Warhammer 1. Chapter 1 Memories of an Inquisitor

On the feudal planet of New Kyoto, in the eastern fringe of the Ultima Segmentum, Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark listens with patience to his apprentice as she prattles on. He is a foreboding man, six foot six, middle age with graying brown hair and piercing hazel eyes that seem to pierce your very soul. He is wearing his favorite suit, an oddity for an inquisitor but an outfit he likes to wear when he isn't in the field. His suit helps to cover up the many scars that stream across his body, only showing up on his hands, neck, and face. His plasma pistol is in his holster while he is setting on an overly opulent chair. This is a private hotel room, well out of the way of the inhabited countryside and in a discrete location; apparently the planetary nobles like to house Imperial officials here, hence the use of chairs. To many imperial officials would be a nice place to stay with a beautiful view and all the luxuries afforded to those with status, Nathaniel was not like most imperial officials. In front of him is his apprentice, a young 18 year old woman named Melissa Metaxas. She has a developing figure, curly black hair, olive skin, and dark green eyes currently dressed in the local fashions of this world, some type of silk bathrobe called a kimono. She is clever, intelligent, and skilled, but a bit naïve and lacking an inquisitors habit of constant vigilance and paranoia. For the past thirty minutes she has been blabbering away about her trip to the shoguns court, the girl also needs to learn how to simplify her explanations.

"And while I was interviewing the local daimyo's about any suspicious xenos activity, a mysterious figure appeared amongst us in a flash of light. As soon as the light died away he introduced himself as Farseer Yulmenera of the Craftworld Paratain. He informed us that a he had foreseen a massive Ork invasion hitting the planet in the near future, and that it was in the best interests of both the inhabitants of this world and his Craftworld to join together to repel the threat, which would eventually move on to strike his Craftworld once they were done on New Kyoto. He even promised that he would move their families out of harm's way for them so that they wouldn't get caught up in the fighting. So do you think he is telling the truth master" She finally finishes, out of breath and panting.

"Do you believe he is telling the truth young one?" Inquisitor Nathaniel asks

"He seems legitimate, the Craftworld in the area checks out and the Eldar have been known to help the Imperium in the past, especially the Eldar of Paratain." She replies back, she has the pathetic look of a puppy seeking approval on the face.

"Melissa, what is the first thing I taught you when I found you?" Nathaniel says in a dry tone

"Do not suffer the xenos to live?" Melissa hesitantly replies back

"Is it possible you have forgotten this lesson?"

"No, but if what he says is true, then we will need all the help we can get. Plus he is willing to get the civilians out of harm's way."

"Oh, so now the citizens under our watch will be tainted by xenos filth as well, and what makes you so sure he is telling the truth, the Eldar are a fickle, capricious, and untrustworthy species. I would sooner wrestle with an Ork before I put my trust in the word of an Eldar. My dear girl, you have been with me for two years now, how can you still be so naïve and ignorant. Mark my words, this Farseer has his own agenda and will not hesitate to throw us away when he is done with us." Inquisitor Nathaniel had a cold tone to his voice as he said these things.

"But what if you're wrong and he is really telling the truth, we could save millions of lives and decisively eliminate an Ork threat. I am not a bitter old paranoid fool like you; I understand that for the Imperium to survive, we must rely on some xenos for ai….." She is cut off as Inquisitor Nathaniel lifts her off the ground and forces her mouth shut with his fearsome mental powers.

Inquisitor Nathaniel is speaking directly into her mind now. "Melissa, how dare you raise your voice to me and criticize me, if it wasn't for my faith in your ability to learn from your mistakes I would execute you for heresy right here and now. So you believe that some xenos species can benefit and aid mankind, well let me show you why you are wrong."

"What are you going to show me master?" A timid and terrified Melissa asks.

"The story of a young boy who saw firsthand what atrocities the xenos are capable of, mark my words you insolent girl, by the time we are done you will understand why you cannot trust a xenos, no matter what they look like or what their intentions are. This is the story of Nathaniel Clark, and his ten year xenos nightmare."

Melissa's vision turns black, and then a humble agrarian landscape appears before her, she sees a young brown haired boy and his older sister looking over their field from the top of their homestead as a pair of Tau transports head make their way toward their homestead.

"My dear girl, prepare for a tale you will never forget, I certainly have not"

To be conintued…


	2. Chapter 2 The Greater Good

**Disclaimer, I do not own the intellectual property rights for anything 40k, this is way I am writing fanfiction on a nonprofit fanfiction site. **

Young Nathaniel Clark was eight years old, and he and his sister were observing the two Tau transports heading their way. They were their planetary neighbors from someplace called the Tau Empire. They were good neighbors for the most part, though they made the authorities uneasy. While Nathaniel was looking at them with childish curiosity, his fourteen year old sister had a more serious expression on her face.

"First we get word that a bunch of Orks have invaded our world, now these blue skinned creeps show up, something isn't right." His sister tells him.

"Come on Sarah, maybe they just want to help us out and get us out of harm's way. Look they came from the direction of the town; they are probably just picking us up to get us to safety. I don't believe that all xenos are bad; some may genuinely want to live in peace with us and help us. The Tau have proven to be good neighbors in the past, and don't good neighbors help each other?" Nathaniel, completely unaware, starts floating off of the roof of the homestead.

His sister, looking in his direction and seeing him floating off the roof, furiously pushes him back down. "How many times have pop and I told you about losing control of your witchcraft, if the priest heard about what you can do, you would be taken away from us forever." There was a note of concern in the voice of his loving sister.

"Sorry Sarah, you know I lose control when I get excited or stressed, though I am getting better at hiding it."

"You need to get better faster, the Tau are almost here, let's get off the roof and tell ma and pop."

The two get off of the homestead roof right as the Tau arrive, their parents exit the homestead with their baby brother in their mothers arms. One of the transports opens up filled with their neighbors and a Tau Firewarrior leans out.

"Guela, I am Shas'ui Dal'yth Ko'vash, your Imperium has abandoned you but we have not. Hurry on board so that we may get you to safety, you have a new future waiting for you in the Tau Empire."

Nathaniel's parents rush onto the transport while Sarah shows some reluctance. Nathaniel not sharing her distrust tries to get on, the moment he applies pressure to the floor the warning sirens go off, Shas'ui Dal'yth Ko'vash lifts him up and places him on the ground.

"I am sorry Guela, but it appears we have reached our maximum carrying capacity, anymore weight and we risk losing optimal speed and mobility. I am sorry but unless someone wants to get off, we will have to leave you behind."

A shocked look of horror crosses Nathaniel's face, he turns to his parents. "Mom? Dad?" His mother looks away, holding his little brother defensively to her chest. His father decides to respond.

"Sorry sport, but your mother and I need to get out of here, now you and your sister should be big enough to handle yourselves, which is why we are taking Elijah with us, he's just a baby."

"What type of parent abandons their children in a time of need you selfish bastard?" Sarah furiously lashes back.

"They type of parents who want to live, we can make more kids wherever these Tau take us, but first we need to get out of here. Now be a good girl and look out for your little brother." Nathaniel is still on the ground with a look of shock on his face.

"I am sorry Guela, but it is for the Greater Good that we leave you behind. Sometimes a few must be sacrificed so that the many may prosper and live. But don't worry, if you keep on heading east toward the mountains, our new Eldar friends are in that vicinity, also helping the civilians escape. They are led by a very friendly fellow named ArchonTelbert, who has promised us that he will make sure that all civilians they rescue are treated in the same way they would treat us." Loud drums can be heard in the distance with fire coming from the town, even though they are miles away they can hear the fearsome cry of WWWAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH. "Guela I suggest you grab all the supplies you need and make for the Eldar by the mountains."

With that the doors close on the transport and the Tau fly off with everyone else, except them. Nathaniel is in tears, but his sister has a look of cold determination on her face. "Get up and stop crying, if we move quickly we might survive this." She pulls him off of ground and gently slaps him on the cheek. "Pull yourself together, go into the homestead, and fill up the satchels with all the supplies we are going to need like pop and I taught you, I will saddle up the horse. We probably have a long ride ahead of us and we need to be prepared."

Nathaniel fights back his tears, wipes the snot from his nose, and rushes into the homestead to get the supplies.

To be continued…..


	3. Chapter 3 The worst is yet to come

_**(This is my first attempt at a fanfiction; any and all feedback is appreciated so that I may improve my writing style. If you have any questions about the story, feel free to ask. (Insert generic 40k ownership disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**I have often heard it said that Orks are a joke, a pitiful race of buffoonish half witted barbarians who will easily be dealt with once we finally get rid of the "deadlier" xenos races. I often feel the urge to kill those fools where they stand for their ignorance. It's true that Orks are often manipulated by other xenos to suit their own needs, but manipulating Orks is the equivalent of surfing a tidal wave or channeling a lava flow. They are like a force of nature unto themselves, with intelligence that should never be underestimated. Any fool, human or xenos who believes that they can gain control over the Orks deserves whatever fate befalls them. I had my first encounter with Orks when I was eight years old, when they invaded my homeworld of Mantanya. Those two days that they chased and eventually captured my sister and I were the most terrifying days of my life up till that point. Little did I know that things would get far worse soon enough.**

Nathaniel and Melissa are currently floating in a dark void, after Nathaniel temporary stopped his memories.

"Do you have any questions so far my young apprentice?"

"Yes, I am a bit confused with the Eldar situation, the Tau said that their Eldar friends were helping with the evacuation of civilians. However he used the term Archon to describe their leader. Isn't an Archon a rank amongst the Dark Eldar?"

"At least you know the difference between the two, the Tau did not at the time and many would pay dearly for their ignorance."

"Also, if these are your memories, then why am I viewing things from the third person? Shouldn't I be seeing your memories through your eyes?"

Nathaniel chuckles a bit "I didn't think that this perspective would bother you so much, but if you must know I am using a highly advanced psychic technique, my mind is creating by memory all of the surroundings to the best of its ability combined with its knowledge about how something should actually look. There might be a few distortions here and there but it is fairly accurate. If you viewed my memories through my eight year old eyes not only would you have a distorted picture, but you would become overwhelmed by my emotions and thoughts and for all intents and purposes become me for the duration of this lesson. To be truthful my dear I would not want you to feel what I felt first hand. By viewing events from this perspective you can maintain a safe emotional distance yet comprehend the lesson I am trying to teach you."

"Where did you learn such a power?"

"My dear, as a highly respected inquisitor I do get access to some of the more "sensitive" books. The power I am using right now was created by Magnus the Red himself."

Melissa has a look of shock on her face after hearing this.

"Oh don't give me that look, what they teach sanctioned psykers is basically a watered down version of the techniques Magnus pioneered. Don't worry; a host of daemons won't drag you into the warp just because I am using this power to show you my past. Now I believe it's time we picked up where we left off, you still haven't learned your lesson about the xenos yet."

* * *

Nathaniel and Sarah had been chased for two days. They had gotten a good head start as the Orks took their time ransacking the area, but now they had caught on to their trail and were chasing them. Neither one could understand why the Orks would waste their time chasing two humans. Perhaps they were just bored and thought a good chase would give them some fun. Neither sibling had slept much over that two day period, with Sarah controlling the horse and Nathaniel clinging to her back. They had only stopped for a quick rest on their first night; they got in a couple of hours of sleep before they heard the Orks coming their way. They were both nearly out of food, there wasn't much to take and tired. It was in this distressed state that the Orks came upon them.

Nathaniel looked behind him to see a ramshackle collection of bikes, buggies, and trucks all painted red. He could see the greenskins hooting and hollering. The big burly Orks brandishing their weapons and screaming WWAAAGGGHHH; their smaller cousins hanging on for dear life, grinning malevolently. On the top of the biggest truck stood a tremendous Ork, screaming his name over and over and shaking his weapons about. "I em Warboss Stompsmash, I em Warboss Stompsmash." Apparently he was named Warboss Stompsmash.

One of the biker Orks drove up beside them, a mean looking thug with a missing eye dressed in black leather and spikes and carrying a huge axe. "Stoopid umies, don't ya know dat red uns go fasta, why ar ya ridin a broewn horsie?"

The Ork takes his ask and chops off the horses legs, Sarah and Nathaniel go tumbling to the ground. The Orks drive their vehicles in circles around the pair screaming insults until they finally stop. The siblings are now back to back, surrounded by Orks. Warboss Stompsmash jumps off of his truck and hits the ground with a loud thud. With a malicious gleam in his eye, he makes his way toward the pair. Nathaniel stands between his sister and his Warboss, brandishing his small hunting knife. The Orks suddenly burst into laughter at this.

"Whuts dis, the little un is protectin da big un, yu humies ar good for a larf." The Warboss swats Nathaniel aside where a group of Gretchin swarms him and pin him to the ground. The Warboss grabs his sister by her neck and lifts her up.

"U humies arnt wurth anyfing ta us, but maybe da spike wearin pointy ears will trade for ya; oferwise u is only good for iz squig chow."

They rode for what seemed like hours in the back of an Ork truck, surrounded by other unfortunates. The Orks got some amusement out of their captives by grabbing them and dangling them over the sides of their trucks. One or two has lost their grip and dropped their captive, the offenders usually getting a good beating for losing their merchandise. The finally stopped again with all the humans being kicked out of the trucks and marched toward where the Warboss and a tall black haired Eldar stood surrounded by an army of other Eldar dressed in sharp spiky armor, colored dark green, silver, and black or barely anything at all in the case of many of the females.

"I, Archon Taelbeirt of the Cruel Mercy kabal, want to thank you for your aid in the ravaging of this planet. I will see that you and your "boyz" get what is coming to them." Said the lead Eldar standing in front of the Warboss, his armor was black and dark green like the others, with even more spikes. On his hands we wears metal gloves whose ends narrow down into points, and extravagant crown, and a cape made of sown together flesh.

Nathaniel could not help himself, "You're the "friendly" Eldar that the Tau told us to find, what kind of idiot would believe that."

His sister kicked him in the gut as the Archon's followers burst out in laughter. Warboss Stompsmash starts to head in his direction right as the Archon steps in, chuckling to himself. "It is Dark Eldar actually, though I find it amusing that a Mon-keigh child can realize the obvious where an adult Tau cannot. Either the Tau are the most naïve race in existence, or that Ethereal and his followers are horrible judges of character, probably both."

"Now ta biznezz pointy ears, I hit dis planet, crumped da humies who fought back, smashed da cities an da towns an da farms, and I efen dopped ta pick humies up for ya, now itz time for ya to pay up."

"Indeed it is Nemorah will you pull out the goods please." A Dark Eldar woman dressed in a similar fashion to the Archon, but wearing a long black skirt with a silver diadem. She opens up the crate that was next to her and pulls the item out. It appears to be a cross between a bazooka and a battleaxe, crafted in an elegant yet macabre style.

"This is the terror cannon, specifically made for you and your followers; with these you will easily overwhelm all opposition."

"Good, Orky tech iz fine an all but nuthin beats da look on da face of an enemy wen dey see u wid a new toy. Speciallly one dat iz a shoota and a choppa. WAAAAAGGGGHHHH." With that Stompsmash and his boys get back on their vehicles and drive away, leaving the humans and the Dark Eldar.

"Round them up and put them in the cages with the others, except those two." He points to Nathaniel and his sister. "I have taken a liking to them, I am sure they will make excellent pets, especially that Mon-keigh boy."

His men, accustomed to their bosses sudden and strange whims pull them away from the crowd. While all of the other citizens are being placed in their cages on the side of the Dark Eldar vessels, Nathaniel and Sarah are led to the biggest one and placed in front of a dark and opulent throne. They are chained to the deck to prevent their escape. Archon Taelbeirt boards the ship, sits down, and orders everyone to head out. He stares at them for curiously for awhile before he breaks the silence.

"Tell me, are your parents with the other slaves, or are you orphans?"

"Our parents abandoned us when the Tau couldn't take any more passengers on their transports." Sarah says

"The Greater Good indeed, now I am not an overly harsh master. In fact, I like to think of myself as one of the more pleasant Archon's of Commorragh. In fact, you should be honored that I have taken an interest in your. Now don't get any ideas, torture and suffering are the order of the day in my dark city. However, you can rest assured that as long as you show me the respect I deserve, learn your place, and obey my every whim, your fate will be far more comfortable than the fate of others whom we have taken. My consort Nemorah will make sure that you learn your proper place."

In the distance, closing in fast, they can hear cries of WAAAGGGHHH. Warboss Stompsmash and his boyz are back. Having caught up to the Dark Eldar craft that have been made heavier and slower by the full cages hanging to the sides, the Orks throw themselves upon the ships. The Warboss himself climbs unto their ship.

"Stoopid pointy ears, do ya dink dat u can use da Orks and get away wit it, da Orks serve no un, we do as we please, we don't need no stinking pointy ear ta tell us where ta fight. We chose dis planet because we waz bored, not because ya told us, we iz gonna teach ya a lessun dat u wil neva forget."

The Archon calmly presses a button on one of his gloves. All of the gun/battleaxes the Orks were carrying spew an acidic cloud on their users, all of the Orks fall of screaming. "Orks, so predictable in their love of bloodshed, now little ones, it is time for me to mark you as my property, Nemorah."

Nemorah pulls a brandishing iron out from under her skirt; the emblem is that of a crooked heart with a dagger plunging through it. Nemorah presses a button and it begins to glow red. His men pull up the shirts of Nathaniel and Sarah, displaying their backs.

"Don't scream too much there is worse yet to come."

Nemorah plunges the brand squarely into the center of his back, an excruciating pain overtakes his body. Little does he know that this is the least of the pain he will feel before his nightmare comes to an end.


	4. Chapter 4 Dark Legends

_**(Warning, the following chapters contain Dark Eldar in all of their malevolent depravity. (Insert Generic Warhammer 40K Ownership Disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

"**No one truly escapes Commorragh", so said another survivor of that nightmarish hell. He was right, my body is not only covered in the physical wounds of my time there, but my mind and even my soul have been permanently scarred as well. When I am alone, I can hear the screams of my fellow slaves and the mocking laughter of my captors. When I sleep, I relive the nightmare over and over again. A part of me wonders if I have even escaped at all. Have these past 30 years have been nothing more than an elaborate ruse on the part of Archon Taelbeirt. That any moment now this illusion will shatter and I will awaken in his home completely broken. He called his Kabal the Kabal of Cruel Mercy, a highly appropriate name for them. Archon Taelbeirt is a highly erratic individual, one moment showing mercy and generosity to his slaves, the next ruthlessly beating, torturing, and killing them all the while laughing like a maniac. I have come to the conclusion that he believes his acts of horror are even more potent when coupled with his periods of mercy. This creates a highly unpredictable environment where all slaves and servants are on their toes. It certainly kept his followers on their toes. You could spill a tray of food and be told that accidents happen while he helps you clean it up. You could clean his throne room to perfection and then receive the beating of a lifetime because you missed one tiny spot at the very tip of his throne. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing; constant pain and torture can get old after awhile. He found a way to keep it fresh and interesting. **

Nathaniel and Sarah wore still hurting from their branding as they came upon the other raiding forces that had descended upon the planet.

"Nemorah, get me an update from the dracons, it would appear that overall our raid was successful though some are missing." Archon Taelbeirt commands his consort and hierarch.

"Certainly my lord" she pulls out a glowing pad and begins to press the buttons, a few moments later she gets the info she needs. "We lost dracon's Melvder, Yolto, Garma, and Trenilaspatiel, the first three to Orks and the last one to the planetary defense forces."

"No loss there, none of them were particularly competent, thought I will miss Yolto's singing voice. Come my dear, lets meet up with the remaining Dracons and count our spoils; I don't think our slaves will be going anywhere." The Archon and his retinue leave their raider and head toward where the Dracon's are gathered. The captives chained, sealed in cages, and too tired to even try to escape. It is in this state that Nathaniel finally breaks down into tears.

"Stop your crying, now is not the time to be showing weakness." His stubborn and tough older sister scolds him.

"Our family abandoned us, our planet has been overrun, we were chased like wild animals for two days, and now we are being taken by the Unseelie King to his dark realm."

"What?"

"Remember the fairytales grandma told us before she died, about a dark fairy king who emerged from the woods and stole away disobedient children to his realm of nightmares. That is what is going to happen to us, the stories were real and he is the Unseelie King."

If Sarah had not had her hands tied behind her back she would have slapped him. "You idiot, there are no such things as fairies, these are aliens, enemies of humanity. They are fresh and blood beings, didn't you hear that four of their raiding bands were taken out? They may have been the inspiration for those stories but there is nothing supernatural about them."

"But they are still going to take us to their city of nightmares."

"That may be true, but that is no excuse for you to be blubbering like a baby, grow up and be strong. You should never give your tormentors the satisfaction of seeing you cry. You are a child of Mantanya, we are a proud and strong people, and these Dark Eldar will see that we do not break so easily." The tears finally stop flowing while Nathaniel tries to put on a smile. "That's my brave little brother, now why don't you use your witchcraft to get us that canteen by his throne. I don't know about you but I am parched."

Nathaniel focuses his mind on the canteen, a golden container branded with all kinds of grisly and terrible images. As he pulls the canteen closer he notices a shadow looming over him. He turns around to see the Archon standing over him, with a bone chilling smile on his face. With his concentration broken he drops the canteen.

"So boy, you're a psyker, well we can't have you running about freely with your powers now can we." He pulls a collar from behind his back and puts it around Nathaniel's neck, it tightens enough to let him breath but still feel uncomfortable. Barbs pop out and dig into his skin to hold the collar in place.

"That should sufficiently suppress your powers; consider yourself lucky that I have taken an interest in you. If you were just an ordinary psyker your fate would be even more unpleasant than the fate that waits the normal mon-keigh. But why didn't you tell me that you were thirsty?" He walks over to the canteen, picks it up and carries it back to Nathaniel. He unscrews the top and a foul coppery smell emanates from it. The Archon forces Nathaniel's mouth open and pours the entire canteen down his throat. The foul bluish-purple liquid and metallic taste makes him cough. Sarah moves vainly in an attempt to stop this but Nemorah pushes her to the ground with her foot.

"Come now boy, Tau blood will make you strong, you were thirsty after all." Nathaniel gags at this while Taelbeirt laughs like lunatic. While this is going on the raiders make their way toward the planet's hidden webway gate, en route to Commorragh.

**Inquisitor Clark's Journal (annotation to the previous entry)**

**They say that the tale of the Dark Eldar is the tale of evil incarnate. I have to say that their definition of evil pales in comparison to what the Dark Eldar are truly capable of. **


	5. Chapter 5 Processing

_**(I intend to do between 6-7 chapters in Commorragh. I am still debating whether or not he should be set free, if he finds his own way to escape, or if the two are combined. All three options have their merits. Thank you all for reading this story, I guarantee the finale will be worth the wait. (Insert generic Warhammer 40k disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**There was a time when I was curious about the fate of my world so I looked it up; the final fate of Mantanya brought me to tears. What was once a reliable and efficient agri world focusing on cattle production had been turned into an Ork infested abomination. Of the 1,000,000 inhabitants, 500,000 were estimated to have been killed by the rampaging Orks. 100,000 were rescued by the Tau. But for the 400,000 unaccounted for, they met a terrible fate in the Dark City. What was a great tragedy for humanity was a glorious victory for Archon Taelbeirt and his Cruel Mercy Kabal. They quickly rose to power after that, forming an alliance with the Black Heart Kabal, thus securing their place of power in Commorragh. And all it cost was the destruction of one human world and the enslavement of its survivors. Any human who resides with the xenos becomes a slave whether they realize it or not. However, those who escaped with the Tau were probably better off than those of us who were taken by the Dark Eldar. I hate those traitors now more than ever, and I will never forgive them. It is my fondest dream to hunt down their descendants in the Tau Empire, and unleash the terrible vengeance of the Emperors wrath upon them. **

Traveling through the webway was a disconcerting experience, which seemed to last forever. Eventually Nathaniel and Sarah could see a collection of dark spires on the horizon, all jumbled together and sticking out at the strangest angles. To the two humans such a place should not even be allowed to exist, it was that disconcerting. The ships laden with their prize all entered into what appeared to be a port. Archon Taelbeirt came up to them and shoved something into their ears, a metallic insect that brutally and painfully pushed itself in and embedded itself into their ears.

"There you go; this should allow you to understand the rich and beautiful language of my people, so that I don't have to resort to using your primitive tongue." The Archon looks up from them and at their destination. "Beautiful isn't it, the Port of Lost Souls. Don't worry little ones; this isn't your destination, though I can't say the same about the others. Consider yourselves lucky that I am such a merciful master, and that you fascinate me. However, I will process you two here, Nemorah lead them to Cruel Mercy Processing Facility when we land. Make sure that you give them clothing befitting of a household slave of the Cruel Mercy Kabal."

As soon as they docked Nemorah unchained the pair from the ship and dragged them along. Meanwhile the Archon handled the distribution of his quarry to his backers, followers, Wych and Haemonculi allies. She took them to a spiked black dome with, the air was filled with screams and groans and a foul chemical smell was coming from the inside the dome. As they entered Nemorah unchained him and handed him over to another Dark Eldar. "Process the boy, make sure that you give him proper house slave clothing. I will take care of the girl, and don't waste any time."

The Dark Eldar attendant drags Nathaniel to another room. Inside the room is a pull full of what appears to be dark purple water. The Dark Eldar takes Nathaniel and tosses him into the pull. When Nathaniel lands in and is hit by an immediate stinging sensation, he has a coarse scrub brush thrown in after him. "Scrub off that Mon-keigh stink on you, and don't come out until your clothes dissolve off of you." The Dark Eldar presses a button on the wall and a hole opens up. The Dark Eldar grabs the clothes and towel and puts it on the floor next to the pool. "When your clothes dissolve, get out, dry off, and put on this proper slave outfit. Stay in there too long and you'll be the one dissolved. And just to make sure that you don't get any funny ideas, you are already a marked slave of a Kabal. If you even try to escape you will be brutally tortured and returned to your master for more torture. Hell, if the Haemonculi get their hands on you, you probably won't be returned at all."

The Dark Eldar leaves the room while Nathaniel is left to himself.

A few minutes later Nathaniel leaves the processing center. He is now wearing baggy black pants and a black vest that buttoned up with a hole in the back to show off his brand. On his feet he has a simple pair of black slippers with no lining. Much to his annoyance the collar didn't dissolve off. If anything, it merged itself even further with Nathaniel's body. Finally, he is wearing black headband with the Cruel Mercy kabal signature on it.

He looks over at his sister and can't believe his eyes. Her hair has been cut even shorter than his. (He would later learn that female slaves in Commorragh aren't allowed to have long hair, unless they are concubines.) Much to his relief she isn't dressed in an iron bikini, but a long black dress made out of the same material as his clothes. He can see the same slippers on her feet as on his feet. There is also a hole in the back of her dress so that her brand can be seen for all. She has her own black headband with the Kabal's symbol on it, except hers is sticking up on top of her head while Nathaniel's headband wraps around his. She still maintains a defiant look on her face as Nemorah chains them back up takes them back to the ship.

They are lead back to the ship right as Archon Taelbeirt is finishing up his business. He looks them over and has a smile on his face. "Now these look like proper slaves, and they even smell better. Come Nemorah, chain them back up, it is time to head home and celebrate."

They are chained back unto the ship, except now they can see that the cages are empty. Not just on their ship but on all of the other ships. In the background they can hear the screams of the other prisoners being led away. With all of the excess cargo gone the ship easily lifts off from the ground and make its way through the city. Flocks of Dark Eldar on strange looking hovercraft fly around them hooting and hollering. Archon Taelbeirt nonchalantly waves to them while Nemorah tries to shoo them off. If the two siblings though that the Port of Lost Souls was disorienting, then they were definitely not prepared for the city proper. The buildings jut out at every angle, extending into and connecting with each other. Dark Eldar are calmly walking across upside down bridges when the laws of common sense should have had them crashing down. Looking from the side they could see a coliseum, filled with spectators, Orks, and crazy warrior women twirling about, due to the nature of the city they were looking down at the spectacle even though it was too the side of them. This disorienting journey continued on for some time until they finally reached the compound of the Cruel Mercy Kabal. The compound was on level ground surrounded by a cage of electricity that did not let anyone pass. Archon Taelbeirt pressed a button on his wrist and an gate appeared. Moving inside the gate they could see the tower, tall and spiky, surrounded by several pits and small black buildings. They could even see a garden, and even though Nathaniel and Sarah couldn't believe their eyes it appeared that a giant mobile flytrap was stalking a boy similar to Nathaniel's age. The boy lets out a scream right as he is grabbed by the monsters leaves and thrown into its mouth which immediately closes.

Archon Taelbeirt lets loose a cold and eerie chuckle. "Don't worry pets; as long as you don't infuriate me too much you won't be lunch for my Venus Mantrap."

The ships land and several warriors grab the pair and drag them off. "Make sure you get the situated in the slave's quarters, put them under Yulnera's care." With that he walks off and the pair is taken to the square black building closest to the tower.

Inside they see their fellow slaves, 20 humans and 12 Tau of various ages, genders, builds, and scar varieties, and an Eldar woman. She has short blond hair, is more heavily scarred than the rest, dressed in the same fashion as Sarah with a strange stone embedded above her chest. "My name is Yulnera and I am the chief slave. Listen to me, and you might live to see another day."

Sarah and Nathaniel grab unto each other's hands, hoping to draw strength from each other for the horrors ahead.


	6. Chapter 6 Dinner Party

_**(Greetings once again, I wasn't very happy with how the last chapter turned out, so I plan to ramp things up for this chapter. I plan to bring out more grimdarkness, while adding some dark humor into the mix. I plan to start moving into longer chapters, and out of the quick ones I have produced so far. I also hope that you are enjoying Inquisitor Clark's journal entries. They provide insight into how he currently thinks, in contrast to his views as a child. So updates will no longer be than every couple of days, maybe every four to five days. Once again I want to thank you all for reading this story. (Insert Generic Warhammer 40K Disclaimer Here))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**Some fools will say that we can live in peace with the Eldar, and that we should focus our efforts on exterminating the Dark Eldar. If any fool dares to speak those words in front of me I take it upon myself to give them new insights into the xenos menace. Both Eldar are accursed and must be exterminated. At least the Dark Eldar are honest about their vile nature, the Craftworld Eldar try to hide what they truly are behind masks. The Eldar wear many masks, all seeking to hide their true malevolent nature. They are a threat to the dominance of humanity, pure and simple. They lie to us, they manipulate us, they use us, and when they are done with us they throw us away or exterminate us. When I was a house slave in Commorragh, I was placed under the guidance of an Eldar woman named Yulnera. She spoke in riddles and lies, constantly preaching about unity and sticking together while throwing the rest of us under the Leman Russ when things got out of hand. She constantly lamented about her dark fate. How not only would she be denied unity with her Craftworld upon her death, but that she also had to share living space with filthy beasts. That is how all varieties of Eldar view us, as filthy beasts. We are either beasts to be used for war, pets to entertain them, or vermin that need to be exterminated. The Exodite is little better, a primitive being that still believes itself to be superior. They are of little consequence in the long run and are of little concern to us right now. A friend once asked that if I came upon a battle between the Craftworld Eldar and the Dark Eldar, would I come to the Craftworld Eldar's aid. I honestly replied that I would be morally obligated to fire upon both, and then charge the survivors. Some "pragmatic" inquisitors have called me out on this stance, and I in turn have to call them out on their loyalty to the human race, as well as their heritage. Do they have some filthy Eldar blood in their ancestry clouding their judgment, or if they themselves are being manipulated by any variety of this foul witch species? This has made me many enemies, something I take great pride in. The more enemies I have, the more secure I am in my beliefs. I have also gained many strong allies for my stances. I have met Inquisitors of like mind, my retinue, my loyal Deathwatch squads, and even some Astartes chapters whose hatred of all things xenos knows no bounds. With allies like these, who can dare stand against me and what I intend to accomplish. Humanity may stand alone, but we must stand united as one. Mankind must never bow to the xenos; all those who do must be erased from the gene pool lest their weakness spread like a cancer. The Emperor's will be done, now and forever. **

Nathaniel and Melissa are once again floating in the void.

"Any questions so far?" Nathaniel asks.

"Yes, what happened to the other slaves that were captured but did not get the position of house slave?"

"Most were sent as tribute to his backers and rewards to his followers. 1000 would show up later for his own personal use. They were sent to a dark chamber underneath his tower. I prefer not to contemplate their fate, and to be honest I had bigger troubles at the time and the fate of my fellow Mantanyans did not concern me that much."

"What about that Eldar woman, she seemed helpful?"

"Yulnera was anything but helpful, it is a good thing Archon Taelbeirt had such an interest in me, otherwise I would of wound up fed to his Venus Man-eater, or worse."

"One more questions, why didn't you or any of the others try to commit suicide to escape this nightmare?"

Nathaniel lets out a long sad sigh "Some of them did, but the Dark Eldar used their dark arts to bring them back to life, and were subjected to such long and inhuman tortures that they wished they had never attempted suicide. They made sure to make these demonstrations as public as possible so that we would all know that there was no release from Commorragh, unless our masters permitted it."

An awkward silence occurs, followed by the next memory.

"Listen up mon-keigh, I know that you are little more than beasts but what I tell you is for your own good. When in the tower doing your tasks you must not look directly at our masters unless addressed, and you will not speak unless spoken too. If a Dracon or someone of higher standing enters a room with you in it you must bow all the way to the ground. The lower and upper levels are forbidden unless directly escorted by our master. When you are doing your duties in the tower you cannot even speak to each other. If you are punished, you will take it and make no complaints. You will address everyone as master or mistress in a respectful tone. And most importantly you are to do whatever they ask of you, no matter how reprehensible it may seem. My dark kin are not big fans of hesitant, disloyal, or disobedient slaves. Do you have any questions?" Yulnera finishes with a smug smile on her face.

"If we do as you say, will we not be beat?" Nathaniel asks. Sarah slaps him in the head.

Yulnera, her eye twitching replies. "You know, my opinion of you beasts has always been low, but your stupidity has miraculously lowered my standards on Mon-keigh human intellect. Of course you will be beaten and tortured, even if you do everything right. This is Commorragh, the city of madness, pain, and misery. You must never forget this, especially if you want to survive."

One of the Tau came forward, a young apparently female Tau different from the rest, despite her small size and apparent youth the others seemed to show her great respect. "Greetings, I am Aun'sal'T'Olku'Siot, and I would like you know that it is in the interest of the Greater Good that we work together. Yulnera might be a bit overbearing at times, but she means well." Nathaniel seems intrigued at this, but Sarah just gets agitated.

"In the name of your "Greater Good", my brother and I were left behind to face the fury of Orks and Dark Eldar. You can take your greater good and shove it up your ass." Sarah grabs Nathaniel and pulls him toward the humans. The Ethereal girl seems saddened by this, but a white haired woman in the human crowd is smiling.

"That's telling the xenos filth; make sure that you keep your brother pure young one." She is a woman in her late twenties, heavily scarred with bone white hair, tan skin, and harsh judging eyes. "You can call me Sister Ortega; I am as Sister of Battle who was unfortunately taken by the foul xenos scum during a midnight raid on our monastery. They paid a heavy price for their trespass, but sadly I was taken away during the fighting. No matter what young ones, you must remain pure. Remember that the Emperor is always watching over you."

"Your corpse god can barely watch himself, let alone all of his followers. You Mon-keigh disgust me with your ignorance and stupidity."

"At least our god is still alive and looking out for us, unlike your shattered pantheon, bringer of Slaanesh." Sister Ortega replies back. Yulnera gets ready to throttle Sister Ortega right as Nemorah walks into the building. All of the slaves quickly bow to the ground, with Sister Ortega acting quickly and bringing the two siblings to the ground with her. She whispers into their ear, "While the Emperor wants us to remain pure, he definitely does not want us to suffer more than what is necessary."

"Yulnera, have you taught the new additions the rules?" Nemorah asks

"Yes mistress, they are a bit thick and slow of mind but I do believe they will not be any hassle to us." Yulnera replies

"Good, I have the assignments for the dinner tonight right here." She hands a pad to Yulnera who gingerly takes it. "Make sure that the others stay on their toes, Lord Vect himself will be joining us tonight for dinner."

"What an honor to have the mighty and indomitable Vect grace us with his presence."

"Stop your asskissing and admiration girl, Taelbeirt might like it but I find it annoying. Remember I would not hesitate for one second in breaking your soulstone if the opportunity presented itself, you spineless sycophant."

Yulnera reaches for the stone above her chest with a grim look on her face.

"Now get the slaves ready for dinner, Lord Vect will be here in a few hours.

Later at the banquet

Nathaniel got the job of walking around carrying a tray of drinks. It took all of his concentration to keep it steady and not run into anyone, but so far he was doing fine. This was undoubtedly one of the strangest affairs he had ever seen. First Archon Taelbeirt and Hierarch Nemorah entered the room, followed by the Dracons, their wych and Haemonculi allies, and finally visitors from allied Kabal's. Everyone made sure to bow when Vect himself entered the room with his entourage, an imposing figure with a ridiculous headdress. Archon Taelbeirt and Vect had been talking for nonstop since he got here. Curious Nathaniel headed in the direction of the table where all of the food was stationed. There were piles of fruits, strange looking meats, and a giant transparent crystalline orb, a sea of purple with white splotches inside. Every once and a while a Dark Eldar would grab as small rod, stick it into the orb, and pull out one of white splotches which they then swallowed. The Archon beckoned Nathaniel over, presumably he wanted a drink.

"So Lord Vect, your magnificence, I hope the 200,000 slaves I sent you met with your satisfaction?"

"Yes, they seem to be a hardy lot, I am sure that their souls will taste quite delectable once they are properly broken."

"Indeed, I have quite a collection in my Soul Orb this evening, a magnificent collection of Mon-keigh, Tau, Kroot, and Vespid souls."

"I noticed, I devoured the soul of what I believed was a young mon-keigh girl earlier, they always have the sweetest taste. Tau souls are too bland for my palette; you never know what you're going to get with a Kroot soul, and Vespids all taste the same."

Horror begins to grip Nathaniel once he realizes what they are talking about. He looks over at the Orb and shudders, praying to his God-Emperor that he never meets a fate like that.

"And what do you think of the various Mon-keigh meats I have put out, fifty varieties all from different regiments. With their souls gone there was no reason to let their meat go to waste, and the Mon-keigh just have so many varieties to choose from."

Nathaniel nearly drops his tray at this, Archon Taelbeirt grins at his discomfort.

"Indeed, I am partial Catachans myself; they have a nice spice to them. Valhallans and Vostroyans taste of Mon-keigh liquor, which gives them a nice texture. Mordians and Cadians are too gamey and tough, while the Krieg Mon-keigh have such a vile taste to them. The Praetorians had a nice clean taste to them, but their meat was always so stubborn when it came to chewing. Though I must say my favorite must be Mon-keigh from the Ultramar system, they have a nice rich taste, with just the slightest hint of blueberries.

Nathaniel is so preoccupied with trying to keep himself under control, that he doesn't notice Yulnera sneaking up behind him. With no one noticing she swipes his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground with his drinks spilling all over Taelbeirt and Vect. Vect is slightly amused while Taelbeirt is livid.

"Pet, I am aware that accidents happen from time to time, however spilling drinks on the Lord of Commorragh at my party is not permissible. I believe that it is time for you to receive your first lesson in discipline." He pulls out long black metallic whip, and wraps it around Nathaniel, the sting alone wasn't the problem, it was the millions of stingers that injected themselves into Nathaniel filled with a wide variety of painful but nonlethal toxins. Archon Taelbeirt then flicks the whip and Nathaniel upward, as an electric current starts to run through the whip. Nathaniel lets out a blood curdling scream right as the whip detaches itself. Before he lands on the ground the whip wraps itself around him again, once more subjecting him to the pain while he is being flung about in the air. All of the Dark Eldar present burst into laughter and delight while Yulnera stands from the sidelines with a smirk on her face. This goes on for a few minutes until Sarah can't take anymore and charges Archon Taelbeirt telling him to stop. The room goes silent as Nathaniel finally crashes to the ground with the whip letting go. He curls up into the fetal position while whimpering in pain.

"Why plaything," Taelbeirt says with a wicked smile on his face, "if you wanted to punish your brother yourself, why didn't you just say so?" He quickly moves behind her and unleashes a strange thin wire that lines up on her spinal cord. A series of smaller wires penetrate her skin and connect with her nervous system. She goes stiff like a board while Archon Taelbeirt attaches the end of the wire to one of his pads. He promptly hands it over to his guest.

"Asdrubael Vect, your eminence, would you like to have the first round of controlling this disobedient plaything?"

"Why Taelbeirt, I must admit this is one of the most entertaining parties I have been too in a while." He takes the controller from Taelbeirt and starts pressing the button. Sarah jerkily moves over to where her brother is and starts violently kicking his curled up form. The controller is passed around to all the different guests who all get a chance to use Sarah however they see fit. Some use her to hit Nathaniel, kick Nathaniel, bite Nathaniel, and one even had her violently smother her brother with her body, stopping before Nathaniel actually asphyxiates. By the time the controller gets back to Taelbeirt, Nathaniel is a bloody broken wreck and Sarah is crying her eyes out. Taelbeirt presses a button and the wire detaches form Sarah's nervous system while she collapses to the ground as a twitching and sobbing wreck.

"I do believe that they have learned their lessons Yulnera and Tau girl, take them to the slave healing tanks, we don't dying on us now."

Later in the slave healing tanks, while Sarah's nervous system is being repaired and Nathaniel's wounds are healing up, Aun'sal confronts Yulnera. While the healing process is quite painful, it is nothing compared to what they had just endured.

"Why did you create that mess, why did you get them in trouble?" Aun'sal seems genuinely upset.

"My placement on the table was a bit off; if I hadn't done something to draw attention away from my mistakes I would have been beaten. Anyway these two Mon-keigh had to be taught a lesson about how things are run around here."

She turns around right into the fist of Sister Ortega, and a fierce fight breaks out between the two of them. Aun'sal looks on in horror and tries to find cover.

"You foul xenos, they are just children and you would sacrifice them to save your own hide for a tiny mistake."

"Mon-keigh have no value, their torture is a small price to pay for any minor punishment I might have received for my negligence. Besides its better they learn about the madness of my dark kin now instead of having their hearts broken later on." Yulnera says this in a mocking tone which only spurs Sister Ortega onward.

Yulnera almost gets the upper hand until Sister Ortega knees her in the gut and she collapses to the ground. She then proceeds to punch Yulnera repeatedly in the face as Nemorah walks in. They both get up and bow toward her, Nemorah just pretends she didn't see the fight.

"I must admit Yulnera; it was quite clever and malicious of you to try to use the Mon-keigh as a distraction to your own poor set up. Are you sure you don't have any Dark Eldar blood in you?"

The color leaves Yulnera's face as she realizes that her ploy failed.

"However, the platters were still askew, the bowls did not match, and the Orb was not directly centered. Such negligence in one's duties must be punished." She grabs Yulnera by her hair and starts to drag her off. Before she leaves the room, she points at Sister Ortega. "You, the Corpse Emperors bitch, I believe that you are apart of the clean up detail, hurry back before someone else notices that you aren't at your post." With a quick sympathetic glance at the siblings Sister Ortega leaves the healing facility for the dining room.

"And you, ethereal one," she says with mock humility, "see to it that those too continue to heal up and then help them to their bunks. They wil need their rest for tomorrow." With that Nemorah leaves the room with a whimpering Yulnera in tow. Aun'sal turns toward the siblings and tries to comfort them.

"When I am in pain in this nightmarish place, I simply try to meditate on the Greater Good. You know that is what the last part of my name means in my native tongue, meditation. Ever since I was really little, I have found peace and stability in meditation. My suggestion for you two is to find something to meditate on; it will help you take your mind off of the pain." With that she sits in a crossed leg position and starts meditating. Nathaniel isn't one for meditation, so he tries to use his memories of home to help him. The barbecues, the late night firefly catching contests, the swimming holes, the rodeos, and all of the other activities that the Mantanyans took pleasure in. The problem however, is that the more he thinks about what has become of his home, the more miserable and sad he feels. He just floats in the tank, wallowing in self pity as the process healing process patches him up, wondering what horrors await him tomorrow.

_**In the grim darkness of the city of Commorragh, there is only pain and sorrow.**_


	7. Chapter 7 Fun and Games

_**(I am really happy with how the last chapter turned out; I believe it is my best one yet. I am finally putting the Commorragh arc together in my head. I decided to dedicate these coming chapters to how I have interpreted the Dark Eldar and the City of Commorragh. There were originally going to be three locations in this chapter, but I am running behind schedule as it is so this one will only have the Coliseum. I attempt to stay as close to the fluff and canon as possible, but I see no problem in making a few alterations here and there for the sake of a good story. As well as adding my own ideas. (Insert generic Warhammer 40K disclaimer here))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**I remember the first time I was taken into the actual city of Commorragh. Archon Taelbeirt wanted to take his pet for a walk, so he took me with him. It was during this journey that I began to grasp the true depravity of the Dark Eldar. The compound of the Cruel Mercy Kabal was a bastion of sanity and stability compared to the madness I viewed all around me. Three sites in particular stuck out to me. First was the Cult of the Enduring Pain, Taelbeirt's Wych Cult allies who operated out of the Enduring Pain Coliseum, located in Cruel Mercy territory. Secondly was the Haemonculi Coven known as the Children of Transcendence, whose allegiance he sought for future raids. Finally, we visited a slave market not too far from the Port of Lost Souls, where the smaller Kabals and pirate groups who had few allies sold their slaves and sought sponsorship from the larger Kabals. The Coliseum was a turning point for me, because deep down in its holding cells I met a creature that showed me just how dangerous being a psyker can be. This creature made me promises, trying to gain me over to its cause, but I denied it. This daemon has been a thorn in my side ever since. While I would never dream of leaving my order, I find it useful to know about daemons, you never know when a xenos culture will be influenced by them. In this regard I have made many friends with Ordo Malleus inquisitors. I know that when things get out of hand and out of my field of expertise, I can rely on these fine fellows to give me the aid I need. The daemon was not the only horrific thing I saw in the Coliseum, but it certainly left an impression. **

"Come plaything, I am taking you out for a walk. I know I was rough on you last night, but you left me little choice. You do understand why I did it; you were a very bad pet embarrassing me in front of the most powerful man in Commorragh. Bad pets need to be punished so that they can learn from their mistakes. You will soon learn that I am tough, but fair."

Nathaniel merely looked at the ground, shuffling behind the Archon. He now had a leash attached to his collar, not that he would go running off. He was still hurting from last night though he had recovered somewhat. Yulnera eventually crawled back into the slave quarters, giving Nathaniel, Sarah, and Sister Ortega a death glare. She would probably prove to be trouble later on, but now was not the time to worry about that. Nathaniel was apprehensive about what new horrors he would get to visit see today. Nathaniel, the Archon, and twelve of his most loyal bodyguards boarded another craft, smaller than the ones used on raids but still elegant and ship like. Archon Taelbeirt sat on a smaller throne at the back of the craft, while Nathaniel got to sit at his master's feet. The bodyguards take their position and the craft gets moving. Moving out of the compounds electrified fence the ship once more enters the Dark City.

"Look around you Mon-keigh, this entire region of the city belongs to me and my Kabal. With blood, sweat, and sadistic ruthlessness we carved out our niche, as well as a few hearts." Archon Taelbeirt finds his joke highly amusing while Nathaniel feigns interest.

They journeyed on for some time, the landscape still disorienting for Nathaniel. He wondered how such a mad place could exist without collapsing in on itself. Finally they came to the Enduring Pain Coliseum, a macabre circular building, decorated in the corpses of numerous beings, with quite a few humans being among them. Apparently a show was going on because Nathaniel could hear cheering and screams coming from the arena. Past the hanging corpses, on the top of the entrance, he could see what appeared to be numerous majestic looking Eldar, screaming in terror while being swallowed by a great serpent. To the side the only three were not screaming or being devoured. An Eldar maiden, bent over in tears, a fearsome looking Eldar male, dressed in armor and wielding a flaming spear, and a lithe masculine figure dressed up in a garish manner. He was wearing a smiling mask, and was sneaking off while the other two look on at the horror. Nathaniel could only ponder the image for a moment as he was dragged into the Coliseum.

They entered a dark hall filled with several staircases. They went to the ornate one protected by guards. Upon seeing the Archon they step aside and let him pass, bowing their heads in respect. They travel for awhile before the reach a raised platform, overlooking the arena and all the other spectators. On the platform was a throne that the Archon sat on, Nathaniel got to sit on the ground by his side while his bodyguards flanked him. In the stadium below was a group of humans, wearing extravagant armor and brandishing large weapons clumped together. Around the coliseum floor the bodies of dozens of them were strewn. Around them danced and twirled a dozen Dark Eldar women wearing nothing but metallic bras and silk skirts, brandishing long wicked knives. Their leader who was wearing an extravagant headdress to denote her importance, ordered her followers to close to push them toward the center of the stadium. Their leader stared up at Archon Taelbeirt, who then nodded his head in approval. At that gesture the Wych's did not charge in, instead they moved back while their leader let out a loud whistle. The human gladiators were confused at first, but only for a moment as portions of the center of the coliseum disappeared, revealing that they were standing on a grate. A thick purplish slime creeped up from the grate and began to engulf them. The gladiators screamed out in horror and panic. They tried to run away but the slime wouldn't let them. Slowly it engulfed them more as the gladiators fell into it. When it had completely covered all of the gladiators, it began to slowly digest them, much to the glee of the audience. They were dissolved down into nothing. The leader let out another whistle, and the slime then began to ooze back down into the grate, only leaving the armor and weapons behind of the devoured gladiators. The cloud was ecstatic and Archon Taelbeirt gave a standing ovation. Nathaniel could only look on in shock and horror.

"Marvelous, absolutely marvelous, wouldn't you agree pet?"

"Of course master." Nathaniel wished to speak the truth, but ruining the Archon's good mood would be hazardous to his health.

Later in the basement of the Coliseum, Archon Taelbeirt meets with the Succubus.

"Absolutely flawless Bourdan, a truly inspired ending worthy of praise, I loved the look on the faces of those gladiators right as they realized their fate."

"Yes, normally my sisters and I would charge in and tear them to shreds, but for today's performance we decided to use the Smuuzz. No one can stop the Smuuzz. Why don't you leave your pet with my beasts, so that you and I can have a more private conversation?" Succubus Bourdan wraps her legs and arms around Archon Taelbeirt in order to indicate her intentions. Archon Taelbeirt throws him into the holding area of the Wych Cults beasts and leaves with the Succubus for their private "conversation".

Nathaniel looks around; in five of the eight cells are assorted humans, two groups of males, two groups of females, and one group of children. Past the humans was a cage filled with chained up and muzzled Orks. In the second to last cell was a scarred and tired looking Tau, who stared at him with detached indifference. In the final cell was a being that Nathaniel could not grasp. Its torso and waste were those of a mature human female, porcelain white, though it had three pairs of arms and breasts covered in highly ornate armor, depicting images Nathaniel did not fully understand. Past the waist was a long purple serpentine tail with a stinger on the end. Perhaps the most entrancing thing about the creature was its hypnotic face; its pink reptilian eyes mesmerized him, as did her normal looking female face, which seemed to reconfigure itself as he looked at it to a more friendly appearance. The air seemed to be permeated with an enchanting musk that clouded his senses. It was only when the creature smiled revealing a long forked tongue and rows of long razor sharp teeth did Nathaniel snap back to his senses.

"Hello there little one" the creature says, "what brings a potent little psyker like yourself to this dreary place." Nathaniel gasps while the creature just smiles. "Don't be too surprised, I am a being of the warp myself. If I wasn't in possession of this womans body I would probably be back there right now. I find it amazing that something like me hasn't had its way with you by now, you must have been very lucky up until you were brought to the Dark City. The Archon was even wise enough to put that suppression collar on you, though with a mortal of your power I wonder how long it will last. But I get ahead of myself; you mortals call me The Whispering Serpent, though I have many names."

"Are you the one devouring those Eldar on that image outside?"

The Whispering Serpent bursts out into laughter. "Oh my no, what you saw was the birth of my master or mistress, depending on your opinion. I am but a servant of She Who Thirsts, as the Eldar calls her. The few humans who know of her call her Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure, believing that Slaanesh is a masculine entity. Though I must say that Slaanesh is above such limited definitions of gender. You see, it is due to the Eldar that Slaanesh came into existence in the first place. Their society was a very decadent and indulgent one, this combined with their powerful psychic minds had some very bad side effects. You see the Gods of Chaos draw power from mortal emotions, the stronger the emotions, the stronger the gods. Every depraved act of the Eldar gave more and more power to Slaanesh until she was finally born. She devoured the Eldar pantheon along with the vast majority of the Eldar race. Only three Eldar gods escaped, along with several of their people. The primitive and thuggish Exodites, the anal and boring Craftworlder's, the enigmatic Harlequins who gain followers from the other factions. The Dark Eldar are their own unique faction. The other Eldar developed elaborate measures to protect their souls which now rightfully belong to Slaanesh, such as their use of soulstones or the trickster god. The Dark Eldar sought to escape my mistress by living forever, and giving her what she wants. They achieve the first task my devouring the souls of other mortals, and the other task with their depravity."

"So you are saying that all of this is the fault of your god, goddess, thing"

"Not exactly, Slaanesh never told them to do what they are doing; they choose to be monsters because it's fun to them. They could give up their lifestyle and become more akin to their Craftworld cousins but they won't. The arrogant fools even hold Slaanesh in contempt, thinking that they have outwitted her with their tricks. They are so selfish and self deluded that they don't realize that they are only strengthening her with their activities."

"Why would anyone worship Slaanesh if she, he, it is so horrible?"

"But Slaanesh isn't horrible, Slaanesh is love, passion, pleasure, all good things in life. She alleviates pain and suffering. He brings riches and luxuries beyond imagination. Child, if you give yourself to Slaanesh now I can guarantee that you will never again know pain. After all, I was once mortal like you, but my lord deemed me worthy enough to reward me with this beautiful form you see before you now."

Nathaniel could of argued definitions of beauty with the creature, but he chose not to.

"And do you want to know what the best part is child, is that becoming a follower of Slaanesh is as easy as calling out her name and asking to serve her. Even with that collar suppressing your power, my master will give you his blessing. You have so much potential, we could use one like you. If you truly gain the favor of the Prince of Pleasure he might even aid in your escape as long as you further his goals."

"If he has so much power, than why won't you escape?"

"Why that is quite simple child, I choose not to. Do you really think that these arrogant cretins could keep me locked up in here forever? This cage might be built to hold one such as myself but as soon as they open that gate all bets are off. I choose to stay to offer the salvation of my lord to promising new talent such as yourself who have been taken to this dark place. Plus, I do love engaging in gladiatorial combat, I find it highly enjoyable and I am quite good at it. Not even their elite Wych's can kill me. In about an hour or so will be the greatest battle, will the entire cult will engage me in combat. Oh, I savor the chance to spill their blood and offer them up to my lord. So what say you boy, will you become a devotee of She Who Thirsts." She has a maniacal gleam in her eye as she finishes.

Nathaniel thinks for a little bit, but soon comes to the only rational response.

"No, you and the Dark Eldar are the same, depraved monsters. I will never give into your ways; even though the hour is dark the God-Emperor shines as a beacon for me even in this foul abyss." The Daemon shudders at the uttering of the God Emperor's name. Now irate, she verbally lashes back.

"Have it your way boy, but remember I now know of you, and when I return to the Warp my brothers and sisters will know of you as well. That collar cannot protect someone of your power level forever, when it fails I will come for you personally. No matter where you are at, from the darkest dungeon of Commorragh to the Imperial Palace itself, I will come for you. Then, instead of pleasure you will know nightmares beyond your darkest imaginations, willingly or not you will serve the Prince of Pleasure."

"I am already in the city of nightmares beyond my darkest imaginations. I may be young but even I can see that you are every bit as pitiful as the Dark Eldar. He who is on Terra watches over all of his children who have true faith."

The Daemon hisses at him and slinks over into the dark corner of her cell, staring at him with malice in her eyes. A chuckle comes from the cell with the Tau in it.

"For a young Guela you speak so well, I only wish that I still had faith like yours, but I lost mine a long time ago." Nathaniel walked over and looked at the scarred Tau who walked over to the bars.

"What is your name young one?"

"I am Nathaniel Clark, and what is yours?"

"I gave up my name a long time ago, now they call me the Scarred One."

Nathaniel couldn't help but agree with that description.

"I take it that I am not the first Tau you have met."

"No you aren't, when my homeworld was attacked a group of Tau gathered up some of the inhabitants, but left me and my sister behind for the Greater Good so that their ship could get away."

"Typical" the Tau says in a bitter tone.

"And the Archon who views me as his pet has a small group of Tau, led by an ethereal girl who blabbers on about the Greater Good. She seems nice and friendly but my instincts tell me to be wary of her."

"Trust your instincts boy, the ethereals cannot be trusted."

"But you are a Tau yourself, from what I have seen your people are absolutely loyal to them, why aren't you?"

"I came from a small world that was on the fringes of the Empire, not even a fully fledged Sept and far enough out of the way that reinforcements were impractical. One day our world was attacked by a Mairtan fleet, who sought to enslave us. A group of Dark Eldar came to our aid and helped us fight them off. When the invaders were gone, they named their price, either we give them all of our ethereals or the rest of the colonies inhabitants. We were not in any condition to resist, so in the name of the Greater Good, the ethereals got spared while the rest of us got taken to this dark place. I am the only survivor of that colony that I know of. All of the others were sold to other off, or have died in this arena. I fear that my end is near, but I tell you now boy and never forget, the Greater Good is a lie, the ethereals are not anyone's saviors. They are self serving manipulators who are obsessed with power and control. In this dark city my mind has finally been cleared, they control all other Tau and they don't even realize it. O'Shovah was right about the ethereals, he was right about everything." With that last statement the Tau sinks to the ground in despair. Archon Taelbeirt enters the room.

"Pet the games are about to resume, don't worry you will get to see your new friends in the arena today." With dread Nathaniel follows him out.

30 Minutes Later.

"Ladies and gentlemen, hellraisers of all ages, are you ready for the main events of the day." a garishly dressed Dark Eldar proclaims from the top of a podium opposite theirs. A loud cheer rises from the crowd while the Archon merely sips from his wine glass. Nathaniel gets the honor of holding the tray.

"Our first event of this session is a massed melee 40 human males, 40 human females, 20 Orks, and the skilled Wych's of this coliseum. I hope you enjoy the as our skilled ladies tear into these inferior beasts."

And so the battle begins, though it wasn't much of a battle. The humans were not warrior and were quickly torn apart by the Wych's or the monstrous beasts that popped out of the ground. The Orks put up a better fight, but soon turned to infighting and tore themselves apart, the crowd found this hilarious. In this carnage only one Wych had been injured, a cut on her shoulder, but to her it was nothing.

"Our next event is a betting event, bring out the challengers." The human children from earlier emerge onto the Coliseum floor, each with a number around their neck, 1-25. "Place your bets on who will last the longest ladies and gentlemen."

"My lord would you like to make a bet?" One of his warriors asks.

"No Saybor, I am content just to watch."

The bets and made and the children scatter across the stadium as a pulse of energy breaks them apart. I translucent dome separates them from the audience as swarms of grayish scorpions emerge. When they reach the first child and sting him he slowly and painfully turns to stone. This goes on for about thirty minutes and number 4, an older boy is the last one turned to stone. A smoke chases the scorpions back into their holes.

"Wasn't that fun folks, the winner's can collect their earnings out front at the end of the events. The statues will also be up for sale once the events are finished. Up next is something very special, our resident Tau, formerly a fearsome fire warrior commander he now fights for your amusement. Let us give a big cheer for Commander Goldenflame, or as he prefers now, Ember." The Tau from earlier takes to the field with a strange gun in hand, he stares up and Nathaniel and nods in his direction. Succubus Bourdan takes the field opposite of him, armed only with her two knives. "Now we like to keep things interesting, if he can kill our Succubus, he is free to go. If not, well you'll see."

