Chương 110: Chapter 48: The Purest Shadow

POV: Nicole I nearly have a full set if I exclude relics with the addition of the five Drukhari and Eldar pistols. However, I still need an Eldar Las Pistol, and there is a Twin variant of the Shuriken Pistol. No wait, there is also the Dissonance pistol. Still, it's over halfway filled, which is nice. Before I leave, I pause, grab, and tuck my Exitus pistol into a holster in the small of my back after a moment of consideration.

With any luck, the Lord Inquisitor might have some ammo for it, which I can mooch from either her or the Vindicare she was hiding amongst her guards.

"Alright gang, time to go tune up the Purest Shadow. I expect we'll be there all day. I need to pick up my payment and fix a few things."

"Just a few?" Lael asks me, crossing her arms and looking down at me expectantly.

"Okay, maybe it's a lot of things." I admit glancing off to the side guiltily.

"I'm going over there so there are a few things I might as well do while I have the time. Any improvements will aid in the war effort. I can only make so many Cyclonic warheads due to the production bottleneck for deuterium and that the warheads require my full attention and physical presence for each one." I glance towards where I am keeping Pride. I need to have a proper chat with him but I will leave that for later.

I hop onto Baldos's shoulder and let him make his way down the ramp into the Halo and head to the dock berthing the Purest Shadow. We approach one of the service ramps and a few of the poor guards pale as we approach but for their credit, they stand their ground.

"Name and reason for visit?" The lead guard inquires trying not to wet himself as Baldos looms over him.

"Princeps Cavalerio, I am here to enact repairs on the Purest Shadow. Ah, and my protection detail." I pat the top of Baldos's sarcophagus.

"Will you require a guide?" The guard inquires.

"No." I reply calmly.

"Alright, please wait a moment and I'll call for them to open the…" he gets cut off as I make a show of raising my hand and snapping my fingers. Immediately the massive door behind him starts to open.

"Unnecessary. The Purest Shadow is expecting me. I will be in the primary reactor chamber should the Inquisitor wish to deliver the agreed-upon payments." I tell the guard who smartly stands aside. Following the Noospheric map of the Purest Shadow, getting to the main reactor chamber is a simple matter as we use the cargo routes with high ceilings to expedite our progress. The air inside is not as crisp and fresh as that aboard the Argent Drake, the lower-quality air recyclers are only serviceable.

As we enter the chamber I hop down from Baldos's shoulder and frown. My Axe taps the metal floor, with each step echoing in the large chamber, though most of it is drowned out by the thrum of the reactor. A few hundred Tech Priests are shuffling around. However, as I get a full scan of the reactor my expression rapidly sours. Patchy repairs, microfractures, and signs of extreme stress are everywhere. This is not the proud beating heart of the ship, it's a bomb on life support.

I look around and single out the highest-ranking Tech Priest in the room.

"Drivemaster! Turn it off!" I hiss at him in binaric. He starts looking up from his console.

"What!? We can't just-""Either you turn this poor reactor off right now or I will!" I watch as he frantically messages his Enginseer Prime, Magos Osook. Osook immediately reaches out to contact me and I respond by sending both him and the Drivemaster a copy of the detailed Auspex scans I just made, highlighting the concerning amount of critical issues in red. The Drivemaster gulps and informs the rest of the vessel.

"Warning, the primary reactor will be going offline for repairs. Effective immediately. Switching to backup secondary power." I continue to glare at the Divemaster until he pulls the emergency shut off and the room goes dark. The sound of hissing fills the chamber as the excess plasma is vented away and the engine winds down for the first time in likely a millennia. I single out a hundred of the nearby Tech Priests including the Drivemaster.

"Congratulations, you have been selected to assist me with repairs. You are not permitted to leave until we are done. Here is your first assignment." I send them all specific, individual tasks to perform. The remainder are all sent on fetch quests for materials. I take a deep breath as I walk right up to the main reactor and place my hand against its warm but cooling metallic surface. Psychic energy crackles along my spine and through my hair.

"Purest Shadow, it is time to Reforge your heart." —---------------------------------------------------------- POV: Captain Bolaar Bolaar walked into the area sequestered for the Deathwatch team alongside Sergeant Silvanus.

