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.

27. A Guardsman's Purpose (Side Story Pt5)

A Guardsman's Purpose Part 5

Every day since they settled into their new room, Mara would wake Argus and Laeria early. The day cycle was filled with rigorous physical training to get Laerias physical health improved. Her prior life of living within the confines of a small room had only served to make her body frail, and the food she ate was not enough to sustain her growing body. While these were the result of circumstance, they had to be fixed if she was to gain a better grasp on herself and become a noble of House Valor. Argus also helped her through the training, taking the opportunity to help better himself as well. One of the most rigorous routines being a run up and down the walkways of the dormitories. Though he was sure to stay right beside her and give her encouragement not to give up. That and he wanted to be there in case she over-exhausted herself. Something she nearly did for the first few days.

Laeria had a difficult time, and she often found herself so exhausted that she didn't want to move afterwards. She would sweat profusely and it felt like her body boiled inside, but she had to push on. She was only glad she trained in the tight garments Mara had procured for her, a spare uniform from the crew that she had found to fit her. She took solace that Argus too found the regiment hard, even despite his experience with physical strain from his own training. Thankfully Mara allowed her time to rest and regain her strength periodically, with encouragement and critique to follow.

Argus would leave at the same time every day to get food and water and return, where they would then share a meal together in their room and talk. The food much more nutritious and healthy than what Laeria or him had before, and even better had much more taste. Both a reward and a necessary step for her health, Laeria was grateful to simply have something that wasn't bland or near stale bread. Argus too was amazed that Mara had managed to secure such good meals. Mara took pride in that, and was happy to see the two of them eat so eagerly. It was simply nice to eat with others around, and for Mara that was worth more than the food itself which she had always had at her beck and call. She didn't want to waste a moment however, and so while they talked, included important lessons for Laeria about House Valors history, its values and the code that all needed to know.

Laeria was amazed to learn that House Valor was focused heavily on the care and protection of those within its reign, and was enamored by the many stories of past Knights that Mara told her. Whether exaggerated or not, which Mara highly disputed, they gave her imagination a sense of wonder. Though as they got closer to the subject of the Imperial Knights, the suits of armor which all in House Valor donned, Mara found she struggled to properly explain it. While Argus and Laeria had understood the idea that they were mechanized suits of armor, they had difficulty grasping the finer points such as the bond between knight and its rider. Having never seen one themselves made it difficult to relate what awesome constructions and sheer presence they commanded. Either way, such was a hurdle that could be passed on for later. The most important lessons that Mara had to teach Laeria was the management and duties of being a noble of House Valor. Particularly how to present oneself, how to deal with others of stature, how to handle a territory and how to handle political relationships. How to handle oneself in the face of others an especially important one, as she knew Laeria would have to extra careful with what she said and how to deflect unwanted inquiry. This was a lot for her, even if she grasped many of the concepts well. She was still young, and though she actually out-aged Mara, by Eldar standards she still had a lot of development to go. However, she found that the lessons that the Farseers had pressed on her shared some similarities with Mara's lessons. Thankfully it gave her a basis to better understand and learn them.

These lessons not only for Laeria, as Argus also listened intently. Given his promise to Mara, he decided that he had to learn as much as he could to be of help to her. Argus however, found himself rather clueless on many topics, never having had to think so much on such things before. Still, he listened and did his best to understand. Though he hadn't learned as quickly or as much as as Laeria did, he still put as much effort as he could into it. Mara's descriptions of House Valor and the stories that it held, all sparked his imagination. Though he knew that everything had its dark side, and even House Valor likely wasn't perfect as such stories would imply. Not that it mattered, because the good and the bad, both things made it what it was. He wouldn't ignore either of those things, just as he would not with anything else. He enjoyed how passionately Mara told them about it, and was always glad to see how excited and lively she had been. For the sake of these two, he would better himself as much as he could to always stay by their side.

Mara on the other hand, while she told everything as diligently as she could, found she struggled slightly. It had been such a long time since she had thought of all these things. The lessons her father told her, that her mentors provided, and that House Valor instituted. She had moped around too long and thus struggled to recollect certain things, and so had to fill any gaps with her own experience and wisdom. That both Laeria and Argus listened to her so carefully and diligently made her heart beat with a tender happiness. Still, that only made her worry more that she would teach something improperly or not be able to convey what needed to be effectively. That her resources to teach such things was limited made it much harder, but she would not let that stop her. She did have to leave out several things though, which all of them knew, even if they didn't want to acknowledge it. The teachings on xenos was strictly left out and ignored, Mara having found a distaste in her mouth as she thought on them. Not that this changed the reality of the universe at large, or even her general perception of the Xenos races, but Mara found she struggled slightly to tell Laeria that as a noble of House Valor she had to focus on those under her care and no others. There were many very dangerous and easily provoked enemies scattered among the stars, and Mara knew that someday, Laeria could very well be faced with the reality of fighting other Eldar. Laeria knew this bothered Mara, but she had already made her decision and if that was an outcome, she would accept it. Something that Mara found both pride in, and a hint of tragedy.

As time went on, Laeria became less dependent on the few suppressants Mara held in stock, as she managed her emotions much clearer. As her body became more fit and able, her mind equally was strengthened without the stress of maintaining it. While she still hid the true extant of her abilities from Arus and Mara, she did explain that as she became stronger she was able to handle them much better. She held a firmer grasp on her mind, and as she focused most of her ability on suppressing them, she found herself capable of bearing it more easily. Though, she continued to worry about the future as she grew. Even now she could tell that unchecked… a connection to the warp was always a dangerous thing. But, if everything turned out as they hoped, she would have the time to deal with it later. Her biggest hurdle however, and both her guardians knew it, was that she would become incredibly anxious and paranoid around anyone who wasn't Argus or Mara. They couldn't easily help her train past this, as they didn't want to risk bringing others around her and being discovered. So Mara had Laeria meditate often before bed to calm herself in the hopes that she would be able to keep her emotions in check around others. It certainly helped Mara through all her years aboard the rogue trader's ship, and her many, many run in's with what she considered terrible company when visiting other worlds. It was similar to the meditation that the farseers would tell her to do, and so it felt somewhat natural to her. It at least made things manageable.

Everything went well and went without hindrance. The one weight which ever hung over them however, was one that all three of them held constantly at the back of their minds. Aloi was still out and about. While Roland took Mara's suggestion seriously, posting guards at the entrance of the ship and keeping tabs on Aloi's goings, she remained cautious and paranoid. Argus, every night after moving to their room, stood guard at the door with his lasgun. He watched in cycles with Mara as they knew that Aloi would strike eventually. Laeria didn't want to think about that terrible Eldar, but she could not help it. She knew full and well the danger he posed always loomed, and the feeling that she felt come off him that day… it still scared her. She trained hard to exhaust herself, focused entirely on her goal, with hopes that everything would settle down and that Aloi would never appear. She knew though, that such deep hatred and anger as he possessed wouldn't let that happen.

