Landon sat in his quarters, meditating and waiting for the time they would exit warp space. His mind wafted through the bowels of the warp, ever so slightly dulled by the Gellar field that defended the ship's inhabitants from being consumed by the creatures of the warp. All around him he sensed the minds and souls of his brothers in the first company, each either meditating, reading, studying, or any other mundane tasks that needed to be done. It calmed his mind to know that his brothers were unconcerned by the upcoming mission and that they didn't feel the need to question it. Each of them had been well aware of the light, psyker or not, and were more than willing to pursue any lead they could find.
He wondered what they might find on the planet if their goal was there, and what that goal meant. Would it be nothing more than an extremely powerful psyker? An Imperial saint? Or even a Primarch? Landon let his thoughts run wild for a moment, considering the possibilities before working to reign in his thoughts in again. It would do him no good to speculate, all he could do was wait and see.
He felt the first captain approach long before there was a knock on his door, "Enter," he said, and Gallen stepped in.
The First Captain's blue robes hung down from his body, his casual posture indicating the feeling of security among his chapter master and brother in arms.
"Chapter Master, I assume you are already aware of what I wish to speak with you about?" he asked, crossing his arms and standing at the corner of the room.
Landon scoffed, "Unlike many of our brothers, I do not make an effort to spy on my brother's thoughts. Speak your mind, so that I may speak mine."
"There are a few tactical options to consider, such as the terminator squadron. Do you think we shall need them?" Gallen asked.
"No, I do not believe we will. As long as we remain wary and do not draw the ire of the tomb world's inhabitants, we will not need to deal with anything more than wildlife, or perhaps, rebellious humans," he noted.
"You believe our target to be a traitor to the Imperium?"
"Hardly. I only suggest it as an option, nothing more. Truth be told we are more likely to come into conflict with the Inquisition, should they finally find themselves some courage and attempt to search the world themselves, which I doubt will happen either."
Gallen nodded, "And what of the relic? Your armor? Why did you bring it if you do not expect to fight anything more than wildlife?"
Landon grimaced, thinking on the matter. He had felt a sinking feeling, one akin to what one felt when they fought an unwinnable battle, or when they went into negotiations they knew would fail from the outset.
"I do not know what we will be facing, brother, but for whatever reason, I feel as if such armor will be needed, for better or worse." he offered.
Gallen nodded, "And what of the other two companies? Will they be joining us as well?" he asked.
"The Third and Fifth companies will be joining us, yes." Landon explained, "Should we find nothing, then they will return to their search and we will continue on ours."
"Very well then. I feel I must ask, however, what is it you hope to find?"
Landon paused, pondering the question for a moment. What did he want to find? What hope did he hold for the future? "I suppose I wish to find some answers. To find something to validate our existence."
Gallen's mind grew uncomfortable, "Answers? Validation? Is serving the Imperium, not enough brother?"
"It is enough, but I cannot hope but strive for more. We are a chapter on the eastern edge of the galaxy, we have little to our name beyond being of a dark founding and ancient relics. Perhaps I wish to know why we exist, to have validation for the blood and sweat we have sacrificed for the Imperium as a whole."
Gallen's consciousness calmed slightly, though his stoic expression showed no change, "And what if it is nothing more than a monster? Some abomination of Chaos given form, what then?"
"Then we will kill it." The Chapter Master said simply.
Gallen hummed, nonplussed, "Fair enough I suppose, I am simply skeptical of the whole situation. We do not know if this light will serve the Imperium, willingly or otherwise. There is no guarantee we will gain anything from this, much less answers or validation."
"I am aware, brother, and yet I cannot help but hope that you are wrong."
"If I am wrong, then we have made the greatest discovery in our chapter's history. If I am right, then three companies of Adeptus Astartes will be forced to deal with a threat that might be better handled by the Inquisition."
Landon considered his brother's words carefully, noting the distaste in his tone at the mere mention of the Inquisition. They were not friends with the organization by any stretch of the imagination, so it was odd for Gallen to be delegating such work to them.
"Do you believe they would do a better job than the Emperor's own angles?" he asked.
