//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - Marching Orders 
// Story: A Light from the Shadows Shall Spring 
// by Soul Spark 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 2 – Marching Orders



Inquisitorial Black Ship Executor, Korianis Sector, Segmentum Ultima
Currently en route to sector Inquisitorial headquarters
060.M42, 1 minute before barrier collapse

Inquisitor Tiberius Heth of the Ordo Xenos sported an unsettling ghost of a smile as he finished composing an after action report of another successful xeno cleansing on the data console of his bridge command station. His last mission had been a simple but gratifying one. Imperial scout ships had reported the presence of Exodite Eldar on a fertile and resource-rich world selected for colonization. In response, Heth requisitioned several Imperial Guard regiments to exterminate them. He participated in the cleansing personally, leading a company of his own Inquisitorial Storm Troopers as they raided the Exodites' settlements. It didn't matter whether they were soldiers, civilians, men, women, old, or young. They slaughtered them all without distinction.

And he enjoyed every moment of it. Of all the foul xenos in the cosmos, Heth despised the Eldar the most. Their very physical forms were a vile mockery of Humanity's perfect image. Ridding the galaxy of their ilk was a great service to both the Emperor and to Humanity, one which he would gladly perform time and time again until the day he died, although he hoped that he would live to see them wiped out completely.

Heth was about to send the finished report to the ship's Astropath for transfer to the local Inquisitorial Headquarters when the ship's Navigator suddenly jerked upright, a shocked expression on his face. He was a tall, thin man with abnormally elongated fingers and a third, glowing eye on his forehead, and wore the traditional hooded cloak and garb of his station.

“What is it?” Heth asked sternly. Although not nearly as strong as his hatred for aliens, he harbored a disgust for mutants as well, including Psykers, and by extension, Navigators, despite their necessity. Navigators in particular reminded too much of the Eldar, as their mutations often caused them to become tall and wiry in stature. He mostly kept it to himself however. They may have been perversions of the ideal form of Humanity, but they were still vital and loyal servants of the Imperium, and he would not pass judgement on them unless they gave him a reason to do so.

“I-Inquisitor Heth, I...I'm not sure you would believe what I am seeing right now,” the Navigator replied nervously. He looked like he had seen a ghost, which, considering the nature of his abilities, might not have been so far-fetched.

“Out with it, Navigator. What is it that you see?” he repeated, his patience already beginning to wear thin.

The Navigator took a moment to swallow before speaking. “Sir, a beacon of psychic light just...appeared out of nowhere in the Northern end of this sector. A small Warp storm was raging in the exact same area just a moment ago, but now it's just gone, as if it never existed. In fact, the Warp has become abnormally calm there.”

Heth paused for a moment to process what the Navigator had just told him, and he was indeed hard-pressed to believe it. “Are you sure it isn't some sort of mirage? Or a hallucination?” he asked.

The Navigator shook his head. “I swear on my soul, this is no illusion. I can see no traces of the Warp storm whatsoever, and the psychic light is as clear and radiant as the Astronomican itself.”

There was no lie in the Navigator's voice or body language. Something had clearly transpired, something of truly awesome magnitude if his Navigator's words were true. Something which demanded immediate investigation.

But Heth was no expert on matters of the Warp, and he was not comfortable with charging toward an unknown phenomenon such as this with only a single ship and his onboard contingent of Storm Troopers. Immediately a solution sprang to mind, but it was one which he loathed to consider. The Blood Ravens were the closest Space Marine Chapter available, and they were renowned for their investigative prowess as much as their skill in battle. But they had, in his opinion, an unhealthy number of librarians in their ranks, and they had multiple historical instances of Chaotic corruption in their ranks. Worst of all, he had heard disturbing rumors that the Blood Ravens had allied with the Eldar a few times in the past, though he had never found any conclusive evidence of such actions. Either they were really just rumors, or the Blood Ravens were excessively good at covering up their dirty secrets.

Still, Heth was an ambitious man, always seeking to find ways of expanding his influence. Finds like this could dramatically increase an Inquisitor's reputation, and the more an Inquisitor's reputation grew, the more powerful he or she effectively became. And if his Navigator's description of the phenomenon was accurate then it was very likely that everyone in the sector knew about it by now. He needed to act on this opportunity quickly, or it would be snatched up by another Inquisitor. He didn't have the luxury of being choosy.

