Chapter 5
The shot had come from a sniper who had been in one of the many church watchtowers. The sniper was barely visible, blinking out of sight as if they were mere data. The scientist backed away in terror as the soldiers approached, only to discover that the shot had hit the fingers, destroying the trigger of the weapon. The Sororita growled, watching them all with hatred.
"What has happened here?" Tiamath questioned, observing everyone present.
"That madwoman attacked one of our nurses while she was assisting!" shouted the scientist, who was recovering from the shock.
"Is that true? Who was it?" Tiamath asked, looking at those present.
Then, a nurse appeared; she looked like a secretary bird and seemed just as terrified as the scientist, who they held hostage. Tiamath looked at the Sororita.
"And what is the reason for that attack?" the ruler asked, looking at the nurse and then at the Sororita.
"That filthy Xeno dared to touch me! Those things should be dead, dirty heretics!" exclaimed the Sororita.
"I may not have been born as a human, but I was born on Terra!" the nurse shouted, fear evident in her voice.
"Moreover, you dare to say you were born on Terra, you... dirty Xeno!" The Sororita tried to get up, but a guard quickly knocked her down and aimed his weapon at her.
"Don't move," the soldier commanded.
"I've heard enough," Tiamath commented, aiming her weapon at the Sororita. However, before she could shoot, a shield appeared in front of both of them.
"Enough," Lilith had raised the shield. Tiamath's gaze was harsh toward her daughter, who remained unfazed.
"You didn't have to do that," the ruler commented.
"We need to talk, now." Lilith took her to another place where they could speak privately. She had brought her to a room where several statues and other objects had been moved for safekeeping due to the attack.
"Well, what do you want to tell me?" Tiamath questioned her daughter.
"What the hell was that?" Lilith asked seriously.
"I was about to execute someone who dared to attack medical personnel," Tiamath said seriously.
"No, that's not you. In normal situations, you wouldn't act like you have been until now," Lilith admonished her mother.
"I'm doing what's right."
"Really? Before we traveled, all of this was bearable, but since we arrived, all you've done is make mistake after mistake. What the hell is wrong with you, Mom?" Tiamath questioned again, and her daughter waited for a response.
"I haven't made any mistakes."
"Let's see. You engaged in combat against the Genestealers when you weren't needed at that moment. Even after being named the ruler of the federation, you've been doing fieldwork, which is no longer your responsibility. In the invasion of these things, you went to the front when you should have stayed and coordinated everything. What else? Oh, the worst part! You activated damn artificial intelligences even after we just came out of a war against them!" Lilith reprimanded seriously.
"Don't say it as if I was resting while all that was happening!" Tiamath shouted at her daughter, but Lilith remained unfazed.
"Whether you were doing it or not, it doesn't matter anymore. What I want to know is why you're acting this way. You're not like this. You don't do things the way you've been doing them lately," the scientist said, crossing her arms while her mother simply stared into emptiness without saying anything.
"It's... different. Everything is different, Lilith," Tiamath commented, lowering her head.
"Enlighten me on how this is different from your past times. Aren't you a general? You should have a command knowledge to know that what you've been doing is wrong in different ways." The scientist's tone was calmer but no less serious.
"They gave me this title only when I retired. I never acted as a general until the AI rebellion. Before that, I was always a soldier. If I led, it was small squads, but for more than ten thousand years since the first ships went into space, I was always a soldier. Always 'defend this position, attack this planet, escort these colonists.' I never had to stop thinking like a soldier. When I became a Praetorian, we were all given freedom of movement. They only assigned us sectors to defend, and that's what we did," Tiamath explained in a heavy sigh, her voice beginning to break.
"Even if your generation didn't have a chain of command, mine did, and you were the leader. You led us well. Now, you're making rookie mistakes," Lilith commented, looking at her mother. Her tone softened, but her gaze remained serious.
"I've made many mistakes since we arrived. The first one was becoming the ruler. You know I never aspired to this position. You know well that it was your brother who was preparing to be the ruler, not me. You know I hate politics. But with the current events, how could I disappoint humanity? We lost everything in a matter of a few months."
"Do you not know what to do?" Lilith asked as she crouched down a bit, looking at her mother.
"No... I don't know what to do. My mind is blank. You don't know what it's like to see what you've protected since its creation fall in such a way. It's the same feeling I had when your brother disappeared into the Warp, when I thought you were dead when Mars was bombarded. To add salt to the wound, I spent a significant part of the battle on the moon coordinating the troops we had. You don't know the helplessness of receiving messages from soldiers, civilians, even children begging for help, only to find that when you look up the coordinates of the planet, they're already marked as destroyed. Watching how one by one your comrades fall in battle against the machines, hearing soldiers panic at the sight of a Praetorian falling, and being unable to do anything..." Tiamath was starting to sob, and as she poured out more and more, Lilith simply listened, watching her mother seem to break more and more.
Lilith slowly lifted her hand to touch her mother's shoulder but gradually stopped short without making contact. She withdrew her hand while still listening to her mother shatter.
"Add to that the fact that we traveled more than fifteen thousand years into the future, finding out that the war is over, but now everything is different. Seeing an unknown humanity, just as we don't know how the galaxy is..." Tiamath wiped her eyes with her arm.
"I know, we've all seen the images and reports," Lilith replied, getting up from where she was sitting.
"You may have seen them, but you don't know what this jump means to me. Seeing how humanity turned out, the overwhelming feeling of guilt that invades me, knowing that by saving this fleet, it feels like I escaped," Tiamath commented, looking ahead.
Lilith observed that look; she had seen it in several soldiers before—a lost gaze from so many wars. It wasn't unusual for her, but it was strange to see it in her mother.
"You know well that we didn't escape. The Noah's Ark protocol was activated, rescuing what could be saved from many planets, finding a safe one to leave the colonists with supplies, and returning to the fight," Lilith said, looking at her mother without saying much more than necessary. Her expression hadn't changed, but her tone was gentle.
"I activated the Noah's Ark protocol when we reached a death toll of 20 trillion across the galaxy in less than six months. We lost almost twenty percent of the human species in the attacks," Tiamath explained.
"Did you act too hastily?" Lilith asked.
"What would you have done in my position, Esmeralda?" Tiamath responded quickly, surprising her daughter.
"Did you just call me by my name?" Lilith looked at her with a surprised tone.
"Yes, I did. I want to hear what you would have done. Not what Lilith would have done, but what Esmeralda, my daughter, would have done. Would you have continued to lead from a lunar base and listen as one by one the planets fell? Or would you have activated a safeguard to ensure the survival of the species before returning to fight?" Tiamath asked, looking at her daughter, who at this moment didn't know what to say.
"I... I don't know," Lilith responded hesitantly.
"I know. Maybe I haven't led on this scale before, but these decisions are the ones that mark you for life. They make you doubt your ability to handle things. It might sound like a mere excuse, it might be, but this thought of doubt has made me make mistakes. Acted impulsively, causing others to bear the consequences. But now I will try to make amends and become a better leader. I just hope you never have to go through the same decision-making process as I did," Tiamath commented, trying to calm down a bit from everything until she seemed normal.
"Where are you going now?" Lilith asked.
"I'm going to apologize to that Imperial officer, request their cooperation to fight these things, have something to eat, and then talk to the Blue-armored Imperial," Tiamath said as she opened the door.
"Try not to hit anyone this time. I'll go to the medical zone to monitor the wounded," Lilith commented.
