It was utter chaos. The Eight were jumping up and down in shock, arms pinwheeling with vigorous animation, voices raised in unrestrained excitement and terror in the presence of this cross-multiverse guest now standing before them.

"Holy shite! Holy shite! Holy fucking shite!" Laura was pacing the room so fast she almost broke out into a run. The British inquisitor's bout of hyperventilation only increased when she noticed the still open door. "Oi, close the fucking door!"

"Oh fuck, sorry!" Damien blurted and slammed the entrance shut so hard that Tangmo felt the bang vibrated up his legs. Thankfully, the two partitions were made from reinforced pure nalwood so there was no damage done. "Goddamn, that actually frightened me a bit."

"Albert, Mary, I want a fucking communication void around Lita's room right now," after recovering his wit, Tangmo tapped his earbud and adopted a more commissariat bearing. "Hurry!"

"Done!" Albert and Mary spoke up at the same time, the disembodied voice echoed loudly across the awning bedroom suite. "Every message coming here will be blocked and diverted."

"Lendor isn't here, is he?" There was a mad glint in Yuki's eyes as she scanned the room. "Because if he is, I'm gonna have to kill him."

"Relax, he isn't here," Lita rolled her eyes. "We keep things professional, he spent most of his time in the barracks and only visit me when I invite him."

"All of you appear rather distraught," oh right, lady Galadriel of Lothlorien was in the fucking room with them, the legendary elven woman's visage was one of controlled bafflement. "Is this how you normally behave?"

"Not really, because this," Tangmo gesticulated wildly at Galadriel to emphasize his point, "had never once happen in the entirety of our illustrious career."

"Lady Galadriel, if I may," Lita got off her seat, glided smoothly to the Lord of the Rings elf, gave a respectful curtseyed, then waved at the table. "Perhaps an explanation is in order? Although you have already divulged to me the rudimentary reason of your visit, I believe a more in-depth account would be greatly appreciated."

"Yes dear Lita, clarity will serve us well at this juncture," Galadriel bowed and with Lita sat primly down at the table, the Mexican Warseer then used her power to telepathically filled every cup with steaming tea, the Lady of Lothlorien eyed the display with great interest. "Such marvelous power, I rarely see the like even in Valinor." Galadriel glanced back at the rest of the Eight. "Will you not join us?"

That pulled everyone out of their collective stupor, so with impolite haste Tangmo and his homies took their seats, the stiffen posture refusing to abate even after several mouthfuls of blistering tea. Chamomile with a hint of vanilla, it tasted good but holy shit Tangmo would very much prefer a double shot of espresso right now. But the tea did calm his nerves down a bit, so after placing the empty cup back on the saucer Tangmo struck a Gendo pose and locked eyes with Galadriel.

"Let me begin by saying welcome, Lady Galadriel of Valinor, I offer you my deepest apology for our unsightly reaction earlier," when opportunity calls of it Tangmo can be as diplomatic and collected as Henry, the wide eye startlement the Eight fixed on him was annoying as all fuck though. Keeping his composure grim and resolute, Tangmo pressed on with a decidedly menacing edge. "I must however say that what you have done is dangerous in the extreme."

"I understand Tangmo," Galadriel was queenly in her bearing, unfazed by Tangmo's dark portent. "Mr. Master shared the same sentiment, he even tried to dissuade me from this path. It was a battle he lost."

"So Master personally approved the visitation and brought you here?" Galadriel answered Tangmo with a nod. "Can I ask the reason?"

"It pertains to the safety and the very survival of Valinor," lady Galadriel said. "If you would recall from your last visit to the Undying Land, the continent in which eldars and Durin's folks now resides is growing larger, with landmasses appearing out of the aether beyond Ilúvatar's realm and joining with the mainland."

"Yes, fragments from other universes are drifting across the void and combining with Valinor, which in turn make the place bigger to support the growing elven and dwarven population. Being the ultimate nexus of all fantasy fiction has its quirk," Damien was the second individual to recover from the shock, the contrast between the Canadian Marine's gigantic ceramite hand and the teacup was comical. "Has something from this universe breached the shield between realities?"

Lady Galadriel did not answer immediately, her placid visage revealed no discernable emotion but Tangmo was able to detect a miniscule tightness to how she was holding the teacup. She slowly took a sip, sighed a pleased tune, and said, "incursion into Valinor has been growing steadily, not only from Morgoth and Sauron but also other beings of darkness from across the multiverse, most of whom are allied with the Dark Lords. We have been holding them at bay successfully," Galadriel placed the cup on the tabletop and folded her hands over her lap. "And to answer your question Damien, nothing from this universe have appeared in Valinor…except for that thieving skeleton."

"That's a relief, because nothing in Valinor can withstand 40k," Henry wiped his sweaty brow, missing the narrow look Galadriel shot his way. "If no contact has been made, then why are you here my lady?"

"An artifact belonging to Mandos has been stolen," Galadriel went on. "I have come to reclaim it."

"Mandos…isn't he the elf's god of death?" Nikki spoke up and the rest of the Eight nodded in confirmation. "I'm sorry, I always fall asleep during Damien's Silmarillion lecture, but isn't this dude the bad guy. You know, like Satan and Lucifer?"

"More along the line of Hades, he's just the custodian of the dead, a pretty chill dude all things considered. He got a loving wife and everything," Erik made his explanation. "Satan and Lucifer are Morgoth and Sauron, literally."

"What has been stolen, Galadriel sama?" Yuki put forward her question, the elven woman quirking a curious brow at the usage of the Japanese honorific. "Sama mean my lord or my lady in my language."

