MASS EFFECT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. WARHAMMER DOES NOT BELONG TO ME. I WISH I WAS A SPACE DWARF, BUT I CAN'T GROW A GOOD BEARD. AND I CAN'T GET TO SPACE.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Shepard isn't allowed to relax for too long.

Star-Bound

Chapter 40

Unbound

"Hello, my friend."

Shepard leaned back in a much more comfortable chair than the last time she'd been here. "How are you doing? I know Magnus was hitting you pretty hard."

Revelation took his eyes off the fire and smiled. "At first, it was painful, but once you ended his spell, I recovered all the strength I lost, and then some. My gaze pierces through more parts of the Great Rift, and I can help banish more of the Great Enemy's minions on worlds once lost to shadow."

"Sounds like you're back with a vengeance," Shepard said.

"Not quite," Revelation admitted. "In some ways, I am stronger than I have been in an age, for I am more conscious of my actions. In other ways, I am still weakened. My power in what my son calls Imperium Sanctus is all but inviolate, but the only worlds I can easily protect on the other side are those closest to the rift."

Shepard sighed. "But we still have so many other problems. Guilliman told me that that virus is working well against the Tyranids, but they're still a serious threat. The Orks are everywhere, and I keep hearing horror stories about the Necrons. And even with Magnus dead, there are a whole lot of traitors out there, causing us grief."

Revelation nodded. "Each of these threats is grave, but our enemies are just as likely to fight each other as us. There is much work yet to do, but the Imperium is no longer on the verge of collapse. Be proud of that, my friend."

"I'll try." Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You're a lot more direct these days, you know that?"

"Am I?" Revelation actually looked smug. "With my power returning, I no longer need to dance around certain subjects. The wolves are kept at bay by the walls of this place. Someday, it may stop being a cabin, and become a true palace."

"Yeah, with lots of marble and gold, where people can come and bow before the giant guy with shining powers… you get where I'm going with this?"

"So you have said before, Alexia. I… have been in a situation like this once before. I absorbed so much power that I was on the verge of becoming the very thing I sought to destroy. I gave it up then, because a human, not a god, had to destroy my wayward son." Revelation sighed. "But things are different now. This is as much a war of ideas as it is armies. In order to protect the Imperium, I must fight my enemies at an equal level."

"That's something you don't want to do." Shepard noted. "Do you know how to defeat those enemies and not, you know, become an unfeeling god?"

Revelation's smile returned. "That, my friend, is part of the plan, one of the few things I must keep to myself. But we are getting closer, I promise. When you find what is so important about what your dead friend discovered, I believe I will have everything I need."

Shepard scowled; when Revelation started acting mysterious, she knew she wouldn't get anything more from him. "Anything else you need?"

Revelation nodded. "The time has come to find another of my sons. For too long has the Dragon been in hiding. It is time for his sons to complete their task, and be reborn in fire."

…

"That's the last thing He said," Shepard finished, and held up the wayfinder; gone was the eagle's feather, replaced by a green scale that spun lazily. "The next Primarch we have to find is Vulkan."

"The Primarch of the Salamanders," Rex said solemnly, his organic eye closed. "There are apocryphal tales within the Ecclesiarchy of how the Lord of Drakes stood by the Golden Throne at humanity's darkest hour."

"Those tales are largely true," Darius cut in. "There are records held by the Custodes of Vulkan safeguarding an emergency procedure laid down by the Master of Mankind."

Helmin tapped his chin in thought. "If I recall from my studies, Lord Vulkan sacrificed himself during the War of the Beast to save Terra. I do not doubt the commands of the God-Emperor, but how is he still alive?"

"No idea," Shepard admitted, "but the Emperor seemed pretty confident that Vulkan wasn't dead. He hasn't been wrong yet."

"To suggest so would be heresy," Rex said to Helmin, a warning in his tone.

"I mean no offense," Helmin said, hands raised to his chest. "I was mostly just curious how Lord Vulkan survived." He turned to Shepard. "Speaking of which—Your Holiness, what is our next step?"

Everyone knew Helmin was trying to change the subject to avoid Rex's ire, and Shepard took pity on him. "First, I'd like to double-check that our forces are ready. We took a lot of losses when we fought Magnus."

