The Fall of Marxus IV        				Part 1 of Lifa's timeline

	(40k howlingbansheeXguardsman, Oral/male,Oral/female, memory sharing, bloodlicking, mindcontrol, doggystyle, earplay)




	As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but craters and rocky waste, and a jagged trench  split haphazardly throughout until it faded into the horizon. What could be seen of the sky was little more than broiling shades of red and purple, bruised in appearance, from the ceaseless flames that danced across the face of the planet.  Dark ragged clouds grasped tenuously at the violent colors above them as if to find a place to fit as they once did in ages long passed. Lifa looked at the land about her forlornly. She had been here many years ago, and it was once a place of beauty before the Tyranid came. A single tear traced a path along her elegant cheek. She turned away from the scene before her and descended back into the trench from the rough outcropping of rock she had been perched upon. It was not the loss of the planet that so disturbed her, rather her memories of her first accidental journey here, and the friend she had unintentionally made. She had hoped to find Him here with the Imperial regiment, little chance as it was. However, she did not understand the ways of humans or their proceedings with the galaxy at large, and why his group was not dispatched for a mission as important as this. 
	
	As the Eldar picked her way through the sea of humans about her, many stopped what they were doing to watch her passing. Some praised the almighty Emperor, averting their eyes and shuddering a small amount as if witnessing something unclean, while others stared unabashedly with open mouths. A few muttered amongst themselves and pointed as she walked through the camp. The Eldar was clad in full Banshee aspect armour, the creamy white of her helm and molded plating clashing with the deep navy of the mesh skinsuit beneath. Her build lent to the visage she displaced. Her upper curves were accentuated by the breast plate she wore made of jointed segments spanning from her neck to somewhere between her legs, while when she walked past, her athletic legs had the least protective plating from the back of her thighs stretching to the small of her back, revealing her form underneath the skinsuit. While her exotic apparel left but little to the imagination, her gait was what made the men's mouths hang open. Her stride was fluid and graceful, instead of the jarring steps of other creatures. She seemed to flow like water, where as humans seemed to jerk and lurch with their movements by comparison.
	 
	Lifa herself was nearly as fascinated with the mon'keigh as they were of her, though she would not deign to let it show. They were much more entertaining than many of her own brethren, though she rather took pity on them. She struggled to comprehend how they were still around and even more so, how they had survived for so long on a galactic scale. She accounted the fact to their near explosive reproduction rate, and the few superior among them that guided their efforts nearly ten-thousand years ago. But their superstitions pushed her patience to the limits. She had been called xenos, alien, and heretic to the golden throne more times than she could recall in the past week alone. It had begun to wear on her more than she cared to admit. Was she not here to help them in their fight against a common enemy? Did she not save four of them from the lictor earlier this week? Had they forgotten her oath to see their planetary governor to safety? However, that last question may just as well have sparked their hate for her. 
	
	The governor Atticus Anders was a strange man at best, an unknown quantity that left many people weary of him. He had brought great wealth to Marxus IV, and seemed to have his hands in a little bit of everything that happened in the system. Atticus Anders gained the position under somewhat shady circumstances after meeting with the prior governor aboard his flagship just days after his arrival to the Marxus system. Two hours had passed when the former governor Mastif Greshbold decided to step down and appointed Atticus as his successor, royal titles and all. It did not help that Admiral Anders was highly eccentric, and most of the time too preoccupied to lord over his fief. When he did look up from whatever strange business he was conducting, his appearances seemed to rattle the populace more than anything. He was handsome, highly charismatic, and had a recklessness about him that seemed to give credence to the whisperings of him being a rogue trader. When the Tyranid hive fleet entered the system, instead of fleeing as most wealthy governors, Anders immediately returned planet side and began setting up fortifications. All the while, he would venture forth each night to different science facilities upon the planet and return with an odd variety of spoils, not the variety of equipment one would expect to be deemed as important from a laboratory. 
	
	When it became apparent he was not going to leave, Lifa had left the craftworld to ensure his safe departure. She had some of the old sight in her, and what she saw told her that this man would play a large role in the galaxy, and he could not be lost. It mattered not if her brethren did not realize it at the time. As always, she stood apart from them as far as their plans for the future of the Eldar race was concerned. Her warnings did however spark some interest, and upon further pleading with the council, a force of two hundred eldar were sent forth with her. They had been upon Marxus IV a month before finally returning to the craftworld. It was apparent the Farseer council had changed their mind, however Lifa had not, and chose to remain behind. The other eldar that had been here had not treated her kindly,  making many twisted allusions towards her sanity and judgment. After they had left, taking their machines of war with them, the conditions in camp had deteriorated. The Tyranid advance was taking a toll on the imperial regiment much more than previously. Yesterdays orbital bombardment had driven them off for the time being, but they would soon return again to throw themselves at the weary defenders. 
	
	As it was, Lifa slowly made her way back to where her tent was stationed in the regiment. It was nearly night, though looking at the scorched sky was little to judge the time by. It had stayed the same mixture of brooding colors for the past half year. Many of the guardsmen she passed had begun drinking and probably would for many hours until they fell into a fitful sleep. A smile touched the Eldar's lips. She enjoyed listening to them tell their stories. Sometimes if they drank enough, they would forget she was there, and she could listen to them talk all night, though it usually helped if she stayed out of sight, and the spell would be ruined completely if they heard her laugh or make a comment. Very seldom would they get drunk enough to talk to her. She rounded a turn in the trench, and saw the opening to the camp, her tent some fifty yards from her. Just as she was passing a knot of guardsmen, one stepped forward and gripped her shoulder roughly, spinning her around. Lifa's hand flew to her sword, but noticing who it was who stopped her, she relaxed slightly, though still shaken from the contact.  
	
	"By the warp, who do you think you are to go strutting through our camp every throne damned day wearing your fancy armor, and stayin behind to tease us when we haven't even seen a proper woman for months? The fuck kinda pants are those to be wearing where whoever wants can see your pretty little xeno ass, and your armor with the polished tits? All you Eldar think you're just so much better than the rest of us, and here you are every day too good to say a word to anyone before disappearing into your tent, or come out and laugh at us whenever we say a word a bit different than you're used to! Can't even get drunk without you popping outta nowhere, scaring us all half way to Terra! Why don't you get the warp outta here you throne damned knife eared, slanty eyed bitch? Or are you just so stuck up not even your own filthy xeno kind want nothin to do with you?"
	
	Lifa's hand which had moments before been wrapped around her sword now unconsciously raised to touch her ear after the man was done yelling at her, but her fingers instead came into contact with the hard surface of her helmet. Though it enveloped the entirety of her head, it was difficult to tell she was even wearing it when it was on. Tears immediately leapt to her eyes, as she realized he hadn't even seen her face and still mocked her differing features. Her apparel was of the highest quality! She had never before thought it to be conservative, but surely not revealing as he had said. It was true she did not always agree with her own brethren, but what had compelled this man to put it to her so harshly?
	 
	She slowly wrapped her arms around her breasts and hugged herself trying to cover herself slightly before bowing her head and to her horror, weeping in front of the soldier, dropping to her knees. The noises that came from her mouth were amplified by her banshee helmet, and she violently tore it off, flinging it away as if it had been the cause of her anguish. As she did so, her hair cascaded down her back, most contained in a long braid that stretched to the base of her spine, hovering just inches above the muck she now found herself groveling in.
	 
	Every guardsman in the vicinity had stopped what they were doing to watch the scene that had just unfolded before them. Deep sobs shook the eldar, and the sadness in her voice and delicate form brought tears to many of their eyes. The soldier who had yelled at her stood awestruck. This was clearly not the reaction he had expected, or any of them for that matter. As shocked as they were, many were approaching for a closer look; none of them had seen her without her helmet on. Even in her heartwrenching agony she was easily the most beautiful creature they had laid eyes upon. Her hair was a shimmering shade of blonde, nearly matching the color of starlight, while her flawless skin shone with a brilliant radiance. Her ears were indeed pointed and more pronounced than that of a human's, and there was a slight curve to her eyes, atop which sat elegant eyebrows, now being forced together due to the girl's distress. Her delicate pink lips trembled against two perfect rows of teeth, which gleamed milky white. All of the guardsmen assembled now formed a close ring around her, deeply troubled by her profound sadness. A few haltingly crouched down beside her and patted her back awkwardly, trying to console her. Some started to reach out, before drawing back their hands, fearing some sort of contamination by coming in contact with the xenos. They all seemed very unsure of what to do. That they felt bad for the girl was evident. The instinct to protect this gorgeous female who at the moment looked very fragile seemed to weigh heavily in their bearings.
	
	"Holy throne Burke,  what did you have to go an say all that for? She never hurt you now did she? Hell, last week I heard she saved Marty from one of them big Tyranids.." one of guardsmen spoke quietly. 
	
The man seemed to come back to his senses slightly. "You know same as me. Not a man here who hadn't wanted to say some of that stuff to one of them.. I didn't know she would.."
	
	"By the whores of Horus, you gone and made an elf cry. I know they're xeno, but its gotta be heresy somewhere to make something that looks like that cry."
	
Burke shifted uncomfortably before taking a large swig from his flask. Another of the guardsmen spoke up uncertainly. "What do you reckon we do? I don't feel too keenly just leaving her like this." 
	
	"I don't know Mac. Think we aughta get the sergeant? He might know what to do." spoke one kneeling down next to the eldar. "She sure don't look like she's stopping anytime soon.. Gallopin' Guillimans, somethin you said must a really hit a nerve there Burke."
	
	"Which part do you reckon it was?" Burke asked at a loss. "Didn't even know they had nerves to hit til just now.. You don't think they'll put me on the front lines for this?"
	
