**Author's note: This one large chapter was actually supposed to be two chapters but I couldn't find a good place to separate them.**

I woke up sprawled on my bed, staring at a blotchy white backdrop of nothing. For a moment, I was frightened, but then I remembered that I was blind, and I sat up. Cautiously, I moved my hand in front of me, and found that now, at the very least, I could see very vague shapes. Maybe my vision was getting better?

I blearily sat up on my messy bed. How long had I been asleep, I wondered.

Virgil? I called out in mind. You around, Virgil? Alberich, you awake yet?

Silence answered me. With a quick dip of my psychic senses, I realized that I couldn't feel any of my crewmembers. That was definitely worrying.

I stood up, and began to blindly pad around my quarters, my hands held out before me. "Hello? Guys?" I called out audibly. "Are you all okay? I'm awake now. What's going on?"

At the edge of my hearing, I heard distorted whispers. They sounded as if they were coming from a very fuzzy radio. Was the com system on the Divine Retribution busted? I cautiously picked my way out of my room, opened the front door, and stepped into the hallway.

I strained my ears again, and heard what sounded like two people, a man and a woman, having a very secretive conversation, desperate not to be heard. Their furtive words were fearful. I couldn't quite hear what direction they were speaking in, so I ducked behind the entrance to my quarters, and listened. Were these intruders?

"...and I swear, he isn't listening to anyone anymore! Have you been able to talk to him at all?" a woman spoke tersely. She sounded both frustrated and afraid.

"What's wrong now?" The person who responded was a man, his deep voice equally concerned and quiet.

"Bastian's been crying down in the galley trying to get drunk for hours, but it isn't working. Says he's worried about his 'transformation' thing again. Sounds like he's really frightened." The woman's words were quick. Whoever these people were, they sounded like they didn't want to be caught having this conversation. I continued to listen.

I heard the sounds of someone walking past, and both voices quieted. Wait, did she say the name Bastian? I knew that the name Bastian was often used a short version of Sebastian, so maybe they were talking about the former captain of the Divine Retribution? Maybe these people were actually ghosts? I had seen many apparitions on this vessel when I had first toured inside of it with Virgil, all the way back on Levant.

The strange woman spoke up again in relief, "Okay, coast is clear. Yeah, he's frightened, I know it."

The man who responded to her did so quietly and cautiously. I could definitely sense anxiety in his words. He sounded older and serious. "Truly, we're the ones who should be frightened. Yesterday, he got upset and accidentally set Lea's robes on fire with his mind. Then he got upset with himself for doing that and actually dented a strut in the dining room when he punched it. His temper has been getting worse since that last world, all those poor people."

"That was an accident. One of those giant evil god things tricked him. He didn't mean that to happen."

A frustrated sigh from the man. "That doesn't make it any better. Anyway, listen, I'll try to get Malachi to talk to him again. He listens to me. Maybe he's just having a breakdown or something?"

I was surprised to hear a third person interject. This one was a high-voiced woman with very distinct American accent, which was jarring to hear. "Wait, so, hold the phone. Bastian can't get drunk anymore now? Holy shit. Since when?" She almost sounded like she was from California, with a faint "surfer valley girl" accent.

"Some kind of poison resistance, Mal told me. It has something to do with, uh, that transformation he keeps going on about." The serious man sounded like he wanted to diffuse the situation.

"And hold up, what is he becoming, exactly? Did Mal actually tell you anything? Why isn't anyone allowed to talk about it? It's obviously fucking him up. And now he can't get drunk? Man, that's totally awful," the California girl spoke up, sounding exasperated.

"Well I don't-" the older serious man was interrupted by the first woman I had heard. She sounded very upset, and began to rant:

"Stop making excuses! I'm really damned tired of it. Bastian's been messed up and scary to be around recently, full stop. I mean, fuck me for being concerned, right? Our beloved captain dented a metal strut with just his damn bare fist, and you guys are just trying to explain it away! And you know what else is fishy? Mal seems just fine with it, all happy and acting like everything is great. Hasn't anyone noticed this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! You've seen all that bizarre light Bastian's been throwing off, right? He's gotten taller too, and something is weird with his face. Not to be an asshole here, but he's setting off an uncanny valley vibe with me now. Really gives me the creeps! I mean, are we in danger here?"

Another different man spoke up, this one a younger guy with a heavy English accent. It appeared that I was overhearing an entire meeting of ghosts, all of whom were very upset at Bastian's recent behavior. "I agree, but we ruled out daemonic possession, so what could it be? I mean, I noticed that he's been getting stronger and stronger as time goes on, but lately, he's become unstable. Something really is happening to Bastian, and I also want to know what it is! Mal just keeps saying that it's normal, but no one is telling us about it! It's actually starting to look like Mal is encouraging it!"

The serious older man sighed, forced to concede to his more desperate fellows. "I completely agree, but what can we do? He's doing a lot more good than bad, yes, but I'm worried too. He's a good spirit, and to see him tormented so, it hurts me. He's always been forthcoming with us before. Best I can perceive with my sensitivity is that his psychic abilities have begun to increase exponentially due to an unknown factor, and his body is having difficulty regulating itself. It still does not excuse his recent behavior."