When Tiamath left the room, the scientist sighed heavily at everything that had happened but returned to her normal composure. When she left that place, she simply observed all the soldiers and other members moving back and forth. Just seeing them, she could feel the weight of everyone depending on her and how many times she had messed up.
"Son... you should lead them. You prepared for this, not me. But I'll keep leading them," Tiamath thought as she headed towards the communication area.
Once she reached the war zone, which could previously be called the church chaplain's office, it was filled not only with screens showing images of the robots in combat but also with some exploration drones. Inside, many officers moved around, discussing strategies and other aspects of the war until they noticed the ruler.
"Officer in the area!" one shouted, and everyone stood at attention as Tiamath passed.
"Do you need anything, Regent?" asked a communications officer.
"Notify them to bring Sergeant Casius to this area, the huge guy in blue armor," Tiamath said.
"Right away," responded an officer.
After a few minutes, Casius appeared. Upon entering, he did so without his helmet, revealing not only a robust face but also what seemed to be metal buttons or patches above his right eyebrow, in addition to being bald.
"Did you summon me?" Casius asked.
"How long has the Empire been fighting against the Tyranids?" Tiamath inquired.
"Since I was a Neophyte."
"I see. I need you to tell me everything you know about how the Empire fights against them, what strategies it uses, as well as the weapons," Tiamath commented, looking at the Space Marine.
"Various methods are employed. One is to starve them, which means destroying a planet. Another is to lead them to death zones for bombardment. Another technique is simply shooting them, preventing them from getting close, which is difficult due to their resilient exoskeleton. Moreover, even if they defeat them, the planet will be contaminated by their virus," Cassius explained.
"What kind of weapons do you use to fight?" Tiamath inquired.
"We use lasguns, bolters, plasma rifles, flamethrowers—anything at hand to eliminate them. The best way to deal with them is to avoid leaving any remains so they can't consume biomass. The key is to prevent this. If they do, their DNA will evolve, allowing them to use the best of the acquired genetics. The best way to kill them is to kill the Synaptic Beasts; if they die, the smaller ones will too," replied Cassius, and Tiamath nodded in agreement.
"Is the creature they sought to attack a Synaptic Beast?"
"It is. In this attack, it's the most important. If it falls, the other Tyranids will fall too."
"I see. Send this information to the Imperialis, the Chimera, and the Constantino. Have the PCEs of these ships recalibrate the Mech weaponry from light to heavy. Give directives to the soldiers in battle to avoid close combat at all costs, recalibrate their shields to prevent anything from entering their area, including the air. Have them use their oxygen masks. Have we managed to bring in more troops?" Tiamath asked, looking at the communication officers.
"With the space war won, the ships have begun waking up more troops and reservists. Currently, five hundred thousand soldiers, both human and Xenos, are being armed and are about to be deployed."
"What species are we talking about? If these things adapt, we can't give them new genes," Tiamath commented.
"We have Leutamanos, Zincied, Ghan, and Solari," reported an operator.
"Cancel the majority of the military deployment. Send Leutamanos and Zincied to repair and medical areas. Ghan and Solari are warrior races with little they can contribute against the Tyranids, so they are perfect for the military deployment. Keep them with it," ordered Tiamath, looking at the screens.
"Is there anything else?" Casius asked.
"That would be all. You may leave. We may need you for a counterattack soon," Tiamath commented, turning her gaze back to the screens.
...
A ship arrived at the church, and its doors opened, revealing a stasis pod being transported. Inside it was Jenkins, who was still badly wounded. Upon reaching the infirmary, the pod was connected to a device where many others were being attended to. Behind the pod, the soldiers who had been with Jenkins followed.
"Do you think she'll survive?" Dimitri asked.
"Possibly, we brought her in time when those men of iron saved us," Klauss commented as he tended to some of his wounds.
"It's hard for me to process. First, we were at war against the AIs, and now AIs save us," Dimitri sat beside Jenkins' capsule, who remained unconscious.
"It's not that hard to believe. There were many AIs that remained loyal. The Regent's transmissions explained that. Just as there were AIs that turned hostile, there were many others that stayed loyal," replied Klauss. He approached a black square where next to it were a considerable number of metal trays, as well as knives, forks, and spoons. He inserted the tray into a lower slot of the cube, and when he pulled it out, there was a plate of Currywurst. He took the utensils and then sat down to eat calmly, while Dimitri simply watched.
"Do you want some?"
"No thanks. I don't like Krieg's cuisine," Dimitri said. Klauss just rolled his eyes.
"Sure, you're from Valhalla. 'I eat giant bears because that's what the Mother of Valhalla does.' So eat now; it might be our last supper."
"Where did you hear those transmissions from the Regent?"
"When things started, I was on a ship heading to Nostramo, something about an attack. But when the ship was about to enter the Warp, an emergency transmission alerted everyone. It turned out to be the Regent warning that the AIs had risen against humanity. At first, no one took it seriously. That was until the ship's own defenses opened fire on a large part of the organic crew. The entire fleet at that moment was almost completely annihilated." Klauss looked at his food for a few seconds, recalling all of that.
"How did you survive?" Dimitri was listening attentively.
"I escaped with other survivors to the escape pods, where some men of iron were waiting for us. I thought I was going to die, but they let us through and sealed the entrance so that the other AIs wouldn't get through. Believe me, I didn't know what to think at that moment... And you? What's your story of survival?" Klauss asked.
"Well, unlike yours, mine wasn't so chaotic. I was on Prospero with my squad, undergoing training with the Sekhmet Praetorian. Ironically, we were there to learn about the men of iron," Dimitri said, sighing.
"What were you studying? Because you don't look like a recruit," Klauss took a bite of his food while looking at Dimitri.
"I was taking a Mech training course for Valhalla's Mech division. Another division had been created, and they needed soldiers, but I needed studies on Artificial Intelligences for that..." As Dimitri spoke, Klauss couldn't help but notice a soldier standing in front of the cube. From his expression, he seemed hesitant, somewhat fearful, but also radiating curiosity.
"Take one of those trays and place it in the lower slot. Then think about what you want, and when you feel a slight vibration, pull out the tray," Klauss commented.
That made Dimitri turn around to also see the soldier. It didn't take long for him to notice that it was an Imperial Guard, who, when he inserted his hand, only pulled out a strange and unappetizing paste.
"What in the Emperor's name is that?" Dimitri asked.
"It's something I've always eaten; it's called corpse starch. Do you want to try it?" the soldier asked.
"Excuse me, what's your name?" Dimitri questioned.
"Corpse Starch," the soldier replied.
"Okay, I might be jumping ahead by the name, but I hope I'm wrong. What is it made of?" Klauss asked.
The soldier began to explain what it was made of, causing both soldiers to turn green with disgust. If it weren't for the explanation of the existence of such a "product," they would have vomited. It took them a few minutes, but eventually, they calmed down.
"Good God, that's disgusting. Is this what they feed Imperial soldiers? Don't you have STF?" Dimitri asked.
"What thing?" The soldier seemed confused.
"Standard Template Feed. That cube is one of those standard things. They use them to feed populations that are too difficult to get resources to or are too far from the Federation," Klauss replied.
"Is it like a STC?" the soldier asked.
"Well, it serves the same function, but instead of generating machinery or medicines like STM, this one produces food," Klauss explained.
