Category:Warhammer 40,000: Difference between revisions

[[Category:Two Empires, One Purpose: A Star Wars/40k crossover

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Two Empires, One Purpose: A Star Wars/40k crossover

Vallus Kronan of the Imperial Navy stood aboard the bridge of the Retribution-class battleship Overlord, as several other vessels of the Imperium took position alongside it in this remote area of space near the borders of the Imperium. Not long ago, astropaths and psykers in this area had been complaining about warp energies focusing in this area; they had been sent to investigate. Now, it appeared some anomaly was forming a distance ahead of them; be it some machination of the Ruinous Powers or otherwise, they could not ignore it.

"The Astartes vessels are in position." reported Commissar Bakker, standing beside him on the bridge. "Emperor willing, this will be something we can take care of by ourselves."

Three battle barges of the Ultramarines had joined them. Kronan had even heard that an Inquisitor might be coming. As if they weren't content with saddling him with those arrogant blue-clad mountains of men, he thought angrily. But they were packing enough firepower to wipe out a Chaos flotilla; surely, by now, they were prepared for anything.

"We're picking up a large mass coming through the anomaly." reported a servitor on the bridge.

"Can you identify it?" demanded Kronan.

"Negative. We do know that it is very large..."

"Ready weapons. Power up lance batteries and nova cannons." said Kronan. Better be safe than sorry.

"We're bringing up images of the object now." reported another bridge crewman. On a screen, a magnified image of the anomaly appeared. Something pointed was emerging.

"Transmission from the Astartes ships." said another crewman. "They want to know if they can open fire."

"Negative. Hold back until we get a clear identification." said Kronan.

He observed the monitor. The object had now almost fully emerged; it was huge, even by the standards of the Imperium--nineteen kilometers long, bigger than even the largest battleship, wedge-shaped and covered in a cityscape of some kind. It was accompanied by smaller, similarily shaped vessels that were slightly larger than Cobra-class ships--he guessed that they were escorts of some kind.

"It's big." whistled Bakker. "Doesn't look like Chaos. Doesn't look like anything I've seen before."

"We're getting a transmission." reported a servitor.

"Put it on."

"This is Admiral Piett of the Galactic Empire." a haughty voice boomed out of speakers. "On behalf of Emperor Palpatine, I extend our greetings." __________________ "Remember, appearance is everything. I'd expect these people to possess things that will seem bizarre to us, if the appearance of those ships is any indication, so betray no emotion."

Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod, the political representative of the Empire tasked with this expedition, sat with the other officers in the Lambda shuttle he was in, flying down to the surface of some remote desert planet that they had arranged to meet at with the people they had come into contact with--the 'Imperium of Man'. With the discovery of a strange spacial anomaly in Imperial Space, which scientists had deduced to be a dimensional portal of some kind, he had been told to expect anything.

Those ships he had seen--very ornate and ostentatious, and quite big, almost rivalling the Executor. He had seen smaller ones upon the shuttle's deparature from the Executor, and presumed them to be their equalivent of crusiers. In the meantime, at least they had seemed willing not to fire on them, but they had seemed quite haughty and suspicious over the communications channel.

"Coming in to land now." said the pilot from the cockpit as they descended on a dusty settlement of some kind. The first meeting point of two great Empires--this tip, which a resident of Tatooine would have considered below him.

A troop ship was following them, carrying a stormtrooper squad and an AT-ST--no harm in being prepared, or giving a show of strength. After all, people who built their ships like cathedrals perhaps weren't ones to be entirely taken for trust.

Settling at a landing pad in the settlement outskirts, a few moments passed before the ramps of both transports opened and their occupants filed out. Walking behind Admiral Piett and General Veers, Jerjerrod cleared his throat as their reception party approached them--and what an odd party there was.

There was a burly man in heavy, blue armor, resembling a dark trooper, but with the finesse and streamlined grace traded for bulky awkwardness. There appeared to be seals and other such decoration fixed to his armor, and his face was so gaunt that it almost resembled a caricature. Beside him, there was another man in what looked like a cross between a lighter version of that armor and a conventional uniform, next to him a man in a black-and-red uniform with a very large and almost silly-looking hat, and behind them a squad of light infantry who resembled rebel soldiers to an extent. Every sign of them betrayed a protensity for extravegance, arrogance, and overblown garb.

"I am Governor-Militant Gaius of the Imperium of Man." boomed the man in the middle, the one between the armored fellow and the one in the hat. "I am relieved to see no sign of taint inflicted by xenos, heresy, or Chaos among your kind. You claim to be an Empire? From some other aspect of the universe we have not discovered?"

Xenos? Heresy? What was he babbling about?

"Yes, quite." he finally said, stepping up. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Governor-Militant."

"Who are you?"

"Moff Tiaan Jejerrod." said the one talking to him. Gaius took a look from Commissar Bakker to Mukarn, the Astartes representative with them. These people did seem quite odd. Their uniforms resembled Guard officers, but blander, and their spacecraft were hard-angled and generally featureless, resembling Tau vessels to an extent. The soldiers in armor standing behind them unnerved him--they vaguely resembled Fire Warriors or Eldar Aspect troops, and their grimacing helmets stared straight at him. The plainess of their uniforms indicated that they were a society more keen on order, conformity, and strictness. One that would be less willing to heresy, then.

"We have many questions." continued Bakker. "Tell us, what is the nature of the place from where you come from?"

"We come from a galaxy similar to this." said Jejerrod. "We are an Empire of millions of worlds spanning a good chunk of it. We keep order and security through a strong military and zero tolerance of dissent. We used to have a minor rebellion brewing, which has since been crushed. Our leader, Emperor Palpatine, rules absolutely."

Emperor? They had an Emperor too? Most curious.

"We have an Emperor too." he said. "Once, he walked among us, guiding our crusades against those who would opposed us. But then, one of his most trusted accomplices, Horus, betrayed him in a great civil war, brought on by the Ruinous Powers, and now he is but a shell on a throne, but his will still guides and protects us."

"Ruinous powers?" said Jejerrod, visibly confused.

"The powers of Chaos. The Chaos Gods who reside in the Eye of Terror, who never relent in their quest to plunge our Imperium into despair."

The group before them exchanged confused looks. So, they had no understanding of Chaos. This would have to be addressed.

"What is the nature of your Emperor?" continued Gaius.

"A man of great intellect and power. He possessed abilities we men can but dream of."

It all made sense. Some scholars of the Imperium had theorized that there existed other universes beyond this one, where things might have gone differently--a universe where the Heresy never occured, for one. These people sounded like they came from such a universe. Although it seemed odd that the God Emperor in that one had chosen a name for himself.

"I think the rest of us should introduce ourselves." said Bakker suddenly. "I am Bakker, representing the Commisariat, and this is Mukarn, representing the Adeptus Astartes--the Space Marines, mightiest of our soldiers."

"It is a pleasure." growled Mukarn.

"We are quite intrigued by your ships." said Gaius, looking upwards. The Executor, despite hanging in low orbit, was quite visible in the sky.

"Ah, yes. Our Star Destroyers. Pride of the Imperial Navy. They can travel the galaxy in days, melt planetary crusts--"

"What? Days?" said Gaius in awe. "But even with a clear warp, no ship could travel that fast!"

Jejerrod smiled. "Perhaps it would be better if we took you aboard..."

On the bridge of the Executor, Gilad Pellaeon, transferred from the Star Destroyer Chimaera for the purposes of this expedition, observed the meeting taking place on the planet below on a viewscreen, with a live feed coming from a camera built into the helmets of one of the stormtroopers. It was a very lucky coincidence that these people spoke basic, and he admired the design of their starships, hanging in orbit alongside the Imperial flotilla--so ornate, so intricate--like a more angular Naboo aesthetic. Ah, Naboo--he remembered the fun his crew had had, frying Gungans with flamethrowers.

Eventually, the contactees began to file aboard the shuttle, and the voice of the stormtrooper came out of speakers. Pellaeon had been told that it had been safe to send a message pod through the portal for more ships to come through, once it transpired that these people were willing to talk.

"Sir, they're taking these people aboard. Piett says that they'll also be sending some guys over, so get the hangar ready."

"Acknowledged." said Pellaeon, and gave orders to prepare the ship's man hangar. "What's your impression of these people, soldier?"

"If what they say is true, sir, they're not that dissimilar from us. They've got an Emperor it seems, but he rules 'through spirit'--whatever that means. They also sound kinda fragmented to me, and a bit crazy too. All this talk of gods, ruinous powers--creeps me out."

"Let's hope it's just superstition."

"I don't know sir, they seemed pretty adamant. I mean, there was all that hocus-pocus the Jedi used back in the day, wasn't it?"

"Good point. Carry on down there; over and out."

Pellaeon turned around to see the latest sensor readouts. They had deployed special detection systems to start mapping out this area of space--already, their basic observational instruements were giving them a basic picture of how this galaxy looked like.

"We've got several very strange anomalies." A man at the scan console was saying. "Here--there's a very bizarre...thing...spacial anomaly, in this corner here."

Pellaeon had heard something called an 'Eye of Terror' mentioned in the conversation--was this it? It certainly looked terrifying, what with the sie of that thing.

"Here's another." said the man, indicating another part of the galaxy map. "Near the center--this, this maelstrom thing. I don't know how physics work in this universe, but this is some crazy shavit right here."

"Watch the language." said Pellaeon. He sat up as a vocie came out of the intercom.

"Captain Pellaeon, we've got visitors, the ones you said to let aboard. They call themselves the Adeptus Mechanicus--tech priests--and they're crawling all over our equipment and machinery in the hangar. Very strange kriffers."

"Keep them there until the ground parties arrive." said Pellaeon. He knew first contact with a civilization like this had to be handled delicately, but he wasn't going to have strange zealots tearing apart his ship.

"Sir," said a man at the comms console, "reinforcements have arrived via the portal. Someone wants to speak with you."

More Star Destroyers and Imperial ships were emerging from the portal as Pellaeon arrived at the communications console.

"Captain Pellaeon here."

