Michael and Jarod stared at the power armor that stood before them. The silver color, with bronze-gold highlights, made it a beautiful sight to behold. Three sets of power armor, each one built to take auto-gun and lasfire in extreme amounts, and, as long as the thicker armor took the brunt of it, it could even take shots from a space marine's bolter.
Purity seals hung from the pauldrons and chest plate, each warding off the malignant powers of Chaos and imbuing the armor with blessings of the Emperor and the machine god. Lines of High Gothic text were acid-etched into the armor, detailing litanies and blessings uncountable. The armor itself was more valuable than most citizens of the Imperium could ever hope to afford, and that was before the included weapons were considered.
Each was equipped with a single-handed melta-gun, powerful enough to melt through even space marine armor. Along with that, a power sword hung from the waist, ready to be wielded in tandem with the fiery ranged weapon.
"Statement. The Power-armor you requested has been completed, and your contribution to the Adeptus Mechanicus will be remembered." The static, emotionless voice of one of the Techpriests explained.
Jarod smiled, "I knew you wouldn't disappoint. Though I have to ask, how long does the battery last?" he asked.
The techpriest let out a string of binary before answering, "Explanation. Provided the Machine Spirit has been appeased and maintenance has been provided, battery life should extend to well over forty-eight standard Terran hours provided the power pack remains undamaged." he explained.
Jarod grinned, "And the modules for Michael's suit have been installed as well?"
"Correct."
With the explanation's out of the was, servitors began loading the power armor onto the transport vehicles that would fly up to the Emperor's Boot. Michael was admittedly excited to try on the new power armor, especially so due to the fact that it could apparently interface with his augmetic, giving him access to the lasgun in his arm… not that he would use it much, given that he would have access to a meltagun when wearing the armor.
"It's a pity you don't have a black carapace," Lucius commented, "You would be able to move as if you were wearing nothing at all, which, given your already enhanced abilities, would be quite intimidating."
Michael chuckled lightly, "Yeah, 'course I'd rather not get skinned alive to put the thing on."
Lucius chuckled but refrained from making comment. The rest of the crew piled onto the ships with a full restock included - laspacks, grenades, shotgun shells, fuel, anything and everything they might need in a full-scale battle. By all measures, they were ready for just about anything.
On the bridge of the Emperor's boot, Jarod ordered them to head straight for their target destination. with everything in order, there was little else they could do to prepare.
"If we just sat around gathering more power and strength, we wouldn't get anywhere." Jarod had explained.
From the forge-world, it would take only two more days to reach their destination, and on the last day of travel… Jarod noticed something. Hidden in the bowels of the Emperor's Boot - remarkably close to Matthias' workshop - he sensed a familiar psychic presence. An Aeldari soul.
Jarod wondered why he hadn't seen the soul before but recognized instantly that they had been intentionally suppressing their soul, making it hard for Jarod to find them if he hadn't been looking. The only reason he did find them was due to the fact that he had been idly scanning the surface thoughts of the ship's crew, looking for their opinions on the mission at hand.
Making his way down to the Engineerium, he used the Eldar soul as a beacon. They were located inside one of the storage rooms, funnily enough, and had crawled inside one of the vents. Jarod's stomach fell as he realized what that meant. Small vents, Aeldari, there was only really one option, and she had a fairly concrete motive as well.
Sighing in frustration, Jarod pulled off the vent grate and crawled inside. His small skinny frame allowing him to fit - even if it was a bit uncomfortable. Crawling through the vents, he made his way to where Kiara was hiding, and soon found himself in a fairly cramped, if livable room. Sitting in the corner of the room, Kiara had her eyes scrunched up while clutching what looked like a data-slate.
"Kiara?" Jarod asked.
Kiara's eyes blinked open, and she looked around the room, somewhat confused before she went bug-eyed. She looked at Jarod, and her shoulders sagged in defeat. Jarod sighed, dreading the explanation he would have to give her dad.
[-]
"So why did you do it? Micheal asked, his voice darkly calm and serene.
Jarod recognized the tone and knew that underneath his skin and muscle, he was boiling with livid rage. Fortunately for Kiara, he wasn't one to blow up in rage. No, his anger was calm and silent, and it usually took form in some kind of revenge later down the line, though Jarod doubted this would be the case.
