Angel's Lament
Hello and Welcome to another Chapter of Angel's Lament. Today we continue with the Imperials as they search for a more permanent place to stay. What will they find? What will they do? And what are their plans? Let's find out in this Chapter...
Chapter Nine: Angel's Landing
It had been almost two months since the Imperial Armada had crashed into their new reality, and much had happened in that time. They had United behind a common cause and nominated a leader for their mission. They were now aware of their fate and the universe they had been sent to. They had grown in strength, bolstered by the arrival of the Thetrian Refugee Fleet, and their Chartist Allies. The sense of a shared fate had become established between all these groups as they readied to undertake their task.
This led to an even stronger belief in one another, for if they had all been given this mission by the Emperor Himself, then he must have chosen them for their Nobility and Loyalty to Him, meaning The Emperor Himself believed that they were able to complete his task. This has led to the whole Armada creating and signing what they had now coined 'The Angel's Manifest' a document entailing that all who signed it were willing to do whatever it took to see the Emperor's Dream made real.
The Armada had then quickly finished all the repairs and other preparations for the fleet to be ready for war. During all this work the Librarium and Mechanicus have toiled to learn all they could on where they were, and where they needed to go first. They had learned the Armadas basic position in comparison to some of the major places of the galaxy, finding out that they lay only a few day's journey away from the once Quarian and Citadel border located near what was now the Geth Empire. This had turned out to be something of a blessing though as this had shown them the path they needed to take to get to where they were needed.
After learning their location they had set to work on learning what the galactic map looked like. Though they only were able to create half of it. Because they could only assume borders and strategic points, but to get more information they would need to get access to this galaxies information network, the so-called 'Extranet.' This task had proven more difficult to accomplish than Antros had originally expected. At first, the plan had been to simply hijack an extranet relay tower and scour it for as much information as possible. But this plan had become far more complicated when the Scout Ships reported that all of the closest relays had already been hacked into by other groups, some they had never heard about like a group called the 'Eclipse,' while the rest were commandeered by the Geth.
When the scouts had attempted to remove or bypass the preexisting information blockers they had nearly been found accidentally triggering some internal failsafe. It wouldn't have been a true problem if they had been seen, the Scout ships, even though relatively ill-equipped for fighting were still more than able to take on two or more of this galaxy's puny warships. But that would result in them being discovered, which could not happen, yet. They still needed to prepare and learn scores more before they were ready to enter the light of day and be seen by their enemies.
Antros had resolved to move the whole fleet to a more abandoned area of space that was close enough to Citadel space to still gather as much intelligence on them as possible. They had ended up going deeper into the Terminus Systems, though they didn't yet know its name. Eventually, after 2 weeks of scouting and planning, they got lucky. They found a Relay that had yet to be hijacked by one of this galaxy's plethora of scum and cretins. The Relay had turned out to be damaged, hence why it had been ignored by all else. Though the Tech-Priest quickly commandeered its signal and used it to gather as much information as they could. It took only an hour for the galaxy's most relevant data to be combed through by the cadre of Mechanicus Adepts, but what it found was well worth all the wait.
Not only did they now possess a map of the galaxy, marked with all the key strategic points, borders, and important locations, but they also found a treasure trove of information on the political atmosphere of the current age. Antros had known through the Scrying that Humanity was divided, but he had not known to what level, what he found was upsetting, but it could be improved, with time. Not only was Mankind divided and without purpose, but so were most of her current allies and enemies. The only species that seemed exempt from this divide were the Hanar, Drell, and Elcor. The galaxy seemed rife for destruction, one that Antros knew he had to stop before it went any further, but how he would be able to change such a drastic situation loomed over him.
