Author's Note: For those interested, there are now eight advance chapters on P-atreon (remove the spaces and dash): p-atreon/ SkySage24.
The power hummed under Mehlendri's skin, still bright and almost shocking even after so many months. She wasn't even doing anything, simply relaxing on one of the branches of Iyanden's World Tree, her back against the trunk, the great leaves overhead providing a cool shade.
The divine lightning that burned through her veins still felt amazing. In those early days and weeks, Mehelendri had been almost drunk on it, the world brighter and sharper than it had ever been before.
Even before the Fall of the Dominion, before the shadow that had fallen over the souls of the Aeldari, Mehlendri had never felt so alive. She saw the world differently now, with more insight into people than she had ever had before. She was faster, stronger, and more perceptive; things that had been difficult before almost effortlessly came to her.
Nor was it just power. There was also knowledge. Mehlendri was a trader, and a sailor and had been so for most of her life. Perhaps in previous lives, she had made different choices and pursued different paths. But Mehlendri had deliberately allowed those memories to fade away, for the weight of them had almost driven her mad as a youth.
In this life, Mehlendri was no healer, gardener or hunter. These last few millennia had forced her into the role of commander and warrior to some degree, but those skills of hers were haphazardly learnt, forged by trial and error rather than formal training.
But ever since she was blessed, things were different. Now, Mehlendri understood farming and healing and biology almost instinctively, with literally divine insight. Her combat instincts had been honed from a child's toys into sharp blades, allowing her to fight and hunt and track others with ease. And when she spoke, Mehlendri spoke with the authority of the Everqueen.
Part of it was simply that people knew she spoke for their mother goddess, but it wasn't just that. Mehlendri's voice was more resonant, more authoritative than she could remember. Her words were more eloquent and incisive, she could more easily guess what needed to be said to inspire action and ease doubts.
The power was almost frightening, in a way.
Because this was what it meant to be Chosen, to be the champion of a god and blessed with a fraction of their might, Mehlendri had only the barest spark of divinity in her now, and she was more than she had ever been.
To be Eldar was to be beyond the mortal races of the galaxy, but to be Chosen was to be beyond even the Eldar.
Mehlendri wondered, sometimes, if she was truly worth it or if she had simply been the best of the limited choices Mother Isha had.
But it was a pointless question. The galaxy was what it was, and Mehlendri had been honoured and blessed with great power so that she could better look after Iyanden in its time of need.
And even beyond the raw power, Mehlendri had to admit there were other benefits, letting power flow through their body as it seamlessly shifted into a male form.
Mehlendri had developed not inconsiderable skill with shapeshifting before the Fall and the Dark God that now plagued them had crippled his psychic abilities. He had had to, for unlike many of his kin, he found it stifling and tiresome to be one gender at all times.
But even that shapeshifting was nothing compared to how smoothly he could alter his form now, and how much better he understood the changes that needed to be made.
It was, quite simply, wonderful.
In these dark times, there were few joys to be had, even with the return of Mother Isha, but this was something he did have and he cherished it dearly.
Another joy was the World Tree itself. Mehlendri had been ecstatic when he had first seen it when he had understood the magnitude of the gift that their Mother had given them. But now, as a Chosen, it was comforting. He could commune with the World Tree, and sense the power of Isha within it more deeply than ever before.
It had become a refuge, and he enjoyed it greatly, especially after a particularly long day such as today.
Most of the time, he appreciated his colleagues and friends, and their efforts to rebuild Iyanden, to rebuild their very lives and society and culture. But there were times when their squabbling was truly exhausting, such as Dreamspinner and Cadaith's latest spat. Mehlendri had nearly lost his temper with the two more than once today, and it felt good to be alone and quiet, with nothing but the World Tree for company.
But Mehlendri's burst of solitude was interrupted as, in a flash of emerald light, the Everqueen appeared in front of him.
"Your Serenity!" Mehlendri exclaimed, jumping to his feet and bowing. "We were not expecting you."
"It is no matter," The Everqueen said, her blue and green robes rippling in the wind. Her ruby red lips curved into a smile as she looked down at Mehlendri, no, at all of Iyanden, from the World Spirit to every soul on it. "It is good to see you, my child. I am glad you are doing well."
"We are glad to have you," Mehlendri said, the words heartfelt. Whenever their Mother visited, it inspired more hope and love in Iyanden. "If you will give us time, we can organize a festival in your honour. We had not the ability when you came previously, but-"
The Everqueen cut him off with a raised hand. "Perhaps another time. For now, we have urgent matters to address."
"We must discuss the matter of the Orks."
"You wish for us to work with the mon-keigh?" Cadaith asked dubiously. "With all due respect, Your Serenity…why? Our psychomatons may be limited, but beheading such a small Ork Empire is well within their capabilities."
The Everqueen sat on her throne in Iyanden's council chamber and looked around the entire room at the assembled leaders of the Craftworld, her emerald gaze piercing.
"Because if we are to save ourselves and the rest of the galaxy, we must learn to work with other peoples once more," She said sternly. "The isolation, the arrogance and contempt for all other life that the Dominion fostered was wrong-headed and foolish. To that end, do not call them mon-keigh," The Everqueen added with a withering look at Cadaith. "Calling other races by the names they have chosen for themselves is no great hardship, I assure you."
The entire council shifted uncomfortably, feeling like chastised children at the implicit rebuke. It was not entirely surprising, not after the oath that Mehlendri and Cadaith had both made as Chosen to protect innocents from all races, but it still stung.
"This will be a good first test," The Everqueen continued. "And it is precisely because the success of this mission is not contingent on cooperation that I am having you work with the humans. Before you work with them on matters of actual importance, you must start here, simply by talking to them and interacting with them civilly, to see them as people and peers."
