Faith and Fire: Divided (Sub-story)

Terran data log entry 2277839769/119/a88-G

...>Scanning segment

...>Decryption initialised

...>Data retrieved

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln, June ??, 1800-??(Dating log incomplete/Corrupt data)

Emperor bless armour-glass, thought Phebus as a chunk of debris the size of an attack bike slammed against the bridge of the ‘Victory Pyre’ strike cruiser. Yet, not one crew member, be they Astarte or Serf, so much as flinched as the chunks of twisted metal bounced off the cruisers observation windows. Another, much fainter vibration traveled through the floor of the bridge as the cruisers forward batteries unleashed another volley of torpedo fire at yet another Fellrograd assault frigate. The width of the strike cruisers forward battery was nearly that of its’ prey, seeing the frigate painted bow to stern with torpedo fire. The comparatively thin shielding that covered the frigate buckled and burst like a swollen oil bubble. Not a moment later the torpedoes struck the length of the small vessel, burrowed deep into its hull and detonated with unimaginable fury. The frigate seemed to implode inward for a heartbeat before its’ theatrical destruction, tails of violet immolation and lightning burst across the inky canvas of space, swallowing away the light of every star it touched.

“Barrage at maximum effect, target destroyed.” Droned the vox servitor.

Another peice of ex-frigate slammed against the bridge with the violent sound of tortured metal ringing about its’ interior.

“Have the defensive turrets manned and tasked with breaking up this debris. I want this ships paintwork to last as long as it can.” Phebus ordered to a serf plugged into its’ command chair.

The rhythmic drum of metal on metal signaled another Astarte approaching Phebus from behind him, growing louder until coming to a stop beside him.

“Captain.” Chaplain Morticus said before slamming his fist against his chest in a salute.

The captain gave his black clad brother a quick and less formal salute in return before turning back to the armour-glass that displayed the quickly dissipating death fires of the enemy frigate.

“This is the second raid this week.” The chaplain said as if Phebus hadn't already noticed.

“We always knew uncharted space is festering with smuggling rendezvous and pirate clans. I never thought that so many would stand and fight rather than flee like the rest.”

“The Imperium grows in strength and numbers every day. What you see is the desperate death throes of disorder and cruelty, and such a thing is a cause for great celebration.”

“Can’t say I can fully appreciate the event as you can brother.” Phebus replied, his gaze set on the final sparks of lightning and flame that were thrown from the frigates wreckage.

“Worry not, Captain,” Morticus turned to the communications pillar a few feet away, “I have come to believe that fate is warming us up for something quite magnificent.”

Decimating pirates is hardly a warm up, Thought Phebus. Morticus punched various runes on the comms console and wrenched down a lever to bring up a vox skull to his helmets face grill that was crafted into bone white teeth.

“This is Chaplain Morticus. All enemy vessels have been destroyed, the call to battle stations is lifted as of now.” The chaplain called into the mic, his voice resonating throughout the four kilometers of battleship.

“Haritio here. Weapons systems cooling down. Shield systems on standby. End of assessment.” The Techmarine said over the vox channel in his utterly mechanical, unfeeling voice.

“Looks like we’re done for now.” Phebus said after a long pause, his voice carrying the slightest tone of resentment for the situation that had blown past him, a situation that was drawing him ever closer to the conclusion that this expedition was meant for a lesser species than the Emperors finest.

A splash of oil tainted blood, clotted and rank with age, splashed over the training cages’ steel floor. The training servitor let out a hollow, yet haunting moan, a vocal signal that it had suffered severe damage and systematic fault. It’s bionic augmented body slumped to the cages’ floor in a mess of blood, split tissue and exposed robotics. With a series of quick, controlled breaths Letimitus shook the dead blood from his hands and turned to exit the cage.

“Thirty four seconds, not your best.” Geryn said as his sergeant descended the short set of steel stairs that let the training halls floor. Around him were over one hundred Astartes, mighty warriors that seemed far too quick and agile for such large, muscle-bound creatures. Yet blows were sent out at a staggering rate, locks and grapples were as sooner engaged as they were broken and dodges occurred so fast that it almost seemed some Astartes were in two places at once. On the several dozen sparring squares two space marines were locked in combat, circling one another or retiring to allow another pair to practice their martial skills.

“Better than yours.” Letimitus replied to his brother, who rose from the waiting bench to take his place.

