Of course it was raining.
At a time like this, Vownus felt the present need to condemn nature and it's horribly callous timing. He stood beside his loyal guard, the five members of Kilo Squad, as waves of water fell from the sky.
Sheltered beneath the downcast wings of the Aquila Lander with which they had arrived on Helios, Vownus took a deep breath of fresh air.
As dirt turned to mud, and droplets of water dripped against the very tip of his witch hunter's hat, Kaede made a now very obvious observation.
Helios was beautiful.
Of all the Agricultural worlds he had seen from orbit, or walked upon their surface, he would remember this planet.
It's expansive fields of golden grain were visible from orbit, and of course fate pissed on his luck. For the clouds that rolled in to block the sun robbed him of being able to witness such a beautiful sight.
His loyal squad were all chattering to one another, talking about their usual concerns.
They likened their rations to feces.
Their new Commissar was far too uptight and high-strung. They believed he wouldn't last the month serving under Vownus.
Trooper Millock was being regaled of his proud moment of unconsciousness. When Daemons had attacked their vessel in the warp, the Trooper's sudden attempt to charge into the line of fire had caused him to faint. Because of a previous injury and the blood loss associated, the trooper reminded his chortling compatriots.
Vownus tuned them all out.
His mind had the space for two things as of the current moment.
The first was the unfortunate weather conditions.
The second was the child, escorted by the two Arbites, which had accompanied the boy into the lonely structure in the fields.
This husk of a home that the Lander had circled around once, the quiet voice of the child confirming it as his home.
It was this place that the boy wished to say goodbye to his life. Goodbye to all he had known.
The Inquisitor had arrived at the opportune moment it seemed. It was either the greatest coincidence in history, an act of fate, or even the God Emperor himself stepping in to assist His Inquisitor. What was undeniable was how Vownus' timing could not have been better.
Young Lucian had lost his mother, which was the last family the boy had left, his close friends and nearly all of his community.
He did not have a life to return to.
As Vownus had explained to the boy in the PDF Medicae, there was little choice in the matter. Even though the boy technically did not have one. He would come with the Inquisitor or he would die. This revelation had… embittered the child to him.
Something that he had wished to avoid.
After all, it was his job to turn this potential danger to mankind into a boon. You can't teach something that despises you.
His empathy only stretched so far, but the Inquisitor could see the similarities between himself and the boy, and not just the physical ones.
Their backgrounds were… similar. Enough to cause Kaede some discontent. Not that he showed it.
Vownus pulled the hat from his head, muttering a prayer under his breath as he held the article to his chest. This action caused all of his guards to respectfully shut their mouths.
They did not have to remain silent, but Vownus appreciated that they respected his discomfort.
He hated his job at times. He hated the necessary work he did for the Imperium.
But if not him, who then? Who then did the trillions of Imperial citizens look to, to hunt and remove the threats that lurked in their society.
Men like Vownus were the kinder of two choices. To a certain degree, the Witch hunter knew this to be objectively true.
The other option was a man like Rykehuss.
He was a monster, in every sense of the word. Seemingly without a conscience, his dreaded nemesis and fellow member of the Ordo Heretics, Rykehuss was the kind of man who believed the end result always justified the means which were taken to achieve it.
No.
Vownus could never retire while men like that roamed around, unchecked and out of control.
Besides, if everything went according to plan, his three new pickups would be a blessing for his job.
It also helped that the now ex-Enforcers had a good handle on the kid. The boy seemed to trust them. At least enough to allow them to help the child carry out the small funeral service for his mother, Alena, and the man called Ostus Barrow.
The boy had not wanted Vownus, or the Guardsmen, to assist. That had been clear enough.
So, being polite, the unwanted remained by the Lander, avoiding what they could of the rain.
Caius Helix hung back in the doorway of the destroyed home as Lynwood Deculus stood beside their young charge, his head bowed in prayer.
This was the one spot that still had some kind of overhang, preventing the rain from soaking him. Most of the roof had burned down in the fire that had consumed this home. Lynwood and Lucian stood in the rain, their words barely audible over the downpour.
"Our Holy Father, Master of Mankind…" as Lynwood spoke, the boy copied, his head also bowed forward.
Before the two of them were a small pile of things, items that represented the boy's mother and father figure.
They did not have the time to stay for a full funeral service, and had to make do with what their new boss allowed them.
Besides, it was best they get moving as soon as possible.
Helios was in almost complete disarray.
While Inquisitor Ahmazzi was handling the city, the people of the surviving farming communities were coming together, dealing with the untold dead and the truth of some of their neighbours.
Names had been struck from both stone and mind. For those that brought such death and destruction to their planet were undeserving of any memorial.
Let time forget them.
Their crimes would scar this planet.
The once mildly sized Ecclesiarchy had seen a radical increase in numbers, with the remaining population becoming more and more fervent by the minute.
Caius was smart enough to recognise a brewing shit show when he saw it.
No one would be trusting one another for a long time, even if the Inquisitor gave the all clear.
Normally he would have been folded back into the force, along with Lynwood. Their deeds and actions during these trying times would have rewarded them in some way or manner. Most likely, Lynwood and Caius would have never seen each other ever again, both being moved to different duties in different sectors of the city.
Instead, it seemed that Inquisitor Ahmazzi had been so impressed with their work, he had personally recommended them to this new Inquisitor.
Vownus Kaede.
A witch hunter.
A man that seemed to not only agree with Ahmazzi's recommendation, but had taken it quite to heart. Joyfully welcoming them to his team.
He had then threatened them, under penalty of death, into his service.
This agent of the Inquisition was here for Lucian, and he was single handedly the most bizarre person Caius had ever met.
The man could go from sickenly bubbly joy one moment, to deadly serious the next.
Caius had made the dreary mental remark that his new boss was subject to mood swings. Imagine his surprise when Vownus admitted aloud to Caius that he did indeed have the tendency of frantically jumping between emotions.
His boss could read minds.
Fantastic.
Lynwood had been present for that little revelation. If it had distrubed his older friend, Caius failed to see such a reaction.
Vownus had then informed them that they were his new Inquisitorial Agents, effective immediately.
Their first duty…
"Watch the boy,'' Caius muttered, parroting Vownus' words. His life had been completely upturned. The sweet little relationship he had with a few of the noble ladies, the strings he could pull in specific departments… all of that is gone now. People were closing in on themselves, stepping away from the bonds they had formed with one another.
"Caius"
It was out of fear. Fear that your fellow man was actually a traitor, someone who would sacrifice you to their heathen gods… the city had nearly torn itself apart in a civil war. Caius could only imagine what it had been like in the streets. Or for the soldiers of the PDF, to deal with a foe that had not come from without, but within.
"Caius…"
Helios was no stranger to conflict. As was every Imperial world. Nestled in their little corner of the universe however, they hadn't needed to deal with anything for a long time. Long enough that most had forgotten what true war felt like.
The Tithe and the occasional regiment of Guardsmen had been their largest contributions to the war effort. In fact, Caius was willing to bet that most of their food went to Hive worlds before it reached the guard.
He shook his head slightly. Pushing these useless thoughts away, Caius reached for the crux of his situation.
Working for the Inquisition.
A very sudden promotion.
'Promotion'.
He wasn't going to lie to anybody and say he didn't like the sound of 'Inquisitorial Agent Caius Helix'. That wasn't a bad title.
But was he so ready to leave everything behind?
All in the blink of an-
Lynwood was suddenly stood in front of him, a glare on the man's features.
Startled, Caius drew himself back, bumping into the blackened wall of the small farming home.
He and Lynwood stared at one another for an incredibly tense moment.
Looking around, Caius realised the boy had finished his prayer with Lynwood. Caius didn't even notice the youth leave.
...he would have walked right past him.
"I'm sorry" Caius mumbled, "I was distracted"
"Now is not the time" Lynwood snapped, a finger pointed right before Caius' nose, "nor the place. We are departing"
He swept past Caius, already making for the Aquila Lander.
