Editing Story:ROAD TRIP! (Warhammer High)/Part Three (section)

===Unto the Fires of War===


Officer Haarlan was awaiting them as they shuffled, yawning, from the Aquila.  “Welcome back to the Iron Tide, my Lords and Ladies Primarch,” he said, sketching a bow.  “And Lady Venus, welcome back to your ship,” he said formally.  “Is that a Salamander formal uniform?” he asked.

“No, this is my duty uniform,” Venus said as she walked down the ramp.  “Like it?”

“It’s radiant, my Lady,” Haarlan said.  “May I pass along a few messages?  The Captain and his senior staff await your leisure in the Hall, along with a representative of the Salamanders Legion,” he said.

“Very well, Officer, please lead the way,” Venus said.  “May I direct our luggage to our rooms?  Some items are rather fragile.”

“I will have the servitors take the proper care,” Haarlan said, gesturing to the techpriest overseeing them.  The red and white-robed woman nodded once and tapped a few runes on her slate.  “Now…this way,” he said, turning to go.

The group followed him up the lifts to the Captain’s Hall, where Roemer and his staff were indeed awaiting them.  Isaac and a few other serfs were present, as were the psyker from before and a fighter group commander.  “My Lady Venus, my Lords and Ladies Primarch, welcome back,” Roemer said.  “How was your trip?”

“Fascinating, dangerous, memorable, satisfying, and insightful,” Venus said.  “In no particular order.”

Roemer smiled slightly.  “I am glad.”  He noted Jake’s healed injury and missing hair as the younger man turned to set down his bag.  He didn’t say a word, but Jake noticed his stare as he turned back around.

“The dangerous part,” Jake noted.

“Ah.”  Roemer decided not to press.


As the group sat down to speak, Roemer leaned forward over the table.  “My Lady, I have invited you here to pass along some important news.  Warmaster Horus has instructed that the Salamander Eightieth through Ninety Ninth Expeditionary Groups, and Fourth Grand Fleet, be mobilized alongside the Space Wolf Thirteenth Grand Fleet and Death Guard Second Grand Fleet.  They will be mobilized to support the Imperial Fist Phalanx Group in a thorough, end-to-end purge of the entire Void Walks trade lane.  Any new worlds found within the region will be colonized, any non-Eldar holdings will be razed to cinder, and the persistent green menace within pushed back to their Orkholds and crushed,” Roemer said flatly.  Jake and Alex’s eyes went wide at the clipped, professional pronouncement of death.

Venus nodded, her eyes focused closely on the aging Captain.  “So it shall be, then.  If you wish my leave to take your ship to the battle, then naturally you have it.  Does this mean we will need new transport?”

“Certainly not, your Highness,” Isaac said.  “But it means we get to test the tank in live-fire combat,” he said with the ghost of a smile.  “We will return to Fenris in time to ferry you to Terra.”

“Indeed, Sieur Isaac is correct.”  Roemer sat back.  “This does, however, disrupt our own plans.  We will not be in station-keeping above the Fang.  We won’t be in the system at all, while you are.”

“Well…”  Venus nodded, digesting the news.  She slowly stood and offered the Captain her gloved hand.  He rose and took it.  “Unto the anvil, Captain,” she said, looking into his eyes.  He nodded solemnly, releasing her hand.  “Until then…we have a journey ahead of us,” Venus added.

“We certainly do.”  Roemer sat back down, looking up at Venus with a hint of fresh respect.  “Might I inquire how Nocturne’s gravity and air pressure felt?  It may take time to adjust to Terran standard now.”

“I feel light as a feather, even with all this armor on,” Venus said, smiling down at the ceramite and adamantium plating and link on her leather uniform.  “Lord Regent No’dan passes along his regards, by the by, and his thanks for ferrying us to our destinations,” she said, gesturing to the room.

“It was our honor, Princess,” Roemer answered for the group.  He raised one hand slightly, beckoning her to continue.  “So…tell me.  What did you learn of your home?”

