Shadow Observations

Alexandros, High Regent of the Imperium, crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow. He stood in the operating room's corner. The sound of surgical drills and other precise instruments stood a step above the the quiet binaric chant bouncing between the assembled tech-priest and his acolytes. Lord Chui Kubwa rested on his back on the central table. He stared at the ceiling above him, but Alexandros knew his focus was elsewhere. Alexandros glanced at the other mortal on the opposite side of the chamber. The Chirugeon-General's almond-shaped eyes did not leave Kubwa's form as the tech-priest worked. Lanicca's face was stoic, but that didn't stop Darshan's empyrean gaze from seeing more.

No one so much as glanced in his direction.

That would have been unusual in most circumstances. Yes, the tech-priest would not have allowed himself to be distracted from his task. While augmetics were widely known and used throughout the Imperium, Primach augmetics was an extremely small field, and the one example had shown the process could be tricky. All augmetics required a proper biological key to prevent rejection, and the aggressive physiology of a Primarch often worked against augmetics. Azus, the lone existing case, had not shared any of the information on his augmetic publicly. It had required a classified data delivery, limited only to the eyes of another Primarch.

However, protocol would have compelled the tech-priest to assign one of his acolytes, or a servitor at the very least, to be on hand for the High Regent's pleasure.

Less excuse existed for General Lanicca. She should have stood beside the High Regent, if to serve no other purpose than to offer the implicit image of unity between the High Regent and the Council of Terra. After several years of working together, Alexandros knew Lanicca would be mortified at such a breach of protocol. Not because she cared much for the Regent, but for the dignity of her station.

He didn't blame her.

After all, he was invisible.

The game had been an on-going one dating back to their second joint campaign. As one of the Imperium's premier telepaths, Alexandros had wielded his considerable talent to vanish from the eyes and minds of his enemies. That particular campaign had involved a particularly vigorous infestation of Greenskins, specifically their 'Kommando' variants. A Halcyon Wardens brigade had been able to strengthen the flagging Army defences, but their divination psykers couldn't make the difference in their lack of stealth specialists. The defences held, but they couldn't land a telling blow against the cunning barbarians.

Thus, Kubwa had arrived with one of his tribes to serve as the blade. At the centre of the xeno menace was a Kommando chieftain with eight enormous lieutenants. Individually, none were an equal to a Primarch, but they always fought and travelled in trios. To overcome them, Chui and Alexandros had attacked as a pair, which meant Alexandros had to keep up with his silent hunter of a brother.

When the campaign had concluded, Chui had challenged Alexandros to a game of cat-and-mouse, pitting abhuman skill and experience against ethereal ability and ingenuity. That first one had ended in a draw. The hunt had lasted three days when the Emperor had sent a personal summons for Kubwa to attend him. However, they had made up for it since. The score, as of this date, was completely even.

After all of the pomp and circumstance Kubwa had stoically tolerated from the Triumph, Alexandros had thought to surprise him with a bit of casual mischief. An easy victory to make up a little bit for the loss of a limb. *No plan survives contact with reality*, Alexandros thought to himself as the magos stepped back for a final inspection.

"Inspection complete," the green-and-black robed tech-priest intoned.

Kubwa rose as he lifted his metallic limb before his eyes. He flew through some exercises and stretches, watching intently for any sign of loss or disability.

It was only after he gave his approval did Elisa approach. She froze when his head whipped to right where Alexandros was. VonSalim marched towards him, his invisibility falling by the wayside like a discarded cloak.

“That might be a new record, Chui,“ Alexandros declared with a victorious grin.

Kubwa flashed a toothier grin in answer. “You were falling behind anyway. Figured I’d make it easier on you.“

“My gratitude.“ Alexandros added a sweeping bow. Elisa bristled at the breach in decorum, but he was willing to gamble she wouldn't do more. While he had never been as casual among the Council of Terra, they knew his views on etiquette were pragmatic, not all-consuming. "Chirurgeon-General," he declared with a brief nod towards the tanned woman.

She returned the greeting, and Alexandros couldn't help but note that her midnight hair hung free of its customary bun. A sight he had not seen once in the council chambers.

Alexandros knew far better than to attempt telepathy on high-ranking members of the Imperium. While he could guarantee his intrusions would go unnoticed nine times out of ten, all it took was a single violation to ruin decades of investment and manipulation. Aural reading, however, did not encroach upon privacy. At least, not in the empyreal sense, and Alexandros had viewed the ability as a more thorough means of reading a person's face which removed the ethical considerations.

Elisa's cool chocolate-eyed gaze did nothing to conceal the colours flitting about her being to Darshan's vision. Darshan fought not to grin wider. Physically, the doctor maintained strict body control and a hard adherence to rigidity. Emotionally, she was scattered. Darshan counted at least five emotions fighting with and against each other.

Kubwa's was stranger to see. Abhumans had different emotional structures. Sometimes small, sometimes great. Kubwa's was more... feral, for lack of a better term. The results Darshan saw were quite interesting.

"How are you, brother?"