- Present
Footfall station, Furibundus system -
Footfall was a vile, decadent, cramped station, where both purity and vice cohabited in the most senseless and absurd way. It was beyond reason, and probably beyond salvation, but it was the sole wharf available in the system and a hub for trade and commerce.
Murder was everything here, to the point a local group of thieves and miscreants calling themselves the Anvers had decided to go on a rampage in the city, setting new standards for gory crimes at every turn. For some reason, the Anvers took a shine to Elena and her retinue and it became impossible to do anything in the station without falling into another of their ambushes. Thankfully, Elena could rely on Idira's predictions, which turned out to be always right on point.
The utter violence committed by the Anvers was blasphemous and hideous. And, well, they had time to spare, considering the repairs of the ship would last for a few days. Elena led her retinue into the belly of the station, scouring every part of the lower city in search of the leader of the Anvers.
*** Glimpse of the past
— Footfall, Anvers's leader fight –
They advanced in the hideout, their armors covered in blood and gore. They barely had any time to fix their wounds properly. Abelard and Argenta were leading the way. Sizzling with righteous fury, the Sister stood tall, her flocks of white hair now red with what was more probably cranial remains. Elena stood behind them, her eyelids fluttering ever so slightly as her precognition surged her mind with kaleidoscopic visions of the near future. Cassia, Pasqal and Idira closed the formation. Pasqal's mechanical hummings were unusually noisy.
They entered a new room, big in proportions, circular ; it looked somewhat like an arena, built over an aeration shaft. Anvers were littering the place, men and women of various ages clad in orange and red clothes, wearing crude and cruel weapons : chainsaws, tinkered autopistols, and, most importantly, made-up flamers and explosive grenades. Considering their closed up environment and the madness gleaming in their drugged eyes, they would not hesitate to use them, even at the cost of their own lives.
A shaggy man, in his forties, gestured theatrically at them as they entered. " My guests ! What a joy to see you in my humble refuge !" he chuckled madly. "I see you've come here to be introduced to the truth." This sent a chill down Elena's spine. Were the Anvers connected to the Final Dawn cult somehow ? The verbatim was similar. " What would it be, then - words, metal or fire ?" asked the leader of the gang, his horrible, toothless smile extending unnaturally on his face.
Argenta grasped her weapon, her eyes shining with anger. She'd been more than happy to hunt down the madmen and erase Footfall of their vileness. " You already know the answer, heretic ! " she snarled, ready to fire.
Elena, disheveled and sweaty, wiped a trace of gore on her forehead. She barely looked at the man.
" Abelard, would you kindly inform this bandit that I've come to execute him", she said, her voice sounding dismissive. She had a calculating look on her as she glanced at the flamers and the explosives, her long, gloved fingers twitching over her long-las.
Abelard never disappointed. Straightening, clearing his throat, he took on his formal and official voice : " By the order of the head of the von Valancius dynasty, a fully recognized Rogue Trader with all the attendants rights and privileges, you riffraff are hereby sentenced to death ! May the Emperor have mercy on your souls, for we will show none."
Elena raised an approving eyebrow. Abelard was getting better and better.
"...do you even know what our name means, you bloated remnants of the old world ? Footfall calls us the Anvers. Auxilio non venet. Help will note come. The Maw has closed, the Koronus Expanse is on its own now. A new era has come !"
As the leader of the Anvers insulted them once more, Elena ordered quietly on her vox line : "Cassia, gather the two flamers together in the center, over here. Argenta, burst fire at them. Idira, you and I take care of the grenadiers. Pasqal, Abelard - you roll over what's left standing after that, and you get to that device controlling the air shaft over there. Understood ?"
" It shall be done, Lord Captain", replied Cassia stiffly, as her face contorted itself eerily.
" Oh, and take a long breath while you can. We're gonna do this while holding our breaths."
Erasing the Anvers threat from the city (at least until another one rose) has made the Liege of Footfall more compliant towards Elena and her retinue. Lord Vladaym Tocara bore the looks of a low-born individual who had carved his way up in society by doing the dirty work and collecting the naughty secrets. His loyalty to his protector, Calligos Winterscale, was, after everything is said and done, negotiable. Elena had no doubt that, for the likes of Lord Tocara, everything was negotiable and all problems could be solved with the right price.
For all his cold and sociopathic attitude, Lord Tocara wasn't insensitive to the problems of his people. Footfall was slowly agonizing, as its stocks of food gradually went down, never to be replenished. The loss of the warp routes had isolated the station, which was too dependent upon space trade to survive on its own.
Footfall was an important station in the eye of any calculating Rogue Trader. What Winterscale had neglected became a juicy opportunity to his rival's eyes, the Rogue Trader Chorda, who took the opportunity to blackmail Lord Tocara : either he bent the knees to her and allow her to spread her faith and her austere rule over the station….or he found another ally, one that could tend to the station in its hour of weakness, and who, with any luck, could prove to stand their ground against two Rogue Traders.
