Note from the author. "Sorry for the hiatus. My stressful job, travelling, and other projects had to put this off for a while. I always planned for this to be the last chapter before a part two, but I needed to leave things on at a good point, so I overthought at times. Thank you for being patient."
Chapter 10: and the laughter of thirsting gods.
Belvedere felt that everything happened so fast when Walter had his bizarre panic attack. After Inquisitor Hathorne had ordered Corwin to stand down, everyone was forced out of Aphrodite's room, while Hathorne was left alone with Walter. Even Belvedere's guards were dismissed as this was "Inquisitor business now," according to Ms. Hathorne. Kara was pacing back and forth like a predatory Phyrr cat while Grolsch spoke on the comm-link about progress on Malcula. Belvedere was left alone to comfort his daughter as they waited outside her room.
As he patted his little girl, he tried to understand why Walter would ask if the God-Emperor was ever referred to as the Blood God. As any high-ranking Imperium citizen would know, "The Blood God" was another name for the Chaos God Khorne. Belvedere knew Walter was no devotee of Chaos. None of the Eldar were. Even the most depraved Dark Eldar hated and feared the ruinous powers above all else. Perhaps he feared Corwin was a follower, which, sadly, was more credible than any Eldar being a Chaos follower. As invincible and incorruptible as the Imperium would like to believe, there were Space Marines who turned their back on everything the Emperor had built. If Walter, a psyker like all his kind, saw a vision, he might have seen Corwin's rampage earlier that morning. Without context, Belvedere might also have assumed Corwin was an agent of evil if he were the Eldar boy. Even with proper context, Corwin was still excessive and bloodthirsty.
However, if Walter was ignorant of being an Eldar and the Imperium, how had he heard the title Blood God before? Belvedere wished to ask Walter, but Corwin guarded the entranceway as Inquisitor Hathorne interrogated him. The Space Marine was holding the same bolter he used to kill the Malculian protesters.
"Father! Did Master Corwin mean to kill me?" Aphrodite asked.
"No, no, my dear," Belvedere assured her. "If Corwin were going to kill anyone, it would have been the Xeno."
"But he won't. The Inquisitor won't, will they? We made Walter a sanctioned Xeno."
"Better you should have just killed the Xeno, Rogue Trader," Corwin growled.
"Didn't Abigail say she didn't see Walter as a threat?" Kara argued. Her tone was angry and without fear, but she avoided looking at Corwin. Belvedere sweated as he remembered how effortlessly Corwin killed Malculians. If Kara had seen that, he doubted she would have spoken to Corwin in such a way.
"Threat or not, every Xeno is destined to die," Corwin responded, his voice rising. "For every Xeno slain, a human soul is saved!"
Kara grew pale and backed away. Her hands were clenched into fists and shaking, but she seemed to understand the danger of a Deathwatch Astartes. Belvedere sighed with relief until his daughter spoke up.
"But I don't want him to die yet," Aphrodite cried. "He's such a nice Xeno."
She said it in the same tone she would use when begging Belvedere for a new pet. He knew it was nothing more than fascination instead of genuine affection. Every Rogue Trader loved flaunting exotic Xenos that no one else in the Imperium could keep in their company. But what did that matter to a member of the Deathwatch?
"Are you defending that creature?" Corwin accused. He stomped away from the door and towards Aphrodite. One step was too much for Belvedere. He shielded his daughter and raised his laspistol at Corwin's face. In the corner of his eyes, he saw the mechanisms in Grolsch's head spark and whirl about.
"Lord Captain, don't," Grolsch nearly pleaded.
Belvedere stopped listening. No amount of logic and statistics could sway Belvedere. This Space Marine was threatening his daughter. The greatest thing he ever made, the brightest star in the galaxy, and a reminder to Belvedere of the goodness humanity can achieve. The massacre on Malcula was vile and horrid, but Belvedere could see the reason behind it. However, he would not risk the same fate befalling his Aphrodite. He was just as terrified as he was on the ship to Malcula, but now he was willing to take the risk. Besides, a good shot through those cracked visors could pierce Corwin's skull. Not even Space Marines were immortal. He'd deal with whatever happened afterward, but Belvedere decided to give his only warning on the off chance he missed.
"I have been patient with you until now, Master Corwin. Do what you see fit to protect the Imperium on Malcula, but this is my ship. You are never to make my daughter feel unsafe on our family ship. Head back to the hanger and await Inquisitor Abigal Hathorne."
Corwin moved his bolter. Belvedere didn't have time to comprehend if he was merely adjusting it or was going to aim it at any of them before it happened. Grolsch grabbed the barrel of the bolter and crushed it with his metal hand. If Corwin had pulled the trigger, the bolter shell would have exploded in the chamber and killed both men. Thankfully, he didn't.
"Leave," Grolsch commanded Corwin.
Corwin stood like a statue, frozen in what Belvedere could only guess was anger and confusion.
"Your speed and strength. You were a neophyte Astartes," Corwin said, sounding perplexed. "Of the Iron Hands chapter, I presume, given your bionics. What are you doing on this fool's Starship?"
"That fool is my captain, and he ordered you to leave."
Corwin put his broken bolter away and walked down the hallway to the nearest elevator shaft. Everyone stood still and silent until they stopped hearing the echoing footsteps.
"What's a neophyte Astartes?" Kara asked Grolsch when Corwin had finally gone. "Are you a Space Marine, too?"
"I almost was," Grolsch answered. "A neophyte is when a young aspirant begins getting organ transplants to become a fully fledged Space Marine. I never got past the catalepsean node. That's all I'll say on the matter."
Belvedere grinned and spun his laspistol with his fingers before tossing it in his holster. Aphrodite smiled the same way she always did when she saw that trick. Belvedere felt he could take on an Ork Warboss after standing up to Corwin. When Belvedere finished the trick, he approached Grolsh to congratulate his most trusted friend for helping him again. However, once he was within arm's reach, he felt several teeth become knocked loose as Grolsch slapped him. Belvedere's jaw might have split if it had been with the metallic hand.
"Dammit, Belvedere!" Grolsch scolded through gritted teeth. "Inquisitor Hathorne is looking for any excuse to discredit you, and you just gave her one! Thank the Emperor for Corwin not killing us all for that. He still might try later."
As images of the Malcula massacre returned to Belvedere, the pain he felt in his jaw worsened. He felt sick and unsteady, unable to stand up without Kara and Aphrodite's help.
"What's there for Hathorne to be mad about?" Kara said with a smile. "We told Corwin to leave, and he took the suggestion. Unfortunately, his gun broke down."
Grolsch raised an eyebrow at this. Aphrodite wiped away the last of her tears before asking, "Kara, are you suggesting we lie to an Inquisitor?"
"Nope. I'm just being selective with the truth. It's a lot easier than lying.
Aphrodite squalled with delight and hugged Kara tightly. She vainly protested, which made Belvedere laugh. He still wasn't sure about Walter, but Kara had proven to be more than ten times her weight in credits. In Belvedere's eyes, most of the value came from her being Aphrodite's friend, especially considering her condition.
