This will be a very long chapter. Be prepared!
"Mr Scott and Admiral Talunas will board Enterprise," Spock told the assembled Space Marines of the Blood Ravens and Space Wolves. "Myself and Lieutenant Masters will board the Miranda."
"We are ready to assist your machines," said the superhuman cyborgs, the Techmarines of the Blood Ravens.
"Same," said the Space Wolf Iron Priests, who wore conventional colours.
"Thank you," said Talunas. "C-Slow, would you like to join us?"
"We were going to anyway," said the Mechanicus Inquisitor. "Myself and the Cardinal will join Scotty, while the two pillocks with me will join you."
"The full might of our Chapters will defend your work," said the Wolf Lord. "It is good you armed yourselves at Reolaz. Space Hulks are vicious."
"Environmental suits ready," said Masters. "Let's suit up."
"No, you can't use those," said a familiar voice. Gabriel Angelos had come in with a selection of armour suits, all in Blood Raven or Space Wolf colours. "If you wear your puny artefacts on a Space Hulk you will die, with a probability of 98%. You will wear these power armour suits, normal Human-sized."
"They're not to be underestimated," said an Ecclesiarchy priest who assisted Cardinal Bellum. "I've worn these several times. They saved my life and are so comfortable."
Spock noticed the priest's ears and slight green complexion. "What is your name, sir?"
"My name, Mr Spock?" The priest stared ahead blankly. "My name is Fyodor Karamazov."
"I see." Fyodor was not a Vulcan name, but then Vulcans are various other races appeared to have merged over time.
"Do you have all the specifications?" asked Scotty as he tried slipping his arm into one of the suits. "I would not want these rust buckets to blow up in our faces."
"We have downloaded what we can," said C-Slow. "Perhaps you lot have a way of telling us more?"
"The merging of two minds," said Talunas, who had walked past the row of suits. "Myself and Spock could telepathically give you everything you need."
"I thought there was something strange about us," said Karamazov. "We're not psykers... Yet we are psychic."
"Let us begin," said Spock. "Myself and the Admiral can only do this once."
"Once we have what we need, I can shove it into every other Mechanicus cyborg," said the cybernetic Inquisitor.
"Then I will meld with you." Spock placed his hands against C-Slow's implants and began whispering. "My mind to your mind. Our minds are merging."
In unison, C-Slow whispered with Spock, "Our minds our becoming one. I see what you see. I know what you know."
Spock broke off immediately. "Is that enough, sir?"
"It is. Bloody Nora!"
"I will now share my knowledge with the Space Wolf Iron Priest," said Talunas. "May I say I love this suit. Can I have it?"
Angelos stepped around to get a clearer view. Talunas had chosen a tighter power armour suit with large hemispheres on the chest, thigh high boots, and a trailing skirt. "That is a surplus Adepta Sororitas suit."
"Can I have it?"
"You may?" said Angelos. "Now do whatever foul thing you are doing."
Talunas grabbed the still bare sideburns of the hairy giant. "My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts."
"The mind of a upstanding warrior meets a hedonist," sighed the Space Wolf.
Talunas broke off. "Do you have what you need?"
"I do. Don't do that to me again."
"Compare notes," said C-Slow. "Comparison complete."
"Information received," said every Techmarine and their adepts.
"Then let's go and fix those relics up!" said Scotty.
Almost as soon as the first Starfleet shuttlecraft, Galileo, touched down on the Space Hulk, a red stream of light burst onto the starboard nacelle, Only the glancing angle left the nacelle chipped & scorched rather than obliterated. Blue beams shot out from the shuttlecraft, blowing up the automated lascannon post that someone had set up by the airlock of the USS Miranda. A Space Wolf Thunderhawk covered the rest of the approach, blasting away at anything that looked like it could damage the shuttle.
"We're in," said Masters as she guided the shuttle down just a metre from the Miranda's hull. "Arla, Landon, Commander."
There hadn't been many survivors from the engineering crew. Most had been killed by warp core coolant or the explosions just before the core breach, leaving Scotty and Masters the ranking engineers. She and Spock had to make do with a quantum mechanics specialist and a Yeoman.
The Thunderhawk then deposited the Blood Ravens Techmarines and their Chapter Serfs. "Get it open. We'll cover you."
Spock took out a laser cutter and guided a hole in the bulkhead. "We will have to reseal this after we get inside." As he worked, he heard giggling and stomping in the immediate area behind. "Expect a rather juvenile contact," he told the Blood Ravens. "3... 2... 1..."
