#anyway hera IS smart but that's about her as a person and how she processes information

[commsroom]

i love that the information on hera's servers is just something she (mostly) has access to and it isn't inherently part of her or necessarily something she knows, exactly - that she has to actively read the books available to her, that she doesn't commit all of the information she processes to memory, that her memory is fallible and influenced by her own biases, etc. because it means sometimes eiffel is like, wow, hera!! you're so smart; you know everything!! and meanwhile she's doing the equivalent of like, googling stuff really fast.

[waiting-for-ciena-ree]

“A New Dawn” and “Levers of Power” thoughts

A New Dawn

So “A New Dawn” by John Jackson Miller was published in 2014, but I didn’t become a Star Wars super nerd until about two years ago. Now I’ve finally read the story of how Kanan and Hera met, and Rae Sloane’s introduction. (Some spoilers below.)

For the most part, I enjoyed it! I like stories about ex-Jedi and I really liked the setting of the planet Gorse and its moon Cynda. I got emotional about how the Empire was so eager to destroy the land just to further its mining goals.

Kanan is a funny protagonist, and he had some fantastic choice words for the Jedi Order: “The Jedi Order was more than an unpaid police force, more than just an exercise club that was into metaphysics.” I’m still reeling at that line aaahhh haha wow!

Since I’d already read the Aftermath trilogy, it was interesting to see Rae Sloane so young. I think she’s a more compelling character when she’s older and more self-aware, but it was still fun to see her so eager and confident! My favorite line by her was when she realized the extent of Count Vidian’s evil plan, and she thought, “But he would destroy Gorse’s population in the process. And worse, he would ruin Sloane’s career.” Rae!! Listen to yourself!! hahaha

I also LOVED the moment she said, “Arrest Count Vidian!” So exciting! And then Kanan compared the imagery of the stormtroopers turning on Vidian to his memories of the clone troopers turning on the Jedi, which, oof!! That hits hard. Kanan thought about how delighted he was to see the soldiers turn on Vidian, which reminded me of a “Legends” comic I read, Dark Times, in which an alien named Bomo Greenbark laughs at the clone troopers attacking the Jedi, since the Jedi and clones were invading his home planet. That’s another rough story.

I liked Miller’s other OCs too, especially Zaluna, the ex-surveillance system manager. I just love older women characters! And seeing Hera act proud of Zaluna’s journey was heartwarming.

I admit that I went into this story expecting more Kanera romance, or at least for Kanan to explain his backstory to Hera by the end. But the fact that so much went unspoken felt true to the writing of this couple in the show haha. Everything has to be subtle with them whether we like it or not. (I do like subtlety! But I also think it’s kind of hilarious how Star Wars downplays their romance so much.)

My main criticism of this story was that I found the ableism distracting! I was trying my best to interpret Count Vidian generously, but I didn’t have much energy for it. He’s a cyborg who needs prosthetics to live, much like Vader and Grievous, and just like them he’s very evil. Vidian isn’t a unique character in that regard, but, I kept thinking how Star Wars is really overdue for stories that challenge that narrative of the Evil Disabled Cyborg... 

The most baffling decision to me was when Kanan asked Zaluna if she would want treatment for her blind eyes--as in, I think she could have the opportunity to get robotic eyes--and Zaluna says No, because she doesn’t want to be “like Vidian.” I just!! Why do we need to frame it this way, that the reason she doesn’t want treatment is because she doesn’t want to be like an evil person? (We could easily say that the reason she doesn’t want robotic eyes is because she worked in surveillance and so doesn’t trust the idea of putting cameras in her eyes that other people could use against her. The framing just rubbed me the wrong way.)

Anyway I may be overreacting over a niche Star Wars novel...

I do like John Jackson Miller. He also wrote the Knight Errant comics, which I am a huge fan of and definitely recommend.

“Levers of Power”

The book I have that contains A New Dawn also contains the short story “Levers of Power” by Jason Fry, which I also read, and I wanted to mention it because I loved it a LOT, wow. No mixed feelings on this one! It was exactly what I needed! A story of a messy, complicated, villainous woman who realizes that she’s going to lose, and so the best she can do is lose gracefully while all the men around her flounder and fall.

This is a story about how Rae Sloane reacts to the Battle of Endor. I actually felt breathless reading it. Fry is a good writer and it sure was exciting, aahh!!

For me personally, a reason I love Kreia is because she’s an incredibly smart woman who sees in the Force that her world is ending in multiple ways, and so the best she can do is to lose gracefully, even going so far to plot her own death. Now that my feelings for Kreia are more complicated because of revelations about her writer, it just felt nice to read a Star Wars story about a similar woman character. 

Rae doesn’t see the future in the Force, but she still has razor sharp wits, and it’s oh-so-satisfying to see her take down the men officers around her. She didn’t want to be right about losing the battle, but she knew that she was, and so she made decisions to flee in order to fight another day. I just loved it a whole lot. It was like a microcosm of her arc in Aftermath.

It was more of an emotional experience for me than anything else! I just sympathize so much with these cynical women losers, what can I say omg

[5godsofphantomlord]

Howdy!

Hello! Odin here once again to talk about the final (and newest) member of the Five Gods of Phantom Lord: Heracles! Well then, without further ado, let’s get started.

Harrison is the newest member of the Five Gods, having been in training while ex-member Penny Polendina (Artemis) was with us. When Penny stepped down (wanting to return to her team), she did so while stating confidently that “The 5th position is in good hands.” And she was absolutely right. Hazzah’s really shy, and not to great with new people, (not to mention he’s kinda insecure) but he’s suuuuper smart! In fact, he’s the one who got Penny fixed up after...

Anyway! Unlike the rest of us, Harrison never pursued magic, partially because he just wasn’t very interested, and partially because of other reasons that we’ll cover in a bit. However, he’s actually really strong, so combine that with his keen intellect and all of the training he’s gone through (thanks to the rest of us) and you have one hell of a fighter! That being said, he’s not exactly fond of fighting, so he’ll try and diffuse a situation and only take his stance if it’s necessary.

Anyway, time to get into his abilities!

First up, Blacklight abilities: Hera’ found himself in quite the unfortunate predicament while we where away from our home timeline. While we where gone, he was volunteered by an ‘anonymous third party’ to be tested on in experiments involving the Blacklight virus. Unfortunately, the virus took hold, and there where many months where his survival was thought to be impossible. However (as you can probably guess by the fact that he’s alive) he did survive the virus, and in the process developed a symbiotic relationship with it. This means that the virus keeps itself alive with nutrients he consumes, and in return the virus helps him in combat. Now then, Ima gon’ give y’all a rundown of what he can do!!! Increased muscular strength: This is self explanatory: he’s stronger, faster, more agile, and more physically capable than he was before. He can even run on/up walls! It also means that training his body is more effective than it would otherwise be. Gliding: He’s able to use the air around his body to keep him aloft for a short amount of time, this combined with his massive j-

HOPS!

or that, means that he can travel past cities in seconds. Consume: He’s able to consume anything he’s killed in seconds thanks to the Blacklight virus. He doesn’t use this ability unless it’s the only way for everyone else to survive, but it’s quite the boost. It heals him, restores his stamina, and feeds him too. Accelerated Regeneration: So long as he isn’t taking damage, Hazzah is able to heal his wounds passively waaaaaay faster than any normal person would, as in, he can heal normally fatal wounds in a few seconds! It’s crazy! Whipfists: the first transformation-based ability that he gained, they allow him hit targets from far away (the whipfists are stretchy) and also let him ‘web-swing’ which he can combine with his gliding to start travelling at quite the impressive speed. Unlike most of his transformation-based abilities (which is everything except the general buff and his consume ability) it only transforms one arm, meaning he can use another ability on the other arm. Muscle-mass: a transformation-based ability that increases his actual muscle-mass slightly and massively increases his physical strength. He can also up this to Muscle-mass: Stage 2 which grants a much more noticeable increase to his actual muscle mass (as well as turning both of his arms red, not just his forearms) and giving a huge, and I mean HUGE increase to his strength and speed. He can’t keep stage 2 up for long though. Stage 1 (like most of his abilities) doesn’t have a time-limit. Tendrils: Using tendrils made of viral matter, he’s able to pull objects into his target, hang them up, restrain them, or-

SMACK ‘EM IN THE FACE!

