**Author's notes: The view counter for authors on this site has been broken for about a week now. Authors have seen no hits to any of our stories, which is really frustrating. As always, if this place ever dies completely, this fic can be found over on ao3 under the username, "Architect_of_Fate."**

While waiting for Null's decryption of Magos Jinnicky's message (and finding myself tired of telling my crewmembers to get along), I decided to distract from my nervous boredom by visiting the secret parlor outside my quarters again. It was a very beautiful area, and I was curious about the rest of the room's contents. Alberich, nervous in his body language, began to follow me as I made my way there. I could feel uncomfortable fear wafting from the German Traveler's soul.

"What's going on?" I asked, standing before the elaborately decorated and rune-warded gold parlor door, preparing to unlock it. "You're worried about something."

Alberich glanced about, and put a hand through his hair. "Many things, my leader," he stated. "We did not address all we needed to address in the meeting. I wish to speak with you alone on some issues, and I get the feeling that the crew is disturbed at my current bodily transition, but they do not want to upset you by bringing it up. I worry I will be distrusted now."

"So, do you want me to tell everyone what really happened?" I snapped. With a few metallic clicks and knocks, the door slid open at my touch. I lowered my voice to a dangerous growl as we both stood near the open entryway. "Should I tell everyone that we got manipulated and coerced into letting a goddamned cult leader steal your old body?" Alberich flinched and turned away. Remembering that stupid situation, a wave of anger pushed forward through my chest, causing my Corona to brighten. I then also recalled that when Am'Erika was taunting us that the greater daemon had revealed some fun information. The Keeper of Secrets had said that Alberich had apparently made some kind of damn deal with Tzeentch. The psyker's reaction at hearing this suggested that it was true. I felt my heart rate rise. I had to deal with this. "Okay, you know what? Maybe we should have this conversation now? I think this room is sound proof anyway." Alberich blanched; I motioned for him to follow me, which he now very reluctantly did.

Alberich and I quickly stepped inside the parlor. As before, the light from the gold chandeliers glimmered on as I walked in, but now, the faint smell of coffee and men's cologne no longer hung in the air. I got the sense that time was now passing regularly in this richly appointed space. I still didn't know how this very tall room properly existed in the Divine Retribution. The interior area of this parlor didn't seem to quite match up to the proportions of the eagle. It probably had a sort of Tardis "bigger on the inside" thing going on.

"So, tell me about this bargain you made with Tzeentch behind my back," I flatly asked as the door shut heavily behind us. "If you lie, I'll know." Alberich now appeared even more worried, and glanced at both me and the door with rapidly blinking eyes. He was afraid of me.

"It was more of a dream I had, my leader. The Great Architect said that he wished for my reverence, even while I serve under you. After a time, I realized that this would likely eventually cause a conflict, and when the Great Architect continued to arrive in my nightly dreams, demanding my worship, he offered to leave in exchange for my shadow. He proposed that he knew of a way where both his needs and yours would be satisfied. A compromise."

Clenching my jaw angrily, I willed the parlor door to lock, and I pinned the German psyker with my burning gold eyes. He could not make eye contact with me. "Alright, look," I snarled. My anger had begun to ignite inside of me like a bonfire, and my burned skin began to feel hot. "I meant it when I said no more Chaos. No more Tzeentch. None of this! I still don't think you seem to understand just how fucking dangerous this is!" I scolded angrily. Indignation raced through me, which caused my extremities to tingle uncomfortably. My halo grew brighter. "Fuck, and you still have that damn daemon spear! And now to hear that you made a fucking deal with Tzeentch behind my back? So, that's why you didn't fight too much when Heinrich bullied us like chumps into letting you give up your old body for him!" I was now breathing heavily as I continued to vent, and an odd sense of dark exhilaration followed my anger. "Remember when that cult gave us that map out of the city? All that so-called 'helpful' information to aid in our escape? That map led us right into a trap with that Nurgle woman, and the manhole was welded shut! I don't think Heinrich meant for us to escape!"

Alberich looked away before falling to his knees on the carpet, his head down. "Meine Führerin, I-"

My anger at this situation was causing my Corona to grow even brighter, and it was moving to envelop my arms and torso in a sparkling halo. "You know, maybe I should be more like Hitler around you, I'm beginning to think? How did Adolph Hitler treat disobedience and scheming behind his back? Tell me."

"He ordered them executed," Alberich responded, now trembling at my feet. "I-I..."

As my anger continued to grow, my entire nervous system began to ring like a bell, and my teeth briefly chattered. Through this, I distantly realized that being angry like this actually felt fucking great! I continued my chastisement. "I know that you're not all that familiar with this universe, but let me tell you something: The Emperor, the last captain before me, he could actually annihilate a soul, or do even worse than that! I can do things with my abilities through this vessel that-"

In my rage, I felt keen and hot flush of power suddenly surge through me in an overflow, and now, I was unexpectedly towering over Alberich in my giant radiant form. What I did next felt somewhat automatic and instinctual. Effortlessly, I reached down, and picked the kneeling German up by his upper arm and dangled him in the air like a helpless child. My voice boomed through the parlor, "-you'll fucking wish I had just killed you if you even think about pulling this Chaos shit again, you got that?" I shook Alberich to punctuate my point before dropping him to the floor, and he scrambled backward away from me in fear. With a breath, I found that I was now normal sized again. "Now, do you have any other secrets you're hiding from me? Or, do I have to tear your soul to pieces to find out what you're up to behind my back?"

