The Prelude of War

by Indigard

A very different Mass Effect galaxy encounters a strange and relentless invader that is on constant hunger for Biomass but they never know it's just a glimpse of what coming for them. Featuring: alternative history for every species, a bigger and more populated galaxy, cunning Asari, militarized and germanized human empire.

8. The Imperials

"Do you see what I'm seeing, General Barberic?"

Captain Inagis' bionic eyes widened in horror as he rose from his Command thrones. In the dim light of the bridge, they looked like two burning embers. Everything about this man was strange. He came from a noble family with a tradition of serving in the Imperial Navy for thirty-five generations and had fought in at least four campaigns, large or small, but rarely dressed or acted befitting his status. Up until this point, Inagis still wore the gaudy uniform with the rank of a captain and had the habit of taking good news and bad news with overreactions.

"Is there anything else out here to see?" Farkas curtly replied, then turned to the Magos sitting near the command thrones. He could see that the man or the thing resembling a man wasn't that old and didn't have as many replacement parts as the Magos of Aquaticus, but he looked quaint and weird with a hunchback, four robotic arms, and a ton of wires, big and small, jutting out of his old red cloak "Do you have any conclusion?"

Gothic glyphs came to life as the Magos's half-flesh, half-machine fingers danced across the keyboard. His body jerked slightly under the weight of the information that had just been fed into his brain.

"I do, General Barberic." He said, his voice emotionless. "A massive energy source with the ability to warp spacetime exists within the unidentified object. Purpose of the energy source, unspecified. The composition of the energy source, unspecified. Origin of technology in use, unspecified. The results of my analysis indicate that it is not the work of Eldar, Tau, or humans from the Dark Age of Technology. More data is needed for a satisfactory conclusion."

Farkas snorted. In another word, he knew nothing. General Barberic had no animosity with members of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They were an integral part of the Imperium, he had understood this since he was still a simple Guardsman. Imperial Guard, Adeptus Astartes had poured their blood on the Emperor's glory and defended every inch of Imperium's territory across the stars, but they could never have done it without the diligence, sacrifice, and boundless knowledge of Magos of Mars. The whole Imperium was a giant war machine with millions of parts, and billions of tiny details while the Magos would be the ones responsible for oiling the gears, tightening every screw, repairing the broken ones and throwing away the irreparable. Without Adeptus Mechanicus, the Imperium would be crippled, rusted, and shattered, but Farkas truly hoped that the Magos would prove to be more useful when he needed them most, instead of throwing answers like 'More data is needed for a satisfactory conclusion'

"Didn't Inquisitor Karter tell you what that thing is?" Inagis asked, looking rather worried "My Temple Guard could be in grave danger if it got too close to that thing! Just now, it was more jarring than traveling through a Warp storm, and only the Emperor knows what would happen if…"

"We're still alive, Inagis." Farkas interrupted impatiently, "The Inquisitor only gave me a coordinate, and told me to comment on what I saw, but gave no other information. However, I don't think Karter would forget to issue a warning if it is as dangerous as you think it would be. After your Temple Guard slowed down, the vibration also stopped."

And that crucial decision, once again, rests with Farkas. The Captain of Temple Guard could only sit on his command throne and shout orders to the helmsman to turn the ship around. His concerns were not unfounded, and the aging ship wasn't designed to withstand unusual tremors, but the overreaction had turned everything into a comedy too silly for Farkas's liking. An Imperial Navy captain needs to be more discerning and resilient than that. In situations where obstacles suddenly appear and prevent the Emperor's servant from completing his mission, he should seek to overcome the obstacle, not retreat.

Fortunately, Farkas wouldn't have to endure this incompetence any longer than necessary. The planet of Kanderhall wasn't far away and a warship like Temple Guard only need forty-eight hours to reach its final destination. There was no real reason to complain about Inagis' leadership, not to mention that Farkas had no authority to criticize him either. The Captain of the Temple Guard was on the payroll of the Imperial Navy and answered only to Lord Admiral Sulla, not to him, a commanding officer of the Imperial Guard. Moreover, for the time being, there were plenty of things for Farkas Baberic to worry about than the cowardice of a petty captain.

Then you should come to meet me on Kanderhall. We'll have a more in-depth discussion on the subject.

That was the second request in Inquisitor Mathias Karter's terse message. He could understand that the 'topic' that the Inquisitor was referring to had something to do with the strange giant object over here, but the reason why Karter would want to discuss it with a soldier like him instead of an Archmagos remained a mystery.

"Inagis, please take your ship a little closer so I have something to report to Karter." He told the Captain, "20 kilometers should be enough."

"20..20?" He stammered, fear returning to his amber eyes, "Isn't that a bit too close?"

Farkas grumbled and turned to the Magos again, "It wouldn't bring no harm if we got closer, would it?"

Once again, the Techpriest's fingers danced across the keyboard. Confusing strings of numbers ran across the electronic board with beep-beep sounds humming to a particular rhythm. The Magos kept his silence for a while before slowly turning towards Farkas with a blank, emotionless stare:

"The analysis indicates that we can approach the alien object at a distance of 5 kilometers under certain conditions. The approach should be at a 10-degree incline, propulsion is recommended to be set at 20%, shield should be kept steady at 50%. Compartments C, E F should be prepared for mild tremors."

"Why so?"

"The energy inside the object has a gravitational pull like of a planet. If propulsion is not strong enough, the warship may face the risk of being pulled inward and the heat generated by the energy core can damage the hull."

Throne, how could something capable of such exist in the galaxy? At first, Farkas thought it was a weapon of the Tau upstarts, but his later assessment leaned toward an ancient Eldar space station or Webway. Pointed ears freaks had plenty of such devices all over the galaxy. The legacy of the great Eldar Empire, of a golden age where the Eldars stood above all and humans, were nothing more than insects beneath their feet. They kept singing that song from time to time as if evoking that heroic past would make people forget the fact that they were now just nomads, bandits, thieves and scammers.

"Your Magos has said it's safe to proceed, Inagis. What are you waiting for?" He urged the nervous captain, "Get the ship closer. I only need fifteen minutes. After that, we will depart for Kanderhall."

With no other choice, the Captain of the Temple Guard was forced to let his 1.2-kilometer warship glide through the frigid void to approach the strange object with reluctance and caution. Despite being assured that 5 was a safe number, Inagis insisted on keeping the Temple Guard at exactly 10 km from the object on the grounds that the calculations could be wrong and with the Emperor as his witness, Farkas swore he had heard a Magos snorting beneath the red cloak.

"Look at the size of it." Farkas marveled and rubbed his chin, "I wonder how long it is?"

"26.5 km in length, 8.68 km in height," Began the Magos, "The diameter of each metal circle revolving around the energy mass is 2 km and there are four of them in total."

By the Throne, it was about the same length as Macragge's Honor, Roboute Guilliman's flagship. Farkas had seen the Macragge's Honor 13 years ago, during an operation to clean up the remnants of the Hive Fleet Kraken in the Zeta subsector, and to this day he had always thought that no man-made object could compare to the pride of the Imperium in terms of scale. Well, it seemed he was wrong.

"It doesn't look like a ship. No matter what kind of Xenos designed this, I don't think they intend to use it as a ship." Inagis made an expert judgment and in this case, Farkas had nothing to argue with him. Despite its impressive size, the unidentified object has a rather fragile structure, and according to the Magos, no propulsion or engines had been found on it. "It looks like a…a…"

"A key." Farkas said, "I thought it was like a glowing fork at first, but on second thought, it looks like the room key I had in Faroes."

"Yes..Yes, that's right..A key. You're very discerning, General."

But if this is the key, then where is the lock? Farkas wondered as he scrutinized the smooth surface, without welds, joints and studs. The absence of characters and symbols was another notable point. With the exception of animals like the Tyranid, even simple-minded savaged Ork or Kroot get excited about attaching their signatures to buildings and vehicles. The same thing occurred to humans. From the Dark Age of Technology to this very day, thousands of symbols had been created by mankind to carve their names into the stars, so it was rather surprising if a species capable of building such a technological wonder forgot to leave their marks for those who came after.

Unless this whole thing was inherently a symbol of its own. It was very likely, but Farkas had no way of knowing for sure. Once again, he found himself unfit for the job.

If the Inquisitor wants this thing blown to oblivion, I gladly contribute some ideas.

"Were both this region and the planet Kanderhall once Tau territory?" If his memory served him well, then the Amandus star system and the Mamoris subsector both bordered the eastern territory of the Tau Empire and had long been considered a contested area. "When did we take it back?"

"During the Second Damocles Crusade." Inagis replied, "But there's no 'taking it back'. Amandus is an impoverished region with three planets capable of supporting life and nothing else to offer. Two of them are heavily polluted after three thousand years of steel production and poisoning each other with chemical weapons. Kanderhall is a huge semi-desert with dagger-sharp mountains, so the Tau does not show much interest in holding it. When our force arrived here, the enemy had only a small Battlegroup for defense. They resisted for grant and then withdrew from the star system, not bothering to rally their troop or organize a counterattack."

So that means the blue-skinned aliens were unaware of the object's existence. For the time being, It appeared to be so. The Ethereals were particularly sensitive to human hands touching ancient technologies that could become a threat to the Tau Empire in the future, so in the case where they fully understood the value of Amandus, the Fire caste must have put more effort into defending it or… permanently preventing the Imperium from obtaining the object.

"I'll be back to my room for some rest, Inagis." Farkas declared, then turned on his heel toward the thick steel door leading out of the bridge, "Let me know when we're close to Kanderhall."

"You said you needed 15 minutes."

"It's no longer required." He shrugged, "The answer I'm looking for isn't here."

The answer lay in Mathias Karter, whose black cloaks fluttered on the plains where hot winds blew through. Farkas' laughter turned hoarse at the thought of that. The Inquisitors were often reserved and quiet as their own shadows, but some have a special fondness for opera and theatrical arts. This Mathias Karter seemed to be the latter, or else the General would have received a more detailed message.

"Is something bothering you, General?"

Corporal Teck, who was assigned to be Farkas' bodyguard and assistant on this journey asked as he helped his commander take off his cloak. He was a veteran of the 2nd Damocles Crusade, having lost an arm and half a foot in an attempt of the Imperial Guard to drive Warboss Gako "Red Eye" out of Percia, a costly military campaign with unclear results that took place in 882. Honest, no-nonsense, and unafraid to speak his mind, Teck was the only man whom General Barberic could actually talk to on this ship.

"Many." He replied curtly and tiredly, resting his bones in an armchair in the midst of a steel box designated as a senior officer's quarter, "The first thing is that I'm surrounded by seasoned fools. Don't get me wrong, I'm not referring to you, Teck."

"I have no doubt of it, sir." Teck smiled, "You have a problem with the ship captain?"

"It was truly a blessing that the Emperor has given us a smooth and safe journey" He rubbed his temples with his index finger, "With a man like that on the bridge we were doomed for sure if we ran into it Ork pirates or Eldar Raiders."

"Those who have a career through bloodline and pulling strings." The corporal pointed out darkly, clearly having a bad experience with this type of officer, "My company commander in Percia was one of them. He found all sorts of excuses to keep his Company from moving forward, even sending false reports about the status of ammunition and supplies."

"How did the story end?"

"A Commissar was sent to the company and the coward was forced to personally lead the attack. Bad day for all of us, sir. If we had engaged the enemy a few days ago as planned, we would have faced a group of weak Orks, but thanks to his cowardice, the Greenskins had more reinforcements and they also brought Looted Tanks with them. By the time the battle was over, there were only 35 men left in the company. None of whom I knew in five years could make it and thus the fancy-ass Captain suffered the same fate not long after."

"Understandable. No Commissar would overlook that kind of incompetence."

"No, sir. Not the Commissar's judgment." Teck cracked a wicked smile, "The Commissar also perished during the fight so we took care of the matter with our own hands, literally. The like of him doesn't deserve a quick death, you know."