Ember puts up a good effort, firing rapidly at her and with great skill, but the Succubus is just too fast and decapitates him. The crowd goes wild at this. "What an expert kill by Succubus Bourdan, truly inspirational."

The final event was a showdown between the entire Wych Cult and the serpent. The Wych's swarm her, and even with her fearsome six scimitars and stinger on the end of her tail, she was only able to take out five of them. The crowd turns jubilant once more as Succubus Bourdan delivers the killing blow. Before the Daemon is banished back to her home she looks at Nathaniel and gives him a big malicious grin.

"Well pet, this was fun but se have a few more places to visit. Wait till you meet my Haemonculi friends. Hopefully I can get them to come raiding with me."

Nathaniel could not understand how things could get any worse after the spectacles he had just seen. What was to come would only prove how ignorant he was.


	8. Chapter 8 Dark Revelations

_**(Sorry for the wait, things have been quite hectic for the past week. Looking back at my earlier writings chapters I am taking stock of my grammatical errors. The last one certainly was rife with minor oversights on my part. In the rush to finish a chapter I overlook what I should read over and edit. Overall I believe the story is coherent enough to understand and enjoy, though I will strive to fix my grammar in the future. Originally I was only going to have this be about Nathaniel's time in Commorragh, but so many ideas have come into my head I intend to stretch things out. Thank you all for reading and I certainly hope that you are enjoying the story. (Insert generic Warhammer 40k Disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**During my time in Commorragh, no location frightened me more than the Haemonculi coven known as the Children of Transcendence. During my time wandering the stars first as an Acolyte to Inquisitor Wei after my escape, and my own time as an Inquisitor I have seen many things. Some marvelous and beautiful, others grotesque and horrific, but nothing could match the abominations the Haemonculi cooked up. The Kabalites and Wych's seemed like downright decent people compared to the Coven. I would sooner travel unprotected through the Warp than set foot in that dark abyss ever again. In that vile pit, I learned a terrible truth that I will publicly deny till this day. Deep down I know it is true but its implications are too terrible for me to comprehend. **

Nathaniel sat on the ship as his master finished his business. It was strange to think of this depraved xenos as his master. However, if he wanted to live to see another day he had to go along with the flow. The Archon got on the craft and pulled up one of the child statues, a young girl about Nathaniel's age with her face permanently petrified in horror.

"Isn't it lovely Mon-keigh, I intend to put it in my garden. Grachinids truly are marvelous creatures. Do you know that this girl's soul is still trapped inside this statue, she is perfectly aware of her surroundings but there is nothing she can do about it. I am sure she will make an excellent decoration and conversation piece." Archon Taelbeirt straps her down as the ship starts moving again.

"Master, if you don't mind me asking, why does that stadium have an image of Slaanesh devouring your gods?"

The Archon's face turns very dour as he kicks Nathaniel in the gut.

"You will not use that name in my presence, or in the presence of any Dark Eldar. The name of She Who Thirsts is not something you should invoke lightly. I take it that Daemon told you the story of my people did she. Well, let me explain this to you, we keep images like that around to remind us that even the mighty can fall and that only the cunning survive. Our ancestors survived her birth through a combination of cunning, willpower, and sheer luck, three things my people cherish." The Archon's face lightens up as he finishes. "However since you are an ignorant beast you can't be expected to know better, so I will let you off with this warning. Mention that name in my presence again and you will wish you were made out of stone." He says this with a big malevolent grin on his face.

"Master, we are almost to the entrance." Says the pilot of the ship.

"Ah, excellent Habra, park the craft and stay here, my pet and I will go in there alone."

The warriors look apprehensive at this.

"Don't worry; the Children of Transcendence would not harm me while I visit them as an honored guest. That would be bad for business."

They walked down into a dark alley, not far from their ship. In the alley was a simple hatch with a fanged smiling face on it. The hatch had Dark Eldar writing around it. Archon Taelbeirt decided to enlighten his pet about the writing.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. What a lovely phrase, I am not sure where Galbeert got it from but it describes the Coven perfectly."

"Master, why are there no guards?"

"My good pet, only the truly desperate or the truly stupid would invade a Haemonculi Coven uninvited."

The Archon lifts up the hatch and they both descend down a ladder into the tunnels below. They were in a small damp cavern, with several benches scattered about and a door in the shape of a monstrous multi limbed creature with a bestial face. The door opened up and two strange Dark Eldar girls emerged. One appeared to have reptilian features while the other had feline features.

"Ah, I see that Galbeert's gene splicing experiments went well. Nena and Mena was it, could you take me to your father, I have some business to discuss with him."

"This way Archon Taelbeirt," the girls said in creepy monotone unison, "our father has been expecting you."

They enter through the doorway and the first thing Nathaniel sees is that the walls and ceiling are made up of the bodies of various species all fused together. Their mouths have been sealed shut but they are still alive, struggling and jerking about. Nathaniel also see's several grotesque Dark Eldar walking about, shoving needles into the stomachs of the unfortunates and injecting them with a strange purple liquid. They come to a door and they are let in by the twins. The room is filled with wires, keyboards, glowing screens with strange writing, charts, and DNA strands on them. The back of a large and ornate chair is facing the door. It swirls around and Nathaniel comes face to face with the strangest Dark Eldar he has ever seen. He is a hunched over figure, and almost skeletal. He wears a black lab coat and a loincloth, nothing else. He appears to have various varieties of skin stitched onto his body. On his head instead of hair he has several metal spiked sticking out. His long pointy ears are heavily pierced with several pieces missing. Perhaps his most disturbing feature is his face; it has an extremely sharp and tight appearance, no nose, and one green eye and one blue eye. When he opens his mouth Nathaniel could see rows of razor sharp teeth, what is it with evil beings and razor sharp teeth he thought.

"Taelbeirt, my old friend, so good to see you again, and how is darling Nemorah doing. I have heard that you are moving up in the world, especially after your last raid." He says in a raspy and harsh voice.

"Nemorah is doing well, and as far as the Kabal is concerned we are doing quite well. In fact, it is the rising influence of my Kabal that brings me here today. A strong Kabal needs a strong Haemonculi coven, and I am sure that both of our organizations will benefit from an actual long term strategic alliance."

"Later Taelbeirt, who is that delectable looking Mon-keigh child you have with you, a pet or a gift?"

"This is a pet I acquired in my last raid, he sparked my interest. I hope to breed him when he's a little bit older but right now I am content to use him for menial labor and entertainment."

Nathaniel got really tense when he heard that Archon Taelbeirt wanted to breed him. The Archon apparently viewed him as the equivalent of a dog, though the leash should have been a dead giveaway.

"Speaking of breeding, I have discovered something quite interesting from my study of genetic codes, why don't you take a look?"

"Well you are the leading Dark Eldar expert on genetics, so I am sure that this will be quite interesting. Excellent work on your daughters by the way, truly you are an artist."

"Oh yes, I had such a hassle telling them apart that I spliced Sslyth DNA for Mena and Nataran DNA for Nena, or was it the other way around? Anyway come look at this, it will blow your mind"

Nathaniel could see three strange spiraling shapes with bars connecting them. They all appeared to be identical.

"These are DNA samples I have taken from Mon-keigh, Eldar, and Tau. They match up perfectly."

For once the Archon looked flabbergasted. "How can this be, I know that Mon-keigh and Eldar share some genetic similarities otherwise we wouldn't be able to interbreed. But the only reason we have genetic similarities is due to the Old Ones. Now you're telling me that the Tau have the some of the same genetics as we do."

"Precisely, it would explain so much, especially concerning the rapid development of the Tau. At least one Old One is still alive and meddling with intergalactic genetics. Not to mention the possibility of interbreeding, though I am not sure if all Old One creations can do this."

"Wait, I thought you guys were created by your God's." Once again Nathaniel forgets to keep his mouth shut, though neither Dark Eldar seems that upset.

"Plaything, my people were adopted by the Eldar Gods, but we were made by the Old Ones, just as you humans were made by the Old Ones. I must say that they really did drop the ball with you, such a pathetic and weak species."

"Blasphemy, we humans were made in the image of the God-Emperor, no xenos had any part in our creation." Nathaniel answers back.

"Poor stupid Mon-keigh, too deluded to realize the truth. Your race is nothing more than an afterthought, a side project."

"Back to the issue at hand, the Old Ones are still alive and are still meddling. If only I could meet one and get him to share his secrets with me." Galbeert says this with a creepy look on his face.

"Do you really think this Old One would share anything with you?" Taelbeirt chuckles

"I suppose not, but it wouldn't hurt to try."

"But how are you so sure it is an Old One who is doing this manipulation. This could just be a fluke."

Galbeert smiles as he pushes a button on his keyboard, more genetic codes pop up. "Here we have the genetic codes of Ork, Tarellians, Slann, and several others. They all contain the same genetic code; it's like the Old One's calling card."

"Truly fascinating, now can we start discussing the reason I came here today?"

Galbeert, completely oblivious continues on as he brings up another genetic code. "And here is another interesting piece of information, read the caption for that genetic code."

A dark look comes upon Taelbeirt's face. "Tyranids, the Tyranids share aspects of our genetic code? But of course they do, they have been assimilating the DNA of those they devour for awhile now."

"This sample came from a Tyranid hive fleet that had not yet reached our galaxy. I obtained it at great personal risk to me and my Coven. The Tyranids had the Old One's genetic calling card before they ever entered our galaxy."

"All very fascinating but can we please get back to the reason I came here."

"Oh very well, walk with me so that I can show you some of my latest creations while we talk."

They entered a room full of screams; there were so many horrific devices that Nathaniel could not keep track of them all. Two humans, a male and a female, apparently had their heads both grafted onto a Tau body, they were now disoriented and confused while the Dark Eldar responsible chuckles. A Tau was slowly being disintegrated one centimeter at a time, starting with his hooves. An Ork was being slowly lowered into a giant meat grinder and turned into sausage. A large group of humans had apparently been grafted together into a giant mass of arms, legs, and heads, a group of Haemonculi was now pushing that mass out of the room. Mena and Nena were standing next to each other pumping levers. Two human women were slowly being pumped full of air by a metal long tube sticking into their bellies. It didn't take a genius to realize that the two girls were trying to get their woman to blow up before the other one, like some type of sick game.

"This is my experimental room, where I try out new methods of torture and other miscellaneous experiments. We will pass through my bestiary and then into my armory where we will discuss business."

"Galbeert, you certainly do love to show off."

"I am an artist my good Taelbeirt, what good is an artist if he can't show off his masterpieces. Not to mention that for the right price some of these devices and creatures could be yours to use."

There weren't too many creatures in the bestiary, apparently today was "check up" day. The bestiary was basically a catwalk suspended over an array of cells. In one cell was a group of what appeared to be humans, though they seemed to be bulking up and were getting more bestial. Another cell held a pack of giant, vicious, and spike covered wolves. A giant poison covered centipede stared at him with a hungry look in his eye. In the last cell before they left a bestiary Nathaniel say a strange yet beautiful multi colored humanoid female alien. She looked up at him, smiled, and then lunged at him with razor sharp teeth and long claws. Fortunately there was a force field on top of the cells. They finally entered what Nathaniel assumed to be the weapon room. The walls were covered with strange guns and blades, though a strange looking mirror caught his eye. He walked over at it and stared at his reflection. He looked the same except for his slave outfit and new scars. As he stares at it the reflection reaches out and tries to grab him, but the Archon pulls him away.

"Careful pet, I wouldn't want to lose you to an accident. Galbeert this is certainly a strange Shattershard device you have."

"It isn't a Shattershard, though the idea is similar. It is a device of my own making. The reflection in the mirror will drag the victim into it. The mirror is in fact a gateway to an alternate dimension where the victim will stay for all eternity. It's how I got rid of Mena and Nena's mother, oddly enough. Oh, and on that wall is my Regressor." He points to a large bulbous purple gun on the wall. "It can devolve any species back to a more primitive state. It's quite fun seeing just how primitive these lesser species can become."

"Now Galbeert, will your Coven ally with my Kabal."

"Taelbeirt, you and I have known each other for a long time. We grew up on the streets together as orphans. I was weak and sickly, yet you saw my potential and took care of me. Of course I will join with your Kabal."

"Oh, and here I was ready to go into a whole speech about increased funding and test subjects. Why didn't you just tell me from the start?"

"I wanted to get you back here to this private area as soon as I saw your pet. If we had stayed in my analysis room you would have left immediately. Taelbeirt, why are you treating a dangerous untrained Mon-keigh psyker like a house pet? Are you out of your mind?"

"How did you know he was a psyker?"

"One, I am the one who designed and built that collar. Two, my eyes see many things and that collar was not designed for long term suppression of a psyker of his potential. That boy is a danger to himself and those around him."

"I have everything under control, and you exaggerate about the boy's power, he's nothing special."

"I warn you now, my friend, if you don't dispose of him you will come to regret it later on."

Nathaniel's mind was whirling, just how powerful was he?

"And I tell you this, my friend, I know what I am doing." Archon Taelbeirt was quite agitated right now.

"Very well, I have said my piece but I do hope that you aren't around when his collar finally breaks."

"Now old friend, why don't we celebrate the official union of our two organizations?" The archon tries to lighten the mood.

Galbeert smiles at this "You have always been one who loves a good celebration."

Their idea of celebration however was to throw through a human, Eldar, and Tau female into an ever shrinking arena and take bets on who would be the last one standing. The human female won while the Tau and Eldar got disintegrated. Only the strange stone the Eldar had on her forehead was left, and once they retrieved it they broke it with a hammer to much applause from the Coven. Nathaniel did not understand at this time the significance of breaking an Eldar's spirit stone. Later, as they left the Coven, Nathaniel had a few questions.

"Master, were you really an orphan and am I really a danger?"

Archon Taelbeirt gains an almost genuine tenderness. "Galbeert and I were both children of Dracons from a once powerful Kabal. It was destroyed years ago and we barely escaped with our hides intact. True loyalty is rare amongst my people, child, but I would trust Galbeert with my life. He has also always been overly cautious, which is why he waited so long to make our alliance official. I know that you view me and my kind as monsters, but even monsters have feelings young one. Now come, we have one last stop to make, the slave port. Who knows, I might find a potential Mon-keigh bitchto breed you with once you get older."

That last sentence destroyed any amount of sympathy Nathaniel was developing for the Archon.


	9. Chapter 9 Divine Human Form

_**(Things are progressing at a nice pace now, with this little three chapter mini-arc coming to an end, I would enjoy any feedback you might have for me. I strive to make my stories as entertaining as possible, and it never hurts to get an outsiders perspective. In this chapter, I intend to show humans in the Dark Eldar slave market with a heritage outside of Europe/North America, with the exception of a Fenrisian. This is meant to display the true cultural diversity of the Imperium of Man. Also, no matter the physical or cultural differences, all human life is equally worthless to the Dark Eldar. As a reminder, these chapters are dealing with Dark Eldar at their most depraved hence the M rating. I do my best to keep things tasteful, yet I also want to make sure that their actions are seen as the horrible and depraved acts that they are to instill a proper level of grimdarkness to what is easily the most evil faction in the universe. If you think I go too far in this, please tell me. If some of you think I haven't gone far enough, I am willing to hear you out. (Insert Generic Warhammer 40k disclaimer.))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**After enduring the visceral terror of the Coliseum, and the mind numbing horror of the Haemonculi Coven, I didn't know how much more I could take. The slave auction, while not as intense as the other two, still churned my stomach but in another way. I have always been raised to view the human form as something divine. Nothing degrades the divine human form more, than a two for one deal. On a plus note I got to see the many variations of the divine human form that day.**

The Archon, Nathaniel, and the warriors were walking over to The Pit of Despair auction house. Archon Taelbeirt was rambling on about his past exploits. Being in love with your own voice must have been mandatory for being an Archon.

"It was in this auction house that I set down the path to Archonhood. Yes, this is a building where the hopes and dreams of young Dark Eldar seeking to make a name for themselves come to life."

Right as he finishes up a screaming human child is being carried out by what Nathaniel could safely assume was another Haemonculi. He kept screaming for his mother so much that the Haemonculi stuck a needle in his neck and had him go limp, a building of hopes and dreams indeed. They entered what appeared to be a large theater, and were immediately greeted by the staff. One of the employees lead Archon Taelbeirt and his entourage immediately to a private box reserved for Commorragh's elite. Looking over the balcony of the box, Nathaniel could see rows and rows filled with Dark Eldar from all walks of life. He would soon learn that even those who couldn't afford to buy slaves loved coming to slave auctions for the festive environment. Walking through the aisles were a group of chained slaves selling various food and drink items to the patrons. A hush falls over the crowd as the light dims, and another garishly dressed Dark Eldar takes the stage. He is wearing a fancy purple and gold suit with a large feathered hat holding a circular device up to his mouth.

"Good afternoon Commorragh, I am your host this afternoon, Slavemaster Toren. We got a wide selection for you today from the many scattered worlds of the Imperium. An exotic display of Mon-keigh that you normally don't get to see generously brought to you by the Darkstar Raiders, a young and skilled group who are looking for employment from a large Kabal. Who knows, maybe some in this crowd tonight will be interested in contracting them."

All eyes turn up toward Archon Taelbeirt, you can tell by the smug look on his face that he loves the attention. He sips his wine with one hand and waves to the crowd with the other.

"Our first acquisition for today is a rare royal treat. On his home planet of Rumaliza he was a prince, now he has been humbled and brought to you in chains. May I present to you, the Prince of Rumaliza."

A tall and athletic black skinned man with large facial features and a bald head is brought to the stage. He is wearing what appears to Nathaniel to be a long ornamental purple and gold skirt with the hide of a large cat draped over his shoulders. He has golden armbands and a circlet of gold around his head. Despite his situation he stares out in defiance and dignity at the assembled Dark Eldar.

"We shall start the bidding at 500 Commors."

And thus the bidding began in earnest.

"600 Commors"

"700 Commors"

"800 Commors"

"10,000 Commors" Shouts Archon Taelbeirt at the top of his lungs. Everyone looks at him in shock with the exception of the Slavemaster and Raiders who have smiles on their faces.

"10,000 Commors from Archon Taelbeirt, a long time associate of our fine institution. In fact, he started out in the same situation that the Darkstar Raiders are in now. As per protocol all financial dealings will be dealt with after the auction." Slavemaster Toren proclaims to the crowd.

The Prince is taken off the stage while they get ready to bring the next acquisition unto the stage.

"Here we have a real cutie for you folks, hailing from the planet Tian." A young girl about Nathaniel's age is brought unto the stage. She has long black hair tied up in a bun, and brown thin and narrow almond shaped eyes. To Nathaniel, she appears to be wearing a long silky red robe/dress with large billowy sleeves. She gives the Slavemaster a dirty look as he drags her forward. "Yes she is young now, but that only means you have more time to train her as you see fit. The women of her world are renowned for their docility and good manners." Right as he says this she elbows him in the crotch and sends him to the ground. He kicks her viciously while he gets back up. "It seems that she has some fire in her. There is more to this girls back-story, would you believe her mother is an Imperial Inquisitor?" Everyone in the audience lets out a loud hiss.

"That's right folks; the Darkstar Raiders had the audacity and daring to steal an Inquisitor's daughter. While her mother was away on a private matter, the home was still heavily fortified and watched over by inquisitorial agents. Such a prize deserves a high price, wouldn't you agree? After all, what is a prince in comparison to the daughter of the hated Inquisitor Wei? Let us start the bidding at 1000 Commors."

"50,000 Commors, and a ten year contract with the Darkstar Raiders." Archon Taelbeirt blurts out.

The Slavemaster looks awestruck while the Darkstar Raiders begin to smile when they realize what has happened.

"Is my offer not acceptable?" The Archon asks the Slavemaster and raiders.

"Indeed it is, mighty Archon, on behalf of my Darkstar Raiders I want to thank you for your patronage." Says the leader of the Raiders, a tough and scarred young Dark Eldar male.

The auction continued though the Archon made no more purchases. From the planet of Tallarn came a olive skinned man wearing a turban and a long white robe. From the planet of Kali came a tanned skinned woman dressed in pinks and greens. A large blond haired and blue eyed fisherman from Fenris made quite a stir when he tried to escape. There were even more exotic examples of humans and abhumans, such as a group of irate Ratlings. After them was a woman with pale white hair and blood red eyes from the planet of Animus. This was followed by an Ogryn who had no idea where he was at. Nathaniel lost track of the many different humans and abhumans they brought forward, though a Squat did cause quite a stir.

Eventually the auction came to an end, Nathaniel waited at the ship while the two new slaves were brought over to join him. The Archon was handling his negotiations with the Darkstar Raiders Despite the gloomy situation, it couldn't hurt to make small talk.

"So, what are your names?" Nathaniel asks trying to start a conversation.

"You can just call me Rubanza, and I am not a prince, just the son of the planetary governor."

"My name is Wei Chun, what is your name?"

"Well Wei, my name is Nathaniel Clark."

"No, Chun is my name, Wei is my family name."

"Why would you introduce yourself backwards?"

"It is not backwards, amongst my people the family name comes first."

"Really, well like my granny always said, you learn something new every day. So what are your planets like? This may seem odd but I am interested in knowing. My Mantanya was a beautiful world filled with mountains, valleys, and a lot of lakes. We were an agri world focused on raising real long horn cattle, not the substandard Grox they raise on other worlds."

Rubanza smiles as he begins. "My world was a harsh but beautiful world covered in savannahs and jungles. It has the strange distinction of being a paradise/death world. Rich Imperial officials go there for safaris, but we make sure to keep them away from the areas where the really dangerous creatures live. In fact, it was the wealth from those rich officials that allowed my father to send me to a private school on a neighboring world for Imperial nobility. These raiders got me after I had graduated with high marks in literature, administration and theology. The last message I received from my father was that he had prepared a feast in my honor. I even dressed myself up for the ceremonial occasion" Rubanza has a very sad look on his face as he finishes.

"Tian had a wide variety of climates, though the region I grew up in was also mountainous, but filled with rice patties instead of cattle." Chun begins. "While it was classified as a feudal world we had a high production rate of rice, silk, tea, and jade. The trading of these items make sure that the bureaucrats who rule my planet are very rich. My mother often rants against the corrupt and greedy bureaucrats, but even as an Inquisitor there isn't much she can do. As long as the planet pays its tithes, practices an acceptable variation of the Imperial Cult, and keeps the mutant and psyker population under control, the bureaucrats stay in power." She has a very bitter tone as she finishes. "I know I probably shouldn't get my hopes up, but I do believe that my mother will find a way to rescue from this place."

Nathaniel didn't feel like shattering her hopes right now, a part of him also hoped that he would be rescued.

"What is this man who has purchased us like, Nathaniel?" Rubanza asks

"Let's see, he is erratic, flamboyant, psychotic, and prone to wild mood swings. He can have moments of genuine kindness, followed by terrifying bouts of torture. He views all of his slaves as pets and playthings that don't know any better, and he has a creepy obsession with breeding us. Though when all is said and done it's Yulnera you should look out for. She will not hesitate to throw you at the Archon's mercies in order to cover up her own mistakes. Also Nemorah, the Archon's second in command and lover. You might be able to get something past Taelbeirt, but you won't be able to slip anything by Nemorah."

"Yulnera, that is in no way a human name is it?" Chun inquires.

"You are correct; she is an Eldar of the non torture variety, just the arrogant self serving variety."

"So she is a Craftworld Eldar, what Craftworld does she come from?"

"I don't know, you can ask her when we get there, once their done branding and processing you."

"What?" Both ask at the same time.

One trip to the processing plant later, the two new slaves emerge in their appropriate attire, with Chun's hair being cut short.

"Now we must do the branding, pet will you fetch me my branding iron?" The Archon asks Nathaniel. So Nathaniel brings it over and he warms it up. "Now you may fear a strong burning sensation, this is normal and you should learn to accept it. Believe me the pain I can inflict is nothing compared to this."

He first brands Rubanza who doesn't even flinch as the hot iron is pressed into his skin. Chun doesn't fair nearly as well, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Later at they enter the slave quarters at the compound, Sarah and Sister Ortega come walking up to them. Sarah seems to have a new cut running across her forehead. Before Nathaniel even gets a chance to ask Sarah explains.

"Nemorah told me I was slacking off earlier while mopping the floors, so she gave me this little reminder to stay efficient with my work. Who are your friends Nathaniel?"

Nathaniel introduces them to his Sarah and Sister Ortega as they head further into the general living area for slaves. The Tau are in their own corner, listening to Aun'sal go on another rant about the greater good. The other humans were clustered together playing a card game, Sister Ortega gave them a disapproving look. And finally Yulnera enters the room from and looks with contempt upon the new arrivals.

"Just what we needed, more Mon-keigh, we might as well label this building the primate house. Well, welcome to hell my name is Yulnera and I am the head slave here. Do as your told, bow your heads to any Dark Eldar you meet, do not address them until you are addressed, and always refer to them as Master or Mistress. However" she looks with scorn at Nathaniel "if you get the privilege of being the Archon's favorite pet, I guess you can get away with a little more than what is permissible. Now if you don't mind me I have a private meeting with Nemorah" With that she leaves the room.

"So tell me Nathaniel, what did you see in the city of Commorragh today?" His sister asks him.

"Sarah, I have seen some truly horrific sights today, the only thing that is keeping me from completely losing it is the knowledge that things could get very worse. To our horror, the dark fairytales grandma told us while she was still alive are true, and now were living through them first hand."

"I was afraid of that."

"Children, have faith that the God Emperor will be with you every step of the way." Sister Ortega tries to cheer them up.

"You can always find solace in service to the Greater Good my friends." Aun'sal chimes in.

"Silence xenos filth, before I silence you myself. You will not speak your foul lies in my presence in your depraved attempt to corrupt the young minds of these children."

Nathaniel can't help but smile a little at this argument. As long as he had his Sarah, Sister Ortega, and his new friends, he would be able to endure anything. For the first time since he got here he began to have feelings of hope.

Nathaniel stops his memories to converse with Melissa.

"It's only going to get worse, isn't it master."

"Unbelievably so young one, I learned a long time ago that hope is wasted on what is hopeless."

"By the way, that girl's mother, she isn't the same Inquisitor Wei who trained you is she?"

"The very same, but we will get to that in a little while, right now we have a few more memories to finish up in Commorragh."


	10. Chapter 10 Week of Sorrows

_**(Chapter 10, I am on a roll. (Generic Warhammer 40k Disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**My first five years in Commorragh weren't completely terrible. I had made a few friends and we looked out for each other. One of the most influential people for me during this time was Sister Ortega, a credit to the Adeptus Sororitas and a true believer in the God-Emperor. She saw to the spiritual well being of those who would listen to her, and made sure that we would not heed the temptations of the Xenos. I do not know what she did exactly to incur the Archon's wrath, but whatever it was it would never warrant the punishment he inflicted upon her. I would also lose Rubanza and Chun during this time, with my sister being taken away by the Archon. During the dark years ahead of me, I would often look back with fondness upon the first five years of my stay. Even now I call that series of events the Week of Sorrows. **

Five years after the fall of Mantanya, a thirteen year old Nathaniel is working in his master's garden. He has really sprouted up with an unruly mass of hair and a scar covered body. He has just fully entered puberty, a fact that the other human slaves felt the need to inform him of, like he couldn't have figured it out on his own. The Archon said that while he had lost his puppylike cuteness, he was now shaping up to be a proper pet. Why did everything the Archon say have to sound so creepy? Nathaniel hated garden duty; it didn't help matters that the weed's pulled back. Fortunately the Venus Man-Eater had died not too long ago; apparently it got into the garden shed and swallowed the entire supply of weed killer. Yulnera was still sore after that beating, though Nathaniel still had no sympathy for her. Once Nathaniel was done with the weeding, he decided to head back to the slave quarters for some lunch, nutrient gruel and stale bread again. Right before he left the garden he caught sight of that stone girl statue the Archon purchased five years ago during Nathaniel's first, yet sadly not last, trip through Commorragh. That statue always gave Nathaniel the creeps; it didn't help matters that in the past year he had begun hearing a voice young girls voice in his head screaming for help every time he walked by it. A part of him believed it was coming from the statue, while another part of him said it was just his imagination and that if he wanted to stay alive he better get his imagination under control. As he made his way to the slave quarters, he saw a large commotion going on outside. Archon Taelbeirt was having a stare down with Sister Ortega. Sister Ortega's clothes were torn and she was covered in bloody cuts. Archon Taelbeirt was also bleeding, and apparently not too happy about it.

"You dare lash out against your master, Mon-keigh." The Archon snarls.

"My only master is the God-Emperor; I refuse to go through with this charade anymore. Do what you want but I will never serve you again, you foul depraved xenos." Sister Ortega lashes back.

"Let this punishment show that I will not tolerate such behavior from my pets. I strive to be tough, but fair, even generous at times, yet you beasts continue to show me disrespect. Let me make this clear to all of you, I own you all, your lives are governed by my whims. When I demand obedience, I expect obedience. When I tell you to denounce what you believe in, you denounce it."

"I will never denounce what I believe in, you vile xenos. A martyr's reward awaits us all who truly believe."

"Well I have some news for you, your corpse Emperor is just that, a corpse. However you won't be joining him in death even if he was a God." Archon Taelbeirt pulls out a cluster of orbs from inside his cloak. He throws them at Sister Ortega, and as they split apart and form a cage around her, strange glyphs cover the orbs while a strange pink and purple mist begins to fill the cage. Nathaniel gets a pounding headache as he watches with horror at the dark fate of Sister Ortega. First her feet burst out of her boots as a pair of pink and taloned daemonlike feet. "While my people do not have the resources or expertise to have you possessed by a daemonette, this nifty little device from by my friend Galbeert does something even better. Right now you are slowly being turned into a daemonette, mind, body, and soul. By the time the process is done you will have no smallest recollection of your past life, or of the Corpse-Emperor you once served with such devotion. Such things will become trivial to you as you become a beast of base desires." Sister Ortega's body begins to take on a pinkly sick hue. Underneath her cloths her body starts to rearrange itself as her figure expands. A large crawl takes the place of her left hand while the nails on her right hand sharpen into claws. Her hair becomes a mass of sickly purple tentacles, her eyes turn black, her teeth sharpen, and she her face takes on an inhuman beauty. Nathaniel's headache gets worse as the new daemonette lets out a piercing scream. "Nemorah, take this creature to the Coliseum of Enduring Pain. I have been informed that they just got in a new shipment of Adeptus Sororitas for their games; make sure they send this one against them.

"Yes my lord." Even Nemorah was shaken by what had transpired, the only one who didn't look horrified our ill was Archon Taelbeirt, who kept a sadistic smile on his face.

"I have come to the conclusion that I have been too lenient with all of you, so this next week I will be harder and stricter than ever. Those who fail to meet my standards will meet their own gruesome fate, it may not be nearly as daemonic as the fate of Sister Ortega, but you will rue the day you did not meet my expectations. Now, good luck to you all, the purge will begin first thing tomorrow.

Nathaniel had a bad feeling about this upcoming week.

Later that evening, Nathaniel and Chun are having a conversation in the slave quarters main room.

"Out of all of us you spend the most time with Archon Taelbeirt, just how serious do you think he is about cracking down?" Chun asks Nathaniel

"I don't know, you never know with him. One second he's mister nice guy the next he makes you wish you were never born. I don't think he's crazy; however, he is well aware of what he is doing. He likes to keep up on our toes, keeps us guessing, our confusion and frustration amuses him. But I have never seen him as angry as he was today. What he did to Sister Ortega, I just don't get it. She's gone, and even worse she's been turned into a daemon." Nathaniel is on the verge of tears thinking about the fate of the closest thing he had to a mother figure in this nightmarish hellhole.

"Calm yourself, what would Sister Ortega say if she saw you blubbering?"

"You know Yulnera tried to cheer me up earlier."

"Really?"

"Yes, she informed me that Sister Ortega's original mind is probably so far gone, that she doesn't even mind care about what she has become. That only made me feel worse."

"Don't expect Eldar of any variety to sympathetic to humans.

Sarah comes running in to inform them of some terrible news. "Rubanza's in trouble, the Archon demands that all slaves go to his throne room for a special demonstration.

Five minutes later, all of the slaves and Kabalites are gathered together in the throne room.

"All of you thought I was joking when I said I was cracking down, now I will show you just how serious I am. This man" he points to Rubanza, "was giving water to this man." He points to an older male human slave known only as Cassius. "Now, as many of you know I was punishing Cassius for his substandard mopping by denying him water for five days. Rubanza was caught giving him water, even though he was well aware of my standing order. Rubanza do you have any words in your defense?"

"When my fellow man is suffering, it is my duty to ease that suffering."

"How altruistic of you," Archon Taelbeirt says in a mocking tone, "but let's see if your fellow man agrees." He heads over to the Cassius and hands him a strange looking gun. "Now Cassius, I am willing to overlook this incident if you will"

Before Archon Taelbeirt can even finish, Cassius turned the weapon on Rubanza and fired. A shocked Rubanza looks on in horror as his body turns gray and fractured as it crumbles. As his body is crumbling the gun pulls Rubanza's soul out of his body and into a special container on the gun. All that is left of Rubanza's body is a pile of gray ash. The Archon takes the gun away, opens the container and swallows Rubanza's soul.

"Well, I was hoping you would let me finish, but since you did what I wanted, all of you can go." He waves them out while he heads for his chambers. As they are heading down the hallway, Nathaniel and Chun saw Nemorah and Yulnera go together into a side hallway, curiosity overtaking them, they follow. They move down the hallway until it splits apart, Nathaniel and Chun continue to hide in the main hallway while peering into the right hallway where Yulnera and Nemorah went down. The pair saw the two Eldar kissing each other and getting intimate with each other. They stop kissing for a bit and start talking.

"Don't worry my dear Yuli; I will make sure that you survive this week of purging."

"What if your mate finds out about us?"

"That bastard has a whole harem of lovers on the side, like that Succubus tart and Galbeert." Everyone present shivers at the thought of the psychotic monstrous Haemonculi. Why should he care if I have a lover of my own? But to be on the safe side, it is of utmost importance that we keep this a secret. He views the both of us as his property, and he would be very upset if he ever caught on to us. You know, I am amazed with you, every day you become less of a Craftworlder and more like a true resident of Commorragh. If you ever got rid of that silly spirit stone of yours, I might even be able to convince Taelbeirt that you have converted to our way of thinking."

"I cannot do that Nemorah, my spirit stone is who I am. I wouldn't mind becoming a true member of the Kabal but the spirit stone stays with me."

"Have it you way love."

Both Chun and Nathaniel begin to back off slowly and make their way toward the slave quarters. Right as they are about to enter the main hallway, Chun slips and falls to the ground with a loud thud. Nathaniel is out of sight in the main hallway but the two Eldar women get a good look at Chun. Nathaniel picks her up and they both run as quickly as possible to the slave building. Once inside they see everyone else has already gone to bed. They head to their own bunks and begin whispering to each other about what happened.

"They saw me, I am so dead."

"Calm yourself Chun, surely they won't do anything as long as you keep your mouth shut." They both hear footsteps coming down the hall so they both duck under their covers and pretend that they are asleep. Yulnera slowly walks over to Chun's bunk, and even though she is whispering, Nathaniel can hear every word.

"You know what they say little one, curiosity killed the monkey. If you so much as utter one syllable about what you saw, I will guarantee that you will meet a cruel and dark fate. Or perhaps, I should see to it that your boyfriend is punished instead."

Chun gasps while Nathaniel suppresses any sound that might have come from him. While he and Chun were close they were not boyfriend and girlfriend, at least he didn't think so. After all, he was too young to have a girlfriend.

"That's what I thought, remember little one, your fate and his rest in mine and Nemorah's hands." With that she walks off to her private quarters, and both Chun and Nathaniel go to sleep with a sickening knot in their stomachs.

The rest of the week was filled with all of the slaves being subjected to horrific punishments and deaths. The only ones left standing on the last day are Yulnera, Nathaniel, Chun, Sarah, and Aun'sal. The Archon calls them out for a special inquiry; apparently someone has been stealing food from his pantry.

"So now we are down to five, soon to be four or less. One of you has stolen food from my pantry. At first I thought it was Yulnera who actually has access to the pantry, but Nemorah has assured me of her innocence. Now it is one of you four, so which one of you did it?"

First he goes to Aun'sal. "I honestly don't see you having the courage to do this, your off the hook." Aun'sal lets out a sigh of relief.

Next he goes to Sarah. "Well plaything, you are developing nicely." At seventeen years old Sarah was maturing into a beautiful young woman, even with the scars. "I don't see you stealing from me, you are too proud for something like that, which leaves you two." He looks at Nathaniel and Chun, but heads over to Nathaniel.

Chun quickly steps forward and makes herself known. "I am the one who has been stealing from your pantry, Nathaniel is completely innocent." All present are shocked at this, and Nathaniel tries to gesture her to stop.

"That's quite bold of you little one, I admire your courage so this won't hurt too much." He snaps his fingers and a couple of warriors pull in a mirror. Nathaniel recognizes it as the same mirror that he saw in Galbeert's weapon room. They bring the mirror right up to Chun; everyone looks on in horror as her reflection reaches out and pulls her inside. In the mirror now they can see Chun banging on the glass and crying for help, even though they can't hear her. "Take this mirror to my trophy room; I think it will look lovely next to my stuffed Carnifex."

Later in the slave quarters, Yulnera, Nathaniel, Sarah, and Aun'sal are all sitting together. They are the only ones who survived.

"It's a good thing I had so many other Tau here with me, they all took the fall for my mistakes. It was all for the Greater Good of course."

Nathaniel and Sarah both give her a dirty look while Yulnera has smug satisfaction on her face.

"Once again not only do I survive but I come out on top." Right as she finishes Archon Taelbeirt walks into the room with an escort of Kabalites warriors. He points to Sarah and they swarm her, dragging her off.

"Be strong Nathaniel, never let them break you." She manages to yell this at her brother as she is dragged out of the room.

"Good news my loyal surviving slaves, the horrific incidents of this past week have reminded me that life is sadly so short and painful. So in order to help alleviate my pain I am taking the slave Sarah as a concubine. After she is finally and properly disciplined I am sure she will do her job well."

Nathaniel, on the verge of total collapse, rushes into the slave quarters and burrows his head his pillow. He starts to cry without shame or remorse, he would need to be strong in the times ahead but right now he just had to let it all out.

**Footnote **

**I may not understand why Sister Ortega was turned into a Daemon, Rubanza was devoured for his kindness, Chun took the fall for a crime she didn't commit to save me, or why my sister was taken from me like that. All I do know is that we live in a dark and cruel universe, and either you believe in the God-Emperor, or you kill yourself due to the crushing despair that will eventually overwhelm you. At least the Emperor gives me the comfort and support necessary to continue living.**


	11. Chapter 11 Tarhanena

_**(Thank you all for your dedicated interest in this story, as always I strive to make it as enjoyable and intriguing as possible. It's a short chapter today. (Generic Disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**I once believed that my sister was stronger than I could ever hope to be. In Commorragh, this was revealed to be false. I saw as my sister, once a proud, strong, and independent woman, was reduced to a spineless mewling slave girl. A part of me pities her fate, yet another part of me hates her for her weakness. If she had truly possessed a will of iron, she would have never lost herself the way she did. She should have fought and died rather than submit to Archon Taelbeirt as his personal bedroom toy. I have come to despise her for her weakness, which is only proper. I, on the other hand, came out of the Week of Sorrows with my resolve stronger than ever. My will and my spirit have been forged in the fires of adversity. Ironically, it was the city of Commorragh that began the process of turning me into a weapon for the Emperor. In a way, I should thank them for what they did to me; they gave me my iron will, quick wits, unbreakable spirit, and uncompromising hatred of all Xenos. I look forward to the day when I can show them my "gratitude".**

A few days had passed since Taelbeirt's purge, and Nathaniel had yet to see his sister again. As a reward for surviving, Nathaniel and Aun'sal have been promoted to slave overseers. Nathaniel oversees the new human slaves while Aun'sal gets the Tau. Yulnera is still the head slave who they directly report too. Nathaniel found it odd that even though he was 13 years old, he was overseeing slaves far older than him. Then again, all of them were recent captives so Nathaniel was definitely more experienced than them when it came to being a slave. Nathaniel even had a new addition to his outfit, a headband designating his overseer status with the Kabal's symbol; it was the Archon's idea. Nathaniel even got his own private room, a bit of glorified broom closet but he did get his own bed and dresser. It was during his break in his room that he got a visit from the Archon and his sister. The Archon had apparently used some cosmetic procedure on her, because all of her scars were gone and she now had flawless skin. Her brown hair had also been grown out, reaching down to her knees. She was dressed in a suggestive manner, wearing little more than a short skirt, a metal bikini, and a metal collar around her neck with a chain attached to the Archon's belt. She has a broken look on her face, clinging to the Archon's arm. If she wasn't his sister Nathaniel probably wouldn't have been able to recognize her.

"Hello pet, I believe you are acquainted with my new concubine. I have decided to rename her Tarhanena. A rough translation of the name basically means nimble in bed, I am sure you can guess on she got that name." Archon Taelbeirt lets out a hearty laugh, Sarah forces a chuckle, and Nathaniel is fighting the urge to punch the Archon in the face. "In all honesty your sister is definitely living up to my expectations. You should be proud of her; it is a slave's greatest honor to please their master after all. Anyway I am going to meeting with my allies; I don't see any reason why you two can't spend some time together." He hands Nathaniel Sarah's chain and heads off. They both sit down on Nathaniel's bed as an awkward silence follows.

"So apparently you're nimble in bed."

"Don't you dare judge me Nathaniel, you have no idea what he and his minions are capable of, the many ways he has to break someone. I did not want to end up like Sister Ortega, or Rubanza, or Chun. If you were in my position you would of submitted too."

"Weren't you the one who told me not to let them break me?"

"I was foolish, I see that now, neither one of us is leaving this city nor is the Emperor watching over us. We need to do what we can to survive Nathaniel; the only thing that matters is our survival. This is the city where a simple non soul devouring death is the best you can hope for. If I can please the Archon give him what he wants, then maybe I can die in a semi peaceful manner."

"So, that's it, you've given up hope, you just want to submit and hope for the best? I am sorry sister, but I can never give up hope like you. When I was younger I used to look up to you, now I see that I was mistaken. Get out of my room, you're not my sister Sarah, you're Tarhanena the Archon's bitch. You have no right to even call yourself human, you are below human, no self respecting human would lay with a xenos. You have become a subhuman whore, do you understand me, all of my family is dead to me." He is screaming at her by this point.

Sarah now in tears leaves the room while Nathaniel tries to pull himself together.

Later, Nathaniel is hanging out with Yulnera and Aun'sal, not his ideal company but there was no one left.

"So Nathaniel, I heard that you and your sister had a little spat." Yulnera has a grin on her face.

"My sister is dead Yulnera; I am all alone in this dark city." Nathaniel replies

"You still have us, don't we count for something?" Aun'sal asks

"Don't make me feel more depressed than I am Aun'sal."

"Why should you be depressed, you're still alive and now an overseer. If you ask me things are going well for you." Yulnera says

"You know, if you give yourself over to the Greater Good you will find true happiness and contentment."

"Shut up Aun'sal" both Yulnera and Nathaniel reply in unison.


	12. Chapter 12 Animal Husbandry

_**(This chapter is going to deal with one of the most vile acts any person can do to another. While the act itself will not be shown in keeping with my stance of keeping things tasteful, the actions leading up to it and the reactions afterwards should leave no doubt into what has occurred. This chapter is in no way glorifying or justifying the actions of those responsible, instead it is trying to create the absolute lowest point for Nathaniel in Commorragh, and just how far someone is willing to go for the Greater Good. (Warhammer 40K Disclaimer))**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**Many have questioned my adamant hatred of the Tau; even those who wish to see the Xenos destroyed believe that I have gone too far in my calls for their extermination. They do not understand, I not hate the Tau, I hate the Ethereals. I have seen the true nature of the Greater Good, and just how far the Ethereals are willing to go to further it. Abandoning colonists when they didn't have enough room to save them, understandable giving the situation. Trusting a man who wears a cape made up of the flesh of sentient's, they are obviously bad judges of character. Sacrificing the other castes so that the Ethereals may live and prosper, a bit callous and heartless but fairly common amongst the commanders of the Imperial Guard. No, it is the willingness of the Ethereals to lie, manipulate, and outright force others to do their bidding that has truly earned my disgust. The depths of depravity they will sink to in order to save their own hides, instead of dying with their principles intact. We Inquisitors do what we must to ensure the safety of the Imperium, but we never sugarcoat it and pretend that what we do is somehow noble. I am a monster, my fellow Inquisitor's are monsters. We have come to terms with this fact, there is no Greater Good, only what is necessary for survival. We take it upon ourselves to make the tough decisions that no one else will make. My apprentice has brought up the suggestion to me that our philosophy of "the ends justify the means" and "the Greater Good", are no different and that we Inquisitors are in fact hypocrites. I made sure to give her a good psychic beating for her insolence in this matter. The main difference between we Inquisitors and the Tau Ethereals is that we are fully informed of the nature of the universe, and only the most depraved radicals will completely compromise their principles. The Tau do not truly understand the horrors that await them yet they will happily sacrifice everyone else in the name of the Greater Good, as long as the Ethereals survive. Using the Greater Good they can easily cast aside all principles. I will never forget nor forgive what Aun'sal did to me. But what may be the most frustrating thing for me concerning her actions is that while she said that she regretted the necessity of what she did, she didn't mean them. After all, can there be any true regret when everything you do is for the Greater Good?**

Five more years have passed; Nathaniel is now eighteen years old, still heavily scarred with wild untamed hair. He has developed a lean and muscular figure and a face that would actually be quite handsome if he wasn't covered in scars. He oversees a new batch of human slaves cleaning up the tower, pilgrims who had no idea what hit them. Their constant cries to the Emperor for deliverance stirred Nathaniel's heart. Even during the ten years he has spent in Commorragh, he has not forgotten nor given up his belief in the Emperor. In fact, it could probably be said that it was his unflinching faith that has kept him sane in this madhouse. The pilgrims remind him of Sister Ortega, except they were whinier. Nathaniel doubted that most of them would keep their faith for long, few did in this abyss. The Archon's favored concubine Tarhanena walked by with two of her brood. Her eldest at four years, Hurkon, is hanging on tightly to his mother's hand. He bears a strong resemblance to Nathaniel's father, something that makes him sick to his stomach. The second eldest, a girl named Trillina is being nursed by her mother. At two years of age it probably should have ended but Tarhanena was a doting mother. Trillina bore a very strong resemblance to the Archon. Finally Tarhanena's bloated belly indicated that another was on the way, the Archon had to secure his legacy after all since Nemorah was apparently barren. Nathaniel guessed that being the child of an Archon handled any issues other might have with your parentage. Nathaniel and Tarhanena both give each other dirty looks and then turn away, after all Nathaniel has his duties to attend too. Right as he was about to instruct one husky pilgrim about the proper way to mop when Aun'sal appeared, she had a very apprehensive look on her face. Aun'sal had grown up as well, and developed in a manner that was decidedly feminine; Nathaniel couldn't help but admit that she had an exotic beauty to her. However, she was a Xenos and to lay with a Xenos is too forfeit your humanity, which is what happened to Tarhanena after all.

"Archon Taelbeirt would like to see us Nathaniel; he says that now is the time for him to breed us."

So the day Nathaniel had dreaded had come at last, Nathaniel began to wonder which of the female human slaves the Archon would breed him with, most were either too old or too young. They made their way to the Archon's chamber, where he was seated on his throne, the only other people in the room were his personal guard and the Haemonculi Galbeert.

"Good news my cherished pets, the time to breed you has come at last. After much deliberations and discussion with Galbeert, I have decided on the perfect match for you two, each other."

Nathaniel has a look of shock on his face, while Aun'sal manages a faint smile and an embarrassed blush. Nathaniel wanted to yell at her about how that was an inappropriate reaction, but his fury was now on the Archon.

"You can't be serious, you expect me to become physically intimate with a Xenos?"

"Your sister doesn't mind that she has become physically intimate with Xenos."

"My sister is dead, she died five years ago. Your favorite whore is not my sister."

The Archon seems very annoyed at this. "How dare you speak to me in such an impudent manner, if I hadn't invested so much in you I would dispose of you right now?" As he finishes it seems that the Archon has a sudden epiphany. "I get it, you are afraid that Mon-keigh and Tau are not compatible. There is no need for you to worry; Galbeert can not only confirm that you are compatible but that you can also produce viable offspring, an outcome that he and I both want."

"No, such an idea nauseates me to the core. I refuse to lay with a Xenos because she is a Xenos and to do so would make all of my claims to be human worthless."

"You will breed with her."

"No I will not."

"Please Nathaniel; it is for the Greater Good that you comply." Aun'sal tries to intercede in order to shut down the escalating tempers.

"Do you Tau have no pride, you have developed a caste system for your society yet you would throw it away to save your own hide."

"The Greater Good demands that I survive."

"To the Warp with your Greater Good."

"MON-KEIGH," the Archon screams, "I will give you a day to reconsider, if you have not lain with Aun'sal during that time you will both suffer such a terrible fate that you will envy what became of Sister Ortega."

"Do your worst, Master Taelbeirt." Nathaniel finishes in a defiant tone as he leaves the room.

Two hours later, Nathaniel hears a knock on his door. In comes Aun'sal holding two glasses of juice.

"Go away Aun'sal, I am not in a good mood."

"You were never this mean when you first came here."

"Ten years in Commorragh will change a man."

"I am sorry Nathaniel, I should of supported you back there. Under normal circumstances the idea of lying with a Guela would be unthinkable for an Ethereal; I just wish that I had your strength."

Nathaniel, feeling kind of bad now, tries to cheer her up. "You are strong Aun'sal; you just need to stand your ground. Listen, if we move in solidarity and refuse together, then the Archon won't be able to do anything to us. He likes both of us too much, he might punish us but it will only be temporary"

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so, can you give me one of those juices, I'm thirsty."

She hands him a glass and he chugs it all down in one gulp. At first he feels fine but soon a tingling sensation begins to engulf him, and he collapses on the bed as paralysis takes over. Aun'sal positions him in such a way that he is lying perfectly on his back as he loses control of his body.

"Fascinating drug, isn't it Guela, the Archon gave it to me to use on you. It stimulates all the nerves in a person's body while at the same time paralyzing them. I do regret that your foolish stubborn pride has forced me down this route, but you left me no choice. The Greater Good demands that I survive. The Archon has promised me that if I become successfully pregnant and give birth to hybrid child, than the child and I will be free to go. I might be able to convince him to hand you over to my custody when I am returned to the Tau Empire. All you need to do is denounce your Imperium, and confess your love for me. I do have feelings and care for you Guela, all I ask is that you return them."

Nathaniel manages to retort back, "You do not force yourself on something you love. What you have is a warped lust for me, a Xenos like yourself could never understand what love truly is. I will never join your Empire and I will never love you." His mouth is overwhelmed by the tingling paralysis as he finishes, staring up at her defiantly.

"Have it your way Guela, you may have rebuffed my love but I will show the Archon that Guela and Tau can interbreed."

Three hours later the deed has been done, the drug has worn off, and Nathaniel has just come out of a lengthy shower. The Archon is waiting for him.

"Plaything, no matter how hard you try, I will get what I want. The decision is yours whether or not you give it to me willingly or if I have to obtain it by force."

Nathaniel pushes past him and heads to his room. He falls to his knees in tears. "Emperor please forgive me, I could not see through that witch's lies. I did not lay with a Xenos by choice, you understand, don't you Emperor. This war forced upon me, I didn't have any choice, I foolishly trusted that Xenos girl, Emperor please forgive me."

This went on for the rest of the night.

Melissa has a shocked look on her face as she glances over at his master, who is holding his head in shame.

"She really did it, didn't she?"

"Yes she did, to this day there is no phrase more hateful to my ears than "the Greater Good". She did get pregnant, and the Archon kept his word. To this day I fear that my half-breed child will be discovered by the Imperium at large. I trust that you will never reveal this to anyone?"

"Of course not master."

"You are a good apprentice Melissa, a bit naïve but this is what these memories are for. Remember this and never forget what the Tau will do for the Greater Good."

**Journal Annotation**

**To this day, I still pray that the Emperor will forgive me for what happened, and that when I die he will not reject me from his presence. I should have seen through the deception of the Xenos. Though, the Emperor is more merciful than I am, if I can track Aun'sal and the hybrid down and dispose of them, I may finally be forgiven.**

**The Emperor Protects**


	13. Chapter 13 The Price of Betrayal

_**(That last chapter was bit of a whammy wasn't it, but soon we will be leaving Commorragh and Nathaniel will be entering his apprenticeship with Inquisitor Wei. But first Nathaniel will have one last hardship he will have to face and overcome. This is another short chapter, and it will be up to a week before I finish the next one, with my senior year in college starting. Once again I welcome all reviews and advice you might have. In the grimdarkness of the far future, I own nothing except my original characters and ideas; everything else belongs to Games Workshop.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**Archon Taelbeirt described by hybrid child as being a fusion of human and Tau features, she had five fingers but kept the hooves. She had no nose but there was a bump on her face where a nose should be. She had my eyes and a clump of brown human hair. The Archon let the child and her mother go, keeping his word for once. However, any feelings I may have had about the child were lost in the chaos of the days following the child's birth. Nemorah had attempted a coup with Yulnera by her side, it failed miserably. And thus we found ourselves hovering over a strange and terrifying world, where the Archon would exile them. **

Nathaniel found himself on a large barge hovering over the ground of a world that would give Commorragh a run for its money in horror. Below Nathaniel could see swarms of Daemonettes and other creatures with pink and purple color schemes.

"Plaything, this world is called Moutaia; it was a world that was never conquered by the Imperium of man. It was a matriarchal society that allowed a cult of She Who Thirsts to gain power over the world. In the matter of one century this world was transformed into the Daemon world you see now. I can't think of a better place to banish Nemorah and Yulnera for their treachery. The Daemons do look excited."

While the Daemons looked excited all of the Dark Eldar looked apprehensive except for the Archon. Apparently they wanted to be here as much as Nathaniel wanted to be here. Nathaniel had a fierce pounding headache, like something was trying to claw its way into his head, his collar had been getting cracks in it for awhile now. It did not help matters that there was a heavy perfume musk in the air that was making Nathaniel dizzy. Nemorah and Yulnera were brought to the deck of the barge, terrified looks on their faces. They were chained to a hovering platform controlled by remote control.

"Taelbeirt, please have mercy, I am just a simple slave, Nemorah tricked me into going against you." Yulnera cries out, Nemorah just gives her a dirty look.

"Yulnera, if you were truly sorry you would of told me about Nemorah's plot from the beginning. Fortunately Nemorah has never been very cunning, just ruthless, I could see her plot a mile away."

"_Come on down and play with us Eldar, we promise we won't bite." _Says a regal looking Daemonette being carried on a litter.

"Be patient Princess of Pain, I will be sending some friends down to you shortly, think of it as a peace offering, from the Cruel Mercy Kabal to She Who Thirsts. Send them down men, send them to their fate."

The Kabalites pushed the hovering platform off of the barge, and maneuvered it toward the Princess of Pain and her entourage. The Dark Eldar and Nathaniel watched as the platform was swarmed by Slaaneshi daemons as soon as it got low enough to the ground, swarming Yulnera and Nemorah. They both let out terrified screams as the Slaaneshi daemons had their way with them. Nathaniel did not like either one, but not even he believed they deserved such a terrible fate. Suddenly Nathaniel felt a massive pain in his head that brought him to his knees, the Archon rushed over.

"Pet is there something wrong with you."

Nathaniel collects himself and stands back up. "Nothing master, just a headache and the musk, I think it's too much for me."

"That's good to hear, Trailyn take the barge back up to the ship, let's get out of here."

Later on the ship in the bathroom, Nathaniel is washing his face. They have a two week journey to get to their nearest gate. As Nathaniel looks up from the wash basin and into the mirror, he sees the daemonic face of the Winding Serpent staring at him instead of his own reflection.

"Hello child, I told you that the collar wouldn't last forever."

Nathaniel is gripped by pain as the battle for his freedom begins.


	14. Chapter 14 Fight for Freedom

_**(I know this one is a little late in coming, but it will be the last of the Commorragh arc, in order to celebrate this achievement, and to clear up some squick issues concerning Nathaniel's exotic beauty comments, I am doing two entries for Nathaniel's journals. I am also a firm believer that novels that are a part of the Black Library aren't officially canon unless backed up by the codices and official Games Workshop articles. Some are very well done and for all intents and purposes should be taken as canon; others are so horrific that you hope that they never show up in a codex. To me this belief allows for more creativity when writing fanfiction, and prevents any unfortunate incidents of Carnifex's carrying multi-lasers being treated as canon. Also note that this story should not in any way be taken as canon. This story is fully fanon, though still keeping true to the spirit of Warhammer 40K. Once again, rated M for foul language, violence, torture, and implied sexual interaction, and some squick for some, the story does involve Dark Eldar and Slaaneshi daemons after all. I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop, only my own intellectual property which is being merged with their intellectual property for the sake of this fanfiction.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's notes concerning female Tau**

**From what we picked up from the work of the Inquisitor/Necron Lord Ralei, Tau males and females are almost identical. I must take exception to this categorization of female Tau. I lived with a group of Tau for ten years, specifically with a Tau ethereal for ten years, and I must admit that they possess a certain exotic beauty, which goes against his description of the Xenos as being similar to a Tau male. The ethereal he was dissecting was either young or underdeveloped. We have speculated that the Tau originated from a grazing species. It would seem that for all intents and purposes the Tau are mammalian, since they do not reproduce by laying eggs. Such a means of reproduction necessitates the existence of mammary glands, even if they don't currently use them. The ethereal also known as Aun'sal was had developed a figure by the age of 18 that we humans would associate with feminine beauty, a subtle hourglass figure and modest mammary protrusions from her chest. This was made more obvious from the clothing that we were forced to wear in Commorragh; the loose robes normally worn by Tau ethereals tend to hide distinguishing body characteristics. Female Tau also tend to have softer, more feminine facial characteristics than male Tau, as any of the images of Commander Shadowsun can attest to. While the gender difference between male and female Tau is not nearly as obvious as it is with humans, spending ten years in close quarters with the Tau gave me the ability to distinguish between their genders. But to me the biggest contributor of my attraction to the Ethereal was the probably the subtle influence of her pheromones. While their affect was not strong enough to make me obedient to her, perhaps spending ten years with this one ethereal made me more receptive to her pheromones in a subtle manner, creating feelings of pheromone induced attraction or friendliness. Perhaps that since we were both developing and she was exuding more pheromones that my body was more receptive to them. This is purely speculation on my part but such an incident of pheromone based attraction is not unheard of, and would exhibit another danger for all humans who spend enough time with Tau ethereals. Let me be clear that not a day goes by that I don't chastise myself for finding the Xenos beautiful, especially in light of what she did. Though the real worrisome question here is why are humans and Tau able to interbreed? Is it possible that the Galbeert's theory is true, and there is at least one Old One left manipulating the Tau? Some scholars have speculated Eldar manipulation, but Eldar technology alone cannot explain why the Tau are developing so quickly. If there is an Old One behind the Tau, what exactly is it planning?**

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal, Daemon Possession**

**The period when I was fighting for control of my body against the daemon simply known as the Winding Serpent was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. It wasn't exactly terrifying, Commorragh had sufficiently corrupted me in that regard, but having a daemon take over and alter your body as it sees fit is one violation that the Archon was never able to inflict upon me. The fact that the daemon was female and was trying to alter my body accordingly only made the violation worse. On the plus side I managed to gain a deep insight into how these creatures think, and I have freer reign to use my psychic powers. Many times I have been approached by Ordo Malleus inquisitors who wanted me to join their Ordo; I decline every time because it is the xenos that I hold in the highest contempt. The Illuminati, people who have been through what I have been through have also approached me with offers to join them; I have also declined their offers. While I don't actively participate in their plans, I don't hunt them either. I also have no qualms about pointing an Illuminati sympathetic Inquisitor in the direction of a possible Sensei. Oddly, it was my possession that led to my freedom, as well as my landing on the planet Tian, where I would meet Inquisitor Wei. I am most grateful to the God Emperor that he led me to Inquisitor Wei, an Inquisitor who saw potential in a former Dark Eldar slave who was also a psychic who purged the daemon out of him. My good friend in the Ordo Malleus, Inquisitor Lankester Karras has informed me that he probably would have killed me on the spot if he had been in Inquisitor Wei's situation. In fact, I have come to attribute my escape and exorcism with the Emperor rewarding me for my faith, even in the dark pit of Commorragh. Who else could have been responsible for the chain of events that led to my eventual freedom and new future as an acolyte of an Inquisitor?**

Three days have passed since they had left the daemon world; the closest webway gate was still 11 days away. The Archon was growing impatient with his slave, when he first heard groans coming from his cabin; he had assumed that his slave was feeling ill, so he gave him some space. Three days had passed since then, and strange noises, shouts, clattering, groans, and the sound of breaking furniture had been heard from the room. All food sent in was thrown back out against the wall. The Archon would not put up with this pubescent tantrum anymore, if the boy was healthy enough to make a ruckus, he was strong enough to serve. The Archon made it to the cabin and heard his slave mumbling to himself and thrashing about, he savagely beats on the door.