Caius somewhat envied Lynwood. The man had served under an Inquisitor in his youth…
'So before the Emperor sat upon the throne' Caius joked to himself, but the words felt bitter and hollow. The truth of it was his annoyance at how easily his comrade in arms had so seamlessly adjusted to the transition.
The man did not seem worried, vexed or frustrated. Lynwood was still Lynwood it seemed, regardless of what position he filled.
No if's, and's or but's.
Caius turned for the door, but just before he stepped once more into the rain, his eyes were drawn to the sight of Lucian and Lynwood's prayer.
There was but a small wrapped piece of parchment being soaked by the rain. It would be destroyed by the downpour, eventually forgotten by the hand of nature and time itself. Only Lynwood, Caius and Lucian would ever know it had existed.
Much like those that the written words on the parchment had been written for. It was symbolic, in a sadening way.
Caius, making up his mind for once and all, stepped out into the rain, uncaring of how he was drenched once again by the water. If this child could accept what had happened and move on... well Caius could too.
While Lynwood was the better shot, driver, negotiator and humble servant of the Emperor, Caius would rue the day he allowed a boy to possess more grit than himself.
Seeing that Lynwood and the boy were nearly at the Lander, Caius jogged over.
It would be a bad first impression to his new boss for him to make them wait needlessly.
Lucian was soaked to the bone by the time he reached the spaceship. He slipped under the vessel's long and declined wing, his arms wrapped around himself to fight off the cold that attempted to burrow its way in.
He may have been shivering, but he refused to ask for any help about it. A moment later, the more gruff of his two shadows joined him at his side. Lynwood seemed completely unbothered by the rain. That, or Lucian really believed the man had a face set in stone.
Always so serious.
He supposed that was important for someone who dispensed the law. Lynwood was Judge, Jury and Executioner all at the same time, a task which Lucian couldn't even begin to imagine. He didn't even know what it was like to intentionally take a life.
And unbidden by any order or reason, without a second's hesitation, the thought came to him.
'Your kidnappers…. The cult…. Was it not your power that killed them all?'
Lucian froze.
The words curled around his mind. After all, they were true... Were they not?
His mind drifted back to when the Inquisitor, Vownus Kaede, had introduced himself.
.Earlier.
"You... are a Psyker" the man with the pointy hat answered Lucian. They were still in the larger quarter of the Medicae building, on the second floor to be precise. Besides the newly arrived Vownus Kaede, Lucian was the only one in the long room lined with identical beds.
He wore a standard set of civilian clothes which consisted of worn grey pants, and an equally grey but far less worn long sleeved pullover.
The boy blinked as he processed the answer. It only took moments for his curiosity to turn back into scrunched up annoyance.
"That's not what I asked," he grumbled, causing this 'Vownus Kaede' to sigh dramatically, deflating physically.
He seemed to be a very… expressive man. And easily frustrated.
Vownus bounced back from his own annoyance, hands placed on his hips. If he had to do this, he would.
"A Psyker, also know as a 'witch', 'sorcerer', 'magic-user'-"
"Magic-user?"
"WHATEVER" Vownus barked, his sudden temper drawing immediate silence from the boy. He took off his hat, brushed his hair back in a smooth motion, took a deep breath and continued.
"-is any living being that possesses some kind of Psychic ability. These powers allow them to, essentially, mould and fold the fabric of reality itself to their will"
Vownus reached out into the Material world with his mind, preparing to demonstrate.
"By drawing power from the Immaterium and the warp, which is very dangerous place, located between four-dimensional realspace, Psykers can do very incredible things"
A hand shot in the air.
Vownus halted his demonstration as his expression soured.
He had already been reduced to a teacher… and his student had a question.
"Incredible like what?" Lucian asked, excited.
Vownus was impressed but also worried. Sometimes the power with which one could obtain, or atleast the very thought of it, could lead people down a dark path.
This youth could be very susceptible to the forces of Chaos.
Vownus backpedaled on that declaration.
Because after all, Lucian had staved off the temptations that must have been thrown at him during the ritual. As far as even Vownus himself could tell, the boy did not display any and all signs of corruption.
Ahmazzi had had every right to execute the boy if he believed him to be unsavable. Prophecy or not, if the boy was possessed he would be put down.
Vownus decided to prod the boy.
But gently.
"Some users can read minds, like myself," Vownus explained, the boys eyes going wide in shock… and maybe just a little bit of awe.
"Some can throw fireballs from thin air, cast lightning from their palms, see into the future... or in your case" Vownus looked very carefully at Lucian now, "kill hundreds of people in an instant"
The boy's mouth opened slightly, his large and expressive eyes dilating ever so slightly.
"What?"
"You heard me," Vownus nodded, "see into the future. It's not really a big deal to be honest. Foresight is a very common skill, but-"
Lucian's hands tightened, something Vownus took great notice of.
He felt… something. Something was paying attention to him. Like a great beast, that of which decided to put him under its watchful eye.
"What do you mean?" Lucian asked quietly. His voice was soft, but strangely threatening. More so with the presence weighing down on Vownus.
His more serious side decided to step in.
"The cultists, the robed bastards who kidnapped you" Vownus explained calmly, "when Arbites Deculus and Helix bravely attempted to rescue you, their vehicle was destroyed, leaving you and them trapped and surrounded by the cult"
The presence was still, but it did not leave.
Lucian's eyes were intently fixed on him.
"Arbite Deculus stated in his report that as the approximate 600 or so Cultists charged at them, they witnessed a Psychic event of an incredible magnitude" Vownus gestured with his entire hand at lucian, "this event, which originated from yourself, ripped every single one of the Cultists apart at the atomic level, killing them instantly."
The less mentioned about the unfortunate Scion the better. The kid didn't seem to be taking it very well.
So Vownus shrugged, "you saved the lives of Lynwood and Caius, kiddo. Without you, they never would have made it out of there, and you? The cult would have sacrificed you to their Gods. Or worse"
Lucian was drawing in upon himself.
"Hey. You did a good thing! Those filthy heretics deserved exactly what they got, and you were the one who-"
The kids' quiet whispering of "please leave me alone" was, if anything, a hint that he was no Imperial fanatic. This misstep on Vownus' part deteriorated an already crumbling situation.
It was at times like this that the Witch hunter wished he had never left the Ordo Xenos. Those days were so much simpler. Not human? Shoot it. Still alive? Shoot it more. Still alive? Exterminatus.
But Psykers were a whole nother can of worms…. One that he was so extremely good at dealing with.
'Heavy lies the crown' Vownus mentally complained, knowing he was going to have to break the bad news to the kid.
"Listen. If I could, I would kiddo. But unfortunately for us both, you are a Psyker. A very powerful one. As you are, you are both a danger to yourself and to the rest of the Imperium. If you refuse to come with me, I'm afraid I'm going to have to do something we both won't like"
He was being as fair as he could be.
Lucian had his knees pulled up to his chest, his face buried down. He wasn't even looking at Vownus anymore.
Warning the kid what he was getting seemed to be the most appropriate. If this was to be a fight, it was going to be a fight.
That didn't mean Vownus wouldn't try something first.
He reached out with his mind to touch the kid's consciousness, trying to slip into his thoughts and-
It was like being kicked by a Space Marine. No. A Titan.
Vownus sailed backwards with the speed of a Bolter round, crashing through the doors to the Medical room and actually embedding himself into the steel hallway beyond.
"Emperor's… balls" Vownus gasped, the extremely sudden effort of protecting his physical form sharply draining him for but a moment. As powerful as he was, the unexpected rejection of his metal probe was… unexpected.
With a groan he pulled himself from the Inquisitor shaped dent in the wall, ignoring the wide eyed looks from either end of the corridor.
"Nothing to see here folks, Inquisitorial business!" he snapped aloud. The searching eyes disappeared shortly after. He didn't mind the broken black doors, stepping over them to approach the still huddled child once more.
