Chapter Text
‘Beep. Beep. Beep.’ It kept going over and over again as he waited there infront of the vox, the microphone in hand, pushing the talk button over and over again for no other reason but to have something to fidget with.
Suddenly the call went through, a bit of static rang out.
“Yarrick, fits you fancy calling me now?” a woman's voice came through from the other side. It was a bit irritated but also playful making it clear there was no true anger to her words.
“Setheno” Ghazghkull greeted, and at once her tone shifted.
“ Beast ” she said, the warmth having left her, leaving her voice a cold snarl which Ghazghkull ignored.
“Been a while”
“Not long enough if you ask me” she replied bitterly “When was it? The celebration on your ship over killing Angron?”
Ghazghkull had killed the git and so far he didn’t seem to be coming back. The Imperium had announced how Yarrick had saved them all and killed the traitor with the tiniest assistance from the orks. Ghazghkull didn’t care about the downplaying of his accomplishments; all the orks knew it had been him who had beaten the warp humie to death and that was what truly mattered.
The Imperium had wanted Yarrick back for a celebration after that fight; they wanted to throw him a parade, make him move around to speak about his success. Yarrick had not liked the idea and immediately lied that he didn’t have time, making up some excuse how they had picked up on a trail for some other git. Full-grin or something? Didn’t matter, Yarrick had just lied anyway to get the Imperium and nobles off his back. Setheno had however seen through it and called him to congratulate the victory which led in the end to her showing up and celebrating on the ship.
“Yes. A good party” lots of food and drinking, a bit of dancing and singing as well making the ship shake and probably made half the galaxy hear them and flee in terror.
“A boy mixed up candles with dynamite,” she reminded him. ”You also tied as much explosive to a grot as you could before firing it off into space and watched it explode like fireworks”
Ghagzhkull just smiled.
“A fun party” he amended, which made the humie huff.
“Where is Yarrick?” seemed like her patience for orks had already met its end.
“Asleep. I’ll remind him to call you when he wakes up, but I would rather you not mention this to him when he does”
“What exactly is ‘this’ if I may ask?” She didn’t like Ghazghkull, and she did not try to hide it. He respected her for it, not acting like a Blood Axe that kept smiling and acting all nice while cursing you and sharpening their knives behind your backs.
She didn’t like him, but she also clearly held some kind of respect for him. He and Yarrick had been hanging around each other for a long time by now. She probably suspected something more was going on but knew better than to ask. If she asked, she would get an answer she might not like and be forced to do something she didn’t want to do. So it was better to just live in uncertainty, she could not be blamed for inactions if she was unknowing.
“I need…Knowledge about humies” He didn’t like to ask for help, it felt wrong, but he needed someone more knowledgeable than himself about this topic.
“Why don’t you ask Yarrick? He’s your human ambassador” he scowled.
“It is about Yarrick” his voice was serious and grim, and you could feel the energy of the call shift at once.
“What's wrong?” she sounded worried and if Ghazghkull was being honest she was about to have good reasons for it.
“It has been going on for a while. He’s been getting…Slow, really slow. He can’t keep up with us anymore, he…” they had gotten into a scrap with some spikeys. They had ambushed them and attacked. Yarrick should have been able to respond fast enough to defend himself but…He had not, he had gotten too slow. He had gotten stabbed in the arm and been left throwing up for an entire week because of the poisoned blade. “He sleeps a lot, he complains his body hurts and he…” Ghazghkull swallowed hard “I think something is wrong with his head”.
“What makes you say that?” he heard her shift over the vox, as if she was leaning closer to hear him out.
“He gets angry-yes I know that's normal for him, but he will get angry and he will scream over us taking his stuff when he has given them away, he asked where dead people are as if they were alive. Boyz has found him walking around the ship not knowing where he is or where he is going. He asks about stuff over and over again and doesn't seem to realize he does it”
Setheno was quiet for a long moment which did not calm him in the least.
“Is that what made you make this call? Or did something happen?” She knew he would not contact her over this alone, knew something had given him a push to finally start this call.
“He forgot we are…Allies” he hesitated on the last word but she didn’t question it. “He woke up and he looked at me and he looked so…Angry. He grabbed the bolter and shot at me screaming about how I was a filthy xeno. We locked him inside his room until he stopped and calmed down, and then he acted all confused over it when I tried to ask what I had done to make him attack me”
The eye looked right at him, filled with rage and terror. He glanced around in confusion like he didn’t know where he was, or how he had gotten there.
