The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

Lord Volregire, a heavy set man bulging out of his 15th century-ish ensemble of tight fitting burgundy linen shirt studded with iridescent pearl buttons polished to a blinding gleam, topped off with a dark red slashed doublet that adds to his voluminous frame, puffing to the rhythm of his quickened breathes, was fucking pissed. Tangmo flashed him a toothy smile, and boy, did that made him even angrier.

"Lord commissar," the honorable planetary governor of Leenisium was failing completely at keeping up a polite façade, "I ask that the Immortal Spirit battlegroup respect the sanctity of our laws and its machinations."

"Your law fucking suck," was Tangmo's assholish response. "Therefore, we have decided to overrule and promptly ignore your shitty ass judicial system. As of this moment the battlegroup have place Leenisium under martial law."

"On who's authority?!" Governor Volregire roared, his right bionic arm twitching violently from the influx of emotion, while the fluid cables sticking out of his neck went into overtime as it pumped gallons of neuro chemical straight into his veins.

"Mine, motherfucker," Tangmo leaned forward and placed his elbows on the long metallic table, striking a Gendo pose.

"You have no right to do this!" The governor's face was turning red, every enunciation accompanied by foaming spittle of unadulterated rage. "There is no legal precedence for such a drastic and malicious action!"

"The precedence is my gun, bitch," Tangmo went on easily. "Absolute executive power of Leenisium will now be transferred to inquisitor Amberley Vail and her bureaucratic task force. You can either surrender this power willingly or you can be difficult. I hope you pick the second option, because I really wanna bust a cap in your lardass."

"I will not allow that whore to go free! She must be hanged, along with all of her criminal cabal!" Volregire pointed his stubby finger at madam Lithia, who was standing on Tangmo's right. She was clad in full Sororitas war gear, looking as bored as he was, despite the battlegroup having found themselves in a rather precarious situation. The moment the siege of the Fortress of Justice was lifted an announcement calling for the arrest of madam Lithia and her friends went planet wide. Apparently the traitor PDFs went into battle with fucking GoPro and filmed everything, in 8k too. With the canoness's secret identity blown, the planetary government swiftly seized all of Xyla Consortium's assets and properties, but madam Lithia, being 40k Batman, had plenty of prep time for a contingency plan. So with a single, nonchalant command, Lithia had her manor and every business establishments blew to smithereens, along with the occupying PDF forces. All the data were inside the Fortress of Justice's STC anyway, so nothing of value was lost. Being the swell chaps that they were, the Immortal Spirit battlegroup had offered sanctuary and protection to the Avenging Knight, and after some grumbling from Lithia, the superheroine Sororitas finally agreed to an alliance, much to the charging of the lord governor.

"I am sorry lord governor, but we simply cannot surrender loyal citizens of the Imperium over to those corrupted by the Ruinous Power," Laura was pompously British, sanctimonious and disdainful, contrasting with Tangmo's blunt verbal assault. And since this was a hostile negotiation, Tangmo and Laura were the perfect tag team for the job.

"How dare you!" Governor Volregire seethed and was about to lift his chubby ass off his seat when Tovin and some chamberlain looking lackey held him back, while his entourage of nobilities and sycophantic bureaucrats raised their voices in outage. On the other side of the conference table, the Eight and the main characters, some scattered around the tent, acting as honor guards, were silent, watching them with rising impatience.

"Why is this fucker not dead?" Henry pointed at Tovin, the PDF colonel, who also happened to be the governor's grandson. The little punk tried to act tough but the trembling in his posture ruined it. "He's the one who coordinated the attack on the Fortress."

"He fled back to the governor's palace the moment he committed his troops," Gallus, standing behind Damien, glared at the young man, the red of his visor was daemonic. "By the time we learn of the treachery, he and his staffs were nowhere to be found."

"My son risked his life to expose the nefarious Avenging Knight and the webs of corruption they have weave across Gothicipolis," general Bokin, the PDF supreme commander and Tovin's dad, spoke up righteously. "He shall be address with respect!"

"Your darling little boy colluded with the Ruinous Power," Laura sipped her tea daintily, aloof to the general's anger. "So forgive me general Bokin, but your son deserves no decency one prescribes to another human being, for he had betrayed mankind. Therefore, I will treat him like the traitorous heretic that he is. I must confess I am a bit surprise that you and yours are allowed to sit at this table at all, when the lots of you are worth less than the dirt beneath my feet."

"Not to mention the kidnapping and imprisonment of Aeldari in the Azrael Mental Institute," Tangmo went on and Tovin twitched like he'd just got tased.

"What?" Lithia stepped forward and squeezed herself in between the seated Tangmo and Laura, "Aeldari at the Azrael Institute? That is not possible, we would have known if something like that was happening."

