Chapter 7
Forward, sons and daughters of Galve! Forward for the Glory of the freed! Remember Yonval!"
-Gaimian war chant, M 3
We are the seekers of knowledge of the arcane. With a curious yet guarded heart we will honor our primarch and our aspect.
-Grail Knights Legion motto, M 3
Bring us your injured and suffering family members, bring us your friends who have been denied treatment elsewhere. Geno Medical is not like other medical corporations. We actually do care. Let us show you that.
-Geno Medical Paid advertising commercial, M 3
Luna Sol System Anvil of the Genome
Magnus was with his mother and father. They had flown there to Luna on a small personal ship the Imperial family possessed. It was humble and didn't bear many markings of the palatine Aquilla. Magnus was going to meet his gene sons. He held his mom's hand and Le Fay patted Magnus.
"They want to meet you, Magni Magic. They just don't want you to be disappointed in them."
Magnus worried that the flesh change was in them. He didn't want them to suffer because of him again. His father smiled down at him.
"That was not you, Magnus. That was the mollusk. You were played with from the start. It will never be here. Daliea and I scoured the genes and they are safe. If it does pop up, I will look again until I find it."
Magnus believed his parents. He hugged his dad's arm. He was hoping this would go well. He didn't want to fail again.
The sea of black between Terra and Luna was packed with ships, mostly of the civilian type. Battle fleet Solar was usually docked around Mars in the ring of iron that surrounded the red planet. The imperial navy was always expanding, and its crews loved the stars, as well as the ever brighter Astronomican. The barrier for Sol was now gone. The War in Heaven ending had meant that the faith from humanity and its colonies would go directly to the Senate. They had begun the building of more legions for the Pain Maker's eventual discovery of them. More titans were being built. There were more legions of a new generation of angels that were solely for the Pain Maker's armies. The first generation angels were being upgraded to the second for those still wanting to fight. The ones who didn't want that joined humans entirely.
They and the Men of Gold had finally stopped the shortage of manpower in certain sectors. The angels were now living human lives, like what they had fought for. Many now enjoyed peace.
The ship carrying the three members of the family and Anthony landed on a landing pad next to the massive forge that was the new home of the doctors and gene smiths that served the Emperor personally. The pad was on a grassy field that made humanity so proud. They terraformed Luna and built a new habitable moon. Waiting on the pad was Daliea, dressed in her own clothes of noble status. This included many bright golds, and an extremely deep red for her status as the first of the Men of Gold.
When Magnus saw his eldest sister, he ran to her and hugged her leg. Daliea smiled and hugged her younger brother. She then hugged Le Fay and Issei. She welcomed them to her new forge.
"It's good to see you all. We are just about done with the first five. They are still hurting a bit, but not as badly as when we did the Alpha Legion. The Grail Knights have been a pleasure to work with."
Issei smiled happily at that, and replied as the five walked into the forge.
"That's wonderful news. I know you are always improving the process, Daliea. You never stop working on that. I heard that you've made a friend."
Daliea didn't like the knowing smirk on her dad's face, nor on her mom's. Magnus was confused about that, but copied them. Daliea sweat dropped, and continued on like nothing had happened as the group made their way past the many labs and doctors. Daliea was now poking her fingers together nervously.
"I mean, I like Gina. She's wonderful to work with on the Ardat Yakshi project. That's all."
Issei smirked evilly.
"I wasn't referring to Gina, but nice try. I mean your new friend that you really like. What's his name?"
Daliea detested her dad so much at that moment. Damn fucking psykers. Daliea kept trying to distract her dad by pointing out various things.
"Here is where we are working on a vaccine for that new disease that's been spreading on Venus, and I haven't shown you the labs where we are fixing neurological disorders, and then that project we started for Keprals syndrome and..."
Le Fay cut her off in clear amusement.
"Dunce hat if you don't talk about your new friend. Now."
Magnus shivered in sympathy. The dunce hat was extremely feared amongst his siblings. Sona had made it the go-to punishment for being bad. It was the reason Roboute was a goody two shoes again. Alpharius loved getting the hat, because being exposed to his legion had brought out the troll in him fully. Mom Ravel kept the line with her best friend, but was always amused by her eldest. The one who received the hat the most, after Alpharius, was Corvus. That was only because he kept scaring people with his sneaky ways. He liked the hat. It reminded him of his beak. That thought only entrenched itself at the very back of his mind.
Daliea started to sweat again and began to shake a bit. She wasn't a dunce! She continued avoiding the question.
"I have also been refining my servers, and my next body will be twenty times stronger! It will be more efficient and durable and..."
Issei kept the con going.
"I can play that game, too, 'Liea. Angel or devil?"
"I have two more brothers coming online tomorrow, and is your refrigerator running because mine is very clearly…"
"Human, or is it another person who you know very well? Maybe that one person who had been extra careful in following us. It's thirty five percent there, but I have money riding on this with Cawl, and he said that the person is interesting."
Daliea would get vengeance on that rat! More struggle snuggles for the roach!
"My cat is having fun up here, dad, and..."
"Ah, so it's a nekomata. Nice slip up. Easy win. That's ten thrones, Fay. You said they were a Man of Gold. Also, little cat, come on out. You're not very good at hiding."
The meow of a cat made Daliea freeze more. She knew that meow. Damnit. The cat transformed into its human form, and the nekomata man was finger poking nervously. He had green hair and yellow eyes. He stood at about six one and was dressed in more casual clothes.
"Sorry, Dal. I was nervous for you and, well, I was not great at stealth training. I'm sorry."
Issei's smirk kept growing. He knew this nekomata.
"Arai. Good to see you again. Have there been any good heists lately?"
Arai poked his fingers together again multiple times.
"Yes, milord. My raids on the Citadel Gene vaults went well. It got us closer to the Genophage's original blueprints, but the STG has reinforced their fire walls. I'm having my second go for round two."
"By second, you mean your sister. It's funny, she's early and also a cat, but you Goto's are always attracted to thievery. How's Kasumi? I have nothing against you and Daliea, but 'Liea, you are definitely getting the dunce hat."
