The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

By Tangmo's estimation, about thirty hours must've passed since Isha got fucking possessed by Nurgle Greater Daemons, which resulted in the poor goddess getting interned inside a sarcophagus, when the Immortal Spirit fleet emerged from the Warp. During that time, he had a long cold shower, ate fried pork and rice, held a short briefing with the main characters and brought them up to speed on their current situation, before finally allowing himself to sleep, which was restless and without peace. He felt like shit when he woke up, the cup of hot coffee barely improving his mood, and was putting on his awesome commissar coat and cap when blaring sirens resounded across the Immortal Spirt. Ah shit, here we go again.

"Report, what the fuck is happening?" Tangmo dashed out of his apartment and flipped open his data-pad.

"We have found the Macragge's Honor sir, and the crusade fleet attached to it," Solveig stated calmly, unaffected by the encompassing cacophony. "Unfortunately they have maneuvered their cruisers and battleships to surround us. Initial scan indicates that weapons are being primed."

"Stand by, I'm on my way," Tangmo stashed the data-pad inside his awesome commissar coat and sprinted for the bridge, which was thankfully nearby. Expertly maneuvering passed humans and eldars rushing to their battle stations, Tangmo reached his destination within five minutes flat, finding his friends already gathered around the large command table at the center of the domed hall, where a larger 8k holographic real time star map hovered above it. "Okay I'm here, how bad is it?"

"Well, it's an entire fucking crusade fleet, and a lot of those ships belong to our old buddy the Mechanicus," Yuki shrugged. "So yeah, I don't see how anyone can put a positive spin on this."

"Oh yeah, no doubt about it," Damien, his awesome Space Marine helmet cradled under his arm, pointed at the hologram. "Good thing we got reinforcements along the way."

The Eight grunted their agreement and Solveig flashed one of his rare smiles. When Jaghatai Khan had sent out the call to arms, the Thai commissar had tempered his hope, not willing to jinx their already dismal predicament. But when Eurydice told him how more and more ships, Battle Barges all and accompanied by a myriad of smaller vessels, had entered the Warp highway and were forming a protective ring around the Immortal Spirit fleet, Tangmo had to admit that things were at last taking an upward swing. And after returning to real space, Tangmo was able to see who had answered Jaghatai's clarion call. White Scars, Mantis Warriors, Iron Talons, Solar Hawks, Storm Lords, Storm Reapers and numerous others now stand shoulder to shoulder with the battlegroup.

"Immortal Spirit, this is the Macragge's Honor, we request that you lower your weapons and disable your void shield immediately," a Space Marine voice boomed across the bridge. "Comply and surrender yourself to us, or we will be forced to open fire upon you and your allies."

"Yeah, no fucking deal," Henry responded promptly and glanced up at the vaulted ceiling. "Albert, Marie, show them what happens when they decide to be rude."

"You got it!"

"One giant serving of malwares coming right up!"

The two AI cackled villainously and within a minute the icons displaying the Macragge's Honor and her fleet all had symbols of a skull above them, telling all in the bridge that their weapons had been completely disabled.

"What is this insolence?!" The Space Marine from before blurted, super offended. "What have you done?!"

"Neuter you jackasses, just in case anyone tries something stupid," Tangmo said. "And what's with the hostility my main man? We're allies, bro!"

"You are implicated with conspiracy to commit treason against the Imperium of Man," the Space Marine said. "You must submit yourselves to judgment and face a tribunal."

"Yeah, we don't have time for that bullshit," Tangmo rolled his eyes. "And what does lord Guilliman have to say about this? There's no way in hell he's on board with this crap."

"It is the lord Primarch who has given this command," the Space Marine continued. "If you are still loyal to the Imperium of Man, you will submit yourself to lord Guilliman's judgment, now!"

"Please hold, I need to talk this over with my friends," Tangmo muted the Space Marine and turned to the Eight, all of them as confused as he was, "what the fuck just happened?!"

"Regardless of his determination, conviction and singlemindedness, my brother will always unfortunately be a diplomat," Tangmo let out an embarrassingly high pitched squealed when Jaghatai Khan appeared behind him. Holy fuck, how can someone that fucking big move so quietly?! "It is clear he is attempting a diplomatic maneuver against his will, a way to pacify those who brandish their knives the moment his back is turn, all the while proclaiming to be his allies."

"Welcome to politic, the one other thing besides war that never changes," Tangmo chuckled mirthlessly and turned pleadingly to Jaghatai. "Pardon me my lord, but can you please come with us to the Macragge's Honor? We need to straighten this thing out and your presence will put us in a stronger negotiating position."

"That is why I am here. Coreth and Marlonah have the Stormbird prepared. Brother Gallus have also assembled the Astartes, they are ready to depart," Jaghatai told them and Tangmo nodded in relief.

"What about Isha?" Lita piped up and bowed when Jaghatai looked at her. "I thought you were the only thing keeping the daemons at bay."

"It is the Adepta Sororitas and the Aeldari who deserves that credit, not me honorable Warseer," Jaghatai said politely. "So far their prayers are able to contain the possessed goddess, but time is already running out. The sarcophagus is starting to corrode, while many nuns and priestesses are now confined to the infirmary after Nurgle's sickness blighted them."

"Then we don't have any more time to lose," Tangmo declared and thundered out of the bridge with Jaghatai and the Eight, Solveig and the naval officers snapped sharp salutes in goodbye. They were half way to the hangar when Tangmo tapped his earbud, "Ae-Shin, you there dude? Can you and your squadron escort the Stormbird to the Macragge's Honor please? It would really calm my nervous ass down."

"We're already outside sir," Ae-Shin said, her tone hard, lacking the usual playfulness. "Just give us the word when you're airborne."

"Thank you Ae-Shin," Tangmo terminated the transmission as he, the Eight and Jaghatai entered the hangar, the crews and the guardsmen and the eldars within the vicinity raised their weapons in salute, cheering, hooting and waving. They soon reached the Stormbird and rushed up the ramp with the three Space Marine squads.

"We're inside Coreth," Tangmo tapped his earbud when the ramp slammed closed, "let's go!"

"Affirmative, lord commissar," the artificial gravity kicked in and the Stormbird shuddered as the tracer beam carried it to the launching point. There was a dropping sensation like when a rollercoaster made its plunge before equilibrium returned and was followed by a gentle forward propulsion as the aircraft shot into space.

