So, as I promised you, the second part of the first part!... No, something is wrong... the second half?. Sequel has come!
Voices of Freedom:
Part One: Price of Balance.(Sequel)
System: Sanguia
Planet: Hive World "Bastion"
Character: Valerian Mengsk, Governor of Hive World "Bastion"
Valerian was in his office at the top of one of the spires of governor's palace. He leaned against his desk and watched stars through the window. Shining and Beautiful Stars. He took a sip from the glass he held in his hand. Although the constant pirate raids on the planet had made it dangerous to be on the upper levels, so everyone had left them long ago, and even he himself had mostly worked on the lower levels, now that the pirate attack had been repulsed just yesterday he could afford to relax and admire stars.
Pirates... Thought of those parasites made him cringe involuntarily. Those damned space rats were threatening to bring down everything his dynasty had worked on for generations. Even before, when things had been quiet, they'd been trouble enough, but first the faith-crazed Inquisitor had wiped out a decent chunk of the subsector's command, then he'd stolen some of the army, and now that the rest of the fleet and army had been pulled out of Torredon to fight the "Greater Threat", all systems were on their own. As if that wasn't enough these parasites had someone smart enough and powerful enough to bring them together to make them a real threat.
Although so far the anti-space defense systems that had been installed by one of his ancestors and the support of the locals had thwarted the attacks of pirate swarms, he dreaded moment when they would be able to organize a large enough fleet, for then only the "Bastion's" defenses would be able to continue to fight back, and the "Camelot" and "Minerva" would fall buried under the wave of invaders. However, even if "Bastion" can resist a frontal attack, it will be doomed to a slow death if pirates are smart and patient enough to organize a siege of the planet. Hive World simply cannot feed itself without external food supplies. Then the only thing left to do is surrender. At least from the pirates' point of view, he knew he had the option of using local cults to "summon" one of the Chaos fleets for protection.
Given the long-term relationship of his dynasty and cults, as well as their obvious unwillingness to give planet into the hands of lousy pirates, he was confident that they would be able to find a suitable Warmaster to solve this problem. Of course, this would mean collapse of all that fragile balance that had been built up for many generations and the fall of the planet into the hands of Chaos, not that he was so afraid of it, he was sure that with the support of local cultists he would be able to find a "patron" who would not arrange a mass sacrifice from the world or turn its entire population into war slaves, after all even among the followers of Chaos, there are practical and sane individuals.
Suddenly, his train of gloomy thoughts was interrupted by a loud knock on his office door. Frowning even more, Valerian did not move from his place and did not even turn his head, but one of his eyes turned 180 degrees right in the socket as if trying to see his brain, although in fact he was looking through the brain, and the skull and even the door. Small "advantages" of active interaction with Chaos cultists. Although he underwent regular cleansing procedures in the Church of Emperor, in public maintaining the image of a "pious" ruler, and in fact expelling the emanations of Chaos from his body, he still managed to undergo microscopic changes on physical level every time that already remained in his body forever. Accumulating literally a grain of sand at a time, these changes led to the fact that sooner or later he would come to the point of no return, when he would be forced to give up his place as ruler to his successor, like all his predecessors.
In his head, all these thoughts flew by literally in seconds, so in reality, almost without delay, he slightly moved his hand, pressed the door opening button and returning his eye to its normal position said -"Come in Brom, I hope you have an important enough reason to bother me now."
"Of course not, Master Valerian, I never I would dare to bother you for nothing"-the personal, reliable and most importantly loyal assistant to the governor, who entered the office, quickly said-"I have very urgent and I'm afraid very sad news for you. Your father, Sir Arcturus Mengsk, ended his life less than half an hour ago."
Hearing what Brom said, Valerian closed his eyes with a feeling of deep sorrow. He expected this day to come, but did not think that so soon, his father was a little over 500 years old and now he was gone. This was the main price paid by the members of the dynasty for the delicate balance they had maintained for thousands of years. While other governors on other worlds could afford a significant life extension, members of his dynasty never lived to be 600 years old, burning from the influence of Chaos, with which they were forced to interact closely. Of course, it wasn't Chaos itself that killed them, oh no, he would have been happy to prolong the lives of his loyal followers even more than is available to Imperial medicine, for the right price. It was in order to prevent such an impact of Chaos on themselves that his predecessors first resigned from office and then from life, until the whisper sounding in their minds managed to overcome their willpower.
