Chapter One: A New Threat
K'Reng leader of the Iron Coalition glanced around his throne room. Shiny steel walls, rigorously polished nightly to reflect the bright gleam from the under floor lighting. Statues formed from the purest adamantium adorned the corridors along with many objects of art captured from the primitive worlds, surrounding his home world of Prime. The clanging of boots could be heard coming down the hallway, looking up he saw his chief advisor enter the room. His skin was gnarled and cracked with age, his movements stiff betraying the onset of arthritis settling in. His mind however had lost none of its sharpness. Standing to attention the advisor addressed him.
"My lord, the Imperial forces are on the move again, as we speak there legions are overrunning our neighbours armies in the Rotrini Cluster. There fleets were scattered and the remnants are now engaged in a series of running battles."
Waving his hand scornfully, K'Reng laughed.
"About time too. They were weak; I was considering invading them myself. They are an embarrassment to our race."
"As I have said before, their level of technology is quite high, what they lack in numbers they made up for in quality. Whilst they lack your illustrious armies, their droids in particular cannot be denigrated. I recommend we abandon our outer colonies…"
"What? Abandon them? Do you know how much the coalition relies on the ore from our miners there? The Imperiums borders are parsecs away, our analysts estimate that they will attack in around two year's time. We need the ore to prepare our defences. There would be uproar in the senate if I tried to pass that motion!" More shocked than anything, K'Reng shook his head in surprise. "Honestly Mi'Rath, I thought better of you… of all people you should understand this the most, you were around in the civil revolts of '832."
"My lord, with the utmost respect and devotion,"
"Mi'Rath… my bath is due, leave now…" Mi'Rath turned to leave. "And Mi'Rath, stop worrying… you are my closest advisor. One would hate to see you age prematurely." Leaning back into his seat K'Reng pressed a button summoning a quartet of servants who reverently lifted his throne and carried it to the executive baths deep within the inner palace.
Mi'Rath strode out of the hall, his face a mask of rage. The fop had no idea! The Imperial fleets were fast, they used the warp with impunity, powerful psykers guiding them through the swirling eddies and currents. Their god emperor led them against all who refused to surrender to his rule. Rumours poured in daily about the strength and size of his armies. Legions of super warriors encased in impenetrable armour. Resisting even the most powerful bullets. The shots that wounded rarely seemed to kill them they could keep fighting after a dozen wounds. He had vowed to protect the coalition as his family had for generations before him, and he would protect the coalition even if he had to protect it from his liege. Sighing, he entered his room, closing his eyes, he kissed the photo of his dead wife, mutting 'Forgive Me'. He pulled out a long slender katana from its mount on the wall, it was the ceremonial mark of his office and was fitting that it died with him. Lifting out his auto pistol he smiled, in his youth he had trained as a bodyguard and even though it broke all of his training and methodology he had to act for the good of all… he had to kill K'Reng.
Walking out of his room, he took a deep breath and walked out of his room in the outer palace. Looking up at the impregnable citadel in front of him, he could feel the raw power of the outer walls. With all its turrets, soldiers and plates of solid plascrete for a second he could almost fool himself into thinking that his nation's invulnerability was tangible. Instead he steadied himself and walked up to the main gate, two giant men waited there. Equipped with oversized laser rifles they were a match for any foe that had yet been faced before. In front of them were reinforced plastic barriers that could stop even the shells of their greatest tanks. Shaking his head he remembered the reports of the Myrian system, the inhabitants there had researched into genetic development. Much as the so-called 'Emperor' had in fact. They were renowned as geniuses and had recently developed the power of their minds to such a degree that they could destroy a man's mind from a mile away. That didn't save them when the Emperor himself arrived with a fleet, which had reduced the planets in the system to bare rock. Leaving as suddenly as it had arrived. The Emperor's power had never been felt so keenly before. It was like a sleeping giant had awoken and now its roar rippled across the galaxy. Nobody could fight the Emperor and win, the size of his armies was unparalleled and the skill of his legions was unmatched… he was almost at the gates when the first of the expected alarms went off.