	While the guardsmen were all debating what to do, another figure was making his way into camp. He was rather distracted, and while his steps were purposeful and confidant, his path more or less zig-zagged as he looked off into the sky scratching the stubble on his chin. His robed attendant followed him patiently, occasionally putting out a hand to direct the man's steps. He barely noticed the tight circle of guardsmen that all snapped to attention at his approach. 'Wonder what's got them so nervous.' he thought to himself noticing their fearful faces and stiff backs with barely a glance. 
	
	"Go on doing whatever it was you were doing." the admiral spoke absently, returning his gaze to the sky. "I thought I legalized gambling on this planet." he mumbled to himself before his toes abruptly came into contact with a rather solid object at a rather fast velocity. "Ow! Mother fucking fuck.." he grumbled to himself looking down at the source of his pain. "Oooh, you're a beauty aren't you." he said happily bending down to pick up a rather fine banshee helm. All the guardsmen stood frozen, gaping at the governor who was cooing contentedly at the helmet he held in his hands. It was then he heard the sobbing, and turning slowly with a look of horror, locked eyes with the knot of soldiers who returned equally horrified expressions. With fourty steps that seemed to last a thousand years apiece, the governor finally stood over the distraught eldar. "Sweet baby Emperor! What did you do to set her off?" Atticus asked the men assembled before him. They all pointed at Burke, who in turn buckled at the knees a bit before taking a rather long draught from his flask to steady himself. 
	
	"I said she didn't belong here with us in camp admiral" Burke said shakily. "Next thing I know, she just starts crying, and she doesn't seem to want to stop. We were about to get the sergeant sir." 
	
	"You also said somethin about her tits, Burke" added one.
	
	"And her ass. Called her haughty or somethin like that"
	
	"There was also that bit about her ears. Called em knifey."
	

	Atticus looked down at the eldar, who sank even deeper into misery hearing the words repeated. "Alright, alright, I get the point." Admiral Anders stated flatly. He looked up at the men assembled around him before speaking in a lecturing tone. "I would ask if any of you knew why this happened, or if you knew anything about eldar in general, but it is obvious that you do not. So I will save us all some time and tell you why. This race is much more advanced than our own in nearly every aspect. That is not a heretical statement, but rather a fact any one of us can see if not for the fear of being blasted by our more pious fellows. One of the extensions of their advancement branches into their feelings. The Eldar follow a very strict regiment to suppress and inhibit their feelings, so they do not indulge in them. If they for whatever reason do not follow this path, they can be taken with wild abandon at the strangest of times. While they feel the same feelings as you and I, these feelings are amplified to a point where our saddest moment would compare to them as knocking your last beer over. The happiest you have ever been would compare to them as when you wake up and have a nice warm breakfast in front of you. Their range of emotion is much deeper than ours, and grips them much more strongly. The eldar before us probably feels how any of us would if we had just witnessed the person we feel the most strongly about being murdered. This was once explained to me by an eldar a while back who I worked with. Nice fellow. Miss him dearly." He paused and glanced down at the girl before him. He had grown quite fond of her since she arrived. She was certainly more interesting than most creatures he came into contact with on a day to day basis. "I am also equally aware you are all ignorant to the fact that this girl is the reason the other Eldar came to help us in the first place, that she is four hundred and twenty six years old, or that she voluntarily stayed behind despite the ridicule she has received from both eldar and human alike. Now for fucks sake, apologize to her!"
	
	
	Burke knelt down before the weeping elf feeling utterly terrible for his earlier outburst. The knowledge given to him from the governor had deepened his understanding of why his words had so affected the girl before him. However, the prospect of her age shocked him. He knew they lived much longer than humans, but the woman looked as if she were still only in her second decade of life. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and placed it on her cheek. The contact startled her, and she looked up, opening her eyes for the first time. Burke, who had been about to apologize, found himself entranced by the beautiful emerald green iris's locked upon his own. Her crying had ceased, but her voice still trembled slightly when she began speaking. "Mankoi lle lala amin.. why do you hate me so?" 
	
	Burke felt as if someone had poured cool water over him as the words fell upon his ears while at the same time driving a knife into his heart. He had never before heard such a clear, vibrant voice in all his life, or felt so saddened by some one's words. Many of the other men seemed like wise affected. Seeing the tears traced across her face, Burke gently wiped them away. Looking back into her eyes, he spoke to the girl softly, "I apologize for hurting your feelings. I never would have said those things to you if I had known you would.. I-I don't know what to say.. You've never once spoken, and all of you hate us and speak down to us."
	
	Mac spoke up from where he was kneeling still beside the eldar, "She did talk to us once, but we were all trashed. No one believed me morning after."
	
	Lifa, eyes still locked upon Burke's, spoke to him again, "My ears..are they..why?.." she struggled to continue and lifted a hand to one tracing the shape slightly before covering it from the man's sight.  
	
	Burke gently put his calloused hand atop hers and tried to move it away, but the girl would not let him. "Really, I am sorry. Truth be told, they're actually..." he paused, looking up at the circle of twenty guardsmen uncomfortably. "Well, they aint bad lookin'. And what do you care what I think anyway? You never cared before."
	
	"You were less cruel before." Lifa replied softly. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still glassy, and the threat of tears spilling over once more loomed in the near future. 
	
	"What do you mean before? Wait.." Burke was beginning to believe all the times Mac had insisted to everyone the elf had gotten drunk with them. "You mean to say we've talked before today?"
	
	Lifa nodded slightly. "You took no offense last time you saw my ears. None among you did. And this one asked for me to braid his hair as I do." she said pointing to Rame. Amongst all the men of the squad, his hair was the longest, hanging to just above his shoulders. Every eye turned to him and there were exclamations of understanding. Rame himself turned a shade or two brighter.
	
	"I'll be fucked, no one could figure that out the next morning!" 
	
	"You left it like that for a week or two didn't you?" 
	
	"Yeah, I did actually. Took me ages to figure out how to untie it." Rame said more than a little self consciously. 
	
	Lifa turned back to the man kneeled before her before continuing. "The two of us spoke alone for a time after. I had thought you may have remembered, but you have never come to my tent to see me again as you said you would." 
	
	The guardsmen all looked at each other and a few raised their eyebrows, while others nudged their fellows in the ribs and made discreet suggestive gestures. Low chuckles began to ensue before Atticus spoke up. "It seems to me it would be best if you were to take her back to her tent Burke. Maybe you can do a better job apologizing to this poor woman without your comrades watching." Burke slowly rose to his feet, before reaching down to the eldar before him. She finally took her hand away from her ear and raised it to grasp the hand above her. As Burke helped her to her feet he expected the female to weigh much more than she did, and as a result he pulled her nearly clear off the ground, and she collided softly against his flak armoured chest. "Ahh, where did the lady's helm go?" Admiral Anders said to himself before seeing it in the hands of his robed attendant. "Good lad Mike. Go on and give it back to the girl. I'm ready for a drink." The hooded figure stepped forward obediently and offered Lifa her helmet back, which she accepted with a slight smile. As the helm left the attendant's hands, all of the guardsmen noticed for the first time that the hands belonging to the attendant were more fashioned to three fingered claws than nice pale five fingered hands. 
	
	"Emperor preserve us!" cried one, while Mac asked the governor in a high pitched voice, "You said your friend's name is Mike? What catastrophe of the warp befell Mike that gave him talons?" 
	
	Atticus spoke over his shoulder without breaking stride, as he was already headed towards the Mess tent to roll a keg out. "What are you talking about? Mike's fine. He's been working for me for years. I'd be rather upset if he didn't have talons."
 	
	"What do you mean by that sir? I aint never met a man named Mike who had talons who was fine!" Many of the other guardsmen agreed.
	
	Lifa spoke to Burke slightly, "Let us go back to my tent. I can help you to remember that which you have forgotten."  before turning and leading the way, helm grasped gently in her slender hands.
	
	"What's with that guy Mike? I never seen hands like that before?" Burke asked curiously, now falling into step beside her. He struggled to follow her without tripping while at the same time glancing back over his shoulder at the strange cloaked figure who had followed the admiral into the mess tent. Now that he was paying attention, he was able to discern other irregularities, such as the man's posture and stride. In some places, the cloak stuck out strangely and did not seem to follow the same contours of a human's.
	
	"Be careful as to where you place your feet," Lifa cautioned the soldier, grasping his arm and steering him out of the way of colliding with a munitions box filled with mortar rounds. They covered a few more paces and were now nearly to the mouth of the tent. "You have truly never before seen a Kroot?" she asked before having to guide Burke's steps once more as he nearly tripped at her words.
	
	"You mean to tell me that's a Kroot? What in the galaxy compelled the admiral to allow that creature near him?" Burke questioned frantically. They had now reached the tent and Lifa motioned for him to enter, before finally gripping him again by the arm and pulling him in after her. Burke's eyes were slowly adjusting when he again asked, "Why does admiral Anders have a Kroot?" Lifa begged the man to lower his voice before finding the light globe and activating it. 
	
	"The matter is his own to discuss," Lifa spoke in a hushed tone before continuing. "He was stranded on the jungle world of Paz for one reason or another. I did not press for details. One night, he and his crew came under attack from a band of Kroot warriors. It was implied that many met with unfortunate fates that night, but afterwards, he recruited several of the Kroot warriors who attacked his party, appreciating their prowess in battle. Of them, Mykarak was one such Kroot, and over the years, they became close companions. I know not how or what trials they have endured together, but Kroot are known to be valuable allies to the man able to win their trust and admiration. When in the company of other humans, the admiral has Mykarak don robes so as not to cause undo stress or panic among them. The name Mike is a nickname that seems to have stuck. Perhaps this is a lesson that would serve you well to remember; not every race in this galaxy are your inherent enemies. The admiral has learned it long ago, and he seems to have profited greatly from it."
	
