RWBY 40k fanfiction – Salem, mistress of Inquisition.
Ep 13: Vulkan and the Rebellion of Osiris.
Nocturne is an inhospitable and volcanic planet. Surrounded by basaltic mountains, which makes it possible to identify immense deposits of minerals.
Due to the attacks of a mysterious xeno race named the Twilight Specters, its population is robust and quite wealthy despite the harsh life on the planet.
In the city of Hesiod, the blacksmith N'bel is making a weapon with his great hammer.
A man in full robes arrived in his studio.
Man: "N'bel!"
N'bel: "Oh... Hello Great Archon Gurur."
Gurur: "So, how's my order going? I still haven't received anything for several days."
N'bel: "I haven't received my ores yet. Be patient."
Gurur: "These merchants are lazy... Go to the Ash Plain. My delivery can't wait!"
N'bel: "But it's a contraband market!"
Gurur: "Know that the weapons do not wait!"
He left the workshop and N'bel sighed.
N'bel: "What impatience. We are at peace."
He began to strike the sword on its anvil.
The next day the blacksmith left the city in a traveling cart.
For long hours, the blacksmith came to the ash plain and could see the infamous market. He paid the traveler and walked to the market, hooded from head to toe.
He came to the market and bought iron ore, gold and other things at great prices from the scarified merchants. Then walked the streets to get out of the small village filled with thieves and prostitutes.
Leaving the city, he saw something in the sky. A big bright star.
The blacksmith paid no attention to this and continued across the plain, moving further and further away from the village towards the travel path.
But after a while, he saw that the ground shone. He looked at the sky and saw that the star was getting redder and redder.
Then finally, the star passed overhead and crashed several hundred meters away.
He stood surprised for a moment and then ran towards the meteorite.
Approaching the crater, the ground was vitrified and fire was burning in a few places. As he descended the crater, he discovered that a sort of metal shell was at the bottom.
Leaning his head inside, he was startled.
Indeed, there was a baby. A tiny little baby who was crying, he was crying very softly.
N'bel took the baby in his arms and pulled him out of the metal shell.
N'bel: "Shh... No one's going to hurt you."
The baby calmed down and stared at the blacksmith with his red eyes.
The blacksmith turned around the hull and discovered a sign marked: XVIII.
The blacksmith did not understand but better not linger because the disreputable village could reapply. He takes the number with him to have proof.
Evening in the city...
N'bel had returned with the dark-skinned baby with the red eyes.
He summoned the council of elders of the city.
Ancient 1: "Hm... so you're implying that the child is the Savior?"
Ancient 2: "Why?"
N'bel: "I was ordered by Senator Gurur to go to the smuggler's village to bring back minerals. But on my way back, I saw this shooting star in the sky and then crashing near me. I discovered the baby there and took it in my hands and this."
He presented the marked plate in front of everyone.
The Elders stared at the plate before looking at the majestic baby.
Ancient 3: "I think providence has reached out to us."
Ancient 4: "But who will take care of him."
Silence falls in the room, no one wants to take this baby with him.
Ancient 1: "In that case. N'bel the blacksmith. Take the boy with you."
N'bel: "Good."
After which, the blacksmith left the council and returned home with the boy.
N'bel: "Welcome home...Vulkan. Vulkan, king of salamanders."
Vulkan grew up with his father the blacksmith N'bel.
In the first three years of his life, the little Vulkan grows at lightning speed.
He began to learn blacksmithing at the age of one, watching his father N'bel forge objects and weapons. In the meantime, he already knew how to speak, read and count.
In the second year, he began to blacksmith with his father.
The third he could forge on his own.
He surpassed his father in skill and discovered new ways to forge weapons.
In the years that followed, he became a real giant and his forging qualities were in the divine.
One day though...
Vulkan: "What do you have to give me father?"
N'bel: "Here..."
He gives her a new adamantium tip for Vulkan's spear.
N'bel: "The Saurochs will fear you."
The blacksmith then sees his son hold the tip with an expression he had seen before.
