943Chapter 61, A Night on Terra
Tanya Russ
Securing political alliances often involves a variety of strategies. Sometimes, it's as straightforward as aiding your allies in battles against common foes. Other times, it becomes intricate, involving complex economic treaties spanning decades. Then, there are those rare occasions when all you need to do is engage in conversation with the right people. But where do you find the right people to initiate the process of forging alliances? Clearly, you must go to the place where influential individuals in need of such alliances congregate.
On Terra, this means attending a noble party. Now, I should clarify that this "party" didn't take place within the Imperial Palace, as security-conscious individuals made sure of that. Instead, there was a grand complex adjacent to the Imperial Palace designed explicitly for hosting noble gatherings. Nobles from every corner of Terra attended, representing both minority and majority groups. Among these were also some rather unconventional entities such as Mechanicum representatives, navigators, and many more. Groups and organizations from across the galaxy had gathered here, and it was evident that these parties served the purpose of establishing amicable relations between various factions.
I couldn't help but notice that the two groups standing farthest from each other were the representatives of the Squats League and the Machine Cult. This disparity was understandable as they both occupied a similar niche in the Imperium – capable of supplying arms and equipment for the military efficiently. However, they held opposing viewpoints. The Squats, or dwarves as I'd rather call them, tended to see technology as a tool, much like how the original human League viewed it. Technology was a means to advance humanity. The Machine Cult, on the other hand, had rather peculiar beliefs about technology, ones I was still in the process of comprehending. They regarded technology more like a ritualistic religion, which wasn't easy for me to grasp fully.
I also observed that the party seemed to have some groups that didn't readily engage with both arms manufacturers. It appeared as though these manufacturers had established their own spheres of influence within the Imperium. It wasn't surprising, as while the League was centralized around the center of the galaxy, the Mechanicum's influence was even more widespread. Naturally, they would utilize their sway to ensure that allegiances were formed.
Moreover, the fact that the Imperial Aquila had two heads was symbolic of the union between Terra and Mars, representing two distinct empires coming together. The League, a third major empire, was not represented in this scenario. However, it was essential to understand that the Imperium encompassed many smaller empires and factions, all of which might not be included in the grand scheme of things. Despite my plan to strengthen alliances with various Primarchs and their pillars of civilization, allowing for the rebuilding of the Imperial structure during times of galactic turmoil, it was a monumental undertaking.
With a heavy sigh, I turned away from the grand ballroom and gazed out of a window. We were high above the ground, but even from this distance, you could perceive the towering mountains. They were indeed impressive, but the setting sun of the evening cast a more subdued hue over them.
An orange light bathed the mountains, creating a spectacular view as the sun continued its journey across the sky.
Glimpsing at my reflection in the window's glass, I noticed a ten-foot-tall figure adorned in a striking blue dress with a deep neckline, combining local style elements and symbols of protection from my homeworld. The wolf head of my legion was emblazoned across my right breast. I wore shoes with a modest heel, and my hair had been elegantly styled, with makeup applied by my Valkyries. Completing the ensemble was a wolf pelt belt, featuring a skull at the front over my stomach.
As much as I hate to admit it, Miss Adelheid did excellent work; I looked stunning. That might have been one reason why not many individuals had approached me. I figured that a towering woman with an attractive figure could be intimidating to some of the nobles.
Taking a sip of my drink, I heard a soft cough to my left. Turning my head, I noticed a young woman standing behind me. The young lady was of average height, dark raven long hair, and had pallid skin. But what was most striking were her eyes which were an unusual gold hue which were complimented by her outfit, an outfit which back in the Empire would be considered scandalous with how it hugged her form and displayed what would be considered a generous amount of cleavage. While she appeared youthful, it was challenging to discern her true age given the advanced technologies available to the wealthy. She could be in her early 20's, but appearances could be deceiving.
Quickly prying my roaming eyes away before making a faux pas I noticed the head band going across the top of her head with a patch across her forehead showing a somewhat familiar noble crest. I had seen similar coverings like that before when coming across the military Navigators going on their breaks.
"Good evening, Primarch Russ, I am Lady Essatea of the House Belisarius. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance" she greeted me with an elegant curtsy. I nodded in her direction.
"Good evening, Lady Essatea," I replied, turning to face her directly. "I believe I've heard of your house. You provide a substantial number of navigators for the Imperium, making your house one of the most influential. What brings you to my corner of the party?"
She smiled and nodded, saying, "Very correct, my dear Primarch. We have rendered our service to the Imperium and its Armada, but we could always do more." She paused, then continued, "I'm not sure how much you know about the exact intricacies of us Navigators but I will say this, our people often find themselves in quite sticky situations. They speak not only across the wider Galaxy but here on Terra. As you might imagine, on Terra, noble houses don't always have the best relationships. Sometimes, decades and centuries of blood feuds lead to rather unsavory events, including assassinations and such. Even worse, when considering us navigators are born with a third eye and ability to perceive the Empyrean, it provides numerous benefits in space, but at the sametime makes us seem odd and alien to some, often labeling us together with mutants and their ilk."
I nodded, understanding, and replied, "Yes, I can imagine that the nobility and diplomats here on Terra could be quite difficult to humans that differ from the baseline. That's why I've come here to learn as much as possible about how diplomacy is conducted here and how the administration works. It's hard to know what you're fighting for when you don't understand what you're fighting for, after all."
Essatea smiled, "And to answer the second part of your question Primarch Russ. Simply put, politics. Speaking with a female member of the Emperor's scions is a new experience. I've tried conversing with Dorn and the others in the past, but they've been rather standoffish, often arguing in a corner."
I chuckled and said, "Well, there's some sibling rivalry going on. I hope they can grow out of it or grow into it as something useful, which would make them both better. I wonder where they are; they haven't shown up at this party. Presumably, they're occupied with their own operations, fortifying the defenses and diplomatic structures of the two buildings of utmost importance on Terra."
