The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

Of course those lazy glory hogging fucks were gonna show up at the very end. After pulling off an epic reenactment of the moment when the winged hussar arrived with his army of tanks, Henry wasn't able to indulge in the afterglow of victory when he learned that Minoru and Feng has decided, now that the coast was clear, to finally commit their troops. The two generals even tried to have a military parade through Goguryeo, but the hostile reception from the surviving Jigurean defenders and civilians forced them to take the long route around the city to join the victorious guardsmen of the Immortal Spirit.

It was a petty satisfaction that Henry lapped up with delight.

After the trio spent a few hours berating the two generals for acting like a bunch of punk ass bitches, the combined Imperial Guard forces went on the offensive, pursuing the orks into the mountainous wilderness of the Jigugeum countryside.

That was two weeks ago, and beside a few skirmishes with orkish stragglers and rearguard elements, they have yet to face any sizable forces. Now, the Immortal Spirit battlegroup and the expeditionary force have made camp in and around the ruin of Silla, once Jigugeum second largest city and the last stop before reaching the Cheongug Wangjwa manufactorum, an entire mountain repurposed into a big ass factory, the ork's planetary stronghold, and as always, where the STC is being kept.

"This is a fucking waste of time," Tangmo hissed at Henry's shoulder, pulling him back to the present.

"The men need some rest," Henry told him. "It's been a long march dude."

"I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about this bullshit," Tangmo waved at the scene unfolding before them, earning a tsk from a kimono wearing noblewoman standing next to him, and Henry couldn't helped but agree with the commissar. At the request of general Minoru and Feng, Henry and Tangmo had reluctantly accepted their invitation to witness the seer Syrathel's morning divination rite. Standing at the back of the crowd, the duo watched Syrathel writhe her body in a strange sinuous dance that reminded Henry of a rearing cobra, twisting and gyrating in the ethereal wisp of incense smoke.

"It looks pretty nice though," Henry failed completely to suppress his goofy grin, Syrathel's flimsy robe hid nothing, every sway and bounce was truly mesmerizing.

"I'm telling Ladaee," Tangmo grinned maliciously.

"If you breath a word of this I'm gonna break your spine over my knee and have Leilatha finish you off with my chainsword, while I watch," Henry delivered his threat lowly. "And don't pretend you're not enjoying this."

"…Yeah, this is hot," Tangmo glared at Henry. "Not a word to Leilatha, you understand?"

"Well that depends, what's in it for me?" Henry smirked.

"Ladaee not busting your balls with a wrench for starter."

"How is she gonna find out when Leilatha's busy shooting you in the head?"

"You think I can't get to Ladaee before you get to Leilatha?"

"Oh yeah."

"Game on then."

"Excuse me!" A Buxiunese sycophant in a flowing hanfu of gleaming blue silk interrupted the banter with an obnoxiously condescending hiss. "We are trying to listen to what the seer is saying!"

"Fuck off bitch before I blow your fucking head off," Tangmo reached for his laspistol, sending the prissy nobleman scrambling through the crowd as Syrathel started speaking.

"Hear me, noble warriors!" Her powerful melodic voice reverberated across the tent, the occupants swooned but Henry and Tangmo stood their ground, unyielding like a rock. "The time of reckoning draws near, the heaven and earth cower at the coming clash which will decide the fate of all that dwells beneath the sun of Songkram-Nappa. The weaving pattern reveals to me both of victory and defeat, there is no stopping the tide of death cresting closer toward us all!"

Predictably, the crowd ate that stupid vague shit up. The choir of fearful whispers was reaching a choking pitch when Syrathel spoke up again, taking on a more soothing timbre and louder octave.

"But trust in your faith, for it will be your deliverance! Even now as the enemies closed in on all sides, I can see the tapestry of the future weaving itself into a glorious image of victory. Do not be troubled good men and women, be content in the knowledge that salvation is at hand!"

This is a cult, a goddamn cult. The way every eyes sparkled at Syrathel, how they readily ignored commonsense and easily embraced her declaration bespoke of how deeply the woman had poisoned their minds.

"Be at peace and ease your mind," Syrathel stepped out of the thin veil of smoke, flanked by two handmaidens clad in the same revealing outfits and approached the ring of people. The woman on her right handed Syrathel a beautifully worked silver chalice, thin tendrils of steam rising from the liquid inside. She handed the drink to the audience, all of whom drank deeply, a look of pure ecstasy plastered on their faces. When the chalice ran empty, the handmaiden on the left refilled it quickly for the eager crowd. It took Syrathel about ten minutes before reaching Henry and Tangmo, the seer flinching at the duo's naked contempt.

"Lord general, lord commissar," the chalice in Syrathel's hand shook, her voice on the edge of tears. "Please accept this, for your health."

Henry now saw the liquid sloshing inside, a strange swirling cocktail of milky blue, pink and violet.

"Looks like something Grimhilde would give to Snow White," Tangmo sneered.

"I feel roofied just looking at it," Henry agreed.

"Please sir," Syrathel pressed, managing to be both frightful and innocent at the same time. Henry can feel his resolve melting at the display. "I mean you no harm, I merely want to wish you well on your undertaking, and give you any aide I can."

"We don't want any," Tangmo was indefatigable in his hostility. "Beat it."

"But…" Syrathel raised the chalice closer to Tangmo's face.

"I said fuck off!"

Syrathel and her handmaidens sprang back with a squeal from Tangmo's booming roar, some of the liquid spilling from the chalice. Seeing how everybody was pointing and cursing at Tangmo for his assholish behavior, Henry swiftly knelt down and soaked the liquid off the carpeted floor with a kerchief Ladaee had given him. He was back on his feet before anybody noticed, the wet kerchief tucked safely back inside his awesome general coat.

"Yeah, yeah, like I give a fuck!" Tangmo flipped off his jeering crowd while the crying Syrathel shambled over to a group of Buxiunese and Kuronese nobles who welcomed her with words of comfort. The din of admonition died down when general Minoru and general Feng strode up to Tangmo and Henry, looking less than pleased as they bowed stiffly.

"Lord general, lord commissar," Minoru's greeting was brittle. "It would seem that your manner has not improved at all since our last encounter."

"Was there a point of calling us here?" Henry cut in before Tangmo can speak. "Please tell me there's a reason besides wasting our time with this crap. We have an army to run, if you haven't noticed."

"We do have complains to lodge against you," Feng glided smoothly into the conversation. "Your soldiers have, without reason, fired upon our men, injuring many and killing several. Among those harmed was my nephew, viciously beaten by your black colonel. He can barely walk now!"

"I was there when that happened, general Feng, your nephew was pretty spritely when he ran away like a little bitch," Henry grinned toothily.