	"By the Eye he has! He's out here in the middle of a war wandering around like a lunatic and sneaking off to go raid another abandoned science lab in the middle of Emperor knows where. There are hungry monsters out there and he doesn't seem to get that they wanna eat him just as bad as they wanna eat us!" Burke grumbled in frustration. He unfastened his flak helmet and set it on the floor of the tent, which he was surprised to notice had a thin rug strewn atop a covering of canvas. He had thought the tent he shared with four others was relatively nice. What the Eldar had done with her tent outstripped his by far. By imaginative use of empty crates, she had created a table, chairs, benches, and what he now noticed to be an armor stand. He really wasn't sure why she had more than one chair, and he thought her having benches was definitely overkill. Her bed was a hammock fashioned from the standard issue cots the rest of the guardsman received. Atleast, he thought it was her bed. He couldn't figure any other place where she would sleep. He finally admitted to himself that her tent was indeed cozy compared to life in camp, and couldn't blame her for rather staying inside than mingling with the camp residents. He felt his face grow warm from embarrassment  remembering his treatment of her, and countless other times he had seen others treat her with harsh words, gestures, and glances. It was a wonder she emerged from the tent at all.
	
	Lifa placed her helmet gently upon the armor stand before crossing gracefully to one of four chairs in the tent and seated herself facing Burke. She watched him survey her tent before speaking to him in soft tones. "It is a war he will survive. If he held no fear of being eaten, he would not go forth at night to recover the treasures locked away in the facilities upon this planet. He may seem irrational, but you cannot doubt his brilliance. And if you were wise, you would see that you stayed near to him for your own wellbeing." Burke only grumbled in response before turning his eyes upon her. A shiver ran through his body at how beautiful she was. Now he was out of earshot from his companions he would apologize to the girl.
	
	"Look. What I said earlier. I'm sorry. I can tell you've tried to be nice to us, and I aint too sure we did such a good job being nice back. Really, your eyes aren't all slanty like I called em. I think they might be the prettiest eyes I ever seen. An your ears, well they don't look quite like ours do, but.. well.. I never said this about some ones ears before, but.. I'll be damned if I didn't say they aren't adorable." Burke was feeling rather hot and it was hard for him to look anywhere but at his feet now that he had spoken.
	
	"So you really do not like my ears?" Lifa asked quietly.
	
	"No, no! I meant to say I do like them! They're cuter than a baby squig." Burke explained quickly.
	
	"I should certainly hope so!" Lifa said with a repulsed look upon her brightening face.
	
	"That came out wrong, I swear! Now don't you go putting your hands over em again! They look really nice. Honest." He sighed hopelessly. "Look, you gotta take my meaning and not always my words. And to tell the truth, it's been nice with you around the camp. Given us all something to think about besides gettin eaten all day long. I mean, besides the lack a' communication, I know everyones pictured themselves talkin to you without anyone else around, or without you talkin like you're better than us. Hell, I bet the whole squad is jealous I'm in here alone with you, circumstances regardless." 
	
	Lifa smiled uncertainly before deciding to trust the Mon'keigh before her was not being deceitful. "Thank you Burke." she said with a true smile upon her face now.
	
	Burke was startled that she called him by his name. He asked how she knew.
	
	"You have told me before, and since our encounter earlier, several others have addressed you by the same name. I wish you did remember meeting with me before. You were very kind to me, and I had hoped to see you again. Today I was not only hurt by your words, but that it was you who said them. I doubt I would have reacted so strongly if I heard them from another." She sighed and turned to face the tent's entrance. 
	
	Burke was again at a loss for words. He slowly articulated his thoughts before speaking, "You keep sayin how we met before. What happened that night? I wish I could remember atleast some of it. I'm sure I must have made an ass of myself seein as I can't recall a thing."
	
	Lifa glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye. She decided she would put his mind to rest on the subject at once, if he was willing to accept what she offered. "Most of the night, we sat and drank with the others of your squad. Many told stories, some jokes, and others their hopes for the future. After a few had gone to sleep, they decided to play some sort of drinking game, at which point I left for the comfort of my tent. Some time later, you came and woke me. I was surprised, but delighted, for that night had been the first night any of you were comfortable in my presence. I had thought it to be a turning point for the men of your group to accept me. For several hours, we stayed awake and talked of many different things, and before you left, I asked if I would see you again. You then turned and kissed me, promising you would return again another night." She had watched Burke's face as she told the story, and it was difficult to hide her smile when she had revealed he had kissed her. "If you do not believe me, I can show you. However, I must warn you, it may be painful." she stated a moment later.
	
	"Show me how?" Burke asked, his palms sweating. Surely she didn't have a camera somewhere in her tent as well!
	
	"My memories, I am willing to share them with you. I only ask that you relax and not fight it, as it could hurt us both, and distort what you see. It may also affect my recollection of it afterwards if you struggle fiercely enough. I would rather avoid that. It was one of few pleasant memories I have of this planet. The choice is yours to make Mon'keigh." Having finished speaking, Lifa reclined slightly in her chair, looking anxious.
	
	Burke sat in thought, debating what the Eldar had just told him. It would be amazing to have a memory shared with him, but the very thought itself was heresy! However, if what she had told him was true, he had kissed her AND promised to come see her again. It seemed anything involved with xenos was heresy other than shooting them or shouting curses at them. He had already shouted at her today. What if she wanted revenge for his harsh words? He glanced at her; she was certainly uneasy, but it seemed more out of fear than aggression. Besides, the governor traveled with a Kroot as his body guard, and if what this girl had said was true, this Kroot was the admiral's friend as well. 
	
	"Okay, I'll do it." Burke said having made up his mind. "What do I need to do?"
	
	Lifa crossed over to the bench he sat upon and straddled it, turning to face him. "Turn towards me and sit how I am sitting." After he had done so, she continued. "Now try to empty your mind of any thought and emotion. As I am sure this is your first time attempting something such as this, it will no doubt be difficult. Do as best you can and focus on your breathing to help calm your mind." She stared into his soft blue eyes and added, "It is usually best to close your eyes to keep your mind from wandering." Burke took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Now I am going to place my head against yours. For a moment or two, you will notice nothing besides the touch of my skin and perhaps my breathing as well. I cannot stress upon you the need to stay calm, because if you panic, this will be very painful. Now breathe deeply and continue doing so." She watched him take several measured breaths before slowly placing her head directly against his. She whispered gently, "Once your mind is clear, you will see what has taken place."
	
	Burke felt the soft skin of the Eldar press against his own. At this distance, he could not help but notice how wonderful she smelled. It reminded him of when he had grown up and gone into the forest with his brothers to play, and some years later to hunt wild game to help feed his family. He reminded himself to empty his mind of all thought, and slowly he began to feel a change. Just when he wondered if he truly felt a difference, the Eldar spoke to him. Except he realized she had not spoken at all, the voice was inside his own head. "It begins." All of a sudden, he had the sensation of water being poured over his body, and when it stopped, it was no longer his body he stood in, but in the Eldar's.
	
	 Lifa, that was her name. He found it strange he had not asked her earlier, but remembered it as if he had always known it. 'Please, be calm' he heard gently. 'Just watch'. He walked out of the tent, except it was not him at all, but Lifa. He could feel her powerful legs carrying her gently over the ground she walked upon towards the fire in the middle of their camp.
	
	 She was uncertain, and afraid how they would react, but today had been a bloody day for all of them. Perhaps they would not mind her joining them tonight. Gently, she tucked a long tress of hair behind her ear, then thought the humans may react poorly if they saw it, and guided her hair back over her ear once more to cover it from sight. As she entered the light, many of them stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. She wore only a light dress tonight, much different than her usual attire. In each man, a different expression was displayed. She glanced at all of them, before cautiously speaking.
	
	 "Do you mind if I join you tonight?"
	
	 A few shrugged their shoulders in response, while others shook their heads. There were two among them who looked as if they were about to protest, before deciding it did not matter if she was there or not. Burke saw himself as she did, sitting on a long ammunition crate holding a jug of ale. He turned towards her and smiled, sliding over and patting the crate. She was flooded with warmth at the gesture; the happiness Burke felt inside the girl's mind nearly overwhelmed him. He felt her guide her feet towards the open seat and sit upon its uneven surface. She looked around before finding a mug herself. She lifted it from the crate behind her and filled it to near overflowing from one of three kegs placed around the fire. He felt her lift the mug to her lips and take a long sip, savoring the flavor. He had always thought the ale they usually drank was rather bland and never much cared for the taste; it was strange feeling how much he now enjoyed it as it coursed down Lifa's throat. 'Please Burke' the voice sounded again, and he berated himself slightly before relaxing and watching. Lifa listened attentively to the different conversations. Most pertained to the events of the long day they had all shared.
	 
	"Three Leman Russes. I've never seen a creature survive being shot by a single Leman Russ. Three! Emperor bless the poor souls aboard the first two."
	
	 "You see Nates when he topped that hill?" 
	
	"Indeed. Wish I hadn't. He was a good sort, Nates."
	
	 Burke then had the strange sensation of hearing words come from his mouth he didn't remember saying. "Marcsley went with the three waves to the west this afternoon. Can't remember seeing him come back."
	
	 Lifa continued drinking, just content to listen. She gently rubbed her collarbone, feeling a painful bruise beginning to form. She remembered being struck by a Lictor as she was turning from slaying a small group of three genestealers. Burke felt himself recoil upon seeing her recall the experience briefly; she had only narrowly avoided being torn apart from the monster prior to landing a series of fluid precise strikes. 'Burke! Please..' 
	