Elena understood the opportunity and decided to aim for it. She would help Footfall, if only out of the good in her heart ; and also because she couldn't pass on an occasion like this.
This has led to some concerned discussion with Abelard.
*** Glimpse of the past
As they exited Lord Tocara's palace, Abelard's aura grew so intense and stiff that it became hard to ignore the look of wariness on his face. Elena stopped, sighing, and passed a hand in her greasy blonde hair. They had just rushed here after their last fight, and she was desperately longing for a bath now.
" You all, stop here. I want to talk with Abelard." The rest of the retinue obeyed, glancing curiously at them. Elena descended the palace's stairs, followed by the old warrior, to a quieter place.
"What is it, Seneschal ?" she asked. It's been a month now since she'd taken Theodora's place, and her relationship with Abelard had been the core of her everyday life ever since. Unfortunately, it wasn't a serene one. It was often that they did not see eye to eye.
" I just wonder, Lord Captain. I know you have taken a keen interest in studying your legacy and what it entails - still, this is a lot to adjust to in a short time, and I worry that you may have overlooked some complications lately."
" Speak plainly, Abelard", she replied in annoyance, "it's been a long day."
" Fine. To put it plainly, do you realize you promised a station food we do not even know how to recover, nor when ? Furthermore - if we manage to see this deal through, Chorda and Winterscale will come after us. Calligos is a sanguine man, and, when he learns about what you did in the Rykad system and here, he won't be happy. He will not let this slide by. And Chorda…she'll do anything to crush her rivals. "
" I thought you would be happy that we're ready to extend our protectorate."
" With what fleet shall we ensure Footfall's protection against Calligos ? What will you do if two Rogues Traders turn against you and stab you in the back ? I admire your boldness and your cunning, Elena, and the more time passes by, the more I see the likeness of Lady Theodora's in you. But even she, at some point, had to learn that being willing alone wasn't enough to have her way."
Elena glared daggers at her Seneschal. " How dare you question me !" she snapped angrily, and the Seneschal flinched a little, but held her gaze. After a few seconds, the flash of pride and anger disappeared from Elena's expression. She really hated when she was compared with Theodora.
" Fine. I'll admit you raise a valid point, Seneschal ", she finally said. " Let me put it this way. Right now, the dynasty's future is at stake. You have no other heir than me. The protectorate is cut off, and we have a heretic traitor on the loose. In times like these, I believe prudence is to be cast off. The truth is that we're weaker than Winterscale and Chorda. If they decide to strike us right now, while we have nothing, no fleet, no worlds - then I suppose we could be gone. I don't believe that laying low is the answer. I'm willing to make a gamble and bet big here, because I think that if we don't go all in on this, the dynasty is going to die. To put it clearly, I'm pulling at every thread I can get my fingers on if this could prove to strengthen us in the long run." She paused.
Her speech had made an impression on Abelard. She knew he shared her diagnosis of the state of weakness and frailty the dynasty found itself in. It would merely take Elena to die to lose it all. For now, the chaos in the Koronus Expanse was…troublesome, but also their chance at survival, considering their rivals were too busy in their own messes to take advantage of this opportunity.
" Your job in this, Abelard, is to realize my vision. I do the exploring, I do the gambling, I take the risks, and you do the trading, you deal with the consequences, and you anticipate my needs. You say providing Footfall with Janus supplies and swaying its loyalty to me is dangerous ? Fine. Next time, you come with me with a plan to mitigate the risks and you tell me something I don't already know."
The funny thing with Abelard was that, the harshest and sharpest she was, the more he seemed to respect her.
" Understood, Lord Captain. I'll start anticipating this…situation, and report to you on that."
" Perfect. Now let's call this a day. I smell like charred flesh. "
There had been some other adventures, of course. Meeting Jae Heydari was one of them.
The petulant Cold Trader was a smuggler, expert in forbidden, xeno merchandise. To tell the truth, Elena didn't exactly know why she even chose to side with her and help her against her rivals to reclaim her lost shipment.
Was it because of Heydari's cunning and beauty ? After all, the pirate was, by all standards, attractive and seductive, and she certainly had a silver-tongue when it came to flattering the Rogue Trader and calling to her sense of profit.
But Elena actually found her vulgar, over-the-top, and deeply annoying.
Was it because of Heydari's ability to exploit seemingly desperate situations to sway them to victory ? Sure, the pirate looked like a most resourceful individual. Every Rogue Trader needed a sly fox in their retinue. Still, Elena wasn't convinced that Heydari's deep sense of selfishness and opportunism wouldn't bite her in the back one day.