"We demand punishment and satisfaction!" Minoru raised his voice.

"You don't demand shit," Tangmo shot back. "Colonel Evangeline and the Mordian attacked your troops because those sons of bitches couldn't keep their dicks and dildos in their pants. If anything, I should have them all executed for conducts unbefitting of Imperial Guardsmen."

Minoru seethed silently but Feng managed to flash an easy smile and said:

"My lord commissar, let's not be hasty. Soldiers of course have needs beyond their duty, and when those needs are not met, how can we expect them to perform their job effectively? It is only natural that they are allowed to release those urges. The locals were happy to help, despite what you might have heard, and we pay them well too."

Jaw hanging slack open, Henry traded look of absolute disbelief with the equally flabbergasted Tangmo, both stunned by the general's guiltless declaration.

"I should have the commissar execute the two of you on the spot," Henry managed after a moment.

"Can I?" The laspistol was already in Tangmo's hand, around them the nobilities shrieked and the two generals took an involuntary step back.

"Chill dude, nobody's dying right now," Tangmo made a disappointed groan and holstered his laspistol while Henry cast a dark look at Feng and Minoru. "No matter how tempting the idea might be."

"All of this hostility over a bunch of Jigurean," Minoru scoffed. "It appears that your priority is eschewed, general Henry."

"My mission is clear, general Minoru," the coldness of Henry's timbre dropped by several degrees. "I am here to collect the STC, vanquish the orks and protect the people of this planet. A shame then, that you see this as nothing more than an opportunity to bully the populace and flaunt your nonexistence superiority."

"Oh please motherfucker, try it," Tangmo's hand hovered over his laspistol when Minoru reached for his katana, the movement flashy but slow, lacking the true finesse of a warrior.

"Put your effort into killing the orks instead of…whatever the hell this is," Henry spun and headed for the exit with Tangmo at his side. "Our business here is concluded."

"There are many women in your battlegroup," Feng raised his voice for the entire tent to hear. "If you are so concern about the Jigurean, perhaps they can provide a more willing service? We rarely have visitors from outside the system, I'm sure the men will greatly appreciate the chance to dabble in the exotic."

So fierce was the sudden burst of anger that Henry's chainsword was already half way out of its scabbard before Tangmo snatched his arm and held it firmly. They locked eyes, and despite seeing the same black fury reflected upon Tangmo's visage, the commissar slowly, pointedly, shook his head. With herculean reluctance, Henry eased his hand away from the grip and slammed the chainsword back into its sheath.

"Your men are not to come within ten kilometers of our base of operation," Tangmo's menacing baritone smacked the excitable crowd into silence. "Any unauthorize personnel spotted will be shot on sight."

Henry and Tangmo quickly stomped toward the tent flap, not trusting themselves to hold their temper in check. Stepping outside, Henry took a deep breathe, the bitter air calming his nerves. Glancing back, he saw Tangmo stopping at the exit, face grim as he addressed the occupants:

"When this is over, I'm gonna come back and kill all of you."

"That'll soil some pants," Henry smirked as he and Tangmo quickened their pace down the destroyed park where the command tent was situated, the opulence contrasted sickeningly with the desolation around them.

"Nope, they just laughed at me," Tangmo shrugged. "They waved it off as immaturity."

"Those stupid bastards don't know you," Henry chuckled.

"Politicians and sycophants think they're immune to dying," Tangmo said, "makes it that much better when it happens."

"Oh yeah, that'll be sweet," Henry sighed as they traversed a wide thoroughfare flanked on both side by Buxiunese and Kuronese guardsmen. "I can't believe Feng actually said that. I mean, what the fuck?!"

"Yeah, I'd expected something like that from the Japanese," Tangmo said. "But then again, it's not like the Chinese are any better. Tojo, Mao, the only thing different about them is the kill count."

"So you're saying everyone is evil?" Henry gave him an incredulous look as the scenery around them changed from urban city to dusty rice paddies.

"Given the chance? Yeah," Tangmo nodded.

"That's rather cynical," Henry sighed.

"The world hasn't proved me wrong yet," Tangmo looked at Henry. "You okay man? It's been a while since you lost it like that."

"Yeah, I know, sorry about that," Henry shook his head. "But…Jesus, how can he say something like that with a straight face?"

"He's a cunt, that's all there is to it," Tangmo's face brightened when he saw the Immortal Spirit battlegroup's defenses drawing nearer on the horizon. "A spoiled rich cunt that thinks everything is beholden to him."

"When you're right, you're right," Henry wanted to laugh but the sight before him lit the dying ember of his anger a new. Five hundred yard from the Immortal Spirit's control zone, a squad of Kuronese soldier had accosted a beaten wagon being commandeered by a Jigurean woman. They jeered at her in leering tone, while some of the more daring reached forth and groped her, trying to tear her hanbok open. Behind her, huddled together atop the wagon were five children, helpless and crying as the soldiers closed in. Henry was drawing his laspistol when the Kuronese suddenly backed away from the woman and reached for their weapons. Sprinting forth from the wall of sandbags came two squads of Grey Watch, led by major Aileen herself.

"Back off you bloody tossers, back off!" Aileen yelled and leveled her lasgun at the Kuronese who responded in kind. "Go on then, piss off before I scorch your gob full of las!"

"You don't order us around, gaijin bitch," the sergeant leading the squad growled, his men murmuring their assent. Aileen was about to unleash a barrage of Scottish tinged curses when she saw Henry and Tangmo approaching. She shouldered her lasgun and saluted crisply.

"Lord general, lord commissar."

The Kuronese spun around, eyes wide as the pair stalked toward them.

"We saw what you did," Tangmo glared at the Kuronese sergeant, "and we don't like it."

"This woman has been stealing from the expeditionary force's food supply," the Kuronese sergeant huffed self-righteously. "I am here to escort this criminal back to the camp, so that appropriate punishment can be given."

"Liar!" The Jigurean shouted. "Me and my children were seeking sanctuary when these Kuronese dogs caught up to us, saying that they'll have their way with my daughters unless I willingly pleasure them."

"There's food, water and medical supply for you inside," Tangmo ignored the Kuronese's protest as he waved the Jigurean woman toward the Immortal Spirit's base. "Please make yourself at home."

The Jigurean woman bowed gratefully but the Kuronese sergeant snatched her arm savagely and held it in twisting vice. She yelped in pain as he threw her to the ground, making a show of humiliating her.

"You have no authority over…" the sergeant's sentence ended when a lasbolt punched into his forehead and exited the back of his skull, the Jigurean woman screamed and backpedaled away from the folded, boneless corpse.