A red-eyed, blue face had appeared on the screen. Pellaeon immediately saluted.

"This is Grand Admiral Thrawn." said the blue person. "Reporting for duty." "Boss! Da mekboyz say dey got somefink on da sensas!"

Ork, Warboss Spinekrusha, aboard the Ork battleship that shared his name, scowled as he sat aboard the bridge, with Gretchins rushing to and fro to keep the bolts and nuts that kept the ramshackle ship from falling apart. Most Orks considered travelling through space on the way to a WAAAGH! very boring, and Spinekrusha was no exception.

"Wot iz it? 'umie ships?"

"We don't know, come ta fink of it. Dere are some 'umie ships dere, but dere are some uvvers that we never seen before. Some of dem are small, and dere's two dat ain't. Dey don't seem to be krumpin' each other, so I guess dey are mates with da 'umies."

Spinekrusha considered. Space battles could be fun, but only when you got up close and personal. Shooting from afar, like the 'umies did, just wasn't appealing. And he guessed that if these newcomers weren't shooting at the 'umies, then they must be like the 'umies, therefore they must be wimps.

"Full speed a'ead!" he roared. "We iz gonna krump 'em good! Who'z ready for a WAAAGH! in space, boyz!"

"WAAAAAGH!" came the resounding cry from all decks as the Ork flotilla plowed forward through space.

Commissar Bakker took a moment to take in how clean, shiny, and well-lit this ship was compared to your average battleship of the Imperium's battlefleets. The floor was so buffed he could literally see his reflection in it, and whereas on the ships he was usually assigned to he had to keep his head down all the time from bumping into overhead beams, he could see pretty much everything here.

"Welcome aboard the Executor." announced the one called Piett. "Nineteen kilometers long, assembled at the Empire's finest shipyards. Pride of the Imperial Navy."

"How long does it take to build your ships?" asked the Governor-Militant.

"Depends. Can range from weeks to months." said Piett casually. Bakker stopped. It took centuries to build a battleship; if he was being sincere, then this 'Galactic Empire' had a very formidable industrial base. He exchanged looks with the others that confirmed that they shared his thoughts; an alliance would very definitely be prefrable.

Tech-priests had already arrived, and were swooning over everything, with some of the personnel aboard this Executor, in their plain uniforms and jackboots, were trying to keep them from disassembling everything.

"Tell me, does the Omnissiah speak to you?" one of them was pestering what Bakker presumed was a techician.

"No! Now kriff off!"

Bakker wondered why he didn't use such a response to the cogboys. He then jumped as what looked like a small box on wheels sped by, squeaking.

"What was that?" growled the Astartes soldier, following it as it shot across the hangar.

"A mouse droid." said the one who had introduced himself as Veers. "We use it to guide us across the ship."

"It is a...thinking machine?" asked the Space Marine nervously.

"Well...not exactly."

"They have already explained!" one of the Tech-priests approached, giggling and gibbering. "I have divined that the Machine Spirit resides within these 'droids' of theirs, as they do not seek to bring death to man!"

"Riiiiiight." said Veers. "Anyway, let's take you to the bridge."

Piett found Pellaeon and a hologram of Admiral Thrawn waiting at the bridge as they stepped on, beside a holographic map of what he presumed to be this new galaxy. Pellaeon had said he would map as much as he could of it, and it seemed like he had done a good job. But Thrawn's presence made Piett feel nervous for some reason; was the Emperor intending for them to launch a full campaign into this new galaxy? They still had so much to ask from these people.

"Your technology is most impressive." observed the man in the big hat--Bakker, he had called himself. "Tell me, do you possess anything like our tech-priests?"

"Yes, we have scientists, dedicated to improving Imperial military technology." said Piett. "We've invented weapons like the Death Star, the Tarkin...usually, we focus on blowing up planets."

The group all raised eyebrows.

"Anyway," continued Piett, "we've mapped out as much as we can of your galaxy. Are there any other civilizations besides yours?"

"Many, all of whom seek to bring ruin to the Imperium." said the big man in armor, who had called himself a Space Marine. "There are the Orks, who infest the galaxy everywhere, seeking to drown us in their numbers. There are the Eldar, ancient and deceitful, who are not to be underestimated, and their Dark cousins. There are the Tau, who are most tenacious, and undermine us with their foul idealogies. There are the Tyranids, who come from beyond the galaxy, devourers of worlds. There are the Necrons, ancient beyond reckoning, who awaken on worlds we thought safe."

"So, your galaxy is not a very pleasent place, is it?" said Pellaeon dryly.

"It is not. For ten thousand years, we have been at war."

"Ten thou--and you've made no progress?"

"None, as much as it saddens me to admit it."

"Perhaps...we could be of assistance in that." said Thrawn suddenly.

"What is...that doing here?" said Bakker, his eyes widening.

"That's Admiral Thrawn. He's a Chiss. A near-human." said Veers.

"Oh. An...offshoot of humanity?"

"You...could say that."

"I have deduced that your civilization is bound by various technological and social disadvantages." said Thrawn. "Together, we could overcome that. I heard from recordings of your meeting on the planet that you rely on some 'Warp' for travel...?"

"That is correct." said Bakker.

"Our faster-than-light systems are more effecient, and do not rely on this 'Warp'. We will be willing to share them with you, provided..."

"Admiral! Incoming unidentified ships!" shouted a crewman.

"I must go." said Thrawn calmly. "This will be most exciting..."

Bakker ran up to the comscan console.

"Orks."

"Enemy vessels, range 500,000 and closing."

On the bridge of his command vessel, Grand Admiral Thrawn studied the holographic images of the incoming ships before him. Ugly, crude, and ramshackle--they didn't even look spaceworthy. Clearly, this was a race unconcerned with aesthetics, blunt, and to the point. Their tactical mindset would no doubt be similar.

"Have we got any data on weapons output?" he said.

"What appear to be energy weapons of some kind, sir, but we can't pinpoint the precise type. They've established a course straight for us and are gaining momentum."

"They're going to ram us." said Thrawn. As he had predicted, their tactics were as crude as their ship design. He felt vaguely disappointed--where was the challenge in this?

"Signal all ships." he finally commanded. "Open fire. Target the largest ships first."

The turbolasers on the Star Destoryers, including the thousands on the Executor, swivelled in the direction of the incoming enemies and opened fire, the bolts travelling thousands of kilometers in moments. Thrawn sat back as teraton-level turbolaser fire slammed into the ships, with the images relayed via hologram. Naturally, the largest ships would be the command ones, as was usually the case with various races.

One of the ships was finally blown apart by a barrage of fire from the Executor, but the rest were getting worringly near--only a few dozen thousand kilometers away now. But, he had prepared for this.

"Captain Piett, are those co-ordinates locked?" he said into a communications headset.

"Affirmative."

"Good. Prepare to intiate on my mark."

"Another ship down, sir." reported a crewman. Two more large enemy vessels remained, barrelling towards the Star Destroyers and increasing in speed. Now, it was time to play the trump card.

"All ships, launch torpedo spreads." announced Thrawn. The vessel juddered as hundreds, then thousands of torpedoes shot out from the Imperial vessels in arcs--it would be impossible for the enemy ships to avoid them.

"Intiate microjump on my mark." said Thrawn, as the vessels came within a mere two thousand kilometers. "Five...four...three...two...one."

The Imperial vessels performed a microjump, sidestepping through hyperspace so that they were now behind the enemy ships. The vessels had gained such momentum that the force necessary to slow them down would be extreme, and now any weapons batteries they had were pointed away. Unable to stop, the ships came straight into the torpedo spreads. The small ships beside the lead one were blown apart, with the medium-level ones critically damaged. The remainder of the torpedos impacted into the front of the remainder, battering their armor. Thrawn smiled. Such predictable fools.

"All turbolasers, fire at will."

The Imperial fleet let forth a barrage of unimaginable power, diverting their energy output to weapons. Within moments, the enemy vessels were heavily damaged, their hull plates breaking off and reactor coolant leaking into space. Finally, they were destroyed in massive blasts, reduced to hulks drifting through space. Thrawn sat back in satisfaction. Far too easy. He hoped whatever other races existed in this galaxy would pose more of a challenge.

"Tell our friends, Piett, that these raiders no longer concern us."

"Wot? But itz not fair!"

As what was left of his ship crumbled, Spinekrusha tried to think what had gone wrong. Those weapons these new ships had weren't lancers, and yet they had somehow managed to warp behind his flotilla--that wasn't even possible! Not even 'umie ships could do that!

"Boss!" shrieked a Gretchin as what left of the ship broke apart. "Wez finished! Da WAAAGH! ain't gonna 'appen!"

"I know dat, ya runt!" roared Spinekrusha, crushing the Gretchin, as the hulk tore itself apart as it lost all integrity.

"Sir! Wez got a pod ready, so dat we can liv ta fight annuver day!" shouted a nearby Ork.

Spinekrusha sat up as artificial gravity began to fail. Good ol' mekboys had been cunnin'--now he had a second chance. As he moved as quickly as possible into the pod, slamming aside the other Orks jostling to get in, he began planning his revenge. These friends the 'umies had made were fighty and cunnin', that was true, but Orks could be even more fighty and cunnin'.

"Emperor on the Throne!" gasped Kronan as the 'Star Destroyers' tore apart the Ork ships. They had somehow positioned themselves behind the Ork vessels, a manouever always believed impossible--but then again, their ships relied on 'hyperdrives'--he could imagine what he could do with such a propulsion system.

"This 'Galactic Empire' truly knows how to fight." said a subordinate. "Their ships lack the grace of ours, but they are quite potent."

"I can see that." said Kronan. "We've sent a message to Macragge, yes?"

"Affirmative."

"Send another. Tell them we'll be there soon."

"But sir, it'll take..."

"Do it. I'd like to see the looks on the faces of those musclebound Astartes thugs when we turn up with these..." "Enemy vessels, range 500,000 and closing."