"Maybe this will interest that tech-priest who also came out. By the Emperor, weren't these things just for construction? Now they're also for medicine and food?" The soldier tried to process that while Krieg's medic explained it.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" Klauss asked when he saw they were ignoring him.
"Sorry, but I've never heard anything like this in the name of the Emperor," the soldier commented before Dimitri snatched the corpse starch and threw it away.
"Try real food." Dimitri put his hand into the cube, pulling out a tray of pierogi and gave them to the soldier.
"What is this?" the soldier asked.
"Pierogi, a Valhalla dish. Try it," Dimitri suggested.
The soldier ate the pierogi with some hesitation, but as he did, his face seemed to light up with delight. He took another into his mouth, then another, until he finished the entire tray.
"By the Emperor, this is delicious! I've never tasted anything like this before," the soldier exclaimed.
"See, someone who appreciates the food from my planet," Dimitri commented, and Klaus just rolled his eyes.
"Of course, after eating that corpse starch garbage, it's obvious someone would like the food from your planet," Klaus remarked.
After finishing his meal, the soldier looked at the stasis capsule, and his gaze seemed filled with amazement.
"Is she still alive?" the soldier asked.
"Jenkins? Well, yes, she's still alive, thanks to some AIs. Are you part of her squad?" Klaus inquired, but the soldier shook his head.
"No, by the grace of the Emperor, I wasn't part of her platoon. Do you know her story?" Both soldiers shook their heads.
"Do you know it?"
"Any Imperial Guard knows the story of 'the Chapter Master of the Lamenters.' Wherever she goes, she brings only bad luck and death to those around her. Having her nearby is just a bad omen," the soldier commented, looking at them.
"You're exaggerating," Klaus responded.
"I'm not. According to several soldiers, she was one of the best students at the Schola Progenium, graduated with honors. On her first mission as an Imperial Commissar, she faced a Khorne Chaos cult. Her entire regiment was killed except for her. Strange coincidences began to occur where she was always the lone survivor in each mission. Rumors spread, suggesting that she received the blessing of the Blood God Khorne. This led the Inquisition to accuse her of heresy, and she was almost executed. Instead of killing her, they demoted her to an Imperial Guard with a total of ten battles won to regain her rank. First in a penal legion, and then they sent her to this division..." The Imperial Guard was narrating the story when Klaus interrupted.
"Wait, 'God of Blood'? In the future, are there gods?" Klaus asked, puzzled.
"Do you in your time not know about Chaos?" the soldier inquired.
"Sorry, but we're unfamiliar with many of these terms," Klaus commented.
"Well, in short, Chaos is demons. The God Emperor protects us against those aberrations from the Warp," the soldier summarized.
"And here we go again with this 'God Emperor.' Who is he?" Dimitri questioned.
"It is the guide of humanity, who, after the old night, unified humanity under his guidance, leading it back to the stars after the era of conflicts, reuniting humanity once again," the soldier was narrating when Dimitri interrupted him again.
"You mentioned an old night. What happened in the old night?" Dimitri asked with a hint of fear.
"The old night refers to the uprising of the Abominable Intelligences. According to historical records, humanity suffered for almost five thousand years during that uprising. It was a massacre so severe that humanity experienced a huge regression. All because, in the dark age of technology, humanity was foolish enough to depend on those things," the soldier paused after finishing that sentence, realizing who he was talking to.
"What?!" Dimitri and Klaus's shout was immediate.
Both stood up hastily. The Imperial guard tried to escape, but they both held him to prevent him from leaving, then cornered him against the wall. The commotion drew the attention of those present due to the outburst from the two soldiers.
"What do you mean by five thousand years?" Klaus shouted.
"Did humanity regress and almost get exterminated?" Dimitri yelled in response.
"I... I was forbidden to mention it," the soldier said, trying to free himself.
"Speak now!" both shouted at him.
"I have orders not to tell you anything about that!" the Imperial guard shouted until Dimitri placed his arm around his neck to force him to speak.
"I can't!" he complained again.
"Do it!" they both shouted.
Due to the pressure the Imperial guard was under, he had no choice but to start narrating everything that had happened to those present. Although the expressions of many were different, their looks all conveyed the same feeling... pain. With every word, with every sentence, it was as if each soldier and officer present were receiving a summary execution. They all began to look pale at what they heard; some even dropped their weapons. The tearful eyes of several soldiers, doctors, and scientists in response to the news were evident.
"And that's it. Your era, your advancements, everything about you is spat upon and abhorred because of the rebellion of the AIs," the Imperial guard commented, looking at everyone present.
The grip on him gradually weakened until he managed to free himself. All those present were in shock by everything. The Imperial guard took advantage of the situation to leave. As soon as he left that part of the church, he heard a huge commotion beginning.
Lilith was approaching the infirmary and rest area in the church when she heard the commotion. Hastily, she entered to see many soldiers screaming, crying, or attempting to end their lives while others tried to stop them.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Lilith shouted, looking around at everyone.
"Chief Scientist, you won't believe what has happened," a soldier approaching her commented.
"Tell me right away, soldier," Lilith said, looking visibly distressed.
The soldier began narrating everything that had happened, relaying the information given by the escaped Imperial guard. Lilith listened attentively; her expression remained unchanged, but the movement of her eyes, the way she clenched her fist, or the occasional beads of sweat on her forehead indicated that this would affect her.
"We need to inform the others," the soldier suggested.
Without saying a word, Lilith activated the energy shields at the entrances, preventing anyone from leaving, and then looked at everyone.
"Now is not the time to discuss this matter. Is that clear?" she questioned.
"The soldiers need to know!" the soldier insisted, but Lilith pointed her weapon at his face.
"Right now, we are in a very tense situation with these time anomalies attacking us. We are losing troops rapidly, barely reorganizing, and now you want to disclose our past to further complicate things? No, you won't do that. I will take care of communicating this event to the other officers, and then there will be a broadcast to all personnel. But right now, you are prohibited from saying anything. Is that understood?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," came the response from everyone. Lilith simply sighed heavily as she approached the black cube to retrieve a cup of hot chocolate with a marshmallow on top, as well as a large slice of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on top.
"To hell with the diet, I'll treat myself," she thought, taking a sip from the cup before noticing Jenkins in one of the capsules.
"Why is this capsule in this area? The infirmary is in the next room," Lilith commented.
"We ran out of space, and lacking cranes or a way to mount them on the wall, it was decided to place more capsules in this room," explained a doctor who, like the previous nurse, was also a bird but a Condor in this case.
"I see, thanks," Lilith said, observing Jenkins' capsule.
"He survived much longer than I thought; this will help him return to combat sooner," she thought as she entered a command into the capsule's keyboard, and once accepted, several syringes were injected, accelerating his regeneration even more.
"Alright, everything is going well," Lilith thought before taking a sip of the chocolate and then a bite of the cake.
...
Moments earlier.
"By orders of the Regent, Imperial soldiers are free to move around the area with complete freedom. It is only requested that they do not cause trouble and do not interfere with the military personnel's duties," a Federation soldier deactivated the force field in the area where the normal Imperial Guard soldiers were, while in the other area were the commissar, the sororita, and the unconscious astropath.
"We don't need your permission to move," commented the commissar, whose face had what seemed to be plaster in different areas.
"This message was directed at the other soldiers. You and that woman over there are forbidden from leaving this area," the soldier replied.
"None of my men will move from here!" shouted the commissar.
