"The more we spread, the more we find. World after world. New worlds to conquer. Space is limitless, and so is our appetite to master it. We will spend our lives fighting to secure this Imperium, and then I fear we will spend the rest of our days fighting to keep it intact. There is such involving darkness amongst the stars. Even when the Imperium is complete, there will be no peace. We will be obliged to fight on to preserve what we have fought to establish. Peace is a vain wish. Our crusade may one day adopt another name, but it will never truly end. In the far future, there will be only war."
— 1st Captain Sigismund of the Imperial Fists.
Discussing with Luna Wolves 10th Captain, Garviel Loken of the Mournival
…
Lieutenant Dunn of the Silvermane Guard was a good soldier. His armor was pristine and gleaming like new forged silver steel. Only his shield carried scars, painted by the brush of combat and warfare.
It was a sort of testament to the soldier, a proof of his skill as a paladin of the Silvermanes. A protector and holder of the last gates, that's what he was.
Or at least what others saw him as.
Because for most of the time, he did not commit to the actual fighting going around. He was best referred to as an officer, a logistics officer.
He did not want to sigh a single breath in front of the smooth unblemished faces of the newly out-of-camp young soldiers who admired him like a hero and day-dreamed all day of performing heroics that would mirror the acts of the legendary Astral Express crew, but he still did.
"Lieutenant Dunn? Is there a problem?"
He turned around to see his current sergeant acting adjutant.
"No. Don't worry about it."
The sergeant stepped forward, leaning her head to get a better view of the papers that took eternal abode at her Lieutenant's desk. "I don't understand any of that."
Dunn shook his head. "If you want to become an officer like me, then you should."
The sergeant pulled her head back, then looked at Dunn with a glint in her eyes.
"Huh? What now?" he groaned.
"I think I know why you look down today!"
Dunn said nothing, only tilting his head, pressing her to continue.
"You wanted to join the expedition to the Warcraft right?"
The lieutenant sighed again and stared back to the paperwork mountain. Deciding to continue what must be continued.
"Don't worry Sir Dunn! I'm sure you'll get a chance to join something exciting one day!" The sergeant said, then saluted. "Anyways, since it's time for lunch, I'll excuse myself, unless you want me to bring something back for you?"
Dunn glanced at her again, then continued writing all the reports and audits he was tasked to finish. "Just coffee."
The sergeant frowned. "You know you can't just live off coffee all day, how about I bring some sandwiches?"
"Fine, bring whatever you want." He relented, "Alrighty, wait for me, sir!"
"Thanks, Foley- oh." Dunn glanced to his side but his sergeant wasn't there anymore.
'Warcraft?' he thought to himself. Was he interested in joining the expedition? Was she right about that? His brain flashed him memories, pictures, of the enigmatic spaceship. The thing was eye-catching, and he did want to see it up close and personal to admire each carve and dent, but he shook his head.
The appearance of the Warcraft was not the reason why he felt complicated today, it was a part of it, sure, but the real reason was the fact that Belobog was changing with all these life-altering events. Everything was changing way too fast. He thought that wasn't always a good thing.
When more and more of those ships from the outer reaches of the stars touch their earth and proclaim trade, Belobog would surely expand. They would reclaim the restricted zone, they would rebuild and reform, and as a soldier who still guards the walls against the seemingly unending tide of fragmentum monsters, more work was set out for him. More responsibilities, more tasks, unending goals to work forward to.
He would probably get a promotion along the way with some extra pay, but even that single positive aspect brought with it extra stacks of those dreaded white sheets of hell.
Again, he sighed. Maybe he hasn't completely moved on. Maybe his heart still yearned to brush his fingers on the familiar keys of the keyboard. To step on stage with the small and intelligent Pela on his right behind a drum set and on the other side their guitarist, who had a voice that seemed to never get out of his head.
"Serval…" he whispered to himself.
They were in a band before, three of them. But that was in the old times.
'Wait, wasn't there also a bassist?'
His brain clenched to remember who the bassist was, but he forgot. And now he felt bad. 'One day, I'll remember who our bassist was, I'll swear on tha-'
The radio communicator on his desk started screaming.
The interruption caught him by surprise and his flinching made his fingers drop his pen, ignoring that, he picked up the radio.
"This is Lieutenant Dunn, what's going on?"
A garbled noise came through first, then a panicked voice followed, muddied by the disruptions.
"S-Sir Dunn! This is a reconnaissance team of Third Company! I-I see an entire army of them!"
The Lieutenant stood straight from his seat.
"Them? Fragmentum monsters?"
"N-No! It's the Antimatter Legion!"
Dunn's face twisted.
"What? What did you just tell me?"
"I-I know it sounds ridiculous, they should all be frozen and dead… But there's an entire army of them formed at the borders!"
"If this is a joke, I swear I'll-'
"No! It's true! I can't believe my own eyes either!"
The desperate plea of the scout behind the call made Dunn drop a sweat.
"Hold on soldier! Retreat to the closest defensive line and reinforce the garrisons, try to take some pictures of the threat and send them through the net as fast as possible, do you copy?"
The radio was fast silent.
"Do you copy?!" he repeated.
But the line was cut. A chill that was immeasurably colder than the winters of Belobog ran through his spine. Dunn, as the acting leader of the defense of the restricted zone following Captain Gepard's absence, was suddenly elevated to head a grueling defense that no one on the entire planet had ever expected.
…
Zevas Hoxon was no stranger to mysteries. In fact, he would consider himself friends with them. Because they and he never seem to separate themselves no matter what. Like lightning and thunder. He was the thunder.
The archmagos was a combination of the strength of steel and the capability of perfected flesh, his amalgam of a mind itself can put any dozens of the most advanced cogitators to shame, and his long age of over 4600 years had given him experience and knowledge like no other.
And yet, he had seen the smirk of thousands of mysteries and questions that even he could do nothing but only hope for them to be solved in his lifetime. It was something humbling, that even in the vastness of space, transhuman creatures like him were still nothing but specks of dust. But it is by the will of the Omnissiah that they would not remain as such, that they will soon master the space that was given for them. That was what Zevas believed, that one day, mankind would not just rule, not just understand, but to be the universe itself. To reach such an apex of understanding of knowledge that the universe would not, can not, exist without the presence of humanity. He does not believe he will see that reality ever happen in his lifetime, or even 300 lifetimes and probably more, but by the Machine God, he shall help even if only just by a single decimal in its making.
Now in another universe, more mysteries of an even more ludicrous scale were sure to be present here, waiting to be solved.
Zevas brought his multi-sectored brain of 2 parts and 71828 separate segmented sectors to analysis and recall the mysteries he had encountered before that it could not even solve.
He thinks of an ocean planet, where no land or core was ever found with seemingly infinite water. An obscure and mysterious xeno race, which manipulated time as if it was as fickle as paper. A never-seen dimension named Ghostwind, only mentioned with fear and anxiety by Necrons, a race known for their lack of a soul. And even within the Imperium, questions with no answers still linger in his superhuman mind. He remembers encountering an unrecorded astartes chapter, with seemingly no care of chaos, traitors, or even the Imperium, only single-minded in their hunt for a mysterious entity they named The Black Leviathan. Once, he discovered a hidden work of an inquisitor who mysteriously vanished, it was a record of an event only known as the Pale Wasting, where 11 Astartes chapters were annihilated and were erased from all records and history. The secrets of the vaults of Mars, Terra, and Erioch. Another mystery, also equally intriguing as it is off-putting, is the fact that the year of his galaxy back home of the 41st millennium, may not even be the true year.