"Obviously not," Tangmo shot Lithia a sideway glance then stabbed his thumb at Damien's second in command. "You see, Gallus over there is one of the finest warrior I'd ever have the pleasure of working with, but he's also cool headed enough to spare the PDF officers who surrendered. They have since been chatting with major Emily for the last forty-eight hours." Tangmo glanced at the Praetorian major standing at attention in the corner of the tent, trading politely bows with her. "Before their sanity expired, they spilled the bean and told us everything about the other eldar you people got locked up at the asylum, and how the PDFs colonel and his men played a firsthand role in that event."

"We do what we must to protect Leenisium and all who dwell within Gothicipolis," governor Volregire managed to restore some of his equanimity, but the man was still red from anger when he pointed vehemently at Lithia. "And it is because of them that the Chaos warband refuses to leave my planet."

"Okay, here we fucking go," Tangmo shook his head, chuckling lowly. "Let's hear the mental gymnastics then."

"The Chaos legion only came to Leenisium because of the eldar pilots," governor Volregire said. "When we interrogated the xeno, demanding to know his mission, the wretch remained tightlipped, choosing to scream instead of talking. It was only when the Chaos armada appeared over my world that we learned another pilot had survived and was taken into custody by the Avenging Knights. The Chaos Lord leading the warband had given his promise that Leenisium will be spared if both pilots were given to him, and it is because of these damnable whores that we were unable to comply with his wishes. Gothicipolis burns because of you!"

Tangmo, and the main characters judging by the silence, was totally gobsmacked by the lord governor fucked up logic.

"You fucking coward!" Nikki gave voice to the thought on everyone's mind. "Your job is to fight Chaos, not make deals with them! And it's not like those assholes were gonna keep their words you dense motherfucker!"

"Okay, I'm not an inquisitor by any stretch of the imagination, but does this shit qualify as heresy?" Damien looked at Laura.

"Love, this is extra heretical," Laura drank her tea, pinky extended, her face that of a disappointed mum.

"Those who parley with the devil, shares in its crime," Galatea glared at governor Volregire, the permeating hatred was suffocating.

"You know you done fucked up, right?" Tangmo grinned at the governor and his lackeys.

"I did nothing of the sort!" Lord Volregire roared.

"You know you done fucked up, right?" Tangmo repeated himself, totally enjoying how the fat ass squirmed.

"Now that we've established your crime against the Imperium, allow me to reiterate lord commissar Tangmo's demand," Laura cut in primly. "Peacefully hand executive power to the Immortal Spirit and we guarantee that your sentencing will be fair and swift. Failure to comply will result in a prolong termination of you and your associates. Please choose wisely."

Lord Volregire's bionic tubes whirled loudly, the muscles on his face twitching from the influx of chemical, giving the governor's rage an inhuman dimension. But when Tangmo thought the old man's head was gonna explode he calmed down, breath slowing to normal, his complexion returning to its pale pallor, hell, he even smiled, a sickly demented looking thing.

"You forget that you are still on Gothicipolis, lord commissar," governor Volregire hissed like a scheming supervillain. "And no matter how great your prowess on the battlefield might be, the Planetary Defense Force still eclipses the battlegroup by sheer number alone. You are nothing by a lonely island amidst a vast ocean, ignorant of the tide that is about to consume you."

"Oh really?" Tangmo tried to act like he gave a fuck and failed.

"And I must remind you, lord commissar, that the sky belong to us," Volregire went on with sickening smugness. "Impressive as the Immortal Spirit might be, she is still a single ship, devoid of escort. While my armada, although diminished, still retained forty battleships and cruisers as oppose to your lonesome. Right now, the Leenisium fleet is moving into firing position, surrounding the Immortal Spirit and blocking her escape. They are waiting for my command to open fire."

Governor Volregire savored the main characters' unguarded shock, extremely pleased with himself for taking their home, and close to seven million civilians, hostage. The Eight, however, was unfazed by the declaration. If anything, they looked pretty bored.

"All of this unpleasantness can be avoided, of course," Volregire went on with an air of mock politeness, "if you comply with my demands."

While the room seethed at the smirking lord governor, Yuki leaned over the table, her smile could only be described as satanic, and said, "do it motherfucker."

That was totally not what Volregire expected, "…w-what?!"

"I said do it you little bitch," Yuki egged the governor on to the shock of the main characters, all of whom stared at the Japanese exarch like she'd just gone mad. "What are you waiting for?! Do it motherfucker! Fucking do it!"

"Do you think I'm bluffing?!" The governor spluttered, both confused and enraged.

"Are you, lord governor?" Laura queenly mockery was the straw that broke his back.

"Admiral Renaud," Volregire growled into his earbud. "Destroy the Immortal Spirit."

There was a heavy, pregnant pause as everyone in the tent inhaled sharply and held their breath, only the ambience of an active military camp punctured the tense silence, all waiting for the calamity to unfold.

"We can't actually hear the explosions, right?" Damien spoke up.

"Nope, and we can't see it either, since we're inside a tent and all," Nikki shrugged.

"Perhaps we can listen in on the battleship's radio chatter?" Lita said sweetly and placed her data-pad on the table, tapping the screen without haste. "I'll put it on loud speaker."

"Hey Lita, can you plug us into the Leenisium fleet?" Tangmo asked as the tent occupants closed in around the table, making the place that much more claustrophobic.

