WARHAMMER DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. MASS EFFECT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. I WAS TRYING TO BUILD MY OWN BATTLE BARGE, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE HUGE. I GOT BORED AND WANDERED OFF.
Bit of a random comment, and it's a little late, but have you guys seen the new Sisters of Battle models? Holy Terra, they look amazing!
Star-Bound
Chapter 10
Purpose
"I'm telling you, I'm fine," Shepard assured for what felt like the hundredth time. "I'm just tired."
"I am sure, Your Holiness," Rex said affably, "but you are the face of this Crusade. To lose you would stop this endeavor in its tracks."
"And I promise to be more careful," Shepard said, gently but firmly. "But I also won't stand by and let people die because I did nothing."
Rex bowed his head respectfully, accepting the Saint's words. "As you say, Your Holiness. Still, news of your victory on the surface has boosted morale throughout the Crusade."
Shepard smiled at that; after the battle on Prospero, she had been taken back to the Vehemence to finish recovering. That had been almost three days ago, and the entire Crusade had celebrated for the first two; Shepard was just happy that her decisions had been vindicated.
After the partying, Shepard had personally led a memorial service for those who had lost their lives in the battle. Almost six thousand soldiers had died on the surface, and another ten thousand had been killed in space, including the crews of two escort vessels that had been lost with all hands. Other ships in the fleet had suffered damage, but thanks to Dartan's strategic acumen, the losses were far less than they could have been, and the Mechanicus was swarming over the damaged vessels to repair them.
Now, Shepard was almost done with the after-action matters. Thankfully, she had plenty of adepts who handled the paperwork for her—something she'd been unable to escape in two universes—and mostly just did the meet-and-greet. She did make a point of meeting with the officers, though it required taking shuttles to their transport vessels, who had gone down to Prospero with her, with mixed results.
Helmin was the only one she met aboard the Vehemence, and he was less boisterous than usual; he explained that while he did not shy away from sending soldiers into battle, he always took a few days to mourn their sacrifice. He did, however, promise that he would be back to his old self by the time the Crusade was ready to carry on. Shepard didn't patronize him with empty words, but she did share a glass of wine with him in honor of the fallen.
Commander Sren was stoic as ever, though he did thank her for accepting his regiment into her Crusade. If he showed less grief than anyone else, it was likely because the Redcowls had suffered almost no casualties in the battle, while killing thousands of Tzaangors that tried to fight their way through waves of promethium.
Colonel Klinner had to be regarded with some patience; Shepard spent almost five minutes just trying to get the woman to stop kneeling and just talk to her. The Eleventh Vigilant Guard had taken the brunt of the casualties on the ground, but they were prepared to take on replacements when they arrived at Vigilus, which the Crusade would return to before heading out again.
Commander Rand was in a fairly good mood when Shepard found him. His tanks had taken a fearsome toll on the Chaos forces, though he mentioned that it was a long ways off before the books were balanced between the sons of Cadia and the traitors.
Shepard almost didn't visit the Duranian Rangers—not because she thought they had performed badly in the battle, but because they were still reeling from a change in leadership. Despite his words, Borran had been unable to comprehend Chaos for what it truly was, and his mind had snapped. At first, Shepard thought he might have been afflicted by some mind-sorcery, but her powers did nothing to repair Borran's shattered psyche. He had simply gone mad. Reluctantly, Shepard allowed a Commissar to put the man out of his misery, and elected Captain Losvor to take command. He was still young, but reports suggested that he had fought well in the battle, and he'd kept his senses; Shepard was sure he'd be promoted soon.
The last of Shepard's visits was Riona. Despite her injuries, the Duchess-Colonel was in high spirits when Shepard found her in her regiment's infirmary.
"Ah, Your Holiness!" Shepard quickly restrained her before she reopened her wound. "Had I known you were coming, I would have made myself presentable."
"It's fine," Shepard said. "You're the prettiest injured person I've ever met."