"Oh, I suspected as much, there was a very nice lit to the word," Galadriel bowed politely before sweeping her gaze at the female portion of the Eight. "Oh dear, beside Lita I have yet to ask for your names, please forgive my lapse of manner."

"That's okay," Yuki smiled friendlily. "My name is Yuki."

"I'm Nikki," the Ukrainian exarch waved shyly at Galadriel.

"I am lady inquisitor Laura," the British inquisitor put on the most posh accent imaginable, so sugary in its haughty aristocratic enunciation that Tangmo couldn't help but make a face. "The pleasure is all mine, most honorable lady Galadriel."

"It is a pleasure to finally meet the women of the Eight. Mr. Master and your male compatriots had told great magnificent story about your exploits," Galadriel said, the none comedic sincere quality of her compliment made the girls turned to the boys in surprise. "I look forward to seeing your deeds."

"Huh, you didn't bad mouth us when you met her?" Laura's bulging unbelieving eyes were one of the most offensive shits Tangmo had ever witnessed in his life.

"Dude, what the fuck do you take me for? I'm an asshole, not a dick, I don't talk bad about my friends, I have fucking standard holy shit," Tangmo made sure he sounded aggrieved, but the undiluted happiness beaming from Laura neuter most of the intended effect. Gathering himself, can't appear to be too sentimental after all, Tangmo shifted his attention back to Galadriel. "Can you describe this artifact you're looking for?"

"It is a vessel which holds more than a hundred elven souls," Galadriel explained. "Since the situation in Valinor had drastically change in the last few thousand years, the Valar had become more directly involved in the affair of the Undying Land. Mandos guarded both elven and dwarven dead, tending and guiding their souls toward rebirth." The Lady of Lothlorien's visage darkened then. "His sanctum has been violated and defiled."

"Morgoth?" Erik spoke up.

"No, his favorite pet Sauron," Galadriel said sharply, nothing but contempt in her voice. "That cowardly worm infiltrated Mandos's dominion and waylaid many of his followers. By the time the army repulse the attack the damage has already been done."

"What was the purpose of the attack?" Tangmo pressed on. "And was Sauron's objective achieved?"

"Sadly I must confess that the Dark Lord indeed achieved his objective," Galadriel shook her head, the disgust directed at herself. "From the prisoners we captured and interrogated, Morgoth's plan was to spirit away soul of the elven dead and use them in his experiment. The Lord of Darkness believes that the purest essence of Ilúvatar's children can be used to hasten the creation of a new breed of orcs, one that is stronger and smarter and more durable."

"More so than the Uruk-Hai?" Lita put forward her question, her tone alarmed.

"Much worse. As I've said before Morgoth have more allies now," Galadriel nodded. "If Sauron is able to deliver the stolen vessel to his master, then Valinor will face a threat unseen since the First Age."

"What happened next?" Damien asked.

"As he was getting surrounded, Sauron used dark sorcery to open a gateway and fled from Valinor with his army," Galadriel said. "We tried to follow but it closed before any of us can get close."

"Master told you Sauron ended up here?" Tangmo pressed on.

"Yes, he told me so," Galadriel responded.

"We have a major problem then," Tangmo aborted the Gendo pose and sagged into his chair, the sudden shift of temperament drew a questioning look from Galadriel. "The galaxy is huge and the battlegroup is already en route to our next theater of war, we cannot divert our course lest we invite suspicion."

"Mr. Master had drawn me a map of the place where Sauron had emerged," Galadriel withdrew a pristine scroll from her belt, pointedly ignoring the combined incredulity radiating from the Eight. She unfurled the parchment to reveal an admittedly well drawn map, depicting a large continental landmass bisected by winding rivers and filled with many high peak mountains. "Perhaps this can be of some assistance."

"Wait a minute," Erik drew the data-pad from his awesome ranger cloak, flipped it open and typed quickly across the screen. "That looks familiar, give me a minute."

In actuality it was more like thirty second before Erik found what he was looking for. The Swedish elf swiped his hand across the air, summoning a detailed geographical map, the pristine hologram hovering above the table.

"I'll be damn, it's the exact same map," Erik laughed aloud then dipped his head at Galadriel. "Forgive me my lady, but this is most serendipitous. The map you have shown us happens to be the battlegroup's destination. A large mining colony called Mago-Yochit."

"Love it when Master lends a little helping hand," Damien got off his seat, the Eight following suits, and enlarged Erik's map by pinching his thumb and forefinger. Although she tried to hide it, Galadriel cannot contain her awe at the technological display. "Where's the Hive and the manufactorums?"

"They were in the process of building it when everything went to hell," Yuki stared at the floating map, Valinor for the moment forgotten in the face of the more pressing 40k concern. "When was this picture taken?"

"Thirty years ago," Tangmo clasped his hands behind his back and struck his trademark badass commissar pose, chin jutted high and grim of visage. "The Ministorum marked the planet as interregnum five years ago, God knows how long the downward spiral went on beforehand."

"What's the latest message from the Astropaths?" Laura asked. "Have the Astronomican picked up anything of import?"

"From the screams cast into the Warp, we can assume that the situation is terminal," Henry added. "The planet is in its death throe."

"Please forgive me, honorable ladies and gentlemen," Galadriel interrupted the banter politely, "but it appears that I've been cast adrift from the conversation."

"Oh shit, sorry lady Galadriel," Tangmo waiied his apology and the Eight joined in profusely. "We kinda went into the zone there, sorry. But if you're wondering, our missions are overlapped so we'll be able to help."