"Honor guards forming up now," Ae-Shin's quirky mirth returned as she maneuvered the combined Imperial and Aeldari fighters around the Stormbird. "Don't worry, nothing's getting through us."

"Of course they won't, we got everything covered!" Marie the AI piped up. "I've disabled every weapon on every ship in Guilliman's fleet. Not only that, but I've also cut the fuels to their engines and closed all hangar bay doors, so you don't need to worry about those pesky sorties. Then I infected their entire network with malwares and viruses, stupid bastards have no firewall what so ever."

"Umm, all of that is reversible, right?" Lita asked, ever the kindhearted person. "I mean, they are still our allies, we can't just screw them over like this."

"It's totally reversible, but better safe than sorry," Albert now said. "Also, I'm downloading all their data to the Immortal Spirit's mainframe, that way we can find out what in the hell is going on."

"Thanks Marie, thanks Albert, you guys are the best," Tangmo grinned and turned to Jaghatai. "So, you got any idea what to do when we reach the Macragge's Honor?"

"As you have said, my presence should be more than enough to prevent those of hasty disposition from doing something regrettable," Jaghatai placed his hand on the pommel of his tulwar. "Seeing me will convince my brother of the battlegroup's loyalty. Those who hesitate or shows any inclination toward denouncement of the Immortal Spirit or myself…well, we'll know where their true allegiance lies."

"Just a warning though, even with Guilliman back and rallying his forces against all enemies of humanities, his proactive approach to fix everything totally went against the Imperium's infamous stagnant bureaucracy, ergo, he'd made a lot of bad blood with powerful peoples on the inside," Nikki told Jaghatai. "And personally, I'm not that concern about the fuckers who hates and plots against him in the dark, I'm more concern with the sons of bitches who pretends to be his friends and worm their way into his good grace. You know the type, the smiling, understanding shit face who's always trying to make you a better person. The motherfuckers who erode your conviction with reasonable words until you ended up doing everything they tell you too."

"You paint a vivid and accurate picture, lady exarch," Gallus spoke up. "But I doubt that lord Guilliman can be so easily led astray."

"Remember that Horus and half of the Emperor's own legions betray the Imperium to the Dark Gods, no one is above corruption," Jaghatai said and Gallus conceded the point with a respectful bow.

"Lord commissar, a Thunderhawk is trailing after us," Coreth spoke up. "The insignia is that of the White Scars and they're asking permission to accompany us into the Macragge's Honor."

"They came at my invitation, master Coreth, do not worry," Jaghatai told him.

"Ae-Shin, let them join us," Tangmo tapped his earbud. "And how faraway are we from the Macragge's Honor anyway?"

"You're there, my formation is breaking off to make a pass around the ship as we speak," Ae-Shin said. "Just a heads up, they're not opening the hangar bay door."

"Leave that to me!" Albert piped up energetically, "and…there! All done!"

"We're making the final approach and will be landing within five minutes," Marlonah announced over the Stormbird's loudspeakers. "Make ready."

Since they were entering the more backward ass sort of ship that was common with Warhammer 40k, the process of actually landing safely on the Macragge's Honor took quite a bit of time. Although he can't see shit, Tangmo pieced together all the stuff he'd read from the Black Library novels and made an approximation of what was happening outside, that being the bay door opening to reveal a barely lit hangar, the less than smooth landing on a pad surrounded by creepy servitors, followed finally by the wait as pressure, atmosphere and gravity normalized.

"All readings green, lord commissar, you are clear to disembark," Coreth said as the ramp slowly lowered, letting in rusty air that made the Eight coughed. "Be advises, four squads of Ultramarines approaches, do I ready the turrets?"

"No need for any of that, this is a diplomatic mission after all," Tangmo said with faltering conviction. "So yeah, power down the guns, but be ready to bail if shit goes south."

"You think it will go south?" Yuki asked as she took her place beside Tangmo.

"Did you suddenly forget where we are?" Tangmo quirked a brow and Yuki grunted in agreement. The ramp was opened in a few short moments and what greeted them were not the approaching Ultramarines, but a squad of White Scars, all of whom swiftly bended their knees when Jaghatai, who has taken the lead, stepped on to the Macragge's Honor.

"Great Khan, we have come as you have summoned," the White Scars Brother Sergeant declared loudly, the octave powerful and hearty. His helm was fashioned in the style found amongst Chinggis Khan elite cavalry, conical in shape, the surface etched with beautiful flowing artistry, and topped off with fluttering white mane. "I am Subutai, Brother Sergeant of the Firefist Brotherhood, 2nd company, 6th squad, me and mine are at your disposal. Command and we shall obey, Great Khan."

"Thank you Brother Subutai, you have been summoned here to represent my patronage and support of the Immortal Spirit battlegroup," Jaghatai turned to Damien. "I place the service of Subutai and his men under your command, Brother Damien."

"Oh, umm, okay, you got it sir," Damien snapped a hasty salute and spun around to face Subutai, who was now standing at attention before him. Sighing audibly, Damien squared his shoulders and extended his hand. "Welcome to the battlegroup I guess. No hard feelings?"

"Of course not Brother Sergeant, why would I take offense?" Subutai took Damien's hand and shook with vigor, and despite getting distorted by the awesome Astartes helm, his timbre was clearly one of mirth.

"You're cool with this?" Damien was clearly surprised as he broke off the handshake. "I mean, I thought you guys would prefer to be with the Great Khan, not us."

"The Great Khan had just given us the chance to fight alongside the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, we are more than fine with this arrangement," Subutai declared and his squad belted out a joyous laugh. "Your fame reach even Chogoris, it will be an honor to see and test the mettle of your skill first hand."

"Well my friend, I hope we won't disappoint!" Damien's start of a laugh was prematurely terminated when pounding footsteps drew closer to the Stormbird. The Eight, Jaghatai and the Astartes turned as one and found the four squads of Ultramarines approaching, their weapons held at the ready, a significant number of them carrying heavy bolters. But before the weapons can be brought to bear, they caught sight of Jaghatai. The welcoming committee froze on the spot as the White Scars Primarch swooped in to confront them.