*sigh* yes , or ‘smack ‘em in the face’. Bloody hell Ama... Hammerfists: The hammerfists are large (sometimes spiked) masses that take the place of Heracles’ hands. These masses are extremely heavy, absurdly so even, and this means he’s able to slam these down with some crazy force. If he want’s to, he can even use the force to put viral matter in the ground, and have that matter then emerge as deadly spikes! Claws:These are pretty self-explanatory, his hands gain massive sharp claws that can cut through most enemies like butter, and he can also use them to climb.  Glaive: The glaive is a massive blade shaped like the head of an actual glaive, but similar in length to Hera’s entire arm! Like the Whipfist, it only take up one arm, meaning he can use another ability on the other arm. The glaive is also large enough to use as a make-shift shield (although he cant do that to much). Shield: The shield is obvious, it’s a large shield that takes up one of his arms and shields him from damage. Armour: The Blacklight Armour looks like full-plate armour, but in reality it’s all viral mater originating from his body. It’s not as good at shielding Harrison from damage as the actual shield is, but this keeps both his hands free. It also slows him down a little and stops him from gliding. A bit of a trade off, but worth it in quite the number of situations. Spikes: Not to be confused with the spikes he can make via his hammerfists, the Spikes ability covers his forearms with large,solid spikes that he can either shoot out at massive speed, or use in melee combat. If he want’s to, he can fire these spikes at a pretty impressive speed. Even I have a hard time dodging them! He can also choose to have this ability active on only one arm, but he normally has it active on both when he uses it. The Ooze: The Ooze is a large amount of liquid, viral biomass that is highly acidic and massively corrosive. Heracles can control this biomass telepathically (although he does use gestures, I’m not sure whether or not that’s required). He can use it for everything from creating barriers, to long-distance combat, to crowd control (not a pleasant sight) and so much more!

Next, crazy intellect: Heracles is crazy intelligent! He’s helped with the invention of the Dual-Core Dust Engine, which means when the dust has been used by (whatever the engine is powering) the energy generate by the dust is used to power the engine before using more dust! And that’s not his only invention either! He’s made plenty of crazy stuff that’s been super beneficial for everyone! So imagine how dangerous someone with this level of intelligence would be on a battlefield if they had a few decades of combat experience...yeah, that’s Hera for ya!

Now, before I go, I just want to mention something. As you will have seen, I haven’t mentioned aura when describing his abilities. There’s a rather simple reason for this, he can’t use aura. We don’t know why he can’t, we’ve tried training him to do so, we’ve tried awakening it with our own aura, and loads of other things, but nothing seems to work.  I mean, at least he can regenerate, but still, it’s a little worrying.

Anyway, that’s all from me for now! We’ve finnaly introduced everyone! This means we should be getting a shout-out from a good friend soon, @neandrewtal who helped us get this account started!

So thank you from me and from-

AND ME! I’M GRATEFUL TOO!

I was gonna say ‘and from the rest of the Five God’s too’ but sure Ama...

OH...Yeah that works better.

Anyway! Thank you everyone, and we hope to see you all again soon! 3rd God Odin (and 2nd God Amaterasu) out!

[frickengreenfrickyeah]

An Irreverent Intro to the Iliad

A/N:I’ve taken the introduction to the Lombardo translation and condensed it. Any time I says something to the effect of “don’t quote me on this” that means I’ve added my own analysis or thoughts that I cannot back up in any way, so don’t, like, put it in an essay if you don’t plan on doing your own research.

Anyway, you don’t care about that stuff, you came here to read about the Iliad.

It’s really fricken long, so, for the sake of mobile users, everything’s under the cut except for this:

“Rage. Bitch, lemme tell you about the time that Achilles fucked over the entire Greek army by Rage-quitting.”

Timeline for the Noobs 

Ten years ago:

Aphrodite bribes Paris so she can win a beauty contest between herself, Athena, and Hera. Paris’ reward for his ‘heroics’ is Helen

(There’s probably an essay’s worth of symbolism you could dig into here, what with the goddesses all representing different priorities: erotic love, wisdom/justice, and familial duty. I wonder what Paris’ choice reveals about his character?)

There’s some disagreement about whether or not Helen when with Paris willingly

Seeing as literally no other woman in the Iliad (and maybe the entire Cycle? Don’t quote me on that) willingly went with her kidnapper, I’m calling bull on that. Do with that what you will.

Menelaus gets really mad that Paris stole his wife, so he rounds up the Greek army, and they go to war. (It’s worth noting that Athena and Hera are both on his side here.)

Present day:

Agamemnon(Boo), Menelaus’ brother kidnaps a girl. Then he has the balls to get upset that the girl’s father called Apollo’s plague down upon the Greeks until she’s returned

Achilles points out that Agamemnon’s being a dick and people are literally dying because he won’t let go of one girl. Agamemnon says, “Fine. If I have to give up my lady-war-prize, I’m taking yours as recompense.”

Achilles allows Agamemnon to take his girl, then Rage-quits. As consequence, people die.

Hypocrites. Hypocrites everywhere. If you wanna analyze that for an essay, I think there’s plenty to talk about. 

The Theme Worth Giving a Shit About (Because it Drives the Narrative)

Heroes risk their lives on the battlefield in exchange for Prizes

Ie. riches, bitches, and clout

Honor <--> Shame is how they judge the value of others and themselves. Honor wins Prizes, Shame loses Prizes

3 Characters Worth Giving a Shit About (Because They Explore the Aforementioned Theme)

Achilles: Main character. Rage is his thing. Also, pouting. 

His honor is insulted by Agamemnon(Boo) taking away Briseis, his lady war prize. Since war prizes are how their society rewards heroes for risking their lives, Agamemnon is basically saying he doesn’t care of Achilles dies or not.

And that hurts Achilles’ feelings because he knows he’s gonna die. There’s a prophecy about it. 

The only reason he’s fighting is because society conditioned him to believe that Prizes and eternal glory were worth dying for.

Now that he doubts everything he knows, he refuses to fight for the Greeks.

The entire poem is the consequences of his Rage-quit

Agamemnon: fuck this guy

He loses his lady war prize, so he takes Achilles’. Because short-sighted spite is the best motivator.

He and Achilles start the poem in the same place, believing that material goods should equally compensate a loss. Achilles is the one who learns that that’s not how that works.

Agamemnon starts as a dick and ends as a dick. Google Iphigenia if you want to learn more. And that shit he pulls with Cassandra? Major dickbag. Fuck this guy. 

Hector: The Trojan hero, and honestly the only likable guy here. 

He is Achilles’ foil. 

Just like Achilles, he’s separated from society - but, unlike Achilles, it’s not because he rejects their values. It’s because he never questions them.

He’s basically the perfect hero, and he suffers for it:

His son is scared of his war helmet

He can’t stay closer to home to fight defensively because that’s ‘shameful’

And he can’t even stay in the city that long on his breaks because wine and women are too tempting. 

Side Characters to Maybe Give a Fuck About

Patroclus: The most important of the supporting cast, and he’s only in it for, like, maybe a book

Achilles’ BFF and probably more

(Read: Definitely more. If you listen carefully, you can hear me chanting OTP OTP OTP every time you open your book.)

