Fuck That, I'm Going To Be A Rogue Trader Instead!: Chapter 8

Apples of Discord

If someone were to ask Octavian if he ever planned to fight his siblings, he'd tell them they were mad, have them thrown in prison, and possibly executed, before checking if someone found his notes. Sibling rivalries were an all too common occurrence amongst his peers after all, and his family was no different.

Contingency plans were a necessity, not an expectation. Fighting siblings just comes naturally in the territory, but he never expected things to pan out the way they were as he watched the Sororitas vessel ease itself into the harbor.

At a glance, it looked normal enough, sporting the heraldry of the Order along with following the proper protocols. A closer glance, however, would reveal their true state. "Rotten down to the core," His uncle sneered as the two of them watched bits and pieces of the ship's armor and super structure rain down upon its berth, "It's a wonder that she could still fly."

"Such is the corruption of the lord of flies," He commented as he took in the wretched sight and shuddered in disgust. "Insidious and all encompassing, giving those afflicted with it a false sense of life as they shamble on as hollow shells of their former selves."

Silver fineries lay tarnished, gold gilding decayed, and even the white marble veneer which were mined from the holiest of shrine worlds took on a sickly jaundiced color. Not even its mighty hull, one made from adamantine, was safe as rust corroded, leaving pockmarks upon its surface. Nothing would be left untouched, yet he knew damn well how much deadlier it was.

"I advise that the berth which that ship lay on be jettisoned the moment we're done," He grimaced as he gazed away lest he empty the contents of his stomach. "Best to lose a part, rather than have it corrupt and infect the whole."

"Consider it done," His uncle nodded before he paused as the ship's gangway extended down and disgorged its passengers.

With their bridal white robes moving in unnatural synchrony and deathly pale pallor, the acoylytes of the Order of the Pale Rose made for a striking sight. Even more so with the black veiled figure, the Head Abbess, and her red veiled attendant, his sister, heading the procession.

Such a show of force from the devoted daughters to the emperor would be enough to bring fervent worship and praise to the emperor, and indeed they do as the inhabitants welcomed them with white roses showering their steps, yet Octavian couldn't help but see it as a mockery that it was.

"Reminds you of a funerary procession, does it not, Uncle Scipio?" He noted sardonically as he peered a bit closer and peeled away all the dazzling splendors to reveal the rot beneath.

"Indeed it does," His uncle grunted, frowning at the macabre procession. With their jerky motions, the coldness in their motions and how none of them sported the aquila, he was sure that these weren't the daughters of the emperor, or at least those alive that was.

They bear with them the wretched symbol of the eight pointed star upon their bodies and heraldry after all, but it was the sight of his sister speaking to the mayor that truly hammered in the point. For as pure and immaculate they presented themselves, they were nothing more than puppets dancing to the tune of their mistress.

"She really did a number on them, huh?" He snorted wryly as he took stock of the force and noted how almost all of the acolytes of the abbey now stood in attention before them, "She got every last one of them and even the Abbess herself."

Truly it was a formidable force, one that he would balk at fighting even if they were nothing more than acolytes, but he couldn't have wished for a better outcome. "It just makes it easier for the soldiers to pin them down later," His uncle snorted.

People had greeted them alright, but they weren't civilians, not that the nobles would notice. They were merely decoration in their eyes after all and even if he were to conscript a large fraction in secret and the women and children evacuated as serfs to the ships of the Navis Imperilias, no one would make a comment.

This was just standard for any civil war after all. Nothing to be alarmed. "I wonder if she knew she's walking right into a trap?"

Given her retinue and the sense of invincibility by being blessed by a warp tumor, he wouldn't be surprised if she knew what she was walking into. That just makes his job a whole lot easier and who was he to complain?

Still, a small part of him wanted to flee, to run and just forget about this. Even now, his hands trembled, something which his uncle picked up on as he asked him, "Octavian, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I know it's necessary for your plan, but you're taking unnecessary risk meeting her in the City Hall no less?" He asked, reminding how far he was from his ship. "Couldn't we have picked her off in the void and be done with it?"

Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply as he took a moment to gather his thoughts and steady his racing heart. "I would be lying if that wasn't tempting," He admitted, "But that risk having her survive all while putting the Enterprise and her crew at risk of having to fight the monastery's vessel."

"At least here in the harbor, she only has her guard and herself to cause trouble" He muttered as he watched servitors and dock workers swarm the ship, "Besides. I only need to keep her talking and keep her busy for our plan."

"But you're still risking your life using yourself as bait" His uncle pointed out before glancing at the door behind them. There, he would be locked with her, alone and with only his wits and his faith to the emperor to protect him, "Once you enter that room, you know we cannot guarantee your safety right?"

Smiling back, he shrugged nonchalantly, "A simple hazard of the trade. Nothing more." If he were to balk at something as simple as this, then he might as well sell his writ as there were far more dangers out there. He just had to survive this, that's all. No pressure.

"Have the Nemi's choir sent the message to planetside?" He asked as he changed the subject. It would be rather embarrassing he went through all that risk, only for him to forget a crucial part of the plan.

"They have," His uncle answered, "But your brothers have yet to respond." Grimacing, he muttered, "I don't like this Octavian. Not one bit."

"You're not alone here, uncle," He admitted, hating how much of his soup kitchen grew dark as more of the planet seemed to fall under their enemies control, "But I believe this would work. They will take the bait."

"If not?" His uncle questioned him.

"Then what the letter sent to his Majesty's Inquisators is for," He answered cheekily. The nuclear option was going to slam down on their head anyways, so might as well use it. "But I do assure you I have other backup plans," He added as he reached for the gun in his holster.

The vast collection of holy artifacts his family had never does cease to amaze him and one such treasure was a weapon of a saint. It wasn't much, being nothing more than a laspistol, but he hoped that it'd at least do something. If nothing else, it did give him the confidence to stand there even as he planned what might just be his death.

Shaking his head at the thought, he turned to his uncle and asked, "Now, weren't you supposed to be in Nemi by now, Uncle? The flagship of the fleet needs her commander, after all."

"I'm just admiring the view before I burn it all down, is all," His uncle grinned back as he took one last look out to the void and towards the rising blue gem that was Romolus. This might not be his first home, but it was one he still would miss dearly.

"Be careful out there, Octavian," said his Uncle, snapping Octavian out of his thoughts.

Staring back, he smiled before nodding back, "You too, Uncle." Never was there a man he admired more than the grizzled veteran and what shame it was that he never had the heart to stand with him.

Maybe in another life he might have fought with him amongst the stars, but here, they made what might be their final goodbyes. "Never doubt your heart Octavia," The man smiled as he patted him on the shoulder before he turned away, leaving him to his thoughts.

For a moment, he stood there, watching his figure grow smaller until he finally disappeared. "I really should have given him those Romulan vintage," He snorted. At least with the man, they wouldn't be wasted.

That would have to wait, however, as he reached up and tapped at his comms and asked, "Orianne, is everyone ready?"

"Aye aye captain!" his loyal knight replied, eager as ever.

Smiling, he glanced towards his ship, watching as the incense wafted off across from the holy rites the Techpriest held to awaken its ancient spirit once more. "How about the Enterprise, Amelia?" He called, checking on his ship.

"Her engines run hot and her guns are primed, my lord," Amelia answered and so too would the enterprise as her broken horn let out a small cry. Truly, he could never have asked for a better ship. This just leaves him with one last thing to do.

"Good luck everyone," He told everyone as he turned away so that he could finally meet with his sister, "And may the Emperor protect." He would certainly need every ounce of blessing as he walked into certain doom.

-x-x-x-

Before he could meet his sister, however, he had to wait. From the formalities and the rituals expected to be performed by such a delegation, there was plenty of time for him to stew on his decision, time which he didn't need as anxiety slowly crept in.

"Heh," He laughed sardonically as he stared up at the fresco of the emperor in his golden throne painted up in the ceiling, watching him and judging him. "You've already calmed down Orianne," He said out loud as a wry smile stretched across his lips, "How much worse would she be?"