"You are here to take us to see my brother, correct?" Jaghatai demanded loudly, his utterance shaking the very foundation of the Macragge's Honor. The leader of this group, a newly minted Primaris lieutenant, looked about ready to shit himself, while some of the OG Marines went to their knees, the sight of the Great Khan compelling them to prostration.

"W-We are, my lord," the Primaris bowed lowly, hearing the distorted Space Marine voice trembled was shocking to say the least

"Then there is no time to waste, the fate of the Imperium, the Aeldari, and the very galaxy itself hung by one last bloody strip," Jaghatai narrowed his eyes on the Primaris, who impressively stood his ground despite quaking visibly. "Please take us to see my brother."

"At once, my lord," the Primaris bowed profusely and spun sharply on his charges, all of whom were still gawking at Jaghatai, awed and feared in equal measure. "Lower your weapons, now! Cease this egregious insult immediately, this is lord Guilliman own blood brother! Parade formation, now! We are Ultramarines, not some feral world regiment, the Great Khan and his guests deserve every esteem and dignity that can be bestowed, the honor of our chapter demands it! Double time!"

Tangmo and the Eight had to hold back their laugh as the Ultramarines scrambled into the correct ranks and files, swiftly assuming a pristine, double marching column, two squads on each side of the battlegroup.

"A fine display lieutenant," Jaghatai said firmly, the Eight and the Immortal Spirit Astartes were a lot more relaxed now that they were being treated like VIPs instead of freaking prisoners, "when you are ready."

"Forward!" The Primaris lieutenant bellowed and the columns marched toward a large, open blast door, the beats of their iron sabatons made a pleasant synchronized tune as they headed deeper into the Macragge's Honor. Tangmo took this opportunity to observe his surrounding, this was a Primarch's flagship after all, but the longer he looked at the barely lit corridors, the oily decay and disrepair, the twitching servitors, the leaking ceiling, and the blackened grimes and rust, he found it harder and harder to be objective. Compared to the Immortal Spirit's clean, Star Trek like interior, with electricity and amenities that functioned at full capacity without the need of retarded cyborgs to go around praying for things to work, the Macragge's Honor was a total shit hole. Tangmo kept this thought to himself though and fixed his gaze forward as they approached another open door that was spilling forth orange light and thick pall of incense smoke, at least it smelled better than the permeating metallic rot.

"Make way!" The Primaris raised his voice as they neared the threshold, sending naval officers and Techpriests scrambling, the latter eyed the Eight with clear contempt. Not surprising, considering the many Mechanicus they killed for the simple crime of existing, and for trying to fuck them over on several occasions. "Present arms!"

The hall they entered was a welcoming chamber of some sort, a place to entertain diplomats after a long journey through the cosmos before being ushered to their respective residences. It was gaudy and disturbing as all fuck, with the expected vaulted interior filled to the brim with churchly façade decked out in gold, the pillars and walls alive with frizzes and carven murals exalting the heroism of heroes, heroines and saints of the past, all of them in great scenes of divine triumph. Servo skulls and cherubs, the creepy ass flying dead baby cyborgs, flew jittery circuits around the wide hall, trailing paper litanies and dripping wax from burning candles studded to their bodies. The light wasn't any better than the rest of the ship, but it was made brighter by the thousands upon thousands of candles burning across the interior, causing the place to be a lot more steamy because the air-conditioning were obviously broken.

"Great, its bloody St. Paul's Cathedral," Laura rolled her eyes, disgust clear on her face.

"Dude, I've been to St. Paul's Cathedral, and it's a thousand times better than this grimdark horror show," Tangmo shrugged noncommittally and Laura shot him a dirty look. "What? The place was nice man, the architecture and artistry was top notch."

"That's how they draw you in mate, they dazzle you with all the pretty shite before grabbing you by the neck and start shoving bread and wine down your throat."

"…The fuck kind of a church did you go to when you were a kid?"

"What is the meaning of this?!"

An angry pious voice resounded loudly across the hall, interrupting Tangmo and Laura deep theological discussion. Tangmo trained his gaze forward and in that moment shared Laura's dislike for all things clerical when a large entourage of cassock and ferraiolo wearing douchebags stomped up to the battlegroup, flanked by two squads of Ultramarines. The Astartes noticed Jaghatai and stopped dead in their track but the priests, being led by a middle age looking asshole, failed to notice the Primarch and pressed onward.

"Why are these traitors not in chain?!" The leader roared piously, his finger stabbing vehemently at the Eight, and it didn't escaped Tangmo's notice how the accusing digit lingered longer on the girls. "This is an affront to the holy God Emperor and all that is sacred with mankind! Ultramarines, you are to escort them to the brig immediately so that they may await their punishment, such as all heretics and traitors deserve."

"I rather hear that from lord Guilliman's own mouth, if you don't mind," Tangmo said and the priest and his entourage gasped, offended that anyone could be so casual when mentioning the Primarch's name. The red faced priest was about to begin another tirade when Tangmo cut him off. "And who in the fuck are you supposed to be anyway?"

"I am father Mathieu, adjunct of his holiness lord Roboute Guilliman in all things divine," the priest squared his shoulders and straightened his back in a pathetic attempt to appear imposing. That shit might have worked on religious dumbasses, but to Tangmo it just looked sad. "In matters of faith I hold absolute authority when the Lord Commander is elsewhere, and I declare your battlegroup heretics, a blemish on the Imperium of Man, and consort of xenos." Mathieu glanced angrily at the Ultramarines, all of whom were too busy staring at Jaghatai to respond to his command. "What is this insolence?! I said put them in chains!"

"You wanna arrest us? Go ahead mate," Laura stabbed her thumb back at the White Scars Primarch, who was loosening his tulwar from its scabbard. "But do you have a handcuff big enough for him?"

Mathieu looked about ready to say something impolite when his gaze at last settled on the increasingly pissed off Jaghatai Khan, and holy crap the Primarch's piercing glare was sharp enough to slice a motherfucker to ribbons. Too bad Mathieu didn't die on the spot, but it was nonetheless amusing to see him blubbering wordlessly like a beached fish before dropping to his knees, a look of religious rapture plastered upon his smiling face, no trace of earlier hostility remained. Like the good sheep that they were, his cronies copied their shepherd.

"Oh, what a glorious day this is, another son of the God Emperor has return to us!" Mathieu cried and gave Jaghatai an innocent, pleading look. "My lord, you must step away from these traitors! They are deceivers and will tell you nothing but lies!"

