[Wh40k x Starcraft] A Sarah Kerrigan knock off MC sleeps her way through the imperium of man with increasing amounts of kink - We're off hiatus!

[Princess Scribe]

Hey if you're reading this at work listen up!

The entire thread is NSFW by default, but maybe your work is more progressive!
The following content may be more explicit than your average update!

The next slide has trigger warnings for those who need them.

Extremely Vanilla sex.

​

Celestine's flight is horribly dangerous, taking her within inches of impacts, last second turns, bare misses with low flying aircraft and inbetween obstacles as she laughs wildly, "Do you know what I'm the Saint of, Lilith?" She asks above the wind, adoring the danger.

"Truth!" Lilith yells out with a smile.

"I dearly hope you are right!" She spins, slipping through a window into the space dock that holds the shuttles which can take everyone back into the ship.

"Wait what?" Lilith says suddenly, "Wait… What!?" Her eyes very blearly blinking.

"It is a common debate." Katarinya states dully, sipping at her bottle, "Whether Saint Celestine is a Saint of Truth or Hate. We are undecided." Another sip, turning into a gulp.

"How can someone who radiates warmth literally constantly, and explodes into light orgasms be a Saint of Hate." Lilith asks, forgetting Katarinya is there, "Do they know about the lightgasm. I feel like that solved the debate."

"I get excited in battle my lovely Lilith. And then a little…loud." She admits, trying to figure out which shuttle is the one for their ship.

"Liking to fight isn't hate, I don't like to fight because I hate. I like to fight because combat is fun, it's a true test of mettle. No matter what you do, what you say, there's only one truth. Whose standing at the end." Lilith says giggling.

"You are definitely on your knees tonight." The Saint speaks loud enough to reverberate in a tangible vibration.

"Wrestle you for it," Lilith says, biting her on the ear, gnawing on her neck now trying to make cute noises.

"Filthy." Katarinya mutters, kicking open a shuttle cockpit and opening the back door. Sitting at the controls with practised ease. "Get in."

"Do you have…" Lilith says stumbling into the back of the shuttle. "Do you have even an inkling of how cool you are? Like… As a conceptual understanding of what cool and rad is?"

"You sound like a teenager." Katarinya says as she hums and drives the engines to life, escaping the world's pull roughly, not at all like the previous pilot."

"I'm twenty six" Lilith says morosely, "Or thirty now… Maybe, I actually am not sure how much I'm aging mentally. But seriously. You… You like hot rigged a car, you turned a guy into pink mist, you drive cool. I know receiving a compliment is probably poison… venom… poison… venomous to you. But it's true!" She then lounges in Celestine's lap after she crawls in.

"You should have seen her on Cadia. I remember being so worried when a Berserker slipped past me." Celestine remembers a battle fondly, "But she locked blades with it, barely holding it back as it screamed. Then, holding her sword with one hand, she drew her pistol and shot both its knees out!"

"See? That's cool. The coolest thing I did in battle was eat a guys heart. It's just not the same. Guns are cool, but I can't aim them at all." She was almost pouting, "I'm glad she's a part of our group I don't think I could compete." Lilith said slumping over dizzily, "I love our little family."

Katerinya makes a noise just short of annoyed at that, kicking the engines on harder as she escapes the atmosphere, piloting as if bullets are in the air.

"You're not spacing me right Celestina?" Lilith said suddenly looking at the sky around her, "Everyone I trust them, then, they hate me." She gets a little sad now. "I trust Kerrigan, she hated me. Tried to kill me. I trust Anastasia, she lies to me, then she hates me. Takes my swarm. I trust Varynna and… Wait. No Varynna's cool never mind. It's fifty fifty right now. The only person I really want killing me is people who have fun with it. Has to be fun for… For…" Lilith looks at Celestina and then pokes her in the chest.

"You are a treasure." Celestine comments, looking at Lilith with something like a mix of adoration and devotion. "You are my treasure, aren't you?" It's a question that somehow makes her more flushed.

"Yes! You get it. I just want to be wanted, not because I'm the last woman available but because I make you happy." Lilith says with a smile. "It's why I love playing with that one!" Lilith says point at "Kat she… She lets me stay, because she knows I'd leave if she didn't. Didn't want me there or here or anywhere. It's all games. I love games. That's why I like Varynna, she plays really scary games. Kat's games are scary in a more physical oh look a docking bay." Lilith looks out the window as the shuttle does some complicated maneuver making her mutter, "Coool."

An alarm on her datapad pings, and blearily checking it Lilith hisses with a groan. She scheduled it for a few days later, swearing at herself for forgetting. She needed to write down for Guilliman what was needed for her own Swarm a private one separated off to manage herself, a back-up plan in case Ana and the others moved against the imperium. There was a moment she considered trying to do it now, but the numbers swam in her head, making her want to vomit. Alcohol dulling her connection to everything. She missed them, she missed the background chatter always having someone somewhere to talk too.

With a quick look at Celestine, the sadness turned to overwhelming joy, and she sniffled with a deep inner warmth before saying, "I'm so happy to have you guys. Especially now when I've got nothing else." The words are slurred before something tugs her to consciousness and space spun outside the shuttle.

The shuttle suddenly twists as it enters a docking bay, engines flaming out as they stop all momentum, slamming into the docking bay with force, denting the floor tiles, sending sparks and metal everywhere as Katerinya has popped the cockpit and is stepping out of it before the thing's done moving, letting it slip past her.

"She knows I mean it right? She's a psyker so she knows I mean it." Lilith asks as it looks like Katerinya is almost fleeing the vehicle.

"Once I'm done with you." Celestine smiles, "Have a conversation with her. Informal agreements like yours are sometimes…complex, my dearest." She whispers as the shuttle stops just short of a wall. "For now though." Lilith is lifted back up and into her chest as she starts the journey to her chambers, "We have to wrestle!" The excited cry shakes the walls and terrifies crewmen.

Stumbling into the room, it's an immediate struggle as Celestine tries to put Lilith on the bed, but finds her very fast and unpredictable. A struggle here or there, trying to put her superior strength to use despite the fact that she's slipped four times so far and Lilith seems, physically, unaffected by the liquor. Pouncing from place to place like a cat.

Finally deciding to go for it, irreverent of consequence, Celestine rushes Lilith in a flare of wings, a proper charge of the sort that's driven through entire regiments of enemies before, catching her and denting in the wall with the impact to a slow drip of worry from the Saint.

The screeching giggle, that comes from Lilith as she suddenly bites the Saint's hand, trying to get let go is all that's really needed to show that she's Okay. "You know you had to try, like actually try. So I won when you think about it. Because I get a handicap for being cute."

"Minx." She laughs, trying to think of what to do before, suddenly, as if struck by lightning, having an idea. "Remember when I promised to hold you against a wall?" She says, drifting a hand down to firmly grip Lilith's waist, the other one still busy holding her upper half steady.

Lilith leans in, "No, remind me what that'd look like?" Chomping at Celestine's face, full Zerg instincts in effect to bite and tear though the reasoning not exactly clear on why.

Suddenly, Lilith is pushed up the wall, skirt torn off in another motion, expensive cloth in one flattened sheet on the floor as Celestine smiles, feeling this new role through, figuring out how to be the one in charge.

"Oh Miss Saint," Lilith says in a faux breathy voice stretching down the collar of her halter top, "You've conquered me… What spoils will you be taking, I'll do anything." The voice is low and languid, and her body feels slightly too loose as her tongue almost drips her body covered in rivulets of sweat.

"Everything, my dearest." She booms, leaning in to bite at Lilith's thigh, spilling a a streak of blood from the force as she suddenly blinks. "Oh, I can't control my strength, is that fine?" Celestine looks up for permission at Lilith, worried suddenly.

Drunk, and confused, Lilith simply headbutts Celestine, "That wasn't even strong! What are you scared of!?"

Celestine lifts Lilith higher, slamming her again into the wall. The bulkheads creaking and groaning under the force of their combined weight. She presses on, biting, licking, and pushing causing Lilith to try and grasp at something her hands tearing metal. The Saint's pushing hard with her Elbows to keep slight amount of space between them. Her tongue flicks out, teasing Lilith's sensitive center, eliciting a startled gasp and an answering moan.

Celestine's touch is unlike anything Lilith has experienced before. Though firm and forceful, there's a smooth, gentle quality to it as well, Like the tide, something fluid that could carve mountains. The Zerg princess's bruises have already begun to heal as gripping hands make new ones, but they only enhance the sensation of being held in place by Celestine's strong grip. Lilith shifts, running her hands in Celestine's silky hair. "You're doing... Great." She pants, her body trembling with need and anticipation.

Celestine shows no signs of relenting, maintaining her relentless pace, each movement perfectly timed and tuned. With every bruising squeeze, every nail digging into soft flesh, she pushes her partner closer to the edge. Metal groans, time seems to lose all meaning, and then, suddenly, the wall gives way, sending them both tumbling onto the bulkheads in a tangle of limbs and laughter. Confused amusement lights Celestine's features as she gazes down at the smaller woman beneath her.

"I think we just extended our quarters, and took over someone else's how the fuck did you break solid steel?" Lilith said, gasping. "Also I got a strap. It's under the bed. I was going to tell you… but I was distracted very suddenly."

"What's that?" Celestine asks, smiling at Lilith with a drenched face. Lilith decided to explain later as she heard an angry growl.

Lilith stops looking over, "Uh… Hi…" She gasped, "Katarinya, our wall broke… Please don't shoot me."

Katarinya was holding a gun looking shocked, enraged, and a little frightened, most likely startled by nearly 400 pounds of woman, muscle, and steel bursting into where she was trying to relax, or possibly sleep. Before the sudden wall cave in, her room was a spartan affair, with barely any symbols and stark white sheets identical to the one's her crew uses. Now it's been accessorised with sparking wire and metal chunks everywhere. Including a small splatter of body glitter that had fallen off Lilith into the room.

"I…" Lilith starts to say, "Is this awkward for you guys, or a normal thing, because like, giant angels and dudes in two ton power armour makes it unclear how often walls cave in during passion." She's gasping, and letting her mouth simply flow with no filter.

"What are you up to?" She asks, as she tries to climb out from under Celestine. "Please don't shoot me."

Katerinya glares past her gun, bottle still in the other hand, "Get out before I break you." She threatens in a gruff growl, sounding like a woman twice her apparent age and thrice as lethal.

Lilith walks through the hole in the wall, but then looks behind her, it didn't really seem to do much for Katerinya's privacy. "Ah, now there's a decision to make." Celestine whines, idly putting her hands on Lilith's hips and dragging her to the bed. "On one hand, I want to keep hearing you moan." She whispers, considering, "On the other, Katerinya probably wouldn't like that."

Extremely drunk and confused, Lilith looks between the two of then, and says, extremely bluntly, "Katerinya is ace and likes to watch / listen? or does want to join in but thinks she can't? or… a third option? She knows she's a part of… Us right?" Looking back to Katerinya, "You're a part of… Whatever you want to be a part of or don't want to be a part of."

"Katerinya." The way Celestine says her name drags goosebumps across anyone who can hear her. "You are always welcome by my side, is she welcome by yours, Lilith?" The Angel looks down.

"Side, ontop, beneath, behind, she is maybe one of my most trusted people outside of you." Lilith said with full honesty, "She helped me get you back in Necromunda, and we fought through to Terra together. She's a… Sister in arms. She's our family."

There's a complex series of emotions on Katerinya's face, the visage cracking to reveal what's beneath for a split second. And then she moves slowly. But Celestine frowns immediately as she does, "It is not your duty, Katerinya."

"Oh." Lilith says quietly, "Oh, honey no." She's quickly picking up her own clothes now and getting dressed. "Hey. It wasn't like that, I'm sorry." Lilith runs to her private things rummaging through it grabbing a glass, and some liquid that is not alcohol that smells faintly of sugar and citrus. "It's… I tried recreating an electrolyte drink, here." She hands it to Katerinya, and makes sure not to make skin contact when doing so.

She takes a few steps back and sits down, "We were teasing for some people that can be fun." Lilith says quietly, sitting on the ground. "You don't have to join. Even if you want to, but it doesn't feel right. Even if you love the person involved and you don't want them to be unhappy." Lilith is quiet looking at Katarinya

"I don't know what you and Celestine have, I don't know if you hate me being here and I misread signals. We don't tell you you're welcome as coercion. It's a sign that if some day in the future, maybe far far far in the future, maybe never, you're welcome. On your terms." Lilith says quietly with a smile.

"I want to maim you." Katerinya growls, "Cut, burn, slice, shoot. I want to mount you to my ship and every other slaughter I can think of."

"I'd like that especially if that's how it needs to be for you to show you care." Lilith says happily, looking at her, that she's letting her feelings out.

"But I don't want to kill you." The voice almost cracks at that, as if its some grand, complete, terrible shame. That because of that, she's a failure. "I am the dagger of the Imperium, its hidden blade to do everything that must stay in the dark." She's glaring now, burning a hole in a wall as she speaks, "I should not have weakness, doubt is my enemy."

"Oh, because I'm mostly alien parts? Does it not matter that Celestine turns me human? I don't know really what an inquisitor does." Lilith admits looking at her, "I just know I've never seen you doubt anything. You're convicted to your ideals seeing me as important doesn't change that if I were a threat you'd do what had to be done."

She's looking at Katarinya, "Do you really think, if I did something to hurt you, or Celestine, or anything you love you wouldn't burn down heaven, hell, the warp, and every system between you and me to make sure that I paid dearly for the mistake?"

Katerinya stares at Lilith with something empty in her, like a soul that's been long since torn out, "I wouldn't care to make you pay, Lilith. You'd be a name on paper then."

"Right, so it sounds like you don't have any doubts, your ideals are firm. You're still the hidden blade." Lilith follows up, the empty stare leaving her unphased. A woman who has spent her entirety staring at Ultralisks, Hydralisks, Mutalisks, Abathur. Tearing out horrific biomorphs, and tearing apart for resequencing. "You're… Convicted. It's a switch, and the minute I'm out of line that switch gets flicked. I don't doubt that, I just don't intend to get out of line so it doesn't bother me. I know all that, I love you because of that."

"Do you want to understand it." Katerinya growls out, one eye beginning to flicker to a milky white, "You don't. I can make you."

"Okay." Lilith says, "That's fine, please do I want to understand you."

Her hand moves to grab the side of Lilith's head roughly, a blue-mist glow emanating from it. Both women's eyes roll back as centuries of service are transferred. A gunshot retort grows familiar, the peculiar sound of a body stiffening at death drills into Lilith constantly, every variety imaginable. The way violence becomes easy, then necessary, then an addiction, how blood feels when its coating every inch of you. How a world's ashes drift from between your fingers after three words commanded it.

How the survivors decry your name, how you become the monster of those you hope to protect. Of isolation and hatred hounding you for centuries. Of nothing but vitriolic fury keeping you in the fight. There's a separation, Lilith blinks back to sanity, to here, while Katerinya vibrates with that same fury, controlling it, honing it, bringing it to her.

"I'm not a psyker, but can I try to share something with you?" She says, looking at Katerinya, breathing deeply, shaken a bit, but not overwhelmingly so. "I want to show you the hive memories, of a woman I loved very dearly."

"Fine." Katerinya grabs the side of Lilith's had again.

Lilith focuses on first, herself and Tarsonis, the Zerg swarming her planet, ripping her, then Kerrigan, the Queen of blades, years of her tormenting Terrans, and herself, tormenting everyone. Then generations, thousands of generations of Zerg, thousands of different adaptations, first stupid, warring, mean, the Overmind, the Brood Wars. Fighting with Mengsk, deep memories that she had taken from Abathur, years of being tortured, Lilith reliving those years over and over for a woman who destroyed worlds who did not have mercy. Who was incapable of understanding the concept of what needed to be done and what didn't.

The Zerg, the old Zerg this horrifying biophage that threatened galaxies and tore things to pieces. Then unity, it learning, adapting. Creating Lilith. Abathur choosing Lilith to help Kerrigan, programming Lilith to love and care for people so that the Zerg could learn something anything besides being genocidal monsters. It working, and that woman, that awful woman who Lilith loved more than anything else deciding that she'd rather condemn the world than work with the imperium threatening everything over and over again. Lilith killing her twice because she loved her more then life itself but she loved people everyone more. That everyone was good, and no-one was irredeemable as long as they had reasons and beliefs and morals and ideals.

There's a clash, a violent shove against that, a deep seated truth that lies somewhere in Katarinya, bashed there by pain and betrayal and hatred alike. No one is innocent. It repeats constantly, a song, a drum, a chant in her deepest mind. Nothing is pure. It continues, pulsing in her, only interrupted by the image of Celestine on rare, sudden occasions.

"Was it too much? I'm sorry." Lilith said quietly. "Innocence and Purity are notions that help people do things, but they're not useful. What's useful is what's pragmatic, for the survival of the people you love and care about."

"There is nothing beyond the Imperium's survival." Katarinya states with a sad, deathly fanaticism, "Nothing, no one."

"Correct, that's one of the reasons I had to kill Kerrigan." Lilith said, "I didn't realise it at the time, but I started planning when she attacked the admiral, when I realised that if she led the Zerg she'd try to wipe it out."

There's a darkening to her at that, as if finding it distasteful that someone else faced a betrayal. "You've faced one such faithlessness. I have hundreds." The growl that escapes her is wounded and angry, rage the stitching keeping her together, fully on display now.

"You're a good person, it doesn't matter how many you've faced. You're a good person because you're true to what you believe. You have a moral code, it's compatible with what you do, just doesn't match what most people tell you it should be." Lilith continues to stare, her voice is low calm and even though she knows that Katarinya has probably now heard it a millions times with a dozen different people at this point. "It's not just one though. The other ones are just really small, so they don't seem significant. Someone cheating, someone stealing, someone making me homeless, someone getting me arrested. They're not… Big betrayals, they don't match, but I saw your mind, and I saw someone worth trusting. Not someone to recoil from."

"And what, that means I should kiss you now?" She barks, finding solace in the anger.

"No, what I saw makes me think you're a very far way from that with someone. It means that some day, if you want to talk about it we can. If some day, you want to kiss Celestine." Lilith says pointedly, "You can. It's that right now, today, you're in a spot where some of the things you want aren't possible or compatible. Find as close as you can get, and because we, that's both of us, love you we'll work with you. If some day, you want to get closer, we'll accommodate. If some day you need to be further, we can accommodate that too."

Lilith says very softly, pushing everything to try and make it clear that this isn't an accusation, or an attack or a failing. "What you want may not be possible now. That doesn't mean it's impossible forever. Until then, sit with us. Eat my food, listen to Celestine's songs, be tossed around and get called Kat, and throw knives at me. All of that stuff is great, makes me happy. We'll do what it takes to get you as close to happy as you feel you can achieve."

Katarinya has a long period of silence fall over her, the sort that shouldn't be broken. Eventually, she finds words with no stutter, no breaks nor issues, as if completely untouched by anything. "Death in the Emperor's service is the only happiness a dagger deserves, Lilith." She's stiffened into her shell, fanaticism replacing humanity.

"Sometimes we get better than what we deserve. When we're really lucky, there's people around us, maybe even put there by some bigger power, that gives us so much more than we deserve, because we are worth more to them then we are to ourselves." Lilith says, looking at her with a smile, looking at her shell. "That may be all you deserve, but what you deserve isn't your maximum."

"The galaxy has a sense of humour." Katarinya finally says, low and quiet, pulling an inhaler out, letting its chemicals discharge into her mouth with a hiss of air. "A quadrillion souls that would need this, and I have to be the one to receive it. The one already ready to die."

"I don't agree with you, but it is a moot point." The chemicals seem to calm her, remove a stress that speaks of addiction, "The universe doesn't care what either of us think, it follows the calls of thirsting gods and base mathematics. Truth will outweigh any argument I have." It's a common justification for her, far too practised to be anything but. "The future will…decide the truth." Truth is an obsession of hers, it was evident in the wash of memory, truth always preempted death. No execution without reason no matter how big or small.

"I'd like to prove to you then, that you're worth what we want to give you." Lilith said quietly, "Let the future decide, test it by Celestine the Saint of Truth who says you are worth it. I'd say by myself but uh… You saw my memories. I'm a bad test case." Her face falls, sad, looking to the side.

Katarinya rolls her eyes, lacking back down in bed, "You've tormented me enough for one day."

"Fair, I'll… Put up a sheet or something? I'm sorry I covered your room in body glitter." Lilith says as she grabs a blanket and starts to think about how to pin it up.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Once Lilith had finally heard Katarinya and Celestine fall asleep. She reached out with her mind to… Somewhere. Anywhere. Searching for a ping, a heart, a pop, something to fill the yearning void. There was nothing, once Ana left, Zhakarov had finally gotten his wish. Lilith was completely disconnected from the swarm. All she had was her hatchery.

Not completely. Varynna's presence infects the link, I haven't forgotten you.

How? They've cut me out of everything. Or was Ana helping and I didn't realize it? Lilith never felt this empty, even out here she had felt the long lines of brood mothers back. Now she truly felt nothing, she checked her sequence, she was cut out they had changed something and left her out. Or is it that you're looking out for me?

There's a chuckle from the other end as the world starts to ripple, a request, a tug into mental space, into Swarm-space. I dislike being just a voice, come along with me?

The body needed rest anyways, and Lilith found herself far away on the Rage of Mercury into Swarm-space, the metaphysical representation of focus and psychology. It was easier then it was, when she was a pink ball of light, so long ago. Now it was just… Her, exactly as she was, exactly as she was supposed to be . "Hi Varynna," she said morosely. Trying to hide waves of sadness that were impossible to hide. "I'm a brood of one again. It bugs me, I did nothing wrong, I fought so hard. I did so much… If it wasn't for Saint Celestine and Guilliman I don't think I'd have bothered, just fly into the sun."

Varynna's sitting-lounging really in a very comfortable looking chair, a replica of a very real one. A fireplace crackling with a hefty scent of aged wood. She's absolutely gorgeous, black slit dress hanging off her like the day she went to the ball, so many months ago, necklace of onyx on her neck a fond memory.

"You look nice, did Guilliman end up hitting it off with you after dinner?" Lilith asked, barely remembering what was said after Celestine carried her and Katarinya out (but remembering the conversation after very vividly.

"Oh it went alright. But I'm competing with a dead woman. It's a lost cause." She shrugs, not overly bothered. "I can't outdo a memory. It's aggravating at times."

Memories of Lilith firing a las-gun into Kerrigan's back flits through swarm space. "Well, you're probably handling it better than I did."

Varynna taps the seat next to her, gesturing for Lilith to stop standing ahead of her, "You're already taller than me Lilith, no need to flaunt it by standing." She smiles as she speaks.

"I think I'm going to go back to being little again, actually soon. I can't stand the…" There's something there that she doesn't like about being big and expected to be strong. She imagines herself as the way she feels right, how she normally is. "I can't stand the… There's an expectation. When you're six-one. Like people see you but as someone who must do. And no-one seems to trust me with anything anyways." Instead of sitting next to Varynna, she leans across her seat.

Varynna listens, hand reaching out to rest on Lilith, a small, comforting circle that's ever so familiar beginning.

"I miss you." She admits quietly. "You know what to do."

"I know you well, Lilith." Varynna answers confidently, "I can't imagine your…discomfort? Anger? Pain?" She flips through the words.

"Can I be honest?" Lilith says quietly.

"My lips and mind are sealed." Varynna assures.

Looking at her, "If I thought I could get away with it, I'd have them crack Illar in two the ungrateful fucks. Take Abathur and just fucking leave."

Varynna smiles, a cold enjoyment of what Lilith just said, "Oh, you have no idea how tempted I am on that. Zhakarov is fine, if masculine, Anastasia is…a character now and before now."

"Bitter." Lilith said quietly, "Mean? Hurtful? Hated me in the middle of a fucking crusade? Left me for going to save a fucking Saint? Asked me why I could just always ask for physical affection? A rotten f—" Lilith took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. "I don't even know why I'm mad, I'm glad I found the Imperium, Saint Celestine and even the Inquisitor. They at least make sense, have clear morals and feelings, and a sense of fucking logic. Guilliman is actually a good person…"

"You realise I too am of the Imperium, still?" Varynna chuckles, "It's always been interesting to me, to see how…different the human minds within the Swarm are. How desperate for connection they are, for control"

Lilith nods, looking at Varynna, "It's purposeful, to stop a Broodwar and to make sure there's never another Kerrigan, as long as there's multiple infested they'll cling to humans around them. Unless they're like… You or… Well I thought me, but I think I'm the other opposite." She admitted. "It's all very easy to change to cut up and rearrange but it hurts, and it takes studying of basically cutting yourself over and over. They don't even realise what I'm capable of, what they lost. Literally, if you want your own Swarm, it's three cuts, a hatchery and a drone."

Varynna nods again, listening to Lilith, being something resembling utter stability, "I will admit as well, I hate it around the others without you. It's like…their minds are numbers, nothing else. A logistic engine for a Swarm. Everything remaining is drowned out."

"Yeah, I'm… Special, I was built to stabilize Kerrigan." The word made her feel gross and used now, now that she knew what it meant. "To replace a memory of a man she knew for two years. The Slaanesh Daemon was even an attempt to get me to manipulate her into a relationship. It was all set-up pre-ordained with no choice and it felt so real."

"Abathur, I think, is a master of craftsmanship." Varynna states, moving her hand into Lilith's tendrils, gently intermingling with them.

"He's the only thing worth saving. He… He doesn't change his mind easily, but he understands. He's learned to learn. No-one even appreciates him. One of the worst things, about all of this is he cuts himself off, alone. To build a home for all of these ungrateful fucks, who then return to scream at him for not making the right kind of mutalisk, making the Queen's request or Va… Something, Vagara? Or… Ugh."

"Zagara, she's a treat." Varynna's gently rubbing Lilith's scalp.

Lilith snorts, "She either loves me because I proved I was stronger than the Queen, loves Ana, or hates us bot for daring strike out."

"None of that, actually. She thinks she should be in charge." Varynna chuckles, "Anastasia is… unstable according to her, you were stupid, according to her, the Queen of Blades had no vision, according to her." Still smiling, she finishes, "She had no issues with me however, which is fair, I am, after all, perfect."

"I'm starting to think you had this whole thing figured out, and I should have just trusted you from the beginning. Zagara'll just go to war with the Imperium in a year and get the entire place nuked, she'll say anything for power. Anastasia is dedicated to the religion but she can hide stuff from the Swarm using her little dissociative trick. I think she'd go to war, or at least start fucking things up. Zhakarov just wants to play numbers until he can out-number everything, and wants me far away because I'm too squirrely. The Ultralisk is nice, if a weird "Honour and Blood" Guy. The Swarm is fucked because they can't adapt to the idea that they're not the biggest thing in the galaxy anymore. They're used to the concept of being able to wipe out gods." Lilith admitted, knowing that Varynna had access to the memories, but might lack the context from Abathur, who was disconnected or his talks of the Overmind. "The… Big guy, the original guy was in a centa-millenia old war with a god, and I think? He won, but he died. I thought it was a euphemism until I came here, where gods just stroll around and dare you to deny their existence." She puts her hand on Varynna's and moves it to her back.

Continuing her ministrations, Varynna answers in the lull, "I think…they would love that Overmind back. I've felt it in Zhakarov."

"It's all they want. It might mean the death of the System, or a second possibly worse set of Tyranids." She made sure to convey the serious of the threat, when reading about the worse species on the edge of the system. "It can not come to pass if humanity wants a chance."

Varynna hums in agreement, "Thankfully, it cannot come to pass at all. The Overminds Essence is in tatters. Abathur bemoans it in our conversations. Something like… a psychic spacecraft of some kind? Impacted it, shredded it."

"Amon maybe… If he's around still. Or the Protoss are here… Which'd be… They could work with Terrans, but not if they suspect they're working with the Zerg, which uh…" She gestures to Varynna.

"This was, I think, in your time, on a world that went by Aiur." Varynna explains, "A battlefield?"

"Oh… Right, yeah. That guy I told you about, the one Kerrigan love? Convinced a protoss to crash into the Overmind and kill him. I mean there was a lot of preamble to that, as all wars do, but that's how it ended. A drunk fuck-up with better friends willing to do better things." Lilith hated Raynor, somehow blaming him for everything that went wrong. This stupid fucking cowboy that lives in her mind because of psychic backlash from killing an evil woman. "I can smell him when I hear certain sounds. Thanks Kerrigan."

"I missed you too, by the way." Varynna softly says.

"I used to be nicer." Lilith said quietly, "Battle was fun, but war was hard." It wasn't even really like she was responding to Varynna, just… Feeling listened to and understood. "You know I love you like family right?"

"Of course, I still remember the point I earned clear as day." Varynna smiles,softly nuzzling Lilith as she shifts to get to another spot on her back, now more of an impromptu massage than just comfort.

"Not that I don't think you're attractive, I'm just wired up… Wrong. Only the one kind of love that I keep trying to fit in a million shapes." She whispers, "Just made incorrectly, keep trying to improve an impossible design, the magnum opus of an impossible idea."

"Lilith." Varynna croons out, tickling the other woman with her breath, "I won't let someone I love hate themselves." A careful admission, but honest. Her eye is filled with Essence, her position in the Swarm obviously much in advance of where Lilith last saw her.

"Thank you." Lilith says, "I blamed everyone for how Kerrigan treated me, said everyone was manipulating me because it was easier than admitting I was loving someone who could never love me back." She rolled over just a bit, to… Mime a hug, if not quite managing one.

"Would this be easier if it was a bed?" Varynna questions, somewhat to herself.

"Probably." Lilith admitted, "But I'd have gotten the wrong idea if you started that way, so you still made the right choice." The admission with the room change made it easier for her to lounge, in a bedroom she had never seen. One with gold and statues, and mirrors. Of someone who loved themselves, or at least wanted to project that idea.

"Of course I did." Varynna smiles at the lounging Lilith, stroking her arm slowly, "When have I ever done wrong by you? Ignoring the times I have." The smile grows into a self-satisfied grin.

Lilith smiles, but she thinks about it, "Honestly, besides… Wanting my company, what did you actually do wrong?" Lilith says quietly, almost sad and guilty with herself.

A light smack on Lilith's arm is the first sign of displeasure, "Wanting your company is not a mistake. Say that again, and I'll get the paddl–"

"Tell that to Kerrigan and Ana." Lilith said sadly, looking morose, "Saint Celestine is literally a Saint. The Imperium Literally has Saints and Gods and good forces hidden inside."

Varynna hits a wall of exasperation, "What about Kerrigan and Anastasia? What about them. They were people looking at you for something you were not. They were clawing to break you into a shape. They did not make a mistake by wanting you, they made a mistake by being stupid." She has a hefty tone of aggrieved annoyance to her, built up over years.

Lilith hugs her, almost leaping into her arms trying not to cry. "No-one has said anything besides don't feel that way. This is the first thing that's made sense." The tears are thick despite her efforts, at some kindness from someone she respected.

Holding the much larger woman, Varynna continues, "Once again, you should come to me more often. Everyone else was never anything near normal, near human."

"You seem so busy all the time, I'm worried I'm bothering you or wasting your time." Lilith had never said it before, but it was true. She left Varynna alone, but pined for her attention constantly. A momentary fleeting panic hits her as the truth flies out through Swarm Space.

"My time is always yours to take, Lilith." She gently brushes her fingers on Lilith's back, keeping the hug going, "Always."

Lilith whispered, "I don't think you know how good going to that dinner was for Katarinya and Celestine and I. It was selfish to try and fit my needs in there too, but it made us so much closer." The tears are still thick, and she's still squeezing her hard, "You make me feel… Good. I normally have better words for these things."

"I'll consider your speechlessness a compliment, how's that?" She whispers back.

"Thanks…" Lilith finally pulled away, falling back on her knees as if sitting at a tea ceremony. "I'm sorry to focus on work now, but would it be bad to… try and build up with my little hatchery, in case things on your side get… Squirrely?"

Varynna nuzzles deeply into Lilith, chasing her as she moves away, just as needy for contact, "Whatever you need to do, Lilith. I'll get you more resources, if you need them to feel safe."

Lilith leans back into the hug, almost apologetically in emotion, if not movement. Then an even quieter… More scared feeling starts seeping out, thinking of the Feather that whispered to her, Manth suddenly begging to be free. Psykers ripping thoughts out of minds, "This is you… Right? It feels like you…"

"I remember talking to you in my ship, the first time you came to me, before I was infested, when my memories were partially mechanism." Varynna smiles at the memory, hazy as it is, "I remember us playing a game, and me tricking you into a kiss. I remember the moment of wanting to lean into me, and having to crush it down."

"I remember wanting you to do the very opposite." The smaller woman tries to prove she's herself. "Is that…enough?"

"Yes, it's… Man fuck birds." Lilith said finally, angrily. "They're the worst ones I think. At least the angry ones, or the horny ones don't… Make you doubt everything." Chaos, now Chaos infested her worries ontop of everything else.

"Don't turn into me Lilith." Varynna almost begs, a refined beg, but still one, "Be at least carefree. Don't let this galaxy tear that out." She finally looks Lilith in the eyes again, her one remaining shiny. "I can't watch that."

"You're still so good though." Lilith says back,trying to convince her, "It's just… Hard for people to see their own worth the longer they live with themselves."

"The world is vectors of danger to me, Lilith. To you, its bright, happy, full of love and life and light." Varynna goes from word to word with a joyful lilt. "Its so…beautiful, so fresh and enticingly adoring. If it vanishes, I'd be devastated."

Varynna smiles at Lilith, something mischievous, pulling some tension out of her words, "And you don't want me vulnerable, do you?"

"I do a little bit, but that's just because I feel like we'd be insane together the first time." Lilith says with a wink, "Every time I talk to you, I want to cry for an hour, feel better, then kiss you. It's incredibly dangerous you should know. Half the women I've gotten involved with have been ruined by my charms."

Varynna considers, pursing her lips, "Do…you want to try?" There's hints of nerves to her, and if they can be seen at all in Lord Admiral Varynna, they must be truly crushing her. "It's been…a long time–."

Lilith is already leaning in, "I really do, and I hate that I didn't ask sooner. Besides it's swarm-space this could be a dream for all we know." Her lips are almost touching, and she's not intending to pull away this time. Centimetres now. They touch.

Varynna stiffens at the touch, a sudden shock that she's terrified of. Lilith almost stops before a hand keeps her there, slow, careful touches from Varynna relaxing her, minute by minute as she starts to kiss back, instincts returning, peerless at this just like anything else. Separation for breath is followed by another lock of lips as the dress is almost skin tight from being caught under the partners.

As they separate again, Varynna comments, "Oh, that's why I liked kissing." She's smiling, a light flush to her, nerves mixing in with pleasure as her hands can't stop drifting up and down Lilith's body, rubbing, touching and teasing.

"It's worse with other people," Lilith says quietly, "I'm just special." Her hands are on Varynna's hips now, and she's deep in her embrace. "Just kissing today, until I talk to Celestine, she says follow my heart, but… Everyone…" Then she whispers, "Fuck it," and kisses Varynna again far more deeply this time, pushing her lightly backwards, giving her a chance to fall back or push against her.

She grabs Lilith and forces her to fall with her, landing on her side, throwing a leg overtop the other woman's on a burst of instinct, "Just a warning, Lilith." Varynna's smiling, a nervous, fragile, excited thing, "I may cry."

"It's ok, I may ask you to do some horrifically violent things to me." She whispers back before shaking her head, "Pretend I said something normal please."

"Why? I'd rather listen to you." She leans in, going for a point on Lilith's neck that draws a gasp, hand simultaneously trembling yet confident in how it strokes her thigh, just barely teasing the inner portions with nails and fingertips.

Did… Celestine say follow your heart that she'd support you… Did she say stay monogamous? She tried to get Katerinya involved, but that was different, right and… God she's wanted this for so long, and she denied it to herself because of other people repeatedly telling her not the Admiral, because she kept telling herself not the admiral.

"You're so beautiful Varynna, I never tell you it because I'm scared, but you're so pretty." Lilith looks into her piercing eye, her cool almost trembling demeanour. Another kiss, a deeper kiss, this one trying to steal as much breath as possible.

Varynna finds the wherewithal to scratch, elegant nails pulling a slow, careful line on Lilith's back. When they separate, the Admiral is smiling, an elegant quirk to her lips, porcelain skin shot through with a dark blush. "Compliments from you are…amazing, did you know?" She asks with that smile, eye wide and shiny, a tear threatening to spill at any moment.

Lilith nods, with pure radiant joy, "Yeah, it's why I try to tell people nice things so often." Then she kisses her neck, savouring the gentle play as she suckles, hissing with joy as the nails tear at flesh. Letting them simply move back and forth. She moves further south, further, Clothes that aren't real are ripped off, and they intertwine coiling around each other. A twinge of guilt passes as she thinks of a recent conversation with Celestine.

"I'll give you the point instead Lilith," Varynna said a morose tone infecting her inflection.

A heavy push forces Lilith away, shunting her off quickly. The psychic maelstrom rejecting her. Far away from the swarm. Far away from everything. Once more alone, in a ship, with a broken wall, a Saint on her side, and an Inquisitor who growled in their sleep.

 

[Princess Scribe]

The air is terrible, an almost choking smog on the surface of Stygies VIII. Katerinya has a rebreather on, a mechanical model with an audible hiss to clear the air down on this Forge World. The ground is dusty and deserted, turning to that sandy yellow that all moisture-starved earth does, harsh, gnarled plants clinging to life between rock and crevices.

"A blasted world." Katerinya grumbles in another one of her Noir moments, something Lilith's getting familiar with, "The gnarled skin is much like its soul, corrupt to the core. Machine and industry–" Her rote is cut off.

"Kinda looks like the creep I'm growing on the ship." Lilith says looking at the yellow earth, plucking a bit of it between her fingers rolling the chalky substance around. "Oh sorry," Lilith says as she peeks her head out from Katerinya's side standing just behind her.

Katerinya glares at Lilith with a turned head, water-absorbing suit tight to her body, saving her precious moisture and letting her bear the punishing heat unenhanced. It seems to be gripping her tightly, trying to suck in sweat and moisture.

The atmosphere is thick with the detritus of millenia of industrial excess; a choking smog obscures the sun high overhead, casting the landscape in a uniform palette of dull ochre and gunmetal gray sucking life out of the yellow earth. In the distance towering chimneys belch smoke and ash into the already thick smog. Hulking transport platforms rumble in the distant across tracks, occasionally sending shard of broken rock, hauling cast loads of ore to the waiting maws of monstrous forges.

The voice of Saint Celestine— a request for peace between her and Katerinya — guides Lilith, helping stem the lecherous comments. Well, they help a little bit, it can't stop her eyes though. The Inquisitor was a woman of athleticism, and obviously was gifted even before then. The urge to try and goad the woman into violent play was at odds with the promise she gave to Saint Celestine to behave. Though, as she stared at the latex suit she did remember she promised moderation not abstinence. Still, no touching. Especially no pinching. Lilith chided herself as she crept on Katerinya.

Lilith wasn't wearing a still suit, her biology largely well adapted for most environments found it rather limiting. She looked out of place, as she normally did in the foreign galaxy that was quickly becoming her home. A cat like smile, replete with whiskers sprouted across her face as she said, "So… Do those come in Celestine size? I'm suddenly thinking of seeing if she'd be down for a change of wardrobe."

Katerinya growls, "Keep your filth to yourself. We've work to do." She keeps moving to the distant forge, approaching on foot to avoid detection by the authorities she is suspicious of.

"Isn't keeping the filth to yourself part of what the still suit is for?" Lilith asks, her weirdly fluid movements bringing her quickly to the other side of Katerinya, starting to pester in the relatively safe space of the barren moon's surface. Holding close to the mesa they were following the edge of.

The retort of a bolt pistol, Katerinya's new favourite, followed by the gyrojet round screaming just to the left of Lilith's head is the Inquisitor's response.

"For a precog you miss a lot." Lilith says as she quickly ducks scrambling low, before leaping back as a second shot fires in front of her. Katerinya finally hits a rock face, sighing as she climbs it, having to holster her firearm and do the slow work of pulling herself up in the heavy gravity of the moon. Lilith on the other hand soars up the stones like she weighs nothing, waiting for her at the top. Sitting with her legs crossed in her black sun dress, letting her carapace heels (oddly reminiscent of stilettos,) bounce teasingly as she looks down at the climbing Inquisitor.

As Katerinya crests her climb she slaps away Lilith's hand aggressively. Though Lilith suspected she was grateful for the offer, even if she didn't say it. Zerg eyes, and Imperium mono's surveyed the distant city from the plateau on the mesa. The stoic silence etching itself into the stone face, though broken again, by the constant pestering of the xeno.

"So… Why are you suspicious of the cops here?" Lilith finally asks as a fourth set of eyelids — transparent fleshy lenses — focus her vision.

"The Cog-Lords of Stygies are well known for their obsession with the forbidden reaches of technology, Xenos and corrupt alike." Katerinya growls.

"Cog-Lords like cognitive Cog-Lords like Psykers, or Cog-Lords like gear." The other asks, pulling out a deck of cards trying to get them to move through her hands in complicated patterns.

"Centuries, if not millennia old Tech Priests of the Machine God." Katerinya answers, coming to a knee and sipping water from the suit's mouthpiece.

"Why do they get to have their own god? Like what's the company line?" The Zerg isn't looking at her as she continues to needle, finally getting the hang of making small ladders with the deck and then letting them fall into place, though at one point dropping them, forcing a few tendril to lash out from under the dress and retrieve them.

Katerinya stands up, looking at the breaks in the smog above revealing a blue giant of a Jovian, glaring down at the world. "They are not of the Imperium. If we are speaking…" She trails off trying to find the right word, "Officially, this is not within my…purvey."

The ladder starts to get a little less janky as she starts again with her hands, "I didn't know you could be not of the Imperium." Looking up at The Inquisitor once again. "Sounds like we're breaking the law, how scandalous."

"Shut up." Katerinya hisses, "The ancient alliance of the Imperium and the Adeptus Mechanicus is—."

Lilith cuts Katerinya off, "Being jeopardized by us doing some extra-legal murder?"

Katerinya goes to a nearby cavern, sliding into it, "Follow me xenos, we will need your strength for this." Her barked order echoes off the cavern walls, dust and sand slipping off them.

Though the fact that she was needed and Katerinya admitted it filled a very special part of her heart, skipping along behind her as they walk into a cavern in the mesa top. Watching the inquisitor slide down the wall, choosing to simply leap to the bottom instead. "What do you need me for?" Lilith said, putting much sugar on the word need.

Katerinya draws her weapon and pushes it into Lilith's throat, "Gone too long without dying have we?" She growls out, stressed by the heat and Lilith's existence alike. As she draws near, grabbing Lilith by the scruff of her dress pulling the smaller woman into the barrel of the gun, Lilith finally took note of the flushed face and sweat on Katerinya's brow. Quickly making note that it might be much hotter for a Terran than she had suspected.

"Oh, it's hot as balls here isn't it?" Lilith chose to ignore the question entirely, making it clear without saying it, that she hadn't noticed the Terran's discomfort. A small offer of peace delivered in a way that allows Katerinya to side step asking for help, or backing down.

"Quite." She hisses, dancing to their particular language as she puts away the bolt pistol, heavily resting in its hip holster. Turning back to a fabric covered shape and starting to untie its edges.

Sometimes, when Katerinya was in a mood, the best thing Lilith should do was be quiet, though the best she could do was point the chatter in a healthier direction. Her tendrils reaching out in multiple directions to undo knots quickly, "Had a fun conversation with Guilliman the other day. Asked about you! Wanted to know how you were doing." Normally this would lead its way into a joke or tease, instead she went with honesty, "I said you were healthy, and still exuding excellence. He seemed to agree. Do you get accolades or medals for being an Inquisitor?"

"No." The Inquisitor answers, finally pulling the last of the cloth tie-downs apart, ripping the cover off a dune buggy of some variety. Its powerful engine sits in a skeletal metal frame. "We do not." She continue to answer as she gets in and turns the powerful engine on, screaming to life in a fusion warble, powered by a man-made star.

"Well the fleet admiral sends his regards, wait no… Fleet commander? Captain? No wait… The… Fleet… God Emperor Jr." She settles on finally. Looking at the engine with a bit of wonder, "You guys have the coolest shit."

"Get in." She says, there being no space for anyone else. Well, except Katerinya herself. Unless Lilith were to hang off the roof.

"You… said in." Lilith said staring at her for a moment, making very slow movements to make sure Katerinya had time to correct her if she had misunderstood putting a leg very slowly and carefully as she moved to rest on Katerinya's lap before stopping pulling out, "I'm a hundred and two kilograms are you sure you can support that?"

"Get in the Warp damned buggy so this can get over with." She growls, not pleased with the situation either, "It's too fast for you to hang off it."

Lilith very quickly got in side, trying to find the least promiscuous way to do this, which mostly involved following the opposite of her natural instinct. "Ok, you have to understand why I double checked though." She said as she chose to sit sideways in the fetal position, instead of her first instinct to straddle the inquisitor.

"If you fall off, I'm not stopping." The inquisitor takes the manual transmission in hand, switching gears as she presses herself into the seat to gain a measure of stability. "Are you secure." Katarinya asks in the only show of concern so far.

"No, but… The secure way is…" Lilith looked at her trying to measure respect with safety, "It's quite… There's no seat belts, I'd have to grip the back of your seat. I'd have to face you the entire way. This felt like a good compromise."

"I won't be tempted by you, don't worry." Katerinya rolls her eyes, "You have ten seconds to decide." The engine starts to roil again, a scream of vented air as the wheels start to grip and turn, park brake still on.

She quickly shifts looking down and to the side, trying to be respectful as she tilts out of Katerinya's way so she can at least see. Wrapping her arms over her shoulders, then quickly under her arms somehow seeming… Less. Just altogether less

The vehicle accelerates from a stop to far too fast in a breath as her foot presses down on the accelerator, eyes going white as the only way a human could use this vehicle is precognition. Swerving past rocks, covering the hundred miles of distance at a terrifying pace, leaving a tide of dust behind the vehicle underneath the roar of a fusion reactor.

The vibration of the dune buggy made Lilith make a very unbidden noise. "Ah~" Before quickly swearing under her breath, "Sorry! Sorry." The buggy tickled her, and sent shivers down her spine. Her breath being held as she tries not to make a sound. The shaking rattle making contact unfortunate for her attempts at being chaste.

Katerinya is paying no heed to her, focused entirely on the drive, looking just past Lilith's shoulder whilst shifting gears constantly. In the distance, winged machines rise and start flying towards the buggy. As they near, she jerks the steering wheel, sending a shock through the overburdened suspension whilst a rain of irradiated shells land nearby from the bursting transuranic carbines of the flying security servictors.

"Mechanism hides more than just intelligence here." Katerinya growls, "A sheen of metal covering a vast pustulent beast of heresy." The drive turns to a spin as she rips the steering wheel another direction, regaining control after four breakneck rotations that force Lilith into her, making her grab the woman by the tendrils and forcing her down and out of her line of sight. Lilith's face now, burrowed into her chest, still trying desperately not to make a single sound, both for her own safety and Katerinya's sanity. She found herself squirming slightly, and tried to force that behaviour out of herself

A bolt pistol barks in a burst of shells, sending the screaming rocket-propelled rounds up, recoil translating through Katarinya and into Lilith whilst a flying servitor comes down, detonating in a shockwave as it impacts the ground, Katarinya's other hand still on the steering wheel, nearing the great Forge-City ahead, minutes left whilst the other security servitor sends another burst of transuranic shells, crackling with radiation to Lilith's enhanced senses. Very quickly swearing again, Lilith pressed close with an apology, draping over Katerinya catching the bullets with her back. Causing a gasp that she tried to make sound pained, though instead another "Ah~" and a string apologies coming from her lips as fear splits across her face. This time forcing her head over her shoulder so the woman could see.

Another two shots impact the servitor as she holsters her bolt pistol, the shockwave of the detonating thing rippling over the two women, sending Katarinya's hair in a wave. She switches gears, growling, "Hold me tightly." Kicking the vehicle into unbelievable speed rather than merely terrifying. Directly at a wall.

God I hope that suit is made of rubber, she thought, closing her eyes feeling miserable not wanting to force something while holding Katerinya tightly, but not tight enough to maim or kill. Making matters worse for herself as the speed intensifies. Memories of sitting on the washing machines in the laundromat come unwanted to her mind as she tries to be quiet instead just panting as the bullet wounds sting, and her body shakes, and god she looks Like Celestine but a domme. Just praying to the god emperor that Katerinya was too busy driving to hear her thoughts. A feeling that she very much wanted to force away came rising in her throat. Please say this stops SOON. Her prayer now actualized as she focused on Guilliman and the God Emperor hoping that at least would help.

The wall impact is a tremendous shock of whiplash as Katerinya holds onto Lilith with one arm, letting go of the gear-stick to make sure the other woman doesn't fly off her, gritting her teeth as metres of rockcrete are shattered through by the glimmering Rosarius around her neck, the Inquisitorial symbol flaring with the pulse of an energy shield strained to its limits, used as an implement of breaching. Keeping the buggy intact through the entire wall.

As shards smash free, the buggy comes to a spinning stop in a street, people staring at it terrified, interrupted from their daily tasks in this dark-lit, oddly familiar yet unfamiliar place. Cyberware common in all of them, glowing eyes, mechanical limbs and even some red robes of the Cult here. Katerinya growls out stressed, "We have to get somewhere private." Trying to shift against Lilith.