"The fleet is ready as it ever will be," Dartan said proudly. "Every battlegroup has been running readiness drills, and the reports say that every vessel is ready for war."

Helmin grinned. "After eight months, I can safely say that our Militarum regiments are at full strength, and have enough supplies for any campaign. The veterans have even stopped grumbling about the raw recruits. Will wonders never cease?"

"The Order of the Iron Tears stands ready," Blaise said, a gleam in her organic eye. "We are eager to continue the God-Emperor's plan."

"All Mechanicus assets are at optimal readiness," Xem-Beta said; Shepard was still getting used to the large treads that replaced his lower half, but Xem-Beta seemed inordinately proud of his ascension, so Shepard held her tongue. "We are ready to deploy."

The three Chapter Masters shared a glance, and then Phoros spoke for all of them. "Our Chapters are all at full strength, or close to it."

Shepard smiled. "All right, tell everyone we'll be shipping out soon… as soon as, you know, I find out where we're going."

…

Ever since becoming the bearer of the Shepard Banner, Hiral had become a figure of renown throughout the Crusade. He was a veteran now, and was used to Guardsmen venerating him—not that he didn't find it strange—but there was something off-putting when Space Marines showed him genuine respect. It was even more unsettling when Captain Torlim of the Necropolis Hawks volunteered to escort him through the Black Necropolis after a strategy meeting. True, the captain was part of the escort for Shepard and Helmin, but he made a conscious effort to speak to the banner-bearer.

"Tell me, how many traitor Astartes have you fought?" Torlim asked as they walked.

"Er…" Hiral thought about it. "Three? I killed one on Prospero, and mostly just tried to stay out of the way of the other two."

Torlim raised an eyebrow, and then his eyes widened. "Prospero… you mean, during the Crusade's first deployment? That must have been one of your first battles."

Hiral nodded, and glanced down at his organic hand; he could still remember burning his flesh with the heat of his flamer. "It was… something."

Torlim clapped him on the shoulder; even though it was gentle, by a Space Marine's standards, it still almost sent Hiral flying. "Well done! Most Guardsmen cannot boast of such feats. You are one of the bravest mortals I've ever met."

"Thank you?" Hiral shrugged. "I think I'm just too stupid to realize how afraid I am."

"That's called having courage," Shepard called out over her shoulder. "You're just a little braver than most because you're running into battle while holding a big flag." She grinned at Torlim. "It also helps that it impresses his lady friend."

Hiral made a face. "Why do you always embarrass me in front of other people?"

Shepard laughed. "Because it's funny, and it reminds me of when I teased my son when he got a girlfriend." She sobered. "Speaking of which, maybe you should actually spend some time with her. We're shipping out soon, you know."

"I'll… do that, Your Holiness." Hiral heard laughter, and glared at the source, until he realized it was Torlim, and tried not to do anything to anger the post-human warrior.

Later, as embarrassed as he was, he took Shepard's advice, and made arrangements for Rychelle to meet him. He felt a little better when she swept him up in a tender embrace.

"Space Marines confuse me," was all he said.

"At least they aren't shooting at you," Rychelle pointed out.

"But they like cutting off my arms," Hiral said, and wiggled his metal fingers.

Rychelle scoffed. "That wasn't a true Astartes. That was a monster and a heretic."

"Oh, so it's fine when they try to kill me?"

"They will never succeed," Rychelle said, and kissed him. "No one in this Crusade will allow it, especially me, love."

Hiral grinned. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You're brave, loyal, and pious." Rychelle pulled him into his quarters and began undressing. "And if you need more, I'll be happy to inform you."

Hiral's last clear thought for the night was that he should thank Shepard for her advice.

…

While Shepard didn't yet know where she was going, she thought it was a good idea to actually speak to the Salamanders, since it was their Primarch she was searching for next. It took several days to get a connection to Nocturne, and the image of Chapter Master Tu'Shan was grainy, even with all the support of the Tech-Priests.

Tu'Shan was huge, even by Astartes standards. Shepard had been told that the Salamanders were larger than the average Space Marine, but Tu'Shan was almost as large as Brol in his Gravis armor. Tu'Shan's beautiful green armor was decorated with gold flames and the symbol of his Chapter, and a thick hide of some enormous reptile was draped across his shoulders like a cloak. His face was covered in ritual brands that stood out against his ebon skin, and his eyes blazed like an inferno.

