RWBY 40k – Salem, Mistress of Inquisition.

Episode 41: A New Member in the Family.

At least one century ago. In Biel-Tan. The interior of the Craftworld was beautifully decorated, with many buildings of different shapes and architecture. With a quality league ahead from human decoration.

It was artificial night inside of this gigantic city.

But in the campaign parts of the Craftworld, in a small stone house as beautifully decorated as the rest. A woman was screaming.

It was a woman with pale skin, dark hair and blue eyes who was in Childbirth. When a man with a slave collar was in the wall, naked and gaped. She was screaming loudly and in pleasure, welcoming the pain of childbirth.

Female Drukhari: "Aaaaah! AAAAHH! Yes! Come from me! Come to me my baby!"

Asuryani: "Mmmmph!"

Female Drukhari: "What do you want? Smashing you again? Don't be impatient! Let me give birth of my little baby! Aahahahahaha!"

She laughs before straining herself, pushing out her baby out of her body.

Female Drukhari (in depraved scream): "THIS IS SO GOOOOD!"

Then the baby completely exits her body, with only the umbilical cord linking him to her. She takes the baby in her hands.

Female Drukhari: "I will have a lot of fun together in Commoragh. My little boy. More exciting adventures than the boring life of an Asuryani."

She kissed languorously her baby on the cheek, this is her manner to show her love.

Then, in a chirurgical detail. She cuts herself the umbilical cord of her baby, cleaning outside and its insides. And so, the baby pushes his first scream of life.

Female Drukhari: "Yes. You are alive. You will have fun with me. Believe me. Hehehehehe…"

She giggles in a perverted smile. Thinking about the activities between mother and son in Commoragh.

Female Drukhari: "Learning how to remove the skin of Mon-Keigh and Orks. Making raids with me. Having fun with girls in the Heart or even the Towers of the High Town. A lot of good things."

But suddenly, the door of the lower floor of the house is forced open.

Asuryani soldier: "She has to be here!"

Female Drukhari: "Oh no… They find me?"

The door of the room is forced open and a Aeldari soldiers enters the room.

Asuryani: "Baesseth, the Kabbal of hundred heads! You are under arrest!"

Female Drukhrari (groans in frustration): "I cannot do have fun anymore… But hey, it was fun!"

She takes her dark sword in one hand when she is holding her baby in the other hand.

They began to fight inside the house before Baesseth exit the room with destroying the window. She was really good at fighting, holding her ground against five Asuryanis warriors at the same time.

But as she fights and holding her stand. Another Asuryani join the fight and he was more skilled than the five others and Baesseth began always to take steps back, because she was handicapped by the presence of her baby on one of her hands.

And then, the unthinkable happen. She loses balance and one of the Asuryanis takes her baby away from her arm.

Baesseth: "NOOO! Give me back my son!"

She fights furiously with her now two free hands with her force, draws back her enemies but the soldier who hold her baby was keeping a secure distance.

But at one moment, a Seer arrived an began to attack psychically the Drukharii with all sorts of attacks with Pyromancy and other Telekinesis technics.

Baesseth uses of her last force and managed to wound the Seer. But the Seer reacts an open a Gate of Infinity in the Immaterium.

Baesseth: "NOOOOOO!"

She pulls out a bomb and throws it to the ground. Creating a blinding light. Forcing the Seer to protect himself, modifying the Gate of Infinity and leading it to Commoragh by thinking his life was over because of a Drukharii. Baesseth was sucked inside and the Gate closes.

After a few moments, the soldiers were curing the liberated Aeldari, in more dressed clothes and in a big towel.

Biel-Tan soldier: "Are you okay?"

Aeldari: "I am… so… bad… By Isha… I cannot… I cannot… Oh by Asuryan… Oh Asuryan… Fuck! By Isha!"

He becomes hysterical and really agitated.

Biel-Tan soldier: "I need help here!"

A Seer arrived in and knocks out the Aeldari psychically before taking him to the medics.

The baby was in the hands of a Biel-Tan soldier.

Biel-Tan soldier: "What do we do with him?"

Biel-Tan soldier 2: "I don't know."

Biel-Tan soldier 3: "We have to talk about this incident."

