Chapter 6: Priority Target

Governor's Palace, Highhold, 2 Months Later

Daniel Theisman found that the Warp was busy this last little while, roiling with greater intensity than what could graciously be considered usual as the maelstrom cut him off from the Star Child. At the edge of consciousness, he sat at the little gateway he'd made at the edge of his mind and watched the great, all-encompassing storm of thought, emotion, and insanity light up the world of thought and dream.

It was almost calming to look at, hidden away as he was from any way for any on this realm to try to find him. Granted, those not accustomed to such views would likely have their minds wither and fray after moments, but for a mind that had already done so before…

Then, a nudge. A physical nudge to his body that pulled his attention back to the waking world.

'What could that be?' Daniel wondered as he closed himself off from the Warp. 'It should still be the middle of the night…'

Daniel slowly woke up, opening his eyes to find himself in the darkened, but slowly brightening quarters of a wing of the governor's palace. He had been alone in the room, the other captains he was bunking with in other parts of the palace for one reason or another.

And now, looming over him and inches away, was a face that a part of him had wondered when, instead of if, he'd see.

"Kat," he whispered, breathing in the sharp sting of alcohol that wafted off her breath. "What has you here?"

"Daniel…" Kat whispered, drawing closer. Even addled and quiet as her voice was, desire laced the name she spoke.

Daniel glanced down to see the rather remarkable state of undress that, even if Katherine couldn't fully manage, told him everything else he needed to know about her intentions.

He placed a staying hand on a bare collarbone. "Kat… I'm not going to take advantage of you like this."

"But I want this," Kat said, her words slurred as she pressed back against Daniel's hand, trying to get closer.

"You're drunk," Daniel insisted as he sat up from the rather thin, but notable mattress as he pushed his topless subordinate back. "You aren't in your right mind."

"Daniel…" Kat said pleadingly. "Please, I…"

"I thought as much," Daniel said quietly. "And…"

He chuckled softly. "I appreciate that you'd think that highly of me. But I'm taken already."

Kat's eyes, hazy and slightly glassy, darkened a little as she frowned. "What? Who…"

"Someone I was married to. Am married to. Well…" Daniel paused before sighing quietly. "It's complicated."

Kat's eyes began to gleam with curiosity as she sat down on the bed. "What's complicated?" she asked.

"I…" Daniel began. "I did something, long ago, to the woman I loved. Something I still haven't paid back on top of a lot of other evils I'd rather not talk about. It's part of what got me traveling. What landed me here, with you. Call it… penitence. I've found I need a lot of that."

"'M sorry to hear," Kat said quietly. "But she's not here. I am. And I want you. Just for a night."

Daniel nodded. "It's tempting. It's been a while since I…"

He paused. "But she's still out there. She's a fighter. A lot like you, really. And I'm willing to bet that when the time is right, we'll find each other again. So, I'm sorry. Besides, you and I both know the regs on this sort of thing. Even if nobody's around to find out and shoot us."

Whether that would be here or somewhere else, how long that might take… those were answers that Kat probably wasn't prepared for sober, much less in her current state.

Kat's expression twisted into anger. "Damn the regs! And damn you! I felt like this before they threw you up the ranks. And you know what it's like out here! Your wife, wherever she is, is probably dead anyway. Why not move on?"

"It's not that simple," Daniel said.

"Dead's pretty damn simple to me, Captain." she spat. "Look at what this galaxy looks like. You've heard the preachers and the generals. We're just a speck in a galaxy that's trying to kill us all, and takes more lives than any of us can count. How can you think she might be alive?"

'No, it really isn't that simple,' Daniel mused. 'Not where I'm from.'

"Even disregarding my wife," Daniel said, "you're drunk. Remarkably so. I'm not going to do something to you or with you that you might regret in the morning. You can stay the night in one of the other beds and sleep it off, but…"

Kat shuffled over to the other side of the bed and flopped down onto it, bereft of the usual precision she displayed in and out of battle. "You get to deal with me," she said mullishly. "You may be an idiot right now, but I know you're smart. So I'll stick close. Like I always have."