"Saint Shepard," he greeted with a nod. "It is an honor to speak with you. I wish we could have a more distinguished conversation, but I am directing many campaigns, and time is a luxury we do not have."

"Then I'll make this quick." Shepard took a deep breath. "The Emperor has a new task for me. I need to find your Primarch and bring him home."

There was a long pause, and Shepard started to wonder if the connection had been lost, until Tu'Shan blinked.

"You are certain?"

"Completely." Shepard offered a smile. "I've already found four Primarchs, so you shouldn't be surprised."

"If that is the case, I would ask that you find my Forgefather, Vulkan He'stan. He too searches for Lord Vulkan, deep within Imperium Nihilus."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Why is he there? Does he have some clue?"

Tu'Shan looked away, as if debating something; Shepard figured it was some Chapter secret, and the only reason she might be told was because she had a reputation for finding lost Primarchs.

"There is… a prophecy, regarding Vulkan's return. It was said that when all nine of his lost artifacts were returned to his sons, so would he. We have recovered five of them, and the Forgefather claimed to have found a sixth, on a world called Zero."

Shepard hated prophecies, but she also knew that it was a bad idea to fight them. Besides, Vulkan was a renowned blacksmith, and a creator of incredible weapons; Shepard's inner engineer was intrigued with the idea of examining something built by a Primarch.

"Send me the coordinates," she said. "I'll set course immediately."

Tu'Shan paused again, but only because he was typing something Shepard couldn't see. "It is done. Thank you, Saint Shepard… and please, bring our father home."

…

Phoros was meditating in his chambers when he heard a knock on his door. He immediately rose to his feet, anticipating an emergency; he had made it clear that he was only to be disturbed for matters that the senior officers of the Chapter couldn't handle. He opened the door and found Variel Rhacro, his Chief Librarian, armored and clutching his force staff hard enough to make the metal creak.

"What happened?" Phoros asked, fearing the worst.

"My lord, my fellow Librarians and I were all struck by a portent of doom," Rhacro said without preamble. "We had visions of death, rising from ancient sands, and arms reaching out for a pair of golden wings. They dragged the wings into the sand, leaving behind only blood."

Phoros frowned. "Brother, you are wise enough to know that visions such as yours can never be fully trusted, nor can they be taken literally. I know you interpret 'golden wings' for Saint Shepard, but you cannot let fear rob you of your senses."

"That is not what worries me," Rhacro said. "It was painfully obvious that this vision did not come from skimming the Sea of Souls. This was… forced upon us, by a source we could not identify. It did not feel malevolent, but nor did it feel like an ally. I fear a third party is attempting to manipulate fate for their own ends."

Phoros crossed his arms. "Variel… just because it did not feel daemonic does not mean it wasn't. If your minds were breached, we must go to Saint Shepard, to ensure that no taint was left on your souls. While we are there, we will inform her of this vision, just in case."

Despite the very real danger of corruption, Rhacro sighed in relief. "As you command, my lord."

…

Shepard gently placed one hand on Nemedon's head and focused; a moment later, she pulled back. "Okay, you're clear."

Nemedon sighed, and he felt the blade of a guardian spear pull away from the back of his head. "Thank you, Lady Shepard."

Shepard patted him on the shoulder, and turned to Phoros. "Okay, so there was no Chaos taint, but I can't be sure if someone was still messing with your guys."

Rhacro nodded. "We will do our utmost to discern the source of this vision, Lady Shepard."

"Let me know if you find out," Shepard said, and smiled grimly. "If someone is messing with my boys, I'd like a word with them." She paused. "And by 'word', I mean I'd like to shoot them."

Some of the Librarians laughed as they were dismissed, but Phoros stayed behind. "Lady Shepard, might I ask a question?"

"Of course, Malakim." Shepard accepted a glass of water from a servitor, and sat on an empty crate in the battle barge's hold. "What's on your mind?"

"You have put a great deal of energy into helping my Chapter," Phoros said. "I understand that a Chapter of Space Marines is a valuable resource, and you consider me a friend, but there has to be a limit."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "What was the question, exactly?"

Phoros shrugged. "Why go so far for us?"

