Chapter Eleven
….
"Let us sing then and let us sing together,
Of golden palaces and forests of winter gossamer.
Where weapons crack amid powers of Lightning and Thunder,
The Emperor of Mankind and the Hands of the World's Potter,"
-Snape Snivellus Severus, Royal Minstrel, Great Crusade
…..
Great Crusade, Memory 30th Millenium
The giant ships of Fleet Dover appear within the horizon spitting out the giant Emperor Class Battleships along with their escorts. In the dark of the void they hover as invisible scans are done on the planet below.
Fleet Dover has been assigned during the duration of the Great Crusade as the Empress' personal battlefleet and escort as long as she's away from Holy Terra. Sure she has her own ship that she can use, but when it comes to emergencies like this, the Emperor has decreed that his companion not only has a sizeable force at her back and call almost half the size of an Astartes legion like one of his sons, but also enough firepower to maintain space superiority should he need it. Indeed Fleet Dover probably is the one which has the largest complement of Imperial Army throughout the different legions of the Great Crusade which are millions strong.
Said complement is currently making planetfall as powerful drop pods and Valkyries zoom away from the bellies of the gargantum battleships and carriers to make planetfall down below. The reason why they are here is simple. The Planet Fornodt has sent off a distress call via one of the Telepathica Choirs about an attack on their planet and Fleet Dover is the nearest one and the strongest to answer the call. Even then it takes them about six hours before they manage to arrive here. Helaena's personal ship, the Orion could have made it in one hour but she sees the wisdom in the Emperor's wariness not to rush headlong into things.
Better arrive late but prepared and carrying a big stick than early with your pants on your ankles.
Fornodt is a hive world though it contains only a single giant spire while the rest of the planet is water. The planet has at least a Three Hundred million inhabitants. Quite small mind you compared to the usual hive worlds found all over the Imperium. The Valkyries lands all over the Hive's main center disgorging tanks, men and equipment even as Drop Pods slam into the ground revealing of course, Ultramarines volunteered by Gulliman that would serve as personal soldiers for his mother to use. There is no way that he would allow himself to be upstated by his brothers by not volunteering his sons for the honor of defending their grandmother.
It is a distressing sight that meets the Imperials the moment they land. Blood is spilled all over the places staining the ground, the walls and everything. Corpses lie impaled in a gruesome work of beauty and horror in torture devices that are beautiful to look at.
"Drukharii," the Empress simply hisses in anger when it is her turn to finally arrive planet side.
….
The Rock, Personal Quarters of Lion El Johnson
The sound of flesh meeting flesh can be heard on the great halls of Johnson's "Bedroom". Like his brother at Ultramar, the Dark Angels have preserved their Primarch's personal quarters to the best of their ability. Also since the last time that the Primarchs of the Dark Angels walked before disappearing is just after the Great Crusade, that means that the entire room is rather more akin to a hall than a room.
Unlike Ultramar however where Gulliman's quarters are bedecked with Golden Regalia and blue colors due to the richness and the opulence of the Ultramarines, the Dark Anges' Primarch are more subdued and his room also resonates his personality. There is no gold found inside the room other than the little that design the giant vases or trophies he has earned throughout his life. Everywhere around are heads or pelts of dead animals, victories over savage beasts that plague many a Feral World he had met during the Great Crusade. Great Weapon racks where swords of every design can be seen and carvings of shields with names of heroes and champions on it are also present adorning the walls. Said walls are bare and barren only a dark green in color giving a darkish forestry look for the entire room. It is almost like living under the eaves of a forest of Caliban. The lost homeworld of the Dark Angels resonate deep into all of them, and to their Primarch most of all who actually had been there and remembered the planet before it is nothing more than a floating hunk of rock.
Said room has been given for the use of his mother and the dark Eldar who has appeared out of nowhere and is sticking like a wart to the Empress of Mankind. That alone might have thrown red flags in the air since nothing good usually can be expected in dealing with the darker cousins of the Aeldari. However by order of the Empress, they not lay a finger on her since they owe her a debt of gratitude for the aid in dealing with Angron.
Now here Helaena is gritting her teeth as the Dark Eldar Wych is beneath her waist repairing the broken pelvic bone, courtesy of Angron's backwards kick by his hooves. The blow had been singular but powerful enough that it broke. Helaena didn't even recognize it due to the adrenaline of the fight she had been in.