"You have my eternal gratitude," the sheer vulnerable relief exuding from Galadriel was not something the Eight had expected, the elven lady had inevitably revealed to them the deep, and quite possibly personal, importance of this mission. The mask of propriety slipped back on less than a heartbeat later, the façade the Lady of Lothlorien now presented to the Eight was granite in stoicism. "How are we to reach this continent? As I understand it your battlegroup travel between the stars?"

"We do. Just imagine traveling by ship, it's the same concept but on a much vaster scale," Tangmo explained as he and the Eight seated themselves back down. "We've just exited the Warp, you remember how I said we go through hell to get from one place to another? Yeah, we just left hell a couple of hours ago. If I was to make an estimation, we should be arriving at Mago-Yochit within three days."

"That will give Sauron and his army plenty of time to consolidate," Galadriel was a little displeased by the news.

"All things consider, Sauron and his horde are probably dead by now," Laura made a nonchalant shrug. "How large is his army?"

"The might of five great warbands, even after the casualties we inflicted upon them I would estimate that Sauron is in command of more than fifty thousand orcs," the withering glance Galadriel bestowed upon Laura made her squirm uncomfortably in her seat. "I would ask that you do not make light of the Lord of Mordor and his host Laura, for I have seen what he has done to Middle-Earth and its people. Do not underestimate his malice and the will to dominate all life."

"No offense lady Galadriel but Middle-Earth, to put it generously, is the size of Europe with sixty percent of its landmass missing, and Sauron wasn't even able to conquer that," being the badass fearless Thai commissar that he was, Tangmo met Galadriel's piercing gaze with a bored one of his own. Taking a moment to enjoy the naked shock plastered upon the faces of the Eight, Tangmo held up a beseeching hand to Galadriel. "We are not dismissing the threat the Dark Lord possess, but the reality of the situation is that Sauron did not arrive on a peaceful planet but one embroiled in war."

"He can profit off the chaos," Galadriel countered Tangmo, "war, death and treachery is his dominion."

"That is most unlikely," Tangmo went on undeterred. "Morgoth and Sauron might be powerful, but they're nothing compare to the Chaos Gods, who have the home field advantage I might add. The planet had recently fallen to a Chaos uprising, aligned with Khorne according to preliminary report, nine billion screaming zealot hellbent on killing anything that moves. And to complicate matters even more, a sizeable ork WAAAGGH arrived two years ago, a splinter from a larger horde, pretty much turning the planet into a free for all. And these orks are not like the one Morgoth made, oh no, the smallest is as big as Damien over there, so it is very likely that Sauron is currently running for his life with a greatly depleted army."

Galadriel was silent for the minute that followed, her neutral expression unchanging as she turned her gaze to the holographic map, sharp eyes betrayed nothing but stern concentration. When she spoke again a small change had come over her posture, the rigidity easing after a soft exhale, "I wish for nothing but the swift recovery of Mandos's relic, but I am a foreigner to this world. Even the mundane familiarity of this room feels strange, a reflection of what I know but cast from a mirror where the angles and colors are alien to me." Galadriel offered the Eight a nod of acceptance. "All of you are the master of this realm, I will differ to your expertise on this matter."

"Thank you lady Galadriel, but seriously we're not masters of anything. All we've been doing is surviving the shit storm that comes our way, pardon my language," Tangmo and the Eight shared a laugh as he reached over to a chocolate éclair on the table. He took an indulgent bite, stopping his stomach from growling just in time, and bowed at Galadriel. "We are honored by your trust, and here I thought you would been snarling at me and saying that there's a tempest within you or something."

"A tempest within me? Come now Tangmo, I am a lot more eloquent than that," like anyone with a functioning braincell, Galadriel was not a fan of the quote, the lady of Lothlorien was unamused as she stared at Tangmo. "What possessed you to believe that I would say something so garish?"

"Uh…forget I said anything," Tangmo coughed nervously and returned his attention to the floating map. "Now, did Master gave you the possible location of Sauron and his little army?"

"He did," Tangmo mentally patted himself on the back for not snorting aloud when Galadriel pointed at a very amateur X plastered over the southern part of the parchment. The elven lady silenced the snickering Erik, Henry and Yuki with a glare so sharp that it could cleave a Titan in two. "I apologize if my resources are limited."

"An understandable handicap, given the discrepancy of technology," Nikki reached over to the map, arranging it so that the two-dimensional geography aligned with the three-dimensional one above. When that was done she tapped the required calculation across the hologram. "Okay, let's see if we can decipher the SpongeBob drawing…well shit Master, you sly motherfucker. Yo, the fucking ink he used was encrypted with analogue imprint that correspond with the Immortal Spirit's digital algorithm. All I have to do is scan the X and…!"

Galadriel couldn't stop a gasp of surprise when charts, tables and streams of data appeared around the hologram, orbiting it like the moons and the stars, the nexus where the information coalesced drew very pleased grunts from the Eight.

"A large rocky mountain range where nothing grows," Laura flashed her canine in a devious grin. "Quite fitting for Sauron, all things considered." The British inquisitor reached out and enlarged one of the glowing charts. "Gentle elevation, should be pretty easy to navigate."

"The place is surrounded by open-pit mines," Henry tapped these particular details on the map. "If Sauron showed up here, it is very likely that he and the orcs have already come into contact with the heretics in the area."

"The orks could've already overrun the mines," Lita stroke her chin thoughtfully. "Either way, the chances of Sauron remaining unscathed is slim."

