3851.04.15 (Incident-Day)
Via unknown means Lieutenant General Rebecca Shepard is intercepted during a quantum gate jump and arrives in another, unfamiliar universe. Within hours an unknown force, later identified as a tendril of the Tyranid hive fleet Moloch, assaulting the planet mounts a concentrated attack against her. Heavy fighting ensues.
3851.05.04 (I+20)
Upon initial suspicion of human presence on the planet, General Shepard makes contact with the remaining defenders of the world. Due to unsolved language differences, communication cannot be established at that time.
3851.5.10 (I+26)
After successfully compiling a translation matrix, first contact with the locals is established. They claim they and the planet, Epstost Major, belong to a galactic polity calling itself the Imperium of Man. A tenuous alliance is established to combat the Tyranid menace.
3851.05.24 (I+40)
Through covert scouring of Imperial data networks, the assistive QAI Luna discovers evidence of a QAI node on Epstost Major.
3851.06.02 (I+49)
After weeks of intense conflict, the Tyranids retreat from the planet with Imperial forces and General Shepard unable to pursue, leaving large swaths of it behind lifeless and barren of life due to their harvesting efforts.
3851.06 (I+(49-77))
General Shepard establishes proper diplomatic contact with local authorities, notable efforts include: the negotiation of a preliminary non-aggression and political immunity agreement, participation in Imperial victory celebrations and meeting with the planetary ruler, Chapter Master Ambros of the Halo Sword space marine chapter, and local religious authorities.
3851.07 (I+(78-108))
General Shepard agrees to assist the Halo Swords in combating the assault of the Moloch upon the critically strategically important forge world of Atraxis, promising to follow Imperial forces at the end of the month. Further diplomatic efforts bring an alliance with House Harkon, a minor noble house of Epstost Major for the purpose of assisting in the UEF's diplomatic efforts with the Imperium and serving as a middleman for many transactions. Eliza Harkon joins General Shepard as a political liaison, and Sister Kathrisa Sena as a High Gothic teacher, courtesy of the Ecclesiarchy. The local leader of the Mechanicus, Magos Clad, is confronted over the QAI node, but knows little about it, aside from it being here since the Dark Age of Mankind more than ten thousand years ago. Magos Clad and General Shepard come to an agreement that the node be dismantled and copies of all relevant data be transferred into UEF custody. Initial discussions with the Navigator guild, crucial for Imperial space travel, and the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, who regulate interstellar communication via astropaths, regarding granting the Imperium access to UEF quantum gate technology turn sour. Both sides threaten to wield their political influence to damage UEF's ties with the Imperium unless General Shepard vows never to share gate tech with any Imperial faction. Reluctantly, General Shepard agrees.
3851.08.02 (I+110)
Using a Line Layer, General Shepard makes way for the Atraxis system. The gate jump is instant, but the randomness inherent to this form of travel results in the position being weeks out of the inner system. A long voyage through dark space begins.
3851.09.03 (I+142)
General Shepard completes the voyage and joins the battered Imperial forces in the system. Using the ACU's gate jump capabilities, she joins the forge world's defenders, capable of bypassing the unbreakable blockade of the Tyranid fleet orbiting the planet. In coordination with the Halo Swords, she begins a series of raids on Genestealer cult held territory and reinforcement ops to hold the forge city walls.
3851.09.026 (I+165)
Following a tense, accusatory argument between the General and Archmagos Clerina over Shepard's utilization of anti-orbital weaponry against the hive fleet, the Mechanicus barres her from further participating in the battle on their domain.
3851.10 (I+(170-200))
Shepard awaits Imperial Navy reinforcements on Epstost Major to break the void stalemate at Atraxis. During this time, she strikes a deal with Magos Clad: limited access to lab-grade omni-scanners and proto-fabricators to gather knowledge on and reverse engineer Imperial archeotech knowledge, in return for aid to Shepard in various ways.
3851.11.03 (I+203)
Having escaped the tendril of the Moloch choking the Meidibrorn system, the rest of Battlefleet Pandora arrives in the Atraxis system. Assembled like this, the Imperium and General Shepard, who has been allowed to participate in this decisive engagement, prepares for a cumulative battle over the Forgeworld.