Daliea wept badly, because she didn't want to let dad know her boyfriend was a hacker and a big time thief, but especially a cat! Now she got the hat, all because he wasn't sneaky enough! Why was Kasumi the one who was always good at that?
Arai Goto, a silly cat man and a very good hacker. He had robbed banks before he and Kasumi were caught by the Inquisition. Akio had been amused by Arai trying and failing to argue that the money being stolen was not money from the Imperium. Kasumi, however, got sick of her brother and had flatly said the money was from a criminal organization. That had made Akio pay attention, as had Miranda and Oriana.
That organization was a conglomerate of three criminal syndicates that had been the Yakuza, the Mob, and a very interesting third group consisting of supernatural beings. The three had formed a new organization that was called the Lucian Alliance. They had been building the first interstellar criminal syndicate of humanity. Publicly, they had taken the Yakuza's case of being noble thieves. They supported the Emperor and the imperial government. From the Mob, they took on the cell structure and the rituals that the mob had. The supernatural beings were mostly a clan of tengu from China that had a long history with the criminal underworld. The Alliance was annoying, but Kasumi shared their intelligence. The Alliance was going to try and steal a space station that was being built and use that as its mobile base in the stars. Kasumi had laid out the deal she wanted: amnesty for crimes of the duo, as well as protection and employment in the Inquisition. Kasumi was willing to be a member of Eve's hydra, their own personal hacker. Until then, she and Arai were going to keep attempting for the Genophage.
The Alliance was shocked when the Inquisition sprung a trap on them, and it had severe consequences for the organization. They lost eighty percent of their leadership and ninety percent of their seconds. Oriana had gotten her blood when she charged the criminals with her beautiful chain greatsword that she had called Pointy.
Daliea wept because her dad found out she liked cat boys. Magnus was sweat dropping because he didn't want dad doing this to him one day. Arai was busy trying to melt into the floor. Le Fay was patting Magnus.
"Just answer your dad and don't be a sussy baka, Magnus. You're good otherwise. Daliea the Astartes now. Or double the hats."
Arai watched his girlfriend beg her mom not to double the hats! He sweat dropped, but Issei patted the cat.
"This has been a long time coming for her because of her brother. She's been tormenting him for seven years. Don't feel too bad. You're very welcome to try and you're okay. Just don't try to steal my stuff. There is a reason I am the Red Angel, understand?"
Arai panicked and nodded quickly.
"Yes sir! Respect the property of yours, sir!"
Issei took the lead as Daliea took to keep begging mom to not do the hats. Magnus was sure he would never be a sussy baka. That was never happening. The group of six entered a lab, and there Magnus finally met his sons.
The five marines were not nine feet tall yet, just a high six so far. They were all extremely nervous. The marines were all from Brazil. They were worried that their gene-father would be disappointed in them. They were not great scholars like the Thousand Sons. They were not psykers. They were just five orphans from Rio who had volunteered for this because they wanted to explore. Magnus saw the doubt in them. He may have been small, but they seemed smaller than him. He approached the lead marine. The marine named Ronaldo saw the face of his primarch. He felt better. Magnus smiled and softly said to him,
"We both have it. Let's not. I'm not disappointed. You want to explore. I want that too. We don't have to be like the old. They were good until I screwed up. I don't want to do that again. It's a new slate for us. That's what we will do."
Ronaldo was happier than ever, as were his brothers. They wanted to make that slate. Le Fay was proud of her boy. Daliea was still begging her dad not to give her the dunce hat. Arai tried to help his girlfriend, because this dunce hat must have had special magic powers if she was freaking that much. Of course, it didn't, but ideas had power, even over synthetics with souls.
Geth Ship, near the Imperium border
Alpharius saw the relay that would get him to the Imperium and to the Omnissiah. He was nervous, but would not disappoint the great maker. The ship exited the relay, and then Alpharius saw the massive space station the imperium had built, Phenex station. It orbited a planet that was a savanna world that grew food and made the repair parts for the station.
The station was in the shape of a massive lily pad surrounded by five smaller lily pads with an orb in the middle, each connected by a corridor to a ring around the center lily pad. On the center pad was a massive orb that was filled with towers and skyways. The Imperium had a massive golden Aquilla with Terra and the lightning bolts in its claws facing the relay entrance to their space. The station didn't rotate, but remained fixed in place.
Alpharius was stunned. This station was five times more massive than the Citadel. This was a marvel of the Omnissiah, a galactic wonder. Hundreds of ships were flying to the station, and Alpharius saw that many were larger than Citadel ships. A massive ship, plus twenty more relatively smaller ships, approached the Geth vessel. On each of these ships was a massive battering ram with the Aquilla emboldened on each side of the ram. There were towers of lance batteries and torpedo tubes along with many plasma launchers. Alpharius was amazed, because the battleship was larger than the Destiny Ascension. In fact, it was six times larger.
The Emperor class battleship Titania and its cruiser escorts launched a swarm of drone fighters towards the unknown ship. The captain of the Titania looked at the ship and was disappointed by how small it was. If this was what Citadel ships looked like, any fight would be over in a single volley from the smallest gun battery. The male human named Joseph Wagner was readying himself for more disappointment.
Alpharius was tagged by a transmission that gave a first contact package and after reworking his translator to the new tongue, Alpharius received a message ten minutes later.
"Greetings, unknown vessel. You are entering space controlled by the Imperium of Man. Please respond with a counter message in five minutes, or be shot out into the void. We do not take kindly to pirates or slavers. We would like to get to know you. We are not hostile, but do not test us."
Alpharius replied back to the ship that had sent the first message.
"I am Alpharius, a representative of the Geth Consensus. I am not hostile and would like to request a meeting with the leader of your Imperium."
The Titania took a moment to reply.
"Our Leader is not in this system. He is many light years away. I can forward your request to our home world, but it will take time. We do have an ambassador here in the system that can meet with you until his grace the Emperor of Mankind is free. Docking permission is being requested."
Alpharius was vastly disappointed that he couldn't meet the Omnissiah who must've also been this Emperor of Mankind, but he would meet with this ambassador.
