

"She is a xeno. And you, are a traitor."

Argus's hands trembled, his entire body did. He was scared, but how could he not be? He was discovered. But he didn't budge, he didn't move away and he didn't fall to his knees. He stood between her and Laeria, ready to do whatever he had to. Really, it didn't matter anymore what happened to him. He made his choice the minute he saved Laeria.

"Yes. I am."

Mara didn't move, uncertain why she continued to let either of them live. She found herself stare into the man's eyes, at his determination to protect this xeno girl behind him. Why was he so adamant about this? Was he not of the Imperial Guard? The Emperors will? She needed answers.

"Are you not a guardsman? Did you not swear an oath to the Emperor of mankind?"

Argus swallowed, the beating in his heart so bad it rung in his ears. Sweat began to form at the tip of his brow, the cold edge of the blade at his throat barely cutting the edge of his skin.

"I was taken from my home and told to be a soldier. I am no less than a slave in the eyes of the Imperium. My life means nothing in the face of humanity. I was told to lose everything about myself and be a puppet willing to die at a moment's notice. I didn't belong to myself anymore. I was a Guardsman! But tell me, what is worth protecting anymore? We live only to accept death, so we can fuel the cycle of violence that engulfs our existence. I don't know much truthfully… but if there is so much misery and despair that simply necessary for humanity to continue living, what's the damn point? I want to believe there is more than this endless cycle. I want… I made my own choice, as an individual. Right or wrong be damned, I am a human being of my own accord. I decided to make my own decisions, and if that is wrong, then so be it."

To make one's own decisions in this universe was such a bold prospect in Mara's eyes. This man definitely had the grit and will of a guardsman. Yet he decided to place it within his own naive prospects. She was a noble of a Knightly House, and he was… truly at this point there was little difference between him and her. She had no title that meant anything anymore, and she found herself dragged through the Imperium without purpose by a rogue trader. What purpose had she that was any less meaningful than this mans? She had to converse with an Eldar, tolerate his mere existence as a 'crewmate', despite her own disdain, but her interaction with xenos was no less secretive than this mans. In a lot of ways what this man just told her frustrated her to no end. She raised her sword beside his throat, hesitant whether she was to finish it or not.

"And you will stand to these convictions with your life?"

Argus waved a hand behind him, to feel Laerias. In a lot of ways, he should have expected that something like this should have been inevitable. Well, not like he didn't know. The more time he spent with Laeria, the more he told himself that it wouldn't end. A lie, through and through. But regret was nowhere near how he felt.

"Yes."

Laeria could not stand it any longer. If this was to be it, she… she couldn't accept this!

"No! I won't let you die!"

Her emotions ran too highly, and in a moment of peak stress she let her guard down. Yet she only managed to shove the woman to the side with her unleashed powers, sending out a small psychic beacon that lasted but a single moment, before she found herself fall unconscious. She hadn't used her abilities in such a long time that she was out of practice, and all the time she spent suppressing them, proved too much for her young body. She fell to the floor with a loud thud.

Argus quickly knelt beside her as she picked up her unconscious body.

"Laeria? Laeria! Wake up…"

His heart sank as she didn't respond, though as he felt for a pulse he was relieved to find one. He pulled her to the other side of the room where he grabbed his lasgun and pointed at the barely recovered woman who attempted to stand up from being shoved against the wall.

"Stay where you are."

Mara held onto her head, still spinning from the sudden jolt being thrown against the wall. That Eldar girl cared enough to try and save that man? Why did she care so much? Why did he?

"What makes you go to such lengths for a xeno?"

Argus stayed silent for a few moments as he rested Laeria on his lap. He didn't know what was going to happen, but… he shook his head. There was no use in thinking about it now. All he could do was be here. He thought for a moment about shooting the woman, here and now, but that same hesitation that prevented him from killing Laeria creeped up again. He wasn't fit to be a soldier, a guardsman, his heart simply wasn't hard enough. Even now, when it was…

"I… I helped kill everyone she knew. She and other Elder were aboard the station when we arrived. We were simply told to purge the entire place, and so we did. So I did. I had nothing but the promise of death back then. We fought, killing one Eldar after another. Not that we didn't lose more guardsmen than we killed them. Given the chance, I'm sure they would have killed every last one of us. It was horrific really, but it was reality. They simply tried to survive, and we simply had orders… but when I saw her, a defenseless little girl, Eldar or not… I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't contribute to this hell. So I took her in, and I've cared for her ever since."

