A/N: Sorry about the hiatus!

Book Two: Corruption's End

Chapter 57: Old Sins

"Only in death does duty end." - Imperial Proverb

Yang paced about the kitchen, waiting for the coffee maker to finish its work. It hissed and bubbled, slowly filling up a steaming canteen. How long had it been since she had real coffee? Three years? Four?

It would be the last of the Governor's gifts. Once Chera returned from her supply run to the Ascendant Dawn, they would be boarding the eldar ship. The Void-Whisper, according to Maion.

Gamma platoon and the rest of the Woadians would be enjoying some much-needed shore-leave in the meantime. Yang supposed that was all well and good, but it felt weird knowing she was going to be away from them. Garnet said the trip should only take a month or so, but it would be longest she'd ever been away from the Rangers.

Comas notwithstanding, Yang thought. She'd spent a year with them. Training, sleeping, drinking, laughing, living, fucking, fighting, killing… they'd been through a lot. Now, only the strongest soldiers remained, two thousand souls where ten thousand once marched.

Maybe the time away will be good. The way the others looked at her sent chills running up her spine. Every time she wanted a nice fried rat, she had to deal with the Ranshan civvies chittering to themselves in hushed tones, watching her with wide, familiar eyes.

To say nothing of her comrades. Now, only Caolin, Mael and Asgeg treated her like a person. The others looked at her like she was the Aquila that hung in the chapel.

Yang frowned. The coffee machine beeped, snapping her back to reality. Scooping up her weapons and rucksack, she grabbed the canteens she'd prepared and made for the exit. Thunder spilled in from the gaping hole where the front door once stood, accompanied by the soft drone of a cold drizzle.

The rain was cool and chilling against her skin, beading up on the thin hairs on her arm. A manta crooned in the distance as she made her way to Amat's perch in a nearby pine.

A beautiful sound, Yang decided. She nodded at the eldar as she passed, careful not to stare too long at their fancy technicolor armor. Though they moved not an inch, she could feel their eyes upon her, sucking the freshness from the crisp night air.

"Yo Amat," she called as she reached the base of the tree. Sitting comfortably in the crook of two thick branches, he seemed at home. He was almost twenty feet up, but he heard her all the same, his head turning sideways in curiosity.

"Catch!" She hollered, hurling a canteen skyward. It disappeared into the thicket, snapping branches and twigs on its way up. It did not come back down. Grinning, she put the other canteen between her teeth and started her way up the tree. Sure she could have blasted her way up there with Ember Celica, but where was the fun in that?

Her ascent proved to be simple enough. Even though they were slick with rain, there were plenty of branches to climb. Holding the coffee so close to her nose was maddening… she could smell the liquid temptation through the cap, feel the heat on her tongue, hear it slosh around.

She didn't even like coffee, but she missed it terribly regardless.

"Yang," Amat said when she reached him. His exitus rifle was across his lap, and a leg hung over the edge of a branch. He was wearing his bomber's jacket. "Figured you'd come see me." His little nest was a carefully considered position - it had overwatch over the entire peak and the valley below. Yang could even see the town lights in the distance.

Yang removed her cargo from her mouth. "Am I that predictable?" Yang asked, pouting. She took a seat next to him, straddling a sturdy branch.

"I won't say," Amat said. He worked the cap on the extra canteen before peering at its contents. "What have you stolen this time?"

"Coffee," Yang answered happily. "None of that recaf bullshit, either. Actual, ground-bean coffee," she said, taking a seat next to the assassin. Around them, rain fell like muted bells, deafened by the needles that stretched over their heads. A few drops leaked through, spattering on Yang's fatigues.

Amat didn't say anything. Together, they enjoyed the peace of a quiet night, just as they had hours earlier. Yang opened her mouth to speak, only to bite her lip when she realized she had no idea what to say. Mercifully, Amat spoke up.

"I like the rain," he said. He wasn't looking at Yang, or the eldar that milled about below. No, his gaze rested far beyond that.