Shepard was quiet for a long moment as she collected her thoughts. "If I'm being brutally honest, it's because I'm a greedy person. I've lost so much over my life, and I don't want to lose any more. If anything, I want to go out having more than I had a couple decades ago. And by 'more', I mean more friends and family. When I came to this galaxy, everyone I loved was either so far away that I would never see them again, or dead. I'm tired of being alone, and if I have to fight a constant war to have some company, I guess that's what I have to do."

Phoros was stunned by the frank admission, but at the same time, touched that Shepard would be so honest with him.

"Well, we have all become rather attached to you as well," he said. "And we would all prefer that you do not leave us anytime soon."

Shepard grinned. "Don't worry about that. I'm pretty hard to kill."

…

After the minor delay from inspecting the Lamenters, Shepard gave the order for the Crusade to move out. It took two days for the fleet to reach the Mandeville point, but the Warp jump was uneventful under Shepard's protection. Still, no one took chances, and officers were quick to discipline any soldier who seemed lax during the journey. The Mechanicus and Space Marines had no such issues, but there was a surprise from the Sororitas.

It was a fact that the Order of the Iron Tears had started to display abilities similar to Shepard; specifically, the power to repel Chaos. A single Sister couldn't match the Saint, but ten thousand of them praying for safe passage through the Warp manifested as a glimmering barrier to those with the proper sight. That barrier merged with Shepard's own power, creating a wave of energy that cut through the Immaterium like a power sword through cloth. The result was a new Shepard's Corridor, wider than any that had come before, and a stable Warp route that the Imperium would take advantage of for centuries to come.

"Damn, we're good," Shepard said when she heard the news. "Temperance, make sure all our girls know that their faith has given the Imperium a great gift. They have my thanks, and the thanks of everyone who ever uses this route."

Blaise smiled and bowed her head. "I will make sure they are praised for their faith. However, I am eager to see this miracle repeated; every corridor we create is a boon to the Imperium."

Shepard grinned back, but her smile morphed into a yawn. "Yeah, but let's wait a bit before we try again, okay? Even with your help, I'm exhausted."

"Of course, Your Holiness." In contrast to Shepard, Blaise was practically shaking with vitality, and even looked a little younger. This phenomenon had happened to most of the Order, and Blaise had theorized that while Shepard wore herself out channeling the Emperor's power, the Sororitas were refreshed by reflecting that power. Shepard didn't have a better answer, and if it meant that the Order would actually be helped, she wouldn't complain.

Shepard allowed Blaise to guide her to one of the many chapels aboard the Oath of Fire; normally, she created her shield aboard the Vehemence, but something told her that the Salamanders might appreciate a ship with a fire-based name leading this expedition. Once in the chapel, Shepard was tended to by a Sister Hospitaller, who injected her with healing agents to treat her exhaustion, and then handed her a cup of steaming recaf. Shepard took a moment to inhale the scent, and then sipped the drink.

"Oh, that's exactly what I needed," she sighed. "If I can get a good night's sleep, I'll be ready for whatever the galaxy throws at us."

"I can ensure that you are not disturbed," Blaise offered.

Shepard considered that. "Well, if we ended up where we planned, it'll take at least two weeks for us to actually reach Zero. I'll go over some logistics with Stevron, and then I'll take you up on that, Temperance. Just make sure someone wakes me up if there's an actual emergency."

"Of course." To Shepard's surprise, Blaise actually smirked. "Should I bring the entire Crusade up to alert now, then?"

It took Shepard a moment to realize what had just happened. "I tempted fate, didn't I?"

"You did."

Shepard groaned. "I'm sleeping with a gun under my pillow, just in case."

…

As it turned out, Shepard only partly blamed herself for what they discovered; there was a crisis on the planet, but it had been going on long before the Crusade arrived. Zero was barely considered habitable, with a single Mechanicus outpost on record; the rest of the planet was mostly large mountains, deep ravines, and desolate plains, all covered in thick, grey dust.

Which was why it was strange that there was currently a war raging across the surface of the planet. According to the auspex scans from the Mechanicus ships, huge armies of their brethren were fighting an even larger army of Necrons.

"How many Skitarii fit into a single outpost?" Shepard asked, when she saw the numbers reported.

To his credit, Xem-Beta looked sheepish. "It is not unusual for the priesthood to only report surface-level operations, while other actions are taken underground, and on a wider scale."

