Epilogue I: After Action Report
Time/Place 611 010.M42 / Macragge's Honour Gloriana Class Battle-barge.
Roboute Guilliman sat in his chambers reading the report sent by Inquisitors Heimdall and Stigler, who along with the rest of their fleet were undergoing decontamination and screening to avoid any possible taint. The story ranged from the fantastical to the horrifying. Technologies and monsters unheard even during the worst of the Great Crusade and the Heresy were described and documented. Vids and Picts showed the various battles and confrontations. He watched the Helm Cams of Storm-Troopers battling Genestealers and the Auspex displays of the Inquisitorial Blackship when it fired the Cyclonic torpedo at the now sealed Devouring World.
He had looked into the Legion of the Damned and was interested to find out more about these Phantoms if they really were what the Custodes claimed they were all sorts of interesting possibilities opened up. Particularly if their members included those slain in the Heresy, maybe even his brothers killed during and after the Heresy. If phenomenal willpower and being gene-linked to the Emperor were the requirements then maybe his Iron Handed and Praetorian siblings could live again... He shook his head and kept reading, he could not think of resurrecting his siblings until he found his missing ones.
Soon the Two Inquisitors and the new Chapter Master of the Imperial Lions entered, they had been assessed and found pure by fellow Inquisitors and the Eight Grey Knights deployed at all times to protect Guilliman from Chaotic influences. The Primarch greeted the trio and congratulated them on their success. Chapter Master Adolphus suddenly bowed extremely low before his Gene-Sire and spoke "Please forgive my impertinence my Lord, you may lay any punishment upon me for this impertinence but I wish for the names of the Two Hundred and Fifty sacrificed Astartes be honored with their names being Carved into the Rolls of Valor in the Hall of Heroes." Guilliman smiled softly and spoke "You are forgiven my son, They shall, as will the Bell of Lost Souls be rung two hundred and fifty times, and Gustavus personal Heraldry will be added to the Hall of Heroes. They deserve this much at least for their service." The Astartes rose and profusely thanked the Primarch.
Turning to the Inquisitors he spoke again "You two have shown considerable skill and have served the Imperium admirably. I have had my doubts about the Inquisition and it needs reforming but you two are capable and qualified to hold the power you do." The Inquisitors bowed and thanked him for his praise. "Oh but one last thing, your report mentioned you captured and used Ex-Inquisitor Kryptman but did not say what happened to him or where he is" With that, the Inquisitors looked at each other and Heimdall simply said "We honestly don't know My Liege, we hoped you knew. He and the Custodes disappeared shortly after the Legion of the Damned left, we assumed you had him."
Epilogue II: Kryptman's Fate
Time/Place 629 010.M42 / Somewhere within the Webway
The Ex-Inquisitor awoke from his drug-induced coma, the last thing he remembered was a Black-Armored Giant entering his cell and injecting something into him. He tried to move and found he was bound and gagged. Looking around he realized he was strapped to a Jetbike moving at high speeds. Kryptman was in some sort of massive tunnel, it was easily big enough for a Titan to walk through. Its walls seemed to ripple and shimmer as if they were made from liquid. He looked to the front of the Jetbike to examine his captor and was stunned at the sight of the Golden Warrior astride the Jetbike. A member of the Custodes was transporting him somewhere. Wracking his brain for any and all information he could he came to a sudden realization of where he was, The Eldar Webway.
He had seen portals and read descriptions of it but this was the first time he had been in the mysterious labyrinth Dimension. Eventually, after a few minutes of flight, the tunnel opened up to a massive Chamber. Its size was such he could not see the other side of it. Before Kryptman could admire the vastness around him his attention was taken by a truly magnificent sight. An Eldar Craftworld floated before them. This Moon Sized vessel was formed from Obsidian black Wraithbone and pulsed with eerie light. The Jetbike shot towards it and landed at an empty docking port.
The Custodes Hoisted Kryptman off the Bike and carried him over his shoulder towards the Craftworlds gate all while never saying a word or responding to Kryptmans struggles. The Custodes entered the Craftworld and was greeted by a peculiar sight. Inside was a troop of Harlequin, a Group of Eldar Farseers and strangely enough an elderly Human dressed in a Coat that seemed to shift colors and patterns and a Sister of Battle whose eyes glowed with supernatural power.
The Custodes deposited him roughly in front of the Group and spoke: "He is the one of interest to you, he will be a good asset to the Order of Recollectors." Nodding one of the Farseers began to speak in High-Gothic, its voice was musical and a thing of beauty. "This one has been touched by the Great Devourer and will be useful in our mutual cause. Servant of the Anathema. We shall meet again in our preparations for the Rhana Dandra" Without another word the Custodes turned and left them. The elderly Human approached Kryptman. Kryptman noticed a brand on his forehead, in the shape of the Inquisitions Sigil and realized who this individual must be. Peering down at him the Keeper of the Atlas Infernal then spoke: "I am High Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak, welcome to the Black Library Ex-Inquisitor Kryptman."
Epilogue III: A World Devoured
Time/Place ?/ Deep within The Eye of Terror
The Devouring World had been helpless as the Fleet of Phantoms bound it and dragged into the Warp, where they had deposited its shackled form. The Chains that now wrapped it muted its psychic power and burnt it constantly. It could feed on the pure warp-stuff around it to stave off its doom but kept it in a horrendous balance of being destroyed and rebuilt at the same speed. It let out constant psychic wails of agony seeking the help of any kind. The Cannibal Planet in all its power and knowledge had never learned that attracting attention in the Warp is not a good idea, its cries had not gone unnoticed and the true Apex Predators of the Warp had come.
It was like a psychic tide, waves of energy and power came from all possible sides pouring towards the bound and weakened Devouring World. It sensed something then, multiple somethings of impossible Power. The Cannibal Planet had the power to break worlds and enslave billions but its psychic presence was just a drop of water in the Sea of Souls. Now it was faced with the true masters of the Immaterium. Four masses of power moved steadily towards the bound abomination. The Warp is often compared to an Ocean, with its currents and storms, to use that allegory what felt like Warp-Hurricanes came from the Cardinal Directions screaming towards the Captive World, The Chaos Gods had come to claim this newest curiosity.
A voice that seemed to ooze out of the Warp begun the conversation " It is mine, I am the Plague-Father and Lord of Decay. One of my Champions fell against it I deserve it as compensation and undeath and rot are my domain so I shall take possession of this Oddity." A Beautiful voice with a melody beyond the ken of mortals retorted. "My Oliensis was hurt by fighting this creature. Such a Glutton and corrupter, OBVIOUSLY it is mine!" In response one of the Storms, a mass of blood and gore that seethed with unimaginable fury roared out "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WHELPS THINK! ITS SKULL IS MINE TO CLAIM! IT SLEW BILLIONS THAT WERE MY SERVANTS TO KILL IN MY NAME! I SHALL TAKE IT AND CLAIM ITS BLOOD FOR MYSELF AND ITS SKULL FOR MY THRONE."
The last remaining Storm than piped in with a voice that sounded like trillions of different beings speaking at once. "Siblings, you forget the obvious, it is bound by the Anathema's Power and kept from us, besides its psychic abilities and power over mutation make it mine if it could be claimed." Realizing the Truth of their crafty sibling's words the Dark Powers decided if none of them could own the Devouring World no one could. With the unholy might of Chaos itself, they plunged the Cannibal Planet into the deepest most forbidden reaches of the Warp. They're in the realm of pure insanity and utter oblivion the Devouring World met its final fate smothered by the Unreality of Pure Chaos.
The End.