Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Lelith found her life as a prisoner to be disturbingly comfortable, barring the lack of windows. The mon’keigh captors and their metal servants were far too hospitable. She was viewed with some distrust by her interrogators, but beyond a few wary looks they did not so much as inconvenience her stay. 

 

It would be easy to write it off as an attempt to lull her into complacency, but there was none of the usual signs of false appeasement. The humans came in, asked their questions bluntly, and regardless of Lelith’s answer, left without dropping any insinuations or threats. Occasionally they might check to see if she needed anything, and any requests she made were either fulfilled quickly or rejected outright without any attempts at ‘negotiating’ for it.

 

These Nexus humans were either truly ignorant about proper prisoner etiquette, or they were masterful actors.

 

Still, it was something Lelith couldn’t truly complain about. Not when she could sense the familiar, hollow hunger seeping from her room’s sole exit anytime the door opened to welcome her human and robotic captors.

 

Every now and then, the former wych would wonder how many other prisoners were in the same state as she was, freed from grasp of the Great Enemy and left with too much time to ponder about the future.

 

It was not her favorite hobby, but being stuck in a room, no matter how comfortable, gave her little else to do beyond drilling her stances and shadow sparring. The Eldar warrior was forced to consider whether the Nexus would be kind enough to keep her soul free from the slavering maw of She Who Thirsts when they inevitably terminated her. It then brought up the disconcerting question of where her soul would wander off to, if that was the case.

 

Lelith thought that she’d find out when Sev, their leader, returned to meet her for the second time. He had changed significantly since last she saw him. It was not apparent on the physical plane, but even Lelith’s stunted psychic senses could feel the raw power seeping out of him. 

 

“Your cooperation so far is greatly appreciated,” he began, which sounded like the spiel the nobles would use. She nodded slowly, trying to figure out which route this would take. “Particularly your information about Commorragh.” His smile was dangerous, promising the complete extinction of his enemies and the snuffing of the stars that dared harbored them. 

 

Lelith’s spine tingled…appreciatively at that.

 

“That being said though, it raises the final question of your future.” There it was. Lelith shook off the hazy warmth and tried to figure out what lay in store for her. Torture? A swift execution? She squinted a little, but found nothing to suggest malice in him.

 

An execution then. It was the best option she could get.

 

“Do you have any plans for the future?”

 

“I only ask that you make it quick,” she replied, which elicited a look of confusion in Sev.

 

“Quick?”

 

Lelith nodded. “I do not care if you wish to make a spectacle of it, so long as my demise is quick. I would rather not…rather not experience the humiliation my kind likes to give out.”

 

Sev blinked once, twice, before the light of comprehension dawned in his eyes, followed quickly by amusement. “Ah. You’ve got it wrong. I’m not going to kill you…well, unless that’s what you really want anyway. I’ve made contact with the other flavor of your people. The craftworlders? I can drop you off there if you’d like.”

 

To live with those self-crippling fools? Maybe Sev did have it in him to dispense torment after all.

 

“Is…is that my only option?” she ventured cautiously.

 

He shrugged nonchalantly as he answered. “Eh, I could give you one of your smaller ships to use and wish you all the best in your future ventures. I could drop you off at some planet you like - you got them Exodites, right? - if it’s close enough.” Sev fixed Lelith a searching gaze. “It all depends; What do you want?”

 

The red-maned Eldar was silent in thought for several seconds before she formed the right words. “Whatever happens, my…my soul will remain free?”

 

“Freer than any of your kind. It’ll still go to the big pink monster you call a Chaos God at the end of it all. But so long as you’re careful, you’ll be fine.”

 

Lelith’s shoulders slumped at that. She was still doomed to an eternity of anguish. One misstep in the hostile galaxy and she would end up a morsel for She Who Thirsts. That realization soured her appreciation of her current (limited) freedom.

 

“Can… Is there anything you can do to stop that?” she implored, feeling her desperation creep in.

 

There was no mocking or amusement from Sev, only a serious, thoughtful consideration on his features. Which meant that he might have an answer. Which also meant that there would be a great price.

 

“The problem here is that you’ve got none of your gods to bind yourself to.” The Eldar pantheon was mostly devoured with the birth of the Dark Prince, with Khaine shattered across the stars and only the Laughing God supposedly having survived intact and hiding somewhere in the darkest reaches of the Webway. Lelith could not bring herself to worship a giggling coward.

 

“There is an alternative…” Sev offered, his gaze speculative. “But I’m not sure how tight that leash would be, seeing you’re Eldar and all that.”

 

Leash? Did the Nexus have the ability to mimic Spirit Stones? “What would you bind me to?”

 

The ruler of the Nexus gave a wan smile. “Me.”