As for the reason however she is allowing Lelith Hesperax of all people work on her in helping her about her damaged form is simple. She owes a life debt to the Dark Eldar Wych for her help in getting rid of Angron and the Dark Eldar is quick to cash in on the favor Helaena realizes it as she is fighting her wayward son that she would not have the heart and the strength to give out the final fatal blow to her baby boy. Even in his fallen state oozing madness and hatred, she still loves him and remembers him as the man who has always needed her due to the affliction dealt to him by Fate. If their fight had continued, Helaena knows she would have lost only because of her feelings. Lelith appearing and skewering Angron triggers a life debt accidentally to the Wych. It is simply one of the quirks of wizardkind, of her kind to be honest and the Wych knows it too.
"Damned Eldar and their talent when it comes to divination," Helaena mentally curses knowing that someplace somewhere, Roubutte's little girlfriend Yvraine might be having a laugh on her behalf due to being saddled by Lelith Hesperax of all people.
If not for the fact that she has pledged herself to the Ynnari faction and no longer serves the dreaded Archons of Commoragh, she might have killed her herself Life Debt or not. Sure she still revels in pleasure of the fight, every inch of her oozes of it, beautiful as she is deadly.
Surprisingly Lelith is not so bad once you get to know her. Helaena surprisingly admires her skills on the bed. The Aeldari is as skilled with the blade as she is with her body under the sheets (much to the consternation of Johnson the prude). She is Dark Eldar and she needs to release that pent up tension that those of her kind bears unlike their Craftworld cousins. Helaena is only so happy to oblige. What's the point of being the most beautiful woman alive if you don't cash in on its perks? It is certainly enough to get the approval of the Drukharii if their seven ways to seventh heaven these past few days serve as proof. Aeldari apparently doesn't take things by half, especially sex.
"Hold on Empress, this is the last one," the Dark Eldar half purrs half sensually massages her bare hip while at the same time rubbing her pale body atop the back of Helaena's before pressing hard at the flesh of her hip making Helaena hiss as her entire body flinches as an audible CRACK can be heard. This of course only prompts for an involuntary hard press that creates hard friction with the pale one of Lelith who gives off unashamedly a loud moan.
"Is it finished?" asks Helaena panting with sweat as the pain in her pelvis slowly diminishes.
"It's done. For your damages at least Empress, the rest of your body would be healed in a week's time by your personal regeneration," replies Lelith before hugging Helaena to her making sure to grab her breasts with audacity and letting her fingers remain on the soft flesh as she nuzzles her black hair.
"Though I would be remiss if we can say we are done with using the bed for today," she purrs making squeezing motions with her fingers.
"We fucked, fifteen times already Lelith," points out Helaena wryly.
"Then add another fifteen and we can call it a day," replies Lelith simply releasing her hand on Helaena's breasts before climbing atop her that she is straddling her giving Helaena a perfect view of the Dark Eldar's sensual body riddled with pale scars that is barely visible on the flawless taut skin.
"So what say you Empress?"
"I say let us fu-,"
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Booming knocks and the door opening makes both women turn just in time to see the jaw dropped faces of Lion El Johnson alongside with Rogal Dorn and Roubutte Gulliman enter without warning. The wine the latter is holding smashes to the floor as he drops it as all of them drops their jaw seeing their mother in a state of undress with a very nude Drukharii and not in the manner that they are expecting.
As expected it is Lelith Hesperax who first recovers from the surprise and shock by putting a hand over her hip and letting the other curl a finger at the stunned Primarchs in a gesturing manner. "Well boys, are you going to join in or not?"
"I will join in," the innocent chirp comes from Luna as the Half-Eldar bounds forward tugging her synth suit zipper down exposing her own cleavage and chest.
Yep that is where Helaena is drawing the line. She is finding herself in a position that no son or daughter of hers should see. With a wave of her hand, she levitates all four Primarchs who squawks in varied sounds of surprise and indignation (in Luna's side) before throwing them out of the room via the door the sounds of clinkety clanking of their armor heard outside as they are obviously in a pile atop each other.
