Chapter 35
One cannot consider the fate of a single man, nor ten, nor a hundred, nor a thousand. Billions will live or die by our actions here, and we have not the luxury to count the cost.
Attributed to Inquisitor Kryptman. M 41
The Emperor does many things for Mankind. He showed us that gods are real. He showed us the first Xenos we would encounter. He showed us the technology of a tree long set in darkness and how to make it better. He does everything for us. So ask what you in your lives can do for him. He protects. But as the long gone man named Sebastian Thor once said we must guard the Emperor too. Or we become the lost and the dammed because the Emperor taught us to be better than who we started out as. Give only what you can do physically. Do not martyr yourself for him. But give nothing less than everything you are as a person.
New recruits opening speech at a Guard training center worlds uncounted. M 3 onwards.
City fight Issei's front China Mark 0626
Issei was here in the command post in the city in friendly space. Fabium and three other generals were here along with Lint and her first adjunct. They were busy looking for better lines. The generals and Fabium were worried as was Issei. This fight had fallen into a bad line after the second day. The Cabal had a good commander here. He was an elite party commander and he had studied Imperial tactics extensively and had made several important decisions to combat them.
His party troop were the most dedicated and disciplined in the private army. They rarely broke after the first day. They had finally made their first chain weapons. They were extremely crude and were very unreliable but that meant that they had somehow got a copy and made the axe now. But their version was gas hungry and it's teeth barely scratched carapace. Or even flak. But it was a possible hint of what was to possibly come. The next advanced thing the Cabal had was a new type of bullet that hit harder and put flak users on their back with bad wounds. But this bullet was rare and still in testing. The goal was to pierce carapace eventually.
The defenders were determined to make this Stalingrad. The Cabal had sent most of the private party army here. But they had weakened their position in other places. The east had seen several more cities freed. Small ones but still progress. Here was the meat grinder. They were not disheartened. Fabium had made several changes of their own.
Commissars were given more information on their environment and enemy. They withdrew more now especially with flak regiments. The civilians here also changed something. They openly fled the city understanding the Imperials were holding back for them because they were often times being rounded up to serve as meat shields. The militias that formed from civilians had taken up backline duty and worked extremely hard at their given tasks. Their tales of what the Cabal was doing made the world look on in disgust. This killed their image further. The world governments condemned that. It brought several mercs from the Cabal to the Imperials in defections because they had morals. One brought big information.
The Cabal was attempting to make a counter offensive against the Imperials. The goal was an administrative building that was now in Imperial hands. It was a massive building and it gave great coverage of the nearby blocks. It was where the command post was.
Ravel was with the marines. Sona was busy thinking of a counterattack of their own. The Guard had brought a dozen las machine guns up for the defense plus five griffins. Trenches and buildings were being fortified and the imperials expected a bad fight. The line was strong here. An ad hoc militia had been desperate to be on the gun line. But they had no weapons that could do anything. Issei had spoke to their leader a woman who wanted to help her family was trapped by the Cabal. Issei got her to understand her twenty would be in the way. But she and her people could help in the infirmary that Asia had set up several blocks back. The angel was here to stay. Her smile had warmed many wounded.
A company of the Kapa Gorgans a new scion regiment had set up a second line just behind the first. They had hell guns and bolters. They were joined by a Youkai Leopard squad of elite soldiers who had fought in the south and they were heavy weapons troops too. Plasma rockets were frequently used now. An Angel force of sixty new imperial angels had orders to be a flanking force if possible.
Issei had seen Sona nervously looking at him. He excuses himself and goes to her. Sona burrows into him when they are alone in a private room. She had gotten used to the war mask.
"What is the matter So? You have been worried for a bit now?"
"I have an awfully bad feeling about this. There is something we are missing. It does not make sense. Why be so desperate for this building? There must be something else. Non of my scenarios with what we currently have here justifies this push."
Issei nodded. He thought the same thing. He checked the lines. There were two possible answers. Both were somewhat bad. He called Hadrian over. The now bigger man had just been finishing a call with Rossweiss. She worries for him. But Hadrian asked.
"Yes my Emperor?"
"Take a team of the remaining ad hoc militants and search this building again. There is something here we missed. It is one of two things. A document on something or maybe a secret door. That is what I can narrow it to. Double time it. The document is worse but the second is what we should hope for."
"Yes milord. I will get Pia. She was desperate to do something. We will search fast."
The Custodian moved and then began to look. Sona is more tense. She does not like this at all. But Issei kissed her. It helps. She knows Ravel had made her move. That does not bother her, nor does the fact that the psychic waves improve morale. But she wants that too. She has doubts because of how she is. She is not an easy beauty like Ravel. Or forward like that.
Issei just touched her face. He can see a hint.
"I am free whenever you want that So. There is no pecking order here. I love you for all of you. My friend who helped more than you ever could know. Ravel wants things a certain way. But you can have your way too."
Sona loves him. He who made her become better. She made him better too. They were good for one another. She kisses him again. She beat Rias here. She got the best person.
Hadrian had gotten six people. Pia had immediately directed them, and they know they must search everything. They start on the ground floor. They find nothing. But on the second floor they do find something interesting. A man found a half burned paper that had the word's research on it. That paper was traced to an office here on the second floor. It is old and very unused. But the seven find a new hint. A second document that is mostly old but only by three years.
It talks about a lab that was working on something called Project Vermiculite. Hadrian reads more. He sent two more people to check a third floor office mentioned in the document. Hadrian does look weirdly at a sentence mentioning something about ring. That is not good because that can reference two equally bad things. That is strange. The worker here was clearly loyal to the project whatever it was. He gets word back from Pia that the third floor office is locked. Hadrian breaks the door down with his new strength. Inside is a computer that is locked up tight. A searcher gets a Adeptus Mechanicus adept, and the woman moves and begins to hack it. She takes five minutes to get past the first wall.
Outside the battle begins and the Cabal pushed harder than expected. The las machine guns help so very much. They plus two new mortars had thrown back several waves of the Cabal party troops. Imperial magicians swiftly burn their dead bodies. So as to keep the field of fire open and deny cover. A griffin fired and the las cannon kills an Apc. The bolter and las machine gun on it suppressed a whole street of troops. The Gorgans moved up to the first line and added hell gun volleys.