A face that Katerinya most likely recognized was on Lilith's face as the smaller tries to find words, "I.. Sorry. I need a second. My legs." She says very softly. "My biology locks up. Thirty seconds." Panting as she lets go, trying to crawl away her mind a long string of apologies.

"Quickly." Katerinya demands, not giving Lilith a moment to breathe. Heeled boots slamming into the road below and staring at the crowd as her rosette is hidden in the stillsuit. She spots an alley and makes her way to it quickly.

Lilith finally stops shivering and gets herself under control looking down with a grimace as she quickly placed a stack of thrones on a counter, stealing a bucket of water and drenching herself head to toe. Breaking into a full, hands and knees Zergling like sprint trying to get out of sight immediately. Both now very frightened and very embarrassed.

The alley Katerinya is in leads to a door that she's already picked open. The inside is an abandoned factory, or perhaps warehouse of some kind. She's digging into a crate, trying to get it open.

"I am so so sorry." Lilith says immediately, once in the empty room, "I'm so sorry, don't kill me." She still immediately pops the crate open easily knowing work was the easiest way to move forward. "I'm really really sorry."

"Hnn." Katerinya growls, brushing fluid off her thigh annoyedly. The inside of the crate is full of normal clothes, jumpsuits, pants and shirts, dresses and other, more scandalous artefacts of feminine fashion. "Get dressed in something here, local fashions."

Lilith nods, not wanting to push at all against Katerinya, desperately fearful of the retribution that might come next, throwing together a chaste outfit. A tight fitting bodysuit that lead up to the neck with an open coat over that she had trouble zipping, all the clothes either too large, or much too small. Leaving it halfway open, she then put on boots that went up past the knees meeting just below where the legs of the body suit ended, leaving a small bit of carapace and skin revealed between the two. She quickly looked in a mirror and grimaced, realising that she had somehow on instinct alone picked a mostly covered outfit that was anything but chaste.

Katerinya grimaces at the same result, a bodysuit with multiple attachment points for tactical rigging having to stretch over her skin, covered by a black jacket that is of the same almost latex sheen. "I despise Forge World fashion." She hisses out as the reflective mirror show how covered, yet exposed her body is.

"This is a bit much yes," Lilith says as she looks at the two of them, "The jackets are narrower at the top then the bottom. That's just… bad design. I'm not enjoying thi—" She winces at the word, very quickly trying to think of anything else to say. "This has already been a bit of a me—" She stops again, looking at the Inquisitors still suit. "Clothing bad."

"Your grasp of Gothic always aggravates me." Katerinya glares at Lilith, hand itching for her bolt pistol.

She looks at her with even more embarrassment, "I was literally made to be a… Pet for the meanest, cruelest, most violent woman alive in our galaxy. I'm really not doing it on purpose, I like, try to kill that instinct when we work together." Not touching her, in fact not wanting to stand even overly close trying to keep a safe unstabbable distance from Katerinya, "I really am sorry. I'm literally built wrong."

Katerinya sighs, looking at a dataslate, reading over its contents before trying to connect to the Noosphere of the world, grimacing as she has to type in password after password, her eyes going white to guess them.

"I can do that qui— Oh you're doing, I type really fast if you want to read them out?" Lilith offers, continuing to try and be helpful and demure.

"If you keep being unnaturally out of character, I'm going to assume you are possessed and exorcise you." Katerinya threatens, finally blinking the white out of her eyes. Tapping at the dataslate and pulling up a map of the area, beginning her investigation of it.

A very stupid part of Lilith took over at what seemed like permission, she said, "Fair, so was it as good for you as it was for me?"

Katerinya shoots at Lilith's leg with a bolt pistol, blowing a chunk that starts healing rapidly out, spraying zerg life fluid across the warehouse.

"Okay" Lilith says with a hiss, as tendrils quickly move to ready herself, "I'll just get new… There are no more thigh highs." She swears. "This outfit got so much worse. Was that your plan?" She decided to just go without grimacing at the skinny triangle the suit ended in as she hunted for anything that she could throw over it that wouldn't be overly limiting. Fuck. Then ducking as a second bolt explodes the pile in front of her. "Oh come on." She groans as a stack of clothes her size is obliterated. "Ok, whatever. It's fine, I deserve that." She finally admits.

"The world has had a sudden jump in means. Stealth field technology now commonplace in their legions, Titan or otherwise." Katerinya explains, "With previous incidents of xenotech and warptech trade, this has attracted my attention. We are searching for the source of the advancement." Herr dataslate is mounted to a hip rig point, locking into the magnetic metal. "That means infiltration. Which means…" She trails off angrily.

"Oh no." Lilith whispers concerned, "You don't look happy about our cover story. You look miserable." Taking a few steps forward staring into her face as the anger only grows, "Ok, no kissing me without asking first," Lilith says with a giggle.

"Filth." She growls back. "We are a…union of two free merchant houses." Katerinya explains slowly. "Having access to much goods because of this."

The look on Lilith's face at the very thought of this almost earned another bolt pistol shot. "So is that why you had me bring all those thrones?" She asked trying to turn the attention anywhere but at the shear glee she was feeling at a very new and special game she'd be playing. "Are… We staying for multiple days?" The real question an undertone in her voice.

"We will be here for…as long as the investigation requires." Katerinya is in anguish at the question.

She looks at her clapping her hands once in front of her mouth, "They… I mean they probably don't have camera's where we're sleeping, I have no problem resting on the couch or floor."

"They are tech priests. Of course they know the difference in weight for one or two people on a modulated bed." She hisses, aggravated. "I hate noble covers."

Then Lilith's brows furrow a bit, a concerned look, "Katerinya… Gonna point out the genetically optimized pet thing again. You… may want to heavily consider an… Estranged, or Distant, or… Promiscuous cover story so that we do not share sleeping quarters."

"We will be at the welcome ball for an honoured guest in an hour. See if you can establish that part of the legend there." The Inquisitor growls, turning to the door.

"Ok, but also, electricity is better than knives to…" Trying to think of the not Lilith way to say this, "Get me off. Fuck. No to… Deter? To… Tell me to fuck off?"

"Banish you?" Katerinya growls wistfully.

 

[Princess Scribe]

As the doors of the sleek black taxi hiss open, warm, humid air rushes in, carrying with it a heady mix of exotic floral scents and the faint tang of burning fuel. The interior of the vehicle is tastefully appointed in shades of rich, dark wood trimmed with polished brass and leather upholstery that seats five in opulent comfort. The rear seats are upholstered in a plush, deep red material that whispers softly against bare skin, while the driver and front passenger seats are upholstered in supple black leather accented with silver threading.

Varynna and Lydia quickly enter the waiting cab, still bickering, though now switching to a mental connection through the Psyker's own abilities.

Are you in my head at all right now? I want to warn you if we—

I have been since planetfall.

I am so so so— Lilith winces hard, actually flinching. You have been extremely patient with me then. Is this like one of Varynna's balls where it's crazy open hedonism, or like one of Guilliman's balls where it's very restrained if a bit boisterous.

A visiting noblewoman I think. So the Mechanicum has put on a show. It is in between. The Inquisitor answers as the vehicle begins its travail, We are working class nobility, we live in asteroid habitats, next to our adamantine mines, understand?

Traditional nuclear family, got it. Lilith nods, as the vehicle is moving, memorizing the story. I — just really quick sorry — I actually very much do respect your boundaries how are actually planning to navigate this. We can't stand six miles from each other.

Contrary to what you may believe, I can control myself. Katerinya gives a horribly out of character smile at Lilith at that, putting a show on for the driver.

It's not you I'm worried about. Lilith smiles back very relaxed, nuzzling into her wife. It's very off - on. Not a dial.

One hand rises to hold Lilith lightly as Katerinya continues to pretend, I will get even afterwards. Do what you must.

A barrage of mental images cause Lilith to stare away from Katerinya with a slight blush, all placed in a very very deep box, a line that she had tried to make for safety from psykers. Lilith was a skilled Sequencer, but keeping those thoughts to herself seemed almost entirely impossible, and what knew as a Sequencer she lacked as a psychic, or even on a swarm level connection.

Still, Katerinya's touch was very gentle. She was also pretty, and fun to be around. Lilith decided to nuzzle in quietly resting her head on Katerinya's chest. Okay.

The drive is quiet, only the pretend stroke of Katerinya's hand that is so close to real as to be practically undetectably different keeping Lilith's attention. Colossal buildings under the artificial sky of rock-crete and adamantine pass by at a slow pace, traffic intense here, industrial trucks, civilian cars, policing walkers and military vehicles alike intermixing on the highways and byways

Eventually, the taxi stops, and Katerinya says aloud, "My love, wake up, we are here." Gently tapping Lilith with a smile.

Oh… A wave of feeling emanates from Lilith at that, looking at Katerinya with new eyes. "Of course," her voice is dreamy as she stares at the other, not entirely sure how much of her behaviour was an act. What's our names by the way?

Katerinya and Lilith. Our family name is Von Felsen. Katerinya moves, opening the door and holding out a hand for Lilith, "Come, we should make a good impression together."

"Darling look at us, we'll make a good impression no matter what." Lilith says taking her hand, but very real sparks travelling up her arm wincing knowing that the psyker was very aware of her. I'm going to save apologies for like, after the entire thing, or else I just won't stop apologising, and that's going to get annoying fast I think.

Mhmm. The mental voice is annoyed whilst the physical show is unbelievably loving. Pulling Lilith to her and interlocking arms as she leads her to the front doors of a brutalist palace of some kind, heavy walls and defensive emplacements interlocking to send arcs of death at any would-be intruders. A practical royalty, pragmatic and uncaring of wealthy displays.

The social parts of Lilith's mind, the parts she realized were made to help Kerrigan navigate delicate situations like this, came alert. Absorbing information at light speeds. Less formal hold. Her mind says, shifting to a far more comfortable and warmer embrace, putting her hand around Katerinya's waist. No opulence, no statues, we're blue collar we'll look unnatural like we're putting on airs. Better to seem down to earth always better to be underestimated and seeming genuine than over estimated and seeming fake.

The doors open as Katerinya adapts to the new hold, leaning into it fully, even lying with her skin and muscle, letting it relax into the other woman whilst the space of the palace is revealed. Great symbols of the Machine God line the walls, skulls with machinery fused into them. Statues are rare, one or two of truly great heroes of the Mechanicum polished by adepts.

Am I crazy or does the symbol of the Machine God look Chaos as fuck? Lilith wonders looking at everything around her with an odd feeling.

You would not be the first to say this. I would not mention it aloud, for your life's sake. Katerinya answers. The clerics of the Machine are quick to answer doubts about their faith. Violently. A reassuring tight squeeze is given to Lilith. "They're just like back home, honey. Merely richer." Katerinya verbally affirms Lilith.

The touch very quickly makes her heart not only pump, but frack blood through her system. The squeeze filling Lilith with hope and warmth for Katerinya. It was genuinely pleasant on Lilith's part. The hold a soft and gentle thing that she had been quickly getting accustomed to from Celestine on the ship. Though far smaller and more dainty. "Still," Lilith says warmly back, "It's all so overwhelming in the best way. You keep finding new ways to spoil me."

As they both walk through a second set of doors, spotless metal tiles giving way to imported marble, a grand hall made for the enjoyment of those with finer tastes, wooden furniture and colourful tapestries on the walls, lights a warm blue rather than a bright fluorescent, everything cast in the comfort of humans, of flesh rather than the utility of machine. A servitor cleverly designed to have almost no outward sign of cybernetics bows, saying, "Greetings, Ladies, Katerinya, Lilith, Von Felsen. I will, Show You, To, Your, Seat." It unfurls, beginning to walk over to a table near the centre, making Katerinya a tiny bit nervous.

You can dig your nails into me if it helps you chill. Lilith thinks looking at the servitor, Unless we're supposed to be nervous.

Nerves show we are not used to servitors. Katerinya nods at the machine-forrmer man, following it, And we are not used to being in the centre of things. She sits at the table, a luxurious one with drinks already present, small snacks of bread and fruit layed out for guests. "Oh, are we honoured guests?" She asks the servitor.

That seems too much, She says looking at her, before plucking a grape and quickly downs it.

That's what I'm worried about. Katerinya responds mentally while the servitor checks its memory banks.

"You, Were, Moved, Here, On Request, of, Lady, Hesperax." The servitor answers, making Katerinya look confused.

Who the warp is Lady Hesperax, She mentally hisses while nodding at the servitor, "Oh, must be a very important woman on this world!" Katerinya embraces the role of an ill-informed foreigner well.

We're alone, and the servitor isn't a person. Trying to think carefully and quickly while looking at the stuttering… Thing. "Tell us about the ball and the host, do you enjoy it here?" We don't know that though, so I can just plug it directly for info.

"The, Ball, Is, Hosted, By, Hierophant Technis, Nira Heldentun, It, Is, In, Honour, Of, Lady Hesperax, And, House, Hesperax. I, Do, Not, Feel, Joy." Its stultifying method of speech grates at the ears after awhile, "I, Will, Await, More, Guests." It turns to walk away, back to the double doors.

Ok, you said the visiting noble was the whole reason they were doing this. So unless there's another woman I fucked who recognized me we should be good to go. Lilith lets concern show on her faith, and whispered, "Did that guy say he doesn't feel joy, love?"

"It's a machine my dearest." Katarinya assures Lilith.

Those were people once right? That part in her head, as she stares at it.

Criminals, murderers and worse usually. Katarinya answers mentally, keeping her smile.

Huh, no wonder it was easy to work with the Zerg, you were already infesting people. This comment is genuine as she stares at the servitor walking away.

The Cult Mechanicus is unnatural by any standards. They are not us. Katarinya firmly states.

Lilith can't help but agree as her eyes soak in more of the room. To be honest, even the infested are… People still, that felt horrific even to me, and I'm like… A horrific monster on most accounts I think.

Has Lord Guilliman not complained of the madness of Mars to you yet? This is it. Katarinya stares at the servitor for a second longer.

People kept mentioning it without specifics, you need to understand your entire culture is noun of adjective, or place, or sometimes both. When it's not that, it's just entirely new words altogether. So unless Guilliman said, 'Yeah, the mechanicum are flesh traders in all but name.' I didn't really get it. Both in actual, and useful characterization Lilith chose not to make eye contact with the servitor at all. That thing is unnatural, did you know they wanted to put Varynna in a fucking coffin?!

They are maddened geniuses to a priest. They do not think of why, merely how something could be done. Katarinya answers as more guests start to filter in, Always chasing a greater feat of techno-sorcery. Never satisfied.

So… I never asked this, is technology not a word, it's just techno-sorcery in your culture. Lilith wondered, even twenty years on Illar, and a handful more traveling and crusading, she was still picking up things.

Techno-logy suggests an identifiable logic. The machine speaks in hymn and oil, it is unknowable. Katarinya tries to explain.

You ever heard of an adjutant? It was basically a person made out machine entirely. You just programmed it, there's like a language you can just type into a datapad. There were classes on it, She kept smiling realising that they weren't really making small t alk, but realizing that it was probably in character as well.

The last silica intellects of mankind plunged us out of the Dark Age of Technology by way of galactic slaughter. Greyfax mentally growls, The Mechanicum and I do well to consider it a great evil.

That made Lilith sigh again, of course it was. The world changed a lot in thirty eight thousand years, they were pretty tame at the time. Mostly assistants and things. It's stuff like the Mechanicum where you can't leave well enough alone that gets everyone into trouble. Are you finding it as weird as I am that we agree on all this stuff?

No, agreeing with me is a sign of sanity. Katerinya says as more people drift in, a subtle chatter of red robed priests with mechanical voices and tremendously wealthy noblemen and women alike speaking with far more human tones.

That made Lilith snort even though she knew Katerinya meant it genuinely, the sheer confidence of the woman had always tickled Lilith, possibly the only person as arrogant as she was.

The doors open and Lilith's eyes snap to the woman that has to lean down to get under them. Hair that is shockingly crimson is held up in a pony tail, enough of it left that it still spills to her mid back, a black dress that wants to come off her, held on by straps that show oddly pale flesh beneath. Metal arm guard on her right arm, and both legs are plated with some form of steel. Her eyes are black orbs in their sockets, sharpened ears making Katarinya glare.

That… Almost looks like Kerrigan. I nearly shat a brick thinking we, well I was going to die. She gave Katerinya a reassuring pat more for her own sake, You'd probably have been fine.

Xenos. Katarinya growls, staring at the woman that comes in, Its–. She hides her face, looking down as her eyes go white, seeing the future as quickly as possible while the woman nears, rapidly making it clear she is the Lady Hesperax. She's tall, terrifyingly tall, would come up to Celestine's neck tall.

"Hello, my friendly monkeys." The alien croons, voice drifting on a sheet of blades and silk as she sits at the table, "How are you this fine day?" Her nails are painted black, rattling at the wood, chipping a quarter inch with each strike.

Did this bitch just call me a fucking monkey?! Lilith thought with winning eyes, "Oh, just enjoying another day of blessed humanity!" Lilith responded.

Katerinya is still hiding her face, trying to find a future and failing as the woman continues to make small talk, "May I have your name? Just to know, not take of course." She grins, her teeth sharpened to brutal points, looking like they'd rip chunks out of anything.

"I'm Lilith and this, is my lovely wife Katerinya, both of house Felsen." Lilith says smiling before adding, "The Mechanicum must have left a saucer of milk and the window sill to be so blessed." Wait fuck, would they even know what Im talking about?

The woman is delighted at something, face glowing to life at the name and joke. "Such tales I thought lost to your people. From when my kin marauded your homeworld." She laughs gently, only hurting the ears of the weak.

"Must have been a long time ago, the tales I heard, and forgive folklore, said that you were bound by iron and regularly tricked by circles of mushrooms. Though, such tales are normally cruel and warped by time." Lilith said, What the fuck is this thing, get over her Katerinya.

There's no future where we win a fight. Katerinya suddenly growls, snapping a friendly face up to the other woman, "And we didn't get a name from you, fine Lady Hesperax, do you mind sharing?"

"You won't believe me!" She's delighted, staring at Lilith with those soulless orbs, "But my name is Lelith, of House Hesperax." Lelith reaches over to Lilith, scratching her hand with the nails, drawing a line of blood with sharp-steel nails.

With a big smile, and a slight shudder, "Must be a new spelling." Knowing full well that her name is far older.

"I cannot claim to be the source." Lelith admits, leaning forwards onto the table, letting her body rest on it. "But I can say that it is a beautiful name, and I'm always glad to see it shared." The last word takes an awful noise, like razors thrown into the room.

Lilith looks at her and something triggers in her mind, something maybe stupid, "I had a gift for the guest of honour, would you like it now." Then with a quick sleight of hand, "An Apple?" As she produces finally the Zerg recreation one to one made entirely from sequencing and memory.

Lelith takes the apple, smiling, "This means I am in your debt, my debt is a terrible place to be indeed." As she bites into it brazenly, taking a chunk out and chewing it slowly. Zerg cells are confused by her genetic structure, four strands, composed of crystal rather than chemical, an astonishing find, Abathur would be overjoyed at a sample.

"Since we're sharing in ancient tales," Lilith said with a wink, "There's a very old kind of knot, intricately looping over itself repeatedly, do you know it?"

"I have heard of such things," She says with another large bite, hair shot through with delicate razors in between the locks , "I can even tie one."

"A trade? A single strand of hair, tied into the knot and the debt immediately repaid." Her smile growing, wondering if this is really a fucking fairy in this world of magic. Is this a fucking faerie Katerinya?! what the actual fuck!?

An Drukhari Wych. An ancient killer. Katerinya is not speaking, knowing if she does, bile will show.

Why does it know fourty thousand year old lore?! Lilith kept her smile looking at the Drukhari.

Their people were in the stars when ours were still in caves. Katarinya answers, still glaring at the table.

"But then, Lilith." It dances across the word, a wave of honey drifting from her as she leans over the table, face getting in Lilith's space, "You can't collect it yourself." There's one scar visible at this angle, the only one on her peerless physique, on her left breast a thin, but long track of the brutal attentions of a chainblade long ago.

"If I step into the fae wilds, the stories say I may never return home." Lilith replies looking at her, "Though that's looking… Like a far more exhilarating fate now." She doesn't back out of the woman's face, letting steel rise into her spine as she takes deep breaths.

"I can show you such sweet pain, if you follow my dance." Lelith promises brazenly, "And if you endure. Pleasure to make it all fade away." She's not moving one inch, black pits drinking in Lilith's energy, swallowing whatever her soul emits somehow. Katerinya's hand tightens, warning that this game is a dangerous one.

What do I get if I win the pain game? She mentally asks Katerinya, as she languishes under Lelith's gaze, trying to seem like she's considering it.

You will not, they feed off agony, it strengthens them, their soul sups at it. They will show you pain never before seen, agonies only a twisted elder race could conceive. Katerinya tries to warn Lilith away from this, but doesn't quite word it right.

"Endure seems very vague as far as time or stamina is concerned." Lilith admits, looking at her with a smile, "And I have heard the fae are very tricky if not handled with equal parts respect and manners."

"Lets put rules then. Endure until I am sated." The word is a void, it threatens to drag Lilith in, blood from the cut on her hand starting to crawl across the table to her. "And then, I'll reward you with the secrets of your enemy." Lelith is still scratching furrows into the table, "After all, I am hungry."

"An hour." Lilith says back looking at her, "sated could be forever to the insatiable."

"A month." Lelith answers, "It is true, I would have kept you." The negotiation seems as much a game as the promise of pain.

"Agreed, and for my boon, I'd like you to forfeit the wager to me." She says, smiling now wondering if she very much won, or very much lost.

The woman sighs, "I'm always so bad at these games." Resting herself on the table as she answers her promise, "This world is a ritual site. Traitors of my kin are aiding your own corrupt traitors to spill the Eye further. Consume vast gulfs of space in Warp Storm." She casually answers, suggesting something unimaginably horrific with razors and honey alike.

Katerinya growls out, "And you were playing games!?" Staring at Lelith enraged.

"Katerinya," Lilith said sharply, "We are guests, this is how the games are played."

"Listen to your agent, Katerinya." Lelith teases, "Or don't. Breaking hospitality would glut me with delight." The blades in her hair rattle threateningly.

"I actually know the rules here," Lilith hissed under her breath, but out loud to keep her attention, "You'll get us killed. I think this fight is out of my league. I'd rather fight a Chaos Lord again."

"I don't even have knives, Lilith." Lelith teases again, "How could I be a threat?"

Then, flirtatiously, being drawn in, "I don't have knives either, and I'm pretty sure I'm the second most dangerous thing in the room."

The teeth are displayed again as she smiles, so sharply pointed. "We could find out together. Bathe this room in blood, see who can take more life." Lelith tempts, blackened eyes starting to reflect a future of blood.

Lilith looks around the room, "Katerinya do… You have a problem with that?" She's seriously considering it, "It's filling up with guests, Lelith will catch most of the blame I imagine."

"They are imperial citizens." Katarinya hisses, "Of course I have a problem." The quiet whisper-shout is intensely aggravated.

She looks at her, quietly whispering, "We obliterated an entire city street of people for witnessing us grab a data spike."

Katarinya returns the look, "And have they witnessed such a thing? No.-That is not an excuse to make them see it." She points a finger whilst Lelith sighs.

"Come on Lilith," She drifts around the table, getting near, close, hands barely drifting overtop Lilith's clothes, brushing at them, "Just reach out, grab a blade, let the blood flow for us. Let death be our dance. Let us come together in a tide of blood." Lelith is a temptress through and through, strong grip from calloused hands resting and rubbing Lilith's shoulders, trying to tease out a monstrous side.

"We could meet you where the traitors of your kin are, and practically gush blood. Keep count, see who can kill more. I don't think I could beat you directly but your numbers? I think I have a real shot." She does leaning into the rub, the firm touch feeling nice on her carapace, few strong enough to manipulate Zerg muscle.

The massage continues, thumbs finding creases and knots to work out, pressing hard, a new form of care. "But there's so many different places. Maybe I can meet you, halfway?" The Wych whispers, "Show you one, and you give me an hour of your time…after?" A razor from her hair cuts slightly into Lilith's chair.

"Before, if I can get that single strand of hair." Lilith says, an hour is probably doable. "I'll tie it around a ring, and wear it to remind myself of my time with the fae."

"You may only take my hair, my dark night." She croons, pulling away. Moving to the opposite side of the table again, letting the built up warmth of her touch start to fade. The word still reverberates with meaning as the utter black of Lelith's eyes take in Lilith, consuming her image like a hungry predator, or a Goddess looking for sacrifice.

Lilith reaches out gently, feeling the strand slice through her finger the Carapace splitting apart almost instantly, giving Lilith great consternation. "Oh, that's… Rare." She says suddenly as she gently plucks it, watching it almost sever her finger to the inner bone, "Oh that's terrifying in a way that's new. I'd like to give you your hour now."

"One now, one then?" Lelith fishes for time, smiling with teeth.

"One now, if I like it, one then." Lilith responds, suddenly very nervous but excited. "You promised pleasure if I endure I'm… Excited."

She offers her hand, in it, gleams a point of darkness. "Come with me, one hour of this world." Lelith fixes the deal kindly.

She looks at her, "Wait, how many… Imperium minutes are in an hour of this world."

"Two hundred and ten." Lelith smiles.

"I'll…" Lilith rubs her chin, Are you busy for four hours or do you think you could scrum up the others with future vision.

If it is Chaos, my divinations will not be the solution. Katerinya glares hatefully at the Wych.

Ok, don't… Look, when Ana saw something like this she cried for a week. Or, if you're into it, watch I guess. I'm not shy. "I'll willingly fall for the trick, in hopes that there will be more help and hospitality between us." Lilith says, taking her hand.

"Why fall for the trick?" Lelith chuckles as blackness starts to drift out from the point of touch, "When you could fall for me?" The world ripples.

"Who says one precludes the other?" Lilith whispers, clearly a bit rattled by the razor sharp hair. Trying not to gulp.

 

[Princess Scribe]

This is a scene with the Dark Eldar.
For those unaware of lore implications, this scene will most likely be the darkest in the fic.

DO NOT Skip this trigger warning as it is far more serious than the other ones:

The following chapter will contain consensual but extreme violence including:
Blood and Bones breaking
Descriptions of flesh being torn, rendered, and burnt
Whips
Blades
Electricity
Acupuncture
Unrealistic Poisoning and Body Changes

​

The First spoiler contains merely the importance of the scene, so that readers can easily skip this chapter

The Second spoiler, contains the Chapter itself, for those who are not sensitive to such materials.

First - Plot Relevance - Read this if sensitive to listed triggers

Spoiler: Plot Relevance

This scene is to show the extreme limits that Lilith has, while still establishing that there are limits. We also show she is weak to electricity, neurotoxin, and manipulating nerve endings. We learn that Lilith is physically incapable of expressing pain through anything but laughter. Ultimately, Lilith makes it to the end of the scene and has pushed herself too far, but has not realised it yet. The realisation comes later in the fic.

It is in part to set up dealing with the trauma of not stopping a scene when you should have. Lilith will not be blamed for this, in part because it is not the sub's fault for being unaware of their limits.

Second - Chapter Text - Read this if not sensitive to listed triggers

Spoiler: 007 - Dead Bird Do Not Eat

Utter void consumes everything in Lilith's sight before she's in a bedroom. Almost organic purple-black walls around her formed into furniture, wardrobes, weapon racks and even a sinful bed, covered in purple and red cloth. Beyond that, whips, chains, blades, needles, paddles, machines with cruel barbs and hooks, ropes and everything else imaginable lies in neat order on the bed.

Lilith stares at the hooks with glee she had been worried the pain would be supernatural or alien but everything seemed mundane. She quickly begins to undress. Standing at attention waiting for commands. "What's the longest someone's last?" She asks,

The alien wych slips out from a doorway, something slim and void-black in her hand, buttons all across it. There's a cruel smile on her face as she comes near, towering over Lilith, wearing a much more risque bra and panties instead of clothes. Eyes fading from black as the mildest fear feeds her enough for purple orbs to gleam, white dripping in at the edges.

"An hour." Lelith smiles, staring to press Lilith into the bed, manacles seeming to crawl to her.

"I can't wait to be the new record keeper." Lilith says as her arms and legs are bound to reveal her, stretching her into an X. "You've never had a meal like this." She whispers.

"I'm going to make changes." She puts her hand on Lilith's thigh, the device in the other starting to hum to life, an odd heat just beneath her skin, confusing Lilith as she tries to place it.

It hits her just before the device touches her, "You can tell what our greatest pain is." Lilith says looking at the fae, "Is that… Going to feel like sequencing?"

"Nothing so easily withstood." She promises, the feeling of her hand touching Lilith's thigh growing in intensity despite her not moving, a sequencers feeling noting nerve density throughout her body tripling, and then tripling again.

"Oh." Lilith says suddenly, then with a giggle, "Oh noooo…" The nervous laughter spilling out as she realises her mistake, "I'm so arrogant and it keeps getting me into trouble."

Lelith moves her hand, letting a nail stroke a line of white hot fire on Lilith's leg, not even breaking the skin yet. "Mhmm, it's your best trait, I think." Dragging the nail perilously up her thigh, letting it barely miss her centre before crawling up her stomach.

"Is it ok, if I'm still not scared." She says quietly, her eyes turning bright, "It's just the pain right?"

Lelith tilts her head, "I've never had pain without fear before."

"I've never had pain without pleasure, we're both in for a treat then." Lilith says her eyes are very wild, almost threatening but not quite. Just bemused at constantly being a new thing to this universe. Lelith's nail sinks a half inch into the Infested, blood pooling around it as her body catches onto the sensation, shooting a lightning arc of utter pain through every nerve, new or old, bouncing between them and forcing her abdomen into wild convulsions immediately.

The slices make her moan quietly, and her body writhes and her teeth clench. She thinks for a moment to ask for something to bite down on before remembering that biting her own tongue off would hardly be fatal. Instead just letting the glorious sensation burn through her, before almost begging. "Do you have knives?" She feels herself become slick, and she's gasping for air as perverse enjoyment shocks through her. "If you don't hit the brain I'll always heal."

A cruel knife is to Lilith's right side, daintily picked up by the ancient alien. She holds it with two fingers letting it dangle dangerously above Lilith's breast, before letting it fall, sinking through carapace as if it wasn't there, embedding to the hilt in Lilith's heart. "Can you survive, my night-dweller?" Lelith asks calmly, watching blood pulse around the blade, her eyes softly beginning to glow with the pulsing waves of pain that ripple the walls.

"I don't know," Lilith said through gritted teeth as her carapace physically flinches, almost trying to retreat from the foreign intrusion, "But my god I want to find out." She wants to rub her legs together to curl up but she's bound so tightly, instead just moving her torso left to right. Sure, she could unfurl, but this was so much more fun. She lets out a ragged yell, feeling everything getting warm and the pain bringing with it a dreamy kind of adrenaline.

"You are durable. I can go far with you." Lelith says, letting another knife drop, this time into Lilith's thigh, watching it embed. Blood starting to drip from it too. "I'm thinking of using a needle on every nerve bundle. Wiring them together." She thinks carefully, tracing through the bundles with her fingertips.

"Careful promising me with a good ngh time." The confidence is still not broken as the blood trails from the two blades. "I don't want to be disappo— ngh — disappointed." She manages to get out.

"You won't." Lelith moves onto the bed, straddling overtop Lilith, letting her weight drop and making the chains and manacles agony on her joints as she starts to slowly insert long needles through flesh, finding bundles of nerves that shoot white-hot rays of agony into Lilith's brain, making everything start getting fuzzier, bathed in a white light, the image of the faerie starting to buzz at the edges. A wire is tied around each, methodical, a gourmet enjoying their meal with care.

Each needle's placement is punctuated with a yelp, not yet a scream but still pained. Finding her voice once more, after what seemed far too long she says, "Is a kiss off the table? You can bite."

"Lets see how you bear this, first." The last wire is bound, rising to the slim back device in copper tideways as she sends a tiny pulse of electricity through, ripping into Lilith's body, assaulting every nerve directly through the channels she dug, then another pulse, then, seconds after that, a continuous flow of power, stopping only to start again, to assure its never gotten used too. Its nearly ten minutes before she turns it off.

Lilith finally finds her voice after another minute staring at her with eyes now burning with odd off-yellow flames. Her Zerg essence pouring out tainted, or possibly blessed by the Emperor, Kerrigan, and Manth. Something that bathed things in a warm, but seedy lighting. "That ca-ca-ca-can't can't can't be the highest setting." She gasps out, still goading the faerie, teasing her, not wanting to lose. Her competitiveness suddenly taking over.

"We haven't even breached the physical, my night." The pulse is sent through just to test the machine again. Stopping after three seconds.

That elicited a far more manic giggle that couldn't be sustained through the pulse causing her chords to paralyse in place. "Is it worse or better when I like it?" She asks finally after another quick breath, shaking now, trembling like a leaf.

"Dangerous." Lelith comments with a cruel look to her eyes, turning a dial up, and up, and up, until the click of a maximal setting is struck on the device. "You aren't ready." She assuringly says, stroking a leg, the sensation fiery.

"By the end of this, you're going to beg me to stay." She whispers back squinting her eyes, a tiny mote of anticipation and panic, the kind from a roller coaster right before a plunge, an overwhelming happy kind of anxiety, the moment before opening a present.

The screaming electric arcs burn and scald everything they touch, arcing off the wires and into flesh just as they gruesomely fry nerve bundles, Zerg healing making sure they regenerate just in time for the next pulse as Lelith watches with keen, overjoyed interest, a wildly out of control look on her face, a woman who doesn't care if Lilith lives or dies.

There's a loud pop as her heart bursts in her chest, and Lilith laughs or tries too, wondering if her brain was next, as her skin starts to crumble and crack her bones becoming charred, quickly healing and re-healing. Something shunts around her grey matter, the electricity crawling over it, but the brain refusing to boil in the skull. A rattling quick staccato that must be laughter, but shouldn't be rings out in a looping stutter.

A click, the lightning stops, the needles are torn out in one go by Lelith ripping the at the wire bundle at the centre, drawing another noise from Lilith as she gently rubs the Infested's face with a large hand. "Now, a break. Before you break." Lelith whispers, leaning down to kiss Lilith's forehead with an almost believable caring tone.

The kiss burns a little with Lilith's enhanced nerve endings, and she's still shuddering. Feeling every part of her jerk and shake as she can't curl and move, but still the tone, that she can barely hear or comprehend makes her smile, the sound of being cared for universally recognized by some ancient part of her woven from genes of millions of social species. This is not genuine, but it's so nice.

"I can't wait to break the record." Confidence and jokes are Lilith's only solace as whispers happily again, "I'm built different."

A new set of tools, odd, edged knives are brought out, hooked and barbed whips dripping with neurotoxin that is terrifying to her honed sequencer eyes, chemically woven to an extent Abathur would proudly steal. Devices that hold and twist and gouge all lined up as Lileth asks, "What to do with you, Lilith. What to do, hmm?"

"The neurotoxin," She says as the fear grabs her, "The barbed one." Looking at it, wanting to not only feel it, but save it in her essence, just like the hair, knowing each piece she takes is something that will make her swarm better. Will make her better. "It scares me and that means I must taste it."

Taking the whip, she climbs back onto the bed, looming over, holding the tip overtop Lilith's mouth, "Very well, have a taste like this. I'll do the rest." The black venom slips down the blade, droplet threatening to fall any moment, bringing with it the mind-numbing agony of a toxin made for pain.

Lilith darts her tongue out stealing the anticipation from Lelith, her inner brat still very much alive as it impales itself on her knife. Though regret does suddenly hit as the black substance causes her body to break in an instant rash as if her entire surface was covered in stinging nettles and poison ivy. Feeling tiny bits of her burn away and heal then burn away again. Her muscles, liquifying, the bed becoming soaked in blood and fluids, still something in Lilith calls out in joy, and pain, and now fear, all intermingling in a heady concoction, the fear slowly subsiding as the unknown because known. The thing she recognized now is a part of her for later, a thing that she can tear apart and imbibe.

The whip cracks, splitting carapace and skin, dumping more toxin as Lelith tries to find the edge of survival, without any concern of safety, whipping once, then twice, then four times, lines full of the black toxin, setting in and burning her body inside and out. Something in Lilith, a stupid part of her that seems almost programmed to only beg, has her mutter, "Lower."

"Not yet." Lelith crushes the hope, for now. Drinking in the agony, skin seeming brighter, tiny wrinkles fading to nothing, a perfect immortality restored with the influx.

That makes Lilith growl. A tiny inch of frustration now dulling the pain just a tad, before she lets it go and leans into it, focusing entirely on the sensation the peace it brings letting the thoughts subside for once, as the merciless torture brings sates something deep inside something with need. She looks at the woman, and gasps with another strike, "You—gah" She says, "Pretty." Is all she manages before the whip strikes get more rapid, Lilith unsure if out of excitement, offence, or frustration.

Each stripe brings a bit more pain, a bit more flesh taken, a few more burns of chemicals and acid. Lilith wonders if it had been ten minutes yet, surely not. Another stripe and she croons this time an overjoyed moan as she feels a line crack her rib cage open, pushing bones into her heart. The shards quickly rejected, and the pieces re-grown.

The whips bite ceases, only the shuddering aftershocks of a venom pulsing through Lilith, catching onto nerves and flesh alike, turning them to a horrific noise of malformed signalling, sending spears of pain up, flickers of something passing to Lelith in the process, every agony feeding her, making her stronger, more.

"We are halfway through." She says, voice tormenting the opened cuts on the Infested's front, "Shall we make it worse?"

Before answering, if only to buy some time. Lilith panted, trying to catch her breath. Just for a second, before winking at Lelith and saying, "Admit it, you're going to miss me." Before giving a nod.

The sharp-eared fae leans forwards, undoing the clasps on her hair, letting it spill over her skin in a morass of quickly healing cuts as she leans over Lilith, and then, with tiny tilts of the body, lets a thousand thousand razor hairs fall onto Lilith, cutting deep and spilling blood over the bed and the fae, purple eyes glowing powerfully in the process, hair drinking in the blood, turning a darker shade as it absorbs what the Zerg can provide. She teases a kiss throughout, staying just barely out of range, out of touch, more tortuous than the pain could ever be.

"Oh… You're mean." Lilith whispers, "I may need a corpse for biomass to keep going." She admits as her essence feels frayed, "I… might have bit off more than I can chew." She gasps, trying to steal a kiss from the woman, missing repeatedly.

"How far can I take you without, I wonder." She whispers back, the rolling velvet of her voice making the cuts ache harshly, "Dance at the edge of death, a stage unlike any other." The hair cuts deeper, starting to wrap around limbs and Lilith's torso, almost a living thing, reacting to touch with violence. "Will you dance with me?"

Gasping as blades slice into her anew, Lilith flexes against her will, taking a deep breath, her back arching, before saying, "What… Would I be… If I turned down a dance from such a beautiful creature. It's your spoiled meal if you go too far."

"Mhmm." The gentle assurance does nothing to assure as she leans up, grabbing a new tool from the roof of her bed, a cruel looking multi-barbed crop of some kind, lowering it to drag against skin, lines of punishing, burning, delightful and agonising heat forming with its passage. A sharp strike drives the barbs deep and they snap off. Starting to move on their own, lurking inside the skin, wiggling with every motion, trying to find the sites of maximum feeling.

Without a second's rest, she looks at a timer, strange numbers not at all human in origin ticking down, leaving it a mystery how long Lilith has left, save for half. The slim black device is turned alive again, vibrating as the Infested's body changes again, nerve density once again doubling, making even the passage of the crop's shrapnel a groaning thing. Lilith grasped the bed sheets now soaked with blood, feeling it squelch beneath her fingers with the aching grip.

Though that small respite helped, as she felt her teeth starting to strain against her own clenching, hands scrabbling to find something, anything to hold onto as a life line, but still trying to stay still, stay confident, winning a game that only she was playing. She huffs as parts of her burn out, smoke, pop, re-fill with tissue, only to burn out again. More giggles spill from her, a nervous thing her only real ability to react to things in moments of extreme stress. Her biology now struggling to find more pleasant chemicals to give her as the biomass runs dry and starts to assign priorities to living rather than comfort.

"We are so close." A minor victory, finally the cool tones are shot through with heat, with excitement, "Can you feel its tug? The Reaper dangling his scythe over you? The river rushing past you, the Underworld awaiting?" Another scratch, she's given up on tools, nails and teeth, biting down hard on Lilith's abdomen, taking the chunk with her and swallowing in a vicious, animalistic, lurid display.

"Do you want over the edge, Lilith? Do you want to die?" She growls out.

Lilith giggles a bit more, as her abdomen starts to heal, "And miss out on the end?" She says quietly, in pained gasps, barely able to speak, "I want to see the pleasure this gets me."

The timer buzzes, and Lelith stops, eyes glowing in the dark brightly, sending rays of purple light out into the room as her breath leaves in misty pulses of her life, her beating heart, her heaving chest. Something like a blush but dark, almost like Lilith's own is on her face.

Finally healing, and the nerve endings being killed off by her own biology the sensation and pain quickly subsiding, but not able to quite stave off the shakes, chill, and touch of anxiety that had filled her. Lilith gasped over and over, panting as she tried to re-collect herself, trying to find something to say, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?" She asks, winking at the Wych.

Her rough hands are worse than razors on cut-drenched skin and carapace, pulling Lilith to her on the bed, "Let me show you." She promises with a tide of dark intent.

"You're topping, I can not move." Lilith replies, the pain finally once again dulled with the death of the additional nerve endings. The timer done, Lilith allowing herself control over her biology again.

"Of course." She turns the device back on, restoring her changes as purple lips press into Lilith, a forked tongue teasing at her lips, asking for entrance while the sensation slowly grows, second by second. This is just another, more pleasant, torture, she realizes.

Lilith taps the Wych on the shoulder, "I'm going to leave you wanting love." She whispers, "How will you miss me if I don't leave my limits a mystery?" The closest Lilith can manage to tapping out.

The device clicks off, a smiling Drukhari placing it down, "My love is a dangerous thing, Lilith. It has felled star systems." Lelith strokes the infested woman's jaw, other hand ripping knives out one by one.

"People keep warning me —agh— about that." Lilith says yelping as the knives are removed, "And yet I still keep chasing dangerous things. Arro —fuck— arrogance I think." She winks at the Wych, "You were very hungry if it was this restorative," She gestures as the manacles are removed. "Now you can tell people the record is four hours." She whispers, curling up into the fetal position far less confident, her body shaking. Small tears coming out but still giggling. Unable to treat pain with anything but laughter.

Realising and relishing in her victory, Lelith slides into the silk sheets just behind Lilith, pulling her into the icy embrace of a dark creature of some kind, arms wrapping around the woman, lips resting against the back of her head, hair only scraping rather than cutting where it lands.

At the light kiss, Lilith trembles as she realises it's over. "I wanted this." No, I wanted to win.

"Pain and pleasure are not so different." Lelith whispers back, tongue licking at an earlobe teasingly between words, "A truth your kind rejects too often." Her hands stroke up untarnished, healed skin, gently rubbing away at tremors, pushing into overburdened muscle to provide relief, release.

A small sob is teased out of Lilith, as she admits, "Terrans are cowards, it's their defining feature." Letting the touch push her deep into a somnolent ease. She says, taking more breaths. "Katerinya will glass the planet if I don't show up after too long though."

"Luckily for us." Lelith laughs cruelly, "We aren't near the stream of time here." Her hand begin to gently rub Lilith's scalp. "You can rest as long as needed."

"Mmmm…" The Zerg responded, reaching for a pillow. Needing to let this pass.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Waking up still held, feeling colder than dark space, Lilith shifts in silk sheets under the purple glow of waiting eyes, feeling the rough war-fighting hands still on her. Not a word is said by the Wych as she merely waits, breathing slowly, dual-pulse heart rocketing like a rapid drum beat, a resting heart rate in the low hundreds per minute, almost vibrating the more human among the two of them.

Lilith says yawning, "We never do that again. Going to be very firm on that."

Letting go of Lilith, Lelith slides off the bed, walking barefoot in this odd place, the walls seeming to breathe around her. "When bodies meet, souls touch. My people sense these things keenly." Lelith extracts a bottle of something like wine.

A deep sigh of relief escapes Lilith, she plops backwards back into the bed the tension flowing out of her. "I am glad Celestine seems to be very open on me sleeping around."

Drinking from the bottle, the Wych answers, "Indeed. My husband fears taking another because I may slay them." She shrugs, "I would merely test them, if they are lacking, all the better they die instead of lessening him." She seems to think this is equivalent.

The zerg laughs shaking her head, "I'm worried about slaying her. I don't want to hurt people, at least if they don't want to be."

"Why?" The alien tilts its head, eyes flaring with life. "Pain is where understanding comes from. Death, the only way to truly see the world."

"I've died hundreds of times, what I see is suffering is a catalyst. Like almost everything it can be good or bad. There are no absolutes. Not even Death is final for some." Another shuddering shaking sigh, "I want to use my tools like an expert. I don't want to hammer in screws, or use a gun to chop vegetables. I like efficiency, and I like very much being liked."

She nods, "I have died once, and killed millions of times. Death is the objective. The cessation of life, the killing blow sweeter than anything." Lelith takes another drink of the wine, "You will learn eventually, all do. Battle will be the only joy that never loses lustre."

"Yet, you seemed to enjoy cuddling just a moment ago." The impish grin returns to the diminutive woman as she recollects herself, "Probably, when I'm much older that may be true, but I'm still quite content with nuzzling into someone warm, and sleeping in their arms. At least for now."

"Come." The Wych asks, "Let me show you my art." She turns, a door sliding open much like zerg entrances do, revealing tight, almost claustrophobic passages.

"Of course! I love art," Lilith said, hopping out of bed, before asking, "Can I have some wine?" As she walks pulls on her sundress.

"You wish to be faithful to your spouse?" She asks, curiously.

"Yes, quite," Lilith responds quickly catching on that the liquid might be a bad idea.

"Then no, you cannot sup of my wine. Your mind would bend under it." Lelith takes another gulp, long strides taking her deeper into this place.

She finally reaches Lelith's side, with a nod. "How long do humans last on Drukhari ships generally?"

"Minutes." Another door opens.

Lilith couldn't help but snort at that, glad that she wasn't the first one fooled by their own overestimations.

Finally, a central chamber is revealed, opening into a grand bloodsoaked arena. Eight entrance ways are present, each one hiding loud monstrous noise behind it. "My shows here are known across the galaxy. Traded as more valuable than worlds and adamantine alike. Would you like one?"

"It would be an honour." Lilith says looking around the arena, "Where's a good place to sit?"

"Anywhere." She says, falling over the edge to dive the hundred feet into the sand that covers the floor, sprawled in a wide landing, rising by inches as the gates creak open.

Lilith quickly hops on the ledge and cross her legs, watching the woman with ravenous intent. She is rather pretty.

Drukhari seem to know she is here, streaming in numbers, gorgeous men and women to a singular one, pale skinned and dark haired, red, black, purple and a dozen others besides, leaning on the ledges to watch with keen eyes, glowing orange, black, green and purple. Bodies on display, tall and lanky in most cases, not full bodied like Lelith. And with far more scars.

One winks at Lilith, smiling broadly at the signs of torment on her skin, still healing, drinking in remnant suffering. The Zerg gives her a very dainty flirtatious wave back, before turning to watch Lelith perform.

Her eyes are closed as ten Drukhari enter the chamber with her, armed and armoured, dark blades and almost-organic bone pistols held out while she lies unarmed. The fight is immediate, the pistols whispering out near-microscopic venom shards that she drifts around, using the rhythm of their fire as a pulsing beat to follow, something to dance too, hips moving, limbs twirling and body racing between them.

The first to die doesn't see it coming as Lelith turns from a twisting spin to gently nip at his jugular through a crack in the armour, spilling a spray of blood that crystallizes mid air. She grabs and lays him to the ground, slipping a knife from his belt with care as the remaining nine keep firing, not daring to close to melee. The crowd starts to cheer as bloodshed starts, the black waves of suffering visibly amplified by arcane technologies in the walls, feeding them all.

Two more die, knife slitting open an artery each as Lelith lets the blood spray over her in a twisting dance, venom shards missing herr along with lightning fast slashes that blur even to Zerg eyes. Someone makes conversation, a woman dressed like Lelith but thinner and lankier if of similar height, with dark green hair rather than red, "Isn't she amazing?" She's starstruck, "I want to be her."

"I would be lying if I said I disagree," Lilith chimes, looking the other woman up and down very quickly drinking in the lovely sights of the Drukhari, "Enough time and training anyone can reach heights unparalleled." She gives her a quick wink.

In the space of the conversation, three more have died, knife used to pierce up and into their brains, letting them fall almost in unison as she slows from a blurring shimmer to a slow languid trance-inducing sway at another, venom shards missing her by millimetres as her body twists in the walk discordantly, a metronome but wrong. Something about the sight makes Lilith bite her bottom lip, the pain already starting to be forgotten as she watches the display.

Three more die in lightning strikes, leaving just one in front of Lelith as she sways towards them, armour hiding their identity fully. They are terrified, Lilith can taste it, the air so thick even her lack of psychic might can drink it in, the power present, the utterly rejuvenating pain in the air.

"Do it, my opponent." Lelith croons, dropping her blade and continuing to near him, "Take your life, it will be kinder than I." The whisper is ignored as they find willpower firing again, only to be handled, raised against a wall in a blink, pistol thrown aside, blade snapped, a hand against their throat. The crowd is wild as they sup on their kin's deaths, loud and powerful.