"That is not funny," she mock glares at Lelith who has a knowing look in her eyes as she is still staring at where her sons and daughter entered. Helaena does not miss that her expression is one of curiosity also.
"That young woman that just enters," she starts to say. "She's half-Aeldari isn't it?"
"Yes, what it is to you?" Helaena asks slowly feeling defensive for Luna's sake.
"Nothing. I am just surprised seeing another like her again. I've never seen a complete half-Aeldari that is not a monstrosity of a union. Even in the past in your humans so-called golden age, very few of your wise men succeeded on making such a being. I am impressed,"
"Thank you, she is my daughter, I made her by my own genome," replies Helaena who then gasps as Lelith grabs a hand and licks it. "What are you doing?" she asks as the Drukharii takes one finger inside her mouth and starts to bite it with her fangs gently.
"Finishing what I started before your children barges in. There is no way I am letting a bunch of overgrown Mon-Keigh stop me from tasting you again yes?"
Helaena just starts to protest about her usage of insults again but is promptly cut off by cold lips meeting her warm ones.
….
Three Hours Later
"Mother," three baritone voices greets only to be overshadowed by a high pitched…
"MOTHERRRRRR!" Roubutte Guilliman watches wryly as his sister literally leaps over the table they are eating at to barrel into the chest of Helaena who laughs as she embraces the rather overenthusiastic embrace of Luna. Her sister he has to admit is one hyperactive being and someone you can't like unless you're a dour sourpuss like Rogal Dorn is sometimes.
His good mood however sours as he sees the Dark Eldar Wych appears following behind his mother clad in that revealing armor of hers. He still can't get the image of her atop his mother obviously doing intercourse at the back of his head. He knows of course that his mother sleeps around, everyone in the Great Crusade is well-aware of that fact. Unlike their father who is steadfast and strong like a pillar of stone, their mother is like the wind who fleets from one thing to another upon anything that catches her fancy. In a way she is as open to things as their father is closed.
"Two sides of the coin that attract one another," he comes to the realization.
The Dark Eldar must have sensed his eyes boring a hole into her for she levels her gaze at him before childishly sticking her tongue out at him. If he is any lesser being, he might have peppered her already with bolter fire from his gauntlets. He, Dorn and the Lion after all are still in their proud Primarch outfits. They are still too bothered by what they saw that they don't see the need to take off their ensembles as they process what they saw amid cups of recaff or coffee as their mother loves to call it.
"My sons, I am glad you are all here," says Helaena approaching the three of them after she manages to extract the octopus hug that Luna Is giving her. The half-Eldar is still hanging unto her left arm with a cheerful smile as she rubs her head like a cat at her mother's arms. Her mother has also changed from wearing nothing to a simple dark green dress with bare shoulders. Like his brothers, he tries his damnest to ignore the bite marks that covers her neck and shoulders.
"Mother, I am glad you are alright now. We have been worried when we heard that you have been injured during your fight against Angron," says Dorn ever the direct one. It is indeed true. News of the defeat of Angron the Daemon Prince spreads like wildfire all over the Imperium at the hands of the Empress. Seeing that Fleet Primus would be near The Rock anyhow, both brothers have decided that they could take the time to visit their mother while on the other hand give their forces much needed shore leave to gear up and repair their armaments while resupplying their armies and ships at the same time.
A win-win situation.
"I am alright my son, just heavily bruised and sore in almost all places," answers Helaena placing a hand over Dorn's face. Gulliman can feel his nostrils expanding in annoyance as his rigid and uncompromising brother leans in to the touch of their brother like a giant bear. He's not envious, oh he's not envious alright.
"The lady Lelith-,"
"I'm not a lady," corrects the Drukharii loudly making Dorn immediately straighten up realizing that he is making a fool of himself in front of everyone. He can see the Lion trying and failing to hide his amusement at the actions of the Primarch of the Imperial Fists.
Their mother simply rolls her eyes however at the reply of the Drukharii. "Everyone this is Lelith Hesperax, head of the Succubi Cult that serves under the wing of the Ynnari of the prophetess Yvraine,"
"Xeno scum," hisses Lion El Johnson.
"Smelly Mon-Keigh," sniffs Lelith in response. "How long has it been since you have taken a bath?"