Vulkan wondered who he was and where he came from. He had heard these stories about him and how he was the city's chosen one. But the simple fact that it came from the sky, made him ask the question. Besides, he had asked N'bel the question several times.
Vulkan seeing N'bel's sadness hugged him.
Vulkan: "No matter what. You will remain my father. I promise you that."
N'bel: "Hm... Come with me Vulkan."
Vulkan: "?"
He led Vulkan towards the back of the workshop, towards an old anvil.
N'bel: "Help me move her."
Vulkan and N'bel move the anvil revealing a stone slab.
N'bel: "Open this slab. I'm not as strong as before."
Vulkan opened the slab and discovered a dark passage under the ground.
The two men go underground.
Vulkan then discovers in the darkness while going down the stairs, a kind of metallic cylinder with contours.
But while the duo was going to sink into the room. A dull noise was heard and not just any noise. It was the alarm horn of Twilight Specters.
The two rushed out of the underground and then out of the forge.
They then saw a sky of blood above Hesiod with clouds hemmed with rusts swirling in the crimson firmament.
Ash and smoke mingled with the breeze, and a searing heat made the air heavy like a blanket of invisible chains.
N'bel: "They're here... They'll be arriving Vulkan soon!"
Vulkan looked at the panicked populace and frowned.
Vulkan: "This madness must stop."
N'bel: "Wait!"
Vulkan ran through the city and reached the top. He then discovered that orange traces dotted the horizon. It was the shepherd villages of Saurochs that were burning and their inhabitants were soon to arrive.
Vulkan, embittered, returned to the forge as quickly as he had left.
N'bel: "Vulkan, what are you doing?"
Vulkan: "We must take up arms! Quick!"
Vulkan picked up two huge forge hammers. N'bel hesitated for a moment, then took up a spear.
N'bel: "I will always be with you my son."
Vulkan: "I know..."
The inhabitants saw the duo go towards the gates of the city. Then seeing the courage of their chosen one, hundreds of men and women took up arms in their turn.
They arrived in front of the city gates which are closed.
Vulkan: "Father?"
N'bel: "Yes?"
Vulkan: "If we survive this. I only want one thing: Seal the cellar. It doesn't matter where I come from. Nocturne is my family."
N'bel: "Hm... Good."
It is then that loud knocks are heard in the door, with each knock the door deforms before being destroyed.
The Twilight Specters were behind. Their appearance was surprising to the Primarch. They had long, slender bodies and sported long ears.
The leather-clad witches began to fight with the same agility displaying the most exquisite cruelty.
Vulkan resented the witches.
Vulkan: "Leave the city immediately! I order you!"
The xenos women laughed and jeered before provoking him to beat them.
One of them rushed with the speed of a viper, skirting his side in order to rip him in his blind spot.
But Vulkan blocked the blow intended to mutilate him with the handle of his hammer and brought down the other on the skull of his adversary whom he killed instantly. A moment of friction took place in front of this unprecedented scene. A witch smiled, her interest had fallen on the Primarch and launched herself at him.
The other Twilight Specters troops arrived. Warriors clad in jet black armor poured out of a twilight barge. They brandished blades and hooks eagerly.
Vulkan crushed them as his fellow citizens attacked the slavers.
He jumped over the horde of warriors and after violent blows arrived in front of the barge. His hands gripped the lamellar nose of the machine before knocking it to the side. Thus, the barge rolled on the ground and exploded. Two other barges arrived. One attempted to impale Vulkan on its spiked prow.
With pinpoint accuracy, the Primarch leapt onto the speeding floating barge and raced along, slaying the Twilight Wraiths in the process.
He found himself face to face with the Slaver Lord gazing at him through the eye slits of his horned helmet.
Vulkan killed his bodyguards but saw his hammers destroyed in the fight, forcing him to finish off the remaining xenos with his bare hands. Lord Xenos then pointed his gauntlet, preparing to unleash the weapon attached to it.
It was then that N'bel called him and threw a forge hammer at him, which Vulkan caught in one hand before throwing it straight at the face of the slave lord who had his head pulverized.