"Don't even think about it," Henry trained his smoking laspistol on the remaining Kuronese. "The expeditionary force is not allowed within ten kilometers of the Immortal Spirit's base of operation without a probable cause or they will be shot. Is that understood?"

"General Minoru will hear of this kokujin!" A corporal seethed. "He will not…"

Tangmo shot the babbling man in the neck, almost decapitating him.

"What? I wanna shoot something too," Tangmo shrugged.

"I think me and the commissar have made our point vividly clear?" Henry nudged his head back at Silla. "Now scram, and clean this shit up."

Hefting up their dead comrades, the Kuronese sprinted away and out of sight in a matter of minutes.

"Vakon, can you spare some Basilisk and Manticore to the rear?" Henry tapped his earbud as the Jigurean woman and her children were escorted into the Immortal Spirit's perimeter.

"Of course sir," the artillery lieutenant said, "but why?"

"The generals are being dicks, we need to show them who's boss," Henry said nonchalantly. "You have my permission to blow any unauthorized guardsmen coming within ten kilometers of our base straight to hell."

"Yes sir," Vakon acknowledged.

"Guess the meeting went well then sir?" Aileen falls in beside them.

"Oh yeah, it went so well Henry almost killed everyone," Tangmo laughed as they strolled into the base proper, the men and women on duty saluting them smartly.

"I hope you scared some senses into them sir," Aileen's face scrunched up crossly. "After what we've seen…I'm starting to think that the Kuronese and Buxiunese are not terribly nice people."

"You got that right," Henry admitted dourly. "How many came into our camp today?"

"A lot sir," Aileen nudged her head to the left, "you better see for yourself."

Following the Grey Watch major, Henry and Tangmo strode toward a clearing situated between two towering hill where Ryvin had set up the field hospital, the gap between the rises funneled in a steady breeze that was soothingly cool and carried away the stench of the wounded. But while a significant number of injured guardsmen occupied the area, most of the spaces have been repurposed into temporary shelters for Jigurean refugees who had survived the ork's onslaught but were now fleeing the expeditionary force.

"Well, the safety zone's more or less a success, this place is filling up quick," Henry commented. "How many got here today?"

"One hundred and twenty household so far," colonel Evangeline approached them, followed by pretty much all of the main female characters. The way the women converged on them, like tigresses and lionesses surrounding trapped hunters, was ominous as fuck.

"How goes the meeting with the two generals?" Evangeline asked them.

"Stupid," Tangmo answered her. "We spent most of it watching Syrathel perform a striptease."

"Did my name come up at all during the striptease?" Evangeline raised a brow.

"That was after the striptease, but yeah, the generals were not pleased with you," Tangmo continued.

"How did you respond?"

"We applaud your action in defending the civilians," Henry said.

"What about the rest of this?" Leilatha waved at the people around them. "Can we expect any responsibility from the Buxiunese and Kuronese high command?"

"None," Henry shook his head. "They see nothing wrong with what is happening, going as far as defending it."

"Fucking bastards," Khaleela's hiss was echoed by the other women. "Is there anything we can do to stop them?"

"Well, general Feng did suggest that we whore our guardswomen out to them so they can stop raping the locals. Apparently they want to fuck something new."

Henry was honestly surprised that the women didn't pounced and ripped Tangmo to shreds for his nonchalant announcement. The glare was still pretty terrifying though.

"And what was your response?" Krix asked severely through gritted teeth.

"That I'm gonna fucking kill him," Tangmo shot the women an indignant look. "What the fuck, did y'all think I would even consider what that jackass said?!"

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that we all assume you gave a, well, diplomatic answer," Hera, the recently promoted Kolasian scout captain said. "Personally, I think your reply was amazing."

"I feel so betrayed! Haven't I been cool to all of you?!" Tangmo threw his fists into the air like a tantrum throwing brat.

"Well, you did kick three of us in the arse sir," Aileen said to a healthy dosage of snickering.

"You wanna join the club?" Tangmo's question received an even louder laugh from the women, and a scarily suggestive look from Aileen. "But seriously though, I'm gonna fucking kill them when this is done."

"What about our own Buxiunese and Kuronese?" Henry spoke up. "Have there been any problem with Lingxin, Kenshin and their men?"

"None so far," Ladaee said. "They've actually been very helpful. But we're keeping them at a distant, just in case."

"Kenshin isn't so bad," Elpida piped up. "He's been helping around the safety zone, right Korri?"

"That's right, he was actually here about an hour ago, giving out medicine and food," Korri added. "But the Jigurean were less than receptive, to say the least."

"Hardly surprising," Henry said. "What about Lingxin?"

"She's been rather aloof of the entire ordeal sir," Zuhra said. "Oh she sends help, sure, but she never once ventured into the safety zone, just hovering around the edge with this scowl on her face, like she didn't want to admit that this was happening."

"For all her sob stories about the evil Kuronese, her people are not that much better," Luva observed dryly. "And it's not only the Jigurean that's entering the safety zone, we got camp followers from both the Buxiunese and Kuronese army migrating here, family worth of them. The most battered looking ones said they were comfort women, none of them care to elaborate what that means."

"They're women forced or tricked into sexual slavery, it's a Kuronese thing," Tangmo said. "The comfort women were Buxiunese and Jigurean, right?"

"Some, but most were Kuronese," Luva's face fell. "Guess we can't trust Kenshin and his ilk after all."

"That's the last thing we need right now," Henry said sternly. "We have to remember that the Buxiunese and Kuronese are our allies, especially the ones in our camp. They need to be assimilated into the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, not ostracize. It is our duty to show them that their behavior is not compatible with the Imperium at large. I'm sure a little talk can go along way."

"What about fists to the face?" Tyra asked.

"No, none of that now," Henry wagged a warning finger.

"A kick in the balls?" Hera piped up.

"Hell no," Henry grimaced.

"A lasbolt to the back of the head?" Krix smiled brightly.

"Goddamn, what is wrong with you people?!" Henry said exasperatedly.

"Now, now ladies, the general is correct," Emily stepped forward, swooping in gracefully like a headmistress coming to rescue a new teacher from a room full of rowdy students. "We have a responsibility to make the Immortal Spirit battlegroup an exemplar fighting force within the Imperium. So chin up, put on your best smiles and let's see if we can charm those hearts to our side."

"Great, now we have two mums in the battlegroup," Krix rolled her eyes, Luva nodding in agreement.

"Who's the first?" Zuhra asked.

"Ladaee," Evangeline cracked a grin at the annoyed look Ladaee shot her.

"You do realize I'm standing right here?" Ladaee crossed her arms.

"We know lass," Aileen sniggered.

"With so many unruly little girls, it is only natural for the mothers to take charge," Emily grinned haughtily.

