A loud crash resouhrough whatever room we found ourselves in as the half-separated top part of the Gate failed to support its ow. Wraithbone cracked and shattered as the rge areotech that stood for many thousands of years fragmented into thousands of tiny shards. I dismissed my shield and rose to my feet with a groan, my mi a bit foggy and I'd describe the sensation as simir to when a human stands up too fast. I blirying to clear it away but it only slightly abated. I stumbled over to Selene who was in the process of getting herself onto her feet. "Need help?" "Yes," she wheezed, did her powerarmor not work or something? Either way, I grabbed her shoulder and put her on her feet like one would a child who stumbled on a robsp;"Are you alright?" "ive: Two of my legs are broken, I require assistance." I sighed helplessly as I g the twitg Magos a bit further away. "Go help him," the woman said distractedly, "I'll be alright for now." I nodded and patted her armored shoulder before making my way to the fallen tech priest. "So," I said as I ran my gaze over his twisted form, not sure which parts were twisted as they should be and which were actually broken, "What do you need assistah?" "Removing and repairing the two broken legs is the primary , I handle removing the redundant systems that became non-funal." "Alright," I sliced off the twisted metal that used to be his legs and grew on two repts made of metallic chitin, "that should be it, anything else?" "Are you capable of boosting cell regeion through Biomancy?" "Yes," I nodded, "Did your fleshy bits get ioo?" "Affirmative: Slight internal bleedied." "Hold steady for a bit," I said as I flooded his remaining anic parts with soul energy as I induced rapid cell regeion and used my white tendrils to suck up any blood that remained, I gave him a burst of healing through that too just to be safe, "You should be better than ever." "Affirmative: ...anic parts return over 300% funality....fasating." Even though he was thinking out loud his many arms were already w on discarding outer add-ons from his body and fixing those he deemed important. I turned back to Selene just to see her struggling to take off one of her slightly bent pauldrons. I observed for a sed, somewhat amused before I pushed that away and decided to help her. "Need help?" She jumped a bit, turning to face me with an annoyed frown on her fabsp;"...yes," she admitted, "I don't know why but the armor lost energy and nothing wants to work so it's just a burden." "How are you still moving?" I asked as I started carefully w on her armor, cutting away at the deerial, "Shouldn't it be like what? half a ton?" "It's barely fifty kilograms," she corrected me, "I couldn't get my hands on any of the high-end power armor." "Why don't you sit down?" I asked, "This is going to take a while if I want you to stay in one piece by the time I'm done." "Sure," she sighed and slumped down on the floor, taking the time to look around the room for the first time, "What is this pce?" "The Webway," I answered distractedly, "Aha," her right pauldron came off, and I threw it over my shoulder before starting to work on her left one. "Didn't think it'd look this," she gnced around for a sed, "derelict, I guess." "The Eldar have better things to worry about than keeping this pce and proper," I also took a moment to gnce down at the lengthy hallway. It appeared like an underground tunnel covered in old stone bricks, sometimes rown by moss and other fauna. Every ten or so meters a crumbling statue interrupted the monotone walls but even those were mossy and failed to stave off the ravages of both time and nature. In the distance, I saw a crossroad, with three other simir hallways joining with this one. With a moment to spare, I finally took the time to look at the rge twitg mass of eldritch flesh that floated aimlessly in the Sea of Souls o my soul. It was a wele surprise as I expected having to fish it out of the or something but it appeared right o my soul, did it somehow follow my soul thread instead of just getting thrown into the like it should have been? No, I don't even know for sure what should have happehis wasn't a simple -jump. For now, I had no way of making use of this thing and so I a to shrink down into a small orb and orbit my soul, it was ohing to try that teleport thing in realspad another eo try it in the Webway, for all I khe sub-space had strong enough barriers to rebound all the energy used to create the spatial fluctuatiht back at me. That wouldn't be fun. So with a st wistful look at all that bio-energy remaining out of my grasp for a bit longer, I returned my attention to my body. "Were you ihe Webway before?" "Nope," I said, her left pauldron also ing off, I took the literal weight off her shoulder and threw it o the other one, "Never found a Gateway before, so this will be my first time." She