Many thanks for BIBOTOT, Fleightfire and Fortune Zyne, as well as many others for your support. The last month was crazy, ton of tests and other stuffs, but I have managed to (barely) overcome them, so I think it is the time for update.
As you can see I have made some modifications to chapter 1-4. Glen now no longer has the knowledge of Chaos as he used to be, as I remember the policy of the Imperium to suppress the truth about the existence of Chaos. So now he will just call them "cultist", "heretics" and "dissidents", because they oppose the Imperial Cult.
The Encounter of Glen and Illiara in chapter 3 is now more tense and more approriate, as some of the readers have suggested.
I've also made some minor changes to layout to make it easier for readers :)
Enjoy !
Silence.
There was only silence; Glen didn't know how to talk to her anymore, after all that had happened in that town. Looking around didn't help, either – he could see only bushes and some trees, truly they were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Leaving Salvation behind now seemed to be a not very good idea after all.
He and the Warlock had decided to leave the town and its occupants, despite their frantic pleas for them to stay. But it was too late to change their mind now, and he began to rue his indicisiveness; if only he had not listened to Illiara and her rambling of imminent danger. But the townsfolks seemed to believe it, and when he left, they had already finished their preparing. By this time, they must have make it very far. But why did he worried now ? It wasn't like someone - or something could harm them. They had weapons that were far more advance than anything this world could throw at them, and they never ran out of ammo. And they had many to spare. Spares…Glen didn't like to think about how all that lasguns had become spares. And he townsfolks were not his responsibility, not anymore. They were on their own now.
But he missed them. Oh how he missed them. Beside the campfire, Illiara were cuddling inside a blanket, oblivious to what was going on in Glen's head. Hell, mabe she was reading his mind, but he didn't care. If she had not refused the townspeople's offer of a place in their caravan, she would have been cuddling inside a blanket in the warm, safe interior of a wagon instead of in a freezing forest like this.
"Tell me about your home." Illiara said, breaking the silence between them.
It was strange to hear her voice again, after such a long time. And Glen had thought that she was sleeping.
"In a place like this ?" he asked back. Why, before he hadn't had a single thought of questioning the truth in her words, but after Illiara declined the (obviously) comfortable proposal of the Salvation's townspeople, and asking him about his home, in the middle of the night, and in a strange and potentially hostile place like this, Glen thought she might have lost it. Great.
"I cannot sleep" she replied "And it is almost my turn to guard. You do not look like you are busy right now. Unless you don't want to talk."
"It's ok, actually. But still, I have to question your idea of…" Glen began the preach he had been preparing for several hours.
"Cut it short. I know what you have in mind. I have my own reason to do that." Illiara stopped for a second before continuing "In my vision, there is something. Something terrible, dangerous, and it know us well. Staying with the people of Salvation will only brings them misery."
Glen sighed "So we are in danger again. You should have warned me about that."
"So you can escape with them and leave me to face the threat alone ?" the Eldar asked in a sorrowful tone, but it was not a question at all. "You are selfish, you know ? And it will hunt those people because of you. We took different way, because it will be better for both sides."
"Point taken. But I still cannot see the relation between that thing and my..." He sighed.
"Now you tell me or not ?" Illiara didn't even wait for him to finish his sentence.
"Eager to hear it, don't you ?" Glen smirked.
"As a matter of fact, yes." The Warlock said while still looking at him.
"Very well." Glen said and crossed his arms. "My homeworld…it used to be beautiful."
"A beautiful human world ? I have yet to seen one, except for those that were once Exodites worlds." Illiara said with a slight sarcasm.
"It truly was." He said with a slight edge in his voice "Sometimes I have a dream about how magnificent it was. Unending seas of grasses, the air so clear that you can watch the stars whole night long. I dreamed about the long gone harvest festival, when people lighted up the lanterns, wrote their wishes on a lotus and let it float down the river. But it is just a memory now." Glen smiled sadly.
"What happened ?" Illiara asked.
"My world was invaded" Glen replied "Some pirate groups thought an Agri-World was a good target. And who know, they was right. Their ships ripped through the orbital defense network while their raiders decimated the poorly-trained PDF and defenceless civilians. I lost my parents in the confusion." He finished.
The images of the battle for Vierin flashed through Glen's mind. He saw waves after waves of cultists and pirates crashing at the PDF defense perimeter. He saw people screaming as they were cut down by the bloodthirsty horde.
"Glen ?" Illiara asked, snapped him out of his thought "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's ok." He replied "It's not like we can do anything about that."
"But didn't you say your world was a Forge World ?" the Warlock asked him.
"Yes it is." He said plainly "Some Mechanicus warships were nearby when the invaders struck. Within a week of their arrival they had managed to take down most of the enemy forces. But they were not our saviour – they never were. Ironically, that they, not the marauders, dealed even more damage to our world, and in a scale that no pirates may hope to achieved."
"They turned your homeworld into a planetary manufactorum." Illiara concluded.
"Precisely." Glen nodded "Now our side of the planet – where we grow crops and raise our livestock – must have to be covered in large domes to protect the people inside and keep the earth's fertility. Oh no, the output is still massive. The Ministorum got into a headbutt with the Adeptus Mechanicus over who should control the planet. The Cogboys "liberated" our world, but Vierin is one of the major food-producing worlds of the system. In the end, they splitted it into two part: the Ministorum- and Mechanicus-controlled sections. It managed to keep most of the production capacity intact, but the damage had already been done. Before we trained in the lust plains of Vierin, now we trained in desert covered in industrial waste". He finished the sentence, shaking his head.