"He could easily rally the orcs of this realm to his banner," Galadriel spoke up. "Creatures of darkness are susceptible to his influence."

"They're not the same. First off," Tangmo pointed at Damien, who proceeded to give Galadriel a playful wave. "Beside the spelling, c for orcs from Valinor and k for orks from 40k, the smallest of the green bastards is as tall as he is. Their only purpose of existence is to kill, and they love killing, even more than Morgoth's orcs by a lightyear margin. They're also dumb as hell and would probably try to eat Sauron."

"I see," Galadriel found Tangmo's description of Sauron getting maul by the orks to be very amusing, for she afforded the Thai commissar an unguarded grin of delight. "What is to happen now then?"

"We wait," Tangmo looked at his wristwatch, almost six o'clock. "More specifically, lady Galadriel, you will remain in Lita's suite until we reach the planet."

"Very well," Galadriel agreed easily, affording the Eight a less than serious disappointed face. "This great ship is a marvel beyond even elven comprehension. I would be lying if I say I didn't wish to explore, but I understand the need for secrecy."

"Thank you lady Galadriel, I would also ask that you refrain from using any power while inside the Immortal Spirit. There are way too many warlocks and sorcerers and nuns and inquisitors on the ship, a smidgen display of magic can draw their attention. Not to mention all the sensors we've installed to detect early onset of Chaos infiltration," Tangmo explained then tilted his head at the big blue jewelry on Galadriel's ring finger. "Is that Nenya?"

"It is, but worry not for the power within can only emerge at my command," Galadriel wiggled her fingers at Tangmo. "You cannot expect me to travel without the means to protect myself."

"That's understandable, but like Tangmo said you cannot do any Valinor magic here," Erik added. "People in this universe are rather paranoid, and dangerous, meaning they will react to any anomaly with violence."

"You have made your point," Galadriel conceded with a bow then shifted her attention back to the transparent panoramic wall. "If anything, I can continue to enjoy the view, to see the stars so close is nothing short of breathtaking."

"And when you get bored, I have this," Lita placed her spare data-pad on the table. "Since you'll be spending a little bit of time with us, I thought it would be prudent if you learn more about Warhammer 40,000. The lore is huge, to say the least, but I believe you can easily grab the gist of it."

"A novel idea Lita," Galadriel's eyes gleamed with interest but the gaze she bestowed upon the data-pad was less enthusiastic. "I must confess however that I do not know how to use the device you've proffered."

"Not to worry lady Galadriel," Lita flashed her winning smile. "After I'm done teaching, you'll be an expert in no time."

"Don't you have things to do?" Nikki spoke up, like everyone the Ukrainian exarch saw immediately that Lita was hogging Galadriel to herself. "You know, things like preparing the battlegroup for war?"

"Marwen and Tanrion got everything handled, my schedule should be free for today," Lita gave Nikki a look that say 'drop it'.

"How are we spinning this?" Yuki waved at Galadriel. "It goes without saying that we'll be escorting her to where Sauron is, Fellowship of the Ring style, but we can't just walk away from the battlegroup without a good reason."

"Oh that's easy," Lita said. "I'll just say I meditated during the Warp transit and receive a vision telling me to go to this particular place. That should be a good enough alibi."

"Change it to you meditating after leaving the Warp, hence the reason why you're spending large amount of time indoor," Damien got up from his seat, put his awesome Astarte helm back on, and tapped the side. "I have to go, the Astartes are requesting I attend the briefing. Fill me in when the plan has a definable shape." He bowed lowly at Galadriel. "I would love to spend more time with you lady Galadriel, but my duty to the battlegroup beckons. I shall see you later."

"Same goes for most of us," taking Damien's cue, Tangmo and the Eight minus Lita stood up and made their formal goodbye. "If you have any question or require assistance, contact us immediately without delay. Stay safe lady Galadriel."

"Thank you," Galadriel offered the Eight a respectful bow. Tangmo was about to turn around when the Lady of Lothlorien spoke up, her words tinged with curiosity. "I must admit to being surprise, I had expected some resistance from all of you when I enquired for help, and I personally know how such imposition can lead to impolite interaction. Yet all of you accepted my request without hesitation. I am touched and happy by your forthright willingness to help me, but I am curious to the reason."

"It's just the right thing to do, nothing more, nothing less, we're simple people like that," Tangmo tipped his awesome commissar cap at Galadriel. "Besides, it's been a while since we had an epic crossover like this, it's gonna be fun."

"A special mission you say? I don't know whether to envy or mourn this development Tangmo."

"A little bit of both will be nice Cain."

Tangmo and Ciaphas Cain shared a companionable laugh as they gazed upon the awning hangar of the Immortal Spirit from a raised platform which granted them an encompassing view of the industrious call to arms. Trucks and anti-grav platforms bearing ammos, from shells to plasma cells to kilometer long belts of bolts, sped down the many wide thoroughfares to deliver their cargos. Guardsmen, eldars and Sororitas gathered into companies, platoons and squads as they received the order of battle before marching crisply toward waiting Valkyries and Airavata carriers. Claxon horns resounded at frequent interval, heralding phalanx of tanks rumbling into gigantic transport crafts for the planetary incursion to come. No matter how many times he saw the rousing military display, Tangmo couldn't stop his blood from singing in exaltation.

"There will be great dangers ahead," Severina Raine made her stern comment, but beneath the granite exterior Tangmo was able to detect a hint of concern. "Visions and prophecies can only lead to ruination. Not that I don't trust Warseer Lita, but machination beyond our control could very well be at work here."