Alberich nodded frantically as he stood on shaking legs. "No more secrets, meine Führerin! Es tut-"

"I'm going to your quarters later to deal with that daemon-possessed weapon you still have. You are no longer permitted to touch it. If you fuck up again with Chaos, I promise you that our next private meeting won't be as pleasant as this one," I growled at the trembling German.

"U-understood."

"Alright, now I want some time alone. I'll deal with the crew's perception of your new body later. Just deal with it for now. You're a Nazi, anyway, so what do you care if people think you're a monster. Shit is normal for you. I also want to hear more about your past and this guy Ernst that Am'Erika said you served under later, so maybe prepare for that instead of having social anxiety."

Without waiting for Alberich's response, I waved the parlor door open again with a telekinetic push, and gestured that he should leave. The German did so, his eyes wet with shock at this confrontation.

When Alberich had departed, I exhaled, and walked somewhat dizzily over to the large gold desk in the center of the parlor, and sat down in the slightly overlarge chair. My heart was aching, and I grasped at my chest. Meditating, I forced my reactionary anger to depart along with the hot glow of my Corona. Now that I was getting stronger, I was becoming more dangerous. Becoming momentarily huge like this had happened before, but it still greatly disturbed me that it had happened at all, and involuntarily. While I was unhappy with Alberich, I hadn't planned on losing my shit and threatening him in that manner, nor had I planned on picking him up like a rag doll and shaking him into submission. It also disturbed me just how utterly fantastic it felt to be angry like that.

I continued to breathe deeply, and I reminded myself that I was being shaped into a living weapon, and if I didn't get a hold of myself, I'd eventually lose my humanity. This behavior, I assumed, was being encouraged by the Divine Retribution's Imperative. The big gold God bird abhorred Chaos, and since its presence within me was brightening, I found that I was growing to viscerally hate any sort of Immaterial bullshit. At the very least, I was pretty sure that Alberich was now completely scared away from his dangerous "faith", and that I had finally gotten through to him.

I leaned back on the chair and breathed deeply, reminding myself of the psyker relaxation techniques Virgil had taught me. Would this keep happening? Was I now some kind of psychic Incredible Hulk? That was stupid, I thought. I need to be able to control this, and not let it control me.

After about ten minutes of meditation, I was now suitably calm, and if I sat here ruminating constantly on my new crazy existence, I'd lose my mind. With another deep breath, I stood up again, and began to explore this interesting room.

The parlor space was about five meters in height, six meters in length, and about three meters wide with a larger area near the front door, giving the room a sort of L shape. This area of the ship was stunningly beautiful! This parlor had a blue and gold carpet decorated with a tessellated flying bird pattern, and the ceiling was of vaulted metal from which hung gold chandeliers which cast a warm amber light, almost giving this area a Hogwarts-esque vibe. Books, various curios, ornaments, and even suspicious horned skulls lined the long wall to the right, and at the far left end of the parlor, there was another open room that displayed various art objects, trophies, and other priceless treasures. Across from this art lounge and to my right, there was a giant locked and warded gold door. It was approximately two to three times my height. The door's surface was elaborately carved and covered in glowing red runes that shimmered like a heat mirage. I did not know yet what was behind this barrier, and seeing the high level of magic security decorating this door, I found myself very curious.

I decided to check out the art lounge on the left side of the parlor first. Still slightly unsteady from my earlier excitement, I walked cautiously ahead. A massive gold chandelier lit by floating candles hung above, offering a cozy ambiance. This lounge space, like the parlor, seemed to defy the proper dimensions of the Divine Retribution, as it was about five meters cubed. At the center of the room, two overlarge leather couches of fine dark red leather faced inward toward a central coffee table that appeared to be carved out of solid granite. On the walls, various paintings, mounted taxidermy, and even some unusual weapons were hung with care. The paintings were especially eye-catching, and some depicted people that I recognized.

"Spoiled Prince," I observed in wonderment as I stood before the first painting on the left wall. The painting was a three meter tall full body length portrait that depicted the form of the handsome white-haired and gold-eyed Inheritor. He wore his jeweled crown atop his long straight white hair and an enigmatic Mona Lisa smile. The Inheritor's pose was a somewhat formal three-quarter view typical to that of European nobility in 18th century art, and the painting technique was absolutely flawless. Eagle motifs decorated his breastplate of black and gold metal, and at his hip, a long silver sword could be seen. Around his head, his halo was depicted shimmering with brilliance.

After my nightmare last night, my attention was pulled to the Inheritor's glittering crown, and I wondered if what I had intuited was true. Had the Spoiled Prince really discovered a way to preserve his humanity, and could I also retain my free will that way? The gemstones in his crown were as I had seen them before, a singular large flawless diamond surrounded by smaller (but still large) rubies. Were these jewels spirit stones like the Aeldari possessed?