He is Achilles’ double

He never doubts society but supports his bestie’s midlife crisis anyway

His death at the hands of Hector symbolizes Achilles’ death because he was wearing Achilles’ armor at the time

Achilles causes Patroclus’ death btw

When he Rage-quits, he asks Zeus to help the Trojans (because short-sighted spite is the best motivator). Patroclus goes to help the Greeks wearing Achilles’ very recognizable armor, causing Hector to target and kill him

His death redirects Achilles’ Rage at the Trojans instead of the Greeks

Diomedes: a badass fighter

Greater Ajax: a badass fighter

and (I think) the guy who talks sense into Achilles at some point

Ajax the Lesser: a badass fighter (are you sensing a theme in these characters?)

Odysseus: the only smart guy here

The Odyssey is about him btw

The Trojan horse was his idea, according to the Aeneid (and maybe other places? But definitely the Aeneid.)

WTF is an Epic Poem Anyway?

Epic Poem: recounts events with far-reaching historical consequences, sums up the values and achievements of an entire culture, and documents the full variety of the war

Basically, if “’Murica, Fuck Yeah” sums up America, then the Iliad sums up Ancient Greece

(Actually, Hamilton is a better comparison, but I needed to make a joke. Fite me.)

That “full variety” thing is why Book 2 and a couple other places just list off a bunch of ships or leaders and their dads. That shit is boring. Skip it. 

But also, that ‘full variety’ thing is what makes other parts of the story so interesting. Homer will sum up a dude’s life story right before he kills them or some shit. It magnifies the scale of the narrative by showing how insignificant one person’s experience is - no one person can stop the war.

That’s what makes Achilles’ story even more powerful --> because his impact on the war is significant. His Rage controls the ebb and flow of it. 

He can’t stop the war though. No one can. 

The Gods are Petty as Fuck

Homeric gods look/act like humans, but they’re different mainly because of two things:

1. They can’t die.

That means they treat the events of the war less seriously than the mortals do.

2. The gods know about fate

To the modern reader, it seems like the humans have no agency, but that’s not really the case

Knowing fate is a bit like knowing the plot of a movie. It gives insight into a character’s actions that would otherwise seem random.

By reading this poem, you’re basically a god. Don’t let it go to your head. (But, hey, there’s a reason I’m majoring in this shit)

Bards like Homer would more directly be gods because they changed and adapted the story as they told it, just like the gods influence human actions in the story.

Don't quote me on that tho

Character choices are usually doubly motivated - by the human, and by the gods

Ex: Achilles chooses not to kill Agamemnon because Athena tells him not to.

This is personifying the literal thought process he had so that the reader understands what’s going through his head.

Fate doesn’t force anyone to act out of character --> fate is the consequence of their life choices

The gods not caring about death and his own lack of foresight is what Achilles messes up on

He asks Zeus to help him get revenge on the Greeks because he assumes Zeus cares about that sort of thing, but Zeus is bigger than that.

That leads Patroclus’ death, btw.

The “Enduring Heart” Shit

Achilles is really butthurt that Agamemnon wronged him

The lesson he has to learn is that even if material goods can’t make up for losses, there’s no other option --> you can’t bring people back from the dead, so you have to move on

That’s the Enduring Heart shit

also, if you abstract that concept it sounds kinda like entropy to me (Don’t quote me on that tho)

He learns that lesson by feeling pity for Priam (Hector’s dad) instead of perpetuating the Rage Train

And, hey, that Enduring Heart shit is a lesson that all of us could take to heart. None of us want to die, but it’s gonna happen. Maybe that’s not fair, but throwing a temper tantrum isn’t going to change anything. Really, the only way to avoid being miserable is to embrace our mortality so we can appreciate life while we have it

don’t quote me on that tho

In a nutshell, Achilles has to accept his mortal-ness. Otherwise there’s a lot of unnecessary suffering. 

That’s why we don’t need to see him die in the Iliad even though everyone makes such a big deal about the prophecy about his death. His journey was completed as soon as he found pity in himself instead of Rage - essentially rejecting the godly side of himself (oh yeah, I forgot to mention. His mom is a goddess) and embracing his mortality. 

because gods don’t have to deal with death, they can Rage all they want, remember?

Also, if he never dies, he can’t be reunited with Patroclus. 

OTP OTP OTP

You could probably write an essay about how Achilles died as soon as Patroclus did.

Honestly Boring Historical Context (That might be interesting if you’re a nerd like me?

The poem was basically historical fantasy even when it was first written. There are gods and super strength and shit

Greek History Over-Simplified: The Mycanaean Period was prosperous but ended suddenly. The Dark Ages of Greece followed, and we don’t know much about what happened during that because they forgot the written word was a thin. 

The events of the poem probably take place during the Mycanaean Period because they use bronze weapons. 

But warfare is described from more of a Dark Ages perspective. Like, they don’t use chariots the right way

Which suggests that chariots were part of the source material, then the Dark Ages made people forget how they were supposed to be sued, so the bards just kinda made shit up to explain their presence. (Don’t quote me on that tho)

The Oral Tradition of the poem means that this story was told thousands of times over hundreds (thousands?) of years. So the narrative is hones at shit.

it has the sculpted body of an Olympic athlete. Each muscle toned to do a specific job and everything works perfectly together to accomplish the sporty feat of interest. Every verse is packed with character, setting, plot, and cultural significance

Except for that Catologue of Ships shit. Boooo boring ships.

There were probably lots of other versions of the poem, but Homer told it best. His version was written down as soon as the written word was (re)invented

Side Note that wasn’t in Lombardo’s Intro

The Iliad and Odyssey are both parts of a larger body of work known as the Epic Cycle 

(The Aeneid is basically Caesar Augustus-insert fanfiction at that, btw. Virgil was a satirical fanboy and I’m living for it.)

Characters and events are introduced with the assumptions that the reader already knows their importance

But we only have fragments of the rest of the Cycle today because it was either never written down or the manuscripts were lost

I’m looking at you, Burned Library of Alexandria

*sad fiddle music plays in the background

Videos That I Learned Shit From (Only, like, the first two links are relevant to the topic at hand, btw)

Basic Plot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faSrRHw6eZ8

More about the Epic Cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3bn0eKt4Rw 

Iphigenia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifFsKCrH3GM 

Oresteia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kpGhivh05k             

The Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-3rHQ70Pag&index=4&list=PLDb22nlVXGgfwG1qbOtNgu897E_ky_8To (Also, this story is my favorite of the Epic Cycle)

The Aeneid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRruBVFXjnY&list=PLDb22nlVXGgfwG1qbOtNgu897E_ky_8To&index=5  

Ancient Greek History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzGVpkYiJ9w&index=2&list=PLDb22nlVXGgexsbafIwirG6Tk9uww9dSW    

And, yeah, these videos are all from the same channel. I’m a basic bitch and a ho for not leaving my comfort zone. Fite me. 

Honestly, if anyone has other sources, let me know. Youtube history/video essays are my shit.

I hope this was helpful.

[fuukonomiko]

Meeting of The Minds NSFW

First things first. This is @possiblyhereticalultramarine ‘s fault.

This was his idea (which I went along with), but we collaborated on writing it together. If you are familiar with any of our writing styles you can tell who wrote what and where.

Not much on the plot. Of course it’s smut. No need for a reason. Know that you have been warned. Feedback appreciated!

Is it going to make a lot of sense? No, not really.

Is it going to be OOC? Let’s put it this way, @possiblyhereticalultramarine wrote the man, I wrote the woman, maybe a few lines for the man. You be the judge.

I enjoyed writing this though, even if it is rather heretical. LOL.