"Oh she could be so much worse," A part of him quickly answered and the wait wasn't helping one bit. Thankfully for his frayed nerves, the cries of the herald would signal the arrival of his sister to their designated meeting spot.

"Finally," He hissed as he got off his seat and schooled his features; It's show time!

Marching toward the large entourage of simpering nobles and minor officials, he pushed them aside, ignoring their protest and strangled retorts as he spread his arms wide to welcome the kinslaying bitch. "Livia! My beloved sister," He greeted warmly, before pausing in mock shock, "And the Head Abbess!"

It would take much of his will just to stop himself from reaching for his weapon and shooting his sister there and then for the gall she had to smile back at him, but he held back, especially when she brought with her quite the formidable puppet.

"I wasn't expecting that you would bring such an esteemed guest along with you," He bowed lowly, shuddering at the woman's pale pallor and blank stared leveled at him, before he pushed his disgust down as he leveled a playful glare at his sister, "You should have warned me sooner, dear sister!"

Perhaps then, he would have brought something stronger than the blessed pistol of a saint. "But wouldn't that have much of a difference, would it?" He snorted as he found himself keenly aware of all the pale corpses around him.

Fortunately for him, or rather unfortunately, his sister seemed keen to play the part of a loving sibling as she rushed forward and pulled her in a tight hug. "Octavian" She whispered with a sickeningly sweet tone, "It's been so long…"

Such a show of affection blind sided him, freezing him on the spot. She had always been the stoic one, the cold calculating beast that he could never read, so to have her be so affectionate throw him off kilter. Still, he couldn't slip up now.

With a strained smile, he wrapped his arms around her as he whispered, "I miss you too." This seemed to satisfy her as she let out a girlish giggle.

As he pulled away, he turned the crowd and shooed them away. "Now move along. I'll take it from here." Best that they don't get in the crossfire, despite how annoying most of them were. Of course, this would leave him alone and surrounded by her sister's puppets, but that had always been a risk.

"Now where we're we?" He hummed as he turned his attention back to her.

"Do you like my surprise, big brother?" She asked as she gazed up at him with adoring eyes and feverish smile stretching across her lips, "When news that you were going to take up the old mantle of our house, I thought that it would be fitting that my Order would send you off!"

And what a headache that gave him. "You honestly shouldn't have," He laughed ashe hid his frustration. Did she really have to bring everyone along?

Given that he did invite her over for a talk, he couldn't fault her. He just had to roll with the punches then as he turned to address the "head" of the order. "I do apologize if my sister caused you any trouble, reverend mother," He apologized.

This, of course, would be met by a blank stare. "It seems that she had lost all her higher functions," He thought to himself as his sister grabbed hold of his hands, "Small mercies, I suppose."

"She's currently indisposed right now," Her sister answered for the woman with a strained smile, one that barely hid the annoyance buzzing just beneath the surface, "The strain of traveling to the void does take its toll."

Nodding back, he replied "Then best that we get along then so that she could have some time to rest." With another bow, he excused himself, "Truly, it's an honor to be graced by your presence, Reverend Mother."

He doubted the woman could even hear him at all, but he did it regardless given how it seemed to annoy his sister to no end given that frown that now marred her feature. "Must you try to charm every woman that grace your presence, brother?" She hissed through a false smile, "We already have our late father for that."

"And a visionary, our father was," He replied as he guided her towards the room which had commandeered just for the meeting; the Head Arbiter's office, "Truly, there is no better example of humanities superiority other than the fairer sex."

While the Mayor's office was a far more luxurious lounge, one that was fully furnished with all the refreshment he could ask for, it lacked the thing he needed; Privacy. He needed to get her as far away from her little dolls after all, and fortunately, she wouldn't question him as they entered the sparsely decorated and spartan room.

"If it was privacy that you wanted, dear brother," Livia purred as he locked the doors behind him, "Then you should have told me for the monastery have many rooms far away from prying eyes~"

Suppressing a shudder, he rolled his eyes, "Oh get your head out the gutter," He scolded as he sat in the Head arbiter's chair and raised his legs atop the wide table now separating them, "You know damn well why I invited you over." Grabbing an apple, he added, "But before that, apples?"

