Chapter 208 - 20
As we departed the branch office, I received a call from my future sister-in-law, Duchess Satine. Accepting it immediately, she apologized for interrupting our vacation before jumping straight to the point.
"The Senate moved forward with your suggestion and purchased the necessary weapons from Atlas, Jakobs, and Torgue. Everything has been bought and paid for already; we just need assistance getting everything to the frontlines. Is your offer to assist us still good?", Satine inquired, sounding very exhausted.
"Of course, just send me the coordinates, and I will have my logistics division get right on it.", I confirmed.
"Perfect, thank you so much, Victor.", Satine replied, releasing a long sigh of relief. "Enjoy your vacation. I look forward to seeing all of you and a nephew and/or niece soon!"
Ending the call before Bo-Katan could get a word in, the Mandalorian woman began cursing her sister under her breath. Instead of letting it roll off her shoulders like normal, Bo-Katan took it offensively, as now Satine was dragging me into her little game. Pleading with me to disregard her outrageous sister's words, she wanted us to proceed at our own pace and not follow her sister's timetable.
"There is no need to get worked up about it, Bo-Katan. I knew what I was getting myself into long before we became a couple.", I laughed. "Do not forget, your sister tried strong-arming me into a political marriage before Obi-Wan gathered the courage to make a move on her. Out of everyone in the universe, the two of us understand how unreasonable she can be."
"Haha, I suppose that is true.", Bo-Katan said with a content smile.
"Just so we are crystal clear...", I spoke, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. "I am not opposed to starting a family with you in the slightest. Just give me some time to prepare a proper engagement ring; it needs to withstand any abuse you might put it through."
Coming to an abrupt halt right in front of me, Bo-Katan turned around and looked me dead in the eyes. Searching for any signs of deceit, her face turned several shades of red when she realized I wasn't joking. Slowly nodding her head, Bo-Katan promised to think about it during our vacation. Turning forward again, she picked up the pace and began running in the ship's direction.
Doing her utmost not to show anyone her embarrassed expression, she failed to notice a drunkard had stumbled out of an alleyway ahead of her. Crashing into the schnockered woman accidentally, the two of them fell to the ground in a heap. Hearing the shattering of glass a second later, I knew this was going to get ugly.
"I am sorry, are you okay?", Bo-Katan questioned, picking herself up off the ground. "Here, let me help you up."
Reaching a hand out to the dazed Space Elf, the woman slowly looked over at the remains of her beer bottle. Going absolutely ballistic at the sight of the broken bottle, she smacked Bo-Katan's hand away and jumped to her feet in anger. Getting right in Bo-Katan's face, the Space Elf began chewing her out as if the bottle had been a family heirloom.
"That was my last fucking beer, you big cow!! How could you rob me of its last few sweet drops of its delicious nectar!", the Space Elf howled, shoving her backward. "Why did you run into me!? Did I do something to you in the past to warrant such cruelty?!"
"Calm down, Miss. It was an accident; she didn't do it on purpose.", Aela interjected, uncertain why she was losing it over a partially filled bottle of booze. "Are you in need of medical care? I notice your hand is bleeding."
"CALM THE FUCK DOWN!?", the Space Elf screamed, tugging on her own hair in frustration. "You are not the ones who are less than a day away from being dragged off to a prison station. I was trying to drink the pain of losing everything away, but now I will have to endure this agony slightly less drunk than planned."
"Miss, can you elaborate a bit more on what you are talking about? You are not making any sense.", Olivia requested, cautiously approaching the woman to heal her. "Please start from the beginning; maybe we can help you."
Looking at my kindhearted wife, she fell to her knees and began bawling her eyes out uncontrollably. Starting at the very beginning, the woman began by telling us she was a failed, silver-ranked mercenary. Several days back, there was a joint operation between the mercenary association and the military that she participated in. As things were wrapping up, her ship's AI went haywire and flew straight into Commander Halls' flagship. While she was happy to walk away with her life, the military demanded she pay them in full for all the damage she caused.
"They expect me to pay seven million credits by tomorrow afternoon, and I couldn't come up with the funds. No one was willing to lend me the three million credits I'm short because I don't have the means to pay them back.", the Space Elf cried, grabbing Olivia's arm. "Please, you must help me! Nearly everyone I have put away in my five-year career is being held aboard that prison station. The moment I enter the general prison population, I am either a dead man walking or going to end up as some filthy prick's cock sleeve. I DON'T WANNA BECOME SOMEONE'S BITCH!!"
"Ah... well, I take back what I said a moment ago. Losing your beer bottle really was a travesty.", Aela said, scratching the back of her head. "I am sorry to say, but you really are fucked... No pun intended."
"Hey now, don't joke about the situation she currently finds herself in. I understand her feeling of helplessness better than any of you.", Samus scolded Aela as she walked over and put a reassuring hand on the merc's shoulder. "Do you have any family members you can ask for help from? We can help you get in contact with them."
"I do, but... sniffle they already told me that they will not help me. My father said I must deal with my screwup on my own before calling me a disgrace to the family name.", the Space Elf replied, her ears drooping in shame.
Understanding she had been left to suffer by everyone, including her own kin, my family turned to me with pleading gazes. While three million credits was a drop in the bucket for us, they were hesitant about spending such a seemingly large amount without my approval. Deciding to expedite things a bit between Elma and Hiro, I inquired if she had truly asked all her friends.
"Not to be rude, but have you asked the newcomer Hiro for assistance? When we spoke with Commander Halls, I seem to recall her mentioning you were close to him. Surely he could lend you the funds and give you a temporary job as a crew member aboard his ship.", I pointed out.
"Captain Hiro?", Elma repeated, surprised I knew of him. "It... It wouldn't be right for me to spoil what he has going on with his girlfriend, Mimi."
"Oh, come off it.", I complained, rolling my eyes. "From what I hear, he is a rather standup guy who should be more than willing to lend you a helping hand. In the event he turns you down, we will help you out by lending you the money. Now pick yourself up, and let's get moving."
Helping her back onto her feet, Olivia wiped Elma's tears away and sobered the space elf up with magic. Once she was good to go, we headed toward the port to find Hiro and Mimi.
---3rd Person POV, Planet Deviluke---
"Mama, Papa, can we please go see Victor-kun? Momo, Nana, and I have completed our greatest invention yet!", Lala asserted as the three sisters barged into the throne room. "It can produce any type of food with just... Wait... Where is everyone?"
Finding the room completely vacant, the sisters promptly began searching the palace for their parents. Unable to find them anywhere, Momo asked one of the palace maids if they knew where their parents were. Confirming she did, the maid told the king and queen were at the port preparing for departure. Scrambling out of the palace before the maid could finish her explanation, Lala and company flew to the port as fast as they could.
"Where do you think they are going?", Nana asked. "Do you think Dad is bringing more suitors for us, Momo?"
"I hope not; it is getting harder and harder to deal with the pigs Papa keeps introducing us too.", Momo complained, wishing their father would give up already. "Is that... Is that Dad's flagship I see in port?"
Spotting their father's distinctive flagship in the distance, the trio knew this meant another war was on the horizon. Picking up their pace, they flew straight to the flagship and found their father speaking with Zastin and his generals. Calling out to him as they descended onto the dock, Momo asked what was going on.
