Vengeful Spirit. Orbit of Terra. 014.M31
Sanguinius felt his legs give out, falling on to the floor of Warp corrupted ship, his form bloodied, wounded, exhausted… dying. The Great Angel of Baal, Primarch of the IX Legion Blood Angels, was near his end, as he had foreseen it come so many times before, and in the back of his mind, he heard the chuckles of the dark beings. Same beings that nigh took his sons on Signus Prime into abyss, that had nearly corrupted him, and same ones that now ruled this once magnificent vessel, and the same ones that now empowered his once most beloved brother- Horus.
Horus, or rather, the being that once was him, stood over the beaten and bloodied Angel, yet Sanguinius no longer recognized him as his once foremost friend and brother. This Horus was only a vessel of the dark beings, a puppet in the hands of the malicious creatures that sought to bring down the Imperium, to see their Father sundered and dead. Sanguinius could sense and hear them, louder and clearer than ever, calling out to him, their whispers trying to worm their way into him, offering salvation, power and more, if only he submit. The foul powers of Warp that had made Horus their avatar were now trying to achieve the same with Sanguinius, offering him all he could ever desire, and once he had nearly succumbed for his sons.
"You will rule over stars! The Galaxy shall bleed red from your hands!"
"All of knowledge and power you shall have! What Anathema couldn't achieve, you shall!"
"Every flaw your sons hold I shall take away! Submit, and embrace immortality!"
"Horus is but a shadow to you! Accept me, and you will be a God to your brothers!"
"Do you sense this, brother?" Once more Horus spoke, as Sanguinius raised his head to look into his eyes, finding not a man, but a monster. "The hour of your end has finally come. Savor it, Sanguinius, the final hour of our Father's vaunted dream, and relish how it burns and turns to ash." With his breath heavy, Sanguinius spoke through pain and aching.
"His dream… Our dream, will survive us. It will survive you, Horus." Sanguinius responded, seeing the face of Horus twitch from defiance. "All you've achieved… It will be for naught and this day… Is your last." This was not mere defiance, but a promise, as Horus recognized it, before he raised his maul.
"No, brother. This is your last day." Horus told him, before sending his Worldbreaker down on Sanguinius, intending to finally snuff out Angel's life from him.
The time had seemed to stop for Sanguinius, as he took in what was to be his final moments, as the thirsting monsters laughed and writhed, preparing to suckle on his death and soul. In these moments, he had time to find peace and accept that he has done his duty, he had fought and saved Imperium, and none would begrudge Sanguinius for it. For 55 days he fought without rest, facing all of traitors' might and their abominable allies from Warp, from Ka'bandha to Medail and to Angron. Sustaining wounds and injuries that would have fell a lesser man and Primarch, Sanguinius fought on, knowing his moment of death was not there, and now… It was it, the one he foreseen so many times, the moment when he finally fell, same one Konrad Curze spoke of. The Worldbreaker was nearing the Great Angel's head… before it stopped short, as Sanguinius' hand grabbed and held it, denying Horus the deathblow he sought.
In that moment, all of Warp recoiled and an echo travelled across the Immaterium, reverberating in the accursed halls of the ship, as the Ruinous Powers screamed, and Horus… Horus looked his brother in the eyes, and flinched. There was no acceptance or defeat, and so was gone fatigue and exhaustion from Sanguinius' eyes. The Dark Gods stilled in shock, for something that even The Great Deceiver had anticipated happened before them- Sanguinius defied his intended fate.
Sanguinius knew that his life was at an end, that he would not live to assist his brothers and Father in rebuilding the Imperium, that he would not be there for his sons, and that filled him with grief. Mayhaps, in an another timeline and universe, The Great Angel may have found content with his death, but not this Angel, not Sanguinius. Though he may have seen future come exactly as his visions entailed, it was his hands and deeds that made them happen, his will and his resolve. He saw the future of the Imperium, witnessed what it would become, the terrible perversion of his Father's dream and what had caused it.