No, the truth was that she had a feeling. An uncanny one, prone to give birth to precognition. There was something about Jae Heydari, something…familiar, in a way.
*** Glimpse of the past
The tanned, attractive woman lifted up her mug of rum in the air, a smile tugging at her velvety lips.
" Let's share a drink over that, shall we ?"
Elena glanced at the crowded bar. She felt uneasy here. Wordlessly, she took a seat beside the woman's side, and ordered a drink that she didn't even touch. Idira sat beside her, and seemed to know exactly what she wanted, ordering something strong in a clear voice. Abelard was trailing behind Cassia, who looked completely out-of-place in the decorum. At every step of the Navigator, the clients slid away from her, and Cassia found herself perfectly alone in a circle of chairs clumsily pushed back. She seemed to pay no attention and looked at the place with a hint of disgust and contempt. As for Pasqal, he showed no interest in whatever was going on. Argenta approached them, her arms crossed, but refused the drink Heydari was offering her.
The pirate looked saddened by this, and quickly gulped down the drink she'd ordered for Argenta, clicking her tongue.
" Now, you look like a capable woman, and it's not just anyone who gets to enter Lord Tocara's personal office", said Jae with a honeyed smile on her face. " I thought to myself : 'Jae, dear, look at this one, she looks too clever to be licking Tocara's boots ; and with that arsenal, she could probably help you with your little issue.' Was I wrong ?"
Jae tilted her head seductively, though her brown eyes reflected nothing of her outside attitude. Elena stared back, sternly. Noticing her lack of response, Jae soon adjusted her pose for something more serious. She was obviously trying to determine which angle to work with her.
" Lady Heydari", replied Elena, her formality a bit risible in this den of decadence. " I am indeed a capable woman, and for this exact reason, I do not like my time to be wasted in senseless flattery. Please come to the point, else I get bored from this discussion."
Jae licked her lips, her charmful attitude not entirely gone but dropping down a few notches.
" Not much into foreplay, are you ?" replied the pirate with a sarcastic smile. " That's too bad, but I respect someone who gets down to business. Here's the thing, shereen. Some possessions of mine have been stolen from my care. It is very precious, and, shall you help me recover it, I am more than willing to let you take your share of the shipment. And, by this I mean, I am offering you the very best of what I possess. A few objects, of course, but also my talents and my help as a guide in Footfall."
Considering Jae's calculating eyes, Elena understood that the woman knew she was a new Rogue Trader. The idea of working with a thief and engaging herself in more than dubious activities repulsed Elena. She had never been one for this sort of thing. Surely it was below her.
Yet, there was something about Jae. Elena raised a finger.
" Wait a moment", she said.
Jae looked at her skeptically as she closed her eyes, focusing on her precognition abilities as a vision surged in her mind.
She saw herself, walking alongside Jae, in a vast building bustling with scribes and secretaries running around, their arms covered in stacks of papers, and their fingers in ink.
In the vision, Jae's shape appeared to be translucent, uncertain, and draped in a guardswoman armor - a uniform she recognized for being part of Sergeant Orlon's section, back in her own days in the Guard. Funny, cause she had no memory of ever seeing Jae in her past before. There was a thread, coming out of her torso, connecting to Elena. She looked down at her hands, where the red thread connected to her flesh. There was not only one, but dozens of these threads puncturing her body at different locations. As her focus shifted towards the threads, the building and Jae disappeared. She now was in a vast palace, corpses lying all around her. She was naked, but covered in dried blood. The threads had multiplied, tugging at her skin, opening wounds in her flesh, more akin to hooks now. They were not all the same color. Some red, like the one connecting her to Jae and to others ; others yellow, purple, black. One of them tensed and, like a puppet complying to the will of the puppeteer, her legs prompted her forward, stumbling through the corpses, over a world she didn't know.
As the vision collapsed on itself, Elena was left with a profound anguish. She opened her eyes to find herself back at the bar, Jae eyeing her with concern and wariness. She saw Jae hesitating.
" So, shereen, you're a…capable person, as I said", she said carefully. She'd probably seen psykers before and recognize her abilities.
Elena looked away, still feeling disturbed by the vision.
" Lady Heydari, lead us to the hideout you've mentioned. I'll help you with your…issue. In exchange, you shall help me with mine."
Anyway, having Jae Heydary around had already proven profitable, despite Abelard's reluctance at welcoming a pirate on the ship.
Elena had, after all, promised Cassia that she would trade for more unusual books to enrich her library. It came to a surprise as everyone in the retinue when Elena claimed that they were going on a shopping mission, and appointed Jae her trusted guide and negotiator.
**** Glimpse of the past
" By the Golden Throne, Lord Captain, I have to ask - are you serious about this ?" asked Abelard, frowning in disapproval.
" Perfectly so. A little off-shore time will do us some good. And I don't need an escort around me."