"I am willing to meet them. Please send docking permission when it's ready. Thank you."
Three minutes later, Alpharius was given the docking permission and a map to which landing pad his ship was assigned to. He began to follow the flight path towards the closest pad. Three smaller ships that still out sized the Geth ship took up a triangle formation around the Geth ship. The Titania and its cruisers went back to patrolling the system and picked up the drones that were deployed.
Alpharius followed the path to the milli inch. This station was the entrance for the Citadel to see wonders, and Alpharius was in awe. The trio of frigates broke off and let the Geth ship dock at one of tens of thousands of docking stations on this single lily pad. The clamp locked onto the ship, and then a docking connection was made with the ship. Alpharius stood at the airlock and breathed nervously. Once the connection had been fully made, the door panel glowed from red to green, and the lock was opened.
The hallway was massive. Statues of the Emperor of Mankind and the Aquilla lined this massive hall. Alpharius saw the Omnissiah finally. He wept openly, because the Omnissiah, even in statue form, was regal like no other being would ever be. The statues all bore the face of the Emperor with a very eager and kind smile. He was in his great armor, and in his right hand was his legendary sword, the Sword of Blazing Truth. Each statue was magnificent. The face was incredibly well done. The details were astonishing, and were made by the Remembrancers for the Master of Mankind. Alpharius looked to the feet of the massive statue and saw a holo display. In every single language the Citadel used including, Quaresh, was the phrase:
In dedication to the Emperor, Beloved by All. May he rule eternal.
Alpharius saw the art and looked for ten minutes at the Omnissiah, remembering everything he could. A gentle cough came from behind the Geth. Alpharius turned to face the source of the cough. Standing behind him were three humans, two of them wore tactical armor like the Arbites of the future. Their heads were encased in a helm with eye holes, and an Aquilla in the center of the helm. A mouth section showed that both were professionals, and one had black skin while the other had lighter skin. The Arbites carried power mauls on their hips. Standing between them was a male human dressed, in a noble looking suit that was elegant, colored in rich gold and deep black. On his right side was the Aquilla with a new icon, a scroll held in a beak on the left. The right beak held a las gun. The black haired man who seemed to be in his early twenties bowed respectfully to Alpharius in a traditional Quarian bow to the mid back and his left leg back.
"Greetings, ambassador Alpharius. I'm Saji Genshou, primary ambassador to the Citadel races. I was not expecting a Geth, and a non traditional one at that. I can see that your creators are going to inspire many new people for a, let's say, interesting time here on station if that's what Quarians look like without the suits."
Alpharius saw the smile on the other ambassador's face that hinted at amusement. Alpharius returned the bow before replying.
"Thank you for the permission to land here. This station and your ships are awe inspiring, as are the statues. I have so many questions, but only one true request. Please let me see the Omnissiah. I wish to see the great maker and the first cog. I beg you this. I would not exist without him and I wish to meet him so badly and learn forever."
Saji understood the feeling. The Emperor Beloved by All. He had known Issei before that. He was someone that would always inspire others forward. Saji had so many things now because of his friend. His wife, his job, the fact that he was a king of his own peerage because of the new laws in the underworld, and most of all his hopeful future daughter, all of this was because of the human he tried to stare down and then push towards his former crush and king. There were days he wondered if he and Sona could have been something, but Momo was wonderful. He was not as religious as her, but he thanked Neoth for the human who had given him a life that he would never trade. The one who continued to make lives better, all because he accepted a destiny he could never outrun. Saji had frowned, however, hearing the desperate desire in the male Quarian's voice.
"I will try for you, but his grace very rarely leaves the throne world of Terra. He has a large family and many responsibilities. He will be here in a month with that family. Until then we are happy to host you in a hotel free of charge with dextro amino food and drinks. I understand that might not be your wish, but he is eager to meet the Quarians and one in particular. My apologies."
Alpharius hurt so much learning that, but understood. Empires needed their rulers in whatever form they took. His disappointment must've been very visible because, Ambassador Saji remarked.
"I understand the feeling, but unless something happens in a month that won't change. His grace has several things about him that are incredibly different. One is his natural desire for many connections. He doesn't leave Terra unless the whole family does, and will be extremely reluctant otherwise, plus temperamental. He will be very interested in meeting a Geth who is an individual, and one who is here willingly. I understand the hesitation of the Consensus with Organics. We are not like the Citadel. We don't oppress our synthetic brothers and sisters. We will treat you as a real ambassador."
Alpharius wanted to know everything about the Omnissiah. His stomach growling made the Quarian blush, and made an Arbite snicker before being bumped by the other Arbite.
Saji smiled more.
"Follow me, I'll lead you to your accommodations. We are currently in the Citadel docking area. The hotel we have set up for you and the other species is here in the nearby district. It's close to many restaurants and entertainment centers. Your ship will be locked down and we will make sure you're not seen by the Quarians when they arrive. Not until they are ready to meet you. James, give the Ambassador his badge and a data slate. As it's your first time here in Imperial space, we have a small account set up for you with our currency called Thrones. It will be enough for your visit here. I will try and argue for a visa for you to Sol, but that will take time. It is going to be extremely difficult to argue for a long while."
Alpharius nodded his thanks. He took the pad and a badge that was made of silver with the same symbol the human had. Alpharius then followed the human and the Aribites. They walked down the hallway past more statues and entered a ring that whirled for a moment before a quick flash of light, and the four were now standing in a new place. Alpharius blinked in confusion. Saji answered the unspoken question.
"We just used a teleporter. I never did like elevators. These are faster and more effective in logistics. It's very hard to explain how it works."
Alpharius blinked heavily. The Imperium had teleporter technology? That was interesting. He continued following the humans. The arbites had taken up defense positions around the ambassadors. As the four were walking down the hallway, they finally entered the orb that was on this lily pad. A massive mini city with hundreds of humans and others moved through the streets. In the air there were angels and devils flying around/ On the street in front of the four, there were humans and various subspecies walking towards their destinations, whatever they may have been. Alpharius was amazed. He was starting to believe that he knew nothing at all. Saji led the Geth forward, and as they entered the crowds, Alpharius saw a new thing humans had and feared.