There was an awkward silence as the council processed this, absorbing the Everqueen's words with varying levels of difficulty.
"I will assemble a host then, Your Serenity," Sernalla broke the silence after a moment. "It should not take too long."
"Of course," The Everqueen gave a regal nod.
"And I would like to accompany the host," Cadaith said, scowling when everyone looked at him with disbelief, and even the Everqueen's eyebrow quirked up slightly. "I am your loyal Knight, Your Serenity," He said stubbornly. "I will do as you wish. I admit I don't entirely understand the value of this, but if you wish for me to work with and understand the mo-, humans, then I will."
The Everqueen favoured with him a smile, and the ancient noble whose confidence never wavered in the face of incredulity and contempt blushed. "The will to try is the most important thing of all. Of course, you may go."
Mehlendri, who had shifted back to a female form, frowned, thinking over the matter as an idea came to her.
It was a little difficult for her to accept the Orks as the kind of galaxy-shattering threat that the Everqueen described them as. For most of her life, the Orks had been a nuisance, kept in check by the Dominion's psychomaton legions.
But she should know better by now, Mehlendri reminded herself. Even aside from the Everqueen's warnings, Iyanden had encountered more than one Ork waagh on their way to find their Mother. They were dangerous and would become stronger still without the Dominion to keep them in check.
If they were truly such a massive threat to the galaxy, then they needed to be curtailed as swiftly as possible. Neither Iyanden nor Terra had the forces needed to conduct massive campaigns across the galaxy just yet, but…there were those that did.
The Everqueen noticed her expression, arching an eyebrow at her. "You have an idea, Mehlendri?" She inquired, propping her fist against her cheek.
"If the Orks are truly so much of a threat-" Mehlendri said slowly. "Then I believe there are other forces in the galaxy who could be motivated to fight them."
Isha seemed surprised. "Here and now?"
"Not against this Ork horde specifically," The Fleemaster clarified, as every other eye turned to her in the room. "There are no forces in nearby regions. But as far as curtailing Orks across the entire galaxy goes, there are certainly those who could be paid to fight them."
Comprehension dawned on the faces of Sernalla and Invaril, though the Everqueen simply waited for an answer while Dreamspiner and Cadaith seemed confused.
"And these forces are…"
"The Leagues of Votann," Mehlendri answered. "They are a mo-, human subspecies led by a collection of Artifical Intelligences, the Votann. They are located deep in the galactic core, where they settled some twenty thousand years ago. They have endured the warpstorms far better than most, and remain reasonably intact, if isolated."
"You think they can be persuaded to fight the Orks?" Mother Isha asked, a contemplative gleam in her eye.
"For a price," Mehlendri nodded. "We have long-established trade links with the Leagues, and they are highly mercantile. They were originally intended as miners for human corporations, with the Votann Cores being deployed to the galactic core with the ability to produce engineered clones for their purposes. They are independent now, of course, but their roots remain strong. That said, they are honourable, in their way. They believe strongly in the codes that govern trade and contracts and are dedicated to their work. I am confident we can find many mercenaries willing to campaign against the Orks for us as long as we pay them well."
"And what do we pay them with?" Invaril asked, looking sceptical. "The Leagues are powerful and disciplined, I agree, but they are expensive and we are not exactly in a condition to pay their prices."
"We are not," Mehlendri agreed. "But Her Serenity is."
The Everqueen smiled slightly in approval. "You believe I could pay these Leagues of Votann with the same things that I have provided the Emperor and his Imperium with."
"Yes," Mehlendri confirmed, even as her mind flashed with memories of the gold-black titan that was the Emperor looming over Iyanden, the barbarian god threatening to destroy them all. "Not all at once, but we have traded them for many things before. We helped them develop advanced hydroponic systems, for example. And even the best work there is only a pale shadow of your gifts, Mother."
The Everqueen hummed thoughtfully. "And these Votann are truly powerful enough to curtail the Ork Empires near the galactic core? I thought that mankind's iron machines had betrayed them."
"Most," Mehlendri replied. "The Votann did not. I believe it is because they are what the humans called 'Men of Stone', older creations from an age before the Men of Iron. Less advanced and intelligent, more shackled to their original programming, but perhaps that was for the better. In addition, the Votann Cores essentially ruled the Leagues, so why would they turn against their creations and subjects? And yes, they still retain a considerable amount of the old human technologies most civilizations have lost."
"Why not expand on their own, then?" The Everqueen asked curiously. "If they are so powerful, they should be set to become the hegemons of that region of the galaxy, if not the entire galaxy with both the Dominion gone and other human civilizations struggling to rebuild."
"Disunity and tradition," Mehlendri explained. "The Leagues are a loose coalition of guilds, corporations and mercenaries, not a singular empire. I would describe the Leagues as more a forum for discussion and trade than as a united polity, in all honesty. Their greatest threats are each other. That aside, as I said, the Votann are stuck in their ways, even the most independent of them are somewhat influenced by their original programming. And galactic conquest was not part of that programming."
"I see," The Everqueen's eyes glowed slightly as she seemed to mull over the matter. "I will need to give the matter some consideration, but I believe it is a good idea, Mehlendri."
"Thank you, Your Serenity," The Fleetmaster said, bowing their head, warmed by the compliment and trying not to beam.
"Now, assemble the war host as swiftly as you can," The Everqueen ordered. "Go to the Orks, but do not attack them until the humans arrive. They will meet you there. My blessings are with you, my children. May you be victorious."
Author's Note: I am aware that the Leagues of Votann are canonically very secretive about the existence of the Votann Ancestor Cores, but unlike anyone in the 41st Millennium, Mehlendri is old enough to remember when the Votann were first settling the galactic core during the early DAOT, at a time when they would have no reason to be so secretive.