The Primarch returned to the fray and proceeded to take on the other Twilight Specters without slowing the pace. Distraught by this unexpected resistance, the survivors of the Xenos raiding party retreated before being totally destroyed.
Only the witches, obsessed with their thirst for battle, remained and the one who had smiled at the Primarch almost killed N'bel who was saved only by the sacrifice of a Nocturian who threw himself between the blades of the witch and the old blacksmith, losing his life in the process but offering time for Vulkan to join his adoptive father.
He challenged the Xenos to confront him, but she dodged the Primarch's blows and performed a series of somersaults, twists, and turns until they were far enough from Vulkan to provoke him, then fled. becoming the only one to survive the massacre.
Beyond the shattered walls of Hesiod, a rift opened in the fabric of reality and swallowed the witch last, then closed again.
Vulkan felt uneasy at the bloodthirsty fury he had shown, despite N'bel's encouragement and the fact that he was celebrated as a hero by the survivors. But in the face of the Primarch's grief:
N'bel: "You come from the stars my son. This capsule in my cellar... That's where I found you. You were sent from the stars to save us."
Vulkan: "...I wonder why."
N'bel: "Fate is unpredictable."
The city's resistance spread across Nocturne, and soon the representatives of the seven greatest cities paid homage to Vulkan and swore never to hide again but to crush their enemies. Thus, the first great parade on the planet began, and great warriors gathered to show their strength.
For decades, the divine blacksmith of Nocturne made sure to brave the prevailing fear towards the Xenos.
Vulkan discovered a strange portal one day and decided to use it to strike the problem at the source.
He arrived with his hunting party in a city plunged into terrifying darkness.
A darkness with substance and a presence that went against nature.
They saw other members of the xenos race but being miserable and chained. They saw their greedy and mad looks.
The hunters engaged in this dark tunnel met a terrible death by being dragged into the darkness by the darkness.
It was then that Vulkan discovered a creature that would result from an evil nightmare. A kind of humanoid being whose black skin was covered with runes and their face was constantly changing: passing from a neutral mask which opens to a distended mouth and lined with sharp teeth like needles.
Vulkan with eight of his companions confronted this monster which behaved like a shadow. The creature decapitated the warriors one by one.
But she was frustrated with the Primarch's agility in dodging his vicious blows. Vulkan ran for the exit, bloodied and ashamed.
He then destroyed the door as the Twilight Ghosts laughed at him from the other side.
The other harvests arrived and the planet resisted the attack of these Ghosts in the next years.
In 832.M30 a great feast took place in Hesiod. Vulkan noticed that among the warriors. He discovered a stranger with skin as pale as the moon, a human coming from elsewhere with his foreign-made clothes. But he was well built. He was accompanied by a blonde-haired woman whose beauty was dazzling as the sun.
Vulkan admitted him to compete.
The Stranger: "Know one thing dear Vulkan. My strength is superior in every way. I think defeating you is possible."
The crowd laughed because no man could beat the Blacksmith of Nocturne.
But Vulkan raised his arm silencing her.
Vulkan: "Be it! Show your strength! The loser will swear allegiance to the other."
So the trials began. Under the eyes of the blonde woman who was visibly worried.
The blonde woman was none other than Salem. She was impressed to see that one of Erda's sons standing in front of her had great height and strength. This Primarch with skin as dark as coal and eyes as scarlet as two red stars was like all his other brethren: a godlike figure whose human skills demonstrated in the trials of strength and endurance of this parade.
The Emperor and the boy held an anvil raised above their heads for over an hour and a half before they were declared equal.
The days passed and no one was able to overtake the other. If by chance, one of the two competitors won an event, the other won the next one.
Finally, the last test arrived: that of the Salamander hunt.
The undercover Emperor and Vulkan had a day and a night to forge a weapon before hunting the biggest salamander possible. Whoever brought back the largest corpse would win the trial and pledge allegiance to the Emperor.
Thus, the day arrived and the two adversaries presented their weapons.
