[h2][center] I am awake! Let's do this.[/center][/h2]

Xepherial didn't resist as he was taken off the ground again, yet his eyes never left Lucius' until the needle would reenter his neck and blacken the light once more. There was no point in yelling, screaming, fighting, talking. What would he have said to the brother that simply chose not to throw his life away? Acceptance was painfully clear in his hopeless stare. They had failed. It was over, and it was always going to be. All that was left for them now was to face the shame of still being alive. Any and all hope was dashed to pieces and mocked in its deathrows. The glory that all space marines strove for had been unceremoniously sacrificed to pragmatism. All that was left was this painful, burning shame. 

Xepherial, once proud son of the Lion, had given up. Yet, even bearing this disgraceful failure, he lived, going on like a metaphore for the broken Imperium itself. When he awoke, he found his armor had been put back on him, and he could no longer see the stitchings and scarred flesh that branded his front. The armor was still damaged, but not beyond repair or worthy function. He looked around to see that he was indeed where he still remembered he had been. Recent memory flashed back quickly, followed by a surge of erratic emotion and denial. Quickly, he ceased this line of thought, focusing only on the present. Something was happening. 

This time, Xepherial decided, he would try to think before he acted. Whatever his judgements about the ork, the dark apothecary, the Emperor's Child... Xepherial looked around for someone else he had seen... whatever his judgements, he would have to wait for his information to be complete if he was going to be at all productive. There was a bolter in his hand again. ...odd. All his servoarms also worked. Also odd. Little did he know he had anything plugged into the back of his skull. He felt so mentally sluggish. 

Bravis and Vedius seemed to be watching him carefully as he stood up. Xepherial kept his bolter down and seemed to be assessing the situation. He turned his head toward Lucius, still not knowing his name, but recognizing him. The new monster that had been Xepherial the techmarine said nothing, red optics steady.