In any other universe, Sanguinius would not be strong enough to defeat Horus, or rather, finally succumb to the foretold end. This time, this Sanguinius… He had fought for his sons, done all he could for them, tried to find a cure against the Red Thirst and failed, and he had feared what his sons would become, what their fate may be. And yet, Signus Prime, Meros' sacrifice and this entire war… They had changed Sanguinius, pushing him to be the Angel of Death their Father made him to be, and if that was not enough to stop Horus, then it was time for Sanguinius to be more.
With a powerful grunt, Sanguinius pushed the Worldbreaker back, forcing Horus to step back, nearly losing his balance, but most importantly, his confidence and calmness. Horus' mind could not comprehend what had happened now, unable to understand how could Sanguinius be strong enough to stop and push him back. His brother was wounded, exhausted and bled nigh dry, and yet now… Now, the moment that Sanguinius rose once more, his arms taking Blade Encarmine and Telesto, Horus felt like he wasn't facing the same Sanguinius, but someone completely different.
Someone… like the Emperor of Mankind.
Immaterium shook and shuddered around them, or rather, around Sanguinius, as with every breath his tired and nigh broken form regained power, as his eyes glowed with the brightness that blinded and seared the Chaos around him, while his form now illuminated all around. There were no words with which Horus could describe what he felt now, for he was deafened by the screams of the Ruinous Powers, blinding his mind with a single message he could barely comprehend: Sanguinius was his death. And it showed when the Angel finally moved, and even the inhuman perception of the Primarch could not track him, as Horus lost sight of Sanguinius, but he was not gone, no…
He was too fast for him to perceive, faster than mayhaps even Jaghatai Khan, and the moment Sanguinius finally struck, Horus could only see the slightest vibration of the air, before Telesto struck him square in the breastplate, breaking past the Adamantium and ceramite. Horus was struck, and the sheer power of the attack would have brought even one of their Ascendant brothers low, and the sole reason why Horus was able to remain on his feet was because of the Ruinous Powers' gifts. Yet the smallest of moments later Horus screamed, for it was not just his flesh that was torn, no… It was his soul.
The horror from the realization had set it too late, as Sanguinius withdrew his spear and then struck with his sword, then spear and so on, and each of the following strikes to Horus was destroying his soul. Piece by piece, Sanguinius was destroying Horus in his entirety, and the Chaos empowered Warmaster was unable to do anything, even retaliate, as the Warp itself seemed to hold him in place and deny him his free reign. Twenty strikes later would Horus only realize that this was not the power of the ever-changing Immaterium, but of Sanguinius, his true power. All Primarchs, each and every one held respect and admiration for Sanguinius for being the closest to their Father, but only now did Horus realize, just how close Sanguinius was to their Father. Sanguinius unshackled from his fate and embracing what he fully is, has become that which their Father was – a being that could make Gods bow to him.
For a normal mortal, this fight may have gone for less than a minute, but to Primarchs, it was as long as a lifetime, and every fight had to come to an end, and this one did. Gathering all of his power and might unleashed, Sanguinius finally appeared before Horus in full view, and struck one last time, in the same place where Leman had struck years prior, and drove his Spear of Telesto into it… And in the final moment of his life, Horus eyes finally cleared, the veil of corruption fell and Sanguinius saw his brother once more, before granting him the final peace, as the Ruinous Powers left, screeching and screaming at their failure, with Horus' soul destroyed and gone forever, denied peace of death and torment of the Gods.
And as the broken form of his brother fell, Sanguinius' weakened hands released his sword and spear, his newfound power overwhelming and almost shattering him, yet his physical form was dying. In this very moment he could finally understand what the Emperor was, having achieved his Apotheosis as Lorgar may call it. Light and Darkness combining in him, as Sanguinius stepped over his weaknesses and insecurities, finally overcoming fate, and though his death was inevitable, he shall not let it be in vain. Reaching not with his arms or wings, but with his mind and soul through the bursting Immaterium, he sees his sons fighting harder than ever, their souls burning brightest and newfound power fills them. Sanguinius finally removes the curse that Ka'Bandha put on them, turning it into a blessing, so his sons may never lose their mind, but be able to find the hardest with humanity needs them, and with his power, he tears away Meros' soul, granting it peace at last.