"Something up, buddy?" She asked. Amat smiled before raising his canteen.

"Thank you," he said.

"Of course."

They drank their coffee. As was his wont, Amat swished it around in his mouth, experiencing the new flavor to its fullest. Yang did the same, relishing the bitter bite of something she thought she'd never taste again. It tasted awful, but she savored every drop.

"I'd thank the Governor though," she said, sloshing the contents of her canteen. Amat shook his head.

"Not the coffee. For the talk we shared earlier. In the bar."

The unspoken: and afterwards.

Yang clapped a hand over his knee, meeting his eyes with a ready, roguish grin.

"Yeah, man. I had fun too. It was nice to get away, have some one-on-one." Like the time they spent hanging out in the weight room was any different. Was it?

"It feels like an eternity ago," Amat said. "But it's only been a few hours."

They looked at the eldar, watched them from up on high.

They drank more coffee, letting the warmth wash over their tongues and fill their bellies. The rain pattered against the pavement below them, a gentle lulling drone.

"We should... do it again sometime," Yang said. "After this webway stuff."

"Sure," Amat said. "I just don't think we'll be able to get to go to the same pub."

Yang laughed. "We'll survive, I think. Don't think we'll find a prettier planet though."

"It's nice here," Amat admitted. "It's so… clear. Even with the storm clouds, I can see for miles."

"Beats the hell out of the Ascendant Dawn, if you ask me," Yang said. "I wonder if this Void-Whisper's gonna be any better."

Amat shrugged. "I have no idea. This is all very… strange to me."

"The eldar stuff?"

He nodded.

"It's almost unbelievable," Yang said. "I mean... what are the odds?"

"Very low," Amat said. His hands took to his drink, holding it carefully, as if it were a bird that would fly away if left unchecked. "The Emperor's portents are… unclear. Holy Terra... Pyrrha and the eldar..." He shook his head.

"I know, right?" Yang asked, running a hand through her hair. "I never thought she'd get over Jaune."

"Not that," Amat said. "The strangest part of this is that the eldar are a haughty and contemptuous breed of xenos. That one decided Pyrrha was fit enough to make his wife..." Once more, the assassin shook his head. "What madness have I been thrust into?"

"The best kind, buddy," Yang said, clapping a hand to his back. "The dangerous, unpredictable kind."

He huffed at that, taking a sip of coffee. As he savored the taste, his eyes snapped to the storm clouds above, where Chera's Valkyrie burst through. Its lights blinked on and off, a green-red beacon in the midst of grey rain. It swept low, shaking the pine they'd made their nest in. As Chera hopped out, she deliberately ignored the waiting eldar, instead unloading the cargo onto the driveway by herself.

Amat took another sip. I think he likes it.

"I wonder why Darron decided to go along with all this," he pondered. "The Lady Inquisitor was always a pious woman, but she never seemed to hold much hate in her heart for the eldar. One of her eccentricities that the kasrkin never picked up on."

"You're telling me," Yang snorted. "The Captain damn near gunned me down for trying to defend Maion. Or at least, he would've tried."

"I know the Imperium's hatred towards xenos isn't exactly... normal for you," Amat said. "The animosity between faunus and humans on Remnant was fairly pointless, after all." He sighed. "But you must understand... even though Craftworld eldar don't often openly oppose the Imperium, they are still our enemies. They see us as semi-sentient insects, and would gladly let the Imperium burn if it meant saving a single Craftworld." Amat sighed. "In truth, Pyrrha joining them is... highly disturbing."

"I'm sure she had her reasons," Yang countered.

"That's what confuses me," Amat said. "I know more of Pyrrha's life than even you. She was nothing if not pragmatic and levelheaded… where her family was not concerned."

"Well, now we have some more stable frenemies," Yang said. "What is it that Maion said? 'Intertwined fates'? Hell, I'll take that over 'letting the Imperium burn' any day."

If what she said was genuine, Yang thought, looking at the eldar discuss something below. Maion had appeared next to Lossamdir. They both watched Chera unload. So far, they haven't given me them a reason to distrust them… so why did I think that?