The ten Alpha Legion marines and Ravel crushed three Apcs. And five squads of extremely heavy armored troops. It is not terrible bad yet.
Mark 06028
Hadrian is more worried now. The adept has broken five walls and they are getting more difficult. They are getting some new nuggets. There was something about this that is worrying. The project found something in the Gobi desert in the sixties. It was big. That makes this weird. Sona has joined them after being informed and she began running theoreticals. They have cut out a warp research program. They have eliminated a second thought of it being Prothean related. But something is weird here.
Sona postulates a theoretical.
"Perhaps it is a space program of some kind? We have several things in our controlled spaces that indicate that. Maybe a contingency plan?"
"Possibly. Perhaps why they are fighting so hard for this building? The gunfire is getting worse. They must really want this computer.
Outside the Cabal pushed harder then before. They drive the heavily armed and armored forces on. The las machine guns are having a field day. Bolters are being fired freely.
Sona tried something new for a theoretical.
"Maybe it something that is pre barrier Xenos related? We know the ruins on Mars were here first. Issei told me we were created as a species by a race called the Old Ones. Maybe it is them?"
Hadrian knew little about the Old Ones. The militants are listening on in shock. Who are the Old Ones? Hadrian countered that.
"The Old Ones had extremely advanced technology. We would be having a rougher time if the Cabal had that. I heard they could do things considered Magic by everyone that's how advanced they were. But I got that from Zhang, and he likes to screw with me."
The militants are supremely surprised. These Old Ones had technology more advanced than what they had now? Even past laser guns and spaceships! What the fuck!
Sona tried a different angle.
"But they were spread supposedly in our galaxy and beyond it. Maybe they did leave something here? It mentions a ring. Maybe it is something to that end? Adept how much longer?"
The tech adept is new to the Mechcanicus. But she had been a software engineer before the Unification wars.
"I am five walls in and there are two left milady. The machine spirit is fighting me so incredibly hard. It is acting like the Ai we have. It seems to think Mao is still alive. It is old. I am trying to coax it milady. It is resisting everything I have tried to do so far."
"Keep trying. What else is it describing? Maybe we are missing something."
Hadrian reads on what they did have. The objective was massive. Unknown material. The next wall broke and they got another hint. A second device was found with it. It had multiple symbols. All unknown. The final wall was beginning to buckle. The tech adept realizes something quickly.
"It is a proto Ai. It is fighting so hard because it thinks we do not have the Mandate of Heaven. It knows of the gods. Maybe we can convince it to realize we have it from Sun Wu Kong. I do not know it is fighting worse than ever."
Sun Wu Kong sends his signal to the proto Ai. The machine whirled and whined. Before it stopped and then wrote a message. All on its own.
"Apologies representative. I was wrong to fight you. Chairman Mao placed theses files under lockdown before his death. I was ordered to not resist those with the Mandate. I see I have given information to traitors now. I am sorry granting access to files. Will shut down."
The files were finally released. It was a giant gate. Multiple rings with it. All had unknown symbols. The second device was broken. There was the location of a base in Northern China were the device was being held. The word the Chinese had called it were haunting.
StarGate.
The Cabal had been thrown back with heavy losses and they have many wounded the Imperials kill many more as they fall back pushing past new lines as they and the Astartes charged. Ravel had led them in a counter push. The Cabal had failed and horribly.
Issei is surprised by this. What the? This line is new. Lint sees it too. She does not understand. Neither does the second Cognitive. But Issei pats their shoulders in understanding.
"The warp is shit. The other tree had it way worse. They could not do a quarter of the stuff we can on a bad day. This line is weird and strange. Lint continue the push. Xavier try another avenue and follow this for ten minutes. I have to see Sona and ask a few questions."
The two psykers nodded and then began work. Ten minutes later Issei had entered the office and found several adepts working on the server room hidden in the wall. Sona is just gaping. Hadrian is too. The militants are in utter shock. But Issei swears them to silence.
"Whatever was discussed in here during the battle is now secret for now. I will have Thrones moved to each of you. I know you probably heard things that change your understanding of the galaxy. But this must stay secret for now."
Pia was the only brave one. The other five just nodded in agreement.
"Milord. The Old Ones. Were we really made by them? They were beyond our galaxy?"
"Yes to if we were made by them. But many races can trace themselves back to the Old Ones. They were life seeders. They are now extinct as are many of the races they created. Beyond the galaxy. I do not know. We could spend twenty millennium studying them and still not understand more than five percent of them. I will show you this much about them. Do not be alarmed."
The militants see the Old Ones. They were different. Lizards. But also, shity grandparents. They caused the War in Heaven. Only the first half. The more people ignorant of the C'tan the better. But the world changed again for people. This would be hard eventually. But Issei settled the doubts they had.
"The Old Ones did not create our civilization. We did that. They just played with the starting point. Everything we do is ours and only ours. They are long gone, and the galaxy is different from when they existed. Acknowledge them for mixing things together. But we are us and still here while they are not. They just loved life. But they could make things I will not show you. They almost made our galaxy worse. But they lost. You are able to build legacies free of them. Take comfort in that."
The humans did. They were still in shock. But it was now less than before. They did swear to secrecy for now. Issei promised they could tell the world after China was wrapped up. He would honor that. Pia, however, stayed when the others left.
"I want to learn about them. Why they fell. This War in Heaven. How long was it?"
"Several tens of millions of years. They were the first interstellar civilization. They like I said influenced life a plenty. You will live your whole life studying just one of theirs. They were truly immortal. If you are really interested I will sit with you, and we can begin a basic outline of them."
"I am. I want to learn everything. I see why the tech adepts call you the Omnissiah."
"Dreams build. Not just I. Knowledge is a key to many things good and bad. There will be those who will surpass me one day."
Pia asked a few more questions before she retired. Sona was still reading the gate details. They amazed her. But Issei noticed something.
"That is not Old One script. There are hints there but they are very small. This is another race. We have the location of this base yes?"
Hadrian replied still fixed on the computer.
"Yes. We do not have people near it. It is close to Beijing. We will need a few more weeks to get close to it. What does it do?"
