The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

Minka stood at attention as the Thunderhawk made it surprisingly soft landing on the large mustering ground, swiftly cleared for the Immortal Spirit battlegroup's transports, the flat stone courtyard was now filled with Astartes and Militarum flyers. Was it a Thunderhawk though? Minka had seen the Space Marine's transport before, but this one looked bigger and more heavily armed. She didn't pondered long on this detail though, for the Thunderhawk's ramp slammed down and a Space Marine of the Ultramarine chapter strode forward, flanking him was a commissar wielding a lasgun of unfamiliar pattern, probably this commissar Tangmo who had made such an impression last night, and by the Throne and all that was holy, an eldar was standing with them. Stepping onto the courtyard, the Ultramarine glanced around the monastery, taking in the gloomy grey atmosphere, and stuck out his clenched fist. Smiling wickedly, the commissar and the eldar touched their fists to the Astartes's as more Marines, eldars and guardsmen marched crisply down the transport. The three traded nodded and the Ultramarines and the eldar headed left, a squad of Astartes and xeno infantries at their heels, while the commissar, after waving a group of Krieg and Cadian right, approached the welcoming party with a colonel in towed. Minka was standing with general Bendikt, Dido, Viktor and Prassan, representing the 101st Cadian. With them was general Juna Keene, colonel Andren Fel, major Cassia Tyl, sergeant Wyck, corporal Yulia Crys and trooper Haro and Jey of the 11th Antari Rifle, and lastly, colonel Stanislav and major Volikova of the 774th Vostroyan Firstborn. Drawing nearer now, Minka was admittedly surprised to see how young the commissar was, probably her age, not to mention very pleasing on the eyes unlike others of his species. Minka mentally slap herself for such an inappropriate thought and shifted her attention to the Cadian colonel, who was unfortunately equally, ridiculously handsome. Manly cheekbones, debonair eyes, angular in all the right way, it took Minka a moment of sinful appraisal to recognize the man.

"Krillen?" Minka blurted before she could stop herself, the commissar and the colonel halting mid-step while general Bendikt shot her a reprimanding look. Both of them approached her now and Minka braced for the chastisement to come. The colonel peered at her, and it was then that curiosity turned to surprise.

"Minka?" Colonel Krillen started to smile, his face brimming with joy. "Minka Lesk?!"

"Hello Krillen – ahhh!" Minka gave an undignified squawk when Krillen drew her into a fierce embrace. After a moment Minka let out a breathless chuckle and returned the hug, smacking his back heartily. "It's damn good to see you again."

"I knew you got out in time," Krillen pulled away, grinning ear to ear. "If anyone could survive, it would be you."

"I got lucky," Minka said, and despite the less than happy reminiscent, she couldn't stop smiling.

"Knowing you, luck got nothing to do with it," Krillen went on and looked her uniform up and down, "a captain? I'm surprise they haven't made you a general yet."

"Well, things haven't actually been easy for us," Minka pointed at the stripes on his arm, "a colonel huh? Not bad at all."

"Thanks, but it's more circumstantial than anything…"

"Emily, Emily, Emily!"

Krillen bolted back from her like a frightened hare, his head snapping left and right, expecting danger to descend at any moment. When nothing of the sort happened, Krillen spun on the smirking commissar, glaring vehemently.

"That's not funny you fucking asshole!" Krillen growled and Minka, along with the welcoming party, gasped, unbelieving that a guardsman, regardless of ranks, would speak in such a manner to a commissar.

"It was, it really was," the commissar composed himself and approached Minka, snapping off a crisp salute before extending his hand. She took it with clear reservation, him being of the commissariat and all. "Commissar Tangmo, pleasure to make your acquaintance captain Lesk."

"The pleasure is all mine, lord commissar," Minka responded thickly as commissar Tangmo shook her hand, the glint in his eyes gave her an unsettling feeling that he…knows her, somehow.

"Damn, she's totally petrified of me man," commissar Tangmo chuckled good-naturedly and released the handshake, Minka blushing from the belittling comment. The commissar noticed this and clasped his palms together, his face surprisingly apologetic. "Sorry, I mean, I'm sure you've ran into some pretty bad commissar in the past, so yeah, I guess it's a normal reaction."

"If you haven't notice already, he's not what you would call conventional," Krillen added with familiar sufferance, it was clear that a bond of friendship existed between the two. "But don't let the eccentricity fool you, there's not a more dangerous man in the entire Imperium. Given the right persuasion, he'll try and lay waste to an entire army alone."

"Damn right I would," commissar Tangmo said smugly and smacked Krillen friendlily on the shoulder. "Thanks for the vote of confidence dude. And to think you freaking killed your last commissar and even threatened to kick my ass the first time we met."

"I-I didn't kill our last commissar," Krillen spluttered quickly when Bendikt's eyes narrowed dangerously on him.

"Really dude, so that guy just dropped dead in the middle of nowhere with his back shot to shit?" Commissar Tangmo snickered and waved away Krillen unease. "Chill dude, I don't care about any of that shit, fucker probably had it coming anyway."

"He did," Krillen added darkly.

"And you must be general Bendikt," commissar Tangmo spoke up before the general can reprimand Krillen. Out of instinct, general Bendikt extended the stump of his right hand, before hurriedly yanking it back with a curse and held out his intact left. Despite applying for cybernetic, those bastards in high command still managed to lose the request order under mountains of bureaucratic incompetence.

"I'm sorry to have caused offense, lord commissar," Bendikt said. "That was unthinking of me."

"Bro, there's nothing to apologize," Tangmo broke the handshake and glanced at Bendikt's disfigurement, more confused than judgmental. "You're a general, how come you haven't got a new hand yet?"