On the bridge of his command vessel, Grand Admiral Thrawn studied the holographic images of the incoming ships before him. Ugly, crude, and ramshackle--they didn't even look spaceworthy. Clearly, this was a race unconcerned with aesthetics, blunt, and to the point. Their tactical mindset would no doubt be similar.

"Have we got any data on weapons output?" he said.

"What appear to be energy weapons of some kind, sir, but we can't pinpoint the precise type. They've established a course straight for us and are gaining momentum."

"They're going to ram us." said Thrawn. As he had predicted, their tactics were as crude as their ship design. He felt vaguely disappointed--where was the challenge in this?

"Signal all ships." he finally commanded. "Open fire. Target the largest ships first."

The turbolasers on the Star Destoryers, including the thousands on the Executor, swivelled in the direction of the incoming enemies and opened fire, the bolts travelling thousands of kilometers in moments. Thrawn sat back as teraton-level turbolaser fire slammed into the ships, with the images relayed via hologram. Naturally, the largest ships would be the command ones, as was usually the case with various races.

One of the ships was finally blown apart by a barrage of fire from the Executor, but the rest were getting worringly near--only a few dozen thousand kilometers away now. But, he had prepared for this.

"Captain Piett, are those co-ordinates locked?" he said into a communications headset.

"Affirmative."

"Good. Prepare to intiate on my mark."

"Another ship down, sir." reported a crewman. Two more large enemy vessels remained, barrelling towards the Star Destroyers and increasing in speed. Now, it was time to play the trump card.

"All ships, launch torpedo spreads." announced Thrawn. The vessel juddered as hundreds, then thousands of torpedoes shot out from the Imperial vessels in arcs--it would be impossible for the enemy ships to avoid them.

"Intiate microjump on my mark." said Thrawn, as the vessels came within a mere two thousand kilometers. "Five...four...three...two...one."

The Imperial vessels performed a microjump, sidestepping through hyperspace so that they were now behind the enemy ships. The vessels had gained such momentum that the force necessary to slow them down would be extreme, and now any weapons batteries they had were pointed away. Unable to stop, the ships came straight into the torpedo spreads. The small ships beside the lead one were blown apart, with the medium-level ones critically damaged. The remainder of the torpedos impacted into the front of the remainder, battering their armor. Thrawn smiled. Such predictable fools.

"All turbolasers, fire at will."

The Imperial fleet let forth a barrage of unimaginable power, diverting their energy output to weapons. Within moments, the enemy vessels were heavily damaged, their hull plates breaking off and reactor coolant leaking into space. Finally, they were destroyed in massive blasts, reduced to hulks drifting through space. Thrawn sat back in satisfaction. Far too easy. He hoped whatever other races existed in this galaxy would pose more of a challenge.

"Tell our friends, Piett, that these raiders no longer concern us."

"Wot? But itz not fair!"

As what was left of his ship crumbled, Spinekrusha tried to think what had gone wrong. Those weapons these new ships had weren't lancers, and yet they had somehow managed to warp behind his flotilla--that wasn't even possible! Not even 'umie ships could do that!

"Boss!" shrieked a Gretchin as what left of the ship broke apart. "Wez finished! Da WAAAGH! ain't gonna 'appen!"

"I know dat, ya runt!" roared Spinekrusha, crushing the Gretchin, as the hulk tore itself apart as it lost all integrity.

"Sir! Wez got a pod ready, so dat we can liv ta fight annuver day!" shouted a nearby Ork.

Spinekrusha sat up as artificial gravity began to fail. Good ol' mekboys had been cunnin'--now he had a second chance. As he moved as quickly as possible into the pod, slamming aside the other Orks jostling to get in, he began planning his revenge. These friends the 'umies had made were fighty and cunnin', that was true, but Orks could be even more fighty and cunnin'.

"Emperor on the Throne!" gasped Kronan as the 'Star Destroyers' tore apart the Ork ships. They had somehow positioned themselves behind the Ork vessels, a manouever always believed impossible--but then again, their ships relied on 'hyperdrives'--he could imagine what he could do with such a propulsion system.

"This 'Galactic Empire' truly knows how to fight." said a subordinate. "Their ships lack the grace of ours, but they are quite potent."

"I can see that." said Kronan. "We've sent a message to Macragge, yes?"

"Affirmative."

"Send another. Tell them we'll be there soon."

"But sir, it'll take..."

"Do it. I'd like to see the looks on the faces of those musclebound Astartes thugs when we turn up with these..." __________________ Quote: Originally Posted by August Akuma I'm glad somebody doesn't have to suck the entire universe into an event horizon to just invade the USA...

Fear the mutated Tiger tanks. Fear them. ________________________________________ Last edited by BlackWave; January 6th, 2010 at 12:26 PM..

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January 6th, 2010, 12:49 PM 

BlackWave Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Europe Posts: 1000 or more

Piett gazed absently through the Executor bridge viewports as wings of TIE fighters were launched to mop up any stragglers--Thrawn, as expected, had done a stellar job. Now a message pod had come through the portal--the comms officers had confirmed that regular communications through it were impossible--saying that the Emperor had dispatched even more forces to join this expedition. What they were, it had not specified, but if they were sent by the Emperor himself they surely had to be impressive.

The man called Gaius had elaborated on who those ships had belonged to; the Orks, mentioned by that 'Space Marine'--from what he could gather, they were a violent warrior race with exceptional numbers and whose technology worked only because they believed it would work. Their ships had been large, but that only made them bigger targets for the turbolasers of his Star Destroyers. Come to think of it, most of the ships in this bizarre new galaxy were quite large, almost reaching into the Super Star Destroyer range--did they have something to compensate for now?

He turned around to see the guests indicated the holographic galaxy map, helping to fill in the gaps. From what he could pick up, there was a 'Tau Empire' in their vicinity--small, yet tenacious.

"Your ships are extremely fast, if what you say is true, and I take it they do not rely on the Warp--a marvellous feat of engineering indeed." Bakker was saying. "Some of these Tau have been encroaching into our colonies around the Damocles Gulf, and a message needs to be sent to them--if you truly seek to establish a friendly relationship with us, an act of co-operation such as this will surely seal all bonds that need to be sealed."

And there was another thing--the way some of these people talked, especially that Space Marine person, was starting to grate. Could they not sound like Sith Lords with fondness for melodrama?

"A co-operative military campaign?" Thrawn said. Piett turned around. Come to think of it, he had no real idea of the naval capabilities of this 'Imperium of Man'--their ships were large, slow, and apparently nto very manouevrable, with their FTL systems connected to some 'Warp', but that was about it. He could already tell on Thrawn's face that he was looking forward to such a thing. In fact, there was a lot of questions they had to ask, especially regarding ground forces.

But patience, he thought to himself. If they immediately started interrogating this people on their military strength, what sort of message would that send? This was a diplomatic event, after all.

"Precisely." The Space Marine rumbled. "The Tau will learn who is the dominant species of this galaxy. Furthermore, there is a vanguard of Tyranids in this area, we have gathered--we can destroy two threats with one blow."

Tyranids. If Piett had intepreted what these people had said correctly, they were a race of cosmic locusts, relying entirely on biotechnology--what an absurd notion. As if living starships or whatever could stand up to capital ships of metal and fusion reactors. They didn't sound like much of a threat to him.

"But first," continued Bakker, "we will have to gather the forces for such an event. We can easily mobilize Imperial Guard forces, and we can ready a detachment of Space Marines from the nearby Ultramar region, but the travel time..."

"We can lend you some of our own transports, if that accelerates the process." said Thrawn.

"Thank you. That would be most useful." smiled Bakker.

"We will," said Piett, interrupting, "need to confirm this with our own superiors, but I'm confident they will let us."

"In that case," said the Space Marine, "I await seeing what passes for valor among your kind with baited breath."

At that moment, there was a flash, and they all turned to see the promised reinforcements emerging from the portal. There was another Super Star Destroyer, waves of transports designated for elite forces, and an Arc Hammer-class factory ship--perfect for resupply. Piett smiled. When the Emperor promised, he delivered.

Inquisitor Wehlmann studied the report his astropath had delivered to him. Governor-Militant Gaius and a few others had made contact with a new civilization that had come out from the Warp anomaly--a 'Galactic Empire', similar in many respects to the Imperium, with space forces of most potent power, speed, and a command structure, thankfully, free of xenos. More coincidentally, and oddly, they spoke perfect Gothic.

However, if something was too good to be true, in his opinion, it probably was. The fools there were no doubt so caught up in their surprise and glee that they failed to consider the possibility of this being some cruel trick of the Ruinous Powers. For this reason, he was heading there on behalf of the Inquisition, with some Grey Knights accompanying him, to make sure that this 'Galactic Empire' was truly worth the respect of the Imperium.

Eldar Farseer Taldeer, of the Craftworld Ulthwé, sat in meditation as new and increasingly disturbing visions rushed to her. She sensed a hole in the Warp, connecting two universes previously seperate--and through that hole, came spillout--another civilization of violent humans, who, although naive in regards to this galaxy, possessed technology that was in some respects remarkable even by Eldar standards.

What would come after was more hazy. This new occurence would upset the balance of everything, that much she was certain of. For now, the Eldar of her Craftworld would observe, but that would not mean that they would refuse to act if the time came. __________________ In one of the main assembley bays of the Executor, Maximilian Veers watched as fresh material and vehicles were transferred from the factory ship. Reportedly, Thrawn, Pellaeon, and a few others were accompanying the group to somewhere called Macragge--the 'home of the Ultramarines', the burly armored man had called it, whatever the frak that meant.

These 'Tech-Priests' kept scurrying around the hangar babbling to each other in some incomprehensible dialect--Piett had told him not to intefere unless they actively tried to sabotage something. Of course, there was all the matters of diplomacy and whatnot, but it still grated him that they had to kowtow to these medieval zealots who kept going on about gods and demons and other such nonsense.

"The Emperor has chosen to assign one of our latest projects to this expedition. He's taking no chances, you see." A technician said as the cargo containers were unloaded.

"And what would this latest project be?"

"The ultimate in infantry warfare, that's what, sir." grinned the technician.