"Captain, I have to ask where did you dig up that armour from? It must be some sort of ancient relic." The Ultramarine commented as he looked it over.

"Would you believe a month ago this and several other suits were little better than scrap that we kept in our armoury?" He chuckled.

"The Archmagos and the Princeps restored the full set. My first scale now all wear a full suit and my old Indomitus armour has been passed down."

"How does the performance compare to your old suit?" Silvanus inquired.

"Initially after the restoration it was nearly identical. However, since then there have been enhancements and now it cannot compare. It feels like a second skin. I have not lost any dexterity and the protection is first-rate." Bolaar admitted with a small smile. Silvanus was about to speak when the lights all shut off. Their armour picked up the vox transmission about the reactor.

"That must be the Princeps' doing?"

"Most likely." he admitted.

"Regarding the princeps, if she was to say make a request of us, your suggestion would be?" Silvanus asked.

"Do whatever she asks. Trust me. If she asks there is likely a reason and I have stopped questioning her little miracles over the past few weeks."

"She has requested that my team and even the Inquisitor all turn over our armour for inspection and repair." Silvanus explained.

"Do. It." Was Bolaar's immediate response.

"Brother Silvanus, is your armour hexagramatically warded?"

"Well… No, but this is an Artificer suit-" He grunted.

"Would you like it to be?" Bolaar asked, undoing the seal for one of his arms to remove the gauntlet and reveal its insides to Silvanus.

"If so, I highly suggest you comply with the Princeps' request. I expect at the bare minimum she will restore it fully and add nothing." Bolaar chuckled.

"If she can upgrade my suit, all of our dreadnoughts, and a Knight, I fail to see why your armour should be different. You should also let her repair any equipment she asks to work on."

"She has a Knight?" Silvanus asked while considering the captain's words.

"Indeed, a Cerastus Knight-Castigator, though in time she wants to go pick up her personal Titan. It's been sitting in a Forge World for ten thousand years. Apparently." Bolaar said with a shake of his head.

"Is it still there?" Silvanus looked doubtful.

"She seems to think so. I… oh dear." Bolaar muttered as he got a message from Silverwalker.

"What is it?" Silvanus asked.

"Venerable Baldos and Brother Silverfury work as her guards. Initially, it was just Brother Silverfury, but the Venerable decided that all the fun and exciting things happen around the Princeps, and they both just messaged me. Something about the reactor has upset the Princeps. Brother Silverfury's report is concise and actually explains things. Venerable Baldos simply said, 'Princeps angry, HA! No fatalities. Yet.'" Bolaar sighed wearily.

"How old is the Venerable, if I may ask?" Silvanus inquired. Bolaar glanced around before he answered softly.

"He predates the founding of our chapter. He has spent an absurd amount of time in warp transit, hibernation, and stasis. The number of individuals older than him can probably be counted on two hands or less. I implore you Brother, please keep that information to yourself." Bolaar gave Silvanus a pointed look. Silvanus nodded and decided to change the subject.

"I am still processing the news about my Primarch's return. It's hard to believe after all this time and yet I find myself filled with hope."

"I have not known the Princeps to lie except by omission. The Eldar on the other hand…" He chuckled and shook his head. Silvanus snorted and nodded.

"I will wait for news. If nothing else I have additional motivation to live through this siege."

"I believe we need to prepare for the possibility of the presence of one or more Heretic Astartes factions." Bolaar said, his smile faded as his tone got serious.

"I agree. Captain. While we are more focused on dealing with Xenos we have a modest stockpile of gear with us. Though we may have to trouble your chapter for certain things." Silvanus admitted.

"That's not a problem. Thanks to Lord Drakios and the Archmagos we salvaged a majority of our war gear and vehicles from our vessel before it had to be abandoned." —----------------------------------------------------------- POV: Lord Inquisitor Agatha Striker Agatha had come back to the Purest Shadow to debrief the Shipmaster of the Shadow and the rest of her team on the current situation. She deployed assets to investigate the Halo and Capital for any lingering heretic presence.

When the power suddenly cut out and the backup generators kicked in she turned to Osook.

