Chapter 3: The Shadow in the Warp
Blood Guardians Fortress-Monastery
Gnaeus City, Corbulo
Ignoring the slight pain in his left leg, Chapter Master Andrew Aurelius stalked along the walls of the fortress that was the home of the Blood Guardians chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. His injury, the result of a glancing hit from a Tau plasma rifle, had plagued him for a number of weeks. Although the apothecaries of the chapter could easily heal him, he preferred to leave it as a reminder of his folly and overconfidence during the battle. Many battle-brothers had died on that terrible day, although that was not the worry that troubled him now.
A chapter strike force had gone missing, taking with it a full company of experienced space marines, two regiments of Corbulo's PDF auxilia, two strike cruisers, and one of the chapter's only battle barges, not to mention untold crewmen and resources. Aurelius shook his head in frustration, attempting to think of a reason why the force had gone missing. Of all the times to lose a company of men, why now? The battles against the Tau had left the already thinly-stretched chapter severely undermanned, which was why the 3rd Company was scheduled to return to Corbulo. However, when the PDF cruiser sent to relieve them reported their absence, the council of Astartes became very worried.
All this, on top of the scheduled gene-seed tithe to the Magos Biologica, amounted to a severe headache for Andrew and his council. Although they might be able to delay the inevitable and unfortunate task of proclaiming the loss of the company, Aurelius knew that the force had little chance to return to their home, however badly they may be needed. Trying to focus on other things, he allowed his mind a rare moment to wander freely.
A minor psyker like a sizeable minority of Corbulo's population, the scope of Aurelius' powers were limited, with him being able to project his spirit across a hundred kilometres, and to predict events up to a minute before they happened. While this was useful on a battlefield, it was of absolutely no help off of one, save for relieving stress. Even as he stood still over the battlements, his spirit leapt from his body, soaring freely across the hab-blocks and manufactorums of Gnaeus City. He took in at a glance the sights of his mortal charges going about their daily lives, totally unaware of the events transpiring. Yet even as he did so, he felt a small nagging at the back of his mind.
Mentally sighing, Andrew withdrew his spirit as he turned his body about to face the approaching servitor. The cyborg's mechanical-human face still roused feelings of disgust in him, even after all these centuries. He drew upon his inner strength, dismissing such feelings even as he steeled himself to listen to the being's rambling voice.
"Chapter-Master Aurelius," it began. "You have been summoned by the Corbulo High Council, to come immediately and report on the Axios situation."
Even though it had no will of its own, nor fault in being chosen as the messenger of ill tidings, Andrew struggled to refrain from striking it. His feelings of rage were not from the situation but from having to speak to the Council, a chore that he despised. While the original thinking behind the Council's formation was to restrain the near-unlimited power of the Adeptus Astartes, the present-day council was comprised of, in Aurelius' own humble opinion, coddled old men with delusions of grandeur and power. They abused their privileges, making and ruining lives at a whim. Nonetheless, he still had to face them, no matter his opinion. Momentarily checking his ceremonial armour for traces of dirt, he composed himself and mentally braced himself for the ordeal as he marched with parade-ground efficiency towards the High Council's chambers within the planet's Parliamentum building.
His heavy stride kicking up dust with every step, he reached the imposing gates of the Parliamentum without the slightest hint of decorum or respect, radiating impatience and throttled rage. Ignoring the half-hearted protests of the guards, he threw open the gates with his superhuman strength, jolting them slightly from their hinges and making the guards wince. Andrew stomped in, his ceramite boots leaving minute fractures in the building's marble finish.
Passing a multitude of doors, Andrew barely broke stride as his iris-integrated HUD displayed the various functions of the rooms, some of them official, some of them…rather less so. Suppressing a grimace as he reluctantly approached the once-hallowed doors of the Council chambers, Aurelius took several deep breaths and quickly recited the litany of calming. While that did little to assuage his apprehension, nonetheless he visibly calmed, although a whirling tempest to rival the Eye of Terror raged inside of him, hidden from view.
A dozen heads whipped around in surprise as the polished bronzium-and-ceramite doors were thrown open, revealing the fearsome figure of an Astartes Chapter Master.
"Andrew Aurelius, Chapter Master of the 971st Blood Guardians Adeptus Astartes Chapter reporting, lords."
***Priority Vox Channel Primaris***
This is a recorded vox-message. Mayday, mayday. This is the Imperial Battle Barge Axios. Requesting immediate assistance. Survivors aboard. Prioritisation code Alpha-Alpha-Victoria-3-5-1-Ultima-Secura.
***Message Repeats***
Battle Barge Axios
Unknown Space
1 week after the Warp event
Brother-Captain Westwynter paced about the bridge of the Axios, attempting to figure out a way that his force could have emerged here, in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't helping that the unknown ships keeping station a few million klicks off the starboard side were not responding to the repeated hails that the fleet was sending out. The ship's navigator was going crazy, despite the repeated tranquilizers that the apothecaries were injecting him with. Even now, Lucian could hear the mutant's incoherent mumblings.
Lucian ignored the navigator, doing his best not to shudder as he continued to march about. Left, right, left, right…
"Astra…nomis…"
Lucian sighed mentally, then reversed course, walking towards the port side of the bridge, away from the strange craft.
"Astro…micon…vanish…"
The Astartes fiddled with his wrist-mounted HUD, attempting to turn up the cooling systems.
"Imperator…nomicon…AAAGGGHHH!"
Startled, Westwynter whipped around to pinpoint the source of the shriek. The navigator's eerie third eye was now open, and Lucian found himself transfixed by its gaze.
"Navigator…say that again." The navis noble shuddered as his natural eyes fluttered open, his mouth slowly opening as if deciding what to say. Lucian was about to turn away in disgust when a lonely pair of sentences wafted into the air, drifting in the bridge's still air as if possessed by a life of their own.
"The Emperor is gone. The Astronomicon has vanished!"
The Intergalactic Void
1 Week after the Warp Incident
"Warmaster Lah...Our agents within the alien galaxy have detected a strange hyperspace event. It had the echoes of a large fleet emerging from hyperspace…or a pair of worldships." A shadowy, bulky figure in spiked armour turned about, making the servant quake in the required fear.
"They have no ships nor fleets of that size, not in that area. This is most interesting…What was the time spent in hyperspace?"
"The signatures said two months, my lord."
"And it takes less than one to cross the galaxy…This is most disturbing news. Notify the leaders of the other domains! We must take action immediately!"
A/N: Sorry for not posting…Exams and all that crap, plus I kinda zoned out for a bit, and next thing I know it's over a month since I last posted. Oops. And yes, I know that the Yuuzha—you need to wait until next chapter to learn the name (it's pretty obvious now)—don't have hyperspace, but just go with it, ok? Also, Hyperspace=Warp Travel without the storms (The SW galaxy is a much calmer place without the Eldar xenos.) And Jedi/Sith=VERY gifted psykers. So…I guess that's it. Enjoy!
Siberys: Why yes, I do agree that Thrawn is awesome. Thank you! :)
Muad'zin: Only time shall tell…
Blinded in a bolthole: Well…ramming always works. Remember the Executor?
Rafen of the blood: Always nice to meet a fellow Son of Sanguinius! For the Emperor and Sanguinius! Death! DEATH!