"Oh, what dreadfully foul weather! You would think that these humans would have developed weather modification to prevent such an embarrassment during a war! It makes them look uncivilized!" the Nome King scoffed as he felt what he hallucinated to be rain falling upon his metal shoulders.
"Yes, of course sire," Chief Steward Kaliko replied, trailing his monarch under a palace gutter. From above, blood pattered atop his red cloak and single green-eyed head. One of the Flayed Ones had found themselves a particularly valuable soft and fat palace servant, and they dragged their prize onto the palace roof, hiding their bloody catch away from competition like any large carnivore beast of the galaxy. Kaliko motioned for his monarch to follow, removing him from the distracting "rain". The two high-ranking Necron Nomes then walked through the palace threshold, and the Nome King began to hum another jolly tune.
After Gir'Auda had vanished, and his perception of the C'tan shard of Rza'Thae dimmed, the Nome King had descended into an apoplectic rage for a short time. In an unwelcome development, the human warship allied with the Imperium of Mankind had seen them, and had not fled at the sight of the splintering Necron fleet. Roquat watched in horror and humiliation as the lumbering human vessel advanced further into the system with its weapons armed! While both the splintered forces of the Nomes and the Flayed Ones were more than enough of a match for a single (they hoped) Imperial cruiser, the Nome King became distressed at the thought of his beloved bejeweled Harvest Ship, the Grandiloquent Abundance, seeing any sort of nasty combat. Imperial weapons could shatter all the priceless gemstones embedded in the hull of his flagship, and the mad monarch's bruised ego simply could not handle such an indignity right now! Roquat had endured enough degradation for one day, so he commanded his Nomes to race back to the world of Ev in order to retrieve their pilfered wealth before escaping this system to regroup with a new strategy going forward.
At this point, the massive fleet of Necrons had effectively split into two independent fleets, each under the command of a different Overlord, and each no longer coordinating with the other. After making planetfall, the Flayed Ones had immediately occupied themselves with skinning and madly devouring any humans they came across in an orgy of violence. The Nomes, however, had now shifted their attention away from assaulting Gir'Auda, and focused themselves on both plunder and the retrieval of the jewels that had been pilfered from their vaults so long ago. The Imperial ship would take time to get to their location, and consequently, the new plan was to harvest as much wealth as the Nomes could manage before the Imperials arrived with their dreadful jewel-shattering weapons. Such was their mad fixation on wealth that each Nome began to twitch in mad anticipation at the prospect of the acquisition of vast amounts of treasure, some even beginning to resemble their animalistic Flayed One brethren in their mania.
The Nomes quickly located one of the pylons they had used to mark their treasure caches, and sent a vanguard force ahead to cleanse their vault of any grubby human presences. As expected, the vault had indeed been breached by someone recently, and about two thirds of its wealth had been plundered. After an efficient torture session with a handful of gibbering corrupted metal-humans, it was determined that the rest of the wealth had been sent to the nearby governor's palace. And so, it was quickly decided that the Nome King would personally visit the palace. He wanted to directly confront whoever this thieving monarch of the humans happened to be. Roquat had to concede that the man at least had good taste in wealth if his valuables had been so aggressively coveted. As quickly as his mood had degenerated from the act of failing to destroy Gir'Auda, the Nome King's temperament shifted. Roquat was now in excellent spirits, invigorated by an exciting new wealth-gathering military campaign.
After a contingent of warriors had been sent ahead to soften up any remaining palace resistance, the Nome King mustered his elite Lychguard, a small group of Crypteks, and his loyal Chief Steward Kaliko. Roquat even had both his necrodermis and ruby cape quickly shined by tickling scarabs. When engaging in the theater of a planetary invasion, it was always best to look one's best as to be inspiring to one's troops, after all. Of course, he held his precious staff, and within, the C'tan shard that had been contained was flickering brightly, almost appearing excited by the action.
Roquat and his guard now stood outside the debris of the palace gates. His loyal Nomes were at work with clearing the rest of the rubble away, and the Flayed One on the roof had graciously moved their bloody kill elsewhere as to not upset the unstable monarch who walked below. Even the maddened Flayers instinctually knew not to instigate the anger of the Nomes, and despite their presently bickering monarchs, each Nome and Flayed One counted the other as family.
