SolomornNightmare — Rogue Trader Dialogue Archive

Entry point 1

NightmareThe dream is shattered by someone's sharp movement and the muffled sound of a gunshot. You open your eyes to see Solomorne at your side. He is leaning forward, one hand clutching his weapon behind a smoking pillow. His frenzied eyes are trained on the darkness of your chambers, his teeth bared. He is panting like a hunted animal.

YOU[Immediately reach for your weapon]

NightmareYour fingers find your weapon under your pillow, and you peer in the same direction as Solomorne. There is no movement in the darkness, only the sound of your lover's ragged breathing filling the room.

NightmareWith each passing second, your eyes penetrate deeper into the gloom. The room is empty.

YOU"It was just a dream. You can relax."

NightmareGritting his teeth obstinately, Solomorne rasps, "I saw them."

NightmareWith each passing second, the absence of any uninvited guests in your chambers becomes more and more evident. Finally, Solomorne puts his weapon down with an exhausted sigh and says brokenly, "Damn it... I must have imagined them. I'm sorry."

YOU[Smile] "Nothing to worry about. If I'd dreamt about Vultur, I'd have riddled the whole room with bullets, too."

NightmareHe does not return your smile. His face is contorted by flashes of furious emotion that he is struggling to control.

YOU[Smile] "Nothing to worry about. If I'd dreamt about Vultur, I'd have riddled the whole room with bullets, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you often have dreams like that?"

NightmareSolomorne sweeps the empty chamber with his eyes once more and mutters reluctantly, "Sometimes."

YOU[Smile] "Nothing to worry about. If I'd dreamt about Vultur, I'd have riddled the whole room with bullets, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you often have dreams like that?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"You're a nutcase!"

NightmareYou see Solomorne's jaw working in his stony face. "Maybe I am."

YOU[Smile] "Nothing to worry about. If I'd dreamt about Vultur, I'd have riddled the whole room with bullets, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you often have dreams like that?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"You're a nutcase!"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I see I'm not the only one who prefers to keep a weapon close to their pillow."

Nightmare"Of course. That's just common sense." Your words seem to surprise Solomorne to the point that his bafflement drowns out his roiling emotions for a moment.

YOU[Smile] "Nothing to worry about. If I'd dreamt about Vultur, I'd have riddled the whole room with bullets, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Do you often have dreams like that?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"You're a nutcase!"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I see I'm not the only one who prefers to keep a weapon close to their pillow."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"Since no one is trying to kill us, I suggest we both go back to sleep."

Nightmare"I don't think I'll be able to."

Nightmare"I apologise for disturbing you, Rogue Trader. I think I'd better go." Solomorne's low voice is full of anguish and shame.

YOU"What did you dream about exactly? Tell me."

NightmareSolomorne sighs heavily. "I dreamt I saw the dead traitors from Thassera. The ones who plotted against us. They entered your chambers wearing others' faces, but I still knew it was them. I realised they had managed to slip back into other people's bodies before they died. It's... It's... Shit!" A groan of pain escapes through his gritted teeth.

YOU"All this has taken more of a toll than you've let on, hasn't it?"

Nightmare"An Arbitrator must not appear weak or vulnerable." Stubbornly pressing his lips together, Solomorne glares at the empty air before him. "I am the gauge by which the Imperium is judged on its strength and its grip on the galaxy."

Nightmare"But sometimes... it's so bloody hard." Grimacing, Solomorne wearily drops his head into his hands.

YOU"All this has taken more of a toll than you've let on, hasn't it?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I was afraid on Thassera, too."

Nightmare"Those bastards were one step away from bringing us down." Solomorne stares intently into your eyes. "You know, at the time I wondered what would be better: dying alongside you, or surviving with the knowledge that I had failed to keep you safe. I was overjoyed when I realised the end had come for both of us."

YOU"All this has taken more of a toll than you've let on, hasn't it?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I was afraid on Thassera, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Smile] "I'm proud of you. Even in your dreams, you kill the enemies of the Imperium."