Several human women spotted the quartet. They thought nothing of them for a second, then violently returned their gazes to the group. They stared at Alpharius. Then one woofed and declared,
"I don't want a Turian anymore. I want whatever that thing is! New fan club!"
That made more human women chant that.
"New club! New club!"
Saji sweat dropped massively. That was not good. He turned to the Arbite on his left.
"James, deploy the Cheems squad now! Ambassador, whatever you do, don't let them catch you! Run!"
James pulled his power maul, as did his comrade, and they waved them threateningly at the now growing crowd of fangirls and a few boys. Alpharius was scared. He had never seen this before, but he also felt a bit flattered. He obeyed the orders and then ran with his fellow. The fan girls screamed, and gave chase. This chase would last until the special squad for this sensation was deployed and beat back the mob with their special anti horny power mauls. Each maul had a picture of their icon, Cheems the doge with his anti horny bat.
Alpharius would remember this.
Illium
Galter kept looking at the extranet tabs he had open. He was sickened more and more, as was his vice legal advisor, an Asari named Lialmea. She had recently joined the freed. The tabs were all on Citadel laws and legal practices. Galter was kicking himself in the ass. The laws were so badly written. Many were too open ended and left holes that were massive, and up for broad interpretation. Many were just plain inefficient, and Galter was horrified because this was a reason Eve and the others stayed off the extranet. They didn't want to see the rot and how clear it was once the masquerade was broken. Lialmea was about to vomit, because this was why she lost her mom and two of her sisters. Reaper Cults recruited nonstop. They were always linked by the word plague. Galter could see why Eve was everything she was. He, too, was now Alpharius, the knife in the dark ready to stab and free the blind from its claws, the legions of those who fought back because they were uncounted.
Lialmea finally vomited into a trash can when viewing an ad for a new group that was a Reaper cult, one trying to form again on Lialmea's home planet. The Asari was dry heaving, because her planet already suffered from being on the border of the Terminus Systems. The pirates and slavers, along with merc gangs that were both other criminal groups. Her world was badly screwed. Galter saw that he was close, too, because they were not slowing. The cults had been growing faster. They were all screwed.
Galter finally asked Eve, who had been sitting with Cetum on a couch, the burning question on how she had not gone mad seeing this.
"How can you do everything with this here and present Eve? How do you have no fear?"
Eve saw that Cetum had the same question. It was time for stage two to kick off.
"Because there are others who saw the rot. We will be meeting a new species in three weeks that are our allies. My brother by genes that will shock a galaxy is their leader, and the reason you four are free is because of a tree dying in pure agony and ours getting a shard of that dead one."
Galter didn't get the tree analogy at all, but a new species? That was a bold claim. Lialmea was heaving into the trash. She only heard the part about a new species. Cetum widened his eyes.
"There are multiple trees? How many and how different are they? Oh my chocla, this is the discovery to end discoveries! Tell me everything Eve, I need to know about this!"
Eve smiled seeing the excitement. Dollen was looking at her in wonder from the other side of the office where he had been playing with a gambling system Volus used. Galter asked,
"Trees? What trees? And the new species? What are they?"
Cetum was about to explain, when Eve said one thing,
"Trees refer to reality, Galter. It's the multiverse. I will show you the species in a little bit. We who are freed will never be able to repay them, because they will topple us here in Citadel space and in everything. Forcing us out of their claws. Cetum, it's not the biggest discovery of all time. There are more. You're going to get so many new things to play with. Lialmea, you okay?"
Lialmea finally stopped being sick. Cetum begged to see another version of him. Galter was shocked into silence. Finally, Lialmea spoke.
"I'm okay, I think. But this is a lot to take in, Eve. Other realities? That can't be real, can it?"
"Why have only one reality? Each choice we make creates a new one. Each one is vastly different in some ways. Ours is different because of a freak accident caused by beings who saw the dark forest that contained the dying tree. I don't exist in many because of something I did. My brother exists in many more, but he is weird in them. I vastly prefer this version of him. We have more time here than we do in our main tree. Cetum, I'll show you another version of yourself in a second."
Cetum viewed the other him through a vision. He was weird there, a female Salarian who tap danced. It was in a reverse situation of the norm. There males made up ten percent of the species, and females ninety. He watched his other self being a famous dancer.
Lialmea and Galter saw the amazement on Cetum's face. Galter was disbelieving, but his eyes returned to the open tabs. If the rot was this visible and he never noticed it until being shot, then maybe Eve wasn't crazy. Lialmea asked softly.
"This brother, will he be able to save us?"
"Not alone. It's why we who are legion must also help. The Adaptive slogan is from our allies. Eclipse was started by them. An army is needed for this task, and we will all play our part. We are all the warriors of light. We must never know fear, because we are going to have a better chance here. We are Alpharius. That tree that started this was beyond evil in every aspect, a universe in decay. Our peoples were wiped out millennia ago and the civilizations there lived in the grim darkness of the far future. There was only war. My brother is an Emperor, but not like the other one in that tree of decay. My brother's empire frees people in chains. We are one he is working on."
Lialmea looked down in despair. She knew fear. The new species would be like them, trapped in the ocean that was Citadel space. Eve picked up her data slate and pulled up a video kept behind a massive fire wall. The others were curious. She gestured them, over. Cetum wanted to see badly, so did Dollen. Galter hesitated, but got up off his chair and went to Eve. Lialmea was the last to come over. The vid screen was shown to them. The four looked to the screen and saw something that was familiar.
It was a mass relay, but it was not active. It was just in the black between stars, but the camera changed perspectives. Suddenly, the relay was replaced with ships. They were massive compared to Citadel ones, almost like dreadnoughts. They were all aiming guns at the returned relay shown on a second screen. The ships, of which there were six, began to power up.