‘Good morning Sebastian’ his eye locked on him again, his breath fast and shallow like a cornered animal. He had then thrown himself towards his bolter, his hand going around it and holding it in an iron grip as if it was the only thing that would save his life.
‘For the Emperor! Die xeno!’
There was a long moment of silence, the only thing letting Ghazghkull know that they had not lost connection was that he could still hear Steheno’s breathing from the other side. Her breathing was pretty heavy as well, betraying her age.
“Ghazghkull. Yarrick is…He’s old”
“He’s been old since I met him,” he snapped back. When his other alias was “the old man” so was this not exactly news to him.
“Yes. I know , but he’s…He’s at the end. Humans don’t live as long as orks, or well we usually do but- you know what I mean. That he’s made it this long without further help is honestly a miracle ” her voice portrayed how truly amazed she was with this, that he had made it this far.
“Can the Imperium fix him? Make him better?” Ghazghkull did not trust the painboyz to fix this, and no matter how much Makari didn’t believe it, so did Ghaghkull know Grotsnik should not be trusted when it came to someone else's brain. But, he also didn’t trust lesser painboyz to even try to fix this. It would be better for the Imperium and their humie painboyz to handle this.
“Maybe, but, there is just so much that can be done. And he’s a human, not a space marine or a mechanicus. He’s a normal human” Ghazghkull wanted to argue against that, Yarrick was far greater than to be called normal but he knew what she meant.
“You got like, the ‘make younger’ surgeries right? Maybe h-”
“ Ghazghkull .” She cut him off. Her voice was stern but surprisingly not unkind “He has served the Imperium for years . He’s tired, he’s grown old. It's a part of human life” she let out a deep breath “The Emperor is calling him, maybe it’s time he goes to Him”
‘That git?’ He thought angrily. That God that had abandoned him? The “god” that had left him weeping and screaming for forgiveness, the “god” that had caused him so much pain? Going to him would be like sending a snotling to the pen of a Squigosaur. But Ghazghkull knew he could not say that, he had to act like Yarrick was still loyal to that humie git-god.
“Don’t you want him to live?” he growled in return instead.
“I do.” she snapped, she sounded offended he thought she felt any other way “But if this is the Emperors will we need to follow it. I too am also meeting my end. I’m not at his point yet but I’m not far behind, I’m tired as well…” she sighed “They could maybe help stave it off a bit longer but if his mind already is degrading-it’s hard and complicated”
“What am I supposed to do then?” he snarled “Just let him fall asleep to never wake again?” He could not just stand by and watch this, surely he could do something . Orks didn’t just stand around and waste away like this, if they were dying they either died in a blaze of glory and by a bad job from a painboy. They did not…grow old like this.
“Ask him about it when his mind is clear. He knows best what he wants to do. If he wants to keep going, want to rest until he never wakes up or..” she sighed, and went silent. “I know that he…” she was stalling like it hurt her to force the words out her throat “He told me he could not imagine just wasting away and that he won't die by anyone's hands but yours”
There was a long silence. Ghazghkull turned his free hand into a fist.
“I know”
Setheno didn’t respond for a while and, when she did she began with letting out a deep sigh.
“No matter what you decide to do. Please ask him to at least tell me goodbye, remind him if his memory is failing.”
“I will” and with that she hung up. Leaving Ghazghkull alone in the silence, holding the microphone in his hand while he just looked at the vox.
He lifted his hand, thinking about trying to call for Ugrak in search of a better response, one he would like more. His old warboss was the oldest ork he knew, but he stopped before he could send out a call to fetch them. What could they even tell him about a humie growing old? Orks and humies didn’t grow old the same way, Ugrak still moved the same and their brain was mostly fine (having headbutted so many people as they had it was not a surprise that their brain was a bit scrambled).
He put down the vox and rubbed at his face. He just wanted someone to know what to do, someone to tell him how to handle this in a way that he liked and didn’t cause him this much grief. Some answer that would take away this feeling that the world was ending.
He turned his face towards the ceiling and bared his teeth.
“And of course you two are keeping your gobs shut for once!” he yelled at the Gods before waiting for the retaliation, waiting for any kind of response but even they were silent.