“Very well. Change course to the nearest Inquisitorial Fortress,” Heth replied as he saved his after action report. Although he planned to utilize the Blood Ravens as the main force for this expedition, he wanted to bring additional forces which he knew would remain loyal to him, just in case.

The Navigator nodded. “Aye sir, changing course now.” The Executor groaned and lurched ever so slightly as it began shifting it's trajectory through the Immaterium.

Heth then began composing two new messages for transmission by the ship's Astropath, one for the Blood Raven Fortress-Monastery Omnis Arcanum and one for the headquarters of the regional Inquisitorial Conclave. His after action report would have to wait.


Word Bearer Strike Cruiser Tyrannus Invictus, Korianis Sector, Segmentum Ultima
060.M42, 17 minutes post barrier collapse

Dark Apostle Ezriel lay prostrate before the giant metal Star of Chaos which stood at the back of the immense, cavernous chapel at the heart of his Host's Strike Cruiser, the Tyrannus Invictus. The black, eight-spoked structure was bathed in the blood of the eight human sacrifices impaled upon each arrow, some of them still alive and whimpering in agony. The Star was flanked on each side by large ceremonial torches, dimly lighting the rest of the chapel. Countless other sacrifices hung upon the great walls of the colossal chamber, filling the air with the stench of blood and the tortured, echoing cries of the dying, some of them begging to be granted the sweet mercy of death, to be released from their torment. Their pleas would remain unanswered.

Ezriel was a bald man whose head and body bore many scars. Some of them were earned in battle; others were self-inflicted as acts of devotion to the Ruinous Powers, as penance for perceived failings or weaknesses, as records of great feats and victories, and countless other reasons. Like his fellow Host brothers, he was abnormally tall and heavily muscled as a result of his geneseed augmentations, with a standing height of over six and a half feet, even without his power armor. He was dressed in the garish blood red and black vestments of his position, with vile litanies and symbols of Chaos sewn into the very cloth.

His entire Host was present for his service, forming an audience of over a hundred Chaos Space Marines behind him, all assuming the same position as himself. Fifteen minutes earlier he received urgent reports from the Host's Sorcerers, who had detected a new light in the Warp radiating from within the sector, a light similar to that of the accursed Astronomican. Seeing this as a sign, he organized this special session of worship, hoping to commune with the Ruinous Powers for guidance.

Ezriel chanted in a deep and resonant, almost demonic voice as he led them in prayer, the Host responding in thunderous, perfectly synchronized recital. The rhythm of foul invocations and the intoxicating psychic energies emanating from his followers gradually lulled him into a euphoric, trance-like state, causing him to recite unconsciously as his mind reached into the Warp, longing to hear the counsel of the Dark Gods.

After many minutes of silence, his prayers were answered. It began as a whisper in the back of his mind, but the voice gradually grew stronger and more defined. He listened in total reverence as his deities relayed their knowledge of this new psychic light to him, and the instructions to be carried out by him and his Host. The voices then faded away as quickly as they came, allowing his consciousness to return to the material world once more.

The Dark Apostle stopped reciting and sat upright, raising his hands into the air. The congregation fell completely silent, leaving only the ghostly wailing of human sacrifices to be heard. He then slowly stood up and turned around to face his Host, his arms outstretched in a prophetic fashion.

“My brothers!” he boomed. “I have been blessed with a holy vision from beyond the mortal realm! We have been chosen by the Dark Gods themselves to venture straight into the heart of the newly-born light in the Warp and extinguish its vile radiance from their sight! And to aid as in this task, they have granted us a boon of two Daemonships and four Greater Daemons, one from each of the Dark Gods!”

A murmur of excitement and anticipation swept through the congregation, many of them instinctively offering up thanks and exaltations to their deities. To receive a commandment directly from the Ruinous Powers was already a rare honor in and of itself, and Hosts of the Word Bearers Legion would carry out such orders with a fanatical zeal bordering on insanity, even in the face of certain death. To be granted such a generous boon meant that they had truly earned the favor of the Dark Gods, which would only serve to fan the flames of their maniacal devotion even further.

Ezriel cracked an evil smile at the eagerness of his Host before continuing. “As faithful servants of Chaos, we shall carry out this sacred duty without fear or hesitation! We will show our enemies neither pity nor mercy, for those who oppose the Dark Gods deserve none! And if we are to die in the commission of this holy task then we shall die in glory!!”