"Of course," governor Volregire's eyes widened at Lita's bright answer. She tapped the glowing data-pad and was greeted with wailing pandemonium.

"Renaud! What in the blazes hell is happening?!" Volregire shouted at the data-pad, which Lita had graciously pushed to the middle of the table.

"Nothing is working!" The Admiral yelled in despair, his panicky subordinates providing the backing chorus. "The Machine Spirit has abandoned us! All our ships are no longer responding to our command! We're nothing but sitting groxs up here!"

"Admiral! The Immortal Spirit is locking on to us!" One of the admiral's men blurted and the entire bridge started screaming. The Eight were laughing their asses off while the governor and his cronies went pale.

"Let me tell you why you're all fucked," Tangmo said once he settled down. "See, it's true that the Immortal Spirit is just one Gloriana, a super uber powerful Gloriana, but still a single ship without any escort fleet. Living it a bit dangerously, I admit, but we haven't run into anything dicey yet, so far the only large bodies of battleship we've encountered are friendly Imperials and Aeldari. Unfortunately for you assholes, we don't like you, I mean seriously, one look at every single one of you and my brain immediately threw up the red flag, and that includes her!" Tangmo pointed at Lithia, who scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we don't like your faces, so we infected your entire system with viruses and malwares. These things take about a week to incubate, and we've been here for two. And now, all your ships belong to us."

"Y-You lie!" Governor Volregire was foaming and spitting again. "Admiral! Open fire on them now! Spare no one!"

"We can't! Wait! The weapon systems are coming online! Machine Spirit be praised!" Cheers erupted from the data-pad, but the jubilation was comically short lived as shrieking sirens quickly drowned out the crew's premature celebration.

"What's happening?! Report!" Volregire yelled.

"Our ships are locking on to each other!" Tangmo almost felt bad for the admiral, almost. "And the void shields are down! We are defenseless!"

"Stop it! Please!" Tovin of all people cried out, his pleading, teary eyes locking with Tangmo's zero fucks own. "I have friends in that fleet, they're good people, they don't deserve to die! Spare them please!"

"Fuck you," Tangmo answered Tovin's plea with a middle finger, used the same finger to tap Lita's data-pad, then spoke in the harsh, gravelly voice made famous by Darth Sidious. "Albert."

"Yo," the AI responded chirpily.

"Execute Order 66," Tangmo thought he made a pretty good impression, Nikki, Damien and Erik guffawed loudly while Henry, Yuki, Laura and Lita giggled politely, the main characters, however, gawked at him like he'd just grew three more heads.

"Yes sir, right away sir," Albert answered in a Clone Trooper voice.

"Oh no…no, no, no, NO! AHHH!" The admiral's harrowing cry was reaching a crescendo when the transmission was abruptly cut off. The shift of emotion emanating from the Gothicipolis nobilities was a physical aura that made Tangmo giddy, seeing the absolute surety of the rich and powerful shattered when the reality of the situation kicked them in the gonads was super euphoric.

"Oh Ae-Shin!" Tangmo pitched his voice to a tenor as he sang into the data-pad.

"What?" The Jigurean air force commander chuckled.

"Remember those planet side coordinates I sent you a few days ago?" Tangmo went on.

"You want all of it destroyed?" There was a smirk in Ae-Shin's question.

"No survivor commander, I want those mansions, palaces and bunkers turn into smoking craters," Tangmo said.

"Lord commissar, several of the targets you gave me are cathedrals and factories belonging to the Adeptus Mechanicus," Ae-Shin stated, her tone wary.

"Yeah, those bastards have been trying to hack us the moment we set foot on this planet," Tangmo said.

"Are you sure you want to proceed? There could be repercussion from the Machine Priests," Ae-Shin went on.

"There won't be any repercussion because they'll all be dead," Tangmo waved off her concern. "Blow them straight to hell dude."

"As you wish, lord commissar," Ae-Shin acknowledged his command before cutting transmission.

"No!" General Bokin yelled in despair but Tangmo was unmoved by his desperate plea, the man underestimating the depth of his apathy. "There are women and children in those places! Call off the airstrike!"

"We've already, forcibly, evicted the women and children. Shit was easy considering the Warp Spiders can walk through walls. They're here in the camp actually, inside the Krieg's quarter, being processed for penal planets and orphanages," the distant rumbles of pounding bombardment were seeping into the tent now, echoing melodically off the canvas walls. Tangmo disengaged the Gendo pose and slouched into his chair. "Now, what are going to do with you?"

The lords and ladies of Gothicipolis, realizing just how royally fucked they were, started calling for help or, for those of the firmer physique, bolted for the tent flap, only to be stopped by the main characters that ringed the interior. Outside, the cracks and pops of lasgun went off in quick succession before going silent.

"All clear?" Henry asked and Moltke poked his head inside, nodding. "Nice. Now, where were we? Oh yeah, you!"

"Yo, you guys got any ideas?" Tangmo smiled sunnily at the canonesses.