"Do not bandy words with me Xeno for your kind especially deserves nothing more than a boot pressed on you in the ground under the heels of mankind,"
"Enough of this race superiority bullshit!" the sudden snappy words of the Empress strikes both man and alien dumb as they stare at the now annoyed looking lithe woman who tiredly sits on the throne like chair at the head of the table with a tired sigh. "Everything about me is sore and hurting, especially my insides and you two are bandying words with each other like little children. You, Lelith; you pride your Aeldari heritage as an Elder race much wiser and more controlled. Isn't it beneath you to banter heated words against a race younger than yours. And here I thought patience goes hand in hand with wisdom?
The Aeldari simply cocks her head before nodding as she folds her arms beneath her bust but not before draping herself all over Helaena like a snake, a very beautiful snake. Guilliman can feel his nostrils flaring at the sight. Luna however has no such inhibitions as she imitates the Drukharii purring while doing so.
"As for you my son, are you really that thick not to realize that Lelith Hesperax is here as my guest because of valid reasons that I may have not told you yet?" asks Helaena ignoring the two's wandering hands pawing each other like little kids.
"Sorry mother," mumbles the Lion looking chastised. "I might be speaking however for everyone here if I may ask why is the Lady-"
"Lelith, just call me Lelith," meows the Drukharii getting a patter of hands from Luna from her diversion of concentration.
One can literally hear the grinding of teeth from the Lion before he manages to get control of it. "-Lelith then is doing here inside your personal chambers? She's a Drukharii after all and we haven't got any information whatsoever as to the reason as to why she's here,"
"I am getting to that. Take a seat my sons, and daughter," adds Helaena to the half-Eldar who pouts before letting go and draping herself upon one of Guilliman's shoulder pauldrons instead of sitting at a chair.
"Lelith would you mind?" she turns to the Dark Eldar who raises a delicate eyebrow.
"Must I?"
"Yes, before my sons attempt to pick a fight with you with how strained their patience all are being tested,"
"That would be fun," the Dark Eldar answers.
"Not for me, now get off me while I talk to my children,"
"Oh very well if you must," she sighs in defeat before getting up and standing behind Helaena almost vanishing in the shadows behind her.
"Okay now my boys and girl," she adds pointedly at Luna who grins. "Lelith Hesperax is here because of what one might call a life debt, peace Rogal my son, I am getting to it," she cuts out as Dorn opens his mouth to interject. "I am not a regular human as your father already knows. I am what the archaic man calls a witch for I belong in wizardkind. Though the term that your father calls it back then is meta-human. We are Psykers basically who do not draw power from the warp but from our own strengths and stamina. The older we become, the more powerful we are. For reasons that are personal to me, I am immortal and my magic or psychic abilities as we call it had grown exponentially over the years. And don't worry Rogal it's not related to anything chaotic or such," she once more adds as the Primarch of the Imperial Fists open his mouth to ask something, a small slap at his arm by the Lion along with a hard glare makes him shut up.
"Now as to why I am telling you this is because life debts as you know are taken seriously by my people, our powers affect our lives thanks to how intertwined to us by it. Thus when I fought your brother, I may be stronger than him but never in the entire fight did I consider that I would be able to kill him with my own hands. He is Angron after all, my son, my most beloved and the one I care for the most due to his condition. My powers thus decide that I would never be able to win and I would lose the fight which would result to my death. When Lelith saved me thus, it created a bond of thanks to her for saving my life. Thus a life debt occurred which means she can ask anything of me within reason and I am obligated to fulfill it lest my powers hold me accountable and leave me making me nothing more than a regular human with no powers, a poor figurehead for the Imperium especially when it needs strength more than ever,"
"And what is this favor she asked of your mother?" asks Guilliman, feeling his teeth grinding when he says "favor".
"Other than sharing your bed that is," murmurs the Lion under his breathe which everyone hears but promptly ignores.
"That all of you call me mommy of course!" the Dark Eldar says out loud forcing Rogal to spew the mug of recaff that he is drinking into the wall before coughing loudly. Luna giggles at the sight.
"Lelith!" snaps Helaena giving a glare to the Dark Eldar who pouts.
"What? It is fun seeing their expressions turn to anger and gobsmacked," she answers unrepentantly amid the hacking coughs of Rogal Dorn who is being patted in the back of Laetri.