" The city is full of pirates, murderers, thieves and mutants. I will accompany you no matter what. Plus, you're taking Lady Cassia with you ! It is unfathomable not to have an escort !"
" Fine, you're coming with us, then. But lay low. From what I understand, our contact will not reveal itself if we're not discreet."
As Elena and Abelard quietly ushered between themselves, Cassia, Jae and Argenta appeared behind them. Cassia looked excited, and Jae was ever smiling. Argenta was checking her weapon set.
" Are we all ready ?" asked Jae, honeyed.
" Let's go over the plan once more."
" Well, it's easy", explained Jae, opening her hands. " Lady Orsellio needs interesting books. Footfall is a trading hub where a lot of people pass by. And we have our very own collector of antiques and eccentricities, whom we called the Ancient. The problem is, he only trades with people that win against him at a game of imperial go. Also, he's not very…hospitable. I had to pull a lot of strings to make this meeting happen. The Lord Captain will have to defeat him at the game .It's pretty basic, really."
Abelard sighed.
" Could you go over the rules of the imperial go once more ?" asked Elena as they were walking by the docks, towards the higher city.
" It's easy", intervened Argenta, surprising everyone as the Sister started to enumerate from memory the various rules of the game. Abelard lost focus at some point, probably at rule 43. It was slightly unnerving that everyone around him was still paying attention and following around, he thought, considering the pensive expression of Cassia, the nods of approval of Jae, and Elena's attentive glare.
At the end of Argenta's speech, Elena nodded. " Understood. Any advice on the openings ?"
Argenta went on, happy to share her passion for tabletop games, which was unexpected to say the least.
They reached an old house. Abelard would not have thought much of it had he passed it by without a guide. But Jae Heydari knew where she was going. The pirate bent towards the windows, entering into an animated conversation with a young woman keeping the door. After a few minutes, the door opened to them, and Jae gestured for them to go forward.
The inside of the house was…crowded, to say the least. Every spare space was occupied by artwork, vases, furniture, diaries, books, maps…It was cramped, untidy, humid. Yet there were numerous young people inside, armored and armed, who glanced at them warily as they passed by.
" First rooms are just the most daily antiques, meant for housewives and the likes", commented Jae as she led them forward. They entered a backyard which led to another house, still cramped and narrow, and they climbed up some stairs until they reached a large office.
" The real things are inside this place."
The room was spheric, bigger than the others. Here, it was tidy, ordered. The shelves crumbled under the weight of heavy-looking books, paintings, instruments, strange objects that looked more like artifacts than domestic gadgets. Here laid a portrait of an angry-looking Navy captain, pictured commanding his men as his ship entered space fighting against aeldari ships. To everyone's surprise, there even was a portrait of Lady Theodora, looking regal in one of her gray outfits, her blonde hair braided on the side. Her smug smirk seemed to follow them around as they circled the room.
In the center of it all stood an office, littered with files and papers, and a game of go. Behind it, an elderly man, disabled, sat on a mechanical chair, with various mechadendrites seemingly replacing the use of his arms.
The man was so shriveled and motionless that, at first, Abelard didn't even notice him amongst the most luxurious pieces of art and artifacts. It was Jae that bowed to him, respectfully, and said :
" We are honored to stand in your presence, Collector. I thank you for offering us this unique rendez-vous."
The old man looked at them, seemingly unimpressed and uninterested.
" I'm thirsty. Give me something to drink."
" But of course ! Let me oblige", replied Jae, her smile never fading on her lips as she approached the desk. One of the mechadendrites moved, holding a sort of pistol in it, and aimed at her head. Jae slowed down, smiled, but kept on her task : pouring water into a glass standing in front of the old man. She backed off the desk and the pistol went down.
" So I hear your leader wants one of my books. A precious one at that. Which one of you is it ?" the man asked, not touching his glass.
The rudeness of the layman sent Abelard's blood boiling. But Elena remained calm, as she took a step forward :
" That would be me."
The old man lifted his chin to look at the towering frame of Elena.
" A voidrat", he stated with disgust. " Heydari, next time you beg me for a meeting, see to it that you send someone more respectable. Voidrats are either one of two things : thief or witch. Which one are you ?"
Abelard's hand rested on the hilt of his sword and Argenta's eyes widened with shock. " How dare you !" said the Sister.
Elena's mutated dark pupils, like that of a cat, narrowed down. She took another step forward, ignoring the movement of the mechadendrites, and sat purposefully in front of the game of go.
" I'm what you so crudely refer to as a "witch." Which means, old man, that I can burn your flesh and skin you alive with merely a sneeze. Unfortunately, it so happens that this place is very…dusty, and as it stands, I'm allergic to dust. "
The collector looked blankly at her, as his mechadendrites ondulated under the desk. Besides Elena, Jae tilted her head, her smile never fading away, gesturing for the Rogue Trader to step back, and muttered quietly :
" Shereen, is that what you call negotiating ?"