"Right, now that we got the girl talk out of the way, I think we can…"

"Yo Tangmo, Henry! We got an emergency bro, get the hell up here!"

Damien's hyperactive bellowing made Henry and Tangmo leapt off their feet, hands clasped over ringing ears and unleashing a torrent of curses that made Emily and Ladaee gasped in horror.

"Fuck!" Henry winced, "you trying to make us deaf?!"

"The ork's Warboss just hailed us yo!" Damien went on hurriedly. "The green fucker's calling us!"

"What in the fuck?!" Tangmo's unbelieving shock mirrored Henry's own befuddlement. "Orks don't fucking talk."

"This one does," Damien continued. "Albert's booting the signal right now, we should be able to establish a line of communication within a few minutes."

"Holy shit, it's not even nine and things are already getting exciting," Tangmo threw his arms around Leilatha and Evangeline's shoulders like a playboy billionaire and guided them toward a tall hill where the battlegroup's headquarter was situated. "Come on ladies, let go have some fun!"

Evangeline and Leilatha elbowed him in the sternum at the same time, sending him sprawling to the ground with a choking gasp. Tyra and Emily rushed to aid the fallen Tangmo while Evangeline and Leilatha dusted off their uniform snootily and strode toward the hill.

"Zuhra, wait up," Henry called after the Tallarn medic.

"Yes lord general?" She asked.

"I need you to run some test on this," Henry handed her the damped kerchief, the cloth dripping blue. "The seer was passing around a drink this morning, I want to know what's in it."

"Did you consume any?" Zuhra eyed him.

"No, and neither did the commissar," Henry reassured her.

"Good, because I don't like the color at all," Zuhra folded the kerchief and stuffed it in her pocket. "I'll get on this as soon as I can."

"Thank you," Henry tipped his awesome general cap and strode after the limping Tangmo being supported by the ever attentive Tyra. Strange, why was he giving the pilot a guilty look?

"Alright, you guys are finally…what the hell happened to you?"

"Mutiny and treachery of the most heinous kind!" Tangmo stabbed his finger at Leilatha and Evangeline, both women giving him a doe eyed, innocent look that would've been cute in other circumstances.

"Well, whatever happen I'm sure it's your fault," Damien shrugged, the fucking traitor, and returned his attention to the empty holo-display. "Hey Albert, what's taking so long?"

"Sorry," was Albert coughing? Come to think of it, the AI actually sounded kinda sick these last few days. Was that even possible?

"Albert, you alright man?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, just a bit under the weather that's all," Albert laughed it off. "Running a freaking city is one hell of a job."

"You sure you're okay?" Tangmo dropped his injured act. "Maybe you should sit this one out."

"Nah man, I'm good," Albert was silent for a moment then piped up brightly. "Yo, we got contact."

"Bring the Green Skin mofo up online dude," at Damien's command tiny specks of pixel correlated into a three dimensional hologram of a fuck huge Warboss with googly cybernetic right eye the size of a headlight, while his normal eye gleamed with feral cunning and unsettling intelligence. His entire body was comprised of mismatched machinery that enhanced his already imposing green physique of comically corded, bulging muscles. Oh, and he was also wearing a gat, the traditional Korean hat framed between two huge metal coated horns.

"OI, ARE YA THEM HUMIE GITZ DATZ R'UNNING DA ARMY?" The ork bellowed in broken, drunken English, giving the trio his unhinged crazy eyes.

"Who are you to address us, foul beast?" Minoru's smooth timbre boomed forth before the trio can speak.

"YA TINK YA SO TUFF, AINT YA?!" The ork swerved his head left and right, trying to pin point the speaker. "DAT WUZ SUM BLUDIE GUD JOB GUTTING MA BOYZ LIKE DAT. HEHEHE, I LUV ME SELF A GUD FIGHT!"

"Umm, yeah, excuse me hello," Damien piped up and waved at the Warboss, "yeah, hi. We're the one who destroyed your army at Goguryeo, not that lazy fat ass over there."

"How dare you…!"

"YER ONE O DEM MARINE BOYZ!" The Warboss bellowed excitedly, the volume easily silencing Minoru's outrage. "DIZ IZ GONNA BE A REAL FIGHT, WORTY OF MY WAAAGH!"

"Why are we wasting our time talking to your retarded ass?" Tangmo asked. "What do you want?"

"IM BEING SHEVALREOUS!" The ork announced proudly.

"…She what?" Tangmo's face scrunched up in confusion.

"I think he's saying 'chivalrous' lord commissar," Xiphos offered to the agreeing nods of the main characters.

"Oh, you mean chivalrous," Tangmo annunciated each word carefully.

"YEH, DAT!" The insult has no effect on the ork.

"Okay…" Tangmo facepalmed himself, "how are you being chivalrous again?"

"IM SHOWIN YA DA KURTERSEE OF TELLING YA DAT MA WAAAGH IZ HEADING YO WAY!" The ork shouted.

"You want a fair fight," Henry grinned.

"JUZ LIKE DAT BUK…WOTZ IT CALL…BASHUDU, ME THINK."

"You mean bushido?" Henry corrected him, visibly flinching at the ork's butchering of the Japanese language.

"YEH, DAT!" The ork went on. "TEESH ME A LOT ABOUT FIGHTING WITH EM TINY CHOPPA! ITZ GONNA MAKE MA WAAAGH DAT MUCH MORE…SOFISTTAKATETED."

"You degenerate beast!" Kenshin totally lost his shit, fist shaking at the ork, "how dare you desecrate the holy tome of Kuro Taiyo?! I will see you dead for this!"

"You should be grateful someone actually appreciates that chicken scratching," Lingxin laughed like an anime villainess.

"AFTAR IM DUN WITH ALL YA GITZ, IM TAKING MA GLORIOUS WAAAGH ACROSS DA STARZ!" The ork's guttural laughed reverberated across the tent. "AND ALL WILL KNOW DA NAME OF KIM JOR URRK!"

The trio traded blank looks before Henry spoke up slowly, "I'm sorry but, what was your name again?"

"KIM JOR URRK!"

The silence that followed lasted for about five seconds before the trio's combined laughter shattered it into a million pieces. The commissar, the general and the Space Marine doubling over in back breaking hilarity, much to the confusion of all.

"I have four lungs and I can't fucking breath!" Damien managed between guffaws.

"Holy God Jesus, this is fucking amazing!" Tangmo was on his knees, unable to stop laughing.

"This is too good bro, holy shit!" Henry gave the ork a thumbs up.

"WUTZ SO FUNNY YA GROTZ?!" Kim the ork was getting pissed now.

"Your name, glorious leader!" Tangmo gave him a mock salute and sat down on the ground, reining his breath under control. "Okay, I gotta calm down, holy shit."

