Authors Note: Well, this might be a long one, but if you care about things like calcs, universe comparisons, and a basic overview of the crossover, then you may want to read it. Anyways, hello, and welcome to my first full length story. I have actually meant to write this since 2008 but kept procrastinating and getting overworked and so on. Well, now I'm finally on it. This story is not meant to be like much of the crossovers you see in the archives. This is not a VS story, where one universe is thought to be better than the other or just wanted to be seen fighting so the author makes a story about it stomping some other universe. This is not a story about inserting a protagonist from one tale into another one, more or less replicating the story with the same plot but a theoretically different main character (ie lazily written). This is not a self-insert, only a madman would want to insert into anything to do with 40k, and there are enough of those in 40k as it is.
This is a story about a comparison between the two universes of Warhammer 40,000 and Star Wars. This is about comparing themes, characters, and the overall mechanics of the universes, as well as examining the reaction of both to the other's existence. As such, let me get a few things out of the way: I will be equalizing a few things. "But Nemesor" I can hear you say "source X said Y about output of lasguns, so if we scale…." Let me stop you right there. On average, showings for 40k ships and weapons are leagues above Star Wars ships and weapons, but if I were to write a story taking such averages it would be a one-sided curb stomp, which, while potentially amusing, is not what I am aiming for. As such, I am going to say now lasgun=clone basic blaster, clone armor=flak armor, powersword=lightsaber, starships have equal stats (ie range speed etc) and I will be using a ton for ton parity DPS wise (comparing imperium to Star Wars ships) meaning that a venator will have the damage of a ship its size in the imperium navy. Of course, there are some things I won't be equalizing, like ship armor and most tanks/other weapons, as they are intrinsic to the way one universe functions. So, if you see something that should be more/less powerful than it is, it's probably me trying to balance things so it's kinda fair.
Now I say kinda for the same reason I started this crossover, because the universes are very different. It's the same reason that I chose the clone wars era. Star Wars is very black and white. It's a simplistic universe with simplistic themes. This isn't a bad thing, in fact the lack of philosophy makes it easy to understand and enjoy for the masses. In every era it's the hero's vs usually the sith, who are clearly in the wrong despite attempts to make them gray. There is some nuance, but there is a clear good guy-bad guy line. The clone wars is the best era for this to show, as not only is the enemy a clearly evil sith lord lead coalition of murder bots who are naturally much more acceptable to kill off en-masse than people, and all the jedi are on one side and they are fighting for freedom and democracy (supposedly, who cares about that whole slave army thing right?). I am obviously simplifying things here a bit but this is the basic jist of the era.
That's not what 40k is like. It's a place of grey areas, tragedy, loss, and suffering. It's a place where even the Arch-Traitor is a sympathetic character (if a gullible moron) and People Die. Those capitalizations were well earned. One of the first books I read, nightbringer, loses half its cast before the final battle, where it loses more. This is true of most books in the series, especially during the Horus heresy. Heroes are just people with flaws, and everyone has a good reason for the things they do, in their own minds at least. No one started out screaming BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD to the skies, they were driven there by circumstance and a few mistakes. And it's not a story about the lofty idealism of a hero, the hero's and monsters are often quite hard to tell apart. And even then, they are not lofty exemplars, but soldiers and murderers on the front lines, desperately doing all they can to buy their species a precious few more seconds before they go down. Because this isn't the story of Anakin Skywalker, the hero and chosen one, it's the story of a guardsmen muffling his best friends screams as he bleeds out so the cultists won't find them, or the Overlord who butchers an entire innocent world so his species might one day again have things like families and souls, or an Autarch who kills a child because one day that child will lead the Imperial Navy to his home, or the marines on Slaughterhouse III. It's a story about the blood and the dirt and those that die there. In truth, I had thought a better comparison might be against star trek, but I don't know enough about that show to make one. And that is the reason ground combat won't be the same. Star Wars just isn't prepared for the horrors of the 42nd millenia, and it will show.
This will be a story with a multitude of viewpoints so that I may attempt to best show the clashing of themes and environs that I speak of. It will start in blood, and not end happily. Expect massive character death, suffering, and generally bad things happening to good (and bad) people. It will be a story about the struggle against inevitability, the horrors of war, and what happens when two so very different universes meet.