And so, the baby's fate was in the hands of the Council of Biel-Tan.

Many of them (especially the Autarch and Exarch) wanted to kill this baby, issued from a rape of a Biel-Tan eldar who was now completely broken in mind and unable to recover. When the Farseer, Warlocks and other Seers argued about sparing him.

Finally, everyone shuts up when Farseer Anath'lan take the speech.

Farseer Anath'lan: "I have seen a prophecy in the future of Biel-Tan. The child has to survive in order to ensure the safety of Biel-Tan."

Autarch Mauryon: "What Prophecy? I don't want to hear nonsense."

Farseer Anath'lan takes out a parchment from his robes, filled with runes.

Farseer Anath'lan: "It says this: 'Boy of a Dark City. Moving to a woman of gold. Growing with golden qualities. Everyone sees him as unworthy. His soul is worthier than anything else. To the Vessels of Gold follows him an Empire of Light. The First Phoenix will he be' This is the prophecy. It could mean he could save the Aeldari in the extinction. And so, his life has to be preserved at any cost."

Autarch Mauryon looks at the baby with contempt in the hands of a female Eldar.

Autarch Mauryon: "Whatever. But I shall not put any favouritism on him. He is unworthy of our city by the sin of existing."

The other military leaders nodded in agreement.

Farseer Anath'lan: "Hm… Don't worry. He will be named, Ilil Swiftseeker…"

And so, Ilil began to live inside the city of Biel-Tan but the children of Biel-Tan bullied him for it's origins.

Eldar Child 1: "Your mom is a whore!"

Eldar Child 2: "You should never exist in the first place!"

They punched and smashed him violently. Until a Seer intervened.

Seer: "Stop! I order you to stop!"

Eldar Child 3: "We cannot keep him. He is a scum from the Dark City by his…"

He gets slapped by the Seer.

Seer: "Don't finish this phrase. I order you to GET OUT!" He last tone in psychic voice scare away the children. Ilil was on the ground, recognizable with his dark hair, pale skin and his blue eyes. He was wearing black clothes.

Ilil: "Why… Why they hate me so much…? Everyone… The children and the adults…"

Seer: "Don't listen to them. They have not the context. Let's go home."

Ilil was growing in Biel-Tan, hated by everyone who clearly want his death. Except the Seers. Becoming introverted, not trusting himself and hating himself.

Unbeknownst of him, a sinister idea comes to the mind of Autarch Mauryon. He decided to take him under his wing to 'train' him in the Way of Warrior. But in reality, he was planning to leave him in the ground at the first occasion.

At this day, the young teenage Eldar was training with Mauryon. His training resembling more like a beating session than an actual training.

Mauryon: "You are so weak! Why you are no trying?!"

Ilil: "I am… trying… Please… I have so… tired…"

Mauryon: "Hmph… coward…"

He takes the young Eldar and sit him down on the bench, he is taken care by medics. But he could see the medics were taking their job at him with detachment, like they were not caring for him.

Ilil walk to his small house, in the suburbs of one of the agglomerations of Biel-Tan and goes to his small only piece apartment. He tosses his training clothes before lying on the bed. He puts his hands on his face before crying.

Ilil: "Nobody loves me… Nobody… loves me…"

And a few next years later. He has grown a little more. For his surprise, he was taken in the punitive expedition against the growing Imperium of Man after the razing of the Maiden World Ullavir by the supposed one of the leaders of the Imperium. A Mon-Keigh named Salem.

They launched a surprise attack on one of the planets of the Imperium named Vaerdon and gigantic massacre began in the next days.

The poor Ilil was traumatised, killing creatures who seems sentients with family, civilisation and other things. Even if they are primitive in his eyes, they were alive with emotions.

Ilil at one moment penetrated in a house with a Mon-Keigh mom and his two children. They were talking a strange gibberish but he could their look of fear on their face and they clearly begging for mercy.

But he has no choice, this is a campaign of purge. He aimed his rifle and killed the small family. Feeling broken to make this action.

He exited the house and could see that Mauryon was kicking and smashing a man armed with a simple knife.

Mauryon: "Aeldaris shall rule again! Mon-Keigh will not!"

