[40k]Secret war WIP

[Adrassil]

Sickening, unnatural blue light coveted the surroundings and even still Etuarq laughed.
As quick as a cat Darrance darted back, for all the good it'd do.

I closed my eyes, that was all I could do. I was too exhausted, too exhausted to even move my pinkie finger, but this it wasn't just exhaustion, no. It was more than that, like my very soul had been drained, Faleaseen's shield, it must've done this to me. That on top of my actual fatigue, all those hours, all this time, pushing myself to my very limits. Fighting.

But now it was all for nothing, we were dead, defeated, no destroyed, completely and utterly. Inquisitor Etuarq had won and he was right. I was nothing, nothing but a pawn. A pawn who'd passed his use by date.

A pawn who deserved to die, I felt the overwhelming heat in my face.

"Karmen! Now!" I heard Brutis roar and as fast as it expanded, the horrifying heat began to go away.

What? roared Etuarq, his voice shrill with surprise.

Despite myself my eyes snapped open and I gasped at what I saw.

I was right, the blue globe of fire had retracted, writhing and raging against some invisible force.

I felt the heavy footfalls approach and saw Brutis walk past, his hands raised forward.

Brutis grinned over his huge shoulder at me.

"Heh! Sorry! Forgot to tell you that I was a psyker to!" he said.

My eyes widened.

And I apologise, Attelus. I lied! Came Karmen's voice. I hadn't actually used all my power!

NO! roared Etuarq. Why didn't I foresee this! Why! Won't! You! Just! Die!

Brutis' attention snapped back to the explosion.

"Did you think us stupid?" he snarled. "Did you actually think we didn't see this for the blatant trap it was? I don't care who you are, nor how powerful you are! You will not win, you will be found and you will pay for your crimes! I am a servant of the God-Emperor of Mankind, I am a weapon of His will! And everyone here! Everyone who've fought tooth and nail to get this far, they are as well! Everyone of them have earned my respect and trust and His too I trust! Even 'little Attelus,!' And I swear, I will not stand back and let any more of them die! The Emperor's will is with us!"

Etuarq's reply was just more shrill, insane laughter.

Attelus, said Karmen. It doesn't matter the why or how you were born, it doesn't matter what this Etuarq claims. You are nobodies puppet! You are you! Nothing will change that! Nothing! You are one of the strongest, most amazing people I've ever met! You survived in the ruins of Varander, you survived against the Arco Flagellant and saved those people! If you can survive that you can survive anything! Keep going! Keep fighting! I know you have the strength! I know it!

I smiled and slowly began to climb to my feet.

"Thank you for the great, amazing awe inspiring speech, Karmen," I said. "You could compete with Brutis' in that department, but I didn't need it!"

Brutis grinned at me, "Attelus! Anything you want to say before we send this scum back whence he came?"

I threw back my head and bellowed out a loud laugh, so loud that Etuarq stopped his, this despite my sore raw throat. "Yeah! Hell yeah! I'd like to thank you, you son of a bitch! For so long I've struggled for a purpose in life! Something to truly fight for! And finally you've given it to me! I'm gonna hunt you down and I'm gonna stop you! Once and for all, even if it's the last thing I do! But before that I'll stop this Exterminatus! Screw you and screw your fate! I'll do it for Elandria, for Castella and most of all, for me!"

Brutis laughed, "you could've been a little less cliche, you know? But I'll give you points for spirit! Karmen!"

I frowned, and who was he to accuse me of being cliche? Bit of a double standard, I'd say.

Got you!

No longer could I keep my feet and I collapsed to my knees as together they roared and the explosion shrunk and shrunk. Still writhing and rumbling and struggling.

Then, two people appeared on my flanks and helped me on my feet, laying my arms across their shoulders and I was shocked to see it was Verenth and Selg.

"Yeah! Up ya get," said Verenth and we watched as the explosion slowly faded into nothingness.

You've done well my little puppets, said Etuarq, his voice was fading with the light.*But it makes no difference you will die with Omnartus now matter what you do!
Then he was gone and the church was in darkness, the only thing left of it was the deep, five metre wide crater in the floor.

"Is it, is it dead?" asked Selg as Brutis "Bones" approached.

Brutis shook his head wearily, "no, Selg. We just sent him and his witch explosion back into the Warp."

Selg nodded as Brutis activated his vox link, "This is Inquisitor Tybalt, Edracian is defeated I repeat. Edracian is dead we are victorious."

Dead In more ways than one,*I thought.

I am tired, I must return to my body, said Karmen.

"Now what?" asked Verenth.

"Mercs are still holding floors six through eight," said Brutis. "The elevator's active and we are transporting troops up and soon will have enough strength to catch them between us. We've still got fighting to do."

"Great," I sighed. "Of course we do."

"No, I think yours and Darrance's struggle is over," said Brutis. "You're in no condition to fight anymore."

I sighed again as Darrance approached, with Hayden helping him walk.

"Do you...do have an ecclesiarchy priest?" asked Darrance, his face dark

Brutis furrowed his brow and folded his arms, "yeah, he's back at Taryst's tower, why?"

I gasped and my eyes widened, realising what he meant, then had to fight back the sudden welling tears.

"Our friend," managed Darrance. "She...died, she was deeply religious, followed the Emperor and that. I think she deserves a proper send off. She gave her life to stop that...thing. She died in His service. She was the best of us and now she's dead."

Brutis stood in silence.

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore as they freely flowed.

"Please," I hissed. "Darrance is right. I know so many have died other than her and I know we were enemies. But please. She'd have liked that, please give her this! She was like the sister I never had."

"Where did she die?" asked Brutis.

"There," said Darrance, pointing.

Brutis nodded and began walking to the rubble.

Darrance yelled, "her name was…!"

"I know her name, Darrance," Brutis interrupted. "I made the effort to learn all of your names! Her's was Castella Lethe, it seemed a fitting name from what little I knew of her."

I nodded and we followed him.

"I'm not a priest," said Brutis. "But I am an Inquisitor, the next best thing, I guess."

"Yes," I said. "Thank you."

"Boss," said Verenth with uncertainty.

"Verenth!" said Brutis. "I know time is short and know she's one of them but I feel I've gotta do this, anyway she wasn't one of them who killed so many of us. It won't be long."

He looked over his shoulder, "besides once finished here I'm gonna have this place leveled if it's going to happen, it's going to now."


For a few minutes, we stood in respectful silence as Brutis recited the Litany of The Emperor's peace, his hands raised over the rubble. It was a rushed version, but Brutis never left anything out and the entire time tears flowed down my face. I hadn't been to an ecclesiarchy service since before the war on Elbyra, but still remembered when to say the responses. Usually I would've just mouthed it, but for Castella I wouldn't show such disrespect.

Once done Brutis turned back, approached me then much to my surprise placed his gauntleted hand on my shoulder.

"For a cold hearted merc killer, you seem to cry a lot," he said, smiling and looking as haggard as hell. "She must've been close to you, I am sorry."

All I could manage was a nod.

Brutis stepped past me, "alright! Thats enough! Selg! Take your men and scout the rest of the tenth floor! Hayden! You're with them! I doubt there's anyone else up here but we've got to look anyway! The rest of you with me! We'll take Attelus and Darrance to the elevator so they can get back and we'll rejoin the reinforcements there!
Move! Move!"

Selg slipped away and another Hammer took Hayden's place helping Darrance.

"Thank you," I hissed as we walked to the exit. "Your name is Verenth, right? Thanks."

Verenth clenched his teeth, "I only do it 'cause the boss ordered me to. Nothing personal."

I sighed and said, "I'm sorry about killing your brother, I am truly sorry. But...but I only did it because my boss ordered me to, as well. It was nothing personal also. I'm not trying to justify it and I do deserve your anger but there are others who are far more deserving of it than me."

"Yeah, like who?" he growled.

"Inquisitor Etuarq," I answered without hesitation. "it was all because of him that this happened, it was because of him so many have died. He manipulated us all, he manipulated all of this. I would've suggested Taryst too, but he's already dead."

Verenth said nothing.

"I've suffered much to get here," I said. "I've been through hell, Verenth."

"Yeah? Like what?" he growled. "I doubt it has anything on having to mourn your younger brother."