Now, on the topic of inter-universe meetings, some handwaving must be done. The force will not be affected by all the beings due to a lack of midiclorians, which will be done to avoid giving all the force users seizures when the new wall of hate and horror enters their universe. This is emotional only though, certain things that effect the warp will translate. Also, there will be one or two stable hyperspace lanes through the Cicatrix. Originally, I was going to take it and some other thing but eventually I realized how much I had started nerfing factions and that was not in the spirit of a true crossover. I will make an allowance saying the force makes things less vulnerable to chaos corruption because otherwise the republics trusting nature would doom it in days, though corruption will still happen it takes longer. In force users like jedi/sith it almost fully protects them just so I don't have sheev send the republic to its doom for daemonhood as that's kinda what would happen. As for other factions: Tau/Druhkari/Imperium/Orks: Untouched. Aeldari/Ynnari/etc: All their plans got ruined by the new variables. Necrons: Kinda like the eldar, but the variables let them awaken tomb worlds easier due to all the new distractions peeling off reinforcements. Tyranids: Distracted by something in between the galaxies from the EU, but they'll be back in a bit, and somehow even worse. Now, this story was originally going start slow, as all factions will be in what I shall refer to as an "oh god emperor what" phase when they notice the number of stars just doubled and there are a lot more signals to receive, so they won't immediately act as they normally would. But then I realized that the number of factions that live by the way of the yolo is enough that we would see half the republic assaulted by day two, and the imperium and such have their fair share of similar commanders, so expect this story to escalate damn fast. On the matter of the holonet, even the orks know how to hack, so the holonet will come under siege immediately, and serve as an inadvertent spy network through reporters and more. Fortunately for the republic, none of these factions get along so they will all be sabotaging each other, though one will have an upper hand. Said faction will be why the net doesn't get eaten by scrapcode. Unfortunately for the republic, the fact the net is no longer under their control will start to show itself in increasingly overt ways.
As for numbers for battles, 40k production estimates can get really silly really quick (like, mid ends surpass the droid ICS quote, you know the one) but because things might need to change the only constant for numbers as of yet is that there will be a lot more droids and I'll be taking the 1 per hundred quote as literal. There will be millions of ships for each side though, that's unavoidable with how numbers have been escalating in 40k. This will be taking place after christophsis for Star Wars, and current 40k. As it is, battles are escalating in 40k, so expect huge ones. As for BFG:2, those characters are likely to show up at some point, but the timeline of the game will be messed with a bit as a combo of the three campaigns so that I can use everything.
Oh, and this is un-beta'd, so it won't be the best.
The World was burning. The servants of the Dark Gods had put it to the torch when they arrived, in worship of their sadistic masters, in a test of their superweapon's firepower, but mostly because they could. Its atmosphere was almost spent, burned up in the life wiping infernos that the massive construct's warp cannon had set off, and the ground cracked and burned as its shattered crust slid inwards in an attempt to fill the places left empty by the now vanished planetary core. The sound of tectonic plates cracking and clashing together filled the air, and the world seemed to be screaming in its death throes. That was good, the creature thought, as all was going according to plan.
The metal abomination strode across the near molten surface of the stricken celestial body and gazed upwards at an object far to distant for a mortal to see. Several million kilometers away from the creature's location lay the same fleet that had burnt the world to ash, and at its heart lay the massive construct that had been using the former agri-world for test firing at its forefront flanked by hundreds of pirate vessels. The disparity in size between them and their target was absurd, as they seemed to be but pinpricks before it. Larger than ancient Sol, the sphere of plain grey metal seemed to be to massive to truly comprehend, and a true prize no doubt to the leader of these corsairs. Had not a half-breed Iron Warriors mongrel come through the skull harvest with an arm made of the stuff and won the tournament handily? Such had the creatures mindshackled slaves whispered into the Tyrant of Badab's ears, along with the location and nature of this place. Now, so much of the wonderous material stood before the Chaos Lord, and all that remained was to take it.
But no matter what he did he could not. His drills and mining vessels could not pierce it, and the bombardment of his fleet did not seem to scratch it. Indeed, even straying near it would send his warriors plunging into madness and delusion, dealing terrible damage to themselves and their ships as they thrashed about in its grips. All that was left to him then was the choice to fragment the sphere with his mightiest weapon, one that had been facing a series of mechanical errors until mere moments ago, delaying him for weeks on end. Strangely, it had gone from complete non-functionality to complete activation in a matter of minutes, as if it had been deliberately tampered with, but who would be capable of such a feat? Either way, the time was upon the warlord, and so the fortress began to hum with unnatural energy as the power of the empyrean built around its main gun. Far below, long dead eyes moved from the fortress to the skies above it, as second by agonizing second the stars slowly inched closer and closer to their predestined positions. And then, they were at them. At long last, the stars were finally right. The cruel, metallic sound that came from the creature's mouth could in some respects be considered laughter, though it was far more sadistic and mocking than any sound made by a living being could ever be. As the echoes of his amusement bounced across the devastated plains of a dying world, Orikan the Diviner saw his visions from before there was a mankind at last come true. At last, the spear of warp energy pierced the metallic skin of the sphere, as the material seemed to ripple and shift it opened wider and wider, and the Tyrant's prize seemed at hand.