3851.11.05 (I+205)
After a decisive victory at the battle of Atraxis, where the combined void forces of the Battlefleet Pandora, the Mechanicus, and Halo Sword defeated the Devourers fleet both in space and on the ground, brutal fighting continues, as the forge city is retaken from the remaining Tyranids. With an estimated 150 billion casualties, the planet's workforce is reduced by half, but Atraxis' industrial infrastructure survives, albeit damaged. During these events, General Shepard is gravely injured but manages to recall her ACU. While receiving treatment from the emergency autodoc system, Sister Sena undergoes a divine miracle – the God Emperor of Mankind heals her severed spine and entrusts her with a sacred mission: Safeguarding the General at any cost.
3851.11.17 (I+217)
Lieutenant General Shepard reawakens from her coma.
3851.11.24 (I+224)
Despite her bad physical state, the General participates in the Strategic Council following the Battle of Atraxis. Over the following days, and thanks to an intervention from Admiral Forhof she manages to convince Imperial Forces to come to the aid of the Holy Knight World Tet first, the general hope being the Sector Capital will hold out, but receives minimal support for her own mission to reinforce the planet.
3851.12 (I+(231-261))
Following a gathering of the Ecclesiarchy's most important local authority figures to ratify the miracle of Sister Sena, she and Eliza Harkon are detained and examined by Inquisitorial agents. A direct confrontation between the UEF and the Imperial Inquisition can be averted utilizing Magos Clad as an intermediary, but only postpones the inevitable. Both are returned into Shepard's care with minimal harm and a proper documented and validated ratification of the miracle - with an Inquisitorial stamp of approval. In order to shield Eliza Harkon from potential future encounters with the Inquisition, Shepard formally enlists her within the UEF's ranks as First Lieutenant Eliza Harkon.
3851.12.30 (I+260)
Utilizing a titan conveyor lent by the Legio Tonitru and escorted by a flotilla of Imperial Navy ships provided by Admiral Forhof, Shepard and Harkon begin their warp journey to Tet. During the warp translation out of the system, Shepard suffers from quantum disruption syndrome and receives a vision of Princess Burke warning her of "legions adorned in blood", a "Moon Killer" and a "Crimson God".
3852.01.17 (I+277)
After two weeks of warp travel, Shepard arrives in the Tet system. A remnant of the tendril that escaped Epstost Major, having its fleet assets dispersed around the system, falls upon the flotilla immediately upon their arrival. In a daring move to bring the conveyor to Tet, the flotilla sacrifices numerous ships, enabling General Shepard to make planetfall, aiding the Knight King's fortress where the relics and remains of Saint Saka are safeguarded, one of two holdouts on the planet. Coordinating with the Knight Houses, a battle against the Moloch quickly ensues, but a reinforcement push towards the capital hundreds of kilometers away will not make it in time. Making use of this fact, forces of the Eldar Craftworld Yme-Loc offer their support to the capital in exchange for a meeting with the General. She agrees and as promised the Eldar fight off the Tyranids invading the city and incase both locations with massive storm phenomena to keep the Tyranids out. The meeting with Farseer Samathal is held the same day, both parties parting afterwards without incident.
3852.01.18 (I+278)
Discovering the precise nature of "feudal world", Shepard confronts the Knight Houses, a heated confrontation that turns into an honor duel. Before Knight Prince Lanval can come to serious harm however, he surrenders, leaving only his ego and Shepard's relationship with the Knight Houses damaged.
3852.01.21 (I+281)
Imperial Reinforcements, belonging to Battlefleet Pandora, the Atraxis Explorator fleet and the Halo Sword Space Marine Chapter as well as minor allies, arrive from the Warp and make their cautious approach towards beleaguered Tet to evacuate the survivors. The Knightly Nobility and Shepard cooperate in defending the evacuation perimeter against the relentless, advancing swarm.
3852.01.26 (I+286)
Following an uninterrupted, eight day battle and a three day evacuation, during which General Shepard is pushed to the edge of her abilities, the ACU suffers a critical core malfunction. Thanks to the effort of the Knights, the ACU and her are recovered, albeit in an unconscious state, and they leave the planet, having successfully saved the Knights and their remaining subjects, the Order of the Stoic Heart as well as countless important religious artifacts from the doomed planet.