The Emperor had crafted a sharp edged sword while Vulkan sported a huge hammer and then the two went hunting.
With the two participants...
Vulkan: "I'm going to Deathfire Mountain. That's where the biggest salamanders are."
Emperor: "In that case, I will follow you."
They climbed the huge mountain and soon disappeared from sight of the villagers. But instead, sounds of fighting were heard as warriors slammed their weapons at fire-spitting salamanders.
Vulkan then saw a very large salamander and killed the creature.
The Primarch slew the creature as the Emperor climbed the mountain.
But as Vulkan came back down the mountain with his salamander.
The volcano where they were suddenly erupted.
Vulkan then saw a crevasse open under his feet.
He manages to catch himself with his hand on a ledge while he held the salamander with the other.
He was just above a river of lava.
For several hours, he remained like that but felt his strength leaving him slowly.
As Vulkan began to let go, the Stranger appeared on the other side of the lava flow.
Emperor: "Vulkan! Vulkan!"
The primarch turned and saw the Stranger with a huge salamander on his back, even bigger than his own.
But Vulkan dared not call for help, too proud to be.
Suddenly, the Stranger threw his salamander into the lava and then jumped on top of it.
He used it as a bridge of flesh before reaching out to Vulkan.
Emperor: "Jump!"
Vulkan hesitated then jumped, only to be grabbed by the Stranger and then the two rushed through the salamander. They climbed out of the crevasse and then walked away as the salamander was swallowed in the lava.
After a time of rest, the two went back down the mountain.
Vulkan was surprised by this gesture from the Stranger when he could have abandoned him to his fate.
Vulkan: "Let's go down to Hesiod."
The Stranger nodded.
They eventually return to Hesiod. The people then saw that Vulkan had a salamander but the Stranger had nothing.
Thus, the victory was assured for the divine smith of Hesiod.
N'bel ran to embrace his son.
Vulkan received the homage of the 6 other kings of the cities of Nocturne.
Ban'ek, the king of Themis spoke.
Ban'ek: "That scaleskin will suit you well, Vulkan."
But then Vulkan gave the salamander to the Stranger.
Vulkan: "This man saved my life by sacrificing his own salamander. True nobility."
Emperor: "Know that Humility and self-sacrifice went without saying. Vulkan you exceeded my expectations."
Vulkan was surprised by this response.
Vulkan: "But who are you after all?"
The Emperor revealed his true form to all. The population of Nocturne then saw the Emperor of Humanity before all his splendor.
They fell on their knees before such majesty.
Vulkan then felt his hand being taken. Turning around, he saw that it was the blonde woman who had taken his hand.
Later, the Emperor, Salem, and Vulkan stood before the Blaze Desert as the sun set over its hostile sands.
Vulkan: "I have so many questions for you."
Emperor: "I know, I'll answer you. But it's better for things to be learned from yourself right now. There are plenty of things to discover in the Universe."
Vulkan: "I know..."
Salem: "My child. He has brothers waiting for you in the stars."
Vulkan: "Really?"
Salem: "Yes. I can assure you of that."
The primarch smiled.
Emperor: "Be sure of one thing. With the Imperium, your population will be safe. I can assure you of that. But in return, you will have to leave to lead the Crusade in the stars. Your Legion awaits you. What is certain, you are without doubt one of the noblest sons I have come to know. Your presence will bring unity among your brothers."
Salem: "Our family will be reunited."
If Salem showed all her motherly devotion.
Inside, she had a bitter feeling.
Indeed, if this feeling was weak with Ferrus Manus, this bitterness was greater.
Lying about being the only mother of the Primarchs was hard to bear.
Although it was simple for the witch to reunite with her biological sons, with Erda's sons. She didn't have the same feeling, she didn't have the same familiarity with the other Primarchs. She didn't feel much towards Erda's sons despite her motherly instincts being big and strong. The witch cast an unfathomable gaze towards Vulkan.
Vulkan: "Are you okay?"
She snapped out of her thoughts.
Salem: "Uh... It's just... I'm so happy to see you again that I'm ready to cry with joy... It's nothing."