Then came what might be considered a sound, if sounds resounded through a thousand dimensions. The battle lines of the fleet buckled and writhed as the ships were tossed about like dust in a gale as a roar tore through real space with the force of a dying star. The planet below at long last imploded into itself, its lone inhabitant now halfway across the galaxy, in no way eager to be near what had been unleashed. As the wound in the living metal opened further and further of its own accord, out came madness made flesh, seeming to be both very impossibly old and so very, very angry. As he looked upon the devourer of stars, Lugft Huron knew at last of his folly, and at last the method of his own death. The monster's dead eyes settled upon the astartes, and reality seemed to twist downinwardsleftrightcentrallyintoeveronwardsallwasmadnessallwastsara-
And then it was over. The sky was clear of the great metallic orb, and most of his fleet was gone with it. What remained of his ships he could see through where the roof of his bridge used to be, and none of them looked like they were liable to sail the stars rather than break into a thousand pieces next time he activated their drives. His treasured blackstone fortress lay where it had fallen, cut neatly in two along the waist. As blood loss took its toll on his crippled body and the sus-an membrane dragged his conscious down, all he could do was deliriously stare up at the sea of stars, incomprehensive in the face of its changes. 'But' he thought, as the darkness claimed him, 'there were never this many stars'.
Coruscant, One Week Post Convergence
The attitude in the chancellor's office was grim. It matched the atmosphere of the world, its skies now perpetually darkened with Venator and Victory-class star destroyers. It had been seven days since the force had cried out in violation, as if something has wounded it. Since then, the number of star systems able to be detected had doubled, and strange space time anomalies had appeared all across the galaxy. The sky even now pulsed with unnatural purple and redish lights as the Great Scar, as it had become known, the greatest of these anomalies, lit the night sky like a second sun. Hyperspace travel had become very difficult, for only some routes in the north or south had openings in this great wall across the galaxy. Any who tried to enter it, or the secondary but smaller spiral from the galactic north, were never heard from again.
After its appearance, large portions of the galaxy had simply gone dark, with varying affect. Some dead zones as they had come to be called expanded, the force in these areas seemingly being suppressed by whatever lay within. These deadzones where known as Alpha-type deadzones. The second type of deadzones where the massive special anomalies that had been appearing, known as Beta-type deadzones. A lesser type of deadzone, called Gamma-type dead zones, where similar to but lesser versions of the Beta-type. Though the scouting forces did return from these areas, they did so utterly mad, raving about dark gods and demons made flesh. Then were the Delta-type deadzones. They were temporary, but lethal. A shroud would drop upon the area, and by the time a relief force had arrived the world was empty. No one was spared, and in some cases it seemed as if the who population had simply gotten up and left. Meals were still warm, food was still baking, and the doors were unlocked, as if awaiting a friend's arrival. The final, and worst type was the Epsilon-type dead zones. They were mobile, and would clear as they advanced, but to the horror of the galaxy only dead, drained worlds remained behind them. These worlds were drained of all life, water, atmosphere, and even metals, in some cases decreasing the planetary diameter by ten percent or more. In the proximity of Epsilon-type deadzones, the force began to feel fuzzy, as if becoming static and drowned out by some other great presence.
In the wake of these dead zones had appeared monstrous creatures, which had begun immediately rampaging across the galaxy. One appeared to be a group of green sentients that attacked worlds for no other reason but for the joy of it, and as of yet no member of naval intelligence had been able to tell if the series of grunts and yells they used was an actual language or some form of combat signaling. Then came the human empires, not one but two. One seemed to be fiercely xenophobic, and intensely protective of the areas bordering the unknown regions. The other seemed to be incredibly religious and had some form of alien allies that were as of yet unidentified by the republic. Both seemed to favor immensely gaudy imagery and possessed ships decorated to resemble cathedrals, which unfortunately did not seem to impede their combat efficiency. After so many new perils had emerged, and so many worlds had disappeared without a trace, it had been decided that the capitol of democracy in the galaxy had to be better protected, and the defense fleets and platforms reinforced. Which made the additional vessels in the sky, the subject of the meeting, all the more stressful.