All this was to say that Zevas, even with all his might, and celebrated intelligence was acquainted with being humbled when introduced to the great mystery of the universe before him.
But perhaps the greatest mystery of them all was that Zevas Hoxon himself does not remember how he came in contact with most of this mystical information that would undoubtedly put a mark on his back even in his respected position. All he remembers were scattered remnants of them like fragmented dreams, but he does know that once, his past self, destroyed one of his memory banks that contained all the complete memories of how all that information came to be.
He did not remember why he committed the act in the first place, but it was one of the little moments that left him lingering with a slight trace of regret. What happened before? What happened for his past self to destroy entire arrays of knowledge?
Maybe, there will be something in this universe that would help him remember?
He deleted the thought. He archived those old mysteries of the past to a separate memory bank and focused on the mysteries of the present.
He was in his own vessel, The Mariana. A rare artifact he discovered hidden in large asteroids drifting on the edge of the veiled regions, though it was not an actual Ark Mechanicus due to its more compact size and profile, his discovery, reactivation, and repair, which no one thought was possible, of the ancient vessel ascended him to an archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The name Mariana comes from the supposed deepest point in old Terra when it still fostered oceans, this piece of exotic information was found inside one of the successfully unlocked data terminals of the ship. That being which numbered to the eight numerals. He had succeeded in breaking in only four.
Zevas has never been to Terra but heard stories of a damnable sinner stealing its beautiful oceans while their original forms slowly fade into forgotten history. But the databases of this ship did not forget.
What that implied, Zevas knew all too well.
He was at one of the laboratories inside the ship. His instruments are alive and breathing. Tubes filled with strange liquids contained by the strongest hyperglass and atom-relocators formed of star alloys continue to swell and move, gears and nano-sinews of perpetual motion machines turning in impossibly fast snaps and connected to digital networks that in turn sends data to Zevas's own collections of noospheres and blessed cogitators. He studies the space of the new universe, and it was utterly foreign.
He documented all his findings unto layered binary code. All the most important, and concerning info layered in hundreds of encryptions, but since even the bare basic information he gathered would be useful to his allies and soon to be allies, he translated them to words comprehensible to unascended flesh.
—
The Fragment Realm, The Collapsed Universe. (Archmagos Zevas Hoxon's proposed name)
Subject 01-01
Unknown Metaphysical Phenomenon
The Barrier of Worlds (Name subject to change)
Description:
The Barrier of Worlds is a type of barrier in space and reality that prevents anything from passing through it. It does not follow any known laws of our universe. It is made of unknown energy completely separate from the warp, advanced xeno technology, or any other known type of reality-bending medium. Its properties are completely unknown. It separates specific areas in space and reality in varying sizes and shapes. It can separate star systems from star systems, clusters from clusters or only envelop a single planet. The only known method we have that is capable of traveling past the Barrier of Worlds is to use Warp Travel and slip past the barrier by using its extradimensional characteristics. As of recording, the Barrier of Worlds cannot interact with the Warp, giving us free reign to travel system to system unimpeded.
Additional notes:
Suspected purpose of the existence of the Barrier of Worlds is completely unknown. More information will be added when more knowledge is acquired.
Subject 02-01
Unknown Metaphysical Phenomenon
X-energy (Name subject to change)
Description:
X-energy is the new energy theorized to exist within this new universe. The name will change the further we understand more about it. The Barrier of Worlds is theorized to be composed of X-energy. Its properties are unknown.
Additional notes:
The energy is completely native to this universe. It is not of the warp nor of any reality bending technology.
Subject 01-02
Observation of new interactions
The Warp and the Collapsed Universe
Observation:
The warp that continues to leak within this new universe is clean. Untainted and free of any chaos corruption.
Proposed Theory 1:
It is theorized that the warp space leaking into this universe is either from its deepest and farthest reaches or newly made Warp space, therefore the lack of any signs of the Ruinous Powers. However, due to its increasing influence and power that grows each second, chaos taint may one day reach this universe, and so will the Ruinous Powers. It is advised to hold an unending vigilance over the warp, else our use if it backfires in the case where it becomes corrupted.
Proposed Theory 2:
It is theorized that when the warp fully connects to this universe, traveling back to the Milky Way galaxy also becomes possible, though a full connection of our home universe and this new universe via the warp may inadvertently strengthen the Chaos Gods by their consumption of emotions, actions and souls, assuming the inhabitants of this universe are similar to us.
Additional notes:
More theories about the interactions are to be requested from Archmagos Zevas Hoxon as he is the only capable mind of understanding complex information. Other information from other sources must be labeled as false and deceptive and must be reported to Archmagos Zevas Hoxon or his reputable Skitarrii Marshalls. Proper procedures will be carried out after.
Hail the Omnissiah. Hail the Machine God.
—
Zevas stopped. Though he has dumbed down his original dissertation of hundreds of pages to short paragraphs, he was not dissatisfied. This was for the mortals, after all, the value of precise and concise explanations is sometimes the best way to get things through their skulls. But before the meeting, he has some individuals to meet. The silent whisper of the autodoor's mechanical vibration reached his analyzers, and he left for the teleportariums.
…
The grey haired Matriarch looked out the crystal windows of the aircraft with growing concern for the metal craft. Specifically on how it would deal with the coming onslaught of hard ice, snow and raging frigid winds that her home planet was blighted by.
"Can your aircraft really endure through this much punishment?"
Topaz smiled.
"Relax, the IPC isn't a universe wide superpower for no reason. I know this isn't any normal snowstorm, as it was caused by a stellaron, but I have faith in our own products."
Her answer seemed to calm down Bronya, her gaze returning to admire the scenery of white beauty right outside the windows.
After that, Topaz decided to observe the situation. They were getting close after all. She clicked a button on her headpiece. An internal mechanism responded and a light flickered.
"To all Amber Units, this is Amber 1-6, status report. Over."
The comms channel of the IPC aircrafts responded immediately and in order, and Amber was the assigned call sign for this mission.
"Amber 1-1, copy. No problems so far."
"Amber 1-2, copy that, all clear."
"Amber 1-3, copy. We're good."
"Amber 1-4, we copy, still green. So far. I guess."
"Amber 1-5 copies. Status: Unchanged."
Topaz, naturally being the squad leader, had the name Amber 1-6, she smiled and rechecked their routes. "10 minutes away from the suspected location huh?" She double-checked the target location from the outside cameras of the IPC aircraft, but no massive arc of architecture was in sight, only a white wall of clouded snow.
"Tch, even with a ship like that, it'll be hard to properly locate it with this crazy snowstorm."
Sighed Topaz and the Silvermane captain responded.
"We'll round the area the moment we get there, I just hope the ship didn't already get buried in snow."
"Yeah, if that happens, we'll have to resort to our scanners."
Agreed Topaz. Nodding at Gepard before she clicked her headpiece again.
"This is 1-6 to Amber 1-3 and 1-4, perform a vanguard formation and check the area ahead of us, and maintain comms at all times, over."
"1-3 to 1-6, we copy. On it over."
"Ugh, 1-4 copies."
The two aircraft flew forward like flying swords and separated from the main fleet. Equipped with advanced defense systems proven throughout thousands of worlds, the works of the IPC are always regarded as the standard of universal quality. There was no reason to fear anything.
The two quickly sped to Mach 0.8, transonic speed achieved in an instant. The pair of jets followed the coordinates of the UUS-1. They were aware of the potential dangers, but after hundreds of successful missions on backwater planets, the danger did not mark a register in their bored minds.
They were confident, this was not the first time they made contact with civilizations outside their all-encompassing archives, and they trusted the technologies of the bright and wise engineers of the IPC.