"I do not know. But we are getting a translation not an actual name. I will contact Akio and have him deploy men to secure this. So. What has made you so silent?"
"I have seen some of these symbols before. They were mentioned in a now destroyed book held by the first Sitri. I know it is this because of the descriptions which were incredibly detailed. Ise. This might mean something big. I will look for the books that hold the description of these. I will keep you informed."
"I will have Diep work with you. He needs time off the field. Biwko will take prime duty until Zhang arrives. The pocket he was at collapsed just two hours ago. They are prepared to move here, and we can begin to destroy this general. He is more cunning than I thought. He was testing the carapace and the las machine guns. He sent the most heavily armored troops in trying to figure out the right material to make armor that can take a hit or two. He also tested the bullets. We lost more than we usually would have. I will have the marines prepare a kill team for him. He is dangerous and if he survives this battle we face three or four more months of fighting."
That was bad and spoke how cunning the man was. The kill team had to work. Issei would join with Lint, and they would think of a plan. Sona just stared at the symbols. This gate thing was dangerous. The Party had tried activating it twice. They both failed. Because they were missing a symbol.
Ardat Yakshi monastery
Falere was extremely happy today. She had seen her Dream win another victory. He was helping tend to the wounded with the one called Asia. There had been many hurt. But watching him tell his soldiers he was proud of them made Falere want to truly be his. Rila was enjoying the never-ending smiles of her baby sister. They were talking with Jalrea. She was asking so many questions about him. She had been a loner before. Now she was glued to the sisters' hips. Falere answered what she knew.
"He will help us Jal. He wants us to be free. The Breaker of Chains. He will do things we once considered impossible. Just believe. That is all you have to do."
Jalrea was desperate to believe. She was a matron and she wanted to have a family so badly. She wants to serve on a ship and see the galaxy like never before.
"He will come? Him on Earth will come? He must come before I give up."
Falere smiled and touched the other Asari.
"They will come soon. Five at most. They have many things to do. Others to help first. Believe Jal. I do."
Rila chimes in.
"I do too. We will be free. He will not leave us here in the dark. Believe in Sol Invictus."
Jalrea is so desperate for a way out. She was the second oldest here at the monastery. The oldest was a matriarch who was the biggest recluse. She did not talk to anyone. Nearly everyone else were maidens or exceedingly early matrons. Jalrea was in the later matron stage. She had another two hundred years before she became a matriarch. This was the greatest thing she had ever known.
Titus had not converted in the end. But he did ask questions. He was not entirely convinced. But he saw this gave hope. He saw an empire the Hierarchy could definitely have a good relationship with. They were warriors. They knew honor and duty. They would be gruff and fast thinking but that was just their nature. But he was fascinated by one thing. The oath of moment. That was so incredibly similar to a Turian legion oath. And they did that before every battle. That made him respect humans. They were definitely strange. But they had innovative ideas. And Titus saw the people themselves. Something stirred in him there.
They were incredibly different. They had fur and were almost like the Asari. But Titus would actually compare them more to the Quarians. He had seen several exceedingly rare pictures of Quarians unmasked and the two looked incredibly similar. He was worried by the expansionist views the humans had. But he saw Sol Invictus would keep them humble. The Emperor. He was something else entirely. Titus would compare him to the First Primarch the Turians had ever had. A great unifier.
Still, he saw the hope this brought to the new beginnings of a cult in the three Asari. Jalrea had only visited him when she had no other choice. And Falere was an open secret amongst the staff for her horrible depression. Rila was the only normal one among them. This cult of the sun was not, however, a doomsday cult. It was the opposite. It inspired hope rather than doom.
There had been three such cults active in Citadel space this week. One had been peacefully disarmed. It was on Thessia. The second one on Palaven had all ritually committed suicide. The final one on the Citadel itself have turned bloody as the cult had grabbed two buildings of people on Zakara Ward and then began killing them. To summon, as they put it the great cleaners. They who would ravage the stars of the unfaithful. The cult had died to a being and only two specters and the full armored response unit of C-SEC had been able put them down. The cult had been well armed too, which was disturbing. The Council said that this was an isolated incident and that there was no end times coming in anyway or shape. That was only believed by the gullible. Those who watched this new trend unfolding did not agree.
Titus was not a doomsday bird. But he worried about that a lot. Cults were getting increasingly common. But this cult was incredibly different. It did not aggressively proselytize, it was not loud and bombastic, it asked for no money or blind devotion and to not question things. It encouraged questions. It was so quite different. It encouraged people to be better and to try new things without fear. Falere had taken up painting. Rila tried a new online college course. Even Jalrea was starting to try things with which she was extremely uncomfortable. Titus was asked by the warden if they should clamp down on this beginning cult. He had simply said.
"It is not a doomsday cult. I have heard the ideas that make up it from Falere. Yes it could turn dark. But I do not think that will happen. My recommendation is to let it grow under strict conditions. They are not asking to cause pain. They are asking for hope. I give it my tentative support. You cannot deny the good things this has done for Falere. As long as we monitor it we are fine."
The warden who was a matriarch had agreed.
"It has done good. But I worry. I just do not want another Zakara. But with how cults are they either become doomsday or they become a religion. I am not devoted. But I will grant their request for a room to practice their worship. But only with two armed guards there. No guns but riot batons. I understand how they feel. My baby girl was here before her shame took her from the galaxy. It is why I am here. To help the ones here. I am the greatest advocate and I want them to have hope. Thank you Dr. Titus. You settled some of my doubts."
Falere was so happy when the request for a room was granted. The conditions were understandable. She too had heard about Zakara. She told the head guard of the four who would be watching that she would never do that. The head guard believes as does her two others. The last grunted that she will make the baton hurt more at the slightest sight of this becoming a doomsday cult. That guard lost a sister to a doomsday cult last year. Falere had nodded to her and said to make it extremely bad if that ever happened surprising the last one.
Their first meeting was small. Falere, Rila and Jalrea. They just talked and did not attempt anything. The guards watched on. The second meeting two days later saw the next one interested. A relatively new Ardat Yakshi. She was like Falere depressed. She was so down but this new idea was interesting. A group that worships the sun? What sun? The young maiden had just listened and not said more then hello before she was silent. Falere saw the bare hint of cuts on the arms. She sat with that Asari, and they began a conversation. The younger one was surprised to learn that the woman next to her had attempted it twice. That she said to never attempt it.