Daniel was silent for a moment, letting an unheard sigh spill out as he waited for her to go to sleep and resolved to smooth things over for her. One all-nighter was hardly going to put a dent in him, even with the night duties he'd had here.

Soon enough, he heard her even, steady breathing, and began to deftly reclothe her from what she'd scattered in front of the doorway, unseen hands propping her up to float as he finished the first part of his work with the help of his power.

With Kat in a decent state again, he let her drift down into his waiting arms and tapped into his power again, folding space before parting it and stepping through the invisible gate, appearing in the room the Furies had been assigned to. Room rotation throughout the palace had been kind to them this week, and the squad, for now, had an entire room to themselves.

He walked past the scattered bunks of his squad and their vehicle's crew and found the empty one that was Kat's, setting her gently on the mattress. He dug through her pack quietly, finding her canteen and a dose pack of painkillers from the little medical kit they'd all been issued, and set them on the nightstand beside her head.

He knelt next to Kat, regarding her now peaceful expression with no small amount of conflict in his expression. "Rest easy, Kat. In another time, if I were another man… maybe."

He stood and began to turn when Kat began to mumble. "Y'... damn fool…"

Daniel made his way to the door, pausing before it as he sighed quietly. "Maybe I am," he whispered.

With that, he opened it silently, passing into the hall beyond and making his way back to the captains' quarters. Tomorrow was supposed to be rather significant, according to the talk of the other captains.

. . .

Daniel found out how correct those captains were, gathered with about 4 dozen other captains of the Silver Scales in a room with an image-sculpt projector in its center, the soldiers surrounding it. Standing next to the projector was Commander Kinley, holding a data-slate.

Besides the members of the Guard, Preceptor Orella and Chapter Champion Ghera were in attendance as well, listening intently to the status update that Kinley would be giving.

"Soldiers," she began, a view of the city with several informative tags connected to them blooming from the projector, "we've made good progress these past days. The city's main airfields have come online, and the Navy has begun to offer close-in fire support and a shield to keep Orkish air support off our backs. The tertiary generators around the city are coming online, allowing the defense guns our engineers and the Firebelchers have been working on. Our part in this city is drawing to a close."

A quiet murmur, positive in its clamor, rippled through the gathered soldiers, Orella and Ghera rocks of stoic silence.

"There is," Kinley said pointedly, pausing until the susurrus died down, "one more problem that we must ensure is taken care of before we can turn over the city to its governor and the PDF forces."

"Let me guess," one of the other captains said, "it's larger and far more green than most of our other problems?"

"You would be correct, Alssé," Kinley said, tapping on her data-slate.

The city disappeared, showing the ugly, metal-plated mug of an Ork that Daniel was rather familiar with.

"The Ork Warboss, Gearstrika, is still at large and rallying his forces," Kinley said. "The Warboss, until killed, will continue to wage organized war in this city from one location or another. The problem being that this Warboss seems to be remarkably adept at hiding in the guts of the city. We need to find a way to draw him out once and for all."

Daniel watched as Kinley's gaze narrowed in on him. "Due to Captain Theisman's previous interaction with the Warboss, his squad will lead out on attempts to draw the Warboss out from wherever he might be hiding."

"Makes sense, I guess," another captain said as Daniel felt his blood begin to chill. "Every unit that's managed to survive in some capacity says the Ork seems to be looking for him. Must want a rematch."

Daniel nodded. "Most likely," he admitted. "Will we have any support?"

Kinley was silent for long moments. Too long. "Thus far, the Warboss and his immediate bodyguard have only struck at singular scout parties," she finally said. "You and your squad would have to be alone, or at least appear so, for the best chance of drawing him out."

Daniel's jaw clenched, but he nodded regardless. "I'll be sure to inform my squad, Commander," he said.

Kinley nodded. "You understand the danger of something like this all too well, I would imagine. For what it's worth… I hope that the Emperor intervenes on your behalf once again."

