Quote

"You think you're entitled to everything just because you've suffered, but suffering isn't enough. You can't just be strong, you have to be smart. You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy. But all you have ever been is a bloody migraine!"
- Arthur Watts

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word-word = spoken right next
to each other
" " = talking and speaking
= author's pov
' ' = Thinking
(Meanwhile)= Skip and pov change
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Author's note

To see what Theodora, Idira, Abelard,
and Sister Argenta look at the end notes

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Chapter 2

Martyr's Tear

Deep within realspace, outside of the Kronus expanse lies a world named, Jeralamax Four, it is several months' warp travel away from holy terra. It is a nightworld that lies for most of the year in shadow, but also poses a great amount of resources under the surface. This hive world is responsible for the production of arms, and other materials. However, they were cut off from the wider Imperium due to warp storms years ago. After the storms dwindled they were rediscovered by a rogue trader who returned them into the Imperium's fold.

Theodora von Valancius came to Jeralamax four years after her ancestors rediscovered this planet. For one reason, to uncover the last descendant of one of her distant relatives. This family of noblemen left here could be the key to saving the Von Valancius line. Perhaps one of them was worthy of inheriting her warrant of trade.

Theodora von Valancius has been scouring for an heir for many years, and for even longer all those claiming to be of von Valancius's bloodline have been going missing. Her aunts, uncles, and siblings have either been massacred or gone missing. Theodora has been journeying from planet to planet to find distant relatives either missing or in pieces. She had to find one to inherit her trade empire for when she died, or risk the empire she built to fall apart to be claimed by another.

It took several hours of conversing, haggling, and deal-making to make that fat pig of a highborn reveal what transpired to her relatives since she could find none of them. They were all here and used to be highborns until they were dethroned by another family and exterminated. All but one of them were killed and thrown out into the depths of the lower hive. Without a moment to lose her retinue made their way down inside the dark, and dank rescues of the hivecity.

Theodora and her retinue dealt with any criminals, mutants, hive gangers, and much worse that were either brave or foolish to confront them. Until they eventually managed to track the potential heir down. Who after having been banished to the lower dregs of the hive had been taken by a cult. And not any cult but one that worshiped chaos, or rather Khorne. Who had plans to sacrifice him to their dark god. Theodora was the first to fire to kill the cultist and saw the boy tied to the altar to be killed. What could very well be the last heir to her trade empire was there, right in front of her.

Bolt shells and plasma fire rang throughout the blood-soaked chamber. Sister Argenta, her sister of battle, rained hell, and bolter fire on the heretics all the while roaring praises to the emperor. " PURGE THE MUTANT, BURN THE UNCLEAN!" She shouted as bolter shells hit their targets and exploded showering the chamber in gore, guts, and blood. While Sister Argenta continued giving praise to the master of mankind..

Warp lightning flashed turning hertics to ash as Theodora made her way up towards the altar, " Hurry, before it is too late!" Idira, their unsanctioned psyker shouted as she fought off the heretics who focused on exterminating the witch.

" Go on my lady, I will clear a path," Abelard shouted, slashing apart a cultist with his chain sword. The blade growled as it went through flesh and bone as if it were butter. He yelled at the cultists to come at him, drawing more away from her as he made her way up.

She got closer and closer, slashing heretic after heretic trying to stop her before she could interrupt the ritual. Each burst of her metla gun killed any in front of her but the cultists seemed endless. Hertices melted as they charged, " BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD. SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!" They roared as they charged, dying in mass, and as so did their leader turning into a heap of ash, and charred meat. She just reached the ritual circle and-

They had completed the ritual and slit the heir's throat as she burned the last cultists to a crisp. It was too late and with the ritual complete they all would be damned. Blood erupted from his throat, and the light from his eyes left as his blood spewed from his body. The blood continued to spray out of his body through his throat and trickled from the corners of his eyes. As the blasphemous runes engraved into the ritual altar, began to blaze crimson with warp power. As the blood poured out from the boy's body and began to drift into the air swirling above the altar, then the air began to crackle and smell of ozone. The air stunk of fire, smoke, and iron as the sound of clashing blades filled the air.

