A slightly smaller Mess

Tyren: *he looks down at her, then breaks eye contact, looking at the contemptor that was his shell, a hint of sadness in his voice* "The willing followers of a daemon are as damned as he." *he says the line as if it is a quote*

"Tell that to my mother."

Tyren: "She did not follow his example."

Diana: who was my teacher again?

Tyren: "Did your mother send soldiers to their deaths for no good reason? Or did she value the men under her command?"

"Bad example...she only commanded olympians. We're valuable to the warsmith"

Tyren: "Valuable? You're people not a damned commodity. Lyanna cared about the men under her command."

Diana: *sigh* poor choice of words on my part...

meanwhile with anne and mac...

Tyren: "You will never understand, will you?"

*mac's back is to the wall, facing the door, the stilleto knife still in his hand. The short blade glints dully in the half light from the single weak glow globe.*

Anne seems to be finally waking up again after her rest after the whole torture thing

Diana: maybe.

Mac: "You doin okay lass?"

Tyren: "Life is valuable."

Anne: *groans* I...think so

Diana: Life isn't valuable. There's too much of it and it's lost too much for that to be true.

Mac: "Hurt anywhere?"

Tyren: "You have friends you care about, yes?"

Anne struggles to her feet "Everywhere...but I'll live"

Diana:...not now I don't

Mac: "Thats the spirit."

Tyren: "But you cared about them, yes? One sweep of my cannon and all you cared for would turn to mist. All i would care for it is fourty less shells in my ammunition storage. The universe wouldn't care at all. To you...?"

Anne: so...now what?

Diana:... I'm just a grunt.

Tyren: "I would have erased your world in half a second. And your commander would see acceptable losses."

Mac: "Same plan... we wait till that door opens."

Anne: right... that may take a while I'm guessing.

Diana: Not acceptable if we lose.

Mac: "Fuck knows..."

Tyren: "Would it be acceptable to you?"

Diana: it's not up to me.

Anne:..*sighs and looks at the door*...guess we could...talk? I dunno.

Tyren: "It is now. You're a free woman."

Mac: "Could do... Not much else on the cards."

she looks up at him. then looks away again. "Maybe I want to think like you. Maybe."

Anne: alright.... tell me about yourself Mac. Figure if we're gonna be down here a while, might aswell know.

Tyren: "...I'm glad."

Mac: "Not much to tell. Cadian born, went through academy, deployed a few places, saw some action. Got myself sent to the penal legion... rest is history."

Diana:....

Anne: how'd you get sent there?

Tyren: "But you don't have to put yourself in danger. Its us who should be in danger."

Mac: "Our commissar... nasty piece of work he was. Ordered my men to open fire on protesting civilians. I belayed the order, he overruled me, so i shot him." *he smirks* "Both barrels, bang-bang." *he makes a finger gun at the door, still watching it all this time, and mimes recoil.*

Anne: Noble of you. Bet the civvies were happy about that.

Diana: I'm a soldier. It's what I do.

Tyren: "We were made so humans need not fight."

Mac: "Nah, same crowd called me a traitor at my sentencing."

Anne: Now that's a feeling I get. Sons o bitches never appreciated the shit I did for em either.

Diana: tell that to the imperial guard.

Tyren: "We did. Reliving beleaguered forces."

Mac: "Propaganda is fuckin great."

Diana: bull. shit.

Anne: I know, right.

Tyren: "Why would the guard have to fight when a full company of astartes arrives?... in most cases, at least"

mac: "Almost makes you want to turn traitor."

Anne: almost.

Diana: they still do. And most of the time, you're not there.

Tyren: "Alas. Vulkans dream was never fulfilled."

Mac: "Still. Emperor wills and we obey. Soon as that door opens, i'll fuckin prove my loyalty."

Diana: no thanks to your emperor.

Anne: didn't work quite so well last time...but it's the only option I guess.

Tyren: "No thanks to perturabo."

Mac: "This time, i know whats coming."

Diana: He turned later. Because of your emperor.

Anne: So we think.

Tyren: "If he had simply fought on like we all were prepared to, the golden age may still have come again. Progress, peace. It could have happened."

Mac: "Well, if not, i guess it'll be my turn for some attention right?" *he laughs* "They can try."

Diana: the golden age was a lie.

Anne: aye, that they can. *footsteps outside*

Tyren: "The golden age happened. Before the age of strife, before the birth of slaanesh. Humanity was great."

Mac: *Stands up, picks up the single chair in their cramped cell and holds it up like a shield. the knife held out to his side, knees bent and ready to charge.* "Moment of truth lass..."

Diana: and it died.

Anne likewise readies herserlf. the Door opens, but no one enters....except for the young woman who is literally thrown into the room, the door shutting behind her

Tyren: "From the damned eldar's hubris."

*Mac sets the chair back down, and kneels by the woman.* "You livin there girl?"

Hera: *Emerging from yet another alleyway, where she was sure she saw something moving in the shadows.* "We'll never find this thing... much less mac..."

Hakken: "He's a tough cunt. Might be he finds us aint it."

she grunts and tries to get up. her hands are bound behind her back, and Mac notes a very particular Fluer DeLis tattoo on her shoulder. Anne helps her up.

Diana: fukin xenos.

*Mac gets to slitting the ropes tying her hands.*

Tyren: "Indeed. Which is why the galaxy should be humanities. We have not yet proven to be unworthy of it, like its previous masters."

???: thanks *rubs her sore wrists*

Diana laughs

Tyren: *Helmet tilt. She gets the distinct idea this is his version of an eyebrow raise*

Mac: *sees fleur de lis* "Oh... of course sister." *Takes a step back, and makes the aquilla, somewhat clumsily, knife still in hand.*

Diana: horus heresy?

???: so...who're you two

Tyren: "Paltry compared to the blunders of our predecessors."

Mac: "Uhhhh...." *Looks at anne for assistance with this*

Diana: no ome 'deserves' the galaxy.

Anne: Inquisitorial agents. Its not going so well.

Tyren: "Once, i dreamed of taking it all for humanity. Now, i hope to hold what we have. Deserving or not it will not happen."

Mac: "well, secrecy out of the window, yeah. that."