While Aphrodite wasn't a true blank, she was still psionically dense. Normally, every creature capable of thinking and feeling emotions had a presence in the Warp. Aphrodite had less than the average person. Being a partial blank protected her from evil psykers and daemonic possession, but left her with an eerie presence that repelled others around her. Even Belvedere, who loved Aphrodite with the intensity of a supergiant star, always felt something was missing in his child. The sensation was uncomfortable and hard to describe. It is often said that animals are the first to tell when something is wrong with their environment, so perhaps this was the same instinct. A primal sense that could tell when an unwanted mutation had entered the gene pool. To him, it was like she had a hair standing up on end or a smudge on her face that she couldn't wipe off. In other words, being near Aphrodite felt slightly awkward, but he could ignore it, especially as Aphrodite was such a lovely girl. Many others had told him that she tended to annoy them just by standing next to them. However, powerful psykers would feel hatred and disgust, viewing her as a monster akin to an ork. Even Phlamel, who appreciated her kindness, took years to tolerate being in the same room as her.
While it pleased Belvedere that Kara could look past Aphrodite's quirk, he was pleasantly surprised to hear that Walter was quite the gentleman to her. Given that Eldar was a psyker, there was no telling what it was like to him. Had Aphrodite been born a true blank, Walter might have tried to kill her.
Belvedere's mind turned to darker thoughts when the door to Aphrodite's room opened. Stumbling outside was Walter, cross-eyed but free from any injuries outside of his freshly branded hand. It was hard to believe that this was the naturally stealthy being who had caught him off guard the night before.
"Walter! Are you okay?" Kara asked, forcing herself out of Aphrodite's grasp.
The Eldar swayed back and forth and gave the dumbest smile. He chuckled at Kara before answering her in a slurred speech.
"Heh, heh. Wady stopped me wom seeing colows."
"Walter, what's wrong with you?" Kara asked.
Walter could only answer with more gibberish before Inquisitor Hathorne shoved him aside. Belvedere bit down on his loosened teeth and tried to hide his disgust. She laughed as she petted her cat-like Grynix, who was resting in her arms. He didn't see it enter the room and wondered how and when it had snuck in.
"What an enjoyable find this Eldar is. You certainly know how to find odd Xenos," Hathorne said to Belvedere.
"What did you do to him?" Kara shouted.
"I gave him Admylladox. It's a painkiller that clears the mind. I've never had a chance to give it to an Eldar before, but it seemed appropriate. It should wear off soon. Would you prefer if I killed him, Ms. Kara Hume?"
Kara stood down.
"What did you talk to him about?" Belvedere asked Hathorne.
"That's confidential. What happened to your face?"
"That's confidential," Belvedere said, rubbing the bruise Grolsch gave him.
"What happened to your face?" Hathorne repeated, narrowing her organic eye.
"My Seneschal slapped me."
"You allow your crew to do that?" Hathorne said, dripping with mocking sympathy.
"Only when he's being foolish," Grolsch answered.
Hathorne nodded. "Have you considered a career change to an Inquisitorial Acolyte?"
"No. Have you finished your investigation?"
Hathorne sighed. "I suppose so. You run an odd ship, Romulius, but nothing that breaches the agreements of your Warrant of Trade. I'll attend to a few things on Malcula before I leave this sector. Now, where is Master Corwin?"
"His bolter broke, and he went to the hanger to fix it," Kara answered.
"That's not like him. What happened?" She said, using her compelling voice.
Belvedere watched with glee as Kara maintained a neutral expression. "His gun broke, and he left."
Hathorne's Grynix hissed at Kara but relaxed when Hathorne rubbed behind its ears. Hathorne hummed and focused her bionic eye on Kara. After examining her for a few seconds, the Inquisitor turned around and walked down the same hallway Corwin had used. When she was out of sight, Belvedere activated his comm-link, contacting the pilot he had met earlier that morning.
"Miss. Elly, are you still by the hanger?"
"Yes, Lord Captain!" her chipper voice answered.
"Good. Inform me when Inquisitor Hathorne has left the ship with her retinue."
Belvedere and his team moved back into Aphrodite's room as they waited for Elly's response. In the meantime, Grolsch, Kara, and Belvedere searched Aphrodite's room for any devices the Inquisitor might have hidden. Even when they didn't find anything, Belvedere made a mental note to have Aphrodite sleep in a different room until he could get a team to sweep for cameras and microphones.
"The Inquisitor just left. She seemed in a good mood. Should I be worried?" Elly said through the comm-link.
"No. I think the worst is over. Thank you for your service." Belvedere then hung up. "Now, I believe a good rest is in order."
"The only place I'll be resting is back home," Kara responded. "I'm done. Walter is healed, and the witch-hunter lady is gone. I want to go home. I want Walter to come with me. I don't care what you do with Malcula. Just leave us out of it."
Aphrodite frowned. "But I still wanted you to try other dresses."
"My dear Kara, you possess talent. A silver tongue. Wouldn't you like to use that to gain riches across the galaxy?" Belvedere asked, hoping to keep his daughter's friend.
"No," Kara responded. "I just want to survive."
"That is…a shame. I truly hoped to use you as a spokeswoman."
"Why?"
"Well, your abilities aside, you were the first person I encountered on Malcula. You're a novelty, and there's a romantic story we can spin of a poor farm girl being uplifted by the Imperium. Commoners love stories like that, and it should make integrating this planet easier."
"The Alfredsons…my family, they aren't poor!"
"Splendid!" Belvedere said. "Your story just becomes more uplifting, Kara. A destitute child lost and without purpose is taken in by humble farmers, and for all her hard work and struggles, she is rewarded by the God-Emperor's noble explorer."
Aphrodite clapped at her father's words. Kara, however, turned red.
"So I'm just a trophy to show off? A pet project?" she asked, shouting.
"Yes," Belvedere said. He hardly noticed the resentment in Kara's voice. He couldn't comprehend how anyone wouldn't want to work for a fabulously wealthy Rogue Trader.
"How about a deal?" Grolsch spoke up. "The Inquisitor knows about you. She'll likely want to investigate your family. To see how much interaction they've had with the Eldar. They will be in danger, but we can help them with Hathorne and any other Inquisitors that may come to this planet in the future. Be Belvedere's puppet, and we'll do all we can to keep them safe. Witnesses, bribes, warnings, whatever we can get away with under the Inquisition's nose."
Kara thought it over, sitting on a couch with a recovering Walter. She looked at him once before exhaling. "Fine," she answered. "But when this is over, I want to go back home. I want to go back to the Alfredsons' farm. I want compensation for dealing with the Inquisitor and speaking for the Imperium."
Belvedere smiled. "For your troubles, I'll give your farm enough servitors so that no one will have to work there for generations."
"No more servitors! Just money, for maybe some off-world plants we can grow."
"Fair enough. Anything else?"
"I want Walter to come home with me."