On AO3 if you prefer that format: Meeting of The Minds

The sound of torrential rain hammering down onto the marble tiles above him calmed Roboute Guilliman as he looked out at Hera’s Falls cascading down the mountainside. The Fortress of Hera had grown exponentially in size since he had last seen the city. It had overtaken several districts of Macragge Civitas and swallowed up large parts of the mountain, including the body of water that led down into the river Laponis from the mountains. The untamed beauty of its natural waterfall had given way to architectural elegance; its rocky sides smoothed and the flow of its current directed in an efficient manner down the side of the Fortress’ walls.

He focused his attention at the sky above him. His vision was filled with the neverending torrent of rain, the gloom of the cloudy sky and the occasional flash of thunder. In the distance he saw faint observation lights coming from boxy silhouettes descending to and ascending from the city. Even with the bad weather, thousands of bulk landers and cargo transports made their way to and from the landing fields. It was to be expected, he thought. There was a sector-wide war encompassing Ultramar now.

He sighed. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking of the war. He had taken a few hours to himself while his commanders looked over his orders. Depriving himself of both his armor and his bodyglove and adorning himself in his ceremonial robes, he had secluded himself onto the hillside promontory to calm his tired mind. He let out a breath and forced the thoughts of war and empire out of his mind as he looked on into the rain.

A thought glided through his mind. But it was not his own. He frowned for a moment before he realised who it belonged to.

The guest has arrived at the Landing Fields, my Primarch

He smiled as he recognized the soothing presence of Varro Tigirus. The talented psyker made it a point to deliver his mental messages smoothly as possible with minimal discomfort to him. He appreciated the gesture.

Tell her to join me at the terrace he thought back. He had mastered the ability to respond to a psyker’s mental inquiries from Ptolemy when he had first joined his legion.

Is that wise, Lord?  the voice in his head sounded again.  She is at least above Gamma level in psychic potential. Perhaps I should-

Send her in, Varro  he thought back. Then with a softer manner of thought  I can take care of myself, my friend.

Yes, my Primarch  was the reply before the mental connection was severed.

The guest wore a hood that bore traces of the torrent outside. It did not disguise the fact that the wearer was feminine. Even if it had not been announced to him he would have figured out anyway. Her gait was smooth and confident, with a mild sway of her hips that waved the cloth dramatically. She stopped a few paces of the Primarch before bowing her head in acknowledgment.

“Karimah Mehta, my Lord.” she introduced herself. “High Sorceress of Sortiarius.”

Roboute Guilliman stiffened and his hand twitched towards a sword that was not there. He forced himself to relax and slowly looked at her with a level stare as he took in her title and origin. Few would be so bold as to declare that they wield psyker powers and hail from a planet labelled as traitorous to the Imperium.

Had Inquisitor Greyfax or Saint Celestine were here they would have labelled her a heretic and drawn their weapons.

He knew a threat when he saw one.

He also knew a smart person who would know when they would be severely outmatched if they did become threatening.

His current guest seemed to be of the latter.

“Why are you here?” he asked, his voice sharp and almost as cold as the air around them. He realized his muscles had involuntarily tensed. Noting an expression of slight amusement from the woman, his lip curled and he gestured towards a marble bench.

She lowered the hood, revealing herself to him.

The woman was rather stunning to look at. Her cascade of lustrous, ebony hair extended to her waist. She was olive skinned, with radiant amber eyes and a full-lipped smile. She was the kind who would turn heads when she walked by.

“I repeat my question, mamzel” he said, his piercing blue eyes focusing on hers. “There are very few individuals alive to whom I’ve done that”

“Is that how you welcome a guest, Lord Guilliman?” she raised a brow. “As you can see I bear no weapons on my person.” she took off her hood and threw it aside, revealing a simple, red, form fitting tunic. She had a necklace, a thick gold belt and matching bracelets. “I’m simply here for a tourist attraction.”

“You seem rather cavalier about meeting a demigod” he replied, fixing her with a stern stare. He was putting up a front of course. He had no delusions of grandeur about himself. He processed her words in his head. Cryptic. Like most sorcerers, he decided.

“Is that how you see yourself?” she laughed, a risky maneuver on her part.

“It is how all who I have met do” he said, a bit put off by her informal manner. His meetings with mortals usually ended with them being fixed with awe by his very presence. The nobles usually get over their awe due to their arrogance and sense of entitlement but even they pale in silence the moment he offered a word in rebuttal. This one...this one was different.

“Primarchs are a matter of legend ten millennia ago.” she said as she stood up to walk around him, eyeing him as she did. Another risky endeavor she thought, but she did not venture this far to play it safe.“Substances of lore. The kind that children listen in awe to. I listened to those when I was a child in Sortiarius.” she paused and stood before him, her eyes sweeping his features. “I can see where they had things correct and where they have been exaggerated. She shrugged. “You are quite impressive Lord Guilliman.”

“As you can see” he said, raising his arms “I am quite real”. A tight smile appeared across his lips but it did not reach his eyes. “You come from the planet of sorcerers. A planet that was born into this galaxy from the blood sacrifice of the Fenris system. The world under the sway of my crazed brother Magnus…”. He took a step towards her, his eyes fixed on hers. “And yet you come to the most heavily defended Imperial planet in this entire segmentum to offer me pleasantries? Mamzel...you are either very dangerous or very foolhardy ”

“I could offer you the contrary, sir.” a corner of her mouth lifted. “I did not receive my title by being complacent in my abilities. Would you like to see what is faster...your hands or my mind?”

“A challenge now?” he was towering over now, her head reaching up to his lower chest. “You are playing a very dangerous game” he said, his voice almost threateningly low now. He was aware of her powers but not afraid. He was confident in his own latent psychic defenses that had never failed before, even when fighting the Crimson King. Not to mention that any psychic flare up would be detected by his entire librarius.

“Dangerous?” she raised a brow. “If there is anyone here playing a dangerous game my Lord, it would be the one welcoming an absolute stranger into their most vulnerable environment. I could be completely lying of my nature, my identity, my loyalties and my intentions.” she looked up at the Primarch and smiled. “You can always threaten me with execution….whether by your hand or those who protect you. But see….my loss is of no consequence to the grand scheme of things. Sortiarius will go on without me. But you..” she pointed at index finger at where one of his hearts would be, but stopping a few millimeters of his chest. “You’re but a hair of going back into a coma or perhaps a more permanent end should I touch just the right spot...and send an entire Imperium reeling from the loss of their greatest Champion.” She moved her finger away from his chest and put both hands on her hips. “I’m just here to see a living legend, really. Is that so wrong?”

Normally the Primarch would have let the visitor get in line with every other diplomat who had wished to meet him. But when his monitors detected the cloaked ship and sensing the unnatural amount of psyker activity surrounding it, he opted not to take chances.

He was not going to allow a band of powerful mindbenders run amok around Macragge because he did not take them seriously enough.

He decided he would let his guard down again. If he could take foolhardy risks for the sake of killing enemy commanders, why couldn’t he do the same for someone who came offering an olive branch of peace? Letting out a small laugh, he eased his muscles. “Perhaps that is a matter for another time” he said, feeling his mood improve. He had spent the last century in war and now someone had come to him to simply talk he did not feel like igniting more conflict. “You have answered my questions so, far. I suppose I should return the favor. Speak your mind” he said.

She tucked an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. “I have encountered tales of the Heresy in my studies. To receive facts instead of fiction would be a most welcome learning experience.” Her facial expression turned from a minor threat to a friendlier smile. “Would you care to enlighten me on that subject?” she moved to sit down on a bench by the balcony. “I am both scholar and sorceress, you know. My thirst for learning is equivalent to that of mastering the arcane”

“You came all this way to a sector in the middle of a war to satisfy your curiosity?” Guilliman said, unable to keep an amused smile from his face.

“If it entails meeting an actual, living, walking, demigod, my Lord, wouldn’t you think it be worth the journey?” she smiled as she raised a brow. “Besides, I’m a risk taker, and some risks have greater rewards. Don’t you agree?”