Kiara was in trouble, big time, but as of right now, their situation had become… dire.
"I-I just wanted to come with you… you get to risk your life while I have to stay behind… I don't want you to not come back…" She said, explaining her, admittedly flawed, reasoning.
Michael sighed as he kneeled down and put a hand on Kiara's shoulder, "Listen to me, Kiara, we're not doing this because we want to. Magnus the Red is probably one of the most dangerous beings in the entire galaxy, and truth be told, I don't want to be anywhere near him. I especially don't want you to be anywhere near him, alright?" he explained.
Kiara nodded solemnly.
Michael pulled her into a hug, "I love you, you know that right?" she nodded, "And I don't want you to get hurt. We're going to be talking with, and possibly fighting, a Daemon Primarch. Now, you are going to stay on the Reverent Purity with Inquisitor Karev, alright? If something goes wrong, I want you out of the system immediately."
"But what about you?" she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
Michael sighed, "I'll be on the Emperor's Boot, and possibly on the planet's surface. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be dangerous, which is why I don't want you anywhere near it."
Kiara pouted, "It's not fair…"
Michael sighed, closing his eyes, "I know Kiara… It isn't fair, but life isn't fair, alright?"
She nodded, "Alright."
"In the word's of a very wise man," Jarod spoke up, "Life isn't fair, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something."
Kiara, bless her soul, chuckled at the reference she didn't get.
"Really Jarod? Now of all times?"
Jarod shrugged, "It's appropriate. And besides, we need something to lighten the mood, we're only a few hours from the planet."
Jarod frowned, "How exactly are we planning to get Kiara to the Reverent Purity? It's not like I could teleport her, and if Magnus sees her… well, I can't say it'll be a good thing." he remarked.
Michael frowned, "You said she's been hiding her soul this entire time? Kiara, how did you do that?" he asked.
Kiara shrugged, "I just did what Jarod does all the time." she answered simply.
Jarod frowned and shook his head, "We're going to need more than that. This is Magnus the Red, probably in the top three most powerful psykers of all time. I only managed to see her when I was looking for souls, but Magnus is going to be actively scanning our ships. I could try covering her soul with mine, but she would need to be close by, at least on the same ship, for me to do so."
Michael frowned, "Are you sure there's no other way?" Michael asked.
Jarod shrugged, "The way I see it, we have to options; putting her on the Reverent Purity and trusting Karev with her safety, as well as hoping Magnus doesn't try anything if he does find her; or we can keep her on the Emperor's Boot, and I can hide her presence fairly easily."
Michael sighed, "So, bad option one, or bad option two?" he uttered sarcastically.
"Honestly? Contradictory as it may sound, having her on the Emperor's boot might actually be safer. Magnus can teleport, summon daemons, and all that other stuff, but if he doesn't know about Kiara, then we can keep her safe." Jarod admitted.
"So, we can get her out of the line of fire initially but risk Magnus going after her, or we can keep her on the Emperor's Boot and keep her within arms reach, but in serious trouble, if things go sideways…"
Jarod frowned, "Well, we'll just have to make sure things don't go sideways."
[-]
Magnus stood, stoically looking through the tides and waves of the warp, watching the approach of Jarod and his cohorts. He wasn't sure why, but no matter what he tried, he could not see the outcome of their meeting. The future was a fickle thing, to begin with, but it seemed that everything involving the two was making the warp shift in ways that were completely unpredictable, even considering his vast sum of knowledge on the subject.
He counted down the hours to their arrival and was ready when they finally exited the warp into the system. He had decided to set up a meeting place on the moon of the Daemon World, a celestial body that, while it had still been touched by the powers of Chaos, would not overwhelm and corrupt a mortal by simply being on its surface.
He watched as the three ships staggered, one remaining at the edge of the system, one reaching halfway between himself and the one before it, and the last coming to meet him. In order to make him seem… less, threatening (Something he'd debated on taking the trouble of doing) Magnus had decided to only have a few dozen marines alongside him, with only a handful of ships in orbit.
