The Illustrious Vexation, a 300 year old Dauntless Light Cruiser of the Imperium, exited the warp with a crackle and pop. Streaks of violet lightning crawled over the hull, the whispers of chaos denied entry.

In front of the voidship, stars were being born. A nebula full of vast amounts of pure energy, an awe striking natural phenomenon, an engine of creation fusing stars and life together. The sheer power of this rare occurrence should have torn apart any ship, anyone brave enough to bear witness. If not for the Ancient Space Station creating a stable area of space, only accessible via someone with a particular strain of the Navigator Gene, following an precise yet chaotic Warp Map plotted by an Abominable Intelligence.

The Ancient Space Station resembled a majestic, spherical temple with dead tendrils that reached out for miles above the surface. It was illuminated by a cosmic ocean of nebulas, brewing fearsome stars to release into the universe. By size and awe alone, it put Treasure Planet to shame.

Rogue Trader Emberlyn Driftwood stood on the bridge, hands proudly on her hips – admiring the glorious view, the eye of the storm. She was the first ever human to lay eyes on this majestic natural phenomenon of the galaxy.

“Ladies and gentlemen – we have arrived inside the PILLARS OF CREATION,” Emberlyn exclaimed.

Cheers erupted on the command deck, including from the Inquisitor. Even Greg the Servitor clanged his metal hands together.

Emberlyn whistled and gathered her boarding party, before heading to the shuttlebay.

What happened onboard the Ancient Space Station of the Old Ones, only the Rogue Trader and her most trusted personnel witnessed. All other witnesses were ordered killed. The escape was mostly uneventful, thanks to the starmap the Kroot had gifted Emberlyn, allowing her to use the secret exit-only path through the nebula, which did not require a warp jump which would have instantly collapsed the Gellar Field.

Later that day, Emberlyn and Stella sat in the Rogue Trader’s personal quarters, examining the artifact they had retrieved. Something referred to only once in ancient texts – the Creation Engine, a fist-sized, mundane looking rock with three circles and a line carved into it. 

“Not what I expected,” Stella said as she handled it. It felt cold to the touch, and heavy, not just in weight, but in emotion. “You risked a lot to retrieve this.”

“This is a good rock. An excellent paperweight,” Emberlyn said, snatching it back. “It’s also a ticket.”

“A ticket to where?” Stella asked.

“A ticket to the future, to beyond the galaxy, to a self-made paradise, even to witness moments long passed…” Emberlyn trailed off, lost in fantasy.

“If your diary is truly to be believed, yes I read your diary and I’m not sorry. If this piece of archeotech can truly manipulate realspace to such an extent, could it heal the Great Rift?” Stella asked.

Emberlyn shrugged as she fondled the rock. “Who knows. It’s all hearsay anyway. But this Creation Engine is a one use sort of deal. This rock is currently inert, but once I kick-start it, there’s no going back.”

This was it. The Rogue Trader’s usefulness to the Inquisitor had nearly run out – and everything, all her sacrifice, all her pain, all the resources spent on the Rogue Trader’s quest, all the strife of the Imperium, will have finally paid off. The whispers at the edge of the Inquisitor’s mind increased. The Creation Engine was almost hers, she just had to learn the secret to turn it on and then she could take it. She was so close. She reached out towards the Rogue Trader’s new prized possession, ready to snatch it as soon as it activated.

Words danced around in her head: Possibility. Freedom. Inquisitor Stella, Savior of Mankind.

Then, Emberlyn accidentally cracked the rock in two like a fortune cookie, releasing a wave of intangible energy which dissipated into nothing.

“Oops.”

Stella blinked in shock. “What?! Was that it? Did you turn it on? What did you wish for?”

“No, no, no. It broke. Wait, let me find some glue,” Emberlyn replied, rummaging around her desk.

Stella grabbed one half of the rock. Inside was a silver yolk, sparkling with cosmic energy, which was rapidly evaporating, leaving behind a grey-lifeless goo. The two sides of the rock started repelling each other like identical poles of a magnet.

“You broke it?!” Stella stated.

Emberlyn shrugged, squeezing out the glue and mashing both sides together. “I’m sure it was broken when we found it. Best case scenario, this Jokaero-Glue fixes it. Worst case scenario… this is still an excellent paperweight.”

Stella clenched her fist. Maiming the Rogue Trader now was pointless. Perhaps this dream was pointless. It was a longshot anyway – as an Inquisitor, she had many more avenues to pursue in the name of the Imperium.

 “Y-you… Vex me, Emberlyn. Have you considered if there is some sort of butterfly effect from cracking it? How can you so haphazardly deal with things beyond your understanding?”

Emberlyn nodded. “Quite easily. Hold on, I’ve glued my hand to it, grab the Whisky – quick.”