One of the women spoke up again, and indignation raced through her whispered words, "Real talk here, but are we all just supposed to forget about Molech, pretend it never happened? You know what I heard him say when he was talking to himself last week? He says he knows what he needs to get through the Warp Gate now, and to get us all home to our respective universes, so why aren't we going? And why isn't- wait, hey, did you hear something?"

I froze, holding my breath. Could they hear me?

"Could've sworn I heard something. Like, a scream or something," the California girl observed.

The angry woman snorted, "This old bird, filled with ghosts. Filled with weird alien ghosts. I'll talk to Mal this time, and once we get some evid-"

I woke up with a startled cry as I heard a mental scream echo through my mind. What is restful sleep? I have no idea anymore. All I could see was a canvas of blotchy white, and once again, that briefly frightened me until I remembered that I was blind. The psychic scream trailed off, sending shivers down my spine. As I sat bolt upright in my bed, I felt that my skin was tingling, and I put my hand over my left shoulder for a good scratch.

A swath of skin fell off in my hand, making me cringe in revulsion. Oh, yikes. As I sat feeling very grossed out in my bed, I noticed that numerous patches of my skin had fallen off in my sleep, and that I was now sitting in a nest of my own dead skin flakes. Another psychic yowl rang through my mind, causing me to cringe.

My leader! I heard Alberich cry in the direction of the bridge. Where are you? You were assaulted by a devil!

I'm okay, Alberich. That wasn't a devil. We need to talk, I responded in mind to the frightened beastman, scrambling out of my bed which was now more sheets of my own skin instead of sheets of destroyed bedding. Actually, I was very much not okay, I thought, feeling my peeling body. Really scary and really gross! What's going on now? Am I turning into a snake or something?

The unwelcome realization that I actually was actively transforming into something inhuman cut through me like a knife, and my breath caught. Was this peeling skin part of it? I ran my fingers across my rough, cracked skin. This whole predicament was simultaneously terrifying and strangely exciting, I reluctantly conceded. Before I could start thinking about how being a godlike psychic monster-lady might not be all that terrible, I quickly choked that thought with a reminder of what had happened to the last person who had been transformed by this ship. Nope.

I put my attention back on Alberich instead. Are you okay? How is your vision? Can you stand up? I'll see if I can get to you.

A pause. Yes, I can stand, and my vision is fine, he replied to me. I sensed now that Alberich was standing up, and examining his body. Clouds of dust were falling from his arms as he examined himself, and I felt his worry at this. I am covered in dust and I feel very strange. My body feels odd and itchy. Was I really this dusty after Nubua? Did that devil curse me? The last thing I saw was a demon of light possessing your body. I tried to fight back, but I was attacked. I am sorry, my leader.

Look, just try to relax up there. I'll come up to you in a little bit if you're having a bad time. That really wasn't a devil, and a lot has happened since you got knocked out, I tried to explain as I rubbed my eyes, trying to see if my vision had changed much since I had been asleep. Instead of a backdrop of blinding white light, I could now see slight smears and shadows in my vision. I was still effectively blind.

Alberich replied, Very well. I trust you, as I felt him begin to breathe heavily, willing himself to calm down.

I reached for the table and water jug as I stood in my suite, and just as I found it, my feet struck something hard and metallic. Sitting and pouring myself another cup of water, I reached down to investigate. Oh, I thought, my fingers finding the cold hilt of Evanora's diamond dagger. I had nearly forgotten about this. I picked up the dagger and put it on the table next to the spirit stone. I guessed that I would primarily be using my magic daemon-killing scissors from now on, but the dagger could still be useful somewhere, no doubt.

Drinking my water, I began to realize that I was becoming hungry. I reached out with my senses through the interior of the Divine Retribution, examining how my crew was faring.

Aside from Alberich who stood on the bridge, my crewmembers were still clustered around Null as he lay on a bed near the engine room. I could see that Virgil was currently speaking to Lian, who had sheathed his sword on his back. Their body language was relaxed, so I assumed that nothing had gone awry with Null yet. Virgil was able to perceive my psychic eye, and I saw him look up.

You are awake, good, the astropath hologram spoke to me with a relieved smile. What can I do for you, Scion?

Any changes with Null and the belt? I stretched my itchy body, reaching down to touch my toes as I stood in my room. I felt a little strange, but I attributed that to all the crazy shit I had had happen to me recently.

Virgil responded eagerly. He remains in a coma, but we are seeing regeneration of his injuries. Null was right about the belt. It seems to have memory on the correct form of his machinery, and is swiftly repairing him. His metal is quickly healing, and his core is even regenerating in power, pulling it from some source in the belt. It seems to be helping him greatly, but Null remains unconscious. But, aside from this, instinct tells me that something else is wrong, so I would request that you examine him soon if possible.

Alright, I'll be down there soon, I responded, touching the large areas of peeling skin on my body. I needed to be exfoliated, asap. How long have I been asleep?

You have been asleep for a little over five hours. The ship has since landed itself and settled on the dead world, and we respect your wishes to not go exploring, Virgil replied warmly. I sensed obvious relief in his psychic words. Before he could continue, I sensed that Lian was now speaking to him, and asking him to relay a message. Lian and I also wish to speak to you concerning the nature of this vessel and possible Warp phantoms within it. Both of us, in the last few hours, have been seeing what many Imperial citizens call "ghosts" floating through the halls. They are similar to what I saw on this vessel right before my death.