Mara wiped away the blood from her busted lip as she stared at the man. He was more willful than she had seen any guardsman ever be. That was hardly a bad trait. Honestly, it was admirable in some sense, and reminded her of virtues held highly in House Valiant. Someone that cared so deeply about protecting others they would go to the extent of treason. Still, the hatred for xenos, ingrained from her upbringing, irked her as she looked at the Eldar girl. She was a xenos, an enemy of humankind… yet even she could understand what the man said. She was still just a little girl, a child. Her body small and frail. Still, violence as he described was necessary in the reality they found themselves within. It was the only way humanity could persist. Regardless, she was fully aware that much of it was cyclical. How could she find herself having doubts now? Truly she… she had been away from home for too long. Still, as she thought of it, what had Eldar to gain from such a remote Vox Station? Why would there be a child among them, such a rare occurrence for an Eldar child to be outside their craftworld.

"Why were the Eldar even within the station?"

Argus found his arm tire as he held the lasgun up. Still he held it firm as he watched the woman, while he cradled Laerias head with his other. She began to have difficulties breathing as she laid on him, and he didn't know what to do anymore. Nothing left but to continue this discussion or end it with a pull of the trigger. Something his wavering heart could not do.

"They… their craftworld was destroyed. Laeria and the others were all that remained from those that managed to escape. They didn't have anywhere left to go, and eventually found themselves trapped on the station after raiding it for resources. And yes… they killed the crew. Like I said, they weren't innocent in this. At least, except Laeria. She had nothing to do with it. They just wanted to protect her."

Mara found herself in a deep pause. That Eldar girl was in the same place she was in. Her home world was destroyed, and they were now adrift without anywhere to go. The last of any legacy they could hope to sustain. She… empathized with that xeno girl. She… how could she? She was a…

As she watched the girl in the man's lap as she breathed heavier and heavier, her heart warmed. How could it betray the need to purge the xenos? How could she feel anything! How… how indeed. She was no longer a noble of a knightly house, no matter how much she tried to convince herself. Her sacred armor was barely alive, kept within stasis aboard a rogue trader's ship. She had no family left, and her home world was gone. Her title held no meaning, and she struggled to continue justifying purpose. She didn't know much anymore who she was, and why she continued to go with a rogue trader of all people. Yet here she found two souls, a guardsman and an Eldar girl, who despite losing everything and being taken away from all they knew, still rebelled against the uncaring universe. They did as they chose to. They were stronger than she was, a knight of House Valiant. How miserable… but how so humbling. It had to be. So the question was then, what would she do now? The Eldar girl seemed… sick. She clearly used some sort of psyker power to shove her into the wall. But, she didn't know enough about Eldar that would help. So, she intended to help now?

She looked at the sword in her hand. It was a gift from her late father. He told her to use it to carve her own path in the universe, to make her own story and discover for herself what valiance was. Had she lost her way? Or would he have told her to stop waiting for the universe to give her back purpose and make her own damned path. She made up her mind. If this was to be reality, she would make it her own.

"I… I can help you."

Argus couldn't believe what he heard. No. That had to be a lie.

"You are lying."

Mara shook her head as she pushed herself up from the ground. Surprised herself at what she was saying.

"No. I am not. I… I am truly sincere. And by the look of that girl, she isn't faring well. I can find a way to help her."

Argus found himself tense up at the prospect. He didn't know who she was. How could he just… Laeria began to fidget as she continued to burn up. Her forehead was hot, and she winced in pain. Argus couldn't leave her like this. He…

"How can I trust you?"

Mara began to walk away, a slight limp in her step as she sprained her leg. She got to the hole in the wall and looked back at him.

"Then shoot me if you can't."

The lasgun shook in Argus hands. This wasn't fair. But then again, that was the way of things wasn't it? He had to make a choice, and he didn't know which was right. To let her go… it was merely inviting death to end it all. On the other hand, it was his only chance. He didn't know how to help Laeria, and he had nobody else to trust. If there was but a chance, all he could do was take it. Without a word he lowered the lasgun and dropped it onto the ground.

Mara let out a sigh of relief. He had no reason to trust her, but he did. He really wasn't fit to be a guardsman. But… he wasn't someone very common in her experience. Someone so determined to follow their self that they would risk losing it all. Her father would have been proud. This strange little pair gave her an odd sense of purpose, some sense of hope again. Perhaps she was always destined to be a traitor as well.

"My name is Mara. I will come back during the next cycle. Take care of her till then, and do not skimp on your duties as a Guardsman. It would only create suspicion."

Argus nodded.

"My name is Argus. And I will hold you to your word."