She was right, as Aloi would as covertly as possible, leave Roland's ship and leave a psychic illusion of himself behind. One of the few tricks he was still able to do despite his strained connection. He learned quickly where the 'chosen' Eldar girl and her two guardians took residence, at the center of the station. Every time he passed through the vents, he could only just barely prevent himself the urge to kill. Instead, kept himself going with an increasing excitement at the thought of his revenge and impatiently waited for the thirty day cycles to pass. To make it go quicker, he spent his time training the naïve Eldar younglings in the farthest reaches of the station. He instilled them with a sense of pride and fed their foolish heads with ideas that they would prevail. They made excellent progress as they managed to fire and operate the few working equipment that they had stashed away. Several shuriken catapults and the damaged suits of several Aspect Warriors armor. As he had assumed, the rest of the aspect warrior's equipment long since destroyed or hoarded somewhere by the humans. Either way, it didn't matter much to him. He only trained the younglings to the point that they were adequate and proved to have confidence in their abilities. They were strong, physically fit and would have just barely fit the requirements to join the path of their craftworlds Aspect Warriors. Particularly Valra, the female whom had the most fight of the group. Not that he was very soft in his training, as he was always sure to beat them when he got the chance while sparring. Given how in disrepair the armor they had was, and would have to depend entirely on their speed and their ability to hide. Perfect for assassinations or secret missions, but they were going to fight a force which was accustomed to grinding out their enemies with bodies till they wore out. Just the perfect end for these pompous younglings, to die off one at a time, unable to do anything to stem their demise.

He was sure to have fun the whole time. He even managed to genuinely smile, while he presented himself as the dead Eldar he once was. Yet he was no more than a betrayer in a corpse's skin, for his old self was long dead. While his 'students' as they liked to call themselves, seemed to look at him with adoration and respect, he held nothing but contempt. The only one whose name he actively recalled was Valra's, for she was the closest to his own abilities. Well, if she had many, many, many years to train under him. But such respect did not overpower his end goal. He was filled with a long pent up rage and an even worse desire to accomplish his lifelong journey of vengeance. To fulfill his path and then let it end.

Yet… much to his own discomfort, he had felt pity. No, no it was sadness for the first time in such a long time. As he spent more time with the young Eldar, mere survivors as he was, adrift and away from home as he was, he could not help but feel something akin to compassion for them. But he could not let such rogue thoughts persist. This path he was on was the fate that was bestowed to him by this cruel universe. He would not deny it, he could not. Whenever he felt some emotion for these young foolish Eldar, he reminded himself of the many years he spent tortured, abused and used by the likes of Dark Eldar. Such was the true nature of the Eldar. This façade… this lie that he gave these young Eldar, that he fed about the superiority of their race and their ability to overcome all opposition, it was all just a ruse. They were raised to castrate their emotions, to become compliant to the will of the farseers and their 'guidance', raised with the lie that the Eldar were somehow better than everything else. When in truth, they were perhaps even worse than most of it.

Aloi himself was living proof that such was only an act. He had once eagerly believed as these young Eldar did. He saw the reality the further away he drifted from the farseer's influence, and the more he was able to see the universe without a lens before his eyes. They deserved their fate, as he deserved his. The Farseers told him that he would kill their precious 'chosen' and so they cast him away as if he did not exist at all. No, as if he deserved such punishment, for a future not yet decided. Such pompous and clear authority had went straight to their heads, and he saw them no different than the many corrupt, power hungry humans he found among his travels. He would give them the future that they so eagerly hoped to avoid, caused by their own actions and arrogance. Their precious craftworld finished by him. He would not feel sorrow for these young Eldar, for it was better they die here. He had spent too long ruminating in this desire for revenge. He had already made his choice. He would give the universe what it wanted, and let the laughter of monstrous gods echo with his betrayal and his desire.

Still, as he looked at the young Eldar about him, those whom he had groomed and prepared for slaughter… he still felt something akin to remorse. Valra actively tried to become closer to him, determined to only spar him and asked unending questions. Perhaps she even wished to mate him. Though she adamantly held onto her crude spear, she actually managed to become good with it and gave him some entertainment. She of all of them made his heart waver the most. Yet it did not matter. He would not survive the coming fight, nor would she or the others. They deserved to discover the truth of this universe, this reality, just as he had. Only they would be lucky, for they would die soon after. Or perhaps not, lest the humans drag them away to their own tortures or destroy the soulstones they carried about their necks. Had they any spares, he knew they would have eagerly given one to him. Even without they would give up one of their own to give him one. But he would not ask, and he would refuse if presented the choice. He had not worn such a cursed instrument in such a long time. No. When he died, he would face the just punishment of all Eldar with dignity. After all, it was their true nature which caused this all to happen in the first place, and to that god would they return.

Like a blur, a period of thirty days passed, and miraculously, the Faceless Region arrived exactly on time. For most everyone on the station it was a surprise to see another ship so soon. More than that, there wasn't just one. There was nearly a dozen smaller frigates that surrounded a large capital ship that stretched almost half the size of the entire station. Alerts were triggered, the station was prepped and fate was soon to be decided. Roland nervously sat in his office as he looked at the blank screen besides his vox, awaiting for his associate to contact him. This was his final gambit. How could he have guessed that others felt the same way?

Argus, Laeria and Mara all walked outside their room. While Argus had gone to get food he discovered that the Faceless Legion had arrived and returned to prepare. It was quick, given they had few possessions, and they readied themselves for what was to come. They each gave their residence a last glimpse, with the hope that this would be the last time. With hope in their hearts, they bet everything on what happened on this day. Laeria breathed in and out in long deep breaths as she looked down the hallway. She had to be ready to meet a lot of others, and control her anxiety or run the risk of horrible consequences. Before they had the chance to leave, a messenger arrived and gave them word that the Faceless Legion had arrived within the vicinity, and that Roland wanted to meet with them. With nothing else to say he left, as the three thought on who exactly it was they were going to meet. Roland's associate must have been very important to be escorted by so many ships, and Mara was adamant that she wouldn't let this chance slip by. Roland had his agenda after all, and she knew he wouldn't risk it on anything going wrong.

Laeria struggled to walk in the formal dress that Mara had acquired for her, one of the spares she had kept in her room on the ship but never wore. She had to fix it to her size, and though she wasn't particularly good at sewing, it was presentable. A small bonnet over her head, fitted tightly to cover her ears. Laeria looked to her two guardians as they watched her with a sense of pride.

"I guess it's time then."

Mara nodded.

"Yes it is. Are you ready?"

Laeria nodded, taking another deep breath.

"Yes. I feel… nervous, but, I'll be ok."

Argus couldn't help but smile as he looked at Laeria. She had come a long way from the scared, frail little girl he saved. Though, in a lot of ways she saved him just as well. He was proud of her, and all his hopes for the future had her living a good life. He too, looked to the future.

"You look real important, Laeria. I'm happy to see how far you've come."

Laeria smiled as she embraced Argus with a tight hug.

"I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you."

She looked to Mara.

"Or you either, Mara."

Mara held a hand by her mouth as she felt a warm sensation, pleasant and comforting. Laeria had trained hard and stayed determined the whole way through. She could have never imagined that she would have such pride in an Eldar… she couldn't kid herself anymore. She did not see Laeria as a xenos, and often did it slip her mind that she was Eldar at all. She would not use such a demeaning word for her. Laeria, was Laeria, and she was her pride and joy.

"While your training was rather rushed and you struggled a fair bit… I am proud to say you've impressed me. You exceeded my expectations, Laeria. I am glad to have met you."

Laeria moved over to her and hugged her as well.

"Likewise. I'm just glad you didn't kill me when we first met."

Mara petted her gently on the head.

