First Contact with The Angels
Welcome! Alright, here is more lore on how the story will go before we begin.
For the Imperium The remaining loyal Primarchs are: Vulkan, Roboute Guilliman, Rogal Dorn, Fulgrim, Ferrus Manus, Leman Russ, Magnus the Red, Sanguinius, Lion El'jonson, Perturabo, Jaghatai Khan, Corvus Corax, Omegon, and Alpharius. Konrad is alive he's just gone missing after the death of most of his legion. Angron died from the Butcher's Nails and Mortarian died to Jaghatai Khan.
The only legions from the fallen Primarchs left are: The World Eaters (who are Khorne Worshippers, of course), and the Death Guard (Nurgle's followers, although some did remain loyal to the Imperium of Man), a few Word Bearers (not many left after their fight with the Custodes and Emps), The Sons of Horus who serve as both the emperor's wolves again and as Sanguinius liaisons with his father and partial bodyguards alongside the blood angels. Speaking of Blood Angels, The Emperor also now knows about Sanguinius concern over the Red Thirst and is helping to look for a cure for it. And, because Sanguinius never died, the Black Rage ain't an issue here.
The only Races that will be part of the Citadel for my sake are the: Turians (Plus the minor races associated with them), Asari, Salarains, Batarians, Quarian, and Krogans.
These are the Races that will NOT be a part of the Citadel: Vorcha (sorry), Raloi cause they dont really matter or even have any known art, and the other really minor ones (like the Virtual guys and Rachni in that they are currently extinct).
For the Three Councilors: Asari = Tevos, Salarians = Valern, and Turians = Sparatus.
Remember, this is my first foray into the fanfiction world, please be gentle with my story. With that said, let us begin the story.
(Also please feel free to sound off on whether the Systems alliance should be a thing and, if so, in what capacity. Should they exist but pre-first Contact, post first contact with the citadel, or what else? Should I include the Reapers? {but be warned, if they do, they will not be the significant villains} And Just any other recommendations you might have)
Chapter One
Quarantined Non-Imperial System
Segmentum: Andro
Systems Classification: Adeptus Nol-Exectus Onyx
Caution: System-Wide Quarantine In Effect
Those Caught Will Be Detained and Tried for Treason
against the decrees of the Emperor And Lord Commander
Aboard Promotor Class Civilian Transport: Melrose
Captain Macrinus sat on his Command Throne, his head throbbing in pain from the five days he'd gone without proper rest. All the while, he was connected to the throne. Data from every corner of the ship deemed necessary fed directly into his consciousness via the neural implants placed at the base of his skull. Macrinus cursed himself for taking this job, but he and his crew needed the money Lord Albestus had offered for the trip.
Macrinus was up to his eyes in debt for not only repairs but the retrofits he'd commissioned for the Melrose. When he had served to the end of his term in the Imperial Merchant Auxillia, he'd believed his retrofits would make his ship irresistible to the adventurous nobles of his blessed Imperium. Still, he had been proven wrong in his assumption.
In all twenty years of his retirement, he had only transported a handful of clients who had actually paid him what he was worth. This left him near destitute and unable to pay back the loans. His situation had gotten so bad that the Mechanicus Adepts were so fed up with his enormous debt that they would no longer repair the ship.
Forcing Macrinus to forgo any professionally contracted repairs further affected his bottom line even more, as no self-respecting Noble would be caught dead aboard a ruined vessel like his. So when Lord Albestus came to Captain Macrinus, he cried joyfully when he saw the amount the Planetary Governor had promised him. Macrinus had been all too ecstatic to honestly read the maps and charts the Governor had given him for their journey, and now the Captain was only able to regret his decision to accept.
If he'd known that the journey involved him going behind the Imperium's back and into a Blacklight zone, he would have never taken the commission, even in his desperate state. But he'd neglected his responsibilities, leading to several sleepless nights as he tirelessly directed the ship and its crew, navigating through Imperial patrols and avoiding listening posts set up to enforce the blockade they were traversing. All because some hot-shot Governor had fanciful ideas for thrill-seeking that now left Macrinus committing treason.
