Corrections

The smell of burned flesh and sizzling fat is something some say one doesn't get used to. That was wrong. After years, decades, no... centuries of smelling it, again and again, I had become numb to it. Either that or this cursed state I had been left in for so long had changed more things than I knew. The sizzling of still glowing corpses all around mixed with the sounds of gunfire, agonized screaming, and broken bodies hitting the floor. Seeing bits of molten stone fly through the air as projectiles both lasers and solid rounds, hit the wall I was hiding behind.

Having prepared an ambush with the controlled body of one of the cultists from around here, the long-dead man had hidden a stack of explosives. More than enough to turn at least two-thirds of these Heretics into chunks. The remaining horde was visibly upset, even more so when I opened fire at them from here with a Laspistol, blinding bright red flickers hitting the ones with guns while they were still recuperating. Although relatively cheap compared to what I had in the past, it did its duty well. Four more of these bastards fell with searing holes in their corrupted skin. Several others hit Karius Jamel, local core traitor and the one I had been after for the last couple of weeks. He was nothing compared to the over two dozen marked Diabolus threats that I had taken out over the course of my life. Yet what information he held was anything but worthless to me.

Falling to his knees, I had seen that the bulky and well-armored man was still mostly fine as were his last remaining guards judging by the soon to be ruined wall falling apart around me. Wielding everything from stub guns to lasguns, they were not that well-armed. Flak armor, wherever they got it from, was what all but Karius wore. Concentrating, I gripped my staff and right away knew what to do. Sending out a wave of psychic power, I attacked the men wearing weapons. It wasn't much. Despite what I had learned, I knew I never was gonna be as adept nor powerful as my prestigious student.

Not that it was needed.

Spreading confusion, letting them hear voices aside from their damned gods, their fire stopped or went completely elsewhere. Turning around the darkened and cratered wall, I fired off my pistol at the gun-wielding men. Pop. Splatter. One by one they went down. It was such a familiar sight to me by now. Several guards stormed towards me, wielding double-sided swords of local make, one a crude metal bat and another two rusty combat knives pilfered from the stores of the planet's Militia. I shot another who tried picking up his fallen comrade's stub pistol before swiftly drawing my long-time companion, Barbariaster, my powers coursing through its rune-covered form, now alight with Arcane power.

A swipe left. A parry and a pull upwards. A forceful blow cutting right through his guard, weapon and body. Another parry. Slash.

It was an experience I had done more times than I could feasibly count. Blood splashing across my emotionless face. When Kairus finally stood back up brandishing a fearsome, yet elegant looking blade, his men had long since fallen apart into several pieces. While the cultist of hedonism screamed something about putting down an Imperial dog in an awfully high pitched tone, I just wondered where a former lowlife like him found such a high-quality blade, the light blue hue revealing its powered nature. Nevermind his Carapace armor. It helped make my belief stronger that this sinner was worth this effort.

Still bound by that same damned augmetic assist system that I held onto so long ago, I wasn't the most agile anymore. I am sure Alizebeth or Betancore would have made jokes about that already if they were still here. A pang went through my heart when I remembered them, nearly ignoring the 2 meter tall bear of a man charging at me. Breathing out, I readied took a stance and holstered my gun. Ewl Wyra Scryri was a noble art, wasted on scum like him. But I just had to make sure this one was alive for questioning.

There was that not so common sound as my Force Blade met his Power Sword. It was almost indescribable even after all I had been through.

A quick deflection.

Blood scattered throughout the area. Yelling finally made the massive hall vibrant with life again, after I had ensured everyone else was silenced in death.

Dropping to the ground without hands, Barbariaster cutting through his armor like a hot knife through butter. He hit the ground with a soft thud, his severed hands soon following his body as another swift cut opened up his knees. Sheathing my sword back into my walking stick, I watched as Karius was reduced to begging for his pathetic life. Begging for mercy. Begging for a second chance. To please not kill him. I grabbed my staff. It was time to extract some information.

"You forfeited any chances when you abandoned the Emperor's light. Death is mercy for scum like you." As I spoke, I heard noises and felt a new presence.

I hadn't expected to find out why he had such an elegant blade so soon.

The large warehouse doors opened, revealing a small army of cultists, heavily armed and armored traitorous Guardsmen and most importantly out of all. The familiar purple, black and gold of the thrice-damned original traitors. Chaos Space Marines of the Emperor's Children, their name still a taunt to all who were loyal to Emperor.