Sensing his time running short, the last final act of the Great Angel Ascendant is to ensure his Father's Imperium does not fall to the corruption of the blind faith and Lorgar's folly. Focusing all of his efforts and every bit of his beings power, he finds the tear in the reality that leads into the Webway, and millions of demons on the other side. Seeing Malcador desperately hold the tide with his Psychic might, Sanguinius pours his all into it, and the old Regent of Terra is shaken from the Golden Throne, as he sees Sanguinius' astral form appear before the entrance and then finally seal the Webway in perpetuity. The act that could only be achieved through the ultimate sacrifice and Sanguinius has done it without hesitation.
The Warp shook from this act in such a way that was unseen since the birth of Slaanesh, as Sanguinius finally fell down onto the floor, his body going limp and so heavy, he could not even move a muscle. Yet Sanguinius felt not the fear or coldness, but warmth and content, as he was finally able to overcome fate itself and save the Imperium. There would still be much to do for the Imperium, and Traitors will return with their dark patrons, but the Emperor will be with his Sons and his Imperium, and they will rebuild the Imperium, stronger than ever. And as he lay passing away, Sanguinius' eyes finally closed, before he could witness the Emperor arriving, yet before oblivion took him, he heard his Father's voice.
"Thank you, my son, and forgive me my failure. Live your new life unburdened by my shadow, and be the one to forge your own fate."
Gorgon System. Planet Shanxi. Etruria. 2157
Gorgon System was named by the Alliance for the reason of it being a trinity system, one that had three stars within its vicinity, with each of the stars being given a name after one of the Gorgon sisters. Discovered in 2149, a mere half a year after the discovery of the Mass Relay, it contained a total of 14 planets, of which one had the perfect climate to settle on, that being Shanxi, which was settled in 2150. As one of the first colonies of humanity, it quickly grew in size and population, as well as importance, as Gorgon System was rich in minerals which could be relatively easily mined, and by 2157, 1.2 million humans inhabited the system, with 843 thousand living on Shanxi.
At least that was the case before the war with the very first alien contact, which had surged out of one Relays with a full on occupation fleet and army, seemingly hell bent on destroying humans. Strange, militant iron faced avians struck with an overwhelming might, destroying all of the orbital stations over Shanxi, before bombing major cities with asteroids, debris, or ordinance from orbit. Thankfully, the Alliance Army and Navy commanders in the area were expecting trouble the moment they heard of missing patrols, and so prepared for what was to be an invasion fleet. All nearby military ships were pulled back to Shanxi and formed into an impromptu fleet, with the Marine contingents disembarked to bolster defenses, while nearby stations were evacuated, along with a distress call being sent back to Arcturus. On the ground, General Andrew Williams went to work organizing garrison forces, bomb shelters, defense lines, as well lines of communication and more, ensuring that Shanxi would hold against the invaders.
When the invaders, or Turians, as they are now known, showed up, they came with an overwhelming advantage in troops and ships, and the first space engagement made it clear that conventional war was not their choice. Suffering over 40 percent casualties, Alliance Fleet managed to retreat from the orbit, seemingly surrendering, yet as the coming days would prove, they simply shifted their tactics. Using the knowledge of the system and it's layout, Alliance focused on hit-and-run attacks, quickly discovering that Turians were extremely dependent on the Relay for supplies, and so their transports became prime target for the attacks, along with patrols and lone ships. This had taken pressure off Shanxi and over two thirds of Turian fleet had play cat and mouse with the Alliance.