"Hmmm~ I think I remembered something about talking about the fate of the sector once you leave and how our brothers can be annoying, but that's boring," Livia hummed as she sat down on the chair opposite his, "And no thanks. I've already eaten."

"Are you sure?" He grinned mockingly as he took a bite, "They say that an apple a day keeps the medicae away, something which you'd find oh so useful especially in your state."

Silence soon followed as her smile ever dropped slightly. It was an over accusation even for his purpose, but one that revealed the cards he was made to play as her mask slipped for just the briefest of seconds.

Hate, anger, loathing, but also hints of love and adoration seeped through, emotions which took him off guard as she giggled, "Was it really that obvious?"

Now that the pretense of niceties had fallen, he finally saw the monster beneath; the cold unfeeling monster that he had always feared in full display. The great game has now begun and he wondered how long he would last.

Leaning closer, he answered, "Do you really have to ask with all those profane symbols you wear." She might as well have shouted it with the dizzying and maddening patterns weaved into her veil, but it wasn't like she needed to be careful now that she had her order subsumed.

"You just love rubbing the fact you now worship another, don't you?" He pointed out as he tilted his head at him. "You're playing with fire here dear sister. While we have quite the leeway, who knows what an Inquisator might think."

"Then let them judge, dear brother for I worship a true god," She replied as a hollow smile stretched across her lips, one devoid of warmth or even emotion, "A god who showered me with many blessings~"

"Blessing I assume you enjoy so dearly," He snarked as he eyed the darkened rings around her eyes, her purple lips and the blackened veins wriggling just beneath her pale, almost translucent skin, "Rotting, decaying, and festering inside your own skin all while you grow numb and detached to the world."

No matter how she dressed herself with such finery, or how heavily the scent of incense hung in the air, nothing could hide the disgusting being that stood before him. She was no saint, nor was she even his sister at this point, but rather a being that had long since been supposed to lay on the ground, yet was animated as a parody of life by cruel beings.

"My my, what a happy and joyous existence you must have been nothing more than the crusted sock puppet of that bloated bag of excrement and pus," He tilted his head as he watched her smile fall further, "Tell me, how does it feel?"

"It feels," She answered with such hateful expression that he froze on the spot, only for the anger and vitriol to melt away as a the same feverish expression she held for him returned in full force, "It feels so wonderful~"

"Nothing could ever compare to the joy and ecstasy I feel right now as I serve my lord," She sighed dreamily, "No longer am I blinded by the harsh radiance of the corpse emperor for I have been shown the truth!"

"That he is a cold unfeeling tyrant unworthy of our worship," She gritted out before she smiled once again, "And that the monsters he had warned us, are the true gods, the true rulers who still willingly embraced us after hating them for so long~"

Shuddering, she held herself as things crawled and writhed beneath her skin. "Even now I could feel his blessing coursing through my veins and oh how wonderful it feel~"

Truly, his sister lost it, having taken to worshiping these foul monsters with such earnestness that she could put any Sororitas to shame. She was not only a traitor, but a deranged lunatic that needed to be put down. As tempting as it was to shoot her now, however, he held back.

She was still talking after all and he was all too happy to cater to her delusion as he argued with her, "Forgive me for finding it hard to believe when the sight of the things wriggling beneath your skin makes my skin crawl."

The fact that these very same creatures responded to her very emotions as they writhed angrily was not lost to him, but still he poked away at her sensibility. "To be honest, it feels more like you're nothing more than a puppet, a pawn which he would toss away like some crusted up sock."

"Is this really what you would call a blessing?" He asked pointedly as sweat dripped down his brow. He was treading too close to the edge as her smile grew strained and her fist clenched, but his fears would quickly give way to confusion as she laughed back.

"Oh I admit, that they can be revolting and disgusting at times," She giggled as she dragged her nails across both her arms and across her collar, tearing at her own flesh to reveal the wriggling horror which now made much of her flesh, "Especially when they gnaw away at my very marrow and burrow deeper into my brain, but isn't that just life?"