But what they were most confident in, was their own skills. They were experts in their field, call it arrogance, but arrogance does not grow without a capable seed. But even experts make mistakes.
"1-3 speaking, hey, 1-4, I'm picking something up, something's coming this way... Uhh, approx 90 Kilometers north, can you see it?"
The pilot of the 3rd suddenly interjected, his tone calm, but there was an underlying sense of weariness. 1-4 replied after a blink.
"Umm? I don't- Oh!"
Like a flash of lightning, crimson beams of light started running at light speed toward the two IPC aircraft.
The two immediately scattered, the IPC aircraft's auto adaptive intelligence quickly taking control of the wings in an attempt to dodge the malevolent runs of red light bolts, and that's when the sensors of the IPC craft finally got a grasp of their ambushers.
Eight of them, backwards triangular shaped fighter planes that stalked them from hundreds of kilometers away, unseen in distance and in the cover of the snow storm. No eye of flesh has the capability to see them. Now, the battle would be decided on their respective aircrafts sensors and capabilities.
More red lasers pierced the white heavens like demons. They were rapid, each bursts numbering from hundreds to hundreds of what looked like light speed hellish energy condensed to beams. Then without a moment's notice, another hundred bursts of red came charging like lances from behind.
"Shit!" Screamed the pilot of the 1-3, quickly dispelling flares, energy shields, and all projectile interceptors he could in an attempt to survive the onslaught.
The red beams of death seemed to completely ignore the interceptors, but thankfully they finally stopped in contact with the activated energy shield. It was instantly damaged, but fortunately unbroken.
"This is 1-3 to all Amber units! We are under attack by eight and maybe more unknown aircraft! I repeat-"
The pilot cut his voice short as his plane's sensors quickly detected a hypersonic flying object heading dead straight to his craft's main body. Whoever these people were, they did not seem to not take his energy shield well.
He put hope and all his remaining faith in his aircraft's evasion capabilities and shot out his own defensive missiles and more flares, but only that was a quarter successful as in a single moment, the systems of his craft were flooded with foreign code. The millions of lines of scrap code interrupted his craft's inner order, forcing them to burn needed seconds to manage and delete the junk and malware and by then the supersonic object had already arrived unimpeded.
The pilot closed his eyes.
Nothing came of it, except the eruption of a distant explosion. He opened his eyes again, looking at himself. Then to his passengers, behind him.
"A-Are we going to be okay?"
A short girl with large round spectacles whimpered out.
The pilot of the Amber 1-3 looked back, and suddenly the eight foreign aircraft stopped shooting. So did the other enemy squads hidden high in the snow. They were still unseen by any eyes of flesh and blood, but his aircraft's more potent sensors determined them to be heading straight forward in an intercepting fashion.
"I- I don't know, Miss Pela. I don't know."
…
"This is 1-3 to all Amber units! We are under attack by eight and maybe more unknown aircraft! I repeat-"
Topaz's heart immediately dropped like a popped balloon while chills ascended like an icicle piercing her spine.
"1-6 to 1-3 and 1-4! Pull back and retreat now!"
Her voice carried through a walled frequency.
"Jammers?"
She gasped.
Gepard looked at Topaz with cold eyes.
"An attack?"
The Stoneheart nodded and the Silvermane's eyebrows twitched.
"If they're under attack, we should immediately advance and support them!"
Topaz nodded and advanced the message to the pilot and the other IPC aircraft to go full speed ahead in absolute urgency.
"Miss Topaz, your aircraft are pretty strong right?"
Questions the Belobog Matriarch, looking as if she wanted to jump out of her seat.
"Though these are not Military Aircraft, they're more of an all-purpose explorer machine, they are suited to endure and dish out damage that could compare."
"Then it is capable. Still, this is worrying." Said Olegg.
Topaz wanted to agree, but an anxious stammer of attention led all heads to face the front. It was the pilot.
"M-Miss Topaz, twelve more foreign planes have caught the attention of our sensors, they're right behind us."
Topaz leaned forward, staring at the ominous twelve dots found on the display screen; they were kilometers away, flanking their expeditionary fleets on both sides, but they were steadily advancing in complete straight lines like rooks in a game.
"Oh, I'm picking up an unknown frequency! They're trying to communicate with us?"
Screamed the pilot.
"Accept it right now!
Immediately replied Topaz. The pilot's shuddering hands moved to press a button on the plane's inner console, and the unknown frequency connected.
"Are you from the Tau Empire?"
Was the first thing they heard. The voice behind the communication radio said. It was young, the voice, but it held no other qualities other than its tone that led to that claim. There was no emotion, nor any inflections of personality. A barren voice, that's what it was.
"Tau? N-No? No, we're not!"
Topaz shouted, making sure her voice made it through the transmission. There was a silent response that lasted for entire seconds. Seconds long enough for a drop of sweat to slide down her side cheek.
"We have two of your allies at kill-range. We have you outnumbered forty-eight to six. Drop your aircraft's rockets and detachable armaments and do not engage, and we will let them live. You have 10 seconds to comply."
Topaz's hand clutched the pilot's shoulder like a hawk.
"We will comply!"
She shouted from her seat.
"B-But Miss Topaz, if we follow, we will be disarmed of 70% of our combat capability, if they attacked us then-"
"I don't care, just do it! Pass the message on to the others of our fleet too!"
The pilot gulped, then pressed flicks and switches that caused the plane to rumble and shake.
"There! Interceptor rockets disarmed, Homing Rockets disarmed and Diamond Missiles disarmed!"
Topaz did not say anything, instead focusing on the communication radio of the plane.
The young yet dead voice finally spoke again.
"Main armaments disarming confirmed. Your lives and your comrades' will be spared. Continue straight forward, another escort will be awaiting you to show you the way."
Then the signal snapped like an overstretched string.
Topaz could finally sit back down properly, and when she did she did, a long sigh of relief overtook her as she closed her eyes and wiped off some sweat.
"So what now?"
She heard Gepard say. Her eyes sprung back open, and the ends of her lips curled.
"I have already sent out a distress call the moment we knew we were under attack. Fleets of actual war-made vessels are currently on their route." Topaz quickly drank from her flask, then continued. "Not only that, I've activated a protocol to let our own fleets in orbit in absolute high-alert in the case we need it. The IPC won't let someone like me in danger, at this moment, thousands of weapons in varying designs but equal lethality are being armed, and-"
Bronya swiftly talked over her.
"However, you'd need our permission, isn't that right?'
Topaz's brow raised, before she turned her face into a sweet smile.
"Well? I guess it would be a breach of contract to fly out warfleets without your permission, Miss Bronya. But considering the situation, the decision is quite obvious no?"
The matriarch sighed.
"Miss Topaz, you may have misunderstood something. Can I make a request?"
"Oh? What is it?"
Bronya's eyes sharpened, slightly glancing at Gepard and then at her.
"Please withdraw your aircraft vessel's reinforcements."
The Stoneheart suddenly froze.
"Eh? But why?"
Bronya looked forward to the pilot windows and to the skies up ahead.
"We already had an extremely unfavorable first contact with them, what do you think would happen if the next thing they see is an entire army of your fighter planes? Going straight ahead in an avenging manner?"
Bronya did not let Topaz answer her question.
"There is a high chance they would inevitably see it as a declaration of war, I cannot take that risk. Now, I know you could probably win that war, with ease even, but what about us? What happens if their planes strike Belobog first before you could even approve an orbital strike from your space fleets? They may not pose a threat to you, or the IPC, but Belobog is not in the position to make any enemies, especially ones that have war-planes. Let us take the opportunity for a possible understanding."