Right, I remember seeing ghosts with you when we first projected into the Divine Retribution when you died, and I think I just saw a few here in my dream. Are they hurting you at all? Causing any problems? I asked my crewmembers. On top of seeing the ghosts when I had first projected within the Divine Retribution, I pondered the voices I had heard in my dream. Was Bastian actually short for Sebastian, and what had happened with his crew to get them so upset?

Virgil responded to me: No, they don't hurt us. They have been floating insubstantially through the air down here near the engine. They sometimes watch us, but they seem harmless. I know better than to dismiss any Warp phenomena as harmless.

Yeah, I said, taking another big stretch and lightly scratching parts of my tingling, peeling skin. This was so gross. Was Null's soap really that caustic, or was this a transformative side effect? I shivered, preferring not to think too deeply on that. Always good to be on guard, but if it isn't an emergency, just ignore the ghosts for now. Distantly, I felt Alberich begin to freak out again on the bridge, now greatly upset at his experience. Hey, Virgil? Could you please come up here? I need you for something.

The air in my suite crackled and hissed like a exposed electrical circuit, and with a brief smell of ozone, Virgil had teleported himself to my room. Before he could say anything else, he observed audibly, "My! I had noticed your hair had changed when you were on the bridge, but not your skin! And it appears that you are taller! You've experienced numerous physical changes, it seems!"

"My hair?" I asked in surprise. "I'm taller too?" If I was taller, it probably wasn't by much, but on top of everything else, it was still pretty upsetting.

"Here is what I see. You are a few centimeters taller than before. It is not much, but I used to be slightly taller than you, and now, you stand eye to eye with me. More of your hair is white now as well. But your skin is what alarms me! It appears to be coming off in sheets! Are you afflicted with a disease, or is this a burn?"

Virgil sent me an image of what I looked like now, and I briefly gasped in surprise. The white areas of my hair had been limited before to two long thin sections over each eye, but now, I could see that white was extending further across my hairline and down my scalp. From what Virgil could see, my hair was very messy, but it also seemed fuller. I sort of looked like Rogue from X-Men now, which was pretty cool, I had to admit.

My skin was in bad shape. It appeared that I had experienced a severe sunburn without the burn, and large areas of my entire body were peeling and cracking. I had no idea what had caused this, and the only thing I could could think to immediately blame this on was that this was some kind of weird psychic burn that came from being in close proximity to the Emperor's light.

Curiously, I noticed something else: my facial features seemed a little more angular and polished than before. I wasn't sure if that was just how Virgil was personally seeing me, or if something had actually changed.

Whatever, I thought about all my changes. If I get my vision back, I'll worry about how I look like a comic book character now. At least I'm alive, I reminded myself.

"I have no idea about my skin, but the rest of it isn't too bad, aside from the blindness of course," I replied finally, feeling self-conscious as I began to lightly scratch my peeling arm. "I think it came from a sunburn by being in contact with the Emperor. I don't think I'm diseased, just gross."

"Perhaps this is all a simple cosmetic effect. When I was sanctioned, not only was I blinded, but my dark hair became this color," the hologram pointed at his mop of sandy-brown hair. "But your skin..."

"Forget about my skin, Virgil. It doesn't hurt, but it's very itchy," I said, feeling embarrassed. I finished my drink of water. "Anyway, Alberich just woke up on the bridge. Please help me get to him. I sense that he isn't doing well."

"Certainly, my uh Em-" the hologram sputtered, clearly wanting to call me "Empress" again.

"Okay, look, when everyone is awake and healthy again, I want to sit down and figure out what you guys should call me from now on, alright? For now, call me whatever you like, and please take me to the bridge. I'm still blind."

I could sense that Virgil was nodding, even though I couldn't see it. The astropath hadn't moved, and I could feel that he was now somewhat starstruck by being near me.

"Virgil?"

"Oh, yes, of course, Scion. I don't know where my wits went. It has been a taxing few hours for all of us here. Put your arm in mine, and I shall guide you to the bridge." My right hand found Virgil's left arm, and he gently guided me along the hallway to the bridge.

It was absolutely amazing that I could touch the hologram like this, I thought as we walked. He felt about 95% solid, and even registered a normal body heat from his form. His form buzzed with what felt like a very low static electrical charge, as if he had been walking across a carpet in a dry room. My face must have registered concern as we walked, because the holographic astropath spoke up.

"The blindness, you know. It isn't so bad once you're used to it. I was similarly blinded when I was sanctioned as an astropath, if you happen to know what that entails, and after a time, I didn't really need my physical sight anymore. It isn't so bad, really."

"It's getting a little better, I think," I said, blinking ahead of me. I could now see faint shadows in the white void, but I really hoped that my sight would resolve itself. "I can see a little shadow here and there now."

"Whatever your outcome, I'm certain you're up for the challenge. You were seen and witnessed by the Emperor Himself," Virgil said as we reached the stairs to the bridge. I sensed a tenseness coming from him, and his arm gripped me with slightly more pressure. "Did... did you speak with Him at all?"

"Yes," I responded simply, causing the astropath to react with amazed wonder. We began walking up the stairs. Ahead, I sensed that Alberich was not having a good time. Faint German singing could be audibly heard in the passage now from the direction of the bridge. "We talked. He said a lot of things to me."