"The need of the Imperium supersedes my own, lord commissar," Bendikt answered diplomatically.

"Some fucker pulls some fucking bullshit to fuck with you, right?" Commissar Tangmo flashed a knowing grin, unperturbed by Bendikt's scandalous look at the vulgar use of language. Prassan and Dido were failing to hide their snickers as commissar Tangmo tapped a glass screen on his right arm. "Let me fix that up real quick; yo Ryvin, you inside the Valkyrie yet dude?"

"Just about to, lord commissar," a holographic display of a bespectacled man hovered above commissar Tangmo's forearm, and now that Minka got a good look at the device, she saw that it was some sort of data-slate. "Do you need something sir?"

"Yeah, can you bring me your best cyber-prosthetic hands please, there's a Cadian general here that needs a major upgrade. By the way, what kinda limb do you want? You want something that's seamless and blend completely with your arm, or are you going full Iron Man, with repulsor ray and tank missile?" When Bendikt didn't know how to answer, the commissar made the decision for him. "Ryvin, get all the best shit down here."

"Yes sir," the man faded away into pixilated mist.

"Thank you, lord commissar," Bendikt bowed profusely, voice trembling with genuine gratitude. "I am in your debt."

"Think of it as a welcoming gift general, because all of you just got drafted into the Immortal Spirit battlegroup," Tangmo grinned at the bewildered Bendikt. "Unless you have something better to do after the fight is won?"

"Well sir, I don't suppose we have any standing order beyond this current engagement," Bendikt said, solemnity returning. "If we can survive it, I mean."

"Don't be such a downer dude, we got this shit cover," commissar Tangmo tipped his cap at Bendikt and proceed to shake hand with Dido, Viktor and Prassan, smiling and chatting all the while as Krillen added some comment here and there. And Minka had to admit, she found the man quite amiable, but also knew that first impression was usually wrong. She'll be keeping an eye on commissar Tangmo.

"Sir!" Commissar Tangmo and Krillen had just reached the Antari. Their general, Juna Keene, snapped off a sharp salute and stood at attention, "general Juna Keene of the 11th Antari Rifles, reporting for duty sir."

Tangmo and Krillen went still at the announcement, their stares honed unblinking on the general.

"Sir?" Juna ventured cautiously, taken aback by the reception. Beside her the Antari were casting nervous glances at the Immortal Spirit representatives.

"Did you just say Antari?" Krillen managed after a moment.

"…I did colonel," Juna answered warily.

"The 11th Antari Rifles?" Tangmo now asked, flabbergast turning to excitement, the young commissar was practically bouncing, "the one that fought in the Bale Star Crusade against those Chaos assholes? What were they called? Blighted, no, Sighted, yeah that's it, Sighted! You guys are that Antari?"

"Yes sir, that is us," Juna went on.

"…Would a certain Andren Fel still be alive, by any chance?" Minka's eyes widen to a saucer at Tangmo's question, the Cadian and Vostroyan trading looks of surprise while the Antari glared darkly at the commissar, sergeant Wyck was already whispering to his subordinates. Juna was struck silent by the question but Andren Fel, his back straight and fearless, stepped forward and saluted crisply.

"Colonel Andren Fel, reporting for duty, sir!" The Duskhound announced and Tangmo and Krillen offered him a stupefied salute, although Minka couldn't understand why. But to be known amongst the commissariat was never a good thing.

"By the Thrones."

"I know right? Holy shit."

"Hey guys! What's up? Who are these blokes?"

Minka blood ran cold when a brunette inquisitor joined them, her sauntering steps merry as she threw her arms companionably over Tangmo and Krillen's head, her smile bright like the sun on a clear summer sky. But Minka wasn't fool and knew in that moment why commissar Tangmo was behaving queerly in the presence of the Antari. There was an inquisitorial taskforce operating on the Immortal Spirit, and they have found their target. Minka didn't know what the Antari has done to draw the scrutiny of the inquisition, but she judged them to be good Emperor fearing bunch, if a little feral. And this couldn't have come at a worse time, considering how outnumbered they were, but she doubted the inquisitor cared for the lives of lowly guardsmen. Minka gritted her teeth but could do nothing as the inquisitor's gaze at last found Andren.

"Who's he?" She nudged her chin at him.

"Dude! Antari!" Commissar Tangmo pointed at Andren Fel with excitable breathlessness. "Antari! Andren Fel! Duskhounds! Antari! Bruh!"

"…Shut the front door!" The inquisitor's mouth dropped to the ground. "You're Andren Fel?!"

"Yes, he's Andren Fel yo!" The commissar answered for the colonel, and it was clear by the absolute confusion on every Cadian, Antari and Vostroyan presence that nobody knew what in the hell was going on.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" The inquisitor squealed like a highborn maiden about to receive her first dance with a handsome suitor as she sprinted back to the Thunderhawk.

"Run Laura, run!" Tangmo hollered after the inquisitor, waving her on energetically before turning back to Andren, grabbed the colonel's shoulders and squeezed firmly, "you lucky son of a bitch."

"I'm sorry lord commissar?" Andren stammered and turned to Minka for help, who only shrugged helplessly in response.

"Merry Christmas," Minka didn't understand what the commissar meant, but before anyone could ask Tangmo let Andren go with a parting smack and went to greet the Vostroyan.

"Privet, moi druz'ya!" Commissar Tangmo said and the Vostroyan colonel and major burst out laughing.

"Raine! Where the hell are you?! Raine!"