Lelith whispers something quiet to the fellow as they try and force against her, before a loud crack of her flexing hard silences their resistance. She drops the corpse, bowing before the crowd with a now impassive look, locking eyes with Lilith, drinking in her reaction. The tiny Zerg still biting her lip, though a momentary gasp as they make eye contact, and she quickly blows her a kiss.

The Wych leaps, grasping onto architecture to climb rapidly, rising and jolting over the lip of the ledge to land amidst the crowd that gasps and moves away from her, clearing her path to Lilith. As she nears, she asks, "May I play another game?" A request drenched in promising honey, reward inherent in the ask itself.

Lilith stands to her full height, on the edge of the arena, still not quite enough to get eye level with The Wych, but still being much taller she says, "After the last game, I'm going to ask for a few details before I agree, but ultimately, I'm not opposed to more games." There's a moment where she wonder how you signal to a Drukhari that you'd like to be carried because you're terrified and surrounded by aliens who feast on suffering. Instead choosing to just stand bold, and proud with her chest shot out, and her hands on her hips.

"I will lean down, hold you, you will take my ear into your mouth. A rumour mill will torture my husband for decades." She smiles, it's not a kind smile, she is incapable of those.

"Would a kiss be better or worse?" Lilith says smiling darkly, "I said before I was not opposed."

"A kiss will not make me shake and moan." Lelith looks entertained.

"Then of course I will play this game." She says, pressing herself into the Wych with devious intent pushing her hands up onto her chest.

The Wych leans down to hold and pull Lilith up into her arms, perilously exposing a sharp, elven ear to her ministrations.

First a gentle kiss, which seems not to illicit a reaction, instead moving to a gentle suckle or nibble which seems to get a very quiet tremble, and then her teeth, the ones for destruction chomp on the ear, cutting into the roof like glass, but also getting the reaction that Lelith seemed to be hoping for as blood spurt into Lilith's mouth.

It's an immediate tense, her mouth opens as eyes widen, a scream exiting it while her grip on Lilith grows tight enough to strain bone, lasting for nearly half a minute before she falls to a knee, gasping as crystal blood falls from the injury.

"Drukhari moans are intense," Lilith said with wide frightened eyes.

"I did not tell you to bite." Lelith answers, flushed and sweating. Secondary trembles in her limbs and core.

"Shit." Lilith says suddenly very concerned, "I'm so sorry." She whispers, "Take into your mouth is vague."

Lelith rises, holding Lilith to her still, blood falling onto her shoulder from the ear as she keep walking, tremble leaving her legs in three steps. "We are no longer on even footing, Lilith."

"Fuck." Lilith says quietly, now actual fear emanating off of her. She couldn't win this fight, she was in a very dangerous place, these people were far more capable at everything than her. She started to hyperventilate a little bit. "Please don't kill me." She begs.

"Hmm." Lelith makes a noise as she sinks into the hallways, and minutes later, her chambers. Something like a purr leaving her the whole way, vibrating Lilith. She lays in bed, still holding the infested to her chest. "What you did means much more to us than it does to you."

"Fuck." She yelped loudly, "Why wouldn't you warn me?!" Lilith said scrambling now fully panicking, feeling the tendrils start to unfurl moving to a more mobile combative form out of stress.

Lelith's face twists into something cruelly miffed, yet teasing, "I could be carrying your child now, silly girl."

"What?!" Lilith says suddenly, looking at her, "WHAT?!" The words not coming out instead just a very confused noise, "Oh god, am I strong enough to beat your husband when he hunts me down?"

"Our spirits touched, your kind reproduce by base fluid. Mine are much more advanced." She ignores the question, doting on Lilith's body.

"I'm so so sorry. And in front of a crowd of people too. OH god, I'm sorry." Lilith says now in a panic as she tries to quickly formulate a plan. "Did they leave? You can probably wipe out the arena, then no witnesses right?"

"I do not have the tools to kill homunculi. Their bodies are merely for show." She shrugs, "What is a good name, do you think? It would be my first."

That calmed Lilith down, and a little pain twinged at her chest, she stopped moving back to Lelith accepting that she had done something very stupid. The responsibility was important but… She doesn't feast on suffering how would she even… "Eve? Or maybe… Not Sarah, ever. What about… Freyja?"

"Freyr? Your people called one of us that, long ago." She rubs Lilith's back.

Lilith nods happily, "I thought as much. We saw her as a goddess of war, and love, and beauty. Something from your culture that has meaning in mine as well."

"You should discuss this with your spouse. I imagine it will be entertaining to watch." Lelith considers.

"Is this a maybe thing, or a definite thing?" She asks concerned looking at her, rubbing her eyes. "Is it… Optional?" Floating the idea very gently.

"We would need to complete it. Multiple rounds. Many, many rounds. Else it will wither and fade." She sounds vaguely disappointed at that.

"Will you be ok with that?" Lilith asks looking at her, "Does it hurt? Is there something I can do? I feel guilty."

"It will likely hurt when I'm swollen, yes." Lelith is amused, "Have you never observed a pregnancy?"

"You get pregnant by ear biting." Lilith groans, "How—"

"Orgasm." Lelith corrects.

That's what she was saying, "Okay, still. We don't get pregnant. I put an egg inside of someone like a parasite and then it eats them and makes a copy of them replacing all the parts until only the soul is left in a new container. We just… Pop eggs out of a hatchery far away when we need warriors. Mindless warriors. We don't make our own people until very recently, mostly we just borrowed off others." She hugs Lelith with an apology, trying to will something into her.

"So you don't want the child?" Lelith poses the question directly, looking into Lilith's eyes with an unreadable emotion in her own.

Just say no! Just say no! Her head was struck dumb at the question looking at her, this never being an option before in her life, "I'm… A freak of nature, I'd be a terrible mother."

"I am a warrior, drenched in blood and suffering. As would I." Lelith agrees, "But, that does not change the question." Her gaze hardens, looking into Lilith's eyes with terrifying focus.

"I was made to be a pet for a queen, I can't be a mother." She says as the woman suckles at her neck, "Or a partner I guess. I killed my queen when I found a new partner, then that one I left because she didn't hug me enough. Now the new two I'm very happy, but immediately traipsed off and got someone pregnant barely six months into the relationship." Now pouting a tad, "I make poor choices."

"And I make excellent ones." Lelith compliments herself, separating from the other woman's neck, "I've already made my choice, it was simple." She shifts, moving atop Lilith, hair spilling around the two of them, soft silk rather than carving blades as she no longer hungers. Her hips lock down the other woman's as she leans forwards, "Fall for me, let me fall for you. Hmm?" The Succubus flirts with wild abandon, voice a honey-tide, touch a silken brush, body a match made in heaven for anyone.

Lilith tried to see hope against hopes she could feel Varynna in the distance her only lifeline and guidance left. She focuses on the swarm with honed intent. Varynna? Varynna I really need you. The connection was there but it was so faint, so weak. It was more Varynna latching on than Lilith that made it possible.

Lilith! My favourite member of Unity. You left quite in a hurry. Lilith wasn't entirely sure if that was anger, or mirth.

I know, I know, I don't know if that was me, you, or Katerinya. Still I got one of the Dark Eldar pregnant, and they're asking if I want to keep it. Lilith relays as she nestles in with the hair, letting it drape over her. Can you ask Celestine? Can you… Tell me what to do?

You…Nevermind Lilith. I can't get to Celestine currently. Varynna is thinking rather hard, it showing in her mental voice as a shudder, You…are they important?

Succubus of the Wych Cult? She asks wondering if Varynna knew what that meant. Now also kissing the Succubus.

The Queen of Knives!? You've already tried this song and dance! Varynna' suddenly very loud.

I didn't know she just had long red hair and asked me to bite her ear! I didn't know it'd make her bust a nut. She keeps kissing, but a little more aggressively as she gets annoyed, I just fuck aliens, it's what I do ok?

She's killed literal millions of warriors, slain worlds of defenders, fought Primarchs in the open field of battle! Varynna is almost…scared.

Can you save your jealousy for later? Lilith said as the long tongue rakes the insides of her throat, She says they'll fight in the crusade with us. Ask Guilliman.

Oh. You should keep it. Varynna says immediately, Their ships make a mockery of ours. Immediately making Lilith feel like this is a Protoss situation. If sexier.

God she looks like Kerrigan but hotter, am I a fucking monster? Lilith wonders to Varynna as sharp nails dig into her back making her let out a ragged "Ah~" Both through swarm space and in the pysical.

I think it just means you have a type. Varynna burbles, now evidently watching, I've never been brave enough to submit to a Drukhari, seemed unhealthy.

"Okay we'll keep it." She asks as The Wych's tongue lapped on her neck. "What do we do next?"

"Nothing." Lelith smirks suddenly, cruel and vicious expression, "I'm not going to be insensate for a year to bear a Monkey's child." Completing the joke as she nuzzles into the other woman.

Inside of Lilith there was an internal snap like a pencil that had just been over strained. Her core values finally tested and broken, again. A choked sob left Lilith. She needed an escape from this hell. A hell that tested her will, limits, and loyalty. A hell she just needed to stop. "I'm done." She says shuddering and broken, "I'm going home now." She can't do this. Never again. Never ever again, the Drukhari are not to be trifled with, finally definitive proof that there are things much scarier than her. The crying getting harder feeding the Queen even deeper,

"Hmm." The Queen mumbles to herself, "You look gorgeous weeping, here." She offers a point of darkness in her hand.

Not wanting to touch the Drukhari she uses a tendril to reach out, letting the numb part of her reach the point of darkness as she continues to sob quietly.

"You played the game well, my namesake." Lelith calls from the dark, "Shall you recant the hour promised?" She trills, the dark spreading through the air and starting to consume the both of them.

"I didn't promise an hour." She snapped angrily, "I said if." Still sobbing as she appears in front of Katerinya the opulent room now feeling cold and distant, her mind fully open. You need to fake being very comforting for the next hour. Sprinting to Katerinya sobbing, grabbing her around the waist.

Katerinya catches Lilith, holding her warmly as she stares lethal daggers at the Drukhari who lounges delighted at this.

"Never again." Lilith whispers quietly, "Never ever again." Then even quieter, "Please wait until I say it's okay before you shoot me. I can't. Not for a while I think." Now sobbing into the woman's weird bodysuit. Carry me out of here please. I gotta get somewhere safe.

Not engaging with the Wych at all, Katerinya lifts Lilith with a grit of her teeth, pushing through the exertion with a honed, disciplined mind and storming out, unenhanced body straining. She gets outside, down the steps before slowly sitting at the last one with a quiet gasp of exertion, keeping a hold of Lilith, displaying care she usually chokes and hides away.

"I could handle the pain," She whispered into Katerinya's chest, "But she promised a family and then ripped it away as a game. A way for us to… Not need to infest to create new people. That she'd use her empire to help us on our crusade, all to trick me into betraying Celestine and you. When I finally asked if any of that would even happen she just laughed at me." Sobbing even harder, letting big wet angry tears fall. "I'm sorry, I got us the information but I can't ever do that again."

"I should never have allowed it." Katrinya says through gritted teeth, "I will see that witch burnt on a pyre b–."

"Can we please just Exterminatus this entire place and go home." She begs.

Katrinya sighs, "I will send for a shuttle, rest with Celestine. I can complete this investigation."

"I need you too…" She whispers again, quieter, "Celestine is strong in a different way then you are."

Another sigh, a closing of her eyes as she thinks, "Then I will complete this investigation before the day is out." Katrinya glares at the sun above, damning its existence. "Await me on the ship. I will come." Its a statement of fact, a growled assertion that the universe must follow.

Then her gut churns, "Did she tell you where to go?"

"She will." Her hand twitches at her bolt pistol as a taxi rolls forwards and stops. "You can go when you are ready." Katerinya says.

"Are you going to be killing people? I think that'd help." Lilith finally admits, as she climbs off of her. "It'll make me feel in control. I think."

"Not like you enjoy. Not the people you like to kill." Katerinya grimly says, standing tall and focused. "You do not need more blood today. The ministrations of the Drukhari are…familiar to me." She grits that out, pained.

She hugs Katerinya again, "I'm sorry, I'll listen more, I'm so sorry." A deep ingrained shame at her failure at being beaten, at letting Katerinya see her have limits makes her want to vomit.

"You did nothing wrong, Heal." Katerinya commands, "You are the betrothed of a Saint. Draw strength from her love."

"I draw strength from both of my loves." She says, but doesn't name it simply staring at her before stepping away. "So you better fucking come home, or else I'll bring the swarm and this shitty system will be another dead star in a dying fucking galaxy." Not waiting for an affirmation, simply stating her Truth. To Grayfax as she feels slimy and defeated crawling into the Taxi.

---

Storming into the palace, Katerinya glares at the Xenos witch with hate. "You, tell me of the heretics. Their plans and locations!" She slams her palms into the table, jolting it as the creature ahead of her seems bemused.

"Or?" The Queen asks toying with a bread knife. "Or I open a gate to the warp and see what hunts you." Katerinya's utter, maddened declaration brings a stillness to the alien Wych, a moments fear that declares the mad Inquisitor victorious in this battle of wits by brute force alone.

"You'd die screaming." She threatens back at Greyfax, pointing with the bread knife. The Psyker glares fiercer, "You wouldn't be allowed to die." Another growled threat making Lelith almost flinch, almost twitch.

"Hmm." The Succubus mumbles to herself, staring at the shorter, yet somehow dangerous woman across from her, "They work in the bowels of this worlds forges, from the human-sparked star that replaces its core." She explains, Katerinya shoving the table away and into Lelith as she storms away, putting a bolt in the annoying Servitor on the way out.

Lelith seems to be around every corner as Katerinya walks through the forge city, finding a turbo-lift and going down into the world. "You are a poor player of games." She trills as the Inquisitor takes a shot at her, the bolt shell too slow to ever harm her at any distance.

"I do not play games with xenos filth." The growl makes Lelith smirk as the lift hits the bottom of its channel, Inquisitor storming off it, bolt pistol at the ready, terrifying passersby and dust-covered workers. "Really? Then why do you care for my namesake?"

The question is pointedly answered with another shell sent screaming through the air, impacting a wall and detonating it in bursting explosive. "Why did your heart twinge when I returned her well and truly broken." The stinging words drip from the venom-maw of an ancient torturer, seduction just one of many tools to get what she wants.

"My heart twinges for every indignity you filth cause." Katerinya throws the words back, following white eyes. Following her future motions in the now. "The day we burn your hidden world out, shatter its false black stars and burn its corpulent spires, the universe will smile."

"So you've been?" Lelith asks as the city turns to industrial hellscape, heat pulsing across everything, temperature controls barely managing to make it livable hot rather than inimical to human life down here. "It's a wondrous place, no? I enjoy the arena's." Her comments are ignored as Katerinya growls.

"Tell me where their leader is, I'll cut the head off this snake and leave the rest to the Tech-Guard of this world." She demands of the Succubus, a monster magnitudes older and more violent than she'll ever be.

Rather than speak, Lelith moves into the dark, drifting from place to place as if she isn't covering the distance between, forcing Katerinya to run to keep up, rushing through crowds and people until finally shouldering through a door to see dozens of humans and a single Drukhari in a private conversation.

She stares at them, picking out targets in this industrial centre. The environment is stark, chairs and tables pulled here, in the distance, the burning artificial star alights everything in its plasmid rays, contained by electoo-magnets that hum even miles away. The humans rise as the Drukhari does not, drawing weapons.

Katerinya fires her bolt pistol on automatic, sending a rain of shells into them, bursing into shrapnel that the Drukhari dances through, standing up as the shells are in flight, Lelith nowhere to be seen. Its black armour sucks in light, sharp edged and cruel even in shape. A blade, violently green and toxic drips with black venom as it crosses ten steps faster than any human ever could.

The Inquisitor throws herself aside, the first blow wide, the next ten landing against her shimmering shield, trying to force through the golden technical miracle of the Rosarius with brute force and speed. "You'll die here, Inquisitor." It hisses out, a masculine tone to it.

Katerinya kicks out, the Drukhari easily avoiding the strike but giving her a chance to rise and press against a wall with white eyes, barely half a second before her Rosarius groans again, shield starting to spark and fail as her bolt pistol makes the comparatively placid move, shooting a shell at the floor behind the Aeldari.

The plasma conduit bursts open in a spray of heat, forcing the Drukhari to dodge as Katerinya rolls through the door, arriving outside as the building quickly fills with plasma, a shattering window showing the Dark Eldar leaving to the rooftops. Jumping from building to building while Katerinya rips a motorist off a two-wheeled motorcycle, stealing it and gunning the electric engine to rush through streets and alleys, barely keeping up with the alien.

"Ask for my help." Lelith prods from the shadows, ignored by the Inquisitor as she hits a bump and rises up into the air before returning to the floor. The alien slipping into a central manufactory next to the burning compressed star. She roils the engine to a horrid whine and then leaps off it at the last second, carrying through a wall with a flare of recovered Rosarius, rock-crete failing on impact with the golden light.

Rolling to a halt already firing at everyone around, a tech priest catches a shell and bursts in a spray of oil, blood and cogs whilst another is already rising an obviously xeno-tech rifle, firing at Katerinya, catching her in the shoulder whilst a bolt tears his head off. The venom spines dissolve in the injury, flooding her system with a poison she is long immune to.

The manufactory is rushing to life as workers run from the assembly lines integrating cruel black technologies as well as horrid symbols, an order of extermination forming in her mind, a cleansing of this worlds workforce, its management. The Drukhari looms above, grinning down at the Inquisitor as ten more fall from rafters next to him, done up in the near-naked style of a Wych, twin daggers in hand, all women.

"I've brought my own Wyches, psyker." He boasts as the Wyches dive off the catwalk and land inbetween the machines, Katerinya's heart beginning to race as she tries to figure out how to win, asking for help nowhere in her mind. They dance at a lightning pace as she takes shots, seeing futures twist actively to make her miss while they arc their bodies oddly.

Ten surround her, giggling and crooning for her to give up, avoiding shells with ease. Her eyes rip across the manufactorum with an uneasy, excited desperation, the roaring feeling of a fight she has no business winning, of battling against the inhuman and winning. "Surrender, Xenos, perhaps they will just dissect you." She growls out at her surroundings, buying time and calm alike.

"Surrender, human, and perhaps I can keep you!~" A Wych laughs, shouldering against another of her kind in entertainment. The seconds matter, they light the way, open up the path forward as the electoo-magnet looms in the distance, a wall of magnetism keeping the star contained. The bolt pistol is unloaded, but her Rosarius is charged. She can take it.

The motions of a reload make the Wyches descend, daggers eating into the Rosarius, charge falling perilously as they dig through it, seconds on what otherwise could take hours of firepower. The magazine slams home, locking with a click, now, just a second longer. The bolt pistol rises, taking aim at a circuit a half mile away.

A shot screams out of it, gyrojet activating in a puff of fire as her rosarius fails and a blade rams into her side, piercing a lung, another jabbing into her kidney. The shell screeches across the distance, impacting the electoo in a spray of sparks as briefly, local containment of the star fails in a wall of infinitely hot plasma.

The world slows to a painful crawl as the pressurized post-state of matter is much too hot, much too fast, much too lethal for anyone. Except, of course, the Queen of Knives. She settles bare feet into the ground and sprints forwards, body straining as air starts to flicker into fire around her. Everything is still, unmoving, a photograph of the world as it is.

Wyches part before her, bodies shattering from bare impacts as the wall of plasma comes perilously near, Katerinya's face grit in incoming pain. She grabs the Inquisitor like a doll, raising the woman to her chest, rockcrete beneath her feet shattering as she changes direction, one hand having to be used to kill momentum in a slide that stops just before the incoming solar death.

"You should have asked!" Lelith hisses, rushing as fast as the pinnacle of an Eldar can, body moving faster than biology should ever allow, glutted with thousands of years of torment and death, charged and conditioned with training. The wall is left behind as it sputters out after fifteen miles, seconds of sprinting to the Wych.

She continues, rushing up an elevator shaft, crushing through doors and sparking a mass panic as she shears through a crowd at the space port, a joke in her mind, or perhaps just something to distract her from how close death was.

A shuttle already launching, fusion thrusters bringing it nearly a hundred meters into the sky. Lelith grins, pushing harder, acid in her muscles just another sensation of achievement, climbing up an air control tower as the shuttle gains fifteen metres of height, leaping off it and onto the side, making Lilith scream as the shuttle suddenly is shifted by an exterior impact.

The door forces open and Katarinya, with small burns on her hand and melted clothes otherwise is breathing heavily, bleeding from two wounds and looking as if she was just in some life or death struggle, is thrown in by a pale hand, dotted with black, sharp nails.

At the hand, an inhuman Zerg hiss one Zergling's make as a warning when told to stay at the edges of their creep. A deep rumbly angry noise, unbidden leaves Lilith's throat and chest before she pulls Katarinya in. "I got you a snack, from planet side, from the market." She says looking at her. Worried her voice shaken, "I don't know if you'll like it." Trying to show care in a way that feels so unnatural to Lilith comparatively. To care without seeming to care.

The shuttle shakes again as something jumps off, the rumble returning to Lilith as she hears it. "You're going to be okay." She says quietly, "You're amazing."

Katerinya, rather than be scared, is breathing heavily, "I won." She stares at the lock of red hair in her hand, "She wanted me to beg for help. I didn't." There's elation, joy and cruel success in the Inquisitors voice. Looking up at Lilith with dark and ablaze eyes.

A giant smile, and very weak eyes, "I can't believe it," She says honestly, "You're amazing." Breathing very heavy, just, holding her but not for Katerinya's benefit, feeling guilty that she desperately needs someone to hold right now. "If we ever find their planet. We crack it in two." She says a very dark feral voice leaving her as the golden orbs fade to almost nothing.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Cards in Lilith's hands spill out onto the deck of the ship as she swears angrily. Hissing as she reaches out with the tendrils for the fifth time in ten minutes. Her hands won't stop shaking as she lets the cards slip over each other. Trying to focus, it should be just like the coin. It's similar movements, just slightly looser, slightly wrong, her joints seeming to lock when moving them. They are placed back into her hand and she starts again. Trying to split the deck in three with one hand, flipping each cut of it over her fingers. The trembly stiff motion seemed to bend the cards slightly as she tries not to crush the deck, while still moving them.

She had been near the hatchery for hours, very quickly running there instead of her quarters. Lilith knew she had abandoned Katerinya on Styges VIII, that she kept playing with things because she thought she was stronger than everything else. She wasn't, she needed to remind herself that she didn't know everything. The cards once again flying from her hands as one bends awkwardly. In frustration she lifts and smash a gun crate. One that smelled of cigarettes, liquor, and bad memories. "I don't want a fucking kid." The tiny zerg said her jaw setting as she picks the cards up by hand this time.

The gun crate still smelled like the swarm, so she smashed it against the floor again, not really helping the situation before finally giving up, and throwing it into the evolution pool with the hopes of it at least being broken down for biomass. There's a knock and she turns with an angry hiss, before very quickly putting on a saccharine smile and straightening up. "Who is it?" She asked with a pleasant voice.

"Lilith." A rough voice asks, Katerinya leaning on the doorway, bandages across her stomach and shoulder. She stares at the crate sinking into the acid, creep on the floor contained and modified to not be a horrific hazard to everyone it touches. "I'm coming in." She puts a bare foot on the creep nervously, just a shirt and pants on, both white and linen.

Lilith points at the hatchery and hisses at it, the creep immediately receding far and away from the door. The hatchery, a living building, recoiled, actually flinching trying to get away. "Sorry, I'm not like the others. My swarm keeps testing me." She hisses at the building again until the creep had completely receded.

She walks next to Lilith, looking at the hatchery concerned. "How long have you been down here. The Medicae told me I was unconscious for a day." Katerinya growls out.

"I can eat creep, I'm fine." Lilith says dodging the question, "Food's nice not necessary." Glaring holes into the hatchery.

Even Katerinya could notice the building was scared of Lilith. Not… Breathing right, the air in the room abnormally tense with an almost psychic pressure.

"Shut up." Katerinya says to the abject lies just told to her, "You need to see Celestine, she knows how to help." The Inquisitor feels lost in this, trying to angle everything to the expert. "I don't know how to…help."

"No-one's asking for it." She whispers, a blade coming out of her hand, walking to the side of the hatchery, the building flinching again as something wet happens just out of sight. Carving "Lilith loves Kat Lilith loves Celestine Lilith loves Kat Lilith love Celestine." The entirety of the wall of the things bleeding and oozing as it's covered entirely in scars.

"I don't care." Katerinya storms to follow, not sparing the meat a glance, grabbing at the arm with a blade on it, pulling it down as Lilith leans into her, the touch hot and exhausted and mortal. Not a saint, not a fae, not a queen. Just human. She grabs the falling woman on instinct.

"I hate losing so much." She whispers, trying to frame it in a way that felt better that was somehow less than what it was. "I don't even want a kid, why do I care?"

The Inquisitor calls on long atrophied instincts to guide her, pulling Lilith in carefully, trying to be soft, though all she can manage is being a rock for Lilith. "What the mind…ties itself too is beyond us." Katerinya tries to assure, this was the first real touch from her that wasn't bloody. "It's…hard to overcome it. Sometimes impossible."

"Sometimes," Katerinya admits, "You just have to grow past the…defeat. Overcome the event, not its…" Baring her soul is like razors on nerves, tapping every vertebrae of her spine on the way up and down. "Doubts."

The look in Katerinya's eyes, empty but trying, strikes something deep down in Lilith. She was trying, it was so important. If she wouldn't get help for herself, then she'd do it for someone else. She doesn't… She knows this must be hard for her, and tries to use that use her to be the reason letting herself separate Lilith needing to heal, and instead framing as Lilith needing to show she can do what she says. The framing helping. Yet, she instead turns and hugs Katerinya, who turns from granite stone to diamond.

Squeezing her tightly, just sobbing for a moment hating everything about what happened, at the pain that was unbearable beyond imagination, at the sparks of feelings, at the thought of having a way to spread without stealing people. Just mourning the moment that had cut into her, that had been etched against her will onto her soul. "I hate this galaxy so much sometimes."

Katerinya relaxes at the words, finding them calming, "I hate it all the time." She admits, a grit entering her voice. "I hate what it does to us, the hateful torment of everything in it." Her voice is heavy with anger, "Merely for having the audacity to exist, we must suffer." Her grip tightens, distracting herself, dissociating to the point where touch is no longer painful.

She's beautiful, and strong she's so… but the end of that thought makes Lilith recoil, hating herself for not being able to just have a moment. Very quickly, trying not to make things awkward knowing that Katerinya had just put herself through hell to help her, and in the hospital for her before that. She muttered, "Thank you," A million stupid things that happened that she wanted to apologize for months of mistakes trying to all spill out in once in pennance once again before finally deciding on saying, "You're an amazing person. I'm sorry I keep pushing your boundaries." The words are a choked whisper, as she nods, "I'll go see Celestine, but I don't think she could have… shared in the moment like you could." She wanted to reach out and reassure Katerinya but instead flinched away immediately like she was about to touch a hot stove. Lilith didn't know what to do so she just stared.

Katerinya grabs the hand, pulling it close to her, "There is nothing I will not do for my…" She growls out, having to admit something, having to verbalise it. "My people."

The true meaning ringed in Lilith's head and she nodded, squeezing her hand letting tears fall again. The words finally being ripped from her, no longer knowing what the perfect thing to say was. Never being the one comforted trying to figure out what you're supposed to do. Instead just holding her hand tightly, and saying "It's the people you choose that makes life worth living."

Still seeing something, still having a grit to her, drawing on reserves of will, the ones that let her threaten an ancient killer without a blink, "I…have chosen…you." Katerinya growls out, grip painful to her, though still soft to Lilith's enhanced frame. "I have never…done this." She admits, having nowhere to go from holding the other woman's hand. "How do I make you…better."

Lilith laughs, but happily. "Thank god you added that last part." She said wiping her tears. "That was about to be incredibly confusing for me. You did it, be there, say you lo— chose them, that you're here for them, wait until you or they get an idea on how to break the tension." Still holding the hand, but very gently, so that Katerinya could pull away easily if needed. "Are you hungry?" She asks, "I'm starving, I could cook for two, or three if Celestine is as well."

Katerinya sighs, before chuckling, "If you tried to kiss me, I may have stabbed you out of instinct." She doesn't let go, letting the contact extend, letting herself get used to this, seeing the discomfort as a challenge, a hill to climb, not something to avoid.

"I think I'm ok with that." Lilith says, taking a deep breath, "Yeah, I'm ok with that starting up again." Though not wanting to ruin the moment by leaning in, at least not now. The hand holding being so… wholesome. She needed more wholesome, a world where people weren't like Lilith as much. "We haven't told Celestine about the trip have we? Like. The whole thing."

"No," Katerinya shakes her head, "I rushed to you side when I awoke." A casual admission. Unnoticed by her.

A small smile breaks on Lilith's face, but instead she says, "Do we start with the horrifically embarassing? Or the terrifyingly traumatic?"

"If we tell her that without preamble, she may rush out to slay the Xenos witch." Katerinya growls out.

"Ok, follow my lead then."

---

"Celestine?" Lilith asks as she steps into the Kitchen to start cooking. Pulling sausages, carrots, onions, and bell peppers to start on a jambalaya of sorts, though the planet where such a thing would come from now thirty eight millenia in the past. "I'm cooking food if you're hungry, do you want to hear about our trip?"

The Saint nods, looking deeply at Lilith, noting something worrying, "Are you well, dearest?" She asks as the food is assembled.

"Yeah, Katerinya checked up on me and was extremely helpful." Lilith says, pouring meats and veggies into a stock pot, letting them brown. "So three things happened, Katerinya made me cum in a buggy, then we got dressed in a warehouse and went to a ball, and I came home while she finished the investigation, hitting the shuttle just fifteen meters after it left off. Which do you want to hear about first?"

"I…" She looks at Katerinya who's shooting a glare at Lilith at her wording, "Lets start at the beginning, I'm…curious." Celestine smiles slightly wider at that. Thinking this is a joke.

"We parked a few hours from the city, and Katerinya was in a still suit which I learned was just a thin piece of rubber and some moisturisers." Lilith turned her back on them to quickly stir things in the pot, "Little to my knowledge Katerinya had been reading my mind so the entire way there I'm trying very hard not to say anything unaware that I was already saying very much." She didn't want to look at Celestine while she talked, both to avoid the evil glare from Katerinya, and to keep herself from laughing at Celestine.

"She starts shooting at me, normal. We climb a mesa, walk into a cavern where there's a fusion reactor powered dune buggy." A tendril grabs a bit of wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot, "She says 'get in' and I'm looking, there's only one seat. I panic, because I wasn't aware she had this whole thing planned until she made sure to let me know to hold on tight." Instincts cause her to very quickly slide to the left as a bolt pistol shot hits the space where her shoulder was.

"Anyways, I'm five six, and the still suit was unfortunately shaped for the embrace. The dune buggy lacked suspension, so the whole thing was vibrating like a paint mixer set to homogenize." Stock and rice were added as she put the lid back on, and turned to look at Celestine and Katerinya, "I'm telling the truth." She says to Celestine.

"Hmm. How…" She stares at Katarinya, "You never thought to add a second seat, Kat?" Celestine prods.

Katerinya growls, "I do not often work with others." Glaring at Lilith with ever more heat.

Sorry, Lilith thought You should prepare for the next parts, A deep breath as Lilith continues, "I ruined a sundress, and… didn't really damage the Still suit, but really wasn't comfortable for Katerinya to wear anymore. So we changed in a warehouse, where she blew up all the clothes until I had only a bodysuit and low rise jacket to wear." Pausing again for just a moment, touching her chin as if lost in thought. Looking very apologetic at Katerinya. This should help right?

She can hear us. Katerinya communes with some annoyance, You do remember that, right?

"No, I forget every time." The tinier of the two groaned, "Yeah so, she blows up my clothes and we go to the ball. Cuddling in the car was pretty great as well. All in all it was almost a perfect trip, except for one very small part. Almost insignificant."

Celestine frowns, leaning onto the table to look closely at Lilith, waiting for her explanation.

"There was a Dark Eldar, I didn't know they were like, from before our time. We had legends and things that they hadn't heard in years, so I traded barbs that were probably older than it was." Celestine's eyes squint, very aware at Lilith using it instead of they for what she considers a person. "We needed a lead. Katerinya said I was in over my head. I pushed on, we went from 'Until the Dark Eldar was sated' to 'a month' to 'an hour on Styges VIII' which is two hundred and ten imperial minutes." Trying to surround the worst part with a lot of pointless details, "I broke pretty bad during the torture and had to come home. Then Katerinya finished the mission without me, and when she woke up she checked on me! I felt better, so I started cooking." Very quickly pointing to Katerinya, "We held hands. We should be celebrating that not worrying about what happened in a blink of an eye."

"Tell me if they hurt you." Celestine is a barely contained star of fury, armour fluttering in and out of existence in a golden gleam, "Tell me."

Lilith stomps her foot down angrily, "I will not have you storm off when I cooked dinner." Pointing at the armour with a wooden spoon, "So power down. I shouldn't be scared to tell you things because you'll fly off the handle."

Celestine takes a breath, crushing the fury for Lilith. Opening golden eyes again, she nods. "After dinner and cuddles, then." Its a firm statement, pulling her chair over and sitting, waiting for Lilith calmly. The smile of familial life slowly returning when her heart-rate slows.

Three bowls are laid out, and the jambalaya is served piping hot and seasoned heavily with things she had nabbed from various markets and traders as they flew around, building up quite a spice shelf of her own. "Okay! That sounds good!" Spoons are placed on the table and she sits down as well.

Celestine digs in, eating before suddenly stopping, staring off, "God Emperor. Why is this so hot." The detonation of noise rattles the plates, making Katerinya smirk with a mouthful of the jambalaya.

"Do you not like spicy food?" Lilith asks suddenly concerned, "I just put uh…" She looks at the bushels, "Looks like they're some kind of bonnet pepper, don't know what you guys call them."

"My love, my dear, my Lilith." Celestine reaches for a glass of water very calmly, "I usually ate rations when I was living. And only eat with you now." She drinks the water, spreading the spice all throughout her mouth.

"Water bad." She tries to say before it's too late, wincing. "Liquor, or… You must have milk still right?" Lilith says suddenly, "Oh right, it comes from grox not cows. Yeah, that." Quickly getting up and going to the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of rum, but pouring it over ice, with a little bit of water as well to cut it. "Here drink this, you'll love it… Er eventually."

She drinks it, coming down from the pain while Katerinya tries not to laugh, eating another mouthful of food, finishing her bowl in good time. Celestine gasps, and then goes back to the food, spice making her eyes water.

There's a moment of concern as Lilith watches, "I kind of forget about heat tolerance when it comes to food." Looking at Katerinya and then giggling at the face she's making.

"Merely…an….obstacle." Celestine says, swallowing another bite, "How…long exactly? To bear it?" She's completely unaware of how this works.

"It's just the pepper, it's there until it's not in your saliva anymore. It's a pleasant allergic reaction that you have to the food. There's a few different kinds as well, I really am hoping to find an equivalent to this numbing pepper that makes your mouth just tingle and water." The giggling doesn't stop. "You're… I've basically accidentally poisoned you for the next hour. I'll use less pepper next time."

"Ah, my love poisoned me." Celestine laughs in pain, "It shows me she cares." She assures Katerinya, drinking more rum, mixing capsaicin with alcohol, now drunk and in pain.

"You also forgot she's a lightweight." Katerinya shakes her head smiling.

"No, I definitely remembered." Lilith responded happily, "I didn't know she'd never had peppers before or I'd have used far less spicy ones though. Are… Rations good? Like tasting?"

"No." "No." Both women intone in near the exact same voice, remembering them distastefully.

"I guess I'll pack a small cooking kit for the next Crusade in my ruck, since I don't really need anything else." She refills Celestine's glass, and then moves to finish her own food, watching the woman with careful eyes now.

Celestine chuckles loudly, "I love it when you cook for me, did you know?" She leans over, tugging Lilith off her chair and into her, "It's so…homely. It makes me want to marry you." The Saint is almost giggling while she speaks, having taken many drinks of rum in quick succession.

She cuddles into Celestine, "Well that means not running off when I tell you things so we can plan." Giving Katerinya a look as she nestles into her arms. Katerinya knew her better, but was a bad judge of people. Still would probably warn her off from something overly stupid.

"Mhmm, do we both wear dresses? That's how it used to be done, I read some books." Celestine starts mumbling, Katerinya breathing a sigh of relief as the Saint is distracted, "I'd like you to wear a dress, you'd look divine in white." Still more mumbled words.

"I can't disagree with you there." Lilith says happily, "What will we make Katerinya wear?" Pointing the attention towards games and fun quickly, to keep it away from being plugged about what happened.

"Kat? She's in a dress too!" Celestine laughs, looking over with a deep caring aura in her.

"So, Ladies Lilith, Celestine, and Katerinya von Grayfax then? Did we ever get that officially agreed upon?" She asks, but then seeing Katerinya nod she almost gaps, slapping Celestine on the chest lightly.

"Just…Grayfax." Katerinya corrects with less heat than usual, "Grayfax isn't a place. Its a family-Used to be." She shakes her head, sighing.

"Is again." Lilith says winking, before gripping Celestine tightly. Then looking at her, "You're not looking so great Celestine, you may want to lay down?"

"Lay down?" She says, standing up with a wobble, holding Lilith to her, "We can do that." Celestine grabs the bottle of rum with her free hand as she goes, smiling through the halls as she keeps talking, "Should we do it in a church? Or someplace else. I remember a marriage that took place on a beach, but then the white would be covered in sand." Its a wall of words, punctuated by sips of the rum.

"Yeah, also sometimes people get the tide really wrong, or the planners fuck up and then you're whole wedding is water logged." Lilith admits thinking to some stories from home, "A small part of me wants to ask Guilliman if we can use the palace, how often does a saint get married? For love especially, it should be a monumental thing." Then she stops, "Oh wait, he offered us a venue, can you get us to the vox?" Lilith smiled, not wanting to be put down, and enjoying the sway as Celestine moved through the halls.

"It's-hic" The hiccup shakes the walls as she arrives, "It's right here!" Pulling a vox caster off the wall, trying to type in a code to Guilliman, messing it up ten times before stopping and staring at it, "My love, do you remember his code?"

"I do," Lilith says gently patting her on the chest, "You run off to bed and get ready. I'll be there in a minute."

The Saint puts Lilith down, falling over herself, having to recover her balance and stumble off, smiling broadly, turning around and shouting far too loudly, "I love you!" Before falling into her chambers.

"I love you too!" She yells back, then as she hears the door close, "Katerinya! Please get us the fuck away from this filthy hell hole! Please and thank you!~" In a very chipper tone, waiting to hear either confirmation or feel the ship move. The vessel's engines rumble to life, starting to pull it out of orbit of the moon. With a sigh, she lets her shoulders fall, one problem down they just need to be far enough away that Celestine can't fly through open space.

She quickly types in the Voxcaster the code for Guilliman, hearing another booming voice, though this one for more masculine answer, a quick exchange of greetings and pleasantries took place, before Lilith asked, "Do you still have an idea for a wedding venue? Celestine, Kat, and I are finally picking dresses and rings and things."

"I still offer Macragge's green hills and wheat fields, or its many cathedrals and parks." He calmly answers, confident in the beauty of his world, "May I ask what Inquisitor Greyfax did on Stygies? It is already being complained about."

Not answering the question at all but trying to excuse the behaviour, "A dark eldar tortured me for about four hours then convinced me I wanted a child, when I agreed, it laughed at me. She went a little…" Her hand kind of wobbles in front of the view screen, "Extra this time. She blew up a thingy, came home covered in plasma burns."

"I see, the Dark Eldar have entreated with me as well, though, they have not attempted such things." Guilliman sounds annoyed at the aliens contacting him, though not Lilith's report, "A man and woman chief amongst them, the man infuriatingly careful, the woman aggravatingly violent."

"The woman," Lilith says, immediately knowing it was her, "Queen of Knives or whatever. Rotten bi— Sorry." Her body had an odd shuffle as every piece started to shift and resettle. "Katerinya caught me crying for about a day, day and a half. When I finally checked the reports she apparently blew up a star? Which must be the name of something, as stars don't just explode, nor exist in moons."

"The artificial star in the moon's heart is used as a power source. And yes, the…Archon Vect is very cross with her." He's still annoyed, "Has her chained to a throne now. For indiscretions against allies."

"Has… who chained to a throne? The inquisitor is on the ship." Lilith says suddenly, very concerned.

"The Wych." He states simply.

She turned away for just a second to pull on her face, "Thank the God Emperor, alright. I saw a servitor up close!" She said returning back to conversation, "That's… One of the most horrific things I've seen done to a man! By far!"

Guilliman growls as an inhuman trill shoots through his side of the call, "Quite, I have been discussing with my contacts in the Mechanicum if the practice could be halted. They threatened to stop shipping lasguns. So it will have to wait–" Another screech, "She is chained in Archon Vects quarters. Next to mine." The Primarch complains thoroughly done with this situation.

"Can you not just put two in her brain and be done with it?" Lilith asks rubbing her eyes, "What's the point of just torturing people? Fuck this, the next thing I'm working on is getting us off their leash somehow. Absolutely ridiculous. After the Crusade I mean. Of course."

"They are, I believe–." Another shrill screech followed by a masculine laugh that makes Guilliman groan, "In love, as Vect stated, not having her killed."

"I keep forgetting you're a good person, then you remind me completely at random." Lilith sighs with relief, "I mean I hate them, and I never want to see either of them. Ever, but that's respectable." She sighs, "What was that place we had that party at? It was like a fort or something, where I met Celestine? Could we do it there? That'd be a really romantic full circle."

"My fortress? Certainly." Guilliman seems agreeable to the idea, "Something for the Veterans to help prepare that isn't war."

"My thoughts exactly as well. I'll call you tomorrow and ask once Celestine agrees. I'm ninety percent sure, but I like to double and triple check." Lilith nods, before exchanging further pleasantries, catching up with Guilliman and then checking a clock, ends the call and walks to her quarters. The room has been repaired since they knocked down the wall, and the new wall was reinforced with a new material, though Lilith didn't know the name. She added further reinforcement in the insulation, allowing a bit of Zerg musculature to help it keep quiet and push back against force. Lilith gently poked her head in before walking in.

Celestine was asleep, sprawled across the bed, having managed to get her pants off, but the shirt only halfway by the time she collapsed onto the bed, not quite snoring yet, in a twilight state. With gentle movements and delicate light steps, Lilith silently crept into bed, gently lowering herself on Celestine holding her with a tight embrace smiling feeling safe to have her near as she fell asleep.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Just finished chapter 23 and if you stuck around past the Drukhari scene things will be getting very wholesome in the weird way only this fic can pull off. Trying not to oversell it though but I am DESPERATE to brag and talk about it

 

[Princess Scribe]

Celestine roared in anger when Lilith had gone over all the details, armour and sword clanging to her hand at once as she prepared for battle. Stomping through the ship to get to a shuttle, while Lilith quickly tried to calm her down. She had thought the hangover would be more debilitating on Celestine's mobility then it had been, and the ferocity she was marching through the ship shook the walls with her yells.

"I will have her HEAD for this!" Celestine smashes her fist through a bulkhead, adamantine groaning and shattering under the impact as a shuttle is prepared, "Rip her to pieces, scatter her gore across the stars!" The Saint continues to give into anger, stomping into the shuttle bay.

"Where are you taking the shuttle to Celestine, we're not in that system anymore. Are you going to warp with it?" Lilith chasing her, "We just agreed last night you wouldn't tear off like this."

The Saint smashes her fist into a shuttle, sending the ten tonne craft to spin away, crashing into a bulkhead with groaning steel and denting hull plate, roaring out a cry. "How dare she, that xenos WHORE!" Her eyes are dripping with sparks, nearly ablaze.

"We'll… Work on swear choice later." Lilith decides, "Yeah, it was terrible but it's over. I learned a valuable lesson, and stole some hair for sequencing, and I'm hoping to find a way to replicate whatever the… Orgasm to baby thing is. Once I get in touch with Abathur. Once he answers… My calls I guess." She says quietly, before looking back to Celestine. "It had to be done, it happened in the safest way possible, because now I know and nothing permanent was taken from me except a little peace of mind and dignity."

"I-will calm down." She hisses out, controlling the fury, pushing the rage back down, "I will kill her. But I…do not need to be childish this day."

"Oh definitely, Abathur found the Protoss homeworld. I plan to destroy these people later. I will tear it asunder."

"Commorragh. I've been." Celestine growls out, the same tone everyone uses for that place, it turns out.

Lilith nods, "It exists out of time and space, I was in their… Arena." She shudders angrily, something gross and fetid leeching away at her. The Arena wasn't bad, just everything tainted around it. "Just need to figure out how to get a fleet there and we can crack it in two."

"I know who to ask. The Salamanders." Celestine has a plan form, "Thousands of years ago, they found a way in, performed a lightning strike to save their imprisoned battle brothers. They must still know the way."

"We've got a Crusade soon, but we'll keep that in our back pocket." Lilith says, before quickly changing the subject. "Guilliman said we could use his fortress to marry. It seemed romantic since that's where the three of us met. Do you like the idea?"

Celestine smiles at that, "Yes, I adore it." Her armour starts to fade, letting her touch Lilith's skin, stroking her hand on her arm to calm, to breathe, to be Celestine, not the Warrior-Saint. "And the Salamanders will be in the Indomitus Crusade with us, luckily, they did not shirk duty."

There was something about that phrasing that made bile crawl in Lilith's throat, "Were there some that did?" She was angry for some reason, it bothered her. Were they unaware of the enemy at the gate.

"The Minotaurs Chapter refused to leave Terra. Several Forge Worlds refused to increase production to meet demand, forcing Mars to pick up the slack. The Marines Malevolent and successor chapters refused to join. The Black Templars are already on Crusade elsewhere." She is listing a small portion of diplomatic reports she's read.

"What the fuck." Lilith asked angrily, "After everything? They just say 'fuck off.' They can do that?" She growls.

"If we spend strength bringing them to line. We will lose it for the Crusade. They know this." She taps her foot.

"We can send the swarm." Lilith says quietly, "We can make the choice for them." The tiny woman stomps over to the Vox across the ship suddenly racing to call Guilliman.

"We cannot, if we deploy a superweapon upon our own people. Their rejection will be justified." Celestine warns, trying to stop Lilith without grabbing her, "We must be better than them, history will prove us right."

"That only happens if there are people to keep the history books updated." Lilith growls back, stopping, angry, infuriated even. "What happened in the twenty-second millenia hmm? Do you know? How does programming work? How does… You sing to your ships in binary, not even knowing what the numbers mean."

Celestine nods, smiling darkly, "We have lost much. Which is why we cannot fall further. Mercy, leadership, rulership, not dictatorship."

"I'm changing." Lilith said, suddenly stopping at the words. Feeling them strike her like bolter fire. "I'm not making things better. I'm getting worse."

The Saint sighs, "Everyone is. Even Guilliman is growing dark. This galaxy, it is too much for anyone. It is…too much." She can't manage more words than that. A story comes to her, "Arch Magos Cawl told me a story once." Celestine seems to improve in mood, recalling it. Bidding Lilith to come sit next to her, which she does, the two leaning against the wrecked shuttle.

"He spoke less flowerily than I will, noting our flagging strength in Cadia, but he told a story of a project he was involved in." Her voice is warm, kind, "Building probes of extreme range, incredible warp capacity. And then sending them into the void, to new galaxies. It took them a century to arrive."

"We just… Leave? I like that plan." Lilith says quietly, "Just the good people, my little swarm, build up our own place, a few systems start over somewhere better…" She leans further into Celestine now, resting her hand on the woman's thigh.

"He told me of the plan, yes. The other galaxies were quiet, a few Ork signals here or there, but, well, they're everywhere." She chuckles, holding Lilith with an arm, "Untouched by war, by history, by betrayal and heresy. He wrote a plan, to build colony ships, send billions into the void, resting in icy sleep, to awaken there. Guilliman rejected it, he could not leave the rest here."

"He still has those plans, I imagine, like everything else. And I think he wishes to put them into use when we win. When humanity is not…surrounded on all sides. Travel to new lands, not build over already built over ruins." The Saint smiles at the idea, "Imagine that, an unspoilt galaxy, not infested with thirsting gods and hateful monsters." She turns to Lilith, waiting for her response.

"Just have to win a five way war with every horrific monstrosity you can imagine." Lilith said with a chuckle, but calming down. "I need to check on my planetary swarm, my backup plan later." She says, "I don't trust Unity, I don't trust Anastasia or Zhakarov to not make a play during the Crusade. I don't trust them at all. The swarm is very very stupid run by very very smart people. A terrible combination."

Very quickly she checks on the system near Terra where Guilliman had allowed them to prosper. Overlords and Queens seeming perfectly happy to manage themselves with limited interruption. The surrounding planets and moons now covered in Creep as well. "It's not much." She says quietly, focussing far away, "It's a start though."

"Guilliman does not either." Celestine admit with a sigh, "Arch Magos Cawl has expressed a desire to lead an extermination campaign. And only the Primarch's will has stopped his Tech Guard from waging it."

"It's also nice knowing I can run spreadsheets to Guilliman and he'll largely do the maths for me with few decisions based on my experience. I think we're almost growing twice the pace that Zhakarov did, though we had a major head start with most of the strains ermm… Borrowed." It was fun staying in touch, and the man truly seemed overjoyed to push numbers on his sheets.