'Yet you name them that still.'

'Silence'

With five of the armored giants that were Space Marines and dozens of soldiers all moments away from firing and turning me into a stain on the ground, I had no choice but to call him into battle. I would have grimaced if that hadn't been my standard expression for most of my life now.

"Kill them."

"Yeeesss..."

A hail of projectiles of all kinds was already halfway through the room when I uttered these words. In an instant, I narrowed my eyes at the intense light that came from just right before them on the ground, as a figure melted itself through the Rockcrete and Plasteel as if it wasn't even there. It was as if time itself had stopped. All weapon fire was halted in the air as if frozen. I saw some cultists freeze and stop firing while the Chaos Marines just continued, even if spreading out. Too slow.

The grotesque figure of Cherubael fully came into view and in an instant, all fire had returned to their origins, thrown back like the Daemonhost was participating in a simple ball game. While the regular heretics were torn asunder, the better-armored ones had a few precious moments more before a hand gesture of Cherubael sent them to the side with lethal force and stunning velocity. It almost looked like mere bugs smashed by a human, their mortal coils splattered into bloody smears.

A finger moved upwards, his body taking the weakened Bolter fire with only so much as twitching and a few scratches, and the leading Power Armor wearer was sent through the roof and into the sky. And further. And further. A familiar sight for me by now. Dodging to the sides while firing more, the left two suddenly began to combust from the inside out after the Daemonhost pointed his hands at them, soon dropping to the ground after that, smoking and burning. The other two managed to hit Cherubael's eyes, enraging the bound warp creature by the looks of it, resulting in him closing the gap between them in a blur. Two hands reached out to grab and smash the two marines together like a child would do occasionally with figurines.

I had long focused on Karius, beginning to prepare the mind probing. I didn't need to watch anymore to know these two were beyond perished by now. It didn't help though that I felt the presence of the Daemon in my mind, constantly clawing at my barriers. Floating up behind me, I could almost feel him breathe down my neck. A disturbing thing for even myself.

After all these years, I couldn't get used to it. I was about to say something when Karius began to twitch and howl in pain. His chest began to bloat up and his body smoke and burn. Sending a mental signal at Cherubael to guard me as I realized and sensed what the type of problem he had, it was a moment too late sadly.

Exploding into a shimmering and brilliant dark blue and purple vortex, I felt myself vanish. Not just in the way I imagined at the time. Cherubael laughed as he was blasted away, the warehouse going down in a light show unlike what most people on this backwater planet had ever seen before.

---

Speaking of backwater Planets. The first thing I noticed when I woke up again after that aside from the whole being alive thing, was that I wasn't on that dreadful world anymore. Though as I would find out later, I just had exchanged one backwater world for another. Dusting off dirt and checking my equipment, I found one of the Bolter rounds earlier that Cherubael so kindly had just let bounce off his body had shot my gun holster off. I felt lucky that part of my hip wasn't missing instead, even if the loss was annoying.

Speaking off that Daemon. I paused to think about how many security measures I had set up at the time I was so forcefully sent away. It should be sent back to the hideout and bound there for at least a few years. No. If I wasn't going to use him the mechanism put into place should keep him safely contained for a longer time than that. Worries for later then. Looking around, I wondered just where I had ended up in the vastness of space.

Wandering for quite a bit, crossing rivers, fields and some to me unknown Xeno botanic, I eventually stumbled upon civilization again. Human civilisation. Yet, the moment my eyes laid eyes on them and they on me, I knew something was off. Obvious lack of reverence to the God-Emperor aside, the people used equipment and technology even after years with Uber and studying for decades, the combination and the appearance of them were off from anything in standard Imperial use. Being a rare moment I actually required help that I could get with my absolute authority, I put my Inquisitorial Rosette to use.

Demanding explanation to technologies and detailed data on where he was in relation to the Helican Subsector. After receiving a blank stare and comments for both the content of my questions and my authority, I paused. Many Inquisitors would probably simply strike down such an insolent citizen as just punishment for their Sins.

Yet, my studies with Uber made me always weary of lashing out prematurely before I knew everything necessary. Changing to asking about the Scarus Sector, then the Segmentum Obscurus and finally just the Imperium of Mankind itself, I received a lot of unknowing looks and answers that they didn't know what that was.