"Princess Momo...", Zastin spoke up, excusing himself from the discussion. "The Galactic Republic has called for our aid in dealing with the Tyranid Hive Fleet plaguing their southern territory. We tried to inform you of this three days ago, but you were too buried in your work to hear our knocks or words."
"Is Victor-kun going to be there?!", Lala inquired, excitedly grabbing Zastin by the collar. "If he is, can we please come along too?"
"Absolutely not!", Gid interjected, turning to look at his daughters. "Regardless of whether he is there or not, I forbid you from coming with us. These horrid creatures are unlike anything you have ever seen before. They know only carnage and seek to devour all life they come across. I know you won't be happy about it, but you are going to sit this one out. Go back to the palace and wait for us to return."
"But Papa, we- ", Lala began to say.
Immediately shutting her down, Gid told them to return to the palace immediately. Refusing to place his entire family in harm's way, he was already having a hard time accepting that Sephie was coming with him. Having strong-armed him into letting her come, she refused to allow her husband to go without her. While she would not be able to support him on the battlefield, Sephie wanted to be there to support him in every other way she could.
"I am sorry, my beloved children, but it is far too dangerous for you this time.", Gid said, turning back to his generals. "Once this is all over, we will set up your marriage meeting with Victor. Just wait a bit longer, alright?"
"Do you need me to take you back?", Zastin questioned with an apologetic look.
"No, we can find our own way back to the palace.", Momo answered, giving him a smile. "We will be praying for everyone's protection and safety. Take care!"
Thanking the princess for her kind words, Zastin rejoined his previous conversation, leaving the three of them standing there. Wanting to assist their parents and meet Victor, the trio began formulating a plan to smuggle themselves aboard. Looking around for a way to sneak aboard, Nana noticed several crates that had yet to be loaded aboard the ship. Silently motioning toward them, her sisters nodded their heads and quietly walked over to the shipping containers. Climbing inside one when no one was looking, they pulled the lid shut and patiently waited for the dockhands to haul the crate aboard.
---Victor POV---
Approaching the bay where the Krishna was docked, we stumbled upon Hiro and Mimi performing some routine maintenance on the ship. Caught up in their work, the two of them fail to notice us, so Olivia gave the space elf a gentle nudge forward to start the conversation. Taking a deep breath, Elma smacked herself on the face before nervously approaching the oblivious couple.
"Hey, Hiro and Mimi… How is it going?", Elma inquired, trying to figure out how to delicately broach the subject with them. "Do you have a moment to talk? I am kind of in a bind, and I could use some help."
Hearing a faint voice behind them, Hiro and Mimi turned around to see who was talking to them. Upon seeing Elma standing there, Mimi dashed over and pulled her into a big hug. Having been worried sick about her, as Elma had gone MIA since the accident, she was happy to see her friend was alive and kicking. Bombarding her with a bazillion questions in quick succession, Hiro had to separate the two of them to bring his lover back to reality.
"Mimi, how about giving Elma a chance to speak before burying her with questions? Judging by her unkept appearance, she has had a rough go of it these past few days.", Hiro stated, giving his colleague a smirk. "Alright, Senpai, the floor is yours."
"Ugh… I know I screwed up; I don't need you rubbing my face into it.", Elma complained, turning her gaze to the ground. "So, like I was saying, I am kind of in a bind right now. As I am sure you have heard by now, the military is making me reimburse them for the damage my ship caused. The final bill came out to seven million credits, and I am three million short. I… I know we have not known each other for long, but is there any way you could lend me the money to pay off my debt? Assuming you are fine with it, I can work as a crewman on the Krishina until I pay you back in full."
"Do not act like we are complete strangers; Hiro and I see you as a dear friend!", Mimi scolded her, puffing out her cheeks in frustration. "Mister Hiro, can we please help Elma out? If we don't, she will be shipped off to the nearby prison station and likely be killed by the inmates for being a mercenary."
Pulling out his tablet, Hiro took a quick look at his account balance to see how much cash he had available. Glancing over at Elma and Mimi, the two women looked back at him with hopeful gazes. Releasing a pained sigh, he agreed to help Elma out as he started scratching the back of his head.
"Paying off your debt is going to wipe out my savings, so we will need to head immediately to earn living expenses.", Hiro commented, before realizing we were standing at the bow of his ship. "Uh, Elma, are these people with you? Please tell me you didn't lead a bunch of debt collectors or military people here…"
"I… Uh… Well actually, I do not quite know who they are really. We kind of bumped into each other while I was drunkenly wandering around the slums.", Elma laughed nervously. "Sorry for not asking this earlier, but who are you people?"
"It is fine; do not worry about it.", I chuckled as I began introducing everyone. "To start with, these three are Balder, Fandral, and Loki; they are Asgardians. Beside them are Cegorach, Hoec, and Vaul; they are Aeldari. At the end there are my wife Lucoa's childhood friends, Elma, Fafnir, Ilulu, and Tohru. Everyone else here, aside from my adorable daughter, is one of my beautiful wives."
Startled by this information, Elma shakily asked me who I was exactly. Opening my mouth to answer her, Ionica cut me off and boldly introduced me to three of them.
"Our husband's name is Victor von Stark. He is the Emperor of the Caspiel Empire, a Primarch of the Imperium of Man, a Duke of the Holfort Kingdom, a Jedi Sage of the Galactic Republic, and a platinum-ranked bounty hunter.", Ionica proclaimed, wearing a beaming smile.
"Oh shit, Elma, you screwed up really big this time. Laying hands on a galactic leader's spouse is a grave offense; you are a dead man walking.", Hiro snickered, eating this up. "Sorry, Elma, we cannot bail you out of this one."
Watching Elma's mouth fall open, her complexion turned pale as a sheet of paper in seconds. Bolting over to us, she immediately initiated a flying dogeza and dove straight at our feet. Bashing her head into the thick steel floor, the space elf began trembling violently as she begged for leniency and mercy.
"No mercy for you!", Tohru shouted in a playful tone. "I say we roast her alive for- "
"PLEASE NO, ANYTHING BUT DEATH!!", Elma screamed, nearly wetting herself.
"Do not listen to that stupid dragon; she does not speak for us.", Bo-Katan sighed as Lucoa put Tohru in a chokehold. "Given the circumstances, I think we can overlook your minor transgression this time. In the future though, try not to treat others like garbage when they accidentally bump into you."
Relieved to hear she was off the hook, Elma melted onto the floor as tears began streaming down her face. Thanking Bo-Katan for her generosity and kindness, the space elf released an exhausted sigh before picking herself back up again.
"So, what will you guys do now? Going to some important diplomatic meeting or something?", Elma asked, shifting the discussion in a different direction.
"Actually, we are going to hunt some pirates to collect some juicy bounties!", Samus answered, cracking her knuckles excitedly. "Maybe we will bump into you guys out there during our hunt. If we do, may the best pilot win."
"Assuming you three are free this evening, you are more than welcome to join us for dinner.", I offered, wanting to have a private conversation with Hiro.
"Do… Do you have delicious food aboard your ship?", Mimi asked, trying to stop herself from drooling.
"Haha, absolutely. Everything aboard was grown/raised planetside in my homeland.", I confirmed.
Accepting my offer in a heartbeat, Elma and Hiro looked at her like she was insane. Having planned on politely rejecting my offer, they felt obligated now to attend to make Mimi happy. Telling them not to make a big deal out of it, I said it would be an informal dinner where we could just relax and enjoy each other's company.