"Backup power is stable. We are connected to the Halo Station's main lines. It seems the Princeps has arrived and started her repairs." Osook informed her.

"Alright. Keep me apprised of any developments. We'll need to go retrieve her payments at some point once she is finished." Agatha said while using her dataslate to request the plates from the vault be packed up for transport. The weapons she would need to retrieve herself. Agatha was happy to leave the logistics of getting the ship ready for war to the Shipmaster and his command staff. She approved a rather extensive budget to replenish their stocks.

"Vithmiris, you will be on your best behavior around the guests." She warned the Death Cult assassin.

"If you do not, I will not allow you to participate in boarding actions against the Dark Mechanicus heretics." The lanky man slumped but took his hands off the two swords at his hip.

"Yes, my Lady." He grumbled while sulking. Osook spoke up suddenly.

"My Lady, the Drivemaster has expressly called for aid in the main reactor chamber. His vitals indicate he is experiencing extreme distress." Agatha sighed and waved a hand at her guards and the Captain, moving to follow as she headed for the closest lift.

"Alright, let's go see what all the fuss is about." Agatha was prepared for a lot of sights when she walked into the main reactor chamber. Seeing the Drivemaster and his Tech Priests all on their knees with their heads bowed in front of an irate little Princeps was not any of the expected outcomes. The little silver-haired girl's attention snapped over to their group and she pointed her axe at them.

"You! Do you know the last time this poor reactor was refurbished!?" Before any of them could respond, she growled "Because I do! It's been overdue for more than a fraking century!" She slammed the end of her axe down with a loud clang. Osook spoke up.

"Princeps, please calm yourself. I am sure there is a good reason for-" Nicole gave a burst of binaric that sent Osook reeling as he received the data.

"You think so? I have these idiots running combat simulations. Would you care to hear the rate of success they're having in keeping the reactor from going super-critical?" Nicole's head snapped to the Drivemaster and she snapped.

"Tell them!" The Divemaster flinched and softly muttered.

"T-three in ten." Agatha blinked as she processed that statistic.

"That… can't be right, Osook!" She turned but the Magos's face behind his cybernetics had gone bone white. The Divemaster sputtered.

"M-magos she is using some kind of sorcery on the engine!"

"I'm fixing your mistake, you daft ignoramus!" The Princeps paced in front of the Tech-Priests.

"Knowledge without faith is a danger. Faith without knowledge is foolish. I see before me a cadre of fools! You should pray to the Omnissiah and the Machine God that I am here to correct your mistake before you could doom this righteous vessel to an ignoble death! In the name of the Omnissiah, I swear if I find you ever make this mistake again I will servitorize you myself!" she yells at the cowering Drivemaster. Osook bows deeply at the waist towards Agatha.

"I swear I did not know, my Lady." Nicole shook her head, "How could you know Magos? When their maintenance reports are all full of useless trash!" Nicole stomped back to the engine, her staff crackling with power as she pointed a hand at the engine and yelled, "In Purest Shadow in the name of the Machine God, Reforge your heart!" followed by a potent burst of psychic energy that surged into the metal.

Agatha held up a hand, stopping anyone in her party from interfering even as the reactor let out a deep, rumbling groan. The sound was almost animalistic, but she watched as a dent in one chamber flexed and righted itself, a crack shimmered and closed. Less than a minute later the engine thrummed to life all on its own. The ship filled with a loud purring sound as the lights flickered back on. The Princeps huffed, panting softly, her eyes aglow as she walked back towards them.

"I leave the fate of these idiots to you. I cannot stand to be in their presence any longer or I'm going to enact violence upon them. I have updated the care protocols for the engine. Punish them as you see fit. Now if you excuse me, your new properly functioning reactor is about to overload and blow several of your power conduits and I need to fix that. Ah! Lord Inquisitor do remember to bring your armour by your armoury for maintenance later." Agatha watched as the Princeps left without a single glance back.

"Osook. Can I trust you to handle this?" she asked, giving her Magos a sharp look.

"It will be done." Osook declared before he asked.

"Will you be taking your armour?"

"I believe that allowing the Princeps to perform such repairs may be for the best. It is difficult to argue with the results." She gestured at the reactor.