"That from the very moment of our birth," She raved as the many horrors crawled out from her, spreading out and crushing the hidden bugs and smothering the listening device that lay hidden in the shadows, "To our inevitable demise."

"Our life is nothing more than an endless series of pain and suffering," She chuckled darkly as her flesh reknit before his eyes, yet the shadow remained stark and alive now that it writhed and coiled around him, "All while our very bodies break apart as we crawl desperately towards our inevitable demise."

With a maddened gaze, she questioned him, "So tell me dear brother, is my gift truly that wretched compared to the life we live?"

"We live merely to suffer and we have no true purpose in life," She hissed as her eyes grew wide with anger and hate, of such vitriol that he was quickly reminded of his hubris for facing her all alone, "That is all we are, or at least what I thought."

"It's funny really," said his sister in an amused tone "That the beings we were thought to fear, the voices that lurked in the shadows and the maddening whispers would give me the answer."

"From decay comes life," She sang out as the shadows came alive, "And from rot, we become free." Plague bearers, rottens monsters, and all sorts of festering beings that worshipped at the feet of the god of decay came out to play, and how horrible their mocking laughter were.

Just looking at their twisted and bloated forms was enough to make his stomach turn and he hadn't even gotten to their scent. They were as rotten as they came and they danced not to their tune, but that of sister as she raved on.

"There is purpose to our existence, my dearest brother," She grinned, showing her many needle-like teeth as she rose from her seat. "We have meaning~"

Climbing atop the table, she stalked forward while he sat there frozen, unmoving, and trapped inside his very skin. He was now a prisoner, one who was reminded why the Imperium had to wage a never ending war. The Emperor was still a man at the end of the day and he could only do so much out here with his golden throne so far away.

"There is a reason why we are born to suffer, my dear brother," said his sister as she sat down in front of him before spreading her legs, "And that is to love~"

"We are made to love and there is no greater love than that from the father of all life!" She moaned out as her hands glided across her form, "He who greets us at the end of our lives so that we rise once more, and oh what a beautiful experience it is~"

"To be loved and share it freely…" She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself before turning her attention at him.

"My dear brother," She smiled as she reached up to cup his cheeks, "I know we have our differences and that I have never been a good sister, but I hope that I can make amends."

Slowly, she leaned forward and the stench of death filled what breath he could take. "Join me brother," She pleaded feverishly, "Reject the shackles of the corpse emperor and embrace the love of our grandfather."

"Join us and become free," She begged him as she drew closer until their lips were just inches from her laps and never had he felt so afraid in his life.

"N-no," He choked out as his breathing grew labored and his strength failed him, "S-stop this madness…" Even the act of lifting a finger alone took all his might, one that she would taunt him as she slipped his fingers between his before grasping them in an almost tender hold.

"Don't fight it, my beloved brother," She purred at his ears as she slipped off her seat before she climbed atop his lap and straddled him, "It's just my love for you and that of the Plague Father's. There's nothing too fear~"

With her tongue extending and coiling around his neck, she asked, "So how do you wish to accept his gifts brother? Do you wish to feel it running through your veins as it spreads out and takes root, or perhaps you wish it to consume you till nothing is left?"

"I promise it'll be slow," She promised as he felt his skin tear at the passing of her tongue, "Excructingly so~"

Heart racing, and with desperation sinking in, he made one last plea, "N-no, not yet." Just speaking those words was agony alone as his lungs slowly filled with phlegm, something which her sister thoroughly enjoyed with her eyes lighting up with glee.

"And why is that?" She asked as she pressed in close, letting her feel the deathly cold of her corpse-like body against his.

"It's not time yet!" He croaked as the last bit of air left his lungs, "I-it w-would be too obvious!"

His plea however, would be with a flat stare and for a second, he thought that he had screwed up. That was until he felt air rushing in his lungs as it cleared out. "You should have told me you worship another god," She pouted as he coughed while struggling to get lungs full of precious air. He could finally breathe again.

