Chapter 81
Two-thirds of the Death Guard aboard this ship had been left behind in realspace, and now they were stunned.
They had seen plenty of Imperial ships swallowed by the Warp. But this was the first time they'd witnessed a Chaoswarship consumed by it. Normally, that only happened when the Ruinous Powers fought each other in the Immaterium, each god pulling at reality with their own power.
And when we say "Chaos gods" here, it doesn't just mean the Big Four—or Five, depending on who you ask. There are also countless lesser demigods and daemon princes out there.
In short, it was almost unheard of for the Warp itself to turn against a Chaos vessel.
But according to the Emperor? Get used to it. In the future, the so-called "E Demons" and their armies will be diving into the Warp regularly—just like a certain Grey Knight Grand Master who makes that sort of trip far too often.
The Genesis drifted closer to the wreckage of the Indomitable Will and fired out heavy boarding hooks, securing the once-proud Death Guard battleship.
"I can't even put my feelings into words," one Inquisitor muttered. "I know it's wrong, but my admiration for these xenos is almost as strong as what I once felt for my mentor."
"Don't fight it," another said. "I feel the same."
Only five Space Wolves remained alive, but even they were speechless.
Victory.
Victory!
Victory!
It was a triumph so complete that, for the moment, the Inquisitors forgot Isis and her companions were aliens. Some even thought the Departmento Munitorum should award Isis a medal.
Not only had they smashed a host of Slaaneshi daemons, but they had also claimed a desecrated relic of the Horus Heresy.
The Tech-Priests were already talking about erecting a monument to Isis on the nearest Forge World. Anyone who dared object? They'd get their head melted off with a plasma gun.
After all, praising the Omnissiah didn't prevent them from respecting a warrior who had served the Machine God's cause so well.
"The battle isn't over yet."
Isis heard the murmurs of her troops.
"There's still half a ship full of traitors left to clear."
"Leave that to us."
This time, the Imperial commandos and the Lizardmen led the way into the Indomitable Will. Godzilla didn't bother. What use was he in a cramped corridor, swatting plague flies? Wherever he walked, Nurglings scattered in fear anyway.
You don't need me anymore.
[I don't need you anymore.]
Call me when we reach Cadia.
With that, Godzilla stretched out across the hangar deck and went to sleep. The hangar was massive, large enough to house entire wings of bulk transports. Don't forget—this was a warship over ten kilometers long.
And yet, with shattered planetary fragments still collapsing in the distance, even here on the deck, no one dared underestimate Godzilla.
The old worker clans aboard the ship treated him like a god. They weren't traitors to the Emperor—these were 30K-era laborers, back before Imperial Cult dogma turned Him into a deity. To them, the Emperor was a leader. Godzilla? A god.
Children from the worker clans even used scrap metal and rotting chunks of Death Guard flesh to build small Godzilla statues.
Strangely, the Nurgle-blessed meat, which should have infected them instantly, did nothing. Was it Godzilla's presence suppressing the rot? Or had the plague-flesh simply gone inert? No one knew.
The cleanup was quick.
Nearly all the remaining Death Guard were purged, along with their Nurglings and Plaguebringers.
One Inquisitor declared proudly:
"This ship must be taken to Cadia, so that Cadia's Navy will see that under the Emperor's light, our Imperium is unstoppable!"
Another agreed:
"It'll raise Cadia's morale. Let the minions of Chaos see the true power of the Imperium!"
Others, however, turned to Isis directly.
"Priest Isis, thank you again for your aid. We're bound for Cadia as well—may we travel with you? That way Cadia's forces will recognize you as allies and avoid… accidents."
"Yes," another said grimly. "I'd rather not have some arrogant noble fire on your Lizardmen by mistake."
"I think we can all agree—nobles have no brains."
The Imperium was fractured. Yes, the Astartes and the Inquisition were loyal to the Emperor, but nobles? Eight out of ten were tied to Chaos. Of the remaining two, one cared only for profit, and the last had so little faith in the Emperor you might as well put a question mark by his name.
The Inquisition might be mad, but they weren't fools. Attacking demi-human allies in a time like this? That would only make enemies of their own. Any Inquisitor who did that would earn nothing but spit—or a bolt round—from his peers.
"Very well," Isis said at last. "This isn't far from Cadia. You can take a shuttle ahead, but I can't guarantee your safety."
"Then thank you for your understanding, Priest. Even if I fall, I'll remember your kindness."
It sounded like a curse, but coming from an Inquisitor, it was as sincere as thanks ever got.
The Imperial Stormtroopers departed. The surviving Astra Militarum veterans joined Captain Wade's company.
One other figure remained—a Death Cult assassin.
She refused to leave.
Her battle-suit was torn in several places, but her wounds had healed unnaturally fast, leaving only pale, flawless skin visible. Her spiked restraint mask gave her the eerie look of a true 40K monster, but without it? She was strikingly beautiful—blonde, blue-eyed, with sharp features and a body so lean that her body fat was lower than a Space Marine's.
"Aren't you leaving?" Isis asked her.
"I wish to stay."
"I can see what drives you—fighting, killing. I'm surprised you haven't already drawn a blade against me."
Assassins of the Imperium were monsters in human skin. Just because she looked human didn't make her less terrifying.
"I have no reason to kill you," the assassin said flatly. "You are flawless prey. If I follow you, I'll find more battles. I crave killing, and in killing, death. I will slaughter the enemies of the Imperium, drink their blood, and offer it to the Emperor."
"…You truly are a Death Cult assassin," Isis said, satisfied.
She was strong—strong enough to take on three Eldar Rangers at once, at least. Surviving two consecutive battles already proved her worth.
"Then follow me. I'll give you the bloodshed you crave. Because we're going to Cadia."
Cadia.
Any traveler who knew the grim fate of that world might choose to end themselves rather than face it.
Even Godzilla—if stranded on Cadia—could do nothing but wait for death.
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