After five days without rest, Macrinus was truly drained in body and spirit. His mind could barely concentrate on the stars in front of him. The Captain felt for his crew as well; they had seen him through so much that he thought he was now betraying them by forcing the crew to go through with their present orders. Macrinus had half a mind to turn his ship around and turn himself over to authorities in the hope of the traitorous governor taking the heat for having been the one to hire him.
The only thing stopping him from doing that was the knowledge his ship would almost certainly confiscated for its part in the Governors 'Insurrection' and most likely never returned to him as punishment for aiding in the crime at the least.
Captain Macrinus was pulled from his barely comprehensible thoughts by a new and unusual beeping suddenly coming from Lady-Lieutenant Amosha's Command Station. The seat was set directly beside Macrinus and on his left. The station she possessed was highly decorated with all the medals his esteemed wife had been given during her foray as captain of her old Squadron.
Macrinus was still amazed that a warrior and battle-hardened Commodore like her would not only marry a lowly Supply Courier like himself but relinquish her command to him as well. Many years ago He'd asked her why she would forgo command, but she'd simply replied, 'I married you for your heart, Macrinus, not your position.' His wife had never answered the other part of his question about why she hadn't wanted to be a captain again, and Macrinus knew not to push her on the subject.
Now though she was fidgeting with the dials and screens in front of her reading each of her displays in an instant moving on to the next with little delay, the act coming as easy as breathing. Macrinus watched her as she worked with a slight smirk finding its way onto his lips. But before he could try and compliment his wife, he heard the doors behind him suddenly open. Macrinus pulled up a pict feed to see who had entered the bridge without his knowledge or permission. He already had an inkling of who it was, but he checked first before allowing a scowl to properly settle on his face. Macrinus rotated his throne so he could see the intruder.
Governor Albestus strode towards the throne with a haughty gait that would have been a status symbol in itself. He was the most smug and entitled man the captain knew of, and Marcrinus had met a quite a few primarchs in his hay-day. The Governor was saturated with an air about him that oozed a pungent mixture of repulsion and a belief that he owned everything he perceived. The man himself was rather tall and gangly dressed in a lavish set of clothes that made him look almost like the paintings of an ancient Terran Peacock Macrinus had seen in a museum as a child. A massive frill of avian plumage jutted out behind Albestus' head, interwoven into the collar of his overcoat.
The man's face, with its sharp features and pointed nose, looked avian, which only served to heighten this similarity with the long-dead bird. Macrinus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes upon seeing the garish man, having as much respect for the entitled lord as he had for the void rats that infested his ship's ducts. The vile and annoying man drew closer to Captain Macrinus, treading with exaggeratedly loud footsteps.
He only stopped when Amosha turned to look at him, her steely glare more than enough to halt even an entitled man like him. Macrinus again had to resist the urge to do something that would doubtlessly enrage his current benefactor.
Once Governor Albestus halted, he looked back to Captain Macrinus and said in his nasal voice. "Why are we not within the system yet, Captain Magsentus?" He said, getting Macrinus's name wrong as he must have already done a dozen times on their voyage thus far.
Macrinus spoke quickly, hoping to silence his wife before she launched a series of insults at the Governor. "I have told you before, Governor, while aboard My Ship, you will refrain from allowing yourself entry to wherever you wish, Governor. This order extends to your guests, who've been apprehended trying to force entry within the engine and numerous of my crew's private quarters." He purposefully avoided the question and brought a matter he'd been unsettled by since the reports of the passengers attempting to explore the ship without permission.
The Governor chuckled, his laughter fake and pretentious, saying his voice harsher now. "My Friends are allowed to venture where they please. I am the one who hired you and your... Shall I say... unkempt vessel? And My guests are allowed where they please. Now answer my question, Captain Menthus, why are we not in the system? I told you to have us there yesterday, and yet we are still not even in the system."