just sighed, looking at me weirdly. "You are weird for an alien," she said in a whisper like she was scared of the Magos hearing it. "And you are weird for a human," I said simply, "I did somewhat expect you to try killing me back there you know?" "Not like I'd have succeeded even if I tried," she stared at the ceiling as I started the work owo-piece armor c her chest, "what even are you?" "I appreciate you not even trying," I said with a smile as the woman stared even more ily at the ceiling, "As for your sed question, yuess is as good as mine." "What do you mean?" she asked with a frown, finally her gaze returo me and found my face timeters away from her own. "I don't know what I am," I said, staring into her metallic grey eyes, "I never met another one of my kind but I don't think I ever will, I think I am ... artificial, in a way." "Why would a you run loose then?" she asked again, tilting her head as her hard gaze held mine, "You seem ... dangerous." "Oh, I am, " my voice came out like a breathy growl, "but this is a rge gaxy," my now cwed fingers ran down the side of her chest separating the front and the back part of her armor, "and there are many things more dangerous tha there to worry about." "The Imperium took down many Xenos more dangerous than you," the touch of in her voice made my heart flutter a bit, I smiled at her as the chest armed to the floor, leaving only her lower torso covered in a futuristic corset. "Because they were making a nuisance of themselves," I noted my ow running down the side of her stomach to cut apart the corset-like part, "and I have a big bad Rogue Trader to hide behind, don't I?" My other hand ran up now, and Selene grabbed it when my fingers reached her nebsp;"Are you threatening me?" "No," I said, maybe a bit more hurt creeping into my voice than intended, was I really that desperate for panionship or was this the effey enhanced emotions? I didn't know but I wanted Seleo stay with me, "an offer, partnership if you like." "And if I say no?" "That'd break my heart but I wouldn't kill you or anything like that," I said, trying to sound as apathetic as possible as I said the sed part, "I am not a monster like your Imperium portrays other species to be." "Didn't you single-handedly defeat a Hive-Ship or something?" "Okay, maybe I am a bit of a monster," I said with a rueful smile, "but that doesn't mean I'm aionless murderer." "So be it," she said, her eyes seemingly staring into my soul, "I'll shield you from the gaze of the Imperium and you will ... what will you do for me?" "Whatever you wish for," I whispered huskily as I leant in just so my mouth would be o her ear, as I retreated I noticed both of her arms pulling at the fabriy clothes but she her pulled me in nor did she push me away. "*cough* right," she hid her embarrassment well as she let go of me, "should I know anything else?" "I'll admit that I'm much less knowledgeable than I pretend to be so I don't know what exactly you should know," I returo cutting her out of her shell, the corset-like part ing off too as I cut it through on the left side as well, "so ask away and I'll answer." "Is any-" she sucked in a deep breath as I removed the armor, freeiorso of its fines but I also mao cut through her underclothes at the side actally and the chilly breeze that slipped under her shirt wasn't appreciated it seemed, "Is anyone aware of you? Should I expeyoo try to hunt you down?" "Not to my knowledge but Farseers are a thing and as I have no idea who made me or why I don't know if they'd want to 'recim me'." "How strong are you?" she asked, trying to tie some cloth around her waist to keep the toga-like shirt in pbsp;"Depends on the enemy," I shrugged, starting to work on the armor on her arms now, those should be easy, "Nes could dematerialize me with a shot but I don't think any Ork or Tyranid could actually kill me, not anymore." "And the rest?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "I think I could handle a Chapter of space marines if it is a small one and they are not orbitally b me but actually on a battlefield," I took a moment to sider, "I don't know how strong Eldar are, nor how dangerous their Aspect Warriors get but I should be able to manage if they e in close quarters." "I see," She was doubtful obviously, I just said I could decimate aire chapter of the Emperor's Angels of Death in direbat but I didn't think that was a lie. If nothing else, I could drown them in Bio-Drones. "And that's dooo," I excimed as I slipped her right arm out of its shell, "Say, you do actually still have your Writ, right?" "Of Course," she said, slightly offended by my question but could you fault me? Who hoards their most important dot around on their person all the time? "Really?" I asked dubiously, deg that this was the perfect excuse to carefully run my gaze over her much less clothed