40 Thousand Reasons

My pain and thirst forgotten, I struggled with desperation to aid my son.

We could not fail, and fall into the damned blood curse. Even knowing why it happened, it didn't help much.

At least I was certain the Black Rage wasn't an issue, as neither Jonas nor me had any tendency to rage madly at anything. One cursed solved, possibly Warp induced or something of that nature.

But the modifications of our genes...that wasn't exactly easy to subdue. Way easier than normal people, for certain. But of those, you could count on a single hand the Blood Angels who conquered the Red Thirst.

Years passed in the scorching dessert, until Jonas turned to stare at me, and then to my left. I glanced to the side, catching a disappearing wing before it vanished. You better run, creepy Angel!

"Are you alright now, Jonas?" I asked in worry.

"It hurt a lot, but I think it's over. And to think I made fun of those red drops on the Blood Angel insignia...both blood and angels showed up." my son muttered and began fading away.

"Write the Canticle on your weapons!" I yelled in my mind.

Then I woke up, to find Janice and my dear Canis hugging each other while watching over me. Much better than a Warp entity with angelic wings.

"Wooo! Wooof!" my space wolf announced and licked my face with a towel-sized tongue. Wet as towel too.

"Hey sweetie. Mommy is busy?" I asked with a thin smile.

"Yeah, she's training her new Acolytes on that creature. The galls of it, to attempt something in my presence!" she exclaimed in a more confident voice.

"That's right, daughter. We are Lancefires, and we fear nothing. Because we are what they fear." I declared in a level tone, to see her eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh! Is that our Lancefire House motto? It's great. So, wanna meet the mute big sisters now?" Janice asked while twirling her force staff in mid-air.

Psyker powers were very cool for tricks like that.

"You know the Sisters of Silence are not medically mute, right? They just took a vow of silence. Which vows, we will smartly avoid by talking with our minds. It's how the entire Imperium works, only the written letter of the law counts. Sign language, mind signals, dancing and writing things on the implants, they are not speaking...so they must be correct. Just like the Church may not have men under arms, and they use women instead. The Adepta Sororitas." I explained gently while examining Janice for signs of mutation.

Didn't find any, and probably never will. Our Blank genes kept us safe.

Janice nodded wisely and petted Canis again. "Did you know, your puppy has a Rosarius around his neck? I was very confused at first." she asked with childish naivety.

"Yes, I asked a nice Astartes Chaplain to bless his Power Shield collar, and used my own fingernails to craft an organic conduit to the Emperor. As long Canis stays loyal, weapons will not harm him." I said pointing at the space wolf, who sat down meekly.

"Ah! Was it that simple? I'll have to ask mommy to build a dozen of them, for the big sisters. They have armor, of course....but shields are much better." Janice announced proudly and conjured a barrier shield around her.

I shook my head in amazement. Kids did get away with nearly anything, even from an Inquisitor.

"Go explore, sweetie. Daddy has to shower and get dressed." I told her, waving my hand in dismissal.

"Hehe. You do stink a little." she quipped then climbed on top of my space wolf and took off, passing through the metal door like it was made of air. It seems I will need blackstone, to keep my privacy with psykers on board.

I showered myself thrice, because I had been sweating blood, and normal sweat and got licked by a wolf. Damn dream visions!

Then I examined myself in the mirror, looking for wings or other deformity. Luckily, nothing of that sort.

My balls were still there, which was of vital importance for humanity.

Hopefully they still worked, unlike the implanted Astartes.

My Blood Angel bodyguard entered to check on me, and stood guard vigilantly. A bit too late...and my face probably showed it.

"We're very sorry about the slip up, Lord Lancefire. We failed you again." the Space Marine Chaplain added in a mourning tone.

I just sighed and began armoring up. "If we could detect chaospawn easily, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place, and Brother Arkio would still be alive. I heard the Inquisitor and her retinue took the creature someplace to interrogate it." I said in a level voice.

"Perhaps so, but one of us should have been in the room. The Inquisitor ordered us out." he explained in a slightly colder voice.

"And you have savant implants, Astartes. Those orders became null, once someone else entered my rooms. From now on, don't obey any orders unless from my voice, spoken or sent via implant or mind transfer. There are thousands of Inquisitors out there, and most of them are corrupt to their cores. If Inquisitors want marines, they have Deathwatch or Grey Ones or the Red_Hunters. Here on this Rogue Trader vessel, my Warrant is the law, and I speak with the Emperor's Voice." I demanded din a forceful voice.

The Blood Angel hesitated a little. "You have a child with this Inquisitor, my lord. Aren't you on the same side?"

I smiled gently and checked my armor again. It was getting tighter, as my body kept growing. Soon I will need the Astartes armor I confiscated from Brother Arkio.

"Normally, yes. But she doesn't receive orders directly from the Emperor, but some other Lord Inquisitor on Terra. And none of the corrupt shitstains ever dare enter the Golden Throne room, lest be smote into oblivion." I concluded and patted his pauldron.

He nodded a bit grimly. "I suspect you may be right Lord Pef, as you were with that corrupt Stele."

"On another note, Brother Cassiel has been found on my planet named Retribution, in the Eastern Fringe. I think he might be one of the first Blood Angels, sired by Sanguinius himself. Wanna meet him, Brother Delos?" I asked in a teasing voice.

He nodded in awe. "That would be wonderful, my lord. His gene-seed should be the purest."