3852.01.28 (I+288)
On board the van Styr Rogue Trader vessel "Merchant's Motive", General Shepard escapes the ensuing space battle despite the Inquisition's desperate demands for the vessel to remain in the system. Recovered in an unconscious state, she reawakens two days later with a loss of color vision suffered as a result of brain damage due to sleep deprivation and stimulant overuse.
3852.02.03 (I+295)
Ecclesiarchy representatives and Canoness Rosentree, the Sororitas in charge of the Order of the Stoic Heart, offer Shepard a deal, in exchange for formally converting to the Imperial Creed she will be nominally put in charge of the Stoic Heart and allied to the Ecclesiarchy for the purpose of combating the various enemies of Mankind in the Sector. Shepard agrees, with some conditions.
3852.02.05 (I+297)
The tendril choking Tet is defeated by the Pandora Sector combined void fleets and the planet delivered absolution via the cleansing fires of Exterminatus. Celebratorial astropathic hymnals call out all over the sector, even if the Norn queen's death rattle has made the Warp around the Tet system untraversable for months.
3852.02.10 (I+302)
The "Merchant's Motive" arrives in orbit around Epstost Major. The autodoc system begins treatment of Knight King Balin, nearing death due to a Tyranid disease.
3852.02.13 (I+305)
Using the working base infrastructure available, Shepard finishes constructing the QEC booster design sent to her by EarthCOM. Contact with EarthCOM is officially reestablished. Due to her failure to follow up on the presence of a QAI node, President Hall puts her under the oversight of General Laurent for the foreseeable future. Laurent orders preparations for an allied military offensive against the remaining tendril to begin immediately. For this purpose she is to repair her ACU, begin construction of an sACU and training of a support commander, as well as focus other efforts on cooperating with the allies she made to that end.
3852.02.17 (I+309)
Analysis of the node data reveals QAI is likely responsible for the incident that drew General Shepard into this unfamiliar universe. Shepard begins training Lieutenant Harkon and Sergeant Sena to be able to serve as support commanders.
3852.02.21 (I+313)
Knight King Balin reawakens from his artificially induced coma. Although his body is severely damaged by the intensive surgeries required, no trace of Tyranid pathogens can be detected in his body. A formal alliance with the Knight Houses of Tet at the suggestion of Lieutenant Harkon is finalized, the Knights swearing fealty to EarthCOM in exchange for the restoration of their homeworld of Tet. An astropathic call goes out to Knights of Tet questing all over the Imperium to return to the sector.
3852.03.02 (I+323)
Lieutenant General Shepard's ACU is restored to functionality.
3852.04.23 (I+375)
The Astra Militarum mustering world of Tallanus is attacked by the Necrons, as prophesied by Farseer Samathal. Due to General Shepard's warnings, the Guard can organize a defense that ultimately repulses the raid, but casualties are catastrophic with the singular Necron vessel leaving much of the planet completely destroyed before it disappears again.
3852.05.21 (I+403)
In a grand ceremony, attended by various notable figures such as Chapter Master Ambros, Magos Clad, Admiral Forhof and Canoness Rosentree, Rebecca Shepard formally converts to belief in the Emperor. She is officially put in charge of the Order of the Stoic Heart the same day, their ranks continuously increasing as the Ecclesiarchy pulls together Sisters from smaller convents and civilian branches from over the Sector to bolster the order's numbers.
3852.06.29 (I+442)
After months of work, General Shepard manages to finish construction of an sACU. Lieutenant Harkon is promoted to Commander and designated the primary pilot, with Second Lieutenant Sena being designated the backup.
3852.07.01 (I+444)
The Pandora Sector Command Council declares the Capital of Mediborn lost to the Moloch. Magos Clad officially announces the restoration of two STC's, one for an advanced foundry and one for a dark age manufactorium thanks to cooperation with the UEF.
3852.07-3853.02 (I+444-659)
EY, THERE IS A VOTE HERE:
Crusade preparations begin, what specifically do you focus on? (Vote for three, no plan voting. Different combos have different synergy effects):
[] Train and Build Up the Order of the Stoic Heart as a Proper UEF-Compatible Force
Just using UEF power armor is a small fraction of what's possible to augment the Order of the Stoic Heart's capacities. UEF tactics, command structure, support vehicles, doctrine, and much more can truly turn them into a force of zealous battle nuns a million strong, ready for a new age of warfare.