"They have aided heretics in attacking a Sororitas order, attempt to strike a deal with the Ruinous Power and threatened Imperial forces and civilians, their only sentence is death," Bellona, the spikey redhead canoness of the Bloody Rose, growled at Volregire and his ilk. "I recommend we burn them at the stake, like the sinners and blasphemers of old."

"Alright, now we're talking," Tangmo was very pleased with the suggestion. "So how are you guys doing this? A cremation or a slow roast?"

"Our flamers can adjust the promethium output so that the immolation can be done swiftly, without needless suffering inflicted upon the condemned," canoness Crestienne of the Argent Shroud spoke up, all the while shooting incensed look at Bellona.

"Why the hell would we want that?!" Tangmo gave Crestienne a 'lady, are you fucking serious?!' look then turned to the grinning Bellona. "Make them squeal like a pig Bellona."

"With pleasure, lord commissar," Bellona barked a harsh laugh then elbowed an annoyed Galatea in the rib. "Ha! And you said he's an insufferable twat!"

"You shared the same sentiment this morning," Galatea groaned.

"Not anymore!" Bellona tapped her earbud. "Secure the prisoners and build me a pyre, sisters."

The tent flap flew open and about two dozen Bloody Rose Sororitas marched inside, bolters held at the ready, the glaring red slits of their helms honed on the lords and ladies, remorseless and unforgiving. The poor bastards actually tried to run, some of the burlier men even tried to shoulder pass the Battle Sisters, kinda forgetting that the nuns were wearing power armors. That went as well as anyone expected, with many broken jaws and noses.

"Get your hands off me you fucking bitches!" Volregire roared as two Sororitas took hold of his flapping arms and hurled him off his seat none too gently. "Do you know you I am?! I'm the lord governor of Leenisium! You can't do this to me!"

"Yes we can," Laura said pleasantly then turned to the laughing Bellona. "I suggest you bind them, lady canoness, wouldn't want them escaping now, would we?"

"I have a better idea," Bellona nudged her head and Battle Sisters proceed to stomp savagely on the knees and legs of the Gothicipolis nobles, their wails of broken agony couldn't hide the wet snap of bones as they were dragged screaming outside to where the bonfire awaits.

"Brutal," Damien nodded appreciatively and held his corna up to Bellona, who returned the gesture smartly, even headbanging a little. Damn, that was super cool.

"Finally, now I can stop with this posh Buckingham crap," Laura sighed and slouched lazily into her chair, neck craned laggardly at the perpetually proper Emily. "How did I do love? Was I a dainty lady or what?"

"Your attempt was satisfactory, lady inquisitor," Emily said politely but with a clear reprimanding edge, like that of a stern teacher. "But there were many areas that needed improvement, if you wish to pass yourself off as a woman of class and station."

"Oh really?!" Laura changed to her Scottish accent. "And what would your advice be then, ye high and mighty Sassenach?!"

"You tried too hard, lady inquisitor," Emily was failing to hide her giggles. "Enthusiasm is a commendable trait, but I'm afraid too much of it can be counterproductive."

"I do not try too hard ya bampot!" Laura roared indignantly then rounded on Yuki, who happened to be sitting next to her, the Japanese exarch couldn't hold down her laughter. "Tell them what for love!"

"No, she's right, you try way too damn hard," Yuki snickered. "I mean, you actually sound like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, it's kinda – Ahhh! Stop it! No! Stop!"

Laura caught Yuki's pointed ear and pinched it, hard, while also applying the slightest of twist. Yuki squealed loudly, punctured by moaning gasps as she tried, and failed, to squirm out of Laura's viperish grip. Tangmo couldn't decide whether Yuki was wailing in pain or shrieking with pleasure, either way it was really hot.

"Okay…" Tangmo thought about saying something deliciously witty, but considering that Laura was in striking distant, and glaring at him, he decided to keep his mouth shut and got off his seat, stretching lazily. "Now that the fat ass is dead, let's move on to a lighter topic, as in, how do we proceed from this point on."

Murmurs went up around the table as everybody followed Tangmo to the minimalist bar set into the right corner of the tent. Despite its hodgepodge appearance, it was fully equipped with the best collection of beverages from the Immortal Spirit, both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic nature. Tangmo went to the big coffee machine and started making a batch of smooth blended black brew. A small crowd gathered around him as the machine hissed and boiled, while a larger one clamored to the other end of the bar, where the boozes were.

"Hey, don't get drunk, it's not even fucking ten yet for Christ sake," Tangmo warned the guardsmen and eldars fishing out bottles and glasses, they gave a less than pleased acknowledgement then went about pouring scotches and wines, colonel Bruce acting as the bartender. Shaking his head, Tangmo got himself a glass full of little ice cubes and poured the coffee in, then topped everything off with a drizzle of evaporated milk and honey. Given how hot the morning was, everybody followed Tangmo's example.

"You were saying?" Leilatha joined him, sipping an iced latte.

"Just wondering what we're gonna do with her," Tangmo pointed at Lithia, who was deep in conversation with the other canonesses, the tone amiable.