"Yes, lady inquisitor?" Raine broke away from her conversation with Leilatha and Evangeline. They were waiting for their turn to disembark from the Stormbird, a larger and more advance predecessor of the Thunderhawk from the time of the Great Crusade which the Immortal Spirit battlegroup had successfully manufactured after acquiring a complete blueprint from the glass moon station, when inquisitor Laura burst back inside the transport, almost tripping over herself in haste. Considering that there was no explosions rumbling outside, Raine seriously doubted the warranted urgency.

"Raine!" Laura dashed toward her, hands out stretched and grasping. "Raine, Raine, Raine!"

"Lady inquisitor, what is – hey!" Faster than she could react, inquisitor Laura wrapped her arms around Raine's waist and bodily carried the lady commissar down the exit ramp, leaving behind a slack jawed Leilatha and Evangeline to comprehend what they were witnessing. "Put me down this instant!"

"You're not gonna believe what we've just found!" Laura shifted her grip and threw Raine over her shoulder as she ran across the paved landing ground.

"Let me go!" Raine cried indignantly, a tinge of red blooming across her cheeks, embarrassed by how easily the inquisitor manhandled her and the inappropriate stares following their swift passage. "Unhand me right now or I'll…!"

"And here we are!" With a less than gentle haste, Laura deposited her back to the ground, making sure that she lands on her feet, before going about dusting off her uniform. "There! All nice and clean! Not a speck of dust or crinkle to be found!"

"You better have a very good explanation for this most egregious behavior," Raine adjusted her cap and glared at the innocently grinning Laura, out of the corner of her eye she spied Tangmo and colonel Krillen lurking nearby. "What could possess you to do something so unspeakably…!"

"Severina?"

That voice, the low rumbling timbre, the warm and soothing familiarity thought lost to fate's unfair hands, was now saying her name, as pleasant as it was the last time she heard it. She couldn't believe it, she cannot allow herself to believe it, to stir hope only for it to be shattered, a mirage that would disappear the moment she reached out to touch it. But it sounded so real. Against her better judgment, Raine turned toward the voice and sure enough there he was, standing before her, armored in black, trimmed beard and brown scruffy hair, unchanged after all these times.

"Andren?" Raine dared to venture as she stared at this person, this phantom, she thought lost to her forever.

"Severina," he said kindly, a small smile of deepest joy creasing his face. It was gone in an instant, propriety reasserting itself as he stood at attention, chin up, chest out, shoulders squared. "Forgive me for speaking so candidly, commissar Raine, but it is a pleasure to see you again. Perhaps you would like to be brief…"

Andren's sentence ended when Raine threw her arms around him, drawing him into a crushing hug. She didn't know what spurred this most disgraceful action, perhaps it was her close proximity to Tangmo and his companions that had successfully eroded her sense of decorum, but she swiftly cast that excuse aside, knowing that it was her alone that prompted this blatant show of affection. But to spend so many nights in torturous loneliness, her mind occupied with the unanswerable question of whether Andren and the Antari were alive, always imagining the worst to brace for when the inevitable news comes, and to now see and hold him in her arms again, Raine cared for nothing but this precious moment, willing with all her heart for it to last a little longer.

"It's good to see you too Severina," Andren returned the embrace, a regulation offence punishable by death, but Raine was willing to let it slide.

"I thought I've lost you for good," Severina hold him firmly, but knowing she had reached the limit of what propriety allowed, slowly, reluctantly, broke away. Andren sighed despondently and Raine felt the same. "I have resigned myself to that reality, one that you no longer existed."

"Thank providence you're wrong then," Andren laughed softly then offered his hand, which Severina took amiably. "And here I thought I would be spending the rest of my life alone."

"You are never alone," Raine turned to the Antari, old faces that were surprisingly glad to see her. Juna, Cassia, Yulia, Haro, Jey, and even Wyck, who offered her a cool, but firm nod in greeting, brothers and sisters in arms who had bled with her. Raine felt selfish then for thinking only of Andren and not the rest of the Antari. "You have a family who would stand by you even in the face of death. I have none."

"They are as much your family as they are mine, Severina," Andren said kindly and the Antari nodded vigorously in the affirmative. "And without you, I've lost a part of me that mattered most, like a ghost without form drifting aimlessly through this life of war. So yes, I was quite alone without you."

"We are not alone, Andren," Raine offered him a warm smile.

"No, Severina," Andren agreed with a shake of the head. "We are not alone."

"That you are not alone, for I am here with you. Though you're faraway, I am here to stay."

A flush of red rising up her face, Raine rounded on inquisitor Laura, who was sweetly serenading the scene to the gaping shock of the welcoming party, comprising not only of Antari she now saw, but Cadian and Vostroyan as well. Nearby, colonel Krillen was recording everything with a data-pad as commissar Tangmo added his velvety baritone to the song.

"But you are not alone, I am here with you. Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart. You are not alone."

Raine, now blushing crimson, can only watch with rising embarrassment as Tangmo and Laura's voices joined. And she admits, it sounded heavenly.

"That you are not alone, for I am here with you. Though you're faraway, I am here to stay. But you are not alone, I am here with you. Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart. You are not alone."

Loud cheering erupted around them. The Immortal Spirit soldiers, human and eldars both, had abandoned their duty and were watching the duet with rapt attention, and now they were clapping and hollering loudly, a standing ovation for the bowing commissar and inquisitor. A sharp look from Raine snapped them out of their unsoldierly behavior, the sheepish guardsmen and Aeldari going back to work with renewed gusto.

"I remember you now!" Crys cried out suddenly before Wyck can stop her. "You're the singing commissar! Everyone back on the ship won't shut up about you!"

"And all the rumors are true, by the Throne! How rare is that?!" A Cadian sergeant added excitably, all sense of decorum and regulation forgotten. "But I confess I've never heard of the singing inquisitor though. That was pretty weird to be honest."