"It is not release. It is just continuing the pain for others you leave behind. They might lash out in ways you will not see because you are gone. Do not do it. I understand we here sound weird. But we each believe. This stopped me from doing something I was convinced was right. But I now see I would have made the galaxy worse. You do not have to stay here if you do not want to. We here in this group will only take those who convert to the idea of Sol Invictus willingly. We do not want to force people."
The young Asari felt shame. But Falere hugged it away. The young one was only eighty-nine. She had been caught extremely early. But her parents had disowned her. Said that the gene was her fault not theirs. The girl name Vara had wept to know that. Thus, the cuts. Done by a single sharped piece of wood. But Falere insisted that she turn it over to the guards. Vara did. She stayed. She wants to believe in Sol Invictus. The guards watched on in shock. This was helping others. Not trying to get into their graces. One is curious.
That guard asked about Sol Invictus. Rila smiled and this time explained the ideas. The guard does not convert. But she understands the group more. Weird that they always spoke of someone called him on Earth. But it was not harmful. She, however, did something. She had been estranged from Athame. But the faith in her was renewed. She went to the more established chapel to the goddess more often now. The priestess was surprised but she took the extra visit. The chapel here was not filled often. The Ardat Yakshi hate Athame. They near universal believe that if she is real that the gene is her fault. They avoided the chapel like a plague. The priestess was more pleased when a second guard started joining her. She was the first's friend.
Athame saw her hole. She had kissed Neoth on the cheek and that had made the god blush. Athame was very down bad. But she was slowly winning him over. Sol Invictus asked Athame not to be mad with him about her people. The Goddess smiled and said that he was helping them more than she could, so it was fine.
China same day after the discovery.
Wilhelm and his nine brothers gathered. They had been given a mission. To kill this enemy general. But they know it will be rough. Their target was well defended. They were not full marines. They were missing several organs. Plus, the geneseed. But the ten were vastly superior to regular humans. They had made their oath of moment. The mission was going to be dangerous. Ravel had been with them and hugged her trolls.
The ten had boarded a rhino and then they drove off at dusk. They passed the massive amount of ground the imperium had taken after the failed attack. But they passed through friendly space and into enemy territory. They had left the rhino at the last control point the imperials had. The ten moved swiftly and silently through the city. They had Corvus armor tonight. They were painted black, and the hydra was covered. But they met little resistance. Several party troops died to knives in the back.
The marines moved and they eventually found their safe house. An old warehouse. There they prepare further. The general had made his headquarters in an old university, and he had fortified it. Lots of anti air guns and several other defenses. The plan was to enter from an old police station on campus. They after preparing their bolters moved again.
They softly spoke on vox. Mainly telling jokes and memes. Peter was the most silent. Wilhelm had once they arrived at the meeting point with a mole. They were a regular banker before the wars. Now they were Alpharius. The mole worked in the university as a clerk. He leaked to them the building layout.
The marines thanked the old before moving again. They hit a small checkpoint near the university police station and killed the troops there. They then start the mark.
Mark 001
Two squads of party troops are resting in an old police station here near headquarters. They are worried because the general was angry. He had thrown a huge amount of their fellows at an old administrative building and the offensive had failed to take it back. They lost a lot of men there. The damn imperials had like always gotten new weapons. The troops were slowly being given melee weapons made in imitation of their foes. But they were just worse versions. The general promised that they will have las guns of their own soon. But the troops do not believe that.
A single man was enjoying a coffee when he thinks he heard something. It was barley audible. But he had survived this long by being paranoid. He had been at the last big city fight too. Had made his way here chased by the imperials. He was not stupid. He grabbed his shotgun and donned his armor. He grabbed two others, and they just think the first is a bit loony, but they follow. They do not return.
The next thing the party troops know is that they are under attack and that these are dangerous Imperials. Possibly the so called Astartes that everyone fears. The fire fight sees the squads dead and the police station theirs. They open up a portal and Crimson Dragons scions take the building defense and set up several las machine guns.
Mark 008-017
The marines moved to the next building an old library and cleared that building in five minutes. More scions take the building and set up more las machine guns. They and the police station are getting a steady stream of reinforcements in more scions and then several companies of Guard. The Guard units pushed out of the two fall back points and hit anti air guns. The Cabal realized fast that they are facing an active attack.
That was the plan. Cover the kill team with a battle and let the general focus on that instead of the kill team. The marines wait and the hit the administration building. There they fight more troops.
The guard have drawn more troops to kill boxes and they return the strike from earlier today. The flak units had many men and women hurt by the new bullets. But they are mostly safe. A guard soldier fires a plasma rocket at a particularly bad strong point and that clampdown the push that was being started there.
Mark 018-27
The marines have pushed onwards, and they are getting closer. They split up so as to prevent the general from escaping. Teams of two close known escape routes. They catch and kill several enemies who carry documents, and they quickly discover the enemy has moved some prototypes of chain weapons and a very rough attempt at a las gun copy. It was not anywhere close to making a successful attempt. But the Cabal had been trying desperately to even the odds.
The team finally found their enemy. He was gathering his personal guards who all have chain weapons and the new bullets. They fight back and the general shoots with his men and they fight with grit. Wilhelm claims a second in command and the fight continues.
On the grounds of the university the imperials have captured three more buildings and they include a cafeteria and an art hall. The fight is still in their favor. Sona comes and she leads more guard on an attack on a stubborn enemy holding out on a gym. Las machine guns are keeping reinforcements from arriving along with plasma rockets. The Aquilla is raised over their captured buildings.
Wilhelm swings his axe and claims another kill. The roaring of it and the feeble attempt to hit back with the crude chain axe from another foe means they advance further into the enemy. His marines shout Hydra Dominatus and then finalize their plan. The harrowing took full effect. Two marines pinned the general down and then Victor and Aldman hit from another angle. Aldman gets the kill. He with his power axe claims the enemy general. The man is bisected and falls over dead. The soon to be sergeant voxed to his Legion Hetman.