[] Assist Magos Clad to Become the New Archmagos of the Sector Forgeworld
Atraxis is leaderless, and you have a high-ranking Magos who desires the job. You can probably help them get ahead in the competition and gain valuable influence and resources from the new Archmagos.
[] Expand the Gate Network to More Planets in the Pandora Sector
The true power of quantum gates only reveals itself once it actually forms a network. Use your contacts in the Ecclesiarchy to approach planetary governments willing to have a gate in their system and have Admiral Forhof deliver gates from Epstost Major via Warp travel.
[] Retrieve a Semi-Complete Knight STC from Absalom's Memories and Begin Mass Production
Luna, your QAI, after learning of the echoes living in the Throne Mechanicum of the Knight Engines, wishes to make contact to see if she can recover any useful information. Under the guise of being your ACU's machine spirit, facilitate this interaction and manage to recover a mostly complete STC for a Knight Engine, cooperate with Magos Clad and put it back into production.
[] Cooperate with Partners to Mass-Produce Advanced Imperial-Tech Weaponry
Protofabricators can produce almost anything in vast quantities, much faster and cheaper than conventional manufacturing. Develop the proper templates and work with allies to sort out political and economic interests, enabling the mass production of advanced equipment like Carapace Armor, hell-, plasma-, melta-guns, and Astartes equipment.
[] Use UEF Antigrav Spacelift to Construct Voidship Maintenance Yards and Space Infrastructure
Mechanicus techpriests can provide blueprints for structural components, and Laurent's tech support can send you templates. Use protofabricators to create the basic structural components, and lift them into space with UEF cargo haulers for assembly. Your Imperial allies handle the rest with UEF provided space suits.
3853.02.07 (I+665 | Today)
…
Hell has come to Cadia. The planet writhes in the despoiler's clawed grip, squeezed with a relentless force that seeks to annihilate the Gate. He is a figure shrouded in shadow and malevolence, the Warmaster, chosen of the Four. His legions are without number, swarms of demons beyond counting, and his fleets obscure the very light of the stars. Against him stands a host of heroes, their faith, zeal, and resolve unyielding, yet she knows she cannot match their courage, no matter how much she feigns.
In a blinding clash, the defenders strike back. A billion lasguns blaze and the radiance of an angel sears the Despoiler's hand, forcing it to recoil. For an instant, hope flickers. But then she feels it: his wrath, a horrifying chill that pierces her soul, making her wish Cadia had already fallen. His sneer twists into a mask of scorn and rage as he prepares to strike again. She prays desperately for the Emperor's intervention, but nothing answers. Unchallenged, he unleashes Cadia's doom. The planet shudders and fractures under the impact of the eight-pointed star, its molten core erupting through the crumbling crust, devouring the Gate, its fortresses, bunkers, trenches, and ten thousand years of history.
Cadia has fallen.
The Despoiler's laughter echoes through the void, each exhalation causing the Eye to pulse, expanding like an all-consuming cancer into the cosmos. Stars, planets, entire sectors are swallowed by the Warp. His wrath transforms into exultation, and with forbidden words spoken in an ancient tongue, the forces of chaos advance, spreading ruin across humanity.
The Imperium stands divided, anarchy reigns across the stars.
Eliza awakens, her first breath being the one of a drowning woman taking her first gasp of fresh air, her skin cold and sweaty, her hands trembling, the dream with all its imagery still burned into her mind. Reflexively, her hand wanders to the double eagle pendant around her neck, a desperate prayer coming over her lips as she avoids looking at the six squares dominating the wall opposite from her, looming over the young noblewoman turned support commander like a haunting specter.
Unite the Galaxy and restore Order, no matter the cost.
There is a headache building behind her temples, an impending sense of doom creeping up her spine, leaving her hairs stand up, guts clenching, heartbeat and breathing accelerating on its way.
"Commander Harkon, are you alright?", a small blue hololith appears at the edge of her vision. Round and unassuming, the eye of Rebecca's shackled Abominable Intelligence gazes at her, its tone voicing worry. "Your vitals are spiking."
"No, something is coming, something bad", Eliza mumbles, rubbing her temples, on the other hand trying to ward off the chill creeping up her back by pulling her blanket closer, the soft fabric soaked in cold sweat. "We must warn Rebecca!"
"The Lieutenant General is currently busy meeting with the Crusade Planning Committee. Do you want me to tell her you had a bad dream?"