Amat's hazel eyes sank into the depths of his drink. "It doesn't sit well with me. The way Garnet spoke of your destiny? There was no warp-craft in his speech, but his gothic seemed… off."

"Yeah, they do creep me out a little," Yang admitted. "The way they talk... it doesn't sound natural. At all." She frowned. Long ago, she'd promised herself she wouldn't be swallowed up by the Imperium's dogma. But now that she was recovering from the shock of meeting them, their off-ness made itself known. The eldar just look… wrong. Their features were too lean, too perfect. Yang couldn't place it what it was exactly, which made their uncanny appearance seem more intense. Maion's so deep in the uncanny valley she's about to hit bedrock. The thought brought a chuckle, before she saw Maion approach their tree.

"Yang?" She called.

"Hey Maion," Yang said. Maion vanished in a puff of shadow before appearing in front of them, balancing on the end of a thin branch. It barely bent under her weight. Amat blinked, still unaccustomed to the power of a semblance.

Canteen in hand, she extended it towards the xe- eldar. "Coffee?"

"I shall… pass," Maion decided, her nose wrinkling. The fact that she looked so much like Pyrrha made it even worse. Made it hurt. Sent a pang through her, one that resonated in the same place that mourned Ruby. Ros. Rhain.

"Does Lossamdir have need of us?" Amat asked.

"No," Maion replied as she made to sit. Even though she was just settling herself, she seemed so fluid, it reminded her of the xenos on Uriel-

KILL

Yang grunted. No, no no, I thought I was done!

"He just wishes to inform you that our landing craft will be here shortly," Maion added.

Yang nodded absentmindedly, fingers digging into her temples. Red pulsed in her vision. Red, red, red like roses. Fuck! I thought I was done! Why can't I be done? Why won't it end?

"Yang?" The eldar asked, a long, languid hand reaching out for her. Concern etched itself into her face.

"I'm fine," Yang grunted. At this, Maion blinked. Too slow, too reptilian. Too much like that half-naked bitch that I roasted ali-

"You are not," Maion said simply. "Your soul shines like a beacon in the warp. As pure and warm as it is, it flickers." A pointed tongue ran over her full alien lips as a shudder worked its way through her. Ignoring it, Maion continued. "Just now, a hint of bloodlust infected your soul, did it not? Stirred by unpleasant memories?"

Yang leaned forward, ready to protest. She could not. Instead, she sighed. The rain picked up its pace, the calm drizzle building in force. More drops leaked through the branches, and Maion's hair grew damp. She did not notice.

"Yeah," she said. "Weiss is trying to teach me the basics, but I'm pretty shit at psykery stuff. I know it's really important." What an understatement. Ha ha. Ha.

"Through you, a daemon could wield considerable power. Mon'keigh sanctioning methods are crude and brutish, but they are functional enough as a stopgap measure. Why have you not received any?"

"We've been… busy," Amat said, before Yang could reply. "She only arrived a year ago."

"Josephus must fall," Yang reminded her. Is that really the reason? Or do you just want to see Ruby again? Her back straightened, a forgotten thought surfacing like a sun over an eastern sea. "There is something you should know. Can any of your friends hear us?"

Maion cocked her head in confusion. "They are not my friends. And no. They cannot."

"There's something else you should know about Josephus. There's a chance…" Yang swallowed. "There's a chance he knows something about Ruby."

At this, Maion's angular eyes widened. She shifted, antique green armor moving silently. In her arm, her helm gleamed, its eyes red like roses.

"What about her?" Maion asked.

Yang shrugged. "That's all Weiss said. She's gotten pretty good at head games, but this is something she wouldn't fuck around with. I trust her… at least with this."

"Do you think Josephus has anything to do with her?" Maion asked.

"I don't know," Yang replied. "I'm just repeating everything Weiss told me."