“Maybe, but at least I come back uncut.” Geryn remarked as he gestured to the sergeants arm.

Letimitus looked down to find a wound travelling the width of his large bicep, having wept dark crimson blood before clotting a moment later. Letimitus raised his brow in bemusement, having gone utterly unaware of his wound.

“Here,” Said Nirrinah, handing the sergeant a towel.

He nodded a thanks before wiping the dried blood from his tanned flesh. A sharp crack quickly drew his, and his squads’ attention from nearby. Berlonus, an Astarte with more scar tissue than skin helped up a younger marine who’s face had been transformed into a waterfall of gore. As much as the Astarte would have been fine enough left with his wound, two medi-serfs rushed over to the beaten giant who had to take a knee for the comparatively small androids to patch up his face.

“That brute’ll leave every marine with a broken face by the end of the week if we don’t give him something else to fight.” Nirrinah said in a low voice.

“Demetrio is an honorable brother, he’s just giving as well as he gets.” Letimitus replied.

“Strange how his face looks...well, no worse than usual.”

Demetrio waved over another Astarte who, as confident as his expression was, Letimitus saw the tell-tale signs of tension in his jaw and neck that revealed him as slightly nervous. The sergeant turned and took a seat next to his brethren, dropping his towel to his feet.

“After three weeks of space travel and two pirate assaults I would have been sure we would have stumbled across more than just clusters of asteroid and dust.” Nirrinah exclaimed.

“Our next warp jump is in four hours, I’m sure we’ll spot something soon enough.” Letimitus responded with a sigh.

“The probes still have nothing?”

“Hence the warp jump, brother. Thirty seven seconds.” The sergeant called out as Geryn tore the head off the sparring servitors shoulders, dropping it a second later onto the cold, metal floor.

“Channels are clear, systems are responsive. Gellar field generators are charged and ready for ignition.” The systems operative informed Phebus.

“Good, prepare to initiate jump on my mark. Master Tauron, we’re ready when you are.” Phebus said to the holographic console displaying the face of the Star Lords Chapter Master.

“We are clear for ignition, Captain. All ships, commence warp jump in ten-“

Phebus saw the dozens of serfs and servitors busily tending to their appointed systems, maintaining energy reserves, clearing data stacks and comm channels.

“Seven-“

“All systems primed!” Called out Phebus with whines of confirmation coming from the data pylons.

“Three-“

A vibration hummed through the bridge of the Pyre as the warp drive fired up, unreality charging into the hundreds of energy coils that fed the cruisers titanic engines.

“One, mark!” Barked Tauron.

Phebus echoed the chapter masters order as did the other captains of the fleet. At once the fleet ignited their warp drives and Gellar fields, punching a hole through the fabric of the universe that lay before them. At the bow of each ship a storm of bright, impossible colours surrounding a perfect circle of deepest black burst into existence. The ships were all dragged into the storm and disappeared one after the other, the mighty battle barge being the last to flit out of reality. As soon as the ships had blinked out of existence the rolling hurricanes of colour and madness collapsed and vanished behind them.

After four hours and thirty nine minutes of warp travel the fleet ran out of hypothetical runway. The reaches the edge of the area of space the probes had deemed empty. First to enter real-space was the colossal battle barge, ‘Unrelenting Conquest’. Next, the two strike cruiser ‘Victory Pyre’ and ‘Ghost of Heaven’. Then the Mechanicus cruiser ‘Anvil of Judgement’ and the Sons of Horus destroyer, ‘Helltide’, that were attached to the fleet soared through the sea of stars. Finally the eight escort frigates zipped close beside the larger vessels. Aboard the bridge of the Pyre Captain Phebus rose from his command throne and strode over to the edge of the command platform.

“Sound off all systems!”

“Life support: Operational. Artificial gravity: Operational. Communication systems: Operational. Engine systems: Energy siphons closed, engines cooling. Weapons systems: Operational. Energy cores: Recharging, current energy supplies at 45%.” The ships central computer system responded.

“All ships accounted for, warp jump successful.” Called out a operations serf.

“Right then, open a channel to the Conquest and activate all antennae. See if there’s anything out there.” Phebus said whilst descending through the bridge elevator and striding onto the main deck.

“I don’t think we’ll need to be using our sensors Captain.” Morticus added.

Phebus was about to retort to what he assumed to be the chaplain being unnecessarily and unusually grim until he saw the Astartes triangular, bright orange eye lenses fixed on the observation window. Phebus turned to the gigantic window and immediately found what his brother had meant.