"Just….tell them directly what you asked of me Lelith," sighs Helaena with a wave of her hand.
"Oh alright, you guys are no fun at all as usual," she sniffs unhappily before straightening up. "My mistress Yvraine sent me here," she raises an eyebrow as Guilliman finds himself paying a lot more attention now at the mention of the head of the Ynnari. Everyone glares at him and Guilliman makes himself small in his chair unsuccessfully as his mother especially has that questioning look directed at him.
"She wants me to tie myself up with the company of the Empress of Mankind and aid her in the task of collecting her lost sons back from whichever part of the galaxy they are hiding. The way my mistress says it is that it would benefit the Aeldari as much as the Imperium if she succeeds on her endeavor and more than one innocent life undeserving of their fate might be saved,"
"And does that include sharing her bed?" asks the Lion making Helaena slap her face at that although the Dark Eldar only chuckles.
"I might have thought you understood. Your mother is the most desirable of all women I've ever encountered while I, it is said am the most beautiful of my kind in almost every way. Similar attributes attract don't they big man?"
Judging by the flaring of the nostrils of the Lion, he obviously DOESN'T agree.
"Enough of this my sons," Helaena interjects. "Whom I sleep with is none of your business unless it endangers the Imperium or you, my children," she gives off a soft smile that Guilliman is very familiar with. "Now tell me about your successes while you are all away so that I can feel proud of my children. Johnson?"
"Yes mother?" the Lion turns away from glaring at the Dark Eldar at being singled out. "Your brothers are here alongside your new sister. I do expect you remember your manners and your hospitality given to them and their forces?"
"I do mother," nods the Lion puffing up. "Their forces are being re-equipped and repaired from the supplies of the nearby forge world while the more human members of their crusade are given leave to the garden world of Apollonia down below where the Rock is orbiting right now. Word has also been sent out to the nearby sectors recruiting legions of guardsmen to replenish your lost ranks. Word has also been sent out to Clone command and they're sending out reinforcements. Nearby Space Marine Chapters are also volunteering so all in all by the end of this quarter, we believe that the Crusade would be able to leave in the same strength as it started before,"
"Good job Johnson, I am glad that your time sleeping hasn't dulled your organizational skills at all. Now Rogal, Guilliman, tell me about the status of our crusade and how your new sister has performed so far?"
Guilliman is only to happy to share the fruits of the Indominus Crusade. He tells about how travel has been slowed to a crawl due to the flickering of the Astronomican forcing the Crusade Fleets only short jumps through the Warp. Even then he tells how they clean through system after system saving worlds where they could. He does not embellish the full might of the powerful armies of mankind comparing them to the ones before during the Great Crusade.
Guilliman tells of Daemon hordes being driven off from Gathalamor to the Drogos system and Tallarn, he tells of the exploits of their sister who seems to be as dangerous as she is beautiful whose strength is that of a Primarch but with the grace and agility of the Aeldari that she can fight off daemons and not flinch. He tells about how in the Lhor Reaches, the Brass Tyrants are cast down. About how Dorn saves the entire population of Ophelia VII from the enslavement of the Tyrant of Blueflame, how the great duel between his brother and his sister against the Greater Daemon of Khorne before it is given the Emperor's justice with a bolter on the forehead.
Guilliman himself had faced the Befouled Beast Xeno that claimed the Cardinal World of Caster. The monster towers over him yet it is him who emerges unharmed from the duel. He tells of how the approach itself of the Crusade is sometimes enough to quell the few rebellions of many worlds due to fear. He also is not remiss about telling his mother the praises they are throwing in her name due to her great reforms that makes life easier for the common man.
He tells them that despite the darkening of days, hope is blossoming once again. For reports from the thousands of outposts tell that as the Indomitus Crusade blazes through Imperium Sanctus, the worst effects of the Noctis Aeterna are already lifting across many sectors. Although the Warp Storms still drift out of the Great Rift, the Emperor's Light is slowly burning away the formless murk of the Warp throughout the galactic South.
The citizens that survive the cruel oppressions of Daemonic torturers saw divine correlation between the two events. Those that glimpse the Primarchs first hand whispers that they have seen the image of the Emperor's Might and the Empress' kindness as if the legends of times untold of a better age once more strides amongst them . Propaganda spread still further allowing hope to be rekindled even upon planets whose plight is desperate.