"Do not assume that you can tell me what to think, priest," Jaghatai bellowed and Mathieu cowered from the tempest of his announcement, holy shit even Tangmo got weak in the knees, but he kept his cool and maintained his awesome commissariat pose. Mathieu, the poor stupid bastard, was trying to say something when Jaghatai swept his hand over the Eight. "I have fought beside them and witness firsthand the courage of the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, their loyalty to the Emperor is unquestionable, and I will not allow a parasite such as yourself to tarnish their honor!"

"Brother?"

Oh shit, it's happening, it's totally happening! Tangmo grinned like an idiot when none other than Roboute Guilliman walked into the hall, surrounded by a cadre of his First Company honor guard. The Primarch of the Ultramarines had always been a stoic sort, never letting his regal façade falter regardless of circumstances, a statesman that can never be off footed. Now, that mask of invincibility had fractured, just a small crack but enough for a boyish happiness, so human and genuine, to peek through. And although he was only moments away from drawing his tulwar, Jaghatai allowed a ghost of a smile to dance across his face.

"It has been too long brother," Jaghatai released his grip on the sword and strode forward, the Eight parting a corridor for him as Guilliman approached from the other end of the hall, a quick wave of his gauntleted hand stopped the honor guards from following. Giving the prostrating Mathieu and his cronies a wide berth, the vehemence on his face surprising Tangmo, Guilliman held out his hand and Jaghatai clasped it firmly.

"Indeed brother," Guilliman nodded, his stoic visage mended as he firmly shook Jaghatai's hand. After a moment the two Primarchs broke apart and Guilliman glanced at the Eight, his expression leaning toward the positive spectrum. "Noble lords and ladies, it is good to see you again."

"Really? Because that little bastard over there was calling us heretics and commanding the Ultramarines to arrest us," Tangmo pointed at Mathieu, who has gotten back on his feet, his posture more humble this time. "He also said he acted under your authority, so a little bit of clarity would be good right now."

"There have been concerning reports regarding the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, that is true, but I have not given any declaration that implicates you with treason, nor have I made denouncement in regard to your loyalty to the Imperium," the quick glare Guilliman flashed at Mathieu promised nothing short of a thorough ass-whooping. "But you must understand my concern, given the nature of your disappearance and long absent, I must be prepared for every scenario, even ones I do not want to believe could come to pass."

"Absent? Hold the fuck up, how long has it been since you've last heard of us?" Henry blurted, all decorum forgotten as the Eight mentally and physically braced for the bad news.

"Twelve years had passed since the battle of the Vhilytra system," Guilliman said and the Eight let out a collective sigh of relief, thank God only a decade had passed and not hundreds of years. "That system had unfortunately become a stronghold for the Ruinous power, where several incursions have been launched into the Imperium at large."

"Which begs the question as to how the battlegroup manage to escape unscathed," Mathieu spoke up and bowed lowly at Guilliman when he narrowed his gaze on the priest. "The question must be asked, my lord, for how can we be sure that they have not come before us bearing the corruption of the Ruinous power? The Dark Gods are ever subtle in their machination."

"We escaped with the help of Isha, the Aeldari goddess of life," Lita now said and the priests hissed and cried out in distress, with angry shouts being hurled at the Warseer. Guilliman only reaction was one of honest surprise, which kinda bode well for the battlegroup.

"So it is true, another Aeldari god have return."

"Heresy and lies!" Fueled by religious fervor, Mathieu completely ignored Guilliman's warning look and took aggressive steps toward an extremely unimpressed Lita. He barely made it two feet before the Eight formed a wall in front of Lita, while the Astartes behind them readied their bolters. They had fought alongside the Mexican Warseer enough time to regard her as a friend. Mathieu aborted his approach but his words were not spent. "This is a trick conjured by the Aeldari to deceive and lead us astray from the God Emperor's holy light, lies that will make us weak and easy for them to exploit and destroy. My lord, I beg you not to listen to this harlot, for this supposed goddess could be nothing more than a xeno witch that seeks to poison your mind."

"I have held Isha within my very arms, priest," Jaghatai said lowly, his deep timbre dark with barely restrained anger, the permeating malice was enough to force Mathieu to his knees, the dumb fuck priest wasn't so talkative anymore. "Would you denounce me a heretic then? You, the basest of creature whose existence brings nothing but poison to the minds of mankind, gleefully prattling the words of the traitor Logar to the Imperium. I have always thought father's obsession with the destruction of religious institutions to be extreme, but after ten thousand years I understand him completely."

"My most benevolent Primarch, I merely wish to…"

"How would you judge this Isha then, Jaghatai?" Guilliman spoke over the whimpering Mathieu, it was clear the Ultramarines Primarch was not the biggest fan of the priest to begin with. "Have you spoken to her? What of her power? Did you witness it firsthand?"

"I did brother, and I say without reservation that Isha is now the Imperium most valuable ally," Jaghatai declared without reservation, and boy, did Tangmo enjoyed the holy men's pitiful wailing, the angst Mathieu was just the fucking cherry on the top. "As I understand it, you have Aeldari allies of your own, ones who are devoted to Yenned, the god of death."

"Things, unfortunately, are not going well on that front. The resurrection of the Aeldari death god, and its price, are not sitting well with many, myself included. It has been the main point of many long debates with Yvraine," Guilliman sighed then fixed Jaghatai with a hard look, the statesman returning full force. "Are you certain of this? About Isha? As little as I like Mathieu's prognosis, I must concede that his point is valid. The chance of foul play exists, and it could be orchestrated by the Forces of Chaos or the Aeldari themselves."

"I carry the same skepticism when I spoke with our father in the Webway, brother," Guilliman's eyes almost popped out of his skull at Jaghatai's easy utterance. "He told me that the survival of mankind and Aeldari are entwined, and that the safety of Isha is paramount. It was after the brief time I spent in Isha's presence that I realized my doubt was unfounded."

"You have spoken with father?" Guilliman was not able to hide his shock, fear and hope warring on his stoic visage. "What more did he say?"

"Not much, but enough," Jaghatai said. "His mind is splintered, as you already know. You have spoken with a fragment inside the Sanctum Imperialis, the fragment I conversed with have been traveling the Webway, lost or not I do not know, but his message was clear. Mankind and Aeldari will either survive the coming storm together, or both shall perish, and the Dark Gods will be triumphant."