He executed the man with knife and turned to the wife and the little girl, who was terrorised by Mauryon and begging. Ilil turned his head, not wanting to see the slaughter. He heard the cries and final scream of agony and then… nothing.

When he dares to turn his head again, Mauryon was facing him.

Mauryon: "Why you didn't want to see the execution?"

Ilil: "Huh… Huh… Huh…"

Mauryon: "Respond!"

Ilil: "It was… horrible…"

Mauryon look at Ilil with disgust.

Mauryon: "Pathetic. Simply pathetic for an Eldar soldier. You are a disgrace. Only favoured by these idiotic Seers. I will ban you after this campaign. Find a way more suited for someone pathetic like you."

He turned his back and walk afar from Ilil.

Mauryon: "What are you looking at? Let's go soldiers!"

The Eldar soldiers follows Mauryon while Ilil was far behind, demoralised, lost and sad. He feels truly alone and useless.

In the fifth day, something was about to change his destiny. Ilil could see from afar that the troops is suffering catastrophic losses and to his horror, the Webway portals and the ships are destroyed one by one. He couldn't do anything against them.

But when he come across Mauryon in a street. He was facing a blond-haired female Mon-Keigh. They were talking but he was too far to understand what they were talking.

Suddenly, to his horror. Mauryon has his arm cut by another Mon-Keigh before being electrocuted with this unknown power, far different from the powers of the Seer he has saw before in Biel-Tan. His armour, followed by his flesh and skin were tearing apart. And his body falls to the ground. The poor Eldar teenager couldn't believe it. Mauryon, an Autarch of Biel-Tan, was killed by this woman, this Mon-Keigh of this unknown power.

This was too much for him and he runs away to the Eldar soldiers as fast as he can.

When he arrived to the closest group, it was already too late. He could see the Eldars on the ground, dead. Killed by the same power that the female Mon-Keigh displayed. It couldn't be… could it?

As he runs, he only sees more and more of groups just being slaughtered, with the same fate as Mauryon. Making him more and more scared of the Mon-Keigh woman in question.

He was taught that the Mon-Keigh were to primitive and too idiotic to have the respect of the Aeldaris. But here, right now. The contrary was proved. If one single Mon-Keigh woman was capable of this kind of power, then what if it was a full army of these Mon-Keigh?

But when he was thinking. Five Mon-Keigh soldiers armed with primitive, Mon-Keigh equivalent of the Shuriken weapons of the main Aeldaris army. They began to shoot at him.

If their lasers are not powerful enough, they still managed to damage a little his armour, especially his helmet. But the young Eldar panicked, unable to fight, too lost and with very low morale. He smashed one of the Mon-Keigh soldiers before running away.

His helmet was deformed and unsuitable for him, he cannot see correctly and so reluctantly removes it from his head and tossing it while running.

He opens up his hologram and try to contact.

Ilil: "Biel-Tan. Please. I am Ilil Swiftseeker. Young Eldar of the troops of Autarch Mauryon! I am the only survivor! Please, save me from the Mon-Keigh! I am begging you!"

The Hologram is silent, the young soldier was alone and scared to the highest.

He tries to hide but he was always saw, and forced to run again. Too terrified, trying to dodge the fires of his foes.

But the unthinkable and the worst happen to him after a moment, he finds himself surrounded in a courtyard of the ruined city by vehicles and hundreds of Mon-Keigh.

Ilil with no other choices, afraid to the hightest. Toss his Shuriken rile and lifted his hands.

Ilil: "I surrender!"

But he faced the rants in an unknown language of the Mon-Keigh and they were about to shoot. But a scream stopped them. And so, someone exited the crowd.

Ilil couldn't believe it, it was the same woman who has slaughtered everyone but him. She approached him a small pace, inserting her implacable dominance.

The woman facing was dressed in a damaged silver armour, the young Eldar sees her face. Implacable expression, with her blue eyes looking at him like an insect. He was so scared that he loses his balance and falls on his back. She bows to him to better look at his face, contorted with fear.

At this moment, Ilil was seized with profound animal fear, one of the worst emotions that a supposed proud Biel-Tanii can feel. It only makes additional dark emotion in his soul with his sense of uselessness and weakness. The woman began to speak, in a surprisingly fluent Aeldari language.