"There now, the rain has stopped and the sun has emerged," the Nome King beamed. "A cosmic indication that our souls are on the right paths in destiny."
"Yes sire," Kaliko sighed.
"Ah, let us be off. I so wish to meet the monarch of this world who would so brazenly purloin my precious pretties. This wretched thief shall know submission as he dies by my hand!" Roquat tapped the butt of his staff against the stone ground, and commanded his band forward.
The group of two dozen red-cloaked elite Nomes strode forward into the palace. Inside, many Nomes were already hard at work. They were stripping the jewels from chandeliers, and removing the gold fixtures from the walls with small arc torches. An active Tesseract Labyrinth had been placed in the center of the ballroom, and all their plunder was being piled into the device by deliriously happy greed-infected Necrons, who laughed with glee as they handled their new wealth.
"Sire, I bring news," the formidable Nome Lychguard who had led the vanguard assault into the palace appeared before the Nome King as the group stood before a grand marble staircase. "Our forces have routed the remaining human resistance, and we have escorted the Flayed Ones from the palace interior so they do not impede in our efforts. Our acquisition of wealth goes well. We've located the governor. The cowardly alien hides within a sealed wing on the second floor. We have blocked off all exits. What is your command, oh glorious leader?"
"I want to meet this individual personally before I destroy him," Roquat responded with a bright smile. Before he could expound on his orders, a remote feed in the Nome King's mind connecting him to the Grandiloquent Abundance alerted him to a new development in the war. The Imperial ship was now expected to arrive in orbit shortly before midday at its current speed. Since it was still morning, this allowed the Nomes a short amount of time to attend to their acquisition of wealth. The inactive mines were slowing the progress of the Imperials, at least. At least one egregiously destructive planet-killing torpedo had been detected on this ship, which was definitely alarming. Were they intending to destroy this world? Why were the humans so mindlessly destructive, Roquat contemplated grouchily as the agonized screams of unfortunate (and very rude) humans intermingled with the growls of Flayed Ones outside the palace.
"Sire?" Kaliko gently nudged the Nome King back into what served as his approximation of sane reality.
"Oh, apologies, I was receiving reports from our fleet. Yes, yes. Bring me to this monarch who dares to steal from me post haste. We don't have forever. The humans are arriving soon, and with them, they are carrying those colonic torpedo things that can inflame the atmosphere. The plan is still for us to retrieve as much wealth as possible before we retreat from this system."
"Very well, your majesty. We obey," the stately Lychguard replied with a swirl of his own red cloak and a tap of his warscythe.
The Nome King's royal guard escorted the mad monarch up the stairs and through what appeared to be a previously warded prison-suite. A beautifully crafted hall of silver mirrors led to a peculiar room filled with animated decapitated heads who screamed in surprise at their arrival, and a body of a human man with a crushed head lay bleeding on the floor. A Cryptek was summoned and commanded to find a way to stop the strange heads from screaming, and soon, everything was quiet once again, and the heads simply observed the group impassively.
"What do you suppose is the purpose of these heads? They're quite striking," Roquat asked Kaliko in a pensive voice. Each of these animated heads appeared to be perfectly preserved and perfectly human. Each wore a tight jeweled collar around their necks, and all were very aesthetically pleasing. These would be desirable and curious treasures to own, the Nome King observed.
"Perhaps the governor has... unusual tastes, sire," Kaliko remarked as he advanced to another locked door at the rear of the hall of heads.
"Do you think these are his wives? Or perhaps concubines?" the Nome King mused curiously, greatly intrigued by the animating technology and beauty of each head. "You must understand that rulers sometimes possess certain peculiarities, Kaliko. I may be grounded, but rulership can cause the mind to drift askew toward the acquisition of strange and intriguing quirks. I will not judge any ruler for any harmless habits, which is what this collection of pretty heads seems to be."
The Chief Steward said nothing as Roquat's royal guard filtered into the Hall of Heads. It was beginning to become crowded in here.
The Nome King ordered one of the Crypteks to bundle up each intriguing decapitated head, and to send them back to the Grandiloquent Abundance. A Tesseract Labyrinth was produced, and in a flash, all the heads were safely bundled away. If these were the wives or concubines of this world's human monarch, then perhaps the doomed governor could also offer the Nome King advice on acquiring a wife before his life was snuffed out. Surely he'd be reasonable and helpful to a fellow leader of his people, and the Nome King had often found himself lonely during his long nights of screaming into the void of space.