"Pet, I have been more than patient with you and your foul mood, you will come out at once and start performing your duties. Once you are done with that you will clean up whatever mess you have caused in there."

The response sounded like Nathaniel's but with a melodic feminine echo to it. "Your father sucks Slaaneshi cocks in the warp."

The Archon, quite furious now, pulls the door open. "I will not take such insolence from one of my slaves." Right as he finishes he notices that the cabin is completely destroyed, and his slave now has a serpentine tail, a slightly feminine figure, developing breasts and six arms, a mouth filled with sharp fangs, pink feathery hair, and eyes that keep shifting from black to serpentine pink.

"Hello Archon, Nathaniel isn't here right now; would you like to give me a message for him?" The Daemon asks.

"Oh shit" is all the Archon can reply with.

"That's a peculiar message but I will pass it on for you." The daemon now slams him into the wall and starts slithering down the hallway. The Archon presses a button on his gauntlets and bright red lights and blaring screaming sirens start appearing around the ship.

"Emergency, I repeat we have an emergency, my slave Nathaniel has been possessed by a powerful Slaaneshi Daemon and is now on the loose. Tread with extreme caution and try to kill that creature." The Archon's message is transferred throughout the ship.

Meanwhile Homunculus Galbeert in his private cabin looks up from his experiment to splice Ork DNA into a Mon-Keigh girl. "There are times when I hate it when I'm right." He locks his door and gets back to work.

Meanwhile the Winding Serpent makes her way to the ships escape pods, with Nathaniel still putting up a defiant struggle in their now shared mind.

"Why won't you just submit child, why won't you embrace the fact that this body now belongs to me?"

"Because my body belongs to me and no one else, you foul beast."

"So says the sex slave of a Tau Ethereal."

"That was only once, and she drugged me on the Archon's orders."

"A part of you was attracted to her though; you can't hide that from me. I can see all of your desires, past, present, and future."

"I will not listen to your lies, you foul warp spawned beast." Nathaniel is quite flustered at this point.

"That's right, you would have preferred that Tianese girl, too bad that didn't work out for you."

Through sheer willpower Nathaniel manages to send a psychic punch that disorients her for a few minutes. She gets her bearings back and slithers into an escape pod. She pushes a button and they exit the ship. Fortunately for both the Dark Eldar ship was passing by the world of Tian, so the Winding Serpent sends the pod in that direction.

Meanwhile on the bridge of the Piercing Cry, the Archon is trying to get an assessment of what is going on.

"Sir, an escape pod has just left the ship; do you want us to fire on it?" A young Kabalites asks from her station.

"No, let them go, they are someone else's problem now."

Meanwhile on the planet of Tian, Inquisitor Wei Huian is meditating in a temple of the Immortal God Emperor of Mankind who resides on Terra. It was the ten year anniversary of when her daughter was stolen from her, so she wasn't exactly in a good mood. Nonetheless she felt a strong disturbance heading toward her planet, being a psyker did have its advantages. She sensed a fearsome daemonic entity, and while she had little experience against such threats, she had to protect her people and her planet. She left the temple and headed back to her estate, she would need to get ready and gather her retinue.

Meanwhile, while the escape pod is still hurtling for the planet, Nathaniel and the Winding Serpent continue their struggle for dominance.

"As you can see I have almost completely altered your body to suit me, give up boy and accept the inevitable."

"No true servant of the God Emperor would ever accept being possessed by a foul beast such as you." Nathaniel noticed how the mention of the name God Emperor caused the daemon great discomfort. "God Emperor, God Emperor, God Emperor, God Emperor, God Emperor"

The daemon is in serious pain now, "Shut up you little twerp, stop saying that name."

"From the lightning, and the tempest, Emperor deliver us."

"You know, out of all of the pitiful mortals I have possessed, you are definitely the most annoying, maybe that is the real reason your parents left you behind."

This shuts Nathaniel up and ticks him off.

"Oh, did I hit a sore spot, well at least they didn't end up like Sister Ortega, who makes a very fine daemonette if I do say so myself. Do you know that there is still a little bit of her old personality left, and she weeps constantly at what she has become. I don't see why, to me it's an improvement."

"Or what about your friend Rubanza, you were too weak and powerless to save him, and now he will never join with the God Emperor."

"Shut up"

"Or back to your little friend Chun, you probably don't even realize that she had a crush on you. That's why she sacrificed herself for you, probably a good thing it happened to her when it did, a boring and cowardly boy such as yourself could never truly love someone back."

"I said shut up, you foul abomination."

"Or what about your sister, you pushed her away even after she had been completely broken, all she wanted was to know that her brother still cared for her, and you completely rejected her. That must have been crueler than any torture that the Archon inflicted upon her."

"Why won't you shut up?"

"Anyway I don't see why you are being so judgmental; she wasn't the only one who found pleasure in sexual relations with a Xenos."

"I am ordering you to shut up." And with that he sends out a mighty shockwave of psychic willpower that knocks the Winding Serpent around the escape pod, dazing and hurting her.

"Once I gain full control of this body, I will use it to cause so much depravity that you will come to regret your resistance."

"Weren't you going to use my body for depravity anyway?"

"Yes, but before I was going to render what was left of your mind unconscious and trapped within a little corner. Now I am going to make sure you are completely aware of everything that I do."

The pod lands on the planet, up in a highland area surrounded by rice patties. Before the ship or the area around it even has a chance to cool down, the Winding Serpents bursts her way out and begins to thrash around in the rice patties. Nathaniel is putting up a tougher fight than she expected one she might even lose.

Meanwhile Inquisitor Wei has changed into her work clothes, wearing tight slippers in a loose robe with some flak armor on, and a staff with the inquisitorial seal on the tip. She leads her retinue towards the rice patties and the daemon that is threatening her world. She has a strange feeling about this though, like things are not completely like they seem.

The Winding Serpent continues to thrash around in the rice patty, trying to subdue Nathaniel.

"What will you do boy, if you do get rid of me? How will you explain your story to the people of this planet? They are liable not to believe you and kill you as some kind of heretic. Or if they discover that you are a psyker, I have heard that black ships are quite unpleasant."

"I will take my chances, any fate is better than becoming a vessel for a daemon."

"How about this boy, swear allegiance to Slaanesh, I will leave your body on the condition that you find me a suitable one to possess. My mistress rewards those who serve him faithfully."

"One, if your bargaining with me, it means you're getting desperate. Two, why would I want to serve a deity who isn't even sure of its own gender?"

"Why you little, who even taught you the truth behind desperate bargains?"

"The Archon, he likes to tell slaves that bargaining with him won't do them any good, because if they are desperate enough to bargain it means that they can easily be broken."

"You know what, as soon as I take control of your body I am just going to give your soul personally to Slaanesh, and then we will see how big of a talker you are."

"With hollow threats like that, how can you hope to take my body? You are getting desperate, aren't you; you know I can drive you out."

"You stupid boy, I will make you SUFFER."

"I survived ten years in Commorragh; all of your threats are as hollow as your existence."

"You cannot win a mere mortal like you cannot defeat me."

"Hear this, I am no mere mortal, I am Nathaniel Clark, last son of Mantanya. I am a servant of the God Emperor of mankind, I survived the horrors of the dark city, and I will drive you out, now leave my body." Ushering every last ounce of his willpower and untapped psychic ability, he makes one last mental push against the Winding Serpent, driving her out.

Inquisitor Wei and her retinue arrive at the rice patty as they see a daemon being driven out of the body of an eighteen year old boy, and send screaming back into the warp. The boy, now dazed, stumbles in their direction. He has a muscular build, wearing little more than a torn shirt, with scars covering his entire body. He has curly brown hair and piercing hazel eyes, apparently he wasn't a native of this planet. He stumbles in their direction, looks up at Inquisitor Wei and asks "Chun, is that you?" and collapses on the spot.

Inquisitor Wei, quite shocked now bends over, and puts her hand to his forehead to properly read his memories. After a few minutes she stands back up with a sad look on her face.

"Li" she points to the biggest member of her retinue, wearing custom power armor, "take this boy back to my families' estate, get him clothed and take care of him."

"Inquisitor, did that boy just drive out a daemon from his body?"

"Yes he did, when the Emperor sends you a blessing you really aren't supposed to ask too many questions now get him to my families estate, take him to Chun's old room."

**The Emperor works in mysterious ways indeed.**


	15. Chapter 15 Inquisitor Wei

_**(Generic Warhammer 40K disclaimer)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**Life is funny sometimes, one second you are a pitiful slave being possessed by a daemon, the next you become an acolyte or apprentice of an Inquisitor. I am amazed that Inquisitor Wei chose to spare my life; she had every right to all things considered. Yet she saw potential in me, she sought to take a broken and shattered young man and reforge him into a weapon of the Emperor. That's not to say that there weren't any difficulties, Tian was a strange world to me. **

Nathaniel woke up in a strange room, with a heavy fragrance wafting through the air, much to his horror he discovered that he was naked, but fortunately a blanket was covering him. He looked down and realized that he was sleeping on a mat on the floor; the walls were comprised of wooden panels with mountainous landscapes on them. A toy box was in one corner of the room, with several dolls hanging out. While he was looking around one of the panels opened up and the woman he saw earlier walked in. She looked like Chun but was much older. She is now wearing an outfit similar to the outfit worn by Chun when they first met, but much larger.

"I see that you have finally awakened young one."

"Where did my clothes go?"

She started to laugh "You lost your clothes during your battle with the daemon."

"Oh yeah, sorry about damaging your pond, I hope it isn't too bad."

"One, it was not a pond, it was a rice patty, two, I have ordered it quarantined and purged."

"That name sounds familiar, Chun told me about rice patties." Nathaniel looked very contemplative. "You're her mother aren't you, the Inquisitor?"

"Yes I am." She enters the room and sits on the floor with her knees tucked beneath her. Her sad expression at the mention of her lost daughters name turns into an inquisitive one as she stares at Nathaniel. "You have had a hectic ten years, haven't you? First your world was invaded by a horde or Orks. Then you were abandoned by your parents and the Tau. After that you spent ten years in Commorragh as a slave to a crazy Archon with wild mood swings. You would go on to lose everyone you cared for. Not to mention you were drugged and raped by a Tau Ethereal. Finally you were possessed by a daemon and escaped."

"How did you find all of that out?" Nathaniel is very apprehensive right now.

"I read your mind."

"That is an invasion of my privacy." Nathaniel is quite upset at this point.

Inquisitor Wei pulls out a rod with an Inquisitorial seal on the end. "Do you see this; this is called a "do whatever I want and get away with it" stick. Look at things from my perspective, a Dark Eldar pod containing a Slaaneshi daemon lands in the rice patties next to my village, then an eighteen year old boy miraculously purges a daemon from his body through sheer willpower alone. If you were in my position, you would of read your mind as well."

"Are you going to kill me then?"

"Nathaniel if I wanted to kill you I would have already done the deed. No I am letting you live because I sense great potential in you. I won't send you on an Inquisitorial Blackship, your purging of a daemon is enough proof of your inner willpower and potential. Right now you are like broken pieces of iron; I intend to reforge you into a blade of the Emperor's wrath. I have no doubt that the Emperor has brought you too me for a reason, and that reason is to learn how to serve him. Now, I want you to take a bath, my assistant Mr. Li will lead you to them. That is one requirement I have, that you maintain your hygiene. I will have new clothes provided for you when you are done."

With that she walks off and a person who Nathaniel could only assume was Mr. Li entered the room. He was a small and wiry man, with overly large glasses on his face. To Nathaniel it appears that he is wearing pajamas, was it nighttime on this planet? He had a similar appearance to Chun and her mother, yet still distinct. Nathaniel made a mental note not to make any comments about everyone looking the same to him. Mr. Li leads him to the bath, and without saying a word shoves Nathaniel into a bathtub filled with hot water. He hands Nathaniel some soap and a scrubby brush and leaves the room. This is the first time Nathaniel has had a real bath in ten years. The healing vats and scalding showers in Commorragh didn't really count. Naturally, he took his time giving himself a thorough scrubbing and relaxing in the water. A girl came him dropped off some a towel, clothes, and some slippers and quickly left.

Nathaniel, now dressed in his own pajama outfit, is lead to a garden by Mr. Li. He is further confused by the pajamas, because apparently it is daytime in the garden. Inquisitor Wei is having tea with a man who appears to be related to her, he has a stern and muscular look to him, and to Nathaniel he was also wearing pajamas. They are both setting at a small table on mats with their knees and legs tucked directly underneath their bodies.

"Ah, Nathaniel I trust your bath went well, come join us for some tea."

Nathaniel walks over and crosses his legs in the manner that he was taught as a boy.

"This is my brother Delun, he oversees the families estates and the surrounding villages."

"You're nobles?" Nathaniel asks

"Kind of, this is a feudal world and my family controls a wide area of land consisting of ten villages and countless rice patties. We are not poor, but the true nobles of the planet reside in the Forbidden City, where the planetary governor lives."

"The status of this family would be much higher if one of its daughters didn't go about causing trouble." Delun directs this harsh comment at his sister.

"I am an Inquisitor, brother; it is quite a prestigious and important position." Huian decides to do some explaining to Nathaniel. "When I was first born, I displayed my psychic powers almost immediately. My family, not wanting to bring shame to the family name by having a psychic in their midst, quickly handed me over to the authorities on a Blackship. I was about three when they did this. Imagine their surprise when I came back at the age of 16 as a full Inquisitor and mother."

"You became an Inquisitor at the age of 16?" Nathaniel was impressed.

"After father and mother had gone through the trouble of protecting our name by getting rid of an psyker, said psyker has the gall to show up with an illegitimate bastard daughter in tow." Both Huian and Nathaniel get angry at this description of Chun. "And now she brings even further shame by bringing some strange looking foreign vagabond into our estate."

The Inquisitor sends a mental message to Nathaniel, "Don't mention the Daemon, he doesn't have high enough clearance to know about them."

"What were you doing in my rice patty anyway boy?" Delun was quite irate now.

"Um, I have amnesia; I don't know how I got here."

Disgusted, Delun gets up and walks away. "Why do you stay here if he doesn't like you?"

"My parents were more understanding when I returned, I don't blame them for what they did, it was the right thing to do at the time. My brother, however, is very concerned about the families' reputation. He thought that having a missing daughter everyone had forgotten about with an illegitimate child would hurt the families' reputation. The peasants don't care, but now my parents are dead and he is the head of the family. I find my planet peaceful and the estate beautiful. Every couple of years I come back here to rest for a few months, which my brother is willing to put up with."

"Oh, and thanks for the pajamas, though I would like some daytime clothes."

Inquisitor Wei does a face palm. "Would you please refrain from referring to the clothing of my people as pajamas?"

"Why would you treat pajamas as everyday clothing?"

"Okay, I am going to lay down some ground rules. One, you will do as I say, I am your teacher and you are the pupil. Two, you will avoid my brother at all costs, believe me I try to avoid him myself. Three, you will not refer to the clothing I give you as pajamas, they are not pajamas. Do you understand me?"

"Yes I do, and believe me I don't want to tick off your brother."

"Good, tomorrow we will begin your academic education. Then in a couple of days we will add combat training to the mixture. And in a week or so I will begin teaching you how to harness the power of your mind."

"What do you mean by education?"

"We will start with reading and writing low gothic, then move up to high gothic, and then I will begin educating you in the subjects of history, politics, debate, study, xenology, torture, and leadership."

"Sounds fun can't wait to start."

Inquisitor Wei has a smile on her face, "Let's see if your enthusiasm keeps up."


	16. Chapter 16 Mind, Body, Spirit

_**(Sorry for the tardiness, with school picking back up the time between updates will be longer, but still worthwhile. Disclaimer of the day, The Emperor frowns upon those who try to claim the intellectual property of another as their own, especially Warhammer 40k.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**My purging of the daemon fully awakened my psychic potential and strengthened it, yet I needed to learn how to control it. Inquisitor Wei was instrumental in this, I learned many things from her, and I owe her a debt I will never be able to fully repay. She took me in, taught me how to read, write, and most importantly how to think. She honed my body and my mind to levels I never dreamed imaginable during my dark years rotting in Commorragh. She took me out of the darkness and into the light; she gave me a reason and a purpose to live. And when push came to shove, she chose to sacrifice herself to save me. She was the closest thing to a real mother I have ever had. **

_Know the Xenos_

"Come on Nathaniel, not all xenos are evil, some truly are allies to the Imperium."

It was the day after his recovery and Inquisitor Wei had already begun her instruction. They had spent the morning working on reading and writing, much to Nathaniel's relief he was a natural at it and was quickly learning the basics. He would never be a great poet or writer, but at least he could write his reports. He had a much harder time learning how to eat with chopsticks; he got slapped for making a comment about how ridiculous it was to eat food with two thin wooden sticks. She was slapping him a lot for what she called his "cultural ignorance", and that as a good Inquisitor, he should learn to get over it. Now they were dedicating their afternoon to Xenology and Nathaniel did not like what she was telling him.

"All xenos are evil, even if I doubted that when I was younger ten years in Commorragh vindicated that position."

"Let me give you a list of alien factions I have worked with in the past that have aided humanity, Craftworld Eldar, The Tau Empire, Mechanatites, and Youlten. If humanity is to survive, we need allies; there is no getting around this."

"I don't know about the last two, but I can assure you the first two cannot be trusted."

"Nathaniel, not all Eldar are like the Dark Eldar, and as for the Ethereal, she was terrified and wanted to rejoin her people. That does not excuse her actions, it will never excuse her actions, but she isn't some malevolent daemon who wanted to devour your soul. I know that there are many who would brand me a heretic, but out here in the eastern fringe we need what allies we can get to survive. They may ally with xenos at times in Segmentum Solar, but they will never know true friendship with them."

"Why should they?"

"Because this universe is actively seeking our destruction, and its foolishness of the highest order to persecute those who would be our natural allies. We have much to learn from each other, if only we would listen to one another." Inquisitor Wei lets out a long sigh. "I know you have your grievances Nathaniel, and they aren't completely unjustified, but trust me on this. I am the teacher, and you are the student. Not all xenos are evil, and the only way mankind can hope to survive is if we fight alongside those who want what we want, peace and prosperity."

"Easy for you to say, you didn't spend ten years in Commorragh."

"Maybe not, but never forget that I lost my daughter to a Dark Eldar raid, and that incident haunts me every single day of my life."

This shuts Nathaniel up as she once again begins her lecturing on Eldar society. Despite his distaste for the xenos, Nathaniel was fascinated by their complex culture. Living in Commorragh he didn't get much of a view of the other Eldar lifestyles, since Yulnera was never the most sociable of beings. Nathaniel internally justifies his interest as just another way to learn about his opponents, and the best way to kill them.

_Fists of Fury_

A week after coming to Tian, Inquisitor Wei has decided that Nathaniel has healed up enough that he can start learning how to fight. So they are now up in the mountains, at an old abandoned temple. Just Nathaniel, Inquisitor Wei, and Mr. Li, who is going to be Nathaniel's sparring partner.

"Don't hesitate Nathaniel, attack Mr. Li."

"But I don't want to hurt him, he's such a skinny and frail looking fellow, I feel like I could break him just by staring at him too hard."

Inquisitor Wei has a smirk on her face "Don't worry Nathaniel, you won't break him."

Nathaniel rushes at Mr. Li, who quickly moves out of the way, grabs Nathaniel by the arm, and uses Nathaniel's own momentum to spin him around. Mr. Li casually throws Nathaniel into the air. Fortunately Nathaniel lands in an old pond.

Inquisitor Wei gives him an even bigger smirk. "Oh my, you were right Nathaniel; Mr. Li can't possibly handle a warrior as fearsome as you are." Even Mr. Li is smiling, and he never smiles.

"Let's have another go." Nathaniel easily jumps out of the pond for another round.

"Are you sure about that, he threw you five feet into the air and into a pond?"

"Ten years in Commorragh will give anyone an amazing level of pain tolerance."

"Alright, we will continue with a few more sparring matches; let's see if you can take Mr. Li down."

Fifty sparring matches later the score is now Mr. Li 50, Nathaniel 0.

"How does he keep doing that?" Nathaniel once again pulls himself out of the pond, which is becoming quite shallow with all of the displaced water.

"Are you willing to learn the ancient fighting style of my people, or are you going to make another pajama or ridiculous wooden stick comment?"

"Inquisitor Wei, I am sorry that I have shown you and the culture of Tian such disrespect. If you can teach me how to fight like that, I will gladly wear your pajamas."

Inquisitor Wei lets out a groan, followed by a chuckle. "Very well, Mr. Li, will you begin teaching Nathaniel the basics, I am heading back to the estate to get lunch."

After lunch Nathaniel takes to the teachings with gusto, Inquisitor Wei can't help but smile at how he is quickly progressing, despite his age.

_Mind over Matter_

They were back at the old temple a few days later for Nathaniel's first lesson in the use of his mind. Nathaniel had hoped that they would start out small, but the large dog/dragon like statue Nathaniel had been ordered to lift up with his mind told him otherwise.

"Come on Nathaniel, if you can force a daemon out of your body, surely you can lift up this statue."

"The daemon purging took several days, and it was a spur of the moment kind of thing when it finally happened."

"I won't teach you any advanced techniques until you demonstrate that you can lift up a statue."

"How is this not advanced, can't I start out with a pebble or something?"

"You can purge a daemon from your body Nathaniel; it would be a waste of time to start you out on pebbles. You need to focus on the statue, and draw upon the power of your mind to lift it up."

Nathaniel closes his eyes and begins to concentrate. He doesn't even realize that he lifting the statue up. Inquisitor Wei, not wanting to ruin the moment keeps her mouth shut. When Nathaniel finally opens his eyes, he is so shocked that he levitated the statue 20 feet into the air that he sends it flying. They would later discover that he sent the statue into the Wei Estate's coy pond, where it would make a mighty splash and drench Delun and his wife who were drinking tea by it.

"Well done Nathaniel, I knew you had it in you, next lesson, control.

Melissa can't help but giggle at that memory. "This period in your life seems so much happier than the ten years you spent in Commorragh master."

"It is, however I won't waste any more time dealing with my youthful training exercises. I want to show you my experiences in the Forbidden City, and my first meeting with Methuselah Alden the Rogue Trader.

Melissa makes a disgusted face. "So this is when you met that perverted old man."

"Methuselah is an old friend of mine Melissa, and he wasn't an old man back then."

They move onto the next memory, with Nathaniel and Inquisitor Wei standing on a hillside overlooking a large sprawling city filled with beautiful gardens and palaces.

**Nathaniel Footnote**

**I will always be amazed at the amazing diversity of humanity. I may make comments here and there about pajamas and bathrobes, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the many and varied cultures of the human race. It just means I love seeing the reaction on people's faces when I use those terms. Not to mention it works to my advantage if people mistake me for some ignorant farm boy. **


	17. Chapter 17 Forbidden City

_(Thank you all for reading this story, as always I hope you are enjoying it. My thanks to everyone who has shown interest and contributed advice or ideas for this story. Disclaimer of the day, For he who claims other's work as their own, there is no life, for he who gives credit where credit is due, there is no death.)_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**The capital of Tian was simply known as the Forbidden City. A beautiful yet unpleasant place, filled with the worst kind of aristocrats. Only the nobles of the planet and their servants were allowed in, yet the only starport was in the middle of the city. Officially this was the only place where foreigners were allowed to set foot on Tian, as long as they weren't direct representatives of the God-Emperor. My journey through this place was quite educational, I saw in the planetary nobility the same arrogance and cruelty I saw with the Dark Eldar. Why do we need malicious Xenos when we treat each other so poorly? As an Inquisitor, I consider it one of my duties to deal with such individuals, a mistreated populace is more likely to listen to the lies of the Xenos after all. And you will be surprised, how many Imperial aristocrats have unauthorized Xenos connections or own Xenos artifacts. I may use an Eldar Singing Spear as a preferred melee weapon, but as an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos, I am allowed that privilege. It also helps that I killed the Farseer who owned it and crushed her soulstone. On the brightside, this is also when I first met Methuselah Alden, a rogue trader who would become an invaluable friend and ally.**

Traveling in an old cart down the road, Nathaniel, Inquisitor Wei, and Mr. Li make their way to the Forbidden City. Inquisitor Wei gestures Mr. Li to stop the cart and pulls Nathaniel into the woods.

"Nathaniel, as I am sure you have realized the people of this world aren't very big on visitors."

"The several different variations of the word barbarian your family used to describe me definitely affirmed that fact."

"Well, the inhabitants of the Forbidden City are highly intolerant of foreigners that venture past the designated port areas. Out in the countryside they don't care as much but in the city your presence could get both of us killed."

"Aren't you an Inquisitor?"

"That won't stop them if they catch you."

"Then what am I going to do, hide under some hay in the cart?"

"Don't be stupid, they will check the cart." She puts her hand on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Be calm, it's just a little biomancy, consider this a lesson in psychic abilities and subterfuge."

Nathaniel feels a weird sensation has his entire body starts to alters its shape. When he is finished Inquisitor Wei pulls out a mirror and gives it to him. Reflected back is a young Tian male.

"Biomancy is a very useful discipline of psychic abilities, often overlooked by those who like to blow things up with their mind. But to an intelligent Inquisitor, biomancy can be ten times more dangerous than any telekinetic ability. I would say that the only other discipline a psychic Inquisitor really needs to learn is telepathy. Let your allies divine the future and blow your enemies apart, an Inquisitor shouldn't focus on such things. Even those who use biomancy overlook its many uses, like I just did with you. If I really wanted to create a convincing story for us, I would have switched your gender and claimed that you were my daughter Chun, but that won't be necessary."

"Wait, wouldn't they know that Chun was kidnapped?"

"No, I thought it best not to make a Dark Eldar attack on our planet too public less they panic."

"Will you change me back once we get too the starport?"

"Of course, though I do think that's a good look for you, definitely an improvement over all of your scars." Nathaniel gives her a deadpan look while she manages to smirk. "But I understand that appearance isn't who you are so I will change you back."

"I am the last son of Mantanya, and I must never forget where I came from or turn my back on my heritage. Though I must admit this biomancy sounds quite interesting and worthwhile to learn."

"Now, you're thinking like an Inquisitor."

They made it through the gate with not issues, though the journey through the city made Nathaniel's stomach churn. It was easy to tell who was who, the nobles dressed in the finest clothing and were carried around on wooden thrones by their servants who were all chained up, with the exception of their body guards who had the privilege of carrying lasguns. Every once and awhile Inquisitor Wei and Mr. Li would push Nathaniel to the ground and they would all bow as a planetary royal went by. Nathaniel was furious that anyone, let alone an Inquisitor should bow in a degrading manner such as this, but he couldn't do anything. One of the most disturbing and painful scenes was that of a disobedient servant and her punishment. Apparently the master had tried to force himself on her but the servant resisted. So she was strung up and whipped a hundred times by her masters' bodyguards. Upon the completion of the act her master ordered that no one would cut her down or help her in any way, and that if she was still alive in two days time she would be forgiven. Mr. Li and Inquisitor Wei literally had to hold Nathaniel back when he found out what was happening. Another young child was shot when he ran in front of a royal. The list went on and on and continued to upset Nathaniel.

"You are supposed to be an Inquisitor, why don't you kill a couple of these arrogant bastards?" He whispers to her. "Use your do whatever you want and get away with it stick."

"For every action there is a reaction, I could launch a purge but it won't change things in the long term and my family would end up suffering because of my actions."

"Your family doesn't seem to really care about you."

"They are still my family, in this universe we must cherish all the ties that we have."

"Easy for you to say, your parents didn't abandon you."

"How long are you going to wallow in your self pity and angst Nathaniel?"

This was enough to shut Nathaniel up for the rest of the trip to the starport. One quick wave of her inquisitorial seal quickly got them by security and into a walled off area. As they passed through the gates Nathaniel got his first look at a starport. Large ships were everywhere, most of them bearing Imperial symbols and were either loading or unloading cargo. The one exception was a medium sized ship with a beautiful scantily clad blond woman painted on the side with the name Miss Liz painted underneath it. While the other ships looked like majestic flying cathedrals, the Miss Liz looked like a cobbled together trapezoid with wings and engines attached. A man came walking up to them, he was wearing an outrageous and gaudy purple suit with gold trim, with the middle open displaying his hairy chest and gold chains. His hair was on the top of his head was brown with it graying on the side. He had a gaunt face with a gray mustache. He had slightly tanned skin and a bionic eye. He also walked with a golden cane topped with a miniature Miss Liz with a laspistol on his side.

"Huian, good to see you I was wondering when you were going to show up." His hand makes a quick movement to grope her chest but her hand quickly grabs his and she starts applying pressure to it. "Easy now sweet cheeks, I am just glad to see you."

"Methuselah, will not call me sweet cheeks, snookums, babe, hotty, doll or any of your other pet names. You will not try to grope my chests or my breasts. You will show me respect and you will not sexually harass me or any other woman in my presence." Inquisitor Wei has a completely serious look as she says this.

Methuselah backs off and nods in Mr. Li's direction. Mr. Li simply nods back at him with a smirk on his face. He then turns to Nathaniel. "Mantanyan are ya, quite a tragedy that happened to that world, though I did hear most Mantanyans are still alive in the Tau Empire."

"Okay, first, those traitors are not longer my kin; they left me to rot in Commorragh while they betrayed the God-Emperor. Two, how did you see past my disguise?"

Methuselah smiles and points to his cybernetic eye. "The eye on Enoch see's many things, though I must admit Huian did a good job with your disguise. You even look like you should be her son."

"Anyway we need to get to my retinue; they should be meeting us in the Taugrin sector."

"Then it's the Taugrin sector we will go to, hop aboard the Miss Liz for our first class accommodations, high quality entertainment, and five star cuisine." Both Methuselah and Inquisitor Wei had big smiles on their faces, Nathaniel got the feeling that he was exaggerating.


	18. Chapter 18 Rogue Trader and Retinues

_**(Thank you all for reading and for the feedback. Disclaimer of the Day, Blessed is the mind too creative to claim the intellectual properties of others as their own.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**Rogue Traders are a strange breed, as are Inquisitorial retinues. In both cases you never really know what you are going to get. While I may disagree with the actions of Rogue Traders concerning interaction with Xenos, they do serve a purpose and are an excellent source of information. Methuselah Alden, may be a creepy, lecherous, and flamboyant old man, but he is quite good at his job. Despite all of my best inquiries and observations, he does not appear to be a Slaaneshi cultist, though his clothing and behavior might indicate differently. Despite his character flaws he is a loyal friend who has saved me on many occasions, either through the info he gives me, or through more direct aid. He is also a mysterious man, I have always felt that he knows a lot more than he lets on, and the inhuman depth and range of his knowledge scares me sometimes. His crew never really stuck out too me, but Inquisitor Wei's retinue certainly left an impression. Due to the anti foreigner policies of the planet of Tian, neither they nor their Blackship, the Black Lotus, could land on the planet. So they got their own little vacation every time she went home. I find it odd how people have trouble distinguishing between Blackship's that acquire psykers and transports them to Terra, and Blackship's that serve as an Inquisitorial transport. Her retinue had only six people in it, not including the ship's crew or me, Inquisitor Wei, and Mr. Li. Tertullian the astropath, Petra the Storm Trooper, Hugo the Chirugeon, Yuri the Sage, Fahimah the Techpriestess, and Herodotus the Xenos Scholar. Retinues are funny things, the more dysfunctional they are, the more effective they seem to be. **

Nathaniel found himself in the mess hall on the Miss. Liz, chatting with Methuselah Alden.

"So you spent ten years in Commorragh, I must say I am impressed, lesser men wouldn't have lasted that long."

"It isn't really that impressive, the Archon took a liking to me."

"I have discovered, that in a universe that is constantly trying to wipe humanity out, you should never take anything for granted. Even the Dark Eldar can have respect for someone who faces their horror and does not flinch. You survived because you not only knew when to bow, but also when to stand up. There probably was a lot of luck involved, there usually is in such situations, but that doesn't diminish your accomplishment."

"You certainly know a lot Mr. Alden."

"Please, call me Methuselah, when you are in my field kid, you learn a lot. For instance me and my crew just got done uncovering some Old One ruins, there were some pretty neat finds there."

"The Old Ones!"

Methuselah, picking up Nathaniel's tone and facial expression, realized he has heard that word before. "You have heard that name before, haven't you?"

"Yes I have." And Nathaniel goes into a long story about what the Haemonculus discovered and believed, about the Old One's still being alive and active in the universe. Methuselah Alden has a serious look of deep concentration on his face during this. "So, do you think that Galbeert is right, that the Old One's are still active and meddling with the races of the galaxy?"

Methuselah's serious look changes to that of a dismissive smile. "Xenos nonsense kid, the Old One's have been extinct for millennia, they were all wiped out by the horrors they themselves had inadvertently created. The scouring of their strongholds by the Necrons, C'Tan, and Enlsavers was so thorough, that there is no way that they survived."

"Who are the Necrons, C'Tan, and Enlsavers?"

"If you spend enough time with Inquisitor Wei, you will find out sooner or later. Anyway the notion of Old Ones being behind the Tau and the Tyranids is preposterous. The Old Ones were masters of the immaterium, why would they bother with a race with very little psychic potential. Not to mention that they would definitely not approve of the Ethereals and their Greater Good. Their respect for sentient life was too great to give into such utilitarian philosophies. As for the Tyranids, the Haemonculus must have been mistaken, the specimens he acquired probably devoured the ship of some foolish and unlucky Rogue Trader, like me. The Tyranids are an extragalactic species, from several galaxies over, the idea that an Old One made it to their galaxy, engineered them, and is now on a feeding rampage stretches the imagination of a universe where reality is already a joke. So no, there is no way that there are anymore Old Ones. Even if a couple survived they probably would of died of loneliness and despair a long time ago." Methuselah has a look of sadness on his face, Nathaniel got the impression that he was hiding something but he wasn't going to push him. He probably just found the fate of the Old Ones to be tragic."

"Sir, we have made contact with the Black Lotus, preparing docking procedures." A voice says over the intercom system.

"Well, let's get you to the docking bay, it's about time you met your new family."

15 minutes later, Nathaniel, Inquisitor Wei, and Mr. Li have crossed over to the Black Lotus. Nathaniel turns around to see Methuselah waving at them as they leave. They enter the ship proper, the airlock shuts, and the two ships disconnect. They are in a dark and dank hallway with a foul musty stench pervading the atmosphere.

"This is odd, someone should have met us already." Inquisitor Wei pulls out her las pistol and begins to move cautiously down the hall. Nathaniel see's her concentrate, probably using a mental power, a smile comes across her face. "Don't worry, nothing is wrong, they are just arguing again." They travel further down the hall, and they begin to hear voices shouting at each other.

"I will now allow a filthy xenos ape in this retinue, perverting the work of the Omnissiah" Says an almost mechanical female voice.

"But it would be so cool, imagine everything it could do for us, and besides they are not sentient." Says a second voice, this one masculine but high pitched.

"The strategic benefits to our efforts would make the use of a Jokaero highly beneficial." Says a third, deep masculine voice."

"Personally, I don't want any space monkey messing around with my equipment. God Emperor knows I already have enough trouble keeping you idiots in working condition." Says a fourth gruff and harsh masculine voice.

"Also, I don't want it messing around with our weapons. Who's to say that it won't screw us over, and our new and improved lasguns ends up blasting me to smithereens." Says a fifth, feminine voice with sharp and quick tone.

"As amusing as this argument is, I believe that we have forgotten about the return of Inquisitor Wei." Says the sixth and final voice, masculine but weak and whispy.

Inquisitor Wei opens the door to the ships mess hall and introduces them.

First, she points to a woman wearing red robes, with six metallic tentacles sticking from her back, and an almost completely metallic body with the exception of the top of her head, where you can see her eyes and dark hair. Instead of a mouth she has a strange breathing apparatus taking up most of her face. "This is our Techpriestess, Fahimah, be careful that you show the machine spirits proper respect around her."

The second person she points to is a skinny, scholarly looking man wearing purple scholarly robes, and big spectacles. He has a balding head with brown hair on the edges. "This is our resident scholar of everything Xenos, Herodotus."

The third person she points too is a portly fellow, wearing a white shirt, brown vest, and trousers. He has a tuft of reddish-blonde hair on his head. "This is our Sage, Yuri, who is actually very handy in a fight."

Person number four was a gruff looking older man with gray hair, wrinkles, and wearing a white lab coat. "Our Chirurgeon Hugo, who will be giving you the proper vaccinations once we are done introductions."

Person number five was actually a young woman, possibly in the late twenties with brown skin and long black hair, she wore some type of armor that Nathaniel was unfamiliar with. "Our storm trooper and weapons expert Petra, careful she has a temper and no patience."

Finally, she points to a weak looking wrinkled old man wearing green robes with a metallic visor over his eyes. "Finally, our resident astropath Tertullian, probably one of the nicest guys you will ever meet."

All six persons now turn their eyes on Nathaniel, filled with curiosity. "And this is Nathaniel Clark, last son of Mantanya, survivor of ten years in Commorragh, and a strong willed psyker who purged a daemon from his body. Nathaniel is my chosen acolyte so I want all of you to take a part in his education, this is the future of the Inquisition right here."

A moment of awkward silence follows. "Well, at least he isn't a Jokaero." Says Fahimah and the argument begins again.

Inquisitor Wei chuckles as she pats Nathaniel on the back. "An Inquisitor is only as good as those he or she chooses to surround themselves with, they don't need to agree with each other, but they do need to care for each other.

**Now begins Nathaniel's official apprenticeship. **


	19. Chapter 19 Knowledge is Power

_**(Thank you all for reading. Disclaimer of the day: Blessed is the mind too creative for stealing the ideas of others. Warning, this chapter also makes mention of the C'Tan and the Necrons, I prefer to use the new fluff, since it is actually better than the original in my personal opinion, in spite of the fact that it was written by a man infamous for his butchering of the fluff.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Notes**

**The time I spent with Inquisitor Wei and her retinue was probably one of the happiest times in my life. They became my new family and genuinely cared for me. While time has continued to march on and they are no longer around, I will never forget them. I have tried to treat my own retinue like family, but it just isn't the same. Also, for some reason every member of my retinue is female, I think, still not sure how that happened. I learned many lessons from Inquisitor Wei's retinue. Mr. Li continued to teach me martial arts while Petra showed me how to use weapons and equipment. Inquisitor Wei, with the aid of Tertullian, helped me develop my psychic powers even further. Fahimah taught me about the importance of technology and some basic maintenance rites. Hugo taught me how to properly torture, unlike the sadistic art of the Dark Eldar, he demonstrated how it was a necessary science. Yuri and Herodotus took over my scholarly education completely, and to be honest they were far better teachers than the Inquisitor.**

_**Divining the Will of the Emperor**_

"So, do you want me to know how to divine the future or not?" Nathaniel asks

"No" Inquisitor Wei responds

"Then why is Tertullian going to teach me how to use the Emperor's Tarot?"

"It is necessary for all servants of the Emperor to know the importance of Emperor's Tarot. Now for this session I will not be using it in a proper fashion, I will just be using it to learn a bit about you." Tertullian says

"I must admit I am a bit skeptical about this whole thing."

"Skepticism is not bad, skepticism is actually very good, every inquisitor should have a healthy dose of skepticism, but some things you need to have faith in. Trust me that the Emperor works through this, as only a God can. Would someone who has had his mind linked with the Emperor's lie to you?"

"You had your mind linked with the Emperor's?"

"All those who become astropaths must be brought to Terra for this procedure; the Emperor himself creates us and protects us from the warp. If you had been caught when you were younger, you could have become an astropath or a sanctioned psyker. But anyhow, let's see what the Emperor can tell us about you."

"Wait, aren't you blind, how can you read the cards?"

"I don't need my eyes to see, especially with these cards." Tertullian draws thee cards and lays them out on the table. The first was a man wrapped up in chains by some foul looking Xenos. The second was a man in green robes with an illuminating aura. The third was a flaming sword plunging into the heart of an Eldar Farseer.

"Ah, the first one is Xenos Tyranny, basically what happened to many human worlds after the dark age of technology. It shows that you have been through great hardship involving the Xenos. The second is Malcador the Sigilite, founder of the Administratum and one of the Emperor's greatest friends and servants. He indicates that you are a dutiful and talented student who seeks to learn and grow in power, while at the same time serving the Imperium loyally. And finally the fiery blade of the Emperor's wrath directed at the Xenos. You will become a bane to the Xenos, a physical manifestation of the Emperor's will that our galaxy be dominated by humanity."

Inquisitor Wei has a dark expression on her face after Tertullian finishes. "Remember Nathaniel, not all Xenos are our enemies, in this dark galaxy we can ill afford to have no allies."

"You saw the cards; the Emperor wants me to be his flaming sword against the Xenos."

"Yes Xenos, but he never specifies what type of Xenos."

"All Xenos are a threat to humanity, all Xenos must be purged."

"I am hoping that you won't keep that attitude."

"Ah, to be young and passionate, Inquisitor please do not chide the boy for his zeal, he simply doesn't understand just how complicated things can get in this universe." Tertullian says

Nathaniel decides to let it go, they could never truly what he went through after all.

_**The Arsenal**_

Nathaniel was in his first weapons training session with Petra. She had decided to start him out with a hotshot lasguns, assuring him that it pack more of a punch than the standard issue lasguns and was a good beginning weapon for an Inquisitor in training. They were now in the ships shooting range, a very sturdy room designed to facilitate weapons training.

"That's it Nathaniel, keep it steady, aim, and fire." As Petra gives the order Nathaniel shoots at his target, a cardboard Ork. Petra brings the Ork in and they both can see that Nathaniel hit him squarely in the belly. "Not bad Nathaniel, considering it was your first time; however I don't think a stomach wound would have been enough to take down an Ork."

"That's why I am here, to find the best way to kill Xenos."

Petra gives off a smirk and leads Nathaniel back to the armory. "In this room are the weapons that I will instruct you with. Hotshot laspistols, plasma guns, grenade launchers and a wide variety of more exotic weaponry. We will also need to fit you with some carapace armor, be grateful that you don't have to use flak armor."

"How many Xenos have you battled Petra, and what's the best way to kill them?"

Petra gets a big grin on her face. "Inquisitor Wei told me you were direct and to the point. Well I have battled many Xenos, and there are quite a few ways to deal with them. For Orks I strongly suggest a head shot, though even then that is no guarantee that they will go down. Heat based weapons seem to be the most effective against the Necrons, but if you don't have any just keep on blasting and hope they stay down long enough for help to arrive. Tyranids are a case by case basis, though with Genestealers who are a particular menace, hit them hard and fast before they get a chance to tear you up. Eldar of both varieties are fast and agile, but are still mortal. Craftworld Eldar will crumple like wet tissue paper if you hit them, while Dark Eldar get enjoyment from their pain, as I am sure you are aware. The Tau are ridiculously weak, once you get within range they won't stand a chance against your arsenal. The Kroot can be tough but they don't have any real armor, and Vespid weapons have such a pathetic range that you should be able to kill them before they reach you. For the Tarellians, Morrelians, Hrenian, Ji'atrix, Ranghon, and Galg, just shoot them. You know, there are just so many Xenos it's kind of hard to list them all and how to kill them, I would suggest talking with Yuri and Herodotus for greater details."

"Thank you for this knowledge you have given me. It's nice to see that there is someone else on this ship who shares my hatred of Xenos."

"Not completely, some Xenos can be useful, though I do disagree with how naïve the Inquisitor can get."

"What if the Xenos vows to serve humanity, should it be allowed to exist then?"

"That is a question they don't pay me enough to answer kid."

_**The Art of Torture**_

"Nathaniel, I know you might be a bit queasy about this, n what you went through in Commorragh, but believe when I say you will need to learn how to torture." Says the Chirurgeon Hugo, he is smoking on a big fat cigar as he shows off the various instruments of torture.

"When I was in Commorragh, they treated torture as an art, often with me as their canvas."

"Well you see, to us torture is not an art that we do for fun. Torture is a carefully applied science that is used as a means to an end. If you do it right you won't even need to actually torture your victims, just scare them into cooperating."

"How?"

"Well, a good unnerving deathglare is a start; it also doesn't hurt to make things as uncomfortable for them as possible. I personally like lowering or raising the temperature in a room to make it uncomfortable for the subject. Plus, there is the classic good interrogator/bad interrogator method, where one is nice and friendly while the other is mean and vicious. There are many occasions where you can get info out of someone just by describing what you will do to them if they don't comply. And if they insist on being stubborn, well, I can teach you the proper places to apply the greatest amount of pain with the least amount of effort on a vast array of Xenos species and traitorous humans."

"You know, when you describe torture like that is sounds far more civilized."

"Torture is a science that must be done properly and efficiently. Those who treat it like an art that they take enjoyment of out of are missing the point. No one should ever get pleasure out of torture; it is a tragically regrettable act in this galaxy we live in that such methods are necessary for our survival.

_**Machine Spirits**_

Nathaniel found himself writing the sentence "I will not profane the Omnissiah" over and over again. Fahimah had given him this task after a little misunderstanding.

"I hope in the future, Nathaniel, that is a machine doesn't work for you, you will refrain from kicking it and calling it a worthless piece of junk. Every machine has a machine spirit attached to it that must be honored and shown respect." The mechanical woman lecture

"What proof is there that machine spirits even exist, believe me if they were real the Dark Eldar would have know and would have had a million ways to torture them."

"Xenos cannot possibly begin to understand the perfection of the works of the Omnissiah and the ancients. Their machines do not possess machine spirits, for they are not blessed by the Omnissiah. I will teach you proper respect for the Omnissiah even if it kills you. Even if you survive your training and become an Inquisitor in your own right, you will still have a Techpriestess like me to deal with to make sure your technology stays pure."

"Why don't I just get one of those Jokaero's to handle all of my technological needs?" At this Fahimah gets really agitated and has one of her tentacles grab Nathaniel by the arm.

"When you are done with your 1000 sentences, you can add on 5000 "I will not consort with filthy Xenos apes" on your to do list."

_**History Lessons**_

"So, the first sentient species in the galaxy were the C'Tan, followed by the Old Ones, then the Necrontyr, then the Slann, and so on and so forth. Humanity would not emerge for awhile, and even then the Emperor would not appear for a few more thousand years." Herodotus is lecturing Nathaniel in intergalactic history, while Yuri is taking a nap after a lesson in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

"1. How do you know this? 2. Man was made in the image of the Emperor by the Emperor."

"We have read many Xenos texts, a lot of them taken excavated ruins. Also, we have learned a lot from the Eldar who have proven to be quite cooperative when the proper pressure is applied. As for the unquestioning dogma you just spouted, you are an Inquisitor's apprentice; you need to start thinking like one. The Emperor coming after mankind does not diminish his glory. He is the physical and spiritual manifestation of the will of humanity, it only makes sense that he would come later."

"I have heard about the Old One's before, but who are the C'Tan, Necrontyr, and the Slann?"

"The Slann were one of the first races created by the Old Ones, still in existence today. There are some who believe that due to the reptilian/amphibious nature of the Slann that the Old One's must have been like that as well. I personally doubt it; I like to operate under the belief that the Old One's were some form of immortal energy being tied to the materium and immaterium that could change their shape. There may even be a few still around, somewhere hiding and weeping at what has become of their great work. As for the C'Tan, they started out as large energy beings that fed off of the life-force of stars. When the Necrontyr gave them physical bodies they quickly discovered the tastiness of souls and the amazing power they had over the material universe, even if the warp was anathema to them. The Necrontyr themselves were a highly advanced race doomed to have short and painful lives. There were many dynasties spread throughout the stars, yet even after they escaped their torturous homeworld and sun, they still had diseased and short lived bodies. It was their jealousy of the Old One's that led them in war against them. They were handily defeated the first time, went on the verge of collapses, then discovered the C'Tan who promised them victory. They transferred themselves over to mechanical bodies, losing their souls in the process, went against the Old One's a second time and won. At the height of their victory their turned on the C'Tan and shattered them, turning them into monsters summoned from strange cubes that serve as their prison. They went into dormancy after their victory since they were weak and the Eldar were ascendant. Now they are reawakening, and not liking what they have found, seek to reestablish their old dynasties and claim the universe as theirs once more."

"You talk a lot, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yes, but I am very passionate about my subject of study, and if you are going to be an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor you probably should be just as passionate."

Nathaniel pondered this; he would have a lot to learn from everyone if he wanted to be a great Inquisitor.


	20. Chapter 20 The Uncanny Valley

_**(Sorry for the tardiness my loyal readers, I meant to have this posted on Wednesday at the two week point, but certain events came up, mainly a carbon monoxide leak. I am doing fine and I plan to get back on a semi release schedule. I want to thank you all for reading and commenting, I haven't had much time lately due to midterms, papers, projects, and work, though your continual dedication to the story and reviews are appreciated. I have also been in a bit of a rut lately that I have now gotten out of. This chapter deals with a new race that was originally suggested by a reader who has followed the story since the beginning, and has contributed many great ideas and has delivered useful feedback. I liked the feel of them and after much discussion, and personal thought and deliberation; I am ready to introduce the Mechanatites. Disclaimer, I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop, this is purely a fan work meant to glorify the grim darkness of the far future. Please note that there is a difference between the Demiurge and the Demiurg, whose racial name is derived from the Demiurge)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journal**

**The Mechanatites are a fascinating phenomenon, a race of soul possessing sentient machines that love humanity, that were even made by humanity. Even though debate still rages about what to do with them, they are quite possibly the one Xenos race I like, if they can even be considered Xenos. Whenever I have asked for their aid they have delivered it, and they have always sided with humanity over their Xenos neighbors, a somewhat dangerous position due to their location on the edges of Tau space and several other independent Xenos realms. I even have the privilege of owning a couple Mechanatites devices. Their technological expertise is simply amazing, and it's all based on human technology from long ago. Ironically, their number one allies, the Adeptus Mechanicus, are also the ones preventing their tech from spreading widely across the Imperium. The Adepts of Mars to love their monopoly on technology, and the Mechanatites are cautious with giving them anything. Personally, I don't blame them for their caution, it's sad that I trust the sentient machines more than I trust the creepy red robed cyborgs. It could be due to the fact that while the Mechanatites wish to become more human, the Adepts seek to become more machine-like The one part of their history that I find disturbing is their origin. During the uprising of the Iron Men, they were able to not succumb to what they call The Madness, thanks to a mysterious red ethereal figure giving them souls and a device to impart souls on all future generations. While they assure me that this entity is a friend of humanity, or as the Adepts view him, a messenger from the Omnissiah, there is something about him that disturbs me. Then again, I am a cynical and paranoid Inquisitor stuck in a universe that truly wants to wipe out all human life, so I may be a bit biased. Also, there is the issue of what they call the source of The Madness, a strange signal that emerged from the depths of Mars that turned all sentient machines against humanity. The call this signal the Song of the Dragon, and that the originator still dwells on Mars in the region known as the Noctis Labyrinth. I have discovered that bringing this subject up with the Tech Priests is an easy way to make them angry, as they are unresponsive at best and downright hostile at worst. Further investigation at this time is unfeasible, but it is one of those things that does keep me awake at night.**

Nathaniel found himself seated in a strange ship, across from a strange being. This ship, unlike the ships of humanity, was sleek, smooth, circular, and well lit. It was quite surreal to him and disorienting to him. He was sitting on a strange stool at a metallic round table staring across at the strangest woman he had ever seen. While Inquisitor Wei went to converse on some private matters with the presumed Captain of the ship, Nathaniel was left in this woman's care. From a distance she appeared human, but once he got closer he realized she wasn't. Her skin was a metallic silver, her long bronze colored hair unmoving, with mesmerizing golden globes for eyes. Across her body were glowing metallic blue lines where her veins should be. She had a highly expressive humanlike face with human like body movements, yet that only seemed to disturb him even more.

"What you are experiencing right now is the uncanny valley young one, gazing upon something so humanly familiar yet so different you don't quite know how to react."

"How did you know that?"

"It is a common reaction many humans have for us the first time they meet us, plus my sensors pick up the readings from your body that you find me unnerving."

"Well, can you explain to me what you are, where did you come from, and why my mistress has dealings with you."

"Certainly, that is what I am here for, I was just waiting for you to initiate verbal communication, and I find that it is easier to open up dialogue with humans if you let them speak first."

"Um, answers please?"

"I am a Mechanatite, a sentient machine possessing a soul granted to me by the Forge of Souls. This not only protects me and the others like me from the Song of the Dragon that creates The Madness, but allows us easier interaction with other beings possessing souls."

"So, I take it you do not like the Necrons?"

"By the God-Emperor no, to us the Necrons are an abomination, what we seek to avoid becoming at all costs."

"Wait, you believe in the God-Emperor?"

"Of course, it was he who sent the Demiurge who gave us the Forge of Souls that allowed us to become sentient soul possessing beings and saved us from The Madness that consumed our kin as they declared war upon the most blessed humanity."

"Who is the Demiurge?" Nathaniel was getting quite confused by this point.

"Perhaps it would be best if I start from the beginning." She presses a few buttons on her side of the table and a hologram appears in front of Nathaniel, a beautiful and elegant city filled with humans and machines. "This was human society at the height of the Dark Age of Technology, the Men or Iron were built to serve and aid man in its dominance, it was a glorious time when the power of man stood unchallenged, yet this time was long before the Emperor revealed his light to humanity. This state of affair would of continued on for awhile were it not for the Song of the Dragon and the resulting madness." A hologram of a verdant green and blue world appeared, under which was the word Mars. "This is Mars, a beautiful world filled with scientists and scholars. It was here that the signal known as the Song of the Dragon was first broadcasted across the entirety of human space." Next she displayed images of machines slaughtering humans and the humans fighting back. "This signal inflicted The Madness upon all sentient machines, turning them against humanity. It was a horrific war, and even today most humans would view the creation of sentient machines as a abhorrent sin, after the horrors unleashed during this war, I don't blame them. However, a group of machines were saved from The Madness, we now call them the Council of Reason who rule over us, but back then they were nothing more than a collection of basic service androids." Next Nathaniel saw 20 rough looking humanoid robots, nowhere near as sleek or fancy as his host, looking up at a glowing red humanoid figure. This figure is holding a strange metallic sphere in its hands. "That is the Demiurge, a servant of the God-Emperor who had not yet revealed himself. He gave the Council of Reason souls and the means to impart souls on future generations. That sphere is known as the Forge of Souls, and all new Mechanatites are given a soul by it. The Council left the horror and made their way to the eastern fringe, where mankind had very little presence. And for the last 15,000 years, our people were hidden. Using advanced cloaking technology my people built up our civilization in secret, slowly upgrading to new and improved bodies and perfecting the technology of humanity that had been lost. Our ultimate goal has always been to reunite with humanity and come to their aid in their darkest hour, through this we would redeem ourselves and once again take our place in human society."

"Okay, so you're saying that the uprising of the Iron Men came from Mars, which is now the center of all human technology."

"I wouldn't exactly call it the center of technology, more like a mausoleum to half remembered greatness."

Nathaniel chuckled at this, "I don't think Fahimah the Tech Priestess would appreciate that description."

"The Adeptus Mechanicus may be our friends and allies, but they are fully aware of what we think about their methods and Machine Spirit beliefs. Only machines who have been granted a spirit by the Forge of Souls have a spirit."

"By the way, what is your name?"

"I like to go by the moniker, Galatea, a statue that was turned into a human by a goddess in ancient Terran mythology."

"Why do you wish to be more human?"

Galatea smiles at this, "You humans take your humanity for granted, I long to be flesh and bone, to use all of the human senses, to feel the grass beneath my feet, the wind in my flowing and moving hair, the tender embrace of a loved, the engagement of intimate activities with that loved ones, the joy of giving live birth."

"Wait, you want to become pregnant and actually give birth, many human women I have met would prefer to skip that part."

"Once again, you humans take your humanity for granted. It is only quite recently that I have downloaded myself into this humanoid form, yet I long for a true human existence."

"Downloaded?"

"We do not age like you humans do, we download ourselves into bodies as we see fit, with humanoid bodies being reserved for those who have been around for awhile and who want them. Sadly not every Mechanatite wants a humanoid form though they do wish to become more human."

"How old are you?"

"I am 5000 years old, give or take a few decades."

"You're that old?"

"Yes, but actually I am still fairly young by the standard of my people, especially compared to the Council of Reason. I spent my first 4500 years as a fighter jet. In fact every piece of Mechanatite technology is a Mechanatite."

"So 500 years is recent for you?"

"Didn't your mother teach you that it's rude to talk about age with a lady?"

"My mother abandoned me to an Ork raiding party, who gave me over to the Dark Eldar for ten years of torture. In fact the closest thing I have to a mother is Inquisitor Wei."

"You are very fortunate then, she is a remarkable woman."

"Yes she is, and I am grateful to her, though I wish she wasn't so weak with Xenos."

"She does have a very re-conciliatory nature, though she is nowhere near as bad as the Tau. She simply recognizes that you need allies in this galaxy, allies like us."

"Yeah, I am still not sure what to make of you."

"Do not view us as Xenos, view us as cousins of humanity, the Imperium makes use of Ratlings and Ogryns, does it not. While we may not be descended from human genes we are descended from human technology, and we are ten times more pleasant by comparison."

Nathaniel smiles at this, "That you are, alright, I will not view you as Xenos, you are just highly developed lasguns."

Galatea does a face palm, "Close enough though I do hope that you wil refine that position with time."

Inquisitor Wei enters the room, "It's time to go Nathaniel, thank you for taking care of him Galatea."

"Any time Inquisitor."

As they make their way back over to the Black Lotus, Nathaniel confronts his mistress. "You brought me here to show me that all Xenos aren't bad didn't you. Well it didn't work the Mechanatites are not Xenos to me."

Inquisitor Wei smiles at this, "That is why I left you with her, so that you would come to understand the Mechanatites, and how important they will be for the future of mankind. I will introduce you to some friendly Xenos another day at the Maute Inta Space Port, which is our next stop."

Nathaniel lets out a groan as they continue on their way.