"I think we should first concentrate on filling the power vacuum we've created," Leilatha pointed out. "Without a tangible legislative, judicial and leadership body, the entire planet will plunge into total anarchy by the day's end."

"We just need a temporary placeholder for the duration of our stay," Tangmo sighed contentedly after a mouthful of coffee. "Amberley and Lithia's butler, Audrey, should be more than enough to keep things running smoothly for the time being."

"And I am confident that I will be up to the task," Amberley and Cain joined them, the Hero of the Imperium was drinking a steaming espresso despite the weather, but his girlfriend was enjoying an iced cappuccino.

"Although I am not quite convinced about assigning madam Lithia's housemaid to this particular endeavor," Cain added after taking a big gulp. "The responsibility of running an entire planet seems a bit too much for a simple caretaker."

"If she's anything like Alfred, running a city would be a piece of cake for her," Tangmo was finishing his cup of joe when the canonesses approached the bar.

"Coffee or booze?" Tangmo made way for the armored women.

"A little bit of both would be good," Lithia offered him a tried smile.

"Hey Bruce, an Irish coffee for the madam please," Tangmo placed his order. "And make it a stiff one."

"Coming right up!" The Grey Watch colonel smiled brightly and started brewing his poison.

"How are you holding up?" Tangmo asked Lithia, smirking dickishly. "Are you gonna cry again?"

"I don't think I will this time," Lithia snorted and took the tall glass proffered by Bruce. She took a sip and smiled. "By the Throne, this is exactly what I needed, thank you colonel."

"Just so we're clear, you were fake crying that last time, right?" Tangmo asked, remembering the water work Lithia put on after he verbally curb stomped her during a cordial visit she made a few days ago. "Because there were moments when things looked really real, and I started feeling super bad."

"Your words were very hurtful, lord commissar," Lithia stared sadly into the sandy white swirl of her Irish coffee, and shit, he can't fucking tell if she's acting or not.

"She faking it dude, I was reading her bio matrix, she was never in any emotional distress," Damien told Tangmo before downing a pint with gusto, cheered on by the guardsmen and the Frost Bringers. Damn him and his Space Marine metabolism! "She's still faking it now, don't fall for it."

"Kill joy," Lithia grinned devilishly over the rim of her glass then took another swig.

"So what now?" Tangmo placed his empty glass on the bar.

"We destroy the Chaos warband, what else?" Lithia finished her drink and handed it back to Bruce.

"I mean, what are you people gonna do now that your secret identity is blown to hell?" Tangmo clarified his statement.

"The prudence thing to do would be for me and the Avenging Knights to surrender ourselves to the law, once the Chaos warband is eliminated," Lithia told him with a straight face.

"Okay, now can we get an answer that isn't completely retarded?" Tangmo pressed on, earning a narrow glare from Lithia.

"We have our own contingency plan in place," Lithia said curtly.

"This contingency plan wouldn't happen to be an activation of a secondary Avenging Knight cell, would it?" Tangmo leaned over the bar, putting on his best smartass grin.

"So that the legacy of the Avenging Knight can continue," Henry joined him, looking equally smug, "with its new generation of Tenebris, Praelia, Caesar and Lyca fighting against crime and evil."

"Because sooner or later, you'll have to pass the torch anyway," Laura leaned lusciously over Tangmo and Henry like they were a recliner and she was Kate Winslet in Titanic. "The Avenging Knight has been on Leenisium for thousands of years, so unless you have some super godly anti-aging cream, I'm gonna bet your entire organization went through a complete overhaul every century or so. Guess your time has come."

Lithia blistered at the three smiling know-it-all and huffed childishly, "I hate all of you so much."

"Chalked up another one for the Eight, too sweet me bro and sis-ski!" Tangmo too sweet Laura and Henry.

"How can you possibly know all of that?" Cain strokes his chin thoughtfully, looking more curious than suspicious.

"You'll learn to simply stop asking question and let it happen, lord commissar," Leilatha said drily with a hint of humor.

"That's right love, you don't question geniuses!" Laura announced to a very audible groan from around the tent, the British inquisitor flashed them all a mock bow before turning to the moody Lithia. "Don't look so down love, you're all coming with us after everything got sorted out."

"I'm sorry, what?!" Lithia blurted.

"Hey, Saint Celestine herself told us to find wacky Sororitas orders like yours and bring them abroad the Immortal Spirit, so we can more effectively kick Chaos's arse," Laura shrugged disarmingly. "And what is your exit plan anyway? Hmm? Get yourself kill? Surrender to the coppers? Forge new identities and slink away into the night? Come on! Our option is the best, and you know it!"

Lithia was stunned silent by Laura's bluntness, mouth moving wordlessly for a few seconds before finally saying, "…I'll have to speak with the others about this."

"See that you do," Laura puffed her chest up triumphantly. "Now with that out of the way, what's the situation with the eldar bloke you guys rescue?"

"From what Ryvin and Zuhra told me, his condition is stable," Tangmo shot Lithia an admonition look. "Did you have to fuck him up that badly?"