The Stoneheart listened quietly, and after careful consideration, she pressed a button on her earpiece.
"This is Topaz to all Stonewall units, abort your current mission. Instead, standby near the operation zone for further instructions. Over."
A swift and weight click ended the transmission.
"Thank you, Miss Topaz. If these foreigners however, are that aggressive and deemed unworthy of alliance and understanding, then we would cooperate actively with your operations." declared Bronya.
"Please! You're the Matriarch of the city! I should be the one thanking you for your insight! However, I've let the support force stay nearby and ready for any tasking when something actually goes down."
"Yes! That is wise, these people seem extremely violent after all."
The two exchanged some more meandering sophistries until the inevitable distraction of reality came crashing back in the form of another set of dots to appear in the radar wave screen of the IPC Aircraft.
"Umm, I think we should focus on what comes In front of us."
Coughed out Olegg, the old man's chalk hair looked like they were somehow getting whiter by the second.
Gepard seemed to agree by pulling Bronya's attention back to the mess of a first contact they had in front of him.
Topaz quickly put her analytical mind back in working order. 'These people have advanced aircraft, I expected a high level of technology considering that ship, but what I didn't expect is how many they managed to ferry in the skies in the short amount of time they crashed and we departed. Agh, were we so blinded by the notion that they needed our help from Belobog's ice storms that we flew without even trying to communicate with them first? Further intensifying a misunderstanding?'
The pilot received another request of contact by another signal, foreign it may be, but it was obvious who it belonged to.
The pilot glanced at Topaz who nodded in response. Another swipe of the console and another different but similar voice to the last hailed.
"Follow the course our planes will lead you. There is a runway ready. Your two other allies have already landed."
And just like last time, it cut without a second for them to reply.
The people inside the aircraft stayed silent, with only the beeps of the radar map of the IPC aircraft, slowly increasing and increasing as more and more of this mysterious faction's airpower slowly crept in close to their position while maintaining a chilling watch.
…
"Sir Commissar, the first two of the unknown human planes have landed."
The sound of thousands of pairs of boots drummed across the perimeter of the crashed cruiser. The Commissar was standing on a small hill overlooking the formations and the hastily-constructed runway, he slowly slid some snow off his cap before turning to look at Gerald.
"How are they like?"
"Very developed and advanced technology not unlike the creations of Mars, but they most closely relate to the designs of the Tau Empire. Therefore we fought them as if they were Tau. Overwhelm, outnumber and ambush. However, it is too early to draw any proper conclusions on their technology level."
Vailor took a stare at the frozen grounds of rockcrete that were constructed all over the crashed cruiser. He stared at two captured crafts of this world's human civilizations as they were guarded by a hundred Kriegers each while a techpriest slowly surveyed the aircraft of unknown but human design, and as for the passengers, they were simply forced out of their planes. Thankfully, they were not held at gunpoint, or even chained. Only strictly observed. It seems the Imperium forces this time held a rare sense of lucidity not usually seen in their breed, all thanks to the Commissar.
Vailor saw Lynx in the distance running past the soldiers and techpriests, straight to the group of this universe's version of humans and with arms wide, hugging one of them wearing round spectacles.
"Gepard, I'm reassigning you." He said with fascination in his voice.
"From now on, you will be little Lynx's bodyguard. Understood?"
"Understood, Commissar Sir." Gepard replied immediately without signs of hesitation. Vailor smiled, when he first committed himself to wearing the gasmask of Krieg to connect more to their culture, he thought that he'd be commanding a regiment of suicidal automatons. Though there was some truth to that statement, it wasn't the full picture.
Discipline. That was what the Death Korps was born by. Utter, unflinching and unwavering discipline. They may very well be a death cult made into an army of new bloods trained to be the most effective yet disposable elite units, but they never disrespect your orders unless you disrespect their culture.
"This is a new universe." Said the Commissar, making sure Gerald was listening.
"There will be sunrises that others back home will never get to witness no matter how powerful or how long-lived they are. There will be cultures here, unaffected by the eternal wars and deaths back home. As visitors and messengers of the God-Emperor's will, it is only right that we try to make sense of their customs, as I did with yours."
Gerald turned his head to move as more of the otherverse human ships appeared on the horizon as Vailor continued speaking.
"But, I just hope we don't differ too much. Even I don't want to bloody this universe, blessed from the horrors of warp corruption." He laughed.
Gerald received a quick vox message contact from his devices.
"What is it?" Groaned Vailor.
"The humans have been identified. They are of two groups. Belobog and the Interastral Peace Cooperation."
The Commissar felt his face sink to a frown. He had only asked about surface-level info from Lynx, so he knew what Belobog was like. A strong and hearty type of people that had defied the rough winds and mutants that stalked this planet, caused by something they called fragmentum. They were people worthy of admiration.
But the Interastral Peace Corporation…
Even the name sent a taste so disgusting that he himself can't stop his own stomach from shaking from utter repulsiveness from just thinking about it.
"Interastral Peace Cooperation, huh?"
Bitter, more bitter than the old recafs stuffed at the bottom of a serf's locker.
'Peace? Really? A corporation that titled itself to peace? How can there be peace?'
Vailor remembers the little tidbits of information Lynx told him, how this so-called peace organization tried to strong-arm Belobog in the past. Not that the Imperium's was better than that, but their name and actions echoed sentiments of that accursed blue xeno empire.
He knew they were a universe-wide organization, so he had no choice but to respect that, but it did not at all temper his disgust. For organizations that titled themselves with peace always held the deepest corruption inside. There can be no peace until all of mankind's enemies are slain by the God-Emperor's hand.
Vailor looked at Gerald. "Go, go on your new duty. You will talk with our visitors. I will come after."
"Yes Sir."
The soldier quickly departed with a salute.
Vailor quietly observed while another Krieger walked towards him. He looked at him with a hidden smile.
"Commissar Sir. Airborne scans and frontline observations report more and more of the so-called Anti-Matter Legion grouping up en masse, with suspected cohesion and strategy in their movements. Artillery plants are already being installed as our airborne attack platforms continuously bog down any formation that grows too big. However, we'd be outnumbered on a planet full of them if what Lynx said is true."
Said the Death Korps Major. Wearing a similar garb to the others of his kind except he was wearing a metal breastplate with a spiked helmet.
"Good report, Major Bastien. I have already realized that the situation here can grow extremely dire. From what Lynx told us, the Antimatter legion consumes entire galaxies. If an army of that strength awakes on this planet, our survival is not guaranteed, and the flagship's fleet still are estimated to arrive in a couple more days, yet we've just arrived here and malevolent armies are already marching. At this time, cooperation with the natives is gold."
Vailor tapped his fingers on the railing, but the way they moved so rhythmically looked like he was calculating something.
"I've let the other commanders know to tell their men to hold their rifles and dig defensive trenches, and the Mechanicus are already building a fort around the ship, as well as slowly warming the barrels of the cruiser's guns, for them to prepare to aim and shoot down in defense, or offense upwards in the sky."
"Upwards, Sir?" Questioned the Major.
"Yes, Upwards. The adepts with the help of the sanctioned psykers have already discovered the massive convoy ships of the IPC. I do not think they're full warships due to their insulting number of armaments, just supply carriers and transports, but who knows what will happen? Anyways, I've taken up too much of your time, Major. Remember to report to me any other new updates. You are dismissed."
The Major nodded but there was little to no emotion in it. And just like much of his kin, he left with a salute and a lack of further questions.