"You made me change, even if it took a while. Now come along, we have a long day ahead of us. We have to all act our parts and stay strong till the end."

Argus nodded as he checked his lasgun for the seventh time since he first prepped it. He had to be sure that he was ready in-case anything happened.

"We don't know what's ahead of us, so we have to be careful. We can't forget that…"

Laeria grimaced at the thought of Aloi.

"I know. That other Eldar is still out there. He hasn't made a move at all yet, and today might be the only chance that he has to do whatever he is going to."

Mara nodded grimly.

"You are a smart girl, Laeria. You've learned a lot from me as well. However, I don't think this is his last chance as much as this is likely the day he has been waiting for. He could have attacked us any time, even under the 'supervision' provided by Roland. However, he has been silent and hasn't been seen leaving his room at all. We should assume that he has something prepared."

Argus bit down as he thought of it.

"We'll have to keep an eye out. With luck, we can make it to Roland's office without hassle. I'll do my best to keep you safe."

Laeria didn't want to think of Argus having to fight on her behalf.

"Please… let's not think of the worst."

Argus shook his head as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I won't die on you, no matter what. I promise."

Laeria smiled, knowing that such promises weren't easily kept.

"You always make such pleasant lies."

Argus only chuckled, even knowing that it was true.

"For your sake and mine, I hope they aren't. Come on. We should get going."

Mara took a deep breath as she held onto the hilt of her sword. This was truly going to be a very, very long day. She glanced at Argus as he gave her a wink and a smile. She blushed for a moment, simply happy that he was here with them. She gave him a nod, and they both returned to their serious focus as they looked ahead, and began to walk with Laeria between them.

At the docking bay, Aloi prepared his own final steps for his goal. He gathered his young 'students' and stealthily brought them through the vent system of the station and above the hanger bay. They were each outfitted with all the Eldar gear they managed to find. The armor of fallen aspect warriors, crudely patched with metal and bits of flak armor from long dead guardsmen. Shuriken Catapults given to all of them but Valra, who feircly held onto her own crude instruments. They were directly above the hanger bay, over the ship as they overlooked many of the crewman go about their business is a hurried rush. Aloi knew they scrambled to prepare for the coming emissaries from the Faceless legion, but his companions believed they scrambled in preparation for attack from Eldar forces. Today was the day his ruse came to an end, but he decided, he did not want to witness the faces of his young companions personally when they died. No, it was… too much of a liability for his goal to kill the 'chosen'.

He popped the vent and held it up with his hand. The younglings all looked at the scene below and then to him for their orders. He didn't look up at the faces of the others as he spoke.

"Here we are. I prepared you all for this day. I am going to go find the chosen. You all will jump down here and when you do, I need you to clear out the docking bay and hold out for as long as you can. Reinforcements will arrive soon, I assure you all. Any last questions?"

Valra rested against her spear.

"I am going with you. I cannot let you go alone. I'm sure that the chosen is heavily guarded, so you will need to have assistance."

Aloi shook his head.

"Do not concern yourself with me. I have my mission and you have yours."

The eldest of the group tapped the blade of his knife against his shoulder.

"I believe that she's right. I am sure that-"

Aloi's hand gripped tightly onto the grate of the vent as he shook.

"Do not question your elders. Have I not told you this before?"

Valra crouched over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to redeem ourselves, Aloi. Please. The others will stay here and be enough to hold back the monkeigh while reinforcements come."

Aloi could not deny their request. If he pushed much more, they would surely become suspicious. He would just have to kill these two himself then, after they find the 'chosen', and his ruse is revealed. They should have just listened...

"Very well. Only you both may come with me. Everyone else, you know what to do. Are you ready?"

Those who were destined to stay nodded and steeled themselves for their task.

"Yes."

"For the Eldar."

"For our craftworld."

"For redemption."

Aloi could only look away from these fools. Still so certain.

"Then the time has come. Our paths are clear, and we will follow them to the end."

At his last word, he dropped the grate as it fell and clanged off the roof of Rolands ship catching the attention of all the crewman and guardsmen in the vicinity. With no hesitation, four young Eldar jumped down from the hole and landed on-top of the ship's hull. They openly began to fire on anyone who wasn't Eldar, and soon the alert was sounded as the crewman and the guardsman returned it. The battle had begun. Valra and the eldest paused as they looked down at the scene. The loud bangs and explosions rang in their sensitive ears, and the bright flashes of lasers clouded their vision. Aloi only pressed on, unfazed as he headed to intercept his target. Likely, Mara was taking the eldar girl to see Roland. There was only one path there, and he planned the perfect place to intercept.

He refused to glance back at the two awestricken companions still with him.

"Come on. Staring at reality will do nothing for you."

Though they did not wish to go, they pulled away their gazes from down below. Without a word they followed, leaving their friends behind to fight and, unknown to them, inevitably die.

Those four young eldar in the hanger bay were determined in their task, and believed wholly in their abilities. They found shelter along the hull of the massive ship they landed on. They periodically poked out and fired their weapons down at the growing mass of monkeigh soldiers that poured in. The crew and the guardsman were initially caught off guard, however, they reacted soon enough. Nearly seventy guardsman and crewmen combined were gunned down in the initial ambush, but as soon as the alarm was pulled, those in reserves slightly further in the station prepped themselves and ran to meet their attackers.

Roland could not believe what he heard as he was contacted through the vox on his desk. Remora dressed herself in her assassins garb immediately as she heard what was going on, and Roland initiated a lockdown of the entire station. He momentarily thought of asking his associate to postpone entering the station, however he knew that the Grand Commander of the Faceless Legion wouldn't arrive without escort. He would still notify them however, knowing that the station would inevitably be swarmed by Faceless Legions transports full of heavily armed and trained guardsman to clear the station. He would not deny such assistance, especially considering he did not know how many Eldar were attacking them.

He looked at Remora as she drew her long blade and tapped it against the palm of her hand.

"I'll go make sure that your associate arrives without a problem. I'll be sure to clear it of any assailants without mercy."

Roland knew she was very good at what she did, but still he worried.

"Be careful."

Remora smirked.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm fighting for two at the moment, so there is no way I will let them live. You on the other hand…"

Roland nodded.

"Thank you. I'll be fine. Don't forget, I'm not too bad with a bolt-pistol."

Remora turned toward the door.

"I know. You are a very good shot, with impeccable aim. With whatever you're aiming with."

Roland chuckled.

"Go on."

Without another word she was off as she ran, fast and flexible as ever. He knew she was likely excited to test her skills. It had been a while after all, since she was called on for battle. If things went the way he intended, she would have need to do it for a long time. Still…

He reached into his desk as he pulled out his bolt-pistol and held it up. He placed his borrowed commissar's hat on his head and looked to the door. Aloi was part of this whole mess, and he regretted not having taken stronger action to watch him. He knew that Mara's warning was serious, but he didn't expect that Aloi would have brought company. Ah well… one last scuffle before he retired. Still, what drove Aloi to do this confused him, even if it wasn't unexpected. There was something going on here that he didn't foresee...

Back in the docking bay the firefight continued as the young Eldar found themselves suppressed under an ever heavier degree of fire. They didn't expect such a violent reaction so quickly, nor for the monkeigh to be so relentless. Despite the many bodies that they littered the floor with, they didn't seem to make a dent in their numbers. They each began to feel the weight of combat fatigue, and the spark of fear lit in their hearts. One of them, of tall and bulky build looked to his comrades as he made a fist and held it up.