" What ? I didn't have to lie on this one."
" I can see why you felt the need to recruit me. As your advisor on these matters, might I suggest not threatening to kill the people you're supposed to be trading with ?"
Elena frowned, her pale face looking oddly stern and discontent in the dark room.
The old man started clearing his throat, but Jae launched herself towards the desk, startling him. " Dear collector ! Surely after everything I've done for you…and most peculiarly when I got you out of trouble with these bandits sniffing around your base…you could agree to consider this one proposal ? She's…eccentric, but she's also a damn good player. I bet even you would have trouble winning the game against her !"
This vexed the man's pride, and, still looking at Elena with disgust, he said : " Fine. Let's see if the voidrat can defend herself with her smarts instead of acting like a brute."
Abelard was now very much willing to execute the rude collector, and Argenta was barely restraining herself ; however, the fact that Elena remained calm was a sign they should not start protesting too loudly.
The game of imperial go began. It lasted for five hours. At some point, Abelard sat on a chair in the corner of the room and considered the idea of taking a nap with nostalgia. Cassia and Argenta had gathered around Elena, watching the game with interest, but keeping silent so as not to be accused of cheating. The old man moved his pieces ever so slowly, his mechadendrite delicately pushing them across the board. Jae was now busy inspecting the merchandise, looking for anything of interest.
Finally, with a smirk, Elena pushed the last pawn of the old man across the board and leant back in her chair.
" Interesting", said the collector after a few seconds of silence. The contempt over his face faded away as he considered Elena anew. " Those who can make a game interesting for me are really few nowadays. Well, a deal is a deal. You said you wanted a unique book. I'll ask my servitors to bring up the rarest ones I've got. "
The collector's servants followed soon after, bringing some relics that probably hadn't seen the sun for centuries. Painted hymns and books of prayers, personal diaries of various explorers of the Koronus Expanse, annotated editions of novels, they were quite diverse.
Elena turned towards Cassia :
" Please, Lady Cassia. Is anything here remarkable to you ?"
The Navigator carefully rummaged through the relics, a smile tugging at her lips, and picked one of them.
" There is."
" We'll take this one."
" Interesting choice", commented the old man, looking at Cassia with curiosity. " Should you need to replenish your library once more in the future, I'll want something of interest as well in exchange."
" I'll keep that in mind."
They exited the collector's base, Cassia holding the dusty and precious looking book with caution.
" Thank you, Lord Captain", she said.
Elena dismissed it with a shrug. " It's nothing."
Argenta commented : " I never thought you would actually win a game you barely knew the rules of an hour ago. It's impressive !"
" Oh, well, beginner's luck", said Elena in humility, remaining vague.
As Argenta and Cassia chatted between themselves, opening the way, Jae tagged alongside Elena, muttering :
" You cheated, right ?"
" Why would you say that, now, Mistress Heydari ?" Elena raised an eyebrow, and added after a brief pause : I used my precognition twice on the way and once during the game. The old man was so focused by then he didn't even notice. Wouldn't have won otherwise."
Jae shook her head, smiling to herself. " You know, if the collector ever finds out about this, he will come after you in revenge."
" Let's make sure he doesn't, then. And no need to scratch my reputation in the eyes of Lady Cassia and Argenta either."
Jae laughed. " Don't worry, shereen. Your reputation is safe with me."
It was on their way back from the shopping mission, her servants carrying the pile of ancient books that Elena had won in a not so honest contest, that they were reunited with Heinrix van Calox.
The Interrogator was waiting outside the transport shuttle, accompanied by a few guards.
*** Glimpse of the past
As they crossed the busy wharf to reach the shuttle, ready to check on the situation aboard the ship and the state of the repairs, they were greeted by a familiar figure. Heinrix bowed his head respectfully : " Lord Captain."
By Elena's right side, Abelard sighed, and added with a hint of deviousness : "Honored Interrogator, what a surprise. Did you, perchance, leave something in your cabin ?"
The dryness in Abelard's tone could have been used to sand down walls.
" Not at all, First officer Werserian. I am not in the habit of leaving a trail, but I thank you for your concern."
Elena cleared her throat as delicately as she could, and Abelard took the hint and looked away in silence.
" I am pleased to see you, Heinrix", she said most mundanely.
Heinrix allowed himself a hint of a smile. " I'm glad to hear that my presence aboard your ship did not leave you with any unpleasant memories."
No one but Elena could hear the slight hiss of annoyance of her Seneschal, as Heinrix continued :
" I hope your disposition won't change once I have explained the reason for my visit. I was able to contact my mentor and report the tragic events that transpired on Rykad Minoris. I also received some informations from my agents regarding the movements and actions of the enemies of humanity, including the xenos that we're assuming were involved in the theft of the star. According to their reports, the threat now hangs over other worlds…this time yours, Lord Captain."