	She lifted her fingers from the bruise and began to trace them down her ribs. As she reached her abdomen, he felt her push her fingers deeper, and was surprised to feel another set of intermediary ribs. Her vision began to flicker, but the conversations continued and he could still feel the sure muscles flow beneath her skin. 'Stop, you're fighting it' the voice sounded anxiously. Burke relaxed his mind and tried his best just to observe and make sense of the strangeness later. Her vision returned to normal as if nothing out of the ordinary had taken place. It was at this point, Lifa overheard the two who had earlier nearly objected at her being there whispering to each other.
	
	 "Wish she would go away. The warp she doin here with us? Makes me uncomfortable it does." 
	
	"I don't trust her either. No one else seems to mind though. Let's just leave it be. She won't last now her own kind left her."
	
	  Burke felt the girl's pain at the words. He hoped he would never experience the same intensity of loneliness he had just felt ever again in his entire life. She slowly got up to leave, but just as she was turning, she felt a hand close around hers. Burke felt her surprise, and as she turned around, her eyes alight upon his own.
	
	 "Don't go, please. Stay here for a while longer. Why don't you tell me something about you? Let's start with your name first."
	
	 Lifa smiled, and returned to her former position upon the crate. Burke watched through her eyes as the night carried on. Sure enough, the whole squad got very inebriated, and before long, along came Rame begging the girl to braid his hair as she had braided her own after several people wanted to see her ears. Mac threw up and everyone laughed. Lifa laughed as well, but rather at the circumstances that caused the other men to laugh at their friend. Five of the men eventually slumped over where they sat and fell asleep, and soon after seven more teetered drunkenly towards their tents, some giving up and sleeping in which ever tent was closest. At this point, the men still conscious were singing different drinking songs, and Lifa joined in with one of her own that caused them all to stop and listen, captivated by her voice. She realized after singing that she must have at some point gotten much drunker than she had anticipated, and when the men decided to play a drinking game, she finally excused herself and returned to her tent.
	
	 Burke could feel that even as drunk as the Eldar was, she maintained a perfect sense of balance, and lucid thoughts, yet her gaze shifted restlessly upon whatever caught her eye, and her emotions were washing over each other in startling rapidity. A warm fuzziness born from the alcohol had settled in and it blocked out the horrors of the day, forcing the girl to only be able to focus upon the immediate present.
	
	 When she entered her tent, she remembered that Admiral Anders had gone out immediately following the day's battle to another one of the science labs. She glanced at her armor that sat hanging neatly upon the rack and smiled slightly. It had saved her life again today. She was glad to possess such a fine suit. She sauntered over to the light and switched it off, before allowing the dress she wore fall to the floor. She then crawled into the hammock gracefully and pulled the thick fur covers to her chin. The furs smelled like Mykarak slightly. She felt only slightly guilty for sleeping in his bed. She usually did whenever he went with Atticus to the labs. It was a different sensation to sleeping on the ground as she usually did.
	
	 Burke felt her hands pull her long braided hair over her shoulder gently until it rested neatly between her breasts and terminated just below her belly button. Her hands roamed over her silky skin aimlessly, caressing her curves and toned muscles alike. She absently grasped one of her nipples, pulling on it slightly until it grew firm under her touch. Pleased at the sensation, she lightly ran her delicate fingers over the surface of her nipple, teasing it slightly and exciting her. Her legs began to rub against each other, clenching slightly with anticipation. Her other hand found itself moving to between her athletic legs. Her fingertips gently came into contact with the delicate silken undergarments she wore. They covered very little of her form; the largest part spreading only enough to protect her vagina from rubbing against the skinsuit she usually wore, before narrowing and slipping between her legs in a thin strip and meeting with two similar strips at the base of her tailbone connecting again with the front completing the whole piece. 
	
	Her vision flickered intensely before completely shutting out, and then the sensations her body was experiencing began to dull perceptibly. 'Ah! Burke, take control of your emotions! You are hurting me!' Burke tried to quickly reign in his racing thoughts; he had never expected to witness this in the Eldar's mind. Slowly, the sensations came back, and then her vision returned, dim as it was in the dark tent.
	
	  Just as her hand was about to slip underneath, she stopped herself. She was in Mykarak's bed. His sense of smell was far keener than that of other races. If she were to pleasure herself in his hammock, he would know. She liked the Kroot, and while he had never voiced any displeasure from her sleeping in his hammock when he was not here, she did not believe he would be thrilled at smelling her juices upon his furs. She was upon the verge of continuing anyway, for the sake of seeing his reaction, but finally decided against it. She grinned slightly, and rolled over and drifted off to sleep peacefully, listening to the bawdy soldiers talk about her outside. They had liked her, and that made her happy.
	
	In what seemed like just moments later, Burke felt the girl rouse herself upon hearing the irregularity of footsteps approaching her tent. She dropped to the ground in a fluid, lithe motion and slipped back into her thin dress. A moment later found a dagger clutched in her hand, though Lifa was torn between continuing to hold the blade or placing it upon the table again. It was clearly the sound of a human and a drunk one at that. If she had to subdue the soul approaching her tent, she could just as easily do it without the knife. She tried to place the dagger down, but fear would not allow her to. She had been placed in too many painful situations to listen to reason when she felt like this. Burke caught flashes of her being imprisoned and tortured on more than one occasion throughout her many years. Though he knew it was himself about to walk through the entrance of the tent, being so intimately linked with the girl caused him to agree fully with her to not release her weapon. Just at that moment, he heard a knock on the tent pole, and then his own voice projected into the tent. 
	
	"Scuse me miss? You still up?"
	
	Slowly Lifa took a deep breath, letting her tension dissipate. She rose from her crouched position and found the light, turning it on. "Yes Burke. You may enter."
	
	Burke watched himself step into the Eldar's tent, where he was immediately shocked by his surroundings. Lifa looked at him with a smile pulling at her lips. "What is it that brings you here at this hour? Why are you not asleep?" She watched as he finally noticed her and laughed lightly. He made his way to one of her chairs and sat, leaning back slightly.
	
	"Well, truth is, I couldn't stop thinkin about you." He said seriously, looking up at her. "It was nicer than I expected gettin to talk to you earlier, and I thought I'd come see you, now everyone's asleep. I'm actually surprised you're still up. I didn't think you would be." He paused for a moment before continuing. "See, I woulda come sooner, but the other guys woulda given me alotta flak about it, maybe even the same to you. I really didn't want to hear about it. Just wonderin if you wanted to talk for a bit? May not get another chance, seein how bad today was."
	
	Lifa agreed instantly, filled with joy the man had come to see her. Surely this meant the others were beginning to accept her as well. Her head still swam slightly more than she would have liked due to how much she drank earlier, but it was a small price to pay for the friendship she would gain talking to the man before her.
	
	 They talked deep into the night, and just as the bloody sky began to brighten, Burke rose to leave. He had grown on her considerably within the few hours they had talked. He had been raised on a simple agri-world, and was very straightforward about his feelings and dreams of one day returning home and raising a family near the forest he had grown up by. She also found him to be quite attractive among the mon'keigh. He was 6'3, had wavy brown hair, pale blue eyes, and a proud nose and jaw line. He was excellently built, but she had expected as much since he was a warrior. Though he had a peculiar way of talking, she found it to her liking, as his voice was pleasantly raspy and soothing to her. She preferred it to the silky speech many of her kind inflected. She did not have to guess at things he implied or double meanings with every statement, something which the admiral had an unfortunate tendency to do without realizing and as her own kin were so fond of as well. In spite of herself, Lifa found herself comfortable and at ease in Burke's presence. When he rose, she rose with him, saddened at his departure.
	
	"Will I have the pleasure of seeing you again?" she asked anxiously, unsure of his response. Her emotions that Burke felt watching the scene through her told him of how truly lonely Lifa was, and he wondered if she herself realized it. 'Yes, I am aware Burke' the voice spoke quietly, startling him for a moment. He struggled to empty his mind, but what happened next completely shattered any attempt to do so. He watched himself look at the girl and smile before raising his hand and cupping her cheek with his palm. He felt his fingers rest against the back of the Eldar's neck, and felt as the girl's entire frame trembled when his thumb brushed her ear. 
	
	"I promise, I'll be back again to see you." And with that, he leaned forward and kissed her full upon her soft tender lips. The feelings coursing through the elf nearly made Burke pass out; her whole body flooded with warmth and joy, and even fear at the contact. She was afraid how he thought of her.
	 
	Burke could not believe it, watching as he was. It was strange enough to be in the girl's mind as he kissed himself, but of any emotion to come from the girl, the thrill of fear unbalanced him the most. He felt the girl's inner legs go warm, her heart race, and her stomach clench and go soft.
	
	 Delicately, she reached both hands to his face and gently pulled him closer as they continued to kiss. An arm wrapped around the eldar's torso and a strong hand rested upon her back, gently stroking her soft skin. A shiver run through the girl and her knees went weak as Burke embraced her. Then, Burke pulled away slightly and smiled at Lifa. He ran a finger over her ear fondly. She would have collapsed if his arm had not still been supporting her. As it was, she fell forward slightly into his chest, her hands gently clinging to him for support. He stared into her eyes and kissed her once again, this time upon her forehead before releasing her and walking out of the tent. Lifa stumbled for the first time since Burke had entered her mind, and raised a hand to her lips, touching them softly. 
	
	The Burke viewing her memory was still reeling from what he just saw. When he felt himself touch the girl's ear, her whole body had gone numb and left her unable to speak. The second time, her legs gave out. And her emotions! Sweet Emperor, it was as if he had taken a mixture of very potent drugs. 
	