"No," a groggy voice mumbled. Walter, still weak from the drugs, leaned against the couch as he forced himself to stand up. He continued talking more precisely than before but had to pause between sentences to regain strength. "Let me stay with you for one Terran year. I'll work on the lowest decks with Isidore and the Xenos. When the year is over, you can take me back to Malcula. I'll spend the rest of my life reminding people of the great Belvedere Van Romulius. Having one human support you is fine for seventy, maybe a hundred years, but what if an Eldar was singing your praise? I'll make sure Malcula never forgets the might of Van Romulius for generations."
"What? Walter, why?" Kara asked.
Even Belvedere wondered why the Eldar he shot was open to staying on his ship. Not that it mattered; the Eldar was too valuable and enjoyable to be left behind. Besides, he had already discussed with his senior crew officers that Walter should be aboard. However, his cooperation made things easier. The only question was whether he should agree to release this Eldar in an Imperial world. Not just any Imperial world, one he discovered, and the Romulius family would be responsible for. On the one hand, there was no guarantee that Walter would survive for a year, considering who his neighbors would be and what missions he'd be sent on. But on the other hand, his aid could make running this planet easier for Aphrodite whenever she took power.
"Continue to conduct yourself well, and I'll let you come and go as you described," Belvedere answered after giving it some thought.
Walter nodded and fell back onto the couch. He snored once before drifting into a peaceful sleep.
"Shit. If Walter is staying, then so will I. You better put the Alfredsons in a castle for all this."
Belvedere laughed at this unexpected twist. He didn't know what compelled the Eldar to stay, but he did not care. The God-Emperor was smiling on him today and had granted him three treasures in one venture. A new prosperous planet, an Eldar he could mold and use, and a clever girl to entertain his daughter. Perhaps the God Emperor was finally sending some luck towards the Romlius family.
Walter had to focus all his energy on making a deal with Belvedere. Just talking for a few sentences made him feel winded. He wished he had more to say to Kara, but everything was dark, and he felt more tired than ever. Walter felt himself falling to the floor, where he soon fell asleep. For the first time, he enjoyed the nothingness he felt.
He slumbered until he smelled something akin to tar. When he opened his eyes, he was sitting at a cafeteria table. A plate with black, lumpy gruel was set next to his head. Walter's vision was still fuzzy. Perhaps it was a side effect of the drug the Inquisitor injected him with. He tried to remember why she did that, but everything after seeing Kara again was hazy.
"Hey, you. You're finally awake," someone next to Walter said.
"What?" Walter asked.
"You're probably too tired to eat."
"Eat what?"
"Well, since you don't care, I'll help myself."
"Hey! That's Walter's food!" Kara shouted, which cleared Walter's head of any lasting effects. He watched as green-clawed hands grabbed his tray and pulled it away. It was Alrok, and he poured all of Walter's food down his beak. Kroots didn't chew their food, evidently.
"Ah, what a disappointment," he moaned. "It's just more processed plants and inbred grox gravy."
"Serves you right," Kara snapped back. She was sitting across from Walter, still wearing the green dress Aphrodite had given her, but with her hair unbraided. She still looked too nice to be in the lowest decks of the Titanborn, and Walter wasn't the only one to notice. All around them were rows of tables with various alien races. A few were humanoid, as they had two arms, two legs, and a distinct head and torso, but none could pass as a human as Walter did. Scales, exoskeletons, wings, tails, and odd appendages were just some of the oddities Walter noticed, and those were the more mundane ones. Many other Xenos were not even wearing clothes and could be mistaken for wild animals. Regardless of appearances, they were all staring at their table. Those with faces capable of expressions were glaring menacingly at Kara. It reminded Walter of when he had to walk through the upper decks with Isidore.
There were a few exceptions. One table consisted solely of DokChoppa and his miniature minions, the Grots. They were laughing, singing happily, and occasionally punching each other at random. Despite the table having enough room for twenty more Xenos, nobody else sat with them. Isidore was watching from the doorway, scanning the room, and waving at Walter when he noticed him. Lastly, Gran was resting in a wheelchair in a lonely corner. She wasn't focused on anyone as she struggled to lift a spoon to her mouth. He would have gone over to help Gran if he hadn't been worried about leaving Kara alone.
"Kara, what are you doing here?" Walter asked.
"I was wondering that myself," Alrok said, letting unswallowed gruel fly out of his beak. "Has the Imperium's standards for acceptable mutations risen dramatically, or do you have some kind of third leg hidden under that dress?" he asked Kara sarcastically.
"I'm staying with my friend," she answered. "Walter, do you even want to get new food? I can't believe Belvedere is feeding this to people."
"Oh, it's cute how she thinks the Imperium sees us as people."
Alrok's Vespid friend made a series of low humming sounds, to which Alrok nodded solemnly. Walter tried to ignore them and look for a table that would be safer for Kara.
"I'm fine," Walter told her. "That snack you gave me earlier will do. How long have we been down here?"
"About an hour," Kara answered. "The horned alien, Isidore, guided me here. He told me it wasn't safe for humans in the lowest decks, but I told him I wasn't having much luck with the rest of the ship."
"I thought you were fine with Aphrodite?"
"I've had enough of being her doll for a while."
"Fair enough, but you should know Isidore's not a Xeno. He's a human mutant."
Kara went pink and looked back at Isidore. "The Imperium is so messed up."
"Did anything happen when you got here?"
"No. I just dragged you to the mess hall when breakfast was announced. Alrok and Lord Dung Eater helped me."
Walter paused. His eyes shifted towards Alork, who was doing a terrible job at hiding his giggling.
"Let me guess, you have to specify that the blue bug alien is a lord, or else he gets offended," Walter said this as straightly as he could, avoiding all eye contact with Alrok.
"Yes, how did you-"
Walter held up a hand to stop Kara. "Did Alrok tell you all that?"
She turned to Alrok. "That's not his name, is it?"
Alrok and the Vespid erupted in laughter.
"Well, what is it?" she asked.
"Baron Bug Bastard," Walter answered, laughing alongside the two other Xenos.
"You are all children!" Kara said, half-shouting and half-laughing at Alrok's stupid game.
For a moment, Walter forgot about the dangerous Xenos around them. He forgot that earlier today, Alrok had threatened to punch him. It didn't even matter that he was in a cramped mess hall eating garbage. He and Kara were safe, and they were laughing. That changed when he saw a tall, scaly Xeno approaching their table.
"What is human doing here?" It spoke through slow, eerie clicks. Its mouth didn't move to match what it was saying, indicating it had to vocalize in a completely different way than Walter or Kara had to.
"Just visiting a friend," Kara answered.
The Xeno lowered an arm next to Kara's head. Its forearms were metallic, like built-in gauntlets. Walter heard a faint click, and two blades began to pop out of the gauntlets. Without thinking, Walter grabbed Kara and pulled her to the left. Had he not moved her, the emerging blades might have cut off one of her ears.
"These our hunting grounds. You not welcomed here," the Xeno snarled.
"Hey, she's my friend. She won't trouble you," Walter said, standing up. He regretted it once he realized this alien was taller than Corwin. Two more Xenos, the same species as this bully, rose from their table and started towards them.