"I will personally ensure she receives her payment." Agatha replied as she turned on her heel and walked out. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. —------------------------------------------------------------- POV: Nicole"Prerequisite Criteria Met: Administrative Access has been granted to: Psyber Limiter Epsilon." I stomp down the hall following the conduit lines, making periodic repairs even as I continue to seethe.

I realize now that I have been spoiled so far, my interactions with other Mechanicus individuals were knowledgeable, intelligent, well-educated, and generally open-minded. This was my first encounter with someone who was simply the product of nepotism and religious dogma without the understanding or common sense to back it up. Most of the crew I encounter somehow know to avoid me. I am unsure if it is something in my expression or the large armed escort a few steps behind me.

Baldos' mere presence does tend to send most menial workers skittering away. I spend a full hour doing minor repairs to calm myself down. The entire time I am multitasking. I keep transmitting individual repair tasks to various members of the Mechanicus crew, whom I deem capable of performing the tasks based on their available Noosphere profiles. The repairs slowly have us ascending decks and moving toward the marked location of the armoury.

I have to make a few detours to make sure we use corridors big enough for Baldos. The armoury in the Purest Shadow is a more traditional one: massive armoured double doors with guards and fixed weapon emplacements.

"Hi!" I say to the guards who tense at our approach.

"Is the armorer present?" I ask. The guards share a look and the lead one nods "They are."

"Mmm, well, Inquisitor Striker is supposed to meet me here in an hour to withdraw some items for me. I'm just going to look around while I wait." I tell them as I step up to the door.

"Ma'am that door only opens for select individuals. You will need to wait for one of them to…" The guards all watch as I give the console a small tap and the doors open.

"It's fine. I have clearance! See." I gesture at the door.

"Guys, you'll have to wait out here there are only three people inside. I should be fine. Not all of you have the clearance to get into portions of the vault." Lael shrugs and moves to lean against the wall. Baldos looks around and takes a single step to the side. I head inside and glance around, The equipment looking neatly organized is a good sign but I spot several items laid out on a table and marked for identification. The space inside is considerable, with more common items near the entrance.

I make my way towards the back. The moment I enter the next section I spot the three individuals. One is an emaciated, pale individual wearing loose robes, a Null working as an armorer? I suppose it makes sense considering there are a handful of daemon weapons in sealed boxes in the back of the chamber. The other two are both in black synskin bodysuits. A woman and a man.

"Hello!" I say as I walk over, peeking over the edge of the table to see what the two Officio Assassinorum assassins are working on.

"Princeps." The Vindicare replies.

"Just the two of you? Or is there an Eversor in storage somewhere? No Vanus, I would have noticed or that uh… that new temple… Venenum!" I ask as I squint at the Null, "You're the armorer yes? Not some disguised Culexus?" The man lets out a dry, coughing laugh.

"No, my Lady. I merely keep the vile weapons away from others until the Lord Inquisitor decides on their disposal method. I am Nullman the Seventh." He gives a small bow. The Callidus woman is just staring down at me with a pensive expression.

"This is the Princeps?"

"That's me! I'm actually quite glad you in particular are here," I say as I point at the Vindicare.

"I was wondering if you have any spare pistol rounds? I would appreciate a Shield-Breaker and a Turbo-penetrator if you do."

"What for?" He asks curtly. I see that his Exitus rifle is on the table and I pull out my Exitus pistol and set it down.

"One, I'd like to see if there have been changes to the way the ammo is made in the last ten millennia. Two, I need a few rounds for my pistol here."

"Where did you get that?" he asks with a frown.

"Where did you get your rifle and pistol? From your temple. Where does your Temple get them? From an Artisan. I received this as a personal gift from one such Artisan back before the Heresy," I explain, patting the weapon fondly. He takes out his Exitus pistol, comparing the two. His had far more customizations and more wear than mine. My pistol is also subtly marked with my initials where his pistol is not.

"I see. Tell you what. If you can tell me what we need to fix on my rifle I will give you the rounds," he says and crosses his arms.

"What's wrong with it?" I ask as I turn my attention to the weapon.