"Since Mimi is hellbent on sampling the food now… I guess we will see you this evening.", Hiro said, hanging his head in defeat.
"Perfect, I will send a shuttle over to- ", I began to say as sirens started blaring all over the station.
Unsure what was going on, military personnel began swarming the docks as they scurried aboard the few military vessels in port. Spotting Commander Halls among the sea of soldiers, Hiro and I called out to her to see what was going on. Elated to see us, she ran over and immediately requested our assistance.
"The Belberem Federation's fleet just entered the empire's territorial space. We have been ordered to deploy and hold the line until further assistance arrives.", Hall stated. "Is there any way I could secure your assistance, gentlemen?"
"If the pay is good, count me!", Hiro said, eager to rebuild his savings.
"As bounty hunters, I suppose we can lend you a hand. Just make sure to submit a job posting through the association to keep things above board.", I requested. "Otherwise, I will be forced to act in accordance with my position as a foreign dignitary."
Already way ahead of me, Halls produced the official posting she had sent over a few minutes ago. Having Luxion notify our designated representative within the association that we were taking the job, we bid everyone farewell and promptly returned to the New Genesis. Charting us a course to the border, I fired up the Folding Drive and set out to meet our foe.
--- Belberem/Grakkan Border---
Opening fire upon us as we came through the wormhole, the Federation's forces did not bother with confirming if we were friend or foe. Watching their munitions fizzle out on contact with our shielding, I almost decided to annihilate them for their rude behavior. Stopping myself though, as my family and friends were dying for a good fight, we came up with a suitable alternative that made everyone happy.
"Uh… So how exactly are we divvying ourselves up?", Samus asked, looking at everyone.
"Count me out; this stuff is more Elma, Ilulu, and Tohru's thing. If you need me, I will be in the library reading.", Fafnir remarked, swiftly leaving the bridge. "Try not to bother, please."
"You are a party pooper, Fafnir!", Tohru berated him. "Where is your sense of adventure?"
Giving them a shrug before descending on the lift, the remaining people turned to me for guidance. Divvying up people as best I could, Samus would take Aela, Amallyn, Angelica, and Clarice aboard Yamato; Bo-Katan would take Deirdre, Ionica, Olivia, and Serana aboard the Planet Killer; and I would take everyone else, aside from Lucoa and Mylene, aboard the Endless Horizons. Giving clear instructions to avoid striking the commander bridges of the enemy vessels, we had been asked to collect hostages this time around, if possible.
"According to Commander Halls' job posting, the Grakkan Empire is interested in taking any enemy nobles and officers we capture.", I spoke up, pointing to the clause on the document. "For every noble/officer we turn over, we will receive a hefty bonus payment. All the money we earn today will be evenly split amongst yourselves to be spent however you wish during our vacation."
"Hang on a moment; how exactly does that benefit us?", Balder questioned, asking on behalf of the male gods.
"Not everything was included in the package I purchased. There is an extensive amount of exotic alcohol and food not included, and of course, there is the adult entertainment that you gentlemen might want to check out.", I answered, uncertain if they need things tended to.
"You had us at exotic alcohol!", Hoec chuckled, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Let's get out there and kick some ass."
Heartily agreeing with him, everyone began to disperse and head to their designated ship.
---3rd Person POV, New Genesis Hanger---𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
Arriving at the vessel they had been assigned to, Bo-Katan stared at Planet Killer with excitement. Having only commanded vessels under two kilometers until now, she was eager to climb into the captain's chair and take it for a spin. Placing a hand on the vessel's hull, a cold chill abruptly ran down her spine, causing her to recoil in fear.
"Something the matter?", Ionica inquired, noticing her reaction.
"It… It is nothing, just a cold chill.", Bo-Katan answered before turning and walking toward the airlock. "This was formally an Imperium vessel, correct? If so, could one of those ghosts your people pray to be haunting the ship?"
Releasing an exacerbated sigh, Ionica cautioned her against uttering such heretical words carelessly. If a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus were to overhear, it could cause severe problems for Victor and the family. Those who worshipped the Omnissiah took insults toward machines and machine spirits very seriously. Rumor had it that several noble families were mysteriously slaughtered in their homes after their patriarchs called an antique a hunk of junk.
"To answer your question, I don't know if there is a Machine Spirit onboard. They can only be found on Imperial vessels, and to my knowledge, Planet Killer wasn't built by the Imperium.", Ionica answered. "If you are concerned about it, how about asking Victor?"
"Fair enough.", Bo-Katan agreed, contacting Victor over the radio. "Sorry to be a bother, Victor, but I got an ominous vibe when I placed a hand on her hull. Is there a Machine Spirit aboard this ship?"
"There used to be a Machine Spirit onboard, but she was transformed into a Sentient AI during the retrofitting. As you will soon discover, she is quite a character, and that might be due to her proximity to the Eye of Terror during its formation. Do not worry, though; Tina will not harm you in any way… Aside from annoying you with repeated requests to blow shit up.", Victor laughed. "Other than that, she is mostly normal."
Having drawn inspiration for the name from a Borderlands character, Victor personally felt it suited her perfectly. Just like the character she was named after, the AI enjoyed blowing shit up whenever possible and violently obliterating enemies in an over-the-top fashion. Entrusting the quirky AI to Bo-Katan's care, Victor hoped they could get along well enough to be partners moving forward.
'Given how large my family has grown, it only made sense for my adventurous wives to be split between multiple vessels. This allows them greater flexibility and means they can tackle larger jobs far more easily. Here's to hoping Tina takes a liking to them…', Victor thought. "So long as you fire the main cannon once during the fight, Tina should behave herself. Please try not to accidentally destroy any nearby inhabited planets; uninhabited ones are fair game."
"Her name is Tina? That is quite an unusual name for a Machine Spirit.", Ionica commented, stepping into the airlock. "Alright, we are aboard and heading to the command bridge. Talk to you soon!"
Disconnecting from the call, the women passed through the airlock and into an empty corridor. Unsure which way to go from here, a giddy voice called out to them from overhead.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tina. Could you tell us which direction leads to the bridge?", Bo-Katan requested.
Before they could ask if she was joking or serious, the five women were enveloped in a bright light. Reappearing on the command deck, Bo-Katan and company visually checked each other to confirm everything was where it should be. Relieved to find nothing amiss, they took a minute to explore the bridge before climbing into their seats.
"Tina, can you please fire up the engines for me?", Bo-Katan requested, adjusting the ship controls to her personal preference.
Feeling the ship begin to subtly vibrate beneath them, Deirdre and Olivia initiated departure procedures. Ensuring that all moorings were properly retracted, they contact the control tower for clearance to leave. Giving them a tentative green light, the operator requested they postpone departure for a few minutes as the BFG-12000 was preparing to fire. Acknowledging them, Deirdre, Olivia, and Serana used the delay to acquaint themselves with the various onboard systems.
"I am going to be forthright with everyone here and now: my experience with piloting starships is zero.", Ionica admitted, looking to the others. "Could one of you maybe spare a moment to give me a brief rundown on what all this stuff does? I would appreciate it."