"Indeed," Orella rejoined. "The God-Emperor's grace is upon you. Go to your task with our benediction."

Daniel wouldn't need the Emperor to intervene in any fashion, nor would he even really want it. But a part of him hoped that there was something that would help to keep the rest of his squad safe while he slew Gearstrika.

'That's always the risk with people as fragile as these,' he mused in silence as the meeting continued, patrol routes and guard schedules for the next month laid out for them. 'They can't put themselves back together afterward like you can.'

'And yet,' a part of him needled, 'you keep working with them anyways. Plan to bring a few to your level?'

After quite some time, the meeting was adjourned, the captains dispersing. Some offered Daniel sympathetic glances as they passed him, others simply a knowing neutrality and distance. After all, the Commander had sent a squad on a suicide mission, even if it succeded. But that was the way of it. If they were to die so that humanity could take this city back, then they would meet the Emperor having done their duty.

That was the mindset, wide, gilded, and fathomless, that Daniel recognized and did his best to tread above, trying not to get the attention of the largest denizens of the dogma before he was ready.

"Captain Theisman."

The voice, a deeper rumble than any he expected, and one he hadn't heard unfiltered, stopped Daniel in his tracks. He turned, looking up to the now bare, tanned face and close-cropped black hair of Champion Ghera.

"Master Ghera," Daniel said respectfully. "Can I help you with something?"

"I doubt that this will be a manner of how you may assist me," Ghera replied, a surprisingly slight smile on his strangely clean, scarless face. "Whether Commander Kinley truly wishes it or not, what I will propose is a matter of ensuring that your mission shall succeed."

Daniel glanced around, finding the hallway that they occupied remarkably empty. After a moment, his gaze returned to Ghera, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What would you be suggesting, sir?"

"I have 3 pairs of scout marines that can follow your Chimera. Discreetly, of course," Ghera replied. "It's not much to ensure your good health, Captain, but it would be better than nothing."

Daniel nodded. "It's more than I imagine we could ask for, sir."

Ghera chuckled, a deep rumble of a sound. "For this, it's simply Serrani. Besides, thank your commander for mentioning to me that she would turn the other way on any assistance we might offer."

"I very well might," Daniel said, still blanching inwardly at the politicking taking place at this moment. "Privately, of course."

"Privately would likely be what the commander prefers," Serrani said meaningfully.

Daniel nodded. "I'm honored. Thank you."

Serrani's slight grin became a full smile. "For as decent a commanding officer as you seem to be, it's only common sense. Our duty is to be a shield to the citizens of the Imperium. You may be the Hammer, but you are a part of this Imperium too."

Serrani paused and sighed. "Much as some of my brothers beyond this Chapter can manage to forget it."

Daniel took note of Serrani's momentary revelation. Perhaps that might help him when the time was right.

'And what were you just thinking about politics?' Daniel mused as Serrani made his way down a side corridor, leaving Daniel to return to his walk to the squad.

The air outside the palace was choked with the essence of Imperial mechanized warfare, promethium smoke and mechanical oil mixing with the spice and fruit-aroma of Mechanicum and Sororitas consecrating incense. Daniel adjusted the sheath of what was now his power sword, placing a hand on the grip of his plasma pistol. Even now, it was still somewhat strange to have them be part of his armament, even with the las-carbine slung over his back.

Daniel continued past the rows of Astartes and Sororitas vehicles, transports, tanks, and walkers painted in outstanding, almost garish heraldry. It made the transition to the gray-tone and purple stripes of the Guard's vehicles that much more stark, soldiers filing into their IFVs, tanks, and other combat vehicles.

Unsurprisingly, his vehicle was ready to go, his squad lined up waiting for him. Furthest from the doors, and thus right by them when the squad embarked, was their newest squad member.

Private Anitus Winfer was an orphan of another squad that had largely been lost in the assault on the governor's palace. She was large in stature, a tight fit into the Chimera. But it made her tough, and it made it so that she wielded her grenade launcher with ease.