But even more, much had been gleaned on the known worlds that were all but ready for colonization. Only not yet done as a result of either threats of legal action by the Council, a lack of determination and easy access through the highly limiting Mass Relay Network, or simple border disputes among Factions. As much as it sickened Antros to see such a government rife with corruption and a lack of focus, he could not deny that it made his tasks for now Far easier to do. In the end, and after much deliberation by the Apothecaries, Adepts, and officers a world was chosen. The uninhabited world of Bellator (Latin for Warrior), it lay in the perfect area of space for them to operate, out of the direct sight of the naive Citadel and close enough to human interests that the Imperials could rapidly respond to developing threats.
The world had been perfect for the Imperials, as if prepared by the Emperor Himself for his disciples. It was lush with Flora, though it contained little fauna with most being simple wild beasts. Its gravity was somewhat less compared to Terra, but only by a fraction. It had Four orbitals already in place, Three moons that seemed to chase one another across the planet's sky, and a long-abandoned research facility, that had been operated by the Salarians when they had taken a small interest in the world. Though the station had been abandoned for nearly three hundred years after the interest had waned and their attention directed elsewhere. The Three moons were each about Half the size of Luna, and their composition was mainly nickel and iron-based. While the wider system was largely uninhabitable, with the other planets mainly being cold and unliveable rocks or gas Giants. The system was binary with two different stars, one Blue while the other a Red Giant.
Though there was another possible aid in the system that could operate as the Imperials Radio Tower. They could, once they procured enough Xenos tech, build their own 'silent' information relay that would constantly scan the Extranet for items, people, places, or events of interest. This could allow them to when necessary learn of items of interest that could help move the Imperials goals along. This, of course, would take time and a lot of preparation before being done, but when completed it would be a useful aid to the Armada. They would also need to procure a way to listen to the Military channels of this universe to learn when and where they would be needed to fight, but that could be done in time. For now, the Imperials had more important duties to see too.
…
The Armada was currently at low anchor above Bellator, the ship's engines on standby ready to roar to life and spring the ships out of the planet's gravity well. Not all of the Armada was present, the Steward Escorts patrolling the system ensuring the area's isolation. The rest of the fleet, aside from the Sanguine Spirit, sat unmoving above the world, their hulls occasionally giving low groans as gravity attempted to pull the ships to the surface. But with the ship's anchors at the ready, they floated peacefully above the world, as they had been doing for the last half month. In that time the fleet had simply sat relatively idle, the occasional shuttles jumping from vessel to vessel. But within the Ships much had occurred at that time. The fleet had been slowly making preparations for the day they could unload their cargoes upon the world. The fleets leaders had been kept busy day in day out making sure every detail was perfect for this day.
Today was the day the Imperials would finally make a home in this Galaxy beyond that of their ships. Finally, after two weeks of analysis, preparation, and distribution, the fleet was ready. The inoculations and vaccines had finally been given to every human, every animal, and plant. Not only had they been distributed, but now enough time had passed for those measures to be ready, the individual's immune systems finally over the initial shock of the alien pathogens and now having developed their own antibodies to fight said diseases on their own. Today was the day the Imperium would colonize a world, not of their own galaxy. Even if the Citadel and Reapers had no idea of this event they soon would feel the weight of its effects upon them, soon the Imperium would begin to see their interests insured, and their opponents defeated.
But for now, there was a world to bring under the Imperial Banner, Bellator would be the first of countless worlds in this galaxy to witness the Imperium and what it was capable of. The first shuttles to descend to the planet were Devourer Dropships built to hold a full company of soldiers in one go. They now carried a mix of building supplies, Technicians, and Machinery. The first members to land went right to work clearing out large swaths of wilderness, while others started to build a landing port for the rest of the ships to come after. While these teams of Technicians and Servitors worked the Devourer Dropships took off back into the void.
Once they landed back in the cargo bays of their assigned ship they were quickly refueled and their holds filled again with more building materials and workers. Yet again they lifted off and reentered the planet's lower atmosphere, where they again landed and disgorged their payloads. This continued for five hours, ships collecting their cargo and unloading it on the surface of Bellator. After this time the rudimentary airfield was finished allowing the full force of airships to be used to their peak abilities. The sky filled with dozens of shuttles and transports flying to and from the fleet in orbit. The massive Warships able to be seen from the surface, the smaller ships that danced about them looking like fireflies at such a distance.