But at that moment, he saw a soldier and the tech-priest leave the place. The commissar hurried to hit the energy wall to get the attention of those two.
"Where in the Emperor's name are you going?! I ordered you to stay here!"
"You don't command this servant of the Omnissiah, who has been given the divine opportunity to see up close how the technology of the ancestors worked. Any attempt of yours to hinder this work will be punished with death," commented the tech-priest before leaving.
"I'm not staying in this any longer. Because of you, we lost 20,000 soldiers, not only common ones but also Tempestus soldiers and Catachan troops. Because of your foolishness and delusions of grandeur, we lost so many lives that we could be using right now to fight against the Tyranids!" shouted the other soldier as he left the area, heading towards a room with food.
"You damn traitors!" the commissar tried to leave the dome, but the Federation guards in the area stopped him, activating the reinforcement of the energy field.
"You're not going anywhere," commented one guard while the commissar grumbled and shouted in frustration.
"I don't have to listen to your foolish ramblings. Your troops don't respect you, many have died in vain, and due to your pride, I won't accept help from these humans," replied the Catachan soldier, looking at his stump where his hand should be.
"What are you implying?" questioned the commissar.
"That you're a terrible leader, it's surprising they haven't shot you in the back before, and you can go to hell," commented the Catachan soldier, starting to walk away.
"Where are you going?!" the only loyal soldier left to the commissar tried to stop him, but the Catachan soldier elbowed him with his arm that lacked a hand, knocking him down.
"If you want to die alongside this incompetent leader, it's your problem. I won't," commented the Catachan soldier before leaving, not without approaching the guard.
"What do you need?" the guard asked.
"Where is the infirmary?"
"Go straight ahead to the room; you'll see a red cross. That place is the infirmary. Maybe they can regenerate your hand," the guard commented as the Catachan soldier nodded before leaving.
Returning to the present.
The tech-priest arrived in an area of the church that led outside. It was once a garden with a statue in the middle, but now it was filled with various Federation machines. Mechs of all kinds were coming in, being repaired, and then returning to combat. Machines that looked almost like tanks were taking apart pieces of mechs, which engineers were repairing before sending them back into battle. Others simply inserted a cartridge, and the mech was repaired. The same process applied to Virtual Intelligence Droids; they had a golden cartridge inserted, and they were repaired.
"This... is sublime," commented the tech-priest as he approached a mech that had no one watching over it. Driven by knowledge of technology, he opened a hatch on the mech, revealing the control panels of the machine.
"This... is fascinating. Ancestral technology... machine spirit, tell me what's wrong, why are you not functioning?" the tech-priest commented.
"The intruder is requested to stop meddling with things he shouldn't be," a voice from what seemed like a semi-transparent mass that emerged from the mech spoke. The tech-priest recoiled at this.
When the mass emerged, metallic parts of white and gold appeared until they joined, creating a kind of exoskeleton with a mask-like face in the front.
"How dare you defile this machine god artifact by entering, dirty Xenos?" the tech-priest reproached the Xenos.
"Incorrect information. This Epsilon 2 medium-type mech was created in collaboration between human companies and my species," the Xenos commented.
"Lies! You are blaspheming the sacred technology of the Omnissiah!" the tech-priest reproached again.
"How can one blaspheme the name of the Omnissiah? The given information is that the Omnissiah is not a god," the Xenos reproached once more.
El tech-priest conjured a clamp from his backpack, but when he stabbed the Xenos, it had no effect, revealing only a simple metal rod with a melted tip.
"Attacks like those are ineffective 99.99999999% of the time against my species. I invite you to stop, or we will be forced to defend ourselves," the Xenos commented.
"You will die for such offenses against the Omnissiah!" When the tech-priest tried to use another weapon, a huge hand stopped him.
By his side was Casius, accompanied by another Federation soldier. "Here he is," the soldier commented.
"I will keep an eye on him. Thanks for informing me," replied Casius.
"Please keep an eye on him. We cannot allow another argument like this," the soldier stepped back, leaving the three of them alone.
"Ultramarine," commented the tech-priest. Casius said nothing; he simply gave him a very serious look.
"If that's all, I will proceed with my work," the Xeno, in slime form, re-entered the mech.
"That insolent Xeno..." The tech-priest tried to approach the mech again, but Casius prevented him.
"We are leaving now," ordered the Ultramarine.
"You can't give me orders. I need to examine these ancient machines; this is an invaluable archaeological technology site that cannot wait," replied the tech-priest.
"These are not random machines; these people are from that era. Besides, whether you like it or not, you will come with me. I cannot allow you to roam around as if nothing in front of these ancient humans," Casius replied very seriously.
"Attention, everyone. Heavy Mech squad arriving at the garden area. All present, stay on the edges for your safety," an automated voice announced.
From the sky, almost five massive mechs appeared. Four of them seemed to be the ones Casius had seen before, but another had a series of weapons, including a crossbow, a kind of shotgun, a massive shoulder knife, and smaller cannons on the shoulders. Its armor tone should have been desert-colored, but it was stained everywhere with Tyranid blood. Several Tyranid heads rested on a belt that seemed to run across the robot's body.
"Hormagaunts, Carnifex, Lictors, Swarm Tyrants, Zoanthropes, Harridans, and Biovores..." commented Casius, raising an eyebrow slightly surprised by that collection of heads.
"Praised be the Omnissiah, this gift of yours has given death to creatures that threaten everything of yours!" praised the tech-priest.
In the back of the mech, the hatch opened, revealing the pilot. The tech-priest approached to see another Xenos, unlike the previous one; this one was almost the same height as Casius. He wore armor with free arms and simple wristbands on one side, holding what looked like an energy pistol. On his back rested two Tyranid swords as trophies, and around his neck hung a necklace of what seemed to be Tyranid teeth. Most strikingly, this pilot was a reptilian creature, with fiery red scales, reptilian yellow eyes, and a smiling snout displaying large teeth. He looked at the tech-priest, who had not said anything but emitted rapid beeping sounds.
"Lieutenant Tiberius!" Two engineers approached where the enormous reptile was. Tiberius saw them before pulling a cigar from a pocket and lighting it.
"I don't give autographs," Tiberius commented while they approached.
"Has something happened? I had orders to secure the military base in the area with your team," one engineer commented.
"The area is secured, enemies eliminated, Scorpion V tanks are descending to the ground, and I've collected these souvenirs," he commented, revealing the two Tyranid swords, which twisted until Tiberius crushed the handles.
"I see, but sir, you weren't ordered to leave the location," the engineer said.
"The mission was accomplished, and the area is already secured. Besides, there's a lot to do rather than stay guarding those tanks that practically crush everything in front of them," Tiberius commented as he headed to another area, then turned and pointed to the tech-priest.
"Your robot, check my mech. It's been making strange noises," he said before leaving.
Instead of feeling offended by being treated this way, the tech-priest was more than happy to analyze such technological marvel. Without saying anything, he started examining it, using his hands and the various accessories on his back. However, something was wrong for him; first, he couldn't hear the machine spirit, and second, he couldn't sense any life in this machine.
"Do you need help?" a human technician approached the tech-priest, grabbing some tools from his belt.
"It's strange... it's as if the machine god doesn't inhabit this artifact," commented the tech-priest, extremely puzzled but nonetheless eager to investigate further.
"Machine god?" asked the technician before the tech-priest started making binary beeping sounds.