Mon-Keigh Woman: "That's a shame. Sending a young boy like you in the fight with no experience. Biel-Tan is truly monstruous."

The young Eldar feels insulted but he is too scared to respond.

She takes his chin and look through his eyes.

Mon-Keigh Woman: "Unlike the others of your kind. You have learned a lesson today. Never underestimate the Humankind. Even you should return to your mom. Indeed, where is your mom?"

The Eldar face contorted with contempt. Knowing exactly is very existence was due of an horrible crime.

Ilil: "She is… a… whore… She has given birth to me… before leaving me alone… to Commoragh… Everyone hates me in Biel-Tan… I joined the Warrior Path to make myself a name… but now… Just kill me…"

He said that, now completely hopeless. The woman was quite surprised but smirked at herself for some reason.

Mon-Keigh woman: "Oh… You are all alone my little boy? Nobody counts on you? That's really sad… No child should know that… A small Outcast inside this city of idiots…"

Ilil: "I don't want to take the Path of the Outcast ever! I won't surrender to you… Just kill me already…"

Mon-Keigh woman: "Your elders never teach the value of life?"

Ilil: "Yes, but I don't see the point anymore… since I am surrounded now and all alone…"

Mon-Keigh woman: "I have seen enough bloodshed for today and you catch my interest my boy. You can be saved from this destiny of perpetual hatred against everything. And so, I can teach you a lot of things, much more interesting than the Asuryanis path. Because all you knew in your gold cocoon have their equivalent in the Imperium. A bit less elaborated but still here."

He was shocked, he couldn't believe that this woman says that with honesty.

Ilil: "No I won't! I won't listen to your lie! I won't listen to… a… a… Mon-Keigh!"

The woman sighs and knelled close to him, extending her hands to him. His fear going to his maximum height.

Ilil: "You have a lot to understand. Now, go to sleep."

She presses her fingers to the neck of the young Eldar and put her hand on the mouth of the boy.

Mon-Keigh Woman: "Hmmphh!"

He tries to debate but his brain simply shut down because the lack of blood.

When Ilil wakes up again. He could see his body tied up, dressed in some Mon-Keigh rags. He was inside of a room, a room decorated in a fashion he hasn't seen before but compared to the style of Biel-Tan was awfully simple and plain, with too much repetitive marks and symbols. Even the paintings look like for Eldar rookies who has just begun their Path of Painter, within the Path of the Artisan.

Despite that, he was tightly tied up, so much that he couldn't move at all.

Ilil: "Hey! Release me now!"

He tries to struggle but the ropes are so tight and with many, many layers that every attempt was immediate failure and then he stops. Too exhausted and began to shed tears.

Ilil: "Why I am going to do? I am stuck. Nobody is coming to save me… I am so useless… And a disgrace… Why I have born to live like that…"

He began to cry silently, he cried for a long time about his pain. After a long time, he calmed down and falls into a torpor who becomes more and more blank by the time passing.

Then, the door opens who wakes him from his sleepiness. Revealing the blonde woman. Dressed in black and red gown with long sleeves, with a symbol of an eagle with two heads plastered on the chest of the gown. Her blonde hair was attached in a bun. She has simple, point earring on her ears. And a small ruby on her dress below her neck. She looks pretty young for a mere Mon-Keigh but her expression was someone who saw a lot of things. She looks back to the young Eldar and smirked a little.

Mon-Keigh woman: "You are awakened, this is good."

She approached him and sited next to him in the sofa.

Mon-Keigh woman: "How are you feeling?"

Ilil: "Huh… I… I don't know… I am so confused… Why, why did you spare me?"

Mon-Keigh woman: "I would destroy every foe against me, especially all kinds of Xenos. But with the Eldar, especially the children. This is different."

Ilil: "What?"

She approached a little closer to him.

Mon-Keigh woman: "You know. I have always considered the Eldar to be closest to us, humans. You are feelings, families, society and others things similar to humans. A very close mindset from ours. You are the only Xeno who can give a bit of my esteem. After all, you were the one who dominated in the Galaxy for millions of years before the Fall. I can respect that."