Argus was it? So that was the name of this peculiar man she met. With nothing else to say, Mara walked out and away from the little room. A newfound purpose in her step as she walked along the hallways of the ship. After a brief amount of time she found herself back into the docking bay where the rogue trader's ship was. Roland sat at the top of the ramp as he looked down at the guardsmen who guarded it. Mara simply walked past them as she made her way up. As she saw Roland, likely barely having escaped Remoras lustful reach, he was asleep, and his 'borrowed' Commissariat hat pulled over his eyes as he slumped in his chair. How he became a captain always eluded her, the idea that his family would put him in such a position merely for the sake of family ties not comforting. Either way, it didn't really matter at present moment.

She walked into the ship where she was surprised by Aloi who stood beside the doorway.

"Rare for you to leave the ship."

Mara calmed her minds agitated reflex at the presence of him as she turned to face him. He was her best bet at finding the Eldar girl assistance. Still… she couldn't trust him. Remembering what he had said before. Lest the humans already killed them all.

"It doesn't concern you."

Aloi rolled his eyes.

"Certainly had to be interesting enough for you to leave your routine. Every one of your terran cycles, you would sit outside this door and observe something. Something had to convince you to leave. And..."

He looked at the bruise she had on her cheek and the limp she walked with.

"Clearly you found something."

Mara turned to the side.

"Doesn't concern you. I merely had a small… scuffle."

Aloi frowned as he closed his eyes, looking at something in his mind.

"Well, I felt something today. An odd feeling. Like there was another Eldar around. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Mara held the hilt of her sword.

"No. But, now that you mention it, how do you suppress your latent psyker witchery? Surely, you would be noticed by any Psyker in range."

Aloi smirked, though he didn't open his eyes or even turn to acknowledge her.

"Such a… peculiar question. I must say, you aren't acting like yourself, being of the proud and arrogant sort. I expected that you would just ignore me, act like I am somehow beneath you. You've yet to even insult me. How odd."

Mara wasn't going to play his games.

"Enough. I simply don't want to be branded a traitor and killed because you are found aboard our ship."

Aloi rubbed the palms of his hands as he reached into his pocket.

"Well, I have trained myself to contain my presence quite well. I don't even need to think about it much anymore, most human Psykers hardly strong enough to find me and keep themselves in one piece. Of course… if there were someone who wasn't fully trained, they would struggle greatly. One might even say, they could get themselves sick trying. For such an individual, particular suppressants would likely work to remove the strain."

Mara stared at Aloi carefully. Such specific information to give so willingly.

"Oh? And you wouldn't happen to have such things would you?"

Aloi pulled out several small orbs from a pack at his side. The orbs completely black and perfectly rounded.

"Always keep some with me, in case more… impressive psykers happen to be about. Not that they would be of any use to you. In humans, these would likely cause severe hallucinations and head trauma. Then again… would they?"

Mara reached out to grab them.

"No, but I would imagine they could prove useful for barter."

Aloi gave a small chuckle, as he pulled back his hand before Mara could grab them.

"I didn't take you for an addict, 'Lady' Mara. How pitiful humans can be sometimes. I suppose it was only a matter of time before that prideful spirit of yours broke away, and you became the monkeigh you were meant to be. Fine. If you want them, take them."

He dropped them onto the floor as he walked away, off towards his room. Mara was furious, barely able to contain herself as her limbs shook and she so desperately wanted to draw her sword. To chase him down and remove his head for such a slight. But she did not, she knelt down and grabbed the small orbs into her hands. Clearly, Aloi knew something more than he let on. What, she did not know. Still, this was her only option, if she didn't wish to be caught herself. She only hoped that these… suppressants weren't a foolish ruse on Aloi's part. If they were, she would be sure to kill him afterwards.

She stood up with the suppressants in her hand. She looked out the door and down the ramp, toward the darkened hallways that exited the docking bay. She truly felt a sense of purpose in what she was doing. Something she hadn't felt in such a long time.

---

Hello all, hope everyone's doing well. This fic became a bit larger than I originally intended it to be. Mostly because of my decision to expand on some characters and events a lot more than I first thought I would. Either way part 3 started to become really long, so I decided to just split it into two, so a part 4 will be coming out some time in the future. When it does I'll give my feelings on the entirety of this little side fic, though truthfully 'little' probably isn't the right word to describe it anymore. Either way, the next part will be the conclusion of this story, and then I will go onto other things, including working more on the sequel story of my first fic. Of course, I write these fics more for writing/story practice, for my personal enjoyment and for my love of 40k than anything else. I still have a lot of other works of my own (which I also very much enjoy writing) that I intend to publish sometime in the near future that I am also currently working on as well, so those have always had higher priority (well, that and the obligations brought by college, but now its summer!). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this part, and I wish you well. As always, feel free to comment or not. If you notice any errors or things wrong with the writing, feel free to tell me. And most of all, thanks for reading!