	Lifa slowly turned off the light and crawled back into the hammock, this time with her dress still on. She wrapped up in the furs tightly and lay there trembling. Her hands found her braid, and pulled it over her shoulder, where she clutched it tightly. Her vision went black again, and then all feeling itself stopped. 
	
	Burke opened his eyes and was surprised to see Lifa sitting there before him. Her eyes were open wide and her pupils were fully dilated; only a thin strip of emerald green remained. As they slowly faded to their normal state, Lifa immediately cried out in pain. Her eyebrows shot together with her eyelids shut tightly. 
	
	"Ah! N'uma il au'!" 
	
	Burke opened his mouth to ask what the warp she just said, when all of a sudden, blood erupted from her nose. He quickly jumped to his feet and grabbed her as she began to fall backwards. Lifting her off the bench, he sat her upon the floor, cradling her head as she curled into a ball. Weakly, her hand pressed against the center of her forehead, while the other shook violently. Burke rocked Lifa gently, trying to staunch the flow of blood; it covered the lower half of her face and a good portion of her cream colored breastplate.
	
	"Hey, you alright? Hey, hey, look at me. You're okay, you're gunna be okay. Lifa, look at me, you're okay." Burke spoke to the elf as he rocked her back and forth. Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him.
	
	"Lle dagora.. You fought it very hard. Ah, amin dol..." she muttered softly closing her eyes again.
	
	"What was that bit you just said there?" Burke questioned gently.
	
	"Ow, my head." Lifa replied.  She opened an eye to peer at him, wincing a bit. "I knew it would pain me to do this, but I did not realize how much so." She paused for a moment resting her head against Burke's chest plate. "When you struggled at the end, I could have resisted your assault upon my mind, but doing so would have affected the memory. I wished it to stay how it was. It worth keeping, do you not agree?" Burke looked down at her and nodded, relieved to see her returning to her senses. The outpouring of blood had stopped. "Help me up. I would like to remove this armor before the admiral arrives."
	
	Burke helped Lifa to her feet. He was again surprised by how little the eldar weighed. She swayed slightly, before she felt her legs strengthen beneath her. She undid the bracers on her arms, followed by the greaves that embraced her calves. The thicker thigh armor came next, and shortly after, she removed the upper arm plates. When it came to her breastplate, she paused. 
	
	"Help me please. I do not have the strength to do this alone." Lifa spoke softly to Burke.
	
	 He stepped in front of her, and as she undid the straps at her shoulders, the large blood soaked segment began to slide off her. Burke quickly caught the segmented plate and placed it upon the armor rack in the appropriate spot as far as he could tell. Turning back to her, he lifted the back plate off of her as well and did the same as he had with the breast plate. Now Lifa stood before him clad only in the skinsuit. She ran a finger along the front from her neck to her belly button and it came undone, revealing radiant lightly bronzed skin beneath. She stepped forward towards Burke and raised his hands to the collar of the suit to have him help remove it from her body as well. 
	
	Hesitantly, Burke tugged at the suit. It clung very tightly to her, but it stretched in his hands easily enough when he pulled. Her neck and shoulders were revealed first, elegant and smoother than the suit he was peeling from her flesh. Very slowly, he eased the suit ever downward, and her breasts were beginning to come to light. The girl's breathing had increased, and small bumps were starting to form on her exposed skin. He paused in his ministrations as the suit slid to just above the nipple, and he looked Lifa in the eyes. She nodded in confirmation. With a gentle tug, he pulled the suit lower. Both breasts popped out and now stood bare before the guardsman's eyes. They gleamed with the same radiance as the rest of her skin, a soft mellow copper. The nipples, which were growing firmer by the second, were the same shade as Lifa's delicate lips. The eldar's full, taut breasts sat perched atop her athletic chest muscles, lending to their perky appearance. 
	
	Lifa's breathing was becoming increasingly deeper. "Hurry, please. The admiral will be here very soon. I do not wish for him to see me like this." She nearly whispered the words.
	
	The flow of blood in Burke's lower half had increased tremendously. He eagerly wanted to see the rest of her body. His heart pounding violently, he helped her extract her arms from the suit. They were fair and well formed, yet Lifa's warning about the admiral caused him to quicken his pace. He grasped the mesh suit and dropping to a low crouch, began tugging. It slid to her lower back easily enough, however, he was having trouble peeling it over her hips and toned butt. The most muscle on her slight frame was focused in her shapely legs. She wriggled slightly, and Burke reached around her and grasped the suit at the back of her waist and began tugging, his face nearly pressed against her sleek belly. He yanked with a final titanic effort. His fingers slid over her rear and down the back of her legs, and the suit lay around her ankles on the floor of the tent.
	
	As the suit had parted from her lithe form, Burke found himself eye level with Lifa's hips. A pair of the thin undergarments he had seen in her memory clung to her. His nose was briefly filled with the soft scent of crushed pine needles and rain. Without meaning to, he grasped the girl's hips and pulled her closer to his face.
	
	 Giving a soft yelp of surprise, Lifa stumbled forward shocked as the man buried his face between her legs and breathed deeply. Soft kisses traced their way across her inner thighs and hips. She felt a warm flush spread from her lower belly downward and a soft tingling creep along her nether regions. The soldier's lips began to arc downwards and presently, she felt them upon the lips of her vagina through the thong she wore. Her legs trembled, and she ran her hands through Burke's hair as much to steady herself as to control him. 
	
	'Not now!' she thought to herself. She could indeed hear Atticus and Mykarak rolling the keg towards her tent. She felt herself tremble as her vagina began to swell. Lifa closed her eyes in frustration. 'By the Lost Gods! Only a few more minutes, and perhaps I could have felt again that which I have not had In many years. Isha help me.' 
	
	"Burke, you must stop. Please, I do not want you to, but you must." Lifa spoke gingerly, as a lump had formed in her throat. He looked up at her blood stained face, his eyes glazed with lust. He seemed to finally get his bearings, and noticed once again where he was. He stood and gazed at the girl, his mouth slowly hanging open as he realized what he had just done.
	
	 She quickly broke free of his grip and turned away from him, walking to a crate near the armor stand. Burke's eyes were glued to her lightly bronzed legs as she made her way across the tent. He had never before seen such perfection of form, and was helpless to look anywhere else. While her breasts were indeed well sculpted and defined, Lifa's butt completely enveloped the delicate white thong she wore. With every step, he watched her muscles gently play beneath her skin, sending one cheek up while the other descended smoothly. Her generous curves danced before him seductively, and if he had been able to think properly he may have come up with a better response for the sight before him. 'Holy throne, what an ass.'
	
	 Lifa picked a thin emerald colored dress from the crate and shrugged it over her shoulders. She turned back to Burke and motioned for him to sit, while she crossed to the table and did the same, seating herself in the chair next to him. Not a moment later, Admiral Anders and Mykarak arrived from the darkening camp to the warm interior of Lifa's tent. They did not look up as they crossed the threshold, as they were still bent to the task of rolling the large keg to the table. Upon arriving at the table, the planetary governor crossed to a crate and picked out four large mugs and sat himself next to the keg and began filling them. Mykarak slipped off his hooded robe and hung it neatly at the foot of his hammock. Burke shuddered. Lifa sighed. 
	
	Mykarak began sniffing the air, and immediately looked at Lifa. Upon seeing her bloody face, he walked up to her and took her head in his clawed hands. He leaned forward, sniffing slightly, before beginning to lick the blood from her. Lifa put up no resistance, instead turning her face towards him to allow his tongue greater access. It took but a handful of seconds, and presently her face was unblemished from the taint of blood. Mykarak sniffed once again before slowly turning his eyes to the girl's lap. His eyes darted back up to hers and she began to turn a soft shade of crimson. He released her head and walked across the rug to her breast plate, soft contented chirping and clicks issuing from his throat. He picked it up and began to clean it as well. Lifa accepted a mug handed to her from Atticus and drank deeply. Burke sat stunned at the unexpected display before him. He began to wonder if opening his mind to the eldar had tampered with his sanity. He graciously accepted the mug given to him from the Admiral and quaffed it down quickly.
	
	"I see Lifa has told you about Mike. I daresay you have handled the news more bravely than many of your other comrades." Atticus spoke regally, leaning back in his chair and placing his feet upon the table. He took a large sip from his mug and turned his gaze upon the Eldar. "You do look quite pale. Are you still upset from what this man did earlier?"
	
	Lifa glanced at the Admiral. She was not sure if he was referring to Burke's outburst, sharing her memories with the man, or what had just taken place inside the tent prior to their arrival. The Admiral was as sharp as the Kroot, though many did not realize it due to his short attention span. She personally believed most of it to be for show. Though he did at times completely ignore the world around him, it was only when he sat hunched over musty tomes and dataslates, or when tinkering with some sort of project that he was absent from outward observation of his surroundings. 
	
	"Once, but no longer." She replied with a soft lilt to her voice. "Do you expect trouble from the Mon'keigh towards Mykarak?" she asked, changing the topic. 
	
	"Once, but no longer." the Admiral replied just as quickly. "That was of course many years ago when I first met Mike, but since he has come into my employ, no one has yet openly disapproved of him. I certainly have not since he ate my mother. Rather proud of him for that, I do believe she must have tasted quite bitter and dry."
	
	Lifa chuckled softly before sipping the drink in her hand. Mykarak had replaced her breast plate upon the rack and filled the last empty chair beside Burke. The guardsman glanced at the Kroot surreptitiously. To his surprise the Kroot took his empty mug from him and refilled it, while filling another that the alien produced from a satchel hanging at his waist. Mike handed the mug back to Burke in a quick precise gesture. The soldier accepted it, taking care to avoid the Kroot's talons as he did so. 
	