Antros stood in the newly constructed Air Control Tower that had just been finished, cogitators and pict-screens spurring to life around him. Artemis as always was laid at Antros's feet her attention directed to sleeping rather than anything around her. To Antros's right stood Malakim Phoros, High Chaplin Efriel, and Nikolaus, while on Antros's left stood Rhacelus and Donotriel, they were all dressed for war. The Astartes stood motionless all staring into the sky overseeing the beginning of the colonization of Bellator. It was a slow process, one that could be expedited, but Antros wished for their work to be done right not quickly. It would take another few hours but soon the first buildings, not dedicated to aerial assets, would be completed and the first of Thetra's people could step foot upon their new home.
The planet was beautiful, lush, and green everything the Imperials needed to be. Plants were everywhere, with very few clearings to be found. Bellator's environment and ecosystems seemed to have evolved similar to ancient Terra, with most flora producing Oxygen as a byproduct of the plants producing glucose to sustain themselves. The planet's atmosphere was a little weaker than Terras, but with simple precautions, such as beginning production on a radiation-resistant skin lotion would prove more than effective enough to keep people safe. Along with a weaker ozone layer, the atmosphere was also more oxygenated than terra, nearing 23% rather than Ancient Terra's 20.95%. Though as long as they made fire-fighting a priority it was unlikely anything would become of this, so it was quickly filed away in a cogitator should the information ever be necessary for the future.
There was little Fauna on Bellator, which originally stuck out to Antros as odd, but eventually, it was revealed that most animals had died in a recent extinction event that Bellator had suffered. Where the temperature had become incredibly high resulting in most animals not being able to survive when the deserts covered most of the surface. Eventually, the temperature stabilized again and the deserts receded allowing plant life to again cover the planet's sole continent. But the planet's animals were still recovering a few thousand years later. Most of the animals that were alive were wild and highly territorial. Several people had already been injured by the few animals encountered, luckily though guards had quickly responded to the attacks before someone's death.
It made Antros proud to see so many humans working together toward a common goal. But he dragged his attention away from the spectacle of Human determination and instead toward the distant future. He still felt somewhat lost, and deep within his heart, he felt a sliver of doubt grow in the back of his mind. 'What if I was not the one meant to lead us? How will I know that I'm doing what He wishes? Will He give me a sign if I stray from his path? Or am I doomed to never know if what I'm doing is the right thing?' Antros for a moment felt so overwhelmed that he felt helpless to do anything right. But he Quickly reaffirmed his cause within his mind. 'The Primarch saw Something in me, otherwise, he would have spoken to another. And the Emperor trusted me enough to send me on this task in the first place. Now it is time to show that I am worthy of their trust, that much I know.' With that Antros banished the last remnants of his doubt, he would not fail in his task, he would save this galaxy from destruction, he would stop the Reapers 'Cycle,' that much he knew for certain.
Antros turned away from the window and towards the room's most recent occupant. Kera strolled into the Observation Chamber her mind ablaze with wonder. She had never set foot upon a real planet, having lived her whole life aboard the Sanguine Spirit. For her, it was still a large shock to see the sky rather than the open void. Antros couldn't help but smirk at the child's astonishment. She had grown much since he was originally taken to her, she had become far stronger, in mind, spirit, and body. Antros had trained her every moment he was free from his duties as Commander. This had helped her more than he could have guessed. She now had a low level of control over her abilities, able to moderately influence the emotions of others.
