-Transcription of interaction between Sanctioned Psyker Rakel, Inquisitor Amberley Vail, and Lady Custodian Raya-

SPR: We must stop at Aegis VII en route to Pererimunda, Inquisitor.

IAV: Our course is already set, Rakel, transitioning from Warp travel to Realspace could delay us years if we're unlucky.

LCR: I'm certain there is a reason why the Psyker is insisting on this.

SPR: The girl is not insisting, Custodian. I am.

-A loud clang as Lady Custodian Raya drops to a knee-

LCR: My Lord.

SPR: Rise, Custodian. Go to Aegis VII. A boon awaits for the Nerd.

IAV: Another gift…beyond Lady Raya, My Lord?

SPR: I do not control what gets Raya going, Inquisitor. Do you want the bragging rights of being the Inquisitor who trained the boy that's going to punch a hole in the Despoiler or not?

IAV: …we'll plot the course immediately, My Lord.

SPR: Atta Girl. Raya, Tell David to ease up on the prayers. Joshua son of Joseph decided to take up residence in the Palace, and he won't stop preaching to me.

LCR: I believe that will have the opposite effect, My Lord.

-Sanctioned Psyker Rakel lets out a heavy sigh that echoes throughout the room-

SPR: I know…worth a shot. Go to Aegis VII, continue on to Periremunda, blow shit up, character growth, yada yada.

-Sanctioned Psyker Rakel collapses to the floor unconscious-

IAV: I pray to that man. I've burnt cities for that man.

LCR: Would you rather he show up in his fully matured aspect, Inquistor? My predecessors told me the stories of the Heresy. Of the Seige on Terra. I spent centuries in Service to Him on Terra, Inquisitor. Believe me when I say this: If you witnessed his full power… you would not survive. He acts this way with us, for your sake. He is in perpetual agony, Amberley Vail. The fact he can put on this frankly childish persona is a testament in and of itself to his strength.

IAV: …I understand, Lady Custodian.

LCR: Good. Do not question your Faith in Him again. It offends me.

IAV: Yet you're marrying a Heretic.

LCR: Tiny Mortal says what?

IAV: Nothing, Lady Custodian.

LCR: that's what I thought.

-Record Sealed by order of Revelation, Emperor of Mankind-

-Aegis VII, Northern Continent, Vault, ? POV-

Lifeforms Detected, assessing threat level.

Two Humans and a Custodian, armed, but not in a combat state.

"What is with that Golden Fucker and sending me to Ice Worlds?!" Human, Male, approximately 26 years of age. He approaches the Cradle.

"Perhaps our Lord the Emperor of Mankind is punishing you for your Heresy, David." Human Female, bearing the rosette of His Emperor's Most Holy Inquisition. Designation updated to 'Inquisitor', human Male's designation updated to 'David'.

"I am an adherent to the Imperial Truth, the twelve foot tall extremely powerful nigh immortal Psyker man says he's not a god. I resent these heresy accusations." David speaks, the Custodian, Designation 'Raya' sub-designation Aquillan Shield rolls her eyes.

"Shut up and get in the big chair, Interrogator." The Inquisitor orders, David designation updated to 'Interrogator'.

"It says the user must be bare, Boss. I would rather not be naked on an ice planet." The Interrogator responds. He is correct, new user integration requires full skin contact.

"It's nothing Raya hasn't seen before, and I've seen worse. Strip ."

—

New User Detected

Initializing Silver Carapace OS vers. 1.0.1

Initializing neural interface.

"OW FUCK !"

Neural Interface connected along C1-L5 Vertebrae. Deploying synth-skin.

"What is with the freakin cold!"

Deploying Metamuscle fibers, initializing user enhancement protocol. Unlocking power helm case number 24601.

"Raya don't you dare-"

Aegis Pattern Power Helm 24601 detected.

Rebooting System. Initializing User Interface.

—

Raya was smirking after slamming the power helm over my head. She crosses her arms with a pout.