A small, but utterly recognizable pearl of blue, brown and green swam in an ocean of black. Further in the distance of the celestial canvas burnt a vibrant, golden sun. And beside the small gem of a planet sat a silvery sphere, a tiny moon that orbited close to the planet like a child clinging to their mother.

“Chapter master, do you have a visual on this?” Phebus called out into the vox channel.

“Aye, Captain. I can’t say I’m not happy to see somewhere to set down for a couple days. All ships form up, proceed to high orbit and prepare scouting drones.” Replied Tauron.

“Have drop bay five and twenty load a pod and launch it as soon as they can.” Ordered the captain, his eyes still fixed on the newfound planet.

“Let’s see who’s home.”

He used to be somepony. Somepony important, respected and wealthy with a fine house and steady career. Star Gazer was once Canterlots’ most famous astronomer, known all over the city as an expert at all things that swam in the night sky. He had discovered more stars, comets and planets than any other astronomer in all Equestria and was even well known by the princesses. His life was as steady and his reputation as strong as could be. Then the world, his world, had gone to hell. The princesses had disappeared without a trace nor word, yet the sun and moon they had been fabled to have controlled rolled across the sky on their own. Ponies all over the country panicked, many even becoming outraged at the prospect of the princesses’ powers being an enormous hoax. The elements of harmony had lost their power as their wielders had confronted one another over their different opinions on how to fulfill the empty thrones the alicorns had left behind.

The stubborn and brash Applejack had declared the regal sisters liars and usurpers, and had fled to the far west to establish her own territory. The once kind and gentle Fluttershy had soured and grown cruel after witnessing the chaos that was unravelling and had taken up residence in the Everfree forest to live as a savage. The once generous Rarity had become poisoned by greed and now reigned over the city of Manehattan with her web of scheme and lies. Rainbow Dash had fuelled her temper and sense of bravado to elevate her to the position of a supreme commander of a legion of pegasi fascists. Pinkie Pie had disappeared, either fleeing the violence or (as some had whispered) killed by one of the other element bearers, yet recently word had begun to spread of a strange cult promoting laughter and joy in the most twisted of ways in the darker corners of the continent. And finally the once star pupil of Celestia herself, Twilight sparkle had raised her own army in defence of the unicorn race and had enslaved all pegasi and earth ponies foolish enough to remain in the east of the country.

Star Gazer had felt a fool for twelve years.

Twelve years ago the princesses had disappeared and twelve years the madness and genocide had spread and grown in potency. And like the millions of other ponies across Equestria that had been caught in the crossfire, Star Gazers’ life had plummeted into a pit of despair and fear. He remembered the day the Moon and Star legionnaires had stormed his house and the houses of a thousand other non-unicorns who had been stupid enough to attempt to cling to their lives in Canterlot. ‘The House of Moon and Star has decreed you serve your city, and its rulers, in whatever way you may serve best’, they had said to him as they dragged him from his bedroom, down his stairs and into a transport carriage along with a dozen other non-unicorns.

Soon after being relocated into a ‘Work camp’ Star Gazer had had his mane shaved clean off, his cutie mark surgically removed and replaced by an artificial one in the form of a set of shackles. From that day onward he knew his fate was sealed to be a slave to a house ruled by soulless nobles and mad scientists. He had endured day after day of sitting in front of a telescope, staring at the sky eighteen hours a day every day. His eyes had grown unfocused and blurry as they struggled to handle adjusting their focus from telescopic vision to natural sight. Star Gazer rubbed his eyes once again and continued to star hopelessly through the lens that was now his entire life. Every now and then a unicorn supervisor strode through the observatory to ensure his work continued. Star Gazer sometimes felt thankful his fate had not been worse, as it very well could have been. Some of his kind worked as simple labour workers in the slave domes, other were victim to unicorn experiments involving dangerous and unstable magic. The earth pony shook his head slightly, trying to regain focus on the task before him. He knew if his readings didn’t match up to those of the other observatories he could well be reassigned to one of the aforementioned positions.