Macrinus sighed; Amosha chimed in, her voice as blunt as a hammer blow. "You may have commissioned this Vessel Governor, but you do not command her. Need I would remind you of Imperial Navyman Law, on Disobeying the orders of an officer while within deep space? 'Captains may, should the charge warrant it, abandon or execute passengers, at their discretion.'' Amosha pressed a button on her chair, a gun servitor pressing out from behind a wall its twin-linked autoguns pointed at the room's only unregistered occupant, the Governor.
This caught the man off guard, the entitled lord finally seeing an ounce of reason. For when he spoke a second later his voice was a bit cowed by his current situation. "I will argue that no further then, Lady-Lieutenant. But My question stands."
Amosha let a smirk show at the Governor's submission and pressed another button on her throne, the Servitor disappeared back into its perch hesitantly as if watching for any further insult it may see from the Nobleman.
Macrinus kept his humor in check and responded. "I told you then, and I will tell you again, Governor, unless you wish for us to be picked up by Imperial long-range listening posts or Patrol Augers, we will have to enter the system at this speed; it is the only way we will not be tagged as a vessel in their systems. This way we are marked as little more than space debris, like a comet. This allows us to enter the system without them knowing and leave it some time later. So unless you wish to be tried for Treason against the orders of the Lord Commander, I recommend we proceed with my plan, Your Lordship."
The Governor seemed ready to argue, but he held himself in check. His eyes momentarily darted to Amosha before focusing back on Macrinus, replying in a newly refined tone, "That is all you had to say, dear Captain, and I would have listened to you. Well, I'm glad we could sort this all out… aren't you?" He said with fake bravado.
Macrinus simply agreed, more for his headache than any genuine desire to appease the Governor. "Of Course, Governor. Now if you don't mind I must continue to ensure we enter the system peacefully."
Albestus responded immediately, saying in an overly joyous tone, "Why, of course, my, Good Man, I will remove myself from the Bridge at once."
With that said, the imbecile turned around in an instant and bolted off and out of the entryway. Macrinus silently thanked his wife for her assistance in silencing the ridiculous Governor. Amosha nodded back, a small smile forming before she quickly turned around and returned to her duties.
…
Outside of Charon Relay Entrance
Aboard Batarian Lo'Kes'heel class Heavy Command Cruiser: Glory of Khar'shan
Admiral Prato Car'dabor sat in his command chair aboard his flagship, his face unreadable but his mind racing with thoughts about recent life events. Firstly, he had been assigned to journey to the section of space near the Turian territory in the hope of raiding a few of their civilian and private vessels.
Slave runs were never easy, both morally and strategically. Prato had seen the growing animosity towards the Hegemony from other galactic communities, especially in the past five years. The Turians had nearly declared all-out war on the Hegemony only six months ago. Despite Prato's attempts to caution his superiors about the risks, they had ordered him to lead the 65th Flotilla into Turian-controlled space for raids, primarily aimed at acquiring profitable slaves.
Disheartened by his orders but fearful for his family's safety, Prato reluctantly complied. He had once entertained thoughts of defecting to the Council, hoping to secure immunity for his family in exchange for revealing the Hegemony's illegal activities. However, such hopes were dashed when the Hegemony tightened its grip, ensuring that any betrayal would result in dire consequences for one's family.
Now, Prato's sole focus was ensuring his family's escape from the Hegemony's grasp. Each mission he undertook for them furthered his plan, providing the means to secure his family's freedom. As he sat on the Glory of Khar'shan, he fretted over immediate threats, particularly the risk of encountering Hierarchy vessels. Discovery by the Turians would jeopardize his mission and seal his fate at the hands of his superiors.
Prato's experience in evading Turian patrols and his crew's expertise had kept them safe thus far. Their journey now took them towards a dormant Mass Relay, rumored to hold secrets despite Council legislation prohibiting further study. As they approached, alarms blared, signaling the activation of the Relay. Prato's heart raced as he faced the unknown consequences of this unexpected event.