"Throne preserve me. I, in fact, order you to!", Eliza's resolve finally firms, the blanket thrown off as she makes her way over to her own small personal shrine, quickly going through her morning prayers and lighting a sanctified candle, before hurrying through her morning route of showering and cleaning, grooming her skin, nails and hair, getting makeup applied by her personal stylist, making it halfway before a siren echoes out all across Fort Pastor, a mechanical, toneless voice blaring out of the base's intercom system.
"Attention all personnel, Fort Pastor is now at DEFCON 3. Proceed calmly and follow the procedures outlined in the condition manual. Attention all personnel, Fort Pastor is now at DEFCON 3."
Lieutenant Katrisha Sena hands hover over the console, her spirit momentarily broken by the mundanity of her assignment as she contemplates her life choices, the words she typed out blurring on the screen. She imagined being in charge of security to be more exciting, more thrilling, more fulfilling. Hunting down heretics and traitors, tracking them down, investigating suspicious activitiesand corruption and personally delivering the Emperor's and the UEF's justice. The truth is much less exciting, meetings, reports, managing assignments, discussing procedures and planning contingencies. The Canoness was very amused at her realization that the duties of having a command do not solely extend to leading heroically from the front.
She finds it suspiciously quiet. There are attempts of course attempts to breach into Fort Pastor or the surrounding Harkon industrial park: adolescents with more bravery than common sense trying to skirt the rules, gangs or rival noble houses trying to make connections, bribe or fully muscle their way into the amount of industrial wealth leaving the fort every day by train, hoping to skim off a fraction, Sisters of the Stoic Heart unable to live with the new behavioral guidelines, taking physical punishment of their subordinates a little too far, attempts to smuggle contraband or illicit substances into the fort.
Nothing that a few Sororitas cannot solve. She hopes the gangs have not learned their lesson by now. The repeated crackdowns on such takeover operations, subtle and not so, are the most action she has seen in a year, leaving her hands itching with desire for more righteous violence. This cannot be what the God Emperor meant when he tasked her with dedicating herself to Shepard's security.
She focuses on her report again, a summary of the last few months' of criminal activity and House Harkon's inability to solve the problem. The influx of people fleeing the Tyranid invasion towards the more heavily defended cities has created an unhealthy environment for recruitment of those lacking faith and dedication, mainly focused in the slums now sprawling out from the urban cores and flocking to the gangs in their weakness.
At the bottom is a recommendation for a more proactive approach in dealing with the problem.
Her gaze wanders to an artfully rendered depiction of the God Emperor framed on her desk, a golden, divine figure standing triumphant over His many enemies lying at His feet. She wonders if even He had to waste His divine time on the duties of administering His growing Imperium when he still walked among his subjects. The thought amuses her enough to break her out of her momentary stupor and continue typing, when her chest is suddenly filled with a heat that is agonizingly hot and yet does not hurt. Her spine straightens, brows furrowed in confusion, the heat intensifying until it suddenly and uncontrollably spills out in an explosion of golden fire out from her body that incinerates everything in her office. Still radiating a quickly lessening golden shine and nakedly lying in the burned remains of her workspace, staring at the ceiling in confusion, before she feels it.
The Great Rift.
"Adept Johson, your current trajectory is one of considerable peril. The Omnissiah does not favor such recklessness," Magos Theta-Five intoned, her mechanical form vibrating with ominous resonance.
Fran Johson lit himself a lho stick, the gilded promethium lighter disappearing back into the many pockets of his red robe as if it was a magic trick. He gazed up at the towering mechanical form of the Magos, blowing smoke from the corner of his mouth as he answered. "What I'm doing isn't considered heretical by most of the doctrines within the Cult of Mars."
"Your statement is accurate yet incomplete, failing to address the fundamental issue with your conduct," Theta-Five hissed, steam hissing from multiple vents on her chassis. "The symbiosis of UEF and Mechanicus technology is not inherently tech-heresy, provided it is conducted by an individual with the requisite knowledge and expertise."
"In terms of knowledge and experience with UEF technology and integration, I'm second to none," he declares confidently. "So, where exactly is the issue?"
"Your impetuous actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for established protocols and procedures."
"The General demands results."
"A tech-priest of superior experience would have instilled in her the principles of caution and meticulous inquiry."