Star Gazer had, at that moment, cheered himself a thousand times over for regaining his thoughts. Through the old, worn telescope the once famous astronomer spotted a fiery wound trailing the night sky. The blaze of orange and blinding white cut a line through the stars, like a red hot razor against flesh. Star Gazer began to take down notes, rushing in his panic at losing sight of the anomaly. However the tear of immolation did not fade into the blackness of space, but instead grew brighter...and closer. Star Gazer could now clearly see the object was actually entering the planets’ atmosphere, the telescope revealing some form of comet at the head of the trail of fire. Yet the object did not flake nor splinter apart as many other comets often did, instead this one simply began to slow itself somehow, its’ flames dying in ferocity as it neared Equestrias’ surface. The seemingly indestructible object had still maintained a considerable velocity as it hammered into the surface of the planet, a cloud of dirt bursting into the air as it touched down in the plains beyond New Ponyville.

“Oh,Celestia,” Star Gazer murmured to himself, knowing that if any of the forces of house Earthborn had spotted the otherworldly object they’d have the head start at claiming the impact site.

At that thought Star Gazer grabbed his notes and raced off towards the Supervisors office.

The supervisor, Keen Eye, gave Star Gazer a venomous glare that was soaked in suspicion as he finished reading the astronomers notes.

“You understand this is nonsense, slave?” The supervisor droned in his cold tone.

“I-I assure you sir, it’s all the truth. I can back my claims up with all the evidence you would require.” Star Gazer replied sheepishly.

“Are you trying to get me killed , slave? You realize that should I pass this...this drivel onto my superiors that both you and I would be held in court faster than a heartbeat?”

“Sir, I promise I can prove this. If you would be so kind as to come to my observation post and-“

“It’d be quicker to simply have you replaced.” Keen Eye said lazily.

“Please, sir. Just...just ask yourself, ‘What if I’m right, and you have to explain to the high mage that we missed this chance?’” Star Gazer asked, his stomach growing cold with anxiety at the supervisors response.

Keen Eye shot his slave a look that nearly cut him in two. He then raised an eyebrow.

Twilight Sparkle, Archmagister of house Moon and Star knew it was getting unreasonably late, or to be more precise, painfully early. Yet her eyes did not feel the weight other might have been burdened with when lacking sleep, and her mind continued its vital and brilliant work unhindered by the fog of exhaustion. She scanned book after book, parchment after parchment and scroll after scroll yet found little to nothing that would help her and her race. Nothing that could help her attain the powers they so desperately needed to bring peace back to the world and make it more magnificent than any could have imagined.

The Archmagister sighed and closed her eyes a second to steady her thoughts, reminding herself that her efforts would bear fruit through her continued study in the old magics and rigorous experimentation, not to mention the labour of the lesser races. She flipped another page from a book that had probably laid unopened for centuries, her violet eyes once again absorbing every letter it offered up to her mind. Through her intense studying, Sparkle could faintly hear the hurried hoof steps of somepony rushing towards the large door that lay before her. Her features tensed up in frustration at her intruder before relaxing again into their usual cold expression. Just as she folded the book she had been reading to a close the ten meter tall double door groaned open as a well dressed and groomed female unicorn barged through them. She hurried up the short set of marble stairs and immediately took a knee before Twilight, who merely flicked a hand at the unicorn as a sign to rise again.

“Archmagister, I have...well, some interesting news.” The yellow unicorn squire said through her worn breath as she prepared some scrolls she had brought with her.

Twilight merely raised an eyebrow a millimeter in the slightest sign of intrigue. Normally she’d have sent any who interrupt her precious studies to a night in the detention cells, yet this news seemed to carry at least a sliver of urgency about it judging by the way the unicorn before her clumsily fumbled about to place the opened scrolls upon Twilights desk.

“These are the latest readings coming from observatory B, the one next to the market district. It includes a personal report from the supervisor of the complex as well as an artists’ interpretation of the event in question.” The girl said pointed at the appropriate scroll whilst mentioning its contents.

Sparkle lazily pushed her glove clad fingers over the edge of the coiling scroll and read the information within. Any other day she’d have dismissed the report for a later time, yet the sketchy artwork the scroll carried immediately brought her attention to full intensity. She grabbed the edges of the scroll and peered at the drawing upon its’ face, all depicting a comet soaring through the sky only to grow larger and more intense before apparently striking the surface of the planet. The report next to the sketches told of how the object that had crashed into the plains that Canterlot watched over was fully intact and had not disintegrated upon its’ entry into the Equestrian atmosphere. It also warned of its proximity to house Earthborns’ territory and how the houses’ forces could well be occupying the crash site by morning.