"What of Yenned?" Guilliman pressed.

"The dead god was never mentioned," Jaghatai shook his head and Guilliman's shoulders sagged visibly. "Isha however…father told me that for the Imperium to even have a speck of a chance of surviving, she must not perish."

"I see," Guilliman nodded, plans already forming in his head, then his face softened, the Ultramarines Primarch actually looked kinda sad. "Well then, I'll take every step necessary to see that both the Imperium and the Aeldari endures. We are the Emperor's best tools after all. Let us live up to our purpose then."

"All of us are tools in the end Roboute, father himself is nothing but a tool for the dream that is the Imperium," Jaghatai titled his head to the side and quirked a brow. "He said as much to you also?"

"He did," Guilliman admitted with a vulnerable smile. "I have always been somewhat…easily moved by sentimentality. Forgive me Jaghatai, you must think I am weak and feeble of heart."

"It does not make you weak brother, just more human than what our father intended us to be," Jaghatai grinned knowingly. "I am glad to see you capable of emotion though, impurities always make the sword stronger."

"You have always been wise brother. It is a shame that we rarely see each other during the Great Crusader."

"I'm sure we will have plenty of opportunities to rectify that, brother."

"Umm, sorry, hi, yeah, but can I just butt in a bit here? I mean, I'm totally digging this reunion, really, but I'm afraid we're very tight on schedule right now."

Tangmo had always been a badass, which basically means he usually acted without thought for consequences. See, interrupting two Primarchs, brothers who had not seen each other in ten thousand years, might not have been the best, or most polite, idea, but Tangmo did it anyway. Even though Guilliman and Jaghatai turned to regard him neutrally, absent rancor, the Primarchs' combined attention was still scary as fuck.

"Can I…speak please?" Tangmo squeaked and raised his hand like he was in the presence of two, super strict headmasters.

"Of course lord commissar," Guilliman said politely and Tangmo felt the mountainous weigh slid off his shoulders. "Please forgive me, I am beside myself with this reunion, so much so that I have neglected the Immortal Spirit's needs and worries. So then, what is it that you wished to discuss?"

"Are we still heretics and traitors and shits?" Tangmo asked and bestowed a dead eye stare on the fuming Mathieu, head titled condescendingly to the side, showing how little he respected the priest. "Because it doesn't look like this asshole is gonna let the subject drop."

"The Immortal Spirit battlegroup is hereby vindicated of all charges laid upon them," Guilliman raised his voice so that everyone in the hall heard his verdict loud and clear. "As Lord Commander of the Imperium of Man, I declare them loyal and invaluable subjects of the Emperor of Mankind. Those who stand against them will find me and my brother, Jaghatai Khan, as their enemies, and we will not stay our wrath."

"My lord Primarch, I must caution you on this course of action…"

"I will not be questioned," Guilliman raised his voice ever so slightly, even then the powerful octave reverberated clear across the chamber, the volume was that of several gongs and church bells going off at the same time. When normal ambience returned, Mathieu was bowing so low that it looked like he was kissing the floor standing up. "Is that understood, Mathieu?"

"Yes, lord Guilliman," Mathieu said miserably.

"That's right, go suck a dick," Tangmo, being the mature cultured person that he was, flipped Mathieu off while giving the priest his most sickening shit eating grin.

"One should be gracious in victory, lord commissar," Jaghatai reprimanded the Thai commissar with a sharp look.

"I'm not one to spare politeness to scummy fucker like this asshole," Tangmo shrugged and smacked his hands together. "Alright, cool, now that we got the fucking detour out of the way, let's move on to the next topic of discussion, as in, where is Saint Celestine? We serious need her right now."

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, lord commissar, but unfortunately Saint Celestine is not with us at the moment," Guilliman's brow quirked so high that it almost touched his laurel crown when the Eight failed completely to withhold their disappointment, groans and curses abound, accompanied by wild gesticulating that conveyed nothing but abject dissatisfaction. "I see you are not receiving this news well."

"Duh! We need her right now or everything we did since Yomi will amount to fuck all!" Tangmo blurted, so fucking stressed out that his composure was thrown to the wind. "Isha's possessed by a fuckton of Nurgle daemons dude, and the greater kind too, after she bailed our asses out of the Warp. The Sororitas and Aeldari are able to keep her contained for the moment, but that ain't gonna last long, and according to the canonesses the only person with enough power to exorcise her is Celestine. So please, for the love of the God Emperor, do you have any idea where she is so we can haul ass there?!"

"Mathieu, you and the Ecclesiarch have been in constant contact with the Saint and her ward, lady inquisitor Greyfax, do you know where Celestine is?" Okay, seriously, Tangmo totally did not like how Mathieu avoided answering Guilliman. Not only that, the priest's body language was one a criminal had when he got caught red-handed, but pigheaded enough that he will defend his action. Guilliman noticed this too and took a powerful, Godzilla like step toward Mathieu, the priest trembled, scared shitless, but stood his ground. "Where is Saint Celestine?!"

"My lord, it is my duty to steer you toward the path of righteousness and piety," holy shit is Mathieu fucking stupid or something?! And not the brave stupid too, but the kind only religious dumb fucks possessed, the misguided notion that they were always right, "even when it went against your explicit wishes."

"What have you done, you craven snake?!" Guilliman roared and the Ultramarines tightened their formation around the confrontation, the clicks of priming bolters resounded across the hall. "Speak, before a loose what little patient I possessed!"

"Celestine, the self-proclaimed Saint, is a charlatan who defies the Ecclesiarch's holy work," Mathieu tried to straighten his back but didn't quite manage it. "She had taken every opportunity to hinder the work of the church, sometime even in the confrontational capacity, resulting in great casualties amongst the faithful of the God Emperor. Not only that, but many within the inquisitions believe she is indulging in heresy, the word she preaches ferment questions that is most detrimental to the morale of the populace. I have also suspected that she is not a vassal of the God Emperor's will at all, but a daemon masquerading as a saint to deceive us. My lord, I remember that you yourself have voiced concern about Celestine's power to me."

"I remember what I said," Guilliman growled, his eyes ablaze with anger. "Yet you twisted my words yet again. I voice my concern, yes, but recognize and value Saint Celestine contribution to the Imperium. Never once had I indicate any possibility that she could betray us."

