The integration of the Aeldari technical detachment from Craftworld Ulthwé brought not only cutting-edge observation and scanning hardware but also infused Osiris's base with a distinctly altered atmosphere.
Once these Aeldari processed their initial shock regarding the "cleanliness" of this universe and the total unburdening of their souls, their long-suppressed nature began to quietly release itself. In the Warhammer universe, every Aeldari had to constantly bind their thoughts and emotions through the discipline of the "Paths"; any excessive emotional volatility could draw the gaze of the Chaos God Slaanesh, bringing absolute ruin. Here, however, with that eternal, suffocating psychic shackle removed, it was as if an immense weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
While they were far from losing control or lapsing into indulgence, their speech and conduct clearly displayed a vitality and expressiveness belonging to truly living beings. The technicians tasked with hardware calibration openly manifested a proud, unmasked joy upon successfully orienting the deep-space observation arrays, rather than the restrained satisfaction of the past. The Howling Banshee sentries displayed far more fluid, expressive movements on patrol, occasionally improvising tactical maneuvers full of power and aesthetic grace—seemingly savoring the freedom of not having to constantly guard against the consumption of their souls.
This transformation was subtle yet universal, like a frozen river gradually thawing under the spring sun, reclaiming its vital essence. In this unburdened state, their intellects became far more active and daring.
During a core strategic briefing regarding subsequent operational phases, Seer Iryan subtly raised a slender eyebrow upon listening to Osiris's plan—which entailed leveraging the Predator threat to continually attrit the RDA and the Na'vi while awaiting an opportune moment to commandeer the mothership.
"Lord Osiris, forgive my bluntness," Iryan initiated, his voice remaining elegant, yet carrying a sharp, unprecedented confidence. "Your plan possesses clear logical structure, but from my appraisal, it appears overly... circuitous."
Osiris looked at him without interrupting, gesturing for him to proceed.
"The force parameters currently under your command are vastly superior to what you have deployed thus far." Iryan tapped the holographic display lightly, highlighting the red marker representing the Predator mothership. "Commandeer over this vessel does not represent a structural hurdle requiring a protracted wait or complex maneuvering on our part."
His gaze swept across the adjacent Aeldari warriors, whose eyes flashed with an eagerness for action. "My warriors yearn for a genuine challenge rather than permanently operating as mere observers. The cloaking mechanics and combat methodology of the Predators appear crude and primitive when measured against the ancient lineage of the Aeldari."
He paused briefly, putting forth an even more disruptive paradigm: "Furthermore, the role you desire—utilizing a stealth threat to manipulate the Na'vi and the RDA while purging destabilizing elements—can be fully executed by us. Our warriors possess infiltration, assassination, and disruption metrics that vastly outclass those brute Predators.
More importantly, we operate entirely under your directives; our deployments are far more manageable, and the outcomes can be micro-adjusted with precision to align perfectly with your ultimate objective of resource optimization. We are fully capable of generating an external pressure far more flawless and tailored to your specifications than anything those Predators could offer."
Osiris listened silently, his fingers unthinkingly tapping against the console interface. Iryan's words operated like a stone cast into a still pool, sending ripples through his calculus.
He was accustomed to calculating thoroughly before acting, leveraging existing friction to pivot situations with minimal expenditure. That methodology was undeniably risk-averse, perhaps even conservative. He had consistently categorized his personal forces as ultimate assets and trump cards, disinclined to tip his hand prematurely.
Yet now, Iryan had illuminated a far more direct, high-yielding trajectory.
He did indeed wield absolute force parameters: an Astartes detachment equipped with STC-pattern power armor, fully capable of routing conventional adversaries many times their number; Maine's squad, seasoned and adept at specialized warfare; and now, this contingent of Ulthwé Aeldari warriors—whose lethal efficiency was unverified but undeniably elite. Conversely, Maine's squad had already demonstrated that given sufficient preparation, individual Predators could be suppressed and captured alive.
"Commandeer the mothership, eliminate localized resistance within the target perimeter, and then allow us to assume the subsequent performance," Iryan summarized, his tone carrying that distinct Aeldari pride rooted in millennia of accumulated combat experience. "This is vastly accelerated and far more reliable than waiting for an unverified conflict to naturally mature."
Osiris did not offer an immediate response; he required time to weigh the variables. Direct deployment of absolute military force was highly efficient, but it dictated moving himself further from the shadows into the vanguard, forcing him to absorb any unforeseen kinetic chain reactions. Nevertheless, Iryan's thesis was remarkably compelling, specifically regarding the parameters of maximum control and heightened efficiency.
Iryan's proposal echoed continuously across Osiris's thoughts. Standing solitary before the holographic star chart within the central command post, his gaze shifted between the planet of Pandora and the scarlet designation marking the Predator mothership.
He scrutinized his baseline plan: utilizing the Predators as an external stressor to keep the RDA and the Na'vi locked in a state of continuous attrition, while surreptitiously harvesting Predator specimens and awaiting the optimal window to claim the mothership. That framework was secure and the risk manageable, but as Iryan noted, the progression velocity was sluggish, and the efficacy depended entirely on unaligned, unmanageable variables. The Predator behavioral patterns were not fully under his direction, nor were the radicalized factions of the Na'vi guaranteed to act along his forecasted vectors.
Conversely, adopting the Aeldari proposal cleared the operational board immediately.
Deploying absolute superiority to seize the Predator mothership with overwhelming velocity would permanently excise the greatest destabilizing variable currently on the board, while simultaneously securing the key to their homeworld. Following that, Aeldari warriors—who excelled in stealth and subterfuge—could simulate the Predator signature, continuing to apply precise, calculated pressure onto designated targets within both the RDA and the Na'vi. This would not only fulfill his objective of purging destabilizing factions and generating controlled friction, but it would also bring the entire development of events under his absolute governance.
"Have I truly been... overly conservative[1]?" For the first time, Osiris clearly evaluated his own operational style.
Within the peril-fraught, razor-thin margins of the Warhammer reality, caution was a primal survival instinct. But this was not the Warhammer universe. The adversaries here—whether the Predators, the RDA, or the Na'vi—possessed technological tiers and individual power parameters that suffered from a massive generational deficit when measured against the forces he held.
He was entirely equipped to execute a multi-dimensional crushing blow.
The force disparity was transparent. Members of Maine's squad, properly outfitted and utilizing appropriate tactics, could already enforce a one-on-one suppression over individual Predators. The Astartes battle-brothers operated on a tier vastly transcending Maine's squad; they were engines of war engineered solely for destruction. And the Aeldari warriors, inheritors of a ten-thousand-year legacy of combat, possessed an individual martial finesse and psychic versatility that would force even the Astartes to remain on high alert.
With their forces joined, targeting an exposed Predator mothership grounded on the planetary surface yielded an exceptionally high probability of absolute success.
[1] The fuck you were not! You have a god damn p*ssy! IDIOT