"I'm not going alone Raine, don't worry," Tangmo responded easily, his confidence elevating some of her trepidation. "All my friends are coming with me, and one of them is an Ultramarine captain."

"A significant portion of the battlegroup's high command," Cain offered Tangmo a sideway glance. "It is not every day that I agree with Severina, but the convenience of this enterprise is suspicious to say the least."

"Dude, me and my homies survived Trazyn the Infinite, this little sojourn for a possible Imperium or Aeldari relic would be a walk in the park," Tangmo knew his commissar buddies were just worried, so he offered them a toothy grin. "I'm touch by your concern, truly, but I'll be okay. We'll be gone for a couple of days at most."

"The troops can have some practice fighting without you leading them," Leilatha made her input, Tangmo had briefed her on the situation several days prior. The lady commissar took the news with easy levity, probably realizing by now that Tangmo have plot armor. "I noticed how they've become too dependent on your person and the ensuing antics."

"They'll be fine," Tangmo and Leilatha shared a brief companionable glance. "They have you to lead them after all. Don't sell yourself short Leila, the respect you command is astronomical compare to me."

"You seem to be taking this in stride," Raine quirked a less then serious brow at Leilatha.

"Compare to the things he'd done in the past, this is tame by comparison," Leilatha shifted her gaze to the right and nudged her chin in that direction. "Warseer Lita is here, you'll be embarking soon…who is that with her?"

"Oh yeah, she had taken in a ward after the last campaign," Tangmo recited the lie regarding Galadriel's identity. "The woman will be accompanying her on this mission."

"A poor addition, she'll be a burden to all of you," Raine clasped her hands behind her back, eyes narrowed critically on the Lady of Lothlorien. "The girl can't even put one step in front of the other without tripping, and she can barely hold the shuriken catapult upright."

"Why would the lady Warseer take someone with obviously no military training, dress her up in a war panoply, and drag her toward certain danger?" Goddamn it Cain, why did your sleuthing instinct have to kick in now?! Keeping his cool, Tangmo remained impassive as the Hero of the Imperium turned to him questioningly. "Did she give a reason why she was bringing the ward along?"

"She saw it in her vision apparently," sensing how his awesome commissar coat was suddenly getting more stuffy and hot, Tangmo made his goodbye to the gathered political officers with a polite tipping of his awesome commissar cap. "Welp, I better get going, Lita's always want things to be punctual. See you guys in a few days."

"Emperor speed my friend."

"Good luck Tangmo."

After giving Cain and Raine firm handshakes, Tangmo unfurled his arms and wrapped Leilatha up in a hug, the lady commissar reciprocating with light pats on the back, "I'll be back soon, don't worry."

"I've no doubt about it," Leilatha's trust in him was heartening and Tangmo couldn't help but laugh. She disengaged from the embrace and pointed over his shoulder. "Your tardiness is drawing ire from the lady Warseer."

"I can see that," Lita was flapping her arms furiously above her head, prompting Tangmo to head for the stairs at the end of the platform. "Keep me posted guys."

The three commissars all voiced their assent as Tangmo stepped back on to the hangar proper, expertly navigating through the throng of energetic guardsmen and eldars going about their business of war, reaching Lita and Galadriel within moments. No longer wearing her trademark elven gown, Galadriel was currently clad in a standard Biel-Tan Guardian armor to hide her identity, and up close Tangmo saw that Raine's earlier assessments were correct, the Lady of Lothlorien did not wear her war gears well.

"Everything ready?" Lita was nodding her answer when Tangmo turned to Galadriel, his face scrunched up in a grimace. "Christ almighty, can you fix up her armor please? The pauldrons and the belt especially, damn thing looks like it's gonna fall off."

"I tried, but she's smaller than the average Aeldari," Lita made her adjustment and dipped her head in apology. "No offense meant my lady."

"None taken Lita," Galadriel bowed lowly in deference to the Mexican Warseer, playing the role of a ward to perfection. "Armors and raiments of war are not my forte after all."

"I remember you being described as an Amazonia beauty who participated in many athletic events," the corner of Tangmo's lips tugged up slyly. "And were you not the general of the Northern Army at one point?"

"Competing in friendly competition is vastly different from fighting in combat, Tangmo. Although I am no stranger to war, I rarely find myself as frontline combatant, until recently that is," Galadriel stared at him, and Tangmo was sure the elven lady was quirking her brow. "A general, Tangmo? Truly, I wish to find the source of your absurd stories about my person."

"You and me both, but Master forbade it, fucking pussy," Tangmo stifled a chuckle when Galadriel recoiled visibly from his impolite language and turned to Lita. "The Thunderhawk is ready?"

"Yeah, everyone's waiting for us," Lita took off quickly, Tangmo and Galadriel falling into steps behind her, the quickened speed drawing curious looks from nearby guardsmen and eldars. "Let's get over there before we run into any complication."

Tangmo was about to hiss at Lita not to fucking jinx their chances when, lo and behold, a complication did arise. Not just any normal complication too, oh no, that would be too easy for them, the 40k universe must've had a very sick sense of humor because who else would appear from a row of Fire Prisms and Exorcists but Lady Celestine and her eminence Isha. Stopping himself from shooting a glare at Lita, Tangmo was at least glad that the two divine women were not accompanied by their usual entourage of canonesses and Dire Avengers, unfortunately this did very little to improve their predicament.

"Ah, lady Warseer, lord commissar, we were just looking for you," Isha was her cheery self as she headed straight for them, Tangmo already frayed nerves worsened when he noticed how the entirety of Celestine's attention was fixed on Galadriel. "We wanted to wish you luck on your mission."