"She isn't like us, Magos," Johson sighs. "She's not going to be swayed by anyone."
"Your personal involvement with her compromises your judgment and obscures your adherence to the core tenets. To consider yourself irreplaceable is folly, Adept. Your knowledge can be extracted and transferred to a more suitable candidate, should you persist in your disobedience."
"Was that a threat?" he asks, picking up the lho stick between his fingers and glaring at the Magos, leaning against the work table behind him.
"This is not a threat, merely an imperative reminder."
Fran presses the glowing end of the lho stick against Theta-Five's frontal armor, extinguishing it. "I bet General Shepard will be thrilled when I tell her you decided to 'remind' me."
"You are merely an Adept, unworthy of undue consideration. The Princeps General possesses significant intellectual prowess; I trust her logical faculties will prevail over any emotional inclinations."
"And I trust her enough to know if you will not leave my workshop right now to get me the neocortex analysis I demanded, you can expect a few hundred Sororitas to visit your office tomorrow, Magos", Fran drops the gleaming Lho stick at Theta-Five's feet.
Theta-Five's optics whirr as they focus down on Johson. "Your insubordination has been duly recorded, Adept. Magos Clad will learn of this."
"Your continued attempts to threaten me have been noted as well," Fran states definitively, as the doors hiss open and two Skitarii in bulky UEF power armor enter, plasma blasters ready. "Escort her out. I won't waste any more time on this."
Theta-Five leaves without any further complaints or attempts to resist, stomping outside and leaving Fran alone in the expansive workshop alone with his various projects and his thoughts. He lights himself a new Lho-stick to calm his nerves, hands trembling now that he has navigated that interaction successfully, one hand running through his hair, mumbling a short prayer to the Omnissiah. The golden lighter is put onto the big table at the center, an amalgamation of blocky, gray and smooth UEF technology and various, complicated Imperial mechanisms. Johson pulls out a thin data cable, slotting it into a socket at the back of his head. The new ones still tickle a bit, the skin around it still the wrong color, but he'll think about fixing it later, his concentration now focused on the hololith appearing above the table.
It's the nervous system of one of the Skitarii, together with what remains of its skeleton and the various cybernetics interfacing with both. He thinks a thought, and the depiction shifts, several parts of the Skitarii's nervous system replaced with different looking implants, UEF implants, Symbiont implants. He finds them beautiful. On some functional level, Symbiont implants are hardly revolutionary. The Mechanicus has more than ten thousand years of experience melding man and machine in the image of God, but where the UEF lack that experience to achieve this goal, they make up in sophistication, achieving perfect symbiosis in thought, mind and identity between the flesh and the cogitator.
Sadly, for all her general understanding of her technology, Rebecca does not know the intricacies of Symbiont augmentation. The knowledge is there, it's just how it should be applied that is the problem. Fran does not lack volunteers to figure it out, but he lacks expertise in neural augmentation. The cogitator banks around him whirr and hum as they begin their work, beginning to simulate the most recent neocortex analysis, while he hopes for the preliminary work to finally be promising enough to begin first real trials.
He reaches over the holodesk, grabbing the portable cogitator console lying there, folding it open while mumbling litanies of function and maneuvering to the text communication.
>Magos Theta-Five has just issued a threat towards me, expressing clear disapproval of my current activities and indicating potential repercussions should I persist in my chosen course of action.
He types, analyzing the few words for possible misinterpretation before sending it off, receiving a reply from Rebecca almost immediately.
<Oh no! Do I need to tell the Lieutenant to pay someone a visit ò-ó
>While I greatly appreciate your concern and the swift willingness to offer assistance, I must respectfully decline such intervention. The truth is, I require Theta-Five's unique expertise for a critical and ongoing project that would suffer without her involvement.
>Incidentally, are you not currently engaged in a meeting with the Crusade Planning Committee?
<You're so much more fun to talk to! <3
<And I can multitask >w<
Fran's face remains stoic and unmoving, but a jolt of endorphins surges through his mind as he contemplates his response.
>I am profoundly grateful for your kind words and equally value our conversations. They are a source of great joy to me.
>As for another matter, would you be available later, once your meeting has concluded?
It takes a few minutes when the cogitator console beeps with another incoming message, one he did not expect.
>Fran, backup your stuff and pack up. Sergeant Hunna will pick you up in five. We are under attack.