She wiped her tears.
Vulkan: "Hm... I understand."
A year passed after the discovery of Vulkan, the refoundation of the XVIIIth Legion which took the name of the Salamanders.
Salem for her part resumed her investigations and fought with all his might the corruption of Chaos and the conspiracies of the Xenos.
Since the Conformity of Terentius, the Emperor had granted her an expeditionary force to accompany and protect her. The Infinite was then accompanied by a fleet of nearly 10 Dictator-type Cruisers, 25 Dauntless-type Light Cruisers, 60 Sword-type Frigates and finally 110 Cobra-type Destroyers.
This fleet was the Imperium's 6th Expeditionary Fleet, led with an iron fist by the Witch of Terra.
An expeditionary fleet among the most impressive of the Great Crusade allowed the witch and her new followers to thwart many plots against the Imperium, whether by rebellion, in affiliation with Chaos or with the xenos. These eliminations of enemies of the Imperium with exemplary thoroughness and speed reinforced Salem's conviction that the Emperor should give her a real place in the Small Council. A place in which the witch could have the resources to hunt down, purge and extort all enemies of the Imperium.
Terentius' compliance had implanted in Salem's mind a belief that the Imperium should interfere more in planetary affairs as much as possible. Although it was impossible for the Imperium to directly dominate thousands and thousands of planets, at least the Emperor's influence could be strengthened.
Although the Emperor told her that he was thinking about the matter, that Malcador approved of this decision, that his sons and Ezekiel supported her in her decisions. Human administrators of the Imperium and even Valdor were suspicious.
Valdor despite the years he had spent alongside Salem on Terra, was still hostile towards the witch.
Although he had to obey in the presence of the Emperor, the witch could well sense that this conflict with the Captain General of the Custodes was far from settled.
In 833.M30, one of the most terrible events of the Great Crusade was about to unfold.
The Osiris Cluster went into open rebellion for unknown reasons while the latter was in the process of being integrated into the Imperium after its conquest a few decades ago.
The XIII Legion of Space Marines was sent to crush the revolt.
Salem decided to join them to accomplish her investigative mission.
So, with only moments left before the orbital attack on Septus XII.
Salem was in the bridge of her ship with in front of her, the hologram of Lord Commander Gren Vosotho.
Gren Vosotho: "I can't thank you enough for that, High Witch of Terra."
Salem: "You're welcome... The reasons for this rebellion are suspect. Unless it is well-prepared treachery in the systems of Osiris, it is best to remain cautious."
Gren Vosotho: "Believe me, we're going to end this uprising. Well... One more warp jump and we'll be there."
The warp alarms will then go off in the ship.
Gren Vosotho: "Thereupon...we will meet in battle!"
The communication stopped.
Salem: "Alright let's prepare for the worst. Captain, I'll leave you in command of the ship."
Captain: "Yes, mistress."
As the Navigator sat on his throne in his private chambers and guided the ship through the Warp.
Salem arrived in her own quarters where her servants were waiting for her.
Salem: "My armor."
The maids bowed before her.
They took out of the wardrobe of their mistress pieces of armor of the same material as the armor of Space Marines.
It was custom-made white armor with the symbol of the Imperium on its chest. She had gauntlets unrelated to armor, uniform leggings. Finally, Salem had his hair tied in a bun and then put on his richly decorated helmet.
Admittedly, these baroque decorations all over the body were not of much use. But when you're a leader, it's better to put on a show because no one would follow a ragged leader.
Salem came out of his room and lowered the ship through his private lift.
As she exited, she saw her large army of Imperial soldiers, accompanied by every vehicle imaginable in the Imperium.
Including, in particular, the Mobile Suit of TAFS type SC-1 (Space Cyclops) supplied by the imperial factories.
Indeed, the Cult Mechanicum had seriously framed the manufacture of the Mobile Suits, especially with the pressure of the families of Imperial Knights and the Fabricators of the Titans.