Nightmare"Oh, in my dreams I sometimes even manage to save the Imperium a couple of times over," Solomorne replies with a strained smile, not a hint of mirth in his eyes.

YOU"All this has taken more of a toll than you've let on, hasn't it?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I was afraid on Thassera, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Smile] "I'm proud of you. Even in your dreams, you kill the enemies of the Imperium."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Touch his shoulder] "No law says you have to carry it all inside. Share it with me."

NightmareUnder your fingers, the Arbitrator's tremoring body relaxes. With his eyebrows drawn together grimly, Solomorne murmurs, "Not sharing it is better. When you talk to someone about what's weighing on your soul, you become attached to them. And becoming attached is a bad habit for an Arbitrator. In my service, every person you know long enough to develop feelings for is likely to die before their time, and horribly, at that. Losing people hurts. It's like a piece of your soul dies with each of them."

NightmareSolomorne raises his eyes to you. "I have become attached to you, and I regret it. And I regret saying all this too. When you die, it will be very bad for me, and I think of that moment, I wait for it and dread it. And I am ashamed of this weakness."

YOU[Tightly grip his hand] "I permit you to be vulnerable with me. If necessary, I will protect you myself."

NightmareSolomorne's eyebrows creep upward, the shadow of a smile appearing on his lips. "This is the first time someone has ever offered to protect me, but... it feels good." Leaning back against the pillow, he speaks softly, "You know, maybe the only one who can truly protect me from this bloody horror is you."

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YOU[Embrace him] "I look at you and I see no weakness. Only the wounds of a strong man."

NightmareWith a chuckle, Solomorne responds to the embrace. "Thank you. I'll try to be that strong man for you."

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YOU[Smoothly cuff Solomorne's hand to the bed with his handcuffs] "I know how to distract you from dark thoughts."

NightmareYanking his cuffed hand, Solomorne looks up at you and orders sternly, "Take it off."

YOU[Smile] "Take it off yourself."

NightmareSolomorne's eyes light up for the first time, his lips curving into a cocky grin. With a full-body effort, he begins to break away from the hard wood of the bed. With a deafening crack, he lunges toward you, fierce, passionate, and alive.

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YOU[Stroke his head] "It will pass. I promise."

NightmareWith a caustic smile, Solomorne leans back against the pillow. "Don't make any promises. We both know this will never pass."

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YOU"I'm not going to make you bare your soul. Let's go to sleep."

NightmareGiving you a lingering look, Solomorne replies with feeling, "I'm grateful for that. Go back to sleep. I'll just sit here for a while."

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YOU[Touch his shoulder] "No law says you have to carry it all inside. Share it with me."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I'm not going to make you bare your soul. Let's go to sleep."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Smile] "I'm proud of you. Even in your dreams, you kill the enemies of the Imperium."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Touch his shoulder] "No law says you have to carry it all inside. Share it with me."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I'm not going to make you bare your soul. Let's go to sleep."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I was afraid on Thassera, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Smile] "I'm proud of you. Even in your dreams, you kill the enemies of the Imperium."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Touch his shoulder] "No law says you have to carry it all inside. Share it with me."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I'm not going to make you bare your soul. Let's go to sleep."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Grab his arm] "Don't. Stay."

Nightmare"No. It's better if I go." Contrary to his words, Solomorne does not move. You feel every muscle in his arm go taut.

YOU"All this has taken more of a toll than you've let on, hasn't it?"continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I was afraid on Thassera, too."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Smile] "I'm proud of you. Even in your dreams, you kill the enemies of the Imperium."continues where this line first appears above

YOU[Touch his shoulder] "No law says you have to carry it all inside. Share it with me."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"I'm not going to make you bare your soul. Let's go to sleep."continues where this line first appears above

YOU"If you want to go — go."

Nightmare"I apologise again." Solomorne gives you a guilt-ridden look.

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YOU"Since no one is trying to kill us, I suggest we both go back to sleep."continues where this line first appears above