Riona made a show of turning up her nose. "Of course I would be. How could I be anything less?"
Shepard chuckled. "It's good to see that you're on the mend. I'd hate to lose you so soon after becoming friends."
Finally, Riona was caught flatfooted. "I… we're friends?"
"I'd like to be," Shepard said. "You're the kind of person I like to call my friend. Besides," Shepard's voice took on a mock-teasing tone, "if you become my friend, you'll get dibs on being the first artillery unit on the ground whenever I need the big guns."
"Ah, so that's what it is." Riona grinned. "And here I thought you were taken in by my charm."
Shepard returned the smile, then surprised Riona by tapping her nose. "Nah, I've met more charming."
"Impossible!" The two women laughed, but Riona quickly sobered. "Your Holiness, I don't know if I've already said this, but thank you for rescuing my people. Many of them are distant relatives, and I hate to lose family."
"Happy to help," Shepard said, and then chuckled when she saw Riona's eyes begin to flutter closed. "Get some rest, okay? I want you back in the field when I need the big guns again."
"As you command…" Riona mumbled, and then fell asleep.
Shepard glanced at the medic who had just administered painkillers. "She is going to be okay, right?"
The man nodded. "She suffered a severe laceration and lost a fair amount of blood, but she will recover, Your Holiness."
"Good." Shepard stood up and stretched, wincing at the dull pain from her own injury. "I think I'm going to take my own advice and get some sleep. Have someone contact me if the Duchess-Colonel's condition worsens."
With that done, Shepard made her way to a shuttle that would take her back to the Vehemence. She had one more meeting she had to make, and then she would allow herself to rest.
…
She was back in the forest, just a few steps away from the clearing. With her cane in hand, she slowly walked past the trees and found Revelation, right where he'd been before. Unlike last time, the fire had more life to it; it was still small, and barely provided any heat, but it was better than smoldering embers.
"I'm back," she said, and sat down across from Revelation.
The old man nodded, but didn't look away from the flames he continued to poke with his stick. "You were successful, I take it?"
Shepard grimaced. "I found a feather in a jar. Was it worth thousands of lives lost?"
"In truth? I do not know." Revelation huffed in a way that might have once been a laugh. "It points to one of my lost sons. He vanished shortly after Horus fell at my hand."
"A Primarch?" Shepard was shocked. "How does finding one not make things better?"
"Because of his role." Revelation's expression grew stony. "The Thirteenth is a brilliant strategist and administrator, the most valuable of traits in this dark age. The Seventh was a master builder and an unwavering bulwark against the blackest of nights, and would have made the Imperium's defense strong enough to weather the storm. The Ninth…" For a moment, Shepard could see the deepest sadness in Revelation's eyes. "The Ninth was a source of hope where none would dare. His mere presence would have given Humanity the strength to fight against the darkness. But the Nineteenth is none of those. He is vengeance from the shadows, a storm of focused rage, grief, and self-recrimination. He can win battles, that much I know, but can he win a war like this? It was never his purpose, yet I have found his shadow before any others; only time will tell if he can change anything."
"I'll find him," Shepard promised. "Even if he isn't the best choice, the Imperium needs every advantage it can get."
"You speak the truth," Revelation admitted readily. "I know he will be useful, just not on a large scale. Perhaps his brother will find the best place for him."
Shepard frowned; the way Revelation spoke of the Primarchs made it seem like he didn't think they were human. If anything, other than the mention of the Ninth, he almost seemed indifferent. A part of her wanted to call him out on that, but even though he appeared as an old man, Shepard knew that he could snuff out her life in an instant. She held her tongue, but made a note to confront him if he crossed a line.
"You had other questions?" Revelation asked.
"A few," Shepard said. "Why me?"
"Pardon?"
"Why did you choose me?" Shepard elaborated. "I still can't fully grasp how large the Imperium is, but there have to be billions of people more worthy than me. You could have just let me die."
Revelation was silent for a long moment, only staring at the flames and poking at them with his stick. "It was never about worth."