Illiara looked up, her eyes widened "Did you just said "Vierin" ?"
"Why yes, it is the name of my homeworld." Glen looked at the Warlock. It was hard to discern her expression "What's wrong ?"
"Nothing" she murmured "Nothing at all."
"Good to hear that." He yawned. Awaking for such a long time had began to affect him "I'm going to sleep now. I supposed it is your turn now ?"
"Right." She replied evenly "Sleep well."
"You too." Glen replied before closing his eyes.
Illiara looked at the Imperials sleeping beside the campfire. Could it truly be him ? Then why in this place ? Impossible.
But Fate was a cruel and unpredictable mistress. If it was true then she surely had a plan for them.
All her attempts had ended miserably. Whenever she closed her eyes, the images of the battle of the past appeared to haunt her. Such terror, such fear. In her long life, there were so many places she had traveled, and so many lives she had taken. Orks, screaming at the top of their lungs, showing only war-mongering joy and aggression even when she cut them down one by one. Necrons, the emotionless juggernauts, slowly overwhelming the Aspect Warriors as she tried in vain to hold back the neverending tide of metallic gray. And there were…human.
The cursed campaign of T'arlassa.
Human, both tainted and pure, slaughtering each other in urban combat like savages. A massive human wave attack melted away in piles of corpses under concentrating shuriken fire. The streets were littered with bodies: Men, women, and children.
All she could remember was the bloody red light from burning buidings, blasts of gunfire cut through the night. Muzzle flashes strobed along the street as teams of Guardians moved and hunted down Imperial and Chaos forces.
A Commissar standing over the bodies of an unarmed family, sword still dripping. She remembered the look of surprised horror on his face as her gun tore into his skull.
A group of Arbitrators firing at her from a window. She threw a burst of lightning bolts that stitched across the wall, letting a Dire Avenger get close enough to throw a grenade in. The concussion kicked the door off its hinges and knocked wooden slats from the walls, then the top floor caved in.
A cultist coming at her from a flaming bunker, his eyes widening as she shoved her blade through his chin. She remembered firing until her pistol ran dried, then used it as a club. She remembered pain from minor wounds. She remembered standing on the crumbling town wall, the body of a PDF soldier lay at her feet, his throat slit. She stared down at the corpse, feeling utterly drained.
She were looking at Glen again. What's wrong with her today ?
His mind was chaotic and unrestful. And fearful of the uncertainties future might hold. She could have delved further, and she would love to be able to, but realized that in his unconscious state now she could stumble upon unreal memories. She would leave him be, for the time being.
His massive steed was kneeling beside him. Her mind was so occupied that she had nearly forgotten about its presence. She realized that she had, up to this point, not even known its name despite accompanying it for over a month. It was her who was so careless, or it was just Glen, who was so lazy that he hadn't bother to even think of a simple name.
She looked into its mind. The horse hissed.
"Easy. I won't hurt you."
The animal proved to be surprisingly…intelligent. Not as intelligent as a Gyrinx, but quite. However, comparing them was like comparing an Eldar to a caveman; they were just not the same. The horse was intelligent and had the potential to grow, sure; but it was brute and instinctual.
Then she stumbled upon something strange. At a glance it seemed like the horse's memories, but on closer examination it revealed more than just that: It was both real and unreal at the same time. The memories were more like they were "embedded" in its mind.
Just like an automaton. But with a soul.
Unit GES-9563.
Divisio Biologis, Forge World of Vierin.
Vat grown specifically for shock attacks; able to run long distance with minimal requirement for supplies. Enhanced psyche. Internal organs and muscles augmented with basic bionics.
Capable of learning; basic understanding of Low Gothic. Able to follow simple commands.
Owner: Glen Marko. Private. Vierin 75th regiment. 8th Storm Rider company.
Special note: Adopted son of Baron Balthasar Marko , owner of Marko agri-cartel. Treated with special favour.
Then something flashed through her eyes. Images of Unit GES-9563 and Glen Marko appeared, along with their misery. Shunned by drill instructors, resented by school-mates, harassed by commanding officers. But they didn't leave each other, and they didn't quit.
Glen, dirty and beaten, gently fed his steed, smiling as it licked his hand. The horse dropped a single tear as its tired master slowly hobbled away…
Illiara severed their mental contact. After seeing such pictures, she wasn't sure what to say right now, as now it was clear that the horse was capable of understanding Low Gothic.
"I am sorry." She said, hugging its head tightly. GES-9563 rubbed its head on her shoulder, clearly seeing her as friendly now.
"Now we must find you a name suited for a noble's steed…"
"…and you said the new Ether Drive had been finished ?"
"Yes, Aun. The new engine's output is 500% greater than the model we are currently using. We are still not able to fully reverse-engineer the gue'la's, but this will allow us to expand far beyond our present boundary."
"You have done a great service for the Greater Good, Fio. Have you inform the High Council about this ?"
"The Water caste personnel have already done that. As we are speaking, the Or'es El'leath carrier Shi Ko'vash is on the final phase of being retrofitted with the prototype Ether Drive as auxiliary engine."
"Very well, then. Let us make haste for T'au."
"This is Patrol Group Benedicta. Our listening post has detected several unidentified vessels materializing on the edge of Veridian system. According to our Navigators, they are heading toward Xeno-controlled space. Permission to intercept ?"
"Permission denied. Continue monitoring and supervising until the capital ships of Battlefleet can be mobilized."
"Affirmative. May the Emperor be with you."
A/N: Sorry for no action scene. I have a question for you guys: What name you think suits best for Unit GES-9563 ? :)