"We cannot falter! Stand strong! We are Eldar, and they are but inferior beings!"

The others were slightly bolstered by his efforts and continued their fire. He stepped out to do the same. At the same moment, the guardsmen rolled out an autogun emplacement that had been left in the station and placed it at the front of a hallway that overlooked the ship. Its crew prepped it at record speed, and within moments it opened fire as the massive shells sped through the air with loud booms. The bulky Eldar could not dodge away, as he watched a shell speed towards him. It hit his shoulder, and in the brief last moments he had, he looked to his friends. The shell exploded, as blood and smoke filled the air, the entire right side of his body blow off and strewn about the air. The rest of his body charred, boiling and smoking as it fell lifelessly to the floor and slid off the sleek edges of the ship. Those organs and insides still intact sliding out and along the smooth surface. His friends paused as they watched the fate of their friend, a rush of emotions paralyzing them in their tracks. One of them had to remove their helmet as they threw up onto the edge of the ship. Another simply shook in place as she held onto her weapon. The other turned their loss into rage as they stepped out and unleased a volley of fire at the autogun emplacement.

They were lucky as they managed to hit a shell just as it was ejected from the barrel and the entire emplacement exploded. They continued to fire as they hopped from place to place avoiding as much return fire as possible. Still, the sheer rate of lasers and bullets that assailed him nicked his armor repeatedly as it bruised the flesh beneath. Still he pushed on as he fired onto the hoard of humans.

He could only despair however as he realized that his weapon had a major malfunction as it broke with an audible crack. This caused him pause enough for the guardsmen to take their shots. In a matter of moments he was blasted with over a hundred different lasgun shots, ripping him to shreds until he was left as nothing but a bloody pile of pieces by the end.

The two remaining on the top continued to fire despite this. The reality of impending death, only fell over them like a cloud. Still they told themselves that they would push on. When their weapons gave out, they despaired as they looked at one another. Having no other option, and the firm belief that their actions had purpose, drew the blades given to them by Aloi. They gave a firm nod to the other and jumped down from the roof of the ship and onto the hanger bays floor. In a run they rushed the crowd of humans and viciously sliced through all in their path. They fought side by side, killing with precise strikes and broad slashes to keep their adversaries at bay. They didn't remain in place too long, knowing that to do so meant death. Their young physique staved of tiredness, and helped them compensate their weakness of skill. But still, they were inexperienced, fueled by the mass of emotions that shook their bodies and drove their vicious attacks. They made many mistakes, but they held fast and they held strong.

That is, until a single knife hurled through the air as one of them was pierced in the shoulder mid-air and knocked to the ground. A human woman, dressed in a sender black garb that seemed to wave as she moved, jumped out from the crowd of guardsmen. She landed on the downed Eldar and with the long knife in her hands plunged it deep into their chest until they stopped moving. Desiring nothing but revenge for their fallen comrades, the last Eldar raced for the woman. She was met with a brutal kick to the stomach as her strike was sidestepped. She responded quickly and stood, but was assaulted with blades as the woman wasted no movement. The Eldar tried to fight back, but they were out-leagued. A ring of guardsman formed around them as they watched the fight, seeing it as sport, given they realized this was the last Eldar. The others around them securing the rest of the docking bay as red lights flashed above them indicating the arrival of transports.

The human woman tired out her opponent as the young, frustrated Eldar eventually resorted to heavy swings with hopes to simply bash her way to victory. This was their last mistake, as the woman took the opportunity and grabbed their wrist breaking it. She pulled them to her as she punched the Eldar in their face, dislodging their helmet as it rolled onto the ground behind them. They attempted to block, but the woman cleanly swung her blade and an arm was left flying as it spun through the air, a trail of blood behind it.

Then, she stood over the kneeling Eldar as they looked at one another. The Eldar girl breathed heavily as she looked at the mass of monkeigh which surrounded her. She scowled as she looked up at the human woman who bested her. She tried to spit, but found that the blood in her mouth only dripped out instead.

"You may have killed us… but this is not over. You foolish Monkeigh! First you destroy our craftworld and then you take our chosen. More will come after me! My craftoworld will be avenged!"

The woman frowned as she placed the blade against the Eldar girl's neck.

"This is the end. Make peace with yourself before you go."

They heard a click at the far end of the room, and with hope in their heart the Eldar girl looked over at one of the docking bay doors as they opened. She had expected Eldar reinforcements to pour out and affirm their sacrifice, but as they finally opened her eyes widened at the horrific truth. Human soldiers, clad in heavy armor and carrying powerful weapons poured out in lines as they rushed forward. Row after row, they drew close and without mercy. In that moment her heart broke, and her mind shattered with grief. The last word she could mutter, before her head was cleanly removed from her head, was a simple one.

"Why?"

Aloi knew this outcome was inevitable. Even if he didn't know exactly how it would happen. He knew that death was all that welcomed those foolish young Eldar who followed him. He steeled himself however, and even had he been there to hear her ask, he would have not responded. No. In truth he would have relished in it, or so he would have told himself. He was too far gone, and this was destiny. There was no use denying it. If death was all that welcomed those young Eldar, if it was what welcomed him, beckoned him forward, then so be it.

"Do you think they are ok…?"

Aloi only grunted in response to the question asked behind him. Valra and the eldest continued to follow diligently behind him as they headed for their intercept point. They had heard the mass amount of footsteps from the Imperial Guard run through the halls. Likely to respond to the attack. They were distracted, just as Aloi had hoped. Though that the two followed behind him seemed to lose their nerve made his mood worse. Why had they decided to ruin his enjoyment? He should have been excited by now, fulfilled, with destiny so close at hand! Yet…Bah!

He turned around as he swung his hand against the side of the vent.

"They are likely already dead."

Valra keeled back at the intensity of his words, her previous resolve broken in but a single instant.

"What?"

Aloi shook his head.

"They wanted redemption, did they not? Do you not?"

The Eldest seemed confused, though from the look on his face Aloi could tell that he seemed to grasp what Aloi alluded to.

"No… you couldn't mean that…"

Aloi rolled his eyes. They were nearly there. Nearly there. He just had to keep up this facade for a while longer. That was all. These two younglings would not ruin it for him.

"They did not die when the humans first came. They did not fight to the last as their peers had done, and cowered away like rats. This distraction will have redeemed their previous cowardice, and give us the opportunity to rescue your precious Chosen."

The eldest lost his precious calm and collected demeanor as he reached out to grab Aloi, gripping his arm tightly.

"I thought that you cared about us? I thought you said that we would be enough-"

Aloi only chuckled as he shoved the young eldars hand off and slammed it into the wall.

"You naïve, child! Have you not heard the footsteps below you? Had you not seen the sheer lengths that the monkeigh will go to kill you or I? Did you not watch dozens of your fellows be killed one by one? Those we left behind were but four Eldar against an army of hundreds, not trained enough, and equipped with shuriken catapults they could barely handle. What did you expect to happen?"

Valra tightened her grasp on the spear in her hands. So much that it began to rub and hurt her bare palms. She could not believe what Aloi had just told her and Quintus.

"You wanted us both to go with them…"

Aloi took a deep breath.

"This is reality, Valra. You both decided to follow me instead. So make yourselves useful, it is almost time. We will find the chosen up ahead."