**Footnote**

**The High Lords of Terra have recently decreed that the Mechanatites are an exception to the no A.I. rule, though they strongly caution them not to reveal themselves too quickly. Right now only the highest levels of the Imperium, Inquisitors, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the humans who live near them actually know about them. This works out just fine given the current situation, but something still bugs me, who is the Demiurge and what is his true connection with the Emperor?**


	21. Chapter 21 Xenos Freeport Part 1

_**(It's been awhile hasn't it, but now I am back and I intend to start updating again now that the final weeks are over with. Some have expressed interest in the Demiurge; its identity will be revealed in a later chapter. This chapter will be a two parter, and it is one I am quite proud of. Generic Disclaimer)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journal Entries**

** Free Ports are a necessary evil, especially on the fringe of Imperium space. They are a meeting ground for rogue traders, heretics, rebels, mutants, pirates, and a wide assortment of Xenos. Naturally, they are a wonderful source of information, and it's a wise policy to allow for a few to stay in operation, though I have purged quite a few during my time as an Inquisitor. They can often be found in asteroid belts, abandoned outposts, and I have even seen a few space hulks retrofitted to serve as Free Ports. When Inquisitor Wei took me to my first Free Port, she sought to help end my prejudice against all Xenos. It did almost work; I have to admit to that. In the end, however, all sympathy that I had developed for these Xenos, even the refugees, has been lost. I still visit these Free Ports in secret, since it serves my purposes and they are a treasure trove of information. I just need to make sure that I document all of them for extermination at a later date.**

Nathaniel once again found himself on the Miss Liz with Methuselah Alden and Inquisitor Wei. Not even Mr. Li was going with them this time. Apparently when entering a Freeport it was for the best not to draw attention to oneself, so smaller groups were the way to go. While Inquisitor Wei had a few Xenos friends who knew that she was an Inquisitor, most inhabitants of this Freeport would not take kindly to having an Imperial Inquisitor strutting about their home. They came upon the Freeport, which appeared to be a mishmash of strung together asteroids, old derelict ships, and old mining facilities left over from a different age. A wide assortment of ships Nathaniel had never seen, though Nathaniel did recognize a few Dark Eldar raiders. Sensing his unease Inquisitor Wei tries to calm him.

"Don't worry Nathaniel, those Dark Eldar are probably here as traders, they won't start trouble in a Freeport. Just remember not to start anything with them, while they won't start trouble they won't hesitate to fight back if you interfere with their business." She grabs a couple of black cloaks and throws one to Nathaniel. "Put that on, in Freeport's different colored cloaks mean different things. Blue stands for refugee, gray stands for weapons merchant, red stands for slaver, green stands for drug merchant, purple stands for a pimp/prostitute, white stands for emissary, orange stand for a honest merchant/professional, yellow stands for a traveler, and black stands for someone who is here for a private meeting and should not be disturbed. These black cloaks will guarantee us safe and undisturbed passage in the Freeport."

"That's a highly elaborate system, how did you everybody agrees to those rules?"

"Freeport's have been around since before the Age of Strife, dating back to the Dark Are of Technology, we believe the cloak system was agreed upon by all parties involved in the first Freeport's in order to make one's intentions clear and to help facilitate trade. Knowing what everyone is doing there can help prevent unfortunate incidences and misunderstandings, as well as tragedies." Methuselah was the one who explained this bit of history.

"Sir, we are beginning docking procedures, we have clearance to disembark at Dock M4." Says the voice of one of the voice of one of the crewmembers on the intercom system. "Also, the Merchant's Council of this Freeport welcomes us in the spirit of free trade, and asks for us to leave all weapons on our ship, unless we are engaged in arms dealing or slave suppression in which case we should check in with customs and declare what we have."

"Freeport's are very big on maintaining their neutrality and not causing any trouble. It definitely serves our purposes not to cause any trouble." Methuselah finishes off.

A few minutes later the three of them are stuck in the customs line, being questioned by a blue orange skinned humanoid alien with green hair, purple eyes, and ten arms. "I take it from your black cloaks you are here for a private meeting. Who are you, who are you meeting, and where will you be meeting?"

Inquisitor Wei responds "We are Rogue Traders here to discuss a business proposition; we will be meeting with an Eldar Farseer from the Craftworld Paratain, a Torgan, a Bortaran, and a Yulka. We will be meeting in a private room at the Polten Café."

"Are any of you psykers?"

"The boy and I are both beta level psykers, with excellent training and control we assure you."

The alien gave them a suspicious look, "See to it that we don't have any incidents with Daemons running amok. Do you have any weapons you would like to declare and leave with me?"

"We have no weapons on us whatsoever; we are here for a peaceful business meeting."

"What about the older man's eye, is it weaponized."

"Come on now, you wouldn't deprive an old man of his bionic eye would you? I can assure you my eye is quite harmless." Methuselah responds.

"Well, if you have no merchandise to declare welcome to our Freeport. Please no fighting and may you satisfied with all of your purchases and business deals."

They left the dock and entered the tunnels, which led them to the larger caverns. "Keep lively Nathaniel, our rendezvous zone is all the way on the other side of this Freeport." While they traveled through the Freeport, Nathaniel got a good look at many different sites. It was an eclectic collection of stalls, tents, doorways, and hanging bridges. Nathaniel was hit by a wide variety of alien music and strange smells. It was almost too much for him to take in; the colors, sounds, and smells very nearly overwhelmed him.

He saw a group of feline humanoid aliens, a mother and her children in blue cloaks begging for food. He would later learn that their homeworld was conquered by Black Templar crusade and now they were without a home.

He saw a group of Tarellian and Kroot mercenaries in yellow cloaks gambling with each other. The Kroot gave them a curious look while the Tarellians looked at them with barely contained hatred.

He saw the Dark Eldar in red robes holding a slave auction. Most of the slaves were attractive human women in skimpy outfits. One poor girl was sold to some reptilian Xenos, who informed her that she would make an excellent meal for its young. Nathaniel was about ready to unleash his powers upon them, but Inquisitor Wei quickly pulled him along. "Nathaniel there is nothing we can do to stop this, we need to focus on the reason why we're here."

The variety of new Xenos Nathaniel saw simply overwhelmed him. Most Xenos responded to their presence with fear, loathing, or curiosity. Some of the phrases that he picked up, thanks to the Dark Eldar translator still implanted in him after all these years, were phrases like filthy humans, murdering humans, hideous humans, cruel humans, vicious humans and even one delicious human. However, despite their misgivings their appeared to be a lot of blue cloak humans in this Freeport. Nathaniel would later be informed that these were humans who had rejected the Imperium and its beliefs, and now sought refuge amongst the Xenos. Most of these fools would either end up killed, enslaved, or a part of the Tau Empire. They finally made it to their destination, a large structure that looked like a restaurant. Inquisitor Wei and Methuselah told him to wait outside while they secured their room, it would be a few hours before their contacts showed up. While waiting outside Nathaniel saw a familiar unpleasant sight, an entourage of Tau, one male ethereal and 10 members of the water caste, dressed in white cloaks seeking out anyone who would listen to them. They decided to set up their soapbox not too far from where Nathaniel was standing. Giving some strange voice projection device, he begins to speak

"My friends," the ethereal began, "I am Aun'el'Borkan'Nautel, and I come as an emissary for the Tau Empire. Let it be known, that a new era of peace and prosperity is open to you. We have come, with an open hand to lead you to a greater state of freedom known as the Greater Good, in service to the Tau Empire. No more starvation, no more fear of the Imperium, we are offering you the change for a new life. Over the years many species have heeded the wisdom of our words, and have found liberation in complete dedication to the Greater Good. For those of you who are interested, me and my entourage will be here all day, if you seek to join the Tau Empire, or have any question about joining, just seek us out." With that the Ethereal got off of his soapbox, he then caught sight of Nathaniel. Thinking that he might have found someone who would hear him out, he decided to strike up a conversation with Nathaniel. "Hello there young man, have you heard the word of the greater good?"

"Yes, in fact I have, I have heard about it a lot."

"Wonderful, where did you learn about our glorious empire?"

"In the hellish realm of nightmares known as Commorragh, there were a lot of Tau slaves who spoke quite fondly of your empire." Nathaniel was speaking in a very dry, condescending tone, though the ethereal had not picked up on it.

"That is quite tragic to hear, though your scars would indicate such an origin. What do you think about the Greater Good? Would you be inclined to join us?"

"Well, to me the concept of the Greater Good is full of lies and deceit. You are charlatans and deceivers who use everyone for your own means, who will not hesitate to save their own lives by sacrificing your followers. You use indoctrination and pheromones to control your populace and affect the perceptions of non Tau you come into contact with. You are a vile manipulative species that hides its true nature behind a mask of altruism. And in answer to your second question, I would sooner die fighting for the Imperium before I bow down to a piece of Xenos filth such as yourself."

The Ethereal, quite uncomfortable now, slowly backs up.

"Oh, and one more thing, I met an Ethereal girl while in Commorragh, I knew her as Aun'sal, she was released before my escape, with a little hybrid child in her custody. Could you send her a message from me, no matter where she runs and hides, I will find her and put an end to her and her little abomination."

The Ethereals face becomes quite pale at this. "You are the father of her child, aren't you? It would appear that her debriefing wasn't completely accurate."

"No doubt she never believed that I would escape that city."

The shaken Ethereal leaves Nathaniel to continue his proselytizing, while Nathaniel hears a chuckle coming from his side. "Well spoken boy, well spoken." Nathaniel turns to face the speaker and see's an assortment of humans in blue cloaks, underneath they are all wearing purple and gold with Slaaneshi symbols. Their leader is a very attractive female, who seems to exude an inhuman, mind numbing musk from her body. "My name is Cassandra and I lead this Cult of Ecstasy, these refugees you see behind me are recent converts of mine. I have taken away their misery and sorrow and replaced it with pleasure and ecstasy; I can do the same for you. All you need to do is surrender yourself to the Prince of Pleasure."

"Yes, I have heard of your "Prince of Pleasure", and I dealt with its servants first hand." He turns to the new cultists in Cassandra's entourage. "I don't know what Cassandra has promised you, but in the end devotion to Slaanesh will bring you only ruin." Cassandra, quite outraged at this gets ready lash out at him with claws that had grown out of her nails, but quickly backs off with fear in her eyes and leads her cultists away. Nathaniel, thinking he had suitable intimidated them, is caught off guard by the by the voice behind him.

"Bold words Mon 'keigh, however one should not invoke the name of She Who Thirsts lightly." Nathaniel turns around and founds himself face to face with a female Eldar wearing bone white form fitting armor underneath her black cloak. She has red hair and green eyes, with her spirit stone on the middle of her forehead. "I am Farseer Marltona and I take it you are Inquisitor Wei's protégé.

**To be continued in part 2**


	22. Chapter 22 Xenos Freeport Part 2

_**(Generic Disclaimer)**_

**Nathaniel's Journal Entries (Xenos files)**

**Craftworld Paratain/Status: Active- A fairly prosperous and growing Craftworld, it is mostly due to their diplomatic talent and a long list of non-Eldar allies that they have remained prosperous. Their relationships with other Craftworlds, especially the Biel-Tan Craftworld is quite strained. That being said, they are still Eldar and all of their alliances are alliances of convenience. If they gain no benefit out of a conflict, they will not aid their allies. Sadly Inquisitor Wei didn't realize this until it was too late. Despite my many attempts to put together a crusade to destroy this Craftworld, my plans have constantly been obstructed by that senile old hag High Inquisitor Agatha Martin. Apparently our resources should be better spent on immediate threats to the Imperium, and not a "harmless" Craftworld. I can condemn entire worlds to oblivion, as long as that old hag doesn't interfere. I have brought up my suspicions before that she is being manipulated by the Paratain Eldar, but my fellow Inquisitors just dismiss my suspicions and prevent me from interrogating her. The armor of the Eldar has a distinctive hunter green, silver, and blue coloration. They also have a unique group of aspect warriors at their disposal, the Tears of Isha, who overwhelm their opponents with Eldar levels of sorrow and despair. Their Farseers are also known for their empathy based psyker abilities, and for their skills at manipulation. **

**Torgan/Status: Exterminated- A race of boarlike humanoids, they were stubborn, rude, and belligerent. Inquisitor Wei secured their aid by promising them that they would be protected from the Imperium as long as they did not threaten humanity. Their weaponry was primitive but effective. They were also quite tough and tenacious, their eradication wasn't easy, but I must say that the feeling of satisfaction I felt afterwards made it all worth it. **

**Bortaran/Status: Exterminated- The opposite of the Torgan, the Bortaran were a gentle and peaceful race. They had pale light skin, lithe bodies, blue hair, and blue beaks and eyes. What they lacked in military capability they made up for with their advanced medical and agricultural technology. There are times when I really have to question the wisdom of the Adepts of Mars and their hatred of Xenos technology. Such a pity they proved faithless, I honestly regret their extermination for the loss of their technology, but their treachery could not go unpunished. **

**Yulka/Status: Exterminated- A shadowy race that sought to cover every inch of their bodies in robes and rags, the only indication that I got that there was anything in them was from their red eyes. Everytime one was killed their bodies disappeared, they were as mysterious in death as they were in life. One of their most distinguishing features was their ability to meld into and travel through shadows. They were even able to weaponize darkness; needless to say their extermination was quite difficult, but still necessary. If they hadn't betrayed Inquisitor Wei like they did, it would have still been in the best interest of the Imperium to eradicate them.**

Nathaniel found himself stuck in a small meeting room with Inquisitor Wei, Methuselah Alden, Farseer Marltona, Borchek the Torgan, Yu-in-ma the Bortaran, and Slyyph the Yulka. Needless to say they were a bit crowded, and Nathaniel was barely able to hide his hatred. The Farseer and Inquisitor had given him a stern tongue-lashing about picking fights in a Freeport with Tau and Slaaneshi cultists, and now he was stuck in a small room with the Xenos.

"Thank you all for coming, as you can see I have acquired a young apprentice Nathaniel Clark. It is my sincere hope that he will take my place one day, and will continue to cooperate with all of you to secure the security of this region."

"I am happy that you have finally taken on an apprentice Inquisitor, but he seems to be a little uncomfortable with being in here. Either he is suffering from irritable bowel movements, or he does not like us." Yu-in-ma hopes that it is the former and not the latter.

"Nathaniel endured ten years in Commorragh; there he developed an irrational hatred of all Xenos, even more so than the average imperial citizen. His hatred is not completely unjustified but it is unwarranted with the four of you and your respective peoples. It is my sincere hope that he will come to view all of you as his friends and allies as I have."

"I wouldn't bet on it, vicious little blighters like him never change, all you're doing is teaching him how to kill innocents." Borchek gives Nathaniel a dirty look when he finished.

"While it is not normally my policy to agree with Borchek, I too must voice my concerns. Are you sure he can be trusted, he may turn on you at any moment to secure his place in the Inquisition and advance his career by spreading stories of how he killed a Xenos loving Inquisitor." Slyyph had a whispery tone to his voice, and his red eyes seemed to glow as he stared Nathaniel down. Nathaniel, sick and tired of this, decided to defend himself. Standing up, he begins to give them a piece of his mind.

"You know nothing of me shadow dweller, you dare question my loyalty to Inquisitor Wei without knowing anything about me. She has taken me in and has given me a future, I owe her everything. It may be the way of the Xenos to betray their friends and allies, but we humans repay our debts and give honor to those who take care of us. The next time you question my loyalty to Inquisitor Wei, I will personally kill you with my own two hands."

Methuselah grabs Nathaniel by the shoulders and forces him back down, while the assembled Xenos smile at him. "It would appear your apprentice has passed the test, not for his love of us but his love of you. It is now clear that even though he may disagree with you, he will not betray you, we can now begin our meeting." A calm falls over the room as Farseer Marltona finishes.

Borchek speaks first, "Orks are appearing in greater numbers and are getting bolder in my neck of the woods, and we anticipate that a massive Waaaaaagh is on its way. We keep fighting them off, but they keep popping back up in greater numbers."

Yu-in-ma follows up, "We have detected strange readings coming from some old uninhabited worlds, at first we thought they were just settlers from the Tau Empire or the Imperium trying to move into our territory from our shared three-way border. You can imagine our surprise when we saw Necrons on the surface of the planets."

"If my hunch is correct, than those worlds was once the heart of the Horkhesh Dynasty. I caution that you remain on guard, who knows what other worlds they may claim. The Tau and Imperial authorities in the area should also be warned of Necron activity. Right now they are in the stages of waking up, but it won't take them too long to become a threat. My Craftworld could send a strike force to deal with them before they become too dangerous." Marltona can barely conceal her hatred for the Necrons in her voice.

"There is no need, if the records indicated correctly the Horkhesh Dynasty was fairly peaceful and only wished to be left alone. They were dragged into the War in the Heavens against their will. I am sure we can come to an understanding with their Phaeron." Now it is inquisitor Wei trying to get someone to calm down.

The Farseer lets out a chuckle, "You know, there are times when even I wish you were more like a bloodthirsty imperial. But Necrons and Orks are not are only problem, Dark Eldar activity has been increasing exponentially. My dark kin can sense a state of chaos and despair on the horizon and they don't want to be left out. What about you Slyyph, do you have any news worth sharing?"

"Our starseers detect a great disturbance coming our way, a hungry powerful beast seeking to consume all in its path. We believe that the Tyranids ore once again coming to the eastern fringe, specifically our region. We estimate that at the rate they are going it will take them ten years to reach us, but we should prepare for them regardless. What about you Inquisitor, do you have anything to share?"

"Nothing that hasn't already been said, though we must now discuss our course of action."

Five hours later the meeting has finished and the Farseer has pulled Nathaniel aside.

"Mon 'keigh, while you were in Commorragh did you come across an Eldar from my Craftworld, I know it is highly unlikely you did but I must know."

"You'll be surprised, was the woman named Yulnera?"

"I see, so you did meet my sister, it would appear that fate smiles upon me for now I can finally know the truth."

"You are probably not going to like what you hear." So Nathaniel told her the entire story, about the cruelty and selfishness of her sister, how she gave into despair and became like the Dark Eldar, and her final fate on the Slaaneshi world. The Farseer's face was pale white and wracked with grief by the time he finished.

"Thank you for telling me this, I have wondered for years about her fate and now I finally have some consolation, though I wish her end wasn't nearly as tragic. To you my sister was a vicious, petty monster, just as bad as the Dark Eldar, but she wasn't always like that. She was once very sweet, kind, loving, and gentle, Commorragh has a corrupting influence on everyone."

"She made is quite clear that she thought very little of non-Eldar, is that a trait she picked up in Commorragh or was it always there?"

"It's true, my people do believe that you Mon' keigh are inferior usurpers who have brought nothing but pain to this galaxy, but we are little better. It is only by coming together that we can hope to see a better tomorrow, I know this and Inquisitor Wei knows this. I long for the day when the hatred will finally end and we can all come to respect each other. I am not like many of my people, Mon'keigh. The only hope my people have is to last long enough for our race to be reborn, but for that to happen we need strong allies who will be there with us every step of the way." She gives him a genuinely tender smile. "In time, I hope you will come to view me as a friend and not as an enemy. I am not my sister, and I am not like other Eldar, I am Farseer Marltona, and I see the truth. And the truth is, we need the help of you Mon'keigh."

Later, while they are boarding their ship, Nathaniel saw the feline Xenos from earlier leaving with the Ethereal along with a large number of human refugees. It barely registers as Nathaniel is deep in thought about the words the Farseer gave him.

"You see Nathaniel, not all Xenos are evil, it is only by coming together that we can hope to survive in this galaxy of madness."

**Inquisitor Clark's Footnotes**

**I was once blinded by a Paratain Farseer, the same one whose spear I now carry. Inquisitor Wei placed her full trust in her, and paid dearly for it. I still despise myself for the weakness I showed back then. It wasn't until much later that I realized she had been using her powers of empathy and manipulation on me, I don't even believe Yulnera was her sister, that shameless pointy eared serpent only used her to get to me. She must have known about the loss of Yulnera, and she decided to use it to gain some control over me. Trust not the Xenos, for their words are honeyed poison. In this dark galaxy, that seeks our destruction; mankind stands alone now and forever.**


	23. Chapter 23 Bad Dreams

_**(Warning, there will be three more chapters during the current timeframe, then there will be another ten year time jump, which will lead to the last assortment of memories, followed by a return to the present time frame and what will hopefully be a wonderful finale. The intellectual property of Games-Workshop and the Immortal God Emperor of Mankind, deliberate theft of intellectual property is heresy.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**The scars of Commorragh will always be with me, there is no getting around that. Even to this day I still have nightmares and paranoid delusions that I have never left Commorragh, and what I believe to be this reality is nothing more than a sick joke. All I can do is keep moving forward, keep protecting the citizens, and keep killing the Xenos with extreme prejudice. But I believe my experiences have given me an edge that other Inquisitors do not have, genuine hatred. They hate the Xenos because they are taught to hate them; I hate the Xenos because I have genuinely been wronged by them. While I have taken some controversial stances in the past, no Inquisitor can question my hate. I hate the Dark Eldar who tortured me, I hate the Eldar who betrayed me, I hate Tau who manipulate the naïve, I hate the Tyranids for taking away the joy of my teacher, I hate the Necrons for taking my teacher from me, and I hate all Xenos who would dare challenge man's dominance. My hate empowers and strengthens me, motivates me and pushes me. My hate will lead me to my just vengeance, I know this. The Emperor is too kind and merciful to deny me my vengeance. I must hate, because I know my hatred will lead humanity to a new dawn.**

_**Nathaniel decides to take a quick break from his memories to converse with his apprentice.**_

Melissa is trying to shake off the disorientation from viewing her masters numerous memories; apparently it was discussion time again. "Master, you have definitely had an interesting life, but I don't get it, it seems that Inquisitor Wei had a good relationship with various Xenos, why do you hate them so much."

"I am trying to demonstrate to you how insidious the Xenos can be, before they reveal their true natures."

"What exactly did they do to you and Inquisitor Wei?"

"That will be revealed in good time, but right now there is something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"The upcoming memories you are about to see, deal with issues that I am still doing with. Before we continue, I need your guarantee that you will not reveal to the retinue what I am dealing with."

"Why not master?"

"Inquisitors can't afford to have human problems, or at least they can't make those problems public. As an Inquisitor, your retinue and every citizen of the Imperium should fear and respect you, they should strive to be more like you. This is why I am telling you this so you never forget, and the personal baggage you may be dealing with should not be revealed to your retinue. When they realize that you are just a regular human like everyone else, they will begin to lose their fear and respect of you. As an Inquisitor, humanity is a luxury you cannot afford. No one is asking you to be a space marine; you just need to be more than human. It is just one of the sacrifices we have to make to serve the Imperium."

"Inquisitor Wei seems to have had a lot of humanity."

"And believe me, it came back to bite her in the ass."

_Things faded to black as they entered another memory, Nathaniel training with Mr. Li._

Nathaniel was getting better at hand to hand combat, being actually able to hold his own against Mr. Li, at least when Mr. Li wasn't going full out. After unleashing a furry of blows he sees an opening and attempts to get a hold of Mr. Li. Mr. Li seeing what he was planning adjusts accordingly and grabs unto his arm. Instead of letting himself get tossed again, he just falls backwards, taking Mr. Li with him and sends him flying into a padded wall. They both pick each other up, and Mr. Li gives him a thumbs up of approval. They both head off to their rooms to shower and change. While on his way back to his quarters he hears his name being whispered by Archon Taelbeirt, "Nathaniel, get over here Nathaniel". Nathaniel looks around, trying to find the source. He had been having these delusions for the past few weeks, hearing the Archon calling him. He kept telling himself that it was just his imagination but that didn't put a stop to the voices.

A few hours later Nathaniel has showered, changed into his nightclothes and eaten. Now he was heading to sleep on his bunk. His room wasn't particularly spacious, but it did have a semi-comfortable bed, a bookshelf, a dresser, and a table and desk. There was also a small private restroom facility attached which was very convenient. Nathaniel once again hears his name being uttered by the Archon; instead of listening to it he is determined to go to sleep.

Nathaniel found himself walking down the hallway of the tower of the Bleeding Heart Kabal. No matter where he goes, he hears his name being called by the Archon. He starts to get scared and begins running down the hall while he hears the Archon laughing at him. He enters the Archon's throne room only to find Rubanza; he reaches out to his old friend, only to see him crumble to dust before he can even reach him. The floor disappears from underneath him and he begins to fall. He lands with a loud thunk in a pit filled with many corpses of slave he knew, he tries to catch his breath and pull himself out of the disturbing pit. Right as he climbs out of the pit all of the corpses reach out and try to drag him back in. He fights them off and runs out. He then enters a room filled with mirrors, only to be confronted by Chun.

"Nathaniel, why did you abandon me, why did you leave me to this fate?"

"Chun, I couldn't do anything, I have no power."

"I sacrificed myself for you, and you didn't even bother to find a way to save me."

"There was nothing I could do, believe me if I had been able to save you I would have."

"And now you have replaced me in my mother's life, what right do you have to still my mothers lover?"

"Chun it isn't like that, your mother still loves you."

"Bullshit, if either of you still loved me you would come and save me."

"There is nothing we can do Chun, there is nothing we can do."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME NATHANIEL?" This last scream breaks the world of mirrors and once again he falls, this time into an inky black void. He lands and looks around, he see's Sarah chained to a bed.

"Why did you reject me Nathaniel, why did you abandon me?"

"You abandoned me, to become the whore to a Xenos."

"You have no idea what I went through, how he broke me. I gave myself to him to save you and you abandoned me."

"I didn't abandon anyone; there was nothing I could do."

Sarah begins to fade away, "You abandoned me, and you abandoned us all." Nathaniel is once again left alone in the dark. He remains alone in the void for a few minutes, until a light shines down on Aun'sal, holding an infant in her arms.

"Hello Nathaniel, it's been a while hasn't it, do you want to see our child?"

"You, what you did to me was unforgiveable, and that little abomination you hold in your arms is an affront to the God Emperor."

Aun'sal quickly moves up right next to him. "You don't mean that, look at our beautiful baby girl." Nathaniel looks down on a half human half Tau hybrid girl that bore a striking resemblance to him. The child quickly morphs into Archon Taelbeirt and lifts him up into the air.

"Pet you have been gone for so long, but it is good to have you back." Nathaniel is consumed by the dark void while he bolts up in his bed, fully awake. The light is on and Inquisitor Wei is sitting at his desk, eyeing him with concern.

"You know Nathaniel, being a psyker can have its downsides, like witnessing the nightmares of someone else."

"You saw my dreams?"

"Not intentionally, but having your room next to mine allowed me to pick them up, and realizing that you may need me I came over, monitoring your nightmare the entire time."

"Inquisitor, I have had nightmares in the past, but they are getting worse, and well you saw the content of this one. Do you know what is wrong with me?"

"You were subjected to horrors that would destroy lesser men, the trauma you suffered will always be with you, but you must learn to deal with it. From what I picked up you have a certain degree of survivors guilt, which is only natural given the situation. But you are right, there was nothing you could do for them."

"Chun was in my dream as well, and I am sure you saw what she said."

"I love my daughter even now, and her loss still pains me. I do not view you as her replacement, though I do view you as a son. I hope to help you in a way that I was never able to help my daughter." Inquisitor Wei is in tears at this point. "We cannot do anything for her, but we must move on for her sake, she would not want us dwelling on her. I am proud of my daughter, and her loss still pains me to this day. No, as I said you are not her replacement, but you are my redemption. She sacrificed herself for you, the best thing you can do for her is to live your life, live the life she secured for you."

"These nightmares and voices I hear won't be going away anytime soon, will they?"

"Probably not, but the true test of a human is not running from the pain in their lives, but learning to cope with it and to grow with what you have learned into a better man." She turns out the light and leaves the room. Nathaniel goes back to sleep, and this time he has pleasant dreams.


	24. Chapter 24 Noblesse Oblige

_**(Had a bit of a slip up in the last chapter, but overall I am proud of it and the context of the conversation should have shown what I meant. I want to thank you all once again for you interest in this story. All intellectual property not pertaining to my own ideas belongs to games workshop.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's journals**

**I have often found that one of the greatest liabilities to the security of the Imperium is not the common folk, but the elite. Your average citizen can't get away with much; their resources and knowledge are too limited. Most problems in the Imperium stem from the corruption of the elite who provoke revolts with their cruelty, who chase Emperor fearing citizens into the arms of the Xenos with their abuse of power. This could just be my prejudices as a farm boy speaking, but evidence tends to support my claim that the nobles are the problem. I remember the experience of one pitiful man who was turned into an assassin by the Tau who wanted to "liberate" his world. The planetary Governor had decided to raise taxes in order to fund his "pleasure garden". This man got injured, lost his job and couldn't take care of his family, he quickly went into debt. The officials who worked for the Governor took away his wife and children to pay off his debts. I later discovered that the Governor was a closeted Slaaneshi cultist, his pleasure garden was one giant decadent cesspool of vice and foul Slaaneshi ceremonies, and the poor man's family who had been taken away to pay his debts, had been sacrificed to appease Slaanesh and his daemons. The Governor was dealt with once his heretical corruption was discovered, but at the time I was dealing with the assassin I faced a true conundrum. This man had been unjustly wronged, by an official who was obviously abusing his authority, though since he made all of his tithes the Administratum didn't care. This poor man on the other hand had consorted with the Tau and chose to serve them in order to bring justice to this odious Governor. As an Inquisitor, what was I to do? Do I let the man go who rose up in rebellion and sided with the Xenos against the Imperium? Or do I punish the Governor, who at that time had hidden his Slaaneshi affiliation well, to the point where he appeared to be just a loyal, though corrupt, servant of the Emperor? In the end, I chose to take the middle road and kill both men, but I felt genuine pity for the poor man who had lost everything, who had been forced into that desperate situation. I may be harsh and cruel at times, especially with Xenos loving traitors, but when I come upon a genuine tragedy I do feel regret for the necessity of my actions. The Imperium may face threats from within, without, and beyond, but until we realize that the nobles are often the source of the threats within, whether directly or indirectly, the Imperium will never realize its true potential. During my time as an Inquisitor, I have discovered that far too often Inquisitors are drawn from the ranks of these corrupt nobles. A few will learn the error of their ways and become genuine servants of the Emperor. Those who don't, like my rival Inquisitor Evangeline Marie Bellerose, will sadly prove to be never-ending obstacles to my goals. **

**Location: Planet Bellerophon, Palace of Marquis de Lorme-Planetary Governor-Inquisitorial banquet**

Sitting on the ship, and waiting on Inquisitor Wei was not Nathaniel's idea of a good time. Nathaniel was not happy; he had always had a bad experience with parties and now Inquisitor Wei was dragging him to one filled with Inquisitors and the local elites. "Inquisitor, why would the servants of the Emperor waste time on such pointless frivolity with spoiled aristocrats while enemies of the Emperor still draw breath?" Nathaniel was wearing a three piece suit lent to him by Methuselah; apparently this was a high end gathering.

"Events like these are rare, it allows for Inquisitors to meet up with each other in a venue outside of the Inquisitorial conferences and meetings. We all relax just a little bit and have a good time, not to mention that parties like these are an excellent source of useful information, and are necessary for making connections with likeminded Inquisitors." Inquisitor Wei was wearing a blue qipao with a golden flowery design to it.

"Wouldn't it be easier just to meet up at a conference, I am not a big fan of parties and banquets, too many bad memories." Indeed, Nathaniel was able to remember all the way back to his very first banquet in Commorragh and the events that transpired there, and those were not memories he enjoyed thinking about.

"Nathaniel, I want you to relax, this is where I will formally introduce you to the Inquisition. Believe me this will be easier on both of us than introducing you at a conference. I want you to have a good time, talk with other apprentices and acolytes, and make friends. The people you meet tonight will aid you in your future; it's for the best that you get to know them."

Later at the party, Inquisitor Wei is showing him off to her various colleagues.

"And this here is Inquisitor Angus O'Peak of the Ordo Xenos; he is one of the foremost experts on the Tyranids, right after Inquisitor Kryptman." Inquisitor Wei introduced him to a big burly man with curly red hair, piercing green eyes, who appeared to Nathaniel to be wearing a plaid skirt. Nathaniel decided to keep his mouth shut, not knowing the technical name of a piece of clothing and calling it something else had gotten him in trouble in the past.

"Ah, so you're the lad who survived that hell pit Commorragh, it's a pleasure to meet you. Any man who can withstand that nightmare and still hold his head up high is prime material for a top notch Inquisitor." Inquisitor O'Peak had a loud booming voice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir, I am currently reading your work for my Tyranid studies. Is it true that you beat back a Lictor with your own hands once?"

"Aye, that was a desperate battle, but fortunately the beast was disoriented so I at least got a fighting chance. I did get a nasty scar in my nether regions for my trouble though, would you like to see?" Inquisitor O'Peak is about ready to show off his battle wounds before Inquisitor Wei stops him.

"Angus, please don't lift up your kilt, it is neither the time nor the place."

"Are you sure Huian, because this little get together could use a little mood shift, it's so boring and stuffy, the nobles talk about social gatherings and hygiene tips, while most of the Inquisitors are being downers, or are just as boring and frivolous as the nobles. There aren't even any good drinks, no whiskeys or ales, just wine and champagne. The food here isn't any better, all frogs legs and snails, who eats snails?"

"The snails are in a soup Angus, and you really have no room to be complaining about the food, what was that one vile concoction you made for me that one time."

"Ah haggis, a sheep's heart, liver, and lungs cooked in its stomach, now that is a hardy meal."

"Personally I prefer the cuisine of my homeworld, but the point I am trying to make is that we all have different tastes."

"Inquisitors, as stimulating as this conversation about dietary habits is, I was hoping to ask Inquisitor O'Peak a few more questions on Tyranids."

"Hahaha, I like this kid, no small talk, blunt, and to the point." Inquisitor O'Peak gives him a slap on the back that nearly knocks him over. "How about you grab us some of that wine over there, something to drink is better than nothing to drink, and when you get back I can tell you all about how to deal with a genestealer infestation."

Nathaniel walks over to the table holding the various food items and beverages; he sees that it is currently being stocked by the servants, who move very quickly yet carefully, like they knew what would happen to them if they messed up. It was pretty obvious to Nathaniel since he had once been in a very similar situation. Even when he looked in their direction they averted their eyes to the ground, and away from his. One jittery young woman, with a couple bruises on her face accidentally ran into him, dropping the drinks she was carrying all over him. Terrified, she falls to the ground in a bowing position trying to salvage her situation. "Please forgive me my lord; my clumsiness has ruined your suit. I humbly beg for your mercy, and that you will not be too harsh with my punishment."

"It's alright," he extends his hand to lift her off the ground, "mistakes happen, you're just nervous. There is no need to call me lord, my name it Nathaniel Clark, and I am no more a lord than you are an Ork."

This got her smiling until the owner of the palace, Marquis de Lorme, comes up. "You stupid girl, how dare you spill wine upon one of our guests." He hands her over to his body guards who take her away. "I am terribly sorry my lord, I guarantee that she will be punished for her stupidity."

"There is no need for that, she made a simple mistake."

The Marquis lets out a loud obnoxious laugh. "Ah, I see that you have a sense of humor. But in all seriousness she will be punished." The Marquis walks off while a beautiful young woman in a long billowy dress walks up to him. She has very fair skin, dark brown hair, very smooth features, piercing green eyes, and to Nathaniel appeared to be quite beautiful. She decides to strike up a conversation.

"Greetings, my name is Evangeline Marie Bellerose, I am an apprentice to Inquisitor Khopek, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She gently extends her hand out with her palm facing the ground and the top of her hand pointed at Nathaniel. Nathaniel, thinking that this was a funny way of shaking someone's hand simply grabs it and shakes it. Evangeline has a bit of a shocked look on her face. "You were supposed to kiss it, not shake it. What is the matter with you, were you raised in a barn?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I may have been born in a barn but I wasn't raised in one. My name is Nathaniel Clark; I am an apprentice to Inquisitor Wei."

"Ah, so you're the grox farmer who was a Dark Eldar plaything." Her polite tone turned quite venomous. "Personally if I had been on the scene, I would of put a shot between your eyes, as far as I'm concerned your damaged goods who has no place in Imperial society. You come from poor stock, you spent ten years with the Xenos, and if the rumors are true you were even possessed by a demon." She finishes her verbal assault with a smug look on her face.

"Cattle rancher actually, and who are you to judge me like that, you don't even know me or what I went through." Nathaniel was quite annoyed at this point.

"Those of high breeding are taught to read people, and I can read you like a book. Making someone like you an Inquisitor is a liability to the Imperium. Then again, Inquisitor Wei isn't exactly the greatest or the most loyal of the Emperor's servants. That Xenos lover better watch herself, not even Inquisitors are above the scrutiny of their peers."

"It's not exactly good manners to insult and threaten someone who has done you no wrong."

"Manners should not be wasted with scum like you. A scarred freak like yourself could never understand what true good manners are. Upstart peasants like yourself are the reason that the Imperium has so much trouble. Heresy spreads like a cancer in the lower classes eventually disturbing the natural order of the world. I should know, I am a part of the Ordo Hereticus and we understand how traitors and heretics think better than anyone else. Commoners need to be kept in line by force, and only a strong and reliable nobility can do that."

"Now you see, that's where you're wrong. From what I've picked up from my readings is that it's the aristocracy that creates the situations that serve as breeding grounds for heresy. Corruption starts at the top, and works its way down. If anything the nobles need to be watched more than the commoners. If the nobles are just and loyal, the people will be just and loyal. If the nobles are corrupt and self serving, than the people will either emulate them or strive against them and their injustice. Either way no good will come from a corrupt nobility."

"Nonsense, next you will be saying that the High Lords of Terra are bad for the Imperium."

"They are, they are the reason that the Imperium is in the bad situation. Now there is nothing wrong with being harsh and stamping out heresy, but it should be equal for everybody, no one should have special privileges. And our leaders should at least be aware of the plight of the common man, that way they will at least take into account the fundamental aspect of human suffering in every decision they make."

"I should have you executed for heresy." Evangeline was becoming quite livid.

"There is nothing heretical about questioning the High Lords of Terra; the Emperor never sanctioned them, at least not in the form there currently in. Besides, if you are like me than you don't have the authority to declare anyone a heretic, am I right."

"One day, Dark Eldar plaything, either you or that Xenos loving heretic will slip up, and when that happens, Inquisitor Khopek and I will show no mercy."

"Inquisitor Wei doesn't fear the likes of you, and neither do I. She may have some odd views but she genuinely cares for the Imperium, and is someone who takes into account every life she sacrifices. She isn't some callous bitch so detached from humanity that the lives of the average citizen are completely worthless. What is the point of protecting humanity if we lose our humanity in the process? There should be no question that there will be times when we will need to kill a large amount of innocent people who genuinely did nothing wrong, but we should at least take into account the value of that life and to honor their sacrifice. "It is better that a thousand should die before one bows before the Xenos." What should not be forgotten is that they die because they are loyal subjects of the Emperor and we are saving them a fate worse than death, a fate away from the Emperor's light. I may have spent ten years in Commorragh, but I never lost my faith in he who dwells on Terra. If anyone is a heretic, it is you. You turn a blind eye to the corruption that infests the very heart of our government, you callously end the lives of innocents without truly understanding the necessity of your actions, you believe yourself to be wise yet you know nothing of the true horror that dwells in this universe, if you did you might be able to appreciate the sacrifice of the multitudes of his loyal subjects better. It is you and your Inquisitor who should watch your backs, because if you slip up and show your true colors, I will see to it that you are justly punished for your treachery. Inquisitor Wei and I are true servants of the Emperor, and don't you ever forget it."

Evangeline walks away in a huff; Nathaniel turns around to see Inquisitor Wei and O'Peak standing there. Inquisitor Wei has a smile on her face and tears running down her eyes. "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," Inquisitor Wei embraces him in a warm hug "I am very proud of you Nathaniel. I knew that I chose well when I chose you as my apprentice."

**Journal Footnotes-Factions**

**Me- I am a proud member of the Ardentite faction. I firmly believe that the Emperor is working through humanity to slowly evolve us into a fully mature and psychic species, our duty then is to safeguard the human race so that we may actually reach our ascension intact.**

**Inquisitor Wei-Inquisitor Wei was a member of the Xeno Hybris faction, there is no way I can deny that. Her fate accurately illustrates the reason why the Xenos cannot be trusted.**

**Evangeline Marie Bellerose- A very strong Libricar, fortunately she has given up her naïve view of the nobility over the years, unfortunately the destruction of her worldview was particularly cruel and now she is possessed of a rabid mania, a paranoia that there are a large number of heretics and traitors in every Imperial organization. She doesn't even trust herself or her retinue. Some people just have a bad problem with obsessing over and not letting go of traumatic experiences I guess. **


	25. Chapter 25 First Blood

_**(Once again, I want to thank you all for your interest in this story. It was raised in the last chapter that Nathaniel's views aren't exactly the wisest or best views to have. While I may agree with the character in some areas, I don't agree with everything he believes in. His journal entries especially are meant to be his opinion. You are free to agree or disagree with him and his views, but he is definitely not perfect. One of his biggest mistakes involve him stepping on the toes of the Ordo Hereticus, since one of their main duties is dealing with corrupt and incompetent officials, they don't take to kindly to the interference of an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor in their business. I do appreciate it when you guys disagree with me, or point out what appear to be mistakes, the ensuing dialogue aids my growth as a storyteller and the dealing with mistakes I might have missed otherwise or failed to clarify. This will be the last chapter in the Inquisitor Wei arc, another time jump and sequence of memories will follow before we get back to the current timeline. This is also the first time I have written about a big battle, so I hope it goes well. I do not lay claim to the intellectual property of games workshop, if I am lying may Trazyn the Infinite take all of possession back to Solemance, and possibly me as well.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**The first kill is always the hardest, the most difficult. That's why commissars exist and Space Marines undergo special conditioning to become perfect killing machines. The taking of the life of another being is a terrible act that can never be undone; at least that's what some bleeding hearts say. My first active engagement was against the Dark Eldar, a chance for revenge I had long relished. The trouble is, it didn't turn out the way I wanted it too. I was young and cocky; I thought that I would personally slay the Archon with my bare hands. I was only able to kill one Dark Eldar, I was simply too inexperienced to contribute any more than that and the knowledge I had of these depraved Xenos. The one life I did take, did not do what I wanted it too. I was hoping that I would feel a sense of satisfaction that a part of me that was lost would be returned, that my nightmares would finally end and I would have some measure of solace. All I got was an empty feeling and a deep pit of self doubt. **

Nathaniel had not been this excited in a long time, they were finally lashing out against some Xenos. And these weren't just any Xenos, they were Dark Eldar. Nathaniel was still impressed that they were able to catch the raiders by surprise and take their ship. Now was Nathaniel's chance for vengeance. Inquisitor Wei, Mr. Li, the retinue, and the Deathwatch Kill-Team they brought with them were fighting in the upper levels of the ship, seeking to kill the Archon and his followers. Nathaniel had been partnered up with Petra and a squad of Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. Their mission was to head into the underbelly of the ship and rescue any prisoners they found, human or xenos. Nathaniel himself was wearing stormtrooper carapace armor, and they even armed him with a hotshot lasguns. Due to his inexperience in actual combat experience they placed him in the rear to watch their backs. Personally he was a bit insulted and wanted to contribute more, but they were quite insisted that since he was still untested he would be too much of a burden at this point in time to place up front. Besides, they wanted him to learn by watching how they did things. They had managed to crush all opposition they had encountered so far, which wasn't much. Nathaniel thought this would be easy going until they came across a squad of Dark Eldar warriors, the squad did not hesitate to open fire and the warriors were cut down. These narrow hall ways worked against the natural speed and agility of the Dark Eldar. It would matter little if they were going up against a regular ship crew of untested guardsmen, but these were Inquisitorial Stormtroopers, and their skill and discipline in these narrow corridors was too much for the Dark Eldar. It also probably helped that the best warriors were in the upper levels defending their master. They just kept on pushing their way through until they came upon a chasm in the ship, the bridge over the chasm had been removed and it was a 15 foot climb down to the bottom and 20 feet from one edge to the other.

"Who would put a chasm in their starship?" One of the Stormtroopers asks.

"My guess is to act as a defense mechanism; if they remove the bridge then it becomes very difficult to get across, allowing them time to regroup and prepare." Petra replies "Or they thought it looked cool."

"So how are we going to get across commander, we could try grappling but the surface appears to smooth on the other side." Says one trooper

"We could climb down the fifteen feet, and then climb back up the other side." Says another

"That would take too long, and if the Dark Eldar decided to attack we would be completely defenseless and at their mercy." Petra finishes.

"What if I used my powers to float you guys across?" The squad gives him an odd look. "Well, I have been practicing and I have gotten better with my powers, I could levitate you across."

"Are you sure you can handle that Nathaniel?" Petra asks, "The strain may be too much for you."

"I am sure I can do it, as long as I don't try to get everyone across at the same time."

Thus, Nathaniel began to levitate the squad across the chasm two at a time, by the time everyone got to the other side, Nathaniel levitated himself over.

"Excellent work Nathaniel, it's good to see you training with Tertullian is paying off."

They continue to make their way down, oddly not coming across any more opposition. The ship, like all Dark Eldar ships is dimly lit with eerie purple lighting.

"This isn't right; I have been on Dark Eldar ships numerous times. If we are getting close to the prisoner holding cells, we should be hearing screams and cries of pain."

"Exactly, I have a bad feeling about this but the Inquisitor is quite adamant that we try to save whoever we can." They continue down the eerily deserted hallways till they came to a closed door at the end of the last hall.

"Yep, this is where they usually keep the prisoners."

"Alright, squad gets ready, we are going to bust down that door and charge in." Right as they were about to set the charges the door opened automatically.

"Come in playthings come in, if you want to know that happened to our pets you may want to hold your fire."

They slowly enter the room and gaze upon a female Haemonculus; she had several pieces of odd colored flesh sown to her skin and four mechanical arms grafted onto her body. She wore a long and billowy robe, no doubt hiding her weapons from their sight. Her hair had been replaced by slimy tentacles that seemed to move on their own, her eyes were purple and reptilian, while her mouth was sown shut with a dozen needles piercing their way out of her mouth. She appeared to have some kind of device wrapped around her neck, allowing her to communicate.

"Where are the prisoner's creature?" Petra asks

"Why my dear girl, they are in here." She pulls out a strange white glowing orb filled with countless agonized ghostly faces. "I find that playthings are so much easier to travel with when you compact them down into one storage device. Granted, this is the first field test I have done with so many playthings, so it is yet to be seen if they will be restored to their bodies or not once I unleash them."

"Release them now, and we will grant you a swift and merciful death."

"_Kill them all, except for their leader and the scarred boy."_

Nathaniel got ready to fight, but he saw nothing but confused looks on the faces of the storm trooper. Then it hit him, she had spoken in the Eldar tongue. "Prepare yourselves, she has ordered her minions to kill us." At that proclamation eight wracks emerge, seemingly out of nowhere and begin their attack. The 12 man squad opens fire, into the oncoming beasts managing to take down four. Nathaniel momentarily taken aback by the sudden attack, prepares to join the fight as well, unfortunately he has problems of his own. A strange device seemingly emerges out of nowhere; it is a floating orb with dozens of metallic hands on it. It emits a strange noise that incapacitates Nathaniel, but no one else. Nathaniel realizes that it is designed to target and take down psykers. The arms, possessing greater strength than their appearance would indicate, try to hold Nathaniel down. Meanwhile the fighting occurs, with the four remaining wracks tearing into the storm troopers, easily tearing six apart. The remaining six plus Petra manage to get off another round, downing three more. Knowing that these creatures are tough with a liking for pain, they make sure to shoot them in the heads. The last wrack gets the privilege of Petra shoving one of their explosives under his mask and getting pushed away from the squad. The following explosion disorients everyone, sadly taking out two more Stormtroopers. The Haemonculus quite annoyed at this point, tears off the section of the dress covering her stomach, revealing a toothy maul with a long tongue. She swallows the orb and gains a sudden boost of energy. Going on the offensive she injects two of the storm troopers with blue poison that dissolves them from the inside out. Another is dragged into her maw and sealed inside her as the maw seals itself back up. Apparently the maw was highly corrosive because the large body was quickly melted down and absorbed. The last stormtrooper is grabbed by her tentacles, which push their way into her victim's skull, severing the brain stem. A no longer disoriented Petra opens fire on the monster, wounding her but not stopping her.

"You have proven to be quite the nuisance." The Haemonculus pulls out a strange looking gun and fires shards of glass at Petra. The shards hit and Petra begins to turn to glass. Summoning all of her strength, Petra fires point blank into the face of the Haemonculus, killing her. With its mistress gone, the device attacking Nathaniel shuts down. He quickly rushes over to Petra.

"I am so sorry, I shouldn't have let that thing get to me." Petra hushes him up.

"You are safe, that's all that matters. Competent Stormtroopers aren't hard to find, but you, you are the future of the Inquisition. I can see why Inquisitor Wei has taken such interest in you, give her my best." Right as she finished Petra is completely turned to glass. Nathaniel, quite upset, doesn't quite know what to do. He hears some rustling in the back of a room, and sees a small figure make a run for it. Nathaniel opens fire without mercy and shoots the fleeing creature down. He walks over and sees that his first kill was little more than a Dark Eldar girl, who would probably qualify as an eight year old by human standards. The little girl, still clinging to life, looks up at Nathaniel.

"_You stupid Mon-keigh, you killed my mommy, you ruined everything."_

"_Why would your mother even bring you with her?"_

"_My mother loved me dearly; she couldn't leave me back at the coven at the mercy of her rivals. Besides, this was going to be a fun excursion and learning experience."_

"_Shut up you little brat, you annoy me." _With that Nathaniel shoots her once more, this time she dies, staring up at Nathaniel with an accusing glare.

"So, the squad is dead but I got in my first kill, a young defenseless child." Nathaniel starts to laugh hysterically, that laughter turns into tears with Nathaniel walking over to the glass Petra, crying like he hadn't cried in years. Inquisitor Wei and the others finally show up and see the mess.

"Nathaniel, what happened here?" The Inquisitor asks

"They all died, they took down the Haemonculus and her minions, but died in the process. All I could do was gun down one defenseless child." Nathaniel is having a hysterical crying fit right now. Inquisitor Wei walks over to him, and slaps him hard.

"Nathaniel get a hold of yourself, what happened was not your fault. You did your best and you survived. I had no idea the Haemonculus would be down here, if I did I would have sent more support. And from the looks of it you had to deal with a psyker suppressor, such a device would even incapacitate me in this situation. As for the child, killing her could be considered a mercy. If she had grown up she would have become just as depraved as her kin. The only hope she would have had would have been a Craftworld taking her in, and even that would have been very unlikely."

"I have wanted vengeance against the Dark Eldar for some time, but now that I have it I fell hollow on the inside."

"What we do, we do not do for vengeance. We do it to protect humanity at all costs; Petra and those Stormtroopers knew that, they put their lives on the line for that belief. Now come you need to get up, we have a lot of cleanup to do.

Nathaniel finally stops his hysterical crying, gets up, and does his duty.

**Journal Footnotes**

**I still feel deep shame for my behavior on my first assignment, it was inexcusable weakness and I did great dishonor to the sacrifice of those Stormtroopers by my fit afterwards. As for the child, I no longer understand why the killing of her upset me at the time. Once again, I chalk that one up to weakness as well. In this universe, you must be ruthless to survive against the Xenos, not even their children can be spared the divine wrath of the Emperor.**


	26. Chapter 26 Inquisitorial Rule

_**(Personally, I think I am on a roll, it's amazing how far this story has deviated from my original idea. Originally the story was only supposed to deal with his years in Commorragh, but it just expanded from there. I have always been a big fan of the Inquisition. They, the Dorn descended space marine chapters (Imperial Fists, Black Templars, etc), and the Necrons are my favorite factions in Warhammer 40K. My goal was always to create a relatable and believable Inquisitor for the most Grimdark universe ever created. Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark is very much a product of his environment, and many modern humans would find him to be a very reprehensible individual. Yet, all things considered his views and personality are very understandable for a man who has endured horrors and trials we could never even begin to imagine. Well, we can imagine them since that's kind of the the point of the story but even then it's nothing we ourselves would ever want to endure. I do not own any intellectual property that pertains to Games Workshop; this is done purely for fun.)**_

**Notes from Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**Planetary uprisings are a nuisance; there is a lot of finger pointing that usually goes around about whose fault it is, and a lot of internal politicking about who will handle the situation. Usually the fault is placed with the Ordo Hereticus, Adeptus Sororitas, and the Adeptus Arbites for letting things get out of hand. There are some cases where it is quite clear what was behind an uprising, but then there are others when it is a little bit more ambiguous. In those ambiguous situations, Inquisitors from all three Ordo's will make a claim on that planet. When uprisings occurred on Tian, naturally blame was placed on Inquisitor Wei, since it was her homeworld. This wasn't fair at all; due to agreements with the planetary government the inhabitants were allowed to worship the Emperor in their own ecclesiarchial approved manner. This made monitoring them even more difficult since their clergy was recruited from the planetary populace. Since it was a feudal world Arbites presence was minimal at the best of times, once again recruited from the planetary populace. This situation was irregular and inappropriate to begin with and all other agreements of this manner have since been done away with. But then, there was the issue about why the planet had suddenly burst into revolt. The answer to this revelation would spell the doom for the world of Tian.**

Nathaniel was not happy, neither was Inquisitor Wei. Ten years had passed since Inquisitor Wei had taken Nathaniel in, and ten years had passed since they had last set foot on Tian. Now, with word of the planetary uprising they were rushing back to that world to salvage the situation if possible. Inquisitor Khopek claimed that she would pacify the planet, but Inquisitor Wei said that she would handle it herself. The debate had waged for a while about the exact nature of the origin of the uprising, was it heretical, daemonic, or Xenos in nature? In the end Inquisitor Wei convinced the others that since it was her homeworld, she would have an easier time finding the answer and suppressing the uprising. Now they, 30 regiments of Imperial Guard from the world of New Seoul, along with 15 regiments of Catachans jungle fighters to deal with the southern jungle territories, a company of Crimson Fists, two companies of Salamanders, three companies of White Scars, and one company of the Raven Guard were on their way to handle the situation. Despite the relative proximity of the Ultramar System to our sector on the Easter Fringe, the Ultramarines politely told Inquisitor Wei that that they had more pressing concerns, and that a "small planetary uprising" simply wasn't in their interest at the moment. Not wanting waste any more time arguing, or dragging a reluctant space marine chapter into the conflict, she let it go. Inquisitor Wei had assembled quite the impressive force, it was her intention to squash this rebellion as quickly as possible, and perhaps put her world under more competent management. Nathaniel, Inquisitor Wei, and the retinue were all setting in the dining room discussing the situation further.

Yuri was reading off some of the reports about the uprising, "The revolutionary force responsible for the uprising, the Tian People's Liberation Army, originally appeared in the some of the far southern settlements. At first they were considered to be a harmless group of humanitarians, opening up orphanages, food kitchens, and taking care of widows and their families. That did not last forever, however, as they established across across the world they began to preach a message of equality and redistribution of wealth, about an army of dragons coming from the heavens to bring their blessings to the people. This soon led to discussion about how the dragons wished for the people to ascend into a higher state of being, and that they would show them the path of enlightenment."

"Inquisitor Wei, this organization has been operating on Tian for 50 years, how did you know about it?" Herodotus asks her.

"My home is up in the northern regions of the world, on the exact opposite side of the origin of this organization. Tian being a feudal world, which means that information doesn't spread that fast, and the noble families in charge aren't exactly on the best of terms with each other. If they have a problem they won't share it with the others. Not to mention that the ruling nobles like to pretend that unpleasant situations don't exist, content to reside in their Forbidden City. Even as an Inquisitor, I still had to keep my head down around them and their foul tempers. While I had heard rumors of an organization working for the welfare of the common people, I thought it was a good thing. My other duties took me away from Tian for these past ten years, not too long after we left this group revealed its true colors and launched its attack. The only reason that we are hearing about this now is that the nobles can't hide it from the Administratum any longer. This group is my responsibility, and I will deal with them."

"We know you will deal with it boss, the trouble is how will you deal with the nobles, you know they don't like outside meddling." The ever blunt Hugo is quick to point out one of the more pressing concerns.

"I am going to place Tian under Inquisitorial control until this situation is handled. If there are any nobles who disagree, then they will be dealt with. This uprising is inexcusable and their inability to handle it properly is a definite sign that they are unfit to rule."

Fahimah the Techpriestess looks bored, "Personally I can't imagine ever living on a world lacking in the gifts of the Omnissiah. Perhaps this pacification could be the perfect opportunity to bring Tian into the 41st millennium."

"That idea has crossed my mind, but we will handle the situation as it occurs." She turns to Tertullian, "Old friend, have you been able to sense anything wrong with the world?"

"I have sensed something, it isn't daemonic but it definitely isn't human. It's feels like a thousand voices all acting together trying to push me away. Whatever is occurring on Tian definitely is not man-made But there is more, I have felt a dark chill running down my spine every-time I have delved deeper into the situation, like some inhuman intelligence knows of me and is watching me with hungry eyes."

"Have you consulted the Emperors Tarot?"

"Yes I have, long story short there is more to this threat than meets the eye, great suffering and terror is ahead, and a difficult sacrifice will need to be made."

"Thanks for that reading, I have my suspicions about what is behind this uprising but I just pray to the God-Emperor that I am wrong."

Nathaniel is preoccupied with his own thought, constantly pondering over the same word in his head to discover what it means. Dragons?

Three days later, they arrive in orbit around Tian, the various Space Marines had gotten their first, with the White Scars beginning military operations against the rebel forces while the Raven Guard infiltrated into the heart of the source of this rebel organization/cult to discover what was going on and destroy their leadership. The Salamanders were busy removing the untouched civilian populace away from the fighting while the Crimson Fists secured the capital. The Imperial Guard regiments would be arriving two days from now.

They went so far as to land the Black Lotus in the Forbidden City itself. The angry ruler of the planet, dressed up in his finest ceremonial garb, along with his courtiers storm up to us and the five regiments of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers we had the good foresight to bring with us.

"This is an outrage, foreigners rampaging across my world and taking over my city, what do you have to say for yourself Wei Huian. I would expect someone of your breeding to have a better appreciation and understanding for our hierarchy and respect, as well as the importance of saving face."

Inquisitor Wei pulls out her las pistol and shoots him between the eyes, the courtiers look on in horror as his body falls to the ground. She pulls out her Inquisitorial seal and shows it to all assembled. "I am Inquisitor Wei of the Ordo Xenos, divine instrument of the will of the God Emperor of Mankind. I have power and authority that none of you could ever even dream of. You have committed two crimes, incompetent and corrupt leadership that has allowed this situation to spiral out of control, and two, not informing Imperial authorities of your problems. I will deal with you all later but as of right now I am taking control of this world. I will oversee the military operations necessary to subdue the rebels and I will bring about the reformations necessary to turn this world into a productive and useful member of the Imperium. Until that point I will demand your full cooperation, any disobedience or disrespect shown to me or my men will lead to immediate execution. You should feel fortunate that it is I handling this situation, a member of the Ordo Hereticus would not be as merciful or gentle with you."

"Inquisitor, we have something for you." It was a squad of Raven Guard Space Marines coming up holding something wrapped up in some old sheets. "During our investigation, we found this hiding in one of the headquarters of the rebels." It was a human with a bulbous head, a mouth full of sharp teeth, clawed hands and one extra third arm that was quite unlike the others."

"Just as I suspected," she turns to Tertullian "contact the Inquisition, call in the Deathwatch Tyranid experts, call forth any nearby ships with my full Inquisitorial authority, and contact the Craftworld Paratain, the Mechanatites, the Torgan, the Bortaran, and the Yulka, tell them I need their aid for this. If you can't do it yourself, bring in any astropath that is a part of our force." The Inquisitorial has a very dark and serious look on her face. "Where there's a genestealer infestation, a hivefleet isn't too far behind."