"What did He say?" Virgil responded to me in a small excited whisper. "The Emperor speaking directly to you is... is..." he could not find the words. "I am sad that I lost holographic coherence on the bridge right before He possessed you. The energy of His presence is like sitting inside a star! If He actually spoke in words to you, that's really all the proof I could ever wish for, concerning who you are."

"He actually called me 'little sister', and he said a lot of things. I think I just need time to digest all of this."

"Of course. Forgive any rudeness, this is all so new to me that I may sometimes forget myself. A mere week ago for me was a thousand years ago, and I was still blind and alive," the astropath nervously laughed.

The German singing grew louder as we grew closer. It almost sounded like a nursery rhyme, and it also almost sounded like Alberich was trying not to burst into tears as he was singing. His sung German words sounded strained.

We crossed the threshold to the bridge, and the German singing stopped. "Erika? Meine Führerin?" I felt him turn to me.

"My leader? What has happened?" I heard Alberich walking hastily over to where I stood with Virgil, stopping a pace away. He then gasped. "What did that devil do to you!" the beastman cried out in worry, reaching to touch my shoulder. "You're blind! Your hair has changed again, and your skin! You look as if you've been burned!" I stepped back from the beastman, not wanting him to grab my sensitive itchy skin with his claws. I sensed that something had dramatically changed in Alberich too, but I couldn't immediately figure it out. I heard him lightly scratch at his head and neck with his short claws.

Virgil noticed my hesitation at being touched by the nervous beastman and got between Alberich and I. Alberich, seeing this, began to reluctantly back off. I sensed that he was definitely freaked out at what had happened, but probably didn't know that he was actually lucky to be alive. Calling the fucking Emperor a "daemon" to his face was not a very safe thing to do. Standing in front of me, Virgil began to speak, "Listen, the Scion has been through much. She has spoken with the Emperor, and He has sanctioned her under His holy light. Do not crowd or cause upset, mutant. You may have been permitted to live, but please, give her some space in this time."

Something snapped in the Tzaangor at being referred to as a mutant again, and he began yelling at Virgil. "Do not get in my way, ghost! You aren't even really alive! I have sworn my life to Erika since Levant! I simply wish to know what is happening to me!"

"I am a hologram, you uneducated poorly-bred beast! And I served as a high-ranking astropath in the Imperium of Mankind. My loyalty toward humanity far exceeds what you can perceive in any capacity, mutant!" Virgil sniped at Alberich, raising his voice.

I felt Alberich's anger begin to boil over, and I sensed psychic energy begin to charge in the room. Nope, not having this now!

"Calm down!" I yelled at the two of them, my Corona igniting powerfully around my head and shoulders in emotion, stronger than it had been before. Alberich's psychic energy was immediately dispelled by my presence, and both he and Virgil cringed away submissively from me. This was not something that I felt like dealing with right now.

"Listen, we almost died on Nubua, Alberich! The only reason we're alive is that the Emperor actually came through for us and guided me out of the area as it was disintegrating! Do you know who that is? The fucking God-Emperor of Mankind? That name should give you a clue. He had to possess me for a short time to do that, and it blinded me. Now, I'd rather take blindness and being alive then being disintegrated, wouldn't you?"

Both Alberich and Virgil were speechless for a few moments, and each cringed away from me. I inhaled sharply, and pulled my Corona back within myself. My skin tingled uncomfortably.

"But, what happened to me?" Alberich miserably cried out after a short silence. "Look!"

I could hear a rustling as I sensed that the beastman had held out one of his arms to show us what had happened. I could hear a faint swishing sound, and got the impression that he was lightly scratching the downy velvet of his skin. Unexpectedly, I felt a sense of surprise from Virgil, who let out a concerned and intrigued, "Ooo..."

"Well, is someone going to tell me?" I asked, irritated. I couldn't very well look at anything while blind.

"The uh, mutant's skin and feathers," Virgil spoke. "The black soot that covers him. When touched, it flakes off and falls to the floor, intermixed with bluish dust."

Virgil sent me a mental image of what he had witnessed. Alberich was so covered in ash and dirt that he looked almost black in places. The beastman had his arm out before him, and his expression was pained and desperate. I didn't understand what was being communicated here.

"Okay, he's dirty. He fell into a silt pit on Nubua. So what?"

"If I look closely, under the layer of dirt, his plumage is now, grey, or ivory. I cannot tell. His color has bleached."

Virgil sent me another image as he leaned forward, examining Alberich's arm. A line of grey and white had appeared on the beastman's exposed velvet where he had scratched.

"My horns fell off too!" Alberich interjected. "I did not like them to begin with, but they pushed right out of my head! I feel like I've been burned internally. My skin painfully crawls as well."

Okay, something else happened here other than his feathers turning white, and he was clearly very distraught at the experience. I knew that the Emperor had gone after Alberich, but not that anything had happened to him like this. Maybe he had been damaged by the Divine Retribution when it had cleansed him of Warp taint? The vessel had warned me that the beastman could be damaged by the cleansing process, so maybe this is what had happened? "Let's get you cleaned up first and see what happened to your coloring fully," I offered, trying to be disarming.