	 "We have stayed here far too long already. When will you have finished your collections from the labs you visit?" Lifa asked the Governor. 
	
	Atticus leaned back and stared at the cloth ceiling of the tent. "It will not be much longer now. The Orks I 'helped' grow earlier last year have begun to band together. Now that the Tyranid invasion is spreading, they will be stalled by the Orks. The planet is doomed as it is of course, but leaving it as a battle ground between the Orks and Tyranids will no doubt be beneficial to our cause, and many other sectors nearby. If the Orks continue to grow in number, they may yet stall the Tyranid advance all together. Already, several settlements have found the science labs I prepared for them. The orbital bombardment seems to have pushed the Tyranid back some, and they will no doubt encounter an Ork or two in their retreat. The seeds have been sown; we leave tomorrow. Tonight, I believe I will go and recruit as many guardsmen as I can. They will no doubt be very happy to leave Marxus IV. What remains of the civilian population.. well I have evacuated all that I could. Those that remain have begun making the journey to the old Imperial city near the southern ice cap. I intend to order all remaining forces to travel there as well." 
	
	He drank from the mug in his hands before turning his eyes upon Lifa. "I understand you wished for the Astartes support in my removal from the planet. Their astropaths reached out to mine, seeing as I am indeed still Governor of Marxus IV. You can see now why I did not send a request personally. With their arrival, the planet would be deemed exterminatus, and the Tyranid hive fleet would no doubt be free to advance. Yes, they may succeed in crippling the fleet, but only temporarily before it began to spread again. The Orks are the solution."
	
	Lifa shook in thinly concealed rage. So this was the reason why not a single marine had been dispatched. The Astropath she had made contact with was very startled by her touch, yet listened willingly enough at the time. She had contacted the psyker before, and the previous times her words were well heeded. They had saved more than one colony, and steered the chapter clear from a warp storm. Lifa could not believe the Governor's audacity to deny help from a willing Astartes chapter. Surly, they would not destroy the planet if he gave them clear reasons for letting it stand.
	
	 The Admiral rubbed his cheek before draining his mug and standing. "Come now Mike, we should begin looking for worthwhile recruits. The good Eldar here reminded me. And I wanted so badly to drink tonight. What a shame. Hmm. Perhaps we can drink at every camp we stop by? What do you say to that?" 
	
	The Kroot vocalized a series of rapid clicks in response, donning his robe once more. Anders turned to step out of the tent before pausing. "You may join my crew if you wish guardsman. I will leave you to ponder your decision." With not another glance, the Governor and Kroot stepped out into the night. 
	
	Burke slowly got up and crossed over to the keg. He certainly needed another drink after listening to the Admiral ramble on about the fate of Marxus IV. Just as he was done pouring, he noticed the Eldar's distress. He commented on it.
	
	"Whats wrong? Aren't you glad to finally get to leave?"
	
	Lifa looked at the man with her sparkling eyes. "Yes I am happy to have learned we leave tomorrow. However, I am deeply upset Atticus denied assistance from the Astartes I contacted. This particular chapter and I have had dealings before, and I know some of them personally. I would rather not go into it at the moment. What has been done is done."
	
	 She handed her mug to Burke, before questioning him. "What do you plan to do in regard to Atticus' request to join his crew?"
	
	Burke crossed back to sit next to her, handing Lifa her filled mug. He sighed after taking a long sip from his own. "What other choice do I got? I don't wanna stay here and get chewed on by a damn Tyranid if that's what you mean. Might even get to go home again if I take his offer. And now me and you are on speaking terms, it might make the whole prospect a far sight prettier than staying here." he added with a smile.
	
	Lifa returned the smile, her anger fading from her. She stood and crossed to Burke before sitting in his lap, propping her feet atop the table and resting her head against his chest. She liked the man. His voice relaxed her and he spoke honestly. He could be clumsy with his words, but he wasn't cruel. She had met many creatures that were. Lifa pulled her long braided hair over her shoulder in front of her and played with it contentedly, occasionally sipping from her mug. 
	
	Burke was at first surprised by the motion, but was not at all displeased by it. He wrapped one arm around her and leaned back placing his feet atop another chair. A few minutes later the girl rolled his sleeve back unexpectedly and began playing with his arm. Burke looked down and was shocked to find that she was braiding his arm hair! He could not imagine how, since it was neither long nor thick. He looked at Lifa's bare arms and realized no hair grew upon her own. He had no idea if she removed it manually, or it simply did not grow. He asked her
	
	She giggled softly before replying in her rich accent, "None of my kind grow hair upon their bodies. I have not yet met an Eldar who could grow facial hair either. I believe the mon'keigh are unique in this regard." She reached up gently and scratched the stubble on Burkes cheek, smiling.
	
	 Burke laughed slightly and took another sip of his beer, happy to be alone with the girl again. Where he had grown up, aliens weren't widely regarded as evil or toxic beings. Him and his friends would sometimes talk about what it would be like to see one, or which ones were the coolest. It wasn't until he was recruited into the Imperial Guard that he was told that all aliens were terrible creatures that could devour your very soul and infect you with lies. And here he was now, with one sitting in his lap, talking to him openly. He did not believe her to be evil. She even had met with Space Marines! The girl must be more important than he realized. 
	
	He set his beer upon the table and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear fondly. He felt the girl freeze and stiffen abruptly. Burke wondered at her sudden jump, before looking back at her ear and softly tracing the shape with his finger. It was so different from his own, yet strikingly similar. He reached its tip and looked at the soft fold, exploring its surface gently. The girl beneath him began to hum softly and had stopped messing with his arm, instead gripping it longingly. Her ear was a measure softer than his own, and slightly more pliable. He guided his finger over the soft ridges which were less pronounced than a human's, before navigating back to their pointed terminus. It was at this moment he heard a slight moan issue from the Eldar. He looked down at her, absently stroking her ear, and noticed her biting her lower lip. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing very deeply. The girls firm legs clenched together tightly in tandem with his motions and her toes would spread and intertwine of their own accord. 
	
	With a jolt, he remembered the effect from before when she had shared her memory with him. He wondered how she would react if..
	
	 Slowly, he lowered his head and took her ear into his mouth, exploring its curves with his tongue. Lifa gasped violently, her whole body arced and her hands gripped the guardsman's arm painfully. She began to tremble and writhe beneath him. She struggled to contain the outpouring of emotions and sensations flowing through her, but was unable to. Taking his hand in hers, she placed it upon her breast, moaning quietly as he began to knead deeply. He felt her nipple harden beneath his touch, and slipped his hand under the strap at her shoulder, delighted at the smooth skin beneath. He ran his fingers in a circle around her nipple and gently brought them to its tip, massaging the protrusion softly. The Eldar's breath came in soft ragged gasps. Burke went a step further and hummed slightly with the girl's ear still in his mouth. Her breath caught; she froze tensely and her body locked up. A tremor ran down her entire frame, and when it reached her hips, Burke felt his leg grow warm. He paused what he was doing and looked down; a small wet spot began to form where the girl sat.
	
	Lifa's breath returned with a shudder, and she glanced down at the leg she sat upon. She was shocked to find herself sitting in a damp puddle of her own fluids that had burst forth from within her. Her inner thighs burned with passion, her stomach clenched over and again. Shivers racked her frame; a soft tingling numbness was fading from her limbs as her mind returned slowly from intense release of control or thought. Her breasts stood rigid with anticipation; she could wait no longer. She pulled the thin dress over her head and tossed it to the floor.
	
	Burke leaned towards the girl again to renew his assault upon her now naked body, but she pushed him back, and before he could blink, one of her legs passed completely over his head and the girl now sat facing him straddling his waist. Her elegant face was flushed, and her eyebrows spoke volumes of her pent up lust. Her soft pink lips glistened slightly, and the elf wrapped her arms around his head before pressing her body against the man, bringing her lips to his passionately, driving the more delicate set between her hips against his lap. She felt the man's arousal form, as pressure against her vagina increased from a stiff object beneath, growing by the second. Her delicate fingers ran through his hair, and the man wrapped his arms around her to pull her in closer.    
	
	She was lost in lust, nearly violent with passion. Their lips drew moist ragged breaths against each other, slick tongues dancing across one another to the tempo of their hearts. Cool fingertips traced their way to Burke's face, reveling at the sensation of tiny pinpricks against them from the man's beard. Strong arms embraced her tightly, encircling and concealing her athletic form. Her hips pressed against his, her vagina swelling as it passed over the firm object pressed against its delicate lips.
	
	Lifa's hands began to claw frantically at Burke's heavily flak armored chest and shoulders, trying to find a way to remove it from him urgently. Her futile struggle ended as Burke broke away and shrugged out of the encompassing armor. Before he could stop the girl, she tore off the thick shirt he wore, and deftly peeled off the thin undershirt beneath. As he began to stand, Lifa pushed her legs behind her and kicked against the table, sending them both toppling as the chair tipped backwards, spilling Burke upon his back, Lifa on top of him. She pulled her legs up beneath her and kicked the chair out from under them, where it soared clear out the entrance of the tent. As Burke lay bare chested and wide eyed at the girl's ferocity, she crouched between his legs, her breasts and hair hanging as she tugged off his boots, pants, and underwear all at once. 
	
	Her mouth hung open slightly and her emerald eyes were glazed as she stared at the man's erect penis. He was fully engorged, and she brought her hands to his shaft before delicately tracing the ridges of his head. It quivered before her as her fingertips gently explored its surface, from the thin tissue of the underside where it split slightly, to the thin opening at the tip where trace amounts of semen parted at her touch, and back again to trace the ridge where the shaft and head of his penis met. She lowered her head and her lips softly encircled his frame. Lifa felt as its warm girth filled her mouth, and she lowered herself gently to fit more of its length inside her. She placed one hand upon Burke's muscled stomach, while the other grasped his leg as her lips slid up and down upon him in a steady rhythm. Her vagina ached as she desperately serviced the man and she longed to feel this between her legs.
	