"This is a troubling development," the eldar woman said, her perfect face betraying nothing. Her eyes were another story - they were jade-hued spears, and maintaining any sort of extended eye-contact was difficult for Yang. It felt like they were impaling her soul.

"I know my sister," Yang said. "She would rather die than chaos... take her. Though," she continued, "Weiss said there's a chance it's all a fluke. She made... what did she call it? Well, she linked minds with someone who was possessed by some of Josephus' psychic bullshit."

"That is... incredibly dangerous," Maion whispered. "I know mon'keigh psykers were crude and short-sighted, but for Weiss to subject herself to such a mind?"

Yang was starting to see what Amat was saying. Every word spoken by the eldar was spoken with unwavering totality, and contempt dripped from Maion's words.

"She's a very powerful psyker," Yang said. "And she was sanctioned on Holy Terra itself. I'm sure she can handle herself."

Maion shook her head. "Without proper instruction, all human psykers are suspect. Even Weiss. You should know this better than anyone."

"I... yeah," Yang said, rubbing the back of her head. As much as Maion's arrogance grated, Yang couldn't deny what she said was true. "I'm looking to get better."

"If you could harness your soul properly," Maion said, "you would be a truly formidable foe."

"I tried it, once." Back on Uriel. "It worked pretty well, but it fucked with my head. Put me in a bad place. I prefer using my fists," Yang said. Reaching over her shoulder, she patted the hilt of her sword. "The power sword's growing on me as well. Anything that cuts through space marine armor like tissue paper gets a pass in my book."

Maion smiled, amusement brightening her countenance. "That may be so," she said, "but denying your power is denying a part of the self. It could lead to dire consequences."

"I guess I'll have to work on it," Yang said. But how? How long are the whispers gonna chase you? Who's gonna make them stop?

"I have faith in you, Yang Xiao Long," Maion said.

Yang sipped at her coffee. "What do you think of all this?" She asked. "Heroines from Remnant ending up in the Milky Way?"

"It is beyond me," Maion said. "A warrior's heart beats within my breast. I am not a seer like Uncle Garnet or Uncle Sylvis. The currents of the warp will be forever distant. I am pleased to see you though. I never imagined I would see any of Grandmother's friends in person."

"Pyrrha was a good friend," Yang said, resting a hand on Maion's shoulder. "I'm glad to have met you as well. I'm sure she'd be proud of you."

Who am I to say that? Why did I say that?

As always, her brief contact with the warp had thrown her from her game. Everything seemed hazy and unfocused, like she was trying to open her eyes underwater. Did she mean what she said?

Maion didn't notice Yang's sudden regret. Instead, she seemed to glow at her words. It was almost enough to bring a smile to Yang's face. Despite Maion's arrogance, despite her otherworldly appearance, there was a person beneath it. A descendant of Pyrrha Nikos.

"I hope we can find Ruby," Maion said. "The galaxy would be a brighter place with her in it."

"Yes," Yang said. "It would."

The eldar's landing craft approached, a sliver of bone-white grace that sliced through the driving rain. It glided on currents of air like a water-bug, rustling the pines it hovered above. Yang shielded her eyes to get a better look. Already, the rain soaked them all to the bone, eldar and kasrkin alike.

"Time to go," Amat said, capping his canteen. Yang did so as well, disappointed they had to go. She wanted a few more minutes up there.

"If Josephus knows anything about Ruby," Maion said, "We will help you find it." A gauntleted hand fell over her breast. "You have my word."

A sliver of warmth filled Yang at her promise. It wasn't enough. "Thanks Maion."

"Of course."

They descended, down onto the pavement. Maion went to see her winged Uncle, donning her helm as she went. The rest of the kasrkin emerged from the manor, each of them solemnly gathering a piece of Chera's cargo.

The two parties stood far apart from each other, bracing the downpour with resentful dignity. Amat donned his mask again, a silent synskin statue. Yang wrung her hair out, letting rivers of rainwater run over her flak armor. She looked at Garnet, who was in the middle of sharing a joke with an annoyed Banshee.