On Shanxi, after their initial success in orbit, Turians didn't waste time and bombed the cities and everything that they believed had sufficient enough population to warrant attention. The evacuation was still in process, when the bombs fell, and it was hard to say how many were gone, but the opening salvos made it clear to humans, that their enemy was not going be merciful to them. Then came the troops, who quickly occupied ruins and began to advance out, confident and brazen in their manner, gunning down, burning and destroying all that had managed to survive the hell fire from the skies and not get away. But the moment they strayed out of the cities, they learned that humans didn't simply surrender, but instead chose their own battlefields, striking much like their fleet in orbit. Outmaneuvering, striking at key points and bleeding enemy dry, humans made Turians pay for every inch made, while Turians ruthlessly and relentlessly attack their foes without any seeming regard for losses.
This has been going on for nearly two months now, but young Alex Drake didn't know nor care about it, as the 8 year old blonde blue eyed boy was currently searching the pharmacy for medicaments for his little sister, Lilian. The little 6-year-old girl had come down with a fever last night, and so the boy ventured out in order to find anything that could help her, leaving her in their shelter. When the Turians first bombed Etruria, their evacuation was still in progress, and so when Turians bombed the city, their convoy was caught as well. By some miracle, out of hundreds, Alex managed to escape virtually unscathed, but his sister was not so lucky, for she looked in where the blast came in, and the moments later was blinded completely, before her brother saved her from the shock wave. By the time they regained their bearings, Turians already landed, and the two had to survive being stuck behind enemy lines.
For two months, the two children had managed to survive, mostly thanks to Alex's will, wit and lessons he received from his father, an Alliance Navy Officer, and education from his mother, a former Alliance Marine and an engineer. Finding an underground cellar, he made into a shelter, from which he would go out for food, water and other needed things, and in those runs, he would see what these Turians were. He would see them burn alive survivors without hesitation, or gun down a mother and her children, and then there were prisoners, rows and rows of those, but worst of all were ditches, filled with the dead. If he were as naïve as was expected of his age, he would not comprehend it all, but not Alex, as he was smarter and far more mature than most of his age, but right now it was not important. What was important was to find right meds for Lily, and then make it back undetected, which was becoming an ever-harder task, as Turians were increasing their patrols in the area.
Searching through the shelves and stores, the boy did not stop listening on the looted Turian radio and the translator he took from one of the dead, which allowed him to at least know if there was someone coming close. Keeping an army knife and looted gun close, Alex hurried, finally finding what he needed, before stuffing it in the bag. Making to the exit, he listened, first to the radio, then around, before looking and then crossing the broken ruins and terrane. Moving from one cover to another, he crossed streets, before he reached the place that was hiding his shelter, ruined and closed entrance to an underground garage… when he saw the worst thing imaginable.
Three Turians surrounding his blind and stumbling sister, trying to reach out with her hands, before being pushed on the ground as the aliens laughed, seemingly playing with their trophy. Whimpering, crying and weak, Lily tried to stand up, yet a hard kick pushed her down onto the pavement, as the Turian pointed his gun at her.
"Fun's over, little rat." He said, preparing to unload his rifle, before being stopped.
"Hold up, Sep, something doesn't add up." Second Turian said, drawing attention of the two. "Look, this human is blind, probably victim of the blast, but she had all that stuff in there. Food, water, heater, generator, even our MRVs."
"What are you getting at, Tars?" Sep asked of him.
"He means that this rat has someone…" At that moment, the three heard a loud falling noise not far, making them all turn to it. "What was…" Then, a lone round grenade rolled over, and blinded them all.
Without wasting time, Alex aimed his gun and fired, shaking from recoil and hissing from it, trying his best to keep up with the recoil and aim right. He didn't know how many times he fired, he stopped only when he saw that all Turians were laying dead, riddled with holes. Composing himself, he dashed to his sister, quickly grabbing her hands.
"Lily, Lily, it's me, Alex." He told her quickly, holding her close.