Motioning toward the various buttons and digital dials around her, Ionica pressed her hands together and gave an apologetic look. Getting up from her seat, Serana walked over and began giving her a very basic rundown of everything.
"Sure, that is not a problem.", Bo-Katan answered, interested to see how the Belberem Federation fleet would react. "Also, you can call me Bo-Katan. No need for formalities; it makes my skin crawl."
Bringing up a live feed, the AI waited with bated breath for the carnage to begin.
---Federation Fleet---
Detecting a massive energy spike from the unknown vessel before them, the Federation fleet ceased their bombardment and raised their shielding to maximum. Settling into his seat aboard their flagship, the Federation admiral ordered the fleet to resume their bombardment once the counterattack ceased. Believing the energy spike was caused by laser and plasma cannon batteries coming online, he was surprised it took them so long to react to their assault.
"I know this is coming very late, but radar operator… Who exactly did we fire upon?", the captain inquired as a sense of dread and fear settled in his chest. 'At first, I thought they were fools for making no attempt to flee or retaliate, but now I am not so certain. These energy readings suggest that what is coming online is well beyond a few hundred weapon batteries.'
"The ship is registered to the Imperium of Man, captain.", the radar operator answered, looking up further information on an online registry. "It is commanded and owned by Primarch Victor von Stark. He… oh no…"
Skimming through the various articles about the man they rashly attacked, his body began trembling in terror. Noticing his colleague's strong reaction, the operator's neighbor leaned over to see what had him so worked up. Getting a few lines in, the lieutenant let out a horrified scream as he fell back in his seat.
"What the hell is wrong with you, lieutenant?", the admiral snapped, irritated by his antics.
"Admiral, Captain, we need to evacuate the vicinity immediately!", the intelligence officer shrieked, leaping out of his seat. "Primarch Stark is a prince of the Imperium of Man and has a long, bloody list of achievements under his belt. Among those achievements, he obliterated an entire star system overrun by space pirates."
Bringing up the official report and photos of the devastation for all to see, the admiral's annoyed expression turned into one of horror. Throwing additional fuel onto the fire, the radar operator brought up photos and reports from several of Victor's other escapades.
"Admiral, should I relay the order to retreat?", the radio operator questioned as bright, green light began flooding in through the viewing window.
Glancing back at their frozen leader, the captain assumed temporary control of the fleet and ordered the retreat. Just as the operator was about to relay his command, alarms began sounding all over the ship.
"Why are the alarms sounding?!", the captain asked.
"Captain, the energy readings have gone off the charts!", a sergeant howled. "Weapon discharge is imminent!"
"ALL HANDS, BRACE FOR IMPACT!", the captain shouted, grabbing hold of the railing before him.
Just as the words left his mouth, the BFG-12000 fired straight at the fleet's right flank. Hearing the garbled screams of sailors over the radio, everything fell dead silent after a few seconds. Watching his ship begin uncontrollably drifting toward the beam of energy, the helmsman spun the wheel in the opposite direction and pushed the sublight engines to their limits.
"COME ON, BABY!! DON'T FAIL ME NOW.", the helmsman pleaded, using every ounce of strength he had to stop the wheel from whipping back around.
"Helmsman, get us out of here now!", the admiral screamed, finally coming back to his senses. "Do whatever you have to, even if we have to plow through our allies!"
"Belay that order, helmsman. We are not sacrificing our own people so this pompous asshole can save himself!", the captain snarled.
Glaring at the captain, he was about to chew him out for insubordination when the radar operator yelled that the beam was moving toward them. Snapping their attention toward the viewing window, they were mortified to see the prince was going to atomize the entire fleet.
"Send word to the rest of the fleet to begin- ", the captain began to say as additional alarms cut him off.
Hearing the ship begin to creak and groan, a series of violent explosions abruptly rocked the ship, followed by total power failure. As the ship flipped over to backup power, the captain demanded to know what happened. Running a system diagnostics test, the head of engineering made the harrowing discovery that a third of the vessel had been torn off. Having lost their only means of propulsion and their main power, they were now sitting ducks waiting for death to take them. Sharing this news with everyone, several people fainted while others grabbed photos of their loved ones and began silently praying.
"It has been an honor serving with all of you.", the captain said, removing his hat and holding it over his heart.
Closing his eyes and bracing for death to claim him, the green light began to dim as the BFG-12000 powered down. Watching the beam slowly begin to dissipate, people began releasing sighs of relief and slumped into their seats.
"How many ships did we lose…", the admiral asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"Roughly half of the fleet is gone, admiral.", the radar operator announced after triple-checking his readings. "I am not detecting any signs of wreckage; it's like they were never there to begin with."
"Contact one of our nearby ships and tell them to come pick us up. I want to be long gone before they fire a second time.", the admiral commanded, shakily rising from his seat. "If… if you need me, I will be in my quarters…"
Watching their commander waddle off in his piss-soaked pants, once the door shut behind him, everyone started laughing uncontrollably. Having treated them like shit since their departure, the crew were elated to see him knocked off his high horse. Reveling in their satisfaction for a few minutes, they quickly calmed down and began preparing to abandon the ship. Relaying the admiral's orders to the fleet, the radio operator watched several vessels break formation and begin to flee.
"Captain, our allied vessels are turning around and fleeing the engagement zone.", the radio operator stated as more ships began fleeing.
"Three ships have emerged from the city-ship, and they are rapidly approaching us.", the radar operator stated. "One of the ships is giving off a weird energy- "
As he was about to finish his sentence, a brilliant red beam of light shot out of Planet Killer and tore through the fleeing vessels. Watching as they were brutally reduced to heaps of molten slag, a booming voice began speaking to them across all communication channels.
"Hear me well, Belberem Federation. Everything that happens from here on out will determine how many of you live to see tomorrow. Power your weapons down immediately and prepare to be boarded. Those who fail to comply or offer up resistance against our boarding parties will be annihilated with extreme prejudice.", Victor said, in a cold, uncaring tone. "My Space Marines are not as gentle or kind as the Grakkan soldiers you are accustomed to fighting. They will not hesitate to melt, rip, and tear you apart until you are but a smear on the floor. I trust you will make the smart decision and surrender peaceably."
Looking at their captain, the bridge crew requested guidance from him on how to proceed. Telling them to grab their personal items and head to the hangar, he told them they would not continue to fight or resist. Stating enough of their blood had been spilled today, there was no need for more bloodshed as they had already lost. Relieved to hear their captain was being sensible about this, they did as they were told and immediately began to carry out his orders.
---Victor POV---𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Docking the Endless Horizons with the crippled vessel, Roxanne and I led a heavily armed boarding across a retractable catwalk to their airlock. Opening the door as we drew near, a man introducing himself as the captain of the ship stepped out from cover with his hands raised in surrender. Announcing they had chosen to surrender over continued bloodshed, he informed us that his surviving subordinates had already been gathered in preparation for us.
"Lord Stark, I beseech you, please spare my crew!", the captain pleaded, bowing his head to me. "They are all good sailors with families waiting back home for them. Please take my head and allow them to continue living!"
Remaining silent for a moment, I peeked into his head to see what he was really thinking. Surprised to discover he meant every word he spoke, he was truly ready to die if it meant his men could live.
"I am a man of my word, captain. You followed my orders, so neither you nor your men will be harmed.", I spoke, considering offering him a position within my private military. "Please take us to the hangar; I want to start collecting the names of your crew members. To be upfront with you, the remnants of the Federation's failed invasion will be handed over to the Grakkan Empire."