That caught everyone's attention, except for Jae's, who tilted her head towards Argenta and murmured between her teeth : "And who is that charming fellow ? "
" An agent of the most Holy Golden Throne", replied Argenta gently.
" Ah. Great. You're always surrounded by the most interesting people. " Jae didn't sound too pleased with that.
Heinrix went on, adopting a formal voice, blissfully ignorant of Jae's comment behind Elena's back : " By the order of the Lord Inquisitor Xavier Calcazar, whose duty is to stand sentinel over the Koronus Expanse, the Rogue Trader of House von Valancius is to take on board the agent of the most Holy Inquisition and provide escort and support in great deeds and small, that serve to safeguard the territories of the Imperium against its enemies. This decree is effective immediately upon announcements and remains in effect until decided otherwise by His Excellency Calcazar."
" And it's getting better and better", added Jae behind Elena, addressing Argenta who completely ignored her.
Idira didn't seem happy either as she murmured quietly : " All I got from that is that riding ourselves from this snitch won't be easy."
Elena suffered through the announcement stoically, crossing her arms. " Heinrix, would you mind translating the amount of verbiage you just unleashed upon me ?" she asked wearily.
" The Lord Inquisitor has deemed my presence amongst your ship and your retinue to be more beneficial in the fight against heresy and evil than return to my mentor's side. Our parting before Footfall was premature."
The answer didn't seem to satisfy Elena, who looked pensively at him. " What exactly caused this need to rejoin my crew ?"
" The cause if the activity of of Humanity's enemies, including the Cult of the Final Dawn. In my absence, the situation in the Koronus Expanse has changed. I have received an extended report from my agents - this heresy has taken roots in the von Valancius worlds."
This caught Abelard's attention, as he straightened.
" You probably already know about the fate of the industrial world Kiava Gamma. If not, then I will share what details I know, but not here. Better to talk on board, where we will not be overhead."
Abelard and Elena exchanged a glance. Neither of them had heard anything about Kiava Gamma.
Adopting the same formal tone, Elena finally replied : " I, Rogue Trader Elena von Valancius, welcome the agent of the Golden Throne aboard my ship and take on the responsibility of assisting him in the fight against the evil that threatens Humanity."
That gained a happy smile from Argenta and a careful nod from Heinrix. " I must also deliver this to you", added the Interrogator, stepping forward to pass a letter to Elena. " The Lord Inquisitor has specified that the contents of this envelop are for your eyes only", he added, deliberately looking at Idira, " I would ask you to read it as soon as possible."
Elena took the envelop and slide it under a piece of armor. It didn't seem much considerate but one could suppose it was practical. " Of course. Anything else ?"
" That is all for the time being. Are you headed to the ship ? Or do you have unfinished business in Footfall ? Either way, I can wait for you onboard or accompany you as part of your retinue."
" I still have a few things to check on the station and on board. Accompany me. "
Argenta smiled at that, and greeted Heinrix back with an approving nod. Cassia stepped to the side to let him fall in formation.
By that time, the repairs had progressed forward considerably and they would be able to leave the wharf soon. The danger they were going to face during warp travel was unpredictable, but the thought of meeting a violent and agonizing death was on everyone's mind. There was still some unfinished business to attend to on Footfall.
Argenta had expressed the wish to meet again with her mentor, Hieronymus. Elena had accompanied her. She found the man of faith quite different from what she expected.
*** Glimpse of the past
" Lord Captain, I am still not letting you roam around the station without an escort", said Abelard, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.
" Come on, Seneschal. I'm doing a bit of a pilgrimage with the Sister. What wrong could happen ? We've killed everything there is to kill on this station. I don't need a dozen people around me every time I want to light a candle and pray."
Argenta gently added : " Seneschal, I assure you, the Lord Captain's safety is guaranteed in the dominion of Father Hieronymus. And some privacy might ensure a more open-hearted discussion."
" I am still coming with you, and, if need be, I can wait outside for you."
Elena sighed. Abelard Werserian was inevitable.
The three of them exited the shuttle and headed towards Father Hieronymus's shrine. They had seen the man before, and he'd even sent them up a trail of cultists, but they hadn't come back to let him know what happened.
They approached the shrine carefully, Argenta's eyes gleaming with something Elena couldn't quite put her fingers on. Abelard, true to his words, stood watch and let the two of them continue alone.
The candles bordering the feet of the Emperor's statue never went extinguished, as faithful would pray day and night to the protector of mankind. Father Hieronymus was checking the incenses nearby. His simple clothes, with no adornments, hide nothing from his unhealthy gauntness.
Argenta bowed her head : " The Emperor protects, Father", she said.