As the airlock dropped away, the Space Marines poured in bolts, plasma, and melta rays without hesitation. As expected, they hit something. Specifically, they hit green, decaying one-eyed creatures waving swords. By their feet were loads of smaller beings. A faint green puddle contaminated the floor of the ship.
Landon jumped back as a Plaguebearer swiped at her. She drew her phaser pistol and gave the Nurglings by her feet a warm welcome to M3 humanity.
"Great Bird, these are revolting," Arla whispered as she ducked and grappled hand-to-hand with a Plaguebearer. "Uh, I'm not supposed to be doing this alone!"
Spock walked past the fracas and smashed his hand through the Lesser Daemon's eye. "This individual is dead. Move on. Space Marines, myself and Masters are going to the bridge. Arla and Landon will go to engineering. Divide your personnel as you feel best.
"Done," said a Techmarine. "Go!"
Whilst the engineering teams went to their workplaces, an idiot with a hammer and a twit with a gun wandered through the corridors, on the lookout for the unclean. "Have you seen anything?" asked Hamster.
"Yes I have," said Jezza. "40 metres, crawling on the roof. Let's smash them up!"
Giggling, green blobs slithered towards the Inquisitors. Jezza, who could speak Daemonic languages, heard them say, "More friends! Hug them! Squeeze them!"
"I'll give you a good squeeze, and... a squash!"
Hamster's psycannon screamed as more blessed-bolts slammed into the overfriendly abominations. He had the gun for two reasons:
Jezza liked hitting things with hammers, whether a small DIY item or a scaled-down Thunder Hammer.
Hamster was better with a gun, though anyone was compared to Jezza. When he fired, the safest place to be was in front of the target.
Up top on deck 1, the first officer and the engineer took a walk around the dark, musty remains of the Miranda's bridge. They and their Blood Raven allies had just gone through several Nurgle Daemon mobs just to get to the command centre only to find it was exactly as it would have been. Dust and space rocks coated the consoles, nothing showed the slightest signs of activity, and some of the dust piles looked like the rotted remains of the crew. They certainly had still-intact uniforms around them,
A Miranda-class starship did not have the same bridge as a Constitution class. Instead of a circle, it was a long, narrowing quadrilateral with all the consoles barring helm & navigation along the walls. The captain sat behind all of these and behind was the Master Systems Display. Of course, this didn't mean much if they didn't work.
"Spock to Arla, report."
"We're under siege by more Daemons but our friends are holding them off. We've used their devices to restore power, but it's with Imperial plamsa generators, not our systems."
"When will you be ready to restore bridge power?"
"When you are, Commander. Have your Techmarines restored your circuits?"
"They have. For a derelict, this ship's circuits are surprisingly functional."
"Ready," said Masters from the engineering console.
"Spock out. With caution, Lieutenant. If we are not careful, there..."
"Fething ditherers!" said a Techmarine by Masters. Without listening to Spock or the Lieutenant, he hit the button immediately. "Feel the machine resurrect!"
Throughout the ship, lights that hadn't worked for millennia came on. On the bridge, the familiar BEE-WEEAH BEE-WEEAH noise began as the consoles lit up and the viewscreen came on. To make sure things were working, Spock went to the helm console and pressed a button often used by Mr Sulu. Sure enough, the tactical scope rose out and deployed. Leaning back, the first officer counted to then and then stared down the scope. He saw readings on the Space Marine vessels and the shuttles.
"This thing is infested," said a Chapter Serf as she looked down the science scope. "We'll need everyone in here."
"Everyone is here," said the voice of the Warp Spider Exarch from Biel-Tan. A green & white suit of armour accompanied by similar but drabber warriors had materialised on the bridge. "As we said, we wanted you to do this."
"You didn't say that," Masters replied.
"We gave subtext. Listen to us, Marines and Starfleet..."
Fire breathing, floating, purple fungi were not what Scotty and Talunas were expecting when they opened Enterprise's airlock. Nor were they expecting a screaming, flying beast to swoop at them. However, they were expecting trouble and were expecting the Space Wolves to rush in with chainswords and axes. Behind, the snapping metal arms of C-Slow tore a pink blob with tentacles to bits. However, that blob then turned into two smaller blue blobs. "Don't worry," shouted the Inquisitor. "This lot just need more effort."
A Space Wolf filled a Blue Horror with bolts, causing it to burst again. Two smaller, orange creatures appeared. When Bellum sliced them apart with her power sword, they finally vanished. Gone. No more.