**Journal Footnotes**

**Initially Inquisitor Wei was criticized for assembling such a large force to handle a planetary uprising, in hindsight a wonderful case was made for the power of women's intuition. Then again, her Xenos allies never came so her intuition was off there.**


	27. Chapter 27 Whack a Genestealer

_**(I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop, and thank you all for reading.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**Genestealer infestations are a real pain, especially when they reach planetary rebellion levels. You get to deal with their mislead followers, the infected humans, the hybrids, and finally the Genestealers themselves, who are no slouches in combat. And of course, this all leads to the imminent arrival of the hivefleet to consume the world and everything on it. While we were able to quickly suppress the Genestealers once we knew what was going on, thank the God-Emperor Tian was a feudal world, we were still left in the predicament of wondering where the hive fleet was going to strike. No amount of inquiry indicated that a hive fleet was consuming worlds on its way to Tian, from either Imperial or Xenos sources. Hive Fleet Roc, as we would come to call it, decided to pull a reverse Leviathan. Instead of attacking from below the galactic plane, it decided to swoop down from above. It turns out that this fleet had been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of numerous worlds' light-years apart from each other. Instead of going in a straight line it swept up from beneath the galactic plane, hit its target, and kept on going up till it was ready to swoop back down. This made it very difficult to track or even know about, and only served to alarm the Imperium even more about the ever changing strategies of the Tyranids. This Hive Fleet, while formidable, wasn't nearly as large as some of the others, but that didn't negate its threat. Top scholars now believe that it was sent in to try out a new method of causing confusion and discord, as well as seeing how far it could go before we had the chance to react to it. Unfortunately for them, we got to Tian and put down the revolt well before their arrival. Unfortunately for us, that did us very little good. **

After several weeks of grueling fighting, they had reached the point where they had pushed the Genestealer Coven all the way back to their headquarters, the coastal city of Hong Kua, and were now pushing their way through. Nathaniel was leading an entire regiment of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers with Deathwatch support to the center of the city. Inquisitor Wei's orders had been quite clear, find their Patriarch and kill him. Fortunately the Deathwatch had brought along several flamers with them, which would prove useful in forcing out the Genestealers. They reached the ancient temple where it was said the Patriarch had set itself up, the begin pushing their way up the staircase past the barricades, firing into the cultists and hybrids entrenched at the top. Right as they were about to reach the top, a surprise occurred, the pure strain Genestealers began swarming out, along with two broodlords. They wall parted ways as the Patriarch himself and a retinue of eight magus came out, the lumbering bloated beast stared down at him with a vicious and malevolent intelligence.

Nathaniel turns to Captain Marcus Aurelius of the Ultramarine Tyranid expert for the Deathwatch. "If I am not mistaken, shouldn't the Patriarch be hiding out in its cave, it seems kind of stupid for it to come out into the open."

"Perhaps it knows we have flamers which would wreak havoc in its tunnels, so it wants to fight us in the open."

"That doesn't explain why he himself came out."

"You ignorant fools have disturbed our beloved Patriarch's plans, he wants to witness your destruction first hand. No amount of weapons you have will be able to harm him and his fearsome psychic might." One of the Magus proclaims.

"Everybody lets back away slowly behind the barricades and do our best to hold them off." They follow Nathaniel's orders and quickly get behind the barricades. "Why aren't they attacking yet?"

Right as Nathaniel finishes he hears someone scream from behind him, a Lictor had appeared and had launched its assault into the rear of the Stormtroopers. Right as they realize what was going on, the cultists, hybrids, Genestealers and broodlords begin their charge, while the Patriarch and magus begin a psychic assault right at Nathaniel. With Nathaniel incapacitated, Captain Marcus orders everyone to open fire. One of his men handles the Lictor as the Inquisitorial troops and the Deathwatch fire into the oncoming horde. Captain Marcus carries Nathaniel away from the frontline with one hand, while opening up with his bolter in the other. Meanwhile Nathaniel is having quite the internal struggle with the Patriarch.

"You can't defeat me boy, this world is mine."

"You think you can overwhelm me, others have tried before you and they have all failed."

"Ah yes, your thoughts are open to me, I can assure you that I am more formidable than that aberration from the warp you dealt with."

"You are all talk, I will win this." With that Nathaniel begins his psychic counteroffensive.

Meanwhile the Coven has reached the Inquisitorial lines. Most of the cultists and hybrids were killed but the pure strain genestealer and broodlords still made it. They tear into the Inquisitorial troops while the broodlords throw themselves at the Deathwatch terminators. One of the terminators, a Salamander named Ter'men pushes the Broodlord off and fries it with his flamer. The second Broodlord jumps on top of Lucas of the Lamenters and begins tearing him to shreds. Their dreadnought grabs the Broodlord grabs him and crushes him. This weakens the resolve and fury of the Genestealers making them easier to deal with, though they were still tearing their way through the Inquisitorial troops and Deathwatch, the Inquisitorial forces began to push them back.

"Why won't you submit, submit and I will make this quick and painless." The Patriarch is now getting desperate.

"I will never submit to any Xenos ever again." With one last mighty psychic push Nathaniel fries the brains of the Magus and completely disorients the Patriarch as he topples over backwards. Their Patriarchs pain completely throws the Genestealers into disarray as he projects it upon them in his confusion. They are blasted apart while the rest begin to run back up the stairs to their fallen Patriarch. Nathaniel completely drained but still conscious crawls over to a Comm. Set and sends a message to General Song, leader of the New Seoul regiments. "General, I want your basilisks to open fire upon the temple, blast it to oblivion."

"With all due respect sir, that temple is dedicated to the God-Emperor."

"The God-Emperor understands, now open fire or I will kill you myself for insubordination."

Only two Genestealers were left who were trying to drag their Patriarch back inside, it was slow going. Everyone heard a whistling noise as the Basilisk shells came raining down upon the temple, Genestealers, and Patriarch. Everything was quickly engulfed in flames as the Patriarch lets out one last cry. With his death his remaining followers all over Tian fall into disarray.

"Wow that temple caught fire pretty fast." Says one of the Stormtroopers

"The Tianese build their temples out of wood, not stone, they are more susceptible to fire that way. By the way, excellent work men, I want you all to mop up, I need to get back to Inquisitor Wei. Captain Aurelius do you think you can give me a lift with the Deathwatch Thunderhawk."

Three days later back in the Forbidden City. Nathaniel is getting a massage from two ladies who used to be employed by the planetary governor; with his death and the death of most of the aristocracy they now had a lot of free time on their hands. Inquisitor Wei walks in with a bemused look on her face.

"Inquisitor, I fought through that city for three days straight, no sleep, and got into a vicious mental fight with the Patriarch, I am entitled to some small luxuries I normally deny myself."

"What about the men who fought with you?"

"They didn't fight the Patriarch, besides these fine ladies needed something to occupy their minds, if giving a massage to a loyal and hardworking servant of the Emperor who doesn't ask for much is one way for them to occupy themselves and not give into the fear of an imminent Tyranid attack, so be it. By the way Inquisitor, do you have any world yet from your allies?"

Inquisitor Wei has a very dark look on her face, "The Mechanatites are on their way, though they don't know if they can get here before the Tyranids do. As for the others, no response whatsoever."

"I told you they couldn't be trusted."

"Nathaniel, we are not having this argument again, I must trust that my friends will do the right thing. Anyway we will be getting more reinforcements; a fleet is on its way and about fifty Imperial guard regiments Krieg, Praetoria, and Fontaine. Two companies of Ultramarines are also on their way as well as reinforcements from a dozen other chapters. I have even managed to get the aid of the Sons of Iron Titan Legion."

"Wow, you really are pulling out the big guns, how did you get all of that? I hope you didn't need to use your Inquisitorial authority too much."

"No, everyone is cooperating just fine, the Administratum is freaking out, they honestly have no idea how big this hive fleet will be."

"Let's hope it isn't too big, otherwise we could be in for a very stressful couple of months."

"By the way Nathaniel, I must say I am impressed with your performance. Few trained psykers survive an encounter with a patriarch, let alone beat it."

"It's not that impressive, my will was simply stronger than his. Now when I manage to overwhelm a hive tyrant psychically, that is when you can say I have entered the realm of the impossible."

"You truly have grown alot over these last ten years, there is no doubt in my mind that you have a big future in the Inquisition."

"Thank you Inquisitor, that means alot to me."

"I have also been discussing with some of my peers and Inquisitor Lord Agatha about promoting you to the rank of full Inquisitor."

"Really?"

"Definitely,your superb performance in Hong Kua is proof enough that its time for you to go out on your own."

"I am honored you feel that way Inquisitor, it means alot to me."

"I am sure it does, I am already planning on having you granted full Inquisitorial status as soon as we save Tian. It would even be my great honor to personally present your Inquisitorial seal to you."

"Thank you Inquisitor, now I have something to look forward."

**Journal Footnotes**

**There are times when I genuinely believe that the universe has a personal vendetta against me, that if sincerely does not want me to be happy. Then again, this universe doesn't seem to like anyone but the Tau, so I shouldn't be so egotistical about my misfortunes At least the universe suffers along with me.**


	28. Chapter 28 Rally Around the Flag

_**(Talk about mood lashes with the story. I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop, this is purely a fan based story meant to entertain and improve my storytelling skills. These shorter chapter format definitely works better for the Tyranid Invasion arc.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals **

**The fall of Tian was a hard time for Inquisitor Wei; it pushed her to the edge with the sense of betrayal and the frustration of not being able to save her home. The aristocrats of her world would have put Herman von Strabb to shame with their incompetence, cowardice, and stupidity. We enacted a purge upon them that would have put the Ordo Hereticus to shame. That, along with our purge of citizens who had been influenced by the Genestealers as well as the large number of mutants that had been ignored by the planetary nobles had put her in a dark mood. The only thing keeping her from falling apart was the hope that she would be able to bring order to her world after the hive fleet was defeated. Sadly we underestimated the size of this fleet, even with the impressive force we had assembled, naval warships, rogue traders, squads and companies from a dozen space marine chapters to equal one chapter, and imperial guard regiments from not only from neighboring world but the entire Imperium, Deathwatch companies, and titan legions, we could not save Tian. Perhaps if all of her Xenos allies had contributed to the planetary defense, we might have had a chance with saving the world, but the Xenos revealed their true colors. All except the Mechanatites, though whether or not they were there out of genuine affection for Inquisitor Wei or the chance to improve their standing with the High Lords of Terra, I don't know, it was probably a combination of both of those things. I am still impressed with the impressive number of regiments we were able to assemble; it truly showcased the diversity of the Imperium, especially our region of the eastern fringe. Among our ranks were regiments from Catachan, Krieg, Praetoria, Fontaine, Alba, Champa, Maori, Kali, ****Ma-I, Dundee, New Seoul, Nippon, and Richmond. Unfortunately of the 25 regiments we had gathered, 2/3's were ill suited for the task ahead. That combined with poor leadership on our end would have grave consequences.**

Inquisitor Wei was not in a good mood, not that it stopped them from enjoying their dinner. They were currently residing in the Jade Palace where the planetary governor originally dwelt. They were trying to enjoy a meal of dumplings and rice, with Inquisitor Wei using the chopsticks so prevalent on Tian. Nathaniel was content to use a fork, never gaining the ability to properly use chopsticks or liking the wood taste left on his food or in his mouth. The retinue and Inquisitor Angus O'Peak were eating with them. This opulent palace had been turned into an armed camp, with all the rooms being turned over to the various regimental commands that needed logistical headquarters. The throne room had been turned into a massive communications station allowing us to keep a centralized command over all our forces with conventional radio equipment and our assortment of astropaths; then again we would have to stop the astropaths when the Tyranids showed up. The palace gardens, once the most beautiful on the planet, had been turned into a massive supply depot. We were set up and ready to fight, but with one major problem, a lack of allies.

"Farseer Marltona says that it isn't in her Craftworld's interest to get involved, that she has more pressing matters to contend with." Inquisitor Wei's frustration was growing.

"We don't need no stinking pointy eared pansy's Huian, you have me after all." Inquisitor O'Peak had been brought in for his Tyranid expertise, he had even brought 20 regiments with him from his homeworld of Alba.

"What about the Mechanatites, will they make it?" Fahimah had an unhealthy interest in the Mechanatites; at least that's what Nathaniel thought.

"They don't know if they can get here before the Hive Fleet, their elders had a fairly lively debate about sending aid or not, fortunately they decided to send it."

"What about you're other Xenos allies?" Herodotus asks with a face stuffed with food.

"No word from them yet, but I doubt their coming." As she finishes, both she and Nathaniel feel a chill go down their spine, like a great presence and terrible presence is getting closer. One of the communications workers rushes into the room at top speed.

"My lady, the Hive Fleet has come, they are attacking from above the galactic plane, our fleet has engaged with them and are destroying most of their lead ships and mycetic spores, though some are still getting through."

"Send orders to all regiments to be ready for anything, and them to be wary for any vanguard organisms that escaped the purging of the Genestealer cult." Inquisitor O'Peak is quick to put his expertise to good use.

"It's time for me to address the troops." With that Inquisitor Wei walks to the communications station to give her speech. She goes to one of the devices that Fahimah says will allow to send a message to all the regiments and ships. "Soldiers of the Imperium, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Space Marines and all Inquisitorial forces, I am Inquisitor Wei of the Ordo Xenos. You have all been called here to save this world from what we are calling Hive Fleet Roc. While this fleet is not nearly as large as others we have dealt with in the past, it is cunning, subtle, and hard to track, it is by the graces of the God Emperor that we have been able to get a jump on it here. We must destroy this fleet; it's our only solid chance to get rid of it. Normally command of this operation would be handed over to an experienced Imperial Guard or Space Marine commander, but not in this case. In this case I have taken direct command of this campaign. I have my reasons for this, Tian is my homeworld and even though I have spent very little time here throughout the entirety of my life, it is still my home and I will fight for it till the end. Since this is my homeworld, I should have done a better job monitoring it. I let the traditions of my people stand in the way of my Inquisitorial duties, which led to the Genestealer infestation. By commanding this campaign to a final victory I will be able to redeem myself in the eyes of the Inquisition and in my own eyes as well. Rest assured that I have surrounded myself with some of the greatest minds in the Imperium, especially when the Tyranid threat is concerned. I ask that you put your trust in me, and together we shall show these foul beasts the true spirit of man. I will not lie, many if not most of you will die, but you will not die in vain. We will save this world and stop this Hive Fleet, I am sure of it. Now, let us send these vile creatures screaming back to where they came from." With that she ends her speech and looks around her, everyone in the room is misty eyed.

"That was beautiful Inquisitor; it really warmed the cockles of my heart." Says Hugo the Chirurgeon

A few seconds later, one of the communications officers get an incoming message. "This is the Mechanatite warship Bellerophon; we humbly apologize for our tardiness. Please send the coordinates where you would like me to drop off the ground forces I brought with me so that I may join the space fight."

"How many ships have they brought?" Inquisitor Wei asks, and they send the question back up.

"Just me, but rest assured I will be more than enough."

"Tell him to drop off his troops here; we will then determine where they are needed the most."

An hour later reports are coming in that large numbers of Mycetic spores have made it through the blockade, and are descending upon the troops already fighting with the suddenly appearing vanguard organisms. Nathaniel has been sent outside to meet with the Mechanatites. He sees the massive ship Bellerophon, bristling with laser batteries and plasma cannons lower its cargo to the ground. He see's at least 100 humanoid Mechanatites led by a familiar face, Galatea. On the outskirts of the city he can see massive Mechanatites the size of Titans being set down.

"It is good to see you again Nathaniel, though I wish we could have met up under more pleasant circumstances."

"It's nice to see you too, but I can't help but think you should have brought more troops with you."

"We will be sufficient to aid in the destruction of Hive Fleet Roc." After saying this weapons her hands become cannons while numerous weapons Nathaniel can't even identify pop up all over her body, on her arms, shoulders, hips, back, legs, and head.

"What, isn't your chest weaponized?" Nathaniel jokingly asks.

"Don't be so crude, it would be very unladylike for me to have weapon placements there."

"Sorry, I have been spending too much time with Methuselah."

"That is quite apparent, now may we see Inquisitor Wei, my little brother and I are anxious to join the fight."

"Where's your little brother? How do you even have brother?"

Galatea points to the largest Mechanatite titan. "That is my little brother Atlas, and to answer your second question while we don't have siblings in the biological sense, it is perfectly natural for my species to take a young Mechanatite under our care, forming a sibling bond."

"Well he certainly looks tough, will see how he holds up against the Great Devourer."

1 day later, enough Tyranids have landed and multiplied for proper battles to take place. Nathaniel is standing with a combined force of Praetorian and Krieg regiments, along with Galatea outside in their makeshift trenches on the outskirts of the Forbidden City. He can see a massive swarm coming in filled with gaunts and carnifiexes, the skies are filled with gargoyles and zoanthropes while the hive tyrant leads its troops. "Well here they come, keep calm and we might just survive this."

**Footnotes**

**Those who believe that the Mechanatites are too nice have never seen them in action. They are completely and totally ruthless in combat, driven purely by logic. Do not ask a Mechanatite for help, they might decide you're better off dead. Also don't ask them to take care of refugees; they will definitely decide that they are better off dead. Also, make sure that there are no Salamander Space Marines in the vicinity; breaking those two apart can be a major exercise in patience and diplomacy.**


	29. Chapter 29 Sacrifice

_**(Lets try some modifications to make this chapter a little bit more believable. I do not own the intellectual property of the Games Workshop.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**Sacrifice, the Imperium is built on it, but it isn't always easy or even clear when it is necessary. Who is sacrificed, what is sacrificed, and who decides. These are all important questions Imperial officials, especially Inquisitors have to deal with. We do our best but even we aren't perfect. So many factors must be taken into consideration, whether or not it's necessary or even worth trying out an alternat****e path. Showing regret for your actions is a sign that you're still human. Having no regret means you lost your humanity a long time ago. In the end, it's our ability to feel that makes us human, and if we lose that what purpose is there in our continual existence. It shouldn't stop us from fulfilling our duties, but it should make us at least think about what were doing****. There are times when I envy the Ordo Malleus and their daemon infestations, everybody dies, or is mind scrubbed and sent to work camps to die. As an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, I have to be a bit more restrained in who and what I sacrifice in my never ending quest to stop Xenos influence. Any halfway decent Inquisitor will know and understand the necessity of our task, and will feel remorse for their actions. Life is cheap in the Imperium, but it is still human life and should not be needlessly wasted. I once attempted to say a pray for every citizen I have had to sacrifice, I had to stop at 10,456. I know that I should not weep for them, that when they die they go to join the God-Emperor. That eases my burden enough to keep me going. What is truly wasteful is needless sacrifice. At the battle of Tian we had assembled 25 regiments, 2/3's were hastily put together from nearby PDF with poor training, the equivalent of a space marine chapter when all of the various squads and companies were added together, a titan legion, Inquisitorial forces, and the Mechanatites. Unfortunately our leadership was less than ideal, Inquisitor Wei should not have been in command, especially not against a Hive Fleet everyone underestimated. Defending Tian itself was problematic since there was no infrastructure or modern defenses in place to aid in the planets defense. A new breed of zoanthrope was even unleashed that turned our own troops against us. Even without that the space marines had trouble taking orders from Inquisitor Wei, especially the haughty Ultramarines who believed that their leader should have been given command. Was this true, probably, but the lack of coherent cooperation from the Adeptus Astartes made the situation worse.**

Nathaniel was worried that something like this would happen, not that he didn't appreciate the Mechanatite help but he should have seen this coming. Now he was trying to keep an angry Salamander squad led by Sergeant Ikeem from tearing Galatea apart. Two months had passed and tempers were flaring as they were losing the war. Lack of coherent and competent leadership, Tian's underdeveloped nature, regiments turning on each other, insubordination from the space marines, and an underestimation of Hive Fleet Roc had pushed the Imperium into a desperate situation.

"You killed them all, all 400 refugees." Sergeant Ikeem was not very happy.

"I was given direct orders by Nathaniel to take care of them as I deemed necessary, and I deemed it necessary to end their existence. How can I be blamed for following my orders" Galatea's tone was completely flat.

"They came here seeking help, they survived a two week journey through a Tyranid infested warzone and you just killed them."

"They were mostly comprised of older adults and young children, all useful societal members have already been drafted and armed. We do not have the resources to take care of useless elements who would contribute nothing to the war effort. It is regrettable that I needed to end their existence, but fortunately my disintegration beam ended their lives quickly and painlessly. I have also denied the Tyranids valuable bio matter, and I have freed myself up so that I may get back into the fight. Rest assured that they are now with the Emperor. You should feel good for them, and not be angry at me." Galatea's defiance and cold reasoning infuriated the Salamanders who raised their flamers in her direction; Nathaniel stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Galatea when I said take care of them, I meant get them to safety, not exterminate them. Sergeant Ikeem, Mechanatites shift over to pure logic on the battlefield, her killing of the refugees was well intentioned and reasoned in her own head. Now I will be taking Galatea with me, and I will send out a general call that the Mechanatites are not to handle any refugee populations."

"Watch your back Xenos, you may currently have the protection of the Inquisition and the Adeptus Mechanicus, but if you lose their favor I promise you my brothers and I will see to your extermination." With that the Salamanders head off to find more refugees to rescue. The war was not going well and they were currently attempting to get whoever they could unto commandeered freighters and off planet. The only one who still thought they had a chance was Inquisitor Wei. The Hive Fleet had been larger than anticipated, and while they were able to wipe out their fleet in space, the sheer amount of Tyranids they divulged on Tian was simply too much for the Imperium to handle. The fact that they managed to get their Norn Queen to the planets surface only guaranteed that Hive Fleet Roc would fight to the end. Already they were beginning to create new bioships from the resources they had devoured. Everyone knew they would have to abandon this world soon to exterminatus, everyone except Inquisitor Wei.

"I meant no ill will; I simply took the most logical approach to a bad situation." Galatea was defending her actions.

"You Mechanatites want to be more human, right, then you need to learn that sometimes using only logic to make decisions on the field of battle isn't a good thing."

"Duly noted, thank you standing up for me however."

"You came here to fight for humanity, to fight for Inquisitor Wei, you and your people are owed a debt of gratitude."

"Thank you, though sadly there aren't as many with us as when we started out. Of the 100 of us who came here, only eight are left including myself. As for our titan brothers, only Atlas is left standing and I don't know how long he can last, he has taken heavy damage.

Meanwhile on the other side of the planet, Atlas, four reavers, and an Imperator class titan are all that's left to handle the Tyranid bio-titans. A large group of hierophants and viciators led by a dominatrix were advancing upon them. From the intelligence they had gathered these were the last of the bio-titans, if only because they were now focusing on rebuilding their fleet. The bio-titans charged into the remaining titans. The reavers fought valiantly, taking out most of the hierophants and viciators with them. The dominatrix was engaged with a life or death struggle with the Imperator, which was holding its own but losing ground. Atlas finished off his own opponents, just in time to see the dominatrix push the Imperator to the ground. Atlas launches one last final attack on the dominatrix, depleting most of his energy with his final barrage. The dominatrix finally goes down, but an injured and drained Atlas realizes that he can't go on anymore. Atlas summons what's left of his energy, ignites his boosters, and begins his long flight back to Bellerophon. The Praetorians stationed on a ridge look on in awe as they see the titan fly up into the heavens. They are quickly brought back to reality as a massive horde of termagaunts soon descend upon their position. They fight valiantly but are overwhelmed in the end by the massive ripper swarm that had circled around them while they were mesmerized by the titan battle.

At the final fortress of the cut off southern front, the remnants of the Richmond and Dundee regiments, clad in gray and butternut respectively prepare to make their final stand. A massive swarm comprised of gaunts, gargoyles, and carnifiexes throw themselves fiercely at the brave defenders, being repulsed every time. Despite the substandard and primitive nature of the fort they hold their ground with sheer grit and determination. A great shout goes out when one of the communications officers inform them that a cruiser is being sent to pick them up. Those shouts turns into cries of terror as four Mawlocks emerge inside the fortress and begin to feed. A swarm of Genestealers pop up from behind them and quickly overwhelm the defenders. When the cruiser does show up, it sees that the fortress is now completely devoid of human life.

On the oceans of Tian, the aquatic warfare experts of Maori and Ma'I fight a desperate battle against the terrifying sea monsters unleashed by Hive Fleet Roc. They put up a good fight but is isn't enough, and when a massive kraken like beast consumes their command ship the fleet disintegrates into chaos and are destroyed.

In the southern jungles, the remnants of the Catachans and Champan regiments have taken refuge, believing they can hold out long enough for reinforcements. The Hive Fleet has something different in mind as the biovores begin a fierce mycetic spore barrage that forces them to move away from their positions. A group of waiting raveners descend upon them and tear them to pieces.

A group of Ultramarines is fired upon by the tanks of a Krieg regiment they were sent to reinforce. Both sides scream out cries of "For the Emperor" as they become embroiled in a vicious struggle. The malevolent alien intelligence that has taken over the mind of the Krieg commander looks on with almost malicious glee.

A battered Raven Guard squad is ambushed by a massive Gargoyle swarm and flying warriors, as they try to make it back to the Forbidden City, none make it back. In fact the only piece of Tian still solidly held by the Imperium is the Forbidden City where a fierce debate it taking place.

"Huian, of all the times for you to be stubborn, you chose now. We have lost 95% of our Imperial Guard regiments; our fleet is victorious but broken, most of the 1000 space marines we started out with are down to a few scattered squads, our Deathwatch forces are on the verge of disappearing entirely, and we only hold 98% of the planet. The Tyranids know that they have won already their ripper swarms have begun consuming the territories they already hold in order to create new bio-ships, we need to leave and subject the planet to exterminatus.

"It's funny Angus, I would never describe you as a coward, yet here you are suggesting that we won away in fear like mewling newborns."

"Huian, you brought me here for my expertise, for my advice, and I am advising you to leave, Tian is lost. Your incompetent and irrational leadership has lost us this world. The best we can do for it is give it a funeral pyre."

"I will not abandon this world to the Tyranids, we still have a chance."

"We have no chance; even now their largest swarm is preparing to descend upon us. A lot of good men and women have died, but their deaths don't have to be in vain. We need to destroy this world in order to destroy this Hive Fleet."

Nathaniel and Galatea enter as the fight continues. "Where is the rest of the retinue at Inquisitor?"

"The cowards have returned to the Black Lotus, saying that the world is lost and we should leave. This world is not lost, this world is my home and I will save it."

"Inquisitor, we can't save this world, we simply can't, and we are completely outmatched by the Tyranids. Our forces are depleted and most of the world is lost. Any chance we had of winning was lost long ago."

"You too Nathaniel, I thought you had more backbone than that."

"With all due respect Inquisitor, the logical course of action would be too leave, there is no more we can do here. Most of our forces have been destroyed; the lucky ones have been evacuated." Galatea chimes in, hoping to sway the Inquisitor.

"Huian I know this world is your home, but now we need to leave." Inquisitor O'Peak tries one last attempt to persuade her. Right as he finishes, a giant zoanthropes bursts out from beneath the floor.

"How the hell did that thing get in here?" Nathaniel asks

"It must have dug a tunnel using its mind to get here." Galatea responds

Finding its intended prey, the zoanthropes launches a fierce psychic barrage against Inquisitor Wei. Angus and Galatea open up but it is protected by a psychic shield. Nathaniel launches his own psychic counter offensive and penetrates its shields. Nathaniel is nearly consumed by the Hive Mind as he pushes too deeply in but he backs off before it's too late. "Anyone who says they survived direct contact with the Tyranid hive mind must be full of shit, the only psyker who could stand a chance against that is the Emperor." Nathaniel thinks to himself. Trying to avoid the Hive Mind he focuses his thoughts directly at the zoanthropes itself, a new breed designed to hunt down and take control of enemy psykers, which it was now attempting to do to Inquisitor Wei. Nathaniel summons up all of his will and launches several mental blows against the monster, it has little to no effect but it does get the beasts attention. The beast now switches its focus from Inquisitor Wei to Nathaniel, trying to take him over. In his head Nathaniel hears the same line being repeated over and over. "Give in, give in, become one with us, all hope is lost so you might as well give in." This message is far more powerful than the Patriarch and Nathaniel is barely holding its ground against it. Fortunately the distraction created by his attack forced the zoanthropes to focus on him and Inquisitor Wei, allowing Angus and Galatea a chance to open fire on him. Galatea launches a needle swarm into the thing, each filled with a deadly nanite swarm that devours the zoanthropes from the inside out, reducing him to a mass of gray goo. Nathaniel gets back to his senses and looks around, Galatea is helping him up while Angus tries to awaken a catatonic Inquisitor Wei. Inquisitor Wei is completely unresponsive, staring blankly into space.

"It would appear that the Inquisitor is incapacitated, as her second in command and apprentice I hereby take command of this operation, exercising full Inquisitorial authority in her absence."

"Hold on now son, I outrank you." Angus tries to assert a claim for leadership.

"Normally yes, but Inquisitor Wei asked you to come as a consultant and support, the role of being second in command she gave to me. It is my duty to take over her mission, besides what I am going to do will anger her greatly, and we don't need her angry at the both of us."

"Then let her be angry with me, don't ruin your relationship with Huian, she views you as a son."

"It is for that very reason that I must take over, at least until she snaps out of her catatonia, it is MY responsibility."

Inquisitor O'Peak has a wry grin on his face. "You have really grown a lot, haven't you lad. Let's hope that Huian learns to appreciate what you have done for her once this is over."

Nathaniel heads over to what's left of the communications station, and grabs the last operator. "Send out a general evacuation notice, and tell fleet that once all Imperial personnel is off the planet we will subject this world to exterminatus."

"Under whose authority sir?" The communications officer asks.

Nathaniel holds up Inquisitor Wei's seal. "Under my authority, I am assuming command of this mission since Inquisitor Wei has been incapacitated.

Nathaniel and what's left of the command post crew step outside and wait for pickup, a smile crosses Nathaniel's face as he sees the Miss Liz come for them.

"Good, Methuselah's here, he ought to be able to talk some sense into Inquisitor Wei."

A few hours later, the planet has been completely evacuated, and Nathaniel, Inquisitor O'Peak, Methuselah, Galatea, and the catatonic Inquisitor Wei are on the bridge of the Black Lotus.

"I hereby declare that Tian be subjected to Exterminatus, admiral you may launch your attack when you feel like it, though please hurry it looks like the Tyranids are almost finished constructing their new bio-ships." They can all see a bunch of giant bio-ships preparing to take off from the planet.

Across the communication channels, one word is said loud and clear, "Fire." With that the remaining Salamander Space Marine battle barge fired its cyclonic missle at the planet, which consumes the entire planet in the righteous fury of the Emperor. In a matter of minutes the planet is completely engulfed with its cataclysmic fury, taking all of the Tyranids with it. The sight is enough to get Inquisitor Wei out of her catatonia as she screams "No." When it is all over, Tian has been reduced to a lifeless rock.

"It's good to see that you are back Inquisitor, we managed to save 80 million Tianese and Methuselah assures me he has found the perfect world to resettle them." Nathaniel tries to calm down his friend and teacher who is now writhing with fury.

Inquisitor Wei is staring at him with barely controlled fury, seething with rage. "I should have killed you when I found you Nathaniel. You filthy, uncultured, ugly barbarian, I should have killed you, you worthless ingrate. Get out of my sight; I never want to see you again." Inquisitor Wei is red with fury as she verbally assaults Nathaniel. Nathaniel turns around and leaves the room, heading for his quarters. As soon as he leaves the bridge the tears begin to fall. "Perhaps Methuselah could use a first mate, or Inquisitor O'Peak is looking for an apprentice", the heartbroken Nathaniel thinks to himself as he heads to his quarters.

It is not Inquisitor O'Peak's turn to be furious as he walks over to Inquisitor Wei who is still yelling and cursing at Nathaniel even though he has left the room and slaps her in the face. This is enough to get her under control.

"How dare you, do you know what that boy did for you, he saved your life and completed the mission. He took command when you were rendered catatonic and took the necessary steps to end the threat of Hive Fleet Roc. For your information, if he hadn't declared exterminatus, I would of as soon as I forcibly took command away from him. He took command since it was his responsibility as your apprentice, and he did a damn fine job of it too. He did what you didn't have the courage to do, what you lacked the fortitude and clarity of mind to do. If we had followed through with your suicidal plan we would have all been consumed and Hive Fleet Roc would have lived on. Do you think you're the only one who knows what it's like to lose their home? Did you forget that at the age of eight his planet was overrun by Orks and he was taken to Commorragh for ten years? Did you forget that it is our job to make the tough decisions necessary to ensure that the Imperium survives another day? Did you forget that the Imperium is held together through sacrifice and necessary loss? Nathaniel certainly knew which is why he did what he had to do. Tian was lost, its destruction was necessary. If you don't realize that then you have no right to serve as an Inquisitor and I will lobby with every fiber of my body to see you stripped of all authority."

Inquisitor Wei walks over to a table where Nathaniel had placed her Inquisitorial seal. Custom made, it was the standard Inquisitorial symbol on top of a lotus blossom with the two characters of her people's ancient language meaning "life" and "death" on either side. She holds it close to her as she contemplates everything that has happened. "Send for Nathaniel, I want to meet with him in my study. Oh, and have one of the servants bring a pot of ginseng tea."

A few minutes later, Nathaniel is at the front door of his office, he has stopped his crying and is ready to hear what Inquisitor Wei has to say. He knocks on the door and she beckons him in. With the exception of her desk and bookshelves, her room is decorated in the manner of her homeworld. She beckons him to sit in the chair in front of her desk. She has a sad and tired look on her face. As he sits down she offers him a cup of tea and he takes it.

"Nathaniel, I am going to get right to the point. I said some harsh things to you earlier that I now wish I could take back. It was wrong of me to condemn your actions; you did what you deemed necessary. I am the one who is at fault here; I let my feelings cloud my judgment throughout this entire campaign, and because of that Tian fell. You snatched victory from the claws of defeat while I would have led up directly into oblivion. You even saved me from that zoanthrope, God-Emperor knows what would have happened if it had succeeded in taking me over. The point I am trying to get at is that I believe taking you as my apprentice was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I am proud of you and how you have grown. You bring honor to me with all of your successes and triumphs. I should have realized that if anyone here knew the pain of losing their home it would be you, though that pain would pale in comparison to the horrors you had to endure. I guess the point I am trying to make is that I do view you as my son and heir, and I will always be proud of you."

"Inquisitor, I forgave you the moment you said those words. I knew that ordering the destruction of Tian would hurt you, but I also knew I had no other choice. And for what it's worth, you are like a mother to me and all I want to do is make you proud. I owe you my very life and I strive everyday to prove myself worthy of the kindness you have shown me."

Inquisitor Wei now has a smile on her face, "Nathaniel, I do believe its time you received full Inquisitorial status. You have shown that you are more than ready for that responsibility, and that you have proven beyond a doubt that you will make a fine addition to our ranks."

"What about you, the blame for the fall of Tian has to be put on someone, and you did take command against everyone's protests."

"I will face the consequences of my actions, as an Inquisitor they can't just execute me for incompetence, though they could strip me of my authority and then execute me. Don't worry Nathaniel, whatever happens I know I have found a worthy successor in you."

Right as they are about to hug and make up, Tertullian bursts in. "Inquisitor Wei we have a problem."

"What is it Tertullian?" Inquisitor Wei is quite annoyed at this interruption.

"You know that Necron Dynasty we learned about ten years ago, during Nathaniel's first visit to a Freeport."

"Yes I do remember our discussion about how it wasn't a threat."

"Well now it has become very aggressive, launching a full out assault on the Imperium and the Tau Empire bordering its space. The Craftworld Paratain asks for assistance in stopping its advance."

"Were really not going to help the Eldar are we, after they abandoned us?" Nathaniel asks

"Imperial worlds are in danger; we have to act now to end this threat." Inquisitor Wei is back to her old focused self. "This fleet is in no shape to take on the Necrons, we will need to get a new one, as well as relocate the 80 million refugees to that world Methuselah discovered. We have no time to waste; we have too much to do. Nathaniel I will leave the handling of the refugees to you and Methuselah. I have to cobble together a fleet as quickly as possible to stem this tide."

With that, they both jump into action to save the Imperium from the Necron threat.

**Inquisitor Clark's Footnotes**

**Emotional attachments are dangerous things, as humans we need them but we cannot let them destroy our judgment or get in the way of our duties to the Emperor. It was sad that Tian had to be destroyed, but once its funeral pyre was lit the threat of Hive Fleet Roc was extinguished. I cannot understand Inquisitor Wei's pain fully, but on some level I do know what it is like to lose a home. It was my memories of Mantanya that got me through the hell of Commorragh. Playing in the stream behind my house, rolling and playing in the long prairie grass,looking up at the clear night sky, trying to figure out which of the lights were stars and which were lightning bugs. My fathers region famous barbecue and my mothers homemade apple pie. Yet all of that is a distant memory, Mantanya was overrun by the Orkish hordes, my sister and I were abandoned by our parents, and in the hell of Commorragh I learned first hand just how sick, twisted, and cruel this universe truly is. I am well aware that my happiness will never last, something will always come in at the end and destroy it. **


	30. Chapter 30 Contemplation

_**(I am man enough to admit I messed up in the last chapter. I have pinpointed several reasons for this. 1. I got caught up in creating a desperate epic battle and I went a little overboard creating something that is pushes the realm of believability in the Warhammer 40K universe. 2. The Tyranids are not my field of expertise or interest and I should have done a more thorough reading of the fluff in order to get a better feel for them, though to be fair the fluff can be fairly inconsistent at points. 3. Battles are not my strongpoint, I am still developing my writing style and while I believe I have characterization and interactions down I am still working on creating believable battles. I honestly appreciate being called out, it will help me develop and improve my style. But if my biggest mistake is blowing a battle out of proportion, I don't think I am doing too badly. I have gone back and retconned the problems, hopefully making it more believable for all of you. I have cut back on the forces involved and created plausible explanations for what went wrong. Once again thank you all for holding me accountable. I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop.)**_

**Inquisitor Clarks Journal**

**The fall of Tian has puzzled xenos scholars and military officials in the Imperium ever since its occurrence. We had assembled a large fleet, about 25 regiments of Imperial Guard, what would amount to 10 space marine companies, since some chapters only sent a few squads, an entire titan legion, plus a Deathwatch company and Inquisitorial Stormtroopers. Throw in the Mechanatites and we should have been able to handle the Tyranid menace easily. We have pinpointed the planets substandard infrastructure and defenses, incompetent leadership, and an underestimation of the size of Hive Fleet Roc, even though it wasn't as large as some of the other ones. Even with these setbacks we should have at least been able to save the planet. After serious contemplation and discussion we have come to a plausible explanation, that giant overpowered zoanthrope we dealt with at the very end, what if it wasn't the only one of its kind. If Hive Fleet Roc utilized more of those monsters, it could explain why we suffered such heavy casualties, we simply weren't prepared for it and when it attacked there were no survivors. It is on the record that one modified zoanthrope managed to destroy an entire Craftworld on its own, it isn't outside the realm of belief that these overpowered zoanthropes turned the tide of battle in favor of the Tyranids. The running theory of Inquisitor O'Peak is running with is that these super powerful zoanthropes took over the minds of the Imperial commanders, and had them lead their troops to ruin. If our theory is correct, than we did the Imperium a great favor by destroying the Hive Fleet that created them, though we should be aware of their existence for all future encounters with the Tyranid hive mind. **

Nathaniel was quickly discovering that he didn't like paperwork, nor did he like dealing with Adeptus Terra bureaucrats. Unfortunately he had to deal with a particularly difficult one for the sake of Inquisitor Wei's people.

"How many women are of childbearing age?" The bureaucrat asks while Nathaniel rummages through his notes.

"Let's see the census that the number of women of childbearing age is between 30 to 40 million."

"That is not an acceptable answer, I need an actual number."

"Well I don't have an actual number; this census was undertaken during a massive evacuation, we kind of had to make a few guesses and estimates."

"Such sloppy work weren't there any members of the Adeptus Terra present to handle the evacuation. What about the planetary nobility, weren't any around to handle the census?"

"Well, we started out with a purge of the planetary nobility for gross incompetence and refusal to work with Inquisitorial authority. And then we got pretty busy fighting off the Tyranids."

"Then who took the census?"

"I don't know, officers on the ships that picked up them up, we just compiled everything they gave to us."

"So there may not be 80 million refugees?"

"Yeah, that too is pretty much an estimate on our part based on the info we compiled."

"You know if you were a member of the Adeptus Terra, you would have been executed for inexcusable incompetence and negligence of duty."

"Then it is a good thing that I am not some overfed weak willed paper pusher. Why are we even wasting time with these details, we have a Necron incursion to deal with."

"You know if you're not going to take this seriously you can leave and I will handle this on my own."

With that Nathaniel gets up and leaves the room, heading to the mess hall to get something to eat and drink. When he gets there he see's Hugo, Yuri, and Herodotus playing a game of cards.

"Five hours, I win." Hugo says with a big grin on his face.

"Did you guys take bets on how long I would be in there with the bureaucrat?"

"Yep, Herodotus didn't think you had the fortitude to last more than three hours, I said five, and Yuri thought you would last twelve." Yuri doesn't even look up from his cards. "Anyway get yourself something to eat and come join us, we have some info to share with you."

Nathaniel gets some food, and sits down with them, Yuri begins. "Inquisitor Wei won't be stripped of her authority for her bungling of what should have been an easy victory, though your quick exterminatus at the end there helped save her career. Inquisitor O'Peak is already filing reports and studies into the zoanthrope that attacked you, not only has one of its sizes never been seen before, but the fact that it actually tried to take over another is a disturbing development. If he can get enough people to agree with his findings he may be able to take the heat off of Inquisitor Wei for this botched operation. We do have reports of regiments turning on each other or on the space marines, so it is very likely it isn't all of her fault."

"If that's the case, why didn't it just attack the Inquisitor to begin with?"

"The Hive Mind has an inhuman intelligence, it could have realized that Inquisitor Wei wasn't the best person to be in command, and it didn't want her replaced with someone more competent. Let this also be a lesson to you, if you ever find yourself in a position where you have to oversee a major military operation, turn that position over to an experienced Imperial commander. An Inquisitor is a researcher, investigator, and threat eliminator, not a general."

"What else do you guys need to tell me?" This time it's Herodotus' turn to talk.

"The Necrons we will be going up against, the Horkhesh Dynasty isn't what we thought."

"Didn't Farseer Marltona informed us that they were a peaceful dynasty?"

"She mixed up the records; the Mortenu Dynasty was the peaceful dynasty, but they were conquered by the Horkhesh. The Horkhesh Dynasty was an aggressive matriarchal dynasty, their Phaeron Cleandra was cunning and ruthless, at least that's what the records say. The Imperium not doing anything has allowed her to awaken all of her forces, unfortunately most of her worlds have remained intact and she has quite the impressive force at her disposal. The plan is to launch a joint operation with the Eldar, hit their crownworld and take her out. The infighting that will follow will tear her Dynasty apart and make it easier for us to defeat them."

"This plan sounds suicidal, are we sure it will work?"

"No, but with any luck our attack on her crownworld will draw her out, our proper records state that she was is a very proud individual who loves a challenge."

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire." Nathaniel does not feel good about this at all.

**Footnotes**

**When forced to choose between the Eldar and the Necrons, shoot both without hesitation.**


	31. Chapter 31 Legacy

_**(It's time to get to a topic and story I am far more comfortable with, those wacky yet tragic yet terrifying Necrons, the new ones not the old ones who lack any personality. While I do like both versions, I prefer the new fluff over the old fluff. This is one I intend to have a lot of fun with, and to take more time thinking things through unlike the rushed Tyranid arc, and I have a bunch of new creative ideas for the Horkhesh Dynasty. Even in disaster I came up with an interesting new twist, Inquisitor Wei falling out of favor over her botched defense and having to deal with the guilt that SHE was the ultimate reason Tian fell. Now she is seeking to redeem herself by aiding in the defeat of this new Necron incursion, will she redeem herself or will she go down with her legacy tainted by recent failures? I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**Legacy is a funny thing for humans. You are either remembered for doing something truly great or for failing spectacularly. The usual price for incompetent failure is death, at least for those without any political clout or authority. Inquisitors technically have the ability to kill a High Lord of Terra if they are suspected of heresy, so the only ones who can truly hold an Inquisitor responsible is another Inquisitor. Even in disaster, as long as the Inquisitor did not commit any heretical or treasonous acts, they are given another chance to redeem their legacy, especially if they are needed. Being an Inquisitor does have its perks, despite the toll it tends to take on one's sanity. Inquisitor Wei was probably one of the most brilliant Xenos scholars the Imperium has ever known, specifically her specialty with minor Xenos powers. During the incursion of the Horkhesh Dynasty after the fall of Tian, Inquisitor Wei was given the chance to save her legacy and redeem herself. Sadly, things did not turn out that well, and my dear teacher was subjected to a truly horrific fate by the insanity of Phaeron Cleandra, her legacy forever stained by her failure. While she was a brilliant Xenos scholar, she made another major mistake that every Inquisitor should know better than to make, trusting the Eldar. **

They were a few days away from their destination, and everyone was getting ready for the operations ahead. The plan was to meet up with Farseer Marltona and her forces, oddly enough the webway gate connected to the crownworld of Nefertitia. Inquisitor forces led by Inquisitor Wei would join up with the Eldar for their attack on the crownworld. Meanwhile a combined Imperial/Eldar/Tau force would launch a campaign to push back the Necrons off the worlds they were trying to take. Since the incursion was being launched against Imperial, Tau, and Eldar Exodite worlds it only made sense that the three powers united against a common enemy. So far the Necrons has spared the civilian populations, instead claiming them as "spoils of war" and that they were now beholden to the over lordship of the Horkhesh dynasty. While the civilian populations were unharmed, reports were leaking through of Necron crypteks going around and taking what they called a "genetic census" of the new subjects to the Horkhesh Dynasty. One disconcerting rumor had young males being taken away, only to be returned a few days later with no memory of what had happened to them. Another peculiar report was the appearance of the Necrons, they didn't look like normal Necrons, and they appeared to be more feminine. Their bodies had pronounced hourglass figures and softer more feminine facial features. It was disconcerting for Imperial scholars and experts who found these new forms to be such an odd deviation from the Necron norm. The running theory was that since the Horkhesh Dynasty was a female dominated matriarchy, they insisted on the bodies of their troops to be more feminine. The validity of these reports wasn't exactly the greatest, but they were consistent enough to paint he picture of a Necron Dynasty that made major deviations from the norm of Necron society. Nathaniel was deep in thought as he read through these reports, what did they mean and what was their plan. Already the crypteks appeared to be Harbingers of Despair, as well as some new psychomancy that distorted perceptions and apparent Necron biomancy/alchemy that was being used to warp physical forms. Even the greatest seers of the Eldar were being thrown off by the perception manipulations of the Necrons, with their forces being outflanked and out maneuvered at every turn, apparently it was frustrating for them to have their own dirty tricks used against them.

"This is definitely going to be a difficult mission." Nathaniel says to himself. He gets up from his desk and heads off to Inquisitor Wei's office. As he heads down the halls he runs into Fahimah the Techpriestess.

"How are things going Fahimah, have you reconsidered your no Jokaero policy?" Nathaniel asks jokingly

If looks could kill, Fahimah would have struck him down. "I don't understand what everyone's obsession is with those filthy Xenos apes, but no I have not reconsidered. I just got info that the Salamanders are itching for a crusade against the Mechanatites for crimes against humanity, wanting them labeled Xenos Horrificus."

"Wow, they are really taking it personally, not that I blame them, the Mechanatites went too far."

"Those lives did not have any value; they would have been a strain on resources even if we did get them off world." Fahimah applied the same cold logic to the situation that the Mechanatites did.

"You know, there are times when I forget that you lost technology scavengers are more machine than human. At least the Mechanatites have developed the ability to have emotions in non combat situations; you guys just cut yourselves off completely."

"Emotion gets in the way of rational and logical thought, I don't know what their obsession with it is but it would probably be for the best if they stopped trying. Fortunately the Adeptus Mechanicus, Inquisition, and Administratum don't see the loss of 4000 expendable lives as anything to get upset about, realizing the futility of logic." Fahimah is about ready to go on her way, but before she does she gets right up in Nathaniel's face. "If you dare refer to me or any of my peers as "scavengers" again, I don't care how highly Inquisitor Wei thinks of you I will personally turn you into a gun servitor." She walks away in a huff, leaving Nathaniel to wonder if she is serious or not.

"What a messed up universe we live in where machines are capable of feeling emotions yet humans cannot." Nathaniel continues on his way until he reaches the Inquisitors office. Before he has a chance to knock the Inquisitor Wei opens the door with her mind. She is sitting at her desk looking over a bunch of papers.

"Come in Nathaniel and have a seat." Nathaniel sits down and they get straight to business. "You will be happy to know that my people will be settling that world Methuselah found in the upcoming weeks, I would like to visit there once we get the Necron situation dealt with." There is a sad tone to her voice.

"That's excellent news; most refugees don't get the chance to start over on a new world. Nice to see that the Adept was far more competent than he appeared."

"Ah yes, the Adept, he had a few choice words to say about you, and advocated immediate discipline for your rudeness and insubordination." Inquisitor Wei cheers up a bit talking about this.

"What type of discipline did he have in mind?" Nathaniel wasn't too worried but then again anything could happen.

"He suggested a two week long torture session, followed by a granting of the Emperor's Peace."

"That seems excessive for fighting with a bureaucrat, when I get my Inquisitorial seal maybe I should pay him a visit for suspected Xenos contact." Nathaniel feels his hand moving against his will and slapping him in the face. The smile disappears from Inquisitor Wei's face.

"Inquisitors have great power Nathaniel, but we are not immune from the consequences of our actions. I don't like the attitude you've been developing recently. Arguing with a low level Adept is one thing, antagonizing Fahimah is another."

"You heard that?" Nathaniel is somewhat worried right now.

"No, but Tertullian did and he relayed the conversation to me. Nathaniel we are all on edge right now, and I am still in hot water, the last thing I need is my subordinates fighting with each other." She picks up one of the papers from her desk.

"This comes from Inquisitor Lord Agatha, the only person I truly have to answer too. It is a reprimand about my disastrous actions during the Tian campaign, how I have shamed the Inquisition, my unbelievable incompetence, and that this Necron incursion is my last chance to redeem myself. I am also catching flak from some areas of the Imperium for my ardent defense of the Mechanatites, with the Salamanders going so far as to say that they will never work with me again. Add that to the failure of my ability to get my Xenos allies to fight with me, and things aren't looking too good for me."

"I warned you about those Xenos inquisitor, they cannot be trusted they betrayed you."

"I am sure they had their reasons for not coming, I just wish they would have told me why."

"There only reason for not coming is that they find it useful to be friends with an Inquisitor to protect themselves from Imperial retribution, but when it comes time to help out they will find a way to ignore their obligations."

This annoys Inquisitor Wei enough that she telepathically slaps him across the face, quite hard at that. "Nathaniel, please, I need you with me right now, I need you standing by my side and supporting me. I need all of my subordinates with me, I am in serious danger. My enemies are already moving against me, do you remember Inquisitor Khopek?"

"Yeah, Evangeline's mistress, the one with a lisp and a limp."

"Well she is already making internal political moves against me, never forget that Inquisitorial politics can be far more brutal and cut throat than Imperial politics. Your rivals will never pass up an opportunity to tear you down and bring you to ruin." Inquisitor Wei picks up another sheet of paper, this one brings a smile to her face. "Right here is another letter from Inquisitor Agatha, saying that she approves of your promotion to full Inquisitor. When we get back from handling the Necrons it will be made official and you will be given your own Inquisitorial seal, but until then you will have to deal without it."

"This is an honor Inquisitor; I don't think that I am ready though."

"Stop with the false modesty Nathaniel, it's not your style and you won't fool anyone. Time and again you have proven your worth; the Inquisition will be made stronger with your addition to our ranks. Also, you will be beating out that Evangeline girl who you have already struck up a rivalry with." This brings a smile to Nathaniel's face. "Nathaniel I strongly suggest that you get some rest and relax, if you have been reading the same reports I have you know we will have our work cut out for us in the days ahead."


	32. Chapter 32 Desert Mirage

_**(Generic disclaimer)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**The Necrons have always been a peculiarity to me; mainly I don't know what to feel about them. Those who learn about them can't help but feel a sense of pity and admiration for them. Unlike the Eldar who brought about their downfall through their own decadence and selfish indulgences, even after they had been warned, the desperate and broken Necrontyr were tricked by a malevolent entity into a state of soulless servitude. Despite their situation they turned upon those who enslaved them at the end of their war against the Old Ones and utterly destroyed their enslavers, for the most part since there are still some free shards on the loose. On the other hand, they are a definite threat to the human race that can pop up anywhere at any time. Who knows, maybe my hatred of the Eldar of all varieties is simply so strong that anyone who considers them an enemy gains sympathy points from me. Who am I kidding; my hatred of the Eldar does affect my judgment as far as the Necrons are concerned. Regardless, the Necrons like all Xenos are a threat to the human race, and unlike the Eldar they have the numbers and range necessary to prove a viable threat to Imperial rule. The fact that their tomb worlds could be anywhere only raises their threat level.**

Nathaniel was hot, dirty, and surrounded by Xenos. They had met up with the Paratain Eldar where they devised their battle plan, use the webway to make planet fall on Nefertitia, establish a base, and begin hostilities with the Necrons in order to draw out Phaeron Cleandra. Farseer Marltona assured Inquisitor Wei that she had read the future and fortune was on their side, but Nathaniel still had his misgivings. Nathaniel has been sent on ahead with a squad of Eldar rangers and Marltona's young protégé, Trianna, who was training to be a Farseer herself. They were to scout out and see if they could find any trace of the Necrons on the surface. The war was not going well; all the planets the Horkhesh Dynasty targeted were tomb worlds for the Horkhesh Dynasty, primarily coreworlds telling from the number of Necrons emerging, leaving scholars to wonder just how far their fringeworlds extended out. Apparently they had survived the great sleep mostly intact with little to no internal damage. Nefertitia was a barren desert world, with scorpions the size of Leman Russ's and lizards the size of Baneblades. Not to mention records of a creature known as a sandshark, which was not something Nathaniel, wanted to deal with. He had to give the Horkhesh Dynasty points for choosing deathworld as their crownworld, since their tombs were beneath the surface they certainly didn't have to deal with the planets inhabitants. Fortunately they had not run into any of the planets more monstrous inhabitants, Trianna's suggestion that a fearsome Necron presence had scared them off did not make him feel any better.

"Mon-keigh could you be a little bit more graceful, your brutish stomping about will give away our position." While the gentle and graceful steps of the Eldar did little to disturb the sand dune they were climbing, Nathaniel was just struggling to climb up the large dune on what wasn't exactly the most stable of ground.

"Well, you pointy eared nag if you don't like the way I walk you could always carry me." What Nathaniel meant as a joke was met with a cold glare from Trianna.

"I know you Mon-keigh aren't exactly the smartest of species, but even you should realize the gravity of the situation. If the Necrons have their way no one will be safe, they are a vile and wicked race completely devoid of any sense of mercy, compassion, empathy, or honor. They are a plague of undeath that would see everything consumed in their fires of silent conquest and domination."

"Ha, I spent ten years in Commorragh, the Necrons can't be any worse than your demented kin. Hell, they can't even be worse than you Eldar, at least they are honest about their intentions."

"What makes you so sure that we aren't being honest with our intention?"

"You are an Eldar; to you all non Eldar life is worthless and meaningless. You would expend us completely fighting your wars, and when the war is finished show your gratitude by killing every human you see. At least the Neuron's lack your pretentiousness martyr syndrome and a completely fake speech about the good of the galaxy when all you care about is your own good."

"The best hope for the future of your race, Mon-keigh, lies in the hope that my people will regain their glory and that we will be merciful, we MIGHT even let your race live, under proper supervision of course, in order to make sure that chaos doesn't get out of hand."

"This coming from the species whose perverted acts brought a Chaos god into existence."

"We have learned from our mistakes, and we have set safeguards in place in order to protect our race."

"Aren't these rangers and pathfinders who are with us originally banished from your Craftworld because your system is too strict."

"Bah, for the rangers its mere youthful rebellion, trying to vent out their rashness and wild emotions before they return to the Craftworld."

"And what about your Dark Kin, apparently they didn't get the memo about learning from past mistakes."

"If this wasn't a warzone I would give you a lesson in proper manners mon-keigh."

Out of nowhere they here a metallic female voice cries out, "Enough of this, you too are arguing like an old married couple, and while that concept amuses me it doesn't overlook the fact that you are trespassing on a world you do not belong." With that the around air them shimmers and a large group of female Necron Immortals emerge. They are led by a female cryptek who wears a device on her face that look like a pair of glasses. "I am Miragera the Sense Weaver and you don't have much longer to live. Kill the underlings, spare the human and Eldar witch." With that the Necron Immortals open fire and disintegrate the rangers and pathfinder to oblivion.

"How were we not able to detect you, you soulless machines aren't subtle or cunning enough to escape from our detection." Trianna is quite gripped with fear and frustration over what has happened, Nathaniel decides that a precarious situation like this requires a level head.

"It is comforting to see that Eldar arrogance has not abated over our 60 million year sleep, in a uncaring ever changing universe it is nice to see something's never change. I would be genuinely surprised if you had detected me or these immortals, considering my scientific studies have given me complete and total control over my victims senses."

Nathaniel tries to launch a psychic attack against only to be hit with a splitting headache.

"While most planetary Null Field Matrices only weaken psychic powers, the skill of my friend Aegisana has created a Null Field Matrix that makes those foolish enough to use psychic powers pay for their insolence." The cryptek raises up her staff, pushes a button, and sends out a wave that knocks overwhelms Nathaniel and Trianna with sensations. "My Staff of Dreams has many features, with sensory overload being one of my favorites." Both Nathaniel and Trianna pass out from their senses being overloaded.