"D-do you really that shouting your allegiance at the top of your lungs is a good idea?" He coughed out as he found his bearings more.

He was still reeling from her curse, and even now he could feel it linger inside him, but he'd worry about that later. Right now, he just needed to survive and if that meant lying his ass off, then so be it. It's not like he was lying about things, he was merely dancing around his question as he poked at her logic, one she didn't take lightly as she pouted.

"I hate it when you're being mean," She mumbled as she grinded her hips, making him shiver in disgust. "Must you always find ways to tease and deny me? Even now you do so by not accepting the love of our grandfather!"

"I could have easily killed you, you know?" She huffed, "Good thing I do you too much to snip away at those pesky decision making parts of your mind."

Smile straining, he replied, "And I thank you for sparing me."

As she eyed him suspiciously, she asked, "Who is your patron anyways?"

"I have none," He answered readily before quickly raising his hands, "But there's a reason why I haven't picked yet." Aside from his general distastes, he'd really want to keep his own sense of self, but that wouldn't fly as a reason. "It's a big decision you know, so I'm just making sure I made the right choice!"

"Then will you accept our dear grandfather's love?" She asked as she perked up, "If you do, we could be forever and ever~"

Faced with such a question, he grimaced, "While the offer is tempting, becoming a shambling corpse with barely any will of my own doesn't sound too appealing."

Oh he considered it alright, as well as all the things he'd lose if he ever became a pox ridden zombie addicted to love. "I'd rather die," He thought to himself as he did his best to school his features. Not only had she lost it, but she was an utterly different person, one convinced of spreading the rot of the pus lord in the guise of love. Oblivion would be a better fate than turning out like her.

So cooked was her mind, that she seemed oblivious to his lie. "Do not worry brother," She assured him with a patronizing smile, "for there are other beings worthy of your worship, even if they are lesser to our grandfather."

"Oh really," He deadpanned, feigning ignorance.

"You can always seek wisdom from the root of all knowledge," She inquired with a catty smile on her lips, "Or perhaps it's the martial prowess that you seek?"

"I'm surprised that you haven't offered the pleasures given by the Prince of Excess," He answered with barely held distaste. Did she have some disagreement with their worshippers perhaps? Her laughter said otherwise.

"There you go again," She batted playfully, "Is teasing me something you enjoy so dearly?" Giggling to herself, she sighed, "But if it's their worship that you seek, that is something I cannot' give brother had already taken on their worship, and I have to say, they have made quite the persuasive priest."

"Do not worry though, dear brother," She smiled, "I'm sure we can work things out. We are family after all~"

Hands wrapping around his neck, she asked, "So what do you say, dear brother? How about you drop this silly little charade of yours of becoming a rogue trader and join us in our worship" Leaning closer, she whispered, "If you stay, maybe we could work something out similar to what you offered our brother, Tiberius"

As he swallowed thickly, she tittered, "Now now, don't get all cold feet now. I've always known, but I love you and only you~"

She's been playing with him all this time, hasn't she? It stung, but she was right. He can't lose his nerves now. With blood rushing in his ears, he asked, "So just like that. You're going to turn on our brother just because of a simple letter?"

"He was always jealous of the three of us," She laughed, "The talentless hack had nothing to show while his younger siblings took all the blessings from our parents. There's not one creature more pathetic and wretched as he is."

"Even now he muster his forces against me, ready to strike," She shared, "But that wouldn't matter once I have you at my side~"

"So what do you say, Octavian?" She whispered as the fevered haze of her voice lifted and her pure unadulterated will seeped through, "Do you accept my love?"

Any lesser man would have folded right there and then. It was an offer, one freely made, but Octavian could only laugh. "No," He answered as tears ran down his cheeks and his sides started to hurt, "I refuse."

How can anyone in their right mind accept her offer seeing what she had become. She, however, was all too oblivious of that as she hissed, "You refuse?"

"You heard me Livia," He gritted out as he threw all caution to the wind, "I spit upon the creatures that call themselves gods and curse their very existence." Of all the beings in this universe, they alone had his hatred. Not the xenos, or the mutant, and not even the Tyranids themselves, but they alone.