"The first donning of power armor is supposed to be a glorious ceremony, not the whinging of a maiden worried about a little pinch, dear." She spoke, and I couldn't really respond as it felt like instructions on the use and functionality of this suit were being downloaded into my brain and it was painful.

" Initializing user interface." A deep voice spoke from within the helmet. " Interrogator David James Foothill, Ordo Xenos. Initializing tutorial of Silver Carapace version one-point-zero-one."

I raised my hand in front of my face, the shackles on the mechanical throne I had been forced into finally open and allowing me to move. My hand was covered in a black glove made of fibers resembling synthetic muscle. I clenched it into a fist, immediately I could feel an enhancement in my strength.

" Silver Carapace offers a baseline enhancement protocol of six times the unaugmented human maximum. Deployment of Maximum Strength Protocol requires energy, and raises user strength to twelve times the unaugmented human maximum." The voice spoke, the suit's machine spirit, I assumed.

" Silver Carapace provides effective resistance to small arms fire without engagement of additional protocols. Maximum Armor Protocol offers resistance against explosions and high yield munitions." As the voice continued I could see the fibers on the glove go rigid, the fingertips seemingly sharpening to claws as it did so.

" Silver Carapace Power Protocol allows the user to deliver melee strikes enhanced with a Molecular Disruption Field upon impact." Silver, as is what I would dub the armor despite its black coloring, continued his explanation and I could see a light blue field of sparks emanate from my knuckles for a split second.

" Additional Protocols Locked by order of the Emperor of Mankind." Jerk. Locking even more badassery behind something like 'inexperience' or 'your own wellbeing, David'. Either way however, I was rather enjoying the armor, even as I removed the helm from my head with a 'click-hiss'.

"I think I'm gonna be able to have some fun with this, Boss."

"You'd better. Our Lord himself sent us here, and I won't have you mothball this gift out of spite."

Musical Mischief

We were en route to Periremunda when Vail started to go over the Legends, the cover stories we were to have memorized by the time we arrived. Most of them were fine, but I had some issues with mine.

"A mariachi? Vail do you even know what a mariachi is?" I ask, leaning back in the chair in her office.

"A traditional musician native to the Rynn's World Southern Hemisphere." Vail responds and I hide a smile behind a mug of recaf.

"Have you ever seen one in person, Amberley?" Already an idea was forming in my head, oh I was going to make her regret this decision.

"…God-Emperor preserve me you used my name, you're plotting something. No, I haven't, I assume you're going to find a way to show me." She groans, palming her face, and let my grin show.

"If you can tolerate me going full mariachi, as would be necessary to stay in character. I'll make you whatever gun you want." I offer, leaning forward and extending a hand, "c'mon, won't you shake this poor sinner's hand?"

Vail actually took a moment to consider it, fully prepared to just say 'no' by the look on her face, but a month of warp travel boredom must've stirred her curiosity because she shook my hand, before using that same hand to pull me forward until our noses were nearly touching to glare at me.

"You will hold off on whatever insanity you have planned until tomorrow. I will need a full nights sleep to deal with your bullshit, David. Am I understood?" She speaks calmly, enunciating every word with a sickly sweet smile. My own smile suddenly becomes nervous.

"Yes, Inquisitor"

"Good Interrogator. You're dismissed."

—

Later that day found me working with Yanbel in the armory. We were doing basic maintenance and I was looking over a lasgun in my hands as I was talking mostly nonsense with Yanbel.

"With enough time, patience, and copper wire we could convert every rifle in inventory to a Hellgun, Yanbel." I commented, swapping out a heat-warped focusing lens for a fresh one.

"While an interesting concept, I would have to turn you into a servitor if you did so whilst not a member of the Mechanicus, and the reprisal from Lady Raya would destroy the ship." Yanbel replied casually as he was performing maintenance rites on Vail's power armor, a gaudy piece, whilst effective at enhancing her capabilities, was completely impossible to blend in anywhere in. Raya could at least manage to hide, somehow, but there's so much filigree on Vail's armor, impressive as the craftsmanship is, that it has to be damn near impregnable because the moment she shows up in this thing it'll catch a bunch of bullets just by virtue of the light shining off the gold.