Valra shook her head.

"You cannot just ignore this!"

Aloi turned back to look at her as he grabbed her by the neck hole of her armor and pulled it close. Her face was pressed right in-front of his, and the horrible, frightening emotions that he sent off churned her stomach. She couldn't say a word, even as he shoved her back and continued to press forward.

"We have a mission, Valra. Do what you are told. The others have given us the distraction to rescue the chosen, and the reinforcements will be here soon. We must hurry."

In morbid silence, they complied and followed for a short length of time before Aloi stopped. They were right above the central hallway of the Officers Sector in the station, where Argus, Laeria and Mara were near approaching. Aloi pressed on the grate below him as he prepared himself, seeking that high he so desperately desired. As he heard the footsteps below, he nudged his head to gain the attention of the two younglings behind him.

"They are almost here. Get ready."

Below them, Argus had just stepped into the length of hallway. Mara and Laeria right behind him as they walked cautiously. Their destination was only but a few more turns ahead. Still, the tensions they felt did not dissipate. Especially in Laeria who felt sicker with every step, as if at any moment something terrible would happen. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she felt something. Still, nobody spoke for fear that their paranoia would be proven right. Argus held up his lasgun as he went, the most worried of the bunch. Mara unnerved by the lack of guardsmen or crew that they should have seen. She had chosen the route that took them as far out of the way of others, but still… this was uncanny. She could only begin to worry that something had happened, that they were blissfully unaware of.

Just before they could pass the grate, Laeria felt a sharp jab in her mind. She stopped as she clenched the side of her head.

"Stop!"

Argus and Mara stopped immediately as well, as Mara reached out for her.

"Laeria, what's wrong?"

Laeria remembered this awful feeling.

"Aloi… he's here…"

Aloi flinched as he knew was discovered. But it didn't matter. He slammed his hand onto the grate as he pushed through and fell down onto the floor. The two younglings followed behind him as they lifted their weapons and raised them at the group before them. Argus fired his lasgun as quickly as he saw it happen. He missed Aloi, however, he managed to nick the Eldest behind him in his arm. Though the armor saved the flesh, the bone beneath was broken and the shuriken catapult he held fell to the floor in pieces.

Mara drew her sword as she stood between Laeria and Aloi. Argus was about to fire again, however, Aloi threw a knife that stabbed through his hand, forcing his shot to hit the roof. Out of pain he dropped it onto the floor, and before he could try to grab it again Aloi threw another knife that sliced through the firing mechanism.

Before his two young companions interfered he held up his hand and spoke, his eyes directed at Laeria. He smiled, a sense of relief washing over him as he knew it was almost over.

"Hello, Chosen, we've come for you."

He pointed his hand forward as he motioned for his two pawns to act. They did, the eldest going for Argus and Valra for Laeria. Though as Valra looked at them, she found herself momentarily confused. Why had the chosen been so poorly guarded? Why here? Either way, it mattered not. She had to get her back.

"Don't worry, we've come to save you."

Before Laeria could speak up, Mara pushed her further behind her as she met the Eldar girls spear with her sword and shoved her back. She was quick as she dodged several strikes, grabbing onto the metal pole and shoving it aside. She had the chance to kill her assailant with a single strike, her swords edge lined perfectly to shove into her chest. However… knowing that Laeria was behind her, made her flinch for just a moment. She swerved the blade away and punched the eldar girl in her face with the hilt of her sword instead. Then she grabbed the girl's wrist and broke it in a single motion, before she kicked her away.

Argus took a swing to the shoulder as he grappled with the other Eldar. He used the injury caused form his Lasgun against him, holding onto his arm as he twisted and pulled. This gave him enough of a chance to reach onto his person and pull a large knife like object. Argus was just about to stab him with it, but the Eldar pushed through their own pain and shoved him away. Argus fell to the floor, and the Eldar went after him. Argus kicked once as he did, pushing him into the wall. Argus quickly sat up as he swung his body forward. The knife held in his hand as it came down and stabbed through the Eldar's frail armor, the flesh along his shoulder bone and into the wall behind him, pinning him in place.

Aloi watched with disappointment the whole time. He didn't even make an attempt to move. He simply gazed on the sad, pathetic little girl who cowered behind her guardians. Though, seeing as his disappointing young pawns couldn't do anything, he decided it was finally time for the ruse to end. He pulled out a small ball, pressed the button on its side and tossed it at Mara who continued to fight against Valra. The ball expanded rapidly in a few moments as it bubbled and stuck to the both of them, paralyzing them in place. It was a harmless, expanding material that was sticky, and hard to remove. That it caused no pain or did anything lethal was purposeful. He used it to paralyze his prey, then, if he needed to extract information, held them in place while he removed it out of them. Otherwise, it gave him a momentary pleasure to be as his race truly was. This time however, it would make his revenge much easier. Mara could watch helplessly.

He pointed at Laeria, who continued to stand frozen with fear.

"You… how I never thought I would meet you. The one who ruined my life."

Laeria's mind reeled as it tried to process everything that had just happened. She wanted to scream, to so desperately try and stop this madness, but her mouth did not move. Her body refused to do anything and she shook. The sight of blood sent shivers down her spine, and seeing the two people whom she cared about fight… she couldn't do nothing. That Aloi had managed to bring other Eldar here… that they now fought the people she cared about- it made her angry. It made her frustrated! It made her scared… it made her all of these things and more at once. She had to move! She had to do something… She… She couldn't avoid Aloi's gaze as he looked at her. He was like a black hole that sucked away all the good feelings, all the happiness she had felt as he stared at her with such contempt. Nothing but a paralyzing fear consumed her. A smile crept on his face as he looked at her. She had no idea who he was he was doing this. Why he seemed to think he knew her. What he hoped to gain. Still, she managed to push through, if barely.

She swallowed her fear, even as the rabid emotions swirled around her and took a single step forward.

"E-Enough! Stop…! Let them go. Argus and Mara haven't done anything to deserve this! I don't know what I did but…"

Aloi closed his eyes as he laughed.

"Stop? Oh, you naïve little girl! There is no stopping this."

Valra and the eldest both looked to Aloi. What was going on? Valra couldn't understand why the chosen would protect monkeigh.

"Chosen… why are…"

Laeria gritted her teeth as she looked at her.

"I am not your chosen! I am Laeria!"

Argus stood up, flinching at his wounds, but still ready to fight. He placed himself between Laeria and Aloi, his undamaged hand held up in a fist. Aloi only laughed, louder and louder as he looked at this scene. At the feeble little child behind a human who desperately wanted to protect her. This girl, was the one who destined him to this horrid fate? He looked to his two companions, his 'students', who ended up being nothing but disappointments.

"I had at least expected you to kill the guardsmen. Yet, you didn't even manage that. I suppose you weren't ready after all. But, truth be told, your 'redemption' was doomed from the start. The both of you really are too weak, filled with foolish ideas about the illustrious, 'Eldar'."

Valra tried desperately to break away from the foam that held her in place. Yet no matter how hard she moved, it didn't budge, and she could only watch as Aloi stared at her with such a vile smile. While she had come to know him as someone with a temper… she didn't expect this. This sadistic glee he seemed to carry around. He began to frighten her as her faith in him wavered.

"W-What are you doing Aloi?"

Aloi stepped closer towards Laeria, ignoring Argus who continued to stand in his way.