"Back to your sets, Jindarii!" Isidore commanded. He ran over to their table, waving his gun in the air.
The Jindarii opened their jaws into four parts, revealing four fang-covered mandibles. They let out a hiss before returning to their table. All of them continued to glare at Kara. It reminded Walter that nowhere on the ship was safe. Kara had been tortured, nearly lobotomized, and had experienced untold horrors he wasn't present for. Now, she shared the same room with DokChoppa and hundreds of other dangers. He couldn't stand the idea of her staying here.
"You can't stay here for a year!" he said simultaneously with Kara. It amazed Walter, considering how fast he talked. He waited to hear Kara out first.
"Walter, you were drugged up. You weren't thinking straight. We can go home soon."
Walter nodded. "I know, but I meant what I said. I want to stay on the ship."
"Why?" Kara asked.
"I don't expect you to understand. I'm finally getting answers. This could be good for me."
"Good for you!" Kara stood up, drawing more attention to her. "The Imperium hates you. You got shot by the captain. Why would you put yourself through any more of this? You can't keep living like this."
Walter could hear a hundred conversations in a hundred different languages. The Xenos passed along noises and pheromones as they gossiped. Walter clenched his head and looked back at Kara.
"You're right. I can't keep living like this. I can't keep getting overwhelmed by noises. I can't keep overreacting to little details. On Malcula, I'd just keep taking pills and going to doctors who tell me it's all in my head. Now I know I'm supposed to be like this. I'm from a species that can do great things even with this. How long can I keep pretending I'm human? What will happen after the Alfredsons die, and I still look exactly as I do today? If I stay on the Titanborn, learn more from Gran, and meet other Eldar in space, maybe I can learn, even if it's torture. What's one year of misery if it lets me spend centuries on Malcula in peace?"
Kara went silent. She looked sad, which made Walter sadder. He didn't mean to sound mean or yell at her, but perhaps he had. As much as he wanted Kara to be safe on Malcula, he didn't want to lose her either.
Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from DokChoppa's table. Walter saw that a food tray had been thrown at the massive Ork. The black gruel slid down his cranium dome, and he snorted angrily.
"Oi! Who's da zoggin git 'oo threw 'dat?" he yelled.
One of the Jindarii pointed at a plump, featureless, blob-like alien with six tentacled limbs. It shook its bulbous "head" and lifted two tentacles defensively. It still had a food tray on its table, while the Jindarii were missing one. Walter doubted DokChoppa would notice or care.
"So ya want a skrap, do ya? 'Ere we go, ya boneless Galg! WAAAGH!"
DokChoppa threw himself at the innocent Xeno, who weakly wrapped its tentacles around the Ork's neck in an attempt to strangle him. Many Xenos ran away, but a few stayed to watch. Isidore frantically ordered the two to separate as he fired his gun at DokChoppa. Either DokChoppa had tough skin, or Isidore had substandard ammo, as the Ork wasn't slowing down. The excitement became too much for Walter, who covered his ears to try to block out the noise. Walter became mentally lost in the mayhem. He closed his eyes and tried to tune everything out until he heard Kara screaming.
Opening his eyes, he saw one of the Jindarii dumping a bowl of black gruel over Kara's head. Another one lifted her by the arms while the last activated his gauntlet blades. Kara kicked and screamed but was unable to break free. It didn't help that the gruel and bowl were covering her eyes.
Walter stopped thinking. He zoned out as he concentrated all his thoughts on fighting these Xenos. He jumped on the table, readying himself to pounce on the Jindarii holding Kara.
The next thing he remembered was lying on the ground, his fists and ribs hurting. He noticed one of the other Jindarii was bleeding green blood from its slit nostrils. Walter looked at his knuckles and saw the same green blood on them. He must have hit him, but he couldn't remember doing it. Before Walter could think anymore, the Jindarii he had injured ran over and kicked him in the stomach. Walter rolled back into a table, smashing his head against the seat. The Jindarii grabbed Walter by the throat and lifted him. Tears rolled down Walter's face as he listened to the cheers and screams all around them. He tried to focus on being a warrior again, but was slammed to the ground. The crude stitches in his stomach snapped, and Walter felt his chest start to bleed.
"Please, let us go," Walter begged.
"I take your skull!" The Jindarii said as he readied his blades.
Walter winced. His senses made his doom all the worse as the Jindarii moved slowly toward him. He felt too weak to break free and was powerless to do anything. Just as the blades were inches from Walter's chin, Alrok ran behind the Jindarii and bit into its shoulder.
The Jindarii roared in pain and released Walter. Putting all his energy into his legs, Walter kicked the Jindarii, knocking it backward with Alrok. The Jindarii was first to recover, raising its arm to stab Alrok, only for the flying Vespid to grab its arm in midair. As the Jindarii tried to free himself, Alrok kicked and clawed at the Jindarii with sharp talons that left gashes across his chest.
"Alrok, why are you helping?" Walter asked.
"Jindarii meat is better than what they're serving here," he answered. Walter couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "Go help your human kindred."
Walter turned around just in time to get kneed in the face by another Jindarii. Walter blacked out again as he concentrated on fighting. He didn't feel pain for a while until he heard Kara screaming again. During his blackout, he had somehow managed to get on top of the Jindarii. His right thumb was jabbed into the screaming Jindarii's right eye.
Walter had never gotten into a fight for this long before, and never had one become this brutal before. The closest he had gotten was when he killed the dog monster from last year, although that fight was short and against something that felt unnatural to him. This Jindarii was a person who had been through the same humiliation as all the other Xenos here. He was intelligent, and Walter was gouging out one of his eyes. Everyone involved was in pain, and to Walter, it felt as though he could sense everyone's pain all at once.
"I'm so sorry!" Walter begged as he pulled his thumb out of the socket. "Please, let's stop fighting!"
The Jindarii grabbed Walter and threw him onto the floor. He tried to stomp on Walter's head, but Walter rolled out of the way. Walter felt like his heart would jump out of his chest from how hard it beat. He was scared, sad, angry, all at once, and couldn't focus on a single thing long enough to do anything meaningful. His mind raced through possibilities, all of them terrible and involving someone losing a skull. He forced his body to run away before the Jindarii could stab him.
The Xenos that remained in the mess hall had circled them. Two were trying to pull Kara away from the last Jindarii. They stopped him from cutting her with his blade, but couldn't get him to let go.
"Stop! The humans will kill us all if you harm one of them!" said a slender, scaly, white-eyed humanoid Xeno.
"Accidents happen. Humans go missing. One skull for me! Talk, and I take your skull!" the Jindarii responded.
Walter searched the crowd for Isidore, hoping for help. During the fight, DokChoppa had turned his attention from the tentacled Xeno and was now waving Isidore around like a doll, slamming him into anyone who got too close. Alrok and the Vespid were now bleeding red and yellow blood, respectively, as they continued to fight the first Jindarii. At the back of the crowd was Gran. She had gotten out of her chair and was trying to maneuver through the crowd. Walter didn't know what she was thinking, as she looked too frail to handle a bug landing on her, let alone stop a fight with massive aliens. However, she had a determined, serious look on her skeletal face. She momentarily made eye contact with Walter, and all the noise, pain, and emotions seemed to fade away. He thought only of what she had told him earlier.