 

Lelith blinked, and then her jaw dropped when the power wreathed around Sev unfurled just a little bit, flooding the room with an eldritch power beyond the divine, so thick that it felt tangible enough to smother her. It was cold and empty, unlike the roiling tumult of the Warp. It was both dreadful and reassuring, both benevolent and utterly sadistic. Lelith tasted the promise of a brighter future, as well as the despair of a swift extinction.

 

The display lasted all of a second before dissipating as instantly as it appeared. Lelith blinked again, and found herself trembling, out of fear and... “Wh-what must I do to serve you?” she whispered, dropping to her knees in supplication.

 

“Loyalty and obedience to Nexus laws, just like everyone else,” Sev answered casually, and with obvious amusement. “You’ll be given the whole migration briefing later.”

 

She dared to look up at the mon- the avatar with surprise. “That…that’s all?”

 

An eyebrow went up as he regarded her wryly. “What, you expect some grand sacrifice and rituals with incense?”

 

“I…I don’t know?”

 

Sev snorted with amusement and then offered a hand. “Waste of time, and not significant metaphysically. Anyway, do you want to be the first Eldar of the Nexus Unity?”

 

Lelith stared at the offered hand, feeling a momentous weight in it. She looked up to Sev’s welcoming smile that masked the terrors and joys he would bring, and then nodded once as she reached out to take his hand.

 

She jolted as something poured through her hand and surged throughout her body. Lelith gasped in surprise as her veins strobed with searing heat and the cold of the void. It lasted for an eternal instant before receding. As Lelith found herself being lifted gently to her feet, panting heavily from the surprising exertion, she felt a dull, reassuring warmth replacing the hungry void that once existed before Sev silenced it.

 

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“Welcome to the Nexus, Lelith,” her ruler, her god, announced with a warm smile. She just nodded, not trusting herself with words just yet. Sev finally pried his hand out of hers and began to usher her to the door. “Come, I’ll show you to your new accommodations and I’ll have Kelly settle you in.”

 

Lelith did not move, drawing Sev’s curious gaze. “Is something wrong?”

 

She stared at him thoughtfully. “I do not regret this decision, but…what is the price of all this?”

 

Sev shrugged. “Be a good citizen. Play nice with the others and get off the typical elf arrogance. Might have to run a few tests to see how durable the soul binding is, but that shouldn’t be much work. I’m not really a god that I need worship rituals and all that bullshit.”

 

“That’s really it?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Lelith stared at him for a while longer before nodding, and finally allowing herself to smile, the first earnest one in a long time. “Thank you.”

 

“No worries.” 

 

Before he could say more, Lelith straightened and then gave her god a determined look. “Please, tell me how to best serve you.”

 

Sev rolled his eyes. “I told you, I don’t need any of that metanatural stuff.”

 

Lelith shook her head, and then shrugged off her top. “I wish to serve my new god.” She slipped off her leggings, revealing glistening strands of fluids that leaked and stained her inner thighs. “I want to prove myself worthy,” she declared in a husky voice.

 

Sev regarded her in silence, his dark gaze clearly lustful as it roved across her naked body. Lelith smiled at the attention. It was good that her god found her pleasing to look at. “Are you sure?” he asked. “You don’t have to do this.”

 

“But I want to,” she replied instantly, and dared to take a sultry step towards him. “I want to show my gratitude, my devotion to my new master.” She stopped right in front of him, uncaring that she was panting heavily now as she felt the edges of Sev’s eldritch radiance. “Please, tell me how to serve you…to please you.”

 

*****

 

A small fleet of sleek alien ships orbited the lone moon of the Nexus Unity’s homeworld. Gathered within a simple and austere outpost were several tall humanoids, easily mistaken for slim humans, if not for the pointed ears and the eerie grace of even their most minute movements. Eldar Farseers and autarchs from various craftworlds were gathered in the forum hall, answering the invitation sent by the Nexus in varying degrees of reluctance, wariness and curiosity. 

 

Few of the psychically active race deigned to note their primitive hosts’ warding runes subtly placed throughout the walls, floors and ceilings. At least, not overtly. As curious as these breed of mon’keigh were, for all their advancements and potential, they were still humans after all. 

 

The susurrations and murmurs died down as the Eldar minds noted the arrival of their host. Sev, the ruler of the Nexus Unity, strode out from a side entrance, his coat flowing behind him as he took the center stage. Those Farseers seeing him for the first time gasped in shock as they felt potent but unknown energies coiling around him. Their surprise grew to horror when they saw how the skeins of fate wrapped around him, as if the future of the Eldar race rested in his hands.

 

This then was the Nexus of Fate that some had whispered about.

