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"Die, you wretched filth!" Kazimir shouted as he crushed the skull of one of the hive-level gangers.
Blood began to pool beneath the boots of his CMC armor, the man's head reduced to nothing but a pulped, sanguine mess.
"This vermin… this creature believes itself worthy of sharing the privilege of being annexed by the Terran Dominion," Kazimir growled, turning toward a true mutant.
The ganger's deformities were obvious—hunched back, elongated arms, a grotesquely jutting Habsburg jaw, twisted ears. A genuine mutant. And that was precisely what put Kazimir and his Aegis Guard into their most fervent state.
One would expect surprise or even fear from them, but no—only heightened fury and a near-religious zeal to preserve Terran genetic purity. I felt their momentary shock, quickly swallowed by fanatic resolve.
"Control yourself a little, Kazimir. These tunnels aren't exactly stable enough for you to be applying a metric ton of pressure to the foundations," I said as I walked ahead, sensing more gangers hiding in the dark.
"Bah, what does it matter? If something collapses, your telekinesis will keep us safe. We just need to exterminate this mutant trash as quickly as possible," Kazimir replied, his heavy armor echoing through the silent tunnels, the gangers lurking out of sight.
"He has everything under control. Is it necessary for us to be here?" asked Deonaris, who stood nearby with a detachment of his Planetary Defense Force. We had issued them lasguns taken from the captured merchant vessel, as well as oxygen masks—the air in these tunnels was toxic.
"And why are we walking around with these mutants glued to us? They should be locked away, not here. I'd send them to break rocks until they die," Kazimir snarled. He raised his arm, activated the integrated grenade launcher, and a projectile shot down the tunnel. A second later the explosion shook the area, followed by the metallic clatter of shrapnel striking the walls.
The screams from the adjoining chamber were awful.
"Kazimir, damn it! What did I tell you about playing with explosives?" I said as I used telekinesis to stabilize the structure. It was solid; I had exaggerated earlier, assuming the tunnel system was far weaker.
"We need the locals. This planet has a miserable census, but we know the real population is around four hundred million. How are we supposed to garrison all of that without their cooperation? We don't have the manpower, the equipment, or even the funds for an occupation of this scale, so we must find collaborators among them," I added before turning toward Deonaris.
Then I spoke in Gothic:"Listen carefully. You have training. You handle laser weaponry better than any civilian on this world. That makes you valuable… and dangerous if I cannot trust you. And when someone with your skill becomes a liability, I am left with only two options: convert all of you into servitors—your families included—or you collaborate."
The guards paled instantly. Every single one shook their head.
"A wise decision," I replied coolly. "Six alive. One without injuries," I informed Kazimir just as he stepped inside.
The three dozen guards accompanying us took position for a clean entry, though Kazimir did not wait. He walked in directly, ignoring the wounded gangers' cries.
The squad lined the doorway, covering the flanks. Kazimir advanced without haste. His first act was to crush a ganger's skull beneath his armored boot. He did it slowly, savoring the sound and the screams. The other four wounded crawled, leaving trails of blood behind them.
"To your right," I warned just as one leapt at him from a pile of rubble.
The man fell with a massive wrench raised overhead. Kazimir caught the weapon in one hand and the ganger's throat in the other, stopping him mid-air.
"He's already dead. Finish the ones crawling," I ordered the PDF guards. They opened fire immediately, executing the survivors.
Kazimir grabbed the attacker by the arm and slammed him against the ground again and again until the limb tore off. Then, with one final stomp, he crushed the ganger's skull.
"How many left?" he asked, rolling his shoulder to adjust a servomotor.
"Not many… give me a second." I linked mentally with the Ghosts and captains deployed in the lower levels. Between the local PDF and the Royal Guard, we had nearly a hundred thousand personnel cleansing the entire underhive simultaneously. The reports came quickly: the Imperial units were cooperating well. Too well. They were clearly fed up with having lost control and relished reclaiming it through violence.
"About thirty gangers in the next chamber. Nothing else in our sector. Alpha Squad ran into several thousand, but they finished already. Good fight. Your men performed well," I said.
"Damn it… I came with you because I thought we'd find thousands of these filthy mutants. I wanted to empty my entire grenade belt into someone. Well… at least we cleaned this up. There are still the outlying bandits. Hopefully they're more fun," Kazimir replied.
"The Death Head Reapers are already dealing with that. They're ordered to sweep the outer fields and collapse the main tunnels with D-9 mines. Once they finish, the entire planet will be pacified."I smiled. Not that it mattered behind my mask.
"Oh come on… I missed all the good combat. At least I can take it out on these ones," Kazimir said, nodding toward the final room.
"If that's what it takes to stop your complaining, go ahead," I replied.
A moment later I heard the unmistakable hiss of combat-drug injectors priming within his armor. The pressurized surge of stimulants filled the chamber.
"LET'S FUCKING GOOOO!" Kazimir roared.
He shot forward with absurd speed, propelled by the stimulant cocktail, and entered the room like a living missile. The moment he crossed the doorway, a storm of detonations erupted: grenades launched in volleys, shrapnel ricocheting everywhere, and a cacophony of screams filling the tunnels.
Deonaris's guards stared at me, tense.
"Do not intervene," I said in Gothic. "He can take care of himself."