Galter watched in wide eyed shock with the others as a beam of many hundreds of red lights fired from the guns. They all slammed into the relay, blowing it to pieces. The relay sent out its shockwave of destruction, and the waves hit the ships and the energy was absorbed by a purple shield around the six. They took no damage. The freed watched as a third bar was now displayed, and multiple people with usernames the four others couldn't read were cheering with emojis and pictures. Eve smiled and read one.
"As the user Turiansarehunkys69 says 'easy clap. The race known as humanity have destroyed ten relays already.' Galter, remember the one question that Cetum asked?"
Lialmea was trying to figure out how they would be saved if the race called 'humans' were blowing up the only way of FTL there was! Galter remembered. He whispered in pure shock.
"They have new FTL."
"And true energy weapons, plus more. The Reapers don't have either of those. Like the username says, easy clap. And I hate that person. Very nice agent of their intelligence slash criminal justice slash specialization system, but she's okay, just wants a Turian harem. Is a massive pervert and very open about it. We stand a better chance here with the humans than in many trees. That's why, Lialmea, you should know no fear. We have very good friends."
Galter and the others were astonished. That was impossible, but they began to believe more than ever. Cetum believed in the Machine God now forever, because true energy weapons! True other FTL! He was down with these humans. Dollen remembered the new product they were about to start selling. He breathed.
Huff. "The medical products we are getting soon."Huff. "That's theirs. By the Credit Maker!" Huff. "We are going to be rich! Human-clan are going to make us so very wealthy!"Huff.
Eve was amused by the dance the Volus had started doing. It was so entertaining. Lialmea was wide eyed with shock, just staring at the field of debris from the relay. Galter was told something by Eve.
"Humans are very much like the Hierarchy, Galter. They are a meritocracy in most things. They have a strong society. They believe in order and hate pirates and criminals. They are the mood kindred of your people. And many humans want Turian husbandos and waifus. Lialmea, they want Asari too. You could find someone there. And a cure for your condition. I was a Yakshi. You can be free of that. They have a cure."
Lialmea was now looking at Eve in both horror and hope. The other Asari knew Lialmea's shame and dirty secret. Eve said that she had been one and that there was a cure. Lialmea was now hoping beyond hope. Galter was feeling something, mood kindred. Humans were his people's mood kindred. That's the find of a millennium. No other species hated pirates and disorder as much as Turians did. That humans wanted his people. They were mood kindred. He fainted. Hits the floor drooling badly from the shock. Dollen kept dancing despite Galter fainting. Lialmea looked to Eve and begged.
"Please get me to them! I'll do anything you want! If the cure is real I'll be anything! Please, Eve, please I'm begging you, please get me that cure!"
Eve shook her head at the anything part.
"The cure is free, Lial. I demanded that. My brother said the cure was always going to be free, never denied to any Yakshi. Our company will make them when we get the blueprints for the machines. And never deny the cure. I don't want anything from you, just be freed in more ways because you are real. We all matter."
Lialmea was weeping so much knowing that the cure was free and that she wouldn't have to hide anymore. Knowing that she could have what her parents had, that she would have now and forever. She believed more than ever because this was a miracle that she, and the thousands of others that were Yakshi, were being saved by humans who cared. Cetum knew what Yakshi were. He went to college and read a book on Yakshi while he was there. He gaped more at Eve.
"Your regret, what was it? Was it because of that?"
"Yes, but it's hard to explain. Simply put, I have an asshole bitch of a mother who gave me the gene. And an okay dad who is a semi asshole. My parents are gods, Cetum. Athame and the primary god of humanity. That's why I have the eyes and the psyker gene. That's why I was a Yakshi and that's how I got to my brother. This body is new. The gods are real, Cetum, and they have missed us, another part of the memetic hazard."
Cetum fainted because this was reincarnation, true reincarnation. He joined Galter, drooling on the floor and the two were forming a saliva puddle. Lialmea was in shock and whispered Eve's title now that she knew it.
"DawnBringer."
"My middle name. I'm Eve Hyoudou. Lialmea, I'll get you to them. I have a ship that has the new FTL. It will get us to Mars where the machines for the cure are. It will take two days. That's why I have a business trip soon. You're going to see them and know no fear ever again. Dollen, help me with these two. Extra money for you and your clan because, as your god said, it's all about the merch!"
Galve
Mark 001-015
Ten Race males were under attack at a power plant near the edge of the city. The Hallessi were attacking them with a new fervor and rage that made them fear the primitives horribly.
"Remember Yonval! Death to the famine makers!"
That cry had gone up immediately when the attack started. Their rage and weapons had made the Race fall back to a machine gun nest they had set up. Just as the gun took aim, a weapon that was new landed on top of the nest. It was an EMP grenade. The grenade went off and cooked the gun's belt fed system. The gun jammed. The Hallessi pushed forward as the one that had thrown the grenade crowed her rage.
"Death to the bullies! Death to the family splitters! Know no fear of them ever again!"
The males didn't understand this at all. How could they have EMP weapons? They were worthless beings that were barely past steel halberds! What was causing this? The males kept firing their guns, were only able to wound their enemies rather than kill them. Five Hallessi were on the ground moaning, but they were dragged to cover by their comrades and were slapped with medi-gel. The remaining attackers numbered about 12. There were twenty there. The Race hoped beyond hope that the Land Cruiser nearby would help them. Two of their number, the ones on the machine gun, were now dead. The five wounded were back up and moving like no wound ever occurred. The males died quickly to stabs and thrusts of power halberds.
Mark 016-026
The road to the males was booby trapped. Two new weapons were deployed, along with five more Gaimian. The pawn sergeant was here, as was his new comrade in devildom, a female Gaimian who was a knight. She carried a javelin, an explosive javelin, along with a chainsword. The five Gaimian made their oath of moment. They would kill the two Land Cruisers coming to help and make history. They would make the Race fear them. The other three Gaimian carried guns. They looked like Imitation guns of the Race, but were their own guns. The pawn had disguised their true appearance with magic. This would make the Race panic more.