Vailor himself already had his head back on the new pairs of nonimperial aircraft, slowly driving to park themselves on the driveways under the vigilant eyes of the Skitarrii and Guardsmen. He imagines he probably needs to apologize for such a violent first contact for them to even cooperate to take down the waking of the abhorrent legion, but deep down he asks himself, what is there to apologize for?
Vailor felt a feeling of an almost unbearable tension rise in his body. Lynx had told him only a pocket's worth of info about the new universe they found themselves in, but the real discussion was now just right ahead. Although one might say that the way they handled the foreign human aircraft was way too violent and heavy-handed, that was the gentlest shake the Imperium could offer. He could only hope these humans could handle it without too much issue. Besides, they did all that for two simple reasons. Threaten and evaluate.
He quickly wiped his peaked hat again to disturb the infections of snow off and quickly shook his feet and lastly, double-checked his lasgun in his holster. He had some guests to greet after all.
…
Topaz's head moved from side to side as her boots slowly met the metal of the aircraft''s walkway and she moved out from the sliding steel staircase the IPC aircraft had to let its passengers exit when landed. Her eyes looked left and right.
Thousands of gas-masked, rifle-strapped soldiers filled the view like they were imitating a flood and so numerous were their numbers that even at great distances away the eye could see their already suffocating dull grey of a symbolic color like they wanted to compete with the infiniteness of the snow. They were all lined in perfect squares or rectangles and between the lines of each company sometimes had some sort of animal that imitated that of a horse.
Imitate, because it was way larger, way bulkier, and packed with more muscle than some of the other horses she knew, and of course, they'd follow after their owners by having a mask specifically tailored for them. Other parts of the muscled body also were covered by steel plates marked by various symbols that were the same ones found on its rider. Other than the riders and their equally threatening mounts, she found soldiers that had more decorations on their outfits, some bearing gilded caps, sharp spiked helmets, or dark greatcoats with gold epaulets and colored sashes that hung to their shoulders and fell to their waists like robes and some even had curtain-like capes with massive symbols colored. Those must be the officers, she thought.
Gepard then came beside her. His eyes are as sharp as razors.
"It's an entire army. A disciplined one too."
He slowly whispered.
"You got that right."
Olegg, who was the last to come out of the passenger seats of the aircraft immediately let out an unpleasant sigh.
"They don't look all that nice." he groaned. Then his eyes climbed to the sky.
"But that invisible barrier they have going on, it's pretty impressive."
"It is."
Commented Bronya.
"But I agree, they particularly don't look like the type to just accept cooperation without any good reason."
Topaz could hear Gepard quietly taking a deep breath.
"But at least, they haven't pointed their rifles at us, unlike in the sky. Well not yet." He observed.
"Don't worry, as a Stoneheart, if we suddenly get in trouble, I just so happen to have something hidden in my sleeves, but let us not let them hear that!"
As the Silvermane continued to observe the army they were surrounded by, a familiar voice echoed in the chilly air.
"Brother!"
He felt his heart beat raise to a hundred like a sudden echo of a wardrum. He turned around to the voice's direction and immediately met the ambush of a tight squeeze.
"L-Lynx!?" He gasped.
"How- What are you doing here?!"
He said returning the hug.
"Umm, well actually…"
Lynx sighed, before explaining what had happened when the others also came to hear her tale with the visitors.
…
"So yeah, that is what happened. I already explained it to Pela earlier!" She said, pointing at Pela in the distance trying to converse with a red-robed 'techpriest', as said by Lynx, who had already disassembled some parts of the IPC aircraft without permission. The techpriest seemed to be deaf while the little officer was sweating buckets trying to stop him from causing more damage.
Topaz turned back from the sight to stare back at Lynx, still held by her brother's massive bear-like arms.
"Did they hurt you?" Gepard asked softly.
"No, they didn't. Actually, their leader, Commissar Vailor Strevy, as I've said before, seemed umm, at least understanding and senseful?"
She said, looking as if she was struggling with looking for the right words to describe the man.
Her brother understandably sighed and turned back to the endless lines of an army simply standing while they were left alone talking. It was glaringly obvious that they were all paraded here to send a message.
"How much did you say about us?" Asked Bronya, resting her silk-gloved hand on Lynx's equally silky hair.
"Not much, just surface-level stuff."
Topaz smiled at that.
"Now that's a pretty smart move alright?"
The group, which was guarded by both IPC employees and Silvermanes that came from the other aircrafts suddenly called for their attention. Their hands shivering but still tight-gripped on the handles of the weapons they were assigned even in the face of an uncountable army.
"Miss Topaz! Someone's finally coming!"
One said.
The group looked over, and saw one of the gas masked soldiers, his mask lenses like thick crystal was black to the point that no soul could be peeked behind, he was walking in a straight beeline towards them. His head was straight and steady as a statue, and his gaze unquestionable.
"Finally, here they come."
Said Gepard.
"I am numbered as 1701-141404-C. You can call me Gerald. From now on I am Lynx's personal guard."
The little girl's eyes rocked wide open as she recognized the voice, this was the same one that Vailor always had by his side, and the one that saved her from that techpriest named Key. Gepard however, only drew a deep frown on his lip.
"Guard? I am sorry but she needs no other guard than me." He growled.
"This is an order from the Commissar to peacefully reach a cooperative state. As he had now assigned Lynx as the mediator between you and us."
"Mediator?" Questioned Bronya.
"To clarify, Lynx had been assigned as the Mediator between parties. This means that we will not communicate or cooperate without her presence. As such, she is as valuable to us just as she is to you. That means we are also responsible for her protection. If you decline, we will take it as an offense."
The group blankly stared at the soldier, who himself looked like he was staring at nothing at all, then all their gazes dropped to Lynx.
"Mediator? What kind of hooey are they-"
Gepard quickly but gently shut Olegg's mouth and whispered something in his little sister's ear, before he looked back at Gerald.
"Wait, can we talk about this in private?"
The gas-masked soldier did not reply.
"Umm, Sir Gerald?" Gepard looked like he was talking to a wall before the soldier finally replied.
"It is advisable you make it brief."
"Don't worry, it will be."
Nodded Gepard before hurrying his group to near the aircraft, away from most of the foreign soldiers, but not enough for them to drop whispering.
"Lynx, did they tell you any of this?"
"Umm, they didn't, but brother, I don't think it's a good idea to decline!"
"What do you mean? Are you really going to trust these people?"
"Gepard, wait. Let her explain."
"My apologies, Miss Bronya."
"Ummm, well- you see, from the little time I spent with Vailor, or the Commissar, I think he's at least trustworthy."
"Oh? How and why do you think that?"
"Ah, Miss Topaz you're here too… Uh, he's actually been very open on what they are, who they are and what happened to them. But most importantly, what are their intentions."
"Hmm, as the head of Wildfire back in the underground, I know a lot about reading people. I want to see him face to face, to truly confirm his intentions."
"That works, how about let's agree only temporarily first, then when we learn more we can make a move?"
"Good thinking, Miss Topaz. So does that work for you, Gepard?"
"Haaa, fine. A temporary arrangement. That's all. Okay, Lynx?"
"Yes, I understand brother!"
The group all raised their heads and looked for Gerald. He is naturally standing like a statue at the same position he was at before. Looking like he didn't move a planc like he was encased in frigid ice. But even the coldness of ice could not hope to outmatch his eternally unchanged stare.
"Mister Gerald. For now, we accept this proposition." Said Gerald.
"I understand. What name would you prefer to be referred to?"
Gepard cleared his voice, momentarily remembering that they didn't even introduce themselves.