"I am going to fulfill my destiny. Because of this child, I lost everything! And now, I have to fulfill my destiny. No use hiding the truth from you. I was banished from your craftworld, sold as a slave to our dark kin by your kin, and brought through immeasurable suffering, all to bring me here. The Farseers Council was so adamant about their predictions that they created the outcome they hoped to avoid. Don't you see now, Valra? We Eldar are horrible, monstrous creatures! Just like everything else in this wretched universe! But, at least these Monkeigh make no effort to hide their filth."

Laeria had no idea what he meant, why he would have been banished. Still, she could not bear to hear him talk of destiny. He was a monster!

"You are making excuses… to justify that hate you carry around yourself. I decided my own destiny. I chose to forgo whatever they wanted me to be. You…"

Aloi drew his sword from its place beside his leg and flicked it to the side.

"Be quiet! This is your destiny as much as it is mine! This universe does not care about your naïve, pathetic hopes and ideals. If this universe is so adamant about my place, about my destiny, who am I to deny it? I will kill you, I will kill your guardians, I will kill these foolish young Eldar, and then I will die letting our craftworld fade away into bloody oblivion!"

Valra stopped struggling altogether as she heard him. She merely looked at him with blank eyes.

"There were never any reinforcements were there… why did you train us? Why not just kill us? Why not spare us this?"

Aloi's hands shook as he refused to let her try and guilt him, not now in his time of destiny! He swung towards her, sliding the edge of his sword along her cheek until she began to bleed. He had intended on killing her outright, but something in him refused to follow through. Damn his weakness! Not now… He pulled his sword away, removing swaths of her hair as he let out a primal growl of frustration.

"You were supposed to die with the others! To die in a hopeless battle against what you consider lesser beings! I trained you to give you hope, I told you reinforcements were coming to make you believe in a future, all so it could all be taken away! So that you could understand the suffering, the pain, the oblivion, that I felt when your precious Craftworld betrayed me! Someone has to understand the suffering that I have undergone! Someone has to be punished for what was done to me!"

The Eldest coughed as blood from his busted lip dripped along his cheek. He didn't even attempt to remove the knife that pinned him against the wall, his will to fight eroded into nothingness.

"Our craftworld was destroyed. We were scattered, left without home or safety. Wasn't that punishment enough?"

Aloi halted the urge to just kill him, even as his emotions ran high. He calmed himself as he returned to a static pose.

"Your craftworld deserved its fate. We Eldar act so ethereal, as if we are above the filth that surrounds us. But in truth, we are just the same. Filth. We've caused so much misery, so much anguish and pain, yet ignore our faults and our crimes when it suits us. We allow our dark brethren to exist, and hide the fact that they are truly what we are inside. I could not let you escape believing otherwise, and I could not let you escape the universes judgment either."

Argus gripped his hands tightly as he looked at the vicious figure in front of him. He had been able to do nothing but stand and listen. His head spun, and he knew there was little he could actually do against Aloi. There was a good chance he wouldn't get out of this, but he refused to simply let Aloi get passed him and to Laeria. Yet even still, through Alois anger, he saw some glimmer of sadness. But there was no sympathy, there was no chance for it anymore. He could only think how, once he might have become something similar. However, he made the decision to be something different. Listening to Aloi go on he only got angry. He wouldn't let this bastard feel so righteous about his decisions.

He tightened his good hand into a fist and held it up as if to challenge Aloi.

"You kid yourself. You have always had a choice to do whatever the hell you want. I know that this universe is cruel, I know how unforgiving and how uncaring it is. But it was you who decided to let it decide your fate. You can go on about how this is fate, but who is it that brought you here if you didn't do it yourself? We can't choose our circumstances, we can't choose many things. We decide for ourselves what we want to be, where we go, and we can struggle to try and make that happen. But when given the chance to decide what you wanted, you were such a coward that you refused to make the decision for yourself. So, instead, you decided to make it an excuse for all the things you've done and drag yourself here."

The young Eldar, Mara and Laeria all looked to Argus. He stood proudly, without fear and without hesitation even as Aloi drew close. For Mara, she knew that Argus wouldn't give up, even if it meant his death. That she couldn't break free to help him, set her heart trembling. She refused to let him or Laeria be killed, and to that end she forced the blade of her sword to cut into the foam as she pushed it against it. Slowly, she hoped, it would give. For the young Eldar, they found themselves confounded with so many emotions, wracked with the betrayal of their teacher. Yet, in the words of this monkeigh, who so confidently spouted that fate was their own to make, they were at a loss. Laeria had been around Argus for so long, and so diligently believed in his desire to make his own way. Though now, that he stood bloodied and bruised in front of her, she only wanted him to live. She couldn't let him be the one who risked everything for her, she had to protect him now.

"Argus… please, don't get yourself killed. I… I…"

Aloi took a deep breath as he stabbed his sword into the ground.

"You think that spouting such nonsense will keep me from killing you? Will change my mind? Whether I am right or wrong does not matter. This is my choice. To follow the destiny that life has laid before me. Just as you seem to be so fond of a child whom you should hate, I desire to fulfill my revenge. I will not be talked down to by the likes of you. I will beat you to death, and then I will kill that wretched woman. Then my two companions will go to the immaterium behind you. And only then, will I kill that child you so desperately want to protect. By then, the human forces from the Faceless Legion should arrive and I will willingly give myself unto death. Together, we will all go into oblivion! "

Argus readied himself. After a single moment of silence it was broken as Aloi kicked off the ground forward. Argus did his best to counter his strikes, but found himself out-matched entirely. While he was able to keep up with the young Eldar who attacked him, Aloi had spent many hundreds of years training and forging his body. It was child's play. He grabbed Argus by his wounded hand and slung it aside at such speeds that it dislocated his shoulder. Argus tried to guard with his other hand, but Aloi punched his arm with such force that bones cracked beneath. He kicked his feet from under him as Argus fell to the floor with a loud clang. Yet Argus managed to get a single hit as he kicked Aloi's leg, right on the top of his ankle. He nearly lost balance as he twisted to stay up, and Argus took the moment to look back at Laeria.

"Run Laeria! Get out of here!"

Laeria remained frozen in place, even as she felt a slosh of blood hit her face and stain her dress. She watched as Aloi stomped on Argus leg, breaking it, and shuddered. Though Mara yelled at her to go, she could not turn away. This was her greatest fear that these, her guardians whom she cared about so dearly would be killed because of her. No! No! She could not stand by anymore!

"Get away!"

She thrusted her hand forward, unleashing as much power as she could muster as Aloi was taken off guard and shot backwards along the hallway. He managed to brunt the force of the psychic attack as it pressed onto his skin and his mind. Though Laeria was clearly improperly trained, out of practice, and lacked experience, she still held so much potential. His arms tensed tightly as several veins busted and muscles ripped. An injury that would not matter as he was soon to die anyway. He caught onto his sword and stood in place until he knew Laeria could not sustain it anymore.

Laeira, having exhausted all of her power fell to a knee right beside Argus who looked at her. Still more concerned for her well-being than his own, even when he was bloodied and could barely feel his numbed limbs anymore.

"You should have run."

Laeria shook her head through the short breathes she managed as she looked up at Aloi.

"No… I… I could never leave you to die. I would never."

