Chapter 8: Finding a Wild Navigator

Sparks crackled along the connector passage.

Saint statues lay shattered by lasfire.

The Imperial aquila dulled, fallen.

Corpses sprawled, rippers gnawing with teeth-grating crunches.

Suddenly, four bone-sword warriors emerged from darkness.

Termagants and hormagaunts scurried beneath.

Behind them floated a malformed Tyranid.

Disproportionate huge head, exposed brain pulsing powerful psionic waves.

Reality warped exponentially—mirage-like distortions.

The star fort’s cogitator array sat beneath ornate Gothic vault.

Its Mechanicus tech-priest maintainer reduced to mech-parts and gore slurry.

Combat-servitors nearby, few rippers nibbling scant organics.

Onyx raised her head.

Through zoanthrope eyes, she regarded the cogitator.

A tendril grew beneath its brain, tip morphing into standard Mechanicus data-port.

She ordered insertion.

Psionic surge shredded the machine spirit.

Data dumped, transmitted via “synaptic psionic net” to Chen Xing in virtual pod.

“Wowa, brain exploding!”

Mass data influx.

Chen Xing flailed in pod, floating like salted fish.

Task done, Onyx opted for digestion pool recycle.

But passing third deck, faint psionic ping.

Extremely weak—no, deliberately cloaked.

Approaching Tyranids misdirected, unconsciously bypassing.

Oh ho, survivor—and psyker.

Zoanthrope turned to warriors, synaptic orders sent.

Synapse nodes, warriors commanded and fought.

Two warriors approached the mystery room.

Soon affected—eyes glazed, bodies veering.

Onyx activated zoanthrope psionics, borrowing Chen Xing’s authority for warp shadow.

Darkness groaned.

Psyker suppressed.

Warriors snapped clear.

Bone-swords smashed titanium door etched with Navis Nobilite crest.

Led hormagaunts and termagants charging meditation chamber.

“No, don’t kill me, please!”

Warriors advanced, claws hoisting him.

Four arms—upper pair bone-swords, lower genestealer rending claws.

Careful not to kill frail psyker.

Lower claws cradled—like princess carry.

Fierce warriors princess-carrying psyker—eye-searing sight.

But the carried one rolled eyes, near fainting.

“Stay conscious.”

Onyx unleashed zoanthrope psionics.

As resident consciousness, she dominated.

Psyker jolted awake, babbling.

Terror-driven counter-psionics crushed by warp shadow.

Backlash—flames erupted on him.

Warriors roared, scorched.

Chitin charred.

Psyker roughly dumped, face burned beyond recognition.

Zoanthrope drifted close.

Through tyrannical eyes, Onyx looked down.

A psyker—no, forehead third eye, pallid skin.

Not ordinary.

Hive mind intel shared across fleets.

Named high-entity Onyx recalled records—this a Navigator.

Third eye for warp sight.

“Fine gift. May please our great Honored Lord.” Onyx evil-smiled. “Warriors, bring him.”

Warriors bowed noble heads—not to zoanthrope, but its resident consciousness.

Burned Navigator dragged away, soon aboard Chen Xing’s hull.

Encased in special mucosa, injected actives—kept alive.

Neural probe tendrils pierced brain and spine, forcibly linking Tyranid “psionic symbiotic net.”

Dizzy spin.

Navigator—no, opened eyes.

Ornate Gothic cabin.

God-Emperor statue in shadow.

Aquila gleamed under lights.

Twin towering bookshelves, priceless manuscripts.

Gothic viewport—vast stars.

“I… saved?”

Navigator looked around.

Then saw blue-jacket, white-breeches child?

Max 12, silver hair, blue eyes—pretty yet demonic.

Subspace daemon? Emperor preserve!

“You’re awake,” Chen Xing smiled. “Surgery successful—you’re a beautiful girl now.”

Navigator froze.

Followed loli finger—mirror floated mid-air.

Reflected: pallid skin, third-eye forehead girl.

Symmetrical figure, pale-gold long hair, smooth skin—no crystalline lesions.

Even claw-fingers less horrific.

“This… me?”

“From now, you’re Cynthia, my new crew.” Chen Xing commanded. “Welcome aboard… uh, ship nameless yet, but call me Chen Xing.”

Navigator Cynthia tilted head, puzzled at loli.

Mirror girl stunning—rare beauty even among Navigator houses.

But—not her!

She was… she… ah?

Cynthia clutched head.

Needle stirred brain—past erased.

“I… I’m not…”

“Yes, you are,” Chen Xing’s voice bewitched. “You’re Cynthia, my crew. Loyal to me, guiding warp paths.”

“Yes, I’m Cynthia, your crew… your Navigator.”

Unfocused eyes repeated.

Past forgotten, new identity accepted.

In reality, body dissolved to blood in pod—spine and brain remained, forcibly linked by psionic neurals.

Girl +1.

Chen Xing in great mood.