“So now you consider me a demigod.” he said, raising an eyebrow at her. “And what rewards did you have in mind?” he asked as he started into the thunderstorm intensifying in the distance. “You expect me to grant you authority to match your power?”

“Knowledge is my greatest reward, Lord Guilliman. First hand knowledge from one who actually went through a turbulent period of the Imperium.” she answered as she crossed one shapely leg over the other. “As for being a demiGod, those are your words. Not mine. So far I have not have any proof that you are...other than your conquests in battle. Thrones know how much of that is fact or fiction.”

Guilliman gave her an inquisitive look. “You are either putting on a very humble act or you are the least ambitious person I have met today” he said, thinking back on the nobles and how they did their best to cling to power. “And I assume you have heard of my conquests  outside of battle?” he asked her.

“Your glowing achievement of the five hundred worlds...yes of course.” she rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head his way. “How you designed Macragge brick by brick. Every nook and cranny of this world. How efficiently you’ve run your micro-empire. Yes I have my Lord. I do my research like the diligent student I am. I suppose that could be considered Demi-Godlike.”

“You don’t seem too impressed” he said, curling his lip slightly. But a bittersweet memory lifted his mood. “You sound like my brother” he said.  Always so focused on the material world, Roboute. Not an inkling of interest on what lies beyond the realm of flesh and steel.

“I am from Sortiarius.” she stated. “The material world is irrelevant. But knowledge...knowledge is immeasurable and infinite.” she sat up straight. “Now...are you going to entertain me like a proper guest? I have never set foot on Macragge until this point and I would like a taste of your...hospitality?”

He made his way over to one of the low hanging trees whose branches touched the roof of the balcony. Reaching up, he plucked a piece of yellow fruit and offered it to her. “Macragge’s freshest” he said with a small grin “Try it. The trees grown here were rumored to have been planted by the first colonists on after the Long Night. It is known in ancient tongue as mangu fruit.”

She took it from him with a mental swipe, making it land swiftly on her hand. With a flick of her thumb the peel came right off. Karimah tried the fruit as she sat there and watched the Primarch as he leaned by the balcony. “You are not what I expected at all, Roboute Guilliman...not at all.”

‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he found himself smiling genuinely.

“For now it is just a thing.” she laughed as she finished the fruit.

“I wish I could say the same of you but I was not sure what to expect..”

“Is that a thought that bothers you?”

“If I was not capable of defending myself against a sorceress, perhaps it would.”

She laughed at his insinuation as he took a seat beside her. “You do not see me as a threat?”

“I do…” he confessed. “I see all things as a threat. It’s all a matter of whether I can handle it or not.”

“Do you think you can handle me?”

“That remains to be seen, does it not?”

A loud thunderclap overhead silenced them as the torrential downpour increased. They watched as it came down in cascades.

“Now…” Roboute spoke first, which tale of the Heresy would you like to hear?”

“All of it.”

“It may take use all day and night.”

“I’m sure you could put up with my company for that long. I promise not to bore you..”

“That I can see.”

He spoke. She listened.

She asked. He answered.

At some point they even heatedly debated.

But there was not a dull moment to their exchange.

For several hours they were uninterrupted.

Roboute Guilliman, for a short period over the last several decades, had let his guard down, somewhat.

“Nuceria was not the only time I let my leash slip” murmured Guilliman, his glacial blue eyes looking into the darkening sky. The gloom was now being replaced by a darkness as the sun set. The torrent of rain, however, was unceasing. “But it was the most memorable. I should have been in orbit with my men...what hope did I have against the best part of two legions led by their primarchs with less than forty-thousand men? None. But I did not care. I led my outnumbered men to the surface where they fought and bled while I satisfied my little vendetta against Lorgar. I remember every detail. The sound of his bones breaking with the strike of my fist, his groans as by stormbolter fed its rounds into his breastplate, the crack of my skull against his...Throne it felt good” He unclenched his fingers as he realised he had involuntarily curled them into his fists.

She took another pastry from the plate one of his servitors brought in, eating it delicately and wiping the crumbs off her lip. “You like fighting, my Lord? And what I mean by that is...do you enjoy the rush of battle? You speak about it with such passion.”

“Against the traitors? Yes, it does give me satisfaction to see them suffer for the folly of their ways”. He was silent for a long moment as he considered the wider scope of her question. “Anything I can analyse, study and refine for the good of humanity receives my passion. Let us leave it at that.”

“Such a righteous man you are, my Lord. I am genuinely in awe.” she commented. “But what are you to do should the battles come to an end? Granted war is a constant in this universe of ours...have you other interests? ”

He raised his hands and gestured at the city below them. “Is it not obvious?” he asked. “While certain accounts are exaggerated, I do not boast when I say that my passion was what drove me to create the 500 worlds”

“It is quite an outstanding achievement if I do say so myself…” she murmured as she glanced at him. “Perhaps you are indeed a demi-God. Perhaps my voyage here is not in disappointment.”

“No? Then perhaps you should show me your interests as well?” he asked, turning around to fix her with an inquisitive look.

“Learning and the Arcane Arts are my passion, Lord Guilliman.” she said as she vanished into thin air, reappearing right next to him within the blink of an eye. “I did not earn the title of Sorceress by bribing the magistrate. Illusions are my specialty. I perform divination, biomancy, and to a certain extent I read minds.” she touched his chest with her index finger. “Shall I tell you know what is currently going through your pretty little head?”

Guilliman’s reaction was instantaneous. Adrenaline was already pumping through his veins the moment she vanished. When she re-appeared, his mind had yet to catch up with his instincts and he grabbed her smaller form, intending to smash her into the side of one of the balcony’s marble pillars. At the last moment, he realised what he was doing and managed to stop himself. She was pressed against the pillar but he had slowed his body down and she only felt a slight pressure from his grip.  I know I am paranoid  he thought.  Just didn’t know how much. “That...was a foolish  move, sorceress” he said, his voice dangerously low.

The color left her face for a few seconds as she realized what he had nearly done. She put her hand over his that was currently holding her neck. “You do not trust me…” she said once she had gotten over the initial shock. “You wonder, who is she and what does she truly want from me? I doubt she came here out of morbid curiosity. She has to have some ulterior motive...which is unfortunate because she’s actually rather attractive.” she smirked as she met his gaze. “Is that an accurate enough reading,my Lord? I can do more, if you wish.”

“My life’s experiences have only ever increased my faith in my fellow human being” he said, his tone obviously sardonic. He frowned inwardly. His latent psychic powers should have prevented this. Then again, he had never tested them against a Gamma level mind before. He relaxed his grip on her neck, his thumb moving up and tilting her jawline up.  This has two way connection then  he thought as he looked into her eyes.  Most impressive, sorceress. He mentally repeated the enumerations his librarians had taught him, making the psychic connection between them stronger.

“Am I to take it that you can read my thoughts as well?” she met his deep, blue gaze with her own amber ones. The way the light cast upon them made it look her eyes were on fire. “Tell me, Roboute Guilliman….” she traced the shape of the fingers that were still on her person. “Tell me what I think of this little scenario you put us in….what I think of the demi-God who holds the very thread of my life in his strong hands.”

He needn’t be a high level psyker to discern her thoughts. Her body language, the tilt of the corner of her mouth, the hint of mischief in her eyes.

The sorceress was a sly one, he’ll give her that.

“Inelegant thoughts” he said, and the faintest ghost of a smile was visible on his lips. His face was close to her now. Too close. His warm breath snaked its way down her neck and shoulders with every word he took and the cold air around them only amplified the sensation.  Very, inelegant thoughts .

The sorceress pried his fingers off one by one from her neck by sheer mental force. The Primarch did not resist when she telepathically moved it down to the smooth skin of her exposed shoulder. “You did not resist.” she murmured. “I take that as a good sign that you may actually approve of my inelegant thoughts...as you clearly feel the same way.”

