(MC POV)
Some time after the last chapter
The universe was not silent. To those with enough power, it could be heard as an endless hum of gravitational activity, the whisper of dead stars and the pulsation of energy. To even more powerful individuals, the Warp itself could be seen merging with the Materium and the lights of countless lifeforms. If you had the power to hear and the stamina not to go mad, it seemed like music of unknown origin.
I was on the deck of the Bucephalus, stretching my senses and listening to the worlds, searching for those who needed me most. I would not allow any more worlds and their peoples to be destroyed. Since the last battle, we had conquered thousands of planets and created hundreds of protectorates from peaceful Xenos civilizations.
My very presence warped the space inside the ship and forced the crew to be careful where they stepped. On the deck itself, the walls were transparent, revealing space that twisted like a whirlpool in water. There were no buttons, no classic consoles on the deck, Bucephalus reacted to thought Or more precisely to my will.
I was completely still as holographic streams of data occasionally appeared around me, but I didn't have to read them. I already knew them all.
Then something changed.
A world appeared at the edge of the star sector, a green gem, but damaged. Its atmosphere was brown with smoke. The satellites were destroyed and the surface was covered with explosives.
"A new planet," the hologram replied calmly.
I didn't answer anything, but my gaze narrowed to the ground and Bucephalus obediently accelerated towards the orbit itself.
As the ship approached orbit, the picture became clearer. The planet was inhabited. Giant cities spread throughout the lumpy lands, but most of them were on fire or under dark shadows that darkened the sky. Those shadows were not natural. They were very much alive.
Giant bugs. I looked a little closer . Huge, armored creatures, some the size of buildings, others the size of humans, moved in swarms and devoured all flesh, bones, plants, and not even metal was left, only stones remained.
[IMAGES HERE]
They didn't attack randomly. I looked and realized they were very well organized. The bugs are obviously smart and hungry for anything they can put in their mouths.
I extended my awareness towards the planet, not just physically but in the way a telepath would touch water in a glass. Then I felt them and saw the original inhabitants of the planet. Creatures similar to the Fellinids. One of the countless strains of Abhumans created during the gene wars. They resembled hybrids of humans and cats.
[IMAGES HERE]
Their presence was a strange paradox that does not exist in nature, a combination of human intelligence and animal behavior. Their minds moved quickly, instinctively, but also organized and ultimately futile as the bugs destroyed them like paper scissors despite their fast, nimble units moving quickly across roofs and walls, using their nimble grace and reflexes as weapons.
However, something stopped me from intervening. This was no ordinary attack.
The planet was already marked. Giant beetles were not only invaders, they were also colonizers. They were changing the ecosystem into something else, something that served their species. Slowly, inexorably, they turned the world into a nest.
I leaned towards the glass and issued the command "Analysis of origin".
The ship replied. They didn't come from outer space. The bugs have been awakened. Deep beneath the planet's crust, something older than the first inhabitants, it began to awake.
"Interesting," I spoke in a voice and made my decision. The bugs must be destroyed.
I placed my hands on the ship's glass and from the nearby portal I had summoned emerged nearly a thousand of my Custodes. Their armor gleamed from the amount of pure gold on them. One moment we were on the ship and the next we were in one of the planetary cities.
The planetary wind carried only smoke, ash and the cries of the wounded. The cities were partially destroyed, the streets were filled with the roar of creatures and the battle cries of defenders. A generic alien invasion in essence.
The first line of bugs, the size of tanks, moved in a battle formation that resembled a human phalanx. Their numerous legs touched the floor, creating shock waves that broke the asphalt. I looked in the direction of the approaching enemies and almost instantly the beetle that was heading towards us was knocked down, my psychic lightning bolt passed through the air and struck the creature's armor causing it to ignite from within. The Custodes followed my pace, coordinated, each of their shots was precise and hit their target.
I moved through the city very easily and it was only necessary to be in range for them to self-ignite. Any recent defenders who had died or been wounded were completely healed upon my approach.
It didn't take long for the defenders to join the fight. Their figures climbed walls and rooftops, using their claws to grab enemies. My very presence changed the very laws of physics around the enemies making it difficult for them to even exist while our forces received a great boost. The sheer energy that was created by my actions burned the swarm.
One of the largest bugs tried to break through the line but all it managed to do was burn itself out when I got close to it.
The defenders took every opportunity to help us,They jumped on the largest creatures, using their tails and claws to attack the soft interior, sometimes at the cost of their lives. I was impressed by their self-sacrifice.
But the bugs didn't stop and it honestly frustrated me. I grabbed a human-sized bug. I wrapped one hand around its neck and stabbed the other through its eyes to gain access to its brain. I began to pour my energy into the bug itself. Its eyes turned blue almost immediately before it self-ignited and after it, bugs of all sizes across the planetary battlefield began to burn in blue fire. It took only a few seconds for the largest bug to be reduced to ashes.
