Chapter 2: Golden Cargo

A handful of guard station officers and pilots stood around the command table. Among the several officers of the Imperium and the pilots, there were 3 other figures who towered over the rest of the crew. The golden light reflected so intensely off their armor that many of the members of the Imperial Guard had to put their helmets and visors on. The table glowed blue with the light of electricity in its core and a round sphere hovered above the table, illuminating their uniforms. The massive figures wore ornate and beautiful golden armor that seemed immune to discoloration or deformation. They wore a soft blue loincloth that was weaved into their massive leg plates. Large golden pauldrons sat atop their shoulders and each had their tall, golden, blue plumed helm on the table in front of them. Three golden helmets, void of emotion, addressed each of the golden gods as warriors of the Custodes, the Emperor's chosen guard. They stood hunched over with their hands placed on the table, straddling their helms. They each analyzed the holo-sphere above the table. No words were spoken yet, and each member of the Guard stared in awe at the golden figures. Among the guard officers at the table, stood General Deranis who was the head strategist, Commander of the flagship they were aboard, and Commander of the Tragia Fleet. Deranis was a dark and broody type. His dark, balding head was touched with wrinkles and age. A few white strands of hair balanced on top of his head. His white and gray beard was becoming thick and unkept. His blood red cloak and golden eagle on his shoulder distinguished him among the other officers. His complexion was dark and his eyelids sagged over his eyes in a state of constant disappointment. His arms were crossed in a defensive stance, but anyone could clearly tell he was focused on what lies ahead. He was concerned for the fate of his crew and ship more than the dangers to his own life. Next to him was First Captain Barolias Lonely and First Captain Rosanda Corrucia. First Captain Lonely and Corrucia were polar opposites. Lonely was a fair skinned blonde man with magnificent blue eyes and a clean face. His outfit held a short, red coat ornamented with golden trim over his brown and green uniform. He wore a fine chainsword on his hip and a pistol on the other. Lonely understands the importance of the mission ahead of them and the charge they are given to protect Terra from all of Xenos and Chaos threats. He understands that he is part of the last defense against a full enemy conquest towards Terra and her auxiliary worlds. First Captain Corrucia knew this as well. Corrucia had short red hair that cut off below her ears. Her hair was parted down the middle, yet, a single tuft of hair would always find itself in front of her face covering one of her eyes. Her eyes were a vibrant green with a touch of yellow. She wore the brown and green undersuit of the Imperial Guard but wore a black robe with yellow trim and a chest plate that shone like obsidian. After spending time brokering compliance with worlds recently taken by the fearsome Astartes and their horrifyingly deadly counterparts, the Adeptas Sororitas, Corrucia talked with and shared stories with some of the sisters who she met. Their fervor and zealotry were forces to be feared among the enemies of Man, and this inspired Corrucia. She was one of few female officers enlisted among the Tragia Fleet and her story is not uncommon among the conversations of the occupants. It is rumored that she broke off a small detachment of her forces on a recently conquered world to lead a spearhead strike against a cultist leader and his regime hiding deep underground. Her ferocity and gruesome actions led to the recognition of her heroism, and she was given medals from the Imperium for her service. Both captain's most trusted pilots stood on either side of them, Major Adonis Petrium stood by Lonely and Major Cunonin Dorick stood by Corrucia. Both of them, in their black and brown uniform, stood at parade rest in respect to the golden gods in their presence. Suddenly, the metal command bay doors thrust themselves open with a gust of condensed gases, and a towering figure rapidly emerged. Looming over even the biggest of the golden gods standing at the table, the new figure approached as the three Custodians took their helms from the table and placed them on their heads in perfect unison. The three fully plated Custodians stepped aside to let the new figure take his stand at the front of the table. He was magnificent. In his golden light, the Emperor's chosen commander approached the table.

"Captain-General!" Shouted the three Custodians accompanied by a boom of plate that rang through the room as their heels and arms snatched together in salute. First Captain Corrucia and Lonely both flinched to the sudden change in atmosphere. Captain-General Trajann Valoris was a sight as rare as the Emperor himself. His plate armor was identical to the other Custodians in the room, except he adorned many more colorful gems and Imperial trinkets that clattered against his plate as he moved. Blue and white robes molded into the grooves in his plate which looked immaculate. His fair tempered face gave the appearance of a man in his 40's, not thousands of years old. All Custodians are engineered and immortal; some have lived for thousands of years. Warriors that are immobilized in combat are usually entombed into Venerable Dreadnoughts, hulking machines with bastions for legs and artillery for arms, their firepower and combat abilities that would match any foe. Sometimes, Custodians reside in the Imperial Palace to train new recruits. It is incredibly rare for any Adeptus Custodes to venture outside of the Imperial Palace, however, they only do so for incredibly important endeavors. Valoris has been fighting with the Emperor for as long as tales will sing of it and to see him here in the flesh was a shock to the guardsmen in the command deck. A soft and deep voice responded, yet it resonated clearly in the ears of everyone at the table.

"At ease, brothers." Said the voice of the Captain-General. His tone suddenly changed, "My presence here is good news, the war will be over soon. Today, we take back the world that was rightfully ours, and we will cleanse it through fire." He pointed at the holomap of the world hovering over the table. "This planet is called Ephemera and today, after thousands of years, we claim this world BACK for the Emperor."

"If I may, Captain-General." Said General Deranis quickly. "We know little of this new foe and what it is capable of. How sure are we that this isn't just a disturbance with a thousand year old piece of technology? We do not know if this enemy will eliminate everything on its warpath towards the Imperium, or if it is methodically teasing our strengths and testing us." He tried to hide his hesitation to no success.

"While we do know this foe is willing to kill us, and is capable of it," started First Captain Lonely, sensing that the Captain General might be getting frustrated. "We just worry about the resources we have available, Captain-General."

"The Imperium will replenish your quaint vessel as soon as my mission is complete. My men here will be taking the supplies necessary to reestablish this planet that your team has so helplessly lost to an unknown enemy!" Barked Valoris. He met Deranis's eyes with a merciless gaze and said, "I do not need your feeble soldiers to exact the Emperor's bidding, Deranis. I will only require munitions for my men, and a piece of my equipment you have on board."

"With respect General," stated a different, monotone, robotic voice. This new voice came from a servitor AI drone. Most of these models of AI were retired many decades ago due to their accident prone nature. This AI, however, seemed perfectly intact and healthy. Its obsidian black metallic plates are joined together by a matrix of tubes and a labyrinth of wires. It's soulless visor encompassed it's whole face, exposing only residual amounts of light from control switches and glows from inside the servitors spherical cranium. The servitor had silver, rounded talons that weren't much good for anything besides repairing flesh and inputting information into data slates. The muffled and distorted sound continued from its vox translator, "The asset has been under my protection and care. According to my calculations… the asset is only... 56… percent ready for combat and... 74… percent ready for long-distance transportation. It will... require more engineers and-"

"Enough." Said Captain General Valoris. He pressed his thumbs into the ridges of the eye plate of his helmet and placed it on his head. It slid down his face and clicked with a snap into his neck guard. It sealed together with a short hiss of pressurized gas. "The Emperor's light will fall upon us this day," This time when he spoke, humanity left his voice. The translated words from his vox in his helmet sounded robotic and tyrannical. The Captain General's golden plate armor was so bulbous and ornate that it seemed to consume his head in its gigantism, especially from the perspective of the other guardsmen at the table. "The Shadowkeepers aboard the The Misty Spirit are expecting our arrival at the rendezvous sector of Ephemera." Valoris turned from the table and walked slowly to the bay doors. He stopped and turned his head back to the table, "Walk with me, Deranis."