Moments later an alarm blares through Fort Pastor.
Chaos has engulfed what was supposed to be a routine meeting of the Crusade Planning Committee to discuss food logistics. With the Administratum and Munitorum offering only token support, the responsibility of organizing and acquiring supplies, material, and manpower falls squarely on you and your allies. Your two ACUs are sufficient for open-field conflicts, but the objective is to retake planets with their resources and infrastructure as intact as possible. Flattening every Xenos stronghold and city is an option, but the Imperial Navy could handle that if it were the goal. While the Stoic Heart and the Halo Swords provide significant strength, you still need manpower for urban combat, cleanup operations, and making the reconquered assets usable for the Imperium once you move on.
You glance around the room at the various members of the Committee, each engaged in heated discussions with their aides. Your enhanced hearing picks up snippets from the cacophony of panicked reports. Only Canoness Rosentree and Knight King Balin seem as clueless as you. As the unofficial leader of this operation, you inhale deeply to impose order on the chaos. "Someone tell me what in the Emperor's name is going on?"
"A sudden sense of panic and unrest has taken hold of the populace of this world," whispers Cardinal Lengström, his voice like brittle paper. "Spontaneous riots have broken out, chanting the End of the Imperium and all things."
"The Astropaths and Navigators are panicking," Admiral Forhof adds, worry etched across his usually stoic face. "They can no longer perceive the light of the Astronomican."
"Something has just entered the system," Chapter Master Ambros growls, turning from his chapter serf to face you. "We just lost contact with some of our outer system early-warning stations. Something tore through them before they could give warning."
"Ground-based long-range augurs have detected the anomaly," intones Magos Clad, their voice a mechanical monotone. "Sensor towers are being focused with immediate effect."
"I have given the same order to my captains. We should get a sensor scan immediately."
"Chapter Master, it's your planet. Handle the unrest with support from the Stoic Hand. Canoness, put your Sisters on alert and set Fort Pastor's DEFCON level to 3. Your Highness, prepare your Knights and their steeds for combat," you command, sending a quick message to Fran before closing your laptop to focus on the present.
"I am indeed, noble Lady Princeps General," the Knight King declares with a whisper, his words punctuated by the hiss of his oxygen compressor. A Houseguardist quickly wheels him out of the room. Canoness Rosentree has already risen, saluted, and hurried out.
"And Magos, get the augur readouts onto this holotable," you demand, tapping your finger impatiently, gray eyes locked on the humanoid mechanical form of the techpriest. Their metallic digits work swiftly on the keypads, while two of their retinue hold incense burners.
"Processing, General Shepard," they respond, two of their four green optics locking onto you. "Commencing the rite of splicing and the litany of data integration. Integrating long-range data streams from Battlefleet Pandora, the Chapter Fleet, and groundside installations. Displaying now."
The green hololith flickers to life above you, initially displaying the entire system with bright green lines and orbs representing planets and their orbits. It then zooms in on a red-marked spot at the edge of the outer system.
The mood in the entire room immediately drops to subzero temperatures, all conversation ceasing as everyone absorbs the display.
Who has decided to show up for a fight at this moment? (Vote for as many as you like, highest one wins, I might use vote ranking to decide the order all others appear later)
[]The Tyranids
Hive Fleet Moloch re-emerges after more than a year of inactivity. Navy reports indicate it is the same Tendril that attacked the Sector Capital Medirborn, likely having consumed it by now.
[]Necrons
A singular, half-moon shaped ship sails quietly through the void towards Epstost Major, by all likelihood the same vessel that destroyed Tallanus you were warned about by the Eldar and Princess Burke.
[]Orks
You heard many things about the Orks. The lost hiveworld of Canophes was a likely crusade target, but no one expected them to show up on the offensive. The Ork problem was supposed to be managed, but now they are here, in force.
[]Chaos
An ugly, scar-like tear in reality is forming at the location, the readouts not making sense, as unreal energies flood realspace, some visual data indicating a fleet of unknown size emerging.
[]QAI and its Men of Iron
Three cruiser sized vessels have dropped out Warp and are now burning towards the planet, a last, badly corrupted image sent from one of the early warning stations showing a utilitarian, gray block of a vessel covered in Seraphim symbols with FCS Manifest Destiny, written on one side in plain English as you know it.
Keep that in mind.