 

Ignoring the noise, Sev simply looked up at his audience and offered a polite, welcoming smile. “Welcome, and thank you for coming.” To the surprise of many, he spoke in their tongue, fluently without any noticeable accent. 

 

“Let me get to the point.” The lone human lifted a hand palm up to reveal a clear teardrop-shaped gem. His audience was utterly silent, their attention fully ensnared by the glinting object. “I’ve come to understand that these psycho-conducive crystals are of great value to your people. Priceless, even.”

 

Sev smirked as out of nowhere another gem blinked to existence on his palm, and then several more, and then more until a small drizzle of crystals rang out thinly as they fell to the floor. “And that I, and I alone within the Nexus Unity, am capable of creating them en masse.” He bent over to pick up a handful of the gems, then walked over to pass them to the nearest Eldar delegation.

 

The craftworlders handled the crystals with reverence, whispering amongst themselves in amazement even as they passed on the samples to their fellows beside and behind them. The psychic emanations were undeniable, these gems were practically identical to the Spirit Stones that the dying race used to protect their souls from She Who Thirsts.

 

Curiosity and reluctance gave way to astonishment at the claims that a mere mortal human, no matter how psychically potent, could simply conjure up the highly sought after, and highly limited resource.

 

“The crystals have been tested by your own,” Sev remarked casually, and on cue, a group of Farseers and Autarchs appeared from the side of the stage and walked to Sev’s side. Some of the attendees recognized the leaders from Ulthwe, Saim-Hann and Iyanden who took part in the suicidal expedition several long cycles ago.

 

“He speaks truth,” Eldrad Ulthran spoke aloud. “The Spirit Stones of the Nexus Unity have been used by some of my kin, after a trying encounter with the Great Enemy.” The ancient Farseer gave a respectful and grateful nod at Sev as he went on. “If not for him, Craftworld Ulthwe, Saim-Hann and Iyanden would have lost many amore souls to the maw of She Who Thirsts.”

 

Exclamations and stunned cries that rose up amongst the Eldar guests, along with the psychic maelstrom of disbelief and shock. Sev enjoyed the chaos as it lasted for several minutes before he decided to glance at Eldrad, who offered a silent nod.

 

The ruler of the Nexus Unity straightened before adopting a more formal tone of voice, cutting through the babble and drawing all eyes on him once more. “So, to the point. The Nexus Unity is willing to offer these crystals, these Spirit Stones, in set quantities to any craftworld that seeks it. At the same time, the Nexus Unity will not knowingly trespass on any Eldar worlds, be they Maiden or Exodite Worlds, and we will maintain a peaceful stance towards Craftworlders and Exodites. In exchange, the craftworlds will not take hostile action against the people and territory of the Nexus Unity without prior attempts at a meaningful negotiation.”

 

Sev’s features became stony as he continued. “Emphasis on ‘meaningful’. I don’t care if it’s some catastrophic future tragedy you’re trying to avoid, or some grave insult accidentally given. You have problems with the Nexus, you start by opening proper, civil diplomatic channels first. Failure to do so will result in an immediate cessation of Spirit Stone production and export to every craftworld until I say otherwise.”

 

There were audible intakes of breaths at the audacity of the human. The autarchs and farseers who could look beyond that had to admit that the offer was generous, despite the terms and the fact that they had to stoop down to rely on a primitive race.

 

A frowning autarch, one from militant Biel-Tan leaned forward to pose a question. “And what’s to stop you from using this as a means to protect others of your kind from our rightful retribution?”

 

Sev shrugged off the harsh gaze. “I can’t offer any concrete guarantees, especially not without context, but I’m sure we can come to an agreement should some sort of dispute arise.” He glanced nonchalantly between the gathered Eldar leaders. “I mean, you guys probably have your own little clashes that need resolving, right? We could use that as a basis.”

 

The gall of the mon’keigh to elevate himself up to their equal!

 

Another autarch, from Iyanden, interrupted the protests before it could begin. “I have noted that you only mentioned craftworlds and exodites in this treaty.” That drew an intriguing silence to the rest of the Eldar. “What of the rest of our kin?”

 

Another shrug was offered. “It’ll depend on how they wish to deal with us. They attack us, we retaliate, as is our right.” Sev paused, and suddenly grinned darkly. “Oh, as a matter of transparency…”

 

Eldrad and the Farseers next to Sev took a few steps back as threads of the future lashed out from the ruler of the Nexus, each offering only flames and ruination to the cruel shadows of the dying race. 

 

“Let it be known that the Nexus Unity is declaring total war against the city-state of Commorragh, due to their repeated raids against us. The Nexus Unity claims conquest of the port city as our war goal. We’ve already sent their envoy back to them with that message.”

 

A soft cackle left his lips after he gave his announcement, basking in the wide-eyed shock of his audience. “Any questions?”

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