40 Thousand Reasons

Chapter 71: Red Thirst

With the graceful aid of my remembrancer implant, I begin to retell the events here at Sotha...from the beginning to the end.

Of course, slightly fudging over my deals with a Necron Lord, or the unauthorized rescue of my Faithful tech-priest. Heretical actions might have consequences.

Or admitting to stealing anything, because the Inquisitor is the law. Literally, an Inquisitor's words are the law. Very scary.

She listened to me patiently, sometimes kissing my cheek in praise.

I mean, I did wipe 4 Hell Forges and burned a few Craftworlds and that Tyranid infested Necron world. Plus demolishing two largish xeno invasions the Orks and the Eldar.

I should be praised, like the hero... Slap!

"You don't have the right to create an Inquisitor Fortress and a Deathwatch Company, damn moron!" my Rose yells with a psyker infused voice, and rubs her hand with annoyance. I did become more durable, with the Astartes blood.

I let the wave pass over me, and struggle to resist. Strong woman, my beloved. But only against mortals.

"You can also dismantle it, my dear, if it's not approved. In my opinion, we should defend Sotha for the years to come, especially against Eldar and Necrons. Chaos and Orks too, as they seem to enjoying ruining stuff." I mused to myself.

"Yes, we will. But it was not your right to do this! My authority will suffer, and from that, all the Inquisition too!" the Inquisitor answered in a deathly cold tone.

I sighed and walked away, to stare at the codicils and precepts of the Astartes inscribed on the cave's walls. Mounted on metal plaques glued to the wall, since the living-rock would repair any damage, if you somehow managed to effect tiny scars with some exotic weapon. Excellent material for armour, if I could harvest it.

"Which Inquisition, my Rose? The Ordo Hydra? Those that hunt down the Sensei, Emperor's own flesh children, so they can retain secular power, instead of passing the rule of the Imperium to a legitimate heir?The Xanthite ? The Phaeonites? Ordo Cronus? Those in the Cabal, that try to actively exterminate humanity? However many corrupted Inquisitors, hunting for relics or Dark artifacts, so they can live forever? There's a dozen factions in the Inquisition, and none of them do anything useful. Instead, Forge Worlds and Hives World get Exterminated, loyal Astartes Chapters get declared traitors, millions of guardsmen get casually murdered for simply seeing their Grey Knights, or fighting a few demons. Let's ask the Emperor what he says about your precious Inquisition!" I proclaimed with an accusing hand towards the Sounding Board.

Her eyes shifted, perhaps in fear. She knew what the Emperor would say, if he could. Kill them all!

And with this device someone probably could. Someone who knew him, might be able to reach him or at least a fragment of his mind. Someone like an Adeptus Custodes, or perhaps a Saint. His Primarchs without a doubt.

Her fists clenched, with anger and terror.

"You will never be allowed to bring the device in His presence, Rogue Trader. And the range from inside the Pharos is still too small. Not even a Librarian or a Mind-seer could force a connection from this far away." she declared after regaining some confidence.

I smiled and nodded. "There are roaming Primarchs still alive, and some in stasis. I even found an ancient Adeptus Custodes, imprisoned somewhere. Contemporaries of the Emperor, when he still walked on Terra. Vulkan, Jaghatai Khan, Rogal Dorn, Leman Russ, Lion El'Jonson. Even the other Fulgrim and the loyal Omegon. That Corvus Corax is still hunting the traitor Primarchs in the Eye of Terror. When I am ready to visit Terra, my dear...nobody will stop me. I can bet a throne on that." I answered in fake confidence.

Sure, I lacked actual secular power in the Imperium, but I wasn't really inside, was I?

In time, I could grow my power base.

The Inquisitor smiled thinly and nodded. "For someone with that much knowledge, it might be possible one day. If your plans actually come into fruition, you will be important in the Imperium."

"Very true, if I actually cared about that corrupted Imperium. The Emperor and the Forges, my Rose. Everything else can burn, and nothing important would be lost. So, you've brought more Exterminatus ordnance?" I concluded on a more cheerful tone.