"Nal Hutta is gone." The words broke the tense silence that had reigned since the arrival of what was left of the Hutt fleet. Those still alive refused to leave their ships, save for the wounded crime lord, who had desperately needed medical attention. What little they could pry out of his guards sounded like something out of a horror holovid, skeletal figures firing deathly green beams that simply caused their targets to disappear, clawed agile specters cloaked in the flesh of their victims, and the omnipresent almighty storm. The Supreme Chancellor tightened his grip on the armrests of his chair. Nothing was going as planned anymore. He had lost all his deep core holdings to the Great Scar, and now a large portion of the underworld had ceased to exist, devoured by an Alpha-Type deadzone and the monstrous things that dwelled within it. All of Sate's hard work rendered into nothing within the period of a mere week. The news had somehow already spread, despite the security around the capitol's newest guests, and the populace was even more panicked than they had previously been. Moral was at an all time low, and the previous malleable senate needed someone to blame. They were beginning to question his leadership.
"What we need is a victory" the Supreme Chancellor glanced over at his closest aid as if expecting some miraculous idea that could turn this week around, but Sate Pestage had not survived the company of two sith lords by not knowing when to shut his mouth. There was nothing he could say that would not enrage his master further. "Is there ANY good news to be had" the chancellor hissed. Gathering his strength from a combination of mental discipline, acclimatization to sith rage, and the amusing attempts of Mas Amedda to blend into a red background as a large blue man, Sate Pestage finally replied: "Indeed chancellor, your first order of dreadnoughts and battlecruisers has just left Kuat's docks. They should be arriving any day now."
Now that WAS good news. The supreme chancellor relaxed somewhat in his chair. That covered the first mandator-IIs then, but what of their predecessors? "And the garrisoned dreadnoughts, Pestage?" The assistant hesitated, and then continued. "Well, I was somewhat lucky on that front. Alsaka's leader traded it for a safe passage here and promises of security. It seems he doesn't believe his sector will last much longer, which given the green one's assaults may be correct." He paused and grimaced before continuing. "I did manage to acquire the other two you asked for, but not by my own merit. Ixtlar seems to have fallen prey to a Delta-Type deadzone, and both the planet and ship were empty when I arrived. Its Mandator will arrive once the crew has gotten it up and running, but there were no signs of damage or battle as usual so that should not be long. Humbarine unfortunately was lost to General Greivous's fleet, and the dreadnought was the only survivor. I instructed it to regroup with the fleet here. The other dreadnoughts remain stationed at Anaxes and Kuat as instructed"
The Chancellor gave a silent nod and leaned back to contemplate his options. He swiveled his chair to view the Coruscant skyline through the window, gazing at where the dreadnoughts would arrive in high orbit. "That's acceptable" he began, not looking at his emissary "but not enough. See to it that you acquire more spartii and kaminoan cloning canisters. Divert what you can into additional shipyards." But where to send these new ships…
The Chancellor contemplated what exactly would be the best deployment for these new ships if they were to secure as a morale raising victory, before recalling the distress signal one of his sniveling secret underlings had sent. Wat Tambor had invaded the world of Ryloth, only to be pinned down when a large fleet from the xenophobic human empire arrived and annihilated his ships. His last message before the jamming began was that he was going into hiding in the planet's cave systems. That was a promising opportunity then, defeat the human empire AND the Separatists at the same time, while simultaneously showing that the embattled planets could rely on the Republic to come and save them. Afterword's the clones need only "lose" Tambor and all parties would have been handed a morale boost. As the first of the Mandator-IIs entered orbit, the Chancellor turned his throne to his assistant again, with a smile that even after years of exposure still managed to unnerve Sate. "Contact General Skywalker" the chancellor commanded, "And tell him I have a new mission for him. And a ship."
AN: And that's chapter one. To be honest the hardest part was deciding where to start. For a while I wanted to do mandalore, and planned out a huge battle for it, but figured it was to much of an escalation to fast, and so started with a "small" battle, by 40k standards anyways. Anyways, this will be the beginning of the first arc, Downfall, where everyone is still getting acquainted with each other and some fools still harbor absurd ideals like "hope" or "empathy" or "a belief they will make it past their next birthday" and so on. Jabba was another candidate for a starter, and maybe I will tell his tale when he awakes, as its actually pretty impressive, but also to short for an opener. He was just REALLY unfortunate with his location during the merge. Bonus points for all those who can fill in the dots in Sheev's missing knowledge here. Anyways, this is the introduction arc, so things will stay relatively down to earth, but once all the players have been introduced, well…