"I wouldn't know," I said. "I'm an only child, but I do know what it's like to lose a mother and that was hard as hell. How about just after finally getting up the courage to confess to the girl that you loved, that you loved her, for her to be shot in the back, then she bled out in your arms? That being just after a life and death fight with her? Or the woman who was like a big sister to you just being crushed horribly, abruptly under a falling pillar? Or how about finding out you may be indirectly responsible for the potential deaths of billions? Or…"

"Okay!" said Verenth as we finally walked out onto the stairs. "Okay I get it! But that doesn't make up for…"

"No!" I Interrupted. "I never said it did, but I suspect before this is all done, especially now with this new revelation. That it's just beginning. That I've got a shit ton more trauma to go through before this is done, but if I have to go through that so someone else doesn't have to, if I have to go through that, so that maybe, one day I will earn some forgiveness from those I've done wrong. I will, and I will bear it. So you can hate me all you want, it's fair enough, I understand. Just please don't kill me. There's still much for me to do. Once I'm done, once I'm finished and if you don't deem it enough then you can put a bullet through my brain and I will let you. And perhaps, by then, I'll even welcome it."

Verenth smiled, "if that's the case, then you'll never be done and I'll never get to blow your head off."

I laughed despite myself, "I'll be done if I end up crippled and destroyed in the process. Confined into a wheelchair or whatever. Then I suspect I'll truly welcome that round."

Verenth said nothing, just clenched his jaw, perhaps the idea of him killing me without me minding didn't appeal. Fair enough.

"What are you?" asked one of the Hammers. "Some kind of masochist or something?"

"Perhaps," I said with a shrug, genuinely surprised a moody Hammer knew what a 'masochist' was. "But I never said I'd enjoy it."

"You've changed," said Darrance.

I looked at him, expecting he'd say more but he just stayed silent, his attention fixed forward.

We were the last out, Brutis leading the way, Wesley on his flank and the Inquisitor reached to his ear.

"Gerral, we're about meet you at the bottom of the stairs, stand ready," he said.

Brutis paused and held up a hand for us to halt.

"Gerral! Respond!"

Brutis waited for a few seconds before glancing at us, grim faced he shook his head then waved an advance.

Slowly and in surprising silence we walked the stairs, everyone but Darrance and I with weapons raised. We reached the end of the curvature and saw the corpses, ten of them, all cut apart by a power sword. There was no sign of weapons discharge, no smell of las fire or gun powder, no holes or scorching in the walls.

I didn't like this, to take out ten men, even lowly Moody Hammers like them, without even one getting off a shot? And with all the lights in tact? They were good, really, really good, my question was why hadn't they struck until now?

With points of his fingers, Brutis ordered the Hammers to fan out. I could tell Verenth wanted to move up too, but we were forced to watch on.

The Hammers surprisingly calm secured the perimeter, covering the corridors with their assortment of guns and Brutis reached for his vox.

"This is Inquisitor Tybalt, I've got ten men dead on the ninth floor. Professional killers, none of my men managed to get off a shot, power sword wounds. We've got more assassins it seems, three maybe four, watch out."

"One," said someone and everyone looked to the voice's source, it was only then I realised it was me who said it.

"What?"

"There was one killer," I said with certainty. "Inquisitor Etuarq said he was delaying for when someone special was going to enter the building, who would be that special?"

Darrance's eyes widened and he flinched with realisation, "shit! She's here! Glaitis is here!"
The light above Brutis and the Hammers suddenly smashed out, leaving them endowed in darkness and I could hear a slight clatter as what I guessed was a throwing knife fell to the floor.

Immediately the Moody Hammers opened up, the light from their weapons revealing everything in blinding flashes of white, despite Brutis bellowing to cease fire.

Two on the right abruptly cried and reeled then collapsed, knives jutting seemingly appearing in their chests, then another two on the left, with knives jutting from the bases of their skulls.

I would've shouted a warning but there was no way they could hear me over their roaring weapons as Glaitis was suddenly among them, dual swords slashing she gutted another two. A third tried to bring up his Lasgun, but she kicked him in the face so hard the crunch! Managed to eclipse the roaring gunfire around and the poor bastard collapsed like a ton of bricks.

She threw another two knives, one impaled the eye socket of a Hammer the other, Wesley ducked.

With a roar Brutis dropped his bolter and drew his elaborate powersword, igniting it as Glaitis activated both hers and he barely managed to smash her slashes aside, he would've been unable to parry her following thrust if Wesley's shots hadn't forced her to dart back.

It all happened so fast that Verenth only now had slipped me off and drawn his auto pistol. My limbs were like lead so without complaint I collapsed onto the stairs, as did
Darrance as Verenth's colleague unslung his Lasgun and desperately they tried to get a clear shot at Glaitis.

"Don't," I said with finality.

"What?" snarled the other Hammer.

"Don't even try," I said. "If you shoot, you'll only draw her attention and she will kill you. You're way over your heads here, I'm sorry to say."

The Hammer gritted his teeth but nodded and hesitantly lowered his weapon but Verenth didn't.

"I can't just stand here and watch!" bellowed Verenth.

"You can and you will!" I snapped. "You'll only get in the way! That I assure you. Right now those two are the only ones in any condition to stop her. As much as you want to help, helping them will only do more harm than good."

"Yeah! And what about you? Would you make a difference?" snapped Verenth.

"Of course I would," I stated, "but I can barely move, I'm no help to man nor beast."

"How can you be so frigging calm!" he roared. "I heard you panicking like a little girl in the elevator shaft! Don't you wish you can help!"

I grinned and it must've been more than a little unnerving as it made both Verenth and the other Hammer to flinch and exchange fearful glances.

"Of course I do," I said. "This is the first time in a long time I've seen her fight and I'm pretty sure…"

"Sure of what?" Verenth stammered.

"If I were to fight her, even one on one, I'd kill her," I said. "It'd be hard fought, the fight of my life I'm sure. But Feuilt was better than her, Elandria was better than her, not by much mind you but even still. She's spent too long sitting idle at her desk scheming and planning, I'm afraid. She's lost her edge. Oh, how I wish beyond wish that I could help. I really, truly do. To be the one to end the infamous Glaitis, to be the one to finally kill her, oh what a privilege that'd be. To truly prove I've finally surpassed her in skill."

"You're messed in the head," Verenth said. "And more than a little bit frigging terrifying."

"I am," I said, "I really, really am."

Verenth furrowed his brow yet still, very hesitantly, lowered his weapon.

Glaitis flipped and wheeled through Wesley's shots then lunged at him, slashing horizontally for his head. Wesley, with surprising speed leaned back, just out the way, then side stepped her thrust, while attempting to smash the butt of his stubb revolver into her insane, grinning face. But she cartwheeled back and pirouetted just in time to
parry Brutis' vertical cut.

He rallied and cut horizontally, she ducked it and countered with an awe inspiring cavalcade of feints, slashes and stabs. I could tell Brutis Bones was quite skilled, he'd practised for years, perhaps decades, but compared to a dedicated sword wielder like Glaitis or me, he was an amateur. So it was all the more impressive he wasn't sliced to ribbons, he managed to parry a few but was forced to back step most of it, some attacks were just too fast, slicing gashes in his armour which drew blood. All the while
Wesley reloaded his stub revolver.

Both Verenth and the other Hammer watched on, their jaws twitching and fidgeting in impatience, although they weren't quite able to follow it.

Brutis, reeling and bleeding from the onslaught, with a bellow desperately slashed diagonally after parrying Glaitis' thrust. She weaved away, then side stepped his viciously powerful front kick. Finally Wesley was finished reloading his Stubb revolver and his shots sent Glaitis darting and winding. She snarled and threw a knife which flew straight and true, smashing Wesley's gun from his grasp.

Roaring, Brutis was on her, slashing down, Glaitis sidestepped it and spun into a horizontal cut that Brutis barely backstepped. Wesley had retrieved his pistol and his desperate shots were what kept Glaits' thrust from impaling Brutis' skull.

Glaitis snarled again, I could see she was mad, frustrated she wasn't able to take them out yet. If Wesley and Brutis could hold out for long enough, perhaps she'd make a mistake, create an opening.

Or at least I hoped she would.

Glaitis darted and flipped through Wesley's fire as she blocked and parried Brutis' slashes and stabs.

She should've been kept on the defensive but somehow she was still able to counter. I could see her tactic, she was focusing on Wesley mostly, preventing him from firing at her and wearing him down. She knew she could kill Brutis once Wesley was out of the picture, his stubb revolver was the bigger threat to her now.

I watched Brutis as he barely blocked her latest horizontal slash, he must've known he was outclassed, that if it wasn't for Wesley he'd have been dead five times over, yet still here he was, fighting not giving up. I could sympathise with that, stubbornness seemed to be something we had in common.

"Shit!" snapped Wesley as his pistol clicked dry yet again. "I'm out! Verenth!"

Verenth's eyes widened and after a moment's hesitation threw his auto pistol to Wesley.