"Target dead Hetman. Mission complete."
"Finish off the stragglers and then we help take the university."
The marines finished up their work then went to help at the gym. Sona was shooting straight and center. She was not missing anything. The party troops fought their way here and made this gym their final stand. Sona prepared to do magic, but the marines just charged in with a cry.
"This is our favorite gym in China! You missed leg day! We will show you who's boss at this gym!"
They bulldozed through the troops and by mark 038 they finished with the fight. The university stands as a new stronghold and the imperials push out. They claim multiple city blocks and then they form a new battle line at a train station to prepare for the next push in two hours. The enemy was scattered and trying to make redoubts, but they were hit with a newly made jammer deployed by a tech adept. It jammed the radio frequencies the Cabal troops were using. It would not be fixed for five hours.
Kuoh Navel Academy Japan.
Jiro was on a roll. He was with his girlfriend and the two were discussing going to a rap concert that was being staged in Kuoh this week. It was being done by a youkai that now the veil has fallen became a huge sensation in the world. Shirone was so excited about it.
They were progressing very well in their new relationship. Jiro made the very few cat girl lovers still chasing Shirone very scared when two had been extra persistent. He cracks his knuckles and puts his new martial arts skills and muscles to use. The two others fled from Jiro and Shirone had kissed him openly there. They had a small fan club. It was not the SoSsei club in numbers but the vast majority of them had become Shirone's friends.
The school had progressed well. Rias had found two more officers for her ship in two other third years. The two were ecstatic and they both thought of ways to help move the relay. Rias was also getting closer to Kenji every day. He was studying medicine and he asked for a tutor for him in devil healing. He was determined to be as great a doctor as the new legend that was Gordon.
Rias admires his drive. They do form a connection over anime, and he learns she is a super weeb. He finds that cute. This might be it. She plans to eventually introduce him to her parents.
Her brother has told her that the next time she sees Issei to tell him thanks for everything. The fertility drug has hit the markets and devils buy it out so quickly. Their race has become increasingly competitive in family planning. The next generation will have thousands of versions of his name for boys and girls. Velelana had a third coming now. A baby boy.
The world was always going up now. Her peerage was going to become a power house because they were inspired to build. Millicas was visiting today with Grayfia, and the peerage was her in total.
Millicas admires Issei so very much. He now knows the Emperor is the Red Angel. That the Emperor protects. He wants to meet Issei. He followed every story about him. Millicas was enjoying his life now more than ever. He was getting a sister and he promised his mother to always protect her. Isseina was going to have a wonderful life.
Millicas ran to his aunt and hugged her. Rias was with her peerage even Akeno and Gasper. Kiba was unfortunately still busy with China. But the new peerage members learned that they were honorary uncles and aunts. Grayfia looked weirdly at Kenji who was closer to Rias. Before the maid smiled seeing the secret looks they two young people shared. Grayfia recalled the same looks between her and Sirzechs. She gently gave a nod to Rias in support.
It means a lot to be supported by her surrogate sister. Rias gently whispers something to Kenji. He freezes before beaming. Rias will be like Shirone. Try with her pawn. Hanako saw it and cheered for her friend. The rest do too. Millicas missed something but he joined in too.
Russia south steppes front.
Jeanne was joking around with her sisters. They were in a camp close to a new city liberated. Jeanne missed Tsubaki. But they talked regularly. Jeanne was happier than ever before. Irina had announced to her fellow perpetual that she and Arthur were now together. It was another wonderful thing. Jeanne missed the club days. But she was now completely off the cigarettes. She will never pick them up again.
The sisters have exploded into a new fighting force of a thousand. They are training twenty more recruits here. Many are young and from a school in Japan. But Jeanne welcomed them and gave tips. Jane was always successful in her work. She was rising fast through the ranks. She was close to becoming a seraphim. The new rocket jump packs they were finally getting from their personal forge headed by an Ai called Hadron had supplied them with more armor and weapons. Meltas were slowly being given to vets.
The Russians were struggling more than ever trying to stop them. They had also tried nuclear weapons. But the hydra had shut them down. Now the Serpents were receiving more power in the Russian war machine. But they had more problems. Germany and Poland had invaded in the west.
This time the Germans were just as determined and more motivated. They were not conquers. They were liberators. The Russian people were seeing the increasingly desperate actions the Kremlin was taking. They were tired of the war. Riots were already breaking out in the major cities.
The Chechen First had shown their grit. They were excellent fighters and Jeanne had made the recommendation that they recruit stormtroopers from them as long as they understood the importance of their Commissars. The Inquisition was always getting better with each passing day.
Inquisition headquarters Underworld.
Akio was nervous. Mainly because he was meeting his potential father in law. Baraqiel was intimidating. But Akeno had happily said that she was greatly confident they would hit it off. Akio wants to marry Akeno. Badly. But he is worried her father will not approve of him.
They meet in a break room here at the base. Baraqiel sees the human who his daughter has confessed to him she plans to marry. To know he is truly immortal is simply strange. But Baraqiel is used to the strange now. The three sit together and the men face each other.
Akeno was not nervous. She was grinning as her lover and father glared at each other. Akio was being extra careful. The hybrid had wanted another three days of fun with him. They had been so excited about that. Baraqiel grunted out finally after studying the human for ten minutes.
"Heard you cannot die. My little Ake likes you a lot. Says we two are similar. I will be the judge of that. But you seem fine. Hurt her and I will cook you alive with my lightning. I will be watching."
Akio snarks back.
"I will definitely accept the jerky dance if that happens. But I am going to marry Akeno. Not now but maybe sometime soon. You are fine too baldy. My first death was getting run over by a truck. Nothing scared me after that."
Baraqiel is amused. The human had a backbone. And was snarky. Yes they were indeed similar. But he just smirked.
"You are funny. Funny men like you are easy to fool."
"Everyone is a fool when in love. Keno told me about your story. I'm sorry bout that. But i bring presents with that."
Akio summoned a spell and tossed a box to the angel. Inside were the locations of the Himejima clansmen who killed Shuri. Baraqiel grins seeing the evidence. His son in law was nice. They are indeed mood kindred.
"Together?"
Akio grinned along with Akeno.