"Standard interrogating procedure," Lithia stated plainly and the other canonesses nodded in agreement, earning a few hostile glances from the eldars.

"The procedure fucking suck dude," Tangmo deadpanned. "Anyway, the medics said he's conscious and lucid enough to talk with, so I say we tell him about his co-pilot. Maybe then he'll be more talkative about his mission and why the Chaos warband want them both."

"We shall accompany you," Galatea made to move but Tangmo stopped her with a raised hand.

"Oh hell no, I'm not letting any Sororitas near him, dude's probably scarred for life now thanks to Lithia," Tangmo waved the rest of the Eight after him. "Stay here with everybody else, this won't take long."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Leilatha asked him.

"Just chill out, but not too much," Tangmo gave the guardsmen and eldars a poignant look, "because, goddamn, we still have war to win."

Leilatha nodded and Tangmo flashed her one of his warm smile before heading out with the Eight, walking at a brisk pace down the corridor of tents toward the field hospital. They soon came upon one of the many squares around the camp, this one dominated by a blazing pyre where the nobles of Gothicipolis were getting roasted. The spectacle had drawn quite a crowd. The Bloody Rose had kept their promise, the fire was of the slow burning sort, almost cloudless, making sure that the victims felt every searing kiss of the flame. They were all alive when the Eight strode pass, Volregire himself very aware of his predicament, retaining enough wit to send a glare of purest hate at the Eight. Tangmo responded with a toothy smile and a middle finger.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, this is the low down on the situation," now it was Damien turn to do the Gendo pose as the Eight and the main characters took their seats around the circular hologram table, the long metallic one they'd used earlier have since been removed. "After a brief chat with Caengan, we were able to learn that the star map that tells us where in the galaxy Isha and the Order of the Solace Sun is can only be activated by him and his brother, at the same time. That leaves us with only one option, not only are we destroying the Chaos warband, but we're also busting out the eldar prisoner."

Discordant murmurs rumbled across the table, agreement and disagreement clashing in equal measure.

"Why must we risk our lives for the xenos and their goddess?" Morelia demanded, half the table taking her side. "This is heresy!"

"See, that word would've meant a lot more if you weren't already eating, sleeping, fighting and skinny dipping with the eldars," Damien said to raucous laughter and hooting, the Sororitas blistered but kept silent. "But to answer your question, by aiding Isha we can seriously disrupt the battle effectiveness of the Ruinous Power, especially those aligned with Nurgle. Now, I'm no psychiatrist, but I'm pretty sure the Chaos god of raw sewage's state of mind, if he had any to begin with, was thrown into a doozy when his most prized possession managed to escape. In summation, keeping Isha out of Nurgle's reach will greatly hamper his war effort on the Imperium and the Aeldari, since his priority will be all fucked sideway."

"A sound reasoning," colonel Krillen said. "But I think we need to concentrate more on the battle to come. What are our orders of engagement, Brother Sergeant?"

"We have a plan in place, but at this time I surrender the floor canoness Lithia," Damien waved at the Avenging Knight leader. "I think it will be best for us to know the geography and landmarks of our target first. Canoness, if you please?"

"The Azrael Prison Island is a gigantic complex twenty two kilometers long and twenty kilometers wide," Lithia cut to the chase. "It is a city fortified behind a wall of rockcrete and adamantium, six hundred meter deep and twenty meter high, equipped with watchtowers and battlements, armed to the teeth with weapons and defense matrixes provide by my own Xyla Consortium and Taelin's Silatar Industries. It is an impenetrable fortress designed to keep anything from going in or out with extreme prejudice."

"That's fucking cheerful news," Tangmo said and the main characters muttered their agreement.

"Don't fret lord commissar, for you're looking at the architect of the prison," Lithia's grin was dashingly smug. "The specification of every gun emplacement and missile system belongs to me, and I can easily disable the defenses around and within the complex, if we can overcome the walls, that is."

"What about the eight bridges connecting the island to the mainland?" Laura now asked.

"Not to worry, me and the Knights saw to it that the melta charges under the bridges are disable and remove during the early onset of the invasion," Lithia said. "The Chaos warband took the prison with ease, to the charging of the late lord governor, but in doing so, I made sure that we have an avenue open for retaking the place in the future, while also denying the heretic a prolong siege."

"Woah, top job Lithia, thank you," Henry, now clad in his trademark awesome dark green general coat, tipped his awesome general cap at the Avenging Knight canoness, who nodded in return.

"How will you disable the defenses?" Leilatha put forward her question.

"I just need to access the nearest prison's terminal and deliver the kill code from there. With the Immortal Spirit's upgraded data-slate, I believe this task can be accomplished easily," Lithia went silent then, when she spoke again it was solemn and heavy. "I believe the best strategy right now would be for the Avenging Knights to infiltrate the prison complex via the sewers and abandoned hyper speed tubes beneath the island. From there, we shall launch an assault from within and destroy the defenses so that the battlegroup can attack the prison without suffering massive causality."