Gallen scoffed, "Of course not, I am simply saying our abilities might be of better use elsewhere. A thousand Ork wars are going about within our reach, a hundred reports of Tyranids, a dozen requests from the Inquisition to come deal with these threats and yet we come here to deal with some ancient Xenos in hopes of finding a bright flash of light." He finished, his tone provocative of his distaste.
"And yet we are here, and there is nothing that can change that," Landon stated.
"Nothing within my control at the very least…" Gallen muttered.
Landon frowned, "Do you find your position distasteful, First Captain?" he asked.
Gallen shook his head, "Not at all, it is an honor to lead the first company, however, I do wish you wouldn't be so eager to chase after ghosts and lights in the dark."
"We are surrounded by darkness, Gallen. The Tyranids close in, the forces of Chaos grow stronger every hour, the Necrons are awakening, the Orks ravage the galaxy, and the Imperium is fractured," Landon explained, "A Light in the darkness is something we desperately need."
[-]
Michael and Jarod made their way through the halls of The Emperor's Boot, directing and ordering its many crew members. Jarod focused on getting the logistics through, while Michael focused on getting the grunt work done. While Michael may have been relatively idle for the last year, he had not lost his touch when it came to operating machinery and tools.
Defenses were set up all through the ship in the event that they were boarded, with kill rooms, chokepoints, and hidden turrets filling up the ship's corridors. Matthias and Michael had spent the better part of the day installing them. Kiara had been eager to help in any way she could and had even asked if she could come along.
"Absolutely not." Michael said firmly, "You are the last person that should be going on a trip like this Kiara, I don't you to be put in danger."
"But what about you?" she argued, "If this mission is dangerous, why are you going?"
Michael sighed, "I'm the reason we're going on this mission at all. If I don't go, there won't be any point to it."
Kiara frowned but nodded her head in acknowledgment. While she went to go help Matthias in some way, Michael went to go find the barracks. Just like he had remembered it, the barracks were filled with men and women who had either volunteered to join them or had been victims of circumstance. Either way, Michael needed to get acquainted with them.
He knew they had been running drills in his absence, they had been training, they were guardsmen after all. Jarod had told him that, in his absence, he had promoted Richard to commander, and it seemed the man had been doing a relatively good job. Michael recognized many of the faces he saw, as well as noting the new ones among the group. It made him realize how disconnected he had been with them, having spent a large amount of time on the craftworld instead of with the troops.
In the end, he focused on reconnecting with the higher up lieutenants and sergeants, with Richard introducing him to several of the new ones from the other ship. Michael was smart enough to know that he hadn't done anything to earn these men's respect, so when Jarod offered to put him in command, he'd declined.
"Once we've gone through a few battles or finished a campaign, then maybe I can take command. But until then, they're all a lot older than I am and have a lot more experience, which they trust a lot better than some kid who's friends with a rogue trader." Michael had explained.
The fact was true, and when Michael had discussed the fact with the commanders themselves, they seemed incredibly grateful.
"I can't tell you how many times we've been put under the command of some pretentious idiot who has more to prove than he has brains in his head," One of the commanders said, "The fact that you won't even attempt to take command until we've seen you in action earns you quite a few points in my book already."
Such conversations had been repeated in slightly different ways by most of the commanders, all of them showing their appreciation for Michael's consideration. In the end, Michael remained in command of the forces aboard the Emperor's Boot, while each commander remained in control of their own regiments and line Corps.
Jarod of course still had majority control, being able to command the armies whenever he chose, but he was smart enough to know that the commanders in charge would be able to take care of themselves and would avoid getting killed.
Of course, not all went well, as the meeting with Inquisitor Karev soon proved.
"You cannot be serious…" Karev asked with a deadpan look on his face, "Eldar, I can understand, Necrons, I've at least come to understand, Throne, Orks I could understand! But you're talking about the Ruinous Powers! A Daemon Primarch! What part of you thinks that could go well!?"