"Good morning, soldiers," Daniel said. "We have our orders."

"What are we going to be up to today, sir?" Galen asked.

"For the foreseeable future, we're going to patrol the city, looking for a particular Ork," Daniel replied.

The squad looked amongst themselves, Winter seeming especially hesitant as she glanced from Daniel to the rest of her squad with remarkably expressive lavender eyes. Daniel stepped in between the ranks and regarded Winfer with a patient expression. "I apologize for dragging you into my little feud with the Warboss. Call it a case of poor timing."

"I suppose I can't call it anything else, sir?" Winfer asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Call it whatever you want," Daniel replied with a shrug. "Most anyone else would call it groxshit and be justified, were they in our position."

"And how's that, sir?" Iago asked.

"I'll explain once we're on our first patrol route," Daniel replied. "Mount up."

The soldiers opened the doors and began to stream into the vehicle. All but one.

Kat, who was across from Winfer, hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable as she tried and failed to regard Daniel.

"Need to say something?" Daniel asked, glancing around them to see the other vehicles beginning to pull away.

Kat opened her mouth, then closed it after a moment.

"I'll take that as a later," Daniel replied, nodding over to the Chimera. "We'll get to it tonight."

. . .

'Tonight' became 3 days into their task, Daniel not pressing the issue too hard. Besides, he had a decent enough idea as to what she might be mulling over.

They were still on the upper levels of the city, the light of the system's primary star still shining down on them as they took a moment to pause for a quick lunch in what maps told them was the financial district. Or, it once was the financial district, at least.

The Lion was parked outside of a ruined building, Galen keeping watch for any Ork attacks while the rest of the squad ate their rations. Daniel leaned against the idling Chimera, having finished his lunch quickly. He was not alone here, however.

Kat had also finished her lunch and stood next to him, taking a drag from a blocky, metal vapor-well before blowing the strangely scented smoke, the heady scent of lho mixed with something else, perhaps a fruit of some kind. The look on her face, Daniel noted, was rather contemplative as they shared what could charitably be called a companionable silence.

Finally, though, Kat looked over at Daniel. "Sir… can we…" she said quietly.

Daniel considered Kat for a moment, then nodded to the other side of the IFV. "I suspect you'll want some privacy?" he said, his voice equally quiet.

Kat nodded, and the pair circled the Chimera, the rest of the squad disappearing from sight for the moment.

"So," Daniel said after a moment, "are you ready now?"

Kat took a deep breath. "There are some things I said… things that I regret."

"You were drunk," Daniel said patiently. "Alcohol tells truths we'd rather not speak about just yet sometimes."

"Truth or not," Kat said, "the fact of the matter is that I slandered someone you care about deeply. You didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve that."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Your character does you credit, Katherine. Thank you."

"You're an odd sort, you know that?" Kat said after a moment's silence. "Any other captain would have at least busted my balls a little, responsible for saving my life or no."

"I know what it's like to lose one's inhibitions," Daniel said quietly. "It either leaves one with no tolerance or at least a little grace. I like to hope that grace is a better balm than fire."

Daniel looked around, and caught a glimpse of maroon and brass behind a pile of rubble. It was gone after a moment, causing Daniel to frown slightly.

"Now what was that?" Daniel said more to himself than anything, grabbing a pair of binoculars slung over his shoulder.

Peering through them, he saw the flash of maroon and brass again. Along with a helmet that was clearly Sororitas, peering at them. It began to duck back again, then paused. She must have seen Daniel's binocs.

"Huh," Daniel said as he lowered the binoculars. "The Astartes aren't the only ones following us."

"Who did you see?" Kat asked.

"Someone Leona might be eminently happy to have on our tail," Daniel replied. "Because there's never just one Sister of Battle on a mission."

. . .

2 Weeks Later

The Lion with the Las-Breath now ran with its headlights on, the surface of the city now far above them as they pressed forward through massive tunnels ringed by equally massive apartments that crawled up the walls, mighty cathedrals with ruined statues lit from below with flickering spotlights, and vast underground parks and farms, lit with both artificial lights and what openings there were to the world above.