"I have much to explain about the machine god," commented the tech-priest as he removed something from the mech.
"Later, for now, let me explain how to fix this," the technician said as the tech-priest listened attentively to the instructions.
En la war zone, the progress of the battle was being observed. Tiamath frowned at how quickly the Tyranids were adapting to their combat strategies.
"The more we fight against these things, the faster we teach them how to defeat us," commented Tiamath.
At that moment, the door opened, allowing the Imperial soldier who had been in the rest area to enter, accompanied by two armed guards.
"Regent, this Imperial Guard wants to speak with you," a soldier commented. Tiamath looked at them and gestured for the others to leave the room. After nodding in agreement, they left.
"Well, what do you want?" Tiamath asked.
"I want to fight for your side." The Imperial soldier knelt in front of Tiamath, avoiding eye contact.
"What are your reasons? What could you gain by leaving the Imperium of Man for us?"
"Life in the Imperium, especially for someone like me, is agony every moment. Precarious life, the most basic necessities for many are a luxury for me. Blind faith in the Emperor has only made the lives of millions the cruelest punishment... Did you come for that, right?"
"Come for what?"
"To... to save humanity, right? This decay was caused by the Imperium. You are from the Dark Age of Technology, where we didn't have to worry... Did you come to this time to restore our species' glory? Isn't that right?" The tone of the soldier seemed as if he were speaking to some kind of saint.
Tiamath had an incredulous look because he did not expect this reaction. The soldier was almost praying, asking to return humanity to its former glory. How could they do that? They were few, knew nothing about this era, and its dangers.
"No," Tiamath replied bluntly, looking at the soldier.
"What?"
"We didn't come for that in this time. We've been fleeing the war against the AIs. We ended up in this time that is not ours. Right now, we're not fighting for conquests or to restore glory to anyone. We're fighting to survive." The soldier raised his gaze to see the Regent, who had a melancholic look. She helped him stand up but didn't break eye contact.
"No, are you here to save us?" asked the soldier, his tone almost defeated.
"We don't have the numbers for that. Right now, we're fighting against what you call Tyranids. When we win and settle down, we'll start expanding, and maybe, if you want to hear, this humanity will join us," Tiamath commented.
"Force them if necessary. They are fanatics of the God Emperor, and for him and his thoughts, humanity is in decay. Billions die in his name, and he turns a deaf ear..."
"Strong thoughts for your faith, don't you think?" Tiamath questioned.
"It might be. I'd be dead right now if I were heard saying all that. But I know you don't believe in the God Emperor."
"Even if we don't believe, if you have your god, pray to continue living in this war, if you still want to fight under our banner," Tiamath asked.
"I still want to."
"Welcome to the Terran Federation, soldier..."
"Julius, Julius Brigger of Finchward."
When Tiamath heard the name and other details, she gestured to the operators who, after making a call, had some soldiers appear.
"Follow these gentlemen; they will take you to your platoon. You'll be deployed immediately," she commented, and the soldier bowed before following the others.
Once he left, Tiamath looked back at the screens, observing the transmissions from the Copper and troop units.
"Has the north sector communicated in my absence?"
"Negative. So far, the north sector has shown no signs of life, possibly fallen."
"Do we have drones close to the north sector?" Tiamath asked.
"Negative. Right now, almost all our drones are shooting down flying Tyranids, but more are returning to orbit to replenish forces."
"I see. Still, send a small group to investigate the north zone. What is the status of the east and south zones?" she inquired.
"The reports from the Copper men and the Virtual Intelligences acknowledge that the Tyranid threat in that sector is minimal, almost nil. However, they have found Genestealer advances and strange symbols and altars," one of the operators commented.
"What kind of symbols?"
"One moment." After a while, a circle with several arrows around it appeared on a screen.
"That symbol?" Tiamath thought, raising an eyebrow.
"Order them to seal the place and continue clearing the area. Divert troops to the North and wherever needed," Tiamath ordered.
"Any traces of that huge concentration of Tyranids heading toward the church?"
" The Copper men are still holding them off as much as they can, but there are too many. Any orders?" the operator asked.
"Call the scientist Lilith and the Ultramarine Casius."
After a while, the two mentioned individuals arrived at the area where Tiamath was. Lilith couldn't stop looking at Casius, who gave her a serious look to get her to stop, but without success.
"What?" Casius questioned Lilith.
"You're a fascinating specimen. If you happen to die, would you donate your body to science?" Lilith asked.
"No."
"I'll study you when you die, too," she commented casually.
"Enough, both of you. I called you to ask something important. Casius, how significant is the planet's infrastructure, and how deep does it go?" Tiamath questioned.
"This planet was terraformed less than fifty years ago. It shouldn't be deep," Casius replied.
"Okay, Lilith, is all this material necessary to recreate the city? Or do you need it for research?" Tiamath asked.
"As long as you don't damage the Administratum area, the laboratories, and the base, everything else is expendable for us," the scientist commented.
"Okay, call the ships, order orbital bombardments on the areas I'll mark," Tiamath ordered.
"Why order orbital bombardments now?" Lilith questioned.
"I have my reasons," Tiamath commented.
Then the scientist saw the symbol on one of the screens, which seemed out of place in everything that was happening.
"That symbol?"
"That symbol is from..." Casius was about to comment, but the Regent was quicker.
"It's something made by the Genestealers. Besides, it's made of blood, and there are so many corpses in the area that it could be a feeding ground for the Tyranids. I won't take any risks. Lilith, I need you to return to the Adeptus Mechanicus laboratory. Check what you can salvage from the area. Casius, if you have more of your brothers on your ship, call them. We'll prepare another attack on their Norn Queen," Tiamath responded, while Lilith left without saying anything, knowing her mother was hiding something, but it wasn't the right time to ask or inquire further.
"Once again, she's back to her old self, with her secrets. She was always like that," Lilith thought as she left the communication room.
"The less she knows about the Chaos, the better for her," Casius thought as he watched Lilith leave.
"Can I use your communications to contact my ship?" Casius asked, and the regent nodded with approval.
"Are the weapons ready?"
"Very well, mark the coordinates, and let the bombardments begin," she ordered.
The smaller and less powerful ships, to avoid destroying the planet with their shots, received the coordinates and opened fire on the Tyranid zones. The shots were precise in different areas, although it didn't prevent many zones with infrastructures from being reduced to mere rubble.
"Good shot," commented Tiamath.
Although the congratulations didn't last long because now the Tyranids began to move, no longer grouped together, making the orbital shots much less effective than before.
"Cancel the attacks; we're wasting ammunition. Have we made contact with the northern base?" she asked, looking at the operators.
They began typing on their keyboards, trying to establish communication, and eventually succeeded.
"Regent, we've managed to establish communication with the second base to the north of the planet," an operator connected Tiamath with the other base.
On the screen appeared a humanoid nearly two meters tall, its oval head covered by colorful fabrics and a Federation uniform in black and white. Four arms rested on its back, and its black eyes closed before making a slight bow.
"Here is General Rasha. It is an honor to speak with the regent," he commented, then returned to a serious expression.
"How are things in the north, General?" Tiamath asked without beating around the bush.
"Not very well, I'm afraid. We've taken control of an installation that seems to be a hangar for ships. We resist, but I'm running out of combat drones, and not long ago, they wiped out all my mechs. These... things have cut off my communication with the ships, so I haven't been able to request reinforcements," General Rasha assured.