"Trust is a noble virtue my lord, but many times it is misguided, for your greatest enemy are those closest to you," seriously, did this asshole recognized how brutal the irony of those words were? "Me and mine have gathered enough information and have come to an irrevocable conclusion that Celestine is a Warp daemon. And I have taken the necessary steps to make sure that she will never taint the Imperium again."

"Celestine is of the Warp," Jaghatai spoke up and holy shit the smug look on Mathieu's face made Tangmo's blood boiled, "as is all the Saints of the God Emperor."

"Thank you, my lord Jaghatai," Mathieu bowed, very pleased with himself, and Guilliman shot Jaghatai a hard look. "As you can see, my hypothesis has been supported by your own brother."

"And when did I confirm your hypothesis?" Jaghatai demanded sharply.

"But you said…"

"Celestine's power comes from the Warp, but she is not of the Dark Gods, as you are trying to imply," Jaghatai didn't let Mathieu get a word in. "The Emperor's conscience is splintered into thousands of pieces, with many of those residing in the Warp. And as it turns out, his most compassionate and human facets fueled Celestine's power."

"But you cannot be sure if that is the truth!" Mathieu really wanted to die, seriously, there's no way he's getting out of this alive.

"And you can?!" Jaghatai snapped. "You, who would condemn an ally because she dares to stand against your corrupt institution. You, who scheme with your conspirators at the detriment of the Imperium of Man, the deep-rooted rot fighting the rejuvenation my brother had brought upon this dying edifice that was my father's goal for mankind." The White Scars Primarch chuckled lowly then, without mirth and filled with nothing but malice. "You are poison, yet here you stand condemning others, this is nothing but a sick joke."

"Where is Celestine?!" Guilliman now demanded. "Speak!"

"Izennir!" Mathieu at last did something smart and come clear. "I sent her to Izennir with lady inquisitor Greyfax on the pretext of investigating a possible heretical cult on that planet!"

"You have the location of this planet?" Tangmo asked Guilliman, feeling marginally better now that things were finally moving forward.

"He does," Guilliman nudged his chin at Mathieu like he was a piece of trash, which he was. "But I can get all the detail I need within the hour, even if it means I have to walk into the Ecclesiarch chapel and tear the place apart with my bare hands."

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Primarch sir!" Erik waved his data-pad vigorously in the air. "Albert and Mary, the two…umm, Machine Spirits of the battlegroup, have been hacking the Ecclesiarch and the Mechanicus's database, everything they have will be ours within a couple of minutes."

"Thank you High Ranger Erik," Guilliman turned away from the beaming Erik and fixed his burning glare on the wilted Mathieu. "I will make sure that you pay for this treachery."

"That's good and all, but can we get back to what this cunt just said a moment ago?!" Laura cut in and stabbed her finger vehemently at Mathieu. "What in the bloody fuck did you mean when you said Celestine will never taint the Imperium again, and that you sent her to Izennir on a pretext? Kindly elaborate on that shite please!"

"Celestine is a threat to the Imperium, her corrupting influence will doom us all," Mathieu spluttered, his composure continued to falter under Guilliman and Jaghatai's combined glare. "I did what have to be done and made sure that she can no longer jeopardize the God Emperor's empire. The false Saint will be dealt with, a deserving faith for all apostate."

"I have thought you to be wiser than this, brother," Jaghatai had casually draws his tulwar, cutting in before Guilliman can shout at Mathieu. "What purpose can you have for keeping this malignant influence close to your person?"

"I need to understand the Lectitio Divinitatus, the argument written within those pages, and from that I can learn how to reverse the damage Logar's teaching had brought upon the Imperium. Mathieu is a priest of deep spirituality and thorough understanding of the Imperial Faith, from him I can devise an antidote for mankind," oh shit, Guilliman was absolutely not liking the judgmental, and clearly condescending look Jaghatai was giving him. Two Primarchs in a death match sounded good on paper, but Tangmo would rather be a couple of kilometers away when shit goes down. Thankfully, Guilliman reined in his temper and continued. "I am the Lord Commander of the Imperium of Man, and I seek to elevate it from sinking ruination. If I were to silence all who hold differing view from me, then what have I accomplish but mire us deeper into the tar of mindless ignorance?"

"This is not some game between states, kingdoms and empires, brother. Such rosy optimism cannot survive in an epoch where we fight not for some lofty ideal but for the very survival of our species and the galaxy we inhibit. There are only black and white, brother, shades of grey are just illusion conjured by cowards who are unable to pick a side, and pick a side you must, for there can be only the conqueror and the conquered," Jaghatai narrowed his eyes on Mathieu then. "And if you had wanted to understand the Lectitio Divinitatus, I think a high ranking member of the Adepta Sororitas would serve you better than a Slaanesh priest, don't you think?"

The silence that followed Jaghatai's nonchalant observation was so absolute that you can hear moistures on the ceiling forming into water droplets. Mathieu and his cronies were more confused than shock by the accusation, their brains unable to process what was said, when Tangmo broke the silence, "I did not expect that, did any of you?"

"Are you honestly surprised though?" Laura spoke up when the Eight gave their collective no in answer.

"I mean, a bit, I guess?" Tangmo's hand edged toward his bolt pistol as realization dawned on Mathieu's stricken face. "Just because he's an asshole doesn't mean he's Chaos. Shit, most of the dumb fuck priests we've met are just massive douchebags."

"Maybe," Laura was already twirling her laspistol around her finger, "but nine time out of ten, the most zealous turns out to be Chaos."

"No!" Mathieu cried shrilly and went to his knees before Guilliman, the Ultramarines Primarch backing away in disgust when the priest tried to reach his hands out in a cliché gesture of beseeching mercy. "My lord, this is a grave mistake! I am not a follower of the Dark Gods, I am a loyal servant of the God Emperor! I converse with Him every time I meditate and have revel in His majesty when He appeared before me in my dreams! Please! Lord Jaghatai has been corrupted by the battlegroup and has been deceived by their lies! I…!"