Almost the entire surface was clear but I could see that despite the opinions of my and my current and future subjects that it was not over and that it had only just begun. It had barely taken a minute and then the ground beneath our feet trembled very violently.
Creatures unlike anything I had seen before began to emerge from the cracks in the ground. The bugs that had previously looked like giant armored insects had now transformed, their claws lengthened, their bodies pulsating with bioluminescent energy, and biological tubes streaming from their backs spewing fiery, acid-like beams of energy.
[IMAGES HERE]
I carefully analyzed each bug, their rhythm, energy levels, and internal biology, and even predicted their next move.
"Take cover," I barked. For some, it was in vain as the bugs fired the first beams of pure energy from their bodies almost immediately. Those who didn't take cover were reduced to dust. I moved my hand and warped the space around us. The beam bent around the bugs, distorting their energy, causing them to simply burn and fall dead with no visible external injuries.
But the greatest threat was the "Matrix Bug," a massive creature that looked like a combination of a spiral column and a giant belly of energy. It could control the other bugs, coordinating them and amplifying their attacks.
I closed one eye and concentrated, but in my mind every second was many times slower than real time. My next move was obvious, I spread the energy from my core through all my subjects.
As the Matrix Beetle fired its first wave of energy, a wall of energy rose. The air ended up bent, the energy attack absorbed and dispersed into an infinite number of embers. At the same time, the custodians opened fire on the swarm lines.
I took my sword, aimed and sent a blow through the air, not just physical but a wave of pure power. The wave of pure psychic energy passed through the Matrix bug, grating it like cheese into many small pieces. As the fragments of the creature fell to the ground, the bugs around it spontaneously ignited from my the sheer presence.
I had already seen some of the natives wanting to shout with joy but the war was not over. My consciousness sensed something different. There were no longer mere instincts or attacks I felt the presence of an intelligence, cold and precise, that directed every bug in the swarm.
'I had to go down' I thought. I made hand gestures, signaling my custodians to follow me. And when they approached, a huge crack opened in the ground in front of us. I jumped into the hole and they followed me into it.
Going underground was not a walk in the classical sense. The walls of the tunnel did not touch me; the space adapted to us, allowing us to pass without obstacles. The Custodes followed me in perfect formation as we continued on.
The underworld was a huge nest that was now half-dead. Organic root-like structures spread through the rock, but crumbled to dust as soon as I walked past them. In some places, you could still see huge incubators where their eggs were lying.
[IMAGES HERE]
At the deepest point I stopped and my soldiers stopped behind me.
The Queen.
I saw her and she was huge.
[IMAGES HERE]
Tall, elegant, but also terrifying. Her body was a cross between a bug and a hobo, with an exoskeleton that was a dark shade of green. Her eyes were huge, glittering like radium in the dark. Many tentacles or rather her hands went in all directions.
Krajica raised its tentacles, and the earth shook. A swarm of bugs emerged from the walls and prepared to defend itself. I couldn't let that happen.
I stepped forward as a thin layer of golden light enveloped me.
Krajica commanded with a sound similar to the creaking of glass. I looked at the place where she and the swarm were, thought for a while and decided.
"Closed" I thought. At my thought, the country accepted the decision and all the country around them just collapsed in on itself, swallowing the army and their territory. The earth acted like quicksand absorbing the swarm into itself. I was careful not to damage the remaining eggs. I had some plans for them.
It took us a few minutes to get back to the surface and when I came back I saw that the sun was already breaking through the clouds of smoke.
My new subjects slowly emerged from the shelter with wariness slowly turning into mass disbelief. Their ears moved in all directions like kittens and then they saw me.
Everyone fell to their knees. One by one, a wave of kneeling spread among the survivors. They didn't know my name, but they knew that I was powerful and that I was a savior.
I wanted to introduce myself but something caught my attention. My gaze rested on one of the felinids.
Female.
[IMAGES HERE]
She stood among the others, but she was not the same as before. Her demeanor was calm, but there was something new in her eyes.
I felt what it was almost immediately. Psychic echo. Not weak but completely stable. She was the first psyker of her species and she was looking at me.
I looked in her direction and the female looked down, but did not run away.
I stepped closer and heard a voice in my head. I found something new.
*Ding Dong*
[Congratulations, you have found your jumpchain companion. The Hope of our Race has been found.]
The Hope of our Race - 100 CP (Free Xeno)
While they are lacking in power many of the xeno races still produce grand talents. For example, Eldrad was a rising talent amongst the Eldar. In less than a few hundred years he rose to prominence, reestablished the Seer's temples, earned the respect of Asurman, and surpassed his elders in all ways. This is an equally young talented member of one of the many non-human species. They are a legendary talent for their species and hold immense potential. For some reason they have decided to tag along with you. Perhaps they feel a kinship with you, believe that you can teach them something, or they are even romantically interested in you. Regardless of the reason you have earned their loyalty and they will stand beside you no matter what challenges you face. You may design their personality, appearance, and species if you wish.