"Come again?"
"You are right; there are billions of souls across the Imperium who are more worthy to have this power." Shepard couldn't help but feel a tiny bit hurt at those words, even if she'd already believed them. "But your worth was not a factor. It was the artifact you searched for in your past. You absorbed part of its energy, and though you gave it up to save your world from the Primordial Annihilator, a small echo of it remained. I merely fueled that spark, much like you did here, before. If anyone else had had that power, I would have helped them."
"So, you're just saying that I got lucky." Shepard laughed bitterly. "Story of my life."
"Indeed." Revelation raised an eyebrow when Shepard looked at him. "I have seen into your mind. For a mortal, you've led an interesting life."
Shepard rolled her eyes. "If even half the things said about you are true, then the Reapers would have been a footnote in the Great Crusade."
"Possibly." Revelation tried to sound modest, but Shepard saw through it.
For a while, they sat in silence, until Shepard noticed that the fire was dimming a little. Without putting much thought into how her actions actually affected things, she got to her feet—and suppressed a groan as her old joints ached—and walked over to a nearby tree. After a few tugs, she tore off a low branch and brought it back to the fire. Revelation watched, wide-eyed like before, as Shepard fed pieces of wood into the flame.
"I'm not sure you are aware of just what you are doing," he said.
"Maybe not," Shepard replied with a shrug as she sat down and held out her hands, "but I'm getting warmer. I'm old here, and my joints hate the cold."
Revelation chuckled. "As do mine, so you have my thanks." His expression then grew somber. "I know you have other questions."
"I do."
"Well, we have more time than before. Let me tell you a story…"
…
Shepard awoke in her quarters; like before, she was shaking, but it nothing to do with her exhaustion. Instead, she was trembling under the weight of what had been revealed to her.
The Emperor's bargain with the Chaos Gods, and His attempt to betray them, all in an effort to save humanity.
The Unification War, and then the Great Crusade, and all the triumphs and tragedies those wars contained.
The betrayal of Horus, and eight other Primarchs.
The deaths of loyal sons, and the death of the Emperor's dream for the Imperium.
Throughout His tale, the Emperor had revealed to Shepard His own arrogance. He had thought that His mere presence would wipe away any corruption in the Primarchs the Chaos Gods might have left in them. He had been wrong, and His mistake had doomed humanity to a slow death.
But, for the first time in over ten thousand years, the Emperor had hope. Shepard's power had inspired Him to come up with a new plan; her connection to the Emperor had the unexpected side-benefit of a connection to the surviving loyal Primarchs. The first step of the plan was finding them; each of the survivors would be paramount to shoring up the Imperium's defenses long enough for the second stage.
The only thing Shepard objected to was not being told what the second stage of the plan actually was. The Emperor didn't tell her, on the grounds that His hope was tempered by ten millennia of disappointment. He was honest enough to admit that He didn't want to get Shepard's hopes up either, because there was a high chance that she would die long before even the first step was complete.
Thinking about that made Shepard laugh weakly. "First I had to find those shards, now I have to find a bunch of demigods. Well, at least I'm moving up in the world." She took a long, shuddering breath, and then looked up at the ceiling. "I wonder what you'd say about this, Gregor. I imagine you'd be excited for such a noble quest, right? And then you'd scold me for trying to take on all the responsibility myself."
Saying that out loud made her frown. "Well, I'm not going to do that. These guys believe in the Emperor; I can trust the officers, or at least the war council. I can trust that they won't betray the Emperor. I have to trust them; I can't think I can do everything myself." She smiled. "Thanks for that, Gregor; I love you too."
…
When Shepard called the war council together the next day, she didn't give a reason, only that she had something important to say. Rex and Blaise practically ran into the room in their eagerness; it reminded Shepard of David and Eleanor when they were children, and it almost made her laugh. Dartan was escorted by Helmin and Vils, while Zandtus and Xem-Beta were last.