Shepard sighed. "Okay, at least we'll have allies. Do we have a fix on the Salamanders?"

"Affirmative." Xem-Beta plugged a mechadendrite into a projector, revealing a battle barge. "The vessel is identified as Vulkan's Wrath. We have made contact with the vessel; the captain reports that the Salamanders' entire Third Company is planetside, as are elements of their First Company. They have been engaging the Necrons for several weeks."

Shepard winced; the ancient aliens were one of the few major powers in the galaxy she hadn't fought, but even before she'd found Corvus Corax, her Crusade had been deemed important enough that some information had been sent her way. The Necrons were still largely mysterious, but their military capabilities had been categorized well enough, especially when Xem-Beta had revealed that the Adeptus Mechanicus had battled them countless times in recent centuries, and had provided data that most branches of the Imperium would have been reluctant to. Still, Shepard knew that all the information in the galaxy couldn't provide real-world experience, and that was what worried her now.

"I don't think we can risk a full deployment," Shepard said, not taking her eyes off the map of the planet. "Large-scale underground warfare isn't something we're all trained for. Xem, I'll need you to run diplomacy with… whichever forge world actually owns that 'outpost'."

"Metalica," Xem-Beta supplied.

"Thanks. Anyway, they'll probably be more receptive to you fighting alongside them than the rest of us. Is that a problem?"

Xem-Beta hesitantly shrugged. "As you are aware, Lady Shepard, Stygies VIII has a… mixed reputation. So long as we do not give our peers cause for doubt, it may not be a factor."

"Well, considering we're trying to find a Primarch, let's not screw it up." Shepard looked at the Space Marines in the room. "You've all been through this before; the Salamanders will probably be more inclined to work with their cousins than a bunch of Guardsmen. I'd like a strike force to go with me and the Custodes to find the Salamanders. Everyone else should stay in orbit, to be deployed as necessary; if things go well, we'll find that artifact, extract the Salamanders, and do enough damage to the Necrons that the local forces can finish without us." She paused. "And I think I just jinxed us. Sorry."

Zandtus chuckled. "With all due respect, Lady Shepard, we usually expect things to not go according to plan when searching for a Primarch. Speaking of which, I would volunteer Captain Torlim's company as your strike force. The Salamanders present are mostly of their Third Company, and might appreciate a counterpart assisting them."

"That, and it is because of Lady Shepard that your Primarch was found," Helmin pointed out. "It might help smooth over introductions if she is joined by someone who has benefited from the fruits of her labor."

"Sounds like a plan." Shepard rose from her seat. "I know you all want to get down there and mix it up, but I need you to remain on standby. I'll try to make this as quick as possible, but I promise to call if I need you. If and when I do, be ready to bring the pain."

The war council bowed their heads. "It shall be done."

…

Tia would be the first to admit that she didn't understand human mannerisms; even when she thought she had a handle on someone's behavior, they tended to surprise her. In this case, her normally cheerful, caring friend was angry for what seemed like no reason.

"It is so frustrating! The xenos are down there, on the planet, and we are told to hold back our righteous fury!"

Normally, Tia would have bluntly asked why Josephine was upset, but she was doing an admirable job of explaining herself through a furious rant. She was also pacing up and down the barracks, much to the amusement of the rest of her squad.

"The decision has been made by those wiser than us. Complaining is unbecoming." Unlike her sister, Katarin was calmly meditating, and didn't even open her eyes.

Josephine whirled and opened her mouth to speak, but then noticed that Tia was right next to her. "Tia knows what I am saying. Don't you, Tia?"

The young Tech-Priest backed up. "Pleading: Please do not drag me into this."

Josephine pouted. "Is it so bad that I want to fight alongside our Matriarch?"

Even Tia was starting to detect a backlog of irritation in her emotion core, and it was starting to interfere with her other systems.

"Sternly: Our task has been assigned. Protesting our role, without knowing the full equation, will only result in death and failure." Tia's servo-arm pointed at her friend. "Unless additional data is acquired, we must wait until Saint Shepard requires us."

Josephine was taken aback, and Katarin chuckled. "I suppose that is you told, sister."