He then raised his hands high in the air. “FOR LORGAR AND FOR CHAOS!!

“FOR LORGAR AND FOR CHAOS!!” the Host thundered back, all of them raising their fists in return.

The service was then concluded and the Word Bearers rushed to their stations to prepare for the coming battle. Shortly thereafter, the Tyrannus Invictus and its four escorts, a pair of Idolator-class Raiders and a pair of Infidel-class Raiders, activated their Warp drives, ripping open crackling pink, violet and red rifts in the fabric of spacetime and plunging themselves into the Immaterium, disappearing from the space they occupied just moments ago without a trace as they sailed toward their target with all speed.


Blood Ravens Battle Barge Omnis Arcanum, Subsector Aurelia, Korianis Sector, Segmentum Ultima
060.M42, 4 hours post barrier collapse

Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos sat in the Librarium Sanctorum of the Omnis Arcanum, scanning over countless texts as he searched for information regarding this new psychic light which had appeared in the other end of the sector. The man was over three and a half centuries old now, though he appeared to be in his sixties. His face was heavily scarred and partly covered by metal plates. His right eye, left arm, and both his legs had been replaced with bionics as a result of his battle with Azariah Kyras, the traitorous former Chapter Master and Chief Librarian of the Blood Ravens whom he had defeated several decades earlier.

Since then, Subsector Aurelia had experienced some measure of peace, but it came at a terrible price, both for the sector and for the Blood Ravens Chapter. Even now, they still hadn't recovered their full fighting strength, though recruitment was running strong and many young and promising battle-brothers were filling up the ranks, men of both skill and virtue. The latter quality was especially critical in order to keep the Chapter from again being crippled by Chaos corruption.

Right now though, it seemed that the whole sector had been thrown into pandemonium by this confounded light in the Warp. The Blood Ravens had received hundreds of reports over the last four hours from many different sources regarding the phenomenon, and speculation was running rampant among the command staff. Some hypothesized that it was some sort of natural Warp rift. Others believed that it was some sort of trick by the Ruinous Powers. There were even a few carefully-worded suggestions that one of the Primarchs, or perhaps even an avatar of the Emperor, may have been reborn, though such ideas only served to fan the flames of debate even further.

While Gabriel would be elated if one of those last hypotheses were correct, he did not want to make any judgments without proof. But so far he had not found any information pertaining to such a phenomenon. Not even texts on the Astronomican had helped explain what forces were at work here.

It was then that the one of the Chapter serfs jogged up to the table where Gabriel sat, looking quite winded. The fact that he had been admitted into this section of the Librarium at all meant that he must have had important business with him.

“Yes?” Gabriel asked evenly, his eyes still scanning the pages before him.

“Ah...forgive me...my lord,” the serf apologized, still catching his breath. “I have...an urgent message...from the Inquisition,” he finished, holding out a sealed document.

Gabriel sighed. He had figured it was only a matter of time before the Inquisition decided to step in. “Thank you,” he replied, taking the paper. “You may return to your duties.”

The serf bowed deeply from the waist before scurrying out of the Librarium as quickly as he came. Gabriel then broke the seal on the document and began reading it.


To: Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos
From: Inquisitor Tiberius Heth of the Ordo Xenos
Classification: TOP SECRET
Thought for the day: Hatred is the Emperor's greatest gift to Humanity.

By now you are probably aware of the light in the Warp which has appeared in the Korianis Sector.
It is my judgment that this anomaly is a potential threat to the Imperium, and thus requires immediate
investigation. The Blood Ravens are the closest Adeptus Astartes Chapter available, and they are
particularly suited for both gathering intelligence and dealing with matters of the Warp. As such, I am
requisitioning one Battle Company to aid in my investigation. You may choose whichever Company
you feel is best suited to the task. Prepare your chosen forces for deployment and send them to the
rendezvous coordinates indicated below as soon as possible.

The Emperor Protects.


Gabriel huffed in irritation, his nostrils flaring. Even after centuries of working with the Inquisition, being given an order so bluntly still got under his skin, especially now that he was Chapter Master. Nonetheless, the Inquisitor's logic was sound, and under the circumstances he was well within his rights to command the aid of the Blood Ravens. But Gabriel found himself bothered by the identity of said Inquisitor. He had heard disturbing things about Tiberius Heth through his dealings with other Inquisitors operating in the sector. Heth's hatred for xenos was something of a legend; he went out of his way to cleanse entire xeno worlds, even those which posed no reasonable threat to the Imperium, often participating in said operations personally. Gabriel himself had little love for xenos, even after having 'friendly' encounters with the Eldar, but slaughtering whole populations without good reason just didn't sit right with him.