"Ahem! Silvermane captain, Just call me Gepard, I'm here with my Intelligence aide, Pela." He looked at the others. Topaz let Bronya talk first.
"Bronya Rand. Matriarch of Belobog, the leader of the only civilization on this planet."
"And I'm Topaz, a representative and Stoneheart of the Interastral Peace Cooperation. Nice to meet you!"
"Oh, and my name's Olegg."
Gerald took an unsettling amount of time observing each of their faces like he was an appraiser at a pawnshop.
"Noted."
He took one step to turn around.
"The Commissar is waiting for you. Follow me."
…
"Archmagos."
Blaise spoke. The hanging ornaments and decorations of medals of honor and badges of achievement attached to his helmet clanged and dangled like keys when he moved to face the cultist of Mars.
"I do not believe most of your council will accept your decision. If Krieg were to hear this, you would be branded to die."
The multiple steel joints and extensions of Zevas clattered upon hearing what the Colonel said.
"Response. They will not accept it, but it will be a necessary decision. Remember. We are not in our galaxy anymore. You know this true, Colonel of Krieg. This is the only solution for our survival."
The Archmagos' voice of dispersed metal stopped, then in the depths of Zevas' inhuman augmentations, a flesh voice somehow broke out from the mechanical cages to speak out.
"Do not tell me you have forgotten the message of the God-Emperor."
The colonel stared at the Archmagos. The multiple green illuminations of the cultist's eyes reflected on his mask's lenses. He then tapped his fingers, and then something unsettling happened. The colonel laughed. His voice was almost silent, but the rasp of his reaction sounded like a wailing of a starving hyena.
Zevas watched with a more-than-normal attentive focus. He knew the Death Korps were still human, meaning they still were capable of emotion, unlike actual servitors. But he had never expected one of them to let it out like this. Zevas was ancient, and Blaise was under a century, but his thirsting laughter felt like it came from a soul as old and broken as him.
"I understand Archmagos." He finally broke face.
"We are set upon a task that is both difficult and has never been done before."
Blaise pulled his desk drawer, picked a sheathed knife, and gently placed it on top of the desk.
"It is as you said it is. What does the rules of Krieg mean in a place where it cannot be enforced? What of the rules of the Mechanicus? Besides, what are the rules when the God-Emperor Himself does not stand by it?"
"You have reached the same conclusion long ago."
Replied the Archmagos.
"Yes. I first wondered why His greatest sinners were the ones to be chosen for this ideal. For this crusade. And now I still do not know, we were never really made for thinking. But even I can make conjectures."
The Colonel picked and carried the knife in his hands. It was sheathed with an undecorated scabbard. Dull, plain and straight to the point. But there were small letterings carved on one side.
"In life, war. In death, peace. In life, shame. In death, atonement" read Blaise, staring up to the many eyes of the Archmagos. "Here, this knife will contain all that you want. Archmagos." he raised the knife.
One mechadendrite extended from behind, slowly accepting the handle and lifting it to Zevas' many sensors.
"Question. This knife holds information on the Vitae Wombs?"
Blaise nodded.
"Yes. Or at least it was informed to me."
"Question 2. Why is it on this knife?"
"So that it will be hidden. Ever since the fall of Cadia, Krieg had taken note. A planet, no matter how well fortified, how well regarded, could fall at any moment. Whether it's from outside or inside threats, it does not matter. What matters is that the secret of Krieg, the penance of Krieg, would run eternal. Even when the homeworld falls. So hidden databases disguised as knives are given to us, colonels who'd embark on long and far-reaching voyages for centuries. It is an act of preservation, to ensure the secrets would live even if the homeworld, one day, disappears in an instant."
Zevas listened silently. Then slowly, one of his mechadendrites gently enveloped the knife, hiding it from any flesh eyes.
"Gratitude. I will remember this day, Colonel Blaise Harmore."
"There is no need. Though the marches of the forces of Krieg will echo into eternity, we are not limitless. One day, we will have the need to train new soldiers, we are in a foreign universe after all. Only the God-Emperor knows what to expect."
The archmagos nodded, his martian red robes silently whispered as they fluttered.
"But there is one thing I request, Archmagos Zevas."
"Question. What would that be?"
"Before Colonel Jurten died, he said something to archmagos Greel. Now, I will say the same to you."
…
Topaz finally realized that these people would be way more difficult to deal with than anticipated. She and the others, with Pela, who was rescued from the red-robed cyborg they called techpriests, were sitting at a small roofed but open tent on top of a hill overlooking UUS-1, or the warship.
Topaz took mental notes on all that she saw, the inhuman techpriests, the stoic soldiers, she didn't even hesitate to take many silent pictures of their ship. It was way larger in person, so large that it looked more like a massive wall than an arc.
They had prepared a long steel table and chairs for them to sit on, almost like a dining table. Except that the dining table was made of sharp decorated metal with crosses carved, arches built, and symbols designed.
"The Commissar will be here in five minutes time." Gerald announced. Not sitting but standing behind the seat of Lynx.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?"
Gerald glanced at Topaz.
"You may."
Lynx turned her head back, staring befuddled at Gerald.
"Eh? When I tried to ask you questions you didn't answer!"
"Before I had no order to, Miss Lynx." Said the masked man, before focusing on the IPC representative.
"Umm, I just want to ask, why did you attack us in the first place? And why did you stop?"
Gerald thought for a moment, preparing a satisfactory answer. At Least for his standards.
"It is procedure to engage and disarm unknown targets that make it within our boundaries."
"Wait wait wait, surely you could not have just sent a warning?" asked a bewildered Topaz.
"That was our warning. If you were worried, we did not intend to kill. The Commissar said we were here to spread the mercy of the God-Emperor after all."
'It's that God-Emperor character again.'
Topaz thought, she remembered all the religious imagery and symbols that dominated the aesthetics of this new group they encountered like it owned them. Churches, crosses, double-headed eagles.
For negotiations with the upcoming 'Commissar' to work, she just needed to understand who this character of worship is.
"And who is this God-Emperor figure? I mean, I keep seeing his name mentioned or written everywhere. Like in your banners, flags and even your spaceship. Care to enlighten us?"
Gerald stood silent, his mind coming to terms to comprehend the fact that these humans of this universe have absolutely no concept of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Such a thought was like a crime, something wrong, it felt like a lasgun jamming. Simply impossible. But he responded still, not with a blaster but with the sparse knowledge he cultured.
"The God-Emperor of Mankind is the true and only God of all humanity."
The Stoneheart suppressed her desire to scoff. 'A god of humanity huh?' She thought, but doubting that would lead to nothing but conflict. Topaz chose her next words carefully.
"To be honest, I haven't heard of such a figure, can you say more about the God-Emperor?"
The entire group was now focused on their conversation, with Bronya being very interested with focused eyes and Pela holding some sort of device to record his answers. Even Lynx was interested since she remembered the Commissar mentioning the name with such unmatched zeal in his voice.
"The God-Emperor of mankind is the savior and shepherd of all humanity."
Was all that Gerald said, sounding like he was just repeating sermons he had heard in the past to the best of his memory. Topaz, noticing that these stoic soldiers weren't the ones for conversation, decided to dig in deeper.
"I see, but why do you serve him?"
"Because he is the God of Huma-"
"Well, other than that of course!"
Gerald did not speak for a time, simply staring at Topaz straight at the eyes. If there was any emotion in his glare, then they could not see it.
"Uh, was that question too hard for you? If you're unc-"
"I am from the Death Korps of Krieg. So are all the soldiers you see present."
Interrupted Gerald, his voice slowly accentuating each syllable and letter, ingraining to every nonimperial citizen that those words, that name, had meaning.