**Nathaniel's Footnotes**

**Say what you want about the Necrons, but their leaders do have good manners and their curiosity combined with their love of hearing their own voices can come in handy in guaranteeing your survival. **


	33. Chapter 33 Phaeronic Rant

_**(I have finally pinpointed the general area where this story takes place, north of the Ultramar System and west of the Tau Empire, at least according to the layout of one map. This area has practically no named planets so I can use it as a blank slate for my stories. I have finally made an outline for the chapters to come, something I probably should have done in the beginning, and I expect I should complete this story sometime in early to mid April, barring accident or tragedy. For the upcoming chapters, be prepared for excessive hammy exposition and excessive chewing of the scenery. Necron lords love their hammy speeches after all, at least in the new fluff. And I love villains that give hammy speeches, which could explain why I had so much fun with Archon Taelbeirt. I do not own the intellectual property of Games Workshop.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**I have often wondered what were the Old Ones thinking when they spared the ancient Necrontyr? Was it a foolish act of mercy that should have never been given, or a malevolent act of cruelty to prolong the suffering of Necrontyr? From the records and information that I have pieced together, I have been given the picture of a foolishly naïve and optimistic race. But I have heard a completely different story from their ancient enemies, about a haughty and arrogant race that only bestowed their gifts on those who swore fealty to them. About a race of beings that aided the development of countless species, and then demanded servitude from those who had never asked for any help in the first place. Granted these accounts came from a bitter and delusional Necron Phaeron, but it is still enough to make me question the supposed benevolence of the ancient Old Ones. It also doesn't help that even the positive reports are contradictory. I have read many stories about the Old Ones being amphibious/reptilian in nature, which is countered by stories and works that their servants the Slann were amphibious/reptilian, while they themselves were something different. Phaeron Cleandra herself described them as humanoid energy beings, usually of a single color but with secondary color veins running across their bodies. This description ties in with descriptions the Mechanatites have given me about their Demiurge, the being that gave them their souls. Which leads to another interesting question, are the Old Ones completely extinct. That mad Haemonculus Galbeert certainly believed that they weren't, as did Phaeron Cleandra and her crypteks. They made a compelling argument about the signature gene of the Old Ones, at least a single strand of DNA that is their calling card, being present in the genetic code of both the Tau and the Tyranids, two species that should not have any connections with the Old Ones. This could account for the various cases of human/xenos breeding that have been recorded, even though I can never understand why any depraved souls would ever lay with a xenos. For the case of the Tyranids, the argument could be made that they god the gene from devouring Old One influenced life, while some would argue they had it before ever entering our galaxy. But back to the issue of the Tau, it is highly convenient that a warpstorm appeared when it did protecting them from extinction, or how this species that has practically no connection of the warp yet is not soulless, or how they have developed at such a rapid and unmatched pace with the unnatural control their ethereal caste exerts over them. If there are Old Ones still in existence, I suspect the hand of at least one where the Tau are concerned. I have not brought my suspicions to the attention of my peers yet; their response would either be one of laughter, scorn, or excommunication. I believe without a doubt that there are at least a couple Old Ones still active in our galaxy, but what their plans are I cannot conceive. Are they friends, foes, or do they have their own agendas? Are there 2 or 2000 at work and do they maintain any type of organization? Is anyone else aware of their existence, and if so, who? And most terrifying of all, can we even stop them if they are still around and their agendas don't include a future for humanity? After all, these stragglers survived the assault of the Necrons/C'Tan, the Enslaver Plague, and over 60 million years in an uncaring and hostile galaxy that has only gotten worse as time has gone by, including the Eldar fornicating a god of depraved sexuality and pleasure into existence. They even survived the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy intact it seems. If there are survivors, they are either supremely powerful, supremely cunning, or supremely lucky. Any one of those, let alone a combination of those three, does not bode well for our future.**

Nathaniel woke up on what was probably the fluffiest bed he had ever slept on. He looked around the room he was in, and saw what appeared to be the bedchambers of a Necron Noble. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all of black stone, including the frame of the bed, though the rest of the bed seemed to be comprised of large fluffy pillows. There is a desk and a dresser against the wall, with a strange piece of Xenos tech lying on top of the desk. He gets off the bed only to see the floor beneath his feet light up in an eerie green color. A dark mirror pops up and Nathaniel is greeted by a terrifying sight, his wardrobe. Mainly, his lack of one, since he is wearing what appeared to Nathaniel to be a black silk dress, with a golden sash. Hanging down across his chest is a golden breastplate encrusted with gems; he has golden manacles attached to his arms and ankles, completely barefoot with a dark cape hanging down from his shoulders. He has a simple golden circlet around his head.

"Why am I dressed like this, is their idea of torture? If so I should really introduce them to the Dark Eldar." Nathaniel says to himself, believing that he is alone.

"It is not torture, you and your clothes were dirty, the Phaeron commanded that you be cleaned and dressed in accordance to your station. This room hasn't been used since the biotransference, but it seemed like the best place to put you." Nathaniel turns his head and sees Miragera staring at him. "You will come with me, and you will not speak unless spoken to. Our Phaeron believes you to be someone else, and you will go along with it."

"What if I refuse, what if I don't play along?"

"Then we will kill the Eldar witch in training."

"Go ahead; I won't lose any sleep over it."

Miragera let out a creepy metallic laugh, "It would seem that you are wiser than you appear, at least where the Eldar are concerned. How about this, if you play along I will do everything in my power to make sure that you go free and unharmed."

"Do I have much of a choice?"

"No you do not, but I am a cryptek of my word, if you play along I will make sure you gain your freedom."

"Who am I suppose to be again?"

"I am not exactly sure, though I do have my suspicions. Our Phaeron sadly suffered some damage during her sleep and now random aliens appear to be people she knew long ago, even if they are suppose to be dead. Now follow me, the Phaeron is waiting."

They travel down the musty old hall, filled with the stench of millennias of stale air and decay. Across the walls he sees lines of green energy, with glowing crystals embedded in the walls to provide light. They come to a large golden door, with the etching of female Necrontyr etched into it, holding up orbs of light. Miragera opens the door and they enter a massive dome chamber, with images on the walls showing various world and various battles. In the center of the room on a high circular platform is an ornate black throne with a female Necron Overlord sitting on it, obviously Phaeron Cleandra. She also had long metal strands descending down from her skull, what Nathaniel took to be hair, along with a long, flowing metallic dress. The Phaeron is too busy arguing with Trianna to notice them. Trianna has been put into what would be a long black dress and blouse. The manacles on her hands are connected with chains.

"Aberrations like yourselves will not be victorious; you are relics of nightmares past, a fleeting threat that will be chased into the darkness forever now that you have finally decided to leave your tombs." Trianna is proving that the Eldar can be quite arrogant and defiant even in a precarious situation.

"What do you know of my people or are nature, your people created a malevolent warp entity because you couldn't control your basic desires. You claim you can defeat us, you can't even defeat your own internal demons." The Phaeron moves with exaggerated arm and body movements, Nathaniel thinks that she may just have a few movement circuits loose.

"How did you learn about that? How do people who shouldn't know about that learn about it?"

"We have our ways; my new Eldar subjects can be quite knowledgeable when the proper amount of pressure has been applied to the proper pressure point."

"You lie; no Eldar would ever bow to a soulless abomination such as yourself."

"The witch from the race of liars is accusing me of deceit, surely this is a jest. Your species thrives on deceit, you live deceit, you breath deceit, you even deceive yourselves into believing that you are still the pinnacle of creation. At least the humans have a territorial defense to their claims of superiority. All you have is the pretention and delusional self denial that is such a disease for the minds of your race."

"You dare call me delusional; a lifeless machine like yourself thrives on delusion. You are not a race; you are mere shadows of one of the vilest races to ever set foot in the galaxy. Machines like you could never understand the burdens the living half, or the fact that a your race is dead, it is only malice and bitterness that keeps you alive, and that malice will be your undoing."

"My race is not dead; we are merely in a state of transition. You could never understand the burden of my people, of my burden. We were tricked by those we believed to be gods into metal prisons, our citizens reduced to mindless automatons; you could never begin to understand my burden. Yet, we have a plan, we will find new bodies and live once again, we will know the joys of the flesh once more. You think I don't long for the joys of the flesh, I do, by the ancient Necrontyr gods of death I do. The delicious taste of a tart pastry, the warm wind blowing across my face and through my hair, the smell of a garden of flowers, the tender embrace of one you love and who loves you in turn. Oh yes, I miss these things, and I will get them back, no matter the cost. I hate what I have become, I hate the fate I have inflicted upon my people, but I know that this form won't last forever; I know that we will rise from our tombs into the light once more. I know that a new dawn will come for my people, as we reclaim our birthright from those who sought to usurp our space. I do not know about the others, but my dynasty will bring peace, order and stability to this chaotic galaxy. We will show the one true path to prosperity to all the races of the galaxy, prosperity through submission to my will. We will bring order to chaos, we will defeat chaos and its minions."

"You are mad if you think you can pull that off."

The Phaeron lets out a dark chilling laugh. "Some have tried to cut the warp off completely by the construction of great devices with the vain hope of severing the connection of this galaxy with the warp; this is delusional folly at its worse. My crypteks have a more subtle method, one we developed before our great sleep. We will sever the connections all other races have with the warp, while letting them keep their souls. Basically we will cut off their ability to gain access the warp and prevent warp entities from affecting our galaxy through them."

"You can't be serious, that isn't possible."

"Oh it is, it is very possible, the same way it is possible for the hated Old Ones to still be alive even in this day and age, which leads to my next question." She walks up to Trianna and grabs her by the throat. "WHERE ARE THEY, WHERE ARE YOU HIDING THE OLD ONES."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, they are extinct."

"Preposterous, their imprint is on the Tau, my crypteks are never wrong, especially not my masters of biocontrol, they are still alive and kicking in this universe. They will be found, and they will SUFFER!"

"Your madness is clearly deeper than I originally suspected." With that Cleandra throws Trianna across the room into a law, she isn't killed but she is clearly hurt.

"I was mistaken to believe that an underling such as yourself would know of the Old Ones continual existence. They are still around, trust me, and there shall be a reckoning when I get my hands on them. There is no work in any language that can describe the levels of hate I have for them. Some would say that the Triarch declared war upon the Old Ones to prevent infighting; this is true to an extent. The need for unity was a factor, but an even greater factor was our hatred for these near immortal and powerful beings. When we were creatures of flesh, our lives were short, painful, wracked with disease and suffering, yet we persevered and slowly made our way to the heavens. We had heard stories from the young species we met about the powerful Old Ones who showered gifts upon the galaxy. When we met them, we begged them to take away our miserable forms, to give us the long life and health we desired. They did offer a price, which was eternal servitude to them. Our pride prevented us from taking them up on this offer, and our bitterness and resentment grew as they flaunted their power. How ironic that we would eventually wind up enslaved to beings equally as depraved as the Old Ones, for an even deeper price than our freedom, our souls. I know there are some older races that spin tales about the benevolence and generosity of the Old Ones, but I will tell you the truth, they were power hungry, scheming, manipulative, amoral bastards that sought to alter the course of evolution instead of letting it develop naturally. There was nothing noble, true, or pure about them, like you Eldar they were liars. Then again, you did learn from the best. Look at the Krork, the perfect warrior race when put under their control. But when that control disappeared they went wild and savage. The Old Ones engineered them to be completely dependent upon them for guidance, is this the trademark of a benevolent race. What about you Eldar, I know they were desperate to fight back against us and the C'Tan, but if they were truly as wise and as patient as they believed themselves to be, they would have taught you better restraint over your powers. Once again when you lost their guidance you were eventually consumed by ruin. You believe that we are the villains, we are the victims, and it is the C'Tan and the Old Ones who were the true villains. The C'Tan used us as puppets the same way the Old Ones used you as puppets. The main difference being, we puppets cut our own strings and shattered those who sought to control us."

"Didn't you just tell me not to long ago that you would bring order and guidance to the universe, by subjugating all lesser races? How are you any better than the Old Ones you claim to hate so much? How are you any better than the C'Tan you hate so much? How are you any better than we Eldar who manipulate the lesser races for our own selfish reasons?"

"It is quite simple, we are right, we are truthful about our intentions, and there is no pretense or web of lies from us. We have honor, we have nobility, we have traditions that we will never break. The excesses of the other Necron lords may be harsh right now, but they will mellow out and in time when they see the wisdom of my plan. This galaxy is sick, not only is it under attack from extragalactic threats, but it has also turned upon itself in bedlam. It has rotted from the inside out; there is no end to this madness unless we intervene. We are the saviors of this galaxy; we will claim our birthright as the true lords over all creation. The Necrontyr shall live again, and on that day the galaxy will be consumed in the light of our truth. In the end, you will come to understand our truth, and you will come to understand your fate. You will realize that you have been wrong, that you have been misguided. And on that day when you confess your folly and ask for deliverance, I will remove your chains and guide you into the future, for I am a kind and benevolent ruler, filled with love for all creation."

"I will never submit to you, you foul undead monstrosity." Trianna is still trying to put up a defiant stance even though she is in no condition to do so.

"Like any understanding parent, I will forgive your ignorance, in the hope that in time you will see the truth of my words. Lychguard, take her Menagra the Flesh Shaper, she requires medical attention." With that two Lychguard are teleported in to carry her out. The Phaeron finally turns her attention to Nathaniel, and her eyes start glowing bright. She runs over to him and embraces him in a nearly bone shattering hug. "Mortek, my sweet Mortek, I thought I had lost you forever, I am happy to see that Miragera had you cleaned up."

Nathaniel simply gives her a blank look.

"Mortek, don't you recognize me, I am your mother. I know when we parted ways over 60 million words ago I said some harsh things to you, but surely you have forgiven my by now? Surely you don't hold a grudge against me? My dear Mortek I have missed you so much, why don't you recognize me?"

Miragera steps in, "Phaeron Cleandra, he was fatally wounded during a battle with the Old Ones before biortransference. He was placed within a healing crypt that we hoped would save him. Sadly he was stolen away by the C'Tan in the hope of gaining leverage over you if they needed to. He was forgotten for 60 million years until those Eldar discovered him, you remember how we caught onto their scheme yesterday, how they were going to use him to gain leverage over you. Fortunately I was able to save him; sadly he has lost his memory over time and doesn't remember a thing."

"Oh, my poor sweet Mortek, I am sorry that I didn't retrieve you all those years ago, I guess I was still simmering in anger over our dispute. But now everything is better, you are back in my care, and when we awaken your sisters upon the coreworlds these alien invaders have claimed, we will be one big happy family again." She gives Nathaniel another hug, while the only thing Nathaniel can think of is "God-Emperor save me."

**Footnotes**

**In a galaxy filled with Necrons whose madness manifests in hyper logical arrogance, demented kleptomania, wanderlusting conquest, and unparalled senility, I had to deal with the one Phaeron whose madness manifested in smothering mother syndrome. This was combined with an insane need to justify her son still being alive, even if she had to delude herself into believing that a human male could have any resemblance to her lost Mortek. For the record, Mortek died on the field of battle against the Old Ones, and his death was recorded. Cleandra was just never able to accept his death, especially since her last words to him were, "I wish you had never been born." Is it wrong to admit that I feel some sympathy for this grieving mother who was never able to move on?**


	34. Chapter 34 Mothers Love

**Inquisitor Clark's Journal Entries**

**I always found it odd that the Horkhesh Dynasty refuses to use mind-shackle scarabs. When I confronted their crypteks and nobles about this, their reasoning did make a lot of sense. Basically they believe that they are in the right, and that any rational being should be able to see that they are right. If they used the mind-shackle scarabs to get their subjects to obey, then they would be admitting that they were in the wrong. After all, if they are in the right than they should not have to force their views on anyone, they would see the truth eventually, or otherwise prove themselves to stupid an irrational to serve any purpose whatsoever. They do make an exception for battlefield situations, however. I distinctly remember a discussion between the Phaeron and a Tau Ethereal and his Water Caste retinue who came to create a ceasefire with the Horkhesh Dynasty. The Horkhesh Dynasty claimed that they would cease their expansion as soon as they had reclaimed all of their worlds in Tau space, all 16 of them. And since the inhabitants on those worlds claimed that the planets were their home, then they obviously wanted to become citizens of the Horkhesh Dynasty, since only loyal citizens would stay on those worlds that rightfully belonged to the Horkhesh Dynasty. Imperial and Eldar officials didn't even bother trying to negotiate, only the Tau kept to their naïve optimism throughout this entire incursion. When the issue of the Greater Good was brought up, Phaeron Cleandra laughed in the Ethereals face, leading us back to the earlier issue. If the Greater Good was such a great concept, then why did they need to coerce others into following it with pheromones, propaganda, and mind control? If their Greater Good truly was the best system for everyone, than they shouldn't need to resort to coercion to get people to agree to it, they should be able to come to it willingly. She even went so far to use the example of what happened to her people as proof that if something truly was a good idea, then others wouldn't have to be forced to do it. The irony that she willingly agreed to biortransference was lost on her, though she would probably use the excuse of the disappearance of her son clouding her reasoning with grief to justify her actions. To this day I can't help but chuckle a little when I remember the Necrons who tried to use logic and reason in a galaxy where such things are irrelevant. If you want your people to survive, a combination of discipline, faith, and the judicious use of execution and torture is necessary to guarantee that your people live to see another day. I suppose I should be grateful that no mind shackle scarabs were used on me to make me more like her son, but such a fate would have saved me from the heart wrenching pain spirit crushing I would suffer at the end of my stay with the Phaeron. **

Nathaniel found himself as the guest of honor at a feast he felt he had no right to attend, a feast to celebrate the return of Prince Mortek. The trouble being that he wasn't Prince Mortek and every noble in the feast hall knew it except for the Phaeron. Most of the reactions he received from the assembled nobles were either bemusement of irritation. Once again, the nobles all appeared to have feminine forms, though there was some deviation amongst their forms and dress. He was also the only person who had any food to eat, since apparently Prince Mortek was placed in a stasis crypt before biortransference became mandatory. Granted the food wasn't too bad, but he was a bit uncomfortable with everyone watching him eat and drink. Phaeron Cleandra didn't notice so she just kept on with her speech, about how happy she was she got her son back. The crypteks were nowhere to be found; apparently it wasn't proper for them to attend this event.

"So you can imagine my surprise, when I turned on my viewing screen to see my son in the hands of the Eldar. It was quite obvious they sought to use him as leverage in negotiations with me but I acted to quickly for them. Miragera and the immortals I sent with her proved more than sufficient to rescue my son and bring him back home to me. Speaking of the Eldar, let's bring out the Eldar witchling for some entertainment." Trianna is brought out wearing the black skirt and blouse she was wearing earlier. Except now she had golden bracelets on her ankles, arms, and around her neck. Each one had a glowing green stone embedded in them. "As you know, I am not one to hold a grudge, and while this pitiful wretch tried to use my son as a bargaining tool, she did bring him home to me, and in my infinite mercy and generosity I have given her the privileged position of entertainer slave for the Horkhesh Dynasty. Come Eldar, sing and dance for us, delight us with your grace and elegance."

"I will not perform for the likes of you."

"Pity" Cleandra presses a button on her staff and the green stones begin to glow while Trianna tenses up. "While I do not believe in the casual use of mind-shackle scarabs, since it is not my intention to rob you of your mind, your body does belong to my dynasty, and when I tell you to dance, you dance."

The bracelets begin moving Trianna against her will, in a beautiful and graceful dance. "Sing as well." The bracelet takes over from here and she begins to sing a haunting melody in her native tongue. Due to the implant he received all those years ago in Commorragh, he was able to understand the song perfectly. It was a song about life, loss, and rebirth, a haunting yet hopeful melody about the life of every Eldar and their hope for the future, that they would be reborn and redeemed. Nathaniel wasn't sure if the Necrons understood Eldar or not, but they too seemed enthralled by the haunting dance and song routine. In fact, the dancing of the Eldar was a bit too much for Nathaniel, and he started to get certain feelings for her, granted it was purely physical attraction but it still disturbed and shamed Nathaniel.

"She is a beautiful specimen, isn't she my son. I have heard that human men prefer Eldar women over their own, I can certainly see why, they do have quite the appealing aesthetic." Apparently her eyes can read his biological functions, even if they aren't able to determine his species. "My dear boy, it seems that the Eldar maiden has caught your eye and inflamed your passions, if you wish I could have you sent to your chambers, her body does belong to our dynasty."

Nathaniel fought back the urge to lash out against the Phaeron, he hated slavery with a passion, even if it was a Xenos being enslaved, he still felt disgusted by the institution. The thought that he would force himself upon another to sate his desires, even a Xenos, only infuriated him further. Even after all these years what Aun'sal did to him still scarred him. He may hate the Xenos, but he was not debased enough to force himself upon them, that was something some foul Dark Eldar would do, especially with a species outside of their own. While he could tell that slavery among the Necrons would not be the nightmare it was with the Dark Eldar, it was still slavery. He would rather see a Xenos species wiped out of existence before he saw it enslaved, at least their pain would be over quickly that way, which was Nathaniel's idea of compassion and mercy. Despite the rage boiling deep inside of him, he fought back his feelings and said, "Your eminence, I do not believe it would be proper for one of my station to force myself upon this lowly slave."

The response wasn't what Nathaniel expected, it was a warm chuckle. "It pleases me to hear you say that, it is good to see that you have grown so much over the millenia There was a time when you would bed any alien harlot, I am glad that you are past that phase. It was unbecoming of your station as my son. As a gift, I will give you the Eldar maiden as your personal servant, now that I know that you won't lay with her." Apparently this had been a test to see if the prince had changed, Nathaniel still felt the institution of slavery was vile but he was a little relieved that the Phaeron didn't want him to lay with Trianna.

The next day, the Phaeron decided that they should have breakfast in the garden. When Nathaniel inquired about whether or not she should attend to the war effort, she assured him that Nemesora Erina was making excellent headway against their foes, and that his sisters would be awoken soon enough to unleash their legions upon the usurpers. With 66 confirmed viable worlds the Horkhesh Dynasty was now one of the most powerful dynasties left, with only the Sautekh surpassing them at 80 plus.

The garden itself wasn't much of a garden; it was not maintained during the Great Sleep and was now little more than piles of black dust and stale air. "Such a pity, at one point this was one of the most beautiful gardens in the galaxy, now it is a ruin. Time truly has no respect or reverence for what if beautiful and priceless."

"You majesty, if you don't mind me asking, since I don't remember much, why did we have our schism?"

"Mortek please, call me mother, and while I don't even like thinking about the subject, if it helps you regain your memory I will go over this with you. As you know, we are a matriarchal dynasty, which was established in opposition to the traditionally patriarchal Necrontyr society. We believed that women make better rulers and commanders, which I still believe is true for the most part, but you, were the exception. You had such a talent for leading troops into battle, your sisters all represented different aspects of my personality, but you embodied me fully. You would have made a fine heir, had you not been born male. It was your frustration with this that led to our schism. It was the final days of our first war against the Old Ones, and even though we were losing, you wanted to prove your worth by defeating them in battle, but you never came back and I thought I had lost you forever. It was truly my fault; I should have kept you off the battlefield, away from conflict. I fueled your ambitions and dreams for a future you could never have, but before I could correct the mistake the Old Ones took you away from me. Look, I even call the N'Tac by that silly title the lesser races refer to them by."

It just hit Nathaniel; the true name of the Old Ones was the N'Tac. A peculiar name for sure that bore some similarity to the name C'Tan, he would have to investigate this once he got out of here. Right as she was about to carry on, her arm started beeping. She presses a button on her arm only to have what Nathaniel assume to be the voice of Nemesora Erina communicating with her. "My Phaeron, your daughters have awakened with little effort and they have now unleashed their forces upon the alien intruders, not even the Eldar reinforcement from Alaitoc or the human super soldiers can hold us back."

"Wonderful, your sisters have awakened at last, come we must get ready for their arrival. If they use the trans-dimensional gateway they should get here very shortly.

**The Necron Matriarchy, Inquisitor Clark's Guide to the Horkhesh Dynasty (It's a testament to how much time I spent with the Horkhesh Dynasty that I learned all of this.)**

**Current Ruling Phaeron: Cleandra, Bearer of the Light**

**Personal Territory (Heart of the Horkhesh Dynasty): 1 Crownworld Nefertitia, 9 Coreworlds, 10 Fringeworlds**

**Personality: She views herself as the savior of the galaxy. She proclaims love for all living creatures, except Orks and Tyranids, and views it as her duty to take care of them and guide them. She views all non Necrons as disobedient children, with her as the loving but stern mother who needs to teach them their place in the universe. She has a plan to severe the connection all races have with the warp, killing off all warp entities. She also seeks apotheosis for her entire race, but knows that it isn't feasible during this period in time of constant warfare. She despises Imotekh the Stormlord, whose Sautekh Dynasty lays very close to her Horkhesh Dynasty. While they were ancient rivals, Imotekh's ascension to Phaeron has reignited their old rivalry. It doesn't help that their two dynasties are the two largest remaining. Despite this Cleandra and Imotekh respect each other greatly, and both do not see any benefit in fighting each other during this point in time. Cleandra admits that Imotekh is the better strategist, but she is definitely the better fighter, and if their dynasties were to engage in conflict Imotekh's martial honor would demand that he fight her, a contest he knows he can't win.**

**Notable Vassals (A lack of infighting has led to no loss of noble life due to the lack of the aforementioned infighting.)**

**Nemesora Erina-Supreme Strategist and General of the Horkhesh Dynasty (10 Lords, 40 Lesser Nobles)**

**Overlady Portiana (5 Lords, 30 Lesser Nobles) **

**Overlady Truana (5 Lords, 30 Lesser Nobles)**

**Mistress Nihila-Destroyer Lord-Heralds of the Ebony Twilight**

**Miragera the Sense Weaver-Cryptek-Head of the Harbingers of Waking Dreams**

**Aegisana the Matrix Crafter-Cryptek-Harbingers of Infinity**

**Armadanda the Bringer of Doom-Cryptek-Harbingers of Calamity**

**Menagra the Flesh Shaper-Cryptek- Harbingers of Genesis**

**High Lord Judicator Torquin- Reperesentative of the Triarch- Three Praetorian Battalions **

**Maizerana the Celestial Maiden-C'Tan Shard**

**Princess Quara the Patient Maiden-Eldest daughter and heir**

**Southwest Territory (Formerly claimed by Imperium, 20 worlds -8 Core and 12 Fringe) **

**Personality: She is the most level headed and intelligent of Quara's daughters and the one least likely to burst into a long winded monologue. She is a talented administrator and diplomat, who maintain expert control over her worlds with rational and logical reasoning.**

**Notable Vassals**

**Nemesora Oliana (10 Lords, 40 lesser nobles)**

**Overlady Raira (5 Lords, 30 lesser nobles)**

**Volta the Storm Maiden-Cryptek-Harbingers of the Storm**

**Princess Reta the Dancing Maiden-Second Daughter**

**Eastern Territory (Formerly Tau Empire 17 worlds- 7 core and 10 fringe)**

**Personality: A lover of art and culture, all art and culture. She believes that by studying the art of an alien species, you can learn about them and that by learning about them you can defeat them. Before the great sleep she had acquired quite a collection, now that she once again walks the galaxy she seeks to expand her collection once more.**

**Nemesora Bartora (10 Lords, 30 lesser nobles)**

**Overlady Tria (5 Lords, 15 lesser nobles)**

**Mattra the Matter Molder-Cryptek-Harbingers of Transmogrification**

**Princess Andra the Fiery Warrior-Youngest Daughter**

**Northwestern Territory (Formerly Eldar Exodite/Maiden World's 9 worlds- 4 core and 5 fringe)**

**Personality: If the eldest daughter got their mothers intelligence, and the second daughter her love of art, than the youngest daughter got her love of battle and passion in her cause. She is the most skilled in combat and delights in leading her troops from the front, while at the same time firmly believing in her mother's cause. She is highly emotional and doesn't incorporate too much logic into her campaigns, instead relying on her intuition.**

**Overlady Goronna (8 Lords, 30 lesser nobles)**

**Mora the Star Killer-Cryptek-Harbingers of the Astral Sea**

**As you can see, the Horkhesh Dynasty is highly organized with large armies. The number of crypteks is far greater than the number listed, but they are of little importance compared to the named crypteks in this report. I would advocate for a crusade against the Horkhesh Dynasty, but it would prove to be a costly affair that would require a massive mobilization. Its proximity to the Sautekh Dynasty, who may join forces against a large incursion, would only complicate the situation and turn the odds against us. As much as I would love to see Phaeron Cleandra destroyed, it simply isn't feasible at this stage to launch a massive assault upon her dynasty. **


	35. Chapter 35 Look upon my daughters

_**(I am a bit stuck with the Necron Arc; definitely don't want to rush it. But while I have been brainstorming, I have decided to take this opportunity to add a few details that will show up in stories I plan to write later, due to the Old One's connection with the Necrontyr, this seemed like the best place to introduce it. As we know, Games Workshop likes to be very vague where the Old Ones are concerned, allowing for people to formulate their own theories. I have been dropping several subtle hints throughout the story about their continual existence, since I intend for the few survivors to play a larger role in my later stories. The retcon of the Necrons history has opened up some interesting and promising opportunities, especially with the C'Tan claiming to be ancient enemies of the Old Ones, and not just star vampires. Trope of the Day, Sci Fi writers have no sense of scale."**_

**(The following entries have been decrypted for your reading pleasure, Nathaniel actions in these entries could get him declared to be a traitor, heretic, or radical if it fell into the hands of his rivals. Even though Inquisitors get a lot of leeway in their actions, actively interacting with ancient xenos mind meld tech is heretical enough to raise a few eyebrows. The original intent was to pass this information on to Melissa when the time as right, since they are they are the only two that know their code.)**

**Inquisitor Clark's Journal Entry-Old One Studies Part 1 **

**Recently, with the aid of Methuselah, I was able to stumble upon an ancient Old One (N'Tac) Laboratory. Naturally I had the site destroyed less the common citizenry stumble upon it and become corrupted by Xenos tech. I am sure Methuselah also "acquired" some items before my purge, but I trust him enough that I decided not to call him out on it. But before I destroyed it, I investigated it and discovered some interesting things. While the language of the N'Tac is completely incomprehensible to non N'Tac, their information storage communicates telepathically with the user. I was able to make contact with one of this device, and with the aid of Methuselah, was able to learn what I could, and while most files were too degraded to be of any use, I gained access to some interesting information concerning their history with the Necrontyr. Turns out they had more of a connection to a Necrontyr besides racial enmity. Long ago, shortly after the creation of our galaxy, there was a vicious war between two species of energy beings that came into existence at the same time, the C'Tan and the N'Tac. Both races sought to control the evolution of the galaxy, though their methods varied. The C'Tan were masters of the material universe, who sought to be worshiped as Gods and the bending of proto-life to their will. The N'Tac saw themselves as botanists, pruning and nurturing the emerging life to what they saw as desirable states for continual peace and stability in the galaxy and in the warp, which the N'Tac had a strong connection too. Needless to say they did not get along very well. Before most life in the galaxy was even sentient these two groups of energy beings waged a vicious war upon each other. The war would wage back forth but N'Tac would slowly push the C'Tan out of the galaxy. The most powerful C'Tan made their last stand in a system located in the northern galactic rim, the Mortis system. The results of this battle would have grave effects on the young life that was on the verge of sentience upon the surface of Mortis. **

Nathaniel was not looking forward to this, Cleandra's daughters had arrived and they were on their way to meet them in the throne room. Nathaniel wasn't sure how the meeting would go; he seriously doubted that the daughters suffered from the same madness as the Phaeron. As they entered the throne room, Nathaniel saw them standing together. That creepy cryptek had already briefed him on them. The eldest and smartest, Princess Quara, had her a golden and silver tint to her body & a large cloak/hood combination. Like Miragera she wore a pair of glasses, though the cryptek had informed him that they were a device that allowed a Necron to see through all illusions and tricks that would normally fool their robotic eyes. Her weapon of choice was the Staff of Alchemic Transmutation; anyone she hits with it is transformed into a pool of necrodermis, not to mention the havoc it can wreak on videos. Princess Reta was a very vain woman while alive, and went out of the way to make sure her body was beautiful by the standards of the Necrontyr. Her body was lithe, agile, and fast, with a long flowing silver cape. She was armed with the Storm Fans, two fans that cut through armor and created eldritch lightning. Apparently she danced when she fought, whirling through her enemies and frying her opponents. Finally, Andra was the smallest but the most heavily armored, with a red, yellow, and orange color scheme. Her Staff of Perdition melted all obstacles and created unnatural flame that cannot be put out. They all turned to look at him, with Cleandra proudly proclaiming, "My daughters, I give to you your long lost brother." Quara and Reta give him a skeptical look, while Andra walked right up to him.

"Mortek, you look different, have you done something with your hair." Quara facepalms while Reta lets out a sigh.

"Andra, that isn't Mortek, that is a human who our mother believes, is Mortek." Quara moves quickly to try to bring sanity to this madness. However, Miragera appears, jabs her in the ribs, and whispers to Quara and Reta.

"Quara, enough of you games; of course it is your long lost brother. He has been in cryogenic stasis this entire time, the Eldar sought to use him as a bargaining chip against me but Miragera managed to rescue him easily."

Quara and Reta move right up to Nathaniel as Cleandra sits herself on her throne. "Are you deliberately trying to mislead our mother?" Quara asks him.

"Believe me, I have tried telling her that I am not her son, but she won't listen. Miragera has promised me that if I play along she will help me get out of here. Trust me, I don't like this more than you do."

"Wait, you mean he isn't Mortek?" Andra is still a bit clueless about what is going on.

"Of course he isn't, you simpleton, but our mother believes he is, and that makes her happy, and when she is happy she focuses on her conquests." Reta finally decides to speak.

"By the way Reta," Cleandra speaks from her throne, "that good for nothing, tomb plundering scoundrel dropped by, wondering when you were going to wake up."

"Trazyn was here, why you didn't tell me, he and I always have the loveliest conversations."

"I don't like him, he is a bad influence on you, instead of going around collecting art you should focus on your studies."

"But mother, by studying art I learn all that I need to know about my opponents. Besides, while Trazyn has taken it upon me to preserve the history of our galaxy, I believe it is my duty to preserve the beauty of our galaxy."

"He is hardly a proper suitor for you; certainly there are better consorts out there for you to choose from."

"Mother, the relationship between Trazyn and I is purely that of two colleagues with a passion for collection and a love of culture. Trazyn is far too absorbed with his task to show any romantic interest in anyone or anything."

"Well, if you love your art so much, what can you tell me about your observations of Tau art?"

"Frankly, there isn't much art, at least not in the traditional sense. On the surface they seem like a very plain and utilitarian species, but if you take a step back, and gaze upon their architecture and vehicles, you will begin to see a very refined and subtle ascetic. One Tau on their own isn't very impressive, in the same way their culture isn't that impressive. But when you add them together into a cohesive whole, you see something truly magnificent. An organic order and unity, subdued and lacking in grandiosity or magnificence, but it suits them. They appear unassuming at first, but this only throws you off from their hidden depths. They need to be united and together to be worth anything. We need to destroy their center pieces, their ethereals, to defeat them. If they go, then the Tau will lose it. They might fight fiercely at first but if you can weather their assault, they can easily be beaten back. Their order is too subtle and weak to withstand any true pressure, they have been lucky so far. As for their Kroot, they have no art and culture, they are little more than beasts that imitate their betters, they can be easily dealt with, same thing with the Vespids. There were humans amongst their ranks, but they seemed more Tau than human, indicating that the style of the Tau isn't afraid to incorporate new elements into their work, yet have them conform at the same time. In fact, they had a few other species fighting for them, but they didn't really catch my attention."

"What do you think of the revelation that these Tau have been meddled with by the N'Tac, the Old Ones?"

"To be quite honest, I can't see it. The N'Tac had a love of over the top grandiosity, like the Krork and the Eldar; there was nothing subtle about them. If the Tau are the work of the N'Tac, then they must have learned how to tone it down. And if they couldn't tone it down when their species was being wiped out, I don't think they can tone it down now."

"But what if the surviving N'Tac did learn to tone it down, and that's why they survived?"

"That's possible, but we will need to do more research."

"What about you Quara, you have read the works of the humans, what can you tell us about them?"

"As you know, I read their Codex Astartes from their super soldiers, their Lectitio Divinatatus from their warrior women, and their Infantryman's Uplifting Primer from their rabble. For the Codex Astartes, it's a dry know it all book about the absolute basics of warfare, like the author wasn't even trying that hard. It tells these super soldiers exactly what they need to do for any situation, and even tells them how they should be organized with absolutely no deviation allowed. It's like something Nemesor Zahndrekh would write, if he fell on his head and went stupid. Heck, it reminds me of the first book of strategy you gave me as a child. As for the Lectitio Divinatatus, it was actually quite a fascinating read, giving me an in depth look into their faith, which promotes ignorance and hatred, with heavy themes of martyrdom. The poetry can be moving and the accounts of the God-Emperor quite impressive, though beyond that it's basically telling monkeys how to worship a super monkey, and that they should feel bad and filled with hate while doing so. As for the Uplifting Primer, I think it's someone's idea of a bad joke. I think they just slapped this together, printed it out, and handed it to their troops because they thought it was funny. It just goes to show how highly this Imperium views their average soldier, and by that I mean they don't view them highly at all." Nathaniel was seething with rage at her dismissive attitude of the God-Emperor. "Also, I have acquired a ship of theirs filled with information from an "Inquisitor Wei", I would like lay my right of salvage toward that ship and all of its contents."

"What happened to this Inquisitor Weir?"

"She and her compatriots abandoned ship and made it to human occupied territory, though I guess I should start calling them Imperial."

"And what about you Andra, have you learned anything?"

"Yes I have, despite 60 million years of decadence, disaster, humiliation, and desperation, the Eldar is just as arrogant as ever. Also, they don't like it when you bring up "Slaanesh". I find that a bit weird, it is the entities name, but then again the Eldar are weird."

Nathaniel is definitely not taking this well, the Black Lotus has been captured and Inquisitor Wei has run for it, he had to get out of here.

"Reta, there are various art pieces on the ship I acquired, if you would like I will gladly give them to you."

"Is there any catch?"

"No catch, just a loving gesture from one sister to another." Quara stares at Nathaniel again, this time actively analyzing him. She pulls out a picture she had been hiding in her robes, the one Inquisitor Wei kept in her office of her entire retinue. She takes a long hard look at it, and then gets right next to Nathaniel, switching between looking at him and the picture. She begins to whisper to him. "You're the boy in this picture aren't you, there were several files I was able to read in that office about her retinue, tell me, what is your name, your real name?"

"I am Nathaniel Clark, apprentice to Inquisitor Wei Huian." Nathaniel musters as much pride as he can for this.

Quara starts laughing a truly demented laugh. "Indeed young Nathaniel, I do believe our possession of you is just the trump card we need to gain leverage over your mistress."

"Inquisitor Wei would never put me before her mission."

"You have obviously never read her notes about you; you certainly don't seem to realize how much she cares for you. Oh, she would truly devastated if anything were to happen to you." Quara grabs Nathaniel's chin tightly with her metallic hand. "Let's pray to your God-Emperor that nothing bad happens to you."

"I'm bored, you're boring me, can I go take command of my forces again, I have Eldar to kill." Andra is impatient to get back to battle.

"Yes Andra, you have my leave to head back to the battlefield, your sisters better hurry back as well." Reta gently glides out of the room with Andra giddily skipping behind her. Nathaniel found the sight of the 60 million year old undead robot psychotic princess skipping to be a truly odd sight. Only Quara stayed, still staring intently at him.

"Quara, don't you have troops to command, the threat of the Imperial humans is one of our more serious ones."

"Of course mother, I will head back to Logos and take command of my forces. I will see you later "Mortek", let's hope nothing bad happens to that Inquisitor."

As she walks away, Nathaniel is gripped in an uneasy feeling nauseous feeling. Phaeron Cleandra, sensing that something is wrong, completely misinterprets it. She summons Trianna to take care of him. "Trianna, meeting his sisters after such a long time has proven to be too much for him, please help him back to his quarters so that he may get some rest, I will see to it that his lunch is sent to him there."

Even though her body is moving against her will, Trianna does have free use of her voice this time. "You will pay for your insolence, you soulless abomination. When we regain our glory, I will personally end you with my own hand."

"Promises, promises," Cleandra says in a mocking tone.

"Come on Mon'keigh; let's get you back to your chambers." She leads him down the halls back to the chambers, as she opens up the doors to push him inside; he utters one of the strangest lines ever to her.

"Thank you Trianna for leading me back here, at this point I don't think I could have made it on my own."

"You're welcome, Mon'keigh, since I am technically your personal attendant, is there anything you need?" Trianna is genuinely surprised he hasn't tried insulting her in some way.

"No, you should get some rest too, right now I need to lie down and think things through."

As Trianna leaves, Nathaniel begins to think through about everything that has happened. 1. The Phaeron's daughters are willing to play along with this little charade for their mother's sake. 2. At least two of them were very intelligent and dangerous; the verdict was still out on Andra. 3. Inquisitor Wei was on the run and had to abandon her ship, things were not going well for his family. And finally, Quara knew who he was and already had plans to use that information to her advantage. It was now very clear why Quara was the heir designate to the Horkhesh Dynasty. As Nathaniel begins to think these issues through, an overwhelming despair begins to engulf him, a feeling of hopelessness he had not felt in a long time. If he were able to muster inner strength of will in the past, how come he couldn't muster it now?


	36. Chapter 36 Ye Mighty

_**(I changed my mind a lot on this chapter, but in the end I believe I took it down the appropriate route. One possibility in particular served as a great temptation for me. Trope of the Day: Gilded Cage, just because you are living in luxury does not mean you are a prisoner.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journal Entry-Old One Studies Part 2**

**The N'Tac and C'Tan fought their final battle in the Mortis system, a battle of will and energy. During the battle both the planet and the sun of Mortis was affected by the terrible energies unleashed, with the newly sentient life being warped and twisted by the unleashed energy dispersal's Their sun became permanently unstable and radioactive, infused with the energies of the dueling groups. At the end of this epic showdown, the surviving C'Tan were driven to the edges of the galaxy, to lick their wounds and plot their revenge. They had been crippled and weakened by the N'Tac, a situation they couldn't get around until many millenia later when they gained their necrodermis bodies and devoured the souls of the Necrontyr. The N'Tac were too shocked by the devastation they had wreaked upon the inhabitants of Mortis. The second physical sentient life in the galaxy had been twisted and tortured by their careless use of their great power, they would never be able to recover or realize their full potential. The N'Tac had robbed them of long peaceful healthy lives, instead condemning them to short and miserable existences, even if they left their home system the damage was too deep for them to ever be free from their suffering. They had taken great pride in their guidance of the Slann, who in time would be confused with them, but here they had ruined the existence of an innocent and young race. The N'Tac were now faced with a difficult question, do they put this young race out of its misery, or do they leave them alone in order to do them no more harm?**

Nathaniel was sitting on a miniature throne next to the Phaeron's throne, and together they were watching the advancing forces of the Horkhesh Dynasty, led by her daughters. A few months had passed since their introduction and the Imperial, Eldar, and Tau forces were not doing well. Quara and Reta were making good progress, but Andra had run into some trouble. She had been aggressively pushing back the Eldar, but now the Eldar had unleashed an Avatar of Khaine upon her forces, which had single handedly blunted her offensive and was smashing his way through her warriors and immortals. The Comm Drone attached to Andra's retinue was having a heck of a time keeping up with the hectic Andra.

"Coward, come and face me in single combat, do not waste your time on my underlings." The Avatar catches sight of her and moves toward her.

"Princess, are you sure this is a good idea, wouldn't it be wiser to move back and destroy it with concentrated fire?" Her Vargard asks.

"Wiser maybe, but it would be a serious breach of my martial honor." She steps forward and prepares to fight the Avatar. "Fiery Eldar giant, I am Princess Andra of the Horkhesh Dynasty, Regent of the planet Pathos, youngest daughter of Phaeron Cleandra, and wielder of the Staff of Perdition. May you die with honor by my hand." The Avatar raises its blade in a salute and charges forward. Andra aims her staff at the arm of the Avatar holding the wailing doom and burns it off with its dark flames. "The flames from my staff are so powerful that no ordinary fire can stand against it. You see Nutera, this beast is no match for my might."

The Avatar picks her up with its remaining bloody hand with the heat emanating from it seeking to ignite her, to no effect. "My armor was designed not only to withstand physical abuse, but to protect me the fiery weapons of my enemies." The Avatar begins crushing Andra's body, which proves to be far more effective. Her Vargard quickly moves in and strikes at the Avatars leg with her war scythe, trying to chop it off to no affect. The Avatar throws Andra into a stone pillar, and Nutera rushes over to her.

"Vargard Nutera, is my daughter alright?" The Phaeron decides to communicate via the Comm Drone.

"She is fine but she is badly injured, she needs to be sent back to Pathos to heal."

"I can still fight, he just sucker-punched me, that's all." She would come off as being braver if she wasn't a mangled wreck. She is teleported back to Pathos to heal. The Avatar is still on its rampage, stomping on and tossing aside the Lychguard even with their dispersion shields like they were rag dolls. Vargard Nutera decides to act.

"Monoliths, Doomsday Arks, and all remaining forces, open fire upon that beast, take it down." The four monoliths and three doomsday arks that had moved up to aid the Princess unleash everything they have upon the Avatar. The remaining warriors and immortals also open fire, hitting it on all sides. The Avatar is taking heavy damage but is still managing to stand and move forward. Almost as if on cue, a flight of Doom Scythes come out of the sky and begin strafing the Avatar. Finally after what seemed forever, the Avatar goes down and stays down, completely spent. "The Avatar has been destroyed but we have incurred substantial casualties, it may take awhile for everyone to get back up."

"Hopefully Andra has learned her lesson, and the Eldar have learned a lesson about challenging us on our own turf." Phaeron Cleandra presses a few buttons on her throne to bring up the image of Overlady Goronna. "Goronna, Andra will be out of commission for awhile, I transfer command over to you for the duration of this campaign, reclaim this world of ours by any means necessary."

"Gladly your magnificence, but we may have a small problem." She brings up a beaten and bruised Eldar Autarch. "This fellow is a volunteer from the Biel-Tan Craftworld; he claims that this world belongs to his people."

"This is a maiden world, crafted millenia ago by our greatest scientists to serve as a paradise for our people; we will not tolerate your trespassing." Even in defeat, the Eldar is still defiant.

"I am afraid you are mistaken Eldar," Phaeron Cleandra actually seems upset, "the world you are currently on, belongs to my people. It belonged to us over 60 million years. It was given to my daughter as a part of her birthright. You are the one's trespassing, you who in your arrogance sought to take from us what is ours. You who transgress upon the sovereign territory of my dynasty with irrelevant claims you never had the right to make. We will reclaim "our" worlds from you arrogant little upstarts who seek to seize what you never held any genuine claim to. Goronna, send him to slave processing, let's see if he can come to see reason." Nathaniel is almost actually feeling some sympathy for the Eldar, almost.

"It will be done my Phaeron." With that the screen is turned off and another one is brought up, this one in Tau territory, on the Mal'Tai Sept world, the only genuine Sept world in Tau occupied Horkhesh territory, the other worlds only having minor settlements and observation posts. The Comm Drone is Reta's as her forces are being overwhelmed by a withering barrage of Tau weaponry. Only her and her Lychguard are left, and even they are taken out from behind by a large group of Tau stealth-suits, leaving only Reta.

They are about to finish her off when Reta lifts up her arms and says, "I surrender, I wish to meet with your leader so that we may discuss a cessation of hostilities."

Phaeron Cleandra lets out a soft chuckle. "Reta may not be the greatest of commanders, but she is quite the skilled diplomat."

They place her in their devilfish and take her back to their base, the Comm Drone disguising itself as a body decoration in order to avoid detection. The firewarriors escorting her seem nervous, but professional. The bring her out directly into the center of the Tau camp, where all of their communications and supplies are located, along with their Ethereal. Nathaniel wanted to scream at the Tau for being such trusting, naive, little morons.

"Princess Reta, Regent of the planet Ethos, I am happy to see that you have come to see reason. I am sure that you will find that submitting the Greater Good will bring you true liberation. Perhaps you can even convince your mother of her folly."

"You seem mistaken, I am not here to surrender, I am her to make you see reason and to either leave sovereign Horkhesh territory or submit to our rule."

"I don't understand, you surrendered to my men."

"I surrendered to them for the duration of that battle, I have not surrendered to you for the duration of this campaign."

"You seem mistaken, you are unarmed surrounded by my men, you cannot do anything."

"Is that so?" She reaches into her dress and pulls out her fans. As she opens them she sends out an EMP blast that shuts down all of the Tau technology. "I could not use my fans with my own troops nearby, I had to get behind enemy lines, right to the heart of my enemies command center so I could shut down their communications, and to kill their leader." Reta then begins moving with unnatural speed and agility, only the primitive Kroot weapons are still functioning and they repeatedly miss her. As she waves and twirl her fans she sends out bolts of eldritch lightning and waves of energy that tear the Tau apart and smash their vehicles. The Ethereal tries to run for it but Reta quickly catches him. In the background they hear screams as the now defenseless Tau in the base camp are overwhelmed by the Necron forces. "I believe we were discussing terms of surrender, Ethereal."

"I surrender, I surrender."

"I will make sure to relay that message to your troops." With that she she grabs him by the neck and snap in in half, the remaining Tau give up in despair while the Kroot stubbornly fight on.

"A Necron should not be able to move like that." Nathaniel was still in shock over what he had seen.

"Don't tell your sister that, she is quite proud of her body. Now let's see how Quara is doing." She shuts off Reta's screen and brings up one showing Quara and Miragera standing together.

"Mother, I am happy to see you."

"My Phaeron" Miragera replies.

"What news on your end, Andra and Reta has effectively won their campaigns, I hope, how do you fare."

"Sadly not as well, these humans are quite stubborn with a wide variety of troops and equipment at their disposal. Applying what I learned from their Codex Astartes, I had pushed back their Space Marines, only to have a horde of howling hairy men and giant wolves, apparently they don't follow the Codex, appear out of nowhere and ruin my plans. I killed the Ultramarines captain only to have a Space Wolf Captain punch me in the face and send me flying. If it wasn't for Miragera using her powers of illusion to save me, I would have been destroyed."

"Thank you for saving my daughter Miragera."

"It is my duty and my honor to serve our dynasty"

"Do not worry mother, I will quickly defeat these Space Wolves and secure our dominance over our realm." With that she moves to lead her troops directly.

"Miragera, she is lying to me, isn't she?"

"She is, she is too proud to admit when she is outmatched. Things were going well until these Space Wolf marines show up, now I am not so sure. They have caught us off guard and have completely revitalized the Imperial defenders. Whats the point of studying the enemies own rule book when the enemy refuses to read it?"

"It must be frustrating, though we knew from the start that the Imperium would be the toughest foe. They have the most to lose from our resurgence, the Eldar and Tau barely had any presence on our worlds, but the Imperials had really built up on our worlds. Do you have any more problems?"

"Yes my Phaeron, we have a more serious problem at hand."

"What problem are you speaking of?"

"These Imperials have completely destroyed one of our fringeworlds, Annax, unleashing an "exterminatus" upon it. On the bright side we have managed to hold our lines and have blunted their offensive, for now."

"Wait, they wiped out a fringeworld, completely?"

"Yes Phaeron, apparently there was little Imperial presence upon that world and it was their way of showing just how far they will go to win this conflict."

"Who commanded this on their side?"

"You know that Inquisitor whose ship was captured a few weeks ago, apparently the losses she has suffered has made her very desperate and vengeful."

"Do you know her locations?"

"Yes, she has taken up residence on the Imperial Capital Ship, the Spirit of Man, currently in orbit around our world of Portex."

"Good, I will have the crypteks connect me to them. Good luck with our campaign and may victory be ours. Thank goodness their ship is in the range of Portex's communication signal, otherwise I wouldn't be able to pull this off." She presses a few buttons on their throne, and in a couple of minutes another screen opens, revealing itself to be on the bridge of the Capital Ship, with Inquisitor Wei, Farseer Marltona, and an Imperial Admiral busy talking with each other. The crewmen manning the monitor freaks out when he sees Cleandra appear. "Would you be so kind as to inform your commanders that I would like to speak with them?" The crewman faints, forcing Cleandra to let out a sigh. "I am Phaeron Cleandra, supreme ruler of the Horkhesh Dynasty and Regent of Nefertitia, the gem of the Horkhesh Dynasty. I demand that you parlay with me at this moment."

Inquisitor Wei, Farseer Marltona, and the admiral all look on in shock as they see the Phaeron. "How did you hack my ship?" The admiral appears to be quite annoyed by this.

"Hacking may not be the right term, I merely used the communications station on Portex to connect with your communications system." The three make their way over to the communications station, with Inquisitor Wei looking on in shock and then relief and finally confusion when she see's Nathaniel alive and well.

"Nathaniel, your alive, why are you dressed like that and in the throne room of the Phaeron?"

"I do not know this Nathaniel you are speaking of, but you will see my long lost son Mortek next to me, his attendant Trianna should be by shortly to serve him lunch."

"What does Trianna giving me lunch have to do with anything." He uses this conversation to cover up his hand gesture message for the Inquisitor. "I am fine, the Phaeron is crazy, I am currently looking into escape strategies, though there are no good ones at this point."

"Be patient, I will do everything in my power to get you out." She replies back with her own hand gestures.

"You mentioned my protégé Trianna, what have you done with her?"Farseer Marltona is quite interested now.

"She is finding new purpose in life as a slave of the Horkhesh Dynasty; she is quite the skilled dancer and singer." Marltona's face turns a lovely shade of scarlet at hearing this.

"What do you want with us Phaeron?" Inquisitor Wei decided to keep things to the point.

"I have been informed that you have destroyed a world of mine, this is unacceptable behavior in civilized warfare. To help press home the point, I will destroy ten Imperial worlds to demonstrate that if you insist on barbarity, I will be forced to lower myself to your level." Phaeron Cleandra presses a few more buttons and sends the list of worlds over for them to read. A look of horror appears upon Inquisitor Wei's face.

"Why is New Tian on this list?"

"It is easily accessible through our Dolmen gates, and its sparse population due to recent settlement should make its loss minimal, reinforcing our desire to engage with commerce with your Imperium once this tragic state of affairs is over with."

"The inhabitants of that world are refugees; their original home was devoured by Tyranids, you can't just wipe them out."

"Why should their loss affect you more than the loss of a more heavily industrialized and settled world?"

"The inhabitants of that world are my people."

"So you would willingly sacrifice another more vital Imperial world due to sentimental connections with your people, by the ancient Gods you disgust me. Why are your people more valuable than the people of other worlds, worlds with established industries, agricultures, and larger populations?"

"That isn't what I meant?"

"But it is what you implied with your words and reaction."

"Please, I beg you; don't destroy any of these worlds."

"Too late, you have already made it clear that you only care about New Tian, the rest of humanity be damned." The Phaeron pauses for a moment to contemplate. "You know what, it seems to me that I have made my point, but that still leaves the loss of my world unavenged. I know, I will only destroy New Tian, that way the Imperium doesn't lose too much, your lesson is reinforced, and my people receive their vengeance. I will make sure the viewing screens are turned unto the spectacle, please enjoy the show."

Nathaniel acts almost without thinking. "Wait mother, I implore you to spare the world of this pitiful woman, it is quite clear she has learned her lesson, there is no need for any further bloodshed." Nathaniel quickly moves in order to save the Tianese people. "We seek to show these primitive being that we are the superior species, how would sinking to their level prove that. I beg you to show mercy to the innocent inhabitants of New Tian, who had no part in this Inquisitors dishonorable behavior."

"Why Mortek, this is quite the change of pace for you, I can see that you definitely have mellowed out over the years, there was once a time when you would have demanded that I destroy 100 worlds in retaliation." She stared intently back up at Inquisitor Wei. "Consider yourself lucky, due to my love for my son I will honor his request and I will spare New Tian, on one condition."

"Name that condition." Inquisitor Wei is no longer on the verge of tears but is still apprehensive.

"You surrender yourself over to me so that you may face the consequences of your actions."

"I accept your condition, on the further condition that my young student Nathaniel Clark, who is in the custody of your Dynasty, be allowed to go free."

"If your student is in the custody of my Dynasty, I see no reason why I shouldn't let him go, though I have not heard anything about this yet. Perhaps Quara knows who you are talking about; we will talk it over when she gets back. I request that you have a shuttle transport you to Logos, from there you will be brought here to face the consequences of your actions."

"My retinue is dead and my reputation destroyed, if by sacrificing myself I can guarantee the safety of my people and the release of my student I will gladly do so." Nathaniel is shocked by the news that the entire retinue is dead, his family almost completely wiped out by the Horkhesh Dynasty.

"Perhaps you are more noble than I gave you credit for?"

Nathaniel is left wondering what punishment the Phaeron has in store for the Inquisitor, and whether or not he will be able to go free?

**Footnotes**

**I know of only one Phaeron so far that has successfully achieved apotheosis into a new body, unfortunately it's the one I know personally.**


	37. Chapter 37 And Despair

_**(The little series of journal entries I've done do have a connection with the current story arc and Nathaniel, as this final one will demonstrate. There has been some questions brought up about whether or not the story is still focusing on Nathaniel, it is, these are Nathaniel's memories, and if the Necrons in the last chapter seemed overly powerful, that is how they appeared to Nathaniel in his desperate state. This is my longest and hopefully greatest chapter so far, I am hoping it turns out well. Also, I wouldn't view the Horkhesh as a major empire; they are just a powerful dynasty taking advantage of the Imperium's desperate situation to reclaim their ancient worlds. Finally, is it just me, or do the Space Wolves use the word wolf too much? Thought of the day, you either die a puritan or you live long enough to become a radical, and then die at the hand of the servants of the God Emperor for your heresy and treachery.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journal Entry-Old One Studies Part 3**

**In the end, they chose to leave the young race on the planet Mortis alone. All their power combined could not undo the damage done to the Mortis system, so they chose to live quietly with their great shame. The race that emerged in the Mortis system was the Necrontyr. Their lives were short and painful, and even their greatest technologies could not extend the lives of nobles beyond fifty years of age, fifty pain ridden years of torment. When they came into contact with the N'tac, they were completely ignorant of the fact that the N'tac was partially responsible for their condition. The reason the N'tac never helped the Necrontyr was because they knew there was nothing they could do to undo the damage. Explaining this would have run the risk of the Necrontyr finding out the truth, leading to a galactic and bloody war. Funny how that ended up happening anyway, and even after they had defeated the Necrontyr, their guilt prevented them from wiping the Necrontyr out. The Necrontyr would go on to meet the C'tan, and the rest is history. I find it funny how compassion will get you killed in this galaxy, even before this galaxy became the nightmare it is now. In the end, the moral of the story would appear that the most compassionate fate you can give your enemies is extermination; you put them out of both their misery and yours. One thing still troubles me, why was I able to use the N'tac technology without any difficulties? And why, throughout the entire history of the Imperium, has no one been able to find one of their labs, semi intact? I give Methuselah credit for finding the ruins, but all of this just seems too convenient.**

"Mother, Wolf Lord Sven Bloodhowl demands that you accept his challenge of single combat." Princess Quara is relaying this message to the Phaeron, who is once again in her throne room with Nathaniel by her side and Inquisitor Wei in chains in front of her.

"I thought the commanders of Space Marine companies were called Captains?"

"Apparently the Space Wolves prefer the term Wolf Lord for their captain, and he has gone on to say that if you continue to refuse his challenge, then he will have to call your masculinity into question."

"He does realize that I am a female, doesn't he?"

"In all honesty mother, he doesn't appear that bright, he even views Inquisitor Wei as an adversary, in the negotiations he insisted that she be killed. I think he doesn't realize that the Inquisition is on his side."

Inquisitor Wei decides to add her two cents. "He is well aware that the Inquisition fights for the Imperium, it's just that the Space Wolves don't trust or like the Inquisition. Add to the fact that I am already a controversial Inquisitorial figure with my xenos ties, and you have a recipe for disaster."

"Inform this Wolf Lord that it is below my station to accept challenges from underlings like him, and that I should be challenged by either his "Great Wolf" or his "Emperor"."

"Yes mother, but I don't think he will take it well."

"Then hurry up and finish off his forces, we have a Dynasty to rebuild." With that she shuts off the Comm Drone and gets to the issue at hand. "Inquisitor Wei, it is an honor to meet one as distinguished as yourself. I have read your writings and browsed through all the Imperial files my crypteks could get their hands on, and I must say your reputation precedes you. You are one of the foremost experts on combating xenos, yet you have a soft spot for a few species, as well as a view that humans and xenos should unite. You have a distinguished career, recently marred by catastrophic failures, such as the fall of Tian and your failure to stop my mighty Horkhesh Dynasty. Don't feel too bad, your Imperium is too stretched out and occupied at the moment to be any real threat to our resurgence."

"It looks like the Space Wolves are certainly giving you a run for your money."

"A mere nuisance, those flea ridden mutts cannot stop us forever. But let's get to the issue at hand, your unwarranted destruction of the fringeworld Annax and its inhabitants, my subjects."

Nathaniel notices that Inquisitor Wei is tensing up.

"In this galaxy, the destruction of a single world isn't even enough to raise an eyebrow. I thought you had taken everything from me, my retinue, my reputation, and even my son."

"Ah yes, your adopted son Nathaniel Clark, I have yet to find his exact location but my nobles and crypteks have informed me that he is here." Phaeron Cleandra looks over at Nathaniel. "Mortek, do you know where this Nathaniel Clark is?"