Kaliko studied the warded door at the rear of the hall of heads with his single green eye. It was a tall door of a very glossy silver metal that almost shimmered with its own light. Jagged and complex unknown writings were carved across its surface, and no doorknob or keyhole was visible. After a short examination, the Chief Steward turned to his charge. "Your Highness, this door is warded by both Empyreal enchantments and complex technological runic bindings. This looks as if a deranged Cryptek along with an addled daemon cooperated to ward this door. It is quite impressive, I must say."
"Despite his thieving ways, I am beginning to respect this governor more and more," Roquat replied, a note of genuine appreciation in his voice. "Stunningly unique preserved female human heads with collars of fine jewels, and now, a door only the mightiest of us can undo! But, have no fear, the shard of Rza'Thae will show us the way!"
The Nome King brought his glowing staff forward, almost touching the heavily warded silver door. After a short moment, Roquat perceived each ward and enchantment popping and sparking as each were burnt out under the immense power of the artifact in the Nome King's hands. The barred was soon unlocked, and with a heavy grinding sound, the door slowly opened before them.
"Peculiar," the mad monarch hummed as he noted that his staff was now glowing very brightly. A sense alighted within him that there was something of great interest nearby, but what it could be, he did not know.
Not stopping to think about this, the Nome King strode confidently down a short hallway of glorious mirrored gold. Lanterns encrusted with multicolored perfectly cut gemstones hung above on short chains from the ceiling. "What delightful taste!" Roquat mused again, observing all the fabulous wealth in this wing of the palace. "A man of culture. A kindred soul! A shame he has to die!"
Another tall door, this one of finely carved hardwood, now stood before the group. This barrier was unwarded aside from a simple conventional lock. Pleasant moody music could now be heard wafting through the air, which made Roquat smile widely. The Governor of Ev was playing what the humans called a piano, and with great style and excellence despite his inevitable doom! The Nome King's keen hearing informed him that this door led to a larger room with lovely acoustics. Once again, the mad monarch found himself grateful to still possess his soul, as his other Necron kin could not appreciate such beautiful aesthetic things as he could.
"Shall I send in a guard before you as a precaution?" Kaliko asked the Nome King.
"A guard? For a singular human ruler?" the Nome King laughed heartily. "No. There is a proper way for gentlemen of royalty to handle a conflict of this manner, and I intend to behave with civility despite my overwhelming superiority. I will go in alone, and I-"
"I can hear you, xenos," a contralto human woman voice called out behind the door. "If you can understand me, do come in, but please, do mind your manners. I am a lady of means, and I will not be treated in an ignoble way, even during such difficult times."
The Necrons stood outside the door, and glanced at one another with confusion.
"A human woman?" the Nome King asked, his expression twisting in surprise. "Maybe the governor's primary wife? Maybe those heads were his concubines?"
Before Kaliko could answer, the strange woman called out again. "Just open the door, fool xenos. Here, I will assist you."
The lock on the door disengaged before the puzzled Necrons, and the door swung open suggestively. The music continued to play, echoing grandly through the new open space.
"Oh," the Nome King rumbled. He then straightened his metal shoulders, and walked confidently ahead, not waiting for his escort.
This room was absolutely magnificent, the Nome King observed, genuinely impressed. This appeared to be some kind of a well-appointed parlor, or perhaps a small ballroom about fifteen paces wide by thirty long. Both the floor and the walls were reflective pure gold, and the brilliant walls were lined with fine tapestries depicting alluring recumbent human women lounging on pillows or posing for portraits, all wearing jeweled collars around their necks. Elaborate chandeliers of jewels and gold hung above, scattering scintillating light across this grand room. The ceiling also contained murals of frolicking fairy creatures, and other idealized animals of the galaxy. A small collection of tables and lounges stood near the rear of the large rich space, and a large bed dressed with the purest emerald silks rested in the corner. The Nome King's metal jaw hung open as he strode forward, genuinely impressed at the incredible wealth and delightful taste of the human governor.
Why, the décor in this marvelous room was so striking that the maddened monarch almost didn't see the group of dead handmaidens with deeply slit throats bleeding messily onto the gold floor hidden beneath a nearby table. A suicide pact for their employer, perhaps? Where was the governor, anyway?