	Burke stared entranced as the eldar examined his penis with her fingers and eyes, gently caressing him. Her green eyes were filled with a longing desperation, and when her lips closed around him, he felt as if he had died and gone to the omnisiah. His head and shaft were wrapped in a warm blanket of wet swirling pleasure and he tingled in his legs noticeably. His penis felt painful from how swollen it was, and if the girl was not careful, he was going to cum dangerously soon. He began to feel a growing pressure, watching as her bronze face wreathed with its silver braid and intense elegant eyebrows worked up and down upon him, her perky breasts bouncing slightly. He could feel her tongue swirl around his head as she sucked gently. Oh Emperor, this was it. He couldn't take it anymore, she was too beautiful, and what she was doing to him was too much to keep from spilling over. He saw her eyes widen as his penis began to throb steadily. There was no stopping it now. He felt himself shoot powerfully into the eldar's mouth, with each throb of his shaft. A warm fuzziness surrounded his mind, and he could think of nothing at all as he watched himself erupt into her.
	
	Lifa breathed deeply as she went up and down his length, and she noticed he began to swell slightly against the confines of her mouth, and all of a sudden the throbbing started. His penis twitched powerfully, and she opened her eyes widely, trying to continue her motions as he grew. As she bent forward again, she felt it pause, and she braced herself for the coming eruption. His penis loosed a powerful jet into her mouth, and a moment later, it was followed by another, and another. The taste filled her mouth, full and rich, thick and slightly bitter. It was hotter than the penis in her mouth, though it began to cool as the torrent subsided. She struggled to swallow it with him in her mouth, so she rose to the top of his shaft, wrapping her lips tightly around the head and swallowed now that her throat had room to work. It slid down slowly, but she felt a sense of pride to have taken the whole load. She broke from him, and looked at his slowly fading penis with a sense of sadness; her vagina ached terribly and she needed to feel him inside her. 
	
	Lifa crawled forward upon her hands and knees, her firm ass moving in rhythm behind her, as she again straddled the guardsman. "If you do not fuck me," Lifa spoke "I WILL kill you mon'keigh. I swear on my lost soul stone." 
	
	She kissed him passionately, fiery lust burning in her eyes. Burke slowly recovered from his recent explosion, feeling as if he had tank shock. As he tried his hardest to match her burning hunger, he thought on her words, amused. Abruptly his humorous mood came to a halt as he realized she had not once lied to him, and sure enough, there was no soul stone hanging between her firm breasts, and he knew he had not seen one on her armor he had helped her out of earlier. He eagerly wrapped his arms around her in renewed strength, before rolling with her so she was on her back with him between her thighs.
	
	Burke focused his kisses towards the eldar's neck, and a moment later found his lips upon her collarbone with her tender breast as his next target. He gripped her left breast firmly, while his right hand kneaded the other, his lips suckling contentedly upon her nipple. Lifa felt as the guardsman alternated between gently sucking and licking, to more intense pressure as he took her nipple between his teeth. It felt delightful to her, but her lust was driving her over the edge; she needed him to get inside her. 
	
	As Burke continued to tarry at her breasts, Lifa became increasingly frustrated; she felt a sense of urgency that would not quiet within her as the man took his sweet time. Her hands reached to his head, and she tried as best she could to guide him gently lower instead of forcing herself into his mind and making him. When he still crept downwards at an agonizingly measured pace, something inside her snapped. Her body began to glow the faintest touch of blue, shimmering slightly before brightening considerably. Like lightning, the eldar shot her consciousness forward, seating herself deep in the mon'keigh's mind. She now looked down at herself sprawled beneath the man, wreathed in a crackling blue aura. She moved Burke lower as fast as his body would allow her, and with his hand tore her delicate thong from between her thighs. In the back of her mind, she felt a twinge of pain coming from her own body that lay beneath her. If she did not control herself, she may indeed end up hurting herself through the man. She battled with her emotions as they raged through her, and she decided to let the mon'keigh have his body back, but not before allowing her sense of urgency to fill him as deeply as it did her. She lowered his head to between her thighs, allowing her scent to suffuse him sufficiently. She had felt him panic briefly, and with a brief touch of her mind calmed his raging thoughts. 'Please Burke, fuck me. I want you to fuck me, not make myself fuck me. Fuck me mon'keigh. I need to feel you inside me.' With those last words left echoing in his mind, Lifa returned to herself, wincing as she felt where she had torn her thong from her hips.
	
	Burke gasped slightly, gaining control of his body once again. He watched as the aura radiating from the eldar faded, before her scent fully assaulted his nostrils, her legs splayed before his face. Like before, the smell of gently crushed pine and fresh soothing rain filled him, this time with an added faint touch of honey. He got a good look of her beautiful delicate lips, their folds swollen with primal need. He could do nothing to stop himself as he buried his face into them, licking greedily. 'God-Emperor, this is the single greatest thing I've tasted in all my life. If she does kill me, I will die more peacefully than any before.' He felt his stamina return in rigid intensity, the eldar's urgency driving him all the more.
	
	Lifa trembled in ecstasy as Burke tasted her vigorously. He was being too rough with her, but she did not care. She needed to feel something foreign upon her vagina. It had been much too long. She opened her mouth to tell him to be more gentle, when instead a sharp gasp issued forth. Pleasure shot throughout her body from her waist to her neck, as Burke's tongue snaked across her clit. Pressure grew in her lower belly immediately, building rapidly; Lifa glanced down in time to watch a surge of her juices splash across Burke's face. Her legs clenched and shuddered and Lifa involuntarily screamed, slapping a hand over her pink lips to stifle the noise. 
	
	Burke bravely rode out the wave of her bucking hips continuing his cunnilingal dance. He felt his manhood rise to full potential at her climax. Her trembling form lowered slightly, and he slowed his rhythms, allowing her to return to her senses. The eldar's legs slowly released their death hold upon his dripping face, and in a heartbeat he shot to his knees and flipped the elf onto her stomach, bringing his hands to her hips and raising her to a kneeled over position. Her generous butt gleamed before him, her smooth texture of her anus directly above her glistening vagina. He brought his loaded and cocked rifle up gently, brushing against her anus briefly while lining up the sights. It found its target, and teased against the opening, prodding slightly, before slowly being admitted into its silken depths. The eldar's vagina was tighter than he had imagined, and he worked against her hips slowly, stretching her out to accommodate his length.
	
	Lifa struggled for breath at his entry, feeling pain and pleasure suffuse her aching vagina. Having him slowly press himself inside her helped relieve her ache, and she wanted to feel him fill her crevasse and hug against her throbbing depths. Her walls pressed against him strongly, limiting his ability to continue further. Her mouth stretched open, and she found it difficult to breath as he slowly dug deeper inside her.
	
	Burke pressed as deeply in as he could, watching her delicate pink folds slowly slide up his stock. Presently, his whole length lay quivering inside her, and he could feel his head pressed snuggly against her cervix. He pulled three quarters of the way out, before ramming himself back in as hard as he could, her ass smacking firmly against his stomach. Lifa squealed briefly with surprise, shock, and pain as he rutted into her violently. He repeated the process, and began to set up a rhythm as he pulled her full hips into his powerfully, watching the eldar bounce forward slightly before he pulled her back again. Her braid danced about wildly from the powerful impacts; Lifa was chirping loudly as the man pounded into her brutally. She grasped her discarded dress and crammed it between her shining teeth to muffle her screams of pleasure, not wanting to attract the attention of the other soldiers. Tears poured from her alluring eyes and she shook with joy as the burning inside her built. She loved every second of this, being brutishly violated by a filthy mon'keigh in such an ignoble position. She felt a deep blossoming of warmth well up inside her as her cervix opened up, admitting the mon'keigh deeper while her walls bore down with a growing strength. The eldar's eyes opened widely at the sensation; she knew what was coming. 
	
	Burke felt her tighten painfully around him, and he struggled to keep his pace. Her muffled moans encouraged him, and he could feel himself penetrating deeper into her silken embrace. She began to scream louder the deeper he plunged, and he knew she was about to orgasm as her folds hugged him tightly. He watched her gorgeous powerful ass slap against him, sending ripples through her muscled lower back and legs. Her beautiful voice was moaning in anticipation and pleasure. The smell of the forest filled the tent, rising from their love. His soldier could take no more, being throttled as it was by her warm enclosure, and pulling her hips to his, he erupted inside her moaning loudly. Lifa's back arched, and her knees buckled as she accepted his warm release. Her own juices burst from her, dripping down the front of Burke's waist. They stayed locked in this position for a long time before finally disengaging, crumpling to the floor utterly spent.
	
	Lifa shuddered as Burke pulled himself from her, shivers running up and down her spine. She lazily reached under a bench and pulled a pile of furs from beneath it, throwing one over them as she lay her head upon his chest and curled up against him, humming contentedly. She played with her long twilight braid, stroking it absently. Burke rubbed her back gently as the elf's soft form pressed against him. Presently he spoke to the girl in soft mellow tones.
	
	"How'd you lose your soul stone? I hadn't noticed til you said somethin about it."
	
	Lifa sighed sadly. "I made a deal many years ago. It was one that terrified me greatly, and I had several other choices, but none that would give me what I wanted. It is a long story, and it begs disbelief. However know this; I exchanged my soul stone to free another soul, and I did so willingly. I do not regret it, but I do fear what is to become of me when my body dies and my soul flees its broken frame. Maybe then I shall regret it, but until that day comes, there is nothing I can do to change the outcome.
	