'That was a Shockwave… but a targeted one.' Vownus rationalised, 'a lethal defense'
"See that?" Vownus pointed out to the boy, "what you just did to me? Had I been any old fool, I'd be nutrient paste on that wall" he thumbed at the 'him' shaped dent behind him.
"That or modern art" Vownus chuckled to himself, but quickly returned to seriousness.
"Kiddo. You can kill people with your mind. You can kill a lot of people with your mind, really easily" Vownus sat down in the small chair by the bed.
'You have killed a lot of people with your mind' Vownus reminded himself, shifting his eyes between all the small details of the youth.
"And it's my job to make sure you only kill the bad people, otherwise..." he sighed, "otherwise I've gotta kill you"
Lucian's head snapped up, his eyes glaring into Vownus'. The Inquisitor could have sworn he saw… gold, golden flecks, in the boy's eyes. He dismissed this.
"I don't want to kill anyone" Lucian hissed, "I just wanted to…. I wanted… I wanted to be free! I wanted to help people, not kill people! I helped the Guard! I harvested food for them, and for others…! I was good at it... My friends liked me..." the boy's shoulders were sagging the more he spoke.
"I miss my mom" he uttered finally, turning his head away from Vownus.
"Listen kiddo," Vownus wanted to roll his eyes, "this is the way things are. It's just the hand you've been dealt" he decided to teach a bit more, hoping to appeal to the logical side of the boy. He seemed sensible, even if he was a bit weak and empathic.
"Remember what I just said, about where your powers come from?"
Lucian nodded slowly, "the Immatierum. The reality that is between our own"
"Very good" Vownus nodded, "you know how I said it's a dangerous place?"
The kid nodded again.
"Every time you use your powers, you attract the horrible nasty little and big creatures that live there. We call them Daemons"
Lucian said nothing. No questions, no comments, nadda. So Vownus continued his impromptu lesson.
"The untrained Psyker will overexert themselves, and eventually, one of these Daemons will slip through that Psyker's connection to the warp. More powerful the Psyker, the more powerful, and by extension more dangerous, the Daemon that will possess him or her"
Vownus took off his hat, brushing the sides of it before placing it back on his head.
"My teacher, the one who gave me this hat, was possessed. I've seen what a Daemon wearing the skin of a man can do kiddo… it isn't pretty. And usually it ends with a lot of innocent people dying"
Lucian seemed sufficiently cowed.
The boy was obviously coming to terms with a lot of things. He must have known to some extent that he had done things… but in certain cases, his aura seemed to be far more reactive then active. The boy couldn't willingly use his powers, only call on them in the most dire of circumstances.
Vownus pegged him to be within the Telekinesis Discipline, but kept his mind flexible.
Standing from his chair, the Witch Hunter delivered his ultimatum.
"You either come with me now, or we duke it out until one of us is dead" Vownus declared, adding, "I've been at this a long time kiddo. You've got one hell of a swing, but I've faced worse"
He hadn't. Not at all. But the kid didn't need to know that. He just needed to make up his mind.
If the boy wanted to duke it out? So be it.
The Inquisitor could only pray that the boy would see reason and come willingly. Besides, what exactly was there on Helios for young Lucian? Positively nothing. Not a single damn thing… unless the boy was really serious about cutting wheat, the only thing this place would serve as was a horrible reminder.
So as the kid's face scrunched up, the Witch hunter crossed his fingers behind his back.
Vownus would do what he needed to. He would prefer it if the kid didn't go completely mental on him, but hey, what can a fella do?
"I don't like you"
"Not the first time I've heard that" Vownus nodded at the boy's brash statement.
"But… but I don't want anyone else to die because of me. If I really am that dangerous, I'll come with you"
Vownus knew he'd have to get the boy to kill one day. Willingly and by his own conviction.
But that was a problem for future-Vownus to deal with.
The Inquisitor smiled as he stood, pointedly ignoring the boy's lingering frown.
"Perfect. We've got to make one more stop before we depart from Helios. I've gone to the effort of procuring you a pair of bodyguards!"
The boy didn't visibly react to that declaration.
Vownus was ready to turn out the door and march off, his newest minion following in his wake… but he decided to offer an olive branch.
"If you would like to do anything at all before we depart… now would be the time to tell me kiddo"
Lucian had slid out of the bed he occupied, looking up at Vownus in contempt filled thought. It was then when he decided to return home for… a memorial.
"I hope that brought you some peace"
Lucian was startled by the voice of the Inquisitor, hastily looking up and around him. Under the wing of the spaceship, everyone, including the Guardsmen, was staring intently at him.
He, who had been staring blankly at the husk of his home.
"It did," Lucian replied, slowly but surely getting used to the attention of those around him. Vownus nodded, gestured to his retinue, and boarded the vessel. His guards were not far behind him.
Lynwood and Caius, the boy's bodyguards, remained side by side with Lucian.
He had never imagined he'd have body guards in his life.
Releasing they would not be moving unless he did, Lucian sighed, and made his way up the ramp and into the back of the Aquila Lander.
Lynwood and Caius followed.
A bit of an awkward standoff occurred at the top of the ramp.
Besides it's VIP chair, occupied by a very smug looking Vownus, the Aquila lander was rated to fit six people. Typically this would be the retinue of whatever Officer, Captain, or in this case Inquisitor, was using the vessel to travel.
With Vownus' guards already in five of the six seats, as the ramp closed behind them, the last spot remained uncomfortably open for the three standing people.
"Lucian" Lynwood's voice grumbled from over the boy's shoulder, gesturing to the seat, "it would be best if you sat down. Exiting the atmosphere of a world can be a turbulent experience"
Lucian hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to let Lynwood and Caius stand.
His hestiance caught the attention of the Inquisitor, who just had to comment on it.
"Want someone to hold your hand as well?" Vownus taunted from his high chair, his annoying smirk getting a glare from the boy.
This taunting statement was not received negatively by just Lucian however.
"Boy"
The young Psyker turned to his left.
It was the Sergeant who addressed him, the very beautiful lady with short hair and a constantly grumpy expression.
Lucian had seen Vownus constantly shooting her looks and wiggling his eyebrows at the woman. The Sergeant would pointedly ignore him.
"Come here" she ordered, undoing the buckle and brace around her chest.
Lucian was confused, but did as she ordered, approaching her carefully. As soon as he was within reach, she plucked him from the metal floor of the cabin with her surprising strength. Lifting him into the air, Sergeant Halliday planted the boy in her lap, pulling his back right against her.
Lucian found the back of his head placed flush against her… chest.
His face burned a crimson red.
As she reconnected the buckle around herself and the boy, more than a few people in the Cabin shot the two of them incredulous looks.
Most prominent of them was the Inquisitor.
Sergeant Halliday's response to her leader's shocked stare?
She shot the notorious flirt the most savage of grins, and then promptly ignored him. It was Jun who broke out laughing first, followed by Kado.
Lynwood had gestured to Caius to take the last seat, opting to be the one to stand in the cabin. He knew how to brace himself properly.
It took another moment for Vownus to fully recover himself, as well as the saucy smirk his Sergeant had given him.
Composing himself, the man barked an order at the pilot.
A minute later, the Aquila Lander was in the air, slowly but surely cutting further and further into the sky.
An exciting thought reached Lucian's mind even as the shuttle began to rattle ever so slightly.
He'd never been to space before.
Vownus wasn't jealous.
Well maybe he was just a tiny little bit, due to the fact he was only able to mentally imagine how soft Sergeant Halliday's ample-
'You are a distinguished member of the Emperor's Inquisition' Vownus reminded himself, sitting back in his chair and gazing out into the void of space. His eyes fell upon the silhouette of the Tempest's Advance, 'you cannot be thinking about boobs… yet…'
God that kid really had the best seat in the house. And it was all done just to spite him! He'd very clearly seen the look on the Sergeant's face. That smile. Ooooh, Slaanesh wished it could get its disgusting claws on Halliday.