"I was of the Drukhari, and we focused only on indulging feelings that brought us joy. Thoughts of mercy, empathy, fear, sadness, we buried these feelings to the point we forgot what they were."
A moment of clarity came to Walter, unlike anything he had experienced. Eldar didn't lose emotions; they fixated on them. If Walter wanted to win this fight and stay in control, he needed to think like a Drukhari. He needed to enjoy this. He was never a fighter, but he was strong and fast. On Malcula, he played plenty of physical sports, but he could never remember playing them, only the joy and excitement of winning. What was it like to enjoy the moment? Could he do it? He enjoyed making people happy; he had never once made an enemy or purposefully upset someone. However, if he wanted Kara and himself to live, he needed to become cruel.
Walter turned back to see the now one-eyed Jindarii charging towards him. Now that Walter was looking at him, he didn't seem so fast, and Walter was able to get back on his feet and hop around him effortlessly. The Jindarii swung his arms, trying to hit him, but his moves were clumsy, and Walter ducked both attempts. As the Jindarii continued to attack and failed to hit Walter, Walter continued to think of ways to enjoy fighting this Xeno. Perhaps it was best to see this as a boxing game. You weren't supposed to hurt your opponent seriously, but you still had to hit them, and the Jindarii struck first when they attacked Kara. Walter took a deep breath, wound up a punch, and tried to deliver the most perfect uppercut he could think of.
He blacked out for less than a second but came to when he realized he had connected the blow. His fist was snapping the Jindarii's lower two mandibles apart, sending loose teeth flying and tearing its leather skin. Walter could feel it all and was amazed by how strong he was. The Jindarii fell on its behind, its shocked expression magnified by its gaping mouth, courtesy of the broken jaws.
"Hey," Walter said as if this were a friendly sparring match. "Do you want to keep going?"
The Jindarii tried to thrust its blade into Walter, but Walter spun past the weapon and smashed his right elbow into the Jindarii's forehead, sending him sprawling on the floor. Walter noticed the Jindarii's finger twitch, so he knelt and punched him in the forehead. Whenever the Jindarii tried to get back up, rage and confusion burning in their eyes, Walter would strike them again. Each blow was faster and more powerful than the last. Shiny lime-colored blood sprayed out with each punch as the Jindarii meekly tried to push the Eldar off. Whenever Walter started to feel bad for them, he thought back to when he had given them a chance to surrender, realizing they had hurt Kara, framed the tentacled alien, and tried to kill Kara. This is what anger must feel like. More than that, Walter felt proud of himself. For the first time he could remember, he could see and feel his true strength, which was glorious.
Gone was the Jindarii's pride and bloodlust. His eyes were now green from broken blood vessels and swollen from bruises. Watching this bully become a cowering, pitiful being pleased Walter in a way he didn't know was possible, like a weight had been lifted off his heart. Walter struck him a few more times to ensure this Jindarii would never hurt another of Walter's friends again.
"I think you got him, Walter. Mind trying that out over here?" Alrok called out as he and the Vespid were now locked in a chokehold from the Jindarii they had been fighting earlier.
Walter grabbed the nearest metal food tray and tossed it like a disc. Despite its rectangular shape, Walter had thrown it with just the right angle and force that it crashed into the side of the Jindarii's head, knocking it out. A minute ago, he was begging and crying, but now he was standing over two battered and bloody monsters. Walter stood tall and raised a fist in the air. He didn't feel sad at all. If this were a game, Walter would have won.
"Yes!" DokChoppa shouted from the now-silent crowd. "'Dat's ma, patient! I fixed 'em up. Now he's fight'n' like a propa boy."
Walter smiled. He thought back to all the swim tournaments, relay races, blood bowl games, speeches, tests, everything he had excelled at but never thought much about. Now, he was enjoying himself and could see how well he was doing. A part of him didn't want this fight to end.
"Stop!" the last Jindarii said, getting Walter's attention. He had escaped from the Xenos, who were trying to stop him earlier, and was now at the back of the room. Kara was still in his grasp and drawing blood from her neck, where he held his gauntlet blades. It looked Walter directly in the eyes as he pushed the blades deeper.
"You fast. Not fast enough. Walk, and human dies."
Walter laughed to himself. He just tossed a tray at the speed of a bullet, and these Jindarii were not as quick as they thought. Walter took one step forward, thinking of how he would dispatch the last Jindarii. He was good at fighting and was just getting started. What else could he do if he thought about it? Just as he was about to take another step, he looked at Kara's face. The bowl had fallen off, as had most of the gruel, so that Walter could see the fear and panic in her eyes.
Why was he still standing? How could he even think of risking Kara's life? Walter raised his hands and got on his knees. All the pride and joy he had gained were forgotten about. He wanted her to return to the Alfredsons' home, eat all their food, wear whatever clothes she wanted, and play board games with him.
"Okay! I'll stop. Let her go," Walter pleaded.
"Why? You mauled pack!" the Jindarii snapped back. It tightened its grip on Kara, digging its claws into her and drawing blood.
He watched Kara's eyes turn from looking at him to the blades pressing deeper into her throat. Just then, he felt a ripple of energy from Kara. It had no color, scent, or sound, but Walter could sense something building up in Kara before transferring into the Jindarii's arm. The blades retracted into the built-in gauntlets. The Jindarii stared at his arm in shock as it made harsh sounds like scraping metal. A moment later, the mechanisms built into the Jindarii's forearm exploded as shards of shattered blades flew into the Xeno's face. It let go of Kara as he screamed. Kara took the opportunity to kick the Jindarii a few times before Walter arrived and carried her away.
"One year of this?" Kara tearfully yelled at Walter. He couldn't think of a response. His fingers were tingling and still warm from the Jindarii's blood. Walter tried thinking back to the fight, and to his astonishment, he remembered every detail. When he thought back to his joy, it made him feel sick. Would he even like what he would become if he stayed for another year?
A gunshot sent the room into silence and stopped any discussion Walter could have had with Kara. Marching into the cafeteria was a woman in a black military uniform. Behind her were a dozen humans with lasguns trained on the Xenos.
"Ah! Now we got a propa WAAAGH!" DokChoppa said as he dropped the unconscious Isidore. He ran up to the unmoving woman with his metal claws raised to strike. The woman motioned for her soldiers to hold their fire before pointing to the Jindarii with the mangled arm.
"DokChoppa, you have a patient! If you want more fighting, then we'll need more bodies."
DokChoppa froze, his face locked in thought and unfazed by the soldiers. He nodded after a few seconds and grabbed the Jindarii by its legs. He screamed and roared louder than ever as DokChoppa dragged it out of the room. "I'll makes ya a betta stabba arm," he told the terrified Xeno.