But none of that mattered. He had been given a lawful order, and he would carry it out, regardless of his personal feelings. With that, he closed the tomes of knowledge he had opened for his research and returned them to their proper places. He then left the Librarium Sanctorum and proceeded to the Fortress-Monastery's strategic planning chamber, where the logs of the current status of the Blood Ravens' forces were kept. Once he arrived, he opened the logs for the Blood Ravens' Battle Companies. According to the latest entries, the 2nd and 3rd Companies were busy hunting down Chaos warbands in the rest of the Korianis sector and the 4th and 5th Companies were tied up clearing out a particularly severe Feral Ork infestation on Calderis.

“5th Company, huh?” Gabriel thought aloud. They were currently led by Brother-Captain Hector Marius, a former Veteran Sergeant of the 1st Company who had remained loyal to the Blood Ravens under Gabriel during their campaign against Kyras, participating in the final battle against the corrupt Chapter Master on Cyrene. Already an experienced and decorated warrior, he was also an exceptional leader and a brilliant tactician. All of these qualities led to his promotion to the rank of Captain after the death of his predecessor in battle. He earned the Iron Halo less than a decade afterwards. All of this while he was still less than two centuries old.

While many other Captains were quick to throw themselves into the glorious fury of battle alongside their brothers, Marius was patient, judicious, and practical, often thinking outside the box of conventional battle tactics. He wasn't above hearing second opinions from his subordinates and he did his best to maximize the effectiveness of his forces while minimizing casualties, as every Space Marine was both a valued comrade and asset to the Chapter. He chose his battles carefully, but when he sprang into action, he fought with as much courage and ferocity as any other Battle-Brother. Though some of the other officers were skeptical of his comparatively young age and unique style of leadership, they could not doubt his exemplary battle record nor his unerring loyalty to the Emperor and the Blood Ravens Chapter. In Gabriel's opinion, Marius was just the right man to lead this mission.

In any case, the Reserve Companies would have little trouble reinforcing the 4th Company in the 5th's stead; they needed the experience regardless. Having made his decision, he closed the logs and began writing up redeployment orders for transmission by the ship's Astropath.


Ponyville, Equestria
Saturday, 12:25 PM

Twilight Sparkle sighed as she made her way to the grassy fields outside the town limits to meet with Princess Luna for today's training session, leaving Spike in charge of the Library. She and her friends stayed the night in Canterlot, having breakfast at the Royal Palace and catching an hour-long train ride back to Ponyville around 9:30. The town was abuzz with talk about last night's disturbance, which had apparently affected every pony on the planet.

Princess Celestia's latest news conference was featured on the front page of all the morning papers; she assured everypony that the situation was under control, and that her staff had determined that the disturbance from last night was a never-before-seen phenomenon of cosmic origin. She promised that the government would continue to investigate the anomaly and monitor for any further disturbances. Emergency services were also put on heightened alert, just to be safe.

Twilight was glad that Celestia at least told the public part of the truth about the disturbance, but it was overshadowed by everything else that had happened yesterday. First the Changelings attacked Canterlot during Shining Armor and Cadence's wedding, and now some great cosmic evil had made itself known. She and her friends had faced deadly foes before, but this new enemy seemed like something else entirely. The very thought of an evil psychic space surrounding their entire solar system seemed too outlandish to believe. But if Celestia herself had confirmed it...

The unicorn shook her head to clear her thoughts. “One thing at a time, Twilight. Just focus on the training for now,” she mentally told herself. As she continued toward her destination, she was joined by Rainbow Dash, who performed a couple backflips before landing gracefully beside her. Applejack arrived soon after; she had brought her trusty lasso with her. Pinkie Pie came next. She appeared seemingly out of nowhere in her usual Pinkie manner, wearing a cheesy-looking yellow and teal exercise outfit, complete with striped forehoof wristbands, yellow hind leg warmers, and a teal headband. She was clearly psyched about today's activities. Finally, Rarity and Fluttershy caught up with them, completing the group.