Vownus breathed out a prayer. Even comedic thoughts could lead one down a terrible path.
"My Lord" the voice of their pilot came through to the small Vox speaker in Vownus' chair, "Captain Olivina requests your presence at the earliest convenience. Enginseer Eyrerradis is also waiting for our arrival"
The pilot was silent for a few moments longer, most likely receiving some kind of communication of information, before finishing with, "The Magos wishes you to know he requires a Forgeworld if he is to complete the task you have assigned him"
Damn. So it couldn't be completed on the ship.
This was more tedious than it was frustrating. The relatively small contingent of Tech Priests aboard the Tempests Advance did fine work in not only repairs, but the fabrication of items and equipment Vownus required. Typically, he needed to only give the Adeptus Mechanicus whatever resources they requested, and within a week at most he'd have his new piece of equipment.
If they needed a Forge world, that meant interacting with a larger group of the Mechanicus.
Vownus didn't look forward to that.
The servants of the Omnissiah were weird enough as it were. Put a lot of them in a room together and it was incredible how little they all got done, constantly arguing about oils and protocol and the like.
And in Binary too.
By the Throne that language is hard on the ears.
"Thank you pilot. Please inform the Captain I will be meeting with her as soon as possible"
"By your will, my Lord"
The vox line clicked off.
Vownus had a few things to attend to it seemed.
He took a subtle glance at Lucian, who was wide eyed and amazed from what little he could see through the nearest porthole.
A few things indeed…
As excited as he was, Lucian did his best not to jostle the lady who's lap he currently sat in. But it was getting more and more difficult to want to stay still. After the horrendous amount of shaking he had to endure only a few minutes ago, the porthole across from him displayed a Canvas of black littered with tiny dots of light.
Space, and the numerous stars it was filled with…
Incredible.
It looked so different from the night sky on Helios. A funny thought occurred to Lucian. He supposed, technically, he was in the night right now.
Lucian couldn't help the small cough of laughter escape from him.
"Something funny, kid?"
The port hole was nestled between the seats of two men across from him. One of the men was of a darker complexion, a small black beard developing on his chin and upper lip. His blue eyes hadn't left the boy since they had taken off.
The other was a huge man. Along both of his muscled arms, sneaking up the collar of his neck and atop his large beefy hands were deep lines of black ink.
His eyes were… pulled, somewhat. Giving his near growling expression an edge of viciousness. His short hair was hidden by the black Guardsmen helmet he wore.
Lucian could just barely make out the '501st' on the side of the helm, his eyes dancing down to the multitude of scars that the man bore.
It was the larger one, who had asked, well grunted, the pointed question.
"No my Lord" Lucian quickly shot back, terrified at the sudden and aggressive attention of the huge figure. The boy would have turned his head to try and look away, but his head was somewhat locked in his… pillow.
"My Lord?" the great man mocked, "HA!"
The man's face split into a savage grin, his mouth opening to say more.
"Leave him alone, Kado" said the blue eyed man, the one that was beside the behemoth. His soft features were still directed toward Lucian though, and they remained like that even as the large one, Kado, snapped his head toward him.
"Or what?" Kado practically snarled down at the shorter man, "gonna faint on me?"
Retrained in their seats and being just over an arms length away from one another is what kept the two from coming to blows.
"I'm sure Trooper Brander means nothing against you. In fact, I'm assuming he's trying to help you avoid making a mistake" the calm and collected voice came from the end of Lucian's row of seats.
This was the Guardsman who wasn't exactly tall, but not exactly short either. High and defined cheekbones, a very deep gaze and a constantly at peace expression made him alright to look at.
So long as he didn't stare back at you.
He could muster a very intense expression, the same one that Lucian had seen the first time he saw the man.
"Fuck off Jun" Kado snapped at the Guard.
The lanky man audibly sighed at the snappy response, resting his head back against the seat.
"Fine. Continue to bully the young and impressionable Psyker as you please"
Lucian felt the Sergeant, the woman's whos lap he was on, stiffen suddenly. Everyone else in the pod besides Lynwood, Caius and Vownus reacted in some sense or fashion.
Lucian looked toward the large man, Kado, and was unsure how to feel as the man's face shifted to another expression.
It was slight, but the aggression he so plainly wore was now tinged with worry.
'No' Lucian corrected himself, 'fear'
He supposed the truth of what he was, a Psyker, hadn't quite stuck itself into his head.
The odd silence that took over the space was buffeted by the deep growl of the Lander's engine, and then shattered by the loud announcement made to the rear cabin.
"Ladies and Gentlemen" Vownus spun around in his raised VIP chair, the receiver of the Vox Caster in his hand. The man was only a few feet away from all of them, but still had felt the need to use the vessel's Vox speaker.
Vownus' lazy smirk was directed to each person his eyes shifted between. Lucian felt the man's gaze settle on him, but refused to look toward him.
He still didn't like him.
"This is your Inquisitor speaking, if you direct your attention to your nearest porthole, you shall see our destination, the Tempests Advance"
Even if Lucian didn't want to look at the man, he did want to see the ship.
The first voidcraft he'd ever seen.
As he gazed through the porthole, the sight of it finally appeared.
Against the black of space, the outline of the ship dominated the viewport. It cut an elegant yet blocky length with a sharpened and armoured front. At the back of the ship, where the engines were located, the top of the ship built up into an impressive spire.
All across its length, he couldn't help but equate the detailed designs of the grand vessel to that of Helios' grand chapel.
Apart from the thin spires, Lucian could make out the hundreds, if not thousands, of swiveling gun ports. He didn't know why he was so surprised to see so many weapons decorating the outer surface of the ship.
'It's a warship' he reminded himself, 'it needs to be able to fight'
Vownus' voice sounded out again, yanking Lucian out of his musings.
"Nearly two kilometres in length, the Tempests Advance is a Dauntless class Light Cruiser" everyone else in the cabin shot the man in the raised chair a confused or annoyed look. It took Lucian a second to realise that this information was being explained to him. Vownus' had noticed the look of interest on the boy's face.
"With this in mind and on behalf of the Ordo Hereticus, I'd like to welcome you aboard" he spun away from the look of the frowning boy, "prepare for landing"
The vox speaker clicked off, much to everyone's immediate relief.
Lucian however, was still focused on the ship outside, their approach now slowing down somewhat. The massive expanse of the ship absorbed the entire view of the porthole, leaving a more detailed look at its corded steel hull.
Lucian couldn't see space anymore, just the metal surface of-
Ever so suddenly, a weird buzz passed through his body, causing him to twitch in surprise.
"Stay calm" the voice of the Sergeant whispered to him, "it's just the hangers void shield"
Lucian didn't know what that was at all, but mumbled a quiet sorry at his sudden yet slight panic.
The porthole now revealed a large expansive space, crawling with hundreds of people in various outfits and uniforms.
They were now in the hanger of the Tempests Advance.
Vownus had to remind himself not to scold his favourite Guardsmen as the Lander slowly set itself down.
The Guard were soldiers… not thinkers. Well, Jun seemed to have more than just a mere shred of intelligence.
'Yeah, try scare the disturbingly powerful Psyker while in a small pressurised container with said Psyker… good thinking Kado' Vownus grunted to himself.
The engine dulled down to a much quieter roar, resembling more of a whine if anything. At the same time as the craft shifted into its idle park, the ramp let out a large clanking noise.
Everyone unbuckled themselves from their seats in that instant.
Lucian found himself on his feet, nervously staring at the end of the cabin. This was all so very new for the boy, a mere farmer, now inducted into service to the Inquisition aboard a war vessel.
All within such a short time frame too.
Sink or swim, Vownus reminded himself.
Besides, he had faith in the boy. Of the handful of times he had come across another Alpha tier Psyker, nearly all of them were insane to some degree or capacity. The rest were possessed.
Lucian not only seemed normal in the Material world, but even in the Immaterium as well. There was no kind of taint to be found upon him at all.