"Sure. Good family bonding experience. They are fucked anyway. The clan is under new management and the new head has disavowed them. She is a familiar face for you. Killed the previous head because the fucker was going to try and kill as many youkai as possible in Lady Yasaka's city. The other four clans are intimately aware that they are losing the support of their patrons. The Shinto have been assholes to my best friend but they are cool with me. They see that I am a way to gain brownie points with him. Fuck the clansmen. Soon?"
"Definitely. As you young people say let us get this bread."
The trio laughed evilly together. Akeno pictured the fuckers who still haunted her dreams sometimes suffering the same. Her hubby was hot. And he knew how to bond them. He popped the ring then. Akeno squealed in happiness before babbling yes. Baraqiel saw he had been outplayed. But was definitely ok with this.
"Fine. But no grandkids yet. Akeno you need to finish school."
"Yes daddy. I graduate in three weeks. I want the wedding in a chapel of the Ecclesiarchy."
Akio grumbled but said yes. Baraqiel sighed. Never expect the Inquisition.
Africa.
The Imperium had been building up for this since the beginning of the unification wars. They were ready. It had taken a lot of work. Thousands of ad hoc units had to be reorganized and retrained while they were attacked. The languages had been tough. But translation beads were distributed and finally the Imperium launched their offensive. They pushed out of redoubts. Out of the one imperial majority nation. They had mass vehicles and tanks. They had the African model named the Shaka Zulu. They marched and crushed multiple armies in a few short days. They were helped immediately by locals. Africa would be free.
The Imperium marched and opened hundreds of fronts against the enemy. Angels helped keep the skies cleared. The Egyptian forces in particular were motivated. They had been told of Tallarn. The world who stopped a legion of the Astartes. They enjoyed the tale immensely. They became the Egyptian Desert Raiders.
They pushed towards the west swift and silent like the breeze. Their Chimeras were comfortable as were a new tank model called the Sphinx designed especially for desert warfare. They wanted a new world of their own. They captured multiple cities and brought to the people of the desert a new dream of the stars.
The South African army had bogged down with fighting, but they got the Shaka las gun on mass. They enjoyed it because supply issues had been bad. They pushed north now anew, and they often joked about the worlds they would see. Cormac had been near the front and he and two new Custodians from Africa had commanded well.
Africa Great Red's location from flight till current day.
Great Red loves dreams now more than ever. He was enjoying lazing about in the sun. He missed the warmth. No one bothered him. But he was surprised when a small hole from the gap appeared near him. It was Ophis. She was in her loli form. Red enters his human one. They glare at each other. Ophis is like always emotionless. But she just stays staring. She entered her true form and then rested near the waterhole nearby. She enjoyed the sun too. The two dragons stay on opposite ends of the lake between them. Ophis spoke.
"Your still an ass. But I watched stuff. You are a big stupid lizard. But it was an interesting gesture. I will stay here. Stay on your side. I like the sun. The silence here is good too."
Red took the branch. He did not push his luck. They lazed about and Red was flown a huge amount of meat from the Imperials. Ophis just looked on. Red was not tamed. But he enjoyed his deal with Issei. Free food and unlimited access to the sky whenever he wanted. Was nice. He offered some to Ophis. She declined. But watches with a lazy eye open while she enjoys the sun. Her sleep was actually better under the sun.
They were watched by locals. The tribesmen had been informed that the dragons would not harm them by two Guard soldiers. The two just said leave them be. They were ok. Especially the big red one. A brave little boy ignores his parents and goes up to Great Red. He looks on in awe. The dragon was still enjoying the heat. He feels a small hand touch a claw. But does not react other than huff in amusement. The boy encouraged more children to come close as did the adults led by a new man from the area. Red looks to the human man. The human just smiled back to the dragon. Ophis watched on. But a brave little girl gets close to the black dragon. Not too close because the Imperial said she wanted to be left alone and likes silence. The girl does something.
The next day a picture is made for Ophis by the girl and left near a rock. The locals leave the black one alone. But Red leaves the area to talk with the locals. Ophis is in a regular human form now. She picked up the picture. On it are in badly written words.
I like your scales.
Ophis does not understand the new feelings she has. She just took the picture. She then went back to sleep. The little girl always watched the black dragon. Never close and always as silent as possible. Two other children join and watch too. The local population get used to seeing the dragons laze about. Ophis asked Red something after a few weeks.
"What is this thing I feel?"
Red just looks for her to explain. The Infinity dragon does. Red sees the emotion.
"Pride. You like the little girl who watches you. I can tell her to leave you alone if she is bothering you."
Ophis does not get that. But just went back to sleep.
The little girl does not watch for a few days because Red had gently told her that the black dragon was very reclusive. The little girl is sad. But Red was popular with the children because he would describe dreams to them. Ophis does not like it when the little girl is not watching her anymore. She growled at Red.
"Make her watch. Like pride."
The little girl is happy when she is told that she can watch again. She leaves a new picture. It says thank you. Ophis keeps it. But sleeps better. More children watch her now. They want to pet the cool dragon like they do with Red when he is lazing. They ask Red about Ophis. He tells them she is extremely pretty and that she is extraordinarily strong. Ophis hears that and feels more pride. And something new. She poked him again the next day.
"New feeling explain."
"Happiness. I will make a silent bubble for you. The War is coming near us and they are loud. I know you do not like me. But may I please do that?"
"Fine. Want meat too."
Red shares food. He placed a bubble. They laze. But the war does come. A squad of tanks from an enemy force sees the dragons. They focus on Ophis. They attack her. The black dragon takes two tank rounds. She growled then crushed them. The imperials then kill the three remaining tanks. The shells had not done damage. But the local imperial man apologized to Ophis profusely. He said that the dragon can have whatever she wants as payment for the imperials not protecting her. Ophis simply growled to the human.
"More watchers. Also, more meat. Leave."
Ophis gets more watchers. She enjoyed the pride. Meat was flown to her too now. That calms the new emotion she does know. Rage. But the imperials keep their word to the letter. Off duty troops near the dragons watched too. Ophis sees some making pictures of her on their tanks and other vehicles. More pride fills her. Red talks to several new Guard captains. Ophis growled at them surprising the imperials and Red.