Glaitis ducked Brutis' counter then cartwheeled his next thrust and darted toward Wesley, immediately seeing her opportunity.

But as she did I saw Wesley smile and he flicked open his revolver, slid in one bullet and spun to face Glaitis as she came on him. Pistol raised right in her face.

"What the hell is going on here?" roared a voice.

It caused Wesley to hesitate and he lost his arm from the elbow down because of it.

His scream was cut short as Glaitis' sliced his torso in two.

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened in shock as did everyone else while Verenth's pistol clattered on the floor.

"Wesley!" roared Brutis.

From the left side corridor, "Olinthre" walked into view, looking blooded and beaten and grinning from ear to ear, with a las gun raised.

"It looks as though I arrived just in time," It said.

Glaitis smiled but said nothing.

"Major! What the hell are you doing?" demanded Brutis.

"Brutis!" I yelled. "That's not major Olinthre! Its…!"

"My servant!" Glaitis interrupted with an insane laugh. "The only one with the sense to stay loyal to me!"

"Frig!" I snapped, truly regretting failing to inform Brutis of "Olinthre's" real identity now.

Brutis' clenched his teeth as he realised the situation he was in, glancing back and forth between Glaitis and "Olinthre" a few times uncertainly.

"I can't stand by any longer, sorry, kid!" snarled Verenth as he raised his Stubb revolver and the other Hammer, his Las gun.

I sighed and said nothing, knowing it was pointless to argue, we were dead either way now.

"Aim for the major!" I yelled, as an idea hit me, It wasn't as fast as Glaitis so perhaps they could actually kill it.

"Really?" It said, grinning insanely at us and in a flash of light It transformed into Wesley, "are you sure?"

Verenth and the Hammer gasped, hesitating.

Glaitis laughed and threw two knives, one stuck fast into Verenth's arm as the other embedded in the hammer's shoulder and with yells of pain they fell on their arses.

She would've thrown more but with a roar Brutis was slashing at her, forcing her to cartwheel back..

"I will not stand by and watch you anymore kill anymore of my men!" he bellowed. "You bitch!"

He tried to slash again but the Olinthre-thing's Las fire smashed into him, the burst caused him to reel. In the next second Glaitis smashed into him, knocking him off his feet and to the floor, then he screamed as she impaled his sword arm to the hilt.

Glaitis laughed and flipped back, out of his reach, leaving one of her swords to pin him on his back.

"Well! Be careful what you wish for, Inquisitor!" she grinned. "If you cannot stand back! Then you can just lie back and watch instead! While I slaughter all your pathetic subordinates!"

Brutis roared and reeled and tried to reach for Glaitis' sword, but Glaitis drew another knife and stabbed it into the soft gap in the elbow of his free arm. Eliciting another agonised scream from him.

She laughed again and twisted the knife, "there! There!" she snarled. "Don't even think about trying to be one of those willful fools who pulls the blade out and continues to
fight! Trying to be a hero! You should know that it's overrated!"

"You! Frigging! Bitch!" he screamed through clenched teeth.

She laughed even harder, stepped back and said, " oh how imaginative! But I guess you are not in a good condition to think of anything better. Oh well! I'll end your suffering, eventually, Inquisitor. Once I'm done with your friends!"

Glaitis turned and grinned insanely at us, causing both Verenth and the Hammer to cower in fear.

And I couldn't blame them.

"Mamzel!" said the Mimic as It approached her, still in Wesley's form. "Great job. I am glad you managed to get me over the vox so I could help."

"Oh shut up!" she snapped. "I am not in the mood for your arse kissing!"

"Sorry, mamzel!" It stammered, "but may I ask a favour?"

"Yes, what?" she said.

It grinned a disturbing grin that didn't fit Wesley's face, "can you allow me to kill the foolish apprentice? I'll make sure to make it long and painful, he humiliated me! Made
me look a fool! Please? Would you, please?"

"No," she said without hesitation. "He humiliated you but he betrayed me, turned the others against me. He's dodged the consequences of his actions thus far, but no
longer. No longer, besides..."

"Besides?"

She grinned, "besides, how can you do it, if you're dead?"

"Wha…?"

Before it could finish, she stabbed It through the chest.

Wesley's eyes widened with shock and surprise as did mine.

"Why?" It gasped. "I have served you all, my life. I stayed loyal..."

"You co-operated with the apprentice, even after knowing he'd betrayed me!" Glaitis snarled as she twisted the blade. "As far as I'm concerned you are just as responsible as he is. Just be glad that I'm sparing you the same fate I have in store for him!"

She abruptly pulled out her sword and It fell to It's knees.

"Oh!" she said. "I almost forgot, 'Wesley,' I have been lying to you, all your life, in fact. You were never a xenos, an alien. No, you're something even worse, something even more lowly and pathetic, yes. You are a mutant, a twist, a scourge on society, the lowest of the low. Nothing special at all! So die, die like the piece of gutter trash you are."

She laughed and walked toward us, turning her back on the dying Mimic as it fell on it's face and the pool of blood began expanding beneath it, red blood, human blood.

Yet it still kept Wesley Jeksen's form.

I kept gaping, unable to say anything, to comprehend anything and that was when Darrance walked past me, power scimitar limply held at his side as he gasped for breath.

"Oh?" she said, stopping, tilting her head in insane curiosity. "Darrance? What are you doing? You are in no condition to fight me."

"I finally see you, for what you truly are," he managed. "A monster."

"A monster? Really? That's a little harsh, especially coming from you," she said. "Sure, I must admit I'm a little manipulative and cruel, but I was never quite a monster."

She grinned even wider, "that's until now, of course. It's all the apprentice's fault, it was his betrayal that pushed me over the edge, drove me past the brink and into insanity. It's because…"

"Shut up!" interrupted Darrance. "Stop blaming him! You always blame others for your own actions, and mistakes, always! It was your own pride that pushed you this far, you were the one who allowed the apprentice to get kidnapped in the first place! You were the one who took him from Elbyra and to here! It's just as much your fault as his, if not more so!"

Glaitis' face turned murderous, "you did this to me too, Darrance. My most loyal servant…"

"Shut it!" he snarled. "No one did anything to you! This is your fault! In fact I think this isn't you being driven insane I bet this is you! The real you! I bet you lost your sanity a long time ago and have been putting up a mask ever since!"

Much to my shock I saw Darrance had tears in his eyes.

"I looked up to you! Hell! I even think I loved you! But now I realise just how stupid I was, I put you on a pedestal. Lied to myself for so long about who and what you truly
were! But I see the truth now! I see you're nothing but a pathetic old woman who is so overtaken by hate and the lust for revenge there's nothing else left! I...I"

Darrance clenched his free hand into a fist as tears flowed freely down his face.

Glaitis raised an eyebrow, "so? Are you done now?"

Darrance grinned through the tears, "yes, and I'd like to thank you, thank you for being stupid enough to listen to my rant rather than just killing us."

Glaitis' eyes widened and she turned just in time to dash out the path of the Las fire erupting from the left side corridor.

The fire strafed after her and she slid to a stop, her power sword a blur of motion as it smashed aside the shots raining her way.

Then I heard the familiar sound of a shotgun firing and watched as she side stepped through the shot gun shots, all the while still deflecting the laser fire.

Cursing and snarling she darted back, trying to get some range from the shotgun then the attackers emerged into view.

It was Garrakson, Torris and Arlathan. Both Garrakson and Arlathan laid down the constant barrage of laser with their las guns, Torris with his shot gun.

"H-how!" I said.

Darrance grinned, "as you just sat there watching and looking like an idiot I raised those guys over the vox, told them what was going on. You know, like a smart person would."

I frowned, "I hope you're aware I can't move, not even slightly, right?"

Darrance shrugged, "you still didn't think of it, did you?"

I just clenched my jaw and said nothing.

Verenth and the other Hammer got to their feet, grasping at their useless, bloody arms and watched with expressions of awe.

"Is she...is she even human?" asked the Hammer.

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "As much as she wishes she wasn't."

Both Verenth and the Hammer furrowed their brows and exchanged bemused looks.

Glaitis snarled, I could she was gasping for breath and slowing down now. Not even she could keep this up for much longer.

I grinned to myself, if she hadn't stupidly killed the Mimic she wouldn't be in this predicament.

But soon Garrakson and Arlathan would run out of ammo and I had a bad feeling that'd come first.

As if on cue, almost simultaneously their guns clicked dry then Glaitis was on them.

Her front kick knocked Torris' shotgun from his grasp and he barely managed to back peddle her throat punch. Arlathan, reacting with impressive speed, swung the butt of his las gun at her skull but lightning fast she darted back, then in again and cut his rifle in half. Arlathan countered with a hook punch she barely weaved under, then she threw a roundhouse kick he just managed to block with a forearm, but I heard a crack and he cried out in pain grasping at his limp limb and stumbled away. Leaving him
open for the killing thrust.