"They are nothing more than parasites and I am ashamed that you of all people would have fallen for their little game," He spat out as he reached for his gun and fired.

CRACK!

Smelling flesh burnt, he glared at her even as dead eyes stared back unblinking. "Oh Octavian," She whispered as her eyes grew cold and distant, "I'm not sure you understand the situation you're in."

"Oh I kno-ghrk!" He answered before the tentacles reached up and wrapped itself tightly around his neck.

Up she lifted him as the hole running up from her chin to the top of her neck closed up. "You silly little boy," She scolded as her voice buzzed like the wing beats of a locust swarm, "Do you really think I'd just let you go if you said no?"

"You're lucky that I find your pathetic struggle to be cute and endearing," She grinned as she tightened her grip while his legs kicked out beneath him, "It almost reminds me of my first parasite before I accepted them into my body."

"So soft and weak," She purred before she slammed him hard against the wall, knocking his breath out, "But I know I can change you."

With tentacles coiling around him, stripping at his clothes and forcing herself on her as her tentacles reached down intimately. "I know you could be better, so stop struggling and accept it," She growled as she bit down on his neck, "Accept my love~"

Still, even as he felt his vein grow hot and strangled screams slipped out of his lips at the tentacles boring into his skin and filling him with foul liquids, he laughed back, "Go to hell,"

"Or what?" Livia scowled, "You're going to pray to the corpse god for salvation?"

Tentacle clenching harder, she asked, "What even is your plan to begin with?"

"Funny you said that," He panted as he glanced at the door before smiling at the eerie silence, "Because I have you right where I want you."

-x-x-x-

[A Few Hours Ago in the Round Table]

"Are you insane!? Orianne exclaimed as she slammed her hands down hard on the table, one that the others grunted in agreement too, "No! Absolutely not!" Considering what he shared, however, it wasn't an all too unreasonable reaction. He had just suggested he use himself as bait after all.

Hands raised appeasingly, he reasoned, "I know it sounds bad, and believe me I would have not resorted to this if I had a choice, but there's a perfectly good reason why I have to do this."

As he braced for another bout of shouting, he watched as Orianne took a deep breath, before sighing out. "Then explain," She gritted out, tempering herself, "Or Emperor preserve me for I might do something drastic."

Thanking the emperor, he quickly answered, "It's the only way I could get Livia off world."

At the disbelieving face Orianne and the others sported, he explained, "Look, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that all three of my siblings are corrupted, but that doesn't mean that they're working together just because they all worship the same beings."

"They are still nobles at the end of the day and they would love nothing more than to stab each other in the back," He reasoned, making Orianne calm somewhat, but he wasn't out of the woods just yet.

Pressing forward, he continued, "So what if I gave it to them? What if I offered each my word to back them up and have them pounce at each other's throat?"
"It does makes sense," Garathos muttered before she pointed out, "But that still doesn't explain why you want to isolate Livia specifically"

"That's because she's the only one I can't read," He answered easily. Amongst his siblings, she was the most dangerous one. She had somehow evaded detection from the Sororitas after all, and if that wasn't a show of her talent, then he didn't know what would.

"Tiberius merely needs a promise while Nero merely needs guns to set them off," He pointed out, "Livia on the other hand? Livia would see through my attempts to set her up against our siblings, thus the need to invite her over."

"She'd never pass up a chance as tempting as this, even if she knows she's walking right into a trap," He grinned sardonically, "I know I'd take a stab at me because that's what I'd do in her show." And given that she was a devotee of the Great Corrupter, he knew damn well that she could survive the attempt, but he counted on that.

"So what if she comes over?" Orianne scowled, "Then what?"

"You remember what I said about my other siblings?" He grinned, making Orianne frown. It would take her a bit before her eyes grow wide.

"You want her to come over so she's away from those two," She whispered.

"And if she's away from the heresy and trapped here," Octavian happily added, "She'd be too far away from them to stop them from doing something stupid." There would be no one to tell them no after all and her threats could go so far if she was up here.

