Destruction took only moments. The superheated plasma fired by the Colossi's thermal beams was comparable to the temperature inside a star. High-energy particle fields bound it into attacks capable of erasing all matter.
At this moment, only the Necrons' blackstone obelisks could withstand such terrifying assaults. Everything else was reduced to ash beneath their beams.
Alexei raised his head, watching the towering Colossi. Every step they took was enough to shake heaven and earth.
These three Colossi were terrifying constructs once deployed when the Protoss had "peacefully intervened" with the Kalathi through force. They had directly destroyed an entire planet's civilization, forcing its inhabitants back into the Stone Age.
Now, the Necron Dynasty Lord finally realized how terrifying his enemy was. Without hesitation, all the supreme technological creations within the blackstone obelisks were activated.
In the next instant, all life on the battlefield—except the Necrons—fell into complete stasis. Even the mighty Colossi were frozen. A powerful temporal stasis field enveloped the entire area.
Yet Alexei still stood freely, able to move. The power of the Star God within him allowed him to ignore the ban on time. Seeing his allies frozen, he showed no panic, because in the very next moment, vast energy began spreading from the sky.
Time resumed its flow.
In the distance, two swallow-shaped aircraft slowly descended from outside the atmosphere into the center of the battlefield. They too carried devices capable of manipulating time.
The Protoss Arbiters arrived above Alexei. They were also pinnacle creations of Protoss technology.
As they approached, the two temporal fields collided. Movements on both sides became bizarre—one side would be completely frozen at times, only to be released moments later.
The Arbiters were also equipped with cloaking field generators. Their massive fields covered nearly the entire allied position, briefly throwing the Necrons into confusion until their anti-stealth systems were activated.
On the battlefield, the Colossi continued their advance. Nothing could stop them. Blackstone obelisks began falling one after another.
At this moment, Alexei finally received the message he had been waiting for:
"Sir, all personnel and vehicles have been fully evacuated."
"How long until the short-range warp engines are ready?"
"About three hours."
Alexei let out a breath of relief. The evacuation was complete. Although the Colossi were incredibly powerful, they still required support from other Protoss units, and the remaining energy in his crystal was limited. Still, it would be enough to last three hours.
Since that was the case, he immediately ordered the distant Zerg hive structures to begin self-dismantling. No new Zerg units joined the battlefield. The Zerg began devouring one another to recycle biomass.
Just as the Necrons suddenly felt their pressure easing…
Alexei, standing at the center of the formation, looked toward the Dynasty Lord still directing the battle. He said nothing more, only bowed slightly again.
"Pleasant fighting. Farewell."
As his words fell, massive energy enveloped all Protoss units. In the next instant, the golden-armored aliens vanished from the Necrons' sight, leaving only the stunned Necron forces behind.
After a brief silence, the enraged roar of the Dynasty Lord seemed ready to shatter Sosa's sky.
Alexei did not care in the slightest. Through mass recall warp, he returned to the Protoss mothership. All Protoss ground units had already been withdrawn.
Standing in the command chamber, surrounded by Protoss operators, he looked through the transparent dome at the powerful Protoss ships battling the Necron and Tyranid fleets.
A small fleet composed of carriers, void rays, arbiters, and other vessels—less than one percent of the Golden Fleet—was still able to contend with such terrifying enemies.
"Hard to imagine what it would be like if the full Golden Fleet could warp in," Alexei murmured.
He thought of the three ill-fated Protoss Arkships: Spear of Adun, Memory of Nezin, and Pride of Otaris. One day, he would bring them into this universe. Then, leading the Golden Fleet, the human fleets, and endless Zerg swarms, he would establish a world of his own.
While lost in thought, the Tyranid fleet before them was once again crushed by the Protoss and human forces. He turned to a nearby Protoss adjutant.
"Teleport me to the nearby human flagship."
"Yes, sir."
A flash of white light passed before his eyes, and Alexei returned to his captain's quarters.
He pushed open the door and headed toward the command bridge. Along the way, all personnel he encountered saluted him respectfully.
Suddenly, a voice called out:
"Governor Alexei, what are you doing here?!"
He turned and saw several Astartes, nearly filling the corridor. At their head was Sergeant Byron.
"This ship is quite a surprise," Byron said.
He strode forward and gently patted Alexei's back with his massive hand.
"Where's Chapter Master Torquill?" Alexei asked.
"In the command deck. I came out to look around this strange vessel," Byron replied. The group then headed toward the bridge together.
Along the way, Byron kept talking:
"No Gellar Field, no cathedral, no Navigator, no Astropath… How did you even travel through the Warp to Sosa?"
Alexei looked at the unusually talkative Techmarine and sighed.
"Technology from the Dark Age of Technology."
"And the Mechanicus hasn't bothered you? Emperor save us," Byron muttered, still observing everything around him. His heart held only a thirst for knowledge and loyalty to the Emperor.
"I'll go find your Chapter Master first. You can keep exploring," Alexei said, quickening his pace.
"Alright."
Watching the Techmarine recede, Alexei sighed in relief. Sometimes, an enthusiastic Astartes could be hard to handle.
Inside the command bridge, Torquill stood by the observation window, watching the alien fleet fighting nearby, lost in thought.
"When are you leaving? Where are you headed?" a familiar voice asked.
Torquill turned. Alexei stood there, smiling.
After a moment of silence, Torquill asked the question he wanted answered most.
"What are those aliens?"
Alexei immediately wiped away his smile and replied solemnly:
"We don't know. They seem to harbor great hostility toward the Tyranids. It's likely they've suffered from the swarm as well."
Torquill studied Alexei's serious expression. In the end, he said nothing more and turned away.
"Thanks to your giant machines, our ships are gradually being repaired. We'll head to the Death World Miral to rebuild our Chapter and continue resisting…"
He glanced back at Alexei.
"The Imperium already knows what happened here. The Imperial Navy will arrive soon to cleanse this region."
Alexei nodded and saluted.
"Take care. We'll meet again. When that time comes, I'll need your help."
Torquill did not answer immediately. He turned and prepared to leave the bridge.
"…Alright."