Farkas shivered. Perhaps apart from the dread of being taken prisoner by the Dark Eldar, being surrounded and beaten to death by his subordinates was the only thing that sent chills to his bones.

"Next time, please find another Commissar to handle the matter." He reminded the Corporal, "This is the Imperial Guard and we are the Emperor's soldiers, not barbarians of some warp-vomit planet, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I will try my best, sir."

"Good." Farkas nodded in satisfaction despite the fact that he doubt the corporal would follow his advice. "So how is the request I gave you to do?"

"Not that great but not terrible either, General." Teck replied with a shrug, "As you have expected, approaching the crew is a waste of my time. By the Emperor, many of them hadn't stepped foot off the ship in the past ten years, not even knowing where they were going, let alone the Inquisitor's intentions. Techpriest acts like their mouths were sewn shut back on Mars. One of them even pointed a gun to my head and accused me of being a spy for asking too many questions."

Or it was because they didn't want to open their mouths. Truth be told, working on an Imperial Navy warship was no less tough and hazardous than a day's work on the Forge worlds. However, here the sleep time would be 5 hours, every injury sustained at work was treated properly and the meals were way better even though they were just bland Protein bars. No one wanted to lose such a good spot for speaking the wrong words to the wrong ears, therefore it was no surprise that they were surrounded by people who have mastered the art of being deaf, mute, and blind.

"What about the Guardsmen in the lower deck?" The general asked, "They must have something to tell you, no?"

Just like the two of them, members of the Imperial Guard were not part of the crew but temporary hitchhikers serving as the ship's security guards until it reach the next dock. Grunts who had nothing at hand in the meantime except old stories to share and rumors to pass around, too bloody perfect for information retrieval. Inquisitor Karter could remain mysterious and secretive for as long as he liked, but Farkas would never agree to go into battle without scouts.

"Well, a few have. Most of the Guardsman here belonged to the 3rd Parius Monumentus regiment or more precisely what is left of it so they are… a bit restless, i must say. They talk about a big campaign, much bigger than what they saw on Ophelia Prime, a massive army on its way to Kanderhall. Space marines, Death korps of Krieg and if you keep asking, someone will say Grey Knights eventually. Of course, no reliable evidence provided, just rumors and fears of those who have just escaped their death's door. The whole regiment was so badly beaten that they only have one senior officer left to command and that officer is a Commissar. A newly promoted cadet from what I heard, and a woman also."

A battle like that shouldn't have happened, Farkas mumbled. Ophelia Prime was a vital Agri-world but whether it was worth sacrificing 15 Imperial Guard regiments in a suicide defense remains to be seen. By the Throne, those brave men and women had nothing against the Orks but Lasgun and the will to survive. Even a request of sending an armored battalion and artillery company for support was turned down because the Imperial Navy did not want to risk its precious warships in the area where Ork pirates were active.

"That female commissar….what's her name? Did you talk to her?"

"Her name is Brisea and yes, I had a brief chat with her. Still a girl that one. Almost breathless with a cloak that was too big on her shoulders and responsibilities she shouldn't bear in the next 10 years. She confirmed that there was a Blue Storm warship moored outside Pavar VI's orbit last month but did not know why they were there. Pavar VI is a beautiful Garden world with vast oceans, small green islands, a nice warm climate and a population of 10 million. Nothing there worth the attention of our mighty Astartes unless you think they too need some...uh, comfort from time to time."

Astartes and comfort are two words that never appear in the same sentence, not to mention the one they are referring to was Blue storm, the descendant of the prestigious Ultramarine. The thought of those genetically enhanced warriors in blue made Farkas wince. The name they bore was like a bad omen for the future awaiting him ahead and if the children were here, their father wasn't so far away. From what he had heard, Blue Storm served as a reconnaissance unit for the Ultramarine, conducting skirmishes with the enemy before the main force arrived.

"There's one more thing I think you need to know, General." Teck continued, concern glimmering in his brown eyes, "There are a lot of civilians on the lower deck. The majority are women, children and men of working age. Brisea says there are about 10,000 of them but my observation says 30,000."

A military campaign involving mouths that walked? Too out of ordinary even for someone like Karter. "Refugees from Ophelia Prime?"

"No, my lord." The corporal shook his head, "They come from all over the place. Tarrus IV, Cress, Galmor, Kentost and dozens of Emperor-forsaken planets I've never heard of."

Three out of four were Hive worlds and Forge worlds with a population of over 100 billion while Kentost was an Agri-world with productivity in the top 10 of Ultima Segmentum. From the outside, it looked like a planned resettlement, but Farkas found it rather confusing that a place like Amandus was chosen. Ophelia Prime was in dire need of more hands after last year's horrific event, but the Imperium decided to invest effort in an impoverished and isolated area instead. It didn't make much sense to him and many would raise their eyebrows when an Inquisitor got himself involved in a job that was the responsibility of the Adeptus Administratum.

"Those people…do they know why they're here?"

"Not a slight. Most of them told me that Arbites came knocking on their door, asked them to board a transport ship, and so they boarded a transport ship. No paperwork, no explanations were given as none were stupid enough to ask. For Arbites, the slightest resistance may lead to your death sentence, so people often choose to do what they are told and live to see another day. According to the migrants, such incidents have become more frequent in the past five years. Every time an Imperial Navy ship is seen in the orbit of a planet, the Governor below works his ass off to gather the men, raw materials, and food."

And like the wretches thrown into the transport vessels, none of the governors dared to question Karter. When one was asked by the Inquisition to do something he kept his mouth shut and do what he was told. Imperium had a very top-down power structure, the bully often got bullied by someone in the system and this was just one of a million instances.

"That's all I've heard in the past few days, my lord." Teck said, "What do you make of it?"

Every sign pointed to a war. Inquisitor Karter was calling for reinforcements from all over the place for his army and he was also scavenging everything he could to feed it. Truth be told, Farkas would have breathed easier if things had been that simple. War was dangerous, treacherous, and ugly yet at least it was an old acquaintance and Farkas always knew how to deal with old acquaintances. Leading men into battle, destroying all the enemies of the Imperium, claiming victory in the name of the Emperor while trying to save as many lives as he could. That was his job all these years, the job of a general, and though the wind didn't always blow in the direction he wanted it to, though very often the last criterion was sacrificed to ensure victory, Farkas didn't have too much to regret. He had done his duty as a loyal servant in the best way he knew and the Emperor with his infinite mercy and wisdom would understand.

"For the time being, I can't think of anything. Too little paint for a bigger picture." He shrugged and looked up at the corporal, "What about you? What is your take on the whole thing?"

"Me, sir?" Teck's index finger curved and pointed right at his chest. His chuckle sounded like silver bells swaying in the wind. "You are teasing me, General. People like me don't have opinions worth your reference. I'm just a lowly Guardsman."

"If that was the case, I wouldn't have asked. From my observation, lowly Guardsmans usually have a rather interesting view of things, quite different from those who wage wars from their armchair."

"Well, being shot repeatedly will definitely give you unorthodox opinions. However, that alone does not mean my assessment is much different from yours. Inquisitor Karter is looking for a fight and it's clear that he wants you to lead his army and win his battles even though…." The corporal hesitated for a moment, "Though I really don't understand who we're going to fight out here. The Tau Empire abandon this place a long time ago and it doesn't seem like they will return tomorrow."

"There are still dangers from the Ork and Eldar pirates."

"As you said earlier, we didn't see any of them during the journey. I don't know much about how the Eldars operate but I do know that Orks often slam their fraking Rok into anywhere they think they can find a lot of 'metal' and weapons. Both Amandus sector and Camora cluster do not have Hive world or Forge World, so the possibility of being attacked is not high. In fact, if you have a list of places that need protection, this area will definitely be at the bottom."

Hard to deny Teck's reasoning. Even if the Imperium wanted to launch an attack on Tau territory, Amandus sector was too far from their target and it also lacked the necessary infrastructure for a proper supply hub. The one they were about to fight couldn't be the Tau Empire. Too costly and too inconvenient for that.

A new enemy of the Imperium? Farkas didn't like that prospect. Confronting an unfamiliar opponent is a zero-sum gamble. The enemy might be weaker than he anticipated. They could be discouraged and surrender after several defeats, but the opposite was also possible. Years ago, it was thought the upstart Tau would be easily crushed by the might of the Imperial Guard and therefore, the Imperium had slammed its head against a wall and suffered humiliating defeats as the enemy's resistance was stronger than expected.

"Have ever you heard of the Camora cluster before, Teck?" General Farkas thoughtfully asked "Hive fleet Fenrir? The event of 205.M42?"

"Just information available to the public. Hive Fleet Fenrir was the invader that had attacked the Eastern Fringe in 200. M42 and was defeated by the Imperial Navy in the Camora cluster five years later. Initially, it was thought that Fenrir was a splinter of the Hive Fleet Gorgon or Behemoth but it turned out to be a separate Hive Fleet. I've heard people say its size was even bigger than the Gorgon and if that's true then the Emperor really was on our side back then. Our Imperium managed to defeat a mighty enemy and it took us only five years to do so. Five years and the Milky Way was saved from a catastrophe."

"Yes, obviously a very large bullet was dodged but now I'm more interested in where that bullet had gone. Tell me, do you remember the name of the battle that sees the demise of Hive Fleet Fenrir and the commander who deals the fatal blow?"

The sudden question left the corporal confused, "About that… well, maybe some great admiral had done the deed in…. Well, I'm not really sure, my lord. Old stories and ancient battles have never been a Guardsman's forte."

"That's strange. Old stories have always been a general's forte, but I don't think I've come across something like that before. Like you, all i know about the Hive Fleet Fenrir is it was defeated somewhere in the Camora cluster and besides that, nothing. No frontline reports were sent back, no memoirs were written, and no veterans came out of that war. Do you see the anomaly here, Teck? Everything went as if this great victory existed only on paper."

Like most Guardsmans, Teck's smile soured at the prospect of facing The Great Devourer, "There's no way that thing still exists." What he said sounded more like a prayer than an affirmation. "If that Fenrir is still alive…"

"I know, I know. Every planet we visit is intact and so far we are still breathing." Of all the enemies the Imperium has to face, Tyranid was usually the one who didn't practically mind leaving a trace of its presence behind. Lifeless rocks in space, treacherous seas swarming with gigantic spore mines, and monstrous Bio-ships preying on lone targets ."But from what we have seen and heard, there is a high chance that Fenrir has not been destroyed or at least not completely destroyed."

That was the only logical conclusion he had at the moment. The re-emergence of an enemy the Imperium had long claimed to have defeated would be a shame no one wanted to take responsibility for and so an army was mobilized in secret and with it, an unambitious general who knew how to keep his mouth shut. All pieces seem to be taking their place except for one…

So what does this have to do with the giant key out there?

"By the Emperor, Tyranids are cockroaches." Teck snorted. "Every time you think you've trampled them all, another bunch of those evil bastards crawl out of the corner and frack your day up. Forgive my inappropriate language, general."

"There is nothing to apologize for here. Once, I heard a pious priest say cursing the Emperor's enemies is the proper act of the most faithful."

"And he was too damn right about that. Those devil bugs deserve every curse from every citizen of the Imperium more than everyone else. A bunch of whoresons, all of them. Worse than the fracking Chaos Cultists."

Not as bad as an enemy they had never encountered. Tyranid was a mighty one, but it was invincible only in the early stages of the war when its way of war was still new to mankind and intentions were still in question. After the initial shock, the Imperium had better resistance to the alien invaders. What a twist of fate, it was. Never in the last hundred years had Farkas thought that the prospect of confronting The Great Devourer would one day put a smile on his lips.

"Teck, my head hurt. Find me something, wouldn't you?"

"Right away, general."

The dubious brown painkillers the corporal brought in didn't do much for Farkas' headache and made his eyelids heavy. However, on a day like this one, sleeping was not necessarily a bad idea either. Continuing to sit here brooding and worrying about what tomorrow might bring was counterproductive and sometimes people had to accept the fact that they must play with cards given to them.