Kera hadn't just been trained with her psychic abilities but had also begun training in basic fighting techniques and exercises meant to help her learn balance. Antros left that aspect of her training to Nikolaus. The Sanguinary Guard had made a profound connection to the child, one even he couldn't explain. She had been clumsy at first, her body and mind still recovering from her recent loss, but she had performed admirably for one so young. She was a strong child and both Antros and Nikolaus saw it, as long as she was trained properly they saw a bright future in store for her when they returned home.
Kera quickly came to a stop next to Nikolaus and stared off into the sky at the procession of ships and transports. Antros, after another few moments, dragged his attention again away from the sky, instead looking to what lay below on the surface. For nearly a kilometer there spanned an airfield constantly shifting with ships, cargo, equipment, and people moving about. After that came a large collection of recently finished warehouses, currently beginning to be filled with assorted goods, ranging from building materials, fuel containers, and foodstuffs. Beyond that lay the beginnings of basic lodgings, small houses built to hold a small family and no more. They were not permanent dwellings only meant to hold people while the rest of the Colony was established. Next was the rugged and temporary fortifications intended to keep local fauna from wandering too close to the colony.
Beyond that things began to blur out of focus for Antros's enhanced eyes, though he could just make out what looked like trees, though he couldn't be sure. Antros though watched the airfield mainly, watching as the shuttles were unloaded and readied again for taking off. But after yet another moment he pulled himself away from the sights. As much as he wished to simply relax and watch the fleet work on its own, he knew eventually that he would need to see to it personally that things were getting done correctly. So with this thought, Antros turned from the window one last time and began to walk to the chamber's main lift, Artemis quickly rousing and following after him.
…
The next few days passed with little in the way of major developments, aside from the continued construction of the city. Even while a name for the city was being decided, work continued, Habblocks rising from the earth along with the foundations of manufactorums, accompanied by a massive array of warehouses and storage facilities. The colony itself was situated in between Two large mountain ranges that ran parallel along the valley. The Valley itself was still primarily covered in a lush forest and brush with the occasional creature about within. The Dale was very wide at around 10 kilometers, and another 14 kilometers in-depth with the mountains being so large they cast shadows into the valley below that could be seen until around midday. Much of the Dale was slowly being cleared of its abundant plant life, buildings rising where once nature had reigned supreme. In a matter of a few more days, the Valley would be cleared and an Imperial city resting in its place.
The current number one priority construction project was the roadways and several Land Train tracks. Antros had prioritized their construction, believing that the rest of the city would be far easier to build once easy transportation was established. The next most important buildings were the Fortress Monasteries for both the Lamenters and Blood Angels, along with the Knightly Citadel and an Astra Militarum Base. Each defensive bastion was placed by the entrances to the Valley through either the leveled terrain to the south and north or the breaks in the Mountain ranges. While a PDF Stronghold rested at the heart of the city, though its construction was less of a priority, for now, meaning it was still only mere foundations.
Along with roads and fortifications being a priority Antros had ordered that crops be planted as soon as possible in the massive clearing to the north of the airfield, near where the Knight Citadel was being constructed. The clearing had recently been discovered to be the most favorable for Thetran crops to grow. So Antros had ordered the planting as a priority wishing to ensure the Fleet would still be able to hold on to their emergency rations. As well as Antros wished to make the planet self-reliant so that should they be stuck within this galaxy indefinitely they could rely on their own food production to sustain them for that time.
Another recent development had also occurred that concerned the long term ability to keep Bellator's colonization a secret. Citadel Ship had been detected touring in the next system over. Though they didn't seem built for war in any significant way, barely being able to field an array of weapons that could even scratch the surface of an Imperial merchant vessel let alone a career Warship, like a Sword Class.
Originally Antros had planned to send some of his own Warships to deal with them, but had decided against it just before sending the message, deciding to hope the unknown explorers would pass them by. Antros knew he had more than enough to deal with the pathetic resistance the little ship would put up but he simply wished not to attract any attention that the ship's disappearance would cause. After all, he had been told that they should work from the shadows for as long as possible. So he simply told his captains to be wary and to keep an eye on the ships, and if they ventured too close to attempt to activate their Reflex Shields (Special shields that render Imperial Ships invisible) in the hopes to avoid detection. But should all if this prove ineffective in remaining hidden that the captains were to board the ship and take its crew captive and bring them and their ship directly to Bellator where he would decide what to do with them.