Looking out the firing port, Iago considered his surroundings intently. His focus, something quite apart from his usual uncaring of his surroundings, did not go unnoticed.

"Right at home?" Galen asked, pulling Iago's focus to him.

"Almost," Iago replied. "It's different, in its own ways. But the sky here still has a limit, and the light's more sure. This I can work in."

"Perhaps you might be able to find what ganger hideaways Gearstrika must be secreted away in," Leona said.

Iago rolled his eyes. "Please. Just because I had connections to the hive gang at home doesn't mean all gangs work the same. They're barely even alike back on Pallaidus, let alone on another world entirely."

"But there would be similarities," Daniel interjected. "Whatever the mark at a hideaway entrance might look like, there is always a symbol to point out the way."

"Sure," Iago admitted. "We'd need to try and find an Arbites station here, see what records they might have, but to go out of our way for something like that…"

"Perhaps we don't need to worry about going to find him," Vherra said, drawing all eyes to the nominally quiet woman. "Maybe what we should be doing is drawing him to us."

"If Gearstrika only sees me, the bait…" Daniel said slowly, cupping his chin thoughtfully. "Then we can catch him in a trap of our own."

Most of the squad looked amongst themselves with no small amount of hesitation while Daniel nodded, taking a cabled radio from the wall in front of him. "Joris, patch me through to the Astartes and Sororitas."

"Will do, Captain," Joris replied, Daniel waiting patiently for the comms lines to come online.

"Captain Theisman," the almost familiar voice of Sister Superior Ruth began, "what prompts you to break your silence towards us?"

"A plan, Sister," Daniel replied. "One that won't require you to do anything more than be ready. We here in our Chimera are going to be a little louder than we've been before. Once we draw out the Warboss, be prepared to cut off any escape routes they might try and take."

"Acknowledged," Ruth replied.

"Acknowledged," the Astartes Scout Captain, leader of the band that had been promised to them, said, breaking his nearly month-long silence at last. "Good hunting."

"My thanks for your assistance," Daniel said. "Theisman out."

He waited for a moment as Joris cut the connection off. "Alright," he said, "hook me up to the vox-casters on the vehicle, maximum volume. I'm about to do something spectacularly unwise."

"That being?" Stavros asked.

"Insulting an Ork."

. . .

For the next several hours, Daniel's voice echoed in the largely abandoned halls of the under-city. His words, fiery as they were, were certainly… rather odd to most that heard them.

"Come on, you pale, frail freak! The way you hide, you'd think you decided to paint yourself purple to try and get out of a good fight! I've seen squiglings more spoiled for a scrap than you are! It'd be a wonder if you still had any boyz willing to listen to you. Are you even actually a Warboss anymore, or just a great, angry loner now that you can't manage to defeat a single, scrawny human?"

The other members of the squad listened on in what had become rather perplexed wonder. "Has he… repeated himself yet?" Matley asked.

"Not that I can tell," Galen replied. "It's not as though I've been keeping track of each insult."

So they sat in silence as Daniel continued to rail against the Ork, waiting for what had to be an inevitable response to the cavalcade of insult. Their words were distant things, however, as Daniel focused on making sure his voice didn't give out from the effort. If there was anything an Ork truly, deeply, hated, it was being perceived as weak.

At last, though, a thundering boom rippled through the Chimera, stilling Daniel and the others as the vehicle ground to a halt.

"Well, sir," Joris said over the comms, "it looks like he finally heard you."

Daniel nodded as he put the handset back in its place. "Alright. Stay here for a moment. I'll signal when I need fire support."

What protests there might have been were silent as Daniel opened the door of the Chimera and stepped out into the shadowed world. Its shade was driven back now by the flames of an explosion that the Chimera had only just stopped in front of.

And in the margins of the road, the flames revealed several dozen Orks, carrying their kludged-together weapons and waving them wildly as they began to shout and scream. Foremost among them was a familiar face, though it was now more plated in metal than before.