Once they had left, the woman pointed towards Kara, stabbing the air with her fingers. Two guardsmen rushed over and pulled her away from Walter. Walter tried to hold onto Kara's hand, but his blood-soaked hands slid off them.
"I am Arch-militant Trish Stone, former Lord Commissar of the 881st Faeburn Vanquishers regiment. If this is your first time seeing me, ensure we never meet again." The woman marched around the cafeteria, each step imbued with power and confidence. Even though her movements were dulled in the eyes of an Eldar, Walter could still see the precision with which she took in asserting authority over the Xenos. "I return from securing Malcula to find you parasites desecrating this holy vessel, abusing your overseer, and harming an honored guest in my absence. Someone is going to die today. Unless you want a visit from our Deathwatch visitor today, I suggest you find me the culprit." Trish Stone pulled out an oversized pistol-like weapon and pointed it at Gran. "You, the Dark Eldar, who started this?"
Gran pointed a withered finger at the one-eyed Jindarii. He hadn't moved since Walter fought him.
"He was the one to instigate all this," Gran explained. "However, the matter of punishment has resolved itself. He's already dead."
Dead? The word repeated itself in Walter's mind. He walked over to the Jindarii, watching for movements and listening for breathing or heartbeats. There was nothing. What did he do? He just meant to punch him a few times. Walter looked around the room, but he found the other Xenos were not staring at the armed humans; they were staring at him.
"I see. What about him?" Stone pointed at the Jindarii Walter had knocked out with the tray. Right as Walter was beginning to fear he had accidentally killed again, the Jindarii woke up and rubbed the side of its head. "Ah, it's awake and alive," Stone said calmly. She aimed her gun at the Xeno and pulled the trigger. The Jindarii's head exploded into a mesh of scales, skull fragments, and green gore. "Let this be a warning. Any disturbance brought to my attention will result in an execution. When Isidore wakes up, you will all thank him for his mercy. You will not find any with me."
Without another word, she, her soldiers, and Kara left the cafeteria. Isidore lay on a table with an icepack on his head, but was otherwise ignored and forgotten by humans and Xenos alike. Once the humans had gone, Alrok inched toward one of the dead Jindarii and broke the uneasy silence.
"Looks like meat's back on the menu!" he shouted, tearing off some flesh. Walter wasn't sure what disgusted him more, seeing Alrok eating or noticing that the few remaining Xenos in the mess hall formed a line to the Jindarii's corpse.
"You have much to learn, welp," Gran said. She was now next to Walter, but he didn't see or hear her roll her wheelchair up to him. "Did you enjoy that?" she asked.
Walter didn't want to answer.
"Never let that happen again," she told him coldly.
"Never let that happen again," Trish Stone told Kara gently as they entered a large elevator. Her voice was nowhere near as intimidating or harsh as it had been when talking to the Xenos. "The lowest decks are off limits for a reason. What possessed you to go down there?"
Kara didn't answer. Sometimes silence was the best. If she brought Walter back into the conversation, there was a chance this woman would put a bolter round through his head, too. From what Kara could gather, Trish Stone was part of Belvedere's crew, and not part of the Inquisition, so at least she was friendlier than Hathorne had been. Kara decided she would not talk to Ms. Stone unless she pressed the matter. For no, Kara pretended to be too shocked to answer and let Stone escort her back to the Officer's Quarters and her guest room.
"Are you all right?" Stone asked.
"I'm fine," Kara said softly.
"Alright, but if you want to tell me anything else that went on down there, take this."
She handed Kara a handheld device with an extendable antenna, a glass screen, and numerous buttons and dials below the screen. For being from a spacefaring empire, it didn't look that more advanced than a walkie-talkie from Malcula.
"This is a vox-communicator," Ms. Stone explained. "If you need me, please dial the number 597."
"Got anything I can write that down on?" Kara asked.
"No need. Just remember the glorious Imperial Guard Regiment, the Valhallan 597th." Stone's eyes widen with realization. "Which you wouldn't have any way of knowing about."
As Stone searched the guest room for a pen and paper, Kara was lost as to how this was the same woman who struck fear into an entire room of humans and Xenos. At the same time, she wasn't as oblivious as the Romulius family, nor as cruel as Abigail Hathorne. If it weren't for her callousness towards the Xenos, Kara would actually like this Imperial.
The first thing Kara did after Stone wrote her number and departed was to look for a bathroom. When she found one, she was surprised to find that there was nothing horrific about it. The golden faucet sink didn't scream when she turned it on, nor was the crystal showhead made to look like a skull. Everything was overly stylized, but it at least resembled a bathroom. She stripped off the dress, shoes, and jewelry Aphrodite had given her and entered the shower. As the hot water fell, it washed away all the remaining gruel stuck in her hair and the concealer on her shoulder.
There was a massive purple bruise where Corwin had grabbed her when they first met. She had passed out right as it happened. The thought disturbed her, made her nerves crawl and twist, imagining what could have happened to her when she was unconscious. She didn't need to think too hard. Someone once gave her that experience.
The Imperium was terrible, but there were plenty of terrible people on Malcula, too. People who tricked you into trusting them. Family members who didn't care if you ran away, people who pretended you didn't exist as you were starving and stealing from the streets, and drunk men trying to kill you over a game. Malcula was terrible, but it had Walter and the Alfredsons, and now it seemed the Imperium was one step away from taking that away from her as well.
Kara sat down, letting the water massage her head. Her argument with Walter struck a chord as she dealt with her headache. She rarely got them, but Walter had lived with them and countless other metal issues for as long as he had lived on Malcula. The fact that he was an alien from another world was still hard for her to process, but she couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it could have been for Walter. Malcula wasn't just terrible for Kara, but had been for Walter in ways she couldn't understand. While she still didn't want Walter to be trapped on this spaceship for a year, she couldn't come up with a way to help Walter recover his past.
A doll and a pet. That's what Kara and Walter were to the Imperium. However, Kara would play the part of a doll if it meant keeping Walter safe and having the Alfredson family live comfortably. That was the least she could do for them. She only wished she could give Walter more.
"I'll try one last time," she told herself. "I'll talk to Walter one last time to get him to come home, but if he chooses to stay, I'll support him so we leave on good terms. Then I'll be the first to welcome him back home in a year."
She felt like a zombie for the rest of the day, relying on instincts or doing whatever she was told. After putting on the first set of clothes she could find, she lay on the bed until Belvedere summoned her. He had her read over a dozen cheesy scripts he had written, and rewrote them so they wouldn't sound insane. She then had to practice her smiling, recite prayers to the Emperor of Mankind, and wear even more dresses Aphrodite found for her. How and why one woman could own so many dresses boggled Kara's mind. When it was time for supper, she ate whatever was laid out in front of her, no matter how alien it seemed. At least it wasn't gruel.
The next day was more of the same. Sleeping, training, dressing, and eating. She asked Bellvedere and his crew several times if she could see Walter again, but the question was always ignored or answered with, "We'll set up a meeting later." Considering the Imperium's attitude, that was probably the best response she was going to get.