Before she could Torris was on her flank and throwing a powerful front thrust kick, a disparagingly reckless attack that made me involuntarily hiss through clenched teeth.

Glaitis leaned out the way and slashed horizontally at his stomach, forcing Torris to throw himself clumsily backward to keep from being disemboweled.

All of this time Garrakson reloaded and moved away a few metres. His blurt of las was what kept Glaitis from decapitating Torris with her next attack.

"So finally I get to meet the infamous bitch in person!" he roared.

Glaitis didn't deign to reply, she only got to full height and eyed him contemptuously.

"You're the one responsible for the death of Taryst!" he snarled.

Glaitis still didn't say anything, she just glanced sidelong at the Mimic's corpse pointedly.

Trying to use Glaitis' distraction Torris lunged at her, throwing a punch straight at her head, but in the blink of an eye she drew a knife and stabbed him in the arm, before sidestepping and smashing a front kick into his side. The sickening crack of his breaking ribs made me wince in sympathy and he slid on the floor before stopping, curling
up and crying out in pain.

"Bitch!" he snarled and fired another flurry, which she simply smashed aside with her powerblade.

"Could you please say something original? Please?" she sighed, breathlessly.

"Shut! Up!"

"Or what?" she snarled. "You'll kill me?"

Glaitis threw back her head and burst out in laughter, "do you really think you're capable of it? I am Glaitis! Master assassin with decades of experience in bloodletting! I have trained my body and mind beyond the capability of normal humanity! You! You are just some pathetic ex-guardsman nobody like the dozens, no! Hundreds of others
that I've slaughtered over the years!"

Garrakson clenched his teeth and fired again, forcing Glaitis to sprint sidelong his fire straffing her wake.

"How does it feel Jeurat Garrakson?" she yelled. "How does it feel to know you're incapable of killing the one who is responsible for the death of the one you loved? How does it feel to be incapable of killing the one responsible for the death of your last remaining war buddy? The man who was the only other survivor of your regiment? The comrade who was your commander?"

Garrakson's reply was only an enraged roar and more las rounds.

"That's right!" she laughed. "Major Olinthre once of the 801st Cadian regiment! It was my loyal servant who strangled the life from him, just like he did to Taryst! The man you loved! The man who saved you and him from the Nightlord ambush that slaughtered the rest of your regiment!"

"Shut up!" he roared.

"On second thought, I won't kill you, Jeurat!" she laughed as she darted and flipped through his withering bursts. "Not yet! Along with the pathetic Inquisitor I'll make you watch as I kill your comrades, your friends! Marcel Torris! and the apprentice! I'll make them suffer slowly and die in front of you to make up for you being unable to
watch the deaths of Taryst and Olinthre! Once you're broken, only then will I kill you! It'll be beautiful! Amazing! Oh I just can't wait!"

Abruptly Garrakson stopped shooting, ejected the las gun's clip and slammed another home despite not being out of ammo. The look of anger and determination on his
scarred face was truly terrifying.

Glaitis tilted her head and smiled, "oh, what's this now?"

Garrakson clenched his teeth and tears rolled abruptly down his face, "this is for you, Taryst and you to, Olinthre."

Then he flicked his lasgun onto 'full auto' and with a roar, charged firing a constant stream from the hip.

Glaitis laughed, dodging and parrying the shots, "what do you want to die, now?"

Garrakson just roared and continued forward, firing and firing.

"Jeurat! No!" I heard Torris yell.

As he closed in, Garrakson suddenly dropped his rifle and drew his knife, then with one swift stroke, Glaitis decapitated him.

In shocked silence I watched and it took me a good few seconds to realise I was crying. He was my friend, a good friend who I'd fought alongside for months. A friend who'd tried to help me, a true friend.

"Garrakson!" I roared.

Glaitis stood stock still, grinning from ear to ear, then suddenly she screamed a shrill scream of utter agony and abruptly she fell to the floor. Writhing, trying to reach behind her back.

My shock was replaced by confusion, then I saw it, the bloody hilt of Garrakson's knife jutting from the base of her back.

For a good ten minutes Glaitis lay screaming and writhing as she slowly, painfully died. No one moved to put her out of her misery. It was the very least she deserved.

"So passes master Seylit Glaitis of the cult of the Blades of Vengeance," intoned Darrance. "May we never see her likes in this galaxy ever again."

[Adrassil]

Authors note: This chapter is a ton shorter than my normal ones but I felt I needed to post it now, been working on it all day and am pretty happy with it, it shows character development for Arlathan that I've been planning for a long time and character development for Faleaseen I'd never intended would happen, at all. Like again the story was writing itself as it had with Castella's death (I never intended to kill her off, it just sorta happened) I've also been thinking of Garrakson's death and how I've killed off two gay characters and I guess that could be seen as bad, but now I realise I gave him a pretty badass death, a badass death for a badass character, unlike Castella I was planning on killing him for a long time. I like Garrakson he was one of my favourite characters, killing him off wasn't easy, but it seemed and still seems right. Well! Enjoy!


We waited for more reinforcements to arrive as Verenth, Arlathan and the Hammer pulled out the Glaitis' sword pinning Brutis to the floor. Then began to take off his armour so the medicae could stem the blood flow once they'd arrived, everyone else was too hurt, too exhausted to do anything.

The place stunk of blood, of defecation. The familiar stench of the recently dead.

Darrance and I sat on the stairs watching on. I'd stopped crying but was forced to war with the exhaustion, my eyelids constantly wanted to close and my head was a whirl with sickening dizziness.

Arlathan, holding Glaitis' still bloody blade, approached us, looking at me intently. "I'm sorry, Attelus," he said with surprising sympathy. "I know he was your friend and…"

"Yeah...Yeah Jeurat was my friend," I interrupted, sadly. "But I'm not the one you should be talking to.." I said this while indicating poor Torris with a tilt of the head.

Torris was still curled up a ball and hadn't made a sound since Garrakson's death.

Arlathan saw this immediately, nodded and turned to descend the stairs, but stopped and looked back at me. "He talked fondly of you," said Arlathan. "I could see you were true friends, I've lost more than a few comrades too, you know. Many friends...comrades from the precinct."

I inhaled sharply and looked down, remembering the many Magistratum marshals killed by Etuarq's daemons only a few short hours earlier.

"I'm sorry, Arlathan," I said.

Arlathan shook his head, "there's no need to apologise, kid. If it wasn't for you they would all be dead. I just wish, I just wish I'd have done more, y'know? Instead like a weakling I'd fainted and stayed that way through the entire conflict. I wish I had the guts you've got, if I did maybe I could've saved a few, maybe. Like you saved all of us."

I was shocked into silence, only able to gape idiotically as Arlathan started down the stairs again. Then someone began to laugh, a throaty, gasping, deep sound and it took me a second or two to realise it was Torris.

"So! So he's got you fooled too!" Torris gasped as he slowly, labouriously climbed to his feet.

"What?" said Arlathan and everyone else looked on in silence.

"I saw what you were doing!" yelled Torris with watery eyes. "I saw you were manipulating him! I saw it! Back in Vex's office you said to him; 'you'll get your revenge' or something like that and you smiled! Smiled as you frigging said it! I knew! I should've stopped you! I should've stopped him! But why? I don't understand. Why did you manipulate him, I don't understand, why?"

I swallowed and my eyes widened as I remembered what the Mimic had told me in Taryst's bunker, that an apprentice in her organisation was never allowed to kill their master or invite their ire, or some eerie scary shit like that. Did I sub-consciously manipulate Garrakson to kill her in my place? Did I?

Torris smiled but it held no warmth, it was the smile of someone who knew they were proven right, but weren't happy about it. Not happy about it at all.

"I know that look, I know it well," he said. "You did manipulate him, you may not have known it then, but you did. You make me sick! I thought you were a friend, but no, you're just like all the others! Taryst! Edracian! That Glaitis woman! A manipulative, backstabbing bastard!"

With that he turned and left, clasping at his side.

"What the hell was that about?" asked Verenth.

"I didn't," I gasped. "I didn't mean to, I..I...I swear I didn't mean to..I!" I was starting shake and hyperventilate, had I manipulated my friend? Hell, my best
friend! Did I get him killed? Did I?

"Calm down, Apprentice," said Darrance. "Just try to breath."

I looked at him with watery vision, unable to reply through my gasps.