Quarantined Non-Imperial System
Aboard Imperial Heavy Transport Promitter Class named Melrose
They had just entered the system's outer limits when things got far worse for the poor captain and his crew. The Melrose was flying near a collection of space debris on the system's edge. Still, suddenly, alarms began blaring all across the bridge, followed quickly by a sudden and violent rumble run throughout the vessel. Macrinus felt through his neural connection to the Melrose the fluctuation of energy and radiation coming from the Asteroid belt. The energy spike was erupting from the Asteroid Belt, about 6,000,000 kilometers away from the Melrose's current position.
Only long-range Auspex had picked up the disturbance and due to the distance, only small amounts of information could be pieced together at the moment. One feature detected was the large quantities of anomalous radiation the aberration was discharging in all directions. Macrinus quickly ordered the ship to total alert, his voice regaining some of its conviction it had been lacking for some hours, the urgency of the moment bringing him a temporary sliver of clarity. "Turn the ship about! Bring Void Shields up to 80% power, and get gunnery crews to their positions! I want the Melrose to be ready to face whatever is going on!"
Amosha was the first to respond to the commands, her old discipline and training returning to her like an old friend. The Lady-Lieutenant quickly dialed the command procedures for the Melrose's exterior Servitor turrets and cannons to lock onto the anomaly just in case the Melrose was attacked before the gunnery decks were fully activated.
Following quickly after the automated weapons batteries came the grimly familiar sound of the Void Shield generators roaring into life. An azure barrier of warp energy molded itself around the ship. The noise caused a slight and unwelcome twinge of pain to run up Macrinus's spine as memories of the rebellion swirled in his head. Visions of the horrible battles that had been fought aboard his beloved ship. The sight of walls drenched in blood, bits of bone, muscle, and tissue plastered over everything. Even almost fifteen years after it happened, Macrinus still swore he could hear the screams of his crew as they were butchered by the monsters of the VIII (8th) Legion, the apt-named Night Haunters. The ship had lost much of its charm after that, as the taste of freedom had quickly turned so bitter after Macrinus's first year of independence.
But Macrinus shoved such horrible thoughts back with the last tattered fragments of his will, his fatigue growing despite his momentary adrenaline spike. The Captain, in response to his lethargy, neurally directed his throne to begin injecting more powerful stimulants through the tubes connecting him to the seat. Macrinus instantly felt a cold and chilling sensation run throughout his limbs. The fog that had covered his conscious thoughts cleared. Strategies, possible hostiles, explanations, escape routes, and other thoughts rushed through his mind with a speed he had been unable to do for days.
At this point, the Melrose had turned to face the anomaly. The Captain commanded a hololithic display in front of him to switch on, allowing him to look at what he needed to see. Macrinus peered out the viewport and into the void beyond it, his eyes immediately caught on an incredibly bright and flashing light from the asteroid belt, exactly where the ship told him it would be. The light was a deep blue, its intensity so powerful the Bridge of the Melrose was bathed in its radiance, everything tinted the same shade of blue. It would have been beautiful had it not been flashing so violently. Macrinus's instincts from long ago, when he used to run supplies during the Rebellion and the wars before that took over his thoughts.
Macrinus commanded his vox speaker on the left side of his throne to activate, he then opened a channel to the whole ship. "Attention all Passengers aboard the Melrose, this is Captain Macrinus speaking. The Ship has just entered the border of the system. We are preparing the ship for a battle stance as a precaution, do not be alarmed but remain within your quarters until further notice" He lied, more for the sake of the idiotic bureaucrats and other stuck-up nobles aboard his ship, than for his tried and tested crew.
Captain Macrinus stood tall on the bridge of the Melrose, his voice commanding attention as he addressed his crew. "For this time, I will be ordering all passengers to remain within their quarters. This is a direct order. Any passengers found outside their chambers will be detained for the remainder of the voyage until we anchor back on the Imperial Drydocks of Port Helmora. Resistance to my security forces will result in your possible injury or worse. I strongly recommend you remain safe and compliant in your private quarters for now."