"Like pictures. Make more. Thank you."
The imperial commander just called out to her.
"Will do. Can we name our regiment after you? The Black Infinity Dragons?"
Ophis feels such pride with that respect and request.
"Fine. Win battles. You humans not so bad."
The Black Dragons move out the next day. Their regiment paints their tanks with Ophis, and they become a very powerful force. An elite tank regiment. Red tells her their triumphs after always asking. Ophis likes those humans. She enjoyed knowing they had a flag with her on it. She started asking for news of them. Red tells her their dreams. To have a city eventually on a new world named Ophis. That makes Ophis happy.
Their days become easy. Ophis gets more pictures from the children. They are made on nearby rocks. Ophis says one day to them.
"Can pet. Once. Be silent, however. Sleeping."
The little girl pets the dragon her dream now fulfilled. The others do to. Ophis let that become a regular thing. Her watchers are happy. One late night Ophis growled to Red.
"Am sorry. Tell Emperor that. Humans are ok. I know I did bad things. But am happy that I am left alone."
"I will tell him. He does not like you much. Says you give us dragons a bad reputation. But he understands that your still new to this."
Ophis feels something new. Regret. She is silent for several days after that.
China Issei's front day after victory at the university.
Sona was in the library with three servants her mother sent her upon request. She was with them looking for the book. Rossweiss was brought in, and she was helping with the research. The two had connected through education talk and Rossweiss saw the boss she might have. But she would take that leap later. She was extremely happy as a secretary for his grace.
Sona did get her night. It was wonderful the two of them. She had such great memories of them. And she realized that they had weird tastes. He enjoyed a few things she found odd. But now she likes most of them. She found that her tastes were more varied than first thought. But her greed kicked in that night after. Issei had been wonderful now growling was a new thing Sona understood. Not the worst but she should stop teasing Ravel about it.
He was busy looking at prototype chain weapons captured, and he just chuckled with two tech adepts who were honored to be working with the Omnissiah. One had picked up the courage to submit an idea for a better version of a farming vehicle. Issei simply said that innovation was always encouraged and just because something was not in the Database yet did not mean that it was not valid. The adept had smiled and saw the mind of the Omnissiah.
The chain weapons the Cabal were making were utter shit. The teeth could barely scratch carapace. The motor the weapons used was extremely finicky and the power source was gasoline. Not good design because the tank was exposed. That was a weakness passed on to Guard command. That was good to know.
The Cabal had fallen back horribly and were beginning to withdraw to the railroad tracks, and they were trying to preserve the party troops because of a new problem. A few cities near Beijing had mass riots and the troops were needed to put them down. They were giving up the city. But they sabotaged everything they could in the retreat. They also deported thousands of civilians to friendly cities of theirs to continue working in the factories.
A council of the remaining residents had begun to take a census to see who was gone. Many families were broken. But they were now more determined to reunite those taken. Four new ad hoc groups had formed to repair damaged infrastructure. The war was drawing on.
Issei was interested in the documents mentioning the prototype las gun. It too was shit. They had tried the worst cheapest way for a focusing crystal. That was understandable they needed to equip their troops quickly. And with the situation getting worse the decision was made to do that. It would hurt the Cabal. The quality of crystals was garbage and the fact they thought this was the answer would be another thing against them. A growing number of things. The bullets were the best counter attempt.
The bullets were cheaper to make, and the kinetic force was getting closer to hurt flak armor users. A new version of flak was authorized for mass production and the older versions would be given to the home guard forces. The current flak users would get leave till then. It would slow the advance, but lives were more important than that.
It was mid-day when Sona found the book. It was a copy of a copy. Ravel was brought in plus Issei and Fabium. The group sat while Sona read what she could translate. This was in incredibly old devil. Like the Morningstar old.
"It says that an expedition from the first Sitri lord was made to the Antarctic and that is where a Stargate was found. No location descriptions. But here is a copy of most of the symbols I can find.
The book was passed around. Ravel tilted her own head. That is strange.
"These look weirdly like something the first Phenex lord mentioned. The book was destroyed in the civil war, but we still have a partial page. It was all we could save at a manor house the OSF attacked. Ruven is like Magnus a big nerd. He mentioned this to me once. Said the symbols were unlike anything we had ever seen."
Issei studied the symbols more.
"There are hints of Old One influence. I am wondering if it was a potential race that surfaced after the War in Heaven. This language is extremely difficult to even get a bare hint of. Maybe an offshoot of Old Ones who might have survived? Possibly a very isolated group of their caste system? They were the masters of genetics and life so maybe we are seeing this evolution."
Fabium had been shown the Old Ones. He was amazed by that. To think lizards like that had once existed. Pia was in the room having not left Issei's side and was desperately trying to learn more of the Old Ones.
"Why did they have that?"
"They had one because they adapted to tens of millions of planets. They were lizards yes, but they understood that they needed to adapt to new worlds. Humans will do that too in some places. But we evolve faster than they did. They changed themselves so dramatically they could create a new subspecies in a matter of days. They eventually had the caste system, but it was not like they oppressed the other subspecies. Everyone was equal and yes the leader caste was a thing, but you could move between castes easily."
Sona picked up with the Tau there.
"The Tau might have taken inspiration from them here. They have developed earlier."
"Yes but they are also not in traditional Old One space. They are on the eastern fringe. We are near the center west. But the symbols here are also striking in how they collaborate. They form something. Ravel use the precognitive with me here. Please center me."
"Yes dear."
She touched his hand and the gold eyes dimmed. They were not milky white. But Issei was like that for ten minutes. Rossweiss was worried as was Sona. Fabium watches with interest while Pia was writing down theories about the caste system for the Old Ones.
Issei returned and he was frustrated.
"It is a code of some kind. What can we think of that has a system like that?"
They all thought. Sona guessed first.
"Maybe an information request system?"
Ravel tried.
"Maybe a communication system?"
Pia absentmindedly said something. She was engrossed in her thoughts about the Old Ones.
"Maybe an address book."
The group stared at her. She looked up more focused.
"What did I say?"
Issei considered each. But then realizing the importance of the last idea.