His hand continued the motion unaided, moving down across shoulder and sliding the strap of her dress over the edge so that it hung loosely by her side. “I have been forced to feign elegance amongst mortals for far too long” he said, the smile becoming more obvious now. Flashes of lightning illuminated his face and she found an expression of daring.

Her skin felt warm where he touched her, and that heat started to slowly spread. She guided his hand and took it to the opposite shoulder to pull the other strap down. Before it completely lowered she paused, a wicked grin on her full lips. “I can see desire in your eyes my Lord.” she licked her lower lip before she spoke again. “Do you suppose I will reciprocate should you dare make a move on me?”

“I’ve taken gamble after gamble in the battlefield, sorceress” he said, matching her smile “This is one of my more educated ones”. He thought of ravishing her there and then but he waited for her response.

“I am not your enemy.” she dared place a hand on his robe, pulling him closer to her as she spoke against his mouth. Her lips were but a breadth from his own. “Now kiss me before I change my mind.”

“That is a welcome change. ” he said as he kissed her, his tongue easily parting her lips to enter her mouth as he pressed her body against the pillar. He realised that most mortals who had been this close to him during the last century were crazed packs of cultists who attempted to drown him in waves of their own bodies. One hand tugged on the edges of her dress while the other went down to her hip.

She welcomed the Primarch’s invasion of her mouth. He knew how to kiss well, she noted as she pulled at his clothing. Tender, soft, but with the same kind of conviction he exhibited as he spoke about his love of his worlds. She slid her hands into his robe. His skin was warm, his muscles very responsive to her touch. She pulled his robe open and pressed her body against his, molding her curves upon his angles. It was quite a perfect fit. The storm had chosen at that time to regain its strength when it started pounding rain again, the lightning increasing its flashes across the skies. The rumble of thunder shaking the very balcony they stood on.

Her dress slid down, revealing her naked chest to him. The sorceress had more than an ample bosom. Shapely and well proportioned and a visual treat, he allowed one hand free roam, filling it with her supple softness. He felt her groan against his mouth when he touched her. “A passionate woman I see...in more than your studies. ” he said as he broke the kiss and went to work on her neck and shoulders. As he bit down on her soft flesh, his thumb had caressed her exposed nipple, stimulating it to pebble hardness. His other hand went underneath the hem of her dress and raised it above her thigh, exposing the entirety of her leg to the cold night air.

“Have you ever laid with a psyker, my Lord?” she spoke in between gasps of pleasure. She applied her fingers to the curve of his back where it met the lower half of his body, putting gentle pressure and stimulating the nerves that distributed to his pelvic area. The Primarch flinched as she amplified the intense sensations he was already experiencing.

She worked to get his robe off as he tore through her multilayered clothing, allowing them to be skin against skin. The cold air did nothing to dispel the heat between them. She ran her hands all over his muscled arms and back, venturing lower to squeeze his buttocks. She murmured her approval as his exploring mouth teased the nerves of wherever it grazed.

He clenched his teeth as the sensation of pleasure was intensified. He had never taken any kind of stimulants save for those injected by his armor during combat so had no reference for this, but it was definitely the greatest high he had experienced in his life. He hungrily devoured her neck and collarbone, visible red marks left wherever he bit. He grabbed her exposed leg by the thigh and raised it, simultaneously lifting her up against the pillar so that they were level without him having to lean down. “That...was certainly something new” he said, feeling the excess of dopamine she had released within him

She ran her fingers through his hair, arching her body towards him, as though she could not get close enough. She wrapped her legs around his waist. “There’s a first time for everything.” she whimpered as his lips got closer to her chest. When he took her breast in his mouth she cried out in delight. He suckled at her hungrily, biting gently, savoring one before switching to the other. His hands cupped her buttocks as he held her tightly. He could feel the heat from between her legs and it took the utmost restraint from him to plunder her then and there.

His hand slid behind, palm spread across the naked arch of her back and pressing her into him as he looked up and held her gaze. “This may not be part of what you have come here for...however….” he said as his other hand had lifted her dress above her waist from the side, the lower part of his robes mostly gone as well.

She pulled away slightly. Her gaze swept the now naked Primarch, the admiration evident in her eyes. “You remind me of the magnificent sculptures in your court, my Lord.” The sorceress reached down to touch his erection, barely being able to encircle it with her warm hand. A mischievous grin decorated her face as she gripped it firmly, rubbing it against the moisture between her legs. “Remind me again why you deserve my unabashed admiration.” The throbbing heat in the pits of her stomach were becoming intolerable.

“I see you have not completely dissociated yourself from the matters of this world” he said with a wolfish grin before he entered her with a grunt, his hips thrusting forward as he pressed her into him.

She jerked when he plunged into her. She gasped as she accommodated to his turgid shaft. He buried it deep into her wet, warm sheath. Her fingernails buried on the muscles of his arms as the line between pleasure and pain was crossed. She found herself biting on his shoulder. “Thrones...haaahh…”

He pulled all way out before entering her again, his hips moved, attempting to find a rhythm with hers. His hand cupped one of her breasts, squeezing it as his other hand went down and clamped down on her buttocks. He decided he would find out just how well the sorceress could take him. He went to work on her neck again, this time making his bites harder, more painful now that the pleasure was added to the mix. “Now, show me how you handle a Primarch, sorceress” he between mouthfuls of her dark flesh, his voice authoritative but with an edge of tease in it, ensuring that she knew he was challenging her.

She met him with a forward movement of her hips, as she tightened her hold on his member. Every thrust jolted her with exquisite sensations that started from her lower abdomen through the rest of her body. She applied more stimulation to his flesh with her hands, wracking his nervous system with intensity from their lascivious act. She held onto him tighter, dragging her nails across his back and leaving marks.

He gritted his teeth as another rush of sensations surged through his body. Every hair on his skin stood on end and he felt his skin flush with excitement. They had found a rhythm now and she was moving her hips back and forth as she put all her energy into keeping up with him. He met her eyes and entered into a deep kiss again, his tongue wrestling with hers and coming off slightly better in the exchange as her human physiology struggled to keep up with a primarch.  Not bad he thought in his head, though the thought was addressed to her as his hand grabbed onto a fistful of her hair from behind and yanked it hard, pulling her head back so he could bite down on her neck once more.

Is that so? She telepathically messaged him.She bit her lip as he nibbled on her neck. She clung to him as the threat of a climax built in her belly. It came on torturously slow and the sorceress decided she was going to let the Primarch feel her orgasm. She applied both hands to his scalp, triggering the nerves that responded to the ultimate pleasure as she screamed against the backdrop of the stormy weather. She exploded unto him, her sexual high making every inch of her body tingle. She quivered as its intensity rocked her to her core.

He allowed her to finish, letting out a breath as she pressed into him. He felt her muscles relax and her hands drop to her sides as he withdrew and slid out of her, letting her down gently so she was half-collapsed against the pillar, her knees the only thing keeping her propped up. He gave her an approving smile though it was tinted with a layer of triumph. “Not quite enough to match a Primarch” he said. “But you are the first mortal to come close”. He felt that last sentence would only frustrate her even more. As he intended.

Her eyes were still rather glazed over from reaching her peak. Her breathing was labored, her chest rising and falling with each intake of air.  Are you challenging me? She communicated to him mentally. Once her breaths slowed down she crooked her finger at him, beckoning him to come closer. The Primarch approached, his shaft still rigid and glistening from being inside her. When he got within arm’s reach she took hold of his hips and guided him into her mouth.

Guilliman tensed when he felt her lips close around his manhood. The sorceress  pressed her warm tongue against the shaft as it entered her mouth. Her hand wrapped around his throbbing member, gasping firmly as she drew him in and out of her throat. He grabbed handfuls of her hair, pushing into her as far as it would go before withdrawing. Her fingers had made their way to his buttocks, sinking into the muscles for leverage and control.