Elena followed.
The old man gazed back at them. " And so you return. I suppose that means the taint plaguing the Shadow's Quarter is gone ?"
" They certainly are", confirmed Argenta dutifully.
" Good. I am pleased to hear this."
" Reverend Hieronymus…before I leave to accompany the Rogue Trader, I wish to ask you for a favor."
" What would it be, Sister ?"
" Let me partake in the next mass."
" But of course. You can assist me during the ceremony. As for your new mentor " the Reverend's eyes slid over Elena, not so gentle - " she can stay. It would distinguished her greatly from her predecessor."
Elena grimaced. Whatever Theodora had done in the Koronus Expanse, it didn't seem to have gained the approval of the Reverend, who treated her descendant with the same wariness he once treated Theodora.
Argenta followed the Father around, helping him with his chores in the reliquary, and was allowed to speak during the mass, sharing a few of her favorite prayers. Elena shared in the ceremony, repeating the prayers and contemplating their meaning. She found the ceremony soothing.
After that, the Sister invited her to light some candles with her. As they did so, Argenta said :
" There is something I wish to tell you, Elena, something I've been keeping from you."
Elena carefully put down the candle she'd just light, and glanced at the Sister curiously.
" I'm always listening, Sister", she replied.
" You must know that, if I didn't reveal this to you at first, it was because I needed time to understand who you truly were, and if I could confide in you. Of course, when I first saw you walk through fire, I knew you carried His flame within you. But…you are…an unusual person, and I met you in dire circumstances. I needed to confirm the impression I had of you." She paused. " When you decided to follow my call to save the innocents still fighting for their lives on Rykad…when you accompany me in the belly of Footfall, to hunt down the cultists…and all the thoughtfulness you've demonstrated ever since...all of this have confirmed my point. You are a most brave and generous soul."
Elena stood silent, motionless, moved by Argenta's genuine inflexion. She didn't dare to interrupt the Sister, even if her words went straight to her heart. She couldn't recall the last time anyone had said something this nice to her. Maybe Orlon used to, a long time ago. All her life had been a competition and a struggle for survival - it was strange, to have someone sincerely telling her the good she thought about her.
" When I asked you to see the orphans, it was also a sort of test for me. I think the way one in your status of power react to the pleas of the most vulnerable ones around her - children, in this case - tells much about your true self. I was glad that you chose to meet them and talk to them without formalities. I know it wasn't easy nor comfortable for you, and yet you did it anyway."
" You flatter me too much, Sister", Elena replied, moved.
Argenta shook her head, smiling. " I am not in the habit of flattering anyone, in case you haven't noticed." Argenta took another candle, carefully lighting it, and paused, contemplating an inner prayer for a few seconds. " Seeing you speak to the orphans was particularly important to me because I am also an orphan. I used to grow up in an imperial warship. My parents were officers."
Argenta put down the candle. Her smile had grown more melancholic. " I'm told you were born onto a ship as well ?"
" I was", confirmed Elena. Everyone could see that on her mutated face. The fact that Argenta never had any reaction to her appearance now made sense.
" Do you still have your parents ?" asked Argenta carefully.
Elena inhaled, as a flash of her past surged her mind, and shook her head. " Unfortunately, no. I'm unsure what happened to my mother, but I never knew her. I guess the mentor who taught me after that became a kind of maternal figure for me. As for my father…" she fell silent. She was uncomfortable telling Argenta that her unmastered psychic abilities had led to his death. For all the gentleness of this conversation, she doubted the Sister would understand that. All the nice things Argenta said about her…it was just because she'd never had to consider her as a witch, to see her being flawed or overwhelmed before. "...he died when I was young", she settled for.
Argenta nodded. " Thanks for telling me."
" What happened ?" Elena asked, aiming to change the topic.
" Once, our ship entered into a fight. My memories of it are very vague. I remember the screamings, the sounds of battle. After it was finished, I…went back there, and saw my parents amongst the corpses. For all the blood and the fire, there was something that caught my attention." Argenta raised her hand towards her armor, where rested the golden aquila. " My mother's aquila, amongst all this destruction, laid there on the ground, untouched by the blood and the ashes - if anything, it seemed to be shining, burning from within. I interpreted it as a sign - the sign of the power of the Emperor, standing pure and strong through the worst trials. I have kept it ever since. It has revealed to me my fate, my calling."
The Sister's voice had taken a passionate and intense tone.
Elena listened, fascinated. They both took another candle, and chanted a hymn of glory to the Emperor.
" You may think me foolish or even childish to think about such things as fate, but - I do think my calling is here, with you", said Argenta sheepishly.
Elena laughed at that. She laughed so seldomly that the sound of it startled the Sister. She wanted to remark that saying that to a diviner constituted an irresistible bait, but thought better of it. She wasn't sure Argenta would comprehend her sarcasm. " I do not think it foolish. I only want to know more about it", she replied instead.