Venus thought back.  “Well,” she began, sitting back down.  “It was certainly an adjustment, seeing that the entire world was open to the air.  Even when I lived in Startseite; the Palace and the Hives were always there, closed off, keeping their occupants in.”  She tilted her head down in deference to the Captain’s own history.  “Was it the same way for you when you set foot on a planet for the first time?  I recall you telling me that you’re void-born.”

“So I am indeed, and yes, it was quite a shock,” Roemer said.  He lifted a goblet of wine and passed the decanter around.  “Would anyone care for a drink to see us off?” he asked.

Alex nodded and silently accepted a cup, as did Freya, while the others passed.  “You know, I turned drinking age down on Nocturne, and somehow it doesn’t feel like an achievement,” Jake joked.

“Not a social drinker, Sieur Seager?” Isaac asked with a chuckle.

“Well, maybe it’ll grow on me at college,” Jake said modestly.

Alex sipped his wine, eyes boring a hole in the table.  His mind was racing.  The flight to Fenris wouldn’t be so bad…but what the hell was he going to do when he went home?

His father would cut off his college fund.  He could tell that much about the ornery old bastard.  If he accepted the scholarship from Cyprine, as soon as he could, then he could stay with Freya, which was great, sure, but it wasn’t a career choice, it was a personal one.

He set his wine goblet down, his guts tightening in helpless rancor.  The depth of his father’s hubris astounded him.  To come all the way to Nocturne just to give him an ultimatum…

Freya tapped the back of his hand with one finger.  Alex started and looked over to where she was sitting.  She glared into his brown eyes with a hint of recrimination dancing in her own, animal green ones.  He nodded apologetically.

She nodded back, relaxing.  She discreetly pushed the wine bottle his way and he topped off his drink as Roemer chatted with Venus, discussing their trip.  Alex smiled in self-reproach.  “Sorry,” he said under his breath.  He knew she could hear him.

“I think the most unexpected part was when we were in Aethonion.  The Museum was amazing, and I didn’t even know it existed,” Venus said.  “That was a nice surprise.”

“Given the rest of the Legion’s lack of hesitation to use Librarians, is it that unexpected to see a Museum devoted to the ancient tribes?” Isaac reasoned.  “They still teach some of the same skills to Librarians today that they taught to the Earth Shamans in the times before the King.”

“Right, but I was expecting there to be one for each tribe, in each city,” Venus said.

Isaac nodded.  “Yes, that would have also made some sense, but I think that would have been interpreted as an invitation to competition,” he reasoned.


Remilia sat back in her own seat, listening with half an ear. She idly wondered if her latest message had arrived at the Dorn manor. Certainly, there hadn’t been many replies to her messages, not like the ones Venus had been getting, within one to three days of sending them to Terra. Then again, Vulkan wrote to Nocturne all the time anyway. Was it wrong of her to assume some reluctance to engage directly was still in play with her father?

She drank from her own wine, then set the cup down, done with it. In fairness, her father probably wasn’t just not trying to contact her. He was a busy man, she supposed. She glanced down the table and grinned to herself as she saw Alex clearly laboring under parental issues too. Misery loved company.

Venus took note of their discomfort. “Well, Captain, thank you for your warm welcome,” she said. “However, my companions and I are exhausted and I suspect a bit of R&R is in order.” She rose to her feet, inviting all the others at the table to rise with a wordless glance. “I look forward to the flight to Fenris, Captain Roemer,” she said, reaching out to grasp his hand.

“You honor me, Princess,” Roemer said, bowing over her hand. She grasped his and shook it. “Welcome back aboard. Our official Estimated Time of Arrival is nine days,” he added.

“Excellent. Good evening, Captain,” she said, nodding respectfully. The others dutifully grabbed their bags and filed out as she winked a farewell to Isaac and took her leave.

Remilia waited outside the lift to the cabins, wondering if she could make a discreet exit. Venus lightly coughed, sensing her dilemma. Remilia flinched and glanced over at her armored cousin, who smiled mysteriously.