"Thank you your eminence, my lady Saint," Lita and Tangmo bowed politely at Isha and Celestine, Galadriel mirroring their movement perfectly. "You don't need to worry, we'll be back in a few days."

"We shall eagerly await your safe return," Celestine said, her brightening luminescent eyes never leaving Galadriel. "This is the ward you have mentioned?"

"Yes she is," Lita waved Galadriel forward, the Lady of Lothlorien complying dutifully. "This is Galadriel, once of the Ynnari. She was thought to be muted and catatonic by her peers until our campaign against the Acorium Federation, the sight of Isha had brought her spirit back to life."

"It is an honor to meet you, lady Celestine, lady Isha," Galadriel made her greeting with an elegant bow, too elegant for Tangmo's liking. Also, she mispronounced both Celestine and Isha's name. "I am honor to be in your most divine presence."

"A very articulate mute," God fucking damn it, why did the 40k characters had to be so fucking observant today?! Tangmo was trying to formulate an escape plan when Celestine took a step closer to Galadriel, the elf's refusing to be cowed by the Living Saint. "Were you closely associated with Yvraine and Lelith?"

"I merely serve the Ynnari in what way I can," Galadriel repeated the rehearsed line. "But after witnessing the glory that is the great goddess Isha, I saw where my path truly lies and joined the battlegroup. Lady Warseer Lita was gracious enough to take me in."

"She's not an Ynnari spy Celestine, don't worry," Tangmo interceded and nudged his head at Lita. "She and Laura were very thorough."

"An unfortunate but necessary protocol," Isha rejoined the conversation and bowed at Galadriel. "It is a pleasure to have you with us Galadriel, I can tell that you're pure of heart. You have a very beautiful name, were you originally from one of the Craftworld?"

"She hailed from Biel-Tan your eminence," Lita interceded before Galadriel can make more suspicious mispronunciations. She then tapped her earbud and nodded sharply. "Please forgive my rudeness your eminence, my lady Saint, but our departure is eminent. Commander Ae-Shin and the vanguard squadrons are ready to breach the planet."

"My blessing go with you all, please stay safe," Isha waved her goodbye as Lita and Galadriel jogged toward the waiting Thunderhawk. Tangmo however remained behind.

"You going down with the first wave?" Tangmo clasped his hands behind his back and affected a cool nonchalant pose for Celestine, hoping a little normal conversation will ease the tension.

"We are, the Sororitas and the guardsmen will attack from the north while the Astartes and Aeldari take the south," Celestine answered and Tangmo was very pleased to see the Living Saint relaxing, hell, even her eyes stopped glowing. "Our targets will be the strongholds and citadels of the heretics, hopefully the STC is still intact."

"And the Marines and eldars will deal with the orks," Tangmo offered his charming grin, earning a less then serious snort from Celestine. "This should be right up your alley then, kinda jealous you guys will be having all the fun."

"I'll be sure to spare a few heretics for you and your friends," Celestine's mood hardened with such jarring suddenness that Tangmo was physically taken aback. "Stay safe lord commissar, may you return to us swiftly."

"I will," Tangmo gave his solemn promise. "This little detour won't take long, we'll be fine."

"That ward, you cannot trust her," Celestine closed her distant with Tangmo, effectively looming over him. "There's something odd about that woman, an unnaturalness that goes to the very core of her soul, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed she was a psyker of some sort. And as we've learned in recent days, not even Aeldari are free of corruption."

"I can kill her quick enough if she tries anything, you have my word on this," Tangmo was about to say more when Lita, Damien and Ae-Shin all bombarded him with urgent transmission, all telling him to hurry the fuck up. "I gotta go, we're already running behind schedule. Thank you for the warning lady Celestine."

Giving Celestine and Isha a quick parting wai, Tangmo spun on his heels and sprinted for the revving Thunderhawk, Damien having started the engines as a mean of spurring him to greater speed. It worked magnificently, because in the short distant it took to reach the Space Marine transport Tangmo was dodging and jumping over troops and machines like it was a chase scene from a Tony Jaa movie.

"Goddamn it you asshole, chill the fuck out!" Tangmo spat the moment he leapt inside the Thunderhawk. He hasn't even begun to gather his breathe when the ramp slammed shut, the resulting high-pitched squawk was of great guffawing entertainment to the Eight. "And fuck all of you too, enjoyed that didn't you?"

"We sure did," Damien's voice blared from the intercom, the Canadian Astartes was currently in the cockpit since he was the only one big enough to fly this tub. "And don't get testy with me bro, I did you a favor."

"How did you figure that?" Tangmo asked, Damien powering down the engines as they waited for the tracer beam.

"Greyfax probably had a sniper rifle trained on your head," Damien went on. "You were getting a bit too lovely dovey with Celestine."

"He's right," Erik spoke up before Tangmo can brush aside Damien's absurd comment, the Swedish elf's no-nonsense tone sent ice shooting down his spine. "Minus the sniper rifle, Greyfax was watching you from a balcony above the mustering area like a freaking yandere."

"More like a psycho jealous girlfriend if you ask me," Damien verbalized a shrug then made his tone mechanical ala an airline pilot. "Ladies and gentlemen uh…please take your seat uh…we will be taking off momentarily uh…there will be some turbulence uh…drinks and snacks will be served shortly."