Another painting hung beside Spoiled Prince's dramatic portrait, but it was smaller and only depicted its subject from the chest up. While well painted, this piece of art wasn't as supremely perfect as Spoiled Prince's handsome portrait. However, its subject matter made it particularly interesting to me. "Oh!" I explained, recognizing Sebastian with a smile. My direct predecessor wore a serious expression upon his face, and his eyes, like Spoiled Prince's, were luminous gold. He did not wear his laurels, and his black hair hung loosely over his shoulders and chest. It appeared that he was clad in a simple black t-shirt. He was not depicted with a Corona, and aside from his inhuman gold eyes, Sebastian appeared relatively human in this painting. His Key, while depicted here, was not painted with much detail, and was only hinted at with a few brush strokes hanging from his neck in a long gold chain.

I studied further and discovered a small gold plaque beside Sebastian's painting. In a flowing script, it said, "For Bastian, the most serious bird captain in the galaxy, Erda." I didn't recognize the name "Erda", which was frustrating. Aside from Malcador, I had very little knowledge on who made up Sebastian's crew. The Harlequin performance I had seen the other day had given me a vague idea on a possible second copilot nicknamed "The Count", but that was the extent of what I knew. This was probably just evidence of yet another lore gap in my knowledge, or that maybe none of these people had made it into official canon.

The preserved head of what appeared to be some kind of black-scaled draconic creature with a long maw of dagger teeth was hung beside the two portraits. A gold plaque sat beside the head, which had to be as tall as I was. It simply said, "Pale Lord's Taking". Nearby, a jagged two-handed rusty sword was displayed in multiple pieces in a vertical glass case on the wall. Its plaque stated, "Pale Lord's Breakage", whatever that meant.

I continued to tour this interesting space, taking in all the paintings, strange weapons (most of which actually seemed broken and unusable), and taxidermy trophy mounts of unusual alien beasts. Near the rear of the room and adjacent to the unlit fireplace, my attention was drawn to a glass cube the size of my hand floating above a pedestal. Inside, a tiny glowing shard of metal flickered and flashed with green and white electric energy. I wondered what sort of treasure this could be as I discovered a small plaque beside the pedestal on the wall. It didn't offer much of an explanation aside from a single nonsensical word: "Mag'ladroth". There was something familiar about that unusual title, but I couldn't immediately place it, so I continued to browse around this room.

More paintings of other people I did not recognize also decorated this lounge, and frustratingly, most didn't have plaques to detail their identities. The only Inheritors depicted in this room seemed to be Spoiled Prince and Sebastian, which was a little disappointing. One painting of a beautiful woman with bright blue eyes, long brown hair, and a fine dark dress caught my eye, but since her painting didn't have a plaque, I had no idea who she was.

My eye was then drawn to one painting that was not hung, but instead was leaning against the wall on the floor, and was turned backwards. Curious, I turned it around, and discovered a half-length portrait of a smiling man in a black doublet. The stranger possessed distinctive dark gold eyes and long grey-streaked hair wrapped in a red ribbon. This mystery man appeared to be in his late forties, or maybe early fifties, and he wore a sly expression, as if he knew a joke that he wanted to tell the viewer. Studying this painting, I noted that this man had been depicted leaning on a fine ebony cane topped with a gold eagle's head decorated with three jeweled eyes.

I paused. This man seemed familiar to me somehow. I had experienced a vision during my visit of the governor's palace when I was high on Spook of a man with a three-eyed eagle cane, and I wondered if this was the same guy. I was also reminded that, according to the Harlequin performance, one of Sebastian's copilots had a sword cane, but I couldn't be precisely sure if this was that same man. This copilot, if what I had seen was true, had been driven away by Malcador and the Emperor over some kind of disagreement. Maybe this really was a portrait of this so-called "Count", I wondered. At the very least, it was a nice portrait, and I placed the painting back against the wall, but now facing right side out.

All in all, this lounge was extremely impressive, and appeared to be a sort of intimate meeting place and classy lounge for cool dude Inheritors, their friends, and their paintings and trophies. It appeared as if this room only held items from either Sebastian or Spoiled Prince, which was somewhat disappointing, as I was very curious about the rest of the holy bloodline my body came from. Maybe I would have a talk with Null or the Blank sisters about the Nubuan mural soon now that we had some free time?

I exited the lounge, and with a stretch, I smiled. My anger was now gone, and I was feeling refreshed. Aside from my ongoing experience of getting my humanity eroded by this vessel's brutal machine spirit, this ship was just so damned cool. Ahead of me, I now saw the giant gold door with the glowing red runes. What cool mystery was hidden in here, I wondered?

"Wow," I whispered, appreciating the elaborate circular locking mechanisms covering the giant door's surface. Even this warded door was a work of art. I wondered what was behind it, and I stepped forward to examine the red runes carving across its surface. This door was far too heavy and huge for me to open normally, but when I walked closer to study it further, the runes began to glow and flash before numerous echoing switches and clicks sounded through the parlor. I stepped back, and the door opened, pulling apart from each side.

A soft gust of air caressed me, and I smelled the faintest scent of men's cologne once again. Pleasant notes of pine, sandalwood, and coffee tickled my nose. Inside, I discovered yet another mind-blowing wonder, and my jaw dropped when I saw it.