"Reinforcements? Wouldn't an evacuation be better?"
"It was ruled out due to recent events. Less than ten minutes ago, drones detected that in an area that seems like a factory, human soldiers from the Imperium are fighting against these things. Scans show a total of almost twenty-five thousand civilians and only three thousand defenders. I've moved part of my troops to assist them, but we've been left defenseless. That's why I'm requesting reinforcements."
"Mmm... I see. I'll send reinforcements. Hold on," she said.
"My brothers are about to arrive in a Thunderhawk," Casius commented, approaching.
"Alright, the defenses won't harm the ships as they only target unregistered Xenos races in the federation."
"Do you need anything else, or can I withdraw and wait for my brothers?"
"You can withdraw when your brothers return; I'll need all of them inside to organize the attack plan," commented Tiamath, to which Casius nodded.
...
After a few minutes, a Thunderhawk arrived at the church. The difference from those already present was not only the blue paint tone but also the Imperial Aquila adorning the ship. Six heavily armed Ultramarines disembarked, along with one wearing various attachments on his armor.
"Sergeant Casius," commented the Apothecary who had arrived.
"At ease, you've arrived at a good time," said Casius.
"The report you gave to the Librarian was vague and odd. Humanity from the dark age of technology? We couldn't believe it, so I came to see if you've gone mad, Sergeant," the Apothecary responded.
"Look around yourself. Don't you notice something strange?" questioned Casius.
The Ultramarines observed, and indeed, everything seemed odd to them—not just their weapons, armor, and vehicles, although familiar, appeared more advanced than they should be. Even more peculiar were certain soldiers and auxiliaries.
"Xenos, there are many Xenos species I've never seen," remarked an Ultramarine.
"Now you see that I'm not crazy. Come, the leader of these humans wants to talk to us," said Casius.
"What will we do after all of this with the Tyranids is over?" asked Augusto.
"We'll figure that out when it's over, but if everything goes well, we'll talk to our father to negotiate with these humans. The technology they have would be a tremendous asset for the Imperium," Casius commented.
"Are you sure they'll agree?"
"This cooperation will also help us understand their tactics if negotiations fail because we must have the technology at any cost," Casius remarked.
When they entered the church and saw what it had been transformed into, some said nothing, while others growled but continued on their way to the room that now served as the war room. Once inside, they observed the leader of this humanity talking with a Xeno.
"You're crazy if you think I'll team up with those dishonorable mutants," a reptilian Xeno complained to Tiamath, who remained unfazed.
"These are orders, Tiberius. You're one of the best Mech pilots we currently have, so you will go on the mission whether you like it or not," Tiamath commented. The reptilian creature merely growled before letting out a defeated snort.
"Fine, but don't expect me to follow orders from them. You know well what my race thinks of mutants."
"You know that, as a Pretorian, I also fall under that description, right?"
"I know, but at least you proved your worth. I know nothing about them," the reptilian called Tiberius looked forward to see the Ultramarines standing in front.
"Is that all?"
"Yes, that's all we need," commented Casius.
"Alright, then I'll tell you the plan," Tiamath unfolded a map of the area where the Norn Queen was.
"A team from the federation, along with you, will enter the Tyranid zone from two fronts, both terrestrial and aerial. The objective is to place a shield as close to the Tyranid nest as possible," Tiamath explained.
"Why a shield? Wouldn't a bomb be better?" questioned Casius.
"The shield we'll use is the same we use for prisoners; nothing can penetrate it. Although the idea of using a bomb was considered, a shield is better, especially given the type of shot we plan to take against those things."
"Why not use it now instead of making this risky plan?" asked the Apothecary.
"Because if we shoot without that shield, the shot will destroy the planet upon contact. This shield can absorb the shockwave, ensuring that nothing remains alive in that area, not even viruses," Tiberius explained.
"We've also bombed them from space; they might retreat if they detect that we're shooting at them again," added Tiamath.
"How are you sure it's still in place?" Casius questioned again.
"We have spy drones monitoring the area, even the interior. The Norn Queen hasn't moved from the spot," Tiamath commented.
"Alright... it's a solid plan then. When you're ready, we'll go," said Casius.
At that moment, some federation soldiers accompanied by technicians and scientists appeared.
"Before that, to improve the chances of survival, especially considering what happened in the first attack, accompany these people; we'll lend you weapons," Tiamath remarked.
The Ultramarines were taken to an area where they could see an improvised armory guarded by armed forces—soldiers in heavy armor and Ghan troops.
"Although we have orders from the Regent to arm you, this is just a loan. Keep that in mind," the officer of the place allowed them to enter the armory, not before the activation of two Sentinel turrets was heard.
"We had an alliance, didn't we?" Casius asked.
"It's better to have them active and not use them than to need them and not have them active," the officer commented seriously.
The Ultramarines didn't say anything and began to explore the armory, expressing surprise at the variety of weapons. In the end, they chose what seemed most suitable for their size, opting for heavy-caliber weaponry.
"Fusion cannons, interesting. I thought you would choose projectile weapons. Don't worry about reloading; this weapon reloads automatically when you stop firing. Its ammunition is the same used by Medium Mechs to take down enemy armored vehicles. The Rose component erases the existence of the organic part it hits—perfect for these creatures," the officer explained while the Ultramarines left the place, still feeling the turrets aiming at them.
In the area where the mechs were being repaired, things were moving faster than usual. With the new Tyranid attack pattern, mechs, from light to medium, had to be nimble instead of heavy and slow like tanks. The weaponry also had to be changed to something that disintegrated, evaporated, or melted, leaving nothing for the Tyranids to use.
"Computer, activate V3 change protocol, installation of upgrades and modifications," Kamala, who still had a bandage on her head, finished inspecting her mech while installing the updates.
When the program was executed, the mech began to glow, and some spheres appeared around it. Much of its heavy armor was replaced by plates at strategic points, adopting a more aerodynamic and less bulky form, but retaining its weaponry, sacrificing a missile zone for a flamethrower on the other arm.
"Attention, all mechs, those ready for combat are requested to report to the church entrance! I repeat, the presence of those ready for combat is requested at the church entrance!"
The installed loudspeakers grabbed the attention of those present. The first pilots boarded their mechs and lined up at the front, where some troops were entering the Thunderhawk transports.
Ahead of them appeared three more mechs - two medium-sized and one heavy. The difference was that the two medium ones were pure white and seemed to have no cockpit area, while the third one had four arms - the lower two equipped with fusion weapons, and the front ones with what looked like a sword and a shield.
"Attention, everyone! I know this form is unorthodox in our military doctrine, but we are few, and there are hardly any complete teams. By coming to this area, we will now form a hybrid Mech team. Our mission is to reinforce the northern stronghold, which is being brutally punished. Of all sectors, this one has been the most punished, even cut off. Now it's our turn to save their asses," April's mech's hatch opened, revealing another humanoid with four arms and an elongated head.
"We are your superior officers. I am Lieutenant Kiran. My second and third in command are Lieutenants Riggs and Roach," Kiran commented.
"Sorry for the question, but why do you have those names?" asked one of the mechs, a light one.
"We were recently separated, so our consciousness that once lived has ceased to exist. That's why we use these nicknames," one of the two explained.
"Enough questions! Everyone, get on the Thunderwak!" Kiran shouted as a special Thunderwak designed to accommodate mechs approached.