A few minutes later, the Element Bearers arrived at the wide open field chosen as their training ground. Sure enough, Princess Luna was waiting for them there, dressed in her usual royal regalia.

“Greetings, my little ponies,” she greeted them as they approached. “I thank you all for arriving in a timely fashion; we have much to do today.” Luna then began to concentrate, her horn now sheathed in a soft blue glow. A beam of light shot from her horn straight up into the sky, followed seconds later by a bright flash. A wave of blue energy expanded outward from the flash, visibly distorting the air in its wake and descending around them in a dome shape. The wave then touched the ground and promptly disappeared. “There,” Luna said as the glow around her horn subsided. “This area is now protected by an invisibility cloak and a redirection ward. We should now be able to train without disturbing anypony.”

“Now, before we begin, I want you all to understand in no uncertain terms that the goal of this training is to learn to defeat the enemy by whatever means necessary. In the case of our newest foe, that includes the use of deadly force,” Luna stated plainly.

The Element Bearers flinched visibly at this, their eyes now filled with apprehension. Twilight was about to speak, but Luna held up a hoof to silence her. “I am very aware that the thought of killing another living being is an unpleasant and repulsive one. But consider this: our newest enemy is born of malicious emotions, just as Nightmare Moon was born of the jealousy and anger which had festered within my own heart. Their entire existence is dedicated to destroying everything we hold dear.”

Luna paused for a moment to let her words sink in. “So, I must ask you, if such entities were immediately threatening the lives of your loved ones, would you hold back in order to merely restrain or subdue them? Or would you use whatever force necessary to stop them as quickly as possible, even if it meant killing them?”

They six remained silent as they contemplated the question, clearly troubled by the scenario Luna had laid out for them. It was Applejack spoke up first. “If my kin were in harm's way, I would do anything to protect them...even if it meant having to kill. I reckon the experience would be horrifying, but I can live with that if it means keeping my friends and family safe.” The others listened to her words and found themselves nodding in agreement, if somewhat tentatively.

“An honorable answer, Miss Applejack,” Luna replied. “That is the essence of the training you are all about to undertake: to prepare for the unthinkable. Make no mistake; it is good that you have no desire to take the life of another, for such an act goes against everything we believe in. However, you must be able and willing to set aside such sentiments in order to stop an even greater evil, if it should come to that. Your lives, as well as the lives of your fellow ponies, will depend on it. Now that you know this, are you all still willing to participate?”

The Element Bearers exchanged looks for a moment before nodding to each other. They then all stepped forward simultaneously, looks of determination on their faces.

Luna couldn't help but smile in admiration of their courage and camaraderie. She just hoped that they would be able to handle the training, because she didn't intend to make it easy for them. “Very well. Then let us begin.”

The group spent the first hour doing basic warm-up exercises followed by an evaluative mock battle, with one mare at a time going up against a group of animated, pony-shaped magical constructs created by Luna, with their skill level set about equal to the Changeling soldiers they had fought before. Rainbow Dash had performed the best so far, as she was both an athletic, fast-flying pegasus and a black belt in equine martial arts. The use of her Sonic Rainboom technique as a weapon was especially impressive. Twilight followed second, repelling the constructs' attacks with magic shields and countering with stun rays and lightning, as well as using telekinesis for both offense and defense. Applejack was third; She wasn't as fast as Rainbow Dash, but she was very strong and sturdy, even by earth pony standards, and she used her lasso to great effect. Still, her technique needed some polishing.

Pinkie Pie's fighting style was...Luna honestly didn't know how to describe it. Instead of confronting her opponents head on, she turned the enemy's strength against them, redirecting their attacks so that they ended up hitting each other instead of their target, although she did occasionally strike them with confetti cannons which she pulled seemingly out of nowhere. She flawlessly dodged the constructs' attacks so often that it almost seemed as if she could see the future. And she did it with unearthly acrobatic skill, often bending and stretching her body in ridiculous and seemingly impossible ways. To top it all off, she was somehow able to instantly 'pop' in and out of reality in different places, and could even move nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash if she so desired. It was clear that Pinkie Pie was no ordinary earth pony, but despite her strangeness, or perhaps because of it, she had serious combat potential.