He'd do fine.
The ramp began to lower down, revealing the main hanger in all its grey metal glory.
The Soldiers were down the ramp and onto the ship first. They had moved with purpose, stepping aboard the war vessel in a formation they had done countless times.
Lucian was too busy just simply staring everywhere to notice Kilo Squad's perfect movements.
It was a vast space, with noise and movement occupying every inch. As he slowly made his way down the ramp flanked by Lynwood and Caius, Lucian guessed the hangar was at least a hundred meters across. Strange looking machines carried parcels and packages, disappearing into passageways and doors built all over the space.
Men in full body suits with weird, circular helmets, stood by one another, speaking or talking. Rows of Guardsmen marched into view, before disappearing down the opened blast doors of the ship.
It was a hive of activity.
Above him, hanging from the ceiling which was half that of the hanger's width, were a series of aircraft the boy did not know the name of.
Oh! There were a few Valkyries! And some other ships which looked similar to them, but were a bit bulkier. Servitors floated between the airships, the red light of their scanners recording innumerable amounts of information.
Excitedly, he turned down to look dead ahead of him.
Built into the hanger were a series of large rooms. Ten rooms, to be exact. Lucian didn't know the names of the massive ground vehicles that inhabited the rooms, but the boy knew a tank when he saw one.
Teams of men and human looking machines moved around these vehicles, sparks flying as they worked and prayed upon the mighty armored units.
"Wow" he whispered, finally reaching the bottom of the ramp.
The black cloaked figure of Vownus slipped past him.
"Pretty cool, huh?" the man commented at the boy, stepping toward his waiting squad, and the strange red cloaked figure that now stood with them.
Lucian forcibly contained his shock and awe, doing his best to mute the obvious wonder he was experiencing, lest Vownus chide him for it.
So instead of twisting his head around in every direction, trying to take in every little detail, Lucian studied the strange new figure that had presumably come to greet them.
This ...man?... unnerved Luican. He stood so perfectly still, his head covered by his red robe and arms hidden by the long and wide sleeves. Lucian couldn't tell anything about him, just that he felt weird to him.
Vownus addressed the strange man first, coming right before him in order to speak. Lucian, unsure of what he was supposed to do, slowly approached the speaking witch hunter.
"Enginseer Eyrerradis" the man addressed, "what news do you bring?"
Lucian did not expect the static gargle that came from the hooded man, nor the scratchy, toneless voice that followed it.
"Inquisitor" the being bowed forward slightly, "Myself and the Magos would humly ask you to take us to the nearest Forgeworld"
Vownus seemed unbothered by the way the man spoke, but more concerned about the words themselves. He brought a hand up to his chin, scratching it slowly.
"The Magos believes he is close to a breakthrough"
Vownus barked an order over his shoulder to the Guard that were still waiting patiently.
"All of you are dismissed except for Jun"
The squad all nodded briefly, saluting Vownus before departing. A few of them shot looks toward their lanky companion. Worry and savage smile were the most notable of expressions.
The trooper, Jun, seemed completely unbothered by all of this. He was staring around the hanger, idly ignoring the conversation between Vownus and this 'Enginseer'.
Lucian was enraptured by the strange and enigmatic being of the figure cloaked in oily red rags.
Vownus finally replied to the subtle demands.
"I'm assuming you've already asked the Captain?"
The hidden head of the Enginseer bowed forward in a nod, "Indeed, Inquisitor. She stated that this vessel would not move without your express permission"
Lucian barely caught the Witch hunter mutter beneath his breath, "Of course she did"
The man dropped his hand from his chin with a sigh, "I will speak to her immediately Enginseer, you have my word"
The figure bowed deeper now, its hands coming out of its robes.
Lucian noted with shock that the mans hands were made of metal. Each digit of its fingers a metallic facsimile of the real deal.
"The Servants of the Omnissiah thank you, Inquisitor" the being, Eyrerradis, spoke this, blurted a series of strange noises and departed.
Lucian was a bit unnerved at how the man seemed to glide across the ground, his legs never quite moving as if he were walking.
Lucian's new bodyguard, Lynwood, let out one word.
"Mechanicus" he grumbled.
His words seemed to draw Vownus' attention. The man spun to face them with a brilliant smile.
"Right. Let's get you three settled in"
Vownus turned to the Guardsmen that had waited behind.
"Jun, take them to deck 6. The rooms near the Chapel will do" and with that, Vownus swept away. He did however, holler over back to the four remaining individuals.
"I'll come by and visit in a bit, kiddo! Just need to tie a few things up!"
And then he was gone, briskly striding down one of the many corridors leading out of the hanger.
Lucian wanted to yell at the man.
He hated how Vownus kept calling him 'kiddo'.
He wasn't a baby! He was 12 years old for Emperor's sake.
Jun's seemingly exhausted voice got the fuming youth's attention.
"Follow me then" and he started to walk away.
The Helios natives followed in curious silence.
As a Librarian, Aethod spent a large portion of his time reading through the many numerous tomes and texts of his Chapter.
The history of the Astral Knights was a sacred responsibility that he, as the last Librarian of his Chapter, upheld with dignity and honor. All the deeds and accomplishments of his Chapter were his duty, divining wisdom and knowledge that only hundreds upon hundreds of years of history could provide.
The inner sanctum of the Tempests Advance's largest Chapel was where the Knights now called home. Within this space they had but enough room for themselves, their equipment, what little belongings they possessed, and a carefully constructed sparring ring.
While the Chapel served as their Chapter's current standing point, the rooms given to them for rest, recuperation and personal prayer were not directly attached to the holy structure.
But they were not far, merely a few strides away.
Aethod was given the largest of impromptu rooms, his Brother's knowing that he would be keeping all the books with him as well.
Prior to crossing paths with Inquisitor Kaede, they had been on an admittedly suicidal crusade across the stars, purging and smiting every foe of mankind they came upon. There had been no reason or plan. They merely fought and battled, for there was naught much else to do.
The Astral Knights had at one time been a grand chapter. Aethod knew their history well.
He had served directly under Artor Amhrad, the previous Chapter Master to the Knights. May he rest in eternal peace. Upon hundreds of worlds Aethod had fought alongside his Brothers and the forces of mankind.
They had vanquished many foes. The Knights could never turn away from a threat to the Imperium of Man.
This had been their undoing.
The Necrons, a foul race of mechanical Xenos, had unveiled a grand weapon. This incredible structure, called the World-Engine by Imperial Forces, was designed for the sundering of entire worlds.
With Mankind in danger once more, the Astral Knights had mustered the near full force of their Chapter, and sailed out into the stars to do battle with these Xenos.
It had been the orders of Chief Librarian Hyalhi that kept Aethod away from the glorious combat.
"There must always be a watchful soul within these halls" Hyalhi had told him. Aethod did not know it at the time, but he was being spared a fiery fate.
He and a handful of others would remain upon Obodsia, deep within their fortress-monastery, as the rest of their Chapter answered Amhrad's call.
They had waited for the victorious return of their brothers.
They waited for so long. No news or message had been received.
They had waited in silence, praying to the Emperor.
In the end, their Brothers did not return home.
Instead, there was the arrival of foreign ships. Strange Astartes bearing symbols not of their kin. They had called themselves the Sable Swords, and they spoke of the great battle the Knights had waged against the Necron.
They spoke of how every Knight that had left to combat this foe, would never return.
The entire might of their Chapter, expended in the effort to defeat this Necron enemy.
Aethod's brothers, teachers and friends...
These 'Sable Swords' informed them that the Astral Knights were no more. Their Monastery would be repurposed for this new Chapter. Thade, the only Knight remaining with significant seniority had demanded one ship from their to-be successors.
Thade had been full of wroth and fury, as did they all, but his anger was two fold. His heart had burned that their Chapter was gone, but unlike Aethod and the others, Thade was also furious as to how simple it was for them to be struck from history and service.
To be discarded and replaced, once they had served their holy purpose.