"I… I understand. The Federation was the aggressor here, so it only makes sense that the Grakkan Empire would pay handsomely for us.", the captain remarked. "Please follow me; I will take you to the hanger."
Taking point, the older gentleman led us through a series of corridors before stepping out into the mangled hangar. Finding his crew on their knees with their hands behind their heads, each sailor froze when they looked upon my Helldivers and myself. Watching several of them close their eyes, they fully expected to be executed in a few moments.
"Calm yourselves, those who complied with my orders will not be harmed.", I advised the sailors before turning to the captain. "So, where is the man in charge of this botched invasion?"
"Admiral Everest barricaded himself in his private quarters shortly after I announced we were surrendering to you. Please understand, he no longer acts or speaks on behalf of my crew or myself now.", the captain stated, wanting to make that crystal clear. 'That pompous asshole will not get my men killed, even if I have to execute him myself!'
"Captain, please show Palatine Adelenta Junissa and her subordinates where the admiral is currently holed up. They will drag him out here so we can have a friendly chat.", I said, glancing toward Ionica's second-in-command. "Bring the admiral to me alive. I care not if he is missing a limb or two."
Saluting me, Palatine Junissa ordered several of her subordinates forward and set out with the captain. While they were away, I started the tedious process of getting the names, noble titles, and ranks of the crew. Surprised to discover nearly a third of the crew were of noble blood, the remaining two-thirds were a mix of civilians and slaves. Assuming those people would be sent to prison stations or to work in mining colonies, I considered potentially offering them positions within my private military as well.
---Twenty Minutes Later---
"Primarch Stark, as requested, we have returned with the admiral in tow.", Junissa announced, dragging the beaten and bruised commander behind her.
Grabbing the man by the throat, Palatine Junissa glowered at the man as she warned him to mind his tongue when speaking with me. As the Emperor of Mankind's grandson, disrespecting me was akin to insulting the Emperor himself, and that was punishable by death.
"How dare you manhandle me, you filthy whores!", the admiral seethed, completely disregarding her words. "I am the eldest son of the Duke Everest, one of the most prestigious households in the Belberem Federation. When my father learns what you have done to me, the full might of the Federation's military will be brought down upon your backwater country. If you believe these morons were the best we had to offer, you are sadly mistaken!"
Ramming the barrel of her Meltagun into his mouth, the Palatine was about to execute him when I ordered her to stop. Doing as I commanded, she pulled her weapon back and took up a position beside her subordinates. Opening his mouth to continue berating her and her subordinates, I put him in a Force Choke and began slowly lifting him off the ground.
"You clearly forget who is holding all the power right now, boy.", I said in a cold voice. "The tiny Belberem Federation is nothing but a speck compared to the might of the Imperium of Man. You are a small nation of barely two hundred thousand worlds; the Imperium of Man controls over a million inhabited worlds. While your country can barely field five hundred billion men, we have ten trillion active-duty service members and countless more in reserve. If you believe for a second that your pissant country could win a war against us, you are sorely overestimating yourselves."
Placing a temporary curse on him, ensuring he couldn't die, I flung him over into a corner of the room and ordered my soldiers to blast him. Happily complying with my order, the moment he slammed into the wall, they unloaded him. Bathing him in Meltagun and Plasma Cannon fire, all anyone could hear was gunfire and tormented screams from him as he went through an endless loop of death and life. Letting them mutilate him for a good five minutes, I stopped them just short of reaching the outer hull. Dragging his mangled body back to me with the Force, he wheezed out an apology and begged for mercy. Tossing him at the captain's feet, I informed him that we were heading back to my flagship.
"Listen, boy, I chalk your declaration of war up to youthful bravado and let it slide this time.", I stated, walking toward the exit. "Utter such nonsense again, and I will enact Exterminatus upon the Federation's capital world. All the carnage and death I will rain down will be on your shoulders, not mine."
"Exterminatus?", Everest meekly asked.
"It means the complete and utter eradication of all life upon a planet, all the way down to the cellular level.", Junissa spoke, giving him a cold glare. "The Imperium of Man rarely enacts such drastic measures, but in your case, it is warranted."
Audibly gulping at her explanation, the nobleman slowly picked himself up and fell in line with the crew. Leading them to our holding cells, I had the medical team treat their wounded people and returned to the bridge. Stowing the crippled flagship in my inventory, we began cleaning up the mess my energetic wives were leaving in their wake.
---Two Hours Later---
Hailing Commander Halls' flagship as the defense forces began dropping out of FTL, I informed them that we had already dealt with the invasion force. Believing I was joking around to lighten the mood, their tune quickly changed when I sent them photos of our prisoners. Upon realizing I was not joking, a cold chill ran down their spines as they understood how close they had all been to annihilation earlier today.
"I appreciate your assistance here today, Lord Stark and family.", Halls stated with a relieved expression. "While we already had an established agreement, if there is anything else I can offer you, please tell me."
"Actually, there is one thing you could do for us.", I said. "A certain downtrodden space elf we both are acquainted with told me of an accident she was the cause of a short time ago. While she fully expected to be billed for the damage, our mutual acquaintance received a seven million credit bill from you. As your flagship was only lightly damaged, I would have anticipated a charge of 1.5 to 2 million credits. Could you please investigate the matter and sort things out?"
"Of course, I will personally look into the matter.", Halls acknowledged, shooting a disgusted look at her second-in-command. "Ensuring we maintain an amicable relationship with third-party contractors is very important to me."
Thanking her, I proceeded to transmit all the data we had extracted thus far from the prisoners. Highlighting the various pirate groups that were secretly on the Federation's payroll, one of her subordinates suggested dispatching the mercenaries to deal with those in the local vicinity. Not wanting to pay the mercenaries they brought here just for showing up, Halls agreed with the officer and gave the order to take out the pirates.
Asking me to hand the prisoners over this evening at Termaine Prime, I assured her we would be there waiting for her. Bidding her farewell, for now, we set out for our next bounty of the day.
---3rd Person POV, Tower of the Cyclops, Sortiarius---
Pushing their way through a sea of disgruntled Rubric Marines, two Noise Marines barged into Magnus' private study requesting aid. Having come straight from the battlefield, they hoped to convince him to utilize his psychic powers to alert the others about what was coming. Frantically speaking over one another trying to get their explanation out, Magnus looked up from his book and commanded them to be silent.
"These interruptions are becoming more annoying every time they happen. What errand has my brother Fulgrim sent you here for this time?", Magnus groaned before noticing their severe armor damage and wounds. 'I know Slaanesh enjoys tormenting her people, but their wounds have always healed back shortly afterward. Did something else happen?'
"Please forgive us, Lord Magnus. We are not here on a request from Lord Fulgrim, but for the entirety of our legion.", the first Noise Marine stated, motioning for his colleague to remain silent. "Your brother, Lord Zephrim, has returned leading legions of unknown daemons. They wield power unlike anything we have witnessed up to this point, and... and our legion is barely holding on. We were sent here to request your assistance alerting everyone else to the dangers heading this way."