"Dere you are," Kugmark Gearstrika said as he stepped forward, a wicked new klaw opening and closing as if in anticipation. "You talk real zoggin' big fur a humie. Got me right and proper mad."

He paused, a wicked grin slowly spreading across his face. "Good. Makes me want to krump you even more."

Daniel only responded by drawing his power sword, preparing to channel his energy again, though a little more discretely this time around. "So what'll it be, Gearstrika?" he said as the Ork slammed the klaw into one of its more uppity subordinates to calm the rest down. "One-on-one, or are you going to make this a battle?"

Gearstrika laughed uproariously. "You want ta make this boring?" he shouted almost incredulously. "No. You're mine."

Daniel steeled himself, stepping forward… then stumbled back as something crashed into his brain with the force of a tidal wave, his focus falling into a cavernous, screaming maw of pure emotion. A maw of purest, raging green.

As Daniel put a hand to his pounding head, he looked around and saw the glowing beacon that was an Ork psyker, dressed in far more stylized scrap armor than its peers and holding a twisted pipe wrought into a staff, topped with crudely made fetishes.

"I told you I got a weirdboy," Gearstrika chuckled. "Now we make this right and propa."

With that last word, the Warboss surged forward, his klaw raised to slice down through the man before him.

As Daniel raised his power sword, the klaw fell upon it and unleashed a crackling growl of electricity, the force of the blow sending him sliding back as he desperately tried to hold his ground.

With that first blow, the world around them exploded, fire from behind Daniel from the Guard, the hidden Astartes scouts flying up from a gutter valley on the left in their Land Speeder Storm and opening up with various weapons, and the roar of flames from behind the Ork lines as a Sororitas Immolator's dual flamers drew searing lines through the tide of pale green.

But Daniel could not afford to take in the battle being joined around him. He could only attempt to focus on the Warboss towering over him, screaming in his face as it continued to try battering him with its klaw, Daniel doing his best to dodge or parry the massively strong blows.

Managing to slip out from under the klaw, Daniel's gaze darted to the left hand of Gearstrika as it crackled to life, electricity pulsing around a bulbous prong as a buzzing sound built in intensity.

Daniel tried to dodge out of the way, but the connection that the Ork weirdboy had tethered him to the force of the Waagh with made his reflexes just that moment slower. Slow enough that a bolt of searing lightning slammed into his side, a scream tearing out of him as he was thrown to the ground.

Smok curled up from his body as he felt an ache, trying to focus on fixing himself up through the maelstrom of Orkish psychic might, he struggled back to his feet, looking back past Gearstrika to see the weirdboy surrounded by a cohort that hadn't diminished. In fact, there were more Orks that were coming into the field to replace the losses that they were taking from the sundering firepower of the gathered Imperial forces.

But there was only one target that mattered. One that shielded itself not only with the bodies of its comrades but with psychic power as well, any shots that managed to come close to it splattering against a shimmering green shield.

Gearstrika would have to wait for the moment. This psyker absolutely needed to be taken out.

As Gearstrika reached out to grab him in the bladed talons of its klaw, Daniel darted aside, dashing towards the weirdboy as he unholstered his plasma pistol, clicking it on and beginning to pour shot after shot into the shielded Ork.

Before he could get too far, however, the psychic din echoing through his skull intensified, a charge becoming an advance, then he stumbled to a stop as he tried to continue even the simple action of just… pulling the trigger. Why hadn't Kugmark taken his chance yet?

Then… a shaft of pale lavender light shattered through the weakened barrier with a strangely harmonious tone, several more rays scything through the weirdboy's neck with contemptuous ease as Daniel did his best to look out to the source of the fires that stilled the storm within his mind.

For a moment, he caught a glimpse of movement, a figure in the window of a ruined hab-block. Then it vanished in the blink of an eye.