Reaching out with his mind, Magnus scanned the thoughts of everyone on the ship, which he quickly realized was named the Emperor's Boot. He found it very interesting that, despite the rabid dogma and ignorant tyranny that the Imperium was built upon, each of the guardsmen under Jarod's command seemed to be well aware that, if things went horribly wrong, that they would be fighting the forces of Chaos, and, while not Magnus specifically, that they would be fighting a very powerful Daemon.
Magnus found himself feeling… respect, towards Jarod and his entourage. Yes, he was still part of the Imperium, and thus an enemy by definition, but he didn't lie to his troops, he didn't force them into terrible conditions, and if Magnus was seeing thing's right, he didn't employ a single commissar among his personal forces.
Then there was Jarod himself. He was making no effort to hide his own soul beyond warding it against the natural predators of the warp, as well as keeping his thoughts, admittedly, well hidden. While it certainly wouldn't be a challenge for Magnus to read his thoughts, he quickly realized that it might be impossible for him to do so without Jarod knowing and trying to fortify his own mind.
Michael's mind was much the same, though his mind, while still guarded by his own ability, was also protected somewhat by Tzeentch. The lock itself was already deteriorating, and it wouldn't surprise Magnus if Michael's powers weren't already showing themselves. Sill, a shortcut was a shortcut, and while the lock would vanish eventually, it would be years, decades even, before Michael had access to his full strength.
Even with that, however, Michael was an open and shut book to the Daemon Primarch.
"Oh? What's this...? An Aeldari girl? A child?" Magnus let out his senses again, searching for the Aeldari soul that was the prevailing thought within Michael's mind. Sure enough, hidden by Jarod's own massive soul, was that of an Eldar. He almost missed it, the girl suppressing her soul and Jarod intentionally covering hers with his own.
She was repressing her own soul, which, by Magnus' knowledge, should be a fairly painful experience for her. It was not an entirely difficult thing to do, mind you, but to suppress it to such an extent… He figured they were trying to hide her presence, attempting to keep him from knowing about her.
He chuckled, drawing the gaze of the Astartes around him. If Jarod and Michael were so intent on keeping the girl hidden, perhaps he could use that as leverage.
One of the few marines carrying a vox-caster sent a message up to the ship, informing Jarod and Michael to come down to the Moon's surface and to bring whoever and whatever they wished. It took almost an hour before he finally sensed them leaving the ship, the Aeldari staying onboard. They were likely trying to discuss the likelihood of the meeting being a trap, which, while false, he did not blame them for considering.
The Aquila transport carried seven people; Michael and Jarod for sure, as well as four guardsmen, and a space marine. Magnus smiled as he scanned the Astartes' thoughts, gleaning surface-level information. Calivar, Blackshield. He no longer considered himself a member of his legion, which to Magnus' disgust, happened to be the sons of Leman Russ, the Space Wolves.
While he was normally above petty resentment, the space wolves were still a sore spot for him. They burned Prospero to the ground, shattered his soul, and broke his spine in two.
That last one, despite the illogical nature of it, seemed to anger Magnus the most.
The Aquila landed a good two hundred meters from Magnus and his honor guard, the hatch opening and allowing the occupants to exit. They slowly made their way to Magnus, weapons at the ready.
Each of the guardsmen wore full Carapace armor and were wielding what at first appeared to be standard issue lasguns, but Magnus knew better. These weapons, while still not especially powerful, were more than enough to bring down a space marine, given enough shots were pumped into them. They wore respirators, clearly designed for void combat, likely to keep them from needing to breath the air of the moon. A smart, if paranoid, move.
Calivar wore his black armor, the skulls, and markings of the Emperor covering it. His power sword was drawn, shimmering in the dull yellow sunlight. His pistol was held in his grip, the weapon ready to unleash its ammunition at a moment's notice. His heavy boots clanked against the rocky ground beneath them, giving off a sense of weight that his fluid movements betrayed.
Michael and Jarod were, of course, armed to the teeth. Power armor specifically blessed to ward off the powers of Tzeentch, for what little good it would do. Each hefted a meltagun, ready to unleash its fiery ammunition at whatever earned their wielders ire.
The stopped roughly five meters from Magnus' towering form, which stood at roughly three meters tall all on his own.
"Magnus the Red," Jarod called out, his helmets' vox speakers distorting his voice somewhat.
Magnus nodded, "Jarod Carolinus, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."