He was just left there in the silence. Alone, as he soon would be for the rest of his life.
He walked into the commissars room, seeing Yarrick sitting by his desk looking through reports trying to write down something just to scowl, put down the pen and pull his hand away and stretch it trying to make it stop shaking enough to make handwriting neat to the point it would be readable.
His breathing was hard, all that time spent on dusty planets and in smoke had taken its toll on his lungs.
He turned around in his chair to look at Ghazghkull and immediately furrowed his brows. It was clear it showed on his face that something was wrong.
“What is it?” Ghazghkull let out a heavy sigh.
“Sebastian. We need to talk”
It was a long discussion. A discussion about his failing body, his memory. Some parts he seemed to know, others were surprising to him. Now with it all laid out on the table just one horrible question remained.
“What do you want to do?”
Ghazghkull would keep him alive if that's what he wanted. Keep him safe, maybe some minderz could be taught to help him instead, keep an eye on him and fetch him things. If he wanted to return to the Imperium to live out the rest of his life there then Ghazghkull would accept that even if he hated the idea of being away from him.
If he wanted to die in blazing glory then he would find him the best battle ever, and if he wanted it to end how they had always spoken about, in their final battle…Then Ghazghkull would accept the challenge, even if it tore him apart.
Yarrick was quiet for a long moment.
“I don't want to rot away,” he replied, which Ghazghkull knew. He had refused pension it was clear he would not like growing old in a sick bed either “My body hurts already, I can barely shoot my bolter”
“We can hand you back to the imperium, they might help you”
“I’m not sure” he sighed “I’ll die and maybe be sanctified but that's all. If I head back to the Imperium, I don’t think they would allow me to return to you” he then went quiet. Even if he didn’t say it, there was an underlying meaning to his words. ‘I would die away from you’ . “I want to give a final show.” he suddenly said, voice certain “Go out guns blazing.” he then smiled “And we made a promise didn’t we?”
“Are you sure? You might have several years left” Yarrick laughed.
“Are you sure?” he replied “I’m at the end of the line, you’re just getting stronger and stronger, if I win this, I will just be left here and your army without a leader” He said like it was a possibility, but they both knew there was no chance he would win.
Ghazghkull had grown, gotten smarter, stronger. He was so big they’d been forced to change the ceiling because he had started to scrape against it, while Yarrick had gotten weaker and his own brain was failing him.
“What about the Emperor?” Yarrick had feared that guy for years, muttering about how angry he would be over Yarrick loving an ork. Death and possibly being face to face with the Emperor had turned from a great dream to a nightmare. Even now Ghazghkull saw Yarrick go stiff at just the mention of his name.
“I hope that serving Him for all those years and killing Angron will count for something in His eyes” even if he said it, it was clear he had doubts. Had doubts the Emperor would greet him like a servant and not like a traitor.
“I will otherwise go to the warp and find you myself” he had promised before and he would follow through with it. If he so had to search the whole warp by himself. Ghazghkull also knew his own soul glowed in the warp, a guiding star to most orks and in the worst case scenario maybe Yarrick would be able to follow it as well and back to his arms. After that Ghazghkull was not sure what he would do. Maybe take a page from Tuska’s book and just stay in the warp for the rest of his life
“Okay” Yarrick responded, but his eye betrayed him, showing his doubt but Ghazghkull didn’t point it out.
Death does them part. If he goes to the Emperor, Ghazghkull would never see him again even if he himself died. He would go back to the great green before returning, reaching out of the ground yet again to start the fighting all over. While Yarrick would stay by the Emperor’s golden throne for the rest of eternity.
Ghazghkull hated it. It was not fair, but there was not much he could do about that.
“If I win, can I keep your skull?” ‘If’? He would win, Yarrick didn’t stand a chance but still they were acting like he was still in his prime, like he still got a shot at bringing him down. Theater for no clear reason, it just felt better that way.
He wanted the skull, just something to remember him by, so he would always have him with him.
Yarrick scowled, but seemed to think about it for a second. His eye traveled over the other skulls that adorned the warlord's armour before sighing.
“Sure” he replied in the end. “I won’t be using it anyway”
There was a long moment of silence, as Yarrick reached out with his klaw and just held his hand. He then sighed.
“I’ll make preparations. I've got some people to say goodbye to, and decided where my possessions are going. I also have to tell a couple of nobles where to stick it if I’m going to be dead soon anyway”
Ghazghkull nodded but didn’t let go of him and Yarrick didn’t pull away.