She nodded in agreement and took a sip of her drink before continuing, "Let me cut directly to the heart of the matter Primarch Russ. House Belisarius is interested in securing elite bodyguards for escort and protection detail for our higher ranking members, specifically Marines from your legion."
I raised an eyebrow, considering, and said, "A Marine is a costly asset to request, and that would indeed be quite expensive. However, I assume that any information gathered by my Marines while guarding your diplomats can be transferred to our intelligence network."
Essatea smiled and responded, "Indeed, a sharp one. I like that. An ally, yes. Any information your Marines gather while working for us will be allowed to be transferred to your own information network, as well as any knowledge your Marines acquire. Having someone with experience within the power structures of Terra may be beneficial to your Legion in the future. After all, once this Crusade is over, I imagine you may choose retirement somewhere in the wilderness or perhaps take refuge in your castle for a while. But who will lead your Legion then?"
I smiled and replied, "Someone I trust. We will ensure a seamless transition once I step down. But, thus far, we've discussed potential benefits and unofficial arrangements, which should remain discreet to avoid encouraging other Navigator Houses to make similar requests."
Essatea leaned in, her eyes gleaming with a hint of intrigue, and said, "I believe I have the perfect arrangement that would serve as an official payment for twenty-four Marines."
I raised an eyebrow as she continued, "In exchange for twenty-four of the best navigators from my house, we would like to request twenty-four of your Marines to serve as our bodyguards. Having one Marine for every navigator would more than suffice to allow us to negotiate not only with every faction here on Terra but also those across the galaxy. This will enable your Marines to gather diplomatic information from various sources."
In my mind, I considered her proposal. The exchange seemed reasonable. Twenty-four Marines would hardly make a dent in the strength of my legion. Moreover, having twenty-four navigators at our disposal could be invaluable. I replied, "That is a very fair deal. We will need to put this arrangement in proper paperwork, but I believe it's more than acceptable for my legion's purposes. We can always adjust the number in the future based on the situation."
Essatea expressed her relief, "Wonderful. I was concerned that this negotiation might not go smoothly. You never know with some of your siblings if they are interested in actively collaborating with other factions within the Imperium."
I reassured her, "Feel free to share such information. I don't take offense at things I don't know, especially when it concerns our interactions with other factions. As far as I know, Perturabo has rather good relations with the Mechanicum, does he not?"
She responded, "Indeed, he does. However, I consider him an outlier. The Iron Hands also maintain positive relations with the Mechanicum, but most chapters have only minimal connections. It's necessary for your legions to have ties to the Mechanicum due to the nature of war and supply lines. For instance, the Salamanders are known to be one of the more friendly legions, yet they do not forge connections outside of their homeworld. They avoid politics and are quite insular. I even tried to propose a similar deal to them when their Primarch visited, but he showed no interest."
I found her insights intriguing and said, "Interesting. I will need to have discussions with some of my siblings. It's important for us to build our own assets, but also vital to establish connections with those we work alongside. Since we rely on the Navigator Houses to navigate the galaxy, we will undoubtedly be working with them extensively in the future."
Essatea nodded in agreement, about to continue the conversation, when a gruff voice interrupted.
"Ah, there's my favorite Ork-slayer!" I turned my head and smiled as I saw General Trorban Grimmark, the commander of the Squat League forces who had accompanied me on several campaigns.
"General, what brings you here?" I said with a smile, then added, "This is Lady Essatea of House Belisarius. We were just discussing the significance of fostering good relationships among the various factions within the Imperium."
The General, shorter than Lady Essatea, nodded his head and replied, "Aye, that is indeed an important conversation. Lady Essatea, our tall Primarch here played a crucial role during the isolationist revolt a few years back. You might not have heard of it."
Essatea looked intrigued and inquired, "Isolationist revolt? I haven't heard anything about this."
I smiled before explaining, "There was a small faction of League isolationists who didn't want to join and be a part of the Imperium. People from the League started an uprising on several League worlds that were divided on the matter of joining the Imperium. The League had to deal with this internal conflict. I had Marines on standby for this sort of operation and sent them in. We were also producing new Russ tanks to supply the Imperium aligned faction with equipment to counter this issue."
Essatea opened her eyes slightly and asked, "Did they not have their own tanks? I thought these industrious folks were quite skilled at machinery from what I've heard."
Grimmark replied, "Well, we had what you might call 'tanks,' or something like them, but not quite. We had land trains, massive behemoths, but they could only be used on the surface and in the large transport tunnels. For smaller tunnels, we used bikes. We didn't have medium tanks, something like the Tanya Russ, which would have been ideal for the job. The Mechanicum wasn't exactly eager to share the design, so negotiations were needed between our factions. Tanya was the lead negotiator, arranging a significant deal to make these operations work."
Essatea nodded thoughtfully and inquired further, "Interesting. But what happened to the isolationists?"
Grimmark grinned and replied, "The last time I checked, we kicked their asses and stayed kicked. Some of them were forced further into the core and will remain even more isolated as far as I'm concerned, those craven bastards, but their policies won't affect the leagues going forward. Although we caused considerable damage to our own worlds, now we have to deal with the aftermath."
I added, "To alleviate the issues, I allowed them to establish a colony in some abandoned cities on Fenris. It's not a perfect solution, but it helps somewhat. Have you found other ways to address the problems?"
General Grimmark shook his head and explained, "We've seen a boom in shipbuilding. We're designing new ships that essentially serve as mobile colonies, traveling from world to world to gather resources. It's a nomadic approach, not necessarily the most sustainable, but our priority is to get people off those irradiated hellholes that were once our worlds. We can worry about restoring those worlds later."