The Commander of the Sable Swords 1st Company, Captain Daegen had bequeathed them with a ship and words of encouragement;
"Ply the stars as the Astral Knights once did before they set down roots in stone and iron. Fight on in the Emperor's name until you can fight no more.. And when that day comes, know that in death your duty has ended"
They departed their world, Obsidia, never to see or walk upon its surface again.
It had been a bloody time for them all, the battles and war they had absorbed themselves in. A futile attempt to swallow their grief.
And then the Psyker found them, battling forces of invading Xenos upon some nameless Imperial world.
Of the thirty proud Astartes which had cast off from their Fortress Monastery, the last of the Chapter's might, only Six remained after that particular conflict.
Victory had been achieved.
But the losses… the thought still left a deep ache within Aethod's heart.
Vownus Kaede had spoken with their Dreadnought Thade, the de facto Chapter Master of the Knights, and had somehow convinced the old warrior to join his cause.
Aethod knew not the details or the words they had shared, just that while Thade did not like the man, he had respected his willingness to assist their dying Chapter. Vownus was a particular individual, one that most men were reviled by. Aethod quite enjoyed his talks, both verbal and mental, with the Psyker philosopher.
However what could not be doubted about the man was his propensity for good. He saw value where most would see naught but ash and waste. A keen talent.
Where most had turned the 'beggar' Marines away, Vownus had welcomed them gladly into his fold.
Other Chapters had not been so kind to Aethod and his kin.
Vownus Kaede had given them glorious purpose once more. He had deployed the Knights on many a mission and battlefield, always fighting for the betterment of Mankind. The Inquisitor was careful with his resources. Aethod could see that the man valued the lives of those he worked above.
A good man.
Even if his status as a Psyker pushed many away from him.
Yet his status as an Inquisitor allowed him to draw resources for not only himself, but his servants. With such resources, and with the help of the Adeptus Mechanicus aboard the Tempests Advance, the Knights were one step closer to rebuilding their Chapter.
Such a thought was soothing to Aethod.
He would not allow the Knights history to fall with him, he who had accomplished so lit-
"I thought I told you to always pay attention brother?"
Aethod twisted about from his position on the floor, carefully shutting the book he had been reading as Germael approached from behind.
Aethod had not heard him approach. Germael wasn't even the quietest of their number. That title proudly belonged to Dominius.
"Forgive me, Brother-Captain, my mind was elsewhere"
Germael waved away the Librarians' words, coming to stand beside him as he studied the tombs and texts before him.
Aethod's room, while larger, was still built the same as his brothers. The room was shaped like an oval, a bed reinforced by the Mechancius on the opposite side of the entrance.
To the left of the bed was a small station, covered with weapons, oils and sacred texts of battle and preparation. Opposite this was a stand and six armed servitor device gifted by the Magos aboard the Advance. It was designed to remove their Armor and hold it. The strength of the device was incredible, as it could indeed carry each of the many heavy plates of Ceramite and steel.
Aethod had never thought he could truly enjoy the feeling of being without his armor.
Germael, finding nothing of interest in Aethod's current selection of readings, turned his attention to the rest of the book stuffed room.
"You really should come spar more often brother. Dominius has been getting… antsy" Germael approached a book that lay askew upon its pile, carefully pushing it back into place, "I fear the Inquisitor's erratic tendencies are beginning to affect poor Dominius… as they have you"
Aethod smiled as he stood, bringing himself up to his full height as he addressed his captain with a taunting grin.
"I do not know what you mean, brother-captain"
Germael rolled his eyes at the Librarian, muttering a curse under his breath.
"We were looking for you earlier. Raduriel told me you were here, so I came to bring you the news"
Aethod nodded, his mood softening slightly. His brothers… Besides Germael and sometimes Dominius, the others did not like speaking with Aethod alone.
Aethod and Vownus had spoken at length about this, coming to many different explanations for such reactions. Their answer was always one of a similar note.
He was a Pskyer.
They were not.
"What news?" the Librarian asked as he refocused his mind, not allowing himself to delve into such a negative place so simply.
Germael eyebrows cocked upward, ever so slightly.
"The Inquisitor has returned. He has brought with him three new mortals" Germael studied the room once more, and began to depart.
"They are to be our new neighbours, brother"
Junix Gollip was just a touch on edge. As the Corporal navigated through the numerous passageways and walkways of the Tempest's Advance, he was constantly aware of the presence which followed him.
The three newest additions to the ship.
Caius Helix and Lynwood Deculus, former Arbite Enforcers of Helios, now conscripted into the Inquisitors service to currently serve as bodyguards to the third individual.
This third individual was a current mystery to Corporal Jun.
The young Psyker, Lucian Inalique, was slight and slim. His mop of black hair was unruly and wild. And while clad in his grey standard clothing, Jun's keen eyes were able to discern the boy had the build of a worker. A farmer, to be precise.
This should come as no surprise, since his home, the place the boy had been allowed to say goodbye to, was located in Helios' outer farming sector.
But Jun was able to gleam that the boy had been a hard worker. Callous' like the ones on Lucian's hands were not earned so simply. Rigorous labor had been involved with the boy's life.
Jun was having a hard time viewing this innocent and uninformed youth as the devious and deadly kind of Psyker that Inquisitor Vownus so regularly hunted down. What was more surprising was Vownus' description of the boy.
He had feared that young Lucian had the ability to best him.
This boy, this wide-eyed starry eyed youth, could beat the nigh unkillable Vownus Kaede… Jun didn't believe it to be possible.
But Vownus hadn't torn apart the entire PDF camp in an effort to eliminate this powerful Psyker. Instead, he had walked out of the building with the two Arbites and child in toe.
No battle, no fight.
Just a quick stop at a burnt down home and they were off.
Forgetting the banter and Kado's ego aboard the Aquila Lander, Jun had been subtly observing young Lucian the entire flight.
The boy seemed direct and honest, youthful and impressionable, and this, combined with everything the Corporal had noticed before, pointed him to one outcome.
Vownus was not only going to train this boy in the ways of the warp.
He would fill the role of his replacement, in case of an early or unforseen demise.
Young Lucian would be Jun's new boss, on the off chance Vownus bit off more than he could chew and Jun was still alive to witness such a hand over.
Operating under this assumption, Jun would treat the kid with the bare minimum of respect and consideration.
The boy would have to earn the rest, like Vownus did.
Every single man and woman in the 501st respected their current Inquisitorial leader. He annoyed, infuriated and taunted as many of them as he possibly could, but the man had a good head atop his shoulders.
He did not throw them to the wolves unless he absolutely had to.
And so, the 501st rewarded Vownus with their complete loyalty. The Witch hunter did what he could to protect mankind, and the Guard that came with him would make sure he could complete his mission.
That, or they would die trying.
"Excuse me, Guardsman Jun?"
But just because he respected Vownus, didn't mean he appreciated the man assigning him as temporary babysitter.
"It is, Corporal Junix, Psyker Lucian" he did not turn to speak to the boy, "what is it?"
The boy's timid tone was infuriating, "sorry sir. I was curious... I wanted to know how many people were on this ship"
Junix rolled his eyes, gladly out of view of the boy, and replied with due diligence "a Dauntless class cruiser is capable of holding up to 60,000 people, Psyker Lucian"
His voice had been cold and accurate, speaking only what the boy needed to know. There was some kind of mumbled acceptance of the information, before the child went thankfully quiet again.
The snapped order nearly shocked Jun.
"Halt Guardsman"
He stopped in the large hallway, turning to face the older Arbite that had spoken to him, Jun was surprised at the cold ferocity in the man's features.
"You will refrain from speaking upon young Lucian's status, Guardsman. If you are to refer to him you will speak only his name" the Arbite Lynwood commanded, his bionic eye focusing in on Jun with red pointed precision.
Jun blinked, fully turning his body to stand against the man that defied him.