"IMMA GRIND YA BONES TA DUST YA GITZ!" Kim Jor Urrk declared hotly. "DEN IMMA TEAR YA GUTZ OUT AND EAT THEM ME SELF! YA HEAR ME?! NOBODY LAFF AT KIM JOR URRK AND DA HATE KLUBZ!"

"Wait a minute, Hate Club?" Henry made an exaggerated unbelieving face. "You and the Hate Club are coming for us? Well bring it you green bitch, we'll murder the whole lot of you!"

"NO ONE CAN STAND UP TA MA HATE KLUBZ HUMIE!" Kim bellowed.

"You ain't got no chance in hell son!" Henry adopted his promo cutting stance. "Because today, live, in front of this capacity crowd, the Hate Club is gonna get their asses destroy by the good brothers of the Bullet Club, too sweet me broski!" Henry held up his fox head corna and touched it with Tangmo and Damien's own.

"BULLIT KLUB," Kim Jor Urrk rolled the name around his tongue before laughing devilishly. "I LIKE DAT! IM TAKING IT!"

"Wait, what the fuck, you can't do that, that's our!" Damien spluttered.

"ITZ MINE NOW!" The ork cackled triumphantly.

"No its not!" Damien shot back.

"OI BOYZ, WE BE CALL DA BULLIT KLUB NOW!" Kim's announcement was met with approving hollers from the other orks off screen.

"It doesn't matter what you call yourself, because today you die!" Henry cut in. "Because there can only be one Bullet Club, and it's for, for, for, for life!"

"DIZ WILL BE A WAAAGH TO REMEMBER!" Kim was hyped now. "ITZ TIME BOYZ! ERE WE GO, ERE WE GO, ERE WE GO!"

"Okay, turn that stupid shit off, I'm getting tinnitus," Tangmo waved at the hologram, prompting the communication team to terminate the transmission, the Warboss pixilated body disintegrating into digitized dust. "Well that was a fun distraction. Anyway, let's get ready too…"

"Your forces will stand down, lord commissar."

Did Feng just really say that? Judging by the startled look plastered on the main characters' faces, he didn't misheard the Buxiunese general.

"Please repeat that general Feng, we didn't quite catch you there," Henry turned to the empty holo-display.

"We shall be the one to vanquish the Warboss Kim Jor Urrk," Minoru now spoke. "We do not need your help dealing with these savages. Therefore, your troop will maintain position while the expeditionary force marches against the Green Skin."

"It would be better if our armies stay out of each other's way, to minimize any misunderstanding that might occur," Feng added smoothly.

"Cool, good luck dude," Damien's quick response was not what the two generals had expected, the stark silent that follows was telling.

"…You will not interfere?" Minoru found his voice first.

"Have fun," Henry said sweetly.

"Best of luck to you, general Feng, general Minoru," Tangmo was politely insincere. "Will that be all?"

"I suppose," Feng said before logging off.

"Are we really standing down?" Krillen asked, not liking the prospect of sitting out a fight.

"Oh yeah, we're just gonna kick back and chill," Tangmo turned his grinning face to Henry and Damien. "Please tell me you guys brought snacks."

The only way to describe what Damien was feeling right now would be frustration, disgust and confusion. From their vantage point atop the hill, which granted them an awesome unobstructed VIP view on the battle unfolding below, Damien paced restless, unable to sit his ass down on the soft grass. It was like watching a Twitch livestream of an abysmal Total War player fucking every possible thing up.

"No, no, no! What the fuck was that!" Damien groaned. "Come on man! Now the entire vanguard is stretched too thin!"

"Oh shit, the center's folding," Tangmo shoveled a handful of tortilla chips into his mouth before handing the jumbo size bag to Damien. "More?"

"Thanks," Damien held out his hand and Tangmo poured a healthy serving for him, the Space Marine beamed brightly after a few bites. "Goddamn, these are really good."

"Grown and made on the Immortal Spirit own botanical gardens," Henry added. "Best damn chips I ever had in my life, still missing the salsa and guacamole though."

"Oh for the love of…don't fucking banzai charge the orks! God!" Damien threw his arms into the air, below them the Kuronese threw their entire right flank at the mass of eager orks in a badly thought out attempt to pincer the Green Skin. Predictably, after a short fight, the green tide easily swallowed the assault.

"Didn't we do the same thing back at Goguryeo?" Meko took a sip from his canteen. "It went pretty well for us."

"The orks had their backs turned to us then, not to mention being peppered by gunfire from every direction in a confined space," Tangmo glanced at Meko. "That better not be alcohol dude."

"No sir, its father Joseph's Irn-Bru," Meko said. "He gave me a refill down at the safety zone."

"Going muscles to muscles with the orks is madness," Alistair sipped daintily from his white teacup, hovering nearby was Emily with a complete tea set balanced on her upturned palm. "Even the Adeptus Astartes avoid engaging them in close combat."

"That we do," Damien nodded then breathes out a sigh of relief when the Kuronese and Buxiunese managed to push the orks back, but the damage has already been done. The expeditionary force's battle line was battered and malformed, crooked and looking ready to snap at any moment, while the orks haven't lost a single drop of vitality.

"It's chaos down there," peering through the scope of Korri's las-sniper, Elpida swept the long rifle across the battlefield. "The Buxiunese and Kuronese are trying to get the injured back, but now they're bulling into the fresh troops rushing for the frontline. God Emperor's mercy, they're trampling each other."

"Let me see," Korri reached for the barrel but Elpida jerked it away.

"It's my turn," Elpida trained the weapon downward.

"It's my gun!" Korri huffed.

"You let me borrow it!" Elpida shot back.

"Now I want it back!"

"That's not fair!"

"Mine!"

"No!"

"Can you two maybe stop swinging that gun around? It's scaring me," Damien glanced warily at the squabbling girls.

"The lasgun is empty Brother Sergeant," Korri pointed at the empty magazine well.

"There's nothing left in the chamber, right?" Damien continued. "I mean, I don't know how lasguns work."

"It shouldn't," Korri tapped Elpida on the shoulder. "Pull the trigger."

No flash nor pops and fizzes of ionized air came when Elpida squeezed the trigger.

"Phew, that's good, I don't want people accidentally getting shot because you two were fighting over a gun," Korri and Elpida glanced guiltily at one another.

"Hey Henry, are the artilleries and tanks in place?" Tangmo crushed the empty tortilla bag into a ball and threw it down the hill before helping himself to a cup of tea.

"Oh yeah, Vakon and Ruven moved everything into position hours ago," Henry nodded. "What about the guardsmen?"