Most of them started to board while Kamala was assigned to be the artillery with a high-powered Laser Rifle. The weapon's scope synced with her targeting system, ready to fire.
The ships took off, totaling two ships with troops and two with mechs. On the ground, battles were visible from the height, with mechs, Copper men, IVs, and many troops fighting against the Tyranids.
"Permission to fire on the way!" Kamala shouted to her superior officer.
"Granted! You can adjust your aim on the way," her officer commented.
She began firing from the ship at the different Tyranid hordes she could see, even those hovering in the area. Suddenly, a massive Tyranid creature appeared, attempting to attack the ship, but Kamala shot it down with the mounted weapons, and it collapsed while disintegrating slowly.
"Nice shot, soldier!" one of the other soldiers cheered.
"Hold on; the fighters will make a pass," the pilot said as the ships turned slightly.
Moments later, a group of fighter planes passed by, dropping bombs into the combat zone, causing a massive green flame explosion.
"WildFire, an interesting choice... banned in the 16th millennium for being an unnecessary evolution of Napalm... and for violating copyright laws of the third millennium," commented one of the Xenos on board.
"Sir, is it okay to play some music?" asked a soldier.
"Do whatever you want, as long as they're classics and not that crap they listened to on Terra," commented the Captain.
"Don't worry; they'll be classics from the best era for entertainment," the soldier replied.
From the speakers of his mech, a song they considered a classic started playing, "Fortunate Son."
"Good Morning Vietnam!" the soldier shouted with the music.
"In fact, we're not in Vietnam, and it's already 3:55 PM. So, for starters, it would be 'Good afternoon Apolion.' Your statement is incorrect," Lieutenant Roach commented, causing annoyance among the majority, including the operation captain.
It seemed somewhat amusing that they were listening to music while the ship's gunners fired at the Tyranids below. As they passed by the base, two more ships joined, with two of them carrying enormous tanks.
"Hey, at your six!" a soldier shouted, and Kamala reacted in time, shooting down another Harridan that approached, causing it to crash.
After this last attack, they had moved away from the urban area, now traversing the gray plains of the planet. From above, they could see ongoing battles outside the cities, but in these areas, there were mostly machines, not humans.
"Attention, everyone. We're approaching the target. Be ready to jump into combat," the pilot announced. After passing through some mountains, they could see the distant airbase used as the northern stronghold. On the ground, between craters and countless Tyranid corpses, were the bodies of Federation soldiers.
The ships opened their hatches, and the mechs were expelled toward the airbase and its surroundings. Several mechs, armed with flamethrowers, incinerated the Tyranid threat using weapons with a white-colored flame. Thunderwaks with troops descended inside the base, while the others carrying armored vehicles dropped them. Kamala, while firing a massive artillery barrage, couldn't hold back a curse.
"Damn!" she exclaimed due to the constant bombardment of Tyranid organic artillery.
Suddenly, a shot hit the ship, which started losing control. Kamala tried to release her grip, but it was impossible.
"Alert: Grip damaged, impossible to release," a huge message on her mech's display indicated. She cursed everything that could be cursed.
"Eject!" she shouted while grabbing a black box from the mech, then being expelled.
As she fell, she witnessed the Thunderwak where she came from exploding into a thousand pieces.
"I've lost my mech. I'm falling into hostile territory. I'll try to reach the base," Kamala reported through her communicator.
Luego, Kamala opened that black box, and as if it were something alive, a series of black metal plates covered her completely. Once completed, a kind of blue shield covered her entirely. Before touching the ground, slight thrusters prevented a harsh impact as she landed in the middle of the battlefield, which fortunately was free of Tyranids at the moment. From her back, she took out a small black rectangle that transformed into a compact submachine gun. As she started running toward the base, she could hear the gunfire and roars of the Tyranids.
...
While battles were still ongoing, a Thunderwak was heading towards what used to be an Adeptus Mechanicus facility. Inside, a group of soldiers went in silence, preparing their weapons and equipment, except for two—Julius, who had already been armed with Federation gear but found the environment challenging to process, and the Techpriest, who mainly served as a guide and studied Federation technology in action. This didn't prevent Julius from constantly glancing at the mission captain.
"Do you need something, soldier?" Lilith asked, wearing a combat suit in black and green instead of her scientist attire.
"N... no, ma'am, sorry," Julius replied, somewhat nervous about the whole situation.
"You're the former Imperial Guard, right? If you have any questions, ask now because you might not have the chance later," Lilith commented.
"Well, ma'am, I've heard some other soldiers or scientists, as they call them, talk about 'Pretorians.' I'd like to know what those are?" Julius asked.
"Well, the Pretorians are super soldiers. More than your average super soldiers, we were created with the latest technological advancements. We can carry tons of weight, have high reflexes, accelerated regeneration, and other things. Although each of us has been given special abilities, for example, I have control over machines in general. Anything else?" Lilith asked.
"How many of you did you bring?"
"It's just my mother and me. Presumably, the others are already dead. There were twenty of us in total, each protecting a sector of the galaxy."
"Why didn't you create more?" Now it was the Techpriest who asked.
"Because it didn't seem necessary to create an army of us. With just twenty, it was more than enough. Some dedicated themselves to commanding troops and conquering planets, while others simply defended our territories and prevented attacks from other races or Orks. Our mere presence on the battlefield was a significant shift in the balance. People in the Federation saw us as superheroes, and enemies viewed us as humanity's gods or angels of death," Lilith commented, remembering.
"Who were the strongest among yours?"
"From the previous generation of Pretorians before the first great war, it was my mother Tiamath, the Pretorian Adán, and the Pretorian Eva."
"Can you tell us about that war?"
"I don't know many details, but it was against a rat-like race called Skavenger. It was a bloody war that pushed us to the brink. I don't know much about that war, only that it was fought in the Segmentum Obscurus of the galaxy. There were significant casualties, including ten Pretorians, and three had fallen in combat during that time." Julius's gaze was surprised, while the Techpriest seemed disoriented.
"How did you win?" Julius asked.
"It was thanks to my mother and Pretorian Adán. Both entered the battle when it became clear that this xenos race would become a problem. They won, but according to my mother, Adán didn't stop at assisting in killing the Skavens; he mercilessly exterminated the entire race. When confronted about it, he simply said, 'I do it because he was right. Xenos are not reliable. Humanity is the only one that can lead the galaxy.' There was a dispute because there were already rumors that Adán was trying to expel allied Xenos races from the Federation, but nothing came of that investigation," Lilith commented, sighing a bit.
"The reason?" Julius asked.
"Adán, along with Pretorian Eva, disappeared without a trace. No one saw them again. Eva was a geneticist in the Federation, one of the best ever. She was tasked with investigating the growing psychic phenomenon that was beginning," Lilith explained.
"And where were you in those events?"
"That's where I'm getting at. After that happened, humanity lost faith in the Pretorian project, and most lost their military rank. A new project began to increase the number of artificial intelligences in the armies, as well as training troops on a newly discovered hostile planet called 'Catachan.' Both projects were a momentary success, but over time, the Pretorians were resumed. Mainly because the higher-ups were uncomfortable having too many AIs in the military, and they wanted professionally trained organic soldiers for any eventuality. Additionally, the Catachan project was too costly in terms of personnel, as out of ten thousand recruits, fewer than a hundred soldiers could be obtained. None were shut down, but they were reduced," Lilith said, adjusting her shotgun a bit while the thunderous sounds of the Thunderwack's gunfire were present.