"Remember your place, Arbite, you are a bodyguard, do not presume to-"
Jun nearly stumbled back as the man took one long step into his personal space.
"Remember yours, Guardsman Junix" the man's frost filled fury was bitter and frigid, "You serve under the Inquisitor's jurisdiction, do you not?"
Jun nodded once, his mind failing to find words under such an expression.
"Then as a newly instated Inquisitorial Agent, I am an extension of my Inquisitors will. Consider this your first and last warning" he gestured just behind him.
Jun briefly glanced at the wide eyed boy. Like the other Arbite Caius Helix, the Psyker youth was watching the scene unfold before him with apparent shock.
"You will refer to my charge by his name, and his name alone" Lynwood reached for the bolter at his side, "or you will be shot. Is that clear, Guardsman?"
Jun nodded.
"I said, is that clear, Guardsman?"
"Y-yes my Lord" Jun quickly affirmed, cursing the quiver in his voice. The man still did not step away from him, remaining close to study the man's expression with a vicious glare.
"Good" he finally settled on, stepping back and letting his hand drop back to his side "carry on, Corporal Junix"
Sufficiently cowed, the Corporal turned away from the three and began his steady walk again.
In his head he couldn't help but make a few more comparisons and connections.
There was a reason Vownus had brought the all three on board.
Lucian's were already stated and obvious.
Caius' merits were yet to be seen.
But Lynwood…
That man would have made one hell of a Commissar in another life.
The rest of the journey to their rooms was uneventful and quiet, the only noise shared between the four of them being their bootfalls.
Caius and Lucian did share a brief look of shock, as if to confirm that the other had indeed witnessed what had happened.
Lynwood was still drilling a hole with his eyes in the back of the Corporal's head.
Lucian didn't even get a chance to thank the Corporal once he had delivered them to their "new quarters".
Upon reaching their destination, the man had briefly saluted Caius and Lynwood, then promptly marched off, presumably to rejoin his squad. Lucian hadn't bothered the man anymore after Lynwood had dug into him, he and Caius both shocked at the sudden explosion of anger.
He still had plenty of questions, but Lucian didn't want to exacerbate the situation anymore than he already had.
Watching Corporal Junix's hasty retreat was enough to tell him that the man despised their presence to some degree.
"Lucian"
Lynwood's calling of his name got the boy to turn around, lest he experience the wroth of the serious ex-Enforcer.
The surprisingly large space before him was divided by three paths. The one directly ahead of him led to another large opening, one that countless numbers of figures walked to and fro. It was like a doorway to the largest road on the ship. Lucian could barely make out who and what passed by long before they were gone from sight, or another figure stepped by them.
The second path, the one to his left, led toward a large stone structure.
It was a Chapel.
As tall as it was grand, opulent depictions of angels, saints and symbols of the Imperium adorned its front. This place welcomed the faithful, and spurned the heretic. The many candles and offerings that lay perched upon its great width stood out proudly. Doors of a deep black, trimmed with a soft silvery grey, marked the entrance of the chapel.
"Lucian"
Lynwood's impatience finally snagged the boy's attention, drawing him from the impressive sight.
The path to his right, where Lynwood and Caius stood, was a much smaller hallway.
Quickly running up to the Arbites, the men stepped into the raised hallway. Beyond were rows of doors, each arranged on opposite sides of one another and lining the length of this larger than normal hallway.
Lucian counted eight doors on each side and two at the end of the hallway.
Some of the doors were open, while a row of five at the very end of the hallway on the right were closed. The door at the end of the hallway on the right was also shut. The Psyker in training assumed these were occupied.
"Fairly large rooms" Caius' voice called out to them from the first room on the left he had quickly inspected, "pretty nice. A lot nicer than Helios"
He reappeared from the room, a slight grin on his face.
Lynwood's dower expression slowly pushed the grin away.
"We should-"
"Can I have that room?"
Both of the grown men looked toward Lucian, who was pointing to the unoccupied room directly at the end of the hallway. Unwilling to begrudge the boy his choice Lynwood merely sighed.
Tactically it was smarter to be clustered at the beginning of the hallway, so in the case of a Warp Incursion or boarding action by a hostile force, they wouldn't be boxed into a kill box.
But the boy wanted the room, and Lynwood was in no mood to argue the merits of the others.
"Sure" he assented, trying not to be pleased by the large grin the child shot at him. His new ward proceeded to dart down the corridor, running right into his selected room. Caius and Lynwood shared a look, the younger of the two shrugging.
They walked down the corridor, prepared to take rooms as close as they could to their young charge. His safety was their priority after all.
As they came face to face with the open rooms they desired, the mechanical seal of the door behind them popped open.
Caius had a foot into his room as he turned around.
And nearly scraped his jaw off the floor.
At the quiet gasp of his friend, Lynwood also spun around, coming face to face with a behemoth of a figure covered in beautiful silver and blue armor.
The figure looked down at them, the red eyes of its helmet unnerving the two men.
"Oh? You must be our new neighbours"
Even though it was annoyingly metal grey, Lucian was happy at the sheer size of his new room. It was huge! He'd probably made a pretty good decision. As soon as he shot through the door, the first thing he had done was turn the quick corner and pass through the short corridor into the actual room.
He did note the vox communicator embedded in the wall of the little antechamber before the entire room was revealed to him.
The ceiling was ridiculously high, a few lights hanging from it and colouring as much of the space as possible.
The bed at the other end was massive. Lucian figured he could fit at least ten people on it!
There was a desk to his right, sprawling and large with the symbol of the Aquila mounted above it. The desk itself wasn't even completely empty. A stack of papers adorned the wooden structure, a quill and a jar of ink next to the finely ordered pile of parchment.
Opposite this desk, so to Lucian's immediate left, was a row of lockers. Cracking one open with hurried and excited glee, the boy was sad to see it didn't contain anything besides coat hangers.
A clothes locker?
Lame.
The second locker was wider and much harder to open. The small boy nearly had to jump to reach the handles to the double doors that kept the thing shut.
Eventually managing to swing it open, Lucian was annoyed that it too was also empty… but it wasn't a clothes locker.
There were pegs sticking out from the strange surface that made up the back of the locker. They didn't form any particular shape or feature, but it seemed as though you had to hang something from them.
It took him but another second to realise it was for weapons.
A personal weapons locker.
In his room.
He was as interested by this thought as he was disturbed.
Besides this however, the room was mostly barren and untouched.
Chatter echoed out from the hallway behind him. The noise wasn't Lynwood or Caius, that was for certain.
With some mild trepidation in his step, Lucian hurried toward the door to the room he hoped to be allowed.
And as he reached the hallway he-
Lucian collided with something in front of his door, something that was blocking the rest of the hallway. Whatever he ran into had no give, and the youth practically bounced off of it.
Falling on his rear, Lucian clutched his nose in pain, blinking the white spots out of his vision.
'What the..'
Eventually his vision returned, and he was able to digest what his eyes were telling his brain.
A large silver and blue lump of steel had been deposited in front of his room. This lump shifted, and another stepped into view to join the first.
Legs.
Lucian realised he was looking at very large and armored legs.
He blinked at the large thing that stood in front of him. Slowly he panned his head up, taking in the belt, chest, shoulders, and eventually the head.
"Woah" he muttered, blinking with wide eyes at the red eyed face that stared down at him. It… it was a huge man made out of metal?
"Greetings Mortal" the metal man said.
"My Lord" Lucian quickly pulled himself to his feet and bowed, "I uh… I didn't mean to run into you! I'm very sorry!"
The giant man replied quite simply and factually, "no harm was done, Mortal"
Not to him at least.
It took a large armored fist up to his head, pulling the… oh.
...It was a helmet.
The large being pulled the helmet from its head, revealing that it was actually a man.
"I was introducing myself to your comrades here" for a man so huge, he moved so quietly, stepped back a bit to gesture at the awe filled faces of Lynwood and Caius.
But the big fellow wasn't done talking.