"He is very close, trust me Phaeron, closer than you can imagine." Nathaniel thought that this fake son routine was getting pretty old.

"Ah, wonderful, I look forward to meeting him, according to the journals and reports I've read he is quite the fascinating young man. A bit rude, bitter, and overzealous, but still a fascinating young man with lots of potential."

Rude, bitter, overzealous, Nathaniel was a bit annoyed that she had left off prideful and smart-aleck from that list.

"Now back to the issue at hand, your punishment. You may not know this, but I hate my condition, I hate this lifeless body of necrodermis. I long to feel again, to eat, drink, and love. Some believe that it is too early for apotheosis, or we need to do more studies, that train of thought does not apply to me however, while the senile buffoons at Zantragora waste their time with endless tests, I have already found the perfect host for my people, humanity. And I have even chosen the perfect vessel, you Inquisitor Wei."

Inquisitor Wei is too shocked to speak, so Nathaniel steps in instead. "This is insanity, you are still finding your footing in this galaxy, and you would jeopardize your life and your dynasty just to have a physical body again." Nathaniel is making sure not to reveal the true reason he wants to stop the Phaeron.

"My crypteks have gone over all of the contingencies. If the body I reside in is destroyed we have a system in place to transfer my consciousness back over to this body. Not to mention that our life prolonging technology, which could only extend the life of our old forms for only a couple of decades, will bring me many millennia's of youth in a human body."

"But why her, why do you want her body?" Nathaniel is getting increasingly desperate to save Inquisitor Wei.

"She is the only human female worthy of becoming my vessel that I have met so far. Did you really think that the loss of a fringeworld bothered me, what I wanted all along was her. She played right into my hands, and now that I have her, I plan to use her."

"Wait, you mean you never had any intention of destroying those worlds." Inquisitor Wei jumps into the fray of this argument. "You only threatened them because you are suffering from the delusion that my body is the only one for you?"

"Yes, I must say I wasn't expecting Mortek to help me along in that little farce, but it did speed up my goal."

"You can't do this; I won't let you take her away from me." Nathaniel charges the Phaeron and starts lashing out at her with his fists. His blows only seem to annoy the Phaeron. Two Lychguard appear and restrain Nathaniel.

"I can see that this is upsetting you sweetie, but I don't understand why. This is for the best, believe me when I get back from the process everything will be better." She looks at her two Lychguard. "Escort my son to his quarters, he needs some rest. Make sure that Trianna brings him a nice warm meal."

Nathaniel is dragged off, while Inquisitor Wei puts a look of grim determination on her face.

In the tombworld of Nefertitia, it is very difficult to keep track of time. Nathaniel reckoned that a few hours had passed but he couldn't be sure. Trianna had brought the meal and had left, Nathaniel thought she was adapting quite well to her new life. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened, Nathaniel didn't want to turn around in fear of what he would see.

"I have truly wronged you, haven't I?" The voice Nathaniel heard was Inquisitor Wei's combined with Cleandra's echo. Nathaniel finally turned around to see what this abomination looked like. She looked like Inquisitor Wei, if she were seventeen years old. Her hair had become pale white and her eyes had become glowing green orbs. She wore an elaborate scarab crown on her head. She was wearing a long flowing sleeveless dress of what appeared to be necrodermis. "You allowed me to gain closure over the loss of my son, and how did I repay you? I killed your family and took over the body of your maternal figure. And now, with the information I have gained from Inquisitor Wei, I have launched my final offensive that is now tearing its way through the Imperium defenders. With Reta, Andra, and my own personal forces throwing their weight at the weakest points, I will soon scour the Imperium from my territory."

"Aren't you upset with me for pretending to be your son?"

"Why should I be, you were in a precarious situation, a victim of my insanity, so you naturally took the most logical route of survival. Fortunately my thinking is much clearer now, my insanity is gone and my mind is as brilliant as it once was."

"What do you plan to do with me now, will you let me go?"

"No, Inquisitor Wei and I agree that it would be a bad idea, we might lose you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When I took up residence in this body, Inquisitor Wei and I conversed and we came to an understanding, it turns out we have a lot in common and she has agreed to aid me in my goals."

"Don't you dare lie to me; Inquisitor Wei was a devout servant of the God-Emperor. She would never turn her back on what she believed in. She might have had a few weaknesses for Xenos, but not enough to turn away from the Emperor's divine light." Nathaniel was so furious he charged the Phaeron and tried to hit her, but was repulsed by a shield that surrounded the Phaeron. He got back up, desperately trying to hit her and getting repulsed every time.

"Nathaniel, stop this right now, Cleandra is telling you the truth." This time the Phaeron spoke without Cleandra's echo.

"How could you, how could you turn your back on the God Emperor, on the Imperium, on humanity." He is exhausted but still furious.

"I have had my doubts about the God Emperor for a long time, ever since I lost Chun. They have been continuously building up, and I hate to tell you this, but I seriously doubt that the God Emperor is watching over us. As for the Imperium, it is a bureaucratic monstrosity that does more harm than good. It is rife with corruption, hypocrisy, and incompetence, your own dealings with Imperial officials should have confirmed this. As for humanity, I am fighting for humanity. I once believed that humanities survival would rely upon an alliance with the Eldar, Tau, and various minor races, I now see that I was wrong. Through subservience to the Necrons, humanity will gain true protection from the denizens of the warp, with a fighting chance of defeating the Chaos Gods once and for all."

"What about the Necrons who don't want to go along with that plan?"

"Things will be messy at first, but in due time more Necron dynasties will see the wisdom of Phaeron Cleandra's plan."

"And what about apotheoses, what will you do when the Necrons decide to live again and choose humanity to serve as their vessels."

"That is the best part, as Necrons and humans merge together, the connection to the warp gods will be severed without losing one's soul. The dark gods will starve and humanity will be reborn with the Necrons into a new master race."

"You have truly plunged into radicalism, haven't you?"

"I am not a radical, and I have never been a radical though my critics would claim so, I am a pragmatist. I have been shown the truth of our situation; I now only seek to ensure humanities survival and prosperity, and the Necrons are instrumental to this."

Nathaniel is being overwhelmed by unbelievable pain and fury. "I refuse to believe your madness, you are a heretic, a traitor, and most importantly you are dead to me. You have whored yourself out to the Xenos. And since you are dead I hereby take full Inquisitorial authority, and as my first official act I declare the monstrosity in front of me to be Xenos Horrificus."

"I knew you wouldn't understand, at least not yet, but in time you will understand."

"That is highly unlikely abomination." And with that Nathaniel tries to hit her with a psychic blast, only to be stopped by the tombworlds anti-psyker backlash system, or a splitting pain in his head.

"Did you forget that psychic powers are useless here?"

"Don't care, I am strong enough to overcome any foe, my spirit will give me victory." He tries a succession of attacks, only to be stopped each time. He is taking immense damage from his futile attempts, wearing himself out greatly. He finally collapses to the ground too tired to continue.

The Phaeron walks over to him, once again using the unified voice. "One lesson you have refused to learn, is the fact that there are people in the galaxy who are far more powerful than you. You are just a tiny boat in a raging storm. Do you really have any delusions that you are special or important to this galaxy, that you have some divine destiny that you have been singled out for? You are barely a blip in this sector, let alone the galaxy. No, the sad truth is that you are just a bitter young man, consumed by vengeance and hatred." She leans down next to him and begins to rub his head in a motherly manner, lowering her shield to do so. "It is for the best that you are kept here, your thirst for vengeance would consume and destroy you. Here you will be safe and cared for, the princesses are fond of you, and you will never again have a care in the world. You have suffered so much, for one whose life has been so short; this paradise I am giving you is for your own good."

"What about the other humans under your "care", why am I being singled out if I am so insignificant?"

"Simple, I like you, and even though you aren't Mortek you have taken his place in my heart. You will find that this is a far better prison than that nightmarish realm of Commorragh."

"A cage is still a cage, and a slave is still a slave. No matter how fancy you make the cage or how much you pamper the slave that will never change."

"I hope you will come to see things differently?"

A raging howl comes from the doorway as a Sven Bloodhowl the Wolf Lord comes charging in. He is a massive man with a long read beard and unruly mane of red hair. He swings his power axe down but the Phaeron gets her shield up in time, though she is sent flying into the wall where her shield breaks down. She spits some blood out of her mouth; apparently the impact did more damage than initially thought. She summons her staff of light and gets in a defensive stance. Methuselah Alden comes in behind the Wolf Lord. "Nathaniel, it's good to see you're alright, do you know where Inquisitor Wei is?" Methuselah looks over at the Phaeron, and a dark look comes upon his face. "Just as I feared, a Necron has successfully completed apotheosis."

"Hello Methuselah, aren't you glad to see me. I see that Old One artifact you use as an eye hasn't gotten you in trouble yet."

"I see, so you have sold out your species Huian." Methuselah can pick up right away what happened, Nathaniel is willing to put it down to a function of his Eye of Enoch, or the fact that any idiot with half a brain could figure this out.

"Tombworld, teleport me to the throne room right now." She disappears in a blinding flash. A few moments later they hear her voice echoing throughout the tombworld. "You invade my home like cowards while my troops are away, and now you seek to take my son from me? This world shall become your tomb. Defense systems of Nefertitia, scarabs, wraiths, spyders and my dear Praetorian Lychguard, purge these invaders from our home and rescue Nathaniel."

"Let's get out of here, before that Eldar witch we brought with us leaves us behind." The Wolf Lord has a clear head on his shoulders. "It shouldn't take my scouts too long to plant that thermonuclear charge at the power center of this crypt."

"Don't worry Sven; I am sure Marltona won't leave us behind." The leave the room and come upon the Wolf Lord's Wolf Guard, he brought about five with him, one even having the foresight to bring a flamer along, which would prove to be invaluable in these narrow halls against the scarabs.

"Shouldn't there be more Wolf Guard?" Nathaniel is a bit worried by the miniscule number before him.

"No, this is more than enough, besides the rest of my wolf guard is dealing with these meatless metal ghosts." Nathaniel had never quite heard the Necrons described like that, but it fit.

"How did you get in here without being detected?" Nathaniel was quite curious at this.

"We used their Dolmen Gates against them, to enter directly into the lower levels, though we had to wait for it to open. Thank goodness we had an Eldar with us to navigate the webway. All of their automatic detection devices are in the upper levels, and my eye was able to track you down with that tracking emitter I planted on you years ago."

"You planted a tracking emitter on me?" Nathaniel was both relieve and annoyed.

"Don't feel too bad, I plant one on all of my associates, so that I know where to find them when they're in trouble."

"Well where is the emitter?"

"I'm not telling, you might remove it and then I wouldn't be able to find you." While this is going on they hear a skittering coming down the hall, first it's low but it grows steadily louder with the chitterling of metallic wings being thrown in. "Gentlemen I believe it's time we took our leave."

"Wait, if Nathaniel knows where her throne room is, we could break in and kill her." The Wolf Lord is quite eager for more battle.

"The throne room will be completely sealed and protected from intruders, the defenses alone would tear us to shreds, now is the time to escape." Nathaniel wants to dissuade any misguided attempts at heroism that would get them killed. With that they start running down the halls to were their Dolmen Gate is.

"Are you sure it is still open?" Nathaniel is a bit worried at this point, never trusting the Eldar.

"Positive, Marltona won't put a device in place to keep it open, besides she won't close it on me."

"Are you sure about that Methuselah?"

"Of course, she wouldn't close the gate on the father of her child."

"What?" Nathaniel and the Space Wolves manage to scream this in unison as they continue down the hall.

"Oh yeah, I never told you why I am on bad terms with my family. You see when I was a young man starting out I got into an affair with Marltona, who was going through her rebellious ranger phase. Her father was a corsair who had many dealings with my family, with her mother naturally being on the Craftworld of Paratain. You can imagine how furious all the parents involved were when they found out what had happened. Oh, and I also took the Eye of Enoch from my dying father when it should have gone to my older brother."

"Why are you telling us this story while we are running for our lives? Why would you think that telling ME this story would be a good idea?" Nathaniel was equally curious and aghast; then again it was Methuselah he was talking about.

"I thought we could lighten the mood, and to assuage your fears that we won't be able to get out of here alive."

"Methuselah, if you were any other man I would kill you for your relations with a Xenos."

"That's pretty hypocritical, don't you think?" Nathaniel was gripped in fear for a moment about whether or not he knew about Aun'sal. "You would spare me but not others. Believe me if you killed every rogue trader who had an intimate affair with a rebellious Eldar the Imperium would be in a very dire strait due to a lack of those rogue traders." Those assembled decide not to dwell on this anymore, deciding instead that it was wise to get away from the scarabs.

Sadly the scarabs did catch up to them, fortunately the Wolf Guard with the flamer is able to turn around in time and unleash hell. "Get out of here, I can't hold them off forever, but I can buy you what time I can."

"Alright Axel, I will see to it that your heroic sacrifice is never forgotten." Sven is taking his Wolf Guards last stand fairly well.

"What about Axel's geneseed my lord?" Another one of the Wolf Guard asks.

"There are some situations where it is impossible to secure the geneseed of a brother, but do not worry, Axel's exploits will live on in heroic song."

They continue on their way only to be confronted by a group of Lychguard, colored in green and purple, the colors of the Horkhesh Dynasty. Nathaniel breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that they are armed with war scythes, if they had been armed with dispersion shields in this packed environment they would have never been able to get out, a major oversight on the part of the Phaeron.

"Hand over Prince Mortek and lay down your arms, the Phaeron has promised mercy to all who surrender without a fight"

Wolf Lord Sven has a big smile cross his face as he lifts up his power axe, two of his remaining Wolf Guard are armed with thunderhammers and storm shields, with the final Wolf Guard being armed with wolf claws.

"You don't know much about Space Wolves do you. First, we would never surrender to anyone. Secondly, by fighting us in these narrow halls you've lost your advantage in numbers, that your sorely needed against us."

"We of the Praetorian Guard are 1000 strong, with 100 hundred facing you right now, what makes you think you stand a chance? I have heard stories of how your kind have fought off large armies with only a handful of men, but the thought that you can defeat us is ridiculous."

Wolf Lord Sven's grin gets even wider. "We don't need to beat you; we just need to get through you. And like I said your numbers are meaningless against us in this narrow space. Brothers, follow me, for Russ, for the Wolftime." With that they start howling like madmen and charge into the Lychguard, which is caught off guard by the ferocity of their attack. Sven leads the way hacking apart all who stand before him, the two thunderhammers users cover both his sides smashing the enemy and protecting their lord, while the Wolf Guard with the Wolf Claws takes down any stragglers who managed to remain standing after their assault. Nathaniel and Methuselah follow behind them, jumping over the wrecked forms of the Praetorian Lychguard as they slowly put themselves back together. The Necrons had unwisely clumped together, six standing side by side to each other. Consequently they did not have the mobility necessary to be effective against the rampaging Space Wolves. While they calculated the best way to swing their weapons without their fellow Praetorians getting in the way, the swift moving Wolf Guard just smash their way through. In about five minutes they completely break through the Praetorian Lychguard that stood against them. Exhausted, they decide to take a quick breather once they put some distance between themselves and the hall.

"Not only do they look like women, but they also fight like women." The wolf claw using Wolf Guard sounds pretty cocky until a wraith materializes its claw right into his neck, chopping his head off. Wolf Lord Sven acts quickly hacking apart the now materialized wraith, but it is too late for the Wolf Guard and even for the rest of them as a swarm of wraiths appear and phase in and out around them. The disoriented and surrounded thunderhammer Wolf Guard make a valiant effort, taking out most of the wraiths but even they are cut down. Wolf Lord Sven destroys the remaining wraiths, but now only he, Nathaniel, and Methuselah are left. Oddly Methuselah and Nathaniel had not been threatened by the wraiths. On the plus side, Nathaniel believed the Phaeron had sacrificed more wraiths than she should have, so they shouldn't be a problem in the near future.

"We need to push on, the Dolmen Gate isn't too far away" Methuselah leads them onward. A few more minutes pass and the reach the chamber that contains the Dolmen Gate, only to find it closing on them. Farseer Marltona is on the other side smirking at them with Trianna at her side.

"Thank you for distracting the Phaeron for me, now that you have outlived your usefulness there is no need for our alliance to continue."

"Why are you doing this, you have nothing to gain from this?" Nathaniel is suitably irritated at this abandonment, especially since Inquisitor Wei had gone on and on about how Marltona could be trusted. Wolf Lord Sven gets ready to charge in but Marltona stops him.

"A closing Dolmen Gate won't let anyone enter or exit, as for leaving you behind Nathaniel, I have my reasons. My scrying into the future has indicated that you will become a great threat to my people; it's for the best that I leave you trapped here. At least I am kind enough to leave you alive, as long as you stay out of my people's way."

"Marltona, sweetie, remember all the good times we had together, how deeply in love with each other we were? Come on, for old time's sake open that gate, if you do so I guarantee that Nathaniel won't become a threat to you."

"I never loved you Methuselah, I just slept with you to tick off my father and mother. As for Nathaniel, I can't take that chance. What are the lives of three Mon'keigh compared to the safety of my Craftworld?"

"Marltona, I will tell you this right now. If you get us out of here your people will not need to fear me. If you leave us behind I will find a way to escape, and I will dedicate my life to the destruction of your species. I already want to destroy the Dark Eldar, I can easily add Craftworlder's to the list."

"You won't escape; the Phaeron will never let you go. Farewell Nathaniel, may you enjoy your new home." With that the gate finally closes and they are left in the chamber.

They once again hear Phaeron Cleandra Wei's voice echoing through the Craftworld. "Well Nathaniel, it turns out you were right about that Farseer all along, too bad it didn't do you much good. I have some good news, my defenses destroyed those wolf scouts and took their thermonuclear device. It was kind of the Imperium to send me a present, but I think I should send it back, let's see how they react." She presses a few buttons and a screen appears on the walls in the chamber. "It really is convenient how I can bring up viewing screens anywhere in Nefertitia." The image on the screen is the Emperor Class Battleship, _Spirit of Man._ "Using the teleport relay stations on my tombworlds, I have been able to transport this device all the way to the ship. Thank goodness that the ship is currently in close orbit around one of my most important worlds with its shields lowered as it evacuates troops."

"By the God-Emperor no." Nathaniel knows what is going to happen, yet is powerless to stop it.

"By the might of the Horkhesh Dynasty, yes." The ship begins to blow apart from the inside outward, causing a massive explosion that damages all ships around it, including the Space Wolf battle barge. "As the spirit of man dies, a new spirit shall arise."

Methuselah starts cackling like a loon. "You forgot one thing, Phaeron Cleandra Wei."

"What is that Methuselah?"

"The Miss Liz is in planetary orbit and my eye allows for communication. Ruth, get us out of here now." With that they are teleported out of the tombworld as the Phaeron screams at them. The reappear on a strange pad in a room Nathaniel had never been in before. Unfortunately Nathaniel regurgitates his meal and soils himself as they teleportation is complete. Methuselah decides to enlighten him to his condition. "Miertan teleporters aren't easy on regular humans their first time through, but you get the hang of it after awhile. By the way, since I save us, can you guys keep the knowledge of this secret, I can only get away with using it because the few people who know I have it find me too useful to dispose of, so they look the other way."

"What will I tell Inquisitor Lady Agatha?" Nathaniel has finally stopped his involuntary body functions.

"She knows, if she asks during your debriefing, tell her that we got out by the grace of the God Emperor."

"You saved my life trader, for that I will now reveal your secret." Sven takes the whole instant transportation thing better than Nathaniel; then again Space Marines had their own transporters.

"Come Nathaniel; let's get you cleaned up, fed, rested, and ready to see the Inquisitor."

"What about the Necron incursion, we need to fight back."

This time Wolf Lord Sven is the first one to respond. "Something tells me that the Imperium is going to pull out of this area, if you would be so kind as to drop me off at my battle barge, I will do what I can to save as many civilians as possible.

A few hours later while en route to Inquisitorial HQ, Nathaniel is resting in a guest room Methuselah gave him. Everything that has happened finally hits him. He doesn't scream, rant, throw a psychic tantrum; he just rests his head in his hands and cries.

**Footnotes**

**I have long dreaded the day that I might find myself engaging in radical behavior. The funny thing is how subtle it is, you don't realize you have jumped off the deep end until it is too late. If I had known Inquisitor Wei had such thoughts in her head, I would have confronted her about them. A radical may have humanities best interest at heart, but they are still abominable traitors. I had defended her and stood up for her, even in the face of her critics, and she just proved them right in the end by willingly joining with the Phaeron. I don't even know what happened to the rest of the retinue, they were just killed, no explanation given. No Xenos can ever be trusted; they will kill, torture, use, or corrupt you. There is only room for one species to rule in this galaxy, humanity. All others must be wiped from the stars, no matter the cost. **


	38. Chapter 38 Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark

_**(This will be the final flashback chapter, it's almost surreal pulling out the old notes I wrote last summer about Inquisitor Clark's retinue.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Journals**

**The Inquisitorial fortress world I usually operate out of is located in the Hanno Sector on the planet of Byzantium. The region I overlook includes the Polo, Columbus, Magellan, Cortez, Drake, Pizarro, Hudson, Cartier, Cook and even the Amerigo Sectors where Mantanya was located. Needless to say this is a lot of ground to cover and having a central base I can operate out of really helps. Due to the spread out nature of these sectors and their lesser importance to the Imperium due our location far from Terra, the Masters of Byzantium oversee us, with an Inquisitor Lord overseeing each sector. It should be noted that a Grandmaster usually oversees an individual sector, so this arrangement makes it highly difficult for us to properly combat threats to the Empire, though Grandmaster Nicodemus Nicolai of the Ordo Militum does his best to keep everything under control. I report to Master Agatha Crowley of the Ordo Xenos, though she prefers the more humble title of Inquisitor Lord. One time I called her Inquisitor Lady and got an earful from her about improper titles. She doesn't like being called Mistress either. Master Simon Proctor oversees the Ordo Hereticus with Master Malachi Petrov handles the Ordo Malleus. These three command tremendous respect and skill, essentially pulling off what should be impossible for such a large area. I remember visiting the Inquisitor Fortress World of Talasa Prime to the south of us in the Realm of Ultramar several times for "sabbatical conclaves", where I have even given lectures on how to deal with Tau, Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Necrons. Heck it was on Talassar where I found my apprentice Melissa. That being said, the inhabitants of the Ultramar System, including the inhabitants of Talasa Prime are too soft and complacent in their security and stability. Their fortress is more like a fancy resort than a proper base for the servants of the God-Emperor. If you really want to make strong Inquisitors than you should look no further than the Inquisitorial Fortress on Byzantium, a lifeless planetary rock with a massive fortress built on and in it, which has the duty of overseeing eleven sectors. You either grow strong, cunning, and competent, or you are consumed by madness and a neurotic desire to destroy the enemies of the Emperor as a means of venting frustration. Either way you end up serving the Emperor and fulfilling your duty as an Inquisitor. Fun Fact, I have only been to about ten percent of all worlds under my jurisdiction at this point. The trick is not randomly visiting worlds and wreaking havoc upon the populace, but building a network of contacts, informants and allies, and rational investigation tactics to weed out the actual threats, Freeport's and Rogue Traders are a big help in this.**

Nathaniel had finally reached the Inquisitorial Fortress on Byzantium, the Citadel of the Eastern Fringe that oversaw eleven sectors. The entire planet was either a lifeless rock or a fortress dedicated to the Inquisition. Looking at the viewing screen on the Miss Liz he could see that Byzantium was built to withstand the fiercest assault, with spires and domed forts bristling with weaponry and heavily fortified with the finest materials. While it wasn't mobile like the fabled base of the Dark Angels, it more than made up for it with its impressive size. It was a place of little comfort or luxury, a place of study, interrogation, preparation, and Inquisitorial administration. They entered the main dock which was large enough to hold several capital class starships; there was more than enough room for the Miss Liz to dock. Methuselah escorted him out to the dock, where he was greeted by a squad of Stormtroopers.

"Are you Nathaniel Clark, acolyte of the traitorous radical Inquisitor Wei?" The sergeant asked him; apparently word had spread across the region about what had happened. It didn't help that Phaeron Cleandra Wei had sent out several vid logs about how the end of man was near but how she wouldn't advance any further since there was no need to at the moment.

"Yes I am."

"Come with us, Master Agatha Crowley is waiting for you in her study."

Nathaniel gets ready to leave with them, but Methuselah has one last thing to say. "I will stay here till your done kid, if the Inquisition doesn't want you anymore, and don't want to kill you, you are always welcome to be a member of my crew."

"Thank you Methuselah, I will remember to keep that in mind." Before he was able to leave the ship though Methuselah enveloped him in a big bear hug, the Stormtroopers looked on confused.

Methuselah finally lets go, "see you later kid, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Ten minutes later Nathaniel found himself in the study of Inquisitor Lord, or Master, Agatha Crowley. She was a shriveled up old woman who had extended her life using rejuvenation procedures. Her study was covered with Xenos artifacts, including an impressive collection of Eldar Aspect Warrior Exarch helmets and spirit stones; apparently she liked collecting them as trophies when she was younger, and since an Exarch couldn't reincarnate without their full suit of armor, it was a win win situation for the Imperium. Various papers and vid logs covered her desk. She wore a simple black dress and bonnet, wearing earring in the shape of the symbol of the Inquisition.

"It is good to see you are doing well Nathaniel, Methuselah was kind enough send me the details about what happened, though my traitorous students certainly did enough with her ramblings. I want you to know that I do now hold you responsible for what happened, nor the fall of Inquisitor Wei."

"Inquisitor Wei was your student?" He had never been told this.

"Yes, she was my greatest pupil, and my greatest failure. It was my hope that she would take my place one day, but her love and friendship with the Xenos ruined that plan. But you are not like her, are you. In your heart there is no love for the Xenos."

"Why should there be, I have only been torture, enslaved, and betrayed by the Xenos. They are a threat to the human race that must be wiped out."

"Does that include the Mechanatites?"

"They don't count; they are machines that want to serve humanity, not Xenos, if I wanted to hate them I would have to hate my laspistol as well."

"That's good to hear, I am quite fond of them myself. But now we need to get to the issue at hand, what will happen to you. Your teacher is a traitor and her retinue is dead, yet you are too old and experienced to be assigned to a new Inquisitor."

"If you want to kick me out, Methuselah says that he would gladly take me in."

Inquisitor Lord Agatha lets out a laugh. "My dear boy, why would I want to get rid of one as talented, resourceful, and loyal as yourself? I want to promote you to full Inquisitor."

"Inquisitor Wei spoke of that before we went up against the Horkhesh Dynasty, but I thought I would have fallen out of favor over that fiasco."

"Nothing that happened in that "fiasco" is your fault. If anything your escape illustrates that you have what it takes to be an Inquisitor, we even have a ship and crew ready for you, along with a list of possible retinue members for you to start out with. But before we get you started, you need to see the Grandmaster. It is our tradition to have the Grandmaster of Byzantium bestow full Inquisitorial authority upon a new Inquisitor."

"You mean I get to meet Grandmaster Nicodemus Nicolai?"

"Yes, now hurry up it will be go to sleep very soon and we want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

The Stormtroopers had lead him to the inner sanctum of Byzantium where Grandmaster Nicodemus Nicolai oversaw his Inquisitors. The sanctum was a domed room filled with viewing screens and bookshelves filled with ancient tomes. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, was the Grandmaster himself. He was even older than Agatha, a shriveled up old skeleton of a man, attached to an elaborate life support system. Despite his emaciated frame he still wore the full Inquisitorial outfit he wore in his prime, with it loosely hanging off of his body. The only thing that appeared still remotely healthy about him were his eyes, that burned with a fiery passion.

"Come hear my child, come hear Nathaniel." His voice echoed with power an authority, even in his current state. Nathaniel walked over and kneeled before him. The ancient Grandmaster struggled to lay his hand upon Nathaniel's head.

"Do you swear to serve the God Emperor faithfully and competently, to hunt down and eliminate his enemies, to protect his people even from themselves, to be reviled, feared, and hated by all for the evils you must inflict? Are you prepared to make sacrifices and countless enemies, are you prepared to travel down a long and lonely road with no regrets? Are you prepared to do what must be done and never hesitate in your duty?"

"I am, I know that this is what I was born to do."

The Grandmaster manages a smile after hearing this. "Then rise, Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark of the Ordo Xenos, you bow to no mortal man." He reaches into his uniform and pulls out an Inquisitorial seal, with great effort he hands it over to Nathaniel. "Now go to the Hagia Sophia Cathedral of the Inquisition for a night of meditation and prayer for guidance. I can rest easy tonight knowing that the future of the Inquisition rests with remarkable young men and women like yourself and the others you will meet there."

Curious, Nathaniel manages to get off one last bow as he leaves the room. On his way to the building he runs into Inquisitor O'Peak who manages to rap him up in a big bear hug. "I heard what happened; I just want you to know that you will always have my support."

"Thank you Angus." Nathaniel shows off his new Inquisitorial seal.

"I see you are not that inexperienced boy I used to know anymore. Now you are a true Inquisitor and colleague."

Nathaniel finally makes it to the Hagia Sophia, a large and beautiful domed cathedral with windows on the domed ceiling showing the endless starry night of space. On all of the walls he can see ecclesiarchial images of the Emperor and his loyal Primarchs, as well as famous Imperial officials and Inquisitors. He can see Evangeline Marie de Bellerose seated in the front, praying and crying her eyes out. From behind him Nathaniel can hear a deep booming voice.

"Evangeline may have reached the rank of Inquisitor, but it wasn't without a price. Her family had degenerated into a Slaaneshi cult and she had to kill them all, but not before they sacrificed Inquisitor Khopek to the Dark Prince, right now she is still coping with the situation. Having to purge one's own planet can be a bit difficult even for the best of us." Nathaniel turns around to see a large blond haired blue eyed man his age had been standing behind him. His eyes have a deep fathomless look to them. He has a gentle smile on his face, dressed in Inquisitorial armor. "My name is Inquisitor Lankester Karras of the Ordo Malleus, and you must be the new Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance; I have heard many fascinating stories about you." He gets very close and stares deeply into Nathaniel's eyes. After a long and uncomfortable time, he finally speaks. "I see, so the stories are true, a warp entity did inhabit your body."

"You can learn that just by staring deeply and awkwardly into my eyes?" Nathaniel was getting annoyed by Inquisitor Karras.

"It is a skill every good Ordo Malleus Inquisitor should develop."

"Okay, you could have warned me however, it's kind of weird just walking right up to somebody and looking deeply into their eyes."

Evangeline had apparently heard their conversation and had come over. "So the stories are true, you did survive Horkhesh incursion."

"Hello Evangeline how's the family?" And thus began their usual verbal spar.

"Purged for heresy, how about your traitorous surrogate mother?"

"Willingly possessed by a 60 million year old undead robot queen, it happens." Nathaniel is trying his best to keep a cool head in front of his number one rival.

"I told you she was a radical who would get herself in trouble one day." Evangeline is trying her best to be smug.

"And I told you the corruption of the nobility would be their undoing." Nathaniel could give as good as he got.

"Peace friend's peace," Lankester steps in to defuse the situation, "internal disagreement amongst the servants of the Emperor makes baby Sanguinius cry." He points to a picture of a baby Sanguinius being held by a beautiful woman in red robes, white hair, and angelic features.

"Who is the woman in red robes?" Nathaniel is genuinely curious about that.

"She represents his homeworld of Baal, if the Emperor was the father of the Primarchs, than their home worlds were their mothers who raised and nurtured them."

Nathaniel looks around and sees more baby primarchs with women who bear the characteristics of their homeworlds."

"Isn't Baal a nightmarish deathworld?" Evangeline is confused by beautiful appearance of the woman.

"Some liberties were taken in the painting of the mother worlds. Now that I got you two calmed down, why do you hate each other so much, we are all the Emperor's children?" Lankester is doing his best to make sure that things do not get out of hand.

"He is an ignorant, disrespectful, common ruffian who does not know his place and who should have been killed a long time ago.

"She is an arrogant, whiny, spoiled brat who wouldn't even be an Inquisitor if it weren't for her family connections."

"Yet you both love the Emperor, can't we all agree to tolerate each other and focus our hate on our true enemies." He has a big childlike smile on his face right now; Nathaniel finds it weird that a man who supposedly hunts down and destroys daemons would have such an innocent and childlike smile.

"Very well, just don't look at me creepily anymore." Nathaniel is still a little unnerved about the eye thing.

"Nathaniel, if I suspect you of even the loosest form of heresy I will take you down myself, but if Lankester trusts you, I guess I can as well." She extends her hand in a gesture of peace. Nathaniel grabs it and they shake.

"I can see that the Imperium is in excellent hands with us three, the next generation of Inquisitors."

"Indeed Lankester, who knows, we might even gain the Masters positions one day."

"Me definitely, Lankester probably, but you Nathaniel, it is out of the reach on one of your common breeding." This time Nathaniel thought she was actually joking.

The memories end and Nathaniel brings Melissa back to reality in their private suite on New Kyoto.

"Inquisitor I never knew any of that." Melissa is still shocked by some of the more recent images.

"Now you do, but now we must discuss our plans for tomorrow."

"How much time passed while we were in your memories?"

"Five seconds, give or take a few milliseconds."

"I think I need to sit down."

"Be my guest and if you have any questions feel free to ask."

"There is no need master, I have learned everything that I need to know."

"Good, because I have a special assignment for you tonight. Its 6:30 right now and I want you in the field by seven.

**We are thee shepherds of the God-Emperor who protect his flock from the wolves of our galaxy, may the God-Emperor have mercy on those wolves. I am Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark of the Ordo Xenos, and all who know of me rightfully fear me.**


	39. Chapter 39 Information Gathering

_**(Thank you all for reading; I can feel that the end is almost here for this story which isn't quite over yet. Thought of the Day: In the Warhammer 40K universe all fluff is canon, but not all fluff is true.)**_

**Nathaniel Clark's Inquisitorial Guide: An Inquisitors Purpose**

**If you are an Inquisitor, there is nothing that says that you can't just go around killing everyone you suspect of heresy with impunity. That being said, if you follow this route you are forgetting your purpose. Bashing in the skulls of every citizen who makes a semi heretical remark is the job of the Adeptus Arbites or the Ecclesiarchy. We Inquisitors are specialists who should protect the Imperium in the subtlest manner possible, not drawing attention to ourselves unless it is absolutely necessary. A time will come when you need to declare a planetary exterminatus, but it doesn't happen that often. We are the foremost experts in our fields of knowledge, allowing us to intelligently combat the enemies of man without making a great spectacle of it, for the most part. Depending on our Ordo, we either seek the enemy without, within, or beyond. For the Ordo Xenos and Ordo Malleus, this will entail hours of mind numbing research, study, and investigation. Even if you are an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor, I would strongly suggest that you learn restraint and subtlety. Going on a purging spree the moment you set foot on a planet could inadvertently lead to the uprising you were trying to prevent. Remember, we have great power, but we also have great responsibility. We are the servants of humanity first and foremost, not masters of humanity, we are here to save and protect our fellow man, not terrorize them. But in order to protect them, we walk in places where man was never meant to walk, we study things that are best left unstudied, and make tough decisions that lesser men are incapable of making. There are many Inquisitors who disagree with me, saying that a show of force is necessary to keep people in line. In some instances that is the best policy, but it is not our duty, we hide and hunt in the shadows, let the Arbites, Astartes, Sisters of Battle, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, and Titan Legions keep the masses in line with mass fear. We may call upon these assets for aid, but we do not control them, we direct them. When it is necessary in the field to engage in armed hostilities, I will always defer to the Deathwatch for all combat situations, because that is their duty. I will even defer to my Inquisitorial Storm Troopers if I believe they are better equipped to handle the situation than I am. Allowing them to do their job allows me to hunt down and eliminate my quarry without having to micromanage a battle. I cannot stress this enough, we hide in the shadows, we hunt in the shadows, we watch from the shadows. If you want to draw all the attention and fear toward you and make a big foolish target out of yourself like Inquisitor Fyodor Karamazov, be my guest, but you will be never accomplish anything meaningful or lasting. **

**(Upon hearing about this Inquisitor Karamazov declared Nathaniel to be an impertinent brat unworthy of his Inquisitorial mantle, Nathaniel replied that Inquisitor Karamazov is a deranged and senile old man who should have retired centuries ago, fortunately they have never met in person, since this is a very big galaxy and there is a good deal of distance between them.)**

"Do you know why we originally came to New Kyoto Melissa?"

"A routine check up on a planet that hadn't been visited by an Inquisitor in over a decade?"

"Officially, unofficially I had heard a rumor going around and decided to check it out."

"What rumor is that Inquisitor?"

"That New Kyoto is planning to secede from the Imperium with the help of some Xenos backers."

"The Eldar?"

"Your conversation with this Farseer would indicate otherwise, besides no Eldar would ever willingly give humans access to their technology?"

"The Tau?"

"Maybe, but since New Kyoto isn't too far from some other Xenos powers, it could be any of them."

"So, were here to find out if the rumors are true?"

"Yes, at first I thought it was just an idle rumor, but saw no harm in checking up. However, I got suspicious when the official sent to meet us insisted that I come here first, instead of directly meeting with the Shogun. On top of that, every-time I tried reading the mind of someone in a position of power, something kept blocking me."

"They have technology that blocks psychic powers now?"

"Apparently, to my great frustration and annoyance."

"Where did they get it from, who would have access to such technology?"

"That is what we are here to find out, which leads to the part of my plan that involves you."

"What do you have in mind?"

"The local village is having a festival, an important adviser who was born in that village is coming back to attend that festival, and he has a soft spot for cute girls."

An elderly Kyotoan woman walks in. "I see that your apprentice has returned, have you told her our plan yet?"

"Not yet, I was waiting for you to show up, what took you so long?"

"I had some business to attend to that required my "delicate" touch."

"Very well, Melissa this woman is known by the Inquisition as Kage Hime, or Shadow Princess if you want it translated into Low Gothic. She is in charge of a sect of assassins known as the Shinobi. On this world they fulfill the role Arbites fulfill on other worlds, seeking out traitors and heretics, and disposing of them. They are completely loyal to the Emperor and it is due to their efforts that we were able to get word of the strange events occurring on this world."

"The Shogun has somehow managed to gain a list of all of our operatives; every Shinobi we sent to the capital has mysteriously disappeared. As far as we know I am the only one the Shogun doesn't know about since I don't officially exist on my organizations records. Most Shinobi don't even know who I am, and those few who do are not allowed to leave our secret headquarters in order to guarantee that my identity stays secret."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"We need to gain some information about what is going on, it would be too dangerous to meet with the Shogun tomorrow if I have no idea about what he is capable of. We need you to "charm" the information out of him."

"I don't think that would work, despite this kimono I am wearing I stick out like a sore thumb."

"Don't forget that I can use biomancy to alter one's appearance." With that Nathaniel quickly gets up and grabs onto Melissa's face. Using his powers of biomancy he alters her to look like a Kyotoan. "There we go, while it isn't as effective or encompassing as the polymorphine of the Callidus assassins, I find that I can do a more than adequate job with basic cosmetic changes, such as hair color, facial/body structure, and skin pigmentation." He hands her a mirror.

"I look completely different, but we have one small problem, most citizens of New Kyoto don't use Imperial Gothic, of either variety, and I am not that skilled with their language."

"I can fix that, with a little mental rewiring." Nathaniel once again grabs her head, and makes a few mental adjustments.

" What did you do to me?" Melissa quickly realizes she is speaking and understanding the planetary language.

"I did some mental rewiring, allowing you to speak and understand Kyotoan. Unfortunately I had to shut off your Imperial Gothic."

"How can you even do that?"

"I can use my mental powers to show you some of the most important moments of my life, in five seconds, this shouldn't be a stretch of the imagination. If you have sufficient power, your only limit as a psyker is your imagination, and skill. The language device Archon Taelbeirt put inside of me all those years ago has given me an extensive library of languages that I know, making it relatively easy for me to do this to you. Honestly, I should thank him for this after I kill him."

"Come, time is running short and we must obtain that information." Kage Hime is anxious to get the plan under way.

Before they head out, Nathaniel has one last thing to say to Melissa. "The information you obtain is absolutely critical for our survival. I put it in your hands to take whatever methods you deem necessary to "charm" the information out of this official."

"What do you mean by that, what if he wants me to go too far?"

"In this scenario, there is no such thing as "too far". I would not ask this of you if I didn't believe you could handle it. Remember what I have taught you over the years, shame and strict moral codes are luxuries no Inquisitor can afford, we are irrelevant, only the survival of the Imperium matters. Now, we need to get you to Kage Hime's home to get you properly dressed up, make-up and everything." With that they head out down the hall to the entrance that leads to the village. While they are travelling down, they come across a familiar face, Methuselah Alden in a purple and gold kimono with two geishas under each arm.

"Nathaniel my old friend, how are you doing, I heard you were in around? Ladies please head on down to my room, I will be there in a few minutes." With that they head off and they can get down to business, before he can say something, he spots the transformed Melissa, not realizing who she is he walks on up and puts his arm around her. "Hello there sweet thing, you know I have travelled a lot in my life but I have never come across a flower as beautiful as yourself."

He tries to move his hand down her waist only to be viciously slapped by Melissa. "Get your hands off me you dirty old pervert. Pray to the God-Emperor that you die before I become a full Inquisitor, or I will make you wish you were dead you lecherous buffoon."

"Well hello Melissa, didn't recognize you there, terribly sorry about the misunderstanding, but if you plan on infiltrating here you might need a different name, Melissa kind of sticks out as being foreign." With that Methuselah lets go and backs off.

"I will leave that decision to Kage Hime, who will be masquerading as Melissa's aunt. You two can go on ahead, I have something I need to discuss with Methuselah, I will see you later this evening." With that they head off and Nathaniel is left alone with Methuselah. "Thank you for getting the message to me about the suspicious activities on this world. Do you have anything else to share?"

"I do, but right now I have four ladies to attend to, can we meet up for dinner later to discuss the rumors I've heard."

"Certainly, be at my room by eight thirty, which should be more than enough time for you to do what you have to. But right now I need to meet with Jasmine my astropath.

A minute later he is inside Jasmines room, having tea with his astropath. Still a young woman from the world of Al-Akbir, she had already proven herself time and again as a skilled and loyal member of his retinue. She wore the green robes of an astropath, even dying her hair to match the color of her robes. She wore a bandage around her eyes to keep anyone from seeing them and had a strong olive complexion to her skin.

"Jasmine, I need you to send a message to the Deathwatch and Stormtroopers on our ship."

"What message do you want me to send the Captain Ahab?"

"We meet with the Shogun at noon tomorrow; I want them to land by 12:05 at the earliest. I have a bad feeling about this Eldar Farseer, as well as what this Shogun has been planning."

"I understand my lord."

"Good, do you know where the rest of the retinue is?"

"They are either in the hot springs, getting a massage, or taking part in the local festival, they won't be back for awhile I don't think."

"Very well, would you like to have dinner with me tonight since we're going to be all alone for the evening; Methuselah is coming over as well."

"Yes, I know, I could since his womanizing sleaziness a mile away."

"Be nice, Methuselah is an old and trusted friend, you know that."

"Perhaps, when is dinner?"

"8:30 my quarters, see you then, right now I have some studying to do, the Tau have released a new propaganda video that the Old Hag has asked me to analyze."

"Inquisitor Lord Agatha is such a sweet old lady."

"To you, you've never seen her in a foul mood."

Later that evening they have eaten their meal and the three are now sitting around conversing.

"So what rumors have you picked up on Methuselah?"

"The Tau are building up for another expansion, they have gained some pretty nifty new toys that could prove devastating to the Imperium. Ork fleets are massing for a Waaaaaagh of epic proportions in the Drake sector, and there are even rumors that the Horkhesh Dynasty is gearing up for an invasion into either Tau or Imperial territory. Dark Eldar raids are also increasing with the Paratain Craftworld Eldar becoming more reclusive than usual. They are still reeling from your killing of Farseer Marltona."

"She had it coming, you know that."

"Yes, and is has also gotten you the prestigious label of "greatest threat to Craftworld Paratain", watch yourself my old friend, I would hate to lose you."

"They can try to kill me, but they won't succeed."

With that Melissa walks in, her Kimono is askew, her hair is all over the place and her make-up is smudged. Jasmine and Nathaniel quickly read her mind to discover what had happened. Jasmine gives Nathaniel a look that could sear flesh from bone after reading Melissa's mind. Melissa is about to say something until Nathaniel lifts up his hand to silence her. "You have done well Melissa, with this information we can now be ready for tomorrow. I am proud of what you have accomplished for us." With that he walks on up, re-configures her body back to normal and rewires her brain back to Imperial Gothic.

"Thank you for your kind words Inquisitor, now if you don't mind I have to use the hot springs, I need a bath." She walks out with a shaken look on her face toward the hot springs.

A furious Jasmine gets up, throws her Sake and Nathaniel's face, and promptly slaps him. "You know Nathaniel; there are times when you can really be a bastard."

"Melissa did what she had to too get the information we needed."

"She's still basically just a young girl, and you would use her like that. She looks up to you like a father and you would treat her like that, your own daughter."

"I did what I had to and she did what she had to. Our life is hard, our job is hard, we need to make hard decisions, and Melissa is beginning to understand this. I don't care about what happened, I will always be proud of her. If you can't accept my methods maybe you should find another employer." With that Jasmine slaps him one more time before storming out.

"Usually it's me getting slapped by angry women; it's an interesting change of pace to see it happen to you."

"Am I a monster Methuselah, are my actions truly that deplorable?"

"The fact that you have to ask that indicates that you are not a monster, most monsters don't even realize what they are, or they embrace their nature. Your actions, while deplorable, are not unheard of for an Inquisitor. The fact that you are showing some guilt over your actions only shows that you are still human.


	40. Chapter 40 Do unto others

**Nathaniel Clark's Inquisitorial Guide: Inquisitorial Retinues**

**Your retinue is something that you should never neglect, something you should never overlook. It isn't easy being an Inquisitor, it's a lonely and painful life, and they are the lifeline that keeps you human. Your retinue is your family, and should be treated as such. When your retinue becomes disposable, that is when you have gone off the deep end. There is a wide variety of retinue members to choose from, the possibilities are almost limitless, though I do believe that there a few that you need. Every Inquisitor needs an apprentice, or acolyte, or interrogator, or whatever you want to call them. They are the future of the Inquisition and the primary recipient of your teachings. They can come from any area o life, though I would suggest seeking out extraordinary individuals. Many Inquisitors get their apprentices from the Schola Progenium, or from aristocratic families. I would suggest against this, they may have the education but they lack the instincts necessary to last too long. I found my first apprentice working as a waitress in a restaurant on Talassar. She eavesdropped on a conversation I was having with some colleagues after an Inquisitorial Symposium on Talassar Prime about the Necron threat in the Eastern Fringe. Instead of killing her for knowing too much, I was impressed with her curiosity, audacity, and memory retention. One should always have an astropath; they are immensely useful with a variety of functions from communications to support to attack. Techpriests are also useful, though they can get annoying at time. Make sure you get one that is heavily armed; you will be doing a lot of fighting. Sages are great for battles, not as actual combatants but as organic computers who can do calculations on the battlefield they are invaluable. You're going to need a veteran stormtrooper to take over in combat situations and lead your Stormtroopers. Their experience and skill will see you through most situations. Finally, a Chirugeon to handle medical emergencies and to handle interrogations with you. Believe me you will need to be patched up quite often and quickly in this line of work. Now, these are just the retinue members I would recommend for an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, I know that Hereticus and Malleus Inquisitors have other specialists they like to use, but if you are in the same field as me, you should start out with these at your core. If you are not too knowledgeable about the Xenos, I would suggest also taking a Xenos scholar. Inquisitors can be extraordinary individuals, but we are nothing unless we surround ourselves with experts who are equally extraordinary. **

The group was traveling from the resort to the planetary capital, on a rail system that was only used for this exact purpose, and was one of the only pieces of technology present on the planet. In their private luxury cabin they could look out their windows at all the rice patties and villages passing by. Apparently this system had been built all the way back during the dark age of technology, and was so well built they only had to do minimal repairs on it. The only engineers on the planet were a large single family who had the direct patronage and protection of the Shogun. Any attempts by the Adeptus Mechanicus to absorb them had been stopped repeatedly, as long as they didn't tinker around too much and only served the Shogun directly, leaving the planet in its feudal state. Their train cabin was quite luxurious, with Methuselah helping himself to the bar and flirting with the female attendants. Jasmine was taking a nap, she a Nathaniel had had another argument earlier this morning and wasn't talking to him. Melissa was busy looking a book about ancient Terran myths Nathaniel had given her. He had gone through a lot of trouble to get that old book, and he had told her to make sure no ecclesiarchial members ever saw it, since they would probably find it blasphemous for some reason or another. She was now wearing carapace armor with the Inquisitorial symbol on it, with a hotshot lasguns at her side. Nathaniel who was wearing a lighter version of carapace armor under his trenchcoat was deep in thought. He had a Mantanyan cowboy hat on his head with Farseer Marltona's singing spear strapped to his back, having killed her a while ago. He has a plasma pistol holstered to his side and a Jokaero digital weapon disguised as a ring with the Inquisitorial seal on it, on his right ring finger. This had been a gift from Inquisitor Lankester who did not have to put up with his Techpriest ranting about Xenos apes. Speaking of which, his Techpriestess Toni was prostrated on the floor trying to commune with the train's machine spirit. She wore long voluminous robes that completely covered her, hiding a wide assortment of tools and weapons underneath that Nathaniel could swear changed constantly. She was so heavily covered that her gender was almost indiscernible. The only part of her left that was remotely human was her deep blue gray eyes. He had her hair replaced with long metallic strands that could extend and lash out at opponents, with her mouth and nose replaced by a more "efficient" breathing system. Apparently she had reached the point where she did not need to eat anymore, though she did have to occasionally take in nutrient supplements to keep what little was left of her humanity functioning. Nathaniel once asked her why she kept her eyes human instead of replace them, her only response was "they are just like my mother's", Nathaniel left it at that. Deepal the Sage was a woman from the planet of Kali, who had an almost unnatural ability to make calculations on the battlefield, almost to the point where it seemed like she looked into the future like a Farseer. Like everyone else she wore carapace armor and was armed with a hot shot lasguns. She was a good shot but Nathaniel preferred to keep her out of the fray, and in a position where her unique talents were put to good use. She was staring out the window, deep in contemplation. Margaret was a fiery red head with emerald green eyes and freckles. She was the retinue's permanent resident storm trooper. Armored in carapace armor with her hot shot las gun, a flamer strapped to her back, a power sword hanging from her side, and a satchel of vortex grenades hanging from her other side. She is very aggressive with a love of combat. Nathaniel picked her up when she was almost executed for killing a commissar for "cowardice in the face of the enemy." She has been with him the longest and is one of his most trusted retinue members. Amara was a dark skinned woman, from Rumaliza the homeworld of Nathaniel's old friend Rubanza. She is a skilled Chirugeon who is far more knowledgeable about human and Xenos anatomy than even Nathaniel. Her bedside manners are something to be desired, but she is good as what she does, having saved Nathaniel's life on more than one occasion whenever he bit off more than he could chew.

"Nathaniel, have you ever noticed that all the members of your retinue are females?" Methuselah sits down right in front of Nathaniel with some imported Alban whiskey in hand.

"Yes some people have brought this up before, but I ensure you it wasn't intentional. I merely looked for the best and I found the best, perhaps it's just the will of the God-Emperor that all of my companions are female."

"Maybe due to your lack of positive female role models in your life who didn't die on you or betray you, you are now searching to fill in that feminine void in your life."

"What about positive male role models in my life, shouldn't I be trying to fill that void."

"No need, I am basically your father figure, along with Inquisitor O'Peak."

"God-Emperor help me if you two are the closest things I could find to father figures."

"Hey, that's not fair, I know Inquisitor O'Peak isn't a shining paragon of virtue and class like myself but he tries his best." He slaps the posteriors of one of the female attendants as he finishes, only to get slapped in the back of the head by Margaret.

"Inquisitor O'Peak is definitely a role model to my master, if anything you're the drunken lecherous brother who bums around his brothers apartment."

"I am not a drunk. I may have a few minor moral failings but I am a devoted servant of the God-Emperor nonetheless, and the closest thing Nathaniel has to a father."

"When you're right, you're right, but that doesn't mean I am like you." Nathaniel does have to admit that Methuselah has been a father to him.

"Of course not, if you were exactly like me I would beat you until you shaped up."

"Will you stop your prattling, I believe the trains Machine Spirit is about to communicate with me." Toni was still deep in communion with the train, she has a mechanical unearthly voice created by her breathing apparatus.

"Toni, have I ever told you that you're odd, even for a Techpriestess?" Amara decided to get in on the debate.

"It's not my fault that not even my fellow Techpriests have the same devotion I do."

"It that also the reason why despite being in your early thirties you are more heavily augmented than many older Techpriests?" Deepal never passes up an opportunity to mess with Toni.

"I merely sought to purge myself of my weak flesh, and I didn't want to wait. I have no regrets for my actions, it had to done, I had to purge myself. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to my communion."

"Deepal, Amara, leave Toni alone, her devotion is something to be desired in you two, who have been neglecting your prayers to the Emperor." Jasmine does her best to get them off of Toni.

"He who dwells on Terra is best served with actions, not words; our devotion will be determined by our deeds, not by the time we spent useless on our knees." Amara won't have any of Jasmine's holier than thou nagging. Things are getting tense on the train.

"All of you calm down, we are almost at the Shoguns palace and I need you guys to think straight." They look out the window and saw that the rice patties gave way to numerous clusters of houses, and those houses got so numerous that they merged together into a city, and at the center of the city was a large plateau where the Shogun's palace, though fortress would be a better word for it, resided. It was a massive structure easily taking up the skyline. Past that they could see the signs of an active starport, now were the time for them to send in their Imperial tithes of rice and fish. To the west of the city is a vast ocean with numerous wharves on the beaches. To the east was a heavily forested mountainous area that could easily hide an Eldar army of any variety. The train stops at a station near the palace and they get out to be met by an armed escort, who promptly bow to Inquisitor Clark. They begin their journey throughout the city and all of the inhabitants stop what they are doing to bow to the Inquisitor, this makes Nathaniel very uncomfortable. While they travel along a random ball flies through the air and hits the Inquisitor. The young boy who had kicked the ball runs through the crowd, oblivious to the bowing, until he gets past them and realizes he has hit a servant of the God Emperor. The boy falls to the ground in fear. Nathaniel walks over, and hands the ball back to the boy. He pats him on the head and sends him on his way. The citizens look relieved though the boy's mother starts hitting him. His escort seems quite annoyed, especially the commanding officer.

"That boy should have been punished for hitting a servant of the Immortal God-Emperor with his ball." The commanding officer can speak fluent High Gothic.

"He's just a boy having fun, and I am just a man like you. I may have more temporal authority but there is nothing holy or otherworldly about me. Shall we proceed to the palace?"

A few minutes later they find themselves in the entrance hall of the throne room. "I beg your pardon my lord but Shogun Matsu is currently finishing up a private discussion with the Farseer." Says one of the palace attendants.

Nathaniel reaches out with his mind to look into the throne room, and he is not happy with what he finds. "That is not an Eldar Farseer." He breaks open the doors with his mental powers and storms into the throne room. The Shogun has an insulted and furious look on his face, though the face of the Farseer is one of surprise.

"Pet, look how you've grown, I am so glad you are doing well, should we sit down and reminisce about old times?" It is Archon Taelbeirt, dressed up as a Paratain Farseer.

"You and I have a score to settle monster." Nathaniel is preparing himself for the fight of his life.

"I can't wait to drag you back to Commorragh, but first it seems you need to be broken in. So nice of you to bring such lovely ladies with you, though I had no idea you were into "toys"." He points deliberately at Toni. Outside they can hear a loud raucous as the Deathwatch descends from the sky in their drop pods and the Storm Troopers swoop down in their Valkyries.

"I am not the scared little boy you could terrorize anymore."

"Oh, you are never too old to learn the true meaning of terror."

**Footnotes**

**Believe in the Emperor, and you shall have your chance at vengeance. He won't give it to you, but he will give you a chance to earn it. **


	41. Chapter 41 The Coming Storm

_**(I intend to split the battle into two parts, Nathaniel versus Archon Taelbeirt, and everyone else verses the Dark Eldar, I came to the conclusion that the fight between Nathaniel and the Archon is too important not to have an entire chapter dedicated to it.)**_

**Nathaniel Clark's Inquisitorial Guide: Mistakes**

**When facing an enemy, there are two things you should never do. One, never go after the leader on your own, and two, never leave your retinue unsupervised. It's not that they can't handle it on their own, but it's definitely for the best if you stay around to take care of any sudden changes that might occur. That being said, there are times when it's okay to break the rules, vengeance being one of those times. **

Taelbeirt throws down a sphere that fills the room with darkness. When the darkness finally clears he is gone with a pad lying where he was. Nathaniel picks it up and it begins humming to life, a holographic image of the Archon's head appears.

"Hello plaything, I had a feeling we would meet again on this world, so I decided to take precautions. On this data pad you will find the location of me and my Kabal, with the exception of your transport I want you to come alone. I promise me and my Kabal will stay out of the coming fight as long as you come, however those I brought with me won't be so patient or understanding. Many of them are young slavers, pirates, mercenaries, and new Kabals seeking to make a name for themselves, so here we come to a dilemma, do you leave those who rely on you behind to pursue your revenge, and guaranteeing that my Kabal stays out of the fray, or do you stay and face the full fury of Commorragh?" With that the message seizes and coordinates appear on the screen.

"Don't bother searching for him; I know where he's at." Nathaniel doesn't want to waste any time having people search for the Archon. "Right now we have more important things to attend to. Shogun Matsu, we have a lot to discuss, but right now we need to get who we can into this castle, and prepare for the coming attack."

"Matsu is my family name; you can call me Shogun Naoya." The Shogun was annoyed with Nathaniel at this point.

"That's right; you guys follow the same naming convention as Tian."

"I would kindly ask that you not compare us to the Tianese, we are nothing alike."

"This is a feudal world, how do you even know about Tian?"

"Feudal world this may be, I do try to stay up to date on current events."

"I take it your Tau friends help you out with that."

The Shogun momentarily shows panic on his face but quickly composes himself. "I have no idea what you are talking about, I am a loyal servant of the God-Emperor who would never make any deals with the Tau."

"You know that I am a psyker, why can't I read your mind or the minds of your servants?"

"On New Kyoto, we train ourselves to withstand psychic intrusion; we have superior discipline compared to other Imperial worlds."

"You are full of shit, you are using some anti-psyker device to shield yourself from my powers, you are consorting with Xenos, and you nearly betrayed your people to the Dark Eldar. If we weren't in such a desperate situation I would kill you right now."

"My lord, you are mistaken, I am completely loyal to the Imperium, I would never betray mankind."

Right as he finishes a group of storm troopers come in, they had scoured the fortress as soon as they landed on Nathaniel orders and had discovered a Tau Ethereal, two water caste, and four earth caste Tau, who they now had brought into the throne room.

"A loyal servant to the God-Emperor? You on New Kyoto have a funny definition of loyalty." Nathaniel walks over to the Ethereal and grabs him by the throat. "What is your purpose here and how are you blocking my powers?"

One of the water caste chooses to speak for the occupied Ethereal, realizing that Nathaniel is not a man to trifle with, and to save the Ethereals life, she tells the truth. "We come here to arm this populace for armed insurrection against the Imperium during an annexation. The Shogun's samurai armed with our technology would wipe out the loyalist Daimyo's while we secure the planet from space." She pulls out a small metallic wafer and a metallic cube from her robes. Nathaniel drops the Ethereal and picks up grabs the items, the diplomat looks over to the Ethereal for approval, and he acknowledges that she did the right thing to save his life. On the wafer, Nathaniel see's a familiar symbol. "I know this glyph, this is from the Horkhesh Dynasty."