Is he as good as Weiss then? Maion implied he was a powerful psyker… Would he know what's wrong with me? How to fix it?

"Enough rations, batteries and supplies to last us a few months," Chera said, toeing the supplies she hauled from the Valkyrie. "The Captain and Colonel von Israfel have been informed about the situation."

"Good," Darron said, shouldering a bandolier of batteries.

Yang did her part, scooping up six overstuffed duffel bags and shouldering her rucksack. "You guys ready?" She asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Janos grunted. His hand rested against his melta, knuckles white and glistening with rain.

"Serviceman Castellano?" Darron said, keying his microbead. "You're clear. Emperor be with you."

The Valkyrie waggled its wings and flew off, parting the clouds as it went. Even in the driving rain, even in the dark, Yang knew its weapons never left the eldar landing craft.

"Sergeant, for the sake of the Emperor," Darron said as he watched the eldar craft slow its descent. "Pray that this adventure does not end poorly for my men. Should anything go awry, you alone will stand responsible."

That's not fair. You decided to go, Yang thought, frowning. The eldar landing craft settled, grav-wash pushing the rain away to form great clouds of roiling mist. It soaked them all to the bone.

"After you," Amat said.

Yang went, but couldn't quiet the ball of dread that gurgled in her synthetic stomach.

The one that told her she might be better off just staying on Gartenwald.

The Void-Whisper was immediately foreign to Yang. From the moment the airlock doors opened, she knew she was on an alien vessel. It was nothing like the metallic and intimate hallways of the Ascendant Dawn, nor did it resemble the imposing grandiose corridors of the Scythe of Morning.

It was sparse and bare, the walls free of wiring or graffiti. Every surface seemed to be made from the same material, a plain white metal. Occasionally, the starkness was interrupted by gleaming red stones, each one surrounded by spiralling black lines and intricate patterns.

As the eldar war-party shuffled past her hesitant comrades, Yang took the initiative and followed after them. Her hands caressed the side of a wall. It was smooth and creamy, almost like polished marble or soft plastic.

Amat followed next, eyes darting left and right as they took in every detail of the eldar ship. Yang shot him a grin and waved him forward. In truth, the entire place unnerved her, dug at the uneasy nausea that boiled through her ever since her conversation with Maion. It felt like a hospital or some sort of laboratory. Everything was so clean and sterile, she felt like she was being pinned under a microscope. But Amat didn't need to know that… and neither did the kasrkin.

If this Black Library place did have the answers they were looking for, she wanted the Cadians behind her one hundred percent. She knew Amat would follow her no matter what, but something was off with Darron and Charon… not to mention their subordinates. They looked like they had walked into a den of beowolves. Their eyes were sunken and twitchy, fingers drumming on their hellguns.

"We did not anticipate an accompanying party," Lossamdir said, turning to face them. "So we ask that you quarter in the cargo bay. Garnet requested that you be free to roam throughout the ship, and I shall allow it on one condition - do not touch anything, and do not disturb the mariners whose business it is to run the ship. If you have a question or concern, please direct your attentions to Maion." Maion gave Yang and the others a crisp nod, an easy smile across her face.

"Hmph. Let's keep going," Darron said, readjusting the sling on his hellgun, visibly repulsed by the prospect of interacting with eldar any more than he had to.

Nodding, Maion waved them forward. The other eldar split off down a different hallway, one that snaked into the depths of the Void-Whisper. Yang tried making a mental map of the place, but with no right angles and a lack of distinguishable features, the ship was turning out to be a nightmare.

They reached the end of the hallway. Maion pressed her hand to a red gemstone, and a door revealed itself from the wall, sliding up into the ceiling. The lack of noise is what disturbed Yang the most - most of the bulkheads on the Ascendant Dawn sounded like they hadn't been tended to in decades.

But at least they were familiar.

She couldn't deny it was still exciting to be aboard an eldar ship. Her sense of adventure still persisted. Following Maion into the cargo bay, she took stock of their new living quarters.