"First of all, I want to thank you for coming on such short notice," Shepard said as they took their seats.
"You are a Living Saint, blessed by the Emperor, beloved by all," Rex replied. "It is our duty to come when called."
Shepard took a deep breath. "About the Emperor. Yesterday… I spoke with Him."
A tank could have driven through the wall, and no one would have taken their eyes off Shepard. Even Xem-Beta's constantly clicking optics froze.
"You…" Rex looked like he was about to start hyperventilating. "You spoke with the God-Emperor?"
"I did," Shepard confirmed, her voice quiet and composed. "He explained some of His actions in the past, His reasoning… and he told me why we came all the way to Prospero for this." She lifted the jar containing the feather off her lap and placed it on the table. "This is the first step in a larger plan."
Everyone stared at the feather, even as it occasionally flickered out of existence.
"It feels… familiar," Zandtus, who had yet to see it in person, said. "I cannot explain why."
"I can." Shepard leaned forward. "Think of this feather as a compass, but it leads to a person, not a place. Specifically, it leads to Corvus Corax."
Zandtus wasn't wearing his helm, so Shepard could see the naked shock on his face. She wasn't surprised; after all, the Necropolis Hawks were successors to the Raven Guard Legion, the sons of Corax.
"He lives?" Rex trembled in his seat. "Another son of the God-Emperor yet lives?"
"Yes," Shepard confirmed. "And he's just the first. The Emperor is looking for the others, but for now, we're looking for Corax, and—Zandtus, what are you doing?"
The Chapter Master had fallen to one knee, and his head was bowed. "Saint Shepard, I hereby swear my Chapter to your service. We will dedicate ourselves to you above all others, save the Emperor, if it means finding our father."
For a moment, Shepard wanted to refuse; she hated the idea of people bowing to her. But the Emperor had told her how dedicated the Astartes were to their 'fathers', and even the chance of reuniting with their Primarch was something most Chapters would jump at. So, instead of wincing, Shepard put on her most patient smile and walked over to Zandtus.
"I accept your oath," she said quietly, and placed a hand on Zandtus' shoulder; she ignored the fact that, even kneeling and with his head bowed, Zandtus was almost as tall as her. "As long as you accept mine—I will help you find your Primarch."
Once they returned to their seats, Helmin spoke up. "Your Holiness, what is our next destination?"
"For now? We're going back to Vigilus." Shepard could tell that everyone was disappointed, but continued. "Our ships took damage in the battle, and I'd rather we be at one hundred percent before heading out again. We fought in Imperium Sanctus this time, but we might not be so lucky again."
"Saint Shepard is right," Dartan said. "I trust the ministrations of the Mechanicus elements of the Crusade, but the full attentions of a shipyard will speed up repairs dramatically."
"The High Admiral is correct," Xem-Beta added. "Even at full capacity, our fleet would only match sixty-eight-point-three-three percent of the Vigilus shipyards."
"We should also look at replacing the soldiers lost on the surface," Shepard put in mildly. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of volunteers, especially after word spreads that we defeated a Chaos fleet, and kept them away from a valuable prize."
Vils crossed his arms. "Wouldn't it be strange if we had to start turning people away from a Crusade? I mean, they have to keep some soldiers on Vigilus, don't they?"
Most of the war council laughed at that.
"There is something else I want to address," Shepard said when everyone calmed down. "And this is something from me—not as a Living Saint, not as a messenger from the Emperor, not even as the leader of this Crusade.
"Before I came to Vigilus… I was ready to die. Everyone I'd ever cared about was long dead, or didn't need me anymore. I'll admit that I was angry that the peace I wanted was taken from me when I was made a Saint. But I had to remind myself that just giving in was never who I was, even at my lowest. More than that, as long as I have people and a cause to fight for, I will fight. I have that cause now, but will you fight with me? Not because of your faith, or because of duty, but because it's the right thing to do."