"And you're blinded! How are you not more upset about this?" the beastman cried out again, pain in his voice, and his beak chattering. "And your skin, it looks like a peeling burn! And your hair! You've been cursed by that devil!"

"I know, I know, and I told you why. Stop making me feel self-conscious about it right now, alright? Go and take a shower, Alberich. Catch up with me afterward and we can examine what happened to you."

I felt Alberich suddenly bristle with frustrated anger, and he briefly growled at me.

"Is that an order, my leader?" Alberich sudden barked in a snide voice my way, putting me on the defensive. Jesus Christ, calm the fuck down! What brought that on? Fucking relax!

Because I wasn't in the mood to deal with any bullshit right now, I felt my Corona brighten like a torch again around my shoulders and head as I became upset.

"Jawohl! Das ist eine Bestellung!" I bellowed his way, in my strong voice. "At least you're not fucking blind, asshole!"

Alberich scurried backward with a squeaked "Es tut mir Leid, meine Führerin!" and ran away, scurrying down the stairs and exiting the bridge. It was only a few seconds later that I had realized that I had spoken in German.

"What was that language?" Virgil asked me quietly when we were alone on the bridge. "It sounded very angry."

"German, apparently," I said breathing deeply, and now feeling a strange energy filter through my bones. Bringing myself to heel, I consciously withdrew my Corona. "I don't know German, but maybe I do now. I don't know." My heart sank, worrying about my transformation again. Would my crewmembers be gossiping about how they were afraid of me soon, just like the ghosts did in my dream? "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening to me, Virgil. I'm changing into something. Sebastian told me. He said the ship is doing it, and that I don't have a choice," I said, remembering the terrible knowledge that now swam in my head, and feeling my stomach drop again at realizing the depth of it. I really had to find a way out of this universe. I had to not suffer Sebastian's fate!

I began to wobble on my feet. Virgil did not respond to my words, and reached out to support me, putting an arm around my shoulders. "Oh, I should probably eat something after all that psyker stuff," I said with a weak smile. "Do you know where Null kept his rations?"

We turned around and walked back down into the ship, Virgil guiding me faithfully. He was very quiet on the walk, and I could sense that he had been intimidated by my outburst. Maybe I was hangry? I confirmed that I needed a meal when I began to actually crave one of those sweet paste rations again. We walked past the general living and bath areas, and I could hear that someone was taking a shower. A brief flash of my Sight suggested to me that Alberich was actually crying as streams of filth and soot washed off of him, revealing silvery feathers as he wept, curled up and shivering in the corner of a shower stall. I felt bad for yelling at him. He was obviously having a very difficult time, and I had never seen him this bad before. We would have to have a talk later.

Leading me down a long passageway, Virgil and I headed toward the guts of the ship. The astropath pointed out servitors standing about here in various places, motionless and mindless without any tech-priest to guide them along. One was even collapsed in a corner, and was mindlessly twitching. "We know that Null is in a dangerous condition when his personal servitors begin to fail like this. This is part of the reason I am worried. Something else is afoot aside from physical damage, I suspect," the astropath said quietly.

We continued onward, ignoring the incapacitated servitor on the floor.

"And here, look, I see a ghost," the hologram then informed me in a hushed tone as he directed me to lean against the hallway wall. Virgil sent me an image of a translucent watery white phantom of a tall man wearing robes patterned with faint chevron-patterned stripes. The ghost was floating through the metal hall, and as he passed us, he turned, almost appearing to actually see us, according to what Virgil had shown me. Before anyone could get further spooked out, the ghost vanished into an insubstantial cloud, and we were left alone.

"How often do you see these things? Did you see them on Nubua at all?" I asked as we started walking again.

"Lian and I have only witnessed them since your flight from Nubua. They simply float and observe. I tried to communicate with them, but either they cannot understand me or care not to communicate."

"Well, like I said, if they're not bothering anyone, I'd say just leave them alone for now. We've got bigger things to worry about right this minute," I responded. Great, the ship was haunted with ghosts now. This vessel sustained itself on souls, so it made sense that it was haunted, I had to admit. Maybe the Divine Retribution had scooped up some of the yummy singing spirits from the Independent Empires for a snack?

After heading past a heavy blast door, we began to walk down into the engine area. I sometimes forgot just how big this ship was. "150 meters from beak to tail", Virgil had said to me back on Levant, but being inside it now almost made me think it was larger, especially now that it was fully operational and flying around again.

This area was lit differently than the rest of the Divine Retribution, and Virgil pointed out that small caged white lanterns lined the hallways instead of elegant track lights. Each door that we passed was very thick, and it reminded me of the interior of a submarine. To our right, closed doors lined the halls at regular intervals a few meters apart. I sensed that Lian had appeared in the doorway of one of those rooms near the end of the hall, and called to us as we approached. "Greetings," the Fallen called out to us as we approached. "We have placed the tech-priest in what we assume is the chief engineer's chambers. Virgil may have already told you that he is slowly regenerating. One of the two Witnesses has woken, but we cannot communicate with her."

"What can you tell me about her? How is she doing? Did we find out how the women were injured?" I asked, blinking my blind eyes, and trying to see if I could see Lian's outline in the white blotchy mess in front of my field of vision.