"Attelus!" yelled Arlathan. I knew my brain wasn't getting enough oxygen, that if I didn't start breathing properly I was going to faint. But I couldn't and quickly my vision started to blur, then blacken, then everything went completely dark.


Immediately I found myself back in my backyard, sitting on the grass and almost jumped out of my skin as I saw Faleaseen towering over me, she still had her helmet off and her long, dark red hair pulled back into a pony tail.

"You have done well, Attelus Kaltos," she said. "Too bad I was unable to foresee Inquisitor Etuarq's deception. I am sorry."
I rubbed my eyes and blinked, I was 'Attelus Kaltos' now? And she was sorry? Had I somehow earnt some semblance of her respect now?

Faleaseen smiled, genuinely and I had to admit it was actually a really nice smile, so nice in fact it made me flinch away.

"I am sorry for your loses, I truly am," she said as she knelt over me so we were face to face and looked me in the eye. "

So many," I said as tears welled. "Elandria, I loved her, I loved her so much. Castella, she was like the sister I never had and Garrakson, was my friend, a really good friend. Why? Faleaseen, why did they need to die?"

"I...I do not know," admitted Faleaseen hesitantly. "I know much, I have lived a long time Attelus Kaltos, even for an Eldar. But even I do not know everything and now I know that because you have taught me something."

"What?" I croaked.

"That even though you humans live such short life spans and so many of you are so reprehensible we are, in the larger scheme of things, the same. We live, we love, we die, we make mistakes just like you. I have fought for so long for the future of my race, my people just as you have today. I have held such contempt for your race for so long, it was your kind that invaded my craftworld, that killed my people and forced us to flee and abandon our home. I had interacted with the most reprehensible of your people for so long now, using them as my agents so long that I had come to believe you were all like that, but after seeing what you have done, what you have managed to achieve."

She paused and looked away, admiring the view, "I will be honest with you. You were one of them, the reprehensible ones, in many ways you still are. You were selfish, cowardly, blinded into stupidity by your pathetic sentiment. But if you overcame that and started fighting for others. Maybe, just maybe the basest others of your kind can too. If theres hope for them, maybe theres hope for humanity as a whole and thus, may be, hope for the Eldar as well. We also have vile, reprehensible people of us as well, The Dark Eldar of Commoragh. I tended to think of them as another race entirely, but they aren't, they are Eldar too, in fact even more so."

"Uhh, thanks?" I said, seeing quickly the Farseer's, perhaps unintentional, backhanded compliment.

She shrugged, "there is no need to thank me, Attelus Kaltos. I am just stating a fact."

She smiled again, "an irrefutable fact."

I smiled back.

She sighed, "while I am being honest with you, there is something else I must tell you. I wasn't going to tell you this for fear it might inspire you to be lax, to fight less hard, but now I see that you now fight for more than just yourself and knowing this might help you in the future."

"What is it?"

Faleaseen sighed again, "when I came to Omnartus and changed you. I didn't just enhance your strength, reflexes and bone structure beyond normal human capacity. I changed your very soul as well."

I raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"You are now, to your kind a myth of a myth, what was once called a perpetual, or to put it more plainly, an immortal."

"What?"

"Do not get me wrong, you can still die," said Faleaseen. "But I have the ability to track down your soul in the warp and bring you back into the living. Regenerate you, no matter how you had died. You will also never age, you will stay this way for all eternity." I gaped,"so I'm...Immortal?"

"Yes you are," she said. "Take that as you will, as a gift or as a curse, it's up to you."

I shook my head, unable to properly comprehend it, so decided to change the subject. "You said earlier because of my selfless actions before, that you'd changed your view on humanity," I said. "You say that though knowing that I'd manipulated Jeurat into killing Glaitis, he was my friend and I used him like Etuarq had used Edracian, like a puppet, how…"

She stopped me with a raised hand, "no you did not, Attelus Kaltos. You underestimate Jeurat Garrakson, as I had underestimated you. I think he knew, or at least had an idea of what you were doing. His sacrifice was not because of your deception, it was you who told him what drove him to do it, of course, but that was nothing but the truth, well most of it. But what truly drove him was his love for Taryst and his friendship with the Olinthre human."

She smiled, "he also sacrificed himself to spare you, Torris and others from her rampage, as you had sacrificed yourself for the people of the Twilight bar. Your friend, Marcel Torris is just in mourning for his friend and long time comrade and I am sorry to say, is taking it out on you. He knows the real reason why the Garrakson human did it and he will forgive, one day, eventually."

I sniffed.

"He also knew what is at stake, that you are much more capable than him at stopping Etuarq and his plans," she said. "He did this because you were open and honest with him, well, eventually, anyway. You had said something similar during your earlier meeting with Glaitis, Brutis and Arlathan, didn't you? You reprimanded them for all their 'secrets and lies.' Wise words that have now been proven true. While I won't say that all secrets shouldn't be kept, not much in this galaxy is truly black and white. What you must do now is forgive yourself and fight on, determined to keep his sacrifice from being in vain, the same goes for Elandria, for Castella and Olinthre."

I smiled, "thank you, Faleaseen, thank you for telling me this. Did you read Garrakson's mind? How did you know this?"

She grinned and again I was forced to flinch away, "there is no need to thank me, Attelus. I am just stating what you already knew. And no, I didn't read his mind, this is just an educated guess. I should be the one thanking you and I thank you by swearing I will never manipulate you, I will never use psychic torture. I see you now as a human wise beyond his years. A human wiser than many of his kind ten times his age! Your opinion is valid, worth listening to and I wish you luck, but now I must leave. We will talk again, sooner or later. Good bye."

"Good bye," I said as the valley around began to fade into white.

[Adrassil]

That blank light slowly began to melt away, revealing the white marble ceiling overhead. It took me a second or so to realise I was moving, that I was being carried by two of Taryst's mercs on a stretcher, through the fortress-mansion.

I groaned as the pain in my limbs and exhaustion suddenly returned. The sharp sting from the cuts that covered me came after, making me hiss through clenched teeth.
I lingered in my thoughts, trying to take my mind off the pain. So I was immortal, or as the farseer had termed it, a 'perpetual.' I wasn't sure in all honesty what to make of that, it was something many over millennia had coveted, quested for, sacrificed for. Yet here I was, just given it. Well...perhaps not 'just given it,' the tortures, the dreams that was something I'd never want to go through again.

I really wished Faleaseen had told me more, like how did that shielding work? Would I be stuck like this, practically catatonic after each use? Did it drain my soul like I'd thought? So me being a 'perpetual' would it re-generate? I hoped so.

Next time I sit in that backyard, I swore I'd ask more pointed questions about, well, everything. Even knowing of my supposed immortality, I'd still do my frigging best not to die, this for a few good reasons, first being it'd probably frigging painful, depending on the how or why of course. The second, I wouldn't want to spend any time within the warp, no way in hell. Knowing what little I knew of that hell and knowing now our souls were destined to go there when we die, terrified me beyond measure. Even knowing that I'd have no consciousness, or atleast I hoped I wouldn't, perhaps being a 'perpetual' would change that. The last reason was the thought of being brought back from the warp and how it could affect me, how it could change me physically and mentally. Could I even come back a daemon?

Hell, now knowing this I swore I'd fight harder to stay alive than ever before.

Again, I sighed and tried to ignored the pain, tried to move and despite my best efforts and much grunting, found I still couldn't.

Then a thought hit me, which made me hiss through clenched teeth and sent a cold shiver up my spine. What had Edracian, I mean, Etuarq said before? Of the irony of my earlier speech about my death?

Did he know? Did he know of my status as a perpetual? But wouldn't that have made all his plan void? He knew I'd survive the explosion, he knew I'd survive the destruction of Omnartus. Yet still told us of his plan. Why? I couldn't understand, I couldn't comprehend. He did all of this knowing I'd come back from the dead.

The only explanation I could think of was that it was a lie, a bold faced lie. But why not just stay silent, just let the reveal of Edracian's being a corpse be enough?
Wesley, Emperor rest him, was right, this was just getting frigging stranger and stranger and stranger.

Did Etuarq have plans for me even beyond the destruction of Omnartus? And by trying to bring him to justice would I be just falling into that plan? The cruel, cruel shit he'd said was that to make me hate him, inspire me to stop him. But again, why?

Perhaps it was to dissuade me from hunting him? No, that couldn't be it, it seemed so strange, so illogical. But he did seem quite insane and the insane weren't known for their logical thinking. Yet, as much as I hated to admit it, his plan thus far had been brilliant, bloody brilliant.