"Weird?! Tell me he did not just say that?!" Laura roared, causing the sergeant to flinch like a scolded boy, his face paling as the inquisitor turned to Tangmo, "blam this arsehole! Kill him in front of his mates and all that shite!"

"Now, now, there's no need for any of that Laura, the dude's just excited. It was an honest mistake, I'm sure he won't do again, right?" The Cadian sergeant nodded quickly at Tangmo. "But I think you should apologize sergeant Prassan."

"Y-Yes sir, lord commissar," the sergeant stammered, looking about ready to cry. Not far away Raine saw a Cadian captain glancing worriedly at her charge, a young little thing, couldn't have been more than twenty years of age. By the tautness in her posture, she looked ready to aid sergeant Prassan, even if it means standing against an inquisitor and a commissar. Raine made a mental note to keep an eye on that one. At Tangmo's prompting, sergeant Prassan bowed lowly at the haughtily offended Laura. "I beg for your forgiveness lady inquisitor. Please, I beg that you show mercy for my offense."

"Am I better than him?" Laura stabbed her thumb at Tangmo, one brow quirked.

"Yes! You sound like the Emperor's own angel!" Prassan said quickly, his fear of the inquisition trumping that of the commissariat for the moment.

"Ha! Smart answer mate, you'll go far! And yes, you are forgiven, so you can stop soiling yourself now," Laura smiled smugly at Tangmo. "See? I'm better than you!"

"Sure Laura, sure," Tangmo rolled his eyes and held his hand out to Andren. "We haven't been properly introduced, commissar Tangmo, please to make your acquaintance colonel Andren Fel."

"A pleasure, lord commissar," Andren shook Tangmo's hand cordially.

"Welp, I'll leave all of y'all to your reunion and reminiscent and shit, I think the two of you got a lot more stories to share," Tangmo smiled and winked at Raine as he and Laura went to talk with the Vostroyan. Raine had grown more than accustomed to Tangmo's moment of clairvoyance. Surprising and unsettling as it may that he seemingly possessed intimate knowledge about her and other things, the boy had proven himself a trustworthy ally and wholly dependable when it comes to discreet matter. Raine tipped her hat at him and turned back to the Antari, all of whom were wearing a guarded expression. Her penchant to spend long hours alone with Andren during the regiment's more quiet moment was an unspoken secret amongst the Antari.

"Severina," Andren lowered his voice. "There's something…strange about him."

"You are correct, but trust me when I say he poses no threat to us. If anything, he's one of my stoutest friends, and you all know how popular I am with my commissariat colleagues," Raine and the Antari snickered. "Truthfully though, it is very good to you again Andren."

"Oh? What about the rest of us?" General Juna approached, grinning, and Raine couldn't help but smile as she clasped hand with the woman, shaking firmly. She repeated the greeting with Cassia, Yulia, Haro, Jey, and even Wyck, a familial moment she'd never thought to experience again since the death of Lucia and her mother. It felt very nice. After the hand shaking was done Raine glanced around and found, with sinking heart, that one person was missing.

"Andren, where's Lydia?"

"I am here, lady commissar."

The Vostroyan colonel leapt back with a frightened squawk as Lydia Zane, the Antari Primaris psyker, shambled forward, her emaciated body clad in a light blue kimono, a bloodied bandage wrapped around her eyes, carmine tears marring her cheeks, every step wobbly despite her wooden staff.

"It is quite alright, lord commissar, I can manage. Thank you for the offer," Lydia inclined her head in a polite bow as Tangmo moved to help her, the gesture of unguarded kindness surprising the Antari, the Cadian and the Vostroyan. Although the Imperium at large treated psyker with contempt and mistrust, things were the exact opposite on the Immortal Spirit.

"Lydia," Raine stepped forward and reached out to grab Lydia's shoulders, steadying the psyker and giving her a comforting squeeze. Lydia's bandaged eyes couldn't hide her surprise and Raine herself was astonished by the easy physical contact. Even when the powerful undercurrent of sorcerous energy tickled her fingertips, she felt no fear. A most preferable byproduct of having to live with the Frost Bringers and Avenging Knights cadre of psykers and the Aeldari Farseers and Warlocks. "It is good to see you again."

"I dream of you coming. Seems only polite that I greet you in person after all these times," Lydia's voice was raspy and tired. "I see that you have change too, and here I thought you to be indomitable."

"Many things have happen since I was redeploy," Raine answered amiably and, with a soft friendly tap, let Lydia go, a worried Wyck darting forward to take hold of the wavering psyker, the woman looked about ready to collapse.

"The Sororitas let you go?" Wyck asked urgently.

"They did not stop me when I left their quarter," Lydia said. "They have been quite hospitable to me and have healed the worst of my wounds, both the physical and the spiritual, my reception was better than what I usually receive from other Imperial forces."

"Rest assured Lydia, the Immortal Spirit battlegroup will take good care of you," Raine turned to Tangmo, who had just flipped his data-pad close. "Isn't that right, commissar Tangmo?"

"Yeah, Ryvin got a bunch of new cybernetic eyes with him, we'll fix you up real quick," Tangmo held up his thumb then glanced at another group of Valkyries landing on the clearing. "The Sororitas and the rest of the Aeldari are touching down now, don't worry Lydia, you're in good hands."

"Thank you," was all Lydia said before slumping tiredly into Wyck's broad shoulder.

"Bloody hell, the girl need some food," Laura tapped her earbud. "Oi! Can I get some chunky soup over here please?!"

"Thank you, lady inquisitor," Raine nodded her thanks to Tangmo and Laura then returned her attention to the Antari. "Now with that done, I believe we should…"

"Are you going to introduce your friends, Severina?"