Rarity did okay, but she had more trouble holding her own than the others, and her technique was a bit sloppy. Besides more fighting practice, she also needed to learn basic defensive and offensive magic, even if wasn't her specialty. And finally...there was Fluttershy. Out of all six of the Element Bearers, she was by far the most ill-suited for fighting. She was almost always on the defensive, constantly trying to avoid getting hit. And what little offense she did have was laughably weak. Luna addressed this after reviewing the performance of the other five.

“Fluttershy, you NEED to learn to fight better than that,” Luna chastized gently. “I know that you abhor conflict and violence, but CANNOT afford to go into battle with such a weak will.”

“I...I know. I'm sorry,” Fluttershy admitted dejectedly, clearly ashamed of her apparent inability to fight back.

Twilight trotted over to the mild-mannered pegasus and patted her on the back in a show of support. “Fluttershy, I KNOW you can do this. You stared down a full-grown dragon, remember? AND you fought against a bear and won!”

“Wait, what?” Fluttershy asked, her expression shifting from sad to confused. The other four Element Bearers appeared equally surprised.

“You fought a bear, Fluttershy?!” Dash asked, gaping in disbelief.

“Um, Twilight? What are you talking about?” Fluttershy asked. “I've never fought against a bear in my life.”

Twilight blinked. “You don't remember? The day I went crazy because I forgot to write a letter for Princess Celestia? I walked to your house to see if you had any problems I could solve so that I could write something about friendship. When I got there, I saw you take down an angry, full-sized bear! In fact, I could have sworn that I saw you snap it's neck!”

Fluttershy's eyes suddenly widened in realization. “Oh! Oh nonononono!” She replied, frantically waving her hooves in front of her. “You've got it all wrong! I wasn't fighting that bear, I was giving him a massage! He was just cranky because his back and shoulders were feeling really stiff, that's all.”

Twilight stared at her as if she had grown a third eye. “Are...are you serious? You gave him a flying kick to the back, as well as what looked like professional wrestling moves!”

Fluttershy blushed. “Well...he was a bear, so I needed to be a little more...'assertive' with him at first...”

“...Alright, I can buy that,” Twilight sighed. “But the way you handled that bear just proves my point even more! You're far more brave and strong than you give yourself credit for!”

“She's right, darling,” Rarity interjected. “You just need to coax out your inner strength. This may not be the best example, but try to recall what that minotaur Iron Will taught you. It might help you become more aggressive in battle.”

“Um, are you sure that's a good idea?” Fluttershy asked nervously. “I don't want to become mean again.”

“I know, darling, and we don't want that either,” Rarity said with a smile. “Still, like Princess Luna said, you need to start fighting back seriously. As long as you only focus on those aggressive feelings while fighting, I think you'll be just fine.”

“Well...alright, I'll try,” Fluttershy replied, now standing noticeably straighter, her eyes filled with newfound determination.

“That's the spirit, sugarcube!” Applejack cheered her on. “Just remember, no matter what happens, we've got your back.” The others quickly nodded in agreement.

After their pep talk, the group spent the next hour watching Luna explain and demonstrate military close combat techniques against her own construct, with Twilight studiously taking notes on everything she said and did. After taking a quick water break, they began individually practicing what they learned on Luna's constructs, which, unlike the free-for-all mock battle from earlier, was conducted in a one-on-one sparring format. It would be a while before the Element Bearers became truly proficient in these techniques, but they were still making good progress; Luna certainly didn't expect them to learn everything in one day. And it was then that Luna saw a marked improvement in Fluttershy's confidence; in fact, she was performing almost as well as Rainbow Dash now that she was actually using her wingpower to her advantage.

For the fourth and final hour, the group participated in another mock battle. Their performance reviews and military close combat practice were already beginning to pay off: their movements had become visibly more efficient, exploiting openings in the enemy's defenses more often while watching out for and guarding against counterattacks. Twilight no longer had to rely on magic most of the time for offense and defense, and Rarity's fighting style was more neat and professional than before. Above all, Fluttershy had become a veritable hurricane of force. She wasn't just fighting back, she was actually winning against most of the constructs now. Even she was surprised by how much better she was doing.

By the end of the session, the Element Bearers were throughly exhausted, lying on the ground and panting for breath. Luna was very pleased with the progress they had made today.

“You have all exceeded my expectations,” Luna complimented. “There are not many ponies capable of learning to fight as well as you have in such a short amount of time. Keep up the good work, for there are still many things for you to learn and many challenges for you to overcome.”