"I think its a joy of his. They're predictable, easy to work with, simple to please, unlike everyone else." Celestine says, not specifying if she meant numbers or Zerg.

"I'm honestly just grateful he trusts me. The swarm hated my ideas, especially about making the creep fun colours, or giving breaks to everyone." She admits quietly, taking a deep breath. "Anastasia kept them docile sure, 'Oh just do this, then you can do that, then you can do this,' but just letting them have a few hours a day to fuck off has made them work so much harder. The Queens knowing their day ends, get twice as much work done, just to make the day pass faster. I know this stuff, and no-one trusted me with it because it wasn't a number."

"The Lord Commander is followed because he follows. He does not pretend to know all, or even much of anything. He trusts those under him with their expertise. It is a welcome change." Celestine synthesises Guilliman's strategy of leadership. "If you have not failed him, why would he fear failure?" She shrugs, pointing out the core idea of the man, the demigod's leading style.

"I've failed a lot though…" Lilith said suddenly, thinking of decisions she could have made better, choices that could have swayed one way or the other. "What happens to the people who fail?"

"If you fail him, generally, he tries to teach you to be better." Celestine remembers something, "Do you remember that graying Astartes, he was with you on Terra I hear, Marneus? He failed an assault, led two squads of Terminator Marines into an ambush. No survivors." A grim fate, especially for Astartes, "Any other commander would have had him executed. Guilliman thought that the sting of failure would make him try twice as hard to succeed, and placed him in command again."

Lilith turns to look at Celestine, pinching her eyes very slowly, "Are the people not aware of… Generational experience? Are they really executing people for failures?!"

"Often, yes." Celestine admits, annoyed at the concept, "It is…a cathartic punishment for a failure. If not well-thought-out."

"It's why everyone eventually loses to the Zerg." Trying to get a very important point across, one that maybe she and Guilliman already understood, "You can't get rid of knowledge like that, it's always useful, eventually. You kill someone, and you've wiped out years of work and training. It's destroying an investment, just like, from a bookkeeping perspective outside of human life."

"I do not support the practice outside of very crushing failures, ones that had to have been malevolent." She agrees with Lilith, "If you can believe it, I've commanded armies before." Celestine grins, nuzzling Lilith's head.

"I believe it, I'm learning kind people with steel spines make great commanders." Lilith nuzzles back, "I never asked this, I don't think. How did you know that Kerrigan needed to…" She puts a finger gun to her head. Lowering her thumb to imitate violence.

"Laying on the ground, unconscious, bereft of power and control, all she could think of in dreams was vengeance. Heart wholly consumed by faces of those she wished to kill." Celestine sounds saddened, "There was nothing beyond the hatred anymore, it would have been…cruel to let her suffer onwards."

"You believe me right? That I tried so hard." Guilt crept into Lilith, knowing there was no-one to forgive her for killing Kerrigan twice, but quietly desperate to be absolved. "I tried really hard. I didn't just give up on her."

"I know you gave her everything you were." Celestine banishes the guilt, looking at Lilith with golden light in her eyes, "You gave her more than anyone deserves, more than the world, and she tore you apart." There's anger there, a possessive rage at someone touching hers, "And all she could return was anger."

"I hate how I was made, even though it seems to help people so much sometimes." Lilith whispers now, lower, "I fall in love… Instantly at the drop of a hat, Abathur had explained it but I didn't understand. I was meant to be the glue for the Queen of Blades to help her build social networks. I was just… Designed to fall for people, to flirt, to try and make them happy. It works, but I get so little out of it from anyone but you and Katarinya. Well, and Varynna."

"Maybe one day, when it's peaceful. We can try out being mortal for a while." Celestine suggests, "I know you like scars, and I don't have many of them like this." It's a joke, bringing a grin to her face.

"Even in peace the galaxy will always need beacons." Lilith admits, "We should be having this wedding somewhere far more public, for the imperium. I just can't."

"No." Celestine shakes her head, "It is, I will not give this to the Imperium. Anything else, not this." She breathes out, "I can't either." She realizes she spoke too quickly, looking at Lilith with a slightly ashamed smile.

Lilith laughs, tapping her on the chest, happy to have someone whose passionate and outspoken, but for once not solely about bloodshed and gore. Being able to just… Enjoy and say a thing is good, or special. "Listen in, I'm going to talk to Varynna."

Varynna? We have a date and location for the wedding. Lilith says quietly in the swarm space, You're invited obviously. There was no response, she realised she couldn't feel the swarm at all. She couldn't feel... Anything but her own. Varynna? There wasn't a response. Was she alone. Then very faintly, somewhere far away she heard a tiny whisper. Something she had to reach out and grasp. Finally, she was able to snag, a small line dangling through space. Varynna? Why couldn't I hear you? Lilith asked.

Dear, you're not in Unity anymore. Her tone was calm, but comforting, as if Varynna was going to shield her from the world. On the mental link, Lilith heard. I'm barely able to contact you even now.

It was going to happen sooner or later, I've made plans. Lilith said firmly, We have a date and location for the wedding.

Do you? How wonderful! Varynna laughs with joy across the bond, I'll get the gifts ready now-You don't mind them being a little….me, do you?

Hold no restrictions on yourself, live your truth. There was a moment when Lilith realised that maybe, she wasn't only getting worse.

Oh perfect, I have a wonderful box of things for you two…three? I'm not sure there. And a set of matching earrings and a set of piercings if you'd like them– Varynna is cut off her growing list.

There's light coming a cross from Lilith's connection, a golden shining Imperial one, Three, Lilith, Celestine and Katerinya Greyfax. They… Grow and change and they make me so happy.

I'm happy for you, Lilith. Varynna calms, letting her voice come to a warmth it's always capable of for Lilith, You deserve something good, something great.

That makes Lilith want to cry, and in real space she wipes her eyes. I'm not crying by the way, I'm being extremely stoic and tough.

Then I won't admit to anything either, alright? Varynna jokes, a little hitch in her voice.

Deal. Lilith says, overwhelmed with emotion. Is it stupid to think Ana and the rest are going to do something very stupid on that date? Abathur no longer responds.

Abathur is swamped with work, even by his standards. I think its likely to keep him busy. There's politics ongoing. I'll win as I always do. Varynna assures Lilith, confident in her victory.

Everyone likes, or at least liked me on the ground talk up how good friends we are. Lilith snorts, though she did go around petting things, and giving small comforts where she could. Could you tell Abathur I sequenced a new DNA, it's got four helixes, weird shit I've never seen before. That's not in the swarm's memory either. Stole some hair from the Queen of Knives, well won it.

Aeldari DNA? You should speak to Cawl for that, I hear he knows their structure back to front. Peerless geneticist. Varynna chuckles, Like a friendlier, yet more intimidating Abathur at times.

Hmmm… Lilith realised that the undertone of what was being said was clear, she should keep it for her own swarm. Division was coming. Good idea, I know he's busy.

Excellent catch as always, now, remember to consummate before, during and after the marriage. It's good for your health. Varynna crassly laughs.

Bad for the surrounding architecture however, Lilith snorted thinking about the amount of things Celestine has managed to destroy around them in a few short months. Love you, I'll talk to you… well always I guess, whenever I need something or hear something fun to talk about.

Of course, I'm here for you Lilith. Varynna promises with a firm and yet placid tone, Hopefully your conversations with Cawl bear no useful fruit. She sighs, hoping that the DNA need not be used.

Actually, Lilith said interrupting herself before saying goodbye, I'm thinking about what if Zerg could… Make Terrans a more traditional way.

Like, a man seeds a woman? Varynna considers with a hmm.

Slightly less traditional, just… Two people? Apparently the Drukhari can do that with any species, we can infest any species so… Lilith pushes, Maybe we can be a little more human.

Eldar in general reproduce by continuous…bonding. Not just their darkling kin. Varynna says, I've got dozens of the more…I wouldn't say good variety, but less horrific aboard my ship, Craftworlds have been negotiated with to provide support.

She knew Varynna knew why she brought it up, deciding not to say that either. Dodging the question a clear signal to drop the conversation again. Alright goodbye for real this time.

Goodbye Lilith.

She sighs, looking at Celestine, "Do we have any plans besides planning a wedding?"

"Train, practice, fit for dresses. You?" Celestine has a simple day plan most days. These coming ones are no different.

"Train with you, keep optimizing myself, I have Drukhari neurotoxin, hair, and violent poisons that I threw in the evolution pool to analyse, I want to meet Cawl finally to talk about optimising the swarm, and maybe share so that we can build trust. Not only build trust, but improve in a way he finds safe." Lilith admits, not really knowing the man other than that he persists as a man who communicates purely through threats.

"Cawl is easy, he's on the next ship over in the fleet. Once we merge with it." Celestine says, "For the rest, I'll sit with you while you work, is that alright? I'll only distract you often." The Saint smirks, lowering to nuzzle Lilith again.

"You'll have to try extra hard then." Lilith laughs, "I would do this work while being re-written." She realises that Celestine has no idea what that probably means. "It hurts, imagine being threaded, knotted, then re-woven like a basket made out of a single thread."

 

[Princess Scribe]

The Iron Revenant is odd. It bears grand and opulent exterior markings, painted in red and gold, the colours of Mars proper, skulls merged with machines displayed alongside weapons batteries that hum with electromagnetic accelerant, a strange cannon that ripples in waves of gravity under its thickly armoured prow and engines that burn white hot rather than the normal blue.

The interior, on the other hand is clean, spotless, well angled and built, none of the megalithic empty spaces of other ships, efficient hallways filled with menials, a tram system on the ceiling carrying people around the vastness of the Ark Mechanicus without having to walk, organized and efficient, reminding Lilith of the Battlecruisers she saw on TV, decades ago.

Belisarius is a giant, twelve feet of mechanical man, bulbous plates of armour altering his shape while limbs push out from his back, mechanical things. His skin is pale and his eyes are bloodshot, thin and weary, though almost drowned out by the blue glow of his mechanical sensors otherwise mounted across him.

The chamber is ostensibly his workshop, but it is not the dark and oil-stricken area of a lesser Tech Priest, rather a clean, organised space of cabinets, bright lighting and computer screens, a rare sight, in full colour, not the durable but primitive CRT of most Imperial technology. The Arch Magos has almost certainly noticed Lilith, but is focused on a screen showing a recording of his feats.

The man really is Abathur, she realised. Walking forward, "I'm Lilith just announcing my presence, I can wait until you have a moment, of course." She says standing still watching the room around herself.

The screen shows him on a colossal black stone platform, a small dot of red on the megalithic structure, bleeding oil and sparking blood. A portal ahead of him tearing into space, shining green, a yellow sun gifting light through its open maw. Constructs that look like skeletal iron men, shining green are dragged through the portal by some immense gravity, and in the distance a mechanical horror of a dragon is being pulled through it.

"It's nothing personal!" A booming, yet surprisingly jovial voice comes from the screen as Cawl shouts at the dragon, "I quite liked you really!" The many limbs clamping into the stone, holding him steady to the pull as everything is dragged into it.

A dragon Lilith thought watching it, Why would anyone make a Dragon, that just seems… Inefficient as a war weapon.

The Dragon, a green tag marks it C'tan. Roars, "Fool." Tearing itself away from the portal in a boom of antigravitation, "We are the master of the physical realm. Nothing can destroy us. Nothing can restrain us. A little gravity is nothing to us, we who devoured stars."

Writhing tentacles of light flew free from it, rushing to Cawl as he stood his ground against the almost-godlike machine. It's a quiet comment from Cawl as his vox-emmiter is turned down to normal volumes that stops it, "Well, not nothing."

He's quippy, Lilith thinks with a smile, very few still do the whole back and forth during fights. Even Chaos seem to be rather annoyed at the idea.

"You are forgetting a small matter of the singularity." The recording speaks in his voice, causing the dragon to halt. "If that portal closes, you will have no escape." Cawl sounds entertained as a thousand glowing tendrils of light stop milimetres from him. "The quantum engines of the device are unstable, the collapse of their bonds will pull us into a black hole."

"I will be dead." He chuckles, even more entertained, "Far worse, you will be alive." The Dragon stops, all motion ceasing as the mortal outwits the Star God.

In reality, Cawl comments in a slightly electronic voice, at a very normal volume, "A fond recent experience. I find it sets my tone well." Turning a bloodshot eye and glowing mechanical sensor to Lilith.

"You played me a live-stream to set the mood." Lilith says grinning ear to ear, "Oh I'm really going to like you." She said, walking forward, "I'm Lilith, I'm one of the things you want to exterminate. Still, doesn't mean we can't be friendly!" She says looking at the screen, "I haven't seen one of these since I got here. We used to have them everywhere. Little datapads you could open up with a keyboard to access the noosphere with… Just everything you could think of on it."

"I know, I was still very fleshy ten thousand years ago, we had it then." Shifting around to fully face the smaller woman, hundreds of limbs under the robe.

"Thirty-eight thousand years ago." Lilith smiled looking at him, "We used to be able to just type in code and make machines do things, though I'm starting to think ten thousand years ago would have been much more recognizable to me."

"Ah, yes. I hear that often from Guilliman. It never was quite that simple." He raises a hand at a computer, "Inside that device is thirty thousand years of built up data, every record of mankind is likely available. And every secret ever discovered, likely there in some form." The Arch Magos explains, a chuckle entering his voice.

"But, it's all corrupted after ten thousand years. Or worse, it's all there just behind a password or a search." Lilith offers, looking at the machine.

"Much worse, interspersed in the code are millenia old warfare vectors, daemons in the scripts, horrific AI's lurking, waiting for a chance to connect to larger systems, hiding as designs, blueprints, panacea's and gifts, desiring to exterminate humanity once and for all." He accesses it with a tap of keys.

She looks at the computer a small frown at her face, more in… She guessed pity, then anything else, "I suddenly feel very responsible. We made adjutants, who were just administrators that sometimes fought wars for us."

"The Men of Iron, I'm familiar." Cawl chuckles again, "I found survivors of the war with them, once, I can show you that recording later." A droning hiss passes as a hydraulic spine lowers him to more easily access a computer.

"You want to wipe us out," Lilith says cheerfully, "The thing is I think it might be the right call, at least to a point. I'm a geneticist, like you but… Alien. Guilliman might have mentioned. I've got my own nest egg for the Imperium?" She looks at Cawl, getting to business. "I want to make my Swarm more palatable to you. So we can continue on if everyone decides to do very stupid things. To help fight chaos when the Crusade comes as well."

"I don't like your Swarm, too…fleshy." He admits, the only part of him still meat being his face, "But even among my compatriots of faith, I am extreme!" One of the many limbs moves up to grab a device off the ceiling as he keeps a chemical decanting system operating, hissing tubes and violent liquids flowing.

"As such, I have listened to Lord Commander Guilliman's request to not have my graviton cannon drag every infected world into a singularity." Cawl states with an energy about him, "Now, onto your request, what sort of life-scribe work–Ah blast, I'm calling it that now too." He seems distressed at the fact.

"I still haven't caught onto the language at all, so I'll take'em interchangeably just for the concept." Lilith said happily. "Few things, I snuck a kill switch in for a few of the infected. I think, two or three now. That's just to build trust between us. I want to keep that so that if you do fire your graviton cannon you aim it away from me and mine specifically." Then she walks a few steps around him, examining everything. "I've got some Drukhari Essence—our name for DNA, but also it seems to float around like a soul— and that I want to use to make my infested closer to human."

"Ah, the Eldar. Do you want to know of their origin?" He asks, pulling a cabinet open, revealing thousands of samples of them.

"Jesus." She said quietly, "I think actually maybe, damn I should have just asked you from the beginning." She picks up a piece of paper and groans, "Everything is labeled too, argh."

"Is it funny that I've heard that twice today?" Belisarius chuckles, "The 'come to me from the beginning' part."

"I've never heard that before, what's it like," She said dryly with a smile, looking through the documents very quickly, scanning them with rapid dilligence, "I'm looking to see how I can make it so I can have a kid some day." She decided to just be direct for once.

Belisarius places the questions in order of personal priority, starting with the one he cares for the most, "The Eldar, according to their legends, my interrogations of their cultural leaders, genetic testing and fossil records, are a sixty-five million year old society!" He explains with the joy of teaching, exuberant. "Now, the most common mythological trend is that they were created by these great psychic creatures, forged to do war on an ancient enemy–You saw one such enemy on the recording, the shard of the C'tan, the Star God–" He moves to slightly re-order his samples, noting an inconsistency in organisation.

She nods, glad she brought a datapad, taking notes the same she did with Abathur. "That's spelled Catan?"

"C, as in the letter, apostrophe, T, A, N." He quickly reorrders.

She nods, "I hope you don't mind me taking notes, I… This is something I love. Since I can just very quickly change myself kind of like you guys but… Fleshier."

"The flesh is weak, but you attempting to make it strong is a laudable boulder to push." The machine-man laughs, "Now, more recent news, sixty-four million years of rulership collapsed in…Sometime in M30? M30, when I was very, very young, merely two hundred!" Another tap of keys shows a galactic map missing the horrifying, glowing storm in its centre.

"You see, they were very fleshy too." He switches from joy to annoyance in a second, Mind operating as fast as Abathur's, easily, "And psychic. So, coming together, they had a grand celebration." Simulated images of…extreme acts start being shown across the screen, even for Lilith.

"Oh no." She says quietly rubbing her eyes. "Can I guess what happens next?"

"Certainly! Show me your deductive reasoning." He turns back to excitement.

"They have an orgy so intense and messed up it manifests a daemonic invasion." She quirks her head at one of the acts, "Or… Whatever that is." Suddenly writing a quick note.

"Very close. But off on the magnitude!" He points at the galactic map suddenly shearing as a Warp Storm rips through every star system. "They birthed a God of Pleasure and Pain." Human population counts are shown in the top right corner, dropping at a rate of trillions a day.

"Literally fucked the galaxy to death." She said somewhat shocked, "I get the flesh thing now at least, and the computer thing makes more sense too."

"Then, the survivors were one of two groups!" He shows two things, a vast black and purple edifice, lit by three black suns that send unlight down. Spiked towers and cruel architecture common. "This, is what became the Drukhari, their souls ineffably drawn to the God they created, filling the gaps that God's hunger creates with the suffering of others!" He lets the image linger longer, a detailed recreation of the place.

Lilith averted her eyes quickly, a small wave of disgust as she thinks back to that horrific woman. "I'm… Familiar with those. Not very fond."

The image shifts to a Drukhari male, "They have extensive bone density increases, though the bones are more like resin-Anyways, very physically impressive, naturally strong, fast, durable, with reflexes that break many natural laws." He shows a Drukhari wych see, have her eyes widen at and then twist to avoid a laser.

"Very unpleasant, the other hand, is this." He shows a gleaming white ship, with a planet about half the size for scale. "Craftworld Eldar. They survived by not taking part in their societies…rituals. Being…oh what's the word…prudish? By the standards of their kin."

"Do you have their genome as well?" She asks quickly, taking more notes, "Is it psychic energy that gives them the reflexes? Some sort of low level precognitive ability?"

"Close, temporal and spatial warping to assist with movements. Its why I think they are a bioweapon." He answers, "The Craftworld Eldar are much more palatable, if vulnerable to strong emotions, I developed a chemical weapon that could force them to feel happy, deliriously so, and caused a minor daemonic rift."

"Do you have all of our genomes already by the way," She asks as she writes that down, "I can send you samples for your logs. Even if we get wiped out, I'd like there to be a record that we existed."

"I've built a hive of my own, it was difficult developing the cybernetic controls, but I managed." He admits, "Still, slow, I have to install them."

"Only one other person managed that." She said quietly as she wrote that down as well, "Doesn't that break your no thinking machines thing?" Her hand now a blur across the pad with a stylus.

Belisarius laughs for two minutes, a deeply entertained noise. It stops as suddenly as it started, "Rules for thee, but not for me." He quickly explains.

"Fair enough, you're scary, but you're not slicing me up, so that makes you top five right now on my people ranking." She says back writing even faster. "Is the spatio-temporal work genetic, I wonder if I can use that to work on a new—"

"Yes! I have some Eldar clones if you'd like to inspect them?" He starts trundling off on clacking limbs, expecting a yes.

Lilith, races behind him, though realising she doesn't need to be quick at all. "Were they hard to make?" She asks quickly following, "I mean to mass produce for sequencing, I can tear them apart to try and induce adaptations."

"Maybe….a year of growth per subject…I started in M33….I have plenty." Cawl thinks aloud.

She looks at him with a big grin. "Excellent, if I can replicate your results, anything we incubate is normally up and walking in hours." Lilith says quickly, looking at the Eldar in purely a scientific context. Before noticing something in the corner of her eye. Essence?

"The four strands are difficult." He shows a wall of glass tubes filled with liquid, "They are naturally psychic, even when cloned. Powerfully so, easily a Beta level Psyker."

"Do not let the swarm get their hands on this." Lilith said suddenly looking at him very concerned, "I… Maybe shouldn't even have this as much as I hate to say it."

"The Imperium has shattered psychic empires before. It is a tool not a victory." Cawl assures, "Much less the Mechanicum. We are their superior in every military respect, save, of course, manpower."

"Hence the mechano-Zerg." She nods suddenly, looking at him, "Because they're not quite sentient? Are you able to replicate our weapon designs that slip past warp shields?"

"A low velocity acid, somehow psychically empowered. No, I am not skilled enough in Warp Sciences for that, sadly. It has always been my weakest point, drove me MAD," His voice rises in an electronic cacophony, twelve voices unifying before it calms.

"I figured that out, you had the same problem as our tech… Guy." She says, "It's all people based not science. Faith and passion and love and all that gooey shit."

"I am religious, yes." He looks over entertained, "Praise the Machine God, I realized that after Nine thousand years of trying. It made me a lot more entertaining at least." He intentionally pushes over a vial of something with powerful essence, flaring with it, watching it drain out, "filthy geneseed, you deserve this."

Lilith quickly on instinct flaring out a sequencing blade snatched it. Just to see if she could, before quietly asking him, "You weren't going to eat this right?"

"No, it's a bad piece of DNA, it deserves to hit the ground and die." He grumbles, staring at it hatefully. "Damned, Astartes, filthy damned warp-gene."

That seemed the closest to permission she could as she quickly tossed it back inside, though realising much later that using her mouth was mostly for dramatic effect.

"You may regret that later. I've tried drinking it before. Very uncomfortable on the way back out." He comments.

"They uh… Don't come out." Lilith admits his jovial openness leading her to want to share in kind. "I don't know where they go. I just… Have them? I can remember them and I get stronger with each one. Since the first Crusade I've become a bit of a behemoth."

"I know! As of most recent readings, I've only got a sixty-four percent chance of taking your life in single combat!" He chuckles.

"Wait, but you said you had a ninety something percent of beating Celestine." Lilith said shocked. "And she whipped a Chaos Lord I could barely hold back."

"Saint Celestine is vulnerable to anti-psyker weaponry, of which I bear much." He explains, "You, I would have to rip apart, repeatedly. Until your hatcheries were destroyed–In simulations, I typically kill you eight thousand times before the last hatchery is burnt out and it sticks. Around five thousand, the damage adds up significantly on my frame." The Arch Magos is still jovial, talking about executions like games.

"Do these happen in a vacuum? I see a few glaring holes in your theory. I'm very charming for one." She says a twitch of her lip forming.

"I cannot be seduced, and you are particular to the feminine." He says, "And I haven't been feminine in thousands of years."

"Yes, and many have come to my aid even when unexpected." Lilith says with a wink, "What happens if say," Now with a bit of bile rising as she suggests it, "The Queen of Knives shows up to stop you from killing off her pet? Eight thousand times may be very long."

There's a click as internal simulations are ran, a bank of internal processors letting off steaming heat until he says, "Single combat turns to thirty-six percent chance of victory. Not unachievable, but painful. Orbital assets useful in this instance." He admits with a buzz of electric energy.

Her eyes are now glowing, "I have been told I am the magnum opus of the Zerg. If you ever want to get a read on me I've been under the knife awake and asleep."

"A trade, then. My work on Aeldari, your body." Belisarius chuckles.

The phrasing makes her eyes light with joy, "Mr Cawl sir, very indecent of you but I'm amicable." She says quickly her lip twitching again, "I'm excited to work with a scientist again." The admission has a lot of emotion in it.

"So rarely is that said." Cawl bemoans, "Thank you." It may be a targeted manipulation, but its certainly effective as he speaks with a very tired tone to his mechanical voicebox.

"Don't run the calculation on how low my combat effectiveness gets when I like someone, I truly do not want to know." She laughs at the paranoia, but also just enjoying the man's presence, her notes now moving faster. Just adding this temporal slip into genomes could be monumental for her swarm, being able to have a family make her goals just a bit more actualized.

Information is exchanged rapidly, Cawl knowing how to break it down so even a child could understand and, in the midst of the conversation, several do arrive for a class, doting on the new Tech Adepts in an oddly fatherly way for an hour of faith and science alike before returning to the task at hand, trying to refind the place he was at. "Where…were we?"

Lilith, used to this even with Abathur who would be randomly interrupted with odd talks and long arguments, very quickly pointed with her sequencer to a strand. "TGAC here."

"Yes! Ah, lets try and get this done in seven hours. I have a class to teach to many more adepts then. I like to train them early so they aren't so…" He tries to find a kind word.

"Passionately dedicated?" She suggest trying to be helpful, Then with a laugh says "Can I come?"

"Certainly, can I use you as a live display of xeno-human bonding. I've been considering suggesting we integrate Xenological DNA into humans for millennia now but I always just get screamed at 'Oh no, the purity of flesh!'" He gives an electric hiss at the miming. "Idiotic."

"Very willing to trade being a display for more knowledge. This is the first teaching experience that wasn't just copying and studying I've had in almost six decades now I think." Lilith said, trying very hard not to seem over-passionate but also very very passionate to learn. Wondering if that even comes across when most of her is just a long thread of soul and goop.

"You will gain the knowledge I teach in the class. It is a class after all." He chuckles, noting that they all sound very like. Every chuckle seeming to be almost identical to the last. "Now, TGAC."

 

[Princess Scribe]

Lilith quietly lets the man work, every once in a while giving out a light wince, but knowing that seven hours is extremely doable, reacting to mixed comments from the Arch Magos. Students filtered in quickly, and the Arch Magos, at Lilith's behest, helped her get hung up to help dictate and explain Xeno biology, looking like an autopsied corpse, though much of her unfurled into essence for better sight and explanation. She watched the lecture with interest, listening to Cawl's hypothesis and theorems on her biology, while occasionally prompting her for an explanation. Then something very different happened to Lilith as a voice randomly called out to her.

"Do you know how your regeneration works, ma'am?" A young woman, maybe nineteen in red robes with a metallic hand asks curiously, bright blue eyes gleaming. "I-sorry, that was a bad question, how do you upkeep it?"

"No not a bad question at all! So the main mechanism runs off of biomass, which is carbon that you can break down generally with other substrate that you can use to replace it. My body rapidly consumes this mass to fill in damages and tears by accelerating everything around it locally basically think a scab, but at light speed. I feel everything I just heal it quickly. To counteract this, I have about… A third, maybe a quarter the amount of nerve endings you do. Though I was very specialised, so…" She turns to Cawl, "Did you have a brain scan?"

"Yes, why?" He prints it off a shoulder mounted printer. Holding it up for the class, especially Reina can see.

"Ok, so if you look at the regeneration, mines much faster than most, because if you look here." She points with the only sequencer not unwoven, "At the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex you can see it's basically been fused to the orbitofrontal cortex with very direct novel kinds of grey matter. They essentially act as a mirror a tweak on the first then activates on the second."

She notes this down quickly, tapping at a data slate, looking with an honest amazement at the information. "Were you designed as a… courtesan? If you don't mind me asking-I realize that was a bad question-I-" The adept fumbles at words

"Yeah they called it a Diplomat," Lilith doesn't worry about it and cuts her off just happy to answer, "But my main job was managing the angriest, meanest, most vengeful woman alive and try to convince her to momentarily stop murdering everyone else. There was a lot of trauma and psycho-therapy involved, but in the end it was a failed experiment, and I was reworked as more of a combat role with odd skills in forming allies."

She nods, "Yeah, relationships are complex, ma'am." The Adept scribes another thing on the data slata, "Arch Magos Cawl–." She's cut off.

"Red robes means that you're going to be a Magos Genetor? I knew one on Illar." Then suddenly, "Oh shit, I just talk, you go."

"No-no it wasn't important don't worry ma'am! No, uhm, red robes are a sign of heritage, it means I'm from Mars, though, its only because Arch Magos Cawl found me when I was a child, I'm actually from Cadia! Before it, uhm, exploded." Her way of speaking is frenetic, fast and overbearing.

"Oh hey! We were next on the warp lane there, I fought them off with Varynna on Illar, my home planet." Lilith says cheerfully.

"Really? Arch Magos Cawl didn't take part in that battle because the Iron Revenant had been heavily damaged." She bubbles, "It had a hole through the middle from where the Planet Killer hit it! It was still functional!"

"A good thing too, the Chaos fleet had basically taken most of the Fleet Admiral's crew before Zerg could board. We lucked out, neither side knew that our spines and acids could penetrate warp shields, so they were uh… A bit unprepared for thousands of Zerglings running in the halls." Lilith snickers a little. "Uh… Zerglings are like… Lizardy dogs with armour, and claws that cut easier than rippers. Likes being scratched on the head if you're an ally, though you have to be thought of one by the cerebrate which is basically a managerial role that acts as the actual mind for the Swarm."

She's enraptured by the explanation, taking down notes as Cawl chuckles, "You wish to take a student of mine, I see."

"The thought has never occurred to me before —like— five minutes after this class started that I might have had anything worth teaching." She says happily, enjoying the moment very greatly.

"You'd have made an excellent Magos, Lilith." Cawl compliments fondly, "The very first step on the Quest for Knowledge is accepting you know nothing worth knowing. After that, you know much."

"If I'm on creep, which is a substrate that's produced through chemical reactions in hatcheries and spore colonies, then I essentially just absorb biomass from the entirety of the creep's surface area. If I'm on Illar, that means anything still living on the planet that grows can be sucked up and used to heal or make more Zerg." She adds getting back to the original question. "I eat food now, because that's just more pleasant and sociable, but creep is the basic building block of my biolo— err… Xeno-biology?" She looks to Cawl for the proper term. "Xenology?"

Cawl waves the worry away, "Teach your lesson, the new terms are sources of knowledge in their own right." A smile forming on stiff flesh behind his half-face shield.

"Biology, yes." She adds ticking things off, "So hyper adrenal system, active metabolism, biomass stores uh…" With a little laugh she says, "I should probably have been taking notes since the beginning, because it's very easy to change things, I've spent the last three decades making a me that was most comfortable for fighting and fun."

"So you're consciously able to alter your physiology? Very cool." The woman has sat down on the ground, hair that's bleached white with stress showing under the hood from this angle.

"That's largely because of the mirrored neuron activity I basically react to one with the other immediately, most would would most likely find this unbearable. To put my skills on a scale, I finally lost it and cried with a Dark Eldar after… Three hours of torture?" She says very chipper sharing as much knowledge as she can. "Oh, I also basically leech biomass from dead or bleeding things around me. So if you're too close you get a light exfoliation as dead skin cells are essentially leeched off of you by a very low level psionic."

"Ooooh. So it's partially a warp based effect. I wrote a paper on Warp influence on physiology." She tries to pull a document up on her dataslate.

"Boy, do I—" She stopped very suddenly, looking to Cawl getting quiet, trying to get a read from him. Is this a bad time to mention my experimentation with warp influences. She wonders if he'd care, or if the Mechanicum would care, when she was suddenly cut off.

"Adept Reina, I believe I've found a new Quest for you." He turns to the young woman, making her eyes widen. One metallic limb points at Lilith, "Behold, a teacher." Belisarius chuckles at the joke, something personal to him. Before walking away to continue the greater class, leaving the two women alone in a side of the room that no longer has attention on it.

As Lilith gathered her thoughts, she appraised Adept Reina, a woman with blue eyes and bleach blond hair, even under thick robes it was clear that she was under fed and nervous. The woman never made eye contact at any point with people she was talking too, and while seemingly interested in the subject almost seemed to flinch at the concept of direct attention. Her mechanical hand seemed to twitch and fidget unexpectedly, and there seemed to be an aura of unease that followed her.

"Warp is… Dangerous," Lilith says quietly, "Essentially, we can consume… Essence? It's like raw DNA but it's… It's not exactly physical or psionic. Think of it like plasma, a different state of matter entirely."

"Like an Astartes Geneseed? It contains genetic instructions, but also the memory and presence of everyone in their lineage?" Reina asks, tilting her head to the side, making her hair fall to one shoulder. Pale blue eyes mechanical in the light.

"Yes, very similarly if it's an Astartes and they have those memories, or if it's another Infested, or an Aeldari or… Anyone. Everyone has muscle memory, reflexes, and small experiences that add up."

"Do…you convert life-scrolls into…geneseed?" She mutters, thinking on the mechanics of such a thing. "Maybe also neural matter?"

"I'm still like," She looks down, "Mostly thread, one sec, it only takes me a few minutes to re-do this these days." Her sequencer very quickly starts tying knots and weavings as muck and string because something more formed, each sequencer forming a new one until she was entirely re-done. Very quickly moving into Cawl's workshop and then returning, she takes a deep breath, breaks down her essence again though it being much slower having done this more in one day then she had since she had to grow to carry Celestine's sword.

"This is Essence, I don't know your name for it," She admits, taking the lid off, and pulling the ball of light and strand out. "I also have a vague feeling we may see different things. I see a glowing ball of light with very thin strings and helixes. The shape of the DNA as a long string."

Reina looks at the essence, nodding, "Its a glob of Life-Scroll to me, undifferentiated morass of thing, hard to tell apart. I'd need to ingest it." She reaches out, not thinking past the moment, metallic hand almost touching the Essence.

"Cawl told me," She interrupted for just a moment, "That I should be careful because— Give me a sec to check my notes." She looks at the pad, "You may regret ingesting this as it's extremely uncomfortable when it leaves."

"Oh, no, I ha-My digestive tract is-This might be too much detail-Well I mean, you are my teacher-" She starts to rush through words.

"You've seen me naked and then a naked so far beyond that you saw my heart pump blood to my brain." Lilith says very quickly, handing her the essence.

"Oh I saw you naked." A blush starts to form on her face as the sight lost its purely scientific lustre.

Lilith pinched her nose, a little frustrated, "Yes, yes, you and literally half the imperium at this point." She waves off the comment.

"I've never seen a girl naked before." She mumbles, refocusing on the essence after a moment, then flailing out of focus.

"Do you not have the internet?" Lilith suddenly wondered, "Or I guess it's the noosphere for you all. Though, I guess with Slaanesh being a thing that… But that's like excessive not just—"

"I…don't look at the pornographic material Arch Magos Cawl has installed, it feels weird to…look at something someone else…you know?" She fidgets her fleshy hand.

That gets a very loud snort. "No I uh… Prefered… practice compared to studies?"

She drops the Essence, eyes widening, "O-oh."

"You're a student, put it back in your pants. Now." Lilith says with an eye roll snatching the essence, "You're also a child I think like… Nineteen?"

"I'm twenty in a week?" Reina tries to make it sound better, for some reason. One she can't really understand.

"Right." Lilith says very kindly, but also suddenly wanting something else from this. "I'm seventy something now. Even without this student - teacher thing, it'd be wildly inappropriate. If we're learning together quickly find some professionalism. You're going to be staring at sequences a lot."

She follows that up very quickly with, "It'll get less weird in a day or two." Then she looks at her as she sits in shocked silence, "Reina, I want an affirmative you understand the boundaries."

"I'll be installing my…cogitators in a week, it should get easier then." Reina nods firmly.

"What's a cogitator?" She asks as she keeps the essence impaled on her sequencer.

"Oh, it's replacing the logical portions of my brain with machine processing, leaving only emotions to flesh. It lets us modulate ourselves very well." Reina sounds very excited for what sounds like a half-lobotomy.

Lilith wasn't entirely sure what the appropriate response was, so she decided to keep teaching, and maybe work a bit of advice in as well. "So I'm going to ingest this essence, and you'll observe then we're going to go back to brain mapping and why I don't just sequence out the parts of me that make my life hell. Just from a— like— if you're ever out in the world it'll help you understand other people." Then she quickly asks, "Does Cawl have a cogitator?"

"Uhm, you're an ally, right?" She asks, looking around the room.

"So…" Lilith sighs, "Spies, or Heretics or… Hmm… Literally no-one will ever answer no to that question. Allies will try to be reassuring, and enemies will just lie. I'm teaching you how to steal souls, and Cawl threw you to me to sit alone and have conversations that are probably going to cover the warp more extensively than other classes might."

That seemed to give Reina a bit of confidence"I don't know if Arch Magos Cawl has flesh there anymore." She whispers quietly, "I heard a rival Arch Magos shout "Silica Animus", Silicon Intelligence at him, then he was dead the next day."

Hmmm… Guess we also talk politics. Lilith nods, "So, logic and reasoning there's two reasons that could be right? First he correctly identified a ten millenia respected leader as a crazy robot and then the government killed him for it, since he yelled it out loud in the middle of wherever so everyone could hear, or he tried to slander a ten millenia respected leader as a crazy robot and then the government killed him for it for saying something insane in the middle of public that you'd normally quietly report."

The workshop where Cawl had corralled the rest of the Adepts had emptied, and neither woman had noticed his approach, "Arch Magos Maxovion." He laughs.

"Shit I had way more to talk about." As she looked around Lilith wondered how long the room had been empty.

"I remember him, an interesting fellow, said there were twelve of me, and I existed on every cogitator I ever touched. Absolutely insane fellow." Belisarius leans into the conversation.

"Do you have other classes," She asks Reia really quickly, "I still wanted to talk about essence ingesting and brain chemistry, but also," Suddenly turning to Belisarius, "You need to tell me what saying to a student or in a class is going to get me killed. I don't know still."

"You have a hatchery merely a light second away. At worst you'd taste my Omnissian Axe and wake up elsewhere." He shrugs mechanically.

"Do you want to watch that at some point, can your eyes see through things," Lilith suddenly jumps back, "Also the first question."

"I have techno-sorcerous means, I keep one eye of flesh so I can see…Essence as you call it, for my own purposes." Belisarius explains while Reina shakes her head, "End of the day ma'am."

Lilith looks at her nodding, "Alright, so I'm going to ingest this unfurled, you're going to watch what happens, record it, write it down, I don't actually understand the mechanism."

"And to control your lusts, here, Adept Reina." He offers an inhaler that she takes, breathing it in to focus.

"Also is it normal to get a part of your brain ripped out and replaced with a computer?" Lilith asked him as she used Zerg biology to instantly fall away from her clothes.

"Adept Reina suffers from severe neurological disorders due to exposure to tremendous kinetic force and warp energies." Belisarius explains.

"She has blonde hair, I knew a pilot with that, it was from Prometheum I think right," Lilith says to Reina turning back to her as she unthreads herself opening her chest, and the side of her face. Now looking like a talking anatomical diagram.

"I…used to have brown hair." She admits, "B-bleacheed itself in the siege." Reina talks and writes at the same time, mechanical hand creating a perfect replica of Lilith in every stage of transformation.

"To be clear, you're absolutely allowed to keep or modify those drawings as you see fit," She laughs, "I did it when I was your age. Now." The woman turns bright red causing Lilith to get frustrated and snap, "Eyes up here. Pay attention." Lilith was uncharacteristically serious, having found something important to her. When Reina finally looked and seemed to be paying attention, Lilith made the motion to consume essence, eating it, no absorbing the Astartes geneseed, her second in as many days.

"Oh its delightful seeing this sort of thing. Never mention to Guilliman you were eating his seed in front of students." Belisarius laughs, entertained wildly by the event.

Lilith groans but then says, "Ok, but I can't wait to tell that to Celestine," She looks to Reina, "My fiance, you… Probably have no idea who I'm talking about." Quickly forgetting how famous the Living Saint of Truth is.

"I'm…familiar, she was on Cadia too." Reina bashfully says, looking intently at her recreations of Lilith, inspecting organs.

"Ok, now explain to me what you saw." Lilith says to her, "I'm not grading you I have never had a second set of eyes to hear it from."

"I see…" The medicine finally starts to kick in, letting her speak with a rote purely scientific awareness. "The light basically subsumes into the tissue through-out entirely, you can actually see muscles and ligaments ripple and re-arrange to adapt to new muscle memory. The heart increases in pace and the brain also pulsates. I assume because new neural pathways are formed. There's actually a larger almost golden colour that wraps around the bulk of it which seems to almost seep out similar to sap that quickly mixes and then absorbs back into the tissue. It's bright."

"Huh, cool." Lilith says looking down, "That yellow colour is essentially what separates a servitor from an administrator. Intense emotions, times of fight or flight, concentration, it basically flares out, normally around the eyes. Mine used to be pink, then very Salmon after I spent some time studying…" She looks to Cawl, wanting permission. Then wondering if he even knew, "Doing warp studies, Celestine and I met, and I started following and devoting myself to the Imperium and it turned a kind of tarnished gold, much like the light I saw with Guilliman in the throne room of the Emperor." She looked to see that Reina had noted astutely that her voice was unaltered, even though her entire form was bisected. Lilith was impressed at the recreation of the inside of her skull and excited to see she even recorded the small dense cores for Hydralisk teeth.

"Oh! Some sort of warp influence? Salmon? Must have been a heavily influenced area. It's good it turned to something else, that could have been an open vector for possession if allowed." Reina states in a cold tone.

Lilith nods very quickly, "Daemon-hosting and possession are both vectors to basically let your life get blown the fuck up. Probably underline that three times. Don't mess with it."

"Oh I know I know. My family was torn apart by Daemons before the Kasrkin could arrive. I was in the Youth Guard, so I was away, recharging charge packs at the trench line." She calmly states, not afflicted by the memory with the chemical.

"I actually had a pretty rough upbringing too, I grew up on the equivalent of a hive world. I had a long string of bad relationships and before being infested was a semi (not very) famous local serial killer." Lilith was having fun before remembering the next part of what she wanted to talk about, looking to Cawl who had seem to already know Lilith would want more diagrams, "Brains!" Lilith announces, placing the scans on a large display board with the remaining intact tendrils. It was an odd sight seeing half of her move around the workshop.

"Brains!" Reina repeats, not quite sure what's exciting about them, "Brains!" Cawl calls out, just to feel involved as he works on something at a table.

"Cawl… Actually might hate what I'm about to say! Teachers disagree sometimes, and remember to always make your own assumptions when possible. Every piece of information is a data point, but there comes a time when you have to make a hypothesis or decision." Lilith says calmly, she had been re-curling herself, when finished but groaned as she tried to dress again at light speed.

"I'm created to basically pair in social networks, to try and be the center piece supporting structure. To a woman who was entirely unlovable." Then quieter… "She had her moments I guess…" Then a bit louder, and more authoritative, "I could fix that. There are clear points where we see the brain releases oxytocin, mirrors neurons, and pathways that on scans can show clearly parts that are over developed. So why don't I just fix that." She looks to Reina, "Can you guess? No wrong answers."

"Worry of personality change?" Reina considers.

"Not just personality change but yes. Every part of your neural matter is tied to how you react to things, your tastes, the colours you like, how you feel about people! Things you might find grating at one point now become loving, and vice versa. Relationships are complex, and my entire life has been defined by the relationships I'm able to create." She says very matter of factly, these intensely personal details put out on full display, and in fact, double checked that the notes are accurate. "I can't risk losing those parts of myself, they are what make me feel human."

"On the other hand." Cawl says, providing his own perspective, "I agree completely, the human form is near-perfect biologically speaking, and especially neurologically. I suggest you don't alter it." Shrugging mechanically before going back to his work.

"Huh, I was… Fifty-fifty on him saying that or attacking me. Cool guy." Lilith says as if Cawl was not five feet away.

"I do not look like this because I have some bizarre fetish for being a house sized mechanical mass. It was necessary to remain alive and active." Cawl chuckles, "And, of course, innovative."

Lilith stares at him for a moment before laughing, "I look like this mostly because I love spiders and writhing masses, but also innovation."

A projector activates on his shoulder, showing a young man, clean shaven with very soft and effeminate features, bright blue eyes and dark, black soot stained hair in robes, he seems to have the look of vague entertainment about him, the sort of person that would lurk around bars and clubs, slinging stinging comments for the joy of it. "I was very good looking, it's a shame."

"What was it like when you saw Varynna without all the tech?" Lilith wondered aloud, then quickly, almost exactly like Reinna stumbled, "Wait, no not like that, I'm not trying to recruit I'm leg—"

"Rather painful, yes. But no, you couldn't. There's nothing for you to recruit." Cawl chuckles again, "If you'd have appeared…three thousand years ago, I may have been easily convinced."

"We did it to a ship once but it was a pain, and nothing came of it other than the ship stopped trying to kill us." Lilith snorted, before looking at Reina, "You uh sure you want to be saying this Cawl?"

"A ship has neurons. Clever little design thing we did. Integrated flesh and computer to arrest the worst of the E-War programmes." He continues speaking, "She'll be coming with you if you'll have her, so best get used to heresy." Another chuckle.

"Oh shit the neurological issues would be repaired entirely." Lilith said suddenly, eyes going wide, "You are awesome!" Deep admiration for Cawl as a scientist now spilling out in waves, incapable of being held back.

"I've practice in being a saviour, yes." Cawl jokes, finally finishing a device he was putting together, handing it to Lilith. It's a grey slab with a screen on the side. "Here you are, a wonderful device I thought of during the lecture. It contains Eldar essence formulated into bite sized chunks of independent processes. If my guess is right, and it is, you should be able to understand each part individually." The box is heavy, even for zerg muscles, making it doubly intimidating when his voice shifts as the thing is moved around like a feather weight by mechanical limbs.

"I have mostly avoided you out of reputation and assumptions." Lilith said quietly, then louder so Reina can hear, "That was incredibly stupid, and could have held me back decades." She muttered angrily to herself.

"They hate me." He shrugs, "I changed the Imperium, I designed the Astartes and then improved them. I revolutionised warfare, I am the idol my peers wish to be." It's a supreme arrogance he speaks in, "To them, I am as a God, and they cannot dream of anything but tearing me down. Adorable efforts, wouldn't you agree?"

"Not fitting for men and women who want to learn at all." Lilith said dodging the question with her own frustrations. She looked at the box then Reina then Cawl then back to the box. "This galaxy is like a coal mine. Right when you're tired of heaving smoke and dust and your lungs feel black, you find a little diamond. Then you're raring to get back into it."

"I'll see about loading a far more aggressively entertaining personality next we meet." Cawl jokes, "I think you'd appreciate it." He trundles to the projector, rising up with a whirr and starting to assemble some new thing on its side.

"I think so too," She quickly writes down the vox code even though she knows he has it, turning to Reina, "I'm writing down my Vox code and giving it to him. He definitely already has it, but that's not the point. The gesture is the point, it's explicit permission to contact me." Before looking back to Cawl, "You heard me you need anything call, uh… Cawl."

"Why? You'll come here of your own volition." Cawl chuckles.

"Yes, I'm coming back tomorrow," She admits quietly, "When does her anti-horny pills run out?"

"Thirty three…thirty two…thirty one." Cawl starts counting. Suggesting soon.

"I'm going to wait that out I think, since I won't get to the ship in time, and I'm curious to see what happens when she has to process all that information at once emotionally." Lilith said turning back to Reina quickly.

First there's a flush on Reina's face that comes to play, as her eyes widen, then narrow, blink, then squeeze themselves tight. Her hand slowly moving to her head trying to massage it as very quickly emotion returns. There's a choked noise as she tries to figure out what to talk about first, now rapidly scrolling through her data pad. The notes are meticulous, which help a great deal, each with bullet points, headings, subheadings, numberings, and then tagged for better search. She then looks at Lilith as her mouth flaps, unable to communicate by any other means then pointing at her tablet.

Lilith rolls her eyes and walks over, staring over her shoulder, where she sees written down is just a question. "Fix my neurological issues?"

The amusement in Lilith is quietly pushed down, suddenly feeling oddly like Varynna, though far far less touchy "Yes, infestation. In the Mechanicum you normally rip out piece by piece of yourself and replace it by machine. This leaves the essence largely untouched, as far as I can tell, but turns much of the human into something…"

"Relying too much on the mechanical components leads to a neurological atrophy. And most rely very heavily on them. See me!" He jokes, pointing a limb not doing anything important at himself.

"Right, exactly." Lilith agrees, "On Illar, the Magos Genetor there was almost entirely mechanical I believe he truly believed he could detect lies on a Xeno he never saw before that was designed to charm psykers." She rolled her eyes, "He's a servitor now I believe."

"So, we do the same thing, but it's all biology. It's a one to one edit of the genetic code, but the Terran brain is left untouched — well for most — I am… Wrong. Just an… Aberation." Lilith throws more and more information at Reina as she tries to suck it all in.

"—" Reina responds another quiet noise as she tries to understand, wanting to interrupt but being bombarded by facts, opinions, and observations without any real way to categorise them currently other in the very random way they come to her.

Looking over her shoulder, Lilith waits for a second for the notes to catch up. "Right, so it hurts, and our edits are done from the brainstem outwards. The essence is the original blue-print before any outside physical trauma. We take that look at everything that is not what makes you, you, and improve it. I'll teach you how to do it yourself, but you probably won't because it feels like your soul is being scraped by needles."

"Infestation can be forced through trickery, normally they just have to say yes and agree to anything. Can I have your name? Do you understand? Even something as simple as do you have the time?" Then Lilith stops, "Do you have any questions."