And that is why all future governors never contacted cults and had children before taking office in order to last longer and pass on to future generations the DNA that was not changed by Chaos.
"How did it go?" - Valerian asked in an unwavering voice -"Were there any complications?"
"No, Master Valerian, Master Arcturus himself ordered his 'Overseer' to end his life. One clean blade strike took off his head quickly and painlessly. I've already ordered everything to be prepared for cremation,"-Brom said, bowing deeply.
"Overseers" Valerian thought, looking at his "Overseer" standing motionless against the wall of the office, another creation of his ancestors. To the outside world, they were just reliable bodyguards, but this statement was VERY far from the truth. A very long time ago, his great-great and many more times great-grandfather was just engaged in the final part of the "Balance" project and was so passionate about its completion that he missed the "point of no return". Yes, it was not malicious intent, but excessive diligence that almost ruined everything, so the final signature under the contract was not put by the proud governor of the Mengsk dynasty, but by a faithful servant of Chaos. Fortunately, the convert did not risk acting immediately, but tried to diligently prepare for the coup, and his younger brother, who served as his faithful adviser, caught him. Fifty loyal and heavily armed guards of the dynasty under the leadership of younger brother came to put an end to the "impostor", only 7 of them survived to the end of the battle, and the younger brother who inflicted the fatal blow lost his left eye and arm. Fortunately, they managed to hide everything from outsiders, presenting everything as an intra-family coup, a common thing among the nobility, although for the Mengsk dynasty this became a dark spot on their previously impeccable reputation. After this incident, new governor began work on the "Overseer" project. Many scientists with questionable moral practices were secretly invited, and through the guild of smugglers, with the help of a lot of money and mercenaries, many techno and bio samples, including non-human technologies, were obtained. After more than a thousand years of persistent research and a huge number of experimental subjects from captured pirates and murderers, the desired result was obtained - "Overseer".
An almost perfect warrior, incapable of betrayal and completely immune to the effects of Chaos due to the pariah genes implanted in him. With a reaction speed higher than even that of the Eldar, capable of defeating elder Chaos demon one-on-one. Of course, you have to pay for everything, and the payment for such a creation was not only a huge amount of money for each unit, but also the time of "production" of several hundred years. After the successful completion of the project, almost all scientists except a couple recognized as reliable enough to work on the creation of new "Overseers" were destroyed in order to prevent such dangerous knowledge from entering the outside world. Duties of the "Overseers" of course included protecting the lives of their wards, but their main task was to make sure that they did not "fall" becoming servants of Chaos, if this happens, they must immediately kill their ward or if he himself, anticipating his "fall", asks them to do so.
Emerging from the depths of his thoughts, Valerian asked-"Is there anything else that deserves my attention Brom?"
"In general, everything is in the expected condition,"-Brom said, gathering his thoughts - "Commander of the self-defense forces reported that all guns are fully operational and troops are ready to repel any attack as always, the head of the Khorne Cult also reported that his fighters are ready to close any breakthrough in case of need and that the Cleaners have finally finished their work, all remaining few gangs were destroyed so as not to create points of internal tension."
"Great news Brom, I hope everything is fine with the rest too?"
"Yes, master, Administration is working like clockwork and a representative of Tzeench cult confirmed that all data has been checked and rechecked and there are no signs of sabotage or betrayal. Head of the Slaanesh cult reports that they are closely monitoring movements among the nobility and population, so far everyone is optimistic and there are no signs of panic."
"Wonderful Brom, my friend,"-Valerian said and sipped from his glass,-"Good news is what I REALLY need right now."
"Um master,"-Brom said nervously clasping his hands,-"I have more news for you, but I do not know which to attribute it to good or bad."
"Well then, tell it to me and I will make decision myself."
"As master says, prophets of Tzeench reported that the winds of Chaos whispered that Chosen One of the Gods, the "Harbinger of Liberation", had come to our subsector."
" "Harbinger of Liberation" you say."-Valerian whispered and for the first in a long time carefully listened to the barely audible whisper in his head and there, amid the usually unintelligible mumbling , he could clearly hear one word- LIBERATION.