The woman who he had spoken to then twirled into visibility at the rear of the ballroom, where a piano could also now be seen. The instrument appeared to be playing itself as the strange woman danced as if in a trance.
"Oh my stars," Roquat whispered.
The dancing figure was stunningly beautiful. The Nome King paused midway through his walk through the ballroom, dumbstruck by the strange human woman's grace. Roquat could only watch as she danced. The maddened monarch placed a metal hand to his mouth in awed wonder at the majesty of the woman's perfect form.
She was a fair-skinned graceful human female with long hair the color of the abyssal darkness of the uncaring void, and her eyes, as he could see from here, were of precious emeralds. The dancing woman wore a shin length form-fitting long-sleeved dress of various jade fabrics. The front of her gown was encrusted with jewels and tinkling precious metals that shimmered brilliantly under the light of the chandelier. The skirts of her dress fell in diaphanous waterfalls of green mercury from her waist, and moved hypnotizingly with the dancer's motions. A collar of thick, perfectly cut emeralds hung about her neck, and it sparkled as the woman performed her beguiling dance steps. Long metal quills swept backward from her shoulders, giving her a threatening, but gloriously dark aesthetic look akin to a predatory aquatic sea creature. In her hands, she held something dark and indistinct, and the mad monarch could not make out what it was from here.
"Sire?" Kaliko harshly whispered behind him. This interrupted the Nome King's reverie, but his escort remained in the doorway. This unwelcome disturbance upset Roquat, who held up his staff in a warning to those behind him.
The piano continued to play, and what Roquat presumed to be his soul soared in moved bliss at the motions of the comely creature before him. The woman caught his eye, and she winked at him, which caused the Nome King's nonexistent heart to flutter. She began to dance closer to him, and now, Roquat could see that this woman held what appeared to be one of the decapitated heads from the previous room in her hands. This head also caught the Nome King's eye, and also winked at him! Oh, how intriguing!
"So, you've come to kill me, xenos," the mysterious elegant woman spoke to the king in a voice that almost sounded nearly imperceptibly synthetic. His staff continued to glow, and a vague sense that he was close to another shard of Rza'Thae washed through his consciousness, but he wasn't thinking about that. Roquat was still completely hypnotized by the beautiful creature dancing before him. She, he could tell now, wasn't actually quite human, and parts of her seemed almost to register as Necron to his eyes. It made her quite intriguing!
"I-" Roquat began to speak, but found that his words nervously died in his throat as the enigmatic wonder danced close to him, smiling widely.
When the woman spoke, the head in her arms also spoke with her at the same time. Together, they said, "I am a precious daughter of Mars, you should know. When you kill me, my father will never stop looking for who has done so. May this be a warning to you, xenos."
Kill her? The Nome King was confused. How could he kill such a woman? What was he doing here, anyway?
"What is your name, xenos? I believe I at least have a duty to know who will murder my empire."
"My name is Roquat," the Nome King was finally able to stammer in her presence. "I am the Necron Overlord of Nome, but I am known as the Nome King."
"And the Army in Silver will shatter the world of Tar Vigaz if Am'Erika is not permitted birth," she called out in a sing-song voice. "That's what the Family of Liberty warned me years ago, you know. And here you are. The Army in Silver. You're that army, I take it." She tittered demurely, and with a graceful pirouette, she reached up with her free hand to deftly caress the Nome King's cheek. Her touch was strangely cold for a human, but it warmed him nonetheless. "I am governor Langwidere of Tar Vigaz and the great Conglomeration of Ev, and I go to my doom with beauty, grace, and dignity."
"Langwidere," Roquat purred the name, tasting it with delight. The jewels embellishing her dress glittered before him in the moody light of the ballroom, and her emerald eyes smiled at him fearlessly. She was the governor? Then, what was the purpose of those heads in the previous room? Her confidence made her even more attractive to him, and as Langwidere danced with her decapitated head, Roquat found himself bowing low and gallantly before the woman. Why did it seem that she was like him, he wondered. What a most peculiar sensation!
Langwidere continued dancing, her bright eyes flashing in amusement as the mad monarch watched. With a few twirls over dramatic swells of music, the governor danced to one of the tables lining this space and placed the head upon it before stepping back to Roquat.