Reina points at her tablet again, quicker How do I say yes if I can't talk?

"Oh you just have to want to. Even if you can't say it, it's the release from fighting. Most people just say it at the same time out of instinct." Lilith adds, with a small smile, "Do you want to join me and my family as an apprentice and learn the art of improving yourself in a very real and literal way? I haven't started the process yet." She adds quickly.

A quick nod from Reina, and a gasp. She looks to Cawl with gratitude in her eyes and a panic as she waves her hands to try and say something but can't, because she's so overwhelmed with… Everything. Instead choosing to try and wave his attention down.

"Cawl, I broke her." Lilith says outloud to him.

"Hmm? That's normal." The machine comments in an amused tone. "Adept Reina, go join the polycule or whatever Lilith was saying."

"Ok, very clearly, you are not joining the Polycule. You're nineteen. I'm just adopting you until you find someone lovely for yourself, and eventually strike out with your own swarm, people, and adventures. Like… A squire? I guess?" Lilith looks into the distance past Reina as the box becomes heavier in her hands, "You can join the family however, if you want." She gestures with her head walking off not looking at Reina. Letting it be her own choice to follow

Very quickly the woman sprints to her side, and Lilith nods happily. For once she felt nothing but a very deep need to pass on knowledge.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Hey if you're reading this at work listen up!

The entire thread is NSFW by default, but maybe your work is more progressive!
The following content may be more explicit than your average update!

The next slide has trigger warnings for those who need them.

Implied Mind control, quickly debunked.
Some vanilla sex

​

"YOU WHAT." Katerinya shouts from the kitchen, "A child?!"

"Yes!" Lilith yells back, before turning to Reina, "How are you feeling?"

The now infested apprentice had been snuck on the ship wanting the process to be done immediately without discussion. "I'm— Are we in trouble?" She asked.

Lilith smiled, "No, I am going to get shot. It's going to be scary, don't worry about it." Lilith says happily, as she hears stomping feet.

"What's all the racket—It's so cute." Celestine ambles out of her bedroom before staring at the young woman, rushing forward on wings.

"Um—Uh—Um— I I I" Unused to Zerg biology, and not nearly as enhanced as Lilith was, she simply stood frozen in panic.

She's lifted into a hug, "Look at you! I want to just squeeze you forever! What's your name?" Celestine is adoring this new person, "Lilith is she someone of yours? Is this a relative? No it can't be, Katerinya? She looks maybe a tad like you?"

"Uh-Uh-Um-Um-I—— I—" Reina is trying to stumble words out, purple eyes after infestation restored them looking everywhere but the woman holding her.

"Cawl gave me an apprentice." Lilith added very quickly touching racing to Katerinya, touching her gently on the arm, "You are freaking her out she's never hugged a random woman, put the nineteen year old down please." Though Lilith was laughing, very aware how this was going to go.

Celestine stops, putting her down, letting Reina's eyes slowly unwiden from being pressed into a giant Saints chest and spun around for a minute. "Hello, apprentice." She smiles, kneeling to her level, "I'm glad to meet you."

"Hi…" Reina said quietly, her cheeks turn blush, before very quickly adding, "I'm twenty next week." Then looking at Celestine, saying, "It's nice to meet you… I saw your holo-picts."

"I hope only the good ones!" The Saint laughs, patting the smaller woman on her head.

Lilith looks at Celestine, a thought hitting herself taking herself out of the moment, "How did they convince you to do a shower scene anyways in Guns of our Sisters?"

"Well." Celestine says, "I was told it would help morale on many fronts." She's laughing as she says it.

"Oh god." Lilith didn't say more though, finding herself needing to quickly dash as a bolter rang out across the shuttle bay.

Reina freezes in place, staring at the bolter with apprehension, clearly dismayed. Her hands seem to curl up, and she looks stiff, and tense. She's staring at the gun, nothing else, eyes and ears locked on the noise.

"Are you really going to shoot me in front of my apprentice?!" Lilith says, as she splits into a Y shape to let the round shoot through. "How come you're not mad at Cawl." She says as a second one hits her in the leg.

"I am!" Katerinya growls, racking her pistol as it jammed, "Damned ballistics!" She shoves the bolt home as Lilith heals fully, continuing to dodge, "Both of you are cracking my mind apart."

"You knew what I was when you agreed to marry me!" This time, pulling Zerg steel and deflecting the bolt away from herself, watching the snapped blade regrow. "Yes. Thank you adaptations." She sound extremely grateful.

Reina snapped her head to Lilith, taking her note book out, as Celestine stepped in front of her, "Oh you mentioned that. Continuous exposure causes the cells to adapt as new ones heal." She looks at Lilith, "I didn't think you could build an immunity to bolter fire." The young woman stood behind Celestine's legs peeking around, trying to focus on anything but the gun.

"Kat, it's fine really. She's not in the larger swarm, she's in my swarm. She'll get her own one day as well. Just… A way for us to pass on our knowledge." Lilith says calmly letting a bullet hit her in the shoulder a huge chunk removed.

"Can we adopt her?" Celestine states, ripping Katerinya's attention away from Lilith and to her. "Would that be alright with you, dear Reina?" She looks down at the young woman with a ruffle on her hair.

"Celestine she's newly infested she might—" Lilith was cut off by a sudden -fwump- and then more thuds as Reina collapses. "Faint." she finished.

"Oh. My." Celestine kneels down, "Physically, she's fine, I think."

"Yeah, sometimes the newly infested play dead as a defence mechanism right when they pop out, basically a way to quickly let enemies pass over then attack from behind." That looked… Not great, as far as things could go, but a great introduction to the family at least. "Kat, she was sick and she had brain damage. I fixed it."

"I realize a Cadian was injured." Katerinya looks at the limp infested. "And I know they consented. What you didn't ask was the woman who owns the ship!" She points a finger instead of a bolt pistol this time.

She looks at Kat crestfallen, "I thought we all owned the ship now. Like we all own the swarm." That tactic probably wasn't going to work with the human lie detector right behind her.

"She's a Tech Adept!" Katerinya shouts, "This is an Inquisitorial ship! Rival polities!" Throwing her hands up in the air as Lilith keeps looking at her crestfallen. "But its fine, I'll handle the vast political manifestations."

"Don't worry Katerinya, just tell me who the bad actors are and I'll set them straight." Celestine chuckles.

Then Lilith smiled, "And if she doesn't, I'll dump them into a vat of acid and eat their soul. Later we can praise the God Emperor as another heretic was thwarted." Turning her attentions to the young woman, Lilith moved to her side and snapped aggressively over head. "Wake-up, wake-up!"

Reina's eyes blearily searched the room. Her head was ringing, and her tongue felt thick in her mouth, though very quickly she recovered. "Did you say adopt me? I'm an adult!"

"Grayfax adopted us, and we're adults." Lilith said matter of factly, "Though that was through…" She looks to Katerinya, "Actually how does that paperwork all work out and what does it mean."

"It's just a name swap. My family was unimportant." Katerinya shrugs, "Until now, I suppose."

"Honestly I'm glad, though I think the divorce ripped away Ana's nobility. Varynna had apparently put her as married into my house, not the other way around." Lilith looks at Reina as she stands, "Alright, you should, we should… Kat can you help us find her a room please? I didn't really plan."

"I know." She growls.

"Do you… Own things?" Lilith asks Reina, "You're dressed like a monk."

"Uhm, Arch Magos Cawl said I can have everything he's given us so far, but on the evacuation, he was very…impatient with us. Perhaps because of the chaos fleet in orbit." She jokes, making light of what was likely the worst time in her life.

"... There's a chaos fleet in orbit?" Lilith asks, very panicked.

"Oh, no, I-i—I" Reina starts stuttering as she realises the mistake.

"Hey!" Lilith said sharply, getting her attention, before quickly realising that was… Probably not the answer. "Breathe with me." She grabbed Reina by the shoulders with a little shake. Also probably not the right move.

"I meant when I was a child!" She gasps, finally talking,"My family home w-was too far for him to recover-a-andd he'd already been b-brutalized by a Sorcerer that made-made the Tech Guard invert and start s-screaming."

"Right, but that was years ago." Lilith says her brows furrowed, and her shoulders slumped looking at her, "You haven't had any possessions in… Three years?"

She looks around, and then down at herself, "I have my robes?"

"And an allowance." Lilith says suddenly, "You have four hundred crowns a week to just.. Buy shit. Fill your room with memories." Reaching into her business suit's pocket, handing her a stack of thrones.

"Oh, okay." Reina says looking at the sum of money.

When Lilith notices the look in her eyes, she very quickly asked, "Uh, Katerinya, Celestine, how much is four hundred thrones?"

"About enough to purchase interstellar passage." Celestine chuckles at the sum "Or a year's wage." Celetine laughs at the second half.

"Okay, so like bus mo—" She looks at Reina her eyes bulging just a bit, "Don't… Make me regret that."

"C-can I buy a mecha-Oh, I can't get those." Reina frowns suddenly, "I was looking forward to mechadendrites."

"Oh no, what did you want?" Lilith says sadly, "I don't know what that is."

"Did you see the mechanical limb on Arch Magos Cawl?" Reina expounds.

"Oh!" Lilith said happily, "Yes! How many did you want?" She unfurls some tendrils, "Like these right? We could do that for our first lesson!"

"Uhm, I'm allowed one at my ran-Well, Am I still an adept? I think so?" Reina is now considering her place in the hierarchy, "Am I still in the Mechanicum? I hope so."

Lilith bit her tongue, her brows furrowing and she looks at Celestine and Katerinya in panic, where Reina couldn't see she mouthed, what did I just fucking do!?

"Your Arch Magos holds sway over that, Adept." Katerinya growls, the inquisitorial steel in her voice oddly comforting to Reina, "For now, yes."

"Cool, so in honour of your new quest, we'll get to work." Then Lilith said, "This will be easier if you're essence." The thought crossing her mind. "Oh, no first lesson first. Katerinya shoot me in the head really quick."

Celestine says firmly, "No." Glaring at Katerinya for going along with it, "We will not execute each other in front of the Orphan of War." Another glare shot at Lilith to cow her.

Lilith cowered, and shrunk, but was still confused, "I was an orphan of war! I was executing peo—"

"Lilith. What do Traitor Astartes use as a weapon?" Celestine asks.

"What?" The other stood up confused, and looked at her, they used bolters but surely she meant something more.

"Bolters, bolt pistols, their particular, specific, type of noise and damage." She sighs, realising Lilith isn't at fault. "Think."

"OH!" Lilith said suddenly, rubbing her eyes very quickly, "Ok. Sorry. Guide me here. Knife? Or…"

"Could stab you–Yeah." Katerinya offers, holding her sabre by the hilt.

"We should expl—" Lilith's sight goes black as her brain is very quickly detached from the rest of the body.

---

Fifteen minutes or so later Lilith hatched from an egg looking around the empty hatchery. "Where is Reina?" Lilith asks annoyed, "Please tell me one of you told her I'd be back!" She shouts from the Cargo Hold angrily as her heels clicked against the bulkhead. "Celestine, please tell me you thought of that."

"Why didn't you let her explain?!" Celestine's voice ripples, answered by an equally volumed though less booming Katerinya, "I'm not used to having to explain…that!"

"Fuck." Lilith said, "Reina? Reina, I'm alright. You had notes on this so… Really thi—" Really this is your fault for not studying! A process Lilith had never felt before suddenly kicked in. Very quietly shutting those words down, not allowing them anywhere out into the world. She realised she could feel Reina who was having a fit of anxiety, "Reina?" She yelled again, just slightly more panicked. "Kid? Where are you?"

"Ov- Ov—" She was sitting in the kitchen with Katerinya and Celestine yelling next to her. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and looked up to Lilith as the warmth spread through her. Calming her.

Very quietly with an intensity that had never crept into her voice before, Lilith glared at the two women. "Hey."

"You've scarred the poor thing!" Celestine roars, shaking a small cupboard of cups.

"You—" They both felt something deep inside as a Quiet rumble emanated from Lilith.

"Stop. Now." Lilith said with a voice that was different, a serious aggressive two toned rumble both psychic and physical that bounced off the walls and refused to be ignored. She looked… Panicked, when both snapped their eyes to her with a very confusing look. "Uh… Thanks. We all fucked up. Katerinya, you shouldn't have sliced me up until Reina understood what was happening. Don't do that again." Lilith didn't leave room for debate at all. "Celestine, you should have focussed on Reina understanding, and moved her to the hatchery, so she immediately knew I was Okay, instead of just explaining it then scolding Kat. Think better next time."

Then Lilith took a deep breath, as she gently squeezed Reina's shoulders trying to think. "In a panic to try and fix something, I rushed something really traumatic that we may have all forgotten is hard to see. So yeah, I fucked up." She didn't let Katerinya or Celestine speak as she moved to Reina, "So, I wanted to try and give you that mechadendrite. I knew I'd have to remove your essence to do it safely, I wanted to show in a safe way that death is very natural, normal, and impermanent for us now. I didn't do that in the slightest. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't that bad," Reina said, getting a moment to find her voice, "Cadia was, I saw a lot already. I'm just not around a lot of yelling."

Lilith fired a death glare at her wives, a withering one, threatening something terrible coming from somewhere ancient and primal. "Right. Well, we're going to work on not having screaming matches again."

Katerinya sighs, "Fine."

Celestine on the other hand, looks hungry, "My…sweet….love." She is almost curling to pounce. Controlling herself only by willpower alone. "I…will be in my chambers." She quickly rushes off, wings aflutter.

"Is…is Saint Celestine mad?" Reina asks, confused at the reaction.

"I… Am not sure what I did exactly, but she found it charming." Lilith said delicately, "It's… We need to find you quarters. Katerinya will help us." She said sweetly, before looking at Katerinya giving her the slight jerk of the head.

"Getting commanding?" Kateirnya grumbles, standing up to lead the two into the hall, "We don't have anyone in any of these. For the love of the Emperor, pick one with at least a room between yours and hers. She doesn't need to be kept awake all night."

"Wait, is there only one set of bedrooms in a row on the ship?" Lilith asked, rubbing her eyes. "I… Is it bad I know nothing about my surroundings? Where are the good rooms?"

"These are the good rooms." Katerinya expounds, "We can put her down with the crew, but they'll eat her alive." She chuckles.

Lilith looks at her, "Word choice. Improve it." Before going back to Reina, leaning down and saying, "She's right however, any room you like, if it's not big enough… We could probably knock out a wall, it's pretty easy."

"Okay." Reina said, walking to a room two doors down away from Celestine's and Lilith's. Looking at Lilith with confusion. Just over Lilith's shoulder The Inquisitor was red and fuming. Staring at the back of the small woman's head with murderous intent. Lilith took a second to give Reina a small smile. The young woman returned it reassured, and then walked into her new room.

"Eat her alive!?" Lilith hissed at the other woman, "Eat her alive?!"

"It's a turn of phrase!" Katarinya hisses back, teeth showing.

Very low under her breath, "Was being a nineteen year old girl that fucking long ago?"

"I was an INTERROGATOR THEN! I killed people!" The Inquisitor growls.

"Keep the violent metaphors away from her home!" Lilith's hiss however was with inhuman jaws, and carried a very low rumble reserved for large predators needing to incite fear.

"Lilith. Stop threatening me." Katarrinya very calmly asks. Eyes daggers at the noise.

Then Lilith stops the voice suddenly falling back. "What?" She asked confused. "What do you mean?"

Relaxing immediately, Katerinya explains, "That…behaviour, makes me very, defensive."

"What do you mean?" Lilith is still confused, blinking as if she was just struck. "Am I… Acting different?"

"You are mothering that girl." She growls out.

Lilith shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Absolutely not. I don't do that. I'm barely a functional person."

"You just chewed me and Celestine out for scaring her, for three minutes. Out the door and into the hall." Katerinya storms up to Lilith, in her face while talking.

The smaller woman cowers, "You're being weirdly aggressive, I don't think I was that bad. I remember just… Asking you politely to stop?" She tries to pull her own memories for the Psyker, in which Lilith seemed very jovial and her tone far more joking.

Katerinya pushes Lilith into a wall, using her height to manage it, growling, "I have recordings of my ship." Her datapad is already in her hand, showing a replay of the last few minutes.

What she remembered was different from what she saw, but only slightly. Her tone of voice however seemed to do something to the recording and emanated with clarity far surpassing the ships ability to record.

"What… the fuck." Lilith says looking at it, "Okay. That's… A thing." She rolls back to the last thirty seconds, "What is that tone I used. I've never used that tone. It's… Weird."

"Going to get you choked to death if you use it again." Katerinya threatens, pressing into Lilith.

She looks at Katherine very much worried, "Yeah, understandable. I've… Never even had a mom I don't… What the fuck? I'll… Check out my brain and sequence I guess." As Katerinya leaned in with a growl, the very much usual Lilith returned. "I can't tell if this is horny leaning or not."

"I-What-" Katerinya growls, "Go to Celeste."

"You're doing the same exact thing she does!" Lilith says, "You pinned me against the wall, you're an inch from my face, I'm sca-roused. Horn-ified." Then quickly adding, "I'm trying to add some words to the Gothic Lexicon."

"I'm going to destroy you." Katerinya slams her into the wall by her shirt.

Lilith gulped, "You had to have heard it that time right?" She couldn't stop! Why!? She was just being extremely normal a minute ago! "I have two behaviours now and you hate both of them." She lamented.

"I will withhold myself." The Inquisitor pulls off Lilith, "Because Saint Celestine was acting off. Go handle her. I'll work you over later."

"For fucks sa—" Lilith stopped, taking a deep breath. "You do that on purpose." She says as she quickly marches to the bedroom, opening the door looking for Celestine. Walking in, looking around, and not… Seeing her only hearing some odd sound. A weird woofing like a radiator or a slow moving rotary blade. "The fuck is going on with everyone today?"

"Hello my Lilith." A sound comes from around a closet as Celestine is grinning, poking her head out.

Lilith looks at her with a smile, "So, you scared Kat." She says quietly, "What's up?" walking very tentatively close matching the odd energy.

"I just…really liked you being protective." She almost moans out, coming to Lilith and hugging her, looking down. "I really liked it." Celeste repeats, rumbling the walls.

"Oh." Lilith replies with a quiet gulp trying to take a deep breath. "I don't think I was that different." She wondered if Kat had doctored the tapes somehow.

"Can you do it again?" Celestine whispers, hands tightening around Lilith's waist, "Please? For me?" Another wall rumbling noise.

A quiet snap, as she notices the lights shimmer. Lilith matched it with her own quieter, much more intense rumble, "Quiet, please." It was demanding. "We can't be screaming while the War Orphan is two doors down." There's another other deeper noise, again predatory and bearing no room for argument.

"God-Emperor." Celeste grins, whispering her shaking enjoyment, "I'll be good." She bites her bottom lip, looking at the smaller woman with a slowly building fire, golden sparks falling.

She was so confused, "Am I talking that differently?" This said in her normal much more chipper register again.

"It's like you reach into my spirit, demanding I be…good." Her voice shakes the walls again at the expression, briefly losing her voice. "I think it's like what I do to you, sometimes."

Lilith closes her eyes, "I absorbed a ton of Astartes essence." She said quietly, "Cawl was…"

"Lilith." Celestine's eyes widen, "Those are grandchildren of the emperor." She stops, looking at the other woman.

"He said they were failed lines!" Lilith added quickly, though now quite not remembering what was said. "Holy shit, When you say grandchildren. Myth or…"

"Geneseed is sourced from the Primarch, which was sourced from The Emperor." She's shocked.

"No." She whispered quietly at her slapping her arm, "NO!" Another whisper, this one actually terrified.

"Did he…did Cawl feed you these?" The Saint asks terrified of the answer, terrified of the machine man's designs, aims and goals.

I fed them to Reina as well. She hissed in her mind knowing the Saint could hear her, I just… Took them and he didn't stop me.

"God-Emperor." She says.

"QUIET." Still somehow a low but intensely deep roar.

Celeste freezes, mouth slightly falling open as her eyes snap back onto Lilith, almost arriving to a military formation position.

"Oh no." Lilith whispers, "Celestine, I copy essence one to fucking one. I just eat it and make it a part of my catalogue. I have Skarbrand and the fucking Primarch and… Like thirty chaos astartes and that weird bird thing all locked awa—"

In a very quiet whisper Lilith lets out a scream without using her vocal chords, a hissing of wind, "aaaaaaaah."

"It's fine Lilith. Just— I was getting used to that voice. Errr, am getting used to that voice. Maybe. Come to bed." It's odd hearing Celestine rattle words off like that, she's been sent tumbling into something almost shy.

Lilith just stands there like a loading screen. The very corner of her mind simply a dot running in circles as it tries to process what could be happening. What feeding the essence to Reina might have done, Reina who she basically kidnapped! Again! Kidnapping random women just like Anastasia said. "Is it just shocking to hear, or is it… More forceful, like an influence?" Lilith asked quickly, trying to piece together what was happening.

"Like a shard of His Light, ordering me." She's dreamy, laying back on the bed, body coiling and uncoiling, shifting the sheets under her body.

"Can… I use it more?" Lilith asks suddenly, enthralled by the new behaviour from Celestine. Not entirely understanding but also just… Wanting, after all the terribleness since Styges VIII to just… get some energy out.

Celeste starts to tug at the hem of her shirt, letting it rise up just below her sternum, "Please." She mouth's the word at Lilith.

Find it easier to locate then before she smiles at Celestine. "Off." She says pointing at the shirt, letting that intensity hit as she crawls into bed.

The shirt is torn off, thrown aside to reveal Celestine, already having gotten rid of her bra. She's closed her eyes, giving a near-silent sigh at the command.

"Look at me." Lilith says as she climbs on-top of Celestine, demanding the attention from her.

Her eyes snap open, golden and flaming, sparks falling from them, so dense and thick they are blackening the pillow underneath. Her lips hang slightly open, heartbeat pounding through her skin.

The look makes Lilith gasp and blush. Trying to decide what to do as she sits on her chest. Letting her sit there and watch as Lilith very slowly undresses, letting each button clasp release slowly. Throwing it away, doing the same with the rest of her clothes not moving more than necessary.

"Tell me what you'd like." She says, smiling, wanting to hear her stumble.

"I want you to order me." She whispers, a hand going to play with her own chest, gently massaging it almost as if the hand moved of it's own cognizance. "Command."

"Open your mouth." She says, watching as Celestine does feeling very odd still a situation she's been in but not with Celestine, not quite like this. She's so powerful, and that makes Lilith feel like a Queen. Staring at the inside of Celestine's mouth, her tongue hanging out slightly, Lilith whispers, "Don't bite." Grabbing the inside of her cheek and pulling it aside watching her eyes, that golden love flare.

Leaning down Lilith rubs Celestine's jaw and says, "I'd like you to kiss me," a quiet request. Celestine in stead tries to chomp at Lilith's fingers, the behaviour though gave Lilith a moment of relief Ok, not mind control.

With a soft moan escaping her lips, Celestine arches her neck offering herself to Lilith as the smaller of the two leans down and to press their lips together. Her tongue darts forward, tracing along the roof of Lillith's mouth, exploring every curve and crevice as her tongue tries to avoid sharp and dangerous teeth in a very delicate dance. Her arms wrap around Lilith, holding her close, not wanting to lose even an inch of contact with her body. Her heart races faster, matching the rhythm of their kiss as she deepens the connection, pouring more of herself into each press of their lips together.

Lilith allows a moan to escape, as power and desire surges through her veins as she takes what Celestins is giving her without hesitation. Her hands roam over Celestine's sides, squeezing them firmly before moving upward to cup her breasts. The sharp nails dig in ever so slightly, eliciting a jolt and a gasp from her lover. Lilith rolls her hips against Celestine's abdomen feeling the woman underneath letting her warmth spread through Lillith's body.

Their kiss grows hungrier, hotter, wetter, and soon the break apart for air, panting into each other, their breath intermingling. Eye's locking, essence flaring in both as their faces flush. "More." Lilith demands, drenching the order with need.

Celestine growls and licks Lilith's throat before nipping lightly, causing the smaller to shiver. The satisfied reaction encourages the Saint, as she repeats the motion a little harder making Lilith giggle. Celestine continued to suckle until a yelp is heard, before tracing kisses down the collar bone to Lilith's breasts, threatening the nipple with her tongue, making Lilith say "What are you doing?" The threatening but playful aura stops the Saint in her tracks as she looks at Lilith with a pleading gaze. "Fine." Lilith said amused as Celestine started a far more gentle play.

Lilith leaned into it, letting it wash over her, before telling Celestine very quietly, "I have something for you…" The voice now comes very easy, causing Celestine to fall back panting. Lilith climbed off and moved to a place in their quarters where Lilith had moved some more private things for the two of them, Celestine losing the position of her as she let her hands roam over her own body, her eyes closing at their gentle ministrations. Something strong grasped her leg.

Celesting let out an ear splitting Eep! as Lilith yanked her to the side of the bed holding her powerful thighs apart, a cool gel makes her squirm as it's applied over her entrance, before fingers guide it inside stretching her slowly, and easily with purpose. Then Lilith said, "Enjoy." As she notices something that felt very warm strapped around Lilith's pelvis, as it plunged she gasped "Lilith!~" arching her back as she feels the pressure. With the second thrust she lets out a weak, "Please." Now letting the sensation wash over her.

Lilith holds The Saint's hips, resting the womans' knees on her shoulders, pulling rough with every slow thrust. A quieter moan escapes Celestine, and The Saint moves her hand in between her own legs, massaging her clit, as the other continues to cup her chest. A smile comes to Lilith's mind and demands, "Beg me not to stop." Causing another yelp, body tensing as she tries to get out words, only quiet "please"s escaping her lips. Lilith picks up speed slamming into her tightness hard enough to make the bed creak each slam causing Celestine to cry out, one loud that Lilith quickly demands "QUIET." Watching with glee as Celestine delights in trying to do both, her face screwing in concentration as she bites her lip, the only thing to focus on is breathing and each push.

Her breath gets faster, and faster, and faster as Lilith continues the steady pace closing her eyes listening to her lover's body playing her like an instrument. Little choked noises start to bubble in Celestine's throat, knees clenching around Lilith's neck only making her more insistent as delves with the toy. As the little noises escape Celestine Lilith finally says, "You're mine, you always will be." Pushing her over the edge as pleasure suffuses Celestine's body stars dancing in her eyes as her vision starts to fade and hips buck Lilith's shoulders being pushed down on with all of Celestine's strength, somehow being with held, as she arches her back into a bow string that seemed about to snap. She collapses after a prolonged silent cry now heaving and panting and tearing up as the orgasm overloads everything, even hormones making her feel a constant tide.

Her chest is heaving, and her legs are shaking with pulses of energy in stochastic bursts. "I… Yours… Always…" She barely gasps out as Lilith leans down and kisses her far more gentle. Then finding the words that Lilith wants to hear, "I love you, you're beautiful." So difficult to get out with no breath, but love needing to be expressed. It was all Lilith had ever wanted to hear she slipped easily beneath the covers, cuddling Celestine, holding her. As the bigger woman moved to return, Lilith just shook her head. "Just hold me."

And so she did, pulling Lilith in as close as possible to share warmth, for nearly an hour they embraced, entwined, happy, letting the ship hum softly beneath them and letting their hearts beat together as one.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Sorry for four today, I just want to release this whole part at once because I love it so much. lol

 

[Warmachine375]

Sorry for four today, I just want to release this whole part at once because I love it so much. lol

Click to shrink...

You gotta slow down with the updates there and wow they're all great. But still, take it easy.

 

[Princess Scribe]

There's about... 50k words/10 more chapters already written in this I'm just spacing them out for the thread's benefit lol. That and having a huge back log let's you sink in foreshadowing or continuancy stuff as you post.

The other fic the time mage x vampire one dapper and I have written another 60 or 70 k words for the second novel of its ilk. And may also be starting a third fic. I don't know yet.

I mostly have just been needing something to keep my hands busy because I have a 3 hour sleep cycle basically. When my partners are asleep and I've finished all my work I tend to get antsy.

Which works pretty well with having a co writer that's up when I am.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Are you reading this and an artist?
Do you want money? My money specifically?

I can't get this drawing right, so I'll hire you to draw hyper evolved Lilith, also Varynna maybe, also in general.

Hit up my DMs, I do venmo, cashapp, paypal pretty much anything. I won't do crypto because the last time an artist asked me for that it was an experience that made me wonder if I had been lobotomized, or if people thought making money complicated was a good idea.

If you're an animator with a ton of free time, I'll also hire you for a black and white gif OR possibly an animatic. I don't do animations because they're exhausting.

Budget's flexible, offering it to fans first because you've got a feel for the vibes. Explaining "Darkly sexy but wholesome," feels like it'd take a year and a half to hunt down.

Budget's between like 40 - 200 per depending on turn around, amount of shading, whether it's full body or a bust, whether you do NSFW, whether you Animate and a few other ideas.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Oh, and if you're already working on fanart (arrogant to assume I know,) post or dm me a paypal / kofi link, or at least a list to your socials and I'll try to thank you properly. lol

 

[Princess Scribe]

The ship rumbles to a new heading, Katerinya liking finding some new course in her visions whilst Celestine starts to awaken, a warrior's early rise. " Liliiiiith." She moans out, forcing the other woman awake near instantly, " I loooove youuuu~." Celestine plays with the other woman as she fully awakens.

"I love you too," Lilith responded happily. "God. God I love you too." Leaning into the Saint's grip, a buzzing joy of a good nap, and fun touches intermingling. "Okay." She says after a dozen minutes, "I need to feed everyone." The morning was special to Lilith, the preparation of food at the start of the day gave her a ritual, a norm that set the tone positively, while making her feel assured that everyone was accounted for and fed. She quickly popped out of bed to get dressed more for Reina's sake than anything, and moved to the kitchen to pull out T-Bone steaks, eggs, proofed dough for english muffins and two different cast iron's skillets.

To the side, a hot kettle boiled to a pre-set temperature, which she used to make pour-over coffee for Katerinya, then taking out a second glass filling it with ice and coffee from a refrigerator, and then creams and sugar making it overpoweringly sweet. Then re-setting the kettle to make sure both options were available for Reina, choosing to pull a horrendously dangerous stim drink that seemed to only consist of sugar, caffeine, and low grade amphetamines.

Lilith called to Reina over the Swarm link, while shouting " Breakfast is Ready. " Letting the noise bounce and spread throughout the ship, somehow knowing she'd been heard. Reina showing up first, then Celestine, and finally with a sneer Katerinya.

"I didn't know what you drink, so I have both hot and iced coffee, energy drinks, and then uh liquor." Lilith said with a smile, "I think, Rum and Vodka mostly."

"Oh, cool." She says, grabbing the vodka, dumping two shots into her coffee and starting to sip at it. "We used to drink these in the morning at home. Youth Guard privileges." Reina explains, taking another gulp. Celestine has a tiny, barely noticeable limp to her as she finds a seat and starts to eat.

Katerinya is scowling this morning, staring at both Lilith and Celestine.

"We were quiet this time!" Lilith said to Katerinya almost pleading, "We barely made a sound! "

"Sure, and you lit the WARP UP." Katerinya shouts, obviously not having slept last night. "I close my eyes and all I can hear is 'Quiet' and 'please', gah!"

A small giggle escapes Lilith as she speaks. "That is so much better than normal." Lilith says, pointing a fork at her. "Besides you've had a year to get a further room, at some point it's a decision you're making to listen in."

"Just you wait." Katerinya growls, stealing a muffin, and then another, her favourite part of breakfast. "I'll get even."

Lilith nods happily, "Once it's a little less freaky for me to get sliced open, for everyone, I think you'll be surprised . I've made some adjustments! The Drukhari can manipulate themselves a half second back in time. So can I now." Then very very quietly as she sipped her glass, she said mentally, And the gene seed of two Astartes lines.

Katerinya coughs, staring forwards, thoughts of choking the life out of Lilith raring in her mind, her latest obsession of violence as it turns out.

I know you like choking because it's so much more intimate , Lilith teases not making eye contact, You can't help but stare into my eyes the entire time.

I'm going to snap you. Katerinya promises, not denying anything.

The new game is silent now. Lilith agrees as she eats, Very simple, you get the kill if you can get it silently, and without leaving me out like a lump on the floor. I know Stealth isn't your strong suit, so I'll try and give you a gimme a few times.

I have better ideas. Katerinya growls in reality whilst the glare continues.

That just causes Lilith to giggle, snorting into her food again as she watches the woman stare daggers and pace angrily. "Reina, I've got stuff planned but is there anything specific that interests you?"

Reina's plate is clean, cleared in minutes with military efficiency, "Oh, yeah, no." She said, a speech style that sends Lilith back to Tarsonis for a moment.

"In order to weave essence, we need stuff to weave. That's you're main interest right?" Lilith reaffirms quickly to make sure she's on the right track.

"Yeah?" Reina said a little confused at the question.

"So messing with Essence means making a lot of horrific abominations to learn how to make cool things. For me, it's mostly been slapping genes together and then feeling it out. I noticed patterns though, so I'll be teaching those to you. The simplest thing I can think of is a Zergling, so simple you can fit two to an egg. We're going to try and make a slight change to the carapace colour. I'll show you where, and let you mess around and hatch some to see how your changes affect things." Lilith nods very sure of herself for once, "You'll need a sequencer blade though, which means you'll need at some point be willing to let your Essence be change. That happens while you're um… Outside your corporeal form, which is the most painless, or we could try it live but… That hurts even for me."

"At the end we're going to do a far less horrifying and controlled moment of me passing away, and then you can see how an infested is formed as they're reborn." Lilith finishes finally. "Any questions? That sound good?"

"Huh." Reina tilts her head, considering everything just said to her with the mind of a Tech Priest in training, "So, bullet points, minor changes to a genome, attempt self modification, kill slash see you kill yourself to observe revivification?" One by one, she breaks down the action plan.

"Step two is most likely going to be I poke you and you realise it's a bad option." Lilith says firmly, "Live sequencing hurts, I won't be letting you do it on yourself because I don't want you attaching your lungs to your eyeballs or something and then drown on your own tears."

"Arch Magos Cawl had us learn and attach cybernetics while conscious, is it similar?" The student wonders, looking curious.

"I… Don't know, we don't get cybernetics our flesh rejects it immediately and vehemently." Lilith says thinking, "When Varynna joined she spat out an entire like… System, she was a few bits of meat that quickly rebuilt."

Katerinya grumbles, "It hurts, more than most things." Though how she knows is beyond anyone here, no visible cyberware on her.

"Alright, fuck it," Lilith says standing up, "Can I see your hand? I'm going to just quickly poke at you. I don't really know what your pain tolerance is." Reaching out for Reina's hand.

The young woman offers the left, the one that was flesh even days ago, watching the sequencing blade get nearer.

Lilith takes a very normal typical first cut, normally a slight nick to reveal a thread to tug. The blade nicking the arm, but hitting something else beneath it. She looks to Reima for a reaction.

Her face curls, a mild discomfort evident, not quite the normal freeze. "It's exactly like cybernetics." Reina grumbles at the feeling.

"Oh good, so you're familiar." Lilith quickly uses the blade to reattach the points and removes it. "Yeah, so adding a blade would take about an hour I think? Once I see how you do with the really small stuff. I'm a little reticent to just hand you knife and say 'go wild.'"

"It took me a couple hours to attach the hand." Reina admits, looking a small bit ashamed, "I kept falling unconscious when the nerves were connecting. So we should try–"

"Well great news!" Lilith says smiling, "You don't faint anymore from pain! Only thing that can keep you down is lack of biomass! Also you'll be sitting in a pool that helps, mostly to retain biomass that'll help keep you alive." Then she stops, annoyed with herself, "I'll stop cutting you off."

"I'm used to it from Arch Magos Cawl. He says what he wants to say when he wants to." She shrugs,not particularly bothered.

That makes Lilith wince a little, "I'm teaching one person, so your input is kind of important to the whole thing. Let's go! Also, shopping after a bit to make your bedroom less… Empty. Unless you want to go alone, I can probably just let you go with an honour guard of Zerg I think." Looking to Katerinya and Celeste for advice, "I could do that right?"

"I can just…go to the next planet's markets, don't worry." Reina smiles, something bashful to it, "I am nineteen, I can be alone."

"I can't normally, " Lilith says thinking, "I have a bad habit of making friends." The last part is said disdainfully, with a bitter cut to it. Oh god, now I'm saying weird shit in odd tones. She thinks to herself, This is your fault Katerinya, you made me old.

Katerinya ignores the mental barb while Reina giggles and Celestine chuckles. "My dear Lilith, that's not a bad habit, it's just a side effect of your heart." Reaching over to touch Lilith, still dreamily looking at her whenever she can, as if entranced by the woman all over again.

"Tell that to the multitudes of problems it causes." She says quietly, but leaning into the touch all the same. "Alright, I'd like for you to take a pack of Zerglings to practice like, telling them to do shit but I also am down to just let you roam or whatever. We'll start with contacting each other through the Swarm I think."

Then she sighs, "When I used to do this, every thought I had was on full blast at a million miles a minute. I decided to just snip that part for myself and any future infested, now only the most intense is transmitted. We need at least a semi-balance of privacy you uh, just focus on someone in the swarm, pretty much only me or the Hatchery, or the distant system of ours." She takes a deep breath, "Try focusing on me really hard until you feel a… Pressure, and then think something, then stop focusing on me until you feel that pressure release."

Reina looks at her confused, but stares at Lilith seeming to be deep in consternation, less than a second later her thoughts flow into Lilith's mind with a slight push.

How do I make my skin change colour/Lilith smells nice/My hair is itchy/I can feel my hand/

"Alright, stop focusing on me now, and your thoughts will stop getting sent!" Lilith says cheerfully back. "We can't read each others minds without consent, again something I just… Didn't want to deal with if I ever got bigger."

She can read my thoughts?/ Which thoughts / My hair is still itchy and / Reina is looking panicked at Lilith and now seems to be trying to stop but sure how.

"Uh… Just… find something else to focus on Reina." Lilith says concerned, before quickly getting up and grabbing an ice cube. She sighs as she ignores a panicked barrage of thoughts and hands Reina two ice cubes. "Hold this." The thoughts stopped almost instantly. "Just a weird sensation can do it."

"Uh… What did you hear." Reina asked with a deep blush on her face.

Lilith shook her head, "Pretty much every thought I didn't actively ignore once I realised what was happening. Don't worry about it, seriously. I do not care I've done far worse on purpose. Just relax." Though that last one was to herself as she took a deep breath. "So yeah, you ever need help just focus on me and I'll come help. There's a maximum range, but you'd have to be out of the range of every Overlord and Brood Mother and Queen we have, which I think is Terra, and then a line towards another System just a short jump away." She adds, before taking a deep breath.

"Before I get distracted again." Reina's eyes lock to the floor, "We should start, like, doing something engaging."

"Right, cool to the hatchery," Lilith says "Might as well get used to sprinting around ships." She adds as she bolts a short kick off the side of a bulkhead sending her rocketing down the hall.

Reina stares at the move, before jogging after Lilith, shouting "Why can't we install trams? Like in the Iron Revenant?" Catching up to the woman minutes later, feet squelching on creep in the cavernous cargo bay as she almost loses her footing if not for the living carpets' own grip. Her eyes go wide as she looks at the massive hatchery, the size of a small house pulsing with heat and spawning larvae.

"Because this is Katerinya's ship, and she barely allows me to sleep here." Lilith jokes with a laugh, "More importantly, we can move far faster than a Tram, and far quieter. Every muscle is wired up to endorphins so even a little exercise will send you bouncing off the walls soon enough." Lilith says, then she points at the larvae, "Ok watch that."

Reina turned watching the larvae engross itself in creep, then over the body a small boil forms into a pimple, into an egg, finally a few minutes later the egg bursts open with two dog sized creatures. About a metre tall, with sickle like limbs and sharp incisors and wings like a dragonfly attached to each side of them. .

"They won't bite anyone on this ship, go ahead and pet one if you want." Lilith says happily, "These ones aren't for sequencing, we're just going to keep them around."

"Huh." Reina reaches out, hand touching the harsh scales of the Zergling, scratching at it, making the things give predatory purrs at her. "They're really violent about enjoying this." She comments, "Really violent." At one pushing against the other to get both hands to itself.

"Absolutely," Lilith says, watching with a grin, "They're bioweapons. The Zergling hatches in a few minutes, the hatchery makes larvae in a few minutes, and the drones make hatcheries in a few minutes. From a single Hatchery, I think you can create two like… Every handful of minutes, getting a few dozen in an hour. With Zerg the quantities aren't super important outside of infrastructure, you just grow a billion in a week and send them off."

"This is the core, then." Reina nods, "The heart of everything is this hatchery. Do you just think at it?" She turns to Lilith, asking for instruction.

"Yeah pretty much! I was going to do sequencing, but I just realised we need to see the change you made." Lilith says with a deep breath. "Ok, weird thing about hive minds, you've got access to millions of years of memories. Including mine if you really felt like it. If you go digging try to use discretion with what you talk to me about, a lot of it's pretty traumatic." Lilith said quickly. "It's all thought, you just focus on what you want, or what you think you want, and the rest of us unconsciously guide you to it."

Reina nods, and Lilith sighs as she immediately delves into thoughts of Terrans and Infested lives, just letting it happen because ultimately, there can't be any secrets. "When you're ready, focus on the hatchery, and then just kind of tell it in your head to make a zergling. Or just say it." Lilith says quickly, "It's a lot more natural to focus on things you're talking too."

The young woman stares at the hatchery, verbalising her thoughts, "Make zergling." It sounds silly, almost like a programmed command, but the hatchery shifts and pulses, transmitting the order to a larva and watching them grow in seconds, another duo of the basest form of zerg coming out. Embryonic fluid dripping off them as they snap at the air, growling.

Lilith tapped her leg and smiled as all four came running to her bumping into each other for pets. "They're favourite colour is yellow." She says with a smile from a very distant memory. "Alright, let's get to sequencing. I made two pools inside."

"Uh. Ma'am?" Reina said, as Lilith walked into the Hatchery, the door opening for her unclenching itself, "I can't?"

Lilith hit her head with her palm, "Right sorry," before she sliced off her arm at the fore-arm, sending small spurts of blood across the floor, before reaching inside and grabbing the blade out of the tendrils that interlocked to create the limb. She offered it to Reina with a smile turning around.

Reina looked uneasy and winced as she took the sticky blade from her. Her stomach doing a flip as the gore smelled pleasant, almost edible. The blade seemed to be a cross between a scalpel, a seam ripper, and a crochet hook. Lilith showed her very quickly how to tie and manipulate the knots and weaves of Essence, using Cawl's notes to better understand both their learning showing how certain blocks were used in many places, and how they can all be used in combinatorial patterns.

To Lilith, Reina seemed a natural, or at least had enough genetic knowledge to quickly swap out strands and move knots quickly. She lacked focus, or at least discipline however. She took orders well enough, but her mind seemed to wander and touch things that should be left well enough alone. Lilith found herself quickly stopping the hatchery from creating random Zerg bioforms as the woman day dreamed, or finding her thoughts sometimes intermittently shared with her. It was distracting.

The Adept finally says after hours of learning at the foot of the more experienced Sequencer, "Who taught…you?" Another curious question, one of many as she looks at Lilith, "Arch Magos Cawl couldn't remember who taught him, is why I ask."

"I was taught by the Ur-Sequencer of my original swarm, A giant ten metre worm called Abathur. He's… An acquired taste." Lilith admits with a heavy sigh, "He only taught me because I was an experiment he was heavily invested in, then I grew to know and like him, which increased the investment. Mostly, he snapped at me to help him with things, and occasionally muttered angrily to undo a dangerous mistake. Very kind with upgrades though, making almost any dumb idea an immediate addition to test." She touched her chin thinking, "I wonder if it was just an easy way for him to show affection."

"Sounds like the Arch Magos when he's in a bad mood." Reina smiles fondly, "He's still affable…just…angrily so, its very funny when its the other students on the receiving end." A giggle passes out of her at the memory.

Thinking on how Abathur treated most people, especially his experiments, Lilith sighed, "Think Cawl but opposite in personality. Still wildly dangerous and foolhardy with experimentation, but very unemotional to the point where he can seem very cruel. For example, he doesn't believe in using anaesthetic, even for things being sequenced past the point of life." At the look on Reina's face Lilith quickly added, "If it messes with the experiment, then their death was in vain. The suffering is in part out of respect."

"Oh, that makes…sense I suppose." Reina isn't horrified, just discomforted, "Arch Magos Cawl once said something similar, that everything must be given up for knowledge and achievement, but only if necessary." She recalls the story further, "It's how he explained his body, and why he recommended we only follow if we have the grit to do it. It was necessary, and so he gave it up."

"You're going to be the first, and possibly only Genetor to ever learn our knowledge, but with some of your questions, I'm a bit worried I didn't really get across how much you're giving up." Then looking over her shoulder carefully, "If you don't un-knot that, the Zergling will be soft shelled. I don't know if that's intentional, you're too far down on the sequence."

"Damnit." Reina hisses, moving back up, trying to figure out how to do this by rote. "I suppose that's true, Arch Magos Cawl is not a Genetor, he is a Dominus." Her voice isn't exactly focused, looking across the sequenced strand up and down to try and figure out the whole.

"Interesting," Lilith said nodding, "I assumed Arch Magos was the top title, like Emperor or Captain." Then looking at her staring at her work, "You're doing everything mostly correct. It's great for your first time!" Then following it with, "You might find it easier if you create—" She very quicky pulls a strand from her own finger, "If I just make a little hitch here," She shows a somewhat complicated knot, "I can better keep my place, instead of having to rely solely on my abilities to recognize. It also can't be re-woven when it's crossed like this."

"So you can make temporary pauses, I was having trouble with the morphic-Uhm, everchanging-structure." Reina follows the example near-perfectly, however they train them in the Mechanicum seems effective, "And he is on the ruling council of Mars, though rarely attends. His title means he is above a Magos, but below the Fabricator-General, Dominus means his speciality lies in making machines, bodies and discoveries relating to warfare." She explains, working on the strand all throughout, "Very technically, he is the highest ranking war-leader in the Cult, though he does not see the point in using the authority, as he has often ranted."

"Pulling rank just pisses people off unless they already respect you. If they do respect you, you don't need to pull rank." She comments absentmindedly, thinking about Varynna, the Primarch, and some of the other imperials she's met.

"Well that's exactly the issue, no one seems to respect him, it's confusing." Reina starts frowning, "Without him, Lord Guilliman would never have awoken, he invented the artifice of his armour, that which allowed his body to overcome the cut from his siblings warp-tainted blade, he re-invented the Astartes to make them stronger, faster, more enduring, he reinvented so much, and yet…he can't attend a Symposium without being threatened with death." It's a confusion at the double standard that comes off her, not understanding how doctrine and reality can be so different.

"I'm not going to tell you what to think, but I'll ask some questions." Lilith said very carefully, "If Guilliman and Cawl are allies, and as we know Guilliman is the son of the emperor giving Cawl a lot of freedom, how does that effect, do you think, the normal way things operate in the Mechanicum before they both returned?"

"Well that's just it, Lord Guilliman doesn't like him either." Reina admits, "I, uhm, spliced into the ship's internal pict and audio records when I was bored."

"That's rad." Lilith says at the word splice, making a mental connection with the word hack, "True, but he respects him. Threatening someone with death is a lack of respect. Saying 'these ideas gross me out,' or 'you're ideas aggravate me,' are signs of dislike. It's ok to feel discomfort at someone's opinion, and then tell them so. It may provide insight to both of you. Respect is a currency that spends far further than thrones do."

Reina nods, "Guilliman never…threatened him with it, but sometimes the Arch Magos would suggest certain projects that could use resources, like-" She stops, thinking, then realizing it doesn't matter anymore, continues, "When he took the geneseed of traitor Astartes, and began…making his own Astartes chapters, Guilliman was enraged. Arch Magos Cawl had to warn him of whose ship he was on else I believe it would have come to blow."

"Exactly, that reminder both of the danger, but also that Cawl was in his home. If the two came to blows it would have been destructive for everyone involved including the imperium. Reminding Guilliman of honour was going to do far more than trying to reason with something he found detestable." She suggested nodding, "That much respect, that strong of a relationship can be a defining point in the galaxy. Does Cawl like how most of the Mechanicum is run do you suppose?"

"He liked Arch Magos Kotov when they spoke, but rarely anyone else." Reina considers, "But Arch Magos Kotov also said," The Adept smiles at the memory, "And I quote, 'I am an Arch Magos, I do what I want.' to Arch Magos Cawl figuring out if he cared about the law."

"What did he say?" Lilith prodded, trying to get her to an idea without forcing Liliths own opinions, finding it very difficuilt though somehow manageable.

"Oh, Arch Magos Cawl? He proceeded to show him his experiments in illegal warp technology." Reina says exuberantly, "I've never seen them, but they apparently made Arch Magos Kotov pale and horrified for weeks after."

"Kotov was the one screaming that Cawl was a Siliconum right? And labeled a loon?" Both trying to remember what she heard the o ther day, and trying to lay down groundwork for something.

"Arch Magos Kotov? No, he shortly after embarked on Crusade to the Halo Stars to search for something called 'The Breath of the Gods'." The Adept shakes her head, "Aboard the Speranza, the ship which the main gun of the Iron Revenant is based off, a miraculous vessel, it predates the Imperium!" She seems very excited about that, "It's the largest vessel the Mechanicum has, more a flying planetoid than a ship!"