Perhaps my first idea was right, perhaps if I tried to track him down, I'd be falling into what ever plan he had for me. Perhaps the best thing I could do was avoid it entirely? Run away and live a solitary life back on Elbyra? I couldn't do that, I swore I'd bring him to justice and after all the shit I'd been through I was sure I couldn't live
a normal life. If I tried that, people, innocent people might start mysteriously disappearing after I'd moved in.

I shuddered at the thought.

No I couldn't avoid it, I had to hunt Etuarq, no matter what, I'd just have to be careful. Anyway, even if I did hide away I'm sure he'd just engineer something to bring me back into the fold.

"You alright?" asked the merc carrying the end of the stretcher.

I groaned and looked at the merc, recognising him from somewhere but couldn't recall his name.

"I'll take that as a no," said the merc. "Fair enough."

"Uh huh," I sighed, I could barely speak, my throat felt like someone had torn it out and replaced it with rolled up sandpaper, "where are we going?"

"Outta the mansion," came the answer, but not from the last merc, it instead was said by the one carrying the front of the stretcher. I recognised the voice, but again
couldn't recall who it belonged to.

"Back to the base, your part and ours by extension is over in this farce," he said. "Thank the Emperor."

My eyes widened at his choice of "farce" in that sentence, what a fitting word to describe this whole situation.

"It...it isn't a farce that so many have died, taking this place, Roldar," said the other.

Roldar sighed, "yeah, that isn't a farce, sorry, Jelket. Poor choice of words."

I couldn't help but smile at that.

Roldar and Jelket, I remembered them, they were two of the mercs sent by "Olinthre" earlier to escort me from my hab block. Funny that these two just happened to be my stretcher bearers..

"I'd say being downgraded from your being your guard to your literal carrier would be well, shit, Attelus," said Roldar. "But if it gives me an excuse to get outta this place and away from being shot at, it isn't quite as shit."

I cleared my throat, "not 'literal' as you're actually 'literally' carrying a stretcher, that just so happens to have me on it. Now if you were carrying me on your back then you'd literally be my carrier. But otherwise you're using 'literal' in the wrong context."

Roldar took a good few seconds before he said anything, "anyone ever told you, that you're a smart arse?"

"Yes."

"And you say that like it's something to be proud of?"snapped Roldar.

I frowned and furrowed my brow,*it was just a joke, lighten up.

For a long time I laid in silence, just watching the marble ceiling pass above.

Finally I heard Roldar sigh and say, "sorry, didn't mean to jump down your throat like that, mate. Just tired of this shit is all."

"It's all good," I croaked. "I know exactly how you feel."

"I can't believe it," said Jelket. "Both the major and sergeant Garrakson, dead. That Brutis Bones fellow seems to be taking charge. But wheres Taryst? Shouldn't he take over? He is our leader."

"Either him or the colonel. Maybe Taryst will call him back from recruitment duties," said Roldar. "Although I'd rather not have that frug head back, especially now."

The corner of my mouth twitched, great one Glaitis your idiotic quest for vengeance has now left the organisation effectively rudderless. How were we going to stop the
Exterminatus now? I guessed this was all according to Etuarq's plan too. I also couldn't help wonder what happened to the mercs Hayden had left to guard Glaitis back at our tower. It must've been a blood bath there I was pretty sure.

There were a few who could take over from Olinthre, though. There were two or three captains who worked under the major, although I'd hardly had any interaction with any of them and had forgotten their names entirely.

I hoped one would step up and take charge, but with everyone believing both Taryst and Barhurst being still alive, I doubted it. What a brilliantly convoluted mess we've got ourselves in yet again.

Brutis Bones was apparently taking charge, though. I just hoped the three disparate organisations could work under him. He was once an enemy and not many knew of the convoluted events which transpired into the creation of our desperate alliance.

I sure as hell didn't envy him.

"How long have I been out for?" I said, thinking that should've been my first question.

"That pretty boy, what's his name, Darrance?" said Roldar. "Had said you'd been out for a good five minutes before we'd arrived and we've been carting your sorry arse for about two minutes since then. So not long, why were you unconscious anyway? It didn't look like you'd hit your noggin' on anything or anything."

I fought a urge to frown, that I'd 'fainted due to severe panic attack' wasn't something to go around telling, especially to hard arse military types like Roldar.

"Blood loss," I said. "A cut in my side given to me when I'd fought off two Death Cult assassins."

"Yeah we heard about that fight," said Jelket. "Falone said you'd really saved their arses back there."

I sighed again, "yeah, and I only made it through because my arse was saved in turn."

"Yeah well, still, good work," said Jelket. "You guys also took out their boss, so again, good work."

"Yeah but that ain't stopping the enemy remnants fighting to the last," said Roldar. "Frigging insane if you ask me. That also begs the question was this boss, this Edracian that was killed, actually their boss? I know a merc when I see a merc and these guys are definitely mercs, they should've given up already with their employer dead."

"Professional pride, perhaps?" I suggested, but thought it more likely mind control.

"I doubt that," said Roldar with a sniff.

"Wheres everyone else?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

"The rest of them are going to help fight the enemy remnant," said Jelket. "Including that Brutis Bones fellow, I saw his injuries. Being still able to fight with them that takes balls of steel."

"Or insanity," said Roldar. "Wasn't he our enemy only a few days ago? Weren't Attelus here and the rest cutting a bloody swathe through the Moody Hammers he'd brought under him? And now he's our ally against this frigging Edracian guy? I don't get this shit, I really don't get this shit."

I stayed silent, not wanting to draw any questions my way.

"You know, don't you?" said Roldar. "You know everything don't you, Attelus?"

"No, no I don't" I said, I really didn't know everything like the future or how our galaxy became into being, so I was telling the truth. Again, it was the best way to lie.

"Don't lie," said Roldar.

"I'm not," I said with conviction. "I'm not lying, that I swear."

I paused as I realised something, "well, I am 'lying' on a stretcher, but I'm not 'lying' to you."

Abruptly Jelket and Roldar stopped.

"You really should've worded your question better, Roldar," said a deep voice that I instantly recognised and the realisation made my eyes widen and hiss air through clenched teeth. "As he is telling you the truth, he doesn't know 'everything' about everything, but he does know everything of the why and the how we are here."

"Torris," said Jelket. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, naturally," said Torris. "Don't underestimate young Attelus, here. He's as canny as they get, or if one isn't being generous in their words, as manipulative as they get."

"Torris," said Roldar warningly. "I don't like your tone, mate, now please. Step aside."

"I just wish to exchange a few words with my good friend, here, sergeant Roldar," said Torris. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Torris, step aside," repeated Roldar, his voice like iron.

"Alright! Alright!" sighed Torris. "Just let me walk along with you, I'll escort you. Brutis Bones was pretty silly not sending you back with a guard."

"He didn't," said a fourth voice, another I recognised instantly and Arlathan Karkin emerged from the shadows. His left arm in a sling, his right holding a raised Las pistol.
"Now step aside."

"There's no need for that, detective," said Torris. "Lower your gun."

"That's the thing, I maybe a lowly Magistratum detective and you were a high and mighty Arbite, but I've seen that look on your face, I can recognise your tone of voice, that's rage, white rage," said Arlathan. "You have no intention on guarding anyone, now step aside and let us through."

"But…!"

"I understand, Torris," interrupted Arlathan. "You've lost a friend, a good friend and you're angry about it. You want to put all the blame of his death onto Attelus, here. You want to take out your anger and grief on him."

"I…!"

"It's basic stuff, Torris," said on Arlathan. "Taught to us in the academy, the stages of grief, remember? Surely the Arbitrators of Malfi would learn it too?"

"Of course I did."

Arlathan nodded, "so now you know you're not thinking straight, right? You know you've thrown reason out the window right now. What you'd said earlier of Attelus manipulating Jeurat Garrakson into sacrificing himself, may have some merit. I don't believe it to be true, I saw what happened, I saw all of it and it sure as hell didn't look like he'd been manipulated to me. It looked like he knew exactly what he was doing, that he was fully prepared to sacrifice himself to save us. To avenge the one he loved and his comrade."

Arlathan clenched his teeth and braced his pistol, "now please Marcel Torris, step aside. You seem like a good person, Torris. Are you a good person, Torris?"

"I...I try to be," said Torris.

Arlathan smiled, "well, then you're a better man than me. I am starting to try now, too, though. But no matter how many years I live from now on I believe I'll never be half the man you are. Show us, Marcel, show us just how good you are, by stepping aside and not letting your thirst for revenge, whether it's justified or not, consume
you, so please, step aside."

"I...I you're really good at this," said Torris, sounding just as impressed as I was.

"I didn't make this rank for nothing, believe it or not," said Arlathan.

"Yeah, yeah I see that, alright, I'm sorry," said Torris.