This room held a giant-sized gold bed of completely solid metal built directly into the ship! The bed had to be at least three to four meters long, and massive white pillows laid messily at its head. This giant twin-proportioned bed was unmade, and thick white sheets hung over a plush, thick mattress that stood at about chest level to me. I walked forward, and a small gold light guttered to life far above me on the ceiling.

The room itself was minimalist, and about five meters in length, and a little under that wide. The bed itself took up a lot of this space. Beside the bed stood a wide square gold table with what appeared to be a circular analog clock and a tall fluted glass bottle a quarter full with a clear liquid and corked with a red stopper. The clock wasn't working, and it seemed to be stuck right before 12:00. Next to the clock, a very large wide-toothed comb sat atop a white sheet of paper. On this paper, a few enigmatic sentences were written in an artful hand.

"You wish for something, you've wanted it for years, and you're sure you want it, as long as you know you can't have it. But if all at once it looks as though your wish might come true, you suddenly find yourself wishing you had never wished for any such thing," the note said. The cursive ink writing was clear, artful, and elegant, almost like calligraphy...

Amazed, I reached up to touch the note, scarcely believing what I was seeing. Was this giant-sized room where the Emperor actually slept, I wondered? Then, what was the purpose of my captain's suite? Sebastian had obviously slept there, and he had enjoyed painting his miniatures there too, so what was the purpose for this weird room with the giant bed? I still had a lot to learn, I conceded to myself.

I reached forward to pick up the comb, which was about the size of my forearm. It felt as if it were carved from ivory. "Woah," I whispered as I held it, and in my fascination, I recognized that it still held two long black hairs in its teeth! "Oh holy fucking shit..." I breathed, gently placing the large comb back down. Was I really seeing what I was seeing here?

I continued to take in this incredible room, and at the head of the bed, what I had assumed to be a headboard then began to appear familiar to me. The headboard had a mass of gold tubes, cables, runes, seals, and crystals that snaked in from the metal wall. Was the bed a Golden Throne too?

Inheritor, are you available? Virgil's voice spoke to my mind.

Uh, sort of, I answered. It almost felt blasphemous to be in here, and that I was snooping in someone's private things. This giant bed had obviously been slept in, and when I briefly touched its surface, another black hair was discovered. This one was extremely long, I noticed, extending to over half my height as I pulled it away. I held it in my hand like a chain of precious spun light from heaven as I responded to Virgil. Yeah, I'm here. I found something in the parlor. Something serious. You can come visit, but don't, like, make a big deal or tell anyone else right now what you're going to see, I psychically sputtered.

A crackle of energy sounded from behind me, and I sensed that Virgil was now in the main parlor space. "Inheritor?" the astropath asked. "Where are you?"

"I'm in here, Virg," I called out, still holding the long black hair in two cupped hands. I wondered if the Imperium would kill or king me if I delivered this sort of thing to them? Probably the former, realistically. Could I put this in a sword and kill daemons with it, I wondered?

Virgil walked inside the side bedroom, and gasped. "Oh my!" the hologram gasped, speechless.

"Yeah, I know!" I responded, walking forward toward the hologram, still holding the long strand of hair. "Another time-locked room. And I found this too!" I displayed what was in my cupped hands.

Virgil blinked twice, perplexed and not understanding what I was showing him. However, once the astropath realized what I held in my hands, he actually fell to his knees in worship. After a moment of prayers, I instructed the hologram to stand, and we both continued observing the long coiled black hair as if it was a priceless diamond. "Is that... is that what I think it is?"

I nodded. "Yeah, pretty sure it is. This looks like his bed, or at least some kind of bed that he slept in. I'm not sure, but it looks like you can hook yourself up to the ship while laying here. Look at the headboard. Same sort of design as my throne on the bridge."

"Throne," Virgil breathed in quiet reverence. "Every day I see a new miracle."

"What did you want, Virg?" I asked.

The hologram looked at me as if I had two heads for a moment before he remembered why he had come here. "My apologies for my momentary lapse, but Null has completed the decryption of Magos Jinnicky's message. He says he will be on the bridge soon. He wishes to know who you wish to call to the meeting."

"Oh, I guess everyone," I said, gently placing the hair down next to the comb on the table. Virgil appeared unbalanced before me, and was glancing at both me and the strand of hair. I turned to the hologram, perceiving that he was still extremely upset at discovering just how evil his old friend had been. "I'm sorry about all this shit with Null, Virgil."

The astropath looked away, and nodded in resolution. "I'm sorry too, but I must get over it. We of the Imperium of Mankind are no strangers to hardship. War and strife are ever-present. I myself have even personally experienced death, so I should be more accepting of difficult circumstances."

"I still don't know how you folks do it," I responded offhandedly as I began to walk out of the small but giant bedroom with Virgil in tow. "This sounds terrible, but this was sort of an absurd thing to joke about in my universe. Like, people remarked at how brutal this place is, and that everything is ridiculously difficult, like the writers and designers of this universe are peddling torture porn for entertainment."

"Torture... porn?" the hologram asked me with a quaking voice.

"Uh," I stammered, realizing that I was probably being incredibly rude. "Look, basically what I'm saying is that you guys are very strong to just exist in this universe, and I admire that."