"Indeed," I agreed, "it's better to ensure your population's survival. We can work on fixing the damaged worlds in time."
General Grimmark concluded, "The industrial heartland of the League is still thriving and ready to supply equipment whenever it's needed."
At that moment, Fulgrim's familiar voice joined the conversation as he approached, nodding in greeting. "You know, Chemos is not far from the Galactic core. I could always use some extra supplies for our campaigns," he said, and then added, "Good to see you again, Tanya. I must say, you look lovely in that dress."
"Thank you," I replied with a smile. Assuming Fulgrim was being polite, I turned to Lady Essatea. "It seems our conversation for the evening has come to an end. I'll have one of my Valkyries approach you to schedule a more in-depth meeting for a later time."
"That would be wonderful," she said with a nod before adding, "but don't feel obligated to make the conversation too hard. I don't mind hanging out here and learning more about this small insurrection in the core. I haven't heard anything about this situation; it must be due to its complexity."
"More likely, we just don't like talking about it," Grimmark stated matter-of-factly before adding, "Our people are strong and individualistic. We've had to deal with Eldar raids and Ork invasions, which has fostered this mentality of keeping our secrets secret to be prepared for any potential threats to the core."
"A reasonable approach," Fulgrim said with a nod. "The people of Chemos didn't have many worries when it came to invasions." He chuckled before saying, "Before I got to work, it was considered a depleted mining world. Through a lot of hard work and repairing ancient technology, I brought it back to full production. We even have a surplus now, enough to provide food and culture for my people. I should visit it more often."
"A mining world, you say?" General Grimmark inquired, adding, "You must have a good understanding of the risks associated with such places especially since you managed to get it prosperous again after a long period of decay." he continued, "Perhaps we should consider initiating some sort of interplanetary conversation between the League and Chemos."
"That is something to consider," Fulgrim agreed with a nod. "I'll have to contact one of my wives and see if they can communicate with your people."
I had been sipping my drink when that comment was made and ended up coughing on it, though it didn't create much of a mess. They all looked at me with confusion before I said, "Wives? I'm a little confused here."
Fulgrim chuckled and said, "Oh, my mistake." He seemed rather amused and continued, "As part of the effort to unify my planet, I undertook something very peaceful in nature. To solidify alliances, I took a wife from each of Chemos's royal family."
"Huh," I said. I couldn't exactly criticize him for having multiple wives, considering my own unconventional relationships. Yes, monogamy was the norm in my past lives, but my life had evolved beyond that. I had several Valkyries who were more than just girlfriends at this point, so I couldn't fault him for making similar arrangements, albeit in a more official capacity.
Fulgrim sipped his wine and added, "I know it's not exactly what most Primarchs did. I don't believe any other Primarchs have official wives—at least, none of the ones I've talked to have mentioned such relations with their homeworlds. It's a political tradition from Chemos, not rooted in passion, as some seem to think. When I was visiting dignitaries over there, one of them asked me how I could satisfy more than one."
Fulgrim chuckled again before saying, "It's not something I've ever taken lightly, but I understand the confusion. Nobles often expect heirs and all that."
"Huh, true," I said. "It's not something that we Primarchs are exactly known for, if it's even possible. At least, not heirs that don't come through our respective Gene-seed."
"Huh, yes, of course," Fulgrim responded, appearing lost in thought before adding, "No, I doubt Father would have thought that far ahead. After all, he focused primarily on our biology, providing us with enough tools to do what we need to survive."
"Of course," I replied, steering the conversation back to General Grimmark, who said, "Tanya's Wolves and her defenders were quite useful in quelling those rebellions. It was quite rough at the beginning but once we received the Tanks and your marines received their new armor the tide turned heavily in our favor. We managed to suppress them quite effectively and save most of the civilian lives."
"The Mark III," I added, "similar to the Mark II but with much heavier armor in the front of the suit than in the back."
Fulgrim nodded, saying, "Oh yes, not the most aesthetically pleasing piece of equipment, but highly useful. I haven't had the opportunity to get my hands on it yet. However, I'm contemplating upgrading to the next Mark they're working on. I've heard it's going to be quite impressive, the Mark IV," he said.
"They're working on a new Mark of armor?" I asked, surprised that I had not been informed of this development. I resolved to keep my ears open and find out if I could get some of this new armor for testing with my own troops.
"They're always coming up with something new," Fulgrim explained. "Well, not exactly new, more like adaptations or improvements on existing designs. But in my opinion, that's still new though knowing them it will take them 50 more years to start full production."
I agreed with Fulgrim, and added, "The Mechanicum tends to be a bit more transparent about what they're working on. I'm sure we can arrange for proper testing of some of the equipment they have in mind."
Fulgrim nodded and said, "As long as we continue to send them reports on what weapons are effective against different enemies and share our experiences, they're likely to keep developing tools that are beneficial for us. It's not like they're making things up on the fly."
Just then, we heard the heavy footsteps of a taller Primarch approaching. This Primarch was familiar to me, although I didn't have many opportunities to converse with him. He was a reserved and imposing figure. Nodding in my direction, he greeted us, "Evening, Fulgrim. How are things going?"
Fulgrim acknowledged him with a nod and responded, "Going well, my good brother. I thought you'd be spending the night working in the forge."
"I was," Ferrus stated matter-of-factly before adding, "I got bored." He glanced at me and continued, "You know, the stories I've heard about the Six are always quite imaginative. I was expecting you to be taller."
I chuckled and replied, "I suppose most people would expect me to be taller, given some of the stories circulating about how many worlds have surrendered upon hearing I'm on the way."
Ferrus Manus nodded and let out a hearty laugh before saying, "More than I know, that's for sure," as he grabbed a large mug. A servant woman passed by, and he promptly emptied the mug in one gulp before placing it back on her tray. She immediately rushed off, likely to get a larger mug and more alcohol, I assumed, as he continued his speech.