Late into the day, it became increasingly difficult for Kara to tell the time. At what felt like night, Aphrodite had dressed Kara in a gold shimmering dress with long gloves that had sharpened claws on them like gauntlets. The gold blended into a red slit skirt that streched to her feet, which were now in a pair of heels that had 6 inch daggers on the bottom of them. Aphrodite spent an hour teaching Kara how to walk in those damn things telling Kara the dress was "stylish yet intimidating," and that the get-up was inspired by paintings of "Saint Celestine," another Imperium reference Kara didn't understand and wasn't informed of. While Kara never personally cared for fashion, even she liked how the colors flickered and changed with every movement, as if the fabric itself were made of flames.
All the makeup applied to her by servo-skulls felt strange. It was like wearing a paper-thin mask, yet you couldn't adjust or remove it. She didn't recognize the thing she saw in the mirror. Her reflection looked more like an alien's drawing of a human, but not a real flesh-and-blood person. Her eyes and lashes were too big and bright; her eyeshadow shimmered like flames, matching her dress, and her skin was flawless, without a trace of her cheek scar or any lines, pimples, or stray hairs. Despite feeling herself frown, her scarlet lips seemed fixed into a smile.
"Marvelous job, Aphrodite," Belvedere said when he saw the final results in the Titanborn's hangar. He rode in on a tall creature, with a second one following behind.
"You look marvelous too, Father," Aphrodite replied.
That was one way to put it. Belvedere was wearing power armor that resembled a smaller version of what Corwin wore, only Belvedere's was gold with malachite lines and details. He wore a white fur cape made from a cat-like predator, whose head was resting on Belvedere's right shoulder. Something had been done to his face, too, and he looked a decade younger, but no makeup or injections could hide his double chin. To Kara, he looked as strange as ever, but what was marvelous was the animal he came with. They were large beasts that stood on four spindly legs. In their hook-like hands were blocks of compressed food which were nibbled at with black mandibles. Their pickle colored exoskeletons looked polished, as was the horn that grew from the head of Belvedere's mount. The second creature that trailed behind was identical to the first, but had no horns.
"What are those?" Kara asked.
"Dustback helamites, they are native to Necromunda, the home planet of our family. The first Romulius family has raised them on this ship since our founding. They are also our family's symbol." Belvedere lowered his hand to show the image of the creature on each of his many rings. "Will it be frightful to the people of Malcula? We can use horses if your planet still has those."
"What's a horse?"
"Oh, let's just stick with the dustbacks. Here now, Kara, I've got one to ride on as well. Don't fret, ours are quite tame and well-trained. Yours is younger and will follow mine, so you have nothing to worry about."
Belvedere led the animals to a new landing ship. Kara thought it looked like a bulkier version of the aquila lander. Kara followed, as did eight guardsmen. Addam and Karl were among them. They all came armed, with two piloting what looked like an armored car or tank that walked on two legs. She overheard Addam call them sentinels. The last to enter was the insane cyborg priest, Talos. Kara hadn't forgotten how he had tried to turn her into a servitor over a piece of toast, so she tried her best to ignore him. That proved difficult as he patrolled the lander, chanting prayers in binary. One mechanical arm swung a smoking thurible, while another splashed oil on the walls. When the doors closed and the engines thundered to life.
"The machine spirit is pleased! It shall transport us steadily and safely!"
A few guardsmen cheered, but most looked at him with confusion or indifference. The engines were the only sign that the ship was moving, and soon those went silent. There were no windows in the hull, and Kara sat alone in a corner with the hornless dustback. All around them, humans were talking, but about matters Kara knew nothing about. Planets, battles, aliens, psykers, weapons, and mutants. Not wanting to interact with any Imperial more than she had to, Kara stayed by the dustback helamite and stroked its smooth exoskeleton.
"I'm starting to notice I get along with Xenos better than humans," Kara mused to it. The creature chirped and lowered its body so Kara could scratch its back and thorax. In time, the engines could be heard again and ended as the dropship landed with a thud. Two soldiers helped Kara onto the saddle of her dustback, while six struggled to do the same for Belvedere. Kara took a deep breath and gave the same fake smile she would give when tempting people into playing against her rigged games.
When the doors opened, they were greeted by confetti and a band playing music. They had landed in a city, the capital of her country, from what Kara could remember from movies and social studies books. The name didn't matter anymore. It was just another city on a little planet called Malcula now. Belvedere rode ahead, which meant Kara's dustback followed behind. Talos and the soldiers followed, with two of them waving Imperium flags. Behind the techpriest was a three-meter-tall structure obscured by a tarp. It floated along on a hovering dolly.
"What's under the tarp?" Kara whispered to Belvedere.
"A statue. It's meant to be a gift...and a reminder," Belvedere answered, almost regretfully. Kara tried to press him for more details, but he became distracted by the crowd, whom he waved to happily.
Kara looked at the crowd, trying to read their faces. Despite the pompous opening, the citizens of Malcula weren't the overjoyed and loving audience Belvedere imagined them to be. Excitement, fear, curiosity, and, every so often, anger. Men and women with pale faces, clenched fists, and bloodshot eyes glared at the Titanborn party. One young man lifted a bottle but was tackled by what Kara assumed were his parents.
Looking ahead, Kara saw they were heading to a large stage set underneath a skyscraper with four towers on top of it. Kara recognized it as the Cardinal Center, the tallest building in Malcula. Each of the towers flashed one of the four colors that appeared in the New Year skies, but the instant the New Year began, they would all flash the same color. Kara scratched her cheek where her scar was hidden as she scanned the crowd again, looking for her stepfather. He was still working at the Cardinal Center when Kara ran away. If she were lucky, she would find him and tell Belvedere he worshiped demon aliens. If that didn't kill him, she could tell Talos that he broke innocent machines, at least that was true. To her disappointment, he was nowhere to be seen.
The closer they reached the stage, the worse Kara's headache got. It had dissipated after her shower, but never truly went away. Knowing what she did not, she wasn't sure if it was due to stress, alien food, or her psyker powers. She still wasn't sure if Jindarii's guanlets blew up due to a malfunction or if she had caused it. Regardless, there wasn't anyone here she trusted to examine it, so Kara tried to ignore it and waved to the crowd. When they reached the stage, the dustback helamites bent down to let their riders step off them. Kara was led up the stairs, just a few steps behind Belvedere. Paparazzi and new crews followed them, their cameras flashing. While annoying, Kara was glad they were servo-skulls. How long would it take Malcula to get used to those?
"Hello world!" a tan celebrity presenter, Sharon Steele, said to the countless news crews. "Two days ago, we didn't know what was hovering over our planet, but now here I am beneath the Cardinal Center, hours away from the New Year, with the captain of the ship, Belvedere Van Romulius. Tell us, Captain, is that a common name where you come from?"
Belvedere laughed, "Can't say, there hasn't been a Van Romulius on Necromunda since the 30th millennium. That might change when my successes reach home."