"M-M-Alex…" She whimpered, tears flowing out of her blind eyes, as she grasped to him as close and hard as she could. "I-I am s-sorry… I-I thought it… It was y-you a-and…" He didn't care what happened, only that she was safe.
"It's okay, Lily. It will be okay…" Alex said, before he felt some sort of an object hit in the back of his head, knocking him out cold.
Hours later.
Being doused with cold water was not the best way of being woken up, especially when followed by a hard slap on the cheek, which left bloody marks on his cheek. It took several minutes for Alex to get his bearings, before he finally figured out that he was strapped to a chair, surrounded by Turians, both military and non, definitely being in their camp. His sister was nowhere in sight, but before the panic could set in, the crowd of Turians thinned and out stepped what Alex assumed was an officer, if the way the Turians behaved was any indication. He walked to him, seemingly appraising him, before speaking up.
"Can you understand me, human?" He asked of him, with Alex now realizing that he had a translator in his ear, one fit for him. "By your reaction, I know you do. I must say, you humans are not like other species I've fought. Krogans would've long since suicide charged us, while Batarians would've surrendered, while Asari would've tried to talk our damn ears out… But you, Humans, you persist and fight, and fight smart." He said with what appeared to be respect, before he backhanded Alex so hard, that he knocked several teeth out.
"Wh-where is… Lily…" Alex spat out blood and teeth, hissing from pain, before the officer backhanded him again.
"You don't get to ask questions, Human." Turian said, his mandibles twitching. "Your kind doesn't know what's good for them, when it's time to surrender and submit. Instead, you persist with your damn foolishness, and cost me men and materials... This should've been an easy war, a simple pacification of an upstart race, yet you had to make it difficult!" He struck Alex so hard he and his chair fell onto the side, before he raised up, before the Turian officer made a gesture, and in was brought some kind of a large metal box, hiding something.
"I've been told you've survived for two months with your sister, rat. Let's see if you prove to be tougher than all the others before you." Then, without another word, the Turians left the room, before the box collapsed, revealing some sort of a black obelisk, surging with power, before a beam shot out to Alex.
In that moment, Alex felt a ifs his mind, flesh and bone were being torn apart and replaced by something else, something that was worming it's way into his brain. It was overwhelming, extreme and absolute, commanding and ordering him, flashing him images of things that no simple mortal could understand. The obelisk was trying to destroy Alex's persona and replace it with something else, with it's energetic tendrils transferring to him nanites to begin his transformation, and all seemed to be headed in the direction of the boy's expiration… Until he finally screamed, and his scream shook the entire building and everyone in it.
The invasion of Alex's mind and soul triggered something that none could've predicted, as his body suddenly began to emit a glowing red aura, burning away the machines in and around him, before the obelisk cracked and shattered from the pressure exuded by the boy. Bindings were destroyed and he finally rose up, just as the guards rushed in, but the moment they locked eyes with the boy, they shuddered and shook, as behind his weakened form, rose an ethereal body of a mighty Angel of Death, made of red aura, enveloping the boy completely. The moment the Turians had enough sense to reach for their weapons, was when they had lost their lives, as the Angel manifested in his arms a sword and spear, and taken their lives faster than their hearts could even beat.
At first, he was confused, lost and disoriented, acting out of instinct and need to fight, but then all finally came together and the boy realized who he truly was, what he once was. He remembered it all: Baal, Blood Angels, Great Crusade, his brothers and Father, Signus Prime, Imperium Secundus, Davin, Terra, Horus... He remembered his name, his nature and his sacrifice for the sake of humanity, or rather, his soul had awakened in full, when that Xeno tech attempted to take him over. Against a normal mortal, it would've worked, but against someone like him it was futile, yet it served to finally awaken him. And as the dead Turians finally fell onto the floor, the boy finally walked out of the cell and looked at the shaken and shook Turians, as the officer, General Marius Raganis, commander of Turian Occupation Fleet and Army as the boy discerned from his mind, spoke in shaken tone.