Marching out of the first pod were things resembling that 'Space Marine', save slightly taller, sleeker, and polished, jet black in color and holding a very large plasma weapon. Veers smiled. The Dark Troopers, the most powerful infantry in existence, lived on.

In orbit above Macragge, Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, waited on the bridge of a Battle Barge, observing the various other orbital positions and ships going about their activity over the planet. He was told that the envoy he had sent to help the Imperial Navy investigate the strange Warp Anomaly that had appeared lately was returning that day, but that was impossible. Even with a good warp, it would take them at least a few days.

"Perhaps it is all an elaborate hoax." Uriel, one of the finest warriors of the Ultramarines, joined him. "Or maybe a trick on the part of the Ruinous Powers."

"I, too, have my doubts, but either way, this is the world that repelled an entire Hive Fleet of the Great Devourer. If it is some trick on part of the enemies of the God-Emperor, it will be futile." said Calgar dismissively.

At that moment there was a flash and something burst out of nowhere almost right on top of them--no Warp Gate, no warning from the astropaths. It was a wedge-shaped vessel with a potrusion at the end that resembled a rudder, and it was tiny, only a few hundred meters long. He stood there, for a moment, dumbfounded--it was like no ship he had ever seen, not Tau, Eldar, or Necron. And yet, it had jumped out on them quite literally out of nowhere.

"Power up lance batteries!" shouted Calgar. "I do not know if this heresy or not, but I am taking no chances nevertheless!"

"We're recieving a transmission." someone reported.

"Put it on."

"Lord Calgar." It was Mukarn, the sergeant he had sent. He felt relieved, although not by much.

"What Warp Sorcery is this? What is that vessel?"

"It is called an Acclamator-class cruiser, sir. It belongs to a civilization that came out of the warp anomaly, and has proved friendly to the cause of the Imperium."

"You suspect no treachery?"

"If they truly wished us treachery, they would have enacted it by now. Yet, they have done nothing but aid us. They have lent us this ship--it is equipped with a 'hyperdrive', a system that is not connected to the Warp. It is how we got here in such good time."

Calgar stood amazed.

"And pray tell, what is the nature of this civilization?"

"It is called the 'Galactic Empire', and like our own, it is run by humans, with xenos and heretics persecuted like the scum they are, although with a lesser zeal. Their fleet technology is formidable--this vessel has firepower rivalling our cruisers, if these readouts are correct."

Such a small ship packing such firepower? These people could concievably make the Eldar look like primitive savages, thought Calgar.

"As a show of good faith, they have suggested we perform a counterattack against the Tau to exact revenge for their recent incursions, and then take down the reported Tyranid fleet."

"How do they expect us to get there so quic...ah." More of these 'Acclamators' jumped out of nowhere.

"They are willing to provide the ships. We need only load up."

Calgar smiled. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but the appearance of this 'Galactic Empire', sudden though it was, seemed to potentially be a turning point in these dark days.

"My Lord, one of them wishes to address you--he is called Admiral Thrawn..." __________________ In a small, obscure system of the Inner Rim, near a small star with no planets bearing life, a hive of activity of formed. Dozens of Star Destroyers had formed a perimeter around a portal through which an expedition headed by the Executor and the finest ships of Death Squadron, led by the Empire's best tacticians, had went through not so long ago.

A defence battlestation had been set up in front of the portal; the Emperor had chosen to take no chances, and all measures to prevent anything spilling out that the Empire wouldn't be keen to have on its doorstep had been taken. On the main command deck of the station, Storm Commando Sarkli took in information relayed by message pods going in and out of the portal regarding the discoveries made on the other side; apparently, Pellaeon, Thrawn, and the others had made contact with the denizens of a new galaxy, mainly the 'Imperium of Man', a civilization not dissimilar from the Empire in fact. This was certainly curious; Sarkli was keen to go in there himself, and sample the fruits of an entirely new universe.

"Commander," an officer, "a shuttle belonging to..."

"Not now," said Sarkli, inspecting a holograph of a ship that had been brought by one of the pods. It was a fascinating design--resembling some ancient cathedral and a galley of ages gone by. Unnecesserily ornate, but still intriguing nonetheless.

"Sir, we have a..."

"I said, not now. Get back to your post before I suck you out of the airlock."

"Is there a problem, officer?" a deep voice rumbled. As heavy breathing filled the room, Sarkli turned around. Of all the people, he had arrived.

"No, Lord Vader, I was just inspecting these reports from across the portal." he stammered.

"Give those to me." growled the imposing dark-clad man, taking the information discs. "The Emperor desires intelligence on the situation, and I must make use of this station's communications suite to relay it to him. The interference from this portal is not working wonders for the arrays on my ship."

"Understood, my lord." gulped Sarkli as Vader took the discs and headed over to the comms suite chamber.

Shutting himself inside, Vader knelt before a holoprojector and fed the discs into it. A hologram of the man who happened to be absolute ruler of the galaxy flickered into view.

"You have something to report, Lord Vader?" he snapped.

"I am uploading the message pods relayed thus far, master." said Vader. "I hope you will find the information of use."

A few minutes passed as the Emperor digested the information.

"This 'Imperium of Man' intrigues me. It appears they too have an Emperor, albeit one who only rules 'in spirit'. This galaxy...it appears to be torn apart by eternal war, but our presence may be enough to upset the balance."

"What do you mean, master?"

"This 'Emperor' of theirs seems to be a barely living shell, and yet their devotion to him appears extreme. Winning the hearts and minds of these people will not be difficult--and then, our territory can spread into a new galaxy." he grinned. "This Imperium seems superstitous and naive--we can bend their will to our own, and anything they possess that we do not, we can take and exploit for our benefit."

"Should we not wait until we can properly evaluate them, master? For all we know, their superstition could be justified. Their galaxy does not seem easy to subjugate, from what I have interpreted from the discs."

"Yes, you are correct, but the long view must be considered as well. Still, if it transpires that these zealots are hostile, then they can feel the full might of our Empire unleashed. But, yes, let us not be too hasty. Allow the expedition leaders to carry on for now." He paused. "I sense much eagerness to follow them in you, Lord Vader."

"I am curious to see this new galaxy we have accessed for myself, master."

"You will in time, but for now, I have another task for you. I am sending my most skilled minions in your place for now, and a person you are no doubt familiar with--I sense that he is arriving at your position now..."

One of the nearby consoles started beeping, and Vader looked in its direction. It was a sensor readout post--there appeared to be a Firespray-class attack craft approaching. Oh, he knew who that was.

Captain Amada of the Acclamator-class cruiser Black Star studied the starmap the Executor had provided, with previous blanks filled in from intelligence provided by the people from the 'Imperium'. Piett had ordered him, and several other light ships, to perform some recon around the space called the 'Damocles Gulf'. By all accounts, hyperdrive vastly eclipsed the FTL systems used by most people in this galaxy; this would be like dusting crops.

"Sir," announced a crewman. "We're approaching what appears to be inhabited planet with some sort of fleet presence around it."

Amada glanced at the starmap. If this was correct, some people named the 'Tau' lived around these parts, and, if this was correct, were approachable at least initially. He decided to jump out of hyperspace, to at least satisfy some of his burning curiousity about this place.

Per his orders, the Acclamator jumped out near the planet, with several ugly-looking vessels hanging in orbit over it, alongside with some streamlined, curved space stations that vaguely resembled Naboo architecture.

"They don't seem to be reacting." reported a crewman.

"I can see that." snapped Amada. "Bring us in closer."

Kor'o Tau'n Viel of the Tau fleet, aboard the Hero-class starship Lak'shi, was still reeling from the shock of this small, unidentified vessel popping out of lightspeed right in front of them. It was a wedge-shaped, angular construct that resembled nothing like he had seen before.

"Scans halfway complete." reported one of his subordinates. "It appears to possess formidable weapons power for a ship of that size."

"Relay them this message on all frequencies." said Kor'o, and began speaking in Gothic--something told him that that would be the most appropiate language.

"This Kor'o Tau'n Viel of the Tau Empire. In the name of the Greater Good, I would like you to state your origins and identity. If you fail to comply, we will respond with force." Veers watched through the viewports of the Executor bridge as transport vessels emerged from hyperspace. These had been sent out to planets indicated by the people from the Imperium, to pick up soldiers from the 'Imperial Guard'--their regular ground army, from what he could tell. He looked forward to judging their combat prowess on the battlefield--from the cockpit of his AT-AT, of course.

"Valhallans and other Guard regiments from around these parts." announced Gaius, walking up to him. "I must confess at being stunned by the time they made."

They had been hanging in space for hours, and even Veers had been starting to get impatient. He wondered just what their standard for slow might be.

As Gaius continued to inspect the transport vessels getting into formation, Veers discreetly walked over to the comms console.

"Any word from Thrawn yet?"

"We're getting his transponder, but no exact word. I'd imagine he's still in the process of making arrangements with these people." said the crewman there.

"I'd hope so." muttered Veers.

The console then began beeping rapidly, indicating a priority alert. Veers tensed. Had these zealots done something to the Grand Admiral?

"Incoming message from the cruiser Black Star." reported the crewman, prompting Veers to relax. "They are under attack--repeat, under attack--by local forces, designated 'Tau'."

"The Tau?" Gaius spun around. "The filthy xenos have struck the first blow! We must move out immediately!"

"Wait!" barked Pellaeon, walking into the center of the bridge. "Until we get a signal from Thrawn confirming his readiness, we cannot move anywhere!"

"You don't understand!" cried Gaius, his voice reaching hysteria pitch. "In the name of the Emperor, we must exact revenge upon them!"

"On the name of your Emperor." said Pellaeon curtly. "The Galactic Empire prides itself on organization and unity, not on madly charging in when one of our best commanders is not present and we are still to acquire those 'Ultramarines' you promised."

Gaius was about to open his mouth when the comms officer spoke again.

"Sir, message from Thrawn. He's recieved the message as well, and is asking if he should move out--they've picked up a good number of troops from, er, 'Macragge'."