"War is a dance between two master dancers representatives of their peoples," Langwidere laughed at the Nome King before reaching up once again to caress the side of his face. She then traced a line from his cheek and down to his metal neck and shoulders, and Roquat did not cringe from her touch. "I don't know if you xenos can understand that with your lack of souls, but I can at least see here that you are moved. Dancing and fighting, all the same on the galactic stage, all pulled by invisible puppet strings by the hands of fate."
"My dear lady governor, I must correct you on this," Roquat began in a soft tone. Langwidere's presence, while colored in humanity, did not feel purely human, nor did it appear to be like anything he had seen before. She was fascinating, a rare and beautiful treasure! The Nome King cleared his breathless throat nervously, and even hallucinated that he was blushing. "While I am a Necron, I have a soul. I am the leader of the Nomes, and we Nomes remain in possession of our souls to this day. I find myself fortunate indeed to remain spiritually intact, as appreciating your beauty makes existence so much sweeter."
The Nome King realized what he had said a moment after saying it, and he briefly stepped back. A distant voice inside of him scolded his behavior. What was he doing?! He was a Necron! This woman, she was a human! Or... was she?
Langwidere continued to smile at him. "The dancer does not matter, only the dance itself. All the galaxy is a stage, and we are its players," the governor purred enigmatically. "Other visiting xenos recently enlightened me to this line of thought, and I quite like it, even though they betrayed me in the end. Before the end of my world, would you have this dance with me this blessed morning, Necron King of the Nomes?"
"Your majesty!" Kaliko again hissed again in alarm behind him. Frustrated again at the interruption of this beautiful soulful moment, the Nome King spun around, the light in his staff blazing. The Chief Steward and two of Roquat's Lychguard had walked into the gold room uninvited.
"Do pardon me, my esteemed lady governor," Roquat demurred to Langwidere. He then spun around on his heel, and angrily spoke in the Necron tongue. "Do you have no propriety, Chief Steward? This is governor Langwidere! Governor! I am conducting important diplomatic business here! You will not interfere! Stay back in the tunnel!"
"Your friends are all welcome here, my lord," Langwidere called out fluently in the Necron tongue, which caused all the Necrons within earshot to turn in surprise. "I have no fear of death when it comes to my doorstep, for I am more than what I seem. But, I would enjoy a final dance, handsome bejeweled king. Would you deny a lady her last request?"
The Nome King's soul (or what he perceived to be a soul) sang with elation at hearing her say such a thing with her uncanny, too smooth to be entirely human voice. It had been so long since he had been close to such an enchanting woman! Even the married Flayed One with the red dress on Drazak could not hold a candle to the beauty of Langwidere! He placed his staff on his back, and fastened it firmly to his necrodermis. Roquat, being a gentleman, could not deny a request from such a divine lady, and the mad king bowed once again before extending his hand.
The two unlikely creatures then danced for a time, and Roquat learned the dance the humans called a "waltz". As time passed, more Necrons began to filter into this room as they watched their mad monarch dance in revelry, the smile never leaving the Nome King's face. One Cryptek Datamancer in attendance even grumbled to his fellow that he was somewhat jealous, and that he believed that he once had a wife before the biotransference. Another Cryptek, a Technomancer, was not so enchanted, and took the opportunity to study the creature that danced tirelessly with the Nome King with a small dataslate hooked up to his single eye.
"She's not specifically human," the Technomancer remarked quietly as he observed the dance, but no one seemed to be listening. "Not of the Empyrean either. Some kind of conglomeration of technology interwoven together and powered by an unknown source. It almost feels as if she is one of our nature, or perhaps even possesses a weak C'tan shard of her own, but I am uncertain. We need to study her."
"You could at least be happy for him," the Datamancer whispered back, irritated. Before more observations could be quietly exchanged, another Cryptek had appeared from the hallway, and delivered a quiet message to the Chief Steward, who had been helplessly watching this maddened monarch dance the morning away with the demi-human creature.
Kaliko steeled himself before walking forward, knowing that he would have to interrupt the Nome King, and likely upset him. "Sire," the Chief Steward spoke up.
Luckily, this seemed to be the moment that the dance was finally dying down, and both Roquat and Langwidere parted hands, and bowed to each other deeply. The piano music concluded, and both dancers wore wide smiles. This had been the most fun the Nome King had had in eons!
"Oh, Kaliko, I did not see you there! I was enraptured by governor Langwidere's dance! What an utter delight this woman is!"