"Pia if you are right you just won an award. That is an interesting point. Maybe the symbols are for that. Each is a part of the address, and you need all seven for a proper connection. Star Gate. I am going to authorize that mission. We need whatever it is, and we need it fast in order to prevent the Cabal from activating it. It is a one in a trillion chance, but fate is a bitch. We will have to look at that."
Pia puffed up. She was an intellectual and she was still in the process of learning archaeology, and she had a friend who studied with her. An American who was her roommate. He had been roughed up by the Cabal because he was a foreigner, but he spoke and understood Chinese perfectly along with five other languages. He was helping in a supply chain for the Imperials in regards towards food. Pia mentioned him.
"My friend had a wacky theory that saw him drummed out of college in the states. Said the pyramids were built by Xenos. He is nice but was he right about that? He was vindicated a bit when Xenos became an accepted thing."
Issei shook his head.
"They were not. We made them. People do not give the credit to the past civilizations that they should. It was man made. But he was not wrong about the idea of Xenos visiting us before. Pre barrier we did have people poke around. But it was just observation work. No people being taken or experiments. Humanity was just watched. Bring him in. I want to hear his opinion on this. My lines say he is important. I will contact Zhang and have a force find the original site of the gate in the Gobi."
Ravel could not stay silent on this anymore. She had seen a plan by the Alpha Legion. Wilhelm had been confronted about it and he told her. But she asked for everyone besides Sona and Issei out. The others did leave. Pia to find her friend and Fabium to continue cleaning up the city. Once they were gone Rossweiss tried to leave too. Issei gestured to her to stay. Ravel was unsure but spoke.
"The kids have a plan. It might work. They think we can pull this off. They are preparing a mission in Beijing. This could be the end."
Issei hummed.
"If you are talking about plan twenty-seven then yes it could. But it could also fuck us worse. The lines are fifty fifty there. And nothing else will change them. Nothing we can do will alter that. I am hesitant to allow it. Because so much can go wrong. Even the smallest thing can fuck it up badly. I did not say anything because I do not want to be controlling with them. They have blossomed under your encouragement. I know I have to make a decision. But this is the first time their trying something this big."
Ravel nods. She was wondering the same. But she was optimistic. Issei usual was too. But he was doubting himself now in private. He wanted to preserve life. And the war would have dragged on for longer and they needed to end it without causing more deaths. It was a rough choice. End it with much less deaths. Or have it drag on and the situation will get worse for them. Sona asked the question.
"What is the plan?"
"Their first actual harrowing attack on a macro scale."
An. Yay another one. Lots here. Nuggets galore. Especially the star gate. The Chinese found it first. I originally wanted a different thing but that made a symbolic thing I was doing get worse and get the wrong attitude. I thus reworked it to this. Here is some information about the Gould. They never came to earth. Ra is not that here. He is something else. They are all like that. The Ancients were not human either. They are weird. They are extragalactic. But they have a very weird origin story. The gates are linked to the web way. A cruder version of it. There are downsides to gate travel. Several big and some small. But the Gould see that it just works so they do not try and expand on them. They cannot make new gates. Their address book is very incomplete. Thus, running only twenty five percent of the galaxy.
The Old Ones are still supreme. And anything elaborated here is utterly non canon because we know next to nothing about them. But I think a species with such powerful tech could do a way to get around slow evolution we see in reptiles. They thus had a caste system to explain to their population that. It is not at all like the Tau. You change your caste depending on the situation and world you are on. The Old Ones were very Utopian in how they were. You should have no opposition because you are the gods of the materium and the immaterium. The C'tan were lying. They never fought the Old Ones here. Just ate happily. The Deceiver was an ultra prick.
The Cabal is trying to adapt. But they are failing in some regards while simultaneously trying to win in some situations. They cannot get las guns because Neoth blows them up to stop this. The government is considered illegitimate, and they cannot easily buy them with the world hostile to them plus Neoth then blowing them up again. So, they tried a new tactic. They tried capturing one then after it exploded they gathered the pieces up and then tried a similar approach to the first las pistol. Work backwards and try to guess what works. They are failing because the situation in their territory is worsening every day. Thus, bad choices made in desperation. Like Germany in both world wars. They are trying to sledgehammer their way to working copies as fast as possible. Their bullets are great against flak vests that are in mark one versions. This is where the success is coming. But Issei rather have his troops live than sacrifice them for gains.
The mission with the Alpha Legion plan is one moment that could win the war. A Hail Mary to end Hail Marys. But it can also fuck up so bad. Like ultra bad. The General in the city would have extended the war by months had he continued living. This could extend it by years.
The Citadel and their cult problem. Yeah the Reapers are pricks. They fuck with the races that use the tech. The cults get more prevalent in the last few centuries before a cycle begins. Sovereign does this via disposable agents. They are in the extranet. They easily can find unstable individuals and use them for that purpose. They make the integration of the various pre contact internets a subtle thing on the citadel mind indoctrinating wave. It is a plan that has worked thousands of times before. Even the Protheans had something similar. The Reapers are very much the original version of them. Like Chaos. Weaken the races more than just major wars. Make social progress along a path that improves efficiency on cycles. The Asari are heavily influenced by this. The Turians have resisted more because they actually have something over the other big three. They have stronger souls in the warp. They have a stronger god. Athame is old and has the built-up faith stockpiles. But the world spirit for Palaven can surpass her. They do have psykers. But they evolve slowly. The psykers are just hitting the first stage of them actually being able to do stuff. Why Titus was able to feel something from the pendant. The Asari who embrace Sol Invictus are getting full blasted by a psychic wave. Titus resists because he has that early psyker gene. He can see the good. But he can also see exceedingly small hints where the faith could become the first Imperial cult. It is complicated.
Ann. to the reviews who came in yesterday. Horus was right in how Neoth was going to betray them. But in saying that Neoth was delt the worst hand possible. You are absolutely right there. He made decisions that were needed. As for Cerberus yes absolutely correct again. But the second Inquisition is not the first plus the brigade clouds the view of Cerberus further. The second realize the bad before, but they are trying to be better to have lines that should not be crossed. its again complicated. i do love the reviewer who is my mood kindred. Toaster Forker. Great name. Thanks again for getting us close to 150 reviews. and for so much more.