Yet despite triumph and the glory, Guilliman does not erase the fact that not all can be saved. The Indomitus Crusade for all its power, for all its glory arrive to late in many worlds that are beyond salvation. For such worlds that have no hope, infested by daemons or Xenos or plague, or any kind of curse by Chaos, the Indomitus Crusade instead brings vengeance. There could be no saving after all the Hive World of Bundar after Nurgle unleashed his bubonic taint on it. Legions of Prioress and Sisters have to be sent in planetfall with heavy support from the clones to burn away the Warp disease to spread it no further, millions died on the planet at the operation. Gloriphia, the Cardnial world is a site of daemonic rituals after the machinations of the Alpha Legion an d the daemonic ichor ran in rivers of blood. It is the first time their sister, Luna gives off a full Banshee Wail, that brought down the Chaos Sorcerer that leads a warband there.
Even then for all its strength, not everything even can be avenged. Millions of clones and Imperial Guardsmen die during the combat drop into Secundus Terra after being lured into a trap by the Greenskins there. The entire planet has been overrun by the damned Orks and for seven days the Crusade forces hold their forwards operation base at terrible cost. Even with three Primarchs at the lead, Gulliman makes the difficult decision to pull back due to the cost of lives and the time wasted. Exterminatus is ordered and the fleet skirts the whole Primagenesis System after the wreck of Terra Secundus floats in the void.
Yet for everything that it fails to save, it manages ten more in success. In the end the Indomitus Crusade is about as ready to finish what it sets out to do, the saving of the half of the Imperium before they venture into the darkness of Emperor Nihilus and the darkness beyond. Guilliman also wastes no time praising the invaluable help of Dorn into the upcoming Great Campaign that they are undertaking.
When the word gets out that the primarch of the Seventh legion has been found and returned, the Succesor Chapters of the Seventh returned in all their strength and majesty. Astral Knights, Black Templars, Brazen Annihilators, Celestials, Celestial Lions, Crimson Axes, Crimson Fists, Crusaders of Dorn, Death Strike, Defenders Obscurus, Doom Fists, Emperor's Havoc and many more return to see their gene father. They boost the strength of the Crusade invaluably and those Chapters that have been weakened due to the Warp Rift tearing through the Imperium manage to be reinforced in their numbers by their Primaris Brothers.
Luna is also a force multiplier as far as both Primarchs are concerned. She is savage in an elegant way but also innocent, more like a young woman that you simply cannot like. Her leadership skills are non-existent, what she is, is a weapon you need to unleash at a right moment at a right time, a great blade that can cut through almost anything.
This Guilliman shares all.
…..
Personal Impromptu Office of Helaena aboard the Rock
Helaena sighs as she sits gingerly on the chair. She is once more back in her personal quarters after her sons left to deal with the million and one logistics to keep the Crusade running. Lelith has run off to make sure that her hidden Dark Sect at one of the bays of the Rock remain behaved and not accidentally kill some poor wandering adept and drain him or her. Luna on the other hand awaits outside since Helaena promises her some cuddle time once she manages to pull herself together.
Every inch of her inside hurts. Physical pain she can bear, but it is the hurt inside that is the worst of all, and one that even the most strongest would be unable to really get over with. The Emperor himself never truly forgave himself when Enkidu died in his arms when he posed as Gilgamesh, King of heroes. The result is John wearing that long hairdo that he favors throughout the long eons of time in remembrance of his friend who has long hair. Now Helaena is in the same place as he is, she just witnessed the death of the one she loves above all.
"Oh Angron, why did you fail so?" she whispers to no one basically even as she looks at her pale hands that not a few days ago been fighting against her son. Helaena of course is no fool. She knows that her son is already lost to Chaos even as she mourns him now. He has been changed and lost ever since he accepted the Dark Gods, but that doesn't mean that she can't mourn him nevertheless. Angron is her baby boy, the one who needs her the most and the one who is closest to heart to her.
"Now five of my sons are gone and I am about to take some even more. I truly am sorry my sons. Ferrus, Horus, Magnus, Mortarion, now Angron. I am sorry all of you," she mumbles basically to no one. She curses mentally the fact that she can't get drunk anymore. Death apparently makes it a note that the ones who is his master or mistress not accidentally use his or her immortality in debauchery and lack of sense. Thus she is forced to remember all.