As Antros peered at the hololithic image of the ship he couldn't help but feel that somehow someone in that little ship was connected to him, and his fleet. He felt that whoever was aboard the vessel that their destiny was somehow intertwined with his own. The feeling was subtle, almost completely unnoticeable, but Antros had been trained to be able to easily recognize such feelings. The sensation was almost like a feather being run against the inside of his skull, it wasn't uncomfortable, but it was abnormal. As Antros continued to stare at the hololithic image he couldn't help but say under his breath. "Who are you? And what do you have to do with my mission? Could you be one of the obstacles I have to work to destroy, or are you meant to aid me in my endeavor?"
Antros knew no answer would come for now but that did not mean he had to be idle. Antros quickly memorized the rune written on the flank of the vessel which he ran through his memory for the recent languages he had been learning since arriving in this galaxy. He quickly analyzed the language and determined that it was the human 'English' dialect. The ship's name was the 'Normandy SR-2.' Though in truth the name meant nothing to Antros, it perhaps might mean something in this galaxy, he would have to wait to find out. While the Imperials had made great strides in colonization, they had yet to establish a way to access the Citadel's Extranet, but that would come in time and when the fleet had less pressing things happening.
…
Sometime later the 'Normandy' left, after sending a shuttle to the planet it had been anchored above. After the shuttle returned the Normandy immediately left the system heading to what the denizens of this galaxy called a "Mass Relay." An ancient alien artifact supposedly left by an alien race called the Protheans, who had used them as an FTL means of transport about the galaxy. Though Antros doubted that the Protheans had made them, all the devices he had seen contained echoes of more ancient Xenos than the Protheans. The Protheans appeared a near worshiped species in this reality, their discoveries being hailed as the pinnacle of sentient life's development. The Protheans had been eradicated by the Reapers during the last 'Cycle' as this galaxy's conspiracy theorists had dubbed the Reapers mass culling of intelligent life. This made sense, the Protheans technology, even compared to the Dark Imperiums technology, was weak, primitive, and ineffective.
Sure they had become the standard in this galaxy for a reason, but from what Antros's Magos had discovered they were incredibly weak compared to even the Imperium's basic laser-weapons. These Kinetic barriers seemed to be somewhat useful, but they were entirely pointless against energy weapons, such as the standard-issue Lasgun. This made Antros very amused that one of the Imperium's most mocked weapons would now prove some of her most effective against their enemies here. It was strange to Antros just how incompetent these Citadel races had proved to be. They had the technology and ability to reverse engineer the preexisting Mass Relays yet they weren't willing to for the simple reason that those that already existed were what they were used to and that it would be too much of a hassle to dismantle a Relay.
This made Antros very annoyed that such a weak excuse could be the sole reason for the entire galaxy, as not even one of this galaxy's species had even attempted to truly learn how the Mass Relays worked and if they could be replicated. It showed him just how much needed to change. The change would be difficult and would take quite some time, but Antros would see this reality remade and purified of its corruptions and ailments, he swore it to himself, Sanguinius and the Emperor. The galaxy may have seemed doomed, but Antros knew the Emperor would not send them on a fool's errand.
After the Normandy left Antros finally let some amount of himself relax. It had weighed heavy on his mind that the Citadels lackeys had ventured so close to his domain so soon after they had claimed it. Of course he knew that no Citadelian yet had knowledge of the Imperials, but how close they may have come to seeing them was still concerning. Antros would have to ensure that any future passerby weren't able to see the Imperials or given the chance to escape if they did.