"Thank you, Torris," said Arlathan as Jelket and Roldar began to move again. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for, I'm just glad that you didn't do anything that did."

Arlathan fell in step beside my stretcher and I saw Torris as we walked past him, the poor man looked at me with wide tearful eyes that made my heart sink.

"I'm sorry," I hissed. "I'm so, so sorry."

Then we left him behind and his cry of anguish echoed down the corridor.

"Will he be alright?" asked Jelket.

"Yeah," said Arlathan. "He'll be alright, just give him time."

"Did you mean that?" I said. "Did you mean what you just said?"

Arlathan sighed, "yeah, yeah I did. Do you think that Torris would've stood down if I didn't?"

I nodded and let out a long relieved sigh, then quickly realised I could also move my fingers as well.

I hoped I'd be able to move soon. I had a bad feeling about the near future.

A really bad feeling.


In silence we moved through the corridors, the only sound the footfalls of Arlathan, Jelket and Roldar. At times we stepped aside to allow groups of mercs trudging the other way past.

Along the way to the elevator, after much effort I was finally able to move my left arm and my right leg. I activated my vox link and listened to the chatter. A captain named Helma had taken over from "Olinthre" I could hear her yelling orders over the link and much to my surprise all three organisations were working well under her.
They'd already taken the eighth floor and the sixth was very near to falling.

All the elevators had been searched and activated now and it turned out I was right, the only one trapped was the one we'd checked.

I couldn't help roll my eyes at that.

We finally found the elevators and after Roldar exchanged a few words with the leader of the guard, we got on and began our descent.

"Torris said you did know everything," said Roldar. "Are you ever going to inform us of this shit?"

I swallowed, "it's uhh complicated."

"He's dead isn't he?" said Jelket. "Taryst is dead."

Taken off guard, I couldn't help but flinch and share a glance with Arlathan.

"That's...Awfully presumptuous of you, Jelket," said Arlathan.

Jelket sniggered cynically, "so it is true, so for how long? How? Why? Who did it?"

He sounded disparagingly uncaring as he asked his questions.

"It's complicated," I hissed.

"Yeah I bet," said Roldar bitterly, "and what makes you so damn special that you get to know all this shit? I've been in this organisation for twelve frigging years! Why do you get told this and not us?"

"I only know this 'shit' as you keep insisting on calling it, because I went through 'shit' to find it out," I snapped. "I lost the girl I loved, I got the ever loving shit kicked out of me I...I."

I exhaled, trying to calm myself, "I earned it, believe me I frigging well earned it."

"You'll have to tell us how sometime in the future," growled Jelket.

"I'll make sure to write it into my memoirs," I said sarcastically. "Give you free copies when it's done. I'll make sure to write it in graphic detail, every kick and punch and splatter of blood because I'll surely remember it all in such detail."

"Why?" demanded Roldar. "Why did you keep it a secret? Why did you lie?"

I sighed, "because in the situation I was in. I had very little choice, Roldar. I didn't want to keep this shit a secret but under the circumstances, it was the best way to go.
We had to, there was a mission we needed to complete."

"What? Taking down this Edracian, right?" said Roldar. "Didn't Brutis say he was an Inquisitor?"
"Him being an Inquisitor, doesn't that give you a clue that there's heavy shit at stake?" I hissed. "That Brutis Bones is also one too, doesn't that also add to it? You're a soldier, I understand that you don't think so much in the grey as I. But sometimes secrets need to be kept. If Taryst had bothered being truthful with you from the outset, then perhaps none of this complicated matter would've come to pass and I wouldn't have been forced to lie. I apologise for it but do not regret it."

Roldar was about to open his mouth in reply when the elevator found the ground floor and with a ding the doors slid open.

Roldar and Jelket picked up my stretcher then moved into the foyer. Arlathan following just behind.

"Alright," sighed Roldar after a few long seconds of silence. "I guess I kind of understand. But you will tell us eventually, right?"

"Yeah," I said and meant it. "I will, when the time is right."

Roldar briefly looked over his shoulder and he clenched his jaw, which said, why not now?

I just pursed my lips and shook my head.


For a good ten minutes we again carried on in silence, as I continued to fight to get my limbs moving and listened to the vox traffic. We were doing well, the sixth floor
was taken and only the seventh remained.

It was Jelket who broke the silence, "so, Attelus, where are you from?"

I sighed, small talk,*really?*But still answered, "Elbyra a small agri world bordering the Halo stars, you?"

"Archaos" said Jelket. "Was in the Archaosian 39th as a heavy weapons trooper before joining up with Taryst."

"How'd you get out?" I asked, thinking that talking about this might help with any reservations the Mercenary might have about me, also hoping his back story wasn't as tragic as Olinthre's and Garrakson's.

"Saved up my pay and bought my way out," said Jelket. "Took me a good twelve years but got there eventually."

I frowned, twelve years? How old was he anyway? Signing age was eighteen (on most worlds anyway) he must've been at least thirty but seemed much younger. He could've lied about his age, though.

"Colonel Barhurst recruited me only a few months after I left," Jelket said on. "Been with the organisation for a year, now."

I nodded absently, barely listening being still on the vox.

"Yep! Working for Taryst was a pretty sweet gig," said Jelket. "Good pay, mixed with pretty easy going work. Not getting shot at was pretty good, until now of course where I've been shot at more times in the past six hours than I have in an entire year."

"Uh huh," I muttered while changing my link's channel, to hear what squad twenty three were up to, they were on the forefront of the fight, battling with a group of Brutis' Bones Hammers in a large recreation room.

"I've also killed more times in the last six hours than in six months!" he said. "Lost count after seven, even managed a few good head shots. With not much time fighting, I've been putting a lot of hours at the shooting range and…"

Anger suddenly overtook me then and I snarled, "yeah! Thanks for reminding me how much of a sweet time you've had doing nothing while I was busy fighting and constantly killing over the past few months, and by the Emperor you can blabber on, can't you?"

Jelket flinched, "yeah sorry, I'm just not good with long silences."

Roldar snorted, "tell me something I don't know, try working guard duty with this frugger," he said in good humour. "Running his mouth off seems to be one of his only talents."

"Hey!" said Jelket with feigned hurt, "I resent that statement, I've got tenth highest accuracy rate at the range!"

Roldar sighed, "yeah I know, I know you've only told me that two hundred times now."

"What's your accuracy rate, Roldar?" I asked, finding all of this very amusing.

"Fifty sixth, last time I checked," Roldar replied hesitantly. "I'm more of a close quarters guy myself, give me a las gun on full auto at medium to short range and I'll fry 'em before they can think."

Not me, though, I thought with a smirk.

"What's Attelus' rate?" asked Arlathan, causing me to crane my neck up to glare at him witheringly and he just smirked back.

Jelket shrugged, "I don't think mr swordsman here's been at the range enough to get one."

"I only logically need to go once to get an average, Jelket," I sighed. "It's based on averages, right?"

"Well, I've never seen you on the record," said Jelket. "And I've looked way, way back."

"How far back?" asked Arlathan.

"Past the three hundred mark," said Jelket.

"Ooooh, not even close," said Arlathan as he inhaled sharply. "That's gotta hurt."

"And what's yours?" I snapped. "Surely the Magistratum keep records for their practice range?"

Arlathan grinned and shook his head, "sorry about this, kid, but I'm seventh at the range and first at hand to hand."

Roldar let out a long whistle, "nice! How'd you manage that?"

"Yeah well, I can dodge bullets," I stated, before Arlathan could reply.

There was a long moment of silence.

"Bullshit," said Roldar.

I opened my mouth to argue but abruptly shut it, thinking better of making them believe it.

"Yeah, sorry, just wanted to win this pissing contest," I said.

"And that is exactly what it is," said Arlathan.

"Can you move now?" asked Roldar. "We'd appreciate if you could, I'm getting a bit tired of carrying, your*stretcher*around."

"Stop," I said. "Let me try get up."

Roldar and Jelket did as told.

Slowly, shakily I sat up and slipped off the stretcher. It took me a good few minutes and when I was finally on my feet I almost lost balance entirely. It was only because
Arlathan stopped me that kept me from falling on my face.

"You alright?" asked Arlathan and I replied with a nod.

"I just frigging hope this doesn't happen every time she uses that shield," I muttered through clenched teeth as Arlathan stepped back and I began to slowly walk on, struggling for every step.

"What?" said Jelket.

"Nothing," I sighed. "Don't worry, I said nothing."

"Well you definitely said something," said Roldar.

I just grimaced, shrugged and placed my fore arm against the wall for support as I walked.