Virgil nodded, his face still confused.

"Anyway, go and tell Null what I said, and that I'll be up on the bridge in about fifteen minutes. And now that I'm thinking about it, go and instruct Rasputin that he has to take a shower before going to any more meetings. He stank at the meal, and I hope he isn't too drunk already."

"Very well, Inheritor. Thy will be done," the hologram replied with a short bow before vanishing in a pale cloud of energy.

After locking up the uncanny bedroom with a push of Sight, I spent a short amount of time shuffling around the parlor's bookshelves, and before leaving for the bridge, I was greatly surprised to find what appeared to be a copy of The Neverending Story hidden among other mysterious books. Initially shocked at this discovery, I quickly calmed down when I remembered that Tzeentch apparently caused interdimensional shenanigans as a hobby. This caused artifacts (and people) from other realities to arrive here, so I guessed that it wasn't all that weird that this book was present in this dimension.

I picked up the heavy, beautifully embossed tan leather book. On its cover, this copy of The Neverending Story even held the metal coiled snake medallion Auryn, just like in the movie! I flitted briefly through its pages. It seemed to actually be the same Neverending Story from my universe, which was fascinating. I wondered which Inheritor had stored it here, and if Sebastian had read it during his tenure? Before closing the book, I read a few paragraphs, and noted that the main protagonist's name was Bastian.

"Huh, that's a neat coincidence," I mused, closing the book and remembering who Sebastian had been in this universe. "Bastian" was short for "Sebastian", and I hoped that the coincidence was just that instead of Tzeentchian fuckery. "Maybe poor Bastian grew up and got trapped in this reality after his time in Fantasia?" I laughed. I held the book in my hands as I walked back to my suite, and placed my unlikely copy of The Neverending Story on my bed before heading to the bridge.

Arriving on the bridge, I was met with a sight of most of my crew standing before the center eye window, talking and pointing at something outside. Wolfie trotted up to greet me, his cloudy dark tail a blur of immaterial smoke. Rasputin wasn't here yet, but everyone else appeared to be present, including a very frazzled Alberich. Null and Kaas were standing back behind the center throne, and the Tech-priest was fussing over what appeared to be a dataslate, unconcerned with what everyone was looking at.

"Hey, everyone," I announced to the bridge with a wave. I gave good boy hellhound Wolfie a few head pats as he stood beside me. This astral hound, like me, was slowly getting bigger and stronger. Wolfie had started out as a small black terrier, much like Toto in The Wizard of Oz, but now, Wolfie was about the size of a small border collie. He'd probably start becoming very dangerous soon, and I hoped that he would remain obedient to me.

My crew turned around to greet me, and Virgil quickly motioned that I should come and join them at the window with a slight shimmer of his holographic form. Alberich watched me nervously as I approached, his body language fearful and submissive, which was entirely reasonable after what I had done earlier. "What are you guys looking at?" I asked, trying to sound lighthearted. It appeared to be a bright sunny day outside, and a layer of fresh snow had fallen, making the landscape even more beautiful. Ennoia directed my attention to a line of footprints in the snow that led into a copse of thin evergreen trees.

"A primitive man, we think. Dressed in furs and rags. Virgil was the one who spied him outside only a few minutes ago, and I saw him as he fled into the forest. He is no danger to us from what I see, and only bore a spear as a weapon," Lian indicated. "This world, it seems, is not unpopulated, despite the proclamation by the Divine Retribution. The existence of primitive man would formally classify this location as a feral world."

I turned to Alberich, who was standing slightly apart from the group. The psyker shied away from my attention. "Seems you were right about this world being populated."

The Nazi psyker shook his head. "No, I did not see cavemen in my dream vision, meine Führerin. I saw others. They had pale bluish skin and intelligent eyes. They also had pointed ears, but they were not like the elf creature, that Aeldari man we met at the governor's party. A different species, I think."

"Xenos, yes," Null spoke up from further back in the bridge. "I've decrypted Magos Jinnicky's message. He has invited us to his domain, and he speaks of dangers of a population of subterranean xenos that may intercept his messages, meaning that they are at least somewhat sophisticated."

"Wait, I thought the Divine Retribution didn't sense anyone here beyond a few trace people," I stated, walking up to Null.

"I presumed that as well," Null stated as he pressed a few buttons on his dataslate. "I'm unsure as to why we did not sense a larger alien population. It could be that they live far enough beneath the surface that they would be somewhat undetectable from orbit. If Magos Jinnicky is concerned for security, we should be too."

I turned around, and walked back to where Null stood, and everyone followed me, including Wolfie. The Tech-priest then handed me the dataslate, and I began to read the message aloud.

"Knowledgeable in Travelers you are, and friends to me you must be. I invite you to speak to me at my abode, Bloodstone Tower. There is a population of xenos living as subterranean vermin beneath us, and most concerning, they are at least somewhat technologically advanced, and may be able to intercept communications. The danger of nearby Cyclothrathe looms heavily since the recent destruction of the planetary stealth field, and I worry so for my research, so you have come at a fortuitous time. Come to me and speak with me in person, oh ye students of the forbidden Plane Walkers. I will receive thee most graciously!