"We placed her with her sister in a room with two beds down here. We cannot understand her way of speaking, but she seems to be comfortable and does not seem to be upset that she is here. We showed her to a washroom, offered her water, and she seems to be able to walk with no impediment of movement. The woman is quite sturdy, and after seeing the two of them dispatch a Fiend of Slaanesh, I believe we may be looking at physical enhancements that strengthen their constitutions."

"Thank you," I responded. "Lead me to her, and Lian, Virgil, please follow me."

"Hello," I spoke up in the ancient tongue of Nubua as I was led into a small room to my right. The Fallen then turned around, and walked back to wherever Null was recovering. In this room, I could sense that two beds lined the walls. I could hear fabric shifting to my right, and I assumed that one of the women was now signing to attempt to communicate with me. "Hey, so listen," I spoke cautiously in her language. "I was blinded from my experience piloting this ship and escaping Nubua, so I can't see your signed words. But, I'm here to tell you that we're safe. We defeated the daemons and their masters, and now, you're inside what your people knew as 'Garuda'. We're presently parked on another world as we figure out where to go next." I translated what I had said for Virgil who stood behind me in the doorway.

Silence as no one said anything. More shifting of fabric.

"So, like I said on Nubua, you're released from your vows of silence. If you can speak, I'm going to need to hear you speak so we can communicate here. I'm sorry, but I can't see your signed language."

"I..." the woman began to speak. Her voice was soft and hesitant. "It is strange, hearing my voice again. I have not spoken in many years. If you are blinded, then know that I am Ennoia. I thank you for your rescue, blessed Omega."

I translated Ennoia's words for Virgil as I sat down beside her on the bed. I smiled at her, trying my best to seem reassuring.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Ennoia. My name is Virgil Allegrii, former Imperial astropath and advisor to the Traveler captain of this vessel," the astropath said warmly and politely to my left. I translated what Virgil had said to her.

"I am happy to meet you, Virgil Allegrii," Ennoia responded with similar warmth. "Please tell me, blessed Omega. How did the rest of the battle fare?"

"We destroyed the Chaos Champion, and had to flee Nubua as it was unmade after the Grand Rite of Undoing. All the souls in the Independent Empires are at peace now, and their curse has been lifted," I explained.

I heard a relieved, but sad sigh emerge from the masked Blank.

"It is a great and good day to hear such news from you, blessed Omega," Ennoia said. "I must ask, how did we get here? My sister and I fought some kind of strange tall monster with a poison tail and deadly musk, and then, the last thing I remember was seeing a pink blur surround us. And now, I wake up here."

"You and your sister were knocked down by the Champion, and were rescued and taken aboard by the man with the bird's head. His name is Alberich, and right now, he's somewhere else in the ship, but you'll see him again soon. I'd like to formally welcome you to my ship, the vessel you know as 'Garuda'. It is called the Divine Retribution by us."

"Garuda," Ennoia breathed in soft wonder, her voice dreamy. "Only a myth to many, and now, I ride upon her golden wings. What wondrous places does fate take us!"

"They might have concussions if they were knocked unconscious," Virgil spoke up, walking into the room and touching my shoulder. "Forgive me for my interjection, but I am concerned if she is experiencing any headaches. She might need extra medical care." I could sense that as the hologram touched me, he briefly flickered out of existence before reforming.

"So, Ennoia," I pointed at the hologram, who now stood beside me to my left as I sat on the bed. "Just to let you know, Virgil here, he's-well... he's not really there. Did your people understand the concept of a projected image? Something we call a hologram?"

"Do you mean a machine-ghost-memory? We used them for servants."

"Uh," I briefly scratched my peeling arms before remembering that I was sitting on someone's bed. "Well, I guess, something like that." The term "machine-ghost-memory" seemed to be some kind of tech-based Warp entity, but since its definition was somewhat close, that was at least something we could go on right now. "Something like that, sort of. So, Virgil, the 'machine-ghost-memory' is asking me if you have headaches. If you were knocked unconscious, he worries that you might have a head injury."

Ennoia laughed softly behind her mask. "We are enhanced, blessed Omega. Our bones are fortified with strong materials, and our cells have been strengthened to heal us of common injuries. Injuries that would kill those of normal constitution would merely glance us. We were the holy guardians of the Heart of Worlds, and we were engineered for great endurance from childhood. We take some time to regenerate, and then, we are well once again. Morai should wake soon. Fear not, for we will serve you as we have sworn to do so, Omega."

Oh wow, these women had a healing factor. No wonder they were so tough! I cleared my throat and began to explain to Virgil. "So, these two women are very strong. Not only are they Blanks, but she's just explained to me that she and her sister have been enhanced, and that they can regenerate injuries."

My stomach began to growl again, reminding me that I needed to eat. "So, I was thinking about getting some rations if you'd like to join me. We also need to see how our tech-priest, the cyborg man made of metal, is healing. He almost died, and he's still very hurt."

"Yes, Omega," she said simply. "I am quite hungry as well."

I stood up, and Virgil hooked his arm through mine again. "What now?" he asked as Ennoia also stood from her bed.

"Food," I replied. "We need it. Where are those ration packets? I feel like I'm actually looking forward to eating them."