Making peace with reality, Farkas rested his head against the comfortable armchair with his eyes closed. A slight tremor from the engine as Temple Guard began to accelerate its speed slowly put him to sleep, and in his dreams, Farkas found himself returning to Fortress Vamart, a battle he had participated in as a young man. It was a terrible summer with hot winds blowing from the southwest and the battlefield blackened by phosphorus ammunition Kriegman called "Dragon's Breath." His Mackanian regiment and the 225th Death Korps Siege Regiment had been fighting the Orks across the plains, hills and small towns before being pushed back to the ancient fortress. Half of their troops were lost while repelling Greenskin's onslaught for three weeks, and the other half had to continue the fight in a severe shortage of ammunition. Some genius at the high command had thrown all the air power into an unwinnable battle in the first month, so no Valkyries were left to reach their besieged positions. Many times they thought this was a last stand, that soon they would come to the Emperor's side for the final battle against the Ruinous powers. A happy conclusion that every Guardsman should hope for, they said as ones could only find true peace after fulfilling his duty for Master of Mankind, and perhaps Farkas would have found out whether it was true or not had it not been for the infamous compassion the Salamanders had for their fellow human beings.

A difficult battle that one, but not that eventful as Farkas had fought so many of them in his long career in the service of the Emperor. Still, that was the only time he had the honor of fighting shoulder to shoulder with the famous Death Korps of Krieg, those whose devotion and loyalty have become legends in the Imperial Guard. But for some reason, in his dream, he was alone standing on the wall of the ancient fortress and on the other side, where green-skinned aliens were supposed to be, a sea of gasmasks staring at him with their lifeless eye sockets.

3rd Parius Monumentus regiment.

-V-

Author note : You may want to read 'Left for Dead', a Warhammer short story by Steve Lyons before reading this chapter since it can be considered as the continuation of 'Left for Dead'. The story is about a lone Krieger who engaged in combat against legions of Chaos on a planet called Parius Monumentus but he is knocked unconscious by an artillery shell during a battle and left behind by his fellow guardsmen. He woke up, found everyone was gone, and decided to go Awol which was seemingly impossible for a Krieger. He found some paper on a civilian corpse, took his identity, and began a new life in Hive Oppus under the name of Arvo. During this time, he met a little girl called Janny and they had a cute strange friendship until her tragic death. At the end of the story, Arvo found the meaning of his existence as he held Janny's hand and volunteers for 3rd Parius Monumentus regiment.

Lower Deck of Temple Guard

Private Josh, 1st platoon, 4th Company, 3rd Parius Monumentus regiment.

"Look, the ship is changing its course again."

Said Declan, purple eyes fixed on the metal ceiling of their assigned compartment. Josh and about two dozen others hurried to do the same, though they couldn't tell the difference between what they were seeing now and yesterday's cold, black metal surface. Well…Declan was from Cadia, a veteran of three campaigns, a survivor of dozens of battles big and small so it was possible he knew things that others didn't. Josh had heard someone say that on their third day aboard this ship and since no one knew where they were, all hope was pinned on the last survivor of the 502nd Cadia Regiment.

"Where to?"

A tall and thin Guardsman asked. His Flak armor and jacket had a darker color than of the Guardsmen of the 3rd Parius Monumentus regiment so Josh guessed he was from the 112th Alpha Helgula Regiment, cowards that ran away from the Biorefraction Factory instead of defending it and got shot to pieces by the neighboring regiment in the first week. An insult to the Imperial Guard and Imperium, Josh remembered that many of those around him could not hide their disgust at this cowardly conduct of their fellow Guardsman but only a few days later, when the Orks overran Hexa and the brave Parius Monumentus regiment had its first baptism of fire, the criticisms were gone as quickly as they came.

"Parius. That is for sure!"

A fellow whose name Josh did not know confidently asserted. Before Ophelia Prime they thought only of medals, the fertile lands that each Guardsman would receive when he fought in the name of the Emperor, wild adventures in the distant stars, honor, glory, wine, and of course, women. Now all those were things of the past. Now, every time they closed their eyes, they only dream of Parius Monumentus, the miserable wreck of a planet they had worked so hard to escape, and the 65% clean water that smelled of engine oil.

"Probably Temaris." Declan told them, "It's the fortress planet closest to Ophelia Prime. After each battle, a regiment has to be reorganized for the next campaign."

Many disagreed with this statement, but they kept their silence and hoped that Declan was wrong. After the slaughterhouse they had gone through, the last thing that people wanted to hear was 'Next campaigns'. Josh noticed that they had purposely avoided mentioning Ophelia Prime since boarding and that even their interim commander, Commissar Brisea herself, had only wry words of encouragement for the regiment rather than speaking of future glory and reminding their duties to the Emperor. No one wanted to go to war again and Josh could totally sympathize with that. The better rations had made him wear the Imperial Guard uniform but now he felt that reason was not strong enough to risk his life. At the basic training camp, where Josh was taught how to aim and pull the trigger, they showed him who the enemies of the Imperium were and the terrible things they could do but the difference between an Ork on a screen and a stinking Ork rushing to his fighting position with a savage axe in hand was a difference that humans should not know.

Not worth it, not worth it at all. I should have stayed at Hive Opus.

They talked a lot about the Emperor and how faith in him would repel darkness and bring victory, but if the end of Nadin, the company's priest and most devout believer among them, was blood and scream, Josh wasn't that delusional to believe he'd get any protection from the father of mankind if…

If he really existed.

Yes, this heresy idea started sprouting on the ruins of the 3rd Parius Monumentus before thoughts turned into words and words turned into twenty death warrants. Many people think Brisea was too soft for a regimental commander but the red-haired girl quickly proved otherwise. Blasphemers were cornered into an airlock and thrown into space instead of being shot or stabbed as usual. Firearms can damage the ship's interior, explained the foreman, a pale-skinned bald man with a wicked grin on his lips and the thumb resting lightly on the red button, Furthermore, It would be more fun to handle them this way.

"Fraking son of the whore" Javis, an underground gangster of Hive Oppus cried out. His skin was as pale as that of the foreman and his face often reminded Josh of rodents, "Campaign, reorganize my ass! They want us dead. Look around you! Look! Does this look like a fighting force to you?"

They had been a fighting force, at least until the Orks tore apart their formations, banners, and their Lieutenant Colonel at Hexa. The regiment was not an elite force, most people would agree with that. Equipped with leftovers from the old PDF arsenal and its ranks filled with hungry homeless dirtbags after the planet was almost split in half during the Chaos riots, 'the elite' of Parius' looked like a bunch of weird curious animals standing next to the prestigious 502nd Cadia. However, it would be a lie to say that they didn't feel any pride during the parade at the Hive World Curia a year ago. Josh was a typical Hive Oppus resident, meaning losing both his parents at the age of ten in another accident at Assembly Factory 12 and living like a cockroach for the most part but that day, women's lips and the things they called 'petals' touched his cheeks so much that he thought his head had touched the clouds.

"Shut your pie hole!" Someone yelled at Javis. "If the girl hears you say that, we are as good as dead."

"Let she hear!" The underground gangster protested, "What is the difference between now and the next three months?"

"I said there is." A shadow appeared behind Josh and pushed him aside. The man was big and ugly as if his mother were an Ogryn, "If you want to die like the idiot Derek and the others, go ahead. But don't even think about dragging me into your folly."

"You're a coward, Moll." Javis spat on the ground and shot the big man a scornful look. "Pinned the bitch down and make her scream your name? Your mouth is big but it turns out your balls are even smaller than those Tau scum."

Moll's green eyes sparkled with murderous intention as he grabbed Javis by the collar, "What did you just say, shorty?"

"Your mother is a stupid, dirty slut and so are you, you fraking boy whore."

Moll's right hand curled into a fist, but before he could do anything, he received a kick between his legs and collapsed like a tower of mud bricks. Not only did the gangster look dangerous, but he was also swift, Josh realized in shock. While Moll was still stunned by the surprise attack, kick after kick was delivered to his head, fierce and merciless until all that came out of the giant's mouth was blood and groans. No one reacted. Either they were scared to the point pissing their pants like Josh or… they all agreed with what Javis was doing.

Why do i have a bad feeling about this?

"I will not die here or any fraking place they choose for me," Javis told them, one of his feet on Moll's back. There was terror dancing in his dark eyes, but he was not afraid. "You should all wise up. You should all look at the big picture."

"What do you mean by that?" asked the Helgulian

Javis hissed scornfully, "You Hegulian are as blind as you are stupid. Use your brain and think about it for a second. Why did your Regiment run away from the Biorefraction Factory that day only to be shot to pieces by your comrades?"

"We…We…" He stuttered briefly before throwing a fist, "Don't you dare talk to me like that, you bastard. You guys ran away from Hexa too so don't sit on your ass bragging about how brave you were. Our lieutenant colonel wanted to hold the factory and perhaps we could have done it if we had big guns, artillery, tanks, and Valkyrie. Not a fraking thing showed up and what do you want us to do then? Staying there and getting chopped to pieces?"

"That's exactly what they want. They have it arranged from the beginning. One way or another, most of you will die on that Emperor's forsaken planet like us. That's why they didn't send reinforcements. Why waste time with a bunch of wretches whom they wanted to die in the first place? Even an idiot like our Regiment Commander knew the planet was long gone and not worth defending, but those bastards still threw 25 regiments into it. Of course, once we've all turned into corpses they can say whatever they want, right? Heroes of the Imperium heroically sacrificed themselves for the cause, Martyr, Parius Finests. Frak that!"

"They? Who are they?" Josh was the one asking the question. He couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.

"Your commanders, your generals, your Governor and all the privileged bastards have been pooping on your head since you were born." Javis grumpily replied, "They're smart, so fraking smart, don't you know? Our precious governor realized that Parius had too many mouths to feed and too little food to spare, so he rushed to get rid of them to avoid future troubles. Couldn't drive us out knowing we would resist as he couldn't kill us since that would start a civil war. Truth be told, the beloved governor must have had serious headaches from this inconvenience but fortunately, with the Emperor's blessing, he came up with a glorious solution! Just throw those dirtbags a few bones, pieces of land they certainly won't live long enough to see, and then let the Orks take care of the rest."

Josh didn't think what Javis said was true, but he couldn't deny the fact that they were abandoned on Ophelia Prime. Perhaps the situation would be better if we received the support. That was what people said to each other these days though he could tell they weren't that confident with the alternative reality either. Much of the 'Fighting' on Ophelia was done by Cadia regiments. Josh and the like of him were only good at running, shooting at anything that moves, and dying.

The Art of Camouflage also. I never thought I could one day be on par with the prestigious Tanih's first and only.

When the Orks broke through the second line of defense, a flood in the form of hurried feet and frightened faces nearly crushed Josh in the muddy ground of the trench, something that at first seemed unlucky but turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Literally from nowhere, a group of Flash Gitzs, the most heavily armed and deadly Ork in WRAAAGG appeared on the other end with double-barreled shotguns in their big green arms and instantly turning Josh's pitiful platoon into minced meat within seconds. The noise they made was horrible. The smell, the taste of blood and flesh of those Josh once called his comrades were so disgusting it made him nauseous, but none of them could come close to the groans of the dying men as night fell.

Some call their father, mother, brother, or sister; some prayed to the Emperor to free them from pain; Some just simply cried with their intestines popping out of their stomachs. The Orks didn't finish their terrible deed for some reason and Josh had no other explanation than that this was the Emperor's punishment for his cowardice.

"A bold mouth you have, Javis." The last survivor of 502nd Cadia suddenly spoke up, "With just your lower lip, you'll have a chance to take a walk in space like Derek."

A horrifying sound came from Javis' throat, a sound that took Josh a few seconds to realize was laughter. The gangster turned to Declan and shot him an insolent look:

"Sergeant Declan Karius, 12th company, 502nd Cadian Shock troop, two Frontsman's Honors for bravery on Siona and Akandrish Zeta, dutiful soldier and loyal servant of the Imperial Guard and the Emperor. Tell me, are you really planning to fight until an Ork splits you in two? Oh…Or would you rather be a prisoner of the Dark Eldar? Never get tired of waking up and wondering if today is your last day?"