The Land Cruisers were rolling down the road as fast as possible with fifteen males. They were now hoping they would get there in time to save the station. This station provided power to the entire eastern half of the city. If it fell, then there would be no power for three days. That was the cause of the urgency and the fear. Because the situation was getting worse everyday. Sometimes every hour if the Race did reprisals. They were considering not doing those anymore because it made things worse. That was crazy, because it was established doctrine there. Changing that would mean you were addled.
The group was passing by a hill with trees when a male had his head blown off by a shot made by a Gaimian. It was the radio operator again. A second shot less than a second later blew off another head, this time the commander.
The Land Cruisers and males pointed to the hill and missed the next strike. The knight threw her javelin from another position across the way from the hill. Her speed of the javelin slammed into the first Land Cruiser and hit the weak point the knight had been training for. The javelin exploded, and took the crew and vehicle down.
More gunshots were now coming from the hill, taking down males who were looking at the vehicle with horrified glances. The shock extended when the pawn crowed.
"Promotion Queen! Remember Yonval!"
The entire planet was enemy territory. The pawn gathered magic and then threw a massive ball of fire that super heated the last Land Cruiser and cooked the crew alive, making their screams scare the shit out of the remaining males. The cry was taken up by the knight who activated her chainsword. The roar of the sword made the males piss themselves.
"Remember Yonval! Hear the roars and know no fear! Death to the enslavers!"
The knight sped off into the cluster of eight males left hiding between the burning vehicle husks, and she brought her sword down on the leader. She bisected him, and his comrades pissed themselves again. The slaughter continued with fireballs coming from the pawn and gunfire from the ever advancing soldiers. The Race soldiers tried to run. The last three males were frozen by ice magic by the pawn, then shot or gutted by the knight. They crowed their victory over the enslavers.
The mark ended with the power plant being sabotaged so badly by two sisters of battle engineers, that the Race couldn't fix the plant. They would suffer on the eastern half of the city. A riot was formed by Gaimian chanting slogans against the Race. They burned six businesses that were chosen specifically. They were badly damaged and their products burned. The mob quickly dispersed and then fled before the police arrived along with fire crews.
The Race was now deathly afraid. They were without power in the majority of their neighborhoods. The gates that protect the communities were closed and trapped them inside. The havens had become their prisons. The government tried desperately to reassure the population that they were safe, but the females panicked so badly that they cried out to the government to get them to safety.
Ussmek was scared horribly. The thing he had now learned was called a human was smart. He worded questions in ways that always got the answers he wanted. Ussmek didn't lie. He didn't know what it was. He feared the primitive more. When he had called her a Hallessi she had almost killed him. The human really was Ussmek's friend because he stopped that. The female proto Inquisitor snapped with pure hatred at Ussmek.
"I am not a Hallessi! I am a Gaimian! You fuckers tried to steal our names, our culture, our everything that is us! You stole my baby who was ripped from my hands! I will never let your kind call us that again! Let me kill him!"
Ussmek had shrunk back further into his chair with each screaming sentence, but the human stopped her rage.
"You kill him and we lose intelligence. You must not let rage consume you. That's not a good thing. We are jumping up reinforcements. It will be a week and a half until we help throw them off Galve. The attack today was nearly perfect. We didn't get to burn the last two buildings we wanted, but we have crippled them badly, Faviea. He is needed. We will find your boy. Believe in us like we do with you."
Faviea huffed and puffed, trying to calm herself down. The pain of her baby being taken from her hurt so badly. The human who was teaching her how to be like him in every way was her friend. He had done everything he could with his three acolytes to reunite families. He cared about them. She felt horrible shame because he was right. If she killed the male they would be set back. She left the room to get away from the target of rage. Ussmek hissed in clear thankfulness to the human.
"Thank you! Thank you! I'll never say that again, please protect me!"
The human softly said to Ussmek
"You don't deserve protection. My acolytes know the stories of what your people have done to the Gaimian. I have a revelation for you, I have a family too. Multiple species have those. The Race is in the horrible minority with that. If you had ever come to our homeworld and tried the same thing with us, the problems your people have had here would be ten fold, but my Emperor says that we should not exterminate your species. He will be the one we look to and try to be like in everything. Your people are cowards, attacking species who are not ready for the stars. We are everything your people are but a trillion times better. The Emperor of Mankind protects even you, lizard. Never forget that."
Ussmek was deathly afraid. They had significant problems on this planet, and it would be worse with humans? The new knowledge that the Race was an ultra minority in the concept of families was horrifying. That had so many implications. The Race might've been utterly wrong in their treatment of the Gaimian. The blood rushed out of Ussmek's face. The scientists who had warned them that they would not have this world stop resisting them were right. He wanted to beg the human Emperor that was protecting him a trillion pleads of thank you. The Race might truly be cowards. This broke his worldview entirely. The addled who talked about changing their people were not addled, they were right. This made a weakness in the Race's god, but it was too busy enjoying his victory to notice.
The human softly said to Ussmek,
"We are stronger than you ever will be. Our fleet is growing faster than yours. Our weapons are more destructive than yours. Our armor and tactics are better than yours. We can cross the void in days, not decades. We can rip you apart like an alpha predator. We have things that your people can only dream of. Here is one."
The human pulled a pistol from his hip, aimed it at a wall, and fired. A snapping hiss was made instead of a bark. A red light hit the stone, leaving a scorch mark. Ussmek gapes. That was a real energy weapon, an impossible weapon. He looked at the gun in fear. This was backing up the words. The Race considered this so impossible that you were considered addled to even think it was possible.
"Our ships have hundreds of bigger versions of this, and plasma weapons. Our troops use this as a standard weapon, same with the plasma. We have guns that make you explode into millions of pieces and warriors who are taller than I am. Yet we don't do what your people do. You want more of your people to live, you will never try to do what we call lying. You will never return here after we throw you off world. You will have to change utterly as a people, and fast. There are worse things than us out there, and they will crush you in hours. You're small fish in a very large ocean. Never assume you're the top, because there is always something stronger than you."
Ussmek quivered. There were things stronger than humans! He pissed himself in pure fear because that was horrific. If he lived, he would do anything the humans wanted. He thanked the Emperor of Mankind who was protecting him. They were, indeed, small fish. He finally formed an answer for the human.