"At eight hundred meters it's pulling three centimeters to the left," he explains with certainty. I frown.

"Three? That won't do at all. I assume it's consistent." I mentally prod the rifle, rousing its machine spirit but the Exitus Rifle spirit seems to think nothing is wrong. My dendrites reach out and I start methodically stripping down the rifle, Auspex in hand as I explore. I go over the hardware piece by piece before I discover the source of the issue after a few minutes.

"Found it! One of the internal baffles is getting worn. The shape has warped a few micrometers. Specifically on the left side." I pull the part out and smile as the armorer hands me a replacement without me needing to ask. I put it back together.

"Whoever made this old baffle used materials slightly below the requisite specifications. Likely causes would be either contamination in their refinery or worse, being a cheap prick." The Vindicare nods at me as he lifts the rifle and dry-fires it twice. He nods and pulls out three rounds from one of his belt pouches, setting them on the table.

"Your work is appreciated, Princeps."

"Thank you for the rounds! I'll take a closer look at them later to update my schematics." I load them into my pistol and then reholster the weapon. I turn to the Callidus with an eager expression.

"Where's your phase sword?" I ask, not bothering to hide my desire to look at the C'tan blade. She retreats from me a step.

"My gear does not require maintenance at this time." I pout but Nullman chimes in, distracting me.

"Perhaps the Princeps would like to aid me in cataloging some items while we await the arrival of her Lordship?"

"Oh?" He has my attention and manages to coax me to another table. I start pointing.

"These are easy. Daemon weapon, daemon weapon, that just needs to be cleaned, Ohh that one is old, no fixing that one, and a… hmm." I squint at the last weapon.

"Is this… Jokaero made?"

"Indeed," Nullman says with a nod.

"An impressive deduction. Most take days to figure that out. However, I am curious: are you certain that the second item is possessed?"

"Yes, it's actually the stronger of the two. The most dangerous daemon weapons are the ones where the entity bound to it is strong and clever enough to disguise itself well. Please put that one away. It's trying to whisper things at me and I don't appreciate it." I say, feeling the defensive runes on my armour growing warm. Nullman moves to put the two daemonic weapons away in a dark, black case. The whispering stops as soon as he closes the lid.

Before I can start messing around with anything else, the Inquisitor arrives. She walks right in, glancing briefly at the two Assassins and Nullman.

"Nullman, please fetch P-131 and P-289 for the Princeps."

"I shall do so at once." Nullman says softly, giving a deep bow before he shuffles off.

"Inquisitor, you can have the plates sent over to the Argent Drake directly. Breaking down the alloy to extract the Auramite will require the advanced crucibles of our Manufactorum," I say with a small hum as I walk over and closely inspect her armour.

"Something the matter, Lady Cavalerio?" Agatha asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Inquisitor, have you been stabbed sometime in the last few years?" I hum softly.

"... yes, along my side there," she admits.

"I was under the impression it was fully repaired."

"The repairs are functional but not perfect. That is understandable really, just repairing power armour requires a great amount of skill and knowledge. I would ask you to remove it so I can fix a few things. In particular your power pack. What's the current operating time from a full charge?" I ask knowing I won't like the response.

"Twenty-four hours," she replies and I wrinkle my nose.

"Eww, gross, we'll fix that. That's barely military grade. I should be able to increase that to at least a week per charge if not higher," I say in a disapproving manner. The Inquisitor gives me an odd look before glancing at the two assassins.

"She fixed my rifle," The Vindicare states curtly as if that simple reply told her enough.

"Fine. I will leave my armour in your care. How long will your remaining work take?" she asks as she initiates the steps required to remove her armour.

"I should finish the cyclonic warheads and the armour repairs for you and the Astartes in a few days. I only have enough deuterium to make a single salvo for you currently. Assuming we are victorious and survive the siege we can discuss replenishing your stores further, perhaps with a mix of single and double-stage warheads. My services are required elsewhere after that," I say without looking up. Nullman comes back with the two pistols that were requested and sets them down on the table. I perk up and walk over.

"One Moiraean Lance and a… ahh that is not the Phospheonix." I say with a smile.