"Yes, Delos. You will meet your lost brother today. Afterwards you will report to Lord Dante, and tell him I conquered the Red Thirst, at the same time as my son Jonas, on Baal. The Canticle of Unceasing Service was the catalyst that guided me through. Just like the name of my ship, isn't it funny?" I mused mostly to myself.

I still wasn't certain what a canticle was. But if it works, then it works. Simple logic.

"Really? I heard you were poisoned..." he asked a bit doubtful.

"What can I say? I got lucky, and the blood I received from the Angel on Estaban helped me fight off the poison. The Canticle helped as well." I answered with a shrug, and opened the door to find Canis, standing guard beside another Astartes.

"Janice vanished someplace?" I asked my brave wolf.

"Wooof. Woooo!" he answered quite logically.

"Come Delos. Let's take a walk." I asked softly and entered the elevator.

"Teleportarium deck?" he asked a bit wary. Perhaps my constant fits of tiredness rung an alarm bell.

"Big secret, Chaplain." I said as we arrived at the hexagonal teleport platform. He nodded cautiously.

"Ah, when that Chaos Sorcerer arrives on Baal disguised as a Tech-priest Magos, use these phased-iron bolts." I advised him and passed him a bolter clip.

"What?" he muttered in confusion.

But I had vanished already, and stepped out inside the Pharos.

"Pef Lancefire. We have common enemies, it seems." a glacial voice spoke in my head.

See? I was right!

Damn C'tan shard did wake up, from all the commotion.

"You must be the Mighty Zarhulash. Hold on, we have a few teleports to conduct right now." I hummed inward, while locking on the good Chaplain and bringing him down, then directly on Retribution.

He would be needed to check up on the frozen Cassiel, and explain the new realities.

And as Chaplains did have spiritual powers and authority, Delos would be quite perfect for the job.

Then I checked on Janice, to find her exploring the other Scythe Battle Barge, pretty much ignored by everyone. No doubt another psyker power to make herself invisible or forgotten.

Oh well, I did tell her to explore.

And with her familiar presence darting in and out of sealed vaults and locked armories, I could 'confiscate' more forgotten weapons and armors. Even an Incendiary Torpedo.

"So, you must recall the route to the Commorragh, mighty C'tan God. Wanna help, give them a warm surprise?" I asked in my mind, while using my Rosetta codes to activate the atmospheric igniter.

It worked wonders on the Tyranids, and the Eldar, even Dark Eldar were still flesh, and thus weak to fire.

"The Drukhari? Well, I won't say no to a small Eldar genocide. Nothing like the old days, but better than nothing." the C'tan answered a bit more warmly.

I had a feeling we will be very good friends in the future. Mostly the same enemies and methods. Sure, I saved the Necrons for last, and will need to convince this god shard to save humanity for last, just as well.

"It will take some time to activate this atmospheric burner, Mighty Zarhulash. So, what did you learn of my plans yet?" I wondered while cautiously enabling safety after safety.

"I have observed your deals with the Necron Trazyn. You offered him a lot, even another C'tan. And gained pitifully little. And now, the warp creatures hunt for your soul." the C'tan observed in a dismissive voice.

I nodded in agreement. Of course I did. But value is in the eye of the beholder.

"Travelling among stars without entering the Warp isn't so little, not for humanity. Trillions of humans get infected with warp parasites and another demons. Just like this woman on my ship. Can you imagine what it would be like, if a Great Daemon got his claws on you? My Canticle doesn't even have blackstone armor." I complained, and added a small threat in there.

The being laughed, as if there was a good joke somewhere. "Yes, humans are easily corrupted, except the few of you that are Blanks."

"And so it is, Mighty C'tan. That's why I try to spread Blank genes among all humans, and Warp-less ships. We could become like the Necrons, immune to the Warp and the Great Enemy." I explained in a pleading voice.

Please don't kill us first! Leave us for last...and then we'll see.

"Very amusing plan...and it might work. But you, Pef Lancefire will very likely die, much sooner. There is an armada heading right here, and those won't be cretin Orks." he declared in a deathly voice, in my mind.

Shit! That wasn't good.

"Well then. I better launch all warheads available, and run away. If they blow up Sotha, I'm sure we'll meet again." I muttered as the Exterminatus-grade incendiary started beeping in alert.

"I'll guide the torpedo, human. Send it inside the Webway first." the C'tan said in slight amusement.

And so I did, with much more ease than guiding it all the way to Commorragh, not that I could anymore. The old routes seeemed to have shifted, since the last time I bombed the Dark Eldar.

"There! Not quite as strong as I could do it with my Cosmic Fire ...but that Port_of_Lost_Souls is pretty toast, I'd say. A billion Aeldari dead, not bad for an hour of hard work, right?" he asked rhetorically

I nodded and grinned. Both the dead Drukhari and the destroyed port will put a crimp in the Dark Eldar raids all over the galaxy. And without ships, they wouldn't be able to bring fresh slaves for torture or experiments.

A minute later, my Rose arrived in the Pharos, holding her tarot deck tightly. "This time it worked, magnificent bastard!" she shouted and embraced me tightly.

"Shhh. Keep my secret." I said out loud, and in my mind. A cold laughter acompanied me, as I stepped directly into my room with the loving prize in my arms, and hastily began undressing the lovely Inquisitor.

Perhaps another Blank child will arrive.