"Is Kotov still on crusade?" Lilith looked over her shoulder and the sequencing, and was somewhat shocked that she was basically almost finished. Just needing to undo the hitch and re-weave the essence.

"Well, Arch Magos Cawl thinks him dead, but he's very dour about other people's chances when in danger." Reina undoes the hitch, letting the Zergling fully emerge, "I think he'll be fine, Arch Magos Kotov was very impressive when I saw him, smarter than Arch Magos Cawl in a lot of ways, especially when they spoke of truly exotic things." Her eyes widen, "You were speaking about time and space manipulation earlier, Arch Magos Kotov is one of the only people in the Imperium that still makes Stasis fields and the most ancient forms of space warp technology, maybe you should seek him out?"

"Almost definitely, I think if only to show him a thirty-eight millenia old oddity," Lilith said with a small smile, inspecting the Zergling that burst out of the viscera. Examining them down to the genetic level for defects. "You did great! This is perfect, I don't have any real notes to give on i—" Then one of them seemed to split a little as it moved, she looked closer, "Oh, don't worry too much about it, but a minor problem, you might have nicked something when you undid a few knots. This pair will most likely die from dehydration in an hour or two, but the essence you created should be fine for the next ones."

Reina frowns, "Omnissiah damn it." Is mumbled under her breath as she stares at the thing, finding its flaws, the flaws she made.

"It's really fine, perfection comes with practice. We improve to create perfection, and inherently will always create imperfect things until that goal is achieved." Lilith quietly nods looking at the creature. "Do you want to leave the room? Or will you be fine with me putting it down now? It's existence for the next hour is going to be pretty bad."

"Hmm? It's just a test." Reina shakes her head, "I'll observe its breakdown so I know what it looks like." And the training of the Mechanicum shows its head again as she has no real connection to the creature before her.

There's a moment as Lilith considers it, swiping through Zerg memories to see if this was something they already had, but improperly sequencing and then letting things run around was rarely something needed as the result was already known. Then she wondered if Reina would learn from it or even could. She looks at the two of them the Zergling and Reina, "I think for the test then, you should be aware of the sensory effects, if you're feeling up to it. I'll act as an inbetween, and let you feel what the Zergling does as it deteriorates."

"Perfect." Reina sits down, waiting for the creature to start dying, "This is already new data! I've never experienced this first hand."

There's a moment where Lilith tries to search her mind for something that would say this is a bad idea. Vast stores Abathur had provided her when she split, and nothing on this new drive to teach, even less on Terran psychology. "If at any point, it's too much just say so. I do not know your limits." Lilith affirms, grabbing onto the Zerglings mind, and then pushing the thoughts and sensations forward.

Reina felt her whole body tense with the need to tear something apart, her teeth itching in her mouth as the sensation to chew, bite, and kill suffused her. An unending joy at the thought of death, at the very idea of killing, while an underlying sensation of togetherness as low level orders tell the Zerg how to manoeuvre around objects in the room, no higher idea than meamble and wait to kill. Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin were flooding the Zerglings system in a constant stream while pain was non-existent. Over the next fifteen minutes she felt small things shut down, first muscles getting slow and weak, not painful necessarily but a small sense of being unwell seeking out creep that didn't heal her. A need to consume and heal that didn't come.

"You good?" Lilith asked quickly, as the feelings intensified.

Reina blinks once, then again, then once more. "That seems to be an uncomfortable existence. But I wasn't born into it." A scientific appraisal rather than anything more personal as she looks at the Zergling moving slower, "It feels nothing but an enjoyment and goal to serve, it's… odd."

"Yes, exactly. I'll continue then." Lilith kept pushing as systems started to shut down from dehydration. And it's need to eat and absorb creep intensified, continuing to feel an odd uncomfort at a biological order that was impossible to follow. Not able to heal, slowly not able to move, parts of itself dragging it into the creep as it tries to eat it directly to no avail. Systems shut down, starting with hormone regulation as a sense of incoming death overtakes it. Causing it to want to fight harder, more aggressive, try and get more kills to serve in its last gasp efforts that discomfort at trying to make the impossible real and then a black darkness. The off switch being pressed, as it struggled senses no longer able to function, and a complete entrapment in it's skin until that too ceases.

Then as she watched them both fall Lilith asked, "Any final observations?"

"They are more like servitors than living creatures, but instead of bound by programming and neural shunts, they are bound by instinct and chemical." Reina describes, "Both kinder and less kind, its interesting."

That brings a quick sigh of relief to Lilith, "Cool! I was worried letting you experience something's death might have ill effects, but it seemed to work out. We as infested get huge bursts of adrenaline and endorphins that make the experience far more pleasant, a way to offset trauma." She nods smiling, "A more intense reward comes from killing, and just succeeding at a task in general. It's a motivator to chase an ideal. A goal, and in addition an attempt at offsetting some mistakes made in previous designs that weren't able to properly experience anything but rage and hate. The Ur-Sequencer learned the necessity of Terrans to be somewhat comfortable and happy. It was a bit later than he should have, but he got there."

Rather than speaking, Reina takes notes, writing them on a dataslate that is well used judging by the marks on sides and screen that seems recently replaced.

"So do you want to watch me respawn or experience it?" Lilith says once noticing that she's done, "Or do you still want to wait." After a few minutes, "What happened to your dataslate by the way."

"Oh, nothing it's just a passed down thing, the student before me had it, and the student before then. It has six thousand years of Arch Magos Cawl's student notes on it." Reina is tapping away at it, "And sre, can it not be a bolt pistol?" She looks back up to Lilith, "I'm not afraid of dying, but I don't…like bolts."

"That's totally fine," Another deep breath as she smile, most of her worries now gone, "Alright, you watch then you go. You got nervous yesterday so a reminder that we don't respawn…" She touches her eyes, "Treat it like a medical experiment, autopsying a corpse." That felt right to say.

She quickly took out a sequencer blade and moved it to the underside of her throat. Nothing happened, Lilith looked at her hand confused the blade appearing when pointed away from her head, but very quickly descending the minute she intended to end herself. "Oh! Right! Sorry, fuck right. We disable the Thanatotic drive." She groaned trying to think.

"I could do it?" Reina offers, shrugging. "I've killed someone before."

"Oh, cool! Yeah, don't use the sequencer blade though, it won't kill me and I'll be rather upset, just hurts a lot unless you make very decisive cuts. Kills on the genetic level." Very quickly reaching for the sequencer blade before thinking, "Oh actually you keep that one, you'll need more and I don't want to keep cutting off my arm." A different steel appears in her hand, and she hands that to the infested apprentice. "Hit the brain, if you don't damage enough to kill, I'll just regenerate so go at it until I slump."

"Your brain is pretty normal, so if I go here." She quickly walks around Lilith, trying to place her theoretical and practical understanding of brains with this live subject, "And point it here," The blade rests against the soft portions of the skull, angled slightly upwards and gripped with both hands, "I should be able to just go through the brainstem? I should build something to make this easier."

"Are you aware you can slice through bone like it's made of wet tissue paper? This is part of why we're sprinting place to place. There's not easier. Just a quick lazy swing will do it, might be harder with me but shouldn't be unless you're not very confident. As in chicken out at the last moment." Lilith says with a smile, hoping to seem less harsh. "Just arm up, arm down, literally anywhere north of the eyes."

"That feels a little too crude, this is more…scientific I guess." Reina admits, tensing before pushing up and killing Lilith's body in a sharp, barely tenth of a second of pain. The body falls slump in front of her, and she observes a slight flash for a nanosecond as almost instantly Lilith begins to re-grow in the egg. Her jaw tensing as she watches through semi translucent fluid, when after only a few minutes, the egg burst open, revealing Lilith curled on the floor waking up and standing.

"There you go!" Lilith said as she dumped her body into the Evolution pool after returning all of its possessions back to herself.

"It's like a…transmission of your body and mind just as you die." She mumbles, still holding the sequencing blade, "Almost like…a cogitator program being moved. Right?" Reina looks up, seeking affirmation, or rejection of her theory.

"One sec," Lilith says as she quickly flips through the swarm's new memories of the mechanicum, "Yes. The essence keeps a continuous state of consciousness then re-implants into a new body. You're not really in your meat suit, you're just piloting it."

"I was just about to ask that." Reina smiles, "Continuity of consciousness was a worry, we have things like this in the Mechanicus, but it's always…worrying if it's really you?" She admits with a slight frown, "Or just a very excellent copy."

"You can't copy essence after a certain amount of complexity if you try to make a new Lilith it'll just sit there until my essence moves to it. I can transfer, I can't copy. We can't make entirely new things, it's always a base of something we picked up then heavily modified." Then as Lilith spoke she realized, "Oh shit, we're exactly like the Mechanicum I think. The Zergling essence for example is just a set of low level processes that are piloted by one of us or a Queen or an Overlord, there's no person there or thing it's a set of commands and sensors to dictate too."

"Parallel evolution? Makes sense, it's an efficient system, it'll be replicated." Reina nods, "It's like how many species in the galaxy are straight backed bipeds with two manipulator limbs and a growth that houses eyes, ears, other senses and a brain." She explains, "It's just a good way to do things."

"Yep, or like how many things on a long enough timespan becomes a crab." Lilith is even more pleased that this was going this well. Though harder things would be in store especially when it came to synthesising improvements from mixing and matching. "Alright! You can either add a sequencer or go on your shopping trip or uh… Whatever you want really! I spent most of my free time…" A small wave of memories of Lilith's time in the swarm, both harmful and joyful came that made her groan. "Being a nuisance, you can probably figure out something better. Next planet with life we'll go hunting essence from new bioforms."

 

[Princess Scribe]

"Xeno." Katerinya growled, "You've been sitting at the table for an hour."

Lilith quickly jerked back to the physical, "I was just making sure things were fine!" She worried about Reina, mostly as an abhuman in a very hostile Empire. Reina had no seeming physical control over her more advanced abilities, and seemed to spend all her time just blasting her thoughts out across swarm space. It was equal parts vexing and worrying. How she seemed to lack any control but the most basic was shocking.

"Mhmm, are they?" Celestine asks from the side of the room, that after they knocked down a bulkhead, she had turned into an exercise chamber, currently halfway through a set with dumb-bells somewhere in the low hundreds of kilograms.

There was a soft frustrated groan as she admitted, "Mostly, I keep having to slap down mental connections with me, the swarm, or the hatchery. Her mind just goes places with no thought on the effects. I'm spending most of my time just trying to stop Zerglings from spawning. It's like I handed her a hammer and she just went trying to hit every wall with it."

"Are you sure you two aren't related?" Celestine suggests, standing up and letting the weight drop, hitting the ground with a crash. "It's like she's your daughter, adorably." The Saint walks to the large refrigerator, pulling a jug of water out to drink like a bottle.

"Absolutely not, I'm in almost perfect control of my mental actions, I don't blast my thoughts to people unwittingly. Not only that, I've never made the hatche—" Lilith is cowed as she feels eyes burning on the back of her head, she turns slowly.

Katerinya glares at Lilith, "You don't blast your thoughts, hmm?" She growls out, continuing to glare.

There's a quick, ancient memory by this point that's dragged up.

---

We suspect they have a way to detect parasites, and are just executing the infested on site. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen any Zerg eat a snack. Does that mean the tongue is vestigial? Tongue... Ok, that one goes back in the deck thank you Lilith mind, you once again are of zero help. Wait, hive mind. Outside thoughts need to be inside thoughts.

---

"You're… Psykers are different, the only people who heard those were Unity and Psykers and Celestine." Though she very pointedly kept staring at Katerinya, hoping in vain that somehow not looking at Celestine would somehow stop her from hearing the clear lie in her voice. The entire swarm would hear her, her thoughts would bounce off Overlords and Queens. Anyone within fifty feet who tried enough.

"So just the people you are surrounded by?" Katerinya still hasn't completed her promised goal of destroying Lilith, and seems to be actively considering it right now.

Lilith took another deep breath, as once again Reina connected, she took a few seconds to make sure it was nothing important, and then closed it frustrated. "Yes!" She said with a look that Katerinya nor Celestine had ever seen before on Lilith's face. Just a kind of pained annoyance as she tried to work out a thinking problem, instead of something social or violent. She looked, horrifyingly almost, like she was planning.

"Motherhood suits you." Celestine suddenly teases, looking past the refrigerator covered in the sweat of exercise, hair tied in a ponytail.

The Zerg rubbed her temples as she slapped down the hatchery again, a quick movement that was starting to just become instinctual. A quick buzz in the back of her mind as she adapted to a new stressor. "I'm going to kill her." She finally admitted, "I have to manage her thoughts constantly and god knows what she's like out and about soaking in dopamine while being immortal. I just want a moment to think."

Celestine smiles warmly at that, going back to drinking water as Katerinya shakes her head in a way that Lilith just found vexing, "Just…get someone else? A nanny." She states.

"Absolutely not!" Lilith said with a rumble that she quickly had to shut down. "I told her I'd do this, I'm not just going to pawn her off on someone else because it's annoying."

"Fine, do it then!" Kateerinya shouts back at the merest aggression, always happy to match energy.

There's a moment when Lilith considered teasing, before suddenly getting an idea, "Wait, wait." Lilith said suddenly as she felt a wave of frustration from Katerinya, "You're a psyker." She stated pointing, very excited.

"No." Katerinya immediately growls out. "Not a chance."

"All I'm asking is for you to tell me what you did to practice." Lilith groans, looking at her, "I don't think you'd even want to be a teacher, even if you could do it." She stands up and grabs hard liquor from the cabinet pouring herself a pint glass of whiskey as she slaps down the hatchery again.

"Would you like a collar for her, then?" Katerinya answers, frowning.

That made Lilith baulk, "Surely you're joking?" She says with a very disappointed look, knowing deep down she wasn't. "You eventually learned something so that you didn't need the collar right?"

Katerinya stands up and reaches into a locked cupboard that no one has ever so much as bothered to touch, opening it and pulling out a slim metallic band of steel, all along it, geometric repetitive shapes glimmer in the light oddly. "It took me years, I am powerful, Lilith. It is difficult, this helped." She tosses it at the Infested woman.

"Does it have to be a collar? Can I just put it on a necklace or something?" She says looking at it, then looking at the shapes, "Or maybe… Hmmm." Thinking as she looks at it, "Did it hurt? I can make this into an arm band I think…"

"Its presence on the neck isn't a fashion choice, no." Katerinya rolls her eyes, sitting back down and then putting her feet on the table, making Celestine, as always, frown. "It's warding bonds with the spinal column."

"I…" She groans, "I'll do it the hard way, I don't like the idea of a collar even if it's just for safety. We'll try meditating a bit I guess. I don't even put a collar on my partners." Looking at the band with a sigh, "Though maybe I could make it a circlet, or move the connections in the spine over."

"Please do not alter hexagrammatic wards." Katerinya carefully asks, "In fact, give it back, I'll suggest it, of the two of us, I've interacted with the young more." Extending a hand out for the collar.

"I was going to just alter the sequence put the nerves in the neck and mirror them," Lilith hands it back though, very annoyed. "Also, how do you know that?" She snaps defensively at the suggestion of being inexperienced with people.

Katerinya stares, "Because I have interacted with you." She snaps back, "And know what you are like."

"I am Seventy." Lilith said very annoyed now, possibly the first time ever that Katerinya has seen anything but amusement from Lilith. "I have destroyed systems. Conquered Chaos. Slain Extremis Malleficarum. Bedded Queens. I am not a child."

"Yet," Katerinya is now suddenly standing, pointing a finger at Lilith, "You are acting like one." Her finger taps Lilith's chest as Celeste sighs, getting ready to intervene.

"Where do you get off telling me—" Then she stopped taking a deep breath, trying to remain calm but finding it very difficult. "You…" Then she states with uncharacteristic grit. "Are being aggravating." Not sure why she's even letting that slip.

"Am I?" Katerinya growls back, prodding Lilith's collarbone with her finger again whilst Celestine tilts her head again, starting to get confused.

Lilith narrows her eyes, "I win this fight." She says, not talking about physicality entirely, "You…" She growls very similar to the Inquisitor, she takes another deep breath. "You." Saying it definitively again, almost nonsense at this point.

"Try me." Katerinya growls back, pushing her finger into Lilith's chest again.

As she tries to respond, she has to mentally slap down the hatchery again, her concentration breaking. "I can't because you win then." Honesty spilling out as she splits her focus.

Katerinya growls without words to back it, eye twitching as she tries to think of something to say, collar in her hand not helping, "So you're a coward then?" Another prod, which turns into a push that unbalances the chair.

That gets Lilith in a way that she never shows normally, and uses a bone as a club instead of a sword to take a wildly upset horizontal swing. The Inquisitor ducks back, just before it happens, kicking at Lilith's chair to push her further back, buying space to pick up her sabre, flicking on the powered field. Lilith springs from the chair, now standing, "That Saber doesn't cut through Zerg Steel, I will bruise you." The threat very clear as she forgets her combat form instead just getting into a trained combat stance, from where she couldn't say.

"It cuts you." Katerinya promises with a hiss, setting her feet and preparing to receive Lilith whilst Celestine sits on the kitchen counter, waiting for this to be over with.

Another swing with Drukhari speed, but it's immediately clear to Lilith that it wasn't enough, as the club is redirected and the sabre now inches from her face, frying the air in front of her. A second swing, a swing with the other hand that's also deflected with a quick slash sending the arm back from the sheer force of the impact. There's a deep hissing noise nowhere near human emanating from Lilith, as she tries firing blunt hydralisk spines that the precog dodges without a single blink. Lilith finally gets her mind under her control, and she unfurls as non-lethal weapons are rained down as Katerinya quickly slashes, cuts, and dodges.

"I only have to hit you once to prove I'd win," Lilith says as she falls back to regenerate, before taking much slower careful movements.

"You won't." Katerinya laughs, starting to lose herself in the adrenaline of the battle and her vision of the future, eyes fully white, seeing every possibility at once.

There's an even louder growl from Lilith, a predator of war, as she springs forward with multiple tendrils and quick shots that are frustratingly easy to dodge and block. Trying again with a wild swing that only ends in a tendril bisected before letting an explosion ring out in all directions. Celeste armor forms and the spines bounce off the golden plating. Katerinya somehow finds a gymnastic feat to leap through before hitting Lilith in the heart and adrenal glands, knowing that'll slow her down. She's not even using a bolter. Lilith can't help but snarl as she finally gets a hold of her, only to feel the sabre go through the spinal column separating her chest from her legs.

Forced to use her remaining tendrils to carry the rest she tries again to grab the annoyance, now just wanting to smash her against a wall, when she loses sight of her, and before even aware of where the bastard went she was hatching in the cargo bay. Falling out of the egg, along with two Zerglings that she puts down immediately with frustration throwing them into the evolution pool.

She storms out screaming, "Best two out of three!" That one lasting even less than the minute and a half fight as Lilith finds herself re-hatching once more, no longer seeing red but black as she now actually gets violent using lethal force only to be dismantled in a few seconds. After a half dozen attempts she stomps into the hallway, before before stomping back, before getting even more annoyed and pacing back into the hallway to yell, but knowing she'll lose again.

"You… ARE VERY ANNOYING." Lilith shouts at the Inquisitor with nothing else able to be said, knowing that she had lost her temper, and that she couldn't subdue Katerinya in any way.

"I am?!" Katerinya shouts back, breathing heavily and covered in sweat, "You've been egging me on for a year!" The Psyker screams back.

That hits Lilith who can't help but get defensive, "Yeah WELL!" She tries to find the words to win, "I DON'T THINK WELL WHILE MAD." That couldn't be the right thing to say.

Katerinya jumps onto Lilith, pushing her down to the ground with her weight, unbalancing her, "Just while mad?!" She jabs while holding the woman by the throat, locking her shoulders with her knees.

"How can you possibly be this good at fighting." She grits out, once again ready to fight, but the constant sting of defeat driving her to insanity. "No-one is this good at this." It was an accusation of what she didn't know. "You're cheating somehow."

Katerinya grins with victory, leaning down to whisper this into Lilith, "I am this good." Rebutting her, claiming her victory over the other woman.

There's a sudden gulp on Lilith's side as a tinge of fear radiates off her that she tries to nearly snatch back on the psychic level but knowing it was already lost that Katerinya knew. "That wasn't fear of losing." She says but her voice is very weak, knowing that this game had become equal, the bullying now a competition. "I'm still- I'll kill— GAH." The Zerg finally settles on.

Bent to whisper into Lilith, the inquisitor is breathing heavily, droplets of sweat falling from her face, hair matted with it, wet and sticking as she pushed herself to the edge to win. Her eyes are narrowed, her teeth gritted, scar on her face prominent, lips slightly open to breathe better. Not realizing how close she is, how close they are.

Lilith's mind now fogs as… Whatever the Inquisitor said as new feelings wash over her looking at Katerinya with an almost pleading look before trying to look anywhere but her face as a very deep blush forms. Agony taking over as she it dawns on her that the Inquisitor's lips are so close, but that she would never touch them on her own. Looking at the woman again turning redder somehow black blood turning to emotion.

Grabbing Lilith by the jaw, she growls, "Look at me." Forcing the other woman to stare into her eyes, sweat droplets coming down.

A sudden gasp from Lilith as she does so her breath rising with the sudden intimacy. Her eyes now locked as her mind tries to race on how to… Get something she desperately wants but can't ask for. Sitting still looking before quietly quietly whispering. "P- Please?"

"Please, What?" The Inquisitor barks down.

Lilith turns glowing red and she lets out a tiny noise as her lips move but words don't come out.

The mortal woman growls down, tightening her grip to the edge of discomfort, human fingers rarely capable of such strength, "Speak Lilith, or I'll do worse." She threatens, leaning in an inch closer.

"Kiss?" She's barely able to get the word out as she trembles trying desperately to keep her hands at her side forcibly pinning them to the floor by grasping the metal like it's a sheet.

Katerinya stares silently. Glaring at the other woman with furious heat, grip growing tighter somehow. Its nervous seconds of eye contact while the smell of exertion and blood fills the room. Then, the Inquisitor leans down and gives a chaste kiss. Jolting back after a second, breathing fast, eyes wide at what she just did.

The emotion overflowing from Lilith as lust and love intertwine at the trust and just… The excitement of their game. Though concern mixes with anticipation that Katerinya might realise just how much she had won in a few short fights.

Recovering much faster than Lilith, Katerinya growls into the empty hall, "Tell no one." Panic fading into anger and something like hatred, but not towards Lilith.

"I promise." Lilith said, but it's so pleading that she winces at her own words trying to gain some composure but melting under the woman's gaze. "Oh… You're going to torture me with this." She said quietly as she stared at Katerinya. "Oh no."

Katerinya stands up, habitually worn heeled boots stomping next to Lilith as she glares down at her, "We'll see, Lilith."

"Can I get up?" Lilith asks in a quiet voice, still frozen in place.

"..." Katerinya makes a noise, no meaning behind it, as her mind bonds to Lilith's, using telepathy to say what her body doesn't want too, Yes. You may.

She considers it, but still feels very flushed and dizzy when her head moves through the space between them. Quietly through telepathy she asks Do… You want me too? I want… she can't finish the thought as she stares at Katerinya's form a moment where she thinks about touching her.

"Get up." Katerinya orders. Mouth drying quickly.

Lilith very quickly stands looking at her biting her lip unconsciously before stopping herself, still forcing herself to stop from doing anything. Trying to find a stillness that wouldn't come.

"..." Another period of silence as she stands stiffly, coat seeming very heavy on her suddenly, strength she was displaying starting to fade into exhaustion and anxiety. Follow. She orders mentally, stomping to her room, tearing the door open forcefully.

A relieved moan sounded as she nearly bumped into Katerinya as she followed. Stopping only a half second before collapsing into her, then startling when the door opened as adrenaline pumped into her veins again, far harder this time as she stepped into the unadorned room, looking somehow as if no-one lived there. nothing on the walls, no personal possessions on display a bed, and a dataslate. Lilith considered saying something before stopping again, watching trying to figure out how far this would go.

In the privacy of the room, the door slams shut. "You will listen. Do nothing unless I say." Katerinya growls, throwing her blood soaked sabre aside, letting it clatter into a corner of the room. "Say you understand."

Again with a need, a deep urge trying to put as much beckoning into the phrase she said, "I understand." The words escaping through a gasp as Lilith quickly realised her role.

She crashes into a chair, scraping it on the ground as she turns it away from the desk it was facing, breathing hard, anxious, confused, scared of this. "Come…here." She points, unclear if in front of her or her.

Lilith moves carefully taking ginger steps forward to give her time to think, before deciding on being safe instead of hot. Stopping just at where the point seemed to indicate just a hair's width away from Katerinya.

"T-ta-" She growls at her own stutter, anger overcoming nerves, "Take…my…coat." The Inquisitor leans forwards, eyes wide as she stares at Lilith, no idea why she's doing this, yet much too far into it to quit.

"Yes ma'am, only…" She says as she takes the coat off, quickly saying, "You can always stop, because you're in control. If one of us says Red, we stop, Yellow, we pause. Green means we're done pausing." Letting the words pass over before continuing realising that she was leaning against Katerinya to pull it off her as she goes stiff. The odd coat / cloak hybrid was clasped underneath the armor itself, hooked into it somehow. Before saying "You're… Armor," Trying to avoid the word breastplate, "Is in the way."

Katerinya undoes the straps on her breastplate, letting it clank off as it hits the ground, a thin shirt underneath. "In the way of….what." She meets Lilith's eyes, daring her to answer even as her hand trembles minutely.

"The… Coat is under the…" She chokes again. Trembling as she moves to the pauldron's straps, her hands moving slow as she tries to go for the buckle, tensing as she hits it with her fingers looking at Katerinya for orders. "Should… I?"

"Yes." It's short, curt and shaky. Her lip dry, tongue darting out to moisten it as her breath stops. Lilith's touch stealing it. Noticing how easily the straps get undone with a simple gesture Lilith makes. Mind fogging momentarily, as each piece is meticulously removed. Finally it's time for the coat, and Lilith reaches out trying to get the odd piece of clothing off, somewhere between a trench coat and a cape now that the armour is removed.

Lilith fumbles with the buttons though she knows she shouldn't be having this much issue, and has to lean in to get a closer look realizing there's a clasp as well. Finally, getting it off. Lilith takes gentle care of the coat, respectfully folding it and placing it on the bed behind her without losing distance at all just sitting close waiting again. She puts her hands to her side and slowly tilts straight again. No longer staring at Katerinya's face, but her clothes which left little to the imagination.

A shirt and pants in black remain, thin and porous, easy to breathe in. Sleep wear of some kind maybe. "What are you looking at?" Katerinya asks, unknowingly lounging in the chair, sitting how she normally does, wide, proud and aggressive.

"Just- Just– making sure I got… Everything." Lilith said quickly, shooting her eyes back up to Katerinya's face, trying not to stare. "The… Coat I mean. The straps. The armor I mean. The coat."

"..." Katerinya goes quiet, as the subtle pressure of mental communication begins, Describe me, aloud. Telepathy letting her speak from the mind, no issues of a dry mouth, shaky throat or terror.

Lilith's eyes widen slightly, and she takes a deep breath, "You're confident, almost arrogant, but I've yet to see you not do what you say. Be— Be—" Lilith takes another breath, "Beautiful. Like an intricate knife. One with lots of curves. Smart. Funny. Caring. Pre— Pretty. Very very pretty. I…" She wonders if she can use this as a chance to look. She lets her eyes wander, "To- To— toned." There's a catch, and she can't stop stuttering, unfamiliar and unsure with the vagueness of every request bouncing around to see if one hits or worse misses. "Athletic. Um… Legs." She says as her brain short circuits. "Muscled."

"Come." Katarinya gets out, pointing to herself.

"I can't on command." Lilith says suddenly, stupidly.

"What?-No, you-" Katarinya growls, "Come, here." She points at herself, "H-h-" Her stutter overwhelms her.

Lilith copies a stance from the Dune buggy at the word here causing the Inquisitor to stutter as Lilith pushes her legs to either side of her sitting facing her, pressed against her, arms around her neck, crossed wrists behind the Inquisitor. "Ca—Do— Touch?" Lilith whispered. "Me?"

Katarinya touches Lilith's side, hand shivering as if it just touched ice, then the other settles, a breath suddenly being forced out of the Inquisitor as she calms. She lets them slide down painfully slowly out of nerves until they settle just at the top of the other woman's hips. Katarinya looks up, staring into Lilith's eyes, "If I say stop. Stop." Forgetting the earlier words, much too terrified to manage remembering.

"Always." Lilith says in a whisper. "I'd never ruin this." She says still not moving. Merely smiling quietly.

"Alright." The Inquisitor steels herself, shifting to lean up slowly. Another chaste kiss, perhaps not knowing any other type, is pressed into Lilith.

Very, very slowly, hoping alright meant what she thought, Lilith moved her head slightly to kiss her bottom lip, gently probing it with her tongue, pulling back a little. The sensation feeling electric, the slow movements driving Lilith both insane and making her feel a deep calm desire that could catch fire at any moment. She did it one more time, before looking at Katerinya.

Katarinya is breathing hard, tongue flicking out to lick her lips, to taste them. Words not quite coming to her for seconds at a time, she seems newly nervous, newly scared of something else. "I…" Her voice stops for a second, "I..don't think I can…do more."

"That's fine." Lilith says emphatically looking at her, "I misunderstood, nod if you want me to get up—" The word's failing as her attention is broken.

"Stay." Katerinya growls, tightening her grip on Lilith's hips, refusing what she thought of as a request.

"Okay." Lilith says after a quick gasp, "Okay, I misunderstood again." She admitted, before saying again, "Red, stop like get up. Yellow pause like wait, green for go. We don't escalate without your say so. You meant, pause? Or did you just not want to escalate?"

"We can just…stay like this." The Inquisitor breathes out, hands remaining, touch slowly, relaxing.

"Okay." Lilith says happily, staring at her with an extremely dreamy look. Wanting to compliment but knowing it could be shattering, instead saying, "I can stay for hours if you want."

Katerinya stares, feeling a measure of anxiety break, feeling confident for a moment, "I'd move you to the bed, I like my legs."

"I do too." Lilith said with a very measured giggle. "Armour… Seems to be great for toning."

"I exercise, often." Katerinya smirks back, deciding to do this herself, lifting herself and Lilith off with effort and taking the steps to the soft linen bed, the only allowance for luxury the quality of the entire assembly, laying her on it first, before looming overtop and then, after a second, laying beside.

"Just so you know." The Inquisitor growls, making something clear, "This doesn't change anything. I'm still going to hurt you for…using that tone on me." The growl is somewhat softened by her slowly and nervously putting one arm across the shorter woman.

The touch makes Lilith shiver with excitement and she smiles, knowing that people can hear it in her voice. "It wouldn't be us if we changed." The Inquisitor's warmth spread through her as she was pulled close, and everything in the room had a scent that she couldn't place but was Katerinya. Like sacharine copper, or a tangy charred match. Speaking very slowly, "When you're ready, we can… Talk about you incorporating those together, if you wish."

"Shut up." Katarinya growls, a small blush spreading at the idea.

With a voice that clearly said 'make me', Lilith replied, "Yes ma'am." And then falling very slightly, drifting in the embrace. Not sleeping, but not thinking of anything, instead her attention fully dedicated to meditating on Katerinya, her touch, her bed, her linens. Her… Everything. Enraptured by Kat's breathing now which seemed to make them both very calm.

---

"Stop making creatures, Reina." Saint Celestine is proudly standing in armour, covered up to her knees in fluids as she stomps flat cocoons as they form. Reina is staring at the hatchery, rapidly almost shouting, "I can't! It's responding to errant thoughts!"

Splat, another cocoon pops under an armoured greave. "You must try, dear." The Saint is calm, but getting to the ends of her almost limitless patience.

At the yell, Lilith grooans having been wrapped in Katerinya's arms for hours. "Noooooo… Just five more minutes." She sobbed. "I just want to lie here." She whined, before realising this was entirely her responsibility. Letting her mind drift to go back to kicking the hatchery down from creating things.

Katerinya wakes up slowly. "I'll handle it." She growls into Lilith's ear, starting to move off the bed.

"Be nice please," She doesn't say it as a demand or cruelly just… Feeling it needs to be said. "I can train her, it's just going to take a while before she's ready." But she also moans with annoyance as she moves to get up as well. "I can't believe I wanted an apprentice." She says quietly hissing at herself. Straightening our her T-shirt that had gotten a bit crumpled with the nap.

Katerinya starts putting the coat back on, armour latching onto it and breastplate finally coming ontop, breathing out and cracking her neck as she prepares to manage a problem. "I said I'd handle it." She looks at Lilith standing up.

"I trust you." Lilith said quietly, with a deep breath, before getting annoyed, "She's my apprentice though, so I'll be there. When have you been around kids anyways?"

"I've…had them." Katerinya looks back at Lilith, as if she's being silly, "Centuries old."

"Oh, I could have… Asked you for a lot of advice." Tiny stomps accompany Lilith's words as she realises she never asks the questions at the right time. "Fuck." She swears quietly.

Katerinya is marching off with a collar in one hand, a hallway down to the cargo bay with the two women, one a fluid soaked Saint looking bored whilst another is a horrified Adept staring at ruined cocoons, torn by greaves and blade. "Adept, I must speak with you." Katerinya's voice is even, though authoritative.

Reina looks towards her with a measure of fear, "O-oh. About w-what?" She asks, curious even with the fear.

"Your psychic connection with the Swarm is a problem. Until you learn to control it." The Inquisitor is upon Reina, having been moving silently as the young woman was turning, "You will be assisted." She shows the collar to her, making the younger woman's eyes widen.

"O-oh." The Adept breathes out staring at it. Celestine puts her face in one hand, almost giggling at the reaction.

Groaning as she slaps The Adept's thoughts back down away from herself, Lilith snapped at her with a growl, "Calm. Down." Frustrated, at her rope's end and exhausted.

"Yes ma'am." Celestine let slip out, making everyone in the room look at her. Katerinya and Reina with confusion.

The words make Lilith rub her temple with her eyes closed, "The adept Celestine."

Celestine blushes, smiling and embarrassed, "Sorry, just pretend that didn't happen." Having successfully torn the tension free from the room in an instant. Katerinya sighs as Reina looks back at the collar.

"Ok, wait what does the collar do." Lilith asks as the thought hits her. "You just held up a piece of jewellery to me and said 'this will fix it' but I don't know what it does."

"It blocks outgoing psychic signals." Katerinya explains as she goes behind the Adept, preparing to clasp it on.

Lilith groans, "That won't work because she needs outgoing signals to train. Stop stop stop." She says the last three words slowly but with a bit of frustration, waving a hand lazily. "It's not that hard to figure out, we can just stop her from making Zerglings with a bit of focus."

Katarinya clasps it shut, and then unclasps it, and then clasps it again, "Miracle of miracles, Lilith." Her voice is sarcastic acid in its purest form, unclasping it one more time before clasping it again, "You can take it off, an amazing invention of humankind." Another unclasp, followed by a painfully slow clasp.

Lilith pointed at the adept with a frown as Reina turned bright red. Then she put her palms to her eyes. "Okay. I never want to be twenty again." Lilith says quietly finally not having to focus on so many things. "It's not even hormones, it's just inexperience with the world. You don't know enough." She realises she might sound harsh. "Sorry, I was having a moment."

It was time for a quick lesson Lilith decided. "The psychic part and the thinking part are separate. It's a muscle that's new so your body hasn't figured it out yet. Tomorrow we're going to work on manipulating our essence in swarm space. Which should help you separate meat thoughts from psychic commands."

"Okay." Reina's voice is very quiet from the constant motion around her throat and the taller, aggressive woman behind her, "Can I…go to my room?" She asks carefully.

"Yes, please go for now while I think about my life choices." Lilith says before looking at Katerinya, "Why are you still fucking with the c—" Before stopping herself, changing her tone of voice. "Sorry."

Reina bounds off at speed while Katerinya pulls her hands back, "I was adjusting the fit, her neck is thinner than mine was at her age." Looking annoyed at Lilith, but not aggravated once she re-formulated her tone.

"First, of course, thank you." Lilith said, "I didn't know it clasped, it just looked like a circle. Clasps are great." Then she winced at what she said, "Not… Fuck it. I'm going to be drinking."

"Oh! Can I join?" Celeste seems excited at the idea, dripping with fluid from the murder she wreaked on the cocoons.

Lilith looked at the blood everywhere, "There's so much lost biomass…" She almost sobbed, "This was originally enough for an entire platoon!" Then looking to Celeste, "You… Don't need my permission to drink? Wait, no, wait." Lilith finally decided the best course of action was to hatch a few drones to collect what was left.

Her exasperation echoed across the ship walls as Celestine instinctual crushed that cocoon as well.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Me when I realised I posted the unedited versions of the chapters instead of the final draft Q~Q

 

[Princess Scribe]

The fleet is spread thin across sectors, Guilliman's orders being to disperse so as to not strain the resources of any one subsector. The Iron Revenant looms, the only larger ship being Guilliman's own Maccrage's Honour, docked with a station above a world.

Other escorting vessels are dotted throughout the system to keep an eye on any happenings around this most valuable of collections. The world below is seemingly normal, nature interspersed with glowing urban lines when that side isn't facing the sun, close to a Terran paradise if not for the slightly heavy gravity that makes everything smaller.

Reina is preparing to bus down in a shuttle, Cawl lurks in his laboratories after an argument with Guilliman saw both ships powering shields and weapons until calmer heads prevailed, and Celestine is drunk, again. Currently lounging on a table that can barely take her weight, singing astonishingly well despite the slur to her voice.

"Up in the morning, out of the rack!~" Celestine shouts, shaking the ship and keeping armsmen thoroughly awake, "Greeted at dawn by a mortar attack!~" The Saint continues as Katarinya groans, head in her hands.

"Celestine…" Lilith can't help but smile at her, especially as she has had her now daily drink of whiskey, "Are you ever going to get a tolerance to booze, this is getting a bit silly."

"I have a-Whoops sorry!" She laughs at here loud mistake, "I have a tolerance! I drank a whole glass and a quarter before everything started getting, funny!" The Saint sounds very proud of this feat, clearing her throat to get back to singing.

With a quiet nod, Lilith looks back to the piece of paper, an essay that she had Reina write to test her ability to recollect swarm memories. She was clearly distracted, as some of the facts she wrote down had been very mixed. Come'on, she thought to herself reading Reina's recollections, There's no way you thought I was dating the Queen of Blades during College. What does this even have to do with the city!?. She had wanted to get her used to running up against memories sorting them. It had proven difficult, and the entire time she had been warding off her constant never ending mental chatter.

Reina seemed interested in psionic practice the minute the limiter was off, it seemed all she wanted to do was talk and rummage inexpertly through memories. How was she going to teach psychic control if the woman never ever shut's up.

Lilith's focus had slipped from the paper to rubbing her temples, the only solace was Celestine's singing, which was lovely as always. "From a big bird in the sky!~" She calls out with a grin, "All will jump and some will die!~" The walls continue to shake as she rolls off the table, knocking over expensive bottles, thankfully empty. "Off to battle we will go!" The Saint recovers her place in the song, "To live or die, hell I don't know!~"

"Why are half the war songs about dying?" Finally Lilith asked putting the paper down, writing practically her own in corrections.

"Guardsmans songs." Katerinya hisses, still not having ingested enough coffee for this, "They are grim at best." The Inquisitor gulps the rest of the mug and goes for a third refill.

"Guardsmen are the ones that pretty much act like human Zerglings?" Lilith responded thinking rubbing her temple, "Just kind of rush, rush, rush until one side runs out?"

"Well, if they're bad at their jobs, yes." Katerinya shakes her head, "The effective ones typically use tanks, artillery, vehicles and heavy weapons to make that 'other side running out' part much easier." Oddly enough, she is a morning person, far less violent after waking up than she is when fully aware of herself.

"I have no idea what I'm doing." Lilith finally says as she finishes her morning cup of liquor. "At all. I'm just exhausted I didn't realise how much I just sat around binge eating and" She looks at Celestine on the floor for a moment, "Well just eating in general. Reading as well I suppose. I spend eight hours a day doing stuff. When was that a thing?!"

"Motherho-Sorry!" Celestine looks up with a flushed grin, "Having someone to care for has made you radiant!" She's on her front, elbows together to press her front half up.

"It's not motherhood she's twenty she's already raised." Lilith says looking at her, but can't help but smile at the expression. "All I've done is teach her the art of cutting and then drink at the barrage of words. I guess I also gave her an allowance to buy stuff, and… Teach politics, none of that is motherhood."

"Lilith, my dearest, she is an orphan of war, from Cadia, a world where every citizen was a soldier." Celeste is lucid enough to get sentences out after an hour of metabolism, "You showed her care, solved her terrifying injury in a flash, taught her amazing things and engage with her every silly little question and ponderance."

The Saint stumbles to her feet, moving up to Lilith and lifting her into a hug, smiling.

"And cook her three meals a day I suppose," Lilith says as she'sreceives a kiss on the cheek. "I'm worried I'll fuck this up somehow."

"Mhmm, your motherhood is amazing. She's happy and learning and going out on her own!" Celestine is grinning from ear to ear, a light smell of the fruity drink that drove her to this on her breath, "I think you are doing an excellent job, my Lilith. And I can't lie, remember." Her eyes are sparking again, not quite overflowing, but a steady stream of emotion coming from them.

"We haven't hit a hard part yet." Lilith admits taking another deep breath. "At some point there's going to be conflict or consequences for decisions she's made, long reaching ones, and that's going to be important for setting the tone of… All of this. Right now it's just memorization, repetition, and occasional corrections." She bonks her head on Celestine's a bit "It'll be fine I guess. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Exactly." Celestine kisses Lilith's forehead again, before stumbling and nearby falling with her, catching herself on a wall with a giggle, "O-oh I'm dizzy again~."

"You've got to stop drinking every time I do, you don't know moderation! You can't keep up!" Lilith says to that as she gently tries to stop herself from getting crushed. Then a quick decision that she hated, "I'll stop drinking so much as well I think, it'll do us some good, besides we're running out of liquor."

"Awwwwwwwwwww." The Saint slides down a wall, sprawling in shorts and a shirt, "Maybe just every now and then? You're always so fun when I'm like this." She giggles.

"I hope I'm fun all the time," Lilith says gently patting her on the chest as if she was striking her. "Every now and then is what 'not so much' means!"

Celestine starts wiggling at the touch, giggling as if tickling, "Liliiiiiiith~." She almost moans out, "I'm vulnerable~! You can't just….touch me~." The Saint whispers.

"Oh, okay." Lilith says, very quickly getting up and walking away with a smirk over her shoulder.

"Nooooooo please touch me!" She falls forwards trying to reach the other woman. Fingers trying to touch her.

Lilith stands just out of arm's reach, "But you just said!" The smile splitting her face from ear to ear, then quickly "We've got the day to ourselves while Reina's out doing… Whatever it is she's doing. I picked up some Holo-picts we can watch with Katerinya and just veg a bit before I have to think about what my actual long term plan is here."

"Okay, can you sit on my lap?" Celestine puts on a faux-shy look, smiling behind her hand.

"How lewd," Lilith said with an eye roll, but falls into the woman's arms in the middle of the hallway. "How do people work all the time? It's terrible."

"Usually I just don't last long enough." Celestine shrugs casually, "I'm exploring fun with you!" Standing up with Lilith to find a room that has a television in it whilst Katerinya sighs.

"Do you really die that often, that's horrifying." Lilith says agahst, looking up into her face before wincing as a sudden turn cracks her head against a corner with a loud thud.

"Oh balls!" Celestine swears as she realizes what just happened, "Are you alright? Hurt? Do we need the medicae? MEDICAE!"

"Celestine HUSH." Lilith said loudly as the voice makes her head split worse, her tone getting very low and commanding.

The Saint silences almost immediately looking down at Lilith.

"I'm immortal AND regenerative AND I just let Katerinya shoot me when regeneration would take longer than a few minutes. I will never need a medicae." She rubs her head a bit, but the pain was already subsiding. "I also have a third of the nerve endings you do."

Katerinya pushed by them into a comfortably cluttered entertainment room, that had a tangible warmth of a lived in space. There were two plush couches upholstered in a rich deep scarlett. The couches faced each other and scratch marks on the floor showed signs of being lived in, regularly being moved depending on whether the women were telling tales or watching films. Between them, a sturdy coffee table bore the casual scatter of day-to-day living—Data slates showing random positions in books, a tipped over can, and a few scribbled notes of affection that Lilith left around the ship that had started to pile up. Tucked into a cozy corner, there was a small chest that was slightly ajar to reveal the soft spill of blankets and more pillows.

Celestine doesn't answer, slowly blushing as she continues to follow the command of silence. The inquisitor quickly slides a couch to face the TV as all three collapse into it, in what seems a practiced motion. Katerinya lands first, and then Celestine falls over her with her head on Kat's lap legs dangling off the other end, as Lilith lays on top held in place with one hand. The Holo-pict starts to come to life on an ancient television that was mostly recreated from Zerg parts and psionics, something that Katerinya had been disgusted at until realising that it meant not just sitting around reading all day. A new thing to interact with at the very least.

"This is the next Ciaphas Cain movie, since we seemed into it with the last one…" She pressed a few buttons on a data slate on the coffee table, "Duty Calls, Genestealers, hives, Chaos, triumph all that jazz."

"I like Amberley Vail. She's very cute and psychic and angry." Celestine mumbles, "Wait, that's Kat."

"I will admit, I have a weakness for extremely hot inquisitors," Lilith says staring at Katerinya before making a very human fake growl.

Katerinya stares back, considering how she could throttle Lilith without disturbing Celestine, "She is a real person I hope you know."

"Oh." Lilith said suddenly, very embarassed, "No I thought this was fiction, why does she portray herself like that in his memoirs?!"

"That's how she normally acts. It's…aggravating." The Inquisitor admits, watching a scene of the aforementioned woman playing a game with the Commissar on screen.

Lilith continues to stare at Katerinya, "I didn't think Inquisitors were allowed to make quips. I assumed once you reached the proper rank they demanded you become a sourpuss."

Once again considering the cost-benefit of throttling Lilith as the woman realizes Celestine's peaceful rest is worth a lot of prodding, Katerinya answers, "She is your age in this pict. Younger, actually, this took place sixty years ago, she'd have been fourty nine." The woman on screen cannot be more than twenty, at least physically.

"And the Commissar in question is not that absurdly muscular. A tall man, but not a titan like the actor they've chosen." Katerinya continues. Pointing out flaws in the recreation.

"Who'd you get to play you in the Katerinya holo pict then?" Lilith asks smiling.

Katerinya purses her lips annoyedly, "My daughter." Narrowing her eyes at the pict in annoyance.

"That… You… Okay!" Lilith says, not touching that with a ten foot pole settling in as Celestine starts to snore. Though less than ten minutes later there was a loud wail across the ship that made Lilith groan "One day, just one day." She hissed to herself.

"All hands, All hands, battlestations." A vox operator shouts loudly into the room as Celestine rolls off, a flare of light as she gets her sword in her hand, only cutting a gouge through the floor a little, eyes looking for threats while Katerinya groans with Lilith, eyes white."The Lord Commander and Tech Priest are having a debate again." Katerinya sighs, face in her hands.

"Celestine can you please go calm them down," Lilith asked with a quiet sob before watching The Saint crumple to the floor. Armor making a loud clamour, and her sword sinking in just a tad before falling over as well.

"I drank-hic-too much. I had, uhm." Celestine seems shy to admit this on the floor, "I had a sip form the…uhm, Katerinya's amasec, the one that smells like death."

"Why in God's name would you do that?" Lilith moaned, trying to think of anyone else who could talk them down, preferably not her. "Does anyone besides me and you even know them both on a semi-personal level?" She asks Katerinya, "Wait you… Don't seem to be the type that'd get along with Cawl very often."

"Arch Magos Cawl informed me that if I insulted his work again, he would make me learn how to be polite." Katerinya growls out. "I think I'll shoot him when I see him next."

"Please do not, he's one of the most brilliant minds in the Imperium. Just odd, just like you're one of the most deadliest, if cantankerous." Lilith said as she gets up, "Sadly, it's hard being the only imperial without flaws. I'll go handle it." Her head was hung low as she started a new funeral march to the vox.

Katerinya growls something low, "You'll regret that." Moving to help Celestine stop opening up her ship.

Lilith ignored Katerinya as she picked up the Vox and told the operator to try and get her into the call with both of them.

"Ma'am, I can't just interrupt a Vox call between the Primarch, and the Arch Magos!" The operator said as Lilith glared daggers at him annoyed.

With a deep breath trying to stay calm, she said with sugary venom, "You will do it before we're all dead, I will take the blame, no-one is going to space you for following an order." The annoyance was growing as the alarm continued to blare, "I don't want to argue, you patch me through to Guilliman and Cawl at least two or three times a week, just… Please."

The vox operator sighed as he made a few different calls and then spliced Lilith in allowing her to see both Cawl and Guilliman on the screen arguing about… Something. Lilith took a minute with her mic on mute to listen what the problem even was.

"Primarch," Cawls voice is a coppery machine burr, bereft of emotion and humanity, clawing at the senses as it continues, "I will not entertain your outmoded notions of decency. My research is necessary." The mechanical tone turns to something violently electronic at the last word, bleeding through with anger.

The Primarch's stony visage is grim as he fires back, "If we are to descend to such lows, then we do not deserve victory. Release the Psykers Cawl, it is not a request." His voice a storm, billowing across the vox line.

Ok, they're probably just going to scream at each other, Lilith very quickly unmuted her mic and say, "Hello, hi Lilith here, soon to be Lilith Greyfax! You're about to destroy this planet, and none of us can stop you. Can I know why we're condemning all these people to death?"