Jarod sighed, "Not a fiber of my being thinks this will go well, Karev, but we don't have much of a choice. It's a risk we have to take. Besides, you saw what happened on Raxis Prime, I'm a walking anti-chaos bomb. If he tried to betray us I don't think there's much stopping me from delaying him long enough to escape." he explained.
"That shouldn't condone this! You plan to make a deal with the literal devil!" Karev criticized.
"A deal that, if we're careful, won't backfire… now that I say that out loud I realize how hypocritical that sounds." Jarod admitted.
Michael gave Jarod a raised eyebrow, "You just realized how hypocritical our situation is?" he asked.
Jarod glared at him, "99.9% of the time, deals with chaos backfire. But there is still that point one percent, and that's if we go through with the deal at all."
Karev sighed in mild relief, "So there is a chance you won't go through with it?"
Jarod shrugged, "Truth be told the only reason we're going is that there's a chance Magnus won't straight-up lie to our faces. I mean, I said it before, he either wants my soul or a sandwich, and while it's probably the former, there's always the possibility of the latter."
"... A sandwich?"
"It's a metaphor," Jarod said, rolling his eyes.
Eventually, they were able to sway the Inquisitor, however begrudgingly, to come along on the expedition. All three ships in Jarod's 'fleet' would head to the coordinates of the daemon world, and should the need arise, would act as a full combat force.
Calivar agreed almost immediately, stating that if Jarod believed it to be the correct course of action, he would follow regardless of his own opinions. He did state, however, that he did not like the thought of interacting with Chaos in a non-hostile manner. He had fallen prey to its false promises once, and he did not wish to see the same thing happen to those around him.
Jarod considered the Space Marines opinions carefully and admitted that he didn't want to fall into the trappings of Chaos either, but at this point, things had already been set in motion, and it would be too much of a risk to turn back.
Matthias was indifferent about the situation, carrying a similar sentiment to Calivar. In the end, it took less than three days to prepare all the crew and the three ships, and all that was left was to say their goodbyes and depart.
"Well, I suppose you'll be away for a while then." Salah remarked, "How long will it take exactly?"
"The planet is only a week's worth of warp travel away, so if all goes well, we should be back within three weeks. Though, I'd say wait a month before you start worrying." Jarod offered.
Salah turned to Michael, "Kiara will miss you, you know. It's only been a few days since she's finally gotten used to calling you her father."
Michael sighed, "I know. As much as I hate the situation, we don't exactly have much of a choice. Where is she by the way?"
"She was sitting in her room when I left. I think she was disappointed when you refused to let her come," she admitted.
A pang of guilt formed in Michael's stomach, "It was for her own safety, above all else. I don't want to risk her wellbeing any more than I already have just by being in her proximity." he admitted.
Salah nodded, "Honestly, that's probably the best thing you could have done. She may be young, but even she understands why you refused."
Michael nodded, knowing she was right. Even if Kiara was disappointed, even she knew how dangerous it was going to meet a Daemon Primarch. Michael idly noted that, once again, it was a bit hypocritical of him to think that way, and Kiara likely thought the same. Why should he get to risk his life and not her? It was a naive way of thinking to be sure, but Michael at least knew the practical reasons.
If she went along, if she risked her life, a whole long list of terrible things could happen to her. He shook his head, driving such thoughts from his mind. He didn't need to think about that right now, especially considering his own risk-taking.
"Well, I guess we'd better get going," Michael said, giving Salah a weak smile.
Salah smiled warmly, "You come back now, you understand?" she ordered.
Michael chuckled, "Wouldn't dream of anything else."
[-]
"Said goodbye to your girlfriend?" Jarod teased as Michael walked onto the bridge.
He rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to Jarod's command throne, "Let's just get over this alright? Or do I need to remind you of Amel-."
"Don't you dare utter her name!" Jarod ordered, cutting Michael off.
Michael chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Jarod sighed, " Ensign, bring us into the warp."
"Aye sir!" the crewman said, and the crew began working.
All three ships disconnected from the craftworld, flying a few thousand kilometers away in order to get a good entry point. They formed up, The Emperor's Boot in front, Karev's Inquisitorial Vessel to the left, and the transport to the right. When Jarod gave the order, a massive warp portal opened, and all three ships moved forward, entering the warp.