“You certainly know how to surprise a man” he said, smiling as the feel of her tongue sent electric pleasure coursing through his veins. He clenched his fists, clutching her hair tightly and lightly moving his hips back and forth, firmly holding her head in place.  Now this was new  he thought.

Her gaze met his, a smile evident in her eyes.  I guess whoever you have been consorting with has not done a good job, m’Lord. She clamped her mouth tighter around him, the roughness of her tongue adding friction. Her psyker abilities triggered more sensations from him. He pulled her hair tighter as he grunted with delight.

“Most women I have been would blanch at such blasphemous actions” he said with a grin as more waves of excitement within him. His grip on her hair became tighter and he was thrusting almost as hard as he had been before. The women he had slept with before were usually highborn nobles or planetary governors. They would have considered such...unconventional behavior a stain on their bloated sense of honor.

She gripped him tight, her hand now sliding along with her lips. The sorceress pulled a trick with her tongue, sending currents through his shaft and eliciting a guttural sound from the Primarch’s lips. He tensed as he felt the sensation bubbling inside him.

He came rather vigorously, spilling himself in her mouth. He pulled her head back by her hair and his seed painted the lower half of her face and her exposed breasts. He gasped as his hands let go of her, releasing himself from her mouth.  You are certainly no governess he communicated to her mentally. Although the phrase itself seemed like an insult, his thoughts only showed that he was impressed with her.

Her tongue stuck out to lick whatever was around her lips. Oh but we aren’t done yet, my Lord. You don’t suppose I would go down that easy? Her fingers took what spilt on her breasts and licked them all off. She sat back, leaned against the pillar and parted her legs.  I need a little attention here you see. That is...if you aren’t spent yet.

He let out a throaty laugh. “At least I know you are no pretentious noble now” he said and placed his arm underneath her thigh, effortlessly lifting her up against the pillar. He held her up so his face was level with her sex. He noted that her crimson dress was still on her, except that it was folded up in an undignified manner around her stomach. He sank into her, his tongue entering her energetically, intent on returning the favor as his free hand hand moved up to caress her breast.

“Haaaah…” she cried out as his tongue made contact with her still throbbing folds. He delved deep, thoroughly sweeping her orifice. His lips pressed against her lower ones, enabling a gentle suction. She thrashed as she held his head between her legs. He tasted her, savored her, her feminine fluids seeping on his tongue and lips.

He slid his other hand down, now holding her thighs still with both hands. He moved his tongue quicker, exploring deeper while his teeth now made contact with her flesh. He was careful not to hurt her however, but he did make sure she felt it. The rain intensified around them, drops of rainwater now partially hitting their exposed skin.

She held onto him tightly, her claws digging in the flesh of his shoulders. Her lower abdomen tightened with every stroke of his tongue. The crescendo started once more , building up as she tensed against the cold and the pelting of the rain. The warmth in her belly rapidly spread, culminating into an explosion that rendered her crying out and gasping for air as the tide of pleasure spread through her body.

He smiled and released her, causing her to fall for a moment before he caught and steadied her against the marble. A rather racy idea entered his mind.  If we are to cast aside all aspersions of nobility here then it is better to make the best of it he thought to her. As a confused expression crossed her face, he turned her around, stepping aside from the pillar and gently pushing her forward. She caught the lip of the marble railing of the balcony and looked out into the evening sky. The rain had subsided now and she could see patches of light from the sunset peek through the clouds.

The Primarch was hard again, as she felt him rub against her naked buttocks.  I guess your physique is not the only one that’s demi-Godlike. She took a sharp breath when she felt him touch her where she was still sensitive from her recent climax. The tip of his shaft teased her as he leaned over, his breath warm against her ear.

One of his large hands closed around a fistful of her hair while his other one held her securely by her hip as he slip into her, her walls resisting him the whole time with their tightness even as he thrust into her. He pulled her hair back at the same time. Flecks of rain splayed across her face as the rain started up again.

She spoke his name out as she seemed to be in a trancelike state. His warm body pressed against hers, negating the cold splash of rain on their person. She parted her legs slightly, deciding she felt empty and needed to be filled again. She bit her lip as his slow entry sent intense currents throughout her body. He plowed into her when he felt her give, holding her hip steady as he rammed into her. She felt him breathing hard against her ear, panting with every strong thrust. “Did you cast a spell on me, witch?” he grunted. He felt her laugh against his playful accusation.

“You are not the first to tell me that, Primarch Guilliman.”

He was not going to lie to himself. The sorceress had him addicted. Whether it was to the soft, suppleness of her warm body, the lure of those eyes that teased him, the fire in her voice that enticed him. He was hooked. By the thrones he was hooked.

He smiled to himself. Fulgrim had told him he would never take satisfaction with himself anymore. His errant brother was clearly mistaken. He pulled back from her ear, straightening and taking in the lovely view of her half naked back that glistened with sweat. He lifted his hand on her hip slightly and brought it back down on her ample flesh, a distinctive  smack  sounding across the balcony as he thrusted to and fro, his tempo only increasing in response to her heavy moans.

She put her hands on his, transferring to him whatever pleasure she experienced, cranking up the high he was already on. The Primarch’s fingers sank on the flesh of her thighs and she could tell her ministrations were working well. He plunged into her so hard her feet almost left the ground with every push. She felt him move his palms over her naked breasts, squeezing firmly to cross the line between pleasure and pain. A storm brewed in the pits of his abdomen. She was going to climax again if he didn’t slow down.

One hand stayed cupped to her breast, squeezing it hard while another slid to her back, arching her body and forcing her to grab onto the marble with her arms against. The pleasure was incredible and he savoured every moment of it as he plunged into her again and again, the speed of the thrusts ever increasing. The free hand then grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked it back roughly as he began to climax inside her.  I imagine your expectations are exceeded he communicated with her mentally as he felt her finish at the same time as he did, grunting as her walls clamped down on him as she underwent total release.

The sorceress let out a final guttural cry when she did. It felt as though fireworks detonated within her as a powerful orgasm swept her. She held onto the railing for support as her legs threatened to give way, her knuckles turning white as she savored release. Time seemed to slow down as she fell limp into the Primarch’s arms.

He placed his large hand on her stomach and deftly caught her before she fit the marble floor. Straightening and setting her down on the cushioned bench she had been sitting on earlier, he began collecting his robes that had been scattered across the floor. Her dress was completely folded up on her upper waist. He gave her a satisfied look. “I suppose you know what a primarch is capable of now” he said.

She gathered herself, putting everything back in its place with a swipe of her hand. Even her tousled hair untangled itself. “Is that a good thing, my Lord?” a corner of her mouth lifted. “Are you not least bit worried I will try to test you again...well...not now but in the not so distant future?”

“Well, I am more than happy to accept such...tests” he said, returning the smirk as he gazed up into the sky. The rain had cleared completely and he could now see the lights of the landing ships illuminating the night sky. “I suppose you are to return to the Planet of the Sorcerers the same time I leave for my campaign then?”

Most likely, my Lord.” she took a deep breath. “There is much to learn here in Macragge however. As you know, knowledge to me is the greatest enticement.” her gaze swept his now dressed form. “Among other things.” she picked up her cloak and put it back on. “Until such time...I believe you would know how to get in touch with me if you so please.”

He gave a look that danced between wariness and amusement. “The Library of Ptolemy is still off limits” he said “I very much recommend you stay away from that building. Even a psyker with power such as yourself would find herself beset by the many defenses it has; both physical and ethereal.” He wondered for a moment if she really would go for it despite his warnings. It would be interesting to see her try that was sure enough.