"What a name." Commented Gepard, shaking his head. "The Death Corps huh?"
Gerald seemed to break his stare with Topaz, instead choosing to have his iconic aimless stare into the distant beyond that seemed to look at nobody and nothing but the body of endless nothingness.
"Many years ago, in my homeplanet of Krieg, my forebears, rebelled against the God-Emperor's rule. In consequence, my planet was razed with the fury of a thousand suns, and in an instant, the earth and air were cursed with eternal poison. The surviving populace pledged loyalty once again. But the past is not so easily forgiven. What was needed was atonement."
The soldier of Krieg finally looked back at the group. His eye lenses looked like they shifted a shade darker.
"Wait, what do you mean by atone?" asked Bronya, her fingers following the shaking of the wind.
"Atonement by giving your life to the God-Emperor. Every single human born in Krieg is born for sacrifice. We are born for war, to die in His name. That is the meaning of atonement." answered Gerald.
Now it was the nonimperial's turn to be silent. Until Bronya hesitantly broke the cold.
"But, if the ones who rebelled were your forebears, then why are you still atoning?"
Questioned the Matriarch, her features a mix of confusion and hidden anger, steadily rising.
"The shame of Krieg is passed down generation after generation. There are trillions of us, and we are all bearers of the original sin. From birth, our lives are already forfeit. For as long as we live, we bring shame to the Imperium and the God-Emperor. So we fight, kill and conquer in his name, for only in death, can we find redemption. That is why we serve Him."
Gerald is a skilled soldier, but unskilled as a human, and yet he still recognized those eyes that the non imperials gave him. He had seen this from other regiments before, they called this emotion pity. But what that means he did not fully understand.
"That's, really not a good way to live, how long have you been fighting young man?" Asked Olegg.
"It has been twenty-three years since my birth. I have been operable and active for seven years."
The old man Olegg's eyes grew so large that his eyeballs might have actually fallen.
"Y-You have been fighting since sixteen years old?"
Gerald, for the first time since they knew him, seemed to slightly tilt his head. Whether it was from the slightest of feelings of amusement or confusion, they would never know.
"Preparatory training and testing starts at birth, but formal education at age four, others more capable at three. All-purpose survival and combat training at age five, and at age fourteen, we are sent to the inhospitable wastelands of Krieg to fight the remnants of the old rebels, forcefully kept alive and active over the years so that we may have live training in realistic combat scenarios. And at sixteen, we would be sent to our first combat mission."
"T-Thats absolutely immoral! You're all basically child soldiers!"
Bronya shouted, unable to contain herself anymore as she quickly stood up from her chair.
"You all seem surprised." Replied Gerald.
"Of course we would be! What about your parents?"
Unexpectedly, the word parent did not fully register in Gerald's mind, like it was a word that he knew the definition of, but never felt in heart. He knew the civilian populace which forged and maintained some tools back in Krieg had parents, but for him? He found it better to completely ignore that question. Instead responding to her first reaction.
"You do not understand."
"Don't understand what?"
"You do not understand how great the sin is. You do not understand how great the shame is. You do not understand that I am not a man but a bearer of consequence. You do not understand anything and yet you assume so much." Gerald looked slightly and moved his head to stare at the foreign sun of Belobog, finally starting to set down as darkness slowly hung down to contest the light of the transportable gothic lumen-banks and gothic ceremonial torches.
"But you do not have to. There is no need. This atonement is ours alone. You are not bound to understand. So do not worry. Do not pity. Everything is going as it should. All is well."
The Krieger turned his head, looking at someone coming their way.
"He is here. Compose yourselves."
Then Gerald walked away to the entrance of the tent, and with his hands on his back, he waited. Bronya sighed, trying to hold back a difficult expression from forming, she forced herself to calm down, sitting back in preparation for the dark-suited figure fast approaching. She looked at Pela.
"Uh, Miss Bronya, I got all that on the recorder." Bronya nodded in satisfaction.
"We'll talk about all that later, I think that's our so-dreaded Commissar." commented Topaz.
The non-imperials turned their heads to look in the direction of the Commissar, already eye-catching in appearance and in form.
"That man, the way he postures himself. He's a veteran." whispered Gepard.
"Yes. A killer for sure." Agreed Olegg.
"Topaz, have you dealt with men like him before?" Asked Bronya.
"Ehh, if you mean military officers, then yeah? But honestly, after hearing Gerald's story, who knows what he's gonna be like."
"Uh, Lynx, this is the man you call trustworthy?" asked the spectacled intelligence officer.
"Hey, I mean, kinda?" Pela shook her head at Lynx's description. He did not look trustworthy at all.
And that man was now mere meters away, and in a second's breath, Gerald switched to a salute.
"Commissar Vailor Strevy!"
The peaked-hatted man smiled underneath his mask. "Follow me." He said, then gazed at his guests.
"Before we talk, let me just remove this dreaded mask off." Vailor sat his peaked cap on the table for everyone to scrutinize its deadly detail while he removed the gas mask, strands of salt and pepper hair leaking out as he lifted out the bondage.
"You see, I'm not from Krieg. So I'm not beholden to their culture, not obliged to wear this thing, but I still do when I can to connect with them." The Commissar laughed, looking at Gerald while he handed the mask to him to carry for the moment.
The Commissar took back the cap of golden skull wings from the table and donned it back on his old aged hair.
It was only then did the nonimperials finally get to see a human face from these people, that wasn't mixed with augmetics or covered by masks. He was aged, wrinkles and scars that dwelled in his rough desert-like skin transformed his rigid and sharp face to look like scarred rock but one could still see the great vitality hidden beneath. Black and white both existed in harmony not only on his hair but also on his surprisingly well-kept beard and clean thin mustache. His amber eyes, though just a single pair, seemed to lock gazes with each and every single nonimperial in the room.
"I am Commissar Vailor Strevy of the Imperium of Man. How about you? My dear guests?"
The nonimperials mentally took note of the name, "Imperium of Man" before introducing themselves.
"Bronya Rand, Matriarch of Belobog."
"Gepard. Head of the Silvermane Guard on Belobog."
"Lynx, uhh, sister of Gepard!"
"Pela, intelligence officer of Belobog."
"Olegg."
"And I'm Topaz of the Interastral Peace Cooperation, I am one of its stonehearts and also its representative."
Vailor nodded at the end of their introduction.
"Thank you, I believe we have a lot to discuss. But before that, I must apologize for the intense greeting in the air."
"At the very least, none of us are harmed."
Spoke Gepard.
"Gerald already explained why. Procedure he said. We will let it pass, this time only. Any more of these, procedures after this point, we will not take it with kind. I hope you will remember that." snarled Gepard.
Vailor laughed. "Yes, yes. I understand."
He stretched his neck while sitting, cracking it with one arm.
"Anyways, enough of useless apologies. We have a lot to discuss. So I'll start. First off, we know nothing about this universe." his voice was slow and intoned.
Topaz gave him a strange look.
"What do you mean by nothing?"
"Absolutely nothing is what I mean by nothing. Well maybe not a complete zero percent, but very close to it."
The nonimperials all looked at each other, Pela making sure her recording device was hidden, before Topaz inquired again.
"Why?" She said, calculating the possible answer in her own head.
'Did they live like hermits before and only left now? Or did the actions of the Astral Express finally lead them to be able to leave their system without worrying about the walls of the Tidal Zones?' All good guesses, however, the real answer the man gave caught her completely off guard.
Vailor smiled.
"We are from another universe."
He simply stated. Like a man unaware of what the consequences would be of revealing such information. Or maybe he did know, and he was merely unafraid.