"I had heard stories about a great Barbarian King who's mere presence in a planet's system would incite the inhabitants to surrender and accept the Imperium's cause, how they wrestled wolves many times over the size of Space Marines for sport, got those image in my head you had to be at least tall as me and real man's man…" he chuckled. "When I first saw you I was shocked into silence and was half sure I drank something that affected my perception for breakfast.
I laughed before saying "Sorry to disappoint on the man's man thing brother, though most of what you say is true, Imperial propaganda tends to overplay certain aspects of my character, something I plan to have a meeting with the Administratum about after my last campaign in the north.
Ferrus nodded his head before commenting "I wish I'd been able to get involved in that last campaign in the north. Unfortunately, Fulgrim here got preoccupied dealing with a conflict that just seemed to never end. Some minor freebooter named Shadow or something emerged from the conflict you were involved in and stirred up trouble near Medusa, my homeworld. We spent the last five years of that conflict beating the hell out of those Orks, and they just kept coming."
"Dark Shadow," I noted, to which he nodded.
He continued, "You've met the sneaky bastards before, haven't you? Always finding ways to get behind our lines and dropping entire armies on planets we weren't expecting them to be on. So, we couldn't deploy a proper defensive strategy; we had to advance into the territory from which he was bringing out those Orks. I thought we had him cornered towards the end of the war, trapped all the Orks on one planet. But once we got down there, we couldn't find them. They probably disappeared in some sort of Warp anomaly, I'd assume."
I shook my head and responded, "That Dark Shadow is particularly skilled at escaping situations he doesn't like being in. He's different from most Orks; they usually charge in without thinking, only looking for the best fight . He charges with a plan, anticipating how the operation will go and having an escape route if things don't go his way. That makes him remarkably dangerous, in my opinion. Prime example of the freebooter problem"
Ferrus added, "If he's not willing to face us in direct combat, it means the Ork is not the most formidable warrior out there. But he's still a threat because he can't be underestimated."
Fulgrim chimed in, "She means he has the capacity to learn, which is a dangerous trait among Xenos. You know that a Xenos that can learn is a Xenos that can devise new strategies every time he faces us. Every time he fights and escapes, it'll probably cost us more troops and equipment, and we won't be any closer to ridding ourselves of him."
I agreed and said, "Next time I see Dark Shadow, I'll ask my men to handle it. Any Ork that dangerous needs to be dealt with decisively."
General Grimmark expressed his opinion, saying, "A bit of a waste, if you ask me," while standing well below the Gorgon's knee.
Ferrus inquired, "What do you mean by 'freebooter problems'?"
I clarified, "He means that if you pay the Ork to go away, he'll go away. I've done it, and it worked. It gave us an opening during the Rangdan War. It seems that someone paid him to work for them against you."
Ferrus Manus was curious, "And what would an Ork find of worth?"
Ferrus Manus raised an eyebrow before I explained, "Teeth. Their teeth. They use them as currency. When I found that out, I immediately decided to break every tooth out of every Ork skull my men could find. We have a cargo bay full of them. Giving them a bunch of teeth to fly away and leave us alone isn't exactly the worst option in the galaxy. Sooner or later, there won't be anywhere for them to fly to. By that point, we'll probably have secured such an industrial base and manpower pool that the Orks will find it hard to compete with us."
Ferrus Manus responded, "Huh, a bit underhanded, but I can see why that works. I do wonder why teeth are considered currency among them. Isn't there a point where their teeth would become devalued?"
I contemplated this and then replied, "You know, that's a good point. What do they use for trade that would remove value? What's the difference between an Ork's tooth from 10,000 years ago and a tooth from an Ork killed yesterday? Sooner or later, there will be more teeth than they hold value."
Essatea chimed in, "I've heard stories that they might use them in some sort of ritual among their weird boys to support their psychic powers. They might be sacrificed in some way. There's also a rumor that they use teeth as a form of fuel for their engines. I don't know if any of that's true, but those are various rumors that could explain how they maintain the value of teeth."
Ferrus noted, "I did experiment once with using Ork bones for kindling in a forge during desperate times. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but they're rather good energy converters, almost as good as coal."
I nodded and said, "That could solve the mystery. I guess we should move forward with operations to find out more about the Orks. After all, who's to say there's not some other secret about how they pay their army?"
Grimmark added, "Ha! All these things are possible, though I love the personal theory that they use their teeth for their Waaagh! fields."
I looked at him, confused. "Alright, you know, their communal psychic powers that allow them to grow larger and have those weird things where their guns shouldn't work. But among the Orks, they do work. I've heard one or two ideas that the teeth store and work in the Waaagh! field throughout life. So if you gather them, you can wear them like armor, generating a psychic field that provides shielding."
"That sounds absolutely insane," I remarked, "but who knows? It could be what works for them."
Fulgrim cautioned, "Could be that none of these theories are true. After all, none of us are Orks. We don't know how their powers and abilities work. We just know what it takes to disrupt their powers and abilities. So it's well within the realm of possibility that they just like teeth and collect them."
I agreed and said, "Of course. What we're doing here is theorizing. We might have to set up some sort of committee or involve our Marines in investigating this further. Perhaps there are diplomats within the Imperium who could look into it."
"Ha, perhaps," Ferrus said, nodding his head before scratching his chin and saying, "So, sister, what are your plans here on Terra exactly? We haven't had a chance to speak on them, but perhaps we could be of some use. We've all spent time on Terra before, so it wouldn't hurt to have an idea of what you need. Perhaps we can help you accomplish your objectives."
I considered it before saying, "My plans are quite simple. I need to understand everything I can. I've put the politics and background of the Crusade on the back burner, focusing on the conflict in general and securing the Imperium's territory. But as the years have gone on, I've grown more interested in what the Imperium needs to look like when this war is over."