Speak the motto of the Travelers to my guardian servant, and he will let thee pass."

Sincerely, Magos Jinnicky"

Just as I was finishing, Rasputin finally made it to the bridge. Nasty glances were thrown his way by the two sisters, but the Mad Monk's lateness didn't bother me, as he had taken a shower and no longer stank.

"Ah, we are going outside into a snow planet?" Rasputin asked, a slight slur in his voice. "I have heard that this world is cold."

"Maybe you'd prefer to stay out in the snow," Alberich bristled. "Your people enjoy such weather, I hear."

Null blessedly interrupted Rasputin and Alberich's bickering before it could escalate. "I regret to inform you all that it is quite dangerous outside. Unless you all want to hike through a mountainous land plagued with primitive human tribesmen and xenos that might rise from hidden caves, my suggestion is to stay inside until the Divine Retribution is more suitably healed, or until I can confirm that Horse of a Different Color is both free of taint and suitably fueled."

"I'm glad we have that flyer," I offered. "How much weight can it hold? Do you know?" I asked, eyeing Lian for security. Just how heavy were Space Marines anyway? Lian had to weigh more than a damn car when in his armor, and even without it, he was still extremely solid.

Zok spoke up. The Tzaangor had found a slightly too large black tunic and wide-legged knee length trousers to accommodate his digitigrade clawed feet. "Horse of a Different Color, if I remember right, can hold a maximum between 400-500 kilograms of weight safely. She isn't large. Anything heavier than that and she runs into overweight problems."

"Oh," I said, disappointed. Lian was the strongest warrior on the Divine Retribution, and if I had to choose a guard, it would be him if he could fit. "Lian, how much do you weigh?"

"I am 309.5 kilograms out of my armor, and approximately 700 kilograms in my power armor, but I have not been weighed yet in the new armor recently given to me by my Brothers."

"You're really that heavy?" Alberich asked nearby. "No wonder we could barely move you on Kolch, even with that servitor to help!"

"My skeleton has been reinforced with ceramite, and my black carapace offers a flawless interface with my physiology and armor, further increasing my weight," the Fallen Paladin elaborated, a hint of pride in his voice. He then rolled up one of his long black sleeves, demonstrating a huge meaty arm with a round dark black carapace port. Lian tapped at the port with his finger.

Null let out a buzzing sigh of impatience. "Before anyone gets too terribly excited, I still need to examine this so-called 'Horse' flyer," Null repeated to us again like we were all stupid children (which we honestly were sometimes). "And, whatever fuel she operates on may not be available to us, so we still may not be able to use her."

"Horse of a Different Color utilizes a heavy crystalline battery shielded in a ceramite matrix to prevent overheating. Her atmospheric and void shielding is the best the technology can offer in her weight class too. A fine, modern machine, and a work of art! All she needs is an appropriate universal charging system, which I'm sure this ship has," Zok, our new car nerd, eagerly offered. "While she cannot go to Warp, she can go a few kilometers, easy."

"Yes, yes, I know you like this flyer, mutant," the Tech-priest continued to mutter in irritation. "I still need to check it first. It will not do any of you any good to randomly sprout tentacles on a trip one day because no one checked it for taint."

"Is there anything else you wanted to announce to us all since we're here?" I asked Null as my crew continued to mill about nearby.

"This message was the only information I wished to announce concerning this world, but we still have more issues to discuss concerning our situation." Null paused, and briefly tapped a metal foot to the floor before beginning again. "Those of you who are familiar with me may have recognized my erratic behavior and grown concerned. I owe an explanation. This strangeness was apparently due to a xenos assault on my being by an intelligence that resided in the jeweled belt I had been attached to, which has now been removed. This belt was affixed to my metal after my near death experience on Nubua, but we did not know what dangers it beheld. Regrettably, I now know that the artifact contained not just a corruptive danger, but a being of incredible power."

My crew stood near Null, and no one said anything. Everyone appeared very concerned, and beside the Tech-priest, I saw Virgil cross his arms over his chest and shake his head, an expression of scorn on his face.

Null took a deep breath before continuing. "I suppose I will simply say it. Are any of you familiar with the creatures known as the C'tan?" he asked.

The only person who held any recognition appeared to be Lian, whose expression dropped in surprise. "I have only heard rumors of such things, but I was told by my Brothers that the Ultramarines confronted such a being on Pavonis in recent times. It was said that the C'tan was an undefinable creature of transcendent death and power, a dark shape of living metal and energy responsible for the deaths of billions." The Fallen Paladin's green eyes then flashed with rare fear, and he shook his head once. "Please... please do not tell us that we will also confront such a creature."

Seeing Lian actually appear afraid was a terrible thing, and I gulped.

"You are correct," Null replied with a slight tremble. "The creature that you speak of, the one encountered by the Ultramarines on Pavonis, is indeed a C'tan shard. A shard of the creature known as the Nightbringer, specifically. For those of you who do not know what a C'tan is: Lian spoke truth; they are wicked, ancient creatures from eons past. Indescribably powerful, these eldritch beings have the ability to bend the laws of physics, space, and time to their will. They exist to consume and destroy. Millions of years ago, the Necron race warred against them, and eventually, they managed to shatter these C'tan beings into what we call shards." The Tech-priest paused, and glanced at me, almost appearing to look to me for guidance. I nodded my head in an indication to continue. "There is a shard of one of these beings imprisoned within the jeweled belt that I had been wearing. The belt is currently behind a small stasis lock, but, we're going to need to come up with a more stable plan concerning what to do with this indelibly dangerous creature."