We waited a few seconds beneath the echo of explosions and screams. Then, once the noise finally died, Kazimir emerged through the dust, walking calmly. His armor was coated in a thin layer of blood and ash, sliding off the luminous dome of his personal shields.
"Done… I'm coming out," he said as he retraced the same labyrinthine corridor he had charged into.
"Good. Come on, Deonaris—we have to discuss your reward and what we are going to do with your guards," I said as we headed back.
It didn't take long to regroup with the other teams. We redistributed the task of clearing the tunnels among the local guards and sent orders to other detachments to remove the bodies before incineration.
When we reached the hive's throne hall, the place had only been partially cleared. Bloodstains still covered much of the floor and walls, remnants of nobles who had attempted to resist. Among those present was the governor's son, Aurel Velmawr, who had agreed to collaborate with us.
What was most unusual about Aurel was his total indifference toward the death of his own family. What I had pulled from his mind explained it well: the constant favoritism shown toward his sisters, and the governor's abuse toward him, had shattered any attachment he once had. He longed only for the stability that existed before his father's rule.
"Aurel Velmawr," I said as I approached him. He was surrounded by a group of visibly nervous administrators.
"Regent," Aurel replied with a small bow.
"Well then, Deonaris," I said, turning to the man who had lowered the planetary defenses. "I promised you a generous reward for your cooperation. I will authorize the transfer of three hundred thousand credits to your name. In addition, I will pay for your genetic correction treatment so that you are no longer considered a mutant by Terran standards."I sat on the governor's throne as I spoke.
With clear confusion, Deonaris asked, "With all due respect, Regent… why are we considered mutants? You yourself saw what an actual mutant looks like in the lower levels. We don't resemble them at all."
"Genetically, that's what matters," I answered. "You are too different from us. Many Terran scientists consider you dangerously close to the limit of what we would classify as 'same species.' There have been births between Terrans and locals, which shows some compatibility. Personally, I don't care. As you can see—" I opened my mask "—I am blond and blue-eyed, traits considered inferior within the Dominion."
Aurel frowned. "But you are the Regent."
"Because they considered me the closest to the late Emperor and capable of sustaining his political structure. Until a successor to the Imperial dynasty is found, I must uphold that model of leadership. If you want to take part in Dominion governance, your genetics must be corrected—otherwise many within the Dominion will crush you the moment you rise." I leaned back into the throne, placing my hands on the armrests.
Aurel drew a slow breath before asking, "And what about me? Do I have a right to the treatment?"
"No. And do not misunderstand," I replied. "Your collaboration was useful, but not vital. Deonaris allowed the planetary defenses to fall—he prevented countless useless deaths. Had there been a fight, tens of thousands, perhaps millions, might have died—an unnecessary headache avoided. You merely facilitated the political transition. If I gave you the same gift, I would devalue the reward he earned. But while you serve as temporary planetary governor for the Dominion, you will have the means to finance your own treatment without issue."
Aurel considered this for a moment. "I can work with that… then, what exactly will my function be?"
"Very little for now," I said. "Your government will be transitional. We need a complete census. Your task over the next month is to force the entire hive administration to gather exact figures: total population, age groups, sex, distribution by levels. I plan to relocate a large portion of this planet's inhabitants."
Aurel stared at me in surprise before replying, "Understood… I will set the bureaucrats to work immediately. But why move the population? The hive is at the center of the farmlands. It controls the transport routes and is perfect for coordinating workers." He gestured for the administrators to take notes.
"Because this hive is built like a damned labyrinth. I can't plan real infrastructure with this architectural nightmare," I said plainly. "I will likely demolish it entirely and create new cities. But that will take time."
I pointed at Aurel and continued:
"Second task: you will collect and surrender all technology present on the planet. Any tool, machine, weapon, or system of value will be analyzed by our scientists. You will coordinate with Deonaris to requisition whatever is necessary. It does not matter who possesses it."
Then I turned directly to Deonaris.
"By the way, Deonaris—congratulations. From this moment forward, you are General of the Dominion's ground forces on this planet. You hold full military authority… but you will answer to our appointed envoy, who will handle the world's general administration."
"Uh… thank you…" Deonaris murmured, clearly overwhelmed.
"Listen carefully. Every piece of information Aurel gives you must be used to requisition technology, reorganize the population, and establish a functional defense network. Furthermore, you will begin a recruitment campaign among the locals. I need you to increase your current numbers twentyfold. I want twenty times the troop count you have today. The new recruits are to receive proper training under your guard's standards. They will become the core of the Dominion's future troopers."
I rested my fist under my chin, observing both men.
"Twentyfold?" Deonaris repeated, alarmed. "I don't have training facilities for anything on that scale… nor barracks, nor equipment. You know how the PDF was. Without the weapons and armor you gave us, we wouldn't have even been able to assist with the tunnel purge."
"Relax. The Dominion will provide everything. Full shipments of rifles, armor, gas masks, supplies—everything necessary for a stable planetary defense—will arrive soon." I allowed myself a small smile.
Then I turned to Aurel.
"Aurel, summon the highest-ranking member of the planet's Ecclesiarchy. I require a conversation with him to ensure his support for our new administration."
"I will send for him at once," Aurel replied, offering a respectful bow.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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