The Warp could send one across the Galaxy. Looking around carefully, eyes burning to find Chaos symbols I sighed in relief to find none. A search for recognizable Xenos heraldry followed suit and once again, there was none. While the technology wasn't one approved, I could overlook that for now. Going through the possibilities, I was reminded of the countless worlds long cut off from the Imperium since the Dark Age of Technology, some even still to this very day. Perhaps this was one of them? If that was the case, I felt the worries weighing down on my mind wash away. I couldn't afford to start a conflict. Nor could I overlook this obvious duty to humanity only me could now do.

"Bring me to your leader." My voice echoed through the air, a psychic touch adding a certain amount of convincing power to it.

It was only quite some talks, waiting for people and an eye-opening conversation with local colonial 'Systems Alliance' officials that I realized the full extent of what he had gotten himself into. What I would give to have Uber, Betancore, Alizebeth or anyone really around at this moment. Even Cherubael would have been nicer than just have the silent Barbariaster at my side.

---

Supporting myself with my walking cane, I marched through busy streets, my appearance being an obvious cause of turned heads by the local Xeno population. It had taken so long to get onto the planet, so many talks with contacts and help in situations that I honestly cared little at this point. I knew what soul damning heresy I was getting myself into when I decided to try and visit this world. Thessia being called the "crown jewel of the galaxy" was not that off, I had to admit.

It reminded me of illustrations of Eldar Maiden Worlds in some regards. Though the obvious high tech structures somewhat ruined that. However, I rather would shot myself than ever naming it by its third nickname. Ever since I found out this species not only fornicated with humans of this galaxy, but can even have offsprings I felt like I had fallen into some kind of cruel joke of Cherubael. My Ordo would love nothing more to turn this world into stellar dust. Yet, here I was. Walking and seeking out one of its inhabitants for help.

Since the day I arrived in that colony of the Systems Alliance, I had voraciously read and consumed as much data and Information as I humanly could. I questioned who back home could have done this. Why this place? I internally debated wherever it was the past or even possibly worse, some kind of other reality? The latter was something Uber had touched on in one of his long rambles once upon a time, something about different dimensions in the same way yet different to Warp and Realspace. It was something probably even Uber, Bure and dozens more like them together couldn't find out quickly. Which meant I wouldn't find it out either anytime soon. Didn't have to mean that I wouldn't give it a try.

Naturally, reading about humanity here came first and I was both positively surprised what this humanity had managed at this date, and absolutely disgusted. Using Xeno technology as a base for your progress!? Half his orders more scholarly members would hold lectures longer than some conflicts about why that was the pinnacle of foolishness. Not that I could change it. Worse, with my body still aging and still disfigured by events I never would share with anyone around, I had to use some Xenos techology too; kinetic barriers and a sidearm manufactured in this reality. It was a good thing I already was called a traitor by most or else this would have looked really bad back home if it ever came out. I would be damned however before I let myself perish pointlessly without servicing the Emperor and his ideals till the very end.

There was humanity here, even if it was made up of Heretics and Non-Believers. As long as mankind preserved even here and now, I couldn't allow myself to fail. So I began traveling this galaxy I found myself in. First the many human worlds after doing some work. Never revealing too much. Never using too much. All while educating me in more than just the necessary information. Even if they were the source of the Xeno tech used by these humans, these Protheans I soon found out were probably my best bet at getting home. So I began studying everything there was about them. And surprisingly, there was little. It put up a ton of questions right, I felt like I probably wouldn't find out anytime soon on my own.

So I began getting contacts and finding people I could get things from. Finding people to talk to, befriending them even in a few rare cases. Doing jobs for them, even if it was a far cry from my prime days where I could have gone on solo adventures. I wasn't above using my unique powerset in this reality to my advantage. So many unguarded minds. So much to learn.

My student Ravenor might be more like a Transcendent Being than a human for these people here. Local Biotics came close, but they failed to reach the same scale as what I knew some Psykers could unleash onto the material plane. Still, they were something worth studying too, just as the many Xeno species here. While I spent a majority of my life hunting traitors, heretics and Daemon fiends I was still a proud member of the Ordo Xeno. Noting down all the galaxy's worth of new Xeno was worth doing as a side quest, even if I doubted someone back home actually would put them into the archives of the Ordo.

Respect.