"They're where they need to be, right guys?" The gathered colonels nodded, all except Lingxin, Kenshin and Yon Jae Sun of the Homeland Rifle.

"I thought we won't be interfering?" Kenshin asked.

"Oh we will," Damien said. "We're just waiting for the right moment to make a dramatic entrance and save the expeditionary force, while at the same time humiliating Feng and Minoru for their incompetence."

"And here I thought you were above such petty politicking," Lingxin was snobbishly judgmental.

"We make political statement through action, not empty statement," Tangmo added.

"If it means more dead Buxiunese and Kuronese, I'm all for it," Sun smirked at the poisonous look Lingxin and Kenshin shot him.

"We won't allow it to come to that," Alistair joined the conversation. "If too many of the Buxiunese and Kuronese are slain, the orks will become even more embolden. No, we will intervene long before things deteriorate to that point. But as Brother Damien said, it will be after a good bloodying."

"What about the air force?" Krillen asked.

"Admiral Yi's fleet is standing by," Henry said. "The navy will carpet bomb the orks in conjunction with our artillery bombardment."

"A fine plan, but I think we should commence with the operation now," Evangeline added.

"I agree," Xiphos backed up her up. "If we allow this to continue any longer, the orks could become so convinced in their victory that our support might not be enough to deter them from pushing forward."

"A true hunter knows that a perfect kill comes when the sun blinds the eyes, the wind robs the voice and the sands shifts the feet," Salahdin said. "All we can do now is wait for that moment."

"Beautifully put major," Tangmo placed the empty teacup back on the platter Emily was holding up. "Sure you don't need any help?"

"I'm perfectly fine sir," Emily smiled at him. "But thank you."

"You might want to put those teas down Emily, because it's about to be game, set and match for the orks down there," Damien groaned at the disaster unfolding before him. Under a hurricane of bolts and fire, the orks rammed through the expeditionary force's main battle line, rupturing it into a bloody red gash. Spearheaded by a dozen Mega-Dread and a shit ton of Battlewagon, the ork spilled mercilessly into the expeditionary force, killing with brutal impunity. But the Buxiunese and Kuronese, being badass descendants of the Chinese and Japanese, held their ground with heroic stubbornness, lasfire and bayonets meeting the green tide to the bitter end, no retreat, no surrender.

"What are Feng and Minoru saying?" Damien put on his awesome Space Marine helmet.

"Those two sons of bitches are ignoring us," Tangmo tapped his earbud and listened closely. "But their men are hailing us for help. Guess the only neighborly thing to do is to oblige them, am I right?"

"Right on dude! Lingxin, Kenshin, Sun, over here!" Henry waved the Asians over. "I want your men to follow Tangmo's Cadian and Evangeline's Mordian to the left flank and engage the orks there, you guys are to stop them from overwhelming the expeditionary force, got it?"

"Yes sir!" The three answered in unison.

"Good, now go get your men ready and meet Tangmo at the staging area," Henry dismissed them with a nod and turned back to the raging battle, baulking at the savagery unleashed below.

"You guys are heading to the center, right?" Damien strode up to Bruce and Alistair. "Mind if we tag along?"

"I will be honored laddie!" Bruce grinned.

"Damn," Henry shook his head. "The expeditionary force is about to break, plug the gap if you please."

Bruce and Alistair saluted him.

"It's time for the reinforcement I think?" Henry gave the battlefield one last look before hurrying away with Ladaee and Elpida.

"Bruce," Alistair spoke up. "Get your Grey Watch up onto the crest, I'll bring up the rest of the regiment."

"Don't hurry yourself Alistair, my lads and lasses will hold them, until you come," Bruce smirked.

"Get forward, damn your eyes!" Alistair said exasperatedly.

"The 314th will advance," Bruce bellowed into his earbud. "Preserve the color!"

Well, that went fucking better than expected. The expeditionary force was moments away from getting destroyed when the Immortal Spirit battlegroup swooped in and saved the day, Cock o' the North and Blue Bonnet Over the Border blaring from a hundred bagpipes. With the Praetorian Guards leading the counter attack, and these dudes specialized in killing orks, the green tide was stopped dead in its track, the surviving Buxiunese and Kuronese quickly rallying to the reinforcement. With the advance halted, the Immortal Spirit's artilleries tore into the center mass of orks, fire reign like a god of death on the battlefield, reaping the Green Skin with ravenous hunger. Behind the frontline, the combined Jigurean, Buxiunese and Kuronese navy bombarded the orkish rear, wiping out the Green Skin's reinforcement before they can move up to support their dying brethren. Within an hour, the once mighty WAAAGH was shattered. According to scout's reports, Kim Jor Urrk managed to fall back to the Cheongug Wangjwa manufactorum, obviously planning to either destroy the place or make a last stand.

That was the enemy without, the enemy within, however, have yet to be dealt with.

Although the common soldiers of the expeditionary force hailed the Immortal Spirit guardsmen as heroes, the nobility, that being the officers, the sycophants and the generals themselves were less than pleased with what they called an interference into their grand strategy for victory. So pissed at losing face, Feng and Minoru had ordered their officers to punish any guardsmen who say good things about the Immortal Spirit, petty but hardly surprising.

Night has fallen now, the dazzling four moons shone bright in the cloudless sky, painting the smoking carnage in glittering royal silver, a monument to celebrate the day's bloodletting, and Tangmo was seated upon a rocky outcrop like a king upon his throne. Another battle won, Tangmo sipped his canteen, the icy cold water sweet like nectar, and let the euphoric afterglow flowed through his body. Shapes shuffled amongst the empty battlefield, medics prowling the sea of death searching for survivors, bending down toward the slightest hint of movements and sounds. The pronounce tapping of approaching boots, closing in on his left and right, drew him away from the grim, but serene landscape.

"Lord commissar," Leilatha and Tyra announced in perfect unison, the synchronization stunning them both.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Tangmo gave the two a friendly wave. Then, without waiting for his invitation, the two women sat down beside him, flanking him and cutting off his escape. Tyra scooted up until their shoulders were touching while Leilatha was more subtle in her advance, Tangmo didn't know how close she was until her hip bounced into his. Although he really appreciated the attention, the day's accumulated weariness caused him to let out a tired sigh, the less than positive reception was not missed by the pilot and the lady commissar.

"Are you well?" Leilatha asked, trying to peer under his awesome commissar cap.

"Is something wrong sir?" Tyra wrapped herself around his arm. "Do you want anything?"

"I don't know what I want," Tangmo spoke up and very gently pried himself off Tyra's grip, the look of absolute heart wrenching hurt on the pilot's freckled face was like a knife twisting deep in his gut. Leilatha took in the display impassively, but there was a clear glint of satisfaction in her eyes. Tangmo was about to elaborate, but the women's unblinking regard told him that they knew exactly what he had meant.