"Affirmative." nodded Pellaeon. He turned to Gaius. "Now we can attack. All ships, input hyperspace co-ordinates and prepare to jump on my mark..."

"Hyperspace jump in fifteen seconds."

Aboard the Acclamator-class cruiser Anaxes, Grand Admiral Thrawn considered the reaction of 'Lord Calgar', 'Chapter Master' of the Ultramarines, and all the realms of new information he had processed on this Imperium during this visit. These Space Marines appeared to be their shock troops, fanatical and genetically engineered, configured for lightning attacks and precise assaults on enemy lines. They in turn appeared to be split into semi-automous 'Chapters'--in fact, from what Thrawn had seen, this Imperium appeared to be very disjointed and poorly co-ordinated. They had been amazed by the ease at which he had communicated with the Executor, indicating limited space communications.

They had also been a bit taken aback by his appearance, although after he had explained the background of his species they had decided that he was an 'abhuman'. When he had inquired about this 'Tau', they had gone on about 'filthy xenos'--they were even more xenophobic than the Empire itself, and all signs indicated that their military personnel, at least these Space Marines of theres, underwent severe fanatical indoctrination. Not dissimilar in a manner, in a way, from the Jedi Order of old.

Regardless, all the real information that he did not know previously that they had provided regarding these 'Tau' was that they had already suffered a major incursion on the part of the Imperium called the 'Damocles Crusade' and that their territory was rather small. They also appeared to be focused on drawing in Imperium colonies by subversion or, as far as he could tell, economic subversion by flooding said colonies with their consumer goods. At least, that was his interpretation, based on the fanatical rambling of this Calgar about xenos and purifying.

Now, some of these Space Marines stood on the bridge of this vessel as it jumped to hyperspace--Thrawn had had the jump timed so that they would meet up with the rest of the fleet at the Black Star's location at more or less the same time. These Tau sounded like they had the capability to be tactically astute, as opposed to the single-minded Orks they had encountered earlier. Piett and Pellaeon would also likely prefer an occupation of whatever planet it happned to have appeared over--a chance to observe the ground doctrine of this Imperium and this Tau, which would allow him even more insight into their workings and mannerisms.

"Despite your off-putting appearance, I have decided to put my trust in you." said Calgar, approaching him as his heavy footsteps banged across the bridge. Did these people ever take off their armor? Another indication of their devotion, he judged.

"I likewise in you," said Thrawn, "although in this situation it will be the most logical and tactically astute decision."

"Your kind seems so...passive." growled another Space Marine, his electronically filtered through his helmet, which looked like a cross between a stormtrooper's and Darth Vader's. "Our strength draws from our faith and spirit, something which you seem to be lacking."

"I am a man of logic." said Thrawn calmly. "Blind zealousy and fanatical thinking merely cloud one's thinking, as history attests."

The Space Marines gave him glowering stares as Thrawn observed the swirling of hyperspace through the bridge viewports.

"Port auxiliary reactor reports leaks!"

"Turbolaser bank starboard reports overheating!"

Aboard the bridge of the Black Star, Captain Amada cursed himself as he wondered what went wrong. He had announced himself to these Tau, and before you knew it they were firing on the vessel. Naturally, they were returning fire, and had neutralized several enemy vessels, all of which were considerably larger than his own, but more were appeared and were cutting him off. They were pummeling the cruiser with railgun-related weapons, but the sheer barrage was starting to overwhelm their shields.

"Have we triangulated the position of their shield generators yet?" he barked.

"Negative, sir," reported the ComScan console crewman, "working on it..."

"In that case, all fire on the weapons batteries of that vessel in grid 65-X. Alter our axis so that our lower hull faces the others--our shields are unmolsted on that side."

The Acclamator opened fire as it let forth gigatons of firepower into one of the vessels nearby, tearing apart the weapons batteries. Their weapons were very fast and hard to intercept, but it seemed to him that these ships were designed for ranged fighting as opposed to comparatively close-up combat as this.

As the vessel they were firing on began to break off, bleeding coolant and components, the Acclamator shook as the larger one let off a concentrated barrage towards the rear, with the shields there barely holding.

"Do we have any hyperspace escape vectors planned?" he shouted. The Acclamator was a tough little ship, but it wasn't designed to hold off an entire flotilla of any kind.

"Affirmative, sir. Do you want us to start a jump?"

At that moment, the Executor and the rest of the expedition fleet, along with several waves of transport vessels, appeared out of hyperspace behind them. Amada grinned.

"Negative, lieutenant. All guns, fire at will!" __________________

The ship hung there, as Kor'o waited for its reply.

"Pour all firepower into vectors 3-5. Torpedo and iron spreads to be intiated between bursts."

"Copy that, Admiral."

The Executor and the Star Destroyers let rip, putting up a huge screen of turbolaser fire, with the Acclamators and lighter vessels putting up defensive walls to block enemy projectile fire. The Tau Orca and Defender escort ships were destroyed in seconds, as torpedoes and turbolaser jackhammered their shields into oblivion and tore through their armor.

As the Tau vessels began to pull back, Manta and Tiger Shark fighters--large gunships by the standards of the Empire--moved in, putting up jamming fields in an effort to slip by the tremendous amount of fire put by the flotilla. However, virtually all the space in front of the Star Destroyers was filled with turbolaser bolts, leaving whatever smaller vessels that managed to get through at the mercy of the lesser point-defence cannons and the swarms of TIE fighters being launched.

"Sir, those orbital platforms are being quite stubborn." reported Piett to Pellaeon on the Executor bridge. "Recommend full torpedo barrage."

"Recommendation accepted." nodded Pellaeon.

Moments later, the Executor fired off thousands of torpedoes, travelling at thousands of miles per second, giving the Tau orbital stations barely seconds to put up their own point defences. Hundreds of torpedoes were intercepted in a matter of seconds, but hundreds more got through, tearing through the station hulls and outright knocking them out of orbit. Falling apart as what little structural integrity they had left ceased, the orbitals were finished off moments later by waves of TIE bombers descending on the planet.

"Sir, the enemy ships are retreating at high speed into the system." reported a crewman. "Orders?"

"Let them go." said Pellaeon.

"Let them go?!" said Gaius. "When we start a job, we finish it! It is our duty to destroy all those who would challenge humanity!"

"It won't be necessary. I'm not willing to risk my vessels being led into a trap."

"They will go and tell their comrades!"

"Good. All the better to spread the word about who they're dealing with." said Pellaeon calmly.

At that moment, three holograms flickered into view on the bridge--one of Thrawn, the other of one of those 'Space Marines' in considerably more flamboyent armor, and a man in a uniform not dissimilar to Gaius's.

"I trust you are the Admiral Pellaeon your friend Thrawn told me of?" said the Space Marine. "I am Magnus Calgar, leader of the Ultramarines. I would like to extend my most profound thanks to your people for allying with the Imperium, and providing for us these most...expeditious ships of yours. We would be most graceful if you would allow us to instruct your captains on their movements until the conclusion of this battle."

"That is acceptable." said Pellaeon.

"General Ulster of the Imperial Guard." said the man in the uniform. "If you could transfer Governor-Militant Gaius here to my location, we can co-ordinate our forces more effectively."

"Acknowledged."

"I trust you will be landing your own ground forces?" said Calgar. "I am most curious to witness their effectiveness, among other things."

"We will, once preparations are complete." said Pellaeon. "Is that all you have to say?"

The two nodded and the holograms flickered out. Once Gaius was escorted off the bridge towards the nearest hangar, Pellaeon turned to Thrawn discreetly.

"Your advice, Grand Admiral?"

"I will be observing their ground forces from here, providing tactical advice to our own if necessary. This battle will be most informative." said Thrawn. "You can take your time in deploying our own troops, Pellaeon. I want to see how our local allies here fare."

"I understand." said Pellaeon. As the hologram flickered out, he produced a personal communicator.

"General Veers, prepare your men."

"Come on, you apes, you wanna live forever?!"

The planet of Kerrigan XI, once an Imperial trading world that served as a gateway to Ultramar, since corrupted and conquered by the Tau Empire, lay before Commissar Tychus of the 76th Petrovan, as Guardsmen and tanks pored down the ramp of the small, but incredibly fast ships that had transported his men here. It had all gone by so quick; first, a strange transmission informing the regiment that they were to mobilize immediately for an incursion against the Tau, and then these wedge-shaped things had shown up, manned by stoic people in rather plain uniforms. Many of the troops were incredibly confused, but upon seeing the speed of the ship, and the fact that it seemed to have no connection to the Warp, none of them complained.

The 76th Petrovan possessed no Valkyries, but instead whoever was providing these amazingly fast transports was giving them what one of their officers had called a LAAT--things that resembled swollen, bulkier, more heavily armed Valkyries with a troop bay, that were shooting overhead in formation. Spindly machines that resembled overgrown Sentinels, called 'AT-STs', were marching by them. Humming machines, that resembled metallic jellyfish, were floating by.

Tychus had already identified a key target from orbit, the spaceport area of Zuvon, with this transport having deposited his troops right on its doorstep. Bakker, the other Commissar assigned to this attack, was apparently staying in orbit--Tychus pitied him. There was no bigger thrill than leading your mass of spirt-imbued Guardsmen into battle and laying waste to the enemy with masses lasgun fire.

From atop his Leman Russ, Tychus shouted patriotic slogans as the armor led the way, with Earthshaker artillery remaining at the back. Explosions came from ahead as the LAATs began firing at distant targets, with the Guardsmen cheering as they plowed on, some stimulated by ordained combat drugs, and others just eager to kill things.

True to their name, the Earthshakers caused the ground to tremble as they fired--Tychus had ordered them to blindfire the area ahead, knowing how devious Tau could be. He was wondering why the transport wasn't providing covering fire, despite possessing banks of guns, but that hardly mattered now. As the Guardsmen continued to flood towards the spaceport boundaries, plasma fire came seemingly out of nowhere, cutting into them.