Switching the channel to broadcast only to the microbeads of his crew, Macrinus spoke with honesty and foreboding. "To my crew, I shall not lie to you. I don't know what we have found ourselves in. But when we entered the outer gravity well of the system star, we came into contact with an anomaly—a device a few million kilometers distant from our position."
"I hope it will be nothing, but I shall not lie and say that we are safe. For I've bled too much with too many of you to do so without being a disgrace," he continued, addressing the individual groups aboard his vessel. "Gunners, I am ordering all weapons batteries and defensive systems to be activated immediately pending this announcement. Astropaths, you are to be ready to send a distress call should we be in for more than we can handle. Enginseers, I want the plasma generators prepared for full-burn, reroute power from all nonessentials if I order it. And finally, to my loyal Security Troops, you know what you need to do. Keep our esteemed guests where they can't interfere. To the Enforcer-Level crew, focus on ensuring the safety and evacuation of all Melrose personnel should the worst come to pass for us. The nobles will have to fend for themselves if we are boarded."
Addressing the non-military forces last, Macrinus's voice remained firm. "To all other crew, hide within your chambers until directed otherwise. If you must leave, go only where you can tread safely, and keep your microbeads on you at all times. Should you encounter boarders, report it immediately, but only after seeing yourselves to safety. I need my crew, I don't need martyrs."
Finally, he addressed the whole of his crew, both fighters and civilians, with steely resolve. "Now go, and let us show whoever dares confront us that the Melrose is more than some plump and helpless transporter, and is worthy of being feared as much as any warship!" With a nod from his loyal wife, Amosha, Macrinus felt a surge of determination.
Just then, an ensign yelled out a discovery, the information quickly transferred to Macrinus through his link. The ship's scanners had begun to pick up a new series of signals, ones more consistent with voidcraft, though their origin remained unknown. The news sent a chill down Macrinus's spine, realizing the potential danger they faced in an Imperial-restricted zone with unknown Xenos voidcraft. And as more signatures appeared close to the anomaly, Macrinus knew they were in for a challenge unlike any they had faced before.
'We'll just have to calculate our shots well enough then.' Thought Macrinus bitterly.
Macrinus activated the main hololith, projecting a live feed of the area surrounding the Melrose, centering the map around the anomaly and the ships it spawned. There were now 47 small fighter-sized ships, with more translating into the system from the anomaly. As the oddity was mapped out by the Melrose's long-range auspex systems, it revealed itself to be a giant device, possibly even a ship, with a foreboding length of 15 kilometers. It resembled two parallel rods of metal placed atop one another, with a small gap between them widening at a circular point—the source of the blinding light and the xenos ship's point of entry.
The alien vessels turned towards the Melrose, their greater speed evident as they closed the distance rapidly. A sensation of cold flame ran down Macrinus' backbone, alerting him to the imminent danger. With a horde of alien ships swimming towards his home and more unknown vessels emerging from the device, Macrinus felt the weight of responsibility heavy upon him.
Turning back to his bridgemen, a weary assembly of ensigns and technicians, Macrinus saw the strain mirrored in their eyes. They had been with him for all six days of the illegal maneuvering past Imperial patrols, and now they had to summon the strength to perform their duties with conviction and efficiency.
Macrinus knew that the survival of the Melrose and its crew depended on each member pulling their weight. It was clear that they could only navigate through this dangerous situation together, united in purpose and resolve.
Macrinus addressed the entire bridge, his voice cutting through the tension with unwavering resolve. "Bridgemen and Ensigns of The Melrose! These past days have tested us beyond measure, and I know the burden weighs heavy on each of you. But we stand at the precipice of the unknown, facing adversaries that loom like predators in the depths. Let us not falter in the face of this threat! Let them bear witness to the indomitable spirit of the Melrose! For they shall soon learn the gravity of challenging us!"
The crew responded with muted cheers, their apprehension palpable. With his words spoken, Macrinus braced himself for what lay ahead.