Jaghatai's tulwar made a silver crescent. The cut was clean but incomplete, for the priest's upper half wasn't severed, the torso still attached at the hip by strips of muscles and tendons, the two pieces flapping like banana peels. No blood fountained from the fatal wound though, instead Mathieu screamed horrifically as fangs sprouted from the brutal incision, innards flapped and heaved as if possessing a mind of its own, and a thicket of tentacles studded with talons shot out of the roiling laceration.

"Stand back!" Lita was suddenly beside Tangmo, glowing hand outstretched and honed at the monstrosity that was the priest's true self. Closing her hand into a fist, Mathieu burst into flame, his wailing shriek blessedly short as silver inferno consumed every atom of his being within seconds. When at last nothing but blackened ash remained, Lita lowered her hand and shuddered visibly. "Ugh, I'm so done with tentacles!"

"H-How?" Guilliman stammered, shocked by what he had witnessed, but with trained swiftness quickly composed himself, anger the only prevailing emotion now. "We had our differences, disagreed on many things, and he had overstepped his bound many times on topics of faith. But I would never have imagined that he was corrupted to such a degree…I felt nothing from him."

"The Ruinous Power is ever nuance in their working, brother, they corrupt even the best of us," Jaghatai cleaned his sword and threw away the dirty rag. "I was only able to detect the subtle poison radiating from him because of my studies in the Webway, you couldn't have known."

"That is beside the point," Guilliman sighed then shook his head despondently. "We all thought the Emperor has chosen him to be one of his champions, to wield the power of faith against the Dark Gods. On Iax, the planet that decided the fate of the Plague War in the Imperium's favor, where I myself struck down Mortarion, Mathieu was instrumental in destroying Nurgle's relics on the planet. Mathieu and his Frateris Militias laid waste to the Plague God's armies and strongholds, while he himself survived a wound that would have been fatal to anyone. Many of my most trusted agents all said that he became a Living Saint, for the briefest moment, when he destroyed the Nurglite relics."

"Excess of faith is excess, a fertile ground for Slaanesh," Jaghatai said.

"But the power helped him defeat the servant of Chaos, burn them all as Celestine did when she swept over the battlefield," Guilliman went on. "How can I trust anyone who displays such phenomena then, if the manifestation could have been Chaos in nature?"

"It will be hard, but worry not brother for I have return, and I shall part all necessary knowledge to safeguard you from further attempt at infiltration," Jaghatai stated firmly and Guilliman nodded his thanks. "When was this battle of Iax?"

"Several months ago," Guilliman said.

"A decade after the Dark Gods failed to recapture Isha, hardly surprising that they are now turning on each other, with Slaanesh taking a subtler route as opposed to Nurgle more blunt approach. It is in their nature to fight amongst themselves," Jaghatai stroke his beard thoughtfully. "And after the event on Iax, this Mathieu have grown in power and influence, yes?"

"Yes, I'm being pressed on many fronts to reinstate the Frateris Militias as a legitimate, legal military arm of the Imperium like it was in the old days, while also demanding me to authorize a sweeping reform that would grant more power to the Ecclesiarchy, now that father's divinity have been proven true," Guilliman sneered. "Yes, now that you have alerted me to this, I can see what is truly happening. Damn it all, how could I not see it?"

"One cannot bear all the stars in the nimbus on one's shoulders, brother," Jaghatai stated firmly. "But you will no longer have to face this burden alone. Father had given all of us a purpose, you to be a stateman, me to be a general, so let's us fulfil our destiny."

"That is good to hear," a ghost of a smile graced Guilliman's face, and Jaghatai reciprocated with an equally fleeting one. If there was ever a picture perfect example of a manly grin, this was it. "Your return couldn't have been better timed."

"As people like the departed Mathieu like to say, the Emperor works in mysterious way," Jaghatai snorted and spared a disgusted look at the priest's sooty remains. The gaze he placed upon the Eight was a lot kinder. "Or perhaps I was lucky to have found allies that are honest and pure in purpose."

"Honest? Sure. Pure? Yeah, definitely not pure, couldn't be further from pure," Tangmo and the Eight shared a laugh, only to stop abruptly when the Thai commissar pointed at Mathieu's retinue, all of them shivering with fright. "What are you gonna do about them? Please tell me you're not gonna go soft."

"No, I will not," Guilliman nodded curtly and the religious people cried out wretchedly when the First Company honor guards swiftly closed in on them. Tangmo meanwhile, did his best to ignore Lita's extremely miffed glare, the Mexican Warseer was never a proponent of wholesale slaughter, despite the Thai commissar many attempts to convert her to a more ruthless frame of thinking. Unbelievably, the dump religious fucks pulled their guns on the Ultramarines and had the audacity to pull the trigger, a lasbolt ricocheting harmless off an awesome Space Marines helm. It took a whooping five seconds of full auto bolter barrage to reduce the stupid motherfuckers to sizzling gibs.

"A teaser of what is to come," Nikki glanced at Guilliman with a flat expression. "You do realize that this is the most likely outcome if you go down this path? I'm not trying to talk you out of this, hell I support it, but I wanna make sure you know it's gonna be a bloodbath."

"I am quickly making peace with the forthcoming fallout, lady exarch. But thank you for your warning," Guilliman nodded friendlily, making Nikki smile.

"And the Ultramarines will not face this task alone," Jaghatai added and waved at the wall. "The fleet I have summoned shall assist you with the purge. If you wish for your children to be free of the blood that is about to be spilled, then simply say so and me and mine will bear the price of the slaughter."

"We will do this together, Jaghatai, the White Scars will have the full support of the Ultramarines," Guilliman announced sternly. "This goes beyond simply ridding the Imperium of cancer, this will be a statement of your return and what our enemies, within and without, can expect in this new era that had just dawned."

"I have always enjoyed your speech Guilliman, and greatly admire your political skill," Jaghatai said.

"Speeches means nothing if I cannot turn those words into action," Guilliman deflated, the look he gave Jaghatai was resigned, pleading even. "I am trying my best, but as of late I am coming to realize that this task cannot be accomplished alone. I will never be able to lead the Imperium as father did, and I am beset on all side by doubts and obstacles, most of them created by men and women who would praise father as a god while at the same time plots my downfall. I need you to stand with me brother, for the sake of the Imperium, and that of my own."

"That is why I have return brother, now more than ever we must be united against all who would drag mankind into darkness and destruction," Jaghatai declared and relief came over Guilliman's visage. "We have been given a second chance Guilliman. I do not intend to waste it."