Fulgrim responded, "Well, that's simple. The Imperium must become the symbol for perfected enlightenment. We must bring humanity out of the dark age that it's falling into and shape it into a more advanced society. One that will be able to rule the galaxy and drive out the Xenos that have caused so much harm to humanity over the last 15,000 years."
I raised an eyebrow and replied, "Of course, although I think we do have some Xenos that we could probably communicate with."
Fulgrim shook his head and said, "Trusting xenos is not recommended by any element of the Administratum or Father. They are a menace that is waiting to hurt us if we cannot drive them out. I really do not see a reason to communicate with them."
I countered, "They are assets, as a matter of fact." taking a small sip of my wine, I added, "They have technology that can be used to improve our situation. The Mechanicum loves going over their tech when we find it, and it's worth seeing if there's anything useful. Trade lanes can be acquired through working with them. Not to mention, unwarranted genocide is just a waste of resources that could have been used for warranted genocides, such as Orks or creatures like the Rangdan unleashed. I'm sure we'll find more creatures like them in the future that we could use our weapons of mass destruction on. These Xenos could be given lesser status, becoming second or third-rate citizens providing something to the Imperium in exchange for being left alone."
Fulgrim shook his head before saying, "There is some merit in that line of thinking. However, the fact of the matter is, humanity is a better form of life than any of the Xeno's out there. More trustworthy and loyal. We shouldn't risk leaving these Xeno's alive, so that they can plot our downfall and backstab us in the future. The negatives completely outweigh any positives letting them live could provide."
I noticed Ferrus nodding in approval, which told me a lot about the two. They might have different points of view on some things, but they seemed to share similar viewpoints on others, probably due to their long working career with each other. Taking a sip of my drink, I said, "Anyone can be a traitor, whether alien or human. You may not have run into this because Chemos didn't have as many problems with unification as mine did, but there were humans who tried to betray me. Twice, in fact. Although I guess you could say that the first one wasn't really a betrayal of me, but more a betrayal of the honor codes of the planets. Humans are animals. We are created by our nature and nurture. We are far from some sort of noble savage uplifted by our culture and technology and far from perfect. People have their own reasons for doing things, and sometimes those reasons are absolutely stupid."
Fulgrim chimed in, "Besides, Rangdan us having the perfect form just opens up the question of what about the Eldar? Their form seems to mimic ours quite closely, except for the fact that they are on the taller end of the spectrum."
"The Eldar are the failed custodians of the galaxy," came the familiar voice of Malcador as he approached, his staff tapping on the ground. He looked tired as he said, "I've heard stories throughout my years about how the Eldar are close to humans, including one or two about how there are half-breeds in existence. Just because they look like us doesn't mean they are worth bringing up as a point of contrast. Their souls are degenerate; their empire saw that."
I nodded and continued, "That may be true, but it is worth noting that there are some similarities. Strangely, I would also note that there do seem to be a lot of similarities between the species out there. Two hands, two feet, one head seems to be a common design, yet there are also those who fall outside that."
Malcador shrugged before saying, "The Old Ones were not that creative."
"The Old Ones?" Fulgrim asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as he sipped his drink.
Malcador explained, "According to the Emperor, long, long ago, there was a species that helped raise many other species. They were the creators of many species, and it's not without the possibility that they may have interfered with what humanity would end up being many hundred thousand years ago. But they were wiped out by their own hubris, so whatever their plans for us were, have long since died with them. There's also some evidence that perhaps this is just the standard form. At least, according to the Emperor, he met something that was not created by the Old Ones but had a similar form, so..."
As Malcador spoke, my mind raced, trying to understand what he was referring to. Was this another reference to the Colored ones, or had I heard something like this before? My thoughts raced until it hit me. Wasn't this similar to the Forerunners from Halo? I let out a laugh, which drew curious glances. Shaking my head, I said, "Just had a funny thought about an old story."
"Yeah, as I was saying, never trust the Eldar; they're arrogant fools, every single one of them. Some of them might be more degenerate than others, easier to spot, some may not, but deep down, they have one goal and one goal in mind only, as far as I'm concerned: to rebuild their empire, even though it's falling, and if they have to sacrifice human worlds to accomplish it, they will."
There were several nods of approval, and I joined in, although I had some doubts about Malcador's words. As I said, humans are not tabula rasa. I might have believed that concept in my earlier years, but now I've gathered a better understanding of nature and nurture over the last few lifetimes. I could see that there was more than a little bias in his statement, which was understandable. The Eldar had gone off the civilized reservation when their empire fell, or, to say, their empire was even civilized before that point. I hadn't looked into the details of their slave-raiding before the fall of their empire. Either way, he had most likely grown up in the time that these forces had been on the move and experienced them at some point, so he would have preconceptions about all Eldar based on that. While I wasn't going to argue with a man who had experienced such, I was going to ask a question.
"Is the Eldar-human hybrid thing a real thing?" I looked at him, and he shrugged before saying, "As far as I'm aware, no. But the Eldar are quite ingenious with their technology and manipulation, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that they've created hybrids just to be a workforce at some point."
"Hmm, I wonder," I thought. I wondered about the Ark Reach Cluster and their Phoenix Kings. They had pointy ears, and at the time, I'd assumed that it had been bio-manipulation to give themselves those. Could they have been descendants of half-Eldar, or even a 15th part Eldar at some point?
Shaking my head, I turned away from those thoughts and focused more on the party. We were seemingly drifting away from interesting political conversations and more towards getting-to-know-each-other conversations. While this wasn't exactly why I was here, I would indulge in it. Knowing more about my siblings would give me a better understanding of how to work with them in the future and lead to more fruitful results on the battlefield.