"The Inquisitor has sequestered you to this section of his vessel for a particular purpose. I am not certain, but I believe we will be seeing more of one another in the near future, Mortals"
Lucian didn't really know what to say, but he certainly wasn't comfortable with the title of 'mortal'. Just because this guy was bigger than him didn't mean he could pick such a… derogating title for him, Lynwood and Caius.
"My name is Lucian, my Lord. These men are the Inquisitors new agents, Lynwood Deculus and Caius Helix"
The giant said nothing, his gaze meeting Lucian's.
Strangely enough, the size of the man was slowly beginning to intimidate Lucian less and less. The boy did however, miss the wide eyed look shot at him by Caius, and the unimpressed stare of Lynwood.
"Lucian?" the giant repeated, getting a nod from the child, "I am Captain Germael of the Astral Knights" his stern gaze regarded the boy, "a pleasure to meet you"
It certainly didn't sound like it.
The giant turned to the Inquisitor's new agents, "a pleasure as well, Lynwood Deculus and Caius Helix"
The being donned its helmet once more.
"I have duties to attend to, my new neighbours. The Emperor Protects" and then he turned away, marching off down the corridor and out of sight.
That was the first time Lynwood, Caius or Lucian had ever met a Space Marine. The looks on each of their faces certainly expressed that notion.
Junix had walked into a conversational ambush and he knew it. The moment he stepped into his bunkroom a part of him had been expecting this.
"So?" it was Fuelip who asked first, even as Kado jammed the door to the room closed behind Jun.
"So?" Jun repeated tiredly, walking toward his bunk at the far end of the slight room. He was already shucking his guard and vest, ready to hit the communal showers and take a decently sized break.
Helios had been short and boring, and he didn't appreciate it when-
An arm stopped him.
Not Kin's muscled arm, but the lean and powerful limb of Sergeant Halliday.
"Yes Sergeant?" Jun lazily spun his head toward the woman.
Kilo Squad's Sergeant had the bottom bunk between her and Fuelip, closest to the door. The other woman was peering over the top of her elevated bunk, a birdseye view to the standoff between Halliday and Jun.
Haylay sat back down on her bunk, dressed in only a black tank top and her combat shorts. Always ready to move at a moment's notice. Such was the life of a Sergeant.
Unlike most of the men and some of the women in the 501st that drooled after the woman, Jun liked to think they had a very healthy professional relationship.
As her Corporal, he did his best to ensure not only her survival, but that of the squad as a whole.
So far, it seemed to work.
"Don't play dumb Jun, it's not a good look" her typical layer of ice was missing, so the words carried a bit of humorous inflection. But she was still all business.
After all, she wasn't dumb.
She knew why Vownus had sent him to escort the newbies.
Jun sighed.
"The older one, Lynwood, he's served under an Inquisitor before. Not sure if Kaede is already aware of that, but I'll be sure to pass it on to him on the off chance he doesn't know yet"
Haylay nodded. A gleam entered her eye.
"The other?"
Jun cocked an eyebrow, but answered the prompt, "Caius is a nobody. An Agri-world Enforcer with a feather in his cap. Way out of his depth and dragged along for reasons I wasn't completely able to discern"
"What could you discern?"
That question had sailed over from the other side of the bunk. Millock was the lucky one who got to sleep on his own bunk for now. They all took turns with one another each week for the bunk It was one of the few things all of them gambled on.
His question was pointed yet calm, and Jun couldn't see a reason not to answer the man, and by extension the rest of his squad.
Information was power. That was one of the things Vownus had taught him personally.
"They're here because of the boy. To acclimatise him to his new life, or to make sure he toes the line at Vownus' discretion" Jun walked to his bunk, climbing up top as Kado settled in beneath him.
"Make no mistake, both of the Arbites are loyal to Vownus and will do as he instructs, but their purpose is to desensitise the kid"
"Why is there so much focus on the child," Kado growled up at his now resting bunkmate, "couldn't Kaede just hand him off to the… you-know-whats?"
"That would defeat the purpose of training a replacement" Haylay grunted to Kado, the sound of her shifting in her bed the only noise to follow that statement.
Jun had to admit as he smiled, she could be very sharp at times.
That kind of perceptiveness was what made her such an excellent Sergeant. He didn't always have to spell it out for her.
"What?" Fuelip blurted out.
"Jun" Haylay ordered simply. She'd let her subordinate do the talking.
Jun sighed, "Vownus is… a very tough man. But he's not invincible. Sooner or later his career will get him killed. That is a fact" reaching into the small gap between his mattress and the wall of the bunkroom, Jun retrieved a small book.
"So, in the eventuality of his death, our dear Inquisitor will need someone to fill his boots when he's gone to join the Emperor"
"The kid" Kado breathed out, suddenly realising what the rest of his squad had already concluded.
"Glad you could keep up, big guy" Jun snorted.
He entirely deserved the kick that slammed into the bottom of his mattress.
Vownus was in his personal quarters, slowly going over the received message from The Heretic's Torment.
He had just given the Captain the all clear. Next stop, a forge world for his precious Mechanicus cohort. Keep the Tech-Priests happy so when shit inevitably breaks they'll be more than happy to fix it for you.
Ahmazzi had not been kidding about the boy.
Most of the Tyrantine Cabal hardly believed in the Prophecy, but witnessing what he had today, let alone the reports and dealings... Vownus wouldn't call himself convinced, but he was less skeptical than he was before.
++The Boy is not what he seems Kaede. We both know this. I fear this will not be the last time Chaos comes for him. Go to Calixis when he is ready. Do what you must, but you cannot risk the child lest we damn ourselves and the rest of mankind. Good luck.++
Ahmazzi would be staying on Helios for a bit. He was taking a personal hand in the reformations and restructurings of the planet.
Apparently he'd already shot the Marshal for incompetence and negligence of duty.
A real shit show. One that Vownus was happy to be departing from.
After the Mechanicus did their thing on whatever forgeworld they were heading to, Vownus decided that it might be time for a little bit of intensive training.
Young Lucian needed to be prepared.
The boy knew next to nothing about both himself, and his powers. With him being in close proximity to Aethod now, Vownus could breathe a sigh of relief.
The Librarian was no slouch. To this day, the two of them always debated on who would be able to take the other in a fight.
Vownus was rated as an Alpha Plus Pskyer. The kind of individual that should, theoretically, be able to rip a titan apart with their minds. But when it came to the application of his powers… well he was actually really good at not dying. So good in fact, it had gotten him moved from the Ordo Xenos to the Ordo Hereticus.
Then both he and his talent for survival got noticed by the Tyrantine Cabal. An assorted to group of particularly hard to kill individuals, all working toward the mystery of the Tyrant Star.
And one shit show after another, here he was, following around Ahmazzi, Skane or even Van Vuygens and Soldevan.
Kaede never thought he'd end up like one of the very same people he had called 'Weirdo's' when he first met them… but fate had a funny way of making things work.
Vownus knew he was up to his waist in conspiracies and assassination plots… but he'd make this work too.
He always made it work.
Sitting back in his chair, the man opened his mind to the warp and the energies of the Immaterium, divining a path through the future.
AN: First and foremost a special thanks to , UndyingVindication, Luckydru and human dragon. Y'all are a big piece of personal inspiration to write this story Thanks lads.
Secondly, we have lift off. Finally leaving Helios behind and moving onto new and exciting things. Aka the 'training' arc so to speak, but I promise to make it as bearable as possible. Most of the cast and crew is finally in place, and there will be a few more important faces joining us in the next two to three chapters.
Thirdly, I need a big decision from you guys!
There is a major conflict coming up soon and I need some help making a decision.
Quite simply, Orks A or Orks B. I'm not gonna tell y'all which is which, but I've been doing as much lore reading as I can to help devise our first 40K PROPPA FOIGHT. ITZ GUNNA BE A GUD WUN! GORK N' MORK SAYZ SOOO!
May your mind remain free of heresy,
-Freedom