"I'm just tired of your face." Declan calmly replied and walked over to the Gangster. He was a head taller than him and his shoulders were wider too, "Let me tell you one thing. You're not the first rebel I know and certainly not the last. If you think you may go any further than them before dropping dead, you're stupider than you look, Javis."

"Don't you underestimate me, Cadian. In Hive Oppus, Brisea is just a little brat I can have for breakfast."

"But here, she and her men are the only ones with weapons. How do you plan to fight the Commissar? Rusty iron pipes and homemade daggers?"

All personal weapons, from Lasguns to bayonets, were confiscated after the executions of 20 blasphemers to prevent future rebellions, but now it was clear the measure was far from enough. For cornered dogs like the Javis, even the nails and teeth were considered good enough to deal with firearms.

"Lots of rusty iron pipes and daggers, thousands of them."

Javis replied and took turns looking at the faces around him. They were all emaciated from the hideous brown protein porridge and waiting for things that never came. Josh assumed he wouldn't look much better than them if he had a mirror. For the past two days, the disgusting diet has made his stomach ache, but if he skipped the meal, he had to drag his ass down to the bio-recycling facility and find some Matika bugs (Insects that thrive in the spaceship's bio-waste) or participate in a particular activity which was known to the clergy as fasting.

"You mean these? This is your army?" Declan laughed dryly and gave the gangster a look the Arbites had given to 10-year-old Josh as he screamed out of his lung about the day he became a Space Marine, plucking their heads off one by one. "You should put more effort into your little revolution. I doubt these guys would win against those Gretchin scums in a fair fight."

"Every journey begins with a single step. They are perhaps not in their best shape right now but things may get better if we are led by the right man, preferably the one who has survived many battles and know how to fight."

This time, there was no laughing in Declan's eyes. "There is a special place in the Warp for those who betray the Imperium but that is nothing compared to the punishment for leading his children astray." He darkly told Javis. "Do whatever the frak you like, Javis but leave me out of it."

"Is that cowardice I smell? Oh, mighty Declan, brave Declan, always act high and mighty in front of us lowly Hive world's dwellers. Tell me, how does it feel when finding out you are no different than us."

It felt like walking into a room and the door slammed you right in the face or... at least that was what Javis might feel as he collapsed to the metallic floor with a bleeding nose. The punch was hard and was delivered at an astounding speed. Some Guardsmen were provided with basic genetic enhancements to improve their physical and mental condition, which was well-known but Josh couldn't tell whether this was the result of implanting or an insane set of skills. Cadians were soldiers since they were old enough to hold the Lasgun and out of 3 million of them fighting on Ophelia, Declan was the only one left.

"We are not alike," Declan confirmed that statement with a horrible kick in the stomach, causing Javis to groan in pain. The Cadian then paused for a few seconds before addressing the soon-to-be rebels "There is no glory in traitor's deaths. Whoever separates the divine connection between him and Imperium will condemn his soul for eternity."

"No glory in dying for it either." The Hegulian said. " Why should I die for something that wants me dead?"

"They abandoned us." Another one spat. " They let us there to die. You saw it."

"Joining the Guard and earning a name for myself they said but it turns out all I can have is an unmarked grave, this crappy porridge, and a pup that takes pleasure in killing her own men ."

"Commissar Brisea is worthy of her post. Derek didn't say there was no Emperor, he just wondered if he truly wanted us to fight that battle since everything had gone so wrong for everyone. Did a man deserve to be sentenced to death just because of that? For merely asking a question?" The man whom they called Adrian Bookworm stepped out of the crowd and began his rhetoric. From what Josh had learned, he was once trained as a scribe at Opus Academiae Administrationis but end up serving the Imperial Guard for forgery of documents. "It was not simply justice done poorly! It was murder, I tell you."

That was a vicious lie. Everyone heard Dereck curse the Emperor of mankind with the foulest words before calling him a false god and then no god at all, but now everyone appeared to have forgotten about it on purpose. Now the truth would be what they claimed it would be, which was probably why Javis laughed like a madman as he stood up.

"Now that's the spirit I was talking about." The underground gangster said triumphantly, hand wiping off the blood on his broken nose, "They think we're just cockroaches destinated to be trampled on, but we'll prove how wrong they are."

A dozen of men cheered loudly at those words, some preferred a quiet celebration, others, like Josh, looking uneasy, hands sweating and eyes wandering for an escape. The Cadian snorted in disgust :

"You are all going to die."

"At least, it will be on our own terms." Adrian replied, "We have been living as cattle for the most part but we will die a human's death."

For Josh, living a human life would be way better but some opinions should be left unspoken. These people, whom he once called brother-in-arms, could tear him apart quicker than any Ork could have done on Ophelia for saying the wrong words. That probably was the same conclusion Declan had. Before Josh noticed, the Cadian had left the compartment in silence, leaving Javis to claim his victory.

"Anyone that wants to be the master of his fate come to Civilian's Quarter with me. Let's show them what you're made of."

To no one's surprise, the Hegulian, Adrian Bookworm, and some of the loudest mouths answered Javis's call without hesitation. Questions and uncertainty troubled those staying behind but in the end, a third decided that mastering their own fate was the priority whereas the rest was more than happy to pretend they didn't hear or see anything in the past 10 minutes. Josh felt somewhat at ease. The rebel ironically was a bunch of liars and desperators destinated to be trampled on and the sooner it occurred the better. Truth be told, he had no love for the commissar since the week before, she made his head ring like a bell by asking where they were going and the Emperor if he truly existed, didn't love nor hate Josh enough for him to care.

However, Josh wanted to live and he wanted to go home, desires that Javis wouldn't be able to provide. The man reeked of vengeance and like Declan had implied, it was foolish to think he would get far before dropping dead. A doom- to fail- project in every sense and like adding salt to the wounds, the idiot didn't even keep the intention a secret, making everyone here including Josh a liability to his plan. All it took was someone eager to prove his loyalty for material gains and the rebellion would be over before it saw the sunlight but unfortunately, things weren't as simple as he thought.

As the compartment was nearly empty because everyone had headed to where they were supposed to be, Josh noticed a curious figure standing in the far corner who seemed to have observed the whole thing from start to finish in silence. For a moment, Josh thought he knew the guardsman but then quickly decided he didn't. The bright green jacket and flak armor with an additional layer of shoulder protection meant he was from Hive Oppus, but aside from that, there was nothing that made the man stand out from the rest. Neither was he a huge chunk of meat like Moll, a devilish Gretchin like Javis nor did he have the look of a hero like Declan. The man was just a man whose face Josh might have seen among the crowd on Route 96C, on a corpse lying in the trench, or on a moron that had his first and last spacewalk lately.

"Do I know you?"

For some reason unknown, Josh couldn't help but to approach and ask. The strange guardsman didn't seem to be surprised by this but he did pause for a few seconds to observe Josh from head to toe before giving an answer :

"My name is Arvo."

His cloth might be from Oppus but his accent was clearly not. It was thick and somewhat constrained as if Arvo was faking it.

"Sector 5, I guess."

"Kappa-2." He shook his head, "Building block D-45, room Beta-8854. Miner for 10 years before being transferred to Labour gang Kappa-648. Volunteer for the Imperial Guard."

I don't need to know that much, Josh muttered in amusement and gave his shoulder a pat. "I live a level above you. That makes you and me neighbor, Arvo."

"If you say so."

Obviously, he wasn't a talker but a man shouldn't be asking too much. "Well, since you have heard and seen everything, I won't be beating around the bush," Josh told him. "Perhaps our dear commissar may want to know about this brouhaha so why don't we go to her place and have a chat?"

"We?"

"Two is better than one and the path is dangerous. Besides, the commissar may need someone to corroborate my claims."

It was possible that Brisea wouldn't believe him afterward. The woman had been rather jumpy after the execution and might give Josh another smack in the head but it was worth the risk. The reward, for whatever it might be, was one step closer to home whereas the consequence of failure didn't matter that much. What could happen to him anyway? Disciplinary? Ration reduction? Execution? Well, they were welcome to spare him of that porridge, and if Declan was right about the new campaign then there was no difference between now and three months later.

"There is no need for that," Said Arvo.

"Well, you never know. Brisea is much more skeptical than her predecessor and considering our history, I may..."

"There is no need to tell her something that she has already known." He interrupted "This...revolt is expected."

Josh puzzled at that for a few seconds before shrugging and letting out a heavy sigh. "I guess I should have seen that coming. Commissars are supposed to be smarter than us, right?"

"Not enough to avoid needless bloodshed."

Josh threw up his hand and sat down on the metallic floor. He put his hand into the back pocket and pulled out a cigarette box that was scavenged from a corpse with some curious wounds on the retreat from Hexa to Zararopha. There was no doubt that the man had taken his own life but back then, people cared more about his belongings than the cause of death. He counted 13 cigarettes and two hard candies in a plastic bag which made him a wealthy man on the Temple Guard. His fortune should be more than this after exchanging rations, blankets, and a medical kit with that family of four, but the youngest daughter's thin cheeks and the mother's frightened look made Josh's inherent greed disintegrate faster than the bravery of the Parius regiment.

Perhaps it was whatever goodness was left in him or perhaps it was because they reminded Josh of his long-dead relatives. No matter, for whatever the reason might be, the memory had already been sweeter than any candy. He thought of the moment again as he lit up his cigarette and had a greedy pull.

"Brisea will kill Javis in a heartbeat if he dares to confront her." He told Arvo. "Listen to me, friend. You should stay here with me while the storm rages outside. There is enough room for both of us."

"It won't suffice if he wins."

Josh scratched his head in disbelief, "Really don't know where you get that kind of thinking but I will bet everything I have on our Commissar. This is not my first time, you know. Men like Javis always lead an armed mob crying for blood but before anyone realizes what is going on, they all have been turned into corpse-starch."

Some managed to take control of a factory, destroy the machinery and decorate their banners with Arbite's bloody heads but most ended up getting crushed at the third gathering. Hive Oppus might lack resources for many things but Josh was pretty sure that public security was not one of them. He then passed Arvo the joint, amusingly watching the guardsman behave like this was the first time he saw a cigarette.

"So why do you think Javis can win anyway?"

Arvo placed the filler between his lips, took a long pull with his eyes closes, and replied with white smoke coming out of his mouth and nose :

"Because it's not him leading the mob."

-V-

The lower deck of Temple Guard had a unique structure that was often referred to as "Ant hive" for there were many compartments, facilities, rooms, and accommodations for Guardsmen and civilians alike but all were connected by a single hallway that led up to the upper levels. One in and one way out or as Arvo put it: "No flanking maneuver, only head-on attack."

"How do you know all of this?"

Josh had to ask as they passed by a compartment called "The coughing realm" for half of its population were victims of lung-related diseases. He had been here for months yet never once the curious design of the hallway bothered him that much nor did he hear anyone talking about it.

"I..." Arvo hesitated "I have been on a few warships. Their lower decks share the same design."

"You told me you were a miner, did you not? Is traveling off-world on a warship that common to you guys?"

He didn't answer that neither did Josh press on. Obviously, Arvo lied from the start and people could smell the nonsense in his accent. However, strange it might sound, it didn't trouble Josh at all. Besides being a liar and a weirdo, Arvo posed no threat to Josh and in a way, was pretty much harmless which alone gave enough reason for one to stick around during these days.

" I assume everyone has the right to keep their secret so I won't mind if you refuse to tell me your." Said Josh. "I can guess most of it anyway. From the way you speak, you are a veteran."