"Maybe can we do this another time?" Tangmo offered sheepishly. "You know, when we're not killing anything?"

"Nobody's dying right now," Leilatha pointed out crisply. "And since all three of us are presence, I say this is the perfect opportunity to bring up this discussion."

"It will give us all a measure of peace sir," Tyra was playing the sweet cop, as opposed to Leilatha grumpy one. "I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

"That's up for him to decide!" Leilatha snapped.

"And he's making one!" Tyra growled back.

Fuck! The problem was not making the decision, but minimizing the damage. Tyra was going to hate him, like, super fucking hate him, and Leilatha will absolutely take this chance to gloat and make things worse. This was going to make his life extremely difficult in the most unimaginable way. Taking a deep calming breath, and ignoring the women's dagger glare, Tangmo tried and failed to form a coherent sentence. Crap, what the fuck was he going to do? Oh thank God, two people are moving clandestinely across the desolate battlefield, moonlights reflecting off their unsheathed blade.

"What the hell is that?" Tangmo pointed at the moving figures darting across the gloom.

"You're not worming your way out of this one," Leilatha warned him.

"No stupid, look!" Tangmo grabbed Leilatha head and turned it toward the battlefield, her protest ended when she saw the two shapes slipping behind a destroyed tank, before sneaking passed a mound of dead orks.

"I'm going after them," Tangmo drew his laspistol and got up.

"I'm coming too," Tyra brandished her laspistol, Leilatha also reaching for her sidearm.

"Okay fine, but be very, very quiet," Tangmo pressed his finger to his lips and sprinted after the shadows, Leilatha and Tyra close at his heels. Thanks to the moons, the hellish landscape was easily navigable, as for their targets, following them was a walk in the park since they can't seem to stop arguing. So animated were the hisses and snaps that they didn't even noticed Tangmo, Leilatha and Tyra sneaking up behind them.

"You two suck at stealth, you know that?" Tangmo raised his voice.

Lingxin and Kenshin rounded on him, dao and katana held at the ready. When they saw who he was, the two colonels lowered their weapons but didn't sheath them.

"Lord commissar," Lingxin and Kenshin bowed.

"What are you two doing out here?" Leilatha asked them sternly.

"Reconnaissance, lady commissar," Kenshin answered. "We were just getting the lays of the land…"

"Shit, how stupid do you think we are?" Tangmo cut in. "Now stop lying and tell us what the fuck is going on."

"We saw the oracle Syrathel venturing onto the battlefield," Lingxin said. "So we followed her."

"Together?" Tangmo looked at the unlikely pair, "nice to see you two getting along."

"She followed me!" Kenshin pointed an accusing finger at Lingxin. "I told her to bugger off but she wouldn't listen!"

"I don't take orders from you," Lingxin said. "Besides, I never like the gwaipo and her heathen ways."

"For once we are in agreement," Kenshin groaned.

"Wait a minute, so this whole oracle thing isn't normal?" Tangmo asked.

"Of course not!" Kenshin was very offended. "Syrathel just showed up one day about a year ago and somehow managed to slither her way into both the Kuronese and Buxiunese government, gaining support from many nobles and generals. Those that spoke out against this highly suspicious intrusion become pariah."

"Like us," Lingxin added. "Despite our academic distinction, the fact that we spoke ill about the gwaipo was the reason we were given to the Immortal Spirit battlegroup, an exile to silence us."

"Their fucking lost, you two are amazing guardsmen," Lingxin and Kenshin were taken aback by Tangmo's words, the tenseness on their faces lessening to something more amicable.

"Thank you sir," the two colonels bowed at him, so Tangmo gave them a Thai wai.

"So where did the farang go?" Tangmo asked.

"She went into that crater over there," Lingxin pointed north.

"Why are you two still here then?" Leilatha asked.

"I want to kill her," Lingxin narrowed her gaze on Kenshin. "But he disagrees."

"Because that won't solve anything," Kenshin retort hotly. "Cut her head off and then what? The expeditionary force will immediately suspect us, and we'll have no explanation beside weightless assumptions. I say we take her in and force her to confess her true motive to the entire high command."

"No offense dude, but that's dumb. She owns the high command, they'll kill us instead of her," Tangmo said while Lingxin grinned smugly at the groaning Kenshin.

"Why not just take her back to our camp?" Tyra suggested. "Then I can ship her back to the Immortal Spirit, put her in the brig and you can interrogate her all you want. Admiral Yi control the air space, we don't need to fear any retaliation."

All the Asians stared at the Caucasian in stunned silence.

"The plan have merit," Leilatha spoke up.

"Alright, cool, let's get moving then," Tangmo took the lead and ran toward the crater, his impromptu retinue following closely behind as he tapped his earbud. "Damien, get a fix on my location and join me, we're doing something crazy."

"On my way," Damien responded as Tangmo got into a crouch and snuck across the last hundred yards. Pressing himself flat against the crater mouth, he could hear Syrathel murmuring something, the rhythm quick and demanding. Waving Lingxin and Kenshin right, and Leilatha and Tyra left, Tangmo eased himself up the rim and slid quietly down the decline. Syrathel was kneeling on the ground, back turned to him, unaware of his approach.

"Everything will be ready soon," Syrathel whispered lowly to the ground. "The time has come and we will show them all."

"Show us what?" Syrathel squealed at Tangmo's interruption, the seer falling flat on her bottom as she spun to face him.

"Lord commissar!" Syrathel pressed a quivering hand to her heaving chest. "You frightened me!"

"Damn right I should," Tangmo cracked his knuckles and took menacing steps toward Syrathel, "mind telling me what you're doing out here?"

"I was only praying, lord commissar," holy shit, was the woman actually pouting at him? And was she seriously squeezing her breasts together seductively until it was half way out of her wispy robe? "The dead deserve to be honored, don't you agree?"

God fucking damn, don't get fucking distracted by the exquisite pair of tits and the barely clothed beautiful woman in front of you, this shit is seduction 101 dude, don't fall for it!

"That shit only works on horny old men at Pattaya, woman," Tangmo gave himself a mental high five for successfully standing his ground. "Now stop lying before I kick the crap out of you."

Seeing how her lecherous routine wasn't having its intended effect, Syrathel scrambled backward and tried to crawl away, only to find his posse blocking her escape route.

"Who were you talking to?" Tangmo loomed above the shaking Syrathel.

"I was only praying lord commissar," Syrathel started sobbing.

"I'm getting real tired of this shit," Tangmo bend down until their faces were only inches apart. "You're some kind of unsanctioned psyker, aren't you? Trying to rope all of these people in with this oracle horseshit?"