"Wh-who… What are you?" He demanded, as the Turian soldiers gathered to fight something out of their nightmare.
"I am Sanguinius." He spoke in a voice belonging to a being that belonged in another world and time, yet now was reborn here. "I am Angelus Sanguis Humani, Blood Angel of Humanity, and your end, Xenos." And with these words spoken, Sanguinius, reborn in body of a mortal man, unleashed his fury upon those that would oppress and subjugate Humanity.
Had reborn Angel possessed any mercy, he would have allowed someone escape, but not today, not after all he and his little sister had suffer, all that humans had to endure and suffer at their claws. They came to conquer and subjugate his kind, bringing fire and death, and so he served it back to them. Though but a shadow of his once great self, even in his diminished and mortal form, Sanguinius was able to dispense justice and death upon the Xenos without mercy. Unleashing the powers before unseen by these Xenos, Sanguinius manifested his spirit in full in the way that only Emperor could, fighting with powers that only Magnus and Emperor fully comprehended, Sanguinius, or Alex as he was named at birth in this universe, made Turians pay in full. Leaving in wake hundreds of dead, Sanguinius' felt his body unable to handle his full power, yet before he retreated his power, he ensured that the Turians would not have this fort, nor have this planet.
Invading the command center, he forced the Turians to reveal all of their operational data, frequencies and more, before transmitting it to the Humans and then sending sabotaging orders to Turians across the planet, using General's frequency, doing the same to the fleet, so as to drive into the arms of humans. Corvus Corax would have been quite pleased with such an act from Sanguinius, but he was not done, ensuring that Turians concentrated as much forces in Etruria as possible. After it was done, Sanguinius set the energy reactors to detonate, before he retrieved his little sister, before making his way out of there and away from Etruria.
That night, the massive explosion illuminated the moonlit sky for miles away, as the Turians lost their main camp and several full divisions. Only in the morning would both Turians and Alliance learn, that Etruria has now become a graveyard, and that in this very moment, a critical hit was delivered to the occupants.
Three days later. Alliance's HQ.
General Andrew Williams was not a man that believed in miracles, despite his Christian upbringing, believing that God helped those that helped themselves, but looking at what was happening right now across the planet, he was starting to wonder if God did indeed hear their prayers. Just three days ago they were only trying to stop the enemy's advance and protect their positions, but now they were going on the offensive. Dispersed and seemingly disorganized Marines, garrison troops and militia were now fighting and beating Turians back, who had at this point lost coordination and even ability to fight well.
With Alliance having all of the needed information, from numbers to frequencies and more, the desperate defense turned into a relentless offense, as Turians had lost most of their command in Etruria, while their Fleet was decimated by the Alliance Navy in decisive engagement. All of that is thanks to that strange transmission, from an unknown to Williams, his staff and the commander of the Fleet.
Whoever it was, Andrew was willing to give this person a medal, because he or she had just saved Shanxi and delivered them from the brink of collapse, as the Alliance was now on the offensive in Gorgon System and on Shanxi's surface. And this was evidenced by the fact that General Williams and his HQ had regained ability to contact anyone outside of Shanxi, as he was talking with the current commander of the Alliance Gorgon Fleet, Captain Arthur Drake, commander of SSV Athens and de-facto admiral of the Alliance Navy in Gorgon System.
Originally only an XO to then commanding officer of Gorgon Fleet, Captain Roman Nevsky, Arthur Drake was transferred to Athens due to lack of experienced commissioned officers, which he captained and then assumed command of the Gorgon Fleet. The man had served in the Alliance since before its inception, rising through the ranks fast, now being one of the younger captains at only 27 years old, and arguably the best. Even more impressive since he had a wife and two children, all three of them on Shanxi, with his wife Morgan helping them set up their comms without Turians learning, thanks to her technical expertise. If not for these two, Williams feared they would've been done for good…
"We've just finished the last of the Turians near Stheno." Arthur reported to General, who nodded to the blonde green-eyed man. "If I may ask, General, how did you managed it, really? Did you have some of those rumored Special Forces in hiding in Etruria all this time?"