Ilil frowned.

Ilil: "What is the link with me? Get straight to the point."

She was a surprised of this bold statement from this young child but she smirked again.

Mon-Keigh woman: "You are quite bold for a teenager like that. I love that. To be honest with you, when I came across of you. With you being just scared from me, like a teenager. After all the things you say to me. I felt sorry for you."

Ilil frowned more and turned his gaze somewhere else.

Ilil: "I don't want your pity."

Mon-Keigh woman: "I know. Because I am just a mere Mon-Keigh isn't it? Who is too stupid to understand the greatness of Aeldaris? Is that it? Hugh… Why could they be so arrogant when they are so blind about their current state?"

The silence falls to the room and then, the young eldar talk.

Ilil: "I don't want your pity because… you are too powerful."

She turned to him, with her raised eyebrow.

Ilil: "You destroyed with your hands an entire division of the Biel-Tan army with your powers. If all the rumoured Mon-Keigh super space warriors named 'Astartes' has the same power. We are screwed and condemned to disappear. Fortunately, the inhabitants of Commoragh won't worry about it, since they are inside of the Webway."

Mon-Keigh woman: "You don't want my mercy because I am too much for you? That the Imperium will be too much for your kind?"

Ilil: "What is the point? We suffered the Fall and now, the Mon-Keigh are expanding rapidly under this being named the Emperor. Who seems to much more powerful than any of the Farseers ever existed."

Mon-Keigh woman: "At least you have realised it. But I won't kill you for one reason."

She takes the chin of the young Eldar boy and look to his eyes.

Mon-Keigh woman: "You want your race saved from oblivion? Live under surety?"

Ilil: "Huh… Yes?"

She smirked a bit wider.

Mon-Keigh woman: "Be with me then. Like I said before. I will teach you everything you need to know about the Imperium. You will know about the true greatness of the Imperium. And then, when the time will come, you will return to your kind. Convince them to be with us. Believe me, this is a pragmatic choice."

Ilil: "But I cannot do that. Because you will die before I could learn anything and I can run away."

Mon-Keigh woman: "You are surrounded everywhere my boy. This will be a dumb move from your part. Also, I am quite different from the other humans. Like all the ones who has a close connection of the Emperor. Believe me, I have the eternity before me to teach you what do you have to know."

Ilil: "But why? Why saving our race?"

Mon-Keigh woman: "Because this is the only one who can I have some of my esteem, who are close to humans. Also, knowledge who could benefit everyone. You won't regret it."

Ilil stay silent.

Mon-Keigh woman: "My name is Salem by the way. High Lady of the Senatorum Imperialis. Mistress of the Corpus Inquisivitum."

Ilil eyes widened.

Ilil: "I heard about you. From Autarch Mauryon. You are the one who has destroyed the Maiden World of Ullavir."

Salem: "You mean Bordoma? (take a colder tone). This was for the genocide of the Bordomer Empire, alongside the troops of your division on Vaerdon Secundus. 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' like they say."

Ilil frowned again.

Ilil: "This is monstruous…"

Salem smirked in a sinister way and approached her face to him, making him nervous.

Salem: "Don't worry. You will learn with much more monstrous things you will ever know… But now, taste this."

She stands up, goes to the food cupboard, opens it take a plate before closing it. She returned to him and present it to him. Ilil was intrigued, it was some kind of weird circular solid pastries with bits of marron things on it.

Ilil: "What is this?"

Salem: "There are cookies. You should taste this."

She takes one of them and approaches them to the mouth of the Eldar.

Ilil: "Should I taste this?"

Salem: "Why not? This is not poisoned."

Ilil: "Okay."

He opens his mouth and take one bite. He opened his eyes before making a grimace and spitting out.

Ilil: "This is so filthy! Like, some kind of weird pastries that the Harlequins given us in my childhood!"

Salem: "Really? They are delicious normally."

She takes another cookie and bite it.

Salem: "Yes, they are delicious."

She eats it entirely and swallow it, turning her gaze back to him.

Salem: "I should be selective about your alimentation."

Ilil: "Mon-Keigh really have weird taste."