Another short, fearful pause. Null continued glancing at me. "The usage of the belt on my body and its imprisoned shard was how the Nome King knew where to find us, and why he and his war fleet were able to track us down with precision."

"Does that mean that we're going to be chased by these Necron aliens continuously?" Alberich spoke up. "No matter where we go, they will find us?"

"Hopefully not. Since the belt is no longer upon my metal and is now in stasis, it is no longer in active use. I predict it cannot be used to hunt us in its present condition."

"And just how sure are you of this?" Virgil asked. "What do we do? Can the creature escape its prison? How do we neutralize this threat?"

"Fairly certain, as far as my knowledge of such things goes. While I believe its prison is somewhat secure, its disposal is quite the problem. We cannot destroy it, I'm afraid," Null said, turning to me and narrowing his eyes. "And if discarded into space, we risk an ignorant party discovering it and using it toward evil means, or setting the beast free, but this may be an adequate option if no other solutions present themselves."

"I'd rather not just throw it away and have it become someone else's problem," I replied, feeling the Divine Retribution's Imperative nudge me away from that option. Deep within me, I discovered that I now absolutely hated C'tan even more than Chaos, and what I really wanted to do was somehow destroy it, which I was definitely not strong enough to do just yet. But, for now, a good and confident prison that could effectively jail such a beast would suffice. I didn't quite trust a stasis box meant for documents to hold a C'tan shard. We needed something sturdier...

"Oh!" I cried out as I suddenly had an epiphany! "I almost forgot about this! We still have that Tesseract Labyrinth that we swiped from Trazyn on Kolch! That cube that Lian was imprisoned inside! I've got it in my room somewhere! Do you know how to use it, Null?"

"Aha!" Null expressed with a clap of his metal hands. "That is actually an excellent solution! However, I do not know precisely how to safely use a Tesseract Labyrinth in such an action. My proposition, if the Inheritor were to allow it, is to find a way to research the safe usage of these xenos artifacts. I may even have memories locked away that can direct me in these matters. In regards to the C'tan, we must be exceedingly delicate in how we proceed. The last thing any of us needs is to accidentally release the creature with ignorant handling."

"So, you really do want to unlock more memories," I quietly observed as I watched Null, who turned away from my gaze. "You sure this is, uh, safe?"

"What is this about unlocking memories?" Virgil questioned in a suspicious tone. "You never told me about any locked memories."

"Yes. This is new to me," Alberich added.

Before Null could answer, I decided to speak up. "I discovered last night when I dug into Null's soul that he seems to have partitioned some of his memories and cannot access them all at the present."

The Tech-priest nodded. "Yes. The Inheritor reached within my mind and declared me free of taint, disloyalty, and madness, if any of you were still worried about me. Yesterday, I was able to unlock some of my lost memories in order to utilize a command that removed the harmful xenos presence completely from my body and mind. It seems that I was quite the student of alien technologies in my past, and it stands reason to believe that I would possibly know the make and usage of Necron artifacts and the nature of individual C'tan. And so, this is what I wish to do. I wish to unlock more of my past knowledge in order to learn how to safely imprison or even destroy this C'tan shard."

There was silence as Null finished speaking, and all my crewmembers glanced between themselves.

"A Tech-priest with a memory problem while also being a technological genius versed in alien magic. How unusual," Rasputin spoke up. "And you're free of taint? Why were your memories locked away in the first place?"

More then a few of my crewmembers glanced at both me and Null, each holding great interest and worry for this new development. I decided to step in because revealing that Null was actually a infamous galactic despot from history probably wouldn't be well received, and I needed everyone to get along right now. "So, listen, Rasputin. I know you're from a time where there were no computers or technology, but sometimes glitchy things happen with these people," I said with a dismissive wave toward Null. "Anyway, what he says is true. He doesn't have any taint and he's loyal. Actually, if I think about it, I'll remind everyone that we're all very flawed individuals, and that this..."

I turned on my Corona to punctuate what I was about to say.

"That my judgement of Null stands, and none of you will continue resenting and fighting amongst each other. And before anyone asks me about Alberich and his new body, that's something we'll all discuss another day, but for now, treat him as you did before. The Divine Retribution wouldn't have accepted him a second time if he had possessed significant taint, so there."

Lian's soul instantly blazed with guilt, and the Fallen Paladin fell to his knees, his two hearts beating heavily in reverence before my gold light. "I am sorry to have doubts, Em- er- Inheritor. My soul is foolish and weak. Forgive me in your Sight!"

Alberich was now also kneeling, and he choked out a strangled, "Thank you."