Antros had already come up with a plan for if any Citadelian's did see them, they would be hunted and taken back by the Imperial Navy to Bellator, where one of four things would happen to them. First they could be simply executed and their ship taken apart by the Techmarines, Tech Adepts, and Jokaero Engineers so they could learn from this galaxy's technology, and if any of it could prove useful to their mission later on. Second, should the full contingent of individuals prove to be human or primarily human, then they would be spoken to, in an attempt to learn more of the Citadel and its human servants. They would then most likely have their most recent memories wiped away by the Librarians and new memories put in their place. After their new memories were implanted they would wake up a few systems away from Bellator with no recollection of the Imperials. Antros hoped this would be the primary way they dealt with those that found them, as it would allow the imperials not to gain any attention for ships disappearing.
The third plan was should the crew turn out to be the more unsavory Xenos they would be captured and go through basic testings and experiments, then some would be wiped by the drug called Psytroprene, which completely cleared an individual's memories irreversibly (Usually used by the Imperium for instant rehabilitation of Hive Gangers and such), the ones wiped would then wake up some great distance away from Bellator near were the Citadel could find them. If they were found or their possible stories didn't matter to Antros the only thing that did was that as little suspicion was raised about Bellator. While the selected individuals who weren't wiped would be euthanized and autopsied to learn the secrets of their species, like weaknesses and exploits the Imperials could use on them.
Then the Final plan and the one Antros had no real intention of using entailed blind trust. The individuals who they captured would be spoken to and their knowledge added to the Imperials Arsenal. After that the basic plan was to swear them to secrecy and escort them away from Bellator, while wiping all their cogitators of any information they actively or passively gained from observing Bellator or the Imperials Ships. Antros heavily disliked this plan but he could see in the situation where the crew was fully human and they all were true of heart that leniency could be given to them. But After making the Groundwork for his plans Antros realized that there was more to be seen for the colony. Mainly the important keystone of morale and discipline, as Antros had sensed a growing unease forming in some of the men and women he met with, they would need their spirits seen to, soon.
…
The next Nine hours went by with Antros making arrangements and preparations for a Speech. He recalled the fleet back to Bellator having them achieve low anchor in the Atmosphere and ordering them to gather their crews into whatever chambers they could that had reliable Vox-Casters. While on the Planet Antros had a large series of loud speakers set up on the primary landing field along with ordering a podium constructed near the center of the air field. After this all was arranged Antros ordered his commanders to meet him at the podium where he informed them on the speeches they were to give, he ensured to give the most Charismatic the longest and hardest requirement as a way to ensure their expertise in that area as well as ensure the most able were given a chance to inspire their fellow Imperials. After organizing the speeches in an intelligent manner Antros had all the citizens, soldiers, Adepts, and Astartes of the world gather on the Airfield.
Once everything was in place and all of Antros people were gathered both in the void or upon the planet Antros had the speeches begin. First to go was High Chaplin Efriel, he gave an opening prayer to the Emperor. Requesting that the Gathering be watched over by the Emperor and that his speech and those after him would give those whose spirit's need hope that their words would give it to them, and that those who were deep in the throngs of grief would feel their sadness helped by their words. After finishing his prayer Chaplin Efriel spoke of the nature of destiny, and how even when people believe themselves without one that the Emperor has a plan for everyone of his children, whether their destiny is to lead armies or to simply work as a chog in the great machinery of the Imperium. That despite the difference in appearance between those fates that both are at the end of equal import. He spoke too of how both those individuals if they performed their tasks with diligence that their rewards in the next life would be great.
After High Chaplin Efriel came the Captain of the Sanguine Spirit, who had been named the Admiral of all naval elements, She spoke about the nature of duty and how it was the duty of them all to work and fight for the Emperor, and his vision for this galaxy. She continued to speak on how all assembled had a divine duty to fight for this galaxy. She spoke on how the Imperium had been sent to enlighten this galaxy and that they would show it the Light of the Emperor. She ultimately concluded her speech by giving the sign of her home Cadia.