"I'm afraid the credit is not mine to take. Whoever it was that had helped us… I'd pin a goddamned medal to him or her." General Williams admitted. "Same as I would do to you and your wife, Captain Drake. Without both of you, these aliens would have held complete control over Gorgon System and we would been bombed to Stone Age."
"I'll settle on some good news about my family, General." Drake spoke without reservations, and Williams could understand him, as it was clear the man was restless, and he wish he could have reassured him.
"Your wife is with us in the camp, Captain, currently helping coordinate the offensive. Without her we would've been like lost lamb. She was away before the Turians rolled in." General said with a sigh, seeing the look on Arthur's face. "But… I'm afraid that I can't say the same about your children, Captain. We do not know for certain… But they never made out of Etruria before Turians dropped their troops." The look on Arthur's face was clear as day to the hardened general, yet he had managed to maintain himself.
"I… I see, General." Arthur breathed out a hard sigh, his voice cracking over the link. "Could you…" Before Arthur could say another thing, someone stormed into General's office.
"General, sir." Young Marine saluted to the General.
"Lieutenant Anderson, care to explain why you entered without warning and permission?" Williams demanded from young 2nd Lieutenant David Anderson.
"Sorry, General, but there is something you should see." After that, David Anderson moved to the monitor and activated it, with both General and Captain watching and seeing something that surprised them both.
"Are they moving in our direction?" Williams asked of Anderson, who nodded. "Are you sure there is no tail behind them?" Williams asked, as they looked on a young boy carrying a girl on his back and moving through the valley.
"No Sir. Our scouts have been following them for three miles now, and found no Turian ambush teams, nor detected any explosives or comms." Anderson said.
"Ambush teams and explosives?" Drake asked aloud.
"Turians used civilians and children as decoys to draw out troops. Often times they were either followed by platoon of shock troops or worse, had explosives on them, set to detonate once they were close enough." Williams said with a grim sigh, as he turned to the screen. "They most often used children… Wait, enhance." Williams ordered, and the soldier on the other side did so, and it was then that Arthur Drake cracked before both men.
"M-Alex, Lily!" Arthur exclaimed, shock and relief evident on his eyes. "General, sir, those are my son and daughter… General, I…" Understand what the man was going through, Williams didn't hesitate, before he grabbed the comms and gave out orders.
"Scouts, bring those kids back here ASAP. We are done losing any more." General ordered, before he turned to Anderson. "Anderson, inform Missis Drake."
"Yes, Sir." Anderson said, and moved, while Arthur let out an audible sigh of relief.
"Thank you, General, I… I don't know what I would've done if they…" Drake didn't have a chance to finish, as Williams spoke up.
"I know, son. Now, mop up those dinosaurs." Williams ordered him. "The Second Fleet is on it's way here, and I want them to see only Alliance Ships in the system."
"Yes, sir!" Arthur saluted and disconnected, relieved that his wife and children were alive, and with the renewed vigor, he and his men descended upon the disorganized Turians.
Three days without rest, Alex and Lily traversed the land, going in the direction where reborn Angel sensed were humans, and after his sister was unable to move, he carried her on his back, without stop or rest. He gave her his food and water, while using his powers to sustain himself, though exhaustion and lack of nourishment was starting to take toll on him. Yet Sanguinius was not going to give in, not yet, not when he sensed that their search had finally come to an end and he was a stone's throw away from the encampment. And it was at the final steps that he and Lily were surrounded by five Humans, armed and ready for a fight, but not about to fight. As Alex stopped and wobbled a little, their commander raised his helmet and moved to the two, kneeling before them.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm Lieutenant Steven Hackett with the Alliance." The man spoke, before he carefully moved to the two. "I… I need to check you. Please, trust me, kid. We won't hurt you or your sister, but…"
"Okay…" Alex said with a raspy voice, and the Marine quickly looked and checked them over, before he took out a flask and extended it to Alex. "Not me… Sister first." Alex shook his head, pointing at his sleeping sister, with Hackett nodding, helping her drink water, before giving some to Alex.