That is not what I expected to have even in a modicum for any of the Xeno in this reality. I pitied them, I was disgusted by them. Yet, I couldn't help to feel certain respect to the scholarly mind of most Asari. The human-like order and military of the Turians. And last but not least, empathy towards the plight of the Quarians in their fight against Abominable Intelligence, although also scoffing at their idiocy in creating them in the first place.

"If you can confront the xenos, look upon the xenos, even think upon the xenos, without revulsion, then you are as damned as they."

I had fallen beyond redemption I feared. A fate that would see my successful career end not unlike a certain fallen Inquisitor I had purged. The irony wasn't lost on me. However, I was steadfast in the knowledge what I did and what he did are nothing alike. Only doing my most to serve the Imperium until the moment I die and be punished for my transgressions afterward was what I had ahead of me.

A fate I could accept.

Naturally, putting aside the heresy of me not being repulsed by Xenos completely with some rare Species, the majority fell into the same brand as the ones I knew from back home. It wasn't a surprise to me, to be honest. Compared to finding races that at least I could see potentially be reasoned with, even if just to a basic level, these were the same disgusting rejects of Galactic evolution as most from my home were.

Krogans were nothing more than savage brutes not unlike Orks, even if thankfully not nearly as dangerous. Back home someone like Commodus Voke would have probably already lead exterminations against them multiple times. Batarians were a species that were nothing more than lazy minded slavers, despicable enough to even do that to humans. Yet comparably, they lacked any semblance of danger that the Dark Eldar held. Volus were nothing more than bloated useless subspecies to a somewhat respectable one. Vorcha were as if one took Orks and removed any danger. Only superior in one aspect. Being better at dying. Vermin I saw in the same light I saw animals. The Geth were nothing more than Abominable Intelligence. Something I would even lend my hand to a Xeno to help out for. They were a threat to all life.

Looking around, I stared back at the Asari that looked at me like some sort of curious creature. I knew even with the more fine clothes I had on currently a bald, ancient-looking human man with what looked like probably unrefined mechanical assistance to his walking wasn't just going to pass them often. Probably would have done a lot better around here if I still was my young dashing self.

My unmoving, nearly unemotional stare made some flinch and others look away as I continued to take in the scenery and searched for the place I had to get to. This reality never knew even close to the wars that were an everyday business where I was from. The closet they came were the Rachni Wars and the Krogan Rebellions and even then, they were rather small conflicts compared to the Massive Campaigns fought even at the time I left M41. Hell, I knew people who personally had ordered more deaths than those that had accumulated during those two wars.

I enjoyed this peace, however. It was what I imagined the Imperium to hopefully become one day, once all traitors and Xenos were defeated and pushed out of its vast borders.

Finding the building where I expected to find the Asari I was looking for, I speed up a bit, my support system making quite the noticeable and eye turning noises. I ignored them as before or if particularly annoying, made them back off by staring back. Prothean experts were strangely rare to find despite their importance to the whole Galaxy and their races, but thanks to contacts of mine, I had been able to locate one particularly young and daring one. It was unfortunate it had been an Asari and not a human, but I will work with what I am given since there is no other way. It could have been worse.

Straightening my outfit and checking up on myself, seeing my own bleak, non-smiling and bald face I certainly knew stunning looks wouldn't be something I could use to convince this young Xeno to speak about her research. Regrettably, Pontius Glaw and Gorgone Locke had bit by bit taken that ability from me.

Let's hope she was as much like my late friend Uber as the rumors I had heard about her made her out to be.

---

"Have you ever eaten a tangerine?" The soft and calm voice of myself echoed in the relatively quiet air planet of Therum. Holding up the fruit in question while eating from another one at the same time I looked at Liara during a break "Would you like to try one?"

It was a situation my past self probably would have thought myself off as crazy if I had imagined it in the future of myself. Yet, working together on subjects like ancient Xeno and technologies long-buried sure had changed my opinion on the old for humans, but young for me Asari. Keeping up with my contact search and gathering, trying to garner more money and influence, typical work for myself even back home, working with Liara T'Soni turned out differently than I expected. While her Uber-like scholarly behavior was something I had hoped for, she was very much pristine even for such a peaceful Galaxy as this.

It was... strange, talking with her like that.