A rift began to form in the air made of all of the blood spilled in the chamber. The heir's body should have run out of blood by then but didn't. The blood continued to pour out long after his body began to turn pale from loss of blood. Then the portal began to suck the flesh from his bones, before taking the bones themselves. Leaving only the skull of the heir, looking freshly flayed, and polished.

Their ritual was finished and they all would be damned as a red-scaled hand reached out the portal for the skull. Just as the hand reached out it was interrupted as the portal turned from red to a swirl of colors. As if something had hijacked whatever wanted to use the portal to escape into real space. Something fell out of the warp landing with a wet thud in the middle of the room. It landed on the altar where the new heir to Theodora's new trade empire once lay. It looked human, but oftentimes daemons of the warp liked to play tricks with appearances. The human boy was just lying there in front of her, wearing strange black clothes which were torn in several places. The only other thing unusual was the fact his hair was green.

" Stay back, my lady!" Abelard warned, holding his chain sword ready to eviscerate anything that moved at a moment's notice. Theodora cautiously studied the boy as if he were a daemon in disguise, and yet seeing no ounce of warp corruption from exposure to it. Idira, her unsanctioned psyker, touched her shoulder and began to whisper to her.

" What is it Idira? Is it a threat? What do your voices say?" Theodora asked, still staring at the boy who slept lying where another had been murdered in front of her.

" I sense no daemon in the boy, or the touch of the immaterium. It is not a threat from what I can tell, however..."

" But what?! If you have something to say let it out."

Idira flinched at her lady's yelling but answered, " The voices are so loud they keep saying different names in fear and excitement. Child of otherworldly stars. Viator. Unplanned. Too many names the voices answer with my question of this child. They are both excited and afraid. I have never heard them speak like this unless..." She flinched and hesitated at the answer as Abelard pushed for answers.

" Well?

" I ask them about many things they only get like this when I ask about the god-emperor."

"... Heresy!"

Abelard and Idira began to argue over this, as the sister of battle began to proclaim the heresy of saying such a thing. She heard more words along the lines of heresy and absurd. She understood the three of them were just stressed so let them argue for a little. Anyone would be after fighting and beheading an entire cult. However, she put her attention forward. Seeing what it truly was that had come out of the portal. She expected at any time for the boy to explode in a shower of gore, and an atrocity from the warp to appear like a raging monster of the skull throne. A talking bloated carcass of the grandfather, or something along those lines. Instead, all she found was the same young boy in black torn clothes with green hair who fell from the warp, but only now noticed the tears in his sleeping eyes.

All this fuss over a single child? He must be far from home. She could see no markings or tattoos that would place him with the cult. Yet could see nothing that could hint at where he is from. He looked human, and the only indicator otherwise would be the green hair. 'A long way from home, aren't you child?', she thought. He reminded her of a story of another child from ancient Terra, a story that somehow managed to survive for even old night.

Lost, and far from home no matter how far humanity progresses children will always seem to get lost one way or another, but only time would tell if this child will return home. She wondered what his story was and he came to be here, ' I wonder where it was you wandered off from little gynt?' She thought as made up her mind about the boy. She wanted to know more, and curiosity was getting the best of her. She picked the child up and held him as if she were holding a newborn babe and carried him over while covering the child in her cloak.

She turned to face her still-fighting subordinates. Dispealed she yelled," All of you stop it this moment. I will not tolerate your fighting in my presence"

" Yes Ma'am!" ," Yes Ma'am, "Yes lord Captain." They bowed their heads and apologized. Abelard, Idira, and Argenta were very good at what they did, but even they were not unsusceptible to infighting once in a while. Despite knowing what Idira was Argenta would have to admit she was very useful, even if she would never say so aloud.