Although this was an Astartes transport, Damien had made certain modification so that it would be more friendly to normal size human and eldars, one such addition to the venerated war machine was the double rows of economy class seats situated next to the portholes on both sides of the ship. Wanting ample space to stretch his legs, Tangmo headed for the front row and found none other than Galadriel occupying the window seat. Brow quirking, Tangmo snapped his head down the aisle and found all of his friends seated behind the elven woman, Lita included, the Mexican Warseer giving him a mischievous thumb up.

"You are welcome to join me Tangmo," Galadriel waved politely at the empty spot beside her, and holy shit seeing the famous Lord of the Rings heroine wearing an Aeldari helm was super weird.

"Okay, wouldn't want to be impolite," Tangmo shrugged and plopped himself down beside Galadriel. "Not that I have any manners to begin with."

"Rough though your exterior may be, you have shone yourself capable of decorum when the occasion calls for it," Galadriel offered then started fumbling with the conical Guardian helm. "Now, how do I take this thing off again?"

"Keep it on," Tangmo said the same moment the Thunderhawk gave a brief but powerful shudder, causing Galadriel to yelp in distress. Outside the hangar was speeding across the portholes, the Thunderhawk having been caught inside the tracer beam and was getting carried to the drop zone. "Wait until we're in space before taking it off, there could be people watching."

"Of course Tangmo," Galadriel nodded and primly placed her hands on her lap, shuffling a little bit to make herself comfortable on the barebone iron seat. "What is happening now, if I may ask?"

"The ship is currently levitating above the ground courtesy of an anti-gravity tracer beam. Quantifiable energy that can be used to move object similar to telekinesis," Tangmo made his explanation. "We are being positioned above a barrier that will allow us to phase out of the Immortal Spirit and into the empty void beyond. With that in mind I need you to strap on the seatbelt, because the drop is gonna feel like you've just jump off a cliff with rockets strapped to your back."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand your meaning – AHHHH!" Galadriel shrieked and got a good three feet of air time when the tracer beam disappeared and the Thunderhawk plummeted into space. She landed with an undignified oof and was slipping off her seat when Damien punched the thrusters, the force launching her into the back rest. "By Eru and all that is holy!"

"See that two leather belts beside you? You attach the heads over your stomach and then tighten it," lady Galadriel proved herself more capable than Dr. Grant when, despite not being familiar with the technology, managed to strap herself in. "Nice, now you can sit back, relax and enjoy the flight."

"I doubt I'll be able to enjoy this," Galadriel slowed her heaving breath and sat up straight until she was proper and ladylike. The Lady of Lothlorien then pointed at the Guardian helm encasing her head. "May I take this off now?"

"Go ahead," with a less then polite speed, Galadriel removed the Aeldari helm and placed it down on the ground. Tangmo honestly tried to look away but he couldn't pry his eyes from the legendary elf woman as she shook her wavy, sweaty hair loose with a pleased sigh like it was shampoo commercial. She caught Tangmo looking and chuckled when the Thai commissar turned away, his awesome commissar cap doing little to hide his blush. "Sorry mam."

"Unlike some people, you possess enough decency to apologize," Galadriel brushed aside his concern with a wave of the hand before glancing at the porthole, awe brightening her face. "So this is how you traverse the stars. Tell me, do you do this every time when entering a planet?"

"Yes," Tangmo said. "You're lucky, orbital entry aren't usually this smooth."

"This is smooth?" Galadriel was quirking an amused brow when her eyes widened suddenly. "There are other ships flying parallel to us, a great many ships too, like an armada sailing to war."

"Fighters and bombers jet, they'll be escorting us for a while before breaking off to harass the ork's fleet," Tangmo leaned forward and gave the porthole a little wave, maybe Ae-Shin will catch it. "Anti-air defenses usually kicked in by now, the impacts tossing us all over the place, similar to when a ship get caught in a storm."

"We can give thanks to this little bit of luck then," Galadriel detached herself from the window and ease back into the seat, Tangmo growing a bit concern by how deflated the elven woman appeared, it was not what he'd expected from one of the most famous Lord of the Rings characters. She noticed him looking and made a resigned exhale. "Please forgive me Tangmo, but I am quite overwhelmed."

"I understand," Tangmo said. "Just a warning though, when we enter the planet the Thunderhawk will catch fire for a short period of time, so don't freak out when that happened."

"Thank you for the warning," Galadriel tried to smile but her lips never seem to reach her eyes. She sat up straighter, looking almost like her normal regal self, then said. "Never once in my life have I been struck with such a sense of insignificant, especially after reading the history of this universe."

"Quite a lot longer than the history of Middle-Earth, wasn't it?" Tangmo smirked toothily. "Which part did you read? Old Earth? The Dark Age of Technology? The Horus Heresy?"

"Mostly concerning your sovereign, the God Emperor, a brief retelling of the Horus Heresy and the immediate events following that cataclysmic war," Galadriel said. "Lita was very good at condensing everything."

"Oh yeah, Lita's always good with newbies, she has ways with words," Tangmo continued. "And? How did you find our charming little universe?"

"Charming is definitely not the word I would use," Galadriel said, outside Tangmo caught glimpses of the jets peeling away from the Thunderhawk. "Can I be utterly honest with my reception Tangmo?"

"Not a fan?" Tangmo gave Galadriel a knowing look, he was actually kinda sad the elven lady wasn't vibing with the grim darkness of the forty second millennium.

