Three figures, each a humanoid form taller than the Warlord by a dozen meters. They were more slender, arms longer, and with heads raised above their torsos. He pushed power to weapons, plasma growing warm and capacitors humming. His warhorn brayed a challenge, and he squared his titan to the three giants.
They stopped a kilometer or so away. One a vibrant red, another purple, and the third a pale blue. Each was near demonic in their visage and their armor fit their forms closely, unlike the medieval faceplate and carapace of the Warlord. Grant noted their large solid slug weapons, each more a scaled-up infantry gun than a true titan scale cannon. Their engines trailed power cables back further into the distance, lacking the power signatures of any reactor he or his own engine recognized.
As the chronometer ticked by, neither lone Warlord nor the trio before it moved. Grant noted the vox traffic between the three unidentified titans and another source somewhere in the distance and put his cogitators to cracking the encryption. He didn't know why the unknowns hadn't attacked yet. Perhaps they couldn't be bothered, or perhaps they simply wanted to give him time to respond. Either way, he preferred to at least be somewhat certain what they were before trading blows.
The display in front of him indicated he was now listening in on the local encrypted vox traffic, the methods used to scramble the communications crude by Mechanicus standards. The visual component of the signals still undeciphered. However, he could make out words and phrases being exchanged between the operators of the three war machines and who he assumed was their high command.
The operator of the blue titan spoke, a female monotone voice only slightly touched by curiosity, "It is scanning us."
Another female voice, this one seeming older was transmitted from the distant command center, "Hold back. It has enough firepower to crack an Angel's AT field and I doubt your armor will do much against it."
The operator of the red giant responded, another girl with sarcasm laced into every word, "We have the three most powerful weapons ever created and you want us to stand here?"
An older man spoke, "Correct, do not fire. It appears to be intelligent, it engaged the Angel effectively and has warned us to stay back. We will heed that warning."
So that's what he just killed, an Angel. A strange name for such a repulsive xenos breed, but it might just be a sarcastic nickname. He still dared not move, he didn't know if he had the firepower to eliminate these three titans before they closed the gap.
A young male spoke, the Warlord identifying them as the pilot of the purple-colored engine, "Do you think it can hear us?"
"What are you, stupid?" replied the pilot of the red titan, "Nothing can crack Magi encryptions."
The visual feed was established, pict screens showing five individuals. All were recognizably human, much to Grant's relief. The pilots were all young, around his age; while the two transmitting from the command center were older, the woman by ten years and the man by twenty.
The older female's face suddenly turned to one of concern, hearing someone off-screen, "The Magi have detected an encryption breach, the unidentified unit is listening to us."
Grant took that as his cue, opening a channel to the five with as many authority signifiers as he could, "This is Princeps Grant Schulter, Princeps of the Warlord Aquillis Redemptor. In the name of Legio Tempestus, identify yourselves."
There was a pause as the video feeds of all but the older man were cut, then the older man spoke, "I am Director Ikari, overall commander of NERV. What is your business here."
"I am unsure," said Grant, opting for honesty rather than any confident ruse, "I was on a combat patrol and suddenly found myself here before being engaged by what you called an Angel."
"And you killed it in single combat using an entirely unknown weapon," Ikari had his fingers interlocked before his face, spectacles reflecting the light to hide his eyes, "which organization do you belong to?"
"As I stated previously, Legio Tempestus. One of the Mechanicum's first titan legions, and a loyal force for the God-Emperor's will."
"A spacefaring civilization I presume."
Grant paused, "May I ask what year it is?"
The Director answered, "It's 2017."
Grant paled, hoping against hope that the dating system here was just different.
"Where are we?"
"Earth, though the word is different in a few languages. Terra in-"
Grant felt sick, and he doubled over on his command throne. This was Terra? The Throne-world? The date explained the lack of the world-spanning city, the lack of any hint of the Imperium. Was the Emperor here? He somehow doubted hit, it was just so strange.
He tried to breathe evenly, but he was beginning to shake. Eyes clamped shut he whispered, half plea and half prayer. "No. Oh Throne no."
Someone spoke to the Director from off-screen, and Ikari turned his head towards them. Something about a 'scenario' that the Princeps couldn't quite catch. All things considered, he had bigger problems. He was millennia and light centuries from home, and he also seemed to be displaced in a way beyond simple space and time.
There was, however, opportunity. There was a clear threat to humanity he had fought first hand, and he had his Warlord. He had to take advantage of this, to find some purpose in this strange world.
"Director?"
The Director turned back to the screen, "Yes?"
"I have a proposal," stated Grant, "I doubt the creature I dispatched was the last. My titan will walk in support of your forces in exchange for repair, refit, and other necessities."
Ikari observed the young Princeps with a critical eye, "You speak boldly, but what of your... Warlord."
"If you would like to study it," said Grant, hoping the promise of technology would complete the deal, "I will allow it as long as no part of the titan is damaged or defiled."
Ikari regarded the Warlord Titan with a thin-lipped smile half-hidden behind his hands, "That will be acceptable. Our organization will provide the means to keep you supplied. Welcome to NERV, Princeps."