He didn't even need to lift a finger to fight her. He just needs to throw a wrench big enough in her plan and watch them flounder as the inquisitors sweep them up. And if that meant offering his neck, the answer was simple.

-x-x-x-

"All I needed to do was keep you busy," He chuckled as Livia's expression grew stormy. "You've been so busy in fact that Orianne and the rest must have already swept up your little force." There were still the plagues that would come after, but small steps.

Livia opened his mouth to retort when a soft rumble echoed out from outside, one that was quickly followed by more. "And that's the sound of your ship being bombarded by the Nova Cannon's and the other ships."

He could be wrong, and his plans might have turned on him, but the look of rage in her face and the way his neck creaked was unmistakable. "It sucks doesn't it," He gritted out, "Watching all your carefully laid plans crumble just because you turned your back for one second."

"Face it Livia," He laughed, "You've been played." Still, things were getting far too hot for his liking. He still needed to breathe after all and he rather not have to die a second time.

With the last of his strength he pressed a button before he shouted, "Orianne!"
CRASH!

"Back away harlot!" His knight in shining armor shouted as her knight's gun lance plowed into the wall, pinning a surprise Livia to the other side, "He belongs to me!"

DAKKA! DAKKA! DAKKA!

Guns roaring, Orianne unloaded shot after shot at his sister, pulping her though at the cost of his ears taking a beating. It was a far better alternative though as Orianne swept him in her arms before running away, tossing a canister at the room which promptly burst into red hot jets of sticky flame. Besides, he could always read her lips.

"What the hell took you so long!?" He shouted at her before gesturing at his clothes or lack thereof, "She already took off my pants!"

"I got a little distracted, that's all!" Orianne howled in laughter as they streaked out of the building and towards the courtyard where scenes of carnage now lay. White veiled figures lay atop those of soldiers while the port burnt.

The civil war had just kicked off and they were now in the midst of it. His little sightseeing though would be interrupted as he noticed the black cloth caught on Orianne's lance. "Wait, is that the abbess?!" He exclaimed before bracing himself as the walker crashed into the gates, causing them to fly out and squish bloated figures that had shambled out the buildings.

"Was the abbess!" Orianne answered as shook her lance, dislodging the remains of the abbess before spraying rounds as more of said figures, many of which sported clothes of peasants from the farms of the Order, shambled towards them,"But worry not, for I've freed her from the witches' foul sorcery and her soul now rests by the emperor's side."

"That's good and all, but perhaps run a bit faster because we're not out of the woods yet!" He replied as Orianne made a break for it. It wasn't just because of the little gift that his sister must have carried along with her in her ship, but said sister herself.

"Octavian!" Her voice boomed as the building exploded in a shower of debris and flaming wreckage, revealing a towering pillar of flesh,"How dare you set your wench against me!" It seemed that his sister was far more powerful than he had anticipated, but it mattered little in the grand scheme of things.

She can't leave after all, at least not without great help from the devotees of the Lord of Change, something which he doubted she would have given her sheer fanaticism, leaving her only to rave and scream, "I will have her head, you hear me! I will skin her alive and wear her skin while I violate your rotting corpse!"

"oCtAVIan!" She roared out, momentarily making Orianne stumble even as they were already a kilometer away.

"Someone's certainly angry." He noted before his eyes trailed up to the heavens and he smiled. There overhead was the Nemi and her batteries glowed red hot. "But I'm sure she'd get over it after she wakes up from the mother of all headaches."

BOOM!

Like the hammer of god, shells rained down on the twisted creature that was Livia, pulping her into fine mist. Still, he doubted it would put her down for too long. That wasn't their problem anymore though. "Now let's get out of here before they jettison this part of the harbor!"

Let her stew in orbit while the heretics fight amongst themselves. That would just make the job of the Inquisator easier once he comes to reinforce the loyalist in the system. By then however, he would be long gone and none would be the wiser… that was for those that wouldn't lie for him at least.

A/N:

To those wondering why this took so long... *gestures at the sheer size of this thing*