“Perhaps I will.” she smiled as she tugged at the neckline of his robe to pull him down, kissing him deeply, briefly before releasing him. “I could use another….challenge.”

He let out a laugh. “Then, until next time, sorceress Karimah” he said as she began to walk away.

The woman vanished as soon as she arrived. She reappeared at the landing of her ship. She was greeted by a convoy of men, her personal entourage of guards from the planet of the Sorcerers. Psykers all of them and they spoke to her with their minds.

“Are we leaving, m’Lady?” the head of her guards asked.

“Not yet, Rahul.” she replied. “I have gathered what we need, but I have one more hurdle to cross. The Library of Ptolemy.”

A conniving smile appeared on the captain’s lips. “Did the Primarch live up to his hype?”

She laughed at his inquiry. “You can try prying my mind for that one, Captain. I doubt you will find an answer.”

Also this is not Magnus' Karimah. That lovely lass is his, and his alone. This Karimah is written differently, exists in a different timeline, and has a different last name. Just so we're clear.

[rebel-21]

Drowning in Mud part 3/5

As the wind blows through his long dark blue hair. he listened to any news from Sabine Hera and Zeb it had been all most 20 minutes and still nothing.

He breathed heavily into his oxygen mask “ Should we go in and see if there ok” turning his head way from the building they were scouting out.

“No” Kanan spoke up sternly “ That would bring to much attention anyway your mugs getting too much attentions lately.”

Ezra wanted to make smart ass comment but thought about better of it. As he turned his head back to the building.

“ How you feeling?” Kanan moved closer to him. “You have been quieter ever since the little incident earlier.”

“ yeah am ok.” As his mind wandered to the building that he saw earlier that day and how the air just smelt so awful “why-why are they doing that. He thought to himself.

Who’s doing what Kanan spoke his arms crossed cocking his head waiting for him to speak?

” Oh, I thought I was speaking to myself He didn’t realize that he actually spoke out aloud.

“ You did speak in your head but your connection was completely open to me so I heard your thought literally scream out to me.” Kanan quickly explained.

Ezra looked away “oh sorry didn’t mean to do that thought I put my mental shield up earlier.”

Kanan wrapped an arm around the boys “ Am sure you did but sometimes they can come down when you been mentally or physically weakened in some way.”

“ could we focus on the mission and talk  less about my health later” Ezra spoke, “ Not like I was dying of anything.”

Lucky Kanan didn’t bring up the subject again. As he watches from the street below him. As the minutes past and still, they hadn’t come out yet.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the blaster being cocked behind them. As he slowly turned to see three men standing on the rooftop with their guns pointed right at them. “ you guys make any sudden move we will open fire on your asses.” One of the men spoke.

“There nowhere to run anyway the men on the left spoke his voice was raspy like he had been smoking a full pack of cigarettes in one go.

” we heard that you guys would be coming to collect something that should be rightfully are.“ Ezra quickly gave Kanana a look trying to figure out what the older men were thinking.

As he looked down to see that Kanan had three fingers down to his side as his eye where turn looking for the edge of the building.

Ezra understood right away as both of them throw they’re to hand out using the force to knock the men down to ground their blaster flying out of there hands. He felt Kanan grab him from behind as they both jumped off the roof. Landing on a balcony that was 8 feet below them.

” What the hell how did they know we wanted to try to make a deal.“ Fallowing Kanan as he jumped down from the balcony and ran in one of the side alleyways. ” Am not hundred percent sure Kanan said honestly as they hid behind the dumpster.

“ Spectator 1 can you read me” Kanan raised his head to his comm link but all he got was static. “ were seating ducks out here. Looking around to make sure that they hadn’t been spotted.

 ” There they are!!!!“ Ezra pointed out as they were running out of the building men hot on their heels. ” That not good.“ Ezra mumbled. ” nope it really not the kid" Kanan agreed as the both broke into a run to help them get some cover fire. Ezra quickly clipped off his blaster began to aim at the other men. As Kanan blocked blast with his lightsaber from hitting him in the process. 

“ Nice of you guys to join us what did u do Ezra tell the whole fleet we were in there,” Sabine spoke as she grabs Ezra to push him in front of her. “ Hey, I can’t help it that they love my face so much.” As they all ran into the alleyway to find some cover. “Ugh, there too many of them Hera spoke, ” we didn’t even get the gun it was all stupid trap from the very beginning.“ I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming earlier.”  she try to take another shot but she had to duck so she wouldn’t  get shot down. 

As an idea strike Ezra  “HERA MOVE!!!!” He jumped in front of her throwing his hand’s out letting  the force flow through his hand as the dumpster was flown across the ally way and smashed into the men that were firing. 

As he felt all the energy leave his body as he knees gave out from under him as he landed on all four on the muddy ground very much dazed. He felt someone pick him up under his knees and back. As they ran He could feel rain starting to fall there was a loud explosion the person that was carrying him got thrown  Across the ground as his body hit the ground hard his oxygen mask flew off his face and he knew no more.

He was woken from someone roughly kicking him in the side of the ribs. sadly he had woke many of time to people beating him senseless when he was on the streets so this was not something new to him. His eye snapped open to being completely startled to the fact he was inches way from Kanan’s face. HIs body bolted up from where he was lying. his eyes scanned the area to figure where the hell they were. He looked around to see that the crew was laying unconscious all around him. 

“ Look who finally thought it would be a good idea to wake up boys.”  a snide male’s voice spoke from the far corner of the alley they were in. Ezra slowly went to grab his lightsaber from his side to found that it wasn’t there. “ Looking for this little Jedi another man came out behind a dumpster. swing the weapon around in his hand. “ how much do think we can get for this Boss as throw it to the men that spoke earlier. The men caught it with ease “oh we can get a pretty price for something like this” The man who Ezra assumed was the whole brains of this oppression. 

“ what do you want with us” Ezra slowly stood up from the muddy ground. His head swam from the lingering exhaustion after performing that force push earlier. As he stood in the middle of the ally making sure that he kept himself in between his friends that were vulnerable and unconscious. 

Making sure he didn’t take his eyes off the two men he made sure he could grab his hidden knife that he had up his arm if he needed. “ So all ask again what do need us for what did we do to you.” his voice was full of confidence year of living on the street helped him keep a level head.

“You have a lot of guts kid.” The leader spoke “ I thought you would be cowering in the corner cause the baby didn’t have his weapon. “ So you want to know why we attacked you guys.” Ezra didn’t speak he knew the men was trying to get him to say something stupid so they could have reason to attack him.

“ We attacked you cause you’re the reason we are living this way You think you Jedi were so much better than us normal people. So when we heard that some of you were still alive and you were running around acting like you were doing good it was finally time for us to shut you piece of shits up.”

Ezra back shot up straight as the force told him to move as he just allowed his body to do what it needed. as he rolled out of the way by another man who had just missed him by inches with a switchblade. He cursed himself for not sensing there were more of them. “ Look we didn’t mean to mess with any of you guy.” Ezra tried to explain to the men as he dodged another attack. sliding in the mud.

He quickly flicked his knife out of his sleeve as he lashed out at the other men that had got the drop on him.  using the force to knock the knife out of the men’s hand. Bring his knee to knock the wind out of the men as he doubled in pain flipping over the men with ease thrusting his knife to the jugular. putting enough pressure to draw a little blood. “Look give me my stuff back and  I won’t have to kill each and every one of you .” Ezra’s eyes flashed in anger “ You think am the normal Jedi” As he left out a laugh as he sneered at each one these piece of shits. “I have lived on the streets I know what type of people you are and each one of you deserves to die so all ask again leave or all of you die a most painful death.”  

“ oh, young Jedi I don’t want to kill your friends just you.” Before he could figure process what the gang leader spoke he felt a shock run through his whole body as he screamed in pain he felt his hand  let go of the knife  before he fell to the ground face first in the mud unconscious once again