Closing the book he had been reading, Magnus cast a scrying spell to get an idea of the current situation. As the image slowly cleared up, an icy chill ran down his spine as he found hundreds of Fulgrim's Noise Marines having their soul essence devoured. Taken aback by this horrific sight, he frantically began searching for Fulgrim to spirit him away. Finding his brother engaged in a duel with a twisted version of Zephrim, Fulgrim was covered in deep wounds and on the verge of losing the fight.
Attempting to cast a teleportation spell to evacuate Fulgrim from the battlefield, Magnus was dumbfounded when the spell refused to work. Casting it a second time, with extra power this attempt, Zephrim whipped his head around and looked him dead in the eyes.
"Do not interfere with my retribution, boy!", Nemesis roared before blasting Magnus with a devastating psychic attack. "Your time will come soon enough."
Raising a barrier to protect himself, Magnus' tower violently exploded, sending its occupants in every direction. As the dust began to settle, the Rubric Marines began to frantically search for their Primarch. Finding the Noise Marines first, they were about to tear them apart when a pile of debris began to move. Climbing out of the rubble with a pained expression, Magnus ordered them to stop.
"Lord Magnus, are these two not the ones responsible for the destruction of the tower?", one of the Rubric Marines questioned.
"No, they are not responsible for this mess.", Magnus groaned, his head throbbing in pain from the backlash of withstanding the blow. "Cancel all the plans we had in the works and gather our forces here immediately. Lord Slaanesh's territory has been most corrupted by my brother Zephrim and his countless legions of daemons. After Fulgrim and his men are defeated, they will most likely come for Lord Tzeentch and us next."
"Lord Magnus, please forgive my rudeness, but there was more my brother failed to tell you initially.", the second Noise Marine interjected. "Lord Zephrim possesses a relic that allowed him to absorb Nurgle's power after his passing. He distributed a fraction of that power amongst his marines to further strengthen them."
Staring at them in disbelief, Magnus struggled to understand how such a thing could be possible. He had researched that topic extensively, yet nothing he found could contain even the tiniest sliver of their power. If Zephrim had stumbled across something that could do it, that would make him and his legions even more of a threat to them.
'If that is the case, his forces likely grow stronger with every kill they make. Fighting him alone would be foolhardy; we need to make a stand as a united front.', Magnus thought, resolving himself to request aid from his other traitorous brothers. 'Hopefully I can convince them to put aside our differences and work together again in the defense of everything we have built.'
Casting a telepathy spell to reach his brothers, the only two who responded were Lorgar and Perturabo. Before he had a chance to explain to them what was happening, both men began shouting at him. Informing him hordes of unknown daemons had launched an assault on their territory, they were furious no one had bothered to respond to their call for aid.
"Send aid immediately!", Lorgar demanded. "We have assisted you multiple times over the years; now it is your turn to help us."
"Yes, our situation here is very dire. No matter how many of these bastards we kill, they keep coming. Several of my fortresses have already been overrun, and nearly a third of my manpower is dead.", Perturabo snapped.
Fearing this attack was more widespread than anyone realized, Magnus cast a scrying spell to check on their other three brothers. Finding Angron, Mortarion, and their legions fighting a massive horde together, he could not pinpoint Alpharius's whereabouts at all. Hoping his brother had not already perished in this surprise attack, Mangus relayed everything he knew to Lorgar and Perturabo.
"If what you are saying is correct, continuing to maintain control of our territory is an exercise in futility.", Perturabo remarked, rubbing his chin. "In that case, a strategic retreat to rally our combined forces elsewhere would be the best course of action. Are you able to help facilitate our retreat to your planet?"
"Assuming Zephrim doesn't interfere with my magic again, I should be able to. Give me a moment; I will try opening a portal to you.", Magnus said, casting the spell again.
Successfully establishing a connection to his brother's location, Perturabo immediately called for a retreat. Instructing his men to activate the automatic defense systems as they fell back, they needed to buy as much time as possible for everyone to safely get through. Following Perturabo's lead, Lorgar began calling for a full retreat of all his men and resources.
---Terra---
Setting foot on Terran soil for the first time in several millennia, a mix of emotions came over the Alpha Legion and their twin Primarchs. Overjoyed to see the cradle of humanity slowly returning to its former glory, all the sacrifices they had made up to this point felt worth it. Closing the passageway they had used to infiltrate this abandoned part of the palace, they took stock and began planning a route to their final destination. Checking on the stasis units containing Horus and Manus's bodies, Omegon turned to his brother and hesitantly asked why there weren't any guards in the vicinity.
"Our nephew has made great strides in fixing the Imperium's situation; some things have a lower priority than others.", Alpharius stated, looking at their father's home through binoculars. "Victor has been working toward improving early warning systems for external threats and things pertaining to the daily lives of the people. To be blunt, he is doing everything our father tried and failed to accomplish twelve thousand years ago. You have seen for yourself how vastly different the nation's situation is compared to just a year ago."
"I am well aware of that; my point was this seems far too easy.", Omegon remarked. "With all the technology our nephew wields, I just expected a bit more resistance."
"To be fair, I am certain the Supreme Commander would rather talk to you alive instead of corpses.", a feminine voice said in a smug tone. "We have you and your men surrounded; please do not make any sudden moves."
Turning their heads to where the voice came from, a female figure appeared out of thin air with an antimatter rifle aimed straight at them. Whistling a signal to her subordinates, thousands of lasers began pinpointing targets on every enemy unit present. Flooding the area with intense light, Automatons and Helldivers began moving in to reinforce the perimeter.
"Everyone, slowly put down your weapons. We didn't come here to fight; we are here to make amends and wipe the slate clean.", Alpharius commanded before looking at the woman. "Tell me, how exactly did you pinpoint where we come out?"
"Satellite and spatial sensors, we knew you were coming the moment you opened that passageway.", Yoma answered, getting on the radio. "Apologies for interrupting your evening, Captain-General Valoris and Lord Valdor; we caught a group of infiltrators on the edge of the palace grounds. Alpharius, Omegon, and their entire legion have come seeking an audience with the Emperor and the other Primarchs."
"Let me guess... They breached the perimeter via the abandoned Hive City at the edge of the palace grounds.", Valdor commented.
"That is correct, sir.", Yoma affirmed.
Immediately berating his successor for not maintaining a proper watch over the palace, he made it very clear Valoris needed to address the matter immediately. Profusely apologizing to the first captain-general, Valoris assured him the matter would be dealt with. Asking Yoma to please escort the Alpha Legion and their Primarchs to the front gates, he would have the Emperor and loyalist Primarchs meet them there. Acknowledging his request, Yoma motioned for the group to begin moving toward the main gate. Complying with her request, they began shuffling through the streets without a sound.
---3rd Person POV, Golden Palace Main Gate---
"There can be no doubt... That really is you, isn't it, Omegon.", Dorn grunted, recognizing his brother immediately. "Seeing you among the living, I am not sure if I should be pissed off or relieved. Only time will tell..."
"Nice to see you again as well, Dorn.", Omegon chuckled, with a wry grin. "It would appear the reports were accurate; Aremus' heir really has brought most of the loyalist Primarchs together again. Whether you believe me or not, I am truly happy to see you all once again. Here is to hoping Victor can resurrect Manus and Sanguinius to bring us to full strength."