Virgil led us to a storage room further down the hall, and after rummaging around for a few moments, he reemerged to offer me and Ennoia some ration packets. "Pick some packets up for Lian and Morai too. Also get a psyker packet for Alberich when he's done in the shower. I bet they're hungry," I instructed the hologram.

Oh man, I can't wait to dig in, I thought happily as I pulled at my plastic ration packet, trying to tear it open.

This was not to be, as once again, here I was, a psychic human demigod of incredible potential strength being outmaneuvered by a plastic packet of mush. Ennoia noticed me struggling, and offered me her sai dagger so that I could puncture my packet.

Ennoia and I were hungry enough that we immediately began to dig into to our rations in the middle of the hall. How she did that under her mask was a mystery, but I was too emotionally exhausted to puzzle over mundane stuff like that right now. This packet tasted like birthday cake batter, so it wasn't all that bad. I began to feel much better after getting some nourishment.

"So, let's go see Null. I really hope he's okay," I said to Virgil.

"I will stay and wait for my sister to wake, if that is satisfactory for you, Omega," Ennoia informed us. "I will tell her of our situation, for I do not want her to be frightened."

"That's just fine, Ennoia. Nice to have you aboard," I responded to her with a smile.

Virgil led me further into the vessel, and I received an image of a very large blast door at the very end of the hallway. It was partially ajar, and I could hear a low humming originating from this room. My intuition told me that this was the engine room, and was where the Necron energy cell and glass psyker coffins were located. To this room's right, there was another smaller door, and that was where Lian led us.

"Prepare yourself," Virgil warned as we stepped into this room. An image of this space appeared in my mind.

This was a larger suite, and immediately upon walking in, a wide work table could be seen seen. It was covered in bits and pieces of machinery and scrap metal. Metal boxes were strewn about the room, and the combat servitor 77-X was laying limply on the floor. A handful of servitors stood on the right side of the table, mindlessly staring in different directions . To the left of the table was a large bed, and on the large bed, Null was laid out on his back.

From what I could perceive from Virgil, the tech-priest was in rough shape. What remained of his red robes was torn, dirty, and blackened. One of his left arms seemed to be missing at the elbow, and his arms and mechadendrites were laying limply beside him. He wasn't bleeding, and neither was his core draining power anymore, from what I could perceive; life remained clinging to him very precariously. A glint of shining jewels and gold caught Virgil's eye, and he indicated, That's the belt, to me telepathically.

"He still hasn't regained consciousness, even when all his systems seem to be operational enough. We have been waiting for him to wake down here, but he remains in this deep coma," Virgil informed me gently.

The astropath then touched my shoulder, and tapped me with one of his fingers.

Between you and me, I believe that worse assails him within his spirit, but I do not voice my suspicions to the astartes, as he would surely kill him, the hologram then said to me in mind. If you can help him, please. Please help him.

What Virgil was telling me was extremely concerning. Had Null picked up a daemon? We had fought daemons on Nubua, but I didn't think they could just jump into people like that out in the open.

The hologram led me to his bed, and the two of us stood over his battered body. The tech-priest's breathing was shallow, and a sense of danger surrounded him. This was not good, and I probably should have come down here earlier.

As I stood over Null, considering what I could possibly do in this situation to help, I felt a peculiar urge to touch the tech-priest, and I wasn't sure where that came from. "Can I touch him?" I asked the room. Did creatures like me have a "lay on hands" healing ability? I really had no idea how all this worked. Sebastian should've left me with better instructions.

"I had to move him to get him onto this bed, and I perceive no ill effects from that action. I will stand guard if you are concerned about a reaction from making physical contact with him," Lian informed me.

As I stood hesitantly over Null's battered body, I realized that this was something I could probably utilize my Sight ability for. It was a sort of all-purpose reality-bending psyker skill that I still couldn't quite understand, and one that could tap into extreme sense of clairsentience beyond what normal psykers could experience. I mentally pulled into the depths of my being, filtering my perception outward. Doing this, I felt my Corona ignite around my head and shoulders, and I heard someone behind me gasp in wonder.

I reached forward, following my intuition. The Sight functioned as a unique ability to bend reality around those who could use it, and I now knew that intuition could steer me into making the right choices here. Maybe if I touched Null, I could heal him, and it was that simple? I felt a peculiar sensation of warmth lick from my halo and travel down along my right arm, onto my outstretched hand. Strangely, I also felt that parts of my face and eyes were tingling, and I hoped that I was doing this right.

I could hear Virgil muttering behind me: "Blessed are the names of the Travelers, for they bring the light of God. Blessed are the meek, for they shall be the inheritors of heaven. Blessed is the will of the Traveler, for they are the mind of God, blessed is the..."

My right hand lightly brushed against Null's metal cheek, and a powerful jot of electricity jumped between us, causing pain to race up my arm. I felt my Corona dim, and I removed my hand, backing away. Did I fuck up again? Seriously, can't I catch a-

The tech-priest immediately jumped to life with a huge inhale of air. He was shouting, "Thieves! Thieves! Thieves! Stole my precious! Stole my precious!" Before I could react, one of his mechadendrites madly flailed over to strike me on the shoulder, knocking me down to the floor. I sensed that Lian saw that, and the Fallen immediately sprang into action, putting himself between me and the the flailing tech-priest, and pinning him down with his strength.