	"I have made several choices questionable to many, but Isha willing, they will not be in vain and the galaxy will be made better for them." She paused and looked up at the man before returning her head to his chest. "I still have much to do if I am to accomplish my dreams. My own kind barely tolerate me anymore and think me deluded. Your kind hates me on principal. The Tau fear me, and the Chaos legions mock me. I agree with all of them. If you live long enough, perhaps one day you will see my goal achieved along with every one else. I do hope so."
	
	Burke could not fathom why the eldar had given away her soul stone, or to who. He pestered her with more questions, but she refused to answer further on the subject. Finally, giving up, he wrapped her in his arms, and they drifted off to sleep.
	
	



	Early the next morning, they rose quickly. Lifa pecked Burke upon the lips affectionately before donning her skinsuit and armor. Burke had just shrugged into his flak armor when Admiral Anders stumbled through the entrance teetering precariously, Mykarak not far behind him.
	
	"S'time ta get off this fkin burnt hole of a.... system. Tha fusks my blasted, ah thas where." the Governor slurred incoherently before picking up and dropping his vox receiver helm three times in a row before finally securing it on his head. "Channels three five... fuck it I'm settin it to one." 
	
	Mykarak vomited violently in a brilliant display of colors and vocal arrays upon the rug. The Kroot seemed to steady himself slightly, before another torrent spewed forth. As soon as the alien was done, he bit into the keg still sitting near the table and drank deeply.  The Admiral bent down and filled a mug from the large tear in the side. As he drank, he stared with unfocused eyes upon the elf. "Gotta walk to tha sstupid p'k up point." He said unhappily
	
	Mykarak looked up unsteadily and made afew menacing chirps before stating perfectly, "The Tyranid are coming. We have less than an hour. Many of the men are already falling back to the south, hoping to make it to the capitol city before they get here. The Orks are pushing in from the north and west. The Tyranid are closing in from the east. Pick up point is to the north east. It's a race between them and us. Put your helmet on Lifa, it's going to be a bitter fight." The Kroot grabbed his long rifle and a set of brutal daggers before turning and yelling, "Move! Now!" He shoved Atticus out of the tent, Lifa and Burke dashing after them, donning their helms.
	
	They bolted through camp, and scrambled over the side of the trench. Hundreds of guardsmen stood waiting, with many more joining. Lifa turned and saw a large body of them far to the south making their way across the shattered waste frantically. With the arrival of the Governor, they all began the trek to the pick up point. Lifa was amazed at how many men Atticus had managed to recruit. Several tanks rumbled forward, and the four of them packed inside a chimera with several other guardsmen. As the tank doors closed, the chimera lurched forward, jostling them all roughly as it bounced over the miserable pockmarked terrain. Lifa looked out a porthole. As many men as possible were cramming into each departing tank. Those that could not fit climbed to the roof or clung to the side, gripping for dear life. They were advancing rapidly, but whether it would be fast enough to outpace the converging Tyranid and Orks, Lifa could not be sure. 
	
	In desperation, she cast her mind forward, seeking to learn what she could. The men around her were startled at the crackling energy that suffused her body. She tried to catch even the barest glimpse, but she was not talented with having command over her farsight abilities. She only saw a brief flash of navy and crimson leading down a path that spread to the stars, where a web was spun, while another path led to cryptic vaulted rooms and beautiful paradise worlds alike. She released her hold upon the vision, returning to herself, as the aura about her faded.
	
	The men eyed her and the Kroot wearily, murmuring uneasily. Mykarak was filing one of his brutal daggers, and had removed his robe to allow greater maneuverability. Lifa reached out and clasped Burke's hand. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since the Admiral had staggered into the tent. She gave a gentle squeeze, and he looked up at her and smiled weakly. They rode in relative silence as the minutes ticked past. Admiral Anders had fallen asleep nearly immediately after sitting down. They did not have much farther to go. Another minute passed, and presently, the chimera began to slow. It came to a full halt, and the door hatches opened to the outside world. 
	
	They climbed out of the tank and Lifa took stock of their surroundings. They were at the crest of a large hill, surrounded by dozens of other tanks which began to form a large circle around the assembled mass of guardsmen. Each tank to arrive added to the protective ring, and the basilisks that lumbered in at the rear deployed their stabilizing legs and began firing volleys immediately. Lifa hopped upon the closest tank to take a look. What she saw was disheartening. The Tyranid wave was advancing rapidly. It was still about 5 kilometers away, but it would fall upon them within the next ten minutes. To the north, a fantastic ocean of green swarmed across the landscape. Even from here, Lifa could hear their savage war shouts.  A deep rumbling shook the earth, and one of the Admiral's many cargo ships landed and opened its monstrous doors.
	
	The Guardsmen all ran towards the safety of its entrance, but it was now clear that the aliens would indeed arrive before everyone boarded. The few remaining Leman Russes began firing as the two alien hordes converged upon each other, and within a few more moments, the tanks acting as a protective circle were set upon by Tyranid and Ork alike. Lifa leaped from the chimera and ran to were Burke, Mike, and the Governor stood. The sound of claws, carapace, iron, and bullets screeched against the wall of tanks, shaking them violently. Lifa drew her sword and shurikan pistol, while Burke and Mykarak leveled their rifles at the wall. Flames belched forth from Hellhound and Leman Russ alike, while the Basilisks' barrels thundered continuously. Nearly a quarter of the guardsmen had boarded, with many more surging forward in a panicked frenzy. 
	
	A chimera crumpled, devoured partially by a group of Tyranid, while at the same time a marauding group of Orks spilled over and commandeered a Leman Russ, driving full speed into the fluctuating convergence of the two hordes. Tyranid and Ork alike poured through the resulting breaches, and while the Orks focused their attention upon requisitioning the surrounding tanks, the hormagaunts, genestealers, lictors, and warriors that scampered through were hell bent on laying waste to everything in their path. The remaining half of the guardsmen still waiting to board the cargo ship opened fire on the sudden influx of Tyranid monsters, punching through wave after wave of the menacing horde.
	
	More and more of the protective ring of tanks drove off as the Orks happily made use of their ill gotten loot, much to the dismay of the humans. The Tyranid advance began pouring forth, and the guardsmen laid down volley after volley, but it did little good. Every Tyranid monster brought down had three more take its place, and a mad dash for the safety of the ship ensued. As the monsters grew closer, the inebriated Admiral sighed, drawing an elegant pistol from his holster. Lifa poised gracefully, ready to meet the gnashing fangs and horrible claws with her beautifully wrought sword and shurikan pistol.
	
	 A quarter of the guardsmen remained upon the planet's surface when the horde struck, ripping through their ranks terribly. Their bravery and las-weapons were little use in these close quarters. Atticus fired his dainty pistol, while those surrounding him gawked at the unpredicted power of the gun. A super concentrated melta-beam issued from its tip and engulfed several waves of the attackers. As powerful as the gun was, after he had fired a dozen shots, it had ceased to fire another. Returning the relic to its holster, he drew twin burning swords seemingly from thin air, and fell into a relaxed waiting stance. Lifa stayed near to his side, as the monsters fell upon them, cleaving and separating limb and cranium alike. Only one hundred guardsmen remained in line to board the ship, their fellows firing from the interior. Out of nowhere, a carnifex charged, opening its maw and roaring terribly. Lifa screeched back in defiance, preparing to battle the behemoth. She knew she stood little chance against the monster, and fear clawed at her heart as she prepared herself for the horrors beyond her imminent demise. 
	
	The ground shook, and from the sky dropped five regal blue hulking crates at a fierce velocity. Before she could blink, the carnifex before her was squished flat, one of the crates immense frames dropping directly upon the creature. Lifa could not believe her eyes. The doors to each crate dropped open with a thunderous boom, Heavy bolter fire and missiles erupting outwards. Storm bolters and assault cannons roared, chewing thru the carapace plating of the Tyranid horde. Within seconds the area was cleared of the beasts, and hulking figures emerged from the drop pods. Thirty terminators stalked forward, reducing the remaining Tyranid trying to push through the gap in between tanks into puddles of gore. 
	
	They had come. Lifa saw the first and only man she ever loved among them, assault cannon roaring intensely. The Governor quickly turned to board the cargo ship, Mykarak and Burke following. When Burke realized Lifa was not beside them, he turned and ran back to her.
	
	"Lifa! Come on! We have to go now!" He shouted over the raging battle.
	
	"No!" she shouted back. "I have chosen to stay with the Astartes! The Admiral does not require my assistance any longer! I will contact his astropath frequently, for he will eventually find pieces of what I am searching for, but until then, I have to go with this chapter! The man I gave my soul stone for has come and saved us! This is where my path lies! Go with Atticus and stay alive! I hope to see you again Burke!" Lifa reached up and stroked Burke's cheek softly before turning and dashing towards the Crimson Fists. 
	
	Burke could not believe it, but he turned and ran back to the cargo ship, stumbling aboard just as the door began to close. As the ship took off, he looked out one of several port windows, and as a thunderhawk gunship came to pick up the marines, he watched the beautiful eldar jump excitedly into the arms of one of the terminators. The superhuman embraced her slightly, and they walked hand in hand to the gunship, the marine dwarfing her considerably. 
	
	A sudden pang clutched Burke's heart painfully and tears welled in his eyes. God-Emperor, he had fallen in love with a xenos! 


    Index of Lifa's xeno words and their translations

  "Mankoi lle lala amin"  -  "Why did you make fun of me"
  "Ah! N'uma il au'!"  -  "Ah! No not again!"
  "Lle dagora..."  -  "you battled..."
  "Ah, amin dol.."  -  "Ow, my head.."