Hearing Omegon utter their names, the seven loyalists felt the overwhelming urge to murder the twins on the spot. Releasing a loud cough to snap them out of it, Valdor gave them a stern look to remind them of their promise. On the way to the gate, the Emperor of Mankind had requested they maintain an air of civility until they could ascertain why the Alpha Legion had come. Having given their word to abide by their father's request, they begrudgingly let it go... for now.
"Alright, Alpharius and Omegon, enough of the pleasantries.", the Emperor spoke, closely observing the twins. "We are here; now tell us why you have come here. Speak!"
"Before we begin, we come bearing a peace offering to hopefully ease the tension between us.", Alpharius said, motioning for his sons to bring forth the stasis chambers. "As we were making our hasty getaway, my sons retrieved the corpses of Horus and Manus from Fabius Bile's laboratory. I fully understand that you may view this as a cruel gift, but we know the Imperium has been after them for a very long time. Please take care of them better than that sick freak Bile... Desecrating the dead to improve upon the Emperor of Mankind's works..."
Pushing the stasis units to the halfway point between the groups, the Emperor and loyalists looked upon the corpses with mixed emotions. Seeing Horus' face after nearly twelve thousand years, overwhelming anger and rage swelled in their hearts. Reflecting on everything that could and should have been, their hearts cried out for answers they would never get from him.
Looking upon Manus' corpse, a mix of emotions washed over the men like a tidal wave. On one hand, they were relieved to have him back where he belonged, while on the other, the trauma of losing him came flooding back to them. Corvax and Vulkan were especially hit hard as they began reliving that fateful day again in their minds. Unable to continue looking at him, the two men looked away and began weeping silently.
"Commander Yoma... Please summon my grandson here posthaste. Whatever Alpharius and Omegon have to say, I am certain Victor will want to hear it.", the Emperor stated as Fulgrim (Clone) squeezed his way to the front.
"Of course.", Yoma acknowledged.
Horrified to see a perfect, uncorrupted clone of Fulgrim before their very eyes, the twins clenched their fists in pure rage. Having been led to believe Bile had only experimented on Horus and Manus, they were beyond furious he had gone behind everyone's back and lied about it. Wishing they had killed the mad scientist during their retreat, both men swore to make him suffer slowly and painfully for his transgressions.
Shakily approaching Manus' stasis chamber, Fulgrim (Clone) fell onto the chamber and began shedding tears of blood. Recalling all the agony and pain he experienced dealing the fateful blow to his beloved brother, every tear his original body had shed over the millennia began flowing from him.𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
"My... My beloved brother... Manus... I... I am so sorry!", Fulgrim (Clone) wailed, holding onto the unit while trembling violently. "Up till the very end, you tried to show me the error of my ways and fought to save me. I was an arrogant, blind fool who could not see the truth until I lost it all. No matter how long it takes me, even if it is till the end of time, I will do all I can to make amends to you. All I ask in return... Please let me see that genuine smile of yours again."
Slinging the chains that bound their stasis chambers over his shoulders, Fulgrim began slowly dragging them back to his loyalist brothers. Feeling the weight of all his failures and sins at once, every step he took felt like he was moving a mountain. Seeing the genuine pain and remorse in his empty eyes, the loyalist's disdain toward him softened just a bit. Leaving the units before the Emperor, Fulgrim began walking back to where he had been, only to be blocked by Corvax and Vulkan.
"There is no need for you to hide in the shadows, Fulgrim. Stand with us, and hear what Alpharius and Omegon have to say.", Vulcan spoke. "Though we cannot yet forgive you, your actions up to this point have earned you the right to stand by us again."
"Agreed...", Corvax seconded.
Softly thanking his brothers, Fulgrim (Clone) squeezed in between them and kept his head down. Even though they said he deserved to be there, he still felt far from worthy enough to be shoulder to shoulder with them again. That said, there was an unexplainable warmth in his chest that put him at peace.
---Victor POV, Ten Minutes Later---
Receiving an emergency call from Yoma in the middle of dinner, I politely excused myself and raced to Terra as fast as I could. Arriving at the front gate via a Bifrost bridge, the moment my body appeared, two blurred figures leapt at me out of nowhere. Whipping Stormbreaker around, I nearly lopped their heads off before realizing it was the twin Primarchs. Halting my attack, my next reaction was to demand an explanation from them. Needing a moment to collect themselves, they slowly released me and backed away.
"Sorry... It is just... You really do look like our brother Aremus.", Omegon said, wiping a tear away. "During the Great Crusade, we grew especially close to Aremus and frequently spent time with him. He was arguably the most intelligent and wise among us, but you would have never known it. Aremus enjoyed playing the hapless fool to help the rest of us grow as both people and Primarchs."
"This goes without saying, but you have met and exceeded his legacy sevenfold. If he were still here with us, I am certain he would praise you for all that you have done.", Alpharius stated, placing a reassuring hand on my arm. "In less than a year, you have turned this sinking ship around and charted us on a course for a bright future. Clean water is readily available across the Imperium, food is widely available for the first time in Imperial history, and the Imperial people are beginning to dream once again. This may sound heretical, but to most of the Imperium of Man... You are the second coming of the Emperor of Mankind."
"Uh... Thank you?", I remarked, unsure how to feel about being told that by two traitor Primarchs.
Chuckling at my response, the two men felt it was a reasonable one given the circumstances. Taking a few moments to collect their thoughts, Alpharius got back on topic.
"We are here because the Imperium's Warpspace has come under siege from Zephrim and numerous hordes of daemons.", Alpharius spoke in a serious tone. "Our assets within each camp have informed us that he has launched an all-out assault on multiple fronts. As things currently stand, most of Nurgle and Slaanesh's territories have been corrupted by Zephrim. We are a bit foggy on the details, but he apparently possesses some sort of relic that allowed him to absorb Nurgle's psychic energy after his passing."
Showing us a video recording that his marines had taken, we watched Zephrim effortlessly overwhelm an exhausted and wounded Fulgrim. Stealing the power Slaanesh had bestowed upon him before our eyes, he proceeded to ruthlessly crush the restored Primarch beneath his boot. Blasting the Noise Marines with a burst of purple energy, I quickly shouted for Alpharius to pause the recording.
"Go back a few frames and zoom in on the gauntlet he is wearing.", I requested, getting closer for a better look.
"Okay?", Alpharius acknowledged, with a confused look.
Recognizing the Soul Stone immediately, I could now be certain that Zephrim had gotten his hands on it. Knowing how dangerous it could be in the hands of a skilled psyker, this situation now took precedence over everything else in my backlog.
"Victor, what is it?", the Emperor spoke, sensing my dread.
"Guilliman, rouse the High Lords of Terra immediately. This is an emergency unlike anything the Imperium of Man has faced before. I do not utter these words lightly, but we are in some seriously deep trouble right now.", I stated, looking back at them with a stone-faced expression. "Retaking Cadia and slamming shut the Eye of Terror is now even more critical than before. It will not resolve this problem, but it will buy us precious time to strategize."
"What of them?", Dorn questioned.
Glancing back at the Alpha Legion, I carefully shifted their minds for any hint of ill intent or maliciousness. Finding neither in any of the men, it was safe to say they hadn't come here looking to fight us. Assuring my grandfather and uncles that they could be trusted for the moment, I strongly recommended changing venues to somewhere more private.
"Is it truly that bad?", Khan inquired.