Hissing sharply through gritted teeth, extremely impolite words dancing on the tip of her tongue, Raine affected a mask of calm and spun around, finding herself face to face with Commissar Ciaphas Cain, inquisitor Amberley Vail and the high echelon of the 597th Valhallan.

"Ciaphas," Severina's politeness was strain as excitable murmurs erupted amongst the welcoming party, the awe that comes with the Hero of the Imperium never failed to grate her. Although she and Ciaphas have been on better terms since the near disastrous dinner, their incompatible personality still clashed, constantly.

"Severina," Cain tipped his hat with a dashing smile then glanced at the Antari. "And these must be the renowned 11th Antari Rifles, whose valor stands above all others during the Bale Star Crusade. It is an honor to finally meet you all in person."

"And we'll wait with bated breath to see if that reputation is earned or not," whatever goodwill Ciaphas had fostered died the moment Sulla opened her mouth. Ah, yes, when Raine was temporary put in charge of the Valhallan during the early onset of the Gothicipolis campaign, she had berated the 597th constantly while comparing them unflatteringly to the Antari. Naturally, the Ice Warrior took offense to that, and apparently holds a grudge.

"And who might you be?" General Juna stepped forward, not taking kindly to the insinuation.

"Lady general Jenit Sulla, of the 597th Valhallan," the blonde folded her arms across her chest smugly when it was clear Juna recognized the name. "And you are?"

"Lady general Juna Keene, of the 11th Antari Rifle," Juna snapped off a sharp salute, "at your service."

"At least this one doesn't look like some cave dwelling feral worlder," Kasteen snickered lowly at the grinning Broklaw, making sure that the volume was loud enough for the Antari to hear.

"Did you have something to say, colonel?" Raine closed her distant with Kasteen in a blink, locking glare with the redheaded woman. As always, the front of her shirt was open wide enough for her cleavage to be displayed like a common harlot.

"No lady commissar, I believe you heard perfectly what was on my mind," Raine bristled at Kasteen's insolence, using every ounce of control she possessed not to throw her clenched fist at the Valhallan's face.

"And what might your name be, colonel?"

The melodic, sweetly poisoned words turned Raine's blood to ice. Snapping her head back, Raine found a courteous Amberley standing in front of a stiff Andren, even he noticed that something was not right.

"Colonel Andren Fel, of the Duskhound, lady inquisitor," Andren said guardedly.

"You're quite the rugged one, a primal masculinity that many hope to possess, but few can come close to emulate," Amberley went on, her rosy flattery barbed with needle sharp thorns. "I can see why woman would swoon at the sight of you."

Raine had enough. Uncaring of the consequences, Raine roughly grabbed Amberley's shoulder and wrenched her backward, away from Andren, hoping that the inquisitor would fall flat on her back. But Amberley easily found her footing and, to the shocking gasp of all, used the momentum of Raine's harsh yanking to spin the lady commissar around and seized her by the collar of her coat. Raine almost lost her balance, but swiftly planted her heels and snatched up a handful of Amberley's own coat, both women trying to throw the other to the ground. After a few seconds of shoving, Raine and Amberley settled into a stalemate, two stags locking horn, neither refusing to yield.

"Amberley!"

"Stay out of this Ciaphas!" Amberley hissed at Cain, stopping him from intervening before turning back to Raine, their noses only an inch apart, a look of malicious satisfaction twisting the inquisitor's minuet smile. "This has been a long time coming."

"If you lay a hand on him, I will kill you," Raine growled and give Amberley a poignant push, uncaring that the inquisitor was a few centimeters taller than her.

"You brought this upon yourself," Amberley snarled, teeth barred like a wolf. "You went after my lover first, seems only fair that I reciprocate the gesture, tenfold."

"I will make you bleed," Raine made her promise.

"Don't make threats you can never act upon, Severina," Amberley snickered poisonously.

"Alright, that's enough! Bloody hell, break it up, you're both grown women for fuck sake!"

Raine and Amberley didn't let go of each other until Laura physically intervened, pushing the two apart and keeping them at arm's length with her outstretched hands.

"Holy shite, what the fook is wrong with the both of you?!" Laura yelled, earlier whimsy replaced by steely timbre that promised swift punishment if she wasn't heeded. Raine had seen that look on many of the strictest Schola instructors, and decided to comply, Amberley following suite with a huff. "Since the two of you are incapable of acting like adults, I'll treat you like children instead. And what do children do after they fight? That's right, they apologize! What are you waiting for, do it already!"

They locked glare, Raine's deep brown against Amberley's piercing blue, two swords clashing in mortal combat, neither willing to give ground first and be the one to submit. Raine thought about prolonging this, just for the novelty of seeing how far Laura's patience can be tested, but thought better of it, she'd already dragged her reputation, and by proxy the Antari, enough through the mud. So she reined in her temper and bowed lowly at Amberley.

"I offer you my humblest apology, inquisitor Vail," Raine announced for the growing crowd to hear. "I behave most disgracefully, unbefitting of my commissariat ranks. I beg for your forgiveness."

"I to, have behave most abominably," Amberley bowed, and Raine couldn't help but noticed how the inquisitor dipped lower than her. "Just say the word, and I shall endure any penitent you deem necessary to atone for this gross insult."

"Such gesture will not be needed," Raine held out her hand, smiling inwardly when Amberley winced at the peace offering. "Let's us end this misunderstanding."

"Of course, lady commissar," forcing a smile on her face, Amberley reached out and took Raine's hand, both squeezing hard until the bones creaked in protest.

"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Laura grinned brightly.

"Indeed it wasn't," Amberley let go, she and Raine shaking blood back into their hands. The inquisitor then glanced down, annoyance plain on her face. "So perhaps you can let us go now?"