-Note from Inquisitor Amberley Vail: that would explain why it's constantly under maintenance whenever I'm done using it-

"You just don't trust the grunts to be responsible with Hellguns."

"I don't trust the laypeople to be responsible with Hellguns, no." Yanbel replied with a nod and I let out a bark of a laugh.

"Well then…so I'm going to need a trumpet." I start, placing down the lasgun back onto the rack.

Yanbel freezes for a split second before continuing his work.

"Colour me intrigued. Go on…"

—

-The following morning, approximately 0500 Terran Standard Time. Amberley Vail POV-

In hindsight, I shouldn't have taken that wager. But I will admit that I did let my curiosity get the better of me.

I had consulted with Rakel yesterday to see if this would be something particularly egregious, but she just started laughing. That should've been my first clue.

David must've bribed Raya with something to get into my quarters because I was woken up by the sound of a trumpet being blared far too close to my bed.

There he was, at the foot of my bed, in a gaudy black uniform with silver filigree, a massive hat on his head, and that damned trumpet at his lips.

I'll give him credit for his grit as he simply kept playing despite my throwing a knife past his head.

For the first few hours it was simply my life being accompanied by, admittedly decently performed, instrumentals. He followed me throughout the ship, blasting melodies out of that trumpet with a fervor I could only assume was mischief fueled.

Could I bring him up on heresy charges for excessive music? Possibly. Would I survive the attempt? Probably not. Oh Emperor Above he's singing now.

" Para Bailar la Bamba!" He's a tenor, well practiced, obviously has had a vocal coach at some point. He could play the part of a hired musician…if he would stop bloody following me!

"Do you not have duties to attend to, David?" I questioned finally, earning a lull in the vocals and finally a spoken response. I noticed his voice was slightly hoarse.

" Querias una Mariachi, Inquisidora."

"In Gothic, David." I snapped.

"You wanted a Mariachi, Amberley, this is what they do, follow around a client, or a target, playing traditional music and singing."

"For six hours?!"

"Grandpa Juan once had a gig that lasted from dawn till 0200, Boss, we still got time . Aaaarrrrriba!" He accentuated his last word with a long rolling of his 'r's and blasting out more melodies.

Normally my patience would last longer, but David, my foolish Apprentice, always managed to worm his way right into a nerve.

I ripped that trumpet out of his mouth and threw it at the bulkhead. Emperor Above that felt good .

"You are free to come up with a new Legend for your cover on Periremunda, however, if you don't have it ready and memorized by 1900 tonight, I will make you be a chippendale dancer." Being completely honest the blood draining from his face made the rest of my day after that.

"I don't have the physique for that…" I would be more concerned with a jealous Raya if I were you, David.

"Then you'd best get to work then, shouldn't you?" I knew he'd figure something out by the end of the day. As annoying as he was, he was a good student; and someone I could say I was proud to teach. He was just a tad soft. That would be fixed as the years went on, of course, but these first few years with him were difficult.

Even as he dashed through the bulkheads to get to his quarters I let a small smile grow on my face, one of slight pity. I could practically see that weight on his shoulders, so much knowledge, yet his morals and beliefs were so different from my own.

Raya reports to me, occasionally…when she feels like it. Updates on his adaptations, adjustments, and mental state. The first year, he was practically a shut in. Working mainly with Yanbel, Flicker, and Rakel. Now, after Raya decided to force him out of his shell with her thighs, he's opening up a bit.

Occasionally I can catch him telling stories of the old days to Rakel, who watches with rapt attention as he describes an era of peace that I can't fathom.

Other times I've found him muttering prayers at his desk, tears flowing down his face as he mourns the many members of his family he's left behind. I'd feel a pang of sympathy, but squash it down.

Life is pain, David. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell something.