…

Shepard did her best to remain calm as the Overlord entered the atmosphere. She had never liked the idea of entering a warzone via aerial insertion; it reminded her of Operation Return. At least this time, she had a small army of some of the greatest soldiers humanity had ever produced going with her.

Torlim and his Company weren't her only escorts in the five Overlords. Darius and his entire Shield-Host were also assembled—and, of course, the Alexian Guard were at her side.

Despite her anxiety, the squadron of transports didn't come under fire; the Salamanders had already cleared out a landing zone for them, but they had warned that it wouldn't remain secure for long.

When the Overlord's ramp lowered, Shepard was the first out, accompanied by Darius and the Alexian Guard. She could see the other Overlords depositing their passengers, including Torlim himself. Waiting for them were the Salamanders' Third Company, headed by their captain, Adrax Agatone; he was a massive Astartes, almost matching Torlim's bulk, despite the latter wearing Gravis armor. The Salamander's mouth was concealed by a respirator that connected to his armor, but Shepard could see his bald, scarred head; he carried an ornate thunder hammer in one hand, while the other rested on his holstered hand flamer.

"Saint Shepard," Agatone greeted with a nod. "You and your allies are most welcome in this time of need."

"Always happy to help." Shepard waved in the direction of one Overlord; rather than Space Marines or Custodes, a row of servitors pushed out huge pallets of supplies. "We figured you might need some things, so we brought gifts."

"You bring light wherever you go." A different Salamander stepped forward. "Some would call you a torchbearer."

Shepard had never met Vulkan He'stan, nor had she been given a description of him. However, she could feel the essence of the Primarch on the Astartes who shared his name; Vulkan's might practically glowed from the massive flamer on He'stan's arm, the power spear he carried, and the cloak that hung from his shoulders. In all, it made him seem larger than he was, when in fact, he was almost a head shorter than Agatone; either he had refused to cross the Rubicon Primaris, or his quest hadn't left him with the time to do so.

"I've been called many things, Forgefather," Shepard said. "That's the first time anyone's called me that."

He'stan laughed; the sound that came from his Mk VII helm was far from comforting. "Perhaps you have not met the right people."

Shepard shrugged, and then got down to business. "As much as I'd like to just talk, I don't know how much time we have. What's the situation, and how close are we to the relic you're after?"

"The Flame Unbound." He'stan sighed. "I have been following the signs left by Lord Vulkan, but I am unsure if we can reach the next point—whether that is another clue, or the relic itself. It is in a strongpoint, guarded by a large force of Necrons, too great for us to fight alone. We have asked for assistance from the Mechanicus, but they have been tied down."

"Then it's a good thing we're here," Shepard said. "And it's not just us, I've got an entire army in orbit, chomping at the bit for something to do."

Agatone was an experienced leader, and Shepard could see in his blazing eyes that he was considering the new opportunities now available to him.

"It will be better to have them in reserve, for now," he said. "But a more detailed list of what you can bring to bear will be welcome."

"Captain Torlim will be able to give you that." Shepard gestured to the Space Marine in question. "But we've got everything from Guardsmen to Astartes to Titans."

Shepard didn't normally associate an Astartes with the term 'eager', but the way Agatone leaned forward was eerily reminiscent of her son when she'd made him toys when he was little. Then again, the Salamanders had been on this planet for a while, with only limited aid from the Mechanicus as support.

While Torlim and Agatone discussed logistics, He'stan gestured for Shepard to follow him. She immediately knew that he wanted to discuss the artifact they were both here to find, and headed after him. Darius and a few Custodes followed, as did the Alexian Guard, but they gave Shepard a little space to at least pretend that she and He'stan were having a private conversation.

"I must admit, when I received word that you would be accompanying us, I was uncertain," He'stan said. "This quest has always been for those of Lord Vulkan's blood, and not outsiders. However, I have been made aware of your success in finding other Primarchs. I am not one to take shortcuts, but if you are able to help find my Primarch, or even shorten the time my quest will take…"

"I don't like to step on toes, but the Emperor Himself ordered me to find Vulkan," Shepard said gently. "And I've been known to change fate from time to time."

He'stan laughed, his vox-augmented voice rattling Shepard's bones. Before he could speak further, a strange hum filled the air, and the Salamander tensed. "The xenos come. We must move out before we are surrounded."

"We need to hit that strongpoint soon," Shepard said, even as they hurried back to the rest of the strike force. "Captain Torlim!"