"The petulant morality of a demigod att–." Cawl growls out in a hissing electronica

Lilith cuts him off immediately, "No." With a very deep tone, "Politely, please and thank you."

The Primarch breathes in, and then releases it after several seconds, "Lady Lilith, the debate is on the moral weight of technological achievement against the cost to the Imperium to make it. I feel the cost is too great. The Arch Magos disagrees." Somehow, with no insults at all, Guilliman can pour venom into every word.

"As I said. Morality." Cawl bites, mechadendrites slightly twitching in what must be an abject fury.

Lilith sighs, that seemed at least manageable, something… ancient. "What are you trying to do? How are you trying to do it?" She asks Cawl, "You're screaming about it over the Vox, so I imagine you can just tell me."

Cawl shifts his tone immediately, "Of course, this vox line is completely scrambled to those not allowed in it." Its polite, with a slight grit to it, backed by the very barest of machine-crackle, "I merely saw resources being wasted in the form of psykers too powerful to train, and sought to use them in my work instead."

"You have living severed heads in jars, powering a machine to control copies of your body across the galaxy!" Guilliman's facade of politeness cracks in a vicious roar.

Lilith nodded, "Ok, yeah that's pretty bad, but not only for the reason Guilliman said. Those resources are not too powerful to train, they're just too powerful for you to train. Infestation has proven time and time again to increase, improve, and hone a psyker's ability to function."

"Certainly." Belisarius admits fondly, "However, I do not trust your Swarm with the powers of Psykers that could shake worlds."

"I gave you a kill switch, is that really not enough?" Lilith asked looking at Belisarius, before quickly adding, "And what are you using the copies for exactly? Because if you're putting people through eternal suffering, you should have a pretty good reason."

"I am managing several research sites, archeological centres, administrative complexes and battlefields. Unlike the childish demig–" Cawl starts to growl into that dead metallic burr.

"AB-up-up-up" Lilith said again cutting him off frustrated. "This is my first day to myself in weeks. We're going to discuss this calmly without insults. Guilliman, do you think those battles are important?" She said turning to Guilliman, assuming he knows the battles being talked about.

"I cannot condone a comparative analysis of several thousand years of living torment and the success of battles. Even beginning to would start to twist our morals." Guilliman states firmly.

"Wait." She says suddenly, "Cawl! WHY~" She cuts out the Imperial tone from her voice very quickly, "Why are you using Psykers and not Overlord and Brood Mothers?! Are you not able?"

Cawl's eyes narrow at the perceived slight of his scientific ability, "Your morphs are insufficient for the ranges required, these are Psykers that break Beta and move into Alpha rating. They're telepathic abilities can reach the galactic edge from its opposite when pooled."

"Yeah." Lilith says confused, "Why aren't you using Overlords and Brood mothers? You just use an Astropath to manage through them."

"Astropaths send messages, I am in real time control." Cawl starts to growl at Lilith now, voice descending.

"Yes." Lilith says again, getting extremely annoyed. "Infested Astropaths can do that in real time."

"I do not trust your Swarm." Cawl's voicebox starts to grind like a factory.

"Okay, that's fine, but you were trying to make it sound like you couldn't. If it's just that it's you know, against your personal values to sacrifice your paranoia for research and science, that makes more sense." She says finally, "There's probably no scientific advancements to be made in that field anyways."

"The project will cease. I am done debating. We settle now or we settle with shellfire, Arch Magos." Guilliman demands, hand having groaned steel into a tight ball during the conversation.

"Can you at least make them unconscious and not suffering?" She asks Cawl.

"The suffering is incidental. They are a rounding error in the galactic churn. The Imperium benefits from their pain." Cawl waves the concern off.

"So you're not able to." She says pointedly.

"It would alter their usefulness. Conscious psychic activity is useful, unconscious is not." Cawl's eye glows as the surrounding machinery starts to blink alive in accordance with his anger.

"So you can't do it." Lilith says again, looking at him. "It sounds like you're saying you lack the ability and knowledge to make this work. Since you're willing to get in a shooting match with the Primarch to avoid admitting failure in this field."

A blare of a target lock passes over the ship Lilith is on, before with a gleam of his eye, the target lock is disabled, "You are aggravating me, I am uninstalling that emotion for our sake." Cawl retorts, voice chilling to something horribly machine-like.

"Well you can always prove me wrong." Lilith says not flinching at the target lock at all, "Because you're not willing to commit a necessary sacrifice to stop the smartest man in the imperium, and the best leader in the imperium from getting into a shooting match. Either you two open fire on each other, the planet gets decimated and the Imperium falls because you can't figure something out, or you figure something out."

Belisarius is incapable of backing down, Lilith realises as he says, "Let it fall, I will rebuild it alone if this so called leader cannot see beyond his heart." Making Guilliman crush the chunk of the table in his hand to dust.

"When was the last time you upgraded the system?" Lilith says quickly trying to re-focus. "How long has it been since you improved upon its design?"

"There is no improvement possible without risking destabilisation. I have looked for other means. There are none practical." Cawl statically outputs.

"Besides the one you don't trust you mean." She says quickly before addressing Guilliman, "I'm going to fly to Cawl's ship and talk to him in person with Reina, please just… Don't open fire while I'm in transit."

"Perhaps you can talk sense into him." The Primarch closes his end of the connection.

"Cawl, can I come over and have a lesson?" She asks with a small pout.

"Reinstalling drivers." Cawl states, pausing for two seconds before continuing, "Certainly, do not insult my capabilities again." He affably says, only the mildest hint of ringing steel in his words.

"Right! That's fine, you still got very cross even though you uninstalled your emotions. What's up with that?" Lilith asked as she reached out to Reina psychically, We're going to stop the Emperor's son and Cawl from tearing the system apart. Come to the Vox and we'll discuss it.

Oh, shit. I'll be in fast. Reina answers, rushing from the shuttle bay.

"It was judged to be the best way to extricate Guilliman from the conversation." Cawl answers, turning to something that occupies his hands, a smooth beige piece of technology, "Sixty nine point six-seven percent chance of success." The Arch Magos gives his calculation easily.

Lilith hears Reina appoaching and nods to the young woman to note her presence, before doing a double take. "Is that… Are you wearing Adamantine jewellery?"

Reina was covered in Jewellery on her ears were multiple earrings, while each finger was adorned with rings with massive gems, replete with match bangles that seemed to carry even larger precious stone. As if that weren't enough, Reina was wearing a tiara made of Adamantine.
"I- uhm, it's also got diamonds?" Reina offers, making it better in her head, somehow.

"You're going to the planetside covered in gems and precious metals, alone, and walking around openly spending ridiculous amounts of money. Are you doing that every time you go planetside?" Her voice is now very mothering as she demands a better answer.

"...Yes." Reina carefully says, judging honesty better than a lie with a mildly nervous look on her face.

"Okay." Lilith says taking a deep breath now completely forgetting about Cawl for a moment despite the Vox's presence. "Do you understand why that's a terrible idea? "

"I mean…no? Some pretty girls have said I look pretty? And all the scary ones back away when I, uhm, I shouldn't have said that." The Adept realises suddenly looking down .

"I'm not mad." Lilith says despite being intensely frustrated, "I won't be mad. I'll… Protect you from whatever consequences, but I need to know what you did." She looks at Reina with apprehension worried about what's about to come out of this woman's mouth.

"I….." Reina shuffles in one spot, hands wringing, "Bought a gun and…uhm."

"Oh, okay you killed a bunch of people?" Lilith asked sighing with relief.

"It wasn't a bunch! Just………….i think fifty three?" Reina shuffles again.

"What the fuck?" Lilith tried to keep her voice steady, to not berate her for doing this. She needed to know what had even happened. "Did you open fire on a crowd? Or… What… How? I don't even kill fifty three people at once, and I… Eat people."

"It wasn't at once, that's, uhm, total, so far, I, uhm…" Reina scratches the back of her head, laspistol on her hip now visible under the robe.

"You're exactly like me how is that possible." Lilith said pinching her eyes, "Just the ones that threaten you or the girls you like?"

"Well it's not like that! I ask them on a date and they say yes but then they get strange and then they insult me and then I get really mad and –" Reina starts panicking as an electronic chuckle emanates from Cawl.

"Nooooo." Lilith says quietly, "You're a serial killer now Reina. That's what serial killers do."

"I make sure it's different each time! So the Arbites aren't suspicious! It's not in serial, it's just mass murder!" Reina defends herself, somehow, as the electronic chuckling grows to outright laughter from the Vox.

"This is not a punishment." Lilith leads with, hoping that it'll improve the next part, "But fifty three people dead means that you stop going to the planet without a chaperone. We look the same age, I'll help you socialise a bit. Then you will have better skills and… When you say they get strange what does that mean really quick."

"Well it wasn't all that, like…..half? About half was criminals! Uhm, maybe a quarter self defense?" The Adept admits. "Oh, uhm, they start asking me for money, and then, uhm, try and like, insult me when I don't give it because its not mine it's yours and, uhm."

"It's your money you can spend it on hookers or whatever, I don't mind. Do whatever with it. It's yours a… Apprentice salary, I'll put it in bank if you want."

Reina looks nervous still, "So…the girl I have in the shuttle…I should let her go?"

"... Have you been killing people on the ship?" Lilith asks quietly with a deep breath.

"No!" Reina assures, "Just…you rushed me!" Realising immediately how bad that sounds.

"They ask you for money, after intimacy, which is when the shooting starts?" Lilith is piecing it together now she thinks, Oh god… What did I unleash on the world.

"...Sometimes? I ask if they're prostitutes! They say no!" She defends herself suddenly, "It's not my fault! I just-I-uhm."

"Is someone else shooting these people? Most people handle these situations without murder, so I need to know how exactly this isn't your fault." Lilith says then realising something, "My memories on Tarsonis."

"I-I-I…" Reina stumbles through words, looking at the ground.

"Hey," Lilith says again, "It's… That's… This is probably the worst case scenario not going to lie. For me I mean, it's a massive failure on my part."

"Its not that! It's just…I, uhm,-" Reina's voice is cracking, "I-they shout and I, uhm, hear things and, uhm, everything is a little more, uhm, red and I start hearing the drill instructor again and uhm-I can't think and they keep shouting when I tell them to be quite and-and-and-and."

"So just to be clear," Lilith says, putting a gentle hand on Reina, "I get it, the Swarm helps with pretty much everything but the psychological, you've got trauma, it gets activated. You needed a weapon to defend yourself from criminals, you start meeting people you get triggered, you kill them. You get bored, so you keep going planetside looking for something to do, but because you're going alone when you don't have too." She tries to put a very clear emphasis on that last point, "You're falling into a pretty common scam. You also are dressed like a noblesse that's looking to pay to play. I've been letting you run wild. Do you understand why you don't have to go alone?"

"Oh, I…didn't realise that." The Adept admits, calming down from the previous spiral and looking forwards with a frown, "I'm stupid sometimes, I think." Her voice is even, if self-deprecating.

"Are you a person who likes hugs?" Lilith asks calmly very quickly moving attention away from the deprecation.

"Uhm, yes?" Reina says confusedly, "Why do you–"

Lilith gives her a hug, "You're not stupid. You're twenty. When I was twenty I was doing… The same shit, but for far worse reasons. Far far worse reasons. You're lucky, as far as I know Nobles just hunt people sometimes so you're probably in the clear, but you're not stupid Okay?"

Reina looks embarrassed and almost…crying at the words, "Okay." She sniffles in the hug, leaning into Lilith with shudders. "I don't usually s-shake, s-sorry." The Adept apologises between sniffles.

"Shhh…" The shushing was gently, and Reina felt a soft rub on her back, "It's okay… It's okay. You did bring a woman to the High Inquisitor's ship, so I'm going to have to handle that. Can you hand me the las pistol please?"

"I-I can handle i-it." Reina tries to say.

"No, because she's going into the evolution pool, I'd like the las pistol because the next time you go planetside, I'll be with you. If things get violent I'll show you how to fight! If you… Try to get a date, I'll back off and make sure you don't get hurt. I fucked up here too. I shouldn't let an immortal almost deific like person loose on the world." Lilith says quietly, "That part isn't your fault."

"Okay." She unbuckles the holster, handing the assembly over to Lilith as the Arch Magos finally unmutes his end, having covered up the raucous laughter likely taking place.

"Now, for the record. Serial killing is just about killing, not methods, and it's not always a thing people get off on. This is pretty text book serial killing, next lesson is going to be psychology. Lucky for you, I have a… Well an associate's, I went into soft sciences mostly. I thought Terran History was going to be a big deal after the UED and Confederacy went to war, but funnily enough no-one likes historians when nukes are involved." Another deep breath, "We still need to… talk to Cawl, in person because I think that'll help. Can you wait in your room for me? Also is the woman in the shuttle, or in the storage on the shuttle?"

"Uhm, second." Reina scratches the back of her head, "Pilots cool, she…uhm, kept it quiet for me."

"Do me a favour please? Never ever tell Katerinya what happened. Don't bring it up. Don't say anything about it, if she asks just call me on the swarm link." Lilith says with more deep breaths, now practically filled with oxygen as she tries to figure out how to handle what happens next. "Ok, go to your room for now, because Katerinya is probably going to grill you the moment she sees you like this."

Reina walks off, and Lilith looks at Cawl. The man still laughing at her, but had respectfully muted himself once again. Not that it helped Lilith's ego at all.

"Can you not just lie about the psykers?" She asked quickly trying to rush this to deal with the other problem now.

"You do not want to know what they're covering up." Cawl states with a joyful vigour to his voice.

"No I mean, just… Okay, okay." Lilith says quietly, "I… Agree with you to some extent, you probably also see these as an extension of yourself because you're managing each body as yourself." Lilith is mostly musing out loud trying to figure out a solution. "How do I earn your trust? Get you to trust the swarm I mean."

"Likely? Impossible. I can give reasons as to why this is, however." Arch Magos Cawl answers with a raise of a mechadendrite, talking over any response, "First, you are alien, which is a small issue with me, and not particularly a major one. Secondly, you are flesh, which is a primary reason for me. Thirdly, you are conniving and proven to be manipulative as a Unity. I do not like that."

"What is unity doing that's conniving and manipulative? Mother fucker I've been gone for a year and they're already pulling shit?!" Lilith says frustrated. "Oh… You meant me specifically didn't you?"

"Quite, yes!" He happily states, "Do you prefer tea or recaff?"

"I prefer recaff, but I'll settle for tea. I may be conniving and manipulative, but I'm also honest and keep my promises." She points out hoping to win some points, "I can also just… Give you a swarm you don't have to trust my swarm, I don't really care past the Imperium having the tools they need without tearing itself apart."

"No, true control of that is impossible for a machine–Not that I am one of course–but theoretically speaking." Cawl waves a hand.

"That's… Not true? I think? There were psi-emitters that did it I think? I have to double check memories, and I'm going to be killing a hoo— A lady of the night, and a pilot." She groans.

"Psychically controlling the Swarm with machinery did cross my mind. Its also a failure point of vast size. As I imagine you've seen, judging from the term, if you destroyed such equipment, suddenly you'd have a ravenous army." Belisarius is confident in this statement.

"Well, yes, but that means you'd have failed to protect such equipment in the first place." Lilith says before realising, "Oh, wow the manipulative part is just second nature. I did it again I think."

"Exactly! Now, we are going to continue falsely having a conversation whilst I consider how exactly I can convince Guilliman to look the other way. Sadly I am running to the bottom of my preferred options. Blackmail or emotional manipulation, you think?" The Arch Magos brazenly considers.

"Blackmail will never work, but emotional manipulation will probably fail too. Have you considered just disabling any outward appearance of suffering on the Psykers?" Lilith proffers trying to find a middle ground.

"Lord Guilliman is psychically aware. He can taste it. Disturbingly." Cawl shudders mechanically. "A dull glop of misery and copper."

"How many psykers is it? I'm terrified to know the answer, but I'm… Fascinated unfortunately." Lilith admits as she looks at the las pistol. Realising that it must have been fired recently as it was still warm. Reina had said Lilith rushed her, what the fuck was she doing that was being rushed?!

"This station alone? Twelve alpha levels, I've…Seven backups I've allowed myself to remember, likely thrice that." Cawl is now reassembling the beige machine.

"How many does he know about?" Lilith offers.

"True, I could dismantle this one and use another, but this device cost several trillion throne gelt to construct." The Arch Magos chuckles.

"Also, I'm conniving and manipulative, so I don't know if you'd actually trust me past that point. In fact, this whole thing might just be a test." The las pistol was quickly affixed to Lilith's waist.

"Mayhaps. But its already been revealed as a device used to cover for another!" Cawl seems joyful, enjoying conversation or work, "As such! You are afforded a modicum of autonomy, though not trust." The machine-man is speaking thoughts aloud mostly.

"We desperately need you, but it's impossible to brow beat you into work, and if I actually worm my way in I think you'd just turn your emotions off and shoot me." Lilith says realising that they were both just going to say their thoughts, so why bother. "You could try to manipulate Guilliman but then if he found out it'll be ten times worse, and it's clear he can and probably will. There's also worse shit that's out there… Oh, what happens if Guilliman just starts tearing apart your projects?" Lilith asks outloud, thinking of how Kerrigan handled Abathur.

"I awaken the second Primarch." Cawl coldly states. "And remove the defective one." Not quite Abathur.

"Oh right, I keep trying to use a logic that works on a fleshy guy who is much the same, but you're different in a few key ways. Abathur would never remove Kerrigan from the Swarm because she was So PeRFecT." Lilith said the last part in an extremely snotty tone.

"A man, however great. Is not beyond replacement." The Arch Magos states calmly, "We survived ten thousand years without him. The Imperium is the only irreplaceable component."

"You're aware that you two firing on each other makes everything fall apa— Right but you can't back down now, or you'll always have to back down. That's the problem that Guilliman's in as well normally I'd just infest you but obviously I'm incapable of doing something to such a trusted ally." Lilith said gesturing at the machine.

"I'm also made of metal, yes." Cawl seems to enjoy just barely not admitting his horrifically illegal state.

"Is there really no way that you can see me using my resources to help that isn't trusting me? Also, Reina keeps thinking that her head itches and never stops scratching. Did you do something to her?" Lilith tacks the last part on as mostly a rider.

"In order, no trusting you is a terrible idea. Reina has a mental illness. Likely some sort of post traumatic stress intermixing with her natural neurochemical disabilities." Cawl states.

"The neurochemical disabilities are largely healed, so it should just be the PTSD." Lilith says wondering touching her chin.

"Yes, you certainly did heal the emotional centres of her brain, back to full capacity." The Arch Magos is wonderfully entertained. "And then tuned them to xenos production quantities. Indeed, you certainly fixed a problem."

"Okay, so there's more than the conniving and manipulativeness to not trust me, I'm also a fucking moron." Lilith swears to herself, "Fuck. I just... Gave her a mentall illness in full swing."

"I didn't want to out and out say it." Cawl chuckles, "But yes, you're all very stupid. But in this instance it was my plot. I did not tell you the brain injury was shrapnel that I extracted from her brain. I was vague to see what your reaction would be. An experiment." The Arch Magos returns to facing the Vox.

Lilith while rubbing her eyes with her palms said, "How much more time do you need until you figure something out you think?"

"I've settled on emotional manipulation. The sin is already done, and several of my battlefields technically serve in protecting trillions of humans, by consequence of where they are of course." The Arch Magos nods.

"That's not emotional manipulation, That's just… A thing that's important." Swearing to herself.

"The live feeds of my troops retreating will be." He cackles mechanically. "And, of course, the resulting damage."

Lilith said suddenly shuddering. "Okay, that sounds like it'd work or get you killed I can't really stop that now. What was the results of your experiment with me by the way? Did I at least seem kind?"

"Easily manipulated." Cawl laughs, moving to the vox and beginning to dial Guilliman, intentionally doing it manually to give Lilith time, "I'd recommend disconnecting."

 

[Princess Scribe]

Cawl just needed time Lilith decided, and ultimately that conflict was way out of her league. She needed to learn what she could and couldn't do. Something she kept getting smacked in the face with over and over. Guilliman seeing trillions of lives lost will probably work she admits, but it also might snap everything if it's revealed. Her thoughts were tumbling around as she found herself where Reina had come from, the shuttle bay was large with several landing craft and a few large scale troop transports for the armsmen on Katerinya's ship. Though the one that Reina had come from was apparent, the only one still on and waiting for her to return.

The pilot is also evidently relaxing, helmet off with long black hair let out of a pilot's bun, tapping their gloved hand on a datapad's screen, waiting for something. Their helmet is painted with teeth around the visor, making it look like a maw, and the shuttle has weapon mounts, though nothing attached to them. The woman was nearly as short as Reina, but still slightly taller than Lilith most likely five-eight, five-nine she had to guess. Her eyes were also hazel green. She looked stringy, like overpulled taffy something lean and lanky.

"Hi!" Lilith says in a chipper tone approaching, "I'm Lilith! How are you doing today, could I talk to you for a moment?" Her eyes are locked on target, and she's doing her best to not seem overly upset.

"Sure, name's Scarlet." Her eyes narrow slightly, "You seem to be having a bad day." She points at the las pistol. "Let's talk about that, before we talk about her."

Lilith looks down, "Fuck, I confiscated it from Reina." She rolled her eyes before removing the pistol and putting it on the floor, "I wasn't going to shoot you."

"Imagined you wouldn't have, no." The pilot smirks, "So, which clusterfrak are you here for first? From outside the cockpit, if you don't mind. I like bulletproof glass between us." Scarlet confidently taps on the triple thick transparent aluminium.

"I'm seriously not going to kill you, I need to know everything, and killing you would mean that I would never be able to guarantee I knew everything. Torture doesn't either, I'm going to drop a fat stack of thrones on you, and hope to god you'll help me look out for a nineteen year old girl." Lilith is now exhausted and frustrated.

"I have a slightly different idea of how this'll go, mind if I share?" Scarlet slips off her gloves, showing rough hands underneath.

"Please do, I'm… a bit lost and always willing to listen to advice." Lilith groans.

"So, I tell you about your serial killer, you nod, smile, say thank you, punch through the glass pretty quick and rip me in half-I've watched the combat footage, Lady Lilith." Scarlet describes.

"Yes, but then I have to find a second pilot that might be less trustworthy about my serial killer, right now I know you don't talk. That's valuable." Knowing that she was perceived as a threat, Lilith was caught between her need to approach to build rapport, and knowing that it would inherently be seen as threatening. Indecision gripped her as she tried to talk the Pilot into a job.

"You'd also kill your serial killer's girlfriend, so there's that." Scarlet chuckles, rubbing a hand against a throttle control, leaving it there.

"You, or the girl in the trunk, please don't kick the throttle, because I will outrun a shuttle I don't want to kill you even if you're fucking the Serial Killer just… Help me keep Reina fucking safe." Lilith no longer was playing games she had hit her limits the entire last hour being a clusterfuck. "Stop fucking around."

Scarlet has a twitch at that as panic spreads across her face, "Fuck. Okay, I'm gonna open the cockpit, if you rush me, I dunno, I'll cry." She nervously puts her hand on the cockpit release, watching Lilith for a few seconds to see if she's fucked up.

Lilith sat down, because she didn't know at this point what else she could do to seem trustworthy, and honestly it's an option that seems to work pretty often for reasons that never quite made sense to her.

The cockpit hisses open, Scarlet nervously tapping her fingers on the lip, knowing that closing it would be far too slow, "Soooooo…You're her mom right? This, uh, feels pretty early, but hey." She waves.

"Hey." Lilith said back her eye twitching slightly, "Okay, why does my— Does she call me her mom?" The last part was said in a very warm tone ending on an uptilt like one addressing a puppy.

"Uh, I think this is a conversation you should have with her. Not her girlfriend of like, two weeks." Scarlet chuckles.

"Ok, yeah no yeah, sorry. Is there a woman in the trunk, and is she killing people on the regular?" Very quickly rattling off her concerns as a blossoming warmth started to fill her spirit. Then realising that there was probably a person that needed to be sliced up trying to focus back on business. Well family.

Scarlet shrugs, "I've got her in the promethium tank, should dissolve in a day or two. No worries, I've been cleaning up after her. It's like dating a noble, just less crazy." She smirks, before realizing who she just said that too and paling, "O-uhm, sorry, I didn't mean–"

"Stop, I don't care." Lilith quickly cut her off, groaning, "I don't. There's more important things here than me getting pissy about what is probably an objective fact." She stayed sitting, because it seemed to be working, and if the woman was already being handled there was little she had to do about it. "Do you work for the ship or somewhere planetside? I know no-one on the crew."

"I'm an inquisitorial pilot, ma'am." Scarlet assures Lilith by showing a badge.

"Rad! At least there's that. Okay, so… Nice to meet you I guess you seem to already be doing what I was going to pay you for. I'll just… Pay you for it I suppose." Lilith says breathing a sigh of relief. "Can you tell me what you know so far, about… Any of this."

"Well first off, I don't wanna get paid for relationship…relationshipping?" Scarlet tries to say.

"Not for the relationship." Lilith said with a low growl, "For cleaning up BODIES. I wouldn't hire someone like that."

She flinches, "I meant the bodies Emperor-damnit. You do that for people you care about, never do that again please."

"Oh. Okay. Why does everyone react like that to my voice?!" Lilith asks plainly reaching into her pockets to pull out a stack of playing cards just to give her hands something to do.

"It sounds like you're reaching into my spine to wiggle it, its bad." Scarlett gives another shudder, "And secondly, uhm, Reina's…kinda crazy? And, uhm, I really can't keep up with her a lot of the time, so she goes down to the planet, but she has these like, episodes, and is super energized but also brings back a body." The pilot tries to think, "She's Cadian, so it makes sense, their planet got blown up by a warp powered beam, probably has some real bad stuff going on spiritually, and mentally, both. Both bads."

"Energized… Scared? Or energized like excited?" Lilith is now making the cards quickly stack across her fingers trying to flick individual ones into her other hand catching them.

"I really don't know how to tell you that your daughter dissociates and kills people because they shouted at her and then is really happy about it. For like, a day." Scarlett says quickly, "So I just went for it."

"Honestly, that's perfect, I was the same way at that age. If I stand up and walk away are you going to have a panic attack?" Lilith asks with a bit of concern, "You're… God you're all just children. Do you need water?"

"I'm twenty two!" Scarlet protests.

"Oh!" Lilith says with faux surprise, "Well I'm so sorry, miss adult." She rolled her eyes before asking again, "Do you want some water?"

"I think I'd have a panic attack if you gave me water and might shoot you to little effect." She admits, "So I'm going to drink another energy drink instead because I've been awake for two days to keep up with her." A can pops as Scarlet starts to raise it to her mouth.

Lilith takes a deep breath, "No you're not. You're stop that." She says pointing at the can, "That's so bad for you." She quickly snatches it with a tendril across the room pulling it to her before Scarlet can react. "You're going to get some rest. You can either come with me, or—"

Scarlet starts hyperventilating at the tendril.

"You said you saw the tapes!" Lilith groaned.

"It's real fucking different in person!" The pilot shouts, falling back into her seat as her suit starts to compress to control her breathing. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." She lets off a mantra of swears as she takes control back from her stress. "Never do that again."

"God when did kids get so fucking…" She stopped herself, whatever she'd say next wouldn't be useful. "Come here. You're getting rest, my god." Lilith stands up and points to her side.

"Why am I standing up you idiot she's gonna eat you, you dumb idiot." Scarlet is walking towards Lilith despite her words. Jumping out of the shuttle cockpit and walking next to her. At six foot, it seems Reina has inherited the like for taller women.

"I would have done it already so some part of you realises I'm trustworthy." Lilith snaps, walking away. "I don't hear footsteps behind me I should be hearing you follow me."

"God you really are her mom." Scarlet whispers, boots starting to make noise behind Lilith.

With a sigh of frustration, Lilith leads Scarlett to the couch where Katerinya and Celestine were, saying in a tone she promised she wouldn't use anymore. "I need the couch for this one, she's getting some sleep."

Katerinya looks at Celestine idly tugging at her coat annoyedly, saying, "Get up, Saint Celestine, you should go to bed."

"Bed? Can you come with me?" Celestine laughs, trying to turn her head up.

"I'll carry Celestine to bed." Lilith says, very quickly scooping celestine up over her shoulders.

"But Liiiiiliiiiith. She slept with youuuuuu." Celestine bemoans, fingers brushing against the floor whilst Katerinya pales at the mention.

"She did not we just slept in the same bed." Lilith snapped, "Katerinya, this is Scarlett, she's one of your pilots and has been looking out for Reina. I'd like to discuss that with you later if you're unopposed." The tone was very professional as if Lilith was making a business deal at a boardroom, discussing the latest earnings.

"You aren't a rogue trader, Lilith. Speak plainly when you return. Pilot, rest." Katerinya glares at the bags under Scarlett's eyes, "Regulations state nine hours of rest before operation of a shuttle. I trust you follow them."

"You heard her." Lilith snapped when Scarlett didn't move, "Get."

Scarlett, surrounded by two women miles more powerful than her, merely acquiesces, laying down on an unoccupied couch and, in about three seconds, loudly snoring as she disables.

The Saint wasn't heavy for Lilith most days, but today it seemed particularly easy. After depositting Celestine into bed and tossing a blanket over her quickly, she opened her closet door. Inside was a full sized mirror, and she caught a look on herself. Her face still had the expression. The expression that Celestine seemed to love, and Katerinya despised. The psyker was breathing right outside the room, so Lilith grabbed her hidden alcohol reserves. She took a swig before stepping out to address Katerinya, starting with an apology, "I just didn't know how I could talk to you in front of your crew. I've literally not said a word or even really seen them… ever."

"You weren't far off the mark." Katerinya sighs, leaning on the doorway, making sure Celestine didn't fly through her bulkheads drunkenly, again. "Pilot's like her are afforded freedoms many are not, they are educated, orphan of the Scholae Progenium, so she is allowed to launch on her own schedule if she can afford the fuel. What did she do?"

"She's fucking Reina, and Reina's a serial killer. They've been hiding the bodies together. The count is fifty three." Lilith says very plainly as she thinks, "Unrelated Reina introduces me to people as her mother which is making it impossible to think right now. Normally I sugar coat things."

"I don't think there's enough sugar to coat that in the Imperium." The Inquisitor sighs, "Anyone important? If not, I can just punish her shipside with something and satisfy the Arbites before they make my life hell."

"No-one knows yet, as far as I can tell," Lilith says leaning against the wall.

"The Adeptus Arbites know, they can just haven't gotten to it yet. A shuttle lands, someone dies, a shuttle takes off?" Katerinya growls.

"What does punishment look like on this ship?" Lilith decided not to make assumptions for once. "I don't have a say, but if she gets hurt because Reina snitched her out I'm going to be pulling my hair out for a month. I'd rather know ahead of time."

"For the pilot, it'll be simple, she'll choose between corporal punishment or extra duty." Katerinya sighs.

"Corporal?" Lilith said with a groan, "How is that appropriate?!"

"Few lashes, it'll satisfy the law as an accessory to murder." The Inquisitor states.

"Can I drop a crate of cash on this to make it go away?" There were no more deep breaths she just decided to sink down and sit again. Sitting was nice. "I think I might be the worst."

"Not with me, Lilith." Katerinya sighs again, "I follow the law, I just know how to bend it. Now. Reina is complicated."

"Can I take the corporal punishment? For both of them?" It was a thing knights did a long time ago she thought she read once.

Katerinya has a realization. "Under sub paragraph…….fourteen-thousand twelve, section Victory….I think you can." But then her face twists, "You…should, Reina isn't…She would not make it through that." Katerinya scowls at thee thought.

"My… Plan at this point and I'm begging you for advice." Lilith wasn't looking at anyone anymore, just resting her eyelids as she thought. "God I'm planning now. I think you could handle the planetside stuff? Then when Scarlett wakes up, I'm going to tell them both that because they were murdering people, I'm taking torture for them, it's going to suck probably. I'm doing it because I know this was a situation that got out of hand, but it stops now. Maybe I use the scary voice on the last word." Her eyes open and she looks up at Katerinya, "Thoughts?"

"Sounds excellent." Katerinya says, "You'll likely make Reina cry, but that's good, she'll remember." She's nodding at the plan, finding it efficient, effective and quick.

"You're allowed by the way, and encouraged to let me know when I'm doing something very stupid with this." Lilith stood up again, to her full height, which was shorter than everyone else involved in the situation. Swearing to herself quietly, "I didn't think giving her cash and free reign would end that badly. Like yeah mistakes but not… This."

"The Arch Magos is playing a game, I can sense it in the air." Katerinya states, a flicker of white passing over her eyes, "So far, he is the Imperium's puppet master, it is…aggravating." The last word is growled out as she leans off the doorway.

"Oh he told me, he said it was an experiment to see how I'd do when thrusted upon with responsibility. He worded it differently, but I think I'm starting to see between the lines with him." She opened the door to her quarters looking at Celestine, "I'm going to… Work off some stress." She tried to put it delicately, mostly hinting that her quarters may be… loud.

The door slams as Celestines mouth opens to say something to Katarinya, stopping once Katarinya is fully out of sight, having been the one slamming it. "I was just going to say she could stay, I thought you two-Ooooh! Maybe she just wants you!" She drunkenly slurs.

"It's neither," Lilith says calmly, "She didn't really want it to be something said out loud yet, it's scary and new. It's very insensitive to point it out right now."

"Oh. No!" Celestine shouts, "I have to apologise, I was stupid I'm sorry!." She start to stumble to her feet, collapsing back onto the bed."

"You're so loud, she knows! Calm down." Lilith said again, "She might have also felt dismissed instead of invited or warned by what I said. I can't read minds, I just guess."

"Do you want me….sober, my love?" Celestine mumbles from the bed, "I think I'm getting addicted." She admits.

"Yes. Please. No more drink for either of us, it's causing issues." She sits down next to Celestine on the bed.

A glimmer of light passes through the Saint, riding through her veins, alighting her body before she breathes out.

"You can just do that?!" Lilith hissed, before remembering that yes, she has done it a million times. Lilith just hadn't thought about it.

Blinking her eyes open, "I've done it before, my Lilith." Celestine straightens out with an arm to steady herself, leaning into Lilith worriedly. "I just….Sometimes I like not being able to worry." She admits.

Lilith hugged Celestine holding her, "I know, you look after everyone, you're always looking out for people. I get wanting to turn that off." Just hard enough to tickle Celestine's back she pressed her nails in and gave her light scritches. "I get it, I didn't literally mean stopping forever, I just mean no more in the morning, before the day starts. And probably choosing better times, though to be fair, I thought nothing interesting was gonna happen today."

"Mhmm, I thought we'd have a day too." Celestine admits, "Would you like me to take the lead for tonight? Or do you prefer to now?" She's suddenly curious.

"I don't really have preferences so much as I like making people happy. I can go either way with… Almost everything really." Though her head wasn't in the right space. "I'm worried about Kat slamming the door, about the Serial killer two doors down, and now about this pilot who is chugging energy drinks and flying with no sleep keeping people in prometheum vats drawn into this mess. I'm going to get tortured for murders I didn't even commit and…" Then she said, "I just want to lie here and feel like I'm appreciated, you lead."

"Of course, my perfect, wondrous love." Celestine purrs, pulling Lilith to her chest in a facsimile of the day they met, "I can hold you, and tell you how beautiful you are, but words can't truly express it." She nuzzles in, warmth spreading from her to Lilith. "Nothing does you justice." The Saint whispers.

With a wide grin, and nuzzling closer Lilith says, "There's a closet full of toys if you'd like to try anyways."

 

[Princess Scribe]

Hey if you're reading this at work listen up!

The entire thread is NSFW by default, but maybe your work is more progressive!
The following content may be more explicit than your average update!

The next slide has trigger warnings for those who need them.

kink scene introducing whipping play

​

Hours later, Lilith is staring at a sleeping Scarlett, who at some point has thrown her pilots uniform off and is just in a shirt and shorts, still dead asleep on the couch, though with a freshly drunk energy drink in hand.

"Mother fucker." Lilith whispered, before realising that she… Wasn't going to be able to do anything about that most likely besides be pissed and scold. "At least not on the couch." She whispered to herself as she silently, quickly, and gently removed the drink from her hand and put it on the table. Moving over to trunk next to the couch with increasing iration she grabbed a sheet and threw it over Scarlett covering her, and put a pillow from the couch next to her.

Scarlet blinks awake from all this, "W-what do you want? I'm sleeping, get another pilot, Reina." She mumbles.

"Go back to sleep Scarlett." Lilith said rolling her eyes, hoping to god she didn't say that to Reina. "And don't drink energy drinks, they have amphetamines in them. They're so bad for you! Go back to sleep." She snipped again before walking off.

Reina was two doors down in the hallway of four bedrooms that made up the "Good" Bedrooms as Katerinya had called them, there was a moment where Lilith was about to walking, before stopping herself with a deep breath, and then knocked.

"Come in?" Reina says from the inside. Sounding confused as to who's coming in after hours of being alone.

"It's Lilith." She said opening the door. "I uh— What in the world." Lilith says as she looks at the room which looked like the prismatic love child of a Kaleidoscope and a pawnshop. The room was covered in things, some jewellery, some clothing, mountains of books, picts, and data slates.The bed had been entirely replaced with something that looked as if it worked on anti-grav technology somehow. Tons of things in the room were now covered in stickers. "I see you've made the place your own. That's awesome." Lilith quickly recovered.

Reina on the other hand, is wrapped in bundled blankets, staring fearfully at the door.

"Should I close the door and come back in five minutes?" Lilith asked. The sight looking painfully familiar to her. "I'm going to close the door and then come back in five minutes." Lilith then affirmed closing the door.

Returning five minutes later, Reina is no longer wrapped in blankets, scratching the back of her head as Lilith enters the room, "Hey." The younger woman says, looking down at the floor.

"Hey," Lilith returned quickly. "I'm going to try and… Get a better read on what's going on. And educate. By not telling me what was going on with the pilot I could have killed her. I probably would have if I hadn't already made other plans. Do you get why that is?"

Reina starts crying immediately, near as soon as Lilith finishes, "I-I'm sorry I w-wasn't-I." A mile a minute of words spill from her, "I j-just wasn't-I can't-" Its nonsense coming out.

"Breathe." Lilith said slowly, "Breathe with me," She inhaled deeply, counted to six, and then exhaled, counting to four. Looking at Reina to do the same and follow her lead. Afterwards saying, "Did you want me to kill Scarlett?"

Reina follows the example, slowly bringing herself back to order with controlled breathing, controlling something to control herself. "N-no, I just…was scared. I…thought I…Shouldn't have…" She trails off.

Lilith waited patiently, choosing to sit on the floor and focus on Reina. "I'd like to know what you think you should have, and haven't done. I want to know where to start."

Reina is calming down herself, Lilith's presence simultaneously something panic inducing and something calming. "I….don't know? I just-I mean-"She halts, taking another deep breath as the taller woman showed her, "I thought you were going to p-punish me, like Arch M-magos Cawl would to p-people who did b-bad." The Adept admits, crying.

"What did Cawl do? My punishment — a word I wouldn't use — would be to restrict privileges to the problem until we are both sure that you could handle it. For example, you've gone planetside and murdered a bunch of people so I'm going to escort you since I'm the only one who can handle keeping up with you or stopping you." Lilith says very gently, "But I'd never do anything to hurt you, that generally just doesn't work."

Reina slumps as her terror begins to be lifted, "H-he would s-servitorize students t-t-t-that f-failed him l-like this." She admits through tears, "I-I d-didn't want to d-die."

"Of course not, you can't now, not really, and I wouldn't use that as a weapon against you." Lilith kept her voice very low, and remained low and unthreatening trying not to ooze frustration. Reina's anxieties were palpable, and she was struck between wanting to help, and wanting to make her feel comfortable in this space, comfortable on the ship. "You're safe okay? Now, there will be consequences, this time I'm going to be tortured by the Arbites, both for you and Scarlett. It's probably very much going to suck, I have limits as well. I'm willing to do this to protect you." She looked at Reina with a smile, "I'd like you to tell me the first time something like this happens, not far later when it's spiralling out of control."

Reina cries again, letting out a short sob as she realizes what's happening, "I didn't mean it-You don't-I don-." Another morass of words as she realizes someone is paying a price for her.

"I'm going to stand up and hug you, shake your head if you don't want me too? Nod if you do, Okay?" Lilith stands up very slowly and takes a step forward, though watching Reina for even the smallest bit of movement not wanting to. She gives a tiny nod, and Lilith moves a bit faster, and grabs her gently, holding her head to her chest. "There are always consequences for our actions, one of the worst parts is that we're not always the one who pays for them." She whispers, very gently patting her back. "I'm volunteering, you didn't make this happen. It still has to happen though unfortunately."

Reina broke down in Lilith's arms, sobs spilling out as an internal dam broke. They stood there together, Lilith trying to stay calm, and strong for someone else for once, while Reina feelings poured out despite her best efforts to stop them. The sobs were heavy, at first as the first wounds began to bleed, and then after a while the flood returned to a trickle, then stopped entirely.

"Okay." Lilith says calmly as Reina calms down, trying desperately to hold herself together. "Okay! That's… Pretty much handled then the corpses I mean, and there will be a bit more oversight on outings. Otherwise, you managed to kill fifty three people without dying which is honestly a feat! So good job there I suppose." Lilith gave her a quick wink.

Still teary, Reina responds, "I just…Scarlet helped. She w-wanted to tell you, but I…I w-was scared and, uhm, convinced her not too. S-she really knows how to kill p-people, it's a little s-scary." She talks about her with a small smile.

"Yeah, scary can be fun. It's when it stops being fun that you should ask for help." Lilith says, wanting desperately to bring the other thing Scarlet mentioned up. The words being oddly being dredged and re-written, formulating in her head before being spoken. An odd sensation that frightened Lilith a tad, "Scarlet said you called me her Mom, that's fine! Whether an honest feeling or just an easy explanation both are perfectly acceptable. A little fast maybe, but I was very clear that you're a part of the family now. My family, the Swarm and the ship." A tiny voice much like Abathur's in her head groaned in distaste at a mediocre sequence of words being formed.

Reina freezes at the mention of Mom, "Uhm, I was…can I really? I, uhm, never had a mom." She's hopeful, terrified, a mix of both really.

"It's fine, of course it's fine!" Lilith said hugging her again, "I grew up homeless for… Close to maybe twenty years mostly scraping without family and stealing. I know it's hard, and I at least, have always wanted a family. Of course that's fine." How is she keeping the tears in, how the fuck is she being so controlled? Inside there were the intense emotions of joyful sobbing that instead only expressed itself with warmth and care.

Reina leans in, putting her head on Lilith's chest again, "Okay….mom." She whispers, smiling and crying at the same time as dancing memories of a lonely home flit through her head.

Lilith felt that tiny angry worm snatch a thought back before it ever left her psyche, And if for some reason this is just a trick, that's fine too. The psychic rumble actively distasteful the words had been considered for a moment. Lilith gave her a small gentle kiss on the head, because it felt right. "You're going to do great things, you have an eternity to figure it out." Another slow scritch. Then another small lesson. "If someone knocks on your door, lead with 'Who is it?' Not come in."

Reina nods, a light shudder to her, "D-do you have to be punish, c-can't Inquisitor Greyfax m-make it go away?"

"Yes, first because the Arbites do not play about, second I respect Inquisitor Greyfax who strongly believes in the Imperium's laws, and finally, there does need to be a consequence to prove that consequences happen. This is a very safe one ultimately, if a little emotionally wounding." Lilith says a bit nervous realising that the Arbites could possibly be as bad as the Drukhari, a tiny bit of fear on the emotional swarm link. "It is what it is."

"Y-you sound like the Arch Magos." Reina giggles, tears starting to dry, letting herself sink into Lilith, smiling broadly at being…loved.

"I think that's… Good then, maybe. He seems smart, if a little crazy." A very palpable horror is forming in Lilith's thoughts. "It's probably fine. Do you need anything? I'm feeding five tonight it looks like."

"I'm o-okay." Rein nods to herself, "I'll, uhm, be at dinner?" She asks, trying to make sure she can come.

"I can't imagine where else you'd be," Lilith responded with a big smile, "Let me know if you have any requests later. I'm going to keep the Las-Pistol, it's a very crude and ineffective weapon, if you want a ranged projectile. I'll give you hydralisk spines or maybe those bouncing mutalisk flechettes."

---

"Lilith." The Inquisitor is calm, leaning against a doorway late into the night cycle of the ship, dressed in soft clothes and shoes, comfortable to sleep in.

"I wasn't dismissing you earlier." Lilith apologises almost immediately, as she slinks out of Celestine's arms in a strand of tendril, before leaving the room."I was… It was half a warning, half an invitation. You don't… aggressive doesn't really feel right for my attention towards you in that way."

"I realized." Katerinya quirks an eyebrow, "But there's more important matters to handle first." She nods to the door, stepping outside it and waiting for Lilith.

While following, Lilith did a quick check on the swarm, making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be. Unity had now completely excised her psychically, her only remaining contact was Varynna. The link simply diminishing over space and time without contact or concern for her. There was a small pang as she realised that for the most part it meant she was forgotten. Her mind then floated to Reina in her room, seemingly asleep, and then she quickly strained her ears, to try and hear Scarlet breathing. The Broodmothers, Queens, and Overlords all gave general affirmatives as well on their status. Celestine she just left, and Katerinya was in front of her. A look of active perception on her face as she stepped out, mental counts and names being listed off in a check list.

"You've a difficult choice to make." Katerinya sighs, leaning against the nearby wall, her black shirt sheer at the arms and waist, oddly risque for her normal fashion, or maybe just what she wears to bed.

The Zerg sighed with a somewhat bemused pained expression, "Well, what a wonderful change of pace." Nodding that she was ready for.. God whatever else could possibly happen.

"Do you want me to administer punishment, or the ship sergeant-at-arms?" The Inquisitor calmly asks, sipping from a hip flask of rotgut that can floor even a zerg in a few gulps. "I am still reading through the Lex Imperialis to figure out what I can get away with for you, but the administration is up to you."

"I… Wouldn't expect you to… Hold back if it was you…" Lilith had turned a bright red for some reason, her mind clearly going some place different, "Do… People watch? If it's observed it might be… Better if it's the Sergeant-at-arms. We have a dynamic where I get very… Comical? during violence as a defence mechanism, which could look bad given our relationship."

"You'll be gagged." Katerinya assures with a nod, "And bound. But I will not hold back. The punishment will be administered."

"Would… You be… Willing? You're a psyker, and the feelings you get might be…" She's dancing around a statement that she felt awkward and embarassed to try and state directly. "It may be… Different, then the typical expectation from your experience."

"I'd rather you be aroused than in agony." The Inquisitor finally states after Lilith's dance of words, "It will not be easy, it will be…a hundred and fifty lashes."

"Oh thank god," Lilith said with a breath of relief, and then another, almost panting "I've done that before being infested, made me like… Three thousand cred in a night. I think that's… Three hundred thrones maybe four? Yeah, ok yeah you're fine. I thought it was going to be like… Drukhari psychic neurotoxin and pain needles."

"It will be a neural whip." Katerinya sighs, putting her face in her hands.

"For fucks sake." Lilith almost barks but then laughs, "Ok! Well! Still doable, we can bang that out in a couple of hours I think, less since I regenerate." She reaches out to give Katerinya a reassuring touch on the arm, even though nerves and anxiety had started to crawl out of the depths of her psyche, though a stronger willpower forced that down as well. "It'll be fine, I'm tough." She said smiling.

Katerinya nods, "And we will practise first, I haven't reported a crime yet. Come." She grabs Lilith's hand and starts pulling her towards her room. "I will not have you go from nothing to maximal setting with no preparation."

The contact, sudden and confident made Lilith want to scream with adoration, and the softness of Katerinya's hands, almost always gloved normally, had sent a very quick short circuit that let many emotions spill out. Her mouth got a bit too loose as she became nervous, "Well, careful where you use it, I'd like you to kiss there and make it better."

Her face curls in annoyance, but she does growl out, "I will take care of you." Opening the door and revealing the room, still simple and austere, almost spartan.

Lilith's face, since absorbing the Astartes geneseed, now regularly turned deep red when she blushed, and the color she emanated at that was luminescent, a small slightly golden undertone beneath all the red, lighting the room up just a few inches around her, a small shadow of Katerinya's arms splaying in front of them both.

"I'd recommend kneeling, the neural discharge makes standing hard." Katerinya grumbles from experience as she opens a weapons locker, pulling free a thick whip, ringed with powered coils and a cylindrical battery slot she fills quickly.

"Doesn't that make it hard to hit my thighs?" Lilith asks tilting her head, clearly thinking of an eccentric experience from a bygone era.

"I don't miss." Katerinya cracks the whip, turning it on in a sizzle of electric current. It buzzes with life, threatening as she walks over. "This is the minimum, touch it." She slides it over, offering it to Lilith, the hissing, crackling whip threatening, like a stinging insect and electronic implement at the same time.

Still trying to make this less difficult for Katerinya and herself she gave her a slight wink, "Well those are words I'd like to hear later." The chuckle is nervous, as she gently reaches out and touches the whip, giving her a tingle like if her skin was being pulled at by duct tape. "Can you forgive the comments momentarily?" She requested once she touched it, trying to imagine how high the settings might go on such a device.

Katerinya nods, "This night is for you, do what you will." She firmly states, the neural whips buzz increasing.