'' Prepare for our departure we are leaving as of now. Oh, and Abelard?"

" Yes, Lord Captain Theodora?"

She uncovered the sleeping boy to them, and much to his shock and awe she simply replied. " Hold onto him Abelard and get him to the ship. I wish to know more about this child, and how exactly he came to be here." As she unfasten her cloak and handed Abelard the mystery child still warped up much to Aberlard's bewilderment. Finding out how he was able to fall through the warp would be valuable, and if he was from a lost world of humanity that would be a nice bonus.

" Lord captain?" he asked, hesitant but ready to fulfill any order given to the letter.

" Check him for any warp taint. I can't see any but it can't hurt to be safe. Anyone who can go through the warp and rattle the creatures within it is worthy of my interest. I will see you onboard later and when I return we will continue onto the Kronus expanse."

" Is that wise ma'am? Certainly, it is nothing more than a trick of the warp. Better for me to eradicate it with bolter, and flame than risk its taint spreading." Sister Argenta suggested raising her bolter to the face of the sleeping boy and letting the barrel rest on his chin. " Say the word and it will be done."

Theodora lifted the muzzle of the bolter away from the boy. As if she was worried the sister battle's trigger finger would get itchy and shoot, " No I don't think so this time, Argenta. Abelard, can I trust you with this?"

"... Yes lord captain you can, and I will see you onboard. Is there anything else you wish for me to do?"

She paused for a second to think was there anything else to do? when she made up her mind on what to do she continued,'' Yes, tell the Medicare to watch over the child until they have awakened and to bring them to me once they do... Also, Find him some clothes to cover him. These are torn to shreds, by what I do not want to know. Lastly, run the induction protocol for those from feudal or feral worlds. I would rather the first time we speak not be slowed down due to having to use a throne-damned translator.'' She said with pure malice, she hated those throne-damned devices. She still remembers the incident where a faulty translation led a peaceful negotiation into an all-out war.

" By the god Emperor, it shall be done as you command."

They left this place having already taken everything of value and leaving the rest to be bathed in fire. Then waited at an extraction site until their thunderbird arrived picking up the four as the ship dropped their captain, and psyker off at the governor's palace. While the other two would head back to the ship. She had found all she needed on this planet, and it would soon be finished with this planet.

Abelard gave a salute as Idira, and Theodora stepped off heading into the governor's palace. Giving a nod to Idira before the two parted ways, Argenta held her rosary saying a prayer for their safe return. Idira followed along as she made their way to the governor's palace. The two walked into the palace to meet with the governor again. Who sat at his desk expecting them.

" Welcome Lord Captain, how was your outing into that... Slosh Pit below?"

Theodora stopped in the doorway and gestured for Idira to stand outside the room, and keep watch. Idira nodded, as Theodora walked in taking a seat across from him.

" It went poorer than I had hoped, " She said as a servant walked up offering the both of them drinks.

" I said it would be a waste of time. Those savages below tear anything that goes below apart." The man shipped his wine smugly having demonstrated he was right.

" You damned bastard you knew the one I was looking for was in your world and they were going to sacrifice him!" She accused him, having lost her patience and any form of decorum.

" I held no interest or need to know what happened to him once we banished him, or the going on with the rats below... Besides, I told you in the end."

" By then it was too late, and now he lies dead."

" A pity, oh well if you had only been quicker," The overweight nobleman laughed and cackled in delight as Theodora fumed in anger. " Perhaps you are getting too old for this. Maybe there is enough time to make another heir, and I would be more than happy to help with that," the noble licked his meaty ravenous lips and stared at her with carnal desire.

" NEVER! I would rather lay with a mutant's bastard than you!"

"... A pity then, oh well you're lost. Then go ahead and see yourself out, you are no longer my problem, our deal is done. Goodbye and good riddance ." Theodora finished her wine, and threw the glass, hearing it shatter on the ground as she moved to get up, " Farewell, and may we never meet again."