As I watched my groveling crewmembers, an aggressive twinge of energy unexpectedly pushed through me, and with a sneer, I found myself saying, "This is my judgement, and to go against me is heresy. That is all." At this, the rest of my crew were now all on their knees, and a dark place within me felt great satisfaction at seeing their fearful submission. After a moment, I withdrew my Corona, and turned to Null, who was now on the floor muttering frantic prayers to the Omnissiah under his breath. "Null, you have my permission to unlock more of your memories if you can, but talk to me if you're on the verge of a breakthrough or you find another code somewhere. For now, put that belt somewhere safe and don't touch it or do anything to it at all. Hopefully, this contains the creature for at least awhile until we can figure out how to use the Tesseract Labyrinth."

"Thank you, Inheritor," Null replied.

"So, I guess this does it for news right now," I announced as I watched my crewmembers slowly stand from the floor. "Null, you're ordered to go to the hold and investigate the Horse of a Different Color. If she's okay, see if we can get a charge in her somehow. If everything works out, we can use her to get to Jinnicky's tower. The rest of you just relax in whatever way you want. We have awhile to wait before this vessel is flightworthy again. If people want something to do in the meantime, I can unlock the parlor again and we can all check out the library for books."

Inheritor, will you speak to them of your find in the parlor? The bed and the hair? Virgil quickly telepathically asked me.

Eventually, but not right this minute, I telepathically answered. Just let me handle it and don't talk about it yet.

Virgil nodded.

"Alright, you're all dismissed," I instructed. My crewmembers then departed the bridge, and Wolfie vanished again in a puff of smoke. Null remained standing near me, his animated green eyes blinking rapidly, and his soul radiant with what appeared to be literal worship. After everyone had left, the Tech-priest turned to me, and bowed again.

"Thank you. Thank you," the Tech-priest stammered. "I did not expect you to spare me last night, and forgive my nervous nature, but I am still in shock that I am still alive."

"Don't make me regret this, Null. I'm serious," I warned. "Did you want anything else?"

"Er, yes," the Tech-priest stated. "I would like to show you the deciphered the writings beneath each of the portraits in the Mural of Inheritors in Nubua. I believe it would be enriching to see the names of your predecessors."

"Yeah, actually," I said, fending off a slight dizzy spell. "When do you want to do this?"

"Whenever you have a free moment, so at your leisure," Null replied. "I can also detail you some of my knowledge of spirit stone technology that I have uncovered within myself. I have some interesting theories. I believe a Primarch may have utilized a similar crown ages ago."

This was all very interesting, and after this short chat, Null them bowed once again before scurrying off to attend to the Horse of a Different Color in the hold. I was now alone on the bridge. Feeling pensive (and slightly worried at the Divine Retribution's increasing influence in my soul causing me proclaim things I didn't like as "heresy"), I began to walk to the center eye window to observe the pretty alpine forest landscape outside, but before I could reach the window, a tall insubstantial ghost shimmered into existence. Oh!

The shape had his back to me, but from here, I could tell that he wore a crown as he leaned against the window, observing the landscape in a similar manner that I had done many times now. I slowed my walk ahead, and cautiously watched the watery white shadow, hoping that I wouldn't "scare" him away.

As I studied him, he flickered and glitched between a height that was similar to mine to that of a giant insubstantial shade over twice my size. I could now tell that this individual had long white hair, and wore a cloak over his back. Two long swords could now be seen on his hips, and the figure was leaning one armored arm up against the the Divine Retribution's metal wall beside the window. He was tapping the hull with his left hand, and appeared deep in thought. With his crown and white hair, I realized that I definitely recognized this individual, and took a step back.

Before I could say anything, the currently giant figure turned around, and glitched to about my height again, his features flickering and shimmering in translucent pale light. And then, something happened that surprised me greatly.

He looked me right in the eye, and his expression was that of resignation. He didn't even seem surprised to see me, and he turned away with a shake of his crowned head.

"Spoiled Pr-" I started to whisper, but by then, he had vanished. I held my hand up to my mouth in a gesture of shock. Before I could gather my wits and think about what I had seen, another shimmering ghost appeared in the same position, and he was also leaning his left hand up against the Divine Retribution's walls. This ghost's hand was actually a brutal armored metal talon; he was tapping his sharp bladed fingers against the metal beside the window. Like the shade of Spoiled Prince, this ghost repeatedly glitched between different sizes, one being slightly taller than I was, and another easily towering above me at three or four meters in height. His armor, I noticed, effortlessly changed with him.

Seeing this, I now understood the identity of the man before me, and instead of feeling awestruck, I felt a peculiar sense of deep sorrow. Somehow, I knew that the figure before me was considering a difficult decision, his emotions shining from him like the sun. His head was bowed, but I could still see his laurels from this angle.

"If you refuse, humanity is doomed," a deeply distorted voice warbled through the air. I looked about the bridge, but no other ghost was visible.

"I just don't. I..." the figure replied, glitching again into a giant form. He shook his head, and actually dug a finger of his talon into the metal beside the eye window. "This is just... wrong. What have I become? This is-"

"You must take up this mantle, for if you do not, their deaths will-"

The ghost then abruptly vanished into mist, and I was alone again on the bridge, my emotional Corona shimmering about me in a halo of starshine. I blinked, and for a dizzying split second, I felt like I was over three meters in height once again, and that I was now also standing by the center eye window, tapping my own armored hand against the metal wall while I digested the gravity of a terrible decision that I did not even know of yet.