That Time I Got Reincarnate As A Medic In The World Of Warhammer 40k

The bolt pistol's barrel loomed before Eve's eyes, a dark promise of oblivion. In the fraction of a second before Commissar Voss could pull the trigger, Eve seized control of the body she shared with Lilith. The transition was seamless, a fluid exchange of consciousness that left no outward sign of the momentous shift within.

With a grace born of countless hours of training and the desperate will to survive, Eve's hand shot up, gripping the Commissar's wrist. She pushed his arm skyward just as the weapon discharged, sending the bolt round harmlessly into the ash-choked sky of Armageddon.

The rapport of the pistol echoed across the battlefield, momentarily drowning out the distant roars of Orks and the staccato of las-fire. Commissar Voss's eyes widened in shock, his stern features contorting with a mix of surprise and outrage.

"Witchcraft!" he spat, struggling against Eve's iron grip. "You dare use your foul powers against an agent of the Emperor's will?"

Eve met his gaze unflinchingly, her eyes no longer filled with the fear and confusion that had marked Lilith's demeanor. Instead, they held a calm determination that gave the Commissar a pause.

"No witchcraft, Commissar," Eve replied, her voice steady and assured. "Something far more interesting."

As the words left her lips, a change swept over the immediate area. Commissar Voss felt it immediately. The sensation was unmistakable, a chill that ran down his spine and a hollowness in the pit of his stomach. His eyes widened further, this time with recognition.

"A null field," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "But how? You were... You were using psychic powers just moments ago!"

Eve allowed herself a small, grim smile. "As I said, Commissar, something far more interesting than mere witchcraft."

Before Voss could respond, a bestial roar split the air. A group of Orks, drawn by the sound of the bolt pistol, came charging towards them. Their crude weapons were held high, green faces split by savage grins that promised nothing but violence and death.

Eve released the Commissar's wrist and spun to face the oncoming threat. In one fluid motion, she drew the combat knife gifted to her by Sergeant Thorne. The blade gleamed dully in the muted light filtering through Armageddon's perpetual smog.

"Stay behind me, Commissar," Eve ordered, her tone brooking no argument. "I'll handle this."

Without waiting for a response, Eve launched herself at the approaching Orks. Her movements were a blur of lethal precision, nothing like the clumsy efforts of a barely-trained Guardswoman. She ducked under the wild swing of a crude Ork axe, her knife flashing out to open the xenos' throat in a spray of dark blood.

As the first Ork fell, Eve was already moving to engage the next. She slid between the legs of a particularly large specimen, her blade finding the back of its knee and severing tendons. The Ork roared in pain and anger as it toppled, only for Eve to silence it with a quick thrust to the base of its skull.

The remaining Orks, momentarily taken aback by the ferocity and skill of their diminutive opponent, hesitated. It was all the opening Eve needed. She charged forward, her knife a silver blur as it found weak points in crude armor and exposed flesh. In a matter of moments, the small group of Orks lay dead at her feet.

Eve turned back to face Commissar Voss, her breathing only slightly elevated despite the intensity of the brief skirmish. The Commissar stared at her, his face a mask of confusion and disbelief.

"Who... What are you?" he demanded, his bolt pistol hanging forgotten at his side.

Eve wiped her blade clean on the tunic of a fallen Ork before resheathing it. "That's a long and complicated story, Commissar. One we don't have time for right now." She gestured at the ongoing battle around them. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of an Ork invasion. I'm not the threat here."

Voss's eyes narrowed, years of training and indoctrination warring with the evidence of his own senses. "You were using psychic powers earlier. Now you're a blank. That's impossible."

"Improbable, perhaps," Eve conceded. "But clearly not impossible. I promise you, Commissar, I'll explain everything once we've dealt with the more pressing issue of survival."

As if to punctuate her words, a deafening roar filled the air. Both Eve and Commissar Voss looked up to see a massive shape descending through the smog-choked sky. The unmistakable silhouette of a Thunderhawk gunship, its green hull bearing the insignia of the Salamanders Chapter, broke through the cloud cover.

Eve felt a surge of relief at the sight. The Salamanders had come, just as they had so many years ago when she had first encountered them. As the gunship touched down nearby, kicking up swirls of ash and debris, Eve allowed herself a small smile.

The assault ramp of the Thunderhawk lowered with a pneumatic hiss, disgorging a squad of Salamanders Space Marines. Their emerald power armor gleamed even in the dim light of Armageddon, the drake-scale pattern catching what little sunlight filtered through the perpetual smog. Bolters were held at the ready, scanning for threats as the Astartes secured the immediate area.

One figure stood out among the others, his armor adorned with additional honors and a cloak of scaled hide draped over one shoulder. Sergeant Taelon, his face lined with additional scars since Eve had last seen him, strode purposefully towards them.

Eve stepped forward, a genuine smile breaking across her face. "Sir! It's good to see you again." she called out, her voice carrying warmth that had been absent in her interactions with the Commissar. "It's good to see you again."

The Salamander Sergeant paused, his enhanced eyes studying Eve intently. For a moment, confusion flickered across his features before recognition dawned.

"By the Emperor's flame!" Taelon breathed, his deep voice carrying a note of wonder. "Little Eve? Is that really you?"