Mara had the distraction she needed as she finally managed to break out of the foam, using her sword to slice through and free her arm. She quickly used the blade to cut the rest of herself free, watching as Aloi slowly stood up again. Hatred in her heart, she rushed to meet him. He had been so focused on Argus and Laeria that he didn't realize Mara escaped, but he was quick enough to react so that he missed the brunt of the swing. He swayed to the side, pulling his sword from the ground and cutting Mara's arm from her elbow to the start of her hand. Her sword stuck into his shoulder as it pressed deeply through to the other side. Before she could do any more damage he kicked her back with a blow to the chest as she stumbled to the ground. No more, Aloi wouldn't let this go on anymore!

"You will not stop destiny!"

He looked back down the hallway at Laeria and Argus. However, his eyes widened as he saw what came from behind them. The Faceless Legion had arrived. The entire hallway ahead filled with human soldiers, clad in heavy carapace armor and wielding hot-shot lasguns. A man in the middle of them all, who wore a black coat that covered his entirety, his face hidden away by shadows. He himself froze as he heard a distinct click behind him. Then, he heard a familiar voice.

"You played your hand Aloi. Seems, that luck didn't favor you this go round. I have to say, you were a damn good assassin for me. But, I think you've done enough to be removed from the crew."

He turned around in attempt to stab Roland, but paused as he saw him accompanied by an entire row of guardsmen armed with bolt-guns. Roland smiled as he flicked a finger forward, and the guardsmen opened fire as Aloi's body was riddled with bullets. Still he persisted, even as he barely clung to life, falling onto his knees. His right arm having been completely severed by the hail of fire, his armor only barely enough to have prevented major holes from rupturing his body. Still, bullets were ledged their way inside his flesh and rattled about his organs as he bled profusely. He gasped for air as he reached out towards the ceiling with his hand. Blood pouring from his mouth.

"This… was not my destiny."

Roland shook his head as he held his boltgun beside Aloi's head and pulled the trigger. With a single bang, Aloi came to a final, violent end. With that done, the guardsmen from the faceless legion went to work as they secured both of the young Eldar and chained them. Though, much to Mara, Argus and Laeria's surprise, they were treated with a carefulness that was unwarranted. Argus pulled onto a gurney as medicae tended to his wounds, and Mara stood beside Laeria who could not hide that she was an Eldar, her hat having fallen off and inquiry impossible to avoid. Roland made his way over towards them, placing his boltgun back into place on his holster.

"Well, that was certainly something. I am glad to see that you managed to survive. All three of you."

Mara pushed the tired and weak Laeria behind her.

"What happens now?"

Roland took a deep breath as he stepped to the side.

"Don't worry. No harm will come to any of you, even the Eldar girl you've taken in. I figured it out a while ago (not really). In any case, I would like to introduce you to my associate, the Grand Commander of the Faceless Legion himself. He has agreed to help you. Though…"

The man clad in a dark coat stepped forward as he gave a slight bow.

"Hello, Lady Mara of House Valor. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Mara gritted her teeth.

"I can't trust you. I know what becomes of traitors…"

The Grand Commander shook his head.

"You've got me wrong. Me and my Faceless Legion. I know that it is hard to simply trust me, but, I ask that you do. I have no intention of harming any of you. In fact, I am willing to offer you all a place on our homeworld. I promise you, the last thing I want is for any of you to be hurt."

As Laeria looked at him, she felt an odd feeling. As if the warp simply… didn't exist around the man. It was a warm presence, one that was almost the opposite of what Aloi had exuded. For some reason, one that even slightly scared her, she felt that she could trust him.

"We can trust him Mara."

Mara shook her head as she looked at Laeria.

"I…"

Laeria gazed at her with hopeful eyes, as she both smiled and hugged her tightly. Her gaze then shifting towards Argus who had fallen unconscious on the gurney he was placed.

"Go with Argus and stay with him while he recovers. I can handle talking with the Grand Commander."

Mara simply felt that she should trust her. Why she was willing to trust that things would be ok, she couldn't understand. But she refused to leave Laeria alone all the same.

"I can't leave you alone-"

The Grand Commander took a deep breath.

"I promise you, she will be ok. Do as she asked, and soon you will be reunited. But, I do have some things to speak with the young Eldar girl."

Mara gritted her teeth, stuck between what she should do, until Laeria grasped her hand.

"Please, be there for Argus for me. Let him know we made it."

Mara closed her eyes and nodded. Their fate was uncertain, and she didn't have anything else to do but trust her. She only hoped things would turn out for the best.

"Ok… I trust you, Laeria. I don't know what will happen from here… but… I will trust you."

Laeria smiled.

"Thank you, Mara. I promise… we'll be ok."

Mara hesitated as she walked off, and followed beside the Medicae that took Argus. She constantly lookd back at Laeria, a hand ever on her sword which she recovered. Laeria hated that she subtly influenced her to go, but she felt it was necessary. It was her turn to do something for them.

The Grand Commander looked to Roland.

"I wish to speak with the girl alone for a bit. Please see Mara to the infirmary on my ship with their injured companion. Treat them with the upmost respect and care, for they are to be my guests. Any infraction will result in an immediate and harsh response. My guardsmen meanwhile, will secure the station long enough for everyone to evacuate onto my transports. As for the prisoners…"

Two of the guardsmen shoved the two hollowed eyed Eldar forward as they began to walk down the hall. Heavy chains placed around their arms and their legs. Even though she had not seen them before, even if they had attacked her guardians, Laeria could not just let them suffer. They had been betrayed by Aloi…

"Please… do not harm them."

The Grand Commander looked to Laeria and thought. After a few moments he nodded.

"Very well. I will be sure they are unharmed. Though they will have to be dealt with eventually. But perhaps… you can assist me in this."

With that said, the Grand Commander waited with Laeria as everyone around them left. Until the entire hallway remained empty with only them in its center. Laeria had at first questioned why his soldiers would so easily leave him unguarded, and alone with what they should have seen as a filthy xenos, but as she thought of it, she came to realize something. He was a powerful entity, one which even scared her as she continued to remain in his presence. Then she felt it, a small smidge of memory that seemed to leak from him, and she shivered at the realization.

"It was you… who destroyed my Craftworld. Have you come to finish what you started?"

The Grand Commander shook his head.

"Yes, it was me. However, I truly do not want to harm you. Had that been my goal, you would have been dead a long time ago. Though it is hard to believe, I am sure, I truly mean no harm to you. I simply wish to offer you a life away from conflict, and in peace on our capital world. After all, of it wasn't for me, with that little psychic outburst, daemons would have pounced on you and everyone else here."

Laeria couldn't understand it. Why was he...?

"Is this out of regret? For destroying my craftworld?"

The Grand Commander shook his head as he walked with Laeria, away from the bloodied stains that remained in the hallway. He gently pushed her on, as they made a decent pace.

"I do not regret my decision. Though I cannot say I am happy about it either. I despise violence, but regrettably I am forced to commit it. If there is a better way forward, I would prefer that be the solution. This is a dangerous universe, but everyone has choice to act as they will. And I know that you do not want violence either. You are still young, Laeria. Able to make your own decisions, and forge a newer future."

Laeria looked over the Grand Commander, though she couldn't gather anything definable aside from the dark coat he wore.

"I am likely older than you…"

He shook his head.

"I am much, much older than I think you realize."