At that moment, the dreaded Tau Crisis suits shot down from the sky so fast that they seemed to teleport into position--three XV8s, and one of the new XV9s, armed with four Burst Cannons. Opening fire, they began tearing into the first waves of Guardsmen, with two of the leading Leman Russes being taken out by well-placed smart missiles. Jumping atop a Chimera transport, one of the suits incinerated everything inside by pointing a fusion blaster through the hatch, before blasting down at the Guard from atop it.

Now it was the Guard's turn to throw down firepower. Heavy weapons teams, which Tychus had already placed on adjacent hills for covering fire, let loose, hammering into the suit aboard the wrecked Chimera, damaging its weapons systems and forcing it to flee. The Leman Russes concentrated their fire on the XV9, which danced around like a deranged demon in an effort to avoid them. Nevertheless, a high-explosive shell detonated right to its side, crippling it. The suit was finished off by a well-placed rocket launcher, and with their support gone, the remaining Battlesuits took off for safety.

However, as they came down on the city, trampling over the unrecognizable corpses of their comrades, the Guardsmen were suppressed by Tau Fire Warriors positioned on nearby rooftops, along with Pathfinders armed with rail rifles, which, if they were lucky, could pierce tank armor. More Guardsmen were cut down, including several sergeants. In response, more artillery fire came down, and the LAATs strafed by, firing what appeared to be very high powered Las-weapons down upon them.

As they entered the city streets, shrieks pierced the air as Kroot, the accursed auxilaries of the Tau who compensated for their dislike of melee, leapt out of alleyways and shadows, swinging their weapons and biting and tearing with beaks and claws. As Guardsmen stabbed back with bayonets and combat knives, Tychus revved up his chainsword as some of the Kroot jumped onto his tank. Moving deftly, with enough skill to rival Caiphus Cain, he blocked their attacks, pushing them back, before slicing straight through the weapon of one of them and cutting right through him, with the blade cutting into the one behind him. Swinging to one side, he eviscerated another Kroot that was about to lunge, and then delivered a forceful roundhouse kick into the head of another one before it could lunge, knocking it down, allowing him to slice into them with his chainsword. As the Guard pressed on, he stood straddling upon his tank with a grin on his face, his chainsword still buzzing.

"Groovy."

When the Angels of Death were commanded to do their duty in the name of Emperor, they did so with relish.

Drop pods, built into the hangars of Acclamator cruisers, were released upon predesignated tactical spots upon the surface of Kerrigan. Tau anti-air batteries swivelled and filled the sky with rapid-firing plasma, but the vast majority of the pods got through this barrage, impacting into their spots and disgorging the warriors of the Ultramarines.

Orbital scans had failed to reveal much in the way of Tau forces present; nevertheless, Calgar had ordered his warriors to be on their guard as they secured the positions they had been deposited near to. The first squad of Ultramarines to land, near the city of Raynor, immediately moved out to the primary communications relay in the city outskirts--securing this objective would surely grant them a strategic advantage over the enemy.

As they approached it, the human population of the town began spilling out the various buildings--not to welcome the Astartes, but instead attacking them with household implements or small arms, either of Imperium or Tau design. Most were wearing something that indicated their new allegiance; Tau insignias tattooed onto their foreheads, Tau garb, or headbands with such crests on them.

Naturally, untrained civilians armed with basic tools could not pose much of a threat to the Emperor's finest, who tore into them with bolters before producing their chainswords and ripping into the oncoming masses. Nevertheless, the sheer numbers were proving overwhelming as some of the people managed to clamber on top of the Ultramarines and began hitting them with rocks.

As the Space Marines were swamped by sheer numbers, Tau Fire Warriors and Pathfinder snipers positioned on rooftops opened fire, sending plasma bolts and magnetically accelerated rail rounds into the Ultramarines, chipping away at their armor. Broadside battlesuits, emerging from bunkers from where they had hid from orbital survelliance, marched out and took position on overlooking hills, along with Hammerhead and Skyray grav-tanks.

Finally, the Space Marines had scattered the population as they began throwing down grenades, and continued to proceed towards the objective. The squad leader, however, was blasted into gory chunks of flesh and metal as the Broadsides fired a volley of railgun rounds straight at him--not even his power armor could protect him against such a barrage. The other Space Marines dived behind cover as the suits released volleys of missiles. The Hammerhead position nearby began to selectively demolish city blocks to flush them out of hiding with selective railgun barrages.

At that moment, three Space Marines clad in Terminator armor materialized behind the Broadsides, and began tearing into them with Thunderhammers and chainswords. Unable to get away in time, the Broadsides were quickly dealt with, but the Terminators found themselves being suppressed by the Hammerhead and the Skyray, as they pummelled the area around them with missiles and railgun rounds. However, with some of the fire pinning them eliminated, the Ultramarines in the city were free to quickly move towards their target.

It was then that a craft resembling a bulky, more heavily armed Imperial Guard Valkyrie came swooping overhead, dealing volleys of missiles and pinpoint laser fire unto the Tau vehicles, blasting them apart. The lead Terminator recognized them as craft provided by the people who had also lent them those absurdly fast transport ships, and gave them a salute as they shot off into the distance. He then turned to the smoking wrecks of Tau vehicles as the other Marines took the communications center. There was but one thing for him to say.

"They won't be back."

From aboard the tactical suite on the Acclamator cruiser Superior Spirit, Admiral Thrawn studied the battle on the planet below. This had been even more informative than he had hoped--so much had been gleaned from just these few observations. Soon, Veer's troops would be landing, and soon he would be able to gauge how well this 'Imperium' co-operated with others.

This 'Imperial Guard', obviously their regular army, used solid, if uncomplicated tactics, relying on rapid armor movements supported by massed infantry--not dissimilar to Clone Wars doctrine. He noted the existence of political officers and officers who served right on the front--he had thus extrapolated that this was a mostly conscripted army, and given by the way they heedlessly threw themselves towards enemy fire, not lacking in manpower.

Their armored vehicles, although decent, looked downright primitive--their tanks were based on designs obsolete on worlds that had not even achieved space travel, their artillery had to be manually loaded and offered no protection for its gunners, and their scout walker units, uncannily resembling AT-PTs, had exposed cockpits. Clearly, this was not a society that paid much attention to graceful design--indication of a tightly controlled and conservatist technological and scientific base, again leading to the various medieval connotations he had gathered from them.

These Space Marines, however, the supposed greatest warriors this Imperium had to offer, were more complicated. Their armor certainly seemed quite resiliant, and in some cases he had seen them materialize out of nowhere--they had working teleportation! And yet, despite this, some of them attacked their enemy with hammers! And swords! Despite the fact that their own firearms seemed quite effective! He almost felt like laughing at them, were it not for their resiliance and skill with these weapons they handled.

In any case, these Space Marines, he had gathered, were akin to shock troops, given that they deliberately landed right in the midst of enemy lines or at strategic positions, whereas that Imperial Guard was more designed for swarming and blitzing enemy fortifications. The two complemented each other quite well--it seemed that this was a power that worked by internal symbiosis, with each internal organization complementing another. He guessed that this was down to fear of infiltration or rebellion otherwise--a clear sign of an enemy threat capable of such things.

So, these people did seem quite proficient in combat, even if their tactics and choice of equipment did seem outright bizarre. He had noted these Space Marines using fast-moving repuslor vehicles, that, given their open canopies, were surely designed more for rapid transport than any sort of direct battlefield purpose, and walkers of some kind that, while immensely impractical-looking, even more so than Imperial walkers, did seem quite durable and possessing of formidable firepower.

In any case, all this presented even more information. The huge descrepancies in technology and combat, with those teleporting troops using primitive melee weapons, indicated some sort of technological regression or scourging from a bygone age or civilization--this Imperium, he had already guessed, although nothing to be dismissed in terms of fighting prowess, appeared to be a disparate organization, suffering from technological stagnation and medieval, fanatical thinking. He continued to study the tactical readouts, extrapolating more information from every new action he saw. He was quite impressed by these Tau--their own military technology appeared to be quite solid, with fast moving tactics emphasising range. He noted their use of local and alien auxilaries for melee combat, and overall a use of complex, if risky, stratagems. There was still more to learn, so he sat back and continued observing the images. __________________ "All vehicles, assemble in formation."

Y-85 Titan dropships and smaller landing craft were descending onto the plains outside the city of Mensk, correctly identified by General Veers as one of the most important strategic locations for Tau operations on the planet. The dropships began disgorging a brigade of AT-ATs, which assembled in formation, with Juggernauts, huge wheeled monstrosities that rivalled their larger walker cousins in firepower, covering their flanks. TX-130T fighter tanks, along with 2-M Saber Repulsor tanks, moved rapidly ahead for recon, skimming over terrain effortlessly.

In the lead AT-AT, Veers studied the terrain ahead as the column moved forward. Overhead, LAAT and MAAT gunships streaked overhead, blasting at enemy positions in the city with missiles and high-energy beams. TIE Bombers were also laying waste to enemy defensive positions from high altitude, delivering proton bombs that blew apart said positions in huge fireballs.

Descending on the city, the LAATs and MAATs disgorged elite storm commando and stormtrooper units, with the stormtroopers having taken extra training courses prior to the expedition to guarantee high skill. Moving rapidly, they began taking out Fire Warrior units holed up inside buildings. As civilians poured out of buildings, some of the commandos quickly set up E-web positions and began mowing them down. Within moments, some streets were clogged up with mountains of fried bodies.

As the walkers and Juggernauts continued to march, Broadside suits and Hammerheads positioned on nearby hills began to open fire. However, their railgun rounds did little more than dent the reinforced armor of the heavy vehicles, with the Juggernauts swivelling their turrets in their direction and vaporizing them casually.

Crisis suits moved in, deciding to take on the repuslor tanks first, believing that this would deprive the heavier craft of their escorts. Landing near the tanks, they opened fire, with some of the heavier weapons crippling the systems of a few of the tanks. However, the rest responded quickly, blasting them apart with missiles and energy bolts, before pursuing fleeing stragglers. Railgun emplacements hidden in some of the surrounding wilderness took out a few tanks as they advanced too far, but TIE bombers and gunships took out those moments later.

