Karmen stormed into her room; she would've smashed her door shut if it didn't slide closed behind her. What in the God-Emperor's name was that little idiot thinking? For frig's sake! After everything they had been through, and he took the side of the Space Marine over her?

How? Why?

She looked down at her clenched fist, which was almost a clenched tight as her teeth. Frigging little bastard!

Karmen wanted to unleash her psychic might into the walls, into everything. Smash a frigging hole to reveal the webway outside.

+That would be inadvisable.+

Karmen froze. 'Is that you, Klrith?'

+Indeed.+

'Are you frigging spying on us?'

+I...suppose I am,+ said Klrith. +But I am doing so because I have sensed your tumultuous anger and its potential destructiveness upon this vessel. Something which I am duty-bound to prevent. So, please, do not.+

'I was there when you had your confrontation with Raloth Arlyandor; you can't judge.'

+Yes, but I was not in danger of damaging this ship.+

+Frig you!+ she sent back.

There was a pause. +If I did not have my psychic wards up, that could have caused me damage. You are a powerful psyker. More powerful than I, as much as I hate to admit it. So, please show more restraint. You are guests upon this ship; please act like it.+

+That little shit betrayed me!+

+Karmen Kons...+

+After everything we have been through.+

+Is this about that Space Marine?+

+Yes! Attelus' new boyfriend.+

+...I was not aware Space Marines were able to-+

+It's a frigging metaphor; Emperor damn it.+

+Yes...+

The warlock paused as the door to Karmen's chamber slid open, and Klrith stepped in, the inscrutable gaze of his helm boring into her. +That is it.+

Karmen rolled her eyes. 'What do you want?'

'I have already told you what I want.'

'Alright, fine! I won't damage your precious frigging ship.'

'You mon- humans are so foul-mouthed. If it is any consolation, the Space Marine did not have the stench of corruption on him.'

'He didn't?'

'If he did, we would not have allowed him onboard.'

'How is that possible?'

'The Marine is different, I suppose.'

'Or he could be hiding it from you.'

Klrith did what sounded like a snort. 'I very much doubt that.'

Typical Eldar arrogance, Karmen stroked her chin. 'Tell me, Klrith; you Eldar are long-lived, were you alive during the Horus Heresy?'

'I was not, but I have known many who were, why?'

'Have you heard of this Imperial Truth?'

'No,' said Klrith. 'But Autarch Raloth Arlyandor has some knowledge on human history, you could ask him.'

'He does?'

'Indeed, why are you surprised? Even if he were not on the forefront of this alliance, he would need to, that is the path of the autarch, to know your enemy, and one of the facets of that is to learn their history.'

Karmen grimaced; it seemed more and more the Imperium didn't even know their own damn history.

'Karmen Kons,' said Klrith, bringing Karmen back to reality. 'Or Estella Erith, you have calmed down, now?'

'I...have,' she said through gritted teeth.

'I sense that my words have angered you,' said Klrith. 'My apologies if I have offended you, but your anger seems to have subsided to an acceptable level, so I must take my leave; I have other duties to attend to.'

With that, the warlock turned and left without further word.

Karmen sighed and sat on her bed, and rubbed her eyes. Attelus taking Kalakor's side over hers hurt, and she had every right to be angry, but maybe it wasn't just that.

Maybe it wasn't just that.


'So...the Emperor didn't want to be worshipped like a god?' said Attelus. 'I can see why you didn't want to tell me this around Karmen.'

'He did not; he led the Great Crusade in a bid to spread the Imperial Truth all through the galaxy.'

'And that's secular...atheism?'

'Well, not exactly; it was gnostic atheism, meaning not just the lack of belief in a god or gods but the belief that there are no gods. Atheism just means the lack of belief in a god, as theism means belief in god or gods and-

'Okay, I got it, Kalakor,' said Attelus. 'But...why? The Chaos gods exist, don't they?'

'Depends upon your definition of a "god", Attelus Kaltos,' said Kalakor. 'I do not honour them with that honorific; they do not deserve to be called gods; I think of them as parasitic abominations.'

'Hmm, interesting.'

'They are like parasites upon humanity; they thrive upon negative emotion and actions driven by the worst of emotion, and like a tick inflames the skin to draw more blood, they corrupt men and women into their worst possible selves to sustain themselves. Selfishness, blood-lust, rage all of it.'

'That makes a shit ton of sense,' said Attelus. 'I could subscribe to that belief. But how does making everyone believe there's no such thing as god help?'

'I have thought long and hard on that, but I believe I have come to an understanding as to why the Emperor pushed the Imperial Truth. Belief echoes in the Warp. You have heard of the so-called "miracles" performed by the Adepta Sororitas or Sisters of Battle? That may be the intervention of the Emperor's consciousness in the Warp, but more likely it is because they believe in them so much the warp is moulded and reacts to their will.'

'What? Like psykers?'