"No," Lita spoke up before anybody can comment, her eyes darkened with steely conviction. "We appreciate the gesture, but I will not allow the Avenging Knight to go on a suicide mission."

"But lady Warseer…"

"You will be trapped inside without relief or support," Lita did not allowed Lithia to make her objection. "No canoness, such a costly sacrifice is a price too high to pay."

"…You make a valid point, lady Warseer, forgive me for speaking hastily and passionately," Lithia bowed her head, something like shame and surprise playing across her face. "But then, how do you suggest we attack the Azrael Asylum?"

"Well, we can start with this Chaos totem thingy that's right in front of us," Lita tapped the table, summoning a crisp and super detailed hologram of this section of Gothicipolis. The Mexican Warseer pointed at a cluster of ruin occupied by Chaos forces fifty kilometers north of the battlegroup's vanguard, "we are already having small skirmishes with their scouts."

"First off, that's a Chaos Altar, not a totem," Tangmo corrected Lita like the annoying asshole that he was. "Secondly, I'm more concern about what's beyond the damn thing."

Tangmo honed his finger on the thirty kilometers wide empty wasteland that ringed the lake where the asylum was situated on. What was once a district of towering skyscrapers was now flattened into a somber nothingness that permeated the desolate gloom of an open grave. The reading from the drones and the Immortal Spirit showed no sign of human life.

"The hologram isn't doing the place justice," Erik spoke up. "From what me and the scouts can see, the wasteland is a literal hell scape, and I'm not exaggerating or using hyperbole here. The entire no man's land has been transformed by the Ruinous Power into some fucked up daemon realm, with reality getting so corrupted that the ground and air seems to morph and change as if alive, taking no permanent shape and looking super hostile toward anything that isn't a daemon."

"So basically, the worst part of the Divine Comedy and every Lovecraft book," Damien added just to be sure.

"Pretty much, yeah," Erik concurred. "Going anywhere near that place is nothing short of suicide."

"From what we can gather, we are positive that the thing causing this geographical mutation are these freaking Chaos Altars," Damien pointed at the eight daemonic hotspots strategically placed around the hell scape. "One to the south, that's the one we're heading to, three to the east, three to the west and one more to the north. What we need to do before we can even think about laying siege to the Azrael asylum is neutralizing these altars."

"The sites of the heretical effigies need to be consecrated," Galatea pointed out. "The Adepta Sororitas shall purify the earth and make it hallow once more."

"Thank you for the offer canoness, but I will need every sister on the frontline when the attack begins. Nothing deters daemon better than fighting nuns," Damien smiled and a good nature laugh rippled across the room. "As for the task of cleansing the Chaos Altars, father Joseph and his congregation will be the one to sanctify the place."

"That priest and his wife are heathens who besmirch the Emperor's holy teaching with their near heretical interpretation of the Lectitio Divinatus," Bellona sneered, drawing immediate glare from Bruce and Aileen. "You'll doom us all if you allow him and his people to deal with the daemons."

"I have absolute faith in father Joseph and his ability to handle the supernatural," Damien went on easily. The Sororitas frowned but made no further comment. "Once the Chaos Altars are cleared, we'll install the Black Stone Pylons and hopefully reverse the taint on the field."

"The Black Stone Pylons?" Lithia asked, her brow quirking inquisitively.

"With the raw Black Stone materials we got from Frystasvard, combine with the data we accumulated from the STCs, the Immortal Spirit's research and development department was able to recreate pylons near identical to the ones on Cadia," Damien told her. "We have positive indication that the Black Stone Pylons will be able to neutralize Immaterium influence on real space."

"And you are sure about this?" Lithia pressed on.

"Well, we made an amulet size prototype and that worked splendidly," Damien said. "Tangmo wore it when he rescued the Sororitas from the Chaos Battle Sisters on Tera-Antebella and went toe to toe with Syrathel, their sorceress canoness, isn't that right dude?"

"Hell yeah, fucking Muay Thai that bitch!" Tangmo boasted loudly. "She can't use her evil Chaos magic when I activated the amulet, and I kick her ass into the next galaxy!"

"I distinctly remember the Chaos sorceress kneeing you in the testicles, destroy the Black Stone amulet and would've violated your virtue if Warseer Lita didn't come to your rescue," Lingxin smirked and the entire tent burst out laughing, even Leilatha joined in.

"You just went to the top of my Thai Kick list!" Tangmo growled at Lingxin.

"Good luck," Lingxin blew him a kiss and turned to Lithia. "Despite the lord commissar unsuccessful attempt to kill the Chaos Sororitas leader, the Black Stone proved more than capable of eliminating the Ruinous Power effectiveness on the material world. The Pylons, in theory, should amplify that power and cause greater disruption on a wider scale."

"And by placing these Pylons over the strategic locations the Chaos warband had so graciously provided for us, we could, in theory, turned the hell scape back to normal, or to a bearable degree at least," Damien said. "That is why before we can commence with the assault, the Chaos Altars must be destroy and replace with the Black Pylons."