Next after Admiral Merra came High Cardinal Jeremiah, he quickly walked to the center of the podium and began his speech. He talked mainly about hope and the power of the human spirit, and how even through the darkest of time humanity had persevered and continued to grow in spite of all the odds. He spoke on how the Emperor had chosen each of them for this mission and that with his faith in them they could not fail. He wrapped up his speech offering another prayer to the Emperor asking that he would watch over and protect them from the evils of this galaxy.
After that the other speeches became a blur, many repeating talking points from those that went before them. While other talks simply turned into stories and fables meant to inspire. Near the end Antros could feel the unease within the fleet begin to diminish with each passing speech. The speeches went on until finally it was Antros's turn, he had put himself as the last to speak as he wished to deliver the final blow to the fleet's instability. After Chartist Captain Azidar finished his speech recounting a time his ship had been boarded by Ork Pirates he stepped down from the pedestal and back to his seat with the rest of the fleet's leaders. Only once the Captain was firmly seated did Antros rise for his throne near the center. He was dressed as if about to go into heavy battle. His cobalt blue Power Armor glistening from the light of Bellator's Suns, while Vitarus was held firmly in his right hand, while Angel's Light sat ready in his armors holster.
Antros made his approach to the plinth slowly wishing to let the crowd fully register the last talk. Antros's final steps weren't quiet, as he meant them to pull back the crowd to the moment. As Antros finally situated himself at the pillar he made sure to cast his gaze slowly along the crowd. In the front stood the Imperial Guardsmen from Harakoni. They were organized into companies, their officers standing at the front of the groupings. Intermingled with the Guard were their Abhuman Axilluraries Ogryns, Ratlings, and a few Beastmen. Antros at first was perplexed at the sight of the Beastmen, as he recalled they had been denied their Abhuman rights a few decades ago namely they lost the ability to fight in the Guard, but, then Antros remembered. Lord Warden Dante had reinstated the poor creatures as Abhumans, meaning, they once again could serve in the Guard though only in limited capacities and they had to be kept in small numbers as to discourage any chance of their corruption.
Antros though quickly drew his attention back to what he saw past the Guard. After the career soldiers of the Militarum came the normal citizens of Thetra, along with the families of the Harakoni Warhawks. Next, passed the civilians, stood the Royal Guards of House Bellerophon, with them also stood the Thetran Dragoons, the Sacristans, and the House Staff. While passing them upon their own small podium stood the few surviving members of House Bellerophon. There were only about 200 people in total, some with missing limbs while others had wounds, the signs of their near brush with death as evident psychically as it was physically. The whole family's Aura's shone with regret and mourning, with interminglings of anger could also be found. Antros felt for them, these had all been emotions he had grown used to feeling everytime he lost another one of his brothers. The Dark Mileniaum had truly taken its toll on the Imperium and all her territories.
Antros finally took in the last two groups that were assembled with the Nobles. The Astartes and Tech-Priests stood on the flanks of the small Knights podium. The two groups standing out for unique reasons one for their size the other for their behavior and appearance. But none of that mattered to Antros at the moment, so in a quick and precise breath Antros began his speech after resting Vitarus against the plinth.
"My fellow Servants of The Emperor." Said Antros keeping his voice kind as well as controlled. "I have so much that I must thank you for. Your diligence, your spirit, and most of all, your faith. Your faith in our cause has been an inspiration for me and my brothers. We are invigorated by your example. To have gone through what we all have faced and to still be whole is a sign of your strength. The Strength that exists within all Mankind. Even in this lost branch we have been sent to save. As well as this Galaxy we are here to safeguard."