For a few moments, the Orks around them seemed disorganized, the Imperial forces pressing the advantage to tear apart the remaining soldiers. Daniel turned away from the charnel scene to face Gearstrika, feeling power flow into his body and sword with a renewed vigor.

As he stepped forward, the Ork… chuckled. "Alright," he said over the din, "you're a sneaky git. I want to krump ya. But I'm not a big enough git to try and take you on now."

Gearstrika's face was nearly split with a grin. "I'll get big enough to krump you. Don't matter how long it takes, I'll do it for a propa fight wit' you."

With that, Gearstrika did perhaps the last thing Daniel expected an Ork to do: turn aside and dash toward the edge of the gutter valley, leaping past the Land Speeder that had been strafing the Orks beneath them and just barely missing it before disappearing into the cavernous night.

Daniel ran after him, shooting his plasma pistol into the darkness, preternaturally sharpened eyesight revealing the quick retreat Gearstrika made, his shots only barely missing as the Land Speeder, its searchlight flashing on, turned to try and catch the warboss in its glare. In that moment it did, he ducked into an open tunnel and vanished.

"Damn it," Daniel spat as he looked over at a battle that was clearly in its final stages. The Orks, bereft of their leaders and their weirdboy, were being quickly whittled down, the Chimera and Immolator boxing in the dozen or so boyz that were left.

In seconds, the last disappeared into the little lake of flames, Leaving the world largely silent. Daniel considered the sight for long moments as his squad came over to him.
"Is he dead?" Kat asked.

Daniel took off his helmet, revealing his frustrated grimace. "No. He did something… frankly terrifying."

. . .

Commander Kinley regarded Daniel with a cool expression as he finished his briefing in one of the more private rooms of the governor's palace. She was, however, not the first to break that silence.

"You failed, Captain," Kurtiz said acidly. "Your duty was to draw the Warboss out and destroy him. Instead, the xenos scum managed to escape your vaunted power."

"The fact of the matter stands, Commissar," Kinley said curtly, fixing Alberis with a stare that sealed the man's mouth, "that Captain Theisman drove the warboss out of the city, and not by chance, either."

"Regardless of the chase or the fact that the city has been secured, ma'am," Daniel said, drawing the attention of both back to him, "we must find this Warboss and ensure he is destroyed. For he is perhaps the most dangerous Ork I have ever met, a remarkable feat indeed."

"Regardless of your travels," Kurtiz said with a scoff, "the cowardly greenskin ran from the might of our soldiers when its sorcerer was struck down. What could make it so dangerous as to shake your seemingly indefatigable resolve?"

"He did not simply rout, Commissar," Daniel said. "He made a tactical retreat. His goal is the amassing of power and forces for a single purpose; to have the best possible duel with me."

The room was silent for a moment before Kinley sighed quietly, nodding. "Regardless, the governess and her retinue will be along shortly to take custody of the city, and our forces will augment what remains of their personal guard and PDF until such time as we can strike out to the main Orkish fortress in the mountains and forests to the northeast of the Fingerprint."

With that, she looked down at a dataslate. "Dismissed."

Daniel came to attention and saluted, turning and leaving the room.

As he walked down the hallway to the quarters he was staying in, giving his regards to the Sororitas and Astartes that he passed by, he considered the memory of the moment the battle had turned in their favor.

Though the mind was an imperfect vessel, easily capable of condensing detail and discarding what would not fit, the soul was a perfect, boundless repository, allowing him to see in crystal clarity what had saved him.

In the window of a shattered, half-collapsed hab-block, a lithe figure in black armor that sparkled like a fire opal in the hellish light of the flames before them stood, an equally flowing long rifle held in its hands. It shimmered for a moment before it disappeared, but even under the dark cloak that it wore, its helm made it unmistakable.

'An Aeldari Ranger,' Daniel mused. The forces of some Craftworld or another were here, most likely. And for whatever reason, one of their number had chosen to save him. Why?

'Perhaps I am a sliver of some minor prophecy, or the subject of a Farseer's foresight,' Daniel thought. 'Perhaps, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to ask what makes me so important.'