The portal closed behind them, leaving them to Navigate the depths of the Immaterium.
[-]
Food for a week? Check.
Plenty of water? Check.
A few changes of clothes, and a spare set of robes? Check.
Kiara ran through her checklist, examining her bag one last time before she closed the vent shut. It had been a nightmare getting around the various guards and crewmen on the ship, but once she'd managed to get inside the vents, everything became a whole lot easier.
Her dad had refused her requests to join him, saying that it would be far too dangerous for her to come along. She disagreed. She knew the risks, she knew what they would be facing, she had every reason to go along with him. At least, that was how she justified her actions.
Intellectually, she knew that she was far underprepared to deal with an expedition of such importance, but emotionally… She wasn't sure she would be able to stand being away from her father for that long.
When he came back - IF he came back - she would be an emotional wreck, in a similar, if still very different, state to what Salah had been in. She didn't want to have to deal with that, even if Michael would be her support eagerly and without hesitation. She'd made up her mind, in the end, and was determined to follow Michael wherever he went.
All she had to do was stay hidden until they had reached the point where it wouldn't be worth turning around, and she'd be fine.
[-]
Magnus sensed them.
As far away as they may be, as guarded as Jarod had made himself, Magnus still sensed their departure.
The arrival of the two had caused a shift in the balance of power, it had changed the fundamental laws of the warp, and Magnus knew this. The two had the power to change everything, and Magnus knew this. The future had become blurry, events that had been set in stone for a thousand years had suddenly changed, prophecies that had been spoken ten thousand years ago were shattered, and Magnus knew this.
The question was not if Magnus knew, however. The question was… did the two know? Did they realize how much they had changed by merely existing? Two of the most powerful psykers the galaxy has ever known, from a time that should never have existed, from a reality long past, the two had become a wild card.
Tzeentch claimed to have pulled them from their own time, before putting a fairly basic lock on their psychic power. The god of change had lifted his barrier around Jarod's abilities, and now the two sought to lift the barrier on Michael's. There was a variable, however. Magnus wasn't sure what this Variable was, but he knew that it would be the tipping point that allowed him to get what he wanted.
The boundaries of their contract, while flexible, would by fairly simple. He would lift the barrier on Michael's power - something he was likely doing on his own naturally already - and teach him how to use said power, should Jarod allow it. In exchange, well… Magnus had two objectives; In the short term, Jarod would deny the Emperor as a deity, as a fit leader, and as his Lord, and would accept the Lord of Change as his liege. Magnus knew the latter part of his short term was unlikely to occur, so that he was willing to part with, though he still wanted Jarod and Michael both to denounce the Emperor.
His long term objective, however, was a fair bit more complicated. He wished for Jarod to retrieve the last shard of his soul that remained. His nobility, which resided in the depths of Jupiter's moon, Titan.
Such a task would be impossible for many, and strenuous for those that it was not impossible for, so Magnus would be lenient on the time limit. He did not expect Jarod to be able to locate and retrieve his soul shard immediately, or in the next year, or decade, or even century! No, a task like reclaiming his nobility was something that would take the most dedicated of men a hundred lifetimes to accomplish, even if they could accomplish such a thing at all.
And therein lies the trap. If Jarod were to fail in bringing him his soul shard, be it by dying, giving up, or betraying the Crimson King, then Magnus would simply devour Michael's soul. He would place a mark on his soul, giving him the option to teleport to Michael if he so chose. Should Jarod fail his task, he would teleport to Michael and kill him, and after that he would devour whatever was left of his soul.
Of course, Jarod needn't know all of the minor details.
[-]
AN: Well, the plot thickens. This was mostly a prep chapter honestly, as the next chapter is when all the juicy bits start coming to the forefront. On a side note, how am I writing Magnus? I'm trying to keep his character a good blend between Canon!Magnus and TTS!Magnus, as Jarod and Michael's perception of him is based primarily on the later version, they are affecting him and making him act more like TTS!Magnus.