For a moment, there was silence; then, Vils stood up. "From now until the end, I will fight with you… Shepard."
Helmin rose and flashed a winning smile. "After such a speech, how can I say no? You have my service, Shepard."
"I've already sworn my allegiance, but your humility is inspiring." Zandtus brought his right fist over his chest, a gesture Shepard recognized as a Unification Wars-era salute. "I will fight at your side."
"An interesting request," Xem-Beta said; his optic clicked rapidly as he studied her. "You are a fascinating subject. I will continue to aid you and your Crusade."
"You called, and I answered," Dartan said with the smile of a proud grandfather. "My ships will sail at your command, and I will not let you down."
There was a pause, and everyone looked at Rex and Blaise; the latter kept her feelings hidden behind an impassive mask, but the former frowned.
"My allegiance has always been to the God-Emperor first," Rex said.
"I'm not asking you to forsake that," Shepard replied. "I'm not even asking you to fight for me. I'm asking you to fight with me."
Rex considered that for a moment, then nodded and rose to his feet. "You have shown bravery in the face of the enemy, and compassion for those who fight and bleed alongside you. If you are not worth calling a comrade, then no one is."
Shepard smiled, and then looked at Blaise. "And what about you, Temperance?"
Blaise stood up and walked over to Shepard. "I would be proud to call you comrade, friend, and sister. If you need me, I shall be there; whatever you need, it shall be done."
With that, the war council as adjourned. Shepard returned to her quarters with the satisfaction of meeting not just with allies, but with friends. As she prepared for bed, she thought about something Blaise had said.
'It shall be done', Shepard mused. I like the sound of that.
…
Three weeks later, the Shepard Crusade emerged from the Warp within the Vigilus system. As Shepard had expected, there was fanfare and celebration as soon as it was announced that they were returning from a successful campaign. She was quick to send a request for repairs for the fleet, more supplies, and reinforcements, all of which was granted within days of their arrival.
It was at this time that Imperial historians would note that the first instance of the Crusade's motto began appearing at the end of every message. It was a simple, four-word statement, yet it would come to represent the very soul of the Crusade. In the years ahead, those four words would drive every soldier to feats of heroism in the face of impossible odds. That statement would herald the salvation of Imperial worlds, and the death-knell of humanity's enemies.
It Shall Be Done.
So, yeah, a really short chapter today. Sorry it took as long as it did, but it's mostly a wrap-up to the start of the Shepard Crusade. Also, I've been really busy lately, and will continue to be busy for the next few weeks, so I thought I'd at least give you guys something.
I wanted to emphasize something that Shepard has always done in Mass Effect, at least when I play: Shepard's crew often fights for their commander as much as they fight for their mission. However, this is Warhammer, so no one's going to ditch the Emperor for her, even if she is a Living Saint. So Shepard asked them to fight with her—not a Saint, just Alexia Shepard. I didn't want her to start buying her own hype, but I still wanted her to keep the charisma that managed to win over the likes of Jack, Miranda, Grunt and Javik.
As always, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. There's a link in my profile, or you can look it up on Amazon. It's in both physical and digital format, so you can enjoy it either way! You can also be awesome and support me on P-atreon, and help me on my quest to one day write fan fiction all day long, without having to worry about things like having a home to live in.
And now, a shout-out to my patrons:
Serious Muffins: CrazySith87, jafr86, SpaceEmperorSpar, Nimrod009, Anders Lyngbye, Krisjanis Jansons, Matthias Matanovic, ChaosSpartan575, Alexis Troy, John Collins, Calleo, Casey Pak, The Big What If, Red Bard
Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, michaelb958, Crazyman844, Jaeger456, killroy225, Brian McGloughlin
Ultra Muffins: Adam Costello, Jeffrey Perigo, Matthew Bunting, RangersRoll
Next Chapter: Time-skip! The Crusade marches on, while Shepard searches for the most shadowy of the Emperor's loyal sons…
Do you feel that, Xeno? That is the Muffin against your throat.