The other Space Wolves and Scotty's phaser finished off the other Pink Horror and it's spawn.
Sulu and Uhura ran to engineering, where they saw the large rod that was an NX-class warp core. Silent and still, the Starfleet crew and the Space Wolves wasted no time setting up. "It's like someone preserved these circuits," said Uhura as she poked her gauntlets into the panels.
"They did," said C-Slow. "The Eldar I expect. Anyway, get this thing connected to the plasma generators. You two Blood Claws, deal with the noise outside."
On the bridge, Scotty took the sneaky chance to sit in the large command chair of Enterprise, facing the dead viewscreen. "Aye, these ancient junk were built to last."
Unlike the relatively colourful 23rd century bridges, Enterprise's was grey and... grey. The admiral looked around with distaste. "There's a lot of handholds. Where do these corridors go?"
"I'll check," said a Space Wolf. "There are plenty of buttons and levers here."
"In the old days, they had that kind," said Scotty. "Now we use Vulcan jewel controls."
"Engineering reports ready," said Talunas. "Now?"
"Go for it. Bring this baby online!"
Again, lights flared into life and monitor screens colourised. Schematics off the ship and status reports buzzed everywhere.
An Iron Priest bent down to the the science station by the port rear. The scope rose up and the giant gazed into the machine. "Something's coming in!"
Stumbling around, the green, muscular armoured Eldar calmed down from their teleportation and stared at Talunas. "Striking Scorpions Exarch, Biel-Tan. We will fight below."
"Chaos warships," Ufrat announced to Angelos. "One fleet is from the Screaming Skulls. The other is Knights of the Silver Tower."
"Nurgle and Tzeentch!" said the Space Marine Captain. "Doctor McCoy, we will be having a three-way battle here. Us vs both of them, each of them vs the other."
"How wonderful, Captain," said McCoy.
"Craftworld Biel-Tan approaching," said a Chapter Serf from the tactical wooden rail.
"Specifications?" asked Ufrat.
"It's the Craftworld."
"What's a Craftworld?" the doctor demanded.
"Planet-spaceships that carry the Eldar or, as you call them, Romulans."
"A spaceship the size of a planet has come to help us? Now I've seen everything."
Without a word, the Craftworld opened fire on the Nurgle warships. The pus-ridden behemoths ruptured as the Craftworld's lance batteries tore through their shields, through their Daemonic garbage, and into their reactors.
The Craftworld zoomed past and then came around again. It whizzed towards the Tzeentch warships and vanished.
"What just happened?" asked McCoy.
"They want us to do the rest, the dishonourable fiends," said Angelos. "Put me through to everyone."
"Who is Tzeentch?"
"An foul monster who changes everything. In its misguided desire for madness, it alters things on whims and changes the pure to impure and the impure to even more impure. It has plans that it does not want to work, and sees everything as a toy."
"Bloody Trelane."
"I will assume that is an insult. Excuse me, Leonard. Blood Ravens, Space Wolves, guests, the armies of the Changer of Ways are here."
"Do we help?"
"Not yet. When it comes, we shall no know fear. I fear nothing for I am fear incarnate."
"You haven't been that scary so far."
The giant looked down at the doctor, glaring. "One spit and you die, mortal."
"I've heard worse."
"Initiate attack protocol 23," called the Blood Raven Veteran Sergeant. "Send the Traitors back!"
These Tzeentch Space Marines were not Rubric Marines. As they were alive, they could talk back. The silvery-blue warriors replied, "Nous allons capturer ce vaisseau!"
In the corridors of the Miranda, Space Marines crashed out of diagonal Jefferies Tubes that were almost too big for them as they unleashed fire and bolts onto the Chaos soldiers. Giants who had turned heretic only 7 years before crashed through ancient deck plates as they leapt down on the loyalists they so hated because they were once like them. Warp Spiders flashed up on every deck, sending spinning gunk right into the Warp-corrupted fiends. Fists and steel threw up sparks as dozens of giants and aliens knocked each other over and grappled in the corridors.
A Chaos Space Marine carrying a staff with a large eye burst into engineering. Without stopping, he sent a wave of pink light at Arla.
The Lieutenant screamed, and the scream became a muffle. She groped around blindly. Her nickname was true once again.
Landon turned around just as her phaser burnt a hole in another Traitor's breastplate. "Not again," she whispered.
The Sorcerer turned his attention away from the once again faceless Arla and to the blond Yeoman. He squeezed his hand, and that squeezed her brain...
