Melissa watched as her forces took stock of their dead. Aboard the hospital vessel, she witnessed the medical staff scrambling to treat the injured, beginning with the most severe, then moving on to those with lesser injuries. Those who were already gone from this world were being placed in body bags, to await funeral rites in their homelands. Approaching one body with empty, open eyes, Melissa sighed as she moved her palm overtop of his face, closing his eyes forever.

This battle had been a disaster. Too many had died, and though many Drengin had been slain, some had escaped justice. This was unacceptable. It could not happen again.

The sound of clanging metal alerted Melissa to the approaching form of an Astartes Dreadnaught. Turning to face it, Melissa payed no mind to its entourage, who were already being checked by an apothecary.

"So," she began, "did you lose anyone?"

"No," replied the Dreadnaught. "My battle brothers all still draw breath."

"Good...Thank you for helping."

"You are most welcome."

"...I mean it. I know that I-"

"Are a Xenos, yes, but I do not see that as a reason not to help you. Not anymore."

"...thanks."

A loud thud turned the attention of both figures toward one of the medical rooms, where several Astartes were being extracted from their mustard yellow armor. Adepts of the Mechanicum were busy calming the spirits within the armor, while strange creatures worked to heal the Astartes' broken forms.

"To see the noblest sons of Sanguinus so battered and broken. It is heartbreaking," noted the Dreadnaught.

"Indeed it is. How are you holding up?"

"My body may be broken, but my mind still lives. I am fine."

"Good...I'm sorry I can't send you home."

"I do not wish to return to the Imperium. It has decayed too much. Besides, we would be viewed only as traitors. And if my brothers were to find us...that is best left unsaid. Though I worry about Phoros and his sons..."

"Me too. I'll endeavor to allow them to return, but..."

"Your master may not approve. He did refuse to allow you to return us in time to make a difference in the Heresy...or to return us at all."

"He doesn't like me trying to interfere with the destiny of a universe, he says that only he Commanders have that right. Maybe he's right, but I still wish I could do more."

"Perhaps he has a point."

"I know...well, I must bid you farewell."

"Goodbye, Xelik'sis."

"Good, Rylanor."

With that, the two parted ways.

Inwardly, Melissa was not only exhausted, but frustrated. Why couldn't she just send Rylanor and his men back-

"Um, are you okay?"

Instantly, Melissa froze. Around her, the halls of the medical ship disintegrated, being replaced by the ruined form of the city. Turning toward the source of the sound, she found herself looking at the girl whose family she and Flame has encountered in the alley earlier that day. Nearby were the rest of the people that had been their companions during the battle...the ones who hadn't been on this ships, anyway.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that, bad memories."

"Oh."

Silence reigned for a moment, both girls unsure what to say. When it became apparent that Sophia would not leave, though, Melissa finally decided to end the quiet.

"Why are you still here?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry if I sounded rude, but you just survived a giant battle. I thought someone like you would probably be checking on their friends, making sure they're alright, that kind of thing, not standing around doing nothing."

"Oh, well, they're all okay, I called all of them, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"Well, my house got blown up in the fighting. So did most of my friends. Right now, I'm homeless," responded the girl. While her voice betrayed no signs of sorro,me, a single tear had begun to work its way down her face.

Instantly, Melissa's expression softened. This girl was another victim of the fighting, her home taken by forces beyond her control.

This was something that Melissa could fix, though.

"...I might have a way to help you with that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"She's really toeing the line here," remarked the entity known as Operative Tau. "You demand secrecy of us, but she is offering to let those vagrants into her territory with no strings attached."

"Doing so will take them out of this universe, where they will unable to cause us any harm," was the response of Celm. "Besides, whi would believe her? Her claims would be fantastical at best."

"You put too much faith in her, master," responded Operative Zeta. "One day she will betray that faith, and you will suffer for it."

"Is that caution or jealousy speaking, Zeta?"

"I only wish to prevent harm coming to your plans, master. Your willingness to tolerate Omega's infractions toward your rules will only be harmful in the long run."

"Perhaps it will, yet I doubt your words toward our master are entirely motivated by altruism," notes a strange, spindly being, known to the others as Operative Xi. "If Omega should fall from grace, one of you would likely take her place, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"And you have made your desiire to send a random Earthling on a journey across creation for your enjoyment well known. Odds are, you merely wish for her to fall so that you can still her position."

"...How dare you-"

"Enough," intoned Celm. "This conversation is pointless. You are all dismissed. Leave me be!"

Not wishing to anger their superior, the figures glowed with light for a moment before vanishing, leaving Celempheros alone on his chambers. At least, he appeared alone.

"So," Questioned Celm, "how do you think they will act?"

"In all honesty," intoned the armored figure, emerging from the shadow of the mighty statue in the room, "aside from Xi and a few others, the rest of your direct subordinates, besides myself and my siblings, will attempt to sabotage Melissa at any point possible. They desire her position, as it is a point of prestige among our kind, is it not?"

"True...ha ha ha."

"Sir?"

"They're all fighting for prestige, when they could easily all that they desire and more if they just worked together."

"People are stupid like that, regardless of species. They'll fight over scraps when they could make feasts if they worked together. Stupidity and selfishness are infinite across creation."

"...but Commanders aren't. You are still aware of that, right?"

"Yes. This is our last endeavor with Commanders. The previous efforts have been...colossal failures. Pity about that last one, she looked like she was doing so well..,.."

"Pride comes before the fall, but you can't prepare for some things."

"Indeed. Now, I mist excuse myself, sir, for I need to continue my search in the Commander's current universe to retrieve the technology we are to preserve."

"You are dismissed. Goodbye, Iacturos."

"Goodbye, sir."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What were our losses, General?" Questioned Lord Kona.

"Eighty-five percent, sir. We assumed they would be too weak to defend themselves once we deployed the Artifact. We were so wrong."

"How much success did we achieve?"

"Well, our new tank did manage to successfully push the Illuminate forces back, and fight a Federation Tank to a stand still. Still, our overall success was limited, at best."

"I understand. Order our forces to shore up our defenses along our borders with both powers. They are sure to retaliate soon."

"...I am not going to be executed-"

SLAP

"I cannot afford to lose a Commander who has experience fighting these new powers. That slap, and a branding on your back, will be all the reprimand that you will receive."

"...Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome."

XXXXXXXXX

Over and over the footage played, the scenes looping on without end. As each iteration came and went, Lord Dread watched on in anticipation, trying to see all possible angles. This was the first time he had seen the Illuminate forces in action, and he wanted to take ample preparations for any fighting he would have to engage in with these forces.

What truly scared him, though, was the forces of the Infernum Federation. Not because they were unknowns, oh no. In fact, Lord Dread feared them for the opposite reason: he recognized them. These soulless machines were foes he was familiar with, and he dreaded fighting them again. The last battle against them had seen so much death, and only by agreeing to work with their naive cousins, the Arbor, had the Dread Lords survives the conflict. Now, their foes were back, and this war was already turning against them.

Hopefully, they could overcome these ancient foes. Lord Dread did not want to imagine what would happen if they failed.

XXXXXXXXX

Similar thoughts were shared by Draginol, watching the battle replay itself aboard his ship's computer. While the new units brought him some unease, the sight of the fabbers was what truly terrified him.

It had been over fifty thousand years, but at last, the Progenitors has returned to this universe.

Heaven help those who opposed them.

XXXXXXXXXXX

AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k signing off!