"Absolutely... It is safe to say that if we do not act, there will be far-reaching, universe-level repercussions.", I answered, walking toward the palace.
Noticing the corpses of Horus and Manus before the Emperor, I asked Jarvis to contact the Iron Hands' Chapter Master. Requesting Manus' skull to properly resurrect my deceased uncle, we needed him now more than ever before
---Thirty Minutes Later---
Given the severity of the situation we were facing, I invited leaders from the various galactic nations I was acquainted with to the meeting. Bringing the few who were free to Terra, most people had to teleconference in to join us. Profusely apologizing to everyone for the short notice, I got straight to it and began catching everyone up on current events. Once they were on the same page as the Imperium's leadership, we got to the real heart of the matter.
"Ordinarily, the Imperium of Man would address matters like this ourselves, but this conflict is unlike anything we have fought before. Unlike our normal foes, this one has come wielding an immensely powerful artifact.", I spoke, bringing up an enhanced image of Zephrim's gauntlet. "This orange gemstone here is called the Soul Stone. It is one of seven stones created during the formation of our universe."
"Hold on a moment… Are you referring to the Infinity Stones?!", Rodney McKay from Stargate Command shouted, before frantically typing away on his tablet.
"Doctor McKay, you are aware of these relics?", the Asgardian (Stargate) senator inquired.
Enthusiastically nodding his head, McKay brought up several Ancient documents referencing the stones. According to him, the Ancients had researched the relics extensively in the distant past and even possessed one at some point. Having initially believed they had mistranslated the texts, he was elated to realize they indeed existed.
"What makes these stones special?", Emperor Gid Deviluke inquired.
"The Mind, Power, Reality, Soul, Space, and Time Stones each have dominion over key aspects of our universe. While alone their area of effect is relatively small, the more stones you possess, the greater their power and range becomes.", I spoke, with a grim expression. "If one were to gather all six stones together, the wielder could bend the universe to their will. While I am sure many of you are thinking about how such power could benefit those in need, just imagine if that power were to fall into the wrong hands."
"A double-edged sword they are. Too dangerous for one person to wield alone, they are.", Yoda spoke, nodding his head in agreement.
Vehemently agreeing with Grandmaster Yoda, the Galactic Senate knew the importance of not placing too much power in a single person's hands. Having nearly lost everything to Palpatine in the recent past, they were keen on preventing something similar from happening on a universal scale. Asking McKay and the other scientists if they were in possession of one or more of these stones, the scientists swore they were not.
"If I am following along correctly, all we need to do is take the Soul Stone from the enemy. Is that what you called us here for?", the Algrandian prime minister spoke up.
"While in possession of the Soul Stone, our enemy is nigh omnipotent within the Warp. Most soldiers would have their souls torn out before they got close, and for those who resisted, they would have to contend with hordes of demons. Assuming you get past them, the next issue is the supercharged psykers the enemy is fielding.", I said, bringing up photos of the Space Marine Marauders.
Gesturing towards Yoda and the Jedi Masters, I asked them to share their personal experiences fighting a single Marauder. Stepping forward, the Jedi Masters painted a very bleak picture for everyone. Admitting they were completely outmatched during the fight, if the Marauder had taken them seriously, none of them would be here right now.
"That brings me to the reason for calling everyone here.", I spoke, looking at foreign leadership with a serious gaze. "The best we can tell, the enemy is solely focused on consolidating their power within the Warp right now. Once they have achieved that, they will most likely begin seeking out the other five stones. This means your nations will begin experiencing the same daemon incursions the Imperium has endured for millennia now."
Falling silent, the weight of my words came crashing down upon them like an avalanche. Unlike the Imperium of Man, most galactic nations did not have the means to effectively repel daemonic incursions. If one were to occur within their territory, the only option they would really have is to obliterate the planet. While it might sound extreme, a quick death was preferable to an agonizingly slow one. Quickly descending into chaos, leaders began frantically trying to figure out countermeasures to protect their people.
"ENOUGH!", I roared, shattering the fragile wooden podium in front of me. "I understand you are terrified by this news, but please, control yourselves. Our respective citizens have placed their faith and lives in our hands; we cannot allow despair and fear to cloud our minds. A coordinated effort between our nations is the only way we will overcome this rising threat."
Heeding my words, foreign leadership slowly began to calm down and collect their thoughts. Once most were in a better state of mind, Emperor Gid asked me for my plan.
"Our first goal needs to be the eradication of the Tyranid threat. Fighting both the bugs and hellspawn at the same time is not feasible.", I stated. "Given the vast distance between the main Tyranid force and us, they must be getting to us through a wormhole or other breach. We must locate their entry point, close it, and then purge all traces of them from our region of space."
"The Citadel may be able to assist you in that regard.", Ambassador Jaliramea Caliza said. "We have been working on specialized equipment to detect energy signatures and spatial anomalies within intergalactic space. I will speak with my countrymen about sharing our research and development with you. To be forthright with you, they will likely request some form of compensation. Given the ongoing invasion by ancient, sentient machines, it might come in the form of military assistance."
Thanking Caliza for her assistance, I moved onto step two. As incursions could happen at any place or time, improving communication and early warning systems was crucial. The faster leadership was made aware of an incursion, the sooner help could be sent to the affected plant. While repelling the demons was not possible for every nation, they could attempt to save as many lives as possible before razing the planet.
"The last and most important step is going to be locating the other five stones. That is easier said than done, though, as we do not even know where to begin looking. Just to be sure, no one in attendance today has something that sounds remotely like them, right?", I asked as everyone began shaking their heads. "I figured, but it didn't hurt to ask. With that being the case, the only lead I have then is a Gallifreyan man called The Doctor. Getting in touch with him means taking a very long trip to the Caspiel Empire. My plan is to undertake that journey in a few weeks' time."
"That is fine; it gives Ambassador Caliza time to speak with her people and us to fully process the information you have shared. Before you leave for that region of the universe, I would like to have one more meeting to go over some finer details.", the Algrandian prime minister spoke, shutting his notebook with an exhausted expression. "One last thing before we conclude this meeting, the Algrand Empire would like to make a formal request of you. As everyone present is aware, the regions of space beyond the Citadel have been lost to us for quite a long time. I think it would be beneficial to have you investigate the offline gates in the region where you are headed. At the bare minimum, I would like to see communications be reopened with them."
Agreeing with the prime minister, several other leaders made the same request of me. Swearing to investigate the matter while in the region, I assured them I would update them with my findings. Concluding our meeting there, those who teleconferenced in promptly disconnected, leaving me with the Aeldari, Citadel, and Imperium's leadership. Thanking Ambassador Caliza, Eldanial, and Yvraine for coming on such short notice, the Aeldari representatives thanked me for the invite before returning home.
"Lord Stark, may I request a favor of you?", Caliza asked, giving me an apologetic smile. "Since you are headed in the Citadel's direction, would you consider dropping us off in our region of space? During the brief stop, I will introduce you to our council and make a formal request to assist you."
"Of course, that will not be a problem.", I assured her. "We will be leaving in two to three weeks' time."
Agreeing to my timeframe, Caliza gave me a content smile before heading back to Coruscant. With the main objective completed, now it was time to bring Ferrus Manus back among the living. Calling out to the Iron Hands Chapter Master standing outside the room, I asked him and all the Sons of Manus to enter the Great Hall.