"Lets just move," I growled. "Anyway, Roldar where's the rest of your squad?"

Roldar shrugged as he fell in step with me, showing surprising patience at my slow pace.

"Our squad were ordered to guard the elevator controls along with some of the moody Hammers, but we got a call for help so me and Jelket went to help," said Roldar.
"left Halick in charge. Shit! If I'd known we'd have to haul your sorry arse back, I'd have sent him and Jelket instead."

"Gee, thanks," said Jelket sarcastically.

I smiled, "I appreciate the help, I do. If you want to, you can head back to rejoin your squad now. We can carry on from here"
Roldar shook his head, "nope, sorry, we're staying. We've got our orders and despite you being a snarky, paranoid little shit, you're not too bad."

I didn't reply to that, just furrowed my brow at the backhanded compliment and carried on.


It took us almost half an hour to reach the exit. In that time I listened to the comm chatter as Jelket and Roldar constantly talked, their dialog mostly consisting of good natured teasing. I couldn't help be impressed by their wit, trading barbs back and forth with surprising speed and regularity. Jelket was especially quick and clever, this despite Roldar being his senior, it made me smile. It was obvious they were true comrades and good friends, it made me want to laugh, it made me want to cry again.

A thought had occurred to me as we walked and I'd turned to Arlathan.

"Shouldn't you be with your men?" I asked.

Arlathan shook his head, "I've left my second, Delyth in charge. He knows what he's doing, they'll do fine without me."

I'd frowned, his tone implied he believed they'd actually do*better*without him. It was obvious his confidence had taken a huge hit since the daemon attack, but perhaps even worse than I'd first thought. I almost felt sorry for him, but it seemed he was really re-thinking his attitude, perhaps it was for the better.

We'd just walked through the guards at the west exit and were headed toward Arlathan's Magistratum command truck waiting for us in the courtyard when I heard the call over the vox, the last of the hostiles was reported killed. Funnily enough it was Verenth who had the honour, despite his injury.

We were in the truck when we got the call over the vox, all of our comm links beeped and showed a call on channel fifty six. We shared silent glances and quickly tuned in.

"What's this about?" growled Roldar.

"It's probably Brutis Bones going to make some uplifting, awe inspiring speech about our victory," I said cynically. "If you can call it that."

Jelket frowned, "then what else would you call it?"

For a few seconds I thought on that, with the buzzing of the active vox in my ears as I taped my index finger on my thin chin absently.

"A single small step," I said. "A single, minute step on a road as long as this galaxy's length, one which I'll continue on walking, even if it eventually kills me."

I wanted to say, 'even if kills me a thousand times,' but wisely refrained.

Roldar and Jelket shared glances.

"That was awfully poetic of you, Attelus," said Jelket. "Do you think you'll make it to the end of that figurative road?"

"Yes," I said with a smile.

Roldar furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to respond but stopped as Brutis Bone's voice abruptly burst into our ears.

"This is Inquisitor Brutis Tybalt of the Ordo Hereticus and I address all of you today with a truth, a truth all of you need to hear."

Hearing this made me hiss through clenched teeth, I wanted to say something, stop him but the link was one way.

"In fact I come to you with a few truths, the first and foremost is this, the employer of many of you, the rogue trader named Taryst, is dead."

I looked at Jelket and Roldar with wide watery eyes. I could only imagine the reactions of the many mercs hearing this and hoped Brutis wasn't going to mention my organisation's involvement in Taryst's murder.

"Those that were directly and indirectly involved in Taryst's death, have been brought to justice, they are dead, along with him," said on Brutis, "as well, the rumour of
Major Olinthre's demise is true."

Brutis sighed, "I have also received news that Colonel Barhurst is dead also. Only a few days ago this news would've brought me joy, but then we were enemies. Now we are unlikely allies, we are now allied because we have a greater enemy, an enemy which has manipulated both of us into this war, this enemy as many of you have already guessed was Inquisitor Nonin Edracian, he is responsible for the deaths of billions of innocent, Imperial citizens. For decades he has manipulated the Imperium against it self, just as he has manipulated us. In storming this fortress, in defeating him and his army, you have done the Emperor's work. You have performed a great service that will allow your souls to one day be at Emperor's side. That I promise you."

"I, as an Inquisitor of the Holy Ordos take command, it doesn't matter if you are a Magistratum Marshal or a Mercenary once under Taryst you now answer to me, this isn't over I'm afraid. Soon ships of the Imperial navy will emerge from the warp and they will attempt to destroy Omnartus and the billions of people living on it's surface in fire. Exterminatus has been ordered on this world and it is up to us, along with the Planetary Defence Force to stop it."

"I am afraid, though, that I must take my leave of Omnartus, my mission here is complete and as a good friend of mine had suggested, this knowledge I must take to the Calixian Ordos so to prevent Edracian and his allies causing any more destruction."

That I knew to be a lie or atleast I hoped it to be, we really couldn't trust the Ordos anymore, who knew how many within it were allied with, or even under Etuarq's influence? Even so I felt Brutis had made the right decision.

"As my first order to you I order this building to be evacuated then destroyed," said Brutis. "My second is also my last, once that is completed captain Helma will be in charge of Taryst's forces, she has proven herself a excellent commander, you will follow her like she was Olinthre, hell, like she was Taryst himself. You must co-operate fight together like you have just now or else all will be lost. Do you understand?"

There was a long pause and I wondered what the others listening were doing during that time.

"Thank you!" said Brutis at whatever response was given and I guessed it was positive, somehow. "Now go! Do the Emperor's work!"

Then the connection was cut.

For a second or so we sat in grim silence, it was only interrupted by the beep of Arlathan's vox link making me and Arlathan flinch in fright.

"Detective Karkin here," he said and I watched as he listened to whatever was being said down the line, then his already remarkably pale face whitened even worse.

"Yeah, got you," he stammered and cut the link.

"What's wrong?" I asked, although I already had a good idea.

He just treated me with a wide eyed fearful look, then immediately tuned his vox.

"Inquisitor?" he said. "I'm sorry but we've got to talk, now. Can you meet us outside the western exit, ASAP? I just got a call from my boss, the Astropaths have detected the enemy fleet, it's in the warp and scheduled to enter the system in about an hour."

There was a pause before Arlathan answered, "yes, thank you, sir. Will meet you soon."

"Shit!" snapped Roldar.

"'Shit,' doesn't even begin to describe it," I sighed.

"No," said Arlathan, his voice in soft contemplation as he stroked his stubbly chin with a thumb. "No it doesn't."


We didn't have to wait long, only about fifteen minutes before Brutis Bones arrived, he was now out of his Power Armour and while he was still large he was distinctly smaller without it. He wore an armored black body glove and his wounds were thickly bandaged. He still somehow managed to carry his bolter with as much ease when he was armoured, though.

Accompanying him was captain Helma, she was a plain featured, grim looking woman in her late thirties whose blonde hair was cropped short. She wore aged, but well maintained Storm Trooper carapace and carried a Hell gun. Like me she had a large, ugly scar on the left cheek, but unlike me she didn't hide it beneath long hair.

Also with him were Selg, Verenth, Darrance and Hayden and much to my surprise, a still sullen Torris.

"Alright," said Brutis as he approached us, straight to business as usual. "I thought we'd have more time."

Arlathan shook his head and licked his dry lips, he'd been silently pondering the whole time we'd waited, "I'm afraid not, Inquisitor," said Arlathan. "It was apparently only a small rift in the warp, that was why it wasn't sensed hours ago. According to the head Astropath, a rift that small would be made by only five or six ships…"

Arlathan trailed off in his sentence as he, along with the rest of us saw the look of horror cross Brutis' face.

"Only five or six ships?" said Helma, her voice deep, commanding and gravely. "You only need that amount for an Exterminatus?"

"Yes," said Brutis. "Damn it! Why didn't Wesley tell me?"

"Why didn't Jeksen tell you what, boss?" said Verenth.

"Why didn't he tell us that Torathe had so much pull!" Brutis snarled. "I was hoping he'd bring Inquisitorial ships and an Imperial navy escort! Not this. Anything but this."

"Anything but what, Inquisitor?" said Helma, her jaw clenching in impatience.

My eyes widened with the dawning realisation and I quickly understood Brutis' apprehension. And just when I thought it couldn't get any frigging worse.
"Space Marines," I said, "Inquisitor Torathe has brought frigging Space Marines."

Brutis nodded with watery eyes and he pointed at me, "you better pray to the God Emperor, detective that it's just a Rogue Trader group or pilgrims or anything else or this will change everything. Everything."

Then I swore I heard Arlathan mutter softly under his breath; "I'm not gonna waste my breath."