body. Damn, I was sure humanity was geed somewhere along the way because this woman looked like what models dreamed of looking like. "It's here," she rolled her eyes at my gaze obviously not actually looking for the dot, she reached down with her now free hand and touched the side of the armor on her ankle. A partment buzzed as it flipped open and revealed a miniature gene-locked vault. "Cool," I nodded in appreciation, by now not actually staring at her curves. "I have repaired myself, I am ready to tinue onward." I sighed as the tin 's voice reached us from further away, interrupting my bonding time with Selene. "Ah well," I sighed, my cws fshing out quicker than any human could see and surgically cutting Selene's remaining armor to shreds but leaving the part where her Writ was intabsp;Her eyes twitched as she fought down the urge to smile amusedly at me. I smirked back at her as she mock gred. At least I could distract her from the betrayal and the massacre that took pot long ago, I don't think she smiled sihe Wanderer left us stranded. "We are ready too Magos," I shouted, "let's see what the Eldar have hidden away in here." While we travelled I finally had the time to look at the status reports my Mind-Cores piled. One was about my remaining stores of Bio-Energy, and the other was about all the new gees I got, helpful as they were they included how much of the temptes were stable too. It wouldn't be impossible to fill in the gaps based on the DNA I already had but it'd be time-ing. They also added in small notes for the bio-forms they thought I wouldn't know about. Let's see. 'Minimal Operational Capacity (Baseline Human or Animal Form): 400 yearsNormal Operational Capacity (Standard Psyker Form): 50 yearsAdvanced Operational Capacity (bat and Hunter forms): 10 yearsCalcuted Lifetime based on past behavior: 6 months aionless shitty mind-core be snarky? I'm sure it is throwing shade at me. I wasn't that wasteful...okay maybe I was...especially with how much I got injured and how much bio-energy I just left lying around... Okay onto the sed report, that's a huge info dump but here we go... 'Giant Bio-forms:Hive Ship - 40%Mycetic Spore - 95% Transport anismNarvhal - 100%Exoe - 40% Bred as a le tank hunterCerebore - 30% A massive Tyranid transpanismDactylis - 75% Le firepower specialist anism.Hierophant -60% Large Bio-formsifex - 100%Dimachaeron - 80% Large hunter-killer predatorHive Tyrant - 100%yrant - 20% Large psychic Tyranid which acts as a node for the Shadow in the sychophage - 15% Psyker-ing anismTervigon - 40% A massive Tyranid that serves as a living incubator capable of spawning TermagantsToxie - 60% Mobile toxic spore-produg anismMaleceptor - 95% Medium bio-formsBiovore - 100% Tyranid creatures bred to unch Spore Miowards the enemy, they are the equivalent of the artillery of other species - includes some variations like Triovore and ProtovoreBroodlord - 100%Lictor - 100%Mieotic Spore - 100% Large sacs full of bio-acid and toxins, and tain smaller Spore Mines within themPyrovore - 100% A species of Tyranid that pre-digests biomass to provide minerals and fuel for the Tyranid Hive Fleet. It unch a searing fireball from its dorsal fmespurt bio-on grown into its own fleshRavener - 70% A Tyranid species adapted for fast assaults, surprise raids and swift pursuits.Tyranid Warrior - 100%Tyranid Warrior Prime - 50%Tyrant Guard - 100% A species of Tyranid spawned for the sole purpose of defending a Hive Tyrant from harm.Zoanthrope - 99%hrope - 50% Evolved version of the Zoanthrope able to leech the life force from its victims Small bio-forms - 100%Cortex Leebsp;Resembling Rippers, they leap onto the face of their victims and i long feelers into their ears, nose and eyes. These feelers are capable of maniputing the new host's brain f them to bee a dribbling puppet uhe sway of the Hive Mind.GauntHaunt MeleeTermagant RangedGargoyle FlyerGeealerRippersSky-ssher Small flyerSpore-Mine Biomorph Creatures are all 100%Bonesword A Bonesword is a Tyranid close bat Biomorph that drain the life force out of its victims.Lash WhipFleshborerSpiBarbed StranglerDeathspitterDevourerImpaler lewebStrahorn onVenom onHeavy Venom onSpore mine LauncherFmespurtAcid SprayRupture onBio-psminonPsyro Acid batterybio-Torpedo Tiny bio-formsDesiccator Larvae moisture abs lifeformElectroshock Grubs elecricity-produg anismFleshborer beetle Insatiable beetle-like anisms living within and fired from Fleshborers.Flesh-worm Worm-like anism with shiny bck heads fired from Devourers.Pathogenesis Mutating virus-like anismResonance Barb Hive Mind stimuliScataphagoid Small beetle-like anism responsible for ing the respiratory tracks of Hive ShipsShreddershard Beetle fragmenting explosive anismVenomthorn Parasite ons-upgrading anism' Nibsp;I had to wipe away the drool from my mouth. 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