"Sire, the human ship draws close, and we will soon be within range of its orbital weapons. We've stripped as much as we could from the palace and its vaults, and so, we need to leave. Your shuttle awaits outside."
"A human ship?" Langwidere unexpectedly replied in the Necron tongue again, and fearlessly addressed the gathered group before her. Her smile faded from her face. "Of what alignment?"
"Imperium," the Nome King replied to the governor. "Inquisitors, they call themselves, as what we saw. They have catatonic torpedoes, my people say."
Langwidere's face dropped in horror. Also at that moment, there was a strange pause as the Nome King suddenly came to a realization. Roquat's expression then dramatically shifted. His dreamy smile became a sneer of rage, and he defensively stepped away from the demi-human governor. In response to this action, nearly every Necron in this room now instantly brandished their weapons in Langwidere's direction. "You tricked me! You distracted me so your Imperial friends would sneak up on me! You-!"
Despite the multiple weapons brandished in her direction, Langwidere shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest in an expression of annoyance. "Goodness, no. I didn't call them. Put your weapons away." Her eyes began to lash back and forth as if solving a complex problem in her mind. The governor's expression then shifted, and abruptly became that of exaggerated grief. "This world, my world, is independent from the Imperium, and I would never call upon them to visit because they despise independent thinkers such as myself! They are so spiteful! In fact, my... my father stranded me out here to... to..." the governor began to sputter before she finally choked out. "...to keep me away from Mars. They were all so intimidated by my ingenuity!"
"Then why did you say that you were a precious daughter of Mars earlier?" Kaliko interjected before the Nome King could say anything.
"Daughter of Mars, yes, but..." Langwidere's expression changed to that of even greater sorrow, but no tears fell from her green eyes. "Even though I adore my homeworld, I am now an estranged daughter of Mars! I haven't heard from my father for many, many years. In fact, much of the Imperium is jealous of my superior intellect, so why would I call their attention to me? I don't need that kind of negativity in my life!"
The Nome King shook his head. "We had a nice dance. Pity you attempted to deceive and to distract me with your bewitching wiles while your human ship grew ever closer!" Roquat growled.
Langwidere sighed in exasperation, and her sorrow seemed to abate. "Oh, calm yourself, xenos. I never deceived you, king of the Nomes. Truthfully, you're spitting on my adoration, as you're the most beautiful of your kind that I've ever seen. The jewels in your body make you a stunning figure, and I concluded that this was where I would die, so why not engage in one last dance? And now you're here to kill me, correct? That's the true pity here, that my light be permitted to burn out."
The Nome King found himself feeling ashamed at his behavior, and did not immediately respond.
"We have to go," Kaliko announced to the group. "Even some of the Flayed Ones are mustering to leave with their new haul of flesh." The Nome King continued to glare at the governor, but his face now showed conflict.
The governor continued to defensively stand her ground with dramatic self-pity. It appeared that she was somehow ignorant of the terrible danger of numerous Necrons standing before her, each pointing a rifle, staff, or a warscythe in her direction. Langwidere continued to lecture the Nome King's guard. "Aren't you all listening? I'm telling you, the truth is that the Imperium hates me for my genius! Why in the Warp would I want to help those arrogant fools? They're all jealous of me! And if you want someone to blame for the Imperium coming here, I would wager that damn disobedient Magos from the Tower of Reason is responsible for this! She must have gone over my head to call Mars somehow! Go and kill her instead, not me!"
"And what about Gir'Auda, then? Explain that!" the Nome King sneered.
"What?" Langwidere asked, confused.
"Gir'Auda, the Equerry of the Old Ones, the- the-"
"The gold bird ship that we witnessed fleeing from this world," Kaliko stepped forward, assisting his monarch with the description. "As planetary governor, you must have seen it."
Langwidere's defensive grief vanished, and her jaw dropped in surprise. "The gold bird ship?"
No one spoke for a moment.
The governor's expression darkened like a sudden storm and the lights in the room began to flicker. "As a matter of fact, yes, I know of it. And, I know who its pilot is," Langwidere hissed in disgust.
The Nome King wore a contemplative expression as he stood near the governor like a dark metal shadow, his angry mood now cooling. "You truly just wanted to dance with me before I took your life?" Roquat asked. The governor nodded, and even rolled her eyes again in another display of exasperation.