"I am sure that by now you all have heard the rumors about this galaxy. I speak to you now too dispel these falsehoods that are being said of this galaxy and our mission here. Yes it is true that Xenos exist in this galaxy, it is also true that this galaxy's humans freely associated with them. And yes it is true that our brothers and sisters are even subject to Xenos sovereignty and rules." The crowd, primarily the mortal Citizens, became very vocal about their displeasure at hearing of their fellow humans' fate, but Antros quickly raised his hand to call for silence, and the crowd quickly obliged. "However they can be freed of these shackles, and we will be the ones to show them of their manifest destiny to rule the galaxy."
"But this Galaxy's Humanity may not need to be alone in this Galaxy." The Assembly began to murmur. But before the crowd could make any more reactions Antros raised his hand to call for silence, they obliged a few moments later. "Let me explain. I mean, that much like in our own galaxy, not all Xenos are necessarily our enemies. We see examples of Xenos being helpful in our own galaxy with races like the Jokaero, the Kroot, and the Demurig. The same about some Xenos is also true for this galaxy. Some of the 'Citadel's' associate races or their outcast races could be considered worthy allies. Conveniently for us there are a number of such races that can be reasoned with."
"But much to the nature of most Xenos, there are many who are not worthy of being treated with decency. As well, while on the topic of the unworthy, there are sadly many humans here that much like home are unwilling to contribute to society's well-being. For example there are a plethora of manmade Organizations that actively seek to destroy and destabilize their fellow Humans. Such groups and both Friendly and Enemy Xenos will be talked about in more detail later. But for now, I will inform you my fellow Servants of His Will, I will speak on our primary enemy, and our reason for being summoned to this Galaxy."
Antros waited a moment to allow the crowd a moment to collect their thoughts, as well as to ensure he had their undivided attention. When Antros did speak he made sure his voice contained a bit of venom to portray the disdain he wanted them to feel for the creatures he was about to talk about. "Our reason for being dragged to this Galaxy is to put an end to a malicious and conniving race. They have no true name, but the one given to them by those they slaughter. The 'Reapers,' is their most recent title. They DARE to believe themselves the galaxy's supreme beings, and that all other life is subject to their 'Divine' will."
"They have ravaged the galaxy for unknown eons, Harvesting all sentient life every 50,000 years, and using those dead beings as fuel to grow their corrupt horde of beasts and minions. Now they prepare for their next Harvest. Where they DARE to attack a fledgling Human Empire. And like all cowards like them they use the lies and deceit to weaken their enemies before they move in for the kill. They have also taken to specifically targeting Mankind, for they know of our strength, and our destiny to destroy them, and for this they have become scared. Now they strike through their minions, attempting to kidnap and weaken humanity where she is least defended."
"They currently have the upper-hand over the Galaxy, as they sow seeds of deceit throughout the galaxy. They are actively now attempting to bring Chaos and Anarchy to the Galaxy before they strike. But luckily for this galaxy and her Mankind, WE have come to stop the Darkness. WE have come to DESTROY the Reapers for their arrogance and their audacity to try and strike down OUR people. The Reapers are a Spineless Breed of Xenos, unfit for this galaxy or any other, who deserve the most agonizing of deaths. But luckily for these unworthy scum, The IMPERIUM OF MANKIND has come to give them a Quick Death! We, MANKIND, HAVE COME TO CONQUER THE GALAXY AND BANISH THE DARKNESS THESE XENOS SPREAD! NOW, MY FELLOW SERVANTS, WE DEAL OUR FIRST BLOW TO THE REAPERS!" Yelled Antros, a fire in his eyes, and his arms gesturing to the crowd to the sky. The crowd roared in holy rage, each of them ready to bring doom upon the Reapers.
Hello and Thank you for reading to the end of Chapter 9, it really means a lot to me to have people read my story. And Please if you did enjoy this chapter, please, review. As it shows me that you want this story to continue, and that I'm not just posting a story that no one cares about. Hopefully next chapter I'll finally get to write some action as the Imperials strike out from their hideout. Thank you again for reading and have a great rest of your day.