Steele laughed with him in the way one does when a coworker makes a joke and you laugh to spare their feelings. Kara wanted to slink away or slump in her chair, but she had been instructed to sit up straight and pay attention.
"And who have you brought with you, Captain Belvedere?"
"This is Ms. Kara. She's the first native Malculian I encountered on your wonderful planet."
"It was a wild night," Kara added. "It's not every day a spaceship lands on your farm."
Steele laughed, more genuinely this time, as did Belvedere. This didn't stop Kara from feeling like this interview was forced on everyone by the Imperium. When a giant spaceship with fanatics and a giant gun aimed at the planet asks for good press, there isn't a lot of room for arguments.
"Now, Captain, I don't pretend to be a politician, unless it's for a documentary deal, but the people of Malcula have a few questions to ask you."
"I'd be delighted to answer."
"Some people of Malcula are nervous about your Imperium. Will this change our daily lives?"
"Not at all. Malcula has been running smoothly for years. All that will change is that you'll be reunited with the rest of humanity. Play your cards right, Ms. Steele, and your voice will be heard across the galaxy."
And we'll only take some of your skulls to turn into robots. Kara thought to herself.
"That's amazing to hear. However, there are reports of an incident that occurred in the capital yesterday. Things got a little violent. Could you fill us in?"
Kara glared at Belvedere. She hadn't been told about his last trip. All she knew was that he left with Corwin and Abigail, and that couldn't have gone well.
"There were some…rebels who threatened President Clemens. Were it not for the efforts of the Space Marine, Master Corwin, it would have become much…worse."
"And is Corwin here with us today?"
"No!" Belvedere said that with too much relief for Kara's liking. Something terrible did happen at the capital. "However, we have brought a gift to commemorate his victory over the insurgency, and remind Malcula that the Imperium is here to protect it."
Talos walked on stage with the floating dolly behind him. Once he reached the center of the stage, he pulled off the tarp. Kara's heart raced as she looked at a black marble statue of Corwin, her mind mistaking it for the real man for an instant.
"Notice how he is holding an infant close to his chest with one arm," Belvedere said, referring to details in the statue. "Pictures of Malcula's globe are on the baby's blanket, symbolising that the child is in Malcula."
Kara noticed Steele was more concerned about the large gun the marble Corwin was arming at the clawed, wild-looking men at the bottom of the statue. Whoever made this statue did their best job to dehumanise the people Corwin slayed. Even when trying to make him look heroic, he still seemed like a monster to Kara. What in the galaxy could warrant making soldiers like Corwin?
"He killed my son!" someone back in the crowd shouted, but Kara could barely hear him. That still was too much for the Imperium. She watched as Karl marched towards the person who had said that, whispered something to them, then took his old position again. No one else tried to interrupt the interview.
For a while, the interview dragged on without Kara needing to do much. Belvedere was all too happy to go on about past adventures, treasures he could give to Malcula, and how all this was the will of the God Emperor of Mankind. Every so often, Steele would ask Kara for confirmation.
"Tell us, Kara, what was the most shocking thing you saw on the Titanborn?"
Kara's eye twitched as she tried to think of the least horrifying answer. "There are a lot of aliens in the Titanborn," she ended up saying.
"Like those?" Steele pointed at the dustback helamites.
"No, these aliens can talk, but not a lot of them are friendly."
"Do they look like us?"
"Most of them don't, but some do." Kara glared at the statue of Corwin. She felt a little spiteful thinking about him and the Inquisitor. "However, there are some that I got along with quite well, oddities and bad jokes aside. It's hard to believe we're not alone in the universe, but it's not as scary as you would think."
"Well, I'm not worried," Steele said with a smile. "After all, something big and special was bound to happen this New Year. Blue skies always foretell change."
"Change?" Belvedere asked.
"He hasn't seen the New Year lights before," Kara explained. "Belvedere, the skies turn a different color every year."
"Captain, are there any other planets in the Imperium that have light storms like ours?" Steele asked.
"Well, Faeburn has the Aurora Illuminato, but it doesn't appear with such regularity as Malcula's phenomenon." Belvedere then bit his lip and looked up at the sky. "What did you mean blue skies mean change?"
"The sky's colors are supposed to tell you what the New Year will bring. Blue means there will be big changes, like a new invention or discovery."
"I'm personally hoping for a pink sky this year," Steele said, which caused the audience to whoop and holler. "Pink skies mean fun and romance for the year."
Belvedere dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.
"What…er…what do green skies mean?"
Kara looked back at the Cardinal Center. A one-minute countdown had begun and was being displayed on neon windows. She felt her headache grow worse, and a tingling sensation spread throughout her body.
"Green is a year of stability. Nothing much happens in those years, but farmers think it's a year of fertile lands."
"Oh," Belvedere choked. "Have…have there men any noticeable plagues during green years?"
"Well, I'm not a history expert."
"Yes," Kara interrupted Steele. "There have been a few historic ones."
Belvedere was visibly sweating now. His breath was becoming unsteady, and his feet were tapping on the ground, ready to run any moment. The guards he brought with him were all gripping their weapons, looking at Kara and Steele as if they were turning into monsters.
"Belvedere. What's the connection here?" Kara asked, but Belvedere was too frightened to notice her.
"So…d-d-does that mean red skies stand for wars?"
"Not anymore," Steele reassured him. "Now it stands for heroics, brave actions-"
Kara couldn't hear the rest of what she said, as the crowd of Malculians began the finale countdown.
"Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!"
"Bloodshed-" Belvedere interrupted Steele's list of meanings for red skies.
The word made Kara remember Walter's panic attack in the Titanborn, and mentioning a Blood God. Kara felt afraid, and in the corner of her eye, far back in the crowd, she saw a red-armored Space Marine with horns on his helmet.
"Ning! Eight! Seven! Six!" the crowd repeated. The countdown cloak had glitched, and the audience played along. Kara watched as the Space Marine lifted a massive axe.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"
The sky over Malcula turned a bright red. The city block roared with excitement and cheers as people set off party poppers and fireworks. Then the sky turned blue. Everything turned silent. Not once had the New Year skies of Malcula changed. A moment later, the sky turned green. People were now asking each other if this had happened before or if the previous colors were an illusion. Seconds later, the sky turned pink. It only lasted a few nanoseconds before cycling through red, blue, green, and pink repeatedly. The colors began competing over who would overtake the skies before blending, morphing into colors never before seen by human eyes. People began screaming, only to be consumed by inhuman roars. Glass shattered on every building and sent shards raining down below.
"It's a warp storm!" Belvedere cried!
Kara looked at Steele, but she had changed. Her skin had turned purple, and her manicured fingers were fusing into hardened pincers. A crown of stubby horns sprouted from her scalp, and her teeth fell out, only to be replaced with rows of dagger-like fangs. Her eyes rolled back into white orbs, and she flicked her now whip-like tongue out at Kara.
"Walter," she hissed. "The Eldar boy. Take me to him!"
Note from the author. "Coming soon, Rogue Eldar (part 2): The Fall of Malcula."