She blinked, perhaps in surprise. "Of course. I even brought other presents. So, what targets do you have in mind?" she asked after a few seconds of deliberation.

Good. We weren't enemies yet.

"Still the Dark Eldar. The faster Ynnead gains his powers, the faster we get Guilliam back on his feet. Perhaps other Eldar, if they are active enemies. Then Orks and Hruds and Chaos, and infested Tyranid worlds. The Necrons last, because we're still way below them in science. The Suhbekhar_Dynasty for example, have their world hidden inside a Hollow_Sun. And a star is a million times more powerful than a torpedo, and they simply use that energy to keep themselves warm." I explained in a tired voice, and willed myself to step directly in my rooms on the Canticle, using the Pharos and not the teleportarium.

Better avoid the Warp as much as possible, lest some Dark God yank me during transfer, and throw me into a gladiator pit. I was almost sure they kept watch over Sotha by now.

They shouldn't be even able to see me, but why risk it?

In a minute, I disarmored myself and entered the shower, then hopped in my bed, while Canis rested his huge head beside me.

A warm body sneaked in the bed sometime later, but I was too tired just then. Make up sex could wait.

"Daddy! See, I manage to teleport, right in your room!" my daughter exclaimed in joy and jumped on the poor Canis to pet and hug the space wolf with no regard for life or limb.

"Woooooo?" Canis asked me while enduring the assault bravely.

"My daughter Janice, puppy. And this lady here is her mother." I explained while holding my hand out for the trice-blessed caf.

This time, my beloved Naya was on guard duty, and she did complete the ritual, offering a large mug of scented divine essence.

But I didn't manage to take a sip, as Janice screamed and shattered the cup and evaporated the contents. "Hold still, dad. Let me cleanse your hands." Janice added a bit gentler, while Naya was floating in mid-air.

Warp-fire engulfed my palms that had touched the cup, and green particles sparkled in the raising fog. My hands were not burned, but I think the poison had indeed reached my skin.

"Why do this, Voidman Naya?" I heard my lovely Inquisitor ask in a calm voice, like this was a normal day at work. It probably was...quite literally in the word inquisitor.

"...Why? You pathetic creature! This genetic abomination dares to strike at the most unholy worlds!" the creature inside Naya's flesh screamed as Janice got closer and gently waved a hand towards the traitor.

Blue and violet sigils bound the floating shape, distorting it horribly.

Then my eyes closed, and I fell asleep, which was really strange. I had just woke up feeling fresh.

My mind wandered, and I met Rafen and Ludvaius and a few more Blood Angels talking a walk through the nightmarish scenery, and shooting their bolters at dashing shadows.

A pulsating wound covered my side, flowing with red blood for no reason. And then I began feeling really thirsty.

"Resist the thirst, Brother. It wasn't easy for us, but you were always better, and much smarter. You will find a way. You always do." I heard Ludvaius encourage me, while his maul crushed in unseen blob of teeth and tentacles.

My implants were too far, and wouldn't help at all. This was my blood itself, acting up. Damn Angel!

Couldn't you have used nanites or something civilized, to heal my wrist?

I let my mind drift down towards the Pharos, and I began reciting the Canticle of Unceasing Service, over and over. It had to work. It had to worked before, after all.

Something liquid flowed down my throat, but it wasn't red and tasty. Still, it helped sate my thirst a little.

Then my mind reached Jonas, one of my Blank sons, walking through his burning desert alone and afraid.

"Son! Stay strong!" I urged him, and he looked at me with blurry eyes.

His thirst was so strong he could drink a sea. He could use a few words, and help him get through this.

"Have courage, Jonas. For I am here, beside you. Recite the Canticle after me, and you will conquer the Red Thirst. It's only a tiny flaw in the gene-seed, but we are Lancefires. We are Blank and immune to Warp, and we fear nothing, because we are what they fear!"

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