Inside Fabius Bile's temporary laboratory.
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe] carefully held a test tube filled with green liquid, gently placing it onto the lab bench.
Fabius stood before the dissection table, his cold, calculating eyes completely glued to the Laer corpse resting on the slab.
The corpse's chest cavity had been pried entirely open, its internal organs meticulously extracted and arranged neatly on a metal tray nearby.
"Fascinating," Fabius muttered to himself, running a finger gently along the corpse's muscle fibers.
"The genetic modification technology of these xenos is far more advanced than I ever imagined."
He looked up, shifting his gaze to [Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe].
"That batch of mutated specimens you delivered was incredibly valuable."
"Keep collecting them."
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe] nodded frantically, his face plastered with a humble, obsequious smile.
"Yes, Lord Apothecary."
--
[Wings of Freedom Regional Chat]
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe]: "Bros! I feel like Fabius has totally taken a liking to me. I swapped my face again, and he's actually super satisfied with my work!"
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan]: "Nice!!"
"Help him finish his genetic research as fast as possible. Once he starts directly augmenting the Emperor's Children, the fall of the Legion becomes an absolute certainty!"
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "Lucius's side is secure. Now we just wait for Fulgrim to fall completely."
[Number One Handsome of the Soul Hall]: "Heh heh heh... When that happens, we'll be the greatest heroes of the Four Gods!"
--
Meanwhile, on the far side of the Deep Blue Coral Platform.
In the Imperial Auxilia camp, a silent, covert evacuation was taking place.
The players with gold IDs were slipping away in batches.
Some blended into the supply convoys heading for the transport ships, while others feigned injuries and got themselves loaded onto medical frigates.
Some even stripped off their uniforms, donned civilian clothes, and snuck in among the logistical staff slated for repatriation.
They had two primary destinations.
Holy Terra.
Ultramar.
--
[Light of the Emperor Regional Chat]
[Worthy of Sanguinius's Blood]: "The first batch has successfully boarded. ETA to Terra is three months."
[I Eat Tomatoes]: "The second batch is prepping right now. Target is Macragge."
[For the Regent Yellow Guilliman]: "Are we ever gonna see each other again after this?"
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor]: "We should, as long as the faction quests are still active."
[Sanguinius Is My Husband]: "Inquisitor, are you really not coming with us?"
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor] glanced at the grey-haired figure standing a short distance away.
Darius Stanton was standing by the ramp of a transport ship, waving at him.
"Stellan! Hurry up! We're leaving!"
Vance took a deep breath and typed his final message in the channel.
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor]: "I'm heading to Terra."
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor]: "Darius said he's going to send me to the military academy on Terra to study naval command."
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor]: "Take care, bros."
"Our faction quest failed, but our journey is just beginning."
"For those in Ultramar, find a way to make contact with Guilliman."
"For those on Terra, find a way to make contact with the Emperor or Malcador."
"Prove our worth. Secure Astartes augmentations."
"Next time, we can't just sit on the sidelines and watch."
[Worthy of Sanguinius's Blood]: "Take care."
[I Eat Tomatoes]: "Take care."
[For the Regent Yellow Guilliman]: "Take care."
[Sanguinius Is My Husband]: "Take care."
[Love Eating Grox Cans]: "Take care."
Over a thousand gold IDs instantly flooded the chat with the exact same two words.
Vance closed the channel and briskly walked toward the transport ship.
He glanced back at the coral platform one last time.
At that towering grand hall, and the purple silhouette still standing perfectly in the center.
Then he turned around and stepped onto the ramp.
The hatch of the transport ship slowly hissed shut.
The roar of the engines flared to life. The hull shuddered slightly as it broke away from the platform, ascending rapidly into orbit.
Outside the viewport, the Deep Blue Coral Platform grew smaller and smaller.
Vance leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
He didn't know if he had made the right choice.
But at the very least, he had to try.
To go to Holy Terra.
To the very beating heart of the Imperium of Man.
To look upon the Holy Emperor seated upon the Golden Throne.
He had a feeling.
That this separation might last a very long time.
But he also knew that one day, they would all meet again, in a far more perfect form.
During the Great Heresy that would soon set the entire galaxy ablaze.
During the final, apocalyptic battle that would decide the fate of all humanity.
The evacuation of the Imperial faction was completed in absolute silence.
As those transport ships and supply vessels broke orbit from Laeran, the revelry on the Deep Blue Coral Platform raged on.
The golden candelabras were still burning bright.
The fine wine in the crystal goblets was continually replenished.
The Emperor's Children were still boasting about their combat merits, still arguing over whose kill-shots were more elegant.
Fulgrim remained standing in the center of the grand hall. The Blade of the Laer hung at his waist, trembling ever so slightly.
The demonic whispers never ceased.
Perfection...
This is true perfection...
Look at them, they are all singing your praises...
You are the most perfect...
The Emperor's most perfect son...
Fulgrim closed his eyes.
The whispers sounded like the intimate murmurings of a lover, like the spark of artistic inspiration, like the very embodiment of the perfection he had chased his entire life.
When he opened his eyes again, only one singular color remained within them.
Vespasian stood in a corner of the hall, silently watching this unfold.
He looked at the eerie smile plastered across his Father's face, looked at the ominous light flowing across that sword, and looked at his brothers lost in their revelry.
He remembered Paul's words.
"If the situation is beyond saving... just protect yourselves."
Vespasian took a deep breath.
He glanced at Tarvitz standing next to him.
Tarvitz was equally silent, a complex light flickering in his eyes.
The two men exchanged a look, neither saying a word.
They knew that something was happening.
Something was quietly, irreversibly changing.
But at least for now, they were still alive.
They still had a chance.
When that day finally came...
They would make their own choice.