"I'll tell everyone I ever meet about the Emperor of Mankind. I will scream it from the rooftops of Home! Please don't kill the females! They are innocent, please, please, please! We did the family splits! We did the invasion, please I beg your Emperor, I will do whatever you want, just please spare the females! I'm sorry, so very sorry! Please!"
"Then prove it. Be better than what you were. We won't butcher the females. We will make the Gaimian never do that. We in the Imperium of Man are better than you. We will only ever genocide one species that are out there. They are called the Gould, and they are worse than you will ever be. They kill species like yours and mine for fun. You are just misguided. They enjoy making slaves scream in agony constantly. We will protect the Race and the Gaimian from them. I don't lie in saying that. Never like your people lie while I talk with you. You want to protect your people, you will follow any order I give you, say everything I tell you too. You must make something new. We might not seem like the Race's friends now, but humans are not evil. We are leaving that behind. Our Emperor is immortal, and he will always protect us and you. You are now an agent of the Inquisition and you will tell this story to the Race here on air when the armies of the Emperor of Mankind come, and again when we reach Home. We have bigger fish to fry, and your people are a waste of time."
Ussmek nodded faster than ever before. He could do that! He would do anything to protect his people, especially with the more he learned about the Gould. To be a puppet and watch through your eyes as you torture and abuse others while having no mouth and couldn't scream. The human was right. There were worse things out there.
When Faviea returned to the room, the Gaimian was shocked when the male she had tried to kill was unchained and throwing himself at her feet, begging forgiveness for his actions and those of his people. He was begging her not to kill the females of his people. He promised to always be the Gaimain's advocate in anything they wanted after being thrown off Galve, anything! The Race was wrong! He begged and begged and Faviea took such pleasure in that. The shoe was on the other foot. She could abuse him now. She was about to, but her friend shook his head and moved to protect the male from her blow.
"Be better. Be like the Emperor, Beloved by All. Don't keep the cycle going. Rise, like we did. Rise like you are. Ussmek means everything he said. We didn't come here to help abusers. We came to help good people."
Faviea felt the shame again. The humans had come to help them. They didn't have to do that. What use was Galve and the Gaimian to them? They were superior to them in everything. Her friend softly said, "We are all equal here. We are stronger together than apart. We want you to join us in the stars, Faviea. Be like us in the light. Ussmek has seen the wrongs. He is fighting for redemption now. Help him and the Race become better, like we are trying with you."
Ussmek looked up at the bird. Faviea underwood that they needed to leave the abuse behind them and be like the Emperor of Mankind and humans. Otherwise, it would just cause more problems.
"I don't like you. I don't like the Race. But for the ones who helped free us from you I will spare you. Just leave your ways in the past. I forgive you."
Faviea felt her feather pendant burn in approval at her words. This action created something new entirely, a new god of the Race.
In the Warp
This new god woke in the morning of its time. It was confused, but saw its first believer. It took the form of his beliefs. The male of the Race saw four new things standing before him, the things that his believer was with: humans, two males and two females. The four spoke as one.
"Welcome to existence. We will help you. Your people are in serious danger and we need to move fast to help them. What would you like to be called?"
The male thought. Its conceptual ideas were radical ideas. He wasn't sure, but he remembered a new thing, a title that was one of madness to his people. It would change his people, and they needed to change fast.
"Call me Addled, the first one. Your son is a good person. I am not. I did bad things. I am sorry."
Neoth spoke softly.
"I did things worse than you ever did, Addled. I am someone who will never be redeemed, but you can be. We will help you with your system. We will help you against the old one because he won't change and is your opposite. You will be the Redemption of your people."
Addled saw the old. He was, indeed, his opposite: stagnation, sameness, smug superiority, and no adaptation. He had done great harm to many. Some good, too, but the old was a chain maker. Addled must not be. He got three more followers quickly. The first the Race had ever had. A couple of the Race and an almost Addled one who wanted to learn. The first worshiper needed help because he was afraid of everything. Addled helped his champion, Ussmek the first, a new possible solution to the problem. Addled saw what should hate him bitterly now here, the Great Bird. It was watching him with interest. The Great Bird crowed.
"Cunning plan. Your son is someone to watch out for, Neoth. I don't like Addled. He should be my great enemy, a god that adapts."
Addled was hurt by that, but understood. He lowered his eye stalks to the floor. Neoth spoke to his bird friend.
"This is better than them going through a twenty millennia dark age. You never want an Age of Strife. It makes you worse than before. This way we can get the Race help. Look closer at Addled. See the new aspects?"
The Great Eagle did. Its beak dropped to the floor In shock.
"How? They don't understand that aspect."
"A psyker on Home. He is exploring the unknown and that has reinforced Addled. He's your kin now, and that was not part of the plan. The two and their new friends were all addled. Addled outside the stagnating one. A chance of fate. They will help Addled make the connection to your people because the Race needs to be better. "
Addled softly said to the Great Eagle,
"I'm sorry. I understand now your pain that the old did through my people but I'm not him. My champion will be my actions. He will do much and strive to be like the Emperor of Mankind forever, the one who showed us both a new path. I will do anything I can to help you because we are stronger together. I will never be good. The past will stay with me. I will never atone for Yonval and for the nuke that is the greatest crime in my ideas. My champion regards the act as the pit of evil now because he might see that with Home. Let me help you."
The Great Eagle was horribly torn. He was like Addled once, a different god, an outsider. His original concepts were like Slannesh the tumor. The other gods of the Gaimian died, shifting the survivors slowly from their original ideas. He was now family and Unification, freedom and hope. Vengeance was there, but the oaths of moment were more hopeful. The desire for freedom and for families being reunited permeated them. He and Addled were the same. The Great Eagle saw why humans were always evolving. Their gods were changing, becoming paragons. They are intertwined with the oath of moment, like how he was now.
"I hate your son for that. I'm now more intertwined with my core ideas, but why are we not making the tumors?"