"Not in the slightest," Galadriel's visage took on a sad contemplative aspect. "When I said it made me feel insignificant, I was not referring to the grand scope of this universe, but the appalling misery it had suffered. From what I've read about the Imperium of Man it is a tyrannical autocratic religious government devoted fanatically and fatally to the God Emperor who sits dying upon a throne of gold. And in the ten thousand years since its founding the Imperium had been waging continuous wars against a myriad of enemies that are both terrible and uncountable. I found it to be very bleak."

"If I remember correctly, Valinor and Middle-Earth isn't exactly free of apocalyptic war," Tangmo knew there was no comparison between the battles waged in 40k and LOTR, not to mention the morality and consequences of each conflict, but he wanted to play out this conversation. The hums and rumbles of the Thunderhawk was a constant background noise, but Tangmo can clearly hear his friends shuffling closer. "Didn't every age end with great heroic battle between good and evil?"

"True, but peace was plentiful and long, moments where one could heal and reflects on the sanctity of life," Galadriel hesitated for a moment before pressing on. "The line drawn between good and evil is also clear."

"The Imperium is not the good guy, if that's what you're wondering," Tangmo shrugged, no point trying to sugarcoat the bloodiest cruelest regime imaginable. "When survival is the only goal, nebulous concept like good and evil takes a back seat."

"I find that to be extremely dangerous," Galadriel said, a hard edge coming to her voice. "If there is no morality to teeter one's action, if good and evil cannot be clearly be defined, then all bloody acts and atrocities committed in the name of survival, also a nebulous term, can be excused and brushed aside. This will charter all toward a future of hopelessness, despair, and finally annihilation."

"You have just completely encapsulated the core of this universe," Tangmo offered Galadriel a sardonic grin. "In the grim darkness of the forty second millennium, there is only war."

"How do you live with it, all the deaths left in your wake?" Coming from other people the question might've sounded condescending and judgmental, but the earnest sympathy and worry radiating from Galadriel was so touching that Tangmo almost choked up. "I have always assumed the Eight to be nothing but brash youths under Mr. Master's employment but now…I cannot even begin to imagine how heavily this must weigh upon your soul. Your fortitude speaks volume about your character, and if you and your friends ever need a place of peace and sanctuary then you will find it in Valinor, this I give my promise."

"Thank you lady Galadriel, truly," flustered to hell, Tangmo did his best to compose himself and keep his cool persona intact. The look of endearment on Galadriel's face indicated that he had failed miserably. "As for our souls, well, we're not exactly good guys to begin with, so none of us really feel that bad. In this universe, we indulge in villainy when the opportunity presents itself, and it can be very petty and lacking in maturity. Just ask the poor fuckers we've just murdered a few weeks ago."

"I can hardly expect you not to bear the stain of this universe, but I am impeccable when it comes to judging the character and motive of the people I meet. You might not possess the exemplar virtue of Aragon or Faramir or Théoden or Arwen, but your heart is good, no matter how hard you try to hide it," Galadriel was about to say more when fire started blazing outside the portholes. Thanks to Tangmo's earlier warning, the elven woman only reaction was to stab her thumb at the quaking flame. "This is supposed to happen, yes?"

"Oh yeah. You still have your seatbelt on? Good, good," Tangmo leaned back into his seat and, in the moment when the fiery quake of reentry stopped, saw out of the corner of his eyes the heads of his friends poking from behind the edge of his seat. They all ducked away and feigned nonchalance when he spun around, Yuki and Erik even whistling the opening notes of Ue o Muite Aruko. "You know, if you fucking cowards wanna hang out with the famous lady Galadriel, you can just join me instead of eavesdropping like a buncha pussy."

"That's why we have you to test the water mate!" Laura and the Eight laughed aloud, even Galadriel chuckled a bit.

"Please, do not be frighten good warriors," Galadriel spoke up. "I am a very welcoming and friendly person."

"Thing is, we all remember, and saw, that whole all shall love me and despair thing," Tangmo smirked.

"Come now Tangmo, that only happens a few times," Galadriel winked and Tangmo had no idea if she was joking or not.

"LZ coming up, make ready," Damien voice boomed across the hall, prompting Tangmo to remove the seatbelt and got up as the Thunderhawk started descending. He reached into the storage unit above and withdrew his Zetton lasgun, making a show of checking the many attachments for the watching Galadriel.

"Enemies?" Laura already had the hellgun in her hand as she went to help Galadriel up, right on time too because the elven lady would've made a pretty bad stumble when the Thunderhawk touched down on the ground.

"Multiple lifeforms detected, get ready to kill," Damien emerged from the cabin and with the Eight and Galadriel went to stand before the lowering ramp, the air rushing inside was dry and coarse.

"Erik, Lita, take the rear. Henry, Nikki, left flank, Laura you're with me on the right. Damien, Yuki, front and center," Tangmo gave his command and the Eight swiftly fall into the correction position, the Thai commissar then turned to find a bareheaded Galadriel standing in the middle of the protective square. "Where's your helmet?"

"Forgive me Tangmo, but I prefer not to put it on," Galadriel exemplified this point by tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Fine, but keep your head down," Tangmo groaned and braced the lasgun when the ramp slammed down on the ground with a concussive bang. "Let's go!"

The Eight rushed outside, Galadriel impressively matching pace with them, and haven't taken more than ten steps when they slowed to a stop, all eyes trained upward at the tall rusty pole and the ragged canvas fluttering weakly in the breeze.

"Well fucking shit," Tangmo spared the Eight Pointed Star of Chaos and the freshly decapitated heads dangling from the iron frame a brief disdainful look before turning to Galadriel, almost grinning when he saw the shock on her face. "You're about to get a firsthand crash course on Warhammer 40k."