Salem: "Hm… I will have a way to accommodate you. I shall say it to you: we will go to Adoria."

Ilil: "Adoria?"

Salem: "Adoria is a planet belonging to one of my sons. When we will arrive, you will follow my orders to the letter. I don't want you to cause any trouble."

Ilil (small voice): "Okay."

Salem: "Good boy."

A few weeks later…

Ilil was dressed in a formal outfit of the Imperium, some kind of red tunic and black shoes. Also, he wears above a cape covering all of his face and body.

He arrived in the bridge of the Infinite and sees in front of him the planet of Adoria. He was impressed to say the least. Adoria was surrounded by gigantic tube-like constructions, when he could see ships really different from the Mon-Keigh, looking more elaborated and developed than any other Mon-Keigh ships.

Also, he could in the space, some kind of weird Wraithknights but with more square features and they were everywhere, transporting any type of shipment to each space tubes.

Salem: "You like it?"

He turned around and sees Salem.

Salem: "You don't have to be ashamed. You have the right to be impressed."

She puts her hand on the shoulder of Ilil.

Salem: "This is only the beginning of your journey."

And so, the Infinite arrived on the planet. Then, Salem accompanied with Ilil take a barge and arrived in the palace of the Chairman of TAFS.

Salem: "Stay close to me, Ilil."

Ilil stay silent and goes out of the barge and arrived in front of a Primarch surrounded by the super-soldiers who seemed to be the rumoured Astartes Legion. The Primarch in question was dressed in some kind of uniform of a general (Note: Kira Saito wears a cloth similar of a Admiral of the Earth Federation in the UC timeline of the Gundam series. The uniform is inspired from the Gryps War period and beyond of the UC. He wears shoulder patches and collar tabs. His collar tabs have five diamond symbols as the shoulder's patches. For the chevron patches, it has five upside-down arrows with one round symbolising Adoria).

But at this moment, Salem arrived and takes the hands tenderly of the Primarch, talking in this strange Mon-Keigh language again. But her expression shows to Ilil that this giant was some kind of son from her.

On Salem's side…

Salem: "Each time I return to Adoria. This planet is even more beautiful than last time. Also, how is my little Lacus?"

Kira: "She is inside the palace with Kia."

Salem: "Okay, also. I have a guest with me. But he his very shy, this is why he is wearing a cape. (turn to Ilil and make sign to approach)."

Ilil approached Salem and come next to her.

Salem: "His name is Ilil."

Kira: "Ilil? What an odd name."

Salem: "I have a small time for you. Let's go inside immediately. I am impatient to see my granddaughter."

And so, everyone goes inside of the palace.

They walked inside the corridors of the palace, displaying the paintings of the formers Chairmans of the former government of TSAFT. One of the paintings was more decorated than the others, the painting of Draken, the last Chairman of TASFT before the reform of Kira, transforming TASFT to TAFS.

But when, they are approaching a door to a small room. Ilil hears a weird sing, a sing quite beautiful with a sweet voice with a weirder language than the language of the Imperials.

Voice (singing): "Mizu no naka ni yoru ga yureteru. Kanashii hodo shizuka ni tatazumu. Midorinasu kishibe…"

Salem: "Ooooh… She is singing a really good song but quite sad."

Kira: "She has better herself since last you encountered her."

Voice: "Utsukushii yoake wo. Tade matte iraretara. Kirei na kokoro de…"

Kira knocks the door, interrupting the song.

Kira: "Lacus. Grandma Salem has come to see you."

Sound of footsteps could be heard and then, the door open.

It reveals a kind of 15 years old girl. She has outstanding beauty for a normal Mon-Keigh to the eyes of Ilil. She has light pink long flowing loose hair falling to her back. Her eyes are pale cerulean. She wears an elaborated white robe in two pieces, separated by a purple skirt. The legs part of her gown is covered by a white and blue robe. The upper part is white, going to from her belly to her collar. She has long sleeves with the same white colour than the shirt part of her gown.

Lacus: "Hello dad. (turn to Salem). Hello grandma."

Salem: "You have grown significantly since last time. I am sorry that I cannot visit you more."

Lacus: "This is okay."