The two continued to walk together until they came to the docking bay where evacuation of the station was underway. The grand Commander stopped at the edge of the hallway and looked to Laeria.

"This universe is one filled with many difficult choices, and things that cannot be avoided. I am tired of the violence. But, such isn't so easy to make go away, nor will it ever permanently. I am sure you realize the history of brutality and violence between humans and Eldar. There is no right side, perceptions certainly, but the only correct path is the one which we decide. I am willing to offer you the chance to make a choice that will allow you to live your life freely and without fear for the future, along with your two guardians. I am willing to make you a deal."

Laeria knew that this wouldn't be for nothing.

"What exactly is it that you want?"

The Grand Commander petted Laeria on her head.

"You really assume wrong about me. But, yes, there is benefit for myself in this. There is use for Eldar talents within my grand plan, shall I say. Someone who can live a long time and record what they've seen. That however is not for a while yet. I do need you for this plan though. What my end goal is, I can't say. But all I need you to do is to live a good life and take the position that your guardian has given you. You will become a noble of House Valor, as will your descendants. You will also help me watch over any Eldar that come around to my ideas, and help ensure they both remain in line and are raised to be faithful allies. You are an important figure to them after all. But, do remember this. One reason to show doubt, and I will not sow mercy to them or to you."

Laeria could feel the weight that carried in his words as he looked at her, though she could not see his face behind the dark shroud that covered it. Still, if that was necessary for her to ensure that she, Argus and Mara could survive, she would do it. No matter what the deal was, she would have taken it.

"Then it's done. I will do whatever I have to, to ensure that Argus and Mara can live happily. So that I can live happily with them."

The Grand Commander held out his hand.

"Realize one other thing. That making a deal with me isn't normal, shall we say. I will remove you entirely from the Warps influence. You will be different in a sense. You will lose a lot which makes Eldar, Eldar. Without your connection to the warp, your emotions will not run nearly as deep, and you will lose everything associated with that connection. Your powers, your longevity, your senses with other Eldar. You will essentially be human aside from your biology."

Laeria would not hesitate. She hardly even considered herself Eldar anymore, and if she could remove from herself the stain that haunted her, the powers she did not ask for, she would do it. The Eldar created someone like Aloi, and she shuddered to think what she might have become had she continued to be led by the Fareseers. While all that the Farseers had done led her to meet Argus and Mara, she did not wish to be part of the Eldar anymore. Right or wrong, she wished for something else. She was once considered a prophetic figure by the Eldar, and that caused so much pain and strife. This time, she had a choice to make and it would be her own to follow. She reached out to grab The Grand Commanders hand and shook it.

"It is a deal."

The figure took a deep breath as they removed their hood and smiled.

"I wish the best for you, Laeria. I am glad you decided to accept. May your days be filled with happy days."

Laeria chuckled to herself as the weight of everything that had happened really fell on her. She was exhausted, and she suddenly felt the urge to sleep. Still, she felt a warmth in her heart, and no matter what, this was her decision and the path she would follow from here on, would be her own.

"I suppose humans and Eldar really aren't that different…"

The Grand commander picked her up in his arms, gently as he walked with her down the docking bay.

"As different as we want to be, Laeria."

He flashed away with her in a wisp of darkness, and then reappeared in the infirmary where Argus and Mara were. He placed her down on the bed as she slept, much to the confusion and shock of Mara. Without another word he disappeared, and left the three alone together. They had managed to survive through it all, and they deserved some genuine rest. Mara did not question it any further as she saw Laeria entirely unharmed, looking her over to ensure she was ok. Argus would make a full recovery, if severely scarred and his right hand likely never to function quite the same again. Mara's arm was bandaged and wrapped in a tight cast that was attached to a sling around her neck. It would likely not be quite the same ever again either. But, it didn't matter. As long as they were together, that's all that mattered to her. So, she leaned the chair she sat on against the wall between her two dear companions. She closed her eyes and took a deep, relieved breath. While past experience screamed at her that she shouldn't rest so easy, she felt that things would be ok.

As soon as the evacuation had finalized and the transports returned to the Faceless Legions fleet, turrets rotated into place and munitions were loaded. Roland stood beside Remora as he looked out at the station through a screen. His ship still was inside, now empty and scrapped of anything useful. He watched with a sad melancholy as the ships of the Faceless Legions opened fire and began to destroy it altogether, the station torn apart until nothing remained but scraps. Still, as Remora pressed herself against him, he was willing to let it go and start a new chapter in his life. Well, the new one that he would make, given everyone aboard the station had their records officially transcribed as deceased, killed in battle with a xenos incursion, and sent to the local administorum. Luckily, the Grand Commander of the Faceless Legion found use in him and was willing to take him and his crew. His family would surely throw a fit but, they now wouldn't be able to tarnish their legacy as Rogue Traders. Hey, they would think he was dead after all, so it didn't matter much. All in all, this was his choice in the end.

Truthfully, this was the result of many people's choices in the end. Everyone had their own hopes, desires, goals and perceptions. However it shaped out, they had some part in being where they were now, perhaps some more than others. Though, only those who sought to make their own path would know how far they made it. In a universe so cold and uncaring, the only purpose that mattered was the one decided on for themselves. From the lofty ideals of those with power, to the Eldar who sought his revenge, to the Rogue Trader who wished to settle, the Noble seeking companionship to protect, the man who wishes to serve his Imperium no matter the body, to the young girl who wanted to have her own choice, to that of a simple Guardsman and his desire to make his own purpose.

---

Ok. So, this became much, much larger than I ever intended. But I do not regret it and I think it has served the story well that I expanded it as much as I have. Truthfully, I very much enjoyed writing this story and it has helped me in a lot of ways. I really like this story, though it does have its flaws. It has been very good practice too, to help polish and expand my skills (especially with 3rd person, seeing as I generally use 1st). I know some folks didn't like it as much, but hey, that's completely fine. I know this story was rather different in a lot of ways from my first, and not everyone's expected (nor should they be) to like it. Hey, that's part of the deal when you become a writer. Though I do wish to apologize for how long this has taken me to complete. I could explain why, but eh, basically life is unpredictable and to write this much takes time (especially with editing), while also having a lot of other projects and stuff going on. While I did say I would only post whenever I finished a part, its been long enough that I feel kinda bad about it. Something I have always disliked is for a writer to make an expectation only to never fulfill on that promise, which unfortunately happens a bit too often with Fanfics. Though, I always plan my stories beginning to end, so I guess I have an idea of how everything fits; not that things don't change or alter course as I go, its part of the joy of writing for me, but I at least have a grasp on what I want and expect from my own story.

Anyway, I do hope that you have enjoyed this story and perhaps have even been given a little thought from it. If anything, that it helped pass the day a little would make me happy to hear. This fic deals a lot with the ideas of perception and choice. Something I care a lot about, but as with all my stories, I merely wish to give something for people to think about. I certainly have my own ideas on the matter, which you probably can guess from the story, but everyone sees things in their own way and I encourage anyone to view my story in their own light. In any case, feel free as always to comment or not. You see anything that can be improved with my grammar and the like, would be appreciated if you let me know.

I wish you well, dear reader, especially during these crazy times of ours. Thank you for reading!

P.S The next fic is a long way out probably so... not going to set a precedence I can't fulfill. Sometime in the future, likely, whenever that is. Also there will be an epilogue for this current fic to finish it off fully, sometime as well. Likely soon.