On the other hand, the Blood Ravens had pushed the Knights of the Silver Tower away from the bridge and auxiliary control. They'd just regained control of the rollbar and were working their way to the impulse engines. "Shaking the ship loose," said Spock as he and Masters sat at the front consoles. "Engage."
"Course plotted, torpedoes armed," said Masters.
"Blast us clear."
Antimatter explosions ripped through the Space Hulk. Ancient wrecks trembled and split as the force sent the Miranda tumbling away.
"Impulse engines engaged," Spock said. "Spock to Angelos, we are approaching your docking bay."
"Roger, Commander. Dock and we will purge your ship of the unclean."
The blast had also forced Enterprise clear. Scotty & Talunas clinged to the bridge handholds as the museum ship rolled through the darkness and into the firefight.
"Inertial dampeners stable!" Talunas screamed. "Impulse engines clear!"
"Fire!" Scotty ordered. "Come on, ya big werewolves!"
On cue, a beam shot out of Firemane's Fang and pulled Enterprise towards it.
"Hold on, lass. Hold on..."
Realising they were in the grip of the Space Wolves whilst also struggling to hold back the ferocity of the Striking Scorpions and their chainswords & shuriken pistols, the Chaos Space Marines began to retreat off the museum ship. On their way, shells and plasma shot at every power conduit, junction, and monitor they could see. By the time they'd gone, Enterprise was almost non-functional.
Were they all gone? Sulu and Uhura took a peek outside. By the time the departing Sorcerer was gone, most of their body parts were small, bloody wrecks.
Power surged as each Traitor weapon hit home. Green fire crackled on the bridge, forcing Talunas to struggle with the engineering station to activate fire suppression. "Initiating... What's that..."
"Admiral, get back!"
Emerald lava tore through the deck plates right where Scotty was standing. Ignatus Power Armour could stand up to that, but would it save Scotty?
By the time the two ships reached the Space Marine vessels, the Miranda was ravaged but functional while Enterprise would need a huge overhaul to even move under its own power. The Eldar were gone and the Romulan planet-ship had left. Starfleet and Imperial personnel evacuated, somewhat less than they started. Of the original 45 survivors of the Enterprise, 3 were dead and 1, Arla, was posing an interesting medical challenge.
"You'll see these ships again soon," Angelos explained to a shaken Spock and Masters once they reached the Bibliothèque. "I would say 200 years."
"I may still be alive," Spock replied. "What shall we do in the meantime?"
"Your crew from the past cannot be let loose. I would be pleased to have you join us in the Chapter."
"I extend the same offer to anyone who wants it," said Jezza.
"The same," agreed Cardinal Bellum.
While Talunas joined Bellum's staff and began to talk with the Vulcan known as Karamazov, McCoy, Spock and Masters agreed to join the Inquisition for the 'Triple Gear' unit. Chekov, Haines, Lemli, and Yoqra became the assistants of the superhumans known as the Blood Ravens. Palmer and Marlena joined the Space Wolves' many helpers. The crew split to start their new lives. Some proved to be the Imperium's finest warriors, others succumbed to heresy.
Spock himself had one last meeting with Talunas before departing. The ex-admiral had been going over photographs of various Imperial personnel and noting what species they looked like. "What have you found?" Spock asked.
"This Space Marine Chapter, the Black Templars, has a Betazoid High Marshal."
"I have found out that this Imperium exterminated the Cardassians, a people called the Ferengi, and 3 of the Xindi species. We should be on our guard."
"We live here now, Spock. Their Imperium, their rules. At least our original selves, still back in the 23rd century, are carrying on as always."
"That is my only consolation. Goodbye, Talunas. Live long and prosper."
"Peace and long life, Spock."
The former admiral turned around and carried on her cogitator search. "Goge Vandire, Human. Sebastian Thor, Klingon. Macharius, wrinkly nose people. A few Space Marines, Orion. Many Blood Angels, Vulcan with no emotional control. The Mechanicus senior Magi on Mars, unknown but looks Bynar and everyone I just mentioned. Creed, Trill."
"And I'm Andorian," said Cardinal Bellum. "There aren't many blue-skins with antenna about any more, sadly. We look too unusual."
"Too unusual... So what would you like me to do first?"
Watching in the background on Terra was someone who'd lived through it all. He'd had many names and many bodies. Some of the bodies had coexisted and even met each other. Talas, Soval, T'Pau, Azetbur, Picard, Martok, Nechayev... Now they were all one being. The Emperor.