Not at Declan's level but Arvo was a man that had seen and heard things that were unknown to Josh and perhaps they would prove useful when the time came. The same thing happened back in Hive Oppus. Josh had to move out of his parent's tiny flat in the Catalian district after their death, relying solely on the wisdom of a street vendor/ pickpocketer called Sah to survive until he was old enough to get a position in that cursed Assembly Factory 12. It was weird though. They were a dual till the day Sah left their shed and never came back but Josh couldn't recall what he looked like lately. Sometimes he had the face of a random person whom Josh bumped into that day and now he had Arvo's.

Everything and everyone looked the same these days, even life on this ship didn't differ much from Hive Oppus. 10 poor souls crammed into a tiny room where a third of them would sooner or later become accustomed to dermatological diseases and dysentery. Mixed nutritional porridge twice a day, men traded their strength for protein bars whereas women did with their flesh. Somewhere burned the flame of rebellion, people crying for changes and on the horizon, dawn was as red as blood.

"Hard time to believe Declan will join Jarvis." Josh told him, "I assume you have your own reason but Cadians are loyal servants of the Emperor."

'Cadia Stand', every child, from nobleman's sons to rat boys knew that slogan and Josh couldn't remember how many times he dreamed of being born on Cadia, standing side by side with immortal heroes against the flood of countless traitor legions. In a world where every time a man looked up, only towering spires in the smog stood waiting, the stories of heroes from Cadia were the only stars, and their performance on Ophelia did their reputation justice. There was no way that Declan joining the rebellion. It was impossible even if he wanted to. Jarvis was not the forgiving type and the Cadian owned him a broken nose.

"Loyal servants of the Emperor are humans," Arvo replied. "Even men trained their whole life to die for him, thinking of their birth as nothing but a sin which only death can wash away are humans."

"What... what do you mean by that, friend?" Josh was puzzled by those words. The man was speaking in the riddle.

Arvo sighed and shook his head, "Nothing. Just forget what I said."

At the end of the journey, they found themselves standing in a compartment located at the other end of the Lower Deck. It was cleaner and less populated since the area was where food distributing servitors arrived last and as result, less food. However, it had an advantage that the others didn't. Josh's green eyes immediately caught the sight of a dozen or more makeshift buckets and bowls placed in the middle and above them, leaking down from the ceiling was something that made his jaw drop.

"Water!" He whispered, feeling his throat as dry as desert sand. The last water ration was 8 hours ago. "How?"

"One of the minor fusion cores is above us." Explained Arvo "They sometimes pump water into the core, to cool it down but you can always find a leak somewhere."

But Josh didn't need to hear all of that. He immediately rushed to the new water source, picked up a medium size bowl, and drank it dry. The feeling was so good it was almost unreal. Definitely not 65% freshwater, he concluded. This thing had a slight smell of chemicals but no engine oil. 85% at least.

"You found him."

A female voice had Josh turn around. He didn't recognize her at first but it was not because he had a bad memory. Her hair was tied neatly behind the back of her head, her cheeks were chubbier and calmness had returned to her eyes. A more beautiful and happier version of the woman I used to know.

"Kah...Kahla?"

Josh thought that was her name but he wasn't so sure. In Hive Oppus, people didn't tend to make friends or remember someone else's name for there was a fat chance that they would not see that person the next morning, and that perception of reality couldn't be truer after Josh joined the Guard.

"I didn't find him on purpose." Explained Arvo. "I saw someone fit your description in the mess hall and decided to follow him."

Josh felt somewhat cheated, but the fact that he had been tailed the whole day was even more worrisome. If a man like Arvo had ill intentions, he would have been as good as dead.

"It doesn't matter. It was the Emperor's wish that he shall be found." Said Kahla as she approached Josh. The woman then held both his hand firmly before placing a kiss on his left cheek.

"What was that for?" Josh asked, confused by the sudden gratitude.

"For the kindness that you showed to me. For no man would give everything he owns to a stranger without asking for something in return. We wouldn't be able to survive if it wasn't for your blanket and medicine."

Josh shrugged and cracked a smile. "Well lady, no need to thank me. I live on the street for years and never get ill so those things are useless to me anyways." The truth was sleeping on the cold floor for months with nothing but a camo cloak was uncomfortable but if this was the reward then Josh had no complaints, "Where are your children?"

"Trixie is sleeping inside the room Arvo found for me. Vira is down at the recycling facility, catching some bugs for dinner she said but having fun I say."

"I dare say there is fun in catching them if you aren't that hungry." He laughed heartily. "What about Maika?"

The mother grew quiet but her evading eyes and pursed lips had told Josh what he needed to know before she had the courage to talk about it.

"She had always been a sickly child but It was my fault for the most part. I should have paid more intention to her after Gad was no longer with us. If I have done so..she wouldn't...she wouldn't..."

"She's in a better place now." He told her, saving her tears that no doubt she had too much lately. "Our merciful Emperor will never refuse such a gentle soul."

He first heard those words from his father as they took little Bonni to the crematorium. Her body was wrapped in a thin white cloth and when he took a look inside, his sister looked so peaceful that people might think she was sleeping. He couldn't do the same to his parents when they died though. From what people said, a whole section of the Assembly Factory collapsed, burying four thousand workers within ten seconds so Josh could only know that they were dead after 5 days of waiting. Truth be told, he wasn't sure that the Emperor cared about Maika, Bonni, his mom, and Pa but those words did give people some conform so he kept saying them from time to time.

"Thank you." Said Kahla, hand wiping the tears on her cheek, trying her best to sound more cheerful, "Silly of me, you must be tired and hungry but here I keep rambling about my misfortune. Join dinner with us, Josh. We don't have much to share but we can offer you our hospitality."

"That won't be a problem."

6 cigarettes were given to Kahla to trade for some protein bars with the ship crew. Josh had planned to save them for an emergency but as a bloody rebellion was looming ahead, he decided that tonight, he and his friends would go to bed with a full stomach. After Kahla left, Arvo came to his side and explained what had happened :

"Lung cancer. The girl must have it back in their homeworld and the new living condition just caused her health to deteriorate faster. The medical kit you provided was insufficient so Kahla had to..had to..she had to serve many men in exchange for a few doses of antibiotics. She offered her service to me three weeks ago but I took her to our regimental medic instead. However, there was nothing we could do for little Maika. It was too late."

"Thrones, I should have taken her to the medic myself back then." Josh sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "The girl would live if I did."

"Not your fault." Said Arvo. "No one should be blamed for that. Everything is in his design."

"You don't know how much I want that to be true, friend."

"It's the truth. I had questions like you before but now I'm convinced."

That night, they threw everything they found into a pot. Big fat Matika bugs, protein bars and some corpse starch that Kahla brought with her on board. Arvo and Josh boiled their Lasgun's washing liquid with some water and distilled a can of throat-burning spirit through four layers of gauze. The taste was bad even with the sweetness from Josh's candies but by the Emperor, they had never felt life worth living than ever before. After the light was out and the children were put to bed, three adults gathered around a green-glowing lightstick, having a discussion on what was about to come.

"I guess it's inevitable." Concluded Kahla after being told about the rebellion." I heard people talking about getting out of this place for months. There is never enough food, water, and none of us wanted to be here in the first place."

She wasn't wrong about that. Unlike the Guardsmen who could expect to be deployed to another battle, the civilians had no idea of why they were on this ship, and as food went scarce, desperation went up. No doubt that Jarvis would get a lot of support in the Civilian quarter, even earning himself an army big enough to make Bresia feel the heat. However, the day was still young to declare the gangster got the upper hand. They were talking about a mob armed with whatever they could find going toe-to-toe against trained soldiers and for the record, it rarely ended up well for the civilians.

"Brisea and her men are holding the entrance of the lower deck. She had superior position and firepower but with Declan leading the rebels, her tactical advantage will soon demise" Said Arvo. "We have to make our decision soon."

"Decision?" Josh was confused at first cause he didn't understand what kind of decision that Arvo was talking about. However, the realization soon came to him, so shocking that he felt lost for words. "You...you...can't be serious! Joining Jarvis? Are you out of your mind?"

That was madness! It wasn't like Josh feared the eternal damnation of his soul, it was just Jarvis had no chance against Bresia and that assumption of Arvo was just an assumption.

"I believe you have a reason." Said Kahla with her hand placed gently on Arvo's shoulder. It was clear that she trusted the man more than Josh did. "I don't mind the color of the flag I stand under as long as my little girls can live to see another day. Whatever your decision is, I will follow."

"The right decision was to find a good spot and wait for the storm to pass," Josh told them. "If the day belongs to Jarvis, we will declare for the rebellion. If Bresia splits his head in half, we won't be in any danger. It is them revolting against the Imperium, not us."

Their loyalty would be questioned and corporal punishment would be applied for sure but Josh rather gambles his life with that than follow Jarvis. Among those leading rebellions he knew, vengeful men were the worst. They had no plan and no goal beyond killing those they thought responsible for their misfortune which, more often than not, were too many in number and powerful in strength. All they offered was death, theirs or their supporters, and it didn't matter that much because most of them knew it was some kind of one-way trip anyway. Staying out of this madness was the best option they had at hand, Josh was sure of it but Arvo's long silence annoyed him to no end.

"Is there anything you want to tell us, Arvo?" Asked Josh. For obvious reasons, Arvo didn't randomly consider joining the rebellion. His new friend, despite being awkward and mysterious, was an intelligent and thoughtful man whose opinion could not be ignored. "You think Jarvis can win but you didn't join them back there. Why?"

"Because there is a chance that everyone on Lower Deck will be dead if Jarvis succeeds," Arvo replied." I only see one example but it seems Imperial Navy has a protocol to combat internal security threats. When things are getting out of hand, the ship captain will seal off rebellious sections, preventing the situation from escalating further. Then..a kind of agent or gas will be released into those confined sections, killing every living creature inside them."

Kahla gaped at the revelation but for a man like Josh, giggling like a madman was the only option. So everything was for naught. His effort, his plan, his dream. No matter what path they took, death awaited them at the other end with his cold dead hands. Why Emperor? Why are you so cruel? All I want is to live and even that is too demanding to you?

"Jarvis was right all along. They truly want to kill us all." Bitterly declared Josh as he picked the can up, trying to drown his sorrow but it had run dry as their hope. Frustrated, he threw it at the corner and groaned. "Emperor's teeth, I shouldn't listen to that recruitment officer and stay on Parius for the rest of my life. They could try to take me into the Guard if they wanted. I would hide under a sewer, eating moss and drinking crappy water till they forget about me or I would die fighting for my freedom. That is way better but instead, I choose to get suffocated inside a metal box."

"They cannot do this! They cannot! You're wrong, Arvo."

Kahla put up her best attempt to deny the reality but very soon, she had to admit that they could do it, they had done it and they would do it again.

"What did my children do to deserve this fate? What have I done? We don't want to be a part of this, we never asked for it."

Neither do I, Neither did my parent, and Neither did anyone. But since their forefathers had let arrogance take the better of them, the descendant must suffer the consequence. His younger self thought it was not fair and also was stupid enough to tell that to a man of the cloth, a blasphemy that earned him 20 whips from the Servitor. However, older Josh thought people just made up excuses for something they didn't fully understand or were unwilling to understand. There was no greatest sin committed nor was there great punishment. It was just the reality they were unfortunate enough to be born into. This was how the thing so-called Imperium looked, smelled, and tasted.

"I will go to Bresia's place tomorrow ." Arvo decided and then turned to Josh. "You should stay here with Kahla and the children."

Josh sighed, "You're hurting me, friend. A coward I may be but I'm not pathetic enough to hide with women and children while men are out there fighting."

"I do not question your bravery. Kahla and the girls will need protection if the situation doesn't go in our favor."

"It's no need." Kahla shook her head, hand wiping the tears in her eyes. "My girls and I will go with you, Arvo. I worked in a Chimera production line and I have seen what happened to people when doors supposed to be opened didn't so I will spare them that kind of fate. If we are all going to die then it should be a clean and quick death."