Null began to scream with bloodcurdling volume at the top of his mechanical lungs at this action, struggling with furious strength on his bed. His metal arms reached forward and I heard him scratching madly at Lian's armor. "I will dispatch him on your order," Lian informed me as he struggled to hold Null down.

"No!" I called out, and stood back up, massaging my shoulder. My eyes were tearing and burning, and as I reflexively blinked, I realized that somehow my vision had been partially restored! Everything was washed out and blurry, but I could see definitive shapes now. Not stopping to celebrate the return of my sight, I brought up my Corona again. I remembered how I had been able to influence my friends on Kolch during the fight with the Screamer, so I brightened my halo and stood over Null again as Lian kept him pinned to the bed. I reached into my Sight again, and willed my energy to reach inside the tech-priest's soul, trying to figure out what the issue was. As my light began to shine through the room, Null began to calm his wild flailing and screaming.

I felt an urge to say words to him deep within myself, and again, I let my intuition be my guide. I had the impression that Sight could guide me in the right direction, even if I didn't know what exactly to say.

"Be at peace, Archmagos Ogun Nemo," I found myself speaking to him in my resonant voice, pushing my will right through him, demanding that he calm himself so I could fix him. Behind me, I felt that my companions were watching what I was doing in absolute rapture. Apparently, this looked really cool to them.

I was now half able to see that the tech-priest's bright green eyes were fixed on my own. After a second of this, I felt his protests cease. My perspective then shifted, and I could now see deeper within the tech-priest's soul.

Trapped deep within his own mind, a middle-aged man with very pale skin and a shock of messy white hair wearing a red robe was cowering in a ruined warehouse. The man was bloodied and beaten, and he defended himself with a glowing electric flail that crackled in energy. A tide of black and green insects were swarming around him, chittering like oversized rats as they climbed over themselves in an effort to devour the man in a frenzy of metal teeth. I watched as the red-robed man desperately fought against the buzzing black tide, his flail striking and destroying his enemies as they threatened him. He was tired, and now, despite his courage, he was in danger of being consumed by this relentless swarm. That would not do. Subverting his willpower over this visualization of his own near death experience, I floated into the wide space on gold metal wings like a cloud, right over the evil insects. The insects screamed and collapsed into piles of melting scrap metal as I approached the man, who looked at me, dumbstruck, still holding his electric flail.

"It's you," he whispered in a voice that was almost familiar, watching me with wide blue eyes. All of the threatening giant insects in the warehouse were now coming apart like broken toys before melting into pools of molten metal on the floor. The man watched this in amazement before looking back up at me.

"Yes," I responded. "It's me."

I reached forward with a mechanical gold arm as I floated above him in the warehouse, bathing the entire area in gold brilliance like a miniature sun. "Trust me," I said to the man, and he instantly trusted me. He reached for me, and I rescued him away from this dark place, and back into the light, pulling him away from his own oblivion.

Back in reality, I stood over the damaged tech-priest, willing my Corona to wash over and soothe him, dragging him away from doom and insanity, and demanding reality to refashion itself to bring him back from the brink. My strange divine Sight ability was able to see what had happened, as it now confirmed to me that Null was being internally confronted by another intelligence vying for control of his body. It didn't feel like a daemon, but almost like a corrupt part of his programming that was trying to will itself into taking control of the tech-priest's body. That wouldn't do. With a flick of my wrist, I willed whatever was giving Null a hard time to depart, and it was burned away.

A feeling of intense satisfaction now flowed through me at my actions, and I felt a vivid shiver of frission as a peculiar sensation came to me:

Bring hope. Bring salvation. Bring them to their light as you did this lost one. All of them. Feel your purpose. Feel your function, a silent whisper from far away and everywhere encouraged me in my actions. The words weren't so much words or instructions, but a deep and powerful suggestion of justice within me. As quickly as it had happened, the feeling passed, and I continued chasing the night away from the tech-priest's soul.

Around me, I could feel that my companions were basking in my glow as I stood over Null, willing him to life and sanity again using my Sight. Lian's eyes had begun to well with emotional tears as he stood beside me, pinning Null, who was no longer struggling. This whole room was now bathed in a warm gold light. Behind me, I could hear Virgil muttering strange prayers.

"Let him go, Lian," I gently instructed the Fallen, who instantly stepped back from holding Null. Lian immediately readied his sword instead from behind me. "That won't be necessary," I suggested without turning around, continuing to stand over the tech-priest. Lian sheathed his sword.

The tech-priest remained staring into my eyes, and now, he was breathing deeply and regularly. The white void that had surrounded me in my blindness was also now slowly being chased away by a gradient of lights, darks, and colors. Null's eyes were a curious bright neon green as he watched me, dazed and still not quite aware. I wasn't sure why or how I had regained my vision like this, but I wasn't about to complain.

After a few heartbeats, the tech-priest began to pull himself up in the bed, and he was now blinking as his animated eyes fixed on me. Null was fully conscious once again, with no trace of whatever corruptive programming had tried to consume him.

"Omnissiah..." Null finally said softly, positively beaming with reverence as I anxiously stood over him, soothing him with my halo's proximity. I could sense that all of his circuits and implants were buzzing with soft energy as he drank in the golden light that wreathed around me. "Have I been blind all this time? I see you!"