…
Unknown Space Through The Charon Relay
Aboard Batarian Lo'Kes'heel class Heavy Command Cruiser: Glory of Khar'shan
Prota stood in awe as his flotilla emerged from the Charon Relay, greeted by the imposing silhouette of a gargantuan ship adorned with colossal engines and cannons larger than most commercial frigates. The sight, set against the backdrop of alien stars, momentarily left Prota speechless, his expression akin to that of a bewildered child lost in wonder amidst the vastness of the cosmos.
But Prota quickly gathered his wits. He had a decision to make, one that weighed heavily upon him. Hegemony Command had tasked him with slipping through the Relay scan, scanning the accompanying system, and procuring samples of any indigenous species encountered. Failure to comply meant risking his own life and the safety of his family.
With a sinking feeling in his gut, Prota ordered his flotilla to assume formation, specifically the "Baron Crusher," a formation designed to combat Dreadnought-class vessels without allied support. Though its effectiveness was uncertain, Prota prayed that it wouldn't be put to the test under these dire circumstances.
Hoping to leverage the advantage of his superior numbers and the potential confusion of the aliens, Prota initiated communication, offering a link on all possible channels. It took longer than expected for the aliens to respond, and when they did, the connection was plagued by feedback issues, requiring the crew's diligent efforts to rectify.
Finally, Prota was able to see his interlocutor—a being whose appearance defied description. Covered in meticulously groomed fur, with eyes of an unnatural orange hue, a nose reminiscent of an Asari's, and a mouth twisted in a grimace, the creature's visage was both alien and unsettling. Yet, despite their differences, Prota knew that communication with this enigmatic species would be crucial for their mutual survival.
…
Quarantined Non-Imperial System
Macrinus's revulsion surged as he beheld the grotesque visage before him, an alien amalgam of eyes and wrinkles, utterly foreign in every aspect. As the connection cleared, the guttural utterances of the alien reverberated through the bridge, prompting a nearby cogitator to spring to life, struggling to decipher the unfamiliar language. After a tense pause, the mechanical voice of the cogitator echoed through the chamber, translating the alien's words with an unsettling slowness.
"I am Admiral Prota, of the Batarian Hegemony's 65th Flotilla," the alien's voice intoned, its words filtered through the machine's cold interpretation. "May I know whom I am speaking with?"
Macrinus deliberated in silence, grappling with the decision of whether to engage in negotiations with such a treacherous adversary. The specter of potential harm to his wife and crew loomed large in his mind, compelling him to respond despite his reservations.
His voice rang out with steely resolve, his gaze fixed on the alien's image. "I am Captain Macrinus Claude, of the Imperial Transport The Melrose."
The alien's response came after a pause, its voice bearing an unmistakable alien cadence, translated into a sterile monotone by the cogitator. "I am glad to know your name, Captain."
Another pause ensued, during which Macrinus sensed the alien struggling to articulate its intentions. Impatience gnawed at him as he awaited the creature's next words, finding its hesitation to be a slight against his intellect.
Finally, the alien spoke again, its tone tinged with displeasure. "I wish I could offer you a welcome to the galaxy, Captain, but I have been ordered to place you all under arrest for crimes against The Hegemony, and The Council. I would recommend that you surrender yourselves and come quietly. But know Alien, I am authorized to use force should you decline this order."
Macrinus's response was swift and cutting, his contempt for the creature palpable. "If you wish to threaten me, Xeno, at least have the courage to say it!" With a decisive mental command, he severed the connection, turning his attention back to the distant alien artifact through the armoglass viewport.
Turning to his crew, Macrinus met their apprehensive gazes with a resolute expression, echoed by Amosha's commanding voice as she rallied them for the impending conflict. "Back to your stations, Ensigns! Bring all functional systems online and sound the alarm to all enforcer and defense squads! We will not be found as easy prey in this fight! Ave Imperator!"
The crew below responded in unison, their voices a chorus of determination. "Ave Imperator!"
And that's it for Chapter One! Please Leave a review and let me know what you think!