It was the cleanest cargo bay she'd ever seen. On the Ascendant Dawn, the holds were always chock-full of ramshackle Ranshan camps or disorganized stockpiles. Here, everything was organized into crisp piles, stored away in more smooth-white boxes. Each stack was labeled with foreign runes, waiting for use.

"There is plenty of space here for you to use," Maion said, gesturing to the empty expanse. "I apologize that we cannot afford you better accommodations."

"I'm sure you spared no expense," Darron muttered. Charon huffed in agreement, stalking off to the corner on the other end of the room. The rest of the kasrkin joined her, spreading their things out to make a small camp. Their weapons, rations, and wargear seemed so out of place in the minimalistic cargo bay. To Yang, it looked like they injected life into it.

Amat climbed atop a stack of crates nestled into a nook in the wall, resting his humble satchel bag on the corner to hang eye-level with Yang.

"You like making nests I see," she declared, leaning against his new lodgings. "Gonna make a nest up there?"

"I take up as little space as possible," Amat protested. Yang raised an eyebrow. "I like it up here," he allowed.

Despite herself, she couldn't stop a smile from splitting her face. She patted him on the leg. "Figured as much. Would you mind keeping an eye on everyone?"

"What devious plan have you hatched this time?" Amat asked.

"Amat, I am shocked!" Yang exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defense of her honor. "I have nothing of the sort planned. I'm just going to go for a little walk."

"Because it went so well last time," Amat countered.

Yang huffed. "Hey, you admitted it was fun. I am insulted." Sighing, a fake, broad smile stretched across her face. "Ah, I can't stay mad at you." She squeezed his ankle. "I promise not to start any fights. Make sure the kasrkin don't have a conniption or anything."

"What's wrong, Yang?" He asked.

"C'mon man," she protested, ignoring Maion's words, the ones that thrummed inside her head. "I'm fine." Lied. "Trust me?"

Amat's reaction was invisible behind his spy mask. "I trust you," he said eventually. "I just don't believe you."

Yang smiled. "I can work with that. We're a team, Amat," she said. "You know that, right?"

"I do," he said. She held her hand out, and Amat took it in his own.

"This is just something I need to do by myself," she said.

"Now I'm really worried," he muttered. Yang could hear the smile.

"Don't be. I won't leave you behind," she said. Taking her hand back, she turned on her heel, the smile fading from her face. She didn't lie to Amat, but this is something he wouldn't understand.

Couldn't.

Yang left the cargo bay, purpose ringing clear in every step she took. The kasrkin gave her questioning looks, but they rolled off her back like raindrops.

The Void-Whisper was confusing, but Yang had an idea on how to navigate it. Closing her eyes, she brushed her fingers against the hall. A signal bounced back, clear as day. The one that tasted like bronze and a warm smile.

Like Pyrrha.

She followed it, letting her feet carry her to her destination.

When she stopped, she stood before a great white door, its face engraved with elegant spiral patterns inlaid with glowing red stones. It opened, revealing the interior. Inside sat Garnet, his legs crossed, pale-blue energies swirling about him. Before him, a large red jewel stood atop a pedestal, spherical and pulsing.

Garnet turned to face her, surprise writ across his damaged face.

"Yang?"

Yang did not reply. Instead, she swallowed every inch of pride that she ever possessed. Pride was something that did not belong in this universe. She understood that now. There were far greater dangers than grovelling. The eldar were arrogant, but Yang could feel the power that filled the room, the crushing aura that spilled off Garnet. There was a reason they acted superior.

She got to her knees, hoping against hope.

"Please," she said, pressing her forehead to floor. "Please teach me. I can't stop the voices. I… I feel so trapped and helpless… and I…" Tears sprouted in her eyes. "I don't want to die. I don't want to succumb. Please… help me."

A/N: Again, not an easy chapter to write. Had trouble balancing Yang's nature with the constant battery of the warp, and the lengths it makes her go. Hopefully it all seemed natural.

I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know what you thought!