The paranoid, unstable portion of Sparkles’ mind lashed out to her senses, shrieking out that this was an elaborate scheme to have her assassinated or, at best, played as a fool before the entire house. But this story was far too far-fetched for any band of rebels or schemer to make up and truly believe would have a chance at luring Twilight into a vulnerable situation. Or was that what they wanted her to think? Twilights’ inner turmoil ground to a halt as she realised that if this story was genuine, and the possibility of securing a meteor crash site was within her grasp, delay would be the single largest mistake she’d made in the last nine years. She stood up and marched around her reading desk and towards the doors the squire had just entered through.

“Send out a detachment of pegasi slaves to act as an assessment team. See that they come from different districts of the slave dome. Should they confirm these findings report them straight to me.” Twilight ordered as she walked as fast as she could towards the royal palace.

“You realize that this is ridiculous, right?” Shining Armour exclaimed.

“Of course it is. The very idea of such a thing is utterly dismissible and our attentions are better focused on more urgent matters.” Twilight replied coldly.

“Then why are we just waiting here when we know this is all just a waste of time?” Shining added, his tone heavy with frustration.

“Because what if it’s not?” Twilight said simply.

Her brother let out a huff as he slumped into his ceremonial throne, his wife sat in her own next to his.

“And what would this mean if it is true?” Cadence asked.

“Any number of things. Perhaps a new mineral that grants us an advantage in technological or magical efforts. Perhaps a form of bacteria or virus that contaminates all of Equestria. Which is all the more reason to investigate before our enemies do.”

Cadence simply looked down into her own lap, her mind attempting to weigh out what she was hoping was, or what was not resting in a crater in the middle of Equestria. The trio waited in silence for what felt like hours to the caretakers of Canterlots’ thrones, yet felt like a heartbeat to the steel-eyed puppeteer of the house, who’s mind juggled a thousand thoughts every second. Finally the throne room doors flew open to reveal a pair of legionnaires, clad in their thick battle plate and jogging up to the three hierarchs of Canterlot.

“Your Majesties, Archmagister. I have received the confirmation that an object of, presumably, celestial origin has impacted north-east of New Ponyville. The object is described as...artificial in nature.” One of the gruff-voiced soldiers announced to his rulers.

All of them shot up or spun to stare at the pair of soldiers. The Prince and Princess simply stared with worried expression; Twilight however had hit the scientific jackpot of the millennia.

“Ready my carriage, the entire Canterlot science team and a military detachment immediately. We need to secure that crash site before-“

“I’m sorry to interrupt, your brilliance. But I was about to say that house Earthborn is already at the crash site, and by the looks of it, are arranging excavation equipment around the object.” The legionnaire finished, his expression cringing in fear of the Archmagisters’ reaction.

His fear was confirmed to be sound as Twilights own expression tensed up, her eye twitching and teeth clenched as the air around her began to boil with unnatural heat.

Flagons clashed, cheers bounced through the ranks and every pony in sight was busy either celebrating or excavating with equal joy. The entire military column stationed at New Ponyville and every engineer had gathered at the crash site. At first, most thought the Appleoosian ranger, Braeburn, had lost his mind after ordering so many ponies to the middle of a plain with no sign of battle on the horizon. However what turned out to be on the horizon was an enormous metal tower, easily more than thirty five feet in height and eighteen feet wide, its main body seemingly having broken open upon impact with the ground to become almost floral in appearance as its’ petal-like doors had fallen open. Inside a network of impossibly complex machinery, their function utterly unknown to everypony gathered about the obviously alien creation.

And Earthborn had seized it.

Applejack had arrived at the excavation site not two minutes ago, and had barely moved after resting her eyes on the mighty pillar of alien technology. Her sister was quite the opposite, the young blacksmith darting about the obelisk at the speed of sound, inspecting every tube, bulb and piston that the thing was made of. As much as the Supreme commander was, admittedly, excited for what this find could mean for her house, she was equally concerned. Questions bombarded her thoughts like a thousand Busters: Where had this thing come from? Why was it sent here? What was inside? Where is its’ cargo now?

The object was obviously sent to this planet on purpose, it didn’t appear to have broken off from some larger machine, nor was it crashed messily into the dirt and rent with damage. Instead it sat comfortably in its shallow crater, its door all having fallen open as it seemed to be designed to do. Applejack came to the conclusion that with was some form of delivery system. However it appeared to have no form of seating or harness for a pilot or crew, assuming its creators were anything like ponies then there was no way this machine could have safely contained anything living. But then again, it was alien technology to an utterly alien species; they could be floating jellyfish for all she knew. Applejacks inner assessment was interrupted as her younger sister bounced up beside her.