It was a rough night. Kahla wept herself to sleep on the bed whereas Josh and Arvo sat on the floor, watching the light slowly fading out of their lightstick and listening to a thing that the ship crew called 'The Song of Steel'. A strange series of noises sounded like someone was blowing a very big horn in the dark and sometimes, it could be heard when the ship went into the night cycle.

"Thermal expansion. Areas near the ship's propulsion have a very high temperature compared to the cold void outside." Explained Arvo. Somehow, he could read the question written on Josh's face without seeing it. "When some engines are shut down during the night cycle, the temperature goes down and hence the Song of Steel as they called it."

"Now I'm sure that you are not from Oppus, friend." Josh giggled. "None of us Hive dwellers know a crap about ship and space-faring."

Arvo paused for a moment then said: "Perhaps one day I will tell you where I come from."

"You better keep that promise because I'm going to use it as my motivation. Well, let's get some sleep so we can give Jarvis and hopefully not Declan a nice warm welcome tomorrow."

They left as soon as the lights came on. On an unusually quiet corridor, three adults and two children made their way to the Lower deck's exit. Barely a soul heading in the same direction as they did and in the compartments they passed through, rooms were either empty, locked, or barricaded. People seemed to have scented the approaching storm and chose to bury their heads in the sand.

"Or they have gone to Jarvis by now." Commented Josh ominously. After everything that happened lately, expecting the worst out of every situation perhaps was the right thing to do. "Are you sure about Declan, Arvo?"

"80%"

But turned out Arvo was wrong. In front of the barricade that looked like a big garbage dump, Commissar Bresia greeted the volunteers with her unsheathed chainsword and bolter pistol while standing on the barricade and around her was the skeleton of what used to be the commanding platoon. Josh counted 35 guardsmen whose loyalty still belonged to the Emperor and felt his last hope shattered. 100%, He muttered to himself, Jarvis certainly has Declan under his thumb.

"It's rare to find faithful men in such a time like this." Declared Bresia after listening to their wishes and desires. She then lowered her pistol and snorted in disgust. "After the rodent that calls himself 'Hero of Cadia' show his true color, traitorous filth crawls out from every corner. Even among my own men."

And I can see how you deal with them. Bresia had a very nice and expensive uniform making her look like a Commissar in every inch although there were people saying she wasn't. But now, the collar had been torn apart, the insignia on her left sleeve had gone missing and there were a few dents, and gunshot marks on her shiny carapace armor. It must be a hell of a fight that they had missed.

"The Imperial Guard and Imperium will see this loyalty be rewarded but now you have my gratitude," She unceremonially told them and turned to a man with an ugly scar running from the forehead to the left cheek "Sergeant Lance, give these men weapons and takes the civilian to the infirmary. They can help the medics with our wounded."

10 minutes later, some confidence returned to Josh as he stood on the barricade with a Lasgun in his hands and his flanks protected by fellow guardsmen whose arms ranged from auto-gun to stubber. A heavy bolter was carried up to the top of the barricade and became the biggest hope of their defense. As Arvo had said, the rebel could perform no flanking maneuver, only a head-on attack, and laying between them and the loyalist's defense was 200 meters of an open hallway with no cover whatsoever.

"It's gonna be a bloodbath, Arvo."

"Haven't it ever been?"

The Rebellion finally showed itself at 8:30 standard Earth time. A ragtag army armed with only metal tubes and whatever they could get their hands on but their numbers were too many for Josh's liking and there were obvious signs of organization among them. In the front rows were men with grey beards, men haunted by sickness or men with handicaps. They were no doubt cannon folders whose task was to absorb the enemy's fire and create an opening for the second wave consisting of younger and healthier men who strangely wore no shirt, no shoes and were armed only with rusty knives.

"To climb the barricade and engage us in close-quarter combat, so it seems." Explained Arvo. "Their mission is to keep us busy before the killing blow is delivered."

The killing blow was the final wave led by Jarvis and Declan himself. They were the core of this rebellion, Guardsmen from various regiments that survived the slaughter on Ophelia, who was once brothers in arms to Josh. I have to kill them. The realization struck him like a lightning bolt. He had never killed a human being before. In the Hive, fleeing from danger was preferable and after joining the Guard, he didn't even manage to kill one Orc. I have to kill them, the thought made him want to puke but before he could do that, Commissar Bresia shouted the order at the top of her lungs :

"MEN, TAKE AIM."

The same order had been given on Ophelia before everyone threw away their weapon and fled for their lives. However, there would be no running this time, for both Josh and the Rebels. This time they would fight and die. As he raised his Lasgun up and pointed its barrel at the sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces, a whistle could be heard among the rebellious crowd and then with a thunderous roar, they charged forward. Their desperate attempt looked like a flood smashing against a dam and it sounded like an earthquake but despite all of that, Josh could still hear Bresia's voice loud and clear :

"IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR, OPEN FIRE!"

-V-

Even in the air, they could feel the scorching heat of Kanderhall through the gaps in the Valkyrie's Cargo door. As she took a good look at the planet from the orbit, it didn't seem to be that inhabitable; Two oceans encircled a huge continent; long green coasts bordered by vast semi-deserts and snow-capped mountains in the center.

There are worse places out there.

On Camala, where Palmyra's soul had been saved, the sky always had that weird yellowish color and the ground was riddled with the scars of a terrible past event. People were pretty sure it was the mark of a war that took place more than three thousand years ago, but you shouldn't expect a convincing explanation if you asked them how they knew it. The event, if it truly happened as they said, was nothing but a distant past and for the time being, the people of Camala were more interested in tearing apart each other with axes and machetes to become the overlords of ruined cities than learning about their history. On Forge World Reznaga, a standard life of an Imperial citizen span was 35 due to the toxic water they consumed every day, but when one set foot on the land of eternal winter of UB-26, that number would drop to twenty.

The Imperium was a place where extreme cases were more prevalent to people's liking, but that didn't mean all planets were the same. During thirty years of service to the Emperor, Alabastrine Candle's young Canoness realized that the good parts of humanity coexisted with the bad and it was essential that reports were read with a grain of salt since people were too creative when it came to places they had never been to.

However, the eyes were capable of deceiving even the most faithful.

Life-rich shores turn out to be just millions of square kilometers of stinky inedible green algae, while what was supposed to be snow was just evidence that the continent was below sea level at some point. During the day, the whole planet was a frying pan of fire with temperatures reaching up to 70 degrees Celsius and humidity often going below 5%, a huge inconvenience for Canoness and her sisters, who for the past six months began acclimatizing to the typical climate aboard an Imperial Navy warship. However, there were no complaints here. Under the wise leadership of the Canoness Superior Agatha and burning faith, the Alabastrine Candle had become a prestigious order of talented and disciplined sisters, ready to travel into the Eye of Terror for the eternal Emperor without hesitation. Unlike religious orders founded by a saint or whose roots can be traced to a key figure in the Age of Apostasy, the candles were assembled by His Holiness Decius XXII at the end of the 41st Millennium as the Imperium struggled to fend off onslaughts from countless legions of heretics and the Hive Fleet Leviathan.

The emperor came to me in a dream and surrounding him were burning candles. At first, there were only ten but very quickly their number grew to a hundred, then a thousand, then a hundred thousand, countless. The dancing flames of purity honored our great father with a light as bright as a thousand suns and hence the darkness was driven back.

Thus said His Holiness when he wrote his name in the sacred document marking the birth of the order on the cardinal world of Alabastrine and since then the candles had traveled to distant stars, fierce battlefields, unforgiving Hive worlds, and darkest abysses to bring the light of salvation, Imperial Truth and the punishment for those who dare to separate the divine bond between the Emperor and his children. During the battle to protect the Shirne World Rosbach from the attack of the traitor legion The Chosen Cabal, the blood-soaked robe that Saint Lacena wore on the day of her ascension was given to the order for a particularly important feat. Thanks to Canoness Preceptor Lorencia's timely response, the degenerated Legion was repelled at the landing sites, having no chance to get their dirty hands on Rosbach's sacred buildings, which was, truth be told, an impressive achievement for an order that was relatively young and inexperience.

They call it the 'miracle of Rosbach', implying that the Emperor in his generosity and grace had blessed the Alabastrine Candle and that such a thing would not happen twice but only 200 years later, at the time when Agatha Vernet took over the position of Canoness Superior, the order was once again praised throughout the Imperium for its contributions to the defense of Ultramar and the Great Purification of Ravena VII where forces led by Canoness Superior put an end to the conflict that lasted for more than three hundred years by wiping out the hordes of Xenos Tau, traitors, heretics with fire, faith, and bolter.

However, the fame and legacy of the Alabastrine Candle also brought its members great responsibilities to carry, standards to uphold and… unwanted trouble also. Though words were rarely spoken, even the blind can see the displeasure of the seniors with the upstart, especially when the upstart had achieved so much in such a short time. At first, they were simply mild criticism directed at the unorthodox founding of the Alabastrine Candle, the favor it received from the Ecclesiarchy or at times the unusual commanding style of the Canoness Superior Agatha but It wasn't until she had her own convent to command and saw her calls for help go unheard more than it should, Palmyra was shocked to realize that Alabastrine Candle was walking on a very thin piece of ice.

And it's getting thinner and thinner these days.

Canoness Superior was, without a doubt, the best commander in the history of the Alabastrine Candle and since Palmyra was still a Novitiate, that silver-haired woman had always been a model of bravery, loyalty, and piety that she looked up to. However, admiration didn't mean Palmyra agreed with her recent decisions. Mathias Karter was a character whose line that defined the difference between a faithful man and a heretic had never been so blurred and hence showing him the door was almost natural for any respected order. But Canoness Superior did the opposite. She opened the door of their sacred Cathedral, the Alabastrina Veritas to that man, letting him use their order's resources after just one private conversation and, for some reason, believed in the so-called 'The Truth' or "The salvation of the Imperium' he rambled on. Rubbish and heretical ideas, Canoness Preceptor had bluntly put it so at their monthly assembling, but it was clear the objection had been ignored since rubbish and heretical ideas were what led a Canoness, two Celestians, and A Hospitaller to this place, to this remote, impoverished planet called Kanderhall.

"I can see the displeasure in your eyes, Palmyra. I know you think I'm taking the wrong path." Canoness Superior had told her so beneath the large and magnificent stained-glass panels of the Great Cathedral, a masterpiece depicting the day their Emperor proclaimed the Great Crusade on Terra. For most of her reign, Agatha Vernet was the one who didn't hesitate to remind her sisters that her decisions were absolute, but the last time they met, Palmyra felt like she was talking to a stranger." Perhaps i was wrong. Perhaps Mathias Karter is nothing but a maniac and a con man. But we may never know the truth if we just sit here guessing, right? Why don't you go out there and make your own judgment?"

My own judgment? So far her verdict was just a horrifying Xenos object to be destroyed, a futile plan to be thrown away and a heretic to be eliminated but that was definitely not what Canoness Superior wanted to hear.

"What do you make of it, Adel?"

Palmyra lazily asked Hospitaller who was sitting beside her as there was nothing outside the window but golden sand, white dry stones, and hot wind. They were roommates back in Schola Progenium, once swore to fall together for the glory of the immortal Emperor but then her talent with books and healing skills took Adel away from the battlefield and ironically, several times prevented Palmyra from fulfilling her wish in the operating room. Since the Inquisitor asked a Hospitaller to accompany her to Kanderhall, Adel was her first choice and the past six months had proven it to be the right decision. Her two bodyguards, Sister Belle and Sister Sabo, despite their unsurpassed skills with bolters and chainswords, were terrible companions. They obeyed her like Servitors, didn't have any complaints or comments on the current situation and while not on duty, they prayed and slept.

"Of this planet, Canoness?" In front of the others, Adel addressed her old roommate very formally, though Palmyra had repeatedly implied that it was unnecessary. "I can only give my assessment as a physician and biologist. Kanderhall does not have the requirement needed to sustain a large population. Harsh climate, low biodiversity, and according to some documents I read, clean water sources are not easy to find. Of course, they can filter seawater to…"

"You know well what I'm talking about." The Canoness gently interrupted.