"Neither do I Jaghatai."

"Uh, sorry…may I butt in?" Tangmo, the courageous idiot that he was, once again dared to interrupt the two Primarchs manly reunion. He breathes a sigh of relief when Guilliman and Jaghatai, with clear amusement, waved kindly for Tangmo to continue. "Okay, I'm alive, good. Anyway, now that it's clear the both of you have everything under control, I hereby ask for your leave to go and help Celestine from Mathieu's heretic cronies. Time is of the essence, so we seriously need to hurry the hell up."

"He's right, we need to leave, like, an hour ago," Erik spoke up and Tangmo took a single step back in shock. The Swedish elf was grim, and extremely angry.

"You okay dude?" Henry asked, laying a calm hand on Erik's shoulder.

"No, I'm not. What Mathieu's had planned for Celestine…" Erik growled, held his data-pad forward, and tapped the screen with clear vehemence. "Here, listen to it yourself."

"The false Saint and her whore have been dispatched," Mathieu's voice boomed from the data-pad. The Eight, the Primarchs and the Space Marines within the great hall swiftly gathered around Erik. "Is everything prepared?"

"Of course my friend," another jovial voice answered Mathieu, from the timbre Tangmo imagined him to be one of those slimy aristocratic fuck who's asking for a fistful of Bolshevik down his throat. Just listening to the motherfucker was enough to put Tangmo in a bad mood. "I must warn you though, that we cannot simply arrest them the moment they step foot on the planet. Such rash action will not bode well for Izennir once words got out to the Imperium, nor will it be easy to explain to the Lord Commander."

"Leave Guilliman to me, he'll do nothing once I explain the necessity of dealing with the false Saint. By the Throne, he might even commend you as a hero," Mathieu laughed with clear satisfaction, and holy fucking shit, the way Guilliman glanced at the priest's corpse was as if he wanted to bring the mofo back to life so he can personally kill the fucker again. "I am however apprehensive of your handling of Celestine. The woman is a corrupting snake, the longer you let her loose, the harder it will be to move directly against her."

"It will be months before she arrives, by then I would already have everything in place," the other man said with clear satisfaction. "I'll let the woman walk around the planet for a bit, allow her and the inquisitor to play the sleuth, then we'll implicate her as an apostate, indict her with ready evidences, and bring her into our loving care."

"She and the inquisitor will not allow themselves to be captured so easily," Mathieu went on. "Trust me on this, I've seen them working together and they are deadly. Their meddling delayed the reformation of the Frateris Militias and greatly hampered the progress of my plan. Underestimate them at your peril."

"My friend, you worry over nothing," the man said. "The false Saint will never be able to send for help once she and the lady inquisitor arrive in the system. The Astropaths have been given their instruction. Their transport will be destroyed, isolating them on a planet firmly under my control. And if they somehow managed to send for help, it would already be too late."

"I want a confession from the false Saint and her pet inquisitor," Mathieu said heatedly. "It is crucial that she been branded as a traitor, a fraud, a heretic, things that will undermined her credibility amongst the faithful and put questions upon Guilliman's overall hold on the Imperium. This will also diminish the influence of those Sororitas whores and give more credence to me, further bolstering the Frateris Militias."

"Don't you worry yourself Mathieu, you'll get your confession," the man chuckled lowly, his timbre dripping satisfaction. "We are expert at breaking upstart women who had forgotten their place."

"And you are sure this method of yours will have the desirable effect?" Mathieu pressed on.

"Oh Mathieu, you have seen our procedure, surely you cannot question its effectiveness?" Tangmo didn't like the man's suddenly husky tone while Mathieu grunted his agreement. "Since you have some trouble recalling then I shall remind you, don't fret Mathieu I enjoy telling the story. Once Celestine and Greyfax are capture, we will beat them within an inch of their lives, strip them, and break their knees and ankles. After that they will be forced to crawl across the capital, to be shower with spit and garbage, treated like the harlots that they are. The real fun begins at the great square, where they will be publicly tortured and forced to confess their crime, if what you told me about their characters is true then we're in for a long spectacle. Finally, the men of the capital will all have their turn with them. You have my word they will break by the twentieth men. No women can last longer than that, not even a proclaimed Saint."

Coldness came over Tangmo then. Not the frightened kind when faced with the unspeakable, no, this was the seething ice of clarity, a moment of calm when his path and goal aligned in total lucidity, that one last breath before taking the first step. And from serenity comes fury. Hearing what Mathieu and that fucker had planned for Celestine and Greyfax turned his blood to magma, immolating his bones and muscles, begging to find a prey to burn.

"When did Celestine and Greyfax embarked on their mission?" Laura turned her dark gaze on Guilliman, she and the girls were seething.

"A month ago," Guilliman said. "No more time must be wasted, you must leave now. My armada will follow shortly, Izennir and her home system will be personally judge by myself and Jaghatai."

"Ride the lightning my friends," Jaghatai nodded sharply. "Now go!"

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Lita growled and took off, the girls matching steps with her, and despite the dire situation Tangmo had to admit that the four looked super badass, like superheroes charging off to fight the villains. The boys and the Space Marines thundered closed behind them as Lita tapped her earbud. "Coreth, do you read me?"

"Go ahead lady Warseer," Coreth said.

"Get the Stormbird fired up, we're heading back to the Immortal Spirit immediately," Lita said quickly then spun around to face Erik. "Do you have the coordinate for Izennir?"

"I do, Albert and Mary just got the hacking done," Erik nodded.

"Eurydice, I need you to plot a course for the planet Izennir ASAP. By the time we arrived on the Immortal Spirit I want the Warp-Drive ready to go," goddamn, Tangmo had forgotten how formidable Lita was when she assumed command. "Solveig, have the fleet get into formation, we're heading out, now."

"Those worthless fucking scums…" Laura huffed angrily as they entered the hangar. She shot Lita a hard look. "I'm telling the canonesses about this, they have every right to know what's at stake here."

"I'm behind you a hundred percent," Lita agreed and Tangmo could not remember the last time he'd seen the Mexican Warseer this furious. "Every woman, humans and Aeldari, need to know this. I'll make sure anyone who hurt Celestine and Greyfax pays."

"That's a bit out of character for you," Tangmo commented. "I thought you were supposed to be the merciful one."

"Not this time."