Strange enough that I shared probably more than I had ever expected to do. She still was unaware of many of the aspects of what I represented, but she probably was the person at the moment who knew the most about him in this Galaxy. It still confused even me how this happened. Either, she was a rare exception among Xeno or I truly had fallen into deeper Heresy than even when I used Cherubael for humanity's sake. Perhaps it was her reminding me of an old friend? Or perhaps I just had longed for any meaningful interaction, even if it may be a Xeno after so long?

Offering the fruit ended up as the last peaceful interaction at that time as a sudden attack on their dig site forced them to retreat. Geth. I had cursed the day when I realized what was happening, as there were many I had been ready to face. Xenos made Abominable Intelligence in mass was not one of them. It was a time I wished I still had the customized Bolt Pistol given to me by that Librarian of the Deathwatch. These soulless abominations would be far easier to take down at range with that then the relatively average stub weapon I had replaced my latest laspistol with.

Although properly marked as a weapon of an Inquisitor and servant of the Imperium and the Emperor, the M-5 Phalanx, even when painted green like my old favorite, just wasn't the same. Gathering psychic power I covered the retreat and planted some traps on the way down. The last thing I had expected when I first arrived here was to get stuck and besieged inside of Xeno ruins with a pure of mind, female, Aemos-esque Alien as the only companion aside from my good old Barbariaster.

The Emperor truly had strange fates for even its most estranged servants.

It was a relief when someone eventually arrived to save the two of them out of the situation, even more so when it was a System Alliance lead group. Although I saw them as nothing more but an acceptable, temporary ruler of this humanity, it was miles better than any other option. "The Emperor's light may still shine on us." I said to them and Liara while looking around. In my youth, I would have brightly smiled at them, but I was physically unable to do so. Liara knew by now though and I still could do some other facial movement to show it.

Let's see what this 'Commander Shepard' can do.

---

The Normandy was a ship I personally couldn't get quite used to. Although sleek, it lacked some of the familiar 'sturdiness' I knew from Imperial vessels and even my old guncutter. It didn't help that this place surely couldn't hold any secrets discussed. So having a quiet place to perhaps share some things with Liara wasn't possible. A disappointment. Still, it would serve well for the intended purpose.

"Liara, I hope to speak about the ruins with you later. Alone. There are some things the Geth, unfortunately, stopped us from discussing."

I said in my usual tone to the blue-skinned Xenothat I had reluctantly and much to my shock had grown used to. As much as I found it strange, she probably was the only one around who I could trust to even just a medium degree for now. A fact that made me shiver a bit. How deep I have gone down this path to damnation...

The teammates of this Commander Shepard ranged from normal to disgusting.

A human Biotic, nothing out of place, although something felt off to me about him. He would make a good ally for the upcoming tasks, even if I would prefer an actual Inquisitor over some Psyker-esque support. A human female in armor, a soldier. While not extraordinary, some actual regular support wouldn't be a bad thing. Especially since she seems to be from some sort of elite unit.

Another soldier came with this other Shepard, a welcome addition as any human teammate was. Although I wondered if this Roger Setter would begin telling us his entire life story soon with how the information he gave us wasn't really needed, he at least was another human he could somewhat rely on to be fully trustworthy. The same couldn't be said about the next two.

Xeno.

Of unknown kinds, as he had not seen or read about either in any date I had come across in this decade. Some female warrior being, if I assumed it correctly. Strong looking, probably like the Krogans or Orks given the appearance. Warrior Culture? Perhaps. The other was less easy to take a guess at. Also presumably female, this one was more in line with local races. However, it was clearly plant-based. Not impossible and I had certainly read many autopsies and battle reports about various ones encountered across the Galaxy. Yet rare, compared to more common types and the Fungal Orks. She seemed positive towards humans, which was at least something. After all, the last I knew that wasn't possible, no matter what.

Abominable Intelligence

No matter what I did, I couldn't get the same base feeling from the last member of the group as from any other living being. And given the behavior, I doubted it was just a Servitor or lower machine type. I was half-minded to just put it out of its misery and spare us all trouble later. But I held back. Perhaps I should let it become a lesson for these people. One should never accept AI like that. My mind and body shall stay guarded. Now, I suppose it was time to speak up too.

"Gregor Eisenhorn. I focused a lot of time during the last decade on researching Prothean ruins and technology to the best of my abilities, although my knowledge pales compared to Liara T'Soni's. As we share mutual interests and as a thank you for helping my colleague and me out in dire times, I shall put my abilities to use in this mission."