Kori Bretakollrsson
"When is the next supply drop coming!?" A Marine barked out over the heavy chorus of bolter fire, as another wave of bioforms charged over the mountains and hills as if they were nothing more than feral animals with a simple goal: kill everything inside the square.
Said square was a formation of Space Wolves, a thousand strong. Our bannerman stood near the center, holding the Legion flag high and proud as the creatures rushed in, and subsequently gunned down. They swarmed us from all angles hoping to break our formation with sheer numbers. We had been fighting for hours as we were completely cut off from the rest of our Brothers that had been making their way through this mountain range.
"I don't know. They said they'd be here half an hour ago," I called, unloading my bolter into a larger bioform that came charging.
"Well, they better bring air support at the rate they're going," Bjorn called back as he unloaded volkite into a monstrous creature that managed to shrug off most of the ammunition aimed at it. The creature screamed as its internal organs were burnt out before its corpse fell over, creating a barrier that allowed more of the creatures to close the distance with us. Taking them down was harder now, but not impossible. The Wolves of Fenris did their best to gun them down as fast as they could pop up.
This planet was the halfway point to Taxal, the old capital world of the Rangdan Empire, the one we had destroyed ten years ago. This one had escaped virus bombing because it had been supposedly cleared out by the Second Legion. But obviously, something had survived and was now doing its damnedest to direct these creatures to attack us at an unending rate. Most of the Rangdan forces we had encountered thus far had been remnants and dregs, not full fighting forces like we'd seen during the first campaign. This had lulled us into a sense of false security, one which led our higher ups to break up our Great Company to better search out and eliminate any pockets of bioforms left in the mountain ranges. .
Unfortunately this plan relied on their being pockets of scattered bioforms not full strength contingents. From what communication we had managed to get from other parts of the Great Company, the enemy had waited until we had broken up and then assaulted all five thousand-man units separately. Ours was relatively handling the situation well because we had taken the largest path. Those units that took narrow passes were having more trouble. There had been losses, and if things stayed the same course the Great Company was at risk of being overrun. Hopefully, the other units will change things soon, as intelligence said that Dark Angel forces should be in the area, supposedly.
They were on the other side of the planet, checking an old mining system that had been abandoned, which was most likely the place the enemy had retreated to for recuperation. We hadn't meant to check out an old military bunker complex, but now we knew which one the enemy was hiding in, at least.
"Incoming!" someone called, drawing my eyes to the sky. I saw incoming drop pods falling to the ground at a rather good pace.
"Shrink the square!" I called out, my helmet sensors dictating the likely drop locations of those pods around us. We needed to give ourselves more room for them to land without falling into our formation.
The pods crash-landed and opened in quick succession, Space Marines charging out, unleashing their weapons into the enemy formation. Surprisingly, it was not the dark colorization of the Dark Angels but the black and red of the Flying Castles. The Marines charged out and went toe to toe with the bioforms in melee, slashing their way through the enemy, securing a line around our formation.
"See them!" someone called. "They're already in close quarters combat. That's our job."
I gave the man a look before saying, "Well, he's not wrong. Move forward and join their line."
Quickly, the formation of Wolves of Fenris blended with their line. The VIth and IInd Legions fought side by side against the Rangdan menace, eliminating them with prejudice, either with Frost axes or their swords, or gun or volkite. Either way, the enemy died under our combined force, and soon we had cleared out the area immediately around us, which opened up room for a couple of dropships to enter the valley. The first one was from our legion, its ramp dropping down to unload ammunition crates, with Space Marines going over to join in the effort. The other was from the Flying Castles, which unloaded more members of the IInd Legion alongside their Primarch Nobunaga.
He looked at the battlefield with an appraising eye before yelling, "Who's the commander here?"
I raised my hand, not really feeling like speaking at the moment, but my voice had worn itself out over the yelling that had been going on beforehand.
He noted me and approached, nodding before saying, "Son of Russ, it's good to see you have managed to survive this. Do you have any idea where these monsters came from?"
I pointed my thumb towards the military complex that was on the other side of the mountains before clearing my throat and said, "Best guess is the military complex we were on the way to investigate. I thought your men cleared this planet out."
Primarch Nobunaga looked in the direction of the military structure, his eyes narrowing, before saying, "We did."
Looking rather angry, he turned his cape blowing in the wind as he re-approached his shuttle and immediately took off heading towards the military complex, leaving his men and my men alone. I looked over at Bjorn, who gave a shrug.
"Don't look at me. It seems really stupid to go rushing off towards the military complex."
Shaking my head, I got up, brushing some debris off my armor, and said, "Well, whatever he's rushing to see, we better go find out what it is. Prepare the men for movement."
"Yes, sir," Bjorn said, moving quickly to gather up as many Wolves of Fenris as possible before we began marching at a heavy pace up the mountain pass, trying to get to the military complex as soon as possible. The Second Legionnaires came with us as soon as they secured the area.
Over the next hour and a half, we marched at a fast pace up the mountainside with as much speed as we could muster. Before long, we reached the top, which was a plateau of sorts, revealing something I had not expected to see.
The compound had obviously been a military fort at some point, and it had obviously been attacked by Space Marines at some point. However, it had also been rebuilt to some extent, though it had not been completely restored. You could tell there had been a clear distinction between areas, with piled debris and some patchwork repairs that indicated a hasty repair job.
"Do we know who occupied this fort before it was destroyed?" I asked, looking towards the nearest Second Legionnaire, as it had been his legion involved in the taking of this planet.
"Human mercenaries in service to the Rangda mostly. They were converted remotely into bioforms during our assault by their Rangdan masters, and ended up perishing as little more than mindless beasts," he explained.
"Foul Rangdan," Bjorn muttered, his disdain evident. The monstrosities that the Rangdan had unleashed were a horror to anyone who had witnessed them.