She smiled in an innocent and sweet way. Salem was proud of her granddaughter. Among the ones she has encountered all her life. Lacus Saito was the sweetest and kindest of Salem's granddaughters.

They entered inside the room and began to talk about everything and nothing. Ilil on his side was no interested in the conversation at all.

At one moment, Salem turned to Ilil.

Salem (eldar language): "Lacus will sing her new Adorian song to you. You should hear it."

Ilil: "!"

And so, Lacus began to sing her song. To the surprise of Ilil, it was as sweet as experienced singer of the eldar Sing Path. Her, a very young Mon-Keigh. This was unreal.

Lacus: "Mizu no naka ni yoru ga yureteru. Kanashii hodo shizuka ni tatazumu. Midorinasu kishibe. Utsukushii yoake wo. Tada matte iraretara. Kirei na kokoro de. Kurai umi to sora no mukou ni. Arasoi no nai basho ga aruno to. Osiete kureta no wa dare. Dare mo ga tadori tsukenai. Soretomo dareka no kokoro no naka ni. Mizu no nagare wo shizumete. Kureru daichi wo uruosu shirabe. Ima wa doko nimo nakutemo. Kitto jibun de te ni ireruno. Itsumo, itsuka, kitto. Mizu no akashi wo kono te ni. Subete no honoo wo nomikonde nao. Hiroku yasashiku nagareru. Sono shizukesa ni tadoritsuku no Itsumo, itsuka, kitto. Anata no te wo tori..."

She finished her song and Salem clapped her hands.

Salem: "Truly magnificent! I can't wait you sing to your uncles. They have to hear this."

Lacus blushed a little to this compliment.

Lacus turned to Ilil.

Lacus: "I have never seen you before Ilil. Why are you hiding your face?"

Ilil could feel her curious eyes staring to his soul.

Salem: "He is very shy. Also, he doesn't speak the Imperium language."

Lacus: "I understand."

Salem: "So we will stay here a few days before leaving."

Ilil shivered at this. It means he will stay with this girl, who makes him nervous.

And so, in the next days. While admiring the ships and Mobiles Suits of Adoria. Ilil tried to avoid as much as possible Lacus Saito. He could know that behind her sweet personality, she has another facet of her personality hidden but Ilil could feel it.

One day, the day before leaving to Terra.

Lacus managed to encounter him and corner him on a bench. She was accompanied by a rolling metal small green ball with two little red gems serving has some kind of eyes.

She sited down next to Ilil.

Lacus: "You know Ilil. I hardly know you. I wanted to little chat with you. (she takes the ball in her hands). This is Haro, my friend."

Haro: "Hello! Ilil! Hello!"

Ilil doesn't know how to think about it. This robot is too primitive to be an artificial pet. Even an artificial pet who has been maked by the laziest Eldar he has encountered in Biel-Tan manage to form complete phrases.

Lacus: "What's the matter Ilil? Haro isn't cute?"

Ilil doesn't know to respond, doesn't understanding any word from Lacus.

Lacus approached Ilil more, siting shoulder by shoulder beside him while caressing Haro installed on her knees.

Lacus: "This is fine. You will understand me when you will learn the language of the Imperium with my grandma. After all, you an Eldar…"

At her words, the eyes of Lacus takes a weird and quite disturbing shape. Her pupil shrinks significantly while her iris grows and takes a silver colour. Expressing a much more serious expression, and so Ilil suddenly understand her words by an unknown force.

Lacus: "You know Ilil. I always to know more about other species, even if they are dangerous. But especially, I am convinced that one day. Our races could go along. Why fighting each other when we have so much in common?"

Ilil: "Who… Who are you?"

Lacus smiled warmly.

Lacus: "I am just the daughter of the Primarch Kira Saito. And you, who you are?"

Ilil: "My full name? Why… Why I should give it to you?"

Lacus: "To better know each other. You are under the care of my grandma from now on. And so, this will be the first of many of our future encounters."

Ilil gulped.

Ilil: "Ilil Swiftseeker. Former soldier of Biel-Tan."

Lacus smile faded.

Lacus: "Biel-Tan… I can understand why you are so startled."

Ilil: "What? Why?"