As had become a habit over the past four days, Adel always let out a heavy sigh whenever the topic was brought up. "I am not the right person to judge the decision of Canoness Superior."

Last month she thought of Mathias Karter as a heretic, Palmyra frustratedly thought "Don't tell me that Xenos tech object has you jump the boat."

"The Inquisitor came to our order with only promises but now one of his promises has come true. Though I don't want to admit it, I have to wonder if the rest of the story is likely to be true."

It's impossible! The size of that extraterrestrial Xenos object was impressive indeed, and although Palmyra's eyes didn't understand what they saw, she didn't think such an object could be created without a specific function. But another dimension, another galaxy? Even before that question was brought to Magos Lavix and Archmagos Malock, Palmyra could imagine their reaction. As a well-respected and well-known member of his order, the Archmagos dismissed the theory right away, stating that those who spread such false knowledge should be labeled as heretics and executed while Lavix, younger and more open-minded, admitted that the Adeptus Mechanicus had never studied the subject properly.

"I think it's due to the impossibility of the theory itself," he told her. "If the Eldars aren't capable of traveling to another galaxy in their 60 million years of existence, then there is no reason for us to try."

"We will know that soon enough. For the sake of the order's honor and reputation, I'll go down to the bottom of this secret to see what's true and what's false. I don't want to add more pressure but the truth is our expectations for you are very high. No matter what, do not let your personal prejudice affect the final judgment. The future of our order may all depend on it."

It was obvious that the Inquisitor would not ask for the presence of a Hospitaller for no reason at all. Adel was of course quite anxious about this and for a while, she had some speculation about her role in the show but as her theories went nowhere, she gave up. Palmyra, on the contrary, didn't worry that much. Her old friend was a talented healer, a competent biologist and even spent ten years studying xenology. No matter what smoke and mirror Mathias Karter might prepare, she could see right through his folly.

"May the Emperor grant this humble servant the wisdom to complete the mission." Adel made the sign of the Aquila with both her hands and closed eyes. "But will Canoness accept the results I bring back no matter what they are?"

Will you accept the flame that may burn the whole order down? Cannoness thought she had already had the answer and so had Adel.

"Just do what you have to, Adel. I will take care of the rest."

The aircraft began to slow down and descended from the sky upon approaching a mountain range whose size was so monstrously huge that Palmyra felt as if the continent had been cut in half. The pilot had a brief exchange with someone on the Vox Communication before steering his Valkyrie into a narrowed valley guarded by two eerie cliffs that looked like two giant ruined towers. It was a rough flight. The cliffs were sometimes so high that the whole valley was shrouded in a great shadow and in some places, the aircraft had to proceed extremely slowly at a 90-degree angle. However, her pilot appeared quite confident with his skills. He managed to execute complex maneuvers with great precision and minimal hesitation, proving this was a familiar route to him and in the process, exposing another Inquisitor's lie.

He told me he only came to the knowledge of that Xenos object two years before but this base appears to be older than that.

Their destination was a cave indistinguishable from the hundreds of caves Palmyra had come across in the past 20 minutes except this one's entrance was big enough for a Valkyrie, its floor was unnaturally flattened and in the center was a large metallic disk that reminded her of Xenos Tau's silly round hat. As the aircraft began the landing procedure, Palmyra's eyes caught upon two curious characters standing on the top of the disk via the tiny tempered glass of her window but even in this distance, she could tell one of them was Mathias Karter.

Like the last time they met, the Inquisitor wrapped himself in expensive, polished pieces of black cloth, and during his stay on Alabastrine, Palmyra gradually realized that Karter was also quite fond of jewelry, particularly fine jewelry made of gold or red and blue precious stones, as if realizing that his handsomeness would be multiplied when associated with neatly trimmed blond hair. True be told, the man rarely reminded people of the cold justice of the Inquisition but of a charming, charismatic nature of a planetary governor instead. Still, Palmyra had no real reason to complain or criticize him in this part. There was no dress code for Inquisitors and making the enemy feel comfortable was as effective as striking fear into their hearts but the excuse didn't stop his dashing appearance from giving her goosebumps. Novitiate Superior once told Palmyra that the Inquisitor was having a bad influence on their young sisters, and ever since then, she couldn't shake the ridiculous notion that Cannoness Superior was dazzled by a man's handsomeness.

The person accompanying Karter, possibly a member of his retinue, was another case of unordinary. The skull and cogwheel emblems suggested that he came from Adeptus Mechanicus, but his robe was brown instead of red and this was probably the first time Palmyra had seen soo much flesh on a Magos. No visible bionic replacements were found on him whether it was his arms, legs, or face and he was showing too much sentiment with the smirk that annoyed Palmyra to no end.

An eccentric master and his eccentric pet so it seems.

"Canoness Palmyra, what a pleasure to have you here." Said Karter with a bow so low that made Palmyra's eyes roll. He then turned to Adel and cracked a charming smile, "And this must be sister Adel, the Hospitaller we hear so much about."

Something told Palmyra that he knew she would choose Adel from the beginning. "Inquisitor, we come here for an urgent business." She reminded him, politely and coldly at the same time, "We wish to report to our Canoness Superior as soon as possible if that pleases you, my lord."

"But of course. Time is on the fly, I understand." He snapped his finger and the Magos in brown robes came forward with both hands hidden in his sleeves " My dear Yorin will show sister Adel the evidence I have promised while you and I discuss our future over fine cuts of Belly-Churn and a bottle of Quaddis. All should have been ready by now so I hope Canoness won't mind joining me for lunch."

Palmyra did mind, a lot in fact but this was an invitation from an Inquisitor and she had no reason to refuse, "I would be honored but why shouldn't I be there as your man showing the evidence, Lord Karter?"

"Oh dear Canoness, you wouldn't want to be there when two experts talking about things only they understand. I always get direct reports from my men, but when it comes to Yorin's turn, I just need a paper or two. It had to be because otherwise, I would have fallen asleep when he started talking about numbers. You won't miss anything, I guarantee it and moreover, today's lunch is something to look forward to. This chef used to serve Corvin Van der Hart. "

The man Palmyra had never had the chance to meet, though his name she had heard for a long time. His Excellency Van der Hart was a cardinal ordained at a very young age, but with his ardent faith and the Emperor's blessing, he had managed to form a kingdom of pious subjects, magnificent cathedral cities from the ashes of Voltach Terimus, a land ravaged and divided by greed, heresy and Xenos influence. A man who was passionate about spreading the faith and shared many similarities with their religious order. From what Palmyra heard, His Highness wanted to launch a major campaign on Carpol Minoris and Octic Rex to regain the territories lost to Xenos Tau as well as punish the fools who dared to betray the Imperium but unfortunately, the plan did not come to fruition at the last minute as the distrust among the emperor's servants outweighed their hatred for the enemies of mankind.

His Highness Van der Hart had become an influential figure in the Imperium in a very short time, and for many people that was more than enough. The Fenrirs wolf was only a fearsome creature when it could roam free in the wild. With a golden cage and delicious food, it was nothing more than an ordinary beast.

"I suppose you don't come to see the Cardinal just for a cook."

"You may be surprised, Canoness." Mathias Karter replied with a haughty smile, "His Excellency is the one who reached out to me, not the way around"

The golden disk turned out to be an elevator that led them down a passage deep within the mountains, a strange place with unusually low ceilings and Palmyra could sense the ancient and foreign origin in its structure. The nearly 500-meter-long corridor was formed from large granite blocks stacked upon each other with such perfect precision that there was no need for mortar or cement in the joints. As far as Palmyra observed, no other materials were used in the construction besides stone and the only metal objects presented here were their Power armor and weapons. Even the light from the small lily-shaped lamps attached along the passage was not the result of photothermal or normal chemical reactions. It seemed like there were millions of plankton living in each bulb and they could sense and react to movements outside.

"Who built this place?" Palmyra asked, pretty sure it wasn't Karter or any human.

"A species whose name has been lost in the sands of time." The Inquisitor answered, his voice strangely remorseful "Magos Garvos and his predecessor both assumed that Kanderhall was at the center of an alien civilization before a great catastrophe struck and wiped out almost all traces of it."

"Actually, Garvos is more inclined to suggest that Kanderhall is an outpost or research facility, Lord Inquisitor." Yorin gently interrupted. Though he was soft-spoken and polite, Palmyra could sense his satisfaction when pointing out the mistakes of others, "He spent 60 years searching for the ruins of a population center but the results were just mud and boulders."

"Seriously? He wandered around with a bunch of digging Servitors while there was a way more important project to work on?" The Inquisitor looked rather surprised before letting out a sigh, "But how can you blame people who only sleep for five minutes in three days? If they don't find something to do to pass the time, they may lose their mind before long."

"Gravos' predecessors would criticize him for sleeping too much, I'm pretty sure of that." Yorin smiled. "But they would agree with him on the outcome. As Garvos' successor, that is also my official conclusion, my lord. 98.9% of the species mentioned were exterminated 25,000 years ago."

Thank the Emperor, one less enemy for the Imperium to fight. Though she didn't like the Inquisitor and Magos reusing the Xenos building as a research base, Palmyra saw no need to overreact it if those Xenos had ceased to exist and the place was properly purified.

"Did those Xenos…"

It occurred to Palmyra that Karter had never told her what the object really was or mentioned its name. Maybe even he doesn't know himself? The thought of Alabastrine Candle being played like a fool made her blood boil, while tingling fingers crawled over the Bolter holster. Just like some men need a beard to look more masculine, Mathias Karter might need a bullet right between his eyes.

"Pons inter mundos or Via inter mundos. The Magos that came before me have yet to settle on the naming, but the Inquisitor has accepted 'Clavis' as the official name." Yorin said, "And the answer is no. Based on the evidence gathered, the lost Xenos civilization was not the original builders. They knew about the object, that's for sure, but there's a good chance they found Clavis by accident just like us."

The Key (Clavis) to a new world, the key to all the problems of the Imperium. Considering that he had been talking about salvation since they first met it shouldn't be a surprise that such a name was chosen. At the end of the passage, their group split in two. Adel and Yorin made their way to the lab via an elevator built into the rock and guarded by two Tempest Scions, while Palmyra and two of her guardians have to climb a long flight of stairs to reach the inquisitor's quarter.

Contrary to the confidence which at times could be seen as carelessness, Mathias Karter pulled no punch when it came to personal security. Palmyra counted 15 guards at either end of the stairs, six automatic gun turrets hanging from the ceiling, four Battle-Automata and two Orgyn men in black Flak armor standing before the thick steel door. Even their female cupbearer seemed to be part of the protection Karter needed. She was a young brown-haired woman, dressed as elegantly and gracefully as a noble lady, but the Officio Assassinorum's signature scent of death was so strong that it drowned out the smell of butter, anise, and exotic spices of her churn-belly stew.

"I know we had a bad start and no word can change your opinion about me," Mathias Karter said when the glass was half empty. "However, you should know that everything I have done and will do is for the Emperor, for the Imperium."

"That I don't doubt, my Lord. However, all Sororitas are taught about Goge Vandire and if I remember correctly, for most of his life, the man also thought what he did was for the Emperor, for the Imperium."

The accusation seemed to gain nothing from the Inquisitor but a sad smile, "After all you've seen, after the reports you've read of our contacts with Clavis, you still remain unconvinced? "

The opposite happened. Palmyra had previously thought of Karter as a crank and the whole thing was a bad joke but now she was absolutely certain his plan was an unfathomable threat to the Alabastrine Candle. Six destroyers had gone investigating an object emitting red light in the Camora cluster and disappeared forever; 450 single-pilot probes of the Adeptus Mechanicus had approached the object but only one returned, half-mad and mouth babbling about strange constellations, endless void on the other side. What did Karter really expect when sending those data to her? Did he think she would gain confidence knowing that everyone who got close to Clavis met a terrible fate?