I noticed that there was a front gate that had been smashed open, with plenty of bioforms lying dead on the ground around it. "Alright, let's go find out what's going on," I said, hoisting my bolter and motioning forward with the first squad that was ready. We arrived at the gates, entered, and found Primarch Nobunaga standing there in a square of dead bioforms, their bodies mangled, with his blade buried into the rockcrete.
Looking around, I noticed something that was off. Mainly, there were Rangdan corpses, corpses that had all the markings that they died in some form of armed struggle.
"Survivors?" I asked as we approached one of the corpses, nearly stepping on it. I lifted the skull to examine it, revealing that they had been dead for at least ten years based on the state of decay.
"Impossible," one of the Second Legionnaires said, shaking his head. "There were no Rangdan on this planet, only human prisoners used as slave labor in the mines and the mercenaries when we left this planet for the Rangdan capital."
I caught something in the way he said that, the look of concern he gave to his Primarch, which indicated that there might have been Rangdan on the planet after the siege of Taxal.
I kept it to myself but noted it down for a secret report to Tanya when I got the chance. Something felt off about this situation, and it sounded like there might have been some deception going on at the end of the Rangdan conflict.
Primarch Nobunaga turned, his expression a mixture of sadness and anger. It was another detail to include in my report. Something was definitely amiss. Clearing his throat, Nobunaga said, "There's an elevator over there. No doubt the shaft is broken. But if the bioforms came from anywhere, it was from down in those underground sections. We need to destroy them now."
"Yes, my lord," his Marines said, getting up and moving quickly. They cracked open the door of an elevator building, revealing a broken-down shaft that appeared to still be clear, though with signs of recent activity indicating that it had become a hive of bio-weapons.
I expected Nobunaga to have a bomb brought forward and dumped down there, but what I did not expect was for him to march forward into the shaft and jump down the hole. I blinked several times, shocked, before I saw several Marines start attaching ropes around the shaft and following after him.
"Something's not adding up," I said to Bjorn, who nodded in agreement. He responded, "You know, there's no one saying we can't follow them down there. They could surely use some extra hands if they're entering a bioform hive."
We shared a nod and instructed the rest of the unit to spread out and clear the area, securing it. The walls were shoddy, but they were Wolves, and it was better to have a wall to fight from than just a square of men.
As for me, I gathered up Bjorn and my closest command squad. We moved over to a nearby elevator, which was only lightly guarded by the remaining members of the Flying Castles. Bjorn and I opened the door, and Marines got to work attaching cables and began to slide down, heading into the deep darkness of this structure. Near the middle of our descent, I went first, with Bjorn coming right after me. We went down three or four levels before we saw evidence of bioform corruption, with wax-like structures covering everything. As we reached the bottom, Marines quickly spread out, searching the immediate area before moving out to give us more room to land.
Quickly, we secured the area and continued to move deeper into the facility. It was somewhat easy to navigate, as the entryways were large enough for us to move about. Normally, humans didn't construct structures of such size, but this facility had been big enough for a Primarch to enter. Perhaps there had been a special project here that required the extra headspace or something that necessitated such size. It might have been related to the larger psyker versions of the bioforms, which seemed capable of growing as large as a Primarch. I addressed the group over the open comms, "Keep your eyes open for the blue bioforms."
We continued clearing the hallways until we found where the other elevator exited. The Primarch's personal guard was there, and they nodded to us, seemingly unconcerned that we had ventured down here. That was a good thing. I preferred not to cause an incident with another Legion over whatever secret they were hiding. We turned in another direction and soon arrived at the next section where it appeared the Primarch had passed. There were more bioforms here, slain, and, interestingly, two of their Warp-crystal bioforms. These forms were shattered by the Primarch's blade. We followed the passageway and soon found Nobunaga, observing what appeared to be a bioform queen. This creature was so large and bloated that it couldn't move, and the sounds it was making indicated that it was in some sort of labor, possibly producing the next generation of warriors.
Primarch Nobunaga looked at it for a moment before stepping forward and chopping its head off. He put the head into his belt, cleaned his blade on the bioform's form, and sheathed it. "Well, that'll put an end to this. Only a little bit more hunting, and they'll all be dead," he said, moving past us with some urgency. His face was hidden by his helmet, but his tone indicated a desire to be done with this situation.
I turned to Bjorn and asked, "Where do you think the security room is in this place?" We were currently in some sort of cargo bay.
Bjorn shrugged looking around before answering, "no idea"
"I'd say it's that way." A reply came from behind us. Me and Bjorn turned to look at the newcomer, an Iron Priest. He was wearing a fresh set of Mark II armor modified with a rather inquisitive servo-arm that seemed to analyze and observe everything around him. It was Alphain, one of our Great Company's newest Iron Priests that we picked up during our stop in the Fenris System.
"How did you figure that out, Alphain?" Bjorn replied"
Alphain simply pointed towards some overhead conduits and said, "when in doubt follow the pipes people put up to keep the wiring safe" as he beckoned us to walk down an unmarked corridor. We passed through several sections before finding what appeared to be a security area. The lights were barely on, likely powered by the energy that circulated through the installation.
Bjorn entered and examined the controls. "you found it, but I don't really know how to use this high-tech stuff." He looked at me, and I shrugged.
Alphain stepped forward, saying, " It's quite simple but it would be best to leave it to me." He quickly figured out the controls and brought up security footage from some point in time.
I asked, "Do you have any idea when this footage was taken?"
Alphain studied the footage and finally responded, "It's from a year and a half after the end of the Rangdan War, by the looks of it." He pressed a few buttons and brought up footage of what appeared to be Rangdan survivors trying to live on the planet. After a bit, he found footage of the same cargo bay we had just been in. A shorter figure, presumably a female, was moving crates around before standing in front of a camera. She spoke something we couldn't understand before raising her hand in a salute, not too different from what Rangdan soldiers did before their suicide charges on their homeworld. Then, she pulled out a vial and injected herself. After a few moments, she began to transform into one of those bioforms, specifically growing larger. It was evident that this female Rangdan had turned into this 'bioform queen' that had just been killed.