Lacus: "I can guess that you have so bad opinion of humans before your capture. But I can feel that now, I can feel your disillusion and fear. This is sad. Any other Aeldari from the others Craftworlds are still proud of themselves but knows the growing power of Mankind."

Ilil: "What… What do you want from me? You are creeping me out…"

Lacus smiled sweetly again.

Lacus: "Just to know you more. I have already said it. And since I can understand you in your language frow now on. I hope getting along with you, Ilil Swiftseeker. We will have good time together."

Without warning, she gives a small kiss to Ilil's cheek, just to be pushed back by Ilil.

Ilil: "Hey! What you doing your filth?! These are not manners!"

Lacus: "What? You don't kiss each other has a form of gratitude?"

Ilil: "Only the Eldar of Commoragh could do something so disgusting like that! Unless the other Eldar from the other factions that I learned the existence are crazy enough to do the same thing!"

Lacus smiles.

Lacus: "I am not a torturer. I am just a girl."

And so, Lacus eyes return to normal before she stands up while Haro poses to the ground.

Lacus: "See you next time Ilil."

She turned a last time, giving a sweet expression to him before walking away from the young Eldar.

Ilil: "I hate this… I hate these type of girls…"

At this moment, Salem arrived to Ilil.

Salem: "Have you a good time passed with Lacus, Ilil?"

Ilil (dark tone): "I hate her."

Salem: "She is quite bold but she is good-willed. You will love her afterwards."

Ilil: "What? No! I have the impression that she has read through my soul!"

Salem giggled a little.

Ilil: "What?"

Salem: "Like everyone in my family. You will discover the strangest powers in the Galaxy by our side."

And so, a few weeks later. In Terra, inside the Sanctum Imperialis. Salem was facing some of her sons who are quite shocked. Horus, Rogal Dorn, Perturabo, Sanguinius, Vulkan and Magnus the Red.

Horus: "Are you serious mom?"

Perturabo: "You are losing your mind mother!"

Sanguinius: "I cannot imagine that…"

Magnus: "Calm down my brothers."

Perturabo: "Calm down?! When she invited an Eldar on Terra? Our home planet?! This is unacceptable!"

Salem: "Let me explain Perturabo."

Perturabo: "You rather be convincing mother! If you don't want that Eldar will be killed by us!"

Salem: "This is for the simple to strengthen the bonds between the Imperium and a great part of the Aeldari race. Think about it for a moment, they are close to us in term of species. Even if their mindset is quite different from us."

Vulkan: "What is the benefit for us?"

Salem: "To better destroy the other Xenos. After all, they have quite the same objectives as us. The only issue is to make them know they are no capable to reform their Empire since the Fall. And I know this is difficult to change their minds. Especially when I can see that different Eldar factions are drifting more and more from each other as the time passed."

Everyone was silent and Perturabo turn to the young Eldar and pointed his Warhammer to Ilil, who was trembling in fear.

Perturabo: "Don't betray at any moment or I will make sure that you will not return in Biel-Tan ever again."

Before Salem could say anything, he turned his back and leave the room. Salem stays still for seconds before facepalming herself.

Salem: "Despite the fact he doesn't half-destroy planets anymore… He is still so cold and unfeeling."

Horus: "You won't change him like that."

Salem: "Don't remind me Horus. It makes me more irritable."

Horus: "Sorry…"

Salem: "I know you won't accept him yet. But believe me, I think this is a risk worth taking. I'll make sure he won't do anything stupid. Also, I remind you that Malcador approved this…"

Magnus: "We know… We know…"

All looks to Ilil, still wary to him.

Illil (think): "I am inside of the hole. This is impossible for me to exit it from now on… I hate it so much."

To be continued… Intermission 4: Lacus Saito.

The young and mysterious daughter of the Chairman of Adoria is presented to the family. But she disposes an almost unnatural awareness and knowledge of her family. Like it was her main power.

Episode 42: Magnus and two rivals.

Magnus while fighting against the Orks of the Werdrox Empire, stumbles upon a planet of strange Xenos with a strange magic close to his. The threat of these creatures on his Legion forced him to purge them all. And so, he attracted the wrath of two familiar beings.