Blinking, Raine followed Amberley's gaze and found that Laura's hands were planted firmly on hers and the inquisitor's breast, fingers squeezing with lecherous intent.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Laura said innocently, lashes fluttering, yet her groping hands remained in place, unfazed by Raine and Amberley's narrowing look. "Honestly, in the thick of the moment, my body just move on its own sometime – ahhh!"

Laura was sent flying forward when Tangmo smacked her upside the head, the loud impact made the watching guardsmen and eldars hissed in sympathy.

"That hurt you fucking wanker!" Laura snapped, rubbing her injured cranium.

"That's what you get for being an ecchi pervert," Tangmo took Laura's place, sparing the indignant lady inquisitor a pitiless look. "Cut it out with that puppy eyes bullshit, I didn't hit you that hard."

"You mean bully!" Laura cried petulantly and started sniffing. Even a child can tell she was faking. "I'm telling Yuki!"

"Go ahead, I'll smack her fucking head too," Tangmo spat then placed his hands on Raine and Amberley's shoulder, the grip iron, a black seriousness coming over his visage. "You two realize you fucked up, right? I mean, I expected this kinda shit from me and my homies, not someone classy and mature like the two of you. I am extremely disappointed, this shit happens in public, and punishment must be made."

Raine frowned but forced her objection down because Tangmo was right, her behavior was unacceptable and penance must be made, her honor and that of the Antari demands it. Amberley glanced wretchedly at Tangmo, vulnerable and damsel like, but the singing commissar was unmoved.

"What is our punishment, commissar Tangmo?" Raine asked, chin held high as Tangmo grinned insidiously and uttered a single word:

"WrestleMania."

Raine and Amberley trade look of utter incomprehension then said in unison, "what?"

"When this campaign is won," Tangmo let them go, Andren coming to Raine's side while Ciaphas went to stand with Amberley, both casting wary, dangerous look at the young commissar, "you two are gonna settle this little feud with an old fashion slobber knocker. That's right, the two of you will be fighting, barehanded, at Block B stadium, which will be broadcast live across the Immortal Spirit for everyone to see."

"You cannot do that!"

"This is madness!"

"This will be a shoot wrestling match," Tangmo promptly ignored Raine and Amberley, "no rounds, anything goes, ending only in exhaustion or submission. We'll discuss the finer details after we defeat Syrathel."

"Lord commissar I must strongly protest!" Cain stepped forward, and Raine was honestly surprised by the genuine anger peeking through his conciliatory visage. "Inquisitor Vail is a member of the inquisition, you cannot have her brawl like some prizefighter! She could get severely injured!"

"Bro, I've seen her on the frontline, she can definitely take care of herself," Tangmo went on then shrugged noncommittally, a look of exaggerated admittance on his face. "But if you think she's not up to it, she can forfeit the match and have Raine win by default…"

"Name the date, lord commissar," Amberley growled over Cain's attempt at placation, uncaring of Tangmo's unsubtle manipulation. Raine was pleased either way, the thought of finally getting a chance to pummel Amberley was making her quite giddy.

"It's settle then," Tangmo nodded, extremely pleased with himself. "No complains Severina?"

"None, lord commissar," Raine couldn't stop the little upward quirk at the corner of her mouth.

"Right, now that we got that little detour out of the way, let's get back to the main reason why we're here," Tangmo went on and turned to the Cadian general. "I heard a bunch of Sororitas is running this show, you know where they are?"

"Here, lord commissar."

Following the voice, Raine found four Sororitas in resplendent raiments, canonesses, flanked by squads of Celestian bodyguards, approaching them. Like the Frost Bringers and the Avenging Knights, these lots were not conventional Sororitas, judging by the unique craftsmanship of their war gears. Raine was however surprised to see that two of the canonesses were clad in power armors identical in style to what the Kuronese and Buxiunese wore.

"Holy crap mate!" Laura threw her arms over Tangmo's head when the canonesses took their places beside the guardsmen, vigorously shaking the commissar. "Are you seeing this bruv?!"

"Of course I'm seeing this, Jesus Christ!" Tangmo was equally taken in by the canonesses.

"We got a SPQR Sororitas!" Laura pointed at the one on the far left. "Then we got a Dahomey Sororitas! A Three Kingdoms Sororitas! And a Sengoku Sororitas! Oh my God this is so awesome I'm gonna faint."

Melodramatically, Laura swooned into Tangmo's arm, her body daintily going limp as the commissar took off his cap and started fanning it across her face.

"Good heavens, I do believe she have fainted from all the excitement," Tangmo did an approximation of a Praetorian accent, which made Laura giggled despite her supposed inhibition. The commissar then glanced at the four canonesses, canine peeking through his wide grin. "But seriously though, this is going to be awesome!"

Okay, so everything was not awesome. Make no mistake, having four new Sororitas orders joining them was cool as all fucks, but the debriefing they gave was not a cheery one. Tangmo did his best to stay focus, but more time than not he found his gaze drifting dreamily over the four new canonesses, because lord almighty they were near perfect in feminine beauty. That seems to be a trait amongst every Sororitas order, whether they be medieval and renaissance knights, Scandinavia Vikings, superhero cosplayers, African amazon warriors, Roman legionary, Chinese Kung Fu fighters or Japanese samurai master, the Emperor's holy soldiers were all blessed with magnificent attractiveness.

"Lord commissar?"

"Dude!"

Henry nudged Tangmo sharply in the rib, wrenching him back to the present after spending a good minute staring impolitely at ibhubesi Naledi, the Golden Pride canoness.