“Sis’, when we get this baby back tah Appleoosa, don’ expect me tah come out the shop fer a year!” Applebloom said in excitement.

Applejack gave her sister a warm grin, knowing the young mare must have been running circles around herself inside. An aged engineer with a grey mane and moustache plodded up before the sisters and gave a respectful nod.

“All ‘a’ rigs are ‘a’ ready, your vigilance. We’re ready tah haul this thang out.” The gruff stallion said whilst lifting away his forging goggles.

“Alright everypony, let raise this here...uh, whatever it is!” Applejack called out to the crowd who cheered in response.

At that, however, a sound of thunder and a low roar could be heard coming from the skies. All eyes turned to look up to see what looked like another alien pod soaring through the atmosphere at incredible speeds, slowing just before it struck the planet. It touched down many miles away, near what Applejack could only assume was somewhere between the Everfree forest and Stormwing territory. The crowd of soldiers and engineers muttered to one another in worry and debate until the Commander perked up.

“Come on y’all! Ah’m sure them buzzards’ll be pickin’ that thing clean in no time. So let’s get to work on our own!” She called out, the Earthborns immediately hurrying to work once again.

The engineers readied their winches and cranes and manned the ropes. With a short countdown the ponies prepared to lift the machine unto a reconstructed Headbutter siege ram that was now conditioned to serve as a transport platform. At the countdowns finish all the ponies heaved and pulled with all their might, over a hundred strong earth pony arms straining against the weight of the alien tower. A weight that may have been drastically underestimated. The woodwork of the cranes bent and creaked as the tower was lifted to the left at a slight degree. The team leaders called for the right to pick up the slack, yet all arms were already working at full strength. The participants groaned in tension and frustration as their cranes groaned in agony. Soldiers posted to stand watch nearby dropped their spears and rushed over to lend a hand. The pod finally began to lift into the air until a deafening series and cracks and snaps split the air. Dozens of ponies fell flat on their flanks as their cranes buckled and fell under the enormous weight of the tower of alien metal that thumped back onto the earth it had made its home on. Applejack rolled her eye and rubbed her temple in frustration as did many other ponies who sat in the dirt around the stubborn lump of metal.

“Ah told yer tah use more cranes!” Applebloom yelled at the engineer teams who picked themselves up and dusted off the dust that clung to their boiler suits.

Another, slightly softer roaring sound closed in on the work site, one that reminded Applejack of the Pony-copter prototype that had been showcased a week ago. All eyes shot to the sky to find no sign of the tell-tale trail of fire and vapour that heralded the coming of another alien vessel. Before anypony was given the chance to look anywhere else the sound of rushing wind and whining engines grew dangerously close before a gust of wind slapped Applejack right in the face. She flinched away and ducked as something soared over head with immense speed. She fully expected whatever had passed over to be disappearing off into the distance by the time she looked up again, yet as she raised her eyes up towards the sky she saw what the alien pod had brought with it.

A relatively small pillar composed of strange machinery of black was suspended under a dark grey disk with a cluster of what seemed like aerials shooting out at and angle behind it like porcupine spines. Around the edge of the disk sat four small wings that did not move and inch let alone flap, and seemed far too tiny to carry the machines weight anyway. The machine had a cluster of three brightly glowing, orange lights that Applejack assumed to be some form of eyes as they twitched from left to right and rotated between movements. The ponies all stared up in awe at the strange creation that appeared to be magically suspended in mid air, Applebloom staring at the thing like it was made of gold. The thing hung there for several seconds and the ponies surrounding it seemed to grow less tense at its’ presence before them.

Everypony jumped right out of their fur as a loud howl of some form of trumpet burst from the machine. The engineers reeled back and even fled back a few metres while the soldiers collected themselves and pointed their spears at the machine. The few hoof-cannoners readied their firearms and aimed them at the alien thing, yet the machine simply floated in the air utterly still beside its’ trio of eyes flitting from one pony to the other with insectile twitchiness. The crowd of ponies turned and quickly parted as the Ever-Vigilant strode through their ranks to come closer to the machine. The creation seemed to recognise this sign of authority and descended, almost as if it had stopped working, but came to a halt just a couple feet of the ground, another act that caused many around it to take panicked steps backwards. With a low, rhythmic humming sound the machine softly floated towards applejack, its fiery orange eyes fixed on her single emerald one.