Don't look in my mind, don't look in my mind, don't look in my mind, Lilith tries to use as mantra to block out images of Katerinya's thighs crushing Lilith's head, her fingers in her hair, her face torn with passion, Don't look in my mind, don't look in my mind.

"I'm going to whip you now." Katerinya growls lowly, snapping the whip again as she circles Lilith, "Just once, ready?"

Lilith kneels, turning her back to Katerinya, putting her hands on her thighs as she rests on her own calves very quickly taking off the sleep shirt she was wearing. A more common attire, now that Lilith was integrating with Imperium society.

A whip-crack sends an odd, shocking pain, the tip breaking skin but also touching every nerve with a precision burst of electricity. Lilith's legs go weak immediately as Katerinya warned, if she was standing, she'd have crumpled immediately, it's not horrific, it is not the ministrations of a Drukhari, but it is still painful.

"One." Lilith says almost on instinct with a quick gasp, "Ok, Gonna rate that a six I think." She says nodding, "A tiny bit more than when you shoot me with a bolt pistol."

"Turning it up." She fiddles with a dial, making the buzz rise precipitously, starting to sizzle at the air.

"To max, or?" The woman says calmly as she sees a shadow of herself surrounded in bluelight on the wall in front of her.

"Close, one setting off. I'll be discharging a battery, keeping it low so when we do it. It'll weaken before the end." Katarinya snaps the whip again, slamming into the ground to get it properly sparking, seeming to be a necessity to keep it powered up. "Ready?"

"Fire away Inquisitor." Lilith forced herself to smile, letting it shape her words, trying to let mirth lessen the tension.

Impact, shock, the world doesn't go white, but it gets suddenly brighter as violent shocks pass through Lilith, making her fingers clasp and unclasp from the sizzling electricity. Its a full second before the tremors and pain pass, breath re-entering her lungs as Katarinya has a hand on her back, trying to steady her.

Still trying to smile, Lilith shivered a bit, "Tingly," she says through a quiet gasp. "Under no circumstances do you let either of them see how bad this might be for me. Okay?" Her tone changed suddenly, wondering how she could block observation on the psychic level.

I will be in your mind, Lilith. I will speak to you during, what should I say to calm you. Katerinya asks telepathically, revealing her mental preseence.

It might be… Harder for you. Just tell me that I'm doing a good thing, that it makes me a good person, that I'm beautiful and perfect. Very flowery almost childish compliments. Not creative just… Pleasant. Lilith admitted, now realising that the task may need to be taken seriously. Still, amused but also concerned.

I will take care of my own. Katerinya mentally growls as the dial clicks once more.

"Two." Lilith says with a nod, signalling she was ready for the next, almost assuming she'd have to count.

A smell of ozone starts to fill the room, lightning arcing off the whip as it buzzes the air itself. A half second to consider that before, suddenly, snap. Lilith's wholly freezes, muscles wildly contracting, spine screaming with sensation and pain as every sense vanishes, returning to Katerinya sitting next to her, hand on her back, worried look that quickly gets wiped off as Lilith starts coming back.

That felt familiar, she realises with the last one, wondering how shut off she had been from her Terran life. The lick across her back tingled, and stung like fire that spread across the lash. The strike itself stinging in a way that almost immediately caused her body to convulse. A burst shortly after the impact was done made Lilith gasp and a small tear of enjoyment in her eye. The waves of endorphins as her body unclenched released a dream like calm on her. Something that made her hyper aware while entirely ensconced in something… Different. She felt a little guilty that Katerinya had felt the intensity of the after effects through their connection. Forcing that much… Pleasure, for lack of a better word towards something, felt far too intimate. "That's… Very familiar." Lilith admitted finally, taking a deep breath. "Three." Nodding just once.

"That was maximal, my whip is one of the weaker varieties, but the law makes no mention on specific pattern." Katerinya comforts Lilith, ungloved hand moving across healed skin and carapace, "Would you like me to be fast or slow?" She asks, "During."

"I'll count the moment I'm ready, unless I don't do that during, then I'll just say in my head." Lilith nods, as the touch felt like ice on the stripe making her relax a tad. "You probably already know this, but if your aim is really good try to avoid overlapping them as much as possible." Another nod as she thought, now taking this very seriously. "When they finally have to overlap, aim for the oldest last strike. It tends to dissipate after about ten to fifteen seconds," Her mind now tightening on the concept a bit harder. "Bar gag, not ball please."

"They won't overlap." Katerinya assures, "You can count. I may have to go low and high on the back and legs. Is that fine?" She asks carefully.

"Avoid the calves, arms," There was a small blush, "The chest preferably be avoided, and the front of the thighs, Abdomen, and back above the calves." She repeated again this conversation not quite going how she expected, but now very much eliciting a different opinion about the whole thing, as a very pleased energy bubbles inside. "Is it bad I'm a bit excited? It's been a very long time since I've felt something like this."

Katerinya smirks, "You are an odd one, Lilith." Rolling her eyes as the whip powers down.

"Excuse you! I'm perfect. Next strike please." Lilith snorted unaware that the whip was powering down until she noticed that the light on the walls were from her not the whip. "Am I… Glowing. Like Celestine does?"

"Not quite like her." Katerinya says, breathing out some nerves that had been building up. "But yes. You are." She pauses.

The light was beautiful, but tarnished, more like an incadescent bulb painting a cheap motel than anything saintly. Lilith's brain had essentially shut down all logical thought, letting her mouth run free as she finally lost focus on her concerns, "I guess I have been swapping a lot of genetic material with a Saint."

"Would you like to return to Celestine now?" Katerinya asks.

"She's asleep you're awake," Lilith growls before her mind finally grasps the controls again, "Sorry. Inappropriate." As she blushes and something inside seems to quickly regulate her thoughts.

Katerinya breathes out again, "Then come to bed." She stands up, pulling Lilith up with her, not giving her the chance to refuse as she kicks her shoes off and slides into bed.

There's a squeak of enjoyment as she embraces Katerinya, one that leaves very rarely now, though was more common a very long time ago. She simply holds onto Katerinya at first, not sure where she wanted to go but happy in the moment at the sudden outburst of affection, "You forgot to tell me how great I am." Lilith whispers with a small giggle.

"You'll be getting an hour of that tomorrow." Katerinya rolls her eyes at the joke. "Sleep, for now. When you awaken, I'll be there with you." Its a promise, one she hasn't given perhaps ever, to anyone.

A tear leaves Lilith, a small one that she allows herself for the moment as she continues the hold not realising how tired she was, how tired she had been. Most Zerg in the swarm only slept for two to three hours every few days, and now she was sleeping nearly six every eighteen hours. It felt nice however.

Her mind was poisoned a few minutes later, as the thoughts of what the exhaustion and her changes might mean during the Crusade. In a year and some change, she'd be in battle, with Katerinya, Guilliman, and Celestine. Would she be carrying Reina into battle with her? Watching Reina getting dragged away by daemons to hurt Lilith? Cawl and Guilliman were minutes away from destroying each other before the crusade had even begun and the Swarm clearly either didn't trust her any longer, or actively didn't care about her.

Katerinya kisses Lilith, sensing her wild thoughts and panic, leaning into her as much as she can manage, letting scarred, toned muscles push in.

And with that, Lilith realised that her family could handle it. That they would endure, they would chase, be victorious, and conquer as needed, not just for themselves but so that someday there's a new better galaxy. So that at some point a better galaxy might not even be necessary anymore because they had simply helped this one. Like Celestine helped her, like she helped Katerinya, like Katerinya helped Celestine and vice versa among all three.

 

[Princess Scribe]

Hey if you're reading this at work listen up!

The entire thread is NSFW by default, but maybe your work is more progressive!
The following content may be more explicit than your average update!


The next slide has trigger warnings for those who need them.

extended whipping as corporal punishment depicted

​

"Wake up." Katerinya says as close to kind as she can manage, only a lot of grain to her voice and some roughness in her shake. "You need to drink water."

Her eyes were bleary as Katerinya spoke to her, and she mumbled something before consciousness quickly took hold. Immediately, her mind and ears twitched. Scarlett wasn't on the couch, Celestine was still sleeping, Katerinya was in front of her, and Reina seemed to still be in her room. Her swarm seemed fine as well, once again giving affirmations at the status check. "You woke up before me? I must be getting old." She said rubbing her eyes, and moving out of bed to drink and eat to give her senses the best she could provide.

"Scarlett isn't on the couch anymore, back to work?" Lilith asked, having swept the young pilot under her familial wing almost as soon as she realised she could. "Reina's in her room, Celestine is still sleeping I think."

"Quite. I don't think they need to attend." The Inquisitor pulls free from the bed, changing into new clothes, far more intimidating ones. A body-suit with neural plugs all throughout it as she walks to the heavy plated armour that is marked with symbols of the Inquisitor, her armour of office.

Completely unaware of the importance of her suit, not having seen the Inquisitor wear power armour before, she asked, "Are you sure they're going to be ok with you wearing bondage gear? I'm not complaining either way." She yawns, not looking at Katerinya as she walks towards the door waiting until Katerinya is dressed before opening it.

The armour opens, letting her step into it, turning around as it shuts. There's mild hisses as neural jacks prod into her, making her scowl until the pain passes and then, with a familiar hiss-stomp of pneumatics, she steps off the stand, now clanking through the room. "It is more official this way. And the powered servos will stop me from…getting tired, missing a strike." Katerinya clanks, moving through the door behind Lilith. "Don't eat." She warns.

"Everyone needs breakfast, and they'll know something's wrong if I don't cook, and they might think something's up if I don't eat a little at least." Lilith says frowning as she moves to put the pan down on the stove, drinking a wide mug filled with water.

"They're going to know something's wrong when they see me in powered armour." Katerinya's deadpan is punctuated by a clank of sitting down on a chair that groans with her weight.

"Ok, let me just…" She touched her chin thinking, before very quickly going through the fridge, pots and pans, "Oh easy, I'll set up cinnamon rolls to proof, and leave a note that they're rising, then if it goes longer breakfast isn't skipped, and I can tell them when to put it in the oven. I'll just set the temp so Celestine doesn't mess with anything but the timer, and Reina follows instructions well anyways." The tendrils reach into the cupboards and pantry quickly pulling out dozens of ingredients as she drinks more water, and then grabs a slip of paper, and dips a sequencer blade into her finger to use the now red tinted black blood to write a note.

---

Kids (or Celestine, but I repeat myself.)

I'm running errands, any time after 1035 put the tray in the atmospheric cooker. The temperature should already be set to 350 F which is 177c, and that's also the default. Just stick it in, turn it on, and wait twenty five minutes. Icing bag is in the freezer.

— Lilith

---

They traveled through the ship to a room that was made for the explicit purpose of corporal punishment. It's immediately intimidating. A raised dais built for punishment is watched by the steely eyes of armoured men and women bearing a mark Lilith doesn't recognize. At the centre, a post with chains is soaked in old blood, a well used punishment site. Katerinya has her helmet on to hide her expressions, though it's unlikely she would need it.

Oddly intimate, Lilith says looking around herself, trying not to smile. Holding her miniscule self up to full height, having spent the time mostly make lewd comments to shake off nerves. I didn't know you liked to be watched High Inquisitor. Her face is trying to emulate panic and consternation, but doing a poor job, merely seeming bemused and annoyed. She used to be much better at faking things like that, Lilith supposed she was out practice.

I believe that's you, Lilith. Katerinya plays along, letting her own concerns fade to entertain the one she cares about. "For the crime of serial murder, in recognition of their service to the Imperium, Lilith Greyfax is sentenced to one hundred and fifty lashes, to be provided by Inquisitor Katerinya Greyfax of the Ordo Hereticus." Katerinya barks out, vox of the suit making the already growled message somehow louder, more intimidating.

Serial murder seemed a little excessive when it was phrased that way, She was mostly doing it in self defence. Who that was for exactly was unclear, just indignation that they would suggest Reina was a serial murderer. She murdered a bunch of people in a series, yes, but that was because of the repeated environment not because she chose to go out and do so. Lilith decided she wouldn't let them have the satisfaction of seeing any reaction from her. Though, deeper down she mostly worried that they'd not only see pain. The whole thing seemed… Goofy in some sense. Corporal punishment wasn't going to bring those people back, or teach someone not to murder again, especially a serial killer.

She was gestured to stand on the dais, and wondered if people said anything at this point, if they pleaded, what the men in here were used to seeing. Good lord, how hard do you think they fought each other to watch this assignment? She joked letting herself settle, How many favours traded to see Mommy Inquisitor punish her Brat Abhuman.

A clank of metal behind Lilith is followed by a mental impulse, This is a political act by the Adeptus Arbites. They are showing no one is above the law, not even an ally of the Primarch. She explains as a violent blue glow, followed by the scent of ozone fills the chamber. Lilith picked up a bit gag made of rubber wrapped rebar and quickly affixed it with maybe too much familiarity. She was then chained by the arms, and legs.

Doesn't mean they're not getting off on it, Lilith thought before saying Ready. The air felt warm in the room, and Lilith wondered if Kat had them set the heater up. It was comfortable, and while stone was unforgiving, her body had long since been improved past simple discomforts like standing or stretching. In fact, all in all the experience would most likely be rather pleasant, A walk in the p— Her thoughts were cut through by the crack, the lick of fire across her lower back

There's not a second before a second strike, then a third. Katerinya stops for a few seconds as a voice appears in Lilith's mind again, The pace? She asks, trying to judge.

Harder mommy, Lilith laughed, realising that her gasps and moans at the three strikes might have been less pained than she thought. Though the idea of a hundred and fifty was still worrisome.

You are strong, Lilith. Katerinya says as the pace grows faster, and consequently more painful as the servos give the whip itself significant force, starting to make the wooden post splinter though Lilith's Zerg biology can easily withstand it. The looks on the watchers on become uncomfortable at the level of grotesque violence, or maybe just the noises Lilith started making after the first dozen-ish or so.

For Liliths benefit, the speed and intensity was so fast, that dissociation had kicked in almost immediately, letting her ride the currents of pain and joy, but it was still one of the most painful things she endured possibly outside of the Drukhari. A moment of giggling hit her, as a second wind of adrenaline as she thought of something. Holy shit, my ex was a chump. She lost her mind for something Lilith did very regularly, and now she was dead, and Lilith was loved. Though she wondered if maybe her grasp on reality had slipped as more cracks without break came down. She had lost count internally, and then there was one that was different that hit off.

She realised Katerinya was getting tired, but obviously Lilith couldn't say that. Not to mention she realised that her own throat was getting raw from yelps and… Groaning. I need a quick break. Lilith said, trying to assure Katerinya that she did, Just a few seconds, tell me you love please.

The whip is dragged across the ground as Katerinya, exhausted from the effort of swinging the heavy whip harder to make up for the draining battery, to not show she was trying to make it easier, almost on instinct growls out in an audible whisper, "I love you." Carrying just barely to Lilith's ears.

A shuddering breath, and then inside she said, Of course you do, look at me I'm perfect. Ready. Loosening her jaw which had made tiny gouges in the bit. Halfway there. As the lashing resumed the stinging had worsened during the second half. The break making things harder for Lilith, but easier for Katerinya to continue. Lilith's back was starting to show signs of deteriorating biomass as the pale almost green flesh turned red, and then raised welts started to form to reduce loss during regeneration. Trickles of blood started to trail down her back and down her legs, very thin but clearly visible. Her breath had gotten just a bit more ragged, and she hoped that the men watching assumed she wasn't enjoying herself nearly as much as she was. Especially when Katerinya had started to interweave thoughts of encouragement.

Crack. You're good.
Crack. You're beautiful.
Crack. You make me happy.

Lilith hadn't ever been pushed this close to the edge, not by someone she loved, not in a way that felt so… Raw. It didn't feel dirty in the way the Drukhari was, it was on her terms. She realised as she lost count that she could do this, that there was less time remaining then had passed. Trying not to giggle as more endorphins rushed through. What was better, is she didn't feel guilt from Kat, but frustration that her own endurance was flagging, that even the power armour was starting to whine. What's the matter Inquisitor? Can't keep up? What a shame. Teasing came easy and natural even as she was shaking like a leaf as something… Dark drew around the edges.

The final lash came, which ended up making Lilith shudder as the only sensations left were from burning, endorphins, and adrenaline. Her face untouched felt hot and she realised that at some point her Zerg Teeth had cracked through the rubber and snapped the bit having shattered to pieces. As she spat shrapnel onto the floor in front of the Arbites, giving the oldest of them a bleary eyed mid-air kiss, before she finally passed out.

Katerinya's gauntlet clasps onto Lilith's hair, started to drag her off the dais at a quick pace, stomping through the grounds. As the unconscious body was dragged a smear led from the dais to the door. Perhaps too quick a pace, but none of the Arbites will question an Inquisitor. The door opens, the halls fill with a dragmark of blood and, next Lilith is aware, Katerinya is worriedly holding her face, bandages across Lilith's body, though with her rate of healing a meal would have been better.

In the unconscious moment, as her biology re-absorbed biomass Lilith had been moved to the very empty and sparse Bedroom that Katerinya kept. The power armour now removed, and Katerinya wearing the simple sheer clothes from the night before. Lilith realised that the bandages were most likely to keep her from spilling blood everywhere, and that being allowed to rest instead of die, meant that she also had a moment to herself. Well worth the price of admission.

Lilith laughed for a moment, the weakness shining through as she continued to do so. Knowing that despite everything this galaxy would never take her laugh from her. That her joy was a thing she could use to strengthen others. Lilith looks at Katerinya and asks her a question even though her voice is gravelly and raw. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"

Katerinya's worry doesn't leave her this time, though her eyes roll. "You are terrifyingly strong, Lilith." She cups the other woman's cheek, brushing it with a thumb.

"At least now you get why losing that fight was terrifying for me." She laughed again, not able to lift her arms merely pushing her face into the hand. "Even Chaos Lords get frightened when I really go at it. Ok well, one, but that's an accomplishment still."

"I did…say, I think, that you are amazing." Katerinya's compliments carry an odd weight to them, she's terribly unused to giving them, they slip out awkward, honest and unconfident, as unconfident as she gets anyways.

The compliments brings a smile to Lilith's face, and she rests in them for a moment, before the world demanded her attention, "Is— Can you check on Reina, and make sure that Celestine didn't burn breakfast? My mind is still a bit swimmy, and I don't want to try and rocket around the swarm right now. Also that Scarlett and Reina eat, and maybe check on Guilliman and Cawl so that they're not killing each other."

"I will, after I care for you. Tell me how." The Inquisitor demands instruction.

Lilith smiles at her warmly, tears in her eyes, "You already did, I'm like a cactus, I do much with very little. You don't want to overwater one either."

Katerinya rolls her eyes again, responding dryly, "Traditionally, you describe women as flowers." Smirking at Lilith's words as she keeps stroking her cheek.

"That's the secret, Cacti are flowers. They just are harder to let bloom." Lilith realised she wasn't sure if she was talking about herself anymore or not, still very dizzy letting wordplay, metaphor, and euphemism carrry her.

"I suppose, then." The Inquisitor starts pulling away, glaring holes of cold from where her body was transmitting it, "I should go check on them, instead of kissing you, a shame, really." Learning the games quickly, playing them well.

"Ok I'm lying, please give me a kiss," and then closed her eyes, "Oh and I'll be able to walk if you give me a bit of food or biomass. Blood counts, anything carbon based really."

Katerinya doesn't have to steel herself near as much as other times, leaning back onto the bed and pressing into Lilith, giving a chaste kiss on the lips, then another, and then, at the third, presses her tongue lightly, initiating the kiss, nerves evident in how she grabs Lilith's wrists, holding her arms down to control something.

The kiss is returned, and Lilith quietly says, "Oh Mrs. Inquisitor, you're so strong and I'm so helpless, what are you going to do with me?" As she keeps her hands where they are. Kissing her again, this one slower, more intimate, less frightening, just letting the moment etch between them.

"I have no idea." Katerinya admits, separating again, something dangerous in her eyes, anxiety and lust and terror mixing together as her grip tightens.

"It can be anything that doesn't make me have to move." The joke comes quick, but the tone is far more earnest. Katerinya leans back in, giving another kiss, before moving to one side and pulling Lilith to her, "I'll let you think on that." She says, leaning back in to idly nibble at Lilith's earlobe, passing the time with kisses on her neck, figuring this process out, experimenting on her lover.

Intense emotions seemed to wrestle with each other, as closeness made her senses start quickly coming back online. Whatever part of her body that sensed pain had seemed to give up on trying to send a specific signal, instead just giving a wide body wide annoyance at existence. Being admired and adored however, made that other part very dull, instead allowing her to relish in the equally warm over-all comfort. She felt safe, and secure. She knew she had done something good, and for good reasons instead of selfish ones. Not wanting to intonate anything specific, but just trying to let Kat know she was enjoying herself, she let out a very pleased "Mmm~" Knowing she needed very little to be communicative with the telepath.

---

The feeling returns to Lilith by inches, Katerinya getting her food eventually, accelerating healing rapidly. As Lilith heals, she tells her, "Reina is fine, if terrified of what you had to do…and me." Katerinya rolls her eyes at a common reaction.

That made Lilith's brows furrow, "Why you? You're great!" The speed at which affection ripped memories like that away seemed to keep pace with warp travel. Though, she very quickly returned back to reality, "Oh right you 're terrifying to the general public. What about Scarlet?"

Katerinya shrugs, answering "She's been in Reina's room for…three hours. So I presume helping her get over the fear." Her hand is rubbing Lilith's back above the now useless bandages.

"Very grateful for the psychic control unit now," Lilith snorted rubbing her palms into her eyes. "Celestine still asleep? And then Guilliman and Cawl? Are they still fighting? Do we have any tasks before the wedding we need to worry about? Also I need to go over the latest re-supply to make sure the pantry is stocked and—"

"Calm down. You're still resting." Katerinya commands, idly digging in nails to accentuate her command, "Celestine is pacing outside, wanting inside. The Primarch and Arch Magos have…accepted a ceasefire. And I'll handle everything else." The Inquisitor is confidently stating the information piece by piece, not letting Lilith move.

"Shall I let the Saint in?" She idly asks, looking at the door with mild nerves.

There's a moment where Lilith can't help but get a mildly devious grin, before loudly saying, "I think she could wait a bit longer." Biting her lip hoping the teasing played over well. Then after a half second, saying "Joking, please come in~" In a sing-song voice.

The door slams open as Celestine rushes to the bed, fretting over Lilith worriedly, "My love! Are you alright? She had you whipped! Are you–" A wall of noise and worry as she checks every inch of the other woman.

"I think I made the Arbites find a new fetish." Lilith snorted, and then, "She did not have me whipped, I had me whipped. I had a choice, I volunteered, it was very very easy. I didn't have to do anything but dangle."

"Mhmm." Katerinya idly states, with heavy bags under her eyes.

While now getting kisses from Celestine she said, "Honestly, Kat needs your affection more my love, no-one has held her since and she almost couldn't do it." Looking at Katerinya now her eyes glowing that odd off-yellow.

Celestine looks over, nodding as she pounces on to Katerinya, hugging her close, "Kat! Why didn't you call me! I could have spared you this!" She's so worried.

"Because you'd have split me in two!" Lilith said slightly horrified, "At least the power armour started to break down around one twenty I think. You don't break down."

"Quite, a mortal touch." Katerinya says through mildly gritted teeth, "Was needed here."

Celestine sighs, nodding, "I could have just…maybe whipped lightly? I'm not that strong!" She idly tries to justify herself, even if she is acquiescent.

"You broke a wall by digging your face into my pelvis and leaning too hard." Lilith reminded her, pointing at a few errant specks of glitter that would most likely never leave Katerinya's room. "You called your sword to you and we had to replace most of the steel in the entertainment room. The only reason I'm not dead is because I've spent decades turning myself into a superhuman bioweapon."

Celestine leans down, settling between the two women and hugging them both to each side of her, "Soooo….I shouldn't keep giving oral?" She teases, making Katerinya roll her eyes at the brazen lewdness of these two, a far cry from the anger it was a year ago.

"Probably let me, you'd turn Katerinya into dust I think." Lilith joked, as she quickly removed her bandages and leapt out of bed. Looking at the door with mirth about to bolt. Just as Katerinya growls, trying to escape the grip of Celestine and get to the bloody neural whip Lilith walks out the door, before calling back, "This is your fault Katerinya, you told me to keep on as myself! Maybe if you're good I'll let you use the whip again," and then fled down the hall.

"I'll break you!" Katerinya growls out, nearly shouting it into the open hall and sparking dozens of rumours in three words as Celestine starts laughing loudly, letting her go to follow Lilith.

"Oh, shit! wait no! I thought you'd hold her!" Then ducking as a las-pistol shot fires overhead, Katerinya had now switched for Reina's benefit.

"Why would I hold her-? Oh dear!" Celestine sees the lasbolt screams past, turning to see Katerinya in her night clothes, eyes wide with anger as finally, a familiar game starts.

Another few shots rung out as Lilith let one more joke fire off, "High Inquisitor! Chasing women in your negligee what will the crew think!?"

"They'll think I splattered your brains on the wall!" Katerinya shouts in response, taking another shot at a sprint while Celestine cannot stop laughing at all this, practically stumbling through the halls. Denting walls and floors with errant steps.

 

[Princess Scribe]

The Fortress Monastery was a beacon of the might and grandeur of the Imperium. Its colossal walls, carved from ancient stone and reinforced with adamantine, seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The fortress was a city unto itself, housing countless Astartes, and other servants of the Emperor.

As Lilith entered the immense grand hall where the wedding ceremony was to take place, she was struck by the sheer vastness of the space. The hall was designed to accommodate the full might of several Space Marine Chapters, with a capacity of over ten thousand armored warriors. The vaulted ceiling soared to dizzying heights, supported by gargantuan pillars that bore the weight of millennia. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries and paintings depicting the glorious deeds of the Imperium's greatest heroes, while ancient battle standards and weapons of legend were displayed with reverence.

At the far end of the hall, a raised dais stood before a magnificent altar, the centerpiece of the room. It was here that the three brides would exchange their vows before the Emperor and the assembled might of the Imperium. Rows upon rows of massive pews lined the hall, each one reinforced to withstand the weight of the Astartes in their power armor.

The air was thick with incense and the soft murmur of slowly gathering guests, their voices echoing in the cavernous space. Servo-skulls flitted about the room, their mechanical eyes watching everything, ready to record every moment of this historic occasion. The weight of history and the power of the Imperium could be felt in every stone and every breath taken within these ancient walls.

The Fortress Monastery is almost like home. Blue walls plated in stone to hide the dull adamantine inside. Grand statues and great armaments on the walls. A table at the far back that still is lined with seats that could fit a Primarch easily. Symbols of Celestine, a tabard with an artistic representation of her rising upwards with a blade pointed at the sky, hang over the walls. White silk cloths are placed over tables, candles burning atop them in some ancient Macragge marriage ritual that only Guilliman can explain.

Celestine is grinning at the central red carpet leading up to a shrine where Katerinya, sadly, not in a white dress, but instead a black and red one with an aquilla on the front holds a book, memorizing passages that, in about twenty minutes, she'll have to say.

"Lilith, we're getting married!" Celestine lets out a shout at the last word, cracking a nearby wine glass, thankfully before guests have arrived. She's ecstatic, a white dress, backless to suit her wings, swirling and floating with every movement, settling just onto the floor, multiple layers of silk creating an almost ethereal afterimage to the movements.

There's a quick laugh from Lilith with glee at the thought, as she says, "What really?! When!?" As she steps forward in an ivory short jacket with peaked lapels, and a pink waistcoat, with a wide almost ruffled matching tie underneath. It's resting open as pink buttons adorn it, and underneath is a periwinkle shirt tucked into white slacks. Not sure of the symbology or Imperium tradition, Lilith decided to put Celestine's symbol on one arm as a patch, and the Aquila on the other. Her leather shoes were shiny and polished as she stepped forward, and had to stop herself from lifting the saint and twirling her, a new more sensical self giving her warning of tearing or over manipulating the silk. She had blue lipstick on, and her red hair was spilling over her back and shoulders, having mastered making the psy foci tendrils thin and fine like hair.

"So forward~!" Celestine laughs, gold lips and black eyeshadow intertwining with her already perfect skin. "I see why I'm marrying you!" She shouts it to the world again, leaning into the small woman, throwing her arms around Lilith's neck. Her heels aren't anything particularly impressive for her size, preferring comfort vastly over anything else and, most importantly, had spent two hours stumbling in longer ones before giving up.

Everything in Lilith's life had led to this, a moment that was permanent, and special. She had fought, bled, killed, died, and worse let others die all for this single spot. The hug was tight, though Lilith was very careful not to transfer make-up to each other's clothes, and a deep satisfied sigh left her. As she stared out at the Monastery doing a quick check for everyone in her family, she realised that she had truly built something special. If a bit unique and definitely out of order. The planned reception had all been confirmed, as food and drink was prepared in the main hall. The main hall that Lilith had met Celestine and made some of the best decisions of her life.

There were nerves of course, as there always are. Though less typical, few worry about invasions and intergalactic conflict sparking on or near a wedding, but somehow Lilith had woven a life where that was a very real possibility. Her mind ticked as she looked out at the slowly filling seats. "First time I've seen a priest marry themselves into a group." Lilith whispered the thought not really entering her mind until seeing her on the stage. "She looks beautiful," Then even louder with a booming voice that matched Celestines, "KATERINYA You look FUCKING BEAUTIFUL." Letting the words not only carry out of the monastery, but rumble through the entire fortress, startling nearby birds, and the early guests filtering in.

Katerinya sighs, looking at the people now staring entertained at the energy of the celebration. Marshalling her energies, she responds, "You look dashing yourself, fiancee." The sigh is broken by a small smile as she gazes at Lilith, dress slit parting as she leans on her right leg unconsciously.

She was gorgeous, beyond anything Lilith had ever seen before, to mostly tease Lilith lets out a shrill wolf whistle pointing to the leg with a wink, before checking final preparations, though slowly realising that it was done there were no more people left to contact, no more purchases to be made or paid, no more plans left unplanned. Just the moment. A single wonderful thing. A knot in the back of her mind tickled, and she frowned not sure where the paranoia was, until she realised that something was missing.

Frustration took over as a very familiar smell hit her. Following her nose, but already knowing where to go, she groaned and took about twenty steps out of the monastery, down a stone wall to a door that was leaking smoke. Without knocking or looking inside she growls, "If the two of you are not in there when it starts, you better make your time in this closet worth it." Then she snatched out with a tendril, making Scarlet yelp, taking the Lho stick from them, "And don't smoke in a monastery what is wrong with the two of you. Wrap this whole thing up." Then closing the door with a frustrated but not overly loud slam.

Lilith took a drag on the Lho stick, holding it in for a moment, before letting the smoke out of a tendril far away from her clothes. Then a second. Then a third, quickly putting it out in what ended up being a receptacle for holy water, and not an ash tray, causing her to panic and quickly clean the bowl with acid and discarding the stick by digesting the remains. Still. Still a perfect day. That was just… Getting all the bad luck out. Now there'd be no more issues.

Celestine is chattering at Katerinya as they wait for Lilith, "So, I've had a few thoughts about bridesmaids, and it's a little last minute but I do have a few Sister's on hand, the power armour is white, so I think it could work! But it is very last minute."

She what, Lilith thought, but sighed, This was in part why she was the only one wearing a suit. With a few quick steps she had returned, and then quickly studied the floral arrangement, "A few as in seven, seventy, or seven hundred?" Lilith asked as she thought about how to make room around the platform for them to stand. Celestine and Katerinya both looked slightly startled by Lilith's sudden presence.

"You are not bringing your whole Order to the wedding, Saint Celestine." Katerinya very carefully says, sighing as she

"Are… Wait, you're talking about…" She checked her data slate, very quickly going through it, "The Order of 'Our Martyred Lady' right?"

"Yes!" Celestine says, "And I thiiiiink, they may have dresses ready! Or at least things they can cut into dresses very quickly."

"I invited the right Order Minoris I think, 'Order of the Blessed Martyr?' I believe we had the space for a few thousand people anyways." Lilith says pointing to the thousands of seats between them and Guilliman's seat at the back, "Who else would even come?"

"Oh so that's why they were on planet." Celestine mumbles, a look of realisation on her face. "Well, I suppose I'll tell them they can come, I think they were asking me to confirm." She uses a dataslate like a datapad, tapping a slow communique through it. Barely ten seconds later, engines are heard from outside.

"Guilliman set it up, I think there's a few Astartes here as well, I decided we could do both a morale thing, and our dream wedding without really messing either up. This way the reception is going to be… Memorable. Something people talk about." Though she looked nervous and… Something else when the Battle Sister's walked in, "Oh! They… Actually look like that." She muttered as the first few Seraphim came in, though wearing full armour replete with winglike jump-jets. "Does the armour not come off?"

"Yes, they do!~" Celestine giggles, watching the procession enter the room, finding chairs, grabbing drinks, laughing with each other and staring at Celestine with an ecstatic energy, fanaticism mixing in with the energy of a wedding. "And I assure you it does, they just feel comfortable in it. It links to our minds, after a while, it's as if it's your skin." She says as a Canoness marches in, looking terrifyingly similar to Celestine, down to the long hair and mildly amused look at everything.

"Honestly, almost ten thousand people in power armour makes me feel… Weirdly comforted, at least if something did happen, there'd be hell to pay." Lilith said, looking out over the crowd, "Surely the Astartes aren't also going to wear power armour right? Though that might explain the huge chairs…"

"That is their finest clothes." Katerinya chuckles, closing her book, fully confident in her memorization of the book. "Now, I hope neither of you want me to also have good vows, I've memorised ninety lines already." She stares at the book, opening it one more time to give it another read.

Nodding Lilith jokes, "We're reading vows? I thought you'd read as we made out for thirty minutes." Her mouth was mostly on autopilot as she watched the Battle Sisters and now the Astartes started to march in, hoping that Guilliman had guided her well. "I guess everyone is getting together for the Crusade anyways…" To no-one in particular as she watched Black Templar walk in with a slight apprehension at a subtle shift in the room.

The two other women laugh as, finally, Guilliman arrives. Still ensconced in his inescapable armour. He tries to be unnoticed, but a twelve foot tall man cannot hide easily attracting plenty of attention and a few idle whispers from Sisters as Celestine grins, "Did you know my order has no vow of celibacy?" Whispering it as Guilliman takes to the back of the room, once again trying to fade out of attention, to let someone else have the day.

When Celestine whispered that Lilith said, "So… There's more people who want to taste the Primarch's seed?" She whispered to Celestine.

Celestine meets the jab head on, "Oh, so you weren't satisfied with just…what was it, three gulps?" Grinning back and nudging Lilith.

"One, I can take big gulps." As she spoke she tried not to make eye contact with Katerinya, and now also Guilliman lest she break out in laughter.

"Now I'm curious, how can I test that?" Celestine hmm's afterwards, curiously considering it as the last of the guests arrives, a sea of ceramite and adamant in a dozen dozen colours, warriors to a man or woman. Katerinya sighs again, remembering that she's in love and that makes this all fine.

With a wink at the sigh, Lilith finishes with "All the ideas I have probably should not be said in a monastery. Ok, so I'm gonna go greet guests, then it's the ceremony, then they'll announce us at the reception. Finally it's the after-party with the kids, Guilliman, Us, and Varynna. I invited Cawl because I knew he wouldn't come, well I was pretty sure. I sent out a few invitations that were mostly political that allowed people to politely decline while receiving the honour of being invited. Coordinated that with Guilliman as well."

The other women were staring at each other trying to figure out how to calm down the tiniest bride. "It's all open bar, open food, everyone's being fed drinks'll start pouring. There's three of us, so a first dance isn't really going to be a thing, and I always found some of the other traditions a bit tacky. We're going to stomp on glass it represents… Our bond basically, everything is fragile, it's a reminder that when you create something, it can be lost. It's important to me."

Katerinya nods, "The Ecclesiarchy puts…practically no restrictions on what can be done." She grabs a wine glass off a table, frowning slightly, "Do we break it together? Because my skin is less resistant to glass than both of yours, and I am in heels." She raises and displays a high heel she's wearing, moving around naturally in it.

"It's symbolic, normally two people can't step on a goblet so one does it and the other one, or I guess two fake it kinda." Lilith says with a smile, "That's for later though, alright!"

"So, I've been considering the mechanics of it." Celestine adds, tapping her finger on a nearby table, "I think, though I couldn't kiss both of you at once, I could pick both of you up and then we can alternate." She smiles as if having arrived at some vast revelation, making Katarinya sigh.

"I…apologise but I would rather not kiss anyone in front of…" Her eyes scan the room, "Just north of ten thousand guests." Katarinya taps the book, "You two can bear the brunt of the attention."

"We could also do a ribbon, I don't know how typical that is in the Imperium. We each put a hand in and then there's a kind of knot that binds all three." Lilith smiles, taking a deep breath. She was always planning, but never the right things it seemed.

"Oh that's a wonderful idea!" Celestine grins, looking around to find any cloth suitable for her wrist.

"Well, I have one already," Lilith admits pulling three ribbons out of her suit pocket, the colours of gold, red, and black, "Gold for Celestine, Red for Katerinya, and Black for me."

Katerinya looks at it, tilting her head with an almost sweet expression on her face, "Would you like me to tie it during the rites of matrimony?" She asks, "I am not a telekinetic, but a piece of cloth is well within any psyker of my power's capability."

"Sure, they get braided, and then tied around our wrists with a lashing knot, so a clove hitch, weave it around two or three times, a second clove hitch, then frap it, and end with a third clove hitch." Lilith nods wondering if those words meant the same thing to the psyker, "Frap means to wrap it around the ribbon in the between parts."

"So you want ... a square knot after braiding? What's a clove hitch?" Katerinya, evidently, is not good at tying knots, "Typically I use chains when restraining people, I don't know ropework."

"It's… I'll teach you later, it probably doesn't need to be that secure, I just like to show off, and the vows with three people can take a while, so it gives your hands something to do." Lilith admits, very quickly pulling out much more rope, "The Clo—"

I'm in your mind Lilith, show me. Katerinya smirks, staring at the other woman.

There's a sigh of relief, as she shows the bombardment of knots she knows before finally remembering actively rather than using muscle memory. Tying it off is important to me because it's… More permanent, it opens as it started, and then closes just the same. She tries to think harder on what else would happen,

"Could we shoot guns in the air? I've always liked that about Cadian weddings. They'd shoot lasguns in the thousands and the sky would turn red!" Celestine suggests excitedly.

"I asked Reina about it, it's a Cadian tradition, so I had drones raid the armoury and bring out las-rifles for every seat. Alright, in order!" Lilith touched her chin, "Katerinya does her memorised lines, we do the ribbon tying during the vows, and then we get the rings I bought and had fitted. Then the glass, and we get about an hour before someone announces us to the Reception as our new names. We're going to be busy the last people to leave most likely." She admits touching her head, nodding to herself, "Cawl lent the Mechanicum to record this for our own records as well, and I guess to send it out if it's actually good propaganda. I don't know."

"Quite. That's why the corners hide servo skulls." Katerinya stares up at them with a mild amusement. The Inquisitor seems to have something to say, but is just a tad apprehensive.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lilith asks looking to Katerinya, seeing her face.

Breathing out, Katerinya just says it, "I, if possible, would like it if we could…" She sighs, "It's a tradition from my home, we…exchange blood?" The Inquisitor asks it as more of a question

"That's fine! Like, a cut on the neck or a blood bag?" Lilith asks looking at Katerinya questioningly trying to figure out quick logistics.

"Oh, no, just…we slice our palms and then hold one another's hands." She explains, "It needn't actually draw blood I suppose, just, its… it bonds someone tightly." Katerinya seems a tad nervous, "Its, the Ecclesiarchy isn't always supportive of blood rites of any kind, so if you two don't want too–"

"No, fuck'em," Lilith said firmly, "A marriage, any unionship is about combining the parts of you into a single thing. If they want to try and make their own ideas about our traditions they can do that in their homes, their relationships, preferably silent." She grabs Katerinya's hand, holding it tight. "This is about all of us."

Sighing out in relief, Katerinya stares at Lilith. I love you, a mental message comes across their bond. A place she can privately express these things. It makes Celestine melt in the background very quietly, avoiding attention.

I love you too. Then winking at Celestine, I love both of you. Lilith holds both of their hands, "None of us can tell Guilliman we didn't discuss this before now, he did everything else. We had one job."

"Sometimes, the chain of command needn't know how the task was accomplished. Merely that it was." Katerinya jokes, getting ready as the last guests start streaming in, three-eyed Navigators of insensate wealth bringing in wedding gifts whilst the Inquisitorial retinue of some local Inquisitor observes the place to be present and provide safety.

"Do you see Varynna?" Lilith asked as she looked towards Guilliman's seat, the table empty besides the man himself. None of the Swarm had decided to show. Though that was expected with Zhakarov and Anastasia who both found her a nuisance, she hadn't expected Varynna to be missing.

"I don't, Saint Celestine?" Katarinya turns to the aforementioned giantess, making her eyes scan the room, golden orbs intaking thousands and then looking up. "I believe she is going to be fashionably late. I can feel her cruiser in orbit." Celestine smirks, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the woman.

Oh that rotten bi— Lilith stopped herself, a little pissed but immensely grateful that she was there, "She asked about gifts and I told her to live her truth, no holds barred. I am now very very concerned with my word choice." Looking into the sky but only seeing the ceiling of the monastery.

A bouncing feeling in Swarm space, an almost atrophied part of Lilith at this point calls her attention, Liiiiiliiiiiiith! Liiiiiliiiiiiiiith! Varynna's voice croons, You aren't going to believe how hard it was to get here.

I won't! I won't at all, especially if you're late! Her response was a joke though, in truth she was simply relieved to hear the woman's presence, Are you ok?

Ah, it's…complex, a…yes, let's go with complex, business for tomorrow darling! Varynna chuckles mentally, For now, you better have convinced both those women into dresses, do they have anything to drink at the Fortress? I can bring down my liquor quickly!

It's an open bar, but anything you bring will be cherished. I'm the only one not wearing a dress, a rather sharp tuxedo I'd say. Both women can see Lilith grinning from ear to ear. She had desperately missed Varynna's voice. Well, mental voice.

Alright love! I'm coming down in…eight more minutes-FUEL IT FASTER YOU IDIOT-four more minutes! Varynna shouts in the real world, intermixing communications.

"Be nice to Zares!" Lilith is quick to scold Varynna, but unaware that she had started speaking out loud as well, before looking at Katerinya and Celestine who seemed very amused. "Ok, see you in eight!"

"The Lord Admiral is…a character." Katerinya shakes her head, smiling slightly, whilst Celestine laughs, "Love? Should we be having a fourth?" Prodding Lilith's side.

"Sure, you go tell Guilliman." Lilith responds, looking at her shaking her head, "Katerinya would execute Varynna in three days and then me for forcing them to stay together for that period of time."

"I am not that bad!" Katerinya says accusatorily.

"It's not you that I'm worried about! I think that's everything though." She says, as a shuttle screams across the sky towards the monastery. "That can not be a safe landing speed."

"Oh, that's a grav pack speed. I think she's going to ju–" The shuttle doors open and a woman in a dress leaps out of it with an assembly on her back, falling rapidly before in a ripple of air, she slows down and merely lands outside with a noise of cracking stone. "--mp." Celestine finishes her thought.

"Alright! None of us have living parents right? So… I'll just start? When Varynna sits." Literally their only job was to plan the ceremony. They had one job.

Varynna rushes in, dress tight to her as she runs, waving at people she recognizes, blowing a kiss to the Canoness and then sitting down at the first available seat, brushing a hair from her face and smiling at the five Astartes she has sat with, miniscule in comparison to them.

Lilith walked to the front of the stage as Scarlet and Reina finally, just after Varynna found their seats with Guilliman, Varynna, and the Astartes. Though the reaction when she spoke with the Primarch-like voice was unexpected. "Attendants!" She said getting their attention immediately the room falling silent as every person in the room snapped to her attention all making a clatter as they turned to face her. Lilith gulped realising she was staring at thousands of soldiers in power armour.

The Sisters stay quiet, obviously preparing to pay abject attention to the Saint's marriage, a thousand white or black haired women who have made it their life's goal to look as much like Celestine as possible staring up at Lilith. Astartes incline their heads, paying attention with transhuman focus and Guilliman is curious as to where this is going, leaning forwards onto the table ahead of him

"You are all our honoured guests, I have had no family other than brothers in arms in the Imperium. I would have no others with me today." Lilith starts, looking at Varynna and Celestine who also seemed to be paying attention. "Your presence is appreciated, we have a brief Ceremony, after which a reception that will hopefully be far more entertaining." A weak joke to be sure, but it helped shake the nerves for a bit. "Which we can't get to unless I stop talking! Alright!" Turning to Katerinya, she nodded and the ceremony began.

It started with Katerinya reading many lines from her Ecclesiarchal tome, and then many more from memory. Prayers, well wishes and everything else. She's a good orator, loud, distinguished and clear. Lilith couldn't pick where to look between the two, smiling when they caught her eye, smiling even more when they caught each other's.

While they did so Lilith braided the ribbons, the Gold, Black, and Red representing their bond, and all three put their hands in.

When it came time to read the vows, as with most things these days, Lilith led. "I met you both at this monastery, and it was one of the greatest things that had ever happened in my life. On that day I could never have known that there were people so kind, and loving in this world. Today, I promise that I will do everything I can to make your lives as perfect as you make mine."

The first hitch cinches telepathically around Lilith's wrist, and slowly almost with pace with the vow, started to weave through the three woman's arms, fastening them.

Katerinya breathes, keenly aware of the silence around her before she speaks. "I never thought I could fall in love." She looks at Lilith smiling ever so slightly at that, "I had convinced myself that I was too bloodsoaked to ever have anyone that cared for me, too violent to ever be able to…" She breathes again, a quick pattern, "To have someone who I could care for, who I wouldn't hurt. It took a year of your attentions before..." The smile grows again, "I realised I was wrong, and that I had already fallen in love."

A second hitch cinches telepathically around Katerinya's wrist half way through the weave, a second tight bond.

Celestine is smiling warmly, waves of that heat hitting the two other women in a soft summer breeze as she speaks, "I meet both of my loves in very different places." She looks to Katerinya first, "On a world ablaze, I saved you, pulled you free from the clutches of an alien machine. I saw through the hatred, the anger, the rage at the world, I saw to the heart within. To your need to protect, to guide, to be a bulwark against terror no matter what. There, I knew I loved you dearly. The feeling bloomed as we escaped the world, and on that day I swore to you that you would forever be by my side, and I yours."

The ribbon continues to wrap around, now making vertical loops between, making sure they wouldn't slide free.

Turning to Lilith, she keeps smiling, "You, my Lilith, I met here, in a Fortress surrounded by the finery of the Imperium. But my eyes could not spot a finer flower in all the galaxy. Brazen and bold, you came to me with a grin and showed me love, without a moment's hesitation, merely at a glance. I was intoxicated there and then, I could never have enough of you. To you, I have not yet sworn an oath."

And then, the final hitch, closing the loop on Celestine's wrist, tightly bonding them, for now and forever.

Looking at both women, she breathes in, "Until the end of days, until all comes to dust, you will be by my side, you will be my loves, my companions, my heart and my soul. I swear it here, now and forever." Celestine finishes with an embarrassed grin, knowing she spoke too long, but mostly uncaring, after all, she had much to say.

Lilith realises, at the last moment that they hadn't really discussed how the blood transferring would go. Looking at them both panicked realising that their hands were now tied together in an awkward manner for any of them to do any sort of transfer. Trying to think quickly to make it look like this was planned, Lilith said in her head, You know… Cutting the ribbon would be more symbolic than a glass… Sorry in advance. Before putting her hand in her pocket to hide, breaking a bone to create a Zerg steel blade. Before anyone could react, she sliced it quickly through the ribbon across their arms, causing blood to transfer between the two of them with a few slashes Lilith was impressed as none seemed to have let out an angry yell or groan of pain as if this was planned.

Though the amount of blood pouring would suggest that if it was, it was a serious commitment to the ritual. We… Need to Katerinya to a medicae after this. The ribbon fell away, and the blood intermingled as they lowered their arms creating a small odd swirling puddle beneath them.

I'll be fine. Katerinya assures, smiling, the only real, true smile she's ever given with others to see.

They all leaned in, and gave a three way peck on the lips, prompting the crowd to cheer, and the ceremony to end. "Oh, the Las-rifles are for firing!" She said quickly.

Astartes snapped to attention at her orders following immediately, quickly grabbing las-rifles. Then fired. Upwards. Inside a millenia old monastery. Lilith winced as the roof was instantly vaporized and the sky showed red with a dozen thousand of laser rifles firing into the sky. Lilith put her hand over mouth at the now roofless building. "Oh…" She said to Celestine, "We didn't think of that."

"We….can afford that, right?" Celestine turns to Katarinya, who has no response but a dead stare, "Right?"

"I have literal metric tons of thrones, that Guilliman somehow uses to just make more tons of thrones. So… Like… Financially yes, politically however…" Lilith is shocked as Lasers continue to fire into the sky. "Politically we may have spent quite a bit of capital."

"Quite." Katarinya sighs after seeing Varynna put hers to automatic.

"I shouldn't have had fresh charges put in all of them I think." Lilith said watching as the air started to hiss, and the surrounding stone starting to melt from the errant heat. Though quickly the rifles burnt out and discarded. "Ok! That's… That!" She whispers, "Let's walk out of here like we planned tha— Maybe we don't." She pointed with her head to quickly disperse into the crowd.