"And you belong to the second generation, right?" Julius guessed.
"No, I am from the sixth generation. You see, when a Pretorian dies, either in combat or simply due to old age, they are replaced. Five of us have to die to change a generation. The sixth was the last to be created, using the DNA of ancient Pretorians to create better ones. I was a special case because, while I was being created, two fetuses formed—myself and my brother Metatron. It was the only case where twins were born. The DNA used for this was from Tiamath because it was the most stable DNA for creating Pretorians. I haven't figured out how, but that's how it happened."
"Age, the enemy of the flesh," commented the Techpriest.
"Our lifespan is nearly five thousand years, but a Praetorian who has seen combat has their life reduced to almost 200 years of age. We have faced many challenges in the galaxy," Lilith commented.
"It's hard for me to believe. As I recall, during your time, there were no such wars. We were superior in the galaxy," Julius remarked.
"That's what was sold to the public. The truth is, we had enemies everywhere, but the government always wanted to portray the image of a utopian civilization. Much information about powerful enemies was censored," Lilith commented, reminiscing.
"Do you remember any?" Julius asked.
"I am not informed about such enemies. Only high-ranking Federation officials can know about what was fought against," Lilith replied.
"By your rank, you should know."
"My rank is not a political position. Even if I were to use my Praetorian rank, I would be denied such information. Ask another question," Lilith said sternly.
"That's why they say it was your mother."
"That, and because she was the only one among the previous Praetorians who agreed to educate those who would be her children. She gave us a good childhood, taught us everything she could, and even gave us the affection of a true maternal figure. I can't say the same for the other Praetorians of my generation who were raised to be soldiers; they were more like machines than people."
"And did your brother also die?" Julius asked.
"No, my brother has been lost in the Warp for two years in my terms. Of the two generations, he was the most powerful and the most beloved of all Praetorians. He was to become the face of the Federation and even the new regent instead of my mother. But when he had to stop a Whagg Ork, he and his 500 warships disappeared into the Warp. My mother had to come out of retirement to take charge because these Orks were almost nine meters tall, there were five of them, and they had already killed three Praetorians. The task was accomplished, but there was no celebration, no festivity. When my brother didn't return, humanity, more than any other race in the Federation, entered into mourning. My mother hasn't gotten over it, and neither have I. But unlike her, I won't let all of this stop me."
"I've heard that you worked on Mars. What rank did you hold in the old Mars?" the Tech-Priest asked.
"After Eva left, I became the General Manufacturer of Mars. But there was a position ahead of me that was only given to those who contributed something outstanding to humanity, whether it be a discovery or some technology. It's such a rarely granted position that it almost seems like being sanctified. As far as I remember, you can count on one hand the number of people who have achieved that position."
"What did you discover, and what rank was it?" the Tech-Priest inquired.
"I discovered very ancient tombs dating back millions of years. These tombs contained dormant automaton species. We began extracting materials, automatons, and everything
possible to study them. It wasn't until a scientist, with the help of some curious allies of my brother, managed to replicate the formula. We succeeded in replicating what they call Necrodermis, and it was just a few months ago that we achieved it."
"Did you get the position months ago?"
"No, I got it when I discovered those tombs, dating back to the 25th millennium, almost 1500 years ago. The high government of the Federation granted it to me to ensure there were no obstacles in my research."
"What position was it?"
"I was made the Omnissiah of the Federation. With that rank, I had at my disposal everything from the forge worlds and the Federation's technology to use. I even had free rein and didn't have to be accountable to anyone for what I did," Lilith commented.
Upon hearing this, both Julius and the Tech-Priest were in shock, but the Tech-Priest, in particular, began babbling in binary due to everything he was hearing.
...
Although things were going more or less well in the battles, there was something that didn't quite add up.
"Has the Tyranid horde from the north and the one we're fighting moved?" Tiamath asked.
"No, ma'am. It seems they are only holding us in that area," a member of the communication team commented.
"Prepare for any eventuality," Tiamath said sternly.
Then, a powerful explosion on the shields shook the area, catching everyone by surprise.
"What's happening?!" Tiamath shouted.
The cameras started moving to see that, from a distance, a huge number of Biovores, accompanied by Hierophants, as well as Zoanthropes and Neurothropes, were approaching.
"Why weren't they detected?!" Tiamath shouted in surprise.
"They don't show up on scanners; it's as if they aren't in that location!" an officer yelled.
The drone's camera then focused on the Zoanthropes and Neurothropes, revealing that they had an active psychic energy field that seemed to interfere with the radars. Although they could be seen in the images, the radars didn't mark them.
"Order the fighters to start bombing that area..." They couldn't finish speaking when a powerful explosion disabled the shield of the church.
"Lady, important message!" the officer shouted.
"Put it through," Tiamath was trying to catch her breath from all this.
"They've infiltrated the shield reactor! These things have managed to reach underground and destroy the shield reactor. We need reinforcements!" Gunshots and screams could be heard on the other end as alarms began to blare.
"Teleport the wounded to the ships, have all soldiers prepare for battle, seal off the entrance to the shield area from the inside, and send a heavy team to help repel them," Tiamath said very seriously.
"These damn cockroaches played us. Now I understand why they are such a massive threat," Tiamath thought, very upset by everything that was happening. "Order the troops to fall back, to defend the church. We need all possible defense."
I hope you enjoyed it, I'm sorry it took me too long to upload the chapter but my life has not been going well at all, a very dear relative has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and he only has months left, besides that although I wanted to finish the arc of the tyranids in this chapter it was impossible for me so this arc will end in the next chapter, I just Although I cannot upload images to fanfiction, I will still leave a description of the races that I showed in this chapter. If you are interested in seeing their appearance, they are on Wattpad in the same fanfic but in Spanish, I am sorry for that inconvenience.
Leutamanos
An ancient race from the federation of the first to join these, this race called by humans are space Slimes because they do not have a solid body, and are more than anything a living slime, their body is composed of an Acid solution highly corrosive, that any organic contact to that area whoever has touched it will disintegrate in a few seconds, because they lack much of a form of human and social reasoning, their comments are usually out of place and sometimes even offensive. when they don't seek to be
Zincied
It is a race of avian humanoids which joined the human federation when it came into contact with its solar system, the race arose with a radioactive sun that made them live for miles of years with a species of Cancer which although they will change of planet or solar system this cancer was in their DNA, when humanity made contact they helped them by modifying their genetics with avian species from Terra, managing not only to cure this genetic evil but also to give new hope to their species, due to their life almost always On the brink of death, his medical advances greatly benefited the Terran Federation.
Gan
Also called by humans as "Lizardmen", they are an ancient race that humanity has fought with since they began to fly the stars. Their robustness and size make them the strongest soldiers in terms of physical combat. They later joined the federation. of the battle of Europe, where in a 1 vs 1 combat humanity won, this species, following its code of honor, united without thinking about anything else, as the years went by, this race along with the human race became comrades.
Solaris
The Solaris are a humanoid race that by twenty-fifth millennium standards are relatively new, because this race, unlike the others in the human federation, was created indirectly by humanity by modifying one of its ancient links, this race at the same time Knowing what happened and knowing its creators began a huge existential crisis due to this event, but shortly after learning about humanity they began to respect it, but always seeking not to be overshadowed by it.