Bjorn and I exchanged glances. Bjorn said, "So, a Rangdan survivor made it to this planet, went into hiding, and one of them decided to turn themselves into a bioform. Do we have any idea what they were saying?" I asked.
Alphain shrugged and said, "Based on the body language, I'd say it was for the Rangdan Empire. Perhaps they escaped, and this individual couldn't let the dreams of empire die. They were determined to turn this planet into a hellhole for anyone who tried to reclaim it. Alphain tapped his chin as he muttered lowly "I wonder how they escaped though."
"What a waste," Bjorn said. His comment earned a look from me as he continued, "Somehow these individuals survived the genocide of the war we raged, and one moron decides, 'You know what's great? Turning ourselves into bio weapons because why not? Instead of fighting like actual warriors, just unleash a horde of mindless creatures.' Idiot."
I couldn't deny that it was indeed an idiotic move, one fueled by either stupidity, desperation, or both.
"Fanaticism," Alphain added. "They were fanatically in love with their empire, even in death. They'd rather serve it as monsters than try to rebuild it, I guess." He shook his head and continued, "But if one group could survive, what's to say there aren't more out there that have been left alive?"
I nodded my head in agreement and added, "That's the nightmare scenario: groups of Rangdan survivors escaping their homeworld's genocide and turning themselves into monsters. Not to mention, who's to say they don't have more bio-weapons and other horrors lying around that were never tested during the war, things we haven't experienced yet."
Bjorn sighed and said, "That's a grim thought. We'd better inform the rest of the command structure. Who knows what we're going to run into out there now? Hell, who's to say some mad doctor didn't escape and is trying to combine various horrors to create new ones."
The mere idea sent shivers through all of the Marines in the room. We knew there was little we could do but prepare for whatever new horrors lay ahead.
Lord Wolfen
Shaking my head, I tried to understand what I was looking at through the microscope. "I don't get it," I said, pulling my head away and looking at Nefeltime Osfe of Svellgard. An odd name but one I got out of her after some conversations.
She sighed before explaining, "I'm showing you that there's something unusual with your DNA."
I nodded, "Yeah, that's what I'd expect. I'm not exactly fully human."
She added, "Not exactly fully Astartes either." Osfe spoke matter-of-factly as she pushed the microscope back across the table. After a moment, she slid it back toward me and said, "Fine, have another look."
I peered through the microscope again but found something puzzling. I admitted, "I don't know what I'm looking at."
Exasperated, she clarified, "Wolf DNA. There's actual wolf DNA in there."
"Ah... okay," I said, my confusion apparent. I continued, "I've transformed into a wolf before, so I might have some sort of contamination from that."
She corrected me, "No, it's not a contamination. If it were, it would have run its course and died out. This is a part of you, part of your blood, and it's still somewhat active." She then pulled out a picture and placed it on the table. "This is your DNA just after your return to civilization." I noted that the area on the image was slightly different from what she had just shown me.
I asked, "So, what are you getting at?"
She explained, "I believe that whatever that psychic force you encountered in the Ark Reach Cluster awakened parts of your DNA related to said wolf gene. At the moment it isn't actively transforming you into a wolf creature, but the gene could, under the right set of conditions, or influence."
I leaned back, crossing my arms, and inquired, "And what's the right influence?"
Her response was, "My hypothesis, a Warp signature would be required to activate this portion of your genome."
I was perplexed and sought clarification. "So, you're saying this genome is a mutation that activates when exposed to the Warp and transforms me into a wolf-like creature."
Osfe shook her head and elaborated, "No, that's not what I mean. I had your DNA sample sent over to a ship on one of the lower levels closer to Warp exposure for experimentation. The DNA remained stable. So it's not just the Warp that can induce the change. I believe it's something that reacts to the Warp."
Confused, I asked, "Can you break it down for me?"
She continued, "Sure, imagine a person with a strong connection to the Machine God."
She took a breath and clarified, "From these samples, it's my belief that you might be able to one day utilize the signature to manually trigger the transformation when exposed to high Warp Energy. This could transform you into a wolf-like creature while retaining your mental capacities. It's not a result of succumbing to the Warp but rather resisting its corruption. If the Warp took full control, the likely result would be you mutating into a grotesque mindless flesh amalgam. Think of what happened to individuals from the Thousand Sons."
She concluded, "This transformation appears to be controlled, stable, and could be triggered as a defensive measure against the Warp."
"...so, it's an anti-Warp mutation gene that turns you into a wolf. Not bad, but you know, how exactly does that help you if you've been reduced to an animal?"
"That is where we must continue our research," Osfe said before adding, "Perhaps there's a way to stall it midway. Imagine being able to harness the anti-Warp capabilities of this gene without fully transforming into a creature incapable of combat. The only question is, where would we get the sample in the Warp streams to experiment?"
"Hmm, I might have a few ideas," I said with a smile, thinking about the fact that many of the Valkyrie had my DNA. "Perhaps a few of them would be willing to volunteer. Not to mention there were a few other 'failures' attached to my units on this planet. Perhaps they would be interested in exploring what we could unlock through these alterations. Maybe there's a way to revert us from our altered states back to our original forms, allowing us to complete the transformation into Space Marines. A man can hope."
Writers note: hey new chapter! WOO looks like everyone is getting on well and tanya makes friends and comrades… and her boy is out there exploring the universe finding things out operating without her supervision that is good for her legion i say!.
Please comment, review, and generally enjoy yourselves…
Edited by: Golden, Guardsman Pius
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