"It's a master crafted phosphex pistol, extremely similar, possibly from the same forge or even the same artisan, but the Phospheonix should be enshrined on Mars according to all records. I will still be happy to take it as payment," I say as I give both pistols an affectionate stroke before clipping them to my belt.

"Do you know how to make the ammunition?" Nullman asks me, his tone curious.

"I do not, at least not at the moment. Unless I find some or rediscover the STC to do so, it will simply be a decorative piece in my collection. The Moiraean Lance, on the other hand, I can and likely will use after a thorough cleaning. It has to compete with my Wrath though," I admit with a smile as I draw my Wrath Plasma Pistol and set it on the table for Nullman to examine. I get a little sidetracked and barely register as the Inquisitor and the assassins depart.

—----------------------------------------------------- POV: Lord Inquisitor Agatha Striker Agatha exited the armory bereft of her power armour. She spared a glance over Nicole's absurd protection team. She spotted the Deathwatch team conversing with the Venerable Dreadnought and Captain Bolaar. She gave them a small nod of acknowledgment before walking off. Once they were a few decks away, she asked her assassin escort.

"Opinions on the Princeps?"

"Fearless, bold, earnest, genius, far too knowledgeable for her own good." The Callidus muttered with a shake of her head.

"She called the Venenum temple new."

"She was born before the Heresy. In her eyes, it probably was new," Agatha said with a sigh.

"What about you?" she turned her head to look at him.

"She has good taste in firearms," the Vindicare said after a long pause.

"She didn't hesitate to break down and rebuild my rifle. She knew exactly what to do."

"She can commune with machine spirits. She talked to the ship itself and fixed our primary reactor. She was quite livid a few hours ago." Agatha was thanking the Emperor that the little miracle and headache was the Mechanicus's problem and not hers. Though her services and talents were certainly welcome.

"Was it that bad?" the Callidus inquired.

"Osook confirmed the findings. I even took a look myself. It was bad, and you know how I feel about nepotism. To find it so deeply ingrained on my own ship of all places," Agatha growled.

"It nearly got us all killed again. We'll be replacing those crew as soon as possible after the conflict," Agatha said firmly.

"Yes, Ma'am," the two replied as one.

"Hypothetically, could you take out the Princeps if you had to?" Agatha asked them to sate her curiosity.

"No," the Callidus replied with a scowl.

"Her sensor systems are absurd. Even if I somehow surprised her, a killing blow is unlikely. Only the most exotic poisons work on the heavily augmented, and with her transhuman genome, it's a toss-up."

"Yes, but only with extreme difficulty while she is unarmored. The kill would still not be guaranteed. I would need to use a bow or something without a machine spirit. My rifle highlighted her as friendly. It would not and will not fire at her," the Vindicare admitted.

"I figured as much. Luckily, that shouldn't be an issue. The Princeps has been marked as a critical asset. After seeing it with my own eyes, I am inclined to agree with that assessment. Thank the Throne none of my zealous contemporaries were the ones to take this mission. I imagine if they had, they'd have done something stupid and be very dead," Agatha said with a snort. They entered a lift heading towards the bridge.

"Actually… that might be a discreet way to deal with a radical. Something to keep in mind for the future. I actually have a mission for you two, and I'm giving you both free rein to make the necessary preparations to eliminate Eligael should you get the chance."

"Yes, Ma'am!" they both replied in tandem.

"Dismissed," Agatha said as she walked off the lift and sought out the Shipmaster.

"I need a full inventory of our available strike craft, make sure the Bombardment cannon is fully armed; and our stores of shells are replenished. We need to restock our conventional torpedoes. See what the local Magos or the Archmagos are willing to provide. We need to run drills against boarders. Double the guards on the black cages. Get a hold of the local ministorum. I want sanctified ammunition distributed to as much of the ship as possible." She said as several scribes jumped to write down her orders.

"It will be done, Lord Striker," The Shipmaster said calmly.

"I would also like to thank you. I am not sure how, but the ship's power output has increased a noticeable amount."

"Good, I expect all of that to be handled by the time I return. I am going out for a walk. Ur-Haven has a few leftover rats in its cellar," she said as she turned on her heel and walked out. Purging a few Heretics was just what she needed to relax.