"I'm afraid the order expected more than that, Inquisitor." Here was the rejection she prepared in advance, "Our sisters are willing and ready to sacrifice themselves for our Father but that does not mean we will jump to certain death , conducting suicide missions even though knowing it brings no benefit to the Imperium."

"The achievements we seek may be worth all the dangers. Imagine an unexplored Galaxy where humanity can freely thrive without being hindered by the Dark power, Tyranid or Orcs. Think of the resources we can dig up on new Mining Worlds; Forge Worlds that can equal Armageddon in terms of vehicle and equipment production; and Fortress Worlds that can supply thousands of fully equipped and trained Regiments each year. Do you see the potential in this, Canoness? Can you imagine what will happen if our Imperium acquires such resources?"

The Eastern Fringe would be freed from the Tau Empire and its techno heresy. Their previous efforts to crush the upstart had ended up in failure or being canceled midway because the Imperium's resources were being depleted to deal with more pressing issues like the threats posed by the Hive fleet Leviathan and the Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. Even with the danger had temporarily passed and the situation was gradually brought under control, the unspeakable devastation spread across the Imperium territory did not allow another campaign against the expansion of the Tau Empire and with each passing year. past, the prospect of defeating the blue-skinned aliens became more far-fetched. If what Mathias Karter was saying was true, if they managed to build a strong logistical hub safe from any attacks then this could be the biggest turning point since the resurrection of Primarch Roboute Guilliman.

However, it was a huge 'If'. No one could prove that Hive Fleet Fenrir and the others had reached that Galaxy as there was no evidence to deny that they hadn't all been torn atom by atom.

"You told Lord Van der Hart the same promises, didn't you?" Palmyra felt a little annoyed that Karter was clearly using the pure fervor of a holy man to serve his own desires. "Or was he also shown the 'Evidence'?"

Karter's giggles annoyed Palmyra just as much as his polished image. It reminded her of Kirah, Canoness of the Sacred Rose, and her mocking grin as she refused to attend Mass with the Alabastrine detachment before the battle of Brasford.

"As I said, His Excellency was the one who came looking for me." He motioned for the cupbearer to fill his glass. "His Excellency has known about Clavis existence since he was a bishop, and after Gravos passed away without a successor, he invited me to take a look and decide what to do with the object."

"So the whole expedition was Van der Hart's idea?"

"Actually it's mine but the original plan was just a small force with a few destroyers and about 30,000 men" He then raised his cup and declared. "To our Emperor."

Palmyra reluctantly did the same "To our Emperor."

After a swig of wine, Mathias Karter put down the goblet and continued his story. "The cardinal considered that to be a waste and proposed… well, a small campaign with more quality troops. He introduced me to powerful generals in the region, ambitious governors, commanders of Cadia armies on their way looking for a new home, captains of Space Marine companies, even Lord Guilliman himself. Truth be told, the last one wasn't very successful since the Primarch already had a grudge against the Inquisition, so I was forced to find another way to sanctify my actions."

And there was no better way to do that than to have the Emperor's Brides leading his army with their hands waving double-headed eagle banners. Clever, really Clever. Palmyra had every reason to dislike the Inquisitor, but even she couldn't deny that he had a very sharp mind.

"You can have all you want with a decree from the Inquisition, Lord Karter." Palmyra pointed out. "There is no need to waste time, effort, and such luxuries to convince a lowly Sister like me."

The Inquisitor gave faint smile with his hands clasped together, "In my experience, productivity is higher if people work voluntarily. Besides, I was pretty confident in convincing your Canoness Superior, given the history between your order and Clavis."

What game is he playing now? On the one hand, she didn't think he would make up such a thing, but on the other hand, Palmyra was sure her sisters had nothing to do with that cursed techno heresy. Alabastrine was thousands of lightyears from this place and according to their records, the order's last activity in the Camora Cluster took place exactly 150 years ago when three Seraphim were sent to Temaris to guard a newly built cathedral.

"You are sorely mistaken, Inquisitor."

"With the Emperor as my witness, I speak only what I know and what I consider to be the truth." He declared and then gave a shrug. "But I think you should have a conversation with Canoness Superior on this particular subject and gain some clarity. After all, this is an internal affair of your order and I'm just an outsider."

Is this the reason why? Alabastrine Candle had a connection to the alien object that Palmyra was completely unaware of? Can't be, impossible. Literally everyone, from the order's leadership to every novitiate, had never heard of Clavis before. All of them were in shock at Karter's revelation except…except Canoness Superior, their mother.

Why did she do that? What secret so great that not even a Canoness was allowed to know? Palmyra had a thousand questions to ask, but before one could escape her lips, the steel door was suddenly opened and a familiar figure entered. There were some purple stains on Adel's white apron and her power armor gloves that had been removed, a sign that a complex surgery had been carried out.

"That quick?" The Inquisitor pretended to be surprised. "I hope Yorin received you well, Hospitaller. He's a talented man but he can also get tricky at times, especially with other people touching his stuff."

"The Magos...he is very helpful, Lord Karter."

Adel replied with a silent nod, her face looking like it was carved from stone. Not good, not good at all. She was in shock and Palmyra had known her friend long enough to recognize the signs. The last time she saw such behavior was when news of Cadia's demise was confirmed by the High lords of Terra.

"What's the matter, Adel?" The restlessness was so great that Canoness had to jump on her feet looking for an answer, but all she got from Adel was averted eyes and silence. Annoyed, she turned to Mathias Karter and shot him a menacing look. "You may be a man of the Inquisition but that does not mean you are invulnerable, Lord Karter. Don't play tricks on me."

"I wouldn't dream of that, Canoness." He calmly replied with a glass of wine in his hand. "Why don't you take a trip down to the lab and make your own judgment? Seeing is believing, no?"

But the eyes were capable of deceiving even the most faithful.

Palmyra told herself so as they led her down to the lab, a cold, dark, and rather creepy place. As a Sororitas, no horror of the Galaxy could frighten her, but that didn't mean Canoness liked seeing them trapped inside yellow tanks lining along walls and watching her with their soulless eyes. The vast majority of the specimens were humans with peculiar mutations or Tyranids of various types, but there were also Xenos Tau, Kroot, Eldar, and a number of other lower-intelligence alien species whose names were unknown to her.

In the center of the room were three old metal tables and three carcasses of a species of Xenos that Palmyra had never seen before. The first two corpses were in a state of severe decomposition, but their blue skin was still recognizable. One of the corpses had lost its right leg and left arm whereas the skin on the second corpse's face was peeled off, revealing the ghostly white bones underneath. The third corpse had a darker blue skin tone, almost purple, and was in near-perfect condition. All three had tentacles arranged into the shape of flower buds on the top of their heads instead of hair, and according to Palmyra's preliminary observations, all of them were female. While she was not a Hospitaller with an extensive medical background to make such a conclusion, it was not that hard to understand that there were a few general rules when it came to the difference between males and females in most species.

"What are these abominations ?" Palmyra pointed her finger at the corpses and asked. Although they looked like Xenos Tau, the similarities they shared with humans were so astounding that it make Canoness want to puke. Merciful Emperor, these three aliens even looked more like humans than the Eldar. "Where did you find them?"

"The first two specimens were found in a valley not far from here." Yorin replied with half of his bony face hidden behind the thick brown hood, "During a minor skirmish between a Cadian platoon and a Fire Caste scout unit in M41.250, these two humanoid beings with distinct appearances were captured and executed according to standard Imperial Guard's protocol. However, the lieutenant later realized the value of the specimens and decided to preserve them. It was unfortunate that the standards for preserving corpses on the battlefield didn't align well with Adeptus Mechanicus, so the specimen was damaged before reaching the nearest Magos."

"So..they are female Tau?"

It didn't strike like that. Palmyra had seen female Tau before, and from her memory, they had no noses or tentacles on their heads.

"They are not Xenos Tau, Canoness." Adel shook her head, "Actually, Genetic analysis shows that they do not belong to any Xenos species identified in Archmagos Rama's Encyclopaedia Alienigenarum. I have double-checked many times already. This is definitely a new species of Xenos."

So this is the evidence? It took Palmyra a great effort not to laugh at the Inquisitor's unexpected candor. "Don't tell me you think these creatures come from the 'Other side, Lord Karter." Canonness turned to the Magos with a triumphant smile on her lips. "These things prove nothing."

"Canoness has another explanation?" There was annoyance in his voice.

"Dozens. Every decade, thousands of worlds are rediscovered and with them, new enemies of humanity arise. Maybe these Xenos are one of them. Maybe they're the new race of slaves of the Tau Empire and maybe they're the unknown Xenos that built this base." She pointed out bluntly. "Even if they really do come from the 'Other Galaxy' like you love talking about, we have even more reason to stop. The Imperium has enough trouble already and the last thing it needs is another enemy to fight."

"Canoness is not wrong at that. Our Imperium has too many enemies but unfortunately no allies." Mathias Karter was undeterred by her criticism. With a snap of his fingers, he motioned for Adel to approach and asked her with a smile, "Sister Adel, tell Canoness about your discovery in the third specimen. Do not be afraid. I am the Inquisitor here and I will decide what is heresy and what is not."

Even with that, the Hospitaller still hesitated and only found her confidence after receiving a nod from Palmyra:

"The third specimen was found dead in what appeared to be an Escape pod five years ago by an Imperial Navy warship patrolling near Clavis. The specimen is an alien creature about 50 years old according to Carbon analysis. A deeper analysis of the genome indicates…indicate…"

"Indicate what?" Impatiently demanded Palmyra.

"A deeper analysis of the genome indicates that the subject possesses 30% of the human genes belonging to the FV-6764 Grama group, a common set of genes among the population of Uhulis Sector, especially on the world of Krieg. No signs of medical intervention were detected and chromosomal analysis confirmed the organism inherited its genome from a human father through natural reproduction."

An eerie silence enveloped the room. More than anyone else, Palmyra was fully aware of the gravity of the situation. It was not simply heretical and blasphemous, but also something that belonged to the realm of impossibility. Reproduction between species couldn't occur naturally, it was known. Even the Genestealer cult's disgusting recruiting method was nothing more than a manipulation of the host's genome whose ultimate goal was to create a pure-born Purii and given the origin of the genome, something like this was supposed to happen. Uhulis Sector was tens of millions of light-years from the Eastern Fringe, and its closest representatives they could find here were all members of the Death Korps of Krieg.

By the Throne, only a madman would think of a Kriegman laying with an alien and having offspring.

"These things are fake, fabricated." An accusing finger was pointed directly at the Inquisitor, an act that even in her wildest dreams Palmyra didn't think she had the guts to do. But she had suffered enough. "You cursed heretic."

Mathias Karter replied with a haughty smile, "My my, this is a serious accusation and the sentence for it is usually death. Have you thought it through, Canoness? If you condemn me, Yorin and your friends will suffer the same fate since they too are part of what you consider heresy."

"Only one has to die here." As she finished, the cold black muzzle of her Bolter was pointed directly at the man in black. "Repent, heretic"

"IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR, LOWER YOUR WEAPON."

A voice as deep and heavy as the largest bell of Alabastrina Veritas had Palmyra startled and turned around. In the shadowy hallway leading to the laboratory, an enormous figure materialized out of nowhere and started approaching them. Though Canoness Palmyra couldn't make out who it was, the sound of heavy metallic footsteps gave her some hints.

A Space Marine.

The power armor of this Emperor's chosen did remind her of the beautiful ocean on Macragge but she was quite sure that he was no Ultramarine. On his Ceramite shoulder pad was a white spiral symbol instead of an Omega and he also did not possess the aura of authority like the sons of Roboute Guilliman. Still, Palmyral felt the sense of greatness and the tremendous pressure of a forming storm as his shadow fell on her. Before she was aware of it, her Bolter pistol had been lowered.

"Canoness, I am honored to introduce to you Captain Zad, Force commander of the 5th Company of The Blue Storm." Mathias Karter said excitedly, "Before you decide to execute me for heresy, would you mind sparing a few minutes to listen to what he has to say?"