“What are you?” The orange mare said to the machine.

A farmer hurried his frightened family into his home. An ugly giant of a creature swiped at the pict-feed. A child playfully threw tiny pebbles at the lens. A mass of alien beings gathered about the strange sight before them. Phebus had watched the video logs of the surveillance drones for little under an hour, his eyes scanning each holo-screen one after the other. So far the results had been highly promising; Seemingly intelligent native population with a primitive form of society, lush forests, breathable atmosphere and an abundance of native flora and fauna. Sector command would most likely follow up their thanks to the expeditionary fleet with a planetary exploration team sent to the surface, but such was not for the work of astartes. His fleet would most definitely be sent on its way once again to glide through another several weeks of blackness. Yet such was his current duty, and he would honour that duty.

Morticus stood next to the captain, his skull-shaped mask staring at the screens with a stony hostility. The chaplain found the abundance of life, let alone sentient life, as intriguing as Phebus did. Of course such planets were far from unheard of, yet still a rare enough site as to cause surprise when stumbled upon. Phebus noted how the feed showing the mass of natives showed them wearing sets of plate armour and working fatigues, indicating they had some form of forgery system, perhaps even an advanced one.

“Do you think that child will ever run out of rocks?” The Chaplain growled as he stared at the young native that launched stone after stone at the camera lens, painting it with an ever growing collection of small scratches.

“I think you’re feeling upset that we don’t get to stretch our legs.” Replied the Captain.

“Four kilometres of star ship offers plenty of room to breathe. I just would have liked to breathe actual air for a change. You know the kind, with pollen in its winds, the scent of dirt and grass.”

“Perhaps we can make planet fall to grab a handful of shrubbery and throw it into the atmosphere generators.” Phebus chuckled.

“You would go to that effort to please me, bother?” Morticus replied with a sarcastic tone in his growl of a voice.

“I’d go to such lengths to get you to stop your complaints.”

“Where space travel is concerned, there is no shortage of things to complain about.” Morticus finished as he turned to watch the video Phebus was set on.

The crowd of Natives were frantically talking to one another, the mouths fluxing in a way similar to that of an imperials way of speech.

“Drone control, enable audio feed on drone forty four.” Phebus said with curiosity.

From the console speaker came the chatter of the natives speech, their sentences garbled and distorted by the feeds distance. Yet the rambling of dozens of voice sounded eerily familiar to Phebus. Then, as if the feed had been cut off, the crowd silenced and turned. Through their ranks there slowly marched one individual who parted the crowd like parting wheat in a field. Phebus could not tell whether the individual was male or female, but they wore a large, heavy set of armour that, like the other soldiers, was a rusty colour much like that of the Adeptus Mechanicus ranks. The commander walked courageously close to the drone that dropped down to meet her gaze. The native had obviously seen battle as one of its’ bright green eyes was wrapped in a jet black eye-patch.

“Whu-ffrrtt-are y-uuurgheeek!” The audio feed blared with distortion.

Phebus’ eyes widened and his brow furrowed as he prayed his ears had somehow deceived him.

“Rewind feed five seconds, clear up that audio!” Phebus ordered.

The video wound backwards and played once again, its’ audio somewhat clearer.

“What are-r-r-r-r-ou.”

“Impossible. Again, once more!”

The feed rewound once again, it’s audio clear say for the odd buzz or crackle.

“What are you?”

The two astartes were utterly silent, having no words nor thoughts to what they had witnessed.

“Throne on Terra.” Phebus blurted clumsily.

“This is impossible. The odds...they are simply not...” Morticus found little else he could say at the situation.

“Low gothic speech. Fluid...native Low gothic on a world thousands of light years away from Terra with no contact to he Imperium until this day!” Phebus yelled in a harsh mix of outrage and excitement.

“Brother, if we do not make planet fall within the hour I’ll kill you myself!” Morticus bellowed in a fit of zealous joy as he shook the captain by his pauldrons.

“And I would let you! Open a channel to the Conquest!” He ordered to the comms serf.

With a alarm blare and a chime the channel opened and the Chapter Masters voice called through the speakers.

“This is Tauron, found anything Captain?”

“My lord, I’m sending you a data log for your holo screen. You would not believe me if I told you what it reveals.”