'No, psykers influence the warp through cognitive function, and they are a result of evolution and mutation due to the interaction of the Immaterium on the material plane. Most especially humanity's constant use of warp travel to cross this vast galaxy.'

'Okay...'

'You should know this; you are an agent of the Inquisition.'

Attelus shook his head. 'I didn't, but let me guess, the Emperor believed that if he united mankind in manifest disbelief of gods, it would destroy the Chaos...parasites?'

'Not destroy, weaken, weaken them into being a non-threat, so maybe the Emperor could destroy them himself. And it wasn't just gnostic atheism but strict materialism. So no belief in souls or superstition, daemons, devils, ghosts, all of it. It was one of the reasons why the Emperor insisted that people do not worship him as a god as it might weaken his own strength as well.'

'I see what you meant when you said the Imperium has become everything the Emperor stood against. So, it obviously failed with the Horus Heresy and everything.'

'Yes, no thanks to those traitorous bastards Kor Phaeron and Erebus and his weakling primarch Lorgar. The damned frigging Word Bearers.'

Attelus couldn't help raise his eyebrows; he'd never seen the Space Marine so fired up before. Then it hit him, here he was being told of a legend ten thousand years old by an eye witness of these events.

Assuming he was telling the truth, though. In all honesty, Attelus had no way of knowing for certain unless he had accounts from numerous different witnesses of the Heresy and the Great Crusade. But Attelus felt in his gut that Kalakor was telling the truth, or at least what he thought was the truth. It also helped that it confirmed Attelus' own bias; he'd always had his scepticism of the dogma of the Ecclesiarchy and that the Emperor would want a society forever embedded in war, mindless, ruthless bureaucracy and religious zealotry.

'You do not believe me, do you?' said Kalakor.

'Hmm, it makes sense, Kalakor. I'd like to believe you, but I have to hold some scepticism of your claim without more evidence to corroborate your claim.'

'I understand.'

'You do?'

'As I said, logic and reason are held high in my eyes, and you are adhering to that. All you have is my word, after all.'

'But, my gut says you're telling the truth,' Attelus made, frigging sure not to mention, "Or what you believed was the truth."

'Your gut feeling is a powerful thing, indeed.'

Then Attelus' thoughts shot to their master Inquisitor Jelcine Enandra; she was secretly a member of the Seculous Attendous philosophy, which wished to weaken the Ministorum's influence and power in the Imperium of Mankind. Could she have known about the Imperial Truth, and that was why she disliked the Ecclesiarchy? If she didn't, what will she think of this revelation?

Attelus nodded. 'This is a lot to take in, Kalakor. I can't believe you have been so open with your backstory and so much else.'

'That was the agreement, although I gave more than intended. But it felt good, I suppose, like sharing a burden.'

'That's good to hear. I can...I can really empathise with that. Just a couple more questions, Kalakor, and then I'll be out of your hair.'

'I do not mind your presence now, but understood.'

'Okay, first, what's your real name?'

'I do not wish to share that I am Kalakor for all intents and purposes and I shall be kept referred to as such.'

'Yes, alright, got you. Second question, Kalakor. Was it you who killed the real Battle-Brother Kalakor of the Raven Guard?'

Kalakor's reply was silence.


Attelus slipped out of Kalakor's chamber and began for his own. He was sure Karmen wouldn't want to be sharing her bed with him for a while now. Or perhaps even never again, he wouldn't blame her if she didn't, but it had to be done, and the irony was that this might not have happened if it wasn't for her insistence.

He sighed, took out his plasteek container, popped a Lho stick into his mouth and lit it with his igniter. They were going to de-brief the others tomorrow, so Attelus couldn't afford to allow her to sulk her anger away for a few days, and so despite his lunging heart in his throat, he activated his vox bead and tuned it into Karmen's personal channel.

But of course, she didn't answer.

Attelus growled through gritted teeth. Wondering if he should bother knocking on her door or not. Yes, she was right to be mad, feel betrayed, but why couldn't she put aside her anger, be a professional?

Guilt then came flooding inside him, overtaking his anger. Attelus very much enjoyed their escapades over the past few days, and now they could be over. Perhaps this was his fault; if he had the balls to speak to Kalakor without her in the first place, she wouldn't have been there to hear about the "Imperial Truth" and lose her shit about it. He had held his sword to her throat, for goodness' sake. He could go on about how she'd been disrespectful and all that crap, but she deserved the benefit of the doubt after everything.

Even if, nine years ago, she tried to erase his memories and-

Attelus' micro-bead beeped, and he didn't bother to check the call's source number, hoping it was Karmen calling him back.

'Hello?'

'Attelus? You aren't...busy?'

Attelus sighed and rolled his eyes. 'No, Torris. What do you need?'

'Just thought you want an update on a few things, most particularly that strange man, scout-trooper Dellenger. Delathasi and I will meet you outside your chamber.'

Before Attelus could reply, Torris cut the link.

Again, Attelus sighed.