"Sorry about that canoness, I kinda drifted off a bit there," Tangmo said sheepishly and fought down the freaking blush rising up his neck, ibhubesi Naledi just rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him. "So…what were we talking about?"

"We were just describing our hasty retreat and the dire situation across the planet," gaoseng Zhensu sighed wearily but forced a patient smile on her face. "I will be happy to repeat everything again, lord commissar."

"Your pagoda got destroyed," Tangmo began, "forcing you to rendezvous with the guards that survived the annihilated fleet. The Order of Celestial Serenity is safeguarding Isha relics, eleven of them to be precise, which is why the Solace Sun eldars are helping you guys. However, shits looking pretty bad since Syrathel's forces managed to take two of the relics and are now going after the other eights. And until a couple of hours ago, the Chaos army looked about ready to give you guys the coup de grace, but then we showed up. Did I miss anything?"

"No lord commissar, you did not," Zhensu chuckled softly in that way a seasoned elder gave to the brash, virile young and Tangmo smiled in response, the gaoseng gave off that vibe of a stern but kind teacher who you couldn't help but want to impress.

"Cool, so now that everybody's up to speed," Tangmo leaned easily into his chair, "how are we winning this?"

"Initial satellite scans are not encouraging," Leilatha began solemnly. "Unlike the last two times, where Syrathel relies on the corruption of the local populace and turning them against loyal Imperial citizen, the Chaos Sororitas have fielded their own army, a full invasion force numbering in tens of millions and further bolstered by the traitor legions raised in secret on the planet."

"What is the situation of the naval battle right now?" Xiphos asked.

"The Immortal Spirit fleet managed to rally what little remain of the Imperial Navy and was able to shatter the Chaos armada," Henry said to hearty murmurs around the tables.

"So the heretic forces are stranded without reinforcement?" Evangeline spoke up.

"Yes, but that's not exactly something to be happy about," Henry gave everyone an apologetic smile, "considering that ninety five percent of the invasion force was already on the planet by the time Solveig blew up the last ships."

"The good news is that we have complete control of the sky," Lita added quickly before gloominess can set in. "We have already established a network of supply lines that covers the entirety of the planet. Our soldiers, no matter where they are, will not go without food or armament."

"That is indeed good news, lady Warseer, but I fear that it will be of little consequence or benefit in the coming days," koso Myorin, the Celestial Serenity co-canoness, said grimly, a prelude to a dark and heavy exposition.

"Care to explain why, koso Myorin?" Canoness Crestienne asked.

"It is only noon yet dusk has already fallen," Myorin continued, and Tangmo admit that the place was indeed unnaturally dark, not to mention cold, he and Lita were already sneezing. "Our fallen sisters have chosen well the time to strike at us, because Yomi is about to enter a period of planetary eclipse."

"Wait, this planet is called Yomi?!" Damien blurted.

"I know, right? Subtlety just pretty much took a nosedive out of the window and yeet itself," Yuki snickered.

"Planetary eclipse? Does this have anything to do with that fuck huge grey gas giant?" Tangmo pointed upward. The most striking astronomical characteristic of this system was a gas planet, about ten times the size of Jupiter if Albert and Mary's calculation was correct, hovering within spitting distant of Yomi, a terrestrial planet about as big as Earth. It was certainly a magnificent sight when Tangmo saw it from the bridge of the Immortal Spirit, but now he was starting to realize that there's probably something extremely sinister about that starry beauty.

"Yes lord commissar," Myorin nodded gravely. "The great Diyu will join Yomi and Niparn, the cold sun, in a cosmic conjunction, a complete alignment of the three celestial bodies. It is a phenomenon that happens once a generation, every fifty year to be precise."

"So we'll be fighting under the shade of the eclipse," Yuki said dreamily and cast a playful look at Laura. "Sounds romantic, I dig it."

"I would curb your enthusiasm, lady exarch, because saying that the conjunction is something as mundane as an eclipse will be seriously underplaying the severity of the situation," if Zhensu was the kindhearted teacher then Myorin was the harsh, no nonsense sort, her sharp utterance killed the smile on Yuki's face. "Diyu will swallow Niparn, the light of the sun will be blocked off completely by the gas giant. No lady exarch, this will not be some pseudo evening dimness, Yomi will be plunge into absolute darkness, the deepest of night where the light of the sun is reduced to nothing but a forlorn memory."

"You know, you can just say it's gonna be dark without all the melodrama," Yuki sassed and Myorin glared darkly, her hackle rising like a Ghibli heroine.

"This dark eclipse, how long is it gonna last?" Tangmo cut in, because after Raine and Amberley, he wasn't fucking ready for another catfight.

"Fifty five days, lord commissar," Myorin told Tangmo. "Fifty five days where the sun sleeps under the shroud of impenetrable darkness."

"Okay, that's sound really bad," Tangmo went on, getting a little worried. "When is this conjunction slate to happen?"

"Four days," Myorin said.

"And let me guess, the power of darkness will embolden the Chaos army already on the planet," Laura added, not digging the new intel.

"It's worse than that, I'm afraid," Myorin was not done with the bad news. "Diyu is not simply an idle gas giant. It is a prison where daemons, evil spirits and souls of damned heretics are kept from escaping back into the Imperium or returning to the Warp. The ritual is performed here, on Yomi, and for the last five thousand years we've been sending those wretched souls to their well-deserved incarceration."

"I'm sorry, but how is that accomplished?" Damien asked. "I mean, I'm not doubting you guys, I'm just genuinely curious."

"Diyu used to be a daemon planet before the Saints of our order nullified it," Zhensu now explained. "The taints were not wash clean in its entirety however, but revert into a more contained state, while the link between Yomi and the gas giant, which the sisters had used to send their prayers to aid the Saints, remains intact, and it is via this channel that we cast the daemons and heretics we've gathered across the sector to their imprisonment."