"I'm sure you already have a plan in mind?" Lithia grinned.

"Damn straight! Finally, we can get to the fun part," Damien rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Okay, so, this is our plan of attack. We're gonna start things off by attacking the southern Chaos Altar, that is directly in front of us, with the full force of the battlegroup. Once that placed is cleared and the Black Pylon is put in place, the main attack force will set up a beachhead with all our big guns pointed at the prison complex, while two columns will break away and assault the Chaos Altars in the east and west.

"Tangmo and Erik will be attacking the three Altars on the western reaches, accompanying them will be the Cadian, the Homeland Rifle and the Antebellan Cobalt Stars. For the eastern Altars, since you two worked so well together last time, Raine and Cain will be leading the Mordian, the Valhallan and the Ekkaroqian Wind Walker into battle. You guys cool with that?"

"Bullet Club baby, we got this," Tangmo fist bump Erik, both of them super hype.

"I obey, regardless of my personal feeling on the matter," Raine shrugged noncommittally.

"Come now Severina, and here I thought we've already cleared the air between us," Cain smiled with infuriating amicability, causing the corner of Raine's eye to twitch irritably.

"You have severely misread the situation, Ciaphas," Raine scoffed at Cain attempt at pleasantry.

"Perhaps I should accompany the both of you, so that no misunderstanding arises," Amberley spoke up, matching glare with Raine.

"Thank you for the offer, inquisitor Amberley, but your help is not needed," the lady commissar's politeness was acidic. "Perhaps you should instead concentrate on the paperwork assigned to you. A battlefield is not a place for someone as delicate as yourself after all."

"My employees and that of Taelin's can run Gothicipolis easily enough," Lithia smirked. "Therefore, you will not be needed on the administrative front, inquisitor Vail. I'm afraid lady commissar Raine will have to suffer your illustrious company on the battlefield after all."

"I believe that she will," Amberley bowed at the glowering Raine. "My humblest apology, lady commissar, I sincerely hope that my fragile self will not be a hindrance to such a renowned woman of war."

"Not at all, lady inquisitor, I could always use more feminine company," Raine's pleasantry was far from sincere. "And with his lover close by, commissar Cain may perhaps be persuaded to fight all the harder."

"Okay, I like this bitchy drama thing going on between the two of you, but can we please get back to the planning? The bikinis and baby oil can come later," Henry started to chuckle but quickly went docile when the women around the table pretty much murdered him with their combined glare, stopping the men from joining in.

"How are we to attack the northern Altar, Brother Sergeant?" Leilatha asked him crisply, her sharp enunciation cracked like a whip, causing him to flinch involuntarily.

"Yes, well, given that the northern Altar is too far away from the battlegroup, and we're not gonna waste any more time redeploying, I would ask that Arbites Jeremiah be the one to lead the assault," Damien gazed at the aging Arbites who had been silent throughout the entire meeting. "How many of the PDF forces are still loyal to the Imperium, master Arbites?"

"Major Gaduna is assembling his men as we speak, those that weren't corrupted by the late lord governor," Arbites Jeremiah said, knowing full well that he was getting too old for this shit. "I shall let him know that I will be joining him shortly."

"How many men have major Gaduna managed to assemble?" Tangmo asked.

"Five hundred thousand," that was a big number, so Damien didn't quite understand why Jeremiah was sighing. "A paltry number compare to what the heretic have fielded."

"You just need to take the Altar and the surrounding area, leave the actual attack on the asylum to us," Damien said firmly. "Rest assured that the Immortal Spirit will be providing air and missile support, so you will not be fighting alone out there. Once the area is secure, the air force will drop off our engineer corps, who will then install the Pylons."

"What happens after the Pylons are in place?" Krillen asked.

"We activate it and wait for it to take effect," Damien told him. "Theoretically speaking, it should make the Chaos hell scape calmer and more easily navigable, while also greatly diminishing any Immaterium magic the heretics can conjure up. Basically, it's gonna level the playing field into a more conventional battle."

"But will this also affect our own psykers?" Eldul, canoness of the Frost Bringers, spoke up, "like the Storm Singers and the Aeldari Warlocks? And the lady Warseer herself?"

"If R&D is correct, we are able to calibrate the Pylons into targeting certain spectrum of the Warp's aura," Damien said. "Meaning our psykers will be unaffected while the rest are nullified."

"But this is all conjunction," Kenshin said.

"We'll know soon enough," Damien shrugged. "Once we've crossed no man's land we'll bring down the walls, the Avenging Knight will then disable the defenses and we'll take the prison block by block. You gave us the right map this time Lithia?"

"Of course," Lithia nodded, "the time of subterfuge have long ended."

"And I guess that's pretty much it for the planning stage," Damien let out a breath.

"When are we moving out?" Galatea asked.

"Twenty four hours, we're still waiting for the rest of the tanks to come planet side," Henry told her.

"Alrighty then," Tangmo stretched lazily. "Get some rest, eat a nice meal and say your prayers ladies and gentlemen, big day tomorrow."