Outside of TAFS, only first-generation Mobile Suits like Space Cyclops are allowed to be crafted. The most successful Mobile Suits are either exclusive to the TAFS army or directly run by Imperial Knights or Titan Forces (Note: Space Cyclops are MS-O6F Zaku II).
Despite their archaic construction, these first-generation machines had formidable combat effectiveness.
The Warfleet emerged from the Warp directly facing Septus XII. The 12th Expeditionary Fleet, the 6th and the XIIIth Legion were at the rendezvous point.
Salem opened his portable hologram and called Gren.
Gren Vosotho: "Here we are, Great Witch of Terra."
Salem: "Well, do what you have to do."
The hologram faded and Salem put it away.
(Klendathu Drop - Starship Troopers theme).
The small invasion ships Infinite came out accompanied by several thousand others from the rest of the 6th Expeditionary Force.
They descended into the atmosphere as Space Marine pods fell from the sky to crash into Hive City of Cabasset.
Salem lands not far from the entrance to the city with his troops.
Salem: "Here we are! Soldiers! Fight bravely against these dissidents!"
Soldiers: "Yes, Mistress of Terra!"
The doors opened and a gigantic mass of soldiers and vehicles came out.
They ran with glee and battle rage, outsourced Imperium fanaticism.
Vehicles sprang up everywhere and the wave of soldiers led by Salem turned into a gigantic ocean of troops who ran towards the gigantic city under attack from the XIIIth Legion and the 12th Expeditionary Fleet.
The ocean of soldiers was coming straight to the right hive city. They then saw another tide come out of the hive city.
Salem: "There they are... On the charge!"
Soldier: "On the charge!"
The soldiers screamed and ran as the battering rams charged as the stashed combat vehicles fired into the enemy army.
The orbital missiles then fell on the city and the two armies met.
(End of Theme).
Salem saw that this army was composed only of civilians, not at all trained to fight with makeshift weapons. But the look in their eyes was eerie, they were empty of life. Some even blew themselves up with homemade bombs.
But the worst was the fact that everyone was there: old, young, men, women, young children, etc.
All shared that same expression of morbid rage.
Their rage coupled with their numbers slowed the momentum of the 6th Expeditionary Force.
But these troops loyal to Salem and the Imperium killed their opponents in cold blood because these soldiers were all entirely fanatical and made no distinction to their enemies.
If this massacre was nothing in the eyes of these soldiers, Salem was horrified. Not because of the cruelty of her own soldiers.
But rather because the population that was fighting was the whole population. Men, women, children, old people and the rest.
Their look was morbid, their eyes were filled with death. As if something manipulated them like soulless puppets.
Salem looked for the presence of Chaos in the battlefield, in the city or elsewhere. But...nothing...nothing at all.
If not Chaos then what would be the xenos behind it all?
But the more the battle progressed, the more the 6th Expeditionary Force had difficulty advancing. The inhabitants of Hive City put up fierce resistance against the expeditionary force.
Salem on her side killed everyone with her magic and her bolter she had on her belt.
It was then that she saw things coming out of the city, sort of shadows heading towards the soldiers.
Finally, one of the shadows came near her.
It was a kind of ghostly mists in baroque armor.
The latter handled their weapons like veterans of the imperial army and mowed down what they had in front of them.
Salem: "But what is it?"
The ghost tried to strike her with his electrified sword but she avoided. She threw a ball of energy at him but he parried it with his sword which absorbed it.
When the witch threw herself against the shadow, her fists pierced the mist.
Physical attacks or physical magic did not work on this Xeno.
Salem: "But... I don't believe it. How do I beat him?!"
She tried to attack him but nothing to do, these ghosts didn't feel anything and these armors were made of a kind of Adamantium alloy, the only metal able to really resist the Witch's magic.
A blind light erupted from the sky, Salem turned towards its direction.
She was seized with a new vision of horror.
Five vast hourglass-shaped ships whose structure was constantly turning and turning like a clock suddenly appeared and began to attack the ships of the fleet.
That's when his hologram rang.
She opened it and saw Vosotho.
Gren Vosotho: "Lady Salem! Evacuate quickly!"