"Sir, infantry units report sectors 4-8 clear." announced a pilot to Veers, who smiled.

"All armor, maximum firepower, sectors 1-4."

The AT-ATs and Juggernauts diverted their power to weapons, letting loose a barrage of fire that consumed a good portion of the city in a huge fireball that was visible for miles. As they bore down on the city, the gunships moved in to pick up the infantry, who detonated planted thermal detonators as they left.

Entering the city, now partly consumed by fire, the Juggernauts began to simply run over or plow through buildings and ruins while the AT-ATs stepped over or onto them, scattering panicked citizens and Tau forces, many of them demoralized by the sight of the armored monstrosities advancing.

"All units, pull back to grid 12! Kauas'la! Where did these gue'la get this gear?"

Shas O'var Kala watched in horror as the invading gue'la smashed through his defences in all sectors on the holo-map before him. Not only had they virtually dominated orbit in a very short space of time, they appeared to be deploying new weapons--four-legged monstrosities that were not unlike those Titan things they used, except they were being deployed here in far greater numbers. For some reason, they had obtained grav-tanks of their own, and these ships of theirs--they resembled no vessels of the Imperium he had seen!

"This world is a lost cause." uttered one of his subordinates, as commotion filled the command center. "We shall pull out while we still can."

"We cannot--they have surrounded the planet. They want a fight, then, Ethereals willing, I will give them one!"

"Sir, we're recieving a transmission." announced another one.

"Put it on."

A hologram of what looked like a blue-skinned human flickered into view, in a surprisingly plain uniform.

"Greetings. I am Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Galactic Empire."

Galactic Empire? What? They had seen those 'Space Marines' and Guard being deployed, so had they suddenly decided to change their name?

"Your forces have fought bravely, but as you can see, you cannot win. I am offering you a chance to surrender. If you understand, please comply."

O'var approached the hologram.

"I am Shas O'Var, commander of Tau Empire forces on this world. I would very much like to begin discussion..."

"You're allowing them surrender?"

General Ulster, as he had introduced himself, ranted to Thrawn, who was calmly observing the tactical readouts.

"Yes. The purpose of our expedition is to explore and evaluate this galaxy. I am greatly curious as to the technological and cultural status of this 'Tau Empire', so therefore..."

"Considering you do not look too dissimilar from them, I am not surprised!" spat Ulster. "You do not know these Tau as we do! They are underhanded and devious! They will..."

"They are not in a position to do anything." said Thrawn dismissively. "Their forces do not seem capable of withstanding our combined strength, and neither do their space forces seem overly capable."

"Where is your mettle? We have been fighting for 10,000 years against xenos like these, so we should know their tricks! As for you..."

"You claim to be fighting for 10,000 years, and yet you appear to have made hardly any progress in that time?" Thrawn said. "Once we have finished garnering all that we can from these people, you can do as you please with them."

"You will regret it!" raged Ulster.

"I doubt that." said Thrawn. __________________ Glancing over the reports and holographic readouts of the battle, Pellaeon found himself genuinely impressed with the performance of their allies on the ground. They certainly seemed devoted to their cause to the point of near insanity--those 'Imperial Guard' troops had been quite willing to storm enemy positions en masse despite heavy suppressing fire. Likewise, those armored vehicles, while almost hilariously primitive-looking in appearance, weren't too shabby either, although they lacked the finesse of repulsor tanks.

As for these 'Space Marines', they were certainly quite the soldiers--very well armored, and utterly fearless by the looks of it--they charged enemy heavy weapons units with swords, and succeeded! Their leader, that man Calgar, also seemed quite an honorable person, as he hadn't ranted objections to offering those 'Tau' surrender like the Guard commanders had. However, he had overhead comments about a 'thousand chapters of a thousand Astartes'--if that was to be taken at face value, there was only about a million of them. So, they were quite the tenacious soldiers, but hardly numerous--shock troops, most likely.

"I observed your ground forces in action." Pellaeon looked up as that Gaius fellow entered the command suite. "Formidable looking...but you were only up against Tau stragglers. I will be keen to see how you fare against the more formidable enemies of humanity."

"Such as?"

"Have you been told of the Necrons yet?"

"Vague mentions--living, ancient machines?" Sounded rather like the Separatist droid armies of the Clone Wars.

"There's more to them than that. Their armies awake on planets across the galaxy, and their space forces, while small, are most formidable."

Pellaeon wondered. Was this man trying to scare him, or warn him?

"Anyway," said Pellaeon, "I must express my admiration for your ground soldiers. Quite tenacious, from the looks of it."

Gaius smiled. "I'm pleased that you appreciate the mettle of our armies. We have been fighting for millennia, and there is still a lot you people have to learn about this galaxy."

"Please, whatever information you may consider useful, share it."

"I must warn you especially of the Ruinous Powers--Chaos. With their treacherous words, they can turn previously loyal man, and the heretics who are swayed by them--cultists--can, properly co-ordinated, bring ruin to even the most stalwart defenders of all that is righteous. We will have an Inquisitor arriving soon--he can help you make sure that the taint of Chaos does not emerge among your men."

All this talk of demons, Chaos, and other such things that would not sound out of place in a horror novel--Pellaeon wondered how much of it was superstition, and how much of it was based in fact. But he reminded himself not to be narrow minded. Anything was possible in an entirely new galaxy. Differing laws of physics, perhaps.

"I see. This Chaos--how do you beat it?"

Gaius shook his head. "That is a question we would very much like to know. The demonic hordes of chaos reside in the Warp--you are most lucky, that your ships need not access it. The Chaos Gods themselves live in the Eye of Terror, across the galaxy from there--in their domain, they are almost omnipotent."

This was genuinely worrying. Pellaeon wondered if it would be worth calling off the expedition--no. The Emperor would not accept it. He wasn't going to go crying off because some local was going on about demons and gods.

"But, for now, we can pray to the God-Emperor that you have not drawn the attention of the Ruinous Powers yet. Our first concern is settling a deal with these Tau--this will have sent a good message to those blue-skinned upstarts."

As he talked, a text message appeared on a heads-up display in front of Pellaeon. Tau prisoners of war and captured weapons and technology were being transferred aboard the factory ship, for studying, and in the case of the prisoners, dissecting and interrogation. Prefabricated garrisons were already been sent down from the Executor, although quelling the population, he heard, was looking up to be a problem. Still, if there was one thing the Empire knew how to do, it was keeping ungrateful masses down.

Near a landing pad in the outskirts of one of the cities down on the planet, figures invisible to the naked eye swiftly moved towards it. Positioned on the platform was an Orca dropship, guarded by Gue'la in white armor suits, with the drop specially modified for stealth.

XV25 stealthsuits, armed with burst cannons and fusion blasters, moved into the landing pad, mowing down the gue'la in seconds. As they secured the perimeter, Tau intelligence officers, technicians, and other vital personnel moved in, boarding the dropship.

"You sure this ship will get past the blockade?" One of the stealth troops asked the squad leader.

"It had better. We have gathered vital intelligence on these new vareties of Gue'la--the Etherals must see it."

"I hear we are beginning negotiations with them."

"While the cowards from the Water Caste lick their feet, we can find ways to defeat them. No Gue'la are invincible. While they sit confident in their superiority, we shall demonstrate why we are reputed for tenacity."

With the last of the key personnel aboard, the stealth team boarded the transport. As it took off, it faded into transparency, invisible to the naked eye and sensors, as it took off into the sky.

TK-114, elite stormtrooper of the Imperial Army assigned to this expedition, approached the local troops as a camp was set up aside the city--Imperial Guardsmen, they were called. They vaguely resembled rebel soldiers, and he keep seeing contrasts everywhere--their tanks looked clunky, their officer uniforms looked ludicrous, and their weapons were hardly eye-pleasing, but they did seemed well-trained and determined, and now they were sitting around, laughing and telling jokes.

"You!" one man called to him. "These new people! Take off that helmet!"

It was against regs. The officers would likely chew him out. By why not? He did so.

"Hey, you do have something there after all." laughed the soldier. "So, where are you people from?"

"Another galaxy. We came here via a...portal."

The soldiers were quiet for a second, before they burst out into laughter again. "So, you came all the way from another galaxy, in your fancy, speedy ships...for what? To get your balls singed?"

"What do you mean?"

"There ain't much in this galaxy worth exploring, unless you get hard-ons for war and death!"

"It's our duty." mumbled TK.

"Ah, never you mind. Come on! Have some beer! We've won a battle, it's the least we can do!"

Shrugging, TK sat down as someone began to strum on a guitar as songs ran out through the camp.

"Thrawn, is this really necessary?"

"Pellaeon, I have told you, the best way to learn a species is to look upon it up close--its mannerisms, its expression, its way of talking. I can learn just as much from a conversation with one than by fighting its kind in battle."

The negotiations were about to begin, in the prefabricated garrison the Imperial forces had set up near what was left of one of the main city. Inside the central conference room, Pellaeon, Thrawn, along with several personnel from the Empire and Imperium, waited as slim, tall members of the Tau 'Water Caste' conversed in hush tones at the other end of the onyx black oval table.

"What have to gain from these people anyway?"

"You will see. Intelligence, astrography...remember, given the nature of this Imperium, even the information they provide us might be suspect, tainted by propaganda or hyperbole, given what I've extrapolated from their behaviour. We must take in all that we can gather and corrolate it--in a galaxy such as this, no chances can be taken."

Pellaeon nodded, satisfied. "As you wish, Thrawn. I do not trust these blue-skinned freaks..."

"You are perfectly justified in that. However, unless our security scans missed something, we have nothing to fear from these individuals for now."

One of the Tau finally stepped up, bowing and taking a seat. They did so.

"Salutations. I am Por'o Vior'la Taih Sha'ka, representing the Tau Empire. You have launched an unprovoked attack against this world..."

"Unprovoked? You filthy xenos took it from us first!" shouted the Imperium commander Ulster, but he was hushed by the others.

"...but you nevertheless are in a position to dictate to us the terms of surrender regarding our presence here. Please state what you have in mind."