Jarod nodded, "I assume the air is corrupted? Either that or the ground is. Not sure which is worse."
"I assure you neither the air nor the ground will harm you or your companions, of that, you have my word."
Despite his promise, Jarod and his retinue still didn't remove their helmets.
"I came here because you offered me a deal. You offered to unlock Michael's power, but you haven't told me what you want in exchange." Jarod asked.
Magnus smirked, "Afraid it might be your soul I want?" he asked.
Jarod shrugged, "Either that or a sandwich."
Magnus paused for a second, internally groaning. He conceded to the fact that Jarod might be working to cover up his fear with humor if nothing else.
"Indeed. Tzeentch has placed a lock on Michael's soul, which, while it will not block all psychic usage, as I am sure you have realized, it will keep him from manifesting his power in full." A partial lie, but also a partial truth, "I am merely offering to break that lock. With the god of change and fate as my patron, it grants me the ability to meddle with his schemes from time to time. Should you accept my offer, I will be able to restore his powers completely."
"Fine then, we know what you are offering, what do want in return?" Jarod asked.
Manus smiled, "Denounce your precious Emperor, and admit his lack of divinity."
Silence reigned, as Jarod discussed the proposal on a private vox-channel. The body language and surface thoughts of the guardsmen portrayed alarm and disgust, even more so when Jarod apparently said something that put them on edge. Still, they kept their weapons down and remained silent.
"You want me to denounce the god-emperor of mankind?" Jarod asked.
Magnus nodded.
"Very well then. Big-E's a right bastard."
Magnus blinked, almost unsure of what he was hearing-
"He's a terrible father, a terrible leader, a downright tyrant, has absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever, and to top it all off, his hair isn't even that good!"
Magnus was about to interrupt, to state his surprise, but Michael picked up where Jarod left off.
"Yeah, seriously, I mean I get that he spent a freaking long time getting right, but did he have to rub it in Fulgrim's face like that? And on top of that, he isn't really even that good looking! Most of its just psychic projection! Just like Magnus' height!"
Magnus paused, realizing what the two of them were saying. He, of course, knew all of this, but he began to become curious as to how two mere mortals - gifted ones, but mortals all the same - had come across such knowledge.
"And I mean, he made the absolute worst choices possible. Hiding the imperial webway-" he had taken his hands off his meltagun, and was now counting on his fingers, "Not telling anyone about Chaos, teleporting Angron instead of going down to freaking help the poor sod, not teaching Konrad some freaking manners, burning Monarchia - which I'm still not convinced happened the way it did in the books - and the council of Nicea! Which, seriously, is just plain insulting to everyone involved."
Magnus was beginning to think he may have to announce the second part of his contract soon, or these two might actually start making him look like a fool.
"Well, it seems the two of you truly do know your history." Magnus said, cutting off Michael's rant.
Michael shrugged, "We were ganging up on the Emperor, might as well."
Magnus chuckled, "While I am determined to ask later how the two of you came across such information, I must inform you of the second part of my offer."
Everyone in the Rogue traders retinue stiffened, waiting for his announcement.
"Within the depths of Titan, the moon of the gas giant Jupiter lies the corpse of one of my sons, one who stole the sole remaining shard of my soul. It is the only fragment that I have yet to recover; my Nobility. Recover it, and your debt will be repaid. I have no time range set, as such a thing would be impossible to be completed in a strict time frame, but I am expecting you to find my nobility and return it to me. Should you refuse to do so after receiving my aid… Well, I believe you know more about me and my abilities than most in your wretched Imperium." Magnus explained.
The fine print went unsaid, of course.
"That's it?" Jarod asked, still holding onto Michael's arm, "No catch? No hidden, fine print?"
Magnus chuckled, "Of course not. While the followers of Tzeentch may be rife with liars and thieves, I am not one of them." He lied.
[-]
AN: CLIFFHANGER EVERYBODY! This chapter was… not fun to write. Once I moved past the bit on the Emperor's boot and onto the bit with Magnus it got easier, but boy… I was not happy with that. Still, I got it done, and I'm hoping to have the next chapter done soon. On a side note, I'm really liking the new Chapter Master Shrike model, despite all the emo-criticism it's gotten lately. Have you guys not been paying attention to the Raven guard and Corax at all? Emo is their shtick.