" Oh, yes please remember to smile dear, it makes you look so much more pretty. Eh, yes farewell to you as well." He replied with a voice filled with entitlement as she started to leave the door open as several men in armor began to advance towards the governor's throne. The once calm and collected governor stood up and panicked, his eyes darting everywhere.

He looked and called for his guards to see their dead bodies beyond the door, and symbols on the intruder's armor " The-e Inquisition! W-why are you here? I was not told of your arrival lords..." As he began to bow, two of the guards grabbed him harshly on each side. " What is the meaning of this? I am the governor of this planet, you will unhand me!" He shouted at the guards who refused to move or even listen as a man walked in front of him.

The man wearing his hood lowered it to show a tattoo of the inquisition on his forehead and raised a rosette, the symbol of the Emperor's inquisition. " I am integrator, Hector Vincitiel and in the name of the emperor's most holy inquisition, I am here to bring judgment. You, Emil Arctexic of house Arctexic are here by judged guilty of collaborating with hertics and aiding their efforts. You shall now be judged excommunicate traitorous by the God Emperor's judgment. How do you plea, Heretic?" The noble flabbergasted at this accusation turned his head to the rogue trader shouting, " WHAT DID YOU DO, YOU-" He began but stopped when the inquistal agent kicked him in the gut.

She turned to him and feigned innocence in the matter." Well, what was I to do? When I found out your little involvement with that horrible cult's founding, and how you used them to kill the last governor's family to take power, I simply did as all good subjects of our Emperor should." As she began to walk away from the panicking nobleman, he shouted to her to try and bargain. As she handed the documents incriminating the governor found in the temple of the cultist.

" PLEASE! I'll do anything!" As the man cried and begged on his knees. She stopped in her tracks, stood still, and asked, " Anything?" The guards slowly put a single hand on their weapons and stared at the Rogue Trader studying her actions. " YES ANYTHING YOU COULD WANT!" The noble sobbed as a trace of joy entered his voice. She turned slowly and walked slowly towards the noble, as the guards began to raise their weapons, the agent shook his head telling them to stop. She nodded at the agent, grabbing the noble by the face. " Can you bring my heir back from the dead?" She sneered in a whisper in his ear and watched as the man panicked even more.

" I didn't think so," She said, letting him go, and turning to face the inquisition integrator, "Does our deal still stand? " She asked, remembering the deal she made with his master.

" Yes, as per my master's orders, the agreed-upon payment will be transferred to your holdings in a few solar cycles. After we look over his financials and such. The Ministorum shall handle such trifles, Lord Captain."

" Yes very good," As she made her way to leave another group of people entered the room carrying a lit bazaar, setting it down along with a giant iron rod sitting in the center of the blaze. The agent gave a smile, put a hand on the rogue trader's shoulder, and gestured to the flame. " Would you care to do the honors ma'am?"

" Oh, Emperor be blessed of course," She answered as the guards grabbed the squirming noble's face still. As she held a large branding iron inscribed with the word," Heretic " in big bold letters. As she raised the brand like a pool stick aiming for his head. " Oh, and please do remember to smile," she said as she shoved the iron straight onto the noble's face. As he thrashed and screamed in his guard's hold they chuckle and murmured about holding a stuck pig.

Theodora and the inquisitor agent had a good laugh as the noble was shackled and dragged away. She left telling the agent to give her thanks to his master. She began to walk to Thunderbird as the planet began to rain down on her. As the laughter subsided, leaving her with her thoughts as her last hope having been killed in front of her. The main thought in her head was, 'What to do next?'

( Later )

Theodora walked through the halls of her ship enjoying the quiet. It was late and most of the crew were enjoying themselves at the bar or going to bed. The first shift left to rest as the new one came in, and they all salutated her as she walked by. As stillness returned to the hall as the few souls remained doing their daily chores as the vessel was resupplying before their next jump through the warp.