"It's going to be okay, son. We'll take you to your mom." Hackett promised to him, and the Alliance soldiers moved to help, but Alex refused to let go of his sister, and the look in his eyes was enough to shake even the hardened Marines, and instead they simply escorted him.
Their path to the camp was a short one at that point, located within a massive cave system, with sentries and turrets set up in key positions, yet it was not them that had met them at the entrance. At the entrance stood a young woman who didn't even have 30 years to her, with platinum blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, dressed in an Alliance's armor, she moved past the guards and dropped onto her knees before the two. Reborn Primarch of the Ninth without a moment's hesitation recognized the woman, the one who brought him into this life…
"Mom…" Sanguinius, her son in this world, spoke as his legs gave in and he fell forward, into his mother's embrace, as she hugged him and Lilian close, crying aloud.
And as the darkness claimed him, Sanguinius, now reborn as Alex Drake, knew that even in this new universe humanity was not in a galaxy that belonged solely to them. They were in their infancy, making their first step outside of their cradle, and already they were beset by those that sow them as masters of this galaxy. There were no Imperium, or Emperor, Legio Astartes or Primarchs to defend and guide humanity… But Sanguinius was here, reborn anew and free from shackles of fate and insecurity, and he shall do what he had sworn to do a lifetime ago – protect and guide humanity.
Such was his duty as Primarch of the Blood Angels, and such will be his goal in this life.
Well, I've certainly didn't think I would have the chance to make this, nor did I inspect to actually put all I wanted in first chapter in just 6k words… Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this first chapter of my brand new crossover story, combining my beloved Grim Dark with Mass Effect. Now, as those of you familiar with Mass Effect and Warhammer Horus Heresy lore may point out to me, yes I took liberties with the First Contact War and the final clash with Horus, but is this not what we Fanfiction writers do?
Also I am a proponent of the opinion that Sanguinius was the mightiest Primarch period, and if he wanted, he could've beaten Horus and even achieved same power as the Emperor, and that much of his potential was not yet unleashed, like his Psyker power. Canonically, Blood Angels have a substantial amount of Psykers and those are some of the most powerful ones, and Sanguinius did have precognition powers, but what else? Had he wanted to, I do think he could've given even Magnus a bitch slap in Psychic department.
And as for First Contact War, I'm sorry, but I do not buy the fact that it was "relatively bloodless," with less than 700 dead. No, I do not believe that, since Turians are militant race and are proponents of "total war" which is a war without restraint, and that means no problems with excessive civilian casualties from them and so on. Maybe it is just my xenophobic side coming to play, but this is just how I see it.
Anyway, regarding Sanguinius, he is reborn as Alex Drake, yes, but he is not normal Human, as he is closer to the Emperor. Regarding Warp, Ruinous Powers and so on, don't expect to see a whole lot of them, since I seriously think that Warp in ME universe, even if it exists, is universes better than in Warhammer, which has been messed up BIG TIME by the War in Heaven (for context, that war makes Horus Heresy look like a schoolyard fight.) Expect Alex, or Sanguinius (I'll use both) to be OP as Emperor, and just as smart, but more than mere warrior he was.
Oh, and romance, because while it is a crossover with Warhammer 40K, but who says that a reborn Primarch-turned-Perpetual-Emperor-Level-Psyker can't get laid? Give me your opinion, and do keep in mind that Sanguinius was born in 2149, 5 years before Shepard was born, just in case.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and will share your opinion in the review section. I welcome all of your suggestions and more, for it helps make this story better.
Next time: Settling in new life; Expanding horizons; Mother's empathy, son's relief.
See ya!