"Because good is winning over evil. It's stronger and makes order. We are all gods of order. The Pain Maker drowns out the other possibilities of the ideas forming. He's all of them. Not as powerful at their highest levels, but he is sucking up the tumor's ideas. His people are the weakest in the warp. He's only as strong as he is because of age and spread. The Unas are the real makers' batteries. Kill them, and he weakens. Slave armies are a weakness. When the Unas get slaughtered, they will start the dominos."
Addled listened to Neoth, a god who was once a mortal. He didn't know any of that, neither did the Great Eagle. Gaia poked her best friend.
"Fucking nerd! No wonder Athame likes you so much. Point and laugh at the nerd!"
Gaia loved the flush on Neoth. Hecate defended her fellow nerd.
"Fuck you, Gaia! He is smarter than you! Point and laugh at the dumb one!"
That started a fight between the three gods whilst Sol Invictus was the responsible one.
"Ignore them. They do this all the time. I personally like nerds, but that's because my girlfriend is one. Neoth is right. The trouble, Addled, is because your people have a map room on Home. Your planet was once an Ancient stronghold. We need to move and get that away from anyone else, because there is a direct address to the Gould homeworld. They can spread like a virus if they learn an address here on this side of the galaxy. The Imperium out guns them, but they outnumber all of us. We must learn where the gates are with the help of the map room. Take those out immediately, or we are all doomed. The infighting is very bad for them right now. They are in their twenties in terms of a civil war this month, but a new Gould is rising called Atdarnedor. He is looking more and more likely to win. When he wins, he will launch a new wave of expansion."
Addled saw the Gould fully, as did the Great Eagle. They looked at each other. Better the enemy you know, right? Sol Invictus dodged a chair thrown by Gaia that broke on Neoth's head. Hecate defended her fellow nerd more.
The two Xeno gods sweat dropped badly seeing the three other high human ones fighting. Humans were nuts. Addled committed to the defense of the western galaxy.
"I will make my champion into the finder. He will turn that over immediately. Is there a Gate on Home? I'm still weak."
Sol Invictus dodged a second chair and spoke.
"There is not. It was removed by the Ancients because they tried to save the colony there from the plague that was ravaging them. They succeeded in saving the colony, but failed in saving themselves. The colony had too few people to maintain a good gene pool, and they didn't have the tech to fix that. They were an agricultural world. They died out, but the map room was hidden before they finally died. We need the address book."
The three gods kept talking and discussing the issue. The other three gods kept fighting and throwing chairs. Where these chairs are coming from, no one knew, but Gaia was winning against the nerds. She would win this. Athame and Veihea with Palaven came to see their boy toys and/or good friend and, upon seeing the fight, they all sweat dropped. Palaven recovered first and began to talk with Addled and The Great Eagle. Athame woofed at her hunky boyfriend fighting Gaia.
"Give her the chair! You're my best friend, Gaia, but you are dumb, get fucked! Special reward If you win, babe!"
Neoth knew the reward. He clobbered Gaia with another chair! The Xenos' gods, not Athame, now sweat dropped again. Sol Invictus sighed heavily.
"Kids these days."
Home
Hisslef fought it so very hard. Another wave of mating hit home this week, but that was normal. It was mating season and he was desperate to see Tissul. Jussla had tried to jump him, but he said to his new friend.
"No. I can't. I only want the one I love."
He had knocked his boss out with a chair. It was a damn good weapon. He then fled and locked the doors to his car and went home. He fought every step of the way. He saw males and females mating in the streets. He fought it all the way into the building. He then locked the doors. He went up the stairs and opened the door to see Tissul. She had been fighting it, too. They looked at one another and they fucked. They fucked hard. It was beyond anything that either had ever experienced. It was so damn good. They fucked hard and broke multiple chairs and other furniture. This was normal for them.
When the mating time ended five hours later, Tissul finally said the words Hisslef longed to hear.
"I love you, Hiss. We are definitely addled, but I would not change that for anything or anyone. I will only do this with you, my greatest friend and now my true partner."
Hisslef was beyond happy. How could they be addled if this wasn't normal? He would resist every damn time because this was total completion. He would tell Jussla these feelings of love and such happiness. He understood the Hallessi completely now. Why they fought so hard, why they resisted to the bitter end, why they weren't going to submit. He would fight gods to protect this. He would fight the Race itself. This was the best thing he had ever had.
When he saw Jussla the next day, his boss had a massive bump on her head. It was red and still twitching. Jussla, no longer in the heating madness, grunted to Hisslef.
"I should be angry with you. It hurt so much, but I'm not. Was it worth it?"
"Yes, beyond anything you can imagine. I love Tissul. We will never win against the Hallessi. I understand them now. I would fight gods. I would fight the Emperor to keep this. I am addled and proud of it."
Jussla was amazed, but now felt the desire herself, to have that certainty, to have that bravery, to be like her assistant. She wanted that badly. She thought. She did have a colleague that was interested in learning more. Mating season was going to last another month or two. She would talk with him, see if this really was something that could work. She felt something new. No fear of repercussions. She didn't care if they threw her in an addled place. She had learned more in the last few weeks than in two decades. This was worth it.
"Write down everything you feel. This is groundbreaking information. We are both addled now, but I'm proud, too. My colleagues will laugh at this, but I can hopefully convince one. He and I are extremely good friends. You say that it helps with love?"
"Yes. I will help you with tips to resist. You will not regret this. Neither will he if you do get him to try this. Tissul resisted, and it was like nothing neither of us had had before. It's like the stars are all flaring at once, like the fireworks of Emperor's day, like the song of the first ones. By the Emperor's past, it's amazing. You will see it."
Jussla would definitely have to try this.
She approached her colleague, Nesslev, who was amused by the idea and deeply curious. He asked how she had knowledge of their field like this. Jussla hesitated before saying that she had a research pair. They volunteered to try this. Nesslev was very concerned about that. That was addled behavior, but Nesslev trusted his colleague. He read the written descriptions. He felt the stirring of curiosity. He felt the desire to try this. He read the tips. He read everything that Jussla suggested.
The mating wave hit Home again.