Eve nodded, her smile widening. "In the flesh, Sergeant. Though I suppose I'm not quite so little anymore."

Taelon let out a booming laugh that seemed incongruous with the grim battlefield around them. "Not so little indeed! You've grown, child, though not as much as I might have expected." His expression softened, pride evident in his eyes. "I see you've chosen to serve the Emperor after all. It does my heart good to see it."

Before Eve could respond, the sound of armored footsteps announced the arrival of Colonel Sturnhammer. The grizzled veteran of countless campaigns against the Orks moved with a sense of urgency, his face a mask of grim determination.

"My lords," Sturnhammer addressed the Salamanders, offering a crisp salute. "Your arrival is most timely. We are faced with an Ork horde numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Our lines are stretched thin, and we've suffered heavy casualties."

Sergeant Taelon nodded gravely, his demeanor shifting from the warmth he had shown Eve to the stern professionalism of a warrior born. "We received your distress call, Colonel. The Salamanders stand ready to aid in the defense of Armageddon, as we have done before."

As the senior officers began to discuss strategy, Commissar Voss approached Eve. His eyes darted between her and Sergeant Taelon, confusion evident on his face as to why she was called Eve by the Astartes.

"You know these Astartes?" he asked in a low voice.

Eve nodded. "It's a long story, Commissar. One that goes back to my childhood. But as I said, now is not the time for explanations. We have a battle to face."

Voss's eyes narrowed, but he seemed to accept the logic of her words. "This isn't over," he warned. "Once the immediate threat is dealt with, you and I will have a long conversation about exactly what you are and how you came to be here. If you prove to be a threat, I will execute you myself"

"Understood, Commissar," Eve replied calmly. "I look forward to it."

As the Salamanders began to organize the remaining Guardsmen for a counter-attack, Eve felt a stirring in the back of her mind. It was a familiar sensation, one she had grown accustomed to over the years of sharing a body with Lilith but this time, she’s the one in control once again.

*"Eve?"* Lilith's mental voice was tinged with confusion and no small amount of fear. *"What's happening? Why can't I control our body?"*

Eve closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the internal dialogue. *"It's alright, Lilith,"* she reassured her counterpart. *"I had to take control to save us from the Commissar. We've switched positions for now."*

*"But... how?"* Lilith's confusion was palpable. *"Also, do you know these Salamanders? How do you know them?"*

Eve felt a wave of sympathy for Lilith. The girl had been through so much already, and now she was faced with yet another upheaval in her understanding of their shared existence.

*"The Salamanders are old friends,"* Eve explained. *"They rescued me when I was a child, just before our souls merged. We can trust them, Lilith. I need you to trust me on this and I have a plan to get out of this."*

There was a moment of silence as Lilith processed this information. When she spoke again, her mental voice was hesitant but determined. *"I... I trust you, Eve. I mean, it’s not like that I have a choice but somehow it feels like I've known you for a long time. If you say we can trust them, then I believe you."*

Eve felt a rush of warmth at Lilith's words. Despite everything they had been through, despite the strangeness of their situation, they had formed a bond that transcended normal understanding.

*"Thank you, Lilith,"* Eve replied, her mental voice filled with genuine gratitude. *"We're in this together, that I can promise."*

As Eve opened her eyes, returning her focus to the external world, she found Sergeant Taelon watching her intently. The Salamander's enhanced senses had likely picked up on her momentary distraction.

"Is everything alright, little one?" he asked, concern evident in his deep voice.

Eve nodded, offering him a reassuring smile. "Everything's fine, Sergeant. Just... processing everything that's happened."

Taelon placed a massive, armored hand on her shoulder, the gesture surprisingly gentle for one of such immense strength. "We have much to discuss, Eve. But for now, we have a battle to win. Are you ready to stand with us against the enemies of mankind?"

Eve straightened, feeling Lilith's presence in the back of her mind, a comforting warmth that bolstered her resolve. "Always, Sergeant. For the Emperor and for Armageddon."

As the Salamanders and the remnants of the Imperial Guard prepared to launch their counter-attack, Eve felt a sense of purpose settle over her for she was created for the sole purpose of being a weapon without freedom but now she has the said freedom which she never thought that she would feel in her life. And for the first time since she had merged with Lilith, she felt truly whole as if this was the right path for her.

The secrets of their shared existence would come to light soon enough. For now, there were Orks to fight and a planet to defend. Eve gripped her combat knife tightly, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. As the order to advance was given, Eve moved forward with the troops, her null field a bubble of calm in the psychic storm of battle. Behind her, Commissar Voss watched with a mix of suspicion and grudging respect. To her side, Sergeant Taelon stood ready, a bastion of strength and a link to a past she had thought long lost.

And within, Lilith's presence remained, a constant reminder of the impossible journey that had brought them to this moment. Together, they would forge a destiny unlike any the Imperium had seen before.

The battle for Armageddon raged on, and there stood a girl who was both blank and psyker, both child and ancient, both singular and plural. In the grim darkness of the far future, where there is only war, Eve and Lilith are prepared to face whatever danger there is just to survive.

The Orks would soon learn the folly of underestimating the determination of humanity, especially when that humanity came in such an unexpected package.