Luna then smiles brightly. “Today's training session is now officially concluded. Now all of you go get some rest; you have earned it.”

Too tired to respond properly, the Element Bearers simply sighed in relief, opting to take a quick nap in the grass.


Inquisitorial Black Ship Executor, Unnamed Inquisitorial Fortress, Korianis Sector, Segmentum Ultima
060.M42, 22 hours post barrier collapse

Inquisitor Heth clenched his teeth as he read the reply from the headquarters of the regional Conclave in his personal quarters. Another Inquisitor, this one from the Ordo Malleus, had been assigned to investigate the light in the Warp along with him, as they felt it necessary that an expert on daemons, psykers, and the Immaterium be present for such a mission. As if that weren't bad enough, the identity of said Inquisitor only served to anger him even further.

Jacob Xander was a young upstart, not even a century old, who had made a name for himself as an expert Daemonhunter. He was also a psyker and a Radical, specifically a member of the Casophilian faction, which studied the transition of the soul between the material realm and the Warp, and the Seculos Attendous faction, which believed that the Ecclesiarchy, and perhaps even the Imperial Cult itself, were stunting the advancement of Humanity. He was also a member of the Xeno Hybris faction, which not only advocated the use of alien technologies, but also cooperation with xeno civilizations!

There were no words to adequately describe the sheer depth of disgust Heth harbored for Xander. He was a mutant and a heretic, and deserved nothing less than to be purged with holy fire. But no such action could be taken against him because the Inquisition had never found any evidence of disloyalty to the Emperor or the Imperium on his part, despite his Radical beliefs and methods. Heth had no choice but to go along with the decision of the Conclave, but he would be damned if was going to let that insolent bastard upstage him.

The irate Inquisitor's brooding was suddenly interrupted by the overhead vox unit. <“Inquisitor Heth, this is the bridge. The Kill-teams you requisitioned have boarded the Executor. They are currently assembled in the chapel.”>

Heth's anger was partially quenched by this news. He keyed the appropriate channel and spoke into the microphone on his desk. “This is Inquisitor Heth, understood. Begin preparations for immediate departure.”

<”As you wish, my Lord. Bridge out.”>

The Inquisitor then exited his personal quarters and briskly made his way down to the chapel through the ship's dim labyrinth of corridors, taking a couple elevators along the way. Several minutes later, he walked through the colossal arched entrance of the chapel. There, a group of twelve Space Marines stood at attention, separated into two groups of six. Their black power armor suits featured an armored collar not present on the standard Mark VII Aquila armor used by regular Space Marines. Their silvery grey left pauldrons were engraved with holy litanies and emblazoned with with the thrice-crossed 'I' of the Inquisition, itself emblazoned with a skull and crossbones. The right pauldron of each individual Marine retained the colors and symbols of his home Chapter. They were the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos: the Deathwatch.

Heth surveyed the two Kill-teams as walked towards them. The group on the left consisted of an Ultramarine, a Blood Raven, a Space Wolf, a Raven Guard, an Imperial Fist, and a Doom Eagle. Their Kill-team codename was Raptor. The group on the right consisted of a Red Hunter, a Black Templar, a Blood Angel, a White Scar, a Salamander, and a Novamarine. Their Kill-team codename was Sabre. Heth then proceeded to address them.

“I am Inquisitor Tiberius Heth of the Ordo Xenos. You have all been chosen to take part in a mission to investigate the light in the Warp which appeared in the northern region of the Korianis Sector less than a day ago. Our objective is simple: if the source of this light turns out to be a threat to the Imperium, we will eliminate it with extreme prejudice. If not, then we will seize and secure it for the benefit of the Mankind. In either case, I expect you to follow my orders without question or hesitation. Fail to meet my expectations and you will be stripped of your Deathwatch membership and sent back to your Chapter in disgrace. Any questions?”

Both teams remained completely silent. Heth cracked a barely noticable smirk. “Very well. We will be departing the station in less than ten minutes. Dismissed.”

With that, the Inquisitor made his way up to the bridge while the Deathwatch Marines remained in the chapel for a brief prayer session. Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, the Executor pulled away from the Inquisitorial space station, flanked by a pair of Sword-class Frigates and a pair of Cobra-class Destroyers. Once they were clear of the station, the five ships activated their Warp drives and shunted themselves into the Immaterium, heading for the rendezvous point.