While she appeared to possess dramatically fluctuating moods, Langwidere was fearless. Even while filled with sorrow, she was standing up to a group of angry Necrons and was treating them like children having a foolish tantrum. That brazenness was to be respected, the Nome King was forced to admit. Her assertive and recklessly confident nature, on top of everything, somehow made the governor even more attractive. "And am I correct to assume that you are an enemy of the gold bird of Gir'Auda as well?" Roquat asked.
"Oh, yes," Langwidere bristled. "I know about that horrible gold chicken vessel and her indigent lady captain! Her name is Evanora of the East, and she stole my property, ruined my masquerade party, kidnapped my grand advisor, and even stole my lover from me! She's the reason my entire world has gone to damnation! She's trash! She ruined my life! I want Evanora destroyed!"
Roquat was once again smiling broadly, and he took a step to loom over the governor, who continued to gaze fearlessly upward at the Necron king. Her eyes glittered like precious jewels, exciting him again. "Now, this is a development. Maybe you could be useful to us, governor Langwidere?"
The Datamancer Cryptek then spoke up from the crowd. "Request to take her with us, your majesty. I would like to study her. I cannot decipher her full nature from here, and she even seems as if she is almost like us, but not quite. Her shape and connection to the soul within her is most unusual."
"Seconded," another Cryptek responded. "We need to study as much human technology as we can in this new time we have found ourselves in. I and the others are intrigued, and an exploratory vivisection would be most refreshing to the rest of us as our circuits continue to warm and sharpen after our Great Sleep."
"You will do no such thing, naughty boys," the Nome King playfully scolded the Necrons before turning to look down upon Langwidere again. "My dear Lady, excuse the rudeness of my people. While we can find recreational vivisection subjects anywhere, we are also in need of a more pleasing shape in order to act as an emissary to any diplomatic inroads we may take to the aliens of the galaxy. You speak our tongue, and you do not respond in reactionary fear to our presence," the Nome King spoke appreciatively. "Not only that, this king finds you to be a wonderful dancer, and a specimen of wealth and beauty, a living treasure! It appears to me that you hold no love for the Imperium of Mankind, and that your world might be reaching its end. So now, I will offer you alternative steps for you to take in your dance. I officially offer you asylum in the Nome Kingdom, should you wish. This offer comes with one request, however."
Langwidere straightened her shoulders, and watched the king. "What is that, then?"
"I request you have dinner with me when we're back on my glorious flagship, the Grandiloquent Abundance."
"Dinner?" Langwidere asked, her expression confused.
"It will take some time to explain," Kaliko helpfully offered. "But now, we need to leave before the human cruiser arrives."
"And the human ship you're all so worried about. Do you know if it's a warship? And you said it has cyclonic torpedoes?"
"Is it cyclonic or colonic? I always mix those two words up. The human languages are so bewildering!" the Nome King laughed heartily, all traces of his previous anger evaporating. "But, yes, whatever those world-ending things the humans use to ignite atmospheres, that incoming ship has them."
"That bitch Nimmie Amee called Mars after me," Langwidere angrily spat again. "Damn you to the Warp, Nimmie Amee and Evanora! Everyone betrayed me! I am fed up with this world!"
"Is that a yes? Do you accept my offer?" the Nome King reached forward with a gentle smile and touched the angry governor on her shoulder.
Langwidere clasped the Nome King's hand with her own as it rested on her shoulder. The governor's smile was now edged with wicked purpose. "Promise me that you'll help me destroy that gold bird and its captain, and I'll happily go with you. Damn this world and all its people! They all deserve to die for not appreciating all that I had done for them."
"Glorious!" the Nome King shouted happily. "Alright, my Nomes. Time for us to leave this damned world! We now have many treasures, and we are heavy with wealth of many kinds." Roquat dramatically swirled his ruby cape as the group of Necrons cheered before their monarch. "Come, my lady! I will teach you new dances as we race through the stars! Tomorrow belongs to us, and we passionate Nomes will assuredly conquer the wretched Gir'Auda one fine day, and destroy its human captain!"
Kaliko nodded, and glanced toward Langwidere as the merry Necron band began to depart the palace. As they walked, the Chief Steward spied that the ex governor wore a small, and very self satisfied smile on her face, and immediately, Kaliko knew to keep his watchful eye on this dangerous woman.