"W-What?" Topaz stammered, and Vailor sighed.
"Yes, we didn't expect to be teleported into another universe, but the God-Emperor had sent us here for a great mission. But for that mission to be fulfilled, we must know more about the space we now inhabit."
Topaz looked to be the most affected of all the nonimperials. Her eyes are as wide as coffee tables and her hands are shivering.
"O-Oh what?, Qlipoth above… Do you have any evidence to prove that?"
The Commissar raised an eyebrow.
"Evidence? Hmmm, no, not so far. That might be difficult. But, if we share our knowledge then there may be things we can show you to prove it."
Topaz squeezed her eyelids in deep thought. 'What is something that another universe may have, but we don't?' she struggled to think. 'Wait, I got it!"
Her eyes reopened, showing a glint of a conclusion formed.
"How does space travel work in your universe? Or your ships?"
Vailor slightly slacked on the backrest of his chair to formulate a concise answer.
"Space travel you say? Well, it's a process, you go to space and travel wherever you wish. But of course, that would take millions of years, even if you're going at sub-light speed. So we need to travel faster than light can, and for that we use Warp Travel. A type of travel where we break open the fabric of reality to traverse in the realm of the Immaterium, with using the Immaterium as a shortcut, almost like a wormhole, with the Astronomican as a guide, we can traverse great distances that would've taken light a billion years to simple months, maybe even days. As for our ships, they are all equipped with engines, warp drives and guided by astropaths and navigators, to safely travel in the Immaterium."
Topaz was slack-jawed. In all her life, she did not expect to encounter literal living proof that a universe outside the boundary of the Imaginary Tree existed face to face. Because it did look like he was telling the truth. 'Their warp travel seems to be very different from our warp jumps, and what in The Preservation's name is the Immaterium?'
Vailor laughed. "You looked shocked, young girl. What is so different about space travel in this universe?"
"W-Well, umm- you see, here the Imaginary Tree, it- well, it separates systems and spaces into leaves, making most space travel impossible as they are uhh, separated, yeah."
Topaz was an excellent speaker, but the shock of meeting a one-of-a-kind individual still rang in her brain like a drum cymbal never calming. She immediately caught the unprofessionalism in her speech, and worked hard to fix it.
"And, usually the only way for travel, is to have an emanator, blessed by the Aeons to break the walls that separate space, or traverse the Star Rail, which an Aeon of long ago constructed. That is the only way of travel in space."
"Interesting." Said Vailor, brushing his beard. "Then we shall bring you great and revolutionary technology, but I must ask because I am very curious, what is an Aeon?"
Topaz felt her heart skip a beat. These people from whatever universe they came from were very religious and worshipped a God-Emperor, who apparently was powerful enough to teleport His soldiers beyond universes! Whoever this God was, he was surely mighty, but right now that didn't matter. What mattered was that they were extremely dogmatic, religious and zealous! From Lynx's recount, they apparently had zombie slaves they called servitors made up of the faithless, though she hadn't seen one yet, she believed the words that came from Gepard's younger sister. So she was anxious, unprepared and unwilling to see what kind of erratic reactions they'd portray when they realized this universe had their own deities that most people worship. She herself could be counted as one of them after all.
"Miss Topaz?"
"My apologies, I uhh, was still preoccupied with thinking about your unseen and majestic way of travel."
"I see, this makes me all the more interested in what an Aeon is."
Topaz internally sighed when he didn't take the bait to switch the topic.
"An Aeon is a mysterious, high-dimensional being that exists within this universe. With their almost infinite power, they were considered as gods that manipulated reality like paper, and also they gave rise to a path in which they preside over. And that path, people can follow, and the more they are devoted to a path, they have the possibility of being granted blessings by the path or Aeon THEMSELVES."
Vailor stopped brushing his beard. He stared at Topaz and let seconds fly as a tear of sweat ran down the Stoneheart's neck.
"Hmm." Hummed Vailor. "Interesting. How many of them are there? Is it four?"
"Four?" Topaz shook her head, but mentally noted the utterly specific number.
"Actually, there are eighteen of them that we know."
Vailor nodded. Neutral in gaze.
"Have you ever heard of chaos, Miss Topaz?"
"Chaos? What do you mean?"
"Nevermind then, what are these Aeons like, do they yearn for the destruction of humanity?"
"It varies, because as I said, they preside over paths, and those paths are different. For example, the path of the destruction led by the Aeon Nanook, seeks to destroy all life, while the path of the preservation, led by the Aeon Qliphoth, concerns THEMSELVES with preserving life, and protecting worlds."
Breathed Topaz, trying to give her Aeon the best name possible.
"That is certainly interesting, at the very least, some don't seek the annihilation of man."
Vailor said, tapping his boots on the floor. This almost made Topaz sigh in relief, unfortunately, Vailor was not finished talking.
"Still, all of them and their followers are surely deserving of the God-Emperor's grand judgment."
Topaz felt a sting in her being. Would this be the end of any possible negotiations? When they found out that they too worship these Aeons? But she really needed to investigate those warp engines of theirs, technology that might be capable of traversing and surpassing the limitations of the Imaginary Tree without the need for an Aeon's power. A power like that could force the armies of the uncountable empires of the universe to march. That kind of power over space travel was godlike, not even a member of the Genius Society had been able to make an alternate way of travel without the use of Imaginary Energy before!
"But, I also understand that this universe had never seen the light of the God-Emperor before, so do not worry Topaz. I am not blind to reason. You have a good poker face, but I can see your anxiety underneath. Fortunately, we have come in peace. For now, at least."
Topaz could finally sigh in relief, but she couldn't, she didn't. This man before her had somehow seen through her after all. That's not something a Stoneheart should ever allow. Especially in negotiations like this situation.
"So, Commissar Vailor Strevy."
Started Bronya, "What do you plan to do going forward? You are not from this universe after all, so how about we start off helping each other, understanding each other to achieve our goals?"
Vailor presented a slick smile to the Matriarch, his mouth opened, but before he could respond, a loud, spiteful explosion thundered through and rumbled the earth of the tent they were sitting in like an earthquake.
A Macrocannon of the Hall of Annihilation had been resurrected back from its stasis to a life of fire and hate.
Gepard looked out of the tent to see the deep ash smoking above the end of one of the supermassive barrels, and turned to glare at Vailor.
"Your ship! What in the world are you
attacking!" He shouted.
Gerald stepped closer and whispered something to the Commissar.
"Do not misunderstand, didn't I say we come in peace? Our forces are simply looking after yours."
"What?"
"You see, those frozen dregs had somehow escaped their prisons of ice and had started walking, so we are simply taking care of them in your stead."
"Frozen dregs?" Asked Gepard, unsure of what the Commissar was referring to, until he felt a tap on his side. It was Pela, his aide, and her face held one of such a great horror that did not belong to someone like her.
"What is it?" he asked his intelligence officer.
"S-Sir Gepard!" She said, "Current reports from Belobog report an army of the Antimatter Legion marching through the restricted zones! Antimatter Legion troops!"
…
(A/N)
the death korps have been portrayed in many different ways like how the cain books have a different, more human krieg to steve lyons inhuman krieg, so my krieg is just inspired by those different versions but are turned to best fit what i like (and meme
as for the aircraft dog fight scene, we got no info about ipc aircraft in hsr and wh40k aircraft jets are very inconsistent and doesent make sense at all in lore (just like army/regiment/population numbers)
so i just made stuff up to best suit the story (and what i like)
honkai cosmology is needlessly complicated
part 2 of the side story will release very soon