Por'o scrutinized the Gue'la sitting before him. There was one in a white uniform that bore an uncanny resemblance to his own kind, named 'Thrawn', as far as he could gather, another in a similar uniform with facial hair called 'Pellaeon', and behind them several others in similar, oddly plain uniforms, and then a few commanders of the Imperium. He had no idea who these aliens in this spartan attire of theirs were from, but he was positive they were connected to the previously unseen starships and vehicles that had brought death to this world today.

"Very well." said the one called Thrawn, his red eyes blank. Judging by the tone of his voice and his posture, he was a confident, sharp man, in a position of high command, whereas this Pellaeon seemed confused and impatient. "The first item we have to state is technical details on all the items of military technology you deployed today. Prefrably with some engineers to demonstrate their workings."

"What?" said Por'o hoarsely. This was unexpected. "I thought such things constituted...heresy among your kind?"

The Imperium officers gave glowering looks--whether it was at him or the Thrawn person, he couldn't tell.

"Not in the slightest." breezed Thrawn. "Your military technology, although poorly applied in today's battle, does have potential. Given that you are in no position to argue otherwise, it would be best for you to comply."

The Gue'la is right, thought Por'o angrily. He wondered what the Ethereals would make of these strange new people, with their advanced ships and their disregard for custom and dogma. Hopefully, they could be enlightened enough to submit to the Greater Good.

"Furthermore," he continued, "we desire detailed and annotated maps of all known space that you possess. Any intelligence regarding the locations of other races would be appreciated."

What was this? Why would they want...oh. This complicated things a lot.

"Granted." he said hoarsely.

"We would also like information regarding your own kind. Your customs, your civilization, your history..."

This did not seem unreasonable at first, but Por'o feared that they merely seeked ways to better exterminated his kind. Still, he was in no position to argue otherwise for now. Hopefully the archivists at the Earth caste could filter out anything that these Gue'la could exploit for their own ends.

"And, of course, any FTL routes you may have acquired. That is all."

"What?" exclaimed one of the Imperium officers. "What is this leniency?"

"You can handle this now. I have set forth all the demands I see fit." said Thrawn icily. "And I expect them to be fufilled."

Light-years away, the Carrack-class cruiser Pathfinder, outfitted with advanced sensor and scanning arrays, was moving in to map a system marked onto it's navicomputer. On the bridge, captain Kormak idly played Sabbacc on a holoboard while longue music played. They hadn't found anything in the last four systems they had scouted, and he wasn't expectign to find anything now.

"Dropping out of hyperspace now, captain." reported a crewman. Turning around, Kormak looked up as the swirl of hyperspace was replaced by a starfield.

What was superimposed on that starfield made him start.

It was a fleet of...ships...spread out through space, all of them quite big. Except they had no obvious mechanical composition--they all appeared perfectly organic, like oversized sea creatures or monstrosites out of an ancient Mon Calamari legend. He saw writhing tentacles, gaping maws, and claws and talons.

"Initiate scan. Quickly, before they can react!"

It was the work of two minutes for each type of organic vessel to be scanned and the results uploaded to the ship's computer. During this time, the fleet continued to move slowly across the system, apparently disinterested in them, or perhaps simply unaware.

"Scan complete."

"Excellent." breathed Kormak. "Now, let's get the kriff out of here." __________________ "Admiral Piett? Priority transmission from the cruiser we dispatched to system NG-12. They're reporting heavy concentration of potential enemy forces..."

"Can we have some specifics?"

"They appear to be...organic in nature."

Piett thought for a moment. Organic--were these those Tyranids he had heard mentioned earlier? They certainly matched the descriptions Gaius and the others had given him.

"What is their current trajectory?"

"If the readouts transmitted to us are accurate, they should pass us by a long margin."

But then again, if they were somehow aware of their presence, they could easily change course. Looking down upon the planet below, he could see the landing barges coming back up--no doubt the mechanized division crews, after being inactive for so long, were well on their toes now. Veers had distinguished himself quite neatly there, despite some moderate casaulties taking the primary objective. Still, nothing not easily replaced.

"Tyranids?" he jumped slightly as Gaius walked onto the bridge behind him. "You mean to say you have detected an incoming...hive fleet?"

"I don't know if it's a 'hive fleet', but we have detected something that matches the description of these 'Tyranids'." said Piett, handing him a datapad. "That's the quantity that we picked up. What do you make of it?"

Gaius looked relieved. "A mere splinter--of one of the lesser Hive Fleets. Gorgon, maybe. It appears to be heading either towards Tau territory or the fringes of the Damocles Gulf--not an immediate threat to the Imperium, thank the Emperor."

"What can you tell us about these Tyranids? Specifically, these 'hive fleets' of theirs?"

"It is fortunate that you should ask. This area we are in--on the doorstep of Ultramar--suffered a massive Tyranid invasion not that long ago. Macragge itself was besieged, and only through the blessing of the Emperor did the Ultramarines prevail. A Hive Fleet was vanquished, though at heavy cost. Nonetheless, many Space Marines and other soldiers of the Emperor here learned much from the experiance. Unfortunately, these Tyranids are as tenacious as they are deadly. They have the capability to adapt at an extraordainary rate..."

Then we'll just have to exterminate them before they can do so, thought Piett. "That Calgar fellow--" he asked. "Did he fight the Tyranids at that Macragge place?"

Gaius looked at him. "He did. He did indeed."

Gazing down upon the planet of Kerrigan, as vessels went to and fro through its atmosphere, Marneus Calgar considered what sort of civilization this 'Galactic Empire' was. They had demonstrated their honor and willingness to fight for the Emperor's cause by providing these vessels of incredible speed, and when news of this development reached the High Lords of Terra, he would certainly vouch for them. On the ground, they appeared to rely on machines, and as opposed to the surging fury of the Imperial Guard, which tore through enemy lines regardless of loss, they seemed to be much more cautious--although given their unfamiliarity with this galaxy, this was not so unreasonable.

"My Lord." A Terminator of the 1st company approached, his footsteps ringing out throughout this observation deck they were in--aboard this 'Acclamator-class cruiser', he had gathered it was called. "The man called Piett wishes to talk with you. It appears that these people have detected a Tyranid hive fleet splinter nearby, and if my instincts serve me right they wish to engage it. For what purpose, I don't know."

"Then they are either brave or foolhardy." said Calgar. "But, as they have convinced me of their honor, I shall talk with this Piett. I still remember the day when Macragge was engulfed by the swarms of the Great Devourer..."

"Forgive me, my Lord, but there is something about these people that I cannot quite place...I feel that they are hiding something from us..."

"I too have many questions to ask, but their presence presents many an opportunity for us to finally bring peace to many people of the Imperium. As the saying goes, do not ask why the Emperor brings you gifts, lest he considers you ungrateful."

"Object ahead, two hundred kilometers. A starship of some kind, Star Dreadnaught-size."

The Pride of Anaxes XII, one of several Carrack cruisers send out on recon by the expedition fleet leaders, had jumped out of hypespace in this system--which apparently contained a few barren worlds and nothing more--to find this ship moving very slowly through space in front of them, with Captain Rodrik was fascinated by. It was clearly very old and badly maintained, vaguely resembling those ornate battleships of 'the Imperium' he had seen earlier, but with purple and pink stripes painted on it. At least it didn't seem to be opening fire, or challenging them.

"Hail it."

"Affirmative."

A few moments passed.

"No response."

"Are the scans complete?" asked Rodrik.

"Yes, sir." reported another crewman. "We've detected life signs and power aboard, but the hull density and...radiation of some kind is hindering our instruments."

"Latch onto the hull." said Rodrik finally. "I want to board."

"Sir," said a lieutenant, sitting up, "I strongly recommend that we relay this back to the Executor and await orders. We've no idea what might be aboard this wreck."

"I have been captain of this tub for years. Despite all the ass I've licked and the boots I've cleaned, my career has got nowhere." growled Rodrik as the Carrack approached the mystery ship and began latching onto its hull. "Being the first man to board what could be a ship full of treasure is the least I can do."

"Sir, we've latched on." reported a crewman.

"I'm going aboard." announced Rodrik. "Alone. If I don't return in twenty minutes, leave and call in reinforcements."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead."

"Sir, quite frankly this is extremely foolhardy and stupid. I beg you to reconsider."

"Your objection is so noted, lieutenant...and ignored. Wish me luck."

Taking with him a breathing mask and a blaster rifle with a flashlight fixed onto this, Rodrik dropped down through the opening made in the hull into a dark, damp corridor. Gravity was low, and even with the air filtered through his mask there something didn't smell right. Putting on infrared googles, he made his way down.

After several minutes of walking, he became aware of what sounded like a groaning sound in the background. Was that the hull creaking? Something wasn't right here. His instincts told him to return to the cruiser, but his curiosity overwhelmed him.

Finally, he came across a door, and slowly opened it. As soon as he stepped inside, his infrared googles and flashlight went online--damn. What the hell was that? EMP? His communicator didn't seem to be working either.

"Well, hello there." he turned around. There was a woman--a very, very attractive one, nonetheless--longuing on a bed in front of him, lit by...he had no idea what. She was wearing rather-odd looking lingerie, along with various spiked jewellery. Not bad, not bad.

"I am Captain Rodrik of the..." he began.

"There is no need for formalities around here." she said, as more women began to emerge from the shadows, pushing him closer. He didn't resist. "This is, after all, a domain of the Prince of Pleasure."

That sounded...erotic.

"Who?"

"Why, Slaanesh. Lord of Excess."

She posed more sensually as Rodrik, his lust overtaking him, began to take off his clothes. He had been on duty for months--time for a little relaxing. After all, what harm could a little stand do?

"That's right. Now come here, daddy."

Groaning, Rodrik launched himself forward as the darkness around seemed to fade, revealing a cathedral-like interior filled with what seemed to be a giant orgy with people dressed in various bizarre costumes. At this point, he just didn't care. He was quite willing to meet this Slaanesh, whoever he was.

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