Salem: "Why?"
Gren Vosotho: "We've been trapped by those Xenos! Fall back while there's still time! I haven't heard from the Space Marines inside the city!"
Salem watched his army get slaughtered and begin to retreat from all fronts.
Salem: "I will try as many people as possible..."
Gren Vosotho: "Good, hurry... Wait! (soldier's voice). They're everywhere! They're everywhere! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! (Voice of Vosotho). Fall back! Quick! Qui..."
Communication cut off.
Salem: "Lord Commander!"
Soldier: "Great Witch of Terra! We can't hold on!"
Salem: "I see! Everyone fall back! Quick! It's a matter of life and death!"
The 6th Expeditionary Force gives up the fight and tries to flee but they are pursued by the possessed humans and the Xenos.
Salem ran to the nearest cargo ship and boarded just in time as the ship closed.
Those who did not have time to save themselves on the ships were massacred or fled as far as possible from the Hive City with their vehicles.
Salem: "Give me that!"
She put herself in the pilot's seat and tried to guide the evacuation ship through the atmosphere, avoiding the fire from the xenos ships.
Some of the other landing craft exploded from the hits.
Eventually, Salem's ship and a few other survivors manage to reach space and join the fleet of the 6th Expeditionary Force which is stormed.
They arrived at the Infinite and the crippled soldiers were evacuated. The captain arrived.
Captain of the Infinite: "Lady Salem what happened on Septus XII?"
Salem: "Later! We have to leave! We got tricked!"
The ships enter the warp in a disorderly manner, always targeted by the Xeno ships.
Later...
In a safe system of the Imperium.
Salem looked in horror at the cripples she had picked up.
More or less badly wounded soldiers were scattered on makeshift beds. While others who had succumbed to their injuries were put in body bags before being taken away.
But it was not on them that her attention was focused.
The Space Marines who had landed on the ship and survived lost some of their limbs and were being treated as best they could with Legion medics.
The results were terrible, the 12th Expeditionary Fleet had lost Gren Vosotho and a quarter of his troops. The 6th Fleet had lost half of them. While the XIII Legion had lost 6,500 Astartes.
One of the most appalling defeats the Imperium has ever known. A defeat that Salem also shared, these Xenos of which she knew nothing, because of their constitution were almost invincible to her magic. The witch realized more than ever that she was small in a universe infinitely more cruel than the Twins and the Grimms themselves.
Captain: "What are we going to do now?"
Salem sighed.
Salem: "I don't know, let's think about our injuries for now."
Captain: "Uh... Fine, Lady Salem."
He walked away and Salem stood helplessly staring at the suffering Space Marines.
The following year, when the XIII Legion returned to the Osiris system with the forces of Salem.
They found no trace of the Xenos while the planets of the system were smoking craters whose only survivors fought with slingshots.
Salem was able to pick up survivors from his own expeditionary fleet. They were not numerous but they had given not very detailed testimonies.
All they knew was that the Xenos stayed for a while to hunt the humans but left never to return, leaving only desolation behind.
We didn't know anything about them and it was terrible. A clear threat to the Imperium.
Upon joining the Emperor's fleet, Salem asked to speak with the monarch.
Emperor: "What do you want?"
Salem: "I believe I have found a way to better counter our enemies."
She held out a manuscript marked on it "Corpus inquisitivum" (Investigative Body in Gothic).
Emperor: "Hm... It will take a lot of resources."
Salem: "Certainly... But these efforts will be paid off in time."
Emperor: "We'll talk about it when we have time..."
Salem: "...Yes, let's look for our children first."
She put the book on the table.
To be continued... Rogal Dorn.
On the world of Inwit, a young man will embark on the quest to transform his clan into a true stellar kingdom.
Note: What would react Canon Salem and Canon Ozma to my Salem ? I would like to see your comments.
Because in my opinion, Canon Salem would be shocked as hell.
For the Salem of this fanfiction, she would truly horrified to see a monstruous, vengeful, unforgivable version of herself. Fighting a reincarnating version of her dead husband in a infinite battle.