"Mama?" a soft melodic tone snaps Helaena out of her misery as she hurriedly brushes the tears off from her eyes as the blonde silver head of Luna appears looking at her sitting on the bed. In a split second she is beside her mother holding her hands kneeling as she stares at her in concern.
"Mama you're crying," the half-Eldar Hybrid points out. "I don't like to see you cry,"
"I'm not crying," chokes out Helaena with a laughing sob before failing. "Damn it yes, I am crying. Don't tell your brothers,"
"I promise I won't," chirps out the haf Eldar sitting beside her before lying her head on her lap, her silver blonde stresses falling all over Helaena's legs like a waterfall. By instinct she runs her hands all over her tresses, letting her gentle fingers run over the long hair of her daughter who purrs in enjoyment at her touch. No words are said but already she feels better with Luna at her lap, the warmth of her daughter keeping her calm and the dark thoughts away, she still mourns for Angron but at the same time she rejoices for she knows that wherever he might be now, he would be at peace and not be the monstrosity that the Chaos gods created him to be.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush my darling, don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush my darling, don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Helaena lets her beautiful voice fades as she hears the first snores from her daughter. She smiles as she continues stroking her beautiful hair. Yes, she might get rid of her traitorous children one by one but she can still protect the ones who maintain who and what they are. The Imperium is their father's dream, the Emperor's dream, yet by participating in it, by investing heavily on it. It also became their dream. She would do her damnest to protect this blighted Imperium then she would purge it from the inside out even if she has to claw it one brick at a time.
The bead at her fingers flare to life showing the hologram of Dobby who bows at her presence. "My Empress to what does Dobby can be of service to?"
"Increase the clone reproduction cycles Dobby, and also amp up the first release of the Arc Troopers. What is the status of the Spartans for the cycle?"
"Spartan program is almost done my Empress. Dobby is sure that the first of the improved recruits would be ready for release on the larger galaxy in five cycles,"
"See that it is done Dobby, time is a luxury we can no longer afford and we need to make sure that there is an Imperium Nihilus to still save when we are done with it all,"
"Dobby would do his utmost not to fail his mistress," and with that Dobby flashes out leaving Helaena once more with a sleeping Luna.
She just closes her eyes and lets a tear fall once more for her fallen son before she allows herself to drift off to the realms of Hypnos.
….
Magnus' little potion-Omake Great Crusade.
Magnus always knows that his brothers would not react well with his experiment. Heck they never react well to ANY of his experiments. However even he must admit that he MIGHT have just gone a little overboard than he expected.
"WHAT DID YOU TO US MAGNUS! OH BY THE TRUTH! I HAVE BOOBIES!" the pained screech of Horus can be heard as obviously he sees his reflection through the glass panes.
"MINE CAN'T FIT INSIDE MY ARMOR! IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS BIG?!" bellows an angry Russ in return.
"MINE ARE SMALL, WHY IS MINE SMALL ?" demands Guilliman forlornly.
"NEED MORE ASPIRIN!" everyone can tell who shouts that.
"Oh look, I'm fabulous,"
"I agree brother, or sister. I look awesome as a woman," Fulgrim and Sanguinis are both comparing their looks while flicking their wavy locks behind their ears as if they're in a photo op.
"MY eyes, my bloody eyes! I can't unsee the monstrosity," wails Vulcan as a very wrong looking Rogal Dorn appears scowling with a feminine body but a very male head.
At the background the laughter of the Emperor and the Empress can be heard as their children, now all female swore to the high heavens of the things that they would do to Magnus once they get their fingers on him. Ironically not all want to do him exceptionally body harm.
Some of the Primarchs look sardonically good after all as women.
…..
Author's Note:
Another chapter is done guys, so yeah, its all fluff, morose and fun and games at least until next chapter. We will be focusing on getting back the Khan next in the campaign for the Primarchs. The more you can help me, about his disappearance, the more detailed we can be as to how to do it so that I can formulate a working plan as to how to save his hide. Anyway that's that. Hope you like it.
As usual please review since your reviews are the music to this writer's heart.