The Necropolis Hawk spun on his heel. "Lady Shepard?"

"Can you provide strategic data to the fleet? The longer we wait, the less chance we have of taking this planet back."

"I have already discussed as much with Captain Agatone; between what he has learned, and the information gleaned by the local Mechanicus army, we will have priority targets within the hour."

"That's what I like to hear." Shepard grinned, and explained for the Salamanders' benefit. "We'll go with our standard play—hit vital targets with elite forces to throw the enemy into disarray, and then move in with massed attacks."

"A rather simple strategy," Agatone noted, though he didn't sound critical.

"The fewer moving parts, the less that can go wrong," Shepard responded. "We held back because we didn't know what we were getting into, but as soon as we have a good idea of what to expect, my people will commit."

It was difficult to tell with the rebreather over his mouth, but Shepard thought Agatone was smiling.

"I look forward to seeing it in action."

…

With the various commanders coordinating with the fleet, Shepard was left in command of the combined force. So, when the Necrons emerged from a fissure in the ground, she reacted first—not just with a shot from her plasma pistol, but with her orders.

"Keep them contained!" she snapped. "Force them back into that hole, and burn them out!"

Waves of bolter-fire from the Necropolis Hawks hammered into the rising Necrons, and Shepard got her first look at the alien machines. They looked almost like human skeletons, but with silver metal instead of bones, and cables that hung like intestines. Some carried long-barreled weapons with axe-head bayonets, while others had shorter, twin-barreled guns, but all of them glowed with baleful green light.

Despite how thin they appeared, the Necrons were durable, able to withstand bolter rounds that would have felled a Space Marine. More than a few of those that were destroyed flickered with green light as broken machinery repaired itself, and a dead Necron rose to its feet once again. Still, the chokepoint worked in the Imperials' favor; they were able to force the Necrons back underground, buying time for Aggressors with flamestorm gauntlets and Infernus Marines—Astartes armed with flame-spewing pyreblasters—to flood the fissure with burning promethium. Shepard grimaced at the smell of burning alien metal, which quickly faded after a Salamander hurled a meltabomb that sealed the breach.

For a moment, Shepard had thought her forces had escaped that fight unscathed, until she saw a motionless Necropolis Hawk on the ground. Half of his body was completely dissolved; it almost looked like a massive blade had cut him in two. An Apothecary knelt by the remains to see if his gene-seed could be salvaged, but shook his head and walked away.

Shepard closed her eyes in a moment of grief; no matter how many times it happened, she always felt terrible when someone under her command died. She never tried to push that feeling away, if only because it reminded her of her humanity.

"Saint Shepard." Agatone strode over to her, sparing a glance at the dead Necropolis Hawk before continuing. "Your forces are deploying now, but we must continue our own attack. The foe's strength grows with every hour."

Shepard nodded. "If you think we need anything else, make the call now, because we won't stop for long."

…

Tia normally wouldn't feel relief at going into a warzone, but all the tension in the chapel-barracks had vanished once news came in that Saint Shepard would, in fact, need an army on the surface of Zero. Josephine had even hummed a happy tune as she readied herself for war; Tia had seen many strange things, but that stuck in her memory-coils like debris clogging holy gears.

At least the landing was smooth; the local Mechanicus forces had already determined where the Necron anti-air weapons were located, so the fleet had used lance strikes to pulverize those areas from orbit.

"This is a day of vengeance," Palatine Rychelle said as their transport made its final approach. "These xenos slaughtered our sisters at Sanctuary 101, and have made no secret that they would see all of humanity exterminated. Their existence is worthy only of contempt."

"Their crimes are deserving of extinction," the other Sisters responded.

Tia wasn't of the Adepta Sororitas, but the Mechanicus had their own contempt for aliens. Tia prayed in binharic cant for the Necrons' destruction, laced with determination to uncover their secrets for the Omnissiah.

A few seconds later, the transport landed; Rychelle and her squad led the way, followed by four more squads of Battle Sisters. All around them, hundreds of other Sororitas were deploying for battle, the roar of engines and stomping feet almost drowned out by hymns.

Ahead of them, it looked like the ground had become a sea of silver and green, but Tia's bionic eye enhanced her vision, and she saw that it was an enormous horde of small machine-insects. Her internal databanks identified them as Scarabs, which the Necrons used for a variety of roles; today, that role was for battle.