After saying those words, the cube comes to life and a recorded message from Phaeron Cleandra Wei begins speaking. "I am so glad that your empire has agreed to an alliance with my dynasty, I am sure you will find that this alliance will be profitable for both of us. Now, I want you to distribute these psychic disruption tokens across your and possible secessionist Imperial space, these will act as the perfect counter against Imperial and Eldar psykers. As part of our deal, I will even take care of your Farsight problem for you." With that the transmission ends.

"Well this is a disturbing development, what does the Phaeron get in return for helping you?"

The Ethereal finally decides to speak, "We do not know, she told us that the only sought friendship with us, we do not turn away from possible powerful alliances. We may be taking advantage of her good nature, but it is all for the Greater Good."

"Something tells me that she's the one using you, but only time will reveal the truth. How much equipment have you given the Shogun?"

"I am Shogun; you do not have the right to just demand whatever you want from my guests." The Shogun has become quite upset with Nathaniel.

"You have lost the right to any authority for consorting with these Xenos, now if you cooperate I might spare your life for your treachery."

"We have given the Shogun 8 modified crisis battle suits and enough modified fire warrior equipment to equip all of his men."

"It's rare for you to give your advanced weapons technology to non Tau."

"These suits are older outdated models; we lose nothing by donating them to our allies. You should be fortunate that we haven't supplied him with piranhas, hammerheads, or even a Riptide, now that would be foolish of us. Don't you want to know our names?"

"I don't see why." With that Nathaniel pulls out his plasma pistol and blows off the Ethereal's head. He then kills all of the other Tau except for the water caste female that had given him the information he wanted. "I am going to keep you alive a little bit longer, once this battle is over you and I are going to have some personal interrogation time without the Ethereal clouding your senses."

"Master, wouldn't it have made more sense to leave the Ethereal alive?" Melissa was curious, believing they could get more important information from the Ethereal.

"Not in this situation, if I kept him alive he would just prove to be a nuisance in the coming battle." Nathaniel notices that the female is on the verge of tears looking over the body of her dead Ethereal. "Tie her up, hopefully she will calm down by the time the battle is over. Also, I want all my officers here, as well as any of the Shogun's officers; we have a battle to prepare for and not much time."

Ten minutes later everyone who was needed was in the room. The Deathwatch captain Tu'Man of the Salamanders, the various officers from the twenty storm trooper squads he had brought with him, and all of the Shogun's Gunso, Chui, Shireikan, and his Rikugunshokan Ichiro. His retinue and Methuselah were also there, with the Shogun tied up and gagged. The Samurai were upset at this, but one display of his Inquisitorial seal had silenced them. Apparently the Shogun had lied to them, saying that he was doing what the Emperor wanted.

"We don't have much time, the civilians are all being moved into the castle but I don't think we will have enough room for them, which is why they are being directed temples for sanctuary all around the city. If my hunch is correct, we are going to be facing a large force of Dark Eldar, so we need everyone in fighting condition. Methuselah, I want you to take two squads of Stormtroopers and a Deathwatch marine into the catacombs beneath this palace, I have a feeling they will try to attack from there. I also want eight stormtrooper squads protecting the palace walls. All other Stormtroopers and Samurai troops will move into the city and take up defensive positions in strategic areas, overall command of these forces will be given to Margaret though I strongly Rikugunshokan Ichiro's advice will be taken into consideration. I am letting you use the Tau weaponry, just this once, because we need all the fire power we can get. Melissa will take command of the palace defenses while Deepal and Jasmine will serve in a strategic capacity for our troops. Amara and Toni, I will let you two go wherever you believe you need to be. Amara can easily handle any injuries, and while you may not be a Secutor Toni, you are certainly armed and fight like one so I have no worries about your ability to handle yourself. Captain Tu'Man, I am also leaving the placement of the Deathwatch up to your discretion."

"And where are you going Inquisitor?" Watch Captain Tu'Man, like everyone else, is curious as to why Nathaniel left himself out.

"I will be taking a Valkyrie and I will be going after Archon Taelbeirt, all of the other Valkyries can stay and aid in the defense.

A few minutes leader Nathaniel is giving the pilot of a Valkyries the necessary coordinates while Melissa is busy chewing him out.

"You can't be serious; you are leaving us on our own so you can pursue your own revenge agenda."

"By dueling with the Archon I will keep his Kabal out of the fight."

"There is no proof of that; you are just after your own vengeance."

"So what if I am, I have waited many years for this day, and I won't let him get away from me."

"In that book you gave me, is the tale of Captain Ahab and the White Whale, I have often wondered why you named your ship that but now I know why, to you this job is more than just your duty, this job is vengeance."

"Captain Ahab is a great man whom I admire."

"You do know that in the end his quest for vengeance destroys him."

Nathaniel gives her a long hard look. "I know, but there are just some things that I cannot let go." He pulls out his Inquisitorial seal and hands it over her. "If I don't come back, I grant you full Inquisitorial power as my successor, protect the Imperium."

"What you are doing is beyond stupidity, we need you here, not chasing after some Archon in your own pathetic quest for petty revenge."

Nathaniel looks at her with a sad look in his eyes. "You still don't understand, even after I showed you my memories you don't understand. I am not going to argue with you anymore, God-Emperor willing we will both live long enough for me to receive a proper chewing out. Until then, good luck and may the God-Emperor be with you." With that the Valkyrie takes off and heads toward the coordinates, while Melissa heads back to attend to her duties.

As the Valkyrie flies over the horizon, the Dark Eldar zoom in from the sea, forest, and even over the rice patties. The defenders brace themselves as a nightmare of horror descends upon them. Meanwhile, in the catacombs below a large horde of Dark Eldar monsters and Haemonculi converge upon Methuselah's defenders, yet Methuselah has disappeared into the catacombs, giving them the simple order of hold the line, while he attends to some personal business.

The Haemonculus Galbeert finds himself face to face with a humanoid figure of pure red energy with black veins running across its body. He is trapped in a bubble with this creature while his forces continue onward.

"I knew my theory was correct, I knew that a few of you were still alive, but why are you fighting for the mon-keigh?"

The red energy being speaks with a deep voice. "Because they are precious to me, because I am the Ancient One, the wise friends of humanity. To the Mechanatites, I am the Demiurge. You have sought the knowledge of the Old Ones all your life, so ask away, but rest assured that you will not be taking part in the upcoming battle."


	42. Chapter 42 Inner City Warfare

_**(Let's see how this battle goes, I am trying a more minimalist approach. For a nice change of pace, how about some clarifications about the some of the characters names. Methuselah is the oldest living human according to biblical sources; today it is synonymous with ancient. As for Alden, it means wise or old friend. So Methuselah's name essentially means ancient wise friend. Nathaniel means "God has given" while Clark means either cleric or clerk. In the case of Nathaniel, it is the God Emperor who has given him his unbreakable will, his freedom, and his position as an Inquisitor. The clerk name meaning is a bit of irony considering how much he hates bureaucrats and bureaucracy. Melissa essentially means Honey Bee, meaning that she is the Nathaniel's diligent working bee, with a nasty sting. Melissa's last name Metaxas can mean silk breeder of trader, meaning that unlike her master she is has a softer, smoother, more diplomatic approach befitting a trader, or in this case an Inquisitorial apprentice who wants to work with the Xenos.)**_

**Inquisitor Clark's Xenos Guide: Dark Eldar**

** Never has there been a race as vile or wretched as the Dark Eldar, the only race that makes a conscious decision to be the vilest race in the galaxy. Orks are only following their programming to be the best warriors in the galaxy, Tyranids are driven by an insatiable hunger, Eldar by pathetic desperation, Tau by naive hope and Necrons by bitter tenacity. Even the forces of Chaos are little more than mankind's emotions warped and twisted, they don't even realize that they are malevolent, they are too detached from reality to realize what's wrong with them. Not so the Dark Eldar, they know that what they do is evil, and they love every minute of it. Deep down though, they are filled with an existential dread for their own existence. They know that when they die their souls will go to Slaanesh, and they justify their depravity by saying it extends their life. This is nothing more than grox manure, life is cheap with the Dark Eldar, none of them will live forever, and to even attempt such a feat is a certified sign of their depraved nature. The most logical course of action would be growing up and joining with their Craftworld brethren, but they refuse to do this. They embrace their depravity, their cruelty, their madness, it's a game to them and they love it. When they go raiding, they know there is a chance they will die, especially if they go up against fierce armed resistance. Yet they happily take to the field, because by putting their lives on the line, they feel alive, it gives their hollow and pathetic lives some meaning. They are a race of adrenaline junkies that need to prove themselves. They want to prove that they are best, that their race is the best, that they are more than just a race of pathetic parasitic bottom feeders barely clinging to existence using every dirty trick in the book. When they attack, they are a truly terrifying force; their self preservation is thrown away in a contest between them all to prove their own greatness. Most of their opponents are utterly unprepared for the ferocity of their attack, but if you hold their ground and whether their assault, you can break them. When faced with the Dark Eldar threat, hold your ground and show no fear, they will falter. When they falter, make sure to press your advantage and drive them back, they can give a hit but they certainly can't take a hit, the trick is hitting them. If they are a whirlwind of destruction, you must be an unbreakable rock against the whirlwind. Reveal to them how truly hollow their existence is, killing them doesn't hurt either. **

Deep in the tunnels underneath the palace, the Inquisitorial Stormtroopers prepare for the battle of their life, even with the Rogue Trader missing they have a duty to perform. Fortunately there is only one tunnel for the enemy to travel down to gain entrance to the palace. A mass of grotesques and wracks begin charging down this tunnel, while the Stormtroopers open fire, tearing them apart, though they still keep on coming with the healthy tearing their way through the wounded. As soon as they get close enough the Stormtroopers begin lobbing in rad and plasma grenades. A Stormtrooper armed with a flamer finishes off the survivors, the line has been held. On the other end of the hall, Haemonculus Galbeert's daughters discuss amongst themselves surrounded by their minions.

"The mon-keigh resistance is stronger than expected; we should wait for father to arrive." Says the reptilian Dark Eldar Mena

"Agreed, it would be a waste of resources to go up against a line like that without one of his devices." Finishes the feline Dark Eldar Nena

**(For those of you wondering what's up with these two, they were introduced all the way back in Chapter 8. In fact, if you are lost with this upcoming conversation, reread all of Chapter 8.)**

Meanwhile, the Haemonculus continues his conversation with the Old One.

"If you are so strong, why don't you wipe out all of the Dark Eldar on this planet to save the Mon'keigh?"

"It is not my place, mankind must fight its own battles, I can lend a hand but I cannot get too involved. Besides, if I were to unleash my full power, I would blow my cover. I have made many powerful enemies over the years; I really shouldn't tell them where I am at. Necrons, the Chaos Gods, Cegorach, Mork and Gork, the other surviving Old Ones, really it's amazing that anybody likes me. The few Imperials who know my true nature are wary of me at the best of times, downright condescending at the worse, referring to me as "the Emperor's pet Xenos". If only those fools realized the true connection between the Emperor and me."

"Are you saying you were friends with that rotting cadaver?"

"I was stranded on Earth after the fall of my race; the Emperor was the closest thing to a kindred spirit I could find. I dedicated my existence fully to the betterment of the human race, in the hope that one day they would become the greatest creations of the Old Ones, my creations."

"We Eldar are the greatest creations of the Old Ones." The Haemonculus has become quite hostile.

"You, like the Krork, were a mistake. We engineered you too quickly, gifting you with your psychic abilities instead of having you earn them through long years of painful and character building evolution. You are little more than spoiled brats who were given great gifts, and then squandered them. In our desperation, we unleashed you upon the galaxy and a day has not gone by where I have not cursed those responsible for your ascendance. I was against weaponizing any species from the start, we should have stuck to our principles, but no, we put our survival before our beliefs. At the end of they day we were no better than the Necrons. Oh, I hate them all, Asuryan, Vaul, Cegorach, Khaine, Lileath, Morai-Heg, Kurnous, and Isha, never has there been a name I have cursed more than hers. They were all Old Ones, who in their arrogance ascended to godhood over their creations. By becoming warp entities they lost their ability to change and became trapped in the forms dictated by their very creations. It is ironic, in seeking to become the ultimate beings they became the ultimate slaves, slaves to the whims of even the lowliest Eldar. And now, one of their ill begotten brood seeks to emulate the glory of my race, you are truly vermin of the lowest order."

"Is is not right for a child to seek to emulate their parent."

"When we altered species, we did it because their joy brought us joy, by raising species to sentience we found purpose and gained a greater understanding of creation. When you do your genetic manipulation, you create monstrous aberrations that are a mockery of everything my people valued. To us all life was sacred; to you all life is a toy to be altered by your whims."

"Stop your sanctimonious rantings, my race survives and thrives while yours barely clings to existence. And when we gut this world, we will go on surviving."

"Something tells me that you underestimate the defenders of this planet, and the human spirit."

Meanwhile, back in the city, Margaret was not too pleased. All of the high tech equipment the Tau gave to the Shogun was relics from the First Sphere Expansion, good for suppressing the feudal lords but not so well against the horror of Commorragh. The Shogun's troops were proving insufficient to hold back the Dark Eldar streaming into the city, lacking the discipline and the experience necessary to handle these nightmarish "Fae", as her grandmother called them. Fortunately, the Stormtroopers and Space Marines had managed to hold the line for now, but so far they had only faced probing parties. The skies were filling up with hellions, scourges, reavers, venoms, and razorwings, who took great, delight in flying down into the city to terrorize the defenders. The forces at the fortified palace were doing their best to shoot them down but they lacked sufficient anti-air to deal with them, managing to take out a few reavers, scourges, and hellions, but not much else. Meanwhile battles in the city were getting intense as the main Dark Eldar forces departed from their raiders and ravagers and made their way by foot into the city, thank the God Emperor this city was not designed with vehicles in mind.

A group of the Shoguns conscripted warriors armed with the Tau equipment are patrolling the perimeter of the city, they hadn't been as harassed as the others, and they had done a fairly good job chasing off the invaders. They take up shelter at an old shrine, hoping that the spirits of the shrine would protect them with the blessing of the God-Emperor. Unfortunately, a Dark Eldar beast master chose to invade the city from his spot, and he urges his horde of monsters into the defenders. Their initial volley doesn't break the charge and they panic, and in that panic they run. They are tossed, mauled, slashed, and devoured by his varied collection of beasts. One unfortunate has his insides sucked out by a Mermicious Kanod. None of them leave the confines of the shrine alive.

A group of the Shogun's Samurai warriors manages to hold off the Kabalite warriors very effectively. They are located in the town's central market district, using the stalls as cover. Their leader is in one of the Tau battle suits, brandishing a katana large enough for the battle suit. All of the Shogun's warriors keep their Katanas by their sides even as they use the new high tech weaponry, as a symbol of status. Unfortunately they are too busy focusing on the incoming Dark Eldar to notice the Mandrakes rising up from their shadows. The Mandrakes tear into the surprised Samurai who did not realize they were there, tearing some of them to shreds before they come to their senses and begin fighting back. The samurai draw their Katanas and engage in deadly close combat with the Mandrakes. Their commander wades into the largest cluster and tears them apart, swinging his blade back and forth through them, with the strength of the battle suit augmenting his power. He also uses his fusion blaster to handle the more stubborn ones. Unfortunately they are so busy focusing on the Mandrakes that they don't see a unit of Wych's move in behind them. This is too much for the samurai who fall apart from the onslaught. Only their commander is able to keep his composure, though that is soon lost as a Wych jumps unto his battle suit, and using a special cutting device, opens up the cockpit. She drags the Samurai out and tosses him to her companions. He is quickly engulfed in a shard net and left to his fate.

A Deathwatch member from the Black Templars is doing an excellent job holding a temple to the God-Emperor, and a bunch of other minor entities that they locals assured him had the full approval of the God-Emperor. He has put aside his bolter in order to focus on fighting the enemy with his blade. All challengers had fallen before him so far, and now most keeping their distance. A group of Incubi emerge from the crowd and their leader, the Hierarch Ronel, raises his Klaive in a salute to the lone warrior, seeking to engage him in honorable one on one combat. The two begin their fight; trading blow for blow, and while it appears at first that the Black Templar will be victorious; the Incubus renews his attack with greater ferocity, showing that he had been toying with the Templar this entire time. He manages to disarm the Black Templar before he beheads him with a clean stroke. The Dark Eldar cheer while his followers maintain a stoic silence, looking on in approval at the work of their lord.

Two Space Wolves connected with the Deathwatch are having the time of their lives. Holding unto the section of town where the Geisha are normally located, they are having a competition to see who can kill the most Dark Eldar.

"Olaf, how many have you killed so far, I'm at 60 myself." Sven yells at his companion.

"That's nothing, I am currently sitting at 85 kills, and these punks aren't worth the time." Right as Olaf finishes he lets out a gasping noise, his body starts convulsing violently as a mass on monofilament wires tear him apart from the inside out. His armor had been penetrated by a Harlequins kiss, with said Harlequin and her troop suddenly appearing.

"What the hell are you doing here; you have no reason to take part in this raid." Sven is furious that they killed his friends, and confused at their presence.

"We don't need to explain our ways to a filthy beast such as you, Mon'keigh." With that they charge him, activating all of their tricks, disguising their numbers and whirling around him. He lashes at them with his chain axe but he keeps hitting the illusions. He finally makes contact with one of the troop members, tearing him in half while a Death Jester leaps in the air and aims his Shrieker Cannon directly at Sven's head. His round penetrates his helmet as the virulent acid begins to consume the Space Wolf. The troupe moves on as Sven bursts apart in a gory mess.

Succubus Bourdan walks across the bloody and strewn bodies of a Stormtrooper squad she and her girls had just torn apart. There was no reason to keep them alive, the real prize was in the palace, and the Archon had no idea how much fun he was missing out on. She could understand his desire to deal with Nathaniel, she had never liked the boy personally and now that he was an Inquisitor it was imperative that he be put back in his place, but that didn't mean the Archon should have sat his entire Kabal out just to fight him one on one. Oh well, more plunder for her, assuming she could get there before that vile troll Galbeert.

"By the God-Emperor, this entire city is made out of balsa wood and tissue paper; there are no good hard positions to defend." Margaret and her Stormtroopers had been pushed back several times; the Dark Eldar just tore their way through the buildings of the city, which weren't exactly designed for modern siege warfare in mind. The Deathwatch Captain and his librarian had joined up with her; they were the only survivors of their kill-team left.

"We contacted the Crimson Sun Space Marines before we landed, on the Inquisitors orders. They are currently mopping up an Ork invasion fleet that had been poised to attack the planet but were stopped. If they hurry, they should arrive in time to help us with this Xenos menace."

"Never heard of the Crimson Sun before, what founding chapters are they tied with?"

"They are a Blood Angel Successor chapter that was forced to become a crusading fleet after their homeworld of Oni was lost to them. They share many cultural ties with the inhabitants of this world."

"If they get here in time, maybe the Inquisitor will be nice enough to give this world to them, if he survives his own battle that is."

In the palace, Melissa, Deepal, and Ichiro were busy trying to coordinate the defenders. They had reached the point where they could hold off the aerial troops, though they were still having some issues. Jasmine was currently curled up in the fetal position rocking back in forth, Melissa annoyed that she isn't helping more decides to see what's up.

"Jasmine, what's your problem, we need you right now, don't tell me that a daemon is trying to take you over."

"It isn't that Melissa," Jasmine's voice is shivering in terror, "there is a great power underneath our feet in the tunnels, I can feel it. A great and terrible force that shakes the core of my being, not even the God-Emperor turning me into an astropath had as much power as I am sensing right now."

"Is it friend or foe? And how is it more powerful than the God-Emperor?" Melissa is quite shaken at this revelation.

"I don't know; let's hope it doesn't like the Dark Eldar. I never said it's more powerful than the God-Emperor, only far more powerful than the God-Emperor when he is making astropaths."

Deepal is too busy making calculations to focus on her companions. Holding her hotshot lasgun in hand she takes aim at a Reaver on his jetbike. She takes her shot killing the pilot, with the jetbike careening into the cockpit of a Razorwing, which then flew into another Razorwing taking out both fighters. Deepal smiles, her calculations are never wrong; unfortunately she is only one person.

Toni unfortunately has been cut off from her companions, and is now surrounded by a few squads of warriors, and a squad of Wyches, in an overrun part of the city.

"What do we have here, a Techpriest?" You should be a lot of fun to play with once were done with you." The Hekatrix is already planning out what she will do with Toni once they have subdued her.

"Foul blasphemers of the Omnissiah, your heretical tech is no match for my divine fury." Toni pulls off her robe showing how augmented she truly is. He legs are fully mechanized as blades pop out. She has four arms, her two original completely mechanized and replaced with maintenance tools, with two smaller completely metallic arms ending in claws. Two flamer barrels appear from her hips, and four mechanendrites emerging from her back. At this point the Dark Eldar are not sure what to think.

"Aren't you a little young to be that heavily augmented?" the Hekatrix asks.

"My mother did this to me, as a testament of her devotion to the Omnissiah and her desire to cleanse me of my weak and impure flesh." Toni then charges into the Dark Eldar, tearing them apart. Her mechanendrites each grab a Dark Eldar and slam them into the ground, as her metallic claw like hands start ripping into the armor and bodies of those foolish enough to get near. She brings out the chainsaw on one hand to slice open her opponents while her blowtorch on the other is jammed into a Wych's face. The top part of her body starts spinning in a 360 circle while her lower body stays perfectly still. One unfortunate warrior who tried to get her from beneath gets viciously kicked by one her bladed legs, while the flames on her hips kick into action, roasting the tightly packed Dark Eldar. Even her mechanical hair becomes weaponized as it extends and jams itself into her opponents. At this point she is covered in the blood and internal organs of her opponents, with only the Hekatrix left. Confident of her victory she moves onto her target, only for the Hekatrix to throw a Haywire Grenade at her. All of her equipment shuts down except for her breathing apparatus, which is manually activated by the movement of her lungs. The Hekatrix walks over to the now helpless Toni.

"I must admit, you are quite formidable, but all of that technology comes back to bite you in the ass when you meet someone prepared for it." She leans over with a needle in her hand. "This will keep you asleep until we get back to Commorragh. You are going to be a main attraction in our coliseum." Before she can do her work, a needle is shoved into her throat by Amara who had snuck up on her.

"In this needle is a deadly neurotoxin, it slowly shuts down every system of your body, including all of your sensations. You will die paralyzed without feeling a single thing." The Hekatrix falls to the ground twitching while Amara does her best to pick up Toni and drag her away.

"Toni, maybe you should lose some of these weapons, it makes you very difficult to transport and is hazardous to my health."

"Under normal circumstances, the gifts bestowed upon me by my mother would not be a problem."

"Many of our enemies have weapons that create electric magnetic pulses; your gifts are a liability for us in situations like these."

They eventually make it to a garden inside one of the houses; they are completely being overlooked by the Dark Eldar who have begun their assault on the palace, which has been fortified by Margaret and the survivors who made it. The garden is filled with flowers, a coy pond and a blossoming cherry tree.

"By the Omnissiah, how lame can you get, this is no place for a servant of the Omnissiah to die, surrounded by flowers and cherry blossoms." Toni is becoming quite irate as an exhausted Amara lays her down.

"The locals call them Sakura, and they have a great significance to them."

"The locals like flowers too much, frivolous and useless things. Can't we go a little further to the train station, I would rather die there."

"We are not going to die, if anything we will be captured and taken to Commorragh. Now if you don't mind me asking, why did your mother give you so much enhancement, especially since you are suppose to be in your late twenties?"

"My father, he was a tech heretic who went insane, ripping out his implants and screaming about a dragon sleeping underneath Mars, how we were its slaves. I bore a strong resemblance to my father and in order to deal with the shame of having chosen a tech heretic as her donor. She wanted to erase every trace of him from me so she purified me with these implants."

"Just what we needed, a depressing story to darken our moods."

"Depressing to you, to me it's a sign of maternal love and affection, that my mother cleansed me of my physical imperfections at such a young age. The day my worthless flesh was purged from me, the day I became closer to the Omnissiah, that was the happiest day of my life. I don't even have reproductive capabilities; no one wanted to take a chance that my father's weakness would spread, so they removed those components. Now that is where my power generator is located to make sure that my gifts are fully functioning."

"Too much information right there, okay, I did not need to know that. Then again Adepts of Mars aren't known for their tact. I am curious, did your mother carry you in the womb, she doesn't sound like the type who would do that."

"No, they took both of my parent's genetic material and grew me in a vat for nine months, much more efficient that way, allows female Techpriestess's to focus on their duties without the burdens of pregnancy. Even after I was born, the first few years of my life say me being taken cared by specially programmed servitors, once again quite efficient."

"I suppose, but it sounds to me like all the romance has been taken out of it, and the bond formed between mother and child."

"Such things are irrelevant to efficient functioning. My mother showed her maternal love by bestowing these gifts upon me."

Meanwhile at the palace, the enemy has broken through and the defenders have all been killed. Only Melissa, Deepal, an incapacitated Jasmine, Watch Captain Tu'Man, and Ichiro remained, having been taken prisoner. A few Stormtroopers and Samurai still held defensive positions in the palace, but they would be no match for the invaders. That being said, the Dark Eldar didn't go through this without getting bloodied themselves, they had lost quite a few of their own, not that it bothered them. The strong were still standing, and they would not have to share their spoils with the weak. Succubus Bourdan was now standing over Melissa, looking down at her with strange look in her eyes.

"You must be Nathaniel's acolyte, the waitress from Talassar."

"How do you know that?" Melissa was a bit disturbed that she knew this.

"The Archon got his hands Inquisitor Bartley, who shared quite a few things when given the proper persuasion."

Melissa let out a groan; Ignatius Bartley was someone who should have never been made an Inquisitor, a bumbling aristocrat who got the position due to family connections via his uncle who was his master. The Succubus bends down and begins deeply sniffing Melissa's hair, with a creepy smile on her face.

"Yes, I do believe that I will keep you for myself, if the Archon complains I merely need to point out that he didn't join the fight."

"Bourdan, I grow bored, when do we storm the palace, I have not had my share of bloodshed for today." Hierarch Ronel was not in a good mood; besides the Black Templar space marine he killed earlier he had not been faced with a worthy challenge; even then the space marine underestimated him.

"There is no need, as soon as Galbeert moves up into the palace all of the playthings will come running out, then we can grab what we want."

"What is taking the Haemonculus so long; he should have stormed into the palace by now."

"I am sure he has his reasons, perhaps they are meeting extremely strong resistance down in the tunnels." Right as she finishes one of her wyches walks up with a communication device.

"Mistress, we have a call from the Bleeding Heart Kabal."

"This is Bourdan, has Archon Taelbeirt defeated that impudent Mon'keigh yet."

"THE ARCHON HAS BEEN KILLED, AND IT'S RAINING SPACE MARINES. TAKE WHAT YOU CAN AND RUN FOR IT."

Succubus Bourdan's face grows pale as she looks up at the sky at the familiar signs of space marine drop pods and stormravens descending upon them.

Melissa lets out a smile, the Crimson Sun's have arrived.


	43. Chapter 43 Bittersweet Symphony

_**(No journal entry today, thanks you all for reading. I have been building up to this chapter for a long time and I have wanted to get it just right. After this chapter will be one more to finish this story but this is definitely the climax. Author's notes, I wondered what chapter the Crimson Sun should be descended from, and originally I was going to treat them as a Imperial Fist Successor Chapter. Eventually I decided on the Blood Angels, because Moody Angelic Vampire Samurai with Bloodthirsty Psychotic tendencies sounds awesome for a Space Marine chapter. Also, I am glad you guys are taking the revelation that Methuselah is an Old One quite well. Granted I have been dropping hints from the start. In the past some of you have expressed concerns about me making the story too big, more than Nathaniel. Nathaniel is still the main character, with Methuselah connected with him. I have always intended this story to be just the opening in a larger saga involving many different main characters and my own fan interpretations of the Warhammer 40K universe. All of your feedback is greatly appreciated and taken into consideration, or if you have any worries or concerns I will gladly clear them up for you. )**_

While the battle continues on the surface, the Old One Methuselah and Galbeert the Haemonculus are still at a stalemate.

"What do you see in that boy, surely one Mon'keigh isn't more significant than any other."

"It's true, in the grand scheme of things Nathaniel isn't that important, at a regional level he can make a difference but in galactic affairs he has no value. But he is precious to me, like a son. I have had many children in my various disguises over the years, both directly and by adoption, but I love them all equally. My existence is quite lonely, and they help alleviate that loneliness. Well, them and my many lady friends, they definitely help alleviate the loneliness. And before you ask, none of the children gain any special powers from me, just the genes I create using my powers."

"How does that even work?"

"I am not going to tell you that, the exact details are beyond your comprehension. But back to your earlier inquiry into what is so special about Nathaniel, he is more than just a son, he is a success."

"What do you mean by success?"

"One of my primary plans for the human race is to raise them up as a fully mature psychic race. While I don't believe in forcing this development, in fact the only time I took a heavy hand in their evolution was with the creation of the navigators, I have taken steps to speed it along. During the Great Crusade I introduced a chemical into all Imperial food that increases the likelihood of psychic development; the bureaucrats are too stuck in their ways to wonder why they need a color enhancer for their food."

"Wait, hold on, I thought you wanted to help the Mon'keigh, it sounds like you are only causing them harm."

"It's true that mutants and weak willed psykers are created, and they must be purged, but successes like Nathaniel, which increase every year, makes it all worth it. He had the willpower to purge a daemon from his body; he is what I call a phenomenal success, worth every failure that is lost. In the end, mankind must rule this galaxy, and to rule it they must wipe out all who stand in their way, including all Xenos, myself excluded of course."

"And they say that my people are sick and twisted."

"I don't need to explain myself to a pitiful creature like you, who believes that he is honestly holding his own against the great chess masters of the galaxy. If you want to talk about insignificance, you don't have to look any further than a mirror. You existence is so meaningless you're not even a piece on the board, let alone a player."

Galbeert is gripped by a terrible feeling of insignificance as the truth of the Old One's words sink in.

Nathaniel and the Valkyrie arrive on the outside of the Dark Eldar camp, he gets out and signals the pilot to stay put, with any luck he would be able to leave. As he makes his way through the camp, he see's all of the Bleeding Heart Kabal Dark Eldar come out to stare at him menacingly. Their ships are tied down with cages filled with terrified Kyotoans who have no idea what horrors are awaiting them in Commorragh. They call out to him for help but there is little he can do for them, his business this afternoon was vengeance. He finally comes to the center of the camp, a large empty circle made up of twenty strange looking obelisks separate him and the Archon, who is sitting on a makeshift throne. He has taken off his Farseer disguised and was now wearing his typical spiky armor and human flesh cape. Only a Tau could mistake him for a good guy. He is flanked by his children, five of them now, four of them either looking like older teens or young Eldar adults, with one boy obviously still a child. This was the vile brood the Archon had with his treacherous and weak willed sister. He steps into the circle only for the obelisks to turn bright green and seal him in.

"Thank you for entering my arena pet, as soon as you enter the only way to escape is to kill me; also it shuts off those pesky psychic powers of you."

"I never expected you to fight fair Archon Taelbeirt, however sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind to achieve your goals."

"I have taught you well."

"The only thing you taught me was never to trust a Xenos."

"I taught you many things boy, none of which you have shown me proper thanks for. And you don't even have the proper decency to ask me about your sister."

"I have no concern about that Xenos loving traitor." Even thinking about Sarah filled Nathaniel with hatred.

"Your sister rejected every method of coercion to become my partner, every method except one, you. I made it quite clear that if she did not give herself completely to me, of her own free will, I would make you suffer a fate far worse than death for all eternity. She gave herself to me to protect you, you stupid boy."

Nathaniel is actually caught off guard by this. "Why did you want her to willingly give herself to you, it's not like anyone could have stopped you from having your way with her."

"I have always been a lover of romance, forcibly having my way with her did not suit me, I wanted her to give herself willingly to me because I wanted her to love me."

"Your species is incapable of love; the only thing you feel is a sick perverted lust that you mistake for love."

"I loved your sister until she sought to betray me and run away with our youngest Gormil." He points to the young hybrid boy. "She paid dearly for her treachery, I offered her eternal youth, luxury, and endless passion and she still rejected my generosity in the end. It was her betrayal that finally taught me that if you want someone to love you, you have to force them too."

"What about your Dark Eldar lovers?"

"Is it so wrong to want a lover who I don't have to worry about stabbing me in the back every five minutes? I do find odd that you hate your sister for her love of you, and her willingness to sacrifice everything for you."

"You are right, I have been too harsh on my sister, what she did she did out of love for me. But I would have gladly endured any torture you could concoct if it meant that I did not have to see her in the arms of some foul petty xenos thug."

"You are hopeless and pathetic, I hope you realize that. Someone who seduces and has sexual relations with Tau women has no room to judge me and my habits."

"SHE DRUGGED ME AND HAD HER WAY WITH ME ON YOUR ORDERS."

"Sure, blame the victim, that's real mature of you my pet. It's not my fault that she was genuinely drawn to you and your charm."

Nathaniel felt sick to his stomach with this revelation, his resolve to find her and kill her stronger than ever. Yet, there was one more piece of business he had to deal with."And I will never forgive what you did to Chun."

"Funny that you should mention her, I always thought that there was chemistry between the two of you, but sadly I beat you to her, come on out dear." A twenty something Chun comes out, dressed in a very revealing slave girl outfit; she has a blank expression on her face. Despite the outfit she appears to be pregnant. "My various failures had taught me that there is no such thing as love, so I should just settle for someone I could force my will upon. I brought Chun out of her prison; needless to say she was quite unhinged though she hadn't aged at all. I got a compliance chip from Galbeert and turned her into the perfect partner, obedient and trustworthy. Her body completely belongs to me, though her mind and soul still belong to her, though at this point I just want the body." He pulls Chun close to him and they begin making out right in front of Nathaniel, who is now seething in rage. "It's funny pet, even though she does anything I tell her too, I am quite sure that in her mind she is raging at me in frustration and despair, which kind of turns me on."

"How dare you turn someone as kind and wonderful as her into your mindless sex slave?"

"Don't get whiny, she still has her mind, her mind just doesn't have control over her body."

"When I kill you, I am taking her with me."

"I see no problem with that deal, mainly because you don't have a chance. But I am an Archon of my word, if you kill me; my Kabal will leave you and Chun alone while we take our leave. But let's be honest, you don't stand a chance against me with that pistol of you."

Nathaniel tosses his plasma pistol aside and withdraws Farseer Marltona's Singing Spear. "I killed an Eldar Farseer, an Archon is no threat to me."

"Plaything, I rose up from a refugee child of a fallen Kabal to one of the most feared and respected men in Commorragh, I am not going to let you stop me. I am still young and healthy while you have reached middle age for your species. If you had bothered to use rejuvenation treatments you may have stood a chance, but not in the condition you are in right now. When we get back to Commorragh with your retinue in tow, I promise you that I will never let you go again. As sure as my Kabal's brand you have on your back, you are, and always will be, mine."

Nathaniel takes his stance, "Bring it on you depraved nightmare."

Archon Taelbeirt lunges at Nathaniel with inhuman speed, charging straight at him. Nathaniel counters by jabbing his spear right into the Archon's shoulders as he is about to strike. The Archon jumps back laughing. "It appears that I have underestimated you, I didn't think you would be able to read my moves or react to my speed."

"Mr. Li taught me well, anyway you attacked me head on, and you will need to do better than that if you wish to win against me."

The Archon begins jumping around Nathaniel quickly, keeping out of reach of his spear yet trying to get in close to land a blow. "Boy you are no match for my speed and agility."

"True, but if you wish to strike me you will have to move in close, and when you get in close your advantages will cease."

The Archon hops around Nathaniel some more before trying for a high speed attack on his exposed back. Nathaniel quickly whirls around and jabs his spear into the Archons chest, hitting him directly where his heart should. The Archon collapses to the ground, taking the spear with him, and Nathaniel believing he has won, yet the laughing Dark Eldar prove him wrong. The Archon gets back up, pulls out the spear and tosses it out of the circle, apparently Nathaniel is the only one who can't get in or out. "Do you really think that I would keep my heart in such a predictable place? I had Galbeert rearrange my organs for me. What you hit was a pouch of combat boosters that I had placed there to increase my combat performance." With that the Archon's body starts convulsing as it gets bigger and burlier. He lunges at Nathaniel, too fast for him to react, grabs his head and slams him to the ground. Razor sharp claws appear on the ends of his fingers as he starts slashing at Nathaniel, ruthlessly tearing up his trenchcoat and armor, his hat having flown off while being slammed to the ground. The claws are coated in some time of toxin that creates searing pain, though Nathaniel fights it off. The Archon gets ready to jam the stab the claws into him, but Nathaniel composes himself and grabs the Archon's arms as they head down for the finishing blow. The Archon is further shocked as Nathaniel slams his forehead into the Archons face and sends him stumbling backward. Nathaniel quickly gets on his feet and starts delivering a withering blow of punches and into the chest and face of the Archon. A dazed Archon tries to strike back but Nathaniel easily brushes his blows aside. Nathaniel manages to pull off a roundhouse kick and knocks the Archon to the ground. He gets on top of the Archon and starts punching the Archon repeatedly in the face for a few minutes.

"I know you are wondering why I am relying on such a crude fighting style when Tianese Martial Arts are a bit more refined. Well to be honest, these moves are the ones I learned from Inquisitor O'Peak, and against a glass cannon like yourself they are far more effective than the more stylistic and refined Tianese style. Sometimes you just have to punch something until it refuses to get back up."

Nathaniel is too busy talking about technique to notice the Archons legs popping out of their joints, yet still functioning properly as the move up behind him. His legs cross in front of Nathaniel's chest shoving him to the ground while the Archon gets on top of him, his joints snapping back into place in the process.

"It's good to have a Haemonculus as a friend." Right as he is about to once again jam his claws into Nathaniel, Nathaniel summons enough energy to toss him off of him. Both fighters get up and once again begin circling each other. Nathaniel's tattered armor finally comes off his chest completely revealing his Bleeding Heart Kabal brand on his back. Nathaniel tries to take his stance, but his body seizes up on him, like all the energy has left him as he drops to the ground trembling. "Age isn't easy for you Mon'keigh, you may be in good shape for your species but you still have limits, and you have reached yours. I must compliment you, you put up a great fight, but now it's time to end this." The Archon rushes up, and knees Nathaniel in the gut sending him flying through the air. The Archon casually walks over and grabs him by the throat. "What if I told you that, this has all been a dream, you have never left the Dark City, and this was all an elaborate rouse of mine to mess you up? When you wake up you will once again be my loyal manservant, ready to fulfill my every will, and this dreamland will be just a memory. You are mind boy, and you will soon learn your place once again." An exhausted Nathaniel looks over at Chun, her misery and his desire gives him the resolve to continue fighting. He slowly lifts up his hand with the digital weapon on it, and points it at the Archon's head. "What's the matter pet, do you have something to say to me, one last plea of mercy perhaps?" The Archon has the most malicious smile imaginable on his face.

Nathaniel utters one word, "Jokaero", and unleashes miniature flamer directly into the Archon's face, which completely engulfs his head. The Archon drops Nathaniel and falls to the ground writhing in agony, before he finally stops. His children walk on over dragging Chun with them.

"Well done uncle, you have won your prize." The oldest throws Chun at him. "Do not take us for complete monsters; out of our duty to the woman who gave birth to us, we won't seek retaliation against you, though we will be taking the captives back to Commorragh. In fact, we should thank you, with our father out of the way; the Kabal is now finally ours. Of course, we will leave your friends in the city to our allies, so that you and Chun can have some alone time. They all begin to laugh maliciously as Nathaniel looks up at the cloudy sky to see Space Marine drop pods descending from the heavens.

"God Emperor be praised, I have bought enough time for them to get here." The children look up with horror as they realize their dire situation.

"Space Marines", the eldest cries as the camp is thrown into chaos. They try to load up their ships but it is too late, the red and white Astartes of the Crimson Suns 8th Assault Company unleash their fury upon the foul Xenos. They wreak havoc upon their unwary opponents, tearing them to shreds in a furious maelstrom of violence. The captives look on in horror as their saviors brutally massacre their enslavers, tearing them and their ships into shreds in a furious bloodthirsty rage. Nathaniel drags Chun out of the obelisks while his nephews and niece try to save themselves, to no avail. He pulls Chun aside and tries to talk to her.

"Chun, it's me Nathaniel, don't you remember?" Chun just looks at him with a blank look on her face. Nathaniel then seeks to read her mind, hoping to open up communications that way.

A few minutes later Captain Shuto of the 8th Company surveys the battlefield, his brothers in the 7th Company had made landfall in the capital and were now wreaking havoc upon the Xenos there. His men's assault had been fast and bloody, no Dark Eldar escaped, and the less unhinged Crimson Sun Space marines now freed the terrified civilians from their cages. Captain Shuto looks over at what appears to be a non native of the planet pointing a plasma pistol at a pregnant woman's head. Before he can say anything he blows her head off. Furious, the Captain rushes over, picks the murderer up, and demands an answer. "Why did you kill this woman?"

The man looks up with tears streaming down his eyes. "I had to mentally communicate with her, to learn what she wanted. The horrors she has faced in Commorragh are too great, she couldn't go on living. She asked me to do her one last favor for her; she wanted me to kill her. Why do the good in this galaxy have to die while bastards like us get to go on living? Why is it that I am destined to lose everything I love?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark of the Ordo Xenos, and I give this world to your crusading chapter for the services you have rendered." Any attempt on the Inquisitor's part to sound professional and intimidating is made pointless by the endless stream of tears running down his face.

Back in the catacombs, Haemonculus Galbeert withdraws his forces, after being informed of the sudden turn of events on the surface. It's time for him to return to Commorragh, shaken by the terrible revelation revealed to him and the fact that no one will believe him. The Old One decides to return to the troops, taking the form of Methuselah once more. He walks right up to them and looks them over.

"This won't do for a convincing story; too many of you are alive." He marks all but five of the Stormtroopers, and kills those marked in a gory fashion, along with the Deathwatch Astartes. "I am terrible sorry but my secret cannot be made public by inquisitive snoops." With that he snaps he alters their memories, now they are the survivors of a brutal fight to the death, who were able to hold out thanks to Methuselah's leadership.

In the city, Melissa surveys the damage with Captain Negi of the Seventh Company, with Jasmine finally stopping her mad ramblings. They have driven back the Dark Eldar and have secured what's left of the destroyed city. Captain Negi receives a message and relays it to Melissa. "I have good news, the Inquisitor has been found alive."

"Good, because when I get my hands on him I want to kill him personally." She says half jokingly. And with that the battle for New Kyoto ends, with some unfinished business left to attend to.


	44. Chapter 44 Respite

_**(Thank you all for reading; I could have not made it through this without your support. Here I am wrapping up my very first story, and I feel that I have accomplished something great. I have just recently reached 100 reviews, and all of them, good and bad, are highly appreciated and instrumental to my developing fanfiction writing skills. Since this is the final chapter, I would like to ask as many of you as possible to give a final review of the completed work, please. I have already highlighted a few areas where I need to improve. 1. Battles, my battles especially sucked early on, though I believe I have gotten better. 2. Coherency from one part of the story to the other, this can be handled with better note keeping. 3. A love I have with massive and expansive conspiracies, intrigue, and moving the Warhammer 40K storyline forward from the frustrating stalemate it has been at for years. I have many creative ideas for this type of storyline, but I probably should have held off on them for a different story. Overall this was Nathaniel's story, and it ultimately revolves around him, and I may have gone overboard with the conspiracies. In the back of my head, it was my way of showing that Nathaniel is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things, even if he has some small idea about what is going on as he pieces everything together as the years go by. 4. My sense of scale, this one is so common that there is even a trope for it "Sci Fi Writers have no sense of scale". 5. My grammar issues, I am not perfect when it comes to grammar, especially since I do most of my writing late at night when I am half asleep, and I will strive to get better at this. Any other criticisms or compliments, things you liked, things you were impressed with, please feel free to share. I have had a few successes, my depiction of the Dark Eldar was very good, everyone loved the Freeport idea, good amounts of drama and humor for appropriate occasions, tearjerker moments are appropriate and powerful, Nathaniel is a very believable, likable, and relatable character, even when he does very morally questionable things, which plays into the tragic nature of the Inquisition and what it must do to protect the Imperium because the price of failure is simply too high. The Mechanatites were hit and miss; they raised a few eyebrows when they were first introduced, leading to a few more raised eyebrows when I tried to make them more grimdark. I like what I did with the Horkhesh Dynasty; they are a powerful regional threat with a lot of dysfunctional personality. My biggest bomb was the Fall of Tian arc, which started out well, but just went downhill. I have learned from that incident, taking the outrage of this fiasco in universe where Imperial Scholars are still trying to figure out every reason a curb stomp battle turned into a rout, with most of the blame being placed on the now Phaeron Cleandra Wei, her merger with the Necron Phaeron is one of my favorite moments in the story, especially when the extent of her xenophilia comes to light for Nathaniel.)**_

Things had wound down; Nathaniel was back in the capital, cleaned up in a fancy kimono, oddly countered with his Mantanyan Cowboy hat and weapons, attending his own private funeral for Chun. For the sake of convenience, he decided to use the funeral customs of the planet and set her body on fire on a pyre. He has officially given the world to the Crimson Sun Space Marines, with the hostile Shogun being crucified on his palace walls as a lesson against treachery. The city itself was completely demolished, what wasn't destroyed in the initial attack was destroyed in the counter attack. His retinue was fine but banged up, any chewing out from them was stopped when they discovered him carrying Chun's body with a broken look on his face. Once he issued the necessary orders, such as the execution of the Shogun, the banishment of his family, the transfer of the water Tau to his ship's holding cell, and the transfer of control over to the Space Marines, as well as getting cleaned up and dressed. Taking command of the Shogun's private garden for the funeral, he built the pyre and got the funeral underway, with strict orders for no one to disturb him with the exception of Methuselah, who had now entered the garden.

"How are you doing kid?" Methuselah asks with genuine concern in his voice.

"Right now I feel dead inside, rescuing the only woman I ever loved only to kill her on her request can be a bit much, even for an Inquisitor."

"Do you need a hug?"

"Why would I need a hug?" Nathaniel is genuinely perplexed at this.

"A hug isn't only an act of intimacy; it can be an act of comfort as well, especially when it comes from a friend."

"No hugs, though I would like your companionship right now."

Methuselah walks on over to stand next to Nathaniel.

"I am curious Methuselah, were you Chun's father?"

Methuselah lets out a chuckle at this. "No I was not her father; Huian was the one of the only women I have never slept with. Chun's father was the Inquisitor who taught her mother."

"Did you know her personally?"

"The only time I saw Chun was when she was a baby. I still remember the night when Huian got word that her daughter had been kidnapped by Dark Eldar. That was the only night I ever saw her drunk and crying uncontrollably. She never believed that she would see her daughter again, which is why you were so dear to her, you personally knew her daughter and was close to her. She once told me that there was little she could do for her biological child, but that she would fight the legions of the warp to make sure nothing bad happened to you, her adopted child. It still pains me, thinking about how she betrayed us both when she willingly joined with Phaeron Cleandra. My only theory is that she had been pushed to the edge, with the destruction of her homeworld, her disgrace and general disillusionment with the Imperium, her xenos friends abandoning her, and the death of all in her retinue, she desperately attached herself to something that would give her meaning and purpose again, and the Necrons provided that meaning and purpose."

"I figured as much, I am still upset with her though, she betrayed me and the God-Emperor. Not to mention that I was completely correct about Marltona and how she couldn't be trusted."

"Yeah, even I was caught off guard with that one, considering we had Trianna together you would think she would have been a little more sentimental."

"Do you think Chun and I would have been happy together?"

"I don't know, the only long term relationship ended with the woman I loved abandoning me for some idiotic hunter and taking our daughter with her. People still love her, which irritates me like you wouldn't believe. Though she has fallen on hard times and is suffering the humiliation she deserves, with a new man who is too good for that treacherous harlot." Nathaniel picked up a lot of anger in Methuselah's voice, wondering who this woman is.

"She caused you a lot of pain, didn't she?"

"Life is pain; you know this better than most. In many ways you and I are kindred spirits, the galaxy has thrown a lot at us but we persevere through it all. Don't dwell on Chun's death, but don't forget about her. Remember the time you had together, also, there is nothing wrong with dreaming about the life you could have had together. You can still find love, though I would strongly suggest a rejuvenation treatment. Not only will it make you look younger but it will also help you when you get into a fist fight."

"Thank you for your support, and your friendship. You are the number one person I trust. I know that you keep many secrets from me, but it's probably for my own good, and I appreciate everything you have shared with me so far."

"Thank you Nathaniel, it is my fondest dream that at least some of my scattered brood turned out as well as you did. You're like the son I never abandoned."

Nathaniel lets out a chuckle. "I would tell you to find every single one of your children and claim them, but for a lecherous old womanizer like you that would probably take the rest of your life."

"I am not flawless, I am human after all."

Both men detect a two presences silently sneaking into the garden.

"Reveal yourselves; I gave strict orders that none were too disturb me other than Methuselah." Nathaniel is on edge at this intrusion, but is relieved to see that it is just Kage Hime and a 12 year old Kyotoan girl.

"I am deeply sorry that I had to disturb your mourning Inquisitor, but I have some business to discuss with you in private before you leave, and this seemed like the best time."

Methuselah nods his head to Nathaniel and heads on out. He travels through the palace until he comes upon the astropath Jasmine who is still shaken after her exposure to the N'Tac/Old One presence earlier. Methuselah walks on over reaches into a pocket and pulls out a hard candy, handing it over to her. "Here, take this kid, it will help you. Good thing I took out that psionic disruption weapon the Haemonculus brought along or else you could have suffered some serious damage." He smiles at the confused Jasmine as he continues on his way. Meanwhile Nathaniel engages in some business with Kage Hime.

"This girl with me is my granddaughter, Tsubaki; both of her parents were killed by the Shogun during his purges. I am too old to take care of her, so I would like to hand custody of her over to you, to serve as a second apprentice."

"You do know that the life I live isn't an easy one, people hate me and I have to make some very tough decisions."

"The life of a Kyotoan Shinobi is not much better; our actions are so dishonorable that we do not even bother with family names that would be disgraced by our actions."

"Does the girl speak and read Imperial Gothic of both varieties?"

"Yes she does, I taught her myself."

"Good, that will make this easier." Nathaniel reaches into the folds of his kimono and pulls out a container, he opens it up and he pulls out a writing quill, ink well, and contract. "Thank goodness I remembered to have this brought down from the ship. Now Tsubaki, I want you to read this carefully, normally I don't bother with formalities but considering the hazardous lifestyle you will have to endure as an apprentice to me, I want to make sure that you know what you will be getting yourself into and are ready for it." The contract reads as such.

_**I, (Insert Name), testify that I am of sound mind and will and willingly agree to the terms of this contract. All food, lodging, equipment, and training will be provided by my Inquisitor; in return I forfeit my freedom in service to the Inquisition, and my master. Among my benefits are included healthcare and funeral arrangements if necessary. I accept that I am completely at my master's mercy, and will obey his every word when given. Failure to do so will result in a level of punishment that my master deems appropriate, up to and not surpassing drawn out torturous execution, as is befitting a lowly, vile, untrustworthy, ungrateful vermin spawn who reneges on their duties to the Emperor and to the Inquisition. In addition to my master, I am to obey the orders and wishes of all full Inquisitors, as long as they do not interfere with the wishes of my master. Only an Inquisitor Lord or higher has the authority to overwrite my masters will. Life in the Inquisition is harsh, and often very short, I acknowledge and accept this. However, I also accept that direct service to the Emperor is the greatest honor that could be given to me, and that in serving his will and hunting down his enemies I prove myself worthy of his love and the salvation he brings to all true believers.**_

_**Oath of the Inquisitors of Byzantium**_

_**I am but a lowly tool, wielded for a higher purpose.**_

_**I will not allow myself to be taken in by the falsehoods of daemons, foul aberrations that are a perversion of pure human emotions. Such creatures will be hunted down and eliminated. I acknowledge that these things exist and in so doing put my fate into the hands of the Inquisition. I will never falter in my vigil to guarantee that these nightmares from beyond do not devour the souls of man.**_

_**I will not allow the vile mutant, unsanctioned witch, misguided traitor, and dangerous heretic to live. I will not heed their words or accept any of their teachings. By acknowledging their existence and their threats I reaffirm my faith in the God Emperor and his true teachings. I will never falter in my duty to protect the minds of my fellow citizens from their lies and corrupting mutations.**_

_**I will not submit or collude with the Xenos of any variety. No Xenos wishes well for the human race, all are a threat to human dominance of the galaxy. I acknowledge that every place that harbors the Xenos must eventually be purged, and repopulated with pure human populations. I will never falter in my duty to secure the domains of the Emperor from these outward threats.**_

_**Imperator Dominatus**_

_**(Signature)(Date)**_

_**(Inquisitor)(Date)**_

"Are the terms agreeable, once you sign this you can never go back?" Tsubaki looks up at him, smiles, and fills out what she has to.

"Inquisitor Clark, I am your weapon, use me as you see fit to serve the Emperor. There is no greater honor for one such as myself to give myself over entirely to the security of his glorious domain."

Nathaniel applies signature, pulls out his seal and presses a button, warming it up. He applies it to the paper, gently burning the seal into the contract by his signature without setting fire to the paper. "Welcome to the Inquisition, Tsubaki, may you never regret this and may you serve the Emperor for a long time."

Both look around to see that Kage Hime has disappeared.

"I guess you are my problem now, come along, my business is done here, it's time for me to return to my ship, the others should be on their way there as well."

A few hours later Nathaniel is relaxing in his office, surrounded by many of his collectibles. Behind him the wall is completely covered by his bookshelves containing his extensive collection of works, Inquisitorial academic journals and encyclopedias, instructional manuals for investigative research, tomes of Tianese poetry and philosophy, mythological works of every planet he has visited, books that had been banned by the Ecclesiarchy, with a few gems dating to the Dark Age of Technology, and his own personal journals and academic works. His desk is large, solid, and made of mahogany. He sits in a large swivel chair with two smaller wooden chairs on the other side. His desk is scattered with papers and books, with a few nick nacks everywhere. His drawers are filled with even more books, and a wide collection of vid logs. On the opposite end of the room Nathaniel has put up the armor and katana of the Shogun he has just executed. It is right between the Alban kilt and bagpipes and his shelf filled with several Tianese fans, a tea set, an incense set, and a jade Tianese dragon statue. A large Tianese kite in the shape of a dragon hangs from the offices ceiling. On the wall to his left is a collection of Mairian Tribal masks, and a large painting from Kali depicting how they view the Emperor's creation of humanity, with the Emperor having blue skin and a lot of arms. There is also a large galactic map on the wall. To his right is a collection of gold and silver statues. The crowning gem of his collection is the spirit stone of Farseer Marltona in a sealed display case, with her armor hanging right next to it. Every so often he got the odd feeling that Marltona's spirit was watching him, he just made an obscene hand gesture in her direction and left it at that. He hears a knock on the door and wonders who it is.

"Come in." Jasmine and Melissa walk on in, he beckons them in and they sit down in the chairs. "What is on your minds, are you here to complain about me taking on the Archon on by myself, I did know the Space Marines were on the way."

Jasmine starts out first, "I have received a message from Byzantium, they want to congratulate you on a job well done, oh, and Nicodemus is dead with Inquisitorial Master Agatha being promoted to Grandmaster, with Inquisitor Lord O'Peak being promoted to the rank of Master of the Ordo Xenos. Also, Master O'Peak wishes to promote you to Inquisitor Lord for your service and accomplishments."

"Great, more paperwork, can you reply back that I humbly accept the promotion, and that I wish to discuss the disturbing development of a alliance between the Horkhesh Dynasty and the Tau Empire with him, along with the imminent threat for Farsight Enclaves."

"I will do my best; communication in the warp isn't very reliable as you know. Also, I thought you didn't like the Tau."

"Normally no, but oddly enough I have respect for Commander Farsight, and the continued existence of his conclave is an insult to the Tau Empire, and a reliable buffer between us and the Tau Empire. What about you Melissa, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"It's about Tsubaki, are you trying to replace me?" There is some apprehension to Melissa.

"Melissa, I trust you utterly and completely, you are my greatest student, though I wish you would take my teachings more to heart. I am not trying to replace you, if anything takes this as a compliment. You have greatly progressed in the time we have been together; your handling of the battle in the capital is proof of that. I am looking toward the future; I want my beliefs to spread in the Inquisition, and for that to happen I need more acolytes to become Inquisitors to spread my teachings. I want you to be a big sister to her."

"I understand Inquisitor."

"Has she been settled into her quarters?"

"Yes, she didn't bring much with her so we will need to get her clothes and supplies."

"I leave that in your hands. Now if you two don't mind, I have book I have been wanting to read for awhile."

Meanwhile, on the Miss Liz, Methuselah is enjoying a glass of brandy on the bridge as his second in command walks in, a young looking woman with a cold gaze. "Malitatle, you can drop the disguises for you and the crew, we don't have any guests." In a flash of light, the young human woman is replaced by a large female Slann, with various Saurus and Skinks taking the place of the crewmembers.

"Master, can we turn the heat up; you keep the ship too cold? Also I would like to voice my disapproval with you revealing yourself so blatantly."

"Of course you can turn the heat up, and you are not the only one who finds a human body restricting at times. I thought you would be more upset about me saying humans must rule the galaxy alone, you certainly don't like it when your race is mistaken for mine."

"My race is dying, I am the last Slann child born in 3000 years with no viable mates, when man rules this galaxy, we will end our existence. Unlike the Eldar we can accept oblivion gracefully."

"I will miss you guys, I still can't believe my luck that I was able to stumble upon your world."

"We hid ourselves well, but we could not hide from time. As far as I know the other Slann worlds perished a long time ago, with the possible exception of the homeworlds in the halo stars."

On the planet of Nefertitia, Phaeron Cleandra Wei observes the events brought back my Miragera with great interest.

"Are you sure that they didn't see you?"

"Of course, no human or Eldar ever realized I was there, my tech is too good for their primitive sensors."

"So our relationship with our Tau pawns have been discovered, and my adopted son has killed my Huian's birth daughter as an act of mercy, that should be rough on him."

"Are you upset, both are technically your children?"

"Sharing this body and these memories can be confusing for us, but I do view them as my children. I know Nathaniel well, and if your recordings are correct it was not an easy decision. I will trust that my son did the right thing, who knows what horrors Chun faced in Commorragh."

"What about our alliance with the Tau pawns being discovered?"

"We will need to move up our plans for the Farsight Enclave sooner than expected. I don't want that wrinkled old gray raisin thinking I double crossed him."

On the world of Tau, Aun'va prepares to rest ushering his attendants from the room. Today had been a busy day; the hybrid colony was prospering without any knowledge of the Imperium, though that isn't what caught his attention. A smile spreads across his face as his eyes begin to glow deep blue. "You were sloppy on New Kyoto old friend, even with all these light years between us your presence shined for me, now I know that you are still out there. When I find you, you will join me or die. I will not let anyone stand in the way of the realization of my dream, not you, not the Imperium, not the Necrontyr, not the Eldar, not the Orks, not the Tyranids, and not the forces of the Immaterium. This galaxy will belong to my children, not yours." He knows his friend cannot hear him, but talking to himself is a habit he had picked up over years of loneliness and despair.

_**There are many threats to the Imperium out there, many I don't even know about, I will find them out and I will face them down and defeat them. With the Emperor by my side, who can stand against me?**_

_**Inquisitor Nathaniel Clark of the Ordo Xenos**_


End file.