She walked until she arrived at the medicare station for the ship and its crew. She strolled in receiving more salutes, and greetings from wounded staff as she passed them. She walked through a door into a heavily guarded wing of Medicare where more possibly hazardous or difficult patients were cared for.

Guards saluted as she entered a room a buzz with medicare, and medicare servitors attending to the boy, the little gynt she found inside the hive still asleep. As wires and tubes performed all manner of scans, and tests for any traces of the warp. Shackles binding his limbs moved slightly as his chest rose, and fell with each breath.

The senior medicare officer stepped forward and bowed to her lord captain. " All staff but seniors leave us," Theodora spoke as the medicare set their tools down and left, leaving only the senior officer and the servitors quietly carrying out their duties. " Senior officer, status report."

" Yes, lord captain. The boy shows none of the body-altering signs of warp exposure nor any mutations to the patient's body. Signs read no signs of rejuvenation treatment nor gene altering. He seems to be a normal human teenager"

" No, gene-altering? So care to explain the green hair?" She asked taking the report with a grain of salt.

" Completely natural, surprisingly, otherwise nothing out of the ordinary."

" I see, any injuries?" She asked as she ran a finger over her chin as she looked over the boy.

" He had several injuries such as numerous burns, and old scar tissue indicative of burns in the shape of star-like patterns. However, he will need a transfusion. Along with removal of infected scar tissue, it is fairly simple."

Theidoda hummed at the news. No warp corruption detected, the first bit of good news that day. She pulled up a chair next to the patient's bed and sat there. " You are dismissed for the time being." The woman bowed and left the room leaving her, the boy, and the servitors quietly working.

This left her time to contemplate, time to ponder. The heirs to her line were all gone or unsuitable for the task ahead. She had to accept this as fact now as she remembered the last heir being sacrificed leaving only a skull. The last one was the most distant of relatives, and no more searching would be done. She would have to search closer to home for an heir. Perhaps it was time to renovate old options, maybe kunr- No! He would not be the heir, and for good reason.

She was by now incapable of producing an heir after so many years, even if she had the aid of a priest of Mars that specializes in the workings of flesh.

'What do you wish to do ma'am?' That was the question Abelard asked when she returned to the ship and now she had an answer, 'I'll make do with what is on hand.' As she stared at the boy lying on the medicare bed.

"Servitor,"

One of the humanoid shapes stopped what they were doing and walked forward. Cables ran through their frame, along with a rubber suit covering their bodies except for exposed ports. Their right hand was a mixture of medical-grade tools and equipment. Their head no longer a face, just a bare skull with a multitude of mechanical red eyes.

" Yes lord, I exist to serve."

" Can you use my blood for the transfusion, will there be any complications?"

" Blood sample required,"

" Here, "She stuck her arm out as the servitor stuck the needle in taking the sample. As the red eyes of the servitor shut off for a second then turned back on." Well, will it work?"

" Compliance, yes it will lord captain. With only a 0.52 percent chance of complications. Permission to proceed?"

" ... Permission given, proceed." She answered, settling in her chair as the servitor began its work, sticking an IV needle into her arm, and the boy's. She watched as her blood ran up the cord, and through the boy's veins. If any of her retinue saw her they would ask what she was thinking. In truth, this was nothing more than a personal gamble. The stakes were her trade empire, her warrant of trade, and the von Valancius legacy. It would certainly be a long shot, but if it failed she could always make one of her officers the heir. Although in her eyes none of them were fit to rule her trade empire nonetheless they were options.

Either through blood or merit could one rule the von Valancius empire. Lucky for the boy he would have one, and maybe through this gamble, this investment would pay off. At least she hoped so, as she drifted off to sleep as leering eyes from beyond the veil if reality watched a new unplanned variable come into play. It matters not to the one watching for it would not stop his plans; he would come into the material realm one way or another. For the night would always end and daybreak would always come.

-

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I make no claim in ownership of these images or characters.

Theodora,

Idira,

Abelard,

Sister Argenta