It could all wait a moment more.
Yarrick decided the time and place. He had looked on the star maps for a long moment thinking before he decided.
Taos III.
Where his life began would be the same place it ended. Where he drew his first breath he would breathe his last.
With some calls and some teef they had been able to get their hands on an Imperium ship and snuck their way to a desolate area of the planet, where no one would see or bother them. The other greenskins and Makari were commanded to stay on the ship, to not get involved no matter what happened.
Already from orbit Yarrick had started to speak about its history, about his life here. The few fond memories he had before the ork invasion that raged here, before the Imperium reclaimed it and had brought him off world. He repeated two stories without seeming to realize it, Ghazghkull listened to them twice without saying a word about it.
They had spent one last day together, just talking and eating and telling stories before falling asleep next to each other, Ghazghkull holding onto him like he would never let go. Staying awake the whole night just watching him, trying to make his face forever a part of his memory.
The next day, the battle began.
It was not much of a fight.
It was made with shouts, laughs and taunts like they had done in their enemy days, but Ghazghkull had a hard time getting into it. Because if he was being honest he didn’t want to do this. But for Yarrick’s peace of mind he did his best. Ghazghkull had pretended to like the Waaagh of Armageddon for ages; he could pretend again, even if it felt like he was the one dying.
Still, he held back, moving slower than he was, hit weaker than he could. He wanted Yarrick to feel the energy of battle, the joy of it, like he still had it in him. Make the last fight glorious. But despite all that. It was short and Ghazghkull was not sure he was able to deceive the old commissar.
One good hit and Ghazghkull sent him to the ground, the bolter he could barely even hold anymore flying out of his shaking hand.
He lay there on the ground, unable to get up. He was breathing hard and Ghazghkull just walked up to him and looked down. He pointed Mork’s Roar right at his chest. There was no chance of missing, and still he hesitated.
Yarrick looked at the gun, feeling it press slightly against his ribs as he took in deep breaths and he just smiled.
“It was a good fight.” he forced out of aching lungs “It has been a wonderful war” Ghazghkull swallowed, feeling like he had a squig bone stuck in his throat.
“You were the best thing about the Waaagh” he replied. Yarrick kept smiling, knowing how much that meant. That it hadn’t been the violence, the bloodshed, the guns roaring like they were singing the songs of doomsday, not the machines and vehicles burning so much promethium it got stuck on your clothes and in your nose and coloured the whole sky with dark clouds. It had not been the stompas, so many you could feel them shaking the ground and being so plentiful that the earth never stood still.
No. None of that even came close.
The best thing had been experiencing it all with him.
The best thing had been Sebastian.
The old man smiled before he closed his eyes. Accepted it.
It was always going to end like this. Both of them knew it.
“I love you” he said in return, and with that no more words needed to be said.
One single shot rang out echoing out over the emptiness. And with that it was over. Years of fighting, of hatred, of love, ending with a single shot right to the humies heart..
Ghazghkull looked down at him, as a soft gasp escaped and his grod went silent and still. Red blood slowly flowed out over the ground, spreading out moving between the blades of green grass before they reached Ghazghkull at which point he fell to his knees and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Yarrick’s.
He could no longer feel his breath on his face. He knew his soul had left his body. It was nothing more than an empty husk.
Ghazghkull had never felt something this painful . If orks could cry he would have cried until he bled from the eyes. His heart was twisting inside his chest, screaming out in pain, making it hard to breathe, making him want to burn worlds, making him want to hide in some cave and never come back out. He wanted to reach into his chest and dig his own heart out and crush it in his hand. Anything to get rid of this feeling.
He lifted his head up and let out a roar of grief, of anguish and agony. Screamed so loud it shook the earth, shook the universe, shook the immaterium itself.
Every ork alive suddenly felt this ‘pain’. A pain they had never felt before, pain in the heart that sent them to their knees, sent them reeling, sent them crying out in ways you only otherwise heard in their final moments before death.
They felt it, a pain worse than death. The pain of feeling something very special being ripped from you. The pain of grief . Of lost love.
No one spoke about it, no one told them, but still every greenskin in the galaxy knew, from the tiniest snotling to the biggest warboss on the other side of the galaxy; everyone knew that Bale Eye was dead.