"Please! I'm just a seer!" Syrathel pleaded. "I only wish to help the people of…"

"You know what? Fuck this," Tangmo's patience finally reached its end. "You're coming with me back to the ship and we're gonna have some fun together…okay that came out super wrong."

"Sounds like you're going to rape her," Lingxin narrowed her eyes on him.

"No I'm not! Fuck! Okay, let me rephrase that," Tangmo held up his hands. "I'm going to take you back to Immortal Spirit where you will be imprisoned, interrogated and tortured mercilessly until you confess your crime against the people of Songkram-Nappa." Tangmo glanced around at his audience. "Better?!"

"Oddly specific, but yes, that sounds moderately better," Leilatha shrugged.

"Great! Now get up," Tangmo dropped his voice to a Batman growl.

"Commissar, please!" Syrathel flaunted her distress.

"I have four witnesses that's gonna say you resisted arrest, so what's about to happen next is totally on you," Tangmo's hand lashes out like a striking scorpion. "Get up!"

Syrathel squealed when Tangmo snatched up her arm and…wait a goddamn minute. Tangmo thought he was imagining things, but when he tightened his grip on Syrathel's forearm, he found not lanky, skeletal limb, but a lean set of muscles, hard and strong of a person who was used to strenuous physical activity. On instinct, the arm reacted with a powerful tug backward, as if to fight him off. Her eyes locked with his and Tangmo saw a fissure cracking open Syrathel's good girl mask. What he saw lurking beneath was a predator caught in the act of pouncing, an 'oh shit' moment where even the most cocky person will be forced to retreat and regroup.

"Who are you…?"

"Ahhh! Help me! Someone please help me! Ahhh! He's hurting me! He's hurting me!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Tangmo yanked the screaming Syrathel forward, the squirming woman falling flat on her face and kicking up mud everywhere.

"Please! It hurts! No more! Please!" Syrathel wailed.

"Bitch, I haven't done anything yet!" Tangmo shouted back. "Holy shit, can someone please shut her up?!"

"What's going on?!" Before Lingxin can bonk Syrathel on the head with the pommel of her dao, a company worth of Buxiunese and Kuronese guardsmen scrambled into the crater, the standard lasguns they carried told him that this group belonged to the expeditionary force, a dozen flashlights pointing at them.

"Lady Syrathel?!" A Kuronese sergeant stared at them, angst and horrified. Okay, Tangmo admit, this doesn't look good. With a woman in his threatening grasp, weeping, covered in mud and clothe torn apart, he does fit the profile of a rapist, which he totally wasn't.

"This is none of your concern, sergeant," Tangmo told him. "I'm taking this criminal back to the Immortal Spirit for questioning. Now get out of my way."

"Let her go now!" A Buxiunese guardswoman pointed her lasgun at him, prompting the other to do the same. In a matter of seconds, Tangmo and his pals were surrounded.

"Boy, did you just point that fucking gun at me?!" Tangmo bellowed, the sergeant flinched by didn't lower his weapon.

"Let lady Syrathel go," the Kuronese sergeant was adamant. "And we'll pretend this never happened."

"You insolent wretch!" Kenshin roared, his katana flashing free of its scabbard. "Can you not see that this gaijin witch had you all bewitched?!"

"Lay down your arms, this is disgraceful," Lingxin added crossly, her dao sweeping across the guardsmen. "Does ranks and duty mean nothing to you?! Stand down, now!"

"Please…" Syrathel croaked. "They're going to hurt me, and the commissar plans to defile me…please…help me…"

"Let her go now!" The guardswoman from before ate up the lie.

"Make way, or you will be executed on the spot," Leilatha hefted up her laspistol, Tyra adopting the same stance beside her. The guardsmen weren't deterred however, and Tangmo knew then that shit was about to go down.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Tangmo face split into a grin at the distorted mechanical voice. Behind the guardsmen, walking at a frighteningly leisure pace was Damien and his entire squad of Ultramarines. "Are you pointing those guns at my friend the commissar?"

The gathered guardsmen were frozen in place, guns still trained on Tangmo and his crew but with less conviction now that Manaus brought his heavy bolter to bear.

"How about we all just relax a bit?" Tangmo twisted Syrathel's arm, her squeal coming a millisecond too late but that got everyone's attention. Now, he really wanted to kill these stupid bastards for coming to help Syrathel, but morale was going to be fucked if Imperial forces started turning on each other. He didn't want to let her go, but to prevent causing further strain between the Immortal Spirit battlegroup and the expeditionary force, Tangmo needed to deescalate the situation. As for Syrathel, well, if she really was hiding something big, Tangmo doubted the wisdom of bringing her aboard the Immortal Spirit. She could easily pull a Loki like in the first Avenger movie and fucked them royally from the inside.

"Here," with a hard kick to her back, Tangmo send Syrathel tumbling to the sergeant's feet. "Take the bitch before I change my mind."

"Everyone will know of this! Everyone!" The sergeant and his men carried the crying Syrathel away.

"Why did you let her go?" Tyra asked.

"She's more dangerous than she appears," Tangmo said as Damien joined him. "I don't want her anywhere near the Immortal Spirit."

"All the gwaipo bitch did was cry like a child," Lingxin sneered.

"She's an actress, and a good one at that," Tangmo nodded at Lingxin and Kenshin, "nicely done tonight colonels, a fine display of ingenuity. Because of you two, we're that much closer to uncovering the conspiracy surrounding the expeditionary force."

"It hardly bore fruit," Kenshin sheathed his katana with a samurai flourish.

"All in good time," Tangmo strode off with Damien. "Come on, let's get back to camp."

With that, Tangmo lead his posse out of the crater, the Space Marines forming a defensive circle around them.

"Found anything interesting about Syrathel?" Damien asked.

"She's a fake," Tangmo said. "All of that weepy girl shit was an act."

"I could've told you as much," Damien pointed at his awesome Space Marine helmet. "I took a reading of her heart rate and body temperature, she was never in any distress, it only spiked when me and the squad showed up."

"She's also built like Charlotte Flair."

"Really? I didn't notice."

"That's because everybody was too busy staring at her boobs," Tangmo grinned at Damien deflecting cough. "When I grabbed her arm, I felt the muscle and power behind it. She could've thrown me off, but she needed to keep up her fragile façade."

"Shit, another mystery went unsolved."

"Yeah, I hate it. Is father Joseph still on the ground?"

"He is."

"Good, because I need him to start warding the entire camp with Imperial blessing and hold a massive service for the men, I have a feeling things are about to get supernatural."

"Cool," Damien glanced around the battlefield. "Huh, would you look at that."

"What?" Tangmo asked.

"No flies, just like on Zyrien."