"That's a lot of daemons," Damien said a little breathlessly.

"Indeed, Brother Sergeant," Zhensu nodded.

"And the daemon on Diyu will be trying to get back to Yomi during the eclipse?" Tangmo put two and two together.

"Yes, our control of the link become strenuous during the conjunction," Myorin confirmed. "Usually we can hold back the tide, but with the Chaos army here, I'm afraid we can't stop the horde from descending upon us."

"What are the daemon's objectives on Yomi?" Mistress Lithia, the Avenging Knight canoness, now asked.

"Here," Myorin gestured at the temple outside. "This is where the mummified remains of our Saints, Xiwangmu and Izanami, are laid to rest. Even in death, they act as a seal that keep Diyu contained. If their bodies are destroyed then the gas giant will revert back into a daemon world, and from it the Chaos horde will consume the unsuspecting sector."

"Well shit, no fucking pressure at all," Tangmo snorted derisively while the rest of the Eight either shrugged or murmured lowly to their neighbors, sounding more annoyed than concerned. Yep, they were more than used to this apocalyptic bullshit.

"Alright, now I want to know how Isha artifacts play into all of this," Lita motioned to an eldar warlock seated at the left end of the table. "Warlock Fanduin, is you please."

"If Isha's relics are taken by the Great Enemy, it would mean doom for both Aeldari and humanity," Fanduin said sternly. "If Ruinous corruption is placed upon the relics, the magnify power unleashed will tear the fabric of the Material and Immaterial realm asunder, so powerful will the unholy conflagration be that a new Eye of Terror will be birthed here."

"Okay, if that isn't enough reason to get the artifacts, I don't know what is," Tangmo said to the animated murmur of the battlegroup. "And how will this affect Isha herself? From what I heard, you guys are protecting her."

"She will be forcefully compelled by the Chaos Gods to come to them," Fanduin said gravely. "And if they get their hands on her, they will not make the same mistake Nurgle made those millenniums ago. They will consume her, and the one that feasted upon the biggest portion will ascend to a height of power well beyond its peer, becoming a Greater Chaos God, if you will."

"This could all be lies the Aeldari are using to trick us into helping them, turning us into little better than tools for their machination," legatus Victrix of the Eternal Legion spoke up venomously, earning agreeing nods from the Golden Pride, the Avenging Knight and the OG Sororitas at the table. The Celestial Serenity baulked at the unhelpful remarks, while the Frost Bringer just rolled their eyes.

"You wanna take that chance? Go right fucking ahead because I'm not. Fuck this shit, I'm not sitting around to find out," Tangmo blurted and shot Victrix a 'lady, are you fucking serious?!' look. "Right now, I want to know our plan going forward instead of your fucking paranoia."

"We hit them, hard and fast, and recover as many of the lost territory as we can before the eclipse happens," canoness Galatea spoke up, earning agreeing nods from mistress Lithia, ibhubesi Naledi, elskerinne Eldul, Kenshin, Hildebrandt, Bruce, Akecheta and Sulla, those most eager to kick ass and take names.

"But we only have four days before the eclipse happens, and we haven't got half the supply planet side yet," Henry spoke up and those of the more tactical mind concurred. "Even with our new tanks, I doubt attacking the Chaos forces now would be a good idea. We'll probably be able to take about two hundred kilometer worth of land, at most, before being forced back here. So no, I think the best thing we can do right now is fortify the monastery, shore up our defenses and repel their attack a couple of times before going on the offensive."

Thankfully, the bloodthirsty clique was able to see the reasons and benefits of Henry's strategy, prompting them to, quite begrudgingly, go along with the American.

"Right, so our priority right now is to lock this place down tighter than Area 51," Henry tapped his data-pad then turned to colonel Joanna, seated a few chairs to his right. "What can we expect from Syrathel's forces now that Janet is put in charge of it?"

"Mother always hated prolonged sieges, never had the patience for it I reckon," Joanna said. "She will come for us soon, relying on speed and ferocity of her armored column to wipe us off the map before we even have a chance to settle down."

"I find it incredulous that we are listening to the daughter of the enemy's general," legatus Victrix spoke up and Joanna wilted, the stain of her association with Janet will always marred her credibility. And damn, the blonde southern belle looked absolutely miserable right now.

"Colonel Joanna saved the Immortal Spirit battlegroup when she betrayed Steelwall Janet, killing many of her own kin in the process. She has gone on to prove her loyalty and conviction to the Imperium with flying color," Henry growled, coming to Joanna defense, the colonel smiling in thanks while the general nodded sharply. Things might not have been smooth between them at first, but now they were practically best friends. "So you better check yourself before saying that shit to my face."

"As you wish," Victrix sneered but said nothing more.

"How long do we have until the Steelwall Brigade attack us?" Henry asked Joanna, "because the King Ghidorah wants a rematch with the Winter Maiden."

"A day, a day and a half at most," Joanna told him.

"Shit, no time to waste then," Tangmo tapped his data-pad. "Solveig, do you copy?"

"Go ahead, lord commissar," the Immortal Spirit captain said.

"What's the progress on our deployment?" Tangmo asked.

"Twenty five percent completed," Solveig answered.

"I want seventy percent planet side by tomorrow morning," Tangmo made his request. "The situation is more fucked than we've initially thought. I want every Pylon, every Sororitas and every tank here before nightfall, can you do that please?"

"It will be done, lord commissar," Solveig said firmly before terminating transmission.

"That's that then," Tangmo leaned back into his chair and stretched his arms lazily until it popped satisfyingly. "Now I need a stiff coffee, shits getting way too cold."