A slightly smaller Mess

"So? I'm not safe every time I set foot on a battlefield, I do it anyway."

Caiber: who, laurence or the bird thing?

Lilith: "Laurence."

Tyren: "There is a difference between a battlefield, and being arrested, tortured and killed."

Caiber:...oh

"What the fuck would you have me do? I didn't ask for this! I just wanted to do my damn duty, and all of a sudden I have to flee for my fucking life and abandon my men because a mother I never fucking knew fucked up and gave up on her duty and people and dragged me down with her?!"

*Tyren lifts his helmet off.* "This wasn't her idea. It was mine. If you want to blame someone, blame me." *he takes a knee, drawing his eyes level with hers. They have a certain softness, despite the coal red glow.*

Lilith: "Psykers like him are a prized commodity."

"Then she's fucking insane for agreeing with you. You two have ruined my fucking life now."

Caiber: Wouldn't know. The only psykers I knew where...somewhat immune to all this.

Tyren: "Multiple poor decisions led us to this, but we're making the best we can of a bad situation."

Lilith: "The hive mind... yes, it's existence is worrying."

"And throwing me under the fucking bus."

Caiber: you're telling me.

Tyren: "Saving you, or leaving you here to die. Those are our options." 

Lilith: "Plans are in motion i am sure."

"Great. So my options are die with people I actually care about, or run away with the people who've ruined my life out of the fucking blue."

Caiber: doubt they'd work.

Tyren: "I'm sorry you were dragged into this. And i know how you feel. Look at me. Do i look at home here?" 

Lilith: "The gods will have something."

"You get something out of it don't you?.... You two are... together aren't you?"

Caiber: taking their sweet time.

Tyren: "...Yes. It is a recent thing.... Come with me, i need to show you something." *he stands up.* 

Lilith: "Perhaps they are allowing the fleets to weaken the imperium for their own ends."

she's glaring, but nods

Caiber: Ha. Then they're idiots.

*he leads her to the forge, to where the contemptor stands.* "You know what this is?" 

Lilith: "How so."

"Yes"

Caiber: You cannot comprehend how powerful the hive mind is.

Tyren: "I lived inside it for about nine thousand years." 

Lilith: "I could say the same for the gods."

*the venerable machine stands before her, stoic and fierce. Countless thousands have fallen beneath hails of shells from its cannon, many thousands more crushed in its grip. Cursive script, inlaid into the golden trim of its armour plates name planets, and battles. Lorn V, Cadia, Armageddon. The snarling drakes head on its chest plate is scored with lascannon burns and shell impacts. The machine has the tangible feeling of an ancient warrior, scarred and grizzled, but standing.*

"Good for you"

Caiber: Except I'm pretty sure I've gotten a grasp of what these gods 'are' in a nutshell at this point, thanks to you.

Lilith: "and that would be?"

Tyren: "Your mother saved my life. And... in so doing caused this mess we are in."

Caiber: guessing the energies of these thoughts and emotions having coalesced together into hugely powerful sentient beings fueled by these thoughts and emotions in reality, and i'm guessing their personalities reflect that which fuels them. That about right?

"Fucking wonderful."

Lilith: "Pretty much."

Lord of change: "UNHAND ME!"

Tyren: "It is an unfortunate chain of events, where the other options were... not options."

Caiber: The hive mind is...a lot more complicated and unknown

"uhuh. I fucking cry for you."

Lilith: "Noone but the gods understand the gods."

Tyren: "Hmn. I understand that i embody everything you hate, being A loyalist astartes."

Caiber: hm.

"Its a bit more personal than that but go on.")

Vee jumps excitedly " when do we start !"

Max and akira hear from a crew member on the vox + captains , you have someone trying to contact you should I patch em through?+

Lilith: "Do you think i could sneak past..."

Tyren: "The destruction of olympia i assume... Your mother was driven by that for so long."

Akira: "Emma, could you take vee outside for just a moment?"

Max: +Hang on+

Caiber: What?

Emma: sure

"What? No, I wasnt even born yet."

Max: Go on Henry you too
Henry: *Sighs and walks to Emma*

Tyren: "Then... What is your grievance? if it isn't too personal."

Lilith: "And leave. Past those two."

"The brothers in arms your brothers killed among other things?"

Caiber shrugs

Vee grabs Emma's hand and follows her

The crew member waits.

Tyren: "I am afraid, our duty to protect the imperiums people, comes before our desire to avoid bloodshed."

Lilith: "...Maybe not risk it."

Akira: +Do it.+

+Let's get this over with+

When it patches through they hear a familiar friendly voice
Siv+ well if it isn't my favorite pirate couple , it's been a long time!"

"And my duty is to protect MY people"

Caiber: right... youre far less seductive than expected

Max: +Siiiv! How have you been?+

/Meanwhile\

*Roberts flagship warps into reality nearby*

Lilith: "No point trying. Be like trying to fuck a blank."

Tyren: "You were the attacking party."

*Kerak is minding the bridge. He turns to the helmsman* "Thiiirrrty degrees star-board. Show our guns."

Akira: +It's been a while.+

Caiber: hm.

"When?"

Tyren: "A... I'm actually not sure how long ago it was. The last battle, the warriors assaulted a planet, we held the last city until the civilians could be evacuated."

Lilith: "I think at least. I mean. You haven't looked at my tits once so..."

/Once Kerak acquires line of sight, he'd see a gargantuan warship rather reminiscent of a 20th century battleship.\

Crewman: "Kerak, they're hailing us. Should I put it through?"

Siv laughs a bit + yeah I thought I'd deliver a gift personally so permission to board?+

Kerak: "Yes. Let the pray talk."

"I've fought on attack and defence. You've killed my people too."

Caiber:...i do not know that word

Max: +That's unlike you, usually you get me to ferry shit around. But yeah go for it+

--

*Kerak is greeted by the metallic form of Laura(DAoT AI, looks like EDI from mass effect 3) gracing the comm screen*
Laura: I would advise against readying your guns captain.

Tyren: "I was only ever awakened for desperate battles. Although they became ever more frequent as time went on, I can tell you, i have never fought on the attack against your people."

Lilith: *eyebrow raise, gestures at her breasts*

Kerak: "Talk quickly machine woman." *Kerak clicks his beak, and his spines twitch in irritation*

"Oh thats alright then."

Caiber:...what about them?

+see you two soon~+ she then hangs up bording their ship there's a lot of crates gaurded heavely as she walks out in her power armor.

Tyren: "I won't let innocents die. Not even for lyanna."

Lilith: "Point exactly."

"Your kind have killed enough of mine."

Caiber: what?

Lilith: "No point, you don't have any sex drive."

Tyren: "My brother astartes have indeed. But salamanders are not like our brother chapters.... more now than ever."