With a few curt commands, every Sister and vehicle armed with a flamer moved forward. While bolters and cannons hammered the onrushing Scarabs, each hole created was filled with what felt like an unending number. Only when the Scarabs got close did the Sororitas truly do damage; huge waves of promethium melted thin metal and delicate machinery, destroying thousands in seconds. Even so, some managed to latch onto Sisters, and the hymns mixed with screams as flesh was torn apart.

Tia watched as more Sisters landed to assist the initial force, and with the use of bolter and flamer, the silver tide was beaten back. The Sororitas began the work of gathering the dead, treating the wounded, and shoring up their landing zone. For most armies, this was now a time for consolidation, but for Tia, who had only stood and watched, she saw what the Sororitas did not. She swung her power axe like an executioner's blade, and buried it in the skull of a monstrosity with claws and blades that phased out of the ground; she timed her blow just as the Necron became solid, and split its metal skull just before its blades reached Rychelle.

The Palatine took in the sight with a blink, and then held up her sword. "Enemies from below! Purge them!"

More of the phasing Necrons—Tia learned over the noosphere that they were called Ophidian Destroyers—popped out of the ground, swinging blades and claws wildly. They didn't have legs, but instead a whipcord tail that could shatter bones with a single swing, which they did with no small amount of brutality. Dozens of Sisters were killed—cut in half, torn to pieces, or battered to death—but the Destroyers were stopped before they could disrupt the Sororitas' lines too much.

"Observation: Their attacks are badly coordinated," Tia noted.

Josephine tried kicking a dead Destroyer, but it faded to nothing just before her foot connected, leaving her to stumble and nearly fall. "Xenos or not, I would think that these machines would be more efficient."

"Reluctant admission: My databanks on these xenos is limited, but it is possible that their reactivation processes have eroded," Tia said. "Until they are fully activated, they may not pose as great of a threat."

"Even so, they are dangerous," Rychelle said, and then pointed to the sky. "Fortunately, we will not fight these abominations alone."

Tia looked up to see dozens of Sororitas transports landing, each carrying more troops, as well as heavier equipment. Behind them were over a hundred heavy landers used by the Astra Militarum; Tia calculated that over one hundred thousand soldiers would soon occupy the landing zone, with more coming behind them.

"Death to the xenos," Josephine muttered. "In the name of Saint Shepard and the God-Emperor."

"In the name of Saint Shepard and the God-Emperor," the other Sisters echoed.

Tia was a devotee of the Machine Cult, but she bowed her head all the same. If her admittedly limited knowledge of the Necrons was accurate, they all might very well need some divine intervention.

Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Life kept getting in the way every time I tried writing this story, but the stars aligned long enough for me to finish writing this chapter. Hopefully, you all won't have to wait so long for the next one.

So, Shepard is looking for Vulkan, who I suddenly realized would absolutely be the guy to build a bunch of doomsday weapons for the Imperium to just delete enemies. He wouldn't like it, but considering some of the relics his boys are searching for, he definitely has that capability. Also, the Imperium probably needs a few giant delete keys. Unfortunately, Shepard has to help with a scavenger hunt before she can find the big guy… though maybe she can create a shortcut. Who knows?

As always, please consider buying my book, Alpha Sanction, by Josh Gottlieb. You can find it on my website (link in my profile), and on Amazon, as both physical and eBook format. I'm trying really hard to finish the sequel, but between two jobs and insane stuff at home, I haven't had the time or environment I'd prefer.

You can also support me via my P-atreon (link in my profile). If everyone who reads my stories donates at even the lowest tier, not only would I be able to write more often, I could afford rent in California.

And now, I'd like to thank the following people for helping me not live on the street:

Serious Muffins: Nimrod009, Aaron Meek, Matthias Matanovic, Red Bard, Lokthar, Hakuryuken, Anders Lyngbye, Kristen Tyler, JackSlap23

Incredible Muffins: RaptorusMaximus, Crazyman844, CherryGoesBoom, michaelb958

Ultra Muffins: RangersRoll

Next Chapter: Shepard's war against the Necrons continues, but a new arrival threatens to derail her efforts.

The Muffins are watching!