" If I joined Lady Theodora's crew at first, it was because I was looking for something. A location, in the Koronus Expanse, where I hoped to find answers to an old question of mine. You see, the Saint whose name I was blessed with - Saint Argenta - used to travel in the Expanse. It is said that she saved innocents from an unknown planet, by raising them to the air. She was rumored to possess an artifact- the One Star, they called it. If it was a sword, a ship, or something else, I do not know. But it enabled her to save these people. She sacrificed herself for that." She paused. " I feel I have to find the remnant of the One Star. Would you help me in this endeavor ? "
Elena understood. If she was named after a legend like that, she, too, would want to know more and pierce the mysteries of their life and death. Her own fateful connection to Theodora was having the same effect on her.
" I understand, Argenta. You can rely on me : I'll help you."
" Thank you, Elena", said Argenta with a smile.
They spent the rest of the hour lighting every candle.
Of course, the memories of Footfall wouldn't be complete without mentioning the lamentable "Fidelio" incident. It was one of those moments, at first rare, but increasingly less so, where Elena lost her detached composure. The Rogue Trader had asked her retinue never to comment or talk about the incident. It was one of those times that could tarnish an entire legend.
Glimpse of the past
They were marching in the sewers of the city, a place Elena had never thought she'd set foot in. Her whole day had consisted in people trying to murder her in various and imaginative ways, to the point her precognition abilities had overloaded her mind and left her with a terrible headache and difficulty to focus, as any attempt at doing so ended in another vision of assassination. Entering funeral ceremonies randomly and anonymously didn't seem like a good idea after all. For some reason, everyone kept referring to her as 'Fidelio' and at some point she was supposed to receive the legacy of a famous pirate that terrorized the Koronus Expanse for half a century.
There were days when you battled evil heroically, and there were days where you kept wondering what in the Throne was going on. Today was one of the latter.
Their paths was blocked by some heavy metal gate. The mechanics of it led all the way back to the horrid, murky sludge they'd been careful to avoid until now. They could activate the lever from there, in the middle of the sludge containing quite the sample of bodily fluids from Footfall's inhabitants.
" I'm too old for this sh- for this", commented Abelard, barely correcting himself.
"I think I am going to be sick", added Cassia, covering her delicate nose with her shawl.
" Do I understand the reason for this deliberation correctly : we are deciding which one of us should plunge into the mire to open the door ?" asked Heinrix sarcastically.
Though no one did quite turn towards her, Elena could tell that all of her retinue's attention was directed towards her and her decision. She couldn't believe she was going to have to select someone to pull the lever. Surely someone, like her Seneschal, would propose to do it ?
As no one seemed to voluntarily want to go there, Elena considered her options. Certainly she was not going to send Cassia into that. Surely she'd navigated through worse in the warp, but the idea was just ludicrous. Asking Pasqal to do it seemed just as irrelevant. Heavy as the Magos was with his mechadendrites, she worried he might get stuck down there. She supposed Abelard, Heinrix and Argenta would comply without making a fuss.
Of course, she could just as well do it herself. It was surely unworthy of a Rogue Trader - but she'd seen worse in her life.
She sighed. " Leaders must be used to making hard choices", she declared solemnly. She advanced towards the edge of the platform, looking down into the sludge.
" Very brave of you", commented Cassia.
" I'd hate for it to get into my hair, though", said Elena, sounding genuinely anguished, as she secured her pins. " That would put me in a very bad mood."
" Because people trying to murder you at every corner wasn't bad enough ?" asked Abelard in disbelief.
" No", reflected Elena pensively as she immersed herself in the sludge. " That's just everyday life."
She waddled for a painstakingly long time through the mire to cross the platform, entered another tunnel, and finally ended up on the side of the metal gate, activating the lever. Her retinue followed. To her surprise, Heinrix and Argenta had bothered to go back to their previous locations to grab chiffons and pieces of fabric. Wordlessly, Heinrix gave his part to Argenta and walked past her, followed by Abelard and Pasqal. Argenta and Cassia remained. The Navigator made a visible effort not to look too disgusted.
" This should help to clean up the mess…a little, at least", offered Argenta. " I'll help."
Taking the pieces of fabric, Elena took off most of whatever was still clinging up to her armor. She wondered if her servants would manage to get the scent off. The Sister helped her, and Cassia tried to assist in her way, pointing to the places they had not spotted yet, all the while keeping her distance.
It was a strange feeling, to have Argenta and Cassia show some empathy and care by trying to help her look more…well, presentable would be too far stretched now, but at least not too risible.
" Thank you", she said.
" It's nothing."
The saddest thing was, Elena, for all her diviner abilities, never found out who Fidelio even was. What a strange day indeed.